001[Music] years. I don't think I've ever yelled at you. on the other side. Oh, it's Can somebody check on the back light? It's off. Somebody's leaning on it. Yeah, somebody might have leaning on the light switch. should just turn off the backlight. So, you may want to flip it back on. Yes. Six. Call the meeting back to order at six o'clock. The board met in close session and no actions was taken. Good evening and welcome to the Elgroveve Unified School District board meeting. Live streaming of full inerson board meetings in available to the public by using the link located on the district's website. Today's meeting is being re video recorded and will be available to the district's YouTube channel. We encourage you to attend the meetings and share your feedback with the board. Your active
002participation is value and contribute to the decision-making process. During regular board meetings, the public may take public comments on items on the agenda or items not on the agenda. Request to make public comment will be accept for item up until the board president in this case board president is absent the vice board president introduce the item. Generally members of the public will be giving three minutes to address the board. If there are 15 or more comments on a specific item, the board will reduce individual comments 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. Individual may not defer their time to another individual speaker to increase their total speaking time. Please be mindful that district students may be
003watching. You are encouraged to address the board and the public in a respectful manner such that all those observing from children to adults are made to feel welcome, safe and valued. The board should not permit any disturb or willful interruption or of board meetings. Persistent disruptions by a individual or group shall be grounds for the board president which tonight will be vice president to pro to provide a warning then to terminate the individual's privilege of addressing the board. Miss would you read the land acknowledgement? Yes. Thank you. We acknowledge that the Elgroveve Unified School District administrative facilities and schools occupy the unseated territory of the Miwok, the original people of the skies, land, and waters where we work and learn. The Miwok have cared for these lands since time immemorial. They continue to teach the
004traditional knowledge that comes from and responds to the needs of the land and people who share it. May our daily lives in work, teaching, learning, leadership, and community engagement support the evolving vision of the Miwok for their community in these lands. May we strive to acknowledge the past for the betterment of our future generations. May we look to our tribal partners through both in Rancheria, the descendants of the original people of this land to assist with the successful education of our community. Excellent. Thank you. Moving on to the plea of allegiance. Calling on Katherine Abani Middle School. Michelle Jerger Joerger. Joerger. Thank you. To the podium. Say a few words and then we'll start the pledge. Okay. Katherine Albaniani Middle School is honored to recognize Miss Relle Joerger as our education partner. The Elkrove Unified
005School District recognizes the outstanding contributions Miss Joerger has made to Albiani Middle School to support students and staff. For the past several years, Rochelle has been involved in the school of her children. She currently has a daughter at Albiani Middle School and a son at Fikert Elementary. Rochelle served on the PTO for Fikert while her oldest child was there and continues to this day. At Albiani, Rochelle has been a part of our PBIS tier 1 committee as a parent representative for both years her daughter has been with us. She has helped to support and create ways to acknowledge the positive things that students are doing on campus. She continually volunteers at events and dedicates her time to support both our students and our staff. Outside of Albiani and Fikert, Rochelle and her husband are supporters
006of Girl Scout Service Unit 144, the Kuanas of Laguna Elkrove Key Club, and the International Karate Federation. Michelle Jagger Jagger, excuse me, the students and staff at Katherine Albani Middle School and the Elkrove School District recognize and greatly appreciate your hard work and kind-hearted dedication. Thank you. Is your Is your mic on? Please. Plus. Is Is it mic on? Please test it. Okay. Speaking of everyone's already stand. Well, thank you. Um salute. Pledge. 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. All right. Thank you very much for what you do. We would love to take a picture right here. And this is the word I read to you. [Applause] [Music]
007Congratulation. Next calling on student regional report. Calling on student representative from President Grove region. [Music] Good evening board. My name is Savannah Hille and I'm a senior at Pleasant High School. My name is Jackson Lingo and I am an eighth grade at Katherine Albani Middle School and I'm honored to serve as Albian's ASB president. We are honored to be here tonight and highlight how much we love our region. We are here to represent both our schools as well as our regional elementary schools including Arnold Adriani, Edna Batty, Kasumnus River, Dillard, Maccgarvey Elementary, Pleasant Grove, Sierra Enterprise, and Sunrise elementary schools. Throughout the presentation, you will see photos on the screen displaying all our schools. We represent the biggest D the biggest region in the district in size. Even with this large size over 200 square
008miles, we remain extremely close. Each of our schools work to make sure all of our students are supported. Staff at each school work to articulate across the grade levels to ensure students are prepared for the for their next stage of life and education. Not only do we have the largest region in the district, but we also have the biggest hearts throughout the region. Each school may have their own mascots and slogans, but we all focus on our students and their overall well-being. One example of this is our our region uniting to recognize and honor Ruby Bridges with all with our annual Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day. Each school in our region took part and emphasized the values of tolerance, respect, and appreciate appreciation of all our differences. Schools in our region incorporate a program
009called advancement via individual determination, otherwise known as AVID, to help our students prepare for college, career, and life ready graduates. Impressively, over 96% of the class of 2024 graduated with over 83% of these graduates attending some of some form of post-secary education. We have a number of ways for our families to participate in activities with each other. From funs to harvest festivals and parent picnics to open houses, we love having our families on campus with us and sharing in our educational experiences. In our schools, we make sure to find ways to integrate all of our students into our programs and opportunities. We love to find ways for students to shine and have our families connected to our schools. Our visual and performing arts or VAPA is an area where we shine as students have the
010opportunity to show their creativity. To highlight some of our VAPA programs, Edna Batty Elementary School is here to share a part of their performance, The Jungle Book. [Applause] Good. smile. They keep coming. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Applause] [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Applause] Should I start now? Darling, what another what a wonderful performance from our Edna Batty elementary schooler. As another example of our students gifts, we have Sunrise Elementary School with a student performance from their recent Wizard of Oz to share with you tonight. [Applause] [Music] Love. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] all [Music] your hallelujah. Oh my god. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] What a wonderful performance. Thank you so much for the opportunity to
011be here tonight. We love our region because there's no place like the PG community. Thank you. [Applause] Great job. Student may release to go do your homework. I would like to uh recognize the principles. Oman Cameron, President Grove High School. Christopher Redfields, Katherine L. Elbiani Middle School. Rola Bugs Ano Adrini Elementary School. Will Jones Ena Bailey Elementary School. Michael Bquis, Ensumis River Elementary School. Trina Canon CW Del Elementary School. Carrie Mitchell, Robert J. McGravy Elementary School. Dietra Wood, Present Grove Elementary School. Joofini Patrick Law, Sarah Enterprise Elementary School, and Martin Hawk the third Sunrise Elementary School. Thank you all for your presentation tonight. Great [Applause] job. Call on Sue Hubert. That's Sue Hubbert. [Music] Good evening, Vice President Yang, members of the board, Superintendent Hoffman, and Miss Avalos. I'm here to introduce to you the
012202526 student board member candidate. The Elkrove Unified student board member holds a very important role giving voice to students in our district. This is also one way our district can nurture democratic citizenship and develop future leaders. To be considered for the student board member position, each interested candidate completes a comprehensive application and campaign and then each site holds an election and moves forward one candidate. Eight of our nine comprehensive sites put forth a candidate this year. Formal interviews were held at the district office by trustees Beth Albiani, Jennifer Ballerini, Ballerini, and Delia. Okay, Del Bwin. I knew the Ballwin part. It was the Delia. Um, each candidate was given up to 10 minutes to answer five commonly scored questions. The numbers were tallied and one candidate was selected to move forward. The candidate being recommended
013to the board this evening is Zwang Jong. We're good. Okay. Um, also goes by Z. Z is currently a junior at Floren High School and has extensive leadership experience and is actively involved in extracurricular activities which gives him a full understanding of the high school students experience. Z's experience includes being the governor of the 2026 ASB class, link crew commissioner, bad mitten club co-founder and vice president, key club member, mathletes, color guard and winter guard and is a dancer with the master peace dance company. And by the way, they will be be performing at the Elkrove Unified School District block party on March on May 8th, this Thursday. And now I would like to introduce you to Z and give him a chance to tell why he's interested in the position. Thank you, Miss Hubard.
