Governing Board Study Session - April 9th, 2026

001I'm going to go ahead and get start taking happy element I'll finish it. But we're coming at >> [applause] [applause] [music] [singing] [music] [music and singing] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [applause] >> 1 2 >> [music] [music] >> 4 5 >> [singing and music] [music] [applause] [music] [applause] [music] [singing] [music] [singing] [singing and music] [singing] [music] [singing and music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [applause] [music] [music and singing] [music] [singing] [singing and music] [music] [music and singing] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [singing and music] [singing] [music] >> Hey! >> [applause] [applause] [music] [applause] [music] [singing] [music] [applause] >> Welcome this evening. We want to start real quick and give a big round of applause again to our mariachi bands from Franklin Junior High, Bush Elementary, and Brimhall Accelerated Academy Brimhall campus for

002the music tonight and they are directed by Christopher Donlin. So, we can give them a huge round of applause. >> [applause] >> And we also want to acknowledge all the help they had with families commuting them here tonight. So, thank you to all those that helped get them here. Um Uh I call this meeting to order at 6:06. A quick reminder, any citizen who wishes to speak on an agenda item must complete the sign-in sheet in the lobby prior to the public comment time on the board agenda. This evening, the Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Mr. Justin Wing, Chief of Staff. After the pledge, please remain standing for the national anthem. Tonight, the national anthem is recorded and performed by the Robson Elementary Choir. >> [music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [singing]

003[music] [music and singing] [music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] >> We'll begin tonight with a video on governing procedures and then I will read a statement. Welcome to the Mesa Public Schools Governing Board Meeting. We appreciate your interest in the district. The five elected governing board members serve without compensation and volunteer countless hours. The president and the clerk of the board are elected in January. Under state law, the governing board may only discuss and vote [music] on matters that are on the agenda for tonight's meeting. Agendas are posted at minimum of 24 hours in advance on the Mesa Public [music] Schools website and in the Curriculum Services Center. Copies of tonight's agenda are located in the lobby. At every regular meeting, the public may speak on any item of business on the agenda [music] that the

004board discusses or requires the board to take action. During the second regular meeting of each month, [music] the agenda will include a call to the public. This is an opportunity to speak to the governing board about a school district matter that is not on the agenda. If you wish to comment on an agenda item or participate in the call to the public, please complete a request to address the board [music] form before the designated time as public comment. The form is located in the lobby. The duration of public [music] comment and call to the public is 15 minutes. Members of the public will be given a maximum of 3 minutes to speak once recognized by the governing board president. The president may set specific time limits for speakers and the duration to maximize the opportunity

005for [music] individuals to offer their viewpoints. We ask that all speakers show respect and courtesy to others. Comments must pertain to the matter that is within the jurisdiction of the governing board. This is not an appropriate forum to complain [music] about an employee, student, or others. State law prohibits board members from commenting on or discussing the matters presented at the end of the call to the public. The board may ask the superintendent to review the issue or place it in a future agenda. A board member may also briefly respond [music] to criticism of a board member or the governing board. If you would like the board to consider adding an item to a future agenda, you may submit your request in writing and the governing board president and superintendent will consider your request. Thank you

006for your attendance and involvement in tonight's meeting and for allowing this meeting to be conducted in a peaceful and productive manner. This is an official governing board meeting. The board has important business to conduct that is essential to the operation of the district. Everyone is welcome to express ideas or concerns to the board in accordance with the agenda. The poster in the board room describes positive behaviors expected and behaviors that cannot be tolerated. Please speak and act respectfully and actively listen. Be kind. Verbal harassment, abusive or foul language, intimidation, and disruption have no place in a classroom or the board room. Please note side conversations or reactive comments, they can be disruptive. It is a governing board president's responsibility to maintain proper order so the board can conduct its business in an orderly and efficient

007manner. If you are disruptive or interfere with the conduct of this meeting, you will be asked to leave so the board can conduct the business of the district. We're now down to our governing board calendar. Dr. Strom, will you please review that with us? President Davis, members of the board, April 23rd, 2026, 5:00 p.m. study session, 6:00 p.m. regular meeting. April 24th, 2026, from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. We want the whole community to know we have Young at Art. It's a big event in Mesa Public Schools and we want anyone and everyone to show up and look at all the beautiful artwork throughout the district that's made across our elementary schools, junior highs, and high schools. It's at Historic Urban, which is located here in downtown Mesa. May 6th, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. is the

008district retirement celebration. It'll be at The Post. We invite all retirees to RSVP to the Human Resources Department to celebrate their service to Mesa Public Schools. May 14th, 2026, we have a 5:00 p.m. study session, 6:00 p.m. regular meeting. May 20th and 21st, 2026, a lot of graduations happening in throughout Mesa Public Schools. Across many schools, we're graduating a lot of seniors and we're happy that we can help prepare them for their post-secondary lives. May 28th, 2026, we have a 5:00 p.m. regular meeting and we're then adjusting the start times for summer board meetings, which we start earlier in the summer. That concludes the calendar. Thank you, hardly believe that we're already at this time of year. May-cember is here. So, um I'm now going to turn the time over to Jen Snyder, Director of

009Communications. She will show us some of what's inside Mesa Public Schools. All you. All right, thank you. Good evening, President Davis, members of the board, Dr. Strom. I'm excited to, as always, to be here and talk about the great things that are going around our district. So, let's get started. If it wants to go to the next slide. Is it on? I apologize. Let's see. I don't know how to turn this thing on. I think I don't think it's on. Hmm. Here we go. All right, Dobson High School's Candace Choir, the school's most advanced ensemble vocal ensemble performed at the State Capitol as part of the Arizona Youth Arts Month Festival. The group was honored with a proclamation recognizing their talent and the impact of arts education across Arizona. Congratulations to former Mountain View basketball

010coach Gary Earnest on being named the 2026 Morgan Wooten Lifetime Achievement Award recipient by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. In 38 seasons leading the Toros, Coach Earnest built a powerhouse program, capturing seven state titles, and becoming the winningest coach in Arizona history. Uh last month Webster Elementary education and support staff were excited to take advantage of a special promotion for educators from the Phoenix Suns. However, the game fell on the same night as their PTO movie night and they made a selfless decision giving up their tickets to make sure that the event was fully staffed. After hearing their story, the Suns stepped in and graciously donated 20 tickets to a future game so these dedicated staff members could enjoy the experience they put aside for others. O'Connor Elementary School took a step back in

011time as it celebrated its 40th anniversary with a special campus-wide celebration. Students and staff came together to mark the milestone testing their knowledge knowledge with trivia about life in 1986 and welcoming back former principals and teachers who helped shape the school's legacy. The celebration ended with a dance party featuring all the hits from 1986. Uh congratulations to the students who performed in this week's East and West Area Band Festival along those who took the stage in the Junior High Honor Band. We are so fortunate to have such talented and dedicated students in Mesa. Congratulations to Field Elementary fourth grade teacher Mr. John Biere Thompson on on being named a Pay It Forward to a Teacher winner by KTAZ receiving $2,500 as part of the honor for the classroom. With 22 years in the classroom, Mr.

