San Marcos Unified School District's Board Meeting 2-26-26

001I would like to call this meeting to order. Today's date is Thursday, February 26, 2026. This is a special meeting of the governing board of the San Marcos Unified School District. Please let the record reflect that all board members are present except for member Martin. He's on his way. He'll be here at some point and we'll uh we'll clock him in when he gets here. The San Marcos Unified School District Board of Education meeting is a business meeting of the public or of the board held in public. While we welcome and encourage public participation, the expected behavior is that this meeting will be conducted in an orderly fashion. Only the person recognized by the board president may speak. While that member of the public is speaking, members of the audience must not yell or speak

002out regardless of whether you agree or disagree. While public comment is in process, if you speak out, you are out of order and will be asked to leave the meeting. As adults participating in a public meeting, we need to model civility to our children and students. On behalf of the board of education, we thank you in advance for helping us conduct this meeting respectfully. The San Marcos Unified School District is an innovative and collaborative community providing an unparalleled educational experience through an engaging and supportive environment. All of our students are challenged, inspired, and poised to excel. Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. Ready, begin to flag and for it stands. One nation under God, indivisibley andice for all. >> Okay. Do I have a motion to approve the agenda? >> So moved. >> I'll

003second. Moved by member M. Seconded by member Ahmad to approve the agenda as presented. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed. The motion carries. Communication session. Please note that during a special board meeting, only items listed on the agenda may be addressed by the board. In accordance with board policy 9323, public comments will be limited to 20 minutes per topic. Each speaker will be allowed a maximum of three minutes to speak except for our union representatives who have five minutes. In an effort to hear as many speakers as possible, comment times may be shortened depending on the number of speakers. If there are seven or fewer speakers, you have three minutes each. Eight to 10 speakers, 2 minutes each. 11 or more speakers, one minute each. Pursuant to the Brown Act,

004board members are limited in their ability to respond to statements or questions during public comment. Unless an item has been placed on the published agenda, no deliberation or action may be taken. The board may acknowledge receipt of the information and comment, refer the matter to staff for future study or place the item on a future agenda. A recording is made of all open sessions of the governing board. On behalf of the board of education, thank you in advance for helping us conduct this meeting respectfully. Susie, do we have any speakers? >> Yes. Dale Puchenic. >> [applause and cheering] [applause] >> Good afternoon, board president Stacy Carlson, Vice President Andres Martin, uh, Clerk Heidi Heric, Member Sarah Mod, and member Lena Mume, Superintendent Dr. Johnson, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Tiffany Campbell, and assistant superintendents. My name is

005Dale Ziggman Pluchennic and I am president of the San Marcus Educators Association. SMEA represents over a thousand members, not only teachers, but also counselors, social workers, nurses, speech lang language pathologists, school psychologists, and certificated staff. As we enter into another season of negotiations, it will be made even harder now by the district's agenda item 4.1, the resolution of a reduction of force of 16.8 certificated staff and our union brothers and sisters of CSCA with their classified reductions of over 18.2 staff. There's currently only one certificate of management in this also reduction of force. Those who are closer to the students are the ones who are being cut the most. I ask all of our board to consider that if we want cuts to be the farthest away from the classroom, libraries and students, then cut

006the farthest away from the classroom, libraries, and students. These current cuts are the opposite of that intent. I also urge this board to look at the reserves we have had as a district for the past three years. It is exactly 10.0%. And had been for the past several budget cycles. Every dollar the district has above the maximum allowed reserves of 10% has been put into commitments which should be used to mitigate the effects of declining enrollment. As an association, we have asked several years to offer a a retirement incentive only to be told we will not be doing this. The last time we offered one was in the 2122 school year. We had 44 retirees. If we had done this in November 2025, the current risk could have been avoided. The district has been training

007our members in reading only to release our temporary elementary teachers. We have been training our members in math duties only to cut our math teachers. We have effectively trained educators for other districts as they like anyone else will seek employment elsewhere. We cannot be the training count ground for San Diego County. We need to retain and recruit the best who want to see all of our students and support all of our students to do their best. We are not opposed to training. Rather, if we want to train our educators, have our educators be be the trainers and avoid the outside consultants who aren't the educators who know our public the best. I urge you all to vote no on these resolutions to keep our focus on the classroom. Thank you, [applause] Ron. [applause] Ron Tacket.

008Ron Tacket. [applause] [snorts] >> Good afternoon, board of trustees, cabinet, Dr. Johnson. Um, sorry I'm feeling a little under the weather today, so I wanted to prepare a really cool speech, but I'm just going to speak from the heart. Um, I'm here obviously to oppose the cuts to our members. Um, I've had conversations with many of you, some board members, some cabinet members. Um, one in particular conversation that resonates with me. I had a a good conversation um with assistant superintendent attendant uh Aaron Garcia and we talked about alternatives to to cuts and what would that look like. I know that you guys are in a tough position and that we're moving forward um in perpetual potential cuts because of um the underfunding for our district and that's a tough spot to be in. Um

009but before us today is how we do that, right? So, [clears throat] one of the things that um I chatted with her about was, you know, can we sell property? Can we look at other means? Um would we ever consider closing a school site because of the reduction of students? So, she assured me that um we're running very efficiently, especially as compared to um other districts. I was happy to hear that. I'm not surprised to hear that. But she said to me, "Yeah, [clears throat] I don't think we're there yet." Um so, you know, maybe that's down the road. That's something that we'll look at. And obviously, that's a very um that's like one of the last resort things that we would want to do is close a school site, right? Causes a lot of

010issues, reboundering, lots of problems. my question. Um, and I want to be short because you're going to hear from a lot of people today who are going to speak much more about this issue and and better to speak about it than me. But one thing that I would like you to do when you're hearing those speakers is to consider are we there yet with especially I I would say any of our employees, but especially our librarians who are basically that is a classroom, right? We tried to stay away from the classrooms. That's a classroom. >> [applause] [applause] >> I would go as as far as to say um that our our wonderful teachers who are in the elementary area um have a a classroom full of people that uh students that they know their names

011and they work with them every day. Our librarians, they know almost everybody on the campus because they see everybody, right? [applause] So that's that's a huge huge impact. So I I just I want you to consider that when you're making these decisions. Think about that. The only second thing that I'll say that I'd love you to consider is that you're you're we're doing this to make um cuts and save money. But I think we also need to look at the cost. There's going to be some cost associated with this. There's going to be the human cost of course, but there's going to be a cost if our employees and I've heard from many of them that they they won't afford be able to afford to continue to work here. They're going to have to go

012find another job that's benefited, right? So, we're going to have to find other people to replace those jobs. So, that's that's a cost into itself. There's a cost of the relationships that they've had with our students for many many years, the the institutional knowledge. There will be a cost to that if we move forward with this. So, I would just I would just encourage you to to think about that when you hear all these amazing speakers talk about the necessity for our folks. Okay. The last thing I want to say, just a point of personal privilege. I want to uh thank Susie Buon for all of her work and um congratulations on moving on and thank you for everything that you've done for the district. Thank you for always uh personally handing me the board

013sheet when I come in. Um you're awesome and I wish you all the best. Thank you very much. [applause] Okay. So, um I would like to start with the students first so that we have the opportunity to hear from from our students and then um and then with the remainder of the 20 minutes then we'll move on to um staff and community. >> Izzy Whitelaw. >> [applause] [applause] >> Hi, my name is Isabella Whitelaw. I am an eighth grade student at SEMS, but I was once a student at Korea Elementary. >> When I was in elementary school, the library was my favorite place. It was a safe haven where I could read, write, and truly be myself. My love for books was cultivated there. And my love for reading only grew each year. And the

