001Good evening everyone. We're reconvening after close session. It is 6:27. Sorry it took a little longer than anticipated. Um at this time can we please have roll call. >> Trusty Hodes >> present. >> Trusty Flores >> present. >> Trusty Young >> present. Vice President Amboy >> present. >> President Fox >> present. >> And our student trustees are absent. We have a >> quorum. >> All right. At this time, um, we have the pledge of >> allegiance. All right. Reports taken. Um, actions taken from close session. Our first item from 3A, conference with legal counsel, existing litigation. In a unanimous vote, the board voted to approve a settlement proposal resolving all claims in a special education dispute case number 0261. Also in a unanimous vote, the board voted to approve a settlement proposal resolving all claims
002an anticipated special ed dispute OH case number 2025033F. Our close session item 3B, conference with legal council, anticipated litigation. In also a unanimous vote, the board voted to approve a settlement proposal resolving all claims in anticipated special a uh education dispute O a case. No case number for item 3C, public employee performance evaluation, government code 54957. uh for superintendent. The government board did receive updates on the superintendent's goals and proceeded given direction. With that, that concludes our close session actions update. And with that, do I hear a motion for agenda 5D for adoption of the board agenda? Vice President Amboy, >> make the motion to approve action item five U item 5D. Trusty Hodgeges. >> Roll call, please. >> Trusty Hodgeges. >> Hi, >> Trusty Flores. >> I. >> Trusty Young. >> I, >> Vice
003President Amboy. >> I, >> President Fox. >> Hi. >> And the motion passes uh with five yes. >> Thank you. We are now on agenda item 6A >> and no donations to report. >> All right. Seven. uh forum inter agency reports. >> I believe we have any inter agency. >> Do we have a report from VA? >> Yeah. >> Good evening board, uh trustees, superintendent. Um it's a very short report. Um we're we're uh in November. our our teachers are and certificated staff are well into their routine the routines of the year. Um we're in the middle of elementary um conferences and uh sec uh secondary they're w you know they're they're wrapping up their semester so they can when they come back from from winter break and they can jump into the next one.
004Um and that's all I have for tonight. >> Thank you Mr. Stone. Do we have a report from CSEA? >> Yep. >> Wonderful. >> Good evening board and community. All we have right now is last night we had our second round of nominations for our eboard. Um we have we will be voting in December for a second VP treasurer parliamentarian member at large and all other offices officers run and opposed. So we will be having cat as our president again and we are also having our chick chili cook off in December for our board as well at our meeting and that's how we're going to close out our year. >> Thank you. >> Do we have a report from VSMA? I'm not seeing anyone. No >> reports of any district advisory committees. >> Um the
005only thing to report is tomorrow evening we do have the student superintendent advisory. So um just a reminder for the board that means for the next board meeting we will have students from that advisory coming to make a report. >> Okay. It'll be minus the ones that are the delegates on away right now. All right. >> Correct. >> Uh what about we're on to committee members. >> We do um >> that are non-aggenda items. Yes. So, we have one card for this item. Miss Hazel Wilson, if you can come forward. Superintendent Aurelio, President Fox, and members of the board. On behalf of Amber and CC Sabathia and Pitcheon Foundation, we would like to thank the district for the use of Corbus field, the wonderful partnership that we had with um the city and the school
006district and Mr. Fernandez was an outstanding uh representative at the table. and we would just like to thank you and let you know how pleased we were with the event. Thank you. Thank you. Other cards. All right, we are down now to our consent items. Consent AA through M. Do I hear a motion? Vice President Amboy I'd like to make a motion to approve uh consent item A8A through EB. >> Uh Trustee uh Dr. Young. >> Roll call, please. >> Trusty Hodes. >> Hi. >> Trusty Flores. >> Hi. >> Trusty Young. >> Hi. >> Trusty uh Vice President Amboy. >> Hi. >> President Fox. >> I. >> And the motion passes unanimously. We're now down to information nine uh presentations and public hearing. We will now open the public hearing for Griffin Academy High School
007Charter Renewal Petition. The purpose of this public hearing is to receive public comment on the charter renewal petition submitted by Griffin Academy High School, which operates under the oversight of Valo City Unified School District. Tonight's hearing is not an action item. The board will not be voting on the renewal petition this evening. Instead, we are here to gather input from the petitioners, staff, and members of the public. We will begin the presentation from district staff outlining the petition submission and the review process. After that, the petitioners will have the opportunity to present information related to the renewal request. Following the presentation, we will open the floor to public comment. I think we do have cards, but there's a limited time, so we'll have to talk about how long for the total time. At this time,
008we'll hear our presentation. Oh, we have assistant superintendent Aasio and our coordinator Christy Gardner this evening. >> Hi, good evening uh President Fox, Vice President Amboy, uh trustees Dr. Young, Trusty Flores, Trusty Hodgeges, and Superintendent and staff. Um we are here um to prepare the public hearing and for the charter renewal petition for Griffin Academy High School. Um, Miss Gardner is here to I was gonna call you Trusty Gardner [laughter] is here in service of this petition and will share a little on the process. >> Good evening. Um, Superintendent Aurelio and board. Um, yes, we received the petition from Griffin Academy on October 15th and according to the timeline, this is the first public hearing that we have. We'll have another public hearing most likely in January, but in 45 days from actually the receipt,
009we will issue the the um recommendation. And right now, we're in the process of reviewing the petition and I'm working with the team to gather information so we can write the recommendation. And you'll hear from you'll that that will be posted on our website most likely by December 28th. That's the 75th day. Okay. And then in the 90th day, we'll be in January, but most likely we'll have the we'll be at the first meeting in January to present the petition or the recommendation. That's it. School >> and the school staff can present. >> Dr. Young, do you have a question? Strange. >> Really strange seeing Christy Garner on the other side of this podium. >> I I did that just for you. I did that for you. >> How do you [laughter] like that? >>
010It's more nerve-wracking here. >> We miss you. >> So now the staff will have time to present. >> Yes, school staff will now have time to present their um their petition. >> Thank you. Who is presenting? I thought it was us who got Christy Gardner here. It was you. Uh we're very happy to be working closely with all of you, but also with uh coordinator, charter coordinator Christy Gardner. >> Good evening, board president Fox, Vice [clears throat] President Amboy, Trustee Dr. Young, Trusty Flores, Trusty Hodgeges, Superintendent Elio, and staff. My name is Nick Driver. I'm really excited to be up here with colleagues. I have two colleagues with me now, and I know we have a number of excited, uh, public commenters or public speakers, including students and parents, uh, who will be speaking at
011public comment. Um, so I'm excited here to kick it off and then I'll pass it to my colleague, the co-leader and chief academic officer, Margie Deorgio, as well as our wellness director, um, Crystal O'Connell. So, I will ask you to go to the next slide. Uh, again, um, uh, I'm the superintendent of Griffin Technologymies. We run the four schools and really excited, uh, to be presenting the case for renewal for Griffin Academy High School tonight. Uh so there is a statemandated process that was voted in in in 2018. Uh and so we meet the criteria for a five-year renewal. Um under that process um that is a similar process that our MIT middle school went through last year. Um we are proud that GR Griffin Academy High School and its students outperform the state in
