[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6395056,"mediaKeyId","2101687-e93d61bdcf1a899ed264b9b45fd87923","parentId",2101687,"title","Votes at a glance: Pacific Grove USD board approves agenda, consent and multiple staff recommendations","audioSeconds",2552,"startMs",48000,"endMs",2600000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2101687-e93d61bdcf1a899ed264b9b45fd87923&start=48&end=2600","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2101687-e93d61bdcf1a899ed264b9b45fd87923/thumbnail_48000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6395056/California/Votes-at-a-glance-Pacific-Grove-USD-board-approves-agenda-consent-and-multiple-staff-recommendations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6395056-c515665bb6fa6666ef12053b5af13a90/orig.mp4?Expires=1770664987&Signature=h2OMbCClOJqlipaPGFEmXpEFbheRmzvnrE~GQPO0i9OoIfgeSjHbGA~aMq9rt-A5Yh01rja64ajxghbzQDvKX9KpubbyAY3F-rLcy3AoWvaTWMMFVEYLMAsVbZrFIsZRg8HIvOgsewPhraWVxZBabK280sROV64wAH0M8lsodyxddsjXtFqEtQcQnDEIffQNj4OIAofYZxrKc3IM0JZZm~q1GNFeRgaBHAKlfP5XhJbsZnNudhXoJ1aHpKIIvlCEx2QKqFxQT5Lg2OCX7UU75B2cVmZbS-NAh4Ex1LS~Ir6J47BH3qZNTsXiGqLPsnUf41Zm~~BD8AeyOSVz0joeuQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Pacific Grove Unified","date","2025-01-11T00:56:44.997Z","article","Key board votes (Jan. 13, 2025)

- Agenda adoption with walk‑on item L (overnight stay for the wrestling team): Motion to approve the agenda with walk‑on item L passed 5–0. Mover: President Dr. Hazen; seconder: Trustee Shewaffe (as recorded in transcript).

- Consent agenda (including added overnight stay for the wrestling team): Motion to approve consent agenda passed 5–0. Mover: Trustee Atmar; seconder: Trustee McNary.

- FY2023–24 district financial audit (acceptance of audited financial statements): Motion to accept the audit passed 5–0. Mover: Trustee Hayes; seconder: Trustee Otmar. The board accepted the auditors’ unmodified opinion and asked staff to return with corrective‑action steps addressing state compliance findings.

- Retired annuitant salary schedule (annuitant pay schedules for fiscal support and payroll): Motion to approve the retired‑annuitant salary schedule passed 5–0. Mover: Trustee McNary; seconder: Trustee Schloss. (Staff said there is no current fiscal impact because annuitants are not currently employed in those slots.)

- Confidential salary schedule revision (7¢ rounding correction): Motion to approve confidential salary schedule revision passed 5–0. Mover: President Dr. Hazen; seconder: Trustee McNary.

- Resolution No. 1144, proclaiming February 2025 as Black History Month: Motion to adopt Resolution No. 1144 passed 5–0. Mover: Trustee McNary; seconder: Trustee Otmar.

- Interim revision to independent‑study policy/procedure (SB 153 implementation): Motion to approve staff’s recommendation as an interim measure, pending final policy language at the policy committee, passed 5–0 (motion included amended language to authorize interim use until formal policy adoption). Mover: (as recorded) Trustee [motion maker as in transcript]; seconder: Trustee McNary. The board required staff to finalize policy language and return with formal language to the policy committee.

Context and follow‑up

Several items received additional board direction despite unanimous votes. In particular, the audit acceptance included a directive for staff to present a timeline and controls to prevent future instructional‑minutes and ADA documentation errors. The interim independent‑study approval directed staff to produce clear guidance for families, update district forms, and add coding in Synergy. The retired‑annuitant schedule changes were administrative fixes requested during recent staffing transitions.