014main reason this library was so important to me was because of my wonderful librarian, Miss McCoy. [cheering] [applause] She showed up daily, always being a source of support and kindness. And no matter what I was going through, I always knew she was going to be there for me. Although she isn't described as a teacher, she is still a phenomenal educator, as are all librarians. And a child's introduction to reading is only improves, as they say. This their a child introduction to reading often determines their later outlook on reading, writing, and literature in general. And while these and when these resources aren't available or are created in a wrong environment, it can turn students away from education as a whole. I think that I [gasps] I honestly I just I'm in tears at the thought of

015even removing these libraries from our libraries. They are so incredibly important to each student. And um I just wanted to thank say thank you to all of our librarians. [applause and cheering] [applause] I can't. Okay. So, I just I guess to reiterate, we're doing one minute. I think she kept it time. So, we're good. We're just doing one minute. So, I want to make sure it'll show up. There will be a timer on there so that you guys can kind of see um when when your time is is wrapping up. Julia Orwa. [applause and cheering] >> Hi there. Um, hi. Um, my name is Julia Ora, and these are my reasons why we can't get rid of Mrs. McCoy, my school librarian, and the others in this in the district. My first reason is without

016our school librarian, we wouldn't have the kind of teacher that knows all almost all the all the kids in the school and and our and our likes and dislikes. Secondly, there are kids on campus that struggle with reading or don't have time to. Mrs. McCoy helps those students and finds what they like. She also welcomes students with a big heart and a big smile. And and everybody needs this kind of person to help them through hard times in their lives. And lastly, I just want to say what kind of person Mrs. McCoy is. She helps me when I'm like when I'm sad and and she she's just like the best person ever. [applause] [cheering] [applause] >> Thank you [applause] Sophia Baron Blit. [applause and cheering] Good afternoon. My name is Sophia Bamblelet from Coreo Elementary

017School, and I want to talk about how much our librarian, Mrs. McCoy, means to us in our community. First, my brother and I were introduced to new and improved book recommendations that we would have never thought of. When I was younger, I needed a librarian to help me with my reading, which academically is what helps me and my brother get good grades. Us as students don't just get to grow up to become an important figure in life. We need libraries. We need books. We need academic skills. We have a special relationship with Mrs. McCoy that you can't just get with anyone. I know that I know that everyone in the school says Mrs. McCoy is so kind and supportive, willing to be there and help anyone at any time. Please keep our librarians and save

018this community. Please look around this room and remember, you will have to make this decision while you look at our faces. Thank you for your Thank you for your time and consideration. [cheering] [applause] >> [applause] >> Please let the record reflect that member Andreas has joined the meeting. >> Charlotte signs [applause] Hello, my name is Charlotte and I'm a fifth grader at Discovery Elementary. I'm here today because I care about our school librarian and our librarian, Miss Pena. The library is not just a room with books. It's a place where I can find a story that makes me laugh, think, and feel less alone. It's where I learn how to research, ask good questions, and find information I can trust. Our librarian, Miss Pena, helps us find books that are just right for us. She

019helps me when I when we feel stuck. When I can't find something, she doesn't just point. She actually helps me. She teaches us how to use technology safely and responsibly. She creates a space where everyone feels welcome. Library special is one of my favorite days of the week. The library club is one of my favorite things to do. If we cut our librarians, we are hurting students like me. We are taking away another thing from us that helps us students grow into strong readers and critical thinkers. For many kids like me, the library is their favorite place at school. This cut is not just putting kid the kids first. My brother has autism and I will speak on his behalf knowing that the library and Miss Pena is one of his safe places and favorite

020places to go. [applause and cheering] >> [applause] >> Landon Salter. [applause] Landon Salter. Hello everyone. My name is Landon Salter and I'm a sixth grader at the Sano Middle School. I'd love to meet you all personally, but sadly I'm here under different circumstances. I love to read, and the school library has always been a place where I can open my eyes to new books and series, but more importantly, it's a peaceful place where I feel happy and cared about. And a big part of that is the librarian. Mrs. Ellis is amazing. She goes out of her way to open the library before school for kids who like to have quiet pl have a quiet place to start their day like me. Mrs. Ellis gives kids leadership opportunities and a place to shine. To sum it

021all to sum it all up, what I'm trying to say is that libraries are more than just books. The librarian is what makes it so special. I can't even imagine what schools would be like without full-time librarians because they have made such a positive impact on the lives of so many kids. I understand that the district must make budget cuts, but there must be some other way that is less impactful to to students. Thank you for considering [applause] Adah Sedstrom, >> Adah Setterstrom. >> [applause] >> Hi, this is Aydah Sadderm. Um, and I recorded hers. I hope that's okay because it's a little bit nerve-wracking. Okay, you ready? See if I can get it. Can you press right there? >> My name is And my teacher name is Miss Bing and um I like Miss

022Rapo and I like um Miss Rapo reading book to me. >> Thank you [applause] Hudson Sutterstrom. >> [applause] >> to the people who are voting on keeping liberians. My name is Hudson Saddest and I'm in third grade and my teacher is Miss Weston. I go to LCM school. I think it's not fair that you're cutting hours for the librarian. they will lose money and it's important to have money so they can be safe and healthy. Also, I really like to go to the library. I usually go to the library right when the school opens. In the morning, I read the I survive graphic novels and Harry Potter books. I It is important to read. It's like one of the main things you learn at school. Learning at school will help us have better a better

023life and better jobs. Also, I just really like reading. Miss Rapo is a really nice teacher and is a great reader. She helps me find the books I really need to to do reports on. >> So, you can just say thank you for your time. >> Thank you for your time. [applause] >> [applause] >> Autumn Lanche. Autumn Lanche. [applause] [cheering] Hi, I am Autumn and I am a Coreo Elementary student. Librarians is not what you should cut. Librarians are the best thing ever. If you make this decision, you will regret it. Librarians help you find fun books to read. They give great book recommendations and make and make your day a little better. Please just don't cut all just don't cut the librarian's hours. [applause] Hannah Louu. [applause] >> Hi, my name is Hannah Lou.

024I go to Discovery Elementary School and I'm in fourth grade. The library is a very special place where my li oops, my librarian, Miss Pena, always helps me find just the right book. For me, the library is a place where I feel like I can be myself and show who I really am. If you reduce Miss Pena's hours, many students like me will not get help finding the books that make us love reading. In library crew, I have learned to be a helper to other students. Miss Pena has made the library a place where I feel welcome and safe. If you make our li If you take our librarian away, students will not get to go to the librarian library when they need to. I love reading because of Miss Pena. The library is a

025great place. Please don't cut librarian hours. [applause] >> Alexis Lily [applause] Good afternoon. My name is Alexis and I'm a fifth grade student at Richland. I was here a few months ago to talk about the wonderful special classes we have at our school. That night, I spoke to you about STEM. Tonight, I want to talk to you about our library because I heard that you're thinking about cutting back Mrs. Kennedy's hours. I know budgets are important and you have to make hard choices, but I want to tell you what our librarian and our library means to kids like me. When you walk into our library, it's not just a room with shelves. It's a place where we all feel welcome and our imaginations can come alive. For some of us, books are how we learn

026to love reading. And for others, the library is where we finally find a book that makes us feel like we belong. Mrs. Kennedy doesn't just check out books. She helps us find the right book when we don't even know what we're looking for. She makes reading fun with challenges, displays, and recommendations. She introduces us to books of all types and reads us books we may never have picked out in our own. Without her as there as much, we wouldn't get the same that same help. Thank you. [applause] >> [applause] >> Addison Smith. [applause] Good evening. My name is Addison Smith and I'm a sixth grader at Double Peak School. I'm here today to ask you to reconsider cutting librarian hours at our elementary schools. Elementary librarians do more than check out books, but they plan