012both English language arts and science and English learner progress. We have a ways to go on our math but we are also improving in math academic achievement as um as we will go through in the pres presentation. Our students feel safe and connected to school feel to school and feeling a sense of belonging. Uh that is something that we measure every year actually twice a year uh with an outside measurement tool. Um so we're working on that too. And we also outperform the state in in our graduation rate and our college and career preparedness. So those are the highlights. Um, if we could go to the next slide. Uh, I want to touch on the mission. This is the same mission for Griffin Academy High School that is for all four of our schools. Uh,
013it prepares students of Lao to be ready for college, career, and life through diverse, innovative instructional programs that focus relentlessly on student academic achievement and social and emotional well-being. We added social emotional well-being. Um, in my first year in 2022, uh, like all of our schools and all students across the country, our students are deeply impacted by the COVID pandemic and we felt it important to bring on, um, a variety of wellness supports. Uh, so with that, I'm going to turn it over, if you could go to the next slide, to uh, my chief academic officer, Margie Dorgio, who also serves as co-leader of Griffin Academy High School. Margie, >> hello. Good evening. As Mr. Driver said, "My name is Margie Giorgio, chief academic officer and co-leader of Griffin. So, I'm here to share some
014of our wonderful academic achievements of which I attribute to some main components that are unique to our school. Small class sizes. Uh, also a looping model where students stay with the same teachers year-over-year, which allows for continuity of learning, meaning that we don't have to reset with a whole new crop of students at the beginning of every year. There's just a lot of continuation. Teachers really know where students strengths lie and what supports they may need and time is not lost. So, as you can see by this slide, our math achievement scores from our CASP the last few years. Although we're not where we want to be, we are definitely trending growth and we're on the right track to continue to do so. If you want to go to the next slide, please. And here
015is our ELA scores. again for the last few years. We are continuing to outpace the state year-over-year. This I attribute as well to a very tight-knit group of teachers who work closely together, collaborate, plan, strategize, and develop different strategies for different students over the years. Next slide. Thank you. Moreover, in our ELA, not only are we outpacing the state overall in our major subgroups, we're also doing exceptionally well, especially, you can see with our lowincome and our English language learners, Hispanic and Latino are some of our major subgroups that are doing um outpacing the state in our achievement. Next slide, please. Uh our science uh we are showing growth year-over-year. Again, sometimes we're not quite at the state level, but you can still see that we do outperform the state and are continuing to grow
016year-over-year, which is another thing that as our uh middle school feeds into our high school, there's a lot of collaboration as well from middle school up through high school, which gives us a huge advantage so that there's continuity of learning with our vert vertical alignment and team planning. As you can see here, there's growth. Next slide, please. Um, here's our English learner progress. We have an EL lead who works very closely with all the content teachers. Again, even though we're renewing our high school, there is collaboration with the middle school, which carries into what's happening in the high school. And our EL lead works with our EL aids and the content teachers across all subjects with strategies. And you can see the outcomes here are a strong um reclassification rate. again not where we want
017to be but continuing to strive for more. Next slide please. Graduation rate also doing very well. Um and then the last slide I think for this um our college and career preparedness. So we are an early college program and this allows students to access college classes while they're in high school which gives them a huge leg up with being prepared for college. they're also doing well in those college classes and the career readiness. We are also one of our goals is to start fleshing out and developing more CTE pathways so that we provide more opportunities for our students with the career career preparedness. And then here's our attendance rates. Again, not where we want to be, but solid and continuing to work more. Our team works together with our families to target the barriers for
018their regular attendance so that we can help alleviate those barriers and struggles and provide supports to get students in class where they're going to be learning all the wonderful things that our teachers present and provide our students with. And now I'm going to hand it over to my colleague Crystal Okonnell, director of wellness. Thank you. >> Good evening. Um, as I mentioned, I'm Crystal Oonnell, director of wellness, and I'm here tonight in support of our wonderful school and our exceptional students. Um, our school is committed to the whole child wellness through strong social emotional frameworks. Um, from advisory lessons to inclassroom zen zones, restorative practices, wellness coaching, uh, counseling support and MTSS interventions. We provide layered supports that keep students safe, connected, and thriving. Our wellness team sees on average 40 of our high school
019students each week. This is both with one-on-one regular support and dropins in our wellness center. We have and we ensure timely responsive care with proactive behavior strategies, data informed decisions, and a strength-based culture. and we ensure every student has tools that they need to grow. Our program is uh growing and thriving week by week um with a staff that is very um committed to our students and our and in our in our school in general. Uh next slide please. AVID. Um, at our school, AVID drives success with wicker writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading woven into every classroom. We empower students to think big, work smart, and rise to every challenge. >> Thanks, Crystal. [clears throat] Um, as Mr. Giorgio mentioned earlier, we are an early college high school. I believe that we're the only
020ones in Vallejo. Uh it is a lot to work with um both working with our partners Solano Community College, Contraosta Community College and other community colleges. But it is worth it because our kids um as was just stated get a leg leg up on college. They're already taking college college classes uh while they're in high school. uh they start in ninth grade and uh and then they complete 30 call it transferable credits and so there's the opportunity to earn uh up to 60 which earns an associate degree. We actually had 60 in uh you know when the school first started and realized that was too much. So now it is 30. Um those those students mostly attended attend colleges on campus. Some of them are also as asynchronous or synchronous online and and all of
021the tuition of course for those colleges is is free because the state provides for that. Uh it also increases the graduation rate. So we're really proud of our little early college high school Griffin Academy and looking forward to uh continuing to make it stronger. If I could have the the next slide. [clears throat] So these are the areas that our college teachers some of whom are our own high school teachers who also uh work on behalf of Contraosta College are bringing to our school. Um so that that's one of the beauties of being early college high schools. You have uh college instructors as well as teachers from our school working hand inand on on different uh projects. Uh and they have an inter disciplinary approach to school. One of our teachers for instance is a
022music teacher as well as an astronomy uh teacher as well as a physics teacher. Uh so really inter interdisciplinary in that class specifically. If I could have the uh last slide. So just wanted to close by saying we have a unique program that is getting stronger. Uh it is already something that we are very proud of of our four schools. Uh it is doing exceptionally well. Uh and as um the law states, as I said at the beginning, um we are uh looking forward to January, as as Miss Gardner said, uh when you will have a final hearing and look forward to uh that final hearing and to uh you know, look at the evidence and and um and get another five years of of life for our little charter school. Thank you very much.
