001All right, let's get started tonight. Thank you all for being here. Always exciting to see all these people who care about public education. So, really appreciate you being here today. Uh this public regular meeting of the board of education for October 14th, 2025 is called to order. All items being considered this evening are posted on the PPS website on the boards and meetings tab. This meeting is being streamed live on PPS TV services website and on channel 28. will be replayed through the next two weeks. Please check the district website for replay times. Uh good evening and welcome. Uh thank you all for being here again. And before we get started, a couple housekeeping reminders. Um again, super glad we have so many community members here in attendance today. Uh and especially taking your time
002out of your your busy life and especially those who are going to be testifying as well. Thank you for uh sharing your input with us. Um, if you wish to display signs or banners, we just ask you keep it below your chin level so that people behind you can have their wonderful view. Um, also make sure you keep the aisles and uh, walkways clear just for safety reasons. Um, in general, just be mindful of others and, you know, um, practice general respect. Uh, this we have a really full agenda this evening. Uh we are going to be recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month, Indigenous People's Day, and we will start with Hispanic Heritage Month. So, Dr. Armstrong, I'm really glad to hand this off to you to introduce this. >> Absolutely. Good evening. As Chief of Schools,
003Dr. Isaac Cardona, makes his way up to introduce the speakers this evening. just want to say how uh much of an honor um and how excited we are at this opportunity to honor and recognize those who come together to support um all of the communities that support his Hispanic and Latino uh heritage. Dr. Cardona, >> thank you. >> During Hispanic Heritage Month, we uplift the voices of our students, staff, and families. Each and every student has a story to tell. amazing stories about their lives and their culture, their upbringing. And tonight, I want to call to the deis the team from Jason Lee Elementary School, including principal Alma Velasquez, who will be introducing her student speaker. [Applause] Good evening everybody. Uh my name is Alma Velasquez, principal at Jason Lee and um I'm very very
004honored to bring with me tonight a very special student, Hiv Gonzalez and his mom, Maida Gonzalez. Hif is going to tell you a little bit about himself and his culture and why he is so proud to be Hispanic. >> Hello everyone. Hola toos. My name is Gonzalez and I'm in fifth grade at Jason Lee Elementary. I'm proud to be Guatemalan because it's part of who I am. My family, my culture, and my roots. At Jason, we have students from many Hispanic countries, and I love how everyone feels welcome and included. I'm Jason Lee. Our culture is full of delicious food like tamales, tacos, and puls. And we love to celebrate with music, dancing, and family. I'm thankful for the teachers and staff who support us and remind us to be proud of where we come
005from. and tell stories that make people smile. Thank you and happy Hispanic Heritage Month. Great job, Hif. I got a chance to sit by Hif at Hispanic Heritage Month at Jason Lee. Um, and he shared with me some some beans for a Laria game. So, I was like, I would love to have you come speak more about this at the board meeting. So, thank you to you and your mother for coming today. Awesome. Thank you all. Thank you. That was awesome. Do I have a motion and a second to adopt resolution 7185, resolution proclaiming the celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month in Portland Public Schools? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Director Split moves and director Sullivan seconds. Any board discussion? I was pretty convinced by that, so I think we're ready to go here.
006Uh, Miss Bradshaw, is there any public comment? >> No. All right. The board will now vote on resolution 7185, resolution proclaiming the celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month in Portland public schools. All in favor, please indicate by saying yes. >> Yes. >> All opposed. >> Abstensions. Student representative RTO. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Resolution 7185 is approved by a vote of 7 to zero with student representative RTO unofficially voting yes. Thank you and congratulations. And thank you to to the student. It was very brave of you. Wonderful presentation. All right. Next up, we have uh we'll begin by acknowledging Indigenous People's Day. Dr. Armstrong. Could you >> Absolutely. As our student engagement coach for the McDaniel cluster, Glenn Lamont comes forward to speak on this resolution. I echo what I echo before or what I
007said before is is just an honor to recognize Indigenous People's Day, a time that honors history, cultures, and the ongoing contributions of native people. I'll turn it over to Glenn. Thank you for being here. >> Good evening. My name is Glenn Lamont. On my mother's side, my ma my family comes from Elan Vanin. My father is Chhattasia. While my relatives aren't indigenous to this region, the original people of this land who have hunted, gathered food, played, and buried their ancestors here have graciously allowed me to call this place home. I am forever grateful and forever in debt to them. This is why I'm here today, to express my support for making Indigenous People's Day an official observance, not just in my school district, but in all of ours. I speak not only as an indigenous
008person, but also as a PPS employee, a community member, a husband, a father, an uncle, and as a son. Recognizing Indigenous People's Day is not simply about adding a date to the calendar. It's about acknowledging the deep and lasting history, culture, and contributions of indigenous people who have lived in and cared for this region for thousands of years and many, many more to come. There's a quote by John Trudeell, a poet and an activist that has always stayed with me. The hardest part about forgetting is remembering to forget. It reminds us how easily history can be buried or ignored. Not because people want to forget, but because remembering often means facing difficult truths. It re officially recognizing Indigenous People's Day invites all of us from all walks of life and privilege to remember and learn
009together, even when it's uncomfortable. For many years, indigenous histories and voices have been overlooked or simply missing from what we collectively learn from each other as educators and what we share with our very own students. This resolution creates an opportunity for us all to um as students, educators, families, and community members to engage in honest conversations, deepen our understandings, and respect indigenous perspectives. This is not about taking away from somebody else's view and replacing it with another. It's about expanding our shared story to include everyone's experience. By passing this resolution, we have acknowledged what we are doing. Our ancestors are listening and our children are watching and learning. We must make a conscious choice and take a meaningful step towards building a bridge. One that connects our shared past with a future where indigenous stories
010and identities are fully recognized and honored. It reflects it reflects a commitment to come together not just for this board but for each one of us to learn from one another and to continue moving forward as a united community. As I often remind myself, a man should not be judged on how hard they fall, but how well they can pick themselves back up. Indigenous People's Day is about rising together, acknowledging the challenges of our history and choosing to move forward, united, stronger, and with greater understanding. we choose to honor, teach and celebrate today shapes the values of our children carrying into tomorrow. Cha Lachi Yakoki. >> Thank you. Thank you, Glenn Lamont. That was so well said. >> So well said. Do I have a motion and a second to adopt resolution 7186, resolution recognizing
011Indigenous People's Day. >> So moved. Second. >> You want to flip a coin? Michelle, >> let's let's have uh >> Director Chase Miller moves and director Lefor seconds. >> Thank you. Is there any board discussion? >> Besides that, that was an amazing um uh presentation. Thank you. Uh Miss Bradshaw, any public comment? >> Yes. Lisa Willer Wheeler. Thank you for being here, Lisa. Um, it's good to see you again. I I assume you know the public comment. You've been you're a pro here. So, um, three minutes. The light goes on. You have 30 seconds to finish up. So, Dakota. [Music] My name is Lisa Jackson. I'm from Spirit Lake in North Dakota, which is a reservation over 1300 miles away. I just wanted to thank you all for being here. Um, and grateful to be
012able to be in front of you and the new board members. Um, I wanted to speak on the behalf of my child. Um, and also being a board member for three years on the Indian education board as a vice chair. My time here has been spent has been completely trying to communicate and have transparency with the board along with Indian education for the better education for our kids. I also don't only advocate for native students. since I advocated for students across the board. So, I'm grateful that you you um also did the Hispanic Heritage Month. We should be honoring each other every day. Our respect isn't earned. Our respect were born with it. I'm grateful to be able to be here and share my experiences, which you'll all learn in the time I've come as
013a new board members. I am grateful to be able to speak for my kid who is going to be in the district for another four years. I will be here advocating for our student success center along with the Black Student Success Center as well. We do need to come together to be able to better our community in all levels. I am grateful that we're honoring the Native Indigenous Heritage Month Day, but we should honor each other every day. Again, I want to thank you all for being here and thank you for your time and giving us this time to honor. I'm hoping this year we can be able to be transparent with each other and move forward. Pamia. >> Thank you. >> All right. The board will now vote on resolution 7186, resolution recognizing indigenous
014sorry, excuse me, indigenous people's day. All in favor, please indicate by saying yes. >> Yes. Opposed abstensions student representative rto. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Resolution 7186 is approved by a vote of 7 to zero with student representative rto unofficially voting yes. Awesome. Thank you. Uh we have another uh wonderful thing to celebrate today. Uh tonight we are recognizing a longtime PPS educator. Uh each year the Oregon Substitute Teachers Association invites each school in Oregon to nominate outstanding substitute teachers for the Oregon Substitute Teacher of the Year. From 119 nominations received this year, Portland Public School substitute Hector Cobb was unanimously selected for this honor. Is Hector here today? >> Awesome. This year, the Oregon Substitute Teachers Association celebrates its 50th anniversary and the 26th year of recognizing Oregon's amazing substitute teachers. The goal is
015to highlight individuals who represent the quality of standards that we value. It has been a tradition that these educators are recognized at board meetings and I understand uh that later this evening there will be a celebratory dinner to honor Mr. Uh before we invite Mr. Cobb up to share with us what this recognition means to him, I would like to invite Dr. Armstrong uh to say a few words about Mr. Cobb. >> Absolutely. So Mr. Cobb has served as a substitute teacher for more than 40 years beginning in 1983. He is known um by students and staff as the rapping sub. In fact, it was early in his career when he taught in the US Virgin Islands that he began using rapping and rhyming as a way to engage students and make learning fun, the
016origin of his nickname. He's worked extensively at Cleveland High School um in the library helping to organize and modernize materials, reabel books, and improve shelving systems. He's recognized for his attention to detail and love of language and learning. He's deeply respected by teachers and students for his enthusiasm, dependability, and rapport with young people. So, he's described as energetic, engaging, and someone who always loves um that students always love to see. So, Cleveland High School teacher Matt Stin loved having Mr. Cobb as substitute teacher when he was a student so much that he requests Mr. Cobb to cover his classroom when he needs to be away. So I just want to add that as you know someone who's drawn to spoken word and may have known to drop a rap or two back in my day
017um I appreciate the way he uh finds uh and engages with students and finding ways to connect. So, thank you and I look forward to uh the recognizing you at this moment. >> Thank you very much. I really appreciate it. I love working with kids. Um I've over the years I've taught it all from elementary on up to high school, but my my uh specialty is high school. And um I'm certified in Spanish, history, and at library. And um I really want to thank thank uh this Oregon uh substitute teachers association for uh recognizing me. I cherish this award and it's something I'll remember for the rest of my life. And um just so thank everybody for their support over the years. my my wife who I was her substitute. She so if if she
018was sick or something then they'd send I she'd send me to cover and and >> thank you for clearing that up for us right here. >> And well, she knew that whatever lesson plan she had laid out that that it would be carried out. So, uh, I might have to give an example. I got to tell you, man, you kids are a sensation, but I really like to chill because you're like great at education. I tell you, man, you guys are number one teaching you all. It's a lot of fun there. >> So, we have a um wonderful certificate here we'd like to present you with. I don't know if we should just all go up in front and have a take a picture. >> You want I'm coming. Oh, you're coming up here. >>
019Okay. >> Do you know what I am? Not taker and everything. doing everything. >> I know. I'm so proud of myself. Wait, wait. Okay, there it is. >> All right, team. I need you to get together a little bit closer. Squish it a little bit. Maybe turn sideways a little bit. All right. Ready? One, two, three. >> I am not >> queso. Perfect. [Music] All right. You want to go next? >> Okay. Thank you. All right. So, I'm I'm pretty sure Hector I've had you in a as a substitute in one of my classes before, but I definitely remember you in the building and it's always uh been a joy to see Hector Cobb in our building. It just really lifts the spirit. I mean, it's noticeable when we have a good substitute teacher. So,
020thank you very much for for all that you've done and your service. I thought you >> I think yes I think you've substitute for me before but I I'm pretty sure you've been in the same building. >> I can go back and look at my subnotes. >> He was busy. >> Wow. Raise your hand if you were impacted by Mr. Cobb. >> Is that something? Wow. Look at that. Great. What a great way to start um the board meeting. Next up, we have uh the superintendent's report. Dr. Armstrong, >> thank you. And I'm excited because I have a couple of celebrations and a recognition to end with of of my own. So, I appreciate uh your attention as I always strike out with these slides. Sure. Oh. Too many clicks. I gotta go back. Okay.
021Well, October is National Principals Month and so I am super excited to honor school leaders across all of our buildings. I wish that I could have fit all the faces on this one slide. Know that um we are celebrating principles on our social media. So if you have not seen individual shoutouts, I will encourage you to tune in. You know, our principles go through a pipeline program called Recipe. Um and we are really excited about the transformational work that's happening in our racial equity centered um principal initiative or pipeline. And so they are working hard. We're excited. And I just want to say to all of those who may be listening or here present, happy National Principles Month. Thank you. Also, join me in congratulating Lincoln High School culinary arts teacher Melanie Hamrien. She was
022just named the winner of the Heroes in the Classroom National Teacher Recognition Program. So during an assembly, she was presented with a $10,000 check for herself and $5,000 for her school. Heroes of the Classroom honors K12 teachers, administrators, and other teaching staff for their strength, impact, and dedication to students. She was selected among 10 finalists from schools across the country. So congratulations to our Lincoln teacher. [Applause] Also, congratulations to Joe Lane being named a regional teacher of the year. Lane is the theater teacher at Roosevelt High School and has taught for more than 20 years or nearly 20 years. She is a beloved member of the staff and makes every student feel welcome in the theater. She's now a finalist for the Oregon Teacher of the Year, which will be announced later this month. So,
023we wish her luck. [Applause] So, celebrating some students. So, for the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Semi Finalist List, we had 29 students. We're super proud of that. More than 1 million students across the country enter in this 2026 National Merit um program and it's we're super excited and know that we're celebrating and hoping that our students go on to win the $2,500 scholarship. But it's just uh amazing and a great representation of the work that's happening in our high schools. Now, always I like to show a little video about lifting literacy. And so coming to you this month is the power of peer reading buddies. His glasses are too big. Buddies is a thing where you pair up with like a younger buddy, a younger grade than you, and you most of that read to
024them. >> Well, every week we get together with a kindergarten group, and we buddy up to practice reading and other skills. >> J and I will need >> It excites the fourth graders to maybe prepare a little bit better to be ready. It really shows how our community is strong. That's one of our four pillars. And also um it shows our kids can be teachers and show others um how to learn and it makes our school a stronger place. >> Wonderful. Lifting literacy. I love that. So we as you all know legacies are made at PPS. Not only made at PPS but we also have uh legacies who help make those um legacies if you will. Now, we recently lost a member in our community who was known as a as a legacy across our
025city and to our schools and to the many students that they reached and touched. We also have a legacy among us um who's here. And so, I really want to take this opportunity to honor a legacy of work. And so as I reflect on the purpose and mission of the Center for Black Student Excellence, I'm inspired by those who have laid the foundation for excellence. Teachers and leaders who have embodied black excellence and many, many others who have continued to serve as mentors long after their final bail. While there are many who have worked tirelessly on behalf of our students, the stories of two remarkable educators stand out. These two individuals, Harriet Adair and Michael Chappie Grace. Yes. [Music] So, [Applause] They both served as teachers and leaders playing instrumental ro roles in helping Dr.