012Thompson is known as leading with kindness, patience, and encouragement. Thank you, Mr. Thomas, for your dedication to students. Westwood senior Eli Lujan is heading to the United States Naval Academy after earning a congressional nomination. Eli has officially accepted been accepted to the academy in and uh congratulations on this achievement and um we wish you the best of luck. Lehi Elementary students got a real-world look at their future during career day. Professionals from a wide range of careers visited campus to share what they do, how they got there, and inspire students to start dreaming big about their own paths. And at Dobson High, the Public Service Career Academy students recently welcomed Mesa Police Department who led demonstrations and shared insights on the many paths within law enforcement. It is Assistant Principals Week and we want to

013say thank you to our Assistant Principals for your leadership and dedication in helping us fulfill our promise to know every student by name, serve in my strength and need, and ensure that they graduate ready for college, career, and community. And then last night uh Mesa Public Schools held its Student Services Award which fittingly takes place annually during Autism Awareness Month. This event celebrates the accomplishments and academic success of all of our special education students while honoring the full range of learners we learners we support. It also recognizes general education teachers, student teachers, and support staff who go above and beyond in their service to our exceptional student community. And that is what I have for what's been going on around our district. Thank you, Ms. Snyder, and don't go far. We're going to turn the

014time over to you and Dr. Strom for our this evening's recognition. President Davis, members of the board, tonight we have several student recognitions to celebrate. We'll ask honorees to stand from their seats when their name is called. We will then take [clears throat] a brief break during which honorees will have the opportunity to come forward, take photos with governing board members. The Mountain View High School Winter Guard placed first in the Winter Guard AZ composition WGAZ competitions and they won won the state championships there uh in the scholastic regional double A division. Will the following members of Mountain View's Winter Guard please stand? Bruce Gomez Amy Owens Sarah Griffith Amnesty Delgado Abigail O'Reilly Brooke O'Reilly Chloe Miles Lauren uh Shayego I probably messed that up. I see the laughter back there. >> [clears throat] >>

015Aisha Dunn Miriam Adair and will coaches Corey Wait and Lynn Pearson please stand up? A big round of applause for Mountain View STATE WINTER GUARD. >> [applause] >> NEXT, WILL JACK PERRY PLEASE STAND? Uh Jack Thank you for standing. I heard you're on crutches. Jack is the winner of this year's Invest Write Essay Competition. Writing is something that Mesa Public Schools emphasizes at all grade levels and we want to congratulate Jack on winning the Invest Write Competition. CONGRATULATIONS, JACK. FINALLY, THE RED MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL TECH CHALLENGE team took first place in the state tech challenge competition at the Arizona Thespian Festival. Will these members please stand? Aiden Bateman Logan Moscheto >> [laughter] >> Aurelie Vincenot Sorry about that. I very much want to learn your name. And Isaiah Ferrer Congratulations to these young minds who

016won the state tech tech challenge competition at the Arizona Thespian Festival festival. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO ALL TONIGHT'S RECOGNIZE. We'll now take a brief break for photos with the board and members of the cabinet and please come forward. Ms. Snyder will direct traffic. >> All right, we'll have the Winter Guard come up first, please. >> [applause] >> All right, we'll have the we'll have the tech team come up next. And then Mr. Perry, Jack Where did he go? You ready to come up? I have your phone. >> [laughter] >> All right, crowd around him. >> [applause] >> Thank you and a big congratulations again to all those honorees. So, give one more round of applause for all of them. >> [applause] >> Before you begin public comment, just a quick reminder that policy 1-302 says that

017public comment is not an appropriate forum for persons to complain about a specific employee, student, or other person. Mrs. Chaffee, do you have anyone signed up to speak? We have two individuals signed up to speak tonight. Since we have two speakers, you each will get 3 minutes. Clerk Chaffee, will you lead us through this agenda item, please? I would be happy to. Tonight we have Ed Steel and Jason Smith. If you'll come up to to the podium. President Davis, members of the board, Superintendent Strom, leadership. My name is Ed Steel, concerned community member. Um also a member of the community curriculum advisory panel. Uh board's being asked to approve some supplemental materials for social studies. Have several issues with some of these companies. I'm going to just outline them real quick. Um ABC-CLIO, they have

018a I went on to their materials website. They have a video misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation. And their comment, their assertion is uh and here's the quote, "I like the magic rule of three." Says, "If you find three different sources put out there by three different organizations that provide the same information, it becomes safer to trust." I think that's a terrible way to determine the validity of a source. Um I think there are much better ways. I think we're setting kids up for failure uh in the future if we put this kind of information in their head. Number two, DBQ project. I spoke on this before. Um what type of citizens what type What good citizens do uh democracy need? And one of them is so vaguely put, "Citizens who look at the community and try

019to get to the root of injustice." I think we saw the fruits of that when you had students disobeying the rules of closed campus, walking off campus to protest law enforcement removing people who are here illegally. I don't think that's an injustice, but I think when you give them this latitude to decide what injustice is themselves, we're going to make a lot of mistakes down the down the road. Uh third one is Everfi. Um The only complaint I had on that was they have a lot of advertisements run through that. And the point I want to make is these are just symptom, you know, it's an all or nothing vote for you guys. You can't pick and choose good material and not good material. There's a lot of good material in here that teachers can

