001Calling the November 20th, 2025 Cavina Valley Unified School District Board of Education meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. >> Roll call. >> Simon Wright >> here. >> Maria Caceres >> here. >> Rachel Robas >> here. >> Maria Cruz >> here. >> Sumaluchcci >> here. >> Thank you. We have a quorum. Adoption of agenda item three. Item E has requested to be pulled from the consent agenda and brought back at a future meeting. Do we have a motion to adopt the agenda as amended? I'll >> move. >> Uh motion by Miss Robas. Second. >> Second. Miss Ceras. Any discussion? Roll call. >> Simon Wright. >> Yes. >> Maria Caseres. >> Yes. >> Rachel Robas. >> Yes. >> Maria Cruz. >> Yes. >> Sumaluchcci. >> Yes. >> Motion carries 5-0. Public comments. Item four, public comment regarding
002close session. At this time, any person wishing to speak on any close session agenda items will be granted three minutes. Miss Robas, do you have any public comments? >> We do not. >> Thank you. Uh item five, close session. We will adjourn to close session to to discuss items listed at 601. We'll reconvene to open session at 7:16. Item seven, pledge of allegiance. Dr. Bred. >> Thank you. Um, I would like to invite Phoenix Williams, a fifth grader at Mesa Elementary School, and Principal Christina Garcia to the podium and Sebastian Patton, fifth grader at Merwin Elementary School, and Principal Kenneth Stratton to the podium. Phoenix and Sebastian will begin today by leading us in the pledge of allegiance. I'm sorry. Grove Center. Please stand. Remove your hats and place your right hand over your heart.
003Ready? Begin. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Good evening everyone. Board President Wright, board of education, Dr. Blackmore, cabinet and guests. Please allow me to introduce Merwin fifth grader Sebastian Patton. Sebastian represents the best of the best at Merwin. He is a member of the student leadership involved in our afterchool programs and a recipient of the principal honor role. He goes out of his way on a daily basis to make our school a better place. His teachers have shared Sebastian is a role model in both behavior and academics. He works hard. He asks thoughtful questions and he's always willing to help out his peers. I'm so proud of everything that
004he's accomplished here at Merwin and I'm excited to see his continued success in the future. Sebastian, floor is yours, sir. >> Good evening. My name is Sebastian Pton and I'm a fifth grade student at Merlin Elementary School. I've been attending this school since I was in TK. My earliest memory at this school includes my classmates and me sitting on the carpet with our teacher and learning our numbers, letters, and sounds. At that point, I still didn't know how to hang from the monkey bars. But I was determined to build the foundation of a magnificent Mustang and it to excel in school. I love school because each day I get to see my friends, play basketball at recess, and share laughs with my closest friends when we joke around at lunch. Marwin has helped me build
005great friendships with both with people who are similar to me and those who are different from me. This has taught me how to be a better friend and also to learn new things from others. I also love my school because we get we have the opportunity to learn from kind and motivational teachers every day. They never give up on us and always show us more than one way to learn something new. Miss Fay taught me to learn from my mistakes. Miss Baron taught me to always be kind to others and to be respectful. Miss Callahan taught me to be organized and responsible as well as to focus on the big things rather than getting stuck on the little details. Mr. Nolo taught me to be kind and have a warm heart. Mr. Hallebran taught me
006to be ready for fifth grade, model safety for my classmates, and to be helpful. Basically, everything I needed to know about life. And right now I'm learning something I really enjoy, something I never thought I would achieve. How to be a better writer. My current teacher, Miss Collie, motivates me daily by saying my writing is approving, which gives me plenty of confidence to do even better. Both students and staff always show respect and kindness to one another by greeting each other in the mornings. Seeing friendly smiles and being greeted to by my name always makes me look forward to going to school. To me, Merwin is a very special place. It's very fun to learn thanks to our fantastic teachers and staff, and it's a full of positive energy. Some of my favorite traditions at
007my school are the PTA family events. This year's trick or treat was such a blast. I was running around with my friends, playing games, and winning candy. and having my family there to enjoy all the fun with me was very memorable. As it will be my last trick or treat at Merwin Elementary, I feel so proud to be a student here. I'm starting to realize that even after I leave this year, I want to be able to continue expressing my pride and gratitude to this amazing school. I greatly enjoy the special events during my time at Merwin. During the gold rush days, we learned about the activities of Californians in the 1800s, including penning for gold and participating in the wild horse races. And for business day, I always enjoyed being the seller instead of
008the buyer. Luckily, I'm always one of the first ones to sell out. I'm really looking forward for to the annual end of the year fifth grade kickball game. I've been able to watch kickball, the kickball game for the last three years, but I'm so excited to play this year. Also, our end of year music festival at APU and our final field trip to the bowling alley. I plan to attend Los Palmus Middle School next year and then move on to Norview High School. After high school, I want to attend UCLA. My goal to is to study biology and to become a field biologist. Of course, becoming a pro alete is one of my biggest dreams. In closing, I would like to express my gratitude to my school for its support and belief in me. A
009big thank you to all the Merlin teachers and staff for always being there for us. And thank you to all the whole school district for always supporting our schools. And most importantly, I want to thank my mom and dad as well as my younger sister for always believing in me and pushing me to try new things. Thank you for introducing me to sports like karate, soccer, basketball, flag football, and most recently taekwond do. Being part of a team has helped me be a leader and to lose my fear of meeting new people. Lastly, I would like to thank our principal, Mr. Stratton, for always being dedicated, involved, and helping us succeed each day. He is the glue that holds our school together. Thank you, Mr. Thank you for your positive impact. You are truly an