Ending

All recorded motions in the meeting passed by unanimous recorded votes (5–0) where votes were documented on the record. Several items will return to the board as informational follow‑ups or formal policy actions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","PGUSD Board Meeting January 9, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Pacific Grove USD board unanimously approved the meeting agenda and passed a series of staff recommendations and administrative items at its Jan. 13 meeting, including acceptance of the FY2023–24 audit and interim independent‑study revisions.","taxTitle","Pacific Grove Unified, School Districts, California","taxId",60770,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6395061,"District projects modest enrollment decline for 2025–26; TK numbers uncertain",207,8793000,9000000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2101687-e93d61bdcf1a899ed264b9b45fd87923&start=8793&end=9000","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2101687-e93d61bdcf1a899ed264b9b45fd87923/thumbnail_8793000.jpg","/articles/6395061/California/District-projects-modest-enrollment-decline-for-202526-TK-numbers-uncertain","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6395061-94d20e3eab07b1714487de8d54381cee/orig.mp4?Expires=1770664987&Signature=Y1Q9yoUf6tByQnSQ5n8t4vTXKDFd9W3K1VDioNy5pV0RSszPDCpRhkH9ZRBPMMP-qcD-UywUQUUQlpgMyZV-C9MpkyEOwxYZ5Hry-FswskhQOkUksvKqSJTzsqFb4DIHVJ7B0vPMepXdijksyTwdqnhnnIAYQo1iTpXJ8eaSla6~ayl47zRgz3c4RiqYKRLzIc5lHudTO3kZGjlC8H48SdxkdMA~5SC-3Oa2UVyoDBJHvWhRrr9iIUxcAsv07J-3EkQSz7fUd~kFLqtopIqnZWF1kl~n~OlP0A0YzMsvjrKTgCejPPwq604oSS2s9TAIl6ZNno3PfTGRVc37cwFQrQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pacific Grove Unified School District staff presented preliminary enrollment projections for 2025–26 showing a district total of 1,701 students, down from the 1,745 enrolled at the start of the 2024–25 year. Assistant Superintendent Jordan said the estimate used prior‑year grade‑roll averages and acknowledged projections will be updated with spring preschool outreach.

Key projection details

- Forest Grove Elementary projected at 331 students (net +5 vs. 2024–25 CBEDS) with a projected 48 TK students in the plan for two TK classes.
- Robert Down Elementary projected at 456 students (net +20 vs. CBEDS).
- Pacific Grove Middle projected at 430 students (net –10 vs. CBEDS).
- Pacific Grove High projected at 539 students (net –10 vs. CBEDS).

Jordan told the board that TK outreach to preschools in February will produce more reliable numbers for TK and kindergarten. He said Forest Grove currently has two TK sections this year with 11 students each, but preschool survey counts suggest one class next year could be more likely; staff elected to project two classes at this point to be conservative.

Board questions and context

Trustees discussed the causes of cohort fluctuations and asked about the district’s interdistrict transfers and attrition in transitional grades (elementary to middle and middle to high). Jordan said transient families and military moves explain some variability; he estimated 80–100 interdistrict transfers this year (staff children and others) and offered to supply a more detailed breakdown on exits and destination schools.

Trustees also suggested more systematic outreach to families at grade transition points (for example, 5th→6th and 8th→9th) to learn why families choose other high schools and whether district offerings or scheduling changes could address the causes.

