Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

At our PAC/DELAC meeting on May 27, 2025, parents were given the opportunity to ask Superintendent Yao questions about the 2025-2026 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). Below is a summary of questions from the meeting and questions submitted through ParentSquare as well as additional information provided by Superintendent Yao. All members of the community are invited to submit feedback.

Question 1: How do you determine your focus areas?

Our Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) focus areas are determined through community-wide input sessions and an analysis of district metrics aligned with local and state requirements. Annually, we conduct a series of community input sessions, detailed in the "Engaging Educational Partners" section of the LCAP, to gather valuable insights into current needs. We also evaluate our metrics and progress as described under each LCAP goal. The LCAP plan is aligned with our Strategic Plan and the annual District Priorities, as set by our Board of Trustees. To support progress toward the LCAP goals, school sites develop annual growth plans within the School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA). This year's LCAP includes three goals.

• Goal 1: Future-Ready, Deeper Learning: Support Each Child in Demonstrating the Skills and Characteristics described in our CUSD Portrait of a Learner (POL), including foundational academic content skills as well as our POL Competencies: Inclusive Collaborator; Global Contributor; Effective Communicator; Critical Thinker; Resilient Learner; Inspired Creator 
• Goal 2: Whole Child: Help students thrive socially, emotionally and behaviorally by fostering engaging, positive, safe learning environments where everyone belongs. 
• Goal 3: Community Engagement: Actively engage parents and community members in supporting the implementation of the CUSD Strategic Plan, including the Portrait of a Learner 

Question 2: How will you focus on the English Learners emotional and mental health during such a chaotic time currently? I know Hyde has an area where kids can go. Do the teachers encourage students to go?

Since the pandemic, the Cupertino Union School District (CUSD) has prioritized expanding mental health staffing and services for students. Mental Health Therapists collaborate closely with school staff to ensure student needs are addressed effectively. CUSD also emphasizes fostering safe school environments through district-wide programs such as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Hyde Middle School currently offers a Wellness Center where students can seek support and respite. Students can choose to go on their own, and teachers can encourage students to drop in. CUSD plans to expand this model, with a new Wellness Center opening at Cupertino Middle School in the 2025-2026 school year.

Question 3:  Has there been discussion on smartphone use at school and how this impacts learning and mental health?
Assembly Bill 3216, the Phone-Free School Act, requires every school district to develop a policy limiting the use of smartphones by July 1, 2026.

In April 2025, the CUSD Board of Trustees adopted Policy 5131.8: Mobile Communication Devices. This policy includes the following statement:

“Mobile communication devices shall be turned off during instructional time. However, a student shall not be prohibited from possessing or using a mobile communication device under any of the following circumstances:  (Education Code 48901.5, 48901.7)

• In the case of an emergency, or in response to a perceived threat of danger 
• When a teacher or administrator grants permission to the student to possess or use a mobile communication device, subject to any reasonable limitation imposed by that teacher or administrator
• When a licensed physician or surgeon determines that the possession or use is necessary for the student's health and well-being
• When the possession or use is required by the student's individualized education program”

CUSD will share information in 2025-2026 to address this state requirement.

Question 4:  Will the federal education cut impact us?

For the 2025-2026 school year, CUSD anticipates receiving approximately $1,231,222 in federal funds. While this represents a small percentage of our overall district budget, these funds are crucial for supporting key priorities. 

At the April 10, 2025 Regular Board Meeting, staff presented details of the Federal funding that the District receives as well as and the programs that these funds help support. The District receives approximately 2.3% of our General Fund budget, or approximately $5.33 million, of Federal funding for Title I, II, III, and IV and Special Education IDEA programs. The District's Nutrition Services Program also receives approximately $1.36 million of Federal funding.

CUSD is actively monitoring potential shifts in federal funding, although specific details are not yet available. Recently, there have been federal discussions regarding possible reductions to Title III funding for the 2026-2027 school year. In CUSD, Title III funds support essential services for our English Language Learners, including instructional aides and other supplemental supports designed to facilitate student progress. Additional information can be found in the draft Consolidated Application and Federal Addendum.

Question 5: CUSD is now requiring all middle schoolers to be on campus 7 periods a day. Historically, there have been students who prefer not to spend 7 periods a day on campus due to their other commitments. Can middle schools offer an elective that allows students time, supervision and support to complete some homework? And/or allow students to opt out of the 7th period? My student believes her wellness would be enhanced by having more choice in how she spends her time, and having more time in the afternoons for leisure and outside interests. Given the district's budgetary constraints, it also seems counterintuitive to pay teachers to teach a seventh period to students whose families don't want it.

Based on broad community feedback and a desire to maximize elective choices for students, CUSD will implement a 7 period day for all students beginning in 2025-2026. Teachers are not being compensated more for this shift; however, teacher preparation periods were aligned across the district to ensure that each teacher has equitable time to prepare for instruction. Annually, each site gathers feedback from students about the elective courses they wish to take the following school year. Sites are considering electives such as “study skills”  which will allow students time to complete their homework during the school day. When these electives generate sufficient student interest, they can be added to the course schedule. All students will enroll in 7 periods, as these instructional minutes are reported as part of our state monitoring. 