026Matthew Profett carry out the mission and vision of Portland public schools during a time when achievement for black students reached its highest point. The very definition and purpose of the center of black student excellence are grounded in the lives and legacies of these two leaders. Harriet Adair who was employed here for 47 years. Is that correct? Okay. [Applause] Okay. Yes. And and Michael Chappie Grace who was employed for 29 years. I will tell you that both of those educators went on to continue to serve in various capacities from mentoring or subbing and supporting. So their years employed doesn't reflect the impact that they continue to make after their like I said final bail. So exemplifying the cent's mission through their unwavering commitment to educational excellence, equity, and success we believe will be found in every
027student that we reach and touch. This work is about leaving a legacy and it is clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that we have two historic educators that had made their mark and left a legacy. So with that oh yes so as I end my report I want to turn it over to director to pass. >> Well thank you. Um, so a few weeks ago we spent some time here honoring Michael Chappie Grace and we named a day for him. But I'd like to spend a few minutes talking about someone who many of you might not have heard of but has had deep impact in this community in the PPS community. When we think of naming buildings, I think we sometimes fail to uh recognize acknowledge the amazing women in our community and so
028we don't often see their names emlazed on a building. Yet, we know that women's contributions are worthy of attention and pride, which why is why I'm pleased to support the naming of a building in Harriet Adair's honor. >> That is a lot. Yes. >> When doc Dr. Adair is a graduate of PPS and holds a doctorate from Brigham Young University. When Dr. Adair was a high school student. Her counselor expressed surprise that she intended to attend college after she'd been offered a a prestigious scholarship to Binmar uh Binmar College, adding that Dr. Adair lacked the math classes to attend. Dr. Adair from that day said she vowed never to be the adult who kills a child's dream. When Dr. Adair, I'm sorry, Dr. Dr. Dair became a middle school teacher, then a principal at King
029Elementary and Whitaker middle schools, regional administrator of several school clusters, deputy superintendent of K8 programs, and later the assistant superintendent for the office of early learners and school supports. In terms of process, the district has a a policy. It's 2.20.10 10 0 010P and it's a framework by which to rename buildings and programs which we will follow and it requires uh deep a pretty deep uh community engagement requirement and we will be very intentional about hearing from students, staff, alumni, parents and community members as as appropriate. So, I'd like to express my strong support for renaming the Center for Black Student Excellence. And I'm asking my board colleagues to join me tonight in directing the superintendent to start the naming process to honor both Michael Chappie Grace and Dr. Harriet Adair. So, And it's an
030honor to be able to eventually take that action when a person will be able to benefit. benefit from that. And I just want to say thank you for that, director of the pass. And you may be thinking like, but wait a minute, we haven't yet solidified a purchase of a building, which is why, right, we are um starting with the rename of the program of Center for Black Student Excellence. And we know that wherever that program lands um which I think we have an idea but you know we're going through a process that the name Harriet Adair and Michael Chappie Grace will follow um in all of our talk on CBSC will be replaced as we work our way through this engagement process as well. So so thank you for that and I will turn
031it back over to Chair Wong for comments. >> Yes. Do we giving board direction? Correct. I did ask my board colleagues to join me in supporting the naming renaming of that program. >> You have my support. >> So >> yes, >> this is not an official vote. I think we just >> express express support. Yes. >> Yes. Yes. Yes. >> You Yes. >> Yes, please. >> Well, after 47 years I came here to talk about wanting you to think about naming this wonderful building for people who I have come to love. >> Excuse me, Dr. Can you lean in a little closer to the microphone so we can hear you? Okay, can you hear me now? I came here tonight >> expecting to talk about how you all would consider naming a building for some
032people who I have such great huge respect for. You know, I was the one that spoke for naming this building after Dr. Profett who in my mind walked on water and there are several other people in this community that I feel the same about. But now I'm just thank you. Thank you. Some of you I'll talk to later. Um, and all I can say is my I will just give you just a little bit of history here to know why I'm just so touched. My parents came here as did the parents of some of these people sitting in the audience who are African-American and the district would not and could not hire them. Some stayed, some moved on to other districts, and those that stayed were wonderful symbols of what could be excellence for Portland,
033no matter your race, no matter your beliefs, no matter your struggle. And so I have a legacy of saying we can do our best and we will always produce the best. And what you saw tonight is some of the best that we produce. And what you may consider the best is not always what is the best. It is the best they have to offer and they do whatever they can and you can go away saying I had a I had something to do with that. So thank you. I this is not what I intended to do because I but I have some people I will be speaking with later about um what I intended to talk about. But thank you very much for this honor. I am just aruck. My um my mother would be
034so proud to be here tonight. Laura Glossom who worked at Boisee Elementary for so many years and she used to say in this neighborhood which at that point in time was predominantly African-American we have so many marvelous people that are growing in these growing up in these buildings who will do such marvelous things. I don't know how Portland will ever recover from that much glory. And I don't know I don't know what else to say. Thank you because this is not what I intended to come and say tonight. And so next time I come hopefully I'll be better prepared. And thank you for the honor. Thank you guys. You know I love you all. This room is full of so much talent. So much talent. Thank you and thank you uh vice chair to pass
035for bringing that forward. A great moment. Next up um good luck following that. Uh student representative RTO who we have has a report. >> Thank you. A tough act to follow. Jeez. Wow. Um I would just like to say I would like to second uh what our superintendent said about uh the wonderful uh Miss Lane. Um again as a student at Roosevelt. Um I participated uh in our theater program for many years. Um and the impact that she has had in our building is truly immeasurable. Um, I mean, she's she's been there for so long as as an anchor, and what she's built in our theater program will will last for years after she's gone. I can't think of anyone better to win this to win the state award. Uh, I hope she wins she
036wins she wins the state she wins the state award and every award she's nominated for hereafter. Um now in more in more uh boring news um uh there's we have many committees uh here on the board that are looking for students. So if you have any youngsters in your lives um who are interested in nerdy politics board stuff um get them get them interested. We have multiple committees um with all sorts of fun topics like auditing. Don't know how many of your kids are interested in auditing but it's a very riveting procedure I assure you. um also in many other fun and amazing opportunities. So definitely look out for that. Email email us. We we will get you on those on those committees. Um and uh lastly uh the first meeting of the district student
037council um will be will happen right before the next board meeting. So next meeting I should have interesting things to say. But that's it for for tonight. Thank you all. Thank you, Student Representative Rardo. Uh, next up we have general public comment. Uh, first we'll start with our student comments and then before we begin, just kind of want to review some guidelines before we start. Uh, again, I want to thank you and I'm sure the rest of the board thanks you for taking your time out of your day to provide your comments. Public input, especially from our students, uh, really helps and improves our work. So, we look forward to hearing your thoughts. Uh, our board office may follow up on board related issues raised during public testimony. We request that complaints about individual employees
038direct be directed to the superintendent's office as a personnel matter. I will remind PPS staff who are giving public comments that they may not provide testimony about students that could violate confidential protections underpa. This includes testimony uh using information that could identify students, especially their school community um or use of direct or indirect linkages such as school grade, special education or other status. Uh for materials that you would like the board to receive, we ask that you hand those over to Miss Ratchaw over there to your left. Um and she will distribute that to us. Thank you. If you have any other additional materials or items you would like to provide the board or superintendent, we ask that you email them to public comment all one word at pps.net. Please make sure uh when you
039begin your comments that you state your name clearly and spell your last name. You'll have three minutes to speak. When the red light goes on, that means you have 30 seconds to finish up. Uh let's start with our students. Miss Bradshaw, who do we have for tonight? >> Um our students actually withdrew their spot. Oh, how depressing. All right, let's move on to our adults. >> Okay, we have Kathy Huck, Bobby Hayes, Dua Hayes, Jocelyn Haley Cambier, and Representative Tuan Tron. Sorry. Do you want to we let's have the um first three and then we'll have representative uh TR I think because you brought some guests too to come up so we'll call you a second with um the guests that you wanted to bring up here. >> Who were the first three? >> Um
040I'll just recall them all. Kathy Huck, Bobby Hayes, Dshua Hayes, and Jocelyn Haley Cambier. >> You may start when you're ready. >> Okay. Good evening. Um, my name is Kathy Huck. The last name is H U C K. First off, Dr. Adair, I've worked under you before a long time ago. And uh and my daughter talks about the rapid subteer fondly. So um I've been part of this community for a long time. Anyway, good evening. I'm a retired PPS parah educator, currently a PARS sub with the district. I'm coming to you tonight with very real concerns about the mandatory transfer of PPS pareducator substitute to education solution services a private for-profit staffing company with a 100,000 employees coast to coast. I will not be joining this business. The message from HR about this change was
041sent to us about uh three weeks ago and ESS projecting transfer to be around the 15th of this month. That's now. This has been buil as a partnership with a company we know very little about. We're basically going to be fired from our positions with the opportunity to be rehired by ESS. In my mind, a partnership would be ESS supporting unfilled positions, which there are many, but not taking over the staffing of all paris subs. All current and potential PPS sub employees are to be dismissed, and if they want to work, report to ESS. We would be no longer part of the PPS team with whom we originally hired on to. I'm stumped. If this company can promise to fill positions, why can't PPS meet this need? What does this company do differently? It was
042shocking to hear from ESS that there were 35 potential pair of substitutes that were waiting to be hired by PBS. They could be working now to fill the desperately needed positions. Before making this deal with ESS, did the district look at HR's processes, policies, andor recruitment? We have many people in this building that could brainstorm along with the uh other people throughout the district like the principles, support staff, other paras that could strengthen our subpool before going to this extreme. This blindsided everyone except those who put this deal together. But personally, personal feelings aside, as a taxpayer in the state of Oregon and a staunch supporter of public schools, this cost really needs to be totally transparent. This is it really a cost-saving measure. Paris subs make $24 an hour plus small contribution to uh
043uh oops, I'm running out of time. uh a small contribution to PERS and other stuff uh other benefits. This feels like a slippery slope to private privatizing our public education and I know Portlanders do want a voice about our public schools. Private companies, especially from Tennessee, should not have this much of a foothold in PPS. I know there's a huge uh need for parisubs. I see it daily. And we are the largest district in the state and we need to clean our house by ourselves without selling off our employees. >> Thank you. >> And I appreciate everything you do. You got a tough job. >> Thank you. Thank you for sharing. Um I think if I remember correctly, you called up Bobby Hayes, right? It's Bobby Hayes. All right. Um, and then we also have
044uh I know that you two obviously are are coming in on the VDLI uh situation and I think uh Representative Tran is also here today to support. Yeah, if you if you would like to come up. >> Do you have enough seats up there? If >> we could maybe use a few more seats. and Hunter. I'll go first. >> Chair Wang, members of the board, and Dr. Armstrong, my name is Dr. Tu Tran, and I am the state representative of House District uh 45. Um, the VDLI program is in my house district and I would like to introduce you to Do You want to say your name? >> Lurin. >> What grade are you in? >> Second grade. >> Good. What is your name? >> Hunter. >> What is What grade are you in? >>
045First. >> Very good. Uh, I am here to ask for your support. PPS has uh additional FTE educator that have not been assigned and I would like to request that it is assigned to the first grade program. The first grade of the VDLI program. Currently the first grade VDLI program only has one teacher for 31 students. uh if we can pass the threshold for 33 then more kids can come and more uh on the waiting list and we can have more teachers. Uh currently Miss Chvo is the only teacher there for the 31 students. Uh this is an equity issue because the VD the dual language immersion program is a 5050 uh model. 50% of the day is in the Vietnamese language and 50% is in the English language. Uh currently there's only one teacher
046and she even has to translate the curriculum that that's an equity issue and a staffing issue also. Um the student and and the teachers are overwhelmed. Uh a child left class uh because of stress and was throwing up. Kids only get one year to be in first grade and they need PPS to support them. This program is in its 12th year. You guys have the first cohort in 11th grade. And so your investment in the past is greatly appreciated by the student, the parents, the community. and to cut shortcut the first graders experience this year by not having enough um teachers to support them is an injustice to the student. So you have the Mandarin dual language program, the Spanish dual language program, the Japanese, the Russian and we should treat all program equitable 5050.
04750% in English, 50% in um the language Vietnamese and uh go ahead honey. What do you want to say? What do you want to ask the board? Okay. Well, please dig deep. Find us the funding for this one teacher because our student is worth it. They only get one year to be in first grade and they need to be supported. So, please find us a stu a teacher. Thank you. >> Want to say thank you. Uh, hello. My name is Bobby Rowit. It's r o w t. And I'll be sharing time with one or two of these other people. >> Joselyn Cambier. C A M B I E R. >> Aaron Jones. E R I N J O N S. Uh we're here today speaking as parents of children at in the Vietnamese dual language
048immersion program at Rose City Park. I urge you to adequately staff the program, in particular this year's first grade cohort. At this critical stage of development, first graders require individualized attention and support both academically and emotionally. These early years are foundational and students are much more likely to succeed with small groupoup instruction, consistent teacher interaction, and a nurturing environment. A large class with only one teacher, especially in a dual language setting, puts unsustainable strain on both students and staff during a crucial time in their growth. Our children are already feeling the pain of this large, unwieldly class. The VDLA program has already shouldered more than its fair share of staffing cuts. Two years ago, Rose City Park lost its Vietnamese speaking assistant principal. Last year, half of the third grade VDLI teaching staff was eliminated.
049This year, VDLI classes for fourth and fifth grades are blended. And despite the dwindling support, the VDLI program delivers strong results from its students. Research shows that English language learners taught in dual language immersion programs outperform other English language learner students in English skills by middle school. Previous academic assessments have shown that all VDLI students outperform both the PPS and the RCP average in math. And native English-speaking students in the VDLI program far outperform both the PPS and the RCP average in English. Further, all students in the first three VDLI cohorts have passed the eighth grade stamp test. >> So, the current understaffing is recklessly undermining RCP's school continuous improvement plan and these students third grade learning objectives. >> Current projections anticipate an increase in VDLI enrollment over the next 10 years. While neighborhood enrollment
050at RCP holds steady and overall PPS elementary enrollment shrinks, there's currently a significant wait list for the VDLI preK classroom at Kelly Center. Further evidence of the need for VDLI in the community. Not only is the VDLI community ready to offer robust support to students in PPS, the outcry resulting from PPS continuing to undermine the program will be overwhelming. The inadequate staffing will have a negative impact on the VDL VDLI program for years to come. We hope that PPS will show support through urgent and immediate action. >> She has um hi, my name and I am the first rate teacher in the Vietnamese dual language immersion program at Stro city park. I'm here today to speak honestly and urgently about the impact of last uh last class side in our program not only on academic.
051>> You have 30 seconds. So go ahead. >> Academic uh quality but on the well-being for both teacher and uh student. This year I have 30 uh first student in my classroom. As the only teacher, I am responsible for teaching most subject in both English and Vietnamese. The workload is overwhelming. The blending, the constant language switching, the culture of region, it already a live under normal condition with 30 young student it has become unstainable. The stress and mental health to are real for me. This had mean long night constant anxiety and the emotional exhausted of feeling like I'm never doing enough. >> Sorry, >> you take your time. >> Because honestly it impossible for me every Chinese in this situation. No matter how hard I try, the professor is concerned in and taking a serious
052toll in my well-being as a res professional and as a person. And it is not just for me. The student are in in affected as six and seven year old. They are still developing their self- regulation, language skill and social emotional foundation. In a crowded classroom, they are overwhelming. They are com competitive for attention, support and space to grow. It is heartbreaking to watch students struggling simply simply because there are too many of them and not enough support. Do a language program like videoi are root in equity but class like are making that equity impossible to achieve. I respectfully argue to the street to consider slipping the class. We talk about a value teacher and supporting mental health in our school. Please let the values be reflect in how we staff and support our classroom.
053I love what I do. I choose to teach in deep program because I believe deeply in the mission of dual language education. I know what possible when student receive the support when they deserve. Please help us create a learning environment where both teacher and student can. Thank you for listen and your commitment to equity and excellent in BBS. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Um thank you for sharing all um your testimony. Um, I just want to also just voice that, you know, DLI is super important to me. My kid is a part of that. And also just also highlight and recognize how difficult it is for a teacher who is not a native English speaker to teach half the day in English. Um, having to translate all the curriculum and and do all the
054things, especially for the early grades because as you know in DI programs we have a lot of them are non-native also non-native via speakers. So having to teach um students who are native English speakers and in the language that's not your native language is extra hard. So I I just want to recognize the difficulty that you have and thank you for being here today. [Applause] >> I just Oh, I think you're going to say what I was going to say probably. Go ahead. >> Maybe. Let's see. Um, so I thank you and I appreciate uh the words and I think as as you know we're entering this phase where you know we're calling it growing great schools but um actually what it's requiring us to do is take a look at our programming um our
055boundaries right sizing so that we can make sure that we're putting the appropriate supports um where we need it most. And I know that there eventually are going to be some things that we need to address as it relates to the programming that we offer and if we're going to offer it, how are we going to support it to make sure that it's robust. Um, and I will say that, you know, I I hear that um the the concerns around the class size and we know that we have other classrooms that's sitting at that number as well. And we also recognize that dual immersion um brings in um some a need for extra supports. And so we know at the building level, uh the principal is using the Vietnamese um education assistant strategically to be
056able to support. We're working hard to uh make sure that we can support with curriculum translations in when we think of like science and health, there is a gap. We do have translated materials for math and English. And so while we know that we're not where we need to be in an ideal state, we are aware of the fact that um there's some support that's needed and we are have a team that is working with the building principal to think about how we can target those supports in a way that impacts the classroom. >> Sure. >> Dr. Split, >> I was just going to say there was an email exchange that you spurred. It's I think like one of you wrote and then heard back from the super or the superintendent passed that on to
057Dr. Howard. And I realize when we get a lot of emails from one set of parents, I'm not sure that the one parent that got the email that said that Dr. Howard, who's our um Oh, no. Senior chief, thank you. Senior chief of academics. Yes. Um is looking into it and promised to get back um I believe ideally by the end of this week. So, I just want to make sure all of you heard that people are working on this right now. Um, and that you also heard that it's not the only classroom in the district with numbers and issues, but we're still trying to figure out what we can do, right? So, thank you very much for your >> Right. And, and then just to like double down, actually, I think our student was
058probably about to Were you about to lean in and talk? Oh, okay. No, I I just was going to say that we have a resource issue that didn't start here in Portland. And I think the more that we're able to adequately fund schools to be able to offer the programs and address some of the things that we need to address, the better I think we'll be um not only as a public school system, but the individual classrooms that are in each of our um schools. >> Yeah, I would just like to say, you know, uh I have many friends who've benefited immensely from the DI program. you know, uh I am also, as you know, Director Wong said, a massive supporter of the DLI program. You know, uh I sincerely hope that we that we
059are able to get, you know, uh to get your school the resources that it needs, but you know, to echo what my peers have said, it's it's it's incredibly difficult considering our our current funding situation. Um uh and I would also like to take this opportunity to say that there the there there's a few organizations um one of which I' I've worked with CPBS um which is stands for comm community and parents uh for public schools. They're a great organization to get involved with. I've gone with them uh to lobby for more state funding um for our public schools before. Um, that's like the number one thing that we can do to make sure that our parent that our students get the resources they deserve, you know, is to is to to say that we
060that we need more funding because that's the reality. You know, the state needs to know that we need more funding because that's where pretty much all of our money comes from due to measures five and 50. Um, and so there's a there's a lot of work that needs that needs to be done to to get us the money that we need to give our students this the support and and the learning they deserve. And so, absolutely, I 100% encourage any any parent who's involved in CARES to get involved, you know, and to and to start demanding that our that our state legislators give give us, you know, and give our students what they deserve. >> And we are proud of our Vietnamese program. I I want uh those here to hear that. I think as
061a board, you know that. And a fun fact is across all of the urban school districts in the United States. Our Vietnamese program is one of two. The other one being on the far east coast in Boston. And so as a west urban district, we're proud of the fact that um we have one of the only programs. Um, you know, to that end, we actually had the ambassador uh to Vietnam come to Portland in his third month on the job. His first stop was in Hawaii and his second stop was here and uh and he was here to look at this program and was very impressed and I'm sure uh would be very supportive of us supporting them as well. >> Can I ask a quick question? Um I'm just wondering for the translation of
062the curriculum materials like it sounds like there's a gap in materials. Is that something I'm sorry I didn't send this question in advance but um are we going to be providing those? It seems odd that we'd have a teaching their own materials. >> That's a great question. So most of our math PPS materials are translated and then we spent two years the team spent two years collaborating on our wit and wisdom that's our English language arts curriculum spent two years collaborating with Vietnamese teachers on those materials and like I said we still science and health aren't translated but I think when we look at that 5050 model um where not all of the curriculum is needed to be translated did at 100% if that makes sense. Um, >> and that and that's a support not
063necessarily like a solution but I appreciate it a lot. And one of the I think also the other one of the other challenges of you know the 50/50 model is that you know we are also developing kids in their English proficiency as well and that that is a true challenge for um our emer teachers when they don't have that English component support. So again I want to thank you all for being here and thank you for sharing. Yeah. >> Available and the science the have also we don't have. So I think the district if the teacher want to to teach we have to translate by ourself and the our actually it not much. >> So the teachers are doing the translation of their materials. >> When I do I have to translate by myself. >>
064Yeah. which I >> and then now the curricular with with wisdom the Vietnamese we have to develop in Vietnamese to align with the English so more of this year I have to teach both language and I have to develop a curriculum at the same time when I teach I'm not the robot of just having you know the east coast the only one on the west coast means >> there are not robust materials >> right thank you I I I need to kind of cut this off right now because we are running behind a schedule and I think we have your contact and when I think there will be district and um people may reach out for more more questions and support. So, thank you for being here and um I'm hopeful that the district can
065do what they can do to support. I know that everything is tight and unfortunate. Um but I also can also answer some questions offline as well because I know that um you know the mander immersion program went through very similar scenario last year and the year before. Um so I'd be happy to answer those questions too separately. Um, ne next up we have um comments from our union partners. Do we have any signed up for today? >> We do not. >> Okay. All right. Uh then I guess we have um again thank you all for being here today. Um >> thank you. >> You're welcome to stay for the rest of the wonderful uh I can't think of the right word for it. Um so next up on the agenda we have board committee and
066conference reports. Uh we'll be hearing reports from the following committees. Audit, facilities, improvement and oversight, policy, teaching, learning, enrollment. Uh we also have a quick report on the cube conference. We'll just be asking each board member just to give one sentence takeaway from what you learned there to for the sake of time. We can always talk about that separately at a different date. So let's start with um how about audit? Let's do an alphabetical order. Okay. Um, the audit committee will be having our first meeting of the 2526 school year this Thursday, October 16th at 5:00 p.m. I would like to provide the board with a preview of the agenda for the meeting. We have a full agenda and we'll be discussing the following audit committee membership, the status of the implementation of the outstanding
067contracts audit recommendations. There you go. the exciting things that your students are going to want to have and the role of the audit committee in providing oversight of the work of our external auditors. We will also go over the audit committee's work plan and proposed meeting agendas for this school year and we will discuss new audit topics to add to the office of internal performance audits audit plan. Thank you to my board colleagues who submitted their ideas for future audits to our internal auditor. I'm looking forward to talking about them in our meeting. Please note that it requires the approval of the full board to add audits to the office of internal performance audits audit plan. So once the committee has agreed on the audits to add to the plan, the committee will refer those
068audits to the full board for approval. Our internal auditor is also going to share an overview of the office of the internal performance audit and their annual report. And lastly, our internal auditor is working on getting the audit committee and the PPS audit reports web pages updated. So, we will have an opportunity to take a look at those pages as well. So, see everybody on Thursday. >> And she means everybody. Uh, next up we have facilities improvement and oversight committee. >> All right. Um, it was a long meeting, but I promise I will try to keep this uh short. Um, so our FIAO committee uh this week we um had some great public testimony that focused on seismic safety from families and staff from Beverly Clearary, Rose City Park, Caesar Chavez, James John, and Buckman.
069And I just want to share that community members are very concerned about the uh sample prioritization formula. um potentially underweing the actual risk and um urged consolidating into the safest buildings. I'm sure you saw the article in the Oregonian yesterday that had some more information. Um I just say that parents are visibly anxious and um that we really need to clarify path and timelines quickly which I know we've talked about offline as well. Um and there is continued ongoing interest in HVAC performance across our schools. Um including uh we had some feedback about the cooling um um implementation during our heat wave as well as Jason Lee and Odyssey. Um so yeah, we're honing in on seismic and HVAC um for the CBSC. Uh district is in the middle of its due diligence process. Um
070we have a big meeting coming up on um November 3rd and that meeting is really going to include kind of the the meat of a lot of the information we've been asking for. It will include the analysis um of the building assessment uh feasibility and programming study, the program space and design, parking and transportation, operating plan and budget and property management. I don't know how you're going to be ready for this. It's a lot. Um and then we'll have a board vote on December 3rd um regarding um um moving forward with purchase. Um we talked about athletics and we have nine projects um that we have in Q to launch. Our current focus right now, the one that's actually moving is uh the grant uh bowl field lighting. Uh the original target date for installation
071was um December 1st and it's been moved to early March due to the light fixtures arriving uh in early January. So it's not something that's necessarily in our control and we're still working in the permitting process. Um so but been very um vocal about making sure that this doesn't bleed into track season and we're ready to roll for spring. Um wells modernization coming to the board in November. We were previously over the hard estimate by 24.8 million and there's great news. The value engineering was successful and we are at 5.6 million in savings from the 2024 design. So we'll be voting on that next month which is really exciting. So there is an attainable path to budget and um there is a couple active issues. We've got the relocation or stay whether or not it's
072going to stay there. I don't I don't know. That wasn't like a wasn't tipping the hat like we don't know. um uh working in the Hillsdale Farmers Market location situation and uh pool operations with parks and wreck. Um that would have potential cost impacts. So those need to be reconciled before it comes to the board. And my uh I loved the presentation that the facilities team did on the open work orders. Um, I would, anybody who hasn't watched it, I would strongly encourage you to watch it because we have 9.5 million square feet of facilities with two technician managers and 77 technicians, which essentially equals um maintaining 5,000 homes uh at 2,000 foot each. It's basically our staffing is 40% below um where we should be uh for pure district operational standards. We've got 3,900
073work orders. I could go on and on. Um but uh it's it's a significant issue that uh I will keep raising um because of its impact on our budget. We're closing in on $2 billion in um deferred maintenance uh because we just can't keep up. Uh let's see. Seismic November actions coming up. Um we're working on establishing the school priority list. Um and the team is working on securing grants for two major sites that would um uh when you get these grants, they have to be for entire buildings. So, those two, excuse me, two major sites would happen in summer of 2027. So, there'll be more news coming on that. And um and uh let's see there's so much, but I'm going to shorten this up. Our next steps essentially are to approve the prioritization
074list. They're working on a dashboard prototype, and then um the other couple things we discussed is the RFP for OSM leaderships for the high school builds. proposals are due in early November. Uh interviews will be in late October and it will come to the board for approval in December and uh we'll be talking about right sizing actually in TLE next month. We'll be hing that over there. And um that's about it. Again, it was a lot. Um I would encourage watching it um if you haven't. >> That's it. I just want to add I I appreciate highlighting the work order issue because this is something that's been um I'm glad that you brought that up because it's something that's been in the pro, you know, in the making for decades. This precedes all of us.
