Features

Board Discusses Washington School Solar Project

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday April 10, 2007

The Berkeley Board of Education will discuss sending an application to the Office of Public School Construction (OPSC) for funding and approval of the Berkeley Unified School District’s (BUSD) funds to complete a solar project at Washington Elementary School. 

Kyoto USA has assisted BUSD in its efforts to put together a pilot solar project. 

According to the staff report, although a solar project could result in operational savings for the district, “solar installations generally take a long time to pay for themselves.” According to Kyoto USA’s analysis of the Washington proposal, the initial cost to purchase and install a solar system is approximately $800,000. 

BUSD applied to PG&E for partial funding of the project, which is worth $305,000. Kyoto USA’s cost estimate does not include district soft costs or an upgrade or replacement of the roof. Staff has estimated the total cost of the project to be $1,250,000. 

 

API rankings 

The board will also receive a informational report on the 2007 Academic Performance Index (API) rankings which was recently released by the California Department of Education (CDE). The rankings are primarily based on student performance in one assessment, the California Standardized Tests. 

John Muir and Oxford topped the list of elementary schools with a state rank of 9. King—with a state rank of 7—placed first among the three middle schools. Berkeley Technology Academy ranked first. Since the API score for B-tech was based on fewer than 100 valid STAR test results, the school was not given a similar school ranking. 

Berkeley High School (BHS) did not receive an API score this year because of a lack of student participation on the STAR tests. Two schools (Rosa Parks and Longfellow) gained one level at the state rankings, and four schools—Muir, Oxford, Washington and Willard—lost one level compared to the previous year. 

Three schools—Jefferson, Rosa Parks and Berkeley Arts Magnet) made gains in the similar school ranking while five schools (Cragmont, Emerson, Malcolm X, Oxford and Washington) dropped from the previous year. 

According to the staff report, the discrepancy between the school statewide rank and the similar school rank is a cause for concern for the site as well as the district. 

 

Student National Origin Report 

The board will receive the Student National Origin Report (SNOR) which is required annually by all school districts as information. The report gives a breakdown of the origins of the students enlisted in Berkeley Unified. 

It will also receive the annual language census report which shows how many languages students go home to, said BUSD spokesperson Mark Coplan. Coplan added that given the large diversity present in Berkeley, the number of languages could go over 25. 

 

Mandarin at Berkeley High 

The board will vote to approve new Mandarin language courses at Berkeley High. Mandarin language class was first introduced at BHS in 2006, said Coplan. 

 

Pre-K projects 

The board will vote to approve a project manager for the remodeling of the two Pre-K schools. The board approved the hiring of WLC Architects—one of the four firms in Berkeley Unified’s architect pool—at a cost of $500,000 for remodeling the King Child Development Center (CDC) and Franklin Parent Nursery (FPN). 

The new manager will work with WLC to manage the project for BUSD. 

 

Peanut policy 

The board will vote to approve the second reading on its policy regarding peanuts and other nut-derived products on school lunch menus. 

The new policy states that “there will be no nuts or nut-derivative products in any of the food items prepared or available in any form at the elementary school level. Nuts or nut-derivatives will not be used in menu items at middle or high school unless they are clearly labeled and students are informed of the ingredients in such dishes. Peanuts may be available in vending machines or sold as packaged, separate items.” 

However, at the last meeting, some board members had questions about the use of nuts in school lunches which will be addressed in the second report. 

 

Access to Digital Resources 

The board will also approve a resolution in support of an Assembly bill which establishes the California School Library Equitable Access to Digital Resources and Online School Database Programs.