001for education board meeting for October 8th, 2025 will now come to order. The time is 6:10. Maria, please take attendance. Jov, >> present. >> Eron, >> present. >> Huana Matias, >> present. Maria Müller present. Mayor Brian Dea, Chair Patricia Mariano, >> present. >> All right. Would could we all please stand for the pledge of allegiance? >> Okay. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to fully stands one nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice before all. Thank you. And you may be seated. Before I begin, I would like to take a moment to um apologize for the quick stoppage of last month's meeting. When it became evident that we lacked a quorum, we could no longer conduct business. Thankfully, all the necessary votes were taken before the meeting was
002suspended. We are doing our best to ensure that this will not happen again. Also, at this time, I would like to present a letter of recogn resignation from Alen Garcia. And um I'm going to read it. Dear Patricia Mariano, I am writing to formally resign from my position as a member of the board of alliance Lawrence Alliance for Education effective immediately today, Thursday 911 2025. It has been an honor to serve alongside with such a dedicated group of individuals and to contribute to the mission of the Lawrence Alliance for Education. I am proud of what we have accomplished during my tenure and grateful for the opportunity to have been part of such important work. The the decision was not made lightly, but due to personal reasons and work commitments, I believe it is the right
003time for me to step down and allow someone else the opportunity to serve. I remain committed to the ongoing success of the Lawrence Alliance for Education and I am happy to support a smooth transition in any way I can. Thank you again for the opportunity and support. Sincerely, Alen Garcia. Um, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Alene for being such a special part of this group and um, I wish her well in her future endeavors. Any other comments? Okay. Did you call the police? Did you call the show? >> What? >> Did you call the roll? Talk to the lady. Did you call the roll? Did you talk to the lady? >> Yes, we did. Okay. >> The board we're going to go into public participation at this time. The board welcomes public
004comment. We will call people in the order they signed up. As you begin, please state your name and address for the record. Each person is permitted to speak for no more than two minutes. A bell will ring when you have 30 seconds remaining and again at the end of two minutes. I ask that you please adhere to these limits. Inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated. If exhibited, we will turn off the microphones and the person will be asked to leave the meeting. Um, I'd like to remind everyone that during public comment, the board is in a listening mode and as such, board members do not respond to um comments made. Written public comment may be emailed to lurence.k12.mma. us no later than 2:00. the afternoon of our meeting. Our first um speaker is Mr. Mali.
005Good evening honorable members 53 Chester Street. In this important meeting, we the citizen are united to support of Lawrence teachers union. Lawrence public school with the impeccable leadership by honorable superintendent Ralph Guerrero. Moving forward, we must know the best teachers in the nation are teaching in Lawrence public school. We must pay the best compensation to our teachers. So no other cities can take away our best teachers. the teachers, the true nation builder. The hope of the best future for Lawrence and this great nation. Lawrence one city on the go with the on depend on how well we support our city, our teachers and their union. The teachers who inspire the whole world, the teachers who educate the children of Lawrence. Lawrence teachers, you are number one because of your hard work. Because of your dedication,
006children of Lawrence have a bright future. Lawrence always strong. Lawrence always unite. In this important academic year, we pledge to support Lawrence PE teachers union. And as a great Nelson Mandela said, education indeed the most powerful weapon to change the world. This change is only possible if we support our teachers union. Lawrence teachers, thank you for excellent job. Because of you, Lawrence will rise again. >> Thank you, Mr. Molly. The next speaker is Dr. Dolores Kof. >> Yes. Would I I do it from here or do I have to go over there? Can I do it from here? Okay, I'm Dolores Galav and I want to invite all of you who are listening and uh to the next international book fair here in the city of Lawrence is going to be dedicated to Chile. Every
007year for the last 19 years, the international book fair has put together every year a book fair for three days and has different activities geared to children. There's a a a children's fair at the b at the Lawrence Public Library on Saturday. This will be October 17 through the 19th. So on the Saturday, October 18th in the morning until about 2:03, there will be the children's fair at the at the uh library on on this auditorium on Friday evening starting at 7. It will be the opening of the book fair with a an event where we're going to welcome all the invited uh writers and guests. And so you all are welcome to come and join us. And uh and then on Saturday and Sunday, we're going to be all day until 5:00 pm at
008the Northern Escri um building on 45 Franklin. And then on Friday uh during the school uh hours there's going to be two youth fair one at the Abbott Academy at the new space on Habro Street where they going they have been working on a youth uh poetry contest and we have 12 winners this year and then there's a new youth fair at the Notraam Christo Ray High School. That's a new one this year. So little by little we are extending this event to throughout the different cities in the area. This is something that is the goal of the international book fair. And we hope that you join us. And on Saturday night, there's going to be a dance and and um party and food at the El Lodge starting at 700 p.m. That's the only
009one that costs some money. It's not going to be overwhelming cost, but it's going to be a great party. So you all are welcome to join us. Thank you very much. >> Thank you Dolores. All right. Um I'm I'm going to move on to my chair's report. Last month I asked that the existing subcommittees remain intact. The only difference was that Maria sent out a poll to see what your availability or if it had changed in any way. and we will try to accommodate you. If you have not submitted your preference for meeting dates, please do so as soon as possible. Just a reminder, the policy subcommittee, excuse me, >> Maria Mhola, Superintendent Carrero, Edgar Dillion, and Christopher Markins. Curriculum and Instruction. Superintendent Carrero, Moana, Dolores Kof, and Jennifer Perry. Budget and Finance, Superintendent Carrero,
010Mayor Mayor Deñena, Warner Mate, Patricia Mariano, and Jason Cabrera. So, that's the current list and the list we're going to work from. I know the policy subcommittee has been working very hard and would like I'd like to call upon Chris Markins to come up and give us an overview of what's been happening. >> Uh thank you, Chair Mariano. Um yeah, as you know, we just started to get going at the end of last school year and then the summer break got us. Um, but I think between the superintendent and the chair and the team at LPS, we've come up with a very workable calendar uh for this entire year to get the entire policy book uh reviewed, revised, updated, and approved by you guys over the course of this coming school year. So, I'll be
011sharing out some opportunities for the uh subcommittee to confirm some dates so they can meet prior to hopefully every monthly meeting to review and approve some sections to forward to the full board. And then each month the board will have the opportunity in hopefully very digestible small reasonable chunks to uh review revised updated policy and approve it in the following month. And hopefully we'll have the whole thing sections A through L done by uh the end of the school year. >> Thank you. Any questions for the policy committee? >> I mad. >> Thank you madam chair if I might. I I think uh in discussion with Chris and the subcommittee, we're trying to do the bulk of the uh heavy lifting of interpreting the recommendation coming from the Mass Association of School Committee so that
012we can present it to the subcommittee for them to revise and look at it and the recommendation based on the recommendation coming from the experts which is the Mass Association. >> Correct. Mass association school committees is still in >> and then for that to be moved forward to the full board. uh for them to be able to vote yay based on the recommendation. >> Correct. The subcommittee will com will receive fully marked up highlighted changes to any policy in advance of our meetings to review. We'll have hopefully a mercifully quick meeting to review that, answer any questions you guys have before we decide to move it on to the uh full board. >> It's a tedious task, but an important task. >> It's important. >> Thank you, Chris. Um, next under my report is the
013superintendent's evaluation. >> I think we tried this last last month. >> We tried it. We we we failed for some reason. >> Not at all. Um, >> end of the cycle presentation. >> Last month we had a journ before we had the opportunity to discuss the superintendent's end of the year report as well as the template for his evaluation. Let me tell you this is exciting reading of these 29 pages two-sided document. Okay. If you uh are having a sleepless night, feel free to indulge and you'll see that uh it's exciting work. Uh on a serious note, Madame Chair, in going through the exercise of writing down uh my first year as superintendent and looking at the standards that we have, I felt quite proud that um we have accomplished a lot in terms of
014preparation um for all of the challenges that we have faced in coming uh to date and hopefully preparing for what I believe will be a opportunity within short time within this next uh calendar year. No, yeah, calendar year of uh having discussions with the department of education of perhaps demonstrating that Lawrence is on the right track of coming out of uh receiverhip. But nonetheless, what I've tried to do with the document is taken the document that we developed submitted as what my goals were going to be for the year on the midcycle progress status. We used the same document and I've checked off to the board back then if these initiatives key practices were in progress substantially completed completed or not addressed so that you could track along. I've used the same document and we've
015added a final column that says end of the year report. So you could see my tracking of where I was at midyear and where I am at the end of the year. The areas that obviously the superintendent needs to write and report to the board about is uh uh the first superintendent's goal of conducting a comprehensive assessment of the districtwide vision for instructional practices to determine its alignment with student achievement outcomes. The goal is to identify strengths, gaps, and areas for improvement in the district's instructional vision and how it supports academic success. So the indicators are in blue and the key practices that I have implemented are all written on each area of the key practices. If there are areas that I needed to submit data of evidence of how it's being tracked, they're in
016the blue color. Okay, so that's the way it's laid out. All right. You'll see that the instructional has obviously one of the most important things important points and there's probably five pages of uh instructional practices. Moving on to your second goal which is uh management and operation is making sure that the superintendent has a goal to uh foster the learning and growth of all students and support the success of our staff by ensuring safe, equitable, efficient and effective learning environments. Through the strategic use of resources, we will implement appropriate curriculum and staffing to meet the needs of our school community and promote excellence in education. Yeah, what does that mean? There's a lot there, but the indicators are at such here. It includes your strategic use of resources. You'll see evidence of budget alignments in
017your key practices that moves along the areas that we're monitoring in terms of making sure that we're looking at all students not just mainstream students but special education students and obviously multilingual students. Um again in tracking them if you see you'll see evidence of where I have tracked it and the areas or instruments that we have used to perhaps changed or discussed that way to look at that. Okay. Your third indicator is family and district administrator goals. Lawrence Public School will promote the learning and growth of all students and the success of all staff by fostering effective partnerships with families, community organizations, and other stakeholders. These colle these colle collaborations, excuse me, are essential to advocating equity, ensuring every student has access to resources and opportunities needed to succeed. By working together, we create an
