MCSD Regular Board Meeting November 10th 2026

Merced City School District regular board meeting, November 10, 2026. The board unanimously approved a bus-routing software contract, which includes hardware for district buses and a three-year term; administrators said the district can exit within 90 days of each contract year. No contract value or vendor name was stated. The board also approved, 4–1, the ArtBe Collective spring program proposal. A trustee opposing it cited the reported cost of $68,000 per month regardless of student participation (about 60 students per week). The board approved submission of the continued-funding application for the California State Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten Family Literacy programs for fiscal year 2027–28; no funding amount was provided.

Administrators reported that the Center for Model Schools contract was redesigned to save $184,000, including a 15% partnership discount and fewer coaching days; a further reduction in outside coaching is proposed for year three, with a board decision to follow spring feedback and survey results. A separate grant-funded middle-school initiative anticipates roughly $500,000 for lab upgrades, equipment, and instructional technology. No approval vote on that allocation was recorded in this excerpt. Employees raised concerns about pay, health-insurance costs, staffing, and classroom safety; the superintendent said negotiations with MCTA would resume later in November. Trustees also requested follow-up on special-education staffing and a study session on student behavior and safety, including a January agenda item.