027lessons, teach research skills, and help us discover a love for reading. But I also heard that they actually make less than library clerks at middle school even though they have more responsibilities and that and that doesn't seem fair. There's also something important happening in our schools right now. Studies show that when cell phones are banned, library book checkouts go up like a lot. Kids are reading more again. This feels like the exact time we should be supporting libraries, not reducing access to them or to our qualified librarians to run them. Before cutting librarians, we should look at our device policies. One:1 Chromebooks were introduced during the pandemic, but studies now show that too much screen time can hurt our learning. Maybe the new standard should be a classroom set of 10 laptops that stay at

028school because when devices go home, that's when many get lost, broken, or damaged anyway, and that expense adds up. Reading is my absolute favorite thing to do. I even read the whole Hunger Games series in a weekend. Even though my own school may not be affected, I can't imagine my friends at other schools losing access to their qualified librarians. So, tonight I ask you to review device policies and technology subscription subscriptions like I Ready before making cuts to librarians. [cheering] [applause] >> [cheering] [applause] >> Thank you. [applause] >> Whitney McCoy [cheering] >> [applause] [cheering] [applause] [cheering] [applause] >> I am here today because I have had both the privilege and the joy of being the elementary librarian at Coreo for the past nine years. I don't use that word joy lightly. I wish that everyone

029here could see exactly how joyful our libraries are. I wish that you could hold the hand of a little girl as you lead her to the Spanish language section of her new school library and hear the delight in her voice as she says palabas. These are my words. I wish you could see a braces filled grin spread across a boy's face as you hand him a book and say I saved this one just for you because I knew you would love it. I wish you knew what it felt like to have a child look around the space you created and hear them say, "The library is my favorite place at school because I always find books with kids who look like me." I wish you could be there for all of those moments and the

030thousands more that happen every day at our SMUSD libraries. Because if you lived those moments like we do, your decision today would suddenly be a very easy one. Don't let your legacy at SMUSD be that you voted to make our youngest learners feel less connected, less seen, less understood, less valued, and less loved. Thank you. [cheering] [applause] [cheering] [applause] Dana Mald Downey. [cheering] [applause] Wait, we need to quiet down so we can do this. Oh god. Okay. Good afternoon, board members. My name is Dana Mul Downey and I'm the librarian at Twin Oaks Elementary School. I am here speaking on behalf of the Title One librarians and students. This proposed cut to reduce elementary librarians from full-time role to less than half time will reduce equity across the district. Many of our students lack access

031to books andformational tools at home. They do not have transportation to go to public libraries. Having a full-time librarian at each school guarantees equal access to literature, information, and student support. Removing these creates barriers to our most vulnerable students. I have a third grader who every three times a week who sprints in from his class to switch out books because he does not have access to do so at home. He he does this. He has done this for a year and a half. We have so all of us have so many stories just like this. Our readers rely on full-time librarians as their safe place to explore their interests and build their literacy skills. Our children deserve equal access to school libraries as much as any other child does. Please reconsider this proposal and vote

032no. [cheering] [applause] Marian, >> my name IS MARIAN PENA. >> [cheering] [applause] >> AND I WORK AS A LIBRARY AND media tech at Discovery Elementary. Cutting our hours from A to A to only 3.75 without benefits is not simply a budget adjustment. It is a decision about the foundation of literacy for our youngest learners. When I think of foundations, I think of a story every elementary student knows, the three little pigs. When challenges come, only the house built on a strong foundation remains standing. Elementary libraries play a key role in helping build this foundation in our students. We actually see ourselves as an extension of the core instructional services students receive in their classrooms instead of having a non-classroom role. Please do not see us as a line item. View us as partners. We are

033educated, multilingual, deeply invested members of your school communities. We are part of the very structure that supports your portrait of a graduate. I respectfully urge you to reconsider this decision and please vote no. [cheering] [applause] >> Victoria Vanova [applause] Good afternoon board and fellow colleagues. Colleagues, my name is Victoria Nova and I've been with the district since 2002. I was started off my career as a handicap instructional aid. Then three years ago, I made the leap into being a bilingual community leaison. I have been at Woodland Park this entire time. So needless to say, I'm a staple there. I'm here to ask you to please reconsider eliminating My position as community leison on without a community leison on at will park there would be and they will not be an interpreter for all types of

034meetings IEPs triangles simple conversations between teachers and parents students and teachers pair of professionals [snorts] as part of ELPAC. We're supposed to h have community involvement, [snorts] family involvement. I'm there to provide wraparound services, which is part of what we're supposed to be providing as community leaison. I do a variety of roles and most of you have seen me there. for a school that's supposed to be a dual immersion um school. It's a shame to eliminate a bilingual community leaison, don't you think? Please reconsider. [applause] Thank you, [applause] Jackie Maxwell. [applause] >> Good afternoon. I'll keep it brief. You've heard so many amazing things from the students, from the staff. I am a former educator and now a volunteer within the school. I have volunteered for Miss Kennedy for the past four years and right

035now I spend about four hours on my goodweeks with her. And what you have heard from everybody else about what their librarians do, I see in her. But on top of that, the students also learn social skills. They learn manners. I hear her commend her students when they come up by name, which other people have already said, thanking them. You You owned this. You had responsibility to renew your book. You're not going to hear that from a volunteer who doesn't have the training and the experience that someone like she does and our other librarians do. On top of that, she supplements what they see. She supplements how they learn and how they read. Out of her own pocket, she has paid for an app that will allow them to have a visual and a audio

036and sound effects to bring the books to life. Please reconsider. [applause] Gina Duke. [applause and cheering] Jodie Kerrion. [applause] Hi, I'm Jody Carion representing San Marcos Unified Parents for Intentional Tech. Before any reductions to vital staff are made, I'm urging you to first re-evaluate the 1:1 device model and audit existing edtech licenses to determine they have a positive impact. Districts across the country are re-evaluating and rolling back 1:1 devices. Fresno Unified is returning to classroom carts due to the questionable educational value of Chromebooks and repair costs exceeding 4 million annually. How much could San Marco save by rolling back while simultaneously improving outcomes? Another cut that would be met with resounding applause instead of tears is discontinuing the universally disliked I Ready My Path program. [cheering] [applause] There is no there is no solid evidence

037of improved outcomes at scale and it would save hundreds of thousands annually likely enough to keep our beloved librarians. Unlike Chromebooks and edtech programs, librarians are a proven intervention backed by decades of research. I so appreciate the district's commitment to re-evaluating tech, but when you're proposing to reduce vital staff, we quite literally cannot afford to wait [applause and cheering] [applause] Jamie Laura. [cheering] >> [applause] >> Hi, my name is Jamie Laura. I'm a fifth grade teacher at Coreo. Um, San Marcos Unified serves approximately 19,000 students. Our neighboring and high performing district of Powe serves about 35,000 students, nearly twice as many. Yet, publicly reported compensation shows Powe Superintendent compensation is $250,000 a year, while San Marco Superintendent is reported compensation at $450,000 a year. While I don't pretend to know what it takes to run

038a district, it does bring to the question of the justification of such an inflated executive compensations. Speaking of public service, for additional context, the governor of our state of California earns $250,000 a year. The mayor of San Diego earns 100 $26,000 annually. The optics are not favorable when executive compensation significantly exceeds statewide leaders while at the same time discussing cuts to studentf facing positions. It raises reasonable questions. [applause] >> How does this align with our students our district's stated priorities surrounding literacy and student success? These are not attacks. They're just questions that would give clarification to what everybody's thinking. Thank you for your time. [cheering] [applause] >> Katie von Berg Katie von Bird. Yeah. Yeah. Can you um grab >> Let's stick with this. Let's stick with this topic and then we'll >> Yeah. Good.

