KSD News

KSD Highlights

Dear KSD Community,

I hope you had a wonderful spring recess and were able to get some rest and relaxation in preparation for a bustling spring. We have nine weeks left in the 2022-2023 school year. The days will be filled with a vast array of learning activities to demonstrate all our students have accomplished during this academic year. As we close out this year, we recognize the meaningful learning in the days ahead while we also acknowledge the need to plan for a successful 2023-2024 school year.

Superintendent Signature



Raquel Rose
Superintendent
rrose@kentfieldschools.org


Important Information About Potential Changes


Important Updates

Please read the following two announcements about proposed changes impacting the KSD. Stay tuned for regular updates about our upcoming school year!

Transportation Authority Marin

Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) Proposed Crossing Guards Adjustments

Does your child walk or ride to school – if so, we need your support and attention to anticipated changes to the TAM Crossing Guards supporting our KSD students getting to and from school safely.

The KSD Administration has been informed that the TAM Board may reduce up to three (3) crossing guards in the KSD jurisdiction based on the recommended crossing guard location selection, which is reviewed and supported by the Marin Public Works Association (MPWA). The three (3) crossing guards proposed to be eliminated are in the following locations:

  • Sir Francis Drake Blvd. and Laurel Grove Ave (east)
  • Sir Francis Drake Blvd. and Bon Air Road
  • Bon Air Road and South Eliseo Drive

This shift will significantly impact the safety and well-being of our KSD students. Since notification, the administration has met with TAM and expressed grave concern with this proposal. We have also solicited local support to advocate against the loss of these guards. Parent and former KSD Trustee Heather McPhail Sridharan, is joining the SafeRoutes committee and engaging with TAM and community partners to help advocate against this recommendation. TAM will hold a board meeting on April 27 at 6 p.m. to consider this recommendation. We have little time to mobilize against this recommendation and ask for community support in attending the meeting on April 27 to voice concerns about this recommended shift.


National School Lunch Program

Beginning in fall 2022, the California Universal Meals Program (Education Code 49501.5), also called School Meals for All, requires public school districts serving students in grades TK through grade 12 to provide two meals free of charge (breakfast and lunch) during school each day. This year, the KSD internally managed the breakfast program and contracted with Dee’s Organics to provide lunch service. All meals provided were offered at no cost to the student/s and have been paid for by the KSD. The current year’s program is not reimbursed by the state or federal government and was funded by our local general fund. Parents have the option to donate the purchase price of each meal to reduce the cost of this program to the KSD.

Beginning in fall 2023, the KSD will transition from locally funding the Universal Meal Program to participating in the National School Lunch Program through a collaborative partnership with other local school districts. This shift will provide the KSD fiscal relief through the state and federal reimbursement program and may lead to changes in daily operations and program vendors.

As we continue to plan forward and finalize local partnerships, we will update the community so you can be aware of how the changes may impact your child’s participation in the Universal Meals Program.

District Announcements

Partnership with Raising the Bar

The Kentfield School District is excited to be a part of the growing list of participating schools in the Raising the Bar, Keep Youth Events Substance Free campaign, a county-wide initiative dedicated to keeping youth events substance free.

Research indicates that parents significantly influence their children’s decisions regarding alcohol. By working together to prevent underage alcohol consumption, we can directly impact the health of our local youth and decrease the short and long-term consequences to adolescents, families, and our community as a whole.

Raising the Bar, Keep Youth Events Substance Free partners with the Marin Prevention Network and collaborates with schools, local coalitions, and youth organizations to decrease the high rates of underage substance use by changing the social norms that have become so pervasive in our county and promote healthy modeling at youth-centered events.

For more information on Raising the Bar, Keep Youth Events Substance Free, please reference this FAQ.

Budget Update

As the KSD Budget evolves, we want to ensure our community stays informed of our current fiscal status. Please see this most recent slide deck outlining the KSD budget as of the Second Interim Report. This fiscal information will be a foundation to support the KSD Budget Development for the 2023-2024 school year.

Walk & Roll to School Day - Wednesday, April 19

Don't forget to walk, roll, or scoot to school on Wednesday!

Marin Teens Are Walking and Rolling to School
43 percent of middle schoolers in Marin opted for an active way to school (61% green trips). That means that they either walked, rode a bike, scooted, skateboarded, took the bus, or carpooled. That number is a stark contrast to the only 15 percent of students nationwide who walk or roll on their way to class, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Keep up the good work KSD students!

Marin County Substitute Teacher Registration Fair

Friday, April 21, 2023, 11-1:30 p.m.
Marin County Office of Education,
1111 Las Gallinas Ave., San Rafael, CA 94903

View flyer for more information or call 415-499-5854.

Anyone interested in being a substitute teacher should attend this one-stop job fair. Learn more about substitute job opportunities for substitute teaching in Marin County Public Schools and get registered quickly! Learn more about competitive pay and flexible workdays within the school week.

For faster processing, bring your valid government-issued ID (passport/driver’s license), and official bachelor’s transcripts.

