News

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

January 18 Minimum Day in the Santa Barbara School Districts

The state requires that the end of the semester/trimester be a minimum day. The next minimum day on the Santa Barbara School Districts’ calendar is Friday, January 18, 2008.

In light of recent gang activity in the community, district and school administrators are working closely with law enforcement and probation to ensure an increased presence on campus, in nearby neighborhoods, and throughout the community. Law enforcement agencies assure us that they are prepared. School resource officers, campus supervisors, and administrators will be highly visible. Schools in the secondary district are taking a number of proactive measures to notify the school community about the upcoming minimum day, such as:

• Announcements on school PA systems and notices in the student bulletin this week encourage students to go directly home on Friday, unless they are scheduled to participate in an authorized after-school activity. Many schools have specific activities planned. For example, La Cumbre Junior High School has planned high interest activities until 6:00 p.m. and the day will culminate with a bar-b-que for students. Santa Barbara Junior High has a parent/student lunch scheduled for Friday and the expectation is that many parents will leave with their student at 1:00 pm, when school ends.
• All-school supervision on campus and reminders that some site administrators will be walking the downtown area and that the area will be monitored and rules for behavior will be strictly enforced.
• Classroom discussions to encourage students to make positive choices.
• Meetings and reminders provided to faculty, PTAs, site councils, English Language Advisory Committees, and other parent groups.
• Using the school telephone call-out system to remind all parents, in English and Spanish, of the upcoming minimum day and encouraging parents to talk to their child about going straight home after school and having planned, supervised activities for their child on that day.
• Informal discussions with students known to be affiliated with gangs about making positive choices that day.

“We know that most students are responsible and make good choices. Our schools are using the days leading up to Friday’s state-required minimum day as an opportunity to reinforce the importance of high expectations for positive behavior. Our schools are working with parents to help students use their time wisely, including using the minimum day as a time to complete community service requirements or have students participate in other healthy alternatives. We have confidence that law enforcement will be prepared to handle any problems,” stated Superintendent Brian Sarvis. He continued, “We will are asking the community and local businesses to be vigilant on Friday. If they witness an emergency, call 911.”

Minimum days are used as end-of-a-semester in-service days to administer finals, and/or complete grading of finals, or prepare for report cards; update and/or train staff; or, in the elementary district, they are used as parent conference days.