[0:00] You for joining us this evening. We are here

[0:05] for the Emery Unified School District regular meeting of the

[0:09] board of trustees. The time is six o'clock

[0:12] PM.

[0:14] 3/11/2026 is the date.

[0:18] Roll call, please. Trustee

[0:21] Chakoya. Here. Trustee

[0:25] Donaldson.

[0:26] Here.

[0:27] Trustee Lee. Trustee

[0:30] McNeil.

[0:31] Here.

[0:31] Trustee Robinson Murphy.

[0:34] Here.

[0:35] Trustee Van Geffen.

[0:36] Here.

[0:36] President Collins. President. Thank you.

[0:39] We will now convene into a closed session.

[0:42] We will be discussing pursuant to government code Section

[0:45] 54957. The board will meet in closed session to discuss

[0:49] employee release. And according to the

[0:53] government code Section 54956.9,

[0:57] we will discuss significant exposure to litigation in one

[1:01] case. We should be reconvening somewhere around six

[1:05] thirty.

[1:11] Everyone, we're re- reconvening from closed session, where there

[1:15] was action. The board approved the expungement contingent

[1:18] upon receipt of three thirty-minute

[1:23] online sessions provided at the district's expense for the

[1:26] student.

[1:33] I'd like to open for public comments at this time.

[1:37] Anyone with public comments? You may speak on non-agenda

[1:41] items.

[1:47] Any public comments? Okay, with there

[1:51] being none, let's go to our reports.

[1:54] Student representatives, good evening.

[1:58] Good evening. I would like to one report on a few things such

[2:01] as softball. This season should be starting soon, and we will have our first

[2:05] game most likely on the eighteenth.

[2:08] Um, the boys volleyball have been

[2:11] something. Uh, I think they recently just lost their game, but I think

[2:16] they're two to two. Um, the Social Justice Club, which I'm a part

[2:20] of, has an upcoming field trip to San Leandro High School, where we will be sitting

[2:23] in with their Social Justice Academy and seeing how they work.

[2:26] It's sometime in April. And then to close off, the seniors are

[2:30] starting to get close to finishing their final report or their

[2:34] final project for, the year, which is called our Civics Night.

[2:38] And yeah, that's it.

[2:44] Thank you. Does that conclude your report?

[2:47] Okay, let's move on to principal's reports, please.

[2:52] Principal Dean, thank

[2:53] you.

[3:03] Here we go. Good evening, everyone.

[3:06] Um, so we've had so much happening since our last

[3:10] board meeting. Uh, here is a picture of

[3:13] the-- Here are pictures of, first of all, our fourth and fifth grade

[3:17] class, Ms. Johnson's class. They completed the, the GREAT program

[3:21] with Deputy Chief Scott, and that's the Gang Resistance

[3:25] Education and Training program. And at the completion of their

[3:29] program, they took a day trip to the Oakland PAL site.

[3:33] And so on behalf of these youngsters, we want to extend our

[3:37] appreciation to the Oakland PAL, OPD, and BART

[3:40] PD. We also had the San Francisco Opera Guild

[3:44] come and visit all of our TK and kindergarten classes, which

[3:48] was great fun as well. We'd like to expand that more beyond

[3:52] those two grades, hopefully next year. And next slide.

[3:57] And we had a really great time throughout the month, throughout the month

[4:01] of February, celebrating, Black History Month.

[4:04] Uh, we had a program that our students and

[4:08] teachers put on for

[4:10] over two hundred people were there in the

[4:14] cafeteria. There was a great showing of families and

[4:17] friends. Uh, the sixth, seventh, and eighth, I think it was

[4:21] all three grades, band opened our program

[4:26] with a mini concert and they had teachers

[4:30] in tears because the teachers couldn't believe that these are their former

[4:33] students, and they did an amazing job.

[4:36] Also are pictures of students who-- Teachers

[4:41] also did, honor Black History Month through

[4:45] projects and presentations that they put up ac-across the

[4:48] building or throughout the building as well as in the

[4:51] cafeteria.

[4:57] Uh, we have the Anna Yates Lions team that is led

[5:00] by Mr. T, and there are about

[5:04] nine players. We've had eight games of-- I'm

[5:07] sorry, we've had five games so far.

[5:10] We won three, and so it happens every

[5:13] Saturday. And yay, go Anna Yates Lions.

[5:17] It's been awesome.

[5:21] Uh, we w-- our

[5:23] most recent event was the Chief Is My Belief program.

[5:27] Um, I can't really speak more about it.

[5:30] I wish I could speak more about it. It was just awe-inspiring.

[5:34] Um, but again, it was through the support of board members,

[5:37] Dr. Scott, Ms. Johnson, and the

[5:41] Alameda County Fire Department. Uh, it was just an

[5:44] impressive presentation that our students enjoyed, our teachers

[5:48] enjoyed. Uh, there was also partnership with the library who

[5:52] delivered the books that you see there to all of the

[5:56] classes, and then all of our, all of our

[5:59] kindergarten kids got bags with books as well as our third,

[6:03] fourth, fifth, and sixth graders.

[6:06] So

[6:07] we had that as well.I think that might be it.

[6:11] Oh, and this is the only picture that I

[6:14] had. So I'm gonna do a shout-out for Mr.

[6:17] Animutu. Um, Burlington had

[6:21] a grand opening, a ribbon cutting grand opening, and they

[6:25] gifted the teachers with five thousand dollars and so,

[6:30] there's Tony receiving it. It's the

[6:33] TK through eight teachers are recipients of this,

[6:36] and Dr. Scott and President Collins was also there to support the

[6:40] event. And that's the end of my report.

[6:43] Oh, and I do wanna, I wanna invite any of you to come and join us

[6:47] on March twenty-fourth from four thirty to six o'clock.

[6:51] We have a really, really exciting STEM night happening.

[6:54] There will be tons of experiments and food and prizes and all

[6:58] the things. So

[7:00] I welcome any of you to come and join.

[7:02] Thank you.

[7:04] Um, Principal Ding, can you just tell us where will that take place?

[7:09] Yes, it's just in our cafeteria.

[7:10] Yep. Okay. Thank you.

[7:11] Thank

[7:11] you.

[7:20] Good evening, Principal Kibby.

[7:27] Sorry, sorry. Could you unmute your mic? Thank you.

[7:32] Now it's green. Thank you. Uh, before I, I, I begin, I just wanna

[7:36] really credit the, the seniors. Something that really stands out about this

[7:39] class, you know, we just found out minutes ago, is really typical of them,

[7:43] which is their involvement still with the school, not just community

[7:47] service events, but being engaged with school as well.

[7:49] It's really easy for seniors to develop kind of a senioritis.

[7:52] I've got a foot out the door. You know, both Najaya and, Nalani are

[7:56] playing softball, you know, and, and this is, you know, a new, you know,

[8:00] opportunity for, for Najaya, and I know Nalani was brought

[8:04] in. That's so great. Uh, the, the senior volleyball team, it's, it's a

[8:07] volleyball team made up of, like, six solid seniors as well.

[8:11] You guys would be really proud. I definitely am as well.

[8:13] Uh, March twenty twenty-sixth, our, focus has really been on

[8:18] the, on the big state testing, which comes up in May.

[8:22] We're spending one day a week, sacrificing our usual morning

[8:26] announcements for work on this specifically, and we ask the whole

[8:30] school, grades nine through twelve, to take a look.

[8:32] Uh, we did a run-through of, an English language arts

[8:36] question, and, just, two days ago, we did a

[8:39] math. The purpose isn't so much to teach to the test, but

[8:43] just to expose students so they can take a look and say, "Wow, that's not so

[8:46] daunting. You know, I, I am capable of...

[8:49] You know, once I see the question, once I see the prompt,

[8:53] I'm capable of understanding it." I understand that there are many questions

[8:56] that come forward. We just wanna prove that the students, the work that they're

[8:59] doing in the classroom will serve them, and they'll be able to execute on this

[9:03] exam. So that's a, a big thing and a big part of what we're doing, and we hope it

[9:07] just plants a seed with the ninth and tenth graders who are not taking the test to

[9:11] say when they get there, they're able to do so.

[9:13] Lots of, opportunities coming up.

[9:15] Uh, it's hard to read on this slide, but next Tuesday, we have folks from

[9:19] the building trades coming in here at Emery, and they will, talk

[9:23] about opportunities like stipends to start to buy

[9:27] tools and, interest level for

[9:30] students is really high for this. Uh, Michelle Chen is our,

[9:34] work experience rep who comes every week working on things like

[9:38] resumes, elevator pitches, and the like.

[9:41] Super excited to bring all this together next week.

[9:44] Uh, you've already heard and celebrated our debaters who, made it to the Bay

[9:47] Area Urban Debate League Nationals. They'll be doing that in May.

