001They're ready for you when you're ready. Ready. I got it. Sorry. Go ahead. Hello. I'd like to call this meeting to order at 5 o'clock and announce that the board will meet in close session to address items one through four. Are there any public comments on the close session items? Madame President, there are no blue cards for the close session. Thank you very much. I'm going to close public comment then and recess into close session. Good evening everybody. Good evening. Thank you to the board for getting back here. We um good evening and welcome to the Elgrove Unified School District's board meeting. Live streaming of full in-person board meetings are available to the public by using the link located on the district's website. Today's meeting is being held no is being video recorded and will
002be available on the district's YouTube channel. We encourage you to attend the meetings and share your feedback with the board. Your active participation is valued and contributes to the decision-making process. During regular board meetings, the public may make comments for items on the agenda or items not on the agenda. Requests to make public comment will be accepted for an item up until the board president introduces the item. Generally, members of the public will be given three minutes to address the board. If there are 15 or more comments on a specific item, the board will reduce individual comment time to two minutes each. If there are 30 or more comments on a specific item, the board will reduce individual comments to one minute each. Individuals may not defer their time to another individual speaker to increase
003their total speaking time. Please be mindful that district students will be watching and you are encouraged to address the board and the public in a respectful manner so that all the all those observing from children to adults are made to feel welcome, safe, and valued. The board shall not permit any disturbance or willful interruption of board meetings. Persistent disruption by an individual or group shall be grounds for the president to provide a warning and then terminate the individual or group's privilege of addressing the board. We always start with our land acknowledgement. We acknow we acknowledge that the Elkrove Unified School District administrative facilities and schools occupy the unseated territory of the Miwok, the original people of the land, skies, and waters where we work and learn. The Miwok have cared for these lands since time
004immemorial. They continue to teach their traditional knowledge that comes from and responds to the needs of the land and people who share it. May our daily lives and work, teaching, learning, leadership and community engagement support the evolving vision of the Miwok for their community and these lands. May we strive to acknowledge the past for the betterment of our future generations. May we look to our tribal partners, the Wilton Rancheria, the descendants of the original people of this land to assist with the successful education of our community. Thank you. Next we have our pledge of allegiance, a representative from Valley High School, Miss B. Thank you. So tonight we have Myra Sandival from Valley High School um with principal Jesse Champion. Uh normally Trustee Yang would be presenting this uh so I get the pleasure to
005step in for him. Valley High School is honored to recognize Miss Myra Sandival for her extraordinary commitment to students and families across our community. Myra is a proud mother of Valley freshman Alexander Singh as well as Lucero Leon, a kindergartenner, and Lucia Leon, a fourth grader at Barbara Comtock Morris Elementary. Her dedication to public education spans multiple grade levels and school communities. Myra is a passionate advocate and key partner in our health tech academy where she has opened doors for students to collaborate alongside dental, nursing, and medical professionals providing meaningful real world learning experiences. She serves as chair of Valley's school site council where she asks thoughtful, insightful questions and plays an important role in shaping our LCAP and schoolwide priorities. A proud former Valley student, Myra embodies Viking strong. Whether serving on advisory committees
006or cheering enthusiastically at boys playoff soccer games, that baby's excited for you. Valley High School is deeply grateful for Myra's leadership, service, and unwavering commitment to empowering students and strengthening our school community. Thank you. If everyone could please rise for the pledge of allegiance. 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, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Give her a round of applause. Thank you very much. Our next item has to do with what's outside the circle of this room, our Elkrove regional report. Mustang 5. Let's hear you shout. Mustang. Yeah, we got it. Mustang. Yeah, we got it. Mustang. Let's hear you shout. Check. Check. Sorry, our mics go out sometimes during rallies. Um, great
007job mark off a cheer. That was a great performance. And good evening board president Beth Albiani, members of the board, Superintendent Riley, Miss Avalos. I am Brady Clark, the ASB executive officer. and I am Malia Kino the senior council president and we are proudly representing the Elkrove region. We have a wonderful presentation prepared for you this evening. It will start with student representatives from each school talking about all the great things happening in our community. Then it will wrap up with Fer cheer giving us a performance. Our whole community and all of our schools have been a part of a greater pathway on the road towards a better education. Well, many of these stories to tell. We would like to start our presentations with our representatives a Ellie and Andrew from Elgrove Elementary. Good evening,
008members of the board. My name is Ellie Bancort and I'm a sixth grader at Elgrove Elementary. And this is our mascot, General Eaglesen. I'm excited to share what's been happening at our school this year. This is the very first year we've had a full music program with our music teacher, Mr. Kitchens. Every class from TK through sixth grade now receives music instruction each week. We're learning how to read music, understand rhythm, and recognize different instruments. It's been amazing to see how how much everyone has grown in such a short time. One of the highlights has been our group sings during assemblies. At our winter assembly, the entire school sang together and it was such a powerful moment that it brought tears to many of our teachers eyes. It reminded us how music can bring people
009together. We also had a musical mayhem performance of the Jungle Book where over 50 students were able to participate for free. It gave so many of us the chance to perform on stage, build confidence, and be a part of something special. In addition to our weekly music classes, we continue to have our band program led by Mandarin Strum and Bungle Corpse. Students in band receive additional music instruction and the opportunity to build to develop their skills even further. Having both general music and band has made a huge difference for our school. Recently, we had the pleasure of the current middle school band visit our campus. After their visit, their band director and Mr. Kitchen decided to collaborate to promote music instruction activities and performances between our schools. We are very excited about this partnership and
010how it could strengthen and transform our music program in the future. We would also like to invite you to our annual glow-in-the-dark show on March 5th from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Every student will have a piece of artwork on display. This year's theme is the jungle, and if it's anything like last year's show, it's going to be incredible. We are truly g grateful for the fun for the funding from Proposition 28, our BAB department, and our amazing art and music educators. Because of their support, students at Elkrove Elementary are discovering new talents and growing in confidence every day. As our principal, Mrs. Jones reminds us each day, work hard, be kind, and Eagles, put your wings up and soar. Thank you for your continued support of Elgrove Elementary. Good evening, board president Beth Albaniani, members
011of the board, and superintendent Riley. My name is Juwel Ramirez, and this is Jackson Little. We are members of the student council at Ellen Fer Elementary School, home of the Dragons. And this is Spike. It's an honor to be here tonight to tell you why or It's an honor to be here tonight and we tell you why our school is such a special place to learn and grow. At FER, we believe in being kind, safe, and responsible and you can see that in everything we do. One of my favorite parts of our week is our VAPA partnership with NorCal Arts. They come right into our campus to teach us theater lessons that are about more than just acting. They focus on social emotional learning. We we learn how to collaborate, communicate, and understand our emotions
012through creative expression. But our school doesn't stop in the classroom. We have incredible sports programs with flag football, volleyball, basketball, and cheerleading teams. Our basketball and flag football teams went undefeated this year. Whether we're up on the court cheering from the sidelines, these teams teach us about teamwork, perseverance. from those us who love technology. Our robotic club gives us a chance to build code and solve problems together. We are also working hard to prepare for our futures through our AVID program. In every classroom, we use WICOR strategies, which stands for writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading. These tools help us think deeper and stay organized so we're ready for middle school and beyond. To keep our goals in sight, we celebrate college and career wear Wednesday. It's a great day where everyone, students and teachers,
013wear shirts and sweatshirts from different colleges and careers. It reminds us every week that we're on path to success. In addition, we have monthly spirit assemblies that are fully planned and run by our student council members. These assemblies are full of fun school pride and it's time we are here to celebrate our monthly distinguished dragons. Enjoying the game time with our teachers and students and the cheer performance by our amazing cheerleaders. This assembly brings our whole school together and reminds us how strong we are as a dragon family. We also love the special activities we celebrate through the year. From lunch on the quad to PTO sponsored events like the harvest festival, there's always something exciting happening on our campus. At our friendship dance, we celebrated inclusion with a silent disco, which was such a
014fun and meaningful experience for everyone. We are looking forward to even more events coming to Fer, especially when we celebrate autism acceptance in April and our talent show in May. We hope to see some of you there. Thank you for supporting Ellen Fer Elementary. We are proud to be the Dragons and we appreciate everything you do or help our school shine. Good evening board pres board me president P president president members of the board superintendent Riley and Miss Avalos. My name is Kaylee McAdams and I'm Chloe Buouyak and we are sixth grade students at Florence Markoffer Elementary School. This year has been a really exciting year to be a Mustang. We welcome some new staff members to our school this year, including our new principal, Mrs. Wood, and our new music teacher, Miss Hickman. This
015is actually the first time Mark Offer has ever had a music teacher, and students are loving it. All students at our school from TK through 6th grade, including our level four students, get music class every two weeks. We are learning music elements such as rhythm, pitch, tempo, and dynamics while listening, singing, and playing instruments. Students create and perform developing creativity, cor collaboration, and performance skills. Some of our favorite lessons have been exploring music in sports and movies in Lunar New Year music and dance traditions. We had a winter choir and performances for students and families. and we are super excited about our spring musical. This the program helped us learn stage presence and build confidence. We are excited about our upcarcoming third grade recorder experience with the Carnegie Hall linkup. The orchestra swings program and
016a live performance at the safe credit union performing arts center next Tuesday. We also have a multicultural night coming up and our dance team has been practicing really hard and we can't wait to perform. We are very thankful for Prop 28 money because it helped pay for field trips to see theater performances by Sheldon and Franklin High School. It was really cool to watch students from our other schools perform. We also went on field trips to the B Street Theater and MMP to see live plays which was an awesome experience for many of us. After school, we also have fun programs like the Mansion Band and Young Remembrance are every week. These programs give students more chances to be creative and try new things. We are really thankful for the VAPA funding we received because
017it is making a big difference at our school. We love seeing our Mustangs grow, learn, and shine in new ways. We would love to invite to our first ever talent show on Friday, May 8th, so you can see how talented our Marco for Mustangs are really are. And we're sorry, but our Marco for Mustang couldn't make it today. Thank you for listening and supporting our school. Good evening members of the board, Superintendent Riley and Miss Avalos. My name is K and I'm a sixth grader at James McKe Elementary School and a member of the media group and NHS. and I'm Ella Cruz. I am also a sixth grader and a member of NHS. We are here tonight to share why our school is such a special place to learn and grow. At McKe, we are
018fortunate to have incredible visual and performing art programs. One of the highlights this year is our after school production of The Jungle Book. It is a full production with music, lighting, and student actors. The best part is that it's offered at no cost to students, which means everyone has the opportunity to shine. We also receive outstanding music education through new songs music music school where we explore different instruments and build confidence along with our weekly art and theater lessons. The pro these programs gives us a creative way to express ourselves that we simply cannot get from a textbook. Our students have participated in many meaningful events this year, including community outreach activities such as our family picnic and our movie night. We have also enjoyed engaging assemblies like the water cycle juggler, a drumming performance,
019and Kevin Bracie, an inspiring motivational speaker. We have also hosted fun student centered events including our snowflake ball, Valentine's Day dance, winter sing, and the induction of new members into the student council and NHS. Our school spirit extends far beyond the classroom. After school, you'll find our basketball and volleyball teams working hard on the court, learning teamwork and perseverance. Our track team is working diligently for the elementary track meet. Our students and PTO PTO partnered with the Apex Front Run to raise funds for our school. You might also see the McKe media group in our news studio producing the Bear News Network. During media club, students learn to use professional cameras and editing software while keeping our school community informed and connected. Each month, we hold a PBIS pause assembly led by our student council
020to reinforce our schoolwide expectations. Students take full responsibility for planning and running these assemblies, including performing skits that demonstrate what following our pause looks like in action. We also take great pride in our academics. Many of us are members of the National Elementary Honor Society where we focus on leadership and service. Since TK, we have been practicing AVID strategies. From 1st through 6th grade, AVID helps us stay organized and focus on college and career readiness so we're prepared for whatever comes next. We also offer enrichment opportunities for our GATE students to further enhance their learning. We are excited about events still yet to come, including our annual talent show, the fifth and sixth grade field trip to Yusede, and our end of the year activities such as the sixth grade barbecue and the student versus
021teachers tennis racket baseball game. Thank you for supporting the programs that made James McKe a place where every student can discover their passion. We hope to see you at a performance of the Jungle Book. Good evening families, board members, Superintendent Riley, and Miss Avalos. The 2025 2026 school year has been full of fun and learning here at Joseph Kerr Middle School. To kick off the year, we had our PBIS kickoff event, which was highlighted by our Chalk It Up Art Galleria competition. Then we moved into our first dance of the year, which at middle school is equal parts. Exciting, fun, and nerve-wracking. In October, we had our fall festival, now called Rocktober, celebrated Red Ribbon Week, and then raised a huge amount of canned foods in our canned food drive. We are especially motivated this
022year because when we hit our goal, our principal, Mr. Munoz was duct taped to a wall for the entire break. As we continued into winter, we had our first rally of the year, which was a ton of fun because our school, including our staff, was divided into two teams, our school colors. We have team red and team black. Go team black. And the winning team for the semester was chosen based on how they performed at the rally, weekly spirit challenges, and our dress up days. We have a lot more exciting things planned as the year goes on and there is a lot more to occur now that we have a brand new building on campus. When we came back from winter break, we walked back onto campus and got to enjoy the new never-before used
023buildings. We were the first students in the new math rooms uh new AR art rooms and new computer rooms and also the video production rooms. In addition, our special education students were also able to enjoy and were came back and enjoyed these three new classrooms. We were so close to being done with construction and can't wait to see what our campus looks like when everything is finished. And now for a quick VAPA update. Our amazing curb band took first place at their first competition of the year, performed with Elgrove High School at a football game, and we even had a couple students receive some scholarships in our new art classroom. Students are looking forward to using their new kiln and have been having fun using different mediums to create art. Lastly, in our new media
024room, our students have been creating weekly news episodes that are that keep our students, staff, and families informed on what's happening at Kurt. And of course, now that we're getting closer to the end of the year, we are really looking forward to the eighth grade activities and promotion. We've had a great year so far at Joseph Kerr Middle School and we are so excited and looking forward to continuing our success with the Thundering Herd. With that being said, we would like to turn it over to our friends at Elgrove High School. We're excited to tell you all about the amazing accomplishments Elkrove High School has had this year. First, we'd like to highlight our FFA program and some of their accomplishments this year. FFA has hosted numerous events from chapter meetings to community service activities.
