Charting New Paths

Lost Hills' Leadership in Community Schooling Innovation

Overview

Lost Hills Union Elementary School District initiated a strategic approach centered on utilizing community schools as a catalyst for collaboration among neighboring small districts, resulting in the West Kern Consortium. Beginning in 2018, they have focused on shared learning and resource pooling to enhance academic outcomes. This collaborative effort awarded them a Federal Community Schools grant, enabling them to focus on five key areas: early childhood education, expanded learning, math instruction, family community engagement, and social and health services. Lost Hills assumed a leadership role in driving this work by virtue of its higher staffing capability, managing budgeting, recruitment, and reporting requirements for the grant. Through strategic partnerships, shared resources, and a commitment to academic excellence, Lost Hills ensures that community schooling initiatives serve as a cornerstone for educational advancement in the district and beyond.

Video: Making an Impact

West Kern Consortium's Full-Service Community School Initiative

In the heart of West Kern, a transformative collaboration was born out of shared needs and a commitment to academic excellence. Lost Hills District, alongside Semitropic, Maple, Elk Hills, Wasco High, and Taft High Districts, came together to form the West Kern Consortium (WKC). This alliance was not merely a union of administrative bodies but a strategic partnership driven by a collective vision to address the diverse needs of their student populations. Through meticulous planning and discussions, the consortium identified key areas where support was most needed. 

The WKC has emerged as a model for community school implementation for rural schools and districts. A testament to its effectiveness, the original WKC members - Lost Hills Union Elementary School District, Maple Elementary School District, and Semitropic Elementary School District - demonstrated significant proficiency gains in both ELA and math, earning the top three positions compared to 46 total school districts in Kern County. Despite widespread declines in math proficiency across the state, these districts showed significant improvement, with some ranking in the top 5% of growth among California districts. Furthermore, Maple Elementary School District had the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in Kern County in 2023 (EdSource article).

Building Economies of Scale: Lost Hills' Resource Pooling Strategy

Lost Hills strategically leveraged their monthly superintendent meetings as a space for leaders to exchange ideas and pool resources to address collective challenges. Through regular budget revisions and discussions, the consortium ensures that decisions are grounded in the collective needs of its member districts. Key to this process is the shared understanding that resources, including staff, data systems, curriculum, and more, are pooled across districts to build economies of scale. For instance, a math coach and nurses rotate between districts, a practice born out of financial constraints but one that fosters a sense of true collaboration and resource maximization.

Interview clip: Asst. Supt. Fidelina Saso on how resource sharing began

Over the years, this network has fostered a culture of collaboration, with districts routinely pooling resources like school psychologists and music instructors to meet the evolving needs of their communities. Collaborating for a federal community school grant in 2018, the consortium gained a significant advantage that carried them through the pandemic and provided a substantial head start for state community school initiatives.

Strengthening the Work through Collaborative Partnerships

The success of Lost Hills and the WKC would not be the same without their community partners, such as the Children’s Cabinet and Behavioral Health Services. Quarterly gatherings of the Children's Cabinet serve as pivotal forums, where superintendents, community coordinators, and partners convene to address pressing issues like attendance and chronic absenteeism. Partnerships with organizations such as Behavioral Health Services and the County Office help to provide access to crucial resources like housing and healthcare for students and families in need. 

The willingness to share resources and practices have been pivotal in strengthening partnerships to provide the wraparound services their students need. Additionally, continuous improvement remains central, with districts actively seeking feedback and refining their approaches based on shared experiences and insights gleaned from collaborative visits. This collaborative ethos, rooted in mutual support and a shared commitment to student success, continues to drive the work of the consortium. 

Keeping Academics Front and Center

Lost Hills remains steadfast in its commitment to keeping academics at the forefront of their endeavors. Assistant Superintendent, Fidelina Saso, emphasizes the critical importance of maintaining a laser focus on academic achievement throughout the community school initiative. Recognizing the challenges inherent in small school districts with limited staffing capacity, Saso explained the importance of sharing the workload and resources to ensure academic priorities remained paramount. This also means keeping things simple and focused by streamlining focus areas and metrics to prevent overwhelming complexity. 

Embracing a data-driven approach, Lost Hills implemented structured Data Wise cycles, systematically identifying problem areas, devising action plans, setting goals, and rigorously monitoring progress to inform decision-making and drive academic improvement. Furthermore, administrative leaders received coaching and support to effectively implement and monitor strategies. These approaches help ensure academic excellence remains at the heart of their community schooling initiative.

A graphic of the Data Wise Improvement Cycle showing the eight-step model

Image: Data Wise Improvement Process (source)

Next Steps

Moving forward, the key lessons learned from Lost Hills' community school initiative underscore the importance of continued collaboration across districts and agencies, with a deliberate effort to expand involvement to include additional community partners, including students themselves. While recognizing the significance of wraparound services, it remains crucial to maintain a focus on academic instruction as a cornerstone of initiatives. Finally, patience is paramount because tangible results may take time to materialize.

Learn More About Lost Hills' Partners 

Meet the Team

Fidelina Saso

Assistant Superintendent

Veronica Gregory

Principal

Leticia Limon

Social Worker Lead