[9:51] This is kind of a, a, a, a... I, I don't wanna say a bigger, but

[9:55] just, like, a different pathway. The, the regular debate league called

[9:59] the Golden Gate Speech Association, hosts tournaments throughout

[10:03] the year. They had their state qualifier a couple weeks ago.

[10:06] We dropped into that. This is not our ordinary place.

[10:10] This is made up of, like, elite, you know, schools, Lowell High School,

[10:14] College Prep, Head-Royce, and debate is kind of like the

[10:18] pinnacle of the speech world. The fact that Braden and Beatrice just kind of walked

[10:22] in there, became entered, and then made it to state is

[10:26] tremendous. I mean, I, I, I could not believe it, you know, when I heard it,

[10:30] and, they, they definitely earned it.

[10:33] This weekend, they're going to the national qualifiers for Golden Gate, and,

[10:38] they're a force. I mean, just, plain and simple, so super

[10:40] exciting stuff there. Ms. Parham in the cafeteria, w-we love the

[10:44] cafeteria. One of the things she's gonna do is create an all-star menu at the

[10:48] end of the year. So, like, students will be, are, are gonna do a survey, what are

[10:52] your five favorite lunches? And, and she's gonna put that together and make it

[10:56] happen. You know, I've, I've got my hope on, totchos and, and

[10:59] chicken alfredo, you know, if I get my own vote on it.

[11:02] What do you guys want? What do you think?

[11:05] Like, if you, if you had to choose, like... Yeah.

[11:08] Yeah, see? Right. I mean, the, the...

[11:12] Also g- So the people have spoken and, and,

[11:15] in addition, something she's done is run a cooking club, and,

[11:20] they've made, like, great things. She, she, you know...

[11:22] I, I fairly, like, you know, am, am robust in terms of announcing when

[11:25] things happen. She told me to keep it on the down low when they were doing

[11:28] desserts, or they'd be overwhelmed. The desserts were great. This is like, uh...

[11:32] These were, like, wontons from, like, wonton soup. It was so good.

[11:36] Uh, tomorrow they're making, stuffed bell

[11:39] pepper. Fantastic stuff, and, and

[11:43] lots of kids, like, you know, gravitate towards it. That happens.

[11:46] Uh, we brought in the, uh... Alameda County had, an event where they were

[11:49] promoting, alternative means of transportation. We took surveys.

[11:53] Uh, one of our kids won a scooter, and they brought in the bike blender.

[11:57] So if you pedal this, you know, really fast, it, it moves the blender,

[12:01] and we had smoothies made from, from bicycle

[12:04] power.Uh, continues to be, like, a

[12:07] great year for art. Uh, this is, one of our freshman pieces

[12:11] in the photography class. We are going to enter lots of things.

[12:15] At, first off, we have our own art and music show, and we're entering items

[12:19] at the Alameda County Fair. Uh, this is certain to be one of the pieces we're

[12:23] entering in the Congressional Art,

[12:27] Exhibit, you know, and, and try to enter for a chance to be in Washington,

[12:30] DC. Just super proud. If you walk our hallways, you will see our art.

[12:34] It, it's all over the place. And, there's volleyball started

[12:38] unbeaten at home. The girls were right that, we did have a loss, today.

[12:42] Uh, softball's gonna get started.

[12:43] Track and field is doing great, keeps adding students to that.

[12:47] Super exciting stuff going on there.

[12:49] Uh, we're looking at, like, you know, kind of creating, like, our own, you know,

[12:52] version of the logo for athletics.

[12:54] We thought that that spear could be used in many different capacities, like as a

[12:57] bat or as a, you know, skewer for food, you know,

[13:00] possibly. Uh, and, and we're super active in terms of giving back.

[13:04] The community service is by nature what we do. We've got kids going to the...

[13:07] We had five kids go to the senior center today as part of the,

[13:11] St. Patrick's celebration. They, helped to create crafts.

[13:15] Next week they're gonna help make soda bread together, and two weeks after

[13:19] that it's gonna be tap dancing. Like, mic drop.

[13:23] Gotta see that. Uh, we're giving away food, on the monthly, so next

[13:26] Thursday we'll be out both at Annie Yates and at the high school as well with Miss

[13:30] Tanya Meadows, who's organized that. And, I think that's it.

[13:33] I think those are my slides for this, this time.

[13:36] Um, you know, super active, super busy, and a great group of

[13:39] seniors. Uh, you know, we're, we're tempted to, you know, fail them

[13:43] so they all come back here next year. I'm just kidding.

[13:45] No, we're, we're, we're gonna let them go. They're, they're great.

[13:48] Looking forward to their prom, their senior nights, and everything else.

[13:51] Um, thank you so

[13:52] much.

[14:04] Mm. And we would like to invite anyone from

[14:08] ETA to report in.

[14:16] Okay, I think they'll be reporting in via Zoom.

[14:19] Hi, everyone. Can you hear me?

[14:21] Yes, thank you.

[14:23] Hi, I'm Katie Pieri. Um, I teach seventh and eighth grade English, and I

[14:26] am the, ETA middle school site rep.

[14:30] Um, we'd like to begin our report with a big thank you to President Collins for

[14:34] joining the ETA leadership today in a really collaborative meeting, and we're

[14:38] really glad that we're able to work together, and we want to welcome and invite all

[14:41] the board members to reach out and join us for check-ins whenever

[14:45] you are able. Um, I'd like to begin by reporting some of the

[14:49] highlights and concerns of the last few weeks.

[14:52] Um, first I want to address health and safety on campus.

[14:55] We've had two, emergency drills recently and have

[14:59] definitely noticed improvements in those, and we're still ready for more trainings

[15:03] and collaboration in that area. Um, some members are reporting some

[15:06] concerns about hate speech on campus directed at students and

[15:10] teachers. Um, there have been several reports site-wide, and we want to

[15:14] remind everyone that Emery Unified is a site dedicated to creating a

[15:18] safe and inclusive learning environment for all students and staff, and

[15:22] we really want to thank all the administrators and staff that

[15:25] were available to support, during some of these issues, and

[15:29] especially Mr. Kibby. Um, members want to

[15:33] thank him for his swift and thoughtful responses to these

[15:36] concerns, and we hope that we can continue to address these

[15:39] site-wide. Um, some of the highlights, Ms.

[15:43] Miller and Ms. Chloe took the first grade classes to the Lawrence Hall of Science

[15:47] on Friday. Uh, we want to thank all the participants of the Black History

[15:51] Month celebration, all of the teachers and students that

[15:54] participated, that were in attendance, that celebrated.

[15:58] Um, thank you to all the families and staff and board members that were there.

[16:02] And a really big thank you to Mr. Salvatore and the high school and middle school

[16:05] bands for performing at the Black History celebration.

[16:08] Um, the bands are awesome. A really big shout-out again

[16:12] to Ms. Critchlow and the Emery High debate team who's attending the state

[16:15] tournament, as was mentioned earlier.

[16:18] Um, and we just really want to thank her for all of her dedication to our high

[16:22] school debaters. Um, thank you. This concludes the ETA

[16:25] report.

[16:28] Thank you.

[16:31] Do we have anyone reporting in from

[16:33] CSEA?

[16:40] Okay, let's move on to the superintendent's report,

[16:42] please.

[16:46] Thank you, Madam President. Good evening to the board and community at

[16:50] large. Um, have just a few highlights I'd like to share.

[16:54] Um, some may be duplicates, so we'll go through those.

[16:58] Um, as was mentioned by Principal Dean, there has been a lot of great, things

[17:02] that have taken place on campus. Um, she already mentioned about

[17:06] Cheap My Belief with the Black History Month program.

[17:09] You'll also see a picture from the ribbon cutting with

[17:13] Burlington that donated, five thousand dollars.

[17:16] Um, Principal Dean, you are in that photo.

[17:21] Um, in addition, to President

[17:25] Collins, we also had, Trustee Lee in attendance, so thank

[17:29] you for your support. Um, the city

[17:32] program provided an after-school, program in

[17:36] honor of Black History Month that was well received and

[17:40] attended, as well as the school, so thank you

[17:44] to any staff and all those that are listed here.

[17:48] Uh, what we're going to do next, I've invited

[17:52] Ms. Bindi Gandhi from Sutter Health.

[17:55] So as we know, there's a new development, a new hospital that will be built in the

[17:59] city of Emeryville. Um, they have expressed

[18:03] the desire to have a partnership with our district, so I'm excited that they'll be

[18:06] coming to our next cabinet meeting, and then we will, be able

[18:10] to share additional information with our community. Next.

[18:16] Professional development is happening that will take place with all

[18:20] staff on Friday, March twentieth.

[18:23] That is optional day for some, required for others, but nonetheless,

[18:27] is always with excitement. Um, there has been a lot of

[18:30] input that has been received. Um, thank you to our site

[18:34] administrators for soliciting that input along with Dr.