Fiscal note and next steps

Jordan said enrollment changes have modest immediate effects on categorical funding tied to ADA and that the district will continue to monitor live enrollment through CBEDS updates and incorporate preschool outreach results in spring updates. The projection will be refined in coming months and used for staffing and budget planning.","Pacific Grove USD staff presented district enrollment projections of 1,701 students for 2025–26 — a decline from current counts — driven by smaller cohorts at several grade levels and uncertainty in transitional kindergarten (TK) participation; staff will refine projections when spring preschool outreach finishes.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6395065,"Pacific Grove USD rolls out VisitorAware system and fingerprint checks across sites",325,7370000,7695000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2101687-e93d61bdcf1a899ed264b9b45fd87923&start=7370&end=7695","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2101687-e93d61bdcf1a899ed264b9b45fd87923/thumbnail_7370000.jpg","/articles/6395065/California/Pacific-Grove-USD-rolls-out-VisitorAware-system-and-fingerprint-checks-across-sites","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6395065-9dd467d47848a66a18dc0092a979585a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770664987&Signature=QYcxZbDNQLOUBtQcMMo9ifkNmrZDy2y~aY3tWl7bJRnqPwaji7-jryJbFQQCafFNu97fbvitjp4Jg0J-sB3PVuL4uHfaeYyPAEeHgWP7Cb0HHkrsRUD6GVi67wKqVgdofVycCod4xWWCby4krH9nE6myMwxKlXvcWWfVoPUOjUk~84KIVRx5IfWt3zpqK5BChDEZczNrqUpz1lWdPsZpaxF~b43PIWDFAij-CRp-OjWt77dAjWLkJ-9vYB3FZ55OlcYU462NMWDWHJlduVyah~kXQGiD-lvTdvzTxcZVmCWfvej-elmPyeyaWVBjR8vdkCy~DAAtxPHDHISdwmpQNw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pacific Grove Unified School District has implemented a district‑wide visitor‑management system to standardize check‑in, improve volunteer fingerprint tracking and provide better visitor accountability during an emergency.

Buck Robeman, chief human resources officer, told the Board that the district installed VisitorAware at seven sites under a three‑year contract. The software cost $13,000 for the sites plus a $1,500 implementation fee, paid from Measure A funds.

How it works and key numbers

Visitors scan a driver’s license, the system captures a photo and prints a sticker. The system compares the ID photo to the new photo at check‑in and requires staff to select the visitor’s destination and purpose. On check‑out a second photo is captured for verification, and staff can view a web roster of who is currently on campus.

Robeman said the system integrates with the district’s fingerprint clearance spreadsheet so office staff can see whether volunteers and chaperones are fingerprinted and cleared. From August through December the district recorded 5,888 check‑ins across sites. Robeman said the district received 0 matches to the Megan’s Law registry among those visitors.

Why the district adopted it

District staff said the system brings consistency across sites, helps account for visitors during an emergency and lets HR and site clerks identify volunteers who still need fingerprint clearance. The HR office is using the daily check‑in logs to reach out to non‑cleared volunteers to schedule fingerprinting.

Board questions and operational points

Trustees asked about facial‑recognition limits, integration with cameras and how the system handles people who do not check out. Robeman and IT staff said VisitorAware uses an internal image‑matching step to compare the ID image and the live photo on check‑in; the system is not designed to integrate with district camera feeds for continuous facial recognition. Staff said they will gather site clerks’ feedback and complete a standard operating procedure (SOP).

Staff also said that some visitors (for example, people attending IEP or 504 meetings) do not require fingerprint clearance but are still asked to check in and receive a visitor badge; if a visitor triggers a Megan’s Law alert they will be accompanied by a certificated staff member for the duration of their visit.

Ending

The board received the update; staff will solicit feedback from site clerks, finalize the SOP and continue using the system to support fingerprint coordination and emergency accounting of visitors.","The district implemented a VisitorAware visitor‑management system at seven sites to track visitors, check Megan’s Law and coordinate fingerprinting. District staff reported nearly 5,888 check‑ins from August–December and said 0 registered Megan’s Law matches were triggered; the system cost $13,000 (plus $1,500 implementation) paid from Measure A.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6395071,"Board approves interim independent‑study changes as state law expands short‑term option",1649,5011000,6660000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2101687-e93d61bdcf1a899ed264b9b45fd87923&start=5011&end=6660","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2101687-e93d61bdcf1a899ed264b9b45fd87923/thumbnail_5011000.jpg","/articles/6395071/California/Board-approves-interim-independentstudy-changes-as-state-law-expands-shortterm-option","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6395071-e943cfda2bd46157089b6e4e8398ec18/orig.mp4?Expires=1770664987&Signature=SmBg-G~LmDq~DsAGvY5S3FgJ47fePARzo04zsnx87ip6XBDZxydovUpjswYmYWRkmFq42etaY8954AhWg3SxLo4XZ8G3qsc6WUvai5Et35FpUoKmPJANGqV3TKQfsST2qC0Ym7b~2zdYSfiIl9a-z5jttERfcn1IGyBIsUItGpPqGrBvfz8B1E2JTGzIkKMHpwevFHIRDkGHyua59uWpwHzcDvTrZPiaHdKmnjbCjvG3ZOXQGuF9jQErsOxCTlvoZaH0jFiulpN3OoiZ~zyOUiAE7DvSg6rP5VW7l1XLG5NYBjmOFYKtX18sjXfP4IvVOpwnsGPVYignYv89U8RTdA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Pacific Grove Unified School District Board of Education voted 5–0 to adopt interim revisions to district independent‑study procedures to comply with SB 153 (2024), which changes what qualifies as short‑term independent study and how districts document student work.