020really utilize. But the process of selecting supplemental materials and other materials going into the classroom, I think is broken and needs to be repaired. So, I'm calling on the board to join me to try and help modify this process where the selection process can be granular enough to take out those materials that are going to be questionable and not good for our students while at the same time leaving in solid quality learning materials. Thank you. Members of the board, Dr. Strom. I want to start by first thanking board member Benson for her address at last night's award ceremony. I've heard from several parents the care and passion with her message. So, thank you. So, I'm here to address two action items before you. The proposed increase for the technology contract and the curriculum service center

021remodel. Uh I want to first start with the technology contract. Less than a year ago, the board approved $5.5 million for this project. About 8 months later, the district came back asking for an additional $2 million, which was also approved. Now, just a few months later, the district is requesting an additional $2 million. If approved tonight, in under a year, we will have almost doubled the original asked amount. I believe it's fair and necessary to ask why. How did we get so far off from the original estimate? And what controls are in place to prevent this from continuing? These are not small adjustments. They represent a significant shift, especially at a time when the district is facing an $18 million deficit. At some point, we have to draw a line. This may mean making This

022may mean making difficult decisions like extending the life of existing devices, even if they're not ideal. Right now, fiscal discipline matters. Demonstrating that we can prioritize needs over wants is essential if we are serious about restoring financial stability and maintaining public trust. This leads me into the curriculum service center remodel. The board is approaching an an important decision about a potential bond or override. The last effort did not pass and the stakes are high to get it right this time. That means perception, transparency, and trust is critical. When the community sees a $1.7 million request to modernize a district office, it raises understandable concerns. While some of us might understand why this money needs to be spent, the majority of the stakeholders don't. Right now, the expectation should be restraint. That may mean shared spaces,

023rethinking how offices are used, and focusing on function over comfort in the short term. I'll be direct. Investments that don't clearly improve student outcomes or support educators in the classroom will be difficult for the public to support, especially if we're asking them to possibly approve any potential bond or override. These are not easy choices, but they are necessary ones. Thank you. Madam President, that concludes our public comment for tonight. Thank you. Clerk Chaffee, we will now move to consent agenda. All items on the consent agenda are approved with one vote with no discussion. If a board member would like to pull a consent agenda, please do so now. I don't think we need to pull the consent agenda, but I just want to clarify when we get to that vote, may I ask uh some

024clarifying questions about it without pulling it from consent? No. I have to. Um If there's So, if I have questions, I have to pull pull it from consent. Which Which one? Oh, um it is It might have been pulled already. Oh, it's already been pulled. Already been pulled. Okay. I didn't notice that on the agenda. So, thank you. You're welcome. Okay, so I don't see any others. Thank you to the board members. Um we did pull an item and it it was noticed before the meeting, so that's why it changed on our document. So, thank you for the heads-up. Um Now down to personnel. Do I have a motion to approve personnel request including an addendum? So moved. Do I have a second? I'll second it. Thank you. Any discussion? Seeing none, Ms. Kirby, will

025you please take our vote? With a vote of five yes, we have approved the personnel request including an addendum. Down to consent. All items listed will be considered as a group and will be approved with one motion. If a board member would like to spotlight or comment on a consent agenda item, please do so after the vote. Do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda according to the recommended action for each item? So moved. Do I have a second? Seconded. Thank you. Ms. Kirby, will you please take our vote? With a vote of five yes, we have approved the proclamation recognizing consent agenda items according to the recommended action for each item. We are now at our proclamations. Do I have a motion to approve the proclamation recognizing April 28th, 2026 as bus

026driver appreciation day? So moved. Do I have a second? Second. Thank you. Any discussion? Seeing none, Ms. Kirby, will you please take our vote? With a vote of five yes, we have approved the proclamation recognizing April 28th, 2026 as Bus Driver Appreciation Day. Mrs. Chaffee, as Board Clerk, will you please read the proclamation for us? I will. Whereas each year Mesa Public Schools bus drivers transport more than 14,099 students between home and school safely. And whereas each year 528 school buses and 27 student transportation vans, driven by dedicated dedicated drivers, travel 24,341 daily and more than 4,381,431 miles overall. And whereas without school buses and school bus drivers, many students would not have safe, reliable transportation to and from school. And whereas this responsibility is great in comparison to the available compensation. And whereas Mesa

027Public Schools believes it is important to salute and appreciate school bus drivers and recognize the invaluable contributions they make to education and safety. Now therefore, we do hereby proclaim April 28th Bus Driver Appreciation Day. We encourage everyone to join us in celebrating the contributions of our bus drivers, aides, and transportation staff. Thank you. And we are so [clears throat] so grateful for them. Do I have a motion to approve the proclamation recognizing April 20th through 24th, 2026 as Public School Volunteer Week? So moved. Do I have a second? Second. Any discussion? May I make a comment? >> Yes. Thanks, Madam President. Um you know, when we talk about Mesa Public Schools, Mesa Public Schools is better because the public volunteers its efforts in Mesa Public Schools. And I was at a meeting where um a

028service organization member stood and said, "If you want to feel good about what's happening in public schools, go to Mesa schools." Um and it a volunteer week um is hardly enough salute to these volunteers. Whether they be organizations like Kiwanis or AARP or the AAUW. Um community members who serve on C Cap like like Mr. Steel or PABDAC. Um we also have um retirement communities that adopt an entire school. Um we have parents who in a myriad of ways volunteer at their school. Um truly volunteerism drives Mesa Public Schools, just not the bus drivers. And and um and I really want to take this moment to thank every community member in whatever way you support us. Um thank you. Because you are the heart of Mesa Public Schools. You are the public in Mesa Public

029Schools. Thank you very much. Thank you, Board Member Hutchinson. Anyone else have anything? Thank you. >> I'd add all the grandparents that also volunteer. Agreed. There are we are so appreciative. I always say it takes a village and it does take a village. So thank you. Miss Kirby, I believe we're ready to vote. With a vote of five yes, we have approved the proclamation recognizing April 20th through 24th, 2026 as Public School Volunteer Week. Mrs. Chaffee, as Board Clerk, will you please read the proclamation for us? I will. Whereas parent and community involvement is a significant factor in the quality of our schools and the success of our students. And whereas we appreciate the dedicated volunteers who help teachers, administrators, and support staff in countless ways. And whereas volunteers reflect the highest values of our