039>> Do you want to stick with 4.2 for now and come back? >> Yeah. >> No, you do it. >> Hi, my name is Katie Bonberg. I'm speaking today as a teacher of 13 years, six of them in this district and as a parent of two San Marcos Unified School District students. The district is proposing cuts to 16.8 8 studentf facing certificated positions primarily at the middle and high school levels. Yet the district has stated that enrollment declines are not concentrated in secondary grades. If our birth grades are dropping, the youngest grades are the ones that shrink first. So why are we cutting staff where enrollment isn't the issue? Our secondary classes are already full. I know I taught them you guys. Those high school classes have like 40 kids in them. Larger class sizes

040mean less feedback, fewer discussions, and fewer meaningful disc and fewer meaningful connections. These cuts also include counselors and social workers, increasing case loads at a time when student mental health needs are already higher than ever. The district has pointed to expiring grant-f funded positions as a reason for the reductions, but grant funding is by definition temporary. So the district knew these positions had end dates. If the funding was short-term, why weren't temporary teachers hired to fill those roles? Where is our financial planning? And why am I hearing that TOSAs who were grant funded are being reassigned to district office roles? >> Those educators should be placed where they are needed the most directly with students and what meaningful cuts have been made at the district level? Reducing travel by 46%. That should be 100%. Sorry,

041you don't need to go anywhere. Eliminating vacant positions, that's not a sacrifice. That's housekeeping. Meanwhile, we continue to fund early teacher programs, that EI program. It just stresses everybody out. We maintain large numbers of highly paid executive roles. Two years ago, the board approved a $54,000 raise for Dr. Johnson here. And where was the long-term planning in that? We value achievement, wellness, and equity. And we must protect the people who deliver these outcomes every day. Cutting studentf facing positions is not a solution. It's a setback. The long-term cost of these reductions will far outweigh any short-term savings. Thank you. [applause] [applause] >> [clears throat] >> Okay. So, we have six speakers for 4.2. Some of the kids were also 4.2. So, we're still we're still doing the one minute and we'll bring up the speakers

042for 4.2. Okay. Britney Polo. [applause] Hi, good afternoon. My name is Britney Polo. I'm a first grade teacher at Richland Elementary. Um, there is decades worth of research about the impact and value of school librarians, which provides ample evidence that prioritizing full-time librarians at school sites brings a massive return on investment. Over 34 independent state studies have all come to the same conclusion. Schools with full-time librarians have higher student achievement and better learning outcomes when compared to schools that don't. These studies controlled for socioeconomic and de demographic factors and school funding levels and actually found that the benefits associated with good library programs are strongest for the most vulnerable and at risk learners, including students of color, low-income students, and students with disabilities. Additional research has specifically looked at districts that chose to cut librarians

043and found that those cuts were directly correlated with declines in reading scores. And the worst of those declines occurred among our English language learners. Right now, with a full-time 8-hour librarian at each of our 10 elementary sites, our youngest learners are provided with equitable access to information and literature, library instruction, school community connectedness, and a sense of belonging. Slashing this position to less than halfime would mean the end to meaningful library programs and equal access for our children. Thank you. [applause] >> [applause] >> Allison Belock. [applause] [cheering] [clears throat] Good afternoon. My name is Allison Bokh and I am the parent of a second so start again. I'm a parent of a second grader at Richland Elementary as well as the STEM teacher there. Today I speak for parents and teachers across our site when

044I tell you that our library and incredible librarian Courtney Kennedy are the heart of our school. I see firsthand how librarians work tirelessly to provide engaging library experiences for all of their students. Librarians form strong partnerships with teachers and work collaboratively to enhance student literacy skills. The lessons librarians create spark curiosity, wonder, and a love of reading. As an educator in San Marcos Unified, I know we have many goals for our students to ensure they are future ready. One that was highlighted by Dr. Johnson at our back to school meeting this year was the promise that every third every student in third grade will exit reading on grade level. The proposed cuts to our district libraries will have a detrimental effect on the young readers we have made the strategic promise to. My daughter Lauren

045is a voracious reader. Her love of reading started in kindergarten when she would excitedly show me the books she brought home from our school library. Dinner conversations in our home often include discussions on stories she heard in library or Lauren sharing her very strong opinion on which book should win Mrs. Kennedy's annual March Madness bracket of books. Library programs are the heart of schools across our district. They inspire and ignite curiosity in every student. Like any living body, including a student body community, it cannot flourish or thrive with a heart that only beats part of the time. Thank you. [applause and cheering] >> [applause] >> Megan McNicholas. [applause] >> My name is Megan McNicholas. I'm a parent of two students at Discovery Elementary. You are proposing $2 million in cuts from a $331 million budget.

046That's 610 of 1%. Yet more than 25% of those proposed proposed reductions come from eliminating filled classified positions, including 8.4 element elementary ele elementary text. That is not a budget collapse. That's a prioritization decision. The ratio of site level reductions to district level reductions is unbalanced. The majority of identified cuts impact students directly. So I and others want clear answers. What other options for cuts were presented? Did they include district office admin positions being eliminated outside of the currently vacant ones? A reduction of HR roles, freezing executive salaries? Because from what's been publicly presented, reductions are concentrated at school sites, not at the top. When less than 1% of a budget must be reduced, you do not have to dismantle student facing supports. You choose to. >> Budgets reflect [applause] budgets reflect values. And the

047value being communicated today is that elementary literacy infrastructure is optional. Is that the message that you as a board wants to send? Thank you. [applause] [cheering] [applause] >> Diane Kavanagh [applause] Diana Kavanaaugh, Roxan Campa, [applause] Good afternoon. I am a [snorts] parent and a teacher, so this is hard. Um, reading is truly fundamental and librarians play a big role in fostering a love of reading and supporting teachers. Teachers need more help, not less. I'm going to say that a second time. >> [applause] >> Teachers need more help right now, not less. Students need a bigger village, not a smaller village. [applause] Our library specials provide space where kids can read for fun and be curious through stories. Students learn about empathy, one of the five key features on that anchor chart right over there. And

048on that note, library specials are also a place for our special ed and gened populations to come together. As both a parent and an educator, I encourage you to consider this easily overlooked fact. This peer exposure and interaction is crucial for all of our students. That empathy piece that is really big and you know that because it's on there. >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> Okay, >> I don't need to tell you how amazing Mrs. Kennedy is because you gave her the district employee of the year award recently. [cheering] >> I understand you need to make cuts, but the library seems like it should really be a non-negotiable for our littles. Not all of us find our love for reading as a child. As a mathematician and math teacher myself, I didn't find my love

049of reading until 11th grade when someone put a copy of Orwell's 1984 into my hands. It [snorts] opened my eyes and opened my world. I myself am proof that libraries in the upper grades are still serving an invaluable service to our students. Thank you so much. [applause and cheering] Mary Lou Gonzalez. [applause] Mary Lou Gonzalez. [applause] Good evening. My name is Mary Lug Gonzalez and I am one of the parents for this district. Specifically, my children attended um La Mirada Academy. My son still goes there. [screaming] [applause] So, although my children are no longer part of the elementary level, I am here because I have seen firsthand the impact of a full-time librarian. My daughter Jasine, now a 12th grader and formerly classified as an English learner, shared, "I always remember the library being welcoming

050and comfortable. I remember learning about refugee camps and spending more time on topics we didn't have time for in class. That environment and access to books helped build her literacy skills and confidence and were and were instrumental instrumental in her reclassification. >> [snorts] >> My son Adan, now in his last year at LMA, said to me, "Some of my favorite school memories are from the library when our librarian would read our read to our class. The library is not extra. It builds literacy, belonging, and curiosity. It truly takes a village to raise our children, and Miss Mcola has been a vital part of that village for my family. [applause] >> [applause] >> Please protect full-time library support for our students. >> Thank you, [applause] [snorts] >> Susan Bushnell. [applause] Hi, my name is Susan Bushnell