The motion authorizes staff to implement the revised process immediately and to bring finalized board-policy language to the district policy committee for formal adoption.

Why it matters

SB 153 (passed June 29, 2024) eliminates the former three‑day minimum for short‑term independent study and defines short‑term independent study as 15 days or fewer, allowing districts to offer independent‑study arrangements that begin as short as one day and up to 14 days under the short‑term category. The law also expanded acceptable evidence of student work.

District officials said adopting the interim revisions will reduce the number of absences reported as unexcused and could help lower chronic‑absence metrics and increase recoverable ADA in some categories. Assistant Director Larry Hegquist (Educational Services) told the board that revising the district’s “justifiable absence” form to add the short‑term independent‑study option will allow those absences to be treated as excused when the contract is executed.

Board discussion and operational questions

Board members asked multiple operational questions about timing, retroactivity, and how the process would work in practice for different age groups. Trustee McNary and others sought clarity about whether the district could retroactively convert past absences to independent study; staff advised best practice is to have the independent‑study contract signed in advance so teachers can prepare and students can submit work during the absence.

School sites and the district’s technology team will add new coding to the student information system (Synergy) to accommodate the new short‑term independent‑study status. Hegquist told the board that the change could also improve chronic‑absenteeism reporting and said the district will continue using established truancy‑abatement steps (letters, meetings, resources, SARB processes) when students show elevated absence counts.

Implementation and next steps

The board approved an interim motion so staff could begin implementing the short‑term independent‑study option while formal policy language is finalized at the upcoming policy committee meeting. Staff said they will prepare guidance for parents and principals covering recommended lead time for requests, recommended documentation and when medical or emergency absences may be treated as excused without pre‑execution of a contract.

Ending

The motion passed unanimously. Board members emphasized the need for clear, consistent communication to families about how and when an independent‑study contract should be requested and executed to ensure instructional continuity and recoverable attendance where appropriate.","Pacific Grove USD’s board approved interim revisions to its independent‑study practices to conform with SB 153 (2024), expanding short‑term independent study to as few as one day and up to 14 days and loosening evidence‑of‑work rules; staff will finalize policy language at the policy committee meeting.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6395076,"Pacific Grove USD audit finds clean opinion but flags lost instructional minutes and data errors",380,2710000,3090000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2101687-e93d61bdcf1a899ed264b9b45fd87923&start=2710&end=3090","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2101687-e93d61bdcf1a899ed264b9b45fd87923/thumbnail_2710000.jpg","/articles/6395076/California/Pacific-Grove-USD-audit-finds-clean-opinion-but-flags-lost-instructional-minutes-and-data-errors","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6395076-e42aa2d10edaa0a4a0b455caf0a51a0e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770664987&Signature=RKrHRKtRfom02emO6SuKuxG4BWstXpMzps75qURWnYdJ0vt8tqxwuFpJBzGn3b5eVmq~6ztasl2RTl66ZpaLFE3BiLpmmOTcoEfkWC0vYyVQa~SfFo6Eelz2TMbj1TipiHk9rKNqc0SUBjiUE59TSM9WqWtuteg~mFJhWw64ENQiQUVsRFaf1qx3DHAOdCIg89clxgd5qIx7-cpq7peIIU4Ksga0vdJAfLOuFSa0cPcuyeyRS~IChxd8KSxBSZebxjS5xyrpYbavW4zfIUP~i3aeqirtnayoJ95Nm8TegbHNWDQH2WLsR1sIrIoMTNlkIc2iPPmayzqKpBHfjd-PTA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Pacific Grove Unified School District received an unmodified (clean) auditor’s opinion for its FY2023–24 financial statements, but auditors and district staff told the Board of Education that state compliance findings will reduce state apportionment and require internal changes.

