001Good evening. I'm calling the August 5th, 2025 meeting of the board of education in order per government code section 54950 at sequator and education code section exeutor at 503 p.m. We will now be adjourning to close session for the purpose of discussing the following matters. 3.1 Public employee discipline, dismissal, suspension, release, leave, assignment, non-reelection, nonreappointment, resignation, reinstatement, pursuant to government code 54957. 3.2 Conference with Labor Negotiations. Dr. Alan Mouserino, interim superintendent. Joan Velasco, interim assistant superintendent, administrative services, and Yolanda Mendoza, acting assistant superintendent over human resources to discuss our three unions, CSEA, APLE, and PLUM. 3.3 claims special education settlement agreement for student identified number and general liability claim number 657880. Um it looks like we have no one wishing to speak tonight. So, unless someone raises their hand really quick, we will adjourn to
002close session at 5:04 p.m. Good evening. Um, we will reconvene to regular session at 6:08 p.m. Close session. The board took action to approve the special education settlement between agreement for student identified number 1761 for 82,000. The motion was made by Mrs. Buck, the second by Mrs. Blades, and the motion carried 50. Okay, Trusty Blades, could you lead us in the Fox? >> Ready to begin to flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. Okay. Um, I'd like to request at this time if the board is agreeable that we consider moving up our student board member item 15.1 so she can join us. >> Everyone good with that? Okay. So, I need a motion.
003>> I'll make a motion. >> Second. >> Okay. I have a motion by Mrs. Blades, a second by Mrs. Buck to appoint Ariana Mahia as a student board member for the first semester for the 2526 school year. All in favor? >> I >> Okay. And there's no opposed. So motion carries. 50. And at this time, I'm going to turn it over to Dr. Mouserino. Thank you. Here we go. Thank you, Madame President, members of the board, cabinet, and members of our community. It's an absolute privilege for me here to uh to welcome uh Ariana to our board. Ariana, if you would please join me for the oath. And you could stand right here. And here's the oath. Before we do that, I'm going to uh talk a little bit about you. Um Ariana grew up
004in our district, attending Topaz Elementary, Tuffrey Middle School, and El Dorado High School, and now El Camino Realel. She's on track to graduate early this academic year and dedicates much of her time to her creative passions including choreo choreographing dances and kinaras and practice in nail design. Arian is also an engaged member of the leadership class where she actively contributes to the planning and execution of school events. Following graduation, Ariana hopes to attend forward college to pursue a career in nursing. Good for you. Ariana has a very strong support system, including her mom, Anna, who's here tonight, her young sister, Genesis, who's a fifth grader at Topaz, as well. uh also intend is to show support our principal Gina Aguilar and our dean of students Amanda Bogs. Thank you all for being here as well.
005We're very pleased that Ariana has agreed to serve as our student board member during her last year at PLUSD. So before we do the oath, one more round of applause for our star student Ariana Maher. Okay, you ready? Now we're going to do the oath of office. So please raise your right hand and repeat after me. I Ariana Mahia >> I Ariana Mahia >> do solemnly swear >> that I will faithfully discharge the duties >> that I will faithfully discharge the duties >> upon which I am about to enter >> upon which I am upon I'm about to enter. As a student board member, >> as a student board member, >> I am committed to >> providing a voice for students, >> including communicating effectively >> regarding schools, programs, >> activities, and student achievement >>
006activities and student achievement. Furthermore, >> Furthermore, >> I will do my best >> to ensure all representative opinions >> of the students of the Pentia Yor Belinda Unified School District >> of the students of the Penture Belinda Unified School District >> are actively sought, heard, and considered >> are actively sought, heard, and considered. as I serve as a student member. >> As I serve as a student member >> to the board of education. >> Congratulations to you Ariana. And now please join us up on the the dis and we'd love to get a picture mom if we can and and your sister. So, why don't we get you up in your seat here next to Trusty Blaze? How about Genesis? There you go. >> There we go. That's great. Congratulations, Adriana. We're so excited to
007have you. I mean, Ariana, um, we're excited to have you here as our student board member and to listen to your opinions and hear you represent the students of our district. I don't know if they explained to you, but each month you get a question. So this is the question for this month is what experience do you hope to gain in serving as the Placentia Yorbalinda Unified School District board member? Thank you. I'm excited. Is it on? Okay. I'm excited to experience the process of how decisions are made for students in our district. and I mainly look forward to being a voice for our students, especially those in alternative um education as well as advocating for their needs. And I'm very grateful for this opportunity. >> Thank you. We are very excited to hear a
008new voice especially representing our alternative programs and so look forward to hearing from you a lot. Okay, no pressure. Please don't be um >> Shy. Yes. Speak out. Okay. Let the um record show that all board members are here, including our student um board member. And now we need an approval of the agenda. >> I make a motion to approve the August 5th, 2025 board of education agenda. >> Second. >> As as amended. >> As amended. Second. >> Okay, we have a motion by Mrs. Blades, a second by Mr. Frasier. All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Okay. Was that an I for you, too? >> Okay, perfect. The motion carried five to zero with a stipulated I from our student board member. Okay. Public AC comment announcement. Public comment cards are available in
009the foyer. Cards must be completed and turned in prior to the designated time for public comment. Provide a maximum of three minutes per person. If translation is needed, an additional 3 minutes will be given. Please let us know. If we know ahead of time, we can ensure we are prepared. Civility policy education code 220 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic that is contained in the definition of hate crime set forth in section 422.55 of the penal code, including immigration status. Additionally, if there are any disruptions or interferences of the board's ability to conduct its meeting, the disruptive parties will be given one warning. If the disruption continues, you will be informed that the board president has found you
010disruptive in violation of penal code section 403, education code section 32210, and the board president will order you removed from the meeting under government code 54957.9 and 54957.95. If removing one or several disruptive parties does not restore order, the board president will exercise their authority to clear the room in accordance with government code 54957.9. Okay. I need a motion to approve the minutes from the July 22nd meeting. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Okay. We have a motion by Mrs. Buck, a second by Mrs. Blades. Is there any comment? or corrections. Okay. And since you weren't here at that meeting, you don't get to vote. Sorry. All in favor? >> I I >> Okay. Motion carries. 5. >> Okay. So, now we will um turn the time over um to Mrs. French and M and
011and Dr. Brewmeister from the Kuska group to provide us an update on the superintendent search to the board. I think so. There's a green light on usually good. Madame President, members of the board, Dr. Musenino cabinet and distinguished guests. The board of education of Placentia Yorbalinda Unified School District approved the Costco group as consultants to assist the district in the process of selecting a new superintendent. The Costco group prepared a schedule for the superintendent search which was developed with the board at a special board meeting. The schedule included several days with the Costco group partners while the Costco group partners met with identified groups and individuals to receive input on the strengths of the district needs and challenges facing the district as well as characteristics desired in the new superintendent. The partners met with a
012total of 251 people in focus groups and individual meetings. The participants were representatives of the district and the greater Placentia Yorb Belinda community. The groups included students, parents, district employees, parent student groups, and community members. All meetings were advertised using district procedures. The common themes presented below represent a variety of input received at each of the focus group sessions. In total, the partners collectively listened to more than 16 hours of comments from the representatives of the Placencia Yorbalinda community who shared their thoughts concerning the district's strengths, needs, and challenges as well as the characteristics desired in the new superintendent. The attached f focus group comments from these individuals have been edited for clarity and organization. An online survey was distributed to all employees and various school community group members focusing on the same three questions
013as the focus groups. There were 581 responses received and categorized by their role within the district. Parent, student, certificated, classified management supervisor, community member or other. From the input received from the board of education and the focus group comments attached, the Costco group identified the most important strengths and needs of the district as well as the desired characteristics of a new superintendent. As such, the desired characteristics were printed in all recruitment documents and will be used as the main criteria against which all applicants will be evaluated during the screening process, interviews, and the final selection process. Good evening, Madame President, board of trustees, Dr. Buseroino, cabinet, and to our community and staff. It's such a pleasure to be here tonight and quite honestly it's I'm I'm shocked that it's gone so quickly. We've had such
014a great opportunity to get acquainted with the staff here in PIL um with the community and honestly it's been a great pleasure. Um as Kirk said, we've spent about 16 hours talking with everyone from our principles, classified staff, certificated staff, our confidential staff, of course our board of trustees. We've talked with our community members. We've led focus groups and we led a um did a survey that Kirk talked about with the 581 responses which I just have to tell you in talking with all 26 partners in the Costa Group that's record-breaking. So what we've are presenting tonight is just sort of the themes that we found in all of the documents that um and all of the conversations that we've had. I would like to just remind the board I did hand out something for
015you that is just a copy of the profile which you've seen prior. This is what has been used as a recruitment tool as we've been out looking for candidates for the position. And then the other document that I have given you is a synthesized version of what we talked about over the weekend and the lengthy 28page document that I shared with you with the direct um comments that came from our groups. So if you look at page 1 through seven of this document, this simply takes all of the groups and for the purposes of confidentiality, we do not name the groups by name. So we did it group A through group O. Um not naming whether it was community certificated management or classified for the purposes of protecting people's desire to speak as candidly as
016possible. And then pages one through six, we've taken all of those strengths, challenges, and desired characteristics and summarized them. If you turn to page seven, this is really um interestingly the shortest document that I've provided to you in just a little while, but it really is the most important. What Kirk and I have done is taken all of the feedback that we've received. We've gone through every comment in every group. We've categorized the 581 comments that we received from the community via the survey and then we've put them to um we've analyzed them and disagregated them and have provided the top strengths that were your key themes, the top challenges that continued to to rise to the top as well as the desired superintendent characteristics that were common themes across all of the groups that
017we spoke with. So when we look at strengths, one of the things that continued to come to the top in in just about every group that we spoke to is the dedicated teacher and staff here in PIL. There was lots of conversation throughout really almost every group about just the um the homegrown continuity that exists with our staff. And it was really fun to I say are like I work here because I feel like I've been here for a while and I've come to really love PIL. I'm a resident, but it's just been so great to talk with all of you. We have many staff members who way they went to school here, their children now go to school here, maybe their parents work here, and so and they've just been very dedicated to not
018only to the city, but to the um to the district as well. And that's considered a definite strength. Definitely um strong academic programs and pathways, AP, AVID, arts, all the athletics, all themies. Um, this is something that the children that we were able to meet with, they just raved about. And I just want to say as a retired superintendent, I just don't think there's a better indicator of things that are going well in a school district than when you talk with kids and they get excited about their opportunities academically. Doesn't mean everything's perfect, but they definitely feel as though they have opportunity and they have access. And that is something that continued to be a very strong theme. One of the other things we heard a lot was our community and parent engagement is really
019strong. There's active voices in the community, opportunities for parents to participate at the school site, at the district level. Definitely there they want to see a little bit more organization around that and more access to that. But overall, they felt as though there was a lot of opportunity for participation. and then um continued to be a theme was diversity and inclusion efforts across the district um in both the community as well as the school district. So that's the easy thing to talk about. Now I'm going to talk about the challenges um and again these were themes that we saw in in all of our conversations. So one of the things that we talked about quite a bit um that definitely had some emotion around it was a perceived or real depending on how they express
