Any discussion? I have a question. I I asked this uh prior to the meeting to the superintendent, through you to the superintendent. Is anyone on this uh agenda tonight? any appointments, any position changes, or any hires related to anyone that sit on the DES. Thank you, Miss Bassford. Uh, no, not to my knowledge. Thank you. Okay. Anyone else? Okay, roll call. Mr. Shash, Miss Bassford, yes. I'm explaining on my name only on P28. Mr. Yes. Mr. Mia, yes. Mr. Ciano, yes. Miss Wararez, yes. Vice President Santiago, yes. Abstain on P28. My name only and P29. President Baris. Uh yes, but abstaining on C28, my name only and C29. Motion carries. Thank you. Okay. Under D, finance facilities. Uh looking seeking a motion to approve items 1 through 10. Motion. Motion by second. Commissioner Mahia, seconded by Commissioner Brunak.
And what I'm getting every day is just people wanting stability and knowing what's happening for their students and their families. I know that the work that we do every day, regardless of the decision you make tonight, will be for the best interest of staff and students. And we will continue to make sure that the engaging, the comprehensive, and the experience that our kids get is not only fiscally responsible, but educationally sound and supports their needs. and we will figure out how to make it happen because that is what Greenfield educators do and we want decisions that'll at least lead us in a direction where there is not such instability and people can feel that we are supporting them. Member childs. So, speaking as a parent of a Greenfield student, um I am comfortable with the fifth grade at the middle school, even though fifth grade going to the middle school does seem scary.
You can come back. Please, sir. You're deep in Anaheim. Mr. Hernandez supports this argument. He went to Anaheim. He wants to beat us. You want to beat us. You can't beat us by running. Please take that into consideration. I'm very serious. It's important. Thank you all very much for your time. Bye-bye. Thank you. Next, superintendent and staff report. Yes. I have a quick announcement. Uh, everybody be on the lookout for a special press release announcing a partnership with Minecraft. AUHSD will be the first district in the United States uh with this partnership in Minecraft to have every single one of our schools built out. It's using the community school construct and we will be uh our teachers are excited about that and having our students uh look at challenges and problems and focusing on solutions uh through this world of Minecraft. So, we're really excited about that.
That was me, by the way, sir. And I and only receive five days suspension because the administration doesn't want to send the student to manifest determination is asinine. Having an IEP for a learning disability does not give a student the right to put their hands on anybody else, including an adult. In my opinion, that student should have been up for expulsion. If it were you as a former law enforcement officer or any police officer for that matter, that student would have been charged with battery on a police officer and the consequences more severe. What makes me different or what makes me different? Hold on. I lost my spot. What makes me different or any of my many co-workers who have been recently assaulted. We are extremely sick and tired of it. We didn't ask for this and we certainly don't deserve it. Maybe it would be a good idea to instruct the district district to have administrators show more of a presence on campus instead of always in their office during c crucial times such as lunch, passing periods, recess, and dismissal, especially at middle and high schools.
Any discussion hearing? None. Roll call. Mr. Shahada. Miss Bassford. Yes. Mr. Bruniac. Yes. Mr. Mia. Yes. Miano. Yes. On F9 facilities for the Power One LLS event. Uh F10 bills claims. We have the Center for Family Resources checks 221657. Uh the Clifton Times 221594 and Tomahawk Promotions 221868. Got it. Mr. Wares. Yes. Vice President Santiago. Yes. Abstain on F10. Invoice 221761. President Paris. Uh, yes. With abstension on F10, check number 221761. Perfect. Motion carries. Thank you. We're up to board member comments. And I believe we're up to Commissioner Mahia. We would have been up to Dr. Danny, but she's not here this evening. All right. Um, thank you for everybody for coming out tonight to give their explanations on why we should either increase or decrease um, the taxes for this upcoming fiscal budget. Um, thank you to Dr. Gucha Love for that amazing presentation.
And I'm comfortable from experience for the same reason why I wish eighth grade would move back to the middle school so that he could stay there longer. Um, so that I do find a little sad from a personal note, but the amount of labor that we would be asking teachers to do if they're going to move now and then next year move again and possibly year after that move again, that's not sustainable from teachers that we already ask so much from. Um, so I'm sad that we can't move the fifth and eighth grade back and have the plan cost the same as it would if we're not moving them right now. So numbers and heart are at war for me here. You other questions or comments? Secretary Dunive, I was just curious about the um job losses that we discuss we discussed at the last meeting.
