Recap: Feb 9 board meeting

Long agenda, but again President Kim held us to a reasonable 4-1/2 hours. The meat of tonight’s meeting is really in the presentations I posted earlier tonight, but for those who like things tidy, here are the actions taken by the Board tonight:

• Approval of the amended resolution in support of programs and policies to support LGBTQ students: 7-0 in favor. The Board’s action tonight committed the school district to a bare minimum ($60,000 per year) of funding for a half-time staff person, curriculum and web site. We’re hoping our community partners can help us secure outside funding to pay for additional policy components outlined in the resolution, and the Board also voted to revisit the level of funding once our budget outlook improves;
• Renewal of the charters for KIPP Bayview and KIPP SF Bay Academy: 7-0 in favor;
• Revisions to the Board’s policies and rules of procedure that will make our meetings more efficient and hopefully decrease the overall number of meetings it takes to make a Board decision: 7-0 in favor;
• In support of sustainability in SFUSD: 7-0 in favor;
• Resolutions to realign our policies supporting immigrant students and close Newcomer HS, and revise our student assignment system were introduced for first reading and referred to Committee of the Whole meetings scheduled for March 2 (Newcomer) and February 17 (student assignment);
• A resolution to rename the School of the Arts after local artist and treasure Ruth Asawa (a major driving force behind arts programs in San Francisco public schools) was introduced for first reading and referred to the next meeting of the Buildings and Grounds committee.