014Good evening, Vice President Yang, members of the board, Superintendent Hoffman, and Miss Avalos. It is with great It is with deep gratitude and a profound sense of responsibility that I stand before you today as the candidate for student board member. I am truly honored to be recommended and I do not take this opportunity lightly. The opportunity to be selected as a voice for the nearly 63,000 students across the Elkrove Unified School District is both a privilege and a calling. I want to sincerely thank this board for recognizing the value of student representation and for establishing this vital role. Your commitment to uplifting student voices and building a district that listens, reflects, and evolves is not only commendable, it is essential. If selected as the student board member, I will carry with me the diverse stories,
015concerns, and aspirations of our student body. My goal is to strengthen the bridge between students and board leadership, ensuring that communication is not only open, but also authentic and actiondriven. I'm especially committed to elevating the voices of students who often go unheard, those who do those from unrepresented communities, those facing systemic challenges, and those who deserve to see their their experiences reflected in the decisions we make. I intend to bring a student- centered perspective to the table, grounded in real experience and driven by a desire for meaningful change. One of my top priorities is to spearhead efforts that provide students with greater access to mental health resources. In an era where students are navigating increasing academic, social, and emotional pressures, we cannot afford to treat mental health as an afterthought. I will work to ensure
016that these resources are not only available but also accessible, visible, and destigmatized across all campuses. From mental health and academic support to college and career readiness, I am committed to advocating for systems that will uplift every student and prepare them to thrive. Thank you again. I look forward to this opportunity to serve with integrity, integrity, urgency, and unwavering dedication to the students of Elgrove Unified. [Applause] I would now like to respectfully request the board to give consideration for the approval of Juan Jong as the fifth Elkro unified student school board member. So moved. Seconded. Okay. calling. All favors say yes. I I Any oppose? Okay. Approve. Congratulations. Actually, Chris, do we have any blue cards on this item? Photos? Yeah, let's take a photo. Let's take a photo. Yes, you Okay, moving on to the
017next item. Resolution Calling on Curry Buck Master. Good evening trustees, superintendent Hoffman Mavalos. Good evening community. I'm Corey Buckmaster, chief of HR, and we are bringing a resolution forward here to recognize classified school employees week. And I have some of our wonderful classified labor partners here to standing here to celebrate this. The California state legislature passed a measure in 1986 which establishes classified school employees week to recognize the valuable contributions and meaningful services that classified school employees make to our schools. To recognize the event locally, the Elgroveve Unified School District Board of Board of Education adopts the following resolution. Whereas the California Department of Education recognizes several employee appreciation days in the month of May and encourages suitable commemoration of days of special significance. And whereas classified school employees provide valuable services to the schools
018and students of the Elkrove Unified School District. And whereas classified school employees contribute to the establishment and promotion of a positive instructional environment. And whereas classified school employees play a vital role in providing for the welfare and safety of Elgroveve Unified School District. And whereas classified school employees employed by Elkrove Unified strive for excellence in all areas relative to the educational community. Therefore, be it resolved that the Elkrove Unified School District hereby recognizes and wishes to honor the contributions of classified school employees to quality education in the state of California and in the Elkrove Unified School District and declares the week of May 18th through the 24th, 2025 as classified school employees week. Miss uh any blue card on this item? There are no blue cards on this item. Excellent. Roll call. All in favor
019of say I. Oh yeah, sorry. I'm sorry. So moved. Seconded. All favor. I opposed hearing none. Congratulations. Thank you very much. That was too easy. I knew that. Want to stay up here. Okay. Thank you. [Applause] Excellent. Moving on to the next resolution. Mong American Day. Calling on Dr. Travis. Good evening, Vice President Yang, members of the board, Superintendent Hoffman, Miss Avalos, colleagues, and community members. I'm here today to request of the board of education to adopt resolution number 90 designating May 14th, 2025 as M American Day as a time to remember and honor Mung's people's history, stories, and contributions in the Vietnam War. May 14th, M American Day, is the time to remember and honor M people's history, stories, and contributions to the Vietnam War. May 14th, 1975 was the day of the last
020airlift evacuation of the M soldiers and families from Laos to a refugee refugee camp in Thailand. The Elgroveve Unified School District in partnership with the Sacramento Educational Cable Consortium has a collection of stories from Mung and Means survivors of the secret war that is maintained on the time of remembrance uh Elkrove or oral history project web page. They share their stories so that teachers and their students can learn about the hidden or untold history still missing from most tech text textbooks. Their interviews also provide invaluable insights to understanding the challenges faced by refugees such as language barriers, cultural differences, huge shifts in geography, and loss of homeland and heritage. Several of our interviews are from refugees who served in the secret war as soldiers and even as robins, also known as backseaters, to raven pilots.
021Since then and today, M Americans are helping build a vibrant and diverse California, contributing socially, politically, and economically to our state. Many M became American success stories from having nothing to becoming teachers, engineers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, business owners, professional athletes, firefighters, soldiers, elected officials, and more. The board of education is requested to adopt resolution number 90 designating May 14, 2025 as M American Day. Thank you for reading that resolution, Miss Bolerini. Any blue card on this item? Yes, we have three blue cards on this item. So, um, we'll start with I believe it's Dao Yang. And after that one, I have Z Yang Her and you might as well get number three lined up, Ariel Lao. And you have three minutes. Good evening uh Vice President Shan Yang and the members of the board as
022well as the superintendent and Miss um Abos. My name is Dao Yang. I'm an educator and entrepreneur as well as the leader of the Yang clan in the greater Sacramento County here. U I speak today uh in strong support of the u of the adoption of the May 14th as more American day in Unified School District. Um, this day carries profound historical and emotional significance for the Mong community. It honors the courage of our elders, men and women who stood side by side American forces during the Vietnam war in defense of uh freedom in democracy. And their sacrifices was not in vain. It it paved the way for families like my like mine and uh board member Shan Yang uh to rebel our lives here in in the US. And May 14th is more than
023just a remembrance. It is a celebration of um resilience, hope, tenacity, um and the American spirit. And this, let me see, it it reminds our students both M and non Mong that um that diversity is a strength and that uh the the contributions of all people deserve to be recognized and um remembered. And by uh adopting this day, El Groin 5 is not only acknowledging our shared history, but also affirming the district's commitment to inclusivity and um cultural pride. This action will inspire young Mo Americans uh to um to embrace their cultural identity and feel seen and value um within their schools and community. Thank you for your leadership and uh you know also I'd like to um appreciate you guys for taking this meaningful step toward honoring the mor story. Next up was Z
024Yang Her. Good evening, Vice President Sha Yang, Superintendent Hoffman, and Elkrove School Board members along with the uh community that's all in here. My name is Sai Yanghur. I'm a community member. I'm also an engineer for Calrans. I'm here tonight to talk about the support of Mong the Mong American Day Resolution. The Mong people lived a simple and quiet life in the remote mountainous regions of Laos. They were self-sufficient and resourceful, but access to education was limited, reserved mostly for the wealthy and a select few. For generations, life remained largely unchanged with little opportunity for innovation or advancement. Then came the secret war which brought tremendous hardship, grief and disruption to the way of life. Yet from the tragedy emerged an unexpected opportunity. The war and subsequent refugee resettlement efforts brought many mongs to United
025to to the United States and other parts of the world. places and opportunities where simp where the simple quiet way of life would have never led us. As Mong American Day approaches, I reflect on our community's 50-year journey in the United States, including my own, arriving here as a 9-month-old refugee baby. From the struggles of adapting and assimilating to the hard work and determination that followed, we have made incredible strides. I truly believe that access to that that the access to education has been one of the most significant factors in our growth and advancements compared to the lives of our ancestors. For them, farming was the only available occupation. Today, Mong Americans are doctors, educators, politicians, engineers, lawyers, business owners, and much more. As a parent with children in the district, I strongly encourage the
026uh approval of the resolution uh from the Elkrove School Board members in recognizing and establishing Mong American Day for May 14th, 2025. This effort will emphasize the sense of belonging in the school district for me, my children, and the community. In this fast-paced and prosperous world we live in, for refugees like myself, this day deserves this day serves as a powerful reminder, a sort of a bookmark in the calendar year. Just a little bit left. I just have a little bit left. Can I finish? Is that all right for him to go ahead and finish? Sure. if just a couple lines. Yeah. Okay. It's a powerful reminder of the struggles we've endured, the gratitude we carry, and the responsibility to make the most out of the opportunities we've been given. For the younger generation, like
027my children and those beyond, it offers awareness of their history and a deeper connection to their history. If education is the foundation of our prosperity today, then let then then it's with education that must also be the roof that shelters and preserves our identity. Thank you. Thank you. All right, Ariel Laauo. Um, good evening board members and everyone who joins us today. My name is Ariel Laauo and I am currently a senior at Monterey Trail High School. As a proud second generation Mong daughter who actively participates and takes pride in our Mong community, I want to take this opportunity opportunity to express my gratitude for the district's recognition and celebration of Mong American Day. This resolution not only recognizes the rich history of our Mong people and the contributions of the community, but also honors
028the district's commitment to inclusion and cultural diversity. Furthermore, allowing us to celebrate and acknowledge the 50th year of the M people in settling in America. By acknowledging the significance of the celebration, we help foster pride among our Mong students, families, and all members of the communities. It also allows us to educate the community of resilience and strength of our cultures traditions. Through celebrations like these, we can remind our students, community of the beauty and cultural diversity and strengths of being a community. Thank you all for supporting our culture of belonging for [Applause] all. Excellent. Thank you. I would like to call for a motion to adapt resolution number 90 designating May 14, 2025 as Mo American Day as a time to remember and honor Mong people's history, stories, and contribution in the Vietnam War. So
029moved. Second. Roll call. All those. All who favors say I. I. I. Oppose. Hearing none. Congratulation. Any board member would like to make a comment. Erin, I do have a comment to make. Thank you all for being here tonight. We are together here acknowledging the 50th anniversary of Mong American being in America. A momentous occasion reflecting on five decades of resilience, contribution and growth within the fabric of American society. 50 years ago, the seeds of a new chapter were planted. A new chapter marked by both challenges and progress. We remember the sacrifice Jiren Vangpalow Mong veterans Mong family made most notably the falling 35,000 plus Mong soldier who fought bravely along the United States. All of them endure struggles and the unwavering determination that brought us to where we are today, the United States of