[18:37] Kell and district leadership. Uh, so this is some bulleted

[18:41] points of some of the things that will be offered on that day.

[18:45] Next. Safety plans has

[18:49] been, work that we've done throughout the school

[18:52] year, every year. So, as noted

[18:56] here, we have monthly drills that are held

[18:59] district-wide. Um, I think ETA may have mentioned that

[19:03] we've had a lockdown drill recently, as well as, fire

[19:07] drills. As a cabinet with our district

[19:10] leadership, we have met seven times this year, starting from

[19:14] August all the way up to March. So every month, pretty much, we

[19:18] meet, we have discussions as it relates to the safety drills,

[19:23] soliciting feedback from our site administrators, and, as

[19:27] well as, like, our maintenance, operations, et cetera, in terms

[19:31] of what is done well and what should we improve.

[19:34] Our drills have been done

[19:36] district-wide, so it includes the district office, the

[19:40] sites. Everyone participates in the drills.

[19:43] That way, we can see what's working, and what we need to do r-to

[19:47] refine. So I appreciate that ongoing,

[19:51] collaboration and

[19:53] communication about the drills. Then the expectation is

[19:57] that the principals go back to their school sites, and

[20:00] disseminate that information that we discussed in our cabinet meetings.

[20:04] Um, so it's that cycle of communication, so that that training

[20:08] is ongoing with site, staff as well, and

[20:11] having that feedback loop that we receive from, the

[20:15] information that's shared from the site administrators that was received from their

[20:18] staff members. Um, in addition, site

[20:22] administrators meet with the school site councils.

[20:25] So thank you, Principal Dee, Principal Anumutu, and Principal,

[20:29] Kibby Kleiman with regards to meeting with their school site

[20:33] council. W-- At the su-school site council, they

[20:36] review the comprehensive school safety plans, give

[20:40] feedback. On the school site council, it-it includes

[20:44] parents, at times students,

[20:48] as well as staff members, both classified and certificated, who review

[20:51] those plans, give feedback, and then those are approved by March first, which

[20:55] was done for us. And you will ha-hear additional information

[20:59] from our site administrators this evening.

[21:02] Next slide. Um, had the privilege of meeting with

[21:06] the superintendent, student council.

[21:09] We have ten student members from the high school, currently

[21:13] on that group. They have been very

[21:17] involved. Um, they give a lot of great

[21:20] feedback. As we know, we are here in service of our

[21:24] students, and so to hear from them is highly important,

[21:28] to-- so we can make sure that we're ensuring that they're

[21:31] successful and supported. So, our two board

[21:35] members, student reps are also on this team, so thank you for being a part of

[21:39] that. Um, what we did last meeting,

[21:43] which was about two weeks ago, we invited, Principal Kleiman to come to the

[21:47] meeting so that the students can share,

[21:51] bright spots, things that they wanted to give us suggestions

[21:55] collectively and also hear from different members.

[21:58] So we'll be inviting our other principals, and he was just one of the

[22:02] first with us, so thank you for joining us.

[22:05] Uh, we also talked about, LCAP. So Dr.

[22:09] Kell came in to receive feedback from the students so that their feedback can

[22:13] be included in our plans in terms of h-what can we do to ensure

[22:17] that they're successful. Um, so we asked what activities, resources

[22:21] would help you and your peers would help the district?

[22:24] W-through that discussion was lifted around grading.

[22:28] Um, there were feedback from our students, what can help

[22:32] them be supported. Um, so Mr.

[22:36] Kleiman, Kibby, graciously heard the students

[22:39] and worked collectively with them based on that feedback and has

[22:43] looped back to me around what, shifts were happening.

[22:47] So I appreciate that. Um, in addition, the

[22:50] students expressed their desire to learn,

[22:54] and to be successful. And what they found is that with

[22:58] tutoring, they would love to have additional tutoring

[23:02] support. They would love to have somewhere where it's consistent, and they

[23:06] understand that sometimes emergencies happen, staff can't always be

[23:09] there. So an idea that was lifted in that group was to have

[23:13] a,

[23:16] what would I call it? A center where tutoring happens, so

[23:20] that it's consistent. There's different tutors, in

[23:24] addition to their teachers that can help them, whether it's math or different

[23:28] subject areas. So I love the idea around how could we create a

[23:31] center, and we have been in further discussions about

[23:34] that. Um, what else did they share? They shared great things.

[23:38] They asked for additional field trips.

[23:41] We got a lot of field trips that happen at Andy Yates, not so much as they get

[23:45] older. So that just kinda reminded us, like, how can we,

[23:50] elevate that? Although there's a lot of on-campus things that

[23:53] they do, but they wanted to have the opportunity to go off-campus.

[23:56] And lastly, they lifted around the cooking club

[24:00] that that is great, and they wished we had a class.

[24:04] They love cooking. Um, and Mr. Kibby have-- with those

[24:08] pictures, the wontons, et cetera, I would love it too, so

[24:12] understandable. Our next meeting, we're inviting Ms.

[24:15] Parham from Nutrition Services, and we're also going to

[24:19] discuss cell phone and AI policies so that they can

[24:23] contribute and give us input. Um-Um,

[24:26] now enrolling is my last slide. Um, we see

[24:30] Trustee Donaldson. She probably shocked that she's on this

[24:34] flyer here, where she did the dreamcatchers with, many of our

[24:37] kiddos. Um, so this will be going out to our

[24:41] community, flyers, so that they can be

[24:45] enrolled.

[24:49] Oh, yes, it is coming.

[24:53] Uh, so share with everybody. This is a great place to be, and I just

[24:57] wanna express my deepest, gratitude for the

[25:00] leadership team here. Um, they just are here around the clock.

[25:04] As you can see, they're here at seven thirty plus at night,

[25:09] and just all the activities that they do to support our kids.

[25:11] Um, I just wanna say thank you, to

[25:15] everyone. And that concludes my announcements.

[25:20] Okay, thank you, thank you, thank you.

[25:23] I would like to start my announcements with a

[25:27] moment of silence in honor of the late

[25:31] Reverend Jesse Jackson, a Oakland colleague of

[25:34] ours, Miss Bobo, who's a teacher,

[25:38] and Mr. Martin. So we could please just, in their

[25:42] memory, take a moment.

[25:50] Thank you.

[25:52] Okay, so I want to announce March twenty-fifth,

[25:55] save the date for staff. There will be pastries with the

[25:59] presidents. Myself and

[26:03] President, Vice President Donaldson, we will have

[26:06] pastries from eight AM to eleven on

[26:10] the twenty-fifth of March, right before we head out for,

[26:15] spring break, just so staff can come by and

[26:18] say hello and check in and let us know how they're

[26:21] doing. Okay, Chief, as my belief, was amazing as

[26:25] usual. Um, I was speaking to Dr. Scott today

[26:29] to

[26:31] suggest that it become a

[26:34] school-wide assembly because that is something

[26:38] to be witnessed by every student, every staff,

[26:42] and if possible, every family on this campus.

[26:46] It was amazing. Special thanks to Chief Randall West and

[26:49] for, to Miss Tiffany Johnson for all their hard work.

[26:52] And it seemed like the program, it expands every year,

[26:57] and it gets bigger and better. And with the history and the context

[27:01] that the children learn and the engagement, it's a beautiful thing.

[27:05] Burlington, well, I've been in this district

[27:09] for twenty-two years, and it was

[27:13] the first time living in Emeryville or

[27:17] Philly or anywhere that I actually had a chance to cut a

[27:20] ribbon.

[27:23] So it was so cool because for some reason I wore a red

[27:26] shirt, and I matched the ribbon, and I matched the

[27:29] scissors. So I don't know if they got me the privilege of cutting the ribbon or

[27:33] not, but it was fantastic. Thanks to Burlington for all,

[27:37] their support and their kind donation.

[27:40] They also handed out coupons, so I spent the weekend just

[27:44] sharing with some community members and, those I ran

[27:47] into, some coupons to go to Burlington.

[27:51] So if you get a chance, stick your head in there. It was a very nice store.

[27:54] Parking is very convenient, which is a plus for most of us.

[27:58] Okay, National Breakfast Week,

[28:00] delicious. I was able to make it two days out of

[28:04] the five. Thank you to the, nutritional services, Miss Marsha

[28:08] Parham, for the amazing job as usual.

[28:11] And Miss Dawana, I'm sure you had something to do with it.

[28:14] Thank you as well for all that you do, and you're setting up

[28:18] skills and making sure everybody's on point.

