November 12 Regular Board Meeting

001Call the November 12th, 2025 regular board meeting of the Santa Rosa City School Board to order. I have 4:00. Uh we're going to move to item A1, public comment and close session agenda. Do we have any public comment? All right. Seeing no public comment, we will recess to close session. >> Oh, yes. Thank you. Uh the recess to close session will be for item B1, student expulsion. Item B2, conference with legal council existing litigation. Uh item B3, conference with legal counsel anticipated litigation. Item B4, employee discipline dismissal release. Item B5, conference with labor negotiators. Uh, labor negotiator rep attending is Dr. Vicky Zans for uh, discussions regarding San Rosa Teachers Association, CSEA, Santa Rosa 75, and Teamsters Union 665. And then item B six, uh, public employee performance evaluations. Now we'll recess to close session

002all the time. All right, we will reconvene into open session. Everyone settle down. We'll reconvene the November 12th, 2025 meeting of the San Rosa City School Board. If I can have everyone rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. We will have the flag on the screen momentarily. There it is. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. >> One nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. >> Please stay standing for the land acknowledgement presented by Dr. Castro. Santa Rosa territorial. PBlo. inivos. I acknowledge that Santa Rosa City Schools is on the traditional territory and homelands of the Pomo people, traditional territory and homelands of the coast Miwok people and honor with gratitude the land itself and the people who have stewarded it

003through the generations. This land acknowledgement calls us to commit to continuing to learn how to be better stewards the land we inhabit. By offering this land acknowledgement, we affirm indigenous sovereignty and will work to hold Santa Rosa City Schools more accountable to the needs of American Indian and indigenous peoples. Thank you. All right, moving to item C3, report of actions taken in close session. We have two actions to report out uh in a hearing uh in case number 20252603, a hearing to consider expulsion. Uh the board voted unanimously for expulsion. Uh and that is under section ED code section 48115.1C. In case number 252605, uh the it was a stipulated expulsion where the board voted unanimously to support this stipulated expulsion. With that, we will go to statements of abstension. Are there any statements of

004abstension? Seeing no statements of obstension, uh we will now move to adjustments to the agenda. Are there any adjustments to the agenda? Trusty Jenkins. Oh, these microphones. Okay. Um I want to pull Let's see. F4. F5, F8, and F12, please. Any other adjustments to the agenda? Uh, seeing no more further adjustments to the agenda, we will move to reports. Uh, we'll start with our report from the California School Employee Association, Santa Rosa 75. Good. Good evening, Vice President Casten, trustees, interim superintendent August, cabinet, and community members. November is a season of gratitude. I want to begin with a simple pause, a breath, a moment to honor the people who show up every day for our students. to our teachers, our classified staff, our counselors, our bus drivers, our secretaries, our pareducators, our custodians, our principles,

005our directors, and our school board. Thank you. In a year this heavy, your dedication is appreciated. I represent our classified employees and I'm here tonight not only on their behalf but alongside our teachers. We are all feeling this budget crisis. We are all carrying the weight of uncertainty and we are all still showing up for students day after day. In this month of Thanksgiving, we ask for something simple clarity. Not just numbers on a page, but clarity we can trust. We were told seven million was saved by merging campuses this last year. How much more needs to be saved by February, by June? Every board meeting brings us a few steps closer to the truth. And we will see more tonight. We see more new teachers being hired each week. We see special education numbers

006rising. We see directors and teachers being brought back into the district office using restricted and LCAP funds. Why are needed classified employees not being hired by these funds? We may be the lowest paid, but we carry some of the highest responsibilities. Keeping the schools open, clean, and functioning. We want to help. We always do. But trust must be restored first. As we approach Thanksgiving, let us honor what truly matters. our people, our students, our community, our shared hope for a district that stays under local control. No one wants a state takeover. Not our staff, not our families, not our city, not our county. We deserve better. Our students deserve better. Stop the takeover. Restore the trust. Together, united, we can do better. 67. >> Thank you. Now it's time for our T Teamsters local 665

007report. Good evening, president of the board and the rest of the board of trustees. I am Mike Stanford, shop steward for Teamsters Local 665. Just so you know, I have submitted two October board reports and we are working to get them uploaded and submit to the minutes. So stay tuned for those. I could spend my time tonight yelling at you, but you know how bad the situation is in this district, so I'm not going to. However, I want you to know my opinion and what swift and direct action must be taken to hold these people accountable. What I mean by that is the people responsible for this mess. The same people who keep saying it wasn't them, but their predecessors who are to blame. The same people who gate kept the district's financials from you.

008The administrators who make up the district cabinet should be let go with cause immediately. That is the only way to hold them accountable. I am not just some bluecollar Joe. I have a master's level education. So I do not understand how you all let this happen. especially those of you who were on the board during COVID and approved budgets knowing that 2020 was supposed to be the year that campuses were to start closing. And just this year, this board approved a budget with a negative balance. Who does that? You all celebrated last spring supposeded savings of 6 to7 million. Didn't say it. by relocating almost all the middle schools to their respective high schools and kept out LC Allen open. Knowing full well that had you closed LC Allen, this district would be in a

009better financial shape. Still bad, but better. You sat there as cabinet told you that they would let go of all the program managers, but you approved the budget with eight more program managers than last year. 44 people who make six figures to do what exactly? But here we are. You have management coming to labor asking for us to take a reduction in pay because the people you hired can't count. I can count. My members can count. Our bills do not go down. They only keep rising. So I will not propose any reduction to my members pay. Period. I will not do it. So long as this cabinet is still employed with this district, I will not do it. Fire the cabinet and audit the personal spending on the district's credit cards by these people. And

010while you're at it, fire all executive directors and directors, too. They bear some blame for poor fiscal management. It makes no logical sense to have the people who got the district into this mess be the ones to prevent catastrophe. They have to go. As for finding the money to save this district, I think you should close LC Allen, stop relocating the middle schools to high schools, and bring special services percentage of the outgo down to the state average. Thank you. Now, the report from San Teachers Association. Uh, good evening, Superintendent August, Vice President Casten, members of the board, and members of the community. I'm Katherine Howell, the SRTA president, representing about 800 teachers in Santa Rosa City Schools. This crowd here tonight, students, parents, community members, educators, teamsters, CSEA, we're all here tonight because we

011need this board and this administration to hear us, to lead us, and to assure us that this fiscal crisis is not going to end where we think it is in a disastrous situation of state leaders of state receiverhip. Last year was devastating to our community. We all felt it. Schools were closed and consolidated and teachers and students and families and and generational traditions were displaced and lost and crushed and restructured here in Santa Rosa City Schools. The district administration and the board told the community over and over again, "It's necessary. This is what we need to do. This will help our future. It's going to save our district." And here we are in the future. And in fact, what we're going to see tonight in our preirst interim budget is that we're worse than we

012thought we were going to be. We're deeper in debt than we thought we were going to be. And we're in a $22 million hole that frankly we can't see how you're going to get us out of here. The educators, the support professionals, the teamsters, the employees of this district, we've all been doing our jobs. Every day we come to work and we teach and we support and we nurture our students. We have more students in our rooms than ever before. Just go talk to a second grade teacher. And we keep doing our jobs. We gave up classrooms. We gave up staff rooms. We gave up conference rooms. We moved people in so that their offices were old closets with no windows. We've doubled and tripled our room occupancy and use. And the whole time we

013had administrators telling us to expand our capacity. We've been doing our jobs and we keep them engaged and we're getting them educated and we're getting them ready for the rest of their lives. And we need you to do your job now. State receiverhip is the worst thing that can happen to us as a district and really for the entire city of Santa Rosa. And your decisions got us here. Your decisions created this budget that is out of control. SRTA asked for you to get some help for some agencies. We suggested Fickmat. We suggested school services. We even suggested CTA. And your response was, "Oh, they're already here. They're already helping. We have a plan." So, where is it? Why won't you show it to us? We have out of control spending and the only solution

014that we've seen or heard is to take money out of our pockets. You want to take money away from the teachers. You want to take it away from CSEA. You want to take it away from Teamsters. We didn't cause this problem. Why is it our responsibility to fix it? I wish I could sit back and trust the system. I wish I had faith that you would find a way to restructure the budget and get us out of this mess. But I don't. All I can do is to continue to ask. Show us the numbers. Show us the plan. Show us the progress. Give us some hope because there we don't have much right now. Right now, there's a group of people. You know who you are. They're going to walk down the aisle and deliver

015to you very nearly 2,500 letters. These letters are asking you to keep the cuts away from our students and classrooms. These letters are asking you to not close more schools. This didn't save us last year and it isn't a solution now. And this these letters are asking you don't wait. Restructure the budget now. Don't say, "Oh, we can wait till July. It'll be fine because we don't think it will. Make the changes now that will stop the takeover. Please protect the future of our students. Thank you. All right. Thank you, President How. We're now going to move to item D4, superintendent report. Thank you, Vice President Casten, and the rest of our board and our community. Thank you for those of you who are in attendance this evening and to our labor partners for your

016heartfelt, truly heartfelt um concerns. Despite our difficult but ongoing budget solution discussion, we also have much to be grateful for. A few highlights before we dive in. Congratulations to Helen Layman Elementary's Wendy Orocech, Sonoma County Teacher of the Month. We had TK classroom building groundbreings at Helen Layman and Santa Rosa French American Charter School. and we held our first two forums at our elementary feeder districts in Santa Rosa. They were well attended and we had some great parent great questions from parents and students and our Santa Rosa City students represented us very well just showing really the the experience that you teachers that are classified staff that that you provide the students with every day. As part of our commitment to maintaining local control of how our community funds are spent, we will review our

017fiscal outlook um in a little bit. Um, as mentioned, our pre-irst interim, I do want to show great appreciation actually for our fiscal team who did the work a full six weeks earlier than um normally would would occur. They would just now they would be in the middle of starting that. So, I appreciate it. Essentially, it's doing the work twice to make sure that we can get information as quickly as possible. As mentioned, the short-term savings right now is projected around 7 million. Um, our interim chief business official, L. Cazeres, and our executive director of fiscal, Joel Dontos, we'll share him more information, um, during the report. One of the things that I do want to call out though is that yes, um, we are currently working with Figmat and we have asked, uh, Figmat

018to provide additional resources as well. So just want to make sure that that everybody understands that those that those asks those conversations evolve as as we go through the process and and work with them to see how we can um best utilize resources and make sure that we are being as effective and efficient. I want to make sure that I call out that our teams are being very mindful, thoughtful, and analyzing what's the the root of what is going on rather than just looking at surface level data. And so it does take take time and I just want to make sure that I I know you will believe it when you see it. And yet I want to make sure that I reiterate that that is the work that is going on. Our ability to

019continue aligning funding resources with community values depends on staying the course. Uh we do hear from staff who are impacted by reductions and we appreciate your commitment and resilience to continuing to serve students. These budget solutions are painful. There is no way around that and they are also necessary. Thank you to this board and our staff for your steadfast commitment to having difficult conversations and making decisions that will determine the future of our schools and our community. While I have been spending time checking in with site and district staff along with specifically formed groups such as our fiscal stabilization advisory committee, superintendent advisory network, and superintendent student leadership council. I am also working to develop community outreach events in the coming months along with our trustees. I do receive many emails and while I have

020not had the opportunity to reply to all of them, please know that I do read them and I am so proud to be part of this community that at the heart truly cares about students and the opportunities available to them. Thank you. >> Thank you. from C Superintendent August. Uh we'll now move to D5 board president report. Um I'll go ahead and give my report during this section. So I want to address all of you and and obviously this ongoing budget issue and the letters that we received. Um, I couldn't agree more with the concept of don't wait and action at any government and action here has been fast for government but slow for the necessity of this situation and it's incredibly frustrating for you and for us. Um, to the speaker who who mentioned

021uh for those of us that were here in 2020, no one up here was in here in 2020. a single one of us that's up here at the up up here today. Um, and so it's it is unpacking and learning and as the community is learning just how deep and dire this situation is. Fundamentally, we're left with about four levers that we get to use to address this. In the spring, we used the lever of consolidations where we provide services and we're seeing that there was savings and not nearly enough. That leaves the remaining three levers, the big buckets of policy that we have as options and those are concessions, cuts, and new revenue. New revenue is in many ways out of our hands. Not that there's not things that we can address. And none

022of these buckets alone can solve this. There's no silver bullet. There's no one solution. We can't close all of our schools. We, you know, we can't I mean, we would then not be providing education. So, it is going to be a very painful end to this story, but it's an end that needs to end with us still providing quality public a education with resources that we that that we can. Marshall Your involvement is greatly appreciated and necessary. Um, as Superintendent August mentioned, not only have we asked Vic Matt to do what they c what they are supposed to do, she has also asked them to do anything that they can do and what more that means. uh for the offer for CTA to immediately provide recommendations about the board. Absolutely. Send us the recommendations. We

023want to review them and we need to see them. That is not a limited offer. Um send it directly to the board. We need to see that information. Um and we can't wait. Uh we have taken action on concessions from the administration. We're going to continue to take actions to make cuts. Um, and we're going to do everything that we can to resolve this issue because there is no other choice. And I think I speak for the entire board because we just approved as a board that our top strategic priority is an excellent education and enrichment opportunities for our students and that's the lens that we need to make these decisions through. Um, in that light, I will report out that I had meetings. I attended DAC uh with superintendent in order to hear from

024the members of the of the district DACA committee and I also was able to meet with multiple teacher groups in the last couple weeks and I greatly appreciate all of that input as we continue to go through this. I'll save the rest of my comments for the budget item and move to D six board member reports. Is there members that would like to give trustee Delator? Thank you, Vice President Casten. Thank you to the community for being here this evening. Um, I agree with Vice President Cassin that none of us held these seats in 2020, but that does not absolve us from the crisis that we are currently in. And five of the members sitting at this table hold five of the seven votes to help stabilize this district, stabilize our budget, and be fiscally

025responsible for how we move forward. The truth of the matter is is we do not have enough children in our schools to operate as we've been operating. That is the income for our district and those numbers continue to decline. This is a district that at one point had 25,000 students. A few short few short years ago it had over 15,000. We're barely at 12,000 this year. Each one of those students is not in our classrooms and in their seats is an income loss and revenue loss for this district. So, we cannot continue to operate as we have been. I appreciate each and every one of our community members and our union labor groups and our staff that continue to show up every day and represent their thoughts and concerns and ideas to work with us

026because this cannot happen alone. The board alone cannot write this ship. The district and the cabinet cannot do this alone. If we do not collaboratively work on this together, we will not find a path. And how public education is funded in the state of California is this is not solely related to our district. This is not related to our city. This is an entire statewide issue. We put the funds out, the state reimbures us. That's public education. But if there's a wildfire or a flood, then that reduces what money could come back towards education. There might be limited funds that might be available, and the reality is some of those do not come to fruition. These are all harsh realities that we continue to juggle as we try to be fiscally responsible to take care

027of this district. Nobody wants receiverhip. Nobody on this table, nobody in this room, nobody in this city, nobody in this county wants to see this district go to receiverhip. That is number slashing with no humanity. And nobody deserves that. So we will continue to do the heavy lift. We will continue to do the work, but we can only do it together. And I ask you to continue to communicate with us, continue to meet with us, continue to send emails, texts, conversations so that we continue to work on this. There is no magic elixir. The fiscal hole has been dug for several years, over a decade. There's no magic rope thrown into that hole that we can grab onto and pull ourselves out of. We have to strategically scaffold steps out of this mess. And it

028has to be done the right way so it is sustainable. That can only be done in collaboration and vision together. Keep the voices coming. We hear you. We know you're not okay. We know you're not happy and neither are we. So we continue to put the time and effort in to get this right and we ask for your support to continue helping us do that. Other board reports. Trusty Jenkins. >> So, I wasn't sure if I was going to give a report tonight or not. It has been 3 weeks since our last meeting, which to me is alarming. I have met with SRTA. I've listened to the finance subcommittee meeting. I've attended a feeder forum, which was focused on alleviating parents concerns regarding 712. Um, I also attended Rinken Valley's first community meeting focusing on

029their budgetary complications um and attempts to keep their district informed and engaged during this process. I was very It was very welcoming environment. It was a very welcoming environment. Excuse me. Um, which I appreciated greatly. To say that I'm concerned for our entire community is an understatement at best. As when systems are threatened with scarcity, they grab often missing the big picture outcomes. We see this with individuals, groups, and systems at large. All of which impact our families and students whom we serve. I saw a quote today regarding strengthening resilience organizationally that I wanted to share. We are always manifesting a positive capacity to withstand and navigate our stress and trauma. This is the case even when we do not solve all problems. Truth is, we will never solve all of our problems. So being

030able to connect to and grow our capacity to move forward and recover from difficulty is an important capacity to nurture. A resilient organization enables individual resilience through implementing supportive, flexible, and adaptive policies and practices. I do want to take a moment to recognize some highlights in our community. Apologize apologies if folks are left out of my short list. understand that if I'm not directly impacted or told about something, it's hard to recognize the greatness. Um, first off, thanks. Thank you, Principal Santos, for including the trustees on community messaging. Um, some of the other schools are are getting that down. U, I'm hopeful that all of our sites will start using the technology very soon. um highlighting the amazing job of all of the Lady Vikings teams who advanced to playoffs. Flag, volleyball, golf, and I

031think um tennis as well all did amazing this year. Props to all of the flag teams who finished strong with their inaugural year. It was quite the packed ride with 23 games and I'm excited to see the future of um of that sport within our schools. Another huge shout out to Montgomery volleyball team who placed fourth in the league. And a huge um shout out to to the Korea cheer team who's headed to is it nationals? Where are you guys headed? They're headed somewhere to Florida. I'm so excited for them. It's awesome. Um and then of course, let the winter sports begin. I cannot wait till basketball season is here. Uh, and then it hasn't been mentioned, but um, this week we do celebrate uh, Ruby Bridges uh, with Walk to School Day and celebrations

032at a variety of schools. So, get involved. Thank you. >> Thank you, Trusty Jenkins, Trusty Kirby. >> Thank you. I also want to thank the community and the teachers for everyone being here this evening uh to show your commitment uh to helping us uh get through this uh crisis. Um let's see on Halloween I was able to I attended the senior night football game at Maria Coreo and watched them pull out a last second win over Yakaya to earn a playoff spot. Um, I was able to uh swing by and observe a classroom at LC Allen. Um, I had a meeting with SRTA leadership and uh appreciated that and to help discuss our our path forward through this crisis. Um, lastly, I I was able to meet with the CTE Foundation of Sonoma County um

033to learn more about their role and function in in the county and was excited to learn about some of the services and funding that may be available to um to improve and uh possibly expand our CTE programs uh at our schools. Um, I urge the other board members if possible to uh set up a meeting with them to uh to try to discuss that with them as well. That's all I got. >> Trusty P. >> We'll get there. >> It's on. It's on. not embarrassed at all. Um, hi. Hi. I just wanted to say uh I I've had a busy well three weeks. I met with SRTA and Katherine How. Lovely visit. Lot to discuss. Uh I had the privilege of visiting Miss Thompson's classroom at LC Allen. I never thought I would use the

034word tranquil in a high school classroom setting, but it was peaceful and the kids are wonderful. You're doing a great job, Miss Thompson. I also got to visit Proctor Terrace Elementary School on Halloween. It was very nice since I have such older children that it was nice to see uh age appropriate costumes children, you know, I got teenagers. And I'm looking forward to Friday. I'll be visiting Hidden Valley Elementary School in Lincoln Elementary School. Oh, and I was also attend I also attended the Helen Layman groundbreaking ceremony. It was nice to see my estra. Well, I call her my Esther Senna, but Christina Senna is the principal, and it's nice to know that um a former teacher has moved up. And I see my buddy Ryan Thompson. It's nice because I think you're parttime here

035as the athletic director for Yeah. Um just want to point out he was a really great administrator, a vice principal at Piner last year, and it was sad that we lost him due to budget cuts. uh he had gotten his notice and found another job elsewhere when afterwards he was offered his job back and he couldn't take it. So I miss you. >> That's all. >> Thank you. Uh Trusty Creo. Hello. There. That works. >> Well, I'll make this quick so we can move on to the other agenda items so we don't have to keep you guys here for so long. But I definitely do want to say thank you so much for all of you to show up tonight. It is amazing to see that everyone's here supporting each other and I honestly think

036that's an amazing site to see. So, round of applause for you guys. Um, I just want to make one small comment about something that got on this week that I was really excited and happy to see. We had our I believe third meeting of the superintendent student council with the other students that we have there. and on I keep saying it every time, but I believe the students that show up to those meetings are honest to God one of the most amazing and inspirational group of students that I've ever met. And I guess I'd have to say thank you to all those teachers that raised those kids. Cuz without you guys, I don't think those kids or even I now would be where I am now or those kids could be where they are now.

037So, thank you all of you for just being amazing people. But that's that's just it. I'm just really proud to be a part of that group and just getting to meet all of those amazing students. And thank you so much, Superintendent Lisa, for being able to be there with the rest of us answering our questions. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh before we start the next section, I actually want to make sure we also take a moment. We we're normally uh have these meetings at city hall and they actually had a conflict which is why we're here and we always have dedicated employees that have to support the board when we're in a location, but it's especially true when we have to be in a location where all the IT and all of the things

038are necessary to run a meeting have to happen. So, I want to specifically thank all the CSEA employees that are working right now to be able to make this meeting happen. And if we can give them a round of applause. >> Thank you. >> With that, we're going to be moving to public comment on items not on the agenda or on the cons uh sorry, we're moving to non-aggenda and consent item public comment. Uh we have many comments. uh both combined with this and our budget item. So, we're going to be limiting each speaker to 90 seconds uh but enabling everyone to get a chance to speak. So, with that, I'm going to go ahead and start to call the names. I'll call three names and then just please come up and cue. I believe

039we have the one microphone podium over here. Um so, please come up in queue as you hear your name. I'll call three names at a time. And if you can't hear your name over the applause, hopefully you hear it one of the times I call it. So, uh, we're going to move to Oh, and we haven't been cutting folks off from applauding, but please be cognizant of not making any hateful or inappropriate comments. Um, we will cut the mic if there's anything that is considered hate speech. And that has happened recently. And I just want to be really clear, we're going to cut it. It's not acceptable. Don't do it. So, we're going to start with Holly Redser. We're then going to move to >> Liliana Vasquez and then we're going to have Eugina Padilla.

