Santa Barbara County Grand Jury • 2020-2021

Santa Barbara County Courthouse

Published: December 31, 2021 145 pages Consolidated Report

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⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.

⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.

Findings 9 findings

In-person learning is more effective than remote learning both academically and emotionally.

For student achievement, especially for low performing students, in-person learning in small classes or small groups is preferable to larger classrooms.

Remote learning exposed the importance of outreach efforts to provide coaching to parents on creating a positive home learning environment.

Santa Barbara County school districts did not use one common test throughout Santa Barbara County, making it impossible to compare countywide testing results.

Students with the greatest learning loss will require a concentrated effort to bring them up to Federal and State grade level standards.

As the 2020-21 school year wore on, remote learning and teaching techniques and students’ computer skills improved.

Federal and State COVID relief funds cannot be counted on indefinitely.

Community organizations provided critical assistance to the Santa Barbara County school districts by expanding their efforts to bridge the learning gap between the home environment and school.

Internet services were critical to remote learning and, in most cases, Santa Barbara County school districts filled the gap for homes that did not have them.

Recommendations 15

R1

That the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors and all city councils within the County establish programs similar to Roomkey in both North and South County to continue to provide rooms, with appropriate services, for vulnerable elderly homeless with underlying health conditions.
R1a

That the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office initiate joint training with all deputies and Wellpath health professionals to foster more efficient sharing of medical information at all major points of contact with the arrestee, including arrest, transport, intake, booking, classification, housing, and follow-up processes.
R1b

That the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office develop a real-time, commonly accessible database that includes all information at all major points of contact with the arrestee, including arrest, transport, intake, booking, classification, housing, and follow-up processes.
R2

That the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors instruct the Santa Barbara County Community Services Department to form an alliance with all city councils within the County to develop a roster of hotels and motels willing to participate in a Roomkey-type program.
R3

That the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors and all city councils within the County identify possible Homekey sites including government owned properties in each jurisdiction.
R3a

That the Santa Barbara City Council direct the City of Santa Barbara Community Development Department to issue a report to the Santa Barbara City Council reviewing the status of mitigation measures taken with regard to the food processing operations of the Company at the Location.
R3b

That the Santa Barbara City Council direct the City Community Development Department to review the documentation and archiving of its zoning and permitting decisions and its manner of communicating with the public, appointed officials, and elected officials with the purpose of making those decisions more complete, clearer, and more accessible to the general public and to City officials at all levels.
R4

That the Santa Barbara County school districts and the Santa Barbara County Education Office work together to develop a common summative testing program to be adopted for all Santa Barbara County school districts for the 2022-23 school year.
R5

That Santa Barbara County Schools outline their plans to attain Federal and State grade level standards for math and English language arts.
R6

That the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors direct the Santa Barbara County Public Health, Behavioral Wellness, and Social Services Departments, along with the Santa Barbara County Community Services Department, to explore options for funding for wraparound services.
R6a

That the Board of Trustees of Allan Hancock College direct the administration to make more effective use of peer-review evaluation practices.
R6b

That the Board of Trustees of Allan Hancock College commission a new survey of faculty and staff engagement, to be done by an independent external firm, focusing on questions of staff incentives, training, and internal communications with the results of the survey to be discussed in a public forum.
R7

That the Santa Barbara County Education Office schedule a series of meetings prior to the 2022-23 school year with Santa Barbara County school districts to establish spending guidelines and review budgets’ post-COVID relief funds to ensure that mitigation efforts continue.
R8

That each Santa Barbara County school district develop plans by the start of the 2022-23 school year to encourage community organizations to continue to provide critical academic and emotional support. 25
R9

That each Santa Barbara County school district maintain adequate internet services for all students if distance learning or an emergency should again require remote learning.