018inclusive environment where all students feel free, feel a strong sense of belonging and empowering. You will see along uh this standard all of the key practices that either we implemented, we changed or we made recommendations for. Um, as you know, each board meeting when I come in and I talk about different types of things, you hear about some of these initiatives and the things that are going on. So, again, as you go through the document, you'll be able to track and see uh evidence of the things that we've done to meet meet each one of these areas within that particular standard. The last standard is professional culture. That is to plan and lead well organized engaging meetings with a clear purpose. Focus on meaningful issues and involve participants in thoughtful and productive discussions and deliberations
019on essential school matters. Ensure that the policies and practices foster all environment where staff members and students can interact effectively within a cultural diverse community with respect for each individual's background, identity, strength, and challenge. The most recent one that I've talked about on several occasions is our immersion program where we've solicited and sent uh a me uh 10 members of our faculty to an immersion program to the Dominican Republic. again is talking about c cultural diversity and effective teaching practices of multicultural classrooms. That's just one of them. You'll see some of those there. So, all of those pieces are in there for you. I hope it's not uh boring reading and I hope that uh you take the time to look at it and please feel free to ask any questions that you might in
020case there's uh any discrepancies or any um clarifications that you need. As I mentioned, um, Madame Chair, on the last page, page 29, um, I'm most proud of the partnership end of year progress, and that's the draft final, uh, LPS strategic plan that you also have before you that we'll have a discussion, hopefully a positive vote on, but I feel honored and proud of the work that not just that I did, this represents an entire leadership, an entire school district of a commitment of making sure that we're on point as to what has to happen to align our school district to be prepared to come out of receiverhip and knowing that we have a school district that really understands what vision is, what assessment is, what uh academic performance is, what organizational structures are, and
021making sure that we have a school district that's effective and efficient with the budget that sustains all the programs that we have here in the community. Um I know madam chair that you have uh the other end of the cycle evaluation report if you want to comment on that. >> Yes. Um the document that you will be filling out was included in your packet last month. Okay. It um and if you don't have it we will Maria will get one to everybody. Okay. >> Questions like that. Not on my end. >> Go ahead, Edgar. >> No, >> I'm saying not on my end. I'm good. >> Thank you, Superintendent. That is quite comprehensive of all the work that the staff and yourself leading the staff has done for the district thus far. And um are
022there any questions here? So yeah, >> go ahead, Dolores. >> So So the one that you were saying that you uh had >> the one that we had >> Yes. >> would have had it checked. >> Where is that one? >> We're going to email that to you because it has the check box on midyear and end of the year. Yes. >> Awesome. That would be great. >> Get that tomorrow. >> Excellent. Thank you. >> All right. Um, for my part, I would appreciate um, Superintendent, how many pages is your report? >> 29. So, I thought by October 29th. We should have the evaluation completed. So, I'm asking that you mail that evaluation, email it to me. Um, in the meantime, if you have any questions, you can ask them now or contact me as
023you're working on the evaluation. >> Any madam chair, when will the evaluations be due? The 29th. >> I'm sorry. >> When will you want the evaluations from the board members to you? >> Right. And then we'll compile them and we'll give the final evaluation in November. I believe it's November 12th. Mhm. >> She's asking if you want it by October 29th. >> I'd like it by October 29th so we can work on them. >> Excellent. Thank you so much. >> Any other questions? Okay, moving on. Um the votes that are required this evening, we have five items. The first one being the MCCAST competency determination revision. Could I have a motion to open this up for discussion? >> So moved. >> Second. Thank you, >> Madam Chair, for for the board members uh orientation because
024I know that we did this before, so they might be familiar with the terminology, but we've had to go back to do revisions and we have uh Dr. Lineras here to bring the board through real quickly in 10 minutes of what the ch what the revisions were so that the board can feel comfortable as to what uh what those revisions were and why. So we do have with us Dr. Lin Cataris. >> Great. >> Please welcome Dr. Cataris. >> Thank you very much. I appreciate the time. >> Could I please take a vote to open it for discussion? >> Can I have a motion, please? >> So moved. >> Thank you. Second. >> Second. >> Maria, please call the role. >> Dr. Loris Galaf. >> Yes. Edgar Deleon. Yes. >> Wana Matias. >> Yes. >>
025Maria Müller. Yes. Sher Patricia Mariano. >> Yes. >> Okay. You're on, Dr. Cutterz. >> Thank you. Um, so I appreciate you having me here tonight. We um we were here last spring and we did our initial compsy determination after that initial vote. Um that was in November. And then in July, DESIE came out with a new set of guidelines to how we needed to update our compsy determination policy. So if you could go to the next slide. So I tried to put together in the slides the difference between what we had voted on or what you all had voted on and what's been updated or changed to make it easier. So, as we know the background, the November vote eliminated MCCAST as a competency determination for students to graduate high school. In the updated guidance,
026the DESIE has added that in addition to satisfactory completing the relevant coursework as they had indicated before, we now also have to have students show mastery of skills. So that's a key piece that's been updated. In addition, Desi has included that in the class of 2027, so not this year, but the following year, we're also going to need to add US history as a competency determination subject area. So if we look here on this slide on the left, our current language says, and this again was what Desi had shared with us last year was that we needed to have students taking courses in English 9, English 10, algebra 1, geometry, and then one of the sciences. They updated that language in the requirement. And so on the right side of this slide, you'll see that
027now it says our English language arts can be two years, grades 9 through 12. It doesn't have to be just 9th grade English, 10th grade English. They've also updated math can include more than just algebra 1 and geometry. It can also include integrated math 1 and integrated math 2. Again, taken in grades 9 through 12. Science has basically stayed the same. Um, and then you'll see here also just talking about needing to add that US history for the class of 2027. So for not this year, but the following school year. So how do we show mastery of skills and competencies? Uh, we had some discussion. We met as a high school team and what we determined was that we were going to use the final assessment of those courses that students took. So for instance,
028if a student is taking algebra 1 as that core competency, the final assessment for that class would count to show mastery of that content. Um, they could also, however, do like a portfolio or do a final project. All three would count and we would use our district's grading policy to determine whether they actually demonstrated that mastery on that final assessment. Um, they also asked us to update um if there were alternatives to the comp determination. this was not an option last year. Um but they have now added that in limited circumstances when the district when we are unable to document whether a student has actually met the coursework and that um and understanding of the coursework and the um excuse me lost my train of thought this the mastery of skills they can take MCCAST
029and we can use MCCAST in those limited times to if they're meeting expectations or exceeding expectations, we can use that as a compensy, but it's really only in limited circumstances that we can do that. Um, another updated language before transfer students, again, in the old policy, it was just that they needed to pass those coursework and now they have to also demonstrate mastery. So when we're looking at the transcripts for students coming in who have transferred in, we have to also look to see have they demonstrated mastery of those courses. We also needed to update our language around our students with disabilities and our English language learners. Um, so for students with disabilities, the key for this language is making sure that if we have students who are educated out of district, so we have
030some students with disabilities who might be going to schools out of district, we are still responsible to make sure that students have every opportunity to meet the competency determination to earn a high school diploma. So this is really much more around making sure that we know who those students are and working with those out of district schools to make sure that we are um addressing those competency determination needs with them for the English language learners. This is really important for us. This was a huge consideration from DESIE that we're really appreciative of and that is they have now indicated that our ESL courses that students take when they come to the high school can count towards that English requirement. If we can show that it includes both the EL standards and those English language arts
031standards that would be considered that 10th grade standard. So, we can get credit, students can get credits, our our new students coming into us can get credit for that English language arts requirement through an ESL class. That's really important for us. We also have an update to the appeals process. Students and parents or their guardians can appeal a district's decision about competency determination. You can see here we put a process in place that they must appeal in writing to the principal of the school within 10 school days of receiving receiving that written request. A meeting will be scheduled and they have the opportunity to present evidence to indicate why they believe they did meet the competency determination requirements and then a formal decision from the principal will be provided to the student andor their family
032within five school days. um all final decisions are based from that um principal or their design. We've also updated how people can request a diploma. As we indicated last year when this bill when this went into effect, it basically said any anybody who um attended high school between the years of 2003 to 2024 is eligible to request a a diploma if they did not have one because of MCCAST previously. So we currently have the system in place now. Um there is a transcript audit through the LPS website. Um they can request that audit. So again, these are these are people who met the high school graduation requirement but did not pass MCCAST prior to 2024. Um we we still need to look at that transcript audit to see if they had the right courses. And
033now we also have to continue to see did they demonstrate mastery of those skills which is the new additional piece that has been added this year. So within 30 calendar days we'll look at that request and we'll be not students people will be notified within 45 days um if that request for the diploma was approved. Again all final decisions awarding an individual diploma is at the discretion of the building principal. Thank you, Lynn. Any questions from the board? >> Madam Chair, through you. My only question, Lynn, is um when you you talked about the mastery of skills, how you all came together to define what that looks like for our school district. How does our mastery of skill definition compared to other school districts? So, we did have Desessie um reviewed this policy just to
034give us some feedback and um they gave us some quick feedback on what we wanted that to make sure we said for in terms of our grading, but it sounds like it is what a lot of other school districts are doing as well. >> Okay. So, this our mastery of skills definition uh Desi has approved or like kind of given a green light on. So, initially our our DESIE liaison gave us a little bit of feedback and then said to move forward with it. Um, we do have to once you vote on this, we do have to submit it to DESIE by December 31st for final approval of it. Um, but tentatively at this point, our DESI liaison gave us the the green light. >> Okay, great. And ultimately, we you would need DESIE approval