020their feelings. lack of transparency and trust within the district. Um, we don't press people on their comments. We wrote them down unedited. We wrote them as they were stated. If people chose, if people decided they wanted to sort of extrapolate on their comments, we definitely allowed for that opportunity, but we didn't dig and ask questions. This was something that we heard almost in every group that there seems to have been some sort of a lack of trust that has happened over the last few years. Um, and that's something that definitely they would like to see addressed. They feel, and they being collectively the groups A through O, that there's political division in the district and that there are some board challenges that they feel are hard to overcome as either a community member or a
021staff member. Um, and felt that that would be a potential struggle for a new superintendent. And there was also quite a bit of chat about leadership turnover and instability. And we all know that in order for there to be continued success in an organization, one of the leading indicators is the stability between the superintendent and the board. There are statistics out there that help us to predict the success of a of a school district. And that's one of the leading indicators as well as the leadership um your management and your teachers, everyone in the district. If you look at districts that have high levels of stability, you typically will see long-term success. And so that instability is definitely something that was talked about quite readily where there was deep concern around with a new superintendent,
022how do we remedy that and how do we bring that feeling of stability back to the district. There was a concern around equity issues in resources and opportunities. The kids spoke about this and this was really around grading policy around academic access. Um, there was some concern around special education programs and what schools that they were available at and how our children with special needs had access and opportunity in comparison to maybe some of their neighbors at a different school. So, just looking at the resource and the allocation of resources was a continued theme as we talked about challenges. And then finally, the last one that we talked about quite readily was low morale and fear of retaliation. And so when that was talked about typically went back to that lack of transparency and and
023trust. So those things kind of went hand inand. So those were the those were the key themes that we found in challenges. And now I'll move on to the desired characteristics of the superintendent. And again these come from just as I don't mean to repeat myself so that I don't want anyone to think that any voice was left out. These are the themes across the gamut from groups A to groups O obviously inclusive of our board of trustees and our executive cabinet and every other part of the community. One of the things that was paramount and everyone said it is we want a superintendent with integrity, honesty and full transparency. And that that was with themselves, high integrity for themselves, high accountability for themselves and honesty and transparency with the relationship with the board collectively
024as the five member board and individually as individual board members as well as with their staff and the community. They also were looking for someone who is apolitical, is a unifier and is a very strong communicator. and apolitical just kind of going back to that challenge about the political division is that a superintendent is not an elected official. They're here to serve the board and to serve the they're the board's only employee and their political opinions are really not relative. And so the community is looking for someone who can keep that part of their life out of it while working um to unify and heal what they what the community views as currently a political division amongst the district. They would like someone who is extremely visible. This came out with the students. They really
025want their superintendent to be at their stuff. I'll just say it like the kids said it. They want them to watch them play football and listen to them sing and hear them at their concerts and walk their schools. Our our our staff want to see them not just coming in the back door and maybe talking to a couple people and walking out, but really immersing themselves in the schools. Similarly at the district office, just walking around and saying hello and being visible and being present um and just really showing their approachability as well as being extremely student centered. And that's a term we use a lot in education. It it feels a little cliche because of course we're here for students, but what does student centered mean? Right? We should be making decisions based on
026what's in the best interest of all kids in the district. And sometimes that involves making very difficult decisions. Part of that discussion was a superintendent who is willing to make the hard decisions, someone who is courageous, someone who is bold and strong but yet tender and kind. So that's a a big mix of a person, but it's doable and someone who is courageous enough to make those hard decisions when it comes to making sure that all of our kids have equal opportunity and equal access. The community is very interested in having a collaborative leader who values all of their staff and all of their community and values their board of trustees again as a collective group and as individual people with individual opinions. And then finally, I said the word already, but someone who is
027courageous, someone who can make tough decisions and stands for what is right. So those are the themes that came across in those 16 hours. Uh it was interesting to synthesize it all down to just these these these few points, but I think they're very representative of what we've heard in the time that we've in the time that we were honored to meet with all of your community and your staff who who made their voices heard. Um and again represented in those 581 survey results that we received as well. We look forward to the continued work. We are just uh August 11th, so just short of a week away from the application deadline. And then we'll get busy um working with the board at a special board meeting and looking at prospective candidates and preparing for
028the interview process that first week of September with hopefully appointing a new superintendent on September 9th if that still is the plan. Um we're looking forward to that. So I'm happy that Kirk and I are happy to answer any questions if you have any. We'd love to answer anything we can to clarify or expand if needed. >> I don't think I have any questions, but thank you very much for putting it in clear clear data and clear data points and very very understandable and very easy to see and read. >> Of course, it's been our pleasure. >> Can you speak to how many applications you've received? >> We have received two, but don't fret. I know you said most of them come towards the end. >> We will probably get most of them come Friday,
029Saturday. Uh we have about 12 prospective candidates that we know of as of right now. Um but we have two applications submitted at this point. >> Thank you so much for all the detail and all the work put into this. This is something that we needed to have done. It was very comprehensive and gives us some good direction and hopefully we'll give the new superintendent some good direction. >> Yes, of course. We'd plan to of course share all of this with your new superintendent so they have all the knowledge that that we have. You're welcome. It's been our honor. >> Can you explain your scale for the word count representation? >> Sure. We just we um so Dr. Dr. Mucrino will be proud of me on this because I'm an I'm an AI resistant uh
030not AI but chat GPT resistant person um because I want my brain to continue to work long into my life. No offense to those of you who love it. But what I did is basically a Wordle with this because I wanted to see what words were coming up most. And as I disagregated all of those, as we were looking at all those results and disagregating them, it gets a little daunting when you've got 16 hours of documentation, 581 survey results. And I want to say our survey results, they were exactly as they were in um in person. So we didn't they weren't multiple choice, so they were narrative. And and some folks spent a lot of time on those surveys, which would were very, you know, very informative. So, I just placed it all in
031so that I could get the words that showed up the most to then help go back and disagregate that to develop the themes. Um, and then I just did that whole oldfashioned my whole entire office filled with name, you know, words and and dots to make sure that we were truly representing it. We wanted to make sure when Kirk and I worked on this to make sure that every voice was heard and that we didn't miss anything. Even when, as I said, as I shared with the board, even when it's it's hard for me to deliver some of the information I have to deliver, I think it's important that every voice is heard clearly. >> One one last question. Could you speak to the comparison in the way that these surveys came out compared to
032other districts that you've done? >> Sure. Um, I can share that like I said, record-breaking 581 surveys in We had the survey open for just like 10 days, right? 10 days. Um, these surveys were very, not that surveys in the past haven't been honest, but very um, voluminous and typically we get a response, it's one or two sentences, right? because it's just I want to fill this out and make sure my voice is heard, but quite descriptive giving examples and quite honestly it was evident of the division that that does exist in opinion. And so um we didn't ask for names. We don't track the like where they came from. So we couldn't we could only tell if they were a community member or a staff member. So that that helped us give us context
033as we were developing the themes. But I would say very very involved, very robust and very transparent, very honest and also very kind. I've read some sometimes it's easy to sit behind a computer and say a thing that you would never say publicly. Um, and that did not happen. And I I I think that we only had one or two comments that felt like maybe that person wouldn't have said it if they had been in like one of the town halls, but the rest were just I just want the best for my student. I'm I'm committed to Placenti Urbalinda schools. This is what I see happening. Um so very very robust and and lengthy. I just want to thank the staff, the community, everybody that filled out these surveys. We asked a few months ago
034when all this began to please fill those out when they when they came out. So, thank you. I'm glad we're record-breaking in that. It it shows that we are trying to get the the most um information and to get the good representation from the community. So, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for doing that. >> Of course. Yeah, I I echo that. We were we tried to make sure we shared that with everyone who was present in the town halls as well and the focus groups. >> This is really amazing amount of information considering with our short timeline trying to squeeze it in before school let out and teachers left on vacation, staff left, students left. And so thank you so much for, you know, your dedication to our district and helping us through this
035project. It's very noticeable. >> Of course, it's been our honor. I want to take one second to thank Lauri and Annette because honestly we wouldn't be standing here without them. They've been so helpful in directing all of the district procedures for getting everything out and just being those people who helped us in the 11th hour almost every time. So we're super super grateful. And I wanted to say congratulations to Ariana as a student board member. Okay. Thank you so much. >> Okay, it's time for our superintendent report. I'll turn it over to Dr. Merino. >> Thank you, Madame President, and um members of the board and distinguished colleagues and everyone who is uh here tonight and watching at home. Um well, we're back. Uh our site teams returned yesterday for a half day of professional
036learning before returning to their sites to focus on the 2425 assessment data uh and then talk about 2526 uh expectations. This Thursday, we will welcome back our entire leadership team for our annual kickoff event which will be held at Elorado High School featuring the work of Stephen Mr. Cvy and the trust and inspire leadership model which revolves around three stewardships modeling, trusting and inspiring. As we look forward to our students return on August 26, we remain focused on our mission to serve every student every day by providing our learners with a rigorous relevant education enriched by strong academic athletic athletics rather excuse me activities and the arts. uh summer. Well, school may have been out for the summer. Departments across our district remain hard at work to support students and prepare for the new school
037year. More than 5,500 students participated in six enriching academic and extracurricular programs, including enrichment, child care, English language development, dual language academy camps, high school credit recovery, and sports camps. These dynamic offerings were made possible through the collaborative efforts of the early and expanded learning education services and special education departments as well as the dedication of our teachers, staff, and administrators who worked tirelessly to ensure a meaningful experience for all of our kiddos. So, thank you again for everyone's effort and work on behalf of our students and community. Our transportation department played a vital role in ensuring students arrive safely and on time to their summer programs, helping families stay connected to the valuable learning opportunities offered throughout our district. In addition, the maintenance and facilities department was equally busy completing preventative maintenance, repairs, groundskeeping,
038custodial work, and capital improvement projects across all campuses to ensure our schools uh are in top condition for the return of students and staff. Our nutritional services department also continued to serve the community by offering free breakfast and lunch to all children 18 and under at five school sites. Those being Melrose, Rio Vista, Topaz, Tines, and Valencia throughout the summer. Together, these efforts reflect Pilusd's unwavering commitment to supporting students every step of the way, every student, every day, even during the summer months. Uh, and and those are a bunch of reasons why any superintendent would uh be privileged to be leading PLUSD. And that concludes my report, Madam President. >> Thank you very much. Okay, now we are on to public comment. Public comment is an opportunity for the public to provide input to the
039board of education. During the public comment period, board members do not dialogue with the speaker or make comments regarding the information shared. We have how many speakers? >> We have six >> speakers tonight. So, each speaker will be given three minutes. [Music] You ready to pull up? >> Yes. Our first four speakers, please uh take a seat in the front row. Sierra Sanchez and Sierra, you may actually approach the podium. Linda Conn, Jazelle Castillo Nunees, Brooke Harper. I think I'll just call all six. Sam Mavic, and Dave Radlower. You all may come to the front. and uh Sierra, whenever you're ready. >> Good evening, president, board of trustees, cabinet, and my fellow community members. My name is Sierra Sanchez. I am the area captain for the National Academy of Athletics here in North Orange County.
