VCUSD Board of Education - Regular Board Meeting 3/10/2026 Public Meeting

001Good evening everyone again. Uh I would like to reconvene the public session. The time is 6:36 p.m. Roll call, please. >> Trusty Fox, >> present. >> Trusty Hodes, >> present. >> Trustee Young, >> present. >> Vice President Flores, >> present. President Amboy >> present. >> Trustee uh Arbab is absent. Trustee Deleó >> present. >> And Trustee Jacob >> present. >> We have a quarum. >> Thank you. Um please rise for the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Reports of action taken in close session. The governing board met in close session with legal counsel regarding anticipated litigation, reviewing student discipline matters, addressing public employee discipline or

002complaints, and conferring with our labor negotiators. The following actions were taken. For items 3A, the governing board heard an update on anticipated litigation and provided the staff with direction. For item 3B, I the governing board took unanimous action 4 to zero with a motion by trustee Fox and a second by trustee Young to accept the expulsion of student S2026- STP03. The governing board also took unanimous action 4 to zero with a motion by trustee Young and a second by trustee Fox to ac accept the expulsion with with suspended enforcement of the this student S2026-HP01. For item 3C, the governing board took unanimous action for a separation agreement motion by Trusty Hajes and a second by Trustee Young. For item 3D, the governing board received an update on employee group negotiations and provided staff with direction.

003D. Adoption of a board agenda. May I have a motion for the adoption of today's board agenda? >> Trusty Hodgees. >> Make a motion to adopt today's uh agenda. >> Trusty Dr. Young, >> I second. >> Roll call, please. Trusty Fox. >> Hi. >> Trusty Hodes. >> Hi. >> Trusty Young. >> Hi. >> Vice President Flores. >> I. >> President Amboy. >> I. >> Trusty Arbab is absent. Trusty Deleó. >> I. >> And Trusty Vajz Dooo. >> I. >> And the motion passes. 5-0. >> Thank you. Item six, board pre presentations, adoption of resolutions, memorials, community donations, acknowledgements, and recognition. Have none. Thank you. Um item seven. Um uh next item is from seven. Item seven, the forum. Do we have any inter agencies with the report? >> No inter agencies. Um um Valleo Education

004Association VA. Do we have a report? Yeah. >> MR. >> Good evening board um trustees and uh our superintendent. Right now, the stress around the district is is at an extreme level. Staff who have been notified that they may not have a job next year. Staff who know that they have to move schools and classrooms. School school sites and staff who are having who are assimilating the closed schools. Students and families who know they are going going to a different school next year. Historically, we start the school year short staffed. That's historic as long as I have been in the district. Um, this time we will be short both classified and certificated staff that we're going to be scrambling to to to fill jobs. Um, and and the these are people that put for those

005of you on the board who are are an educator who or have been an educator, you know how tough the first two or three weeks of school is. It takes all hands on deck. VA, CSEA, VSMA, it takes all hands on deck to get this get the school year going. VA stands in solidarity with CSCA. >> Good evening board, trustees, superintendent, staff, and community. CSA would like to thank the board members that actually met with us last week. We appreciate you guys meeting with us and hearing what we had to say. It's quite unfortunate that we couldn't meet with all of you. At some point, we'd like to meet with Mr. Fox at some point. Um when you have the courage to meet with us, that would be great. We also would like to report

006that uh we were able TSA was able to take two delegates to the PAR conference this week. So they will have four days of intense training and we are really excited about that because Valleo 199 was able to afford to do that. We also wanted to say that um the morale and the morale and the thought process of CSEA is rough right now and we understand that this board and its staff, its management is expecting us to show up to work every day and the staff is having a hard time. And so we need a little grace, more than a little grace and we're doing the best that we can for all our students. But that's why we show up every day is for our students. And we need the board to think about that

007when they think about layoffs and cuts. Thanks, >> VSMA. >> No, no report. >> Thank you. On to reports from um district advisory committees. Uh, no reports this evening. >> Um, student reports. Um, trustee Deleó. >> Good evening board. Um, committee members at my school right now, March 11th. So, tomorrow we have our voter registration. Yeah. voter registration in the PD center on the 12th. So, Thursday, we have our quarter 4 new student orientation where all the students coming in from Valleo High and Jesse Bethl will get acquainted with their student support team um on March 19th. Oh, and we have quarter 3 finals this Thursday and Friday. We've also had a mandatory student support hour for all the kids with D minuses or Fs. So the kids with the mandatory student support, those teachers

008are helping them prepare for their finals. On March 19th, we have an energy career panel interest meeting with Ella Aker, who is somebody who um lives in our community. She's giving all of our kids interest info in careers in the energy field for our kids who don't want to attend college and want to do something else. Um we have we have the employment development. Um employment development is coming is coming to um show job opportunities in Solano County for our kids. also telling us about building their about them building their partnership with Solano Community College. We've also been blessed enough to send two students to the NLC um national conference in DC. So, we have two representatives this year from John Finny. Um our teachers are using resources that are being sent out by our

009principal to highlight Women's History Month. We as a school are participating in March, the March Madness campaign um with pizza parties and different things for the kids with higher attendance. And we also have a spring break boot camp um to earn up to 10 credits, which is two classes for prior failed classes for kids like me who are seniors um and have failed classes. And that's all. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um, Trusty Valdez Jacobo. >> Good evening, community board. My name is Sonia Valako. I am a junior attending Valo High School. And here is my student report. So, Valo High partnered with AAPN to put on the Black History Month program. The program features students from several elementary schools, K through 8, and high schools. It was also so well attended that we had

010to open up an overflow room in the Valo High School library to increase Valo High's A throughG numbers. We are currently running a grade change camp for students who received a DRF in integrated math 1. This camp gives students the chance to not only earn a grade change, but receive targeted intervention and avoid summer school. We had our WC midcycle review yesterday and received great feedback as to what is being done as well as areas to continue growth. Our students, parents, and teachers were part of the midcycle review. We appreciate we are appreciative of our Valhai community for making sure to visit the f excuse me for making sure the visit was a success. Long Tuesday, guys. Okay, next Friday, March 20th, Val High School will be hosting our spring community event, International Night. We

011invite everyone to come out for a night filled with music, international food vendors, and community resources, student performances, joy, and fun. Tomorrow, our CSF students will be participating in the math steep please. Apologies if I said that wrong, which is which will take place tomorrow at Salano Community College. Let's all wish them some luck. And Valh High had 22 students qualify for the Skills USA state championship. Students qualified in seven different categories. The state competition takes place April 9th to 12th in Ontario, California. We wish them all luck. Now, more on the personal side. Um, softball season started. Super excited except I broke my ankle like a week before like the game. I know sucks. So hopefully they told me that I was going to be out for like 3 months. I think I'm going

012to be back sooner. I don't know. I might be delusional, but um yeah, just super happy to be here, guys. And yeah, that's it. We're down to community forum. The public and staff are invited to make comments. However, pursuant to the Brown Act and the requirements for advanced public notice of items to be discussed, no item brought to the board's attention under this section of the agenda may be acted upon at the meeting. Um, please note, individual comments will be limited to no more than one minute. Individual may not relinquish their time for another speaker to add their designated one minute. The total time allotted for this item is no more than than 20. Uh superintendent, how many uh speaker cards do we have? >> We have 16 cards for this item. >> Okay. With

013the 16 cards, uh we we will all lot 16 minutes per um one minute per speaker. Uh our >> our first speaker is >> uh David Balef. Please come to the podium. David. Uh good afternoon board. I thank you all and thank you members. This is a lot more than one minute, but uh obviously it's not going to happen today. Some of you heard this before. I'm not going to bring up points that other people I'm sure are going to. Um I just want to say something that's obvious to everybody here. Our public schools are under attack. and they're under attack by private schools, charter schools, etc. So, we must do better. We must do better in many ways. This is a flyer I got in the mail advertising uh a private school here in

014town where they are offering 50% off enrollment fees for students, etc. We need to do something of this nature ourselves. We need to encourage and get the help of everyone behind me to write our own campaign. We don't need an advertising company to do it. We can do it ourselves. Let's get our students back. And thank you. Uh where's How many more seconds are left? Oh, there it is. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you, David. Good evening. As a governing board member, you have the right to and the responsibility to question what the district is doing and is going to is going to is doing and to ensure that is at the best interest of our students. There is no way possible to maintain this district's properly properly with the amount of maintenance

015and grounds that are on the new layoff list. There will be not enough members left. The district sees the CSA members that have been around 5, 10, 25, even 40 years as a high earnner, but they fail to remember the knowledge that these long-term employees have. You can't buy that type of knowledge. Even the contractors the districts hire come to us for the information about where shut off valves, isolation valves, electrical disconnects, etc. None of which is available in any blueprints or in the books. It is all handed down knowledge. That is why I'm hoping that you will reconsider these cuts. There must be another way to solve this budget problem. >> Next, >> good evening. Valleo recently exited nearly 20 years of state receiverhip, a period that existed precisely because the district struggled to

016manage its finances responsibly. The history should make fiscal discipline and transparency our highest priorities today. Yet, we see the district walking away from hundreds of thousands of dollars in available federal funds while at the same time projecting millions of dollars in new spending on consultants and communications. The district tells this community there is no money. It says layoffs of classified staff are necessary. But if that is true, why are millions of dollars in discretionary spending increasing at the same time? Why are we adding executive directors that are not on the pay scale yet? Those are going to be paid higher. How does forfeiting federal funds help our students? How does expanding consulting contracts help them learn? How does spending millions more in communications improve the stability of our schools? These are serious questions about fiscal

017planning and priorities. Our students deserve consistent staffing and stable learning environment. Families deserve confidence. Crane. Cindy Crane next. >> And after Cindy, just so we know, April Nelson is next. After that, >> I'm standing with you. Thank you. Good evening. When classified positions are reduced, classrooms feel the impact immediately. Pair educators support instruction. Office staff helps family custodians maintain safe environments. Books and supplies are important and they directly support students learning. No one here is arguing against providing students with the materials they need to succeed. But the district says it cannot afford to keep the adults who support students every day while always saying it needs millions of dollars in increased discretionary spending in areas like consulting contracts and communications. So the question many families and employees are asking is simple. If there are millions

018available for consultants and millions more for communications, why is there not money for the people who work directly with our students? Consultants cannot supervise the campus, support a struggling learner, or help a family navigate school services. Our students success with the adults who support them. Every day are present in our in their schools, and protecting these positions should be a priority. >> Thank you. April Nelson, followed by Alejandra Raphael. >> Good evening. Okay, let me figure out where I'm at now that I cut it in half. The students in our community community deserve our support. They live in our community. Our taxes pay our community. Transportation is not going to deliver our special needs students all the way to Bakville, Benicia or Fairfield. That's ridiculous. We need to meet the students where they're at such

019in ex especially special ed because we get federal dollars and federal money for those students. Those students require social emotional skills, trauma, regulating their minds and bodies enabled to learn as well as toileting and feeding to name a few. Are you going to deny our children the rights to learn and to be successful in the community that they live in? They're not going to walk to another community and half of those parents. >> Thank you. Alejandra >> followed by Glenn Laval. >> Good evening. When school site when school site staffing is reduced, the greatest impact always falls on the students who rely most on support services. Right now, the district is proposing to close schools that serve many of's lowest income students, English learners, and students with special needs. These are the very students who

020depend most on stable school environments and the adults who support them every day. School closures and layoffs do not happen in a vacuum. While when schools close, students are displaced. Families lose trusted relationships with staff. Students who already face barriers and learning must adjust to new campuses, new routines, and fewer support staff at the same time. At the same time, we know the district has allowed federal funds intended to support these vulnerable students to go unused or be forfeited. Those funds were specifically meant to help English learners provide instructional support and strengthen student services. So, the community is left asking a very serious question about priorities. Why are schools that serve our most vulnerable? >> Thank you very much. Good evening board members and members of the public. Glenn Loveval, executive director of the Napa

021Solano Central Labor Council, AFL CIO. Uh we stand in complete solidarity along with union members of various other walks of life that are here today. Uh standing in total support for CSEA and the classified staff. Uh we've all known the pain of austerity and half a century of underinvestment education. But when it comes down to it, it is a choice to bring the community together to navigate this situation. To throw so many of these workers under the bus for short-term budget projections is to permanently destroy the quality and capacity of the district. These workers make public education reality on the ground right now, every day. Rescend the cuts. Let's all work together, district unions, any other stakeholders to navigate this situation. Save public education together. Thank you. Thank you, >> I'm looking for cat. Tegan

022sen. Yep. >> Teen. Een followed by Nikki Arnol. >> Right now, CSEA has several grievances filed with this district to include one that is about transferring over our work, which is the very issue why people are talking tonight. We currently have three unfair practice charges filed with the public employment relations board related to our right to negotiate and our right to receive information that is necessary to this process. Back in 2009 when this district reorganized classified work, it was negotiated with with CSEA. We know that because we still have that memorandum of understanding from that process. So the question is simple. Why was it that then the district knew how to do that, but now in 2026 they seem to have forgotten how to do that? What has changed? Yesterday we sat at the table

023and the administrators came to the table with nothing written, no plan. They came and said, "Well, we wanted to talk about it." It's not time to talk anymore. It's time to see what the district has planned so that CSEA can ne negotiate and get something done for our members. Thank you. human. >> Yes, we are human. So, that's where I'm starting. Thank you. Um, so I'm coming from a different angle. I've spoken to a lot of you, met a lot of you. Um, and one thing that everybody in here knows about me, I I grew up in this community, Glen Cole Franklin Hogan. And something that uh always ran through my mind as a kid and even as a young adult was, oh uh VCU SD doesn't care about us. I remember in high school

024when there was the um class size reductions which was supposed to be 20 or less, we went from 32 to 28. What is that? >> And now as an employee, seeing how as a kid we were treated like we weren't worth putting in all the work. Now as an employee working for this very same district, it's the same thing. We as employees, are we not worth the work to to look at other ways to cut the budget to keep our people on campus, the trusted adults that that our students go to that my 15-year-old daughter at Bethl goes to when they need support? >> Where is the work? >> Where's your work? Jen Hiten and Ben Freeland. Good evening. Public education requires careful stewardship of limited resources, especially in a district like Vallejo that has