025Our biggest being third grade field day where,200 third graders attended. To boost our program, we celebrated National FA Week and hosted LTA's every day available for all students to participate in. We also have 31 seniors receiving their state degrees later this year in April. FFA also has multiple students lucky and skilled enough to go and compete at the state conference in March. In May though, many of our students will be ending off this year's FFA journey by showing animals at the Sacramento County Fair. We've had major success with visual and performing arts in our school. First with our TDA program who's had over 40 artworks from students shown in the Elkrove Fine Arts Student Showcase and raised $1,000 for the ALS Association at their black and white ball. They also have their 40th annual art
026in action coming up in April. Now to our dance company, Rhythmical Madness, who have also had a major appearance this year. RMS had the chance to play at every single one of our rallies. And not just that, they even got their chance to perform at a Sacramento Kings game a couple months ago. And to top it all off, they had their biggest performance yet this last weekend at Sheldon, where they did a multitude of dances for their biggest performance yet mainstage. Our band has been extremely busy this year, going to competition after competition in the fall and placing in almost all of them. They even have their biggest performance yet coming up in New York City where they get to perform at the great Carnegie Hall. Finally, we'd also like to highlight some of our
027other programs like athletics who have had a very good year so far with multiple sports going to playoffs and even divisionals. Our theater program has also had lots of success with their play last fall and are preparing for their upcoming play dog fight. Lastly, we'd like to highlight our counselors who have helped many of our seniors find their colleges and pathways with one of them even being accepted into West Point Academy. As our section ends, we would like to introduce our FER cheerleaders who have a wonderful dance performance prepared. Everybody. In the club it becomes everybody. Good job, FER cheerleaders. To conclude this amazing evening, we'd like to thank all of the Elkrove community for supporting us in all of these. Without Without you all supporting us through our programs and events, these stories would
028not be possible. Thank you students, thank you staff, and thank you board members for giving us the chance to share our successes. Thank you all for listening and have a great night. Huge thank you to the Elkrove region and we wanted to um introduce their principles. Mr. Rudy Ortega from Elkrove High School, Aaron Munz from Joseph Kerr Middle School, Jill Jones from Elkrove Elementary School, Katherine Brink from Ellen Fert Elementary School, Deerro Wood from Florence Moff Marhoffer Elementary School, and Christa Roberts from James McKe Elementary School. Thank you. Let's go. All right, I think we've cleared out. We could possibly close the doors. Thank you. Our next item on the agenda is a recommendation to rename the Health Tech Community Health Center at Valley High School to the Dr. Arturo Garzison Community Health Center. Miss
029Dr. Coats. All right. Uh Madame President, members of the board, Superintendent Riley, Miss Avalos, staff and community. I'm happy to be here tonight um to bring this recommendation forward. Start with just some um policy and then turn it over to Chad Schwitzer. Consistent with our board policy and administrative regulation 7511, community and staff members from Valley High School have requested to rename the Valley High School Health Tech Community Health Center to the Dr. Arturo Garzon Community Health Center. Elkrove Unified School District administration supports the recommendation consistent with board policy. The Valley High-Tech High School Health Tech Academy established in 1993 has produced graduates who have gone on to become physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physicians assistants, and healthcare administrators. Um the program operates under the belief that current students stand on the shoulders of those who came
030before them. And Dr. Arturo Goon has been um brought forward as a recommendation. And I'm going to let Chad share his story. Uh it's much it is with much pride and u that the student staff and members of the Valley High School students school health tech academy it's a little bit of a tongue twister would like to dedicate the health tech community center in honor of Dr. Arturo Gazone. Dr. Ouro Gazone class of 2014 exemplified this philosophy. He demonstrated leadership, compassion, and dedication through the time in health tech, particularly through the cultural awareness community health outreach project where he mentored students and managed community health initiatives. Uh we're honored tonight to have Mr. Rodney Black, the Valley High School health tech academy lead, who'd like to say a few words. Good evening, uh, board president
031Albiani, uh, Miss Avalos, members of the board, Elgroveve Unified School District Administrators, and Superintendent Riley. My name is Rodney Black, and I serve as the teacher and coordinator of the Valley High School Academy. Tonight, I respectfully request your approval to rename our Healthtech Community Health Center to the Dr. Arturo Garzone Community Health Center. Before I continue, I'd like to acknowledge Arturo's mother, Maria, who played the most important role in Arturo's education and has path to um medical school. I'd also like to acknowledge his sister Stephanie, a health tech graduate herself. Um I would also like to recognize his former colleagues, Arturo's attending physician and mentor, Dr. Cynthia Mendes. Valley alumni, Healthtech graduates, and Valley High School principal Jesse Champion. Arturo's journey from health tech student to family physician was not a departure from what he
032began here. It was a continuation of it. As a student, he led outreach events, mentored younger classmates, and provided health education throughout Sacramento. He did not wait to become a doctor before serving. He was already doing it. After graduating from UC Davis and the UC Davis School of Medicine, he chose family medicine because he believed health care should be preventative, accessible, and rooted in relationships. When he matched into residency at Sacramento Kaiser Permanente Family Medicine residency program, he intentionally returned to the very community he had served as a health tech student. He sat with patients a little longer. He explained complex conditions in simple terms. He treated every person with dignity. To him, medicine was never a status. It was a calling. Today, our students continue this mission inside the Healthtech Community Health Center. Healthtech
033students provide medical reimburseable community health worker services to manage care plan members in Sacramento. They help patients close preventative care gaps, navigate insurance, access food and housing resources, and receive screenings such as blood pressure, waist circumference screenings, and blood pressure screenings. This is not symbolic work. It is real outcomedriven care for underserved family families. And it is the very work Arturo believed in. Our students walk the same path our Turo once walked. By naming this center in his honor, we ensure that every patient served and every family supported continues the legacy of compassion and service Arturo exemplified. I respectfully ask for your approval to rename the center the Dr. Arturo Garzone Community Health Center, a name that reflects the values our health tech students aspire to. Thank you for your time and honoring a life
034that honored this district so well. Thank you everyone. Thank you. Are there any blue cards related to this item? Madame President, there are no blue cards related to this item. Okay. I'd like to call for a motion to approve the proposal from Valley High School staff and community to rename the Valley High School Health Tech Community Center to the Dr. Aturo Garzan Community Health Center. So moved. Second. Moved by Miss Bowwin, seconded by Mr. Vargas. All in favor? Imposs. Passes unanimously. Thank you. Thank you all. Next up, we have resolutions. We'll start with public school month. Dr. Collier. Good evening, President Albiani, members of the board, Superintendent Riley, Miss Avalos, colleagues, and community members. I'm bringing forth uh this resolution number 66 designating April 2026 as public schools month in the Elkrove Unified School District.
035During the 1920s, the free and accepted Masons of California initiated the annual recognition of the role that public schools play in our communities. Since then, the state of California has designated April as public schools month. During this time, we acknowledge the contributions of our schools that our schools play in ensuring the safety and well-being of our students. The purpose of public schools month is to encourage communities to set aside time to honor our public schools and to enlist the community's continued support for public education. Community members are invited to personally recognize the dedication and commitment of the staff at their neighborhood schools. Uh so I'm bringing forth res resolution number 66 for the board to for public schools month and for the Elkrove School Unified School District. Thank you. Are there any blue cards related
036to this item? There are no blue cards. Thank you. I would like to call for a motion to adopt resolution number 66 designating April 2026 as public schools month in the Elkrove Unified School District. So moved. Second. Moved by Mr. Vargas, seconded by Miss Baldwin. All in favor? I opposed. Motion passes unanimously. Thank you. Our next item is school lunch hero day. Miss Drake. Good evening, President Albanian. Members of the board, Superintendent Riley, Miss Navalos, staff, and community. I'm here this evening with resolution uh 62, asking that the board recognize uh May 1st as school lunch hero day. School lunch hero day, celebrated annually since 2013, was designated by the school nutrition association and Jarrett Crosa, author of the lunch lady graphic novel series. Between preparing healthy meals, adhering to strict nutrition standards, navigating specialized
037student needs, and offering service with a smile, the Elkrove Unified School District's nutrition professionals have a lot on their plate. The EGUSD food service professionals are on the front lines providing meal service to children of our community. Our school food service professionals continue to work extremely hard, operate with flexibility, and demonstrate a willingness to gracefully adapt to change. Their dedication to the children of Elkrove Unified is amazing and worthy of sincere recognition. We ask that Elkrove Unified leadership honor and recognize their teams on May 1st, 2026. And with that, I ask that you adopt resolution number 62 designating May 1st as school lunch hero day. Thank you. Are there any blue cards related to this item? Madame President, there are no blue cards related to this item. Thank you. I'd like to call for a
038motion to adopt resolution number 62 designate designating May 1st, 2026 as school lunch hero day. So moved. Second. Moved by Miss Ballerini, seconded by Mr. Vargas. All in favor? I opposed. Passes unanimously. Thank you. Our next item is National Nutrition Month. Mr. Drake, get to see me again. Um, I'm here for resolution number 63 asking that the board designate March as National Nutrition Month. Um, March has been designated as National Nutrition Month, sponsored annually by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Food and Nutrition Services Department. The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. This year's theme is discover the power of nutrition, which focuses on the power of nutrition to help people and communities thrive. Discovering ways to choose healthful foods
039from all the food groups, alternating food choices for a variety of nutrients and avoiding fat diets that pro promote unnecessary restrictions. Students, staff, and community can harness the power of creating healthy lifestyle changes and meals provided by Elkorb Unified help students and families meet their nutritional needs every day. With that, I ask that you recognize March as National Nutrition Month. Thank you. Are there any blue cards related to this item? Madam President, there are no blue cards on this item. And I'd like to call for a motion to adopt resolution number 63 designating the month of March as National Nutrition Month. So moved. Second. Moved by Miss Bowwin, seconded by Mr. Vargas. All in favor? I opposed. Motion passes unanimously. Thank you. Our next item is transgender day of visibility. Mr. Jones. Good evening board
040member, President uh Albiani, members of the board, Miss Avalos, Superintendent Riley. Um, I'm here to request the board to adopt resolution number 71, 202526, recognizing March 31st, 2026 as transgender day of visibility. Each year on March 31st, the world observes transgender day of visibility to raise awareness about transgender people. It is a day to celebrate the lives and contributions of transgender people while also drawing attention to the poverty, discrimination, and violence the community faces. International Transgender Day of Visibility was created in 2009 by trans advocate Rachel Kando Crocker. Transgender Day of Visibility was created in response to the overwhelming majority of media stories about transgender people being focused on violence. This day provides an opportunity to focus on celebrating the lives of transgender people, empowering them to live authentically while still acknowledging that due to
041discrimination, not every trans person can or wants to be visible. Elgroveve Unified School District is a district whose goal is to help all students be college, career, and life ready, knowing that mental health and physical safety are key components of success. Given the state level support of this day, it would follow that the district would also support a day to highlight marginalized voices in fulfillment of its district goals. Thank you. Are there any blue cards related to this item? Madame President, there are 10 blue cards on this item. So, um I'm going to start and I I'll announce the first two. So the first one can come up and speak and the next one go ahead and wait for your turn and we'll go on from there. So the first speaker tonight is Kirk Thompson.
