SB Unified - Board Meeting - Tuesday, February 10, 2026

001Good afternoon. I want to call the meeting to order at 4:35. Um before we begin, I want to briefly review the remote public comment process. Members of the public wishing to speak must have submitted a speaker card, our remote speaker form, by noon today. When your name is called, district staff will enable your mic. Please state your name before beginning your comment. Individual speakers will have up to three m minutes. The board may limit total comment time per item. Time may be shortened depending on the number of speakers. We'll now proceed with the agenda. That was relative to remote speakers only. All right. So called to order and uh do we have any public comments? Um seeing no requests, public comment is closed and we will now adjourn to close session. call the open session

002of the February 10th meeting to order at 608. All right. The board um the board is returning to open session after a close session. Um am I in the right place? Yeah. We uh we'll start with um language access first. >> Good evening. We have interpretation available in Spanish via Zoom as well as American Sign Language. Thank you. Do we have the uh sign language? Do we do that? >> Oh, she did that. Okay. All right. So, we'll proceed with the pledge of allegiance. Please rise if able and for the pledge of of allegiance. >> Ready? To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Tonight in close session, the board voted five to zero

003to approve a fiveday unpaid unpaid suspension for a classified employee. That will move us into item six, the student board member report. Let's hear from our student member, Eric Taft Vasquez. >> Carlos, where did that come from? >> That's a year old, isn't it? >> All right, everyone. >> Carlos, >> good evening. I'd like to take a minute to honor another Santa Barbara student, Santa Barbara Unified student, senior at San Marcos, who tragically passed away last month. There's a candle light vigil currently happening at San Marcos for her where everyone from peers to friends to family can share stories and honor her together. So, if you would all join me in a moment of silence honoring Samantha Ortiz at Thank you very much everyone. Today was a big day for both Santa Barbara and San

004Marcos high school students. The fear and tension on campus converted into action as school each school's metro clubs led hundreds of students off campus in a walk out. The protest took place during second period with SBHS students walking to city hall and San Marco students walking to Holl walking down Hollister towards Magnolia Plaza. Parents called into the attendance office beforehand to excuse their students while other students took the absence serving as a form of protest in itself. The effort was a collaboration between SPNSM's Metro Clubs as well as other local organizations such as Unon Debario, 805 undocu of Galita. Coverage of the story in greater depth can be found on New Hawk, the Santa Barbara Independent, and KUYT. As a leader of the Metro Club at San Marcos, I hope our unity in today's protests

005serve to show lo serve to show local impacted families that students support them to mitigate some of the tension on campus and as a sign for the need of support for Santa Barbara Unified families living in fear. That is all I have for today report. Thank you. Dr. Maldonado, the superintendent's report, please. >> Good evening, everyone. Today, many in our community are carrying heavy heavy burdens, as you have heard from Carlos. Years ago, during a period of deep personal loss, I was told, "Be of service." At the time, I didn't understand how I could give to others when I felt so empty. But turning outward is exactly what helped me heal. In reaching out, I realized we're all carrying hidden burdens. And in that shared space, I found hope. We've seen our students walk out

006to express their fears regarding recent immigration actions. Not too long ago, our black students and LGBTQ plus students spoke to us about feeling unseen and disconnected. I want to reiterate to all our students, families, and staff that we see you and we care about you. Our schools are and will always be places of belonging and safety. When things feel uncertain, the best thing we can do is lean on one another. None of us has to carry the weight of these times alone. We are a team and there is such peace in knowing we are moving together. Healing happens when we look out for a neighbor and offer the same grace to one another that we give to our children. Tonight, I simply ask that we stay close to one another. Let's continue to be gentle

007stewards of each other and the hearts of the students that we serve. I also want to turn our attention to some of the things I've been working on this last week and this week. Uh last week I had an opportunity to participate in letters training for administrators with all of our elementary principles. Uh letters training is stand letter stands for language essentials for teachers of reading and spelling. Basically the purpose of the training is to make sure teachers are trained to be not only literacy but also language experts in the science of reading. During that training there were numerous opportunities to learn and reflect on ways we could enhance the organization of our intervention practices align our instructional materials schedules and our overall efforts. I look forward to working with principles as we learn more

008about leading to ensure improved reading outcomes for all students. And as you can see, we also celebrated two birthdays. Today, I also convened with three elementary principles for a second round of data discussions. Each principal was invited to review their data with us, explain their progress monitoring practices, and discuss their implementation of MTSS strategies to ensure that every child is effectively monitored for success. This has led to a deeper understanding of student needs in reading from kindergarten onward. We will continue to use these practices to ensure we know every child's needs and meet them where they are and help them to move forward. Lastly, for our collaborative spirit award, highlighting great work happening in our schools, we have and we're recognizing Lakumbra principal Bradley Brock along with Hardin principal Veronica Binklay. I want to recognize

009them for their outstanding leadership and collaborative spirit. Yes, I I hear a little bit of a clap. We'll take a moment to clap. Uh [applause] thank you for that. Uh last uh month they presented to our dem parent advisory group and they presented the actions they have taken to improve their emergent multilingual progress. They represented the district's collective work with clarity and integrity providing concrete examples of instructional leadership that genuinely impressed parent leaders. Their willingness to share learning, growth, and responsibility has fostered a strong interest among many of the families in how our EML practices support student district uh student success districtwide. And that concludes my report. Thank you. >> All right. Thank you. That will uh bring us to public comment. Um, before we uh get started on public comment, I would like to

010remind us that the board bylaws allocate 20 minutes for public comment on uh non-aggenda items. Uh, considering the number of comments that we have on this topic tonight, I'm going to ask that we limit the time to one and a half minutes. At the end of the 20 minute period, I'll ask the board if we're not complete with them, I'll ask the board if they would like to extend the time. They can do that. Um, but keep in mind that extending the time for public comment may limit the time the board has for uh later discussion. Um, also I want to respect that speakers respect the individual time limit that's allotted. When a speaker exceeds the allotted time, it reduces others opportunities to participate within the established time limits. If you're unable to complete your

011remarks in the allocated time, we recommend that you send them to the board via email. We will read them. um to assist in time management. We're also going to um try something tonight. Um we'd like to request that the next two speakers when they're called um come and sit in the two rece reserved seats that uh that are right there behind the podium. [laughter] So, we'll call three names and the first person will come up to the podium. At each time, we add another one if we can have someone come in and um that way we're we're not spending time while folks are walking in from the back room. Um so, um at this point, I'd like to ask Vice President Munoz to call the first three speakers. >> Thank you. Thank you, um President

012Banning. Um, the first three speakers are Deborah Reed, Blaine Ser, and Chris Moy. MOY We won't start until you're ready. >> Good. >> Okay. Um I'll just summarize it. And so basically I had written something about negotiation and the fact that negotiation means coming together and trying to work jointly to overcome an obstacle. And in order for that to happen both sides have to come to the table and hear what the other side has to say and what that means. And when the district, this representation is when the district says no, if that's not negotiation and that doesn't honor both sides being heard. The SPTA and the teachers are coming because we see students every single day. They're in our classrooms. We're there with them at lunchtime, before school, after school, on the weekends, at

013sporting events. When we're asking for the things that we want to benefit our students, we're asking because we see what's actually happening in the schools. It's not coming from always on a piece of paper what data and statistics show. Data and statistics are presented to you all the time. And we all know that figures can be manipulated to represent things that may or may not be as accurate as what they are in actual practice. So when we're coming to the table and negotiate and we're being told no, it's we don't we just don't feel heard. And if our effort is to jointly improve the education for our students, then we should be working together. Thank you. [applause] >> Okay. Uh Blaine Ser, >> read the next two. >> Give us the next two as well,

014please. >> The next two after Blaine. >> David Jackson and York Shingle. >> All right. Thank you so much. Hello everyone. I'm Blaine Ser. and the music teacher at McKinley Elementary and Cleveland Elementary. I wanted to thank the district uh for their agreement to prep periods for next year with elementary specials. Um I've been doing some baking activities with my students and thought that this would be a perfect space to demonstrate what makes a good chocolate chip cookie. You need to start with the first biggest ingredient, which is of course the flour. This is the students, the ones that have the biggest impact in the cookie. Um, the next one uh is I think the one that we think of uh with just the amount of how much hyperactivity comes from the sugar which is

015the sugar. I think that uh the sugar is the teachers the teachers make it digestible and even uh fun in the process. Another important ingredient is the baking soda. The administrators um helping the people um helping the kids flourish under pressure. Next, we have the specialists teachers. I like to think um last but certainly not least, we have what makes a chocolate chip cookie a chocolate chip cookie. The chocolate chips. I believe it's the district who are the chocolate chips. They make each cookie unique and distinct. It's not without all of these we can make a cookie. We need the administration, the janitors, the teachers, the kids, the parent curriculum specialists, parallel educators, district employees, and all other unseen people working together to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie. >> Thank you. >> Next. Um,

016the next, okay, the next two would be Jesse O Sullivan and Maline Bordovski. Uh, good evening. My name is Chris McCoy and I'm a teacher at Dose Public High School. Um, I wanted to I think we there's an agreement that we care about literacy, we care about student well-being. Um, those are values that are at the cornerstone of of teachers and I think the administration and the school district. Um I'm here just to kind of reflect those values um in support of some proposals that the teachers union is trying to put forward. Um it's not for my particular shop class. Um one is on literacy and that is that um the high school um librarians are asking for four extra days added on to their work uh year so that uh they can accomplish the

017things that they need to get done before day one. It's just under around $9,300 uh which is minuscule compared to the budget overall, but it would allow those teachers to get the databases ready, the AP uh stuff ready for day one so that we hit the ground running. Two, um for the elementary school uh librarians, we're asking for two more positions to be funded. Um and uh the librarians are the experts for the students in those schools for the media literacy um and the instruction that needs to go on and uh expanding that I think was going to help those those schools. And then lastly then stability for counselors without counselors uh taking taking uh having a cap on some of their students we're not going to be able to um they're going to be

018burned out. We're not going to be able to be effective as far as teachers. So, thank you. >> Thank you. [cheering] [applause] >> Okay. Uh the next two after the these speakers are going to be uh Rich Lasha and Karen Rich. >> Oh, right now it's Sorry, I thought I was Okay. Well, it's okay. David Jackson and then York Shingle. >> Hi, everyone. >> Okay. It's an honor to be here with you all. So many established, wellmeing people and uh so many passionate educators behind me. So I will uh gladly pass along most of my time to them. But I just wanted to say as a representative of the PLC's at Dose PBLO's high school for both math, special education, and if athletics was one, then we'd do that too. But uh I jokingly tell

019all my cross country students that they're in AP cross country. Um, tonight my request is that the district consider uh negotiating on stipens for coaches. It's really hard for us to find people who are available in the hours that we need them. And with award-winning programs, you know, we're looking for the best, not just the people who can cut it out of their day because they love it. Uh, also, uh, with math, we're asking for everyone to take a step back with the roll out of amplified Desmos into math 2. And I know this because I'm in math one. have been lovingly for a while. And what I would say is that math two and math three aren't prepared. We need time to continue to commit the resources to math one teachers meeting and planning

020how they can best use the new curriculum to teach essential standards. We need to meet the needs of our students and regain the alignment we seem to be losing. Uh once this is firmly in place, I believe my colleagues with math 2 and three can move forward with the same process. But please allow us to prepare first and implement second. Go Chargers. Thank you. >> Okay. Uh York Shingle, >> followed by Jesse O Sullivan and Maline Bordovski. Okay. All right. >> Uh good evening board superintendent and cabinet. Um this year we tried something different with coming to board meetings. Uh we tried to bring just a few folks who were really impactful to get our point across instead of all of these beautiful people who I love and I love seeing. Um but you know

021who doesn't want to be here? All of these people who have to go home and do more of their job. Uh and uh sorry I didn't write this one out. Um but we got to the bargaining table and we were refused so many things. Not just the seventh period day shifting to you all, but we're not interested in counselor caps. We're not interested in paying librarians to do the work so students can start with textbooks on the first day of school. We're not interested in all of these things, which sends us the message, dang it, we have to keep showing up to these board meetings. I you're you're limiting us to 20 minutes, maybe. Right. You don't want us here. We don't want to be here. direct your bargaining team to negotiate with us and

022not just say no, please. >> Thank you. [applause] [applause and cheering] [applause] >> Well, I just an announcement that um we're going to close the public comment in just a couple of minutes. If there's others waiting, let's let's get it done. >> To turn in the request. To turn the requests in. Not Not the time. Not the timeline. My apologies. No. No. Just talking about requests. >> All right. Thank you, >> Jesse. Sullivan. >> Uh, good evening. I'm here for a different subject, but similar vibe. Um, just want to thank you for your time. It's difficult work to serve all the students in our district, which is why we're all here. Um, I'm the parent of a seventh and a third grader. Um, and I'm here to share my concern about a recent decision I

023heard that they have overturned overnight trips for fifth graders. Um, for many years, these trips to places like see me, Astro Camp, outdoor school have given students hands-on science learning, teamwork, confidence building challenges, real world experiences that they can't replicate in a classroom. Um, a lot of times these are children's first time away from home, but in a safe, supportive environment with teachers and classmates. They build independence, peer relationships, and spark curiosity and engagement in STEM. Um, and I understand the district's and respect the district's goal of equity, and I appreciate the desire to ensure all students have access to meaningful opportunities. Um, but removing these trips doesn't create more opportunity, it removes it. um our school and many others fund raise for these experiences and don't ask the district for the cost. Um so

024taking them away doesn't level the playing field. It lowers it for everyone. So I hope the district would reconsider this uh action. Thank you. >> Thank you. [applause] So, Maline Bordovski, uh, Rich Lashwa, and Karen Richard. >> All right. Um, good evening. Maline Bordovski, sixth grade teacher at Harding and SBTA Elementary rep. I am here tonight to encourage you to thoughtfully reflect on what SBTA's bargaining team has brought to the table this year. As a member of the executive board, I have been present for the discussions about what priorities we wanted to bring forward. From the very beginning, our focus has been on wanting to improve student experience and student outcomes. In direct alignment with District priorities and guided by what our members said they most needed in our surveys. Before asking for any type

025of salary increase, we brought forward proposals that directly impact students. These included an elementary librarian to oversee elementary tech so all elementary students receive meaningful library experiences that support literacy. Improve stipens to ensure that we can recruit and retain coaches and staff to support robust extracurricular opportunities. Counselor case load cap so students can access the support that they need. A seventh period day to ensure that all junior high students have access to electives and increased prep time for elementary teachers because 45 minutes a week is simply not sufficient to provide highquality instruction or implement curriculum with fidelity. When we bring these student- centered priorities to the table and bargaining does not seem to be progressing towards these goals, it feels discouraging and like our voices are not valued. We are the educators in classrooms with

026students every day. We see firsthand what our schools need in order to better serve all students. I would hope that that is a voice that you want to hear and take seriously as we move forward in bargaining this year. Thank you. Thank you. [applause] >> Rich Lasha followed by Karen Richard. [snorts] In 17 years of teaching, every failing grade I've given us for missing work. not for failing tests, nor lack of understanding the material, nor even those who had extenduating circumstances. They failed because they didn't show up. Or if they did, they just sat there and no amount of scaffolding, graphic organizers, pleading, scolding, parent phone calls, after school tutoring, detention at lunch, or any other positive or negative motivators proved effective. Theater is communal. We're constantly teaching collaboration. We need not agree on everything

027and sometimes compromise isn't possible. But if they don't like someone else's idea, excuse [clears throat] me. If they don't like someone else's idea, they can choose to work on it anyway or share their better idea. Both may not get everything they want, but deadlines loom no matter what. This ensures a smoother production process, and I'm preparing them for adult life. We wrestle with competing ideas in the corporate world, politics, religion, and many other areas. There are many problem seers in the world, but problems must be solved and tasks completed. As educators, we're devoted to creating problem solvers. When a union bargains 15 student centered proposals and the district won't bargain more than one or two issues, the district's failed. I speak with hyperbole because we hear of managing finances in an apparent 20 million deficit.

028If the district provokes arbitration and related processes by refusing to negotiate, the district incurs more [clears throat] expenses in addition to wasting the time of the teachers involved. SPTA is clearly more united than it's ever been in my 17-year career. We're fortunate that the rally in Karay is around what's best for students, but if those efforts are continually ignored and postponed, we risk uniting the union against the district as its common villain. That situation is counterproductive to efficient problem solving. >> If you can wrap up your comments, please. >> Yes. I'm sorry. I was not legally mandated to stop just a second. [clears throat] That situation is counterproductive to efficient problem solving. Making mistakes or missing the mark still beats the failure of inertia. Let's go change the world. [applause] >> Thank you. >> Okay.

