MPCSD has been planning for Fall 2021 behind the scenes for many weeks already, and we are planning for fully open schools for all students. While we know many health and safety protocols will remain in place, like masks for all, at least three-foot physical distancing, and our robust hygiene and sanitization practices, we do expect school to feel a lot more "normal."

This was a momentous week as on Monday, April 26 all our Hybrid elementary students began attending every day! You may recall that with the six-foot distancing requirement, we could not physically accommodate all students on campus at once. When the county eased its distancing to three feet between students, it allowed us to bring more desks - and therefore students - into our classrooms. Kindergarteners continue with their daily AM/PM schedule, first graders have been in person fully all year, and now our second through fifth graders have returned every day. We are now able to have all our elementary students in class every day for the rest of the year!

Students are happy to be back together and teachers are overwhelmingly supportive of the move. MPCSD is so grateful to have the teachers, staff, and administration willing to work hard, adjust with changing guidelines, and fulfill the Board's goal of having our students in person as much as possible, as early as possible, and as safely as possible.

MPCSD staff, along with most educators in San Mateo County, are now fully vaccinated! The sense of relief and joy is palpable at our campuses. The county worked with all its 23 school districts to prioritize educators, and we are pleased to report that 100% of MPCSD teachers and staff have received the opportunity to be vaccinated.

One of the reasons the county was able to reduce the distancing requirements between students is because of national data showing that COVID rates are no different when schools use six or three foot distancing. As more schools across the county open, data is emerging to show that schools with strict safety protocols in place are very safe. MPCSD has seen this to be true.

MPCSD has been contributing to the National COVID-19 Response Dashboard, coordinated by Brown University. Recently the first publication to come out of these data was published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. The data (as seen in this chart) supports researchers' conclusion that "lower physical distancing policies can be adopted in school settings with masking mandates without negatively impacting student or staff safety." MPCSD is proud to contribute to research that is having a direct impact on schools' response to COVID nationwide, as seen by the recent CDC distancing recommendations.

MPCSD is community funded, meaning that nearly 90% of our revenue comes from local sources including 62% from property taxes, 16% from parcel taxes, and 7% from philanthropic giving to the MPAEF. Twenty-three percent of MPCSD's budget is a choice our community makes to fund its schools, in the form of parcel tax and foundation support.

As the School Board and district staff have been discussing for several months, it is crucial that MPCSD renews its expiring parcel tax, Measure X, in the near future. Measure X, passed with nearly 80% of the vote in 2017, was meant to provide a four-year runway of financial stability. Now that it has been four years, the Board decided to place a renewal parcel tax on the November 2021 ballot. In addition, MPCSD has made over $2 million in cuts since 2017, and has been finding $1.5 million in savings for next year. Three community meetings were dedicated to hearing input about potential cuts; thank you to all the community members who attended. See MPCSD's second interim budget, 5-year MYP summary here, as presented at the April 15 Board meeting.

MPCSD relies on parcel taxes because our district receives less from property taxes than our neighboring comparable districts. This is because a district's property tax apportionment was calculated right after Prop 13 based on district size and funding at the time. Parcel taxes are also a way for the community to show its support for high quality education. We hope that our history of healthy financial stewardship, accountability, transparency, and community involvement will earn your support when we ask for a renewal of our expiring parcel tax.

The Board will finalize parcel tax ballot language at its May 13 meeting. Public comment is welcome. The meeting begins at 5:00 p.m. and Zoom details will be posted to the district website under "Announcements" 72 hours in advance.

There are four streaming times: Friday, May 21 at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, May 22 at 2:00 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Streaming Codes are available now at https://showtix4u.com/events/encinaldrama ($10 per stream code/device). Concessions and flowers for pick-up ahead of the show are for sale at https://forms.gle/pvbVzFkkxF8BiVYa6. Try the Sour Grubs Concession Box or the Hakuna Machocolata or even send a cast member a “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” Flowergram! Proceeds cover the cost of production and benefit the Encinal School drama program. Please reach out to Music Teacher Rachel Knight ([email protected]) with any questions.  

Menlo Park City School District is the proud recipient of four award recognitions this spring. In MPCSD, everything is a team effort, and none of these generous awards would be earned without the support of our School Board, administration, every teacher and staff member, and the families and community with whom we partner. Congratulations to all of YOU for being part of such an amazing place.

There have been three unrelated incidents over the past two months involving our students and strangers. Fortunately in each case, the students were not physically harmed and were able to reach trusted adults for help, either at school or from a neighbor. We are fortunate to live in a community of neighbors who are helpful and have our students’ safety and wellness at heart.

MPPD blog: Stranger safety: Teach children to recognize and report suspicious behaviors. 

May 4, 6-7 p.m. in SPANISH, presented by Encinal. Join here. Passcode: 549573

May 4, 6-7 p.m. in ENGLISH, presented by Oak Knoll. Join here. Passcode: 907663

May 13, 6-7 p.m. in ENGLISH, presented by Laurel. Join here. Passcode: 226202

MPCSD Helps has been supporting our most vulnerable families for over a year now. And the number of families needing help has increased. This initiative was born out of the community's desire to help. MPCSD partners with MPAEF to receive financial donations that are tax deductible through the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation. To date, 287 donors have given over $130,000 plus thousands more in-kind. Facebook and Good Roots donate fresh food weekly (pictured here). All donations are used to confidentially support families enrolled in MPCSD schools.

Additionally, we accept donations of food, clothing, household goods, baby items and more. Our staff continues to make weekly deliveries of food and grocery gift cards, regularly supporting over 60 families. Your generosity allows us to care for our families' most urgent needs during this stressful time. To find out more or donate, please see our MPCSD Helps page.

Looking for a Mother’s Day gift idea that also supports our schools? (PSSST -- Mother’s Day is coming up on Sunday, May 9th!)

Through June 30, 2021, place an online order of award-winning wine from Share A Splash Wine Co. using promo code MPAEF20 and receive 20% off your order. Plus 10% of your entire order goes back to our schools! And for all orders over $250, you’ll receive a complimentary bottle of Angels & Cowboys Brut Rosé. Place your order today at: www.shareasplash.com. Delivery options: Delivered to your home for a shipping fee - or free pick-up available from Share A Splash’s Menlo Park office at 716 Oak Grove M-F, 9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

Mention “Menlo - Atherton Schools” when ordering dinner from Galata Bistro on Wednesdays in May and 15% of your entire order goes back to our schools!

** Don’t forget to mention “Menlo - Atherton Schools” when placing your order! For more information, please visit: mpaef.org/dineout

Have more questions about MPCSD and its financial stewardship? Check out our Media Literacy & FAQ or use the Interactive Financial Portal OpenGov.

We invite you to connect with MPCSD by attending School Board meetings, Community Engagement Sessions and our Speaker Series and via our Facebook and Twitter pages: @goMPCSD.

Erik Burmeister, Superintendent

Jammie Behrendt, Assistant Superintendent

Sherwin Chen, President

Scott Saywell, Vice President