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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-12-11 City School Liaison Committee Agenda Packet                CITY OF PALO ALTO & PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT City Schools Liaison Committee Special Meeting Thursday, December 11, 2025 5:00 PM Community Meeting Room & Hybrid 250 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto Amended Agenda Amended Agenda Items Appear Below in RED   City School Liaison Committee meetings will be held as “hybrid” meetings with the option to attend by teleconference/video conference or in person. Information on how the public may observe and participate in the meeting is located at the end of the agenda. The meeting will be broadcast live on Zoom. VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION CLICK HERE TO JOIN (https://cityofpaloalto.zoom.us/j/86280460108) Meeting ID: 862 8046 0108 Phone: 1(699)900-6833 PUBLIC COMMENTS General Public Comment for items not on the agenda will be accepted in person for up to three minutes or an amount of time determined by the Chair. General public comment will be heard for 30 minutes. Additional public comments, if any, will be heard at the end of the agenda. Public comments for agendized items will be accepted both in person and via Zoom for up to three minutes or an amount of time determined by the Chair. Written public comments can be submitted in advance to city.council@PaloAlto.gov and will be provided to the Council and available for inspection on the City’s website. Please clearly indicate which agenda item you are referencing in your email subject line. PowerPoints, videos, or other media to be presented during public comment are accepted only by email to city.clerk@PaloAlto.gov at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Once received, the City Clerk will have them shared at public comment for the specified item. To uphold strong cybersecurity management practices, USB’s or other physical electronic storage devices are not accepted. Signs and symbolic materials less than 2 feet by 3 feet are permitted provided that: (1) sticks, posts, poles or similar/other type of handle objects are strictly prohibited; (2) the items do not create a facility, fire, or safety hazard; and (3) persons with such items remain seated when displaying them and must not raise the items above shoulder level, obstruct the view or passage of other attendees, or otherwise disturb the business of the meeting.    1 December 11, 2025 Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.CityofPaloAlto.org.     CALL TO ORDER   REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS   AA1.Informal Meet and Greet with the Jed Foundation Team (10-15 mins) New Item Added A.Open Forum/Public Communications B.Approval of Minutes C.City and District Reports D.General Update on allcove Palo Alto E.Future Business ADJOURNMENT      2 December 11, 2025 Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.CityofPaloAlto.org.   PUBLIC COMMENT INSTRUCTIONS Members of the Public may provide public comments to teleconference meetings via email, teleconference, or by phone. 1.Written public comments may be submitted by email to city.council@PaloAlto.gov. 2.For in person public comments please complete a speaker request card located on the table at the entrance to the Council Chambers and deliver it to the Clerk prior to discussion of the item. 3.Spoken public comments for agendized items using a computer or smart phone will be accepted through the teleconference meeting. To address the Council, click on the link below to access a Zoom-based meeting. Please read the following instructions carefully. ◦You may download the Zoom client or connect to the meeting in- browser. If using your browser, make sure you are using a current, up-to-date browser: Chrome 30 , Firefox 27 , Microsoft Edge 12 , Safari 7 . Certain functionality may be disabled in older browsers including Internet Explorer. Or download the Zoom application onto your smart phone from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and enter in the Meeting ID below. ◦You may be asked to enter an email address and name. We request that you identify yourself by name as this will be visible online and will be used to notify you that it is your turn to speak. ◦When you wish to speak on an Agenda Item, click on “raise hand.” The Clerk will activate and unmute speakers in turn. Speakers will be notified shortly before they are called to speak. ◦When called, please limit your remarks to the time limit allotted. A timer will be shown on the computer to help keep track of your comments. 4.Spoken public comments for agendized items using a phone use the telephone number listed below. When you wish to speak on an agenda item hit *9 on your phone so we know that you wish to speak. You will be asked to provide your first and last name before addressing the Council. You will be advised how long you have to speak. When called please limit your remarks to the agenda item and time limit allotted. CLICK HERE TO JOIN Meeting ID: 862-8046-0108 Phone: 1-669-900-6833 Americans with Disability Act (ADA) It is the policy of the City of Palo Alto to offer its public programs, services and meetings in a manner that is readily accessible to all. Persons with disabilities who require materials in an appropriate alternative format or who require auxiliary aids to access City meetings, programs, or services may contact the City’s ADA Coordinator at (650) 329-2550 (voice) or by emailing ada@PaloAlto.gov. Requests for assistance or accommodations must be submitted at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting, program, or service.    