[0:00] Hey folks, we're going to open this up. I call the meeting to order. We have a

[0:04] quorum. The meeting is being webcast live and recorded. The recording or

[0:08] webcast may capture images and sounds of those attending the meeting. Uh identify

[0:13] close session topics of discussion. Closed session items are as follows.

[0:19] 2.1 recommended expulsion. 2.2 recommended suspended expulsion. 2.3

[0:23] recommended reinstatements. 2.4 recommended continued expulsions. 2.5

[0:28] public employee discipline dismissal release and complaints. 2.6 Conference

[0:32] with Labor Negotiator. 2.7 Conference with legal counsel existing litigation.

[0:37] 2.8 Anticipated litigation are two cases. These two matters involve facts

[0:42] and circumstances that might result in litigation against the district but

[0:45] which facts and circumstances are not yet known to the potential plaintiff or

[0:49] plaintiffs. And then 2.9 public employee evaluation superintendent.

[0:56] Uh we anticipate that close session will take approximately 1 hour. However, if

[0:59] additional time is required, the regular session may be called to order after

[1:02] 5:30. The board will now adjourn to close session. And is there actually

[1:06] public comment before I got it backwards. Public comment on close

[1:10] session topics. Public comment on any close session item will be heard at this

[1:14] time. Pursuant to board policy, the board may limit individual comments to

[1:17] no more than three minutes and individual topics to 20 minutes. It is

[1:21] recommended you begin your comments by stating your name. Is there any public

[1:24] comment? Seeing none, we go back to 1.6 which I

[1:28] just read. We anticipate being out in an hour. Now close to or journ to close

[1:33] session. Okay. Good evening. We will convene the

[1:36] regular session.

[1:42] Alandrean will serve as a Spanish interpreter for this meeting. Meeting

[1:45] attendees who would like to listen to the Spanish interpretation of the

[1:48] proceedings, please pick up headphones from the table located in the back of

[1:52] this room. This announcement will now be shared in Spanish.

[2:09] This meeting is being webcast live and recorded. The recording or webcast may

[2:12] capture images and sounds of those attending the meeting. Members of the

[2:16] public who would like to provide public comment on items listed on tonight's

[2:19] agenda. We recommend you fill out the public comment form, the green form

[2:23] located on the table at the northeast entrance to this room. Please hand the

[2:27] completed form to executive assistant Licia Weatherford before the item comes

[2:30] up on the agenda. She's in the back of the room with her hand raised. We

[2:34] recommend you complete a separate form for each agenda item on which you would

[2:37] like to comment. Members of the public providing public comment, please use the

[2:41] microphone on the stand soon to be located in the front of the room. 3.4

[2:45] Pledge of Allegiance led by board member Walter Eskimo.

[3:13] 3.5 report action taken in close session. The board took the following

[3:17] action in close session on a motion by board member Naylor and a second by

[3:21] board member Gabby. The board voted six yes, no nos, and one absent. The absent

[3:26] member being Kennethy Young to approve the settlement agreement between the

[3:30] district and the parties representing OAH case number 202671086.

[3:39] Let's see 3.6 Revisions to enclosure items and adoption of the board meeting

[3:44] agenda. There are revised item enclosures uh numbered 4.1, 6.16,

[3:50] 6.18, 6.33, 11.1, and 11.5.

[3:56] Do I have a motion to adopt the board meeting agenda?

[4:01] » Moved by Miss Naylor, second by >> I'll second.

[4:04] » Miss Gabby. Call for the vote.

[4:11] » Motion carries. Student board member votes yes, six yes, one absent.

[4:17] » Okay. >> Takes us up to 3.7 student performance

[4:22] to Visit Middle School Jazz Band. To here to present that is executive

[4:26] director of student services Natalie Garza.

[4:32] » Thank you board president Odo Superintendent Shrum and board. Please

[4:35] welcome the Devisidero Middle School Jazz Band under the direction of Reene

[4:40] Cassina and assistant director Aninsley Barry Hill. Tonight they will be

[4:45] performing Avenue Swing and you will hear a trumpet solo by Kelly Garcia.

[4:49] Board, if you'd like to come around so that you can watch the performance,

[4:54] there are plenty seats up here or over here.

[4:59] Again, let's welcome the Devisidero Middle School Jazz Band.

[5:45] I think I want

[7:05] Give me

[9:11] Good job

[9:19] for medical school. I did a great job.

[10:38] They can hear us in the lobby there because there's a speaker out there. One

[10:41] more time for the divisi jazz band, please.

[10:48] As board clerkyan said, we're only a couple weeks into the school year and we

[10:52] have that going on in school. So, it's really, really great. All right, moving

[10:55] on now to 4.1 spotlight on good things happening in the district.

[10:59] Superintendent Shrump, >> uh, again, great job to Viziderero. Um,

[11:04] excellent display of our talent that, um, exist all across our campus and

[11:08] again, as you said, just a few weeks into the school year and what an

[11:12] exceptional uh, performance. So very talented teachers uh students and of

[11:17] course staff supporting them and parents as well. So uh always look forward to

[11:21] that part of our uh board meetings. So as we get into our spotlight just a few

[11:26] things uh as we're a couple of weeks into the school year now. Uh want to

[11:30] begin with uh an event that took place just recently at Houston Elementary. And

[11:34] this event ribbon cutting coincided with their back to school night. This was to

[11:39] celebrate and recognize the completion of an extensive modernization project uh

[11:44] concluded in time for the best first day ever. You know, Houston was built more

[11:48] than 50 years ago, as was over 70% of our schools. But with our community

[11:53] support of measure A, Houston Elementary received a new dropoff zone, a traffic

[11:57] pattern, administrative building, updated classrooms, new doors, tiles,

[12:02] ceilings, and finishes, drainage, and fire alarms, and many other

[12:05] improvements. And I think one of the highlights of the event was was a former

[12:09] student that's pictured in the middle there talking about the impact of

[12:13] modernization on what it felt like to be in the classrooms. And uh she was

[12:17] talking about what you know for brothers and sisters and and community members

[12:20] that will follow her. She's now in middle school, what that will mean for

[12:24] students and staff uh as well. And so very long time coming. So thank you to

[12:29] our community and everyone who helped celebrate this achievement. uh our PTA

[12:33] parents at the site uh and again our student speakers. So great event and uh

[12:38] just amazing to see what a modernization can do uh to our school sites. Not to

[12:43] mention safety with the new student drop off staff parking uh as well. Um as we

[12:49] started back to school, most of our schools have now completed back to

[12:52] school nights with hundreds of families making their ways onto our campuses to

[12:56] engage with staff and see student work. And speaking of our students, we now for

[13:03] several years, thanks to our board of education, had a partnership with the

[13:06] National Education Opportunity Network and they bring uh college level courses

[13:11] through different universities to our campuses and and each year Mount Whitney

[13:16] uh host a couple of those classes. Uh we have students that rise to the top of

[13:21] these classes. And so we recently received the spring 26 honor role

[13:25] results from the National Education Opportunity Network and we're proud to

[13:28] celebrate these 12 Mount Whitney students who earned this distinction.

[13:33] These students challenged themselves with rigorous college level coursework

[13:37] including introduction to sociology through Arizona State University and

[13:41] college algebra through Howard University. Their hard work placed them

[13:45] among the top 20% of 9,500 students nationwide pres uh uh participating in

[13:52] the program. An incredible accomplishment. Congratulations to these

[13:55] outstanding students. They'll be recognized later this month uh by the

[13:59] National Education Opportunity Network along with university professors,

[14:03] educational leaders, and their proud families. So, congratulations to those

[14:07] students. Uh we are in that season. So, fall sports are underway. uh all of our

[14:12] high schools participating. We have football, water polo, cross country,

[14:16] girls tennis, girls golf, and for the very first time, we'll be having an

[14:20] official kind of ribbon cutting on September 15th for girls flag football.

[14:25] We're excited to see so many of our students connected to meaningful

[14:28] activities where they can build relationships, develop skill skills,

[14:32] experience, and benefits part of being a team. Uh our cheer, dance, band, all of

[14:37] those things kick into gear. And so fall is an exciting time uh for sure on our

[14:41] campuses. Another unique opportunity for our

[14:46] students that participate in ELOP on August 29th, 65 VUSD students

[14:51] participated in the ELOP. It's our extended learning opportunity program

[14:55] football clinic hosted by uh High Performance Academy at California State

[15:00] University, Fresno. You can see they're there on the field. They participated in

[15:04] a variety of flag football drills, lunch, toured the baseball field and the

[15:08] soccer stadium and played games uh on the football field. It was a great

[15:13] opportunity for our students to experience a college athletic experience

[15:17] firsthand and build flag football skills. So see what's possible through

[15:21] participation in athletics. So what a great turnout for our students uh at

[15:25] that event. Continuing with staff development, this

[15:30] is the second year of our letters. This is the science of reading professional

[15:33] development kicked off on August 25th and 28th. Over 80 educators representing

[15:38] 22 schools uh along with coaches education specialists launched a

[15:43] two-year professional learning experience focused on the science of

[15:46] reading evidence-based literacy instruction. This investment in our

[15:50] educators continues to build the knowledge and expertise needed to ensure

[15:54] every BUSD student develops a strong foundation in reading. And we wrap it up

[16:00] with just some of the different events and news information that we've had out

[16:03] on social media. Uh we had our student board representative swearing in uh

[16:08] modernization of Houston Elementary. Uh our first high- five Friday of the year

[16:12] was at Golden Oak Elementary. And also shout out to Golden West's cheer and

[16:17] drum line for making an appearance at that event. We began to share

[16:21] information about Measure Z uh to help inform our community about our current

[16:25] reality and the purpose of Measure Z. Uh we had our latest podcast from inside

[16:30] the boardroom uh discussing our last board meeting and then of course we all

[16:35] enjoyed uh Labor Day yesterday. Uh and so we uh recognize that day as well on

[16:40] our social media and so that concludes our spotlight.

[16:47] Thank you. Next up item 4.2 student supports update. Uh presenter is

[16:52] executive director of student services Natalie Caro.

[17:01] not used to sitting way over there. Good evening, board president Odto,

[17:06] Superintendent Shramm, board members and community. I'm Natalie Garza, executive

[17:10] director of student services, and tonight I'm excited to present our

[17:14] student support update for the beginning of the school year.

[17:22] We believe learning environments should be safe, supportive, and innovative.

[17:26] With that belief at the center of our work, we've continued to strengthen our

[17:30] systems, supports, and staff capacity needed to ensure that every student is

[17:34] learning every day. Tonight, I'm going to talk to you a

[17:37] little bit about our student support overview, the first six weeks of school,

[17:41] how we allocated those staff, what professional learning they've had and

[17:45] will continue to have, our student data from the students we are supporting, and

[17:49] our new request for assistance process. So recognizing that the transition back

[17:56] to school can be challenging for some students and families, the student

[18:00] services division allocated 27 staff members from our elementary OCI

[18:05] intervention classes, early childhood special education, and early childhood

[18:10] education to provide targeted support at identified elementary sites during the

[18:15] first six weeks of school. Support assignments were based on student data

[18:19] from the 2526 school year and anticipated student needs. To prepare

[18:24] staff for day one, 164 classified staff members, including additional support

[18:30] staff and TK pair professionals, received targeted behavior training from

[18:34] one of our board certified behavior analysts.

[18:37] Elementary principles received information outlining the additional

[18:40] classroom support along with a communication template they could use to

[18:44] explain to teachers what the support would look like in their classrooms.

[18:49] Support assignments, like I said, were based on student data from the 2526

[18:53] school year and anticipated student needs. Support is being provided to 50

[18:58] students across 16 school sites with 28 students receiving direct support and 22

[19:04] students receiving regular check-ins from our site support teams.

[19:10] Professional learning for the support staff will be ongoing throughout this

[19:14] school year and began with a training of 164 classified employees, additional

[19:19] support staff and TK pair professionals led by the early childhood special

[19:24] education board certified behavior analysts, school psychologists, and

[19:28] behavior intervention specialists. The training focused on building staff

[19:33] capacity to understand behavior and use evidence-based proactive strategies to

[19:38] increase student engagement, independence, and successful

[19:41] participation in classroom routines. Staff practiced strategies they could

[19:47] immediately apply at carpet time centers, free choice transitions, and

[19:51] other daily routines. And literally, they brought in the carpet, the centers,

[19:56] and and they practiced what it would actually look like in a real classroom.

[20:01] Um, training emphasized embedding learning opportunities throughout the

[20:05] day, strengthening functional communication, proactively preventing

[20:09] and responding to challenging behavior, and using environmental supports

[20:13] effectively. Key strategies included behavior specific praise, choice, and

[20:18] token boards, active engagement, consistency, and appropriate adult

[20:23] proximity. The goal was to provide them with the the tools that they could use

[20:29] every day to promote positive behavior, increase student participation, build up

[20:33] independence, and create consistent supportive learning environments for

[20:36] students. And this continued learning and coaching will be offered by early

[20:41] childhood special education board certified behavior analyst and behavior

[20:45] intervention specialist team over these next five-week period. So during the

[20:50] support the teams that the are receiving the support are getting additional

[20:55] training. A total of 12 professional learning sessions will be offered and

[20:59] these opportunities will be provided to identify to identified sites twice a

[21:04] week prioritizing TK and preschool instructors and pair professionals to

[21:08] address our highest need students. Small cohort training will continue beyond

[21:13] that throughout the year. And again, the training is going to focus on building

[21:17] staff capacity and confidence, strengthening consistent classroom

[21:21] routines, implementation of evidence-based strategies, supporting

[21:25] student engagement, independence, communication, and creating sustainable

[21:29] systems for ongoing classroom support. So, I have a little data for the first

[21:35] three weeks, and it doesn't look like much, but this is an a gain of of five

[21:40] percentage points of independence. So, when we're talking about student

[21:43] independence, the team is measuring the percentage of time students are

[21:47] attending to classroom tasks such as carpet time, free play, story time, free

[21:53] choice on their own without needing to be prompted. So, they're they are making

[21:57] growth in those areas.

