001this meeting to order. Today's date is Thursday, October 9th, 2025. This is the regular meeting of the governing board of the San Marcos Unified School District. Please let the record reflect that all board members are present with the exception of member Carlson and member Heric. The San Marcos Unified School District Board of Education meeting is a business meeting 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 the member of the public is speaking. Members of the audience must not yell or speak out regardless of whether you agree or disagree. While public comment is in progress, if you speak out, you are out of order and will
002be 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. All right. The San Marcos mission statement. 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. I pledge to the flag of the United States of America and to the stands one nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. Can I just say it was so nice to hear all of the kids. Thank you guys. >> All right. Approval of
003the agenda. Do I have a motion to approve the agenda? >> So moved. >> I'll second. Moved by member Martine, seconded by member Ma to approve the agenda as presented. Student board members, please say your vote. >> I. >> All those in favor say I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Report of action taken in closed session. Tonight the board met in close session and conferred with real property negotiators government code section 5 54956.8 Aaron Garcia and Wendy H. Wild Eagle Council. Real property a portion of the 700 Adabberry Drive San Marcos California 92078-331 APN22-121-04 consist consisting of approximately 13.5 acres negotiation party trustee of Paul Pearson Trust dated July 22nd 2007 under negotiation price and terms of purchase of real property no action was taken. Next, the B board conferred with real property negotiators government code
004section 54956.8 Aaron Garcia and Wendy H Wild WS legal counsel real property slope area on the west and south side southeast side of double peak school consisting of approximately 4.2 2 acres and a portion of 700 Atbury Drive, San Marcos, California 92078-3301 APN22-121-04 in the southeast portion of such parcel consisting of approximately 4 acres. Negotiation party negotiating party Jeffrey Tuller and Laura Tuller under negotiation price and terms for sale of slope areas. No action was taken. Next, the board conferred with legal counsel consist existing leg litigation government code section 54956-9 D1 name of case OAH case number 202503 0856 in a vote of 320. The board voted to approve a settlement agreement in OAH case number 202503 0856. Trusty Ahmad, Martin, and Mium in favor and trustees none opposed. [clears throat] Next, the board conferred
005with legal counsel regarding existing litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9D, San Diego Superior Court case number 25 CU042362C. No action was taken. Next, the board discussed matters pertaining to public employee employment, transfer, appointment, discipline, dismissal, release, evaluation, reassignment, government code 54957. No action was taken. Then, the board discussed student expulsion case number 1-2526. No action was taken. Last, the board discussed specific complaints or charges against employees, government code 54957. And on that in close session today, by motion of Ahmad, seconded by Miam, the board took action to uphold the superintendent's design decision in the complaint against employee number 666735 pursuant to board policy and administrative regulation 131.1 by the following vote. Eyes, Ahmad, Miam, and Martine, nos and no abstaining. We also in uh we also in close session today by the motion of
006MIM seconded by MAD. The board took action to uphold the superintendent design decision in the complaint against employee numbers and 501663 pursuant to board policy and administrative regulation 1312.1 by the following vote. Eyes Mia Mad and Martin no nos and no abstaining. All right. Moving on to student board members. Hi, welcome. In our ASB class, each class has a theme. Our themes are student voice, student engagement, and student community. Within each class, we have different commissions. Commissions are teams of four who focus on specific goals together. Today I want to highlight three commissions who have have who have been having success this month. Our diversity commission has been focused on Hispanic Heritage Month by collaborating with different student groups like Hispanic Latino student union mecca and ballet forico. Coming soon they'll be working on our
007annual day of the dead celebration. Our fundraising commission has had a successful SOA grizzly where a few years where students pay to dump a buck bucket of water on a teacher or ASB student a few years a few years ago Dr. Johnson was able to soak a student. This commission did a great job and up next they'll be working on the Chick-fil-A challenge. Our safic officers have been working on bring the event to you campaign. Not all students like to come up and go to the ASB Plaza to see bigger events or participate because it might be out of their comfort zone. So, our sophomore class officers have been working to increase student engagement by walking around campus and bringing events to our students. We thank Mr. Mrs. Miss O'Neal, Mr. Zapata, and our ASB
008program for working hard during a busy fall season with football games, pep rallies, and homecoming. Homecoming week. >> We'll watch the video first. Yeah. >> Okay. Our homecoming week at Mission Hills was a big celebration of Grizzly Pride. Our homecoming pep rally was very exciting and entertaining. We had a new game which got our students engaged and our cheer and dance performances were stunning as always. Our varsity football team deserves a big shout out with their incredible win against LCC ending 35 to 34 in the last 32 seconds. The football team is currently undefeated and ranked third in the county and 15th in the state. I want to congratulate Coach Zapata, the coaching staff, and their team for their hard work and dedication this season. Our halftime show included a collaboration between Sheer Dance and
009Color Guard who performed live music with from our band. We were also able to celebrate our homecoming royalty. Our homecoming dance, Moonlight Over the Mesa, was was a success with tacos, ice cream, games, and a wild dance floor. There was fun for everyone. I heard the churros and carn carnival games were a hit. So, thank you to our junior class officers for planning su a successful dance. Leading off on that, we have our student spotlight, Grant Kirkindall. Grant is a hard worker in ASB and is always willing to help anyone who needs it. Last year, Grant joined ASB as a sophomore where he led student engagement commission and was able to plan creative events for students. This year, he is our junior AS or ASB junior class vice president. Grant is also an athlete. He
010is involved in football and track and field. Grant was recently named one of the top 10 defensive ends in San Diego for the class of 27. While having a very successful football season on the field, off the field, Grant was working hard behind the scenes with his officer team to plan and execute homecoming. Congratulations, Grant, for a great homecoming football win and dance. >> Some of that grids disco bowl 22. He'll take that championship. Every single year we keep stacking wins. So run it up. Yeah. Yeah. Run it up. Yeah. Some of that grid. Summon that grid. You know what it is. Always with that drip. Never slip. We got that edge to bring home that championship. 15 to three. It's too easy. No rivalry. That's all facts. Can you speak all about your team?
