School Board to Consider Boost to Special Ed

A potential boost to special education services, new criminal-background checks, a study about racial/ethnic diversity and a grant related to environmental sustainability will be discussed tonight at the meeting of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District's Board of Education.

According to the meeting agenda, SMMUSD staff has recommended the board approve an increase to the district's special education student and classroom needs. The adjustment would result in an increase of $45,780 for salary and benefits.

If approved, would be allowed to hire a new special education instructional assistant who would work six hours per week. McKinley Elementary School in Santa Monica would get a 1.5-hours-per-week increase for special-education instructional assistance. Also, an instructional assistant for the district would work seven hours per week instead of six, to provide additional school bus supervision.

The possible implementation of new criminal background checks, per a recommendation from the California School Boards Association, stems from the July 1 passage of AB 346. The new state law requires that, prior to being paid or volunteering, non-certificated individuals who work with students in an interscholastic athletic program or related student activity program pass an FBI criminal background check. Currently, background checks apply to those who coach, direct or supervise such activities.

Also on the agenda is a proposal that the district partner with UCLA's Department of Education and Department of Psychology to evaluate the potential psychosocial benefits of racial/ethnic diversity in middle schools located in urban areas. School board staff have recommended the proposal.

Finally, the school board will consider revising its head lice policy.

"In our existing policy, a student who has been examined by staff and found to have nits in his/her hair is sent home from school," the staff report states. "With this new policy, a student will only be sent home from school with active head lice."

The public portion of the meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the SMMUSD office, which is located at 1651 16th St. in Santa Monica.