010amazing principal, Mr. Saturday. Thank you again for letting me share about my school. Have a great evening. Good evening, board president Wright, members of the board of education, Dr. Blackmore, cabinet, and guests. I am honored to introduce one of Grove Center's exceptional Eagles, Phoenix Williams. Phoenix is a remarkable fifth grade student whose leadership and kindness makes a meaningful impact at Grove Center. As a proud principal, I am constantly impressed by the thoughtful way she leads our recycling efforts as a student council environmentalist, helping keep our campus green. A strong writer, a dedicated reader, and engaged learner, Phoenix makes a positive contribution to in class and supports our younger students as a caring fifth grade buddy and an active member of student council. I have no doubt that Phoenix will be accomplish accomplishing great things in
011the near future and I am proud that Grove Center has been part of her journey. Next slide. Greetings everyone and thank you for allowing me to speak about Grove Center Elementary at tonight's board meeting. I am Phoenix Williams and I'm honored to have the pleasure of letting you know about my school. I have been enrolled here since TK and I am now in the fifth grade. I think Grove Center is truly a special place because Grove Center is all about community within and outside of the school. And my mom works there, too. At Grove Center, all fourth and fifth grade students have the opportunity to participate in a basketball tournament during lunch recess in the month of March. Our March Madness tournament is sponsored by PTA, who awards medals and trophies for all students who
012play. Last year, I was on the Oregon Ducks, and we won. In the spring, our school holds an annual talent show. We have acts from all grade levels, singing, dancing, magicians, gymnasts, and group performances. This year, I am going to sing a Bruno Mars song. Wish me luck. Our student council offers opportunities for upper grade students to learn leadership skills. We make daily announcements and shout out all student birthdays, collect toys for the sick children at City of Hope during Christmas. During the Christmas season, we participate in the West Coina Christmas parade. We sponsor fun dressup days and collect cans for recycling, which is actually my job as the elected environmentalist. I have had the pleasure of getting to witness events throughout Coina Valley School District such as the Treywick Harvest Festival, the Coina High
013School play, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, and just last week my class went to the Field of Valor experience at Sierra Vista Middle School where we listened and honored our country's veterans. These events have showcased how truly special Coina Valley is and I would not have been able to see such things without all of the support from the staff and wonderful PTA at my school. Another thing I appreciate about Grove Center is how they give us a variety of different options for music classes in the fourth and fifth grade. Band, choir, beats, and general music. All of our amazing music teachers really help us learn and grow, as well as teach us about responsibility by giving us accountability when it comes to remembering instruments and practicing for upcoming performances. Growth Center is such a
014special place. I'm glad everyone here has had the opportunity to hear about my school and experience it from a student's point of view. Thanks so much for listening. What Bruno Mar song are you gonna sing? >> Okay. >> You're going to have to come and see. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, we'll be sending out that invite in March. >> Item eight, board of action taken in closed session. With respect to item B, consideration of student grade challenge pursuant to administrative regulation 5125.3 and ED code and 49070. board uh voted unanimously to deny the request but wave the minimum 10 credit requirement at Tri Community Adult Education and offer the complainant an opportunity to rem remediate the credits there at Tricom. Item nine, recognition. Item A, ALRR 2025 Education Law Conference Art Contest winner, Dr. Perez. Good
015evening, uh, President Wright, um, our board members, uh, Dr. Jonathan Blackmore, and all our guests here tonight. Um, we want to thank you for being here. Tonight we will be recognizing a student from Northview who is who was selected as one of our five winners of the AALRR 2025 education law conference art contest with the theme leadership in action. I would like to ask our Norview High School's principal Dr. Magion to come to the podium and speak about this amazing student and their achievement. Come on up. Thank you, Doc. Dr. Paredes. Um, I would like to bring up with me um our student OJ and our teacher, Kyle Jennings. Can you come up, please? OJ is one of our star students at Northw. Uh she's very active on campus. Uh she's a a member of
016our optimist club at at school, our interact club. Uh she's very active in our art uh scene at school. And uh I'm going to ask Mr. Kyle Jennings to come up and share a few extra things about the achievements that she's uh completed at school. So >> thank you board. Uh she's an amazing art student. I uh am really fortunate to be her teacher. She's only been in my class just this semester. her. I haven't had her in any of my previous classes. And right when I first saw her paintings and drawings, I was kind of blown away. She's one of those students that comes along every couple of years or so. And I'm super excited that she's just a junior and I get to see what she produces next year. Um, she's the president
017of our mural club and she's enrolled in all AP classes, APR included, and I'm just really excited to see what is in store for her. Thank you. Item B, City of Hope Blood Drive volunteers, Dr. Brittice. >> Thank you. So, we're especially happy to welcome our next guests from South Hills High School and City of Hope Blood Donor Center who are here for a very special reason. Tonight, we take a moment to recognize the incredible student volunteers and donors who gave their time and their blood to help others through their partnership with City of Hope. I'd like to welcome Mr. Francis Fong, the senior blood donor coordinator of City Hope, along with our principal, Mr. Terry Abernathy, and assistant principles, Erin Liippard and Judy Canana from South Hills up to the podium to help introduce
018our student volunteers. Come on up. One of the greatest gifts in your life will be the one that you give away. Donating blood is one of those gifts and South Hills High School and the student volunteers have demonstrated over the years how critical this gift is. The city of Hope Blood Donor Center is a place where courage and kindness uh begin. We are so grateful to have maintained our partnership with South Hills High School over the years. We are here to recognize these wonderful students and their selfless act. They are true role models of service and we are proud to have them on our team. You know, we're all touched by cancer. We all know somebody with cancer. A neighbor, a friend, a classmate, a student, a teacher, a coach, an administrator, or a family
