Board of Education Meeting | December 10, 2025

001All right. Good evening everyone and welcome to the December 10th regularly scheduled meeting of the West Contraosta Unified School District School Board. The meeting is called to order at 506. Thank you for your patience while we got started. To access translation and Zoom, please click on the globe icon at the bottom of the screen. Oops, sorry. To access translation in Zoom, please click on the globe icon at the bottom of the screen. And if you're here in the in the Dejon auditorium, you can pick up a headset for translation in the back corner of the auditorium. The board is about to go into close session. But before we do, we are here to listen to public comment on close session items. Individuals wishing to speak on close session items listed, if you're here in the

002auditorium and you haven't done so already, please submit a WCCUSD public comment card, which you can find on the entryway table. Or if you are participating via Zoom, individuals will need to raise their hand in the Zoom app. If you're accessing the meeting by phone, press star 9. The time allotted to each speaker is two minutes and the total time allotted is one hour. Speaking time shall not be transferred from one person to another. There is also no substitution of speakers. We alternate between a Zoom comment and an in-person comment. The public comment period is a safe space where diverse viewpoints may be expressed civily without interruption or intimidation. Please listen attentively to each speaker's comment and respect their time as if it were your own. Be open to a different point of view if

003one is offered. Due to the Brown Act, members cannot discuss items that are not on the agenda and do not usually respond to items presented in public comment. The items listed on the close session agenda tonight are one conference of legal council anticipated legis litigation government code 54956.9D 549-56.95A public employee discipline dismissal release complaint conference with labor negotiators public employee performance evaluation superintendent. Is there any public comment on close session items? >> There's no public comment. >> Thank you. The board will be back at 6:30 for open session. Okay, good evening everyone. Good evening everyone. Welcome to the open session of the regularly scheduled December 10, 2025 meeting of the West Contraosta Unified School District School Board. The board is returning from close session and I'm calling open session to order at 6:36 p.m. Thank

004you for your patience. Uh to begin with, we are not hearing the caliber the um voices petition this evening. Due to the time it will take, I'm proposing that we move the item and there are some matters recently raised by the charter that we'd like to review. for do I have your permission to do so? Yes. So, we are not hearing voices this evening. Okay. To access translation in Zoom, please click on the globe icon at the bottom of the screen. If you're here in the auditorium and need translation, you may pick up a headset in the back corner of the auditorium. In a few minutes, we will begin public comment agenda item. Members of the public are invited to speak to the board. I'm sorry. Oh, you know what? Let's take a five minute

005break, please. Right. We're going to take a five minute break until the room closes uh empties. We'll be back at >> about on Zoom. We are trying to wait for people to leave the auditorium because we pulled the charter school item for this evening. So, just a minute more until we clear the room. Thank you. Okay, everybody, we're going to start back up. Um, to access translation and Zoom, please click on the globe icon at the bottom of the screen. And if you're here in the auditorium and need translation, you may pick up a headset in the back corner of the auditorium. In a few minutes, we're going to begin public comment. Members of the public are invited to speak to the board on any matter that is not otherwise on the agenda but is

006within the subject matter jurisdiction of West Contraosta Unified School District. Please prepare now for public comment. And if you're here in the auditorium and you'd like to make public comment, please fill out and submit a WCCUSD public comment card. You can find them on the table in the entryway. And if you're participating via Zoom, please raise your hand in the Zoom app prior to the beginning of the item on the agenda. If you're part participating by phone, press star 9. After your comment card has been turned in, the cards are placed in the order received and we call on speakers one at a time alternating between a public comment here in Dejon and one on Zoom. Public comment generally lasts for one hour and the time allotted to each speaker is 2 minutes. In the

007meantime, we are moving on to the rest of our opening procedures. We are now up to B2, Pledge of Allegiance. If you are willing or able, please rise. 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. Moving now to B3, land labor body acknowledgement. We recognize that we are presently on the lands of the Chichuna, Moikma, Karkin, Aloney peoples, and acknowledge them as the first inhabitants of the land we currently occupy. Labor and body recognition. Acknowledgement. I acknowledge that the burden of environmental exploitation and systemic injustice falls upon the labor of black and brown bodies in the building of this country and its institutions. I remember that black and brown people were born

008and died working this land against their will for generations. I also acknowledge the continued contribution of the labor of survivors over the centuries to today of all immigrant labor including voluntary involuntary traffic forced and undocumented peoples in the building of what we refer to as the United States B4 West Contraosta Unified School District anti board anti-racist statement the West Contraosta school district board of education is committed to the work of anti-racism the conscious and active effort to identify, challenge, and correct racial inequities in the systems and institutions within our schools and community. Racism, explicit and or implicit stance and direct conflict to the fundamental principles of WCCUSD education to carry WCCUSD education into the future. We recognize that we must continually renew and reflect on the roots of racism and develop new ideas to meet

009the times. Unjust ideas and policies and the racial inequity they produce have shaped us, our schools, and our society. We strive to uncure uncover unconscious biases and practice anti-racism as individuals and as a board. We challenge ourselves to persist through the discomfort necessary to grow for growth and learning, to deepen our listening and our examination of racism and oppression, and to develop a strong understanding of how our personal experiences and feelings fit into a larger picture of continual oppression. Each member of our school board individually and collectively is responsible for creating the nurturing and anti-racist learning environment where each student, staff member, and community partner is respected and valued member of the WCCUSD community. We're uniquely positioned and it is our responsibility to identify and dismantle racist ideas and inequitable policies in ourselves and across

010the district. Therefore, we commit to supporting anti-racist policies, programs, and practices for our children's education and well-being while building strong and inclusive school communities. We commit to holding each board member accountable towards these goals and moving the work of anti-racism forward. We also commit to holding West Contraosta Unified School District staff, students, and community to living these standards of anti-racism in our schools. Board approved March 20th, 2024. B5 roll call. Superintendent Cotton, would you please take role? Yes. Trusty Miles. >> Hi, everyone. Present. >> Stu. >> I'm sorry. Student trustee Miles. >> Thank you. Student trustee Han. >> Hello. Present. >> Trustee Gonzalez Hoy. >> Good evening. Present. >> Trustee Smith Poles. >> Good evening everyone. Present. Trustee Hernandez. >> Good evening. President Board President Reckler. >> Good evening. I am present. Everybody is here

011tonight. Moving to uh oh, just an announcement from tech. I'm sorry, a point of order. The tech team has worked on our microphones and they would like if after we speak if we would just mute and see if we can get into the habit of muting just after we speak instead of leaving the mic open and we'll see how that works tonight. Okay, great. Okay, moving now to uh B6 report and ratification of close session. We are not making a report of close session at this time. We are going back to close session after open session is completed. B7 public comment. Members of the public are invited to speak to the board about any matter that is not otherwise on the agenda and is related to issues affecting public education in the West Contraosta Unified

012School District. Public comment will last approximately 60 minutes. The time allotted for each speaker is two minutes. Individuals wishing to speak must submit a WCCUSD public comment form or if participating via Zoom, individuals will need to raise their hand in the Zoom app prior to the beginning of this item on the agenda. Our first public comment is Marie Anna. I want to say thank you to trustees in natada Hernandez and Gonzalez Hoy who heard our voices and concerns about the UTR contract. We appreciate you coming out and standing for us as we fought for a fair contract that helps our students. We will always remember how you took your role seriously and answered the call. I have to ask, where was some of our leadership during the district-wide crisis? Today is our first day off

013of a 4day strike. I considered that an emergency. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALL HANDS on deck. STOP HIDING FROM YOUR EMPLOYEES AND FAMILIES. WE WANT TO TALK TO YOU. COME MEET US AT THE TABLE. NOW, WHERE DID ALL EARTH DID ALL THE SECURITY STAFF COME FROM? WHAT ACCOUNT was it funded from? Steve had a security guard during THE STRIKE. I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR security cameras and security officer and each time THE ANSWER IS NO. WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? I CAN CLEARLY SEE YOU WANT TO DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. I'M STILL WAITING for an email response about the suspected error in the Williams quarterly report FROM OCTOBER 22ND. THAT IS A CONCERN that must be looked into. I know you received THE EMAIL FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ED ABOUT MY WILLIAMS APPEAL AND THE

014RESPONSE WAS JUST LIKE I thought. The district has to reook at STE and come up with equitable and reasonable solutions for my four standing complaints. We need to FIX RECESS EQUIPMENT, SHADE, SEAT, SEATS, AND A PLAYGROUND. THEY'RE MANDATORY HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATIONS TO FOLLOW. I'M SORRY ABOUT MY CHILDREN. I'M NOT ACCEPTING NO MORE EXCUSES. WHAT ARE EXCUSES? WORDING TO SHIFT THE FOCUS OFF THE PROBLEM. The phony baloney needs to stop. I CAN'T FORGET ABOUT MY FAMILY. I'M PATIENTLY WAITING FOR THE transportation handbook and hope that cameras and GPS will be added to the buses. The safety of the of the students NEED TO BE EVERYONE'S PRIORITY. WE DEMAND EQUITABLE LEARNING CONDITIONS FOR THE STUDENTS. THIS IS MY EIGHTH MEETING. Please conclude your comments. Thank you. >> Our next public comment is Sarah Kley. Please unmute

015yourself. >> Hi. Uh my name is Sarah Kley. Are you able to hear me? All right. I'm hoping that you can hear me. Um, the reason why I'm here is because I just wanted to say thank you so much to the UTR bargaining team. Thank you to the board members who were responsive with getting us a fair contract. It's really important that you understand that the families were out with us and that their hearts were with their child's teacher when we were working toward a fair contract. I've been teaching for this district since 1992 and I just want to say that it surprises me the lack of regard for the students with special needs in the last few years. And I'm really grateful for the tentative agreement. So what I'm hoping is that that will