030democratic society by representing people of all ages and all walks of life. And whereas volunteers reap the rich rewards that come from helping others. Now therefore, we do hereby proclaim April 20th to 24th Public School Volunteer Week. We encourage everyone to join us in celebrating the vital work of our volunteers. And we invite others to join our volunteer team to support our students and staff. Thank you so much. This brings us to our action items. Do I have a motion to approve a contract renewal of $550,000 for social studies supplemental software and resources for grades 6 through 12? So moved. Do I have a second? Seconded. Thank you. Any discussion? Board Member Vincent. Uh yes, thank you, Madam President. So um as Mr. Steel said, there is a all or nothing process by which we

031adopt supplemental materials. Uh he noted a couple of concerns with the um ABC-CLIO, the the DBQ Project. Uh and I didn't catch the last name that he made uh but the fact that there are ads there. I know personally Newsela has more of a uh left-leaning bent rather than a clear uh fair-minded equal um equal covering of different viewpoints and perspectives. So it it is concerning with social studies in particular because it does alter the way that students view uh their role as a future citizen and a current citizen. I think our community is concerned in particular with this area that there are lots of opportunities for indoctrination that happen within uh this area in particular and the lack of clarity on vocabulary vocabulary used. For example, when we say we live in a democracy,

032it's actually not uh accurate. We live in a representative republic um that we use the democratic process by which we elect our representatives. So it's it's a different form of government and so uh it has different roles for each member of our communities across across the country and within our city. So I share the same concern that Mr. Steel does that we don't have the opportunity to say, "No, this is actually not a good resource resource based on our community." I did read the memo that said it went through the 60-day uh process back in 2023. Uh I don't know that um I don't I I don't know that that was maybe an adequate process. And now that we have a a or a curriculum committee that is really invested in looking at all of

033the resources that we provide our teachers to uh teach. Um I share Mr. Steel's concern with some of the resources that we have. Uh in a classroom that I was in uh as I was helping with um Acadec, the Academic Decathlon. Uh indoctrination is not necessarily a blatant a blatant um statement of information. Sometimes it is subtle. And it can happen by what we don't say or what we don't present just as much as what we do. So those are the kinds of things that our parents and our community, especially our um maybe grandparent communities that are watching their kids now in in uh in school cuz it is a little bit different. We when I was a student in Mesa, we had an actual textbook for social studies all the way through high school.

034So there is a concern that I think that we as a governing board need to take into consideration as we are looking at the resources that we provide to our teachers to teach. We should be providing them the best resources possible that provide um varied perspectives and that develop within our students a fair-minded approach to how they how they use their or how they um become or act as citizens once they leave us. That is our goal, right? To have educated population that can be effective, fair-minded um citizens that take their their citizens ship and their the role of a citizen effective or they take it um very seriously. So I I'm not sure how we resolve this issue when we have a all or nothing adoption process for supplementals. But I do think I

035I share the same concern that Mr. Steel does. Um yeah, I just wanted to clarify a couple of things that this is not a supplemental resource. This is our adopted curriculum and it has gone through the vetting process and the the process and like you spoke of in 2023 um of being an adopted curriculum and that does go through a process of C Cap. I do think that we we want to make sure that the materials that we're using are effective and that they are aligning with state standards. And I think that we started to see that work at the district level that we're looking at how our students can how our teachers can do instructional design that really emphasizes state standards and teaches to those standards because we know in Arizona that very few

036of the purchased curriculum materials that are out there really align with Arizona state standards. So I have appreciated that transparency and that clear that clarity from district teaching and learning to really emphasize that work. I think there's still work to be done to make sure that our community and our instructors understand what that means. Um for me as a board member, I would love to see kind of those pacing guides and a little more structure to our curriculum and how we use these materials so that teachers have that clarity and that support and also so that our community can can feel comfortable with the materials that are being taught. Um I for me on this particular curriculum, I feel that it has gone through the process. Looking forward at our other curriculum materials, I would

037love to look at some data and make sure that as we look at the end of the year coming up as we discussed this summer that we evaluate whether our instruction is effective and where those gaps are in our curriculum materials and in that structure so that we can ensure that our kids are learning the state standards. We're setting them up in all of our areas, not just social studies. Thank you. Any other board members? Yeah, it was it's confusing cuz it says supplemental, but this is our core social studies for grades 6 through 12. And so this is a a question for Tracy Eastless. Because we and and Mrs. Chaffee said it really well, board member Chaffee, you know, we're piecing together things to follow the state standards. So not everything that a vendor

038has like on their website is necessarily used in our classroom. Is that correct? Um President um President Davis and members of the board, yes, um member Walden, that is correct. The what happened in it is confusing because of the supplemental word. This is a procurement item, which is renewing a contract for year uh four of the five-year contract. And back in 2022-23, we did go through a formal adoption process. There were items brought to the community for the 60-day public review and the steering committee and they failed. And so then it went back out to that committee, the teachers, etc. And that's where this bundle of resources um was the recommendation and approved by the governing board at that time. And um to member Chaffee's point, there isn't a textbook that aligns to all of

039our state standards and so therefore this this bundle was the popular um recommendation. And what our content specialists do is work with those teachers to really put those pacing guides and those units together as they're instructionally designing. And so yes, you are correct, they will not pull every single thing from every single resource. It's going to go back to that design process and our state standards and then what is the most appropriate um information from the variety of resources as well as aligned to those various courses. We have many, many social studies courses across um 9 through 12. And I really support our CCAP committee and love that they seem like they're they're really hands-on. So I do think that you know, we want to see them get more materials so they can be more

040engaged in in the vetting. And I think a lot of us, you know, want to see more of like what you know, what's actually what's in the classroom because what a vendor may put out there may not be what we're we're teaching in our classes, especially with our our different state standards. But I think the CCAP committee though, they can help make those calls like if they want more, they can ask for more. Is is that correct? >> That's correct. And what we had talked about earlier this year is when we do bring new course recommendations or new curriculum to our governing board, we would have that information available to you so that you could see the syllabus, the pacing guides, topics in the units. Um our CCAP has done a tremendous job of helping

041us um look at what is what is it that the community is looking for in terms of which specific standards align to those topics. And so we've been through some revisions of some of our um the documents that we've brought to you before and we've got a cycle that's going uh along the way to continue to revise those um so that we we can bring those to you as as things come forward. Right. Thank you. Mhm. Thank you, board member Editson. So I looked at the ADE um curriculum and um they said that in the history curriculum that the design of the curriculum is to promote both historical content as well as historical thinking. And they listed certain aspects of historical thinking. And having been a history teacher, I'm really familiar with these um aspects,