075Um and it it's part of the the I'm going to blame the state because that's where it deserves to go. And as I remember Senator Dro when he was the chair of education committee and senate, not promoting again, I said this before, but I'm going to say it again. uh actually literally saying that the state provides zero funding for facilities and maintenance and this is one of the consequences of that and so I just want to share that um every every year the board the superintendent maintenance do their best to kind of keep up our buildings but it's it's a huge task impossible task thank you >> um can I ask a question um did it come up about the trail getting cut off >> yes yes that's one of the so the there's Actually,
076sorry. Thanks for bringing that up, Patty. The trail, the farmers market, and the pool are the three issues that they need to uh wrap up before it comes to the board in November. So, they are they are working on they truly are working on. I know there was a meeting that may have already happened. >> Uh it was is it next week? Okay. It sounds like it's next week. >> Great. >> Can I ask another Can I ask a question? Sorry. I don't want to I don't want to have us spin out and talk a bunch because we have a lot on our agenda, but I do just have a question. And it's really because I'm seeing the sign in front of me right now saying fix the formula. My understanding is that that was
077sort of like a what do you call it when you >> sample >> a sample or like a straw man and it wasn't actually meant to be considered like um where we're headed. Um I don't So I just want to make sure that since you're here, you're taking notes. I want to make sure you hear from us that our understanding is that's a draft. It's not the final. the board will have a role in making a final decision as well as working with staff on that. So, I just want to make sure that you spread the word to your folks because that we're getting a lot of emails that um none of us thought that that formula was like an like a a a real thing. So, I just want to it was like just
078a we need to make something that looks like this. Um so, I just want to make sure you take that note that we're all nodding our heads and want to make sure that you know that it's just a draft. >> That's all. I guess it wasn't really a question >> if I could say on that. It's really I definitely appreciate the emails. Keep keep sending emails. Keep engaging. Keep coming to these meetings. Give us public comment. That's what we that's what we need to hear. When we're doing something wrong, tell us. >> Well, I guess what I want to say is I'm not I feel like I want to hear the feedback, too. But I would I would love for everybody to understand that none of us were part of crafting that. We do have
079a final decision. we want to hear from you about what it should look like, but it would be lovely if it wasn't curbed in like a you're doing this wrong when we didn't actually do it. Um, so that'd be great. I guess I think that would just be more helpful for me to because a lot of these emails come with some pretty heavy language. Somebody you literally said that we would have blood on our hands if an earthquake happened. That kind of language is really hard. And so I guess I just want to at least make sure we're all speaking from the same set of truth if that makes sense. um because we all support we all support you guys as far as I know. So >> I would also just add to that um
080that our kids go to these schools too. So um we are as invested in this issue as all of you are and want to see that work done um and have that same level of fear and concern. So we hear you >> and that's what you get for bringing a sign. So >> that was good. Thank you. Uh, next up we have policy committee. >> Yes. So the policy committee, our next meeting, I believe, is on the 20th and we have so far three things on the agenda. We have the field trip policy. We're going to try to kind of um make the language a little bit tighter. We're also working continuously on updating some of the policies just to adapt them to more modern language. Um, they haven't been updated in some cases since
081the 1980s. And then as a um discussion topic we have uh local school foundations. Those are the three things that we'll be discussing on the 20th. >> And then we have uh finally uh teaching learning enrollment committee. >> I'll try and keep this uh short and sweet. We've had two meetings since my last update so I'll be quick. Um, at our September meeting, uh, we agreed to finalize our committee charter and we also had a really great, uh, presentation on enrollment from senior chief Howard. Some key takeaways from that presentation included our enrollment status for this year, which exceeds projections and is lower in elementary and higher in the upper grade levels. Uh we were also briefed on our communications and marketing strategy and received an overview of our district continuous improvement plan and a
082presentation on the Jefferson dual enrollment strategy and the district's plans for community engagement and timeline. Um our last meeting was uh just last week and our topic was special education and Dr. Charles and Chief Buno gave an excellent comprehensive presentation. I'm giving Dr. Charles credit for the brain power on that and Chief Uno uh credit for the presentation skills since uh Dr. Charles did not have a voice and wasn't able to speak. Uh we were given the background on IDA the concept of free and appropriate education and least restrictive environment and the structures and supports locally that comprise our special education system uh like Colombia regional and MECP and other partners. Uh Dr. Charles and Chief Buuno explained inclusion and the work that PPS has done to begin moving towards inclusion via the neighborhood school
083model. Um, let's see. I appreciated the call out that the neighborhood model isn't just for kids with disabilities. It's for all kids and all students benefit uh when we practice uh inclusion and make our schools fully accessible. I also really appreciated hearing the team's approach to soliciting and integrating feedback. Last January, the team conducted listening sessions with the community and applied the feedback they received, which has led to successful implementation of new initiatives, as well as families feeling heard and respected. So, win-win. We also got a primer on special education funding and an update on how the district is filling our pareducator sub shortage. We also heard public testimony from families representing the Vietnamese DLI program and from one of our special education families sharing parent perspective and emphasizing the need to support our para
084educators who are incredible and vital to the success of our kids uh with disabilities. Our next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 13th, and we'll be discussing division 22 corrective actions, including TAG, uh, curriculum, and dyslexia screening and feedback from dual assignment public hearings. Thank you. So much stuff. That's some lot of stuff to cover. Wow. Um, for the sake of time, I'm going to try to ask everyone limit this to one, maybe two sentence, and three sentence. you're in danger of me cutting you off. Uh we do have to as per policy report on our conferences. So um there's seven of us that went to the cube conference and I would love for instead of a full report from all seven of us which we would be here here all night. Uh let's just
085uh I would like to ask each of you just to share one thing that one takeaway that you had from it. Whether there was one thing you learned, something that piqu your interest or um something that really stood out. Who wants to go first? >> I'll go first. That's You don't. Okay. I'm a firstborn, so I'm comfortable. Um, so I was really impressed by the tour of the Compton High School, the science and steam-based education. Um, impressed by the robotics, animation, media, drone operations, virtual reality, and all of those steam-based classes. And what I learned and what I uh what I learned is what can result when the team understands their respective roles and when we that would be us and them all pulling the rope in the same direction. You can make amazing schools
086happen. >> Director Lefort. >> Um since you're talking about Compton um I actually had uh the interview with Mai Ali um the schoolboard president of Compton United. He was the standout voice for me. Um, he had remarks about auster oversight and trust written in inc. Those hit home with me. He emphasized that boards don't exist just to write policy, that we are the ones ultimately responsible for outcomes. And he spoke with the importance of having a clear board vision that drives every action. And he challenged the idea that boards should take a hands-off role, saying that oversight must be disciplined, transparent, and relentless. I loved him. Um, I can Oh, Steph, where you gonna go? Um, sorry. I'm gonna continue the um to talk about Compton. Um, my takeaway was, um, I was really overwhelmed
087by the experience of being in a beautiful, brand new, state-of-the-art high school that was full of black and brown kids and the message that um, those new facilities sent to those students about their value and their worth and um, applied that thinking to my dreaming about uh, a rebuilt Jefferson. Um, but I was also really excited to see uh the really cool and inspiring learning that was happening in the middle school, which had not been rebuilt yet. Um, but staff was doing an incredible job engaging uh kids in being scientists and mathematicians. I'll I'll go. Um, this isn't mine. It's coming back piggy piggy backing on you. But that middle school, it wasn't that new, but it was so well decorated and bright. It was pretty amazing what they did with it. Well, I I'm
088going to get away from Compton and go to one of the um uh breakout sessions that they had. And I attended a session from Planefield Public Schools in New Jersey. It was entitled strengthening schools through community centered partnerships. And the first question asked was are partnerships working? Are we getting a return on our investment? What is working and what is not? And they suggested doing research and tracking participation and outcomes. And they use surveys to get feedback so that they could adjust their strategies. And I learned the meaning of a new word when referring to partnerships. And that word is transactional. and the relationship should not be transactional. Do not create a situation where you get a contract and only connect again when you want to renew the contract. Instead, when contracting with community partners,
089state how a program will will be evaluated and how often and then have a continuous improvement cycle. have check-ins midway through the year or even quarterly and question if old partnerships are continuing to be useful and communicate continuously, which in a little bit is kind of the opposite of what you said, which was kind of handsoff, but um this one was very successful in working with their partners, but knew what was happening and if it wasn't working, the partners would change. It's not like get rid of the partners, it's do what works. don't just sit there and do the same thing over and over again. And I really appreciated that. I haven't gone. I can go. Um, two things. Uh, I was profoundly moved by listening to Brian Stevenson speak. Um, as a career public
090defender, I actually implemented some of the work that he did in the US Supreme Court to make sure that juveniles didn't face life without parole. Um, that those with significant disabilities didn't go to prison for the rest of their lives and face the death penalty. And so to sit in a room as a public, someone who left public defense in January and hear him talk, it was profoundly moving because the work being done in the Supreme Court, in the courts around the country are affecting our students positively. And I have I remember when the case came out about juveniles life without parole and I remember getting to cite that in court and it made a difference. I will also just briefly say in an anecdote um the conference generally um when my twins were born,
091my husband and I took baby CPR. Um and what we learned out of baby CPR was not to give baby CPR even though we knew how to do it, but we were empowered to call 911 and get the backup and the support of what we needed. Um, and this conference as a brand new board member empowered me to speak my voice, to go against the grain if I need to, to stay true to our values as a board and as an individual and may we may not always be um voting the same way, but we always believe the same thing. And that I was empowered by what I was hearing from people who have been board members for so long saying just hold your truth and hold your values and you'll be okay. So that
092was it. [Music] First sentence, try not to scare four students giving blood pressure by having sky-high blood pressure. Second sentence. Um, the city of Nashville does an amazing job of building a budget with the money that they think they're going to have, but then also adding to it what they wish they had so that they could do what they actually want and think they need to do for to have successful schools as a tool for advocacy and fundraising um, and making the case for more funds for schools. That was a really long sentence. Was that really impressive or what? >> Uh, director Split is my favorite director today. Um, I wish I could have said what director Chase Miller said. First sentence, second sentence. Uh the other thing that was most impactful to me was
093uh a breakout session saw some creative ways to normalize the talking about mental health in our schools because the first step to curing is identifying and and making it okay to talk about it and seek help. And that is probably the the one thing that really struck me in terms of seeing these creative solutions to a real problem that we have. Thank you all. That was a long second sentence. Um all right. Um, next up we have uh first off we have I don't know if you uh director Chase Miller if you want to talk about the teaching and learning enrollment charter. It is uploaded and I have read it. I hope everyone else has read it. If if you if you want to, you don't have to. But >> um not a ton to
094say about it. Um has everyone read it? Okay. Excellent. Um I mean it's been through uh the committee and reviews have been approved so I think it's pretty straightforward. >> Yeah. I give the thumbs up. And then we also have uh separately the uh a resolution to and this is kind of new uh is the facilities improvement and oversight committee charter. Um the chair of the the committee uh director Lefort has asked for the board to vote on this and if you would like to introduce it before we move it on the table. >> Yes. So thank you. So um this facilities improvement and oversight uh committee charter is a critical step towards strengthening our board's governance and accountability around facilities planning and bond investments. So this charter formalizes our responsibility to provide financial oversight,
095strategic direction, and community transparency on school modernizations, safety projects, and long-term capital planning. And it ensures that our decisions are grounded in equity, sustainability, and fiscal stewardship. And that the board has a clear structured process for evaluating and prioritizing facility investments and directing impact towards our student learning environments. Excited. Thank you. All right. This one is has been identified as resolution 7202. Do I have a motion and second to adopt resolution 7202 resolution to approve the charter for facilities improvement oversight committee? >> So moved. Second. >> Thank you. Director Sullivan moves and director split seconds. >> I was trying to remember who said that. It was more of a memory thing than an identification thing. And is there any board discussion? I >> let's go. >> I have um actually amendment I want to propose
096um uh an issue and I think this was shared with director Leford. I think Liz Large shared this with you. So um I think this is understand stood why uh but we do have a policy that specifically states that committees are information gathering bodies and cannot um make decisions. Thank you. They cannot. And so there's specific language in here that is um potentially worrisome and I think a change uh just a couple the amendment I have is just a change for two words and I think it keeps the spirit and the the direction of the charter doesn't really affect it but just keeps it aligned with our policy with our board policy and the the words are under um number two scope of work under a under one where it says Ensure clear and consistent
097communication with the board of directors on board-f facing facilities related and capital planning initiatives serving as a key liaison to the full board for projected updates and approvals that will require the full board votes. Um it it just it it is somewhat moving a little bit into the gray area. So the only the my amendment that I would like to propose is to change the to strike the word key from before key liaison because key uh may suggest that it has to go through this before it goes to the full board. And just so you know the full board always has perview over whatever it wants. Um and then the second one is so striking key. The second one is changing the word approvals to recommend and so it now will say serving as the
098liaison to the full board for project updates and recommend recommendations sorry change to recommendations sorry uh that will require full board votes. So that is my >> I think those are fine. I don't have an issue with either of those. >> Okay. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Any board discussion? >> I guess I just want to say I think it's totally fine the way we're doing this, but when I I just I don't know. I feel like it should have come up sooner or something. So maybe next time when the whoever caught it, council catches it to maybe let us know that it's coming so that we aren't like up here evaluating language on the fly would be great. >> Yeah. The the trouble with that is because of the new meaning
099laws. So like two people on the committee cannot even talk to each other about it without breaking quorum and so legal spotted this and so the only time that we actually have time to discuss it is when it's brought before the full board. >> Oh, so legal can't even tell us that there's issues with something before we come to a meeting. >> Well, because then if I tell you and then I tell Michelle then it becomes a serial meeting. >> Couldn't you have it? >> Lawyers and other staff can communicate with board members without implicating public meeting laws. >> Okay. And this was surfaced by Sharon who's now not here. So there was it was some unique circumstances on timing. I I hear the request. >> Okay. Just that way we look a little smoother
100and like more prepared. That's all. Thanks. >> Okay. Well, yeah, we'll make sure we do that next time. >> But I I have a question. But when we're in our committee meetings, we can talk to each other in the committee. >> So if it had come up, if you'd heard about it before a meeting, you could talk about it and change it before it came to the board. Right. >> I think the service We we we did we did discuss it. Yeah. But this the the word issue came up just a couple days ago. >> Okay. >> So we just hope it comes up >> and and just for some >> well some sometimes things do come up last minute and so we have to have a a little bit of flexibility >> and if
101we don't want to, you know, we we don't have to do anything. We're just changing the two words here because they do make a difference. But >> and it was originally not on the agenda for a vote and it was not on the agenda. That's right. Domino that put other things in motion. >> Yes. >> Yeah. I'm all for it. I just was the process pro processing. >> We had no way more time than I wanted it to. >> I have a question. So brand new board member. This is coming up for a vote, but director Chase Miller does not >> it >> will it in the future? Do you want me to answer or do you want? >> Um, it is not ever have been done that PPS board has voted on a charter
102before. I think Director Lefor made a good argument because the the FIO committee this year has specific things that are that's mandated to review from previous resolutions as well as like um you know with the the largest bond ever that we passed. and so uh wanted to bring more uh transparency as well as accountability to the committee and that was the reason for wanting to bring this to a vote. >> There was some critiques in the bond audit too just in terms of um having clarity around you know things you know it's just a little a little messy and this was just meant to really tighten it up. So I appreciate I appreciate the vote tonight. I'm excited that we're this is a first for the board. >> Yeah. And I think it's valuable. Let's
103give this a try. >> Right. We don't just all jump ship at the same time. >> Just throw one person overboard and see how the water is. >> Exactly. See if I drown. >> Right. And and so yeah, to answer your question, this has never been done before. >> So my my reasoning behind asking had nothing to do with questioning whether we should do it. I think we should. Um I'm too scared to reach out simultane. there's a typo in yours and I didn't want to reach out to you separately because I'm like oh the open meeting laws which for everybody on here watching us talk about things sometimes to death is because we can't do it anywhere else and if something is on the agenda once it may never not it may never come
104back on and so this is the opportunity our only opportunity because we don't get to talk outside and so sometimes it feels like why are you still talking it's because this is it and it's the only opportunity we get to talk about something and it may never come back on the agenda. So, I'm just saying that um Director Chase Miller in um the uh because I know you will want to change it. It's minor in um uh in four meetings. Meeting agenda shall be publicly posted on a PPF's website a 48 hours in advance. I don't know if you meant at least or just website 48 hours in advance, but there's a random A in there. Let's we do need to get back on the discussion of um anyways the purpose the main purpose of
105the amendment is just to make sure that it is solid with our policies. >> All right. Um I forgot. Do we have a second for the >> Okay. >> Yes. >> Thank you. So uh let's go ahead and vote on the amendment which is uh striking the word key and changing the word approvals into recommendations. All in favor please indicate by saying yes. >> Yes. All opposed extensions. Student rep. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Amendment is approved by a vote of seven to zero with student rep unofficially voting yes. Uh now we are back on the resolution 7202 as amended. Is there any board discussion on this chart? All right. Um let's go ahead and vote on resolution 7202 as amended. Uh all in favor please indicate by saying yes. Yes. >> Yes. All opposed.
