Item 8_02 CFJ

Community Project

What is Participatory Budgeting?
• (Also known as PB) A democratic process
in which the community decides how to
spend part of a public budget and there
are 3 important steps!
THINK
VOTE
DO
IT….
IT!
IT!!!!!

Advocacy for Participatory Budgeting
• Californians for Justice leaders and staff
conducted research to identify models of
meaningful engagement for parents and
students through the new school funding system
(LCFF).
• An opportunity for student voice to be heard,
valued and reflected in budgeting decisions in
their schools.
• In march of 2014 we conducted a PB
demonstration at Overfelt High School with over
200 attendees and received very positive
feedback from the community.

PB Pilot Goals
• To empower youth, parents and school community by
making budget decisions for their school.
• To shift perceptions of low-income youth of color in East
San Jose, as responsible decision makers in their schools
and show the power that decision making can have in
their education.
• Become a model for student and parent engagement,
setting the bar for State Board of Education expectations
under LCFF.
• To identify if solutions to address the needs and improve
the education outcomes and experiences of high need
youth at Overfelt High School

Royals Rise Up Community Project
Before the California State Board of Education
required student engagement through LCFF
• Principal Vito Chiala
agreed to pilot Participatory
Budgeting at Overfelt High,
he allocated $50,000 from
the school’s s discretionary
funds to implement projects
generated in the process.
• Superintendent Chris Funk
committed to support the
implementation of this
process.

Steering Committee Members
• In November a steering committee was developed
to plan the process, develop its rules and lead its
implementation. 4 staff, 6 youth and 1 parent.
Committee Members:
Angel Fernandez, Freshman-Californians for Justice
Brisa Rojas, Freshman- Student Senate
Jia Liu, Freshman- Californians for Justice
Xilonen Gutierrez, Freshman- Californians for Justice
Samantha Castillo, Sophomore – School Site Council
Yaira Cortez- Freshman, Californians for Justice
Ms. Aurora Solis- Attendance Clerk
Ms. Rachel Stanek- Teacher
Mr. Laurence Yee – Teacher
*Parent Liaison

Overview of Royals
Rise UP!

Idea Collection
• From November to March, we collected
ideas from the Overfelt Community to
decide how those funds would be
spent.
• We did this through outreach, parent
events, presentations and an assembly
to which more than 80 students
attended.
• Projects considered needed to address
academics, dropout prevention,
campus improvement projects,
celebration of history and culture of
Overfelt and student empowerment.
• Cost no more than $50,000

Community Members got to Vote on 10 Project
Proposals!
Students, Parents, Staff, Alumni & community members had two votes.
1. Hire a Career Tech to provide
Academic Fieldtrips to expose
students to 21 st century careers-
$43,000
1. Buy a taco truck or concession
stand to be student run after school-
$50,000
5. College Dream- Free college trips for
50 students who don’t have access to
them- $20,000
5. Two Free Printing Stations for Students
- $12,000
7. Buy new sports uniforms for students
600 youth involved in sports- $12,000
1. Hire a staff member trained in
restorative justice to run after
school art activities as alternative to
suspension - $40,000000
7. 15 more tables around campus -
$11,000
7. Youth Drivers- Drivers Ed for 30 youth-
$10,000
1. Get Techy- After school workshops
to learn new technical skills -
7. Level UP- College prep workshops for
$25,000 students and parents - $10,000000

Winning Projects!!!
• Youth Drivers-
Drivers Education for
30 students, cost
$10,000
• College Dream- CA
college trips for 50
students, cost $20,000
• New Sports Uniforms
– All students will get
new uniforms, cost
$12,000 for 600 youth
involved in sports .

Challenges through the process
• Loosing Parent Specialist in the middle of
the process, which resulted in low parent
engagement by the end of the process.
– Had as many ideas from students and parents,
but parent vote turnout was low.
• Most activities took place on the second
semester, the committee members felt we
needed more time. Need to start sooner
next year.

Highlights of the Process
• Throughout the process we engaged over 700
Overfelt students, more than ONE THIRD of the
school population.
• Casted over 500 votes for the project proposals!
– 83% Students, 5% Parents, 5% Teachers, 3% Staff &
1% Alumni.
• Created a stronger community, students’ felt proud
of their school and challenged negative
stereotypes that exist about them.
• Participatory Budgeting at Overfelt was on the main
page of Ed Source for over a week!

Lifelong impacts
• 14-18 year olds engaged in their first democratic
process seeing direct impact.
• Student Empowerment and ownership of their
school and community.
• Students viewed as critical thinkers and having
the power to prioritize what was the most important
to them.
• Overfelt led the first in California Participatory
Budgeting process and the largest in the United
States.

Sustainability & Next Steps
• This year student engagement was a partnership of
ESUHSD and Overfelt High School with Californians
for Justice.
• ESUHSD is making a powerful statement about
student and community engagement across the
state.
• We need to make these practices sustainable, we
need our district to invest in staff capacity and hire a
community engagement specialist that can work in
collaboration with Parent Specialists to engage
Students and Parents.

Presentation by
Californians for Justice