Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Executive
Subject: Use of District-Discretionary Measure K Funds - Supervisorial District 5
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Measure K: Adopt a resolution authorizing a one-time grant of district-discretionary Measure K funds, not to exceed $125,000, to Skyline College, to expand its Learning Communities Program to create a Measure K Innovation Fund to provide funding targeted toward minority and underprivileged students, and authorizing the County Executive or designee, to execute the grant agreement.
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BACKGROUND:
Measure K is the half-cent general sales tax initially approved by San Mateo County voters in November 2012 and extended in November 2016 for a total of thirty years.
On March 9, 2021, and March 23, 2021, the Board of Supervisors (Board) held study sessions on Measure K expenditures and anticipated revenue for fiscal years (FY) 2021-23. The Board-appointed Measure K sub-committee, consisting of Supervisor Pine and Supervisor Canepa, convened the study sessions to, among other things, work with staff to facilitate the Board’s development of Measure K priorities and continuing initiatives for FYs 2021-23. The Board approved $5 million in one-time loans or grants for the FY 2021-23 budget cycle, divided equally among the five supervisorial districts, for district-discretionary needs and projects. District 5 has submitted a request to use their district-discretionary Measure K funds as shown below and described in the Project Summary section of this memorandum:
|
District/Project |
Amount |
|
District 5 (Supervisor David J. Canepa) - Skyline College: expand Learning Communities Program to create a Measure K Innovation Fund to provide funding targeted toward minority and underprivileged students |
$125,000 |
This item is consistent with the criteria for district-discretionary Measure K funds approved by the Board in December 2018.
DISCUSSION:
This is a request to authorize a grant to Skyline College, and resulting grant agreement, in an amount not to exceed $125,000, to provide for an expansion of its Learning Communities Program to create a Measure K Innovation Fund to provide funding targeted toward minority and underprivileged students. The County Executive’s Office will administer and manage the proposed agreement.
Skyline College uses “Learning Communities” to enrich its students’ educational experience. In more formal learning communities, students enroll in a preset group of classes with other students who share the same passions, interests, or specific field of study. Students take major and general education classes together (between 1-3 semesters) and work closely with specific faculty and counselors assigned to their learning community
Some specific learning communities include the Puente Program, Umoja-ASTEP, and the Women’s Mentoring and Leadership Academy (WMLA). The goal of the Puente Program is to increase the number of educationally under-served students who enroll in four-year colleges and universities. Through the reading of Chicano/Latino literature and writings, counseling assistance, and connections to professional mentors, students receive the instruction and support they need to achieve academic success and transfer to four-year colleges and universities. Umoja-ASTEP is a learning community and transfer support program that focuses on the African American community college experience through the nurturing of knowledge, intellect, academic exploration, cultural, and spiritual identities, gifts, values, and practices. WMLA is a program that seeks to provide women and all students who identify as female/women at Skyline College with social and academic support via individual, group, and peer mentoring, and through leadership development opportunities. WMLA aims to provide contextualized and experiential learning that will foster intellectual, cultural, social, economic, and personal fulfillment for women who participate in the academy.
With the proposed Measure K grant, Skyline College plans to create a Measure K Innovation Fund (MKIF) of $125,000 to allow existing Learning Community leaders at Skyline College to apply for funding to meet their most pressing needs. There is an existing structure in place for managing the fund and its allocations. Examples of some specific needs for the Learning Communities include:
a. Having a dedicated faculty member and a dean to implement cohesive integration of all learning communities and set performance measures and collect performance data.
b. Creating standards for measurable outcomes for student success using both empirical and social-emotional measures (e.g. number of students served, number of students completing programs, number of students who expressed a sense of social belonging).
c. Equitably distributing funding and personnel supports among learning communities.
d. Allocating funding for innovation, student-centered events, outreach, marketing, and providing free graduation stoles for underprivileged students.
Total Measure K Request: Not to Exceed $125,000
The release of funds will be contingent on the execution of an agreement providing for the County’s confirmation of the expenditure of funds for the purposes stated herein. The County will disburse the funds to the following organization for the purposes described above:
Skyline College
Joe Morello, Acting President
3300 College Drive
San Bruno, CA 94066
morelloj@smccd.edu
Tentes@smccd.edu <mailto:Tentes@smccd.edu>
(650) 738-4331 - Office
(650) 738-4111 - President’s Office
(650) 738-4338 - Fax
The County Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the agreement and resolution to form.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Description |
Target |
|
Expand Skyline College’s Learning Communities Program to create a Measure K Innovation Fund to provide funding targeted toward minority and underprivileged students |
June 2024 |
FISCAL IMPACT:
There are sufficient Measure K funds for this specific FY 2022-23 Measure K request. These funds are budgeted in the Non-Departmental Services FY 2022-23 Adopted Budget.