Work Of Palo Alto's 'Enrollment Management Advisory Committee' Gets Underway

News from the Palo Alto Unified School District:

The Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Enrollment Management Advisory Committee (EMAC), charged with looking broadly at the challenges in enrollment across the district, started its important work on April 20.

This committee is decidedly different in its scope, design, and charge than the two previous committees which focused solely on issues related to a thirteenth elementary school. The overall growth in PAUSD necessitates the expansion of this committee’s work to encompass reviewing a wide range of information including enrollment projections, choice program and overflow data, and research on the efficacy of current class-size and school-site capacities.

The purpose of the EMAC is to prepare multiple, strategic, evidence-based, actionable recommendations that will enable the district to design, develop, and implement short- and long‑term plans for accommodating projected PAUSD enrollment consistent with PAUSD educational standards and the thirteen Community Values and seven Planning Standards of BP7110. There will be regular biweekly public meetings to ensure any interested member of the community can listen to the work of the committee and share their concerns and ideas.

Applications from parents, staff, and community members were accepted until Monday, March 16.

The dedicated volunteers on this committee will include: District parents and community members Scott Burton, Todd Collins, Natasha Kachenko, Joe Lee, Grace Mah, Mark McBride, Erin Mershon, Gretchen Olbrich, Wendy Ho, Diana Reklis, and Sheena Chin and PAUSD staff members Bond Programs Manager Bob Golton, Chief Business Officer Cathy Mak, Attendance Accounting Supervisor Margie Mitchell, and Associate Superintendent of Educational Services Charles Young. The superintendent and principals will participate regularly as well. Once the work is completed, the superintendent will bring recommendations to the Board of Education for discussion and action.

Dr. McGee noted, “This committee will bring together a wide-range of community stakeholders in a design‑thinking process to first identify and analyze concerns and then explore a range of solutions. I am excited to see the creative and student-centered solutions this committee will create to address our district-wide enrollment challenges.”