3 December 11, 2025 Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.CityofPaloAlto.org.     California Government Code §84308, commonly referred to as the "Levine Act," prohibits an elected official of a local government agency from participating in a proceeding involving a license, permit, or other entitlement for use if the official received a campaign contribution exceeding $500 from a party or participant, including their agents, to the proceeding within the last 12 months. A “license, permit, or other entitlement for use” includes most land use and planning approvals and the approval of contracts that are not subject to lowest responsible bid procedures and have a value over $50,000. A “party” is a person who files an application for, or is the subject of, a proceeding involving a license, permit, or other entitlement for use. A “participant” is a person who actively supports or opposes a particular decision in a proceeding involving a license, permit, or other entitlement for use, and has a financial interest in the decision. The Levine Act incorporates the definition of “financial interest” in the Political Reform Act, which encompasses interests in business entities, real property, sources of income, sources of gifts, and personal finances that may be affected by the Council’s actions. If you qualify as a “party” or “participant” to a proceeding, and you have made a campaign contribution to a Council Member exceeding $500 made within the last 12 months, you must disclose the campaign contribution before making your comments.  4 December 11, 2025 Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.CityofPaloAlto.org.   Page 1 of 8 Regular Meeting November 13, 2025 Present: City of Palo Alto Representatives Greer Stone, Councilmember (Chair) George Lu, Councilmember Chantal Cotton-Gaines, Deputy City Manager, Staff Liaison Palo Alto Unified School District Representatives Alison Kahmi, Board Member Rowena Chiu, Board Member Lana Conaway, Superintendent, Palo Alto Unified School District Absent: None CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Stone called the meeting to order on this date at 7:05 PM. REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS A. Open Forum/Public Communications There were no requests to speak. B. Review of Minutes Chair Stone stated that minutes from the April and September meetings were available to review. Deputy City Manager Chantal Cotton-Gaines explained that the Committee did not necessarily need to adopt the minutes but to voice any changes that needed to be made. Chair Stone expressed there was no problem with adopting the minutes. MOTION: Chair Stone moved, seconded by Board Member Kamhi, to adopt the April and September minutes. MOTION PASSED: 4-0 City/School Liaison Committee Regular Meeting Item B Attachment A - November 13, 2025 Summary Minutes        Item B: Staff Report Pg. 1  Packet Pg. 5 of 13  SUMMARY MINUTES Page 2 of 8 City School Liaison Committee Meeting Summary Minutes: 11/13/2025 C. City and District Reports PAUSD Assistant Superintendent Lana Conaway stated the annual Panorama survey of students, staff, and families had been completed. This survey enabled PAUSD to pinpoint how stakeholders perceived mental health and well-being, belongingness, and teacher/student relationships. Improvements were seen in some areas around the mental health of students. Demographic differences were still present in the way students experienced the environment. The mental health team and school counselors were responding to areas of concerns identified. Improvement had been seen regarding students of color, but some areas still needed work. This was the time of year when mental health and well-being policies and procedures were reviewed. JED (The Jed Foundation) would be brought in to weigh in on the draft policy and to identify areas where JED could support engagement and training. The school district had not yet met with JED officially, but it was hoped to get their agreement to be a part of the planning process. Assistant Superintendent Conaway stated that the current policies around communications when tragedies happened were reviewed, including how much to communicate, who to communicate to, and what would be included in that communication. PAUSD was aligned with the current best practices surrounding communicating tragic events but recognized the community had expectations for more information and transparency. Assistant Superintendent Conaway described a new benefit for PAUSD staff called Everytable, which provided the delivery of lunches and dinners for $7-8 per person. Chair Stone felt that the Everytable program for PAUSD staff was a great idea. Chair Stone was excited