042but it's analytical skills. It's it's comparing perspectives. It's learning how to make a critical judgment. And and in the description, they basically said, um I think I'm quoting, that these skills promote thoughtful work in any field or career. And these are these are this is not just content. These are helping kids think and learning how to think. Um and kids, if they're going to do project-based learning, if they're going to do advanced studies like We the People for example, that I judged um um just this past week, they need quality resources that are based in professional journals and professional works. Um having taught DBQs um for 25 years, um primary resources, having evidence, data, um students then own their learning. Um and and a classroom is not a teacher just telling kids, you become a

043community of scholars. And everyone participates in the learning. Um historical thinking skills meet the standards. And the other reason why I really want to promote the adoption of these materials is is that having been a teacher back in the Pleistocene era when there was no internet and everything had to come from a book and I had to go to the ASU library to get all my resources, >> [sighs] >> ho teachers today can put together lessons based in curriculum and resources like this that are engaging, that are exciting. And particularly when we have a block schedule where kids are in a class for 90 minutes, we can truly get kids engaged with engaging resources that particularly link them to relevant situations in a republic such as the Americans have. Um so I really would um

044encourage us to approve these resources so that kids can own their learning, they can learn how to think and to pursue their interests um and have those life skills that are going to s- prepare them for whatever field or career they choose. Thank you, board member Editson. Uh thank you, President Davis. So as a former gifted teacher, um I'm all about analytical thinking. Uh I I believe every single one of the students uh across Mesa Public Schools should be introduced to the intellectual standards and the intellectual traits that uh help develop that ability to think analytically and evaluate evalua- evaluative Yes, that word. So um Dr. Eastless, can you was the was CCAP given the did they have access to the pacing guide and the or syllabi to indicate cuz what I'm hearing from you

045for clarity is that not everything on the resources that are that we are providing is utilized. So perhaps the um the concerns that Mr. Steel brought forth, perhaps those parts of those um resources are not being used, but is so was CCAP provided with here here of these pieces that we're asking you to uh look through, what parts of them are actually used for them to have better a better a bet- ability to guide? Yes, member Editson. Uh CCAP has not re- probably reviewed these materials this year because this adoption occurred back in 2022-23. So I'd have to go back to those um minutes and all of the information and the steering committee and all of that. Um but we can certainly, if our chairperson would like to put that on a future agenda, we

046can bring these back and take a look at at all of those resources and information as well. Cuz I think that's what I'm hearing is uh from you. Uh the ABC-CLIO for example, we don't use all of it. So perhaps we're not using the um piece that says, "Hey, just look for three resources that say the exact same thing and that's probably a quality resource." Uh I would be concerned about that one in particular cuz I think you can find three sources that support some really crazy ideas. So we don't want that from a uh uh a standpoint of how we're training our how we're training our students to be able to discern um quality information from non-quality information. So I I think that would be beneficial. Uh the and member Chaffee, I agree with

047you. I think that we we have to be able to provide quality information and I think those pacing guides, those resources the the what part of these resources we're actually using would um perhaps set aside some of the concern that some of our community members have. They don't want information, again, I'll just use the example Mr. Steele did, with AB ABCCLIO, "Hey, find three sources that say the same thing, and that's probably a quality resource." No, I would worry about that if I were teaching my students that. And that's probably not a good way to judge whether or not you're getting quality information. So, that's my my concern, you know, is that can we have and provide our our I think our curriculum committee this year is just rocking it. They are dedicated, they are

048looking at the things that were that that your team is providing them, and they earnestly want what is best for our students. And so, if we can provide them with all of the information that is going to make it so that they are able to bring us good recommendations, I would appreciate that. And the I think the other concern sometimes is that because it is digital, what was available five or three years ago is not probably the same as what is on these resources now and what they're doing, unless they are primary source documents that don't change. But there are there's a possibility of quite a bit of change in a digital resource over the span of two years, three years. So, that's all I have. Thank you. Dr. Isse, can you just give us

049a brief overview of when that process we adopted the curriculum in 2023, what that process was like? Yes, a simple summary of it is that back in 22-23 is when the adoption process was initiated. So, what happens is rubrics are put together, request for proposal, evaluation committee that's made up of members. In this case it was secondary, so it would be junior high and high school social studies teachers. Our Mesa Education Association also appoints members to the committee, principals, district staff, and our social studies content specialists and directors across teaching and learning special that are all part of the evaluation committee, as well as a there's a steering committee of a smaller group of those members as well. And so, that process was initiated back in September of 22. When the final recommendations went through,

050or sorry, when the resources went through the evaluation committee, they then brought forth a couple of resources. Those were then put out to all the schools for a vote as well as community feedback and input. And when the recommendations came back to the steering committee who moved the process forward and make sure the process is followed according to legislative statute, the recommendation was that no product one one single product would move forward because there wasn't clearly a winner. And that the teachers did not think that either resource would meet all of the needs for their for their social studies content. And so, at that point then a new RFP was issued and eventually these were the resources that were selected and and brought to the governing board that year and then trained and implemented the

051following year. And teachers worked through with content specialist department chairs on on those units and continue to do so. Thank you. For members, any other questions? I have one more if I may. So, Dr. Isse, is the is the issue our Arizona state standards in regards to teaching history, government, all of that? Are are you saying that our standards are so substantially different than other states that we can't have a a core other than the supplements this variety of of a package? Are are they that different? Do we It varies by content level. So, and it also varies by course and what the purpose of those courses are, but the actual standards don't vary that much across our nation from state to state for social sciences. But again, it goes back to we have to

052have a process where an evaluation team has a rubric that has to follow the rubric and and that was the recommendation of that team and then the steering committee to not bring forth a single resource that would meet those standards. And so, we have to abide by by that process. Okay. Thank you. Ms. Kirby, we're ready for a vote. With a vote of five yes, we've approved this contract renewal for $550,000 for social studies supplemental software resources for grades 6 through 12. Do I have a motion to approve a contract increase of $2 million for student technology needs? So moved. >> Do I have a second? Seconded. Any discussion? Ms. Benson. So, the Mr. Smithson brought up the monetary aspect of this request, and I appreciate the procurement procurement is attempting to get ahead of

053increase in the cost of technology. That's the purpose, I believe, of bringing this forth. I believe that this supplants the camera security camera refresh, correct? So, I'm not concerned so much from a monetary standpoint in regards to this this piece. I'm more concerned about the overutilization of technology in the pedagogy of what we're doing. So, um there's a gentleman who he was a teacher and became a neuroscientist, Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath. He's um very well renowned now for his ability to teach about the science of learning and um the impact of technology that is having that it is having is having on our students. According to his research, for the first time in history, Gen Z has a lower cognitive capacity in general overall than their parents did. It's first time it's happened in history.