[28:21] Uh, Prop ninety-eight. Today I had the

[28:25] pleasure of joining in what was called the Lunch and

[28:29] Learn. And what we did is we discussed the governor's

[28:33] budget proposal around Prop ninety-eight,

[28:37] funding ADA versus enrollment, and closing the

[28:40] achievement gap initiative. And I found that to be quite

[28:44] interesting. It was, pretty much in preparation for some

[28:48] of us that's heading out to a conference in Washington, DC for

[28:51] legislation work to try to get more money for our students and our

[28:55] teachers and our districts. So that concludes my report,

[28:59] and thank you everyone for being here.

[29:02] Let's move on to...

[29:06] It looks like the consent calendar.

[29:08] I'm gonna pull three

[29:12] due to the absence of our board member, Chigoya,

[29:16] at that meeting. So we'll do warrants,

[29:19] ratification lists, approval of resolution

[29:23] thirty, which is proclaiming March as Nutrition Month,

[29:27] approval of resolution thirty-one, proclaiming March as Social Work

[29:31] Month, approval of resolution thirty-two,

[29:35] declaring March thirty-first as Cesar Chavez Day, approval

[29:39] of resolution thirty-three, joint powers

[29:43] authority membership school project for utility rate

[29:46] reduction, and approval of transportation plan.

[29:50] We were not able to get the, resolution in time, but I do

[29:54] want to acknowledge that March is also,

[29:59] Women's History Month.

[30:01] So with

[30:03] those being read off, in the exception of item number

[30:06] three, are there any other

[30:10] items someone would like to pull?

[30:15] Is there a motion to approve?

[30:17] A motion to approve one through

[30:21] two and then four through eight as presented.

[30:25] Excellent. Is there a second?

[30:27] I will second.

[30:28] Okay, that was motioned by Member Lee and seconded by Member

[30:33] Van Geffen.Trustee- It's...

[30:37] Oh, sorry. Roll call. Sorry. Trustee Chakoya?

[30:40] Yes.

[30:42] Trustee Donaldson?

[30:44] Yes.

[30:45] Trustee Lee? Yes. Trustee McNeil? Yes.

[30:48] Trustee Robinson Murphy? Yes. Trustee Van Geffen?

[30:52] Yes.

[30:52] President Collins? Yes. Thank you.

[30:55] Let's go back to number three,

[30:59] minutes of the regular meeting of February 11, 2026.

[31:03] Is there a motion for approval?

[31:07] I'll motion to approve item number three as

[31:10] presented.

[31:11] I will second.

[31:12] Okay, that was motioned by member...

[31:15] Was that you, Lee? Member Lee? And second by Member Van

[31:19] Geffen. Roll call, please.

[31:23] Trustee Chakoya?

[31:24] Abstain, 'cause I was absent.

[31:26] All right.

[31:27] Yeah.

[31:29] Trustee Donaldson?

[31:30] Yes.

[31:31] Trustee Lee? Trustee McNeil? Yes.

[31:35] Trustee Robinson Murphy? Yes. Trustee Van Geffen?

[31:38] Yes.

[31:39] President Collins? Yes.

[31:43] Thank you. Let's move on to our discussion action items.

[31:47] I'd like to invite Ms. Dorisu for approval of the second interim

[31:50] report on the 2025-'26 budget. Good

[31:54] evening, Ms. Dorisu.

[31:56] Okay.

[31:59] Good evening, board members and members of the audience.

[32:03] This evening, we're going to look at the, governor

[32:07] budget that he proposed for fiscal year

[32:11] '26-'27. Uh, on January the

[32:15] 9th, the Department of Finance presented the proposed state

[32:19] budget,

[32:20] and then, in this budget, the governor proposes

[32:25] a twenty-one point seven billion increase in the Prop ninety-eight

[32:29] guarantee over a three-year period.

[32:33] The calculated minimum guarantee for this year,

[32:36] '25-'26, is a hundred and twenty-one point four

[32:40] billion. But apparently, a settle

[32:44] up mechanism is proposed for

[32:47] '25-'26. So the state, right now, they're

[32:51] providing a hundred and fifteen point nine billion for

[32:54] education,

[32:56] so which is

[32:58] five point six billion less than what we

[33:01] calculated earlier on the earlier slide.

[33:05] So the reason given to us is the state want to make

[33:09] sure to

[33:10] mitigate the risk of over-allocating the funds

[33:15] if the revenues do not materialize.

[33:18] But this is a contro- I mean, controversial

[33:22] practice, because technically, they should provide the

[33:26] minimum calculated guarantee, but they did

[33:29] not. So we're gonna see what is

[33:33] actually going on further in the May

[33:36] revised. But now we are looking at

[33:40] the TK to twelve funding allocations.

[33:43] We've got the COLA for two point four one percent for

[33:47] '26-'27. And then the good news for

[33:51] special ed, the, base rate is going to increase

[33:55] to nine hundred and ninety-nine per ADA, which is

[33:58] equivalent to the spread ed education

[34:02] being increased by five hundred and nine million

[34:05] dollars. And then for spe-

[34:08] expanded learning opportunities program,

[34:12] ELOP, the funding would increase to four point seven

[34:16] billion, and there is a one-time discretionary

[34:20] block grant of two point eight billion for student

[34:24] support and PD discretionary block

[34:27] grant. So this is a one-time grant.

[34:32] So second interim, this is a report that

[34:35] reflecting the financial situation of the district as

[34:39] of January 31st, 2026, and

[34:43] the board is required to certify this evening

[34:47] whether the district is able to meet its financial

[34:51] obligations for the current year, '25-'26,

[34:55] and the two subsequent years. So we're gonna

[34:59] look back to what we adopted or what we

[35:03] approved back in October for the first interim.

[35:07] So on this slide, you are s- you s- you're

[35:11] seeing the wear and use, differences from the

[35:15] first interim to the second interim, the changes,

[35:19] and also a brief description why are

[35:23] these changes happening. So let's say for

[35:26] RCFF funding, we're seeing a drop of twenty-nine thousand

[35:30] dollars because of a reduction in state

[35:33] aid. And then for the federal funding, we're seeing an

[35:37] increase of fifty-one thousand from Title I and

[35:41] Title III. And for other state where you,

[35:45] we see a slight increase of eight thousand dollars,

[35:49] from the home-to-school transportation and the

[35:53] literacy screening increase.

[35:58] Then for the local where in you, we are seeing an increase

[36:02] of a hundred and fifty thousand, mainly coming from

[36:06] the Medi-Cal billing and the MAA programs.

[36:10] And then there's no change on the parcel tax, so for the

[36:13] total, we're seeing an increase of a hundred and eighty thousand

[36:17] in the second interim compared to the first interim.

[36:22] And then expenses for the certificated

[36:26] salaries, we see a increase of fifty-four thousand, mainly

[36:30] because of, the hiring of a

[36:33] mid-year drama teacher on payroll.And then for the

[36:37] classified salary, we see an increase of about eighty-three

[36:41] thousand, mainly to deal with the four-point-five

[36:45] percent salary increase that they, settle

[36:49] on.

[36:52] And then now we're seeing the non-salary costs for the

[36:55] district. Uh, books and supplies, we see an

[36:59] increase of forty-two thousand, mainly on

[37:02] the, materials in the S&C

[37:06] program, Title I, and SB HIP.

[37:10] And then contracts and services, an increase of about

[37:14] fifty-five thousand

[37:16] in contracted services in Title I and SB

[37:19] HIP.

[37:21] And then capital outlay, an increase of thirty-six

[37:24] thousand, which is for the outside classroom for the

[37:28] pre-K and TK students.

[37:33] And then we see a slight, increase of

[37:37] indirect costs

[37:39] for about four thousand dollars. For the total, we still--

[37:43] we, we're seeing an increase of about three hundred and fifteen thousand dollars

[37:47] in the expenditure from the first interim that

[37:50] we approved back in October.

[37:54] And now for the fund balance, you see the year-end

[37:58] expenses, the increase in the fund balance.

[38:01] So actually, as of the second interim, as of

[38:05] the end of January of this year, we have projected the

[38:09] ending fund balance for fiscal year twenty-five/twenty-six to

[38:13] be around seventeen million

[38:15] dollars. And then these are

[38:19] the programs that you see each time

[38:22] require the general fund contributions to

[38:26] support the program into balanced condition.

[38:29] Special ed, maintenance budget, and now

[38:33] with this year's deposit tax

[38:35] too. So the

[38:39] NYP assumptions that we used for the second

[38:42] interim, again, we have-- we

[38:46] based it on two-point-three percent increase on the

[38:50] COLA for this year, and then two-point-four-one for

[38:54] next year, and then three-point-zero-six percent for

[38:57] twenty-seven/twenty-eight. Enrollment is steady, stay at

[39:01] six hundred and ten. And then the ADA is going

[39:05] to be around five hundred and seventy ADA.