Question 6: CUSD adapts to high tech or learning apps for students quickly. But apps like iReady and other language learning apps as part of the homework consume or waste too much time. For example, learning to spell 10 words, it took 15 minutes to complete the "game". Or learning 1+1=2 took many steps to finish. While such learning, without the app, it might just be 5 minutes' work. All these increase students’ screen time to sit in front of the computer. It's nice to have those "games" but I hope it's not part of the homework, or required homework. 

In the 2025-2026 school year, schools using iReady to support personalized learning will provide time during the students’ instructional day at school for students to meet the minimum recommended “My Path” learning time in order to make progress. If your child is assigned additional iReady time as homework and you do not want your child to complete it, please reach out to your child’s teacher or the site principal for a conversation. Additionally, the “game” feature of iReady can be turned off. Please reach out to school staff for more information.

Question 7: Is there any plan for LCAP to provide more opportunities for gifted or more advanced students?

LCAP Goal #1 focuses on Future-Ready Learning. This goal emphasizes meaningful, rigorous learning for all students and an increased focus on student leadership. Most of CUSD’s students perform well above state standards, and teachers are accustomed to meeting the needs of high achievers. CUSD will continue to be committed to ensuring that each child is engaged and thriving at school, including our high achievers. 

Question 8: Our daughter will be attending Garden Gate Elementary starting this coming school year for 2nd grade. Can you please consider a policy to allow a student who is attending a Cupertino elementary school outside of his/her home attendance area until 5th grade to be given priority enrollment for the middle school that zones to her current elementary school? E.g., could she be given priority enrollment for Lawson Middle School if she has attended Garden Gate Elementary for 4 years? Thank you.

Enrollment policies are not part of the LCAP; however, you may reach out to Student Assignment for additional information. Your request has been shared with the manager of the department for consideration. 

Question 9: What supplemental programs are in place to assist EL students. Are there any tutoring or small group formats? How does this information get disseminated to parents?

CUSD’s plan for supporting English Learners (ELs) can be found here. All English Learners receive daily designated English Language Development lessons provided by the teacher.  These lessons are designed to help students make progress towards English proficiency. Level 1 newcomer students in Grades 2-5 also may receive supplemental support using the Benchmark Hello program. This program is designed to support recently arrived students with need-to-know basics and fundamental English. Students have access to a variety of tools and resources to help them make progress, including Imagine Language and Literacy for Level 1 and Level 2 elementary EL students. Please ask your child’s teacher and/or site principal for details about your child’s English Language Development lessons and progress. Annually, parents of English Learners receive an update on their child’s progress through the English Language Proficiency Assessment for California (ELPAC results), published in ParentVue. 

Agenda and Slides

Agenda and Slides - February 2025

At our PAC/DELAC meeting on June 3, 2024, parents were given the opportunity to ask Superintendent Yao questions about the 2024-2025 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). No questions were asked at the meeting, however, below is a summary of questions submitted through Parent Square as well as additional information provided by Superintendent Yao. All members of the community are invited to submit feedback.

• It is strongly recommended that schools start classes at 8:30 am.

In the fall of 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 328, mandating a start time no earlier than 8 am for all middle schools and no earlier than 8:30 am for all high schools in California, effective August 2023. The reasoning behind this new law is based on studies showing increased academic performance, school attendance, and health for students at schools that started later in the day.

As a result of Senate Bill (SB) 328, all five CUSD middle schools start at 8 am.

Additionally, last year, each elementary school’s start time was considered. Time-shift considerations for elementary schools included: 

• Current traffic patterns, success, and challenges
  • Traffic observations, feedback, and studies
• Preliminary percentage of middle school students attending 1st period for the 2023-2024 school year
  • Not all middle schools have 100% of students attending first-period
• Input gathered from multiple educational partners: Principals, FAC/Leadership Teams/School Site Staff, City Agencies, CUSD Student Nutrition Services, and CUSD Transportation Department

Based on the above, some elementary school start times shifted by 10 to 15 minutes.

Currently, CUSD does not plan to change the start times of schools for the 2024-2025 school year.

• What's our budget per student each year vs other school districts?

Under LCFF, schools receive per-pupil funding each year. For the 2023-2024 school year, it was approximately $10,300 per pupil. Community-funded Districts receive a higher dollar amount based on the amount of excess property tax collected. These additional amounts range from $12,000 per pupil to approximately $25,000 per pupil. 

The per-pupil allocation for the 2024-25 school year is approximately $11,000, although the state budget has not yet been adopted.

• Can we have homework help hour for our students after school?

Many CUSD schools offer Learning Hubs after school for eligible students. Additionally, some middle schools also offer after-school homework help. 

• Is there a plan for Gifted & Talented Education? Children who are more advanced in their grade level might comprise a small subset of total enrollment, but their academic needs should be as much a priority as those of any other child. Gifted children are children first and gifted second. All children deserve a challenging education that meets their academic and social and emotional needs.   Without better support and challenges for the more advance students, it is one of the key reasons many families find alternative from public schools.