023Happy to take any questions from you. and also as I said earlier a lot of um eager uh participants when you call for public comment. President Hajes. >> Thank you. Mr. Driver, I I I when you were talking about the the early college high school, I heard you say that the the students um participate classes on campus, were you referring to your GTA campus or Solano College? many if most of our classes are um are from Contraosta College. >> Contraosta >> but uh we have uh one science teacher and one uh computer science teacher who actually deliver classes on campus. So it is a hybrid. uh the the the college instructor is who is delivering the computer science curriculum comes to campus from con contraostaster college the science teacher is actually our employee who is
024also because she has a master's accredited as a college instructor and paid for that course by contraosta college so that's one of the unique things about early college high schools which is which is really cool that the state has provided for >> that's nice thank you do they ever We also have a psychology teacher currently teaching a class on campus. >> Um, one of the Contraosta Community College instructors is teaching psychology and we've got Spanish. >> Oh, I'm so sorry. So, we've got Contraosta Community College instructor who comes this semester is doing a psychology class and we've got Spanish. We have another articulated class on campus by one of our teachers who teaches a commercial art class. Mr. Driver referenced the astronomy class which is also articulated. One of our teachers teaches it, but it's
025college credits. >> Thank you. Do they ever get an opportunity to to like field trip to the community colleges or >> Yes, students can take classes on campus if they want. Um they can also take classes asynchronously and um some of our students who are in the independent learning program as well take advantage of their flexible schedule and go take classes on campus. >> Beans. >> Yes. Um, thank you for the presentation. Um, my question is um the ethnic breakdown of your student population and do you have test scores and data that reflect um that subgroup? >> Great question. >> I didn't see it in in in here. I saw a general, >> but I didn't see a specific. >> I'm going to turn it over to Mr. Giorgio because she's much better at the
026stat statistics. But we do have um only two uh bigger subgroups that are measured by the state. One is our Latino population and the other is our socioecon so socioeconomically disadvantaged group. So those are the two that have enough that the state measures them and they are also doing as well as you saw the overall population. >> It's not showing here. >> There's more more data in the petition. >> Yeah, >> in the petition itself there's more data. We were just trying to be brief. >> You're speaking into a mic. >> We were just trying to be brief tonight. >> Don't get scared. Don't get scared. just to be >> Oh, no. I'm not scared. I was trying to not run him. No, I'm not scared. I'm just saying that there's more data in the
027petition. We were just trying to be brief tonight in our presentation and just pick some of the highlights. >> I think that's important to me. >> Sure. And our 700page petition has >> because when I see your campus, I see it very diversified. It is >> and I that was too general for me. Oh, well again presentation just some of the highlights and um we look forward to >> the highlight >> giving you the opportunity to review all that in the petition. >> Flores, >> thank you for your presentation. And I guess the question would be in that petition, is there any information or do you track those uh students that graduate from Griffin and go on to college? Do you track what they major and graduate in and what those numbers are? >> That's
028a great question. I think that's something that um in all the schools I've worked with and many other schools, we struggle to do that. We don't have the resources to track students after they graduate. We know that we we are using the clearing house, which is what all high schools use around the country to track uh um after graduation sort of metriculation and graduation from college. And that we also know is in inexact. the the clearing house is good but it's not good enough. Um so our uh 87% high school graduation rate is um is about equal to the college metriculation rate. That's the same number of stu students who also go on to college. Not um that's not always the case. Um but we don't track uh unfortunately those students who I will say
029this the first two students who graduated from Griffin High School two years ago there were only two. They were 11th graders. We didn't even have a or maybe it was three years ago. We didn't even have a senior class yet. They graduated one with an associates degree and the other one almost to at an associates degree. And we have tracked those students because they come back and mentor other students including their younger siblings at our school. Aside from those two students, we we still have to gather data on uh on the students who have graduated since then. I'm [snorts] confident that it's a high number, but I unfortunately because we haven't got the resources to track those numbers, we I can't I can't tell you what the number is right now. >> In that clearing
030house that you said that that's used, is that in the in your data? >> Do you remember what the clearing house is called? >> The national clearing house. Well, and also as Mr. Driver just said, we had our first class that graduated a couple of kids and then we've only had two graduating classes because the school is so new and we started with middle and grew out. So this graduating class will be the third full graduating class. And it is something that's on our radar that we want to figure out a fiscally manageable way to track that data over years because it's very interesting for us to know as well. We just haven't solidified that yet. >> What were the numbers of the graduating class? I know you said the first one was you said
031a couple. >> Just a couple. >> What about since >> that predates me? I'm not sure, Mr. Driver. Yeah, the second class was uh very small 40. The class last year was about 65. So growing but very small. >> Thank you. [clears throat] >> Um you said you have um things in place. What was the 40 hours? I'm I'm concerned again. First I want to say I'm very sorry for the recent loss. Is there been two losses re unfortunately? I want to know what's in place though for seal because that's very concerning. >> Yes, thank you very much. Um it is unfortunate. Nobody expects for anything like this to happen. Um we have had two losses and after the first is when we um grew our wellness program to that campus. our wellness program. I
032started here about three years ago and there was not a wellness program yet. Um so we've been building this um over the last couple of years through grants through uh Salon County Office of Ed. Um so we now have three wellness coaches, one at each site, a fully staffed uh wellness center. Um we have interns, clinical interns from local colleges, USF, San Jose State primarily. Um, and they we we operate in a three- tiered intervention system. So, we are tier one, those social emotional lessons in the classrooms. We're operating off of social emotional themes this year, anti-bullying, suicide awareness, um, kindness, um, just to name a few, substance use, vaping, just to name a few. um our coaches are developing uh PowerPoint presentations and in-classroom activities where we sort of all gather up as a
