PGUSD Board Meeting May 7, 2026

001Hey, good evening everyone and thank you for joining us. I'm going to gavvel us into our regular board meeting. Um it is Thursday, May 7th, 2026 and this evening we're going to get to begin our meeting with something special. Um but first we'll take care of a little bit of business. Um that was our call to order. I'll now read our acknowledgement. As we begin this meeting, it is important to pay respect to and acknowledge that we are on the traditional land of the Alone, Costanoan, and Eselin people. And additionally, pay respect to elders both past and present. Dr. Adamson, can we please have a roll call? >> Absolutely. President McNary, >> here. >> Clerk Shamas is going to be here, but not here yet. Uh, let's see. Trusty Hazen >> here. Trusty Omar is

002going to be here, just not here yet. Uh, and trusty Wax >> here. >> And we see coming in through the door is trusty. >> Trusty Shamas, clerk Shamas. Thank you. And can you please indicate for the purposes of the microphone that you are present, clerk Shamas? >> Thank you. >> Okay. Um, with that, we have four trustees present. Thank you all for being here. Um, next up on our agenda is our retiree recognition ceremony and reception. Um, and Dr. Adamson will be leading us through this. >> Thank you for that, >> President McNary. And I'd like to just begin by saying good evening everyone. How wonderful to see so many of you here. Tonight is definitely one of the most special highlights of our academic year as we gather to honor seven extraordinary individuals

003who are embarking on their next great chapter, retirement. To the family members, to friends and colleagues who have joined us this evening, I wanted to say thank you for being here to help us celebrate the people behind these titles. Collectively, this is impressive. I want to say that this year's retirees represent a staggering total 120 years of experience in education. That is impressive. In crafting what I'm going to be sharing with each of you tonight about each of the individual retirees, I want to express my gratitude to our principles for their thoughtful insights and to the retirees themselves for responding to a variety of fun questions that I sent them just two days ago. So, thank you all for spinning that around in record time. These reflections are a beautiful combination of shared words of

004wisdom and those only in the classroom moments that keep us all humble. We're profoundly grateful for the decades of heart and dedication that they have each poured into Pacific Grove Unified School District, more importantly into our students. While we will deeply miss their presence on our campuses, we wish them nothing but joy in the adventures that lie ahead for each of them. It is my distinct honor along with the board of education this evening to recognite to recognize each of them individually. So what we are going to do is I will be calling out each individual. We have some slides and we have a photo of each one that'll help us determine the order. But I am going to ask for our board. You're going to love me again tonight to please step forward and

005we're going to have you all stand. That way they can uh recognize each individual as they come forward. So if you wouldn't mind coming and just standing in front of the DAS. Thank you. Uh and thank you President McNary for uh handing out the plaques as we read each individual. All right, we're going to go ahead and advance to the first slide. It is my pleasure to recognize our first retiree this evening, Heidi Friary, Pacific Grove Middle School speech language pathologist. >> And I'm going to go ahead and begin reading about Heidi as she makes her way down the line. It is my pleasure to recognize Heidi Friy, a leader whose dedication to service was recently recognized on a grand scale when she was awarded the 2026 Women Who Care Award. Yep, we know about

006it. This honor celebrates individuals whose service has made a lasting difference in our community, and anyone who has worked with Heidi knows that she exemplifies that compassion every single day. Heidi has spent 14 years in education and while we're lucky enough to have her at PGMS for the last four, she tells us they have been her favorite. Well, at least that's what Mr. Roach said. Heidi's journey to us began as a small town girl from Pennsylvania. Those are her quotes. She vividly remembers pulling up to her first job in Selenus and being slightly intimidated by the 12-oot barbed wire fences. A far cry, she says, from her roots. But she didn't let the fences stop her. She jumped right in, bringing her expertise to MCOE, Selena City, and eventually right here in Pacific Grove. As

007a speech language pathologist, Heidi has a unique ability to turn even a former custodian closet into a sanctuary of learning. That's a gift. She has always prioritized being a space where students feel comfortable enough to just hang out or eat lunch. Her legacy is one of profound belonging, proving that learning and connection happen best when a student feels truly seen and accepted. Heidi is also known for her sharp wit and practical wisdom. When asked for survival tips for her successor, she offered two what I would consider gems. First, nothing is sacred in the communal refrigerator. Label your yogurt or say goodbye to it. And second, never underestimate the motivational power of a sticker. Beyond the humor, Heidi leaves us with a beautiful reminder. Progress in education isn't always big or obvious. Sometimes it's a new

008word or a brave attempt is anything. Or a bra or a brave attempt is everything. She's learned that lesson plans rarely survive first contact with real students. And our true job is to meet them exactly where they are. So true, Heidi. As you head into retirement, your husband, I'm told, is eagerly awaiting the fulfillment of a longstanding promise. Finally clearing out the garage so he can park a car in it. We'll hold you to it. We wish you, not quite yet. We wish you the best of luck with that project and even more joy in the relaxation that follows. Thank you for your leadership, for your advocacy, and for making not only PGUSD, but all of Montterrey County a more compassionate place for our students. Congratulations, Heidi, on a remarkable career of service. Please join

009me. >> If you wouldn't mind saying we're going to take a group photo >> and you're modeling this for everyone. Yay, Heidi. >> All right. Well, it's my pleasure to recognize our next retirey. If she would please come up to the front to be congratulated, Tracy Ruse. Congratulations, Well, it is an honor to celebrate Tracy tonight. While Tracy has spent the last 5 years as an essential part of our Forest Grove intervention team, her impact on the world of education spans an incredible 40year career. Wow. Tracy's journey is a testament to the diverse life of an educator. She has been a preschool teacher, a title one coordinator, an ESL teacher for both adults and foreign exch ex exchange students, and even a camp counselor at the Los Angeles Zoo. But Tracy will tell you that

010of all of those roles, being a classroom teacher was the most rewarding. Although I'm sure the zoo animals gave the students some stiff competitions for her affection. At Forest Grove, Tracy has poured her soul into our elementary students. She was an integral part of the team that led to Forest Grove being recognized for closing the achievement gap. But for Tracy, the real gold medal moment isn't a plaque. It's seeing a student graduate out of intervention because they've reached grade level. She thrives on seeing that spark of pride when a child realizes they are a reader. What defines Tracy is the environment of belonging that she creates. Every year she builds a famous college wall filled with photos of her students. It is so beloved, I am told, that our current fifth graders were already asking

011how they could make sure they got to be included. That's directly from Principal Aru. She turns her classroom into a sanctuary. So much so that when students heard that she was retiring, the first concern was, "Who will take care of Mrs. Roose's plants?" In typical Tracy fashion, she already has a plan. purchasing a watering bucket so the students could take ownership of that legacy. Tracy's career has come full circle in a beautiful way. She began her teaching journey in downtown Los Angeles in a school of cement and locked gates. She never imagined, she tells me, ending her career in a forest with a view of the ocean. Yet in both places, the constant was Tracy, her belief that we must never give up when things get difficult. So true. That should be on a plaque.

012to the person stepping into her role next year. Tracy offers this survival tip. Be flexible and don't be afraid to ask questions. So true, Tracy. As you head into this second retirement, I'm told to reclaim your garden, travel with your husband, and finally sleep in that extra hour. Know that you've left Forest Grove better than you found it. We will miss your book recommendations, your expertise, and your heart. Congratulations on 40 years of dedication. All right. Well, next is my pleasure to invite to the front to recognize an Hobber. Come on up, Anne. It is my pleasure to recognize Anne Poba who has been uh nicknamed our resident yearbook queen at Robert Down. She is retiring after an impressive 34 years in education with the last 11 of those years dedicated to our students at

013Pacific Grove. Anne has spent her time at Robert Down as a fifth grade teacher where she is known for incredible patience and her heart for inclusion. She has a unique gift for reaching students with more extensive needs, ensuring that every child in her classroom has the accommodations and support they need to thrive. But Anne's impact extends well beyond the four walls of her classroom. She has been the creative force behind the Robert Down yearbook, coordinating, organizing, and designing a keepsake that captures the childhood memories of our students year after year. She also famously opened her classroom weekly for the crochet club, sharing her passion for the craft and creating a space where students could connect and create. When Anne looks back on her north star in this profession, she remembers her own sixth grade teacher,

014Mrs. Carlson. That inspiration carried her through a career that spanned kindergarten, first, second, fourth, and fifth grades. While she admits that kindergarten was magical and she loved singing with her students, she has officially declared that fifth grade is her best. Like any veteran teacher, Anne has been kept humble by her students. She shared that she knew she had reached a new stage in her career when students stopped calling her mom by accident and started calling her grandma. However, the true measure of her influence came recently when a former kindergarten student wrote her a letter from grad school, crediting an for her success in creative writing. That is the kind of legacy that Anne leaves behind. One that begins with a song in kindergarten and ends with a master's degree. Outside of the classroom, Anne's greatest

015pride is raising three amazing young men while working full-time. As she moves into this next chapter, her survival tips for those following in her footsteps are simple but powerful. Trust in yourself and don't let anyone make you feel you aren't good enough. And your first Monday of retirement will be filled with dogs, books, and crochet hooks, I am told. We wish you the very best as you prepare to walk a portion of the Camino de Santiago in Spain and travel to Portugal, Kawaii, and Disney World. We'll all be traveling with you in spirit. Thank you for your humor, for your patience, and for teaching us all, including how to tackle those tricky fractions. Congratulations, Anne, on 34 wonderful years. All right. Well, up next, it's my pleasure to welcome to the front Tammy Como. Tammy,

016please come up to recognized. Our next retiree is for someone who has served as the calm in the center of many storms across our district. Tammy has spent the last 12 years serving both Robert Down and Pacific Grove Middle School with a special blend of medical expertise and motherly care. Tammy's first two weeks on the job back in 2012 set the tone for her entire career. I am told before she had even finished learning the computer systems, she witnessed a major traffic accident on Sunset Drive. Without a second thought, she ran to the scene, managed the trauma, kept the parents calm, and coordinated with EMS for a life-saving helicopter transport. As Tammy puts it, after that, I knew I could handle anything thrown at me in this position. Yes, indeed. And handle it she did.

017From science lab emergencies where even the adults were shaking to the grueling days of the pandemic, Tammy has been a rock. She credits much of her growth to her mentor Katrina Powley and the partnership they shared during community immunization clinics and the long months of co testing. Oh my Tammy, that brings us all back. Within the Monarch Club, Tammy is described as a compassionate, nurturing, and incredibly dedicated. Sometimes working through her own illnesses just to ensure her kids were cared for. But Tammy's true gift isn't just bandaging a skin knee. It's her ability to be an investigator of the heart. She knows that when a student says, "My stomach hurts," the real cause might be stress, a miss breakfast, or a looming test. She listens until she finds the truth. Tammy, you mentioned a student

018who struggled in middle school, but eventually returned to you as a student teacher. When you hugged her, she told you you never gave up on her. That truly is your legacy. You never gave up on a single child who walked into your office. You helped them discover their value and reminded them that they were cared for. And that's everything. As you move into this next chapter, we know you have a busy schedule. Starting with your 50th high school reunion in New Hampshire, where we hear you'll be playing Captain Hook on a parade float. We have to hear more about that. We wish you wonderful travels through Oregon and many well-deserved mornings of sleeping in. Tammy, thank you for your competent hands, your warm smile, and your healing heart. Congratulations on your retirement. Unfortunately, Michelle is

019not able to be with us this evening, but we wanted to, you know, definitely take it, make sure we included her in our slideshow. Uh, we will be sure that she receives her plaque and everything that has been written about her uh in her absence. So, uh, we will, let's give her a round of applause to recognize her. All right. And we are moving on next to Mr. Jeff Gray. If you would please come up to the front. >> All right. Well, next we celebrate a true legend of Forest Grove. Jeff is retiring after an incredible 36-year career in education. With 35 of those years dedicated entirely to the students of Pacific Grove. It's impossible to measure the impact of nearly four decades of service. Jeff hasn't just taught a subject. He has become the

020very heart of the Forest Grove campus. For generations of children, PE with Mr. Gray was the undisputed highlight of the week. As one former student perfectly put it, "You knew it was a good day when you had Mr. Gray PE time." Whether he was on the third level at the track or on the high school sidelines, Jeff brought a calm, grounding presence that made everyone around him feel steady. Jeff's career began with a few what he refers to as rookie nerves. He still remembers the intimidating sight of those high school students sitting at their desks waiting for his instructions. Since then, he has worn many hats. teaching math, history, and driver's ed before finding his perfect time and perfect place. Those are his exact words, MPG, where he spent years as the head varsity foot

021baseball coach and but we especially want to recognize his role as our head varsity football coach for these last few years. It was a role he truly cherished, one where he was able to pour his lifelong love for coaching and teaching into our student athletes, mentoring them with the same heart he showed on the elementary playground. When asked what he learned from 36 years with students, Jeff shared a profound truth. Deep down inside, every student is a good kid or wants to be a good kid, even if they don't always necessarily show it. That belief is exactly why he was able to connect with so many. Jeff is also famous for the joy that he brought to the staff, especially his legendary Halloween costumes. To the person stepping inside his whistle and sneakers next time,

022he offers this veteran advice. Take charge, be organized, and make the kids believe that what they are doing is important and fun. Jeff, you attended those these very schools before teaching them, creating a full circle legacy that few can match. As you head off to your first Monday of retirement, we know there's a lot of travel on the horizon, starting with the Caribbean side of Mexico. Thank you for the decades of consistency, the heart you poured into football, and your unwavering belief in our kids. Congratulations, Jeff, on a legendary career. Go Breakers. We have a seventh retiree but at the request of the individual I am not going to mention the name. Um I think it you know retirement as each of those of you here tonight I will attest to is a very emotional

023thing. Um, and this individual is having a hard time with it. Even though the decision has been made, but has requested specifically not to be mentioned, but I didn't want to just omitt it completely because I kept talking about seven. I wouldn't want anyone here to think that we had forgotten someone. We will be sure that we are presenting that plaque and everything that has been written about that individual um, personally. So, with that, I would like to invite all of our retirees once back once more time to the front. so we can have you do a group photo and then I just have some closing words for all of you. But I'd like all of you to be standing up at the front as I speak to each of you. So, one more time,

024please. And then after that, we'll do an final group photo. All right. Well, as we conclude these recognitions, I'd like to ask each of our retirees to take a moment and look around this room. Around you are the colleagues you've mentored, the families you've supported, and the community each of you has helped build. While each of your paths has been unique, from the strategy of the football sidelines and the quiet focus of a speech room to the essential care of the health office and the bustling energy of a classroom, the common thread in each of your commitment to the children of Pacific Grove is that you have that deep embedded un unwavering commitment and dedication. You have given the this district your time, your expertise, and quite literally your hearts. There's a beautiful quote by

025Henry Adams that says, "An educator affects eternity. He can never tell where that influence stops." As we've heard tonight, your influence doesn't end when you turn in your keys or when that final school bell rings. It continues in the students who found their voices in your classrooms, the athletes who learn character on your courts, and the colleagues who are steadied by your presence. Building a culture of belonging is something that we have committed to as a district and tonight is the ultimate evidence of that culture in action. You are the foundation upon which our future success is built. As you move into this next chapter, whether that involves traveling the world, tending to your gardens, or finally enjoying a Monday morning without an alarm, I'm envious. Know that you leave behind a legacy that will

026be felt for generations to come. On behalf of the board of education and the entire Pacific Grove Unified School District, I'd like to thank you for your service, your passion, and your dedication. We wish you nothing but joy, rest, and fulfillment in your welldeserved retirement. Congratulations again. >> 120 years combined. Well, at this time I would like to invite everyone to remain. You're welcome, family and friends to take photos here, but we have a wonderful reception that um our incredible uh human resources department has put together for us. And so I'm just going to invite everyone to please just enjoy, spend some time together. Um, and really just if you want to, you know, say something special to any one of these retirees, now is your chance. And let's just spend some time together enjoying

027some food. Again, one more big round of applause for each of them. Thank you. Okay, we are it's 5:30 and we are returning. ing after our retirey we are returning to open session uh momentarily after our retirey recognition ceremony and reception. Um before we head to close session, we'll need to get through the adoption of the agenda and that is next. Um before we go out to public comment before we go out to public comment um I'll look to you Dr. Adamson for any um changes to the agenda this evening. >> There are no changes to the agenda. >> Okay. Um with that, we will go out to public comment on the adoption of the agenda if anyone in person wishes to approach the podium or you can raise your digital hand online. Okay. Thank

028you, Director Algaz. board. Is there any discussion on the adoption of the agenda this evening? Okay. And noting for the record that all five trustees are present. Welcome, Trusty Otmar. Um, with that, I'll look for a motion uh to adopt the agenda. >> Also move. >> Thank you, Trusty Hazen, and a second from Clerk Shamos. Um, all those in favor, please say I. I. Any nos? Okay, motion carries. Thank you all. Um, item two is our close session agenda. I will now identify the close session topics for this evening. Item A is negotiations, collective bargaining session planning and preparation with the CEA for 2025 and 26. Item B is public employee discipline dismissal release leave complaint under government code section 54957 subdivision B. Um item C is conference with legal counsel existing litigation pursuant to

029government code section 54956.9 subdivision D1 0 AH case number 202602 and item D is superintendent endofear goals review. Before we go to close session, are there any public comments on the close session topics this evening? Okay. Um, with that we will now adjourn to close session and reconvene at 6:30. Thank you. Okay, we are reconvening in open session at 6:30. Um, good evening to everyone who has joined us for this portion of the meeting. I will now report the action taken in close session this evening with regard to negotiations collective bargaining session planning and preparation with the CEA for 202526 information was received and direction was given for item B public employee discipline dismissal release leave complaint under government code section subdivision Division B, information was received with regard to item C, conference with legal

030counsel existing litigation. Um, pursuant to government code section 54956.9 subdivision D1, the board void voted to approve the settlement agreement and case number 20260180 by a vote of 5 to zero. It was unanimous. Um item D, superintendent end of year goals review. We got started and will return to close session um this evening um to work on that again. Um next up is the pledge of allegiance. Assistant Superintendent Jordan, will you lead us in the pledge this evening? And our flag is now in a new location. Yeah. Thank you. Um, this evening we are going to have a presentation started off by Dr. Adamson and then I will be able to present you with your portion of the recognition. So um this will be regarding the AXA administrator awards and for those of you who

031don't know all the education acronyms yet it's the association of California school administrators. So over to you Dr. Adamson to celebrate two very special administrators this evening. Individuals that I like to call the leaders behind the learning. Each year, the Association of California School Administrators, otherwise known as AXA, the largest organization for school leaders in the nation, seeks to honor those who demonstrate extraordinary leadership, innovation, and a relentless commitment to student success. What makes these awards so deeply meaningful is the selection process. Administrators do not apply for these honors. Instead, they are nominated and selected by their peers across region 10, which encomp encompasses Montterrey, San Bonito, and Santa Cruz counties. To be recognized by your colleagues, the people who truly understand the daily complexities and the weight of school leadership is, in my opinion,

032one of the highest honors that an educator can receive. Tonight, we celebrate these individuals who exemplify the very best of our profession and our district. So, first I would like to go ahead and we're going to turn to the first slide. And well, before we do that, if I could ask once again the board, if you wouldn't mind coming forward to the front again, and I know this this this will be the last time tonight, I promise. Um, to help us recognize our administrators and of course our student board representative and our assistant superintendent, please. Thank you. All right. And I will say that we are um each of these administrators whose names I'm going to be calling out, they were recognized by AXA, we had our end of year administrator um awards ceremony Friday

033night and it was my pleasure to be there along with several of our other leadership team uh to recognize them uh amongst a room full of our educators across region 10. So if you would please put your hands together to help me congratulate and welcome to the front our first administrator, Mr. Roach middle school principal of the year. Congratulations While he's shaking hands, I will go ahead and talk a little bit about Mr. Roach. These are the scripts that were read out loud for each of them Friday night. So, I'm going to be reading them out for all of us to hear. For the past 11 years, Principal Roach has been the steady visionary force behind the sustained excellence of Pacific Grove Middle School. A true thought leader, Sha has transformed his campus into a