040I was lucky enough to grow up in the beautiful community of Diamond Bar alongside my two older brothers, nine cousins, all of us deeply devoted to our sports. We played hard when we were young and some of us had the very best times. Not in a gym or a stadium, but in the culde-sac right outside my grandma's front yard. We played basketball barefoot and we played until the sun went down. I'm proud to come from three generations of sports coaches who loved their community community and dedicated their lives to building up young people. The these experiences gave me confidence, lifelong friendships, and a sense of belonging. And I want the kids of this district to have the same passion that I that I had that shaped me today. Of course, unlike those culde-sac games, National
041Academy of Athletics provides safe, structured programs that focus on physical and emotional well-being of each child while still letting them play hard and have fun. We offer PE supplementation, afterchool programs, and youth sports leagues designed to be inclusive for all skill levels, ages four to uh 13. I've also brought flyers tonight, and I could share them with you guys. We would be honored to provide these programs to your schools. At the end of the day, every child deserves to feel the joy that I felt growing up, playing hard, laughing with friends, and knowing they belong. That's exactly why the National Academy is here. Thank you so much for your time and for the work you do for our students and families. I would be honored to follow up with the staff to share more about
042how we can bring these opportunities to your district. Thank you. >> Well done, Sierra. Thank you. >> May I go over here? >> You could you'd hand them over to the uh to Annette or Laura Lee. Thank you, Linda Con. >> Yes. I'm actually speaking to item uh 15.2 the uh Mammud issue. Um PIL parents were given the following question in their registration materials and I quote question I have read 6141.2 AR recognition of religious beliefs and customs. I understand it is my responsibility to submit a district form to opt my student out of applicable instruction if I choose to do so. And then the citation of Mammud versus Taylor. I'm not sure what the question is, but that's the item that we're talking about tonight. I'm going to respectfully recommend that all of you
043read the analysis of Mahmood versus Taylor and several other related and supporting court cases including California Supreme Court's Hardwick decision in the document from the California Justice Center authored by Julie Hamill who is the president of the center and also happens to be a schoolboard trustee in Palace Feres. This document argues with support that the California School Board Association policy uh 6141.2 uh AR is unconstitutional. This model policy issued by the California School Boards Association prohibits schools from providing parental advanced notice or opt out of materials in discussing gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation. 6141 is the polar opposite of Manmood versus Taylor. The bottom line here is that you don't revise a policy. uh you have to completely resend this particular policy because the Supreme Court has made it crystal clear and all
044you have to do is read my Mood versus Taylor that um such a blanket denial of notice, parental notice and opt out rights, especially when instruction conveys a normative message about sex uh gender or sexuality is unconstitutional. So my contention is that 6141 simply has to go. You have to start over from scratch. Parents, if there are any of you listening, I strongly urge that you submit this letter by the California um justice center. Uh submit this letter in requesting that you get the protection that Mammud versus Taylor provides. This letter provides a detailed analysis of exactly what you want the school district to do and what you want them not to do that is completely consistent with the Supreme Court decision. >> Thank you, Miss Cohen. >> Our next speaker, please approach the podium,
045Jazelle Castillo Nunees. >> Hello, my name is Jazelle. I am um currently um a social work student at USC and a PILUSD alumni as well as both of my siblings attend uh Valadez and Valencia. Um today I just wanted to come and raise awareness to a topic that I would like to continue to be talked about which is the awareness of gun violence prevention. As we know, um, gun violence, uh, deaths continue to be the main cause of death for children from ages 1 through 19. And for the upcoming school year, I just wanted to, um, see if there was any policies or any new um, procedures that are going to be implemented this year. um mostly in regards to uh for example schools like George Key who have uh wheelchairbound students as well as
046um uh they may have disabilities that do not allow them to be able to protect themselves in situations as this. So I wanted to talk about the procedures that are going um to happen this upcoming school year. Um, and um, and I just wanted to continue to encourage the board um, to look into these laws and to not allow this topic to be a back burner. Um, the reality is that children do die from gun violence and um, we can do something as a community um, to be able to prevent that and um, not allow that to happen. So, I just really urge you to continue to work on that and continue to look at the laws and policies and procedures that are happening. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Nunees. Well said. Brooke Harper,
047please approach the podium. Brooke. >> Uh, good evening. My name is Brooke Harper and I have two elementary students in the district and I'm here to speak out against specific language in the proposed update to BP6141.2. Um, at least seven of you got an email from me as well. So, thank you for hearing me out. Um, I hope the minutes will reflect that I'm asking for oppos I'm speaking in opposition to language in 6141. Specifically, I want the following language struck from the board policy. This language states staff are not prohibited when acting in their private capacity from encouraging students participation in personal prayer or other religious activity. The BP was written as written gives no specific definition of what constitutes official capacity versus private capacity. It also makes no distinction between encouragement and coercion.
048And as someone who has participated in many and expert-led corporate training, it is accepted knowledge that authority over someone lends itself to coercion. And who else has more authority over our children than the staff at a school besides a parent? Um particularly children as young as mine in elementary school. So while this language is being adapted in response to Mammud v Taylor um which is in the agenda, I suspect that there's also an attempt to satisfy Kennedy versus Breton. And as of today, the current guidance from the Department of Education led by Trump appointee Linda McMahon offers this guidance. The Supreme Court's decision sets forth principles that distinguish impermissible governmental religious speech from constitutionally protected private religious speech. For example, teachers, coaches, and other public school officials acting in their official capacities may not lead
049students in prayer, devotional readings, or other religious activities. Nor may they attempt to persuade or compel students to participate in prayer or other religious activities or to refrain from doing so. that's on the federal government's website as guidance in response to Taylor and Mammud. Um, Mammud v. Taylor allows parents to opt their children out of materials that go against their strongly held religious beliefs. And surely every single one of you can see the hypocrisy in using the same board policy to codify a staff member's so-called right to encourage a child to pray or participate in religious activities. It's hypocritical. Additionally, I hope you will strengthen the language around students who are non-believers. It's mentioned one time in the entire policy and I think that that is a mistake. Um a designation that is it's only
050addressed one time in the whole document. So I'm not an elected official nor am I being compensated with taxpayer dollars to be here tonight. So I'm going to go home and hang out with my kids for the rest of the evening. But um I hope you will do your duty as elected officials compensated by our tax dollars and strike this specific language from this BP. Thank you so much. Have a good evening. Thank you, Miss Harper. Our next speaker, Sam Mavic. The ideas that deficit spending at one site does not come out of the budgets of other schools and that we don't move forward as a district if we look at spending at at individual schools is troubling. Essentially, all of the schools in the district operate under the same proven model. OCSCS has made
051the conscious decision to try something different. It is yet to be determined if this is a wise course, so we should reserve judgment on that issue. There is a reason, however, that the ED code requires district charters be broken out in the LCAP. It is not quote business as usual," unquote. These programs must be under constant scrutiny to ensure fiscal responsibility. That being said, you cannot call yourself a fiscal conservative without fully understanding this concept. We are concerned about the statement that we cannot move forward as a district if we look at schools individually. Why is that? If any school in the district is a disproportional drain on the district's limited resources, shouldn't we at least try to understand why? Shouldn't we try to remedy those situations if practicable with respect to deficits at one
052site not directly impacting the budgets of other schools? That is an incredibly naive concept. When you have a limited source of funding, any dollar spent is a dollar that cannot be spent elsewhere. It's as simple as that. The existence of a limited reserve does not change this economic reality. Once we go into deficit spending, something the district is required to do is we may not uh permit a district run site to be insolvent. We have a responsibility to determine if that spending, which represents an additional slice of pie, if you will, is justified when compared to other potential uses. Is additional professional development time at a single site serving less than 600 students that is already encroaching on district funds justifiable when the rest of the district is cutting academic services? That is a very
053complicated question, but it must not be dismissed on the theory that these deficits do not directly come out of other schools budgets. Of course, they do. >> Thank you, Mr. Miovich and Dave Radlau. To continue that thought, difficult choices have to be made and it's up to you, this board, to make them without fear or favor. You stand as the parents and individual schools represent children asking for whatever they can get. Sometimes difficult as it may be, the answer has to be no. It's not magic money. Put your political agenda aside. Stop blindly defending programs out of fear that someone might say, "I told you so." If you alter your course, be the conservatives you profess to be. Stop trying to project potential indicators of failure onto unnamed individuals who you claim are motivated solely
054by a desire to see these programs fail. Of course, if these programs are successful, they could benefit the district as a whole. But the correlary is equally true. The failure of these programs could be devastating to the district. Work together honestly. Listen to each other actively instead of biting your time until you can impose your preconceived ideas on your target audience. Stop performing for activists on both sides of the aisle. This body was explicitly designed to be nonpartisan. The Brown Act has many positive attributes. However, I believe this is its greatest flaw. It takes courage to have an honest debate while performing for a dangerously divided room of partisan voters. Please try and personify those profiles and courage that have sadly become a relic of our past. future generations are counting on you. With respect
055to the policy in response to the Mahammud decision, the suggested language appears to go too far. Specifically, the provision that quote, "Staff are not prohibited when acting in their private capacity from encouraging students participation in personal prayer or other religious activities. This overly broad and ambiguous provision could be interpreted to permit procilitizing on school grounds. What teachers do on their own time off school property is with limited exception their own business. What takes place on school property is a whole different concern. How exactly are we defining private capacity? What does encouraging mean in this context? What are other religious activities? This is very treacherous ground. And is the language actually required under the holdings of Mahmud and Kennedy? Where is the line between encouragement and coercion, particularly when you are dealing with young and impressionable
056minors with a natural desire to want to please their teachers? Would this policy be any less effective if this sentence were simply eliminated? Since this provision arguably permits direct religious indoctrination by teachers on school property, where is the parents right to opt out on religious grounds? That's the essential holding of Mahmud. Doesn't the rest of the policy adequately cover what is and is not acceptable behavior on school grounds? We need time to consider this policy and should not wave a second reading simply to have a policy in place by the beginning of the school year. Even if we were to hastily adopt this policy, what training has been created to give principles and teachers appropriate guidance? Teachers already have a difficult time navigating the culture war waters that have been thrust upon them. We are
057not here to debate the wisdom of these decisions. They are the law, and we must design a policy consistent with their holdings. However, we should try and adopt a policy that is narrowly tailored with straightforward direction that gives teachers the guidance they need and parents the level of comfort. >> Thank you, Mr. Rattler. That concludes our comments, Madame President. Thank you guys for your comments tonight. Um, we are moving to item 15.2. Um, revised board policy 6141.2, 2, recognition of religious beliefs and customs. First reading as it relates to Mammud versus Taylor. I need a motion. I'll make a motion to revise board policy 6141.2 recognition of religious beliefs and customs. First reading as it relates to Mammoon versus Taylor. I'll second. >> Okay, we have a motion by Mrs. Blades, a second by Mr.