016be ratified quickly and that we can concentrate on our job. It felt really hurtful. I consoled teachers who were crying because of words that Miss Cotton put out to the community on Parent Square implying that teachers don't care about our children. I love being a teacher and most people I know who are teachers love being a teacher. They love working for helping children and to imply that we don't care about the kids is to me unethical and it's really trying to tear the people down who are actually in the position of working directly with the children. So, I hope that you'll think about what types of communication you put out there, Miss Cotton, because it was very hurtful to a lot of the educators. But again, thank you to those who made this happen. And

017please ratify the tenative um agreement as soon as you can because our students need it. And that's why I'm doing this work. It's all about the kids. Our next public comment is Gabrielle Mutilleti. Hello, my name is Gabby Mleti and I am one of the bargaining chairs of United Teachers of Richmond and I want to express my sincerest gratitude to our community for the way they stood up and stood with us and provided services for our children because they know that is who we're fighting for. I also want to thank clerk inana, trustee Gonzalez Hoy, and trustee Hernandez for standing up for the students, educators, and staff of West Contraosta. Yes, give it up for them. With some of the wins of this contract, I have hope for the first time in a long time

018that we will be able to attract educators, especially in special education. And by being able to do that, we will relieve the pressure across the system, across general education, across special education, and ensure that all of our students, especially those with the highest needs, have educators. Our educators are so ecstatic to be back with their students tomorrow. Everyone I've talked to today cannot wait to spend time around those kids. Moving forward, we look forward to the ratification of our contract and to continuing our work to create the schools that the incredible students of West Contraosta deserve. Thank you. >> Next public comment is Christina Werta. Please unmute yourself. >> Good evening. My name is Christina Wuerta and I'm a teacher at Kennedy High School and a very very proud member of United Teachers of Richmond.

019I wanted to address the board today in person, but I couldn't find a seat when I got there. So thankfully I'm able to reach out to you this way because I wanted to make sure that I was able to express my gratitude to the trustees Gonzalez Oi and Jana and Ernnandez for directing district management to return to the table and negotiate a fair contract. We love our students and we're excited to welcome them back into our classrooms tomorrow. Moving forward, we really need to ensure that the bargaining process is respected because trying to bargain for 10 months and getting no response from the district was an absolute nightmare. And we need to have a fair process in order to ensure that our teachers feel valued, respected, and that they can continue working in this district.

020Also, I would like to take the opportunity to give a special shout out to the student trustees who spoke at the at the rally. Thank you for letting us know about your experience at Elserto High School. And an even bigger shout out to the Kennedy community who really showed up and supported us in so many different ways. the way that our students showed up at our rallies, checked in with teachers, joined our picket lines, it it's it leaves me speechless to know that they have taken this opportunity to speak for their themselves to demand better schools and a better better opportunity to improve the community that they live in. Ratify the contract. Let's move forward and let's welcome our students back tomorrow with a smile. Thank you. >> Next public comment is Jeffrey Bean. >>

021Good uh evening school board. Thank you for taking the time to hear my comments. I'm Jeffrey Bean. going to teach uh fourth and fifth grade at Shannon Elementary and I'm so excited to go back to school tomorrow. Um I wanted to um first say that I want to thank the school board members who made this happen, this agreement that we have. Um and I also want to say that I think it shouldn't have taken it shouldn't have taken a strike to get us here. This should have been done months ago. We've been bargaining since February and this was not cool and it should not happen again. Um, I also want to recognize the uh Shannon teachers who made our strike happen. Um, our picket captain Sarah Cancade, our three reps, Mayobi, Kirstston Cohen, and Cynthia

022Valvadez who worked tirelessly to organize our picket line to make sure that families knew about what was happening, make sure that our teachers were aware of what was happening. And also finally the very supportive Shannon community. Uh parents who kept their kids home from school, respected our picket, brought us food, visited us, wrote to the school board. Um I want to recognize them for recognizing that the fight that we have for fully staffed schools is also their fight and the reason we do this is for their children. Thank you. Our next public comment is Sarah Parks. Please unmute yourself. >> Our next public comment is Jean Kinner. Please unmute yourself. >> Good evening board. This is Jean Kincher from Verdie Elementary. First, I'll say I'm actually kind of shocked to see President Reckler still as

023president. I've been going to these boards for over a decade and I thought that they switch over the first meeting in December, but maybe I was wrong. Second of all, I wanted to shout out to the whole Verie community. The staff under me as a picket captain, the parents who kept their children home, the ones who couldn't, the community. Thank you. You are amazing. I can't even begin to fathom the words for the three board members who were out in that picket line who supported us. Thank you. Um, and an I'm sorry, my name's going to be wrong. Thank you. Um, board member Guad Guadalupe, board member Cynthia, and board member Demetrio. Amazing. You with us were one, and it was amazing. But unfortunately, our district isn't one. I don't I just don't know what

024to think that um Superintendent Cotton had not attended any not even virtually any of our bargaining meetings for the decade plus I've been here. Every other superintendent has come to these. I just I'm flabbergasted. We're trying to be one, but we have some things to work on. But again, my thanks goes out to those three board members who showed us how to stand up, how to fight, how to do what's right no matter what. And I just, like I said, there are no words. I know our parents are so grateful. Our community is grateful. The rest of the teachers at at my site are grateful. The all the staff, teams, everybody are grateful. Thank you so very much. [snorts] Next public comment is Leah Chang. Hello, my name is Leah Chang and I'm a school

025psychologist at Valley View Elementary and Cameron Early Intervention. First, I want to sincerely thank the board members who stood with us, trustees Gonzalez Hoy and Jana and Hernandez. You helped make this possible. So, thank you. I am ex I am extremely disappointed in our district leadership throughout this whole process. They have consistently villainized educators, wasted our time and energy, and refused to listen or bargain in good faith. Our superintendent, Cheryl Cotton, and our SULPA director, Guthrie Fleshman, did not attend a single bargaining meeting. Where were you? They chose instead to send out antagonistic messages to families, blaming the union for the strike when it was the district who refused to bargain in good faith since February. They chose to hire private security as if educators are a threat. They claimed the strike would only hurt

026students when the district has been harming students for years with their decisions. This has resulted in a loss of trust and faith. How can we be expected to work with these so-called leaders who made us the enemy? How can I trust a special education director who can't even show up for my department? We need new leaders who will prioritize and respect students and educators. Finally, while we reached a tenative agreement thanks to the hard work by the UTR bargaining team, this is just the start of the fight. Although the strike was exhausting, it gave us the opportunity to build community across the district and um across schools. Like I heard during the rallies, the budget reflects values and other districts have figured out how to value and prioritize educators and students with their own limited

027budgets. I urge the board to continue to stand with educators and to ratify the tenative agreement as soon as possible. Thank you. >> Next public comment is Bill Hodes. Please unmute yourself. Next public comment, it's Christina Coun. Please unmute yourself. >> Good evening. My name is Christina Coons and I'm a proud teacher. I am so proud of our community who fought in the picket lines for standing up and showing our district what it really means to honor this land. I have never been so disrespected as an educator, as a graduate, as a parent, and a community member. leadership. Your words words and tactics have caused harm and damaged our community, but we are still connected and we will return stronger. However, it wasn't all of you. Dimitrio Gonzalez Oi Guardalupe Ayana is Cynthia Hernandez, thank

028you. I am grateful for your advocacy and for connecting to our community. As a parent, I am thankful for you to fighting for my child instead of asking me to send her to school when they have no idea and cannot promise her safety. But gratitude still does not erase the reality we are facing. I am now pleading with all of you to please use your power to demand financial transparency, real structural change, and true accountability from every administrative position overseeing our programs. We need a new commitment to prioritizing students over systems that have repeatedly failed us. Teachers should not be the first to fear losing their jobs to si systematic issues we did not create. Please continue to stand on the right side of history and work toward a stronger district because I promise we

029will be here to hold you accountable every hour of every day of every month of every year. Shout out to my Saskkin family, to my Kennedy family, and to all UTRM teamsters that supported our picket lines. Thank you. Next public comment is Andrea Livinghouse. >> Hi, good evening. I'm Andrea Livinghouse. speech language pathologist and UTR executive board and bargaining team member. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the school board members who recognize the value and worth of public educators. Trustees Gonzalez Oi, Hernandez, and Inana. Your effort and advocacy will change our lives and students lives for the better. We now have a more competitive and fair agreement following our 4-day strike. and I'd like to ask the UTR membership to consider passing it and the board to ratify it so that we

030can ensure more stable and better staffed schools as soon as possible. I'd also like to recognize student trustee Sasha Han as well as Rachel McGiddish, both students at Elsto High School who stood by us and demonstrated exemplary leadership. Our school communities are lucky to have you both. I also want to express profound gratitude to the students and parents who made sacrifices the past week, who expressed their support and solidarity, who empathized and validated us, who told us to not give up and to take all the time we need to fight for what we deserve. We asked a lot of you and we are so grateful that you understood the reason why we had to do this. I want to thank the UTR bargaining team, Teamsters members, SSA members who walk the picket lines with us,

031the California Teachers Association, the Speech Language Pathologists of Utr, and all of our school communities, especially Elserto High School, where I'm privileged to work. At a time in which we were facing fear and possible divisiveness, we ended up becoming stronger and more united than before. to the UTR general membership. I am proud of us all. Thank you for this opportunity. Next public comment is Maisha Harris Gash. Please unmute yourself. Good evening. Good evening. Good evening. First to my well, you know, I'm a very proud graduate of Kennedy High School and a current teacher at Kennedy High School in Special Education, but I want to say to my Utr president, Francisco, and to our negotiations bargaining team uh co-chairs, Gabby and Michelle, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. As someone who was on a bargaining team