042He's right. I didn't say followed by uh Beth Bourne. Sorry. In 2024 and 2025, I shared studies highlighting serious risk with so-called gender affirming interventions in kids. A Mayo Clinic study showed PureB blockers can cause testicular atrophy and sterilization in boys. A Dutch study found most children with gender dysphoria resolve it by age 25, aligning with earlier research where 88% of gender dysphoric kids later turned out to just be gay. Last year, I cited NIH data linking gender affirming surgeries to a 12 times higher suicide risk and a journal of sexual medicine studies showing elevated mental health issues like substance abuse and suicidal ideiation, especially severe in young women trying to be men. Now, I missed the last meeting, but it really stunned me. The women on this board eagerly passed a Women's Month resolution
043and then immediately sold out their own gender by trying to sneak that sell out into the consent agenda. That's not transparency. That's diabolical. I'm almost impressed by how diabolical it is, actually. But here you are again pushing this failing and dangerous agenda. So, since the science doesn't move you, let's talk money. This resolution risk violating executive order signed January 29th, 2025 banning schools from participating in any student social transition. A presentation later tonight says that we get about $55 million from the federal government. So, you're gambling that money and our students and teachers futures to prop up your own self-righteousness. Just over a month ago, a young woman won a $2 million malpractice lawsuit in New York against doctors who performed her double masectomy in her teens. If courts hit hospitals that hard, imagine the
044liability for teachers, administrators, board members, superintendent who are just trying to play amateur psychologist. Once again, this board is doing everything it can to set up this district to lose funding, digging this district deeper into a financial hole. Again, later tonight, about $30 million if I read the slides correctly. all to push a fashionable political agenda, all at the expense of our students education and safety. You should all be ashamed of yourselves, but I'm starting to question whether any of you have any shame at all. So, hurry up. Go ahead, vote yes, end this silly charade, and then get down to real district business. Thank you. All right, we have Beth Bourne next. And after her, Meg Madden. Um, good evening Elkrove Unified School District. U, my name is Beth Bourne. I'm here today to
045urge you to not adopt this resolution on transgender day of visibility. Um, boys cannot be girls, girls cannot be boys. The medical alterations of healthy bodies of children is malpractice and evil. Um, we need to help them appreciate their healthy bodies and to not affirm a delusion. and and that's what you're creating right now in the UN uh Elgroveve school district. Um I've looked at your websites. I know the gender support plans that tell teachers and school counselors that they can secretly uh transition a child at school with a new name and pronouns. And I think you might have heard Gavin Newsome say yesterday that he doesn't want to have gender snitches at school. He wants the teachers to continue this practice of keeping secrets. Um, right now in Elk Grove you have tampons in
046the boys bathrooms. At every elementary school in the boys bathroom there are tampons, menstrual products. Um, you also have uh all gender bathrooms in locker rooms at your schools. You allow boys to compete on the girls sports and you allow those boys to watch girls undress in their locker rooms. But just to be clear, what we're doing here is we're experimenting on children and we're telling them in the schools um you can work on your social transition, which is the first step to the medicalizing of young young people. And so I'm just going to talk today about this idea of breast binders. So right now in Elkrove, any girl over 12 can access a free breast binder. Right here it says free breast binder if you're over 12 discreetly delivered uh to your home or
047a friend's house or for pickup. And what does a breast binder look look like? So when you when you tell a teen girl that she can become a boy by altering her hair and her face um changing her name and these free breast binders that they're giving out to girls here in Elk Grove. Let me just show you what this looks like. and you put this on a young girl and they're free and you don't need your parents' consent to get them, right? So, you're putting on this compression garment and this is a size large. Um, and it what it does is it it pushes the breast tissue of these girls of their breast down. It um actually constricts breathing. Um, it does cause some lung and rib damage. Um, it actually hurts the breast
048tissue, but it allows these girls to imagine that they're boys right now. They have this flat chest and then what's the next step? It's top surgery. It's double mastctomies. You tell a girl that she's uncomfortable with her breast, that she can wear a binder, that she can change her name, she's going to have her breast amputated. You understand what you're doing. You're experimenting on children. There is no such thing as a transgender child. This breast binder does not make me a man. It makes me a woman who's flattened her breasts. Thank you. Okay. And we have Meg Madden next and then Nicole Young. Sorry. Transgender Day of Visibility is a political stunt that has nothing to do with education or child welfare. It is inappropriate thus for Elkrove Unified School District to take this unnecessary
049and politically driven step to further push gender ideology onto Elgrove students. I ask the Elgroveve School District to for once consider who is made invisible by the district's embrace of this political stance. the many Elgroveve unified students, teachers, staff, and parents who understand that facts matter, real child safeguarding matters, and lying to children about material reality is not part of any legitimate civil rights movement. By adopting this, you make invisible every parent who has lost a child to the cult of transgenderism. Everyone who suffers ill health from having their body harmed in pursuit of an impossibility. Any female athlete forced by her own coach and school to pretend her male teammate or opponent is female. Any boy who can't use the bathroom during school because there are girls in the boy's bathroom. That's why they
050put the tampons in there. And he knows he will be disciplined if he acknowledges the fact they are girls. Any sad or confused girl who is told by her school she should consider the idea she is really a boy creating an overvalued belief in magical gender identities and impeding real mental health treatment. Any child forced to pretend their teacher or coach or other staff member is the opposite sex a serious safeguarding issue. Any parent, teacher, or coach who wishes they could speak out rationally fear that they will be vilified, ostracized, lose their jobs, be threatened with violence, physically attacked, or cause their children to be bullied simply for standing up for reality. What about their visibility? Thank you. All right, we have Nicole Young and after that, Daniel Russell. My name is Nicole Young and
051I'm here today to speak in opposition to the Transgender Day of Visibility Resolution. What we do in this life goes far beyond our time here. And each of you will be remembered for the choices you make, especially the choices that affect children. This resolution sends a message to vulnerable young people that there is something fundamentally wrong with their bodies and that the only path to peace is through medical intervention. That message is deeply harmful. You will be remembered as leaders who endorse the idea that a child's confusion or distress means their body is the problem. You look at a child and you tell them, "Yes, everything you think that is wrong with you is true." I can't imagine saying that to a child. You will be remembered as officials who supported the use of lifealtering
052drugs, sterilizing drugs, and surgeries on minors. Interventions that many medical professionals, parents, and dransitioners have raised serious concerns about. I cannot understand what leads someone to put their name on a resolution that affirms such approach. One day not far from now many people including those sitting on this disas will try to distance themselves from these positions but this vote will be part of a public record. It will not be forgotten. I do not claim to be perfect but I know this when I reach the end of my life I will be able to rest knowing that I never supported policies that encouraged irreversible medical harm to children. Thank you. All right. I have Daniel Russell and Leila Jane is after that. Good evening, President Alviani, Vice President Ballerini, Superintendent Riley, and principles and teachers and
053our beloved community. I don't want to be here. I am a grandfather. I got three grandchildren. Both my daughters graduated from Lagona Creek High School. Uh, got one daughter in Franklin, two old kids, uh, younger kids, sixth grade at, uh, Arlene Hine. But, you know, I I really have no choice. Most of the people in Elkrove don't know what we're doing right now. They don't. They don't. Just like with politics, most people are checked out. Hey, we got lives. We are busy. We understand it. That's why we give our children to teachers and schools and school boards and trust. we trust. But I do know what's going on. I do not doubt that the school board and superintendent and principles and teachers and our communities love our kids. I do not doubt that. We want
054the best for our kids. We do. Every one of us here, assuming that nobody here has some nearious, you know, motive, we love our kids. We want the best for our kids. And do we have difference of opinion? Yes, we have difference of opinion and that's allowed. So let's now go to science. Is there science? Even more so we could say let's appeal to common sense, but let's just go to science and studies. So the science is in. We've only been doing this transgender stuff for just a short time, but the science is in. Studies show that supporting transgenderism or what's called transgender supportive care or affirming care has more harm than good. Europe knows it. National sports federations know it. International sports federations know it. Most of this nation knows it. Most of the
055people that are thinking know it. Our judges know it. And sure, we're in a period where it hasn't been litigated to the nth degree yet. But science is in, folks. And my question to the board and to the principles and to the teachers is, are you reading the same studies that I'm reading? Are you reading the results that are science or are we going along with something that, you know, we're parents, we don't want to hurt our kids. So, we make sometimes improper decisions out of love for our kids. This is time to grow up, act like adults, look at the science, look at the facts, and deal compassionately with our kids. God bless you all. Thank you. Okay, I have Leila Jane and then Stephen Barasa. Good evening board members and community members. My
056name is Laya Jane. I'm a dransitioner who grew up around this area. I'm here to oppose district's recognition of transgender day of visibility. Children are sponges. They absorb everything from trusted adults at school. They do not need exposure to transgender ideology through official proclamations. I was one of the kids that this was intended to help. A confused child who said and I genuinely believed I was transgender. I was affirmed and that affirmation led to me being put on puberty blockers, testosterone, and having a double mistctomy by the age of 13. My life is permanently changed. I now live with health complications such as chronic nerve pain, joint pain, deep regret. My mental health got worse, not better. This resolution does vulnerable children a disservice. Schools should protect kids, not encourage them towards irreversible medical decisions.