035to move forward in terms of executing on it. Correct. Thanks. >> Can I follow up on Hana's question because I think it's interesting. Um that that actually part of Wana Hana asked. So is there going to be end up being a rubric for for teachers to follow to then make a decision on whether or not somebody meets standard or mastery etc. Like how does this work? Because I keep saying I keep hearing we we we. I'm assuming those decisions are made by the teachers. I'm hoping is made by a rubric that everybody shares. How is this being done? >> So right now our the plan is because we have multiple high schools in the district as well is that we will be looking to do some common assessments. So if I am taking algebra 1,
036then the final assessment for algebra 1 will be the same for all students across the district. And then yes, there would be a scoring guide to indicate what would be considered demonstrating mastery on that. So if a student is taking algebra 1 at the high school and algebra one at the high school learning academy, the curriculum is the same, standards the same, grading policy is the same. >> Correct. >> I believe that's correct. >> That that is correct. And >> so the and the rubric is a common one with other districts or is it the rubric one created by us? >> It's common to just Lawrence. >> Okay. And when is so we have to wait for Desi to approve things to then come out with the rubric. >> So the the >> I guess
037my question is the equity one because once we make a decision in terms of what the what is passing mastery etc. it should apply to all of our students. obviously given sort of where they are. Um and if it's not going to match other districts, which is fine, it should match each other. And so like I'm just wondering that >> I'm impressed, Mr. Deleó, and and in in meeting with Lynn and and the team. So she doesn't do this on her own. There's an entire team at the high school. If you've noticed, one of the major changes that they've put in or revisions, uh, which is very advantageous to Lawrence is the acknowledgement that we have a large number of English language learners that come to us >> with uh, high school uh, grades or
038transcripts from their particular high schools, wherever their uh, uh, uh, origin is, you know, and I think that that gives us an opportunity to make sure that we're uh expanding the umbrella, if you will, for kids that are coming in that are in sophomore year or junior year. We would have to look at their transcripts for the first two or three years and make sure that they've taken the the adequate courses that determines the competency skills, the CD here. Is that correct, Lynn? >> Yes. >> So, I I'm I'm >> Thank you so much. I I guess my question is if I have Mr. B and as a teacher and Hana has Miss A as a teacher and we're taking the ta same test, I'm assuming we're be going to be graded in the same
039um rubric and then assuming that that there's some sort of followup in terms of that because there's a there's a there's a process for a family to be like, hey, let's appeal is what I'm hearing. >> Yes, that is correct. Yeah. And we had and so like the rubric is is the way for equity and ensuring just asking we have an a rubric to ensure that you know when you have two different teachers you have two different ways of looking at a test. So the test can be the same but the grading could be different and how do we ensure there's equity when it comes to it I guess is my bigger question. >> Yeah. So we absolutely when we had met, we met with Abbott, we met with RISE, we met with HLC, we
040met with the high school and had discussed not only would we have the common assessment, but how we measured that assessment, whether it was a portfolio, whether it was an actual, you know, multiple choice test would be similar or would be the same across all so that it wouldn't matter what school you were at or which teacher you had, that would be common. >> Right. Thank you. That's that's exactly what I'm going to ask. Thank you. >> I have a quick um I don't know if it's a question or a comment, but I I worry about just a final assessment as being just the indicator, the only indicator of mastery of skills. And I'm wondering if that final assessment can the grade or whatever result we get from that can include something related to the
041results that the student got through you know just kind of like right now you know um for different college courses you know you have a certain percentage weighing in waiting by different tests. >> Yeah. So, we had that discussion and um one of the things that we discussed that we would probably most likely put into practice is that that final assessment would happen at least two to three weeks before the end of the school year. so that if students didn't earn that grade of mastery, there would be an opportunity to earn extra credit points or to earn some additional credit in order to demonstrate that mastery. So, it wouldn't just be that one shot I I was stressed out, but if I didn't do as well, there would be a couple of weeks time that
042I could add another assessment, I could do something else to make sure I got to that level where I was able to demonstrate that mastery. Thank you. I I really do appreciate the f the flexibility mostly because again we it seems like the majority is trying to get away from the MCAT. So we're like okay we do need some sort of an assessment but this is adding flexibilities to I guess account for learning differences or any type of equity issues or yeah other factors. Thank you. Of course >> Lynn could I um ask a question about the uh students with disabilities How are we certain that their curriculum is supporting them receiving that competency competency designation? >> That's a great question. Um, I think it's going to require uh conversations. And so if you read
043sort of the full, not what was in this presentation, but the full policy, it does talk about how there would be a liaison that would have that connection with that out of district school to make sure that we agree with what they're doing in terms of their math courses, their English courses, that we believe as a district um that is meeting that requirement. Thank you. Any further questions? Okay. Hearing none, could I have a motion to um you want to an approval? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. To approve the revisions to the um MCCAST competency determination. Could I have a motion? >> So moved. Madam Chair, >> second. >> A second. >> Thank you. Maria, please call the role. >> Dr. Lores Galaf, >> yes. >> Eron, >> yes. >> Hana Matias, >> yes. >>
044Maria Müller, yes. >> Sher Patricia Mariano, >> yes. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Lynn. Moving on. Um, could I have a motion to discuss the final version of the strategic plan for two 2025 to 2030? >> So moved. >> Thank you. Second. >> Second. >> All right. Maria, please call the role for discussion. >> Joc, >> uh, yes. >> Deleon, >> yes. Anna Matias, >> yes. >> Maria Müller, >> yes. >> Chair Patricia Mariano, >> yes. >> All right, superintendent. >> Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair, and members of the board. I hope everybody has a copy of the strategic plan that says 2025 2030. I know that we we had a presentation last week by our consultants from education resource strategists who are who's a nationally known um foundation and work with
045the department of education. They've worked with us for the last 11 months uh to ensure that we put together a visionary obtainable strategic plan that will guide us over with over our work for the next five years. During the presentation, Madame Chair, I recall you mentioning that uh you were concerned about how did we roll that out? How did the constituency groups get selected? And are we still uh reaching out to the constituent groups? Since that time, we went back and met with all of our principles that were part of the process. We met with our LPAC, which is our largest, actually no, we met with our Duvos council, which is our la our largest uh parent engagement um workshops and where we gather to talk about things and we've put it out on our
046website and have continued to solicit the crowd or our constituents if they have any thoughts, any changes, any revisions that they felt that uh were needed. We did not hear any of them. That being said, Madame Chair, I want to thank the uh leadership team, the administration, our teachers, especially our parents, some of our students for engaging over the course of the last 11 months. I think we had real honest conversations. And if you look at the strategic plan of the six strategies, I believe it comprehensively captures what we believe the school district should be focusing on. Uh there are a lot of things that we can focus on on the fourth largest school district in the Commonwealth, but we had to prioritize ourselves. And on page three, you have your six priorities. uh more
047importantly to me the strategies of how we're going to align our mission and vision through those priorities through the strategies that we have uh on the following page that we hope on page eight is that page eight page six page six on page six that um really helps our constituents to understand what the priority is what the strategy is and more importantly what the outcome is supposed to be with the strategic plan. If you vote favorably on it, we will start to align the delivery of educational services across the district to make sure I'm sorry. >> Yeah, that's the last page. She just went ahead of me. That's all. um we will begin to align um the supervision, the accountability, and the personnel that carries out each one of these strategies. At the end of
048each year, we will be prepared to bring to the alliance board and to our school community what has been the progress for all of these priorities. Now, you know what? It could be slow progress or it could be an accelerated process or it could be no process. The important thing is that we engage in a dialogue and say, "Okay, why didn't happen?" And that's when we have the opportunity to realign. But it keeps us focused on where we believe our school district needs to get to over the course of the next five years. that's going to guarantee us that we're independent, that we are a viable school district and we no longer should be under the arms of the Department of Education. So, I want to say thank you to everyone that has been involved,
049their honesty, because sometimes when you go through these things, there's stuff that people hold back and they've been itching to get out. And we tried to help them get that out to then explain why. And if we couldn't explain why, well, let's find a strategy. And our parents were really um tremendous at helping us understand that they want their kids to learn, but that they want the trust from teachers, that they want extracurricular activities from kids, that they want afterchool programs for kids. And some of these pieces we've already decided to move forward in our budget and you see that in some of the extracurricular afterchool programs that are happening in our schools now. So I hope that you look upon it if you had the chance to review to to look at it. If
050you have any questions I'll be happy to entertain them. But I bring this forward to you uh with a recommendation of a favorable vote that this is a very very strong strategic plan. If you do so, we take this plan now and it gets fully translated into any languages that we have of families and have it available for them in in paper document and in our uh website so parents can understand and all our staff can see what drives our work over the course of the next five years. Madam Chair, >> Thank you, Superintendent. Any questions from the board? So if we approve, Madam Chair 3, so if we approve the strategic plan today, this is a five-year outlook for the next five years for the school district. >> That would be correct. Um uh
051Miss Matias, >> and has this uh strategic plan been reviewed by Desi? Yes, we have sent them a copy of it and um yeah, they they provide input. We've uh we've been transparent about it. We've looked at every stakeholder that we have and we wanted input from everybody. So, um they did offer a couple of tweaks um that we put into the plan. So, I think that they're feeling comfortable with it. I did meet with the new commissioner, Miss Matias, one on- one and gone over each piece of the strategic plan. Helpful. And my last question would be um did we include our turnaround plan metrics and requirements in this? >> Yes. >> Even though we're thinking about potentially getting out of receiverhip, we're not there yet. So, are those metrics there? >> Great point.