032before and currently and a co-chair prior to, this is hard work. So, I just want to thank you, thank you, thank you for being 10 toes down. And remember to get your rest. Remember to get your rest. I also want to shout out my PIE colleagues came through two times. I love you guys. Reach out to me. I'm kind of I've adopted you. So, whatever I can do to help you out, please reach out and let me know. Also, one, I'm just super uber duper excited to get back to my kids tomorrow. I can't wait to see my babies tomorrow. And with that, it is my hope that teachers take the opportunity to hear our students what their experiences were and to talk to them about protest. A lot of movements historically have been moved

033by young people. So, this is an opportunity for us to pour into our young people and let them know how important their voice is. Also, I haven't forgotten y'all about Mr. Henderson at Kennedy High School, his wood shop class, and those two uh saws that are in boxes that weigh about 1,000 pounds or more, they are blocking the table saw. So, our students are not able to utilize everything in Mr. Henderson's um in his wood shop. So, please, please, please get out there, take care of that because our kids deserve all the things that Mr. Henderson has to offer them. And one more thing, I ain't forgot about these microaggressions, this anti-racism work that needs to be handled and taken care of. Next public comment is Sam Clear. Hi, my name is Sam Clear and

034I am the organizing chair with United Teachers of Richmond. I can't begin to express how thankful I am to get to work with this wonderful community here. I have truly been inspired by how students, caretakers, and educators have come together in order to win for our students. I would like to express my gratitude towards our board members that came to our strike lines and defended our values. We felt your unwavering support that has carried us to a contract that our educators and students deserve. Thank you trustees Gonzalez Hoy Hernandez and Clerk Inana. Our next public comment is Rodney Brown. Please unmute yourself. Like to say good evening board. This is Rodney Elmo Brown, community advocate here in the city of Richmond, California. Uh I'm so happy that everything has been cleared and ratified and folk

035can get back to work and life can be life again. There's an old saying my mother used to say. She used to say when I is replaced with we, even illness becomes wellness. And I want you guys to really think about that. It has to be a sheer collaboration and a shared coalition to get things done within the se within the sector of this district. I know there was a lot of fingerpointing. There was a lot of people that was upset and within value, within reason. I get that. And usually when things like this happen, usually the best and the worst and the ugly comes out in human beings. But I think now is time that we all come together and heal as one. Our precious commodity, which is the children. And I hope that

036everyone that's coming back to school tomorrow really pay attention to the children. Really take a profile on where they are mentally because I'm sure they've dealt with some devastating things within the last five five days. They've heard some words and some statements that probably wasn't just grac gracious for any human being to hear. This Saturday, Elserto High School football team will be playing in the CIF Championship in Buena Park, California. I hope just like everyone did that supported the the rally and the strike will support this football team because again, these are children who need us most desperately than all. So again, I want to thank you all who serve diligently around the clock to make this effort come to fruition of what it is. And I'm happy. I'm totally glad that the children are

037coming back to school. I'm happy that the community can start healing. The teachers got what they so deserve. Everyone to the school board members, the board members, Mr. Hoy, Miss Hernandez, Miss Ayana, thank you so much for understanding the task at hand. And those of you who also worked on the the the um the UTR bargaining board, the bargaining table, thank you so much. Let's get back to business, everybody. Shalom. Our next public comment is for Flores Mahia. >> Hi, I'm Wita Flores Mahia. I'm a sixth grade teacher at Ford and I'm the treasure for the UTR. I came here today to say thank you to Trustee Cynthia Hernandez for going with me to Downer, to Ford, to Chavez to see what it was like during the strike. Thank you, Clerk Guadalupe, for being at

038the rallies and checking in with the teachers and the and the kids who showed up to see what was it like during the strike. Thank you, Deh Trustee Demetrio Gonzalez Hoy. I saw you on Saturday outside of um bargaining, finding out like what was going on with the people as schoolboard members. I appreciate that you are doing your job, going to the schools, talking to people, trying to see what the problem is and how to fix it, checking the attendance because there was something crazy going on with the attendance, too. So, thank you for stepping up and being present and doing the work during this strike. I also want to say thank you to the student trustees, Han and McInness. Um, they were very powerful speakers during the rally. Kids should not have to sit

039on the floor. Kids should not have to sit on the floor because there's not enough space in their classroom. This should not be happening. This is part of the problem. This is what we were having to strike about. I learned this from those kids. Is everyone up on this board listening to these kids? because it's December and this was something that was currently happening with these kids that are on your board with you. I would also like to say thank you to all the zone captains, all the strike captains, all the teamsters members who were out there every day. It was freezing cold. They were out there marching. They were doing their job. They weren't being disrespectful, almost getting hit by people with cars. That shouldn't have been happening either. Y'all paid money for security

040guards when you said there was no money. But how come some of the teachers weren't safe? I don't know. Um I was there till 2:30 with um Dr. Greenwood here. There were some PE our next next public comment is Colleen Valentine. Please unmute yourself. >> Hello, my name is Colleen Valentine. I am the special services director for the United Teachers of Richmond, a member of the bargaining team. Became a strike captain. Now I'm still a special ed teacher at Eller Horst. The last time I spoke with you, I mentioned that I could not afford a labu because I didn't make enough as a teacher. So, I want to thank Irene because she bought me my first laboo. I really appreciate that. And with this tenative agreement, I might be able to clothe my leubu. So,

041I'm going to go clothing shopping for my labu with a small small portion of my tenative agreement. But with all that humor aside, I want to significantly and passionately thank the community members. We felt your support during the strike. We felt your support. We knew it was there. And with your support, we got this tenative agreement. There's no way we could have gotten it without you. Teamsters as well. lock in step with us. Highly appreciated to the board members that will choose to support this tenative agreement. You will change lives. You will make lives better and we thank you. Shifting a little, Guthrie, you disrespected special education providers by not coming to the final negotiation sessions and not even sending a person with special education knowledge to address the issues that we were bringing forth

042in the special education article 52. This is an example of why you received a vote of no confidence. I do not have confidence in you. I had hope in you at one time. I do now have confidence in my community. I do now have confidence in the support of Teamsters. And I do now have confidence in my union. I want to thank all these people that I have confidence in. And I will continue to have confidence in you because I know you supported what the teachers needed and I know you supported what the students needed. I want to thank you and I hope all of you have a good evening. Farewell. Next public comment is Eddie Chakon. >> Hello. Okay. Uh good evening board. Uh my name is Eddie Armando Chak Bera. Uh I'm just

043here to to kind of uh bring up the fact that the item the voices item was removed from today. Um, I want y'all to consider and be mindful of people's times. A lot of this these workingclass families might have left their kids with a babysitter. They might have had to pay for that. Some folks might be working two jobs and decided to come and voice their opinions today. Now, by you removing the item from from the agenda, you silenced a lot of people just like you've been silencing a lot of teachers for the last couple months, you know, for the whole year. The UTR folks, I'm here to support them, too. I'm glad that that they were able to to come to an agreement, but I just want you to keep in mind and be

044mindful of all of the the people's voices that you silence today. Okay? And um I grew up out here in Richmond. I went to all WCCCUSD schools. I uh Ford Adams, graduated from Richmond High and I was just here to to voice my support for my daughter's school and it kind of upset me and it made me a little furious that you know the item was just pulled. It was a beautiful thing to see all these families, all these kids that came together to speak, to have that opportunity that they might not get anywhere else. So, just want y'all to be considerate of that. I don't know if y'all removed it because you decided that it might we might be here for a long time and you felt the pressure, but just just remember that

045this is the people who run this city, you know, and and these were the people that are in the classrooms, the youngsters. They're in those classrooms and you failed them today by silence silencing them. Thank you. Next public comment is John Evans. Please unmute yourself. Okay. Um my name is John Evans. I'm a proud educator in West Contracasta and I just want to let everyone know what a huge relief it was and how much of a joy it was to walk back onto my campus this morning after being away from my place of work and my students for so long. I want to make sure everyone knows that we didn't want to do this. We didn't want to strike, but we're so thankful for the support of all of you that understood why we had

046to. Anyway, Trusty Gonzalez, Oi, Trusty Hernandez, Trusty Anyana, thank you. We will not forget what you've done. We also won't forget the members of our community that showed support. To the students that made speeches and stood with us on the picket lines and made their voices heard on social media, we won't forget what you've done. To the parents that kept their students home and visited our rallies, we won't forget what you've done for us. To the members of our schools that weren't in UTR or Teamsters, but somehow turned up anyway to support us, we won't forget what you've done. to the members of our community who are not involved with the school system at all but still showed up to support us. We will not forget what you've done. We're so thankful to all of

047you. But I also have to say to those of you who chose not to stand with us, who chose to spread misinformation and lock us out of vital resources, first of all, we reached our community anyways. And second of all, we also will not forget what you've done. Thank you. >> Next public comment is Michelle Milford. >> Good evening. My name is Michelle Milford. I'm a school psychologist and co-argaining chair of the United Teachers of Richmond. I want to thank Clerana, Trustee Gonzalez Hoy, and Trustee Hernandez. I want to express my appreciation for choosing to put students first and standing on business. Without your support, I would not be seeing my students tomorrow. Last night was a very long night, but we did it. You did it. We are one West Contracasta. Also, shout out