[22:02] The student services team is currently revisiting the request for assistance

[22:06] process for K6 to provide more timely, coordinated response to supporting

[22:10] school needs. Previously, we had a request for TK students. We had a

[22:14] request for um students needing OCI, and we had a general behavior request. We've

[22:19] streamlined all of that. So, this refined process will create a clearer

[22:24] pathway to request additional support while promoting consistent

[22:27] documentation, collaboration, and follow-through. The RFAS will be

[22:31] reviewed weekly by a multidisciplinary team, and support will be allocated

[22:36] based on student data. The RFA process will provide data-driven support while

[22:42] build building staff capacity and strengthening sustainable systems of

[22:46] support at the school site. This support could look like classroom observations

[22:50] and consultations, behavior and instructional strategies,

[22:54] staff coaching and modeling, environmental and routinebased supports,

[22:59] collaboration with related service providers, and connection to additional

[23:03] district resources. Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that the stu the schools

[23:08] have the right supports at the right time. By strengthening our staff

[23:12] capacity, providing targeted classroom support, and using a more coordinated

[23:16] data-driven RFA process, we're building sustainable systems that help school

[23:21] teams respond effectively to student needs and create successful learning

[23:25] environments for for all of our students.

[23:30] And with that, if you have any questions. Okay. So, we'll go to public

[23:33] comment first on this. I do have one request to speak. Stacy voiced. Stacy

[23:37] Boy, pardon me.

[23:53] » Good evening, Superintendent Shrum, members of the board. Uh, thank you so

[23:58] much for that report. I'm really excited to hear about the support for early

[24:02] childhood since there's more of that coming into our schools and a lot of our

[24:07] teachers are sometimes a little bit new to the younger children and their

[24:10] developmental needs. So I'm really excited to hear that kind of support and

[24:14] as the conversation around behavior here I am curious if there's any

[24:19] consideration for maybe not this intensive of support but something

[24:24] similar for our um upper grades as well because behavior is an issue across our

[24:30] district across all grade levels. Um, so I was just curious if there's any

[24:35] considerations so far about as you see the outcomes for this, are there maybe

[24:40] some opportunities to look toward um supporting behavior in in a a very

[24:46] similar way because that's a lot of layered support and it's job embedded

[24:50] support so it's ongoing and I think that would be really beneficial to staff

[24:53] across all grade levels. So I'm just curious about that.

[25:04] Okay. Is there any do you want to respond or

[25:07] » This does address K through six and then we are working on systems moving up

[25:13] through middle and high. >> Okay. Any other public comment on this

[25:17] item? Board member comment on this item.

[25:24] » Seeing none. Thank you very much.

[25:28] » 4.3 Elevating leadership. Our presenter is Deputy Superintendent Mark Thompson

[25:32] and Assistant Superintendent HRD Vin Dylan.

[25:39] » You coming around this way, sir? >> All right.

[25:47] Oh, I'm red up there tonight.

[25:51] » Maybe got a little too much sun this weekend. I don't know. Wow.

[26:01] It's a little better over here. Maybe I stayed out of the sun over here. I got a

[26:04] little sunscreen. I'm not sure. There we go. Here we go. All right.

[26:09] Sorry. Thanks for humoring me. All right. Good. Good evening, board

[26:12] president Odoto, superintendent from board and community. Tonight, I share a

[26:16] little bit about elevating leadership. This is actually an ongoing conversation

[26:20] that we've had for the last two and a half years, and this is just an update

[26:23] on where we're at um at this time. As always, we start with our foundation

[26:29] which actually did a little history on this uh this was actually three and a

[26:32] half years ago that this theory of action down at the bottom that I'm going

[26:35] to reference uh that we put together here. Um and this is really our focus

[26:39] tonight is to empower staff and provide highquality professionally trained

[26:43] workforce um for our students as we know if we do that then our students will be

[26:48] successful.

[26:51] I want to start us off tonight with this quote. Every system is perfectly

[26:56] designed to get the results it gets. Uh we have used this Edward Dming quote

[27:00] many times in the past. While this is an accurate statement,

[27:05] I want to share to change a system to get different outcomes. This change

[27:09] doesn't happen overnight and it requires elevating leadership.

[27:14] Over the past few years, board, you have worked together to develop a clear

[27:17] district mission and vision to provide local priority student outcomes

[27:22] indicators uh which have turned into a strategic plan that we're working on. Uh

[27:26] this shift has provided the foundation for our leadership development. Our

[27:31] leaders today are working in a system that has a clear north star. Uh rather

[27:35] than being reactive, they're able to really focus in more on shared

[27:39] leadership. Leaders get to be trained and supported to learn how to develop

[27:44] and build new systems that lead to improved sustainable results. Also uh

[27:49] needs to develop skills to empower staff, students and community and

[27:53] develop teams that think differently uh so that we can involve into a more

[27:57] strategic system that pro produces improved outcomes. It's about developing

[28:02] and cultivating a proactive leadership culture for our students, staff, and

[28:07] community. This matters because our leaders have a huge impact on student

[28:10] learning. When leaders are efficient, effective, and student centered, then

[28:15] students thrive. That is why this work is essential to the health and growth of

[28:19] our school district.

[28:24] While we just concluded our first year of implementing our strategic plan that

[28:28] was developed from again those board foundational guidelines

[28:32] because it was so new to us and required adjustment from all leaders. We wanted

[28:36] to get better understand the challenges and the gaps our principles and

[28:40] directors were facing. So we conducted over 60 empathy interviews to listen and

[28:44] learn from their experiences on best practices and areas of growth for our

[28:48] district. At a high level, what we learned from our leaders was we need to

[28:53] be to provide more clarity and coherence of all our systems coming together in

[28:58] order to go deeper in their learning and the implementation of leadership and and

[29:03] our teaching practices. So, it's not more, it's actually getting clear on

[29:06] what we're asking to do and then go deeper into those levels.

[29:11] What we learned from the empathy interviews along with the skills needed

[29:14] to lead in a district where there's a clear vision, strategic plan, and

[29:18] priority metrics is what we use to prepare our leadership development

[29:22] development for this school year. Now, I'm going to hand off to assistant

[29:25] superintendent uh Mr. Dylan here to tell you a little bit more about our

[29:28] leadership plan for this school year.

[29:33] » Thank you. So, as Deputy Superintendent Thompson mentioned, it was really making

[29:39] sure that we understood the present need and the target that you of the board has

[29:45] set for us. We have a number of strategic plan actions that specifically

[29:49] address this area of our work. Even a strategic plan action that calls out

[29:53] building out a leadership framework for Vicelia. And so, this is done with that

[29:56] in mind, both living in the present while building towards the future. So

[30:01] with that kind of frame, I want to just kind of call out a few things that you

[30:05] as a board have empowered uh our district leadership to invest in and and

[30:10] utilize in the recent years. So our general leadership session is something

[30:15] that's been around for some time. It's had different names over the years. It's

[30:19] a opportunity where we bring together principles and directors for ongoing

[30:23] professional learning throughout the year. The uniqueness that I'd call out

[30:26] going from last year to this year is really getting focused on what exactly

[30:31] we are going to be doing and as deputy superintendent Thompson shared it's not

[30:36] going broader but really being more targeted and I'll share more about that

[30:39] but that's an existing structure that we continue to get feedback on and our

[30:44] principles and directors give very honest feedback and so I thank you all

[30:47] for that uh because we review that all the time and we're coming back to that

[30:52] and continuing to hone and improve those practices. is in addition you as a board

[30:56] have invested in our partnership for leaders in education with the University

[30:59] of Virginia and it's exciting to see how that work has manifested not just in

[31:04] leadership development but leadership and development that drives student

[31:09] learning and improvement in our school systems and it's especially encouraging

[31:13] as we're entering into our third and fourth year now where we're seeing that

[31:17] academic return on that investment and then also just a few other things and

[31:22] this is by no means a comprehensive but from utilizing the change management

[31:26] resources that we've gleaned and learned about through our partnership with the

[31:29] University of Virginia as well as tools like the DISC leadership training and

[31:33] resources um helping us understand a framework for leadership skills and how

[31:38] we work together and better work together when we understand those skills

[31:42] of one another. So, as we think about where we've been and where we're going,

[31:46] I want to take just a minute to highlight kind of some specific

[31:49] leadership focus for this year. One we talked about was our general leadership

[31:54] sessions. And so there's actually a slide in the middle of this slide that

[31:57] I'm not going to go deep into, but it's a slide we share at the beginning of

[32:00] every general leadership session because it anchors us back to we said we're

[32:04] going to focus on this this year and we're not going to run and chase rabbits

[32:09] throughout the year. We're going to stay focused and we're going to go deep in

[32:12] our learning together. In addition, we are committing to some specific time and

[32:18] and a learning structure for our directors, both our classified and our

[32:23] certificated directors, all directors across the district, deputy

[32:26] superintendent and Thompson and myself will be co-f facilitating that uh

[32:31] building on the good work that already exists and as I mentioned these are by

[32:35] no means the the sole actions taking place. Lots of great work happening

[32:39] obviously at our school sites and also within our departments and our divisions

[32:42] here at the district, but this is an intentional focus to really address the

[32:46] director level leaders the director level leadership needs of our district.

[32:50] And then also with this in mind that the strategic plann action work is not

[32:55] stopping. It continues to move forward. And so having that coordination and

[33:00] creating coherence across current actions and then actions that are in

[33:04] service of a future state so that we're not sacrificing one for another so we

[33:08] don't head down path A while we're trying to plan path B for the long run.

[33:12] It's really about looking out and casting a vision and then taking actions

[33:16] now that lead us towards that vision that we're designing for the future.

[33:22] The last thing I want to share with you board is we have committed to coming

[33:25] back to you to share about progress in this effort throughout the year and so

[33:29] we'll come back to you mid year and then we'll come back to report on this again

[33:32] at the end of the year. Leadership development is critical. We know the

[33:36] research had research effects says on teacher and educator impact. We also see

[33:41] that research especially over the number of years coming out of the pandemic on

[33:45] educational leader impact. And so we recognize that it's important that we're

[33:49] not just committing to take actions, but that we're measuring how are those

[33:52] actions going and are we seeing success coming from those actions. So

[33:56] specifically, I've called out a few different measures that we will share

[33:58] about with you when we come back. Um, and at this time, we would be happy to

[34:02] take questions about anything that we just shared with you.

[34:05] » Okay. Any public comment on this item?

[34:10] » We good. Okay. >> Board member comment. Mr. Belt,

[34:16] » both Mr. Dylan and Mr. Thompson, I I appreciate very much that we are making

[34:21] um and not not just an effort. We are intentional about helping all of our um

[34:29] key I like to say key staff, but they're they're much more than that. The

[34:33] principles in the past have been um usually in their position because they

[34:37] had an amazing personality or they liked people like them. But we've decided in

[34:44] the last few years to help develop them as leaders, not just some fly real well

[34:50] and others don't all I what I'm seeing that you're developing an opportunity

[34:55] for all of them to develop themselves and then have a cohort not only on

[35:00] campus but with each other. Uh and I really appreciate that it is far more

[35:04] than just punching a time clock or supplying

[35:09] stickers for the class of the month, you know, because of they won some kind of

[35:14] attendance record or behavior uh establishment. We are I'm seeing this is

[35:20] part of it, isn't it? When I go onto a campus, a principal

[35:23] actually has some have clipboards, some have folders, but they have these things

[35:28] you just shown us that they are checking and walking the campus every day uh to

[35:33] find out if these things are actually happening. Is that right? This is you

[35:36] have some kind of ongoing accountability.

[35:39] Well, I would first say is our principles are amazing and they they

[35:44] know where we're going because we have clear progress uh indicators and

[35:48] directions that they're doing and they pick and target for their school what

[35:51] their school needs and yes they do track and monitor and we have great

[35:55] conversations with them on that. Our goal is to have continuous improvement

[35:58] and I think that's what you're looking for and what you're what you're speaking

[36:01] to today. just excited about the work of our the team as they are fully in um

[36:06] fully vested and just appreciate their work every day on the campuses

[36:09] » very much. Well, that's and that's what I'd like to say. I think you said it

[36:11] very well. Thank you. Thanks to all of our principles which we have a pretty

[36:15] good size representation today for all your work. It's unending as all of us

[36:21] converse very often. It's a job that none of us would like to have. Some of

[36:24] us have had it but that it literally is almost all consuming. So take time for

[36:31] yourself like yesterday. I hope you did. But also thank you. It's it's showing.

[36:35] [snorts] It's not just in verbiage. It actually

[36:39] the big rocks are really the big rocks. Thank you.

[36:43] » Any other board member comment?

[36:48] » So I think what Mr. Belt was trying to say from my perspective having been one

[36:51] of those principles is we've always had good principles but the thing you want

[36:55] to have is consistently good principles. And when you systematize the work and

[36:58] you open people's eyes to what the expectations are and then show them how

[37:02] it should be and how it works and how to get there, then you get a better overall

[37:06] pool of principles. We've always had good, but we want is great across the

[37:09] board, I think. Thank you for your work in that. Okay, general public comment.