025just emerged from state receiverhip. For two decades, this community lived under the state oversight because the district failed to manage its finances responsibly. Families, employees, and students were promised that when local control returned, it would come with stronger financial dis discipline, clearer priorities, and greater transparency. Yet today, we see administrative costs projected at nearly 18 million and almost 14 million in increases across discretionary spending categories. At the same time, the district says it has no choice but to lay off the classified staff who supervise campuses, support classrooms, and help families every single day. This raises a serious question about stewardship. After everything Valleo has been through, are we repeating the same pattern that led us to state receiverhip in the first place before reducing the adults who support our students every single day? Every proposed

026discretionary increase and every alternative should be fully examined. That includes administrative staffing alignment. >> Thank you. Thank you. Good evening. The district is pursuing a multi-year plan for upgrades to technology and digital curriculum expansion and it is not statemandated. Technology can be a support uh for learning students and students should have access to modern tools and resources in their classrooms. But the question before this board tonight is about priorities. At the same time these upgrades are being proposed, the district is planning to reduce positions that provide direct in-person support to students on our campuses. Technology can be helpful, but devices do not supervise hallways. They do not notice when a student is struggling emotionally. They do not provide one-on-one help to a child who needs extra support. They do not assist a student with special

027needs or help a family who walks into the school office looking for guidance. Those things are done by classified professionals you want to lay off. >> Pair educator support student learning custodians keep campuses safe and clean. >> Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Next to Aubrey Constantino and Nina Martinez. >> My name is Aubrey Cosantino and I'm a site safety supervisor and I am essential. Can you tell me why the threat of receiverhip is being put on our backs for us to bear the weight of? Why is it that the ones who show up dayto-day are being told it's us that have to be cut because the higher ups did not make the best decisions? How many of us little guys are able to approve purchases? How many of us have the say so in

028how the budget is spent? You are the ones who make these decisions. You are the ones with the power, but it's the ones who are here every day for the students that are being cut. I ask you to take a good long hard look at the list of people being cut. Those are not just positions. Those are people in these jobs. Look at them. They're here. >> Not going nowhere. >> Now ask yourself, who is going to do the work when you cut them? Are you planning to contract the work out? Why? Why would you pay more to have an outside company do the work when you have the staff already doing the work? Why would you cut staff that show up to do the work and what their needs are? >> Thank you, Aubrey.

029>> Thank you. I appreciate it. Okay. So, first I want to make sure I have everybody's attention. Just look up. Do you see us? >> Do you hear us? We have been here every board meeting to give you guys a little bit of knowledge of what's not going on or what's not being said. The increased expenditures show in the sec second interim the reports are projected that there's an increase. Right now the district is planning millions of dollars in increased discuss discretionary spending in areas like consulting contracts and communication while at the same time laying off US classified employees and saying it's unavo unavoidable. >> But look at us. We are doing the work. There is no plan. That's it. >> Is this P purely Dumont? Is that right? I'm trying to read the writing.

030>> Yes. >> Peace. Thank you. >> Good evening board. Uh I'm the father of a kindergarten teacher at uh Highland and you may have received the letter but I only sent it sat Sunday evening so I'm not sure you've had time to review it. Um my my uh question is around the uh suddenness of the change in priority for including Highland as one of the schools that was uh closed. It was my understanding that it was the lowest priority for closure and suddenly in December it jumped to the uh to amongst those that were finally closed. Um for me this was very short notice and u I am uh distressed at that shortness. Uh so I find myself in sympathy to the rest of the discussion here but here for a different reason. Thank you.

031>> THANK YOU >> Ela WAC followed by Ryan Kalerina. Valo is angry and Valo has every right to be. While workers show up early, they stay late, and they hold this district together, Valo's leadership failed to plan and failed to be transparent. And now workers are being told to pay the price. Over 150 livelihoods are at risk. These are not numbers. These are people who made this district run. I come from Windsor, a financially sound district that plans ahead and understands one basic truth. You do not balance budgets on the backs of your people. Windsor proves this did not have to happen here. So Valo's leadership should not claim this was inevitable. What Valleo is facing is not necessity. It is negligence. And yes, it's a crying shame. Shame on cutting workers first. Shame on

032secrecy. Shame on you. >> I am in CSEA mentorship right now. I will be bringing Valleo's experience back to my chapter as a learning lesson about why transparency, planning, and working workers unity matters. Valo runs on workers. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Ryan, >> good evening board. I teach at BETHL and my kid goes to WLAW, my 5-year-old daughter. Um, I had an interaction with some parents at the mall like a month ago. I took my kids to this play area and this father was from Valleo and he asked me, "Where do you send your kids to school?" Because I'm terrified of sending my kids to Valo schools. I defended our schools a lot. I said a lot of things, but my question for the board is how do you expect

033me to give a wholehearted defense of our schools in our district? How do you expect what how do I feel about my own decision to put my kid in Valleo schools under the context of critical lifeblood resources being cut? That's my question for the board. >> Is it Harold B is or Harold >> Buren? Thank you. Oh, thank you all so much. I know we have a minute, but I want to say this. I appreciate this new superintendent because we now get to expose the gatekeepers. Uh those that have held back Vallejo. Uh we can't be angry at this new superintendent. >> Let's let him expose the corruption that has had been going on in this city. My life in the business of children started before Valleo. I was built by Cheryl Cesy. I was

034built by Frederick Burton, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Fort Texas. So, Valleo has had a gift from God, not being invested in the city, but being invested in the children. So, I would say today, I understand, I take no favors, but let this man cuz I've been through what, five superintendent, can't penalize this one. Let's let him expose what has been holding back Vallejo for years. And I support you, superintendent. Thank you so much. Valo site safety lead site safety for Hogan. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you everyone. Um right now we're moving down to um consent. Um, the consent agenda includes items A through V. May I have a motion and a second to adopt the consent items? >> Lot of contracts in there. >> But we don't need to ask any questions, right? >>

035Vice President Flores, >> make a motion to adopt uh consent items 8A through 8V. Do I have a second? >> Dr. Young. >> A second. >> Roll call, please. >> Trusty Flores, I'm sorry. Trusty Fox. I >> Trusty Hodes. >> Trusty Young. >> I, >> Vice President Flores, >> I. >> President Amboy, >> I. >> Trusty Arb is absent. Trustee Deleó I >> and Trustee Valdez do Jacob >> I. >> The motion passes 5. >> Thank you. >> Congratulations. >> Uh we're moving on to uh 9A 9 um information. >> 9A is the first reading of a set of board policy updates. Uh so we're bringing it forward to the board. Uh this will return the next meeting for the second reading and adoption. >> Just information. Okay. >> The next item um is the

0362024 measure S general obligation bonds financial and performance audit reports. assistant um superintendent of Ruben Fernandez. >> Test uh President Amboy, Vice President Flores, Dr. Trusty Young, uh Trusty Fox, Hodes, and Superintendent Aelio Community. Tonight uh we are presenting the district's 2425 measure S general application bond financial and performance audit reports along with a related governance letter from our independent auditors. This is an annual item required under Proposition 39 for school bond programs like measure S. In simple terms, we do this every year to provide an independent check that bond dollars are being spent the way voters approved and the required oversight and reporting processes are in place. The audit found that the measure s bond expenditures were used for projects that are consistent with the voter approved project list and that salary costs charged

037to the bond pro program were allowable and tied to bond related work uh not general district operations. The auditors also reported no findings which is a good thing in the measure s bond audit for the year ended June 30th 2025. Uh financially, the measure S bond fund ended the year uh with approximately 73.9 million in restricted fund balance. The district had about 43.8 million in commitments and unfinished projects as of June 30th, 2025. The bottom line is that the annual audit process is about accountability and public trust and confirms that Measure S bond dollars are being used for the purposes of what are approved and the district remains in compliance with the oversight requirements that come with school bond funding. At this time, I'm asking the board to receive this item as information and would

038be happy to answer any questions. >> Yeah. >> What's the plan? >> We were told that that works somewhere. Again, I do want to um let the the the public know again this is u this we are having a public meeting. Our our meeting is public. Um we gen we do uh welcome comments when it u and the comments were made earlier >> and again we would just like to move forward with uh with with our items so we can move forward. I'm sure you would >> took 20 minutes of our time for your little recess >> or was it a timeout? >> Next item, please. Um uh moving on to 10. Uh action item 10. We have several items to vote on today. >> President Amboy, just so just to so you know, for

039item 10A, we do have comment cards. So once uh the assistant superintendent Chamberlain presents before any votes taken we should take the common cards. >> Thank you superintendent. >> Okay. Good evening. Uh tonight before you I have a memorandum of understanding between Valo City Unified School District and California School Employee Association Valo Chapter 199 regarding the um clarification of existing CBA language regarding layoffs and the u theou is before you and we we signed and negotiated this in October and I'm looking for your support. Where's it been all this time? >> Okay. >> In October. >> Does the board want me want want me to do the cards first? I don't know if you have questions. >> I think we should we'll move on to the cards first before we vote. >> Cards. >> Yes,

040please. >> So, you have five cards for this item. >> Um, >> we can do three minutes. >> You can do three minutes. Even three minutes is fine with this one. Okay, Butch, you're up first. >> Well, I'm gonna go off the cuff this time because I didn't know how much time I was going to have. Okay, for those who don't know me, I'm Edwin. I go by the name Butch Crane. I'm senior lead grounds. Been with the district for going on 14 or 14 and a half years. When the layoffs happen, I'll be six months shy been able to get that medical. Thanks. Thank you a lot. I've I'm a product of your schools. Cooper, Franklin, Valo Junior High, Valleo High. All my kids have gone to these schools. Graduated from these schools. I

041got a te a daughter is a principal at one of your schools. So, I'm I'm vested interest in these schools. My job is being eliminated. My spray tech guy is being eliminated. We are the only two licensed by the state of California to come in here and spray in this room right now. If you got bugs with us gone, nobody's spraying in here. contract without >> you can do contracted at twice triple the price. I also have the um class B driver's license, the only one in our district for the heavy equipment. When we those properties we've been trying to sell for how many years, we have to weed abatement two to three times, sometimes four times a year. I'm the only one who can go over to Fair Pen Benicia, pick up the trailer,

042drive it back on the street because of the weight of that trailer. I'm the only one in the district that can do that unless in the grounds department. The bus drivers, yes, but they're a little bit busy. The mechanics are a little bit busy. We cannot live with such short crew. I say every day I get a phone call about something water leaking somewhere or whatever. Either I go, my sprinkler tech goes. You eliminate him, myself, and the spray guy. You're down to seven grounds. Guys, >> back when you cut us back in the past, you guys were here. The state said we should be 18. We were 11 with the 12th getting ready to start. They said we don't need him. So the the board decided we only needed 11. That's less than 2/3.

043You take three from the 10 now and still taking 380 acres. It's going to show in months real quick. Every time I turn around I got the other day I get a phone call or a text a sprinkler in an office. Um here's a sprinkler. Some kid broke off. >> There you go. Right there. Every time we turn around I get phone calls about water leaking. I go out there or my guys know because we know where the shut offs are. You call a contractor two, three days maybe. And where are they going to shut off? They'll shut the entire school off. Then you can't have kids because you have no water. They don't know how to isolate. We do. You cannot live without our crew. Thank you, >> Alejandra Rafael. then Ralph Ortalano after

044that. >> All right. Good evening. My name is Alejandra Rafael and I have been working for the school district for the past 10 years. I am product of 2. I went to Stephan Manor Elementary School. I went to Springstell Middle School and I graduated from Hogan High School back in ' 07. Came back to my community, graduated from UC Davis, got my bachelor's. I always wanted to give back to my community and I've been doing so for the last 10 years. >> That's right. So, I'm here today because I wanted to talk to you guys about transparency. You guys talk about it saying that you guys been transparent from the beginning, but district leadership has not been transparent, especially with us ASPs. We did not know that 19 of us was were going to get

045cut this school year. Okay. And I think that already for me is like, you know, we found out in January when Matt sent that email and then after that it's like we had an ASP meeting scheduled for like the next week or so and it was cancelled. February canceled. March canled. We still haven't heard from nobody from the district leadership team >> because there's no plan. What's going to happen to all our kids, you guys? Oh, admins are going to take over the SSTs. Oh, okay. I don't know about that. And I'm really concerned about our students and our community. There's so many students who are getting support services from us. McKini Vento students are homeless students. There's so many students that need us. But yet I have never seen any of you on our

046campuses. >> Never. >> None of you have come to ask what do you do, Alejandra? Oh, apparently nothing because you guys are deciding to eliminate 19 of us. >> There's so many. So there's and there's so many other people here, bilingual leaison, bilingual translators. We have one bilingual translate or um bilingual tutor at our school site. And guess what? We need more because we need we have so many of our EO students who need support in the classroom. There's not enough of them in the classroom. We need more support. And you guys are about to cut all this support that is given to our students. And that's not right. That's just not right. Shame. >> Our kids deserve better. Our families deserve better. We deserve better, too. Do better. >> Vote to stop these layoffs.