030America. This anniversary isn't merely a celebration of the past. Is a testimony is a testament to the enduring spirits of our community. We honored the pioneers, the first Mong families who bravely embark a journey to new land, carrying with them the rich cultural and hope for brighter future. They face immune obstacles yet their presence laid the foundations for the vibrant Mong American community we are privileged to be a part of today. We celebrate the achievements of our community, our contribution to the arts, science, businesses and various fields. We acknowledge the strength of our families, the dedication of our educators and the leadership of those who have guide us. We, our cultural heritage, our language and our tradition continue to thrive, enriching the American landscape with their unique vibrancy. However, our journey continues. There remain challenges
031ahead. Let this anniversary serve us a renewed commitment to bridge the gaps that still exist to fostering unity within our community and to advocating for the well-being of all Mong Americans. Let us continue to strive for equity, access to opportunity, and the preservations of our rich heritage for future generations. As we look towards the next 50 years, may we carry the lessons learned from the past, the strength of our present, and the hope for a future where the Mong American voice reigns loud and clear. A testament to the enduring spirits of all falling Mong soldiers and our people of all Mong people that are now living in America. Thank you. All right, that ends our resolution for tonight. Thank you for those who came and share their comments. Okay, next item. Student exposion. Anyone wish
032to uh address the board in close session regarding student exposure? Hearing none. I would like to uh make a motion. Yeah, I would like to call for a motion. Oh, to approve the recommendations for student exposure. So moved. Second. Roll call. All in favor say I. I. I. Oppose. All right, motion passes. All right, next to the next item, public comment. Miss uh Balini, any blue card on this item? Yes, Mr. Mr. Yang. We have 20 blue cards. Okay. Comment. Will that lead to our Do you want me to move the time to Yeah. So that moves our to our uh guideline. 15 or more comments will reduce the minutes to to from 3 minutes to 2 minutes. Now, superintendent, do we have to take a vote on this? No, it's already part of our
033agreement. Okay. So, Miss uh Billini, would you please set the time to two minutes? I have done so. All right. Great. Thank you. All right. I'm going to call to the podium over there. Cheryl Grace and Freddy Santana is after that and Jose Vias. All three of you, I understand you wanted to come together. Is that correct? Okay. Okay. Okay. Good evening, Superintendent Chris Hoffman, um, and Vice President, uh, Mr. Yang, and board members. Um, my name is Cheryl Grace and I am here on behalf of the Elkrove Western Festival organization as a board member and poster contest chair person. Um, our festival since CO one has been cancelled as you know in the past for various reasons unfortunately. However, even though we are we were again cancelled this year, we decided to continue with
034the advertised annual poster contest uh competition that we've done over the years. So, we've invited we had invited district high school art students to participate this year, but later heard that there was a district-wide art contest, which was great, but it was held during our festival timing. So, as a result, this year's contest winners are from Lagona Creek High School. Um, and they've done an outstanding job in carrying out the event theme, which this year was going to be back in the saddle again. Um, and they did it in their own unique way. And, um, I'd also like to commend their teachers for giving them the instruction and opportunity to express themselves. And um as a visual artist myself, I know the time and challenges it takes to produce a piece of art. At this
035time, I'd like to have um the two instructors um Freddy Santana and Jose come on up and with the uh students with the uh with their posters that have been framed and they have their ribbons. Oh yes. And also here is the vice principal, Mr. Halman. Is that it? Yeah. Recognize him. Thank you. Okay. Um students, if you want to go there, first, second, and third. And honorable mention. Let's see first second third and yeah is sorry the honorable mentioned is is didn't come tonight so if you can maybe stand up there and represent him as as one of your students. Okay. Yeah. Can we do a picture? Do you want Superintendent Hoff? Okay, we will do um pictures in a minute. Okay. Um so, um Okay. I was going to do this a little
036bit different here. I'm sorry. Okay. Um the first place winner um is Kazya Abad. [Applause] Huh? Coming up. Okay. In a minute then. Yeah. And second place uh is Ugoti Nishi. I'm not pronouncing that right. Yeah. And third place uh Diego Labat Labato. And the honorable uh mention Jaden Villa did not be able to make it tonight. And that's and he's presented by his his teacher, art teacher. Yes. And um I've had our president um Lynden King is uh here tonight, the board president of Western Festival. And at this time, I'd like to uh present the winners um their the money awards. Okay. Uh, let's see. Yeah, and Margaret, you can take them over there then. Yeah, thank you. And Margaret's also on our board. We have first president, uh, first place winning a $300
037check. And the second place is 200. Third place, Diego, is 100. And Jaden, who couldn't make it, is 50. And so his teacher will take that back. So, thank you all for uh participating. You did a great job. And um we thank the parents and um friends and family and community members who came tonight to see this. And we have a Yeah, we have a um Where's the photographer from the citizen? Okro citizen. Come on up and take pictures of us. Yeah. Awesome. Patience. Congratulations. Okay, the next person up is Nate Smith and right behind Nate is Karen Hol. If we can go ahead and have them take the podium. Good evening. As a parent of a student at Jesse Baker, I'm here this evening with the simple ask of the board to put a
038presentation by the special education department's level system on the agenda before the end of the school year. I've searched for clear definition of this system and it does not appear to have any basis in the industry standard framework that the district uses. The most I've been able to find is a coming soon on the department's website. The system's been in place for years, so there's been plenty of time to define the criteria and it's important that this information is public knowledge so that parents, staff, and the board can make informed decisions for the betterment of the students that the system serves. When the parents met with the department last fall, promises were made that the future changes to Baker would be in coordination and communication with the community. We've learned of an attempt to change
039the Baker level without consulting those impacted most by this change. It appears that there's no effort or desire to improve transparent communication or foster collaboration with parents or staff for that matter. Despite what promises were made in these numerous meetings, if the department continues to fall short of meeting their commitment, it falls to this board to hold them accountable. The questions I pose before you tonight should be simple enough for anyone to answer. Can you describe the differences between a level two, three, and four site? What's the studenttoteer ratio for each level? What's the FTE pareducator allocated for each level? What additional support staff are assigned for each level? What credentials or training are needed for the staff at each level? Do the services offered differ between levels? And if so, what are the differences?
040Do the staff have the required support and trainings needed to change levels? If not, is their budget and time allocated for the site to be prepared for this change prior to its implementation? The board's inaction on this matter only emboldens the department to continue with its habitual lack of transparency and accountability. This subject needs to be addressed so that as board members you can be informed of decisions and that staff can understand the expect and associated trainings. Thank you. Thank you. [Applause] Okay, I have Karen Holt and Monica Jimenez is next. Good evening, uh, board members and community members. Uh, thank you for being here tonight. Oh. Um, I I'm here I'm a Jesse Baker mom and I want to also speak about the importance of the culture of the Jesse Baker Elementary School. Our
041first family event at Jesse Baker was movie night. We had a snow cone stand set up. The teacher asked James, "What flavor do you want, cherry or raspberry, aka red or blue?" And James clapped his hand and he said, "Green." And the teacher just chuckled and said, "That's a typical Baker kid." And I knew from this moment on that the decision to advocate for Baker as a placement would be one of the best decisions we ever made. I saw that he was truly accepted, welcomed, and celebrated for being green. And since then, James, who has a rare chromosomal disorder that causes global delays, has thrived, and he's grown more confident and his learning has accelerated. The Jesse Baker Elementary School is a one-of-a-kind school that retains some of the most compassionate teachers, therapists, and staff
042who all want to be there, who love teaching their kids, and who specialize in educating the green kids. So I want to talk about this culture because we want I want to encourage the growth of our elementary school population. The culture um for many of us is the first place that we can relax knowing that our kids are safe to be green in every aspect. They will be supported with their differences in mind, cherish cherished for being green since sorry and blaze the way for building rainbows. Green skills are not transactional. Green does not take a math test to get an A, which is then is supposed to measure their future success at making money. Comprehensive campuses are weighted towards serving the blue and the red. And the green kids struggled to fit into the
043mold of red and blue. But at Baker, for over 60 years, we have had a devoted team of teachers and staff. We form friendships of all ages. The kids get to participate in schoolwide events regardless of their disabilities. We don't have to fight for that opportunity and we don't have to beg the school to offer that those same childhood opportunities. So, please let's grow our elementary school. Thank you. All right, that was Karen and I have Monica Jimenez next and then Stacy Noble. Hello. Uh, good evening ladies and gentlemen. My name is Monica Himenez. I am the parent of Cruz Himenez. My son also attends Jesse Baker. Um, just to echo some of the the sentiments that some of the other, you know, parents have shared, we're all here kind of sharing our different perspectives
044and keeping this issue on the board's radar and the district's radar because it's obviously, you know, super important to us. Um, Jesse Baker, as it was mentioned, serves moderately to severely disabled children. it was the first school in California to serve that population which is an awesome acclimate for this community that it was a pioneer in that regard. The issue at hand um is that the elementary side has diminished over the years. uh specifically this past year there were no kindergarteners that were admitted and so there's been a decline right and typically Baker serves kinder to age 22 and you know because the trend and the modern thing is for inclusion which is a fantastic thing um there's been a decline and there's you know it's up for debate whether you know Baker continues to
045be an option that's put out there to families amilies or not. I know, you know, there's many opinions on this, but what we want to emphasize is that it's a fantastic school um that we're asking for something that's kind of counter, right, where the model is for inclusion, we're asking for our kids to stay in this campus because it's safe, because we see the advances that they make there, because every staff member there has signed up to work with special needs children and is passionate. And that's why you see a very low turnover. Um you see just you know the same people have been there for many many years. So it's a wonderful thing to have in our community and we've there have been proactive steps and to communicate with the families and what we're
046asking is this issue to just continue to be on the radar and to continue to have the opportunity to have these discussions. Thank you. Thank you. Your time is up. Okay, I have Stacy Noble and then Lelay Shruder. I'm hoping good evening. I'm I'm here to speak on a subject not on the agenda. Is this this is a proper time? Okay. Okay. Good evening everyone. My name is Stacy Noble. I am a teacher at Barbara Comtock Morris Elementary School. Um, at the April 1st schoolboard meeting during the SEAL EVA evaluation, uh, Deputy Superintendent Mark Zerudi referenced the district's award-winning PIC program, the program implementation continuum. In response to Trustee Heidi Moore's concern about underachievement in our African-American subgroup, Mr. Serudi said something that resonated deeply with me. He said, "We know what to do now.