011You upper taste letters, bro. Oh yeah, he's the grid. >> That was a great introduction to our staff spotlight of the month, Mr. Woodman. Mr. Woodman is a positive and patient person. He always gives off good energy and effort in his class. You can tell he has a love for math, his students, and Mission Hills. I personally have Mr. Woodman and I always look forward to his class. Not only does he teach us math, he teaches us how to become better people and successful in life. That's what being a teacher is about. He teaches math and is an adviser of black of black student union as well as active in the mission hills community. Today I want to showcase the welcoming faces of our wellness center. Our peer coun our peer-to-peer counselors are in the
012center in the morning during school or after school ready to support students and host events. They have been working hard training, redecorating and setting up new space. Students who need support can always find a safe student who is ready to help them. When a student comes into the center, they are offered support, help finding coping strategies, or a referral to a staff counselor if needed. Overall, our past few weeks have been filled with so many things that make me proud to be a Grizzly. We're excited for our football game tomorrow at 7:00 and hopefully you can pull up to watch Mission Hills High School remain undefeated against Carlsbad. Thank you. Go Grizzlies. Good evening everyone. My name is Anara Mod. I am San Marcos High School student board representative and today I'd like to show
013you what's been going on at our school. To start off we have around campus. So we have hosted our annual back to school night. So parents got to tour the campus and see what's going on with their teachers and connect. We had a great turnout. Next, we had our FFA chili cookoff, which was the first one we have ever hosted. Charlie Stone and Kate Foster, two seniors at our school, hosted a cookoff between the chapters of FFA. They also hosted a movie night for some bonding. And then this week, we had our senior legacy week commemorating the end of the beginning for our seniors at our high school with fun activities each day. Next, we have our student highlights. Kate Foster and Charlie Stone, two impressive students at SMHS. Kate is our southern region vice
014president for FFA and Charlie is our San Diego SE section FFA president. Both of them are very high high in demand and they're both doing an amazing job. Next, we have our staff highlights. Dr. Wild, our amazing principal with the best school spirit. At any event, you can you can trust that Dr. Wild will be there to show her spirit. Next, we have sports. Our varsity boys football team won against Oceanside, San Pasqual, and Powe. Our varsity girls volleyball won against San Diego yesterday. And our team is now number six in San Diego out of 99 teams. Our varsity girls f flag football won against Script Ranch. And our varsity girls field hockey won against Powe. What is coming up? We have our blood drive tomorrow that will be set up by ASB helping students
015save lives. And then our senior legacy week will also be ending this Friday with many fun events planned for them. Thank you. >> Next, Andy Johnson. Thank you, trustees. A few updates for you this month. I want to begin by letting the board know that we had our first pack meeting of the year. Uh I think it was last week. Um and as you know the pack is the parent advisory committee. These are monthly meetings of our PTO leaders from all of our school sites. It's very well attended. It's actually one of my favorite meetings of the month. Um we spend the time either I'm giving the the the parents district updates. We also get I get input from them. Uh good case in point is last year when we were working on our u
016revisions to our cell phone policy. They were very instrumental in in feeding giving us feedback and giving me direct feedback on that. Um and it's also the only time in the month when all the PTO leaders are all in the same room together. So we give we carve out time in the agenda for them to collaborate on just different things. So um I just want to highlight them again because it's they're these are these are really important members of our school community. They're not doing this for the fame and the glory. Um these are all volunteer hours and we couldn't do it without them. So I want to thank our our pack members. I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this. The board has seen this this graphic many many times. Um
017this the discerning eye will not note a couple of changes we'll talk about when we meet uh here coming up in a couple weeks. Um but I did want to highlight that um and thank the board for your uh consistency and supporting the district's mission and mission and the vision that you guys live up at the top of that pyramid because it is coming to life in our schools. Now, this is not me, uh, but it might might as well have been me in 1982 in middle school math. Um, we have made a lot of changes since that time. So, I'm very very excited with some of the things that are going on in our in our middle schools. I'm going to talk a little bit about our middle schools today uh this evening. Uh,
018these these slides I'm going to show you are actually from this very week. So, this is these are uh photos from Mission Hill, sorry, from San Marcos Middle School. um it was time for the sixth graders to learn about uh statistics and pygraphs and instead of okay we're going to read the chapter on pigraphs and we'll take a quiz on Friday uh they actually did a full-blown design thinking process um the students created a survey of things they wanted to know about their classmates you can see they got 440 responses there did a full um statistical analysis of it and then a presentation of their learning to their peers so this was this was just a really good example the board is aware we're working on this middle school uh design. Um, middle school future
019future. I know you've changed it so many times. I can't >> The middle school experience. >> I still like middle school redesign, but they they vetoed me on that one. It's the middle school experience. And it really is it really is shifting and I'm I'm very proud of that. This was this morning, as a matter of fact, at SEMS. They launched a unified PE class this year. So these are about half uh the students in the in the PE class are gened, half are special ed. The general ed students who have uh uh who are in this class opted into this class as kind of a leadership opportunity, which is as you know also one of our portrait of a graduate competencies, leadership and empathy. So that's that was really exciting for me to see
020this morning. These are our middle school principles uh who were out in on each other's campuses Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. They went to the different campuses where they together are visiting classes. They're giving feedback to teachers. They're learning from each other. All in in the um in the vein of the middle school experience and the shifts that we are making there. It's very exciting. Couple weeks ago, we had our board tours. Uh so several of board members were able to join us at Discovery and LCM. And it's very very exciting for me also to see our portrait of a graduate getting all the way down to the lowest levels uh of our of our of our grades span. Um these are students uh working on math discourse, which is a big focus across the district.