047Talk to CSEA. We're willing to work with you guys. But yet, you guys come into these negotiations with nothing in hand. What is that about? All I ask is that you really do sit down and you really think about these kids >> because I remember being like these two young ladies right here once upon a time. I remember being wanting to have these leadership roles and everything. And look, we're back here again, but yet you guys want to just eliminate us like we never matter. That's what it feels like. And I've talked to a lot of other ASPs and trust me, they feel the same. We don't feel seen. We feel unappreciated. Thank you again. >> Good evening. I'm Ralph Oralano. Um, I wanted to thank uh the superintendent because I thought that it meant

048a lot that the first cuts that you made were the department heads of this district rather than the people at the bottom. that spoke a lot to me. And um there are a lot of positions that we really do need that are that are important to us being able to do our jobs to build a better educational system because that's what attracts people to bring their kids to these schools rather than to our competitors. Um for example, um Alejandra um mentioned the um bilingual tutor. Very valuable. Um, I've used him uh a lot um on my campus. Um, when I worked at LA Unified, if I was lucky, maybe somebody from it would show up in 6 months and I'd know, well, that projector is just not going to work for the rest of the

049uh, school year. I guess I'm just going to do it with a piece of chalk on a chalkboard. Um, this district has a um a very supportive, especially if you're in a district where you've gone electronic and you got everybody that's got a a personal computer, right? You need to have the support to make sure that the uh system runs. And I just hope that you be um a little more I guess uh you need to you need to look you really need to look at the the the support positions that you have to make sure that you're not cutting things that are going to make everything go ary in the future. And certainly from my perspective as a VA member um we're running a program for this district. I'm doing everything I can to

050try to attract people to this district so that you can get more ADA funds so that you have a program that's going to attract money here because if I fill one classroom with people who otherwise wouldn't gone to this school district, that's a million dollars and that's going to pay a lot of salaries. So that that's I can't do a lot of things, but I can do that and that's what I've been trying to do. And um thank you for your time. >> Thank you. Crystal Points, followed by Monica Simeon. >> Good evening. My name is Crystal Points and I have worked in Valleo City Unified School District for 26 years. During my time in the district, there have been four rounds of reduction to school counselors. The first incur occurred in 2005 and then

051in 2011 then 2019 and now in 2026. Despite the past reductions in all my years of service, I have never had a case load of 1 to 500 students. I have been laid off, later returned to the district, transitioned into an administrative role, and eventually returned to counseling. As an administrator, I've worked in elementary, middle, high school levels, all levels, so I know what our students needs are. Counselors are not just schedulers of classes or people who step in during a crisis. At middle school levels, councils help prepare students long before those seniors decisions arrive. We help students understand how middle school connects to high school, how their choices begin shaping their opportunities, and how to develop the academic and personal habits that led to long-term success. Counselors also help students learn how to p

052persist despite struggles. At the high school level, counselors deliver lessons at every grade level. In many ways, counselors function like a future planning unit for our students. We help students find their pathways for life. For students who find that a comprehensive high school is not not a right fit, we help families explore other options such as John Finny High School, Independent Studies, JobCore, the California Conservation Corps, the Discovery Challenge Academy. We guide families through the options that they may not have experienced themselves. Community college, four-year college training uh career training programs, military service. We give them the knowledge to have the power over their futures. We teach and support them to gain admissions into a four-year college. We create hands-on opportunities that help turn plans into reality. Counselors organize college application workshops, organize exams, and

053career explorations through the California College.edu. We coordinate the ASVAB test as well. We hold NCA day workshops, NCAA workshops for athletes who deserve to play college sports and to go pro in the areas of social and emotional learning. Counselors provide guidance, coping strategies in a safe place. Now we are 13 counselors and we will be reduced by four. The formula will be 1 to 500. According to California Department of Education, school counselors are the key key component to multiple tier systems of support. Our professional training includes crisis interventions, academic plannings, college and career readiness. School counselors are not just an additional support. They are part of the foundation that helps students see a future for themselves and build a plan to reach their goal. >> There is no substitute for school. >> Thank you very

054much. GOOD evening everyone. My name is Monica Simeon and I'm a school counselor at Vio High School and a proud graduate of IO High School. You may still hear the term guidance counselor which is outdated. We're now considered school counselors because we are not ones who sit around waiting for students to see us. We provide a and develop and uh maintain and evaluate a comprehensive school counseling program which means that we design a proactive data-driven uh program that is designed to serve all students at Valai. Our program operates under this model and our work is guided by a program manual annual planning measurable goals and datadriven decision-making to ensure we're meeting student needs. School counselors today are not simply responding to problems or waiting for students to see us. Instead, we intentionally design systems that

055provide support at every level. Universal supports for all students, targeted interventions for students who need additional help, and individualized services for the those facing the greatest challenges. This work connects to what California schools implement through MTSS, which helps schools provide the right levels of support for all students. But school counselors operate within something broader called a multi-tered multi-dommain system of supports or MTMDSS which recognize that students need support across three developmental domains. So we provide support under the academic development helping students stay on track for graduation, college and career readiness, helping students understand and access their post-secary options and social emotional development. Helping students navigate through the hardest challenges, family challenges, peer conflict and other barriers that affect learning. School counselors are uniquely trained to work across all of these three domains. All school counselors

056hold a pupil personnel services credential and master's level training in counseling. And some of us even hold credentials as teachers and administrators. Our preparation allows us to integrate academic planning, college and career access, and social emotional support in ways that no other role in a school system is especially trained to do. School counselors also serve as leaders and advocates for systems that expand opportunity for students. We were the first ones to ask our district to implement California.edu, a platform that helps students navigate their academic, college, and career planning. And we're the first in the um I think our district was the first in Solano County to do so. So, our students have transcript informed access to CSU, UC, community college, and financial aid program applications. With this, we were also able to advocate for our

057students to have C access to CSU application coupon codes. And we went from a graduation rate increase of 67.3 to 72.3 in the last year. And most importantly, we were able to support the increase of um our most vulnerable population. So, we saw a 25 point increase for students experiencing housing and security, nearly 12 point increase for students with disabilities. So, as my colleague already shared, we're truly vital for the support of all students, especially those most vulnerable. >> Thank you. >> The last card for this item. >> Thank you. I'd like to call the board for a motion. >> Vice President Flores, >> had a quick question. So at when this was formulated, thisou is can I ask if um at the time did the district look at how to possibly negotiate the jobs

058that were existing and put them into a job description where grant funding requirements could be used or grant funding could be used for payment of that position. Was that something that was looked at? >> We've been evaluating that over time. Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. >> I'll make a motion. Okay. >> Do I have a second? >> Trusty Hodes. >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Trusty Fox. >> Hi. >> Trusty Hodgeges. >> Hi. Trusty Young. >> Vice President Flores. >> Hi. >> President Amboy. >> Hi. >> Trusty Arb is absent. Trusty Deleó. >> Do I? >> I do. >> You could pass. >> I pass. >> And trustee Valdez Jacobo. >> I. >> And the motion passes 5. >> Thank you. Um action item 10B resolution 5124 regarding the nonreelection of first and secondyear

059probationary uh certificated employees. >> Thank you President Amboy. Uh resolution 5124 whereas education code section 44929.21B 21B requires that the superintendent notify probationary employee or employees in a position requiring certification qualifications of the decision to reelect or non-reelect the employee to such a position for the next succeeding school year. And whereas the employee identified as number 12244 is employed by the district as first or second year probationary certificated employee for the school year 2526. And whereas it's been recommended to the superintendent of the Vallejo City Unified School District not to reelect said employee for the upcoming school year of 2627. Now therefore, be it resolved by the superintendent of the Vallejo City Unified School District that one, the firstear probationary employee as identified shall be non-reelected from their employment with the district. Two, said employee

060shall be notified in writing of the decision to non-reelect him or her as a certificated employee of the Valleo City Unified School District for school year 2627. And the foregoing notice shall be served upon the employee personally or by a certified mail address to his or her last known address. And so we're looking for your approval. >> Do you want to I know that this is the item where we pulled one of the there was originally two, >> correct? So just to note for the board, the item listed there has two IDs. One has been removed. >> Correct. Thank you. Removal is it 13237? >> Correct. >> Okay. The second one listed, >> Vice President Flores, make a motion to adopt resolution number 5124 as amended. >> Trusty Dr. Young. A second. >> Roll call,

061please. >> Trusty Fox. >> Hi. >> Trusty Hodes. >> Hi. >> Trusty Young. >> Hi. >> Vice President Flores. >> Hi. >> And President Amboy. >> Hi. >> Trusty Arb is absent. Trusty Deleó. >> Hi. >> And trustee Valdez Jacob. >> I. >> The motion passes 5. >> Thank you. Um, moving on to action item 10 C. approval of early retirement notifications for members of the value education association VA. >> Thank you. The purpose of thisou is provide a one-time incentive to eligible certificated employees who submit an early and irrevocable retirement notice to assist the district with staffing and operational planning. Any permanent certificated unit member who works a minimum of 25 hours per week, employed as of August 1st, 2025, who submits an irrevocable retirement notice no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 3rd,

0622026, shall be compensated a one-time off-schedule payment of $1,000 on the June 30th, 2026 pay warrant. And we're looking for your approval, Vice President Flores. Just a quick question on this again. Now, this would still allow them to come back and substitute at a at a different >> Absolutely. Yes. So, yeah. If as long as they don't formally retire and touch their calsters, they can come back um and sub for us. Yes. >> If they do touch their calsters, then they have to wait six months before they come back and sub with us. >> Okay. Thank you, >> Trusty Dr. Young. >> They have a cap on it. Cap on it. I there is there is a a cap on overall funding. Off the top of my head, I don't have that number. >> Trusty

063Hodgees, >> is there a time frame where if somebody uh took this um returning back as a as a sub? Is there like a time frame where they have to wait >> only if they touch their their calers's retirement? Then then they have to wait 180 days. >> Okay. So, so if I was if I took that, I could turn around immediately and start substituting. >> That's my understanding. Yes. >> Do I have a motion? >> Vice President Flores, make a motion for approval of uh theou. Trusty Dr. Young. >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Trusty Fox. >> I. >> Trusty Hodgeges. >> I. Trusty Young >> I. >> Vice President Flores >> I. >> President Amboy. >> Hi. >> Trusty Arbab Samson. Trustee Deleó. >> I trustee Valdez Jacobo. >> I. >> And

064the motion passes 5. >> Thank you. Moving on to action item 10D. Uh, approval of manage management job description. >> Thank you. It's recommended to the governing board to approve the following certificated and/or classified management job descriptions for the executive director of operations, the executive director of human resources, the assistant director of business services, the assistant director of operations, and the coordinator of human resources. These jobs are due to the district reorganization, alignment to job duties, and maintaining fiscal responsibility. Education Code 35020 requires that the governing board of each school district shall fix and prescribe the duties to be performed by all persons in the public service uh school service sector in the school district. And so due to the adjustment in size of the departments and the reorganization, we look for your approval. Vice

065President Flores, >> make a motion for approval of uh management job descriptions. >> Do I have a second? >> Trusty Hodes. >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Trusty Fox. >> Hi. >> Trusty Hodes. >> Hi. >> Trusty Young. >> Hi. >> Vice President Flores. >> Hi. >> President Amboy. >> Hi. >> Trusty Arbab is absent. Trustee Deleó. >> Hi. >> And trustee Valdez Jacobo. >> I. The motion passes 5. >> Action item 10E. Approval of me a me memorandum of understanding between Valo City Unified School District and VA for a supplemental early retirement program. Thank you. It is recommended the governing board approve the supplemental early retirement pro employee retirement program for members of the Vallejo Educators Association. The Vallejo Education Association and the Vallejo City Unified School District entered into a memorandum of

066understanding related to the supplemental early retirement program for the district. California government code section 53224 authorizes school districts to make contributions to retirement plans. The Valleo City Unified School District desires to provide retirement plans to its certificated employees under such a plan and establishes a retirement plan for certain employees of the district effective July 1, 2026. We're looking for your approval. >> Do I have a motion? Pressy Hajes >> like to make a motion to approve the um item eight. >> Trusty Dr. Young. >> A second. >> Roll call, please. >> Trusty Fox. >> Hi. >> Trusty Hodes. >> Hi. >> Trusty Young. >> Hi. >> Vice President Flores. >> Hi. President Amboy >> I. >> Trusty Arbab is absent. Trustee Deleó >> I. >> And trustee Valdez Jacobo >> I. >> The motion passes

0675. >> Thank you. >> Action item 10F approval of new high school course for school year 2026 2027. >> Good evening. Um, governing board president Amboy, Vice President Flores, Dr. Young, Trusty Hajes, and Trusty Fox and student trustees. Um, I come before you with some some really exciting news, and I will I'm joined by Director Hines um to present this item. We have a uh recommendation for the approval of an advanced placement course for African-American studies to um begin next year. And I'm going to allow director Hines to describe that process and give you some information on on the topic. >> Good evening, trustee president um and boy to all of our trustees and our student trustees and superintendent Aurelio. Good evening. So, as um Miss Tasio just shared, we are super excited about this

068new course, AP African-American Studies. And um I appreciate um Heather providing a a space to um just share out a little bit and then talk about our journey on how it gets to to this space. We've been looking at this course for a bit and so we've received some traction in terms of student interest and student voice and um and we're constantly really looking at enhancing our high school course offerings for our amazing high school students. We want to make sure that that when there's an interest, we want to make sure that we're making that available to our our students. So, I wanted to talk a little bit about our journey and how it kind of gets to to here. So, start with student voice, student interest, and then either a teacher andor counselor will

069make the recommendation for the course and it is presented at a curriculum council meeting. We meet um quarterly. is comprised of admin, our high school counselors, our college and career team is is is also um on the council. I preside as a secondary director also Finny principal. Principal Wit also um works um on that council. And so there the course is presented. We talk about the requirements. we talk about how we will fit um on the master schedule and so we're super proud that we will be able to offer at both high schools at Bethl and Val High School in the fall and our students at Finny can also um be able to take the course at Val High School. So we're just making sure that we all have access to it. Um once it's

070approved through curriculum council, I get it vetted from of course HR has looked at it. They gives us thumbs up and of course we make sure that it's something that we can afford um in our our master schedule. But more importantly, we want to make sure that Valleo kids have everything and access to rigorous and we just want to keep building. As you know, last year we brought Mandarin, right? And so we're excited about extending that um Mandarin 2 this year in the fall, but we're really excited about the AP African-American studies. And so we're looking for a favorable approval from the board. >> Did I miss anything? >> Trusty Dr. Young, >> my counselors are here too from secondary. So just give it up for great. They've been doing a great job. Did you

071want to add anything because you're excited about it too? >> But it doesn't turn. >> Yeah. The light doesn't work. >> None of them. Okay. >> I just thought I was special. >> Um, >> in regards to I'm really elated about this um course being offered on an AP level. That's that's just fantastic. Um my question is um will it be offered at all the school sites at high higher level >> and do we have um the right um of course no matter what color. >> Yes. >> Yeah. that that was that's a part of the discussion our curriculum council and so we both at both school sites we do have the right teacher Dr. young. Um but we it's we we're looking for amazing results. Um we have a big student interest. >> Um