An audit presentation by Ryan Zelensky, senior manager at Ibailey, said the district’s financial statements were clean but that several state compliance findings were reported. The largest single fiscal result was a penalty tied to insufficient documented instructional minutes at Pacific Grove High School; auditors calculated a related funding reduction of about $140,000.

The nut graf: While an unmodified opinion signals the district’s financial statements are reliable, board members focused on preventable operational problems that caused the state findings and the steps staff said they are taking to stop repeated errors.

Auditor highlights and board reaction

Zelensky said auditors issued a standard unmodified opinion on the main financial statements and that the audit included federal program testing and state compliance work. He told the board that the district’s statement of net position shows a large negative pension-related balance (about $32 million) resulting from required accounting for pension liabilities.

In reviewing compliance, Zelensky listed three findings in the audit report: mismatches between ADA (average daily attendance) documentation and reported figures, a shortage of instructional minutes at the high school (the $140,000 penalty), and an error in unduplicated pupil count that produced approximately $3,000 in disallowance.

“Those financial statements have been audited,” Zelensky said, then explained the instructional-minutes finding was tied to a scheduling change at the high school that included optional office hours during testing weeks.

Board members pressed staff on controls and asked for concrete systems to prevent recurrence. Trustee McNary said the district must “have systems in place so that we don’t end up in the same spot,” and Trustee McNary and others asked for a specific timeline and description of changes to review processes that verify minutes, ADA, and unduplicated pupil documentation.

Staff explanation and next steps

Assistant Superintendent Jordan told the board the high school master schedule exceeded required minutes overall, but the optional office hours recorded in the schedule were not mandatory and therefore could not be counted as instructional minutes during the audit. He said the schedule has already been revised so office hours will not create the same ambiguity in final exams and testing periods going forward.

Jordan and superintendent Adamson said the district has tightened internal review and will present the strengthened process and timing to the board. For the unduplicated pupil count finding, staff said some free-and-reduced meal applications contained incorrect information and that the district has added more rigorous packet checks and controls.

Board action and context

The board voted 5–0 to accept the audit report as presented. Trustees and the student representative also asked for a follow-up presentation that outlines the revised controls and milestone checks the district will use to prevent similar penalties in future audits.

Other audit notes

Zelensky reported the district issued a new bond series B in FY2023–24 (about $7 million) and that federal special-education testing produced no findings. He described the management discussion and notes sections of the report and explained why pension accounting produces a large negative net position on the statement of net position even when current operations are balanced.

Ending

District leaders said staff will return with a concrete plan and schedule for additional internal controls, and that corrective steps taken for the 2024–25 year (revising the testing-week schedule to remove non‑mandatory office hours) should prevent a repeat of the minutes finding. The board accepted the audit and asked staff to report back on implementation of the improved review procedures.","Auditors delivered an unmodified opinion on Pacific Grove Unified School District’s FY2023–24 financial statements but the board heard findings including a $140,000 state penalty tied to missing high-school instructional minutes, errors in unduplicated pupil counts and ADA documentation, and follow-up steps to fix controls.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Pacific Grove USD board approves agenda, consent and multiple staff recommendations

District projects modest enrollment decline for 2025–26; TK numbers uncertain

Pacific Grove USD rolls out VisitorAware system and fingerprint checks across sites

Board approves interim independent‑study changes as state law expands short‑term option

Pacific Grove USD audit finds clean opinion but flags lost instructional minutes and data errors