033team and provide support on each site when those lessons are happening. So if anything is triggered with students, there's plenty of support there for them. Following our loss, we had we partner very closely with Solano County Office of Ed and all of their programs. So, we had their post vvention team come in um and support on that campus um along with our full team. So, like I said, we have three coaches. We have about five interns at this point. Um and we have new this year, we're partnering with an outside um company called Stepping Stones who are bringing on for tier three interventions real, you know, the clinical side of things with full therapy free to students. um any student can can be referred for that and that's happening right on campus. Um some of
034these things are what we have found is missing for students outside of school. Uh whether it be for cultural reasons, religious background, um just the stigma of mental health. Um a lot of these issues that have come up for some of these students, including the two that we unfortunately lost, we weren't aware of. So, it really is about being louder on campus and really pushing into the classrooms, um, breaking that stigma with our students and providing those safe spaces for them to come and talk. >> Do you have counselors available if a student needs to speak with a counselor? >> We do. Those are our wellness coaches and they're all M's level clinicians. Um, because of the grant, they operate under the title of wellness coach. We got the state grant for wellness coaches. Um
035but they're all M's level clinicians. All three are well two of them are earning their their hours towards clinical lure. The third is in a master's program. So they're all supervised um and available. So that is the 40 that you heard the 40 students those are students who have utilized our services on either a regular basis or a drop in basis every week just for the middle school or sorry the high school. [laughter] [snorts] >> Thank you. Um Dr. Um said they're all mobilized, ready to go. Is that what you said? >> Our team. Yes. >> Okay. Who in that team? You said you had interns. >> We do. >> Who's supervising them? Because they're not licensed to do what that is supposed to do, >> right? So part of the learning towards becoming a
036therapist is your internship. And so they are being supervised actually most of them are dual track. So, they're getting a PPS credential as well as either an MFT or LPC. Um, and they're being supervised by a clinical um supervisor um offsite who comes to the site to supervise them. >> Yes. Oh, they have to be. >> Yeah. [laughter] You treading in the wrong >> No, they absolutely have to be in order for them to even be meeting on a clinical level, they have to be licensed. So, anyone who um is providing therapeutic services um is registered with BBS and supervised by um a licensed clinician. Our wellness coaches are doing more of that like tier one, tier 2 interventions and then passing it off to our clinicians if they need more support. Yeah, >> it's
037very important that you make that clear. >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions? All right. This time we'll start our um public our comment cards for this item. And um is two minutes okay for speaker? >> is that good? >> Is that enough? >> Okay. So I'm going to call names out. Um so the first speaker I have two names written down. Ulana Preci and Antonio Precioo. Um they're going to be followed by Ya Hamlan and then after that Karina Galvin. Preparator. Good afternoon. My name is Juliana Preo. I am a mother for the microphone. Move the microphone up a little. >> There we go. Thank you. >> Good afternoon. My mom My name is Juliana Preo. I am mother of four children living in Valo. As a mother, I've tried to look
038for the best for my children and Griffin has been a very good option as a high school and preer uh and middle school. Um they offer good quality education, learning and help for future to offer. Uh they offer classes for college and prepare um our youngs to interact with the community in various areas. In various areas, Griffin has sports that are healthy for our young people and it has performed better and performed in all areas of learning. Tonight, I'm writing to you to ask you that you consider that Griffin Academy High School continues to support academy success through renewal and authorization. Thank you for your time. Good night. So, next is Ya Hamelan. Good evening, members of the board. Thank you for this opportunity to speak tonight. Um, my name is Ayah Hamdan. I'm the
039associated student body president of Griffin and I'm also a high school senior. I've been at Griffin for about seven years. I've been there since I was in middle school. Um, when I think of why Griffin should be renewed, I first think about the many opportunities we have here. Opportunities that aren't as easily found elsewhere. One of the biggest opportunities is our dual enrollment program. >> [clears throat] >> This program gives students the chance to gain college credit during their time at high school, preparing them for the future. Being able to take college courses in high school has pushed me in ways I didn't expect. It challenged me academically, teaching me important skills like managing workloads, good study habits, and time management. In fact, because of this program and these opportunities, I'm able to graduate high
040school with more than 60 college credits. Proof of the opportunities and support students are given at our school. Our academic opportunities aren't the only things that set us apart. It's our size and our community. Because we're small, we're connected. We all know each other and support each other. Students really students truly show up to support each other. Teachers don't just lecture us in classrooms. They know us personally. They know our goals, our struggles, and our strengths. Because of our tight-knit community, my senior class, which holds only about 30 students, was able to raise more than $3,000 to go towards our senior funds during our Halloween event last month. As ASB president, I've seen firsthand how this environment creates a space for leadership. In bigger schools, it may be harder to step forward, but at Griffin,
041everyone has a chance to lead. I've seen firsthand how students who have typ typically been quiet and shy find their voice. ideas turn into real changes because students feel empowered and supported. I'm grateful for the academic opportunities and the community community that has shaped me and I know many students who will benefit from the same support and encouragement. Renewing our charter means more young people will have the chance to grow academically, lead confidently and be a part of my community. Thank you. >> Finish your sentence. >> And be a part of a community that lifts them up. Thank you. >> Thank you. So, Karina next. >> Hello, my name is Karina and I'm a senior as well as ASB vice president at Griffin Academy. I've been at this school for about six years and has
042been a huge stepping stone for me both educationally and in the real real world. Because of the college classes I have taken, I'm mostly done with my high school requirements, allowing me to have a shortened schedule so I'm able to leave to go to my job. Um, college dual enrollment at Grypton Academy is one of the best biggest advantages students can tap into. It's basically a head start on college without the stress of actually being in a a four-year or even two-year college. You're still in your regular high school classes, but you're earning real credits that follow you after graduation, meaning fewer classes and less money spent on tuition later on. It also helps you get comfortable with the pace and expectations of college work early so that when you actually show up freshman year,