040>> Hi, my name is Holly Rzzinger and I'm an English and ALD teacher at Piner as well as a parent of an eighth grader at Montgomery Junior High. I'm here tonight because I remain deeply concerned about the future of our middle school athletics programs. Before the vote to close our middle schools and move to the 7-2 model, both the board and SRCS leadership assured this community that middle school athletics and electives would not be impacted. Unfortunately, that promise is not being kept. Our high school campuses simply do not have the capacity to support afterchool athletics for six grade levels. Our middle-grade students have already lost electives such as culinary arts and afterchool sports are now taking place at the very campuses we closed. Most recently, our athletic directors have been told to create a plan

041for all 7 through 12 athletics to occur solely on high school campuses next year. This is not logistically possible. If this directive stands, many afterchool sports will be scaled back or eliminated entirely. So I ask you, why did you approve a consolidation plan without the capacity to sustain it? What is the plan for our junior high athletics moving forward? Families are already leaving our district. If we don't address this issue immediately, that trend will only accelerate. Our students deserve more than broken promises. They deserve opportunity, balance, and a complete educational experience. Thank you. Thank you, Liliana Vasquez, followed by Eugina Lusa Padilla, followed by I'm sorry, my my ability to read handwriting is challenged right now, >> Blanca Hernandez, Lincoln. Gracias. Thank you. >> My concern about the school closure is how it will affect

042my community. It is surrounded by many people who depend on help from friends and family to take the children to or from school. The change of school will especially affect the children. In my case, I have a baby with a disability. My dad homes blind and it would be very difficult for me to take my schol to another school. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. Gracias. Eugina Padilla followed by Blanca Hernandez followed by Janette Chaprian. Luckily, PBlo studio. Santa Rosa. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. That's your time. >> We are gathered here for a reason to protect the future of our children. Families and students in our community are facing the most crucial challenge in education. With the separation and school closures with the se separation, families and students feel

043frustrated, distressed, fearful, and anxious not knowing the students safety in the new school, the academic quality or the or the need for an integration process. The Senosa City Schools District is making the decision that best suits them without taking into account the opinions of families and without being heard. We oppose the closure of schools without being discriminated against. The school belongs to the community and the community defends it. We want to study and we're not going to close it. One of the questions were how how was the budget closed from them usually and do sorry and how transportation would be and how much they're going to spend transportation and who will cover the cost of transportation. >> Yes, thank you. >> Sorry about that. >> Thank you. If we can make sure that we record

044our questions and get them to our staff so we can respond. Uh, Blanca Hernandez, followed by Janette Capri, followed by Mara Dishwash. Lincoln Elementary. for Thank you. >> Good night. Good good evening to the night the committee. We are here on behalf of Abraham Lincoln Elementary. We are very concerned parents for our children and we want the best for them and their education to it is the most important thing. What we want is for our children not to be stressed. This um they are already under the stress because they always ask us mommy how are we going to move us afterwards? How are we going to get to school? How are we going to meet where our friends? Our education is everything. Please do not close us down. Our schools, our children, our principal. This

045is the future of our country and our state. uh you received all the signatures and we have put together everything. Please do not close us down. Do not close our school. It is not logical what is happening and we know we are aware but the main thing for us is our children, the students and the future of our families. Please we ask do not close our school. Parents united, children united. We want our school. Thank you. >> Thank you. Janette Caprian followed by Marla Desune followed by Nicolo Atuk Mara might hold on to that card and call it at the end. Uh Nicolo the two I think he's coming. Yeah, he's coming around. So, Nicolo and then we'll have Julie Natalini Nolini followed by Emily Thompson. >> Nicola. >> Hello. Good evening. My name is

046Nicolo. I am the school nurse of Abraham Lincoln. And this morning I had just had a student came into the health office. He scraped his arm. It was mildly bleeding. And after I gave my first aid, You know what he told me? He didn't thank me. He called me a hero. And I urged this school board to make sure that you stop the state takeover because closing another of our neighborhood schools is not just a financial calculation. It is a direct blow to the heart of our community. And once a takeover happens is going to take their our voices in the community. um I look at the the kids and I see that they are not expenses. These are the investment of our future and remember the kid that called me a hero. Um I

047can't really accept being called a hero because I don't think I deserve it. Um I want them to look at you guys as their heroes, our heroes to this community. Thank you for the opportunity. >> Thank you. Julie Natalini, followed by Emily Thompson, followed by Jessica Licken. >> Hi, my name is Julie Natalini and I'm a counselor at McGomery Junior and Senior High School. And I wasn't actually going to speak tonight, so I don't really have it completely prepared. However, um my concern and actually our Teamsters guy stole my line, but it was going to be that we can't expect the district who got us into this mess to get us out. And I just wanted to give you a couple of examples from just this week of my concerns which I shared with a

048lot of you over the years in emails about some of the things that have actually made our job harder. And last week, HR showed up at McGomery, talked to one of the counselors, one of the high school counselors, the newer one, and wanted to somehow cut her job and then have her go work at Rinken Valley Middle School for a few hours a week. And so, in doing the math, we have over 1,200 students there. We're down to now three counselors. Our contract is 400 to1, but our inquiries for more clarification have been unanswered thus far. That's one example. Another example, and I know Miss Juncans, you're aware of this one. We've been without a chemistry teacher this year, and as counselors, we have been dealing with the poor students who are freaking out basically

049and not being educated and not understanding and maybe their greatest suffering. And >> thank you. That is your time. >> Oh, okay. If you want the rest of that story, please send me an email. Thanks. >> Emily Thompson, followed by Jessica Licken, followed by Mara Edition. >> Hi there. I just wanted to send out a send out a little reminder that I have asked that all board and all cabinet members please come to my classroom throughout the school year. I asked this mainly because you are making decisions about our students. You don't know my students. You don't know our students. No offense, but when was the last time you were in the classroom with these kids, especially after co these decisions that you are making directly impact all of our kids and directly impact us.

050It has made such a difference having you come into our classrooms. I've had majority of the board come to my classroom and a couple of district um cabinet members come. So, thank you for those who have come. The kids are so excited and you can tell that they are impressed and that they are valued when you come and put an effort into getting to know them. And that's what we're here for. So, please, just as a reminder, come to my classroom, come to my school. Don't just stop with my classroom. Come to all of our classrooms. We'd love to have you. And I'd like us to just remember that this is for them and that we are here for them. So, thank you. >> Jessica Litchen, followed by Mara Dashun, followed by Jenna Becker. Um,

051>> my name is Mara. Is that Did you call me? Is Jessica here? >> Okay, then. Yes, Marley, you're up. >> Uh, good evening. I'm here today to implore the board, this board to rethink the proposal to close Abraham Lincoln Elementary School. Um, the group I came with tonight walked here from our school on 9inth Street to be here. Um Lincoln is a wonderful school with a vibrant community that and it would be a disservice to uproot and disrupt the education of this hardworking community. In recent years, the school has had reservations. Two classrooms were completely modernized. Uh parking structure was covered in the staff parking. This money has already been spent and the school could continue to be updated and improved for these students. Um, as a parent, I'm deeply concerned this board has

052not thought this plan through. Uh, the majority of the community at Lincoln currently walks to school from the surrounding neighborhoods, and this would put unnecessary stress on the parents of Lincoln to drive further away to take their kids to schools, likely to multiple schools in the morning. Um, students who moved here to Lincoln last year after closures would have to move again. All the second day second graders currently at Lincoln would have to move after one year of third grade at a new school. This is not fair to the students and it would impact their academics and their ability to build relationships with their classmates and teachers. So, please put these students first and give them the stability of staying at a school that sits in the heart of their community. Thank you, Jenna Becker.

053My name is Janet. Fore and for Good evening everyone. Good evening to the committee, families, students. We are here to represent the teachers and family members and students. What I am asking is stability for our children, for our students. Why? Because a school closure will affect our students psychologically as well as their education and above all their their ability to progress. We cannot play with the health with the mental health of our students. These this is this is reversible uh at for the length of time. Uh my daughter constantly asks me mom will they close the sto the school? If they close the school, where will I go? Where will you enroll me? For this reason, I ask of you. Will you give stability for our children? And will you will you stop closing our

054schools? Thank you. >> Jessica Lick Litchen. Jessica Lichen or Jenna Becker. Yeah. Hi there. I'm Jessica Lee How. I'm a voted member of site council of Santa Rosa High School. I'm also treasurer of the nonprofit that supports our quest at Santa Rosa High. And I'm also treasurer of the cheerleading booster club at Santa Rosa High that supports the accounting of 57 cheerleaders. And I just wanted to say some positive things instead of complaining tonight. Um, one requirement of California Proposition 28 is that it, um, requires that you use the funds for arts education to be used to supplement existing programs and not replace them. Um, it says that if you spend a million dollars on arts education this year, you must double that in the following year. Um, 80% of the funds for art instruction

055must be used to employ certified employees. So, the positive is that the nonprofit that supports ArtQuest has um said that they will certify all teachers that are not certified in the coming year, which is like $1,000 per teacher, which helps you to keep your funding in this school and not allow and so that we don't lose those kids to other art programs and neighboring districts. Um, we also just wanted to highlight that we went to Carnegie Hall last year. We were featured at a Warriors game. Most recently in August, we were featured at the Giants game. And coming up on November 20th, we have our first premiere of The Christmas Story at the Sixth Street Playhouse. And we would just love to hear and see the board there to support us. >> Thank you very

056much, >> Jenna. All right. If we can make sure we note the name of the speaker two speakers ago because I did not have a card for Jenna. Go ahead. >> Okay. >> Good evening. My name is Jenna Becker and I teach history and leadership at Commtock Middle School. I'm here because I care deeply about our students and our schools. Right now, we are facing cuts that don't reflect the needs inside our classrooms. Class sizes are the largest they've been since I've started teaching. Yet the support systems students rely on have not grown with them. At the same time, the district office has expanded over the years while overall enrollment has steadily decreased. School communities are being reduced without any real improvement in income for our students. All unionized staff are as being asked to

057take a pay cut while living in one of the most expensive regions in the United States. Educators in this district already earn below the state average. As someone who grew up here and is proud product of this district, go prospectors. This is extremely concerning. The students of Santa Rosa deserve the best and they already have dedicated, talented staff working for them every day. At Comtock Middle School, we operate with very limited resources. We do not have a PTA or a booster club or outside fundraising support. Many of our families work multiple jobs, so volunteering isn't always possible. We offer fewer elective options than many other junior highs, yet our small staff continues to give everything they can to help students thrive. >> Thank you very much. That is your time. >> Thank you. That is

058all the cards I have. Uh for those that had specific questions, staff will follow up with you if you left your contact information on the on the cards. I do want to note that the elementary district item is intend scheduled to come back uh which would include the uh Lincoln Elementary discussion in December and there's that no action has been taken by the board. Um that is a future conversation. will have m multiple uh proposals to review in December. Um and then lastly for the art quest um comment, we do have an item later on our agenda under alternative education which may include additional information for you. With that, I'm going to move us to the consent calendar uh consent F. I'm looking for a motion on items F 1 through 37 9 10 11

059and 13 through 16. >> Motion to approve. >> I have a motion from Trusty Delator. >> Second from Trustee Kirby. Uh, roll call vote, please. >> Student board member Coreo. >> I, >> Trusty Deator, >> Trusty Kirby. >> Hi, >> Trusty Jenkins. >> Hi, >> Trusty Pra. >> Hi, >> Vice President Casten. >> I uh the motion passes unanimously. Uh now we'll move to item F4. Uh this is ratification of contracts under 15,000. Trusty Jenkins. >> Yes, thank you. Um I pulled this. I understand that we did pass a policy for the superintendent to approve things under um $15,000. That being said, um I just really feel the need that things need to be extra looked under a lens. Really, anything that we're spending money on these days, um and kind of all I have

060to say about that, the first aid situation, uh first aid CPR for the coaches, I understand that this is a need. I just think that we should be able to do it cheaper. I know that we have I've gotten a little bit of feedback on that, but if you could just explain that a little bit more for everybody. >> I'm actually going to invite up athletic director Thompson to explain the information. Work for you. >> I'm still on. Hello everybody. >> Okay, clarification on the information for first aid and CPR. So, the we currently have one of our athletic directors who is certified to teach CPR and first aid who holds multiple sessions all year to clear coaches because they have to be CPR and first aid certified um to be able to work with

061student athletes. And um given the the price estimates from other organizations around us um we are actually paying based on these numbers here a little bit cheaper and what it would be with the cost that's associated to train all volunteer and paid coaches within our system. So >> yeah, so all of our grades 7 through 12, we have roughly over 340 volunteer and paid coaches within all of our programs across all the secondary school sites. So and each one of those coaches every two years has to re-up their certification of first aid and CPR. Um and it's not like every year all 340 plus have to redo it. um it's in waves based on when they get cleared or certified. And some programs have multiple volunteers that come through and cycle through or even they

062add new volunteer coaches that want to come and help the programs. Um and currently paying for this service or one of for one of our athletic directors who's certified and trained to do this. Um, it makes it so that our coaches, especially volunteer coaches, do not have to pay for that themselves, which if they did have to pay for that themselves, it may push a lot of our coaches away, our quality coaches that are working with student athletes. So any trusty daily trusty daily >> shucks again. Sorry that was my bad. >> What are we paying for? >> Is there a training video I missed on this? Okay. Um, repeat your question one more time. I'm so sorry, Jeremy. >> What are we paying for if we if we have an employee that's doing a

063training? What is the cost associated what we're putting out? >> Oh, there we go. So, the cost associated is to pay the stipen for the trainer to be able to to do the training, for the athletic director to perform the training. So, like if you went to uh Red Cross and got certified, they charge anywhere from like $85 to maybe $90 depending on the service um to train somebody in first aid and CPR. And that cost covers not just the training but also the uh production of the the 2-year certification card for the coaches um and any materials associated with that. um which is very minimal because this athletic director, this trainer has been doing this for so long um and regularly updates the materials that it's very minimal cost. Um and I've actually attended

064the trainings myself um and he and I have actually talked about the trainings and we stay in communication about the scheduling and all that kind of stuff to make sure that we offer enough for our coaches to be cleared. So it's um and if I understand correctly, it's a stipen that he's paid. It's not an hourly and he holds multiple sessions throughout the year. Um uh yeah, so I think that's entirely what it goes towards. >> So hold on, hold on one second. Hold on. So let me just clarify the question, the answer to trusty delatory. He is receiving pay for the stipen for doing something above his current classification and providing this but it is lower than the cost where we use a market some marketplace. >> There we go. Okay. Got it. Correct.

065So like for example last year we had a little over 130 coaches amongst I think it was I forget how many sessions multiple sessions. Um, and at that cost breakdown, if we went to a private organization, it would cost over $10,000 just to get those coaches certified, whereas we're we're paying less than that. And and it's not even on a per coach basis. Thank you. So, >> Pra, >> well, let me come this way. Let me go to your question. I'll go back to Dator Tori and then Jenkins. Uh, is there any way just thinking of cost-saving measures, can we partner with like the JC and their first aid CPR that they use for their coaches and maybe split the costs? Is that something we can look at? There's I mean, we can look at

066other options for sure. Um, it's just a matter of if it's going to be cost-effective, right? Like currently um for example we have a partnership or agreement with healthy pedaluma that's the hearts safe organization that works with us on our AED devices and all of that. Um they do uh and they also help coordinate uh compression only CPR for seventh grade classes at the high school or excuse me the middle school levels. Um, so they do have a certification program that they offer to schools and the price estimate that I provided with a little over 10,000 is based on the pricing information I have that they provide to schools for CPR and first aid training. Um, if you do just CPR only, it's a little bit less, but of course our coaches want them to

067be first aid trained. So, we could take a look at other programs around us. It's just a matter of if they're going to offer us a decent deal um and still get the quality too. That's the other key piece is that our athletic the benefit of our athletic director who's a certified trainer in this knows I mean he's he's also a staff member here at San Jose High. So he knows day in and day out what the coaches go through. So it's not just the CPR and first aid component. It's also um how to apply it to the coaching realm and what the coaches need and even what athletic directors need to know that's relevant to their job here. Not just a generic first aid CPR thing. It's also tailored to fit what the coaches

068need within our system. >> Thank you, Trusty Deator. Then Trusty Jenkins. >> So we pay one stipen to a staff member to train our volunteer coaches. Is there any? >> Yes. >> All of our coaches. Do we still have our sports medicine teachers training our students in CPR first a day in their classrooms far as sport? All right, I got it. Got the blue light special. Um, as far as our sports medicine classes go, the only sports medicine class I'm aware of, unless something changed, is at Maria Coreo, if that's correct. And so, we don't have those sports medicine classes at other um campuses. Um, I know over at Pioneer, they have the HSB3 class, but that goes through a whole different certification that's not necessarily um, and that's training students, but it's not training

069the the coaches. And so again, that that'd be an after hours or after curriculum time. Um, which is when a lot of these volunteer or paid coaches, you know, they leave their 9 toive job and they come and coach and they can't make it during the school day to come to some of these sessions. Um, >> I I appreciate the off-the-top uh answer. If we could get a just sort of a a future item or information item of anywhere we're providing first a state education and our education programs. Um I think that'd be good to come back uh Trusty Delator and then we'll go back to Trusty Jenkins. So these are just points to ponder. I don't need answers back right now because it's things that need need to be discussed. Um, would it be

070more cost effective to have more than one athletic trainer, CPR, first aid certified as a trainer? Um, I speak from experience. I'm a former EMT and certified to train CPR and first aid certifications. So, it can be obtained for more people to have that training. Would it be more cost effective to do that? Um, also there's a reason played against sports is in Santa Rosa. Um, we were not able to afford a lot of cost associated with athletics. Is this something that we need to consider and request any booster programs step up and help out with for training our coaches with CPR and first day certification so it's not coming out of the district's budget. Things to ponder and think about. We need to look at every line item as we're having being fiscally responsible

071and any ways we can find volunteer opportunities to come and do training. Um any outreach opportunities to do training. It also seems like a large burden to put on one um certified trainer to train all 340 of our coaches. I know it's not um all 340 every year. Typically, the CPR and first aid training lasts for a two-year uh period before it needs to be renewed. Some coaches stay for two years and they're only needing training every other year. Some are new coaches. Um some, you know, so it's not every year 340 needed, but I just like us to think out of the box with everything. And since this came up and we're talking about it, different ways we might be able to think out of the box to save some costs out of our

072general fund. >> Trusty Jenkins. What did we pay last year? >> We'll bring that in. We'll get that information for you. I don't want to answer something off the cuff without having having that available. >> Any other questions, comments? Motion. Trusty Jenkins. I move to approve this item with contracts 2, three, and four. >> Not hearing a second. Is there a motion to approve the full item? >> Second. So, it's moving a second to approve items 2, three, and four from the ratification of the contracts. Any further discussion? All right. Just I mean just to be clear it's ratification. So this is something that's already happened. So um we'll go ahead and just go to roll call. >> Student board member Curio. >> Trusty Jenkins. >> Hi. >> Trusty Kirby. >> Hi. >> Trusty P.

073>> Vice President Casten. I All right. And we'll bring back item one for action. All right. Uh moving to F5, approval of contracts over 15,000. Trusty Jenkins. >> Thank you. Don't fall. Uh yes. One moment. F5. Yes. off again. Back on. Hello. Um, so I actually have questions about all three. We have illuminated, Android, and Imagine Learning. Um, and I know that information came back for us on this. I just haven't had a chance to review it. Um, with the illuminated contract, I think this one may be grant funded. Was that the >> Yes. ARPA grant. >> Okay. Okay. So, with the illuminated grant, um this is a help me please if I'm saying this completely incorrectly, but um because I can't have I don't have everything open, but this is a grant for uh

074for LC, but it's um the program is funded through a grant, but the contract is a $28,000 contract. Can we say a little bit more about that? Sure. It's to do some continued work on integrated pathways 9th and 10th grade and to help um with some of the continued work on the 4x4 to give you some more in detailed um explanation on that. The individual that actually put that information on the board responses is online Erica Rafo um and she's going to be able to provide some more um uh specificity. >> Thank you. Um, good evening. >> Okay. Is that a letter? >> Thank you. >> That's great. We can hear you. Thank you. >> I have a little bit of an echo on my end. Um, so yes, this contract is a continuation of

075the work that we have been doing at LCL since 2020 with our our school model. Uh the CTE Foundation was kind enough to um get a grant for us through ARPA through uh the county. That grant ends uh March 30th of 2026. So we are using these funds to continue our partnership with uh Cheryl Hiblin and the Illuminate Ed collective. Um wanting to make sure that we're getting um really good pathways, CTE pathways um that we already have at LC Allen. making sure that they're integrated um hopefully with some core courses and so that their 4x4 moves really smoothly >> and I'm happy to answer any other questions anybody has. >> Trusty Jenkins. >> Yes. So, um, with actually I'm not totally clear is LC staying as a 4x4 next year now that they are

076a comprehensive 712 not being I mean my understanding is the CTE is not expanding at LC anymore because it's now a comprehensive >> campus. The 4x4 was aou we agreed to that was completely separate from the other considerations >> and is it can is the 4x4 going to be the model for the 78 as well? >> Let's tiptoe down this but we may need to agendaize this conversation. >> Yeah, that that's a that's something that would come back as part of later negotiations. Um, so with this grant, is it specifically only for LC Allen or will this be um assisting with CTE throughout the five comprehensive campuses? >> So, I can answer that. Um, what we're doing is working first with LC Allen High School because we have the grant funding specifically for that school.

