Reader
Browse passages, annotate evidence, and export with full provenance for citation.
Uh now the state uh is releasing and the federal government is releasing uh $2 billion later this year nationally for uh the third round third fourth round of electric bus acquisitions. uh and it's a it's by priority uh school districts the poorest economic districts uh are highest priority along with those that have uh uh uh tribal uh schools uh have a high priority. So, uh, what I have also found is that the further north you go, uh, the less reliable the electric buses are, uh, with regard to battery life, uh, and, uh, in during the day because of the, you know, request for heaters and the time to heat them up and everything else. Uh, we've done several studies where we've shown electric buses are not feasible at all. Uh, and the district has p purchased a propane fleet and are very happy with propane buses.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
Thank you. That was very helpful. Yeah. Typically, you take your cost and if it's uh it's if it's a percentage of students, if you have uh 50/50 most of the time for McKinney-Vento uh homeless uh transportation, that's typically what the split is between school districts.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
So, I'll get you more information on the drone competition, but we're excited for them. That group's coming along. Okay. Does anybody have anything else? No? Yeah, we have a lot to celebrate in this district, so it's I love to share a lot of this. It's good good stuff. Okay, if I hear anything else, motion to adjourn. >> [laughter] >> I'll entertain a second. Second. Second by Lauren. All in favor?
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
59,63,363. Mission you bond expenditure by school type of June 2025. Elementary schools 14,9739,252. Middle schools 8,253,456. Districtwide 15,843 929. Bond total expenditure 38,836,633 $637. Our annual responsibility and financial audit. California Proposition 39 requires annual performance and financial audit on this on the use of general obligation bond proceeds. The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was was audited by an independent certified public account firm in in accordance with the general accepted auditing standards and government governal auditing standard issued by the controller general of the United States. The audit was conducted by and The CBOC reviews the annual external financial audit and one of the quarterly one of our quarterly meeting the audit scope includes financial finan finance bidding procedures and invoices payment in integrity. The CBOC was pleased to see that 53% of the year invoices were audit and project sites were visited to ensure that the district received what he paid for.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
Is there any discussion at this time? And the fact that there's nothing surprising means we owe you some thanks. So, thank you. All right, let's go ahead and vote. Um, all those in favor, signify by saying I. I. Opposed? All right, this passes 4 to 0. Thank you, board. Okay. >> We're going to be moving on to our human resources um part of the evening 9 C1. This is also discussion action regarding resolution 1716-26 elimination of vacant classified positions due to lack of work or lack of funds presented by Megan Allen. Thank you. Um I'm here for these two resolutions. Um basically they're vacant positions and this is position control cleanup. So there's no way in these positions. We're cleaning up so that we can see where we're at on vacancies and being full fully you know staffed. So that's why I'm here.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
Um, you know, or do you do you move graduation the week ahead of memorial or the week after Memorial Day weekend and just always have it that weekend? Um you know the challenge is you know on this you will run into usually a regional um unless you have graduation on a Sunday um you know forever. You just say graduation is going to be on Sunday forever. um then you don't ever have to run into anything or you say no it's always going to be on you know Memorial Day weekend because then at least you have say so at the local level in the sectional because you can say hey we have graduation can we move our sectional game things like that because just like with the basketball sectional actually we went to lunch at Booker for April's birthday um and and Mr. early game was there hosting the sectional lunch with all the ads that were in the sectional and they were talking through can you have bands, can you not have bands, when you do practice times, do we need to move again?
