So, I went to Price and we spoke about the CPS framework and we talked about all the programs that AIM offers, the dual enrollment pathway, the pledge, the partnerships with um North Orange County Community District. And so, we talked about those things and this this meeting was a little bit small. I think we need to do a little better job of advertising it because there's only two parents, but the last one I had um two weeks ago, I believe, that one had like 10 students and parents. 10 parents and so we're definitely having the opportunity and we're going to have more of them but I think we need to do a better job advertising them. >> Are they recording those? >> They're not but they do have um QR codes to ask questions afterwards and I talked to the principal about having that advertised >> and then are we expanding to the other districts too >> because I know we've done it I know the ambassadors have done it for Anaheim Elementary.
Possibly, it's referencing the board member responding with obvious facial expressions and audible scoffs repeatedly right here in open session. a direct violation of our board bylaws and governance handbook. Or what about the two board members even proposing this public reprimand tucked neatly inside resolution 252609 because before we adopt it, we definitely need some clarification on this. It is our job to be accurate and informed, actively listen to the community, respond in ways that reflect and benefit them, not in defense of our very best friend or professional connection. Last month, our certificated staff issued a very decisive vote of no confidence. The people who instruct our students and guide them every day have spoken. Three have sat as leadership on this dis following this administration giving direction to pay contractors taking steps to build a stadium while hiring staff with temporary funds and spending down our limited reserves.
>> Yes. So actually as part of my transition I've been meeting with all of our feeder superintendents. So, we're working on a plan to not only have our students present to sixth grade students, but also things that we can do with our families and parents. Um, so there's actually quite a few other programs that we're working to build and integrate more intentionally with our feeders because, as you know, we serve five feeder elementary schools. Our largest being on elementary, but we have five feeders. So, we're really trying to be more intentional with how we work with our families and how we bring students uh as part of that feeling like it's a K12 district even though we're a 712. >> Dr. and thank you for making this very understandable for the average lay person like me. So, I just really appreciate it. >> Thank you.
Not because they understood the numbers but because they were told to do so. Over 400 new staff positions were added in four years with an increase of just 300 students. This was not corrected with the board approved plan last month. Whatever is motivating us to turn a blind eye needs to be checked. I feel a false narrative has been perpetuated through reports. Money shifting between funds unexplained. One month looking at the bare bones of our reserves after the classified AB1200 and now in the second interim report we are three years fully solvent. Why negotiations were grueling? Because we failed to do our job. Management classified were given a 9.5 to 10% ongoing raise respectively in both salary and benefits while certificated staff was offered a total of 6.7 through the 2526 school year. Following the lead of this administration, we offered 3% less to our teachers and counselors than the other bargaining units received.
>> Yes. Thank you, Nancy. A great presentation. Uh I do would want to give um um Dr. Frerieded another chance to talk about expand further on the declining enrollment. Um and really just uh briefly talk about the causes of declining enrollment and then briefly talk about all the efforts we've been making probably since 2014. >> So I'll talk briefly about some of the causes of actually MissWan begin and then I'll fill in what what what uh either or she doesn't cover. But for causes what we have seen uh for the most part um so what people may not know is when I was the assistant superv 11 years ago at that time um I would spend days meeting with families who were wanting to leave the district when I first transitioned in that role and matter of fact it got so big that a lot of our ed staff directors I know Mr.
Let's be clear, the rates for all employees equals roughly $10 million in ongoing cost. Only $2.7 million of that increases for teachers and counselors. All while we cut site support staff, riffs and raises, try as they may to connect them, these are separate issues. We are pink slipping because we overhired, utilizing temporary funds. These riffs are not happening because we've had a significant drop in enrollment, not because we've lost federal dollars, not because we've given raises, but because we overhired 400 positions roughly for an increase of 300 students. Let's be honest, we cannot keep doing this. It is only a matter of time before we have to face bigger storms. We are not prepared. I've offered facts and nothing more. If you don't like what they say, great. Neither do I. Let's do something different. For those here, I have provided copies to your representative.
Ko was one of them along with a few others we also I had to have them meeting with families because they were wanting to leave. I'm proud to say that as I was finishing my work in service before I transitioned, I think I probably met with a total of three or four families total. Um, so it's really dropped off in terms of families wanting to leave. I think you can see from our declining enrollment, we've actually declined at a slower pace in some of our other districts because of the work around our pathways and I'll have MissWan talk about that, but we have seen that we have had families leave like Orange County because of the cost of living. Um, we have seen folks leave the state for for those reasons. Um, housing is very expensive. Uh, we've also seen from our feeders, and I know Dr.
