Families invited to school spending forums
Families in American Canyon, Calistoga, St. Helena and Napa will get a chance to talk about school spending with reps from the Napa County Office of Education in four one-hour public forums from April 22 to April 30.
- American Canyon: April 22, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Donaldson Way Elementary School Multi-Use Room
- Calistoga: April 23, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Calistoga Junior/Senior High School
- St. Helena: April 29, 5:30-6:30 p.m., St. Helena Unified School District Board Room
- Napa: April 30, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Napa County Office of Education
The County Office of Education manages $100 million in funding across all school districts in the valley.
The topic? Building out a new strategic plan to set priorities for the office. County Superintendent Josh Schultz said he intends for the plan to become “a living thing that guides our work, not just a plan.”
A strategic plan will be released following input from focus groups, surveys and April’s forums. The last plan, a straightforward, three-page document of aspirations and no data was drafted in 2021 and expired in 2024.
The COE, as it is called, also approves charter schools and looks out for each district’s most vulnerable kids, who often are part of county agencies. They include foster youth, special needs children, some 615 homeless students around the county, expelled students and those involved in the justice system. COE operates Camille Creek Community School in Napa and Crossroads School through juvenile hall, which provides instruction for kids serving time so they can get a high school diploma.
Schultz started in his role in August, replacing Barbara Nemko, the county’s longest-serving superintendent for 30 years. The four forums are part of major changes Schultz said the district needs to make to better connect with the community.
“Out of the $100 million a year that flows through us, 10% is our unrestricted pot of funding,” said Schultz.That’s $10 million that will be directed toward the highest needs of students, and through these forums, parents have a say.
Recently, Wellness Centers have debuted at schools around the county, offering a space to support kids with mental health issues, from case management to drop-in services. The COE partners with each district to fund these centers, and funds other contracts, like those with the Boys and Girls Clubs for after school programming.
At the forums families will be able to learn is how county office funds have impacted districts, and how they can do better.
With the new strategic plan, Schultz said, the COE will be “much more focused on getting input from districts, both leadership, staff and their communities. We want to make sure we’re focused on aligning what we’re prioritizing what they see as priorities.”