072and so we'll have one section. We'll start off with one section at both of our comprehensive high schools. So we're super excited about that because that's very that's very important. That's that's the key to the course to have somebody in there that can keep the interest of the students and um refine it as they go along. So, thank you for that fight. Uh you got to keep on pushing though. Can't stop now. >> Trusty Deion. Um, just one quick question. I don't really know the difference between why classes are classes and like I know some difference between like English and English honors, but why did it have to be an AP? >> Why? >> That's a good question. Well, the thing about NAP is that it acknowledges the the additional level of rigor required um

073and the and the depth of study. Um but also it's it's the college credit that comes along with an AP because it is a more rigorous um course of study. So, um what this also does is elevates our um study of um uh of of of our representative groups in our community and elevates that to be on par with all other areas of study that we have in on an accelerated basis. Right? So, it it it says that this is just as important um an an area of study. So, um, because for me personally in high school, I I saw AP and like shied away from it. I was like, I don't want to. Yeah. Kind of scared me. So, I know like you guys are starting with APs, but future- wise, do you guys

074see it being like in just a class? Because, you know, we have like for me, I have multicultural literature. We have what's that Bethl? Um, >> no. Fresh. Yeah, ethnic studies freshman year. Um, which we learned about different ethnicities, but do you see it being like a some for a regular class like or just an AP? >> So, for now, this the course we're bringing right now is an AP course. And I think that it's it's um it can be it can reduce that kind of um anxiety that someone might have around trying an AP course because it's something that you that that some students are going to be really passionate about. the entry for an AP course has to has to lean into your personal passions and interests, right? So, what we're also trying

075to do is open that door of who belongs in an AP class, right? And and representation on that level. Um, now certainly if there is an interest among students and teachers to bring a different level course through the curriculum council process, I think that would be um a path to take. >> Okay. Thank you, >> Vice President Flores. So, just a couple things kind of just to echo on um student trustee DeLeon. I think I'd like to see a buildup to the AP course, right? So that we're not just dropping kids into an AP program on that specific subject. You know, it'd be great to have a leadup classes leading up to it, just regular classes like like Trusty said that that kids could take on African-American studies. The the other thing that worries me

076about this and and I'm asking you, Superintendent Aurelio, and and and uh and the cabinet, what does it take to guarantee it? because looking at the fiscal impact, it it's there's a lot of contingencies that are going to happen before this class can happen. So, I'm I don't want to be here voting on something that we're going to give the community, you know, um I don't want to say hope, but but you know, let them see, oh, wow, this is great. This is coming, but then we quietly say, but only if there's money for it because we're not too sure. So what what are we going to do to ensure that that that all this gets funded because it it the contingency is availability of LCFF supplemental concentration equity multiplier fundings >> um subject to

077annual funding availability. So this isn't this doesn't even seem like it's going to be a permanent thing. This is just if we can afford it this year and not next year. So you clarify that for >> I I'll speak to that a bit and obviously our our our fiscal situation as it stands right so many things we are we're we're looking at all options right um and that that piece about it being contingent on available funding um is true of many courses right is true of many of the things that we have to do um we know we have we have our mandatories things every kid needs six periods of all the required courses and um what what I feel confident about is that this course is popular enough is going to be popular enough

078that that we'll be um able to see that okay this class will fill so therefore it should remain right if we have um fewer students ac requesting or accessing this course then of course we'd have to look at whether or not it's fiscally sustainable um and we do want to be able to use all of the restricted pots of money to be able to ensure that we can do this. If we just say, oh, out of general fund, then then it's more likely that those funding streams might be restricted. Um if we look at our alternative um funding sources, then we have a better chance of kind of holding it within our um our LCAP and equity multiplier um funding um as an activity to serve and support um all students accessing higher education or

079seeing a route for themselves to higher education which is part of our LCAP um uh activity. Right? So, I can't say that there will always be money, and I know that's a that's a difficult thing to to hear. Um, but we want to protect this in in in as many ways as we can, but it starts with having access and availability. Um, and we want to continue to provide opportunities. We have to be careful not to not to provide too many because then that um it uh kind of might make those sections too small and unsustainable, right? It kind of um spreads it out too much. But this is one that um when director Hines and I attended um the what college board um conference this year, we were punching each other like our kids

080need this, our kids deserve this. Um, and it opens a door to someone, a student maybe seeing themselves as a collegebound student who maybe didn't before, didn't think that AP was for them, but it is and it can be. Um, so there's so many opportunities and I don't want to close this off because maybe there won't, you know, we we can't say there will always be funding, but we will try to make sure that there is. If I could add, uh, trust vice president Flores, part of the puzzle is always looking at the amount of full-time equivalents we have based on enrollment at a high school. And there's a set number of courses that you can offer. And you have to massage that course based on what the interest of our students are. So if

081we have the interest in these courses, they're going to sustain. But that means we also have to know when we have to pull back from some courses that are maybe not being attended by our students. If they're not requesting certain courses, then we need to make those tough calls and move on from some courses like that. >> And the other thing I'll note about this course is it does u meet a graduation requirement of ethnic studies. So um Trusty Deleó mentioned, you know, you take ethnic studies, but this could this would fulfill that requirement, right? So it's it could be a choice for a student. um that might be more um interested in having this higher course. >> Especially Dr. Young, >> my question is um we have certain requirements that are required for graduation.

082Is that correct still? >> Yes. >> Can that be part of those requirements? >> Yes, ma'am. It it satisfies ethnic studies. It does. >> Oh, yes. >> Okay. Which one? >> Oh, I'm sorry. >> For the class of 2030. >> For the class 2030. They correct the the the teamer corrected me. As of the class of 2030, it it satisfies ethnic studies. >> So, not right now. >> So, they cannot take one of those requirements. >> See, I need a coun. >> Get it right now. Get it right. Get it. Get it right. Yeah, Monica. >> State legislation states that starting with the class of 2030, graduation requirements now include in the state of California one semester of a standalone ethnic studies class. and starting with the class of 2031, a standalone financial um literacy

083class. So, they're going to be new graduation requirements starting with our rising freshmen. So, you're saying that they still have to take the requirements two semesters of US history, two semesters of world history, and uh government and econ. >> Correct. >> Okay. That's not leaving a whole lot of leeway for them to explore. this new subject. >> So, what priorities are we going to give them that they can explore this new subject, this AP subject um and not be worried about meeting these qualifications. It can't be an elective. I don't want to see this course as an elective. There was discussion about other discussion also that we've had also about meeting the US history requirement but that's still to be explored. >> There's I think Palm Springs >> Palm Springs is a district that's looking

084into that as actually the course request form that high school students put out that we put out for our juniors and I think Sophie can attest to this. We stated with an asterisk pending board approval that we were offering AP African-American studies as a possible replacement to the US history required course for graduation, but pending board approval because no other school district has done it yet. >> So, is this class going to be offered 20 >> 26? >> Correct. >> Okay. And so, it's going to be >> an academic or an elective. Oh, I can speak more. >> Of course. >> It's not a it's a not a wasted course like or an elective course that's just >> for nothing. Um, this also satisfies the A area for the A throughG requirements for the UC

085and CSU. So students can use this to satisfy the two-year requirement for the A throughG requirement and as long as well as the G requirement which is requirement of one elective of college prep work >> and it's a boost in your GPA along with possible college credit if you pass the AP exam. There's so many benefits to taking this course. >> Well, I understand the benefits. Yeah, I understand the benefits, but the bottom line when you're in in in as a senior trying to get your court your your requirements done, you're not really thinking about those extra fri frizzy things. >> You're really not. So that what I'm thinking is that that some of these things can be substituted. >> Yes, that's the goal. The goal is trying to get alignment with the US history

086requirement. seeing if that instead of students taking either US history, AP US history, they could take AP African-American history or African AP African-American studies and meeting that one year graduation requirement by the state. >> Yeah. So that would be a more diversified offering if you did it that way. I mean, you'd have USS, you have a you have whatever. you'd have a course that is more diversified and more um appealing to the student to the the clientele that you're you're trying to reach. Think about it. >> And again, class of 2030 one semester ethnic studies requirement which they could take as the regular one semester class or they can use AP US AP African-American studies to satisfy that requirement. >> Thank you for answering my question Jacob. Thank you. >> Good evening. Um, this isn't

087really a question. This is more of a comment to the board and family here is just to kind of bring attention to the fact that this is something that we've been asking for for a long time. And to be in such a diverse community like this, this is a huge step. This is like just hearing about it and hearing that it's going to go in place on my senior year. I mean, it sucks because I would have loved to explore the subject more. It makes me really happy to see that we are really taking this into consideration, especially under the administration we're in that minimizes and um I guess that's really the best word I could have is minimize other cultures. So having African-American ethnic studies is such a big step into showing not just

088cultural appreciation but cultural appropriation because usually I mean I have AP US history. I'm in love with history and politics. And we always hear about the winning side, but having this subject being given to us in all pretty much three of the high schools, it speaks volumes that we're going to get to see the other side that it wasn't just, oh, we won war and that's it. you know, we see the realistic side of things and really realize and appreciate with all these things that we're surrounded by and really just it helps us come together as people and as a community. So, I thank the school district for approving this and I'm super excited for it. >> We haven't approved the vid yet. soon. I'm manifesting. >> She's >> go to Deon. >> Um that

089I'm manifesting. >> I I will say as somebody who has a hard time with history that if I was class of 2030, cuz I'm a senior, I'll be done sadly. But um it would help for certain kids who learn more when it's something they can relate to. Um, it will also help because applying it to even though it's going to Finny and I mean Finny, Bethl and Valo as a fin kid who can take it because it counts as not only ethnic studies credits cuz for me my freshman year ethnic studies was one of the classes I passed with the highest like that was the easiest class for me because it was something I could relate to. But um it counts as elective credits whereas we when you come to Finey we have a lot

090of kids who come in needing elective credits like we have kids who are could only be credit deficient in electives. So for it to be an AP where not only you're getting that college where you're like you can say like oh I did like I took an AP like it's an AP but it's something that being in the city of Valo it's something that you feel you can actually pass and say you took an AP and you can get your elective credits on top of that. it. I personally going to Finny, I feel like it could be a thing that causes our graduation rate to go up at Finny. I think it's something where when kids are credit deficient in electives and they're not the best artists because then again, art and leadership, not art,

091leadership is the only elective that we have on Finn's campus. when you're not somebody who wants to make posters around the school or do the announcements or just you're not a leadership type of person, taking this class could help get those credits to help our graduation rate go up at Finey. So, I'm all for it. I like it. Oh, but I did I did want to ask because it counts as ethnic studies credits, but we can't take APs as a freshman and ethnic studies, at least when I was at BETHL, we take it as a freshman. How would that if it counts for those credits? Is it if we failed the class or like how does I'm lost there. >> Well, I'm not sure of that path. Um, but what we're looking at is our

092juniors and and seniors for the next school year. Um, but we can come back to you on on that. We're not sure of the pathway. We just we're just trying to get this course out. We've been looking at it for about a year or so and we're just excited to get to this point because, as you know, this is the time of the year that we're really trying to finalize courses and master scheduling and all that. So, we're we'll have more answers, more details to follow. >> Dr. Young, >> um, is that >> course? >> Yes. >> And in the figures of my counselor's minds, it needs to be first priority when you're offering things. Any ethnic study should be first priority when you're offering these things because it makes the school climate a whole

093different feeling when they're in when they're merged in that type of uh environment in studies counselors in your in your court. We have more. >> With that said, um, >> do I have a motion? >> Trusty Fox, >> I'll make a motion. >> Do I have a second? Trusty Hodes. >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Trusty Fox. >> I. >> Trusty Hodes. >> Hi. >> Trusty Young. >> Hi. >> Vice President Flores. >> Hi. >> Trust President Amboy. Hi, >> Trusty Arbab is absent. Trustee Deleó. >> I >> and Trustee Valdez Jacob >> I. >> And the motion passes 50. >> I told y'all. >> Thank you so much. >> Manifest works. >> Moving on to item 10G, adoption of resolution 5123 to withdraw from a skip and join the Northern California Regional Liability

094Excess Fund. Good evening again. Tonight, staff is bringing forward a review of the district's property and liability insurance structure in a recommendation transition our coverage to the Northern California Relief or NCR program for safer excess coverage. Uh this review is part of our continued effort to continue to strengthen the district's official stewardship and risk management practices while also ensuring that we're positioned appropriately within an increasingly challenging insurance market for public agencies. Over the past several months, staff has worked with our insurance adviserss to evaluate our current structure and compare it with alternative services uh for for that serve the uh California school districts. Through that process, three themes have really become clear. First, uh, the proposed NCR structure provides a stronger and more stable liability protection for the district. Under the proposed program, the district

095liability limits increase to $75 million per occurrence. And importantly, the coverage is written on an occurrence basis. This include protections related to sexual abuse and molestation cases and claims. The current structure eliminates the long-term uncertainty associated with claims made coverage which can require districts to purchase additional coverage in the future as programs change. In addition to the higher limits, the program includes expanded protections that are increasingly uh vital um equipment breakdown coverage, active asalance response um and uh cyber liability coverage. Um, taken together, this represents a meaningful improvement to the strength and predictability of the district's liability coverage. Uh, second, based on current projections and market trends, the NCR safer structure is expected to align favorably from a cost perspective. The insurance market for public agencies is currently experiencing significant pressure with many programs across

096the state facing rising premiums and large assessments related to prior claims. In fact, under our current structure, the district has already experienced program assessments due the underfunding at the pool level. Our analysis indicates that the proposed program positions the district more favorably within this environment and reduces exposure and future cost spikes. While final premiums will ultimately be subject to underwriting review and market conditions, staff anticipates that this structure will provide better long-term cost stability and compared with remaining current program. A third, the program offers expanded services and stronger partnership opportunities began beyond the insurance coverage itself. NCR operates as a member-owned joint powers associated, which means the participating districts have opportunities to be involved in governance and program oversight. Members can participate in underwriting claims and loss control committees, which allows us to uh districts