057Real underlying issues, trauma, mental health struggles, social influences. They deserve therapy and time, not celebration and medicalization. Major reviews like the UK's Cash Report have shown weak evidence and serious risks for puberty blockers and hormones and minors. Yet, Elk Grove aims to officially promote the ideology, the same one that harmed me. I speak from pain I wish on no child. True care means honesty. Bodies are healthy as they are. Feelings can change. Blind affirmation and rushing for medical transition is not compassion. It's harmful. Please do not recognize transgender day of visibility in our schools. Keep students focused on education neutral and ideology and be protective of every child's mind and developing body. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Okay, we have Steven Barasa and after that Amalina. Hello, I'm Steven Barasa. I'm a
058senior member of the gay community and back in the day we were fighting for equal rights with marriage, employment, housing. And then flash forward today and radical activists have hijacked our movement starting around 2009. uh I call it cultural Marxism that has taken over and one thing they did is they totally transformed the calendar having all these observances on our calendar. You know transgender day of visibility is just one of dozens including such lesbian visibility day, pansexual and panromantic awareness and visibility day. I'm not going to read them all, don't worry. uh aromatic spectrum awareness week. It goes on and on. It's all year long just to validate this insane political activism that has hijacked our movement. It's out of control. But in 2009, we saw slogans protect trans kids. That was a brand new
059concept. We never This invented the idea that there's trans children. Very sneaky. And it's been promoted ever since. And then it got into the school system and this is where we are today. So don't you know I I am grateful that we have the gay community, the LGBT community has come so far, but now it's gone too far the other way. Right? So I'm glad you support us, but we need to reel this back and use some common sense. Uh so I do not approve of this promoting this transgender concept with our kids. It's confusing and it's really harmful because it leads to a slippery slope of medicalization and you know uh it causes irreversible harm. The one thing is what's interesting trans this visibility transgender visibility day coincides with the Supreme Court ruling that
060they just decided that no it's not okay to keep this a secret from parents. If your student is identifying as the opposite sex, you must include parents in this conversation. It's really important and I urge parents to have these tough conversations with your kids. You know, it's okay if you don't fit uh you know uh sexual norms and you could be affeminite, masculine. That's okay. But resist medicalization. It's a big mistake and we need to start having honest conversations about it. Thank you. and I urge you not to uh observe transgender visibility day. Thank you. Okay, we have Amalina and after that Matthew Ward. Good evening. And um so I'm just going to go into you know um I hope that with the sup Supreme Court decision ruling in favor of parental rights that the
061board consider um their gender secrecy policy. Um this secrecy policy brings division to families and her children who are struggling with gender dysphoria. Um, so I I I hope that uh we can come up with ways to help parents help their children that are going through this struggling. Um, and do not get in between parents and their children. Uh, provide them instead provide them with resources that can assist them in raising healthy and happy children. I've watched uh how most of you have voted to, you know, to the policy that allow boys in sports girls and locker rooms and bathrooms and all that. And I w and I also and and how you have voted um to keep parents from knowing if their child is going through social transitioning in a school. Um, so I
062I would say, you know, some of you come across as you were really pro- family values and then when it comes to vote, you vote in favor of these type of policies. And I say to those of you who have done that, shame on you. um for not standing up for for the truth, for coward cowardly back backing away from from the truth and and voting in favor of these policies. And here we are uh again, you know, trying to pass this resolution. What gain? What is this about? How does this help our students? I just don't get it. Um so again you know if you vote yes on this I say to you shame on you and you will not be judged on your feelings you'll be judged the actions that you take your
063decisions that you make. So let's work with families. Let's work with parents and not divide them, not put their their children against them and and and keep secrets uh secret information that is very important for parents to know so they can help their child and um and and maybe you can be part of that. So I say no to this resolution. I hope you consider it. Thank you. Okay, we have Matthew Ward and after that, David Baloy. Good evening, school board members. My name is Matthew Ward. Initially, my plan was to come here tonight to explain why it's a bad idea for your board to approve the resolution, which will formally create a transgender day of visibility. However, I am confident you will pass it 5 to1. So, I decided to go in a different
064direction. Just as six of you board members recently passed a policy on the consent agenda to allow boys and girls sports and private spaces, I know that five of you will pass this resolution. Board member Heidi Moore will be the only voice of reason that will not support this normalization of mental illness, which only serves to harm vulnerable and mentally fragile students. So, since you'll be passing the resolution anyway, I will focus my comments on giving you two suggestions on what you should really do with this so-called transgender day of visibility. Recommendation one, invite Khloe Cole and Leila Jane here to be a guest speakers on your campuses. Khloe suffered from gender dysphoria at the age of 12 and is now an activist who opposes the mutilation of minors and supports bans on sex denying
065butchery procedures following her own dransition. Cole began transitioning at 12 and at age 13 began undergoing treatment which included puberty blockers, testosterone and at age 15 she had both of her breasts cut off in an operation called a double masectomy. She began dransitioning at 16 and now she is an outspoken voice against the cult of trans ideology. There are a plethora of dransitioners that would be willing to speak to your students and tell their horrific stories. Khloe Cole and Ila are just one examples of many. Recommendation two. Per Beth Bourne, there are at least six girls at Davis High School that in recent years have cut off both of their healthy breasts in an attempt to transition to become boys. According to one study, the frequency of 18 to 24 year olds self-identifying as trans
066has gone up by a 422% from 2014 to 2023. This isn't natural. I encourage you to use this day of transgender visibility to study these alarming and self-destructive trends. If transgenderism is natural and biological, why are some high schools experiencing far greater frequency of students claiming to be the opposite sex or no sex at all? Of course, we all know there is nothing natural about this data. Kids are not born in the wrong body. Kids are influenced by adults. Activists masquerading as teachers, social media, and their peers. Use this day of transgender visibility to study these damaging trends and present your findings as to why this alarming trend has grown exponentially. In short, impressionable students are highly vulnerable to being sucked into the cult of trans ideology. They need to be loved and told the
067truth. Truth is love. Respecting the pronouns is part of the problem. Lying to kids and telling them that their problems will go away if they get a new name, inject themselves with foreign sex hormones, or butcher their healthy breasts and sexual organs is evil. Gender ideology has no place in schools and harms children. There are no trans children, just children who need empathy and support. Schools should not be telling students that some kids are born into the wrong body. Schools should not be normalizing and celebrating the social contagion of gender dysphoria. Rather, schools should be telling kids the truth, which is simple. There are two sexes. There are zero genders, and there are infinite personality types. In other words, there is no right or wrong way to be a boy or a girl. Thank you
068for your time. And our final speaker on this is David Baloy. Hi, my name is David Bolog and sometimes the G looks like a Y. I apologize for that. Um, I'm going to go a little different than the rest of my colleagues here tonight. And I am supportive of this trans day of g of visibility. And the reason why is because it has been decided in the courts down in San Diego, Judge Bonitas, in the case of Mirabelli versus Olsen, that you cannot keep transgender secrecy plans away from the parents. Now, that has been appealed to the Ninth Circuit and the Ninth Circuit granted a stay. That was challenged and the Supreme Court said, "No, you can't do that. We have to stay with the original ruling because the likelihood of that ruling being upheld
069is very likely a very strong chance it's going to happen. So for this day of transgend day of transgender visibility, it's time for you to invite the parents that you have been keeping a secret from with secret plans of social transition and show them what's been going on with their children and come clean with them what's happening. Now, my friend over there talked about violence happening to trans kids, and it's true. It is because if they go from social, which I think is violence in its own self, in its own right, because you're telling that kid that they're not right. He spoke about those children being their authentic self. If you tell them the way they were born is wrong, that's telling them their authentic self is not right, you're harming those children by saying
070that to them. That's the first violence that you have. If it goes to where you block their puberty, you're stopping them from their whole body developing. You're stopping from their bone developing properly to where they'll have not the right uh sense of developing how their hormones are going to work. So then from that case on they go on to hormones and that disrupts their natural status of the way their uh forgot the word that uh supports your hormones your endocrine system. So now you're disrupting their endocrine system from that the violence can go with girls as our friendly the Jane talked earlier of having their breast removed. That's very violent. So on this day, I do support you having this transgender day of visibility and coming clean to parents and letting children be who they
071are, letting parents know their situation and letting them know that if they go down this route of medicalization, that's real violence that's going to harm them. Thank you for listening to me. That everyone? That is everyone. Thank you. Um I was told um Miss Moore wanted to speak. Yes. Yes. Thank you. Um first I have a question for Mr. Riley. Um Mr. Riley, does Pride Month resolution include transgender individuals? Yes, it would be inclusive. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. So, why do we have an additional resolution for transgender individuals when um they are already included in Pride Month? Um a decision was made in 2023 2024 um to have this as a separate resolution and it's been recognized in that school year and in 2425 as well. Okay. Okay. And how did that resolution originally come
072about on the agenda? I believe a a board member at the time um requested that it be placed on the agenda. It was reviewed by the board president at that time and the superintendent and was placed on the agenda. And which board member requested for it to be on the agenda? Uh Mr. Mr. Vargas. Okay. I just wanted everyone to know how this originated and um you know clearly in my opinion there's some redundancy here that we have pride month which includes transgender students uh or individuals and then we have a transgender day of visibility. Um and I I really question if this is appropriate um especially when we already exclude several cultural and ethnic groups from being recognized in our resolutions. Um, this resolution claims, quote, "The Oakrove Unified School District governing board has
073for many years unanimously approved policies regarding non-discrimination to ensure that all students, families, and staff are treated with fairness, respect, and dignity." It um goes on to say, "The Elgrove Unified School District is committed to standing up against discrimination of all students." End quote. Uh, I cannot support a resolution that makes false statements. For years, our board and district have discriminated against girls. We have taken away their opportunities in sports by allowing males to compete with and against them. We have violated their private spaces by allowing males to undress with them and in front of them. In September, I requested a resolution to protect girls sports to be considered to be uh for placement on the a future agenda. Part of the purpose of this resolution was to call upon governing bodies and individuals in
074the state of California to ensure fairness in girls sports. My resolution, which was to bring awareness to discrimination against girls, did not receive a single vote from any other board member. So, this statement that the board has unanimously approved policies regarding non-discrimination is false. Furthermore, we are not providing our girls with fairness, respect, or dignity when we take away their opportunities and force them to undress in front of boys. If we are truly committed to standing up against discrimination of all students, then we must stand up for our girls. I would also like to suggest that if we continue to put this redundant resolution on the agenda year after year, then we should also place a dr dtransitioners day of visibility on the agenda. A growing number of dransitioners are coming forward just as we
075saw tonight. And I thank you so much Ila for your bravery for I commend you so much because that is not easy. So thank you Ila for being here. She is just one of many dransitioners who are coming forward sharing their horror stories of being transitioned as minors and regretting the irreversible actions that were pushed upon them by their schools and medical professionals. For example, as already was mentioned, Khloe Cole, she's now 20 years old. She's a dransitioner who was socially transitioned at the age of 12. She started puberty blockers and testosterone at the age of 13 and had a double mastctomy at 15. Her parents were told by her doctor that if they did not move forward with the transitioning of their daughter, she would commit suicide. But at the age of only 16,
076one year later, she decided to stop her transition, realizing that the path did not reflect her true self. In a letter Khloe wrote to the Kansas State Legislature, she stated, quote, "I have suffered a multitude of complications from the blockers, cross- sex hormones, and surgery. My quality of life is still being impacted to this day. I had my puberty blocked when I was about already about four years in. In response, I began experienc-like symptoms, including severe hot flashes and itching all over my body. This went away after I stopped taking them, but I still have joint pain and shooting pains in my spine. During a consultation for testosterone, I was told by my endocrinologist that I would experience vaginal atrophy. I was not informed that the atrophy affects the rest of the organs in the
077pelvic region. It caused me to experience episodes of severe uterine cramps that were rare but unpredictable and worse than menstrual cramps I've ever endured. I was prescribed topical estrogen, but my urinary tract was still affected and I am still susceptible to dehydration and infection. She continues, the status of my fertility remains unknown, but I do not have the choice of breastfeeding my future children because my breasts are gone. I was told this by my surgeon, but because I myself was a child, I did not understand the importance of breastfeeding or even being a parent. As an adult, I am now grieving. And on top of that, the aerial areolar skin grafts they used in my surgery began to fail two years afterwards. I must wear bandages on my chest every day. The doctors who helped