034model of datadriven instruction and universal design for learning, earning the prestigious back-to-back California Distinguished School Honor. We've learned this is the only middle school in Montre County to achieve this milestone. But Sha knows that academic data tells only part of the story. He has placed an equally heavy importance on the social and emotional well-being of every student, building a culture of profound care through trauma-informed practices and inclusive environments where every student feels truly seen. The consistent success of his students year after year is direct evidence of this balanced approach. By championing a collaborative PLC framework and mentoring administrators across the district, Sha proves that when leadership is rooted in both ethical integrity and strategic innovation, the entire school community flourishes. Please help me put hands together and congratulate Mr. lunch. >> All right. And then

035our second administrator of the year, uh, being nominated as the adult educa education administrator, Mrs. Barbara Martinez. Come on. I like you. Got me. Tim. >> All right. This is the script that was read out loud for uh principal Martinez on Friday night. For the past 12 years, Barbara has transformed Pacific Grove adult education into a vibrant hub of possibility and inclusion. From launching innovative programs for adults with disabilities and building on-site child care to establishing robust career pathways, her work proves that education changes not just individuals but entire families. A mentor at heart and a bridgeuer by nature. I love that Barbara leads with profound humility, ensuring that every student who walks through her doors feels valued, respected, and empowered to reach their highest potential. The tremendous growth of our adult education program under

036her leadership is a true testament to her vision and her work ethic. Remarkably, Barbara has achieved all of this while also serving as our district safety director. Her ability to balance the complex technical demands of district-wide safety with the deeply personal work of student advocacy is rare. She ensures that our district is safe and that our students are successful, proving that she is not only a leader of programs, but a guardian of our entire community. Congratulations to you, Barbara. Okay, >> we have one more administrator to recognize. um and she's so good at recognizing all of us and um cheering us all on, but she is the person who hates being in the spotlight. Um so please just have a moment for you. Um it's my honor and privilege as president of the board of

037education to recognize our very own Dr. Linda Adamson as the ASA region 10 Blanch Monagu award winner. named in honor of a >> I should have given instructions before we named in honor of a trailblazing female leader in educational administration. The award is specifically designed to recognize women who demonstrate exceptional leadership, professional courage, and a deep commitment to the mentorship of others. And unlike many professional awards, as Dr. Adamson has said, it's the most highest honor to be nominated by your peers and your colleagues um for this peer-driven recognition. You have championed the development of building the culture of Wii. Um your vision rooted in safety, belonging, and prosperity. Your leadership is defined by a genuine connection to the classroom. You are a constant presence at school sites. Whether that's your regular routine site visits

038to the classroom or helping with crosswalk duty or even dancing across the crosswalk when it had just been painted to make sure students got home safely. You're consistently celebrating student work and spotlighting student achievements in your communications to ensure every learner feels seen and valued. You lead with a rare combination of transparency and humility. Hosting town halls before our major decisions to ensure our staff, family, and community members have a meaningful voice in the process. By fostering this environment of collaborative trust and modeling a growth mindset alongside principles and teachers, you have solidified a district-wide culture where integrity, collective responsibility, and student success are the guiding stars for every initi. You truly embody embody the culture we strive to create. And as all of us know, your energy is infectious and inspiring. Please join me

039in recognizing and congratulating our very own Dr. Linda Adamson. Congratulations to all of the recipients and what an amazing thing for the district. Um, thank you all for your work. Um, and Dr. Adamson for allowing us to recognize you as well. Um, item four, back to our agenda, is our communications portion. And this evening we will begin with item A, our student representative comments from Pacific Grove High School. >> Hello. Hello. You're on. >> Good evening. My name is Sulu Grung and I am the ASB treasurer for Pacific Grove High School. Um the Pacific Grove High School prom was held on Saturday, May 2nd, 2026 at the Monterey Beach Station and over 200 students attended. AP testing has started this week and it runs through May 15, 2026 and we have more students taking AP

040tests than ever before. We are also hosting students from other schools demonstrating a clear example of our culture of Wii. Speaking of AP tests, AP photography students had multiple photos featured for the tourhouse garden party on Sunday, May 3rd, 2023. Congratulations to Pacific Grove senior Adelaide Storm who won first place in the 19th Congressional District Art Competition. Speaking of art, AP art students have multiple art pieces being displayed at the Pacific Grove Art Center currently and they will be up for a very long time, so you can go check that out. Um, the Adams family production also happened. Pacific Grove are Pacific Grove High School students put on a wonderful spring performance at the PGHS student union last weekend and the weekend before. On Friday, April 24th, the opening night, it was a full house.

041Spring sports are drawing to a close. The Pacific Grove boys tennis team finished second in the top pcal division, the Gavlin, and competed valiantly, losing to Claremont High School to end their epic season. Special congratulations to senior Connor O'Brien winning the PCAL individual tennis championships for the community high school. Congratulations to the students and staff of the community high school. A group of community high school staff traveled to Burbank, California, and attended the annual California Continuation Education Association conference to officially receive the award. Congratulations to community high school senior Olivia Sudter. Olivia was awarded the prestigious Evans scholarship. Six community high school students will graduate from community high school on Wednesday, May 26, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. And thank you to Mi Earth. Our educational partnership continues to grow and our beautiful garden is living

042proof of that. And that concludes my reports. Thank you for your report. Um, lots going on at the end of the year and definitely can see uh the high school air has the AP testing vibe going around like students, you could feel that. Yeah. So, keep up the good work and finish strong. Um, thank you for your report. Um, item B on our agenda is board member comments and written communications. Um, I can go ahead and read off the written communications I've received since our last regular meeting. And, um, if other board members would like to add any, um, we can do that after. Um, I received, it's actually a really beautiful email from a parent. That was the title of email, which was a really nice, um, perspective on a parent's experience in the

043district. an invitation to the High School Musical, a parcel tax question email, um an invitation to an expert panel on phone free screen, phone free schools, a follow-up to an animal incident at Forest Grove, um an invitation from Principal Omira to the principal's advisory council, and a really cool note highlight from Miss Serpa that uh Forest Grove kiddos picked up six pounds of trash at the high school track today getting ready for yeah for promotion. So um if anybody has others trusty wax, >> wasn't there a email from Mr. Bryce about our awardwinning? >> Oh my goodness. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. I don't know how I overlooked it. I should have read that as the presentation for you this evening. It was a beautiful email. >> Very sweet. >> Go ahead, Trusty Wax. Uh,

044will no one explain the music man in those photos of the >> the theme for Do you want to tell them the theme for the ASA awards? Because the the man in the photo with you all looks like he's dressed thematically, >> right? They they won the theme and you may have seen the fascinators and some of us as well. So that the theme was Kentucky Derby. >> So that was we had they had some fun with it. Yes, >> obviously. I think it's a what a sasaka suit that he's wearing. Yes, the >> Okay, that's it. But uh congratulations to everyone. And also uh real quick, there was a lovely retirement ceremony before and um Dr. Adamson's words were uh were beautiful and it's um it's just great to see how many people have

045uh impacted the community. like you know I don't I don't know all the teachers but your uh kind of biographical sketches of them is just very worthwhile and makes me think about all the teachers and staff that I grew up with and I'm glad that people in our district are continuing that tradition. So thanks >> said um we'll go back for a moment to written communications if there are any additional emails or from the board. Okay, seeing none, um, Trusty Otmar, would you like to go next with board comments if you've got any? Okay. Um, so I, uh, was able to, um, go to the good old days and saw the booth that was, um, attended for PGUSD by Chief Rogamin and by Director Sylvier. Was very awesome. Um, my boys recognized them first, so

046that was fun, too. Um, and then, um, also the RHD open house was very cool. I will be having lettuce from the garden for my lunch tomorrow. So, that's packed and ready to go. And then I was lucky enough to go to the high school with Dr. Adamson and check out the anatomage table. Um, and Miss Portella gave us a tutorial on that. It was awesome. If you have not seen it, I highly recommend it. I don't even know if she has time for that, but sorry in advance. It was fantastic and we are so lucky as a district that we have something like that um available to our students. It is awesome. Um, it's an anatomage table and what it is is it's a large table about the size of a human and it

047is an opportunity to um through graphic and 3D you can look at what is you can choose the cadaavver of your choice and look through different layers of anatomy and each part of the anatomy and you can dial it down to cardiovascular muscular, tendon, bone. I mean, it is awesome. It is like >> it's premed. And one of the things I was saying is this is what will hopefully inspire a student to pursue a career in healthcare or pursue a career in medicine. We're just we're so lucky to have that table. Have you seen it? Have you been in there? It is amazing. If you go into the anat the anatomy lab, it's there. Um, but anyway, highly recommend. So, that's the fun I had this past week. >> Cool. >> Um, I had written

048this for the our last special board meeting, but I'll be we don't make our comments then, so I'll I'll put it here. And ju just to say I wanted to express extreme gratitude to two specific teachers at PG High School, uh, Miss Desma Johnson and Miss Sarah Bzman for leading our students on an incredible cultural exchange trip in Spain in the town of Grian the week of spring break. If those folks don't know about this, it's in the same vein of what Miss Gayona has done for Closeup in Washington DC. And I really can't say enough that I wholeheartedly believe kids learn more from week trips like this than they do in most of the semester in some of their classes at least. So the dedication, care, and passion really created a experience that the

049kids at PG will carry with them for a lifetime both with the exchanges for the different families, but also just the experiences and learning a little bit about traffic delays in large cities that we are not subject to here NPG as much. Um, they returned at 3:30 a.m. on Monday morning because of a flight delay and the school did a good job supporting them coming back from these delays and truly heard nothing but great things about the trip. So, thanks to these teachers again taking the times out of their days and opening our students eyes to new perspectives, language, history, and culture in such a meaningful way in such a meaningful way. So, I truly do appreciate as a parent and as a board member the time and heart invested to make these types of

050journeys so special. One last just quick note also on the positive side. I got I was at PG high school last night, the track and got to see the city running the youth soccer clinic at PG high at PG high with parents walking the track, chatting, getting exercise, and it just really was a great example of our joint use agreement being put to good use. So, thanks for the effort to do that. This is something I had hoped for when my kids were small. So, I'm glad it's happening now um with our excellent fields. So I'll pass it on to trustee clerk Shamas. >> Shamas. >> Um just congratulations to our award winners and you know so welld deserved. Not that the rest of you guys aren't welld deserving as well but it's you know

051it is special. Um, Barbara, you've you've done phenomenal work and adult ed doesn't always get, you know, a spotlight and I think you've really brought a huge spotlight to our district through all the travailes of adult ed. So, thank you for that. And Sean, you know, um, the middle school when I first got on the board was a mess. I mean, had a bad reputation and we've had we had good principles come through there and and they did do some good work and I know you're you built built on that, but but when I think about like we that we actually had a headline in the Herald on something horrible that happened here and and to what it is now, you know, two years in a row distinct ishment three years sorry it's it's so

052uh commendable and it's not easy it is not easy and I'm sure every year feels a little different because you get a different crowd so congratulations thank you and then Linda um you know I don't know I mean I'm talking to staff here mainly and they probably do have an idea of how hard a job it is to be a superintendent, but I'm just going to say it. It's a hard hard job and you're stuck between being a a boss over these people, but then you are the employee of these people. So, you're in this strange situation that you have to navigate and it it's it requires a lot of finesse and patience and you know um a personality that you ex exhibit and you do it so well and so I really uh want

053to appreciate you tonight. Thank you. Thank you, Claire Shamas. That was wonderfully said. Um, uh, my comments are I'm going to stick to May is mental health awareness month. Um, and so finding the joy as always, um, with things having to do with students because they're just amazing and I always learn so much. Um, I got to see the Adams family at the high school. Miss Bullwware and Miss Beam put on like an amazing professional level show. Um it was really well attended and um I got to see a lot of familiar faces in the audience. Um I also got to attend open house at Forest Grove. Um see some of the classrooms with Dr. Adamson's Adamson and a real highlight was Miss Dempsey's fifth grade classroom where each student created a food memoir and

054for the open house they made the food that they learned about and researched and taught how to do in their presentation. So it's like a whole I don't know potluck almost but you get to learn about recipes from other people's families and things that are meaningful to them. So really neat. Um and then PGMS honors night. Those speeches were incredible. Um particularly the one about the culture of we really nailing it as an it's an action. Um and it's not just something we say that looks good on posters. Um that was the student's comment. And so really that being taken to heart and um being expressed was was neat. Um so lots more celebrating to do this year in the year of May. Um, and next month, just to mention to everyone that ballots should

055be arriving soon. We have an election for the Monterey County Superintendent of Schools in June. So, that's an important education election that hopefully we'll all be participating in. Um, and this weekend, um, is the annual Walk of Remembrance here in Pacific Grove. Um it's a free event and um I didn't go last year, but I went the year before and it's a really great opportunity to listen and learn about um history in Monterey County, not just broadly, but more specifically here in Pacific Grove um and to hear stories of the past fishing village and the people who used to live um right here where we do now. So um if people are around, you get also get free entry to the museum on Saturday. That's at noon. Um and um that's it. Um all right,

056board comments completed. On to our superintendent report. >> Thank you. Um and first of all, just thank you all for your kind words. Um and just hearing all of your reports. I just love the fact that we have a board. you are all so involved and you know the fact that you're able to sit up here and and share out on actual events and things that you're seeing because you're actively out there in the community um is amazing. Um I think one thing that trusty art failed to mention when we went to go to see the animatage table was the fact that you know you were giving a lot of you know input and that was wonderful you know um uh Miss Portella was actually asking great questions and the fact that that is an

057area of your expertise um you know she was even making some nice connections for you know future opportunities for the students given you know that's an area of your field. So it was just really really fun something very unique. All right yes I'm going to go ahead and begin my report. We have some slides which I will kind of follow as we go along. Uh but we're definitely here we are the final stretch right at the 2526 year. Uh my report tonight definitely reflects a district that is in full bloom. There is so much going on as you can already tell from our reports we've had. Um as usual I'm going to frame my uh re my highlights tonight through our three core values of uh safety, belonging and prosperity. Uh we can go ahead

058and go to the next slide. Yes, following this one. Thank you uh director Algazi. So so many examples of how we're nurturing a culture of belonging across our district, ensuring our students and staff members feel seen and valued. So starting with belonging, uh we are celebrating staff appreciation this month. Uh and this is staff appreciation week in fact and just want to thank our parent volunteers, our PTA and our uh human resources department for spoiling our staff. Last Friday was also principal day. So just thank you uh for celebrating our incredible site leaders. There was a lot of some of those pictures just don't even do it justice. Just some examples of all that was going on. I'm in the arts. I'm still in awe of the professional level talent. You've already heard about the

059Adams family. I so thoroughly enjoyed that production. Oh my goodness. I wanted to go see it a second time, but there was a conflict with all of the other uh productions. I was there for opening night. It was a packed house. Just unbelievable. So well done. And Miss Bullwware and and Mrs. Beam. Unbelievable. Um and then also just uh you know our all of our student artwork uh and the culinary arts department, our photo uh students were showcased at the PG art center during first Friday last week. I was unable to attend that because we had the conflict with the AXA event, but I understand it was very well attended. And yes, our good old Bay booth, you've heard about that as well. Just wonderful to see so many of our families come out and

060support us and so grateful to all of our our leadership team members who were there to man the booth. Uh it was just ne I heard over and over from staff, from community members, from family members just how great it was to see PGUSD featured. Um and you know just again that being the heart of our district with our staff being able to interact in that way was just wonderful. And then on the last one in belonging, inclusion and heritage this month was celebrating neurodyiversity and autism awareness month. Uh there was a wonderful uh presentation at RHD earlier uh this week where students led a schoolwide assembly sharing their super strengths. I love the fact that principal as principal brownfield refers to it in that sense. Um, but just wonderful to see our students uh

061being uh given that ability to be empowered to really talk about their stories and their experiences. We're also honoring uh AAPI heritage month this week where we are uh taking the time to fully en ensure that all of our students of students of various cultures are being recognized and just thank you to our school sites for uh you know including activities throughout the month to recognize um our wonderful students. All right, moving on to safety. Uh this really that reminder that this covers both physical the physical environment and the mental and digital well-being of our students. So just two things to highlight. Uh we had our um last week pre president McNary and I met with our joint city subcommittee using our new structure where we are meeting twice a week with the mayor and

062city staff. Twice a year, sorry. Thank you. That would be a lot. Twice a week. Whoop. Um and really just I think what that meeting you know showcased was our continuing partnership in building our recreational offerings and programs for students. there's a list that they present each time we come together and it's just impressive to see you know how that continues to grow and expand. Um we were able to talk a little bit about the pilot layout in front of Robert Down and thank you to Principal Brownfield for attending to give some really important feedback. Um and all of that to ensure a more efficient drop off and safe you know pickup experience for our families. Uh we'll be holding our next joint meeting in the fall. Uh but we are also scheduled to meet

063quarterly and our next staff meeting with the city uh is feature is scheduled for the end of this month. As far as digital and mental health, we're very grateful to screens sense uh for their presentation and thank you to Pacific Grove Middle School and RHD for uh hosting uh these engaging uh talks uh for there was very decently attended uh at both of those evenings last week and we were grateful for all of you who came out and were able to ask questions. Um and then in addition to we know that it is mental health awareness month. Um we were able to share a wellness toolkit with some really important references. Two of those were two that you yourself, Trusty Wax, had mentioned at our last meeting. Um, just really for that, you know, ensuring

064that our families know that they have that connection to ongoing resources. But again, thank you to our site or to all of our staff for continuing to recognize the importance and awareness of mental health. And then moving on and ending with prosperity, as you know, we have two of our schools who've recently received statewide recognition. Uh, Pacific Grove uh, Community High School was officially named a 2026 model continuation high school and Pacific Middle Pacific Grove Middle School recognized as a 2026 California Distinguished School for their exceptional work in closing gaps and supporting our students. Pictured here on this slide, you see uh both of them with their banners that we were able to go ahead and present earlier in the month um and pictured with their staff as well. And then two pictures there as

065well at the events uh that were scheduled uh by the state uh to recognize you know all of our staff. So just wonderful to see and again congratulations to both schools for this incredible and significant achievement. Uh let's see this year uh we uh this the last week uh Forest Grove families sorry two weeks ago Forest Grove families were treated to a new and exciting event right before their open house. It was the Ocean Guardian and musical showcase. Um and just really want to say thank you to Miss Soapa and Mr. Felix CD for coordinating this exciting ensemble. Uh we had you know students uh fourth and fifth graders speaking to the program and also that ability to showcase our students musical abilities. So just wonderful to see. Um we've officially completed all of our

066site open houses. So thank you to Forest Grove and Robert Down for rounding us out. It was fun at the Robert Down openhouse for me to be a part of the scavenger hunt at the second grade level. Uh so many ways to incentivize for students to you know get involved in introducing their their their parents and showing them around around the site. Uh we also celebrated two students uh this past month. Aliasco Kidan I know I'm saying that incorre incorrectly. Thank you Principal Brownfield from Robert Down placed 12th in the state spelling bee. Uh and then Anthony Gaybrick from Pacific Grove High School completed the state poetry out loud um finals and was featured in state assembly member Addison's newsletter and both students are pictured here. So just again so many opportunities to celebrate our

067students. Um in the area of adult education week where was I was inspired to see the powerful stories of all of our adult education students but particularly our ESL and immigration students that uh principal Martinez highlighted recently to celebrate adult education week last month. Special thanks in order as well you see pictured here assistant assistant principal Kristen Arps for representing us at the state capital for legislation action day. We also have congratulations and we'll be officially recognizing her at the May 21st meeting. But to Noravi at Robert Down for receiving the CSEA Golden Bear Award and we'll look forward to talking a little bit more about that, but it is a very significant award and um just wanted to acknowledge that. And then finally, PGMS 8th grade honors night. They kicked off our season of

068promotions and awards and it was just so well uh attended and so well led. Um you know definitely I was impressed by our MC Kaia Greening uh and then our three student speakers who uh President McNary also spoke about Ben Roth, Ellie Gordet and Lulu or Orosco. Just inspiring words and so articulate. I wish I could have had a just an you know an eighth of that uh courage and confidence at that age. Um but you know I loved hearing from them. And then really just a highlight for me at these events as well is Mrs. Torres's uh co-written poem by the eighth graders where you know she shares you know what they themselves have have put together um and there's just this component of it you know that she always ends the the poem

069with where students are destined to rise like the tide and just love hearing that. So yes please so much more to come. I I hope all of you are will be out there. Uh we look forward to seeing you all as we continue to celebrate our students incredible achievements um at our graduations, promotions, and award ceremonies. With that, back to you, President McNary. >> Thank you, Dr. Adamson. Um Assistant Superintendent Jordan, thank you for your report. Uh is there a safety report this evening? >> No, I have no update tonight. Uh but just to let everyone know that the June 4th meeting, uh the district's going to be bringing forward a full district safety assessment audit covering the past four years since our comprehensive safety um report that we uh did with our consultant. So