[39:09] And then that's the, projected deposit tax that we are

[39:13] going to receive this year and the two subsequent

[39:16] years. And then second page for the assumptions,

[39:21] the step and column increase for the certificated staff is

[39:25] around one-point-seven-two percent for the next two subsequent

[39:28] year. And for the classified staff, it's around

[39:32] two-point-one-five percent. And then certificated

[39:36] salary increase that we settle on for this year is

[39:39] four-point-five percent for twenty-five/twenty-six.

[39:43] And then, for

[39:45] the classified staff, it's four-point-five percent for

[39:49] twenty-five/twenty-six also. And then for the health

[39:53] benefit, we are gonna-- Right now, we are going to set

[39:57] it at ten percent increase in the next two subsequent

[40:00] years. This number is going to change if I get any

[40:04] update from HR, in April. So we will

[40:08] update that in the estimated actuals.

[40:13] And then the last page for the NYP assumptions, these are the

[40:17] STRS employer rate, the PERS employer

[40:20] rate, and also four percent reserve for

[40:24] our, school district. So this is the

[40:28] NYP that I want, y- the

[40:32] board to approve this evening. So

[40:36] it's breaking down into the second interim

[40:40] for this current year, school year

[40:42] twenty-six/twenty-seven, and school year

[40:45] twenty-seven/twenty-eight. And down on

[40:48] the, bottom of the sheet, you will see the

[40:52] estimated fund balance. So it's projected

[40:56] all the way to twenty-seven/twenty-eight, around seven-point-eight

[41:00] million. And this is the one that I've-- that we want the t-

[41:04] the board to approve this evening.

[41:06] And since we are talking about the NYP right now

[41:10] tonight, I want to maybe

[41:14] draw... If you can pull up the

[41:17] two NYP that we are reviewing

[41:20] tonight,

[41:24] since we are talking on the NYP right now.

[41:28] Let's pull up this one. Okay. This is...

[41:31] Oh. I think it's missing

[41:35] the s- the other half. Okay, let's go to

[41:40] second page. Okay, let, let-

[41:42] Or if you scroll down, will we see more?

[41:45] Okay. Okay, now. Yeah. Okay. So this is the one.

[41:48] Uh, you're seeing the highlighted yellow, it's

[41:51] twenty-five/twenty-six, and you are looking at the two subsequent

[41:54] years on the right side.

[41:58] And on the bottom where it said estimated ending fund

[42:01] balance, you will see that seven-point-eight million right

[42:05] there. Okay, so this is the one

[42:10] that we are not going to budget the vacancies

[42:13] that we have. Right now, in the position control,

[42:17] we do have about six-point-nine FTE as

[42:21] vacancies in

[42:23] twenty-five/twenty-six. And I believe

[42:26] two of them are classified positions or classified

[42:30] vacancies, and four-point-nine FTE of

[42:34] them are belong to the certificated

[42:37] vacancies. In this case-We are

[42:41] not going to budget them in twenty-six, twenty-seven,

[42:45] and twenty-seven, twenty-eight.

[42:47] So what we are asking the board is actually f-hold them or

[42:51] freeze them for hiring for the next two years

[42:55] so that we can approve this MYP moving

[42:59] forward to school year twenty-seven,

[43:03] twenty-eight. And for your

[43:05] information, what I did, I did another

[43:09] version of the MYP, and can-- Drew, can

[43:13] you pull up the second version? This

[43:17] is the one that we put in the budget for

[43:21] the vacancies for the two years. So now if

[43:24] we scroll down a little bit,

[43:27] remember we talk-keep talking about seven point eight million in

[43:31] twenty-seven, twenty-eight? So what I'm telling the board in this

[43:35] case, in this version, if we budget for

[43:39] these vacancies in twenty-six, twenty-seven, and

[43:43] twenty-seven, twenty-eight, the projected ending

[43:46] fund balance for us is five point seven million in

[43:50] twenty-seven, twenty-eight. But look at the column where it

[43:54] said unrestricted, because restricted, we don't pay

[43:58] too much attention to it because these money, you know that the

[44:02] state will guide you, you can only spend these money

[44:07] in some s-very s-specific

[44:10] criterias. So these are very restricted

[44:14] funding, so we don't look at. So we are only look

[44:18] at, looking at the unrestricted funding, which is four point one

[44:22] million. And with this projected

[44:26] balance that we have in twenty-seven, twenty-eight, we are

[44:29] not able to make to the minimum,

[44:34] requirement by the county office.

[44:37] So that is the reason why this is only for the information,

[44:41] for your information. And that's why we are going back to the other

[44:45] one, which we are not gonna budget these vacancies moving

[44:48] forward in the next two years. So now I think we

[44:52] can go back to the PowerPoint.

[44:59] So that is the MYP version

[45:03] that, again, I'm gonna repeat it right here, we will

[45:07] not be budget these vacancies in

[45:11] the two subsequent year, twenty-six, twenty-seven, and

[45:15] twenty-seven, twenty-eight. So we're still going to be

[45:19] projected to have a seven point eight million that is a

[45:22] reasonable ending fund balance that will keep us

[45:25] operational.

[45:28] So as of the second interim, our district estimated ending

[45:32] fund balance for this year is going to be seventeen million

[45:35] dollars, and district is able to meet its

[45:39] financial obligations for the current year and the subsequent two

[45:43] years. So staff recommends the governing board to approve the

[45:46] positive certification of the district's second interim

[45:50] report. So before we go to the

[45:53] questions, let's finish up all the rest of the items in this

[45:57] agenda. Uh, let's look up the

[46:01] components of the ending fund balance.

[46:05] So these are the breakdown of the ending

[46:09] fund balance for the school district for second interim of this

[46:13] current year.

[46:15] And then, then we will look at the

[46:19] analysis, sh-Excel

[46:22] worksheet. So for those of you that

[46:26] want to know what being changed d-in detail between the

[46:30] first interim and the second interim, this will tell you what

[46:33] being changes and the amount of the

[46:36] change. So are there any questions

[46:40] on the second

[46:41] interim?

[46:47] No question. No.

[46:51] Okay.

[46:53] No board questions?

[46:54] No board question.

[46:55] Okay. I'd like to open for public comments.

[47:00] Are there any public comments? Drew, you see

[47:03] anybody? Okay. With there being none, any board

[47:06] follow-up?

[47:11] Okay, let's move on to, a motion.

[47:16] Is there a-

[47:17] I move to pass as presented.

[47:20] I'll second.

[47:20] I second.

[47:22] Okay. I think it was, Member Van Gieson first and Member Elsie

[47:27] Lee was second. Thank you, Member

[47:29] Chakoya.

[47:33] Roll call, please.

[47:35] Trustee Chakoya.

[47:37] Yes.

[47:38] Trustee Donaldson.

[47:41] Yes.

[47:41] Trustee Lee. Trustee McNeil.

[47:44] Yes.

[47:45] Trustee Robertson Murphy.

[47:46] Yes.

[47:47] Trustee Van Gieson.

[47:48] Yes.

[47:49] President Collins.

[47:50] Yes.

[47:56] Okay. Ms. Samantha, would you please like to come for

[48:00] the second item, approval of declaration of need for fully qualified

[48:04] teachers?

[48:05] Of course.

[48:07] Thank you. HR director.

[48:11] Thank you, Ms.

[48:12] Dorazu.

[48:34] All right. Good evening board of trustees.

[48:36] Thank you so much. Uh,

[48:40] tonight, similar to every year, we will need to complete with your

[48:44] approval, this declaration of need for fully qualified

[48:47] educators. My job is to project

[48:51] what our needs as a district related to hi- hiring,

[48:55] onboarding and retention of certificated staff

[48:59] for the upcoming school year may be.

[49:01] And if you can scroll down, please.

[49:06] Next page. Thank you. So I have

[49:10] completed this form. Again, hopefully there will not be a need for this, but in

[49:14] case there is, during that certificated hiring,

[49:17] onboarding and retention process, if there is a need for a specific

[49:21] emergency credentials, maybe for a resource

[49:25] specialist, a TK teacher... If you can

[49:28] scroll down, please. Or for a specific single subject

[49:32] disciplines, this has to be in place for us to be able to do

[49:36] so. So again, if you can scroll down just a little bit

[49:40] more.

[49:44] I have... Thank you. Um, I have completed

[49:48] this form, again, based on my current knowledge and projections, and

[49:52] would appreciate if the board can move forward with approving this.

[49:56] If so, I will be able to share this with the CTC, and then they will grant our

[50:00] ability to, utilize any emergency credentials

[50:04] in these specific areas that I delineated if

[50:07] needed. Any

[50:09] questions?

[50:11] Just to confirm that the font changes don't mean anything between

[50:14] ones?

[50:15] No.

[50:15] Okay.

[50:16] It just means that this form has not had

[50:19] consistent font for the last two years.

[50:21] Correct.

[50:28] Are there any board questions?