106>> Uh abstensions. Representative RTO. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Resolution 7202 is approved by the vote of 7 to zero with student rep. RTO unofficially voting yes. Um thank you for our bond accountability committee for waiting this long. I try to get them to stop talking and just give one sentence or two, but no, I'm just kidding. I'm not blaming y'all. It's totally my fault. Um uh next up we have the bond economy. uh report um also known as a BAC. Uh the BAC is composed of a board of appointed community members whose charge is to monitor the planning and progress of the bond programs relative to voter approved work. So thank you for all that you do. Uh sorry and also the scope, schedule and budget objectives. This year we have asked that quarterly
107updates from the bond accountability be provided to the full board at regular board meetings. Uh, presenting tonight's report is now tell me if I pronounce your name wrong. Cara Torano uh chair of the bond accountability committee. You may go ahead and uh yeah, I hand it off to you. >> I was going to do a quick introduction of Cara. Thank you. >> Okay. Um, hi Sarah Norman um interim director a senior director of school of modernizations. It is my pleasure to introduce to you at this time Cara Toronto who is the current chair of the board accountability committee and is on her second four-year term with this committee. We would like to take this moment to thank Carara and the entire board accountability committee for their ongoing and timeless commitment of work and support. Carara
108will be joining us virtually. Hi Cara, we see you. um to deliver the BAC quarter 3 report. Thank you. >> Thank you, Sarah, and thank you, directors. I appreciate you letting me join remotely. I'm calling in from Bend on a business trip. Um if you're not familiar with our charter, which we are intimately familiar with on the BAC, um our our charter is to really look at high level scope, schedule, and spend. And so, I'm sure you've read the report. I will just run through it and then I will highlight a couple of the things that we've pulled out. And to be totally candid, our quarterly meeting was in July and we are literally having one in two weeks. So I feel like the facilities committee um has probably presented some updates that are a
109little more recent and relevant. Um and so I will probably skip a little bit of what's in our report because I don't know that it is uh as important as it was when we submitted this back in July. So our report literally aligns exactly with the charter. So we are asked to review whether the revenues are being spent for the purpose of which the bond has approved. And at as of our July 2025 meeting, we agreed that the school district is spending the revenues as they were stated in the purpose of the bonds. Um we are asked to determine whether the bond budget is sufficient to complete the scope of the work and as of July um the information that was provided 2012 bond will have sufficient fund to complete the scope of work with
11099.9% spent and as a secondterm BAC committee member we are really ready for 2012 to be put to rest as we are now looking at floor bonds. Um so we're hoping that can be finished this year. Um we'll be a little under budget and those remaining bond funds will be in uh service of completion at grant projects which are in response to lessons learned from that 2012 bond. So uh 2017 that bond program also has sufficient funding to complete the scope of work. Um there is some contingency in there built around the Benson projects team claim with CMGC contractor. I know we've all seen some of that in the Oregonian. And so the finalized budget will not um be out of the risk categorization until the terms of that um settlement come out. Um, specifically
111under health and safety, we do like to point out that all of the scope was allocated appropriately and that we were appraised in January. That 10 million of the 2017 bond are committed to facilities projects that will improve thermal comfort as agreed in the contract negotiations with the um Portland Teachers Association. So that is $10 million higher than originally allocated, but I'm fairly certain there was a resol resolution to address that. And then the 2020 bond measure is projecting sufficient funds to complete nearly all of the scope of work, but we do like to point out that Jefferson will only be able to be constructed and complete because of the passage of the 2025 bond measure. And if we are being totally candid, uh the same is technically true of 2017 because Benson would not
112have been able to be completed without the 2020 bond. Um we have seen the modernization cost reduction updates from Jefferson Wells in Cleveland. Um it looks like that's the 36 to $45 million across all three projects. It sounds like from the facilities committee meeting there are still some conversations around that. And so when it comes to the scope of the work um at this point 20121 17 and 20 we are confident that the work will be completed within the scope outside of that Jefferson highlight. And then lastly um whether the projects can be completed within the scope of work specified. It appears that the school district is proceeding with work that meets the intent of the scope specified in the voter approved bonds. Um 2025 bond projects are defined with scope and budgets within program
113pri parameters prior prioritizing wow that is a lot of key words. The program parameters prioritizing seismic improvement projects which was touched upon earlier from the facilities committee meeting. Um those KPIs will provide accountability and transparency which we know is important to the community with uh twice monthly reports to the facilities committee and quarterly reports to the BAC which we are not currently getting um as well as the 2025 seismic improvements website. And then in terms of schedule uh in the past in the meeting in July we reviewed 2017 and 2020 modernization and it appears that the design projects for Jeff Cleveland and Wells are complete and within scheduled parameters. Uh one thing that we do like to flag is that the sequencing of three major high school modernization projects simultaneously totaling 1.5 billion seems like
114a risky scenario. And then um we received copies of the annual audit performance in that meeting and the bond reviews appear to be in compliance with state law and ballot measure language. And then the one thing that we wanted to flag is in regards to the audit recommendations um under staffing in the role of the business operations uh capacity affects the ability to actually enact the year six audit recommendations. And we know that that is outside potentially this um potentially OSM's ability to change anything given budgetary constraints. And so as of July that is the approved BAC committee report. Um we look at business equity and the cumulative workforce equity. Uh they are trending in line where they have been in the past. the biggest challenge remaining female workforce participation. However, our numbers don't appear
115in real time, so we're always kind of a lagging indicator versus a leading one. And then lastly, just our our couple of general comments. Um there was a gap between the 2020 bond and the 2025 bond that caused a pause in the ERP implementation from the technology work. Um, we understand that that is a costly project and we would like to see similarly sized school districts um, scopes of work to understand if and how the budget that is in the 2025 bond of $62 million aligns with the cost that uh, other schools have seen other districts. And um not that I don't love being the chairperson, but we have to appoint a new one because my tenure is up and we are actually have that on our agenda for the 29th of October to discuss.
116Um you all updated us on the center for student black the center for student center for black student excellence which we have also been tracking of not being delivered but we know that that is moving forward. Um, one reminder is that the bond is only for capitalizable um, expenditures towards the center and so does not address and the BAC does not look at anything that would be programmatic moving forward. Um and then this is something that several of the BAC members have been very adamant about that their opinion as experts our opinion as experts in this field is that we are building very large high schools without the student body to justify it. um particularly when you look at the costs. And so uh unless there's something that we are not aware of, the declining
117enrollment and decreasing birth rates in our community make this a little bit more pronounced given the project budget issues and knowing that a project that is projected at $465 million today might look much different from now as we look more towards completion. Um, so with that, we are very supportive of the work that OSM is doing. Um, we know there's been a lot of transition and we've been really appreciative over the last uh, four weeks of how the district has engaged and brought us to the table, including reviewing our meeting cadence so that we are a little more up todate when we come and present to you all as a board um, on a quarterly basis. Great. Thank you. Really appreciate the report and um it was actually a fun read. So, thank you. >>
118Thank you. I write that. That makes me feel good. >> Yeah. >> You know, can I just say too, I want to thank you for flagging um the 10 million um that was agreed to in the contract negotiations with PAT. Um we had a agenda setting meeting for the next facilities meeting today and uh um just a great reminder to go ahead and have we're talking a lot about HVAC and thermal comfort. I like that terminology. Um, so we'll ask for more specifics about where we are. We are at with that as well as the PCF PCF funds that were committed as well. I think it's a great topic for next month. So, thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Yeah. I had a question. You mentioned the technology part and I wasn't quite clear what
119you thought we should do. We should look at comparisons. >> Yeah. So um the way I understand it is that the technology that the district is currently running is basically at its end of life. Um and that is risky for a variety of reasons and so to do the implementation that's being suggested is quite expensive. However, comparatively it would be expensive for anyone to do. And so the BAC would love to see a district that is similar in size and having gone through a similar technology upgrade to understand if we're scoping it correctly. >> Okay. Thank you. >> I have a quick comment just about the uh building of three high schools at one time and the um risk of you know you're looking at the data the population projections um and it would be
120very easy to you know say let's don't do let's don't build Jefferson. you know, we've got members of uh Cleveland High School uh here in the audience um and IDW Wells uh communities are also watching and um we want to do all three of them. And I think back to you know why would we do that? Well, a hundred years ago when our buildings were being built, our leaders at the time when we had a third of the population in Portland built these schools knowing that there would be population. And I think that and population does does dip and there there are rises and falls and they're not in the 5-year projections that the demographics um researchers uh predict for us. So I think you know let's build for the future. We have to build
121schools that are 100 years will last 100 years with the same faith that our leaders had 100 years ago when they were building so many schools for for not a very big population. the population of Portland was under 200,000 for a long time. >> I will point this out in the meeting minutes to the rest of the BAC. >> I think just to add to that as well, I mean back when the in January when the bond was were still campaigning for the bond there, we did an exercise of reducing the cost or reducing the size a little bit and it didn't really produce as big of a cost savings as anyone was hoping for because of two things. one it having to go back and and plan for it or redo this design work
122and everything like that um cost money and then the delays that it caused as well meant that you know because of inflation and rising cost of materials those costs most of that was eaten up. So I think and and the other thing I also want to add and also really stress over and over and over again is that uh I know we're building these schools to 1700 but 1700 is not actually what is educationally the best max. It should be at 85% should be the max. Um, anyone who's ever taught in a school, having too much space is almost never a problem, but having too little space is educational detriment. Um, and you know, at 85% that puts our schools at like I think 15 and a half or 1500 studentsish, and that is uncomfortably
123full. So, um, and and not only that, I think there's also some unfairness for some schools having to come last, right? In a perfect world, we would do all of them at the same time and then decide which ones should be smaller. But just because Cleveland and Wells and Jefferson came last doesn't necessarily mean they were the ones that should be targeted to be size reduced. And I think that is a it's kind of a a fairness question as well. U and so I I thank you for sharing that and I I do appreciate the concerns and they're very real. So thank you. >> You're welcome. I really just think it's a concern of cost and scope and I think that the the BAC sits there and thinks to your point about inflation. Um and
124it is I think hard to think future when we just see the cost escalating uh bigger and bigger and read that we are going to have the most expensive high schools in the the country. And that is one other thing I want to add. I think um again I will reiterate we've seen a lot more engagement from the district in the last 6 weeks um but it is uncomfortable to be a BAC member and see the majority of these stories coming out in Wamit week in the Oregonian um and you know I serve as a private citizen and so getting phone calls from the Oregonian at my place of work is not exactly ideal um about a volunteer position and so I think just some of the transparency that can be shared with the BAC
125even if we only meet quarterly is just really helpful. Yeah, that's great. I'm um I'm really glad that you're sharing that candidly. I just really quickly wanted to um make sure that because Karen and I haven't had a chance to meet. I couldn't come to the first meeting after I became the liaison and we're meeting next week on the 22nd. I look forward to seeing you there and would love to get together otherwise too. But one thing I'm really committed to and have been talking about since we were talking a ton about the bond for what the entire spring every possible minute that we could spend talking about it we were. And I talked about the my commitment to making sure that the BAC and the expertise on that, you know, members of the public
126that are willing to give their time and expertise that we really um lean into that and bring that expertise to both the facilities committee, the board as a whole, to our um team at OSM. Um, so I just really want to thank you for your service and just once again publicly affirm my commitment to make sure that that relationship is deeper and stronger going forward as we tackle um, you know, frankly our biggest lift yet. >> Thank you. >> Hi. Um, I have three quick comments. Um the first being I had flagged this 10 million from the 2017 bond and I'm I'm glad grateful to hear Director Leford is going to bring this up in FIO because I know a lot of our community members are wondering how many closures are we going to have
127with school classrooms that are too hot before we actually get the appropriate equipment in there and 2017 is a long time ago and that is a lot of days lost for our students. Um so I'm grateful to hear that there will be a plan or at least a conversation. Um, second, I well, I want to start out with a positive. I want to say thank you so much for I put a star circled three exclamation points. Thank you for in conclusion commending PPS with what they've accomplished as the number of projects is numerous and are complex. And I love that that is where your conclusion is because it is we are tackling a lot and the district is taking on a lot and I'm grateful to see that we sort of end it with this
128positive note. Um I I do want to highlight as the third thing I am disappointed that um it looks like for the second report in a row um that the cumulative workforce equity for female workforce participation looks like it remained the same from the previous report at 6% when the goal is 14%. And I just want to say come on women I know you can do this. We are badass. We can do just about anything. Um, so I want to see that go up and so I I guess I would say let's see that go up because there are a lot of women in the trades who Yeah, let's just see that go up. Thank you. >> I can add to that positive note. I think at Benson because they apprenticed a lot of students,
129it was the highest female workforce of any project that we saw across PPS. So like there are some like bright spots in there. >> Nice. Thank you. Hold on. Excellent. >> I just wanted to say uh quickly as a student at Roosevelt uh where we are a bit overcrowded for reasons that are that you know that are not relevant. Um but uh you know as my other members have said there is a you know it is kind of a much bigger problem when when we our schools are too small. we've had to add on to Roosevelt and there was a consideration for even another addition after that which I don't know where that's at. I don't think that that's going forward after the right sighting. Yeah. Um but I would definitely much rather our schools
130be too big and then it's like well we we always have that cushion, you know, in case our population skyrockets out of nowhere, which is unlikely, but you know, it's a it's a good thing to have to have some wiggle room there. So, >> I will bring it back to the BAC in two weeks that you all are adamant on this point. >> Thank you. >> I'm just the messenger, >> but you did wonderful work and I I want to really appreciate the Yeah. the the really great report. I I'm looking forward to making sure we see this through and making sure that we um take these recommendations um to heart and and Right. And hopefully even carry it through in the audit committee. >> Y >> right. So that um any last questions before
131we move on? Do you want to close us out or >> Oh, thank you so much, Cara. Thank you so much for joining us. Really appreciate your report and the continued collaboration and really looking forward to our meeting next week and uh and getting to work. So, thank you. >> Thank you all. >> Awesome. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. Um next up we have what all of you are waiting for. Uh Jefferson revised comprehensive plan. Uh our next item tonight is to actually vote on the res uh revised Jefferson comprehensive master plan. Uh Superintendent Armstrong, before we get before we get to a brief overview plan, which was already reviewed and recommended to move forward to the full board for consideration by the facilities improvement and oversight committee, um would you like
132to say some stuff about it? >> Yeah, absolutely. Just a couple of key points. As we know, the modernization of Jefferson High School was approved as a part of the 2020 bond as referenced. And over the last three years, staff and the school board engaged with the community about including exploring options, including exploring options for keeping students on site during construction and looking at the benefit to new construction versus keeping the building exterior. In 2023, the board approved a revised approach. students remain on campus while a new building was being constructed. In 2024, the design team or the design work was paused in order to explore ways to develop cost reduction strategies. The team's revised design resulted in significant savings. In 2025, voters passed another bond which included the funds needed to complete Jefferson's modernization.
133So, I want to thank the staff for their hard work and um just all the things that were needed to keep the project moving forward. And I know that it will result in a newly designed wonderful Jefferson High School. But at this point, I'm going to turn it over to interim senior director Sarah Norman to introduce the team and start the presentation. Thank you. >> Yes. Good evening. We are excited to bring the comprehensive plans for both Jefferson and Cleveland high schools to the board for approval. Um Steven Ephro will be presenting for Jefferson and Eric Gerting will be presenting for Cleveland. Both of these individuals and their teams have worked tirelessly for years to bring these modernizations to fruition for the students and communities upon which they will serve. And so without further Steve,
134>> thank you Sarah. Sorry. And thank you, uh, board directors, superintendent. Again, my name is Steve Efos, a senior project manager on the Jefferson project. Uh, very quickly before you move forward, I'll just quickly say, um, the we're going to look at a plan overview, uh, EDSPEC comparison, a current project schedule, and then an updated budget uh, summary. So, yeah, starting with the current plan overview. So, as you can see here, um, and I'm sure everyone is quite familiar now with the Jefferson project, uh, much of the site has actually stayed the same since before the cost reduction study. uh we have the building design updated to meet the uh board's cost reduction uh study framework but the general orientation of the site uh with a building on the north uh or the right side
135of the site on Killingsworth we have uh the um yeah the north uh the north Portland library at the northeast corner uh we have a crosslock connection which is similar to the one at uh Lincoln High School connecting commercial on the bottom and Kirby at the top and then we have athletic fields south of that including track and field uh tennis courts uh baseball soccer field and softball field south of Alberta. Uh so essentially the primary change has been the building footprint itself. Um so the crossblock connection which is just to the left of the building uh between the building and the fields has adjusted to this new shape and there's a new plaza area where the teen parent center used to be. go to the next slide. So this is an overview of the
136cost reduction uh study and really the changes that occurred based on that uh the work that we did. So the cost reduction study the board's framework included adjustment of the building area to the edspec required 295,000 uh square feet. However, the major organization of the building um into the acade academic arts and athletic massing has stayed the same. So, you can kind of see the comparison from the previous design. So, those major elements are in the same general orientation, but the updated design achieved the goals of the board's framework uh through several major moves. First, there was the relocation of the Teen Parent Center from being a standalone building, and you can kind of see that separate white building there, uh, into the main building. Then, with the reduced footprint of the theater, it allowed
137more program to wrap around that space. So, you can kind of see how it was a more dominant piece uh, in the previous design, and now with the reduced footprint, we had more area around that. And then finally, the area adjustment allowed the main main gym in yellow um to move to the ground floor from being on the second floor before, which was also a significant improvement um in terms of the overall orientation of the ground floor. Go to the next slide. So here I'll just provide a very basic over overview of the the floor plan. Um we have the entry on Kirby. Oh, thank you for adding those entries. That's awesome. Uh into the commons at the center of the academic wing. Um we have the administrative bar in pink next to the entry.
138We have the teen parent center at the bottom next to the cross block. And then right sort of at the center are the um servery and commons. Then moving up into uh the green into the arts wing we have the theater at the center, the choir and band on the west side. uh in construction CTE on the east and the media center running along Killingsworth on the upper end. And then finally with the athletics wing in yellow, we have the entry off the cross block uh with the main gym along commercial and supporting spaces around it. So you can see that new kind of orientation of the gym on the main floor, the main gym. Go to the next slide. So here you'll see the second floor on the left. Um, we have the main
139common stair up to the second floor with Jefferson partner spaces that overlook the commons, including uh the SEI program. And you can see all those spaces in pink there at the center. And the rest of the wing includes primarily general education classes in blue. And then in the arts wing, we have primarily CTE and visual arts around the theater facing Kirby and Killingsworth and the two Jefferson dancers studios uh facing Killingsworth and the North Portland Library. And then finally, the athletic swing we have on the second floor includes the the auxiliary gym and the weight room. And then finally the third third and floor third and fourth floors on the right include primarily uh academic bars with general ed and science classrooms in blue. And then at the center of the two bars is a
140student flex space. It's at a very central location uh in the academic wing. Go to the next slide. Thank you. So this slide is an overview of the comprehensive uh education specifications and really how the current design compares to the prior design. So on the left you can see in red, yellow and blue are the edspec minimum then the prior design from when we reached a 50% design development in the prior version of the project and then finally the current 2025 comprehensive plan. And then on the right, you'll see how each of those colors is represented in different program areas. Um, and you can see that some areas are lower and some are higher. And that's really just based on a particular high school program's focus area. And so obviously everyone's aware of Jefferson's um
141really critical fine and performing arts program. And so that's why you'll see that it has um pushed above the typical comprehensive plan. And then we compensate through use of um uh elective uh spaces in the the general ed uh category. Next slide. So this is an overview of the the overall project schedule. Um, and you can see obviously the cost reduction study at the top was uh completed in the spring and we began the redesign and that that effort actually continues into the fall of 2026. Uh, next you'll see land use and permitting. Um, and actually we just submitted our type three conditional use permit last week which was a major milestone. Really excited about that. And that overall effort uh with both land use and permitting will uh continue uh into 2027. Uh and
142additionally, we have now the KAS Hoffman uh contractor team on board and we're beginning to finalize the schedule. So, we'll have more fine-tune information going forward. So now with students um staying on site during construction, we've actually created a separate early fields package um that allow us allows us to start construction in the late spring and complete these fields so that they can be used before uh the start of building construction. So that will allow you know a lot of the the practice uh athletic practice to occur as the students are on site. Uh building construction begins uh in 2027 is complete by the summer of 2029 with students moving in for the fall semester and then final building uh demo demolition and site work uh continues into the fall of uh 2030. Next slide.