097to work with other districts to guide program decisions and main transparency around how the program operates. Uh this program will also um provide uh broader uh management services including contract and facilities use agreement review, loss prevention support and access to the safe schools online program which offers more than 360 specific safety and compliance uh training courses for staffed and any in addition many neighboring districts across Contraosta and Colossalano County uh participate in this program which creates opportunities for collaboration and shared best practices In summary, staff's recommendation reflects a strategic alignment of longer stronger liability protections improve improve long-term cost positioning and expanded risk management services that support our operational needs. The proposed transition would move the district from our current structure into a program that provides broader coverage, greater cost predictability, and stronger member participation

098in governments. Bottom line here is that the transition strengthens our protection against risk and positioning us more responsibly in a challenging insurance environment. It it represents a riskmanagement improvement and a fiscally prudent decision. With that, I'd like to invite our partner Cal McKibben from Kenan Associates who will walk through the board, the detailed program and comparison cost structure. >> Thank you so much. >> That was uh really well put Mr. Fernandas on uh insurance. By the way, um my name is Kyle McKibben. I'm here to represent Keenan and Associates. We're the program and administrator for Northern California Relief. So, I want to thank the board of trustees and President uh Amboy and the cabinet for allowing me to present today the program comparison of a skip versus Northern California relief. If you go to the

099next slide, please. Uh a little background on Kenan. We are at the forefront of school district risk management as well as insurance coverages and we have been established since 1972. Um if you go to the next slide, we will actually look at where your current program is. And I want to thank uh the Vallejo City Unified School District staff, Mr. Fernandez, Mr. Chamberlain, Miss Molina, Miss Reynolds for the time that was spent in asking and answering the questions that I had about your current program. so I could do a thorough review. Um, you'll note that uh Mr. Fernandez talked about SAM or sexual abuse and molestation or childhood sexual assault coverage in a claims made policy. That's what you're in. Now, I'm going to geek out on insurance in a little bit to explain why

100that that actually matters. Um, but there's also some deficiencies if you were to compare the programs, uh, which I'll show of what Northern California could relief can do to cover those gaps. Uh, our team has had, if you go to the next slide, please, our team's had the privilege of working with a number of districts over the last years doing these types of comparisons. So, you can see we've added a number of districts across Northern California to Northern California relief and we've been able to maintain 100% member retention over the last 15 years. If you go to the next slide, some of the reasons that uh districts moved from their incumbent programs to Northern Cal California relief is because they were looking for the broader coverage that Mr. Fernandez uh alluded to during his opening

101in the background of this uh agenda item, but also there's an expansion of member resources available to you as a district, to those at the district site level to really protect your students, your staff, and third parties that are coming onto your district sites. But more importantly, there is a cost savings involved which I'll get to uh towards the tail end of this presentation. So when we talk about claims made versus occurrencebased coverage right now, as Mr. Fernandez mentioned, it is a very hard insurance liability marketplace for school districts in California because of legislation that has been passed AB28, AB452 as it relates to childhood sexual assault cases. So by moving to a claims made to an occurrencebased coverage, it provides broader protection for when those events may occur for Vallejo City Unified School District.

102Um it protects you for the long run as well. It's when the claim occurred. That's an occurrence based coverage versus when the claim is made. So if you go to the next slide, you'll see that there's increasing costs with the tail of sexual abuse and molestation claims that you need to protect yourself from going from a claims made to an occurrencebased coverage. Now you'll see that there are costs that are in uh continuing to increase the longer you're in a claims made policy. By moving to an occurrencebased policy, there is a one-time fee to cover those five years that you were in a claims made policy. that is going to be built into the overall premium that I'll uh show at a later slide. Go to the next slide please. So you can see just

103programmatically a program structure versus ASIT versus Northern California relief and safer. You're going to be getting $20 million more in liability coverage in an environment right now for liability coverage where we're seeing programs actually decreasing their overall liability coverage. Now, with legislation that has been passed, AB452, it's a prospective legislation that gives an opportunity for those that have allegations of sexual abuse to come back 40, 50 years from now. So, with that being said, you are protecting the district actually many years down the road by moving to a program that's affording these higher limits of coverage. If you go to the next slide, please. So, Northern California Relief has been established since 1986. There's over 374 school districts in Northern California relief. A number of them uh in Solano County, Vakavville, Benicia. If this is

104passed, Vallejo City would now be a board member and sit on the board of Northern California relief. If you go to the next slide, we understand that there are fiscal constraints across all of California. What we are proposing and the team that I would lead would be that stop gap for the district to provide additional risk management resources to all of your sites and provide a stewardship of risk management across the district. If you go to the next slide please, you can see again I had mentioned the size of the group, but there's also specific coverages afforded to the district that are school specific that are different than coverages that you're currently being afforded through the ASIP program. We're also accredited with Excellence by Kajapa, which is basically an auditing firm for joint powers authorities

105in California. It's the highest standard that you can get for a JPA. If you go to the next slide, I talked about this a little bit of the size of Northern California relief. The safer program, it's the schools association for excess risk. It's the one of the largest JPAs in California. So, you can see there's over 547 school districts within the program. If you go to the next slide, please, you can see again the limits of coverage. One of the biggest benefits to the program is that the Northern California Relief Board has full authority to the limits of coverage, which is different than the current program you're in. Now, if you go to the next slide, please. One of the important things that uh Mr. Fernandez and the cabinet had talked about was having a

106seat at the board. Currently, Vallejo does not have a seat at the ASIP board. Mr. Fernandez would be the board representative to Northern California Relief would be active in making decisions that are important for school districts, specifically Valleo City Unified School District. And I know that Mr. Fernandez had mentioned the uh excitement he will have of being a board member. Um but also also the committees that we have. We have working committees and there's an expectation that the board has that new members are participating on those working committees. If you go to the next slide, the JPA is in a very good financial position in the sense that there's enough assets to cover their liabilities, but more importantly, what I want to focus on for the rest of this presentation is those added services I

107alluded to previously. If you go to the next slide, Kenan is the program administrator. If you go to the next slide, Kenan is the program administrator, but also the risk management consultant for Northern California Relief. So, I would lead the team that is locally based. We're all within 30 minutes of Vallejo, to be able to get on site to do safety inspections, to do trainings around sexual abuse and molestation, to do hazardous material inventories, to do forklift trainings, to do things to help again make your district more safe and more risk adverse. And also, I recognize I've been at Keenan for 12 years, and I thought school district risk management would be a breeze. a kid falls off a playground set, maybe the toilet overflows. Within my first year, I thought, "Wow, this is quite

108a bit different." So, I've had many districts call me after 5:00 p.m. saying, "Kyle, we have this issue that's going on." So, it's a 247 access to me as a lead consultant to ensure that when things happen after 5:00 p.m., we can get those things fixed. If you go to the next slide, please. Mr. Fernan has talked about uh Keenan Schools. It's an award-winning program that will give access to your district's staff for mandated reporter training, sexual harassment training. Any changes to legislation that makes the district have to be compliant in certain trainings, we have that capability and it makes it very efficient and very streamlined for all of you who may have to take those courses that are sitting in the room today. If you go to the next slide, we do have a

109number of consultants that we work with that's part of the program from cyber risk liability to active asalent and crisis risk management for active asalent or deadly weapon events. We also have loss control that I spoke about. Arbiter registration that makes it efficient and uh direct support when it comes to field trip forms, athletic registration, things of that nature. If you go to the next slide, there's some feedback that we've gotten from a number of districts uh across this region. I could have put more, but I wanted to keep it pretty to the point. I won't go into detail of this. That's for your own reading uh pleasure. But if you go to the next slide, we can talk about the cost savings. So when we look at 2627 and we applied a 12.5% increase

110over your incumbent program because that's how your program has been uh performing in the regards to rate increases. You can see for the NCR safer program, there's a recognized savings of $261,000 and an increase in overall services and resources. If you go to the next slide, there is a one-time uh premium that would be allocated for 2627 because of that nose coverage and that moving from claims made to occurrencebased. We need to cover those five years that you're in a claims made policy. So that's why there's an additional premium. So, the all-in savings essentially would be that roughly $115,000 compared to uh compared to your current program. Where we're at now in terms of next steps on the next slide, you'll see that uh we have already done a number of steps. This is the

111next step where we're at of the board to consider moving to Northern California relief effective July 1st, 2026. Um but I thank all of you for being in the room today here. also board of trustees and the cabinet for all the support. Um, and I'll answer any questions that you may have. >> Trusty Fox, >> can you please tell me um about the property uh insurance? How what does it cover? What? Give me some examples, please. >> Good question. So, property coverage is for the building that we're standing in now. There was a fire that were to come through and destroy the uh district office. it would be built to a replacement cost value. So, it covers the building that we're in now, all of your sites. Uh, there's no wildfire deductible in California right

112now. If you have property insurance for your own homeowners insurance, it's extremely difficult. We're actually looking to expand to $750 million, but it also covers backups of sewers and drains. So, when we have these atmospheric rivers and you may have a backup of a drain and that creates a significant water damage issue. I have a specific question, please. >> So, I just wanted a general. >> Tell me about copper. >> So, if you have copper theft in your buildings, we had a school closed for a week last year. >> So, we're a target here in the Bay Area. >> And how would that >> how would that work? >> Theft would be covered of your property, which copper would be considered your property. So, there's no declination and coverage for copper theft. I have seen

113the loss runs of your district and noticed that copper, you know, you've had some copper theft losses. Um, but those would not >> We've had a lot. >> Understood. Uh, so that would be, you know, covered with under the Northern California Relief Property Program. >> And would that if would would you raise our deductible or because of something like that? >> No. Trusty Fox, your uh deductible is would be $25,000 per occurrence for property. It's the same existing uh member retain limit or deductible you have now >> because our current and our past they did because we were having so much they raised it so high that we were paying for it out of general fund because we couldn't submit it as a claim. >> And that was a position I think that the incumbent

114program took. I think that with the value and the services, resources, we can support finding ways to better protect those sites that are vacant or the issues that may have been uh before us in terms of copper theft. >> You're you're saying for sure 25,000 is the maximum and it wouldn't be raised if you have a number of claims for a specific item. In my career at Kenan and uh working with the number of districts I do, we've seen copper theft and we've never seen a raise of the deductible because of uh that specific issue. >> Could we have that written into the policy that that would be acknowledged? >> Certainly could take that back. Um I've have not been posed with that question, but it's a very good question and and one to take

115into consideration. Sure. >> I think we need to protect oursel. Second thing, Keenan Keenan um the Keenan trainings you're talking about >> where I'm a teacher, I have to do mandatory Kenan about three or four every year before I even start in the classroom. I have to do three or four different trainings on the computer before and I have to prove a certificate that I've taken all of the trainings. That's the same thing you're talking about, correct? >> That's correct. Yes. So I want to know also from um both of our unions certificate and classified >> there needs to be dedicated time before school starts because it's such a horribly rushed time as it is that to be mandated that you must do three to four of these online trainings for sexual abuse for uh

116harassment for bloodborne pathogens for um workforce interaction management. Sure. >> So that and sitting there and I'm sorry but it just for me sitting there at the computer and taking my notes and then figuring out where I questions and then get my certificate or I didn't I missed three questions got to redo that one. It it's tedious and at that time of year that's not what I want to be doing. I want to be getting ready for my kids but I know it's mandatory. So what my suggestion, what I want to hear from Ruben or from Matt is that both of our union classified and certificated will have that dedicated paid time for those mandatory to get those mandatory certificates. >> Yeah. And that's something we've talked about internally and it would need to be

117brought to negotiations that extra additional time. But it's something that we we've heard from our members, our partners in the on our bargaining units and um it's something we're we're very aware of. So I can talk to Matt about. >> It's very time consuming. It's about an hour each each video. >> So um for me it causes me a lot of stress. I'm assuming it's everyone else it does as well. I don't know. But >> we all have to complete them. Yes. >> All right. Thank you. Those are my two questions. >> Trusty Dr. Young. >> Um I agree with uh Trusty Fox. there should be some type of compensation for the mandatory course things that you're doing because compensation um brings along accountability. >> Right. Right. And that's something we can bring back to

118the board as we explore that opportunity. >> Yeah. If you if you compensate somebody for something that you want to be uh enforced um it holds them accountable for what they had because they got paid for it. >> Right. understood. >> Okay. Um, do we have a motion? >> Trusty Dr. Young, >> Vice President Flores, >> sorry, I had a quick question. Um, you mentioned something about >> using the example about this building burns down and cost value. That's what we get paid out for rebuilding. Is that cost value going to be at the time of the incident or when construction begins? Because being that cost can rise with materials and whatnot, you know, if it costs 10 million now, but it's costing 13 million when it's when the actual construction starts, it would be

119a replacement cost. to replace the building back to what it was. Um so with that being considered into the additional cost, yes, we are seeing a dramatic increase in construction costs or costs across the state and to bring that building back up to whole. So we've taken in the total insured values of the district and taken that into consideration of the premium uh that was identified uh earlier in the slides. Trusty Dr. Young. >> Um maybe I I don't know whether I heard how much is this costing us? >> Uh going back >> is it is a uh yearly >> it would be annual. Yes. So for 2627 the estimated cost would be roughly $1.64 million which is about $115,000 less of the estimate that we have for your incumbent program. So, a cost savings.