048to Jeff Carter and Catherine Verroscus for taking negotiations seriously, asking questions, and coming prepared. Thank you. Next public comment is Kantika. Please unmute yourself. >> Good evening. My name is Kantika Sasono. I'm a teacher at Richmond High and a proud UTR member. First, I'd like to thank the board members who stood with and supported UTR. Thank you board members Gonzalez Hoy and Jana and Ernandez. I also sincerely appreciate the community, especially the Richmond community who consistently showed up prepared with high spirits and to our families who respected and supported our pickets in all the ways that they could. I'm proud of the wins in our tentative agreement and look forward to its ratification leading to good faith bargaining and more wins like smaller class sizes that will ensure our schools are safe, fully staffed, and

049stable. Thank you. Next public comment is Christina Hermes. Please unmute yourself. >> Please unmute yourself. Hello everyone. Can you hear me? >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. My name is Christina Hermans and I am one of the parents to a child in West Contraosta. First, I want to say thank you to all of the UTR board members who work tirelessly to get our teachers a better and fair contract. Um, and second of all, I want to address Miss Cotton specifically. I would like to know how you can send out messages that blatantly lied to parents. If I were not talking to teachers as the events were unfolding, I would have a very different picture of what happened during the negotiations. I would think that the board was putting forth their best efforts and that they

050were trying to get the teachers a fair contract when in reality the UTR was locked out of a building for 30 minutes after an agreed upon meeting time. That was not presented to the parents at all in the emails that you sent. You also on the first day had said that many children attended school. They did not. There was also a message sent to parents of special education students making it sound as though the teachers were fully to blame for the strike that happened when in reality the board was not helping either. The board was not the board was at fault as well. Not you. It wasn't the teachers who just randomly decided to go on strike. You had months to fix this and you chose not to. as a parent to someone who is

051in special education, it's it's really disheartening to get those messages, especially when it's only sent to a small group and not to the larger community. The board, I strongly urge you to look at who is in your leadership and what they are sending out and trying to paint a rosy picture to parents when it's not happening. Lastly, I would like to ask how you are going to punish children who didn't show up to school when we didn't know who was going to look after our children and whether or not they were going to be safe. Substitutes may be fingerprinted, but that doesn't mean that they haven't committed sexual assault or other crimes. Thank you. Next, next public comment is Nick Cresensi. Please unmute yourself. Hello. >> Hello. My name is Nick. >> Go ahead. >>

052Am I good to go? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Looks like it. Thank you. My name is Nicholas Cresenzi. I am a lifelong resident of West Contraosta, product of West Contraosta schools. I want to thank the board in helping resolve this strike, but the reality is as we as a public need to look at ourselves and start to look at what needs to change in the district, every dollar in the district's budget is accounted for for something. There is a stakeholder behind every dollar. The ultimate problem in our district is there is not enough money to provide all the services that are required. I want to look at the teachers. I want to look at the staff and I want to be a good employer. Remember, every taxpayer is an employer of the West Contracasta School

053District staff. If we want to pay living wages, which is what I want to do, we need to look at ourselves and look at a possible way of funding the district, which means ultimately we are going to need to raise our taxes to pay for that. If you want to be a good employer, you need to start having that discussion with your neighbors, your friends, any resident in the district because you can point to and say the district waste money and there probably is a few dollars that are wasted, but ultimately the district budget. There is not enough waste that is going to cover what the deficit is currently and what the added burden to pay living wages are. So I urge the board to work towards putting a meaningful parcel tax on the ballot

054so that we can continue to pay wages now and better wages in the future. I thank you for your time. >> Next public comment is Kumi Yana Gira. Please unmute yourself. >> Hello, my name is Kumi Yana Guihara and I'm a fifth year science teacher at Kennedy High School as well as an executive board member and bargaining team member of the United Teachers of Richmond. First of all, I want to thank you, Trustees Gonzalez, Trusty Enyana and Trusty for standing for what's right and for getting us one step closer to safe, stable, and fully staffed schools. Thank you for showing up for our kids in our community. There's still so much rep prioritization that needs to happen in the budget to ensure that we're cutting back on private contractors and spending more on what matters,

055students and teachers. It's a good first step, but the work must continue to attract and retain qualified teachers to this district to end the vacancy crisis and give our students the highquality education that they all deserve. I also want to thank our community members who showed up to support us on the picket line. Um, from members of other labor organizations to our own family members like my dad, uh, whose support is the reason I am a teacher today. And most importantly, I want to thank our amazing Kennedy students who not only joined us on the picket lines, but led chance, brought us food and donuts and coffee, and spoke at the UTR rallies. We may be their teachers, but they've taught me so much about bravery and fighting for your rights, about finding joy and

056leaning on your community during difficult times, and that when you band together and fight, change is possible. We have the best students in the whole world, and I know that for a fact. I am committed to continue fighting for the schools that our students deserve alongside them. Kennedy, I love you. Let's keep fighting. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Next public comment is Devin Whitten. Please unmute yourself. Hello everyone. My name is Devin and I attend Hercules High School. I just wanted to quickly say thank you to the board members who were on the front line with our teachers. Um, thank you to Trusty Smith Fols who explained to me how Stripes works as well as the bargaining process and how that works as well. And then also just checking up on me throughout this

057time as I also had to go back and do with my leadership and yearbook team to try to photograph and make sure everything was done correctly. Um [snorts] throughout this time the district district communication teams had me and my peers a little bit confused as communication was unclear and kind of surface level with certain things being said but then it turns out certain things were untrue or just not being done. And then I also noticed that certain messages sent out were tonedeaf and also hurtful to those in the teaching community. I think that during the strike period, a lot of my peers felt like we were a pawn in a game played by adults who were unable to have a regular adult conversation within the negotiation period and we ended up suffering by us having

058to miss school. While some people can live with that, some people can't. So, I think it was a bit hurtful to the children. And then now that we do have this negotiation here, um, a lot of our things may get cut, which is unfortunate as a lot of our children in the district really only have school to rely on and is our only means of making it out. And then also, I think we should also remember that together on both sides of UTR, Teamsters, and the district, I think that everyone has to remember we are all humans and then attacking one another and their families is not a way to make any situation smoother or even more significant. Um, we all have feelings and just because you don't think someone did something right doesn't mean

059you get to attack them for it. So, yes, I think for this I do suggest us having a community engagement event of some sorts to bring the district together and really make us one district. Once again, thank you so much and I hope you all have a good rest of your night. Next public comment is Vashek. Please unmute yourself. Hello. Oh, I don't know why it said that. This is actually Promise Rose with Betty Reed Saskin Middle School. Um, I wanted to first say thank you for those members, both CTA UTR teamsters and board members who were all out there on the lines from day one trying to make this negotiation happen all the way through the strike and then to 3:00 a.m. in the morning to finally get those signatures. you came to the

060table for those of you who did come to the table ready to have a conversation which is exactly what we tried to teach our scholars to do. There are those of you however that avoided like an ostrich in the sand and I want to say one thing. It is the coldest place to be when you're in the most neglected place. And many of our scholars live there. Many of our teachers are teaching in survival mode. And this agreement at the bare bones before you gutted it more was literally a barebones agreement. Please find some creative financing. ask the state for waiverss to help us out because it's not just you giving us pay. It's the overwhelming and crushing environment we have to live in for rent, for other things that frankly we we are aware

061that there's not much funding. We need you to get creative with some of the fundraising. It can't all be on us. We've already taken on five other jobs where we should have been support and focus on teaching. Thank you. >> Next public comment is Bill Hodes. Please unmute yourself. >> Hi, thank you for allowing me a second chance to speak this evening. Um, I wanted to first say thank you to uh, clerk andana as well as trustees Hernandez and Gonzalez Hoy. It was a pleasure meeting you on Saturday. I appreciated it. Um, I want to um, just repeat a lot of the supports that have already been given this evening. Um, I am a science teacher at Hercules Middle School. I was also a picket captain for the last um period of of our strike.

062And there were a lot of things that I observed. I observed an amazing community, families, students, um educators, the larger Bay Area and even statewide labor community. And there was so much amazing opportunity there for solidarity. Um I also observed some amazing leadership on the part of UTR. Um at the same time I I saw and I've seen for the last um year or so a a real lack of leadership um even to the point of neglect I think on the part of district leadership. And I I realize that we have a superintendent who's only been um serving in this role for a few months and came into an extremely difficult position. But that was an opportunity to reach out and reduce the divide that existed and we didn't see that. We saw a lot

063of doubling down. We saw you locking the your educators out of the schools, literally taking our keys away, literally taking our computers away, literally locking us out of pro of parent square, and it's unacceptable. Thank you. Next public comment is Mark. Please unmute yourself. Good evening trustees. It's Mark Mitchell, executive director of United Teachers of Richmond. I want to thank the trustees that stood with students and their educators with the classified staff and with the SSA staff that came out in sympathy strike support for the cause of public education in West Contraosta particularly Cynthia Hernandez, Lupeana and Demetrio Gonzalez Hoy. Your standing with teachers and our students will never be forgotten. you were seen and heard and your support meant so much to the thousands of educators that work in our district. The absence of

064the other trustees was also seen. It was noticed and it will never be forgotten. And as for our staff leadership of our district, I can't say how disappointed all of us in the workforce side of things have been with the behavior um of our highest level of district administrators, extremely highly paid professionals, extremely competent who've chosen to absent themselves when our district was at its biggest point of crisis. who chose to leave our district in its most time of need and to be absolutely nowhere to be seen or heard except for bizarre digital communications that made no sense and were clearly untrue. West County students and families, taxpayers, educators and staff deserve better. School board trustees, you're the boss. Please direct the staff that you employ to be responsible stewards of the authority you trust

