Board approves consent calendar; pulls science-policy language and flags $2 million in purchase orders

The Los Altos School District Board of Trustees on Thursday approved the consent calendar with two exceptions: board policy 6142.93 (science instruction) was pulled for further review, and one consent item was removed and will return at a later meeting.

During the consent discussion, a trustee questioned a purchase-order report showing about $2,000,000 in August purchases. District staff explained that roughly half that amount represented special-education transportation charges paid through a joint powers agreement with a regional transportation agency. "It's called Silicon Valley Joint Powers Transportation Agency for special education transportation," a staff member said, explaining that the district pays Santa Clara Unified (through the JPA) to provide routes and does a year-end “true up” for actual service delivered.

Board members also asked about a property and liability insurance premium. A staff member identified Northern California Mutual Insurance and said the premium is "almost $600,000 more" on the report and that joining a new JPA earlier this year should save the district about $200,000 while providing improved coverage.

Trustees moved and seconded approval of the consent calendar with the noted edits; the motion passed unanimously. The board also instructed staff to pull BP 6142.93 for language review after trustees raised concerns that a sentence in the policy—on causes, effects and methods to mitigate and adapt to climate change—might specify a particular scientific consensus and therefore warranted additional review.

No changes to spending authority were made at the meeting; staff said they will return with corrected policy language and the removed consent item at a future board meeting.