052That's exactly what the commissioner said to make sure we look at the turnaround plan and that we're able to mesh it together so that it's a seamless transition as we move on like in year two. Okay. >> Anything else, Wana? >> No, thank you. Appreciate it. >> Any questions from the board? So now uh in in your experience, what would you say is when we going to be ready to be doing that? >> Uh in conversation with the in conversation with the chairwoman, I think we've come to a conclusion. It's a moving target. >> Oh, that's not helping me. it doesn't help us either. But um yes, I mean we dreamed of some specifics, but you know there are things that need to happen in the community that are out of our control. uh the
053governance structure. We don't have control of that and that's being moved through, worked on, deliberated, discussed. Um >> okay. >> So that's what we have to wait for. We don't know. And even when that happens there, remember we talked about there's a training piece for new board members. I we don't know how long that takes. So we've come to the conclusion that it is a it is a moving target. We feel that we got a tremendous LEA board. We'll continue the work of the district for the children. Um, and we hope that they start with compensating you guys first. So, so imagine if there's going to be any change, there would be some kind of a some timing between, right? That so that there would not be a uh a mismatch. You know what I'm
054saying? I I can I can say that I think that the Department of Education um is very comfortable in their mindset of having a strategic plan so you can hand off to whatever that next board is so that there's continuity of what the priorities are, what the strategies are in moving the district forward. So they just don't throw the baby out with the bathwater, all the work that's been done and try to go down new trailblazes. So having a strategic plan, handing it off and helping them interpret it of how it's working, I believe is the right move also to do. >> But we do not have a set date. Oh, >> if I could interject, um, Dolores, I think, um, we're at a point where we're putting our our best foot forward with this
055plan and, um, hopefully the powers that be surrounding us will go along with that and agree. You know, that this is something that's worth following. It's it's very very well written and holds the best for the kids and um I was impressed with it. Well, I guess along with the the how do you say the results that we're seeing right in in the and the difference I see in in the how the the the schools are doing right that's also something that has to be considered right because if we seeing that they are what now we are have less uh absences Right. >> Correct. All of our measures different things. Exactly. >> Correct. Of our accountability plan, we've been ha able to hit all strides. Now, um let's not confuse with the academic performance. We
056know that. But when we when we first started this, we had like um let me talk to the resident historian. Where's Miss Wrangler? How many when we went in to receive a ship, how many schools uh were below the 10% in the district? Approximately 15 to 20. >> Yeah. >> Is that correct? >> You can nod your head. We don't have to We're not going to beat on you. Um was it about 15 or 20 that were in the lowest 10% Wow. >> Now in terms of progress, I believe we have eight to 10 schools, Miss uh Dr. Cataris below the 10 percentile the state >> five. >> There you go. So So Lynn says to me, Mr. Carrera, I think in three years, >> so we should be 50% have increased Lynn, would you
057come up to the microphone, please? >> You get a twofoot tonight. >> So, in 2024, we had seven schools that were below the 10th percentile, and we had two schools move out this year. Um the Arlington middle and the Bruce both moved from the below the 10th percentile up into the the Arlington moved to the 14th percentile and the Bruce moved to the 11th percentile. >> So going into this year, how many schools are below that percentile? >> Five. >> So So >> when we first started this, we were in double digits. >> What is it? >> Yes. So while we understand that academic achievement across the uh the state is not where it where it should be from before the pandemic uh era and we know that Lawrence has a pervasive uh number of
058uh poverty in our families and it takes a lot more work to move them along. the fact that we don't look at that measurement. We look at our schools are growing, >> the work is being done and we're moving our schools out of the bottom. So those are indicators that the Department of Education will also look at when they look at our metrics. Our attendance, our attendance percentile in the elementary grades is in the 90th percentile. Last year, we were highlighted in the uh Boston Globe for being one of the school districts that had a significant amount of students move out of chronic absenteeism. Uh our graduation rate is phenomenal. Our number of students taking AP courses are phenomenal. all of the indicators that they've put us in receiverhip, we're very comfortable that we can
059hold our head high of the work that's been done in the district. Now, it's about what's the plan forward. So, when we argue with them and and and defend the work that's been done in this school district, I think we could do that proudly. I can't do that with the governance structure. And I guess we have to do a some kind of a paper and and and document it and and print it to to demonstrate the you know >> the chair the the chair and I got a couple of uh tricks up our sleeves >> to put it to put it so so that >> learn from from this experience because it's been unique. Well, I think that each community that is in receiverhip is in a unique situation. Absolutely. They have their own experiences.
060Um, and I won't judge them. >> No, of course >> I will judge LPS and my judgment on LPS is that we have really started to do the work that is significant that we can be proud of. >> Superintendent, could I ask you a question about this? When um Lynn does a presentation with the MCAT, can these two the MCCAST results be meshed into the strategic plan as far as where we're weak and what needs to be done? I'm trying to find that on the accountability piece or coherency. Where are we? >> I pit circle >> unwavering belief in every student's capacity. What does that translate to? Yes. Well, you know what? We believe that every student can learn and our mission is that we are committed to empowering every student to excel. let's have
061a discussion of what that means. So I think it's it's it's interwoven that achievement has to happen and I think that as they delve into more dialogue and and and uh strategies and planning with the academic f faculty I think it's our goal to help our faculty understand what student achievement is how to measure it how to progress monitor it which is the reason why we have our uh systemwide MTSS system to be able to monitor student progress, tiered focused instruction so our most neediest kids get our most deserving experienced teachers to do that work for interventions and to support our students. So I think it you're absolutely right. We can't lose focus to that. But I think that there are several strategies that we look at to ensure that we make sure that our
062students are achieving at the end of the day is okay, we've done all of this, our kids aren't achieving. That means we have to have hard conversations and we started to do that with some of the consulting work that we do that are looking at and helping uh train our principles to when they go into you know that the toughest work was going into the classroom and observing and critiquing teachers. That's hard work. >> Of course it is. So, we're giving our principles um that opportunity to meet with the experts that we have here and they've already said after the first session, it's hard work. So, I said to Dr. Perry, good job. >> The hard work is the tough conversations. >> It always is. So we feel comfortable that piece by piece we've been
063moving the district in the right areas comprehensively without losing sight that our number one goal is to make sure our kids learn how to read and write by the time they graduate and they can they can compete with any other student in the Commonwealth that goes to public schools. So if we can get our kids at grade level through graduation, we know that the sky's is the limit for them. I hope I answered your question. >> You did. >> Thank you. >> You did. Thank you. >> Any further questions from the board? >> All right. Hearing Dolores, did you? Oh, okay. Hearing none. Could I have a motion to approve the district strategic plan? >> So move. >> I guess we can start by introducing ourselves as kind of goes. >> So moved. >> All
064right. We have Maria second. Second. >> Thank you. Um, Maria, please call the role. >> Escala. >> Yes. Yes. >> Edgar Deleon. >> Yes. >> Matias. >> Yes. >> Maria Müller. >> Yes. Sh. Patricia Mariano. >> Yes. Strategic plan passes. Congratulations. >> I thank the board for the support, the approval, and um it's exciting work that we're about to embark on, but we're going to show you some tremendous results in just six months. Um we're committed to it, and I think that um we're going to continue to uh tote or or toot our horn as to what come on board, help us. Okay. So, thank you for your vote of confidence on the strategic plan. A lot of work went to it as I said 11 months and the consultants. So thank you. Um >>
065all right. The um next item requiring a vote is the use of facilities. And you have an attached um >> Yeah. >> Uh we we do have our um >> director here for the handles facilities that she negotiates and doesn't get good vibe when she says no to them when they don't adhere to uh what the policies are. I know that we discussed that a couple of months ago, but this is a new set of them. Um, there she is. >> All right. Could I have a motion to um discuss the use of facilities and attached requests? >> So move. >> Thank you, Maria. >> Second. >> Thank you, Maria. Please call the role. >> Dr. Lores Galaf, >> yes. Edgar de Leon. >> Yes. >> Jana Matias. >> I saw her stepping out. >>
066Maria Müller. Yes. Sher Patricia Mariano. >> Yes. Motion passes. Thank you. >> Oh, I'm sorry. We We're open for discussion. >> Welcome, Miss Hernandez. Good evening, board members, superintendent. So, we have five um requests for approval tonight. Um I can go one by one. One is to use the gymnasium at the Weatherbe school for basketball um games. It's a nonprofit organization that every year typically um rents our space at the Weatherbe. Uh we present this um to you with a favorable recommendation. We also have a um performing arts center that um this is their second year doing their dance recital with us at the Lawrence High School performing arts center. They're requesting dates in December. The facilities um is available and um just like the prior one, they've also met the requirements of providing their
067insurance for liability and all of the stuff that we require. We also present this to the board with a favorable recommendation. We have um two requests from the community day charter public school. They usually use our param school for their um violin concerts. Oh. >> In dis in December and in May. Um we the space is available. We also present those two items with a favorable recommendation. And last but not least, we have the Lawrence Elks Hook Hoop Shoot. It's a basketball um competition day for um Lawrence kids from grades 5 through eight. Uh one day event on a Saturday, November 8th. They are requesting the Frost um school gymnasium that is also available for that day. And we also we're also presenting this to you tonight with a favorable recommendation. >> Thank you. Um
068Odonis, any discussion? All right. Could I have a motion to approve the list of school facilities that um that have been presented to us from the school department? >> So moved. >> Thank you. Wana second. >> Second. >> Thank you. Edgar Maria, please call the role. >> Dr. Dorf, >> yes. >> Edgar Deleon, >> yes. >> Matias, >> yes. Maria Müller abstain. Chair Patricia Mariano. >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> Carries. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> We'll move on to the U minutes. Could I have a motion to review the meeting minutes of June 11th, 2025? >> So move. >> Thank you, Maria. Second. Second. >> Thank you, Edgar. Maria, please call the role. >> Dores Khalaf, >> yes. >> Ega DeLeon, >> yes. >> Juana Matias, >> yes. >> Maria Müller, >> yes.