070that's on the horizon for us. >> Awesome. Okay, June 4th. Thank you. Um item five on our agenda is individuals desiring to address the board. Um, we will hear public comment on any item of interest to the public that's within the board's jurisdiction and we will also take public comment prior to um any action on each specific board agenda item. Anyone wishing to address the board has um up to three minutes per speaker. And um please know that this is a meeting of the board of education. That is a business meeting of the board conducted in public and the Brown Act limits the board's ability to respond to public comment. Um we will begin with community members wishing to address the board on non-aggenda items. If you're here in person, you can come up to

071the podium or online, please raise your digital hand. Okay. Well, we have one commenter online. Um, I have a name if you have one. >> Hi, it's Kylen Verso. >> Okay, go ahead, Kylen. >> Hi. Um, I'm Kylen Burau and my son is uh in his first year at the Independent Pathways program and I just wanted to say how much we appreciate that program and how amazing it is and um my son just really enjoys it. So, I'm really I know it's teacher appreciation week so I just wanted to send appreciation to the teachers at the independent pathways program and to Barbara for being such a great advocate um for the individuals in that program. So, I just wanted to just uh send out some appreciation to that program and just thank everybody for um

072having it within the district. It's just been wonderful. >> Thank you for your comments. Is there anyone else wishing to address the board on items not on the agenda this evening? Okay, we will then move on to PGUSD staff comments on non-aggenda items. Are there any staff members wishing to address the board on non-aggenda items? It's a quiet room this evening. Um, okay. Doesn't look like there is anyone approaching the podium, so I will move on to consent. Um, items on the consent agenda are considered routine and may have been discussed at a previous meeting. There is no discussion of these items prior to a board vote unless a member of the board requests specific items be discussed and or removed from the agenda. This evening we have a consent agenda consisting of items A

073through N. Um I will first go out to public comment on the consent agenda. Thank you, Director Algaz. Um, back up to the board. Um, would anyone like to discuss um the consent agenda or pull anything this evening? Okay. Um, if we're not doing those things, if would anyone like to make a motion? >> I'd like to make a motion to accept consent agenda as presented. >> Okay. Motion made by Trustee Hazen. I'll second. and a second from trustee Otmar. Thank you. Um, all those in favor, please signify by saying I. >> I student representative vote. >> I. >> Thank you, Sulu. >> Thank you, Clerk Shamas. Um, are there any nos? No. Okay. Motion carries unanimously. Thank you, everyone. Um, next portion of our agenda is our action discussion. Um, portion, item A, resolution

074number 1188, authorizing the issuance and sale of 2026, general obligation refunding bonds. This item begins on page 89 in the packet and it is a dense one. Um, it is yours, assistant superintendent Jordan. >> Thank you, President McNair, principal. Thank you, President McNary. >> I don't want to be a principal. Much respect and admiration for you all. >> You're at the middle school tomorrow. >> Um, sorry. >> We have a we have two resolutions uh for the board's consideration tonight. The first is for a refunding of u voter approved debt associated with two prior u series releases uh within the district totaling uh $18 million. uh with the current rate structures that exist right now. Uh this is actually an item we brought to the board a few months ago and we pulled back on

075because we weren't certain where the rates were going to be. But but ultimately we're bringing it forward tonight for a refunding of those two prior series uh bonds uh to save our voters around $800,000 in interest. So um I'm bringing that forward tonight. Uh as you mentioned, we have the resolution followed by all of the good faith estimates associated with the refunding of uh 2015 series A and 2015 series B. um they will be placed by Baird. Baird is who we've been using for the placement of all of our general obligation bonds over the past two years. Uh and then uh with our with support from Dale Scott and Associates and um I do have Joe Crump on the line I believe if there are any questions related to DSNC, but otherwise I'll yield my

076time back to the board. >> Thank you for the presentation. Assistant Superintendent Jordan, can you remind us um which bond this is? is I see series A and B measure >> it was measure C measure C if I recall sorry off the I don't remember it's it's the 2016 and 2015 placement which would have been a 2012 bond issuance which was prior to D and if I recall it was C. We have an A, we have a D currently and we now have a B. Mhm. >> Joe, if you're on the line uh for clarity, could you help us with that? >> Uh yeah. Uh can everybody hear me? >> Yes, thank you. >> Okay, great. Yeah, thanks. Uh good to be here tonight. So, uh thank thanks board members for having me. Uh yeah.

077Um so, uh that's correct. So, the refunding will refinance um prior bonds. Um so there are two bond series we are looking to refund. Um the bonds issued in 2015 and also in and these are associated with the uh 2006 measure. Um and one of those was as Josh I think I heard him mentioned u one of those series was callable starting last August. So, we were, you know, we started the process of doing the refunding, but it didn't end up working out due to interest rates. Uh, the other series, the 2016 bonds are callable in um starting in August of this year, but we can refinance them anytime as long as we're within three months of that date. >> Uh, does that answer your question? >> It does. Thank you. Um, we've got the

078presentation. I'll first go out, sorry, before I get carried away with discussion to um public comment. Is there anyone wishing to address um the board on this resolution for refunding bun bonds? Okay. Um with no public comment, I will bring it back to the board for any discussion on this item. Um does anyone want to start us off or not? Um, >> a refunding bond. >> Clerk Shamas, can you turn on your mic? Yeah. Go. What's a refunding bond? >> Just for clarity. Yeah. >> Yeah. Perfect. Um, so we're refunding the bonds placement uh for a reduction of rate to save the taxpayers who uh pay for the bonds um money on their tax bill essentially. >> Yeah. I I can add too it's uh you know, it's a little like refinancing a mortgage. Usually

079when a bond is sold, it's eligible to be refinanced after 10 years. Um, so these bonds were issued in 2015 and 2016. So we're at we're at the point where they are eligible to be refinanced. And I think Josh had mentioned um savings, you know, rates are volatile, but we are estimating, you know, probably somewhere between the range of 800,000 to a million in savings. Um and and these are savings to be clear that will acrue to district taxpayers. Does that answer your question? >> Uh yes. But so how does the taxpayer notice that or do they >> um yes in general they would notice that through lower tax bills. Um there is another purpose to this refunding aside from generating savings um which is to free up some room under the tax rate limit

080for the uh remaining bonds, one of which we'll talk about in the next resolution. Um so as you you probably recall that the 2024 election was structured as a tax rate extension. So, um, you know, with all of the new bonds coming up, we don't want to increase tax rates above the level it was in 24. So, with this refunding, by lowering tax rates, we're essentially carving out room, more room to issue um, some of the future bonds. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Any other questions or discussion from the board? I think for me the easiest way to understand it is as a refinancing. But it's a good question like how do how do we realize where does the money go? What does anyone on the receiving end see? So as a taxpayer

081how am I going to know that >> we're saving money? >> Um yeah board I will look for a motion if we are done with discussion. A motion to adopt resolution number 118 1188 authorizing issuance and sale of 2026 general obligation refunding buns buns. >> So move second. >> I'm done. Um we'll go over to you first for the student trustee vote. Thank you. Oh man. Um okay. We have a motion and a second. All those in favor on the rest of the board, please say I. >> I. Are there any nos? Okay, motion carries. Thank you all for your votes. Thank you, Assistant Superintendent Journ. Um, and to the presenter for being here as well. Item B on our action agenda is resolution number 1189 authorizing the issuance and sale of general obligation bonds

082for election of 2024, measure B series A. And back over to you, Assistant Superintendent Journ. >> Thank you, President McNary. Um, tonight we are bringing forward the very first series release for measure A. Um, the board has recently adopted the budget at a prior meeting. The board will see a schedule that we're bringing forward to the board on May 21st following our citizens bond oversight committee and our facilities advisory committee next week once we've shared that with them. That's kind of the next step in the process. Uh but uh once we finalize that, we have to begin with the design and procurement of all of the projects that the board has approved under measure B's uh total $78 million. So this is the first issuance series uh A for 26 million. The district plans to

083do uh four releases, the first being 26 million and the subsequent releases being around 17.5 million a piece. Uh the 26 million, the larger release is normally what you see on the front end of a bond program. uh it helps with a lot of the procurement, soft costs, design fees, and so forth. Uh we have those throughout the project, and you've seen that in the budget that the board approved. Um but this is really just kickstarting the bond program. Uh for the district, from the district perspective, a lot is going to be happening uh at our school sites over the course of the next four years. Um and the board's going to see a really aggressive schedule that we're bringing forward to the board following the recommendation out of the facilities committee next week. So

084that being said, yes, we're bringing forward a uh series A release for 26 million. Uh that will be placed uh by bar as well. And uh if you have any further questions, myself and Mr. Crump are available for that. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> First, we will go out to public comment on this agenda item. No public comment on this item. Um, I will bring it back to the board for any discussion or comments on um the issuance of series A for our general obligation bond. >> Okay. I have a question. Do you have an I see that this release is 26 million and you mentioned they're all going to be smaller. Do we have an idea timelinewise of like I guess I've been watching our releases and they've all been coming down really

085fast since we started since we've approved bonds. I'm just curious if we're going to keep up at that pace or if we're going to start to be doing more projects and slowing down as construction I don't know. >> Yeah, that's a great question. Um what we're doing on the front end is everything uh we're lumping a bunch of projects together that do not require phasing, right? So all of the projects that can be done during breaks and summers just kind of like we were doing with measure B. Um once we get into the phasing of projects, so let me just give you an example. Interior modernization at the middle school, something that cannot be done over the summer. That will extend uh the project schedule, therefore extending the potential release of bond sales as well

086because you can't accomplish all of that in the summer. I mean, we're going to we have a schedule we'll present to the board. um you know it might be like the up the upper hallways and classrooms for example one summer the down the lower hallways and classrooms another summer some of the ancillary facilities so that will you will see some of those phased projects begin to extend the program out a little bit longer than we're used to um the series releases associated with measure D were predominantly tied to to deferred maintenance items that didn't require a bunch of design consultation the division of state state architect approval so we were kind of doing those at a rapid pace I think you're going to start seeing this slow down a little bit. You're going to see

087the construction take place literally every single year. Uh but because of the phasing, I think it's going to pull us out a little bit longer. So, uh when with the schedule, I believe it pushes us into 2032 if I recall. Uh so around 6 years, uh with completion around 2033. So, we're looking at six or seven years as opposed to like four years every year release. Hope that answers the question. >> It definitely does. Thank you for the information. Um, that was the only question I have. Clerk Shamas, did you I saw you reaching for your microphone. Maybe. No. Okay. Um, I don't want to put you on the spot then. Um, board, any further discussion on this item? If not, I will look for someone to make the motion to adopt resolution number 119

0881189. >> I will make a motion to adopt resolution number 1189. Second. >> Okay, we have a motion made by Trustee Hazen and seconded by Trustee Wax. We will first go to our student trustee vote. Are you in favor? >> I. >> Thank you. Um rest of the board, all those in favor, please say I. >> I. Are there any nos? >> Motion carries unanimously. Thank you. Thank you, Assistant Superintendent Jor. Okay, we will move on to item C on our action discussion agenda that appears on page 418 of the packet. It is resolution number 1194, final certificated layoff, chief human resources officer Rogaman. >> Good evening. Um this uh item, this resolution is one that's necessary uh in order for uh the district to com come complete the layoff process that was begun earlier

089in the year. Education code section 44955 subdivision C requires that formal layoff notices be issued to impacted employees prior to May 15, 2026. This resolution authorizes and directs district administration to give final written notice to the certificated employees listed on exhibit A that their services will be dis discontinued. This is related to the resolutions um 1178, 1179, 1180, 1181, and 1182 that were passed on February 2026 and authorizes the uh district to issue those final notices of layoff for um the three employees um that are impacted. >> Thank you for the presentation. We'll first go out to public comment on this agenda item. Okay. Um, no public comment. Um, I'll bring it back to the board and student trustee for any discussion on the final certificated layoff for this year notice resolution. Okay. I think

090we all can feel the air in the room. um that this represents people who are going to have their lives impacted um by our decisions. So, and we don't take that lightly. Um is there any other discussion from the board? >> No. >> Okay. Then um I will need a motion to approve um resolution number 1194 final certificated layoffs. I'll make the motion. Thank >> you, Clerk Shamos. Motion made by clerk Shamas. Do we have a second? >> I'll second. >> Second from Trustee Wax. We'll first go over to our student trustee vote. Are you in favor? >> I. Thanks. Um, and out to the rest of the board. All those in favor, please say I. I. >> I. Are there any nos? No. >> Okay, it's four um affirmative and one no trustee dissenting.

091Thank you everyone. Thank you chief. All right. Resol Oh, resolution number 1197 classified school employee week. Um Dr. Adamson or Chief Rogamin. Uh it's uh well who's on first? Are you gonna Yes. I >> I would love to recognize our classified employees, but I know that you're going to have remarks as well. >> You go ahead. I'm I'm guest referring to you. Thank you. It really truly is our honor and our pleasure to bring forward a week to recognize the classified school employees um that are working in our district and also those that are working throughout the state and really the rest of the country. Um in 1986, the California School employees association sponsored state legislation to create uh classified school employee week. And since then, California public schools have taken one week each May

092to recognize the outstanding efforts and contributions of classified school workers. I just want to say that classified school workers are very near to my own heart. Um uh the two most important women in my life. uh first my wife who was a campus supervisor at P PG High and then my mother who uh was a school principal's assist secretary um gave that class classified service and um I think that any of us that have ever worked in schools understand that schools do not run without the classified school employees that are at the sites that are at the district office that are working to um keep our uh schools running in every sense of the word. And so, um, the district brings forth this recognition May 17th through the 23rd to recognize the classified school employees

093week as part of our staff se celebrations this week. Um, the district office took some breakfast snacks to the uh, schools. Um, we try to recognize all staff within the same week. So, even though this is like teacher appreciation week, we also appreciate our classified staff at the same time. And uh Dr. Adamson, I hope I didn't step too much on the remarks that you would like to make. >> You have said everything perfectly. I'm going to leave it at that because yes, anything I say will just we'll only reiterate and add to it. We're so grateful for our classified staff. I believe that we have President McN, you're going to be reading the resolution for us. >> Yes. >> Thank you. I will do now. um resolution number 1197 proclaiming classified school employee week.

094Whereas the California School Employees Association and the Legislature of the State of California has declared that May 17 to 23rd, 2026 shall be classified school employee week, a time to recognize the many contributions of classified school employees to public education. And whereas classified professionals provide valuable services to the school and students of the Pacific Grove Unified School District. And whereas classified employees contribute to the establishment and promotion of a positive instructional environment. And whereas classified employees serve a vital role in providing for the welfare and safety of Pacific Grove Unified School District students. And whereas classified employees of the Pacific Grove Unified School District strive for excellence in all areas relative to the educational community. Um we first must go to public comment on this item. Um, is there anyone who wishes to address the

095board regarding classified school employee week either in person or online? Thank you, Director Algaz. Um, I will bring it back to our student trustee and the remainder of the board for any discussion on classified school employee week. I think director Rogaman captured most of my sentiments um other than just more gratitude from the people who make sure your kids get safely from the car to the front of the school to the people who were helping every day at lunch to the aids that some of our students truly bond with, you know, in classes. Um you guys are the foundation of our schools and sometimes the work goes unseen um but it doesn't go unnoticed because of how smoothly um things run. So thank you for being the support and the foundation um of our sites

096and our schools. Um any other board members wishing to comment? >> You know to exactly what you just said. All right. >> I don't think I could have said that better. >> Thank you. Trusty. Um, corpos. >> Oh, just that um do we have more than one tonight retiring of classified? >> Classified. >> I was just thinking of the >> Tammy >> just for she was the only classified. Um >> well, you're right. I've seen our speech language pathologist. >> Oh, yeah. Okay. I didn't know whe Yeah. in some that's just to that we recognize retirees and and so the couple that were classified you know you wrote such nice little remembrances of their time with us and um so I think that really also exemplifies the the um honor that we have for them.

097Thank you. >> Thank you. Any other comments from the board on this item? Okay. Um, if we are done with discussion, I will look to the board for a motion to adopt resolution 1197 proclaiming classified school employee week May 17 to 23, 2026. >> So move. >> Thank you, Trusty Wax. Motion made by Trusty Wax. >> I'll second >> and a second from Trustee Hazen. We will first go over to our student trustee vote. Are you in favor? >> I. Thank you. Um and back to the rest of the board. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. Are there any nos? Okay, that passes unanimously. 50. Thank you, Chief Rogamin. Um item E is resolution number 1196, California Day of the Teacher and Teacher Appreciation Week. and I will look to the both

098of you again. >> Okay. >> Thank you very very very much. It's indeed my honor and privilege to um recognize May 4th through 8th, 2026 is teacher appreciation week and specifically Wednesday, May 13th, uh 2026 is the California day of the teacher. I think that everybody in this room um has fond me memories of teachers in their in their lives and can thank and be great grateful for the role that the teachers have played in helping them forge the path forward in their in their lives. Um I know that per personally um I have fond memories of numerous teachers. Um so much so that um I went into teaching myself. The 14 years that I spent teaching and coaching side by side with my teaching teaching peers are some of the fondest memories that I

099have in my entire career. and um to be able to recognize these incredible teachers at each one one of our schools. Um I think that one of my greatest pleasures of being a sight administrator were those times that I could go room to room and just drop in randomly and see the incredible education that was being delivered every minute of every day in every class in our district was one of the most humbling experiences for me. someone who took the art of teaching and coaching very very ser seriously. It was um such an amazing experience to walk into our classrooms and learn something new about the profession by watching those incredible teachers at the middle school at Forest Grove and at the high school, those places or at the um at Forest Grove. Those places

100where I worked as an administrator to um see those teachers at work every day. Then those teachers that served my own daughter um at Robert Down at the middle school and at the high school um they created a path for my daughter to be so successful when she got to college. It uh warmed my heart and I want the teachers to hear this that my daughter felt like college was almost easy after graduating from PG High School. So, it's from the depth of depths of my heart that uh I wish to honor the teachers of P Pacific Grove Unified School District. Once again, they were in included in the district's appreciation breakfast uh snacks that we brought to the uh schools. And it is such a small token of our appreciation, but please know that

101um that the gratitude of your work runs very very deep. Well said, Chief Rogman. Um, and this evening, Clerk Shamas is going to read the resolution for us. >> This is resolution 1196 proclaiming teacher appreciation week and California Day of the Teacher. Whereas teachers personify our society's belief that universal public education is key to meeting the challenges of a changing world and the influence of a good teacher continues long after school days are only memories. And whereas teachers demonstrate and share their love of learning in the classroom every day and fill many roles as listeners, explorers, role models, motivators, and mentors. and by doing so are partners with parents and the community in inspiring students dreams and laying the foundation for them to be good citizens. And whereas teachers strive to make every classroom an

102exciting environment where productive and useful learning can take place and each student is encouraged to grow and develop and where teachers reach out to foster the well-being of each student regardless of ability, social or economic background, race or ethnic origin or religion. And whereas the board applauds the unique and highly specialized skills and dedication required to meet the varied needs of the young people served by the district's instruct in instructional programs and recognizes that the quality of all students educational experiences depends significantly and vitally upon the quality of their teachers who are entrusted with fulfilling the mission. of education to prepare our students for the future. And now therefore, be it resolved by the governing board of Pacific Grove Unified School District that resolution 1196 be adopted to observe May 4th to 2026 through May

1038th as teacher appreciation week and specifically May 13th, 2026 as the California Day of the Teacher. By taking time to remember and salute the teachers who mold and educate our children, impact and enrich our lives, and thereby are critical to the constant transformation of our society. Thank you for reading the resolution, Clerk Shamas. Um, first we will go to public comment on this agenda item. Is there anyone wishing to address the board on California Day of the Teacher and teacher appreciation? Thank you, Director Algaz. I will bring it back to the board and our student trustee for any further discussion on this item. Okay. well said by um Chief Rogamin and um outlined in the um resolution and just a sincere heartfelt thank you and gratitude for the love and care and hard work that

104um our teachers pour into their students every day. Um we have really great teachers and thank you. Um any other comments? Okay. Um, if or discussion is concluded, I will look to the board for a motion to adopt resolution number 1196 proclaiming May 4 to 8 as teacher appreciation week and specifically Wednesday, May 13 as California Day of the Teacher. >> I move. >> Okay. Motion made by Trustee Otmar. Thank you. Second. >> Second. >> And a second from Trustee Hazen. Thank you. We will first go to our student trustee vote. Are you in favor? >> I. >> Thank you. Um and back to the rest of the board. All those in favor, please say I. I. >> Are there any nos? Okay. Thank you. Motion carries. Um thank you, Chief Rogman. We Let's see

105time. Okay. Item F on our action agenda. Next up is resolution number 1198 regarding designation of a specific brand or trade name and invitations to bid and express for proposal. Director Anderson. >> Good evening board. >> Good evening. >> Happy to be here tonight. So what I'm bringing forward tonight is actually a proposal to essentially soul source the product we've been putting on our roofs. Um, this product was uh researched and discovered by our former director, Matt Kelly, and he did a good job of finding a great product. Uh, we've been seeing some extremely good success with it, and we'd like to make it our product of choice for our roofing. We've done 22 roofs already and we have 10 that remain. And so, we're looking for a resolution to have this uh be made

106our product of choice for our builtup roofing systems. It's not all of our roofing systems, just our built-up roofing systems. >> Thank you um for the information. First, we'll go to public comment. Is there anyone in the room or online who would like to make a public comment on this agenda item? Okay, seeing none, I'll bring it back to the board for any discussion on this resolution. Click Shamas. >> Um, yeah. I just, um, I've never seen it put this way. Is this new that you would ask for this kind of categorization just for a product instead of for a company that you're going to go with or >> So, what what we found is this product has a 40-year renewable warranty. Um, and so that's very beneficial for the district. Um, I don't have

107to stock any materials. If there's a problem, I simply call the company and they send someone out and make a repair. Um, that is very beneficial because I don't have to stock anything. I don't have to send any of our labor force out there to address it. Um, I will say that, um, one of our contractors that put the roof on for us several years ago said it is the only roof he's put on that he never had a call back for. So I I am not very often an advocate for proprietary products, >> but I feel so strongly about this one and the success that the district is having that I feel it's beneficial to make it our product of choice uh with public bidding when you normally have to bid with or equal.