It is a priority to support each child in demonstrating the skills, competencies, and characteristics embedded in the District's Strategic Plan and the CUSD Portrait of a Learner. 

CUSD is dedicated to providing the resources to help students thrive academically, socially, emotionally, and in physical fitness by supporting the Whole Child and fostering engaging, positive, safe learning environments.

One area of focus is on personalized learning: 

• Student Ownership of Learning: Student voice is valued and learners are supported and empowered to pursue passions, and improved by setting goals, seeking out mentors, providing input on learning objectives, and reflecting on learning to identify next steps.
• Flexible Pace and Pathways: Each learner is unique. Instruction is adapted to meet learning needs and styles to ensure each child makes learner-driven choices, is on their "edge" and builds intrinsic motivation.
• Data-Driven Planning and Instruction: Teaching is responsive to student needs, drawing from assessments which include competency-based tools, self-reflection, and feedback.

If, at any time, you feel as though your child’s needs are not being met, please reach out to your child’s teacher first, followed by the school administration. Keeping a strong home to school connection is so valued and a very important piece in supporting each student.  

• Are there any concerns about closing Lynbrook High School, as we are hearing? How can you assure us that the school will stay open?

Lynbrook High School is part of the Fremont Union High School District (FUHSD), not CUSD. It is one of five high schools in FUHSD. Information on FUHSD can be found at https://www.fuhsd.org/.  

• With the growing number of Indian American students in the school district, would the district consider adding Hindi to world languages?

Middle School elective offerings are based on California State standards, approved curriculum, staff credentials, and student interests. The Educational Services Department will look into the possibility of offering this elective for students.

• How the district put efforts on creating a clean and playful campus for elementary school? Schools like Dilworth Nelson Elementary facility are old and not properly maintained, the playground are full of weeds, the student dinning area are dirty, lost & found area is usually messy with cloths and bottles scattered.

The Board of Education has approved going out for a General Obligation Bond in the November 2024 election.  The bond will cover repairs and improvements to all CUSD campus sites. The final bond dollar amount is still under discussion with the Board of trustees
If there is a concern with a specific site/area, the school administration should be contacted to address the concern.

Agenda and Slides

LCAP Update - February 2024

Agenda

Meeting Slides

At our PAC/DELAC meeting on May 24, 2022, parents asked questions about the 2022-2023 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). Below is a summary of the conversation as well as additional information provided by Superintendent Yao. All members of the community are invited to submit feedback.

Topic #1:  Is iReady a valuable tool? How is CUSD measuring the success of iReady as a tool to support learning?

Response: CUSD recently added iReady as a tool for personalizing learning, beginning with Mathematics. Soon after, teachers and principals requested that we add English Language Arts to our suite of iReady tools. Now, all sites are using iReady as part of their SPSA goal setting to monitor student progress, and results are reported to the community annually. Parents also receive their child’s scores three times per school year via ParentVue.

iReady includes diagnostic data, a stretch growth goal for each child, as well as learning resources for teachers and students. As a next step for 2022-2023, we will focus on professional development for teachers so that they can continue to develop their skills in using this tool to meet each child’s needs. Recently, we worked with our teachers to identify the assessment calendar for next school year, balancing teaching time and assessment time. 

Topic #2: What challenges is CUSD facing this year? How did these challenges influence the LCAP?

Response:  This year, we are supporting students, staff and families in transitions as we close/consolidate sites and continue to navigate declining enrollment. We also are responding to student needs and mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on student learning. Overall, student achievement in CUSD is high, and we also have students who need additional support. Classrooms include a wide range of needs - academic, social/emotional and behavioral. Our LCAP actions demonstrate our continued focus on building strong core instruction, positive learning environments and tiers of support to ensure that each child’s needs are met. 

Topic #3: How can we help parents of English Learners support their children in completing homework assignments? How will parents know what is assigned?

Response: Teachers support parents in knowing how to help students with homework. Please reach out to your child’s teacher or principal to learn how this happens at your school site. Additionally, CUSD launched Parent Square as a communication tool and this allows parents to read and send messages in their home language, reducing barriers in home-to-school communication. Next year, we are planning to strengthen our parent-to-parent networks so that new families can reach out to liaisons who share their home language in order to share resources and get support.

Topic: #4: What is CUSD’s plan to address facility needs? (Parents shared perspectives regarding conditions on our campuses, including concerns about water fountains, cracked pavement, peeling paint, shade structures etc.)

Response: CUSD regularly inspects facilities and the LCAP includes the FIT (Facility Inspection Tool). Results are available through site principals. Some repairs are completed in-house by our maintenance team. Principals submit work orders to alert our maintenance team of site needs. We are in the process of taking stock of current shade structures on our campuses in order to inform next steps. Additionally, the Board will engage in a conversation about future facility needs and funding with an eye towards an equitable experience for all students in CUSD.

Draft 2022-2023 LCAP

LCAP Update - February 2022