120That's correct. >> So, do we have a deductible? >> You do. >> The deductible >> and the deduct deductible is $25,000, which is the same deductible that you have now with your current program. >> Thank you. >> Vice President Flores, >> like to make a motion to adopt resolution number 5123. Do I have a second? I want to point to order. I like that you made the motion, but I want to make sure that the clause that I'm asking for in the contract about the copper and that the deductible will not be raised above 25,000 is added to the policy. >> I I can't uh answer that necessarily at this moment. since we've had trouble with that and it's come from our general fund closing down schools for a week. We've paid so much that

121I would like some reassurance. >> Yeah, >> no pun intended that that's going to happen. >> So, how can we >> understood I can say that for 26 27 that would not be applicable. That's not good enough. No, that's not good enough. I I understand. Um I would say that that is going to be taken under consideration. Um, again, out of the years that I've been at the firm and and supporting Northern California relief districts, I've not seen that take place. Now, that's taking me for my word, which I know is hard to do sometimes when you just met me and I'm presenting right now. Um, but that is uh something I would need to take back as a uh point of seriousness uh from you, Trusty Fox, as well as the entire board. Well,

122the entire board had well, some of the board has been here and seen what has happened when they raised our deductibles so high we could not put in a claim and we paid all of those copper thefts from our general fund instead of money that we could be spending towards staff, children, whatever. So, I need more reassurance that this is going to be ongoing since we are a target in the Bay Area. Sure. >> I need to be proactive to make sure in this day and time that that's what we're going to have that clause in there. >> Understood. Um and if it's any assurance, we have seen your loss runs. We saw those issues that took place in 2122 and to current date and that was never brought to my attention that there may

123be a need to adjust the deductible for Vallejo city if those losses continue. That has never been a part of the conversation during the underwriting process of the district. And we had 10 years worth of Vallejo city unified loss runs. I think one thing that we also need to think about, Trusty Fox, is that without without adopting this resolution, we're going to still pay somebody that's covering us now, but we're going to be paying them more. we still if a copper theft were to occur in 2627, we're still going to have to pay out of pocket so that we don't get kicked off the insurance or the premium doesn't go even higher than what we're currently at. >> So we're we're this is a this is a solution to address the current situation in that

124aspect of the budget. And I and I don't think because this is a board run by trustees and whatnot just like we couldn't just change a contract you know individually you have to take it back. So I think if that's something you wanted to do now then my question would be um what happens if we don't adopt this resolution? Do we have to pay the the premium for this upcoming year to to the current >> the current insurance and then >> we'll we'll have to stay with our current provider for another year. >> Yeah. Which means we'll pay that additional fees additional um uh cost premium cost. Yeah. And then if it and if a incident occurs then we would be stuck with our current deductible andor paying out of general fund directly to not

125have our deductible go up higher or get removed from from that insurance. So I think I think that's one of the things to factor in you know we're kind of like you know a rock and a hard place when it comes to the this part. I understand and but the other the other thing I understand my house insurance has tripled in the last few years and then also if you own a place with fire in a fire area they cancel you so a lot of people don't even have insurance or can't get it they have to get it through the state so I I hear what you're saying but I also hear and see real people that don't can't even get insurance for their home because of fire d um area so anyways I agree

126with you but I still not happy that we have a specific need here in Valo. We're a specific target here in Valo and I feel that's something we need more protective but I hear you. Thank you. >> If I may just to to your point uh Vice President Flores by moving to this program Northern California belief you're actually getting rid of that gap that a skip has created by raising your deductible for your property loss. So that goes away for 2627. So it actually is providing more asurances to your bottom line as it relates to property loss. >> Thank you. Do we have a second? >> Um Trusty Hodes. >> Second. Roll call, please. >> Trusty Fox. >> I. >> Trusty Hodes. >> Hi. >> Trusty Young. >> Hi. >> Vice President Flores. >> I.

127>> President Amboy. >> Hi. >> Trusty Arb is absent. Trustee Deleon is absent. Trustee Valdez Jacob. >> I. >> And the motion passes 5. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. U moving on to action item 10H. uh adoption of resolution 51-22 for the 2026 2027 constitutional cash advance. >> Good evening again. The next item we are bringing forward is resolution 5122 requesting a constitutional cash advance for the 2627 year. Each year school districts across state request this advance from the county as a normal cash flow management practice. The reason that while the reason is that while district's expenses such as payroll and operating costs occur evenly throughout the year, the majority of our property tax revenues are not received until December and April. This resolution allows the county treasurer to provide the district

128with an advance of approximately $33 million, which represents up to 85% of our anticipated property tax revenues as allowed under the California Constitution. This advance simply allows the district to access these funds earlier in the year. uh we are already scheduled to receive later, ensuring that we have sufficient cash available to meet our obligations beginning on July 1 while we wait for those property tax payments to arrive. Uh this is a routine action taken by many school districts again each year and it helps us avoid the need to seek more costly short-term borrowing from outside lenders. Um in short, uh this helps us manage our cash flow and access funds. And at this time, staff recommends the approval of resolution 5122. Happy to answer any questions. Any questions? Do I have a motion? Vice President

129Flores. Make a motion. Adopt resolution number 5122. Do I have a second? >> Trusty Dr. Young. >> I second. >> Roll call, please. >> Trusty Fox. >> Hi. >> Trusty Hodes. >> Hi. >> Trusty Young. >> Hi. Vice President Flores >> I. >> President Amboy >> I uh trustee Arbab is absent. Trusty Deleon is absent. Trusty Valdez Jacob >> I. >> And the motion passes 5-0. >> Moving on to the last uh action item. Um 10 I adoption of the 2025 2026 second interim report. >> We're going to do the presentation. Is there a presentation for second? And then um we will pause after that and we have a few cards for this item as well. >> Great. Thank you. Good evening, President Fox, president boy, Dr. Young, Flores, and Hodgees and Superintendent Aurelio. Um

130tonight, it's my pleasure to present the 2526 second interim report for Valo City Unified as of January 31st, 2026. Uh this provides updates since first interim and provides a multi-year projection and ask the board to certify our financial condition for this year and the next two years. Uh here's the road map for tonight. We'll start um with where we're at in the cycle, budget cycle, and then review the purpose of second interim and the continued risk of rescending back into state receiverhip so we can ground our data in fiscal oversight context. We'll walk through the revenue expendure expendure assumptions and enrollment and ADA trends and a summary of the general fund including contributions and ending fund balance information. Uh we'll then look at the multi-year projections, talk about the fiscal outlook outlook and explain why

131staff is recommending a qualified certification and close with next steps in our solveny plan. This slide situation second interim with the budget calendar. The budget cycle began with the governor's uh bud January budget uh back in 25 and then the May revise and this was followed by the district's public hearing and adoption of that budget in June and then the first inter report which was back in December and after the governor's budget workshop we are providing the second interim report which gives a snapshot of our financial status as of January 31st. Uh key highlights from the governor's January budget include an a lower LCFF COLA factor and the potential of an additional one-time block grant funding proposals which has not materialized yet and the potential for state deficits in later years. On the horizon, we'll

132move to protected actuals and then to unodudited actuals to close out the year. And this cycle allows our board and county office to continuously monitor our fiscal health. So the purpose tonight um budget is our spending plan based on the best available assumptions that we have right now. It's not a static document. The second interim we at second interim we update revenues for the enacted state budget, adjust those expenditures for actual staffing and program changes and extend those trends into a multi-year projection to determine our recommended certification. Uh tonight we'll answer uh three core questions. What changes have happened between first interim and now? And what assumptions are driving those projections as number two and can we remain solvent in the next two uh years is another question. This slide shows the pathway to receiver

133and why this difficult work matters. We begin on the left with routine oversight where districts are certified positive, qualified or ne negative. And when a district moves into fiscal distress, a qualified or negative certification can trigger a formal county office actions such as appointing a fiscal admin uh advisor. If conditions worsen, we move into emergency conditions with the county intervention in spending and hiring. Uh the final step is that state level intervention and receiverhip which this district has been under where a state administrator replaces the board and the superintendent followed by a long period of loan repayment and a gradual return of local control. Currently our district is showing signs of fiscal distress. We meet regularly with the county office on um on a regular basis. If we deteriorate from second interim now into a

134budget into an audited actuals, we may lose control. And to be more clear, if we lose control of program level, we will lose control of program level decisions that impact our community. Uh tonight, our goal is to be transparent about our risks and keep VCUSD out of those stages by acting early and decisively. Before we get into the numbers, over the past several years, enrollment at BCUSD has declined about 22% which directly reduces the state funding we receive because of school funding is tied to student attendance and not enrollment. At the same time, salary costs have continued to increase with teacher salary expenses rising and classified staffing increasing over the same time period. uh because roughly of our 80% of our budget is salaries and benefits. This creates a growing gap between that declining in

135revenue and rising costs. Our fiscal solveny plan is a roadmap to avoid that receiver and receiverhip and restore that structural balance. For 2526, we implemented uh non-essential hiring freeze and um did $3 million in non- salary reductions, reductions to contracts and consultants and other fees uh that we had been paying at the beginning of the year. Uh we u project an additional um 122 of FTE reductions and about 1.2 million more in non- salary cuts along with school closures at three sites which has been completed. Um taken together, these actions support about 14 million in ongoing reductions in the future called for in our fiscal solveny plan and associated approved board resolutions which are necessary to rem maintain our statutory requirements. Uh so before we get into a little bit more detail, um I wanted

136to go over the different types of qualifications that uh districts will certify and the county will confirm. Uh positive, which states that we will meet obligations this year and the next two years. So we're saying we can pay our bills for the next two years. Um qualified, which states that we may not uh meet those obligations in either this year or one or the second year out. uh negative which would which state we cannot meet our obligations in this year or next year. Uh note uh of the last five interims the district has certified has qualified and this is uh shows an ongoing trend of fiscal instability. Uh tonight based on our multi-year projections we're recommending a qualified certification and I'll walk through that as we go. Our revenue picture is shaped by both state

137funding conditions and local enrollment trends. cola which is that cost of living increase that I've mentioned that the state provides from uh first interum to second interim uh that cola at 2.3% in 2526 with planning factors for the outy years of 2.41 and 3.06 06 and 2728. That's what's in our budget now as we updated it on J as of January 31st. Um declining enrollment continues to be a trend which pushes pushes funded ADA downward and erodess our LCFF revenue. Uh funded ADA for this year is based off our prior 8year ADA of 83 8321 and versus our projected current year of 88 8,146. uh lottery is projected at $190 per ADA unrestricted and $82 per ADA restricted and that's expected to remain flat in the outy years. Um just remind everybody that's only about

1382% of our overall revenues lottery. So um not a big part of it but um certainly a part of it. uh mandated block rent is budgeted at the using the latest rates of about $399 per ka and $76 per nine through 1288 9 through 1288 and 2526. We also include one-time allocations such as the student support and professional development discretionary block grant uh estimated to be out 313 per ADA and 2526 and the community schools uh grant as well. The big picture from first to second interim uh second interim revenues uh grow modestly due to adjusting the funding estimate based off our latest count of students attending charter schools versus district schools and a recognition of additional restricted state funding in the form of expanded learning which uh supports before school and after school programs.

139Uh this was not enough to offset some of the cost pressures that we've had and declining ADA. This chart shows the long-term decline in enrollment in ADA over the last decade. As I mentioned earlier, VSUSD has experienced a sustained uh decline driven by lower birth rates, higher higher housing costs, and lingering pandemic impacts, uh growth in charter and other alternative school options, and broader demographic shifts that reduce the number of school age children. >> Sure. Okay, great. Uh, moving on to uh the next slide. Uh, revenue summary of general fund. Uh, unrestricted general fund which is unrestricted. We can use it for um pretty much any program any any activity is projected at $150 million. of that 139.7 or 93 um% comes from our local control funding formula. Other 4% is state local and um

1403% is other local revenue. On a combined basis, the general fund totals about 220 million, making up 60 LCF making up 64% if we're looking at both of them together and um federal revenues of about 6%, other state at 26 and other local at 3%. The story here really is a heavily reliance, heavy reliance on our LCFF funding, that local control funding formula that the state provides. Um and it's significant um that um that we have limited uh and also timerestrained restricted funding. On the expenditure side, our assumptions, our projection incorporates both local um built-in cost increases and reductions. We assume step and column increases of 1.2% for certificated and 1.3% uh for classified staff. That's generally the as as folks progress on the salary schedule, how their salaries will increase. Uh fiscal solveny plan

141uh as I mentioned uh earlier this year uh included a non-essential hiring freeze. Um and we also apply CPICE increases to key non-salary areas such as insurance, utilities, and special education supplies and services. Um those costs continue to rise as we as we move forward. Um even with the the free the reductions uh cost growth continues to outpace revenue growth especially in statutory employee benefits and and uh special education services. Uh major differences between first and second interum include adjusting the program spending uh based off uh our budgets and midyear the activity that we've had additional expanded learning opportunity pro program activity and adjusted as I mentioned upward insurance and utility cost projections. Yeah. Can you go back? >> What is the bottom one that says reduction of 3 million in non-s salary cost? >>

142Yeah. So that was the at the beginning of the year um we sat down as an administrative team and cut 3 million out of non- salary costs. Uh contracts, consulting services, overtime, those types of things. We cut those out of the budget. make sense. >> Uh moving on to slide 13. Uh here we focus on the unrestricted general fund. Um total unrestricted expenditures are are projected at 122 million. Uh that means about 80% of that unrestricted is spending is for uh the professionals that serve our students and families. those salaries and benefits. Uh the remaining 19 is other operating expenditures 3% books and supplies and less than 1% other outcome. Moving on to slide 14. On a combined basis when we talk about unrestricted and restricted general fund expenditures um are projected at 232 million

143uh of which uh 25% are uh certificated salaries 15% classified and benefits at about 19%. So salaries and benefits even when you include all the restricted funding around expanded learning and grants uh community service grants uh community schools grants I should say is about 60%. Again the message is that our budget invests in our most important resource which is our people because they support our students and structural solutions will need to address those staffing levels and that program design. Um, in our unrestricted multi-year projection, a few assumptions are are really important. Uh, in 2526, uh, we include the student support and professional development block grant, estimated about 313 per per ADA, which is about $2.6 million for the district. Uh for 2627 we incorporate the reductions that we identified in our fiscal solveny plan board

144resolutions and uh subsequently approved resolution uh excuse me reduction in force resolutions and approximately 200 FTE plus for next year another 1.5 million right now is our goal to cut out of uh non- salary costs. uh these assumptions are allow us to maintain a statutory minimum in these years uh but also represent a significant change that still needs to be implemented. Other major, excuse me, other major assumptions, uh, in addition to what we just reviewed, it's important to name what this multi- um, year projection does not assume. In prior years, the district often relied on one-time funds, internal transfers, or short-term fixes to close gaps. And that's that really reduced the transparency into the underlying structural deficit, and delayed some really difficult decisions that we were facing um on a weekly basis. Uh in this