108The what we're finding is there is no such thing that is an or equal. So, what this allows us to do is to go out to bid with a sole source product so that we can get the bid results that we need to continue with the unification and standard standardization of our roofing product. Um, for other roofs uh that we have on campus like such as our metal roofs or our shingle roofs, we'll continue to leave those with a or equal when we specify a product. >> So, we're not we're not trying to avoid >> Yeah. >> public bidding process. We're just trying to standardize our um product of choice. >> Yeah, thank you. >> That was helpful. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um, Trusty Atmar, >> I just I have a question about um

109exhibit A in the packet and it's well so number two says use of each item set forth in exhibit A on the project is consistent with the purpose set forth that and then in my packet I don't know if there's something that's updated but exhibit A simply says detailed description of soul source item and there's nothing below it. it it's actually in additional materials. So that's >> Did I miss it? >> Yeah, there's there's there's attachments with the >> There is Okay, I missed those. There are additional pages in your board binder with uh materials. I think that describe this product. I believe I saw that >> in our packet. I think they're under the packet tab in our board member binder. >> If I could just make a >> Oh, I'm sorry. I could

110just make a future request. If there's an exhibit that we need to see prior to approving anou like this, I would like to have it within the packet. That's >> so that's actually I'll I'll take ownership of that. Um, in order to print print something to reprint something like this that's copyrighted, I needed to get permission from and and I didn't get it in time. So that's why it was put on as additional. >> Thank you. >> It was it was rough. Okay. >> Under presentations, Trusty Otmar >> request noted but for future items. Absolutely. >> Thank you, directors. >> You would like me to give the cliff notes on it? Um, you know, I mean, not necessarily because I think that you've already >> what I'm looking at is everything that you've already said,

111but >> the technical pieces of it would probably go over my head anyway. So, I appreciate that there's a 40-year um warranty on it. That's >> pretty epic. So, I'm okay. Renewable warranty. >> Yeah. Like, which >> Yeah. I mean, that means as long as we top coat it every 10 years, we're good to go. >> Okay. Um, yeah. I thought this was a little bit odd the way it came across in the packet because I don't think we're really doing it with Have we done this with any other products? >> No, it's >> No. >> Okay. >> What is the >> Yeah, just the cost of the um top coating every 10 years. >> Um, I'll be honest, I don't really know, but it's it's it's minimal compared to the actual roofing. It's the

112top coating is just the top layer of this like white >> title 24 coating which just sprays on. Um we we haven't gotten to 10 years yet, but I imagine it's minimal. >> Is that something that they take care of or is that something that we do as a >> um they they we would have our contractor come back out and do it. >> Okay. >> All right. Um, if that concludes our discussion on this item, I will look to the board for a motion to approve resolution number 1198 designating weather weld liquid applied roofing system as the specific brand of roofing to be applied to our district's builtup roofs. >> So moved. >> Thank you, Clerk Shamas. Motion made by clerk Shamos. Do I have a second? Second >> and a second from Trustee

113Wax. Thank you. We have a motion and a second. I'll first go over to our student trustee vote. Are you in favor? >> I. >> Thank you. And to the rest of the board, all of those in favor, please say I. I. >> Okay. Are there any nos? >> Okay. Motion passes unanimously. Thank you, Director Anderson. I believe you have the next item, item G, contract for services with fresh start painting. >> Correct. >> Okay. >> So, what we have here is a the result of our uh our public bidding and it is a excellent result. Uh we were looking at about $126,000 estimate for this uh painting project. And the good news is we've have a very responsible bid and a savings of about 45% with a bid result of $68,300. So I'm recommending

114that we go to contract. >> Thank you. Um, first we will go to public comment on uh the contract for services with Fresh Start Painting um for exterior painting of the gym, performing arts center, music building, and field restroom at Pacific Grove Middle School. Are there any public comments? Okay. Um, I'll bring it back to the board for any discussion on uh this agenda item and or any comments from our student trustee clerk Shamas. Yes. um on the um performing arts center and I probably asked you this before but on the uh Hillrest side and if you're looking at the performing arts center building itself before you get to the music building um there is a piece missing of the lattice work on do you know what I'm talking about? I >> I do. I've

115often wondered why. Yeah. Why? I >> I think it predates maybe even my age. I don't >> It does. I I think But I don't have any answers for you either, but um I Yeah. So, I drive by there and I wonder like what uh what's going on. Is it It Cuz it always looks like it's going to be fixed or something. But, >> um I I I can only assume that I know that on the other side of the wall up in in that space there's actually like an air vent. >> And so, maybe that's the reason. Um, it would be quite a piece of work to try to reconstruct that. Uh, that's what's called a pre-cast piece and I'm sure it was specially made for the building back then. >> You mean the

116the lattice work? >> Yes. Yes. It's it's actually pre-cast. So, that's it's a concrete mold. >> So, it would take a real artist to re redo that. >> Okay. >> I might just take it on. Who knows? >> Yeah. I mean, I don't know because it it looks like there's something wrong, you know, is all I'm saying. interesting, >> you know, and and I drive by there and go, I don't know what that is. >> You don't know what it is? I don't. >> Um I don't think I was born when it went missing, if it was ever there. So, I don't know. >> Okay. Are there other questions or comments from board members? Okay. Um, if we have concluded with discussion, I will look for a motion to approve the contract for services with

117fresh start painting. We have a motion. >> So move a second. >> Thank you, Trusty Wax, and a second from Trusty Hazen. Thank you. We will first go over to our student vote. Are you in favor? >> I. Thank you. And to the rest of the board, all those in favor, please say I. >> I. Are there any nos? Okay, motion carries. Thank you, Director Anderson. >> Here I am again. >> And here you are again for a couple more items. Okay, item H, contract for services with CMA Painting. >> Okay, so um this one is our our David Avenue uh building and buildings. Um here we have some extremely good news. Again, we had an estimate of about $300,000. Uh we went out to bid and we've got a responsible bid for $229,000. Uh

118the savings of 23% below our estimated rate. Uh so again, I'm recommending that we go ahead and move to contract. >> Thanks. Um public comment first. Are there any public comments on this agenda item? >> Okay, no comments. Board, any discussion on this um painting contract? This is for exterior painting wood rot repairs and installation of rain gutters on two buildings of the David Avenue campus which is a continuation of the work started at that site last year. Okay. Um I don't have any comments either. Um I'm going to go ahead and make a motion to approve the contract for services with CMA Painting. Um is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Thank you, Clerk Shamas. Motion made by myself and seconded by clerk Shamas. We'll first go over to our student trustee vote.

119Are you in favor? >> I. >> Thank you. And to the rest of the board. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. Are there any nos? Okay. Motion carries. Thank you everyone. And the painting is going to be exciting. Um contract for it contract for services is item I um for sentry alarm. This is to review the contract for the upgrade of the fire alarm at Robert Down. >> Yes. And so this has been almost four years in the making. And if this goes to contract and we get this done, I'm going to be the happiest guy in the entire district. Um so um what we have here is the the result of our our going out to bid. We estimated this project at about $750,000. And here's the best news of the

120night. Uh after um a responsible bid received for $281,671.3. That's a savings of 62%. We are ecstatic that we were able to get this work done and we are static that we've got this price. So again, I'm making a motion that we Well, I'm making a excuse me, I can't make a motion. I'm suggesting that we uh we go to contract. >> Opposite of me. I like >> All right. I've got your recommendation to approve the contract. >> Um that's a that's way under what we anticipated. Likeable not a typo. 700K and it came in at 281. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> So, >> okay. Does that mean we have money to do more with if it didn't come in? >> Correct. >> Wonderful. >> Yes, we love that part. >> I do. I get

121excited. Um I will first go and see if there's any public comment on um this item to approve the upgrade to the fire alarm system at Robert Down. Thank you, Director Algaz. Um board and student trustee, any discussion on this item? Okay, seeing none, um is there a motion to approve the contract for services with Sentry Alarm? >> I'll move. >> Thank you, Trusty Atmar. Um do we have a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Clerk Shamos. Um we will first go to our student trustee vote. Are you in favor? >> I. >> Thank you. And the rest of the board, please signify by saying I. >> I. Are there any nos? Okay. Motion carries unanimously. >> Thank you all. >> Thank you. >> Looking forward to the work. I mean, seeing your hard work

122in action. >> Thank you, Director Anderson. Um, item J on our action agenda is elementary mental health therapist itinerant job description with um chief human resources officer, Mr. Rogamin. Thank you very much, President McNary. Um, this uh uh job description for the elementary mental health the therapist really includes one um additional responsibility for that ele elementary mental health the therapist and that is um to uh help with the billing that is associated with the California healthy youth behavioral initiative. um the district can get uh re reimburseed for services that uh pro provide support for students mental health and what the district wants to do is access some of those um CHY BHI funds um in order to help pay for the position. So, for us to be able to fund the elementary mental health therapist

123itinerate, um we uh would like to include this as part of the job description so we can begin to uh see the reimbursement for the services that they're going to provide. You've got a redlinined um copy of what's been added to uh the job description. Um, and uh, if this job description is approved tonight, we'll be able to go out and um, recruit for this position. The reason why this is going to be specific to the elementary mental health the therapist is because this is the therapist that has the lightest case load and um, the one that might have time within the workday to um, uh, take on this added responsibility. Okay, thank you for the presentation and we have the job description in our packets um at page 416 461 on um we will

124first go to public comment on this agenda item. Is there anyone wishing to address the board? Okay, no public comment. Um back to the board for any discussion on this job description or just approving the job description for this evening just for clarification. Um clerk Schmas okay I brought up this before about the elementary in the titling of this position. um because it says the position is itinerant and and then it says will serve multiple sites depending on need. So therefore it's not elementary because it can be moved to different sites. So, I'm just wondering, are we putting ourselves in a box if we call it elementary because then that particular therapist will be thinking that's the only site that that person serves or I mean I'm I'm just it it's confusing because it says

125elementary but then it says it will go to different sites which and all our sites are not elementary. >> Excellent question. Um, the reason why we needed the itinerant label is because they're not going to serve a single ele school because they're going to be serving multiple. That's the reason why the itinerate label is in there so that we can >> have the person assigned to more than one of the elementary schools. >> Okay. So, that's that. Okay. So, it's it's multiple elementary sites, not >> any of our other sites like the middle school or the high school, right? >> Okay. But do we want it to be >> um >> I mean is that a >> you know it well that is a good question. Um I believe that our um job descriptions for

126the MHTS at the other sites also are labeled as itinerate. Um and so the reason why this one is specifically to the elementary is because that added responsibility um is um because the secondary mental health the therapists just don't have the capacity within the workday to take on the added responsibility. That's the reason why it was um strategically placed with the elementary MHT. >> Okay. I'm just I'm just concerned that we're not limiting ourselves by by telling someone, "Oh, you're only going to be doing this when maybe we want them to do that." >> Right? >> So, okay. If you're good with it, I'm good with that. And also I wanted to ask there in this one bullet um where it says respond to students in crisis offering immediate emotional support and coordinating with school

127administration parents and outside agencies for appropriate follow-up care. Is that uh universal to all the mental health therapists? >> Yes. Okay. >> Thank you. Any other discussion from the board? Okay. Um, so this evening we have the mental health therapist itinerate job description. Um, is there a motion to approve the job description from any member of the board? >> I'll make a motion to approve the description as presented. >> Thank you, Trusty Hazen. Do we have a second? Thank you, Trusty Otmar. Um motion made by Trusty Hazen and seconded by Trustee Amar. We will now go to our student vote. Are you in favor? >> I. Thank you. Um and back to the rest of the board. Um those in favor, please signify by saying I. >> I. Are there any nos? Okay. Motion carries.

128>> Thank you, Chief Bergman. >> Item K on our agenda is the proposed boarding meeting calendar. This is a reoccurring item that appears on every board meeting agenda and it can be found beginning at page 465 in the packet. Um, Dr. Adamson, I'll turn it over to you. >> Thank you so much. And what we are adding to this particular item this evening is all of the dates that we are proposing for uh the 2027 year for January through um July. And so just, you know, we're really following the same pattern and theme that we have in previous years based on the dates we've selected. Um, so really we're just looking to the board for approval of those new dates. Um, and that's really the only new thing on the calendar for tonight. >> Those

129new dates begin on page 473. >> If I know of a date I'm not going to be able to make, should I say that now or should I just We we There we go. Well, no surprises, but you can let us know. >> I'll give you plenty of notice. >> Thank you. You obviously have a trip or something planned, and you seem like you're dying to tell us, though. I mean, trust you. If you want to share it out now, >> it's my daughter's birthday, guys. >> Oh, that's a big deal. >> A Okay. Well, we're sorry. Yes. Okay. >> Definitely be there. >> Yeah, that's a good excuse to to All right. Um all right. So given that we have the new um dates on this is the first time we're seeing them. Will

130we need to approve? >> Yes, we will have to approve it. >> Okay. Um as with all items first to public comment. Are there any public comments on this agenda item? Okay. Thank you. Director Algaz. Is there any board discussion on this agenda item with the new dates included? >> Okay. Um, seeing none, I'll look for a motion to approve the proposed board meeting calendar for all the way through July 2027. >> So move. >> Thank you, Clerk Shamos. Um, I'll be happy to second the motion. So, motion made by clerk Shamas and seconded by me. We will first go over to our student trustee for you your vote. Are you in favor? >> I. Thank you. Um, and then the rest of the board. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. >>

131I. Are there any nos? >> Motion carries. Thank you everyone. Um before we begin our info discussion portion, we are going to take a five minute break and we will resume at approximately 8:15. Thank you. >> Okay, we are going to resume our we're going to resume our board meeting. Um, back to the agenda for our regular board meeting this evening. Um, we're going to do the information and discussion portion. Item A on our info discussion agenda is the PGUSD draft educational tech plan for 2026 to 2029. And I know we've all been looking forward to seeing this. Um, so I will turn it over to you, Director Binder. >> Thank you, President McNary. Director Algaza Alghazi and I are happy to be here tonight to present to you an overview of the district's draft

132educational technology plan for 2026 29. Before we get into it, I just need to extend a note of gratitude and appreciation for the entire team and our entire tech committee which has been hard at work at the on this um developing it for I'd say for the better part of the last year and a half. This would include our teacher tech leads. At the high school, we have Jenna Hall, Jessica Grogan, and Bryce Gamble. At the middle school, we have Miss Ivy Kong. And at Robert Down, we have Mr. Steve Ibrahim. We also have our core team who has been instrumental in terms of the technological insights on managing and um and and balancing everything at the uh larger enterprise level. That would be of course at the high school. We got Zach White as

133our um IT tech. Middle school. We have Grayson Fong who's been um a a really good contributor to this project. And of course at Forest Grove, we have our historian IT Tech, Mr. Carrie Parker. And um at Robert Down, our newest member, Cheuie Gomez. We also have Manuel Via Gomez over at adult education who also served at Robert Down uh when we started this project. So, let's get into it. Uh, we've got six priority areas. Starting at area number one, classroom technology. Oh, before I continue, I do want to extend uh some uh a note of appreciation to our site administrators who made time in their schedules to uh invite us in to share some of the main tenants of this plan with each of their staffs. Uh so, thank you very much principles. Um,

134we had a lot of great feedback from staff across the district and some of that feedback actually was woven into the final draft plan. So, those are our six priority six priority areas. This is a departure from previous versions. I've been involved now. This is my third go at this as the director of edtech for PGUSD. And I can tell you that this plan represents basically what I would consider a philosophical roadmap to how we envision managing technological resources both at the classroom level and broader like enterprise level uh resources over the next three years. And we're very confident that this plan is um has been developed um in a very measured, thoughtful, research-minded uh manner. Uh classroom technology, number one, digital safety and data protection. Number two, AI integration. We'll cover all these in

135brief. Technology management um services and support and signature projects. So perhaps the largest go back a few slides. Thank you. Perhaps the largest component of this plan is area number one, classroom technology. And the centerpiece of this area is what we've developed collectively and that's our grade level screen time framework. This was um researchbased and it essentially provides a uh a standardized framework or basically it provides a a guide guidance for maximum allocated screen time that we that we um allow uh or we encourage teachers to follow in their planning and instructional design when it involves the use of technology. So we have four conditions for this screen level or anytime technology is is included in the lesson design or planning process. We have identified four areas that uh we believe are essential ingredients in

136order for that technology to make its way into the lesson to begin with. Intentionality has to be first and foremost at the top of the list. Uh active engagement as opposed to passive uh engagement. And we're going to discuss a little bit of the distinction between those two. It has to be the not only the task in with the use of the technology but also the duration of it has to be development developmentally appropriate and there's a homework component when it involves digital versions or digital format homework screenbased homework. So the plan itself uh has been distilled into this graphic. There's an extensive table structure in the draft plan that describes some of the details at each of these grade bands. And as you can see there, it goes from the early elementary through the

137intermediate to the middle and to the high school. And as I mentioned, this is not a prescription for using technology in the classroom to this extent to to to meet these recommendations. This is basically a foundational guideline uh for maximum amount of time uh on screen technology in the classroom at those grade bands. Uh just as a note, it's important to understand that in order for technology to even be considered uh in a lesson, it really needs to demonstrate a the the ability to accelerate the learning. And if it can't do that at a minimum, it should probably be left out entirely. That's our position. And we've got some rather extensive research that we've looked into that support that position. One of the research models that we are relying on heavily comes from everychool.org. This

138is a a nonprofit organization comprised of educational researchers that have collected and compiled many many different practical tools and guidel guidance uh guidance resources for not only families but also for school systems. And we feel that they have uh really been on the leading edge of determining where to draw the lines where technology is actually beneficial for learning and where it actually can become um a detriment in terms of the students mental, physical and emotional well-being and cognitive well-being. Another uh research model that we're going to depend on is going to be the SAMR model which is uh a pretty essentially it's something that has been in place since 2010. It was developed by an educational researcher at the time and is now uh referenced uh across the world as as the litmus test for

139whether or not technology in the instructional setting is adding value to the learning process. And the whole point here is that you identify to what extent the technology is being used and you use this as a litmus test of whether or not you should use it in your teaching or instructional pro process. The hope is that to in order for the technology to actually serve its ultimate goal, you're moving into that area of transformative application. And that is whereby the technology is allowing for the students to do something. It's pushing their their learning to deeper levels. It's allowing them to do something that they would otherwise not be able to do in the absence of that technology. And finally, we'll reference the ISTY standards. This is an international referenced body of work. This is uh