065them with. What happened during this strike is unconscionable and I don't know how our district staff leaders recover from the reputational damage they have wrought. Our next public comment it's zoom user please unmute yourself. Can you hear me? >> Yes. >> Uh my name is Naima Johnson and um my son attends Voices. Um, we showed up today and I just wanted to say this. I'm a first- time mom. Um, this is the first, you know, time that I've ever had to attend something like this. And I can say that it was ising because he just got he just entered school and I just entered the workforce um after being a stay at home mom for him. So, um, not being able to have, um, you know, our voices being heard, it was really, uh, disheartening

066for us. Um, the fact that we even have to, you know, look forward to a school closure possibly is um, very traumatizing as well. um he just entered school. He loves his school family and um you know I feel like I'm gonna have to commit myself to more of like community involvement as opposed to you know rejoining the workforce because of all that I'm hearing that's been going on. And it just it just makes me feel like you know that you know their lives are not important. these children's lives are not important to the individuals who govern their lives and the people who are responsible um for them, the educators. I just didn't know that they were being mishandled in this way. Um and so, you know, I kind of feel like I have to

067recommmit myself to what parenthood looks like for me. Um being a single mother, it's hard for me already to provide for my son, but his education is important. his foundation is important to me and I just hope that these things don't continue to arise to where you know like parents have to basically like I said commit themselves to fighting finally instead of um you know becoming uh community with the board members and the other people that have to you know govern the lives of our families. Thank you. >> Our next public comment is Salon Harrison. Please unmute yourself. >> Can y'all hear me? >> Yes. >> Good evening everybody. Um I want to just thank you TR for continuously keeping parent engagement and parent support. Um, Francisco and Mark have always engaged parents and I

068think doing this strike it was very easy for us to support them. My concern is with the board is if y'all showing up now and y'all helped them now, why did y'all even let it get to the point where they we needed help? Um, I hope that if this is a ability that y'all are able to do is to prevent our teachers from going on strike that y'all don't let it happen again. and y'all ensure that in our budget, our teachers already have what they need because they are the bigger key to the issue. And we need to look at like one of the speakers said um how we're spending our budgets and what the community needs to do also to support ensuring we have credentialed teachers. um our classrooms are secure and safe and

069that the board is doing what they need to do to ensure that district staff is doing that and our superintendent hasn't been here that long but there's a lot going on that this board could address and I come to this meeting if not everyone most everyone so I we've been talking the community has been talking and we need the board to listen so that our teachers leaving our students and causing harm and learning loss is not continuing to happen if you guys are in the position to do better. I'm complete. And our last public comment is Sheldon Elementary. Please unmute yourself. That concludes public comment. >> Can I ask you if you would call Sarah Parks just one more time and see if she is available to make public comment? >> Can I ask you

070to see if Sarah Parks is available online to make public comment? Okay. Thank you. Okay, thank you to everybody who came to give public comment and to call in. We're moving now to eight standing reports. Are there standing reports this evening? We have UTR. Mr. Ortiz, please unmute yourself. Good evening. Can you hear me? >> Yes. >> Good evening, trustees. Thank you. Good evening, trustees and West Contraosta community. Tonight, we stand in the aftermath of something this district has not seen since 1966. A strike so powerful, so unified, and so unapologically rooted in justice that it forced WCCUSD to wake up from decades of complacency. For 10 months, we sat at a table where district executive leadership insisted that our students should make do with less. And for 10 months, they were wrong. It took

071the collective power of thousands of educators, families, students, and community members to break through the institutional inertia that has kept this district locked in crisis for years. And we broke it. We didn't bend. We didn't flinch. We didn't back down. And we won. But before I lift up the victories, I must speak a truth that the community cannot unhear. At its November meeting, UTR's representative council voted 114 to1, a near unanimous thunderous declaration, a vote of no confidence in the leadership of chief business officer Dr. Kim Moses. And let's be clear about why. Because austerity is not leadership. Because fear-based budgeting is not leadership. Because telling an entire community no while classrooms stand empty and students go without permanent educators is not leadership. For too long, this district executive leadership has treated our students needs

072as optional and our educators as disposable. If they had it their way, we would still be on strike. There would be no tenative agreement. There would be no investment in wages, no investment in healthcare, no path toward stabilization. Let the record show that district executive leadership did not end this strike. Our community did, our educators did, and our board majority did. So tonight, with deep gratitude and profound respect, I want to thank trustees Walupana, Cynthia Hernandez, and the Metro Gonzalez. You showed West County what it looks like when elected officials refuse to hide behind staff memos and manufactured scarcity. You stood on the picket lines with us, not because it was easy, but because it was right. You held the moral ground when others clung to the spreadsheet ground. And because of that, students across

073the district will walk into more stable classrooms tomorrow. Let's also speak plainly about what the strike accomplished. This fight was not about a line item or a salary schedule. It was a fight for the soul of public education in West County. And at a time when educators are leaving the profession in record numbers, when public schools nationwide are being stripped of dignity and resources, we said, "Not here, not our students, not on our watch." And while we didn't win every inch of what our students deserve, we did something seismic. We exposed the truth. We shattered the narrative that there is no money. We force WCCUSD to do what they refuse to do for ages. Invest in educators so that we can stabilize classrooms. Let me say that again. You cannot claim to value students while

074starving the very workforce that serves them. By securing real investment in wages and healthcare, we have cracked open the door to ending the staffing crisis once and for all. and on the foundation we built through our collective action, we will continue to fight on and we will win the smaller classes that our students need and they deserve. We push this district to shift from scarcity to possibility, from excuses to solutions, from we can't to we must. And I'll end with this. We are not going back to the old normal. Those days are gone. This community, this movement has awakened. We know our power and we're not giving it up. We will remain vigilant. We will hold leadership accountable to the vision that united thousands of families and educators. And we will continue fighting until every

075single school in West County is fully staffed, fully stable, and fully funded. Because the community that rose up during the strike is not going anywhere. They are organized. They are activated. And they are watching. And they will carry us into the next chapter of this movement just as they carried us through this historic victory. Thank you for figuring it out. Lucha. Good night. Our next Senate report is Alain Harrison for ASAP. Please unmute yourself. >> Can you guys hear me? >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. My name is Alan Harrison. You guys know that um for the I'm speaking for ASAT. I'm the chair currently for ASAP. First thing I would like to um bring to the board's attention is that this will be the third year in a row that we are not having

076our H.B.CU tour. We were promised um last school year after the budget was done that there would be 60,000 rolled over for our tour. We were informed in a meeting that um our last ASAT district meeting that that was not going to happen. And it wasn't because the district had respect for us and told us ahead of time. It was because we asked and it was not on the list of programs and services that they were going to do. So there was no respect or no regard in us planning with the district, trying to seek out funding with the district, just in partnership. This is just the third year it's council and our children will not have this experience. And I feel it's highly disrespectful to parents and students that look forward to this this

077event and students that you know want may want the district to support them in going to educational historical colleges like this and we're not getting anything and I would really like to have a meeting with our supervisor our um our uh financial officer Kim Moses and our alazant to talk about how we can better work through this um and make sure that our students are having our historical events that we've been doing in the district and not parents are getting communicated with when things are going to happen and not just get told cuz they asked. Um also we've been having big issues around our elections. We cannot conduct any business um with our parent group because principles are not signing parents up to be delegates. So when we want to operate business in our parent

078meetings, we can't. There are parents who are showing up but they're not signed up as delegates. So we can't do any elections. These are continual barriers that we've been complaining about for year after year. And I find it it's not true that you the these adults that work in our district can solve these problems of making sure that our delegates are signed up and [clears throat] principles are aware um and supported on how to do that so that um the ASAT and Apac can conduct business um like our elections. We with our um OASA office, we've asked for data on our children in the district for black and African-American children to see how they're doing and where areas that they may need more support. What we've been getting is new developed programs um that we

079did not advocate for, we did not advise on, and then we have to wait for data that shows if our children are doing well. And most of those programs are isolated to elementary and not servicing districtwide, which the resolution said that the students were supposed to get district-wide support from that office. So, I would also like some support addressing how that office can work better towards the resolution and not just developing new programs and services where we have to wait and see if the data if it's going to be a good fit for our students. And we also would like to get more support around just communicating overall. We're supposed to have a Quanza event. We don't know when it's going to happen. We don't know if it's going to happen. We know one of

080our they gave us a list of events, but we that was the first time of us seeing it. So, it was no conversation around that. and just making sure that when parents and community want to come and attend our meetings that the links work and that they're on our district calendar. I'm complete. Thank you. >> That concludes standing reports. >> Great. Thank you. Thank you to everybody who gave a standing report. We're up to nine now. Agenda review and adoption. Thank you, President Reckler. Um, unfortunately, I have an emergency at home. So, I was going to ask for the permission of the board if we could move an item that you all know it's important to me, which is the lactation policy to um before the superintendent's report so that I may be able to

081go home after that. Thank you. >> And is everybody okay with that? >> Great. Okay. So, we'll move that Is there anything else that board members would like to adjust on the agenda? All right, seeing nothing, we'll go to number 10, approval of the minutes, October 22,25, and November 5. Are there any corrections to those minutes? Is it okay with the board if we accept the mass they are presented? Great. Moving now to C business items consent. Is there anything from the consent calendar that the board would like to pull and discuss? It's okay if we accept consent as presented. Thank you. And you want your after before superintendent communication. All right, let's do it now. So, we're going to move up E6 board policy 4033 lactation accommodation up to right now and it's already

082been presented once uh for first reading. And is there anything else that anybody would like to add to the policy? go ahead and take it away. >> Thank you. I just wanted to thank staff, Dr. Greenwood especially for the support in writing this uh uh new policy. I say that we're already implementing um not penalizing our employees for having to lactate after they have a child. uh but I think putting into policy for future boards, future staff that is in charge of this and then setting specific parameters around how to keep new uh mothers safe when they have to lactate I think is so important. Um, so I appreciate that the the work that we put into this. Just for context for anyone listening, in the state of California, we don't provide paid time uh