078me to to transition have not provided me any of the appropriate care for these complications. End quote. Khloe is just one of a growing number of dransitioners who are speaking out about their medical transitions as minors. We have we have previously had a document on our youth development website titled quote affirming gender in elementary school social transitioning end quote. Uh this document outlines how to socially transition elementary age students at our schools. Although I cannot find that document at the same link it was previously found, I still find many resources to help teachers and staff affirm students perceive gender identity. I worry about our participation in the social transition of minors when it can lead to a path of irreversible medicalization and complications. As a board member, mother, and involved community member, I care deeply
079about all children. I want to see that all children are kept safe and protected. For all these reasons that I have shared, I will not be able to support this resolution tonight. Thank you. Mr. Vars, you want to speak? Yeah, I'll keep it short. Um, every time we do one of these, um, I try to have something to say, uh, to staff and, uh, and our teachers and everybody who works in the district, um, just to kind of give them something to think about. Um, and I think this time I was thinking a lot about visibility, uh, and what that means. And you know, I was going through the fog and so visibility was was a thought process this this winter. Um, and I just remember thinking how much how important and how valuable it
080is when we see students and their families. And so I think this year what I want to say is thank you to all of our amazing staff and administrators and teachers who are doing that work, who see our students, who love our students, who support them, who put in that extra effort because it is incredibly important. as someone who was seen and and remembers that experience at a time in my life when I needed it. It is so incredibly valuable. What you do is so incredibly valuable. And so I just want to say thank you. That's it. Thank you. Did anybody else want to speak? Yes. Z. I just wanted to start off by saying how important visibility is on um on especially in a setting such as a school district, I want to say
081as a member of the queer community myself, I've experienced countless times where where I didn't feel where I didn't feel valued or seen as an individual. And today today as a board member sitting amongst this board, I'm glad that I get to have a say in policy decisions that bring light to the community that supported me throughout my whole life where I just also want to say to the LGBTQ community where LGBTQ would not exist without the transgender community and where they have supported us where those days where I feel like I where I felt I wasn't worthy of of my position and the all all of my achievements felt overshadowed. The the trans community was always there to support me and made me feel loved and I just want to say that I am
082in full support of this resolution. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else? Miss Bowen, I too will keep it brief. See, thank you. Thank you for being brave and being up here because I know it's not easy to hear the rhetoric and to feel the pain. Um, this resolution will continue to show us that it's necessary because we continue to have a very divisive conversation around allowing people to be their authentic self. And the things that people make assumptions around what these resolutions are really about are not true. And just you don't have to believe everything you hear, but know what this is about is the visibility, the value, the importance of children being their authentic self. And I really truly hope that we as adults can get to a place where we allow our children
083to show us who they are and for us to support them in whatever they they choose to be. Taking drastic measures is never good, but supporting children and letting them know that they are seen, they are loved, and that they are in a community that wants to see them thrive and reach their highest potential. And until we get to that, this tells me we have to keep bringing this back. So, thank you to my colleagues who brought this forward, who showed the courage to say this is important and thank you to my young colleague for speaking up because your voice is so valuable and so important and it is one that we've needed and I'm so glad that you're here. Thank you, Miss Davis. I just have a short statement. Honoring Transgender Awareness Day is
084important because it affirms the dignity, the visibility, and the humanity of transgender people. It raises awareness about the challenges they face. Um, celebrates their contribution and encourages community to stand against discrimination and violence. Recognizing days like Transgender Day of Visibility help promote understanding, inclusion, and respect for all of our students, not just yours. Um, I thank you, Z, for speaking up. I know that took a lot of courage and know we love you. That's all I have to say. Thank you. All right. I would like to call for a motion to adopt resolution number 71 recognizing March 31st, 2026 is transgender day of visibility. So moved. Second. Moved by Mr. Vargas, seconded by Miss Bowwin. All in favor? I I opposed. No, it is the sixth one. Thank you. We're moving to student expulsion involuntary
085transfer recommendations. Is there anyone who wishes to address the board in close session regarding a student expulsion? Okay, seeing no one, I will call for a motion to approve the recommendations for student expulsion. So moved. Second. Moved by Miss Ballerini, seconded by Mr. Vargas. All in favor? I opposed. Thank you. Next, we have public comment for items that are not on the agenda. Are there any blue cards for this item? Yes, Madame President. There are two blue cards for items not on the agenda. Um, they are Joan Siddens and Beth Bourne. There's Joan. There she is. Good evening, board members. Good evening, Mr. Superintendent. My name is Joan and I'm a teacher at Los Flores High School, our district's independent study school. I've been working at Los Fores High School for 23 years and I've
086never come to address the board before and I wouldn't be here now if this issue was not of great importance to me and to our school. I'm requesting that the district consider reopening our open principles position over summer. First, I want to acknowledge that we appreciate the time and effort that's gone into the search process. However, this is now the third round of interviews. In previous rounds, staff expressed strong alignment around specific candidates and those recommendations were not advanced. We understand that the district considers many factors, but we would be remiss if we did not respectfully share staff voice. Los Flores is not a continuation school. We're an alternative education independent study school with a distinct instructional model. I mention this because two out of the three candidates did refer to us as a continuation
087school. Approximately 90% of our students are secondary, 70% high school and 20% middle school. Our program requires leadership with meaningful secondary experience and a classroom teaching background. Because of the unique nature of our school leadership um because of the unique nature of our school leadership fit is critical staff alignment and buyin are essential for the stability and long-term long-term success of our school. Our respectful request is that because there is not a strong there is not strong alignment between current candidate experience and the specific specific needs of Los Flores, the district consider reopening the position over the summer to attract a broader pool of applicants. We believe taking additional time now would better serve our students and ensure the strongest possible leadership match for our program. We are committed to collaboration and the continued success
088of Las High School. Thank you so much for your consideration. Thank you. And Beth, it's your turn. Um, hi. My name is Beth Bourne. Um I'm here uh well I'm disappointed if but not surprised that so many of you believe in this idea of the transgender child. Um and actually was really heartbreaking to hear this student um say that he's you know he's concerned about his uh fellow students who are transgender. But you know I looked closely at the books um here and I'm going to start with James McKe Elementary School in your school district. Um there's actually 175 different books. These are different titles within the Elkrove School District on the transgender child. You can just go keyword transgender. So um you know this book here at your elementary school called Lily and Duncan.
089Um it's one of the most banned books. Um it's at James McGee Elementary School. It's about um the challenges faced by a transgender girl and a boy who both have bipolar disorder. Um, so, um, these are the books I'm more familiar with, but, um, you know, we have books like this in your elementary school. Um, if you're a kid like Gavin, it just shows pictures. You know, this is for your kindergartener, first grade teacher, showing a a very overweight um, young woman here who, or I'm sorry, she's just a teen girl who thinks she could be a boy. Um, she's got her little cat hair and she likes artwork. um and you know she wants to use the boys bathroom at her school and so she works with the ACLU um to become an activist.
090This is a a picture book teaching kids how to be an activist working with the ACLU to get trans kids, you know, get boys in girls bathrooms and and vice versa. This is the other book in your elementary school, Jacob's Room to Choose, teaching um kids that um you know, if you're uncomfortable seeing a boy in your bathroom, well, then there's something wrong with you because um everyone should get to pee wherever they want. Um you know, this is this is telling little young kids that, you know, don't trust your eyes. Um it's wrong or not, it's not inclusive or kind to to lit a boy in a girl's bathroom and vice versa. Um you have books um here at your high school, Elkrove High School. Um you've got books like Beyond Magenta shows a
091picture of a girl uh wearing a breast binder and a bow tie. You have Felix Ever After at Elkrove High School. It shows a picture of a young woman with double mastctomy scars on the front cover of the book. Just go to your go to your high school library. Uh Felix Ever After. Um, there's also self-made boys, queer, the ultimate LGBT guide for teens, uh, being jazz. Um, transgender role models. It shows, uh, you know, a man dressed as a woman on the front. Um, you get the idea, right? You have a young person here who believes in transgender children because you taught him that as a young age and now this is what you have, right? You produced this Elkrove. Moving on to the consent agenda. Are there any blue cards related to the
092consent agenda? Madame President, there are no blue cards related to the consent agenda. Thank you. I'd like to call for a motion to approve items 1 through 30 on the consent agenda. So moved. Second. Moved by Mr. Vargas, seconded by Miss Ballerini. All in favor? I I oppose. Motion passes. Bargaining units. Do you have anyone who wants to speak from the bargaining units? Yes. Hello. Um, my name is Jeremiah Miller. I'm a union rep with Ask Me Local 258. Um, good evening, Board President Albiani, Oak Venified School District, Board of Trustees, and Superintendent Riley. That is a new one for me. Um, I would have liked to present this information at the last meeting. Unfortunately, I was not able to make it um and attend due to other work obligations. First, we know we all
093know each other and we all know that I'm a huge proponent for people getting paid compens for what they do. Okay. Um, this being said, the actions of the EGSD school board trustees took last meeting has effectively from my perspective turn the trustee position from a calling to public service into a job. Somewhat like a job. Okay. Um, we can only hope that future trustees will treat this as you all have and put the work in to earn the stipen. Um, I'd like to discuss with us some information and data regarding jobs and employees in the district. We'll start with medical insurance. The school board has the option to take medical coverage from the district. In order for me represented employees to get medical coverage through the district, they have to work a minimum of
094four hours per day, 20 hours a week. Seeing this, we hope that prospective uh board of trustees or excuse me, trustees to the board are going to be able to dedicate at least that time to their position. It seems only fair. Um hopefully they will be able to put in four hours a day or 20 hours a week to justify those things um so as to qualify for medical coverage. The next thing is that by making the move to increase the monthly salary or excuse me stipened uh to $4,500 once we hit 60,0001 students which is practically a guarantee equals $54,000 a year roughly or actually that's the exact number or the equivalent to about $54 per hour for a part-time 4hour 20 a week employee or $27 an hour for a full-time 8 hour
095a day employee. At $54 an hour for 4 hour 20our week employee 4 hour a day 20week employee the trustee position would make more than any ask me represented employee per hour all of them at $27 an hour which would be a full-time employee working eight hours a day or 40 hours a week. The trustee position would make more than 33 of our ASME positions um per hour, including campus supervisors, custodians, library technicians, health records assistants, and food service staff who many of them don't even qualify for medical benefits because they don't work more than four hours a day and 28 more positions. That is the whole first page of our salary schedule. And mind you, that's at $27 an hour. Many of the employees in these classifications are are working two even three jobs
096to make ends meets. And that's that's not anecdotal. That is truth. Um these funds are the equivalent of seven more custodians, eight campus supervisors, or 10 food service staff. The $4,500 a month is a 600% increase to the stipen for each trustee. The last negotiated salary increases for EGSD staff was 2% for the 2425 school year and a 1% plus 1% with contingencies and a potential other 1% for the 2526 school year. Mind you again like I stated that these were with contingencies that the school may not hit school district may not hit. So 4% which is what we've gotten so far over two years does not even keep up with inflation. Again, I fully believe that people should be paid commensurately with the work that they do. I personally also, and this is me
097as Jeremiah speaking, think that there could have been other approaches to phase this in um to get to the same goal, which is legal. Um I just think it's bad timing and it's not a great look. Um, again, even if it is legal to do so, I hope this board does not take my comments as admonishments, but as shedding some light on some details that could easily be missed, but really should be kept in mind for the future. Additionally, it is a call to future trustees who may be interested in running for these positions that they need to be serious about the work. They need to put the time in. They need to put the effort in. I can't say that about all trustees that we've had before. Um, and but this is should be
098what is expected not just by the union representatives, not just by the labor staff, not just by your employees or your students, but by the communities as a whole. So again, all of this being said, ask me will soon be in uh coming to the bargaining table with Elkrove Unified School District. I hope that some of what I said tonight may resonate with you um when we're entering into negotiations. Thank you. Thank you. There any other bargaining unit wishing to Oh, good evening board members. I'm Tina Cout, CCA chapter treasurer, union steward, and I have to get used to saying superintendent Riley. So, u the board members, you all received an email from our chapter president, Rosio Galvan. I'm going to thank the three board members that responded to this email that I'll be reading.