about The Jed Foundation partnership and hoped that the MOU would incorporate elements of the school district and feedback from Assistant Superintendent Conaway and others in PAUSD. Assistant Superintendent Conaway reiterated that this process with JED would go back to the beginning to focus on the written policies and procedures. Councilmember Lu was curious about the best way to learn more about the Panorama survey and how to interpret the results. Assistant Superintendent Conaway felt that some people do not realize how important the data from the Panorama survey was. It was reminded that this data was transparent. Assistant Superintendent Conaway had given a report to the Board summarizing all the Panorama data, which could be viewed online. The data was disaggregated to show what language was spoken in the students' homes, which allowed the district to identify key issues and which sites needed more support. One issue being focused on was the student/teacher relationship and students' perception of how teachers were willing and able to support them versus when teachers referred the students to someone else for help. Board Member Kamhi stated this was a very festive time of the school year with Halloween celebrations throughout the school district. Two different plays were showing at Gunn High School and Paly. The district's suicide prevention policy would be looked at, as mentioned by the Board Policy Review Committee. Board Member Chiu was grateful to learn about the impact of allcove Palo Alto and to the people who had organized that meeting. Board Member Chiu attended a weekend conference hosted by the Asian American Foundation concerning youth mental health and was happy to see many people from Palo were there. Frank S. Greene Jr. Middle School was starting the first town hall to allow middle school students a chance for civic engagement at a young age. The property subcommittee had a behind-the- scenes peak at the new Hoover Elementary School campus in the final stages of construction. Item B Attachment A - November 13, 2025 Summary Minutes        Item B: Staff Report Pg. 2  Packet Pg. 6 of 13  SUMMARY MINUTES Page 3 of 8 City School Liaison Committee Meeting Summary Minutes: 11/13/2025 Deputy City Manager Cotton-Gaines updated that the Community Services Department organized family movie nights at the Cubberley Theatre and that Polar Express would be shown on December 16 and the Smurfs movie on January 14. Many resources were available on the Palo Alto website about storm preparedness for the public to feel comfortable and safe at home. Two community meetings were held on September 30 at the Mitchell Park Community Center to gather feedback from community members about the grade-separation alternatives for Churchill Avenue, Meadow Drive, and Charleston Road. This issue would go to the Rail Committee on November 18. A special City Council meeting would be held on December 10 to review the refined alternatives, community feedback, the Rail Committee's recommendations, and proposed action for December 15. Manager of Utility Program Services Hiromi Kelty stated her job was to oversee all the commercial programs of that department and announced that she would be retiring in a week. Manager Kelty expressed that one of the largest and most fun elements of her work had been with the school district. Paly had been the first school to install 2 EV chargers at the end of 2016, which was their first customer to receive EV charger rebates. Manager Kelty presented a check representing rebates for the transformer at Greene Middle School, multiple EV chargers, and heat pump/HVAC systems at some of the campuses. Manager Kelty had been part of a walk-through at the new Hoover Elementary School, which was the City's first all-electric school. Manager Kelty thanked PAUSD for being a leader on sustainability. Councilmember Lu pointed out that the Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan would be up for discussion by the City Council on December 1 and believed that plan laid some groundwork for the Safe Routes to School Program. Councilmember Lu heard that bike rack counts had continued to fall and believed there needed to be more discussion with the School Board and City Council. Chair Stone added that the school district was very interested in the policy decision by City Council on grade separation as it would have significant impact on several schools and operations within the district. Chair Stone invited members of the school district to share feedback at this meeting and also at the December 15 meeting to the City Council. Assistant Superintendent Conaway stated she was quite certain that Dr. Austin would have feedback on the grade separation issue. Board Member Kamhi was pleased that the grade-separation project was moving forward. Dr. Don Austin, Superintendent of Schools, sent a letter to the City Council expressing support as well. D. Update on JED Foundation Implementation Deputy City Manager Cotton-Gaines stated there was a City staff project team and a project team assigned by JED. Council approved the JED contract at the end of September, which was during Suicide Awareness Month. There had been a kick-off call