Approving your contract um you know is it actually and it it does there something that we need to do to look at to see I I And again if it's just history and that's just what it is then okay, but I think I really really truly trust what you have done so far has been phenomenal. To see this in a report made me kind of think okay maybe I'm not seeing something that um we're not able to help you with. That's the main reason for asking about that. So is there something that we need to do to make sure that you have X amount of whatever. I mean I I and only because I felt like we had a really good stronghold on what those routes were doing, the amount of bus drivers, the bus drivers that you bring in to actually help service those miles.
I don't I don't I don't know how that equates to um us paying overtime to employees. But again maybe I get operations, why they would have overtime. If they're understaffed and they can't, you know, there's there's things that they need to take care of. We're expecting that. Um to me, transportation is understandably our biggest expense because of our geography. But when overtime came into play, I'm thinking, "Okay, well what are we missing that we're not seeing when it comes to that?" And if it is just up at 4:00 a.m. doing your route, adding an extra hour every day for 35 employees, then then I'd like to see where we can work on how that's going to be minimized to something. >> And let me just just say that this is why I believe it's a a board policy and not really a transportation department policy.
Correct. The way that you can redo that reduce that, because your your geography is so large, is you can reduce that geography. You can choose not to send buses into certain communities and have the parents transport their children closer in so that it reduces the amount of time that the driver is on the road. That's a board decision because we're here to serve. If you tell us to pick up children, we're going to go get those kids regardless of where they are in the community. If it's a fiscal consideration for the board to say, "You know what? It's costing us too much in overtime to go pick up those children and we need to reduce the area that we serve," that's going to eliminate that overtime, but that's not a decision that as your director I should make for you. That's a board decision. Do you want those children riding on the bus to come to school or you going to trust the parents to transport them and get them to a closer stop?
Or do you want the bus to go get them? >> As far as I know, we only run on the blacktop, which to me are pretty much main arteries for the the communities. We used to run directly into the communities, which drew a lot more from us. I think we're doing a a bit on that end. But I think for the sake of the decision-making power, if the recommendation and what we're asking and you can provide that information, then I am asking you to provide an Hey, this is an option if you guys want to reduce overtime, here's what you can do. I don't do transportation. I'm asking you as the director to help me understand what transportation is so that I can make a decision as a board member. Sure. Um Ms. Hendrix. No, I just wanted to add that I think one of the key things to this is that because of the 35 or 30, whatever, uh staff members that you have in transportation, the key thing is the certified drivers.
They have to be certified in order to do those routes. And if you they're not certified, then obviously, they're having to do, you know, longer runs and more time. But, they have a limited amount of time that they can do that. That's That's the thing I was making the point earlier. >> That's it. And so, I don't know I know at one point we were trying to get people certified. I don't know if that's a thing that we're we're doing still. Yes, so certification is still required. The 35 employees include your directors, assistant director, office manager, your dispatchers, your aides. So, everybody is lumped into that total student or that employee pool for the department. So, to operate the school buses, they do have to be state certified. They still have to have the CDL, they have to have the 14 hours of classroom, 20 behind the wheel, they have to have the uh the clearance card, they have to have a physical performance test, they have to have first aid CPR.
So, there's a lot of steps that they have to have in order to be actually operate the bus. We don't have extra drivers. I mean, we have enough drivers to cover our our 19 routes. And that's because we're we've still brought people from outside of the community that are willing to come and help serve. We're constantly advertising. We are participating in all of the job fairs. Uh Ms. Meeks has been very uh helpful to us in inviting us to participate in any place where we can recruit for additional drivers. But at at some point, even if you have another driver, if your if your route is already 9 hours, it's going to be I mean, you're out and back. And I've done my very best to try and streamline those. So, those routes are not having to pick up stuff here locally. They shoot out, pick up kids, and come back to try and reduce the amount of time that the children are actually riding on the board.
You may recall at the last retreat, we were able to reduce our students' ride time by over 10 hours a day that they weren't sitting on buses. And and so, that's the model that we're still using. And we can look at the app. We do have that. You can look at the times of the stops. And I would specifically look to those four longer routes. You know, it's just going to be very difficult to make changes to those that aren't going to impact our students and their families. And and so, when I I can demonstrate that to you, you can review it. And then as a board, if you want to say, "Hey, look, you know, we're not going to go to uh Wawa or Piscataway or you know, we want to reduce our service level." Then that's a decision that you can instruct me on then how you wish for me to proceed.
