By Khalida Sarwari
There were many highlight at this year’s Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District board of trustees retreat, from discussions about the New Tech program to fundraising ideas to renovate an athletic facility at Saratoga High School.
The trustees met for their first of two retreats this year on Jan. 11 for an informal discussion about past as well as forthcoming issues facing the district. During the nearly five-hour meeting, they addressed new programs and course offerings and allocation of redevelopment agency funds.
The New Tech program offers students in the ninth through 12th grades a project-based curriculum that promotes exploration and discovery. The program is available to 100 incoming freshmen at Los Gatos High School each year.
Several parents showed up at a subsequent Jan. 15 board of trustees meeting to share their thoughts on the program, according to Jane Marashian, assistant to the superintendent of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District.
The adoption of new course offerings at both high schools was also on the agenda. At the Jan. 15 meeting, the board approved the courses, which include introduction to engineering, academic tutoring and advanced jazz band at Saratoga High School and big history, social issues, modern global studies in film, introduction to fashion and merchandising and introduction to engineering at Los Gatos High School. With the board’s approval, students can register for those classes beginning this fall.
Although the board merely discussed the issue of redevelopment agency funds and did not make any decisions regarding the allocation of the funds at the retreat, it did vote to adopt an allocation plan at the Jan. 15 meeting. The plan has funds being funneled into the New Tech program, the strategic reserve, Common Core and high priority facility projects.
Another topic that the board discussed was a fundraiser to repair an athletic facility at Saratoga High School. At the Jan. 15 meeting, a private fundraising firm gave a presentation on its collaboration with the Saratoga High School Foundation to raise the necessary monies.
Finally, the trustees took up the matter of the Schulties Road territory transfer. Schulties Road is 18 parcels of land in the Santa Cruz Mountains that its residents want to be transferred to the district.
According to Marashian, on Jan. 15 the board approved a resolution stating that while the district does not support the transfer because it would affect enrollment and the district is already full, it would waive holding an election because a county committee has already approved the transfer.
The board’s next retreat is set for early August.
New courses, New Tech program discussed at school district retreat