077It isn't about expanding their pathways in in respect to adding more pathways. it is um continuing to build them up as robust pathways if that makes sense. So we're not adding um additional pathways there. We're just continuing to build them more effectively. The grant money is with LC Allen. So we're planning to start there and what we learn from the work with um LC Allen and this grant and working with Cheryl. we can then um use what we've learned um and apply it to the CTE pathways that exist at our other high schools. >> That sounds great. Thank you so much. And then just to confirm, none no money of this is coming out of the general fund. Is that correct? >> No, this is all grant funded. >> Thank you. Those that's my question

078on that one. If anyone has additional questions >> questions seeing none, is there a motion? I had the other two questions. >> Oh, sorry. Next contract, Detroit Advanced Technologies. >> Uh before we start talking, let's understand the scope of the question. >> Yeah. >> So with a droid with this contract, um it is for other transportation services. Um, we did get some feedback on elaborating uh around like the cost of this and that we're technically using it for two students currently, but is that max number because it can be used for Could you just give a little bit additional information, please? >> Oops, that was my >> testing. Okay. Um, sure. The the lion with two students. The lion share is one student in a very particular situation. Um it is a specialized uh health

079student and I can't go too far into details for for obvious reasons that has served as a SCO class at Rancho Patat High School. The student is placed in foster and they're placed in foster care in American Canyon. The obligation though travels with where the student lived with the parents which is in Santa Rosa City Schools. So there's that that's one piece of it. The student is being transported from American Canyon to uh Katy Rona Park. The other piece um and this is provided as part of the service. The student requires an el licensed vocational nurse to monitor the student at all times including on transportation. Um, I will say we in special services are looking into a couple of things. Namely, is there a placement that would be appropriate for the student that's closer,

080namely in the Napa area. Secondly, um we're also going to work with um North Bay Regional Center since they were involved in the placement in American Canyon uh to uh determine if they can contribute partially to the cost since they're the ones that made the the the placement. But I I can't guarantee what the outcome of that is. So this uh cost was calculated based on if the services continue out through the year, what they would cost for the student. But again, the additional pieces of a significant chunk of it is the LVN that's traveling with the student. >> Any other questions? All right, seeing none, uh imagine contract Thank you. Um for the imagine contract, I believe this is the egenuity situation. >> Yes, it is. Um we um I think it was at

081your request, we we don't, as you know, there's a um a lack of teachers across the state in several different categories and certain science, math, and uh world language categories. And so we were looking for creative ways to fill the classroom until we're able to find um some teachers. Uh luckily actually we were able to find a a chemistry teacher. I believe started today um at Montgomery High School or tomorrow. Very very lucky to be able to find that teacher. So we won't be um we actually pulled back that contract today for the chemistry um teacher. Um but we are still seeking to find emergency um contract for the Spanish teachers that we need to um until we find somebody some teachers think we have three openings at um LCL. And so in terms of

082the specifics um that we have uh with ed um egeneuity under imagine learning um Mr. Gilden Goring can provide the specifics that um how they operate or or do you have a specific question? Sorry. I guess my specific question is being personally impacted by this um organization has been extremely frustrating as a parent to see that office hours for the teachers who are like I didn't realize it was asynchronous for starters for starters. So, I have some feelings around that as far as if we're having asynchronous learning in a classroom and then paying another adult to be in the classroom and then an the teacher isn't available to the students because their office hours are in central standard time like that. There's so many different issues with this and so um I have huge concerns

083with using them going forward just because of my personal experience with them in two days. Um so if there's anything that can be said to alleviate my personal concerns that's always open for conversation. Okay. Um, thank thank you for the question, Trusty Jenkins. I'm Aaron Gildengorn. I'm the coordinator of MTSS and alternative ed. Um, so, uh, when the question first came to me of is it possible for Egeneuity to to build these roles because they've been posted since the spring and, uh, you know, there's anything from uh, teachers getting additional pay to counselors, administrators who don't have credentials in these subjects, developing curriculum, grading the student work, uh, I believe the what what the egeneuity product offers in this instance is is a credential teacher who divi who delivers a throughg approved curriculum grades the

084work and although you know in this case the the the teacher that got assigned because they hire teachers from all over the country um the teacher that got assigned wasn't available during hour Pacific class time hours, but they are able to answer the students questions, you know, via chat. So, kids do get an opportunity to have questions answered around the curriculum from a teacher who's credentialed in that subject area. Um, and when the when it was brought to me, I went to both LC and to Montgomery and spoke with their administrators. and at LC Allen it was an emphatic yes please bring in someone because they haven't even been able to hold interview like they they haven't held interviews for the position because they haven't gotten any applicants and then at Montgomery they they were

085interviewing someone so they wanted to wait they also talked with the uh department head for the science department as well as head counselor and other their rest of their administrative team and when they didn't hire that person a few weeks ago go. They said, "Yes, let's please move this forward." Um, I will say everyone will probably agree it's better to have a credential teacher in the classroom with the kids. Um, but this was an option that we decided to go with because of some benefits around having access to a credential teacher in the subject and grading grading the work appropriately. Just a follow-up question on the cost of it. Um because if if we have a cost associated with this contract for asynchronous learning and like a teacher who's available sometimes, but we also have

086to have another adult in the room to deal with behavioral issues. What is the net co? Like what is the bottom line cost that we're that that it that it costs? I guess like is it more than a credential teacher at that point? Um, how does that impact the school climate if they have to if if a teacher is coming from somewhere else? Is it another teacher who's on like a several day rotation because you can't have the subs >> can I ask if if that is aformational item that you're interested in the alternative ed conversation that Eron is going to present in would actually be a excellent place to be able to go broad with that. Is there is it narrowly is there something narrow to the contract? >> It's very specific to the

087cost because if we're paying for a contract for this program and we're paying for another adult in the classroom, does that cost more than having than continuing to have long-term subs? >> That's that is a good question. Because we had so much of this semester without a teacher in there, the net cost is likely to be the same around the same as what it would have been to have a teacher in that classroom for this and we only did it for the semester because we're continuing to try to recruit. The issue is that without that we don't have an appropriately cred we don't have a credential teacher of record for the students in the classroom and it's really important that we have that. This is definitely not our choice as far as our our option

088that that we would choose unless this is the option that we are left with at this point in in the year. We need to make sure that the students are receiving approved curriculum. >> So can I I summarize that by saying we don't want to do this is just the option of last resort in this situation. Okay. Trustee Kirby, >> when we make the request from Imagine Learning for this uh service, is it possible to to make the exact to request someone that will be available during the Pacific time zone uh versus just putting it out to the whole country? Can we narrow that down to to be more helpful to our kids specifically? Um, uh, yes, we can, but they can't guarantee that that's who they will that they will be able to get

089someone from from the Pacific time zone. we could choose to I I believe that we could choose to not move forward if they don't, but at the same time um uh I I'm not sure if that is necessarily better for students. Can we at least make the make the request and uh and try at least try to get that and and then see if they can follow through with it? >> I see your emphatic yes. >> Yes. Is there another question? All right. And I is there is no intent on continuing this past this situation. The the intent is to hire permanent employees. >> Correct. >> Any other questions? All right. Do I have a motion on F5? >> Motion to approve uh the contracts in F5 by Trusty Kirby. You don't need to use

090a microphone. Just shout it. >> Oh, we do need for the second. Okay. Second. All right. Moved by Trusty Kirby. Seconded by Trusty Deator. I will announce the end of the roll call. So, let's not worry about the microphones during roll call. Roll call, please. >> Board member Curio. >> Hi. >> Trusty Kirby. Hi. >> Trusty Deator. Hi. >> Trusty Jenkins. Trusty Pre. >> Let me up to you. >> I I >> Vice President Casten. >> I The motion passes 41 with TR Trustee Jenkins opposed. uh sorry five and student trustee Korea voting in favor as well. I will move to item F8, approval of resolution 202526-43, notice of intent to convey easement to the city of Santa Rosa. Trustee Jenkins presenting. >> Hello, Director Odin. Thanks for joining us again. Could you just um

091because this was an older situation like it came up before the easements at Montgomery um it was well because the first document looked like it was from 2024 that was in there um and it was a lot of information. My questions uh also may have been addressed in the responses that we got. I just didn't have a time to review them time to review them today. Um, but the basic questions are with this temporary easement at Montgomery, how impacted will the school site be during summer? And then will it impact our sports facilities? >> No. >> There we go. Um, it just like any construction, it will have some impact, but it's not going to have much. the water line uh trench that they have to dig cuts through the staff lot heading toward the

092back portables and then across the um fire lane towards behind the gym. So, it will have a little impact back there, but um I I don't think it'll be a problem for summer sports activities. So, the ones I'm thinking of specifically are open gym that happens all summer. um football use if they're going from the gym to the field. And then the portables in the back is like all of the um junior program. So I know there's a big concern about like facilities for middle school for instance and facilities for sports and I'm how much can like how much of an impact is it going to have? Are are they going to be I mean minimal impact means what? Well, it's only happening over the summer, so it's it's not going to affect a normal

093school day. Um, and we'll have to make sure that they take precautions across and I know that space you're talking about behind the gym and the locker rooms that head out to the field to make sure that kids have a safe crossing across it. That's the only way over there. So, I don't see this as a problem, though. We do it all the time. >> Any further questions? Motion, please. Motion to approve at eight. >> Moved by trustee Kirby. >> Seconded by Trustee Deator. Roll call, please. >> Student board member Curio. >> I. >> Trusty Kirby. >> Hi. >> Trusty Deator. >> I. >> Trusty Jenkins. >> Hi. >> Trusty Pra. >> Hi. >> Vice President Casten. >> I. That motion passes unanimously. We'll now move to item F12 that is the approval of authorized

094senator for California Department of Education early childhood education contract. Trusty Jenkins >> Children's. >> This is the preschool one. Yes. >> Yes. >> Hello. >> Um, >> Dr. Rhyr, don't touch it yet. All right. Uh, let's see. Approval, authorizing blah blah blah. This is about the preschools at Monroe and Steel for next year, right? Um, and so my question was, if this is for steel next year and the plan currently is to for steel to be closed next year, how's how does this all work? Go walk me through it, please. So, thank you very much for the questions. Um, the requested action this evening is to authorize simply signitories so that we can apply for funding for next year. Um but of course um on the question um the short answer is you know we're

095still studying I think um the impacts of the district's plan around closures and continuing programs you know at alternate locations in the district. So um in our work together with the North Bay Children's Center, you know, they've expressed a willingness to work together with us around, you know, plans for next year. And so short answer is to be continued um together, you know, with input and guidance from the board um district staff and also together with our partners at uh North Bay Children's Center. schoolific it is not >> sorry that was my bad >> he just said it was not school specific trusty Jenkins >> um so it's this is just requesting approval so you guys can seek additional funds to support a possible future program what I said at the end >> just so

096we can seek funds >> right yes it's so we can fund thank you any Any other questions? Trusty Kirby. No. All right. Do I have a motion? >> Motion to approve after. >> Trusty Kirby moves. >> Trusty P seconds. >> Roll call, please. >> Student board. >> Trusty Kirby. >> Hi. >> Trusty P. I >> trusty Jenkins. >> Hi, >> Trusty Deator. >> Hi, >> Vice President Casten. >> I that mass that motion passes unanimously. >> We will now move on to uh G1 discussion high level fiscal solutions preirst in we have LE Cazeres, our interim associate superintendent business services and Joel Dontos presenting. Uh, Superintendent August, would you like to begin to introduce this item as they're getting ready? >> Yes. Thank you, uh, Vice President Casten. So, as I shared, um, during my

097superintendence report, our team has been diligently working to get a pre-irst interim done. So essentially doing the work of first interim with the information available to date about six weeks ahead of schedule uh compared to the normal first interim update. So I'm going to go ahead and hand it over to Loose who is online and Joel here in person and I'll share my screen. So if you two can just give me the the signal to move slide to slide. >> Thank you so very much. Just going to check to make sure you can hear me. >> Yes, we can hear you. >> Wonderful. Thank you. Um yes, as as uh as you were noting the um have a lot of appreciation for the team, for Joel and team to to be able to do this

098work um at the clip that we needed it done to be able to to just really get some momentum on the work that were required to do. Um just high level a couple of items. So one, the significant updates that we've done since adopted budget. So the pre- first interim my cash flow reflect a few things. So one, it reflects where we actually closed books. So un audited actuals. Um it reflects the 45day revise and so some additional dollars that we received there once the budget act was approved. and it reflects changes throughout the system that are based in what we know from our census day count. So when the board adopted the budget, we had our our best guesses based on our best assumptions about the number of students we would be serving. Um

099we actually know that that number now and so we we adjust our budget accordingly and that's what gets reflected here. Um I'll also note high level the one area we are still interrogating. Um we did update the the budget accordingly but we still have questions and we're still poking proddding pinching at the budget to ensure we get as tight an estimate as we can is for our special education costs. So those expenditures that are related to our students on IEPs, we we definitely made some revisions. We made some updates and we're going to continue to just interrogate further to ensure that we we have confidence that the budget that we we put in front of you is is complete. Um with that, if you can move to the next slide. Um I'm made a choice

100to start off with cash because that's where we are. Um we really do need to focus on cash. I shared earlier with with the board that when we talk about our fiscal stabilization plan this year, it wasn't just going to be about budget. It was also going to be about cash. And I'm making a very intentional choice to put cash upfront first. Um, as we have experienced since our adopted budget, we can go negative and our ending fund balance, right? That's why we can see we had our our ending fund balance at unudited actuals and adopted budget was red. Um that cannot be true for cash. Um some folks are wondering if the hole is that big why haven't you been taken over? It's a question I've received. It's because we still have positive cash.

101So unless we need a emergency loan from the state, we are on our own to solve our problems. And so that is what we are actively working on with intention. Um here you have our updated cash flow for the current year. A change in the way we present that I again made a very active intentional decision on this is we did not include any solutions. Okay. So you are seeing the number that I see that Joel sees that gets us worried about where we are and sets the the work up and the pace of the just the real solutions that are going to have to be approved. And so these are the numbers that we're looking at. So you can see at the end of this year for June cash we're projecting to end at

102a minus $2.8 million. And if you go to the next slide, you can see without any action, without any solutions. This assumes essentially we just continue doing what we're doing now without any corrective action. If you go to the next slide, you can see that we would end with a minus 16 over $16 million in negative cash. Okay. This is the first layer of work that that is very intentional for us. So I have shared with many of you that we have put together or putting together um a layer of solutions to protect the general fund. So we have to ensure that we have enough cash when we need it. And so we've we've developed a set of layers of protection to ensure that we will have cash when we need it in June. Um,

103as an example, the very first layer of protection is fund 40. That is our special reserve for capital outlay. We have about $5 million of cash in that fund. Staff has been instructed not to spend any dollar out of there that isn't already budgeted and planned for. Um, and when I say staff, so it's everyone from the budget managers who would be spending those dollars down to our our head of procurement who would be approving those requisitions, right? So, everyone is on notice. We're not spending any money out of fund 40. We have to ensure those those the cash is available to us if we need it. I have um at this point prepared the the layers of protection for cash that I see. Um, I've shared it um as a preliminary plan with both

104FickMat and the county for their for their consideration. Um, I want to get their best thinking on my best thinking and once we get to agreement, we'll be presenting it to to the board as well. Um, I'm going to go through all of the pieces and then we can come back. So if we go next to the my >> and just everyone before you can make members aware of the structure we're going to go through the presentation the board's going to ask questions only questions then we're going to go to public comment and then we're going to come back for discussion. So please please complete your entire presentation before we ask questions. >> Thank you. Now we're on to the MYP. Um I noted earlier the components that have changed here and I will note

105we are in a worse position than we were at adopted budget and that's in part because it reflects the tightening of our estimates of where we really think we're going to be. Um if we go to the next slide, this is again there are no solutions assumed in here, right? Or no solutions that haven't been approved by the board or haven't been implemented by staff. And so this is showing us the reality of where we are. And I want to note again the area where we are still we're still interrogating um is special education. Um, and so I have wonderings about by the time we get to first interim, which is in about four weeks, will we have to further revise our contribution to special education? Here you can see what happens very quickly to

106our ending fund balance if we don't take any actions. So if we just maintain the status quo and continue as we are, this is what we'll see. Um, I want to highlight just um the over time it the structural deficit um is about that 15 million mark. Um there are a few pieces that aren't in the budget yet, but that's about where where we are. And so we're going to need this combination of one-time solutions that will replenish the reserve and then ongoing solutions that will essentially deal with eliminate solve the structural deficit. And so we've got a couple of those those both of those pieces that are in consideration for us. You can go to the next slide please. Here's the list of potential cash and budget solutions that we are actively working on.

107Um I'm going to give just a couple of examples for some of these just to put some some make them tangible um for us. So that very first one um maximizing the use of restricted resources. This is a very common strategy school districts use on any given day. just standard operating procedure and it is one of those that organizations like Figmat, like the GFOA highly recommend. Whether you're in distress or not in distress, this is one of those best practices that they will encourage us to to follow through on the Figma. Everyone's familiar with or most of us are familiar with the fiscal crisis and management assistance team. GFOA is the government finance officers association. Um it is for finance folks. It's our gold star. So maximizing the use of res of restricted resources is

108an area we're digging into. Um and there's two ways we're doing it. So one, our restricted balances from the prior year. We have about $15 million of ending fund balance in the prior year. And we are going resource by resource to identify what if any dollars in there can either help help us with cash, help us with our reserve or help us further manage our budget. Okay. So we are looking at them specifically for those those three areas. For cash management as an example, it's it's not as easy as it might sound. Um, one example is we have about a million dollars in a resource that it's the kitchen infrastructure and training. It's about a million dollars. Ideally, I would love that the dollars are very restricted. So, there's not a lot we can shove

109in there in terms of expend expenditures, but if I can't use it to help the fund reserves, I would like to use it to help help um conserve cash. Now, I noted it's not as easy as it sounds. It has an expiration date of June 30th, 2026, right? So, I can't hold it because it's going to otherwise we're going to lose it. But in working with our director of CNS, we have learned that it actually the requirement is for it to be encumbered, not expended. And so, that's the path we're going to follow is we're going to make sure we have a spending plan. We'll make sure they're encumbered, but we will hold off on actually spending and paying for it as long as we can to try to conserve some of our cash. Another

110example here on our on restricted resources, we have um just over $3 million of medical billing dollars. And so we're looking at what are those expenditures that are appropriate and eligible for that funding source to identify whether or not we can transfer some unrestricted spending into into that resource code. Um this can if for anyone who if this is sounding worrisome to you. So a couple of things. So one yes it is it is a move of desperation right? We're trying to spend we're trying to ensure we can replenish our reserves. We're trying to ensure that we can conserve cash. So yes to that. And any transfer we make, we will work hand inand with our auditor to ensure that what we see as appropriate and eligible, they're agreeing with us. And so we don't

111do any of this alone. We do it um in concert with other thought partners. Next line down is reducing the supplemental pay. That is what it sounds like, right? We've done some reductions already with car stipens. Um we pay some overtime and things of that sort. And so those are other pays we're we're looking at just holding on to for this year, reducing this year and in the outy years as best we can. Um the next item is reducing and restructuring the district office. This is one we are actively working on now with the intention of bringing >> loose please if you can go back about one sentence and repeat there's a little bit of noise. >> Oh yes the reducing and restructuring district office that is one we are actively working on now to

112bring a proposal to the board um in December. And so we will be seeking board action on some recommendations at the first board meeting in December. We're we're thinking of that as round one of budget solutions. Um and then we'll have a second round of budget solutions in February. But the district office restructuring and reduction will be a part of the December package. Um next item is reducing school site staffing. As one would expect, we're a school system. We spend most of our dollars, most of our resources go to people. Most of those people are at the school sites. And so we will be looking at where we can reduce school site staffing um to generate some of those ongoing budget solutions. Another piece is managing the special education cost increases. You'll note I didn't

113say reduce. I didn't say cut. It is really with special education our our our our opportunities is to ensure that we are managing our year overyear costs. And so for for this piece in particular um we've had uh the special education John and his team have completed what's called the it's a tool by Fikmat known as the special education efficiency tool. It is a it's a it's a way to analyze how our spending goes and where we might be outliers with county averages or state averages. And so it points us in some direction to be able to figure out what are some opportunities to gain an efficiency. Um, this is it's it's it's one of those tools that's not always the easiest to understand, but getting over that hurdle is well worth it. I encourage

114school districts to do this every year and every year you can then identify what can we improve next year. So, we find that area of focus for the next 12 months and then next summer we identify the next 12 months area of focus for improvement. And so it is a tool again not the easiest thing to read but it's absolutely worthwhile. Next line down is reducing the discretionary contracts. Um this is this is the object code um 5100 and 5800 specifically. But if we look at our object code series for the 5000s, this one, this area gets a lot of love and attention in every school district, um, not just in California, but across the country, right? So, there's something about the way it's presented that feels like we're talking about hiring a bunch of

115consultants, and that's not what that line is. Um so very specifically what we're doing in this area is going through all of the 5000s um object code 5000 series identifying those budgets and going through each one to figure out a few things. So I put them in buckets and this is some of the work that I would do as as trustee or fiscal adviser to figure out how do we reduce some costs. And so we go through all of the costs and determine what of this is special education, what of this is um unavoidable, what of this might be a pass through um and and also the um what of it is maybe discretionary. And it's the discretionary budgets that we will then go in and interrogate line by line to see what opportunities we

116have to make some changes. And the sorts of changes we look to make are one, can we cancel it? Can we just avoid doing this expense altogether? And another one, if I can't cancel it, can I defer it? Can I skip one year of this contract or service? Um, if I can't cancel it or defer it, can I charge it to a more restricted dollar? And so we'll go through that process to identify what opportunities we might have for either savings or at least to help our our cash. Um I'm going to just give a couple of highlevel numbers on those that that that set a budget because I know it's of high interest for folks. So if I look at all of our 5000s, all of those agreements, um services pieces, it's a budget

117of about $62 million, right? So, for very good reason, people pay attention to it. That's a lot of money in our general fund. 62 million. Of that 62 million, more than half of it, about 57% of it is specifically for special education. Okay. So, of the 62 million, 36 million is for special education. And so, I mentioned that efficiency tool. This is why we do the efficiency tool because we want to make sure that we're we're capturing opportunities there. So far in my review of those dollars, there's about 20 million that I would consider unavoidable. And when I say unavoidable, what I mean is it's I I can't step away from the obligation. What would what might be considered unavoidable? insurance, utilities, an audit, a financial information system, a student information system. Those are all

118things that we can't step away from from spending. And so, so far, right, in the analysis, there is there's quite a bit there that I we either can't touch quickly because it's special education or we can't touch quickly because it's unavoidable cost. We're still digging through it. So, and as an example of something we are we will be determining, we spend about $2.4 million on licenses for online things. And we are working on a plan to be able to audit all of those expenses to again answer the question of do we need this, can we defer this, can we cancel this, can we reduce this? So, that's work that's in progress. Um, next down the line, um, exploring intermediate and long-term budget solutions. And so things like, um, improving, um, can we improve our revenue

119by by seeking a parcel tax might be an option. Um, we've got the 7-Eleven committee now formed and so looking into is there a possibility to to sell some some surplus property, which wouldn't help our general fund, right? that's can only be used for for capital purposes, but it is cash that would be available to us if needed. And so again, those are not those are not going to be immediate solutions. Um, last on the list is planning for some needs that have been unbudgeted over the years. Um, I've mentioned these before. So, technology replacement, curriculum adoptions, OPEDB, OPED is other post-employment um benefits and uh technology replacement. So, those are all considerations we're looking into to see about including them in our budget and how we how we can incorporate them into the MYP.

