A busy agenda is on tap for the next meeting of the Claremont Unified School District Board of Education, set for Thursday, February 7 at 6:30 p.m.

The school board will be presented with a revised petition for a proposed charter school within the district, the Embracing the Whole Child Arts and Technology Academy. The first petition for the academy was presented, and accepted by the school board, on April 19, 2012. At a subsequent hearing, the following petition was denied.

Should the revised petition be accepted, as recommended by CUSD Superintendent Jim Elsasser, the board will have 60 days plus a potential 30-day extension to approve or deny the charter school’s second petition.

The board will recognize the contributions of third-grade Sumner student Axel Garcia Jr., who led Sumner/Danbury in a successful Toys for Tots drive this past holiday season, as well as the efforts of the Claremont Chamber of Commerce’s Best Business & Education Together (BET) Committee in support of programs promoting self-esteem, learning and motivation. Each year, the committee awards mini-grants of a maximum of $250 for workshops proposed by teachers and administrators at local schools. Last year alone, 35 mini-grants, ranging from “Read About Math Learning Centers” at Chaparral to “Getting to Know Our Biomes” at Oakmont to “Writing Across the Curriculum” at Our Lady of the Assumption School, were distributed throughout Claremont, for a total of $18,505.

The board will also be asked to approve a number of items, including a new job description for the positional of Educationally Related Mental Health Therapist and some field trips Claremont students hope to embark on, including: a whale watching trip at Newport Beach (Danbury); participation in Astro Camp in Idyllwild (Chaparral); participation in the USA High School Spirit Nationals in Costa Mesa (CHS Cheer, Dance and Hip Hop teams) and an extended field trip for 107 Chapparal students to attend Science Camp at the Lazy W Ranch in Dana Point.

The school board meeting will be held at the Richard S. Kirkendall Education Center, located at 170 W. San Jose Ave. in Claremont. Public comment is welcomed.