143So finally this is an updated uh budget summary and again um Dr. Armstrong described kind of the different phases of work in 2022 and 2023, but I'll just highlight the changes that occurred particularly since uh 2023. So uh first we had the reduction of the hard uh construction cost to $357 million. Uh we actually added uh an allowance for potential off-site improvements of $2 million. And then below that kind of hard cost line, we have soft costs, including um increased design costs because obviously we uh began over with some of the the design efforts. We have a slight increase in uh what's called fixtures, furniture, and equipment uh just to account for escalation. Um then there's a category that's called move, swing space, and temporary facilities. And this is a general category for all projects,
144but for Jefferson, it's really just looking at an increase that we saw to account for transportation costs of students to off-site athletic facilities. And then finally, we have a project contingency of 10%. So all of that yields a total project budget of 466 million and that provides just under $25 million of savings since the 2023 design. Go to the next slide. So these uh next steps are actually slightly out of date based on when we put this together. Uh but yeah, so we've um actually almost completed the schematic design phase approval. So we've completed the document review, page turn review with um all of our district stakeholders, estimating process by RLB, which is the design team's estimating consultant. And now with the the new CMGC on board, they've actually also wrapped up their estimating uh
145process. And so um we're happy to say that actually the reconciled estimates between RLB and KAS Hoffman has come in under 3% which is a really good bar. It allows us to proceed pretty confidently into design development. Um and so we're we're continuing to work with them on construction logistics phasing and schedule workshops um going forward. Community engagement is also slightly out of date. We've had all of our back- tos school nights which is were fantastic. Um we have then tomorrow evening we have our next commun community information session at Jefferson. So we'll be able to provide uh an update based on where we are with the the design. Um so yeah that was our next steps but yeah please if there are any questions more than happy to answer. Um I'm curious about the
146athletic fields that are going to be done first. >> Yes. >> Um which sports will that impact and like what can we share with the community in terms of highlighting that as a draw for students? >> Yeah. So um yeah, that's great. Thank you. So those kind of gray fields on the left, uh the one that's closest to the track and field north of Alberta is it's currently and it will continue to be the baseball field, but it also will accommodate soccer. Um we also think of these fields uh as multi-use because we know that they'll be needed in a flexible way over the next, you know, the coming years before the final track and field are installed. But that's essentially that that field north of Alberta and then south of Alberta is softball but
147can also be used as practice fields. Yeah, you're welcome. >> I just had a couple couple of comments. Um one uh for the teen parent center would flag that in FIO. there wasn't there there the number of students that would utilize it was very few but it sounded like the space can be repurposed or used for other needs if if necessary that it was flexible um and that um the auditorium which I believe is the capacity is 750 is that right? Yeah, between 7:20 and 720. >> That is significant just from spending a lot of time in the other high schools. The the auditoriums are smaller and they are always packed. We never we have to do like two weeks of performances or you know we you know things sell out and you know parents
148and families can't even see their own kids. So I just feel like that was a really smart um upgrade and just wanted to call that out and um yeah that's it. Excited to vote tonight. I I have um I have six comments questions. Um the first is a comment. I I love that you called out the um the session tomorrow, but I have seen from the PPS website and I just want to make sure the dates are out there so that everyone knows that there's an engagement series happening at lots of the middle schools to get um communities involved. And so it's important for me to say the dates. Um so I'll say that out loud. 5:30 to 6 dinner dinners served. 6:00 to 7:30 the engagement events happen October 20th Monday Oley Green October
14923rd Harriet Tubman October 27 at Fabian October 29 Vernon and November 5th a virtual one so that's my first thing um second my question is I couldn't tell from the materials and I and I'm new to this will Jefferson be a comprehensive high school in the exact same way that every other high school is by the time that students are going in there Yes, I mean I think there's there's some nuance to it. Absolutely. In terms of overall program, it will accommodate, you know, all of the the standard comprehensive high school program. Um I think it will I imagine as as principal Shelton is, you know, working on kind of the future growth of the school. They'll also consider that there is there are a couple of kind of unique programs in terms of the
150middle college program that has a relationship with PCC. There's obviously the the Jefferson dancers and kind of the growing performing arts program as well. So, um I think that will probably be all in the mix in terms >> So, yes, I think that's the answer is yes. Thank you. >> Yes. Yes. >> Thank you. I think it has to be. >> Um number three, um I noticed in here that to cut costs, students are sharing lockers. Do they share them at other high schools or is that going to be just Jefferson? >> No, I think I think we're following the same model of all all three high schools and recent high school. educational specification on number of lockers in high schools. >> I will say for what it's worth, I don't know any kid who
151uses their locker in high school. They carry their backpacks like my mine doesn't even know where his is. >> It's also an what it's worth. Okay, almost done. >> Thank you. Y >> um a couple more. Uh um I I appreciate the note in here about hopefully having baseball and softball in there. Yay. I don't want to see a traditionally women's sports sidelined. So, I love that we're trying to get both of them in there. I think it's really important. Girls and women cut out of sports way too early. We know this. So, we should not be dropping anything. Um uh I have a question about will this program and I'm going to ask you Eric later too and feel free to nod now. Will it be a full electrific electrification which has been the
152board resolution still? Yes. Yes. Yeah. >> And then my last one, I'm almost done. Thank you for that. Is I notice in the partner and community uses? I have three sort of questions. One, is there a laundry space in there for students to use in the event that they don't have that at home available to them? Has that been >> Yeah, there are actually multipleries in the building. Some of them are athletic related, some of them are program related. So, I don't I can't remember the exact ones, but we can get that information. Yeah. >> Thank you. Um, second, I wonder whether the I noticed in here some um I just wonder whether there's an option in there has been thought about using some of the spaces in all of the high schools, but since
153we're talking about Jefferson now, um, to host DHS supervised visits in the event that there are teen parents who are separated from their children through the DHS system, oftentimes the DHS case workers are searching for spots that are safe for supervised visits to reunify teen parents or parents with their children. So, if that has not been talked about, I would love to see that talked about. And then finally, I am disappointed to see that the breastfeeding spot is on the maybe column. We know that um black mothers uh traditionally breastfeed less and we're investigating that. We're trying to figure out why. And if they want to, we should be supporting that. And so, I would strongly advocate for a an open communication that breastfeeding is fine, bottlefeeding is fine, formula is great, whatever you want
154to do. But to put something in the maybe just puts an unnecessary obstacle in there for teen parents who are probably already I mean my head was spinning when I started parenting. So um that's my that's my last comment. Thank you. >> No, thank you. >> Um I had another question about uh not going off-site. Um I've had questions from the community actually about why we're not moving students off site, why we're not utilizing Benson for that, why are we not utilizing Kenton for that. um and whether it would save time and money if we did that. Can you address that? >> Yes. So, um that was actually >> Steve, you want me to take this one >> or Yeah, okay, >> I can take this one. Um actually, that was a an option offered
155to the community quite a few times. And the the tough answer is yes, it could save time. Yes, it could potentially save money, but it was a resounding no. we do not want to relocate our students during this modernization and so we took that to heart. We're serving this community and these students and that is kind of the decision that we're moving forward with. >> Can I add to that? That was a long conversation. It was all over the internet, um Instagram, um it's a vulnerable community as it is and um the Marshall campus is I think 11.2 two miles away and we just that's a long way for a high schooler to go outside of their community and we felt like well first of all the community wasn't having it. They wanted their kids
156to stay on site knowing their own community. I I advocated with them to keep the kids on site knowing that it was not going to be helpful to the schedule but it's a demonstration our of our of our love for that community are taking their input to heart. I'm glad we're taking the community's input to heart. Um, and I recognize the issues with Marshall, but I' i've heard people offer sites that are closer. So, right >> curious about that. >> Some was offered, I think, >> or thought about. >> Yeah. Yeah. And I just wanted to just to uh remind the board that um at some point in the next uh several weeks, we'll be getting a a report from Prescidio when remember I the firm that I engage to look at costsaving um and
157uh things that could potentially uh speed up the timeline. And so, uh, we'll be anticipating that report to arrive, uh, in a few short weeks and we can probably go a little bit further into, uh, what are some different things that, uh, you all would want to consider. Um, and if nothing that that's fine, but, uh, that deliverable is expected soon. >> Yeah. I had another a question about the fields. So, while it's being built, the fields will be available. So after it's built, then they'll be tearing down the old school, right? And we'll then it will be all new fields. >> Yes. So the two early fields are kind of there on the left. Uh the baseball and softball fields. Uh so those are available while they're in the building uh during construction. But
158yes, the the building is on the footprint of the future track and field. Yeah. >> Yeah. The new the new football and track and field is where the existing Jefferson High School sits. So for those sports, those will have to those will have to relocate during the time of of uh the construction of those fields. >> Where are they going to go? Do you know? >> Uh we're working with athletics on that. >> Oh, I think I know. >> Okay. Um >> I'm I'm really looking forward to the juxaposition of this like super modern building fronted on Killingsworth, which would have been my first choice if anybody would have asked me to put the new building there because it was about $30 million cheaper. But it's going to be a really nice um juxaposition with
159that historic library right next door. I think it'll be a really nice uh fe streetscape. >> Yeah, >> nice feature. >> For the sake of time, I we need to move on. Um >> and also Yeah, I know. But we also had this long presentation during the facilities meeting as well. So I think um there will be multiple times to ask these questions. The only comment I have is that I'm happy that the science space is slightly above edspec. >> Great. Yeah. All right. Um, do I have a motion and a second to adopt resolution 7187, resolution authorizing amending the Jefferson High School Modernization Comprehensive Plan? >> We need to be very slow in making our motions and our second so that somebody could come back unless we can give them the ability to vote
160when they come back. >> Do I have a motion in a second? >> So moved. >> Thank you. Director to pass moves. We can have a discussion after because we usually have discussion. I'll second it. I'll second it. >> Thank you. Director split seconds. >> Is there a board discussion? >> I think it's really good. >> Thank you. It is really cool. >> Excited to vote yesterday. I like it a lot. 5 seconds. >> Uh, Miss Bradshaw, is there any public comment? >> No. >> Well, there goes that plan. Oh, okay. We're all good. All right. The board will now vote on resolution 7187, resolution authorizing amending the Jefferson High School modernization comprehensive plan. All in favor, please indicate by saying yes. >> Yes. >> Opposed. Abstensions. Student representative RTO. >> Yes. >> Thank you.
161Resolution 7187 is approved by a vote of 7 to zero with student representative RTO voting yes. Thank you. Uh next up we have Cleveland. comprehensive master plan. Uh, this plan was also reviewed in the facilities improvement and oversight committee. Um, so there's always that video if you want to go back and watch that to answer some of your questions. Uh, Dr. Armstrong, could you um go ahead to take >> before we start, I must excuse myself. It's getting a little bit late and my arm is really hurting for some reason. So, I will have to leave for the remainder of this meeting. But I trust you all. Um, so great. Also, I support the statement. >> Thank you all so much. >> Good night, Ian. >> Thank you. So, I'd also like to acknowledge our
162staff who leaned into going back to the planning and looking hard for ways to reduce costs while still maintaining the integrity of the plan that fits the needs of the community. And I just want to reiterate how excited I am to move ahead and am looking forward to groundbreaking this summer. We know that it's a pretty uh aggressive timeline to consider construction of three high schools all at the same time and we believe that we can do it and I'm so looking forward to breaking ground. So I will pass it to back to Sarah Norman to introduce and launch. >> Yeah. And I'm going to pass it to Eric Girting who is going to tell us all about Cleveland High School and the comprehensive plan that you all have seen previously. But uh here we
163are to get your approval to move forward. >> Thanks Eric. >> Great. Thank you Sarah. Thank you superintendent and schoolboard directors. Uh my name is Eric Girting, senior project manager with the office of school modernization and head of the Cleveland uh management team with OSM. Um we can uh start by looking at the site for Cleveland High School. As you all probably know, it occupies three distinct properties. Uh the main site is between 26 and 28 Avenue with a parking lot across the street uh across 26 and four blocks away is the Cleveland uh stadium uh track and field site. Um on the south side of campus uh we have uh Powell Boulevard uh which is also a state highway highway 26. And then actually uh southwest across uh Powell uh kind of kitty corner
164to uh the main uh campus is uh Powell Park where currently Cleveland athletic programs use the existing grass and dirt fields uh when they are playable. the uh you know the main campus is the smallest uh campus of all of our comprehensive high schools of PPS. Uh this view is kind of rotating 180 degrees from the previous image. We're looking now towards the southwest. Uh you can see the main campus uh buildings occupy the vast majority of the space leaving very little outdoor area uh for students and staff. Um the small site also presents unique challenges uh for construction logistics uh very similar to complexities of downtown construction. Uh these challenges bring additional cost to the project that uh we've not seen on previous modernizations. Uh the modernized modernized design uh which you can see
165uh to the right uh is uh comprised primarily of two primary structures uh a north building and a south building uh with a sort of connector structure uh connecting the two buildings together. Uh this concept was overwhelmingly supported as it provides a large secured courtyard extending through the site uh from east to west. And this courtyard uh is just over 40,000 square ft. So almost an acre of outdoor space uh for students and staff and the school community for a variety of activities uh that have never been possible before uh on the on the Cleveland campus. Um the north building is primarily a mass timber structure with steel and concrete elements and the south building is an all steel and concrete structure. The uh first level on the left of the slide um shows um
166well it's off to the left would be the parking lot. So we're showing two uh secondary entrances. On the north building is an entrance to the health center and teen parent center. Uh the south building shows the athletic uh facilities in orange and the secondary entrance uh to the gym uh and those facilities. And you'll see kind of a sort of a gray area around kind of the right of that floor plan that indicates uh part of the lower level that actually extends uh into below grade underground. Uh we have an 18 ft uh grade change from the east side of the site down to the west. So part of our uh level one uh goes underground and then going up to level two. Uh we have the primary entrance has been moved to 28th
167Avenue. Uh that's moving off of 26th Avenue which is a busy arterial street. And 28th has an existing bicycle greenway. And so we're providing a more uh sort of calm and more residential type um u situation for the entry of the building. The main entry on level two uh falls through uh the student commons and servy. And then we also have a secondary entrance to the south building uh on 28th Avenue which goes to the performing arts uh facilities which are shown in purple. Um also to just the left of the performing arts spaces on that second level, you'll see kind of a a ring around uh what is the gymnasium area. That is on the second level. We're showing an elevated running track. uh this is uh provided in the edspecs uh as an
168uh alternate to the project. So it's currently an additive alternate. Um we will be doing uh more cost estimating at the end of our design development phase to you know make a decision if this can stay in the project. Uh it's it's really uh an important element of the fitness center of the Cleveland design uh specifically because we are four blocks away from our track and field. So, we really want to try to make uh sure we're providing uh as much of the athletic facility as possible. So, the cost of that elevated running track is approximately $1.6 million. So, that's not um sort of u an easy thing to decide on. So, we're really working hard to kind of keep our design and our cost down so that can come into the project and we
169can report back on that later. Next. So then the upper two levels, the third and fourth levels, um are are very similar on the north building to the south building. Uh the north building is primarily general classrooms and on the third level in green, you can see uh where the library is located with views down to the courtyard. Uh the south building has some of our larger classrooms for uh CTE and science programs. So out at our stadium site uh we are planning to uh make improvements there including expanding the grandstands uh and with increased capacity and additional restrooms. Uh a new uh fieldhouse with team rooms and a multi-purpose space for uh batting for uh softball and baseball. Uh also a new practice field in the north uh west corner of the site to
170provide additional sports uh facilities. And then we also have an alternate uh storage building that's uh located up next to that uh practice field. Uh that's another alternate we're hoping to get into the project. If we're able to do that, then we can provide one more team room uh on the stadium site, which again is in response to the the fact that we are uh four blocks away from the main school. We can't utilize, you know, spaces in the main building for for field athletics. Uh we're also showing a diagram of the Powell Park improvements that we're uh starting on. And so this is uh you know in partnership with uh Portland parks uh to uh improve the existing fields there. There's a multi-purpose field for uh baseball, soccer, and lacrosse and then also a
171standalone softball field is planned for that site. So here we're looking at an area uh program comparison. Uh this is uh looking at the a bar in gray which represents the education specifications. Uh the red bar represents Lincoln High School which uh was an example that uh the board used as part of the framework for uh right sizing our new comprehensive high schools. And then the green bar shows the Cleveland program. Uh you know as you can see there are some you know slight differences between the different program areas but there's overall par uh with our comprehensive uh high school program and then slight adjustments are made uh to accommodate specific programs at Cleveland. So with our schedule, we are, you know, currently in design development and we'll be starting construction documents in January. Uh
172we're also submitting our land use application this month and getting our next uh design uh development uh documents issued by the design team uh also at the end of this month. Uh our our schedule has us uh starting construction uh this coming summer at the end of this school year in June of 2026. So, we'll be moving the Cleveland program uh over to the Marshall campus to relocate there for three school years uh during the construction duration. So, we start with demo and abatement of the existing building and then building uh the new structure uh over that next uh say 2 and 1/2 years. But we are scheduled to complete the stadium improvements in 2028 to uh provide that for use of the Cleveland community uh a year before the main building is complete. Uh
173we're also tracking the work at Powell Park to uh align with that completion date in 2028. We're just in the early planning stages of that. So that's subject to change and we can come uh report back to that later. And then we have the main building of course uh completing in 2029. So, with our updated project budget, you know, we're we're showing the comprehensive plan original budget that was approved uh last year and then our revised uh budget based on our cost reduction study efforts over the last year. Uh we had approximately uh over well just over $13 million savings of uh hard costs of the building construction cost. Uh some of that was offset though by uh additional design fees uh and also increasing our uh budget for um fixtures, equipment uh and furniture
174uh similar to the Jefferson project just uh to accommodate uh market escalation. And we've also increased our budget for work over at the Marshall campus. uh understanding just there's additional improvements that we're making over there uh in including resurfacing the running track which is in great need and that will be um done before the Cleveland program moves in uh next year. So overall our savings u above the or you know below the previously approved budget is just around $1 million and also we're noting the $15 million allowance that was provided in the 2025 bond for the athletic improvements at Powell Park. Um, there's also a note that says and or Hosford Middle School. We we do have uh a plan that uh could allow a softball field to be built at Hosford. Uh we can't
175fit anything more at Hosford. Uh that's more kind of a backup plan or an alternate plan if um uh we're not able to do the improvements at Pal Park that we aim to do, but but our focus is on Pal Park and keeping uh the baseball and softball programs together in one location. So our next steps uh we as I mentioned we're getting our design development documents uh here in about 10 days on the 24th and the uh design team uh and uh our CMGC contractor will be conducting a new estimate and and price checking on where we are with the design and the changes we've made. Our contractor is also uh hiring trade partners for mechanical, electrical, plumbing and framing. Uh we're also going out for a structural steel uh trade partner uh this
176next month. And then we'll continue our community engagement with our design advisory group, our next meeting on November 5th. And then we're starting to go out to the middle schools uh to talk to uh parents and students uh families out there about the move to Marshall and what uh things might be looking like for their kids as they move uh into the Cleveland program. So, we'll be at uh Cellwood Middle School PTA this week and then uh we're looking to go to Hosford and also reaching out to Winter Haven and other schools as well. >> That concludes. >> Back to you, Dr. Armstrong. >> Yeah. No, I appreciate that and that was comprehensive. Thank you. So, team, what what questions do you have? >> I I had one. I understood from previous conversations that steel
177and concrete were hard to do on that site, but it sounds like one building you're going to do it. >> Uh we are I think what you're referring to is uh when we were talking about cost reduction options before we were looking at uh concrete tiltup uh structure as as an option because that is a a faster method of construction and can save time and money. uh we study that uh but really the site is so um constricted and the constraints we have on our on our area of construction logistics uh that method of construction was just not feasible with the space we have but the actual you know steel frame and concrete structure is very feasible >> okay >> thank you great thank you um do I have >> a motion we'll have board
178discussion right after too we just put it on the table first. Um, do I have a motion and second to adopt resolution 7188, resolution authorizing amending the Cleveland High School modernization comprehensive plan? >> I'm going to first that. >> I'll second it. >> Yes, we have public comment. Yeah. Yeah. So, that comes after board discussion. Uh, sorry. Who? All right. Thank you. Thank you. I'm having a mental fire right now. Um, director Englesman moves and directors >> Lefort seconds. Um, is there any board discussion? >> Yeah, sorry. I was looking at Director Sullivan. I'm not sure if you were going to go. I have some >> No, >> I I have some um comments and questions. So, I guess um first I just want to say to the community who's um going to end up
179at Cleveland, if you were or are as confused as I was for the longest of times, and I've known for 11 years that my kids are going to go to Cleveland, and for about 10 of those years, I had no idea how to get involved and how to understand what was going on there. And um I've um sort of fully absorbed myself over the last few months to figure it out. And I have learned a lot. And thank you to the design team and everybody who's out there doing it. If you are interested, if you're listening to me right now, the November 5th, which thank you for saying that because I still had the October 30th, November 5th um design group meeting at Malum >> Mumm. Thank you. which is at 1380 Southeast 9th from
1806:00 to 8:00 p.m. would be an amazing opportunity for you to go and see the design and ask questions and leave comments and get involved and know what's coming because if your kids are in fifth or sixth grade, they're going to seventh grade, they're going to get to go to this beautiful new school and so feel confident showing up and and going there because I have so much knowledge now that I was really overwhelmed with trying to get until recently. Um then I understand there's an open house at 6 p.m. on December 4th. Is that still happening at Cleveland? Someone I saw that on a PPS thing. So, I want to flag that like look on the calendars. I think December 4th at 6 PM is an open house at Cleveland for anybody who's going
181to be ending up going there. Another opportunity to see where we are and where we're going. Um, I want to say I love the idea of an indoor track to your point because unlike the other schools, we are blocks and it's not blocks on a quiet street. It's blocks along Powell for our kids to have to get to if they want to spend some time walking around a track and decompressing or thinking or learning or doing all the things. And for our teachers and our staff who are in the building, the opportunity to just spend 10 minutes walking quickly between what we know to be very um tough jobs though. I love that this is being thought about. Um, I know the price is something that is hard to swallow, but for this specific design,
182I think it's fantastic for the mental and um, emotional health of our students and our staff who are in the building. Um, and then I think I think that's it. Actually, I'll end on that. That was a really quite a letown. Thank you. >> Thank you, Director Englesman. Um, any other comments, questions? Right. We have p public comment. Uh, Miss Bradshaw, who do we have signed up? >> Well, actually, I don't have anybody signed up. >> We don't. >> Oh, let me double check. >> Happy to double check. >> Um, what is your name? >> Elizabeth. Yeah, I do see one Liz Super on the list that I have. >> Sorry, I just missed it. We have Liz Super. >> Thank you. and you remember the public comment, right? I don't have to repeat that.