140the international standards for technology and education. It's been around for decades and they produce a lot of research that supports effective use of technology in schools both at primary, secondary and post-secary. Just a snapshot of some of the the research that we reviewed as a committee and referenced in the the development of the plan. uh you can follow any of these links in the actual plan itself from the online forum or in the online draft. Uh but just to give you a sense that we didn't just invent this this framework or this approach or this philosophy. We actually relied on quite a bit of some foundational educational research peer-reviewed studies. And that's an example of a a small set subset of what we used. So that was area one. For area two, we're going to

141get director Alghazi out of the chair for a little bit. But before we do, >> I just want to mention that we do have tools in place already that hit a couple of these key areas. Proactive monitoring is something that we're currently doing. We look to refine that over the next three years in terms of getting more targeted. We already have alerts that are distributed to our admin team when there are concerning online behavioral uh activities occurring. These are real time notifications. We're going to continue to rely on those systems to further strengthen the safety of our environment. And then digital safety and citizenship. This is something that we've been weaving in and out of lessons. uh it was it's being delivered at the elementary in the flex lab environment but we're uh going to

142make a concerted effort to provide targeted grade specific lessons from our long-standing partners at Ikeep safe common sense media smart social and those will be uh directed to students in key grade levels five seven and nine director Algazi >> um talking about the cyber security. Um, we're continuing with our next generation antivirus which we have in place now for all Windows and Mac computers. It's not needed on Chrome devices. Um, two-factor authentication for Google accounts is something I'm currently working on. I have administration done, all district office staff done. I'm working on the clerical staff and then hopefully to work uh move towards teachers. And then finally, email filtering. Just keeping up on that. That's kind of a uh ongoing effort, a whack-a-ole kind of oh here's a here's a email that bad email that

143comes in. How do we block that and quarantine before it gets to gets to the end and the recipient I should say? >> Thank you, Director Alagghazi. Uh the third area of course is kind of like the elephant in the room and that's of course AI integration and um we looked at this very carefully. We actually included student input on this area in particular from the principal uh student uh advisory council at the high school where we had a a really deep level conversation about AI use not only by the students but also by staff at the high school and we also relied heavily on our teacher tech leads at the high school to provide some of the insights on uh careful measured use of AI when it comes to teachers using AI or having

144students use it right now. We currently block it across the district for students. It is available specifically our our our AI model Gemini which exists inside of the Google environment. Uh all other AI tools are blocked currently for all users in our district. Gemini is available for staff and teachers and we see this as something that is is going to be with us and we're going to proceed with caution with stringent oversight and how we allow these tools to exist within our network. We're also planning on giving uh role specific PD which would include differentiated type of professional development for our staff on this with a foundational level of knowledge about AI, its risks, its biases, uh some of its um its benefits of course and we see this as being a useful for staff

145in terms of streamlining administrative tasks uh freeing up some of their time so they can focus on more student facing tasks within their day. As far as teachers use of it, of course, AI has tremendous benefit in terms of being able to curate differentiated materials in the lesson, whether it's leveled reading for, you know, a whole range of students in the in in reading levels in the classroom or generating rubrics or assessment items that are variable. Um and so we are going to also provide specific teacher level PD for our students for for our teachers that will give them a sense of of um empowerment in using AI correctly with with always being cognizant of the safety concerns. And when it comes to using AI with students on assignments, this is specific for high school.

146We recognize that there are some uh some teachers that would like to start preparing students to engage with AI. But uh as you might know from the recent updated board policy and AR on AI, we have uh essentially provided very clear language that it is up to the teacher. It's to their discretion as to how they use AI with students, meaning student use. And it has to be uh um following a certain set of uh requirements which include of course that it's not outsourcing student thinking but it's actually contributing to their critical thinking themselves and that it is always protecting their their their data their their private information their personalized information and of course there has to be full transparency in communicating the actual purpose of using the AI and this is also something they

147need to convey to parents. or technology management. I'm going to rely again on on director Alagghazi for this, but um this uh is going to also include what we block within the network as we move forward with blocking streaming platforms such as YouTube, Netflix, Hulu in the upcoming year so that indiscriminate access to YouTube is cut off for students and it will be managed exclusively by the teacher uh using an allow list strategy only >> anything more >> um I can't >> software and file management is primarily staying with Google Google Drive I'm encouraging all staff to utilize Google Drive as much as possible versus storing files on their local device um network and core services. Let's just keep that network going. Um, we got a uh the my predecessor got a really good system

148in place and I'm just going to keep it going for another as long as it'll go. Um, standardized hardware configurations. We're trying to get teachers and staff onto Chromebooks, higherend Chromebooks than the students have, but get migrate away from Windows and Mac to Chrome OS because it's more secure. Um, and it utilizes the Google infrastructure better, utilizes Google Drive better, more efficiently. Um, and that's staff computing. I guess that was it. >> Okay. Area five, service and support. I think we score pretty high marks with regards to our efficiency at um, tending to issues as they arise. and um really uh identifying and resolving issues as they arise within a relatively short period of time. I think uh our average resolution time is within 60 minutes for for 80% of all of our uh tech

149issues that come up on any given day. Uh so very responsible continue with that. We do have a three three- tier process involved which includes kind of concentric levels of support for for staff, teachers and including students. First would be of course site IT tech who essentially is the engineer and the mechanic of anything going on on the school site. Then if that uh needs to be elevated to us, we can step in with more administrative access to the systems. And then beyond that, we rely on some of our uh thirdparty vendors which um we've cultivated some pretty good relationships with. And so with that, we have the ability to kind of get in the front of the line, so to speak. Again, more PDS come in for that as well. Now, we'll just talk

150about some signature projects. These are further explained in the draft plan. Uh what we have here is a completion of our student uh and staff device refresh. Director Alghazi spoke about Chromebooks for teachers. We're going to continue with that path because as he said, they are more secure and more efficient. Uh, and they essentially can do anything that a Windows-based machine can do when you're working on the cloud. Year two and that includes obviously we've got some AV upgrades going on. Force Grove uh multiroom is going to get an a complete upgrade for projection and audio this summer. Uh, we're going to continue with security camera upgrades. Director Algazi if you want to step up again for that but if you don't have to that's fine if you don't want to. Uh asset management AV

151upgrades will continue through year three where we'll look to um do something in the high school if not sooner. The high school gym is in in in great need of something uh more standardized in there as far as large screen display and uh increased or improved audio. And then network and VR, right? Uh year three. talk about the asset management. Our plan is to integrate is to utilize our library system as an asset management. They have a module for that. So that would allow our librarians to check out technical assets to students and staff as well as the site texts to check out all incorp in encompassed in one system in one database. Um, and then the NVRs, the NVRs, I I started to look at those and they ended up being extremely expensive. AI

152is very is they're starting to integrate AI a lot and at this point it's not at this point it's not worth the money. So, it's a large large expense for minimal gain. So, I kind of push that over to year three. So I believe that is essentially the highle view of what we have developed uh as far as the outlay for the next three years for technology in PGUSD. If we distill it down to three essential elements essentially what we're we're doing here is intentional integration, safety and awareness across the entire domain vetted and prud prudent use specifically around AI. Uh AI right now is essentially nonregulated. The government has no idea of what to do with it. It sounds like um and we need to proceed with caution which is why we're keeping our

153models to a minimum and working with Gemini internal network on that and um and we'll see what what happens because it seems to be evolving by by the week. So we thank you for your your attention to to this plan. I know it was kind of a high level uh but we're happy to uh answer any questions or clarify any points that we've shared. >> Thank you, Director Binder and Director Alaz um both for um the long haul work on this project um as well as making it digestible for the presentation this evening. Um as with all agenda items, we will first go out to public comment. Um, anyone wishing to address the board either in person or online. In person, you may you may um approach the podium or online you may raise your

154digital hand. Each commenter um will have three minutes um to make your public comments um on this specific agenda item. Um we have a commenter in the room stepping forward. So um we'll give you the mic first. Uh, thanks so much for having um this discussion tonight. I know it's a really important one. My name is Caitlyn Vanzian and I'm a parent of a TKER and a kindergartenner and um I appreciate how seriously PGSD has taken this issue. Um there are people all over the country who are so worried about screens in schools right now. I could list so many organizations that I receive emails from telling me what to be worried about and it's on the cover of the Wall Street Journal and it's on the cover of the New York Times. Um, so

155you got right, left, everyone seems to be really worried about this issue and it's understandable why because things in schools across the country have not been going well. who are at historic lows nationally and whether it's social media or it's smartphones or it's the screens in schools I think people are very concerned about the amount of time that their kids are spending on devices. Um I'm really thankful that at Robert Down we have a great tech committee. I think our principal has been a great lead on this. It's been very informative for me to find out what's happening at our school, but at the same time, you know, it really varies by classroom. And even when we look at this plan that's obviously been very well thought out, it's still only recommendations. It's not requirements.

156So even, you know, as a parent, I still don't know exactly what's going to happen because it's going to be based on whatever teacher my kids have. And I'm thankful that right now their teachers haven't been using iPads in the classroom even though that's allowed in TK kinder and first grade. But I don't know what's going to happen in first grade with my son. Is he going to be able to use an iPad whenever he wants? Because I kind of know the road that that goes on down. At least in our home, we don't have tablets, but the TV is it's a big fight. Um, and I I I I see what goes on with him. And so that's a huge concern for me. I don't think that he does well with screens. Um, my

157daughter's a little bit better, but I also don't think that kids learn very well from screens. And I think that the evidence really backs me up there. There's so many studies that show that kids learn better when they read on paper and they take their handwritten notes. And so when you look at this plan and the screen time limits, it still talks about, you know, what they're going to be doing on those screens in the classroom. that it's for writing, it's for researching, um it's for adaptive mathematics. And I'm only talking about elementary at this point because that's where my focus is at. But I think that those things are all things that are better learned face to face with their teachers. And I think that they will do better if they read something on

158paper and they write the notes down. Um you know, I've read a lot of books on this try and understand why is that the case? And you know in our brains when we read on paper it creates a spatial location for that data in our brains and when you scroll that spatial location just doesn't exist. Um and so I think my time is running up but anyways I I think this is a step in the right direction and I'm very pro eliminating YouTube. That's great. Um but I think that we could do more. Yeah. I'll have to ask you to wrap up. Thank you for your comments. Is there um we'll go to the commenter online. I apologize. I cannot see the name from here. >> Lauren Heftlin, you have three minutes for public comment

159and the floor is yours. >> All right. Hi, I'm Lauren Heftlin. I am a parent of a kindergartener at Robert Down and I am an occupational therapist for the school district. I work at the middle school site. Um I am so happy that the district has taken a really serious look at edtech and developed this comprehensive um look. I love the three essential elements. Those are all really important buckets that we've focused the energy on here. Um, and I agree that there's a lot of parent concern with all these areas about how much screen time is my child having, what access do they have to different things. So, I'm so happy to hear that YouTube is going to continue to be um limited significantly and I love to hear that AI will be prohibited for

160um K to8 K to8 uh grades and that it's under you know very strict guidance at the high school level. I like that as well. Um I am concerned when I read through the plan about the one to one devices specifically for the lower grades uh TK to one one iPad device I don't see that there is a need for that outside of a I mean they get computer lab time with exposure to these items so I don't see why every class needs a one to one uh device when the evidence isn't showing a need for that and our students later on are not testing on iPads, they're using a Chromebook in later grades. So, I would think that that would be a waste of district resources um for something that is not beneficial. Uh,

161and I'm looking at the time limits uh, posted or suggested like per session, 20 30 minutes per session. And I think that makes sense for lower grades for when they have one teacher. But as you go up to middle school, I think it's confusing and we'll need some more clarification for how teachers will implement that since students go, you know, six periods a day, seven periods a day. And it says 20 to 30 minutes per session, max of four sessions per day. And it's um unclear how that would be implemented at the upper grade level. So I'm just confused how that would look. And I'm really glad that there's a focus on teacher training um across the board on here because it's been such a push to use technology. Now we need to help them

162recalibrate how are we um using it but also encouraging other forms of um learning and materials. Uh thank you for thank you for bringing this this up and developing the plan and I look forward to updates. Thank you. Thank you for sharing your comments. Um, are there any other individuals wishing to address the board? Sure. You have three minutes in the green light. We'll pop on for you. >> Okay. Um, my name is Aliyia Hoka. Um, I have a fourth grader and a kindergarter at Forest Grove. Um, I've worked in the world of early intervention for 13 years now with kids who are zero to three with developmental delays and disabilities. Um, and I just have to say, I can't describe how detrimental screen time has been to kids. Um, we've seen it with our

163earliest learners. They're going to preschool and kindergarten, not knowing how to hold a pen, not knowing how to use scissors, not knowing how to play on the playground. So, I do have huge concerns when it comes to screen time use at the schools when kids really need to be doing that hands-on learning in the school um, and playing and just especially at that younger age. Um I have to say that um I heard earlier somebody said the tech use was used to accelerate learning and that's sort of what the district has been saying um the policy has been so far and I just have to say especially with my fourth grader I have not seen that. The technology use I've seen in school has been um Google Slides, sharing memes, playing games, uh watching PBS

164Kids shows. I'm I I honestly don't know how else to share that without getting like kind of upset. Um but there really has been no oversight so far about the tech use. Um I'm gonna jump to what I would like to see after I read the um the proposal today. Um what I would like to see as a parent is um how is the screen time going to be enforced? I see that we have those time limits and the structural limits, but how is that going to be enforced? Because at this point I don't see any enforcement. Um, the second thing I'd like to see is TK to second grade. It says, um, 10 10 to 20 minute sessions max, three times a day. That's 1 hour of screen time, and to me, that's too

165much. Um, I would like to see it completely eliminated for TK to second grade. Uh, the third thing I'd like to see is screenbased homework for the K through five completely eliminated. Um, I just don't think that that's necessary. The kids get enough homework, and it is. It can be on pen and paper. we don't need to bring those things home. Um, and the last thing that I'd like to see is um a ban on the AI for now. Maybe it can be just a one-year ban or a 2-year ban and then we revisit that when we look and see what is AI, how are we using it, how is it advanced. Uh, but I think for now um that just the use of that is just not necessary. I know that the kids want

166to learn about it, the teachers want to teach it, maybe the teachers want to use it, but I just don't think that that's necessary. Um, sorry I'm talking so fast trying to get everything in. Um, and my last note I want to make is I just want to know about opting in. If you guys do decide to use AI with the kids, are parents going to have the option to opt into this? Do we have the choice? Is this something that's going to be forced on us? I would really like to know if there's going to be an option for that. Um, and I think at PGUSD, we have the chance to make a big change here. You guys have the chance to be forefront on the forefront of this. Let's make it the best

167that we can be. Thank you for your comments. Are there any? Yeah, you're welcome to approach the podium. I was just checking to see if we had any hands raised behind you online and it doesn't look like it. So, you have three minutes. Go ahead. >> Awesome. Thank you. Um, my name is Jeremy Goldberg and I have two kids in the district. I'm also a professor uh at Stanford's Marine Station down by the aquarium. Um, so I I I teach a lot of the products from K through 12, so I have a sort of a late stage perspective on this. Actually, ever since the pandemic, um, I noticed a shift in the classroom at Stanford. Um, devices were out more. Uh, distractions were really high, uh, attention spans were low. And and a couple of

168years ago, it got really bad. Um, and I think that coincided with the onset of AI. And I noticed that a lot of the assignment answers all started to look the same. Um, and so it it is clear when things become digital andworked, uh, anything can be gamed with AI. And that goes on the teacher side as well with evaluation, by the way. Um, and just this year I changed. I went to Blue Books and I've noticed a huge shift in the classroom. Everyone's engaged. Yeah, every once in a while laptop or phone's out, but everyone is into it. Everyone's writing. Uh and that goes to a lot of the great comments and I agree with everything that's been said so far is we have learned to we have evolved to learn from other people

169and we learn more when we use pen and paper. That doesn't mean that technology can't be used when it's needed uh for specific uh lab activities and so on. So uh plus one to everything that's been said. I think in terms of the tech plan, the one have y'all seen the data on when one:one devices are introduced like all the test scores just start to crash. So I think if we can delay that as long as possible, I think that's absolutely essential. Um yeah, eliminating YouTube, that's pretty obvious. Um AI, why do we need it? We should be asking the question opting in. I really like that. Uh we should be asking the the serious question of why we're doing this. uh AI is a very good late stage tool when you have a very

170specific need uh not for cognitive offloading or just losing your critical thinking skills. So I think those are things that we really need to seriously consider. Um why do we need network devices? I know that creates a complication for Chromebooks, but we should start to think about why we need these things in the first place. Again, I'm not anti-tech. I teach in biotechnology. There are ways to implement technology without network devices that can use um that can leverage engineering and all the amazing things that we have that can really advance our educational goals without the use of the edtech industry that has really more or less failed over the last 10 years. Thanks. >> Thank you for your comments. Are there any other individuals wishing to address the board on this agenda item either in

171person or online? Um, seeing no further public comment, Director Binder, are you I see you have your hand up. >> Sure. A point of clarification. >> We heard it I believe twice that uh we are proposing one to one at TK. current policy is that there is no there are no devices at the TK level used as a onetoone. They're only used in very specific circumstances whether it's uh student um who needs translation or um some other supports. It could be a student uh with an IEP that needs an iPad at the TK level. But our policy does not push down iPads to TK. As far as K is concerned, we essentially have a 2:1 model whereby there's a cart available um under regular kind of typical conditions uh the students would not those classrooms

172would not be outfitted with a one one officially starts at grades one and then moves up to Chromebooks and grades two. uh uh further um there was another uh point made uh that I I think we should maybe look at from a different perspective as well. When one came on uh 2010 to 2014 was kind of like the initiation of it uh mostly in that second half of those four years uh I myself was a teacher in the classroom. I was one of the first uh early adopters of onetoone in my own classroom. But there was also something else happening on the broader level and that was that we had the development of YouTube as a mainstream platform that started appearing more widely in just daily use even by students back then. We also had

173the iPads were now being purchased for home consumption for students for for for children uh and became really the device uh of choice for many many households across the country. Uh there was an explosion in the sales of iPads around the same time as well for home use. Uh the other twist in this is that social media made an entrance in a big way in 2010 through 2014. Facebook was developed and Instagram was also developed at that same time. So we had this convolence or or you know convergence of technologies that hit society at the same time and I think we need to just understand that this is a multifaceted uh issue. It's not just the fact that onetoone was now growing across the country in schools. It was the fact that households across the

174country and just daily use of tech, access of tech for entertainment was occurring at the same time and social connection was occurring at the same time even for kids back then. Uh, and I'll just wrap it up by saying as a as a teacher, science teacher in a onetoone environment, the use of tech in my classroom was always seen as an accessory, not to essentially wholesale replace my my instruction. And and I'll leave it at that. >> Director binder. >> All right. If that rounds up public comment for this evening, um I thank you all for being here and for all your participation. And I'm going to bring it back to the board for discussion on this item. I'll start at that end of the dis if you're up for going first this evening. Trusty

175Wax, I'd love to hear your your perspective on this. I guess that's why I started down there, but if don't feel pressured. >> Um yes. Uh thank thank you for the presentation. Beyond the presentation, I know you've spent a lot of hours with with Dr. Aaz and site councils and uh parents and everything. So I truly appreciate the the plan and the the thought that's gone into this. Um, I'm still I mean you mentioned at the start that it's like a philosophical discussion and so like I'm really in the thick of like the philosophy of what we're doing and you know there are pros and cons in my mind. Like one like I honestly feel like there are just too many Chromebooks. Like my daughter does so many slide presentations but doesn't learn really about

176like design or communication. So it's like what what why are you presenting things all the time but without like too much thought. And that's not to call out teachers specifically. It's just like how technology infiltrates and then defaults to this. And that's really what I'm worried about is uh the defaulting to technologies. Um I have really scribbled notes and with your with your questions that you previously answered to the board members, I'm also going off that. So sorry for even more disjointedness than usual. But in the I don't know if it was in the presentation or the full plan, but you talk about ergon ergonomic integrity and then there's a question about is that really realistic with Chromebooks. Uh it seems like there would be extra equipment and the answer was depending on teacher expectations