058Frasier, and at this time, I'll turn it off over to Dr. Mouserino. >> Okay. Thank you, uh, Madame President. And, um, we have our council here today, uh, Mr. Robbins from AALR who's going to talk about um a little bit of process as well as uh the policy uh and its history. >> All right. Good evening. Um so what you have in front of you is a revision to 6141.2 uh in light of the Supreme Court's decision in Mahmud. That was one of the policies that we looked at and the district had um an existing 6141.2, but it hadn't been updated since 1978. So, uh it was my recommendation that it was prudent to kind of bring it up to speed kind consistent with what the current state of the law is. Um, so what
059you have in front of you is CSBA's most recent uh 2024 revision of 6141.2. Um, and I'll get to the language that's been referenced in the public comments in just a minute. Um, but CSBA is actually going to be doing further revisions in light of Mahmud, but the language that you have in uh 6141.2 two that talks about um the ability to um opt out of curriculum as necessary as provided by law. That's going to be the language that CSBA is going to be recommending anyway. So, what you have is basically what's coming down the pike from CSBA. With respect to the concern about that specific sentence in the policy, that language uh was added by CSBA um regarding the private conduct of teachers in their private capacities. Um that was added correctly. One of
060the the speakers referenced the Kennedy versus Breton decision. Um and that's the case where the coach engaged in postgame prayer. um where the court found private activity in that particular case appears to be a brief moment in time. The court referenced the the coach's job description which allowed him to check his text messages um contact his family after a football game. So in the court's view that was the coach acting in his private capacity. Uh and so they also turned that uh language into the ability to engage in postgame prayer. The court's uh conclusion was that he did it alone. I think that was a disputed fact, but that's neither here nor there. Um, so anyway, I think with respect to the idea of why that language is in the policy, it was likely due
061to the fact that the way that the policy read before could have been interpreted to mean that simply because you're a teacher, you're not allowed to ever speak with students about religious topics um or or engage in religious activities with students in any capacity. And that was probably, I don't speak for them, but I can imagine that was probably never the intent of CSBA, but they probably felt it was prudent to clarify that, especially in light of the Kennedy versus Breton case, to indicate that if you're a teacher and you're not on duty and not otherwise providing services to the district, nothing prohibits you from engaging in religious activities with a student. Um, so that might mean that a teacher has an active role at his or her place of worship. Um, nothing prohibits that
062where the teacher may come into contact with somebody who is also a student at the school when at that place of worship. And I think that could have been CSBA's intent in adding that language is to make sure that the that the policy itself didn't suffer a potential facially unconstitutional challenge. Um, and so I can only speculate that that's why that's there, but but I believe that's probably why that's there. When you're thinking about somebody acting in their official capacity, you're thinking about the time that they're required to be providing services to the district, standing in front of students in the classroom, supervising students, um, whether that's on the football field or on the basketball court or in the science lab. um when they are providing services to the school district, they are acting in
063their capacities as employees of the Placenti Yorbalinda Unified School District and consistent with many Supreme Court cases, Garcetti versus Sabios, uh public employees do have a reduced first amendment uh right when they're acting in their official capacities. Um there are some exceptions to that, but we're not going to get into that. with respect to what we're concerned about today. Think of it as their official capacity is when they're teaching, when they're classified employees and they are providing custodial services or driving a school bus or um working in the front office. They're serving the school district at that time. But when they're walking away from their jobs at the end of the day, they're no longer on the clock. they are now private citizen um and have the constitutional right to engage in those types of
064discussions with students um and with each other. So I think that's probably what that language was intended to cover. >> So you're saying this is this is your speculation. Is there a um agreed upon definition legally of private capacity? >> There's not an agreed upon legal definition of most things, Mr. Fraser. >> Fair. Fair. Fair. >> So, you know, >> but this is this is from CSBA. >> This is language from 2024. >> I was going to say >> it's 2024 language, but there's >> it's updated from 1978. >> So, there updated from 1978 to 2024 and I have added the language that's going to be in the 2025 revision that is consistent with postm. >> Which part is that that you added? >> Let me pull it up. Yeah, it's the second to last
065paragraph. >> That's the policy. Then there's a there's an AR as well that's more detailed. >> Do do we have the AR? I couldn't find it. >> I think it was linked >> was provided in the board updates last week. >> Oh, it's not linked on the board agenda though. >> No, because board policies come before the board and the administrative regulations. But the public should have the AR. >> Yeah, we should be able to see what the AR is going to say. >> Yes, it was provided in the parent handbook as well as a data confirmation and it's posted on our website >> before we voted on the policy. If the air comes after, >> I think that the AR can be independent of the policy because the AR is um how the administration
066is intending to comply with the law. Yeah, I was going to say this this doesn't seem to address no >> the issue that was brought up in Mahmood verse Taylor calling out specifically basically family normatives and anything that would apply to teaching something different than parents would want their kids to have regardless of what that is. >> I I was actually >> like not specific. >> Yeah. And there in lies the challenge. Um, Mahmud v. Taylor is an injunction case first and foremost. So, it's a it's a group of parents that were seeking an injunction to stop a school district from basically requiring their kids to sit through story time while certain story books were being read. the school district had an opt out procedure and then abandoned the opt- out procedure probably because the
067school district felt it was too difficult to manage. Um the court in a lengthy opinion um went through an analysis of the factors that would lead to probable success in seeking or in in granting an injunction and ultimately found that the parents would likely be successful in getting the injunction. That's what the case is about. One of the things the Justice Alo and this is the the real critical part of the case and I think that's why I say it depends or when I say it's kind of there's not a >> real >> there's not going to be 100% agreement on this. >> Justice Alto says this as our decision in Yod and Yodar is the case about the the Amish families in Wisconsin from 1972 and that's this case which is much shorter. Um,
068it's a good read. >> I don't necessarily see the direct line of connection, but that's neither here nor there. Justice Alo says, "As our decision in Yoda reflects, the question whether a law quote substantially interferes with the religious development of a child will always be fact intensive." So that statement alone I think precludes blanket optout forms. This has been a big debate that's been happen happening statewide nationwide. Can a blanket opt out form satisfy this inquiry? Do they need to be specific opt out forms related to specific content? And my firm, we believe it's the latter. And this is why. It's because of this paragraph in this in this decision. It will depend on the specific religious beliefs and practices asserted as well as the specific nature of the educational requirement or curriculum feature at
069issue. So I think even Justice Alo recognizes that if if we had him here to talk and and he would answer the question, which he wouldn't because they don't do that. Just justices don't do that. Um, but I think he would acknowledge that it's got to be taken on a case- by case basis. >> And we undertook uh a your your department did an exhaustive review of the district's curriculum from TK through 12th grade. And there are areas that we identified where consistent with Mammud it would be safe to provide optouts. how that's going to be implemented. I think, you know, Dr. Young can probably talk more about that. Maybe not tonight because it's still new and fresh, but she might be able to talk about it. Um because they're going to still be directing
070staff and principles on how to deal with this. But we've identified those areas and opt out notices will go out in some way and parents can come review the curriculum if they want to decide whether they want to opt out. They can submit the opt out. The form is going to ask them these questions. What is the specific religious belief or practices that's asserted? What is the specific nature of the educational requirement or curricular feature at issue? And how does it substantially interfere with the religious development of the child? Because again, we have to do that fact intensive analysis. How we're supposed to do that, the court didn't help us out. But but Todd but Todd I I've been looking at the Mimmude and the Mimmude is says you know obviously if nobody knows what
071Mimmude is about it was Mimmude versus Taylor was United States Supreme Court found that a school district's in introduction of LGBTQ plus inclusive story books combined with this decision to withhold notice to parents and to forbid optouts substantially interferes interferes with the religious development of their children and poses an unacceptable burden on religious exercise. In other words, a blanket prohibition against notice and opt out for instruction materials that convey a normative message or subject like sexuality and gender ideology is unconstitutional. >> Right. >> It also said the board of education of Montgomery County introduced a wide variety of LGBTQ plus inclusive story books into the elementary school curriculum which is different from here. But the books and associated educational instructions provided teachers were designed to disrupt children's thinking about sexuality and gender. It goes on,
072but then it also comes down to the talk about the California law also requires districts to honor opt outs for non-religious reasons and the California Supreme Court recognizes families right to opt their child out of instruction to which they are conscientiously opposed from religious convictions or otherwise. Hardwork versus the board of school trustees of Fruit Ridge School District in 1921. In that case, parents objected to their children's participation in public schools mandatory dance classes because it violated their religious beliefs. But then it goes on and it says that the Supreme Court of California asserted would basically the home life so essential to safety and security society and government which regulates it the very opposite effect of what public school system is designed to accomplish. School districts must represent that children who attend school are not
073their children. They are their parents' children. It's not a school district's job to instill in in children any particular ideology or world view. In fact, that is prohibited by law. And parents opt out requests relating to matters in rearing and education that are not offensive to the moral well-being of the children must be accommodated by public school. So, we have that as well that they're still saying that this is law. So, why would we have something and have to name your religious convictions if California law also says that you don't have to have some religious, you' just be opposed to it? >> 19. Would you say the >> 1921 but it's still law. >> So but education code has been amended multiple and there and it's limited the the nature of what can be opted
074out. For example, prior to Mahammude we had the well and we still do. We have the California Healthy Youth Act which is a specific curriculum where parents can opt out for religious reasons. But then you also have the California Fair Act, which is the law that requires people of various underrepresented groups um to ensure that they are taught and and represented in state approved curriculum. Um you can't opt out of Fair Act compliant curriculum. Well, at least you couldn't prior to Malmoot. You probably still can't now. But in any event, there are more things that the legislature has said you can't opt out of um that are specifically dealt with in the ed in the education code. Um and so >> can I add this one then too because we have >> um SE versus
075gray instini school district. This is from 2025. required two fifth grade boys and their assigned kindergarten buddies to read and watch My Shadow is pink into an activity pressuring the kindergartens choose a color to represent their own shadows and they won. The plaintiff sought an injunction contending the district violated their children's rights under the first amendment by compelling him to affirm a message he disagrees with that is contrary to his religious beliefs. >> That case is more consistent with Mammud, >> right? But then there was also one and I can find it. I have it. There's also one too that talked about it was about pronouns. It was basically that said um that they that you don't have to require these kids to, you know, have pronouns as well. And so that might not be
076a religious belief. It's just not be something that the kid is interested in. >> So do you think we should be I'm So my question would be this. >> Should we just hold off on this whole thing? Because I don't I'm exactly with Todd. I was very confused as to what this was giving what this why we were bringing this forward tonight. if we don't even know what the intention of Mahmud is because like we're you have all these people out there are saying that this the 1921 case still stands right >> and that you can opt out for non-religious beliefs but then you're saying well maybe not >> but well but we have to remember that Mahammu deals specifically with first amendment freedom of religion um protections and So we have to honor that
077and there is an established constitutional test that we have to look at with respect to those things. California law related to non religious first amendment type stuff that's a separate issue. We're talking about the religion cases right now. What happened in Harwick and stuff like that that's probably been whittleled away through the legislature over time because they've dealt with it in different ways. So keep that in mind because Hartwick's from 1921. So the presumption would be either that the legislature acted consistently with Hartwick or they've the legislature can pass laws that overturn court decisions. That's one of the powers the legislators have as long as they are consistent with the state or federal constitution. So with respect to this case, our best reading of this case is that just like you stated the the Ensenus
078case, parents should be able to have the opportunity to opt their students out of those type of activities because they are squarely within kind of the coverage of Mammoot. They're the the LGBTQ story books. Where it becomes murkier is these representational lessons, lessons about um figures in history, for example, who may have been gay. Uh those are just areas where kids are learning about these individuals who happen to be gay. I don't think the court believes that that's an opt outable situation. Um because just the the fact is that they were gay. It's not conveying some sort of message. For example, the books that were at issue in Mahmud, as Justice Alo said, they they describe some sort of normative message about >> gay marriage, for example. Um, but just presenting a fact that somebody
079is gay, it's not doing that. It's not conveying some sort of position on the issue. I can >> the phrase normative message, I think, is the important piece. And I I >> that's not in here. So, >> well, but but again, so what we're looking at in terms of the district's optout policy is more along the lines of the Incenita case or Mahmud. So, to the extent that a teacher is going to pull a book off the shelf and it's consistent with one of the books in Mahmud, that would require an opt out. but a lesson about an individual who happens to be gay not. Mhm. >> And so where the disagreement I think on the single one opt out submitted at the beginning of the year versus the individual opt outs probably the diff
080disagreement in philosophy is the expectation that one opt out places a real heavy burden on the school district to try to decipher what the parent means. >> Yeah. with that versus the school district providing notice and giving the parents an opportunity each individual time serves two functions. It allows the district to have a clear understanding of what the parent wants in that particular case and it keeps the parent actively engaged on what's going on in the classroom. So that's why we think it's a more consistent reading to do those individual >> you're saying not the blanket, you're saying individual. >> The individual. >> Oh yeah. No, that's absolutely way better. >> Right. Yes. >> Um, so I'm also reading too that any notices informing parents of their rights to religious optouts or or associated forms
081must be contentneutral and should not single out LGBTQ related contact or otherwise stigmatize LGBTQ identities. If schools elect to notify parents about general practices or of providing inclusive curriculum, they should do so do so holistically and not single out LGBTQ related content. >> And see, >> but the mood is strictly LGBTQ plus. So what is that? That's what LGBT So, >> so >> I I I didn't want to I'm going to blow your mind a little bit because the Supreme Court is difficult. Okay. So, we're dealing with >> we're dealing with a case right now that's kind of about messaging and the potential for disrupting or or offending somebody's personal religious beliefs. Right. Just last year in Kennedy versus Breton, Justice Gorsuch wrote, "Mr. Kennedy's proposal, the the coach to pray quietly by himself on
082the field would have meant some people would have seen his religious exercise. >> Those close at hand might have heard him, too. But learning how to tolerate speech or prayer of all kinds is part of learning how to live in a pluralistic society, a trait, character essential to a tolerant citizenry." The court has long recognized as well that secondary school students are mature enough to understand that a school does not endorse, let alone coers them to participate in speech. Of course, some will take offense to certain forms of speech or prayer uh they are sure to encounter in a society where those activities enjoy such robust constitutional protection. So the point I bring in raising that up is just last year the court said that as a society we need to be tolerant of some
083things >> but that was also deemed in his private life. whether they deemed it was private life. We're talking about the classroom, >> but but he was praying in front of >> But we deemed But we deemed that. >> But my point is they do sometimes talk out of both sides of their mouths. >> I don't think that those those will correlate though. Like if you're talking about inside the class, >> reading a book in the classroom is different than praying by yourself on a football field. >> But with the whole team watching is the argument of this we should find people NFL players who pray in the end zone then. what I'm saying. >> But right, so anyway, the point is I I bring that up because it just kind of shows the difficulty
084that not only you as a school board have in trying to figure out what to do with this, but where legal counsel has a has a to figure out what to do with this because Mahmood provides no guidance. The the very term the normative depiction is problematic in my opinion. Um, I think that this case is going to lead to substantially more litigation. We This is not the end of the the question. And I think what we've recommended and what your team has worked really hard on is probably the best thing at this time to keep the district out of potential legal liability um and risk becoming the next Mahmood case. So that's where this recommendation is coming from. So if a this the school the schools will be provided direction as they come back,
085parents will be provided more information. I I'm assuming especially as it relates to specific topics that will be coming up in the classroom or specific activities that will be be uh being done in the classroom and that will all be coming down the pike. Um, so this is just kind of the the procedural 10,000 foot level that we've established at this point. >> I still don't think that it addresses the mammud at all. I just don't think it does. >> In what way? >> Well, because it doesn't talk about anything. I mean, it's very very just like generic. You've kind of added a few extra lines, but I mean like parents want like I read this and if I was a parent and I wasn't that involved, I'd go, "What? Like what are they talking?