069Sher Patricia Mariano, >> yes. >> As you read these minutes, are there any corrections or emissions that you would like to take note of? It doesn't seem that I was there >> again. >> I was I don't see my name >> which I'm sorry >> on the on the >> journal level. I I know that at our la she wasn't >> in any >> Maria Maria tracked >> you know that in any other Jesus >> um >> but that's June >> in June I was not there >> you weren't there >> did I check >> I'll set any um further discussion could I have a motion to approve the June 11th minutes >> so move >> thank you Maria Second. >> Seconded. >> Thank you. Wana Maria, please call the role. >> Joes left. >>
070Abstain. Right. >> Ear deleon. >> Yes. >> Juan Matias. >> Abstain. >> Maria Mhler. Yes. Sher Patricia Mariano. >> Yes. And the last item that requires a vote are the minutes from September 10th, 2025. Could I have an o motion to open it for discussion? >> So move. >> Thank you, Maria. >> Seconded. >> Yes. Yes. Yes. Leon. Juana Matias. >> This is for to open up for discussion, not approve the minutes. Right. >> Oh, to approve. I say yes. I'm sorry. I thought I was to say >> yes. As well. >> Yeah. >> Maria Müller. Yes. Sher Patricia Mariano. >> Yes. All right. As you look at those minutes from last month, September 10th, 2025, are there any corrections or emissions? >> Hearing none, could I have a motion to approve the September 10th
071minutes? >> So move. >> Thank you, Maria. Second. >> Thank you. Maria, please call the role. >> Yes. >> Deleon. >> I abate. >> Matias. >> Abstain. >> Maria Müller. Yes. Sh. Patricia Mariano. >> Yes. >> What What's the vote on that? >> Uh is uh three say yes, two abstains. So motion pass. >> Okay. Thank you. Motion passes. At this time, I will gladly turn the meeting over to our superintendent. >> Thank you. Uh Madam Chair, with your permission, I would like to alter the uh row of individuals presenting uh where CFO has an important engagement to be at. And he thought, yeah, he was dreaming that we'd be out of here by 7:30. So, I'm going to have him um come first and he can then um dismiss himself. >> Okay. >> Thank
072you. Finance update. >> Thank you, Superintendent. Good evening, Madam Chair, members of the board. Um glad to be here. Um it'll be a brief uh presentation about about our first quarter. Um couple of things that I I want to highlight. Uh to begin, it's uh on the first slide. We have uh our finance team uh for this fiscal year. Uh we've worked hard to get on board. Um some bright folks, folks that have uh that have the knowledge. We have um for example, Dr. Jessica Ken. Um we have uh three of our members who have a master's degree. We have seven who have bachelor's in in finance and and business management. So, and then we have uh a few that have specialized certifications like you know certified public purchasing officers and um adv advanced accounts
073payable uh professional certificates. So, we've done a lot with the team making sure that we have uh professional capable and uh the best team that we can have uh for the benefit of our children. Um the second slide is uh a little bit about uh end of year fiscal year 25. Um for fiscal year 25 we're allocated 278,354,228. Uh we had a carry forward from fiscal year 24 of about $4.4 million which uh made our budget for fiscal year 25 282 million.7. um happy to to uh to let you know that out of that we spent 99.5% of our budget. So 99.5% of the budget was spent um I'm uh happy to say that that money was spent with purpose and and and meaningfulness. Um we looked at uh things that we needed. Uh one
074of the things I'll talk a little bit about some of the deficiencies that that we fixed. As a matter of fact, let's go to that in the uh in the next slide where some of the deficiencies that we tackled uh during fiscal year 25. Uh one of them was the staffing of of our department making sure that we had a a professional staff with with a strong finance background. Um, as far as spending, uh, making sure that we had timelines for, uh, targeting a meaningful spending. As I was saying, um, we looked at, uh, around April, we somewhat of closed the books and look at where we had money that had not been spent and look for meaningful places where we could make the most difference to spend that money on. So that that's what
075we did starting in April all the way to the end of the year. Uh as far as allocations, we we worked on equity across the board and uh and then accountability uh making sure that our financial responsibilities were being met on time. In the past uh we used to carry about 3 to four months uh of unpaid invoices. So we would be three four months behind on on paying our bills. and at the end of the year that made a difference because you still had that money there and it looked like you had the money but really it should have been spent on those invoices. So we've corrected a lot of that and in this year's budget you can see that lines like electricity, gas, water, those are things that uh were actually were budgeted
076on the actuals and not in on what it had been. So we spend uh a lot of money on those things and and prices don't go down on that. Um for fiscal year 26 uh the next slide. Yeah. So we we talked about this uh throughout the first half of of 2025. um some of the um initiatives that the superintendent um was interested in and that we put into motion like expansion the expansion of early childhood uh the our English language learners uh funding uh added positions and uh covering the gap uh for some of our lease properties. Our our district keeps growing. um we are leasing properties that we are responsible for to pay. So uh those are things again that cost doesn't go down and u I wanted to cover um let's see
077for fiscal year 26 some of the challenges that that we have and these are some of the things that we'll be talking about whenever I come up here. uh whenever I'm summoned or whenever we have our quarterly quarterly reports some of the challenges that we have as as we all know is the raising cost of our goods and services those are affecting tremendously uh if I can go to the next slide please thank you those are affecting our transportation facilities and also educational supplies um we have five uh contract negotiations going right now we closed four in the first half. Um I'm happy to say that um we did I believe we did a good job at bringing a staff to the market value of our our other like place districts have. Uh that includes
078our cafeteria workers that includes our safety officers that includes our LPNs and um we had another unit SEIU 888 uh which are the ones that we have finished right now. We're working with five uh five unions. Those are the teachers, the parl professionals, administrators, the clerks, and the custodians. So, we have five right now. and and I put that as a challenge because we are uh working with them and and making sure that folks come up to to the market value, but at the same time we we need to be fiscally responsible and make sure that that we provide for our children what what they need, right? Not just uh in some of the salaries. So, and then the the other challenge is the obvious one just uncertainty of of federal funds. We get about
079$21 million. Um, COVID funds were have been 100% exhausted. So, that means that we have zero dollars uh of the 40 odd $50 million that we got during during the co years. So, that money is gone. That money uh was used for example to cover transportation costs. We use uh in one given year about $9 million to cover some of the transportation costs. We spent about $34 million on our facilities um out of er funds. That money is not there. So what do we do now? That's what you know we'll be making decisions that that perhaps are not the ones that that we want to make but is the are the ones that we need. Um, I put a little example of of transportation here, for example, and and this is something that in education
080finance is being talked about all over the country. It's not just in the city of Lawrence. It's uh I put an article there from from the state of Ohio, from Bridgeport, Connecticut, from Columbus City uh schools and Youngsttown, Ohio, and Debford, New Jersey, and Chicago public schools. uh districts that have had to cut their transportation uh for the for the children, for the students. Um that is true everywhere. There are districts around us that where students have to pay to get on the bus. Um and and and the cost is not going it's not going down. So those are things again that we'll continue to talk. We just finalized uh uh our contract for this next year and uh >> we're looking forward to working with our vendor and and making sure that we continue
081to provide transportation for our children. But again, there was one given year that we used $9 million for transportation from ESER funds. If we found ourselves in a situation like that, again, those funds are not there. So, something to think about. Uh the next slide is facilities. Um again, 34 million of ESRE funds went to our facilities. Those are $34 million that we don't have today. So what do we do? How do we move forward to make sure that our buildings stay in the shape that they're in now um for our children? So I have some uh the firm maintenance agent infrastructures, funding gaps, supply chain uh costs. The American Society of Engineers uh just a couple of months ago did a study on the infrastructure of public schools and gave it a D+ and
082that is across the country and and our city is no different. We are we're not in a bubble. We're not different from anyone else as far as our financial u our finances. So we just need to be aware of these kind of things when we talk about money and understand that we are part of of what is happening around us is also affecting us and we need to start um again uh being fiscally responsible and spending in in those six goals and strategies that the superintendent put up here making sure that our children get what they need. The next slide, uh, fiscal year 26, uh, fiscal outlook. Uh, for this year, we had a budget passed for $35 million. We carry forward that.5% or $ 1.5 million for about 306.5 million uh, revised budget. uh
083things that are closely watching that we'll be watching this year this fiscal year is again the negotiations with our colle collective bargaining agreements uh transportation and facility costs federal funding and also just staying within our budgeted allocations. That is all that I have and I'm be more than happy to answer whatever questions you may have. >> Any questions? I just have one and I have to go back. Yes, ma'am. Um, >> how many staff members, newly staff members do we have? So, let me ask you and and we have our HR representative here, but are you talking about newly >> well >> to the district or new positions or >> funding added positions? >> so yes, >> I was going to go backwards at it, Madam Chair, because we receive from HR on a weekly
084basis vacancies. We are at the lowest point in the last five years. So we have approximately teaching teaching 83 vacancies only. Remember when I first started we were at 500 and >> we have 83 vacancies. >> That's it. >> Yeah. They've been working. We've been working. I mean I I I keep saying Lawrence Public Schools is the place to be. If you want excitement, we certainly can give it to you. But if you want a challenge, we'll give it to you also. Um, but we as uh, you know, let me just mention that uh, our CFO, he's such the fun guy. I I compare him as when you know, a nice warm night, we go have an ice cream and we say, "Let's get a large one." Right. There's on this side. Yeah. And then
085there's the CFO. He says, "Stick to the baby cook. to save some money. So, Mr. CFO comes into all our meetings and he reminds us of this, but that is his work. That is his job. And as you could see, we are expending all of the dollars that come to the city on behalf of kids. We demonstrated that before last year. That wasn't the case. All right. So as I just want you to think for a second for every for every just 10 teachers it's a million dollars and how many vacancies did I tell you we had 803 >> 838.3 million dollars okay so that is why it's important that Mr. Cabrera and his team are constantly bringing us updates, working in conjunction with HR so as the leadership team meets to where the priorities