019member. It's so comforting to know that right here in our community is a top five cancer care center in the entire country. And we're making miracles happen every single day. Every drop of blood that we collect goes directly to these brave cancer patients. We don't sell our blood. it stays here in our community. For the schools that are not yet our partners, I humbly ask you to please give us a seat at the table to host a blood drive at your school. Someone at your school is on a healing journey and I can't think of a better way to support them by hosting a city of hope blood drive at your school. South Hills High School under the leadership of Principal Abernathy and uh Miss Janette Hurt and the uh student volunteers are shining examples
020of what we can uh what can be done to help those in the fight against cancer. So tonight I'd like to recognize the students for their extraordinary service and I'll have uh principal. >> Thank you Mr. Fong. Um I just want to add that uh Miss Hurt uh could not be here. her daughter tore her ACL up playing division one soccer and so they're on the way back down after the surgery so she sends her regrets but I just want to thank Mr. Fong it is an incredible incredible day that our students are able to provide that service for our community but I think not only do we provide that service for our community but it provides a great way for our students to understand that we are a community and so you know it
021just gives me pleasure to uh present these certificates on behalf of Mr. Fong and we're going to start with Janelle Ferrera. We have Samuel Barahas, Valentina Hernandez, Mia Johnson, Haley Mahz, Jason Salmeron, Finley, Salari. Yeah, >> you are. >> Michaela Stana and Sarah Vargas. Thank you again. >> Item C, West Cavina Fire Department poster contest winner. >> All right. Thank you. Next, we'll be recognizing a student from Roland Avenue Elementary who was selected as the winner of this year's West Coina Fire Department poster contest. His submission was part of an effort to raise awareness during Fire Prevention Week. I'd like to ask Roland Avenue Elementary School principal Dr. Brasswell to come to the podium and introduce her student and share more about his award-winning poster. Good evening board president Wright, board of education members, Dr.
022Blackmore, cabinet members and guests. I would like to introduce Chenling Guo, a fifth grade student at Roland Avenue Elementary. And this year, Chenlin entered the annual fire safety contest with the West Coina Fire Department. Um, and not only is Chenlin an an artist, he's a mathlete. He's a member of our chess club. And something I didn't know, his teachers report that he has a really great sense of humor. So that was nice to learn about Chinlin. So this year, as part of the contest, his artwork will be displayed on a fire engine, and the fire department presented him with an award at the city coun at a previous city council meeting. The fire department is coming to Roland Avenue to treat our fifth grade students to a special assembly where his art will be on
023display with the fire engine. and will be presented with a plaque. He'll be presented with a plaque to represent um his accomplishment with the Roland Avenue name engraved on it and it'll be posted in the Roland Avenue office for one year. So, in addition to that, Chenlin and his family get to are treated to dinner at Fire Station 2 >> and a tour. So, it's it was allound package >> accomplishment. Um, so thank you to Chen Lynn for being an amazing student and please join me in congratulating him. >> Item D, employees of the month, Dr. Dah. >> Yes. Good evening, board president Wright, board members, Dr. Blackmore, cabinet, community friends, and guests. I'm very excited to introduce our October employees of the month. Our first employee of the month that we're going to be
024recognizing is Megan Knight. What's up, Megan Knight? So, Megan Knight is our mental health counselor at South Hills High School, and she truly is the heart of South Hills. She is consistently pulled in many directions, yet she is very organized, compassionate, and fully dedicated to supporting our 1600 students. She connects students and families to vital resources and ensures every student who enters the wellness center feels seen, heard, and safe. This year, Megan led the district's first implementation of the suicide prevention program, Erica's Lighthouse, working closely with district social workers and peer counselors to ensure its success. Her leadership has now become a model for other schools. Megan's calm professionalism, positive attitude, and unwavering commitment make her an invaluable member of the South Hills High School family, and we are incredibly grateful and lucky to have
025you on our team. Congratulations. Our next employee of the month is Alisa Alicia Henry. This is exciting. I love some pom poms. Come on up, Alicia. >> All right. Alicia Henry is Sierra Vista's wonderful campus supervisor, and she is truly loved by students and staff alike, as we can see from the cheering squad over there. She consistently goes above and beyond to ensure the Sierra Vista campus is safe, welcoming, and supportive to all our students. She is always willing to lend a hand and actively participates in all school activities. She currently serves also as the cross-country coach and she has beautifully transformed the detention room into a reflection room. In addition, she contributes her insight and leadership as a member of the school site council, and the Sierra Vista family is incredibly lucky and fortunate
026to have her. Congratulations. Our next employee of the month is Irma Guerrero is a special education teacher on special assignment, otherwise known as a TOSS. She has been an integral part of the special ed department since the start of the school year. She has devoted countless hours bringing both hard work and creative energy to prepare classrooms for the first day of school and beyond. She supports teachers, staff, and students with unwavering dedication, ensuring every learner has what they need to succeed. Always prepared with her bag of tricks, she faces every challenge with a smile and a willingness to step in wherever she's needed. She's positive and she has a dedicated commitment to make her truly deserving of this award. Congratulations. All right, we have two more October employees of the month. Our next one is