099Our superintendent Riley, our board president, Albiani, trustees Davis, and Baldwin. and I shall read. Good evening, EGUSD school board members and staff. And you all know me. Most of you all know me. Give me CSA has gathered the attached data to stress the need to address our current PAR educator vacancy rate. We are all aware of the critical roles parent educators and classified staff feel to meet the needs of our most vulnerable stu students and children while also supporting teachers and school sites. As of January 2026, we are facing a 42% vacancy rate. 42%. board members. If you don't know that, I shame on you because you should know. Across the district, there are 862 filled pair of positions and 626 vacancies. 626. When nearly half of our support staff is missing, the burden falls
100on teachers and the few remaining classified staff, leading to burnout, poor attendance, and ultimately more resignations. This creates a cycle of instability that our students, especially those with special needs, cannot afford. The attached documents list all of our sites and your sites as trustees and the number of vacancies while the information below highlights high need sites. And I will read the high need sites. And I do want this to be on a public record because when we send you something, we expect you to respond. And I will hold you a kettle and so will the rest of our CSC8 team. Susan Davis, Trusty Davis 46% Anna Gator has 11 district paras and 18 vacancies. Trustee Moore 53%. Sierra Enterprise, which I am a parah at, has only nine district paras, 20 vacancies. I expect to
101see you on my site. Uh trustee Ballerini Miwok Village 14 district paras 14 vacancies which is 61%. Trustee Vargas 62%. Uh Donner 28 parah vacancies or par district paras 21 vacancies. Trusty Bowwin 63% of our vacancies are at Laguna Creek with only 19 district paras 20 vac 22 vacancies and Joseph Sims we have 21 district paras and 19 vacancies. Trustee Albiani 72%. Edna Batty has 21 paras 18 vacancies. Arthur Butler, 15 district Paris and 11 vacancies. Unfortunately, of course, Miss Gavan could not be here tonight, so I am here to read her email for you. Our leadership team looks forward to hearing from you regarding the information shared with you. And also the board, you did approve um the recruitment campaign which I am on and that's playing on our channel 3 news station to
102find paras that were going to work for the district. My question to you is what are you going to do to recruit paras to work for our district? And so, um, Superintendent Riley, uh, suggested a forum and, um, I look forward to that forum. And I just need to let you know if you don't know me and you don't know the youth leadership team, we move with purpose. We are not uh, disrespectful, but we are loud. We are proud. And we're here to support our CSEA members and to make sure that again you have a 400% pay increase that you approve for yourself. We're going to hold you accountable to make sure you do the job just like my brother here uh for the ask me team classified is going to make sure you guys
103are doing your job. When you show up trusty more one time this year on my campus, shame on you. And did you speak to any of our classified staff? You did not. And that's going to be for the rest of the trustees, too. I expect you to be talking to our classified staff. That doesn't just mean PAR educators. That means bus drivers, those of our brothers and sisters, um our ask me team. You you can't continue to do um what you've been doing. And if you're going to make a difference like the rest of us expect to do, we expect you to do your jobs. and we expect you to meet with us and confer with us. Um, and I will say on a final note, um, we are still waiting for you to approve
104the parent educators job descriptions. We have worked on those entire year. If you have questions, please make sure that you're conferring with our team because we should not be sitting here another year waiting for a job description to be approved from this board. our our parents need it and so do our our our students and our parents. They look for the our support from our parent educators. Um what is it? We've got probably 90% of our our students 12,000 special ed um students that need our support. We need you to do your jobs. Thank you. Anyone else? All right, seeing no one, I'll move on to report and discussion items. Food and nutrition services annual report. Mr. Drake, Madam President, can we take a brief comfort break? Oh, thank you. Definitely. Uh, we'll take five.
105Sounds great. Five minutes. We can get back to the dis please Lord. Ballerini, can we get you up here, please? Oh, fun. All right. Thank you, It's all good. It's all good. We're still awake and focused. Um, report and discussion items. We'll start with the food nutrition services annual report from my street, President Albiani, members of the board, uh, Superintendent Riley, also have to get used to that, but I've did it pretty good. Uh, Miss Avalos, members of the community and staff, I am here to give our annual report for food and nutrition services. So, as you may be aware, we fall under the strategic goals of the district through wellness. Um, we build our own strategic goals as well. Um, and our overarching goal is to provide fresh quality meals that help students achieve
106at their full potential every day. And we break that into the three district um, goals as well. So, outcomes for students focused on continuing to create and develop freshly prepared scratch-cooked meals. Um, and expanding our garden bars and carts, high expectations for learning for all staff and students, is building our training programs and continuing to um create promotion from within for our employees. And then our commitment about how we operate as an organization. Um, this year with our teams, we've really focused on positive interactions and a growth mindset. and then our opportunity to get more student feedback. So, as you may be aware, we operate four federal nutrition programs. The national school lunch, the school breakfast, the summer seamless option, and our child and adult care food program that oversees our snack and supper. That
107is how we get the majority of our reimbursement by claiming meals through these four federal programs. But the state of California also legislated um universal meals back in 2223. We still have to follow all the rules of the federal program. But why it's so important is that um one, it takes away the stigma on children as to whether they're eligible for free and reduced meals. But here in California, we have a higher cost of living than the majority of the states in the nation, but we still have the same eligibility um guidelines. And so for many families in our communities, they they are already food insecure or they're budget tight and they would not be eligible for free and reduced meals. And so to spend money on school meals is really out of their reach.
108And so by having universal meals, we take the stress of not having money for meals off both the student and the family. And so kids can just get a meal and worry about school and not have to worry about how they're going to afford that meal. The other piece to school or to universal meals is it's been proven that children who participate in school meals have access to and consumption of more nutrient-dense foods. And so they're they have access to whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and milk. Then oftentimes at home when you're on a tight budget or food insecure, those are the first things that get dropped and aren't purchased by families. And so by participating in school meals, by having universal meals for all children, um we open that opportunity for them. Just
109to let you know what our meal counts look like. Um in 2425, we serve 9.38 million meals. Um, of our enrolled students, 20% of our elementary school students participate in breakfast and 67% participate in lunch. At the middle and high school level, about 17% prov uh participate in breakfast. 59 and 51% respectively participate in lunch. We are the largest restaurant in Elk Grove in probably all of Sacramento. Uh, we serve 47,000 meals a day. From restaurant background experience, my busiest day was Mother's Day. We'd serve about 1,500 covers. So, if you can imagine the difference between a restaurant serving 1500 covers to 4700 I mean 47,000 meals a day. That's quite a jump. Also very also the reason why it's so important that we focus on freshly prepared scratch-cooked meals and healthy nutrient-dense foods for
110our kids because we really can make an impact. Over the past couple years, our main focuses have been how we create freshly prepared meals that our kids want to eat. Um, we've done that in a number of ways. First thing is through partnerships. We went into a partnership last year with a company called Brigade. And in November, yay, we finally did it. We onboarded a program chef. We now have a chef on staff with Brigade Partnership that helps us just focus on that recipe development, building trainings for our frontline staff who may not have the necessary skills um to be able to scratch cook at the level we want to be at. We're currently at about 50% of all of our entre are scratchcooked. Um and so that person has the time to just work
111on that and then get in front of children or students and find out what it is they really want. And that is where our next one is with our choice menu. It's always been very important to us to have choices for our students. That's how we get more kids to participate. Um, but we also need to have diverse menu development and that chef position is able to work with us on that. Um, and then expanding our carts and our garden bars. You'll see the picture down at the bottom is a new pilot we have at Pleasant Grove High School where we've expanded a cart where we're doing noodle bowls. We're testing that right now on how we can expand that at all of our high schools in the new school year. Um we constantly try
112to pilot new things. Um but fresh quality is what we're constantly looking for. Um and then dietary preference. With 64,000 plus students in our district, you can only imagine the dietary preferences we have, not just for those children who have the medical need to have a dietary preference, but those who have a religious need or just a personal um need to have vegan or plant-based, vegetarian. So, we try to meet as many of those demands as we can. Um, we have a very strong farm-to-school program. I've explained before we have a four tier approach. It's really five hyper local within 100 150 within 200 to 300 miles and then within the state of California obviously as much as California is extremely blessed there are things we can't get here and so sometimes we have to
113go um to the other states in the union but majority of our produce comes from California um you know I'm a firm believer that if you say something out loud enough times it will become fact and so over the years I've always wanted to have someone grow specific produce produce just for us. I've said it. I've said it. The stars never aligned until this past school year. So, this past school year, um we have been working with two farms locally. Fiery Ginger Farms in West Sack, which is an old school campus, and Miss Ballerin is going to go visit here shortly. Um is an old school campus in West Sack that a farm took over and they farm on the property. And then Melon Brothers in Loi is now growing broccoli for the students of
114Elk Grove. And so I am going to show you a video and let me see of broccoli being grown for us. So with that we will we have been serving students of Elgroveve broccoli that is grown at two local farms. hyper local just for um us. Oops. Let's keep going. So, also um we've talked about how important farm to school is. In the 2425 school year, 69% of all of our produce came from California and the majority of majority of that was within 200 miles. I always talk about our great partnership under their CDFA grant with uh Davis Ranch and Slooh House. We increased the amount of produce we brought in from them again this year. So between July and August, we brought in 88,000 pounds of produce between watermelon, cantaloupe, zucchini, cucumber, and corn.
