Courtesy of Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District

The attendees at the Aug. 28 board meeting, which tested the new transparent meeting format.

As the school year began, the school board announced that it has changed its meeting schedule and structure as part of continuing efforts to increase transparency and community participation. The hope is that more parents, students and teachers will be able to attend meetings more regularly. 

The board’s regular meetings are now Thursdays rather than Tuesdays, occurring every three weeks and beginning at 5:30 p.m. instead of 6:30 p.m. 

This change comes after a controversial year for the district as several conflicts between several school programs with the board and former superintendent Bill Sanderson led to Sanderson’s resignation last October. 

The board — consisting of President Steve Chen, Vice President Katherine Tseng, Theresa Bond, Dr. Misty Davies and Shawn Mortensen — has been trying to rebuild a stronger connection with the community under the leadership of new superintendent Heath Rocha. 

The closed session of the meeting, in which the board often deals with issues ranging from personnel decisions to pending litigation , has also been moved to the end of the meeting instead of the start, allowing more people to participate through public comment at the start of the meeting. In the past, people would often show up early, only to have to wait for the closed sessions of meetings to end before being allowed to speak, board president Steve Chen said. 

In an Aug. 4 press release, Rocha said the goals for the meeting are to make them more accessible and be more inclusive while having a less confusing schedule, allowing for better discussions. 

During their Aug. 28 regular meeting, the board discussed several action items, including how funding from Prop 28 was used by the district to support expanded course options, additional class sections and supplemental opportunities in music, art and drama at both high schools. The report noted that last school year, the district funded 1.6 teachers and 15 classified support staff positions.

 The meeting also approved $186,715.32 of funding for the School Excess Liability Fund (SELF) Supplemental Assessment, a legally required invoice resulting from AB 218. Funding will be used for liability claims for Childhood Sexual Assault cases. 

 Additionally, the board approved policy updates provided through CSBA (California School Boards Association). These updates keep the district policy in line with new legal requirements and best practices.

The district has also begun to email a meeting summary to the community after every regular meeting. 

According to Chen, meetings have been finishing an hour earlier than before. The more convenient end time seems to be beneficial for both the board and district parents, staff, and students. 

As the board moves on from a tumultuous year, board members and community members alike share optimism that the district as a whole can start a new chapter. 

“We want our community to feel informed and connected to the decisions being made,” public information & engagement officer Tanya De La Cruz said in the Aug. 4 press release. “Providing timely, clear board meeting summaries helps ensure that our community has easy access to what matters most.”