043you're not blindsided by the workload. Plus, it also looks great on applications because it shows you're willing to challenge yourself and you can handle more than standard curriculum. And the best part, you get all these benefits with the supportive environment you already have at Griffin. It's like getting to try college classes without the pressure of being a full-time student before switching to the full version. This is extremely important to me because I value education above all else. And at Griffin, it gives me and my peers the best opportunity to succeed. I hope you consider our request for renewal. Thank you. >> Thank you, Sahara Rose Galvin. >> Uh, good evening members of the board. My name is Sahara Rose Galvan and I'm a senior at Griffin Academy. I met at this school for six years
044and throughout these years I built a lot of community between my friends and teachers. One of the things I enjoy about this school is the amount of opportunities we get. Griffin offers dual enrollment which has helped me get ahead in my education. Another thing I love is how uh personal and supportive the school environment is. The teachers know us because they've been our consistent teachers throughout these past years. They check in on us and really want us to succeed not just in school, but in life. I've also been uh very involved in the school community. I've been a part of the sports program for these past three years, especially the volleyball team. This team has throughout these years has really become more like a family to me. For example, the old seniors on the team
045who have graduated are still mostly in contact with the seniors and juniors who are on the team this year. From this example, I'm trying to show you that even though people graduate and move on from the school, the connection that was built during activities or just simply going to Griffin Academy stay strong. I believe that Griffin Academy should continue to exist because it makes a real difference for students, families, and community. The school offers opportunities that many of us would not have anywhere else. Dual enrollment, small classes, supportive teachers, and programs that help us prepare more for college careers and life. My friends, my younger siblings, and future students deserve to have the same choices and chances that I've been given. Griffin Academy isn't a school. It's a place where students feel seen, supported, and
046capable of doing more than they thought possible. So, please consider approving Griffin Academy for renewal. Thank you. >> Valeria Lopez. >> Good afternoon, members of the board. My name is Valeria Lopez and I'm currently the junior class president in Griffin Academy. I've been a student here since sixth grade. But before I talk about why I respectfully request the renewal of Griffin um to be approved, I want to mention one of the amazing opportunities we have, which is our dual enrollment program. Not very not a lot of schools give students the chance to take real college classes in high school. This program helping is helping us get ahead in life, save money in college, and discover what we want to do f in the future early on. But the biggest reason why our school should stay
047open is our community. We we are a small school and that's what makes us strong here. We are not just a number or a face in crowded hallways. We are seen. Teachers call us by name and they understand us as real people. I've had many of the same teachers for years and they've watched me grow, not just academically, but as a person. They know how I learn best. They know when to push me and when I need support. If I struggle, they don't let me fall behind. Instead, they work with me until I succeed. I don't think I would get that kind of um attention in a bigger school where teachers have hundreds of students that they have to see daily. Our school feels like a family. We celebrate each other's success. We help each
048other through our challenges and we feel safer. Not approving the renewal for Griffin wouldn't just shut down a building. It would break apart a community that has been built through trust, care, and real relationships. I am proud to be a student here. This school has shaped who I am today and who I will become. Please uh please help us become keep that opportunity alive for future students and our so our school deserves to stay open. Thank you. >> Uh Judea Sapolan or S. Sorry if I messed up your name. Good evening. My name is Judea Sapolean and I'm an 11th grade junior at Griffin Academy. I've been at Griffin for six years and I've been very involved in the community. I've been a part of ASB since middle school and also a part of the
049girls volleyball team since the beginning of high school. I have also participated in many clubs like the K-pop club, poetry club, ethnic sport club, and film club. Because we have such a tight-knit community, students are able to develop deep relationships with others around them who can support them in their educational journeys. The teachers are also very supportive and generally care and love spending time with students. With this nurturing environment, students have been able to be successful in taking college classes and prepare for their future through programs like AVID. I've seen this impact firsthand. My sister graduated from Griffin last year and because she was able to get ahead with college courses, she's now considered a sophomore in her first year of college at UC Davis. I don't want this to just stop with her. I
050want this to continue with other students. So that's why Griffin Academy should be considered for the renewal. Thank you. >> Thank you. The last speaker on this item, Zamantha Oriana. Good evening, members of the board. Uh, my name is Amen Ryan Arago. I am in 11th grade and I've been at Griffin since I was in sixth grade. Um, I enjoy how all the teachers and staff create a very familiarike environment for all of us. Um, another thing that I love about Griffin is how many opportunities the school provides for the students equally. Um, attending Griffin has helped me along with my peers by preparing us for college and also teaching us that we have many options and life paths. Griffin teaches students to be prepared for the future instead of sending us in blindly. [snorts]
051When I was in seventh grade, I was in ASB and last school year I was the starting left back for the girls soccer team the first half of the season and then for the other half I was the starting goalkeeper. Um, uh, Griffin allowed me to do things I always wanted to do but thought I wouldn't be able to. That is why I believe Griffin High School should continue to exist. For many of us, we're not just a school, we're a family. Griffin opened many doors um, oh, opens many doors for opportunities, not only for me, but also my friends and peers. Griffin has motivated me to become the best version of myself possible, both academically and as a human being. Thank you for your time and please consider our request for renewal. >> That
052concludes the public comment for this item. >> Closing public hearing. Thank you all to who provided comments at this time. See no additional speakers. I will formally close this public hearing on the Griffin uh Academy School Charter renewal petition. We anticipate the input received um from the petitioners, staff and the community as part of the required public hearing process. We will now return to the remainder of our agenda >> and again following all the timelines. Thank you. >> Thank you all. >> At this time we are now down to agenda item 10 A. Assistant Superintendent Fernandez, he will be presenting this next item, which is a resolution number 5088. >> All right. Thank you. >> We'll give them a minute as the room clears. Good evening, President Fox, Vice President Amboy, Dr. Young, Trusty Dr.