047how we need to do it better. I absolutely agree and that is precisely why I'm here tonight. Over the last several months, I developed a summer science surge program, physics and beyond. It's expanded learning for programs uh expanded learning program for K through six. It's a four-week summer program that addresses all five domains of the PIC program. teaching and learning, social emotional learning, student success, English learner programs, and healthy and safe school environment. As a 22-year veteran educator in this district, I designed this program as an extension of my administrative work on the effective response to intervention resources on teacher efficacy. But I also designed it as a teacher who sees the need for meaningful, inclusive, contentdriven instruction every day. What sets this program apart is its foundation in physics, the most inherently exclusive academic
048subject. Physics is not limited by language, cultural background, or prior academic performance. Unlike music, math, or literacy, which often depend on background knowledge, exposure, or language development, physics is universal. We all live it. We all experience it. We all are it. The summer science search curriculum offers a full four-week turnkey implementation for kindergarten through sixth grade. Complete daily lessons and here it is. So I hope to speak with you very soon with regard to this. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. I have Lelay Shredder and Yahara Contrarus is next. No. Uh, good evening, Vice President Yang, board members, Superintendent Hoffman in Missopoulos. My name is Lely Shredder, and I'm the proud parent of Jackson, who has two older brothers currently attending Adriani Elementary. I come before you tonight out of deep frustration and heartbreak over the
049district's decision to offload Jackson to Pleasant Grove Elementary. This decision is not only disruptive, but also devastating to our family. Excuse me. My husband and I are full-time working parents with no external support. Coordinating multiple school drop offs is already difficult, but what truly concerns us is the emotional and developmental toll it's going to have on our youngest child. Jackson is thriving at Adriani. He's already enrolled in summer in the summer program and belongs at Adriani for TK alongside his brothers and the school community he knows, loves, and feels safe in. We made significant sacrifices to purchase our home in the neighborhood with clear intentions to send all of our children to Adriani. This was not a casual decision. It was a long-term investment in our children's education and well-being. Our sons Cameron, a straight
050A fourth grader, and William, a kid kindergartener who started in KTK, have flourished at Adriani. Jackson is poised to follow in their footsteps. Forcing him out of this environment now, separating him from his siblings and the school community is a traumatic and destabilizing experience for a young child. Beyond the emotional impact, the logistical fallout is immense. Pleasant Grove does not offer the same care options. There's no half-day champions care. EXL and assist are full and weight lists are no offer no guarantees. We had a solid plan and backup, both gone the moment Jackson was offloaded. Now we're left scrambling for options that simply don't exist with no ability to reduce work hours or afford higher care costs. We respectfully ask the board. May I finish a few more sentences? Your time is up. Is it
051just like sentences? We respectfully ask the board to take real action, reverse the decision the decision that was made, add portables, create ex expand EXL and champions or assist rather to meet that need and to provide transparency and how and how the process was made to offload these TK students. Thank you. Thank you. [Applause] Okay, I have Yahara Yahara Contraras and after that Ben [Music] Contrarus. I'm deeply upset and concerned about Adren's new electronic randomized student placement process system. After the special board visit March 4th emphasizing their care for families, it's shocking that only 48 days later, this lottery is dividing families with no apparent consideration for the stress it causes. Why the lack of notice about this major change? This so-called enrollment process with signing books and deadlines for submissions now seems pointless and
052misleading. Receiving a condescending call on April 21st about my daughter's good news of being offloaded to Pleasant Grove was infuriating, especially as I was on my way to to Adriani to volunteer. School staff couldn't explain the lottery process and the district office claimed no one overseas enrollment and admitted families can stay together, but only under a year-round schedule. Furthermore, that builder contracts are accepted with current residing local families like mine feels like a manipulation to push the year- round schedule. This unfair and unethical, especially since this lottery system isn't even new. It started in 2016. While year round might be inevitable due to the growth, this added distress to families is not. Why should I continue to support a school that disregards my family's well-being when other districts managed lotteryies without dividing families? Has EGUSD
053considered this? Why hasn't Adriani trained for this? I feel like a guinea pig in this poorly implemented system, but there's still time to fix this before this already fragile Adriani pushes away the few dedicated families left. My family's commitment to Adriani is now severely jeopardized. I urge the board to reconsider and prioritize siblings in the random drawings. I thank you for your time and look forward to discussing this further with Michael Dudley on [Applause] Thursday. So Ben Contrarus is next. That's me. Okay. And after Ben, I have Bonnie Brown. So, members of the board, um, we come to address the same issue, right? The separating them of families, um, with this new randomized lottery, right? We have my four-year-old daughter over there who they're saying can get busted to the closest school, but they want
054us to put my four-year-old daughter on a bus to go to a different school. It just doesn't make sense as a solution to me, right? There has to be a way where we can relook at this and keep families together. We know that there's a lot of people moving in in that area, but they might not have kids at Adriana yet. We should be having the kids that already have siblings at that school have some side sort of consideration for this already. Um, so like she said, we urge you guys to take a look at it. There's still time to fix it. Hopefully, we can get something done to take care of the families over there at Adriion. Thank you. Thank you. I have Bonnie Brown and after her Jasine [Music] Cower, excuse me. Hello,
055Superintendent Hoffman, board president Michael Vargas in his absence, all of the members of the board, and Miss Avalos. My name is Bonnie Brown. I'm currently a region lead for Valley High area for the Families of Black Students United. I was on the schoolside council at Valley High for two years, as well as the district advisory committee as a representative. I'm not listing these facts about my community involvement for accolades. I'm mentioning them because I was an active parent while my children were in school. So, I'm familiar with the CASP test and the scores. From the time that my three sons attended elementary school to high school, our family has had to face challenges in this school district. Some of those challenges are still in place and continue to affect current students. This past week, the
056FBSU region leads and I discussed some disturbing statistics. According to the statistics for the 2023 2024 California Smarter Balance Test, 45.9% of the AfricanAmerican students in the EGUSD are not meeting the basic standard for the English language. Even this statistic is be even though this statistic is better than in any of the other surrounding school districts, it still means that almost half of our African-American students can't read. The statistics aren't better for MA for the math assessment at 57% cannot meet the basic math standard. This is not only disappointing but also an embarrassment. DGUSD is the fifth largest school district in the state and the fastest growing school district. Yet, we continue to fail one of our most vulnerable populations year after year. Time is up. Okay. I just ask that you guys re-evaluate preparing
057our kids for this test so we can help them bring up these scores. Thank you for your time. Thank you. [Applause] Okay, Jasine is up and after that, uh, Tonerit Chahal. Hopefully I didn't butcher your name. I'm sorry if I did. Good evening, Elkrove School Board members and others here today. My name is Jasine Carr and I'm a fellow intern in CAD under the Jakata movement. CAT is a peer-led initiative which empowers students to take the lead in harm reduction and substance use prevention efforts. We get firsthand public public health experience while working closely with school faculties, school boards and health departments to promote harm reduction, peer education and access to health resources through research, leadership and training. The program also advocates for mental health, community wellness, and student health. CAD is open to high
058school students from all around California, and we are interns um representing Sacramento from Sheldon High School. We are mainly juniors and seniors who want to make a difference in our community and school. We are focusing on increasing availability and education on aloxxone narcan on school campuses while preventing fentanyl or other opioid related overdoses. We dive to drive to motivate individuals to make responsible and informed decisions. Last year in September, we attended the annual three-day CAD retreat where we spent time listening to guest speakers, learning about a variety of drugs, debating policies, creatingformational videos, and much more. Through the knowledge we gained from this retreat, we want to take the opportunity to educate others on the significance of these ideas. Along with substance you abuse, community wellness is a key component in a thriving society and
059the CAB program focuses on bettering it by reducing substance abuse stigma with a harm reduction approach and focusing on mental health. We believe that the current resources available to students in relation to substance abuse are not adequate. Thank you for your time. [Applause] Okay. Hey, I just like to say uh if we mispronounce your name, please feel free to correct us when you come to the podium. Thank you very much. Okay, that's Toner and the next person is Niha Bati. Okay, good evening school board members. My name is Tanner Hall and today I want to bring attention to an issue that concerns the health and safety of our campus community. vape and tobacco use. In response to this growing concern, we conducted two surveys across the Sheldon campus both semesters to better understand the extent
060of the issue. We are first going to discuss about some important questions from our first survey. Our first question was, which substance do you think are the most commonly used by students at Sheldon High School? Majority said tobacco and rape products. Then we asked, "How many instances of substance use have you personally seen on or around campus since the start of the school year?" Majority said one to five, but mostly every student has seen substance use on campus. Next, we asked how adequate is drugrelated health education on campus. From a scale of 1 to five, one being not adequate and five being adequate. Majority said three, fairly adequate to the point where it's helpful to know but doesn't help much with what we have going around on campus. Lastly, we asked, "How comfortable do you