051and I'm a mother of a second grader at Richland Elementary. I know you have a hard budget uh decisions to make, but before you make any votes today, I want to leave you with three points. Number one, in the meeting on February 12th, Aaron Garcia said in regards to our reserves, "We have time to take our time and make thoughtful decisions before we reduce our budgets and programs." I know you're in a lot of pressure to make a quick decision, but please remember those words. Number two, you've been given only one month from the time of the governor's budget to the meeting on February 12th. Is one month enough time to make a decision affecting people's lives and student learning outcomes? And number three, in the guiding principles for budget development, number three is always

052consider non-staffing reductions before staffing reductions. I don't have access to the data needed to provide you with alternatives, but you as a board and elected officials have the right to that kind of information and an obligation to ask for more inquiry. If you have a single alternative, it's your responsibility to explore it. We have time to take our time and make thoughtful decisions. Thank you. [applause] >> Thank you. So, I I want to start by thanking everyone who came forward to speak. We've heard all of your heartfelt comments and we got your emails and we've read most of them. There were a lot. Um, it's clear how deeply people care about our schools and about one another. I want to acknowledge the emotion in the room. What we heard reflects fear, frustration, and real pain.

053Conversations about possible layoffs are complex, and we understand that they affect people's lives, families, and sense of security. To our staff, I want to say this very clearly. You are valued. The work you do every day for students matters and tonight's discussion does not a take away does not take away from the dedic your dedication or the impact you have on our school community. These are the hardest conversations that the board can be part of. No one up here is taking this lightly. No one wants to be in a position where these decisions cause stress or uncertainty for the people who serve our students. We know tonight's discussion may leave people feeling unsettled. I want you to know the board is committed to moving through this process thoughtfully, transparently, and with with respect for those

054who may be impacted. This is not the end of the conversation. We will continue to listen and to ask questions and to work with district leadership as we move forward. As we continue with our agenda, I ask that we extend one another both grace and patience, even with emotions high. We are all here because we care about the community. Thank you again to everyone who shared tonight. Your voices matter and we carry what you said with us. Okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna move forward. I'm No, no. I'm gonna move forward with the action agenda uh and introduce um our resolutions. Dr. Johnson, >> um I also want to thank everybody for coming this evening. Tom, am I on? >> Yeah, there we go. Thank you, Tom. I also want to thank everybody for coming this

055evening. Um there have been some uh questions asked and uh that I think that that I think that we should address them. Um I want to acknowledge everybody um to everybody the gravity of these uh recommendations that are under consideration this evening. Um I'm actually very pleased that the media is here because this is a this is an important moment for all school districts in California and I want to I want to just provide a little bit of information here. Um the fiscal pressures that San Marcos Unified is facing really are not unique to our district. The the the the room that you see full here tonight, what's playing out here is playing out in school districts all up and down this state. And that's very very important to recognize. And I hope that the

056folks um who are legislating and making some of these decisions are taking note of this. If you follow the headlines, you see every single day public school districts across the state are making significant reductions to their operating budgets this spring, including staffing reductions. When you have one or two school districts that are in financial uh trouble, that's one thing. But when districts up and down the state are having to do the things that we have to recommend to our board this evening, it's a clear indication that we are dealing with a structural funding problem for public schools in our state. Um, I'm not going to go through all the the details that Aaron went through two weeks ago. I do encourage people to take a look at that presentation. It was very thorough and very

057um in-depth. I will say that for the past six years, our district has been in along with other districts across the county and across the state. We've been in declining enrollment. Six years in San San Marcos Unifi, we've lost 2,300 students. That alone equival uh equates to approximately $30 million of lost revenue. In the past two years, we've lost 883 students only furthering that that problem. People ask why that is, as Aaron explained. It's mostly because of declining birth rates in our region and families moving out of California. Neither of which is within our control. You know that enrollment and attendance drive district revenue and so with fewer students comes uh our funding drops. At the same time, our funding is dropping. District expenses such as health benefits, insurance, pension costs, special ed services, utilities,

058everything continues to rise. Which brings us to the second cost pressure that we are all feeling right now. And I am advocating hard on this one at Sacramento. And I don't know if we're going to get any traction, but it is the cost of living adjustment that that the legislature votes on every year. Every year the the state legislature gives a cost of living adjustment or a COLA. You may have heard it um described. It's a figure we anxiously await every spring. District expenses without doing anything different from one year to the next rise uh between four and 6% on the natural just to open the doors on July 1st. That's that those are the increases to our expenses and the increases to our uh revenues from the state have been in the 1 to

0592% range, which means that as our deficits continue to grow, the hole continues to get deeper if we don't make reductions to those expenditures. The third one that was mentioned this evening is expiration of our co of co funds which were significant one-time allocations we and other districts received uh to keep us afloat as we recovered from the pandemic. We did know that those funds would expire and we did follow a plan to phase out the expenses that we were making with them. So that that was very well planned but we are now uh those are now expired and we are now at the funding cliff. If the board recalls several years ago, all the fiscal experts were warning and the analysts were warning districts about the funding cliff. And here we are. Uh I

060began in the district in 2021 right as the district was emerging from COVID. One of the very first things that our board did was receive a study from uh what's called FICMAT, which is the fiscal crisis management and assistance team to analyze our budget situation as well as our internal controls, our systems, make recommendations for short and long-term fiscal stability. And for the for the past 5 years, we have been implementing recommendations from that study, increasing efficiencies, making budget reductions as we go and being intentional about keeping those reductions as far from the classroom as we possibly can. And I want to thank the board for your leadership uh in doing that. I won't go through all the things. I will I will simply say that uh we always do make non-staffing reductions before uh

061before staffing reductions. Um and when 86% of your budget is in people, those non-staffing reductions only go so far. Um, it was also mentioned uh this evening what our deficit was. That came from Erin's report a couple weeks ago. I do want to say that we are looking at an uh between a 10 and 11 million deficit this year with two more coming. 10 10 million the following year uh and 10 million after that. And what we are trying to do right now is carve out about 2 million of that because we do have time and that that is what we use our reserves for. We are not trying to close the entire uh budget gap all at once. That would be impossible to do. Um, when we consider recommending staff reductions, it's extremely difficult.

062We have made administrative staffing reductions and we're going to continue to do that. We've made uh certificated and classified staffing reductions. We've made reductions at the district office and at our school sites. It's very, very difficult. Every one of our staff members provides valuable service to our students. I will say uh to Whitney, Whitney and I have sat on committees for the past three years. She's a phenomenal human BEING AND UM >> [cheering] >> IT MAKES THIS HARDER BECAUSE these are not numbers on a spreadsheet to us and or to me these are these are actual real people. Um I I also want to note that this is and this is very important I think for our public that school districts in 2026 are asked to do more than ever before more than was ever

063asked of us in previous times. We have nurses and health staff checking students insulin levels throughout the day, changing feeding tubes, administering medication. We have counselors and social workers providing life-saving support to students who are having suicidal thoughts or who are being rec recruited into gangs or who are experiencing food insecurity and are coming to school hungry. We have campus supervisors maintaining safe and orderly environment to our campuses, just to name a few. I don't even know how many of those important functions may be threatened if the state doesn't do something soon about how our schools are funded. But I do know that at some point as our re resources continue to shrink, we don't want to make decisions that are actually get to the point of compromising student safety. I can't even believe I

064have to speak those words. This is not why any of us got into this business. I've been doing this for 31 years. And for most of that time, it's been about it's been about reading. It's been about teaching and learning. And at this point, my career is is is about this. And it's it's heartbreaking and it's gut-wrenching. Um as painful as these recommendations uh are that we have to put in front of the board um these are the recommendations our team feels we are forced to make at this time uh this evening we will take the board's direction uh whatever uh that direction is and we'll continue with our work and I hope the community will support us in our efforts to advocate for for full and adequate funding for all of our public schools.