[37:14] Thank you folks. General public comment on any topic not on the agenda may be

[37:18] heard at this time. If you have public comment on an item listed on tonight's

[37:21] agenda, there will be an opportunity for you to share your comments at the time

[37:24] the item comes up for discussion by the board. Pursuant to board policy, the

[37:28] board will limit individual comments uh for general public comment to no more

[37:32] than 3 minutes and individual topics to 20 minutes. To comply with the Brown

[37:36] Act, California's open public meeting law, board discussion is limited to

[37:39] items on the agenda. Therefore, when receiving public comment for items not

[37:43] on the agenda, the board's role is limited to receiving such comments, and

[37:47] the board may not engage in dialogue with the public. The board thanks the

[37:50] public for its participation in public comment and understanding of the board's

[37:54] responsibilities. Excuse me. It is recommended you begin

[37:57] your comments by stating your name. And I do have a number of requests to

[38:02] speak here. We'll start off with believe it's Mina Roachcha.

[38:11] Good evening. My name is Ma Roachcha. I am a CCA labor rep. Um, some news came

[38:16] my way. So, I kind of wanted to touch base before it like gets further along.

[38:21] So, um, I was made aware that a comment was made about the potential of board

[38:28] members increasing their monthly stipen to match the state law that passed

[38:33] recently. Um, and that the comment could have been

[38:38] paraphrasing that some people have bills to pay. And I know you've probably heard

[38:43] me say this several times, but so do the people working in your districts, right?

[38:48] So do the ones that are working the three and a half hours who also have to

[38:51] work somewhere else because they're making the choice between keeping lights

[38:54] on, feeding their their child, getting them here healthy, and paying rent. So,

[39:00] I am really hoping I'm really hoping that's just a consideration and not

[39:07] something that we see like other districts like in Bakersfield or up

[39:10] north where they have taken that and then it kind of leaves a perception to

[39:15] your members out here that we're not valued as much. And so, I'm really

[39:20] hoping it's just a consideration and we're not leaning that way. But I just

[39:25] wanted to bring it up and bring light to it because as I've said in other board

[39:28] meetings, um these people are making it day by day trying to put food on the

[39:33] table, pay their bills. They got bills to pay and they're doing the best they

[39:37] can with what they've got. So I'm like I'm like I said, I'm really hoping it's

[39:41] just a consideration and it's not something that you're really pursuing.

[39:44] Thank you. >> Thank you. Next up, Sabrina Norton.

[39:55] Uh, Sabrina Norton, hope you don't mind. I brought a visual aid. Um, so I just

[40:01] before I get into my main comment, I sometimes make mistakes. Not often, but

[40:07] it does happen. So, I wanted to make a clarification.

[40:11] Last time I was here, I mentioned a meeting I had way back in 1996 with the

[40:18] Mount Whitney principal about a school bully.

[40:22] You can go back and look. Um, I mentioned meeting with the principal.

[40:27] Something didn't sit right. I went home, grabbed the yearbook. Uh, it turns out I

[40:32] met with Henry Pasquini, the assistant principal.

[40:36] Um, and when I did go look him up, noticed a

[40:42] couple uh familiar faces. Don't know y'all can

[40:48] see that. I know you can't. Uh, but Mr. Otto, Miss Taylor,

[40:54] hi. [laughter] Um, I'm really hoping that you didn't

[41:01] share the views of your uh uh colleague, Miss Naylor,

[41:08] since you were there at the time. But moving on, uh let's move to another

[41:16] yearbook um photo and it's been a long time coming. The

[41:22] district dragged its feet on getting the public information request filled and

[41:28] there's a lot that was revealed there and a lot that is seemingly missing

[41:34] since there was a thorough investigation.

[41:38] But the thing that stood out to me most was the self-report from the Redwood

[41:45] uh yearbook instructor uh Calvin Fen. And I'm just going to read his own words

[41:51] here. He claims that while he was in the gym as the only teacher with the

[42:02] probably nearly entire senior class, he heard laughing, turned around and saw

[42:09] the 10 students that were arranging for the photo. He crosses over and in the

[42:16] time that he crossed the gym, I'm sure many of the students also took photos.

[42:23] But he gets to the 10 students and says, "What do you think you were doing? Why

[42:28] would you spell that word? Do you realize what this means? That word isn't

[42:33] just a slur for gay people. And it doesn't just mean a bundle of sticks. A

[42:37] bundle of sticks, kindling, is used to start a fire." That word became a slur

[42:42] for gay people because it devalues their lives. It says that they could be burned

[42:47] alive. You using that word is so hateful. It means that because of how

[42:50] people love, how they live their lives, their lives are forfeit and they are

[42:55] worthy of being killed, being burned alive. You should never use that word.

[42:59] Not to mention the fact that you are the leadership of this class and you are

[43:04] facing the entire senior class. The entire senior class just saw what you

[43:08] were doing. Plus, you have taken a photo of yourselves doing this. If that photo

[43:11] gets out now or in the future, it can ruin your reputation. It can ruin your

[43:15] future. Whoever has the photo needs to delete it now.

[43:18] » Thank you.

[43:27] » Next up, Britney Kamacho.

[43:36] » Good evening, board members. Uh, my name is Britney Kamacho and I am a mother to

[43:43] three of the many victims from the child abuse case at Highland Elementary

[43:47] School. And, um, tonight I just wanted to give a response to Mr. Belt's comment

[43:54] at the workshop. Um, in response to your opinion from the workshop, you stated

[44:01] that cameras would not give accountability. [gasps]

[44:05] You [sighs] stated that they would not give accountability, but my opinion is

[44:09] that cameras will provide accountability.

[44:12] Another thing that cameras will do is give transparency.

[44:17] Cameras would be an unbiased voice for non-verbal children while in the school

[44:21] setting. I've said this before and I'll say it again. As humans, we are known to

[44:27] fail. You cannot solely rely on trusting good

[44:32] character and mandated reporting. Cameras would provide concrete proof of

[44:37] the exact situation in question. So yes, I I do believe that cameras are the

[44:44] answer. And how will cameras provide accountability? By giving a voice. Many

[44:49] students in self-contained or special needs education classrooms are

[44:53] non-verbal or have limited communication skills,

[44:57] [snorts] making it difficult for them to report verbal, physical, or emotional

[45:02] mistreatment. Another thing is by providing an objective record.

[45:07] Proponents argue that video and audio feeds act as an impartial eyewitness

[45:12] replacing a subject a subjective he said she said scenario with factual evidence.

[45:19] Another thing is by protecting staff. Advocates and lawmakers note that

[45:24] cameras protect innocent teachers and aids from false accusations or

[45:29] misunderstandings by providing clear proof of proper

[45:34] professional conduct. Another thing is by verifying protocols. Recorded footage

[45:39] ensures that specialized individual education plans and safety protocols

[45:45] such as proper handling of behavioral crisises are correctly followed by

[45:50] staff. I hope that all of you approach the

[45:55] upcoming research with an open mind and I do look forward to collaborating with

[46:00] you in the next workshop. Thank you. >> Thank you.

[46:06] Next up, Ephra Deser.

[46:18] » Good afternoon, board members. I'm Ebra Bera, proud Vicelian. Um, I am here just

[46:23] to bring up a concern. I do notice that this wonderful space um contains a copy

[46:30] of the Bill of Rights there. I do believe that that bill of rights states

[46:35] that we have the freedom of expression one something that was not practiced at

[46:39] this district in March 10th. Um unfortunately you all as a board cannot

[46:45] see what happens in the backside of this room. Um, well, I'm here to show you

[46:50] that you can. Actually, somebody decided to get proof of this gentleman here that

[46:57] was texting Christian Gomez asking about my employment 10 minutes after I spoke

[47:02] on March 10th over the Redwood situation and also the classified employee cuts.

[47:09] So, I do see you guys are proud of all the staff here. Um just wanted to say my

[47:14] concern comes from we have rights that should not be taken away that should be

[47:20] trainings for that as employees you should make your employees comfortable

[47:25] come here and state a concern to you all now I might admit I might came across a

[47:31] little bit harsh to you all I admit that so I'm trying to speak to you in a

[47:35] loving way something that I was taught you know and Dr. you probably know this

[47:40] um from the same beliefs as you. So I'm going to speak to you in that manner.

[47:45] And this text here says how is the transfer as an employee from Christian

[47:51] Gomez who was the principal at Greenacres.

[47:54] And then she says not very good on March 10. And then he says interesting.

[48:01] And then she says he's not tenured. So

[48:06] after I spoke, this is probably being thrown around to the HR people that are

[48:12] sitting right there too. So not being tenure does not mean you don't have

[48:16] rights, you know, and this is caught on camera, which will be posted by the way.

[48:22] I will make sure people know in Vicelia this is not okay. Everybody should have

[48:27] rights. Teachers should have rights. I've been a sub here in Vicelia for a

[48:32] long time getting my current my my credential and my masters and teachers

[48:37] always say they don't feel listened to. You guys talk about principles,

[48:40] assistant principles. Why don't you make a plan to have pair of professionals

[48:44] also do walkthroughs with you guys or with the principles teachers? They're

[48:48] the front lines with these students. They don't feel Listen, that's the

[48:52] frustration coming from parents with you guys. And I don't like seeing comments

[48:56] online against the board. You know, we want to work with you. We want to make

[49:01] sure that, you know, we're all interconnected, but it's not fair that

[49:05] the the US Constitution that you guys are so proud of here is not being

[49:10] practiced in this this room. So, I'm just letting you know, try better. Thank

[49:14] you. >> Okay. Thank you. Any other public

[49:18] comment?

[49:22] Okay. Seeing none, we will move forward with the agenda.

[49:26] Item six, consent agenda. Would any board member like to pull an item from

[49:30] consent agenda?

[49:35] Okay, seeing none, may I have a motion to approve the consent agenda?

[49:39] » I'll move. >> I'll second.

[49:41] » Mr. Bell move and first and Miss Gabby second. Call for the vote.

[49:52] Um motion carries. Student board member votes yes. Six yes. One absent.

[50:02] » Item seven, student representative report. Miss Jada Tour, LD Monte High

[50:07] School.

[50:15] » Good evening board members. My name is Jada Tour. I'm a senior at LD Monte High

[50:19] School and a member of our USAV, our district-wide student leadership team.

[50:25] We had our first USAV meeting on August 31st here at the USD boardroom. It was a

[50:31] chance for student leaders to talk for all of our high schools to come

[50:34] together, get to know each other, and talk about what our role in USB was

[50:37] going to be this year. We started with the leadership activity that really

[50:41] showed us how important it is for everyone to have a role and be willing

[50:45] to participate. We talked about what happens when there isn't a clear goal,

[50:49] when someone doesn't do their part, or when someone decides to not participate

[50:52] at all. That connected to one of the biggest reasons USV exists. We want to

[50:56] hear from all students, including the students who may not always feel

[50:59] connected or involved at their school. We also talked about how USV is going to

[51:04] help bring student voices from individual campuses to the district

[51:08] level. Throughout the year, we'll be gathering feedback from our students,

[51:11] talking with our administrators, bringing those ideas to our UN SAV

[51:15] meetings, and sharing what we're hearing with you as a board. We ended the

[51:19] meeting talking about leadership and what it actually looks like. One of our

[51:23] biggest takeaways for us was that leadership isn't about being the person

[51:27] in the front. It's about helping people grow, feel included, and be successful,

[51:31] too. It was a great start to our year, and we're excited to represent our

[51:34] schools and make sure students across BUSD have a voice. And now for our site

[51:39] reports. We have three highlights from LDonte

[51:43] High School. LDonte kicked off its first football game of the season with an

[51:48] incredible showing from the student section. The Green Sea is back. More

[51:52] than 300 students packed the stands to support our miners. The night continued

[51:57] with our icebreaker dance proudly sponsored by Raising Canes, giving

[52:00] students a great way to celebrate together. Their next highlight was that

[52:04] Club Rush was a huge success with more than 40 student clubs hosting booths and

[52:08] showcasing opportunities for our involvement on our campus. Our miners

[52:13] were eager to explore their interests, meet new people, and find a place of

[52:17] belonging. The event was a great reflection for the strong community and

[52:21] involvement that EDHS has to offer. Their last highlight was that LD

[52:27] welcomed families to campus for a successful open house. With a great

[52:32] turnout from parents and guardians eager to meet teachers, staff, and learn more

[52:36] about the year ahead, we're grateful about the strong support from minor

[52:39] families and a great year for EDHS. Then, Golden West also provided three

[52:45] highlights. On Tuesday, August 18th, Golden West ASB students hosted its

[52:49] annual club rush during lunch, bringing together a widely wide variety of campus

[52:55] clubs and organizations. Students had the opportunity to meet club members and

[53:02] advisors exploring their interests and discover many ways they can also get

[53:06] involved on campus. It was a strong turnout and enthusiastic participation

[53:11] made the event a great success. Their next highlight was that on August 28th,

[53:16] Golden West ASB kicked off its first Friday Night Lights home game of the

[53:20] school year. ASB students worked together to prepare the student section,

[53:24] promote the game day theme, lead cheers and chants, and create an energetic

[53:28] atmosphere throughout the evening. The dub zone was packed with enthusiastic

[53:33] students who showed a tremendous school spirit and helped make the first home g

[53:37] home home game an exciting and memorable experience for the campus and community.

[53:41] Their last highlight was that Golden West ASB is proud to celebrate

[53:46] homecoming week with a patriotic theme, stars, stripes, and Friday nightlights.