027Amy Aragon. Now, this is this is kind of fascinating because they both work in the same department. Amy Aragon is our special education secretary, too, and we call her a superhero. Quietly saving the day with her protective, proactive, calm, and incredibly organized approach. She supports parents with kindness through communication, ensuring they always feel heard and understood. She wears many capes, setting up large trainings, managing reimbursements, payroll, tracking our purchasing orders, the aid assignments. It just goes on and on and on. And she does this remaining positive and very responsive. We trust that anything that Amy has, she will be take it on and it will be completed with excellence. She's a true gift to the special ed department and we are lucky and so grateful to have you. Don't leave. And last but not least,
028Heather Smith. Heather Smith is North View's student support specialist. She is compassionate and a committed leader whose work has made measurable impact on school culture and student success. Heather has played a key role in improving attendance, reducing suspensions, and expanding restorative practices. She approaches every challenge with empathy, purpose, and a student centered mindset. She has launched many impactful programs at the school including Northview's strong mentor mentorship program and various attend attendance incentives which have strengthened relationships amongst our students staff and families. She is known for her warm rapport with students, her ability to deescalate situations with ease and her unreliable unwavering reliability. That didn't come out right. She is very reliable. She brings positivity, professionalism, and a heart to everything that she does. She is an invaluable member of the Viking family and exemplifies what
029it means to put students first. Congratulations. It is now my honor to recognize our teacher of the year, Renee Romero. Come on in. >> I would also like to invite Wendy Seedra, the district representative, Assemblywoman, the district representative for Assemblywoman Blanco Rubia from the 48th district also wants to come up to recognize you. Thank you. And good evening, uh, CBUSD leadership, board president, Wright, CBUSD board members, and certainly Dr. Blackmore for having us here tonight. Um, again, my name is Wendy Sedra, and I'm here on behalf of Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio, who sends a warm and heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Romero on earning the California Teacher of the Year. And so, you know, she was a teacher herself for many years. And so, she thanks you for continuing to share your light to so many of
030your students, both, of course, inside and outside of the classroom. And so with that, it's an honor to present you with the certificate of recognition on her behalf. And so congratulations on this milestone. Thank you again. >> We also want to remind everyone he's not just one of the California teachers of the year. He is one of five teachers of the year, >> which is amazing. Amazing. >> So Renee, we want to let you know we are so proud of you. You've done so much for our international balorate program. You're also for our English program at South Hills High School and out of the 300,000 teachers, you are in our heart. You are number one. Congratulations. >> Item F, outgoing personnel commissioner, Dr. D. >> Thank you. Can we have David Bonia come up? David
031Vania has been a dedicated member of the Coina Valley community, most recently serving as a joint appointee for the personnel commission from December 2022 through November of 2025. Prior to this role, he contributed his time in leadership as a member of the board of education from 2017 to 2018. And in addition to his public service, he's also a small business owner and remains actively involved in local youth athletics, proudly supporting the wrestling programs at Los Palmus and our Cal Grapplers. And we want to thank you for your service and all of your dedication to support our students, our community, and all of our schools. So, thank you. >> Item G, welcome new administrator, Dr. Blackmore. Thank you, President Wright, members of the board of education, cabinet members, and guests. Please join me in welcoming Dr.
032Cynthia Cabo as the acting principal of Treywick Middle School. Dr. Cabo is a first generation bilingual educator who takes pride in her cultural background and brings 31 of years of experience to Coina Valley. She began her teaching career began her career teaching in grades K through six and subsequently held various positions including assistant principal, parent facilitator, literacy coach, and state trainer. Her extensive leadership experience includes serving as a principal of both elementary and K8 schools for six years, executive director of student and family services in Hos de Laente Unified School District for 10 years, and assistant superintendent of administrative and student services for the Liberty Union School Dis. Most recently, she has served as interim principal of Culver City Unified School District's Continuation High School. Dr. Cabo holds a bachelor of arts degree and teaching
033credential from California State University Los Angeles, a master of science degree from California State University Fullerton, and her doctorate of education from the University of Leverne. She is deeply committed to student success, family engagement, and culturally responsive leadership. She has an exceptional first week, and we're excited to see her contributions to our school community and welcome her to Treywick Middle School. Dr. Cabo >> War President Wright, Dr. Pedes, Dr. Do and just Coina Valley. I'm just wanted to say thank you so much for the opportunity to serve such an amazing school district. I already get the vibe. I'm hoping that I have a long history here with you all. Um, but that's an extensive No wonder I'm tired. But no, it's about students first. It's about our community. It's about our students. and it's about
034our staff. So, I am committed u to doing anything that I can do to help uh this fine district move forward and Treywick. So, go Titans. >> Thank you. >> Thank our amazing assistant principal, Mr. James Con, and our PTA I don't know if he's a chair or president here, but Miss Felicia has been amazing. Everybody's been very welcoming. Thank you again. >> Thank you. Item 10, presentations. Item A, local control accountability plan data presentation. Dr. Pedes. I'd like to invite my wonderful ED services team. Um, our directors tonight will be presenting our data um that goes to our local control accountability plan. So, we're very excited to present this data because a lot of it is positive. So, thank you Thank you. Good evening, board president Wright, members of the board, Dr. Blackmore, members