053Young, Trusty Flores, and Trustee Hodes. Superintendent Aurelio. Um, good evening. Uh, tonight I'm president presenting resolution 55088 which authorizes the district to submit a formal notice of withdrawal from the school's excess liability fund or self uh effective July 1st, 2026. Uh, let me emphasize that this action is procedural only and it carries no adverse impact for Valo City Unified School District. Submitt submitting this not does not commit the district to leaving self. Instead, iter preserves our ability to explore other competitive partners for excess liability coverage. Um, as background, self currently provides coverage from five to $55 million layered above our primary insurance through a skip. Again, this does not bind us to the decision. it. If after completing um an underwriting process with um other insurance companies, we may do so without penalty or consequence
054if we decide to stay with this particular insurance company. Uh this is a proactive and financially responsible step that simply allows the district to shop the market, evaluate stability, and make fully informed recommendation to the board in advance of the 2627 fiscal year. So the next year and at this time I'm happy to answer any questions and staff recommends that the board adopt the resolution 5088. >> Any questions or do I hear a motion? >> Vice President Amboy. >> I'd like to make a motion to approve action item 108. >> A second. Dr. Young. >> Roll call, please. >> Trusty Hodes. >> I. >> Trusty Flores. >> I. >> Trusty Young. I, >> Vice President Amboy. >> Hi, >> President Fox. Hi. >> The motion passes unanimously. >> Thank you. >> And you looks like
055you're up here again for 5091. >> Yep. Um, as a part of agenda item 10B, uh, we're presenting the final equity impact analysis this evening and formally con concluding the community engagement process related to our school closure and consolidation considerations as required under ED code 41329. process ensures that any decisions made regarding school consolidations are grounded in equity, transparency, and public input. To walk us through the final analysis and how stakeholder feedback was incorporated, I'd like to introduce Mr. Keith Weaver, a consultant with Government Financial Services Joint Powers Authority, who has supported the district throughout the process. Keith, thanks for being here this evening. >> Thank you. >> Hi, good evening. Thanks for having me back here tonight. Um so as mentioned just a very brief update for you tonight on the community engagement process
056undertaken for phase 2 closures and consolidations. There was a lot of opportunity for community engagement in this process that included the fact that a draft of the report was presented at a regular board meeting on September 17th. Several study sessions were held. Uh one in a special board meeting in September and another following a regular board meeting in October. Um many town hall meetings were held in the course of the last few months. And then finally uh community members could submit questions and both the questions and answers are made available on the district's website for review. Um so community input was received from community members uh from board members and I would also like to acknowledge our student board members as well. Their contributions were a welcome addition. So tonight it's just a brief summary
057of the community input that was received um specifically that impacted the metrics in the equity impact analysis for these schools. So it's not a comprehensive uh discussion of everything that was discussed but really a more focused uh discussion for the highlights. So uh with respect to Lincoln Elementary on the metric of aesthetics, um the EIA report now acknowledges these um uh uh feedback which includes the historical significance in the downtown location. Our research um indicates this school dates back to 1857 and was the first school here in the community. With respect to demographics, um this uh Lincoln Elementary serves not just as a school but also as a community center for higher need students. And then considerations for the school site if these students were to relocate to either Federal Terrace or to Highland. um
058its potential as a wellness center or a resource center to continue to provide support for the higher need students and potential partnerships with the city with nonprofit partners and with local businesses. Uh with respect to Finny education complex, um we're now acknowledging the importance of relocating the special education and the higher need students to a welcome and accommodating environment, ensuring that those facilities um are equipped to provide this type of environment. Um on facilities conditions, it was noted that the current location lacks athletic and recreation space and that a relocation may provide opportunity to provide this type of space. uh for the students. And then considerations for use of the site include potentially a a district office relocation, a future middle school, and the sale or lease of the property. Uh with respect to Highland
059Elementary, um on the metrics of facilities, condition, and capacity, um we're noting that the facilities themselves are newer and they provide a large student capacity to accommodate more students. But challenges at the site include a congested drop off and pickup area as well as limited parking. Um, Cooper is sort of in in an opposite situation where there is an easier drop off and pickup and there is more parking, but challenges include that these facilities are relatively aged and they have a a smaller student capacity. So, this is sort of weighing the pros and cons, right, between these school sites. um no perfect school, no easy answer. It's a a balancing I think of of priorities with respect to Steph and Manor. Um similarly, uh newer facilities and a large MPR to accommodate students. Um but
060again, uh challenges include a congested drop off and pickup as well as limited parking. And then with respect to Penny Cookook, uh we're noting again an opposite situation of an easier drop off and pickup and more parking, but the school is challenged with aged facilities and a smaller NPR. Um so now all of the the report now includes a community engagement section that acknowledges um in detail these this feedback and so for tonight is your consideration of approving the final equity impact analysis. I will say the outcome of the feedback um is is my belief that I don't think the the recommendations of the superintendent will change. I think they will remain the same. However, there will be some fine-tuning I think of of boundaries to help accommodate the issues with uh congestion and there
061may also um be exploring opportunities for capital investment to help with some of the issues like like the parking situations. Um so our next step is that at the next board meeting in December the board will be asked to consider selecting among the options of schools for closures and consolidations. So thank you and happy to take any questions. >> Any questions or do we have a motion to adopt the report? President Amway >> make a motion to adopt the report on 10B. >> Uh, Trusty Hodes. >> Second >> roll call, please. >> Trusty Hodes. >> I, >> Trusty Flores. >> Hi, >> Trusty Young. >> Vice President Amboy. >> Hi, >> President Fox. Hi. >> And the motion passes unanimously. >> Thank you. Now down to governance 11A 2026 CSBA dele delegate assembly election Okay,