086This is just about religious things. It would say you have the opportunity to opt out. Well, what do we these they need to opt out of? I would want to know what my what my options are to opt out and like what the case law says. Like I think Mammud should be quoted in this thing and it should have like you know what the intention of this was and if there is going to be anything that we need to opt out of like I think we should have a specific timeline because I don't think we should be able to have oh on Friday hey this teacher wants to introduce this book on a Tuesday and give that person I mean >> Dr. Young might be able to speak about the timeline. >> I understand the
087timeline but I'm just saying this was just like when I read this I I even sent it to a few other people. I go, "What is this?" And they go, "We have no idea what they're even talking about." Doesn't even address mammood at all. And so it it just seems like I don't really know what we're doing with this thing or like why we wouldn't just wait like respect the Mammud thing because obviously like that's what we have to fall under and give the parents the certain opt out form. But what this addresses it just says as it relates to Mammud, but we don't even talk about Mammood basically in this whole policy. And is it is it not mentioned like I said because you can't specifically deter you can't call out one specific topic
088but also it says that public schools must also provide a welcoming and inclusive education for all students. This includes but not limited to the compliance of affirmative inclusive education as the fair act like you were saying >> um >> and ethics um studies requirement. California law mandates that instructional materials accurately portray the cultural and racial diversity of our society, including um the role of contributions of LGBTQ people and ensures continued use of adopted curriculum even when containing inclusive and divers diverse perspectives, right? >> Um so that's what I'm saying is that why so general like it has to be general >> and ed code section 220 prohibits discrimination against people based on their sex, gender, religion, national origin, all of those protected characteristics. So you're right to the extent that we're specifically calling out >>
089one particular group it does >> and then if we mention Mimmude in the it's technically calling out a group. >> It's well and again mentioning >> because the court case if you look at the court case though it >> mentioning Mammud is just >> that doesn't that's not what the court >> is requiring. It's not that we mention Mammud, it's that we provide an opt out vehicle. >> Right. And that's we don't need to mention that case at all in the opt out. No, >> as long as the parents get a notice that says >> two weeks from now during story time, the >> class will be reading whatever. >> Um, please fill out this form if you would like the your child to have an alternative activity during that time. >> Right. And that's
090why we've kept it generic is what you're saying. Correct. We're not Yeah. >> Right. Can't we add the court case into the reference section? I noticed this >> in the Yeah, down in the law section. Sure, that makes sense. And I'm sure CSBA will do that. It's just that was something I overlooked at the time. >> And then so you were say I'm sorry, you were saying also that the the wording that was added in regarding um encouraging and like your private time that was added in by CSBA, >> correct? In 2024 in response to Kennedy. >> Yeah. I'm just curious because like you said define private actions like lunchtime technically a teacher's lunch is their own time but is because we're still on you can leave the campus right you can leave campus you
091can so that's what I'm saying that that's where the line I think gets blurred a little bit with some people >> well and also too in this in this mimmude it's the books and associated educational instructions provided to teachers so it's not just about the books it could be about flags it could be about anything that that was designed to disrupt children's thinking about sexuality and gender. >> I think >> so. I mean, it could be it could be a lot of things. So, what happens if you do have a >> big LGBTQ flag in your classroom and someone says, "Hey, this is I need to opt out of this classroom because this is flown here daily and this is against my religious belie." >> But it also mentions too that it's not to be
092used as book banning either. >> Like you can't flag a book. But I'm just saying book banning is kind of the same issue pulling things out of your but I'm saying that but this court case cannot be used to start banning who is banning >> but this court case cannot be used to start doing those kinds of things. >> It's an opt out for parents. What are you talking about? >> Well that's what I'm saying. Why are we talking about flags then? >> Because it says here educational instructions provided to teachers were designed to disrupt children's thinking. So it's not just books. Associated educational instructions So you as a teacher know that there's props and all these educational instruction things. You know that instruction is something you actually teach. It's not what's in your classroom.
093It's what you're actually providing as >> educational material materials. >> So I think to the to the point of the Encanus case, you're probably looking at associated >> that was under Mammood. Well, but I'm telling you from a an application standpoint, this the whatever was happening in Incenus is probably covered under that umbrella. And I think your team's done a good job of thinking about those potentials and where notices would need to be sent out and giving teachers guidance about if it's not within the framework of the curriculum, you need to be working with your principal and deciding uh with that person whether an opt out needs to be sent or not. >> So what happens when somebody said, "I don't want my third grader to have this flag in the classroom and we need
094to opt out of this classroom." We would have to follow Justice Alto's lead and take a fact-specific inquiry on that thing. So I can't >> meaning they could fill out an opt out form and say this is my religion. This is the reason the thing that's the problem is the flag. I opt out of this classroom >> probably need to do a little bit of inquiry and see what else is going on in the classroom >> and make a decision at that point. >> Well, but a flag is a representation of belief. Mhm. >> But it's not going to be an automatic granting of an opt- out form. They have to investigate more into it and to see. >> And so if they say no and then they go, "Okay, well, we'll take you to
095court." And then we get sued and we're the next move. That's exactly what would happen. That's exactly why we needed that flag policy. >> So back to this. >> Yeah, >> the opt out form, >> we are saying that it is going to be more specific. The opt out that was the blanket opt out at registration is not what we're utilizing to one thing saying I've read this 6141.2 like that's not >> all that was meant to do was to inform the parent that there is an opt out form and to acknowledge that they've received information about it and that's it >> because the interpretation was this is like I'm opting out and I just hope that they do it right. So it was communicated poorly. Yes, correct is what you're saying. That may be
096the case, but the purpose was not to create one opt out form. >> Got it. So, >> purpose was to simply inform that this opt out form exists. >> Yes. Okay. >> Uh and that it may not have been communicated. It may be more if they read the actual AR in detail that it's going to be provided when specific topics come up. >> No, it was confusing. Like that's bottom line. It just wasn't communicated well. So, so the important thing to point out is that they check the box, they say yes, I understand there's optout forms, but if there's an instance where like Olivia where there's there is an opportunity where we would be providing an opt- out form, it would come to the parent directly if there's an issue that they would potentially need
097to opt out of. Yes, the teacher would be providing notice to parents at least two weeks in advance that they have a planned activity or a curriculum unit coming up and then they would provide the form to parents if they would like to opt them out and they would need to receive it within a week of that instruction occurring so that they could um conduct a fact intensive review and then provide an alternative curriculum or activity. >> The parent needs to receive it within a week or the teacher needs to get back >> needs it back so that we can conduct the fact intensive review. So then how quick how soon are they getting the >> two weeks. Two weeks. >> So they have one week >> they have one week to turn it in.
098>> So two weeks before the assignment >> at least two weeks in advance. >> Yeah. At least two weeks. >> Okay. And and on the um the check uh trusty phrase you referred to. That's the data confirmation process. You know we're limited to uh 174 characters I believe to try to >> uh get that message across. But the handbook has all the details in the AR as well. So all the details are there. It was difficult to uh to make a concise statement that would perhaps satisfy the many elements of this this challenging policy. >> Yeah. Just making it clear like that you >> it was just not clear. >> It was not clear. >> The intent was to bring awareness. Clarity probably fell by the wayside on that task. Yeah. >> So my question
099would be is if this is what we're doing going forward, will could we just talk to the principles and obviously inform the parents and that this is a lot and can we wait and be for I mean because it talk about waving a second read and all these things but we don't even have really a lot of knowledge yet that's coming down. >> Well and we're not going to get anything more because the Supreme Court number one doesn't sit again until October. And number two, this is what we've got. And so in our recommendation was and especially because other school districts are starting next week. Um your district starts a little later. So you do have more time than some other school districts have, but a lot of districts are having to roll this out
100right now. Um and so this is I don't recommend waiting because you need a form in place. You need some procedure that's in place otherwise you do have exposure. you do have risk. Um, and so I don't recommend doing nothing. The form is there to fill in a gap. Um, and obviously just like anything else, it can be revisited over time. Uh, if new law comes down or if new guidance comes down. >> Okay. I have a couple questions. I know um CSBA says they're coming out with their language starting sometime in August. It's my understanding. >> Yes. And you said that the AR can be independent of the board policy. Correct. >> Yes. >> So it sounds like we can have a form in place without approving this as a second reading tonight. That's
101where I'm see >> how how closely correlated is the AR with the policy? Like what is what is our what is our exposure if we do not change it tonight? Well, >> I know that's a vague question. I understand >> nothing but in terms of in in terms of intent, the board policies uh tend to be broad policy statements whereas the ARS are how those policies will be implemented. Um, and so this policy is a broad statement about the district's respect for the rights of individuals to express their religious beliefs at school and to not, you know, h all of the things that are within board policy 6141.2. The AR that the district is using is an existing template CSBA AR with additional language post Mammud intended to carry forward the intent of board policy
1026142.2 and then now with 2025 also carry forward the intent of Mammoot. So the AR includes language about this test that Justice Alo enunciated in the case. Um and it provides more information about um the ability to opt out of curriculum as allowed by law and all that sort of stuff. So >> have we looked at anything other than the CSBA? Because the CSBA was like deemed their stuff was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. So, I mean, are we looking around at anybody else's opinion or are we just going off of the CSA? >> I'm not aware of anything being found to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court regarding CSBA's policy. >> If there's an additional update, >> um, I think it'd be good to know what that is. So, >> yeah. Yeah. As
103more comes down the pike, I mean, I know Dr. Young gets regular updates from CSBA. I get regular updates. You will be informed. And all of this stuff is intended to put you in the best possible position to avoid legal challenges right away. And as with most legal advice, it adapts over time as the law changes. And and and I think that's consistent with what's being presented to you today. I'm I'm um the rest of the revision is I mean seems all right with me. I just was hoping to change the wording of the staff are not prohibited to staff are prohibited when acted in their professional capacity. Um just to make it more clear. >> I would agree with that. I have a a private capacity like professional capacity sounds more >> it's I
104think it's >> but I understand why it's private because that football coach who is on in his so-called private time >> but if the game's over like he said and he's checking his cell phone like the case law said then his p professional capacity is done >> that's why it's his private time. So, can I ask a question and suggest some a different sentence for the first two sentences there in that paragraph? And maybe you even send it up the chain and see if CSBA would even agree to it. Um, because it is confusing. So, it says staff shall not coers students in prayer or other religious activities as part of their official duties. However, staff are not prohibited when acting in their private capacity from encouraging students participation in personal prayer or other religious
105activities. So my suggestion would be instead staff and employees are prohibited when acting in their professional capacity from encouraging prayer or other religious activity to others. So instead of it being calling out that it's not prohibited in their private capacity, but it is prohibited in their professional capacity. >> But isn't that already clear? >> That seems very clear to me >> that that I mean I was saying that you can >> that's the way it's worded. >> No, no, no. saying like in general the restricted uh free speech for teachers in professional capacity already says you can't do that >> and and I would say in the first sentence of that paragraph staff shall not coers students in prayer or other religious activities as part of their official duties. >> Yeah. >> Official duties. Yeah.