035of cabinet, and guests that are still with us here this evening. Tonight, the educational services team will be presenting our 202425 LCAP metric data. We will be highlighting the bright spots for our district, areas for growth, and next steps for the 2526 school year and beyond. This first slide represents our overall CASP data for English language arts, math, and science. This includes data from grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11. 2025 scores are represented in orange and 2024 scores are represented in blue. This year, the district showed growth in all areas, English language arts, math, and science. Here you see Coina Valley compared to Los Angeles County and the state of California averages. For English language arts, Coina Valley is 4.53% above the state and 2.85% above the county average. In the area
036of math, Coina Valley is 1.71% above the state and.24 below the county average. And in science, you can see that Coina Valley is 1.49 49 below the state and 0.93 below the county average. The next slide represents our student group performance for each area. Our socioeconomically disadvantaged students grew in all areas, English language arts, math, and science. While our students with disabilities and English learners slightly declined in all areas, English language arts, math, and science. And now Danielle Walker will give you a little more information on our students with disabilities data. The California Oh, excuse me. The California alternate assessment, the CA, is designed for students who require extensive support to access the curriculum. Students who meet the standard on this assessment have shown they understand academic content based on alternate achievement standards. In English
037language arts, we had 20.95% at limited understanding or level one, 54.76% at foundational understanding or level two, and 14.29% at understanding or level three. In math, we had 48.484% at level 1, 32.56% at level two, and 18.6% at level 3. Because the CA is intended only for students with the most significant support needs, school districts must notify the California Department of Education if they expect more than 1% of the total tested student population to participate in alternative um assessment. For the 202526 school year, Coina Valley is below that 1% threshold. Here are some key highlights and next steps. Starting with our bright spots, Kavina Valley saw increases in proficiency across all areas, English language arts, math, and science. We are proud that our district continues to perform above both count the county and state averages
038in English language arts. In addition, um our socioeconomically disadvantaged student group um also showed growth in all three content areas, which is a sign of the impact of our targeted supports. In terms of areas of growth, we continue to focus on improving outcomes in English language arts, math, and science for our students with disabilities and our English learner student groups. These remain important areas of focus for us moving forward. Looking ahead, our next steps include full implementation of Eureka Math Squared across all elementary grades and McCra Hill reveal math for math 1, two, and three at the high school level. We're also providing additional implementation support for our elementary special education teachers to ensure our students with disabilities have access to strong math instruction. This year also marks year two of our TWIG science roll
039out for TK through 8th grade and continued math and reading intervention support at the elementary level. So overall, we're excited about the progress we're seeing and the strategic steps we're taking to continue building on this success. And now Dr. Karns will talk to us a little bit more about English learners. Our enrollment by English language acquisition uh has remained stable over the last few years with a very slight decrease in our English learner enrollment which is down just 0.7% from 10.4% in 2024 to 9.7% in the 2425 school year. Our 2526 enrollment data will be certified and released later this year. A bright spot that is in our 25 data shows a continued decrease in our district LTEL percentage which keeps us below the county and state average which is a good thing for this
040metric. A long-term English learner refers to English learner who has been enrolled in a US school for six years or more and has not yet reclassified as fluent English proficient. It's our goal to continue to decrease our ELTEL percentage by monitoring and reclassifying our English learners as English proficient before they actually become an ELTEL. In 2025, a total of 1,64 English learners took the English language proficiency assessments for California or ELPAC. The LPAC level is determined by student proficiency in four domains which include listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Of those assessed, 18.14% tested well-developed or proficient at a level four. Cavina Valley's proficiency rate is slightly below the county by less than a tenth of a percentage and exceeded that of the state by 2.61%. Cavina Valley's EL proficiency data is trending in a positive
041direction. We want to see a decline in our students at level one and level two and then an increase and the students in level four, excuse me, level three and then ultimately level four as this is an indicator of English language progress. The increase in our ELPAC proficiency is positively impacting our annual reclassification rate, which you can see it increased by 6.43%. Last year, we had 21.65% of our English learners, which was 233 individual students reclassify as English proficient. Here are some key highlights, findings, and next steps based on English learner data. English learner outcomes show an upward trend with fewer ELELLS, higher reclassification rates, and improved ELPAC proficiency, reflecting district-wide growth in English language development. The district has strengthened English learner support through transition parent meetings, newcomer parent meetings, new 612 ELD curriculum, and
042ongoing coaching to foster inclusive classrooms. Continued growth opportunities will focus on improving LTEL reclassification state sustaining progress through RFP and uh LTEL progress monitoring and deepening integrated and culturally responsive ELD instruction expanding progress monitoring tools and increasing two-way parent communication and education opportunities for our Spanishspeaking families. Next, I'll introduce uh Matt Dalton, who will take us into graduation outcomes. This slide focuses on two of our most critical graduation outcomes, the overall graduation rate and the percentage of students meeting the UC CSU college ready requirements. Again, the dark blue bars represent our 2024 data and the orange bars represent the results for 2025. Even though CVUSD has long been well above the LA County and state rates, our graduation rate continued to rise from 95.1 to 97.2 in 2025, reflecting our ongoing commitment to student success.