086are that we're mindful of where our gaps or where our limits are. So, we stay within that. Now, we do believe that some of those positions have been around open for a couple of years. If they've been open since 2024, you really hit the delete button, right? So, we we believe that we're probably down somewhere with true vacancies about 40 teachers. >> Wow. >> Yeah. We've done a pretty decent job at making sure that. So, he's mindful because if we bring 10 more teachers is a million dollars. We also budgeted for negotiations, Madam Chair. And it's safe to say what we budgeted the negotiating team or whatever blew by that already by about $2 million. So, um, we want to make sure that we're fiscally responsible. The key to this is the federal funds that
087we continue to receive through the end of this school year because that's a huge impact. as you saw those numbers. If those numbers can continue to come in, we can come in on a balanced budget and we can start planning accordingly. But if we plan accordingly, at least we have those projections that we can be fiscally responsible. So, it's it's a balancing act and I think that that's what he does on a daily basis with staff and he brings this to you as a quarterly reminder and we will bring it to you every quarter so that as we go into the budget season you have a little bit of awareness of where we've come from and what our challenges are. Now, um, the subcommittee, are you able to meet with them on a monthly basis
088to share some of this information with them so that when the group comes to these meetings, they can they're more aware of what's happening with the budget. >> First meeting is next month. >> Absolutely, Madam Chair. And and I want to go back just one second. I don't have the exact number, but I can tell you that when we talk about adding fun funding positions, we're talking about the expansion of early childhood uh funding that we put into uh English language learners, those kind of things. Student student facing positions that that uh that have been that were added and and funded. Um as far as the the subcommittee, I'm more than happy to do that. I actually was thinking about every time, you know, on a monthly basis, show you, you know, show you the
089graph of how much money we're spending on a monthly basis, right? On on on things like uh benefits, salaries, goods and services, those kind of things so that we can keep track monthtomonth. You can see, okay, we were here and now we're here. One thing that we noticed last year was uh the peak in spending which used to happen in June kind of it always happens in June because we pay more salaries in June uh because our teachers go home for the summer but the it was more of a of a gradual linear increase right because we were again when you do meaningful and purposeful spending you're spending throughout the year for your school for your department for whatever and the line doesn't look at the end like oh we have this money we got
090to spend it and then it goes like this right we kind of uh spent in a way that that I feel was responsible and uh and that's what we'll continue to do >> so I guess the chair announced uh different subcommittees and I know that you and I and the chair are on it all that's left is to come up with a agreeable date and time on the monthly schedule so we'll get got done and we look favorable to having those wonderful discussions of our budget. >> Thank you, Jess. Well, any other questions? >> Yeah, I just have a I guess a question and more of a concern. It it looks like we have to spend more money. It looks like that we're making um deals with our unions where we should and we have
091to pay people appropriately. And yet what Cabera is has to deal with is less money than we ever had because the city is giving us less. And I just I I mentioned this in the la one of our last meetings. I think it was in June. To me, the math is not mathing. I guess my question is I I I at a certain point, do we have to make cuts to some of the programming that we're doing? We don't have CO money anymore. We receive we agreed for some reason a budget that that means that the city's giving us less money. eventually, you know, the rubber meets the road. Are we going to have to eventually hire less, cut programming, etc., etc.? >> Well, that's what we're hoping that we don't have to do. Um,
092Mr. Deleó, and uh, as I mentioned earlier, so long as the level of funding that we are getting from the federal government, it provides a little bit of cushion. Let's be honest. And if we have that, I think we could still provide the level of services to our students, but still be a little bit meaner. Means we gota, you know, do a little more exercise to trim down. There is a there is some cushion there approximately maybe 10%. But in a year where you have all of the unions up to negotiation, obviously you'll see a peak there, right? So when we finish with all of these negotiations, we know what our commitment is for each of the unions in terms of salaries for the next three years, we could forecast and try to make those
093adjustments within the budget. >> Yeah. I I what I want to voice is and it really doesn't matter at this point is my disappointment that Cabrera and you don't have actually the funds that we need because we're in a we're in a state where the federal government is um un funding is unstable is best is is what I'll say and and we have to meet all those demands and then the city comes back with a with a reduction of of of contributions. To me, I don't know. To me, I I'm a little disappointed, I guess. >> Mr. Deon, if I may say, and you're saying exactly um you know, you're saying it how it is, right? And those are the things that superintendent talked about the things that that sometimes keep us up at night,
094right? With me, with me, it's about >> I got to watch I got to watch every dollar every day. >> Absolutely. >> I got to I got to put up on a screen and and that's what I see every day. >> Yeah. I I I have to keep track. Um you know, I think it is common for >> 75 78% of any given budget to go towards salaries, right? And and if you go across the Commonwealth and look at uh other districts that that that's where they're at, right? And then and we're close to that. I don't know that we are outside of the of the realm of, you know, where it should be. Um yeah, >> but you know it's a matter of again >> we as a community in need, right? We we
095have an we got an extra influx of of dollars that are not there now. So so >> that's right. >> So the the the the >> the thing is you know the the thinking needs to be you know how do we adjust from that influx of dollars that are not there anymore. So I don't know uh that we're talking about cutting as much as we are talking about reassessing uh again our goals and priorities and putting the dollars where is uh most meaningful. >> Right. And to be and to be clear, what I'm saying is I I I feel like I wish we gave you guys a more of a budget to to make these decisions and I wish this city was a little more supportive in that and understanding that we have all these
096needs and a growing population of kids that we have to serve. And that's my disappointment, I guess, is >> I personally appreciate that voice >> uh as you do your work and you stare in that screen like you said. I you know I wish we would have made a different decision but it is what it is though. >> Thank you Mr. Deleó. >> Yeah. >> Anything else? >> No. >> Good. Go ahead. >> Thank you, sir. >> Thank you very much. Have a good evening. >> Appreciate it. >> Thank you. Thank you, sir. >> All right. Our much anticipated enrollment slash attendance presentation. Um, Miss Maria Ortiz, one of our uh family uh losing myself. No, one of our directors from our our uh FCR department who handles enrollment. This is always a moving target,
097but it's it's almost slowing down for a little bit. >> Good evening. >> Till after the New Year's break. >> Welcome. >> Thank you. Thank you for having me here. This is also in our packets. Okay. >> What do we got for students which equals how much money we have? So right now we stand um the total enrollment on 13 165 student across the district wide and you can see here I divided everything for elementary, middle and high school student. Um prek right now we have 499 student enrolled. Um kindergarten we had 846. Um first grade 1028, second grade 1044, third grade 104 student and fourth grade 982. A total of elementary school student I'm sorry 5,43. Then we had the middle school um fix sixth and seven eighth grade. Um, as you can see,
098fifth grade it is 988, sixth grade it is 969, 7th grade 1,035, and 8 grade 10,070. A total meter student 4,62. Um high school student we have 9th grade 809 10 grade 935 11 grade 871 and 12th grade 9998 and the 13 that's more for a student we in a special classroom for IB um 65 student >> those are turning 21 students that they stay at the high school we provide additional services >> correct So the total is 3,678. So we have the total amount on 131 I'm sorry 143 it is the total >> Maria how many students did if you recall how many students at this time last year did we have >> I'm sorry I can't hear you >> how many students last year at this time that we have >> and you
099can see the table there it was last year 13 22nd >> so are we down or up >> we're down right now. >> Mhm. >> Okay. Um, you want to continue on your second page? I think you have it broken down by the different schools. Correct. >> Correct. Um, this is the way that I monitor um the grades and the cap at the school level. As you can see on numbers, they highlighted that mean those grade that are in whole due to capacity. Um so what we try to do normally is when we are over capacity we try to assign student to the closest school neighborhood >> and then the rest of the um slideshow it is is individual school. Everything is by you can see we have the classroom and the division by um
100the size of student in the classroom with the cap and the total amount that we have in the moment and the last column will be how many student by class >> that we have correct at the Oliver middle you have a student teacher ratio of 29 and 30 to one correct >> correct >> and then the so >> yeah Remember elementary um the cap is completely different from middle school. So that is the different between elementary and middle school. >> So at the olive we have four grades already closed. >> Correct. >> Because they're at capacity. Correct. >> Yes. >> And where is um where is the uh ley? >> Um the next one I believe the before. Yeah, that one. Ley in the bottom. >> The ley. The le is the one that I
101have from >> third grade. >> Correct. The le is the one that I have from first grade to third already closed >> and sixth grade. >> Correct. So when we have grades that are closed like this and f new families come in and they go to register, if they live in those neighborhoods for those particular grades and there's not opening there, where do they where do they get moved? So basically we try to allocate based in the distant. Um so at this moment could be it could be the Arlington school for middle school or it can be um the Tarbox is I had the family for the other side of street it could be the parton school. >> So it all depend in the area where the family are located. Um, madame chair and members
102of the board, um, this tells the story and it lets you know the work that our staff has to do at trying to appease families. I know there was one other question, siblings. >> So when we have sibling, we try our best to keep the family together. We don't try um to separate the family. So basically they stay is we located the parton. So the entire family will go to the parton. So the family don't has to be around going to different school. >> So if we have a family already registered at one of our schools that that classroom is closed, the new sibling coming in that can't go into that school. Do you offer the family to take the new sibling plus the one that was at the school to take the whole family?