029Um Karen Richard followed by Briana Serado and Kristen Ane. I'm sorry. I'm not sure. Okay. No, sorry about that. >> Hello, I'm Karen Rashard and I'm a Washington elementary parent with fourth grade twins. The district's deferral of fifth grade overnight trips has canled Washington's CE experience entirely. With our existing fifth grade, sixth grade overnight, staff can't manage two trips, eliminating a decadesl long tradition. Some schools will still attend CVE. Washington will not. That is not equity. We have a petition with over 170 signatures and growing from Santa Barbara Unified parents and educators demanding reinstatement. We want to be heard. While I recognize the superintendent's authority over day-to-day operations, there's no policy that explicitly authorizes major changes to student opportunities to be made without community input, which is why I'm here. Your own public participation rules

030and open meeting laws are built on the expectation that families can comment before such shifts occur. That did not happen. California Ed Code 52060 makes parent engagement a legal priority for program decisions affecting equity and student opportunities. There's no policy authorizing major enrichment cuts without family input. Changing fifth grade overnight opportunities is exactly the kind of program decision that impacts equity and should be discussed with families in advance. Our COVID era students need CMI's hands-on science and independence, not fewer opportunities. True equity broadens access through transparent processes. Please reconsider this policy and restore fifth grade overnight trips so Washington students aren't the only recent cohort to lose this entirely. Thank you. >> Thank you. [applause] >> Thank you. Um Briana Sorado. Brianna Sado followed by Kristen. Oh, and apologies. Uh, Kate Lambert. Sorry, it's all

031on the laptop, not the Good evening. My name is Brianna Sado, pronouns she, her, aa. I am a former SBUSD student and current parent of a fourth and seventh grader. I wanted to start off by giving a huge shout out to the amazing staff from every level at Santa Barbara Community Academy and Lucumbumber Junior High. As both of my children are once again thriving academically, I recommend both schools tremendously for anyone shopping for a truly inclusive elementary school or a great junior high. As a parent representative for the district special education advisory committee seek, I am extremely concerned to hear from parents that when they ask about unmet para educator support that the site doesn't have enough par educators to meet their students IEP minutes and so they just won't receive those minutes. What is

032being done to ensure that every student is supported every day per their legal documents aka IEPs? How is this an acceptable stance? It's not something that's new this year. I've brought it up numerous times at seek meetings and to the board. Also, as a parent representative for the district's committee advancing black achievement, wellness, and excellence, aka Cabal, I found it very troubling that the district's parent square February newsletter had zero mention of Black History Month, as well as none of the local Black History Month events being shared in any of the weekly flyer Friday parent square posts. Doing basic AI generated posts on Facebook is just sad. Combined with the following paragraph from resolution number SBUSD resolution recognizing and honorary February as Black History Month. It's giving that the district is being performative not proactive

033with expecting the changes to come from volunteer labor and the labor of partnerships of local community groups. Whereas the Santa Barbar SPSD has prioritized combating anti-blackness within our school environments evidenced by the formation of the Cabau and partnerships with community organizations. Again, it needs to be more than just contracts and unpaid volunteer labor from your committee members and from the community that really cares. It needs to come from the top down. Thank you. >> Thank you. [applause and cheering] >> Thank you. And I'll just call the other two um speakers, uh Kate Lambert and Matt King. Thank you. >> Hello. My name is Kristen Anes and this year I'm teaching a fifth six combo. I'm here to beg you to grant us more prep time. Um in our week we only have 50 minutes right

034now 50 to prepare a week's worth of lessons for the subjects that I teach which are science, math, English language arts, social studies, DL RTI and social emotional learning. You may be thinking, well, we've adopted curriculum for most of those subjects. Shouldn't that be enough? The short answer is no. It's not enough. Handing someone a curriculum book and expecting that to be enough is ludicrous. We have to dissect every lesson, read through it multiple times, figure out how to disseminate the information to our students in a way that works best for them, that particular group. create graphic organizers and companion documents that the curriculum does not provide, but we know will help our students. And we're expected to do that in 50 minutes a week for every single subject, for every single lesson. This takes

035hours of time for each subject. For Wit and Wisdom alone, it can take me anywhere between two and four hours for one lesson. If you are a fifth grade teacher, you have already seen the lessons I create and the slide decks that go with it. And for me this year, not only do I have to do all of that for one grade level, but I have to do it for two grade levels. So please, please, please, please give elementary teachers more prep time. I'm legitimately begging. Thank you. [cheering] [applause] >> I want I want us to pause for just a minute because we have hit that 20 minute mark. There are just there are five remaining cards. I'd like to ask the board if they would like to proceed with those cards. Okay. So, we'll

036go ahead and complete the the call. Thank you. >> Okay. And I'm just gonna say sorry. Um Kate Lambert, well, obviously, um Matt King followed by Isaac. All right. Thank you guys so much for being here. Again, thank you to everyone who showed up tonight. You guys are amazing. And thank you. The board asked us to bring people. We bring people. So, um like we said earlier, we did plan out each session. We assigned it to each school. so that different schools would come talk to you, but you definitely wanted everyone to come. We're all here to say yes, these things are important to us. They're not just important to us, but we actually put them into our spring survey. We made sure that our bargaining team knew what mattered to us. We did data

037collection. We made sure we included everyone. And when we do that and we prepare that much and then we hear no, no, no, no, no. It feeds into the old relationship we used to have, okay? where people who have been in this district for a long time say, "No, the district doesn't work with us." We don't want that. The people who are leading this union do not want that. We are trying to change it, but we need you to come with us. And if you say no to everything except for $2,000 to get a Zoom account for the early child care to be able to meet with people, it really hurts. Now, if you're a high school teacher and you just found out about that 45 minutes to 50 minutes that the elementary gets, um,

038yeah, I know why I'm at the high school level. Thank God. But if you've never thrown a kids party, I dare you to try to put up together anything that's entertaining for children without any kind of lesson plan even and still have no preparation. I dare you. So, thank you guys for meeting us at the negotiation table, but you got to bring a different attitude and you have to actually work with us on items. Thank you so much. [cheering and applause] >> Thank you. >> Okay. Um, so we're gonna have um after Matt, >> how you guys doing? My name is Matt King. I am the father of two Washington Wildcats and I am here also to speak in favor of the restoration of the fifth grade overnight field trips. I won't do the long

039thing where I talk about how just how disappointed my fourth grader was to learn that she wasn't going to be able to enjoy the seinal experience that so many of her older friends have been able to uh take on. I just really want to ask why there we haven't heard a rationale for this decision. I know that this was not a vote taken by this body here. This seems to be unilateral and undemocratic. And so if somebody could please speak to the actual reason for this thing, I would like to hear it. Thanks so much. Bye. [applause] >> We're going to have um Isaac followed by Preston and then um Briana. I'm not sure if that's um Briana Sorado who went earlier on the different topic. >> Yes. >> Sorry, there's no last names on

040these um these three. >> Oh, okay. >> Hello. [clears throat] If you could state your um first and last name, please. Okay. >> Hello. My name is Isaac Santa Maria. I'm a junior who attends San Marcos High School. >> [snorts] >> and [clears throat] I've been in AHA for a couple years now. Brandon Battle, Jessica Ruiz, Lamar Russell, and Paulina Romero. These are just some of the few amazing and wonderful individuals who work at AHA. [snorts] For me, AHA has taught me how to become a better leader, friend, listener, and it has helped me to advocate for myself and for those around me. [snorts] Aha isn't just a place where people work on their social emotional health. It's a place where you can learn from different groups of people who come together to learn from

041each other, connect with each other, uh connect with themselves and other people, [snorts] have a shoulder to cry on and be in a full in a place full of love and care. For me, AHA has helped me to become more outgoing. Stop hiding so much like a turtle. [snorts] They pushed me as a leader and a participant. They pushed me to sorry they helped me to they helped me by providing me a space. They helped me to allow myself to let my emotions come out. Stop hiding. Stop being scared. They let me explore everything. They let me explore my creativity. They listen to me. They hear me. And they care about me. Aa is an amazing place. Well, it's an amazing group of people, place, and wherever they go. Aa is run by amazing and

042wonderful individuals. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. [applause and cheering] >> Thank you. Now we'll have Okay. Now we'll have Preston followed by Brianna and um if you can give your first and well give your last name. >> Yeah. >> Um [cough and clears throat] hello my name is Preston Jansen. I'm a junior at San Marcos High School and I've been participating in AHA programs for the past five years in my life. In that time I've seen countless lives including my own be positively changed through its inclusion and through its inclusion in the schools. AHA has supported me and thousands of other students through some of the toughest periods of our lives, providing us with a safe space full of support and the tools and skills that we need in order to build

043up a support system to support our peers who are going through similar struggles. If it were not for AHA, I'd be a nervous wreck right now. It has provided me with so many healthy ways to express myself and my emotions without fear of judgment. Rather than bottling up these negative emotions, AHA and SEAL have taught me that I can release them through art, music, journaling, reflecting, socializing, going out in nature, and so much more. I am eternally grateful for all that AHA has done for me over the years, and I believe that it would be a disservice to the hundreds of kids out there like me who have needed such an outlet to ignore the importance of in the in the schools. AHA has done so much to make my life better that I struggle

044to even put it into words. It's a place where I and many others feel like we truly belong. A place, a place where what we have to say matters and just our mere presence is something to be appreciated. My entire life, I've only ever come across such a warm, welcoming place a couple of times. Having a space where schools or having a place in schools where students can feel that same comfort is just insanely important. And with all that, just thank you. >> [applause] >> Thank you. Now we'll have Brianna. >> Welcome Brianna. And if you could state your um last name. Hi everyone. My name is Brianna Strada. I'm a junior at Dos Public High School and I wanted to share a bit about AHA and its impact on my life. I hope what

045you can take this speech into idea that grow up doesn't come from the feeling of being ready. It comes from being willing. I hope to change the way we see fear, not as something that stops us, but something that shows us where we can grow. Before joining AHA, I was a very shy person. I didn't want to make new friends, try new things, or go out, or even explore new hobbies. I stuck to what I already knew, what felt safe to me just because everything that that felt unfamiliar felt super overwhelming for me. Even speaking up in small groups or walking into a room where I didn't know anybody felt very scary. When I joined AHA groups like girls group, creative group and it's their summer pro program, everything started to change. At first it

046was uncomfortable. I was nervous to talk and worried about being judged, afraid of being saying the wrong thing. But AA has created a space where I felt okay where I can be insure in what I'd say and I could still try. Little by little, raising my hand, sharing my thoughts and starting conversation with others became less scary. Eventually, I found myself enjoying connecting with people, even strangers. I've learned to see things and try new things as a blessing. Not something I should be afraid of, but something that helps me grow. Aa has also taught me how to speak up for myself and what I want and what feels right and what doesn't. Before AA, I used to take classes that were boring and below my level simply just because I didn't know how to advocate

047for myself. I didn't think my needs mattered enough to speak up. After learning how to identify my goals and trust my voice, I challenged myself. Now I'm taking IB classes and struggling for sports and participating in clubs where I help others make feel more comfortable in new environments, especially those who remind remind me of the person I used to be. Moving forward, I want to continue pushing myself outside of the comfort zone by taking on leadership roles and being someone who helps create spaces for others can feel seen, supported, and brave enough to try. Aa helped me become more confident, open, and courageous virtue myself. you could wrap up your comments, please. >> And I hope my story encourages encourages others to believe that they're capable of more than they think. >> Thank you very

048much. [cheering] [applause] >> So, that got got us through all of the public comment. A little bit longer. Um, but I appreciate the board and I want to say thank you um to uh thank you to everyone that's here to participate in hearing this meeting and to stand up in front of us and make the comments this uh public public comment part. Oh, are there more? Oh, there's one more. Okay. Well, let's do that and then I'll finish my rambling. >> I promise less than a minute left. >> Yes. Apologies. Um the speaker will be uh Jasmine Ner. Thank you. >> Apologies for missing you. >> That's okay. >> The translator, please. Thank you. Okay. >> Thanks for your patience. >> Can we just >> It will be six or just three. I try to

049do my best. Okay. Um Good evening members of the school board and superintendent Hilda Maldonado. My name is Jasmine Ner. I'm here today to point out a a serious concern and to document it. the lack of agreement between what the Santa Barbara Unified School District establishes in their official plans and what the district is implementing in practice. The district has a a master plan for emerging multilingual students. In addition, the district is subject to a state alert for disproportionality specifically for the representation disproportionate representation of EML students in special education. This alert is not optional or a mere statement. It forces the district to accountability, make an analysis of the root causes and demonstrate a corrective actions that are clear. Both processes, the master plan for emerging multilingual students and the answer to the state

050alert for disproportionality require solid systems staff that is prepared, monitoring of the data and enough resources. Nevertheless, families and teachers are observing budget cuts that actually weaken the capacity at the school level while the administrative structures maintain this and even receive salary increases. Please, I'm going to skip. What is more worrisome is that the district has not presented a transparent analysis of the budget impact that shows how these cuts affect the groups of the most vulnerable student groups. Finally, I recommend that each decision related to budget cuts is taken thinking about the future. The decisions that you approve today will have an impact a direct impact in the future in the educational future of our children. She did. She made a summary of what she wanted to say. >> But I can totally Yeah. Yeah.

051Yeah. But I can totally give you your interest. Um whatever it makes, you know, like it doesn't make sense. It doesn't have um concordancia. >> I don't >> it doesn't have an agreement about what is it state and plans and what it's cutting off from classes. I can totally make that for you if you are interested. >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you. [applause] >> Thank you [applause] again. I want to I want to [cheering] I'd like to thank our our public commenters tonight. We threw kind of a curveball with the seats up here and I think we can make it better. But I want to say thank you because by and large it was respectful and I think it really is moving us toward the type of communication that that we're looking for. Thank you.

052Um, we will move on now to our board comments and correspondence. Um, we'll start. Uh, Mr. Escobado, do you have comments? Okay. Anyone ready? Okay. M Cry Caffrey. >> Hi. I just have a very short um comment today. I just want to say how much I appreciated attending the Santa Barbara Ed Foundation Teacher Grants Award ceremony. Um it was yeah really wonderful. Um I want to thank the Santa Barbara Ed Foundation all their donors for their generosity and support of our teachers and students. And also I just loved hearing about so many incredible projects that teachers have gotten funded. Um and it's just one more demonstration of the creativity, care, and effort our teachers put into our students every day. So thank you. Anyone else? Dr. Beal, are you ready? >> I just wanted to

053comment that I appreciate all the outreach that happened on a later subject tonight, the seventh grade um SK the uh middle adding the seventh period to the junior high school. So, thank you for the letters and for writing to us. I do appreciate that. um uh the public comment that we receive now even on non-aggenda matters. This is a type of conversation and it is important to hear those voices. I do I do realize that the underpinning of all this is there does need to be another outlet for conversation that isn't in the middle of a labor negotiation that is very student outcomebased. So, I I hear that it it is awkward to try to discuss those things in the middle of a labor negotiation, but it is very important. So, I'm thinking about that.

054I do have some ideas. I I probably shouldn't say anymore, but thank you for coming and speaking to us. I appreciate it. >> Mr. Escobedo, are you ready? >> Yeah. >> Thank you. Um, I have a couple updates and a few comments, but uh, in terms of the updates, there was an ad hoc committee meeting. I missed it, but I read the notes. Um, the couple of updates, there are two. There's one about the Parma East Side project across the street from Trader Joe's, which is the 30 unit project um, that was formerly Parma School. And it's just an update on where we are in the process. This fall we are anticipated to complete and be permit ready. We are on track to potentially break ground next summer. So a year from July is when

055we are estimated to potentially break ground. Now some things have to break right. Uh and with these processes it's never straightforward but so far we have the best partner and they have taken us through this about as fast as I've ever seen it happen in the city housing authority. So, I will continue to provide updates, but this is really optimistic news. Um, which takes me to my next update, which is one that uh we haven't heard about in a while, but and Dr. Maldonado, feel free to jump in if I get anything um incorrect, but it's about the armory, and it's the redevelopment update. So, we hired a consultant to help us take a look at the property for the potential use of um why am I career tech. Thank you. I kept wanting to

056say CDE instead of CTE. Uh so, Career Tech Ed and it got a very good rating from the CDE. Uh and it looks like we are in the process of moving forward and the preliminary timeline which could possibly change looks like it's about 6 months for design. Then it has to go to the state architect for another four to 6 months. After that you're looking at being um construction ready which is about a year. Overall the estimate is 2 to three years could be up to four years. But that's some real progress on a pro property that we've had for a really long time. I think is in the best interest of our students, is in a prime location between Santa Barbara Junior High and Santa Barbara High School and could really serve our students

057into the future. So, uh we're hoping all things again being optimistic that we have student occupancy in fall of 2029. So, uh we will continue to provide updates and maybe we can have a um presentation about the armory at some point in the future. Uh Dr. Beal, >> may I ask you a question? Um my understanding is when we hired the consultant that there would be a big community engagement piece where everybody brings to the table what their thoughts are for the armory and I know there has been some interest so I'm curious about when that might happen and how that might happen. >> Yeah it's uh that is I'm glad that you brought that up. This first phase was just to take a look at the body of the building that exists there. There

058are other conditions like it's a historic resource. Uh part of the building is a historic resource. The uh other part of the building which is the gymnasium has a higher qualification in the historic resource classifications which limits what we could do with each of the sites. But we got some good news that we actually have a little bit more flexibility than we thought. So now that we have kind of the parameters, the next step is to do that outreach and discuss what type of uses we could have at that particular site and what we want it to serve. So there will certainly be outreach here in the near term. Is that right, Dr. Bono? >> Okay, >> just just to add on, so we're using our bond funds. So I think really really community outreach.