054IQ scores are lowering. He believes, as do several other people, that it is the infusion of technology, not necessarily as a curriculum piece, but as a pedagogical piece, the how we teach learning. Or how we teach, not the what we teach. So, for example, one of the he he uses is if we want our students to know about AI and how to utilize AI, well, that could be a curriculum piece. It's if we want them to um So, you could go and have AI class, for example. If you want them to know how to search the internet and how to look for different sources that might be good or bad. That that could be a class. The the concern is when you use technology as the way we teach and the how we teach. I

055was with students a week ago who brought this very concern up. That they when they heard their their generation, it's not necessarily every person in Gen Z, but their overall their overall generation, they were concerned about this. They were concerned about the overutilization of technology in classrooms. So, that's the concern I have. Um According to Dr. Horvath, there is a direct connection to a decline in student achievement when districts have gone to one-to-one student devices. Finland and Sweden, most of the Nordic countries, are moving away from technology as their their primary focus. They're going back to hardbound textbooks, actual physical paper and pencil writing, because they found that the overutilization overutilization of technology is actually detrimental to the learning process. And we are in the business of educating and getting students to learn. That's my

056concern with the continued and the spend. I know this is going to potentially replace high school, and then it would go down. Um but I'm hearing from a couple of high school students. I don't know if it's the overall, but the students I heard from, they actually want people teaching them. They don't want a computer teaching them. So, that's my concern with this and I I know that I voice the concern of some of our the teachers in our district, especially at the elementary level. Uh Dr. Horvath again would say there's absolutely no reason to have the a one-to-one device or the over uh the over dependence on technology in our in our elementary school classrooms, especially up to fifth grade. He's heard the argument, well, all of our all of the state testing is

057on a computer. You teach them those basic computer skills, that's fine, but actually use people to teach them. So, we as a district pride ourselves on innovation. Sometimes I think innovation now is maybe going back rather than pushing forward with things that uh are we're we're seeing over time are detrimental to our students. Uh so, I don't I don't know if you want to have a broader discussion on it. But I am concerned with this item and the reliance on technology. Thank you. It's all right. So, thank you. Um and I I know the researcher you're talking about and I'm greatly concerned about the cognitive decline of the rising generation. Do want to point out for a lot of kids that 20% of their waking hours spent in school though and I've lost track of

058the number of toddlers I see at the grocery store that are sitting in the cart with a smartphone now. So, I don't think it's just I don't think we can just look at that and say, well, this is just school when the majority of their time isn't actually spent in school and we did have a really robust discussion about this at our board retreat, not the last one, but the one before where it was very clear for this board that for K through 6 that's that's not the direction we're going. I support this because it is for high school and they're going to need to be able to do assignments and use a laptop for college and career readiness. It doesn't matter what the field is, even even in the trades. So, I I think

059we can justify that at at this high school level, it is appropriate for them to have access to that technology and the the workforce and college will demand that. If this was K through 6, I wouldn't wouldn't be supporting for it but supporting it. I've I've been concerned about the amount of laptops, so I've talked to Superintendent Strawn about it cuz I've you know, we voted for some and and the data is there that it it makes sense for us to do this because we are getting ahead of the rising cost of things and then the devaluation of the dollar that as as you sit on these these purchases, they're going to cost a lot a lot more down the road. Um but I'm I'm good with this one since it is just just for

060high school. Thank you. Board member Chaffee. I agree with board member Walden that we have had conversations as a board and we recognize that our our parents and our community and our teachers don't want our students on laptops K through 6. I would have a big ask to our secondary students, to our high school students in particular to be gentle with these laptops. I see these kids on campus. I'm like, they cost so much money. Please be gentle. And I've also seen firsthand like my own son typing on his computer that's like lost two keys and we're trying to like help him type the paper and we're trying to figure out what to do when the laptops don't work. It really does cause a lot of stress for our students when the materials that they

061need to work don't work so that they can complete their assignments. So, I appreciate that we are getting ahead of things, that we are trying to be um fiscally responsible and looking ahead and and seeing that these costs are going to increase. So, I I agree with these statements that I think we as a board want to move away from technology for our younger students and we also want to provide the adequate materials at a at a forward-thinking process for our for secondary students. Thank you. If I may, Madam President, just piggyback on that too because well, we we had a board retreat discussion about like the K through 6, there's going to be more more to come on that. There's there's future planning on that. So, we didn't come up with the decision at

062that point other than the direction we want to go, but there are be more to come I think on that down the road as we plan our budget and plan purchases, right? Yeah. All right, thank you. >> Thank you. Board member Hutchinson. Thank you, Madam President. Yeah, um a couple of other points that I'd like to make. I think one of the things about technology and particularly at the high school level, high school level, having one-to-one um a computer for each child is that it gives kids equal access to an opportunity to get resources. We make sure that all students have access to the resources they need to do their jobs as students. Um not all kids can you know, get and go to a library. I mean, but the library can be in their

063bedroom as they are researching say a project that they are doing with their academy or an inquiry that they are doing in a class. A number of us were at Mountain View and we were with the freshman who did an amazing project and so many of the kids I said, what was your favorite part of the project? Number one was that they got to choose the topic. Number two was the research. They got to drive the research with their questions and their questions kept refining and refining. They were active in the learning and they loved it. And it was because they were discovering things and using their computers and working collaboratively to discover new information and the projects, I think we all can agree, were amazing as a result because the kids were passionate about

064them and they were knowledgeable about them. Um and having taught at ASU, um I think we have to make sure that all kids know how to access databases and fill out college applications and scholarship applications because I as as board member um Walden said, these are life skills that kids have to have and I'm not going to handicap our students. Um I want to make sure that they have all the tools they need to be successful and that our teachers teach them how to use the technology responsibly and that's how we educate our students. Technology is a tool, it's not the way we teach and and particularly with so many schools that use AVID for example and the the importance of paper and pencil and marking and and how successful those schools are, I think