106>> Correct. So the next sentence is the converse of that. Right. >> In their private duties they they there's nothing that prohibits them from doing that. >> Yeah. That makes sense. >> But what >> it doesn't make sense to me. Yeah, but it's like it sounds contradictory if you're not reading it carefully. So what if it said prohibiting them from acting in their professional capacity from encouraging prayer would would follow the same? Yes, it would follow the same. [Music] >> All right. Um if the board's not adopting this tonight and bringing it back for a second reading, we can we can word smith it and bring it back. >> Yeah. I'm just yeah I'm just afraid because like with anything else I know teachers are accused of doing a lot of things that and I
107don't want this to blur the line either and >> and I also don't want to penalize a stu a teacher either for like what was said earlier of like they teach Sunday school and they're at their Sunday school class happen to have a student in their class. I don't want them to penalize for that either by just something that's worded differently or somebody could take it the wrong way. >> Well I but I think what you just said is why that second sentence important. That second sentence clearly states they are not prohibited when acting in their private capacity teaching Sunday school on Sunday >> from encouraging students participation. So I actually the the more that we're talking and the more that I'm reading this I like that it very clearly says in the first sentence
108when you're professional you can't do it. When you're private time you can the private time >> gets defined when somebody comes and fights about it by the attorneys. Right. Realistically, >> unfortunately, that that's probably >> that's the reality of this. >> So, okay. No, >> but I would say that the private time >> if if we're going to a board meeting, the private time begins when you're no longer on duty >> for the school district. >> When you're when >> So, could it be when you're not in your professional capacity? >> An example? An example? Well, no, not not I spoke twice, but >> like it has I don't know. It just sounds really very vague. Like it's just up for interpretation. So I have an example. So there's a teacher that teaches Sunday school
109on the weekend has a student in the classroom that is also at Sunday school and the the child comes up and starts talking about what they're going to be doing over the weekend and what's happening in Sunday school. That teacher is on their own time, but maybe now it's lunch and the student comes up. So I think clarifying it that it's prohibited when you're in professional time in in this in this more clear language where they're pro prohibited when acting in their professional capacity from encouraging prayer or other religious activities to others. So it's specific about being in your professional setting versus a private setting. Private setting what they do in their private setting. It's not >> private be like a background. Yeah. it's anywhere else. But when we're talking about in the professional setting,
110in a professional >> um environment, it should be called out specifically that that's prohibited. And I I just think that second language is it the second sentence is not clear. >> I hear you and we can work with it. But I think because there's not necessarily a bright line between those things that it's >> it's going to be that way. It's going to be challenging because remember >> the Kennedy versus Breton case kind of fell on this >> finite gap in time between when the football game ended and perhaps when he was supposed to rouse the team to take him back to the locker room five minutes off. >> It could have been less than that. >> Yep. >> And so I I don't I don't know that there's a bright line to put into
111a rule. >> Yeah. Yeah. And also Kennedy versus Breton too was also talking about his halftime speeches as well, not just what he did after the game. >> So technically halftime would be during his professional capacity. You know, I I I think I think the first sentence calling out official duties and the second sentence calling out private capacity is important to be there >> as opposed to talking about professional twice because it's redundant. >> Yeah, I agree with that. Okay, one more thing in the second paragraph >> towards the end. Yeah, >> it says here not um staff members shall be highly sensitive to their obligations not to interfere with the religious development of any student in whatever tradition the student could put also like the family or uh parent guardians embrace and treat all
112religion and religious convictions including non-belief with fairness and respect. So that >> second paragraph >> that might not be something that the teacher knows and so I think the intent is to just focus on the teacher student relationship and ensure that the teacher is not doing anything in the classroom that let's say we have a Muslim student in the classroom that has a religious accommodation to go pray during the school day. um the students parents may not be Muslim. Um so I don't know that that's that we want to put that in there, but I I'm happy to word smith it also and and and put something in there if that's the board's desire. >> Just to sorry just to go along with that too then. So then if it's a student teacher then why
113is it on the opt- out form when the questions are asked it's asking about the family's like religious belief. So that goes back to Yodar the the case in Wisconsin >> students religious belief >> and I'm also thinking of Mimmude because it's the parents that are opting them out correct which is not the student. So that's why I feel like you need to include you know parents, a guardian, family, something like that because it is >> I mean we could put like to the extent known >> because we may not. >> Yeah, we might not know but um I just think we the parents are the ones that are opting out. Students are not and when they're young and elementary you know they might not understand their religion completely or those things. So, and as
114we're sending out opt out forms, we want to be respectful to everyone. So, that's why I was thinking of adding that. >> The only thing about that is depending on the engagement of the parents, that may not be possible, which means are we holding the teachers to a standard that they cannot >> are >> the student or family >> our family >> or family. Um, it are we question for Robins. Are we covered without it? Because this is all about litigation coverage is really what this is about. >> I think as long as you're complying with the notice and opt out provisions, you're you're in good shape. >> And the AR I mean, I I was reading through the ARs. The AR is very clear if you read the AR. So yeah, so the board
115policy would be more from a policy perspective that we don't want to interfere with the religious development of any student or beliefs of parents family. I'm just putting that in as a placeholder for the board president. Um, how that happens is going to be carried out by the AR. And that's why I said I think that we'd be covered even without this language if we're complying with the notice and opt out >> because the the practice of what we're doing is more is more important legally than the board policy. The board policy is important. However, the AR and following the AR is the important piece. >> Yes. legally speaking. Yeah. >> So, I'm just I'm just being clear here. This is not Mimmude is not just about books. It's about notifying parents in advance of
116instruction on gender, gender expression, gender identity, and LGBTQ inclusive topics. >> Correct. Which is like already covered by California Healthy Youth Act. And then to the extent that it is a book or some other within the curriculum, we identified areas that may need to be opt out. And there's not a ton of them, but there are some and that would fall under that umbrella. >> Um, >> but teachers asking for their pronouns or asking for their gender identity, things like that, that's not allowed under MEMU. I mean, are we correct? That's not covered under Mammud, but it is a topic of gender identity. So, it is probably something that would run a foul of Mahammude if a notice and opt out wasn't given if a if a teacher was deciding to do that. >> Okay.
117And I'm only it happened it happened to one of my kids and so that's why I'm asking, you know, and he was not happy about it and there was no opt out. Parents didn't know about it and he didn't want to write an essay about what his pronouns were and what his gender identity was. >> So, I mean, it is happening. class that whether that was California Healthy Youth Act type >> it wasn't it was an English it was a language arts class >> okay >> so it's happening and so that's why I think parents need to know what the expectations are >> okay just for clarification do you guys want the timeline in there or are you good with it being in the AR okay I just wanted to make sure that was brought
118up so I'm just trying to make sure we're catching all of our a request. Yes. [Music] >> So, are you guys want him to fix these things? Um, September 9th is our next regular board meeting. We do have a meeting on the 26th. So, that's not for them. >> That's that superintendent. >> So, what do you recommend, Todd? Um well like I said we presented what we presented here is what we recommend but if you want it word smmith we can do that. >> So we're we're not legally um compromised with >> the current >> with if this was not approved tonight because we have they are in place and we have the opt out option. So, unless you say otherwise, uh, Todd, uh, if the board chooses to wait until September or call a
119special if you want to do it before school starts, >> gosh, don't do it. >> No. Then then then September uh, and at which time we could have it Wordsmith. Of course, that's there's no guarantee that's going to be uh, accepted at that time either, right? So, at some point, it's still first reading. Can we accept it as as is and then like you said if anything changes coming up we can amend it >> comes out three four months down the road. >> Yeah. >> Right. We do that anyway because certainly when they update it uh or as we get more information or more guidance from the state or county then we would of course bring that back to the board to update that policy. >> I think it's prudent to have something in place.
120If it needs to change, it needs to change. But I think it's prudent just for your purposes as a board to have something in place that at least establishes a baseline procedure. >> And Dr. Mino, can we send out a thing to parents about the Mammud case and talk to them about that you will have opt out options for instruction on gender, gender expression, gender identity, and LGBTQ plus inclusive topics. So when these parents are getting the opt out, they're like, "What is this for?" That this is like we're >> Yeah. you know, because I've had so many phone calls and they go, "What are they talking about?" Then I it's the Mimmude thing and so on and so forth and you should be able to opt out throughout the year. Like they're very confused
121as to what it is. And so I think it's something that >> they should know we're on top of and that they have the opt out option, >> right? So separate from the handbook. You mean just as separate >> like just and send an email just to clarify this is what happened. This is what came down. And throughout the year, if if they're presenting any of this, you will have, you know, dealing with any of those topics we just talked about, you'll have the, you know, you can opt out. >> Sure. So, should the board choose to direct me to do that, we'd be happy to uh to to put that together. >> I think the clarification would be helpful for parents. >> Is that >> just to make sure that they understand that there
122is that wasn't the opt out >> that you sharing the AR. This is the thing. This was it was gender expression. all the things that they weren't clear with. You all these things and if it's going to be presented in a classroom, you'll have an opt- out form and it will come to you two weeks in advance. >> Right. >> My I'm sorry. My concern is it just says well Mammood Mahmood >> um involves LGBTQ plus inclusive story books. Court decision is not limited to LGBTQ inclusive content. Therefore, the school leaders should aim to craft general religious accommodation opt- out process that do not f focus on LGBTQ content, nor should they silo LGBTQ content within their within the curriculum. But I'm just saying it's not you're not supposed to technically say because of the
123fair act that it's target like we're doing this because of Makmood and this is the content that we're targeting. >> But like the healthy youth and all that, they allow the opt out. It's clearly talks about the LGBT We already have that. >> I understand. I was explaining to her that that actually says that that's the reasons you can opt out. So these are the reasons you can opt out suing for XY. This is something we could be specifically say this opt out form is for sued because we already do this. >> We'd already been sued for all the opt outs that are done in the opt out process. The process should not focus on what are you reading from? >> It is the ACLU California Equality National Youth Center for Public Console and it's
124illegal FAQs. Got it. >> About my mood and tailor. >> Okay. I think we should reook at um this is my opinion. We should reook at how it is in the parent notebook and if it's not clear, we should just say more information is coming. We don't have to go into all the the things but you you know that the parents will be receiving additional information for opting out for religious purposes. >> So you don't want them to explain mimmude and the reasons that you can opt out. So they're not fully aware of what this talking about is what's in the handbook. They read the handbook and they say that >> mimmud is in the handbook. >> Mimmude is in the hand. Mimmude is in the handbook. >> Yeah. I have a mood's reference in
125the handbook. >> Reference and is explained because if I'm looking at a mood and I don't have an explanation as to what this is about, >> but if you're a parent who is who has that in their mind of that's what they're looking for, they're going to know what either what it's about or the research what it's about. They could be >> if they don't have anything that they're >> So, so all of the parents have researched, you know, capabilities and well, they should. >> Yeah, they should. And it's been on the >> Oh, really? They should. All of our parents should have that access. Yes, they have access to my they can go look at it there. And >> all of our parents have computers and cell phones and they have all access to
126Google. >> How else are you going to give them the information? Are you talking about an email or a text? >> How are they going to get the handbook and even register their child if they have no access to computers? >> I'm just saying not everybody in our district is wealthy and has cell phones at their fingertips, >> but they register their children on >> Yeah. Maybe they went to the library. Yeah. And then they can on the on look up the handbook at the library on that computer and access the information they need. Students can do that, parents can do that, everybody. >> Do you guys have any further questions for the board for clarification? >> Can you send out that religious exemption form instruction section of the handbook just as a quotation in