062I'm there. Um, so it is recommended to the governing board to review the 2026 CSBA delegate assembly election information and nominate a candidate for region 3C. You have to do this online. So this is just informing you of the actions you can take. All the information is in the item and you you'll be able to go online and make your nominations. >> Thank you. >> Questions that available now the um the online portion or is there a date that's gonna >> not? So nominations says the appointments and candidate biographical sketches are there. Um the nom are being accepted until Wednesday January 7th. Um it is a responsibility of the nominee or appointee to confirm that all nomination materials have been received by CSBA executive office by the due date. So you have a window of
063time if you wish to nominate. I believe these links are live. >> You right. We're down to report. Superintendent report. >> All right. So, this past week um has been an incredibly full one for Valo City Unified. We had the privilege of honoring hometown heroes CC and Amber Sabathia uh two proud Valo High School school alumni whose continued generosity through their pitchin foundation has provided countless backpacks, school supplies, and scholarships for Valo's youth. It was an honor to join the community and celebrate their lasting impact on our students that was held this Sunday. It was good to see all of you there. Um, we also concluded our final school closure and consolidation town hall meeting that was last night. I want to thank every family, staff member, and community participant who took the time to
064engage in these discussions. Your input matters deeply as we move forward in making difficult but necessary decisions to ensure the long-term health of our district. Earlier today, I did send a communication to all employees acknowledging that we are nearing the point of announcing specific budget and staffing reductions. This is never easy. However, I remain committed to the promise I made when we began this process to provide our employees with the longest possible lead time so that individuals and families can make plans for the future. As we head into the Thanksgiving season, I'm reminded of how important our collective work truly is. The way we show up for our students and one another, especially during challenging times, defines us. Every act of professionalism, kindness, and commitment, strengthens our district and helps our students succeed. I want
065to express my deep appreciation to all VCUSD employees for your continued dedication and compassion. Together, we are building a stronger, more sustainable future for Valo's Children's. That is my report. Thank you. Board members, Jesse Hodes, we'll start with you. I spent the last few days um talking to some constituents and trying to encourage them to consider the the diversity and equity committee uh for HR. Um and I had a actually um quite a few people that are interested. Uh so I submitted names and going to give them more details later. >> You testifying what was it? Sunday. Uh we we went out and celebrated the work that uh >> was it Saturday? >> That was Sunday. >> Oh, wait. Is that >> was that the Rosie the Riveter lunchon? >> Yeah, thank you for reminding
066me. Yeah, we um we were invited and and I attended the Rosie the Riveter celebration for uh Congressman Gari and we there was a a few I believe at least one Rosie out there which was always you know really inspiring to see. And um and you know then again Sunday we were at the event celebrating you know as much as we celebrated the the the athletic accomplishments I feel that the the phil philanthropic work the community work the the dedication and and pouring back that the Sabbath family has done for for our city was the highlight of all that. hearing all that and um you know watching him take it in stride humbly as award after award after presentation after plaque was given you know and and for him it it it was all about
067the the service. So that was really inspiring to see. Um I also attended a parent teacher conference you know that part of uh that time of the year for for our kids. So it was a new way to do it the way they do it at Valo Charter where it's studentled. So you know my son was it was funny he was watching him nervously give his uh his report to us and kind of look up every so often like you know so that that was an interesting way to to do the uh the parent teacher conference. And um lastly, oh I'm sorry I forgot also to highlight and unfortunately I wasn't able to make this but I want to highlight Valleo High School's uh fiesta deto celebration. I heard it was very well attended. Uh
068families had access to a lot of resource, a lot of community and I'm glad that our Latino community felt safe enough to go out and celebrate in a group being what the times are. So, um, kudos, I'd say, to the district for for providing that that sense of safety to our community. And then lastly, was the, uh, town hall last night that I attended. And, um, it's yeah, it's it's not going to be um, no one's going to be happy with with what we decide with at the end of the day. I I fully understand that. And and I just want to convey to the community that my goal for the district to continue on in a healthy manner whether I'm here, whether I'm not. You know, it's about putting these systems in places. You
069know, that's what I've talked with a few folks about. It's about putting these systems in places that are going to outlast myself, my term, um superintendent, all of it. so that as we move on, systems are there for our kids, our students to continue to thrive. So with that, that's my report. Thank you, >> Dr. Young. >> I don't have to do that, huh? >> My uh calendar, my social calendar was full this week. Um I had the opportunity to be um a guest at um also the J uh Congressman Jerry John Jerry Mendy's um Rosie the Riverer. And a little bit background about that, I found out this special event celebrates the legacy of Rosie the Riverer and honors the enduring contributions of working women and families who help build our nation's strength and
070prosperity. It was a it was a great afternoon um of inspiring. I saw a couple of old G riverers Rosie and um it brought tears to my eyes because I know they had a struggle to get to get through whatever they got through at that particular time. Um it was a good evening uh afternoon um and my fellow colleagues can say for um inspiring inspiring conversation uh community connection and reflecting on the values that continue to defy our district. I also got the opportunity to be at the CC Sebastian uh celebration and that was um heartfilling because I saw a lot of my uh fellow uh classmates Um I think we were the oldest G there. No, not really because I was a class of 67, 1967. Um Balo High School Apaches. So yeah, that
071is dating me, but I was Apache and was proud of it. Um so um that was uh a nice experience. It was cold, but it was a nice experience. That's my report. >> You vice president Amboy It is really interesting to see Christy on the other side of the day. It's just I'm not used to it. Mo is used to you over there. But um as far as my report, I attended the CC Sabathia event on on Sunday. Um, one thing that I've learned that I didn't realize that not only he was supporting he with us here in Valo, but he also does support in in New York as well, which I which I didn't know. Um, and and that he was actually the grand marshal for the New York Marathon. And that was just