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
Um one of the things that it's been real scary through the years is kids taking hits off of THC vapes then they have reactions from them and multiple times unfortunately I've been working as an administrator where we had to call the ambulance and have a kid picked up. That's scary and it's scary for the parents. It's scary for us and then finding out that well the kid hit the THC bait in our building and and dealing with that. So it's it's a scary world, but you know sticking your head in the sand and acting like it doesn't exist is not the answer. We we need to educate ourselves, need to educate our staff and be a part of these things. And since I mentioned vapes, I will say this because I think parents need to know this kind of stuff. If your kids vaping, they're not hiding it any like the easy to find spots.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
It just does. It's better for families and better for kids. We know that. But again, it's that balancing act of how do we um can we do the work? Brett would tell you, "Yeah, we can do the work." It It's going to require us to to rethink about what we're doing again. Uh I don't disagree with you, Paul. If If you ask me to put a rank order, this is the number one position to me that I'd add back in of all these positions on this list. Um as you can see on the left side, they're unfilled or retirement positions. And I And I think that's important. Uh Mendez is losing three, uh specials teacher, a special education teacher, and a general classroom teacher. That's why I felt I needed to add back that other one in that we had on the 255. Uh well, normally we would fill retirements.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
uh they're an alternative. They're fundable under the EPA uh along with electric buses uh to the extent that you can get qualified to uh be eligible for those grants. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. Any other questions? Seeing none, I will thank you for Oh. Oh, sorry. I totally missed Jenny on there online. Jenny um >> and I'm gonna stop. >> Thank you. That was a great presentation. Thank you. Um I just wanted to know do you feel that what we are charging the uh other districts has been appropriate as well and has it you know increased year-over-year commensurate with other expenses? >> Uh we did not look particularly at what the revenue source was uh in the that went to the revolving account. uh we just looked at the total revolving account. So I I certainly can look at that and and forward an opinion to the uh to the superintendent.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
Uh I would invite you uh if you have questions subsequent to tonight, uh feel free to give them to the superintendent, he'll forward them to me, and we're happy to uh answer any questions. We're local company. We're not far away and we we enjoy uh the work we do. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Really appreciate you. All right. Let me find my agenda. All right. Okay, I think that we are ready to move on to reports of the administration and we'll start with you, Mr. Beckett. Good evening. You have in your packets the budget update as of March 6th. Um I'll say it's all quiet on the western front. We're uh proceeding ahead. Uh believe it or not winding down the year looking at open purchase orders and encumbrances, but you have the status as of that day. Uh and we also have the revolving account report included as well.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
The results of the audit is that the district expended the general obligation parties by the requirement of proposition 39. The significant project that were completed in the year for HVAC projects were completed at Brookree Morell and Noble School. Fire alarm replacement. The replacement was a majestic way in Vincy Park. PA public address system was where it will replace a book tree, Majestic Way, Northwood, Ruskin, Somerdale, and Vincy Park. The alarm replacement and Noble, Summerdale, and Toyan. Puma exterior windows replacement, they were all replaced. Concrete school monument signs, new pre-cast concrete signs for installed at all sites. And with that concludes my report. Thank you for the wonderful report. Are there any comments or questions from the board? >> Thank you for your service, Mel. I appreciate it. >> Thank you always for the presentation. Always good to see you. >> Thank you. >> All right.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
Any questions? Public comment? Okay, I'm back to questions. I just saw something that I didn't ask a question about. Why do we have three vacant custodial positions if we haven't lost buildings or spaces to clean? So what we what we tend to do is we adjust as needed. So we had hired some and then they removed but while they were being removed we hired new positions and we hired them. So we're like exchanging the ones that we hired for for the ones that are being replaced if that makes any sense. So new people we knew So it's not three less people. No, it's not. So people were were in it. We knew they were leaving. New position hire before they go, and then we replace those positions. >> Okay, now I get it. >> There you go. All right. Are we going to be voting on these separately?