115The end of our CDFA grant ends here in March, but we've built the sustainable program that we do intend to continue to buy produce in the harvest season with Davis Ranch moving forward. We continue to have students at Floren High School grow lettuce for us as well. Um so farm to school is good and strong here in Elton Grove. We also have a very strong nutrition education um program. Uh we have first and six first through sixth grade teachers who can participate in shape which is shaping health as partners in education. This year we have 413 teachers reaching approximately 10,000 students. Those teachers by becoming a shape teacher have incorporated nutrition education into their curriculum. Um, thanks to the board, we are able to provide um, free transportation for these free field trips that shape
116teachers get. First and third graders come to the central kitchen. Second grade goes to their school kitchen and gets an exciting taste test. Um, fourth grade goes to Fiery Ginger Farm. Uh, fifth grade is a grocery store tour and sixth grade goes to our Elkrove Food Bank. We have other opportunities for nutrition education in our district as well. There are four schools that are um fresh fresh fruit and vegetable grant providers. That grant is for the highest need schools in the district. Harvest of the month is an opportunity throughout the district and all of our elementary schools to receive um fruit or vegetable highlighted each month oftentimes with samples in the classroom. And then for a lot of our title one schools, we offer junior chef where we bring chef and education into sixth grades
117and they get to make recipes. So, they get to learn knife skills, cooking skills, how to read a recipe, all that fun. Um, wanted to also update the board on new legislation that is coming. So, AB20, AB1264, which is the ultrarocessed bill. Of course, as always, California is first in the nation to create legislation on defining what an ultrarocessed food is. Um the focus of this legislation is to remove or reduce food additives, unhealthy fats, sugar, non-nutritives, sweeteners, and sodium. Um currently it was uh it was approved in 2025 and CDPH is working with this legislation through June of 2028 to really determine even what um an an ultrarocessed food is. So we still don't even know exactly what it's going to legislate, but we do know that they're coming up with a list of
118items that they are going to phase out. So, starting in July of 2029, those foods will start to become um restricted. By July of 2032, it is so crazy to say that. It seems like it's so far away, but um vendors will be prohibited from selling those things to districts uh or from selling them and then schools by 2035 will not be able to serve them. Just to give you an update as to where as a district we are, we've already removed food dyes from the food. We only have one product that has nitrates and we keep that as an emergency because it's a shelf stable product. We use it for emergency meals. Um we do not currently use any non-nutritive or artificial sweeteners in any of our food. We have already been reducing sodium
119and unhealthy fats and we do not intend to use any kind of um fake sodium. And then we continue to educate students about the importance of eating nutrient-dense food because as I've shared before it's not nutrition unless it's eaten. So, the more we can teach kids about nutrient-dense foods, the more willing they'll be able to eat them and get that nutrition we need them to have. Um, big focus on student engagement. These are always the fun parts of our job in nutrition services. Whether we're putting out u fresh fruits and vegetables in front of students, whether we're doing taste tests, we've really tried to expand the amount of taste testing we've done with fourth through sixth grade students going into shape classrooms. Um we've also tried to get in front of a number of high
120school and uh middle school areas whether it's afterchool programs whether it is um CTE programs or advisory we try to get as many taste tests as we can in front of students and then whether it's adding new carts and so forth. So either you saw the cart at Pleasant Grove High, the barbecue at Floren, I'm just trying to make sure students see, we market what's freshly prepared just so we continue to get students to see um how the menu is changing. How we get it all done is our school lunch heroes. I'll be the first one to stand in front of you and tell you I have the best employees in the district. I'm sure everybody else agrees that their employees are awesome, but mine truly are. Um my my employees see more kids than
121anybody else on a school campus. If I'm serving 1,400 kids at Franklin High School, lunch in two lunches, my staff have seen them all. So, it's very important to my team that we're smiling. We're that point of contact that's saying, "Hello, how are you? How's your day?" Um, especially at breakfast when we're the first smile they see in the morning. So, um, my staff are awesome and I will say that forever. Just so you know how labor works in school food service is that all of the labor costs are paid for out of cafeteria fund fund 13. We have the same increases um to PERS and health benefits. Um we manage our staff through attrition and through flexibilities of when we have an open position deciding if we still need that um as we add
122programs whe as we've been bringing on more supper and snack programs deciding how labor is worked through that. I do also have to say my staff is awesome because they're always very flexible to help out as we build programs and and um we modernize and do facility upgrades. Um, so a couple things we're doing just want to keep you apprised of. I'm at the central kitchen. Thank you for last year's modernization. We are all out of that, but there are still other things that need to be done. So, we are currently looking at a flower silo replacement. Um, we are currently replacing our entire fleet of trucks and other equipment that was not part of the modernization at the school sites. Um, we are looking at our service model and changing out equipment there. Um
123it's amazing to me that Franklin High is already like 25 years old. I don't know how that happened, but it is time. So there is uh both our service model and large scale things like ovens and and reach in refrigerators and so forth and then small equipment replacement as well. Um I've talked about the importance of partnerships. We've got the brigade partnership going with the chef. We continue to work with the chef and foundation. We train staff for them. They help us with professional development and training our staff. The dairy council is very important in our partnerships with the curriculum that we provide to our teachers and we are almost done with our eat real certification. You may remember last year we had just started it in April. This April will be the finalization. Um
124and by summer I should know what our certification comes out as but it's looking good. And then as a district, we are required to have a wellness policy um under the um school meal school meal programs are required to have a wellness policy. Our district has always made wellness very important. Um and so we do have a good wellness policy. as I was under my administrative review last year, they were very impressed by the way that our the size and scope of our wellness policy as well as our um wellness collaborative. So, the program is mandated under the school meal program, but we do have a wellness collaborative where we bring together diverse stakeholders, we identify wellness needs for the district, and then we guide policy development. Um our wellness collaborative is currently compromis compromised
125comprised comprised of district leadership, board member, teachers, parents, and community partners. We are looking to engage more classified. The wellness policy is not just for students. It's also for staff wellness and health um as well. And so we are looking at ways to engage more classified employees and students because we really would like to get their voice in the collaborative as well. Um, as we move forward into the 2627 school year, we will continue to work on recipe development, our equipment refresh and facility upgrades, continuing to train our staff. Big one for us is so that they can promote into the next position. We'll do our program assessments and find creative ways to get in front of students and parents to talk about what we do. And with that, I open it up to comments
126or questions. Thank you. Always excellent. Um, did we have any questions or comments? Um, we're going to start with Miss Ballerin. Do you need to know if there's any blue cards? There any blue cards on this item? No, there are no blue cards on this subject. First, do you have any questions or comments, Miss Valerie? I just I I want to just tell Michelle that I always enjoy your enthusiasm and your depth of knowledge and if I ever have any questions about FNS, you are right on it with me and I am yes very excited to go to Fiery Ginger Farms later this month and I will I will let you know what I think of it and all of that. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Davis. Well, I want to thank you for the
127presentation. Um, I'm appreciative of the fact that we've gone to Universal Meals working at a school site. It was always heartbreaking when we'd get the kids in the office that had ran out of money on their account and mom couldn't come from work. I had my own account that they got to use when that would happen. Um, and my lunch ladies always worked with me on that. Um, your breakfastes must be great because I'll tell you, I have a 14-year-old who will pass up an offer to stop at McDonald's for breakfast to eat breakfast at school. I love to hear that. So, so something's going on right there. Um, and just thanking your people. I agree with you. Your your employees are amazing. watching them through COVID, standing in the rain, standing in the heat,
128handing out meals to families, going to communities, especially in my area um where where the families are food deprived and ensuring that they have those breakfast and lunches every day was really appreciated. So, if you could pass that on, I make sure. And and your site is amazing. We had so much fun on the tour. Thank you, Miss Bowwin. Thank you so much for this breath of fresh air for tonight. Um, very impressive. Uh, I too have had the privilege to to tour the central kitchen and I just love being able to tell my boys every morning, you get to have healthy meals because I've seen it myself. And um, and I don't get any push back from them. Um, it's so funny because we don't really use the term supper at home and they
129get supper at EXL. So, we've now included that into our nightly routine. They want a second supper. Um, but yeah, the things that come out of your area is truly truly amazing. and you've made it so much fun with the opportunities for kids to engage and and to get the feedback from students on uh test ta uh taste testing and you know just kudos kudos to you and your team. I love getting this presentation and seeing all the wonderful work that you're you're leading and that your team is doing. You guys do remarkable work. So, thank you so so much. Um and that's it. Thank you, Miss Moore. Thank you for the presentation. Uh I was so happy I was able to visit a few months ago and um just see all the great work
130that is going on there and um it's so impressive to see your facilities and your operations. Um something you just can't picture until you visit it. Um all that you do there. So I really appreciate that. Um and during my visit I did just share one small concern that um some students had said that there were long lines sometimes um specifically at um Katherine Aviani Middle School and Pleasant Grove High School. And I know you said you were aware of that. And so to follow up on that on page eight you mentioned at PGHS um you were implementing the noodle bowl cart which I think is awesome. Is that is um that in part to help alleviate lines or just to offer more options or maybe kind of both. Um it gives us another point
131of sale at at Pleasant Grove. So right now it is an additional point of sale. Um we are also looking at how we move it quick more quickly um so that we can move lines more quickly. Um, we are reassessing our entire secondary menu to see how we can without having to add additional people, how we can um, move systems a little faster. So, we are looking at that, but we're also not opposed to adding additional people when they're necessary in order to get more kids through the line. So, we are looking at how we do that better. Okay. I think that's wonderful. Yeah, I think I I had just mentioned that some students really liked the food but they just kind of gave up and so they you know I just um I would
132love as many students as possible to take advantage of your wonderful meals. I went to um Pleasant Grove the other day for they had um Night at the Nest. So we did some sampling there at Night of the Nest and when I was talking to students that came up especially at Albiani so it is something we will continue to work on and make service a little faster. Great. I really appre appreciate that. Thank you. Um and then I was excited to see that we are um removing food dyes and nitrates from food. I think that's really important. Um but overall I just want to say thank you for all of your great work. I think it's amazing. So thank you. Thank you Mr. Vargas. Uh nothing really to add. Um you know thank you very
133much for the presentation. Thank you for everything that you were doing. Um, thank you for your flexibility in terms of uh responding to all of the legislation and um funding issues and everything that I'm sure is coming your guys' way the past uh few years. So, uh we really appreciate it. Thank you. It's always a fun one. I um I can remember when we were supplementing a million dollars a year to feed all our kids and so we've taken care of our kids forever. You've done an excellent job. Your staff is amazing. Um, the way you have re um I want to say reacted. Reacted is the wrong word because you're not being reactive, but the way you're proactive to diets and the diversity of our schools is impressive beyond compare. Um, and I appreciate
134I know you share your knowledge and the things we've done here with in your industry a lot and you are a leader in our industry and and the organization as a whole is and I appreciate what they do for our children because if they're hungry, they're not learning and and we make sure that doesn't happen and it's a very good feeling. Thank you. Thank you very much. We're moving on to public hearing action items. We have none. Oh, we have no public hearing. We do have action items. Um, Miss Watkins, please present the 2025 26 second interim report. Good evening, President Albiani, fellow trustees, Superintendent Riley, in his absence, Mrs. Avalos, colleagues, and community. I have the pleasure this evening of presenting our 2425 second interim report which includes our revised budget and our actuals
135through January 31st. In our financial reporting life cycle, our second interim report is our next quarterly report on our fiscal position following December's 202526 first interim report. Tonight's report includes updated assumptions included in January's governor's budget proposal for next year, which I presented um back in January. Tonight, we will review our second interim total general fund revenues and expenditures, general fund changes from first to second interim budget revisions, multi-year projections for the next two fiscal years, components of our general ending fund balance, and our considerations and next steps moving forward. Our total general fund revenues, unrestricted and restricted, are close to 1 bill135 million. Nearly 93% of our total general fund revenues are from the state, including 72% from the local control funding formula or LCFF and 20% from other state sources. Nearly 5% of
136our funds come from federal sources and 2% from other local sources. Our total general fund expenditures, unrestricted and restricted, are nearly $1.2 billion. 77% of our total general fund expenditures are spent on salary and benefits with the remaining 23% spent on books, supplies, services, capital projects, and transfers. Just a reminder, this is the total general fund from both unrestricted and restricted sources. The changes in our second interim general fund budget since first interim included a $3.46 million increase in LCFF revenue. This was a result of updating our enrollment to the certified seabeds enrollment figures in January as well as adjusting average daily attendance by grade level segment from our initial projections for actual attendance data as of our period 1 report of attendance that's filed in December following first interim of the $3.46 million $2
137million reflects ADA recovery to date as of the period 1 report of attendance. it is equivalent to a quarter percent of an increase in attendance as of that reporting period. We've also reduced the value of our property tax revenue transfer to charter schools based on their seabeds enrollment and average daily attendance trend data and that um results in an increase to district revenue. We've also recorded um additional restricted grant revenue which is increased by $1.4 4 million between first and second interim. Our expenditure changes since the first interim budget include realignment of our discretionary operating budgets across expenditure categories and the reason for this is when we set up our budget budgets initially. Um they're set up with our within our supply accounts and then they get realigned um to discretionary staffing and contracted services
138categories based on sites specific local plans. Restricted resources are also maximized by budgeting expenditures related to those new revenues I mentioned on the previous slide as well as expenditure plan realignments and a recalculation of our indirect cost transfers. Now this first uh this is the first of two slides outlining our multi-year projection assumptions. So recall in January I presented the governor's um budget proposal. So this um our assumptions are realigned to reflect that information. And at the time um well I'll first state this is um these assumptions are grounded in a 94% um average daily attendance. Our cost of living adjustment has been updated based on that January governor's budget proposal information. At the time of first interim um we had some insight that the 2627 cost of living adjustment might decrease and at that
139time we anticipated it could decrease down to 2.51%. Uh we received the dart board from school services of California which provides a good summary of information for our assumptions and the cola for next year is actually decreased to 2.41% 41% and that equates to a roughly $5 million of a decrease to next year's budget for the district. There's also a decrease in 2728 of the cola. Similarly, also our Kalpers pension rates um and grounded also in the dart board. Um we see actually a little bit of relief in our outy years within um PERS and stirs and the PERS um rate has decreased by 0.5% in 2627 and and.9% in 2728. Our stirs rates have remained um flat and so there are no changes there. Those are determined um by statute excuse me statute as
140well as the stirs and investment boards. Multi-year assumptions and or multi-year projections, excuse me, also include adjustments to current year budget for employees step and callin movement across the salary schedule, vacancy rates, revi the revised pension rates I just mentioned, and the impact of open health benefit open enrollment on health benefit trends. Rising costs are included for health insurance and liability insurance increases as well as increases to energy costs for utilities and fuel. The board priority positions and initiatives are budgeted until June 30 of 2028. There's a 5% ongoing reductions for both site and department discretionary supply and services budgets beginning in 2627. The 2728 year includes a $7 million increase in operating costs from the expiration of the one-time block grant that we are using to alleviate cost pressures in both the current year
141and in 2627. And the budget maintains our minimum required 2% reserve for economic uncertainties. Now, this slide summarizes everything I just shared in the previous two slides, and this is specific to the unrestricted general fund and our multi-year projections. This is also found in the accompanying budget report. If you're interested in looking at that report on page 105, the projection includes the assumptions. Oh, I just mentioned the slide the slides on two previous slides, but we also anticipate our deficit spending in the budget year as it includes two years of negotiated agreements with several of our labor partners and the resulting plan spending of the prior year ending fund balances. Now, here are the details of the components of our ending fund balance within the unrestricted general fund. The projections continue to include both commitments
142and assignments of ending fund balance to support collective bargaining agreements not yet settled through the current 2526 year. Assignments also include $3 million for instructional materials and the value of the board priorities that are funded from the unrestricted general fund from one-time LCAP carryover and one-time jewel settlement that are reflected within the unrestricted budget. Ending fund balance components also include the minimum 2% reserve that I mentioned on the previous slide. And this is calculated as 2% of total general fund expenditures and outgo. And here are our multi-year projections for the restricted general fund. We expect deficit spending um because we have planned expenditures of funding that's set to expire and as well as multi-year expenditures for grants that extend over multiple periods. And that's the reason that we anticipate an ending fund balance each year.
