The Student Site Council (SSC) for the 2023-2024 school year had its first meeting on October 18, just a few weeks following the election of senior Chloe Kubeldis as Student Representative; present for the meeting were administration members Principal Diana Yarboi, Assistant Principal Yvette Taylor, secretary Dawn Sevillano, and several Ayala staff, students, and parents. 

The meeting commenced with a rundown of the attendance rates across grade levels that have, despite certain misconceptions, maintained high percentiles across the board. Mentioned was a study connecting attendance rates and overall academic success after high school and how this has connected to Ayala’s 96th overall percentile in attendance so far, something Principal Yarboi had no issue vaunting to like-minded attendees.

Single-Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) goals for the school year were discussed in great detail pertaining to budgetary allocations of funds to each of the three goals outlined. 

$502,507.00 allocated to high quality teaching environments.

$18,013.00 allocated to the emphasis on parental connection.

$552,397.27 allocated to ensuring college preparedness.

Students have surely been straightened out at least once by Yarboi walking in unannounced to a classroom while asking students to identify their current course material. During the meeting, she identified this tendency to be ensuring that one of several classroom goals are upkept. 

After the polarizing transition from COVID-distance learning to in-person interactions, students more or less have had uncomfortable experiences being around people after years at home. It has been tasked on the teachers around campus to consistently provide engaging and interactive material where students engage with either the teacher or their fellow classmates; it’s this very thing that Yarboi looks for in each class she visits.

The middle stages of the hour-long session was a rundown of previous-year ELA/CAASPP scores, specifically for the indicative 11th grade test takers. The spring ‘23 average of either met or exceeded standards for 11th graders was an eye-catching 76% of students, a mark they’re hoping to surpass this year by 5% to an average of 81%. Math CAASPP scores were not as impressive, with an average of 52% looking to be improved to 57% in the upcoming year. 

A large part of the CAASPP presentation was the ELA portion, whose grades ranked first in the district and top 2 (exact data wasn’t available to corroborate whether they were first or second) in the San Bernardino County overall, an accomplishment that wouldn’t be possible without the cast of teachers currently leading the English department and their non-wasted efforts.

Choir director Mr. Robert Davis was present for a portion of the meeting to discuss the 1.7 million-dollar grant bestowed upon the performing arts department and the accomplishments of the underfunded programs that allowed them to receive that funding.  

Current progressions in the allocations of those funds were expounded upon by Davis. Marching band has put money towards new brass instruments, an upgrade made after their newsworthy first competition of the year in which they performed very well.

The dance program has recently bought new uniforms for their upcoming dance concert as well as new flooring for an improved experience in the classroom. Theater, whose Peter Pan play will soon come to the stage, has purchased new costumes and props, as well as lumber to build sets. On top of this, the visual art team was stated to have been in the process of attaining iPads for each student to improve literacy in digital art instead of a mainly physical program.

“Mr. [Daniel] Spellman has really wanted to create a digital arts program,” Davis said. “Just because, talking about college and career readiness, there’s a big emphasis on that right now in the professional world.”

As for choir, the sound system implemented in the MPR has been a large upgrade along with microphones and uniforms purchased with it. Davis emphasized that he tries to keep his bias for choir out of decisions for the visual and performing arts as a Department Chair. 

The grant wasn’t the only thing on Davis’s docket for the afternoon; he mentioned and emphasized the new role that California Proposition 28 will play for the programs moving forward. The prop will:

Provides additional funding for arts and music education in all K-12 public schools (including charter schools) by annually allocating from state General Fund an amount equaling 1% of required state and local funding for public schools. (via California Ballot Archive)

State costs for arts education is expected to increase by around $1 billion across the state of California across every fiscal year. For schools with at least 500 students, at least 80% of that 1% will go towards employment costs to keep or recruit teachers for the programs, and the additional 20% will be for any training, maintenance or recreational purposes. For many programs, they will be used to fund trips to competitions across the country.

Several other distinctions and goals were outlined for AVID programs and administration awards along with affirmations of the SSC bylaws. Detailed and consistent involvement of the SSC will determine several crucial goals for this school year, and students will surely keep a watchful eye for changes around campus, as they always have.