059There are people in our community that are not necessarily district staff or any and they they all you know business owners, people who might have interns in the future for CTE programs. They probably have strong opinions about what we could build in this community. >> All right, we're going to move to um Vice President Munoz. I'd like to say that um um it this is um very interesting stuff that we should be talking about in an agendaized off opportunity for a report. So >> yeah, I appreciate that. I'm providing an update from meetings that I've attended and since the last meeting and so I have a couple more comments if you don't mind, >> please. >> Okay. Um, in the last uh few weeks, I've also met with all of the black student associations from

060all of our high schools and I got the opportunity to hear about their experience. I won't go into too many details, but I will say there were some um concerning things that I was hearing that were um similar to stories and comments that I had heard when I first joined the board when we first received the report uh the racial climate report that we uh hired a consultant to do for Santa Barbara Unifi that talked about the experience of our students and our teachers particularly focusing on anti-black blackness and in February, a month uh Black History Month, and to hear these students and to just um hear stories about Black History Month not being centered in February, that they had some uh adults on campus not even know that it was Black History Month. I

061mean, that for me was I was not going into those meetings expecting to hear something like that. um is really concerning and I think as a district, as school site leaders, we need to really take it upon ourselves to e elevate and intentionally program and celebrate Black History Month, similar to the way that we celebrate other parts of the year, whether it's DA um dia de los muertos or if it is um when we have our ethnic study celebrations like we do invest in these types of celebrations that our students are able to see themselves in the curriculum, in the programming, in the decorations, and in the way that we talk about the student experience. And so I'm sure that there are plenty of folks and trusted adults at our school sites that are doing

062this for their students, but the students that I talked to in that room that day and over Zoom, that wasn't their experience. And I think that it's a conversation Dr. Molinado and I have had and I appreciate um her continued conversation over the last week about it on what we could do but it is something that I'm going to continue to bring to this board and I actually uh invite and push our board and I asked the BSAs to also invite uh my colleagues to meet with them to hear about their experiences directly from them to um not only the negative things but the positive things. They're doing a lot of positive things around college and career readiness and uh taking students to uh a tour of Santa Barbara to learn about black history and

063it's I know that we are going to get an invitation soon to take that exact tour and I'm going to encourage all of us to actually take them up on that. So, uh, disappointing, but I was also heartened by the stories and the celebrations that they had about not only the events for this month, but things that they've been doing over the last few months to build the capacity and build the outreach for the BSAs. and we now have um movement at each of our high schools and there was actually uh talk about bringing in the fourth high school into uh some of that programming and so that'll be a discussion that I'll bring to President Banning and Dr. Maldonado to talk about how we can do that. Um, and the last is I just

064want to commend the students that led the protest on a couple of Fridays ago and how responsible they were. And it all culminated at the courthouse where we were having a press conference talking about standing up for our families here in Santa Barbara, but also broader than that. Um, who have been subject to the state sponsored violence of ICE. And the number one thing that I've been talking to people uh who are actually waking up every morning to be out there for families, eyes on the streets, getting the word out about uh ICE in the community and spreading the word about what their rights are, what our rights are, um is that schools are safe places and that we are doing everything we can to make sure that they remain safe spaces. And one of

065the most disheartening things is that we had that act of violence on the east side and attendance was down. And so that tells me that there are a lot of families that were afraid that day every day. And the best thing that we could do, and I just want to thank each and every one of you, cuz I see so many trusted adults for so many of these children, that when they see you for those hours of the day, when they're in our schools, they feel safe. And so I want to say thank you to each and every one of you. And I can tell you that this board stands behind you in making sure that our schools are safe spaces, that ICE is not welcome, that we are here for all of our students,

066and you are our partners in that, and you play in such a big role because I hear about it from students, from families, and from the bottom of my heart. Thank you. Thank you so much. Those are my comments. >> Mrs. Muny, >> thank you. Um, yes. I I also I would like to first of all thank all of you for being here, for taking time out of your evening after a long day and knowing that you're going to also be there for work tomorrow, okay, to um focus on our students. I'd like to thank you and know that we are reading all your email the emails that we receive and also of course listen to your comments. Um we value you. Um I would like to also um piggy back on on what Mr.

067Escobedo brought up. Um, our state assembly member Greg Hart organized a press conference wi of elected leaders to participate and community to participate regarding the deescalation of immigration enforcement operations of ICE or in Otas palabas of Laigra in Munid. I would like to uh briefly quote a article, an opinion letter that um Assembly Member Greg Hart wrote and was is in the Independent. Um he in his words u we have seen hardworking neighbors taken away on their way to and from work, arrested by masked poorly trained ICE agents. We have seen community members pepper-sprayed and pushed down for documenting the actions of federal agents and exercising their right to free speech. He goes on to say about the efforts of our elected leaders in um in terms of Senate President Prom Monik Lemon, Congressman Men

068Salut Cabraal in addition to Greg Hart in let's see sorry in Sacramento Senator Lemon and Greg Hart passed the No Secret Police Act requiring all enforcement law enforcement officers including federal ederal agents to show their faces while enforcing the law. Ne, he says, go on. I'm sorry. Never in his, in his words, never in my lifetime did I think our streets would be filled with masked agents operating on behalf of the administration. The mask must come off immediately. They he goes on to and I will, you know, certainly um in his opinion piece leave it to for folks who are interested in reading further. um they can see the legislation that's being done in our county and in our community here in California. Uh as our state uh as I'm sorry, as our student board

069member Carlo stated, the middle school and high school students participated in the walkouts and coordinated in coordination with their school principal, their school staff and present uh parents including our CIA me uh parent here um Brianna Sado and um I was impressed by the amazing leadership of the students in their preparation of the posters. and giving speeches in front of hundreds of people and telling us their story. One of the students talked about her mom being detained and how much she suffers from knowing that her mom is in a detention camp and spoke about um the conditions there that she's very aware of. I was very uh happy and um obviously not you know I was very supported by being accompanied by Miss Cafrey and by Mr. escoedo and other elected uh officials in in

070this county. As Greg Hart was about to speak, the students just came in. They just came in by the hundreds um and joined us at at that time. We've seen participation uh by sectors of all of our community and many of the student centered organizations such as uh future leaders of America undocu about that. Um it has affected of course our students, our teachers, all of our staff that is there in terms of keeping our students safe and having them um have a safe adult that they could speak with. Um I want you to know that Santa Barbara Unified will continue to focus on the safety and well-being of our students, our families, and our staff during these difficult times. Thank you. One of the nice things about being the board president is I get

071to be last on this list and there's really not much more I can add other than to to um just add on or add on my appreciation for the comments from the very beginning um with our student board members um respectful notice of the loss for a student and the moment of silence and recognizing from the student perspective the importance of the walkouts. um our our public commenters, the teachers, the negotiators, the parents, all the people that are here to hear to have us listen, including three students that that talked to us about the importance of the AHA program and stood in front of an audience to speak in in what may not have been something they could have done before that type of program. Um as a representative for the Santa Barbara, the board

072representative for the Santa Barbara Education Foundation, I'll echo um Mrs. Caffer's comments about the wonderful things that are going on with the relationship and the financial support that they have for us. Um they are um announcing soon if not already the um the appointment of a new executive director for that organization and the transition is so far been very very smooth. And uh Mr. Escobedo's comments about the um the Parma property certainly something that that is exciting news for us and puts us on cutting edge of of of good things for communities and teachers and uh his his comments about both the Black Student Union and the um what was the third thing? The um the armory. Yeah. All of these things are are critical. Um and and so even though I'm not adding anything,

073I just want to amplify the the the comments that each of you have made. Have have I missed anyone? Are we in um just >> I'm I I I've told my colleagues that, you know, I've spent an enormous time in public education and various careers from teaching to so forth. I don't think I've ever been more nervous in a role than I have than than I am in this role. and that's because I care so much about what we're doing and want to do the best for this board, for these teachers, for this administration. Um, it's a a privilege and an honor to be doing this role and I hope you'll bear with me as I kind of get used to the whole thing. Maybe by the time it's all over, I'll get it right.

074[laughter] So, that'll get us to um the next item E um which is the discussion agenda item on the junior high school seven period day. and uh um we'll um we'll start with presentations and then we have the um uh public comment that are specifically for this. So I'm at this point I'm going to um pass it over to um uh Superintendent Maldonado to coordinate the presentation. >> Yes, >> I'm going to give a minute in case people are leaving the room. For today's discussion, we want to provide district leaders and principles an opportunity to explain current junior high school schedules and how they use the staffing allocated to them, balanced with student requests and student acade academic needs to balance out an effective master schedule. This of course also includes adherence to our current

075labor contract which references class sizes and case loads. Our district leaders and principles won't be speaking on behalf of our teachers of course but I will note that all teachers were informed of today's meeting by their principles and they were invited to give public comment or send in their comments to the board which we know many have done. Today's agenda item is a discussion item not an action item. So there won't be a vote taken today. This is the beginning of the discussion where we will give the board initial background in context on implementing a seventh period day in junior high schools. We understand that the board may want additional data or answers to additional questions. And part of the purpose of this item is for you to tell us what those things are so

076we can bring more information to the next board meeting and take make a thoughtful take a thoughtful approach to how we make these decisions. Before we begin, I also want to highlight our shared focus with SPTA on student centered interests which will be discussed today. These decisions significant significantly impact student learning, families, teachers, and our budget. Thank you all for being here and contributing your voices. Now, I'd like to turn it over to Dr. Wilson. >> Thank you. And good evening, board president Banning, Superintendent Maldonado, uh board trustees, uh district and site staff, as well as members of the community. I'm Dr. Sonia Wilson. I'm joined by Dr. Maryanne Hugh, as well as our junior high principal team, Mrs. Foster, Mrs. Chu, Mr. Dupant, as well as Dr. Brock. So, the purpose of our presentation

077is to give the board some important information and really set the context of this um proposed master schedule shift to a seven period day. And we want to be able to share demographic information as well as achievement levels um because it differs by sites as well. And we also want to provide you with an opportunity to hear directly from our site principles and hear what current structures they have in place right now. as they work even within the construct of a sixth period day and provide opportunities for their students. And then we also want to share some scheduling options of what are some different ways we could pursue this transition. And all of this is in the spirit of really wanting the board to ask us questions, us to be able to respond to any

078questions and to provide guidance to us um of any additional information that may be needed. It's important to frame the consideration of our junior high master schedule within the context of the board's four priorities. We have what we know literacy, math, aligning academics, assessment, and achievement as well as belonging in a community. These are all important priorities that the board has identified that we that we implement and our sites implement as they relate to the whole child as well. And so we want our master schedule to also reflect these priorities as well as the programs that we offer within our master schedule. Similarly, when considering a master schedule, our focus needs to be through the lens of justice and removing barriers within our system in order to ensure student success. And justice is about providing

079opportunities for students um related to the master schedule, giving them a broad course of study um that includes both enrichment opportunities as well as support and interventions as well. And so when we think about um achieving justice, we also want to make sure equity is at the center as well so that we're ensuring that the resources that students need are given to them and given to them at all levels of the system. In addition and and really to expand on this idea of like the dual role of the master schedule, it's important to have this student center framework that Dr. Maldonado also shared. And on one hand, we want students to have access, right? It's that belonging, that sense of belonging that we want to build to provide them opportunities to explore, give them enrichment

080and all in in with a need to increase student motivation and build that connectedness, that sense of belonging to school. At the same time, we also need to consider the needs of the additional needs that some of our students may have. And that's where that equity and support part of the framework comes in. We want to be able to provide them intervention support as needed. So, it's not just about one and it's not just about the other, but it's about maintaining that dual um focus of those two goals simultaneously as we're considering our master schedule needs. Now, I'm going to hand it over to Dr. Hugh. So, I'm going to provide a little bit of context for our junior high uh grade level span. So this is a slide from our California school dashboard for

0812025 using data from largely spring 2025. Uh this is our California school dashboard for each of the junior highs. And you can see here that we have a range of academic achievement as shown on the dashboard through our ELA which is the first on the left gauge and then math and then our English learner progress. And if you look at the tiny boxes at the bottom of each of those gauges, it shows the student group, the number of student groups that fall into each of those achievement levels. Red being the lowest and then uh blue being the highest. One of the things I want to point out is that we do have a range of achievement levels across our junior highs and we also have a difference in terms of the student populations. So at

082two of our junior highs at Galita Valley and at La Halina, we have smaller English learner populations, which is why those gauges are gray. So as we think about the context of master schedules and seven period days, we also want to think about what each of our junior highs need and the academic um achievement levels help us to understand a little bit more about the populations that each of these campuses serve and how are we going to address the needs of the most burdened students. And that may look a little different at each of our schools. In addition to the academic context, we also know that there are many other pieces that go into the student experience at a school. And one of those is really looking at our school climate. So this is data

083from our panorama survey which was taken at the end of September, early October. We asked students questions about uh a number of different factors of school climate. We pulled out for today uh questions around student engagement and student belonging. So for student engagement, the questions that students were asked were about how excited they are to attend their classes, how interested they were in the classes that they were taking. And then for student belonging, it was how do they feel supported by the adults on their campus and do they feel like they belong when they're at school? So you can see here a range of questions and a range of responses in how our students feel about their levels of engagement and belonging and that can impact their sense of motivation and their belonging which is

084also part of the conditions of learning. And then the other piece I want to leave you with tonight is a look at our demographics. We know each of our schools is different across our four junior highs. We have some large schools and some smaller schools. So 416 students currently at Lacumbra Junior High up to 773 at Lolina. And the number of students on a campus does impact what a school is able to offer as far as the number of classes, the number of staff that they have and the flexibility within that. Uh there are also different populations and the diversity of the student populations across our four junior highs is also important to keep in mind in terms of the context of these and how we serve our students and address the needs. Again, as

085Dr. Wilson mentioned, the goal of having a seven period day and the goal of all of our schools across the board is to provide a broad course of study and that means both opportunities for enrichment as well as opportunities for intervention and support for students that need it. So with that much around the context of each of our schools, I'm going to turn it over to our junior high principles so that you can hear a little bit from each of them about how they use and mobilize the resources that they already have within a sixth period day to serve students and make sure that students are getting what they need. So first I'm going to ask Dr. Brock to come up. [applause] >> Thank you Dr. Hugh. Dr. Wilson. Good evening. Members of the board,

086Superintendent Maldonado, Executive Cabinet, fellow educators, and members of the public. I'm Dr. Brock. I'm the proud principal of Lukumbre Junior High. And as you can see uh tonight, we do have a very uh diverse student population at Lukumbre. We're ethnically diverse, culturally diverse, linguistically diverse, and neurodeiverse. Without diversity also brings unique needs. As you can see on the chart on the left, uh the chart here is really uh to highlight what we're able to provide. And my fellow colleagues at uh the other junior highs will be sharing similar charts tonight. And this chart is is really highlighting what we're able to provide and also not able to provide in our six period day structure. As you can see, we have 69 EMLs. uh and as a result of a required language development class um they

087are currently not offered a zero or seven period elective. Conversely, uh we currently do not offer a world language course for any of our students. For students with IEPs, uh they are able to access electives. However, for our AVID students, their class is considered an academic elective and they are unable to take an additional elective. Taken together, as you can see, our EML and AVID students comprise about 30% of our student population at Lumbre uh that currently do not have an elective class. Thanks to the board's ongoing support over the last two years, we also have the distinction of being an international balorate middle years program candidate school. Because of that, we will need to offer a broad program of support and course of study. Uh including that every child takes an arts design and

088a world language course. It's also important to know that within the current sixth period structure, we are able to offer one section of a seventh period musical theater class. And I will now turn it over to my colleagues to share more about how they structure their school day. [applause] >> [snorts] >> All right. Thank you, board. Thank you, Dr. Maltton Autoto. Cabinet, everyone behind me. My name is Dan Dupant. I am the very proud principal of Santa Barbara Junior High School. Um, I can't say it any better than Dr. Brock did. Uh, Santa Barbara Junior, we serve a very diverse population, and with that comes all of the challenges trying to meet all the needs of our students. Um, as you can see up there, uh, we have 62 EML students representing 12% of our

089population. And when I say four students with seven periods, those are students that are electing to take either a zero or a seventh period outside of the regular school day. Um, same thing with our students with IEPs. Uh while we have 102 students with IEPs, we actually only have 26 students on our campus with an IEP where actually they are enrolled in a course that is required by their IEP that takes the place of their elective. And among those students of among those 26, one student elects to take a student out an additional elective course outside of the regular school day. Um similarly with students enrolled in AVID which may be considered as a program of choice and academic elective. Uh we are the only junior high school in the district that is the dual

090language immersion. So for our DLI students that Spanish language arts course which is one of the requirements to call ourselves a DLI school. That course does take the place of their art or theater or woodshop elective during the regular school day. And as you can see 10 of our AVID students elect to take an elective outside of the regular school day. and among our DLI students, seven to choose to take outside of the regular school day. Um, so what we do, uh, at Santa Barbara Jr., we really do try to offer more electives for our students in zero and seventh period. Um, that definitely is it it impacts our staffing. The staffing that any school is given is for periods 1 through six. So, anything that we choose to put in zero or seventh period

091does come at the cost within that periods 1 through six staffing. So what we decide to do for zero period we offer journalism, leadership um and literacy intervention would be the ones that I would consider to be sort of the non-required electives. You see that health is offered up there. Um I wouldn't necessarily call health an elective for our EML students and our students with IEPs in seventh grade along with AVID and DLI. our students, we are we basically place those students in a zero period health class so that during their regular school day they can fit all of their required courses. Um so basically for our seventh grade EML and students with IEPs, those 26, uh they essentially have seven required classes that we are we have to accommodate within a sixth period day.