183>> Thank you. >> I know it's late. Um, and just really want to appreciate and recognize all the hard work um from the design team. Um, my name is Elizabeth Super Su. Um, I'm a ninth and 11th grade grader at Cleveland High School and my kids participate in women's soccer, baseball, softball, and football. I've served on the Cleveland softball and baseball board, Cleveland High School football boosters, Cleveland high school boosters PTA, and helped form the parent advocacy group, Turf Pal. We really cannot wait any longer for Pal Park to be turfed and fenced for Cleveland players to have a safe and equitable place to play and compete. Just to demonstrate, this fall athletes continue to have space constraints with two football teams, seven soccer teams, and the cross country team with only one turf field
184at the Cleveland Stadium 0.3 miles from the school. Repeatedly, the women's Cleveland JV2 soccer team has had to practice in a corner of Woodstock Park. There are no nets for shooting, not enough space to practice drills, and this is after taking a try bus 2.2 miles to get to their practice field. Some days practice is cancelled due to lack of field space. Pal Park is where our 6A Cleveland baseball team competes and here are the updates. As you mentioned, there's a muddy grass field with two wooden benches, two sets of metal bleachers and a portaotty that was recently burned. There's no turf, no covered dugout, no pitching warm-up area, no hitting facility, no concessions, no scoreboard, no running water, no electricity, no speaker system, no handicap access. At Woodstock Park, where our Cleveland Warrior 6A
185softball team practices, worst conditions are there, but with a field full of holes. In addition, Pal Park is not secure or safe. Over the last two school years, the Cleveland baseball team has had to cover $1,846 worth of damages to our limited facilities. I'm curious if other PIL baseball teams have had to fundra just to cover vandalism and theft. Our primitive shed has been broken into three times with the locks needing to be replaced and once was right prior to a game with Grant. The lock was destroyed and our kids could not warm up since the shed was locked with their equipment. Imagine being a PIL player and having such different experiences just based on the public high school you attend. Further, the generator needed for pitching machine was stolen. Our infield roller was stolen.
186And most recently, the hitting nets were destroyed with evidence of knife cups purposely cutting large holes in the nets, making this hitting area unusable. This happened in August. So, board members and committee, please continue our work with Portland Parks. We really appreciate it. Please continue to work creatively for a lease of Pal Park or a land swap. Um the plans have have already been made and they're budgeted within the modernization. Completion of these improvements would be a huge win for you as a board and your legacy to have all high school kids in Portland with the same opportunities to play. Please don't let this project fall to the back of the line. Cleveland athletics struggle due a lack of due to a lack of resources that other PIL schools have, but we continue to advocate
187because we believe in our amazing kids, our dedicated coaches, our talented teachers, and our strong programs. Athletics are not about wins and losses, and we struggle at Cleveland, but providing a space for kids to thrive, belong, and actually be successful at school. So, thank you so much, and please heed this update to move to approve the updated Cleveland High School comprehensive plan. We really appreciate it. >> Great. Thank you. >> Can I ask a quick question? I'm sorry. Just made me reminded me of a question and you may have covered this for the sequencing of the um the football field. I had some parents um ask about that. Will that be done first so that kids are not having to go back and forth to Marshall for as long? Does that make sense? >> Yeah.
188So our our schedule has the the Cleveland stadium work being completed in 2028. >> There it is. Okay. So that's >> so >> first >> to get that >> done first >> to try and mitigate that. Awesome. Great. >> Great. Thank you. All right. The board will now vote on resolution 7188, resolution authorizing amending the Cleveland High School Modernization Comprehensive Plan. All in favor, please indicate by saying yes. >> Yes. Opposed uh abstensions. Thank you. Resolution 7188 is approved by a vote of 7 to zero. You did it. Now you can go home and go to bed. Thank you everyone. Uh there has been a change in the agenda. We are moving uh item number Sorry, 14. The um state adopted resolution materials until after the division 22 conversation. Uh so now we are moving
189on to number 15, the authorization for stipens for current and future board members. So just quick introduction to this. Um the item today is for a vote on implementing a monthly stipen for our current and future board members. Prior to 2023, our school board members were not allowed in Oregon to receive compensation for serving on the board. Uh however, in 2023 legislative session, in an effort to increase the diversity of school board members are able to run for school board and stay on it, um the legislature passed House Bill 2753, which allowed um school boards to provide um the stipen of up to $500 a month and adjust it for inflation after. Um just a couple things to note. Uh even if this is approved, no school board member has to take the full amount.
190they can decide uh to take the maximum allowed or also decline at any time. Uh uh the statute does not make the board an employ a member sorry does not make the board member an employee of the district and at a September work session we discuss discussed whether to implement this immediately next year as part of the budget uh process. However, it was agreed that we would implement this immediately. Uh since none of us can vote to pay for ourselves, uh this means we have seven separate resolutions. How awkward. Uh which would have um six board members voting to approve the stipen for non- voting member. In terms of process, I like to suggest that we begin this process with public comment and then board discussion and then following then we'll move to voting on
191each resolution separately. Um, also of note, this is again like I said before, this is something that was approved by the um, state legislature. They fully vetted those their purpose was to increase accessibility. Um, I think vice chair to pass calculated out that at $500 a month that equates about seven cents an hour for the amount of work that we're doing. >> And that was conservative. >> So, um, yes. What did I say we're going to do? Oh, yeah. Uh let's uh begin this process with public comment. Do we have public comment? >> No, I think for real this time. >> All right. Uh board discussion. >> No, just to say that um you know, as a single parent, I have found it I found it challenging at first um to even consider doing this.
192And I'm I'm happy that there is a small stipend because it may um allow for people that have to provide a pizza to their children or a babysitter um might allow more participation. So I'm all about increasing who can serve. Um our our board has not traditionally had people that couldn't afford to serve and I think it's a big step in the right direction. >> Yeah. I just I just want to add to that like representation matters. Um, one thing I did learn from Cube that I didn't share because of time, but I'll share now because who cares about time anymore, right? It's already almost nine. Um, uh, was that there was some study that showed that board boards that had more teachers and former educators on it had better outcomes for teachers and former
193educators in terms of like not just like workplace happiness, but also like pay and all these things. And I know that teachers aren't paid that well. If educators aren't paid that well. Um, and so, um, it is has been, you know, financial struggle. I know me personally as well. Um but I think just increasing that accessibility to not just the people who can afford to run um is a very important um moral decision as well else. I just I just also want to say um I don't know why whenever the legislators decided that they could get paid and city government could get paid and police officers and teachers and baristas can get paid but schoolboard members can't get paid. I suspect it had something to do with trying to keep the people on the board
194um looking like and talking like and making decisions like what they wanted to do to keep education maybe limited to some people and not others. We heard um Dr. um Harriet >> Adair, thank you talk about how she she was told she couldn't do things and her mom was told she couldn't do things. And so I suspect that wouldn't take much scratching to look at that decision to find it based in race-based decision-making and keeping things out, people out. So um I also think that there like is some weird like badge that schoolboard members wear like we can't get paid. This is not volunteering in our in our in our kids' classrooms for an hour a week. This is going on five hours that these people have been sitting up here today and doing executive
195sessions. And I know that everybody is meeting with and talking to and going places and doing everything. And our last board meeting was seven hours. And so to director DePass's vice chair Deass's comments on how much this is per hour. It's not about how much it is per hour as much as it is saying your hours are worth something and if it were an hour a month and it was just volunteering in our kids' classrooms, it's it would be one thing, but this is so much bigger than that and so much more not more important that is very important. It is so important the work that is being done by all of these board members. And so to any other districts out there thinking about doing this, it it feels weird. All of us have
196felt weird about this, but the legislators have finally recognized that it's an important step in the right direction. And we can take that badge off and we don't have to wear it. Um we get to say we are now slightly stipened, supported, still very volunteer, seven cents an hour um board members. So um that's all I have. It >> it could be that also other districts are waiting for Portland uh to take a step. So, >> um, this question is for Liz. Um, do we have to formally state a potential conflict before we begin the rounds? >> I think in the interest of complying with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission that's requiring seven votes, I recommend doing that. So, it's an actual conflict and it's disclosed and then announcing recusal as part of each of
197the motions. Um, I think is the best advice I can give you. >> Okay. So, how do we how do we go about doing that? Like what do what what's our script? What do we say? >> Each of do each I'm first so let's just I'll be the sample, right? >> But do I need to give the actual conflict and recuse myself or does each vote each one of us has to declare an actual conflict? I think when we get to zone one to start with resolution 7189, we'll have a motion and a second. I think at that point you can say I have an actual conflict. I'm recusing myself from this vote. There can be uh then a vote on that resolution and we'll do that seven times. Yeah. Thank you. >> But not
198everybody needs to give a conflict of interest on each motion. >> No, you you only have one just for your zone and then the will reflect that six have only six have voted. So we have a conflict of interest >> only for your zone. >> Why? I mean what is our conflict? >> Because you have a an economic interest in the outcome of the resolution as it confers an economic benefit to the that who serves in that zone. >> Right. Let's use director split as an example. >> Well, do we have a do we have public comment? >> No, there was no public comment. >> Great. Sounds good. Let's do it. >> Right. Do I have a motion and a second to adopt resolution 7189 authorizing a stipen to the current and future director from
199zone one? >> So moved. >> Director to pass moves. >> Second. >> Who said that? Oh, director Lefort seconds. >> I'd like to serve notice of an actual conflict of interest and recuse myself from this vote. >> Great. The board will now vote on resolution 7189 authorizing a stipen to the current and future director from zone one. All in favor, please indicate by saying yes. >> Yes. All opposed. Abstensions. Split abstains. >> Thank you. >> Abstains. Do I also abstain? >> So I don't abstain. Okay. >> Okay. So, and I I state that too res the vote by and one abstension, right? >> Six to zero with director split recusing herself from the vote. >> Thank you. >> And not abstain. Thank you. Resolution 7189 is approved by a vote of six to zero with
200uh director split abstaining. I also do want to remind everyone that we do have student representative RTOR's um approval, >> which I always think it's very important to have the student rep's approval. All right. Uh next up, we have resolution 7190. Do I have a motion and a second to adopt resolution 7190 authorizing a stipen to the current and future director from zone 2? >> I'll second. Thank you. Director Sullivan moves and director Englesman seconds. The board will now wait. I just want to declare that I have an actual conflict and so I'll recuse myself from this vote. >> Thank you. The board will now vote on resolution 7190 authorizing a stipen to the current and future director from zone 2. All in favor, please indicate by saying yes. >> Yes. All opposed. extensions or
201sorry thank you. Resolution 7190 is approved by a vote of six to zero with director to pass abstaining. >> Do I have a motion and a second to adopt resolution 7191 authorizing sip to the current and future director from zone 3. >> So moved second. >> Director Chase Miller moves. Director split seconds the board. >> Oh yeah, go ahead. Sorry. >> I have an actual conflict of interest and will recuse myself from this vote. The board will now vote on resolution 7191 authorizing a statement to the current and future director from zone 3. All in favor, please indicate by saying yes. >> Yes. All opposed. Abstensions. Thank you. Resolution 7191 is approved by a vote of 6 to zero with director Sullivan abstaining. Do I have a motion? Second to adopt resolution 7192 authorizing a
202stipen to the current and future director from zone 4. >> I'll move second. Director Engleman, sorry. Englesman moves and director split seconds. The board will now vote on resolution Oh, sorry. >> I'd like to declare my actual conflict of interest. >> Thank you. >> And recuse yourself. >> And recuse myself. >> Thank you. The board will now vote on resolution 7192 authorizing stipens of the current and future director from zone 4. All in favor, please indicate by saying yes. >> Yes. >> And all oppose say no. Abstensions. Think resolution 7192 is approved by a vote of six to zero with director Chase Miller abstaining. Do I have a motion and second to adopt resolution 7193 authorizing a statement to the current and future director from zone 5. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Director Sullivan
203moves director to pass seconds. >> I have an actual conflict and I'll recuse myself from this vote. The board will now vote on resolution 7193 authorizing a stipen to the current and future directors from zone 5. All in favor, please indicate by saying yes. >> Yes. All opposed. >> Thank you. Resolution 7193 is approved by a vote of six to zero with uh director Lefort. >> Recused recusing. Recused from the vote I'm getting tired. Do I have a motion and second to adopt resolution 7194 authorizing stipen to the current and future directors from zone 6? >> So moved. Second. >> Director Lefor moves and director Sullivan seconds. >> And I will alert the board that I have an actual conflict and I will recuse myself from this vote. >> The board will now vote on
204resolution 7194 authorizing a statement to the current and future director from zone 7. All in favor, please indicate >> six. Did I what did I say? Six. I said seven. All right. Thank you. Authorizing statement to the current and future director from zone six. I'm trying to take your money. All in favor, please indicate by saying yes. >> Yes. All opposed abstensions. Thank you. Resolution 7194 is approved by a vote of six to zero with director Englesman abstain. Sorry. Uh recused. Do I have a motion and a second? >> Chair Wong. I recommend that chair to pass. >> Handle handle this motion. >> All right. Do I have a motion and a second to authorize resolution 7195 authoring a stipen to the current and future director from zone 7. >> So moved. Second. >> I
205note that I have a conflict of interest and we'll be recusing myself from this vote. >> Okay, we'll vote then. All those in favor uh please say yes. >> Yes. >> Any abstensions? Thank you. Can I just double check who I didn't hear who motioned and seconded that last? >> It was Split and Sullivan. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Is there something you need to say after that? >> That vote is approved by a vote of six to zero with uh director or chair Wong recusing himself. >> Thank you. All right. Next up, we have >> Wait, we just made history. Yeah, >> we just made history in Oregon. Oregon history >> because there's boards elsewhere in the country that do get paid. Um, >> uh, let's five minute break. >> Can we How about
206three minute break? Let's call a threem minute break. Um, stretch. >> All right, let's get started. going around. Which way is this going? >> Uh, I do have to mention before we start with the division 22, I have to mention I did make a mis either a misquote or math mistake. It doesn't work out to seven cents an hour. >> It does or it does not. >> No, I think I misqued you because I think I read it and then I saw point I saw a decimal point. >> It was seven >> and it's past nine. Yeah, it's more like six or $5 an hour, something like that. >> Yeah. So, >> depending on how much people put in, >> I would guess it would average about $5 an hour. >> Yeah, it's about five.
207Yeah, that's right. I don't know how I got off the top. >> All right. Our next item this evening is to receive the annual division 22 report. >> Dr. Abshock, can I hand it over to you? >> Absolutely. Thank you, chair and board. And I appreciate you modeling that sometimes we come up with the wrong computation and we can go back and revisit and revise. So that's wonderful modeling as educators and board um >> directors. So our next topic is the annual division 22 asurances presentation for the 2425 school year. This presentation provides an important opportunity to share with the board and our community both our progress toward compliance with division 22 standards and our progress towards full implementation. So, it's important to note that this report reflects our compliance status for the previous school
208year 24-25. As part of our recent organizational restructuring, we have emphasized strong systems alignment across schools, academics, and student services as other parts of the organiza as you to just basically um strengthen our structure. So division 22 reporting has been moved to a systems focused role led by senior director of instructional excellence and improvement under the umbrella of academics. This shift ensures greater coherence, alignment and accountability in our continuous improvement efforts. Sorry that's a long organization I mean introduction but I want to make sure that you all have the context. So, uh, coming before you this evening, we are providing a transparent and comprehensive update on our compliance for the 2425 school year. And so, I'm going to welcome up Senior Chief Howard of Academics, Schools, and Supports, as well as the Senior Director with
209a long title that I just read. Welcome, Uh, good evening board directors and I had student representative and I know Ian had to leave. So, um, thank you for having us this evening. I'm joined by Joanna Tobin, our senior director of instructional excellence and improvement. You can go to the next slide, please. Um so tonight we will share the division 22 asurances presentation for the 24-25 school year as Dr. Armstrong shared. Um our presentation will include an overview of what's required and what lies ahead a review of the division 22 standards highlights of where we are meeting or exceeding expectations and areas where we are partially compliant actively working toward full compliance or have corrective action plans in place. It's important to note that this report reflects compliance from last school year. You've heard that
210a few times tonight. We'll continue to say that just because it's it's hard. We're looking backwards instead of forwards. And then as part of our ongoing improvement efforts, we have already made intentional adjustments to systems and structures during our 2526 planning process to address areas identified for growth. Examples include strengthening the district continuous improvement plan and enhancing the school continuous improvement planning process, which we will discuss further during the October 28th work session. We're really excited to share that with you all. Many of you heard about it last week as well. Um, and then we'll end with some questions following the presentation. I'm going to turn it over to Joanna. point that way. >> There we go. >> Okay, >> there we go. Good evening. Um, good evening, Superintendent Armstrong, board of directors, and uh,
211sorry that we're missing out on having our student representative here for this. I'm pleased to share with you our report tonight and progress made toward the division 22 standards again for last year. Annually, districts are required to um by the Oregon administrative rule district assurances of compliance with public school standards to report the district's status with respect to the standards for public education and secondary schools. Um these standards are adopted by the state board of education and set out out in OAR chapter 581 division 22. Um and so this slide shares with you the important pieces that we need to cover that are required tonight. Um so what we're doing is reporting um prior to the November one required date. Um we will um present to you. We also will have the opportunity for public
212comment. We then will post on our website and then from there we also report out to the Oregon Department of Education. See if I can get this clicking here. I might have to ask for your support. It's just might be a battery issue. Not sure. Um, next slide. It's also important to note that in Portland public schools, we oversee um numerous programs that fall under the scope of division 22. Um, our district is currently compliant with the vast majority of the 59 standards and this reflects the dedication of our staff ensuring high quality education for our students. Um there are eight areas where we still are in um process of achieving full compliance and tonight we'll share with you those specific topics um where we are working toward um full compliance and corrective action. And
213so first um I'll start by sharing the rules and revisions that are in place um that were in place for the 2024 25 school year. And so these are the areas that were new last year. Um the first to mention is the essential um skills. Oh, sorry. We're on the waivers. Um let me back up. Um so the waiverss, it's important to note with the waivers that we are not expected to be in full compliance in these areas. And so um you'll see here that we have the essential skills noted in there. You're familiar with these requirements. Those are not um yet uh required within the division 22s. again until the uh 2027-28 school year. Um and so that's that's something for us to keep our eye on. Um the important piece with the waiverss
214is to really think ahead um the example of the essential skills assessment for English language learners. There are some components that might have um board policy implications and things of that nature. So I'm sharing with you tonight sort of a forward um glance of those at those waivers um that we need to keep our eye on coming up in 20 27 28. Next slide. Okay. So, for the the rules that are in effect um for the 24-25 school year, um this includes the K4 instructional program for social emotional learning. I'll share a bit more on that in a few slides regarding our progress toward this rule. Um to the second um item there, um we're pleased to share that we're in full compliance um with the personal finance education and higher education and career pathways
215content standards. A bit to note on that as a part of Senate uh bill three financial education and higher education pathways are beginning this year mainly at the junior level and some of our comprehensive and multiple pathways to graduation programs. These courses are required for all students in the class of 2027 and beyond. So we're pleased to report that we are in full compliance um in our high school system. Um we will be u meeting this rule. Next slide to the rules regarding modified diploma, extended diploma and certificate of attendance. This is an area again I I'll share more in a moment. Um where we are working toward full compliance. Um the second item there OR 5810222045 substance use prevention and intervention plan. We're pleased to report that we are fully meeting in that area
216and that was a new rule this year. Next slide. And so now we'll give the full report on the required areas um noting our progress of either being in compliance um out of compliance or in corrective action. I want to also note that when we're in corrective action, the corrective action um is really um applied through um what's called a corrective action plan that is approved by the Oregon Department of Education. So that is in partnership and that plan is in place um for the duration of that plan itself. So there's different timelines. This is a frequently asked question um when it comes to being in partial compliance, full compliance or corrective action. So I can um elaborate on that a bit as we go through this. Um next slide. Areas of strength. I'd like
217to note that we are meeting in 51 of the 59 areas um of the division 22 asurances. We are implementing changes for areas where where we are out of compliance. Um again during the 2425 school year um and and really to note um some of these areas we already have fully corrected. Um and I will um note that as well as we go through the next few slides. Um we are on track to meet the new requirements that have been named within the 2526 school year. Um and all areas of corrective action are being remedied um through these corrective action plans. Um still in the implementation and monitoring phases of those teams are monitoring and implementing corrective action meeting regularly. Um and we will providing we will be providing progress updates throughout the year. Next
218slide. Diploma requirements modified extended diploma and certificate of attendance. As I mentioned earlier, this is a new requirement. um was a new requirement for 2425. Whoops. Um and um what we're doing in this area is making sure that we are thoroughly informing our families of these three three different um diploma requirements in reviewing this um implementation and rule. We found that we need to be um even more communicative. And so what we're doing is just really pausing to plan and implement um this more thoroughly. Again, just to note, the new requirement um named is to annually provide parents information about diploma availability and requirements and disclose um disclosure about certificates of attendance on-site ask access for all courses required for diploma um at all high schools. And so we want to make sure that we
219are fully communicating per the rule and have a few adjustments to make. We do expect that we'll be fully meeting this rule this year. Next slide, please. Physical education requirements. This is a really complex one and I'm sure you've been following this for quite some time. I see a lot of nods. I just I want to also pause. This is an area to really applaud our staff, our principles, um our leaders. Um Dr. Jenny Wikcomome in physical education and health and our leaders along the way. Um it's been quite a journey to really fully implement the required PE minutes um at sixth through 8th grade in particular, the 150 u minutes per week. And so I want to just note that over the last few years there's been tremendous progress made in this area. Um
220and really the implementation and the corrective action is noted for last year. Specifically we did ask um Dr. Charlene Williams um at OD for an extension to approve um which was approved in January name and really named the reasons of lensure. We had some real complexities around dance in particular um that we have remedied. We also had particular facilities challenges just to name at Cesar Chavez, Da Vinci Middle School, George Middle School, Aley Green, um Metropolitan Learning Center, and Winter Haven K8. I want to applaud our principles and the staffs for um really creative um intentional scheduling um to make sure that our students in sixth through 8th um can access uh PE facilities. I also want to name that uh we have the good fortune, thank you to the community um of the bond
2212025 naming um 10 million for continued improvements with PE facilities specifically for these schools. And so while we are currently meeting heading into this year, we know that to really provide the meaningful access that we would like to um for students to always be able to do the preferred PE activities throughout um all of the seasons that we experience um in Portland. We do need u more improvements in our PE facilities and we are currently meeting the minutes. And so those those two pieces are are true and um the corrective action um is should be discontinued but we do need to name it um functionally for the 2425 school year. Next slide please. Okay. Instructional materials and postponement of purchase of state adopted instructional materials. This is another one that's a bit complex. We are
222in compliance. It is allowable to be two years outside of an adoption window. And so um that is um again we're compliant and there are some pieces that we need to recommend um and um recommend uh your support with a postponement. Um specifically we have and and you'll recall um in our uh proposal for our sequencing for our adopted materials we have named um adoptions for core um curricular areas being two parts. So social studies is our adoption for this year. We have named 6th through 12th as part one for this year and due to financial um implications and intentional decisions we um we really have opted to postpone K5 to the following year. So we're naming that as an intended postponement um and functionally while we have shared that previously um we do need
223uh for that board action. We recommend um of course your discussion and um thoughts around that and functionally that would qualify as a postponement and so that does um show up later on this evening. We also want to give you an update on the health curriculum. While the team really endeavored last year to complete an adoption, a K12 adoption which um encompasses multiple areas for a health adoption um the team um has asked for more time um namely for field testing for more participation. We know that a successful adoption really requires um and really needs and lean leans upon teacher voice um and so we do need u more participation in the field testing and also more community engagement. That is also a key component of an adoption is community engagement. And so that's a
224piece um that we also want to mention. Also what will come up um later is um in the area of district curriculum. I'll talk a bit more about um our social emotional learning and our progress made in that area as well. Next slide please. Programs and services of talented and gifted students. On this slide, it's important to note um that we are currently um implementing corrective action. It's important to note that the team is meeting weekly. The team will give updates um throughout the year on our progress made um toward implementing this corrective action. Um this was um also just to note this this um was um due to being out of compliance and there are areas that we are um intentionally still working toward. Next slide please. Sticking with the talented and gifted theme,
225rights of parents of talented and gifted students. Um this again is an area um where parents have the right to notification um at the time of identification regarding services and programs offered an opportunity to provide input on their child's plan. Um parents may opt the student um out at that time. This is another area in which we are working toward implementing corrective action. Next slide, please. District curriculum. As I mentioned a moment ago, our social emotional learning um curriculum. Again, really want to applaud um the very hard work um of our team. It's been uh quite a multi-year effort, very intentional effort to allow for choice at the site level. So, you have heard um before you our recommended adoptions. Um our recommended adoption for the high school level um includes um two different options.