065we we have a we have a good blend, but high school, it's essential that they have the tools to do the job. Thank you for that. Thank you, board members. May I? Go ahead. So, again, based on the conversation that I had and it wasn't a handful of students. Uh but they're they're not saying that we're just using it as a tool or a curriculum piece. They are saying that they're learning uh the process of learning, the pedagogy is being based on computers. I totally agree with the idea that our students need to know how to be able to search databases and find quality resources. These cannot be used as uh a replacement for an actual teacher and I believe that is happening. So, uh I will be a no on this. I appreciate the

066saving of of um money. But we again, I don't if we're if we're if we can guarantee that we're only using it as a tool and the things that member Hutchinson was bringing up, those are curriculum pieces. Let me teach you how to search a database using a computer. Let me teach you how to how to type, how to whatever, whatever you need to know about using a computer, turning it on, turning it off. Those are all things that are fine and I also agree that we have to be able to to uh allow for equal access to educational opportunities. That is what a moral society does. The issue is whether or not our technology is being used in the way that these all all of my former board members have said that technology needs

067to be used. Um and from again, did I talk to every high school student across the district? No, I did not. But the ones that I spoke with were very concerned because they from their perspective, the teaching, the pedagogy is happening via technology, not via an actual human teacher and they're concerned about it. So, if we are concerned about our students and we want to listen to their voice, we need to listen to their voice and we need to utilize technology as a tool and in the way that member member Hutchinson, member Walden and member Chaffee have said. So, thank you. I I feel like this warrants some follow-up at a a later date. This has really fallen I think in in teaching and learning and that we could, you know, maybe have this as

068a future study session or maybe in a status report from teaching and learning about how instruction's done. I've in my classroom walk-throughs, I I see teaching happening. I see a lot of hands-on projects. I've seen like really cool projects students have done that are actual a tangible project that I can touch that's written out, has some some art involved or history being used in a way that's that's creative where they're they're putting something together that's that's physical, that's written out, that's decorated. So, I I definitely hear like if students feel like that's happening, we want to get to the bottom of that because we have talented teachers and two of them are sitting up here that did teaching. So, I think we we can maybe see some follow-up on that about like what's actually, you

069know, going on and I think for those specific students maybe maybe they're having issues in their class that superintendency can follow up on, but I am I'm seeing teaching happening when I'm doing my walkthroughs. Thank you. I can't tell. You're looking like you're going to press that button. What I think I'll comment on real quick is you know, I I ask every administrator that comes into this district or gets hired within this district prior to us bringing them to the board for approval, what's learning and how's it occur? What is learning and how does it occur? It's a real simple question. And I I think what we need to grapple with a little bit is, you know, learning takes attention. It takes encoding. It takes retrieval. It takes practice. And in order to have kids

070build these neural pathways in the in in their mind, we got to understand that novel learners and expert learners learn in two totally different ways. Um so, I want to honor the fact that the governing board has asked for maybe follow-up in study session and or probably and some stuff in the teaching and learning and I want to uh the community to know we are continuing to debate the use of technology K3, K6, and the difficult part is as you design curriculum and adopt curriculum uh with tools that are digitally uh deployed then to unwind that, you have a whole 'nother process to unwind that. And so, it you know, what and I board member Walden constantly tells me that the one area that she'll always be supportive of us making an investment in is

071curriculum. And so, what I need you to hear is if we're going to unwind anything at the K3 level or the K6 level, it's going to take an investment of money to get home home on that because we, you know, in most school districts, not Mason public alone, a lot of school districts have gone really deep down this digital learning assets pathway for kids and that's just going to take time to I need you to hear it's going to take time to figure out. But we understand uh the story of the hour particularly at the national level and throughout many states is the impact of screen time on learning and we continue to monitor the studies that come out on it. So, we'll follow up. Thank you. you. And thank you, board members, for your

072discussion and your thoughts and um I think it's balanced and I think I think this board has been very clear in what our direction direction is and we'd like to see it go. And so, I appreciate superintendency listening and finding different ways. Um but with that, I think we're ready to vote, Ms. Kirby. With a vote of four yes and one nay, we have approved this contract increase of $2 million for student technology needs. Do I have a motion to approve a contract award of $1 million 670 $617,000 dollars $49. I'm going to start over. Do I have a motion to approve a contract award of $1 million 617 $1,049 for remodel of curriculum services center. So moved. Do I have a second? Second. And Mr. Moore, I'm going to turn the time over to

073you for a short presentation. Thank you, President Davis, members of the board. Um I do have a short presentation to go along with a this agenda item. Uh this agenda item represents our administrative consolidation efforts uh to consolidate our administrative buildings into um one building. Uh so, why this project? Um the district's operating across multiple administrative facilities including uh administrative service center, ASC uh student service center, SSC, and then also this facility here, curriculum service center, CSC. Uh we have increasing maintenance costs across all these facilities. Uh the need to renovate these facilities to current code standards. Um they all have a similar aging and code compliance needs. And so, our goal is consolidation. I believe it's also a board goal um or superintendent goal uh to consolidate our district facilities to uh improve efficiencies.

074So, for a visual uh we are currently at CSC, which is the large yellow uh plot in the center of the map. Um ASC or administrative service center is down on Main Street on the bottom left, and then SSC would be at the top right. So again, looking at all three of these facilities, they all have similar needs, aging infrastructure needs such as HVAC um aging uh electrical, plumbing, ADA compliance issues. And so, evaluating these facilities um we uh chose CSC as uh the best fit uh to look at a new district office in terms of consolidation. So, what this approach does is again centralizes district district operations in CSC, again this current facility that we're in. Uh this phase one would uh largely transition um majority of the staff out of ASC, which is

075the building on Main Street uh with this phase one. SSC will continue to prioritize over time as there's a a larger contingency of employees there. Um again, this invests uh by by consolidating our admin facilities, uh we strategically move our investments into one building instead of spreading ourselves across multiple administrative buildings, again not school buildings. So, um moving into one administrative building uh we create some efficiencies and also uh save some dollars that we're spending on administrative facilities. Uh this will improve uh collaboration, service delivery. Uh this phase one is in large part um the building to the south, which I have a graphic. This move will uh in this building um our HR uh team will be in this, which is our most forward-facing um department as they are responsible for all our hires