143Some cons considerations. This may seem repetitive at first interim and I will continue to reinforce this as it applies. Looking ahead, uh we need to continue to monitor our enrollment growth as well as decline across our schools. The budget does um incorporate in the multi-year projections the two new elementary schools that we expect to open over the next two years. And as we continue to grow and open new campuses, um that will also be reflected in future multi-year projections. Um we also want to continue to monitor um um both attendance and chronic absenteeism initiatives. I know we have a grant we received locally to um continue to support those efforts. We also will monitor the attendance recovery. We expect to have an increase um within our estimated actuals for our report of attendance at the
144period 2 report of attendance upcoming here in May. Um so more to report there as the continued efforts in this program and we'll continue to include that in future budgets. We will want to monitor and control our spending as well as our resource allocation and in alignment with both organizational goals as well as our local control accountability plan. We heard back in January with the governor's budget proposal that there's potentially an influx of one-time dollars, onetime state funds in future years, and we'll want to be very specific that we are using those for one-time costs as well as um short-term cost pressure relief. And we will um we are already looking ahead to 2627 for our collection of our unduplicated pupil count data. if you recall, um that's an opportunity to receive additional funds for
145targeted groups of students. And so we're looking forward to continuing to improve the collection process um with our families. Next steps for this report, um we submit it to the Sacramento County Office of Education after um this evening's presentation. They will also review and approve and submit it to the California Department of Education. I'll be back before you before you know it um with the governor's May revision for next year which will update the governor's January proposal. We will use that information as our assumptions for um to develop our own budget which you will see in June again before you know it in along with our local control accountability plan for next year as well as our estimated actuals for the current year. And of course, I always um need to give give props and
146credit where it's due to um Director Andress, to the team, entire fiscal services team. Director Andress is out in the back of the audience this evening. Um continued appreciation for their efforts that resulted in this work product and this report this evening and staff now recommends the board to approve our 2526 second interim report. Thank you very much. Are there any blue cards on this item? Madame President, there are no blue cards on this item. Thank you. Do we have any questions or comments on this item? I'd start with Miss Davis. Ju just a couple. Um on page six, the attendance recovery program. Do you know what we're doing to encourage participation in that? And how are we educating our school staffs the importance of that? I would like to defer to my colleagues um
147Mr. Schweitzer and Mrs. Ay. Uh for the secondary ed, Aaron Cypes is meeting regularly with our schools um to highlight programs that are already up and running and then provide opportunities where we can increase attendance recovery in the secondary schools. So, we also just had a meeting uh last week with secondary principles where we highlighted a few sites that are leading the way and just collaborating on opportunities to increase that. Okay. Because I've talked to a couple that were just the the information was new to them um and that their numbers from where they should be were were there was some disparity. And so, I was wondering what we were doing to support. Yeah. And just to add that from an elementary perspective, we're looking at the sites who are having greater hour recovery and
148looking at the practices they're using so that other practices can utilize it. And then at the same time, we're still focused on preventing the absences. Okay. With a variety of methods um targeted to specific grade levels and to uh certain tracks. Okay. Thank you. Um on page six the cow purse it went down looks to go down but it looks like it goes up then the following year. Do we have any expectation that that might go down again? Potentially. We continue to monitor it. We get information every year. Um the Kalpers board it's roughly around June that they'll take action on the investments. We had some um preliminary information in the fall that was some I don't want to say contradictory but it was um leading in multiple directions as the economy continued to change
149and the investment pool targets. Um but this relief um it was planned if we looked back to first interim to escalate in the outyear and then stay somewhat static. So we'll um continue to hope for the best um that the market is strong to sustain the reduction of the rate for the investment pool. Uh but at this point, if you recall, maybe five or 10 years ago, this rate was 15%. And we're expecting it probably to hit 27 or 28% in the next couple years and then level out for the short term, but it's it's something that needs to be continued to monitor. Okay. Continue to be monitored. Okay. Thank you. And on page nine, I noticed where we're reducing supplies and service budgets to the school sites. Is there a reason for that? Yes,
150this was a part of our collective bargaining agreements in this last round that contin to meet the various contingencies we were achieving um in the current year. We took um the first reduction to department budgets and then we expected sites to follow starting in 2627. Okay, thank you. That's all I have. Thank you for all the hard work. Thank you, Miss Bowen. No questions. Thank you for the presentation. Thank you, Miss Moore. Thank you. Uh I also had um just a question or comment about page eight with the the Kalpers because I I do remember seeing that that was um projected to trend upwards. And so I I do think that's um really important to watch that. And then like I've said before, I do have concerns that we only have the um the 2%
151reserves because there are so many things um such as that to to plan for um for the future. And so um I would like to see that we um pro possibly discuss that in the future and certainly that we continue to watch um the Kalpers and all the other things that you're doing and I really appreciate that. So thank you. Welcome. Thank you, Mr. Vargas. Um the only thing I will add is to reiterate what I've said before uh which is that a lot of these particularly on the projections right they always end up being slightly different than we think. Um so it's good to see that they are moving in the right direction that we're positive in the second and third year but it's close. Um so it's worth just keeping in mind that
152those things change you know pretty rapidly every year. Um and so we need to be mindful of it and especially this year um now that we have a much better view of the structural problems at the state level uh and in the state budget it's more important than normal for us to be conscious and aware of uh of the money we are spending. Um so that is all I will add. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Z. No questions. Thank you for your presentation. Thank you for the presentation. I think um Mr. Vargas makes an excellent point. We are we are definitely seeing there are structural issues in the state and the things they're doing right now with our Prop 98. It's it makes it harder. So you guys do an excellent job. Thank you very
153much. Thank you. Moving on to our second item, measure N series 2026, general obligation bonds, consideration of a resolution providing for the issuance and sale of general obligation bonds election of 2020 2024 series 2026 of the Elkrove Unified School District in the aggregate principal amount of not to exceed 136 million. Dr. Coats, that was almost perfect timing uh to make the walk around the room. Well, thank you very much, Madame President. It's I'm sorry I messed up. We have to approve it. Not only appreciate it. Um I'd like to call for a motion to approve the 2025 2026 second interim report. So moved. Second. Moved by Mr. Vargas, seconded by Miss Ballerini. All those in favor? I I opposed. Thank you. That passes. Sorry. Thank you. That would have been a problem. Bad. All right.
154I won't make you reread um the upcoming item, but thank you so much. It's nice to be back. Um tonight, I am going to ask the board to adopt resolution 67. This is for providing the issuance of bonds and delivery. um related to bond and disclosure documents. As you well know, in 2024, voters within the district approved measure N authorizing the issuance and sale of general obligation bonds of the district in an amount not to exceed 542 million to fund various school facilities projects. The district is authorized to issue general obligation bonds under government code and we are now in a position to consider the first uh the sale of the first series of bonds under measure N as presented. The resolution provides the sale and issuance of not to exceed 136 million of general
155obligation bonds within parameters as specified there within. The resolution provides that the interest on the bonds will not exceed legal limits which is 8% under government code and the underwriters discount will not exceed 1.5% of the principal amount of the bonds. Adoption of the resolution would allow for Lozano Smith as bond council and government financial services joint power authority. You met Lori Reneri a couple board meetings ago as public finance consultant to assist the district in the sale and issuance of the bonds. The documents authorized to be negotiated, executed, and delivered in connection with the bonds include a bond purchase agreement, an official statement, and continuing disclosure certificate certificate, the forms of which are on file with the secretary um of the uh board. The resolution provides that the superintendent and myself uh may execute
156and deliver other necessary documents and closing certificates to affectuate the bond transaction. Um so tonight we are asking for the approval to issue um and make that for sale um with resolution number 67. Exciting. Are there any blue cards related to this item? Madam President, there are no blue cards on this item. All right. Did anybody have any questions or comments? All right. I'd ask to call I'd like to call for a motion to adopt resolution number 67 providing for the issuance of bonds and delivery of related bond and disclosure documents. So moved. Second. Moved by Miss Ballerini, seconded by Mr. Vargas. All in favor? I opposed. Passes unanimously. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Next we have two items. um consideration of the 20 2026 ballot for the California School Boards Association delegate assembly. So
157CSBA received one nomination for the representative to region 6. Um and her name is Simuti I'm going to get this wrong. Meta Mhta Ma. Um are there do we have any blue cards in reference to this nomination? We do not have any blue cards in reference to this nomination. Okay. So, we've been asked to vote for the listed delegate to be a CSBA delegate in for region six. Is there any question? Madam President, would this be an appropriate time to suggest a write-in candidate for the second slot? I did not. Oh, no. There was a second slot. Are you sure of that? Yes. Okay. Um, can we pass this one and then we can move to that, please? Absolutely. Thank you. Um, I'd like to call for a motion to vote for the listed delegate
158to the CSBA delegate assembly if the board Oh, delegate assembly. So moved. Second. Moved by Miss Bowwin, seconded by Mr. Vargas. All in favor? I opposed. Okay. And I've heard a call for a second motion. Would you like to make that clear, Mr. Vargas? Yes. Um, so there are two seats open and one was uh just filled um or voted on. Um, there's also an opportunity to uh submit a write-in candidate and I would uh motion that we submit Delia Ballwin's name as our writein candidate. Okay. So, we received a motion to submit a second to vote for a writing candidate for region 6, sub region 6B. The uh writing candidate is Dealia Bowwin. Is there a second? I second. Seconded by Miss Davis. All in favor? I I opposed. Motion passes. We do okay
159with that, Ludy? Okay. The ballot it won't be like the one like Michael and Susan. Yes. Yep. We we um in CSBA we get a certain number because of the size of our school district and then there's at large people as well. And so now we are are we are writing in Miss Bowwin as an an at large person to to make it clear. Okay. Not that you're large. Don't take that wrong. At large appointment of a representative from the Elkrove Unified School District to the California School Boards Association delegate Assembly. So those are the people that we get to send just because of the size of our district. Um Michael Vargas serves that currently. he is interested in continuing to serve it. Um, are there any blue it blue cards related to this item?
160There are no blue cards related to this item. Okay. I'd like to call for a motion to reappoint Michael Vargas to the CSBA delegate assembly. So moved. Second. Moved by Miss Ballerini, seconded by Miss Bowwin. Is there any discussion? No. Uh, then I'd like to call for a motion to reappoint Michael Vargas to the CSBA delegate assembly. So move. Oh. Oh, sorry. I read it again. All in favor? I opposed. Passes unanimously. Thankfully, we're at the end. Board member and superintendent reports. Does anybody have organization or committee meetings relative to the business of the district and its operation they would like to report on? Seeing none, I will adjourn this meeting at 8:38. Have a great night. Thank you everyone.