065We have important work to do in service to our students and it's becoming increasingly difficult to do that when we're not getting the help we need from Sacramento. So, um, with that, I can ask Joel to come and and speak to the item. >> Thank you. Uh, board members. Uh, Dr. Johnson's highlighted our broader strategy and the why behind this evening's resolutions. I'd like to move into the operational details and the specific data guiding these difficult decisions. As Dr. Johnson mentioned, we're currently addressing a projected 10 to 11 million deficit for the current school year and a $10 million deficit for the 2627 school year. While the district has been diligent in reducing non-classroom expenses, those reductions alone cannot bridge a uh structural gap of this magnitude. The certificated, classified, and management reductions proposed tonight

066are necessary, though difficult. Uh there's step in a multi-year effort to stabilize our finances. Regarding the timing, under the California Education Code, districts are required to issue preliminary notices to staff by March 15th. We are acting tonight to remain in legal compliance and to provide our employees with as much clarity and lead time as possible. However, I want to emphasize that these numbers are not final as it pertains to certificated staff. As we gain a clear picture of master schedule needs at our middle schools and high schools and as official resignations and retirements are submitted to our HR office, we fully expect these figures to change. Our goal is to be as precise as possible. uh as attrition occurs, we will gladly adjust these numbers and notify impacted staff. We remain committed to retaining as

067many of our educators as the budget and enrollment allow. Um and before you currently know we're going to be considering the uh reductions in certificated staff uh first and that's an action item. >> Okay. Um, I think I'm going to do this a little bit differently and ask for a motion to approve um, uh, both of the resolutions together for discussion purposes because I think that there's going to be kind of cross discussion and I don't want to confuse it. And then after we do our discussion, then we'll then we'll separate them out and do each one individually. Um, so can I get a motion to approve uh resolution number 23-2526 and 24-2526 for discussion? >> I'll make that motion for discussion. >> I'll second. >> Okay. Moved by member Martine and seconded by member

068Heric. All those in favor say I. >> I. Okay. Discuss. Is any um I know that we have a lot of questions. Um so who would like to start? I can start. Okay, that's okay. I typed mine out. >> Okay. >> Um well, first I want to I want to thank everybody for being here. I want to thank you for all of your emails. I don't think many people up here have slept um this week. We take this very seriously and um I appreciate all the feedback and all of the information because we don't know everything. We're still learning everything. Um but we We're here to kind of hear everything. Um, first I want to make sure that everybody is aware what Joel was mentioning that tonight is just the if we approve it, it's

069approval to notify. So it's not cutting the program, it's approval to notify the actual cuts would happen in May. Is that correct? Um, so that's the first thing. Uh, second thing I wanted to get a little bit of um more information on is just from back before when I volunteered on PTO, I know that we funded positions. Um, is that an option if a PTO wants to I mean I'm Is that an option for >> we we can't do that. We want we need to be able to hear each other and have our discussions. So I I think uh we need to keep the comment question is >> sorry I think the question is could the PTO fund any of these positions? Uh they they could yes um and you know really grateful for the

070positions that the PTO currently funds right now. I think be really important to clarify that we're talking about positions and not people, right? And so when we're looking at um you know in the unfortunate situation that we're in and needing to make reductions um that's based by education code, you know, pursuant to education code and um and uh our collective bargaining agreement. So it would go in order of seniority. So, where we may uh you know continue a position on a full-time basis, there may be an issue where based on seniority, it's a different person who's filling that role for the following school year. >> Okay. >> Um and then another question was uh if with the projected deficit of 10 million and are aiming to reduce it 2 million this year, how much of

071the two million is in labor? Is it >> how much of the two how much of the two million is non- staffing reductions? Yeah. Can you speak to that Eron? >> Is it all? Yeah, >> if you give me me a minute, I can calculate it. But >> Awesome. Thank you. >> And then Andy, you answered this for me, but already, but um that there's an option to amend the notification before we vote on it. Um, and in that is there do we have the ability as the board to both take things off of that and also add to it different things, different positions. >> Uh, the board would have the ability to amend the resolution. Um, I wouldn't staff wouldn't be able to give uh financial information on other positions. We haven't prepared that.

072But the board would be able to discuss and vote on a on an amended resolution. Well, I also have a point of order clarification on adding to I think we can amend to take away, but I think that um being able to have time to properly and legally notify we might be outside of that window in terms of adding other positions on but I believe we can take away is that does that sound accurate to you guys? >> I guess I would just it would be difficult to recommend not knowing what what positional positions are there. I mean, Joel has been uh working on this for a number of weeks and notifying staff already. Um, if additional items were were addition if additional uh positions were added, I wouldn't be able to give the board

073financial financials on that or impact necessarily. >> I would have a hard time adding additional positions to this. >> So, just I'm I'm a business person. I'm very analytical. I like I listened to Erin's discussion last meeting and I was like, "Yep, I know it's going to be hard. I know we're gonna have to make cuts and I know they're going to be people cuts and those are the worst." Um, but when I look at what the people cuts are here, they're studentf facing and that's my concern. I [applause] >> [applause] >> I really want to know that we've done everything we can as a district to look at non- studententf facing positions. And I'm not talking about full cuts. I'm wondering um if there's FTE reductions that we've looked at where they'd still be

074full-time, they'd still be benefited. I'm I'm trying to figure out different ways that we can be creative um and not eliminate this. I really think I I appreciate that the district did not want to eliminate the position, but rationally a you couldn't be in that position and pay for your benefits now, right? Because you wouldn't have the coverage and afford to live. So, it's not [applause] it's I don't I don't feel like we're >> [applause] >> I don't feel like we're setting that up that I think we're going to have a bunch of vacant library positions and that's my concern. Um [applause] so I mean I think everybody understands the the importance of the library. Obviously I'm preaching to the choir here but I um I feel like there has to be a better way.

075And in order to do that, I re I I know we have to cut. And in order to do that, I do think there might need to be other things on the table. >> Yeah. I I think [applause] [cheering] [applause] as we uh as I mentioned earlier, yeah, this is this is going to be a multi-year problem for us. So there this conversation is going to be ongoing. Um, in order to consider additional positions, I would want to do my due diligence and let the board know what the potential ramifications would be in terms of exposing the district to liabilities and those kinds of things. Um, I wouldn't feel good about making a recommendation without having done that analysis, but this is going to be over time and there will be more reductions coming. This

076is going to be multi-year. So, I think your point is very well taken and I think there's a lot of those conversations are going to have to happen as we as we move forward. >> So, I'm going to piggy back off of uh Lena's question. Um can you guys explain what process uh or just you know your the decision making process you took to basically end up at the librarians. Um and then a second part to that is I absolutely like I mean I honestly I I absolutely hate being in this position. Um, and right now my full eyeire is on the March 15th deadline, right? Because of that, we have to make notifications to people to staff. Um, I just found out about this or we just did two weeks ago, right? And so

077it's someone mentioned a month. It's not even a month. It's two weeks and we're up against this deadline to notify people. I don't know how is that enough time to do our due diligence on figuring out what we can do. That's not people, >> right? It's I I I and it's I I I know we're up against the March 15th deadline and that is because we need to notify people, but between March I want to get your thoughts on what can happen between March and May that may avoid the people cuts. I mean, have you looked at that? And then the first part of my question, I'm just going to reiterate it. How do we get to the librarians? How do we pick them? Because there's there's a bunch of people. We're a people district,