103>> Correct. We give the option to family. Um I always try our best to accommodate family in the let's say like you the sample that you just give me um the sibling is already assigned in the school and I have a new one. So we always try to um get a option with the principal and see how we can accommodate the sibling. If that doesn't happen let's say the because of capacity then um we give the option to the family to assign to another school the entire family. I mentioned to you when you first came up to present uh the heavy lifting for enrollment has settled down a little bit but we're they're still trickling in. So usually the the cycle is around now it it settles down correct >> lets you folks catch up
104and right after the holidays madam chair you're a veteran at this right come the first day back from New Year's some teachers will have >> it's like another way of newcomers >> some teachers will have six or eight brand new students that don't speak a lick of English. >> Go ahead. >> Yes. These are the strategies that we've had to learn to implement and try to feel. That's something you don't get, Maria. Right. So, we we do expect And what do we normally average coming in after the holiday break in your experience? >> Uh in my experience, normally it is around I would say normally February that we start you know getting steady again. But what's the number? >> Oh, the number um normally it is almost 500 student more from the beginning. >> Between
105300 to 500 >> After the holiday. Correct. >> Yeah. It's a big waiver during January. >> We don't got nowhere to put them. >> Wow. >> Hopefully we still have space. So if members of the board you do receive concerns, complaints because they don't send you thank yous about families trying to register in schools. It's not that we don't want them there. We're trying to make it uh uh feasible so that our teachers can teach right >> with with the blockage that we have because you know what two schools they're trying to get into, Madam Chair, right? >> I certainly do. >> All right. Any questions but for board members? >> We're good. >> Thank but thank you for the presentation. >> Thank you everyone. >> One thing that I want to want want to
106take note of is attendance >> through October 3rd. I know that we do this on a daily basis but I want the board to know that our daily attendance rate is 92.3%. Our goal is 95% or higher and we do have schools that have hit 97. This is in spite of the environment, the conditions that we're living in, the amount of immigrant families that we have. That tells you the work that our attendance office are doing of establishing relationships with families, ensuring them that they're safe, that the best place to be is in school. So those conversations happen and I think that that's a result. Uh you all know that we've had at least one or two incidences in the last month around uh around the city. We immediately look at our attendance to see
107is there a dip, no dip, steady as we go. >> That speaks very well when you don't have that dip. >> Yes. Yeah. Yeah, I think that the staff has established a relationship with our families that's trustworthy and they trust them, our teachers. >> Any other questions for uh Miss Ortiz, >> Madam Chair? >> Thank you. Have a good evening. >> Thank you so much. Last but not least, the warrior, the one that builds schools, that maintains schools and make sure and cracks the whip that it gets done on time. Our chief operating officer, uh, MSBA construction update. Soon we will be done. Hello again. Do we have a presentation, Susan? >> Huh? >> Doesn't matter. Which one do you have? >> Okay. Oh, >> so this is the the Lehey school. So we as
108you both as we all know uh we celebrated the um grand opening um in August August 12th and August 18th for the Lehey. Um both schools are still going through what we call um any remaining punch list. What that means, it was still going through um finishing touches um for both of the schools. The Lehey um started a year after um the Oliver School construction did. So, there's a little bit more um finishing touches that were working through the Lehey school. Um however, um you know, we have about a thousand students in there already between the Lehey Elementary and the Lehey Middle School. Um and the the project team is progressing um through those u finishing touches. This is the playground. If you are on Facebook, there's some nice videos that have been um generated
109um through some drone um videos uh on behalf, you know, that the city of Lawrence has done for the school and they're very very nice and captures um the the entire playground area. This is our cafeterium to the the picture on my right. And then on the left is um one of the uh one of the classroom spaces. That's just an image from our beautiful decoration. And and there it's one of the um um pieces that um the commission I can't remember the name. the historic sorry the historic commission um uh unveil that the day of the um ceremony. >> I can only imagine what that might look like for Christmas will be there and everything >> the end. You can go to the Oliver. Thank you. Susan, >> so we're still on punch list.
110>> Yes, sir. >> Working through no major challenges, correct? >> No major challenges. Just going through normal um finishing touches. Same thing for the Oliver school. Um the project team is still um around our schools just doing um the punch list or some of the finishing touches that they that they review. As we know, the construction phase was was was one thing and then the the team stays um the construction the OPM they work really close with the with the school and the city to do the close out. So we we anticipate the close out to be it's a year from when we open the school. So they they're still with us. They continue to to work with us. There's we continue to have monthly weekly and monthly meetings to just go through all the
111um the budgetary and the um reimbursements through the MSBA that then the city of Lawrence will receive through this through this construction. Just some artwork from the interior of the building and then the cafeteria at the bottom. The picture on the left. >> It looks like a school now. >> It does. And then there's a drone footage that um you can view. It's also on our website. And just a picture of the the day of the day of the ceremony. All in all, are we pleased with the with the work? Punchless. Kids are adjusting, teachers are chasing them. Um, and everybody is uh adjusting, right? >> Yeah. Yes. Everyone is adjusting. Students are really happy. I mean, it's very different school, at least for the Oliver, a very different school um when the staff and
112the students left to what they came in um and are experiencing. Um brand new schools, four or five floors. So, they're adjusting to the up and down stair of the stairs. Good exercise, I guess. five floors. >> Yeah. >> Three or four times a day. We got the best shaped teachers >> in another two more months. >> They are divided by parts and they're divid the floors are divided by grades. So usually you have your elementary and the first second floors and then you have your middle schools on the third and fourth. >> The teachers going up five flights of stairs three times a day. Wow. Okay. Um, have we had open houses for each one of them for families to come in? >> Yes, both schools have had had open houses and in fact
113the Oliver Elementary is having a community fair tomorrow night where they're inviting members of the community and they'll they inviting parents as well. So, and then they'll that's another opportunity for the families of that building to also see their new school. >> The important question is will there be any pastitos? >> There has to be pastitos. I'll I'll verify that tomorrow. >> See, it's just a common practice. >> Any questions? >> I have one. And um I'm going to sound like Debbie Downer, but I I don't mean to. Today during that rainstorm, did we have any kind of leaks or anything from the roof? Um, Chris, >> here's your guy. >> No, that's great. Remember, I lived with the flood. >> Oh, yeah. I mean, the last rainstorm that we had, we did have rain
114and it was, I guess, inside of the ceiling, one of the catch basins. They took care of it right away. >> Condensation. >> However, this is the time for those things to happen, right? because we're still we're still we're still in the finishing touches. They're still with us for another year for close out. So, if anything is to happen, this is a time for those kind of little minor issues to to appear so that we have the construction team there with us. We have our OPM and this will be the time for us to be able to work alongside them to resolve those issues. >> So, our facilities directors on top of that, right? Yes, >> that's why I asked the question where there are now. Um, >> Mr. Marina has moved his office part
115time to the Lehey school also to continue to monitor. I'm serious. >> Hey, it's 14. >> His assistant director has an office space at the Oliver. >> It's a $40 million baby. >> That's right. >> We need to protect it, >> right? He's doing a great job of protecting it. >> Any other questions, Madam Chair? >> No, I've I've asked all one. >> Okay. Someone told me that they heard the mayor saying that he wants to build two more new schools. I said good luck. >> No, not while we're here. I don't know. He must have been happy or something, you know. But onward. Um, last but not least, Madame Chair, is my um, district update. What I tried to do is because we didn't get a chance to do September, I've combined both of
116them. Um, can we get it up in the screen? That's not my district update. It's backwards, right? It should say LPS September. There you go. So, we start um with the Breen opening. Um if you could see our parents how happy they are to drop their children off. On the other side is the Olive Ele, but that's during Hispanic Heritage Month. Um the other one was was our prek uh program and students coming back to the to the district. Madam Chair, members of the board, our next slide, summary summer or summary summary. LPS High School uh class of 2025 welcomed 84 new members in the annual August graduation. That's bringing our total to 873 when we report in October because we are allowed to bring them in. So those uh 70 84 students uh graduated.
117I believe that we're still checking the record, but I think we shattered it. Someone said that it was about a 809 our largest class. But um if you look also, Madame Chair, at the numbers that Maria presented, if you looked at the eighth grade class, it's almost hitting a thousand coming in. Our numbers are are growing because we're keeping our students. LPS nutritional service served over 74,000 meals to school age kids at the 32 schools and city sites as part of the six week summer programs. More than 2,200 students participated in the summer across four programs that we restructured and we reestablished that included um newcomers and we expanded our performing arts that all of you had an opportunity. Uh if you made it to opening day, you saw our our kids there. On our
118next page, obviously August was a time to celebrate the accomplishments of a lot of years of work. Madam Chair, thank you for participating. The Oliver ribbon cutting, the Ley uh ribbon cutting, the dedication to you and your family for all of your work, Madam Chair. Um and as you heard, Odonis, the schools are running well. Um unfortunately we've had to close 50% of the classroom because of the demand that we have in that area. Um opening day we were blessed to have our performers. There is no uh shortage of talent in our students. >> I can tell you that. Um in the middle page you have the commissioner there that was wowed and said how do you how do you train them? I said we invest in them. We need more money. Um any chance?