120We can go to the next slide. We've got a timeline of some of the things we've already done, some of the things that are be are left to be left to be done. And I want to highlight again mid December, right at the first board meeting in in December is where we'll be bringing to the board um round one of budget solutions and then at our first meeting in February, that would be the second round of budget solutions. Did get a question on why why for some of the timing piece. Um there are several of these items that are based on the designation that we've received as a lack of going concern. Uh that was issued as from the Sonoma County Office of Education when they approved our budget. They let us know that they

121were letting us um designating us as a lack of going concern. And with that came some additional responsibilities like updating our cash flow. Um, and one of those pieces is by December 8th, we are required to submit to the county office of ed our preliminary uh fiscal stabilization plan um within a week of receiving it. So by December 15th, they intend to make a decision whether to assign to the district a fiscal advisor. And so those are some important um notes to to take into consideration there. With that, I'll stop and happy to take questions >> and bring the questions to the board. I'll ask most of my questions last, but I want to ask ones first. Is there any type of assistance from FCMAT or SCO that we have not asked for? Have we

122asked for every type of assistance that we can ask for? At this point in time, >> we have asked for various types of of help in addition to what they're already doing. So, I do want that for for folks to know that they've been helping since third in of last year and they've continued to support the district. Um, as an example, I made a very specific ask earlier today of the ThickMat team and that was for technical assistance as we're figuring out those layers of support for for cash. I let them know, okay, if I'm labeling all of these funds for additional support for for the general fund, we need to tighten up their cash flow projections for those other funds as well. And so I requested that support and they're they will be providing

123it. There are some some things that Figma doesn't do um that we are interested in, but they let us know it's just not um it's not their area of of expertise. Um, an area that we were we're seeking support on is um those staffing formulas for school sites um to take a look at that and compare ourselves to other places. Um that might not be an area they can support us on directly, but we've talked about how they might be able to to to guide some of that work. >> If you don't mind enumerating and everything that we've asked for that they weren't able to do. I just want everyone to understand the exhaustive nature of this relationship. Yeah, they haven't said no to anything yet. Um, but it's the the the not yet at

124least. So, um, another area where we sought some support is for, um, we're looking for support for looking at our at our technology program. That's not an area that they do any work on. Um, we also requested support for looking at our maintenance and operation. Right? We've had some really significant reductions in that area plus the closures and the collocations. And so all of that for me just looks like we're it's just primed for for external review. Um that's something that they can do. They're looking to see when they would be able to put together a team. Um so that's another another place. Um I'm missing anything cash um staffing m >> and then the same question as far as SCO and school services and please be detailed. Sure. So, school services um the we've

125not requested anything directly this year, although I did place a phone call to to the president to see if he might have some of the staffing information available that he can share with us um without entering an actual um study just because studies take a little while and I think we're feeling an itchiness for for getting some information sooner rather than later. And so, I did place a phone call um to see whether or not that might be something they can support us with. Um, school services is the group that did the savings, the cost savings estimates for for the school closures last year. Um, and then, oh, SCO, um, was the other one you asked about. Um, the the folks over at SCO, they they have been a tremendous partner so far, right? to

126recognize not been here very long, but the in the time that I've requested help whether as a thought partner um uh support to look at something that we're we're doing, they've been very very thoughtful um and very very responsive. I'm very grateful for for Sarah. I always forget her last name. Lampenfield Lampinfeld Sarah Sarah at the SCO team has been fabulous, a fabulous thought partner so far. And then in your experience as someone who's been a trustee, who's been in lots of these situations, is there any third party in the state that we have not asked for support from that we should be? >> Um, no. Um, I can't think of anyone else who I haven't called in to ask something that I otherwise would. Um >> yeah, >> all all the way down to

127um as we are looking to see about forming our own SULPA. So all the way down to just placing phone calls to folks to see um just to ensure we'll get the support we need for a thorough analysis and once we make our recommendation to ensure that we've got the support um in line for that. >> Okay, I have other questions. I'm going to save them to the end and move to the other trustees. I'm go trusty Jenkins daily and then I'll move down here. >> This is kind of a big question. However, here we are. How on earth did we get to this point if this is where we were last? I mean, I feel like this is very close to the number we were at last year at this point. But and we

128did the closures and we did the cuts and I thought and again I was a brand new trustee at the time. However, I thought that when we approved the budget we approved the most conservative one so that we wouldn't be this far in the hole right now. Is there like what can we point to that like how did how did we get here in really layman's terms please? That is a really big question and I'm not sure I I completely grasped it. You're asking are you asking the from adopted budget to now or >> let me see if I can summarize it briefly for you. You're you've you're taking a fresh look at how we got here. You have a fresh view on it. When you look at the actions over the years that got

129us here, can you narrate how we got to this place? >> Ah, okay. So, yes, I definitely have some thoughts. Um, and just for for everyone, those those thoughts were in one of our responses to to the county. Um so one place and one place is our the increase in our special education costs. Um really I want to before I continue just want to note right all of our kids are our kids period. No question. And what we've experienced is a rather significant increase in the cost of serving our students on IEPs. For that, I I will note we are not alone. Um, school districts, not just in the state of California, but really across the country, have experienced some really significant spikes in what we're spending to serve students on IEPs. So, we are

130not alone in that. Um, another place is the we have been, you know, we've we've gone through a round of various rounds of of negotiations. We've agreed to to increases and those increases that we've agreed to have been out of step with the increases we've received in additional revenue. Right? So we've >> just one moment please. >> Y if >> we can please ask the room to provide the speakers with decorum and respect so the information can get decimated and understood. Nobody wants to hear what we're listening to but we have to listen to it and we need to ask questions and get answers and if you continue to be disrespectful then you can exit please so we continue to have our meeting. >> Please continue loose. >> Sure. So we have those the the

131increases that we've agreed to have exceeded essentially the new revenue that we've otherwise received. And this again is summarized in the in the letter that we provided to the county in response. So I'm going to I'm just going to quote some of it. I'm going to go to some specifics. So if I look at 2425 this past year, the LCFF funded COLA was just over 1%. That's great. It's not very much, but it's better than zero for us because of declining enrollment. We got a fraction of that. So very little. It was actually 18% is what we saw as increase in revenue. Yet the raises we gave away in 2425 alone on the salary schedule, never mind what we agreed to on the health and welfare side, but on the salary schedule alone, it was

1322.7% for one of our bargaining units. And for another one of the bargaining units, it was anywhere from 4% to almost 8%. Right? 4% to 8% and 2.7% are much greater than.18%. And so that's another area where the the the the recommendation I make there is we have to make a shift of from negotiating percentages to negotiating dollars. So we will calculate this is how much additional revenue we receive minus step and column minus the cost of health and welfare increases minus the cost of CPI to determine how much do we have in terms of dollars to actually negotiate. Um that is one of those practices that if we hired school service of school school services of California they would say this is what we would be doing. If we talked to Figmat, they would

133say, "This is what we should be doing." And so much of what I'm describing is consistent with what Fikmat and school services would be advising us. The last area, the third area that I see in response to the how did we get here is that is declining enrollment. Um the one of I think something to be really grateful for with the the work of Figmat coming in with the third interim work um was that they based on the county reviewing our our figures and Figmat reviewing our figures, they said you need to tighten these enrollment projections further and we did and our because of that work that was done with with the team we actually ended up with enrollment projections that were were pretty tight this year. So our census data is matching closely up

134to what those projections are and so we can be grateful for that work um that was done at that point. >> Thank you Trusty Vatory your questions. >> Thank you. So this may be for LSE and this may for lease be for Lisa. So, um I want to air on the the side of caution of getting too many cooks in the kitchen, but we're all in this together and the more help we can ask for, the better. So, I'm curious if we were to ask school services for additional help, what the costs associated with that was. We've also been asked to um consider any additional help from CTA in your perspective. What does that look like and what does that cost? Um we need cost associated with additional help that we're going to ask for

135so we have a better understanding of does it make sense and what type of timing is it going to meet the timing necessary for you to help provide the recommendations that this board will ultimately need to decide on. You want me to >> do you want to start or or do you >> Why don't you start and I'll I'll continue. >> Okay. Thank you. So, we would welcome of course any recommendations. Um we've heard multiple times that that there are recommendations for reductions or or ideas for the budget. We would welcome that information to be shared. I and we provide the DAP files and things like that from when we do reporting periods. My concern with having somebody else come in and and look at things has nothing to do with transparency. We're happy to

136share whatever with with anyone. It has to do with the staff time needed in order we we can't pull staff away from doing that deep analysis, those deep dives that Luc is talking about. And that is my concern with anything that that we have others come in if there's something that pulls away. So, so that's my my biggest concern. And if we look at school services, they do they there's a lot of great work that they do. they and and LE correct me if I'm wrong, but typically if we bring in VicMad, yes, they can look at operations and make recommendations. They don't typically come in and say, "Oh, here's where you need to reduce." And I think that's that's what people are thinking or asking for and that's not the role that they that

137they typically actually do. So, Luc, if you want to share your thoughts. >> Yeah. So, along the same lines, I I think uh they would actually say it a little stronger. They don't do that work. They will tell us, you know, you are an outlier in this area. We recommend you evaluate to determine what it is that's making you an outlier, which is the work that we're doing now. Um they for very good reasons, they don't make recommendations on on reductions. And that's because they believe, as we all do, that it's a it's a local decision. So what what one school district might decide when they learn they're an outlier may be different from what another school district might decide if they're an outlier. That said, I will happily take support from school services or

138Fikmat on things like if they can share with us their staffing formulas that they have for surrounding school districts, right? That would be that would be helpful for for us. And that those are the sorts of phone calls and requests that I make to them. like what what data do you have that I can look to to compare how we do um we do our work and we do our operations in comparison to surrounding school districts. >> So I really want to lift up and show appreciation to this board um for taking the opportunity to form an ad hoc WISO and get this ball rolling much sooner. Um the fact that Fitmat was able to step in and do some process system work ahead of time. um the fact that we do have a lot

139of really valuable minds that understand these things, working through a process to help us get to the bare bones of what recommendations can happen. Um definitely do not want to pull and extend extra work from staff as they've been working tirelessly to get to where we need to get. Is there any work that's already been done that could be provided to additional resources um for them to sift through with help? Is that already public information? Is it stuff that's already out there that we can direct them and point them to? Can you look at this for us and help us with recommendation? >> Yes. So, we are getting to that place. So I gave earlier I gave the example of those layers of protection for the general fund for for ending cash in June right

140so I came up with a plan I've shared those with the county and with FikMat for their insights and feedback and then it would be be ready for um we're public vetting um as we go through some of these pieces we are having conversations about where to pull in folks um the audit I mentioned of all of the licenses right it's $2.4 $4 million of licenses, maybe 600,000 of that feels like it's an absolute. We have to do it because we need a financial information system, we need a student information system, the rest of it, um, right? So, we can go through a we can put together a team that can go through an auditing process of it to determine, do we need to continue this? Can we reduce this? Can we cancel this? Just

141to clarify, you're using you're saying we can, but what what you're actually mean is we are going to, right? >> Uh, yes. >> Yes. Thank you. >> Yes. We're we're in the process of figuring out what an audit looks like, what are the questions, and who are those that the folks that we um we would like to to get some some of that deep thinking from. Just the amount of wonderful CPAs that have approached me in public and said, "If I can just look at your books, I can fix everything for you. I promise and I get it and I appreciate it." Um but we have some very talented um people understanding numbers that have been working really hard on this and I just want us to remain with our eyes and ears open to

142any potential help um and scaffolding being provided to our staff to get through this cuz we're not getting through this um unless we get through it together. Um so a lot of the community is asking for those numbers. They're asking for that transparency so they can see the writing of the wall. And what I'm hearing is that we're getting there and I really appreciate all the efforts that have gone into that to get us to what we're going to start seeing in December. >> We're going to have more discussion and deliberation after public comment. Uh, Trusty Kirby. >> And just to follow up on that exact uh comment on our last uh finance subcommittee meeting, the public can go on to uh our agenda and there is a link on that agenda that says transparent

143SRCS. It has all the books all the numbers for our budget back through 10 10 years plus I think um something like that. Uh there is a little bit of lag time so you won't see the numbers of but uh we're also in the process I know that uh uh Patrick I think is in the process of trying to get that link onto our main website to make it more transparent to everyone. Um LSE can you also talk about the fact um that we are currently undergoing our usual third party audit right now as well in addition to all this other um people that are looking at our books. Correct. >> That is correct. Um and I can hand that one off to Joel um for to just provide a little bit of where we

144are with timing. I will note though for everyone um there the we've had multiple years of audits with no findings right so that tells me our processes our procedures our internal controls are are solid >> yeah question give an addition on the process of the audit so the audit starts pretty close to when the school when the fiscal year starts the auditors engage with us uh prepare for that audit. Then in the middle of the year, they do a midyear visit where they do testing of our um internal controls as well as our uh financial accounts to make sure that we are um following those internal controls and that they don't see any discrepancies in our financial reports. That happened uh last April. Then they do um then they do remote work with us and

145then they do a end of the year uh visit. They were here the last week in October for the whole week and um they reviewed our they you know they follow the audit guide. They have fairly uh regulated items that they have to look into that are governed by the state. So they visit with us and they are in our fiscal department but they uh audit many departments um in many areas of the budget and uh they they've completed their end of the year audit and we've done that whole work together for the year and to date again this year we are unaware of any current findings and we hope that that will be the case when the audit's over. But yeah, they are they they do look at the finances with a pretty good

146detail. They've had some continuity with our district now, so they know our f Thank you. I think you're at the end of your comments there. Uh Lewis, can you slightly expand on that uh answer to define what an audit looks for, what an assessment looks for, what a study looks for? um so that people understand what what it means when the audit has had no findings. >> Yes. So the when the the auditors follow what's what's called the the K12 um auditing standards and so they have very specific rules they have to follow when they're coming in to check our work. So what it what it ultimately means when we have no findings is what they've determined is that we have followed process procedure as required by whatever the rule is. Whether the rule is

147code, whether the rule is standard um operating procedure, whether the rule is best practice, whatever the right guideline is, we have followed it with fidelity um to the to the extent where they essentially determine that what we say our books are is what our books are. That's the opinion we look for. We look for an opinion that says that what we've said are finances really truly are finances and they concur with that. Um it is not common that you have no findings for for multiple years. >> So the a you telling us that we're going to be $2.8 million under our needed cash. The auditors are saying the process you're using to tell us that is sound. >> Yes. Right. And that's what they're in the process of auditing 2425 the year we just closed

148in June. Okay. Trusty Kirby. >> Um, uh, to continue a little bit, hope this doesn't get too far in the weeds, but, um, so you were talking about the 62 million in, uh, the 5,000 series uh, of some of our expenses. Um, and in looking through, there may be a a couple that hopefully you can clarify. There's the 5450 that says uh that talks about it says other insurance and I see it's budgeted for three roughly 3.8 million um and we've had no payments or that money is still sitting there. Is that because our insurance that insurance bill only comes up once a year or is there room is that it's not showing encumbered it's showing still there. So maybe uh expound on that particular item. >> Why don't I try first and Joel you

149can add. Um so that's I mean that's got to be our property and liability insurance. Um that is I'm guessing we're part actually no I know we're part of a JPA resig and they will invoice usually twice a year where we have to make those payments for for a premium. Let's go and hit it once. >> Course it once. >> Well, so >> unfortunately you actually need to turn on. >> So we have >> just All right, let's grab the one right over there. to update it. >> So, I hate to do this, but there's a the answer to that question. It dives into a little bit of technical accounting terms. So, we do have liability accounts. And so, Reszi has taken the money for that uh $3.8 million insurance out of our account. So,

150it is currently out of our cash. There are some things that occur in that liability account as well. Like for example, if we do have an insurance claim, they take our deductible out of it and it has just been our practice to make that final transfer, that journal entry during our year in closing process. But we could do it today to to show that account expensed. That is one account that and and with our um accounts being overseen by the county office of education, they do uh county transfers. So that's a great catch. That is I can assure you that working with Resi, that $3.8 million is our current property liability amount that we've budgeted. So you won't see any change in that, but we could transfer that cash now and then do some more

151um clean up at the end of the year to get that balance to zero. But because that is a liability count that balance zero at the end of the year, we've just waited till the end of the year. Just keep track. Um, I just appreciate you putting all this together and um, my bigger concern that really um, is the reduced school site staffing and it's a concern because I feel like there was already so many cuts last year that I don't No, no, no. Just wait. Uh, I just I just want to make sure that if that can be like the last thing. um that can be discussed. I don't want to lose more quality teachers if um and have them go elsewhere or and not just the teachers but the c classified staff classified

152>> certificated >> and classified but I got >> all of that. >> Yes. >> Classified. >> Yes. >> Do you have any questions? >> No, it's not a question. Please a request. >> I I I solidly second your request. Uh Trusty Jenkins question. >> No. Do you have one question or many questions? Two. Um go ahead. >> So one is a follow-up question for you, Loose. Um, regarding the uh outliers comment um after well the question around the outliers comment is are we really an outlier or are we just the biggest district in this area? So it's hitting us first and hard but the question that goes with that. So it's a two-part there's two two-part questions. So that's part of the question. And then as far as having communication with our neighboring districts, we

153kind of need to do that as much as humanly possible because it does feel like we are not an outlier. We're just the biggest getting hit hard first. So I guess I'm I'm questioning that comment. Like do you really think that we are an outlier in this situation or do you think that we're just bigger? >> I think my my outlier comment was about certain spending patterns like that that's part of the analysis to to figure out where are we outliers specifically, right? So do we pay more in utilities um than per student than our surrounding school districts? So that's where we look for outliers to see what are we doing differently that that um that maybe isn't as efficient as it could be or as effective as it could be. The with regards to

154our our size um I think where where we're not alone is that like I think there are like 16 school districts in the state that are in some level of significant distress. Um, so we're not alone that way. And a notable part of that is that many of us were in declining enrollment and we probably had some work to do that we were in the process of doing and then shelter in place happened, COVID happened. And so what for some of us what we did was we paused the hard work that we were in the middle of doing and we took those COVID relief dollars to just let us ride that time. And so for for some school districts it saved us. Oakland Unified saved by the pandemic absolutely without question. And for us on

155a much smaller scale, we're able to just defer some some decisions that needed to be made because we had those COVID relief dollars and we had so much to focus on the dayto day of serving students and now we've caught up. Those co relief dollars are gone. They've expired. We still have that decline in enrollment. And so we're now solving the problem and it's just on a compressed timeline because we don't have those relief dollars anymore. >> Thank you. The second question that I have is regarding special ed. Um as we see that this is a high price point in general, not just for our district but for everyone. Um at the beginning of this calendar year, I believe is when they did the strategic action plan for special ed. um with what was said

156to be if implemented to fidelity I think is how you say that um that it could save us up to $30 million. I'm wondering one where we are on that and um one where we are on that and then also like special ed in general is a little bit conf confusing slashconerning when it goes to the next level of out ofstate placements out of district placements things of that sort and is there is there anything that the district can be doing to push policy around that um going to state legislation, things of that sort, so that we so it's not as expensive for us going um forward. I know personally from working in behavioral health, I'm always astounded that like residential placements are paid for through the school district. It blows my mind because these

157are not cheap situations and it's not Anyways, I could go on a rant for that, but is there is there anything being done both from a district level um and even outside of the district to to push policy away from that? >> Let me go to Superintendent August first on that. So yes, there is a lot of advocacy around that. One key number that I want to point out is that right now and so under IDA, which is the federal promise for special education, the promise at when it was created 50 years ago, this is the 50th anniversary, was to fund 40% of our special education costs. We are funded at 6%. That is $22 million this year. The difference if the feds funded what what they promised 50 years ago. >> So we've had

158advocacy around that. In fact, loose um Vice President Casten and myself had a call with um just went blank. Thank you, Congressman Thompson. office um just recently um advocating for that. We also participate Okay, now I'll try this one. Is that better? >> Speaker on. >> Seems like somebody >> Mike, you can turn off. >> Okay. I don't know what's going on. >> That's better. It's not >> everybody muted. >> Donna's not muted. Yeah. >> At any rate, yes, there's a lot of advocacy around around federal funding, but that not only federal funding, we, you know, talking about all of the all of the different ways to really um look at improving that. And as far as the task force for special education, they have started meeting. I'm not positive on where they are on

159that process, but remember that it wasn't an immediate implementation. That was like I think it was in a 7 to 10 year period for full implementation. >> I'm going to go to go to my questions first. I'll come around for a second round for the board. Um, can we uh so I want to start can we just start we talked you talked briefly about borrowing funds from fund 40 and that being something that you're protecting for cash purposes if we were to borrow funds from fund 40. Can you just explain what that means for next year? >> Yeah. So I guess I'll start off with please know this isn't like this isn't a great idea. This is these are the steps we have to take to ensure we have sufficient cash in the general fund.