[53:51] The week will feature dressup days, lunchtime competitions, and performance,

[53:56] their top 10 finalist, and their courts. On Friday, September 11th, our their

[54:01] students and community will come together for the annual homecoming rally

[54:05] and football game featuring special guests, local first responders, and the

[54:09] crowning of their king and queen. Mount Winnie also provided three

[54:14] highlights. They celebrated their welcome week with a minion style theme

[54:19] August 17th through the 21st. Students participated in dressup days and

[54:23] lunchtime activities. They wrapped up the week the week with their welcome

[54:27] back rally and their teachers, their new teachers from the year participated in

[54:31] their first game. Their next highlight was that Mount

[54:35] Winnie also hosted a club rush for sports and clubs on campus on August

[54:39] 25th, 27th, and the 28th. It was a great opportunity for students getting

[54:43] involved in their high school journey, and you could feel the excitement. Their

[54:47] last highlight was that on September 2nd, Mount Winnie put on a lunchtime

[54:51] rally to wish their football teams the best of luck during their week. Their

[54:56] lady pioneers had their first ever flag football game and their boys had their

[55:02] first home football game this Friday. It was great to see both students and staff

[55:07] come support the Pioneers.

[55:12] Redwood High School also provided three highlights. Redwood kicked off the year

[55:17] with more than 60 RHS clubs participating in their leadership

[55:21] orientation. Club presidents and vice presidents came together to prepare for

[55:25] the year ahead and get ready for club day on September 9th. Students lead

[55:30] student leaders focused on setting a goal, having effective meetings,

[55:33] communications, finances, and promoting opportunities for students to get

[55:37] involved. They're excited for club day and the Rangers

[55:41] to have more opportunity for the many clubs and involvement that Redwood has

[55:45] to offer. Their next highlight was that Ranger athletics made history and hosted

[55:50] the first ever girls flag football game in USD history at Mineral King Bowl. The

[55:54] Lady Rangers opened their season against Madera South with an impressive victory.

[56:01] This milestone marks the beginning of a new athletic opportunity for their

[56:05] students and a chapter for Redwood and B USD athletics. They're excited to watch

[56:09] their Lady Rangers continue building the program and making history throughout

[56:12] its first season. Their last highlight was that Redwood

[56:16] started the year focusing welcome focusing on welcoming new students,

[56:20] building connections, and strengthening Ranger pride. They welcomed the class of

[56:24] 2030 and their freshman parent and freshman parents for their parent night

[56:29] and local icebreaker rally and dance where students came together for games,

[56:34] fun activities, music, and school spirit. Their annual annual freshman

[56:38] tailgate continued to welcome the newest Rangers and giving them an opportunity

[56:42] to connect with classmates, enjoy food, activities, and attend their first home

[56:47] game. Sequoia High School provided two

[56:53] highlights. Sequoia welcomed back welcomed our back to school night with

[56:58] raffle tickets that were given throughout the week and one lucky family

[57:01] got a great gift. They hosted the families in their gym with the resources

[57:05] such such as social emotional attendance and all teachers displayed their work

[57:11] for families to connect. Their next highlight was that Sequoia participated

[57:17] in a spirit week with some dressup days, twin day and decade day. They also

[57:22] finished the week on Friday with snow cones.

[57:25] BCIS held their back to school night on se on Thursday, September 3rd for their

[57:30] families and community. The event was met with great success, one of the

[57:34] highest turnouts that USD has had for back to school night. All families,

[57:38] including over 200 new V VCIS families, got to explore the state-of-the-art

[57:43] facility and see where their students innovative learning takes place each

[57:48] day. VCIS student services continued its chill and chat, own it together student

[57:56] series on September 2nd with a session focused on own your learning. Students

[58:01] had the opportunity to connect with one another while exploring their individual

[58:05] learning styles and developing strategies to create an academic

[58:09] comeback plan. The chill and chat series provides BCIS students to with welcoming

[58:15] space to socialize, build connections, and develop important life skills that

[58:19] support their academic and personal success.

[58:24] VTEC welcomed parents and students on their back to school night on September

[58:28] 2nd. The event was well attended by parents and families. Wolverines had the

[58:34] opportunity to visit classrooms, connect with teachers, and get ready for up

[58:38] upcoming fair events. Their next highlight was that BTE ASB hosted a club

[58:42] rush where students had the opportunity to get involved and learn about already

[58:48] established clubs as well as newly developed clubs. During the month, ASB

[58:52] also hosted a dressup week and an icebreaker dance.

[58:57] VTEC FFA hosted an FFA state officer visit where all students were given the

[59:02] opportunity to enhance their leadership skills through different presentations.

[59:06] During that week, VTEC FFA hosted an ice cream social during lunchtime and

[59:11] students were allowed to build connections. The month came to an end

[59:15] with VTEC FFA hosting their first chapter meeting where students enjoyed

[59:19] making tie-dye shirts. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Item eight, board

[59:25] member reports. Mr. Belt, batting lead off.

[59:29] » Thank you. Tie-dye shirts. Some of us grew up with that.

[59:35] You still like them. I I wanted to highlight the the ribbon

[59:39] cutting at Houston school that several of us attended. The staff did an

[59:44] outstanding job negotiating the 102 degrees. And um the Houston school is a

[59:50] result of what we what can be done in turning the educational environment into

[59:55] a tremendous place to work and to learn. U the facilities head Steve Pena uh

[1:00:03] Jennifer Frederick's uh project manager uh our business department principal

[1:00:08] signs should all be commended. This is a model of what can be done when we have

[1:00:14] sufficient resources to do it. take a 60-year-old school and bring it into the

[1:00:20] 21st century. Uh the state of the local government meeting was uh always an

[1:00:25] interesting showcase of the joint efforts of the city, county, district,

[1:00:30] and business entities. Not only that they work together, but they cooperate

[1:00:35] and are interdependent. It was highlighted that as our schools go, so

[1:00:40] goes the whole community that you are able to uh sell, if you will, the the

[1:00:47] the best of Vicelia when our schools are doing well. And so that's a a back and

[1:00:53] forth uh interaction. And so anyone and everyone who's been involved with

[1:01:00] government as well as many business people were there asking some really

[1:01:05] in-depth questions and uh I was glad that we were able to be a part of that.

[1:01:09] I've also made it a point to attend Friday nights at both stadiums because I

[1:01:13] wanted to get firsthand look at both the and support but I wanted to see the how

[1:01:19] things are working. Uh, I want to appreciate all of our sports teams, our

[1:01:24] activities, our leaders of activities, our athletic directors, the stadium

[1:01:30] upgrades, the students, as well of course the teams and the

[1:01:35] inner workings. I actually had the first time I've actually climbed on the top,

[1:01:40] which is a precarious move of the press box at Middle King Bowl because the

[1:01:45] stairs go straight up and come straight back down. uh to actually get that

[1:01:49] amazing view and shoot some video and some pictures of what it looks like from

[1:01:54] there. But then I also got the inside look as at both stadiums of how our

[1:02:00] integrated video scoreboard works, how they can do highlights, what they're

[1:02:04] growing into with very near future, our students uh in media will actually be on

[1:02:10] the field filming and shooting camera ready uh video that will be livefed and

[1:02:16] put on the screen as well. So there's a lot to be developed further because they

[1:02:21] have all the tools to do it with. Now um I want to remind us all that the bucket

[1:02:27] of money that went went into modernizing and upgrading those two stadiums uh

[1:02:34] could not be used for anything else but what it was used for infrastructure. It

[1:02:38] wasn't uh taking money away from the classroom or from salaries or for other

[1:02:42] projects. It was infrastructure money. It was, I think, I believe, well spent

[1:02:48] because it is a tremendous now tool. Those two stadiums get amazing use from

[1:02:54] our four high schools. The blowout game that I attended between Mount Whitney

[1:02:59] and Reg Regetti, um, it made for Regetti having a long ride home. Uh, but it was

[1:03:06] very fun to see how uh Jaden, the quarterback who set the all city passing

[1:03:12] record at the end of his junior year, is now with every pass completed extending

[1:03:17] that amazing historical um prospect as well as stats. Uh then I had that

[1:03:24] opportunity to see the Mount Whitney Golden West game together which gave us

[1:03:30] a highlight of two teams. Played a very tight game, but to actually witness the

[1:03:35] first varsity game win by coach Ado, I probably just destroyed his name, but um

[1:03:42] it was quite amazing because both teams played very very well. They had a few

[1:03:47] fumbles. Uh the last thing is that in the consent agenda tonight, there is an

[1:03:52] item of buying some buses. And I I wanted to make a highlight. They're not

[1:03:56] just buying buses or replacing old ones. Uh used ones, used out ones. We actually

[1:04:01] sold them off because uh they weren't worth much to us to try to keep fixing.

[1:04:07] And that purchase though came from one-time funds. That is a good use of

[1:04:12] one-time funds. Uh and that's something that I I know that Nathan's not with us

[1:04:17] this evening. our business manager Nathan Hernandez because he's ill. But

[1:04:22] that's what we've tried to do. Fudiciary, is that the right word? Being

[1:04:27] very frugal in how we spend the money at Vicel Unified. It's for things that we

[1:04:33] need or that we can improve or people that we also want to make sure that all

[1:04:38] their needs are met as well in all the different positions we have them. Oh,

[1:04:43] and my second last thing, can I do that? Um, the Golden West Orchestra showed

[1:04:48] phenomenally well as they played the national anthem at the Raw Height

[1:04:52] baseball game Sunday night. And the little video that I put up has had over

[1:04:56] a,000 views in the last 24 hours. If you've never heard the national anthem

[1:05:01] played by strings, it's worth your listen. And they made all of us very

[1:05:05] proud. I have never seen a high school orchestra play at a baseball game. Uh

[1:05:11] but it says a lot of what's happening as you witness tonight from our middle

[1:05:15] school uh musicians. My wife who is a classroom music teacher

[1:05:21] feels like today was a red letter day because 20 students showed up in the

[1:05:27] afterchool rehearsal time uh with their instruments because they just got their

[1:05:32] instruments in the fifth grade last week but they want to learn how to play well.

[1:05:37] So thank you again Alan McFarland. There he is, our VA director. There's lots of

[1:05:42] things happening for all of our students. Thank you.

[1:05:46] » Okay. Thank you, Miss Gabby. >> Yeah. And just to kind of continue on

[1:05:51] that, um, you know, we are only 3 weeks in. Um, welcome back to all of our

[1:05:56] staff, although I know you've been working for a lot longer than 3 weeks.

[1:05:59] Um, and thank you for all you do to get the year going, um, you know,

[1:06:05] efficiently. And it's it's no small task. No matter how much we prepare, you

[1:06:10] know, 30,000 kids descending on a district is technology needs and busing

[1:06:15] needs and where do I go after school and all those little things um while still

[1:06:20] starting teaching and learning going and like we saw tonight like a jazz band

[1:06:25] playing already. So um we know none of that just happens. Um there's people

[1:06:30] behind all of that. So thank you. Thanks for your leadership and your

[1:06:33] personality. Um and um yes, the Green Sea is alive. The high school um sports

[1:06:40] are going also only a few three weeks in. But um it's great to see the school

[1:06:45] spirit out there. And um lastly, uh we had a board study session and just

[1:06:51] really excited about um moving to an 8 period day. Um I know that also thank

[1:06:57] you for all the work that's going behind that. I know that is not um an easy task

[1:07:02] to move um all of the high schools over to an entirely different schedule.

[1:07:07] There's so many moving parts of that, but bottom line was everybody kind of

[1:07:11] came together and knew that was best for kids and that's um an amazing thing when

[1:07:16] um we make a decision that's going to be a lot of work um but it's best for kids

[1:07:21] and so thank you to all the staff behind that. That um is a great move in the

[1:07:25] right direction for our kiddos. Okay, thank you. Board member Viegas.

[1:07:32] Uh, no report. Okay, this is Naylor. >> Um, just really great job tonight, our

[1:07:39] student board rep. I appreciate the I love hearing about what's going on in

[1:07:42] the schools and you did an amazing job. So, thank you. Um, I just wanted to give

[1:07:46] a shout out. I visited with uh Superintendent Shum Mountain View

[1:07:50] Elementary with principal I don't know if she's here, Stephanie Gendren. Um,

[1:07:56] thank you. did an amazing job. Went into the classroom and the first classroom we

[1:08:01] went in, you know, just the little kids, the TK already doing math with our

[1:08:06] Amplify program. Um, they were all all engaged. Every classroom that we went

[1:08:10] into, we saw the math and it's the amplify with all the the um the pieces

[1:08:17] to it, you know, and the hands-on and the math piece even in the dual

[1:08:22] immersion and we went into a couple of dual immersions classrooms. So, um, and

[1:08:26] I know one of the things that you said was, you know, I didn't tell them which

[1:08:28] classroom. So, when we went in, it was a surprise cuz you tell the teacher's

[1:08:31] face, oh, they chose mine. Um, but they did an amazing job and it shows your

[1:08:36] leadership and I just appreciate the intentionality of getting our kids on

[1:08:41] grade level for our math. Um, and just want to shout out to our visit. Uh, they

[1:08:47] did an amazing job tonight uh with the band. I was even stomping my foot, but

[1:08:53] um especially just 3 weeks in. So, I don't know if the band director is here,

[1:08:57] but good job. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Coin.

[1:09:03] » Um I wanted to highlight something on the consent agenda as well. Um, since

[1:09:09] 2022, we've given scholarships to our classified employees of $3,000 to earn

[1:09:16] their BA and get their teaching credential. And now that's that money is

[1:09:23] up to 4,800. And I I just appreciate that. I remember I was in a special ed

[1:09:29] classroom couple summers ago and I thought, "Wow, that teacher's really

[1:09:32] good." And then I found out the teacher was not a teacher but a

[1:09:36] paraprofessional. And I talked to them. I go, "You need to get your teaching

[1:09:40] credential." And that person is teaching now. Um um I also want to just thank

[1:09:46] everybody that's working on this 8 period day. I innocently asked

[1:09:52] someone, "Well, are we going to train our counselors?" And then I was

[1:09:56] overwhelmed with the work they've been doing to get this set up. I mean indepth

[1:10:03] detailed work to get this eight period uh day I mean this eight periods and off

[1:10:10] the ground. So I just want to thank you for that. I was at a VPI meeting today.