[50:30] Okay. I'd like to open for public

[50:33] comment.

[50:37] No public comment. Any board follow-up?

[50:42] Okay. Well, with that being said,

[50:46] let's have a motion please. This is coming to us for approval.

[50:50] I'll move to approve as presented.

[50:53] I will second.

[50:55] Thank you, Member Donaldson. Trustee Van

[50:59] Geffen?

[51:03] Roll call, please. Trustee Chakoya?

[51:06] Yes.

[51:08] Trustee Donaldson?

[51:09] Yes.

[51:09] Trustee Lee? Trustee McNeil? Yes.

[51:13] Trustee Robinson Murphy? Let's see.

[51:17] Uh,

[51:19] Trustee Van Geffen?

[51:21] Yes.

[51:22] President Collins? Yes.

[51:24] Thank you.

[51:25] Thank you.

[51:26] Approval of Annie Yates Comprehensive School Safety

[51:30] Plan.

[51:32] Oh, we skip.

[51:33] Oh, wait. Did we... Did, uh... I'm sorry.

[51:35] Uh, let's do the reduction of, classified services.

[51:39] Um, that would be Samantha Burke, please. Thank you.

[51:41] Great. Thank you. So as communicated with our

[51:45] CSEA partners, we, for some time,

[51:49] have had, what you see here are one, two,

[51:53] three, four, five vacant positions.

[51:56] Again, it's very clear that we are requesting you to

[52:00] move forward with this layoff resolution that does not

[52:03] impact any currently employed

[52:06] employees. So because these positions are currently vacant, no employees

[52:10] will be laid off with these reductions.

[52:12] So we are just wanting to finalize and close

[52:16] these vacant positions. Any

[52:20] questions?

[52:22] Any board questions?

[52:27] Thank you.

[52:30] No. I'd like to open for public comments.

[52:34] Any other follow-up? Board

[52:37] follow-up? Do we have a motion?

[52:41] Motion to approve as presented.

[52:44] Okay, there was a motion by Trustee Lee.

[52:46] I'll second.

[52:47] A second by Member Donaldson, Trustee Donaldson.

[52:50] Roll call, please. Trustee Chakoya?

[52:55] Yes.

[52:57] Trustee Donaldson?

[52:59] Yes.

[53:00] Trustee Lee? Yes. Trustee McNeil? Yes.

[53:05] Trustee Van Geffen?

[53:07] Yes.

[53:08] President Collins? Yes.

[53:11] Thank you.

[53:13] Thank you.

[53:15] Now, Ms. Jeri Dean for Annie Yates Comprehensive

[53:19] School Safety Plan, also known as

[53:22] CSSP.

[53:33] So this plan outlines how we prevent safety

[53:37] concerns, prepare for emergencies, and ensure that the staff and

[53:40] students know how to respond if an emergency

[53:44] occurs. The goal is simple, to maintain a safe and

[53:47] supportive environment for our school

[53:50] community.

[53:55] Next. There we go.

[54:00] This plan is developed collaboratively, collaboratively with

[54:04] staff, parents, and community partners.

[54:06] It outlines how we prevent safety issues, how we prepare for

[54:09] emergencies, how we respond if something occurs, and how

[54:13] we support recovery afterwards,

[54:16] and the goal is to ensure that every student and staff member are safe at

[54:19] school.

[54:22] Our safety planning is data informed.

[54:26] We review several indicators that help us identify

[54:30] areas where we need stronger prevention strategies or clear

[54:33] procedures. We review-Multiple data points

[54:37] such as ex-suspensions, expulsions, chronic

[54:41] absenteeism, community crime data, and law enforcement calls for

[54:44] service.

[54:47] Next.

[54:51] Most effective way-- The most effective safety strategy

[54:55] is prevention. Our safety plan

[54:58] emphasizes, one, a positive school

[55:02] climate, two, clear behavior expectations,

[55:06] and three, strong relationships between staff and students.

[55:09] When students feel connected

[55:12] and supported, behavior issues and safety concerns are

[55:16] significantly reduced.

[55:22] Preparation is critical. We regularly practice emergency

[55:26] drills so that procedures become familiar and calm responses

[55:30] can occur if an emergency ever does arise.

[55:34] These drills ensure that everyone understands the expectations and

[55:37] procedures.

[55:42] In addition to the drills, the plan includes clear systems for

[55:46] responding during emergencies. This includes

[55:50] accounting for students and staff and communication

[55:53] protocols.

[55:56] And lastly, safety is

[56:00] truly a shared responsibility. It takes collaboration between

[56:04] students, staff, families, and district leadership and

[56:08] community partners. Our goal is to ensure that every student

[56:12] at Anna Yates feels safe, supported, and ready to

[56:14] learn. And thank

[56:16] you.

[56:21] Thank you. Okay, this is coming to us for

[56:25] approval. I'd like to see if there's any board

[56:27] questions.

[56:30] Any board questions?

[56:37] Okay, I'd like to open for public comments,

[56:39] please.

[56:44] No? Okay, any board follow-up?

[56:46] We just talked about that, right, Juana?

[56:50] This, that we're gonna make some-- There were some, like,

[56:54] typos, right? There's

[56:57] some-- They're not typos, but in the translating

[57:00] between, this new format and whatever,

[57:04] they're-- Juana made a whole bunch of changes last year that were not reflected in

[57:08] this la-last one, and,

[57:11] she will catch those. Yeah, the pronouns.

[57:14] Um, so that's all. Just mentioning that.

[57:18] With the safety plan?

[57:20] Yeah.

[57:22] So to include they/them in addition to she and he?

[57:25] Yeah. Juana made lots of changes last year, and

[57:29] sadly, they did not translate over.

[57:31] Now she has to make them again.

[57:35] Okay, any other board follow-up?

[57:38] Okay, well, this is coming for a vote.

[57:40] Is there a motion?

[57:45] So moved by President.

[57:47] I will second.

[57:49] Okay, that was motion by Trustee Lee, second by Trustee Van

[57:52] Geffen.

[57:56] Roll call, please.

[57:57] Trustee Chakoya?

[57:59] Yes.

[58:00] Trustee Donaldson?

[58:02] Yes.

[58:04] Trustee Lee?

[58:05] Yes.

[58:06] Trustee McNeil?

[58:08] Yes.

[58:08] Trustee Robertson Murphy?

[58:10] Yes.

[58:10] Trustee Van Geffen?

[58:12] Yes.

[58:12] President Collins?

[58:13] Yes. Thank you. Okay, let's move on

[58:17] to approval of the Emery High School Comprehensive School Safety Plan.

[58:22] Mr. Kibby, welcome back to the podium.

[58:24] Thank you. Um, as, Principal Dean has stated,

[58:28] the, those elements of, of safety,

[58:32] including drills, of, of reflection, of using data to

[58:36] inform absolutely become an essential part of Emery as well.

[58:39] We spent the afternoon as teachers, and staff together

[58:43] walking through our fire drill zones again, reflecting on,

[58:47] emergency, supplies, taking notes.

[58:50] So this is a dynamic effort, kind of always in motion.

[58:54] We have a number of strategies that we're speaking of.

[58:56] I'm not gonna read the whole slide, but rather to just summarize the fact

[58:59] that our primary way of ensuring safety with

[59:03] students is to build relationships.

[59:05] It's a, a, a serious effort that everybody takes to

[59:09] make sure that when students see or hear something, that they find a

[59:13] trusted adult to speak to. And that makes up a, a whole lot of

[59:17] our safety strategy. In addition to just the, the nuts and bolts of

[59:21] making sure that this key gets you to that door, that this space

[59:24] is, is protected, that supplies are in place.

[59:28] Many of our strategies talk about things in terms of creating a,

[59:32] a, a helpful environment, one where students feel safe and

[59:35] secure. Uh, just today, a student came from, the second

[59:39] floor while I was on the lower floor to say that he felt there was a, a smell of

[59:43] smoke or something of the sort. We went and investigated.

[59:46] It turned out not to be an issue. But again, I was grateful and, and, you

[59:50] know, pleased that, that a student reached out to say that I'm gonna find an

[59:54] adult and do so. This also follows through with things like, students

[59:58] having issues of, you know, safety is involved with interpersonal

[1:00:02] conflicts as well. Are students able to take care of, conflicts?

[1:00:06] And if not, do they reach out to adults?

[1:00:08] We, we encourage over and over again for students to make those decisions

[1:00:12] and say, you know, "Who is that trusted adult? Is there somebody?

[1:00:15] Is it a coach? Is it a teacher? Is it an administrator?

[1:00:18] Is it a custodian?" And that, that those adults take seriously

[1:00:22] those student desires and needs as well.

