Clovis Unified School Board members have all been in office for several years already, so Tuesday’s workshop on board governance and the Brown Act might have seemed like a belated afterthought.

Want to check out earlier School Zone columns and other education news stories? You’ll find them at Nancy Price’s School Zone Facebook page.

But there is one new face in the district hierarchy, and that’s Superintendent Corrine Folmer, who took over the district’s helm on July 1.

Board president David DeFrank told School Zone that the board periodically holds governance workshops, which help the board stay on top of any recent court decisions that can “change or clarify how the Brown Act applies in various situations.”

In addition, “It was also a great opportunity for our superintendent, as this was her first governance workshop,” he said.

At the workshop the board first talked about why they wanted to be a board member and then reviewed with attorney Peter Fagen the Brown Act. The state’s open meetings law tells public officials how open meetings should be conducted and what they as trustees are — and are not — allowed to do. For example, the Brown Act prohibits include holding “serial” meetings (when board members illegally meet privately in pairs to talk about board business, thereby avoiding a group quorum that would require public meeting noticing).

The Brown Act was only a portion of what was discussed at the workshop, which also included board protocols, district spokeswoman Kelly Avants said.

Also in School Zone: 

• If your kid is considering going to a military academy, you’ll want to check this out.
• How many books is Fresno Unified handing out? This many!
• Central Unified superintendent’s contract is extended, and she’s getting a raise.

Veterans District Hosts Talks with Cadet, Midshipman

If you know a middle schooler or high schooler who is thinking about attending one of the nation’s military academies for college, you’ll want to register for an event next week at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District.

The district, in partnership with the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, is hosting “A Talk with U.S. MIlitary Academy West Point Army Cadet Jacob Hyatt and U.S. Naval Academy Midshipman Quaid Copher” at 3 p.m. Tuesday.

The talk will be in the district’s auditorium at 808 Fourth St. in Clovis.

Students will be able to ask questions of Hyatt and Copher and learn more about attending a military academy and the commitment to serve afterward for at least five years.

Army cadets and Navy midshipmen are commissioned as officers upon graduation from a military academy. The Naval Academy graduates Navy and Marine Corps officers.

The event is free but organizers are asking attendees to register through EventBrite.

‘Every Child Is a Reader’ — and Is Getting New Books

Fresno Unified’s slogan for its literacy initiative is “Every Child is a Reader,” and the district is backing that up by giving away more than 280,000 books to students in preschool through eighth grade in time for the holidays when schools are closed.

The books are provided through the Scholastic book giveaways, of which this one will be the sixth. Thus far, more than a million books have been provided to Fresno students for their home libraries.

Each child will receive a pack of grade-level appropriate, culturally diverse books that will be in English or Spanish. And yes, kids and parents, there will be homework — the “grab-n-go” book packs will include a student literacy skills journal and a “Family Guide to Literacy” to help parents help their kids improve their reading.

The district’s initiative is designed to improve students’ literacy skills, which districtwide have been woefully lacking for years.

Superintendent Bob Nelson, accompanied by Clifford the Big Red Dog, will be featured at a book giveaway photo op on Friday at Balderas Elementary School.

“Without establishing a solid foundation in reading early on, our students are at a huge disadvantage, and that’s why we are working so hard on our new literacy initiative, Every Child is a Reader,” Nelson said in a news release.

More Time, More Money

Central Unified’s School Board was unanimous this time in approving an extension of Superintendent Ketti Davis’ contract, which followed an annual performance evaluation that was satisfactory.

She’s also getting a pay raise through the board’s vote Tuesday, and now will be paid $220,757 annually, board President Naindeep Singh Chann announced.

When Davis was first appointed superintendent in May 2022 her annual salary was $215,373. Six months later she got her first contract extension after a satisfactory evaluation, but it squeaked through on a 4-3 vote.

The latest extension gives her a job with Central through June 2027.