160So typically if we're if we're not in distress, we would not be looking to borrow from other funds. So what I want that to be clear. I don't want anyone to walk away thinking, oh that's a great solution. It is not. It is not a great solution. So, um, what it means for fund 40 is we're not we're essentially going to stop any spending that isn't already planned for and underway for for capital purposes um, within fund 40. Um, and what it means is we will literally take cash out of fund 40 and move it to the general fund to ensure that we have sufficient cash in the general fund to make payroll and any other of our other financial obligations. um we have to ensure that we keep fund 40 whole. What that means

161is we have to transfer back what we borrowed and we have to do it with interest. So we have to we have to keep fund 140 whole and whatever dollars we would have earned on the cash there we have to return that as well. >> Okay. um for the 5,000s uh some of the information that we received from uh SRTA indicated there are other districts in the county that similarly have a disproportionate spend on the 5000s and I'm wondering what we know about those funds being spent in it and and I'm I'm contemplating is there a causation or a correlation to IEPs is being improved with placements at our feeder districts that we're then inheriting. Um that that that could be something that is around this disproportionate spend in 5,000 that SRTA has identified. >>

162Yeah. So, so just high level big picture, this may or may not be Santa Rosa, but high level big picture where we usually find discrepancies from just the the average um it's going to be to two areas. So one special education and the first question we will ask whether we're FIMMAT or school services or loose we want to know how many of our students are on IEPs in comparison to surrounding school districts. Right? So nationally the average of for a school district to have students on IEPs is 14%. If we're at 20% that's a reason why we might be spending more on the 5000s than the average school district. And so that's one of those places we go looking to is how do we compare in terms of percentage of our students on IEPs. We

163can then go another layer by looking at the the severity of the of the disabilities that are identified. The other place is transportation. Um sometimes when we see school districts, right, we we we generally like to point out as an average um we spend anywhere between 85 to 90% of our of our dollars on people. If that's different for a school district, it's usually in how we do transportation. Do we do transportation inhouse? So, we have bus drivers and buses or do we contract it out? And if we contract it out, it's in the 5800s and the 5100 object votes. And so, those are the two places we go looking to to see are we outliers because of some difference there. And and I want to be clear, it's always hard when we have budget

164conversations because fundamentally so much of our budget is tied to the people providing good services and those good services being the education our children receive. So it it's hard to talk about in the the money way without acknowledging that that all of this is actually people and in important services. Um in that context we provide more special education services for our students within our programs than most the other districts in part because of their sizes. So when a student transfers to us, they uh they may have a placement for a support that we actually could provide in-house at a more effective uh cost basis um and potentially even at a higher quality in most of the cases. Um, is is there a feeder district's placements potentially a place where we could actually reduce fund is

165there actually a cost savings in special education, not just a management of it if we were able to work with our feeder districts around those types of placements? >> My short answer is I don't know yet. Um, Lisa, anything any data points you can add as we consider how how we might go around doing that? I think this is part of, you know, as we think about special education as a whole and the way that we approach it. Um, we have been expanding services and doing, you know, fee for service. I would imagine that through that process and I look to John to um you know maybe provide some some context around that around how that could impact budget. For one, as we're serving our feeder school districts with placements, that does lower our costs

166of of providing those services. But when we have placements where students are coming with say a non-public school placement that is equivalent to a program that we could offer. Yes, we can typically offer it cheaper. However, that would be I believe a change in placement that would need to h happen through the IEP process. So, right >> and don't >> expert speak >> turn blue testing. Okay. Um so the the it's a it's an interesting point and may help us towards now and towards the future with respect to our our fee for students feifer service students the vast majority of those are um students who are placed by our feeder districts and I at this year we have 24 right now that are placed from other districts some are a little bit further field but

167mostly from our feeder districts from Riot Rosland etc. Um, I think a potential longer term solution or thing we can work with our feeder districts is to um encourage them to avail themselves of the programs we're running essentially as a quasi consortium where we are working in partnership with our feeder districts to serve those students before they get a SCOP placement at $107,500 or a non-public school placement. So if we can uh eventually serve those students who are eventually going to be ours in the elementary school districts that I think is going to be uh fiscally very positive for us. Uh when we inherit a student from a feeder district uh yes we can have a transition IEP and attempt to bring the student back but in most cases in cases unless we want to

168go into litigation a parent can basically refuse. they can um it's called stay put and they can refuse to sign the IEP. We've generally been very successful because I think we offer excellent programs and uh the folks touring our programs uh desire to come to our programs. But if we can work with our feeder districts to bring those students into our system earlier again then um I I think it'll be a very positive development for us whether we have sort of a formal partnership arrangement with our feeder districts or we're as we are now we're contracting with them under under master agreements. I don't know if that addressed what you were questioning. I think my question is specifically to the strategy of managing special ed versus trying to reduce special ed expenditures. I I think

169we've seen with the relationship with SCO that were able to provide as we've been bringing classrooms back >> a comparable if not superior um service with our special ed teachers leading the way on that um at a lower cost point. and our non-public school placements specifically that we're inheriting from feeder districts appear to be several million dollars that um our programs we offer and we offer them at a higher quality at a lower cost. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I will say with respect to to non-public schools, and we've looked at data on this, um the non-public schools theoretically are supposed to be relatively short-term placements for a student to come back. In our county, at many non-public schools, they are not that a student will go into a non-public school in second grade and

170stay. Um to call out a name, Anova is is a well-known example, great program, etc. But the the parents become very invested in that program. So, uh, again, in terms of managing costs, if we can work with our feeder districts and develop our programs, potentially offer seats and partnerships with feeder districts, we're going to be able to serve those students before the parents get super invested in that non-public school, and they're very difficult to bring back. Um, we've with respect and I I think I've mentioned this before with at least a couple of our non-public schools, we made very serious efforts to bring back back students and and I will say it in at least in one case it ended up in litigation. Um, and that is that the again the parents become very invested

171in the non-public school and the non-public schools at the same time have an interest in in maintaining that. So I I think the point in terms of managing is is well said. If we can get to those or work with those families, second, third grade from our feeder districts before they become, I'll say, embedded in the non-public school system, I think we'll have a a a better chance to reduce our non-public school out of district placements, which we we typically inherit. >> Thank you. And I do have more questions not related to special ed, but I want to go to Trusty Deator Tori because I think your question probably is related to special ed. So, I just want to say I have the extreme honor of sitting with um John Fischer and the special education

172task force and something that is really being lifted up as we discuss this management of special education funding is every team and discussion is through the fiscal lens of responsibility and stewardship. And when we discuss special education, um, all students are students and all students need to have opportunities to be in general education that we are providing at the highest level. And it's not only a matter of looking through the lens of how we work with our feeder districts for proper identification and application of those interventions, but it's how do we intervene with our students and families at an earlier level to provide the supports that are necessary that may not need to be an IEP or a 504 that can build social, emotional, healthy awareness within that student. um partnered with the family. That's

173where we can see some real savings with special education. The earlier we identify and get to these families and give them the help they need. It may not be an IEP or a 504. It may be appropriate scaffolding and pushing and pull out models that can really align that we're not waiting till the student gets to our secondary program and have to spend more money to try and give them help through outside placements or more expensive placements within our district. So, um, the team's working on it. That's what they're doing in-house. Sarah, that's one thing that this district's doing as a team to look at it. Um, and losing the physical team are looking at the numbers to help us see where to identify that. Well, any other questions on special ed before I move

174to my next question? >> All right. Thank you, Dr. Fischer. Uh loose my my next question. We um we have several thousand letters here that basically say we can't wait and I don't think any of us believe that we can't wait. Um the tools that we have available to us this year you know in the private sector you you kind of have all the tools right at will state all those things you can cut programs immediately. Can can you go through what tools we have available as far as being able to cut expenses in the current year? Um, you know, are we able to do reductions in force? Are we able to cut programs? Are we able to release unrepresented staff? Um, are we able to, you know, what what are the things that we

175can do in the current year? >> The things we Oh, you're muted. Sorry. the things we can do and are doing um are well I'll I'll give some I'll give some specific examples. So when it comes to positions we are fairly limited in what we can do but where we have opportunities we take advantage of them. So, as an example, if we have a position in central office where that person resigns to move on to another opportunity at another school district, if we can keep that position vacant, we keep it vacant. Right? So, that's very specifically something we have done. As we get the request to to recruit for positions, each one is analyzed by cabinet and the determination is made. Do we have to fill it? Right? That's usually a classroom teacher. We have

176to fill it. And then for the ones where we can actually hold, we hold for the ones that we have been holding that I expect very very much to be a part of that December um work. we take to you where we we will take to you the positions we have frozen and ask to eliminate them. Right? Once we eliminate them, we get to generate those savings across the multi-year. So, we don't just get the benefit of one-time savings in the current year for a frozen position. We get the benefit of eliminating the position and the savings on an ongoing basis. And so for any position where it's become vacated um that where we're we're holding where we can and we'll we'll bring to the board what we what we think we can eliminate. Um

177where we have opportunities for supplemental pay control. We're looking at those and you've seen those, right? We've had the conversations about the car stipens and taken some action there. We've had the conversations about vacation leaves and taken some action there. So where we can manage and control some of those savings, we are um I mentioned the licenses piece that we're going to be auditing. Um I while I very much believe in local control and I want those opportunities for for input and feedback, um I also I feel very much the urgency of getting things done. And so earlier you had posed the question of like I'm saying we can and you're saying we will. The the plan is to engage with others as we're looking through auditing the things like licenses, but I I want

178to stress we are we we've got a time crunch here. We're on a compressed timeline. So we're going to be asking to take some action in in December and then again in in February. We'll be doing everything we can to be able to to hear from folks, but it will it will be an imperfect process to ensure that we're able to maintain local control. >> I appreciate the examples of the things that we can do, but I just want to be really clear. We we can't reduce force now. We can't do lay, you know, like you hear out of San Francisco companies doing layoffs. That's the way that they're handling this. We don't have that ability. whether it was a good idea or not. Superintendent August to talk about that an example uh that we

179did this year is we had an admin a site administrator who who resigned. They were split between two sites. That position was not reflown. We redistributed or re you know we moved district office staff. So a6 assignment out of educational services is now assigned they have a split position 4 at the district office 6 at LC Allen high school we had one of our program managers same thing took the other portion of that assignment um now reduced point4 at the district office and that point4 is at Ridgeway High School. Those are the things that that where we can make adjustments in the current year, but we don't we can't force something in the current year aside from something like that. >> Yeah. The employees we have today are the employees we will have through the

180end of the fiscal year unless they volunteer to separate from the school district. And that's why the county's very clear, Figma is very clear, CDE is very clear that the ending fund balance that we have, we will not be able to solve this year. That's not an expectation anyone has set on us because we can't go in and and do any layoffs for the current year. All of our those big solutions for the structural deficit will come in the following year. >> My last round of questions, Trusty Datory. Yeah, go ahead. I make a motion to extend the meeting to 11:30, please. >> Is there a second? >> We're about to move to public comment. >> Second. >> It's been moved and seconded. Just to be clear, at 10 p.m. I'm required by law basically

181to adjourn our meeting if we don't extend it. So, um, It's been moved and seconded. Yeah. Let's go to roll call. Or actually, let me just ask. >> Anyone opposed? >> Can I ask a question? >> Ask the question. So, if we don't vote yes though, it clo it's it's over at 10, right? >> Correct. >> Right. But you can go. It can be until 11:30. It if it gets over before then, fantastic. But if we don't approve it at 11:30 currently, then it has to go. >> It ends at 10 and we can only extend it once. So if we did a shorter time period and we wanted to extend it again, we would not be able to. >> These are all this is the law and policy. We can't change that tonight. I

182think we I pretty much would like to though. No. >> All right. >> Anyone opposed? Okay. Does that mean you're supporting? >> Sure. >> Okay. Passes unanimously. We're extending to 11:30. Um, any other questions? Seeing no questions, we're going to move to public comment on the item. We have 90 seconds. Um, the board's not going to take a break as we're moving through this, but I need four of us to stay at up here when we're doing this. So, if you're rotating to use the bathroom, there is one straight back. So, go that way and and back. So, but I need four of us up here. All right. uh Don Newfeld, followed by Ian Meyers, followed by Britney GS. Thank you. Now, Don, >> I was just told by a colleague to keep it clean.

183Um, but as I sit here for hours of the board asking questions that are not being answered, that are just being talked around. Um, I'm getting more and more frustrated. So, I'm going to ask some questions of my own. I realize I will not get answers tonight, but I want to ask them anyway. My name is Don Newfeld. teach English and ALD at Pioner High School. And I have some questions. What is your role as a board of trustees to hold district personnel accountable, to oversee how we spend money, to require efficiency and truthfulness? Who holds district leadership accountable for the way they run things and for the reports they give? Who holds them accountable for accuracy and transparency? Why is the district office so slow in providing financial information when asked for it? Why

184are you, the board, and the district, not enlisting help to clarify what the numbers really are and what solutions are out there? What in the world is happening with the 5,000 category? And why can't you get a clear answer about it from anyone at the district? Why are teachers and staff members being asked to remedy the problems created by those running the district? Why am I as a single parent living in one of the most expensive cities in California who also has to pay a lot for child insurance or for health insurance every month for me and my child? Why am I being asked to take furlow days? >> Thank you. >> And pay cuts. >> Thank you. That is your time. Me and Myers followed by Britney Eids followed by Steve Schultz. >> Thank

185you. Good evening everybody. Uh SRTA is speaking as a leadership group tonight as one continuous voice. I think everybody in this room wants the same thing and that is to avoid state takeover or receiverhip. We know that our students would the one will be the ones to make the biggest sacrifices right if we fall into receiverhip. They're the ones with going to have larger class sizes, fewer programs, fewer supports, um, and that loss of local control can last for decades. We appreciate you guys asking good questions tonight. SRTA would argue that uh, this board does in fact still need to bring in other experts to help with this budget situation, right? We believe that CTA can be asked to come in uh, and the district can be directed to bring those experts in. Uh, and

186there can be absolutely nothing um that comes out of that besides more information. I've heard a lot of night a lot tonight about rising sped costs and teacher salaries, right? Being the blame for this. Um, that's a little hard to hear, right? Because other districts have equal rising sped costs and yet they balance the budget. Uh, we make 11% below state average. um that implies that other districts pay at average or above average and still balance the budget. Um so the immediate question is why aren't we doing more now? Why aren't we stopping spending? Right? We are spending more today than we are bringing in. The budget gets worse each day, each week, each month. >> Thank you, Ian. Uh Britney Gettys followed by Steve Schultz followed by Margie Bradyong. In September, we were told

187that the budget was 15 million below our needed reserves. But the new data from this report shows things are getting worse week by week. For example, books and supply spending hasn't gone down, it's gone up. It's now projected to be nearly 3 million higher than last year and almost 2 million higher than what was in the adopted budget. Services and operating costs are also increasing, almost 3 million more than last year and 4 million higher than budgeted. And remember that Santa Rosa City Schools spends 24% of our total budget in this category, while the rest of the school districts in the state average 12%. This is the clearer category in which to find cuts, not staffing. Yet tonight, you spent 20 minutes discussing a few thousand stipened and not a moment spending nearly 30 million

188more in state average on operating costs. Increased spending like this is not the actions of a district in crisis. They're the actions of a district spending as though everything is fine when it's not. CTA also found that the restricted reserve, which the adopted budget said would spent down by 2 million, is actually increasing by nearly 1 million. That means the district isn't following its own plan for how reserves should be used in a crisis. The result of budget adoption, the district expected is its deficit to nearly double from 8.2 million to 15.7 million. Now, based on the pre first interim numbers, the deficit is projected to almost triple to 22.7 million. Let that sink in. >> Thank you, Steve Schultz, followed by Margie Brady Long, followed by Angela Giggliosi. >> Thank you. I'm Steve Schultz.

189Let that sink in. A $22.7 million deficit. And yet, somehow the district continues to assure everyone that things are under control. CTA's fiscal experts have been clear. This focus on simply maintaining cash flow for payroll is misleading and dangerously shortsighted. It might keep the lights on through June, but it does nothing to address the underlying structural problem. If $22 million in cuts are still needed next year, how are we going to avoid state receiverhip? We cannot cut or delay our way out of this without a serious informed plan. And that's why we're calling for outside experts to step in, bring in CTA, demand that CTA come in and help us. The district is not taking this seriously enough. We just spent 20 minutes talking about a couple thousand stipen and not talking about the $30

190million overstate average on operating expenses. And that's why we're looking for the experts. Despite all this, we continue to see a lack of urgency from district leadership. We've heard statements all night long that Santa Rosa City Schools is already working with school services of California and Fikmat, etc. What we hear is that SCO has been working with our district on this problem for over a year now, over a year. Yet in that year, things have gotten much, much worse. And doesn't SCO ultimately approve our budgets? The same budgets that have had millions in decades to year. Next speaker is Margie Brady Long, followed by Angela Gigglani, followed by Amanda Park. >> I'm Margaret Boon as Margie Brady Long. Um, we know Superintendent August and acting CBO Kazeris are working on things as fast as possible,

191but the reality is the budget has only gotten worse since Superintendent August was CBO, and we have yet to see any turnaround since acting CBO Cazeris has been helping with the budget. Instead, we continue to go over budget. The board is not being is being told not to worry because Spikmat is coming to help, but the scope of their engagement is too narrow and the fiscal health analysis report planned for December. Is it comprehensive enough? Are we doing enough? I don't think we need experts to tell us what we know. Our fiscal health is as bad as it gets. We're on the verge of becoming the 11th district in the history of California to be taken over. 11th ever. The district plan to cut just over three million this fiscal year to maintain cash flow

192is dangerously inadequate. We do not understand the rationale. How can anyone believe that saving a few million will meaningfully change our trajectory? Why are we not adjusting the budget now as much as you can? Lessen the deficit, lessen the draconian cuts that will need to be made next year and take control of this year's spending. What is the long-term plan to avoid state takeover? Are we looking longterm in any concrete ways or just broad strokes? What are the specifics in the plan? From where we stand, there isn't a plan, only vague assurances that everything will be fine. >> Thank you. Margie Brady Long, followed by Angela Gigglasa, followed by Amanda Park. >> Angela Gigglata here. It's not fine. Every delay means deeper cuts later. And yet we still depend spend board meetings discussing boundary changes

193for f further consolidations adding charter schools etc. Meanwhile the 500 500 more students left our district last year and students are already feeling it. They're seeing programs cut, class sizes grow, counselors and specialists stretched thin. Beloved teachers leaving our district for financial stable districts. These are not abstract numbers. These are real world consequences of poor management and denial of that management. Now is the time for leaders to lead. In the last 3 weeks, we met with all seven board members and specifically made requests to direct the district office to take action to bring three outside agencies to help recommendations and give recommendations together. SRTA was very disappointed to learn that this was not even placed on the board agenda, but I do appreciate every single one of you that brought it up tonight. How can

194it hurt to get more information? How can it hurt to get more experts in? The more information means more informed decisions. Inviting school services, FITME, and CTA to work together to conduct a full fiscal review will only strengthen your understanding, not weaken it. If the goal is truly to protect students. >> Thank you very much. >> So, is Margie in this line? Just No. Thank you. All right. Amanda Park followed by Katherine How followed by Ashley Bell. >> If the goal truly is to protect students, transparency and outside guidance should be welcomed. And I would like to acknowledge the board members tonight for asking some of those hard questions that need to be asked. If Santa Rosa City Schools enters receiverhip, do we want to look back and regret not asking for help and the

195hard questions that go with it? Is this board buying into the narrative that district management truly has this under control? Clearly, those in charge are not making the financial decisions needed to the right to ship. We continue to deficit spend. If not insisting for help leads to 20 or more years of receiverhip, who will be the ones living that nightmare for the next two decades? Not this board, not this district cabinet, not this teacher. Only our next generation of students and our teachers currently in their 20s and early 30s. They will bear this burden. They will be the ones left in the classrooms trying to pick up the pieces, doing more with less, and explaining to families why their children's schools no longer have the resources they once did. Please don't be the board who

196ignored the warnings and dismissed the experts. You have the power right now to prevent that future to show you to show this community that you are willing to face reality, seek help, and act in the best interests of our students. Thank you, Katherine How, followed by Ashley Bell, followed by Tyson Rustler. >> Uh, in closing up this chain speech, I want to say thank you for the robust conversation tonight. Um, but we are still urging you to fully acknowledge this true crisis scale of this crisis. Currently just looking for cash flow uh flash, sorry, it's late. cash flow cuts we feel is not going to get us there. Don't wait. Ask for more help and get some recommendations from some of these agencies that can help us make these restructuring budget restructures. Now, we also

197need you to commit to full transparency with staff and the community about your findings, about your next steps. Broad strokes are not good enough. We need numbers and we need a plan. And we need you to share that plan with the community to show us how you're going to do this. How are you going to keep us from state receiverhip? Santa Rosa students deserve stability, opportunity, and hope. They deserve a school district that puts their future above pride or politics. They deserve a board that listens to the facts and chooses decisive action over denial. Let's put the students first. act before the state acts for us and takes the steps necessary to protect our schools, our teachers, and our community. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Ashley Bell, followed by Tyson Tyson Wrestler, followed by

198Kristen Reed. >> Ashley Bell, Santa Rosa High School. Santa Rosa City Schools remains in financial distress. Despite layoffs and consolidations, the situation remains dire. Amy Carter and the district management are eager to lay the blame on staffing costs. But frankly, that is a deceptive argument that doesn't tell the truth or solve the problem. Much like our colleagues at SCO, classroom personnel numbers have shrunk while the district office staff has grown. While elementary schools have been consolidated and middle schools have moved on to high school campuses, while there are reports of full classrooms and services being provided in closets, management is renting space for tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars intended for schools facilities every month justifying their luxurious offices because the monthly cost includes utilities. The solution isn't complicated and the bur burden isn't going