043The right side of the slide so shows our graduates who met the UC CSU requirements which is also known as A throughG. This is another significant success as our data continues to show a strong jump of 2.7 percentage points bringing us up to 68.3%. This is a powerful indicator of college readiness and it is vital to see this number to continue to grow. When you compare our rate to LA County and that of the state, it's clear that CBUSD is not only leading, but is also creating a substantial advantage for our students and their futures. The state seal of biiteracy recognizes students who are proficient in English and at least one other language by the time they graduate. To earn it, students must demonstrate strong skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking in both languages,
044usually through coursework, grades, or state approved tests. As you can see, the Coina Valley Unified World Language Departments have made a concerted effort to prepare students for this recognition with a 3.2% increase. The Golden State Merit Diploma is an extra honor for California High School students who excel in all of their classes. To earn it, students must be on track to graduate and show strong performance in six subjects, including English, math, science, US history, and two others of their choice. They can demonstrate mastery through high grades or state tests. But as a district, we decreased our number of students, but still remained well above our historical county and state data. I'm pleased to share that our district continues to outperform both LA County and the state, showing steady growth in key areas including graduation, college
045readiness, and by literacy. We aim to increase the number of students earning the Golden State Seal of Merit Diploma by analyzing key drivers of college readiness and by literacy by expanding supports to help students become uh more prepared and qualify for this outcome. Through continued collaboration with our schools, we aim to maintain high graduation rates and ensure instructional supports align with college, career, and biiteracy goals for all students. Next, I'd like to bring Fernando Sanchez to talk a little bit about extra data. Good evening. As part of our ongoing efforts to monitor student engagement in school climate, we are comparing our 2024 and 2025 attendance and discipline data. These metrics are essential indicators of connectedness, culture, and overall student well-being across Kavina Valley Unified. As we can see, our positive attendance rates increased from 94.62%
04662% to 95.67% a 1.05 improvement from last year. Our chronic absenteeism decreased from 17.3% to 16.7% through through our K through8 schools making it a 6% decrease. This makes two consecutive years at Kavina Valley shows growth in our areas of attendance and and continues to perform better than LA County and the state on attendance indicators. Suspension rates, we had a slight decrease from 3% to 2.5%. A.5% decrease showing improvement in the use of proactive and restorative practices. Explosions in 2025 decrease from 5 to four cases, demonstrating progress in early intervention and other means of correction. Overall discipline trends show stability and fewer um severe incidents demonstrating stronger restorative and interventionbased practices. Sites are working at building their MTSS systems on campus as well as finding other means of correction over suspending our students. Once again,
047our bright spots in positive attendance rate increase of a 1.05% 05% chronic absenteem absenteeism decreased by 6% through our K through8 schools exposion decreased by one case slight decrease in suspension rates from the prior year areas of growth we will continue to focus on chronic absenteeism as it remains above our district goal of below 10%. We will continue our MTSS implementation for attendance and behaviors. Continue our attendance campaign and attendance recovery programs to support our attendance. Continue to provide professional development on MTSS and other means of correction as an alternative to suspensions. And last week, we will work with sites on cost data to support students in attendance and discipline. And back up, Dr. Karns. This evening's presentation is just a snapshot of our on ongoing data analysis. In addition to what's shown tonight, we
048meet regularly with each principal to review every metric and every student group using that data to inform goal setting and next steps that are directly tied to that school's SIPA. Our collaboration continues throughout the year as we monitor progress, make adjustments, and analyze data by school, student group, and grade level to identify needs and trends to support our students. Now that the California dashboard was just released last Thursday, we will be focusing on that data analysis over the coming weeks. Thank you for the opportunity of our team to share this evening. Does the board have any questions for the team? >> No. >> Thank you very much. Discussion. Item 11, item A, revised board policy 6173, education for homeless youth. Dr. Pedes, >> thank you once again. Uh, tonight the Ed services department is bringing
049forward an update to board policy 6173, education for homeless youth. The policy was last revised in 2014 and although the policy itself has not been updated, our district has continuously adjusted our practices over the years to stay aligned with changes in the law. The proposed updates were also shared with the board um through our weekly updates. Recent updates to the McKini Vinto Act and California Education Code now provide clearer expectations for identifying supporting students experiencing homeless, making it necessary to formally update the policy every 3 years. So you'll see it again returning in three more years. Most importantly, the revision strengths our ability to support our most vulnerable students by ensuring immediate enrollment, access to service, transportation assistance, and removal of barrier barriers to participation. The updated policy aligns our district with current legislation, clarifying
050staff responsibilities, and reinforces our commitment to equity and student well-being. Thank you. Uh item B, revised board bylaw 9270, conflict of interest. Dr. Blackmore. >> Thank you, President Wright. Um this evening we are presenting bylaw 9270, conflict of uh board of education bylaw 9270, the conflict of interest. It was um originally adopted in 2017 and it was last revised in 2020. Uh CSPA is recommending changes to this bylaw. Um the most of which are language and semantics changes in the sections. Um but there is a uh significant addition regarding conflict of interest from campaign contributions. um speaking to the C uh conflict of interest. Um and again, this is uh giving um guidance and direction to uh board of education members who may receive uh more than $500 in can campaign contributions from a party
051involved in district decisions, either contract licensings or permits within the past 12 months. both the board member and the contributor must either publicly disclose it before any decision is made for the board of education. Again, this is to provide additional um transparency and ensure public trust when it comes to campaign contributions on the part of um on the part of parties that have interest before the board of education. Any questions regarding this? The only question I have is um it says no district official defined as a board member. Um and you're taking out district employee or other person in a position. Um why are we taking out the district employee or other person in a position? Because it doesn't just have to do with campaign finances. And it's all, you know, it goes um under