092Um four sections are offered after school. We have jazz band, uh, theater production, Spanish one, and math support. And philosophically, the reason that I place those outside of the regular school day is to give both seventh and eighth grade students the opportunity to take that full year-long elective experience. Um, a jazz band wouldn't be successful if it were just eighth grade students. Leadership and journalism wouldn't work if it were just eighth grade students. And during the current structure, a seventh grade student at Santa Barbara Jr. cannot take a full year-long elective during the regular school day because of that health requirement. Um, uh, you'll see that it basically it affects 3.6 of our FTEES when it comes to the AVID dual language immersion, Spanish theater, and art in woodop, which is currently taught by the

093same teacher at our campus. I will now turn it over, I believe, to Miss Foster for Lolina. >> [applause] >> Good evening everyone. Thank you for having us tonight. Um, welcome everybody. Thanks everyone for their comments. Oh, okay. There we go. Um, I'm Jennifer Foster. I'm the proud principal of Lalina Junior High. Um, we also have a diverse and large student population. Um, and as Dr. Hugh said that with a large student population, we also have the ability to offer um some additional classes. I also want to appreciate uh our elective teachers who um really uh help us to have a flexible master schedule where we can really promote um all of our students having access to an elective course. We think it's really important for all of our junior high school students as part

094of their experience to have access to an elective. Uh we have a very small and mighty uh EML population of nine students. Um I also wanted to note in the chart that some of these students these are not unduplicated student counts. So some of these students you might have a student who's an EML student who's also AVID student with an IEP uh who might also be an AVID. So, it's not um those numbers are not unduplicated. Um we do have 97 students with IEPs. Uh not all of those students require um a seventh period and some of them also opt not to have a seven period day. Our AVID students are also um provided with the option to take a seven period day. Um because AVID is focused on um being able to access college

095right after high school. Um those AVID students um most often take uh Spanish 2 for native speakers so they can begin that A to G requirement. And also our seventh grade AVID students take one quarter of the junior high health class. Um in addition to those student groups, um we do have 82 students who have a seven period day um so that they are able to participate in a uh year-long elective um in our band classes, vocal ensemble classes and leadership. Um we know that in the performing arts being a member of the jazz band or outburst is like being on a team. So, you really need to have that time and um focused effort in those classes. Um and so we prioritize those students being able to um take a seven period day. Most

096often uh the way that works is they might have a band class during the day and they take the junior high health class for just one quarter in the zero period. Um you can see here um we have 5.9 FTEES uh for elective offerings. Uh we do have a junior high wheel which is um divided into three parts two quarters and one semester class. Um so those classes in the wheel include health advisory coding. Um those are quarter classes. So student will take health and then another quarter of advisory or coding and then they select one semester of another elective uh theater, art, linguistics, music, sewing. Um, we also have those year-long electives of advanced band, beginning bad, jazz band, um, orchestra, and then our visual arts, ensemble, musical theater, beginning coding, and then leadership,

097Spanish one, Spanish two for native speakers, AVID, and leadership. I feel like I said that twice. Oh, [laughter] it is on there twice. Uh so that um is how we are able to um provide access to our students um particularly our students who are EMLs, IEPs and in our AVID program uh with access to an elective during their school day and as part of their junior high experience. Okay, next I'm going to turn things over to Miss Chu from Gla Valley. [applause] >> Thank you. Oh clicker. Hi. There we go. Good evening, board. Superintendent Maldonado. Thank you for having us here tonight. Um, my name is Clancy Chu and I'm the super proud principal of Galita Valley Junior High. Go Mariners. Um, so what we offer here, I think I'm going to start with what

098we offer and how we um provide that to students. So, we offer a zero period. We have eight sections of that. So, we are offering a literacy intervention um which is based off of assessments we do of our students that need reading support. Um that class is a class where students come in and out of. So, it's not an actual assigned class for the whole year. They're cycling in and out depending on their need. Oh, I think before I go to that, I just wanted to say at Galita Valley when we look at all of this with schedules, my team kind of ba um we really stand behind the commitment that we are going to meet our students academic needs while also providing access to an elective. So, we keep that at the forefront and

099then we've also really tried to maintain um a commitment to robust elective programs at our site. So from that um that's we have literacy intervention we offer three sections of PE a Spanish one class an advanced band class and then a health class that goes for so all of those run all year long and then the health class runs one quarter. We offer that twice a year. Um so that's what we offer in the morning. We do have one class that happens at the end of the day. Um that is our stage craft play production class. Um it it operates more as an afterchool program, but we put it in there um because it coincides with play practice and such. So we have a large amount of students that access that. So those are all

100things that are offered outside of the six period day. So the way that we go through the students that get to participate in those classes, so they have a seven period day comes from what you see on the chart there. So our EML students have priority to have those um a seven period day. And you'll see out of our 36 students, we have 22. I can say that the students that don't have a seven period day um there was a small number based off very particular family choice that we met with and talked with. So they chose to have a six period day and then we have a very small number because of transportation. Um the next group that has priority for the seven period day is we have our students with IEPs. You'll see

101it's a fairly small number because as you'll notice on the right side, kind of the fourth bullet down, 80% of our students with IEPs are able to have their academic intervention targeted support within their school day. We do that through small groupoup instruction both in math and literacy. So given that they're able to get academic support as well as an elective within a sixth period day, but we still prioritize those that need a seven period day so that they're getting an elective and their academic support. Next you'll see our AVID students. Um we again prioritize those students. Most of those that have seven periods are our seventh graders so that they can meet the health requirement as well as take AVID. And then we also um offer that to our eighth grade AVID students who

102might be EML so that they have their language support as well as their AVID class. Um you'll also notice we have about 95 7th graders who do have the year-long elective. Um that was something we really worked hard to try to find a way that they could do that. um we wear space once we go through our prioritizing of the the other students. Students that have chosen a year-long elective have the ability to take seven periods and most of our students that choose that we're able to give that to them. Um below that you will see what we offer in terms of electives. So that's six full um FTEES would say that is not necess that is not six people. We have um several teachers that are teaching a section of an elective, but alto

103together it equates to six FTEEs that provide our elective offerings. Um one of the things we did with the new health requirement because that's really what kind of threw a loop in a lot of things is figuring out how to do the health elective. So we do a health advisory elective combo. Um that's one of the options. And so that for half a year seventh graders will do health and advisory and the other half of the year they do an elective. Um and then we also do offer the one quarter of health. So it's for 10 weeks students come at as and have that extra seventh period but it's only for one quarter and then the rest of the year they have their sixth period classes. Um, and so you'll see the the combo classes

104we have in art, intro to film, um, industrial technology, um, and what is Oh, and music. So, those are all offered in a combo. And then we also have the year-long um, elective offerings in our advanced band, beginning band, jazz band, and orchestra. Those are all year-long. We do have year-long in art. We have a year-long elective in film video production, year-long uh students who take year-long woodshop, industrial tech, um and then all the other ones listed on there, coding, Spanish, AVID, and leadership. And I think that's it. [applause] So, I want to thank our go I want to thank our junior high principles uh for coming up and sharing with us this evening a little bit more about how they go about their master schedules and trying to provide options for students. So, I

105want to take you through a couple of different options for ways to think about how to think about a seven period schedule for students. These are meant to be illustrative. This doesn't mean that these are the only four options, but this was just something to help us kind of think about what this might look like. So, the first option uh would be uh what we'll call status quo. This is what we currently have as you just heard from our four junior high principles. Schools are able to offer zero or seventh period as staffing and section allocation allows at each of our school sites and you saw a range from one section to many sections across our four schools. The fiscal impact of this would be no additional beyond what we currently allocate to each of

106our schools and the staffing impact would be the same. If we were to go with option two, that would be with the understanding and the belief that all students at all of our junior highs should get at least one elective, not including their ALD or support classes, dual immersion, language, or AVID. So if we were to exclude those and say that every student were to get at least one elective, the band, art, etc., then there would be a finan uh fiscal impact approximately 250,000 per year across the four schools and then a staffing impact of we think maybe around two FTEEs. Option three would be kind of the the going all the way uh all students at all junior highs get seven classes. That would be the biggest um change from what we currently offer

107and we think the f the estimation is about 1.58 million a year in order to do that and an impact of an additional uh 13 FTEES and then option four would be some smaller version of that to just get us started and test it out. So this might be uh all students at a select junior high or maybe two junior highs get seven classes. So depending on which school we if we wanted to go with one school as a pilot or two schools as a pilot etc. that number would change is what the additional fiscal impact would be. for one school the additional uh fiscal impact would be about 500,000 per year and then an additional impact of four FTEES and then depending on what we would want to pilot if it's one school or

108two schools then you would just multiply by that again these are just uh estimates for illustrative purposes but we wanted to give just an idea of what that might look like beyond ond the initial we do want to think about not just the staff that it would take or changing the bell schedule or changing the master schedule. It would also require some associated costs of operationalizing this decision. So we know that there would be an impact to the instructional program. We would have to think a little bit differently about what elective offerings might look like. Might there be a need for new courses? Uh might there be a need for additional instructional materials? Of course, with all of these, anytime we are looking at um expanding the offerings of our schools in terms of the

109courses that they're offering, we would want to make sure that we are thinking about what the needs are and the student population. And we would not be offering new courses or expanding courses if we didn't have the student population and the enrollment to support that. So, we wouldn't be creating lots of new courses if we don't have students that would be able to fill those seats. So enrollment is certainly part of our consideration of what we would need to do to offer a broad course of study to our students. And then with that stemming from that would be the consideration of do we need additional staffing in order to do that. Do we need additional facilities both in terms of classroom space or perhaps furniture depending on what types of electives we're offering? You can't

110just open a new wood shop for example. They have specific equipment and types of tables etc that they need. And then as you heard from Miss Chu, there may be some impact on transportation that we would need to think about as well in order to make sure that students are able to get to and from campus uh if we are making changes to when they are coming to and leaving our campuses. I'm going to turn it back over to Dr. Wilson. So as we prepare for the board discussion, this is a summary of the criteria that we recommend be considered when evaluating the different options. So first is student impact. Will the option ensure that the needs of our most vulnerable students are met? Second, justice. Um will the option create a system for providing

111enrichment as well as intervention supports for all the students who who are in need? Three is staff sustainability. Can we enact the schedule with appropriate staffing based on credentiing needs for content areas as well as elective offerings. Fourth is fiscal reality and what budget reductions will need to occur to pay for the option and how will we maintain that funding for them. And lastly, and most important, student outcomes and how will the schedule impact our student outcomes and accelerate growth for those in need. As a district staff, we recognize there will be after the board discussion a need for followup and next steps. And we know that we will need to refine options potentially based on board guidance as well as return to the board with additional information as requested. And then simultaneously, we want

112to deepen and really continue community engagement as well as maintain uh transparent commu communication with our community throughout the process. and as a decision may be enacted. Um, most importantly, so with that, I'd like to conclude our presentation and open the discussion up for the board. >> I believe we have public comments first. Do we want to do a break or >> we have uh we have about a 20 minute public comment period. There are 10 10 cards. So, >> yeah. Okay. Um, let's let's let's take five minutes. Um, I I don't want to I don't want to extend this. We've got people waiting that are here. Oh, and there's another another one. That's that brings us to 10. >> That's fine. Let's let's do a fivem minute break. >> Yep. seat. >> I got

113you. >> Thank you, class. >> Well, thank you for indulging a brief break. Um there's um we're going to we're going to um have an opportunity. I'd like to have the presenters all kind of stay up in the front because I think what we're going to do I I know there are some of us that have questions of multiple presenters. Um so we're going to we're going to just open this up and kind of take turns on questions. When that's done, then we'll start on our comment and discussion. So um I'm if if anyone wants to start, I would like to go through questions. >> Oh, I'm sorry. See? See what I said? Okay. Okay. Let's Let's uh Rose, do public comment. >> Okay. DJ Rose, >> we're going to give two minutes on each

114one. We have 10 cards and and I'll keep the 20-minute clock going as well, but uh please do your best to keep within the two minutes. >> Okay. So, we have uh Nicole Bar followed by York Shingle, followed by Halley Silva. Okay. All right. Oh, it is on. Okay. Um, you also have given me too much power. Thank you. Um, I won't touch it. Um, so hi. I'm here as a mom. You know me as a teacher. A lot of you in this room know me as a teacher, but I am here as the mom of two incredible girls that go to Monroe Elementary. Um, I recognize that you all are very powerful. And I see this very strange pass off responsibility thing happening though lately um from one group to the next. And so

115often when I come up here I witness people say we'd love to help but we can't make the call. It's the union's responsibility or we would love to do that but that's the board's responsibility. It's not up to us. it's the superintendent that makes the call and the blame shifting or responsibility and shift whatever it is kind of needs to stop and someone needs to take actual responsibility for the inaction that's really causing harm to our students. Um your inaction your inability to like just say like we need to sit down and do this which I think now is kind of happening. Um it's your inaction though with balancing the numbers at all the junior high schools and the elementary schools. your inaction on addressing why kids are leaving some schools in droves and we're

116letting it happen. Like what? Um and then your inaction of looking at like why why we can't offer um electives over the course of this kid's entire educational career. Um I've asked my students, I've asked elementary kids what they want and they're most looking forward to their electives. But when I asked when they could take their electives, my AVID students, my EML students have all said to me, my kids' friends have all said to me that they can't take them um without doing it outside of the regular day. So, what I'm here to say is we're all complicit. We all kind of suffer from wanting to be lazy and wanting this stuff to just pass by, but we can't do this anymore. Um my kid's going into junior high next year, and I'm super proud

117of her and I'm excited, but we have to do a seventh period because that's what people do. But not every family has the ability to do that and it's not fair. So please make it fair to our most vulnerable kids, our kids who do double math, avid English learners. And looking at those numbers, it should be so clear that we're underserving the kids that need us the most. And I just please revisit this. Please, please, please revisit this and actually give them the attention they deserve. Thank you. >> Thank you. [applause] do the next three. Read the next three. >> Uh K York Shing. Okay. And then I'm just going to say the next three are Hi Silva. Sorry, Stephen Hughes and followed by Rich Lasha. >> Uh good evening York Shingle, president SBTA. Um

118so you have relegated educators and community members to public comment in this discussion. You invited principles to speak during your agenda item, but not us. You are specifically eliminating important stakeholders from this conversation by holding it in this form. That's not how community work should happen. So, let's talk about this presentation that excluded folks. It also excluded data. Uh I'm wondering what attendance and enrollment data looks like for the zero and seventh period classes. How many folks started in those classes? How many folks finished them at the end of the year? Um, additionally, what are the demographics of those classes and do they reflect the school population demographics? Um, specifically racial breakdown, number of students with IEPs, and socioeconomic status of students in zero and seventh period. Because if the class data doesn't reflect the

119data of the school population, then you've got an equity issue. It's really easy to put up a slide to talk about equity and social justice, but the slide doesn't do the actual work of it and make it happen. Um, to reiterate, all 69 multilingual learners at Lacumbra do not get an elective. 58 out of 62 at Santa [clears throat] Barbara Junior High do not get an elective. At Galita Valley, 14 don't get an elective. At Lalina, a third of them don't get elective. Get an elective. Yes, that's only three students, but that is still a problem. Um, seventh graders only get a year-long elective at GV Lalina and Santa Barbara Junior High if they take a seven period day at any site. It should not be on a student or family's ability >> to get

120them there early or let them stay late. It should be our system that is taking care of these kids and providing the opportunity. This shouldn't solve a problem for a few students. This shouldn't solve a problem for many students. This needs to be a solution for all students. Thank you. Thank you. [applause] >> Um, so Hie, Halley Silva, uh, Steven Hughes, uh, Rich Lashua, and Briana Sado. Hi, my name is Haley Silva. I just want to correct that. Um, happens all the time. Sorry about that. It's all good. Um, I'm a teacher at Lalina. I am deeply in favor of the seventh period day. Um and until this year I was under the assumption that it was something the district was interested as well. Um I have served on the district's arts steering committee uh

121since it started and we've always considered the seven period day in junior high as a way to be able to give students access to the arts. um and also another enrichment support or language elective for the district to shoot down even talking about it in a way that gives access to all schools um feels like a step backwards in the work that we've done on the steering committee and the motto for the longest time when I got hired was every child every chance every day and it doesn't feel like we are giving students that chance um to have more periods right in the um presentation we saw that we need new classes and I actually a lucky teacher who teaches one of those new classes. So, let me paint you a picture. I teach Intro

122to Sewing to seventh graders. I have 30 of them at a time, and that class rules. Um, here are some things that my students have said to me, to my face, who are learning how to sew for the first time ever in a large group. Um, they've told me it is the best part of my day. It is the reason I want to come to school. I'm learning something that I'll actually be able to use in my life. Now, I'm not trying to toot my own horn, but like for real, it's toot toot, right? Um, it feels pretty good when students are saying this about the class that I've been trying to get on the schedule for three years. So, I know that new class offerings take time because I have done it. I know

123that they take effort because I have worked so many outside my contract hours to make this happen. I know that they come with a cost. I am on the art steering committee. I am on the team that helps with Prop 28 across the arts team in the district. I know the money. Um, we're in a special era though where we can use Prop 28 to help alleviate some of the cost of the new classes. So, when the district says they can't pay for new classes, please know I'm already one of my those teachers. 20% of my salary comes from Prop 28 funds. Um, the district saves money on my existing salary, right? Um, I just want to say teachers desperately wanted to be at the table, right? We really want to be invited to these