226one being named Wayfinder, the other we do it for the culture. And we do have two schools that have fully adop adopted and and are currently, excuse me, implementing um their social emotional learning choices. And that's at Jefferson High School and McDaniel High School. And um we continue to implement this year with schools, high school specifically naming their choice and then implementing next year. And so this um as you can recall from the required um areas uh for 2425 wasn't a required area to be fully implementing and we're really close. Um and so this is for the reasons of um choice at the school level and a very thorough and comprehensive process an area that we are technically out of compliance and u by next year by the fall um we look forward to reporting
227to you that we are in compliance. Next slide please. required instructional time. Um, this is another area I would just like to spend a little bit more time um, talking through. As you um had in a memo, there really are two key components to calculating the required instructional minutes. Um, and this is for the prior school year. Um, the there is an additional consideration of state um, approved exemptions that can be discussed among school boards that can be that are allowable exemptions. And so in that memo, we we made you aware of those um options for future consideration. And so the the three areas just to name um each school district shall ensure that at least 92% of all students in the district and at least 80% of all students are scheduled to receive annually
228um the instructional hours as you um have in front of you on that slide. Um and and then also a review of the actual instruct instructional time. Did we meet these minutes? As you'll recall from previous years, it was really challenging when we had um significant weather events, those sorts of things. We're pleased to share with you, very pleased to share with you tonight that um when it comes to the second item, review of annual instructional um time, our students did have access to all of those required instructional hours um in the grade band areas noted on the slide. Um and then that third area for board consideration around required instructional time is again the allowable um exemptions. And so tonight we are not asking for approval of any exemptions. We just note those for
229fther future consideration for you um as a board. And then we do need to note that we are not in compliance with the first item of students being scheduled um at least 80%. We had one school fall just shy of that at 79%. Um and that was Cleveland High School. And so we, you know, I think to add just a little bit to this, um, to note that some of this is we, we do have a lot of students participating in AP, IB, and advanced, um, access to college programming. And so that is a factor um, in in this um, 80% rule for us um, with our high school students, particularly our 12th grade students. Um, and so um, we will later on tonight um, come come back um, to this a bit. Um I'll
230go ahead and move on for now. Um okay, here we have another area of talented and um so the talent and gifted the third area identification of academically talented and intellectually gifted students. Um and this is where um we need to use local norms and um percentile thresholds and determine um this at the district level. the person responsible for the identification must um be trained in accordance um with these requirements. And so this is an area where we were identified specifically for previously being out of compliance. It's an area where we we do continue to um review and um and meet regularly and again we will report out to you um on the talent and gifted um in our teaching and learning um committee soon. Um and our our final area to report on tonight
231um is the area of menstrual dignity. I want to note that the board has heard from our students um particularly our high school students over the last year um serious concerns. We just want to note that. I know you've heard this um and so we've problem solved. I just really want to thank um senior director Frank Levit for the collaboration and conversations and assurance. um he shared the great planning of his team um noting um challenges and implementation and is already um working quickly to correct this. So we we note this, we want to monitor this and ensure that we are having um the necessary access as required um for free access to uh menstrual products in in our in our schools. Um and so we do anticipate that we will meet full compliance this
232year. Okay. Okay. And with that, um, that concludes the annual report for the division 22 asurances for 2425. And I will turn it back to Superintendent Armstrong. >> Thank you so much. Great job. Board, what questions do you have for me or our presenters? >> Are you going to talk more about the required instructional minutes? You said you were gonna I thought you said you were going to talk a little bit more about that. >> I can. I apologize. I was thinking um actually at the the time I think I was thinking of the postponement in my mind um and you do not have any action that you need to take on the instructional minutes um but certainly um we'll defer to Dr. Armstrong for any questions or discussion >> I just wanted to Is
233it okay? Sorry. Is it okay if I So I just wanted to talk for a minute about what the instructional time rule um actually means. So, it was written to ensure that every student has access to a fully scheduled day. It's not to give us a way to exclude students from the count. So, when I read the staff memo and it said we'd be compliant um if we didn't count AP and we'd be at 99% like what we're really saying is that we are not scheduling enough instructional time for our AP and IB seniors. And you know, if we erase them from the math from the denominator, our math looks fine. And um that's a really big group of seniors. And I did have this added document added to the board materials. I asked for
234the breakdown um by school and uh just to see where Cleveland stood in relation to the rest of the schools, but it was the second page that really caught my interest when I saw our 12th graders, our seniors, and how few are fully scheduled. And I understand that there are exemptions, but for accelerated learning, like you you were you were mentioning, I guess it's kind of complicated. Like if you I was trying to think of a way to explain this like in simple terms. It would be like if you had a fifth grade class and you had um a bunch half the class was like really great readers, right? You're like they were so good. They're crushing it. So, we're just going to send them home after lunch and we're going to make them they're
235we're going to exempt them from the rule. So, that way the 50%, you know, that are left then you're meeting 100%. That's how it works. And essentially, that's what we're doing. Not essentially, it is what we're doing for our high school seniors. And I was really alarmed to see how low these numbers are. And uh I just feel that if the only way to show our compliance is to remove those students, um it's not compliance. It's a real warning sign. um it tells us that we are um educating, you know, twothirds of our seniors. It's almost like they become unfunded mandates and I really feel like we need some daylight on this issue right away because we're tracking the same way for this year. Um that we need to fix the schedules, not the denominators.
236Um and that it's a really really serious issue. So, I just want to make sure that everybody caught that. And especially, you know, when we're talking about the other classes, you know, I know the state requires, as you some of some of you taught high school, some of you have kids that are going to be in high school. When you're uh putting your schedule together, there are classes that the state requires students to take. And, you know, you can't, you know, play a sport and have that count as PE. You have to take a personal finance class. Now, you have to take the social emotional learning. So, as you're building your schedule, the state makes you take these classes, but they don't actually give you any other funding to like, you know, for, you know,
237the electives that you envision all of our students being able to take. Like, the schedule is just getting crunched and crunched and crunched. So, um, this was a big red flag for me. And, um, I don't, if it's out there, I'm sorry. I looked for it, but I did not see that there was an a resolution. The board has to approve the exemptions that goes out for a board vote. We would approve the exemptions. So, we would have the board last year would have had to approve the exemption for every single one of these seniors that's missing from these counts. Did that happen? >> Director Leffort, I would love I think we there's a couple of things that we we want to um clear up just so that we're on the same page and so
238the team is prepared to address uh your your questions or at least what what you stated. So, go ahead. >> Yeah, thank you. I I just first want to start by saying I think this is a really important conversation. And I think what you're bringing up is really meaningful and a very important conversation for the board to have when it comes to the 80% rule. I do want to note that we are currently in compliance for this year. One of the really interesting things for us in PPS is that we have a 24 credit diploma and 32 credits of opportunities because we have an eight period day. And so while that is an asset and a wonderful opportunity, it does result in the possibility for four-year plans to have a 12th grade year that is
239that is potentially lighter. Um so in in talking with our principal um at Cleveland High School and talking around this and why and thinking through and hearing um her perspective, it just be it became really clear to me and evident how meaningful our opportunities are. And so that's that's one piece to mention. Again, not minimizing I I really appreciate the emphasis of the access to fully scheduled um uh you know uh course programming at the high school level and just want to mention the unique opportunities in PPS. Um and not all high schools have an 8 period day locally. Um so that's just a unique factor. Um is there any >> can you say some more about you said not all have an eight period day locally. Can you just explain that a little uh
240further? Yeah. So we we currently have um the block schedule four courses a day. Um and so with that there are other schedules there there are a few on a trimester schedule um where there are three semester essentially throughout the year. um there um are seven period days schedules I'd say most typically and of course um we could invite more comment or more um detailed research around this um but seven period day u trimester opportunities 8 period block um is is not um always an option for districts >> I just want to push back a little bit and then I'm not I'll we this is probably a conversation deeper conversation for another time like maybe even in TLE but you know for the exemptions they are not meant to shorten days they are meant for
241you know especially when we're talking about like AP or IB kids you know which is the you know the for future consideration that we're looking at those are meant for um a way for a student who is taking one of those classes to swap it for things like enrichment accelerated learning internships dual credit college courses or work-based learning not a way for us to shorten their school days so I just that I just want want to point out to the board like there is a there is a much larger conversation to be had and I do have concerns and I and I may be wrong. So I just want to put that caveat out there that we should be getting resolutions that are exempting all of these students with a reason why each student is
242being exempted and I can't find that for prior years and I real this is before Dr. Armstrong's tenure but it looks like this has been going on for multiple years. So >> yeah, I have a question because when I read that it sounded like Cleveland was under because of AP students and then think, okay, does that mean because they're doing they're not taking a class because they're doing work on their own or why would AP students have less hours? Yeah, I think by the nature of taking advanced courses, a student then may be on track to graduate and may not opt to take additional courses. >> Can I and we can bring a much more thorough report on that specifically. >> Yeah. >> Well, I mean, >> 21 years in high schools, I I know
243what it looks like. I give you an example. I mean, the AP kids, a lot of the AP kids are just ahead creditwise, and it's it's very difficult to I mean, I want to think about the unintended consequences because a lot of the students in 12th grade year purposely want to take a period off, you know, because block day for period. So, I mean, the the the reasons I I seen from my students I've had in past were like that period off allows them to take internships, do internships around town, >> right? or or to work because a lot of them have working or come from working families. Uh a lot of them just want time off because they need more creative time. Some of them do like creative things. Some of them um do
244uh uh have late start because you know they're not morning people. Um so I mean there's there's tons of reasons. So I think it very difficult to like tell a student no you can't do this when they've been like earning it through their whole high school career. And so I think we just have to kind I mean yeah I I get there's an important conversation because there's there's other students too that doesn't follow it's the law that's that's kind of my point like legally we have to provide them the opportunity to have a full schedule. So mathematically I don't think that's even possible with what we're seeing here that that I so that's that's my concern and um so something's not mapping. >> Oh wow. We got a third. So, do they do they have
245to have a full schedule if they already have enough hours for graduation? >> They have to be scheduled at 80%. Unless they're exempt. Yes. Per all their hours >> for each. Yeah. Because it would, like I said, it's sort of like, okay, imagine if you're in eighth grade and you're really good. You're doing you're crushing science. You're crushing all your classes. But then we came along and said, you know what? Like, you don't really need to take band. Like, we're not going to have you take band. And uh it's it's the electives that get hit. And we are required. We don't send our kids to school for three and a half years in high school. We send them for four unless they have, you know, the exemptions are to replace, not to cut them early
246because maybe they've, you know, met all their credit requirements. It's super interesting. And again, like I know I feel like I'm burning a lot. >> No, no. I want to invite Dr. um Margaret uh doc Thank you. There we go. >> Yep. Good evening, directors. Thank you, uh Dr. Armstrong. um the doctor that Calvert that is in my family is u is is a professor someplace else. So I'm not a doctor but thank you for that. Um so I just thank you for the question. I want to um just uh um clarify a couple pieces about division 22. So there are two parts to it as uh uh senior director Tobin said. The first part is around the actual instructional minutes. Uh and the last time that we went through and uh worked with the
247uh union, we ended up adding time to the daily schedules and we we've actually built in additional instructional hours as a result. Um so that has been that was a great partnership that came through out of the last bargaining session. Uh when we look at high school schedules, it's both parts as you're describing. One is about um the seniors need to have 966 hours, the rest are 990, etc., etc. The part about a full schedule, there are eight there are eight periods in a high school schedule. Um there are a total of 32 credits that can be earned. When you see the numbers um I think I don't have the tables in front of me, but when you look at the numbers by grade levels, you'll see um 99 100% of students pretty much and
248then there is a difference at high school. I mean at senior year, excuse me. So part of what um um Chair Wong has said is true that you'll have seniors that may take a period to uh have an internship and that's not fully scheduled then. So fully scheduled does not mean a student's taking four classes. It means they may be taking they may be taking seven, right? So I want to make that really clear. I think the other part is you will see um uh if you've had a senior recently try to apply to college. Uh the fall is very tense and they're trying to um balance course loads at school while also applying to to colleges looking at for scholarships doing some of those pieces. So periodically similarly we students will say I need
249to have some time to do that and not feel pressed with the classes while they're trying to make those transitions to post-secary. So some some of those will be um reasons that students would ask as well when students ask for a reduced schedule. There is a process that should happen with families as part of forecasting where families say yes we are we understand that our student is asking for a reduced schedule. we are in support of that and it's part of their graduation plan. So, they have to be on track to graduate. They have to have um uh a transition plan that's in place and working with counselors and then it should be in concert with families to say what are you know this is a student is considering this and and then there is
250an agreement that it's pretty formalized at that point. So when we look at the uh the 80% um the seniors so it it comes through for a variety of reasons. I would say the other part that we've seen especially coming out of COVID is that we see more students working in high school and so some of it is to say how do we provide some of that flexibility for for students. So it's a variety of ways for flexibility. Um but the concerted effort to keep students fully you know at eight periods all the way through um through their junior years you'll see that those are very high numbers and then there are some exceptions that happen in the senior year. So but I I don't want there to be conception that like that we're going
251from eight periods to four. >> Right. I I guess my concern is that as the board like we're supposed to see these exemptions and approve them for valid reasons. Yeah. Yeah. And uh and there are there's a pretty short list of what the what the state of Oregon considers valid reasons. >> So I just feel like there's um when I see like 19% or 29% like having had a senior recently and having a current high school sophomore like I definitely am familiar with the high school schedule which I think is why this was um this jumped out to me. So I again I think I I appreciate the explanation. Uh and I'm I'm still concerned because it looks like this has been >> it just seems like the gap is too wide to mathematically even
252make up for it. So I'm just >> so the I I think the piece >> and I'm wondering why the board hasn't approved it >> the so I there are two I'll go back to the previous page on there's two pages to this right the previous page says that every school has to have 80% of students at least 80% of students fully scheduled mathematically um I'm happy to walk through the math with the proportion of seniors versus three4s of school being fully scheduled and 1/4 being less than fully schedule, you can get to 80% pretty quickly because that's 75% there. It's 80% of the school >> over the over a school year. Every school has to have 80% of the students scheduled. >> Right? >> So when you look at the first page, it shows
253the total number of students fully scheduled. >> But it's not for each grade level. It's not 80% of your limit >> because I looked it up. >> Okay. >> I'm so I'm not not trying to I think we might want to >> check. >> Okay. >> Yeah, I can. >> The language has remained the same for a number of years. So I don't I don't know that there's a change to language in the last year. We're pulling the actual >> at at least 80% of all students at each school operated by the district are scheduled to receive annually the following minimum hours. >> So it's 80% at a school% of all students in the district and at least 80% of all students at each school >> annually not each grade level. It's at the school
254overall. >> Well, we're not sure if the math works because we haven't seen or the reasons because the exemptions are not coming to the board. So all these students like the if you look at Cleveland like the you know the 81% of students the 81% of students seniors that were missing all of those exemptions need to come to the board for approval first >> from what I understand. >> Go ahead. >> You want to take that one? >> I really appreciate that um assistant superintendent um Margaret Calver is here having really um been overseeing this in the past. I think the important piece to know on the 80% and I I really appreciate the questions and I think we need to get in the weeds and and really make sure we're all comfortable with it.