New Street Lighting to be Installed along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard

Work will begin in mid-April to revise street lighting on the median islands along one mile of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, between Manor Road in Kentfield and Eliseo Drive in Greenbrae. Overseen by the Marin County Department of Public Works (DPW), the lighting update project will address street lighting that was installed during the Upgrade the Drake project, completed in November 2021, replacing a selection of lighting poles with shorter, decorative poles and dimmer fixtures.

The work is expected to begin April 17 and is scheduled to take about three weeks to complete, weather permitting. Once the project is finished, 20 street light poles will have been removed and replaced with 28 new light poles that are shorter and have a more decorative style.

Learn more.

Spring Ordering Now Available

The KSD Spring lunch menu is available now through June 16, 2023. The menu will remain the same for the last two and a half months of school to streamline the ordering process for parents/guardians. We continue to request families to pre-order their child/ren’s lunch to ensure we have the most accurate count of school lunches. Please sign up for lunch here or contact info@deesorganic.com for support with ordering your child/ren's meal. If your child/ren has any food allergies, please report them to heather@deesorganic.com.

Reclassification Ceremony

Save the Date!

KSD Reclassification Ceremony: May 18, 2023, 6-7:30 p.m., Bacich Community Center

Join us to celebrate our students' amazing ability to speak two (or more!) languages and

highlight them as now being reclassified as English Proficient in our district.

View flyer in English, Spanish, Russian, Haitian Creole, and Japanese.


Summer Camp Tips

Resources and tips on choosing a summer camp experience for your children from Ivette Villarreal, Kentfield School District Community Family Liaison.

Read more.

District Calendars

Download a PDF of the Board-approved 2023-2024 District Calendar.
Breakfast & Lunch Menu

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

  • Kent Site Council meeting, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Kent Room 11

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

  • Walk & Roll to School Day
  • Bacich ELAC Meeting, 8:30-10:30 a.m., Bacich Room 7
  • Technology Committee meeting, 4-5 p.m.
  • KIK Board meeting, 6-9 p.m.

Thursday, April 20, 2023

  • 4th Grade Gold Country Parent meeting, 8:30-9 a.m., Bacich Room 33
  • 2nd Grade Concert, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Bacich Community Center

Friday, April 21, 2023

  • Kent Principal Coffee, 8:45-10 a.m., Kent Library
  • Bacich Earth Day Celebration, 10-12 p.m., Volunteer Here
  • Bacich Yearbook Order deadline

Monday, April 24, 2023

  • Bacich Principal Chat, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Bacich Room 33
  • LCAP Strategic Plan Advisory Committee meeting, 4-5 p.m.

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

  • Finance Committee meeting, 4-5 p.m.

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

  • Bacich Parents in Action, 8:30-10:30 a.m. Room 7
  • Communication Committee meeting, 4-5 p.m.
  • Kent ELAC meeting, 4:45-6 p.m., Kent Library
  • KSPTA Parent Ed Event, 6:30 p.m., Zoom

Friday, April 28, 2023

  • 5th/6th Game Night hosted by KSPTA, 6-8 p.m.

Next Regular KSD School Board Meeting is on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at 5 p.m.

Here is a link to where you can find the agenda once posted. Access to the meeting will be in person or via audio.


School Board Information: video recordings of meetings, community letters, minutes, trustee contacts


KSD Board/District Committees

  • Technology Committee meeting; Wednesday, April 19, 20234-5 p.m.
  • LCAP Strategic Plan Advisory Committee meeting: Monday, April 24, 2023, 4-5 p.m.
  • Finance Committee meeting, Tuesday, April 25, 2023, 4-5 p.m.
  • Communication Committee meeting: Wednesday, April 26, 2023, 4-5 p.m.

When to Stay Home

California Department of Public Health encourages all students and staff to test for COVID-19 IF they feel sick, AFTER exposure, travel, or large gatherings, and BEFORE events or visiting high-risk people.

Please know that our school offices have COVID tests available if needed. Thank you for your support.


Please reference this exposure notice for symptoms, communicability, and prevention information. (English I Spanish).

Please keep your child home if they are sick. Please contact our school nurse Laurel Yrun (lyrun@kentfieldschools.org), with any questions about navigating illness and school this year.

Important Medi-Cal Information

State Launches Campaign to Help Californians Keep Medi-Cal Coverage

Starting in April, California will have 14 months to resume normal renewal processes for all Medi-Cal enrollees. The Department of Health Care Services has launched a statewide campaign with a new landing page, www.dhcs.ca.gov/pages/keep-your-medi-cal.aspx.

Enrollees who have moved or changed their phone number or email since 2020 need to update their contact information with Medi-Cal so they don’t miss alerts or notices about their renewal. Medi-Cal beneficiaries should update their information today by contacting Marin HHS Public Assistance at: 1-877-410-8817 or visit www.benefitscal.com.

Learn more about the DHCS campaign and the end of the continuous coverage requirement.

  • View flyer and FAQ in English and Spanish.