083for new mothers to lactate in the workforce. So, it's up to employers to provide that. The law only provides technically time during your own breaks. And as I've been reminded many times, uh sometimes lactation does not happen just during your 10-minute break, right? So providing breaks at other times and safe place safe spaces um where we're doing it consistently throughout the whole district um is really critical and important. Um this is a huge issue uh in many places but especially in careers where it's mostly women like in education where it's 85% women. So uh thank you so much for uh making this happen and um I hope that we all can support it. Thank you. Thank you so much. We'll move now to public comment. Is there any public comment on this item? >> There

084is no public comment. >> Thank you so much. Okay. So, would you like to put a motion on the floor? >> I would love to. Thank you. I move that we approve board policy 4033, lactation accommodations. Smithson. >> Thank you so much. Moved by Gonzalez Hoy, second by Smith Folds. Anything else from the board? We'll go to a vote. Our student trustees student trustee Han >> Han votes yes. >> Student Trusty Miles. >> Yes. Trusty Hernandez. >> Yes. >> Clerkyana, >> yes. >> Trusty Gonzalez, >> yes. >> Trusty Smith Falls. >> Smith Falls, yes. >> And Ammy, yes. Motion passes unanimously. Thank you for all your work on that. D. Superintendent communication. I can't tell if it's on screen. There it is. Good evening everyone. My report tonight is short. Tonight represents an important moment

085for our district. One that invites both reflection. No, please go back to the first page. Thank you. One that invites both reflection and recommmitment. Challenging times have a way of revealing an organization's strengths and its vulnerabilities. Over these past months, we've seen both. And through it all, one thing has remained crystal clear. The passion every person in this district holds for our students and their future. Next slide. The district reached two significant milestones in negotiations this week. On December 7th, the district and Teamsters Local 856 reached a tentative agreement following a board proposal and productive discussions. Teamsters announced an immediate suspension of their strike and their members returned to the work the following day in service of students. This agreement reflects our shared commitment to stability, partnership, and continued operations. Early this morning, and I

086can't believe it, but it was this morning on December 10th, the district and the United Teachers of Richmond reached a tentative agreement aligned with the board's counterposal, including salary and healthc care increases and several additional contractual improvements. The agreement now advances to UTR membership and the board for formal ratification. Schools remained open today and will return to a to full normal operations tomorrow, Thursday, December 11th. We're looking forward to students and teachers fully reuniting in their classrooms. As we move forward, we remain focused on restoring routine, strengthening relationships, and ensuring every child receives the highquality learning experience they deserve. I have deep respect for the democratic right of individuals and groups to speak up, to advocate, and to express their pers perspectives with conviction. That is part of who we are as a public school

087system and as a community. But there is also tremendous power in listening, truly listening, and in working together towards solutions that serve our students. Next slide. Tonight is an opportunity for new beginnings, a beginning of healing, of reconnection, and redesigning the trust and shared purpose that our students need from us. Together, we will move forward. Together, I believe we are one. Next slide, please. So, a few spotlights on our students. There's a few really exciting things happening here in West Contraosta. Next slide. On December 2nd, Anol Valley High School and Hercules High School showcased their outstanding talents. um Hercules High School with their choir and Pol Valley High School with their marching band at the Golden State Warriors game. It was very exciting. Those students represented uh their schools with pride, demonstrating exceptional skill and

088teamwork and school spirit on a major professional stage. Their energy and professionalism earned applause from the arena and reflected the strength, creativity, and excellence of our West Contraosta Unified School District arts programs. We're proud of our Panol and Hercules students for shining so brightly before a packed warriors crowd. Excellent job. Next slide. Last week, Elserto High School secured a dramatic 20-6 victory over Menllo Athetherton High Schools to win the CIF Northern California regional title, sending the Gaos to their very first ever state championship game in our school's history. This achievement follows a strong playoff run highlighted by a 32 to1 victory against Yukaya High School that improved their record to 11-2. The team's resilience and comeback under pressure reflect the spirit and dedication of our students and reaffirm our commitment to excellence in academics, athletics,

089and community pride. Up next, our teams will our team will play on Saturday, December 13th at 700 PM against Buena Park in Anaheim. Good luck and go Gauchos. Next slide. Does the board have any questions? Short and sweet tonight. Excellent. Thank you. We're present. Thank you so much. Moving now to E action items. Just a reminder, E1 on the decision hearing on voices renewal was pulled. That will come back on December 17th. And now we're moving to E2. Approve the first interim for the 2025 2026 school year. All right. Good evening board. Get the slides up on the Zoom. All right. Good evening board and Superintendent Cotton. Thank you for your time tonight. Uh tonight I'm here to report on the first interim financial report. Uh but this is presented by me, Jeff Carter, and

090Dr. Kim Moses. Although sadly she could not be here tonight. I want to give a big thank you to the business services team that helped support this uh financial report and getting it in on time. Next slide. Uh so this slide shows the calendar of the uh interims throughout the year that we must report on to the state and to our county. Uh tonight we are doing the first interim report for 2025 and 2026. Uh this data is as of October 31st and we must submit it and report it by December 15th. Uh tonight we're going to give you an update on the district enrollment, review the latest projected revenues and expenditures and look at the adjustments to our multi-year projections. Next slide. Uh so what is the first interim process? Uh we review all

091financial resources and departmental budgets to ensure that we can meet our financial obligations through the end of the year. In this case, June 30th, 2026. We examine and adjust uh to annual revenues and expenses based on new information. Compare changes of revenue and expenditures from the adopted budget in June until the first interim for October 31. And then we amend the 2526 budget and my or multi-year projection to match our expected need. Next slide. Uh here are some of the highlighted changes since the adopted budget. Uh we have a decreased fund balance uh since our unodudited actuals when we closed the books in September. Uh we have a decreased enrollment projection, a decrease in ADA from projections, an in increase in TK or transitional kindergarten revenue, an increase in our contribution to the routine maintenance

092account, and a shift in $9 million in unrestricted expenditures uh to block grants on the restricted side for student support and professional development and learning recovery emergency block grants. Next slide. Here you'll see our enrollment trends over the last uh few years. Uh the blue bars represent our enrollment. The purple line represents our funded ADA and the red dotted line represents our actual ADA. So you'll see our enrollment has been decreasing and our funding has been decreasing as long as our ADA as well as our ADA. Next slide. Oh. Uh the yellow the yellow box is uh representing what year we're in now, 2526. So you can see uh what our enrollment funded ADA and ADA are currently at. Next slide. Here we've got the effective COLA analysis. Uh the COLA is the cost of

093living adjustment. Our revenue in 2526 is about 340.4 million. Last year our revenue was actually 337.4 4 million, which is about a $3 million increase year-over-year in 2526, which equates to a8 change in revenue. Even though we got a 2.3% adjustment to our revenues, uh majority of this increase is due to the new transitional kindergarten add-on that the state uh approved at the at their adopted budget in in June. Uh the reason we don't you don't see an effective percent change near 2.3% is because of our declining enrollment and our declining ADA. Next slide. Uh here you'll see the LCFF revenue changes uh from adopted budget to first interim and then the change represents the difference uh from what we said in June to what we know now in December or as of October. Uh

094you'll see comparing our ADA and funded ADA, we are decreasing Our COLA is the same as expected. They they the state funded us at 2.3%. And the unduplicated student count is is slightly higher. Uh this affects our base grant uh decrease because of our decrease in ADA. Uh it increases our supplemental concentration which is also known as our LCAP due to that 07% increase in unduplicated counts. And then at the bottom you'll see the transitional kindergarten add-on of about just under $2 million. That's where you're seeing the increase in revenue this year is is due to the extra uh revenue from that add-on. Next slide. Uh here we'll see our unrestricted revenue changes comparing adopted budget to first interim that LCFF sources. You'll see the majority of that is the TK add-on. Uh other state

095and local revenue comes from adjustments to our mandated block grant and other grant donations. Next slide. The restricted revenue changes. Uh restricted revenue has no LCFF sources. So that align item is zero. Federal revenue other state and local are increased uh due to title one carryover and increased federal allocation from original projections once we've closed our books at unodudited actuals. And then other state revenues such as uh afterchool programs, professional development, student intervention services, and visual and performing arts represent the increase in federal, state, and local restricted revenue. Next slide. And then this is our combined revenue changes. So this is the unrestricted and restricted slides. The two previous slides added up together to to show you our total change in revenue from adopted budget to first interim. Uh these changes can be attributed to

096uh uh the carryover funds from unaudited actuals as well as increased revenue allocations since the adopted budget uh back in June. There there were a few things the state passed that we did not have in our adopted budget at the time which we uh reported on at our 45day revise but we are including now in our first interim figures. Next slide. Uh unrestricted expenditure changes. I won't go through line by line on this. Um, but uh the certificated salaries going down is mostly because they're getting moved over to the restricted side uh under the learning recovery emergency block grant increased revenue that we received. the benefits uh uh are also moving with them as well as having some vacancy savings uh services and other operating expenditures that uh decrease of 6.9 million. That's actually the

097student support professional development block grant that we received in one-time funds. We've those grant that grant is a restricted dollar. So, we're moving some of our expenditures over to the restricted side. And on the next slide, you'll see the increase in in these areas as well. uh you'll see our total expenditures are are going down slightly in the first interim on the unrestricted side. Next slide. On the restricted side, you'll see those increases. So, this is certificated salaries coming over from unrestricted as well as uh increased expenditures from other restricted grants. Um will increase our certificated classified and employee benefits. Um and then for services and other operating you'll see a large increase there. A lot of that is for the afterchool program ELO or expanded learning program. Um as well as many of our