[1:10:16] Um our VPI if you don't know is partnerships with businesses business

[1:10:23] partners in our community and last year they came up with three priorities. So

[1:10:29] they do advise Vicelia uh unified. They came up with three

[1:10:34] priorities. They wanted clear and effective communication, responsibility

[1:10:39] and flexibility and ethical and legal responsibility. The soft skills that

[1:10:45] many in our community say our kids do not have and they've been working on

[1:10:48] that diligently with our kids. When I hear those kids share and talk, I'm

[1:10:53] pretty amazed at how articulate they are. Uh, VPI has gone after every I'm

[1:11:00] sorry, our CTE department has gone after every imaginable grant. Um, right now um

[1:11:08] they have uh earned I mean from grants um over $3 million.

[1:11:14] um they had 418 internships last year and so that

[1:11:23] department is doing a really great job and I want to thank you for that and the

[1:11:28] lunch that was provided by the culinary department or the culinary um uh classes

[1:11:34] at um at Mount Whitney. It was a pretty darn gone good lunch. So, thank you.

[1:11:42] » Okay. And I don't really have anything to add to that except to say that

[1:11:45] there's lots of things going on across the district. Thanks to everyone who's

[1:11:47] doing what they can to make sure that our kids have the best opportunities

[1:11:51] possible to learn and achieve. Whether you're classified, certificated, or

[1:11:54] management, it all makes a difference. So, thank you. And superintendent from

[1:11:58] » Wow, no report. Moving on. 10.1 Administrative panel recommendations.

[1:12:05] 10.1 uh recommended expulsions. May I have a motion to approve recommended

[1:12:09] expulsions? I'll move. Okay, I'll second.

[1:12:14] » Second by Gabby, first by Odo. Call for the vote.

[1:12:21] » Motion carries. Um, student board member abstains. Six yes, one absent.

[1:12:27] » 10.2 recommended expulsions. May I have a motion to approve the recommended

[1:12:31] suspended expulsions? >> I'll move.

[1:12:33] » Okay. Motion by Gamoyan, second by >> Mr. Oh, heard a mail voice. Okay, call

[1:12:41] for the vote.

[1:12:47] » Motion carries. Student board member abstains.

[1:12:51] Uh, six yes, one absent. >> 10.3 recommended reinstatements. May I

[1:12:55] have a motion to approve the recommended reinstatements?

[1:12:58] » So moved. I'll >> second. Okay. Moved by Naylor, second by

[1:13:01] Viegas. Call for the vote.

[1:13:09] Oops. Oh, come on. There we go. Motion

[1:13:13] carries. Student board member abstains. Um, six yes. One absent.

[1:13:18] » And completing the cycle. Recommended review for continued expulsions. May I

[1:13:21] have a motion to approve the recommended review continued expulsions?

[1:13:26] » Moved by Naylor. A second. >> Second by Gamoyan. Call for the vote.

[1:13:33] Motion. >> Motion carries. There we go.

[1:13:37] » Student board member abstains. Six yes. Um, one absent.

[1:13:42] » Okay. General agenda item 11.1, long range facilities planning measure Z

[1:13:47] update. Superintendent Shrub. >> All right. Well, thank you, President

[1:13:50] Odo. Board members, I am pleased this evening just to give a little update on

[1:13:55] uh Measure Z, which uh this board in July unanimously approved uh a bond

[1:14:00] measure to go on the November ballot. Uh since that time that bond uh received

[1:14:06] the letter designation Z uh from the county and so uh now we have a name for

[1:14:12] that and uh we are in the process of sharing this information and and just

[1:14:16] for uh those that may wonder as as a district we are uh in the position where

[1:14:21] we can share information. We cannot advocate uh in this in our capacity, but

[1:14:26] we can share information and do everything we can to make sure uh people

[1:14:29] are aware of what we're doing, why we're doing this uh and uh what the uh

[1:14:35] benefits would be for the school system uh with measure Z. So that's what this

[1:14:39] is tonight. This is to give a overview of where we are and some of the

[1:14:43] important information. And this work is driven by our strategic plan and

[1:14:47] especially within our strategic plan uh learning environment safe, supportive,

[1:14:51] and innovative. And so a lot of what we're able to do, we heard about Houston

[1:14:55] Elementary tonight, uh, modernization and other things directly connect to

[1:15:00] those safe, supportive, and innovative environments.

[1:15:04] So, we're going to talk about a couple of things tonight. Just general

[1:15:07] information about previous bonds, what that has accomplished, how those funds

[1:15:11] are managed, our commitments, how we're planning for the future, what Measure Z

[1:15:16] projects would be, uh, and what would the impact be on our taxpayers.

[1:15:21] So, one of the things I always like to share and and that we're sharing as we

[1:15:25] engage with our community and and online is, you know, how do we make some of

[1:15:29] these decisions around our facilities, right? Do we just take a guess or or is

[1:15:34] there deliberate intentional planning around this? And there is this is guided

[1:15:39] by our board of education. Our board said as we engage in this work, we have

[1:15:43] five guiding principles. We've got to address critical infrastructure needs.

[1:15:48] This is your Hback. This is a lot of the of the system. Uh you don't necessarily

[1:15:52] always see it but you can feel the impact when these systems are not

[1:15:56] working. Uh and we have much of our infrastructure with our facilities as

[1:16:00] old as they are have been managed and repaired by an amazing operational uh

[1:16:06] facilities uh maintenance teams but there's only so much work we can do

[1:16:11] before uh that just has reached its useful lifespan. uh modernizing existing

[1:16:16] schools, balancing enrollment uh and so we've worked on reducing transfers. For

[1:16:21] the first time in several years, our actual student enrollment at Redwood has

[1:16:25] decreased and so that work is having an impact. Uh address community growth uh

[1:16:30] and then be fiscally responsible. That time and time again is one of the most

[1:16:35] important pieces our board of education has called us to do as stewards of our

[1:16:39] taxpayer dollars. So, we've been on this journey for several years. Starting

[1:16:44] about a year after I arrived, we began some long-term and short ter short-term

[1:16:48] and long-term uh strategic planning. We went out and we engaged the community.

[1:16:53] We had community meetings and this board approved both short-term actions and

[1:16:58] long-term actions. Um, and with the that together, uh, we've been able to

[1:17:03] accomplish a lot. Uh but based on the work that we have left to do, that's how

[1:17:08] we got to the bond resolution for the November 3rd ballot. We mentioned the

[1:17:14] community engagement and we heard over and over again uh from our community

[1:17:18] meetings. We had over 31,000 website visits, over 2400 community members

[1:17:24] completed the survey, and more than 11,000 people conducted ratings of those

[1:17:30] ideas. In other words, saying we like this idea more than that idea. All of

[1:17:34] that was taken into consideration as the short-term and long-term plans came

[1:17:39] together. And this community has continually

[1:17:43] supported our education of our students and our facilities. Uh measures E and A

[1:17:50] have supported uh numerous projects across the district. They include

[1:17:54] science and technology improvements at our high schools and middle schools. the

[1:17:58] modernization we just saw at Houston and we are beginning at Viva Blunt, a huge

[1:18:04] investment in Mount Whitney, we've talked about that, a new academic

[1:18:07] building, new classroom buildings, uh, media center at Mount Whitney in

[1:18:12] addition to, uh, classroom additions at Redwood, LDonte, Golden West, uh, to

[1:18:17] begin to replace some of those aging portables and others as well. um and

[1:18:22] measure E which brought in an academic building at Redwood High School,

[1:18:25] playground, solar installation, lots of other investments, Ridge View, uh and

[1:18:30] other school sites as well. And together, ENA have been impactful.

[1:18:36] They've allowed the district to modernize approximately half of our

[1:18:40] schools. Now, I will say that doesn't necessarily mean a full modernization

[1:18:44] when it comes to when you think about a go, you know, a Valley Oak. While we

[1:18:49] might have been able to do science labs or or build, you know, two modular

[1:18:54] classrooms to replace a portable, that even though we've impacted 42 sites, it

[1:18:59] doesn't mean the whole site had a modernization, right? So, just to keep

[1:19:03] that in mind. Um, and so while we've been able to do that, that still leaves

[1:19:08] about half of our schools in need of some level of improvement and

[1:19:12] investment, not to mention other sites that may have had some work done with

[1:19:17] measure ENA still have opportunity on their site to continue to do work. Now,

[1:19:24] along the way in measure A, at that time, we had enrollment projections that

[1:19:28] were showing the district was on track to need a fifth comprehensive high

[1:19:33] school. And so part of measure A was about investing in that potential in

[1:19:38] addition to modernizing classrooms, investment in high schools. But a little

[1:19:43] something happened around 2019 2020 uh that kind of changed uh some of the

[1:19:50] numbers and what we saw gradually after that time in our projections and that

[1:19:56] we're seeing now we have declining enrollment again this year. uh we've as

[1:20:01] a district kind of been I wouldn't say immune to that but but kind of it hasn't

[1:20:06] really been impactful here in Vicelia but but we're seeing that this year uh

[1:20:10] and we're seeing that trend really continue so actually 10 years out

[1:20:15] instead of having additional high school students we have hundreds less and again

[1:20:21] we're seeing that trend for lots of different reasons through our schools.

[1:20:26] So, our board realized that going back to those guiding principles, would it be

[1:20:30] fiscally responsible to invest in something that our data now shows that

[1:20:36] we would not need? Now, I think we had an opportunity to communicate better. We

[1:20:41] certainly want to make sure our community knows why that focus shifted

[1:20:45] into instead of a new high school, investing in our current facilities. Uh,

[1:20:49] and that's what you're seeing at Mount Whitney. that's encumbering about 50

[1:20:52] plus million of what's left in measure A and the modernization at Viva Blunt. And

[1:20:58] when those projects are completed, um that concludes uh the oper that includes

[1:21:04] our money from those bonds. Um and so a couple of those things I just mentioned,

[1:21:08] work that's still underway. Viva Blunt's going to have a full campus

[1:21:11] modernization, Mount Whitney, a new academic building, classroom replacement

[1:21:16] and modernization up to 16 classrooms. and then both LDA and Redwood. Now, it

[1:21:21] says new classroom building. What that means is new classrooms. What ultimate

[1:21:25] form that takes and where will be determined by architects and those sorts

[1:21:29] of things, but both of those sites will have additional classrooms out of

[1:21:33] measure A. And as I said, with the funds for that encumbered, uh the next school,

[1:21:39] Crestwood, that would be up for modernization. We will be able to design

[1:21:43] that modernization, but we will not be able to act on any of that. So,

[1:21:48] Crestwood, any any schools beyond that, um, we do not have resources available

[1:21:54] for modernization. One question we get a lot, you know, is

[1:21:59] even though that focus shifted, we didn't need a new high school, but we

[1:22:03] continued to need investment in our facilities, have we met the obligation

[1:22:08] of the bond? Have we done what we were uh voters voted on? And the answer to

[1:22:14] that, it comes through our audits, comes through our independent oversight from

[1:22:18] our community members who meet and have an external audit. And all of this

[1:22:24] information can be found online. I I love to to tell people like if you

[1:22:28] really want to go and read an audit report, you can do that because we have

[1:22:32] it there. So, I challenge folks all the time, well, you know, I'm just not sure,

[1:22:37] go look at the audit report, right? Because it shares that information. And

[1:22:41] what you'll find is time after time again, absolutely nothing. Meaning no

[1:22:47] substantial findings. In other words, this board's obligation or this board's

[1:22:52] um uh job to be responsible with taxpayer funds has been met and answered

[1:22:58] time and time again through audits, independent audits. And as I also like

[1:23:02] to share, we have a double A minus bond rating, uh which is the highest in the

[1:23:07] valley outside of Clovis. And so you don't receive those things unless you're

[1:23:12] responsible with taxpayer dollars. And so I compliment the board along the way

[1:23:18] through refinancing. The board has saved taxpayers 156.9 million by refinancing

[1:23:25] measures E and A. This means that over the course of the 30 plus years that has

[1:23:31] been refinanced, shortened, and so that means there's less that taxpayers will

[1:23:36] pay over time. Um, and again you can see that 156.9.

[1:23:40] And I think that's important because responsible bond management includes

[1:23:43] both how we spend bond proceeds and how we finance those investments through

[1:23:48] refinancing and improving the terms. It results in the savings less than

[1:23:53] originally planned with payments ending three years earlier for measure E and

[1:23:58] seven years earlier for measure A. And when we talk about Measure Z, all of

[1:24:05] those things that I just mentioned, the independent uh audits, the community

[1:24:09] oversight, all of that will happen and there'll be a whole new group of

[1:24:14] individuals uh that will be established with a measure Z uh bond oversight

[1:24:19] committee and including some other ways that we want to help keep our public

[1:24:23] informed through a public dashboard and community meetings. Um, and oftentimes

[1:24:28] if if I get asked by individuals, well, how do I know this money is being used

[1:24:34] uh wisely and how it's intended to be used, I point to the audits, I point to

[1:24:38] the bond rating, and I point to the fact that we have open seats on our bond

[1:24:44] oversight committee, and I say, would you like an application? So, if you

[1:24:49] would like an application, uh, speak with our finance team because we do have

[1:24:52] seats available both for measure A and, uh, if Measure Z were to be passed, we

[1:24:57] would have a whole new slate of seats available, uh, for Measure Z, so to be

[1:25:02] on the oversight committee. So, we're always looking for individuals willing

[1:25:06] to serve on those committees. Now, let me get to why as a board

[1:25:13] and staff, we recommended a bond. So about three years ago, we had an

[1:25:18] independent uh audit, so to speak, of our facilities. We had a group come in.