with The Jed Foundation team and another call to start thinking about stakeholders. The team was in the process of mapping out which stakeholders JED would have conversations with. Concerning the City's team, Manager Kojo Pierce would be managing the day- to-day work on this project, while Director Kristen O'Kane and Deputy City Manager Cotton-Gaines would be assisting. Detailed information about the JED team was included in the packet. The Project Manager was Ms. Kiana Davis, Director of Community Initiatives at JED. On her team was Dr. Katie Item B Attachment A - November 13, 2025 Summary Minutes        Item B: Staff Report Pg. 3  Packet Pg. 7 of 13  SUMMARY MINUTES Page 4 of 8 City School Liaison Committee Meeting Summary Minutes: 11/13/2025 Hurley, Dr. Kurt Michael, and JED CFO Lisa Risi. It was hoped the JED team would be in town in December and would be at the next Committee meeting. Public Comment: None. Board Member Chiu wanted to know what the parameters were around the stakeholder list for JED. Deputy City Manager Cotton-Gaines stated that currently the City team was giving the JED team background on what resources Palo Alto had available so that JED could provide help in organizing. Deputy City Manager Cotton-Gaines felt it was helpful to hear directly from Assistant Superintendent Conaway's team regarding the work being done at the school district level, instead of just community members. Board Member Kahmi added that Dr. Austin met with JED and that parent education was identified as a priority. Board Member Kamhi wondered how parent education would fit into JED's community education. Deputy City Manager Cotton-Gaines replied that a few workshops were built into the contract with JED, although all the details had not been worked out yet. JED was interested in engaging with parents as well. Assistant Superintendent Conaway questioned if JED was addressing access to means. Deputy City Manager Cotton-Gaines replied that the contract would be double checked. Dr. Kurt Michael had a lot of experience with access to means. It was believed that the JED team would be looking at this issue holistically. Councilmember Lu noted that the sharing of data about previous programs in the City was included in the JED contract. Councilmember Lu believed that being very detailed about where the problems were the most acute would be valuable. Councilmember Lu hoped JED could help identify signals that have not been picked up on. Deputy City Manager Cotton-Gaines invited the Committee to share with her any questions for the JED team to follow up on. Board Member Kamhi was excited that the work with JED was happening at the same time as things were moving forward with grade separation and means reduction. Board Member Kamhi wondered if JED could weigh in on those conversations and be made aware of these 2 processes unfolding at the same time in Palo Alto. Deputy City Manager Cotton-Gaines said it stated in the JED agreement that JED would be advising on the reduction of lethal means as one of the areas to address. Chair Stone asked if JED had been updated on the grade-separation plans that would be in front of City Council in December and stated it would be helpful to get JED's feedback on this because the train tracks had been a major means. Chair Stone had conversations with Palo Alto University about trying to expand their presence within the City. One idea was their master's and Ph.D. students could help staff the teen centers and provide referral services to programs like allcove. Chair Stone had put Palo Alto Item B Attachment A - November 13, 2025 Summary Minutes        Item B: Staff Report Pg. 4  Packet Pg. 8 of 13  SUMMARY MINUTES Page 5 of 8 City School Liaison Committee Meeting Summary Minutes: 11/13/2025 University in contact with The Jed Foundation and wondered if that could be followed up on to be sure JED knew that Palo Alto University was a stakeholder. Deputy City Manager Cotton-Gaines stated the information about grade-separation would be shared with the JED team. Councilmember Lu wanted to know what other options there were in terms of track watch sustainability. In terms of grade separation, Councilmember Lu wondered how much of a difference partial means restriction made. An example given was rolling out suicide barriers at train stations in certain Asian cities. Board Member Chiu expressed that an interim solution could be lights and signage around existing cameras and also facial recognition for high-risk individuals, while waiting for longer-term solutions. Board Member Kamhi opined that gun violence prevention and other areas could be looked at for means restriction and reduction, which could be part of community and parent education. Assistant Superintendent Conaway stated many evidence-based practices regarding means reduction were available but were sometimes counterproductive when decisions were made in a trauma state. Assistant Superintendent Conaway said that track watch was generally not advised because it could increase trauma to the person in that role and also could increase liability. Assistant Superintendent Conaway opined that an easy and fairly quick response would be to place signs with contact information