[1:00:25] Fights have been prevented, conflicts have been avoided because of those

[1:00:29] exact things. Even, even a student having a, a meltdown in a

[1:00:32] classroom, you know, where they come and say, you know, that they're in a

[1:00:35] really bad place.So grateful that they reach out because we have

[1:00:39] great folks on staff in terms of the wellness center who

[1:00:43] work with individual students, some one-off situations, some

[1:00:47] making regular appointments as well, and we see this throughout a number

[1:00:51] of our strategies. And wrap up with this here again, the notion of our campus

[1:00:55] supervisor enforcing not by throwing kids out of school.

[1:00:58] You know, the idea of, of, of school discipline where we,

[1:01:03] you know, move pers- move a person off site is

[1:01:06] not something that we, we do and, and, you know, under

[1:01:10] anything other than the most extreme circumstances.

[1:01:13] Uh, we, you know, continue to drill and to,

[1:01:18] you know, look for opportunities that we can do better.

[1:01:20] We debrief when it's done. And, and the idea throughout our safety

[1:01:24] plan is that in addition to the, the physical part of the

[1:01:28] plan, it's the social-emotional part as well that keeps things safe and

[1:01:32] secure. And that, wraps up our report for Emily

[1:01:36] High.

[1:01:38] Thank you. Any board questions?

[1:01:42] Yeah, I'd like to open for public comments.

[1:01:47] Okay, with there being none, board follow-up?

[1:01:51] I just wanted to appreciate you both for all the work it takes to do

[1:01:55] these, and especially to bring forward like

[1:01:59] you did that safety is about, you know, more than just

[1:02:03] fire alarms and drills, and it's really about making our kids feel like

[1:02:08] this is a place where they, they feel safe, and they find someone

[1:02:12] that they can trust. I mean, I feel like

[1:02:15] I still to this day can, like, see in my mind

[1:02:19] the nurse's office in my high school .

[1:02:21] And I

[1:02:23] must have been an emotion-sensitive child, and I spent a lot of time in that

[1:02:27] nurse's office. Just, like, it was the place where I knew I could

[1:02:31] just go and, like, sit by myself, lay on her

[1:02:35] weird couch, and just, like, I don't know, collect

[1:02:39] myself or something. But I just knew that I could trust that person, and,

[1:02:44] like, it's ... I know for so many kids it makes all the

[1:02:47] difference in the world, and that's what we need to be, right?

[1:02:50] Just like that one little person, that one little place.

[1:02:53] So thank you both very much.

[1:02:58] Yes, thank you. Any other board follow-up?

[1:03:00] Well, as Winston Churchill said-

[1:03:02] No, we

[1:03:02] ... plans are nothing, planning is everything.

[1:03:04] So just keep practicing, keep practicing, keep

[1:03:06] practicing.

[1:03:10] Okay. Thank you. Any other board

[1:03:12] follow-up? Okay, well, this is coming to us for

[1:03:16] approval. Is there a motion?

[1:03:20] I motion to approve as presented.

[1:03:23] Thank you, Trustee Van Geffen.

[1:03:25] I second.

[1:03:27] Thank you, Trustee Chiconya. Roll call,

[1:03:31] please.

[1:03:32] Trustee Chiconya?

[1:03:34] Yes.

[1:03:35] Trustee Donaldson?

[1:03:36] Yes.

[1:03:37] Trustee Lee?

[1:03:38] Yes.

[1:03:38] Trustee McNeil?

[1:03:40] Yes.

[1:03:40] Trustee Robinson Murphy?

[1:03:42] Yes.

[1:03:43] Trustee Van Geffen?

[1:03:44] Yes.

[1:03:44] President Collins?

[1:03:46] Yes. Thank you. Okay,

[1:03:50] approval of the academic calendars for twenty twenty-six twenty-seven

[1:03:54] school year and twenty twenty-eight.

[1:03:57] HR Director Berg. Thank you.

[1:03:59] Third time's a charm. Uh, all right.

[1:04:03] So I wanna first start by just really thanking everyone that was a part of the

[1:04:07] calendar committee. It was a group of us, which also included Ms.

[1:04:10] Dwana, Dr. Scott,

[1:04:13] ETA and CCAA representation,

[1:04:17] as well as myself. We met over a

[1:04:21] span of four sessions. More than 10 hours of

[1:04:24] labor went into

[1:04:27] really ensuring that the calendar options really reflected the needs

[1:04:31] of our community and our constituents and their

[1:04:35] feedback. So we ha- we

[1:04:38] had two options, option one, option two, and

[1:04:43] we would like to move forward with your approval of the

[1:04:47] option one over the next two years.

[1:04:50] This really does mimic a lot of what we are accustomed to

[1:04:53] seeing, in regards to the start and end of the school

[1:04:56] year. And what it also does is

[1:05:00] it also amplifies our feedback in relation to

[1:05:04] where those optional and mandated PD days

[1:05:08] are. Um, it also allows for what we have not

[1:05:12] seen, at least in the time that I've been here, is some

[1:05:16] consistency in regards to those minimum days at very strategic

[1:05:20] points in the year, such as right before,

[1:05:24] winter break in December, as well

[1:05:28] as, in June. Um, and so if we can

[1:05:31] scroll down, we've added additional color coding to really

[1:05:35] ensure that our community knows that on those specific days, the

[1:05:39] entire district will be on minimum days.

[1:05:42] Um, so if you have any questions, please let me know.

[1:05:46] Um, but again, I just really appreciate everyone being very

[1:05:49] thoughtful about how our calendar can really

[1:05:53] represent the needs and the goals of our

[1:05:57] community.

[1:06:03] Um, two questions. Are, are you just bringing the twenty-six, twenty-seven

[1:06:07] vote? 'Cause I notice the agenda also has the twenty-seven, twenty-eight calendar

[1:06:11] as well.

[1:06:12] Yeah. We are doing both. So I believe this is our

[1:06:16] second, second round now, where we are

[1:06:20] requesting, approval for the next two years.

[1:06:23] So twenty-six, twenty-seven and twenty-seven,

[1:06:26] twenty-eight. Are you able to

[1:06:30] shift to the twenty-seven, twenty-eight?

[1:06:33] And, and just to confirm, they're both labeled as option one,

[1:06:36] but there isn't an option two coming to us that's-

[1:06:39] Correct

[1:06:40] ... there were multiple options, that's the one that you chose and, and are

[1:06:43] suggesting?

[1:06:44] Correct.

[1:06:45] Thank you.

[1:06:46] There was a voting process utilizing those two options, and this is the

[1:06:50] one that had

[1:06:51] by a landslide the majority of the

[1:06:53] votes.

[1:07:00] I'm trying to see, are both options,

[1:07:04] suggesting a whole week for

[1:07:07] Presidents Week?

[1:07:09] Yes, it is. Um, if we can

[1:07:12] scroll up. Yep.

[1:07:15] Is that February?

[1:07:15] So for both of them, yes. And in

[1:07:19] our, what is that? February board

[1:07:22] meeting, we move forward with a resolution that would allow us

[1:07:26] to shift Lincoln, or when

[1:07:29] we,

[1:07:31] observe our Lincoln holiday in alignment to our,

[1:07:35] Washington's birthday, which does allow us to continue to

[1:07:39] have a week off for that Presidents Week in

[1:07:42] February.

[1:07:46] Okay. Any other board questions? May I like to open for

[1:07:50] public comment?

[1:07:54] Okay. With there being none, any board

[1:07:55] follow-up?

[1:08:00] Does Member Chagoya okay?

[1:08:03] Okay. Is there a motion? This is coming to us for

[1:08:06] approval.

[1:08:08] I move to pass the 26-27 and 27-28 calendars as

[1:08:11] presented.

[1:08:12] Thank you.

[1:08:13] I'll second.

[1:08:14] Okay, that was a first

[1:08:17] motion by Trustee Vangeffen, second by Trustee

[1:08:21] Donaldson. Roll call, please.

[1:08:24] Trustee Chagoya?

[1:08:26] Yes.

[1:08:28] Trustee Donaldson?

[1:08:30] Yes.

[1:08:31] Trustee Lee?

[1:08:31] Yes.

[1:08:32] Trustee McNeil?

[1:08:34] Yes.

[1:08:34] Trustee Robertson Murphy?

[1:08:36] Yes.

[1:08:37] Trustee Vangeffen?

[1:08:38] Yes.

[1:08:38] President Collins?

[1:08:40] Yes. Thank you.

[1:08:45] Down to our, future agenda items.

[1:08:49] Anyone have any future agenda items they would like to

[1:08:52] recommend? Well, Dr.

[1:08:55] Scott, it's time for your

[1:08:59] evaluation, so let's think

[1:09:02] about putting that on the agenda

[1:09:06] soon. Superintendent's evaluation.

[1:09:10] And also, I wanted

[1:09:15] to suggest that we tighten up our bylaws.

[1:09:18] It's been a minute since we've looked at our bylaws.