021Um, we had some fun in our TK classes. You see a couple of our board members here having fun sorting and classifying colors and shapes. And board member me and you did a great job. Got all the triangles in the right box and whatever it was. Um, I was I was concerned that when we left the school, Sarah was going to stay all day with the with the kids. She had a good time. So, but but in all seriousness, it's really really exciting for me. I will tell you that I've been doing this work for a long time. It's very difficult to get even a single school, but let alone an entire school system all working on the same thing faced in the same direction. And the work we've seen this year has been really,
022really, really encouraging. Um, you're seeing a lot of alignment across our across our school sites. And I want to commend our principles for that. Uh, and our teachers for the amazing work that they are doing. Uh, also want to let the board know that we are continuing our ebike uh, safety efforts in conjunction with the sheriffs. Um we're very happy with that partnership. We've hold we have held again this uh this fall a number of um trainings for parents. And since launching the ebike permit program in August of 2024, we've expanded to include all of our middle schools in addition to our high schools. You can see on this graph we've just started San Marcos Middle. So that number is going to go up, but that we've just just started there. Um, and as you
023can see to date, 895 of our students have attended a session with a parent or guardian to earn their ebike permit. I will interject here that one of the excuse me, one of the things I was actually most encouraged by here last year is that there are actually different classes of ebikes. Many uh parents are not aware of that. Our sheriff's actually presented to our parents in this training that there are different classes of ebikes. top I would call it like the fastest most powerful ebike is actually very close to being like motorcycle speed. Um and the thing that's encouraging about that is that many of our parents in attending this learned that didn't know it loaded the ebike back on the truck took it back and traded it in for one that's a little
024bit more appropriate for the for the age of the students u because we do want to make sure our kids are safe out there on the streets. So, um, we will continue those efforts and we're very appreciative of the partnership that we have that with the city of San Marcos and our sheriffs. Knob Hill construction continues to go. That's the NPR going, going, gone. That was a couple day a couple weeks. That was last week, right? That was last week that the NPR was torn down. The kids had a fun time watching that. Um, so that work continues. The um I told you last week that we or last month, sorry, that we had a a website uh for the community giving updates on the construction project that is now launched. So, that is going
025um ingress and egress lanes for drop off and pickup have been temporarily adjusted to accommodate the uh the work that's happening there, but it's gone very smoothly. I want to thank Principal Sinella and the team and our our teams down here uh for continuing to support those um those those projects. Uh we have also launched a dedicated sorry I just said that and a similar page just like this one is going to be launched for Woodland Park because the Woodland Park construction um is just about to get started or have we started have we started the demo? We're kind of getting staged up there. It's going to start pretty soon. So the Yeah. So the site preparation is underway very soon for the two the new twotory science and fitness building. Uh and that's going
026to be very very exciting. And back to Knob Hill, just learned that we uh our construction and design plans recently earned recognition as the people's choice winner at the 37th annual caliber design awards presented by the International Design Association. So, uh, that was really, really exciting and that that honor is obviously a testament to the thoughtful design and collaboration behind this project. I can't wait to see when it's, uh, when it's all done. So, um, very, very exciting and thank you again to the the entire staff at at Knob Hill. They're they're real troopers going through all this and the and the students and the families as well. So, um, with that, those are my updates for the month. I'm happy to take any questions. >> Andy, um, if all goes well, what's the timeline
027on Knob Hill again? Can you remind me? >> I'm sorry. Am I putting you on the spot? >> She's going to make you say it on the line. I'm not going to say it. I'm not 100% certain right now. So, I'm not gonna say it. But we can get those dates to the board certainly. >> It follows, which it never does. Thank you. >> Before we go forward, I just want to again thank the community for, you know, helping us pass Measure JJ so that we can do this for our students and our community. So, thank you guys. All right. Um, uh, communicate. No, presentations. Richland Elementary Principal Mandy Jackson. [laughter] We're all needing to take a breath. All right. Good evening, Dr. Johnson, board members and cabinet. My name is Mandy Jackson, and I
028am the proud principal of Richland Elementary School. Tonight, it is our privilege to highlight for you our dedicated staff, our accomplished students, which you see behind me. I'm so proud of them and the special programs at Richland Elementary School. Richland Elementary School is a vibrant learning community serving more than 900 students across 40 classrooms. In addition to strong core instruction, students benefit from specialized programs in music, PE, science, counseling, library along with enriching art and intervention programs. Our teaching staff at Richland Elementary exemplify dedication, professionalism, and a deep commitment to student success. We are incredibly proud of our exceptional team of educators who are making a lasting difference in the lives of our students. In addition to our dedicated classroom teachers, Richland is also supported by a passionate team of special education professionals. And we
029are so thankful for their unwavering commitment to meeting the diverse needs of our students. Student learning does not stop when the bell rings. Learning and enrichment extends beyond the school day with our three afterchool programs. Our success is further supported by 40 more dedicated classified staff employees who play an essential role in ensuring our students thrive at Richland. I would like to take a moment to express my deep gratitude for the incredible classified support staff who make Richland Elementary such a special place for our students and our families. Our office staff provide the warm welcome and organization that keeps our schools running smoothly and efficiently. Our custodians maintain a clean, safe, and inviting campus for all of our families and students. Our health aid ensures that students medical needs are cared for with compassion and
030kindness. On the playground and in the cafeteria, our supervisors and nutrition services team create safe and positive spaces where students can play, connect, and recharge. Our special education assistants and school psychologists provide vital support for our students. Each of these team members contribute in meaningful ways to our school's success, and we are truly grateful for their dedication and care. Good evening. My name is Lonnie Shay and I'm the assistant principal at Richland. I'm going to start us off by highlighting our parent teacher organization. We have a wonderful and incredibly involved PTO. Their dedication, creativity, and support make a huge difference in our school community. Thanks to the PTO, our students have access to amazing programs and clubs like the running club, holiday choir, musicals, pickle ball, cheer, and the ukulele club, just to name a