124presentations to tell the board and community members about the work that we are already doing in this area. Thank you. >> Thank you. [applause] >> All right. Got tagged in. Uh I'm Stephen Hughes. I'm the music teacher at Lalina Junior High. A few years ago, maybe eight or so, uh the district professional development had us look at a a cartoon, a drawing basically about equity. And it had three people uh standing watching, I think, a sports game or something. Anyway, there was a fence in the way. There was one person who was tall who could see over it. There was one person who couldn't see over it. And there was one person who like definitely couldn't see over it. And in the next cartoon, they had boxes and they each could stand. And the tall

125person could easily see. wasn't a change. The middle person could see and the shorter person still couldn't. That was called equality. Then the equity, the shortest person got two boxes, middle person got one, tallest person didn't matter. So I want I bring that up because this is what's kind of being talked about with these with the different schools and what the programs are. Right? We have this situation where students aren't we have some a barrier in the way, right? And one final drawing, there was one one time where they just like completely eliminated the fence, right? And in my head, I went, well, that's ideal. That's a perfect world. That couldn't really happen. But in some cases, I think in this case in particular, it can, right? We have to commit to it. But that's

126an equality issue that some uh students are facing. Right? Right now, if you are an EML student, right, basically what that means in terms of arts participation is you have to work extra hard in order to learn an instrument or be in a play, right? You can't just go to school and do that, right? You have to take an extra time. You have to put extra time in your day. Um, you have to take health outside the school day. You have to find another way around it so you can try to do that. Same as someone else might just get to do it, right? The inequality is real and it's right in front of us. We have to get rid of the fence. >> Thank you. [applause] >> Okay. So, um, after Rich Lasha will

127be Brianna Serorado, Janet Emory, and Mon Dit, >> excuse me. >> Uh, the district's claim of this is about students schedules and not teachers working conditions is misleading. The only way to add a seventh period without re renegotiating the contract would involve classes of about 38 minutes each and all sides agreed that's too short for a class period. The district knew exactly the request that was being made when the union asked to bargain and chose to pretend there was nothing they could do at the moment. The good news is I've spoken to multiple board members in private who support the seven period day. I've talked with district admin who praised the decision. The teachers union is on board. How many other teachers unions in California are trying to have a longer day right now? Kids

128protested in support. So have parents and community members. All sides of this discussion say that they want this. So far as it depends on you in your responsibilities toward our problem solving, please know that you are not alone in efforts to do the right thing. Honor the requests of the community you serve. When I say let's go change the world, it it's not a cute sign off. It's a call to action and to do your job faithfully to those you are serving. From the superintendent all the way to the TK music teacher. Three years ago, I naively walked in here hoping to solve this problem before my son hit seventh grade. He's going into high school this fall. How many other kids have missed out on opportunities for the past 19 years and counting? So,

129let's go change the world. [applause] >> Okay. And after Brianna will be Janet Emory, Mooney Dewit, Kate Lambert, and then Cat Ross. Hello again. My name is Brianna Serado. She her a. And I am once again asking for seventh period to be brought back to the junior high master schedule so that all students get at least one elective class. The students that have to take remedial ELA do not get to have an elective, something that had something that some have voiced as feeling like a punishment. This is a major equity issue as it primarily affects EML and sped students. As a former Lalina student, I still remember how upset I was with my mom that she was requiring my one elective option for seventh grade to be Spanish since at that time it was mandatory

130for seventh graders to have one semester of health and one semester of industrial technology with one elective whereas eighth graders had two elective options. Ironically, my daughter was disappointed when she learned that she had to choose between prioritizing art witchop or taking Spanish. I understand the concern about the cost of adding a seventh period for all students at all four junior highs when looking at budget cuts. However, as you can see from the data, engagement is only 27 to 36% across all four sites. Low enrollment continues to be an issue for the district. And I'm curious if there's a trend of families leaving the district or not entering the district for incoming seventh graders. We heard from countless public speakers last year that continued cuts to music and the arts were driving factors for them

131to send their students options outside of the district. Students are going from having art, steam, and music weekly in the elementary level to being lucky to have even one of those in their junior high career. Admittedly, I had looked into alternative junior highs for my daughter since she thrived with art and music specials in elementary school, and I was concerned how she would do with only one elective option, but it wasn't financially feasible for us. Thankfully, she had wood chop with Mr. Ael right over there uh her first semester and in first period, which was a huge motivator for her to get to school on time and really started off her junior high experience on a positive note. Looking at the stats, it is interesting to see that the two schools that have above average

132numbers for ELA and math on the state dashboard have roughly double the amount of elective FTEES and seven period options compared to the two that have much lower scores. Piggybacking on York Shingle's comment, how is attendance for the zero period EML students this year without the transportation services that were provided previously but was cut with last year's budget compared to prior years? Can Prop 28 funds be used to cover offering seventh period art class options as this is something that is a new offering? And may I suggest at the bare minimum to offer optional seventh period electives at Lucumbra as there is currently only one offering of musical theater compared to the other schools which have different zero and seventh period offerings. Depending on how much interest um there is from students for this option,

133perhaps the unused funds for the legal services agreement extension with Griffith and Thorber being discussed later tonight could be used to cover this cost. And as an aside, it's interesting to see that the school that has the largest student population and has the highest request of limit. You're limiting the time of people that need a couple EMLs. So, is that being considered when you're doing the introducers? Thanks. [applause] >> Hi, good evening. Um, my name is Janet Munoz Emory. I'm standing here with my daughter, Jenna, a current junior at Santa Barbara High School. >> Is the mic on? I I think >> I'm sorry. >> Oh, is the mic on? >> Is it Am I not close enough? >> Oh, [laughter] there we go. >> I'm so sorry. I'll restart. Hi, my name is Janet

134Munoz Emory. I'm standing here with my daughter, Jenna Emory. Uh she's a current uh junior at Santa Barbara High and our dear friend Diego Venoli, a current sophomore. I'm here in support of adding a seventh period to our junior highs. When I reflect on my own school experience, there are a few teacher names that still bring warmth to my heart. Jenkins, Wilson, Taylor. When I reflect on my child's experience, there are a few more. Lasha, Lefay, Larsen, Ortega, Hitner, Jenkins, Hughes, Martinez, Aguilera, and Relli. What do those name have in common? They're all teachers in the arts, primarily music, as you can tell. Expanding the seventh school uh expanding the schedule to include the seventh period would allow these programs to regain time, flexibility, and reach. But more importantly, it would give students something even

135more critical, access to belonging. For some students, school is more than academics. It is safety. It is stability. It is one place where they feel seen and valued. I know this because that student was me. Music was not just an elective. It was my refuge. It was where I found discipline, mentorship, and heart. And for the students standing here today, music is where they have found their identity, their passion, and their voice. A seventh period is not just an added class. It's an expanded opportunity. It's expanded mentor mentorship. It's expanded safety. This decision will impact not just current students, but generations to come. Thank you so much for your consideration. [applause] >> Thank you. >> Now, we will have um Yes. Hi. Hello Monique. >> Hi there Rose. Hi Miss Munos. >> Followed by sorry

136by followed by Kate Lambert and Cat Ross. >> Right. Thank you so much for the opportunity opportunity here to speak. And yes um I'm very concerned about our uh students with learning differences. When I look at the junior highs, I can tell you that at um Santa Barbara Junior High, the scores for ELLL students with learning differences is 10% are proficient and only 7.4 in math. We go to La Halina, 26 and only 17 in math. We go to Lumbra, 18 are proficient and 17 in math. And we go to Galita Valley, 14 are proficient and 11 are in math. Now, these numbers are pretty scary and pretty low. And what makes them even somewhat darker is that we know despite our good efforts so far we've only been able to um train about 16

137teachers in our K through two space. We don't do the same training for these older ones. So these are curriculum casualties. They're probably two or three years behind and they may not catch up. So the important oops I keep hitting this thing. Sorry. um as a neurode divergent um person when you are that far behind it does affect your self-esteem it's hard to be motivated but luckily um electives the [clears throat] u many people with learning differences actually excel in the arts they have gifts there and it's really important something weird's going on here um it's really important that they get to develop those gifts recognize those gifts um be seen among their peers as good in some of these things. Without that, the engagement is very low and the absentee rate is high. And

138the magic number that I saw on the screen was 1.5 million to make this happen across the board. And that seems to be the same number that we gave to administrators, our superintendent cabinet when the teachers got the raise. So that's just a kind of awkward coincidence. And the other thing I would say, despite all the good things happening here, if we don't have the resources, I would like us to go to an abundant level and go talk to the sheriff. He's 21 million in overtime. Some of that money could come here and be proactive. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Hello again. My name is Kate Lambert and I am here to talk about the seventh period day. I'm actually a high school teacher and I think that the seventh period day is very

139important. Actually, it impacts the high schools. If you do not get access because you speak a different language, because you need to go to an IEP class, like um an individual instruction, then that means that you enter high school without those skills that other students have already developed. You are not going to be able to jump in with everyone else that's going to go to their new electives. You don't even necessarily know how much you like woodshop, music, dancing. You haven't even tried it yet. You don't know if you have the confidence to do it as a school, to dress out for those things, to go and do a performance for a school. Oh my god, if you don't get a taste of it in junior high, how are you going to make it to

140the high school and be able to do it? It's very hard. Teenagers, that is a difficult step for them to take. The other thing I want to say is that data just showed me how important a zero and a seventh period, maybe we need an eight period day. Seriously, if that many kids need to take those classes, want to take those classes, and teachers want to teach them, why are we limiting it? It's just like when we got rid of the forced dismissal, it didn't make sense to say, "We're not going to offer you everything you need. Let's offer it to everyone." And if you look at the special ed numbers, it will be 20% of special ed kids who will take the extra electives, who have the time, transportation, family, financial support in order

141to go to those zero and seventh period. Please do not discount those kids. They need it just as much as anyone else, if not more. Let's make sure everyone has access to a seven period day at the junior high level. It will bring back our arts programs. It'll even allow them to flourish. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. [applause] >> Okay, Cat Ross. >> Hey, thanks for listening to me. Um, the seventh period day is uh a really great way to help the 600 619 students that we just saw in that presentation who don't have an elective. That's a lot of students actually. That's that's a lot of students. 619 students that we're not serving at all um in terms of their elective access. What a great way um to fix that. And uh

142luckily we have Prop 28 money. Oh my god, it's so great. We have special money that's for hiring new teachers to teach in the arts. So like art and music and dance, which we don't have much of at the high school, at the junior high level. And um we can have offer all of these things with this special money that is offered to the district and that hasn't been fully allocated yet. So this seems like a really great win for us. We have money and we have a need. Wow. And we have all the support. [cheering] >> Seems great. >> [applause] >> I think um that concludes public comment. >> Okay. Thank you. And and now I can come back to talking about how we're going to do questions and comments. So um just want

143to make sure that our our principles and presenters are available and we'll take turns um with from the board members. I do want every board member to have an opportunity to ask questions. Um and we're going to do questions first and then we'll start our comment and discussion amongst the just the board members. So at this point, is there anyone that would like to start with their questions? >> Okay, Dr. Beal. >> Okay, I have several questions. So I would like to start with um with principal um Brock from Lumbra. And so yes, [clears throat] >> my questions may be similar for everybody. My [cough] first question is pretty simple. What time does your zero period start? We currently don't offer a zero period. >> Okay. Okay. So, that answers that question. Um, uh, do

144you see [clears throat] >> do you see any downside to offering seven periods? >> No. >> Okay, that answers that question. Um, I'm going to go back. Sorry, I'm scrolling through my questions. Um, for let's see. seem to have misplaced some. Oh, here it is. I found my questions. Um, well, those actually, sorry. Those are all my questions for you. >> Okay, [laughter] great. Okay, >> my next Does anybody have any questions for Principal Barack? We just thought we didn't really want to um keep bringing people up. I know. I'm sorry. >> You can become an IB school without a seventh period day. >> Well, I think it was mentioned that >> Yeah. Uh yeah. Okay. So my next set of questions are for principal Dupont. >> By the way, thank you for all the

145data you presented. Those were great presentations. Um now, do you have a zero period? >> We do. >> What time does that start at? >> Starts at 8 o'clock in the morning. >> Okay. Okay, that's good to know. Um when I look at your data, it said it seems like as has been mentioned, the students who have the EML students, the IEP students, uh in your situation, DLI students, AVID students have limited access to electives. Is that correct? Do I understand that from your presentation? for definitely our EML students and the students with IEPs that are required to take a specific class, they are like I said, they essentially if you're a seventh grade student, you're required to take seven classes within a sixth period day. So that does present challenges. >> Okay. Okay. Question.

146I don't actually have another question for you, but thank you. Does anybody else have a question for Principal? >> Yes, I do. >> Yes. I'm sorry. What did you say was required? The students in which grade need to take it >> for seventh grade. So, what it is, it's that nine-week health class that really as as Miss Chu uh noted, that really did cause us all to have to get very creative because this school year is 36 weeks long and not nine weeks long. Um, so that way at Santa Barbara Junior High School, our seventh grade students, similar to at at GV, they take a nine-week health class, then they take a nine-week AVID advisory class that satisfies one semester, and then they get a semester of an elective. And that's for our non-categorical students.

147So those would be for the students that are not EML, do not have an IEP that requires them take a special class, and AVID and DLI students. >> Okay. And is that class offered in zero period? Yes. So those students are pretty much required to take a zero period class. >> Okay. And then how about um my other question was along the lines of you know what we're experiencing right now in terms of ICE. Um are there any um are have there been concerns brought up about early morning, you know, transportation to and from school or walking to and from school due to ice? on those mornings when we do get the alerts. Yes, those concerns have been brought up. Yes. >> And has there been support, you know, at the school? Um, >> yes.

148To anytime that we get one of those alerts, there are district cabinet members that are at my campus and we are walking the perimeters. Our campus safeties are going down to the bus stops on Milus and then farther on down Kota. Um, we've even offer we've called families and said, "Look, with your permission, we'll come and pick up your son or daughter and bring them to school." >> Awesome. Nobody's taken up us. Nobody has taken us up on that offer yet, but the offer has been made many times. >> Okay. Thank you. That answers my question. >> Okay. Now, next is Principal Foster. >> Thank you for being here in the presentation. Um, I noticed when I look at your data, you have the elective wheel and a lot of offerings. Um, I should start

149with my first question. What time does your zero period start? Sorry to change. >> 7:55. Okay. Um, with your elective wheel, which sounds it looks very rich, how many students can take a full year of many of those electives? The elective wheel is for seventh graders. So most of the seventh graders that we have at Lalina uh are enrolled in that elective wheel where they have three courses, the health um advisory or coding for one quarter each and then they get to choose one semester uh class. So that would be the great majority of the seventh graders. the um we do have seventh graders if they are um in like beginning band, advanced band, um outburst, which is our ensemble class. If they're in a year-long elective class like that, um they then they usually

150end up taking um like it maybe a zero period PE or another class like that and then they get two electives. >> Okay. So, so may correct me if I'm wrong. If a student wants to take some extras or a year-long elective, they then they may have to do a zero or seventh period in order to accommodate that. >> We do have some of our students who take um multiple band classes or you know um they might [clears throat] take a zero period PE like an an AVID student for example could take AVID Spanish 2 for native speakers and then they would take PE in the zero period. >> Okay. Okay. Do you see a downside to having a seven period day? >> No. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Okay. Principal merit. Oh, were there

151other questions? Sorry. >> I seem to be the only person that wanted to ask all these. Okay. Principal. Oh, I have a question. Yeah. Sorry. Sorry. Trying to think question, comment, categories. Um, >> I guess for starters, my question would be, you know, similar. Have there been any concerns regarding um you know family transporting and and ICE alerts and so forth? >> I I should say family transporting or or walking. I >> specifically related to ice >> or just transportation in general >> early morning you know primarily we get the alerts early in the morning. I think it is important to note um for Lalina and also for Galita Valley um we have a large number of our students who travel to school on the MTD booster buses and the transportation there we link up

152with our partner high school. So um Lalina and San Marcos are on the same bus route you know they have to do a round of each school and the same for Galita Valley and do PBLO. So that is kind of restricted. Well, not kind of. It's very restrictive actually in um when our um when our school can start and end. Um we have not had a lot of early morning concerns specific to to ICE when we have received um the alerts. Similarly, we've um had our staff out um because of the way that um the bus drops off at the bottom of the driveway and it's pretty far from the actual campus. We have had our campus security down there just to monitor that bus stop and the coming and going just because we figure

153um it might it could take longer to get down there. So that's something we've done just to be pretty proactive. Okay. And as far as um you know students with the MLS and and IEPs and such has and and AVID um has there been a lot of interest in zero period you know and while seven period and then of course zero >> I think it's it really depends on the family um you know I think it's important to note too that even sometimes families are offered a seven period and they don't choose to um off have their student enroll in seven periods. Um, many students in Santa Barbara have a afterchool activities, you know, sports, community, church, all the different things that they do. Um, so not every family chooses that option as well, even

154if they are offered it. Some families um you know are concerned about their student having the stamina for a long day of school you know too especially as they're transitioning to junior high where they're going to changing periods and all those kinds of things too. So we really try to make it u kind of individualized like students with IEPs we make those decisions when we have the transition IEP meetings in the spring of each year and really kind of customize that. Obviously like IEP stands for individualized education program. So it kind of depends on the need of each student and family. >> Excellent. Thank you so much. >> Okay. Principal Merit again thank you for the presentation. So I'm going to ask the same question. What time does your zero period start at? >> It