255Um I think the piece is that we are not out of compliance technically with the division 22 asurances if we don't dip below that 80% and thank you um for reading the rule around that. And so really it would be we do go into corrective action now. So, as a result of that, that's an important piece. I did um omit from the presentation. I want to just go back and share that um because of this, we we will go into corrective action. And so, I I do appreciate all of the questions and diligence around this because we will need to put our heads together to ensure that we do not yet again dip below that 80%. And so part of what um we outlined in the memo was to ensure um that we bring together
256our high school leaders that we form um an opportunity to reflect and look at our current practices and and brainstorm. Um and I would offer you know uh Assistant Superintendent Calvert's um perspective over time is extremely valuable. I think just really looking at this to your points and your questions that you're bringing up. It is really complex. It is really complex for the senior year. It's um also a great opportunity that we have these 32 um credits and yet um the exemptions really don't apply unless we are below that. And tonight we're not asking for approval of the exemptions that would be heading into this year. We're not asking for that. We're naming we're out of compliance um for this one school and with that want to take the opportunity as we opened with with
257the division 22 asurances. This is an opportunity to really improve practice. It's an opportunity to lean in to our district continuous improvement. Um, and this is an area where we can say um, in alignment with all of our efforts, we want to ensure that we're doing the best that we can. Um, to to your points and questions around the the senior year. And so, um, I know that we'll have further conversation about this um, both within PPS and also in partnership with OD through our corrective action plan that we will need to complete. Thank you. I I want to pause this conversation because I think you could use some time to get back on some info if you want some information later. Um the we we are kind of running late and this there's no
258vote on division 22. It's just a it's just it's a report for tonight. Um there's a vote later that we we do need to get to next. But first before we do that, we need to do public comment. Is there any public comment, Miss Bradshaw? >> Nobody signed up for public comment. >> All right. number you sign up for public comment. >> I do have one comment that I would like to make briefly on this division 22 >> because we need to move on. I know I have a comment on that too. Um so I just for anyone else who's out there reading this required instructional minutes and first of all I want to say like I appreciate this board because high school is so far from anything I understand. So the fact that the
259two of you have professional and personal experience is great because I don't understand any of that and I want to learn. What I do want to say is I am concerned by this required instructional minute staff report. Um I know that there were not supposed to do anything today, but it suggest to me that something's coming in the future. And the idea that we might be asked to count up to 30 hours of staff professional development time as instructional time is concerning to me. We already have kids who have the bare bare minimum. Um and they should reach that. they should not be asked to count time when they're at home or with the babysitter or at Art for Life or at soccer or something as instructional time. Um because it's teacher professional and there's
260no kids in there's no butts and seats. Um and so I want to highlight that that it's very concerning to me. 30 hours of staff professional time is an entire week of school that I I I hope we're never asked to say that counts as instructional time. I would just like to highlight that and flag that as concerning to me. Thank you for that. And we just wanted to make sure that you had what is allowable too all in the same place that you could see that. >> Really appreciate all of the information that you included. I know I feel like I've been like peppering, but thank you. It was really thorough and really appreciate it. >> I have a question. Um I know that the essential skills assessment is waved and it said in
261its place local program local performance assessment uh requirement remains in effect. So what what is that? >> Yeah. So this goes back um board chair uh Wong might recall the old um performance or um I'm sorry work samples. Do you recall work samples? >> Oh yes. Um, so this goes back um I remember early on in in my career um when we were looking at the certificate of initial mastery and the CAM the certificate of advanced mastery um the Oregon Department of Education said we need work samples we need to see um student performance growth and this was really the catalyst to a lot of what we do now in practice and I I'll just say that this is kind of the hold over for that really briefly without going into too much detail it's
262just saying we need to name as a district um where we are doing those um assessment measures throughout the year. There are certain subjects, certain grade bands. Um we could send you a follow-up. We have that linked in our assessment calendar um on the website. >> So like like per portfolio work. >> Yeah, that was the origin of it and now we name things. It can be an assessment um say a particular assessment in a grade that we name as a performance. Um >> okay. So they have to do something even though they don't have >> Yes. And we can send that to you. It's also for anyone or anyone watching. It is posted um within our assessment calendar um on our website. >> Yeah. And I can talk to you hours about what that
263looks like. >> Bet you remember. >> We won't do it tonight. Um thanks. I I think all of you are staying on for the next topic which is the next item is to approve the postponement of the regular purchase of state adopted instructional materials. Thank you Margaret Calbertt for the input and your time. Uh Superintendent Armstrong, could you introduce this part? Absolutely. I'm going to turn it right over to the team. Go ahead. >> Okay. Anything you want to say? Um, we mentioned this earlier. Um, we have a slide and actually if we advance to the next uh slide, it we brought it back in again so you can have it in front of you. Um, okay. While we're getting that up, I'll just go ahead and um summarize. Uh we are asking for an
264intentional postponement of the K5 social studies adoption um while we are uh going through that process for 612. Um K5 would intentionally be the second year. So we would um adopt um bring forward to you a recommendation for adoption spring of that would be in full implementation the following year. Um we also are taking this opportunity to um inform of our our need for the extension for the K12 health um again for the purposes of teacher participation and community um engagement. Also noting that our 912 social emotional learning is well underway but we need a bit more time. And so this resolution details um those uh areas for you and um I'm happy to take questions. >> All right, let's get on the table first. Do I have a motion and a second to adopt
265resolution 7201 resolution to postpone the regular purchase of state adopted instructional materials? >> So moved. >> Director Sullivan moves. >> Second. >> Director to pass seconds. >> Uh any board discussion? >> I have a couple questions. I promise they're not as long as the last ones. I just for my own clarity like when you say um uh revised timeline for extended field testing and more thorough community engagement, like what exactly does that mean? like what's the field testing and like what kind of community engagement like for >> Yeah, that's great. Um, so field testing um is a process where teachers go ahead and use um portions of the curriculum or for a short period of time um the curriculum um sometimes teams will pilot um different um uh curriculum um in the different content areas
266and then as a part of a um an adoption process we are required and and value the process of a preview. So, community preview of the materials. You've probably attended some of these where you can go and actually see the materials um and and read um in front of you what the students would see. And so, that's an important process. And so, our teams just didn't quite get it across the finish line where they would have that opportunity and really advocated for more time for the purposes of a really thorough and successful adoption. >> Yeah. And just to add a little bit more, we are working with um our teacher partners in this and we have standing meetings and one of the requests they had was around the ability to have a longer field test
267period so that teachers could deeply understand the materials and then weigh in for feedback around that. So we've taken that into consideration, too. >> I can give you tons of examples sometime offline about how this works. >> I appreciate it. Now I don't ever have to ask again for the next four years. Now I know what it means. >> Terms. All kinds of terms. Yeah, >> I do have one comment. I just want to share that this is another unfunded mandate. This idea of I, you know, division 22, this seven-year cycle period, I don't know how they came about it. I'm guessing it's kind of arbitrary. Um, but it's a it's a one-sizefititall problem, right? There's some curriculums that take seven years to develop. There's some maybe three. I mean, I'm not there there's definitely
268some curriculum out there that really needs to be updated soon. Um, but there's some that are working great and probably should last a little bit longer. And so, again, this is this is a I guess this is a situation where again, it's not a one-sizefits-all thing. We want to be responsive to our teachers and have the right curriculum. And I think sometimes that takes time and doesn't fit in this like neatly little seven year package. So, um, I'm fully supportive of this. So, thank you. >> You can ask who's going to go ahead. Um, I just want to say ditto to what everything Chair Wong just said. Um, with the blessing of leadership here at Portland Public Schools, I've even talked to legislators about doing something about this requirement to adopt expensive curriculum on a
269rigid timeline, especially in a time when we're making cuts to the actual full-time employees that are the ones who can make the curriculum actually do any good in a classroom. So, I'm really hopeful that the state will take a look at ways that they can reduce some of the unfunded mandates at a time of budget crunch for districts and for the state. Um, we'll see. But I just wanted to put it out there that I've actually taken some steps to try to see if we can um get this to be um like not I I got blessing but not it's what did not take the position as the district just to be clear. I just made sure it was okay for me to meet with them. Um I'm realizing now it sounds like I was
270like oh PPS wants to do this but it was me as just Christy Split. Um but taking some steps to try to see if we can move on this. >> Yes. Yeah. Thank you. I want to appreciate Director Split too for that. I think both of us have been working or lobbying our legislators to reduce on the burdens of these unfunded mandates. >> Yeah. I'm going to um say that I'm I'm a mom. I'm not an educational expert on the academic or the operations side. So, I appreciated the um staff report and I'm happy to support the uh the staff recommendation and and I was compelled by just now hearing about that you've spoken with the teachers and this works for them, but also that uh option two requires adjustment to a schedule that's already
271in motion. It has to refocus efforts uh work that's already undergoing and that there's budgetary implications that sealed the deal for me. So is the just so I just I understand this. So is the plan then in the very near future to purchase an already state adopted instructional material. >> Okay. Yes. >> And so this is where I'm this is where I'm just trying to self understand. So what are we using now >> for which content area? For health specifically. >> Um >> or for >> sure. Yeah. For social the social Yes. the social studies, the health, the social emotional. >> Uh so for the social emotional um curriculum we have adopted um wayfinder and we do it for the culture for 912. And so um really that piece is just around the implementation timeline.
272So we have two schools that are implementing Daniel K5. >> What's that? The K5. >> Yep. This K5 social studies. >> Social studies. So that's an area for K5. Social studies is not um something that we teach every day. It's it's an important part of our um curriculum. Um I can or of our um programming. I can I'll just add a little bit. Um we we do have some materials and we could provide more information for you on that. Um I'll just also add that the K5 we did try and do an adoption a few years ago. Um it's really helpful to do an adoption when it aligns to standards and there are materials that are aligned to the standards. And so this is an area that's been challenging for not just PPS but for
273this the state. We've really been waiting for the new standards and to have um the curriculum to have the vendors do the great work of aligning to the standards. And so it has been a bit of a a lengthier process just to name that for social studies specifically. Yeah. >> And and our our 612 teams are really excited to do the work this year. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Great. Thank you. Uh, I already asked for public comment, right? Is there is there or no, I didn't for this one. Uh, Miss Brasho, is there public comment on >> No, >> this one. Thank you. >> All right. The board will now vote on resolution 720, resolution to postpone the regular purchase of state adopted instructional materials. All in favor, please indicate by saying yes. >>
274Yes. All opposed. >> Abstensions. Thank you. Resolution 7201 is approved by a vote of 7 to zero. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you for staying here this late. >> Uh our next item tonight is um allocated five minutes so we know. Okay. Our next item tonight is the outdoor school memo requested by members of the teaching learning enrollment committee. Dr. Armstrong, can you um take this? Absolutely. We have Chief Morrison who will speak on the memo and then transition to the finance focus for tonight on the PERS advisory rates for 2729 and the preliminary budget development. >> Thank you. Well, I don't really have any information to present outside of what was contained in the memo regarding outdoor school, the analysis, and also the explanation of services and how they've changed
275over time. Um, but I'm happy to answer any questions. >> I just I just had a a com first of all, I have a couple comments and I will make this short. I promised I promised Chair Wong. So, I I wanted to thank everybody up here for approving um this directive for staff to pull together this analysis. Um it's a per student cost for outdoor school both before and after measure 99. Um you know, outdoor school for all was supposed to make this more affordable for all students and the state of Oregon. And what we saw in the data analysis is what I had suspected is that the rate increases have far outpaced uh inflation. So we're looking at >> Yeah. I mean it's it's 179% since 2016, but I went back another year. You
276throw one more year in there, it's like 312%. And um it's when the state decreased, this is just a hunch. the state decreased funding by 20%. My hunch is they probably saw the same thing and uh if MED's if MESD's rates had tracked the CPI, we would have enough money even with the 20% cut. So I guess I think it's quite possible that state noticed the same thing. And uh because of this, you know, we've been forced to reduce, you know, a 5-day program to a 4-day program. Um if it tracked the consumer price index, you know, and we needed to do four days to save money, we could. So anyway, I just feel like what we did today, you know, what I want to do today is, you know, we're really asking questions on
277behalf of every middle schooler in the state who is going to have less access to this program for legislation that was supposed to expand it. And um so you know I asked myself I'm like well what exactly am I proposing like what can we do um just looking we can't do anything for this year but I think looking towards next year you know I would love to see you know PPS really lead the charge to come together with other districts that are utilizing MESD for these services and renegotiate these rates because I'm having a hard time like just even looking at um the memo and their budget documents and seeing I mean that that kind of cost increase it's it's not there. So anyway, >> I love that. I I double underline that. And so
278what just to check in though, would the M meesd be the governing body for or at least the um deciders of the rate or is that a different uh body of folks who set that? Just to make sure we point our advocacy in the in the right direction. Okay. Yeah. I love that and I think that that's something that um we can certainly work on. >> Thank you. First, we have a little we have a little lead time. Thank you. And I would just like to take 30 seconds um to say thank you to Director Lefort who took a lot of flack for making this request and a lot of push back and not wanting to do the work and people all over the district calling out and saying please don't have anyone do the
279work. that the work that director Lefort asked for is is very illuminating and um our kids deserve better and uh I think it's important to see the numbers and and get them their their five days um next year or whatever. But I just want to say thank you for that. >> Okay. I just want to um sorry at the risk of going longer um I I don't think it was flak. I think that principles um who are the best equipped to speak to what the needs of kids are um gave their feedback. I I heard them thanking us for being concerned and sharing their feedback. And I just want to make sure that we're not mischaracterizing um the feedback that we get from our educators um because they are really the people who know and
280we kind of like you know we get a packet and we make opinions without having the lived experience of um doing the jobs. >> You're 100% right. But if we had listened to the call to not do it, we wouldn't have this report in front of us. And the numbers in this report are very illuminating. And so I don't disagree that people should be telling us what they think and how they feel and but but if we had if we had not if director Leaport did not push for this um we wouldn't we wouldn't be seeing what we're seeing which I think is really important for us to see in going forward and negotiating and having conversations. So you're right it's not flak I was talking more actually in the board meeting that day. Um
281but also their letter was asking us to stop something that ended up being really really um important for us to see. >> I just want >> Yeah. Well, and I think you're right. It was the flack the board was giving you for and >> that's why I'm thanking everybody for your support. I really appreciate this team. one team, one dream >> that you went through it and because I just didn't want to take up anybody's time with it, but >> well, I mean, >> knowing that we probably couldn't come up with the money, but to have this information >> is is so useful. So, yes, very much appreciated. >> Yeah. And sort of to kind of merge both sides so we all understand. I think what I've heard from what I understand is that as
282the funding for outdoor school increased, the program actually changed. they provided more stuff, more things, more activities and things like that. And so to match the funding increase that followed with it and then with this cut, yeah, we could renegotiate, but then that would also mean that they would have to relook at their programs and cut the offerings and things like that. So, it's it's right, I just want just being real. This is good information to have. At the same time, it you know, we things have changed and I think that that's something that needs to be acknowledged as well. I mean, for for me, this is the last thing I'll say. Um, all this really does for me is reinforce that the state needs to pay the share that they are committed to paying.
283Um, I recognize that we all want to solve this problem for our kids. Um, but I see this as a state problem and um, as the state being the ones holding the responsibility for fixing it. >> Just want to add two two points if you if I might. >> My mic is not on. >> There it is. Uh Deborah Kapori, chief of staff. Um two things. One is we did reach out to the other school districts in the MESD um area and they were not interested in making changes because they're all focused on their own um issues within their own districts. We see what's happening in Reynolds right now. Nobody had the bandwidth to take this on. And second, you have to remember there's there's a third partner in this. It's uh Oregon State University.
284So they are the they actually run the contracts and run the grants. So the money goes through them. So it's not an it's not necess it wouldn't necessarily be us negotiating with MESD. We would also have to bring them into the equation as well. So I just want to put that out there. I am in complete agreement with you um Director Chase Miller that this was just another um chance for the legislature to step up and they didn't and they took the money. So thanks. >> Thank you everyone. I think this is a great valuable information to have and also to understand the big scope of the problem. All right. Uh next we have finance focus. I'll hand this off to y chief Morrison. >> All right. I'm joining the Zoom meeting following instructions. You
285may recall this was a challenge for me last time trying to speed it up. There we go. All right. So, tonight is f finance focus. So, it's not a budget update. It's just kind of a quick overview of the things, the activities that we're working on. There will be a budget update uh at the end of the month. This is just a great slide that our comm's department put together so you can spend some time with it when you uh are looking for something to entertain yourselves. We have um tonight we're going to talk about the PERS advisory race that came out uh September 26th. Talk a little bit about some of the activities we're doing around budget development already now that we're into the school year. uh talk about our budget video series that
286we're doing and then a look ahead as well. So, at the September 26th board meeting, there were um information. I know that it was in the media as well, some statistics that are pretty staggering in terms of potential impacts based on um preliminary performance of market. Um, and so for schools, the average increase projected right now is 4.62 percentage points. So each percentage point is a percentage of our payroll. And so that's a significant cost to us. So if we um have that increase, uh, it's about 20 just over $23 million just in PERS. And this is for the 2729 bianium. So, it's not immediate, but it's something that we need to keep an eye on and watch for. So, I wanted to bring it to your attention. We will receive our individual employer rates,
287the advisory rates in December. So, you'll get an update then, too. For uh budget development, we're already analyzing our prepandemic staffing and enrollment to our current state. really trying to figure out, you know, those those things that we may have added over the pandemic and we still see as a priority, but we haven't um reframed our programs or operations to meet our enrollment decline. Uh we're comparing Portland public schools to like-siz districts in terms of operations and also offerings at the schools budget team meetings with departments and schools um and really looking at current staffing versus some future modeling and what we can do to bridge uh the transition period. We are doing a video series. Very uh shout out to uh Chief Gross and our comm's department. They rewrote some script for me and
288then they have put together some videos. We have one released already just kind of a quick introduction and there's 10 total talking about different things um that the community would find interesting about our budget. We're also going to have a kind of a revised um budget page, landing page that'll be much more graphic. And it's again just in the interest of getting our community and you guys um fully informed of our position as we move both into budget development and into uh bargaining with our union partners. And so looking ahead, we uh will be looking at the the last quarter for 2425. So that'll be preliminary annual um finals. Um we will be looking at our Multma County tax roles. We should be getting those any minute. We have some updated projections for the current
289year and then um also our state revenue forecast will be coming out in November. So these are some things that are on the horizon for us. That is all I'm here uh to answer any questions or take comments. I know that we have um behind this slide for you in the deck are the graphs that were presented last time. We kind of ran late and short on time. So, I wanted to make sure that if if there were questions or concerns about those that we um you had an opportunity to ask. >> So, were we not going to play your video? >> We are not going to play the video, but it's on the PPS Facebook page if you're super excited about it. >> I'll link it into that board update on Friday just in
290case. >> Thank you, Dr. Armstrong. Um, I just want to flag we often pair these budget conversations with a reminder to advocate. Um, and um, many of us have been invited and I'm I really hope no one is currently listening to us, but maybe just because I mean I hope people watch us, but it's late and hopefully they have turned it off and we'll watch it later. But um, but there's I think the community and parents for public schools along with Sunnyside Environmental Schools um, advocacy team are putting on an event. I think it's November 9th. Um, so just make sure if you haven't noticed that in your email, um, they would love to have any and all of us there. Three of us have at least somewhat of a conflict because we have our
291audits meeting. Um, if I'm >> okay, is it the 13th? Okay, November 13th. >> Um, November 6th. >> I'm We're both wrong. November 6th. But anyway, fellow board members, feel free to go and more importantly, feel free to invite your communities. Um because I bet that's who's listening right now is us. And so inviting anybody you know that can move other parents to get engaged. I think you all know I threw my whole heart and spare time into advocating the last two years to try to bring parents to the capital and it didn't do much. But if we keep trying maybe it'll start to work. So can't give up. >> November 6th. >> No question. >> 6 to 7:30. I screwed up so many dates. Yep. Sunnyside. >> Yeah, at Sunnyside. >> I would I
292would note too and thank you for your advocacy. It It did a lot more than you think. It It really sheltered us from some hardships that could be coming our way. So, thank you for that. >> It was a team effort. But yeah, >> okay. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Thank you for staying here this late all of you out there. Um, next up we have the consent agenda. Uh board members, if there's any items you want to pull for a separate vote, please indicate that now. >> I was going to throw something at you. >> Uh Miss Brad Jaw, is there any changes on the consent agenda? >> No. >> All right. Do I have a motion and a second to adopt the consent agenda? >> So moved. Second. Director >> Split
293moves. Director Lefort seconds the adoption of the consent agenda. Any board discussion? Great. This board will now vote on resolution 7168 through 7173. All in favor, please indicate by saying yes. >> Yes. >> All opposed. >> Yes. >> Absentions. Thank you. Consent agenda as amended is approved by a vote of 7 to zero. All right. Um normally we have time for just but because it's late um for requests for agenda future agenda items and there's also things I want to share as well. Um director Sullivan asked when to do we should schedule our board self-evaluation. Uh I as a we talk with the leadership team and and stuff and thought maybe February 24th during an executive session would be cool. Um the other the there's there's a full report about all the discussions, everything we
294talked about in our leadership meeting on Monday coming out to you. I was supposed to send it out to you today, but I got really busy with work, so apologies. I'll try to send that out tomorrow to you. Um so that'll have, you know, all the stuff that we talked about. Um, we did I also did hear from check in with people about uh wanting to continue to look at our RSJ contracts, making sure that they're performing. Uh, the other one was about uh superintendent evaluation which will be in my big report that I'm going to send out to you tomorrow. Um, board self-evaluation. And then I think that's it. Unless I forgetting something is coming up, >> right? >> Yes. >> Sorry, I should have said this when you asked if there were any
295public or any comment about the consent agenda. I just wanted to put a shout out to the three field trips that we have in here. They're so they're so cool that Roosevelt High School has a student who was um given the opportunity to represent peers on a national platform and shape policies by going to I think it's to DC. And then we have Lincoln High School kids participating in honor band and clinics. And then we have Lincoln High School kids also through the brothers of color um traveling to Canada to participate in a nuclear peace summit. And like to Dr. Armstrong always wanting to highlight the cool stuff, the cool different word that's not G-rated that happens in PPS. Like I just wanted to highlight these things. They're so cool. And thank you to the
296kids that are trying and the teachers that are supporting. >> Thank you for that. >> Absolutely. All right. Unless there's further comments, questions. All right. This meeting is adjourned. >> Yeah. Do we have to approve you? It was on the consent. >> It's on the consent agenda. >> Consent agenda. >> You really want to stay here longer, right? >> Wow. All right. This this meeting is adjourned.