Please see them for that copy. For those online, it is both on my Instagram, Longshore for Schoolboard 2024, and Facebook, Longshore for AV schoolboard 2024 accounts. If you weren't able to get that, email me at my district email and I'll provide you that information. ABUSD does not have much in savings. I'll pass it down. We have managed to save only 53 million over the years. You heard me right. 10 million of that is alone. So on your paper you'll see 63 million but roughly 10 million of that is alone. Compare that to the 230 roughly 230 to 244 million saved by each neighboring district. Knowing we've spent such a significant amount of money. Shouldn't it show in student test scores, in teachers wanting to come to our district? in not having to issue riffs or actually building a stadium for Granite Hills High School because 100 roughly 176 million difference is nothing to scoff at.
McGllis knows this as a former trustee for Anime Elementary, the reality is families are just having statistically less students um or kids. Um, >> having two kids myself, they are very expensive. So, um, I do know that that um it's a it's a that's one of the factors that's we're also seeing is less students are just metriculating up because the elementaryaries are seeing less kids. The elementary schools did get a TK program which is why they didn't feel the hit as bad as the secondary districts because they had that that buffer. But I'm going to turn over to Quan who will talk about a lot of the efforts that we've been doing and I'll fill in if there's anything else that I that she doesn't say. >> And and also point out this is not our district alone. You said Orange County, but this is statewide.
We need to know where did this money go. The people are watching. They want to know if you can do this job, if you're willing to do this job. Because overseeing the education and care of our kids is a huge responsibility. We need people who are both able and willing to step up. Learn basic accounting principles and expect our staff to explain any shifting of funds in a way that makes sense. We have not listened to the input of our community. We have turned a blind eye to egregious manipulation of numbers to spin a narrative. We have voted to reduce essential sight and classroom supports and are still deficit spending. Again, which board member are we publicly correcting? I asked questions and have been ignored, expected to wait months for clarification. Should lawyers be paid to come to after board members or answer staff related questions or a board member denied clarity before a vote?
>> Yeah. >> Statewide. Yeah. It's all over. >> Um so we have many processes in place. When the students are in our system and they ask to leave the district, we definitely go through a robust process in which the principal reaches out and does a intake form or exit exit form. um so that we that we can understand why they might want to leave and have an opportunity to talk about what we offer. And oftentimes our principles are very successful in um helping that student and family find a home in one of our in one of our systems. Um uh we talked about some of the vertical articulation that we're having with our elementary districts with our pledge presentations. We are expanding those um beyond Anaheim Elementary. We're also um working with our elementary districts and um having vertical articulation in certain programming. Um sometimes they're very difficult, but something like Korean dual language immersion.
This district is funded with taxpayer money. I ask the public, do you like the decisions that are being made here on your behalf? As board members, we are tasked with oversight, but the public elects its leaders. As it stands, this board, three strong, is closing its eyes, digging its heels, supporting and perpetuating a broken system. All in the service of whom? Do not be deceived. This is not the calm after, but the eye of a storm, a very decided point in time. May we find the strength to rise. Thank you. >> Anita Tucker. >> Good evening. I was really excited to hear that Granite Hills boys won today. So that and the students comments earlier probably the highlight of this meeting for me. Um I also was able to see Granite Hills High School Theater Department's excuse me presentation of the importance of being earnest.
If there's something that's already in our elementary feeder program, we are working hard to see if there is a way to continue to expand that program in our secondary setting. Um we also ma many of our major uh large community engagement events like our college and career fair, the biggest one in the nation. Uh we also in the galaxy we also have our um our transfer office there. um so that as we have families joining us that we can um help them find a place in our district and then the transfer office is already there for them to um support with that decision. Um actually CVA is also a program that is attracting many students from outside the district. I believe they are officially over 10% of their overall enrollment which is about 350 students is from outside of our district. Um lastly, Eric Greenwood and his team is doing um a lot of deep dive into the data to give us information of on students whose address is in our um attendance area but maybe not attending one of our schools.