098other restricted grants that if if we had any carryover at the unodudited actuals we can now commit to and use them in this year uh in our budget. Uh next slide. Uh this is the combined expenditure changes. So this is the the two previous slides added up together to show the total change in expenditures on unrestricted and restricted combined. Next slide. Uh these are some considerations for our multi-year projections things we have to take into account uh to make an assumption for the the outy years. Uh declining enrollment trends would which would equal to decreased revenue increasing expenses for insurance, utilities, transportation, special education. Uh those are all built into the MYP. Uh current expenditures that are assigned to grants that are expiring and what to do with them once they expire. Uh 6.4 million

099in reductions built in for the fiscal solveny plan, the current fiscal solveny plan. Uh fund 17 special reserve funds, how we're going to use it and what the balances will be over the next three years. step and column increases, health insurance rate increases, restricted funds usage and balances, projected attrition and vacancies, and the partial tax expiring as of June 30th, 2027. So, we cannot show those revenues or expenditures in the third year. Next slide. Uh these are some other planning factors that go into our mya that we are that we know as of today will be about 3.02% next year and 3.42% 42% in the following year. However, at the January governor's budget proposal, it is likely that these rates, these colas will decrease. So, we're expecting these these figures to change in January. Next

100slide. Here you've got your unrestricted general fund uh multi-year projection. So, you can see our total expenditures and revenue at the top line here. So, you'll see our expenditures exceed our revenues over the next three years by about 13.6. 6 19.2 and 27 or 25.7 million over the next three years. Uh what our fund balance would be uh with those with those deficits. And then in the in the yellow row the fund 17 transfer in you'll see we're transferring in 13.7 million in 2526 and 14.8 million in 2627. And then in 2728 we're transferring zero because the balance we will have no more fund 17 at that point. Uh the total uh unassigned unappropriate amount at the bottom shows what our remaining fund balance will be after these deficits and fund 17 transfers. In the

101first year 2526, we'll have 35,000 which is um nothing. It's it's it's just a rounding figure for our reserve for economic uncertainty. uh 2627 you'll see we'll have negative3.9 million and then 2728 will have negative 29.3 million after 3 years at the current rate of expenditures and revenues. Next slide. This is the combined general fund my unrestricted and restricted combined amount. Uh you'll notice the only change here is the restricted line uh has a an amount of what our restricted fund balance will be and then the ending fund balance will be the same. Next slide. Here's our special ed contribution over the years. So you can see the increase in contribution from the unrestricted general fund to the special education uh expenditures to cover what our revenue does not. Uh this year in 2526 we

102are expected to contribute about $97.1 million to special education. Next slide. Fund 17 uh projected remaining balance. So in 2526 we have about $27.9 million as of unaudited actuals. We're planning to spend 13.7 million of that this year to keep a balanced budget. And then that would leave with interest about $14.8 million left at the end of this year. We will then project to use all 14.8 million of those dollars in 2627 leaving our ending balance at $0. And then in 2728 having no more fund 17 reserves to cover our deficit. Uh and we would need to make a plan to to cover those expenditures. Next slide. Our multi projection outlook. Uh you can see that we meet the 3% reserve in 2526 with a 13.7 million contribution from fund 17. In 2627 we may

103not meet the 3% reserve in general fund. Uh that is with current planned expenditures of 6.4 million in the fiscal solveny plan and a 14.8 million contribution from fund 17. And then in 2728 we will not meet the 3% required reserve uh with current expenditures, revenues and fiscal fiscal reductions in the plan. Uh next slide. Uh so that leads us to our interim certification. There are three options that we must certify as to the county. Uh we can either be positive, qualified or negative. uh because we can meet our obligations in 2526 and we may meet our qualifications in year two uh depending on how everything shakes out. Uh we are certifying as qualified for this first interim for 2526. Next slide. Uh next steps. So what's coming up are the January January governor's budget

104proposal. Uh that'll give us uh insight into what the state's revenue, how the state is doing and what our cola will be. Uh labor negotiations outcome, our fiscal solveny reductions for 2627 and 2728. A partial tax renewal campaign that you'll see in 2026. Uh increased budget engagement. Uh we have a bunch of community meetings regarding our finances um coming up to better discuss and engage with the community on those. uh take those inputs and then our second interim update which will be in March uh as of with data as of January. So uh that will include everything that's happened through January to give you an update in March of where we're at. Next slide and thank you so much. You have any questions? >> Great. Thank you so much for the presentation. Does anybody on

105the board have Does anybody on the board have questions on the item? >> I do. Um my first question is in regards to special education. Um given that the overall enrollment and ADA are declining, what explains it the yearover-year increase in spad expenditure and the unrestricted contribution? Uh thank you trustee. Um I I could feel that. Um there's several factors um for that. Um uh if you see since uh 2020 uh coming back from COVID, that is when you start to see uh the rise. Um across the state, there's been an uh considerable increase in the number of assessments being requested by students. Um and so you've seen a significant increase in the number of students receiving special education services um in our district as well as districts across the state. Um so though our

106um uh overall enrollment as a district has declined, our enrollment in special education has not. Um in fact, we we have there's been some some peaks and valleys in in the overall special education enrollment. Um but overall we are we are up um to higher numbers than we were previously. Also um uh there has been uh again similar to trends across the state and and in other SEPAS and other districts um increased needs uh of students. you know, many students and and young people who were born during COVID and are now in the school system um just simply have have had a greater uh intensity of need um higher uh demand for um pair professional support for for students, a higher demand for other services. So um uh as uh as our overall enrollment has

107incre decreased, our special ed enrollment has has remained or increased and the overall needs have increased as well. Um uh which would uh explain the the increase in the general fund contribution. >> Thank you. I have another question. We do we have a long-term plan to stabilize bed cost because like you said since 2020 from coming back from CO we seen a significant increase and it will continue to increase but do we have a plan to try to stabilize that cost? >> Uh we do um we've been working to develop uh defensible um programs. Um I apologize. One of one of the things that I didn't mention uh is um students attending nonpublic schools. Um so we are working on uh developing and and bringing back some of the systems we've had in the past

108um and some of the defensible programs within our uh within our district to keep students um present in our system. Um as well as reviewing the processes by which um students are assigned extra supports particularly pair professionals um and uh working to um have early interventions um and to uh ensure so students are in the programs that best suit them um to avoid the need for extra individual adults to support those students. >> Thank you. Does anybody else have questions? >> I also have a question around sped. Uh what are the major line items that have contributed to the increase in sped? Uh so we've seen um some increase in transportation costs. Um uh transportation is necessary when when um programs aren't available um in a particular neighborhood school. Um and so we need to

109transport those students to to other programs. Um so again referring back to what I had mentioned earlier as far as just defensible programs and and having programs that in local areas throughout the district. Um again the increase in in paraprofessional um positions that exist is is a very significant increase. Um uh and you know as well as been documented um when we're unable to fill those positions we do rely upon contractors. Um those have been the primary uh uh increasers is is um uh more students, more need for for individual supports. Um and transportation is is the other big ticket item in special education. >> Okay. I've got a couple of questions. If you could talk to me about the enrollment that uh we have this year versus the projection, how much uh how much

110of a difference is there? Uh yeah, enrollment's down about 400 from our projections. So it's it's it's a significant decrease in enrollment uh above and beyond what our trends had projected. And do you know what the attendance rate is by any chance? I know you calculated in days, but do we know it though? >> Um, our current attendance is is around 91%. We're projecting in the outy years about a 92% ADA and that's as of October 31. >> And do we think we know any reasons for the enrollment and attendance decline? anyone I mean really immigration concerns >> I think we believe that was a huge impact last year uh in month three of this school year we actually had a 1% increase in attendance which was exciting and many of our focal schools made

111large 3 to 5% jumps and so it does show that where we are focusing and there are strategic efforts. We are seeing gains around attendance. Um and I think enrollment is a continued conversation. >> So on enrollment, do we think kids just aren't go do we know anything? Do we think kids aren't going? Do we think that families deported or I mean I I'm just >> So specifically what we know is that most of our absences are an illness code. Um and so when we dig in around that code, it can mean a lot of things. And so in the last principal meeting, uh there was a conversation with principles around how do we support families when they're looking at specifically this illness code. So both are we still in a COVID era mindset of

112I have a small cough, I can't come to school, you can now. Um but also is this anxiety, is it fear, are there other services needed? And I don't we don't have a great capture rate for that data um of what has come out of those phone calls. I think that's an area of continued exploration. >> Okay. Thank you. And then for this settlement with our collective bargaining units, when does that show up in the projections? Is that we we wait until March to see that? >> Uh yes. Um once the TAS are signed by the unions, we then have to give them to the county for review in an AB1200. Uh but they would not be shown in the financials until the board approves uh the ratification of those agreements and then um they

113can be put into the second interim which would be March. Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. And then finally, last one, uh, for sped, are you on budget or are you over budget or where are you in that? >> Um, at our last uh report and checking with business services, we are um right about on the projection uh for this school year. >> And and yeah, to re reiterate that, we did not increase the contribution from adopted budget to first interim. So the the contribution is the same. We held steady, so we're on pace. >> All right. Thank you. Any other questions? >> Could you explain to me what happens if the AB1200 is rejected? >> Uh yeah, if the if the AB1200 is rejected by the county, um it still comes up to a vote