052the conflict of interest code, under the conflict of interest under political reform act. Um why are we just that's my only question. Why are we taking out district employee or other person? I believe in this case is because the board of education are the ones that um act upon decisions or interest before the board of education. But we can research that and come back to you. This is the first read. >> Yeah, I appreciate that. Thank you. >> Okay, sure. >> Item 12, information item A, revised administrative regulation 6173, education for homeless youth. Dr. Pedes. >> Thank you, President Simon. In addition to updating the board policy 6173, we're also updating the corresponding administrative regulation. And again, although the AR has not been formally revised since 2014, we continue to adjust practices as laws have
053changed over the past years. This update brings the AR into full alignment. And again it is it clarifies the key procedures such as enrollment transportation dispute resol resolution and outline staff responsibilities. >> Thank you. >> My only question on this one. How come to have um it says when there are at least 15 homeless students in the district or a district school, the district's local control and accountability plan um shall include goals and specific actions to improve student achievement and other outcomes of homeless students? Why 15? I mean, wouldn't we do that for any homeless person? We would do it for any homeless, but that's just a number that they, for example, if that's if a district doesn't have that many, they just keep that as a number that's required through the LCAP. Did you
054want to add something, Dr. Blackmore? >> No, I was just going to reiterate that that's an accountability accountability measure as determined by the Department of Education. So, they they determine that threshold or that level and it's um to ensure that there it's it's standardized across the state and all school districts. But that doesn't mean that we would not provide services or or >> we do it anyway. >> But it wouldn't be in our LCAP, right? >> Would it be >> the Is that what it states in our LCA cap is what she's asking? >> Yes, it does. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Because if we only have one, I really want to serve one. Thanks, >> Fernando. Okay. Okay. Thank you. All right. Item B, notification of addendum to dashboard local indicators teaching assignment moni
055mon monitoring data. Dr. D. Thank you, President. Wright. So, the state law requires districts to make available as part of their local indicators for the annual dashboard information about teacher assignment monitoring as part of priority one basic conditions. And the teacher assignment monitoring outcomes is known as TAMU. And those that data is officially released annually, but it reflects data that's over 2 years old at the time of their release. So the current data that's being reported from two years ago shows that we have 81.9% of all of our teachers with clear credentials. uh the percentage that is the difference those individuals have either preliminary credentials or they're on intern credentials or they're on permits or they're teaching under the local control authority which means those sections um the teachers who are teaching them have a
056clear credential but they have enough units in another subject area that allow them to teach a class outside of their clear credential. ial. So I might be a history um credentialed teacher but have enough units to teach science. So then under local control authority I can teach a science section. Uh we do know that over the past two years we have reduced uh the percentage of interns and local control authority and permits and we continue to monitor it yearly. So we know that our percentages will continue to go up. Thank you. >> Item 13, public comments. At this time, any person wishing to speak on any agenda item will be grant be granted three minutes. Mr. Robas, do you have any public comments? >> We do not. >> Thank you. >> Item 14, superintendent, board
057member, student board member comments. Dr. Blackmore. Thank you, President Wright. Uh, first I'd like to thank Phoenix and Sebastian for leading us in the pledge of allegiance this evening. It's inspiring to see our students step forward with such confidence and pride and hear about all the amazing things that are happening um at their schools. I'd like to also extend my appreciation appreciation to our blood drive volunteers. Their service is a powerful example of the compassion and civic responsibility that defines Coina Valley. Um, congratulations to our recent art contest winners and to our employees of the month. Their c their creativity, dedication, and commitment enrich our schools and strengthen our entire community. A very special congratulations to Renee Romero for being named the California State Teacher of the Year. An extraordinary honor that refle reflects both
058his excellence and the caliber of educators across our district. I'd also like to thank David Benia for his service on the personnel commission. We're grateful for his steady leadership and thoughtful contributions. Um this past this past month has been a powerful reminder of what makes Kavina Valley such a special place. We're celebrating strong results and meaningful growth on our LCAP metrics in California dashboard. We hosted incredible events including Sus Senator Susan Rubio teaching an AP government class at Kavina High School and we welcomed our community to the state of the district event. Great things are happening and great things are ahead. As we approach Thanksgiving, I would like to express my gratitude. I am thankful to be part of this remarkable community. I am grateful for the many colleagues and friends who inspire me every
059day with their passion and commitment. And above all, I am thankful for our students who give me hope for a brighter future and remind me why our work is so important. I wish everyone a restful and joyful Thanksgiving break surrounded by family, friends, and the people who lift you up. Thank you. >> Thank you, Dr. Cruz. >> Good evening. Um, let's see. I'll keep it nice and short. Uh, it's been a busy first semester or C semester. We're in the first semester. It's been a busy first semester. I know my my my kids already excited for this um Thanksgiving break. Um, I'm excited, too, cuz I'm actually taking some time off. So, for all of you, I really uh wish you a happy Thanksgiving. I really hope that you take the time to spend it
060with your family and loved ones. And um we'll see you in December. Thank you, Miss Malushi. >> Just make this uh short and sweet. Um just want to wish everybody happy Thanksgiving and a very restful next week. >> Thank you, M. With our break just around the corner, I just want to say that I am thankful for being part of the Cavina Valley community, uh part of the Cavina Valley family. And I want to thank all of our staff, families, uh students for being so wonderful. And I look forward to the break. And I hope everybody takes time for a little self-care that I learned at the Health and Wellness Center the other day. Um, and thank you. >> Thank you, >> M. >> Good evening. Um, I would like to start by thanking Senator