177around posture, device placement, seating position, arrangement. Um if I'm a teacher, I don't want that onus. I mean, that seems like insane. And me looking at this, it's not good ergonomics, you know? It's, you know, like there would be to actually make it ergonomic, we'd either have like standing desks for 1500 kids or whatever, or, you know, a crazy expenditure on things to actually make them ergonomic. So, that's a current concern of mine. Um, like the parent noted, once students move to middle school or high school with a variety of teachers, again, the pain in the butt of figuring out how much a kid has watched across teachers, it seems like another onus that seems hard to um monitor. And that said, much like Miss Vanzan's comment, um the intentionality I it was asked whether

178it's log somewhere or it's more of a guiding principle and it's a guiding principle. So again, I'm worried about like the default to um you know, we'll do 80% of a class on on screen and then there's no way no real way to track that. Um the I I sort of don't understand the point or the benefit of um crafting and writing on Google Docs uh or that sort of thing. Mostly because uh sorry the type it's so small the ergonomics not good. Um but uh you know there the answer was it could redefine social learning and to second Miss Vanzan saying there is research it seems that comprehension and engagement with words on a page are just much more than on a screen and also I mean you're not a teacher in the classroom

179and so if there are teachers online or wanting to email that would really be appreciated. But like the feedback of perhaps commenting on a Google doc from a classmate and getting a comment rather than like going seeing marks on a paper from a teacher or another classmate and like engaging in a dialogue of like why did you say this or I don't really understand that. it just seems like an unnecessary um ambiguity added. Um and then my daughter who's in sixth grade and at the middle school, she and her friend were doing homework um math homework and they were answering questions on the screen and I was like, "Why aren't you guys using pencil or like figuring out and they're like, "Ah, it's whatever." Very 12-year-old. But um you know that is the process of

180learning. Take it from me a person who's not very good at math that you you know you work things out or you should ideally with the paper and pencil as opposed to kind of just like envisioning the answer and then clicking the correct answer on the screen. Um in the answers from the the board questions it was it said that autoscoring is a benefit. I understand that teachers are stressed um and time is at a a premium. Uh but the autoc scoring as a parent and as a student doesn't seem like too much of a benefit. I I would like a teacher to know exactly like what's wrong. um or like where my child is strong, you know, it it again it seems like a obfiscation of like a relationship that doesn't seem to be

181necessary. Uh there was a question about the one to one like the positive effects of onetoone Chromebook use and the answer was um that it would be it would basically Is there evidence of onetoone Chromebook leading to a positive educational outcomes? And then it's like we can conduct additional research. And like so many of these things, it's like setting up a system for like more uh monitoring and like checks without again it's sort of like what's the point? like you're you're monitoring something to death uh without possibly a uh impact or a positive impact. Um this is not related to anything that was said by anyone in the comments but in the in the plan or the presentation I don't think on the presentation in the plan the digital technology part of it is about

182equity and then in the questions it was asked how many kids have subsidized Chromebooks and internet access from the district and it's Uh it's like >> currently 30 >> 32 or it's like 2%. So like >> Mhm. >> and using Google Docs that's not going to make you a scientist, you know? It's I think it's a it's a it's giving Chromebooks is not the same as like um taking a sensor out into the environment and checking like the carbon monoxide levels or something, you know? We have had these cuts that have been horrible uh both as board members, students, etc. And we are trying to have STEM in schools. But again, my my complaint to be blunt is that the technology that we use is just Chromebooks as opposed to like thinking beyond screens and

183how we can really use technology that's not necessarily offtheshelf and a little more um creative. Um this was brought up in on our questions but uh the console the console study that you brought up and and that is referenced they said that the >> Swiss study yeah >> the which one >> the was conducted they they they stressed that really two things were impactful for education or tech in the classroom and that was the ticks uh survey thing and that didn't really get too much notice or or um note in the presentation. So like not having that at the front end is concerning to me. And then they also stressed really first and foremost that PD professional development for the teachers was so important. And that's it's in here a bit but it it's definitely

184second. And I know that's maybe like a a different area because I don't know, you know, it's it's more of like a a physical purchase plan. Um, but I just think that shouldn't be um denied. I guess I'm finishing up on the last 400 pages. Um, and in general, I think AI, uh, to be blunt, I use AI all the time. I'm like very obsessed, very into it. But the the answers in the age of AI it see and everything is changing. Having the answers, it basically nullifies the answers because everyone has the answers. But creating a mind that can ask better questions and has better taste in like bringing up these these inputs that are uh for lack of a better word real and tangible and artistic and poetic are more important to eventually

185use AI. um which I think someone else mentioned. Um and I think two more things. The the screen time I think this is basically like encompassing like if a teacher uses a screen to show a to show a movie in class or or that sort of thing. Is that right? >> Correct. there's in some inherent flexibility with the screen technology framework which includes any visual uh any visual connection to to any of the screen technology within the classroom. So for example, if a teacher is using a flat panel display like this, we want to ensure that it's not on unless it's being used for critical content input. So you turn it off or you put it in standby mode. So that will cut down ambient screen exposure as well. But if they're presenting off of

186it, that could in elementary, for example, be included as part of the total screen time uh allocation for that for that session. That's correct. >> Yeah. I mean, and >> so it doesn't just have to do with a with a student device. In other words, it could be a variety of of screen technologies within the classroom, namely the panel and then of course the either the iPad or the Chromebook. Yeah. >> Yeah. I mean, my I think my personal gripe or concern is more is less with like the digital whiteboards. What are they called? Digital >> uh interactive panels. >> Interactive panels. Um because you know kids love seeing their pictures on the screen and like there's there is some like uh instant feedback and I've seen kids like trace the letters >> clearly like

187they could also trace letters on paper but >> right >> that's less of a thing and I think that's just hard to monitor and again putting my shoes or putting myself in the shoes of a teacher uh to to kind of keep this time limit of how much like the schedule for the day is being shown on this digital board. It just seems like a lot of things to juggle in the air. Um, and I will also say that I was volunteering last year and during the art class, there was always a a little clip of an artist shown before and my my kid who's deaf in one year like the audio was terrible and like the projection was bad. So, it's like it's not just the screen. I mean, if you're trying to present

188something, you're you really have to focus on the whole presentation, the auditory and the that sort of thing. >> Uh, and yeah, that's basically it. >> Uh, no, I appreciate all your thoughts and um I just uh I appreciate this. I hope it changes though be or I hope things change I suppose. >> Well, thank you Trusty Wax. There's there's a lot there. I'm going to try to unpack some of it in reverse order if I can because I think it's important to um >> I think I'm just going to interrupt for a second and if everyone's good with it, there were a lot of questions in there and I think some of it was also just really comments as well. Trusty Wax, um I think if you know rather than maybe going through every

189single individual, you know, piece to it, maybe we just sort of gather I'm making notes. I know director is making notes. big part of this evening is also to gather input and I just want to remind everyone that you know look I think I feel the whole concept of we're wanting to look for you know how we going to make you know have everyone accountable the whole purpose of having these guidelines is really about you know really creating more intention right and more thought and empowering our teachers to really think about knowing that these are now the guidelines which we have not had in place um you know to to use it as those parameters but it's not going to be perfect right from the outset you know which is why director binder talked a

190about, you know, this is something that will be a work in progress next year. We'll be monitoring thoroughly circling back, gathering input, you know, as we go. Um, you know, we we don't have all the answers and, you know, we we don't profess to, right, on on how that that's going to look, but I think we've got, you know, a good plan through it. So, if everyone's good, excellent input. Thank you for that, Trusty Wax. If we're good to go, you know, down the dice and gather more info and then we can maybe, you know, pick more of the overarching questions that come out that we can respond to if you're good with that. and thank you for the thoroughess with it as well. Trusty Wax appreciate this. >> Okay, >> if that approach works

191for the board, Trusty Otmar, you have the floor. >> Thank you. Um, first, thank you very much. I can see how much work has gone into this. I appreciate the amount of research and the amount of digging into studies and and looking at what's happening um sort of across the different um aspects of digital learning and of bringing technology not only into the school but into the homes and and that um I definitely have concerns um about I'd say technology just in general. I mean I think we're all sitting in here in a room of we're roughly the same age group where this all we've watched this all unfold in front of us. Um, and it's an uncomfortable space to be because we've watched it go from a slow, steady pace of AOL and, you

192know, waiting for dialup to connect to all of a sudden it it the thing's on fire and it's freaking just exploding. So it's a lot to digest and it's a lot to digest especially when you have kids and kids are involved because this is our most important things. So, some of the pieces that said, um, some of the pieces as I'm was reading through this that came up for me, the first thing that I noticed was the the word recommendations. Um, as far as technology in the classroom, um, when it comes to staff, when it comes to the guidelines, that these are just recommendations. I'm going to make a very broad assumption in that the word recommendations would be followed up by strict policy that comes from the district about what is appropriate as far

193as time and um what's healthiest for kids. I think having a general recommendation, you could have somebody that completely adheres to that. And then just like in any profession, and I'm not trying to discount any teacher that's out there listening, but there may be somebody that relies more on it than another teacher. And as time goes on, it's just like a leather shoe, right? The longer you wear it, the more comfortable it gets and the looser it gets. And so if it doesn't start out super tight, eventually it gets loose to the point where um it no longer fits. So um the word recommendation just didn't sit well with me. I also feel uh like you know in a world of so much exposure to technology already with our kids, a world of social media

194adding that adding extra screen time especially to the younger grades. I think about elementary school. Um, I mean, it's such a formative time that I I have a hard time supporting the structure that was laid out as far as time. Um, you know, 10 to 20 minutes with three sessions per day for K through two. I I don't see the benefit of that. Um, and the 15 to 25 minutes with the max of three sessions for grade three to five. I mean, it just seems like a lot of time for young brains that are developing and that we're not nurturing the pen to paper and that, you know, tactile piece of what education I think should be in the elementary years. Um, I have concerns about AI. We don't know a lot about AI yet.

195My husband's going to be really upset with me right now because he loves AI. But um when it as far as as far as kids and staff go, I mean it's difficult and like you said it is changing by the week and it feels um like introducing that into the district even if it is through Gemini and even it's if it's through staff use it feels experimental because I've used AI before and you know you can tell it to be as accurate as you want and it's going to tell you something way off base and then you have to remind it that it's not allowed to make a mistake And so at what point have you taught something that is incorrect and AI based? And so I have a lot of concerns around that. Um

196the autoscoring piece also that you brought up. Um that piece to me feels like um if that's something that is that something that we use within the district. Um I feel like that piece is missing um it's going to miss part of like the knowing a student and exactly where they might be struggling in school. Like there there's pieces missing. It's important to know where um a kid is repetitively missing things or if it's a writing assignment, reading that assignment without running it through AI or some type of technology. Really absorbing it as a teacher to connect with that student and know where they're at in life, I think is important. And a lot of stories get told based off of I'm just thinking about English and writing assignments. I mean, things come out in

197writing and if you don't have a teacher that is reading that, you could miss something, too. So, I think that that's important and I'll just wrap it by saying that I know that as a district, we don't want our kids to be left behind in this digital world. Um, but in this day and age, I don't think that's possible. I think there's no way around it. Um, it it's just where we're headed, but I don't think that it needs to be introduced at such a young age in a district that is um I want to find the right word, but I don't think I'm going to. But >> wealthy, >> fortunate. Well, we're just such we're a small district and I don't want to make it sound like we're just a small district that shouldn't

198use technology early because I think it's but we're such a like a tightknit community and I feel like there's so much to experience here and there's so much knowledge here and there's there's so much um space and for connection >> in this small community district that I feel like it would be Um, maybe not detrimental, but it would definitely take away from that. So, I'll stop there, but thank you for listening. >> Thank you for your comments, Trusty Outar. Trusty Hazen, >> sorry, I'm putting all my comments into AI to get them back out. >> Just kidding. Just kidding. I had to make the joke, though. Um, I I'll just start though. I mean, really, thank you so much for the thought and the detail put into this tech plan. That was hugely apparent. And

199particular thanks to the commenters tonight for being well spoken and reasonable in their comments. Uh I personally am a huge proponent of technology when used properly and we had a great example thanks to Trusty Oatmar's uh comments earlier about the use of Missport's digital anatomy table because unless we have plans to bring cadaavvers into PG high that's a great example of how technology can be used for educational purpose that we would not have access to otherwise and that is the fundamental to me connection that was made and just needs to be pulled throughout the tech plan if that makes sense in my mind. And so time limits again that's a I was encouraged to see them but I really do think that's not enough. You know, it's it's really that idea that was brought up

200with the the SAM tool. I think it was that it's you know that augmentation what is the use of tech when every time technology is being used there should be a defined use and it's not asking the teachers to defend it or things like that but making sure that's part of professional development part of curriculum development sips etc like what does tech good use of technology look like that's something I think we can define as a district um you know the elementary section did really good job of that but I I wanted to see for the the middle and high school the comments that you say like devices used for creative purposes, that should be the same, right? It shouldn't just be devices used because it's easier to turn in your assignments that way. And

201then the same use screens only when they are uniquely enhancing a lesson. Those those were examples that were in there for the elementary that I would have liked to see throughout. Um, so the, you know, I do think it's also a good idea to maybe have some examples and, you know, examples like if you're going to do a chemistry or a physics or a biology lab and you're going to show a video instead of actually doing a lab, that's not a good use. If you're going to do the digital anatomy table, that would be a good use because I think those kind of things help both parents, students, and teachers understand what this should be. I do want to start thinking if we talk about things like time limits, what happens if, let's say, hypothetically

202a guest speaker who's a marine biologist comes into class and gives a video on by catch for two minutes, does that count towards the 20-minute limit? Um, should there be some presentation to the, you know, the guest speakers that have to tie into that if they're hard and fast rules or how how do we again do this in a way because, you know, in my case, I was that guilty person. I was showing a video of like, you know, what a net toe looks like underwater. is not something I could easily recreate without that video, unfortunately. I would have loved to take the kids out on the water instead, but I couldn't in this case. Um, the AI use, I think one thing that, you know, the there was a lot of again the encouragement

203potentially in the in the tech plan for teachers to use it. One thing that's really important to me, and I think this goes for both ways, is if we are going to be using AI, we should have required disclosures. And that's on the teacher side and the student and even staff side. So if we're showing a presentation where we have a beautiful figure, it should say, you know, made with AI or aided with AI or AI was used to do this because I think that also, and I can say this again from the student side, when they see a teacher giving them AI responses to their assignments, it really makes them disengage. So if the teacher says, look, I did this AI grading, did this review for this reason or this is AI, that again

204helps with that trust because that's I think one of the areas that would be really u necessary. At the same time, um I think anytime AI is used, there needs to be a protocol in place for error checking. And I mean the the popular term of hallucinations comes up a lot. I mean that but it's not just that. There there's no question that AI will misinterpret just like a student would or just and maybe many times way worse. So if anybody in the district, student, teacher, staff, etc., there should be a protocol for error checking to make sure like you don't make the AI and just throw it out there because that's I think pretty dangerous. um for a lot of reasons potentially. The other part and this is the other side of it is

205what about the policy when AI checkers are used. So if a you know if you have a teacher using an AI checker and they say hey half the assignments were AI does that mean they throw the assignments out it's a zero? I mean this the these kind of things I think need to have some again not direct policy but at least some um guide posts to help understand the use developed by the teachers developed by the the you know the staff not necessarily top down. I will also say again I mean I I I understand the proposal to ban AI. I I don't think that's a solution at all because I mean I'll give an example you know when my daughter and again I apologize because she'll be embarrassed. I shouldn't be bringing it up

206in this way, but you know, when she doesn't understand something in a class and I'm at a board meeting, let's say till 10:00 at night and she wants explanation of how to do Pascal's triangle, she can take what the teacher might have said in a not very clear way to her cuz it's not the way she learns, put into AI and say, "Can you explain this three different ways?" And then one of them will resonate with her. And it can be actually very useful as an educational tool when used in that sort of a way. And so that's something that again when used right when used in these ways I think there is a benefit but it's how we put those bounds on it to make it useful. Um the point that was brought up

207about clear measurable metrics for using technology and the result of using the technology is you know needs to be part of this. What is going to be that plan for assessment of use? Is there going to be the tracking with some of the automated software? I mean in theory you could track the number of time every time a kid logs into their Google Chromebook. You could say this kid spent 4 hours on the screen throughout the day. And that could be something we could then go back to the teachers or go back to the, you know, the site and say, "Look, these classes are using it a lot more than they should be." And let's figure out a way collaboratively to get through that. So, I think there's ways to do that. Um, and that

208would just be really useful. And again, sorry for going on. I feel like a mic here. And I say that in a good way. Um, lots of good lots of good ideas. But um you know the other thing you know also is worry about the fact and this is this is another one of these tricky areas that we as a school are also requiring the technology use even at home and so how do you deal with a parent that doesn't want to have screens at home but kids are required to take pictures of their homework to turn it in on Google classroom so that connection needs to be made and fixed so there has to be a way I remember back with co before I was on the bo the board. I was saying hiring

209maybe tech assistants so the students could bring in their assignments, get them scanned and get them thrown on Google Classroom. They would eliminate again at 10:00 at night when my kids trying to go to or should be going to sleep but not necessarily trying and has to pick up their phone to then take 10 pictures to turn in the math assignment so it won't be late the next day. That's now encouraging screen use at a time when a parent might not want it to happen. Again, not an easy problem, but one we need to start thinking about. Same thing. I'm struggling. My son, I'm very proud of him. He voluntarily gave up technology for a large portion of especially during the school week, but now he has no ideas when he's missing assignments because synergy

210is how you log in to figure out if you're missing assignments. And so he's having to ask me, hey, can I have some more time for synergy to be able to do that? So, how do we connect that? Can the teacher start giving notes like the old days, hey, these assignments are missing. Um, maybe talk to the kids, let them know. I mean, I know that's a little out there. Um, but how how do we make sure? Sorry, I didn't mean that in a negative way, but it's just again I think we use technology as a crutch by human nature and we need to look for those ways to reconnect because we those are the difficulties um that I think we have in teaching kids that this isn't, you know, something they always need to

211use. Um the last point on that one and then I was going to do one quick response to Trusty Outmire, but the last point on this was the same thing. It it is this idea of opting out is a really interesting one and I would love to think about what that could look like because I don't think it's going to be easy given how much technology is part of the daily life but maybe there would be a teacher that would want to be hey I'd like to do a you know a tech-free um semester or maybe part of the wheel or you know I'd be interested in exploring what that could look like so if there is a parent that wants to opt out from screens at school we could see is there a niche

212and then if that niche starts expanding maybe we need to look into that is how do we advance the curriculum that way? Not sure what that would look like, but again, that's why I'm not the smartest one in the room here. Um, and then the last part just what you're saying about not being left that point you made trust about being not being left behind in technology is the problem that I see and have seen with my own kids is that is that unfettered tech access 8 hours a day or whatever. That's you can get the access and you can learn how to scroll on YouTube and Tik Tok. But part of what we should be doing as a school and what we should be doing as a society more broadly is teaching and this

213was very clear in the tech plan but teaching kids how to use that technology. And if we don't teach that then it's going to happen. I mean I' I remember telling my daughter she's not allowed to watch R-rated movies but then she goes over to the friend's house and they're watching lots of R-rated movies. So, it's it's that teaching of how to use it and how to advocate for yourself when it is approaching those levels where you don't want to be. That is not an easy task, but one I think that we um should be trying to take on. So, thank you for my five minutes of >> monologue. >> Thank you for sharing your comments and perspective. That's why we're here. Clerk Schmoths. >> Um, thank you so much for this plan. I I

214think you did just a wonderful job of laying it out and giving us a tool to really start with. And um I and I and I I would you know this is a tool to start with and I know you know that and so um the one thing that hit me is that really um it's going to be different for the different levels and it has to be and and so a lot of what people are talking about I I feel we're much more geared toward the elementary when you talk about screen time and that type of thing. Um and then screen time is you know how do you define that because um you know it it screen time can be you're reading something on your Chromebook you know I mean so is that objectionable

215or you know and so what is the um what is the evidence saying about eyeballs on the screen you know and and to me that's what we should be guiding ourselves with um because we are not going to be have hopefully we're not going to be having kids doing you know games on the on their screens. I mean to because those are definitely programmed to capture the chemistry of the brain and not let go. I I've seen it with my grandson. It's scary. Um, so, so we're not doing that. All right. So, so that can be, you know, as like said and like YouTube. Yeah. We don't need YouTube. You know, they they can go home and use YouTube. School doesn't need it. >> Um, but yes. So, for me, it's it's really about the