031few. They work behind the scenes to sponsor events, bring joy to campus, and create opportunities that go far beyond the classroom. We're so grateful for their time, energy, and heart. I'm excited to introduce this year's art curriculum called Meet the Masters. Each month, students will learn about a famous artist, including Claude Monae, Pablo Picasso, and Vincent Van Gogh. Students will explore each artist's life, art style, and impact on the world. They will create a fun, hands-on art project inspired by one of their famous works. Lessons are tailored for three age groups, so the learning is just right for each level. It's a great way for students to connect with history, express creativity, and have fun through art. And we can't wait to see what they create. And now we have Eleanor. Hi, my name is
032Elanor Banbridge and I am in Miss Sors' fifth grade class at Richland Elementary School. My favorite part of PE is that you get to work with work together with your classmates. I'm usually tired when I first go to PE, but then when PE is over, I feel energized and ready for the rest of the day. One of one one of the games that makes PE so fun is Pizza Tag. It is a very fun and silly game to play. PE is a very motivating special. It is good for us to have physical activity and PE can even help us with skills for sports we play outside of school. I think we also have the best PE teachers ever. Thank you for your time. Hi, my name is Maverick. I'm in fifth grade and I go
033to Richland Elementary. I be I became interested in track team after trying the softball throw during PE class. It was a lot of fun. When I went to the track meet, there were a lot of people watching and I felt really nervous at first, but once the event started, I began to feel better. I saw a bunch of my friends from other schools, which made it more fun. I did my best in my event. Even though I didn't get first place, had a great time, and I felt proud of how I did. I also got to watch other students complete in cool events like the long jump, 50 meter dash, 100 meter, 200, and 400 meter races. It was exciting to cheer for everyone and see how fast and strong the other athletes were. I'm
034excited to try again this year and see how much I can improve. Hi, my name is Alexis and I'm a fifth grader at Richland. I am here this evening to share about our STEM program. I love STEM because we get to learn about so many interesting things throughout through experiments and fun activities. I love experiments because you never know what's going to happen, but when you finish it, you learn a lot. Some things I learned through these experiments are how the lungs work by creating an artificial set of lungs, what chloroplasts are by or by what chloroplast do by looking at an elodia leaf under a microscope, and how to code by building a Lego amusement park and using computers to make the Legos move. One of my favorite activities was designing a protective cover
035for an egg that was going to be dropped from a ladder. It was so fun to watch my classmates designs be put to the test. I also had fun working as a team and putting our ideas together to create a protective case for our egg. STEM is a great place to learn while also having a lot of fun. Oh, and if you were wondering, my egg cracked. Good evening. My name is Sheamus Richley and my name is Russell Corbett. We are fifth graders at Richland Elementary School. Have you heard about the latest craze laboos? At our library, we have Laboos. Did you know that those little critters came from a book by Cassing Lung? During March, we have a March Madness Battle of the Books. We get to vote for our favorite books and the
036winners move on in the bracket. Every Halloween we have Pumpkin Jack. We get to watch him decompose and grow back again to learn about pumpkin seeds and plants. We also watch Jackie and Shadow, the big bear bald eagles. We follow along when they lay eggs and learn fun facts about eagles. Last year, two eggs hatched and they were named Sunny and Gizmo. At our book fair, we have a At our library, we have a book fair in the fall and in the spring. At the book fair, you get to buy books, and there is one night where you can shop with your family. Did you know that we currently have 18,960 books in our library? Last year, Richland Readers checked out 37,997 books. Our goal this year is to check out 41,000. So far, we
037have checked out 6,622 on the dot. My favorite thing about the library is when we check out books. After we get to read them and sometimes we get to sit in the bean bags. We stay busy in the library listening to stories, checking out books, learning cool facts, voting, doing library contests, guessing the letter of the week, and reading. Of course, we got our new amazing library three years ago, and we are so lucky to have it. Hello, my name is Ryan Bonitz and I'm a fifth grader in Miss Suarez's class at Michelin Elementary. I'm here to talk about my school. First, we have the best teachers and staff. If you need anything, you can help. You can ask him for help. Second, we have an amazing school counselor, Miss Angler. you you can tell
038her what is going on and she can help fix it and she does not share it with anyone else. She also runs the amazing kinder crew. This is where older students help kindergarteners by playing with them before school and help bringing them to the cafeteria for breakfast and back. She's also kind and fun, too. Miss Angler invites dogs from the humane society to visit as often as they can. We also have the best vice principal, Dr. Shay, and the best principal, Miss Jackson. They do a lot to help support us with fundraisers and student of the month. We also have the best helpers like Miss Wells. She always has a smile on her face and she's in classrooms all day long. That's why we have the best school. Thank you. >> Hi, my name is
039Cambria and I'm here to talk about Richland's music program. In first in music class, first we do a check-in and next we do a check-in song which is different every month. And last month, the check-in song was We Are Going to Be Friends, which we performed at Freddy Flagloop. We also have a ukulele club where we learn new chords and songs every week. Last week, we learned golden. I love the music program at Ridgeland because it's fun and an amazing way to bring kids together. Now, you see why Richland's such a great place. Thank you everyone. Thank you to all the students, all the teachers that came and all the families that came to support. This is just a little glimpse into the heart of Richland. We want to thank you for your continued support
040from the board, superintendent, and cabinet. Thank you so much. Thank you guys. Can I ask for a picture with all the wonderful speakers? You guys did so well. Can we get a picture with the board? Megan, the Lord Sorry. All right, guys. Count on the count of three. Ready? One, two, three. Thank you guys. Have a wonderful evening. >> Go to Richland also. >> Which one? >> Ah, I went to Richland. >> Oh, you don't have >> Okay. Um, wait for Susie. >> Susie Yeah. >> Okay. All right. So, we're going to move on to the next session. [laughter] 6.2 strategic promise update goal two student wellness. Christy Frius, director of student services. >> Good evening everyone. >> Good evening. Thank you for the opportunity to share how we're advancing a key part of our
041strategic promise goal two future ready learning environments through our work in comprehensive student wellness. I'm joined today by some of the wonderful individuals that I get to work with on a daily basis. And so with me I have Annne Layman, our coordinator of health services. Um Cynthia Flores, our coordinator of McKenna Vento and foster youth, and Martha Vargas, our lead school social worker. Together, we'll show you how our collaborative approach to wellness ensures that every SMUSD student has the foundation to be truly ready to learn, ready to grow, and ready for their future. I need that. Our strategic promise centers on creating learning environments where every student feels seen, heard, and valued. That is the heart of goal two. When we talk about whole child wellness, we're talking about the conditions that make learning possible.
