Phase II Design Advisory Team

Presentation

The SUSD Phase 2 Design Advisory Team has officially begun its work together.

During the first meeting, members focused on building a strong foundation for collaboration—clarifying the team’s purpose, roles, and decision-making process. The group also reviewed the district’s mission, vision, values, and current strategic priorities to ensure a shared understanding moving forward.

The team examined important district context, including recent marketing efforts and key school finance fundamentals, to support and inform future discussions and recommendations.

The group will continue its work in upcoming meetings, with the goal of identifying options to share with the broader community and inviting feedback at the culmination of its work this spring.

Presentation

The second meeting of the SUSD Phase 2 Design Advisory Team opened with a welcome and reminders about the team’s makeup, purpose, norms, and commitment to consensus-based decision-making. Members engaged in a warm-up conversation centered on SUSD shared values, followed by a response session addressing prior feedback and questions. 

District team members then provided additional, important context for the committee’s work, including presentations on Budget 101 (Part 2), enrollment history, and facility usage. Committee members participated in table discussions to process and reflect on the information shared. 

A decision-making rubric to guide future discussions and recommendations will be introduced next meeting. The session concluded with closing remarks and clarifying next steps.

Presentation

Initial Models

The third meeting of the SUSD Phase 2 Design Advisory Team opened with a welcome and review of the agenda, followed by a grounding in the team’s makeup, purpose, norms, and commitment to consensus-based decision-making. Members engaged in a brief warm-up to reconnect and center their work. Facilitators then shared prepared responses from district team members to questions raised during Meeting #2 – highlighting additional data and information specific to facilities and early learning. A decision-making tool to guide the committee’s ongoing analysis and future recommendations was also introduced.

A demographer very familiar with SUSD’s enrollment and demographic trends then shared multiple models – and committee members engaged in table discussions to begin to process the scenarios and reflect on their implications and potential to address priorities established by the District and Committee. The meeting concluded with table groups identifying any additional data or information needed to support their decision-making and recommendations at subsequent meetings – followed by a summary of key takeaways and clarification of next steps.

Presentation

Models 1-6 with additional information -- and an additional Model #7

The fourth meeting of the SUSD Phase II Design Advisory Team opened with a welcome and agenda review, followed by the committee’s regular grounding in its purpose, norms, and consensus-based decision-making process. Facilitators and district team members reaffirmed the importance of collectively upholding norms to honor members’ commitments and support the integrity of the committee’s work. 

Members engaged in a brief warm-up, sharing potential ideas for the SUSD SPARK Committee’s consideration where repurposing buildings may be identified, and then received an update on the SPARK Committee’s ongoing work. 

Facilitators provided context on the timing of bond considerations in SUSD and across the Valley and revisited clarifications and commitments from the district team. Responses to questions and ideas from Meeting #3 were reviewed, along with additional information shared by the Building Services Department following the previous meeting.   

The district’s demographer then provided further clarification on Models 1–6 shared during Meeting #3 and presented an additional Model (#7), proposed at the prior meeting. Committee members revisited priority considerations in the decision-making tool before indicating individual model preferences. Table groups then discussed reactions and additional recommendations for consideration for Models 1–7. 

Facilitators shared tentative plans for Phase II continued work - indicating design team members will have an opportunity to indicate a preference to support next steps in Phase II during Meeting #5. 

The meeting concluded with members proposing potential survey questions to gather community input to inform next steps with confidence, along with a reminder of the final meeting planned for this Design Team, scheduled for May 7.   

Presentation

Meeting 5: Additional Information shared by the Demographer -- Including Model 8

The fifth meeting of the SUSD Phase II Design Advisory Team began with a welcome, agenda review, and a reaffirmation of the committee’s purpose and norms. Facilitators emphasized the importance of adhering to norms to support thoughtful collaboration, productive conversations during the committee process, and positive engagement with the broader community.

Facilitators then shared initial plans for the continuation of Phase II work through a “Phase II Part B” process, which will include four additional meetings scheduled from June through August. Members were informed that this next phase will allow for deeper analysis of the model options advanced by the committee.

The district’s demographer responded to questions raised during Meeting #4 and introduced an additional option, Model 8 -- proposed by committee members during the prior meeting.  Committee members revisited the priority considerations and patterns of support that emerged from the preliminary model indications shared during Meeting #4 -- before again reflecting on the models presented and indicating  preferences. Members then engaged in table discussions to compare perspectives, discuss areas of alignment, and identify the models they believed should move forward for additional analysis during Phase II Part B.

As a result of these discussions, Models 1, 2, and 8 were identified to move forward for additional vetting during Phase II Part B.

The committee reviewed a draft community survey developed from ideas submitted during Meeting #4 and provided additional feedback for refinement. Facilitators clarified that district staff will finalize revisions to the survey prior to its anticipated launch on May 15, and that a separate, similar survey will also be developed to gather feedback from SUSD staff members.

The meeting concluded with members indicating their interest and availability to participate in the four additional meetings planned as part of the Phase II Part B process.