[1:25:24] They opened every single door, went into every single classroom, every closet,

[1:25:28] every playground, um every VAPA, every sports um location on campus and looked

[1:25:36] behind the scenes, right behind the walls, looked at our HVAC, looked at our

[1:25:39] plumbing, looked at our infrastructure. And this is probably not a surprise to

[1:25:45] anyone in the room who works in a facility, but and again, as I said,

[1:25:51] we've done great. Our teams do phenomenal work keeping these systems

[1:25:54] running. But this audit identified over 600 million in needs over a 30-year

[1:26:01] period, including in priority one and two,

[1:26:05] things like the HVAC system. We just had a situation a few weeks ago. We had two

[1:26:11] HVAC units at um at Redwood High School that our our maintenance operations

[1:26:18] facilities teams done have done phenomenal work keeping running. But

[1:26:22] guess what? It reached a point. The units were so past their lifespan, we

[1:26:28] could not find replacement parts anywhere in the nation.

[1:26:32] So if anyone in here works with machinery, you know, you do a great job

[1:26:35] keeping it running, but at some point it comes to a point where you've got to

[1:26:38] replace it. um and you couldn't patch it because the it's so old the the part

[1:26:43] isn't found anywhere in the nation. So, we had to install two new units. Well,

[1:26:48] when the teams came to install the two new units, it didn't fit the framing of

[1:26:52] the window, the the the piping. This is where I'm not the technical person here,

[1:26:58] but you know, the you know, the ducks, right? Um and when they fixed that, the

[1:27:06] wiring was outdated. It blew the circuit and so the wiring had to be replaced

[1:27:11] because it couldn't handle the load from the new units. That's a situation we're

[1:27:16] in all across our district. Despite best efforts and using our maintenance funds

[1:27:21] wisely, the needs of our facilities far outweigh what we're able to do and able

[1:27:26] to maintain. Now, by the way, what does every school need? How can the community

[1:27:32] know that? Okay, you're saying these things, but where is the evidence? So if

[1:27:37] you go to vusd.org, you can find from that link a print out of every single

[1:27:45] school in Vicelia Unified and it goes through and it shows what's in priority

[1:27:50] one, what's in priority 2, three, and four. And

[1:27:57] you can see what HVAC needs to be replaced, where will we need additional

[1:28:01] classrooms, where might we need a new pool, you name it. All of that is in

[1:28:05] there in that information. Any public, any teacher can go in and find that.

[1:28:10] Now, keep in mind this was an assessment done three years ago. So, I would say

[1:28:13] that probably is now 700 million in needs, right? Is that as we know how

[1:28:17] pricing continues and so there I think there's a sense of urgency of the sooner

[1:28:22] we can get to some of these priority one needs, the further uh we'll be able to

[1:28:26] have an impact uh should we have the Measure Z funding. So, I did want to

[1:28:30] point that out and let our community know where you can find what over time

[1:28:35] would eventually happen for each site uh should that happen. So, here's our

[1:28:40] ballot measure language. I won't read that, but that uh is uh in this report.

[1:28:44] And you can see that ultimately measure Z would authorize up to 158 million in

[1:28:49] general obligation bonds. The estimated tax rate 4 cents per hundred uh dollars

[1:28:54] of assessed value, not market value, while the bonds are outstanding. And for

[1:28:59] the average homeowner with an average value in Vicelia is 300,000 the annual

[1:29:04] cost would be $120 or $10 for the year or $10 for a month for a month. And what

[1:29:12] would measure Z uh if approved be prioritized for? We talked about a lot

[1:29:17] of those priority one and two needs in the assessment. That is things like uh

[1:29:22] removing hazardous material, the safe drinking water, roof leaks uh by

[1:29:26] replacing roofs, right? uh gas lines, HVAC, electrical systems because those

[1:29:32] have to be updated to handle new units uh and uh career technology spaces and

[1:29:37] continuing modernization. As I've mentioned, uh Crestwood would be one of

[1:29:41] the first schools uh in uh in the modernization. And so this need is

[1:29:47] significant. We've said before over 70% of our schools are more than 50 years

[1:29:51] old. They have been maintained fabulously. Uh over 87% of our portables

[1:29:56] are more than 20 years old, but there's only so much longer some of those can

[1:30:01] hang on. Uh and so already during the 24-25 school year, we had over 380 roof

[1:30:07] leaks. And you can see uh I just mentioned the HVAC systems, but also the

[1:30:11] board had to make an emergency approval uh which was not intended in our

[1:30:16] budgeting of a replacement at Gan because we've had a couple of portables

[1:30:21] whose foundation has now deteriorated because uh it has it it just is so old.

[1:30:27] Um and so those are again the things that we continue to find ourselves

[1:30:30] facing as a district. And I think another important piece is you know we

[1:30:36] often get asked well we're already paying for measure A and E right we're

[1:30:41] already investing in our facilities and that is true we just talked about how

[1:30:46] that money was used uh but that that has now you reached its uh useful lifespan

[1:30:52] right it's been encumbered so when you look at some of our surrounding areas

[1:30:57] you can see where those uh bond rates lie uh all the way from a high of 238

[1:31:04] and again this is per 100,000 of assessed value uh to uh Farmersville

[1:31:10] there you see exit which also I believe has a bond measure on the ballot for

[1:31:14] this year um and so you think about what systems are able to do with that level

[1:31:20] of investment

[1:31:25] and here's Vicelia currently so what we're able to do with that level

[1:31:32] of investment, we've done um and so that's why the board taking

[1:31:37] this information together uh said we're going to place a bond measure on the

[1:31:42] November ballot. Now, I will point out that that is current. That includes

[1:31:47] measure ENA, which we've talked about have been refinanced. Should the

[1:31:52] taxpayers uh or the voters approve measure Z, that number would go to 92,

[1:31:58] which is an increase, but I want you now to look at it and pretend in the middle

[1:32:02] that was 92. And you can still see uh that comparison of multiple districts.

[1:32:09] So, we're able to do the invest, you know,

[1:32:14] what we can with the investment that we have. And so why you see many of our

[1:32:19] facilities in the state and condition they are that are being fabulously

[1:32:24] maintained but our ability to replace and modernize

[1:32:28] is directly tied to uh the bond and state matching funds which we do receive

[1:32:34] from that investment. So I think that's an important number to look at when we

[1:32:40] think about the scale of the work in Vicel Unified and why these spaces are

[1:32:45] important. We just talked about Houston and you can see in that picture a whole

[1:32:50] new driveway, a whole new entryway, teacher parking. Uh so when you see drop

[1:32:55] off and pickup, it's now not on the street. Uh and so you think about safety

[1:32:59] and and many of those other things. Uh you can see the storage, you can see

[1:33:03] some classrooms. I can tell you the teachers there with the storage and the

[1:33:07] other items that they have in the classroom. Uh it really does make a

[1:33:11] difference. We already have amazing learning happening and amazing teaching

[1:33:17] and instruction happening in our classrooms all across our community.

[1:33:23] But it's time and we want our facilities to reflect

[1:33:27] that great work that's happening inside them. So our objective is to provide

[1:33:31] students and staff with learning and working environments that are safe,

[1:33:34] functional, and capable of serving the community for many, many more years. So

[1:33:40] that's just a little bit of an update. We are uh going to hold two community

[1:33:44] sessions. Uh we have uh flyers and information going out online. So uh

[1:33:50] where our community can come, they can ask questions. Uh and we're going to

[1:33:54] give anybody who wants a tour of our facilities where we'll point out both

[1:33:58] things that have been modernized and things that are on that priority one and

[1:34:03] two list. And so those dates are coming up in a few weeks in September. Uh and

[1:34:07] that's open to any community member uh members that would like to come. Uh and

[1:34:12] we'll also have this presentation posted on our website uh in the next few days

[1:34:16] as well. Uh but I encourage our community uh I don't want to say those

[1:34:20] dates because I may have them wrong, but they're coming up in two weeks. We have

[1:34:23] a a mailer going out and it will be on our social media. Uh but we invite you

[1:34:28] to come to that. Uh so we happy to share this information and give you a tour as

[1:34:32] well. So, thanks for giving us an opportunity to give a little bit of an

[1:34:35] update uh and some information around measure Z. Happy to answer any

[1:34:39] questions. >> Okay. Any public comment on this item?

[1:34:48] » Well, I thought I was going to say anything, but I guess I am. Uh,

[1:34:50] regarding this measure, I want to ask the board if it if you know elections

[1:34:55] coming up, have you talked to voters about this measure? I have. Voters don't

[1:35:01] agree with this. They're struggling to pay their bills. They're struggling with

[1:35:04] their f with their kids, right? You show a number that said 52 uh dollars going

[1:35:10] up to 93. As somebody that pays a mortgage also, I I don't agree with

[1:35:15] this. Um I agree with modernizing schools in other ways, but what happened

[1:35:20] to 2008? Like you got a lot of you were here when we had a recession where you

[1:35:26] know don't the board plan for years who are the financial people here with

[1:35:31] inflation I mean in 2008 when we went through financial crisis this board

[1:35:36] should have known to plan for 10 years in advance why are we taxing the people

[1:35:41] again that's what they're being they're telling me of course and another thing

[1:35:46] with all due respect um superintendent based on public um records. Your salary

[1:35:53] is quite high compared to our governor. I'm not saying anything about the

[1:35:56] governor. I mean, that's a separate topic, but you know, most families

[1:36:02] regardless of status in Vicelia are struggling financial financially and

[1:36:08] everybody says the same thing. It's not a me thing. It's it's the voters.

[1:36:12] They're saying they don't agree with this bond. So just keep that in mind in

[1:36:16] November because again you know you talk you're trying to sell a bond saying oh

[1:36:21] well we're going to compare with exit and Lindsay and other but here in

[1:36:25] Vicelia all the voters are saying the same thing so why not look for other

[1:36:30] ways of funding this I mean we've gotten grants from the state during co I know

[1:36:35] this we've gotten grants in 2008 what's happened to all that money I mean you

[1:36:40] promised voters I know I voted yes in the first bond

[1:36:44] a new high school and all of a sudden we don't have one. So that's what the

[1:36:47] voters are saying. So you need to respond what happened to the those

[1:36:51] promises that were made, you know, the four election cycles ago since 2008.

[1:36:56] I've seen it on the ballot over and over again. And I have voted yes cuz I'm an

[1:37:00] educator myself, getting a credential, of course. Um and at this point, I don't

[1:37:05] agree with it because it's just promises, promises, but no promises

[1:37:08] kept. And I that's something I would want to respond to the voters. Thank

[1:37:12] you. >> Any other public comment?

[1:37:23] » Just more like two questions. Would you guys at any point considered a

[1:37:29] live priority list of what needs to go what needs to be fixed and modernized

[1:37:36] while we if the bond was approved? So like Redwood meeting and AC unit was

[1:37:43] probably number 11 on your list but moves up to the top. So then that way

[1:37:47] your constituents and parents and know. And then the second one would be I

[1:37:54] believe in your April or May meeting um it was noted that we did not turn in the

[1:37:59] proper paperwork to increase the developer fees. Is there something in

[1:38:03] place to not allow that to happen with how fast Vice is rapidly

[1:38:08] booming in buildings? Thank you. >> Thank you. Any other public comment?

[1:38:16] » Okay. Board member comment.

[1:38:21] » Seeing none. Thank you, Mr. Trump. >> All right. Thank you.

[1:38:29] » Okay. out of the centerpiece for the evening.

[1:38:32] Kyla, you ready? 11.2 fiscal year 20 2526 unodudited actuals report

[1:38:38] administrative business services. Uh Kyla Johnson.

[1:38:42] » Good evening board president Odo, members of the board, Superintendent

[1:38:47] Shrum. We are here tonight to bring you our 2526 unudited actuals for board

[1:38:52] approval.

[1:38:56] There you go. So our budget is a tool to ensure that our resources are aligned

[1:39:00] with our core beliefs and commitments and our strategic plan. It provides the

[1:39:05] resources needed to support student learning and ensure all students can

[1:39:09] achieve at high levels and demonstrate demonstrate continuous growth. So as we

[1:39:14] look back at this prior year of 2526, this financial update provides a picture

[1:39:18] of how these resources were ultimately used and where we ended our year

[1:39:23] financially. It also allows us to reflect on our actual expenditures and

[1:39:27] revenues and ensure our resources are continuing to support the priorities and

[1:39:31] commitments established by the board. So here's our agenda tonight. We're

[1:39:37] going to go through the purpose of our unodudited actuals. We'll do a

[1:39:40] comparison of our general fund revenues and expenditures and then our general

[1:39:44] fund and other fund ending fund balances. And then we'll discuss next

[1:39:48] steps. So our unodudited actuals are district

[1:39:52] prepared financial statements for the period of July 1st 2025 through June

[1:39:57] 30th 2026. It is our final accounting of all of our financial activity for this

[1:40:03] last fiscal year including our financial position as of June 30th 2026. We are

[1:40:09] required by education code to file this with our county office of education on

[1:40:13] September 5 September 15th. And then it's also used by our external auditors

[1:40:18] to prepare our annual financial report.

[1:40:23] And so what does it mean? It tells us if we're living within our means. Are we

[1:40:27] spending more money than we receive? And if we're deficit spending. So this last

[1:40:31] um year we were deficit spending. Um and then also if we were able to meet our

[1:40:37] required reserve for economic uncertainties of 3%. So I'm happy to

[1:40:41] report that we were. And then are each of our districts operating funds

[1:40:45] fiscally solvent? Meaning, do they end the year with a positive ending fund

[1:40:49] balance, which they did?