042It's about more than academic rigor. It's about physical health, emotional safety, stability, and belonging. Before a child can reach higher levels of learning, their basic needs must be met. If a student is hungry, sick, or scared, learning simply cannot happen. By integrating comprehensive wellness into every aspect of our classrooms and our campuses, we are building those essential foundations for academic and personal growth, directly supporting objective 2.2, which calls for embedding wellness practices to promote both academic and social emotional development. to show what this looks like in practice. Um, because they only gave us 10 minutes and we could probably talk for a few hours about it. We're going to talk about a student, Aiden, who represents many of the students that we serve. Aiden is a middle school student whose academic struggles were were deeply
043connected to what was happening outside the classroom. He was struggling with asthma, living through housing instability, and experiencing growing anxiety and withdrawal. None of these challenges existed in isolation. They all impacted one another. When his health declined, his attendance dropped. When his family lost stable housing, anxiety increased. As stress mounted, learning took a backseat. Aiden's success story is the result of coordinated wraparound support where health, housing, and social social emotional support teams worked together to meet his needs holistically. The first step was helping Aiden manage his asthma so that he could attend school regularly. The credentialed school nurse collaborated with his doctor and with his family to develop an asthma action plan, trained his teachers on what warning signs to watch for, and ensured that he had access to his medication in the health office
044and on his person when needed. Once his health, physical health stabilized through medication and understanding of his symptoms and triggers, we saw improvement. This included better attendance, greater focus, and higher engagement in class. When Aiden was actually not working to breathe, he was smiling and engaged and ready to learn. This story reflects a widespread need across our district. Out of almost 19,000 student, more than 11,000 of them have documented health concerns that require ongoing in care throughout the monitor through excuse me throughout the school day. We have over 1100 students with asthma, 715 students with known allergies, over 114 students with seizure disorders, and over 45 students from TK through our ATP program with type 1 diabetes. And these are just the health conditions that we know about. Some guardians and parents don't notify us
045about health conditions. And for some, they aren't even aware that these health conditions exist. Every one of these students relies on our school nurses and our health aids to ensure that they can safely and consistently participate in learning. Addressing these foundational needs is what allows students like Aiden to thrive in the school setting. As Aiden Aiden's health improved, his family faced another major challenge. They lost their housing mid year and had to relocate across town to live with relatives. Through our Mckin Vento program, we provided immediate support. We ensured Aiden could stay at his school of origin, arranged transportation, and provided essentials such as clothing, hygiene products, and food. Additionally, week weekly check-ins with Aiden and his family built trust and connection during this stressful and uncertain time. That consistency helped rebuild his sense of
046security and his school once again felt like a safe place to be. We currently ser we are currently serving 492 students experiencing housing insecurity and 38 foster youth. Each relies on this safety net to stay connected to learning and even when life outside of school is uncertain. As Aiden's health improved, his family faced I'm sorry. Even with his health and housing stabilized, the stress that Aiden experienced was tremendous. Um it really took an emotional toll to him. He became withdrawn. He became anxious. He really struggled to focus and academics tank tanked. He um he struggled with engagement with peers. So, our counselor began weekly check-ins to build coping skills as well as emotional regulation strategies. Our school social worker provided small group sessions in order to help Aiden really reconnect. We wanted him to connect
047with his peers, just rebuild his sense of belonging. Um behind the scenes, our MTSS uh team was just working tremendously their magic monitoring his progress. Um we wanted to make sure we were tracking academics. We wanted to make sure we're tracking his behavior. Um how is he doing with his, you know, social and emotional well-being. We're looking at panorama and all of that. Just trying to understand really his his well-being right across the districts. Um, our teams are truly engaging tremendously at record levels. So, today we're completed day number 37. And you guys won't believe it, but we have over 500 over 5,500 counselor check-ins and over 3,000 social work check-ins in 37 days, right? Um, so each of these represents just a moment, a moment of connection, a chance to listen, a chance to
048guide to help students really re-engage in learning. Um, over time, Aiden began to re-engage. He began raising his hand. He began turning assignments. He began reconnecting with his classmates. When a student feels safe, when a student feels connected, when a student feels cared for, learning follows. Aiden's progress wasn't a coincidence. It was the product of a strong, coordinated system that exists across all of San Marcos Unified School District. Districtwide, we have seven credentialed registered nurses and 20 health aids ensuring students physical needs are met daily. There are 39 counselors providing academic guidance and social emotional support. 15 school social workers offer trauma-informed care and link families to community resources. Site-based MTSS teams using data to identify and respond to academic, behavioral, and wellness needs early. There are 36 McKenna Vento liaison supporting all schools across
049the district and ensuring that students facing housing instability remain connected to their education. This infrastructure ensures that every student, not just those in crisis, has access to the support needed to be healthy, connected, and future ready. When we invest in the whole child, in their wellness, we invest in deeper, more engagement, more meaningful learning. By addressing physical health, family stability, emotional well-being, we are creating the foundation for all the students to really develop competencies in our port of graduate. We work on adaptability, empathy, critical thinking, communication, and leadership. Aiden's journey illustrates how comprehensive supports really transform learning. When students feel safe, supported, valued, they don't just perform better, they build the resilience, the confidence to succeed well beyond the classroom. Thank you for your continued partnership and commitment to student wellness. Together, we're creating future