078a people, you know, business. Um, and then the second part was, have we looked at non-people cuts? Have you had enough time to look at that? >> Yeah. Yeah, that thank you. Those are two different questions. And I'll have Erin speak a little bit to um the non-staffing side. I will say that we've been doing this for like five years, right? So, we always are making as many non-staffing reductions as we can. Um, and staffing and sta when there's staffing reductions, we're always looking away from the classroom and, you know, district office and other support personnel. Um, and I want to reiterate again that this is this is the first round and unless something drastic happens with with this way the state funds us, this is only the first round. I will say that um

079I will say that um as I as I kind of alluded to in my comments, there are every every uh staff member provides value. And I hate that we get to a place where I'm looking at um student health supports where a student is coming into the office for as I mentioned earlier an insulin reading or uh or a social workers where a student says I I'm I'm worried about I'm going to harm myself and now I have to make I have to make some of those choices. um the the the value that our librarians give is is is is unquestionable and sometimes I I I don't want to put um students at at safety and health risk. So um I will address the district office piece, but I'll I'll have I'll have Erin talk

080about the non-staffing side. The the fact I'll just say in brief as I mentioned earlier that school districts like ours when it's when we're 85% people the the the non-staffing reductions won't close the kind of gaps that we're that we're looking at. Um when the county office of education, San Diego County Office of Education does uh staffing comparisons, they do staffing comparisons for district office uh departments, which was shared in the in the um uh in Aerin's report two weeks ago. Um they they break us out by bands based on the size of the school district. So there are maybe seven or eight of us in the same little band and we are below the average in every single uh district office department with the exception of transportation because we we're one of the only

081ones that's running buses on for general ed students and we're also actually providing uh busing services to other local school districts. So um in every other category, every other district office department, we're below the average because we're we're trying to run as leanly as we as lean as we possibly can. And at a certain point, if you if you cut an accounts rece you cut the accounts receivable uh staff, now you can't pay your bills. If you cut payroll staff, we can't cut checks. I mean, at a certain point, the district does have vital functions that we that come out of this office that we we we're legally obligated to to provide. >> Yeah, I can address Lena's question from earlier. So, of the 2 million um of proposed reductions, um 445,000, which is 21%

082is coming from non-staffing reductions and 1.6 million, 79% is coming from staffing reductions. >> Okay. Um, what other I know that we've been we've been asking Andy and his team questions all week. Um, as soon as we got as soon as we got the um the notices and and understood what this was going to be about. Um, and so are there other questions that we want to kind of talk about even if we knew the answer to just so that the community can kind of understand a little bit of our thought process and and how why we are where we are? question. >> No. Okay. Um >> discussion. Yeah. So, yeah, let's I think if we're if we're past the question part, then we can move to discussion >> and and kind of talk about

083where where we are. Um do we want to take them um individually or just kind of overall philosophically? Okay. Um, thank you all for being here and I want to tell you that this is in my year and four months definitely the hardest situation. I'm not gonna look at you. Um, so I want all of you guys to know that all five of us are parents and all five of us have students in San Marcus Unified. So I want to level set that um that it is not an us against them situation. We are we have skin in the game. all have current elementary age kids or kids that have come out of our elementary schools. We love our librarians. Okay, so I just wanted to level set that. Um I prepared something because I

084knew I would get emotional and distracted um because I knew all of you were going to be here. So I'm going to read something I prepared. Um I want to start by acknowledging the very real fiscal challenges our district is facing. The enrollment decline and rising cost pressures that Dr. Johnson mentioned um are very serious. They're they're dire and I appreciate the extensive work that has gone into bringing forward a balanced and legally compliant plan by Erin Garcia. Um I appreciate the work that our staff has done. I want all of you to know that staff has spent not only hours um weeks working through very very many different scenarios and I I I don't want that to be lost on on the public. Um we've taken this very seriously and there's been a lot

085of time that's put been put into it. Um, at the same time, part of our role as a board is to weigh not only the financial necessity of reductions, but also where those reductions begin and how they are experienced in our schools, most importantly with our kids. Elementary library staff play a meaningful role in supporting literacy, student engagement, and helping ensure students have access to books and research skills, particularly for our youngest learners. In an increasingly techforward world, our libraries and librarians do essential work fostering curiosity and a genuine love of reading. I have heard clearly from you, evidenced by over 800 emails. Um, and all of you being here today that these positions are deeply valued at the school site level. Um, I will admit to you, I went into this looking at it

086as a line item on a spreadsheet. I will admit that um for me it's it's become more of a question of ROI. What is the value that our librarians bring to our schools? And it for me is no longer a line item on a spreadsheet. Um [applause] uh for that reason I am not prepared right now um to approve this resolution. [cheering] [applause] To be to be clear, I fully recognize that budget reductions are necessary and that additional difficult decisions will lie ahead. They will uh we cannot do this without cutting staff. And we have heard I I want you guys to understand that when we get the emails, we we see the signs. Um it's it's an incredibly difficult position because we do not want to cut our librarians and we need to keep

087our district in business. We need to keep our schools open. We're balancing this um tightroppe walk of we've been elected to be fiduciaries of our district. That means that we are responsible to keep the district solvent and also we're advocates of our community and we represent you. And so um whatever the decision is today, I hope that you will put yourself in our shoes. There is there is no winning, okay? It's we're going to walk out of here with a pit in our stomach. um because it's there's no easy answer. Okay. Um so I I I want to just say that my position tonight is not about avoiding the reality of our fiscal situation, but it's about sequencing and priorities, doing everything we reasonably can to protect our sitebased student supports for as long as

088possible, understanding that it will touch our sites. Um, and I want to just put it out to my fellow board members who I know have lost many hours of sleep, um, that we might discuss this and, um, and potentially find, um, find an alternate solution. >> [applause] [cheering] >> So, [applause] >> so I'm hearing two things. I'm hearing that as a board we believe the numbers. We understand that we need that we have a significant structural deficit and we need to address it. I'm also hearing that as a board, we would like more thorough discussion about the long-term budget plan as a holistic strategy that encap encap helps to to better encapsulate the mission of our district and and the board's priorities. Are both of those statements true? Yeah. Okay. Um, do we have further

089discussion? >> Okay. >> I was just going to say member, thank thank you. I both of those are coming from the heart. I myself am a school counselor in a neighboring school district and this year we had we started off with four and unfortunately we're at three right now and they're not planning that school district is not planning on replacing that. culture uh or hiring for next year because again it's across the board. This again is sleepless nights a pin in the stomach. I mean, you you kids, I have an second grader as well, and trust me, today when he asked for for money for the Apex run, I said, "We're kind of limited right now." And hearing him cry got to me, just like right now. Each and every single one of your voices

090in this position is is very difficult for us. So again, whatever the outcome is, you know, again, we appreciate your grace, your understanding, and the moment of resiliency because resiliency is what we're teaching our students as well, as well as each other. So, thank you. >> Can I just make a general comment to the public because I am um I'm so the last of like everyone I echo the sentiments of my fellow board members. It's been sleepless nights for me. Um, it's these kinds of cuts are never ever easy ever. Um, and it's my least liked part of this job or this responsibility. One of the things I ask each one of you because as Heidi said, as all of us understand, this is something that we're going to have to face going forward. And

091I don't want to face it without all of you. I want to encourage every single one of you and we'll do our part to attend our board meetings, watch Erin's presentations, discuss with us, ask us questions, engage with us before we are making these types of decisions. So this journey that we're all all on, this really bumpy uncomfortable journey that we seem to be on because people way above our pay grade don't seem to understand the situation. But it is a journey that we need to go on together. So if if you just like you took the time and the efforts to reach out to us this week, please continue that. Please continue to engage. Please continue to watch. Please continue to listen. Please continue to share. um because it's going to be uncomfortable. And

092um someone mentioned our village. We are a village. I'm a parent. I have the teachers, the principles, the staff, every single one of them, I can't even tell you, have helped me with my kids so much. Um they they see my kids more than I do. Um their safety, their well-being, their future. Um, so we do that every day with our staff, our district, as parents, as students. Um, so when we have to make decisions like this, it's incredibly difficult. And what makes it worse is when we feel like we might know something you guys don't or you know something that we don't. So please, as we go forward during these hard times, please let's do this together. That's the only thing. you know, I I I see Erin present her presentations. No one's here.