216separation between elementary, middle school, high school. Such different levels, such different needs. um those things should be sorted out. I love the plan because it you you are putting forward uh their recommendations that means they can be totally changed you know it's it's start here start here you know and the teachers are going to give feedback the parents are going to give feedback um so the other two things I just want to say is um okay we mentioned the word library So since we don't have any librarians, we need to just say media texts because we don't have librarians anymore. There that's not a job description. Our job descriptions now say media text. So that's just one little thing. Um the other thing I want to ask you about, you have security cameras here that

217you're in charge of. You're in charge of a lot. You're in charge of >> Let me split this. Yeah. So, this kind of question maybe for Josh, too. Like, would that be better outsourced to a company to to work with that or not? Like, it just seems to me that you guys having to also deal with security cameras. Um, it just seems like an added extra work for you. We have a lot of work for you guys, but go ahead. Actually the security cameras are monitored mostly by the site >> uh by the sites. >> So that ties into your work. >> So I manage the system. >> The sites are the ones when there's an issue they have the authority and the power to see what happened >> in that situation. >> Okay. >>

218So every once in a while they call me in but most of the time it's them doing majority of the work. >> Okay. So if they need new cameras you Okay. >> Right. >> All right. So, you're okay with that is what I'm saying. All right. Bruce is looking for more work. >> Okay. >> All right. That's it. Thank you. >> Thank you, Clerk Shamas. And I think with regard to the security camera cameras, we're filling in blind spots that we still have and we don't have an employee who actively monitors like real live footage because that would be an entire >> job. Um, but we do have the sites who can look back and see what happened. And hopefully we're filling in all those spots that need to be monitored as well on all

219of our campuses. >> Great progress on that. I know. Yeah. >> Yeah. Okay. Um, I know you've heard a lot of comments. Um, and I would probably echo a lot of what was said, so I'll just stick to the things that I don't think I've um heard yet. Um, I'll start with thanks and gratitude. um from staff and um admin staff as well as the site level staff who have contributed to the plan and the teachers who took time out of their busy days to um offer their experience and their expertise. Um I I agree with you that this is like a tool like this is a plan in real time. You know AI is going to change in a week. Um technology is going to be changing ongoing. So, kind of the way I

220look at it is it's our job to put the feedback and gather input and kind be in constant conversation about, you know, what would best meet our students um and staff needs. Um so, this is like a living document. Um so, I appreciate where we're at and this is a great starting point. I will now start with my own experience with AI. Recently I went to a continuing education seminar online and it was for attorneys and the first question and it was about AI use in the profession and the first question they asked everyone in the room was do you use AI in your law practice and like 30% of attorneys in that room thought they did not which is I mean truly at the beginning of the conversation people really thought AI was not

221integrated into every single platform form. I mean AI was being used to compile the results of the question. So um I guess with that like how if AI is everywhere and integrated into so many things I see it as a huge challenge if we are going to attempt to block AI. I can tell you just in my own personal parent experience, uh, it's being used on Chromebooks during the day, uh, for assignments. And I think as we're talking about this tech plan, a piece that's going to be really essential that isn't necessarily here, but is important is in educating students on what AI means when they use it for schoolwork. Because when we were kids, we would just hit Google and Google would give us a little bit of helpful information to get us on

222to the next step if we wanted to. AI, you're like, "Here's my science assignment." And then you get a whole response generated. And because kids are just used to having these tools all the time, they don't even necessarily realize it's academic dishonesty. I didn't know I couldn't use this in class. So, I want us to be really careful about what we think is not in the classroom because I think some of it maybe is. Um, and rather than blocking all AI, like educating our staff and our students about what it is and where it is, um, and just that we're all using it, whether we think we're not. Um, I just I don't I don't see any way around it just given the world that we're living in right now. So, I think my approach

223is more to find balance um in education for our students and our staff and um and in ourselves. You know, the way we model our cell phone use or the way we model our own screen use as grown-ups is really going to have an impact even if we're telling our kids no screens and no screens at school and no screens at home. Um I think I had a similar question just about looking at it at the elementary school. I think with one classroom level teacher that makes sense of how you would be able to implement screen limits. But when thinking about middle school or any other grade level with six different teachers and lessons plans, I just I imagine there's a way. I just don't know how to envision that yet because that's a lot

224of moving parts. Um I also know that we have recommendations that are being made right now and they aren't requirements. So, is policy something we can look at in the future to kind of cement where we're at? But then also on the other side of it, if this is a plan with recommendations and it's ever evolving, where where should we be um putting our efforts into um enforcement and implementation? I don't know exactly. Um do we know kind of looking at these guidelines that we're creating for all of the different grade levels? Um, do we know what kind of screen time use is going on in classrooms right now? And then I mean, I'm sure it's different for every classroom, but how does this compare to what teachers are doing? Is this going to be

225a huge change in kindergarten from one from lots of screen time to one hour or less and kind of across the levels? I'm just wondering like if this will be a big modification from the norm of who's using what. Um, because I don't know. Um, what else? Um, I think the most of the trustees have covered other things that I were going to ask. So, rather than be labor, um, we've all thrown about 40 minutes of questions at you. So, >> um, >> I'll just mention one thing. >> Yeah, >> I will. Okay, I'll give it back to you, Dr. >> Adamson. And also just to note, it's 9:40. So, um I have a feeling we will be extending our meeting. Do we want to do that now? Just so we can continue the discussion

226and >> Okay. Um we've got this item to get through just so then at 9:55 or 57 I'm not looking back at the agenda. We have this item to um talk through and then we have the board requested fiscal support review. Um how long I mean just to be safe I would just say 11 11 or well >> and then we have to go down to close session for Dr. Adamson >> and that doesn't mean we have to go to that time if the board I mean maybe we just say 11 and then we just see how time and let's try and pace ourselves. Yep. >> Maybe we say 11:30 because then we're not trying to scramble at the last minute and people are getting cut off if we don't have time. And if we

227go much shorter that's great for everyone. >> Um I'm not hoping for it. I'm just trying to plan for it. I see your >> I'll be honest. I don't know. I don't know how much use I'll be after 11. >> 11. >> Can we make a motion? I would say 11. And if we don't cover >> That's it. >> an information item. We can always >> Oh my gosh, I love this. Okay. Motion made by Trusty Hazen. Happy to second it. We're not staying past 11 tonight. Um all those in favor, please signify by saying I. >> I. Any? >> No. Okay. uh were extended to 11 pm. Thank you for the pause to do that. >> Sure. I'm just gonna touch on a couple of things that I think >> came up. if you

228mind if I just speak to a few things first and then I'm going to refer to you on a couple of those things and then yes whatever overarching and again we're just keeping in mind time and that I don't you know um I think some of the themes that came up for me and I and the reason I want to also speak I think we've got also remember you know director binder director Lewis they're kind of in charge of sort of the the plan and putting it together but we're working together with all of our various departments you know there's a component the educational services piece the student services piece so um you know I want to talk from more of a sort of a larger lens there Um and then you know I'll defer

229to director binder. Um one thing I want to say that number one you know we are this has been a topic at some of our recent superintendent meetings you know with all of our other districts in the county. I was the one who ended up actually putting it on an agenda a few months ago. um it hadn't really been brought up at all and I was curious to kind of see knowing this was coming forward where were other districts you know on this initially sort of crickets I had I had to kind of sort of facilitate this topic kind of talk a little bit about what we were doing you know and really that got things moving and it's very clear that we you know it was an important conversation there were great questions asked

230director binder actually came to one of our following meetings to sort of present to all of the superintendent we are in a really good place I'm just going tell you that right now. Um having this with what we have just even the fact that we've got some parameters in place that we have sort of vetted that we have sort of agreement with our teachers on um you know so just to give you an idea of you know where there are no answers there are some districts who are just kind of waiting for feedback and waiting for other districts to you know develop and and you know things along these lines. So really just want to say that and and for that reason too, kudos to our technology educational technology technology department on the work that's

231been done and to all of our staff involved. I'm so proud for that reason as well. Um so and I think that's important for the board you know to be aware. Um and you know even with the county currently they're not giving you know just a lot of you know guidance. Um, you know, I do want to remind everyone that currently our state standards, right, the teachers are required, it is mandated they are teaching technology as part of their instruction. It is there's very clear language in our state standards that talk about um at various grade levels that teachers are required to include this in this in their instruction. It's very specific on you know developing uh products that you know use technology, doing research on technology. We have to prepare our students for the

232state testing that is all online right and so you know that begins in third grade. So, you know, we need to just keep that in mind as we're thinking about, you know, what these guidelines are. So, to some it may sound like an hour, you know, a day is a lot for, you know, a second grader. Uh, but when you kind of put it all into place and think about everything that's got to be the teacher has to prepare students for during that year, you know, it it balances it out. However, there was a really important question asked by several of you. How we how do we monitor what counts as screen time? You know, that's going to be a question I'd refer to, you know, director Bin about how we, you know, considered that.

233Does it include if a teacher is what, you know, showing a video to all of the students, right? If we're reading a book online. So, I think that's something definitely we're noting. And, you know, I think it needs maybe a little bit more um, you know, information on. Um, I think that was it. What is screen time? You know, the teacher, you know, voice in this, I think is an incredible, you know, incredibly important. What I would really want all of you to know is that many of our teachers themselves in their feedback, you know, I think over to, you know, a recent presentation that, you know, Mr. um binder did at the middle school for example and really you know what we were hearing from teachers there was very much along the lines of

234they're wanting to you know do less and you know sort of come up you know with these and really as we're presenting these guidelines to our teachers there's been they are in favor of this I think they're looking forward to having more specific guidelines that they can use in planning um so really just wanted to point that out um no argument in the fact that face toface is important that you know writing reading thing, you know, on on in an actual book, you know, that there is absolute agreement, I think, across all of our teachers, the need to develop that balance. And absolutely, I think that's what this plan is about, right? In in developing more of that intentionality and thought with our teachers through in ensuring we're including, you know, training and PD for

235them to do just that. Um, but you know, Trustees M, you said this is a start, right? And and that's how we're looking at it. It is a start. It's something we've got in base. we are ahead in you know for by so many other districts in that in that regard of the work that we've done and this is not something that's just been put together in the last two months right uh it has been thoughtful it has not been reactionary um and that's something I think I'm incredibly proud of as as superintendent of seeing this work that's been done and then really I think just you great question as well is this going to be a big change from what our teachers are already doing right and I think that's a a component as

236well um you know I think there may be variations there. But um you know kind of just understanding and knowing. So you know really important there. Um but I think >> so I'll pick it up right there actually really quickly. Um consistency of practice that ties directly to the professional development professional learning and the structures we already have in place through PLC process professional learning communities. Working closely with Dr. Hagquist on rolling out next year some uh focus on how to identify active engagement using the SAMR model using the edtech triangle using referencing the standards teams of teachers working by grade level or by department that's that's the fabric of the PLC process and that's how you change practice on a consistent level when we get teachers together talking about lesson design and planning, co-planning

237lessons where they're referencing these barometers of intentionality and they're reflecting on their own practice. Oh, last year I did that assignment using Google Slides. I I don't need to do that anymore because it's only getting them to the to the uh substitution level. Um reading textbooks on on Chromebooks, that's a thing that that's going away because that's direct substitution. they can read the hard copy textbook. Doing a worksheet on a Chromebook is no longer acceptable practice. These are conversations that teachers will have in collaboration when they're working in their PLC's. So, I'll just touch on that. That's one thing I think we need to keep in mind as we move forward uh in this plan. Um how to monitor that also surfaced as a as a concern. Understandably, Director Alghazi and I have these data.

238We know exactly how many hits each student has performed in a given time uh limit uh online. We know whether or not that's uh evidence of them surfing and going at the various sites. We can see which sites they're trying to get to. Are there gaming sites? We can see whichever sites they're on at what time of day. And it sounds big brother. I'm sorry, but that's the reality. We have this data and that's going to be some of the quantitative data that we reflect on as we look at whether or not we've got consistency of practice around these this framework of screenbased uh technology in the classroom and how how much of it is being used. So, there's a lot more to unpack here. Again, giving you the highle view of the plan was

239the the goal tonight. Um and and most importantly what trustee Shamas indicated this is a conversation starter. This is like you like like President McNary it's a living document. It will evolve over time just like the technology does so rapidly now. So we expect to make revisions as we proceed in year one year two. Things will change. No question about it. We we have no idea where AI is going to be in next year, let alone after this summer, quite honestly. It's it's incredible. I mean, you know, we got to really take a a step back and and and look at where we are right now. And also, and I'm speaking for myself, we have to resist the temptation of using AI for entertainment or amusement purposes because we don't know what's where this is

240all headed. And so that's really the guardrail we're trying to implement in this district with regards to the use of AI first and foremost. And uh and I liked your ideas about, you know, how do we get policy in place? Well, if students are caught using an AI checker, we already have a policy. That's academic dishonesty. That's subject to discipline. Now, how teachers discuss that and to what level they take action that that those conversations will occur in in in the P. One comment to that though. AI checkers are not foolproof either. We know. So that's my point. I mean, you can't use it as a strict >> You're absolutely right. We heard it from our our our pilot teachers. They're using AI checkers at the high school in the English department. They're the ones

241who provided the most domain expertise in this area for the plan. And so we know that they are uh imperfect instruments just like AI is. AI is an imperfect instrument. It's going to, like you said, hallucinate half the time and it requires strict human oversight, which is exactly what we placed in the plan as a as a foundational requirement for its use. So, um, I'll go on and on, but I know people's time right now is is limited and I want to make room for any other comments. >> Thank you. >> Oh, all right. We'll stay behind the scenes. >> Okay. >> Um, trusty wax. >> So, just real quick, I mean, with that AI checker comment to go back to the blue books, like what would be the negative, I guess, of going back

242to blue books or, you know, whatever. Um, >> I think that's a a question that I have. You know, I I I understand that there are longer book reports or essays or that sort of thing, but even then there's, you know, you could have an e-reader with just a document processor that's not connected to Google. Not everything has to be connected to Google or whatever. So, >> correct. >> Um, you know, we'll talk about this in the future, too. >> We definitely will. Um, in fact, um, this has been a really great discussion. Um, and this item will be returning, um, to the board for review again on I believe it's our June 4th meeting. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> So, >> one comment is I think we're in terms of the direction, right? >>

243Sorry. >> Yeah, that was Yeah. Is that was that was the plan, right? The bind or >> Yeah. The feedback that we've received tonight is obviously crucial in making any final revisions or tailoring the plan to maybe include some of these discussion points. Uh and then we can bring it back for another pass and then hopefully we can secure uh board approval on this obviously before the start of next school year. That's the that's the intent. The one thing I was going to ask and I obviously this something of the interest of the board but I do like the idea we have a facility subcommittee we have a budget subcommittee. We have already a tech committee kind of working, but do we want to formalize that a bit more with potential community engagement nights um

244along the process to make sure maybe once a year or twice a year there's the opportunity to get this input because I do think that's >> we could definitely we'll talk about that and see what we want to as you said there's a tech committee at one of our schools already and there's a more of a staff committee so you know just expanding that a little bit more and >> but I mean to that effect you bring up a good point. How do we evaluate the the success of the plan's implementation besides using the quantitative metrics that we just spoke of? We also have some qualitative pieces that we're looking at satisfaction surveys for parents uh on the ground uh classroom observations to see what the degree of petrol technology use is and how it's

245being used. Obviously, that's going to weave into observations at the at the site levels. Um, so some other kind of story based anecdotal informations that we'll collect as well over the course of the duration of the plan. >> Thank you, Director Binder. >> Okay. >> Thank you, board, and to the members of the community who were here and stayed late to um provide your feedback. Um, it is very appreciated. So, thank you. Um direction given for more information and the plan to be brought back at the next meeting that it is to be brought back at. >> Um thank you. Um the last substantive really substantive item on our agenda is B. Board requested fiscal support review and assistant superintendent Jordan. This is yours >> or >> thank you president. >> Yeah. Is it yours?

246>> It's mine. Okay. >> Yep. You have the >> Oh, Lewis popping it up. >> This was This was developed. >> Yeah. AI. >> Both of them. >> So was this. We love Gamma. >> It just helps you put presentation. >> What is gamma? >> It's an AI uh >> an AI tool. >> Presentation creator. >> Okay. >> So, >> it was on the bottom. The little gamma symbol was at the bottom of each page. a >> document or some kind of prompt and it generates a whole presentation for you. >> AI. >> I don't think so. >> That needs to be completely reviewed. >> Yeah. But if you do if you do it the right way, which is develop develop an outline first, >> right? And not a prompt, you get what you want

247out of it. And that's the way I use it. >> Um, okay. Tonight we're talking uh we're going to talk a little bit about um a recommendation that came from the board taking kind of a more focused look at potential consult uh consulting services to support uh and assist with our ongoing budget work. Um this is part of a broader effort to ensure we're making well-informed, thoughtful fiscal decisions as we proceed into the next fiscal year. Of course, we're walking into the budget adoption period which here is in June. Uh but then the whole process repeats. Um, so two firms we're going to talk about tonight specifically are the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, uh, known as FickMat and School Services of California. FICMAT, uh, was actually born out of AB1200 legislation. Uh, I'

248I've said I've said that quite often. Um, but AB1200 is essentially when a district is approaching receiverhip, which is uh, not able to maintain their 3% reserve for economic uncertainty. So that's where FICMA came from. School Services of California. They are a for-profit entity uh that also um is kind of tied back to the AB1200 legislation from the 90s. Um both organizations are well established in the state of California. Both organizations work with uh school districts all of the time. Um and at the board's request, staff's bringing this forward for simplyformational purposes tonight to determine what our pathway might be moving forward. Next slide, Lewis. So taking a look at the uh the two partners we have here on the screen. Fickmot uh FikMat offers three primary services. Uh first one of them is a

249multi-year projection uh or my uh providing a detailed look at our financial outlook over the p uh this year and uh two subsequent fiscal years. They also perform a fiscal health risk assessment analysis. Um they do this for districts that are in fiscal hardship, but they can do it for any district. uh they evaluate uh the overall fiscal stability of the district and identify any potential concerns or areas of concern that the board may want to take up. Third, they look at uh they'll do an internal processes review focused on assessing our our district's internal controls and business procedures. School services on the other hand offers two services. Um they're both designed to help align programs and staffing with fiscal realities through structured and collaborative process. Uh one is a comprehensive budget review which provides

250an external perspective on our current financial plan. Um next slide. Okay. Option one for Fikmat. Fickmat's multi-year financial projection or my assessment uh is something that they do provide districts again districts that are struggling uh with developing multi-year projections that uh do not show uh upward growth in reserves. uh those that are experiencing multi-year deficit spending or those that are closely approaching a potential uh 3% economic reserve. Uh for our district of our size, uh something like this, this is a scope uh from them. It would uh require about 3 days on uh of work on site with an estimated total cost of around $3,400. Uh the process is structured kind of in four steps. First, they do an orientation meeting. Figmat team meets with the district leadership team to outline scope. This is something

251I talked about at the last board meeting when this was discussed. What scope would the board like us to look at? Well, when Pikmat comes in, they're going to sit down with leadership and of course at that point in time. The the district's going to have direction from the board what scope we would like to have them look at. Um they want to clarify the purpose for for the project and then review a schedule uh for their time on site. Second, they start the fieldwork process. That's um during that phase, the team develops an independent multiple uh uh multi-year projection tool. uh it includes fiscal year and the two following subsequent fiscal years uh with detailed cash flow analysis. They do this with data given to them by the district office. Predominantly it comes out

252of our SAX accounting software something that our office use to build the budget do first interim second interim and so forth. Um the third component is an exit meeting and a letter uh which is the conclusion of their on-site work. um that comes to us in about 10 business days uh and the district and basically it's a summar they summarize um what they saw and they provide some recommendations uh as to making uh changes within our internal practices and that district letter uh is uh something that they would bring forward and present to the board. >> Yeah, >> it's 3,400 or 34,000 >> thousand. >> Yeah. Is that okay? 3 I say 100 34,000. Okay. Uh next slide, Lewis. So, here's the fiscal health risk analysis tool. Um I'll give you a little bit of

253perspective. When I went through the uh 2-year training to be a CBO, um this is something that we did uh through the USC program quite a bit. We looked at FHAS to determine what districts may or may not be moving towards AB1200 receiverhip. Um it is a pretty healthy uh look at a school district top to bottom. Uh it's a great fiscal review tool. Uh the deliverable is essentially the risk assessment that they give us at the end. It gets published on FickMat's website. It's something they present to the board and they outline any of the potential areas that a district might have uh that could put them into receiverhip. Again, the focus on all of this is keeping a district out of receiverhip. um through all all this uh all of these items and