050ready learning environments where every student, regardless of their circumstances, has what they need to learn, grow, and thrive. We'd be happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you. No, thank you for empowering our students to become ready to learn. Uh it's a term often used with these uh social determinants of health and this is a wonderful opportunity for our district to showcase that what we're creating here, what we're helping with our students who are in the the audience as well and out there. But thank you. Appreciate that. >> I don't have a question. Thank you. >> Yeah. Thank >> I just want to thank the team again for coming um this evening and then uh for your really great presentation. Um I hope the board sees I know you do but that when
051four years ago you adopted the strategic promise and our portrait of a graduate you were very clear on we want to have a system that serves the whole child. Um and there may have been a time in this country's history where schools just did academics and there were other places they could go to get other supports. Um, but I I just very very very proud of the of the work that our our teams do and I hope that you see the vision that you set um coming to life again uh in the in the presentations you're hearing this evening. >> I certainly do and I thank you guys for executing it. Thank you. Communication session. All right. Per education code 35145.15 the government code 549544.3 members of the public have the opportunity to provide public
052comment on any agenda item as well as any non-aggenda item that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the board. Per board bylaw 9323, individual speakers will be allowed up to three minutes to address the board on each agenda or non-aggenda item except for our union representatives who have 5 minutes. In accordance with board bylaw 9323, public comments will be limited to 20 minutes per topic. In an effort to hear as many speakers as possible, comment times may be shortened depending on the number of comments received. Generally, if there are seven or fewer speakers, each speaker will be given 3 minutes. If there are eight to 10 speakers, each speaker will be limited to two minutes. If there are 11 or more speakers, each speaker will be limited to one minute. One speaker's time may
053not be seated to another speaker. If there are more than 20 speakers, which would consume more than 20 minutes, all speakers who are not able to speak during the 20 minutes allocated for each item will have the opportunity to address the board at a specific time later in the meeting. This will allow the board to conduct the board's business during the meeting. Per the Brown Act, members of the board are very limited in their ability to respond to the statements or questions made during public comment. Unless an item has been placed on the published agenda, there shall be no deliberation nor action taken. The board may one acknowledge a receipt of the information report and comment, two, refer to staff for further study, or three refer the matter to the next agenda. A recording is
054made of all open sessions of the governing board. Again, on behalf of the board of education, we thank you in advance for helping us conduct this meeting respectfully. Susie, do we have any speakers? >> Yes. Jay Hune, >> this will reset to three. >> Okay. Thank you board for the opportunity to speak with you regards to the paid administrative leave for our Mission Hills football coaches Chris Howser, Thomas Altieri, and Edward Knuckles. Coach Howser has been the only head coach in 21-year history of Mission Hills football, and he's been a leader of student athletes in the community for 25 years. His leadership has helped develop thousands of young men through the game of football. In a time where leadership, integrity, sportsmanship, and accountability is needed, coach Howser and his staff have made the corner this
055the cornerstone of their program. He has always preached teamwork and discipline on and off the field. Many of his players have gone on and played collegiate football and returned to be a part of his staff, including many current staff members. Coach Howser once told me there's a role for every student in our football program. His words have been put into action with well over 100 plus diverse student athletes participating annually. An example is my son Troy Hune. Troy was a a transfer student his freshman year. Coach Howser uh his Coach Hower has spent countless extra hours mentoring, speaking with college coaches, naming him a two-year captain, and helping him earn a college football scholarship. Currently, the Mission Hills football team is 6-0 in the midst of one of their finest seasons in school history. The
056success of the program is being overshadowed by an incident. The players are doing their best without three of their coaches. Unfortunately, four weeks ago, a locker room incident occurred while the coaches were actually on the field coaching. The poor judgment of a student has made them take the brunt of responsibility. In my opinion, coaches and teachers cannot be in all places at all times. Should not have to be responsible for all students behavior. This has had a negative ripple effect on the football team, student body and community, and especially the reputation of these great coaches. They have been local, state, and national news, and many of the on social media have painted them in a negative light. Still, no decision has been made by you to reinstate these coaches. To my knowledge, none of these
057coaches have any prior record of wrongdoing. We all know how the court of public opinion goes, and the longer you go without making a public statement and concluding this incident, the more the reputations and careers of these coaches and their families will be tarnished. Your job is to make a decision, and I and many others request you do this as soon as possible. Time is of the essence, and the season is ticking away with no closure in sight. I want these seniors right here to be remembered their last high school season as a great memory and not with an asterisk. I support and request coaches Hower, Altier, and Knuckles be reinstated to their coaching positions in the district and a public statement be issued clearing them of any wrongdoing. Without our coaches, there is a
058void of leadership and team. Let's bring back our coaches. Thank you. Hillary Hillary Medina. Good evening, members of the board. My name is Hillilary Medina and I'm here tonight as a proud Mission Hills football parent and a passionate supporter of the coaches who dedicate themselves to our students. Tonight, I'm not here to talk about policies or procedures. I'm here to talk about people. The kind of people who show up every day for our kids, who invest in their growth, who help shape them into confident, respectful, and resilient young men. Coach Hower has been a fixture in this community for over 40 years. That's not just a career, that's a legacy. He has mentored hundreds of boys, many of whom have gone to become leaders, fathers, professionals, and role models in their own right. His impact
059is not measured in wins and losses, but in the character he helps build. Alongside him, coaches Alter and coach and Knuckles bring energy, discipline, and heart to the field every single day. Together, this coaching staff sets high standards, teaches accountability, and instills values that extend far beyond football. They don't just coach plays. They coach perseverance, teamwork, and integrity. They are builders of character. And when we when we support them, we support every student who benefits from their guidance. So, I ask you as leaders to consider the real impact of your decision. Because when we punish a coach who has given so much, we're not just affecting one man. We're shaking the foundation of trust, mentorship, and stability that these boys rely on. And it risks making a scapegoat out of someone who has consistently done