[1:40:53] And so this is our 2526 accounting and budgetary cycle. This is just to kind of

[1:40:58] give you a snapshot of how long it takes for us for a year. So we actually

[1:41:02] started planning for the 2526 um uh fiscal year back in the fall of

[1:41:08] 2024. And then we are now at September 15, 2026.

[1:41:14] Our next steps is that in December we will bring an audited financial state or

[1:41:18] we will receive our audited financial statements and then in January of 2027

[1:41:22] is when we bring those to the board for approval.

[1:41:29] So this is our general fund revenue. Um, so our main sources of revenue under

[1:41:35] LCFF, uh, or our main revenue sources are LCFF, federal revenue, our other

[1:41:41] state revenue, and other local revenue. So overall, um, we ended the year

[1:41:46] compared to 2425 with a $20.6 million increase. That is primarily from our

[1:41:53] LCFF revenue, which we had a 2.3% COLA. And then we are also funded on our ADA

[1:41:58] 3-year average. We also saw an increase of about $4 million in federal revenue

[1:42:04] and the majority of those funds are for our title funds. And then other state

[1:42:08] revenue, we saw a 7.5 million increase and that is for our expanded learning

[1:42:13] opportunities or ELOP which is ongoing funding. And then we also had um

[1:42:18] learning recovery emergency block grant funds and then also the one-time funds

[1:42:22] which are the student support and professional development block grant or

[1:42:26] spudbug.

[1:42:29] because the state loves acronyms. Um, so our 2526 combined general fund

[1:42:35] revenues, we had 542 million. This is both restricted and unrestricted. Our

[1:42:41] LCFF sources u make up 71% of that. And that is revenue that comes in through

[1:42:47] state aid, our education protection act, and then also property taxes. And then

[1:42:53] our federal revenues make up about 5% of that budget.

[1:42:58] And that's where we have some of our medical reimbursements, our special

[1:43:02] education, and then our title programs. Our other state revenue as I mentioned

[1:43:07] um is um our student our ELOP, Prop 28, lottery, transportation, and that's

[1:43:13] about 17%. And then other local revenues is 7%. And that is usually local grants

[1:43:20] pass through spend.

[1:43:24] And then this is our general fund expenditure comparison. Um this is

[1:43:28] compared to 2425 where we ended the year. So from 2425 to 2526 we did see an

[1:43:36] increase in um salaries and benefits of about $25 million. That includes our

[1:43:41] step and column the negotiated salary increases. And then we also saw a health

[1:43:46] and well health and welfare increase of about 9%.

[1:43:50] We also had an increase in our books supplies and services which was about

[1:43:54] 10.6 million. Um we brought to the board um early spring for some textbook

[1:44:00] adoptions for Amplify. We had Read 180 and then also our dual language um

[1:44:06] expansion that accounts for the majority of that increase as well as services

[1:44:10] that we had related to the ELOP program. And then we also had a little over $2

[1:44:16] million in our capital outlay and that has to do with the cowshape

[1:44:21] grant that we received and um some HVAC improvements that we are doing as part

[1:44:26] of that um grant. And then we also had our district AV um districtwide AV

[1:44:32] project as well. So overall, we saw an increase in expenditures of $38 million

[1:44:37] from our 2425 year.

[1:44:45] And this is our general fund distribution of expenses per dollar. So

[1:44:51] if we take our dollar and divide it up, you can see that approximately close to

[1:44:56] 80% or 80 cents on a dollar goes to salary and benefits.

[1:45:00] Five and a half goes to books, materials and supplies. We have just under 12 and

[1:45:06] a half for services and operations. And then the other which is our capital

[1:45:09] outlay and transfers is just under 4%.

[1:45:19] And this is our components of ending fund balance for unrestricted. So our

[1:45:23] general fund unrestricted revenues were $410 million. Our expenditures were

[1:45:30] 358 and then we had approximately 67.7

[1:45:36] million in transfers and contributions which left us with a net decrease in

[1:45:40] fund balance of 15.7. And so we were deficit spending this last year and um

[1:45:47] primarily that is for LCAP carryover balances that we had this past year

[1:45:51] which was about 5.5 million. The board al also authorized approval of um new

[1:45:57] equipment for our print shop which was just over 800,000.

[1:46:01] Um we also have the payment for our early retirement program that we

[1:46:05] offered. And then also we saw a decrease in revenues for declining enrollment

[1:46:10] which is the $2.9 million. So overall, when you take our beginning fund balance

[1:46:15] of 51.3 million and our net decrease of 15.7,

[1:46:20] that leaves us with an ending fund balance of $35.5 million for

[1:46:25] unrestricted.

[1:46:30] And this is the same slide, but it's for our restricted. So again, our restricted

[1:46:35] um revenues were 132.2 million. We had 220.4 4 million in

[1:46:42] expenditures and then again the cont uh transfers and contributions were 67.7.

[1:46:49] So for restricted funds we had a net decrease in fund balance of $20.9

[1:46:55] million and that again is deficit spending. We

[1:46:58] had 10.4 million in learning recovery which is salaries that we have there. We

[1:47:04] also had the cow shape as I mentioned before for HVAC improvements where we

[1:47:08] were spending fund balance of 3.9 and then we had approximately 11.7 that was

[1:47:13] for the textbook adoptions. So with our beginning fund balance

[1:47:18] 91.7 million with our net decrease in fund balance of 20.9 that brings our

[1:47:24] restricted ending fund balance to $70.8 8 million for 2526.

[1:47:34] And so when you take the combined um bal ending balances that get we are at 106.3

[1:47:40] million for general fund. We have our reserve for economic of uncertaint

[1:47:45] reserve for economic uncertainties just over 6% this year which gets us at just

[1:47:50] under 32.7 million. We have um our LCAP balance carryover site donations. We

[1:47:56] have our revolving cash and our warehouse inventory. And we also have 1

[1:48:01] million set aside for our pension reserve and our restricted balances of

[1:48:05] 70 million. When you take that away, it leaves us with a fund balance of $26

[1:48:10] $26,344.

[1:48:18] And this goes back to our question number three. um our other district

[1:48:22] funds, if they're all uh end the year with a positive ending fund balance,

[1:48:26] which they do, those total 300 300.2 million. So when you add that to 106.4

[1:48:33] for general fund, our total fund balances as of June 30th are $46.6

[1:48:40] million.

[1:48:45] And so um this is our unodudited actual report. Um but we are bringing this

[1:48:50] back. We brought this last month in August as part of our 45day revise. Um

[1:48:54] so when you look at our current year budget, our revised budget for 2627, you

[1:48:58] can see there that um we do have a surplus of 764,000

[1:49:04] um dollars. Um but that is this budget is balanced using one-time funds and um

[1:49:11] fund balance. So when you look at the 2728 um projection, you can see that we

[1:49:15] do have deficit spending and so that is also taking into account the one-time

[1:49:21] funds and costs that we have in there. So we will be back in December with our

[1:49:25] first interim report to bring you an update on our current year budget.

[1:49:32] Um our next steps, we are required to file this with our county off office of

[1:49:37] education by September 15th. They will then send it off to CDE for review. And

[1:49:42] then this fall, we will be begin our work with our external auditors where

[1:49:46] they will do an audit of our financial activity and then submit that to the

[1:49:50] state controllers's office. And then we will be back in January of 2027 to

[1:49:56] present our um audited financial statement to the board for approval. And

[1:50:00] then that is when our 2526 fiscal year will be officially closed.

[1:50:10] That's the end of my presentation. >> Okay. Is there any public comment on

[1:50:14] this item?

[1:50:17] Board member comment on this item.

[1:50:21] Okay. Well, we have a Thank you. And I'll say this. I I wasn't joking when I

[1:50:25] said this is important. This is proof to the public that we use our money

[1:50:28] appropriately and to good ends. So, it's it's a big darn deal. So, with that in

[1:50:32] place, I will make the motion to approve this um item. May I have a second? Okay.

[1:50:38] Second by Naylor, first by ODOT. Call for the vote.

[1:50:47] » Motion carries. Um student board member votes yes, five yes, two absent.

[1:50:53] » Okay. Thank you. 11.3 Exemption from required expenditures classroom teacher

[1:50:58] salaries. presenter is going to again be uh administrator for business services,

[1:51:02] Kyla Johnson. >> Yes. So, as part of our unodudited

[1:51:05] actuals, we have a form in there that is um required by education code 41372

[1:51:12] that requires districts certify they meet a minimum percentage of

[1:51:15] expenditures for classroom salaries and benefits. Um, and since the district did

[1:51:21] not meet this re required 55% for unified school districts, we are

[1:51:25] required to apply for a wa a waiver. And this waiver shows that VUSD has

[1:51:31] equivalent or higher salaries and benefits to other districts that we

[1:51:34] compare um like size and demographics. This is something that has been in place

[1:51:40] for many years and there are a lot of districts that are in the same um

[1:51:43] position and are um requesting waiverss. um more funds that are coming in are

[1:51:48] being spent um for supports in the classroom that are not um that are not

[1:51:52] being performed by teachers but classified um staff. Um there are only

[1:51:56] five districts in our county this last year that met the requirements out of

[1:52:00] the 43.

[1:52:05] » Okay. So, do we have public comment on this item? I do have a request to speak

[1:52:09] by Mr. Patrick Hempill.

[1:52:17] Good evening board superintendent. My name is Patrick Hempill. I'm the VUTA

[1:52:21] president. I wanted to briefly speak tonight uh on in regard to the

[1:52:25] district's waiver request. For many years, we have now fallen below the 55%

[1:52:30] threshold mandated by state law. The easy explanation in most of that time

[1:52:34] was a huge influx of one-time COVID monies that skewed some of our spending

[1:52:37] totals and that money has now been spent. Specifically, however, I have

[1:52:42] comment about our criteria for the waiver we seek, and I quote from the

[1:52:45] waiver, payment of classroom teacher salaries that are in excess of those

[1:52:49] paid by other comparable districts. Here I encounter a couple of wonders. The

[1:52:54] districts we've chosen to compare ourselves to are are very interesting.

[1:52:57] First, Duba Unified, a small local unified district that we slightly

[1:53:01] outpace in compensation. Second, Clovis Unified, a more distant district that

[1:53:06] lacks collective bargaining and has historically been behind the curve in

[1:53:09] compensation. And thirdly, Fresno Unified, another more distant district

[1:53:13] where in the waiver all of the career increments of salary increase beyond

[1:53:17] year 10 are not recognized in the waiver salary claims. The methodology does not

[1:53:21] paint an accurate picture of overall teacher compensation as it neglects

[1:53:25] consideration of increasing teacher longevity increments beyond year 10 in

[1:53:29] the Fresno salary schedule. Though not wholly its intended purpose, I would

[1:53:33] venture to say this small sampling does not truly reflect our status among most

[1:53:37] comparable districts in our local region. Are there more complexities to

[1:53:41] this argument? Surely. And did many schools in our area seek these waiverss

[1:53:45] over the last few years for the same reasons? Yes. But if data after this

[1:53:49] year shows that we are lagging behind other districts and pushing back towards

[1:53:53] that desired 55% mark or we are not truly on par with other districts in our

[1:53:58] region, we must take a closer look at our practices and priorities to ensure

[1:54:02] we remain a competitive district. Thank you.

[1:54:07] » Thank you. Any other public comment? >> Board member comment.

[1:54:13] » Uh yes. Um, I wanted to ask district staff as to why we continuously, you

[1:54:19] know, fall short here. I recognize there's a slight improvement from 50 to

[1:54:22] 52% and yet we still haven't hit the 55% threshold, uh, when it comes to

[1:54:28] salaries. And so, I want to start just with that before I ask my other

[1:54:31] questions. >> Sure. So, Kyla, if you don't mind, jump

[1:54:35] in. Um so as Miss Johnson mentioned really this came out of right the co era

[1:54:42] and what we saw with one-time funding and and many districts as she mentioned

[1:54:46] utilizing because of the variety of additional resources staffing uh

[1:54:52] positions that we are adding to address the learning loss experience coming out

[1:54:55] of that. We're not entirely removed from that necessarily is one of the things.

[1:55:00] But as she mentioned, when you look down into what's included within that number,

[1:55:04] you also are including an expansion of ELOP programming. You're looking at the

[1:55:10] addition of staffing in special education programs. For example, for

[1:55:14] every one of our specialized learning centers, there's three classified staff

[1:55:17] members employed for every one certificated staff member. Um the

[1:55:21] intention is not to remain there. That there's no commitment in that sense,

[1:55:25] obviously. Um and there is growth that we've seen uh and the district's intent

[1:55:29] is always to grow and and be as Mr. Hemp Hill mentioned a competitive employer um

[1:55:35] where we're bringing in you know highquality employees and maintaining

[1:55:38] and retaining really high quality employees that we're paying them a fair

[1:55:41] wage uh for the quality work that they perform in service of our students.