This production was extremely well done and I totally enjoyed seeing the talents of our amazing students. I also appreciate the hard work from our teachers and staff who support our students. And tomorrow I look forward to attending Mr. Sunundevil and cheering on Effie and our other Apple Valley High School gentlemen who are competing. Tomorrow it's employee appreciation day. I know that we honor our certificated and classified staff in May. However, this day allows us the opportunity now to pause and express our thanks and gratitude for the hard work and dedication of all our employees. We recognize the unique perspectives and talents all of our staff bring to our district and to remind them of how much they are valued not only as professionals but as individuals. In March, we honor Women's History Month. And Sunday, March 8th, is International Women's Day. And this year's theme, rights, justice, action for all women and girls.
And so that level of data is um much more difficult to get because if we have students that didn't come into our system to begin with, but Eric Greenwood and his team is giving us some great data that we can um have with us so we can make better targeted outreach efforts. >> I have more if you want it. >> Can I ask a question related to that? Uh because prior to being on this board, I was on Anaheim Elementaryaries. >> Uh one of the biggest things that I had to decide along with that board uh was uh Palm Lane Charter School, which cost our district almost about $8 million. >> Right. I know next year Magnolia Charter School, Magnolia Charter School will be opening. Have we guesstimated? I know we don't know how many students plan on attending that, but has that been calculated uh in a possible what's the worst case scenario, best case scenario if we lose kids to Magnolia uh charter school?
As we look at the historic struggles, achievements, and milestones that women have made throughout history, I hope we can all work together to continue to support, encourage, and uplift uplift the women in our lives. Thank you. >> Thank you, Maria Akara. >> Thank you so much. Um it's always a pleasure to uh come to this meetings and to um show gratitude to the children uh that we serve. uh they came in in mass last um hour and they presented to us and I I have to say I was truly truly um honored um to be of service to those children uh because that that's why the lights go on and that's why um we show up every day to service those students. Um I am I have to say that I am I'm pleased that we finally came to an agreement with for the teachers uh and now I'm hoping that we will begin the journey of healing uh because a lot has happened and uh as a a former employee of this district and a current uh friend of uh quite a few of the people on on staff, I do hope that healing will begin.
>> Well, so because right now we the way we're funded right now um is based on um three-year averaging for our data. So if we drop a little bit, it should be okay for that. But then it's like the impact though will be so it's because based on three you're averaging. So then in year two you're going to feel a little bit more and then year three you'll feel it more. So um that's and I we I think once we know like once kind of next year hits and we'll know I mean we we build room in our budget already at this point so that um if there's a drop our budget should be able to handle that. So there's there's room in the budget for that. >> Dr. Yes. >> Um, couple other things that we're doing that I think is worthy of sharing with with not just the board but our community.
Uh I do hope that we'll begin uh the process of um looking at each other and treating each other um like relatives. We don't all have to enjoy being on the same dining room table, but we do enjoy the fact that we could be related. And so um my hope is that now that we have reached that point and we have arrived at a decision that we will um cut out the um the fingerpointing and begin to heal as a district because we have a job to do um to benefit the children that we service. Um if the house is not standing um any any kind of wind is going to blow it away. So, we do hope that this house will stand. I do hope that this house will stand. I do hope that we will still break bread um as um as a family.
Um, you know, you heard this earlier today the the work that we're doing around school redesign and school transformation. So, we're creating opportunities for students that um in many other districts around us don't yet exist because we're really thinking uh about how we can transform schools to really impact schools with a rapidly changing world. And so, that has been an attractive point for a lot of our families and and and students as well. We've learned from the work that we did with Collider a number of years ago that helped us with our our district branding, the unlimited U. Um that the parents um often drive a lot of the decisions in terms of where their students go. And I would match our parent engagement uh work to any district across the country in terms of how we not just engage our parents, but we empower them.
That's what this district is all about. Uh and so um I don't want to belabor anybody by fingerpointing, but I do want us to move ahead. I need us to be able to find the common ground to be able to service everybody in this district. um and to find ways um to show respect and dignity to each and every one of uh the people that are working under us. Um I I do hope um when I listened to the children that came in um last hour um I was filled with hope. I was filled with joy. I was filled with um the excitement that comes with um being a a product of this district. This school was my school. I was here. I thought here. Uh and so when I I see the children, it brings back those wonderful memories that we um we have about why we are all in here.