060right by our kids. Let's not allow one moment to overshadow decades of service. Let's lead with wisdom, with perspective, and with the understanding that our actions today will echo in the lives of these young men for years to come. To go off script a little bit, I don't know if this is going to move the needle. Uh, I don't know if this will make an impact, but what he has done for our boys and what he's building the culture. Why do you think these boys are winning week after week without three of their prime coaches? Is because the culture that he's instilled. He's really taught these boys to be just leaders and they're going to be our future. They're going to be again professionals. They're going to date our daughters. They're going to be fathers
061one day. And these coaches have done such an amazing job. We cannot we we have to have courage. And was there a mistake made? Possibly. I don't know. But at the end of the day, he's done way more good than this one incident. Don't let this incident define his legacy. So with that, I thank you for your time. I thank you for continuing to invest in the people who make our schools more than just a place of learning, but places of growth, mentorship, and transformation. Thank you. John Moer. Sorry, no, there's no more speakers. John Moer. Hello, board. It's good to see you again. Um, I want to say it was nice to see Christine today at the Chamber of Commerce government affairs meeting. Very informative. Everybody's there to help each other and they even
062started talking about legislation for next year um from both state senator's office and and Darana Patel assembly members office. So they're already asking us for input. So I don't know where you stand but it's open season now for a few months. Um the other thing I want to say is I'm still interested in community service. how we tie in and make sure I'm connecting properly so we can tie our seniors into it and I can reach out to the mobile home parks and my seniors around the city and and get us together so we don't lose that knowledge from our seniors. Um, I got a good comparison with with our our new manager at our park. He's only 24, so he he brings a lot of energy, but I look at the same thing for
063the kids growing up. If you can mix with seniors, it's like mixing with your grandpa and your great grandpa and all that knowledge they have that they like to share with you. I I hate to lose that. And plus the energy of the youth is what we thrive on. It helps us keep moving. Um the other thing is I was at the North County Transit District Board meeting last month and they had a rep from CALR come down and they were talking about hydrogen-powered trains. They already have some in Northern California, but they're going to bring a few down here in 2027 as a test program and work with North County Transit District. They already have some hydrogen- powered buses and they're putting in the fuel fueling station. I believe they started breaking ground on
064it earlier this year. I'm bringing it up because it is headed that way and even our inland Sprinter will be eventually converted. The problem they're running into is the cost of the fuel. when it was presented to them originally, it was presented at a much lower cost, probably a third less than what they've been experiencing. And um I've talked to Sean, their CEO, and it it turns out that what we need is another the fuel source and more fueling stations throughout here in North County, probably through the whole county. Um so I'm I'm spreading the word because it's going to take collaborative effort for the funds to actually create the system. I looked at our buses for our school district. We have electric and then we have regular. And I don't know if you actually
065considered switching over eventually and and adding that hydrogen to your to your um school group. Um but it looks like for future wise that's that's something on the horizon. And also there's more regular vehicles that are being being made with the hydrogen systems. Um I had a chance at our clean energy alliance community um advisory committee today to ask them next year to actually put it on an agenda for us to research and look at what it would take to go ahead and get um a way to get the hydrogen um to where we need it. Look at investing take our money and invest it in the facilities we need to actually create it because it's going to take a lot of money to actually create a facility. A lot of them are overseas right
066now. So I just wanted to bring that up. Thanks for your time. >> There are no more speakers. Speakers, so move on to reports by board members. Do we have anything to share, folks? All right. N >> turn. >> Oh, actually you reminded me, Mr. Mosher, I got an email from a young lady that has emailed you about a club and uh some community service projects that she'd like to start with you. So, it should be in your inbox. And if you want to stay till the end, then I'll tell you her name. >> Okay. Okay. >> Yeah. Mhm. >> Right. >> Okay. >> Dr. Campbell, do we I'm just out of curiosity, do the high schools uh either their n 11th grade or uh senior do they have a projectbased like community service learning
067project where they actively do that as a part of their class or is a part of graduate and I don't think graduation but more along the lines key club for example or >> um at this point there's not a districtwide um process however um we do have several um clubs on our campus that do do um the outreach that Mr. Moer is talking about. >> Thank you. >> All right, moving on to item nine, action agenda. So 9.1 resolution number 8-25/26 resolution of the governing board of the San Marcos Unified School District finding that that the removal of a proposed overflow parking from double peak school site is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act. Aaron, >> so I'd like to provide some background on the reason we're bringing forward this board item. Um, as
068the board may recall, in approximately 2012, the board was considering a potential new K8 school construction project, now known as Double Peak School. In October 2013, before approval of the project and commencement of construction, the board approved a final environmental impact report or EIR for the project that was consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act or SQA. The EIR included a future unpaved overflow parking lot for 90 cars for special events in the far eastern portion of the planned school site area. To construct Double Peak School, the district needed to acquire several parcels of property, one of which was for the eastern portion of the campus where the special events parking lot would be located. This parcel was owned by Tom Pearson at the time. Mr. Pearson asked to remain in his home until his