061Susan Rubio for uh coming out to Kamina High School and teaching um our government students a little bit about uh California and its legislature. Um I also um would like to thank um my board colleagues for uh always um engaging in conversation and uh I'm just so grateful to be able to sit on the dis with all of you and be able to bring some great things for Kavina Valley. Um please enjoy the Thanksgiving break. Uh thank you to all of our staff and community uh who make Kavina Valley a great place. Thank you. >> Thank you. tear >> and I can't wait for my break. >> Yeah. >> Uh so, thank you to Phoenix and Sebastian for leading us to the pledge of allegiance and for sharing updates about your schools. Thank you to
062our blood drive volunteers for your outstanding example of student leadership and community service. David Bonia, thank you so much for your dedicated service on the personnel commission. Congratulations to our art contest winners and to our employees of the month for their creativity, dedication, and unwavering commitment to excellence. And a very special congratulations to Mr. Renee Romero for being named 2025 California State Teacher of the Year. An extraordinary accomplishment and a tremendous honor for Cavina Valley Unified. This recognition is welld deserved not only in my view but also in my daughters. she earned one of the highest grades scores on one of uh on the last year's IB exam because of his exceptional teaching. So, I'm speaking from my family's experience. So, thank you very much, Mr. Romero. And uh tonight, the uh LCAP presentation highlighted
063growth in student achievement across the district. I want to commend our teachers, administrators, and staff for their tireless work and deep commitment to our students. While the data and the Cal and the California dashboard reflect significant progress, they also remind us that work important work lies ahead. This year, the board and I are asking our entire team to keep pushing for excellence, to challenge ourselves daily and to focus on how we can continue improving year after year. We have much to celebrate and we also have challenges that we are determined to meet. My charge to Dr. Blackmore and our district staff inspire our teachers. Inspire our leaders, teachers, and students to set expectations and work each day to achieve them. Best is yet to come. Student board member Melody. >> Sorry. Good evening board president
064Ry, Dr. Blackmore, board members and guests. I want to start off by saying thank you to Phoenix and Sebastian for leading us in the pledge of allegiance. I would like to say congratulations to all the employees of the month who are very much appreciated. Congratulations to the art contest winners. Thank you to all the blood drive volunteers whose contributions are making a huge positive impact on so many people's lives and are beyond appreciated. Congratulations to Mr. Romero, teacher of the year. It's teachers like him that make our district and schools so amazing. Thank you and congratulations to Mr. Bonia, our outgoing personnel commissioner. Um, two weeks ago, my fellow board members and I did a spoken word performance at State of the District, and we all did very amazing. That very same day, Fair Valley
065softball team went headto-head with a tough Wickcom squad. The game ended with a crazy five to five tie. Last week, our amazing counselor, Miss M Michelle Lopez, and student career adviser, Miss Valley Curos, facilitated a college fair in the LMC. And it was amazing to see all the students involved in showing interest in different careers, colleges, and majors. On Tuesday, we had a visit from the model continuation high school committee where principles from other continuation schools asked our students questions about our experience at Fair Valley, and I was a part of group four who got interviewed, and it was nice to feel like they valued our opinions. were recommended for continued model status. So that was huge and thank you for your consideration on approving the mentoring program goals for life. It is an amazing
066class. I have that class and we learned so much from Mr. Ellis who was also our MAC professor and teaches um administration of justice. Uh thank you all again for your support and of course happy early Thanksgiving. Item 15, consent agenda. I get a motion to approve the consent agenda. >> So move. >> Motion by Melody Benis. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Second by Dr. Cruz. Any discussion? Roll call. >> Melody Benuelron. >> Yes. Simon Wright, >> yes. >> Maria Ceras, >> abstain. >> Rachel Robas, >> yes. >> Maria Cruz, >> yes. >> Sumuchi, >> yes. >> Motion carries. 4 Z 5 Z. >> Action items. Item 15, action items. Item A, word of bid. Bid number 25-26-102 MFTt Golden West Fence for Trade Tech Pioneer Perimeter Fencing Project. Recommendation is made
067that bid summary number 25-26-102 MOFT 0053 Trac Pioneer Perimeter Fencing Project awarded be awarded to Golden West Fence in the amount of $147,771.80 be approved. Can I get a motion to approve? >> I'll move. >> Motion by Miss Maluchcci. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Second by Dr. Cruz. Any discussion? >> See none. Roll call. >> Melody Benuela. >> Yes. >> Simon Ray. >> Yes. >> Maria Caceres. >> Yes. >> Rachel Robas. >> Yes. >> Maria Cruz. >> Yes. >> Sumalucci. >> Yes. >> Motion carries 6. Item B, Board of Education selection of search firm. Recommendation is made that the board of education select a search firm and bring the contract to the December 11th, 2025 board of education meeting for ratification. >> I move to select the Costco group. A second. >>
068Uh motion by Miss Robles, second by Miss Caceres. Any discussion? >> Roll call. >> Melody Benuelis Vron. >> Yes. >> Simon Wright, >> yes. >> Maria Caceres, >> yes. >> Rachel Robas, >> yes. >> Maria Cruz, >> yes. >> Sumaluchcci, >> yes. >> Motion carries 6. Item 17, new items. Anything to share? Anyone? Item 18. >> Uh, close session. The board will resume close session or further discussion at 8:36. We will reconvene to open session at 9:44 p.m. Report of action taken in close session. Close session. The board voted unanimously to approve an agreement involving certificated employee case number 2025-26-00002. Also in close session, the board voted unanimously to approve the compromise and release agreement for student case number 2025-01. Finally, in close session, the board voted unanimously to approve a workers compensation settlement agreement
069for classified case number 2025-26-006WC. Item 19, adjournment. Is there a motion to adjurnn at 9:45? >> No. Motion by Miss Robas. Second. I'll >> Second. Miss Caceres. Any discussion? Roll call. >> Simon Wright. >> Yes. >> Maria Caceres. >> Yes. >> Rachel Robas? >> Yes. >> Maria Cruz? >> Yes. >> Sumaluchcci? >> Yes. >> Motion carries 5-0. Our next regular board meeting will be held on Thursday, December 11th at 6 p.m. for close session and 700 p.m. for open session at the Hannes Professional Development Center.