061feel seeking help for mental health or substance use issues from school staff?" From a scale of 1 to five, one being not comfortable, and five being comfortable, majority said three. We also got some quotes from students in the surveys we conducted. And one important quote we got was, "Take away the vapes. It's getting to a point where it looks like the school is providing it." Additionally, we asked, "What resources or support do you think would help students dealing with substance use or mental health issues?" And a quote we got from a student was definitely informational assemblies along with enforcing no substance use on school. It's very easy to get away with vaping and substance use overall in the bathroom. It's upsetting. From personal experience as a senior that goes to Sheldon High School, I see
062substance use every day when I try to go to the bathroom. And another growing concern we have are the tremendous amount of fire alarms that go off during the school year. And mainly it is from people lighting trash cans on fire, but it's also from people that vape during class time and trigger the fire alarms disrupting everyone's class time. And it gets to a point where it's two to three times a day. Thank you for listening and I'd like to pass to my fellow intern. Thank you. Okay, I have Niha Bati and Amanda Vang is after that. Hi, it's Nha Ratty. So, thank you. Of course. Okay. Good evening school board members. My name is Nha and I will be continuing to discuss the data analysis of the surveys we conducted throughout the year. Um
063for the second semester student survey we took it conducted that during the second semester it revealed that the vast majority of respondents believe that peer pressure and the desire to relieve stress or anxiety are key factors that influence students to experiment with substance abuse. This was closely followed by social media influence and advertisement as another major contributing factor to substance abuse among amongst adolescents. Another survey showed bathrooms were largely identified as the most common location on campus where tobacco use occurs. And this was also followed by out outside school grounds and the parking lot. When asked about the accessibility of tobacco products within the school and the surrounding community, 38% of students said they were unsure. 30 believed 30% believed it was very easy to access these products and 25% thought it was somewhat easy.
064Additionally, approximately 56% of students believed that the school should take stronger actions to address vaping and substance abuse on campus while 33% were unsure. Moving on to faculty surveys, the Narcan survey results revealed that half of Sheldon staff are neither Narcan certified nor aware of his location on campus. Additionally, 42.5% of staff reported that they are not certified but do know where Narcan is located on campus. The majority of faculty members believe that marijuana, tobacco, and vape products are the substances most commonly used by students. When asked to rate their comfort level in addressing substance abuse and mental health on a scale of 1 to five, most staff rated them rated themselves at a three. Overall, the survey results indicate that Sheldon's faculty could benefit from further education and training to become better equipped to
065address substance abuse issues on campus. Thank you so much for listening and I'll be giving a chance for my fellow intern to discuss our team goals. Okay, we have Amanda Vang and Frozan Shaheen after that. Good evening members of the school board. My name is Amanda Vang and I would like to thank you all for giving me the opportunity to speak about the importance of our work. All year long, our goal has been to build a safer, healthier, and more informed school community. One of our main focuses this year was getting both our school and local community involved in supporting student mental health by creating a wellness center. Although this project is still a work in progress, we are committed to making it happen. We want to create a space where every students feel valued
066and has access to resources that support their well-being. To ensure that a wellness center is something students really truly want and need, we created and distributed a schoolwide survey. The results came back with a strong number of students in favor of moving forward with the project. To help us brainstorm ideas and get a clear vision of what a Wness center should look like, we visited Herm Johnson High School's Wness Center. Seeing their Wness Center in person helped us better understand what we could bring into our own school. While their efforts of making a wellness center had its challenges, their success was inspiring and gave us hope for what we can achieve. We believe this project will make a real difference and we're committed to making it happen. With your continued support, we know we can
067turn this vision into a reality and create a space that truly benefits our students. Thank you again for your time. Okay, I have Frozone Shaheen and after that Zarah Nusheen and again if I'm saying your name wrong, please correct me. Good evening members of the school board. My name is Prozon Shaheen and I'm excited to share highlights from my internship experience this school year. A hands-on journey full of learning experience and leadership. Throughout the year, our program went far beyond this classroom, helping us build both professional skills and real world experiences. During the first semester, one of the most rewarding aspects of our work was taking part in community outreach efforts. During events like Red Ribbon Week and World Mental Health Day, we hosted interactive tableabling sessions during campus to promote health and wellness. For
068example, we set up spinning wheels that had certain questions um about drug use and wellness, encouraging students to stop by and test their knowledge. These tableabling days weren't just informative, they were interactive, eye-catching, and effective. Along with this, one of the most memorable events we hosted was a movie night at our school where we created a safe and fun space for students to come together. Along with our outreach efforts, we also earned CPR and arcan certifications which equipped us with critical life-saving skills. Through hands-on training, we learned how to recognize the signs of cardiac arrest and opioid overdose. These training sessions gave us the confidence to step in and take action when someone's life might be at risk. Now, as we move into the second quarter, we had the incredible opportunity to attend Youthquest, where
069we joined youth leaders from across California to advocate for the reduction of tobacco use among teens. We participated in more workshops that educated us on the dangers of tobacco products. Then, we took our knowledge to the steps of California State Capital where we met with lawmakers and shared our concerns about how tobacco impacts our school and communities. We also hosted a town hall event to provide education to our community about the dangers of substance use in our school. It was an it was an empowering experience to speak directly with families, peers, and community members helping raise awareness. We also had the incredible opportunity to visit the wellness center at Hyram Johnson High School, and it left a big impression. Their center includes on-ampus therapists and nurses who support students with both their mental and physical
070health. Seeing how they prioritize student wellness showed us how important it is for student for schools to create safe spaces where students can ask for help without fear or stigma. inspired us to think more deeply about what support systems should look like on our on campus. Thank you. Thank you. All right, I have Zara Nashen and after that I believe it's Joan Taylor. Good evening everyone. As we close out this year, we're really proud to reflect on the work we've done through the care internship and how far we've come as youth leaders. This program give us the tools to learn, grow, and most importantly speak up about the real issues that are affecting our generation, especially substance use and mental health. For from the start, care has been more about more than just learning. It's
071about action. We attended the care retreat back in September where we dove into tough but important conversations around drug use, the opiia crisis, narcan, and mental health. Since then, we've taken that knowledge back to our campus through town hall events, tableabling, and hosting an Earth Day celebration that tied together environmental and personal wellness. These moments weren't just events. They were ways for us to connect with the students and create safe space for learning and discussions. We've also had the amazing opportunity to represent Sheldon at Uquist in Sacramento where we met with other youth leaders and advocated for public health on a bigger scale. That experience showed us that students truly can lead me meaningful change when given the chance. But one of our biggest goals this year and what brings us here today is our
072push to create a wellness center on our campus. We've collected data heed from students and staff and um brought those voices to our school board. This is only our second board meeting and while we have hoped for more immediate support, we're not giving up. The need is real. Students are struggling with mental health challenges and too often they feel like there's nowhere to go. We believe a wellness center could be that safe space, a space to decompress, access resources, and receive support without judgment or stigma. This isn't just a student request. It's a solution that would directly support education because when students are mentally well, they're better learners, better leaders, and better prepared for life. This is something that will benefit our campus for years to come. and we're committed to continuing this conversation until
073it becomes reality. The car internship taught us that you voices matter. We've done the research. We put in the work and we're here to say this matters not just to us but the entire student body. We would also love to hear from the board officer after following up today over email or we could hear any comments today right now if you guys would like to open this internship and other um school EGU um schools. We actually cannot comment on comments that aren't on the agenda. Public comments, please follow up with us after an email. Thank you. We will. Thank you. Is it John Taylor? It's John. Yes. Okay. I wasn't sure if it was John or John. When I make my H sometimes it looks like an A. Okay. Okay. All right. Thank you for
074covering for me. All right. Um and Crystal Thomas is after that. Okay. Uh good evening board. Good evening, Superintendent Hoffman and the community. Uh my name is John Taylor. I used to uh have have children here in El Gro School District. I was the founder of the Concerned African-American parent group here over 20 years ago. I'm here tonight as a representative of the uh famil family's uh Black Students United. We sent a letter to Mr. Yang and got a response that was somewhat confusing. So, we thought it best for me to share with you all tonight what the families would like. Uh, we'd like a visit to all the school sites and classrooms to make it explicitly clear that the use of the n-word is unacceptable. Be our allies and be abolitionists. If there are
075targeted supports for black students, show us what they look like in practice. Implement culturally relevant curriculum programs and partnerships that serve and affirm black students, families, and staff. This includes organizations like the Alpha Academy, the core switch restorative practices for girls of color, and expanding improve your tomorrow uh um across more school sites. Just as a few examples, establish a strategic response team that can respond in real time when racial harm occurs. Something that we've brought to the board before, remove all core novels and supplemental materials across the district that include the n-word. Our students should not be forced to relive trauma in the name of literature. Audit and remove all online and Google classroom content that contains the n-word. As just two weeks ago, these materials were still accessible. These are only a few
