Hillcrest High School Community Council
Wednesday, October 14, 2026, 5:00 p.m.
ACR Conference Room
Meeting Minutes
Attendees:
Agenda Items
1. September 9, 2026 Meeting Minutes: Review & Vote
The September minutes had been emailed to members the previous week. No corrections were requested. They will be posted to the school website as final.
Motion: Approve the September 9, 2026 minutes as written
Motion: Korina
Second: Melissa
Vote: Motion passed unanimously.
2. SCC Training Takeaways
Members who attended the district training discussed the main takeaways.
Councils must now state an exact number of members in their bylaws instead of an “up to” figure. Attendees understood the change must be made and signed by October 21
Members noted the district was expected to have audited last year’s bylaws.
The current standing rule sets membership at a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 18, with at least two more parent/guardian members than school staff, including the principal.
The bylaws also require the exact number of seats for each category (principal, parents, school employees).
Members who do not attend are supposed to be contacted about removal from the list.
Attendance-tracking changes and the required form were also mentioned.
The council agreed to update the bylaws during the meeting. The proposed count of 10 parents reflects current members plus parents who have expressed interest in joining; the transcript does not give an exact roster.
Motion: Amend Bylaws Article 3, Section 1, Subsection E (Membership) to read: “The number of SCC members will be 1 principal, 3 employees, and 10 parents”
Motion: Melissa
Second: Korina
Vote: Motion passed unanimously.
Action Item: The chair will update the bylaws and email the change to members that evening, in time for the October 21 deadline.
3. Parent/Teacher Conferences Report
The administrator reporting said the data collection lead was out on a family emergency, so only raw, unverified data was available.
Teachers reported that the most common conference concerns were math and English, followed by science, social studies and electives.
85 teachers responded, compared with 74 in fall of last year.
The raw figures showed 85 ninth-grade, 102 tenth-grade and 85 eleventh/twelfth-grade parents attending. The presenter doubted their accuracy because they matched the number of teacher responses.
A rough count of sign-up sheets suggested the true attendance may be lower.
Members noted anecdotal reports of strong turnout at the in-person night.
Members suggested that parent messaging through Canvas and Skyward may reduce the need for conferences.
Interpreters (Spanish on site, other languages through the district) were available both nights. Members asked that interpreter use and in-person versus virtual attendance be tracked.
Action Item: The administration will provide corrected attendance data and comparisons to previous spring and fall conferences at the next meeting.
4. Hillcrest Free Market
The Free Market is operating and is not open during class periods.
Use is down, from roughly 200 students per week to about 100. Possible reasons mentioned were demographic changes and students moving away.
Quarterly data had not been compiled yet.
Thanksgiving Heroes will deliver uncooked meals to about 50–60 families, with delivery the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Names are submitted by students, the school and the community.
Christmas donations had not started, as the district typically leads that effort.
Donations are being limited to avoid items in poor condition. Churches and larger donors have been the main sources.
Students may pack bags on certain days and at other times by arrangement. The days given in the transcript are unclear (Tuesday, Thursday and Friday).
Information is shared through Parent Square, the newsletter and counselors.
A member suggested cross-referencing prior student sign-ups with current enrollment. Council members offered to help with donations or events.
5. School Updates
Safety Drills
A parent had asked how the school community is notified of drills and what support is offered after emotional responses to them.
The administration reported that Parent Square notices will go out the day before future drills. Staff are notified by email and in meetings. Student notice will not be a blanket announcement, so students take drills seriously.
Planned changes include a live announcement before the Crisis Go alert, and clearly labeling “drill” alerts (blue) versus real threats (red).
The district is developing policy that includes read receipts for staff and in-person follow-up where an email is not confirmed.
An incident during the October drill involved a staff member, who is on administrative leave. The administration could not share more because of the open district investigation. Counselors responded and parents of the affected class were notified.
District leadership reportedly said Hillcrest was the best prepared school for the drill, with some positive responses noted.
Members asked to learn where the breakdown occurred once the investigation concludes. They also asked about support for staff and students, and about staff who carry concealed firearms.
Two lockdown drills are held per year, so a second is planned for spring, along with evacuation and earthquake drills.
The item will remain on the agenda.
700 East Traffic and Student Crossing Safety
No update was reported.
Grading, End-of-Term Zeros, and Communicating This to Parents
Members said zeros appear in the grading system before parents and students understand why, which can cause alarm.
The administration agreed communication needs improvement and will remind teachers at the next faculty meeting.
Suggestions included individual teacher emails or Parent Square messages listing the affected assignments, newsletter notices, and mailed notices for significant grading changes.
Members noted inconsistency between teachers and limited teacher visibility into what families see in the new software.
Cell Phone Policy
Deferred.
6. Other
PTSA Update
Skipped. It was noted that the PTSA met the previous month.
Other Topics
No other topics were raised. Members were asked to review last year’s TSSP and Land Trust plans on the school website before the next meeting, including goals, fund allocation and whether interventions should continue.
7. Next Meeting: Wednesday, November 11, 2026 @ 5:00 p.m.
The council will discuss current progress against the TSSP and Land Trust plans. It will also review the School Safety Plan and Digital Citizenship materials from the district, with plans due December 20. One member said they may be unable to attend.
Action Item: The chair will send these minutes to members for review, and members will send any additional agenda items to the chair.
Adjournment
Motion: Adjourn the meeting
Motion: Melissa
Second: Korina
Vote: Motion passed unanimously.