093Um, I get that information. Anyways, either way, my my my request to all of you is please continue to engage, okay? Not just when it gets hard. [applause] Thank you. >> I'd like to make one more comment. I know that a few of you spoke about the district office um and I wanted to put something out there. You guys might boo me. Um that they have thankless jobs. They don't work directly with students. And so I know the librarians do and our teachers do, but I I just want to ask you guys to just consider um the work that our district office does behind the scenes that you guys may not even see, you may not even appreciate. And I would just challenge you to to not make assumptions um about about their value because

094they do incredible work for our district and they allow our sites to run um the way that they do and they staff our sites with the best teachers and um I I just wanted to put that out there. I heard a couple um comments about them and I just wanted you guys to just realize that they are working their butts off and um there's not a lot of families that are going to show up and speak up for them because they don't work directly with you guys. So, um I wanted to to be that for them. >> Okay. Um, does anybody want to make a motion to approve resol I'm on 4.1 now to approve resolution 23-2526 um elimination discontinuation of services and layoff of certificated employees for the 2627 school year um as as

095presented. Do we have an option to do we >> we have an option to amend [laughter] if we want to do we want to are we is there a consensus that we would like to amend this >> pardon sorry >> this is for certificated >> we're on yeah the first 23 so this is >> so do we make a motion to amend >> you can move to amend if you want to amend What's the >> I would move to amend the library media technician. >> Okay, that's we're on 4.1 certificated the 23. Sorry, 23-526. It's okay. >> My pages got mixed up. >> It's okay. >> Okay. Okay. So, right now I'm calling for a motion to approve as as written for the uh certificated employees for the 2627 school year. Do have a second.

096I'll second uh moved by uh Lena and seconded by uh Stacy to approve the certificated uh employees to approve the resolution number 23-2526 um as as written. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? The motion carries. 4.2 two resolution number 24-2526 elimination and discontinuation of services and layoffs of classified employees for the 2627 school year. Um Jules you've already introduced do you have a second introduction or >> not? I don't have a full second introduction. Um you know obviously we've talked you know we're addressing here the the similar to the last item um you know we're bringing forward this uh resolution to comply with the legal mandates and address the structural deficit that we've discussed. I think it's important to know that you know for the those who are um you

097know impacted potentially by this um you know we've shared to them as we've been meeting with with our employees that we are committed to doing everything in our power to uh keep them employed in different uh positions um identifying positions. We've been very successful in doing that in previous in other years and working closely with uh with CSEA and finding uh you know other vacancies where people are qualified and they're going to be successful. Um and I think we've got a really really good track record track record of doing that. Um so I just wanted to reiterate that you know we are um approaching this work with care and deep respect for our staff, our students and our families. Um and our goal is to always make thoughtful data informed uh changes um to avoid

098any disruptive actions in the future. That's all. Okay. Um Okay. [clears throat] So, are we It sounds like there's consensus that we'd like to amend this. So, do we want to go through the amendments? You want to start off that you had some amendment? I Oh, no. No. Go ahead. I think I'm on the right page, guys. Sorry. I got it got mixed up. So, um I'd like to look at the um library media technician uh 8.4 4 FTE and I don't know if we would need curious about everybody else's feedback. Um >> I would add the community liaison to that at Wooden Park. >> Yeah, >> I want to Yeah, [applause] >> I think it's important for Dr. Garcia had to explain what that item is because there's some clo there's some vacant positions

099in there. Correct for the the community leazison position. >> Yes. So I'm sorry. So what was the question if we were to re remove that from the uh >> there's a vacancy there. That's a there's a vacancy in there. >> One is a vacancy but then one is a >> there are two um so there is >> I just want to make sure we're looking at the right one. Yeah. >> Right. So there are two sets there. So there the top one um there's a individual an employee in the position and then uh below towards the middle of the page um you see elimination of vacant classified position. So that's a that's a different correct. >> Yeah. Yeah. I think I think that we're we're okay with with not filling vacant positions the vacant positions

100that are here but um so yeah I'm talking about the the ones where we currently have employees in that position. >> Yeah. >> Um okay. So >> I just wanted to point out just to make sure the board understands this particular position is a sightfunded position and um that particular site was going to use their site funds um for for a different different purpose. >> So I have a question on that. >> A district it's not a district funded position. I'm just letting you know that >> it's the first one the one that's >> correct. So I have a if it's a sightfunded position and the site obviously can use their funds as they wish. Why are they why do they need our approval? >> Because they still have to get notified. >> Oh that

101notification. >> Yeah. They're still district employees and there's notification timelines. Correct. >> Wait, but is the site going to funded or not fund it? >> They're they were not planning to. So they're looking at we still have the funds but looking at shifting priorities and and funding other other initiatives instead. >> Okay. Um so I think that one of the purposes of of amending these >> is that um when the board was doing their discussion that that you know it seems like part of this is about having a longer term holistic budget plan that it doesn't right now I think that um the board at least doesn't feel like we have a a good handle on what this is and so it feels you know like very p you know kind of pulled out and

102we don't understand how all of this fits into a longer term plan and how it helps us with our mission as we move forward. And I understand like I totally understand this is going to get worse. This doesn't even include like negotiations, right? Like this number is the number that it is without negotiations which starts up pretty soon too. So I fully understand I truly do that you know as we move into this that you know it's it will get harder. Um and also I think that we want a little bit more time to talk about those two positions. Is that does that sound accurate? >> So I just have to just So if we don't approve Oh god. If we don't approve the community liaison notification, are we essentially telling the site that they

103have to keep that position? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> And I'm not sure if that is if there's any alignment with their SPSA and their their site council decisions, but >> it's directly connected to their SPS SPSA, their SIPA. Um, so this would shift what they are doing with their SIPA because it is a fully sightfunded position. >> Okay. >> Voted on by by their by their site council. >> By their school site council. Yes. >> So the site and the school site council have seen this and said they're okay with >> correct. Yes. >> Okay. So what are we is it still amend are we still removing it an in amendment that we is that still >> I mean I I think you know my my personal opinion is is that you know the

104site I'm going to trust the site when they say here's what we need and here's what we can do and here's what we can't do and if this is coming from the site then I guess I'd be more inclined to say okay. >> Um so yeah >> so are we amending just to remove the Going back to just the media, >> just the library media tech. >> Yeah. Okay. Does that sound right to everybody? >> Okay. Yeah. >> So, do I have a motion to approve resolution number 24-2526 as amended? >> And I'll second. Okay. Moved by moved by member Heric and seconded by member Ahmad to approve resolution number 24-2526 as amended. All those in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? The motion carries. Tonight's [applause] close session agenda. Thank you. Tonight's close

105session agenda includes the following items. Matters pertaining to public employee employment, transfer, appointment, discipline, dismissal, release, evaluation, reassignment, and matters pertaining to public employee superintendent evaluation governing code section 54957. With that, we will adjourn to close session. Thank you. [applause]