Um I think the the the other thing that I wanted to request is Ms. Ms. Hendricks brought up a good point. Um I think moving forward, definitely like to see what the efforts are in training. Um where they are, if there is individuals currently in the process of of attaining their their CDL to be able to operate um buses or at least help support the bus need bus driver need. And um addition to that the uh yeah, I guess the the report on when we're going to see the app be um active. I think we've been getting reports that it was coming, it was coming. We told families, parents, people um and it still hasn't been done. So, we're going to go into a new school year could have been a good opportunity to actually start to roll out and do what we need to and if that's Aaron's fault or if that's whoever's fault then let's put it back on the table and get it done or or figure out what we're going to do with it.
I think it's going to help us be accountable. Um and anything that we can do to be accountable for expenses like this then then absolutely let's make sure that it's done. Uh I don't I don't again I don't think that you and your uh capabilities um have not gone without immense like gratefulness for for what you've been able to do. But I think the in addition to that I want to make sure that the I guess overall um uh responsibility that we have is also taken into consideration when it comes to seeing a report, wanting to get information and not uh being treated as though well that's your job, you guys do that. I think that that's not what we're here to do. The the the the request was because of um the concern. And if we're not going to we're not going to raise concern when it comes to those types of things, then >> [clears throat] >> for sure we would have a much bigger issue on our hand when it comes to what this board is actually doing and how it's doing it.
So, I don't mean to to make you feel any way other than this is this what I feel like we need to be able to have a conversation about, figure out what we're going to do. And you know what? I don't I don't see us stopping serving the Donahoe the nation for what we have done so far. So, let's try to find an avenue on which we can kind of find some kind of solution. Um I don't know what that is because I don't know I don't know what it what what it would take. Um Is it more routes? Is it more bus drivers? Is it harder? I don't know. So, I guess that's where I'm leaning on your expertise to be able to kind of give us some uh uh better view. Um on how we can uh be helpful. So, Mr. Diaz. Uh President Mundy, um members of the board, um I do see the need of a little bit more clarity, and I'll be more than happy to collaborate with my director of transportation.
Um there are options. There are multiple different options that we can explore. Um I see the need of having an impact statement. Um and if we do this, what would be the impact? Um if our goal based on on on the recommendations that were made for this particular year, um it it's our number one goal was to reduce the amount of time our students that were spending um on the road and accommodate the students eliminating um tripling students in the seats. Um I can reduce the amount of overtime by adding routes, but then it will increase the cost of having additional buses or another drivers, but that's part of the impact statement that we can bring clarity not only for the governing board but also for the community and the and make that determination what is going to be more financially responsible is it to build a little bit of overtime but it's going to save us having to hire a new person and new driver that benefits and a new bus or or is it better to hire it to reduce the amount of overtime?
With your support I would like to collaborate and and come back with with not only an option but some impact statements for your analysis to determine how we doing and if we doing it or there's other way to do it. There other options including some districts um based on other districts that I have worked they don't offer transportation unless you live either 2 miles away from the school, 5 miles away from the school. There's different options but it it's which one are we willing then to see that is sustainable, financially responsible but also our commitment in in making sure that kids make it here on time for the benefit of the education. Again it's it's it's a great opportunity to deeper into this item and and I think during our retreat this will be a great opportunity to go in depth with all of those options that I I hear you seeking as a board.
Okay. Sounds like it we need to do like a study session. Okay. Just to get those. I made a note of it and I'll be more than happy to bring it back. >> Okay. Thank you sir. All right. Thank you so very much. Thank you. Thank you. Number 14 is our coaches and club sponsors approved for extra duty. Board members just a reminder these positions have been approved they are just naming or placing individuals in these positions. Summer school coordinators Miss Katricia Flanagan 8K through 8 teachers Robin Pete Alpha Blanco, April Wilson Woo, sorry, my thing's missing. Wilson Wilson, sorry, I apologize. Jesus Leones. Uh 9th through 12th teachers, Aaron Martin, Tochi Catejo. Front office, Tadeo, Robbie Berry. Yeah. Yep Yep Yep again. I'm sorry, Yep again. Sorry. Mr. White. Uh healthy um Miss Tonwea Nacho, security Alfred Tutolo, Try and Travis Listo, uh academic counselor Megan Haley, BMS Oh, sorry.