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
You know, obviously don't need to do basketball. There's nothing around that time, but the same thing happens in baseball and softball. So, um, and then the other thing, so I I put this kind of spreadsheet together. I like spreadsheets. It's easier. See, I don't have to turn it. Um, >> so I have a question. >> Yep. And this isn't about graduation, but >> um the girls track 519. Is that like preliminary and then they would play after that or is that all happened on that day? Do we know? >> So at the sectional level, they usually have a prelim. Um but that is not in the IHSAA's published dates. I just put was on what whatever IHSA told me. >> I was a finalist. The reason the reason I'm asking is we had a senior parent meeting last night after our thing and there's been a real challenge to try to find a free night that they can have the senior awards.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
I try to be appropriate, but girls hide them in their bras and boys hide them in their underwear. So, just know that that that's the reality of it. And often times they will pass them from person to person. So, we will find out like, hey, so and so we think has a vape. We'll go get that student. Well, they've already passed it off to Johnny. Johnny passed it to Timmy. And so, for or steps behind. Uh, and like the THC baits, they typically like the part that has the actual THC in it is very small and they're very nothing as big as this pin. That's very easy to hide and uh then they will pass along like they may each have their own THC, but they will pass along the part that you screwed onto the top of it so you could actually puff on it.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
Of course we would. >> 100% of the time most of the time. >> would be part of the budgeting process for us because typically, uh and we track this, typically, obviously, when someone retires, they're generally at the highest end of the scale. Right. >> And we can hire someone at a lower end, so there's a cost savings um from a salary standpoint. That's not existing this year. That The The work that we're doing has already taken that into account when we're looking at our our uh reductions for them. Just a quick note in terms of the sped coordinator. I agree with both of you. I think it it it does worry me a little bit taking this out and kind of and thinking and kind of sharing my feedback with you, Jim. I think one of the reasons that I I I didn't necessarily advocate for this position is cuz I was of course thinking that of course that direct impact to the students, but um also thinking through how like you said a couple years ago we added this position.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
>> Thank you. That was very helpful. >> Typically you take your cost and it's a it's if it's a percentage of students if you have uh 50/50 most of the time for Mckin Vento uh homeless transportation that's typically what the split is between school districts. Uh I would invite you uh if you have questions subsequent to tonight uh feel free to give them to the superintendent.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
Uh and just uh not to be alarmed regarding in particular the school lunch revolving account because there are revenues that by the when we were reporting this is just hadn't been posted yet. So, that's in a positive balance.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
Um next up is the superintendence report. Dr. Bontes, >> thank you. We have uh quite a few um recognitions that I would like to acknowledge this evening. Um, first of course, uh, as we, um, heard from our middle schools tonight, um, we have lots of, uh, congratulations and gratitude to our Piedmont community, uh, for the staff, you know, the students, the families, the administration, uh, for earning the 2026 California Distinguished School Award. So, really proud of those efforts. Um, I do like to emphasize how schools earn those recognitions. Um, there's a v variety of criteria and Piedmont Middle School um is recognized for being achievement gap closers which means um the student progress that's being made in different subgroup populations and the advancement that they're showing in their standardized state testing in English language arts and math. But the other thing that I always remind the students, it's not just about doing well on a test, but it's also about that commitment of showing up to school every day, of taking that responsibility for their schoolwork, um having strong character, not getting suspended from school because um as you know, our dashboard, our California dashboard also looks at chronic absenteeism, suspension rates, and all of those things count.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
Do we need to do that separately? Okay. So, is there a motion regarding uh resolution 17 16 20 Madam President, I move approval of resolution 1716-26. All right, is there a second? I'll second that. Okay, we have a motion by member Robinson and a second by member Lando.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
We always do it in the evening and I know they've struggled because we have stuff scheduled on every night. The 22nd is the last day of school and we're having our sunset dinner that night for the seniors, but they were going to do it in the afternoon that day. And some of the moms are really I don't really care either way, but some of the moms are really wanting to have it in the evening and like we've done for several years. But anyway, on the schedule, the 2 the 23rd Saturday shows girls sectional at 5:30 at night cuz I said we'll move our sunset dinner to Saturday, but it said girls sectional >> on Saturday night at 5:30 to Tuesday. That probably is a prelimin, isn't it? >> That may be the one then. >> But why would they have it at 5:30 on Saturday night?
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above