for support for individuals experiencing suicidal ideation and to create physical barriers to the means. Deputy City Manager Cotton-Gaines stated that updates would be provided to the Committee, especially regarding different interactions with the community. Board Member Kamhi thanked Deputy City Manager Cotton-Gaines for the JED update and the work that was being done. Assistant Superintendent Conaway shared that due to a law recently being passed making training mandatory to support LGBTQ youth, 1 hour of training was starting this school year for all certificated staff at the secondary level. This training would help to identify some of the risk factors and opportunities to support students viewed as most vulnerable. F. Discussion on allcove Palo Alto Chair Stone updated that things were changing rapidly with allcove Palo Alto. The County was considering cutting funding to the allcove program or potentially shutting it down due to the need to reduce health service costs. The funding coming to Santa Clara County from Measure A would not be enough to offset the federal cuts. Chair Stone stated that allcove had been one of the most effective tools in Palo Alto for mental and physical health support services for youth ages 12 to 25 years. Santa Clara County Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga had hosted a listening session in October where multiple young people spoke in support of allcove. One approach identified to reduce costs was to transition allcove to a nonprofit partner as the lead agency. Under that model, the County would provide $2 million annually for core services, and the nonprofit would expand capacity through community Item B Attachment A - November 13, 2025 Summary Minutes        Item B: Staff Report Pg. 5  Packet Pg. 9 of 13  SUMMARY MINUTES Page 6 of 8 City School Liaison Committee Meeting Summary Minutes: 11/13/2025 partnerships and private contributions. Alum Rock Counseling already provided peer counseling services at allcove and expressed willingness to take on full operational responsibilities. David Mineta, CEO of Alum Rock Counseling, was deeply connected with many local youth-serving organizations. Allcove had a new MOU to bring more young people into the center. Chair Stone was in contact with Palo Alto University in hopes that a program could be funded to put their students into the teen centers and refer to allcove if necessary. The Mayor sent a letter to the County asking for continued funding of the allcove program at a reduced level of $2 million per year while transitioning to a nonprofit organization. It was believed this structure could preserve and strengthen a lifeline for youth mental health in Palo Alto. Chair Stone expressed that unified support for allcove from the City and PAUSD would send a strong message to the County about allcove's critical life-saving work. Chair Stone remembered that the listening session in October showed a significant number of PAUSD students were served by allcove. Assistant Superintendent Conaway stated PAUSD was aware of what was happening with allcove. The goal of the school district was to ensure continuity of services and to not have a gap in what the school district was providing and what allcove was providing. A discussion with allcove stakeholders would be critical to ensure understanding of the challenges and to brainstorm how to bridge any gaps. Chair Stone asked if there had been a challenge in identifying the stakeholders or getting connected with them. Assistant Superintendent Conaway would give this information to the school district's Director of Mental Health and Wellness to identify the best contact person for allcove. Councilmember Lu emphasized that there was an opportunity to save allcove and to even improve it. Supervisor Abe-Koga's team was looking to fund allcove for about 3 years at the reduced level, and then funding plans after that time would be determined. Councilmember Lu believed that there might be a funding gap at the 50 percent funding level. The level of staffing needed to improve services would need to be known. If a funding gap existed, fundraising and finding ways to get supplemental money could be done. Councilmember Lu opined that it would be important for the key stakeholders including the school district to send a united message in support of funding for the allcove program. Councilmember Lu wondered when these funding proposals would be brought to the public. Deputy City Manager Cotton-Gaines stated that at this time it was not known when the allcove funding proposals would be made public. Public Comment: None. Board Member Chiu asked for clarification about allcove's current operational budget of $4 million annually and the proposed transitional 3-year budget of $2 million per year or 50 percent less. Councilmember Lu believed allcove's current budget was approximately $3.5 million per year but may not be fully inclusive of all funding. Councilmember Lu admitted it was not known how the funding gap would be closed or what would happen after 3 years. Deputy City Manager Cotton-Gaines stated that a county staff report had shown that the allcove program had an estimated $4.25 million annual budget with