[1:09:21] In fact, I don't think I've

[1:09:23] tightened up the bylaws since I've been on the board.

[1:09:26] Oh.

[1:09:26] So I'd like for us to, not board policies, our bylaws.

[1:09:30] I don't think you

[1:09:32] ever

[1:09:34] had conversation about the bylaws,

[1:09:37] but I think it might be a good idea to address the

[1:09:39] bylaws.

[1:09:43] Yeah. Anybody

[1:09:45] interested in addressing our bylaws?

[1:09:47] Are there any specific bylaws you have in mind?

[1:09:49] 'Cause I remember we reviewed them when I joined.

[1:09:52] That was five years ago, four years ago.

[1:09:54] Uh,

[1:09:59] yeah, there's a few.

[1:10:03] Hmm.

[1:10:06] One board b- policy is ninety-two

[1:10:10] fifty. Um, the board has shifted in terms

[1:10:14] of, compensation, and so it talks about,

[1:10:18] travel reimbursements, et cetera.

[1:10:20] That's one. Um, and to your point, during the board

[1:10:24] retreats, those are oftentimes when we have gone through

[1:10:27] those, as well as our governor's handbook and multiple things of that

[1:10:31] nature.

[1:10:32] So that was gonna be my next suggestion is that we-- it's time for us to

[1:10:36] have a board retreat. So maybe we can incorporate that as part of the

[1:10:39] retreat. Okay.

[1:10:41] Mm-hmm.

[1:10:42] Everybody, board retreat. It's been a long time since we

[1:10:46] powwowed. Okay.

[1:10:48] Wonderful.

[1:10:48] Thank you. Any other agenda items?

[1:10:58] So what I heard you say was a board

[1:11:02] retreat

[1:11:03] evaluation, which is done in closed session.

[1:11:06] And, what was the third item? Just to make sure I captured

[1:11:10] it all.

[1:11:13] Incorporated. Okay.

[1:11:17] Thank you.

[1:11:24] Any other

[1:11:26] ideas, suggestion? Member Chagoya, any future

[1:11:29] agenda item suggestions?

[1:11:32] No, I'll just wait to make a report. Thank you.

[1:11:36] Oh, okay. Well, you'll have your

[1:11:38] opportunity, how about

[1:11:41] in a minute. So board reports and announcements are

[1:11:45] next. Um,

[1:11:47] we do-- We had a curriculum meeting on three

[1:11:51] nineteen. That went well. Thank you to Dr.

[1:11:53] Kell and those that attended. We also had a

[1:11:57] naming committee meeting on three twenty-five, and Trustee Vangeffen

[1:12:01] will kinda elaborate a little more on that first.

[1:12:05] Absolutely. Uh, the naming committee met to discuss certain

[1:12:09] properties, at the school and the school itself

[1:12:13] that, either don't have an official title or that we

[1:12:16] considered ti- the times may,

[1:12:20] support changing that name. Um, we reviewed

[1:12:23] previous attempts and previous efforts just to make sure that we're staying

[1:12:27] in guide. Uh, but most importantly, we wanna make sure that we have buy off

[1:12:31] from the students. So we are waiting

[1:12:35] until our student reps are available to meet,

[1:12:39] to have our next meeting, at which point we will be able to figure

[1:12:43] out a deadline for submissions for

[1:12:46] proposals. Uh, and then, we will discuss our

[1:12:49] p-Plans for how to evaluate those, and then

[1:12:53] bring them to the board for approval.

[1:12:56] Um, there is also a facilities meeting,

[1:13:00] that Susan and I had, and we are trying to get another one

[1:13:04] on schedule, but we wanna make sure that all the stakeholders are there as

[1:13:08] well. Um, I guess two other items.

[1:13:11] One, I was able to take a couple kids to the High Holy

[1:13:15] Festival in West Oakland over the weekend where,

[1:13:19] dyes are thrown in celebration, and there's lots of dance, and it is a

[1:13:23] party, so I recommend people check it out next year.

[1:13:26] Uh, and then lastly, the fifth grade camping trip is

[1:13:30] coming up. If there are any, dads or male

[1:13:34] chaperones interested in volunteering, I know that that is,

[1:13:37] um... They've got a shortage of that for the, the boy

[1:13:41] cabins. Uh, but otherwise, super stoked for the kids.

[1:13:44] They're gonna go out and have an amazing time. That's my report out.

[1:13:48] Okay, great. So, student representatives, I

[1:13:52] sent you emails, inviting you to join the naming

[1:13:56] committee. Then it's not mandatory, it's an

[1:13:59] invite, and I also sent you a calendar invite if you're able to join our next

[1:14:03] meeting. And let me know, 'cause if not, then we'll kind of

[1:14:07] trickle down into the student government, because we do want

[1:14:11] student input when it comes to, naming the

[1:14:13] facilities. Thank you. Member Chigoya, you had an

[1:14:17] announcement?

[1:14:21] Trustee Chigoya?

[1:14:22] Yes. Um, hey, everyone. So I just wanted

[1:14:26] to share, I believe all of us on the dias received an email

[1:14:30] from Assembly Member Mia Bonta's team.

[1:14:33] Um, so as of today, there's an application for the African American

[1:14:37] Leaders for Tomorrow, and the application's due April 30th, and I wanna

[1:14:41] encourage our students to sign up.

[1:14:42] It just, as long as you're a California high school sophomore or junior and

[1:14:46] in good academic standing with a 2.5 GPA or higher, and

[1:14:50] commitment to leadership and group participation.

[1:14:52] So, it'd be great to have an Emeryville representative to, to be able to attend

[1:14:56] at Cal State Dominguez Hills for a training and

[1:15:00] program. It's all free, and the training program takes

[1:15:04] place between July 8th to the 11th. So, Dr.

[1:15:07] Straub, I'm not sure if you received this email, but if you could forward it to

[1:15:10] the, the high school team, I think it'd just be a wonderful opportunity.

[1:15:14] So that just came out, 'cause the application just opened.

[1:15:17] And, yeah, Brenda Collins and I will be

[1:15:21] joining the CalPERS, CSBA,

[1:15:25] CalPERS School Board Association, lobbying next week.

[1:15:28] So we have, two days lined up. I believe it's like Tue- next

[1:15:32] Tuesday we'll be talking to Assembly Member Mia Bonta, and then,

[1:15:36] next Wednesday will be, Senator Jesse Arreguín's team.

[1:15:40] So we'll be advocating on behalf of, our students and staff

[1:15:44] in the current state that we're in with our public education.

[1:15:47] So yeah. And, we're also gonna be participating in the DC lobbying

[1:15:51] for federal services, which a lot of it's,

[1:15:54] nutrition, and food services.

[1:15:57] And so we, we discussed that a lot in, in this space.

[1:16:00] You know, we have a great, you know, team that shares what we feed our

[1:16:03] children, and what we can do on our end is advocate and make sure we have

[1:16:06] that secure funding.

[1:16:08] Thanks.

[1:16:11] Excellent, thank you. Any other board

[1:16:13] announcements? Excuse me. Or

[1:16:16] reports?

[1:16:20] Okay, with there being none, Vice President Donalson, calendar

[1:16:23] review, please.

[1:16:26] April 6th to the 10th is spring break.

[1:16:29] Picture day was two days ago.

[1:16:33] And on the 13th is the trimester

[1:16:36] awards. Parents of students who will be earning an award will be notified

[1:16:40] this week. The 24th is the STEM night

[1:16:44] that, we heard about earlier from 4:30 to

[1:16:48] 6:00. 3:25 is spring parent

[1:16:51] conferences. And for Emery High we've got yesterday

[1:16:55] was the college fair at Berkeley High School.

[1:16:59] March 17th, the Rising Sun Cohort begins at

[1:17:03] Emery. On the 19th, Emery goes to Berkeley City

[1:17:06] College. The 27th, th- b- the Bay Area

[1:17:10] Urban Debate League meets, or is debating

[1:17:14] here. On the 27th is the end of the quarter, and the 30th

[1:17:18] to the 3rd, R class meeting.

[1:17:20] Can you just re-announce the March 25th?

[1:17:23] Um, oh, and again, on March 25th

[1:17:27] is Pastries with the Presidents, at 9:00

[1:17:31] AM, right?

[1:17:32] Uh-

[1:17:33] 8:00 AM. 8:00 AM. All right, thank

[1:17:36] you. That's it-

[1:17:38] Fantastic. Thank you

[1:17:38] ... for the calendar.

[1:17:39] That's it for the calendar, and that's it for... That's it for the meeting.

[1:17:43] This meeting is adjourned.

[1:17:44] Okay.

[1:17:45] The time is

[1:17:47] 8:28.

[1:17:50] Thank you,

[1:17:50] everyone.

Emery USD Board Meeting March 11, 2026

Transcript