155starts at 8 o'clock and it's runs four days a week. Thursday is the one day we don't have zero period. >> Okay. Um, when I looked at your data, um, it looks like I mean, everybody's making a really huge effort to offer extras to students who may be limited by their interventions and extra classes, but I do know that um, it seems that um, even at Galita Valley Junior High, there are students who are offered a seventh period. However, having said that, when I did the math, um basically only 23% of students right now have access to a seventh period. So that seems um so I guess my question is is that a limitation of the schedule that that's that it's that low? I'm I'm hearing from um a principal Foster that maybe some people

156don't choose seventh periods, but 23% of people taking a seventh period seems really low. >> Well, when we look at a master schedule and we look at what we offer, I mean, thankfully at my school, I shout out to my teachers, I have five teachers that want to that choose to ch to teach zero to five and then all the rest of my teachers teach one through six. Um, so when I look at how many spaces that provides for students, then we go through that list of of prioritizing that that I showed you on my chart there. Um, and I can pretty confidently say that every student at my school who wanted or needed seven periods had that option. And I have two students with IEPs and I think six EML students who chose to

157have um six periods instead of seven. They could have had the seven. Um but that was very particular meetings with families and based on specific things for those families. But everybody, so out of I think I have about a hundred and almost 200 students who have seven periods and those are all students that either need it in order to have the elective and their academic um support, students who wanted a year-long elective. Um so I think we met what the requests were for all of our students. >> Okay, thank you for that. Um there was a question about transportation issues. It seems from my point of view that if everybody is on a seven period schedule, transportation actually becomes quite simple. Is am I missing something? >> Well, I wish it were that simple. [laughter]

158We we well and I know for for Lalina and GV, we are at the mercy of MTD for the most part. They tell us what their schedules are for who they have drivers for. We also have to coincide with the high schools. So, our buses are shared with those pubos high schools. So MTD runs a route that accounts for dropping off and picking up both for the high school and us. And they need a 30 minute buffer. So they basically tell us what that time can be. Um we've worked really hard with them to try to get right now we're having students dropped off 30 minutes early every single day to meet their schedule. So we have to provide supervision for that. We also have students staying late um for bus schedules. We have to

159pro provide supervision for that. And that's all to meet MTD. And MTD flat out has told me that they do not have a driver to for the zero period bus. So that's why we don't have it. >> Sorry, that's all the questions. Thank you for answering those question. >> We'll just make sure everyone has a turn on their questions. Is there one that like to go and ask? >> Yeah, I think there's more questions. Um, I apologize for not asking this sooner, but maybe one of the junior high principles or um, someone from district staff can give me a little bit of insight into the process for deciding which zero period and seven period classes are offered. >> I mean, we we really have to go off of what our staff is willing to do.

160um they teach five out of six periods. And so if you're a teacher that choose is teaching zero period, you're done after fifth period. We can only have them teach their five out of six has to land between zero and fifth period. And teachers who start first period, they go one through six. So their five periods happen within that time frame. So it's it's really which teachers will offer to to start earlier for the zero period. And I imagine it may change from year to year what what's offered in zero period or >> yeah it's a combination of what teachers will teach that and then we do also have to have obviously the students to to fill those classes. >> Okay. Thank you. Um >> one other note on that you also there are certain

161classes that you can't offer outside of the school day too. Core um English, math, science, social studies classes. um you can't offer any um classes for students with IEPs outside of the school day or the um the ALD or the EML classes outside the school day. Those have to be offered within the regular day >> and AVID. >> Thank you. >> Yep. >> Principal Dupont. I also want to reiterate what I said during my slide presentation that I prioritize things like journalism, jazz band, leadership where uh none of my seventh grade students can take a full yearong year-long elective periods one through six. And those are programs that absolutely need I think of it as eighth graders or the varsity squad who are teaching the seventh grade JV squad. Here's how you become an ASB

162student. Here's how you be a journalism student. Here's how you be a jazz band member. So classes that need to have both seventh and eighth mixed together, that's where I just prioritize putting those in zero and seventh period. >> And so when you prioritize those, are you going to particular teachers to work with them to make sure it works for their schedule? >> For those particular ones, there really is only one teacher on campus that is interested, credentialed, or willing to do so. And it has been so during my time there. So >> fantastic. Thank you. Uh, this might I don't know who this is for, but it's about transportation in general. Maybe this is you, Dr. Molinado. Maybe it's someone else, but um, obviously not the first time we've heard about the uh, lack

163of flexibility from MTD when it comes to some of our routes and how it affects some of our schools. How does this play into our contract with Zoom and our ability to offer additional routes? Um, I know that we did have some cost savings from the fact that it is far more efficient. We were able to have access to a lot more data so that we could plan our routes a little bit better. Are there opportunities for us to offer um additional transportation options? because it does sound like even with the seven period day that's going to be something we're going to have to work through. >> So, I think I heard two questions. Do you want to start with MTD? >> Yeah. >> Uh I have met with MTD uh as recent as probably

164about a month ago and they're a government agency like us. Their funding is also, you know, government money. So they're low on drivers and they do have a challenge serving both the public, the general public and our students. So the buses that they offer for booster are really an additional just public service. They are not a school bus company. And so what we get when we what we get with them is just basically uh an agreement. It's not we don't even have an agreement. They just know that we are going to transport students. So they don't consider themselves a public school bus transportation. That's why we have to work around their schedules. Um so I don't know that we have a lot of flexibility because they have their own challenges of creating bus routes. As

165for Zoom buses and transportation, I think the decision when we made to cut the Golita bus route was the low ridership that we had at that moment and I can't recall the amount. Do you remember the amount Clansancy? >> The amount of the the cost. >> Yeah. I think it was like a $100,000 or something for the bus. I I think part of that too was we had a low number at that time, but I do think part of that was the first time that that Zoom was being offered and there was a lot of challenges around communication and figuring out a route and so it just it didn't really quite get off the ground. Yeah. From that. >> But so that that's about a route about $100,000. that we would have to probably map

166out. And as you know, the families don't all come at from the same houses for two years. And the challenge with junior high is half the stu the student population changes every year because they only have two grades. So the routes would change every year. So the cost would be a little bit hard to predict depending on where we have to bring students from. And then we would have to consider what happens to the high schools if we go to Zoom transportation for junior high schools. Can I just ask another question about the transportation? So, you know, MTD doesn't do a I'm going to deliver your child to the house, right? It's from pointtooint and these are secondary students. So, how much are we paying? Well, you probably don't know the answer to this question.

167How much are we potentially paying MTD to do these pointto-oint routes? I guess maybe the question is is can Zoom do it for us more economically and give us more flexibility because these aren't delivering students to a house that's a pointto-point transportation. >> So the district does offer bus passes to some students, not all. Um and we would have to get that information. I don't have it uh ready at our fingertips. So we would have to bring back how much we're spending in bus passes for those students. And then the second part of your question, sorry can you >> well can can Zoom actually be a partner for us because it seems that [clears throat] >> well this is will be a comment but I'll just see if MTD is going to be the thing

168that takes this down. I'm not sure that that makes any sense. >> Well they're not they're they're just not a student public school bus company. I I don't want to beat MTD down. They're a general public bus service. Um I think that the question really for us is can we do a comparison between bus passes and um zoom costs for the amount of students we would have to transport each year knowing that it will change every every year given the students we would need to transport. So yes, we can try to do some cost comparisons and um try to figure that out and bring that back. Yeah, mainly I'm saying that transportation feels like that shouldn't be the limiting factor to what we offer in our schools. I mean, it is in some ways, but

169but it it just sounds it doesn't sound quite right that there isn't some way we can offer, you know, a regular seven period schedule and have our transportation work with us in an effective way. Um I'm not sure if it's a question but I I it is it's it isn't it isn't I think what we heard from the principles it is and it isn't a limiting factor. So there there's the the shift of the population of the students and where they're coming from. And remember Galita Valley and Lacolina serve students all the way down to Isa Vista. So there is quite a distance for families and students to have to travel. >> You have other Okay. So, everybody's had their questions. Okay. So, Rose, do you have questions? >> Yes. I guess my question would

170be, and this is, you know, my question would be how much um would students want to ride Zoom when they're in junior high? you know, um the perception I I'm just saying because the having had, you know, my daughters went to GV and they thought it was cool to go on the B on MTD, right, and do their do their own thing and so forth. And I would just kind of c be cautious and you know, you folks know better right now than I than I would know. Um, and of course Carlos might help us out here possibly is that um, you know, would we be setting up looking into something that students not might not be receptive to? Just throwing it out there. >> Carlos, did you have questions? >> Yeah, I did have

171one question and that is that's something I can look into um, and definitely ask ask some people about. My question was >> my question was um if anyone could speak to the parent input side. I heard some you know concerns about parents having concerns about student stamina or other extracurriculars uh separate from school but I was wondering if there you know in requiring an extra class. Um I was wondering if there's been any other like large gatherings of parent data and what the consensus has been there. Up to this point, we have not done a widespread parent survey across the district to each of our school sites, but that is something um if there's consensus around gathering that input from the board that we could come back with and provide you with. >> All right.

172Thank you. >> Okay. Okay, I have a couple of questions. Um, first of all, can somebody real quick tell me what the current there there was a change not too long ago about state time uh start time mandates to make sure that uh junior high school students are starting after a certain time. Is that still in place anywhere? >> That mandate for start time was for high school and not for junior high. >> Okay, thank you. That's good. Um, and then maybe just any principal that could answer this question. I can you do a general comparison in terms of the class sizes of those programs that are outside the school day versus inside the school day? Do they tend to be larger or smaller classes or enrollment or kind of equivalent? >> So, let me

173make sure I understand your question. So, for the current offerings that occur either in zero period or seventh period, what's the average class size? Well, how are they comparing to other class sizes? Just are they are are those classes larger than particularly in the day or smaller? I know a band class might be a larger class or something depending on the school, but >> is there a pattern that's discernible there? >> Yeah. So, I'm going to go ahead and let our principles respond to that so they can speak to those class sizes. >> Um, so because they're classes like PE and the electives, so PE classes can run larger. So, I know most of our PE classes are running about 35 students and that's true across the day as well. So, my zero period classes,

174our PE classes run about comparable. Um, advanced band, same thing, runs comparable to um actually larger than some of the other um music classes that we're we're still building, but so that's like a 30 plus usually classroom. Um, our Spanish one class, we offer it for all seventh graders as another way to meet their requirements. And that's a full class as well in zero period. Is >> is that class is the Spanish one class offered out in the inside the school day too or just >> also offered in the school day but it's one of the for seventh graders having it zero period is a great way to meet all the requirements. We offer that. >> I think with any master scheduling you have to be efficient with your staffing that you have to. So,

175you need to make sure you can't just have classes because you want to or because the students might want them. You have to be able to fill them otherwise um and have teachers who want to teach them in the zero period as well. >> Right. Thank you. Yeah. >> And and one other question that may seem a little offthe-wall, but but among the junior high schools, are there um specialized special education classes that are that are um for the more moderate severe or severe that are spread in different schools where maybe a student that lived in your enrollment area is going to a different school to be involved in a a more severe a mod severe or severe class. Yeah. So, at at GV right now, we do not have the the ESN, the extensive

176needs, which is the higher needs um program. So, students that live in our attendance area that need that level of support are um having bus transportation elsewhere. I think there was a decision made. We have um the grow program, which is another level of need. So each of our schools have a program for what's more extensive or higher needs. >> And so based on that, we have some students that take a bus. >> I'm I'm glad that you're up there because it was actually a comment you made earlier that that have brought that to mind. You talked about the the relatively high percentage of students with IEPs that are getting their services within the regular school day. And I I just wondered if that was in somehow connected to uh the distribution of of severity

177of of um of qualifying conditions. So yeah, >> just just a curiosity. >> Yeah, most of those students are in the mild to mod program. We do have some that are also in the grow program, but they are able to get their academic needs within the school day. >> Okay, thank you. Are there any other questions? We've all had a chance, so we'll roll this over and and open it up to comments. Is there anyone that would like to go first? Celeste Gaffrey. >> So for me, the seventh period is a no-brainer. I think we should 100% do it. Um, so if I look at the $ 1.58 million cost, that's 63% of our budget and like our budget's $250 million. So basically the way I think about it is that as a district we

178need to be investing in our kids as close I mean as close to the classroom as possible right we all know like there's so much research that what is most important for kids is high quality teachers time with high quality teachers and also I think we see our student um engagement numbers and that our junior highs um you know are neglected and that we really need to invest in them. So, I think um it is a wonderful idea and it seems to me like there's so much like positive momentum here and I just want to say thank you to everyone who wrote me um everyone who gave public comment, Mr. Lshawa who has spent three years and really kept this on top of mind. That's a lot of dedication. Um so I I feel like

179this is totally possible. At the same time, we have structural deficit. So, we need to be looking at tradeoffs. So, for me, I 100% support seventh period day. And I think we also need the the ask I would have um the the district come back with more information for us is how do we fund it and how how do we make sure that we are using our dollars as effectively as possible um to support our kids. So, I think that this is really important to invest in and will make a big difference in kids' lives every single day. Um, I mean, I don't have to repeat it. You all heard everyone's public comment and we've heard it um from Mr. Lshawa. Yes. So, um and then all the research I think is sufficient to say

180I think this is a phenomenal idea and we should definitely do it. >> Right. Other comments? >> Okay. Um, I would concur with uh board member Caffrey that this is an investment in our student education and all of the letters that I received and there were teachers, there were community members, there was one student, there were several parents did um show support for this. I mean, obviously, it's a small sample, but many of the letters talked about their positive experiences during middle school having access to electives, and I have to say that was true for me. And so, I I haven't heard I know that when you change a system, that is very difficult, especially I can understand at Galita Valley La Kalina, that you've built a system to try to accommodate as many students

181as possible. Um but I think this this change even though it may be challenging um and it costs money but what is our school budget for? It's for our students. Um that this change should happen needs to happen and I think it will have many um wonderful things. When I look at our uh our statement which I must say after two years still kind of puzzles me a little bit. It says we prepare students for a world that is yet to be created. And really sometimes I think if we're going to stick with that statement maybe we shouldn't modify it and we we should say we prepare students for the world that they would like to create. Um and we need to give them those tools and that is important. Um I'll make another comment.

182Um, these discussions are very different to have in board meetings and I understand the frustration about not being able to have everybody who has a stake in this to be able to present whether it be students or parents or teachers. Um, and and I think to me that that really speaks to the fact that a lot of our public comment tonight really had to do with how do we look at student outcomes and how do we make decisions that we all agree will improve student outcomes. And so at some point we should talk about an outcomes committee. That's the end of my comment. It's outside of this area. Thank you. >> All right. Who's next? >> All right. Oh, no. I'm sorry. >> I'm gonna call on Carlos first. >> You're gonna be next, though.