076of the first steps and some actions that we like to bring to you tonight. Let's have some conversations and actions that lead to true systemic and structural change. Thank you all. Have a good evening. All right. Thank you, Crystal Thomas. And our last speaker tonight is Dion Pucket. Good after Good evening. I'm sorry. Good evening. Um I'm Crystal Thomas. I am one of the S FBSU leads um for the Cassumus for Cassumus Oaks. And I wanted to talk to you tonight about the importance of incorporating cultural relevant practices. um what's going on right now with our student students I've heard a lot about mental health um but racism causes harm and as black parents we send our school our kids to school and we expect that they're safe and when they encounter incidents that have
077been going on it causes mental trauma and I am going to hold the board accountable for making sure that all of our students are safe. Um what we are asking for is culturally responsive practices be integrated to help alleviate harm which are caused to students. We would like substantiate substantiative action taken um to ensure students are mentally, socially and emotionally safe. So I was happy to hear from our stu student schoolboard member that that's going to be a focus of his because our students need you. Uh, thank you that there is an office of equity, but we have a lot of work to do around that, especially for our our African-American students. I was happy to see the chief human resources officer here, and I would love to partner with you about retaining and recruiting
078African-American staff and teachers. Um, and so with that, thank you. Thank you. All right, Dion Pucket is on the [Music] podium. Excuse me. Good evening. My name is Dion Pucket. I am a parent of two current Elkrove Unified School District uh students, one former school district student. Uh in my parental opinion, the efforts of equity for black students in the district are woefully lacking effectiveness. My youngest two children will spend six years in a school where they will not experience one faculty member who looks like them. The impact of cultural deprivation uh is reflected in your data outcomes that Bonnie Brown had mentioned earlier as well as the experiences of black students on campus throughout the district. We are asking for Elkrove Unified School District to review and enhance its equity in schools plan, create
079transparent communication, and clearly define actions that affect change specifically for black families and students. I also am a member of fam black families uh students uh and I just echo the sentiments of Miss Thomas and Mr. Taylor as well. Thank you. [Applause] All right, that was our last blue card. Excellent. Thank you for the comment. We will have the appropriate district staff follow up with concerns present during public comment. Moving on to consent agenda. It's a I action item. Miss Bolin, is there any blue cars on this item? Yes, I have one blue card on the consent agenda and that is Grace Bailey would like to speak. There she is. Bailey, I didn't Just a second. Let's change the clock to three minutes first. Three minutes. Okay. I came because I'm deeply concerned about our
080African-American children and staff here in the district. I've been with Elgroveve Unified since 1995 and it's given me an opportunity to take a look around and I really feel like things still are not safe for us. Not for the staff, not for admin, not for our students. And I have empirical knowledge. I have experience. That's why I'm saying what I'm saying. And I think that it really needs to be addressed instead of being swept under the carpet. And I really think that there truly is this huge elephant in the room and ele an element of racism because our African-American students are not exceeding the way other kids do. And every single year our kids are at the bottom. Now that means two things. Either people truly believe that we are less than less capable or
081our kids are not receiving the same education. There's no reason why we should always be at the bottom of so we're not our kids are not receiving the same education. If you truly believe in your heart that African-American students are every bit as capable then why are we not exceeding the numbers that appear year to year to year. I'm truly truly concerned about this and I have offered to be parts of panel discussions. I have submitted in writing. Uh, nobody has ever knocked on my door and I just want you all to know that it's not okay. It just absolutely is not okay. What's being done about it? You know, people will say something for a season and then they think, "Okay, well, we've had something to say. Now it's just going to be swept
082under the carpet." But there hasn't been any real change. And I refuse to believe that we are less capable. And the fact that our kids are not excelling or the fact that our African-American admin are constantly looking over their shoulders, that means something. And it's yeah, it's the biggest elephant in the room. And it smells like putrifaction. It smells like racism. Call a spade a spade. And I really want to see some change. Thank you. [Applause] that it that that's the only blue card on the consent agenda. Excellent. Thank you. All right. Moving forward, I would like to call for a motion to approve item 1 to 39 on the consent agenda. So moved. Second. All right. Roll call. All those in favor say I. I. Any oppose hearing? None. All right. All proof. Moving
083forward to bargaining units. Miss uh Berini. Is there any blue card in this item? There are no blue cards on this item. All right. Excellent. Do we have any um bargaining units that would like to speak? No. Okay. Yeah. See, moving forward to reports and discussion item. Calling on Selen Queen. Is your mic on? Tap on it if you don't mind. There we go. Okay. All right. Good evening, Vice President Yang, members of the board, Superintendent Hoffman and Miss Avalos. The Elgrove Unified School District Board of Education places a high priority on increasingly engaging students and leveraging student voice in their input, feedback, and decision-making opportunities. The seating of student board member Selene Chen during the 2024 2025 school year has been in direct alignment with this priority. Student board member Chen has been instrumental
084this year in working with student voice committee, student equity councils in collaborating with students on our superintendent student advisory council. So I'm going to turn it over to Seline to give her a final report to the board and then once she's done, we'd be honored to have the board take the opportunity to recognize her and come on down and take a picture. Good evening, Vice President Yang, members of the ward, Superintendent Hoffman, Miss Avalos, and community. My name is Selen Chin. I am the 2024 to 2025 school year student board member. It is a pleasure to present to y'all this evening. So, to provide purpose and structure of the presentation, I will first go over a student board member overview um through the formal duties, student priorities, and then going beyond of what are the
085term highlights for this school year. Next, we'll dive into work we've done with the student voice committee as well as the student bill of rights through our support, collaboration, and current transformations. Next, we'll dive into know your rights campaign and then social media and outreach, professional development, goals, and key partnerships. Student board member overview. The student board member of the Elgrove Unified School District was created to bolster student representation in district education policy, aiming to enhance collaboration between district student populations and the board of education and continuously improve the relevant improve the relevance of district programs through amplification of student voice. On today, the SPM serves as a preferential voting member on the board of education and student adviser to the board, superintendent, other key collaborators, departments, and school sites. The student board member term
086lasts one school year, July 1st, 2024 and to June 30, 2025 for my case. And I am honored to have been appointed by the board of education as a EGSD student board member my senior year of high school and champion initiatives centering on the most meaningful and pertinent issues that impact our students today. As someone who directly engages the student population on an everyday basis as a student myself, attending classes, participating extracurricular activities, and keeping up with events at my school and other campuses, I am thrilled to be able to serve as a connecting link between students questions, insights, and passions and the greater context of the district. Formal duties. Um, formal duties. The main responsibility of the student board member includes serving as a student temperature check during regular board meetings, offering student perspective
087towards the rest of the board and the public concerning ongoing programs, board actions, and deliberations and resolutions. While these often serve as helpful student affirmation um of of ongoing district work aiming to capture and deliver general student opinion, a seat on the board also comes with the responsibility of advocating for all student populations across our campuses, emphasizing EGSC standards and mission towards equity according to the student bill of rights um and bringing educational disparities impacting students to the board and public's attention to urge new improved or continued efforts This year, I focused a role on especially raising awareness of the lived experiences and needs of historically underrepresented students both during live meetings um and external initiatives to offer platforms, direct resources, and engage in collaboration with student groups of historically marginalized backgrounds, including priority demographics
088of the EGCLAP, such as black and African students and students experiencing homelessness or in foster care, students with disabilities, or students qualifying for free and reduced lunch as based on title one. Um, English language learners and immigrant students as based on title 3. The student board member is delay on bridging the ever evolving issues raised by students in their day-to-day conversations interactions um to the DIS mic. Some of the issues that I've been most vocal about throughout my term include restorative justice with emphasis on EGSD's family and community engagement departments, first generation low-income student supports, multilingual accessibility, college and career opportunity, LGBT plus student equity, youth of engagement, and programs to support homeless and foster youth. Continuous collaboration with the student equity councils and ASBs across our district and gathering their input has made it
089clear that students are avid supporters of ES EGSC's mission of diversity, equity, and inclusion and are also calling on expanded efforts in addition to yearly agenda resolutions. These include number one tangible tailored community opportunities such as events, summits, listening sessions, service days, academic fellowships and leadership programs. Number two, safe havens on school campuses, including more transparency and resources on school sites for students to smoothly form clubs and organizations on their campuses. Three is timely action, student task forces and peer-led restorative practice to address prejudice and bullying, particularly against students of color and transgender students. And number four, overall support systems for academic success such as active staffed college and career centers on each campus, greater spotlight for AVID, um, and intentional outreach and counseling for underrepresented student demographics such as first generation and low-inccome. Going