199to be able to be borne by sight staff and students again. The solution is simple. District office staff should be reduced by at least 35% and the services and other operating expenditures portion of the budget needs to be reduced significantly. In comparable districts, that portion of the budget is 12%. At San Rosa City, it's 24. That is a clear place to cut, not in classroom personnel, supplies, textbooks, or teacher pay. Asking teachers to get a 6% pay cut when they are already paid 11% below the state average is criminal and gross, especially when the number of district office personnel have increased. The services and other operating expenditures category is more than twice what it should be and management failed to meet the legally required classroom personnel funding minimum last year. The state requires 55% of

200the budget to be spent on classroom personnel. Last year they spent less and this year they want to seek a pay cut. A 6% pay cut is a permanent cut that impacts every year of earning for the rest of a career and that is somehow comparable to the sacrifice of cell phone and car stipens. The San Rosa City School Board needs to demand answers, a thorough analysis from Fickmat, and input from labor. The late argument is that staffing is the biggest percentage of the budget. >> Thank you, >> Tyson Rustler, followed by Kristen Reed, followed by Isold Gist. >> Uh, good evening members of the board. My name is Tyson Resler and I teach science at Maria Creo. I work hard to serve my students and I need to know that I have the support

201of competent administrators who are doing their jobs. I was shocked to hear that our district is in the worst shape that the CTA has seen in 25 years. Every district is in declining enrollment. Teachers here are paid 11% less than the state average. That means most districts pay better and balance their budgets. Your underpaid and overworked teachers didn't create this mess. The bloated and unaccountable district office did. You just spent over $370,000 tonight before discussing the budget. Stop. Stop wasting time. Don't talk about anything that doesn't save money this year because if it doesn't, it doesn't matter. It won't be your call to make once the state steps in. Make cuts away from the classroom. The core mission of the school district is to place students with caring and qualified teachers. This absolutely should be

202the largest budget item. This is what we do. 7 to 12 is a mess. There's no evidence that school consolidations have saved money. Radical changes like this have, in fact, cost money. according to the CTA have also driven over 500 students to flee our district. We need to be attracting students and qualified educators, not scaring families away. Instead of cutting out our own heart, cuts need to be made to services and operating expenses, which is double what it should be, and our topheavy district management. Eliminate wasteful outside contractors. Cancel every contract you can. Bring these services inhouse where our qualified educators can serve. Thank you, Kristen Reid, followed by Isold de Gist, followed by Pete Parkinson. >> Good evening. My name is Kristen Reid and I teach at Montgomery. I'd like to express my concerns

203regarding the district's ability to negotiate this budget crisis. You had your shot to save money on the backs of classroom teachers, site admin, and site classified staff already when you made plans to consolidate school sites. Despite an overabundance of skepticism, we attended those empower meetings because we wanted to make the best of the misguided path you set us on. There were a lot of promises made, a lot of asurances given. And a lot of requests for trust. Many of those promises have been broken. Many of those asurances have been forgotten. And many future requests for trust will be denied. Like the one right now. Too many times, district administrators have promised and assured stakeholders, including all of you board members, that they have things under control and know exactly how to solve the budget issues.

204And as with the aforementioned broken promises and forgotten asurances, they're grossly overexaggerating their capacity to identify and implement solutions. What reason or evidence is there for trust? Their numbers have been comically wrong multiple times. Bring in outside entities. Get the deeper dive. Go beyond what is being done with them already. Ask Fickmat school services and CTA to go further and help us. >> Stop asking the foxes to manage the hen house. They're just going to keep devouring the hens. And who's going to take care of the chicks? >> Thank you. As old Gist, followed by Pete Parkinson, followed by Donna Gibson. Uh Pete Parkinson or I sold I'm assuming is not here. Thank >> Pete Parkinson followed by Donna Gibson followed by Moren Cecil. >> Good evening. Uh I'm the chair of the site council

205here at Santa Rosa High School. But I'm here tonight in my capacity as a parent of a Santa Rosa High student and as a community member. I want to talk about communication and impact. It's really no secret to you folks, I'm sure, that this board and this district has a real trust problem in the community. Trust with staff, trust with teachers, trust with students, trust with parents, and trust with the community. And the communications from the district have been atrocious and have and have really contributed to that trust problem. I got to tell you, uh, Trusty Kirby, you mentioned the the so-called transparency website. I got to tell you, I went to that and I looked at it. It's impenetrable. It is not helpful. It really isn't. And it's just not landing in the community.

206And and you folks need to know that. Um, so what the district needs, I think, is to be able to tell a story that takes these numbers and these spreadsheets and puts them into a jargon-free narrative that is relatable, that is honest, and helps us answer the questions about how we got here. What are our options for getting out of this problem? And most importantly, what are the impacts on the students, the staff, and the schools? And it's this impact part that worries me a great deal because I don't think we've come to grips with I'm running out of time. Can I have another minute? No, unfortunately. Thank you very much. Uh but you're welcome to please send us emails. Donna Gibson followed by Morin Cecil followed by Pam Carbowski. Hi, my name is Donna

207Gibson and I'm here to address the district's excessive use of outside agency staff in our special education classrooms and the misuse of educa uh special education funding at Lincoln Elementary School. Every ESN classroom from TK to 6th grade has four assistants at $55 an hour, $350 a day, and six uh 1,650 a week for one person. Uh when you multiply that by the four staff, it's $6,000 a week for one classroom. No other district in Sonoma County staff CNN classrooms as heavily as Santa Rosa City Schools. Most have two and at the most three assistants per classroom. If the district believes these staffing levels are necessary, then the contract should be renegotiated, not ignored. Um, and if it's happening at Lincoln, it's likely happening at other sites, too. Our students absolutely deserve the support. And

208um, but it must be from district employees, not outside contractors. The district should be investing in recruitment and retention of classified staff, not funneling public education dollars to outside agencies. It's not acceptable to ask certificated staff to take a 6% pay cut while continuing this kind of spending. Our district uh must prioritize fiscal responsibility and integrity of our contract. Thank you. >> Thank you. Moren Cecil followed by Pam Carbowski followed by Joshua Lewis. >> Hello. Um my name is Moren Cecil. I teach at Piner High School. Um and thank you. I know there have been a lot of good questions asked tonight and I really implore the board to keep asking. First and foremost, Lisa August, who is now our interim superintendent, was at the helm of our business office, the CBO for the last

209three years, I do believe, maybe longer. Um, but second, I think that's a huge problem and that should be looked into because that was on your watch. Second, um, when you make a budget, a budget needs to be less than the money you bring in. Our budget that was approved for this year was $15 million in the hole. I can't do that. I would be without a job, a house. I would be without a car or food or anything. Okay. Uh, second one. Lots of people have talked about the 5000s, but it has ballooned to 24% of the budget when the state average is 12%. There's got to be more there than what has been talked in circles without giving us actual answers. And if I come to a meeting, I have all the info

210I need. I don't go to my classroom and hope that something will come to me. I also don't tell them that, oh, I don't have that answer today. Let me come back to you tomorrow every single time I'm asked a question. We need people who are actually going to answer questions and find real money. Otherwise, we're going to be taken over by the state, and that isn't a dream. That's reality. >> Thank you. Uh Pam Karowski, followed by Joshua Lewis, followed by Will Lion. >> Good evening. My name is Pam Kowski and I was a PE teacher at Brook Hill and Bella, but we all know what happened to those schools. So now I am at Burbank in Hidden Valley where I was welcomed with open arms at both schools. Being in the district for

21112 years, like Sarah asked earlier, how did we get to where we are at today? How can we possibly think it's okay to have the state take over? This needs to be avoided at all cost. What is your plan for this to not happen? We need to look at who made the mistakes, the errors, and who continued to spend the money that we didn't have. I will tell you it wasn't the teachers. Yet, there is talk of cutting 6% of our salary, our salary. How is this right? We are already below. We are already 11% below the state average. We have been doing all we have been asked and more. We give our students a stable learning environment. We love and care about them. We go above and beyond to help them to be successful

212and we continue to take on more. If we make cuts to teacher salaries, teachers will leave our district. In turn, this will affect our students and we need to make sure we are making cuts away from the students. Thank you. >> Joshua Lewis followed by Will Lion. I am Joshua Lewis, special education teacher at LC Allen High School. Um, if you know me at all, I I really like to work with humor. So, I'm going to come to you uh from a personal level. The SRTA leadership has done a really good job of saying everything I wanted to say. Um, so I'm going to say person speak uh speaking personally, I'm bad with money. Like personally bad with money. Um, my mom helps me sometimes with money when when I screw up. My mom's not

213going to give you money. There's thousands of letters there saying that y'all are bad with money too, right? We got to get better. So, I think I really want to acknowledge the humility you guys have shown that we need help. CTA, Fickmatt, your neighbors, anybody. I YouTube it, right? Uh something. But, Trusty Jenkins, I so appreciate you asking how did we get here? Because in 12 months, we're going to ask the same question. Um and the result will be different. I have confidence that we're going to get through this, but we're going to ask how we got here. And one of the ways we're going to get through this is by looking at that 5000s category. It's mind-blowing that my school LC Allen, we almost vacated Southwest Santa Rosa without having looked at that 5000s

214category, right? Like what are we going to say next year in 12 months is like, "Holy cow, why didn't we look at that?" So, we need to ask for help now and get the help and look at stuff diligently and then we can hopefully have some good results. That's it. Thank you. >> Thank you, Will. Lion. >> I'm Will Lion. I teach English, coach wrestling, and I'm a parent at Santa Rosa High School. I wanted to explain why I booed when the CBO called teacher salaries a giveaway. The only giveaway is the millions of dollars of unpaid overtime that our teachers give away to this district every year. We're 11% below the state average, which should be embarrassing. A few years ago, we were 15% below the state average and we were the fifth most

215expensive city in the country for teachers. So to point the finger at teachers like we're the problem, it's it is offensive to us. To me, I'll speak personally. I'm offended when I hear the word giveaway. We are hard hardworking teachers like all over the country. We're not any better and we're not any worse, but we're paid 11% less than the state average. The state law requires us to spend 55% of our money on classroom teacher salaries and compensation. And every year for decades, we've been at 55.1 55.2. And this year, for the first year ever, we're at 52%. 3% less on our bargaining unit than the law requires. So if you say you can't pay us any more, really you can't pay us any less. I haven't heard that explained, but that is a problem.

216Respectfully, I stand by my boo. >> I'll give you a comment. Well, I'm going to bring it back to the board. Um, before we ask any follow-up questions and discussion from the board, I just want to get responses to some of the questions that were brought up in public comment. Um, there was a question or or a concern around us just focusing well, I guess there was a concern in both directions on this. It was just focusing on this year and not looking at the bigger picture, but then also needing to focus on this year um, first. if you whoever is appropriate if you could just address that concern specifically that we're focused on more than just you know what are we focused on? >> Sure. And Liz can can expound on on this if

217if we if she's um prepared to. I'm sure she is. But there are two things to be solved for. Again, the most urgent piece is the cash flow. That does not mean that we are not also working to solve the structural deficit. We have some of the tools affect both most affect only one. And so that's where we have the 2.8 to solve for this current year which is the question about what is the amount that or what stops state takeover. It is maintaining our cash. There's that piece of it and we can't only focus on making sure that we meet that cash obligation. It is on fixing the the ongoing structural deficit and that is not something that we have the tools to do in the current year. So I'm just reiterating the information

218that that L shared earlier which is that we do not have the tools available to fix it in the current year. That is not an expectation because it's not the option. We are working to reduce as much in the current year as we can. However, concurrently we are working on that structural deficit piece and we have timelines very clearly laid out for that. >> But but to clarify our actions we have to take as the board actions this year for next year. So we will we will be acting this year. It's just for next year. Correct. So that final action occurs in February. >> And then uh one of the other concerns that was brought up was concerning recruitment and retention of CSCA. And to juxtapose that against uh what loose was saying earlier around

219the concerns that we received from SCO and others about our labor contracts. Can we can we talk about potential savings that we're seeing from the recruitment of CSEA employees within the 55,000s >> to the more that we're able to recruit and hire our own instructional assistants versus a contracted aid? Yes, absolutely. That is project that would be a a cost savings. What we have seen happen in at least I I know of one case specifically. I don't know how many others that we have actually made an offer to an employee who or to a contract aid to come work for us. They accepted and then were offered more by that employment agency. So it's it's this vicious cycle that that's definitely causing an issue and compounding the the concerns that we have. It was definitely

220helpful the negotiations that we had with CSEA to improve the pay for our for the classified aids that definitely has made an impact. We have had some recruitment but not as much as we would have as we would like. >> And one second it's it's with the board right now. Um and then there was a comment made about uh restricted reserve. Um, can someone address and explain the different numbers we heard about the restricted reserve? Uh, loose, I think we're pointing to you. >> I don't know that I recall the comment that was made about restricted reserves. Can you repeat what the comment or >> My understanding is that there that we were showing that we were increasing our reserve when we had intended or directed to spend down the reserve. >> Ah, yes. So

221let's um let's let's go back a couple of steps. So one the solutions that are listed on that slide um in the slide deck are for budget and cash. So three aims. One cash ensuring we have enough cash when we need it. The second is restoring our reserves and those are one-time adjustments that we'll need to that one time solutions we'll be needing. And then there's the structural deficit. So those are three types of solutions that we are looking to for some will be for board approval and some are management prerogative and we'll be bringing those all forward for for the board. So okay so those three the three things are being solved for I want to make sure folks grasp that those are three different types of solutions um with regards to the reserves

222piece in particular. So, I described how we're looking at some of those ending fund balances and identifying appropriate and eligible expenditures to shift into those. We've not done that yet. So, in December, we'll have the first round of solutions for the board and in February, we'll have the second round of solutions for the board. The shifts to ending fund balance will not help will not help help cash. um they will not help the structural deficit but they will help restoring the the the fund balance reserves which is one of those three aims that we have. So the observation that was made by um uh by the member of the public um it it's not that it's wrong, it's just it's not we we've not done done the work yet, right? We're identifying the ones where

223we can make use of and shift some expenditures. We've not actually shifted those expenditures yet. That'll be a part of the December work, the February work. >> And this this isn't a we can, this is a we will. It's we are going to do that. >> Yes. The um the very specifically um I am looking to shift from unrestricted to restricted. I'm looking at about an $8 million target for the current year. So, I think another part I heard was that if we're only looking to solve $3 million, goodness gracious, no. Absolutely not. Are we looking to solve $3 million? Absolutely not. We have a structural deficit. We have a negative ending fund balance and we have negative cash expected at the end of June. It's those three things combined that we are aiming to

224solve. And the solutions start this year. And then my the last thing I want to clarify is that it is completely within the scope of this agenda item for us as a board in this discussion to provide direction to staff on seeking additional information um and help. And so that is a part and intended to be a part of our conversation. We were not looking to exclude that from the agenda. We just wanted that conversation to be a part of this broader conversation so that we could have it in the context of having the information to know what additional information, what additional help we should specifically be looking for. And so I appreciate the comments from the public. Um that is absolutely gerine to this conversation and um as a board we move in discussion

225here. We should be clear in identifying any specific areas that we want staff to go back and request help for. So, with that, uh, questions andor comments from the board. Trusty Jenkins and Kirby. >> Yeah, I guess my big question at this point is, well, I asked how did we get here? If we have to solve a $23 million budget deficit, we're not talking about closing schools somehow. Even though last year half of I thought about the same number was supposed to be done in school closures and consolidations. I'm just like, do you actually see a way honest? Like, honest to God, do we actually see a way out of this structural deficit that will I guess that's the question. Do you actually see a way out of the structural deficit when the number is

226$23 million? >> Bruce, >> the the structural deficit isn't 23 million. The structural deficit is that it's that 15 million mark, right? We talked about um gosh, it's only been weeks, but um right the 10 to 15 million range. That is your structural deficit. The the the that is the part of the work that the board will be approving December, some of in December. The district office reduction um piece of it will be then and then the rest of it will be February. At the same time, we're looking at replenishing the reserves. The reserves are one time still going to be painful, but I will tell you for um and I've said this to others, when when the solutions come before the board, the ones that are going to get attention are the ones that

227will deal with the ongoing structural deficit. The ones that will get less attention are going to be those one-time solutions, those shifts from unrestricted to restricted, the reductions in some of the supplemental pay, right? Those are one-time solutions. They will get less attention, not no attention, but less attention. The the hard stuff, what's going to really hurt where folks are really going to start to yell at us will be dealing with the ongoing structural deficit. That's what's really going to be painful for us. Do I see a way out of it? I don't see anything else. There isn't a choice. I agreed to take on this work to avoid receiverhip. That is why I'm here because I don't want to see another school district, take an emergency loan, and then deal with the burden of

228it for the next 20 years. I have served as a trustee. I have served as an adviser. I know what it means to stay have have stay and rescend authority over the board and I promise you we don't want that. There is no other choice. We will make the reductions that we have to. I've had the question asked me a couple times. So I wanted to clarify a question from the community. Um the reserve that we're targeting that it was 3% and then we changed our policy to aim for 10%. Even if we're talking 3%, is that is that 3% of our overall budget for the entire fiscal year or what what is that 3% number correlate to exactly? >> Right. So, it's the I think the question is 3% of what? So, 3% of

229what is the 3% of total expenditures in the general fund? um you'll see that number show up as part of like the form one where we have the general fund details. Um another place you will see a description of it that I I highly encourage the board and others to look through it's um it's called the criteria and standards and it's a part of every reporting period. So at first interim you'll get all of those lovely fun forms that are not userfriendly. Um, one of the forms, um, one of the maybe 20 25 pages of the of the document will be the the criteria and standards. And in there, there's there are some notes that describe the what's happening with the the the reserve requirement. And the reserve requirement we're establishing right now is for

230that 3% required reserve for economic uncertainties. um getting to the 10% policy that is an aspiration we will get to over time. Not this year, not next year, not the year after. Thank you. And then my final question is, oh gosh, it just left my brain. Um, oh yes, it's more of um hopefully some my personal opinion of a direction of um you know for the rest of this at least for the rest of this school year. If things are coming to us on our agenda with a dollar sign of any sort, there needs to be a crystal clear reason why it is coming up at any or any dollar amount. Um, I know that I pull consent items on the regular, but it's because we should not be spending money that we don't have.

231um as a single mom, shoestring budget, a variety of different life experiences, we can't spend money we don't have. And so for things to come to the board for action and for approval doesn't seem fair to the board if we're not the people who are actually in the trenches. Um, so I just would really like to have very crystal clear any dollar amount if it if it is coming to us for approval, there needs to be a really good reason. >> Trusty Kirby. >> Okay. Um, got several different areas. Um let's start with one thing that hasn't really come up and looking back and this is kind of from the uh finance subcommittee meeting was we I know it came up there about the let's talk about the 3000s uh the employee benefits how that

232uh that number has gone up significantly and I haven't heard us really talk about that it's more of a structural uh deficit area but Um, can you speak to the large increase in that area? >> Can uh Lisa, can you start there? So, one thing that affects that is a difference when we have a hard cap for health insurance versus a soft cap. For some of our bargaining unit, for some of our employees, we have a hard cap. So, a dollar amount cap per year that we contribute towards health benefits and that stays the same regardless of whether um health insurance costs increase or decrease or whatever. with the floating cap. So a split percentage of the cost that is where you're going to see a fluctuation because our dollar amount even though you know

233if so it increased say for some of our units or some of our employees from a 55% split to a 57% split. that 57% is the increase, but not only that, it's 57% of a larger dollar amount because the health insurance cost the premium increased. So it it's essentially it's no longer a known number that adjusts. So, how I guess how how do we budget for that in the future or how do we do is that part of the renegotiation uh or ongoing negotiations with our labor groups? Um h how do we address that structural deficit or bring it down hopefully? So, we want to be careful around talking about negotiation negotiable items in in public session. Um, as far as how we can predict those costs, we know what our percentage is that that

234would increase for this current for this upcoming year based on the agreement that we have. what we can look to are estimates from, you know, our insurers or or look to what they have been um to have an idea of what the average increase is. And and you know, that's how that's how we have to project that. Um that's part of, you know, why we we go and pay attention to what those trends are, why we, you know, why we go through that process. >> Great. Um, next to get uh back into the weeds a little bit on the 5,000 expenses. Um, so in digging through some of these, so I know we recently just signed uh the flat rate agreement with our legal team, but uh on the 5810 legal line, I see, you

235know, we had we had budgeted 981,000. We've only expensed 35,000 so far and it's showing 946,000 remaining. Um do do we have a better idea about how that's going to end up? Um >> I think the this year we're anticipating would be a high legal cost year uh for many reasons and so we are we're not expecting to reduce that budget um anytime soon. I think we would we would go all the way through estimated actuals before we made any adjustment. Um and we do have a contract in place that that sets the cap at that amount. Okay. I just wanted to make sure because that that money hasn't gone out as much as I would have assumed it would have gone out to this point, but uh you're saying it will get used. >>

236We anticipate >> projecting it will be used. >> Um next the maybe uh Joel maybe you can explain this a little bit. So on the 5510 lines since I think Lewis brought up the utilities section of it, there's one that says gas and then one says gas and electric and and again um there's a large amount remaining on the just the gas section. I don't know why that's separate from the gas and electric section, but it's showing uh only, you know, 45,000 expense with 628,000 remaining. Um, I'm not sure why there's a difference on those two lines. >> Yeah. >> I can talk. >> No, it needs to be recorded. >> Oh, absolutely. >> Okay. Yes. So, I can speak on that. So um we currently are presenting the brief first interim on the budget

237the revised budget line item and we've gone through all the accounts in great detail reviewing them looking at them speaking with uh the representatives that oversee those budget areas. For example, um the attorney's fees ones, we talked to that department. We recognize there is an agreement, but what hasn't happened is the the requisition encumbered process that you're looking for, which which is what you should be looking for. That is something that you would evaluate a budget against those two specific areas. Um, we we can look at getting that uh attorney budget encumbered, but the utility budgets, we do not write requisitions for those. That's not been our practice. We can revisit that practice, but um we get those bills and we pay them directly out of the uh accounts payable department. um they are budgeted

238based on a lot of analyzation but to have you know they read the meter and then um charge us. So we could relook at writing a requisition for those light items, but that just hasn't been our practice. But those are again every line item is included in the preferred interim that uh the budget we are if so through all the interim reports and budget we are looking at budget and then at the year end audit year end audit unodudit actuals is the first financial report we really look at those actuals. But you're asking the same questions that SCO asks us when they look at our budget. So those are very valid questions. Um I can assure you that there isn't any line item in the budget that LSE and I haven't looked at that we

239haven't taken into consideration. Is there an incumbrance for that? Is that is there any gotchas in there that uh maybe there is an uncovered item that isn't budgeted for? But those two specific areas in the legal services and the utilities, we feel strongly that that is a solid budget at this time. Okay, thanks for that. Um to Director Jenkins uh question about are we really watching the money goes out? So, I see also it I hate to even bring this one up because it's not it's directly impacts our students, but um the field trip transportation I see $210,000 still sitting there. Have we frozen all of our field trip authorizations for the year? So typically that's from the site discretionary funds and so it or fundraising that they've done. There are lots of different ways

240that those are that those are funded and so those aren't typically areas we have already reduced the site discretionary funds. So a lot of what we see coming forward are things that they've had donations for, you know, that they've done fundraising for or comes from a site discretionary fund. Okay, thanks. Um, lastly, so I know in our last meeting, was it the last meeting or maybe the one before I lose track? Uh, for example, we had the elementary school combination idea come come before the board and I thought I remember that we had asked for our direction was to bring it back with the cost savings that would be um perhaps gained by that. So I would >> scheduled to come back in December. >> Okay, perfect. Thank you. >> Trusty Dator. >> Thank you.