183>> All right. So, I had some just some points that I wanted to to contribute. Um, just things to keep in mind. Uh, in Yeah. And there really just some Yeah. some topics and ideas that that I had heard from students and some preliminary kind of um discussion that I had um with peers at my level on the high school level and had gone through junior highs um things that they had mentioned some nuances uh that I'd heard. So yeah, and really started with generally the students love the idea. They love the idea of having um making sure you know uh everyone got the chance to take electives um especially those who otherwise don't or otherwise couldn't. Um there were concerns about you know mandatory classes, making sure you know student stamina, making sure um

184students are actually motivated to have this extra this extra hour in school. Um and so you know different ways to go about that. I do look forward to doing further um you know having further um input um from students themselves at the junior high level currently. um other concerns about schedule changes causing conflicts things that I I mentioned before um but really going back to that general uh idea of the students loving the ideas and I think another thing that I I wanted to contribute and and just to mention was that it's not just us you know making a space uh in in these schools where student in an environment where students want to go to school where where students are excited for these types of classes but also introducing lifelong skills and hobbies um

185and interests. I just took a um a ceramics class. It was my It was my first actually art class. I was so busy with APs and stuff like that all throughout high school. It was my first art class. And um I I had my teacher, Miss Barnes, she reached out to me at the end of the at the end of the semester um with different ceramic studios in New Haven where I'm going to college um so that I can continue continue doing that stuff because I had indicated to her that I was interested in that kind of um interest in continuing. And so that was something that was super special to me. Um, and so that idea of of, you know, yeah, having something where students can um that starts with our district and then

186continues for the rest of their lives. Um, and the last thing I'll say is is really just that location and, you know, where where a student, um, where a student resides and, you know, different transportation barriers shouldn't be a reason that students can take different, you know, elective classes. And so, um, that's that's the comment, um, that I have from and that, you know, from the input that I've gathered so far. And I really look forward to, you know, depending on how this goes tonight, looking into, um, more, um, more student perspective. Thank you. >> Thank you. Okay, we'll take it to Rose now. >> Boy, Carlos, [laughter] right, you took me back just a few years. Um, I know that. Well, no, actually it was for me my favorite my favorite favorite was uh

187food food class, food prep. I actually took the one class with my brother, you know, and my daughter was just she's still best friends with Maria who was at with her and at DP in food class and their teacher and such which they went for letters um of recommendation and all that. What I'd love to take is wood shop [laughter] >> someday. My dad >> next week just jump right in with them. >> I would love to [laughter] >> I would love I would love to. My my dad worked with wood so just the smell of cut wood is like you know I love it. Um but anyhow I I would like I would want to know more about um you know the students the different schools and also what we can afford to do

188because it's a big ask. I think it's, you know, I know that it's the students, you know, how many students are going to want zero period, how many are going to take seventh period, um, and such and, um, their parents and guardians, you know, in terms of having, you know, two, three, four students in a home and so forth and the different school schedules. Um, and the the teachers, right? um as we were saying like teachers during um being willing to teach either early or late and their schedule and then of course the good old you know what can we afford and what can we sustain to sustainably do um I'm not sure sorry my um English is my second language and it's been a difficult week um and whatnot so what can we start

189what can we keep going too um and stuff you know just in terms of the budget and what's to come um I am concerned about how we can do this and also keep a a reserve within um a reserve that will keep our school district going. Um, and I would wonder about, you know, like having this um uh piloted at at one of the um at one or two of the schools and such. Um so that those are my concerns is is I would you know if we had money and we had the um um the room for it and the reserves and healthy reserves then I would say you know just magic wand you know let's start in um this fall and stuff and at all the schools but I'd want to know that

190I'd also am concerned about the transportation to get students to um back and forth forth to school um reasonably and then not have half empty classrooms, you know, and such. So, I do have um several concerns. I know that there are there's going it see from the public comments and the teachers um it looks like you know to me like music and band and art seem to have the you know theater [laughter] um [clears throat] have you know um >> wood shop [laughter] no I mean that's a yeah wood shop for sure have you know enough interest to have a class right um but I am interested just overall in in I don't want something that we're going to start with students and then not be able to carry through um which you know could

191um could backfire. I forget I was going to say about um yeah and and trans you know like I also like the the transportation um and you know being able to to sustain um seven periods for students. I One thing is that, you know, I appreciate everybody being here. I know you teach and have a long day and such. I'd want to hear more from like the parents and guardians, you know, grandparents, for example, that um need to to get the kids up in time for school and then also how that's going to affect things at at home with meals and such. Okay. Um looking at Brianna over there. Um and um yeah and so that that would be a concern for me too. >> Okay. >> All right. Gabe then Sanita. >> Okay. Uh

192I agree with my colleagues. I think that this has been a place where we this is a position that this board has had for a very long time and it has always been a matter of how we get here. Um, junior high for much of my term on this board has always been a tough nut to crack because it's a very pivotal time in our children's lives. It's also a period of time where it's a really tough place to find belonging. You're there for two years and I commend our principles because you do such a great job of reaching those kids in those two years, but two years goes by so quickly and as Dr. Dr. Maldonado pointed out we are changing cohorts by 50% or around 50% each year and that in itself uh

193is a challenge. Something like adding a seventh period is a way of adding more opportunities for that belonging and adding more opportunities to what Carlos spoke about in building lifelong skills in places that you wouldn't normally find yourself in. Whether it's the ceramics class or a sewing class like we um heard about earlier. um wood shop like Miss Munoz was talking about. These are really important opportunities for kids at a very interesting time in their life where they're trying to find themselves. They're figuring themselves out. It's a your body's changing, your relationships are changing, you're grappling with things that you hadn't grappled with before. I think it's also a point at which parents kind of step away a little bit and there's a little bit more freedom and with it comes just kind of navigating

194some different challenges. I say all of that because I think that this is one part of a solution, but we still need to do a lot more in our junior high spaces and I it's something that uh I'm hoping that this board and I do hear it in the district and having conversations with cabinet staff and site leadership that is definitely top of mind. Um I do share the concern we're in a structural deficit. So it is a matter of how do you implement it? How do you pay for it? What are the tradeoffs? I hear my colleague um in comparison to the total budget of 250 million. Absolutely. It is what appears to be budget dust or a drop in the bucket. But that 250 million has been spoken for and much of it

195is in salary and wages and in this investment it is uh this is an investment but it's an investment that compounds over time. So uh each year it gets a little more expensive but it also compounds in the other way too where the investment itself compounds in student outcomes and opportunities for that belonging that I was speaking about. So, it's not to say that that's a reason not to do it, but it is to say and be realistic about the fact that it is a challenge. And maybe this isn't something that we do in one fell swoop, right? Uh we spent a lot of time talking about um align leadership and I know that our principles have gone through that. And maybe it starts with a small test of change. Maybe it starts in a

196couple of our junior highs and expanding beyond that. But I think the really outstanding question for me is what are we as a board going to what decisions are we going to make to be able to afford an investment like this? And I think it's a worthwhile investment and I will full stop that's my position. Um I do want to hear when this does come back I do want to hear about what that full cost looks like. We saw a slide today that pointed out um some additional costs outside of just FTE. It was furniture. It was space. It was additional staff, which I have questions about about what are those additional staff? Is that certificated staff? Is that classified staff? Um transportation could potentially be another wrinkle to this. So, uh I do want

197to hear a little bit more about the costs. We're already going to have to address our structural deficit. We're also going to have to find other places uh to afford an investment like this. I also want to hear a little bit more about timelines and what does it look like for us to actually implement the seven period day. Um maybe in a transitional period. I talked about the small test of change or choosing a couple of schools to start with and what does that look like to getting districtwide for the seven period day? Um, give me one second. I also agree with my colleagues. I would love to hear some more parent feedback when this comes back to us. Um, just to round out some of the perspectives that we're hearing. I strongly doubt that

198it's going to be vastly different than what we've heard today or leading up to this meeting, but I I would like to hear it just because there might be another wrinkle for us to consider as we're developing the implementation if this is the route that we're going to go and we're going to invest in this way. Let's make sure we try to plan for what we can plan for. Uh next, I just want to say thank you. So, I know this wasn't a straight road. It wasn't clear. Some we thought we understood what it took to get here and then there was a little bit of information that we learned along the way. I want to thank folks like Mr. Lashua uh coming out here and giving really eloquent, heartfelt, honest and sincere public comment

199and very clever public comment, might I add. Um, I one thing I appreciate about this particular topic is that it's so student centered. Like much of what I'm hearing is student centered. And I got to be honest, being on the board, I was surprised at how often we talk about adults and not enough time talking about students. And this is one of those times where I'm really proud that we spent most of our time talking about students. And so I want to thank you all for really elevating that in this conversation because it's not easy. It's not an easy thing we are embarking on. But for that I I thank you all and those are my comments. Thank you. >> Okay. Well, in in the spirit of everyone having a turn, I'm going to make

200some comments and then we'll see if anyone else wants to to follow up. Um, first of all, I'll I'll I'll step forward and say I agree with my colleagues. I think the idea of expanding elective access so that every student has those opportunities is an absolutely essential thing for us to be working on. I was a junior high school teacher. I was a junior high school band student. My first experience playing jazz was in a zero period jazz band. Can you imagine doing that at 7 o'clock in the morning? Um so I'm 100% behind it. Um, and I I've heard lots of good things and lots of caveats and so forth. I just have a few comments that I think are worthwhile. Those of you that have listened to me from time to time know

201my favorite acronym is WDWJ. Why don't we just Why don't we just add a seventh period and it'll be the solution will be there. I want you to understand that every system is complex. We've talked about the busing coordination. That's not a simple thing and it's not necessarily a trade-off from MTB MTD to Zoom. Which is more expensive? Which one costs more? There's nothing we could can't do with the right amount of money unless there aren't enough drivers in the world. That's another problem. Um but um there are other things that affect the access that students have to elective. the enrollment in different schools are different. We saw in uh the variation from something around three FTEEs to six FTEES of zero and and eighth period or seventh period extra classes. Um with a smaller

202enrollment, you can't have as many options. If you have them all, not everybody does it because then there's too they're too small to make it work. Um then there's an issue of what the course demand is. And from school to school, we could have the exact same courses, but the demands would be different because of relationships of children and teachers, because of the passion of children and teachers, because of cultural differences of what might be interesting to certain group of students or student certain communities to what might be hot this year on Tik Tok versus last year. Um, and um, I I will also say that that in my time as a junior high school principal, I sat in an office with a gigantic magnetic board with class things that would go on there and

203we'd put them on and move them around to see if we could figure out who got preps where, what would happen if all the AVID classes were here, but that's also where all the band classes were. Um, the complication of a master schedule is among the most complex work we can ever do in education. And thank goodness AI is helping with that. And there's some things that can make it easier. But there are things in master schedules that we call singletons. Those are the things that only exist in one class. And if it's only in one period of the day and there's something else that's a singleton that that same student needs, putting the master schedule together that makes them line up so all those things can happen is not just why don't we just

204have seven periods. Um there are also um cases of special tracks where students need to go through a series of classes. I would think IBB would be something like that or the AVID program or um dual language immersion. Um all of these things were it's like it's like a pile of yarn that's just mixed together and trying to find how to make it all work. Um high enrollment classes have have um impacts on master schedules. If you have a period that has a couple of high enrollment classes, then you got a whole bunch of teachers that are either going to have small classes or a whole bunch of preps during that same period. they're um um so I I love what we're talking about because we're talking about the investment in students and and I

205really believe in what we're trying to accomplish. I want to see us accomplish it. I heard also from a large number of teachers and parents almost almost unanimously in support. There were a couple of teachers that said, "Hey, things are going okay where I am with the with this the six periods. don't rock the boat. Um, definitely a minority, but those voices are out there as well. Um, and then I think about the parents, myself being one of them, who had great experiences in junior high school. And this was this was before anything like wheels existed. I got to do wood shop and band and Spanish and all these things. And they were all year-long electives. What's changed? Why is that so much harder now than it was? Bureaucracy is bigger. State control is bigger.

206Mandates are bigger. Standards requiring minimum time requirements. The expectation about special education happening within the school day and not just putting them off in another room. Open enrollment is another thing. you know, we we went to school with PE with kids that were in our neighborhoods and and I know we have groups of people that are wanting to see that happen, but what's happened is the neighborhoods have changed. The way the way the population is distribu distributed has changed. Um, so, um, just want to make sure I'm I'm covering some of the things I wrote down. Um I love what Gabe said. This is one part of the solution of things that have to to become universally better. Um it is um one of the questions that I have which is rhetorical is that what

207happened 19 years ago when it went away the first time? Why did that happen? My guess is probably about money, about saving money. And we're at a time when we're trying to be saving money and we want to bring that back. And um I I don't want my comments to come off come across as saying I don't think we can do it. I want them simply to be that this is not as simple as let's just add a period. Um, it's very complex and and I hope that whatever solution we come up with that we have the grace and the patience and the respect for one another to let it work out and to realize there going to be bumps in the road and things that we're going to have to fix if we do

208that. And um finally I guess I guess I just want to say um the question here is how we do this how we implement this really great idea that seems to have so much momentum behind it. Um what are the roadblocks and what are the things that we can control to asssure that when we that we put it in place it is not something that blows up because it hasn't been planned appropriately or all the pieces haven't come together. um and become something that is the first steps in a new sustainable opportunity to create the right thing for kids so that they get what they want, the opportunities that they have and they need. Um, and I don't think that, you know, we can work toward equity and equality and opportunities, but, uh, as long

209as, uh, as long as we don't have cookie cutter enrollment in and districts and neighborhoods, um, every school is going to have a different, um, a different look to how this that works. So, those are my comments and I will end just by reiterating that I'm absolutely 100% behind giving kids more opportunities for electives um particularly those um that are underserved and particularly in the electives that made my life what it is and those were the things around music and and and arts. Thanks. Those are my comments. Other comments Celeste I see and we'll go around again. >> Yes. So what I hear from the board basically is that everyone supports electives but I hear differing levels of feasibility. Is this actually possible? And what I would say is like we don't have sufficient. So

210I think it is totally possible. This is why I think it's possible. I think we need more information on tradeoffs. What we're saying is what I am saying is I think we need to invest in the core in our core schooling which is junior high school including a seventh period day. Basically our day is about almost is less than the national average by a substantial amount. So our kids are getting less than most kids in the US. So basically like when we look at our budget, we still don't have a lot of answers as a board, right? We still we still need to understand what are our tradeoffs, what are our current programs, how effective are our programs, you know what I mean? And to me, seventh period day is just like I guess the

211analogy I think of is your personal budget. My I'll just give an example. Let's say my kid needs math tutoring. I look at my budget. Um or I don't look at my budget. I just say, "I can't afford math tutoring, but I need to look more carefully at my budget and say, do I have a Netflix subscription maybe that I need to cancel? What about Hulu, you know, and the Washington Post?" Um so basically my point is that we do as you say Bill we are living in a very a a time with very limited funds and so we have to make decisions and decide what is most important and to me the seventh period day is one of the things that is most important. It is core basically core instruction. Kids coming to school

212wanting to be at school, being engaged in their electives, getting exposure to all of these exciting things. And that makes me wonder what what we do have to look really at our budget very carefully and think what is not core. What is not the most important thing for our our students? And and so that is what I would say that we should not I think we need the seventh period across all four junior highs and we need to really look very carefully to see what what reimbursements can we get that we may not be maximizing and what may we have to trade off and um and I guess my last point is um I forgot my last point but I'll come back to it. But I uh Yeah. Yes. I I think that this is

213core and essential. Um Oh, my last point is Oh, sorry. [laughter] So, we talk a lot of a lot of the time about um how our costs are increasing and yes, they aren't they have increased, but we know they have increased across the board, including all aspects of our system. At the same time, our enrollment has declined by a thousand students. So on a per pupil basis we have more money per kid. So that is true over the past years. So basically we need to become smaller and stronger provide core the core experiences kids care about the most that move the needle for them the most and figure out what is extraneous because we got all this money with esser right with we got a lot of co money and we expanded but now we

214don't have those resources anymore we need to invest in our most important programs and for me and also I'm a parent by the But um and I think I cannot speak for all parents but many parents think electives are hugely important and I know try and get my kids I mean my kids like going to school so you know depends on the kid. Um but electives really matter to them and so I think that is true a true experience for many parents. So, um, lots of interesting comments and, um, um, I would say that, you know, the the idea of looking at the roadblocks and trying to decide if they're roadblocks is really interesting. I mean, when I really look at the schedules, we're actually effectively doing an eight period day at some schools for

215some students. And so, if we go to that, they're going to be seven periods. We are contracting a little bit for some students and some schools. So there may be some cost shifting that happens there. When I think about transportation as a roadblock, I mean, I don't know, maybe my attitude is, hey, we've got like over a thousand students in junior high and we say to MTD, you're in our city for our students. You need to adjust your your schedule to help us get our students to school. I feel that, you know, this is something that we maybe take a stand on if there's a problem there. But that's my opinion on that. Everybody has said that when they took their electives in seventh grade, what they want their children to be able to take,

216it's a good experience. So I don't hear anybody saying that was a bad experience. We shouldn't do it. So the other question of a a a test of change. I think there are new things that we do that are tests of change where we say we've never done this before. Who knows what the outcome is going to be? We need to be really careful. Let's do this in small areas and see if it's a total disaster. This will be an operational change if we ask all of our junior highs to do this. But it is working towards a good thing offering our students more. So I would like to I I I'm interested in hearing who will do the small test of change. Is it the larger schools? Is it the smaller schools? And then

217how does that really play out? Right? Because now we're going to have junior high students who have more and who have less. And I just feel that if we are committed to improving the middle school experience, we just commit and we make it work. That's my opinion. And so I'd like to hear more about the roadblocks is what I'm saying. >> Well, the the things I talked about are um are not things that are immovable roadblocks. My comments were meant just to say don't have an expectation that we can walk into this and just that it's a simple fix. There is no simple fix to this. Um the the bureaucratic requirements for school administrators in the last decades decade alone have ballooned beyond anything that that you can imagine. Uh the work of being uh

218a um a school principal has gotten more and more complex. the the work of teachers, my goodness, the the whole concept of of PLC's and data management and the kind of things that we do to try and ensure individual results and understand what every child needs. We're trying to move closer and closer to a world where every child had an individual education plan where we know exactly what every child needs. That's the that's the the kind of world I want to see. I don't see the the roadblocks um that I talked about as being barriers that we can't overcome. My question is how how quickly can we overcome them in a way that doesn't cause um a a collision that that sets us back rather than moving us forward. And that's where um you know

219um Mrs. Caffrey, I I do not um disagree with your positions about understanding where we might do things better with the budget. um I don't know that it's something that that um I'm not sure exactly how we get from here to there either and how quickly we can in a way that's sustainable. So those are those are all the things that that I'm talking about and I I'm hoping that we have some answer this year that allows us to look at how we can move forward whether it's a small ch test of change whether it's a a wholesale um a wholesale movement. Uh we have compromises that are going to need to be made around how we're choosing to spend money that that has lots of demands from other locations. Um whether whether we can

220find the savings or not. um there's not a dollar we can spend at this point that somebody isn't saying wouldn't it have been better to spend it here or there or something. So again, I don't mean to be vague, but but I'm trying to be real about how complex um managing change is. And um you know, they they say it takes a long time to um to turn an oil tanker when it's moving. Um it also takes a whole long just as long or longer than corrected if you turned it the wrong direction. And that that's all I'm saying. We have great minds in this school district. We have people that are um it's not as if the the administration of the district hasn't been asking themselves and each other the question where is the

221where are the places that we can find efficiencies? What can we do? And so this really is a village approach. We have to figure out what's out there that we haven't seen. What could we do a little differently? what does uh what does what will bring us closer to having answers that are sustainable? Um and and so um you know I would love a an opportunity with Dr. Beal to sit down and talk about the do it all now versus let's take our time and be careful with it because somewhere in between there is the reality that will make us move forward in a way that's sustainable. I'm pretty sure. >> Any other comments or Yeah. Thank you for the rich discussion for us. We want to be able to walk away with understanding as