Look at the watch for next week, early next week a uh press release u in partnership with Minecraft. I have a few updates. A couple of my updates were shared earlier during some of the um the union report, so I won't repeat myself there. Um but I do want to say uh a big shout out and thank you to our team and to the teachers in the district and the counselors and classified staff. Stema Palooa was another great success this past weekend. I specifically want to thank Allison Conrad and Charles Q. I don't think Charles here, but I think there's Allison. Uh their leadership and helping to put the or the event together, which as you can imagine is pretty massive. It's the district showcase. Also want to thank Jeff Aa did provide uh the taco lunch for our employees across the district on on on Saturday.
I have strong ties across the school system, including a snowline board member who once attended the church where I minister. No other district in our area has the same level of discipline issues as Apple Valley Unified. In my opinion, this has more to do with prioritizing average daily attendance over student discipline. Here are some perfect examples of that. During the recent wildfires, most districts, if not all, closed due to their air quality concerns, except Apple Valley Unified. When an entire school site lost power for an entire day, most districts would cancel school except Apple Valley Unified. When heavy rains or moderate snow causes flooded roadways or black ice make the travel extremely unsafe for staff, students, and their parents, most school districts have and would cancel school, not Apple Valley Unified. Should I provide provide more examples? I can dig up an email which pretty much made the staff feel like we are nothing but glorified babysitters.
I do agree. Um, I wish we could, you know, use the space, the extra space that's being used. I wish we could probably, you know, move some of the preschoolers in there, but I know we can't do that, you know, to use much of the space as we can. Um, because I want to fully use that entire building. But I know we can't really do that. Um, I do know one of the former board of education presidents and former council councilman came up here and he said something that stuck with me and I agree wholeheartedly with it. It was a short-term gain for a long-term pain. And I know I always bring this up year after year after year. And people always call me out saying you can't keep on talking trash about the former board of education members and administrators, but you know, it's true.
It Maybe I don't have them correct, but if we do the redistricting that we have planned with the budget cut in place that we're faced with, we would lose 19 jobs, right? As opposed to 25, but you're using more of your savings reserves because you needed the additional teachers at the middle school. So, you're not comparing apples to apples, but in order to run the plan, you did need additional teaching staff. Okay. All right. I just wanted to make sure that I understood that. Okay. Other questions or comments? Yeah. So, just for the for the audience watching in the room and the audience listening at home, um we school committee members did have access to certain budget implication information that was not presented tonight in our in our files because the reasons that I were given was because it might change and because it is of a sensitive nature.
So thank you. Um what what I what I didn't hear was uh on Monday uh this upcoming Monday the 14th it will be our 33rd color and light show the 33rd annual color and light show at the downtown community center. So I'm hoping you all can be there to celebrate our students and our teachers who are actively engaged in the visual arts. It's a great way to celebrate our students. And then uh lastly, I just want to share I did speak to the student who walked out um after she spoke and and we are working with Miss Brown uh the principal at Cypress. We are working to do with Groundswell an affinity group um with our Muslim American and Arab-American students to really gain from their perspective what their experience has been like with Miss Brown and another teacher leader um in that session. So then we can begin to brainstorm with intention how we can better support and create a better and a safer environment.
If you read it, you would probably feel the same way. So again, I ask you, why is it that assault and battery on staff is happening at a higher rate in Apple Valley than it is compared to other districts? President Sabers and I will be working close together on this issue as we have recently with our health and welfare because we will not put up with this and neither will our members. I would like to remind you you are an elected official President Ro. It is your duty to support your constituents. You took an oath and we expect you to uphold it. Thank you Mrs. Oak Para, Miss Buchanan, Miss Tucker, and Miss Longshore for your support and commitment to keep our staff safe. President Ro, when can we expect to have yours? I don't know what the solution is, but it's not my job to figure it out.
You know, a hole was dug. we try to fill that hole and now it seems like the hole is just going to be unfilled to where it was a couple years ago and it sucks that that's the way um our current political climate is and the way just economics just works in general. Um but he is completely right that 0% for about six years really messed up the way our fiscal budget um is presented and I wish you know someone could go back in time and tell the board of education at that time that hey 0% is going to mess you up at least vote a 2.3%. Um and you know I hate to say it but it it comes to the point where the burden just becomes too much. You see that hey we need to raise it a little bit just to keep us alive bas just to keep us breathing but at the same time you see everything going up.