241Um Lisa, can you please remind us um if I recall correctly, after we voted on a budget stabilization plan, were we not immediately hitting a deficit with the change of special education funding? Yes, that is correct and that is one of the reasons why as we are looking why we relooked at whether to pursue becoming our own SULPA. So yes, that is certainly a factor and in fact a large factor over that multiplies um compounds over years uh for one because it was stepped into over a 2-year period. But we didn't know that dollar amount or what that step up would be until after those decisions were made until after around the time of second interim. And just to be very clear, um really love the word compound because it speaks volumes to uh what

242we were dealing with. These problems have compounded year after year. Um this is not something that just fell into our laps and it's not something that we are going to make a couple votes on this year and get out of. Um the state of public education funding for the state of California means we are going to be in these very uncomfortable conversations um for several years. We need to do incremental changes and structurally right our budget and how we do things so that we are chipping away at this year after year. We are going to talk about this again next year. We're going to talk about it the year after that. With declining enrollment, there's no way not to keep talking having these discussions. What we need to do is to see that deficit number

243drop and not have opportunities that we appear to be overspending and increase that number. Um so this is being looked at for a multi-year projection on how to solve this. Um the state isn't making it any easier and the declining enrollment is a huge factor that we're going to continue to struggle with. Pra um L you you said the structural decisions are going to be the things that hurt and that we get yelled at. And I think it's important for us to just say it out loud what that actually means. >> It is uh very specifically going to be staffing where most of those adjustments are going to be made. Maybe there will be something on the non-personnel side. I don't anticipate it would be anything significant because again we we can't cut back on

244those major pieces. We can't cut back on the special ed. We cannot cut back on utilities. We cannot cut back on insurance. We can't cut back on transportation. And so there's there's not a lot there. Anything that's on the discretionary side, I assure you we will look at and if we can if we can either cancel it, uh reduce it, defer it, um or charge it to a restricted, we will absolutely make those moves and make those recommendations. But overwhelmingly, we spend most of our dollars on people, right? And it makes sense that we do. We are we are a school system. It takes people to educate kids. That's where most of our dollars go. And when we when we need to make adjustments, it ends up being where we have to make most of

245the adjustments. >> And when you say staffing, because I want to get really clear about why it hurts. It means either how much we pay our staff or how many staff we have, which means how the quality and the scope of the education services we provide. >> That's right. Um during consolidation I had this wasn't something I said publicly but it was private conversations I had with folks where I was saying the consolidation conversation was in many ways the easier part of this conversation because it was where we were doing what we do not what we do and I feel like we don't I don't see any significant future savings out of additional conversations on where because as we've seen the impacts already so significant that, you know, maybe there's a little bit here and

246there about as we continue to to to flesh out the consolidation, but there's no there's no more. There's another $7 million um for next year in in new consolidation efforts, the where we do what we do. So, it's really coming down to the what we do and how we focus our resources. There's no is there any for there's no foreseeable way where we don't impact the classroom. We say we want to keep it away from the classroom but I want to think of this more about where are we focusing and we need to focus on having excellent education programs so that the students who have been born it isn't a part of a population decline uh choose to come to our schools. So, you know, as we're going through this, you know, what are those

247decision points that a parent and a student use to choose to be at a school and use that lens for focusing what we keep uh what we do well with the funds that we do have available so that we can actually attract the students to come because I I agree with Trusty Deator when he says that we're going to be here year after year after year unless we have that lens and we use that as a clear focus for this effort because the one thing we can do is attract the students who are here and we know we have been losing them to other districts. So when we look at the cuts we're going to make and the hurt that is going to happen, I think the first lens that we need to use is

248the lens of what is a parent, what is a student using when they select a school to send their child to? because if we don't get past that hurdle, we don't get the revenue and the ability to serve them. And that impacts every other student at that school by not having that. And I don't I mean, I can sit here and list all the things that that means that we're not going to be able to do. And it means that we're probably not providing a lot of support services that are very much impacting and supporting students in very sensitive situations. um in situations of need and that's not a good thing. It means that we need to call on the community, bring in partners, expand the call. It's not just FICMAT that we need help

249from. We need help from the folks who provide services that over the last 5 to 10 years we as a school district have taken on providing um with one-time funds that we didn't actually have any long-term funding solution to continue providing. Um there is a lot of support that has helped students through very important situations that the money disappeared. You know since 2015 I believe we've used onetime funds to build up what have been thought of as permanent support programs. So, you know, as we're going out and seeking the help, I think a core part of that needs to be the community partners who provide the services that we've added when we had those onetime funds and we're now taking away. Um, transparency is key and I I I I know that there is a

250tension between providing accurate information and providing fast information. Um, I know how hard it was for you to bring this information into us at this 6 weeks early and in what is very fast for the way government works. And I think on the reverse side, we need to get comfortable with the board receiving more preliminary numbers sooner um so that we're able to uh provide context, but that also necessitates the community understanding that when we receive those information, that those numbers that they're preliminary. And so, you know, part of the transparency is we need to be able to receive numbers that aren't final in order to have sooner information, but we can't um but then we can't be upset when those numbers change because we asked for soon for for for information to be come

251to us earlier. But I do believe we're in a place where it's more important for us to have a a a guidepost that may not be 100% accurate than it is for us to wait for it to be 100% accurate. Um, and that's just a sentiment I'll put back out there. I think I put out at the last meeting. I don't have anything else on this. I'll go to Trusty Deator and if there's any last comments, then we'll move to alternative education. officiatory. >> Just real quick, I want to said that I am very interested in seeking help where it sees fit um from other experts in this field. But that being said, I have no interest in spending 20 30 $40,000 requesting that help. Um so if there are ways to receive help from

252other experts in this field and it's being offered and it is not too much stress on our staff, I'm all for it. Um, but we need to be fiscally mindful and that doesn't mean we open the checkbook and hire a consultant to tell us something that we're continually working on. >> That was a core question for the board. Um, does anyone have a opinion on that that is counter to what Trustee Deator just outlined as far as seeking information? Right. Okay. I mean, I think that is a core direction from the board is we want to take all the assistance we can get that doesn't cost us money that wouldn't be recouped. And also recognizing the timeline we're on. Um, a 6-mon study does not help us in these decisions. So, uh, I would, you

253know, I'll reiterate I I look forward to seeing and I I asked CTA to send us directly the proposed cuts. Um, you know, I look forward to seeing that document. Um, and I also believe that we heard from Seth that they're asking for supports from VicMat and scope are probably best positioned to give us uh additional recommendations and cuts and we should explore everything we can with those folks that already know um and aren't asking us for more money. Jesse Jenkins, >> just one last thing from me on this topic is that um as we uh continue to engage our community partners, be that at the schools, be that just in the community in general, um if we could really make sure that we are really driving home the ADA stuff and specifically excused absences

254are not excused when it comes to dollars in our pockets. It's um and really like just continuing to drive that home. I heard it recently in the community at a different meeting of parents not understanding that and for it to be you know one day I the number I heard was one day one child is $60. So that on a big scheme is a huge number. for instance, if I, you know, with kids missing school yesterday, the day before Monday, um, with the following day, but just driving home the ADA stuff and any of our communications with any community partners, um, and how incredibly important that is. >> With that, I'm going to end item G2, uh, or G1. Um, with the approval of the board, I'd ask to suspend the agenda, wave presentation, and

255move to items G3 and four really quickly. Any objection, please? No. No objection. We're going to move to G3. We're waving presentation. Um, there's no public comments on this item. Do I have a motion? >> Motion to approve. The variable term waiver is being submitted for Deborah LRA. >> Is there a second? Second. >> All right. It's been moved by Trustee Deator, seconded by Trustee Kirby. Roll call, please. >> Trusty David Tory. >> Hi. >> Trusty Kirby. >> Hi. >> Trusty Jenkins. >> Hi. >> Trusty Pre. >> I. >> Vice President Casten. >> I. That motion passes unanimously. Uh item four, establishment of the annual organizing meeting of the board of education. We're waving the presentation. Do I have a motion? Moved by Trusty Jenkins, seconded by Trusty Deator. Roll call, please. Asking Clar. Not

256yet, please. So, as stated here, we're going to have a special meeting on the 17th organization meeting. Superintendent So it is on the it it was on our calendar to have on the 17th and doesn't mean that that it has to be on that date because we don't have any newly elected officials. So it could happen earlier. However, we have had that date scheduled also for the pivot charter hearing as well as the MTSS deeper dive study session. So several things on that on that night. >> So just confirmation that this means there would be a board meeting December 10th and December 17th. >> Correct. >> Trusty Kirby. And just to clarify, I I had this as a possible hold. So I I just want to be clear, I will not be here for that.

257I will be out of town. Um, I don't know if that matters, but >> I'm sure we can get to four. I appreciate it. >> Um, I mean, do we want to we can have it on the 10th and then have the 17th be an optional meeting that would be called if needed if that's what we want to do with the organizational meeting and that you'd be able to be there. We can move the organizational meeting to the meeting we know you'd be present for is what I'm saying. >> I mean, I'm okay with that. I I don't want to put everyone else out. Um but >> the organizational meeting. >> All right. Um I'm I I would support moving the organizational meeting to the 10th when we know we'd have a full board and

258we would still have the 17th meeting for the pivot charter hearing. Um is there any objection to Trustee Kirby's to doing that? >> That we would have the organizational meeting on the 10th. We'll still have two meetings, but we'd be moving the organizational meeting to the 10th when we know we'd have more board members present. >> Can we hold the 17th if needed? Put everything on the >> We we need the 17th. >> Yeah, we we will keep the 17th as a meeting. The organizational meeting will be on the 10th. >> And is pivot the only thing on the 17th? >> No, it's also the study session for the MTSS work. And I'm trying to remember the other item that was on the we have a couple of things that that need action. And just

259a reminder, the 10th is when we will be bringing the first round of reductions. It's also first interim. It's a pretty meaty. >> We have lots of things going on, but having more people for organization makes sense. So, okay. Any objections to the 10th for organization? 17th will be a board meeting. Seeing no objections, roll call, please. Trusty Jenkins. >> Hi. >> Trusty Deator Tator. >> Hi. >> Trusty Kirby. >> Hi. >> Trusty Pratt. >> Hi. >> Vice President Casten. >> I. U. Motion passes unanimously to have the organization meeting on the 10th and a board meeting on the 17th. >> Uh, with that we are going to move to item G2, alternative education updates. And I will let you all introduce yourself. So, thank you. >> Thank you, Superintendent August, Vice President Casten, members

260of the board, student staff, and community at Santa Rosa City Schools. Um, we are here to present an update in alternative education options, Santa Rosa City Schools. With that, I will turn um the microphone over to MT um MTSS and alternative education coordinator, Aaron Gelingory. >> Uh, thank you, Dr. Castro. Uh, Superintendent August, board members. Um, and thank you to Miss Gigatza and Miss Afronte for being here um to to help answer any questions about independent study as well. Um, I'm going to share my screen. Um, it's a short presentation on on alternative ed. Um, essentially alternative education programs are programs that are not our traditional comprehensive models. So they can be programs at schools or they can be schools themselves, things like Ridgeway, uh, the early college magnet program at Piner, um, ArtQuest, charter

261schools, etc. Uh currently the charter options in uh that are affiliated with San Rosa City Schools are Cesar Chavez Language Academy, Santa Rosa Accelerated Charter, San Rosa French American, San Rosa Charter for the Arts, and Kids Street Charter. Um, and then the alternative programs that we have in Santa Rosa include Ridgeway Continuation High School, uh, our independent study program. There is both short and long-term independent study. Uh, you may have heard uh, a visa. It is a rebranding of our independent study program. We are now um allow we have now changed some of our policies on uh the curriculum that can be used by teachers to include uh virtual curriculum as well as uh allowing families to meet virtually. And this change is to be competitive with uh other school districts and other programs out

262there as well as uh you know to to move our program forward and hopefully recoup some students that we've lost. Um other things include the grace program at Piner High School, University Center at LC Art Quest Early College Magnet at Piner, the IB program at Monty. Um for 2 years we've had uh night or evening credit recovery courses at various high schools um concurrent enrollment and our home and hospital program. Um the the remainder of the slides are really uh they're paraphrase definitions from the CDE around different models. I I I don't feel that at this hour we need to read all of them, but they're they're there for your reference. Um and so that's really all for the presentation, I'll stop sharing and allow you all to ask questions. So be because we have

263speakers for a specific part of the um I the independent study uh component of it. Do you does it make sense for us to bifurcate this presentation in any way shape or form or should we just pepper you with everything that's covered in the presentation? >> Uh you can feel free to ask ask away as far as I'm concerned, but if you you know want to possibly let our teachers uh leave a few minutes early, you can start with independent study questions and then and then we can go from there. >> Why don't we start with independent study since we have speakers specifically on independent study and then we can move into the other ones. Um and and I'd like to just offer you a few minutes to just introduce yourselves and independent study and

264then we'll move to questions from the board and tutorial. I've been at independent studies for uh this is my fourth year. Um so I'm a teacher and I was a I've had over 25 years teaching experience. So I do anything from middle school to high school. Um, and if you ask me any questions tonight, I will answer you as if you were like a a mom or dad coming and sitting in front of me and saying, "What can I get for my student?" And so, if you don't know what independent study is, ask us. I'm Britney Afronti. I am the sole education specialist at Independent Study. It's a new position that was created this year. I >> I'm just going to say there's one of Britney. We need five. >> I'm going to just I'm

265going to ask that question you just asked of what can we get at independent study and then we'll go to trusted datory. So what can we get at independent study? >> So I would tell a parent that students choose independent studies for various reasons. It can be depression, anxiety, social isol I suicidal idea, >> ideation, >> that's the word. >> Um, substance abuse, addiction, overwhelming academic stress, feeling unsafe, making poor choices, things like that. So, they decide for a lot of reasons. >> Pregnancy that was there. Um we provide a safe and flexible place that is structured for the students to thrive and be successful. They can take anywhere between four classes up to seven classes with us. They can choose a virtual option to be educated through or textbooks. Um they can choose to

266come to see us one day a week for 40 minutes in person or online virtually. Now, we also hold office hours 3 days a week for an hour each and two days a week for 20 minutes. It's just the way the days um go. The nice thing about independent studies, if they take four classes with us, they can remain on their home campus for one class or two classes. Rarely, it's three classes, but that has happened. If they say they do not want to step foot on their campus this semester because whatever reason they don't want to, then they don't have to. so they can take all their classes with us and still remain in um the ability to graduate on time. We are not a credit recovery program, but we do offer credit recovery

267so they can take a seventh class with us and and and chip away the way they would do it if they were a counselor and doing cyber high. We have egenuity to do that as well. Um, we do encourage the kids to stay on campus for one class if if they emotionally can handle it. Um, because it's good for their social benefit and seeing other kids, but also next semester, the next year, maybe two classes and get them back on campus and and be with their peers. So, we don't want to isolate them. we want to reintegrate or keep them integrated on their campus. Um, while they are with independent studies, they are not out of our district and they are not out of their school. If their home campus is Monty, they are a

268Monty student. They can go to prom. They can go to the football games. They can graduate with their class. They can walk across the stage. Um, they go see their counselors there if they, you know, need a counselor. or if they need an extra library book, they go to the library there. They are a student. Um they are just I am their teacher for these classes that they're with, but they are that student at that school, which is very nice for them because a lot of them don't want to, you know, just completely sever that tie. Parents ask what are their transcripts going to look like? The transcripts are going to say that they are a Pioneer High School student and they got this many credits and this grade for this class. They have no

269idea that four of those classes were taught by Mrs. Gilliaza. The parents will see that on their report cards, but colleges won't see that. Colleges see what classes they took and what grade they got. The only indication that they're in independent studies is if they do not finish a five credit class in one semester. They can get four credits between August and December because they might have had a couple hiccup days, weeks. um and then finish that off in January and then you know they'll get 10 credits hopefully between August and June, but their transcript would say four plus six to equal the 10. That's a little indication that some colleges might see that. But if they're really interested in college, they'll get those five credits consistently in each semester. Um there are some rules

270and regulations. If you don't do your work, you don't stay in the program. That means 80% of the work that I assign them has to come back every week. That they have to have their meeting with me every week. They get three strikes, they're out. If they're out, they go back to campus. We need to keep this part of our program because once the kids know, and I'm going to call it like social promotion, once the kid know that they don't have to do the work, they will come and sit at home and do nothing. So, we will never, please never give them that option of not doing work. Um and that's it. I'm going to give it to um Britney because she might have something that I didn't say. >> So um we are

271serving our students uh who come to us with IEPs. If a student is interested in in coming to ISP um their case manager will um call a meeting, an IEP meeting in order to determine if it's an appropriate offer of faith. it is uh ed code that a student needs to have that written in their IEP before they can come. So when a student uh I get I've gone over to all of the campuses. I've met with every single sped department. I've met with the counseling heads to explain the process. And so I go all over the district and I attend IEP meetings and I help teams decide if it's an appropriate offer of FAPE. And then I also help figure out if a student is going to be served by our general education teachers

272or if they need more support. Students who are traditionally in our SGI classes and they come to me. Our egeneuity program actually offers classes that are comparable to our SGI. Um I meet with my students. I have a smaller case load than our gened teachers. I meet with our students for an hour a week just cuz if we need to go over concepts, it's going to take a little bit more time. So, I don't have office hours. Um, but I do have longer time with with uh with students. And then I work on the side offering indirect services. So, I consult with all of the gened teachers, ensuring that all of the accommodations are being met for their students, answering any questions, and then I'm just an extra layer of support around the program. >>

273Thank you. Uh >> uh >> just to add a few nuts and bolts uh to what they said. Um long-term independent study is for 16 days or more. That's how it differentiate is different from short-term independent study. Additionally, it's a voluntary program. Uh students cannot be placed there uh because of behavior. they cannot be uh offered that is the only offer of public education meaning they can't be forced into the program. Um and additionally at this point in the year there have been 218 students in the independent study program. Some of those students have been exited because the tiered re-engagement that uh Miss Giggliaza mentioned. Um, so we're not currently at capacity, but I think there are four uh some some of the teachers are, but there are four open spots right now. >> I'm

274going to move to uh questions and we'll probably get to this additional point from the questions. So, Trusty Deator, >> thank you very much for your presentation. Um because they are a Pioneer student, a McGomery student, they can also participate in athletics and extracurriculars. Correct. Good. Um Britney, you said something that every time I see you will stick with me. We remove barriers. We do not lower the bar. Um that goes handinhand with special education and independent study opportunities. Is the independent study program only available to our secondary students or do we have any opportunities for our primary students or all ed for our primary students? >> Independent studies for sixth grade, 7th grade through 12th right now. >> And what would our barrier be for primary grades teachers? Press it once, let it turn

275blue. >> Okay. Um, just a small caveat on that in terms of our middle school students. So, currently our program that we're using, Egenuity, does not have uh the SGI level classes for middle schoolers. So, that is one thing that the company is hearing a lot from the schools that they're working uh with and we're asking for that. So that is currently hopefully in the works on their end. But that is one limitation that we do have is that we don't we're not able to offer that. >> So we aren't able or Ingenuity is not able. I'm one person. Um, and so to be able to offer SGI classes um, for our middle school students would mean that I would need to go and create the curriculum for each class and each grade and that's

276not something that I have the capacity to do on my own. Um, so right now we can't offer we're unable to offer it but um, Egenuity is working on creating those. So once that happens that will be something that we'll integrate into the program. So, you heard we're not big fans of outside contractors and whatever we can do in-house to provide those opportunities um would be to our benefit and to our students and families benefit. So, is the way we get past that is having more teachers that are credentialed and could provide those opportunities. So, California Ed Code mandates different levels of interaction for different grade spans of students. Elementary students require daily live interaction when they're in independent study, which would greatly change the the number of students that a particular teacher would be

277able to interact with and have on their case load, which essentially would make those teachers uh it would cost more to have teachers teaching elementary students than it would bring in the ADA for those kids. Additionally, when I came in in January 2024, what I was told and what I believe to be true is that we have not done that historically as a district for K through six students because of the need for socialization uh for students that age and the fear that if students are entering into independent study and being home primarily for their education, uh, you know, say a third grader that it's it that it's generally speaking not appropriate. And there are for a lot of these kids or kids that age. Um, I've never gotten a request for independent study for

278them. often they cases that may fall into that category actually also fall into the home and hospital category because they're students who are receiving medical attention. Um and so the home and hospital program is really a better fit for them. So we have a need for increased all dead from the district. We've talked about it year after year. It's a huge need. Um, as a as a parent, as a community member, what concerns me is the trajectory that we set a student on at a younger threshold. That if we cannot provide proper intervention and scaffolding and provide the education that makes sense to them, then we run into the problem of an outside placement to an agency. They feel home there. The family wants to keep them there. We've then lost that student for their

279life or their education. So trying to work through the MTSS appropriately to find interventions and scaffolding for the students at a younger age level so that we don't run into those problems. Um I completely agree with socialization of a younger mind. Um but ensuring that we're finding ways to properly educate students to see things differently. >> Thank you. Trusty Jenkins. >> I'm not quite sure if I heard you correctly. Um, but did you say that for independent study they have to have an IEP? Okay, that was just your portion of it. Got it. >> I Oh, no. That's what I thought, but I wasn't totally sure. Um, I have two questions. One's for independent study and then one's for you. Um, how does our independence and I understand that you don't work at this other

280program that I'm going to ask about, but how does our program compare to Pivot Charter School? >> Let's let's make that >> let's make the question broad to how does it compare to other independent study programs? Um, we have a pending hearing, so we don't want to move into that. >> Let me let me let me change my question then. How does our current independent study program compare to other independent study programs throughout our community? Does that is that better? >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> There's Yeah. Through the state or program. >> There you go. So, um I'm trying to not answer that as specifically as you were um asking. I would say that one thing that is different about what we are doing is that our well first off we give students access to

281campuses to their home school. And I think that that's a really big important piece of it. Um and as part of that, especially for our students who have IEPs, access to more services. Um so where a student who may need um their counseling services or speech services, they're still able to access any of those those services that they would have. Some of them may be virtual. Some of them they may still go on their campuses. And our other um independent study programs don't have that capability. Um, also the the accountability piece that we have in terms of the tiered re-engagement does not exist um to the level it does for us. And so we're catching students a lot faster and not allowing them to fail for long periods of time and fall further behind. So,

282without specifics, I have spoken to students that have been in other programs and I've asked, "What's the difference?" Because they know more than I do. They always know more than we know. Um, and I have 32 students. They know they can come to me at any of my office hours. They know that they can walk into my office anytime they want and they're going to see me. um at other places they go onto a Google Meet and they find like the subject they want help in and then they find what day that subject is being helped and what hour that subject's being helped and then they have to wait until that day on that time to get help in history and it's they don't know who they're going to get. It's not a oneperson thing.