090beyond interm highlights, what I realize is the best part about being the student board member is that the student board member role is what the student makes it with countless possibilities to create change through collaboration and taking initiative with a new stu student board member each year. I wanted to emphasize the importance of leveraging legacy to encourage incoming generations of student board members to use their role to create unique transformations for students. This year I developed um the this year I developed the first student board member focus vision first presented to the board in September. This remains a guiding framework for students for um for efforts introduced in my term to ensure cohesive intentional impact that addresses gaps in student experiences with their education. This framework also enables successors to carry on the mission forward
091for long-term studentled impact in our district while being non-exhaustive and easily adaptable to best fit um new student issues arising each new school year. The focus vision is as follows. To empower us engagement through versatile, equitable, and community centered platforms, open forums for all students, including students of marginalized and underserved backgrounds. to promote the development and increase accessibility of resources for student advocacy, including knowledge about district systems, policies, and avenues for changemaking. To bolster district-wide engagement of scholarships and programs serving all students, including student populations of historically underrepresented in educational opportunity. strengthen cross- sector, cross-campus and regional to statewide collaboration of student associations, board member associations, youth serving nonprofits and public services and policy. And lastly, to build sustainable leadership practices, infrastructure, and resources for future generations of student board members and student led advisory
092councils. Of course, the student population and the priorities change with it, and the work of the student board members should reflect that. While this focus vision guided my term, I bring it to my successor knowing that that focuses are always open for conversation, evolution, and new ideas. And to further advance this initiative, college and career connections, which is the coordinating department of the student board member and I are working to turn this new framework into an informative written resource and offer guidance templates available to all incoming candidates. I introduce as well the student voice committee. The student board member acts as the chair of each school year's student voice committee. The committee began in the 2023 to 2024 school year, consisting of other candidates that were in the most immediate running for that um year's
093student board member position selected through victory in a school site election. This year is the second year of the SBC's existence and I alongside college and current um college and career connections department and SVC representatives concentrated energy on formalizing a and more clearly defining um the roles and responsibilities of committee members. The student voice community today works to continue their mission of service and leadership as representatives elected by their student body and promote a culture in eSD of collaboration and mutual support for student advocacy. Elected representatives on the SVC this year include heavily involved student leaders from Monterey Trail, Laguna Creek, Elkrove, Cassumus Oaks, Sheldon, and Pleasant Grove high schools. We additionally consulted members of the superintendent student advisory council from Franklin High School and Floren High School to ensure representation of all nine of
094our comprehensive high schools within our work and additionally collaborated with students from Elkrove Charter. With our efforts, the committee is now able to provide a student board member with access to over 300 student led clubs and organizations, including ASBs and adjacent student commissions, student equity councils, black student unions, Latino honor society, sik honors and service society, gender and sexuality alliances, and much more throughout the nine plus campuses, high school campuses. These student led groups on each campus consult regularly with their SVC representative as a channel to gather holistic insight into their campus's particular concerns and needs as well as events and activities. As the chair, I the student board member also lead quarterly meetings with the student voice committee. In addition to gathering student input, these meetings also include numerous opportunities for the student board
095member to provide resources and skills training to site specific student leaders on how to navigate productive conversations with their administration and staff, allowing students to be advocates for student groups on their campus and advance their projects and events on their campus. Matters this year range anywhere from reaffirming free and inclusive expression on campus grounds, ensuring accessibility of leadership opportunities at each school site such as for internships, scholarships, and the student board member role. um how to public comments at a board meeting and creating a channel of communication about district resolutions such as Black History Month or Pride Month to clubs and ASBs which are always encouraged to start schoolwide campaigns, drives, meetings, and other projects spreading awareness and supporting in in support of such resolutions and their true value to students lives. This term I
096was honored to lead the student voice committee to partner with the district advisory committee to bring the to bring in student representatives for the very first time in development of the LCAP. For example, during the district advisor committee meetings, students voiced overwhelming support for the district funding options um to take um the PSAT for 8th and 10th 10th grade, expressing its help in bridging gaps for many students who do not have access to private SAT tutoring. This year, student voice committee has pioneered a student representative role that informs the district budget and ensures real priorities of our youth are at the forefront of funding considerations. And above all, our instrumental role this year will trailblaze for next year's district advisory committee to continue having formal student representatives partner with the LCAP process. Lastly, I have
097dedicated meaningful time with the student voice committee to aid the succession of the student member candidates, hence the new student voice committee for the 2025 through 2026 school year. By hosting one-on-one meetings since February with ne with next school year's elected, appointed, and aspiring student leaders, I have guided each student's journey into public service um and student advocacy with individualized care and intention, opening up safe space for candidates to ask questions, brainstorm interview anecdotes, and most importantly share what got them into leadership and receive context of ongoing district programs um that they aim to influence with student representation. Soon, I'll be hosting hopefully frequent one-to-one sessions with the incoming student board member to create meaningful conversations in succession, provide points of contact of partners um and key departments working with the student board member, share
098resources and best practices, and collaborate on the student priorities and vision for the 2025 to 26 term. I am excited to say that the annual Inerson convening of the student board member and student voice committee incumbent and successor will be taking place tomorrow May 7th in partnership with the college and career connections department to allow us to reflect on our impact this year pass the torch and envision next year for the long-term growth and strategy of student representation in our district. One of the key resolutions of um for the student board member is developing the school year's student bill of rights. With leadership of the student board member, a council of students is convened annually to discuss how the existing bill of rights aligns with our student body's best interests and needs, identify any gaps
099or needs for amendments, and send forth a proposed resolution of a new and improved version of the student bill of rights. As the incoming student board member back in May 2024, I advised the student bill of rights through collaboration um with the 2023 to 24 student board member Isabella Seagull. And last year, we noticed the vagueness of the clause that students quote may reach out and quote um the school authority to seek conflict resolution in the event that a student feels that their rights may have been violated. We sought to offer students clearer avenues. So, our amendments therefore were successful in clarifying students rights to notify school staff and administration of potential rights, student rights infringements, their right to request the opportunity to meet with their site administration, and even be accompanied by their own
100chosen advocates, such as the student voice committee, student equity council, or their parents or guardians. Now, for this year's resolution, I was able to write and propose seven new clauses of student rights, focusing on immigrant and undocumented student rights, students with disabilities, budget transparency and funding access, civil discourse and civic engagement and non-discrimination. This was made possible with an original advisory and support committee that I led consisting of over 50 students and representing over 35 studentled clubs, commissions, organizations in the Elkrove Unified School District. We are currently under district review and we hope to implement this very soon. Know your rights campaign. One of my main goals at the start of the school year was the creation of a know your rights campaign facilitated primarily through the power of social media that bolsters students awareness
101of their bill of rights and fosters fosters a trajectory of students energized to stand up for the equitable treatment of themselves and their peers. The announcement launch of this project hit the Elgrove Unified School District Instagram page November of last year. And by the end of this term, the Know Your Rights Campaign will have successfully produced a series of 15 educational videos and unique media resource kits about student rights in appropriate district departments to ensure all students feel um respected, seen, and heard. A current goal is to expand even greater reach with this campaign, hoping to continue work with the communications department and likely into the next term by featuring the media series in a district-wide newsletter, sharing all know your rights um content at the end of the term and extending this project to
102next year. Among these initiatives, the student bill of rights is considered the most comprehensive. In October, the student voice committee and I created a student voice survey that invites students to participate in an honest qualitative evaluation as well as a quote unquote success skill rating on how their school campuses are upholding, amplifying, and reaffirming specific clauses of the standing student bill of rights. Today, we are still continuing to spearhead this important work, even combining it with the information about ongoing efforts to pass the 25 to 26 student bill of rights resolution and providing outlets for students to submit their testimonies and feedback about the student bill of rights. Each student voice committee member and myself is in charge of bringing these surveys directly to school grounds from peer-to-peer sharing to advocacy and home room periods
103to club meetings to Google classroom streams to morning news and daily bulletin and all across our high school associated student body. social media accounts, leading to the survey to reach 13,600 social media users as we close off this school year. Next is social media outreach. This term, I regenerated the student board member Instagram account, doubling the amount of followers, the vast majority being students, and instating a full-fledged thematic rebrand and filling the feed with new content in relevant ways for students to interact on district matters. My goal was to utilize the social media page as a landing spot to expand awareness of the student board members role and increase accessibility to contact information. The profile also provides a robust resource and links hub that has redirected now over 250 students to immigrant and documented res