072super amazing. And and again, uh, for the years that I've been here at um uh here in Valo. Um watching my kids always receiving their their backpacks and how they they always look forward to getting the supplies. Um and it was nice to finally meet CC Sabathia. Again, I'm still shaking in my in my boots because I'm been a big baseball fan. Been watching him since he was with the with um with Atlanta when he first started. So it was great. Um um I did watch the the town hall online. I did had um personal obligations that I had to attend to. So I was unfortunate unfortunately wasn't able to go. But um again as a board the decisions that that lies ahead of us is is not easy. We know it's not easy and
073we know that it affects everyone's lives. you know, my children do uh attend here uh attend school here in Valo. Um I live here in Valo. You know, this this is I'm proud to call this my home. Um and I know that everyone um here does feel the same way that we are going to make the best decision um for for Valo to move forward because we've been down in the trenches way too long. It's time for us to shine. And the only way we can do that is by just keep on building on the foundation that we've laid out, you know, from from this year and moving forward. And that's what we have to be positive about. Um we're not closing schools. We're not losing sight on our kids. We are we are focusing
074on what will be what's going to be the best for them um for the years to come. And that's what we need to start thinking. Again, it's we're it's not we we can't discount the the feelings from each individual school. We can't discount that. But no matter what, these are our kids and we're going to do what's right for them and what's best for them. And there I want them and everyone to have that opportunity. And again, like I said when I first started, these are my children, too. And I I'm I'm going to do everything I can in my power to make sure that we as a team do the best was for was best for Valo. And that's my report. >> Thank you for my report. Um first on Sunday for the CC
075Sabathia um event. It was wonderful. It was so proud to see um graduates from Valo High and how much they give back and support our community. Um it was a very proud event and then how much they give back to our students today. And to meet his wife and hear how her journey also supports and what she does, she just sounds like as busy as he is. Um so it was a great day and it's great they were all there together. We were so fortunate the rain just held out and then right when we left the rain poured. So, um, we were we were really lucky that it worked out well. The podium was missing our Valo, um, emblem, though. We were noticing that, so we were hoping next time to make sure any events
076that our emblem is always front and center, especially at events being televised and photographed. So, that's one um thing we noticed that we want to make sure definitely is checked for future events. Um then the next thing for the county schoolboard association um being president of that Dr. Young and I attended on Monday night on a Zoom meeting and um it's disheartening to hear that about 60% of Slow County students are reading below grade level standards. again 60% 60 are reading below grade level standards in the whole county. That was very sad. That was very very sad to hear those statistics. So, um, we were thinking of doing like a, um, GoG Guardian or how to check students online, but now it's kind of shifted back to maybe a training to find out why reading
077ELA CASP dashboard results are staying stagnant throughout different districts and why they're not moving and why they why they should be, what's what's causing them not to move and we need them to move because we need to be have we need breeders coming out of our schools. Um, so I'll we'll have to talk and figure this out. So we're trying to think what kind of training to have. We've had two on reading so far and looks like the next one may be on reading as well because of the concerns to the county. There also was an interesting thing. One of the other districts brought up that they really um are having trouble and they they want a strategic plan. I talked about ours and how proud I am that we developed our own with our
078pillars, a strategic plan and our portrait of a graduate. And like, oh, what's that? Oh, oh, wow. Oh. So, they were they were really looking. So, we might be getting phone calls for Travis trying to look and see if they uh how we can look at our models, but I was bragging a bit on how well Valo and how we have ours in place. Um, I think what else? There was also concerns at the meeting from other districts about AI use for the good and the bad for how it can promote learning but also safeguards to make sure students aren't getting answers for assessments. Um then the other concern that was brought up through the through the county was um about again the safeguards that a student may be on if you have GoG Guardian
079or how to check if a student's really taking an assessment. Do they have another device giving them the answers to answer the assessment? We had one person in the county bring up at a middle school that a child was using another device to answer the assess the assessment but then they had him retake the assessment couldn't do any of it. So that was like are you really looking at data that represents our students and through the county and middle school high school or are are students really checked on these devices that they are doing legit answers that are coming from them not coming from another device. So that was another concern that was brought up through the county. Um anything else Dr. Young? I'm trying to think if I got them all. Yeah, I think
080I got them all. Um, so we're going to be thinking about what kind of training to help trustees and superintendents throughout the county and go forward. It's probably going to be on reading and hopefully we'll also eventually get the the Hopeville video if people want to see Hopeville which is the um prelude to um the right to read which are videos that are out on how reading is not being effective in schools. Um I think that's all from that meeting. That's my report. And with that, we're now down to committee forum. We do not have any close session. We do not need announcements of upcoming meetings. >> So, tomorrow evening we have the superintendent student advisory committee that'll be here from 4 to 6. Um just a reminder, next week all school sites are closed
081the whole week and the district office will be closed Wednesday through Friday for the Thanksgiving week. Um the board uh myself um our student trustees will be attending the California School Boards Association annual education conference in Sacramento uh December 3rd through 6th. We have um our really our final special board meeting associated with closures. Uh that'll be held here December 10th from 5 to 8:00 p.m. We have our next 2 by 2 meeting with the city on Thursday, December 11th at 4:30 p.m. at the Valo City Hall. And then one correction here on Wednesday, December 17th. uh that is going to be the our it's our annual organizational board meeting, but it's also our regular board meeting where we'll be bringing school closure recommendations for approval. That's not going to be housed here at the
082governing board. We'll be doing that at the Hogan Theater. So, just something to note there, a change. Um typically we hold our regular board meetings here for this meeting. Um we anticipate we'll have a large audience. So, we're going to use and it'll be an opportunity for us to all see the Hogan Theater as well. That's the upcoming meetings. >> Board agenda items. >> Boy, >> um for the the CFD the um if we can bring that to the next meeting um along with the the Milleroos um for area three. All right, with that is there anything else for the good of the order? Is 7:43 and we are adjourned. Have a great happy Thanksgiving.