069passing, which the board approved. So, the district received an option to purchase the property once Mr. Pearson passed. In 2015, the district completed the construction of Double Peak School and it has been operation ever since that time. In 2023, the district was notified by Mr. of M Mr. Pearson's passing and staff has been in negotiations with Tom Pearson's son and his beneficiary. Um Paul Pearson regarding the completion of the purchase of the property. During the 10 years that Double Peak School has been open, the district has not constructed any overflow parking and does not need the area for special event parking. Mr. Pearson's son, Paul, is requesting that the district consider reducing the area of the Pearson property to be acquired in order to leave the Pearson home and surrounding area for his use. This
070request is being reviewed by the district and will be brought back to the board for consideration at a future date. In considering Paul Pearson's request, the district reviewed the potential need for overflow parking for special events and whether such area would be needed by double peak school in the future. District staff determined that an additional overflow parking lot for special events is not and will not be needed for the school. Tonight, you're asked to consider the adoption of resolution number 08-2526 to remove the initial planned overflow parking lot from the double peak school site that was contained in the initial project EIR and find that the removal of the project is exempt from SQA. The removal of the overflow parking and area will not increase um the other parking lots and will not result in
071an increased use of the site. We recommend that the board approve the resolution to remove the potential overflow parking area and delegate authority to the superintendent or designate to file the notice of exemption and take other actions necessary to implement that resolution. >> Right. Do do I have any questions? Right. Do I have a motion to adopt resolution number 8-2526? >> So moved. >> Any second? >> I'll second. So moved by member Miam, seconded by member Ahmad to adopt resolution number 8-25/26 as presented. Student board representatives say your vote. >> I. >> All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. 9.2. Two, resolution number 9-25/26, resolution of the governing board of San Marcos Unified School District permitting an excused absence for students participation in religious exercise or instruction. Tiffany, Education Code 46014
072allows for participation in religious exercises of instruction to be an excused absence if the student attends the minimum school day and is not absence absent for this purpose for more than four days per school month. Uh, a governing board resolution is now required to permit this. This has been our long-standing practice. Uh, so staff recommends approval of resolution 092526. >> All right. Any questions? Right. In that case, do I have a motion to adopt resolution number 9-25/26? Seconded by MOD. Moved by member Martin. Seconded by member Ahmad to adopt resolution number 9-25-26 as presented. Student board representatives, please say your vote. >> I. >> All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. 9.3 student expulsion case number 1-25.26. Tiffany. >> The board has heard the details of this case in close session.
073Staff recommends approval of expulsion case 0125.26. Right. Do I have a motion to approve student expulsion case number 1-25.26? >> So moved. >> I'll second. >> Moved by member Martine, seconded by member Miam to approve student expulsion case number 1-25.26. All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. All right, that's quick. Uh consent agenda. Do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda for discussion purposes? >> Second. Second. >> Okay. Moved by member Miam, seconded by member Martine to approve the consent agenda for discussion purposes. Is there any discussion? All right. Moved by member Mam, seconded by member Martin, student board me representatives, please say your vote. >> I. >> All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Uh item 11, information agenda, revisions to existing governing board
074bylaw BB9321, close session. Andy, >> thank you. Uh the board is aware that closed sessions of the board of trustees are governed by the Brown Act, Government Code, and Education Code. So these updates to board bylaw 9321 are recommended for clarity, precision, and internal consistency, particularly with respect to grammar, punctuation, uh and a few technical aspects of the law. Uh there really are no significant changes in this update. So this is anformational item that will be on the November agenda for approval. >> All right. 11.2. Um revisions to existing governing board policy BP 4156.3 employee property reimbursement. Joel. >> Yes. Uh board members uh staff is recommending revisions to this board policy. Uh also to improve clarity and accuracy. The revisions address minor typographical errors and remove some duplicate language um in the existing board
075policy. Uh once um so this is currently an information item as well we'll be bringing back uh next month for recommendation with approval. >> Um before I move on to the next one uh these proposed changes they're available on our website. >> Okay. 11.3 revisions to existing governing board policies BP 0410 non-discrimination in district programs and activities. BP0420.4 charter school authorization BP0420.41 charter school oversight BP1312.2 to complaints concerning instructional materials. BP1312.3 uniform complaint procedures BP5116.1 intradistrict and open enrollment BP5145.3 non-discrimination/harassment BP5145.7 sexual harassment and BP5146 married Pregnant and Parenting Students. Tiffany, that's a lot of BPs to cover. >> That was a mouthful. Uh this month we are bringing a group of policies for generally bulk revision. The January 2025 court decision of Tennessee versus Cardona vacated 2024 Title 9 laws and reverted them back
076to 2020 regulations. We have made revisions to ensure the following policies are in compliance with 2020 language and regulations. These are BP0410 non-discrimination in district programs and activities. BP1 uh BP 1312.3 uniform complaint procedures, BP5145.3 non-discrimination harassment, BP5145.7 sexual harassment, and BP 5146 married pregnant parenting students. all have the same revisions of removing 2024 language um and putting in 2020 language. Um we're bringing a couple of other additional policies with very minor technical revisions. BP0420.41 charter school oversight has been revised to delete the section on material revisions and that information has been more appropriately placed in BP0420.4 charter school authorization BP 1312.2 2 complaints concerning instructional materials has been updated to reflect new law SB53 which prohibits the adoption of instructional materials that would subject the student to unlawful discrimination. That is a singular sentence.
077Um and the last uh BP I lost my place BP 5116.1 intrad district open enrollment has actually no revisions but is required to be brought to the board every year for review. Um, these all are for information tonight. They will be brought back next month with a recommendation for approval. >> Thank you, Tiffany. Right. Closing items. The next regular board meeting will take place on Thursday, November 13th, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. in the media center of the North County Regional Educational Center, 255 Pico Avenue, San Marcos, California 92069. And with that, this meeting is now adjourned. Thank you.