I.e. it talks about you. Unfortunately, not you personally. I don't think that it talks about any of you who are in the current room, but um that it would be painful to for you to see. Um so I just wanted to you to know that that we are not making this decision out of nowhere. We all did see certain financial information. I do wish that it had been here knowing even that it would have been hard. It still seems more transparent that way for me from my perspective. Um, and so again, we we I want to be clear from you all that neither one of these choices saves us money because we are being cut a certain dollar amount no matter which way we decide to go. Um, and I also want to say that of when you hear 25 jobs lost, I need you to know that that is unit positions.
So those kinds of things that we just heard um are not happening. The other thing I I think it's important to share is um as a civic engagement district, one of the things that I'll fault with Miss Brown is we have teachers across the district that bring in local issues that kids bring up in the classrooms. But again, the expectation with civic engagement is that the teachers and the staff, we are not imposing or even sharing our own beliefs. Our job is to teach the students the skills how to navigate whatever that issue or topic might be within civic engagement. So, they're empowered to take their own position with the data they collect to back their position. So, we shouldn't be influencing um our position or our thoughts with our students. Um so, I just want to share that as a as a reminder. Uh and we'll work with Miss Brown on that reminder as well.
That is the district burden. So, give them the instruction to do what it takes to protect our people. We deserve better. We deserve to feel safe. Thank you. JC Scott, president of CSEA, Apple Valley, Chapter [Applause] 828. Up next is Karen Sabers from Abuda. [Applause] technical difficulties so I had to bring a computer. Good evening, Superintendent Nelson, board members, cabinet, and audience. I want to thank everyone who once again came out to show support and solidarity and those watching online. After the last board meeting, I was approached and asked if I would listen to some advice. I told the person, "I'm always open for advice." This person brought to my attention that I only ever say teachers and do not say counselors. I explained that I was glad to hear their perspective and didn't realize this because when I say teachers, I'm thinking of our entire bargaining unit, which includes counselors.
You see all the costs going up and you don't see salaries moving up at all. So it's I like to say it's a moral and ethical dilemma. You want to say what's right and what's wrong. Um, but it just depends on everybody's self- view of it. And like I keep saying over and over again, I wish things were a little bit different. Um, no hate, but you know, board of educations three years ago, you know, shame on you. Thank you. Okay. Good evening. First, I want to thank Lamar for the student representative report. I appreciate the time you've taken to keep us informed. I want to thank Jannina for that thorough presentation. A lot of people were asking questions. I think you answered a lot of them with that. I want to extend my gratitude to tonight's speakers for their valuable contributions. Um I also want to take a moment to acknowledge the significance of April as a month of awareness and celebration.
That is not you sitting in this room. These mean that some positions are going unfilled, which means you might not be getting the support you desperately need, unfortunately. But it is not as if we are turning 25 people out um away from employment out on the streets. So, I just I really want to be clear about that with you all. Um it doesn't make the job any easier because we know that you need that support. Like we know that we wouldn't have been asking for those positions. We would not have them in our budget if we didn't need them. Um but unfortunately we are going to have to go without uh for certain for certain positions in order to make this budget tenable. Um, it seems to me that we're either damned if we do, damned if we don't, um, in either direction, but one of them uses up more of our savings that we might be able to use to cushion for the future, um, and potentially stave off further losses.
So, thank you so much. No report. No. I just want to congratulate the transportation department uh for receiving the RO recognition last month. It was um very exciting to be there with them. So last summer uh ROP approached uh the transportation department spec specifically in the mechanics uh shop to have six students uh intern them during the summer and the kids were in the gear and they did everything and um the goal is to have more students interested in that field when they finish um school from here. So I do want to thank ROP for that partnership and thank you RP for recognizing our U department for doing that that this amazing work. So thank you. Thank you. No. Yeah. Just two quick uh quick announcements. Final LCAP gathering is on Thursday, April 24th. So, we'd love to see you all there, including all of our folks out um here and those all watching virtually.
So, I'd like to take this time to apologize to the counselors and promise to get better at this. I would first like to invite board members to the CTA schoolboard member training on Wednesday, April 23rd. It is a virtual um event and I'll have to email you the flyers as obviously my printer was not wanting to connect to the internet. Um the topics include working with your local teachers, how to read a schoolboard budget, the Brown Act, and they will have a question and answer session. So I'll send those to your ABUSD email. At the last board meeting, I shared data about extreme behaviors, disruptive behaviors, violence, and threats our members and students are encountering every day. Honestly, I was taken aback when a board member asked, "What do you expect us to do about it?" I didn't have a quick answer at that moment, but I do now.