119And obviously you could see the madam chair reminding me of if pigs could fly. Um that's on my window still. Want you to know that uh successful school opening. You could see the kids excited back at the main campus looking at their schedules and obviously our young ones coming back to school. How much they love being in school and coming back to their teachers around LPS. Uh we're grateful for always for the partnership that we have with the Pedro Martinez Foundation. Um they also have a partnership with Tus Health Dental. So whenever the Pedro Martinez Foundation comes to Lawrence public schools, they bring Tus dental and health clinic their mobile uh um carts and we place them around the district. That's really flourishing. I think our families especially love that opportunity. Um, thanks to the
120WNB Connecticut at Sun Academy. Everyone's a player and all is sponsored for holding a free LHS clinic for our women's equity day August 26. If you can see them there, um, our nutritional service, if you remember last year, we said that we're going to be bringing on a nutritionist. She has done a phenomenal job. She takes her staff and she announces and she goes around to different schools every Friday and she puts on different foods that kids can taste to see if they score it up or score it down and if they want it on their menu. So, she's interacting more. That's why we're we're hopefully lunch. We know that we're seeing more participation. Breakfast will talk. Uh continued around the district. Um the National Hispanic Heritage Month o uh October is now through September
121and you can see all the uh activities that they have bringing families in and obviously it allows our families to bring in their different culture with the food that they have. As I mentioned before is there's one thing good that we do at Lawrence Public Schools is we eat well. Um obviously we had a chance to um uh put out a press release, join our busing contract. We have uh 10 mini buses, which is our special ed buses, and 25 of the big buses. All of these are electrical buses that's been in the works for the last couple of years. Thanks to Senator Marky, our uh state senator, um our legislature, the mayor's office, we were we were finally able to get them on the road. The biggest challenge we had for them is their
122charging stations of where they put them. >> So, they have them there now. It saves Everyone thinks that the uh electric buses are about saving money. It's about the environment. It's about the diesel. And if you ever been next to a regular bus, when they turn it on, it don't matter how good your air conditioning is or your filter, you know that they turned it on. So, they're quiet. When they go to our neighborhoods in the wee hours of the morning, you don't hear them. They're like on stealth mode. So, uh pollution to the environment has been reduced. Noise pollution. Um our kids like them. The air conditioning in them is modern. Um, on a charge of uh three hours, they can do approximately 350 miles. One of the things that Miss Hernandez will do
123is now track our field trips because they used to charge us gas, diesel. We'd like to see a reduction in that because they're electric, right? So, we're always looking for a way to save uh dollars for our our students. At the um at the main campus, we've instituted a robotics lab. You see on the top picture there, kids have already competed. Our aviation program, our pathways, um that's not one of our students on the plane, but they will be on the plane. We just uh purchased uh simulators for the lab that the kids are all excited about. Our partnership with Harvard on our health program with our kids that they go and participate in the Harvard nursing program, our pathways programs of high school are really really taking off. Not to be confused with early
124college which has flown. Um it is really exciting for our kids at the main campus of all the opportunities that they have. It's a matter of of getting them orientated. Um these labs are one period at a time so they can get an orientation of what those um CTE fields are are are about and then by the time they move on to sophomore and and second year they move into those pathways. um department updates. You know that we have uh up to 4,500 students that were transporting from school each and every day. The the transportation budget that the city is supposed to be responsible for is hovering around $13 million. So, we're trying to hold it. But we find that our biggest cost is our homeless students because many of our homeless students that are
125in the custody of the department of education, not I'm sorry, the department the the ch um DCF department of children and families. If they're in their custody and they don't have placements here, they place them out of district. We're required through the McKenna Vento law to bust them. And then there's the homeless ones. We have kids that travel as far as where Miss Odon is. >> We have kids in in foster home and in our homeless situation that we go and pick up that travel as far as how many miles to our communities. >> Oh, we have kids that we transport from Framingham, Worcester, um, Dorchester. >> This is them having to get up extra early. >> I'm sorry. >> This is them having to get up extra early >> for sure. Yes. and then
126get on our small buses, private transportation, and hit the road in the traffic that they have. >> Um, I think it's a sort topic that we're trying to work with our legislature to try to come up with means that if they're going to be placed there for the year, please allow them to be in those school districts. What is our current approximate cost of that budget of us transporting students that are under the custody of DCF or homeless? >> Our budget um it's about two and a half million for the three years. So about it's about three the three-year contract about two and a half >> each year. >> Okay. So let you know it is a cost that we're working with and we have no control of that. When we have a family that
127comes to us, if they're a homeless family, we've got to work with the social agencies and get them placed. If we can't get them placed in the city, they place them out of the city, they automatically qualify for uh public transportation for school transportation. Correct. >> Correct. >> Okay. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Um Yes. So if if they don't live in the city, >> Mckin Vento, no, they live in the city, but they're but they're placed out of the city. They're residents of the city of Lawrence, but because they're homeless and the shelters might not be able to keep them up there and the shelters work with the network, they can place them in low >> Oh, I see. >> Lynn. >> Okay. But the residents of the city and because of the
128McKin vanto law we have to provide transportation. One of the things that I mentioned madam chair that we started to do in house and this is uh the talent of uh your favorite director of facilities. You only have one so he has to be your favorite. Um one of our schools and we're looking at our oldest schools. The bottom picture is the new cafeteria at the Tarbach school. doesn't even look like it belong if it belongs there, right? So modern. So we're looking at this school next year, maybe the Rollins, the following year, the Leonard, to upgrade our kitchens because as we upgrade them, we can offer more variety, more culturally sensitive food for our kids to be able to eat and they love going to the cafeteria. That's their place that they go, right?
129So, uh, we were able to wrap that up this summer. Uh, Mr. Merino's team did a phenomenal phenomenal job. Um, I like to say we pulled that offer a little bit under 175,000 versus if we went out to bid, they would have tagged us for $4 million. So that's why I say his crew and the talent of the maintenance department. Um, they really enjoy these types of things because they know where it's going to and they enjoy receiving all the accolades when they when all the teachers and staff come back to school. um department update I believe LPS school so nutritional services I'm sorry the picture on the left is our new staff coming in here's the number we had 167 new staff to start the new school year including 139 new teachers okay all
130of them were hosted by HR help them understand what the expectations were benefits package age, assign their computers, let them know who their their principles were. Um, they did that at the uh at the uh main campus. That's the background over there. That's blue. So, they had a nice day. All the staff came in, presented themselves, what they do, and what we can do to help them. Nutritional services. These are our numbers that Miss Odonis and I have been tracking and we're not liking them. This is the breakfast program. what you see there. So on the June of 2025, you saw that after we talked to them, they started to get them up there. But after now two months, there's some schools that are doing really well, but there's some schools like the Frost School,
13146%. That's unheard of. The Oliver Complex, there's almost a thousand kids there. Only 37% of them are eating breakfast. Now remember, the lower the number, the less money. We left on the table almost $5 million in return because of our breakfast program last year. So we got to keep that campaign going of uh how do we get principles to buy in for our kids? Weather be madam chair 32%. Only 32% participated free breakfast. Our entire school district is free breakfast. Okay. So, if you hear me harp on that, I'm going to be harping on it till we get that up to 75% each. >> Superintendent, why don't we have um maybe a day every month where the children can bring their parent to breakfast >> where they can bring their parents breakfast from school. >>
132Yeah. >> Oh boy, there'll be a revolution. Superintendent and Madam Chair, I may add uh for the the new complexes um because we combined some of the ch another not the challenges, some of the things that the staff, the students are getting used to is a new system is coming through the line. So, um we expect those numbers to go up fairly quickly. Um in terms of the Oliver school, um they used to have a system where it was a grab and go in the morning. So, now they're getting used to actually eating in the cafeteria. But I thought we I thought when we discussed that we said they should do both. Kids that come in early should go to the cafeteria. The late comer is up on top. We have the grab and go.
133>> Correct. So we do the grab and goes for late arrivals but last year for the Oliver Elementary the grab and goes or eating in the classroom. Now we're trying to now it's a new system. They're eating in the cafeteria and we still do the grab and goes. So, we are expecting those numbers to go up because the the staff obviously in the cafeteria with the administration and our nutrition services department, they're working really close with uh with the schools. And at the weather be um something new that we're doing with them this year is that we're doing um actually hot um items. So, we're serving hot um breakfast um versus a graband-go option as well. So, it's getting the kids used to this new model of come sit in the cafeteria, enjoy a hot
134breakfast. Um, and for our our students that are arriving late, then they also have the opportunity to do grab and goes. So, we hope to have better numbers. We know we're going to have better numbers for you next month. >> If there's progress and it grows monthly, I'm happy, >> right? >> Yes. >> Oh, so long as our kids are eating and I think that we need a campaign to help parents know what we have. And I know that we publicize our breakfast menu and our lunch menu. We're doing a woman's idea of of uh I don't know about sending breakfast to them but inviting them for breakfast a morning tea. >> That's a good idea. >> Morning he >> oh yes >> right those kinds of that's where we can have hib and have
135a little bit of talk. Speaking of talk, on your last page, uh, virtual coffee hours with the superintendent, uh, when man, excuse me, when Miss Campusano is not running LEA board meetings, she's cracking the whip on me of meeting with parents. Uh, in two weeks, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, we've debied them up. So, the conversations and the topics are pertinent. So we've broken it down to kindergarten and prek because those are sensitive matters, right? Uh the next level would be students in grades five through eight. And then obviously the last one, what are the challenges and what needs to happen in high school to be successful moving on to college. So we try to focus our coffees to talk about those things. One that's not here I don't think Maria that we haven't put on
136here is I know that parents of special education students asked if they can have their own personal one also and uh I spoken to uh our special education director and assistant superintendent about that. So I think that we're comfortable with working with that and if there's any component of the law that I don't have I will have a shadow make me look good that I know the answer whether she puts the earpiece. I I can't know all the special education law but I think I'm comfortable around our parents but I think that that's a sensitive issue that we really need to bring our parents closer together to help them understand because it's frustrating. is so bureaucratic um the whole process of special ed. So um that's my report. Madame chair, we stay busy. Thank you.
137>> Thank you, Superintendent. Um I am in awe of everything that has been going on. Um, tonight these presentations were incredible and um, I'd like to thank you, your leadership team, and um, the teaching staff for putting this all together and and making it a good fit for our kids. So, I want to thank you for a very interesting meeting. I don't know how anybody can say we're not meeting what we should be doing. Um, we're doing everything possible for our kids and that makes me very very happy. >> Appreciate those comments on behalf of the staff, Madam Chair. Um, we're slowing down a little bit. So, I told them, listen, if you can sneak off for a three or four day vacation to recharge your batteries, but they're holding off. I forgot that when
138we presented the calendar, we got 16 days off. This is that year that where where it falls. So there's 16 days >> off. So they'll take advantage and put in for time off to be able to travel and regenerate. We'll also have our parents that'll take more than 16 days off that are we will start Maria and I at our parent coffees. They'll add two at the beginning and two at the end for 20. >> Right. So, um no, >> but we're we're going to get there. We're going into the fall. We feel good where we're at. Kids are learning. Kids are coming to school. Staff are getting adjusted to new buildings. the high school is like really really uh executing and running. So, we feel comfortable where we're at and the work that we
139have. Uh you gave us a new charge by voting on the strategic plan. They're saying, "Oh my god, who do we assign?" But I think we're excited about that because we could we could see the vision of that if we stick to it, we'll have good news. So, thank you. >> Thank you. Any comments before we adjourn? All right. At this time, I'll like to entertain a motion to adjourn with the next anticipated LE board meeting scheduled for November 12th, 2025. Could I have a motion, please? >> So moved, Madam Chair. >> Thank you. Second, >> Maria, thank you. Maria, please call the role. Jojo Lores Kala. >> Yes. Yes. Let's go home. >> EA DeLeon. >> Yes. >> Matias. >> Yes. >> Maria Müller. >> Yes. Chair Patricia Mariano. >> Yes. Thank you. Um
140we are adjourned and have a good night. >> Good night.