145um second interim, we're intentionally taking the opposite approach. We're showing the deficit fully and transparently based only on ongoing revenue and known obligations. Uh this is our part to our commitment to long-term health, fiscal health, so the board and community and our labor partners can clearly see the problem we're working to solve and un understand why ongoing reductions and right sizing are necessary. So again, we don't rec include any one-time revenues that have haven't already been appropriated. We not assume onetime transfers from other funds and we do not build future revenue enhancements that are uncertain or not yet approved. So uh general fund contributions to restricted programs. So we have responsibilities to other programs and that our general fund has to fund every year. Uh this slight slide highlights the magnitude of those contributions from

146unrestricted to restricted programs. Uh these projections are largely the same from first to second interim um which is as a welcome site especially with our uh continued commitment to special education services. Uh we can we still uh we project about 46 million in contributions to those programs. Uh special education um is about 39 million and a res a routine restricted maintenance grant. We're required to fund that every year which is about 3% of our expenditures. Yes. what's gone on with the federal department of um education and the dismantling of it. >> We we've never been funded properly for special education and this district has to pay so much of our own money towards special education. So when you're I look at that number 39, what tell me about how much are we actually getting and

147how much are we having to contribute because we never get the amount that we're supposed to. >> It's a very small percentage. Um it's not even half of of what we need to fund our programs. Um and um we continue we've done a and I I really commend Director Hardy who's done a great job to really control those costs and and put us in a place where we're seeing that flatten out from year to year. Um over the past gosh uh three or four years that commitment has gone up at least 15% every year. And so we've um done a great job with the support of school services and the ed services team and special education to to really try to flatten that out. And I think that's one of the way one of the

148reasons why um we're seeing some hope at the end of the tunnel. >> But how much is actually coming in from the federal? They promised us is it 30%. >> It's about 30%. Yeah. >> But how much are we actually getting? I think it's somewhere around 20 million, but I got to look I got to look that up. >> But it's not the full 30%. It never has been. >> No, it never has been. Yeah. So >> So we're still struggling a great deal with that. >> We are. Yeah. So these again these these contributions are not optional. They're they're legal programmatic obligations that you know function really as unfunded mandates as we mentioned earlier to provide those services that are much needed and our our vulnerable students deserve. um you know as a result

149they've been a major driver of our structural deficit u over the years. So pulling the um and you can see this in the packet if it's too small it's it's definitely um printed out in big size there for you. Uh on a combined basis the general fund shows a net decrease for this year we're expected to deficit spend about 10.7 million. Um on the unrestricted side the operating uh deficit is about about that much 11 million. And after applying those changes, we project an unrestricted ending fund balance of about 11 million combined uh with uh with restricted funds of you're looking at about 39.2 million. Um it's a clear sign that we're still spending more than we take in. Um and using reserves to close that gap. If you look at that, um um it's

150really important to note that that reduction every year is not something that can be sustained into the out years. uh we simple simply will run out of cash. So this slide breaks down the 11.5 million in unrestricted ending fund balance. We have about 266,000 in non-spendable reserves. Uh 2.88 million assigned for contingency and that deficit spending as I mentioned earlier and 1.49 assigned to committed as special education contingency as those costs have gone up. Um and 3.94 million uh is assigned for that uh state required reserve. So that in context that that th those dollars that we've set aside is really about um you know the things that are existing around pending legal matters um related to cases that were currently undergoing uh special education AB2118 which are sexual assault claims and unexpected drops in

151ADA or revenue um that needs to go into those facilities and and emergencies when they do come up. Um moving on to the multi-year projections. Uh the second interim multi-year projection shows how the story unfolds over the next three years. We're required to have uh those three year that additional two years after this year how we're going to end the year. Um again as I mentioned in um 2526 that deficit is about 11 million uh leaving us with an ending fund balance of about 39 million and after implementing the planned and yet to be fully implemented uh reductions uh the deficit shrinks to about 1.8 million with an ending fund balance of about 33 million. In 2728, the deficit grows again to about 13.7 million and the combined ending fund balance falls to about 19

152million as we spend down those one-time restrict dollars. Uh this is intentional as you know we have to spend down things like our community uh community schools grant. It's it's something that we have to do as we receive those grants as we move forward. Uh putting this to plain language, our fiscal outlook is challenging but man manageable if we can implement the fiscal stabilization plan that we have in motion right now. Enrollment decline continues to be a primary uh driver of revenue loss. Uh this puts pressure on us to rightsize staffing facilities and programs. Uh LCF funding is also a challenge as it grows slowly and it's outpaced by the rising costs that I mentioned um in the earlier slides. uh as I said spec specifically in special education services, utilities and salary salary driven

153benefits which um this you know we're expecting probably about a 10% increase over on on the benefit side of the house. Uh one-time funds including community schools block grant and other initiative boost 2526 but they wind down in the outy years as you can see that restricted revenue winding down in those out years. the fiscal solveny plan, those reductions in force, the non- salary cuts that I mentioned earlier, school closures is critical to stabilizing our finances um and um those that implementation is is really key to following through on that um so we can maintain solveny and that local control. Um and as I mentioned, if we do not continue on the path, our reserves will erode lap rapidly and and put us further along that that pathway. As I mentioned earlier, um staff recommends

154based on these projections that the board certify the second interim as qualified. Uh under the education code, a qualified certification means again that the district may not be able to meet its financial obligations in the current year or in one of the next two years. Uh we're we're recommending qualified because our multi-year projection shows those ongoing deficits throughout 2728 uh declining fund balance and and even after some of the reductions that we're making compared to first interim. Second interim reflects a more complete u financial snapshot as we have more months of activity as we've spent dollars and we've received dollars. Um and includes some mid mid-year adjustments showing slightly higher revenues, slightly higher expenditures and a larger operating deficit. Uh and then like I guess I mentioned those lower ending fund balances in the outy

155years. Um you know we're relying on those planned reductions. Um and again they're not fully implemented is one of the reasons why we're sitting in that qualified state still. At the same time um a qualified certificane maintains that local control while providing uh confidence to our staff and county office that we're making uh we're taking our fiscal risk seriously and we're going to follow through on that plan to avoid that intervention. Uh finally, uh the fiscal timeline looks forward as we look ahead to the next steps in our budget and oversight process. Uh in June, the board will be asked to adopt our 2627 budget aligned with uh reductions and additional actions needed. Uh f in the farther in the future, we'll get to projected actuals and audited actuals and the annual audit which will

156confirm whether the district is staying on the path to structural balance. Uh all these milestones are chances to course correct more timely staving off the threat of that insolveny. Um and with that um that concludes the second interim presentation and happy to answer questions. >> Fox, >> thank you for presentation. I have a few questions. Um or um can you explain go back to the slide about declining enrollment and where how did you get those how do where do we get that information showing those three different color the so the enrollment count the current um and the funded where where do we how is that projected >> so we have what's called an LCFF calculator that we put data in as we receive data on attendance data P1 data, P2 data as the date uh

157as the year progresses. So we'll we'll have that data, we'll plug it into the calculator um and it'll give us what our funded ADA is, which is an average of several years. So we have what's kind of a hold harmless, if you will, from the state so that um you know, we're funded at a higher level than even our ADA is is set at. So, we've been fortunate enough and that was put into place um uh you know in the in the in the recent years in order to reduce the risk for districts having to cope with that ADA loss and use that average. This this slide scares me because when I started we had 12,000 students and now what you're showing is next year in school year we're going to have give me the

158exact like approximate >> well the blue. So >> 8300 >> and those are projections based off of our um our demographic studies. Um, and as we move in, one of the big pieces of information that we're we're we're going to receive soon is is, you know, what's our retention rate from the closed schools, right? What does that look like? We've working really hard to provide opportunities and outreach for our our parents to to continue to choose VCUSD um through outreach um orientations. We're doing a registration event um assistant superintendent Tasio is working on that to really bring them into that school culture and and hopefully flatten that out. So, >> just what scares me though is that with all these cuts in school closures, >> when you look at how it keeps declining year after

159year with less students, the more pain, >> the more cuts, the more closures. So, it's just it's it's a very bleak reality that I'm hoping is not true, but >> I I I know it's happening all over California. The next slide I have a question on is um can you go to the retirement contributions for stirs and pers? Yes. U go back estimates. Oh, that bad. Here we go. That one. So, how much is the increase? I know each year we have to contribute so much to our retirement retirees. Um, how much is that increasing? So, right there you're showing. So this year we have 26% almost 27%. >> And then next year goes down just a little bit. Okay. So it's staying pretty flat. >> It was forecasted at first interum to be a

160little bit I guess more stable but that's still very consistent. Um the PERS rates have have been there. It went down just a little bit in 2627 >> because years past that's been very difficult. >> Um and one year actually the governor actually helped us with it. But um all right thank you. That was that takes care of that one. Then I also want to ask about the May revise. How how much you attended the governor's workshop >> with the numbers projected for the state of California for education. >> How much with this budget you just presented with what the governor's workshop? Can you give us an idea for the May revise? >> Yeah, a couple things are are are trending right now. Um and you can see this in the um the legislative analyst

161reports around um state revenue. Uh state revenues are are being boosted right now by um the impact of AI and technology. So we're seeing some one-time perhaps um improvements that the the governor's been referring to. So we're really anxious to see what that looks like in May. Um and so but still our our cola is still sitting at um at a at a very low level that doesn't really keep up with expenditures, right? So, um, we're hoping to see a bump there, um, on that cola, um, and, um, we'll we'll bring that back to the budget, uh, when we present that in June. So, um, we're seeing some some positive information, but, but it's it's shortterm, right? There's a there's kind of a a bubble happening right now within the tech center sector that we're

162all kind of tracking as CBOS, and we're seeing that um, we may we may see maybe an additional block grant, as I mentioned earlier. Uh we can't count on that until we we see that coming in. So we'll we're anxious to keep tuned in. >> We could have some helpful but we just don't know. >> We won't know. And typically that will will kind of come through that June budget. That's when we we see that May revise. We see things solidify. We see those dollars that could show up and support um support our programs >> that can make decisions then about funding for Okay. Yeah. Thank you. Then the last question I have is slide 20. >> Uhhuh. Yep. >> Yep. >> Um for slide 20. Um so most of the in every school district

163most of the budget is allocated about 80% goes towards salaries. Correct. >> So that leaves only about 20% of the budget for everything else to educate your students. >> So every district's approximately about 80% of the entire budget goes to salaries. Am I correct on that? >> Right. >> Thank you. >> Um I want to go to line item. >> Hard for me to see even with my glasses. Um other services and operational expenses 22,727,000. >> I don't know if I'm reading it right because I can see it right. Am I Is that the number I'm seeing? >> It It sounds about right. Yeah. >> Can you tell me what does that include? >> Yeah. So that includes um that includes utilities, that includes um contracted services, um whether it be instructional services, whether it

164be special education services. >> Yeah. And uh we've been working um very hard to reduce that as I mentioned earlier that that we cut about 3 million out this year. We're looking to cut more out next year. Um but all of those services are are included there. Yeah. >> So I've heard a lot about communication. Does communication fall under that item? >> So communication uh does not fall under that item. What communication does fall under? >> Yeah. So that's uh resource code 5900. And so that particular that covers utilities for internet services. It also covers um any uh contracts we have with technology companies around um those communication services. >> But can you show me what which number holds? We I've been hearing numbers. Well, there's 8 million for communication. Where is that item? that

165holds that 8 million. >> So, so, so let me give you a a briefing on kind of what that looks like. My notes here. So, so um that includes all of our um which is the later object code. Everything rolls up to 5900 which is um under under communications. However, um our um that particular piece includes our um restricted allocations that have been distributed to school sites or departments. So um >> so it's not a lone sun then you're saying it's divided already. >> It's divided amongst um all the school sites uh as well as uh amongst all the departments. So it's so what we have to do with restricted funding is we can't we can't necessarily show it as an a budget item. we have to show it as um we have to show

166it as a holding pattern for those dollars as we spend them at the school sites. So once once we move them out of that and when they're expensed is when they start showing up as a salary cost or they start showing up as a contracted service. >> So is it 8 million before it gets divvied out >> um yes it is to those >> and that breakdown can be shown how the 8 million breaks down. >> Absolutely. Yeah. So, so if I wanted that for a future board meeting to be to see those numbers broken down. Yep. >> I can request that. >> Absolutely. >> Okay. I am requesting that. Thank you. >> We'll do. >> That's all my questions. >> Good question. >> We do have public comment on this item. Do we want

167to continue with questions or do you want to hear the public comment first? finish questions first. All right. So before any motions, >> I'm looking at the budget and as a person that came onto the board with no working experience, yeah, training in um in education, you know, there was a lot of um a lot of learning to do. >> So, one of the things that that I learned is just in how school budgets >> are are very predictive or excuse me, not predictive, but you have to kind of try to >> guess where you're going to be because it's going to be based on what the state budget is going to be, how much you're going to get from there, how much is coming from >> um property tax, etc. So slide three, I

168always like the community to know how the timeline is for this budget. How it it it's nothing that was happening now. It's it's stuff that's coming from before. Correct. >> So if you can kind of just break it down to to the layman. >> Yeah, absolutely. So it's it's a cycle and um and every budget is a projection. It's um absolutely wrong but uh exactly close to being that projection. So every year um as we go through these items um we adopt our budget based off that and may revise that information that Trusty Fox was asking about to see, you know, what's the funding going to look like here in California for schools, right? Are there any additional funds? What can we use them for? So we start to build a budget, right? And that's

169really where we're in right now. That's the status we're in right now is is building that budget. We take it to the board, we get it approved, the county has the ability to either approve or disapprove that budget at that point. Um, and then moving forward as we as we come around the bend to December, as we have three or four months of operating expenses, we can take our first projection of what our budget is going to look like based off our burn rate, how much how many dollars we're spending, the costs that we're seeing with the programs we're supporting, uh, the insurance costs and all those other additional costs are starting to come in into a much clearer picture. And so, um, that was our first step. That was back in December. So, we