Yes, BMS. Travis Listo and Angelo Lopez for middle school baseball assistant coaches. Okay. Uh and there's some attached information for your for your information, board members. Number 15 is our uh first reading of the Barbecue ISD policy amendment. Mr. Diaz? Or Mr. Zabala, I don't know who wants to go over it. Yeah, President Mundia. Um this is one of the recommendations um um we had uh the opportunity to go through a due process training. Um and part of that due process training uh with all of my directors and and and administrators, it was um also going through the policy um and based on on on that policy, um when the policy was created, um we've been advancing and and also acknowledging how we can also communicate um and in evidence of communication. So, what we're trying to um add um it is that um uh the um email can be used to deliver information and and hand deliver information as well, as long as it continue to be documented.
Um it's increasing the multiple ways in which we can legally provide um due notice and and and serve our teachers with information as part of that due process. So, the policy is still the same. What is changing is how we're going to provide um that additional information to teachers um either via email or hand deliver that it will count as part of our policy as well. Having said that, um I have highlighted the specific um pages and and and what the additions are in the policy. And again, this is the first reading for your review. We'll bring it back one more time uh to see if you have any additional recommendations um if you're willing to support this um addition and amendment to our policy. Okay. And board members, just again, this is our first reading, so please do review, take a look, and provide any kind of comments to Mr.
Diaz or Zabala Mr. Zabala um for our next reading at the following meeting. Number 16 is our first reading of the Barstow Unified School District policy adoption for do do do do do do do JICR. Mr. Diaz. President Mondia and members of the board um and also members of the community listening. Um as also the technology and the access to information continues to change and evolve, um we're trying to find a way in which we can continue to not only uh provide guidance to our teachers, our students, and our community in how we're going to develop um character as well as life skills lesson. Uh uh and and and two words that I want to emphasize. Um this is a change of our policy um and this is also based on the guidance of uh that we received from our legal counsel. The two keywords that I want to emphasize here is honesty and integrity.
Um two life skills that um I want to continue to promote uh for our students and also for our teachers. Um, this uh particular um policy is how are are we going to um not only promote um the use of artificial intelligence, but also how we going to prevent plagiarism um and and continue to uh promote the honesty and integrity of what the students are um producing. Um, the what this uh policy or this policy change is provide guidance guidance to our teachers, but also guidance to our students and guidance to our families. Um, the goal is not to eliminate or or or forbid the use of technology or artificial intelligence. Is the goal here is providing um the honesty and integrity so our our students they can continue to use tools that can promote the learning, but also uh um letting them know that um plagiarism is is is not okay.
So, uh these are some of the recommendations that that we bring into the board as a first read for your review. Um, and and that will the ending product and the goal is to provide guidance um and guidelines to um our stakeholders. Board members? Um, I just found a I want to make sure we we acknowledge a it so the memo actually references an entirely different policy. So, I want to make sure we correct that. Um it notes at the final end of the last paragraph that this serves as the first reading of I J N D B {dash} E A password protection policy and that's not what it's addressing. So, I don't No, yeah, I just want to make sure it's acknowledged. No worries. Um Thank you for noticing that. Noted. The very quickly, uh I know we're not getting there. I read over this and I did have a conversation with Mr.
Diaz, but I want to make sure that it's expressed to the board that understanding and and really trying to really give not only the grace but opportunity for students, especially our students here on the nation. And I want to say that specifically because when you look at other school districts who already have gone above and beyond to make sure that not only our policies and place regarding things like ChatGPT or AI AI AI centric AI centric types of services. Um, we had been attended a conference and there was a panel of students in metropolitan cities that were extremely it was an amazing panel, but I wanted what it made me feel like in that moment is that by us not giving the opportunity to not only engage but learn and teach and learn how to utilize these resources and tools, it puts us again in another disadvantage as a school district.
Not only just as a school district but as a community. Um, but I also understand too that the way and means that this community looks at certain types of things like new technology is not always favorable, but we can try to prepare our students for when they step out of this classrooms because they are probably already actively utilizing it. And it'd be much better for us to teach them how to use it in the right way as opposed to just say, "Look, we want your honesty, want your integrity, don't do it." Or do it, but I would but I would hope that we could also engage in a conversation to say, "You're going to do it. Here's here's what should be manner that would be the best way to do it." Um, and that's true for a lot of things I think that we deal with.