114with the board. the AB1200 if it gets rejected by the county, it still gets kicked back to the board to make a decision whether to accept what the county rejection is or not. Is that accurate? >> Uh, yes. The board would would still be able to vote yes or no on the AD1200 regardless of the county's opinion. >> Thank you so much. I'm complete. >> Okay. Uh, is there any public comments on the item? Yes, we have two public comments. Um, Mark, please unmute yourself. >> Good evening, trustees. Mark Mitchell, United Teachers of Richmond. The projected income is false. It's under reportported uh by about 38 million. We provided that information in the factf finding hearing. It's been widely documented and communicated to district officials, including Dr. Moses, to no avail. Um the dis the

115dire uh prediction of calamity in years two and three is undue. The district is sitting on fund 71 on $62 million in unrestricted funds that has squirreled away from students and the public and that could just be redetermined to be part of general revenues and there would be no deficit in the outer years. Last year under Dr. Moses, there was a $30 million overrun in contractors beyond board approved expenditures. This year already under Superintendent Cotton, they've spent $15.7 million in unapproved expenditures on contractors. The addiction to contracting is the issue. Next public comment is David. Please unmute yourself. >> Uh, hi. This is in uh reference to the questions from Trustees Hernandez and Inana um regarding special education expenditures. Um, if you look at the state's data quest website uh the the DOE's uh site

116in 27 and 20 to 2018 there were 4,167 students classified as special education in the district. 24 25 it was $4,117 so actually 50 less so ballpark same number uh but somehow expenditures went up $60 million over that time frame or or contributions from unrestricted so to me I think you the staff really has to provide do a deep analysis and provide those details you know to the board and to the public that really explain that because looking at that off the top of my head servicing essentially the same number of students but um for spending $60 million more dollars to do so that something doesn't add up there. Um so there really needs to be a lot better explanation there. >> Great. Thank you to everybody who gave public comment. >> We have one

117more. >> We're at one point. >> Oh, I'm sorry. One more. Go ahead. >> Jean Kinner, please unmute yourself. I wanted to let the board know that there actually are some paras that are trying to get hired by the district. We have one that works for these third party contractors that cost like double and he's been trying since September to be hired by the district. In our meeting today, there were other people that spoke up that they know of people who have applications in or getting them in who want to be hired by the district. Let's save some money. let's, you know, hire these people into our district and get them away from those third parties. They're the ones. They're great. They're amazing and they'll cost us less. >> That concludes public comment. >> Great.

118Thank you to everybody who gave public comment. Uh I will uh Does somebody want to put a motion on the floor for the item? I'll go ahead and move it. I will move the first interim for the 2025 2026 school year with a qualified certification. Is there a second on that? >> Smith seconds. >> Okay. So, it is um moved by Reckler, second by Smith Folds. Are there any additional comments from the board? I do think it's a wonderful idea to have a study session or a extended board meeting discussion topic on sped costs. So I would like to recommend that. Um and that is my comment. Any others? Okay. And we'll go to the vote. Um, I know one of our trustees, our student trustees had a technology issue. We'll call both and hopefully

119they're back. Student trustee Han. >> Yeah. Okay. Student trustee Miles. >> Yes. >> Trusty Hernandez. >> Yeah. >> Clerkyana. >> Yes. >> Trusty Smith Folds. >> Smith Falls. Yes. >> And Reckler [clears throat] is a yes. Gonzalez Hoya is absent. So the motion carries with Gonzalez Hoya absent. Thank you. Moving now to E3 provisional internship permit. Good evening board. I would like to recommend approval for provisional internship permits. The PIP also allows the district to hire individuals who have not met the subject matter competence requirements needed to enter an internship program provided the district has made a diligent effort to recruit fully credentialed teachers and none were available. Thank you. Any questions? Thank you so much. Does anybody on the board have questions on this item? Is there public comment on the item? No public

120comment. >> Okay, I'll accept a motion to approve the PIP. I'll go ahead and move it. And is there a second? >> I'll second it. >> So, it's Reckler and Inana. And then, um, any further comments from the board? Seeing none, we'll go to the vote. Student trustee Han. Student Trustee Miles. >> Yes. Thank you, Clerkana. >> Yes. >> All right. Sorry, I [laughter] I tripped it up. Trusty internet. >> Yes. >> And Reckler is a yes. Uh Smith Folds and Gonzalez Hoy are absent from this vote. So, it's it carries with the three. Okay. We are up to E4, acceptance of the Contracasta County Office of Education annual report for Williams settlement. [clears throat] Yes. Good evening, board, superintendent, and community. Presented before you tonight is the annual Williams report as prepared by the

121county, and we're asking for you to accept it. Some of the highlights of the report are that 75% of our sites received a score of 85% or greater for facilities. And for that, I really want to applaud the efforts of our maintenance and operations team that worked really diligently. One of the changes this year is that the county Williams inspections take place within the first eight weeks of school. And so it's while the site is occupied and then if there are any pressing or urgent issues, we're able to resolve them, um, document the resolution of those issues and then share that with the county. So I also really want to appreciate our partners at the county that worked with us um, through that process. for the sites that have a score lower and for some

122of those scores uh schools with a score higher, we do have additional repairs planned. It's just difficult to do because we do prioritize instruction and the safety of our students. And some of the repairs are things like replacing the flooring, which is something that we save for longer breaks. Um but again, I just really want to appreciate to appreciate everyone who made this possible. Um, and one of the other things that I do want to highlight in the report that is of particular note is towards the end of the report, the county identifies the number of Williams complaints that are quote unresolved. And so I wanted to explain kind of what that means. So throughout the year, we bring a quarterly report to the board. And when we do that, we identify all of the

123complaints received and if any of them are unresolved. And when they're unresolved, we provide them as unresolved. What that means, and in particular, if you'd like to look back, you could look at the April 30th meeting of 2025. There were a number of unresolved complaints because we sent the response on May 12th and we closed the report on April 30th. So it was unresolved at the time of the quarterly report which is what this annual report is identifying for you but we did respond and close the complaint. We just did it after that reporting period for the quarter. So I just wanted to provide that clarification in the report um in case you had any questions and I'm happy to answer any other questions you might have and we recommend acceptance of the annual report.

124Thank you so much for that presentation and the explanation. Does anybody on the board have questions? >> I have a question just for clarity for everyone out there listening. Um when it comes to Williams report, who does the site visit and who's who goes along to those site visits? >> So great question. So the county, so there's kind of two pieces and sometimes the nomenclature gets a little mixed up. So we as a district have the responsibility to do a facilities inspection of all of our sites every year and that's all of our spaces, all of the um shared spaces in and that's reported in the STARC, the school accountability report card. In addition to that, if a school is identified as a desile one, two, or three school, which is a three-year list that's

125identified by the state in addition to the district's responsibility to do the facilities inspection, the county then does their own inspection, and they essentially look at three things. They look at textbook sufficiency, they look at teacher vacancy, and they look at facilities conditions. And so there's a team from ED services that supports the inspection with the county for um teachers and for textbooks. And then separately there's a hired um facilities inspector that's hired by the county that does the county's inspections. One of the reasons why it's important to kind of know the difference between the two is that when the county does their facilities inspection, they actually do 25% of classroom spaces and like all restrooms, all shared spaces. And some of those inspections are surprise inspections. And those, as I mentioned before, starting this

126year, all of those inspections must take place within the first eight weeks of school. And so they're happening while our sites are being used. Um, and so there's actually kind of two scorecards that some of our sites have if they're on that state list. And then for the sites that are not on that list, they just have the one inspection that's done by the district. I hope that answered your question. Please let me know. >> It did. I just wanted clarity for everyone listening. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions? Is there public comment on the item? >> There is no public comment. >> Great. Okay. Uh, I'll accept a motion to accept Williams. I'll move it. I'll move the acceptance of Contraosta County Office of Education's annual report for the Williams second settlement legislation.

127Is there a second on the item? >> Smith seconds. >> Reckler. Reckler is the motion and Smith Folz is the second. Is there any further comment from the board? Okay, seeing none, we'll go to the vote. Student trustee Han, >> student trustee Miles, >> yes. >> Trusty Mandez, >> yes. >> Clerkyana, >> yes. >> Trusty Smiths, >> Smiths, yes. >> And Ammy, yes. Motion carries with four yes and Gonzalez Hoy absent. So one absence. Okay. Up to E5. Termination of need for continued emergency action pursuant to the board of education resolution 2526-41. Good evening, board, superintendent, and community. Tonight, it's my pleasure to share with you a little bit of an update. We're asking for your approval to terminate the emergency action at Richmond High School. We were able to restore permanent power um by

128refurbishing the breaker on November 26th. um holding to our values of prioritizing student safety. This was something that we did want to schedule when we knew that um people were away um enjoying a couple of days. And so we were successful. We've completed the repair and we've had permanent power since November 26th. So the need for emergency no longer exists at the site. We're asking for your approval of the termination. Thank you. >> Great. Thank you very much. Are there any questions on the item? Is there any public comment on the item? >> There's no public comment. >> Okay, I will accept a motion for the termination. I motion that I Okay. I motion that we do the termination of need for continued emergency action um for education resolution number 2526-41. I'll second it. So

129it's Inana for the motion and Reckler for the second. And any further comments? Seeing none, we'll go to the vote. Uh, student trustee Han, student trustee Miles, >> yes. >> Trusty Hernandez, >> yes. >> Clerkana, >> yes. >> Trustee Smith Fols, >> Smith Falls, yes. >> And Reckler is a yes. Motion carries with four and one absent. Okay. E6 we already completed. F discussion items in the reports. There aren't any tonight. And now the board is going to break and go back to close session. And we will be back as soon as we possibly can. When we come back, we'll do a report out from close session and then close out the meeting.