222a board what consensus you're reaching in terms of what you want us to bring back. Um what I'm hearing so far is you're asking for additional voices. So we will do some outreach to our parents. We're thinking even as far as sixth grade uh maybe fifth and sixth grade parents because we know this is coming you know coming up the years. Um I also heard something about reaching out to students and getting some of the student voices. Um, in a roundabout way, I think all of you are saying the same thing when it comes to so what are the trade-offs, right? You're asking us to give you some way to know. I think this is what I'm hearing. So, I'm looking for consensus here is uh you're asking us to bring back what will the

223tradeoffs be if we do this? And I've heard so far two options discussed. One is all all four schools do seven periods. And I also heard a second option which was we start with one or two to figure out how that works, put it in place and then the following year we add so we can also like move it in uh over across a couple timelines, couple school years. I'm getting tired too. Um that with that said um is there anything else that I'm missing? Those are the three things that I'm that the three things that I'm hearing from this board that you would need to learn more about for us to bring back to you. >> Can I just um what role can the Prop 28 funds play in this because it it wouldn't

224necessarily be supplanting current funding. It would be hopefully could play a role in additional >> We do have an answer for the question on Prop 28. I think was that going to be Dr. Wilson or Mr. Vince. We did anticipate this question. >> It's after Dr. Vince >> took us long long enough to get there. >> So it's so it's uh specifically uh funding that would have to create like a new um class or an entirely new position. So, for example, Ally was talking about teaching the sewing class. So, that's being funded. To be clear, that the the four junior high schools have money anywhere from uh $85,000 to about $120,000 depending on enrollment. And that comes directly from the state. So, we can't move that money around. That's specifically for the school. So, that's

225what we're also dealing with in that space. So, I I guess another way to ask the question, Gabe's asking, we saw a number of about $1.5 million a year if all students at all junior high schools had seven classes. Did that number um anticipate the use of Prop 28 funds? >> Well, we started actually plugging in some of those extra electives. So, that's and we're we're required to do that. So, that's we are taking that into account. >> Okay. So we we're not saying that number could be smaller by using Prop Prop 28 funds. >> No. So, I just wanted to add that when we did the um calculations at 1.5 million, that was in consideration of enrollment reductions that we anticipated, but it wasn't in consideration of any additional Prop 28 funds that could

226potentially be used. So, that is something that we would need to go back to and and look at what Mr. events shared in terms of each site's allocation and see how much of an FTE that could provide us with um for that additional staffing. >> I I I guess I'm a little bit confused because I think as we're developing our budget for for next year um I heard that you know the budget is what it is. The money is all there. So I'm not quite sure how how the Prop 98 or Prop 28 money would >> would be separate from I mean it must be somewhere else in the budget, right? >> So as I understood the question you're asking, can we use Prop 28 to uh make this happen? Is that >> all right?

227Let me rephrase my question and it could be for the next time when you bring it back, but I think there's an interest in how are we going to pay for this and what role can Prop 28 play in bringing down that cost to the district when we're considering the other 250 million of our budget. >> So what I understood doc Dr. Vance Mr. prevent say and you'll say if I say it wrong please correct me there is some role but it's not as much as we think it would be particularly if we keep the same classes we have we cannot fund them with Prop 28 money >> we would have to create a whole new set of classes >> to use the Prop 28 money and therefore bring down the gen fund cost to

228to fund the seventh period And that's per the state rule. The way the voters passed this uh funding source, >> it is not allowed there. They are not allowed to change the rules. And that's something we've already discussed with capital advisors and others. So we are limited. If we want to keep the exact same title of classes and the current classes that we have, we cannot use prop 28 money. >> Okay, let me try a third time. Can we uh I just funding and how are we going to what are our options to pay for it for seven period? If it includes prop 28 then it includes prop 20. If not then yeah >> so that's what we'll look for and bring back. >> Okay Mrs. Caffrey, >> I heard from um Superintendent Maldonado and

229trustee um Escobedo that in the past the school board and the city council had a joint meeting and I'm wondering if we could deal with some of these MTD issues with city council. Is MTD not under city council? >> They're not part of the city. >> Who who who in charge? They have their own government board, >> but do they >> I'm just wondering basically like thinking creatively about they must also have some board. >> I can tell you the meeting that I had was convened by uh Susan Salceto, our county superintendent. Uh we had the city administrator from Galita there. This was a conversation around those pblos and their busing. Um, I can tell you that my I've had this conversation. Um, and I I don't pretend to speak for MTD. I'm just relaying

230to all of you. They have their own constraints as a public transportation service in our cities. Um, and I think yes, we can have conversations with them. Yes, we can talk about, you know, the needs, but they are transporting people that work, people that have work schedules that they have to work out as well. Uh, so it would be something that I can go back to once we get this rolling in terms of what would be the start times, are we going to stagger start times? Are we going to have same start times? And that's different for the Golita side versus what happens to Santa Barbara junior high students and the Krumbra students. So when we're talking about this, it's several different options here that we need like we need to explore all those areas.

231>> Rose, >> yes. I think the the two things that have come up the the one I would um I know with the with MTD, we've had this conversation through the years and [clears throat] a good working relationship with them. Um and they have their like as you said earlier Dr. Maldonado their own constraints and their own budget issues. They've um I know that the public bus service in uh Santa Barbara throughout Santa Barbara County has had to cut back bus routes for example um in in the city for for many of our riders uh for many of the riders sorry um and and such. So, they've had their own constraints um just employeewise, um fundwise, um gas, mechanic, etc. Um and and such. I I my mom's ridden the bus for like 10 years

232at least. And so, I hear all the, you know, the nuances and stuff. And I've seen it, too. Um I have seen it. And it has, you know, it has also, of course, you know, not to um dwell on that, but it's also been affected by the presence of ice and so forth. um in terms of writership. The other thing is that I my question would be in terms of you know hate to be like a bad news bear but also in terms of our budget. Um would for example like concerned about the reserve, you know, having us maintain a healthy reserve, would the the other question I have is that if we did go to a seventh period class schedule for all of our junior highs, for example, how would that affect other staff

233positions? Would we need to cut back on one part to give to the other um and such? I mean, I I certainly know the analogy, you know, household wise, um, and stuff as as Celeste said, but how how would we how would that affect it? Um, ideally, of course, you know, my dedication is to the students um life lifelong um and and such. My kids were like, why are you still involved if we're out of school, you know, and such. But I do know, you know, the importance of it and I want to see something that could be sustainable and sustainable building it over time. Um, so even taking it a step further, can we create new classes that students would be motivated to attend and can we find the teachers in Santa Barbara County

234with our housing costs, you know, that would be stable also. Um and what would be you know um looking at Mr. Beckio and so forth on that sorry Dr. Rebecc right um but anyhow but just you know it is I think it is a complex um issue you know I don't see it as a matter of um you know like just meeting with the MTD and telling them this is what we want and so forth um and um and then also just how would it affect our overall district like the elementary schools and the high schools and um and our support you know the sustainability of the school district. >> Dr. real >> um so I have a question about how we're going to survey students and parents like you know what form will this

235take who is going to come up with the questions you know what is going to be asked and so I don't know if there's going to be a team or you know if we can speak to our our teacher representatives um to ask how we should survey our parents and our students because I think how we ask the questions are really important who you whom are we going to ask? How we ask the questions? I mean, I think if you're to ask a, you know, a sixth or seventh grader, do you want to stay in class for an extra period? That would be the wrong question, right? And so we they need to be age appropriate. Um, and they, you know, and to some degree, you know, we do this to elementary, you know, school

236students. We say, "These are your classes, right?" And so I know that probably most of us have had the experience where we had to take a class, right? And for me, it was art. I'm not an artist but um so it was a bit painful but having said that I had a lot of fun in art class just being social so it wasn't a total fail and so you know it was what it was so um I so how that survey is going to roll out our timeline so I feel like we're in a this period of you know here comes March and you know we're in negotiations and we have our budget cuts that we're talking about in March and you know reduction and force that lovely word and all that and So, what

237do you see as a timeline for this discussion and potentially a decision? >> We were expecting that we would bring something back February 24th, which doesn't give us a huge turnaround time. As far as designing a survey, we're certainly would welcome anybody that wants to join us in figuring that out. Just send me an email. I'm happy to convene a group of people that are interested in helping us write that. But I always think that when you're trying to get student voice and parent voice, the people closest to parents or students are our principles and our family engagement liaison. They're the ones that have the closest ear to the ground. So whatever we would ask, it would it would be uh asked of them to gather the feedback and bring it back to us. It

238wouldn't be from this central district office. And it would and if we were hoping to bring something back to the February 24th meeting, we have a tight turnaround timeline and we do have a four week four-day holiday coming up this weekend. Not that I'm paying attention to the 4-day holidays, everybody. Uh but we do have that. Uh so that means we the next time we could bring this would be the March 10th meeting, which is the same meeting like you said, uh that we would be bring some of potential uh notices to reduction in force. then that just leaves us the March 20 something meeting. Uh so we really we really have three meetings in which we have to try to get it all done by. So I would want to know from all of

239you how fast do you want us to turn it around given what I just said in terms of the the meetings that we have coming up and the work that we need to perform in terms of getting prepared for bringing you those recommendations. M Monas >> certainly um I would want to give you know the the principles um an adequate amount of time first of all you know to look at what kind of survey how to you know how to write write the questions and so forth get them translated and such. Um I would want to give the you know the schools of course enough um time to do that. So I would wonder about like gosh March or April at the as the soonest. >> Dr. Beal, >> when would we need to make

240this decision in terms of affecting planning for the fall? >> That's that's I think the real deadline. >> Yeah, >> that was the question. >> Looking at the principles >> backward map. >> Now >> we've already collected course requests for next school year. So >> and put in for new courses. Yeah, >> that has to be there. That was done in November. >> Sure. >> Uh at the junior high, we have already um gotten course requests from our rising um eighth graders. I think we're all probably in different processes with our rising seventh graders being that they're coming from elementary school. The deadline for new course adoption was um in November. Usually that's in the fall. So, um, and then obviously hiring is kind of a springtime thing. Yeah. >> Can you explain after you

241get all the course requests, how does that work with your staffing framework meetings? >> So, around um so right now we're figuring out our enrollment as well um of students that we're going to have for next year. And then um human resources, Dr. Beckio provides us with a staffing sheet so we know how many teachers that we have and that's where we have to find the course requests and how many sections we can offer and fitting that with the teachers who are credentialed in the areas that they're credentialed in. Um if we're understaffed, overstaffed, where we might need to hire, meeting those deadlines for like in district transfer or hiring, all those kinds of things. That's kind of our March activities. >> Thank you. And I just want to add that the same time we're

242also, as you know, have an retirement incentive. And this is the type time of the year, the next couple months where we have uh people that look for other jobs in education because this is about the time we do that in general, those of us that are in education. So there will be attrition, there will be resa resignations, retirements, uh and in the secondary space it matters because they are single subject credential teachers. They're not general subject cred or multi-ubject credential teachers like elementary. So all of those things and uh Dr. Beckio or uh Mr. Tedeski, is there anything I'm forgetting to add for consideration in terms of timeline of implementation? We would negotiate any >> and if there were need if there was a need on the way we decide to go any impacts

243on teachers time we would have to negotiate >> Jeffrey >> so it sounds like a lot of preparation has already been made for next year and as Mr. Joshua reminded us it has been 19 years. So what's one more year? But we set a solid goal that a seventh period is reinstated for what is not next year but the following school year because it I mean is that feasible? And then um and I would say the also look at funding a full course load for high schools. So basically what do we need to do because it sounds like seventh period is not going to happen this year. I mean is that what you're saying that it's not possible? I >> think we're just saying that that we are well into planning next school year. So

244at this time it would be a big shift or a big excuse me a big lift for us to do that for 2627. I think if this board does give us that amount of time to plan for the 2728 school year, I don't think any one of us would be upset about that. Um, that was the one option for all set all four junior high schools doing it. The second option I heard discussed was to do the try one or two schools and maybe that's more feasible uh where we maybe choose one or two schools to try it for 26 27 knowing that the other two would do it in 2728 and those are some of the the things we would need to go back to the drawing board. But I'm really glad you brought

245up this question because it was so important for us to mention. Thank you for that. >> Letting us see where we are in the process really does make a big difference. I have a I just want to express a preference for 2627 if we can with one or two schools implementing it. If we're gonna wait until the 27 28 then I think we maybe I'm wrong and I can be convinced by our site leaders or by district staff then I think we try to implement across the board in 2728. >> Mrs. Caffrey >> I guess to me if it's possible to do one to two schools this year let's just do all four schools for the coming year. I don't see what the difference is between two, but if it's possible, I mean, I don't

246know. I I'm hearing now that it is possible to do two schools in uh basically, can we just I think what would be helpful is to have kind of a rollout plan. Is it possible to have all four schools happen in the next year? Why why don't we just have a list of questions to come back? I mean, >> well, I think that's what we're trying to develop here. So, Mr. Youngs. >> Yeah. With with all due respect, um I'd like to see ideally, you know, I'd like to to get some information, right? Um get information about what's feasible or how it would work. Um, personally, you know, I think just in terms of the all all that, you know, like you said, like the attrition, the every all the pieces there is I would

247prefer seeing it piloted at some of the schools and that way we would learn from that and then we could go on to all of the schools in the future. Um, I think that, you know, I I honestly think that we would learn from the mistakes and um and what really worked well and um and to do that, you know, with one or two of the schools to start with in terms of whether it be this coming fall, right, which is just really right around the corner. Um, summer, you know, is um is just about here and so forth in terms of you know the school um school district and whatnot whether it be this coming fall or the following year but to see it piloted so that it's done well solid you know corrected

248etc and then we could expand to all four schools >> so I think what we're hearing is a desire to have some some uh information about what we want want to hear back on and um I'm seeing a um not a consensus developing on the board about whether to try and do it all at once or do a pilot, whether it's one or two um or roll it all out a year later. So, I think what we're going to need to hear from the district is um what their recommendations are after further discussion with the principles that I I hope would also engage um parents and students a bit. But um if we're at anything other than than full roll out next year um that opens windows for having better um better communication about what's

249what's the right way. So >> Mrs. Caffrey, >> I guess one concern I have about not doing all four schools is just fairness for students that it doesn't seem fair that >> half or a large portion of our students wouldn't get the seventh period day. know I mean I would love to know is it feasible like what would it take to do it >> next year that that would be my question because I understand I guess there are always roadblocks but as you mentioned we have very talented people what would it take >> I think we're kind of starting to circle around um I want to I want to come back to um a request to try and bring back um more specific feasibility about the options of a year out or pilots or something

250like that. Um, and I, you know, if it's pilots, I think we need to have some idea of how we decide which school it is. Is it something that's related to the school that's more most willing to make the changes in the process that they've already started or is it something based on the student population that that would most benefit benefit from it? So, have we we landed on enough information? Oh, sorry. >> Oh, go ahead, Carlos. Just wanted to add one quick thing about the um student surveys. I was hearing about the crafting the right questions being something of importance and I was wondering if you know in that process we can involve students as well whether it's myself or or student advisory council along with the you know teacher reps principles staff >>

251yes um and what I think I'm hearing uh comprehension check. Okay, >> they say >> what we can bring back next meeting February 24th is a feasibility plan of on the options. We probably will not be bringing additional voices. I don't think we can pull that off. >> No. >> Uh so that the board understands the feasibility of the the four or one or two >> and with the one or two the decision- making process for how to select Is that capturing it? >> Saw a thumbs up. >> Scaffrey M. >> Does that also include funding? I mean the tradeoffs. Would that also happen in February? I'm not entirely sure that that can happen that quickly for the February 24th meeting because we still need to prepare for what we're getting in terms of retirement

252incentive results. And we're also preparing for the March 10th RIFF meeting, RIFF's notices based on the results of the incentive for retirement. So there's a lot of other things we're still looking at in terms of that and we're still negotiating. So there is a lot of moving parts for me to definitively say which budgets would be used and what that would look like. >> All right. I think the one thing that we can bring with the feasibility plan is what would be the trade-offs. >> Okay. Anything further? That will um bring us to consent agenda and um >> yeah, we start with donations. That's that's right. So um do I have a motion to approve the accepted donations for fe February 10th? I move to approve to accept donations for February 10th, 2026 with gratitude.

253Okay, this >> a second. >> Seconded by Mrs. Munoz. We're going to begin our process of implementing the student advisory vote before the board board votes. So, um, Carlos, what's your vote on this? >> I vote to vote. Yes. >> Okay. Accept the All right. So, I Okay. Board vote, please. All in favor? I >> I with appreciation. Thank you. >> The consent agenda item G. Um are there any requests or public uh public comment? Any requests for items to be pulled? May I have a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented? >> I move to approve the consent agenda as presented. >> Second. >> I second the motion. >> Okay. Did we Is that >> Senita? All right. Okay. Um, all in favor? Oh, wait. Nope. [laughter] >> Student board member. >> That's

254right. >> I board members. >> I >> Okay, that will bring us to. >> Coming events, future agenda items, etc. >> Anything? >> All right. Um, I would like then to adjourn our meeting as of 10 5957. >> 957 >> 33 minutes to spare. >> There you go. [laughter] >> The gapple. The gabble.