283Now, with that said, um if one of Britney's kids needs help in algebra and she's like, "Go see Miss G." And so, we do have that we help each other within the same office, but they know where to come to and when we're available. And so, I think it's it's more personal. >> Sorry. Yeah, I touched the button. Uh to summarize, I think the idea behind the rebranding of ISP under the name of a visa is to intentionally create an option for students that are interested in ISP that most similarly rep repatriate students that have may possibly left back to Santa Rosa City Schools so they can experience the great opportunities in Santa Rosa City Schools with the great teachers that we have here and the most comprehensive experience with everything that you can experience

284as a student, athletics, extracurricular activities while meeting the needs of a student that might have um an interest or the needs that an independent study student might have. So that's the whole idea behind a visa, like to have the most similar experience that they possibly would to a comprehensive Santa Rosa City Schools experience. that your last question on ISP. >> No, I I just um I really want to highlight uh part of the response to your question being that this approximately 80% of the students this year have been dually enrolled, meaning they're taking four at a minimum of four classes within the with the independent study teacher as well as one or two classes on campus. That's something that we do that is different. So, uh, the student who comes into independent study because they

285don't feel comfortable on campus for whatever reason, uh, or they don't they're they're struggling with their mental health for whatever reason and they want to be able to have more time at home, they're able to do that and they can continue with their band class at Piner High School or they can continue with culinary or they can they they still have those options to stay connected to school as well as playing sports, going to dances etc. They're not having to fill out additional like guest paperwork and things like that. Like they are a part of that school community and they graduate with their peers with those uh with those schools. >> Thank you very much. Very very very helpful um for you sir. I forget what your last name is how I'm supposed to address

286you Mr. >> Gilden. You can just call me Aaron, but my last name is Gildengorn. >> Gonna go with Aaron. >> I'm sorry. Uh, so a couple questions just aled in general. Um, one, how does ADA work? Because I assume that with some of these programs, they may kids may not be on like the 94 percentile trajectory of attendance. Um, so I'm wondering how ADA works with with I mean independent study as well as others. And then the other question is um because this has been a big topic specifically since the was it the end of 2023 when um the board gave direction to do more. Uh what specifically has been added to the plate of special ed? And then just finally, I do very much agree with Director Deator about um what? >> Al,

287>> that's what I meant. I meant alt ed, excuse me. Um I very much agree with Director Deator regarding the um the need for early and vast intervention young so that we can get them on their way. >> And we'll go more expansive on other than ISP as soon as we're done with ISP. So, Um so to answer your ADA question uh essentially the ADA calculation for alt programs is is the same for everything except for ISP. Uh the independence account. >> Yeah. Um, so the there was a law that changed the summer of 2004, an assembly bill was passed, changing the way that independent study uh ADA was accounted for, which is a part of why uh the tiered re-engagement strategies and and holding a a more strict line was was something that we

288had to implement because they calculate it based on uh the the the timed interactions, the face-to-face interactions weekly as well as the work sample interactions. So they often audit ISP programs just regularly for ADA. And so they keep work samples of students to say this is, you know, this student did five credits of English in this semester and here's the all of the hours worth of work from these work samples. So they audit the work samples. So if the teacher is using Egenuity, there are timestamps within that virtual program. So they literally look at the hours of work that students do versus like our other alternative programs, things like Grace or Ridgeway or Early College Magnet program, it it it's accounted for the same as any other school. Trusty Kirby, >> along those same lines,

289um ISP programs specifically um with the student teacher ratios, how is there uh are there limits? You know, can one teacher have 100 online students or what are the ratios involved? Are there are they driven by our board policies or for some from some other entity? Um the the CDE has a calcula a ratio calculation tool that uh was changed and updated towards the end of last school year. Um and then within that there the I can the the rough language or approximate language of that Mr. Kirby is that uh it it can't it can't exceed the classroom ratio of the the students in other classes across the district. Um however it can be negotiated differently in the contract. So this year anou is passed for a 32:1 ratio. Previously we had a lower ratio

290of 25 to1. So um we we increase the ratio but we can't exceed a particular uh student to teacher ratio based on that CDE calculation. Okay, thanks for that. Um couple other probably easy ones. The early college college magnet program at Piner. Is there is there anything that prevents us from having that at other schools? >> Uh let's finish up with ISP first. >> Oh, ISP. >> I just trusty P. >> Hi. Uh you guys have asked a lot of my questions about one is uh are students able to graduate early or is it more like a work at their own pace or do they have to follow the same semester quarter timelines? So they have to finish 75 hours of any given course to get their five credits. If that is a textbook, we

291have 15 weeks worth of work out of that textbook. That is supposed to be like the 15 weeks of a semester. If they want to finish that early, we can double those weeks up. Um, if they want to finish that one course early, if they wanted to do the egeneuity class, they can do it as fast as they want, but it's still going to take quite a few weeks to get through a 15week semester class. So yes, they can do the work faster. Um, a typical student takes six classes, which would be 30 units or credits a semester. Um, sometimes we get young adults that are we call super seniors or 12 plusers. um that will get through like 60 credits in a semester because they finally had that aha like I need a diploma

292and I don't I don't and I want to start in January with my life and so they're doubling up on everything. So they're not graduating early, they're graduating late, but they're graduating. Um, we'll have juniors that will double up all junior year and then only have one semester in senior year to finish. Last year, I had one junior that doubled up the entire year and she was completely ready to graduate in June and then she's like, I think I just want to go back to school and have a really fun year senior year. I'm like, yes, do it. So, she was ready to graduate and then she didn't. she went back to her homebased school and and took, you know, a couple classes there and is enjoying senior year this year. But yes, they can

293graduate early, they can graduate late, they work at their own pace. We try to keep them on track so that they're not behind in credits, but sometimes they're a little late. Okay. >> Also, uh what's the application process to enroll or is it a um referral or just the parents request that a traditional high school or school isn't for my child? >> What's the application process? Um, currently they go to their school counselor and uh they fill out a Google form. Currently a pretty extensive Google form with a lot of information in it, demographic information as well as are you are you going to be able to work independently? Are you going to be able to devote this amount of time? Um things things of that nature. So they answer that questionnaire and then that

294gets that feeds into the independent study program um where they look at um attendance and uh grades and credits earned thus far and then they make they make a determination on accepting the student or not. They set up an interview with the family, go over the contract. Um and sometimes sometimes I believe that deters some families when they learn when it's re-emphasized with them you know uh how how independent the work ends up being even though there are office hours um some families you know feel like that might be a challenge for them so then they don't go through with the process. Last question for me. Um, and since you meet with the kids once a week, uh, do you meet them at the district office or at their home school site? >> So, sorry,

295sorry. >> Currently, there are seven teachers at the ISP office. We are technically under the Ridgeway principal but outside of the Ridgeway gateway. So we're kind of between the old district office and the Ridgeway campus. They come to us. That way the teachers can be together to collaborate and to ask questions and we have lots of questions to each other about the books or or the Google forms or egeneuity. Um but the kids come to us. So first I appreciate the presentation. I appreciate all the work that you've been doing in ISP. Uh I don't inherently have questions. So I'm just going to give my comments. Uh you know as someone as I I I did independent study from seventh grade until I tested out and went to college at um you know when I

296was 16 and a half. And I think one of the things that's so important about what our program does is it gives options. It has high quality education. Um, however, I feel like it is unnecessarily hidden. And while I do appreciate for the students that will benefit from being able to go back onto a traditional campus because a traditional campus is what they need, I also think it's really important I recognize that this is an alternative education model that can meet the needs of students without needing to go back to a campus. Um, because it's actually just what they need. Cuz I I did not need to go back to a campus. what I needed to do was go to college um at the JC in fact. Uh so you know treating this as a

297primary alternative option where a student could be because they want to have the combination and all the things that we offer I think is core to this. The big thing that stands out to me is you have four vacancies from students moving back and forth. And what I hear there considering the robust barrier to entry that is hunting down this Google form in order to apply for ISP, let alone knowing about it being a baseline option compared to other options where you can go on a website, click one button and be into an independent study program. I think there are many parents and students who see independent study as their preferred option that don't realize that they can actually get a better independent study program through us because of that barrier to entry. So my

298vision um is that one we could very immediately possibly add new classes and attract students that we don't currently have back. and I'd love to see us have this as easy as it is during open enrollment where it's hey I want to be at Montgomery or I want to be at Montgomery independent study I want to be there and then once they've said yes to doing that we go into the process of sitting down and making sure they understand what that means um but the first step the first barrier to entry should be as simple as clicking a button to say that they want to be in our independent study program and then we can talk to them about the contract and the commitment. So reducing that barrier seems priority number one because fundamentally going

299back to the three-legged stool I was talking about earlier on our budget is we need options that students and parents are going to use as their decision to be in our programs. And this is one of those options in the way I see it. Um and we shouldn't gatekeep it. We shouldn't hide it. Let's get it as public out there as possible. And if we end up spending more time saying you may not be right for independent study to some folks, that's better than losing the folks that are right for it. Um, similar to that, I I I see a need for a clearer culture um of what that program means. Like I I know we have a rebranding because we offered the virtual options. We want to make sure people know that it's now

300virtual. I I literally did it with min envelopes and payoneses. So I would like feed quarters for my my weekly meeting uh into a pay phone with a manual envelope with all my work in it. So virtual option sounds way better than that was. Um but you know what what more is the the culture? I got to serve on a student newspaper that was for that program. Now I was a part of the high school and all those things but the independent study program had those little cultural elements that we could choose to be a part of. And I think if we if we look at this as a primary education model that is available as an alternative model to to it and start to go in that direction, we can make some really great

301things that make it so it's a standout program that really honors the work that the two of you and your your colleagues have been putting into it. Um, so you know, I guess my comment is this is one of those ones I hear and I'm like, we need to run with this because this is something where we can add more students, we can add more revenue, we could have positive impact on the district, uh, in in a very clear way while also giving students a higher quality option to what's currently out there. So, um, those are my comments. I we got 15 minutes left for the rest of all dead. So, if anyone else wants to give a speech, I'll give you one second right now. All right, beautiful. Thank you so much for everything

302the two of you do. I appreciate your time. Oh, and then we'll go down to Mark Kirby and then we're going to move on to the rest of the alternative education. >> Sorry, just real quick. Um, and this may be for Mr. Castro. Um, I was curious out of our 10 programs that we listed there, like what our enrollment numbers were. And yeah, I know you said 218 students in ISP, but maybe just ballpark out of those 10 programs that we have are are 10% 20% of our student body involved in them. Any idea? >> If you don't have any ISP specific questions, I'm actually going to excuse our >> Thank you both. Oh, okay. Trusty delator. So what would be required on a teachers end or how many teachers for Vice President Cson's vision?

303So, if there's 32 kids per teacher, we would how many how many do you think are going to come back or or at least how many will we not lose every year would probably be a better thing because I'm not sure we're going to get them back, not all of them. >> Um, from wherever they're at. Um and um Trustee Casten was saying to me last week that you know you can't offer something to the public without having the product to give them. So we can't say come back. Come here. Come here. Come here. Come here. There's no teachers. We're full. And when you say that there's four, those will be taken in the next week. >> It's full. And so we need more teachers to get more kids. We need more kids to get

304more teachers because we need the revenue of the kids. I get that as well. I'm going to give you my opinion, just mine. Um, for years we were never allowed to have a 1.2. Don't know why. It was an unwritten rule. Somebody made it up. I have no idea why. Um, that rule was broken last year, so I know it can happen now. So, if you gave five of the seven teachers a 1.2 and we >> Yes. So instead of doing 32, we'd do 32 plus 6 or 32 plus 7. Um when we got our plus six, then we'd go to the next teacher and they'd get a plus six and we'd get another teacher and get a when we five of us had plus sixes, we could then get a teacher and here are

305your kids. So I mean there's ways to do it instead of just opening up the program and having kids wait on a waiting list or having teachers just wait to get kids. That's my opinion. >> That is great. Um, in terms of ED specialists, I have a lower case load than them because I also am case managing. Um, and I don't know if you guys know it, but it's really hard to hire specialed teachers. Nobody wants our job. Um, so that is one component to think of and looking to get creative. Um, hiring teachers who could be fully virtual but credentialed teachers that are from California. um rather than having to go to Africa for teachers. Um because Susie in Plumis County who makes far less than Santa Rosa City School teachers could easily be

306a ed specialist virtually in ISP and Santa Rosa City Schools and we would have a California credential teacher. So >> those are great ideas. Thank you. >> Any other questions? All right. Thank you both. We're going to go to the rest of the alternative education programs recognizing that in the next 13 minutes we will definitely need to bring this item back. Uh Trusty Kirby's question. Dr. Castro, >> I think to answer your question total of about uh 2,000 students across the 11 programs here last year >> last year is about the average that we had. And well um basically we would grow this program as that we enroll um students. The idea behind when we started to look at this a few months ago and rebranding um the original numbers that Mr. Gildingorn was looking

307at with Dr. B Delhi was identifying um students that had um left for one reason or another. Um and and you can run you can and describe how you sorted these out, but that we could recoup a repatriate as I call it between I don't know six or six 700 um students back as we were targeting to actually get back. But that's that's the actual number that we were targeting to hopefully get back um and recoup some ADA. And if you want to break down how you actually analyze those um numbers, you can go ahead. >> Um Mr. Bardelli helped to pull all of the students who had left the district uh over the last 3 years and then we removed students from that list who would still currently be in elementary school and students

308on that list who would currently be out of high school. and it left us with uh o over 500 families who had left the district um and didn't necessarily indicate that they moved somewhere else or what program they were going to because when they disenrolled they don't have to indicate that on the disenrollment. Um, so that was like a starting number of of who we were going to possibly target with uh with advertising that we have this new program or new option for for independent study. Um, also I I want to go back to uh Trusty Jenkins. You asked the question about alternative ed expansion and kind of the direction that was given by the board. Um I worked with uh bo both the teachers that were here as well as um approximately 10 to

30912 other people from around the district on an alt committee that functioned for almost a year and a half and developing uh assessing what models were possible as well as what the greatest needs were in Santa Rosa City Schools. and we did things like empathy interviews with students who were in alternative programs currently um to to gather some data from them as well as reaching out to families um and we developed a model but um I'm not not sure if you've heard we've been in a bit of a financial pinch the last couple of years. Sorry to uh to to joke, but um essentially when that model and that work was done, it was in the it was January, February of last year. Um and it wasn't didn't seem appropriate to come to the board

310to talk about expanding or creating a program which would it costs more money. But at the same time, it would keep kids, right? And so there's like that whatever that's called. It's my brains are not working. My brains I have more than one brain tonight. Um, but they like my understanding of of that conversation about expanding alt ed was really to it was a retention move as far as serving our students in the ways that best serve the students that they can't get in the classroom and like in in the um >> traditional model. >> Thank you. That's the word I'm looking for. Traditional model. I guess to be more specific, it was asked that he um table the presentation at that time based on the number of presentations that we had. Um because of

311the fiscal stabilization, there were a number of different things going on at that time. But um and then to answer your question, Director Kirby, about the early college magnet in terms of the number of how that is um those programs can be started and whether it only has to exist at a school. Um the basics behind that is um identifying a partner with um a higher in higher education. Then the school has to identify a funding source, a grant, and then they would have to um be begin establishing a curriculum structure. So, it's not something that's limited to any particular high school, but there is a process involved. Mr. Gator, >> thank you very much for this conversation. Um, we asked uh Dr. Fischer for an estimate of um outside placement for behavioral responses for

312children just behaviorally needed something different. a lot of those students really would benefit from an albent model. Um, and that's what we ask you to to dig into and look at. And I get it, we're broke, we don't have money, but a proper investment with a true return of connecting with those children is something that we need to continue to explore and think about. And all resources are on staying out of receiverhip and figuring that out right now. But do not let go of all the work that's happened. Do not let go of the vision of growing and expanding and investing into our allad opportunities because those are opportunities to serve children and help children be themselves and be educated in a way that fits them so they can stay in a traditional school model

313in our district and graduate with us and not be where we're spending more money and special education budgets to put outside placements. Um, we do have a public comment on this one. So, as uh Katherine Hall is moving towards the speaker, I'm going to make a comment just so we don't run out of time. Uh, one of the things that stands out to me is many of our alternative education models is uh are behind the wall of a charter lottery. Um, and so we have exceptionally good models that can meet the needs of kids without them needing to be receiving special supports because they can actually just directly access those education models, but they're they're done through charter programs. And so things when I see we need to have more alternative education model programs in

314not in traditional on campuses that don't you don't have to go through a lottery to get into. Um, and I know Art Quest is on here is one of those things and I see that there, but I also see a lot of times where I'm hearing people criticize it because it acts like a charter. And it's like, okay, so do we want to have alternative education models available or do we want to have to have everyone go through a lottery to get to those things? And so we just got to challenge that presumption. That's just a statement. I'm going to move to public comment really quickly to make sure we get that um that in. And I'm going to start with Katherine How followed by uh Caitlyn Sheeb. Hi, good evening. Um, very quickly I

315just want to say thank you for putting some teachers up there um at the table to talk to you about their program. And um SRTA has definitely been advert advocating for an expansion of um the independent study program in a virtual independent alternative ed for years like really about five years since we all went and learned how to do that online. Um, so I just want to say thank you for that and also just to encourage you realize that these were two of seven of the ISP teachers and when a vision starts to be created, please include all seven of them in any discussion. Thank you. >> And Caitlyn, >> uh, Caitlyn Sh, teacher from Ridgeway High School. I'm glad we were able to hear about the ISP program this evening, but I'm alarmed that

316this board is even considering potential financial commitments with regards to any of its aled programs or schools as tonight's agenda suggests, especially considering that these programs were not highlighted to the degree that ISP was. Uh board member Dator made comment earlier this evening that we are in need of retaining and gaining students in our district. Meanwhile, our charter schools and all ed programs provide such offerings that bring in families and their students. CCLA and French American charter foster by literacy, art quest, creativity, and artistry. And the IB, the early college programs, and concurrent enrollment build a direct pathway for our higher education students. Losing these programs would no doubt mean losing further students. Sorry, scrolling. Moreover, students at Ridgeway High School in the independent studies program as well as in the Grace program are some

317of our most vulnerable students within our district. Financial commitments reducing support for this population will send a message to these students and their families. SRCS is here to embrace some types of learners, but not all types of learners. Engage again some but not all. and empower some, but not all. I would like to echo the words of our interim associate superintendent this evening. All of our kids are all of our kids. >> Thank you very much. Uh we have two minutes left. I actually want to uplift that last comment. I think the purpose of this item being on here is exactly the intent to expand access to alternative education. As we see this as a place where we do lose students, um we're going to need more time to continue digging in. And I think

318this was intended to be an overview with a deep dive on ISP. Let's make sure that we're scheduling time to do deeper dives on the rest of these programs. I have like 30 seconds for a comment. Director Dator regular board meetings October 22nd, 2025. I have a motion to approve the minutes. Is that what I heard from you? Yep. Is there a second on the minutes? >> A second. >> All right. All in favor. All right. Passes unanimously. Thank you both for the presentation. We're >> adjourned. Trying to get work done. >> Yeah. Right. >> Please.