127the email because it does call out. >> Maybe they don't have a computer to read it. >> Okay. So, let's not communicate with them. Okay, Carrie. I'm just saying if it's in the handbook, then why wouldn't we be okay putting it in an email? >> Just put it there. Make it make it easy because people are >> It sounds like you're trying to It sounds like you're trying to hide. >> No, not at all. >> That's exactly what it sounds like. >> No, it just sounds like Yes. Single out. >> Oh, single out. You know what the the Healthy Youth Act, all of these things have singled out the LGBTQ opt out things on all kinds of gender. exactly what Mimu talks about. So, I'm not singling out anything that hasn't been singled out for
128years that has been a debate in California, the United States. >> So, don't even try to go there on that one. >> And again, if they're in if parents are interested in debating that and have an issue with that, they are educated in that sense that they know that already. >> How do you know what parents are educated and what are not? That's so many assumptions. Not everyone is educated on all these things. >> And if they had an interest in it, they would become educated. Just like if you have an interest on how to help your child with homework, I would like to recommend ask about it. Ask >> that we add the paragraph that's in the handbook because it's there. It's very easy. Just add as a quote in the email so that
129it's clear so that parents don't have questions. I think that would be great >> and I think it'd be good transparent communication to our people. What's >> so the board if the board wants to direct me to follow through on that then of course I'm happy to do that. >> I just want there to be clarity. I just don't want people to have made a checkbook and um think that they have opted out and then they're getting these notices from their teachers and then they're like well I don't have to do that because I already did it. I just wanted to be clear. Can we then just clarify that this opt out form is you acknowledge that there may be future opt- out forms to look for if any any topic >> there's going to
130be future optout forms but it won't talk about what they're opting out of that'll just come at a later date >> like we just talked about. It's in the handbook. The paragraph is in the handbook on our website. I'm looking at it right now. It calls out all of the things that we're talking about. Just take the paragraph, quote it, put it in an email and it's clear for everybody. It's in the It's in the handbook. So, I don't think we're not saying it. It's very simple. And I think Marilyn's point is great saying that if people did check it and think, "Well, I'm covered so I don't have to worry about it." They're not watching for it and they're not paying attention. I I think it's a good clarification. It links the AR right
131there. I think it's great. >> Yeah. So remember this uh all happened over the course of the last few weeks and of course principles just returned on uh Monday and we were able to get uh a handful of principles to come back sooner to prepare for this and get the AR going uh under uh Dr. Young's leadership. So uh we certainly have more work to do as uh Mr. Robbins alluded to to continue this process as we move forward. So if it's the board's direction for us to uh communicate it via through principles perhaps or through the superintendent's office however uh we believe would be in the best interest of our organization and of course giving me that direction and we'll move forward. >> I would like communication to go to the parents about this
132so they're not confused and don't think they haven't >> some clarity. I think it's I think there needs to be some clarity. they need to know what they should be looking for, if they're interested or not interested, you know, and how that will roll out. So, I'm good with that. Um, and I know that this is was all um this is a lot of things that have taken place in a very short amount of time, you know, and I'm just really appreciated to to the staff and to Mr. Robbins for all the work that they've done on this. Um, we have, you know, we haven't gotten any clear direction. I mean, this is the the memo from the county and, you know, it just says, uh, don't be passive, but you're going to have to
133make some changes, but there's no no direction from the county. There's really no direction from CSBA. It's all um and you guys are you guys are making the best choices in the limited time and trying to solve this problem that I know is going to end up back in court. It's it's going to be changed probably three times in in a year and a half >> or less. And you know, so all we can do is make the best decisions. And so I think clarity to our our families is what I would like to see. And you know even we can say that you know this is still a work in progress. We can just be transparent. This is not perfect. We know it's not. Um you know the the county lists I think four
134other board policies that we're going to have to to adapt and change. This is just one. So, um there's there's definitely more to come on this. >> I would I would also encourage this us to be very generous with our offerings of optouts. If there's any like question like offer the opt out unless it's they want to opt out of um addition and subtraction which is ridiculous although some people might try it. Um let's be generous in that so that parents feel like they have as much and then that may be intensive. I understand that. Um, but as as best as we can, I'd like to be make sure that we're transparent in all that. So, I'll be good. >> Okay. Do we need to vote on the first reading? Okay. So, this is for
135the first reading because we did not in our um motion wave wave the second reading. So, we're we don't have to amend anything. So, all in favor? Wait, this is this is to vote for the way it is. Right. >> Right. And this is just a first reading. >> So this won't be policy. >> This will not be policy because we didn't um >> so I can make a substantive motion then. >> No, because the the Well, unless you want to make it >> kind of make a substantive motion to or substitute, sorry, >> we were talking about substitive back there. Substitute motion to uh approve this policy as >> final reading. Wait, the second reading. Yeah, >> somebody seconds it and the board agrees to accept the substitute motion and then vote on the
136substitute. >> I'll vote to accept the substitute motion. >> Okay. So, you have a second. So, now the vote right now is not to approve Mr. Frasier's motion. It's a procedural motion, not a substantive motion. So, are you agreeing to accept his substitute motion in place of the original motion? Yes, I agree. That's what the vote is. >> Yes. >> So, all in favor? >> Yes. >> I. All opposed? >> No. >> I tried talking. >> Let's bring it back for a second. >> Let's get off my teeth. >> I I want a second. Look at it. >> Okay. Oh, I forgot. >> Wait, we we need to vote on the original motion. >> Ariana, did you did you want to vote on the substitute motion? >> You can favor or >> or wait for
137a second reading? I'll wait for the second. >> Wait for the second. Okay. >> So, we need to make sure we vote on the original motion. >> Okay. So, this is a for a first reading only. >> First reading only >> just to accept the first reading. >> It's just that >> great reading at the first time, guys. >> Accepting Todd's um >> not but it doesn't become policy. It doesn't do anything. doesn't >> your board policies require a first reading and a second reading in order to adopt new board policies. >> It's an on vote vote >> and we didn't wave it. So, >> we tried to wave it. >> I'm sorry. All in favor? >> I I >> I Okay. So, motion carries 50 with an I from our student board member. >>
138Okay. We are on to um 16.1 Constitution Day. Have a motion. >> I'll make a motion that we approve resolution sorry 256 constitution day education program for K12 hon or around September 17, 2025. >> I'll second. >> Okay. We have a motion by Mrs. Buck, a second by Mrs. Blades, and I'll turn it over to Dr. Young. >> Okay. Good evening. Both federal and state laws require districts to hold commemorative exercises for US Constitution Day each year on or near September 17th. District shall hold an educational program for students in grades K through 12 pertaining to the United States Constitution. Our district recognizes activities that instill pride in our country and those um schools include exercises and instruction on the purpose, meaning and importance of the Constitution of the United States. This is an annual
139resolution and annual practice amongst our schools. >> I just had a question. Um I was asking around about this and a lot of people have said that they don't do this and it's not done consistently at all the schools and I know that federal funding can be pulled. If you receive Title 9 funding and you don't do this type of thing, they can actually pull your funding. So what are we doing to ensure that each and every school across the district is doing Constitution Day programs or honoring it and abiding by the law? >> Sure. In the board update last week, we provided a list of the activities that each principal um it provides input on and reviews and confirms that this is what they plan to do each year. And so we can um
140be sure to emphasize it with the principles this year that it's not just a matter of um putting it onto this list and saying that they're doing it, but they need to ensure that it's something that is being done at their in their schools. >> Okay. Thank you. >> And I remember getting this list multiple years in a row and this is always something that happens and they always have something that they're doing. So thank you. >> Sure. >> Okay. Any other questions or comments? Okay, let's take a vote. All in favor? >> I >> Okay, motion carries 50 with an an I from our student board member. >> Okay, we're to the consent calendar. Actions proposed for the consent calendar. Items are consistent with approved practices of the district and are deemed routine in
141nature. The trustees receive board agenda backup information in advance of scheduled meetings and are prepared to vote with the knowledge of the block vote items. Is there any items that anyone wants to pull? >> Wow. >> Mark this in the calendar. Okay. >> Do I need a motion? >> I make a motion we approve the consent calendar. >> I'll second. >> Okay. We have a motion trip. That's right. >> Who says no to field trips? >> That's right. >> Okay. We have a motion by Mrs. Buck and a second by Mr. Frasier. Uh, all in favor? >> I I >> and our student board member >> I >> mark this date. >> Um, Dr. Matthews would be so jealous at this moment. I'm just saying. Okay, motion carries. Okay. So, now we are at the
142student attendance um calendar. So, I'm going to turn the time over to Mrs. Mendoza. Great. Thank you. So, um I think we sent you everything that um that you all had asked for in the last board meeting. So, um you have uh a 26 27 calendar that we took back one and a half weeks early and then we still place that uh September date. We put it to make a 4-day weekend on uh February uh 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th. So, that gave us 85 instructional days to 95. We couldn't get them together. And then we also gave you a oneweek early calendar which we already had and that has 82 instructional days first semester and 98 instructional days second semester. And then we also then um did um it was a suggestion that if we
143went back one week this year, could we go back two weeks in the 2728 school year? So, I also provided that for you. Um, and that starts um that has us starting on August 9th and ending um May 22nd. >> What are the um first trimester, second trimester dates or numbers or days on those? >> Uh it's 88 and 92. I like the week and a half like >> Yeah. >> Mhm. >> And the and I I was looking at the twoe one, >> but school ending on the 22nd of May just feels so early. >> I know. >> So I I mean and start the semester. >> Do you want me to give you three weeks off at Christmas and add another week? >> No. >> How about we do graduations like that when
144it's ending on a Monday when we >> No, that's what I was saying. I I with the week and a half being Thursday, that's the other thing I thought about that the the week and a half puts it on a Thursday for last day of school starting on a Wednesday, middle of August. I mean, I kind of like that one. >> Yeah. >> The week and a half is my favorite, too. >> Yeah. >> Finish before Memorial Day. >> We are done. >> So, then you're clear that it starts on school starts on August 12th. >> 12th. Correct. >> Middle of the week >> because actually that works. It's not a 4 day weekend. It's not three days and then there's a 4 day weekend and then >> so it's going to be just a
145regular weekend and you come back. So it's not as dramatic. >> Okay. Okay. >> And then there's just the 10 days difference which really puts us in line with the other districts in our area when you >> first and second >> when you look at them and their differences, >> right? >> We're we're right there. It feels the most >> I like the week and a half the the two week the one that's the 2728 although I like the fact that it's moving a little earlier having the grad having the last day on the Monday is weird with graduations and we usually do them two days in a row and so >> and that's the week and a half is with a three-day Memorial holiday right it's just the >> I'm not Memorial Labor Day
146>> Labor Day correct >> no September >> no I um no Labor Day is still Just the same just the one day. That's what I mean. The one day I put that I put that September holiday. Usually I put the September holiday on >> March on uh February 12th. So we've got 12, 13, 14, 15 off. So we got a 4 day >> weekend there instead of September. >> The second holiday weekend in February is a 4 day. >> Okay. That's instead of September being a 4 day. >> Right. Right. >> Yeah. I like that. It's actually a three-day because they have the Monday off the eight and then they only are >> A three-day week, right? Right. >> Yeah. They're only the elementarymentaries have a four day, right? It would only be the elementarymentaries
147having that eighth off, right? >> The grading day or No, I'm sorry. >> No, everybody. Everybody would have >> Everybody has Okay. >> I like a week and a half. I think >> Mrs. Have you have I what do you like? >> I like whatever is in the middle because after last board meeting I got inundated with furious parents especially in elementary school and middle school. >> Can you turn your mic on regarding >> Dang, you couldn't hear me. Um I I got let you know messages from furious parents in elementary and middle school that they didn't want anything to change. They understand about the high school, but they said, "Why are we always, you know, so, so they're upset about it." So, I think just to be fair, we should do something that's just