254scope items. There's that they do make recommendations um but they're make making recommendations about processes not making determinations for a district as to what they should or should not do uh as it relates to program. I just want to be clear about that. Uh the core objective with FICMAT uh and and the FH is to establish a 20 factor framework to evaluate the district's overall fiscal health. Uh in terms of what the process looks like, it begins with an orientation meeting. Follows the same steps mentioned in the previous slide associated with the my services. Similar to the previous service, both a draft and final report are produced. They're published publicly on the FICMAT website and then the board would u receive a update from Fikmat at the end. Next slide, Lewis. Uh the third option

255FICMAT has is a business internal procedural review. Um this board may or may not uh remember when we did this through school services of California for our human resources department. This is essentially the same type of internal process review. They take a look at the structure of the business office. They took a look, excuse me, they take a look at your internal controls, standard operating procedures, interview staff, not only at the district office but at the sites. It's a pretty comprehensive look at the district's operational function. Uh from the business office perspective, uh the service takes about two to three weeks on site plus the production of documentation at the end that's reviewed by staff. Uh cost for this is around $29,000. They look at five key areas. budget development and monitoring, position control, payroll,

256accounts payable, and accounts receivable and how they kind of function within each other or if they function in a silo, which is uh not something we try to do here in our district office, but some some districts do have uh departments that tend to function in silo. And that's one of the things that that that would be um uncovered during the review process. This is all finalized as as I mentioned um with a board update and board review. Slide six. Next slide, Lois. So now we're shifting quickly to school services. I mentioned they have a couple of different uh scope options for us. Uh it's important to note that uh this is not a formal audit that school services is willing to do for us. The same with FICMAT. They don't consider these as audits,

257right? We have an audit team that does our auditing for us. We are currently in an audit. I joke all of the time about this that we are in an audit all year long. We literally are in an audit all year long. Whether it is your um interim audit, mid-stage audit, final findings audit, unaudited actuals audit, and then final actuals audit. We're doing audits all year long. They do look at your auditors. They do look at the auditing process. They all of this is defined in um in a in a document that's published by the state of California. So, our auditors follow that. School services takes a look at it as well and make sure that we're being adherent to the process. Uh the cost for the service of the detailed budget reviews around 20

258uh 21,500 plus any out-of- pocket expenses. Uh there's travel involved of course. So that's probably where the out of out-of- pocket expenses uh expenses may fall. Uh in this phase, their work focuses on reviewing all major revenue and expenditure categories that impact the general fund combined restricted and unrestricted predominantly. uh they don't often look at all of their funds, but if the board so desires to have that scope included, uh that would of course change the cost associated with this and and that's every one of our other funds from fund8 to fund 50 that I report on at interim and and budget adoption. Um really they look at four key areas. They look at ADA and enrollment revenue assumptions, expenditure assumptions, and finally the multi-year projection. They assess the MYP and they provide recommendations uh

259where assumptions may be unrealistic. Uh for example, right, we're a basic aid school district and we do receive our revenue projections on assess valuation and growth from the county uh treasur's office. Sometimes those numbers are not fully accurate. Um I was in Sacramento a couple of weeks ago and I had a really great conversation with Tony Thurman, who's our SPI, about basic aid school districts and how not all basic aid school districts are the same. And I talk about this all the time in comparison to Carmel. We are not apples to apples with how our assessed valuation growth and our tax revenue comes in. We are just not. I've talked about Prop Prop 60 Prop 13 cap and so forth. It was an eye openener for the SPI to have this conversation because he said

260you're a basic A district. Aren't you just flushed with cash? And then I started talking about well we have a district the same size next door to us and their revenue is 110 million compared to our revenue of 50 million. How is that? Well, we have to have those discussions. So, school services really does take a look at that really when they look at the revenue, not just categorical funding and federal revenue and all of the grants that we apply for, but for a basic a district, how are we different than other basic a districts and why does our revenue look the way that it looks? Next slide, Lewis. Uh, this slide is just a continuation of the um the deliverables part of this process. Of course, as I've mentioned throughout, they do a a

261full internal review. They do a draft version which goes to the district to review, make comments on just like we did with school services and then they come and they provide the board a report and recommendations. Next slide. Um the second option for school services of California is their uh the facilitation support services. This work is like more process driven and collaborative in nature. Uh school services partners with us uh and our leadership team to develop guiding principles. So this is kind of more policy level. Um, we've talked about policies and and guiding policies maybe for setting uh a reserve in our district. That's just an example of something that they would look at to help guide the district, set goals, principles, and policies to help the district become um more fiscally stable or on

262a better track. Uh the cost for this service is approximately 32,700 plus expenses. And the process unfolds in four steps. Uh they first have the initial conference with us. They work with the management team to align our goals, timelines, and overall expectations. And of course, we're coming in with the goals and expectations of of the board and the scope. Uh second, they facilitate up to six structured sessions. Each session can run up to three hours uh with additional planning meetings uh as needed to maintain progress and continuity. And this is associated with um interviewing staff, not only our staff, but at the site level staff. Uh and then third is the data and input gathering. The this includes gathering recommendations uh from department and program leaders um gathering staff input through surveys and developing communication

263materials to support trans transparency through this process. We really want to let folks know what is the process going to look like from A to Z uh and when is their involvement throughout that process. So, our office managers at the site are are integral members of this, our principles, anyone that really has a has uh uh you know, has their fingers in the budget, so to speak. Last slide. So, after what I presented tonight, we're we're kind of at a point where staff like is looking for direction from the board. Um I would love to know what scope services are more highly desired than others. Um I presented five items tonight. These are the five items that both uh thick and school services offered me. Um I did have uh an hour-long consultation with each

264one of these entities before preparing this presentation. Um secondly, I'd like to mention that, you know, if it's helpful, we can bring either FickMatter or school services in. Um, I had intended to have them both here tonight, but they both felt like that probably wasn't the best time to bring them in because we're simply delivering information to the board, sharing with the board, you know, the scope and services that that they have available uh if we so desire to move forward. And the goal this evening for me and our district is to GL uh gain clear uh direction so we can move forward with um either bringing in a consultant to review uh one of these five items or um helping the board or helping the district understand better what the priorities and support mechanisms

265the board might want to see moving forward as we progress through uh the next portion of our budget development process which of course is budget adoption. Then we roll into next year. Um and then one key point I wanted to note at the end is um you know we did we did establish the budget advisory committee and I think that's been a very helpful tool for us. Um in talking to both entities um they were very surprised to hear in a positive way that not only are we doing it and we're doing it more often than once a year before budget adoption which a lot of districts do from what I understand. uh but the folks that are making up that committee um and how important it is to have those type of stakeholders on

266the committee and have their input uh before any recommendations are brought to the board whether the recommendations are from the committee or just in support of the committee having those thought partners um both entities mentioned was very important to the budget development process so they kind of gave us a kudos for that and I think that was uh the board's direction so with that I yield my time and I'm open for questions >> all right thank you for the presentation first before board questions. We will go out to public comment if there's anyone in the room or online who'd like to make a zero. Oh, >> okay. It being 10 p.m. I'll bring it back to the board for um discussion if anyone would like to start us off. You'll Okay, clerk Shamas will start

267us off. Um, okay. So, we get the county to give their assessment of us fiscally because that's what they're supposed to do. And I'm assuming that um if they thought we needed Fikmat, they would recommend it. Would they? >> Yeah, >> certainly. Absolutely. Yeah. >> So, they haven't done that. >> They have not. Um, you may have just seen the second interim. Did it get circulated to the board? Um, and there's kind >> We need to forward it to >> Okay. I apologize. >> Just came in. Yeah. >> Yeah. They do. The county does a full thorough review of everything we submit to them through every budget process. And there's six points throughout the year. I'm not going to rehlight what they are. They are. You see them all. You hear me talk about it

268six different times a year. Um, and then they give us a summitive report, right? Um, and in there, I would say the last, it predates me, there's been this disclaimer that the district is continuing to deficit spend. And with the district's reserve levels where they're at, that the county understands that this is not the most appropriate way to operate. However, it doesn't put us in fiscal crisis or projection doesn't put us in a multi-year projection projected fiscal crisis. There's it's a paragraph. It's been there since I have come into the district. Um, I would like that paragraph to no longer be in the assessment of anything that we submit to the county and it really is a result of structural deficit spending. So, um, yeah, do they do a thorough review? Yes, they have an

269entire internal business services department of about 16 people that review every budget in the entire county. Um, their responsibility is to maintain districts uh, meeting or exceeding their 3% reserve. Their entire job is to keep districts away from being AB1200 receiverhip districts because we actually have one of the first two in the county still in our county that MCOE oversees. >> Yeah. >> Which was King City. >> Okay. Um and the other question or comment I have is that caught my eye is when you were detailing out the school services. Um, you mentioned something about policies, you know, that could help budget uh direction and I would be interested in knowing like are there policies, you know, aside from we already talked about a a reserve policy, but are there other kind of policies that

270maybe we don't have that could help us um, you know, direct our budgeting? in a more positive way. Um, so I I'm not saying we should ask them or pay them to give that to us because I don't know that we need to do that. But that is an an interest of mine to look at, you know, hey, are there some districts that have policies that we could benefit from? >> Yeah. And you bring up policies. We had a pretty good discussion at the policy committee about this the other day and not just related to uh reserve levels but you know policies around receipt of one-time funds. Um so that's something the board is going to see. Um I actually wrote a policy and an AR that we do not have which we're going to

271have to go through policy committee on. We didn't have time that day to review. So yeah the the answer is yes. I mean, certainly there are there are additional guard rails that we can put in, have it be a board policy or an administrative regulation that other school districts have in place. We're not reinventing the wheel here. Um, that would help the district kind of shape its practice associated with budget development and projections. >> Anyone else? Um, are there any services that either organization um offers that you feel would be like um like as an outsider, the business process review thing seems like something that you you don't have the people power to do right now. Would that be helpful? Or would there be some other, you know, process that they could do that you

272would like you would think would be helpful but just don't have the bandwidth to do? >> Well, I'll say over the course of the last well, in transition from our prior fiscal officer to our current fiscal officer, I have had a couple of retired annuitants working for us and one of them worked on an internal controls manual. her and I, Cheryl Beller, she's a retired uh fiscal officer for Carmel. Uh we worked on an internal controls document for us, which really is something that I could hand to, let's say we hire a new accounts payable person. We did just hire a new one, but let's just say for argument sake, we could hand them that desk manual and it and it essentially tells them what their daily, weekly, monthly, yearly duties are associated with everything

273from excise tax to processing AP payments. So that was a wonderful exercise that we and now we have a tool we can use that would have been something I would have liked to have when I started at this district and it is something we have now um like the tech plan it's kind of a living document right we're we're making changes all the time does staff have the time to constantly update that and make changes no but through our department meetings when things get flagged as an issue or we need to make a change or a pivot in the way we do do things we certainly memorialize it in that in that document. So, um I'd say that was helpful. I we did it internally with the support of um some retirees. You know, the

274fiscal health risk assessment that FickMat does. It's a great tool um to show I mean to ultimately show how well bless you how well our district is doing. Um even though right we've had an expenditure problem we've been talking about for a very long time. and I've been talking about in the four years I've been here. Um, you know, the board made I know that very difficult decisions that were made and again reflected tonight in the board agenda, but at the very same time, those difficult decisions have put us on a trae trajectory of positive fiscal health. And you're going to see that when I bring the budget adoption forward like writing the the you know flipping the deficit into a surplus is still very very realistic for this district with the actions that were

275taken and I know they were difficult but those actions did the result is going to be that we're on a much better track fiscally with our reserve um even with the projected reductions which I'll mention when I do the budget adoption in revenue. So, you know, some of our federal revenue is down, property tax revenue, I cannot get the county to commit to a year-over- percentage. Even with a lower percent anticipated in the outy years, we are starting to see a surplus in our budget. And that's the first time I've seen it. I believe it's the first time we've seen it since 2019. So, back to your question, um, which I I I meandered off of there, tend to do, trusty wax. Um, you know, I see some benefit in having another set of eyes

276help us refine processes, look at internal controls. You know, I think that my my fear associated with that is is kind of the result of the human resources study that was done through school services at California. There was a cost. They gave us wonderful recommendations that actually helped us kind of reshape some of our internal processes. And then there were a myriad of other recommendations that we couldn't implement because they we the district didn't have the capital to fund those recommendations. So that's my only trepidation around it, right? Is that we define gap areas that we then can't support with staff or additional staff. That's my only and and that may not be the case, but I'm just being candid with you. Okay. Any other trustees wishing to make a comment? Clerk or not clerk,

277>> you're simply trusting me. >> Simply simply trusty hasten. Um I would just echo the two that kind of the two points. I mean one I believe if we were in this stage where we needed FCMAT we would have been told and on Mike's point maybe one thing that would be good from the budget office would be to get some ideas on other other itinerants that could help us provide the advice to you when there are times that you need it. It's not advice but the the people time I should say to help get some of those things done. might be a a interim solution that would be towards what maybe some of the direction was. Um but something to think about nothing concrete tonight. >> Thank you Trusty. Um and then just to clarify,

278you are you would feel you feel like this would be beneficial. However, your hesitation is like from school services that we are being presented with something that we can't facilitate. Um overall though you're feeling like if if one of these was selected um let's say the the option from FCMAT you feel you do feel like there would be benefit as far as cost versus benefit. Um, yeah. I mean, there could be a benefit to a fiscal health risk assessment analysis for the district. Um, I mean, I'm thinking more of the benefit associated with giving us the guard rails we need. I mean, that's really just simply a look at our districts. I'm just I looked right at that one again. Um, and I'm familiar with it. Um, it does give a district kind of a

279framework for what it should be doing moving forward. Um, I don't know. I mean, on the multi-year projections, really, it's a matter of looking at at revenue and expense. Um, I don't see a benefit to having someone come in and our MYPs, and I would say this, and this is not me, it's my business office and my predecessors as well, like we're pretty close with actuals to rejections, right? I mean, within the margin of error is 3% and we've we've had years of less than a percent, we've had years of 2.9%. Right? So, um I don't know how much that would benefit the district like spending $34,000 to come in and help us recraft a multi-year projection, but again, like all of these are like all I'm not saying our heads are in the sand

280in this district office. We're not. We're always looking outside. I mean, we bounce everything I bounce I bounce every move I make off of the CBOS in the county. All of them, the county office of education and the CBO there. Um, I have relationships with people in Fikmat and people in school services that I've known for years and so forth. Like we can reach out and if we have questions, we can get answers and we can get support and we can get supportive guardrail information provided to us for free because of the networks that we maintain. Um, I mean I just go back to I feel like if we want validation, that's not what we're looking for. I think I mean the fiscal health risk assessment tool is going to validate that our district is

281fiscally healthy. It it that's that'll validate that for us. It will um we maintain above a 3% reserve. We we're showing reserve levels going up. We're showing surplus levels. I know you haven't seen that yet, but I'll present it in the budget. Um so I'm not sure how much that would help us. I I I kind of go back to uh Trustee Shamas's question or comment about policy. Um, I certainly think we need to establish policy or administrative regulations related to the receipt of revenue tying that revenue to expense and with a with a clear understanding of expiration of revenue. One-time revenue tied to specific expense means that the expense has to go away. I mean, I hate to say it that way, but like we can find other alternative solutions, but that and I

282mean, that sounds simple enough to say, but I think we need to look at that more than anything. And listen, we're in the same boat as everyone right now. So, 20 23 and 24 districts in our county are deficit spending in 2526. All have positive certification just like us, but that doesn't mean it's not an issue. So, I I I'm sorry I completely danced around your question. I apologize. I I mean, do I see a benefit to support? I do. Um I just don't know which scope would help benefit us to be honest with you. >> I guess that's kind of the piece I'm looking for too because it's so >> it's so broad too that it's and it's hard to know like what what specifically is going to help highlight things that we could

283be doing better. Where is Yeah. So, okay. Well, thank you for that. It's okay. Trusty Wax. >> One one more thing with the itinerant. Um the extra helpers. Do you do you have like a rough estimate of how much was spent with Yeah. So, I had two um retirees. I it was around $12,000 I think under just under $12,000 for the period of time from when our fiscal officer left us and we had no one in that position and we we brought a retired annuitant in to fill the position until we hired the most wonderful asset that I've ever found in a business office which is Karly Adams, our current fiscal officer. She's a rock star. Um uh and then Cheryl Beller helped us with this. It was a project based only and I think

284hers was it was in the neighborhood of around 3,000. I think that Veronica was in the neighborhood around eight. So that's 9,000. It might it might have been under $10,000 that we had that support. But that was daily, right? This that was not like for Cheryl it was project based. She did the the internal controls manual for us. Um, and I think that there was value that there was absolutely value in that because this district did not have a desk manual for the business office. We have one now. Does that answer your question? Okay. Um, thank you for all of the information and some good questions. Um, I was going to ask what does staff recommend, but I'll just take a jump at this. Um, I don't hear you recommending that we use these services

285right now. What I kind of hear and what I'm gathering from our conversations during this budget cycle is that this is something had we not made cuts to um stop structural deficit, we may be looking at the reserve still going down and needing help and getting closer to receiverhip. And since we did take steps to put ourselves on a more healthy fiscal path and be able to focus on kind of more long-term sustainability instead of just like stopping the bleeding, I hate that. There's got to be a better way to say that. Um, the purpose of these programs is to keep districts out of receiverhip. I don't see us right now on a path to receiverhip. I think we've taken some necessary steps to set to take our trae trajectory the other way. Um, and

286like Trusty Sham says, we do have oversight at MCOE. Um, we have auditors um that come in and take a look at um there we're constantly in an audit. That's an interesting perspective because we are. But um so the question for me is kind of like do we need additional oversight? Um, if the majority of the board would like it, I'm open to it, but I don't necessarily need see the need and the cost benefit analysis and all that we have going on in the district right now to add this to uh the business department's plate. That's my two cents. Um, we would need direction from the board um for any option that we select. So, um, does anyone else want to chime in? Not all at once. >> Well, I'm not I'm not interested

287in in hiring either one of those. >> Okay. >> Firms. I mean just I think it's good to have the information and you know I think that uh depending on Josh to let us know you know what um what policies he's he's interested in for us to be you know putting together. I think that's probably the best thing that we can do. I mean I you know I don't believe that we have um you know just just a like a loosey type of system where where we need somebody to come in and tighten us up. I I think we've done that. >> Anyone else? Go ahead. Being that this is information discussion, um I'm not prepared to say that I don't want to see this back. Um and I don't think giving that direction right

288now would be appropriate. So um thank you for the information. Okay, with that, so I mean just to be clear at this time, we're not necess we're not bringing it back until there's maybe more discussion from the board and there's a decision that maybe you you know would want to give that direction. We know we've got the information. It's something we can always revisit at any time. Um but for now until more direction from the board >> this is not anybody's fault but it would have helped to have the unit audited actuals to see that but we're going on again the trust that if we're back on the right track that gives us that information to also not need it at this time but just but timing is tough because it's >> well right yeah

289and I mean that's going to be at our um June meeting. Well, we have the public the public hearing is on the 21st, >> right? So, we'll do the public hearing and I'll share >> now would be maybe a good time to decide after that whether we want to do whether >> I think that's an appropriate time to to discuss again. Perfect. Okay. I love that. Great. >> Thank you all for that. Y >> Okay. Thank you, Assistant Superintendent Jordan, for all of the information and for the questions you answered. Um, and you have the direction for that item. Thank you. Item C on the info agenda is future agenda items. Um, first to public comment. If there's anybody in this room who wants to ask for a future agenda item, I'll come back to

290the board. Um, any future agenda items? We should have the list in our packet. um with the two items currently on their fiscal resources and facility use agreement. Okay, I'm seeing no movement toward the microphone. So, we are going to conclude the open session and go back to close session and I will report out before 11 p.m. Thank you all for everything. Good night. Okay, we are reporting out from the remainder of our closed session agenda. The last item that we took up was the superintendent end of year goals review and we began that item and we'll continue it at our next meeting. So for this evening um we will adjourn with our next regular board meeting on May 21st. And um happy Mother's Day. Yeah. >> Why do I have to? >> It is

29110:50.