approximately 71 percent covering staff salaries and benefits. Item B Attachment A - November 13, 2025 Summary Minutes        Item B: Staff Report Pg. 6  Packet Pg. 10 of 13  SUMMARY MINUTES Page 7 of 8 City School Liaison Committee Meeting Summary Minutes: 11/13/2025 Assistant Superintendent Conaway asked if the allcove budget sources were one-time funds or ongoing funds. Deputy City Manager Cotton-Gaines answered that this was not stated in the staff report but more research would be done. Chair Stone believed allcove had ongoing funding but would also be interested to know. Board Member Chiu's understanding was that a 50 percent cut did not necessarily correlate to a 50 percent cut of allcove's front-line services. Board Member Chiu believed that costs such as rent could be adjusted to preserve as many front-line services as possible and wondered if that was a goal of the plan that was being discussed. Chair Stone believed preserving front-line services was a goal, although the Committee was not privy to those discussions. Chair Stone expressed that improvements in efficiency could likely be made in the allcove budget. It was Chair Stone's understanding that the rent was fairly expensive at the allcove location. Councilmember Lu also heard that the allcove rent location was expensive also but that there was a long-term lease and so that would be a fixed cost. Board Member Chiu commented that if 71 percent of the allcove budget covered staff salaries and benefits, it would be difficult to come up with a plan that does not impact the immediate services. Board Member Chiu was in support of reducing the fixed costs while trying to limit the impact on front-line services. Chair Stone wondered whether the school district could also send a letter to the County, as the Mayor had done, in support of the plan to save the allcove Palo Alto program. Chair Stone and Councilmember Lu had conversations with key County personnel about other locations within Palo Alto for allcove if rent was an issue. Board Member Kamhi also expressed support for allcove and asked for clarification about sending a letter from the school district to the County in support of allcove. Chair Stone stated this letter was not an official request but felt it would be beneficial to show a unified front from the agencies most impacted by the potential loss of the allcove program. The Mayor's letter was sent to Sherri Terao, Director of Behavioral Health Services of Santa Clara County. Assistant Superintendent Conaway stated that the allcove program was originally under a grant which ended around 2024 and wondered if there was an opportunity to find grants in the interim to help continue some of the services while other agencies work through budget shortfalls. Assistant Superintendent Conaway believed it was important to think ahead in case allcove did get shut down. Chair Stone agreed that having conversations about what would happen if the allcove program ended was important sooner rather than later. Santa Clara had a $1 billion budget shortfall, and significant changes were going to be made. Item B Attachment A - November 13, 2025 Summary Minutes        Item B: Staff Report Pg. 7  Packet Pg. 11 of 13  SUMMARY MINUTES Page 8 of 8 City School Liaison Committee Meeting Summary Minutes: 11/13/2025 Deputy City Manager Cotton-Gaines confirmed that the Mayor had agreed to sign the letter of support and reiterated that it would be sent to the Director of Behavioral Health Services at the County. A copy of the Mayor's letter would be sent to the Committee. E. Future Business Deputy City Manager Cotton-Gaines noted that there would be an update on the allcove Palo Alto program at the next meeting. An update on The Jed Foundation would be given only if the JED team was at the next meeting; otherwise it would be given the following month. The next Committee meeting would be December 11. Chair Stone asked if an update from the school district on the collaboration could be given at the next meeting. Assistant Superintendent Conaway answered there would be a better idea of the timeline after the district's planning meeting. Councilmember Lu inquired about the informational item on Safe Routes to School. Deputy City Manager Cotton-Gaines had spoken to staff and a presentation would be given to the Committee next year. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 8:16 PM. Item B Attachment A - November 13, 2025 Summary Minutes        Item B: Staff Report Pg. 8  Packet Pg. 12 of 13  City Schools Liaison Committee Staff Report From: City Manager Report Type: REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS Lead Department: City Manager Meeting Date: December 11, 2025 Report #:2511-5555 TITLE General Update on allcove Palo Alto RECOMMENDATION Allcove staff have been invited to attend the December City Schools Liaison Committee and have confirmed participation. They will be prepared to discuss the status and provide a general update on the allcove program and possible next steps. During discussion, the Committee can also share any new updates they have. APPROVED BY: Ed Shikada, City Manager Item D Item D Staff Report        Item D: Staff Report Pg. 1  Packet Pg. 13 of 13