[1:55:46] And so, uh, given that this is specific to certificated staff, I know earlier in

[1:55:51] our presentation, a thank you by the way, uh, we saw that we spend

[1:55:54] approximately 75% um, on on salary, classroom salaries, which includes

[1:56:01] classified employees and administration. And yet, just a few months ago, this

[1:56:05] very same board was considering, you know, layoffs, uh, in which several of

[1:56:09] us, you know, a couple of us voted against. Um so that to me begs the

[1:56:13] question as to whether we are very topheavy uh in terms of administration

[1:56:18] salaries uh andor positions comparable to other districts. I would like to know

[1:56:23] how VUSD compares uh to other comparable districts across the central valley when

[1:56:27] it comes to that um you know allocation of overall funding and and budgets and

[1:56:32] salaries. um simply because in my mind it doesn't appear that you know we're

[1:56:37] not meeting that threshold because we have a lot of classified employees

[1:56:41] considering that we were voting on layoffs just a few months ago. Um am I

[1:56:44] wrong in my assessment that this suggests that we're very topheavy and

[1:56:48] that's why we're not meeting that 55% threshold. So, one of the things that

[1:56:52] we've committed to the board during this school year is to do a staffing analysis

[1:56:56] to look at to answer that very question as objectively um utilizing data to

[1:57:02] inform that decision. Uh so, we we will do that and we will bring back that

[1:57:06] information to the board as we obtain that information. And I know one of our

[1:57:11] uh long-standing goals and conversations has been um you know for us to be within

[1:57:16] that top third of salaries within you know comparable districts and across um

[1:57:21] the valley. Are we currently within that top third? Uh and where where do we

[1:57:25] stand currently? >> So what I believe what you're referring

[1:57:28] to is a um an ongoing collaborative effort between VUTA bargaining teams and

[1:57:35] our district bargaining team. Um we are currently with those comparable

[1:57:39] districts and a specific set of comparable districts. We're not in the

[1:57:43] top third at this time in all areas. We look at that across sort of your average

[1:57:48] salary, your starting wage, longevity. Um it is something we're still working

[1:57:52] working towards. Uh it was a bulk of conversation we spent with uh through

[1:57:56] bargaining with our bargaining uh teams this last year. Um and is a part of that

[1:58:01] conversation that we will enter into as we begin bargaining this October.

[1:58:06] Thank you uh for that clarification and certainly considering we're not meeting

[1:58:10] reaching that 55% threshold um I hope that there is a path forward with our

[1:58:14] partners to to find a solution to getting there um and to reaching goals

[1:58:19] with our partners. Thank you. Any other board member comment?

[1:58:25] » Okay. >> Sorry. And and for those same reasons, I

[1:58:29] will be voting no on this item.

[1:58:36] Okay, I have a couple things. First of all, I appreciate you're doing the audit

[1:58:40] and um if we bring, this is my concern, if we bring our um

[1:58:50] our salaries up to that 55% or um we um get to the top third, which

[1:58:59] I would like to do. I think that's a good goal. um what would be the result

[1:59:04] of that? Would that result in layoffs? Would that result That's my question.

[1:59:09] » Yeah, there there is no magic untapped pot at the end of the rainbow

[1:59:13] unfortunately. So, I don't think I could provide you the

[1:59:17] specific answer because there are many answers to that question. Uh, and it is

[1:59:22] really looking at how we work with our labor partners and through the guidance

[1:59:28] and direction of the board to accomplish what you've set out for us to do in

[1:59:32] service of our students while still making sure that as Miss Johnson

[1:59:35] mentioned that we're funneling resources to those targeted, most appropriate

[1:59:39] areas. The answer is multiffold. It it would mean though that if we spend more

[1:59:44] money in one area, we spend less money in other areas.

[1:59:54] Okay. Any other board member comment? >> I have one.

[1:59:57] » Mr. Bill, >> it still is remarkable that um we

[2:00:01] literally split the difference, if you will. We came up half of what the waiver

[2:00:06] deficit was last year. So that's worthy of note. And the other thing I'm

[2:00:11] thinking is I to be within such a few percent is

[2:00:16] pretty remarkable. especially I'm constantly amazed at the numbers that

[2:00:20] you guys have to work with all the time. Uh so we are making strides to improve

[2:00:25] that waiver difference. Um and with our consulting um that we just passed at the

[2:00:31] last board meeting, we're not just going to be uh doing a personal survey as Mr.

[2:00:37] Dylan has uh literally recognized. We're not we're

[2:00:42] not going to go office to office say are you making enough? Are you making

[2:00:45] enough? uh we are actually have professionals come in and do a thorough

[2:00:51] view and review of every level so that we can have the data that we're talking

[2:00:57] about. We can make a an informed decision u on many levels. So we're it's

[2:01:02] not just let's throw the like I used to do throw the spaghetti on the

[2:01:06] refrigerator and see if it sticks. Um we are actually doing some deep dives in

[2:01:11] all of these things. Miss Koy um in that salary calculation

[2:01:17] are benefits included. >> Okay.

[2:01:24] » Any other board member comment? Okay. Then I may I have a motion for the

[2:01:29] approval of the exemption from required expenditures classroom teacher salaries.

[2:01:37] » I so move. Okay.

[2:01:39] » I'll second. All for the vote.

[2:01:48] Let's see. Did I vote? Okay. So,

[2:01:53] um, student board member abstains. We have four yes, one no, and two absent.

[2:02:02] » So, can I just say something real quick? Sorry.

[2:02:05] » Um, I would like to see us get up to 55. This hurts my heart when we have to uh

[2:02:11] prove something like this. Obviously, we have to because we're here and we can't

[2:02:16] change the facts right now, but I would like to see it improved. I know that's

[2:02:20] one of our goals. >> Mr. Shaw.

[2:02:22] » Yeah. No, I just want to appreciate the board. This item comes up every year and

[2:02:26] and is very misunderstood because of a lot of the nuances about it. Um and I

[2:02:32] think one interesting piece that Mr. through mentioned was the fact that

[2:02:36] we've used a lot of one-time funding uh for our classroom supports. So, uh one

[2:02:42] classroom teacher in a special education classroom, three pair professionals. Um

[2:02:47] and so, as he mentioned, if you move one lever, another lever has to go. Um and

[2:02:53] so I think that's important that people realize the ramifications.

[2:02:57] uh in our current structure, our current size, I believe the only four districts,

[2:03:01] if I'm not mistaken, that met that threshold in Tallery were one school

[2:03:06] districts. In other words, they're a district of one school.

[2:03:10] » Yeah. And I can share Tiller City was at 53.32%,

[2:03:14] Porterville was at 47.5% and then Terary joint was 48.69.

[2:03:20] So we are above two of those three larger districts. So just wanted to

[2:03:26] point out like you know two well one I think that's a very important comparison

[2:03:33] right so it speaks to the work of our labor partners uh understanding this

[2:03:37] information because you know I think you know there are a lot of things that that

[2:03:43] are misunderstood about this but but the ramifications

[2:03:47] would have a dire impact on our staffing um our current level of staffing uh to

[2:03:53] reach that and so I think that's is something everyone needs to understand.

[2:03:57] And then when you look at other districts around us, uh for us to

[2:04:00] already be and I appreciate board member uh Belt's comment about improving and

[2:04:06] with one-time funds diminishing supposedly, uh you know, you know,

[2:04:10] depending on if the state continues to do that, that number will change. Uh but

[2:04:15] as long as that funding is available and and put into hiring classified staff uh

[2:04:19] and others for ELOP that that will continue to be a challenge to reach the

[2:04:23] 55. >> Okay. Any other board member comment?

[2:04:31] How do how do we get the comparable? I mean, who chooses the comparable

[2:04:35] districts? Because you said, you know, some of the schools around us like

[2:04:38] Tallery, they're really low, but yet, you know, we How does that How does that

[2:04:43] pan out? We actually work with the Ter County Office of Education um to do this

[2:04:49] and they actually will um we send the information to them and work with them

[2:04:53] prior to bringing it to the board for approval because they are the ones that

[2:04:57] do approve the waiver. So, we work with them prior to it coming here.

[2:05:02] Okay. So, I'm going to take the last word here. So, it sounds like next time

[2:05:05] this comes around, we need a little more information to see how this actually

[2:05:08] comes about so we understand it better. My sense here is that for years and

[2:05:12] years and years and years we've met this standard. Uh it's an archaic standard,

[2:05:16] but because it's archaic doesn't mean it's not valid still. And because

[2:05:21] funding has shifted to schools, we're out of line. Well, we share a common

[2:05:27] interest in making sure that our folks are compensated fairly and well because

[2:05:30] we want to attract and maintain folks. Nobody here on this board or on this day

[2:05:34] would disagree with that. So, I think what we're what we really bring forward

[2:05:38] in the conversation here is ensuring that we're doing the very best we can to

[2:05:41] pay our people the best we can so they're here for 35 or 40 years for a

[2:05:44] full career. So, and we'll see next year what that looks like. Okay, fair enough.

[2:05:50] Moving on. 11.4 Four, public hearing 4217, energy

[2:05:54] services agreement and adoption of resolution. Um, so it looks like what I

[2:06:00] have to do is open up a public hearing to allow for public comment on this item

[2:06:04] and then it's back to you, Miss Johnson. >> Um, so we are requesting a public

[2:06:09] hearing and adopt adoption of a resolution with site logic for an LED

[2:06:13] lighting retrofit project. This total project cost is approximately uh

[2:06:19] 2,163,36

[2:06:22] and it will be funded through a 0% interest California Energy Commission or

[2:06:28] CEC loan. Um the projected energy savings are expected to offset the cost

[2:06:33] of the project. The proposed retrofit um is to include comprehensive upgrades to

[2:06:40] existing light fixtures to increase energy efficiency, enhance indoor

[2:06:45] lighting, and also ensure compliance with current building and energy codes.

[2:06:51] » Okay. Is there any public comment on this item?

[2:06:56] » Board member comment, >> Mr. Belt.

[2:06:58] » Um, sounds like a win-win. Uh, we don't have to put money out of our own budget.

[2:07:03] we actually are able to have a 0% loan and it will pay for itself.

[2:07:12] Okay. Any further board member comment? Okay. Then I'm going to close the public

[2:07:18] hearing. May I have a motion to approve the 427 energy services agreement and

[2:07:22] adoption of resolution. >> I'll move. Mr. Belt moves. Second.

[2:07:29] Second. Miss Naylor. Call for the vote.

[2:07:37] Motion carries. Student board member votes yes. Five yes to absent.

[2:07:44] » Okay. 11.5. Notice of intent to employ certificated personnel and approval of

[2:07:48] variable term waiver request for CCST certification. Presenter is assistant

[2:07:53] superintendent HRD Ben Dylan. >> Thank you board president Odto. I'm

[2:07:57] requesting that the board approve this waiver for uh one of our teachers who is

[2:08:00] working in our CTE programs. >> Okay. May I have is there any public

[2:08:05] comment on this item? >> Board member comment. Okay.

[2:08:13] Mr. Bur

[2:08:17] just just so you can clarify again to the voters. Um can you clarify like the

[2:08:21] pay rate to where you're going to approve right now? So this isn't

[2:08:27] anchored to a pay rate. So this is about a credentiing waiver, but the pay rate

[2:08:31] is specific to the salary schedule that this position would anchor to.

[2:08:35] » So is this district considering also the cost of

[2:08:41] universities and colleges by any chance? Um, I say this because I looked at your

[2:08:46] website uh on Ed Join and the pay rate for classified employees that work with

[2:08:50] special ed is very low actually in my opinion with a bachelor's degree that's

[2:08:54] $25,000. So, how are we going to compete with

[2:08:57] that? How are we going to compensate? Cuz remember that a lot of your

[2:09:01] employees still have to pay these student loans and we are in a society

[2:09:04] where nothing's free, which is what I hear from you guys. So, you got to

[2:09:08] clarify that to the employees. Thank you.

[2:09:12] Thank you. Okay. May I have a motion to approve the not is there any board

[2:09:16] member comment on this? May I have a motion to approve the notice of intent

[2:09:19] to employ certificated personnel and approval of variable term waiver for

[2:09:23] quests pardon me for CCSD certification? >> I'll move. Yes.

[2:09:28] » Okay. Mr. Belt move. Second. >> Okay. Second, Miss Naylor. Call for the

[2:09:35] vote.

[2:09:38] » Motion carries. Uh, student board member votes yes, five yes, two out.

[2:09:43] » Okay. 11.6. Notice of intent to employ certificated personnel and approval of

[2:09:47] provisional internship permit request. Mr. Dylan,

[2:09:51] » thank you. I'm bringing before you three individuals who are requesting the board

[2:09:55] to approve a PIP or provisional internship permit. Okay. Public comment

[2:10:00] on this item. Board member comment on this item.

[2:10:04] May I have a motion to approve the notice of intent to employ certificated

[2:10:07] personnel and approval of provisional internship permit request?

[2:10:12] Moved by Miss Naylor, second by second, Mr. Belt. Call for the vote.

[2:10:25] Motion carries. Student board member votes yes. Five yes, two absent.

[2:10:29] » Here we go. 11.7. Notice of intent to employ certificated management personnel

[2:10:34] and approval of administrative services credential waiver request. Mr. Dylan,

[2:10:38] » thank you. Uh requesting that the board approve uh this for the administrative

[2:10:42] services credential waiver to allow the individual the opportunity to complete

[2:10:46] their credential program associated with the credential.

[2:10:48] » Got it. Public comment on this item. Board member comment on this item. May I

[2:10:55] have a motion, please? A motion. Okay. Mr. Viegas first. Seconded by

[2:11:02] Miss Naylor. Call for the vote.

[2:11:07] » Motion carries. Student board member votes yes. Five yes. Two absent.

[2:11:12] » Okay. 11.8. Warrant list August 1, 2026 to August 28, 2026. May I have a motion

[2:11:18] to approve the warrant list from August 1st, 2026 to August 28th, 2026. I'm

[2:11:23] going to vote or move for that. Second. [laughter]

[2:11:27] » I'll second. >> Second. Miss Kamoyan. Call for the vote,

[2:11:29] please.

[2:11:35] » Motion carries. Student board member votes yes, four yes, two absent, one

[2:11:40] abstension. >> And with that, this meeting is

[2:11:42] adjourned. Thank you, folks.

Regular Meeting - Sep 08 2026

Transcript