170take our first, uh, projections and put them in place. Now we have additional months uh to look at, right? So it's much closer to kind of how we're going to end that year. And so as we come towards the end of the year, uh we want to be as close as possible to understanding how much cash we're going to have left in the bank. At the end of the year, um and at that end of the year, we have something called what's called unodudited actuals, which is really the one time that you're actually right. Right? because the rest of the year, you're kind of guessing how the how the year is going to pan out based off of expenses, based off of information from the state. And so when we land there, we understand that

171reset. What's our what's our balance going to look like for the coming years? And so that's really what we're trying to do right now is take a look at how much cash we're going to have left next year um and make sure that we we don't run out of cash and because that take away our local control. So, and as we we start that cycle again um with our budget, we're we're starting to see what the next year is going to look like and aligning what our base funding is going to support. Um and when it comes to staffing, when it comes to program, we want to make sure that um we can afford it in the out years. We have to look two, three years down the road. So, >> so then moving on

172to slide six. I think this is more of a comment than um >> Sure. than a question. But, you know, we see what's going on here with the declining with the decline in enrollment and when we look at the the the increases in salary expenses and whatnot. I mean, I think one of the ways that we mitigate that is with more enrollment, right? try to figure out how we retain more kids, try to keep them here >> because salary expenses are going to always >> right >> something that that goes up >> including the the fringe benefits, the the medical coverage and and that is something that even in my in my industry it's just it's affecting our membership >> tremendously. So I I think with that there is one area and I think we

173probably say this a lot is that there is one area that we have complete 100% control and that's trying to raise those those attendance trying to get kids to be here to stay here to show up daily. So, um the next slide, slide seven. Um or maybe it wasn't seven. Excuse me. Okay. Excuse me. It was actually 11. And this is an ask of the community. the community reached out to me and asked me this because and I'm just using slide seven or excuse me 11 as kind of a um kind of a guide. So we we'll see $220 million available, right? General fund, federal reserves. So the question always goes back to why isn't there money for for staffing and whatnot or why isn't there money for >> why are we doing these cuts,

174>> right? >> One thing that that the community asked me and and and just kind of looking at that and and looking at some of the line item things is that we see that the classified positions are about 15% of the budget. But currently it it's it's a disproportionate amount of the cuts. I think it's 50 56% of the 13.9 million coming from from that. You know, where where do we where do we adjust there? where where can we alleviate some of that based on the fact that if they're they're taking up 15% of >> of the budget, you know, how can we equate it to to to that to that ratio? So, and I'm not sure if if it's coming out right what I'm trying to get at. >> Do you get what I'm

175saying? >> I do. Yeah. >> Yeah. And I think um one of our focus areas as we go into budget development is to look at the restricted dollars that we have access to and working with our bargaining partners to put in put in place job descriptions that allow us to uh hire for those positions. And so we're we're looking forward to sitting back down with their group with the CCA group and and work on on what that looks like. Um and so um you know looking forward to that work and um finding a way to to use those restricted dollars so that we can we can we can continue to have uh you know classified friends you know supporting our kids and the programs that we need. So yeah that's number one. Yeah. >> Thank

176you. >> Moving on to the cards please. and you're going to bring those people back in. So, that's not savings. >> We're going to do public comment for this item. So, we have four cards. Uh Cynthia, you're up first, followed by Kayla, uh Colette, and Dara. >> It'll be for three minutes. Good evening. In fiscal year 2324, the district failed to spend $769,729 in title 23 and four in federal funding. In fiscal year 2425, $144,913 in federal funding allocated to fiscal year 2223 was forfeited due to late obligations. These funds were intended to support instruction, language learners, and school improvement. When federal dollars go unused or forfeited, our students lose opportunities. If we are facing a fiscal crisis, every available resource should be maximized before reduced staffing who work directly with the children. Before cutting

177the adults who support students every day, the district should demonstrate that every available dollar is being used effectively and responsibly. Until that happens, it is difficult for families and employees to understand why the first solution is removing the people who keep our schools running. Our students deserve full access, sorry, full access to every dollar allocated for their education and they deserve leaders who make sure those dollars reach the classrooms and campuses where they matter the most. Thank you. Good evening. The district has said layoffs are necessary due to fiscal challenges, but comparisons between last year's actual expenses and next year's projected totals show over $13.6 million in increases across certain spending categories. Professional and consulting services increased by over 3.84 million. Communications alone increased by more than over $8 million. That's much more than the

178$7 million to be saved by laying off classified staff. These increased expenditures are projected not actual. That means the district still has the ability to course correct. Before reducing the adults who supervise campuses and support students, shouldn't we first roll back optional spending increases? Student sorry students benefit most when resources stay closest to the classroom. Thank you. Good evening. Communication spending is projected to increase from approximately $575,000 to $12 million. That is an increase of more than 11 million in a single year. Rolling back prior levels could free up 11.4 million, which is about the same amount the district says it's need to save through layoffs of the classified employees. So, a simple question many families and employees are asking is this. How does spending $12 million on communications help our students learn? Does it

179help supervise campuses? Does it help students who need extra academic support? Does it keep the classrooms clean and safe? Does it help a struggling student, struggling student get the attention they need? Students benefit most when resources are directed toward the people who support them every day. PAR educators, custodians, office staff, and other classified professionals who keep schools running. Before reducing those positions, the district should clearly explain why millions of dollars in communication spending is a higher priority than the workers who work directly with our students. >> Good evening everyone. I'm thankful to be in this space. My name is Darra Mccare. I am the EOPS coordinator at Salano Community College. I al also proudly represent uh CSA chapter 211 over there. So, give it up CSA. Come on, let's go. Um yeah and I want

180to also thank you for the board for also being here in this space as well and sharing that with us. So um professional and consulting services and operating expenditures are projected to increase to over 61 million. Rolling back to prior levels could generate nearly 14 million in available funding. So that raises a serious question for this board and for our community at large. How does hiring more consultants help our students learn? I am a product of Valo Unified School District. I think I'm doing well. right? Um, as part of the, you know, the larger community here, I went to Stephan Manor, Springsttown, Hogan High School, and transferred to SF State with the ethnic studies background. So, I'm truly proud to be here for sure to speak on behalf of the community that needs us the

181most. So, I have fond memories of walking through my campuses of kind and passionate instructors, even down to the custodians. And so it breaks my heart to think that maybe our students and future potential um scholars are going to miss out on those kind of opportunities. I don't have a child yet, but I want them to be in our district. I want to continue to grow here. Consultants are not going to do that. They're not going to super supervise our campuses. They do not help a struggling student understand a lesson. They do not support special education classrooms, keep schools clean and safe, or help families navigate school offices. Classified professionals to do those things every single day. And you're looking at them right now. They're right here in this room. Um, they're sacrificing time with

182their family. They should be asleep right now. Low key, it's late for me, too. But hey, we're here, right? Um but consultants may provide advice to administrator admin administrators but advice cannot replace the adults who are physically present in our school supporting our students. If difficult choices must be made reduction should begin with optional outside services before cutting the people who interact with students every day. Just think about the instructors and the key peoples in your lives that really took the time to educate you beyond the classroom. Right? Our budget priorities should reflect what actually supports our students, not what looks good in a report. So, let's ask the community, the students and the parents that make up the people we serve because Valleo is beautiful. Valo is awesome and is actually the most diverse

183city in the nation. So, I want to continue that. I want to continue that energy here. And um again, thank you and have a nice evening. >> Thank you. There's no more. Are there any more questions from the board? >> Vote no. Send your team back. Revise it. >> Let's move on to a vote. Do I have a motion? Vice President Flores, make a motion for approval of the second annual report. >> Trusty Hodgees. Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Trusty Fox. >> I. >> Trusty Hodes. >> I. >> Trusty Young. I. >> Vice President Flores. >> I. >> President Amboy. >> I. >> Trusty Arbab is absent. Trusty Deleó is absent. Trustee Valdez Jacob. >> I. >> And the motion passes 5. >> Thank you. Moving on to reports. Um, we will first have

184our report from our superintendent, followed by our board members. >> I'm going to just I'll pause a second. I'll wait. >> Absolute disgrace. Okay, I'm going to go ahead and give my report now. Uh, so good evening, president, trustees, and members of the Blo community. So, I'm going to start off actually with a little bit of celebration. And I want to begin tonight by recognizing the incredible work of our African-American parent network, our AAPN for hosting a fantastic Black History Month showcase at Balo High School. The event brought together students, families, staff, and community members to celebrate culture, history, and the tremendous talent of our students. The program was inspiring and well attended. So much so that we actually outgrew the space and had to do an overflow room at Valo High. Um, for future

185events, we are going to plan for these events to be held at Hogan Theater, um, the newly renovated Hogan Theater, and I think it'll be much more conducive to showcase our families and our students. Uh, the second thing I want to share is an update of some of the work I've been doing directly with our school leaders over the past two weeks. I've begun uh, one-on-one visits with each of our principles, and so far, I've met with seven of them. These meetings are intentionally structured so the principal directs the conversation and I give them a full hour of my undivided attention. During these discussions, we talk about the successes happening at their schools, the challenges they are navigating, and most importantly, their vision for the future of their campuses and for Valo City Unified School

186District as a whole. What is clear from these conversations is that we are at a pivotal point in our district's journey as we move through this period of right sizing and transformation. We also have a real opportunity to reinvent and strongly establish highquality programs at all of our schools. Our principles are deeply committed to that work and I am grateful for their leadership. Finally, I want to remind the community and the board that tomorrow evening we will be attending the Salado County Office of Ed board meeting where the board is reviewing their policy on interd district transfer appeals. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. with the agenda item coming early in the meeting. The district plans to attend and voice the concerns we have with the transfer appeal process and to stress the importance of

187supporting our district in thinking BCUSD first. That is my report for this evening. Thank you, Superintendent Aurelio. Trusty Fox. >> Um, I attended the Sister Cities dinner. Thank you, Rhonda, very much. Um, oh, Rhonda's not here. Is she here? Oh, anyways. Um, they it was a very nice event and they asked um they have two sister cities they would like to hopefully pair us up with and the one for Ensanada, Mexico. Um there was like names thrown out like well maybe Vallejo High or maybe Cave or whatever. Anyways, but then also in the Philippines we have a city there but maybe that'd be Vallejo High or Bethl. I don't know. But those are two cities we um right now available for partnership with one of our schools hopefully is um the Filipino um sister city

188and the Ensenada Mexico. Um, see those are the two they asked me to bring back and then to see if we're interested in either one of those um to be partners with Sister City. So that's um that's my report. Thank you. >> Hajes, >> I got a chance to attend the um 2 by two meeting. Um, there were quite a few things discussed, but the the thing that got my that got most of my attention was the bringing up the Rolandwood property. Uh, and they promised to make some kind of decisions or movements on that so we sell it. Um, I also attended the um the African-American parent network program. I hung out with the superintendent and watched a pretty good show. I think what um what impressed me the most was they had a

189tribute to uh Dr. Kelly and it was pretty impressive with his about his work um with the Boys and Girls Club uh Continental Omega and getting these kids into college. Yeah, that's my report. >> Thank you, Trusty Hodes and Trusty Dr. Young. I also attended the two plus two and um my main concern was um where's our money? That's my report. >> Vice President Flores. >> I attended a um community town hall sponsored by um County Supervisor Cassandra James. I went there representing the school district. Um it was a an event designed to speak to the Latino community specific. Um some of the panelists there were folks from uh Planned Parenthood. Um the Mexican consulate was there. So, I was able to get a lot of good information about um things that we can bring

190to to our parents here um so far as preparedness and I was able to um network with a lot of different community groups that that are eager to to participate and and see how they can help in the district. Um some of them possibly providing activities and and programs free of cost. So, um that's all I have to report. >> Um for my reports, um I'm looking forward to attending the conference with my fellow trustees and superintendent really for the uh the Castle conference um in Anaheim. Looking forward to that. Um looks like it will be a very um educational event and I do look forward to that. Um other than that um that is my report. Moving on to item 12, community forum. >> None. Uh item 13, close session. None. Item 14, announcements

191of upcoming meetings. Um >> yes. So we, you know, as I mentioned in my report, there is the Skoey or Solano County Office of Ed Board meeting tomorrow evening at 5100 Business Center Drive. The open session there begins at 6 and I do encourage any and everyone to attend. Um there is relevant topic of interd district transfer appeals something that as a district we are tackling. Uh when we look at the second interim report and we look at the trajectory of our attendance, our average daily attendance, our enrollment and we see these graphs that show our numbers decreasing year of per year. This is one factor in many factors, but one that we do have some control over as a district. Um, and we need our partners and support from the county office of ed

192when it comes to uh this process. So, we will be showing up. We we will be making comment at that meeting and I encourage the community if they can to come out and support uh VCUSD in that work. We also have our next 2x two plus two will be in March 31st. >> Um, that's a holiday. the sitha chavez holiday it's a holiday >> which the March 31st >> yes Tuesday is sitha chavez day >> okay so we'll I have a an agenda setting meeting tomorrow I believe we can verify >> I mean I don't know about the city but some places that I just anyways availability or honoring >> okay we can we can check >> on that one um since it's it's a few weeks out so we can definitely check on that

193our next regular board meeting is April 1st 2026 uh I know that is also during spring break. So be you know mark your calendars but we will have our regular board meeting on the 1st and then we our next special board meeting which is our school presentation or school showcases the second half of our campuses will be coming to present. We had half of the schools present in the fall. This one will be April 22nd. Those are upcoming meetings. >> Thank you superintendent. Um item 15, future board agenda items. I didn't know uh Trusty Fox you mentioned and I think uh Fernandez probably captured that that you want to see a breakdown I don't know if it's 12 million or 8 million >> you want to make a breakdown of 5900 the item 5900 >>

194for communication specifically exactly where is it 12 million or 8 million and how is it all broken down >> I heard different numbers this evening so yes we can bring a breakdown of that >> Vice President Flores still waiting on a uh update information on Latino parent network what's going on with Hello. We provided an update in the weekly board um uh what's it called? Memo um on the Friday memo. Um, but if you'd like something from the day from the podium, we can do that as well because there's there's, you know, there's progress, but not a significant amount to report, but there's progress on their activities and next steps, >> but I can do it from the podium if that's what you prefer. >> Thank you. Um, moving on to item 16. And um

195this meeting is adjourned at 9:36