148in the middle of all this. And it's kind of like because if we go too far, I think we're really going to tick off our elementary and our middle school parents, but then if you know, we don't do enough, we're going to be stuck because we still get the high school parents >> Yeah. >> asking. So, I mean, I think we just have to find if we're going to do this, if that's if it's the board's will to do this, I think we have to do somewhere in the middle. >> Mrs. Blade, you meant starting in regards to starting earlier. >> That's what >> Yeah, because a lot of I mean, there's there's districts too in Orange County, you know, and even in LA County, a lot of them have been saying that the parents
149want to return, you know, to the previous schedules. They're not happy with, you know, with getting out in May and then going back, you know, so early in August. So there is kind of the the sentiment that people want to return to schedules like ours. Like they're jealous of our schedules. So I see it both ways. I mean all of my kids were fall athletes, so we I never had summer really, you know, for for years because they were back in July for football or water polo, whatever it was they were playing. But I do understand that, you know, the other parents that don't have fall sports or an AP kid, you know, a lot of times they like that that later start and, you know, Havasu is absolutely deserted in, you know, in August,
150mid August. I mean, so I I get it all. So I understand all sides and I think we should just try to do, you know, have like a happy medium where we just meet everybody kind of in the middle. >> Yeah. And I had a conversation with a um a teacher that we we got on to talking about this and um he said, "You know, when you guys first started talking about this, I don't know, 3 years ago or whatever, the statement that I he's reminding me, I didn't remember I said this, but it sounds like something I would say." Um he said, "You said at some point we just have to rip the band-aid off." And so you just got to do it and there are going to be people that are going to
151be upset. Absolutely. I don't want to go the two weeks. I think that's >> too much. I really like the week and a half. And it really does. It just it rips the band-aid off. It just we got to do it. And I think it makes sense. I apologize to all the elementary parents that are not going to have the longer summer. I'm sorry. >> We'll apologize. Middle school >> and middle school, too. >> Um can I um can I then uh just come back uh in my weekly update with a 2728 calendar that does uh just one and a half weeks? >> Yes. >> Yeah. keep it with the one and a half. >> Want to push it farther back or change it after this one. >> And will you make sure as we're
152looking at the last week of school what that might look like with graduation knowing that we do we typically do at least two days that in the same week. So wherever that might fall. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Because with the week and a half it's a Thursday, right? >> Is that what it is? >> Yeah. But the following year >> I know it's going to be a short the following year. Okay. >> Okay. Could we even just push it back a >> We need at least two, maybe three days because we have so many to do that week. >> I'm sorry. Uh Mrs. Spuck, can you repeat your last question? >> Um I'd just mentioned that as you're looking at the outyear when you're looking at the graduation week, we usually have two to three
153day at least two to three days there for graduations with all the high schools. >> Okay? So we don't want to split that and only have like Monday and Tuesday. That might be >> for instance like just the way that it shows because it's the two weeks on the 27 28. It shows starting the 9th and ending the 9th of August and ending the 22nd of May. If you made it like the previous like the 26 27 where we started on the 11th of August >> and then the 25th >> and the day of Yeah. Can we squish it one day? >> Yeah. >> So >> I don't know where that puts us. The one the one I'm looking at the 26 27 1 and 1/2 weeks early. >> I see that you've got 3
154days in May. >> Yes. Right. She's talking about 28. >> Oh, 2728. Okay. >> If you just back it up a day, I think that will help us >> that we have that we have. Okay. All right. >> Two to three days. >> We're making progress. >> Ending on a Thursday would be ideal, right? >> Thank you. Yeah. >> Ending on a Thursday would be ideal. >> Okay. Got right now. I hate chat GBT. >> Thank you. >> Oh, you guys are all gonna be like wandering around like robots and I'm going to be on it. >> Okay. Any other clarifying questions before we move to the >> Thank you for all your work. It was great. >> No problem. Thank you. >> Okay. So, now it's communications with the board. So, um, we'll start
155with you, Mrs. Blades. >> All right. Thank you. Um, so once again, it's summertime, so there's not a whole lot going on. Um, I was going to, um, just just recently, I think a day or two ago, Sammy Sanchez from Espironza High School won the World Wrestling Championship. I think he's only going to be a sophomore now. He's probably one of the best wrestlers we've ever had in the history of our school district. So I want to say congratulate I'm sorry male we have yes male athletes. Yes. >> Actually she was my cousin our cousin. So >> so congratulations to Sammy Sanchez. Um I wanted to just make sure too that um I had like a disturbing report come to me. Um, and we don't allow outside entities to use our students and our facilities
156to make videos for political organizations and to do things like that. Correct. >> I don't think so. >> Okay. So, I'll have to have a meeting with you, Dr. Mino, and probably you Yolanda about some of the things that have been coming to my desk. I just wanted to ensure before I waste anybody's time, but I was a little concerned about, you know, um people being allowed to use basically taxpayer dollars um you know, for students and our teachers and making productions and things for outside entities. >> Right. Okay. I will follow up with you. >> Thank you. Um and uh there's a lot there's been you know some things going on and so another question I kind of just have a question and answer session for tonight. Um so AB495 is huge topic right
157now. Everybody's talking about it and it's the um basically the taking of you know the parental rights things where someone else can just sign away. So people are asking how does that happen with our parental notification policy in place? Can somebody under this law I mean maybe Todd I don't know if Todd knows about this Todd Robbins but they're saying that these kids can you know a teacher can take over um you know for a parent like just signing away the the waiverss. Um, but I also was going to ask too because what I'm really confused about is in Tmacula Valley, I think it was, um, they're saying that there's a caregiver affidavit already. Do we have a caregiver affidavit in our district? Does anybody know where it says frequently parents find that they need
158someone else, often grandparent or other family member, to care for and make decisions for their children, but don't want to establish a formal guardianship? And so, I know that Tmacula Valley has one. Do we have one here? >> I'm sure we do. Yes, we have one. Okay. So, that was kind of the question that's now floating around is do we already have that in place? And so, this has been in place for a long time. And so, I guess the question now is why is Sacramento making going further with this if we've already have all these things in place and what's different about that? So, and so they're asking if we already have this affidavit in place, what would Sacramento's a what what they're trying to push if that passes, what would be the difference
159in, you know, and how we react as a school district? And so, of course, when that question was asked, I had I really wasn't sure if we had these affidavits already. And so, it seems like Sacramento is trying to broaden what you know, who can take control or you know, of your kids. But that's kind of the question is like now now we have these affidavit that say certain people but like would the Sacramento one be say can teachers >> take possession of your kids can things like that happen. So I guess what people are asking for is the clarity because people are finding out that these affidavit already exist. >> Okay. Well and and we'll put that in the board report. >> Okay. Perfect. So that would be helpful. Um and yeah so I
160think that's it. Um, just Sammy Sanchez. That was a question that came up. The calendar was coming up and they were, you know, I've already gotten a couple text messages I've seen pop up that are no, but you know, like I say, I can't make everybody happy. Um, and yeah. Um, yeah, I think that's it. Um, we've been having quite a summer. It's been very busy. Been able to take some vacations and go off the grid, which I've been very, very happy about. So, I've been a little um remiss on, you know, answering some emails. I've been, you know, like maybe seven to 10 days late sometimes, but um it's been good. It's been restful getting one kid off to college and, you know, that um so yeah, it's been kind of a summer of
161change for me, but um I'm excited that everybody is coming back to school. And I drive by, you know, Yorblin High School. I see all the football players. I see the flag football teams. I see everybody out there in their sports. And um I'm glad it's just not super hot for them yet. Um and hopefully it stays this way. Knock on wood. But uh but yeah, so looking forward to seeing everybody back at school and um yeah, just this the start of fall and all the fall sports. Looking forward to it. Just for clarification, do you want me to be ready to speak on AB495 at the next board meeting? >> I just wanted to know I I think people just need to know. >> I can give you a brief answer, but I can
162expand on it. Okay. >> My understanding it's it's about the immigration situation >> and preparing for contingencies where kids parents may no longer be accessible to them. Um, and so the law requires the district to exhaust emergency contact procedures >> um that exist >> and then to exhaust any existing caregivers affidavits >> and then fall onto the non-family member extended family uh person who would have the ability to come care for the child whose parents are no longer available. Okay. So, >> so it's an immigr It's a response to immigration. >> So, it's not a remove children from the school. It's a make sure that the child who's now been abandoned. >> Correct. >> It's the basic social service. >> Yes. >> Ladder, >> but we can provide we can provide more information, but I
163just wanted to address the question tonight >> because I like I said, I didn't know the affidavit even existed that we had these already. And so then the question the question was is well, what is the difference? and and how does the school district respond? And is it the school districts who are like the ones up in Sacramento? Is it the school district who's in charge of finding these people now or is this a social service issue? Like where's the >> Yeah, we can provide more information, but it's a response to the immigration situation. Perfect. >> I'll follow up with you and and we'll we'll write to that. >> Thank you. Because that that one, you know, kind of just Yeah, the clarification I said I have no idea. Thank you. Um, just want to
164say happy summer to everyone. I'm hope everybody is ending their summer on a good note and a good foot. Um, it's been exciting to like drive by the schools, a lot of the schools and see activities still going on like I said, summer practices, summer league um, programs and it seems almost like other than the twoe dead period that school never stopped. So, um, I know everybody at the district's been working hard and teachers have been preparing for the new year. So, I just want to say thank you to everybody and I hope everybody had a great summer. I'm looking forward to coming back to this next year. I know every year seems like PWUSD just elevates expectations and accomplishments. So, I can't wait to see what this next year brings to all of our
165students, staff, and um cabinet and everybody else. So, I'm just excited, like I said, to see the new year and can't wait to get started on all the new things coming up. So, yeah, happy summer and welcome back to school since we won't be back till September. >> I echo everything you both said. I think everything everything. Um, and I would also like to commend all of us for not pulling a consent item. Oh, hallelujah. And and I'm not going to talk much longer because I think we're all in the same boat. We've all been getting finishing our summers. Um, I've got seniors and uh it they're going to their senior uh school, whatever the thing is where they go sign the papers and do the thing before school, whatever the name of that is.
166>> Registration. >> Thank you. Registration. See, I'm gonna have summer brain still. Um, but yeah, it's uh it's pretty wild. So, you're you're getting rid of one and well, yeah, they're the last ones out. I've got two left. So, it's pretty crazy. Um, but school's coming and uh yeah, it's it's going to be a good year. Thank you. >> Well, for North Orange County RO, we've already begun. Uh we had an inservice this week uh where all the teachers came together at the district office and um did a little um rally and activities to to kick off the new year. The theme this year is um leveling up and um putting excellence in everything that everybody does um and in every capacity to elevate the um what's happening in the school districts and what's happening
167with all of um the RO coursework. Um this last year they had or we had as RO had an amazing year. They uh received their six-year WASK accreditation. Um they have never received anything other than a six-year WASK accreditation. So kudos to them and their uh budget for 2024 2025 was a balanced budget. So um proud of being part of North Orange County RO and kudos to all of them and all the hard work. um as they get started before we do um in all of the other districts and then we'll come and start back with us when we start. So um that's all I have to report. Thank you. >> Thank you everyone. Okay. So, I've been enjoying my summer as well and um I just really wanted to on the um consent calendar
168was like finished pro projects and things that have been going on all summer. And I just wanted to thank our uh maintenance and facilities and our custodial staff for getting everything in order for our students to come back and and making sure everything's wonderful. And I also want to do a huge shout out to all of our extended learning programs. Um the things that I've seen um the pictures and the feedback have been super positive. So thank you to everybody involved in that and making that happen and and I look forward there's a lot of new back to school things coming up and I look forward to attending them all. So that's all I have. So I need >> a record for you. >> I I need a motion to adjourn. Make a motion to
169adjourn the meeting at 8:31. I'll second. >> Okay, we have a motion by Mrs. Quantero, a second by Mrs. Blades. All in favor? >> I. >> And that was an I from our student board member. And meeting ends at 8:31. >> Wow. She had three.