104um student resources, the facilities master plan, college recruitment fairs, summer meal programs, board resolutions um and over 13 different scholarship programs. And as of April 27th, the page has reached 6,286 new accounts in its past 90 days. Throughout my term, this social media page has grown increasingly useful in amplifying district issues from the student lens. In February, again for the know your rights campaign, I leveraged the original student member social media account which is to um EGSD SBM on Instagram um to provide a sharable digital resource breaking down the board policy 5145.13 emphasizing the district's unwavering commitment to provide uh fair safe educational environments regardless of students or families immigration status or national origin especially in light of student concerns about federal executive orders. It amassed about 12,000 views in less than three days. As
105we pass this social media page to next year's student board member, I hope to to see it remain 100% studentr run and convey to students that staying informed can be as simple as just a click away. Second to last is professional development. According to the California Schoolboard Association, 64% of California's 424 school districts include student board members, which is 270 districts in total. California is one of the only few states in the US that legally legally requires student voices on the board. Annually, the Elgrove Unified School District sponsors a student board member to attend the California um school board association's annual education conference and statewide student board member program. I was honored to have the opportunity to attend and engage in broader conversations with leaders across California and how we can use student advocacy to
106advance our work within each of our school districts and for our state's education system as a whole. As we conclude a presentation, I'd like to share some goals. First one is the right to thrive virtual summit which aims to take place in late June. This is a virtual district-wide convening to discuss educational equity and bridging the gaps in opportunity for success in the public education system which particularly impacts youth of color and immigrant students, first generation low-income students, and systems impacted students. We aim for this event to be entirely free by registration taking place virtually with a particular focus on adolescence and teens. And we aim to unite 100 students across our schools. We aim to partner with the students and family empowerment um department, family and community engagement, education equity, college and career connections
107and of course other SBMs across California and the student voice committee and student advisory council. We want this virtual event to feature speaking panels from community leaders as well as community building listening sessions which will be safe spaces for students to voice their concerns, but also incredibly informative to help guide district efforts prioritizing student voices, responding to direct input and real needs from our student body. Perhaps we'll have conversations regarding historically underrepresented live experiences by students and also a conversation with students about what racial justice looks like and how they can share their experiences safely about mistreatment in the education system. Before I conclude this presentation, I want to highlight some key partnerships that ensure the success of my term. First off is of course the SVC or student voice committee um and the superintendent
108um district student district advisory council. Of course is college and connections, secondary education department, family and community engagement, student and family empowerment and the educational equity department. That concludes my presentation. Thank you very much. I'm open to any questions. Thank you very much. That was a lot of great information. All right. Um, let's start from the left side. Miss Bowen, you are just a second. I'm sorry. Just a second. Before we go to any comments and questions, Miss Bourini, is there any blue card in this item? There are no blue cards on this item. All right, great. Okay, Miss Bowen, go ahead. As I was saying, you are truly truly amazing, impressive. I am just so excited to see what you do after high school and I hope that you will stay in touch with
109us. Um, it's been really an honor to serve with you and to just hear you speak um with such eloquence and passion and I hope you never lose that. You're amazing. I'm excited to see what you do in the future and just thank you so much for your service. Thank you. Go ahead, Miss Moore. Uh I just would like to say thank you for the presentation. I learned a lot about uh your role and the work that you do um to gather um you know to be a voice for the students which I think is important. Um, and so I appreciate that and I also wish you the best of luck in your future. So, thank you. Thank you, Miss uh, Paul Reini, Selene. It was wonderful when I went to um, Franklin High School's
110awards last week to see all the awards you were getting. And I want you all to know this young lady right here is number seven in her class. That's amazing right there. and I hope you continue to do amazing things and come back and show us what you're doing. Okay. And wait, can you tell us what college you you're going to go to? Um, I will be a freshman at Harvard University. Harvard people. Harvard. [Applause] Thank you, M. Albiani. Thank you very much for what you've done for our district. I think you took your job very seriously in a time when it could have it you had a lot of other things going on and I commend how successful you have been in your senior year and wish you the best when you go to
111Harvard and I do want to take a moment to point out um I think you've set up some systems for people some things that will outlive your time here um I was talking with someone about that and I that's something I've done in my role is say the things we've done will live past our time and and that's a true sign of leadership to me and I commend you for that. So um talking about your focus vision gives um a blueprint for your next for the next student board member. And then I think the expansion of the student voice committee cannot be under undersold under I mean it is just I interviewed this year's students and it is just an amazing group of students and it is so hard to pick one and the fact
112you have found a way and work to help install a system to keep them engaged I think will benefit our district for many years to come. So, I appreciate your work, your excellent presentation, and I'm sure you will do great things. Thanks for being part of our school district. Chris, you want to chime in? Sure. I'd love to chime in. So, Selene, it's been absolute pleasure. Um, I am proud of you. And as uh as Miss Albiani spoke to the setting down the systems so that this doesn't become a u one member after the other after the other and they each start from ground zero. Um I some things were handed to you um and you've taken them to the next level and um and it's just amazing. So I appreciate all the work and
113I also appreciate in setting the groundwork for um for the members that will follow. It's not completely scripted. So, they're going to be able to put their um their take on it and but they're not having to start from scratch. So, I think it's going to be a great opportunity to move forward. So, I finally got to hear where you're going. So, I'm super excited for you. Um I hope you like winter though because winter winter is a real thing. So, dress warm. Congratulations. Thank you. Yeah. Um well said. Um from my peers as far as inform I just want to say congratulation. um you know from the beginning when you uh took the podium as our u newly um appointed or selected uh student board member um hearing you spoke um just the knowledge
114that you share with us and the passion uh that come out of you um it was already really um special and being um a part of our dice. Um hearing you speak um every meetings um you know share your thoughts about uh various of uh concerns and issues that we have had here. Um and then you know tonight you wrap it up with all the things that you um done and um set it to a new height as my board colleague has mentioned. um you know what what I see and what I'm hearing is you know you keep people um in the student um uh domain to have a voice uh stay to stay engaged and uh advocate for themselves and for their rights and for for their peers and uh also to develop uh
115them to be our next leaders in the near future and in the uh going on future and I think that is like uh incredible work. So, thank you uh for doing that. And then and then you yourself um as M Bolini mentioned, you know, you a top student and now you going to Stanford. Um I'm I'm sorry. Harvard. Harvard. I'm sorry. Harvard. Yeah. Yeah. I'm sorry. Um but nevertheless, I mean, that was a great school and uh it just the it it's it's a comprehensive of kind of like greatness, you know. um that speaks a lot from you and um I think that um you know the future is very bright for you. Uh your parents should be very proud of you. Uh I know that we are very proud of you. So congratulation and
116best of luck to you. Thank you very much. Thank you everyone. [Applause] Okay, let's take a picture. [Music] Okay. Uh moving to the next item, public hearing action item calling on David Riley. Thank you, Vice President uh Yang, members of the board, Superintendent Hoffman, Miss Avalos. Um I am not going to Harvard next or Stanford. I wish I was, but go Bruins. Okay. uh both the number one unit recognition and representation agreement between the Elkrove administrative team also known as EGAT and Elkrove Unified School District and the two first addendum unit recognition and representation agreement provide consistent with educational employment relations act or the EER that EGUSD will voluntarily recognize EGAT as the exclusive representative of the certificated administrative employee position. conditions listed in the EGAT agreements contingent upon the complete satisfaction of all the
117terms and conditions included in the EGAT agreements. The contingent uh provisions include the negotiation of and the ratification by both parties of an EGAT collective bargaining agreement between EGAT and EGUSD. As such, the EGUSD board is asked to approve or ratify the attached EGAT agreements. Okay, thank you. Um, is there any blue card in this item? There are no blue cards on this item. Excellent. All right. Um, open the public. Close the public hearing. And I would like to make a motion to approve both the No. Well, I did I'd say open public hearing and asking for any blue card, right? Yeah, I did that. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So, uh, closing the public hearing and I would like to call for a motion to approve both the unit recognition and representations agreement with EGAT and
118approve the first addendum unit recognition and representations agreement with EGAT. So moved, seconded. All right, roll call. All those in favor say I. I any oppose hearing? None. All right. Thank you. All right. Next item. Action items. None. Next item. Board member and superintendent's reports. All right. Okay. All right. Miss uh Albiani. Last Monday, I testified in the California Assembly Committee on Transportation to continue our electric bus journey. So, let you know. Great. Thank you for the report. Awesome work. All right. Next item. Consider of future agenda items. We have none. Okay. All right. I would like to announce that we will adjourn this meeting [Music] at 8:10. Thank you. Have a good night.