076um and uh new employees to the district. And so, um the phase one again, which would be the building to the far south of this this campus. Um this building right now has a large number of needs along with all our facilities, but uh this building has been identified uh to um abate. Uh there's several um code compliance issues and critical infrastructure issues. Um and so, with phase one investing about $1.6 million this would uh bring the building up to current code standards um abate the asbestos that is currently in the building. And asbestos was largely used in construction in 1970s. Uh most of this stuff is from the '70s and which we're treating. And so, uh this investment would be um again using our uh school plan fund. So, this is revenue that we

077derive from long-term leases. This is not from student-funded uh revenues. This is not from a state funded budget. Moving forward, the the general timeline for this um again, it's on the board a recommendation for tonight. Immediately if approved, uh we would begin a asbestos abatement. That's a general 2-week timeline to abate and the construction would proceed after that. Uh the construction uh pending board approval would complete early August or late September, which would then allow us in large part to move completely out of our main building downtown. Um that would immediately start to uh compound efficiencies with um not having overhead and supporting the building downtown and consolidating us into uh that the ASC into CSC. I would be very clear, this is not affect the move of superintendency from floor seven to CSC. That

078is still happening over summer regardless of this agenda item. Um that has been planned uh for some time prior to my starting in the district. And so, uh superintendency will move into this facility over the summer. Mr. Moore, really quickly, superintendency will move into building two, which is this building that we're in right now, which isn't part of building one, which is to the south. I think that's an important note. Uh I long survived in my first district office job on a desk built in the 1950s with a book that propped it up, and we will not be buying new furniture for this building. It is not what we're trying to accomplish with this project. And so, we did put a do nothing scenario in here. So, again, do nothing will continue our fragmentation of

079of three administrative facilities. Um we'll defer maintenance. Uh the infrastructure is going to continue to age. As I as I alluded to, the buildings were built in 1970s. Um that's is going to continue to age over time. Inefficient use of district space, again, duplicating operational supports. The sooner we can consolidate, the sooner we can see some efficiencies with our um consolidation approach. And then, what will happen if we vacate our property? So, at the last board retreat last Wednesday, the board was presented with not only looking at these three properties, but two additional administrative properties for a total of five. Looking at those properties, we would consider bringing those to the board for a vote potential sale or lease and putting those on the ballot for consideration. If the board does pass a resolution putting

080those on the ballot, the voters would then need to approve either sell, leasing, or exchanging those properties. And then, we would look at opportunities to again, sell, lease, or exchange those properties to potentially bring in additional revenue to the district to support our capital needs. Any um potential sale or lease would then again always be brought back to the board again for final approval. But, there's a process being a government entity in which we have to properly go through to sell or lease our property. So, just in brief summary, this phase one really advocates for a strategic consolidation of ASC and really puts the um investment into fixing our infrastructure and bringing everything up to current code standards. There's not a lot of nice to have. This is the basics of basically having a code-compliant

081building with no asbestos. This will improve our efficiencies again and start to help us consolidate our administrative buildings, which will um sooner bring forth efficiencies within our district from an administrative building perspective. So, with that, I'll be happy to answer any questions. Thank you, Mr. Moore. I'm going to start to my left with board member Chaffee. Any questions? I appreciate this discussion tonight, and this doesn't come as new news to our board. I The district has been sharing this this vision and this idea, and we as a board have been supportive of moving in this direction of instead of district-level administrators being spread over multiple campuses and our staff being spread out, consolidating so that we can save money. And I realize that this particular action item doesn't look like we're saving money because we're

082spending money, but I appreciate the the explanation that by consolidating, we are going to be eliminating overhead. We're going to be able to sell or lease some of these buildings and bring some of that money back into our district. I think we as a board have given strong guidelines that we want to be fiscally responsible, transparent, and forward-thinking, and I think that this is in alignment with that vision. And we want to make sure that as we move staff over here, that they're in safe working environments as well. I appreciate that this is these are things like asbestos abatement and making sure the sprinkler fire system works. We want to make sure that that people are working in safe environments. I think the thing for me that I want to to keep in mind is

083that many of our sites across the district are are in need of updates, and we know this as a board. We had an opportunity in our extended study session to look at each site in a in a dashboard and see the needs that that need to be taken care of at every site, and we hear you as staff members and as learners that you want to make sure that your roofs are functioning and that your toilets flush and that the air conditioning is working. So, as we look forward at these things and and investing in our schools, we want to make sure that every site gets updates and gets things that they need because we want to make sure that everyone is in a safe and and secure learning and working environment. And I appreciated

084our discussion of the bond and the transparency in knowing that as we as we look at investing in those campuses, we recognize that we have a large amount of needs and a small budget to accomplish it, and we really appreciate the support of our community as we strive to make sure that all of our campuses have what they need. Thank you. Board member Walden? Yes, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Moore, for putting the presentation together cuz if you're not following all of our meetings and board retreats, you may not know that we are consolidating space that sometimes you have to spend money to save money, that these changes are needed because this building will be the permanent building, and then other buildings will go out for sale or lease that will bring revenue into into

085the district. And I appreciate you pointing out too that this cost is not coming from from M&O, that it's revenue from other leases [clears throat] that the that the district has. But, of course, we have to be ADE compliant and and have that safety as Mrs. Chaffee brought up, and these changes are just going going to be needed, but we will be saving a lot of money down the road by this consolidation. Thank you. Thank you. Board member Vincent? So, Mr. Moore, I too want to thank you for putting this the presentation together. So, for clarity's sake, we are currently in building two? Two. Yeah. So, building one, which is the red one, is the building behind us. No, that's right there. That's building three. This is building one is over there. Facing State Place.

086When you exit this building, you'll walk right by building one. Do we need to go on a field trip? I think [laughter] I do cuz I'm just not I guess I just assumed this was all one building. What? It's building one, two, and then when you go on the back of the lot, it's three, four, five. Well, there you go. So, I get inside the building and I have no idea where I am. Um I totally thought it was just one building. Okay. So, I also appreciate the fact that it is a strategic plan to reduce overall cost in the long run, right? In your presentation, you mentioned that the funds that will be used to do the renovation come from the plant fund versus Can I assume that that means it's not coming from

087DDA or capital? Yeah, yeah, you're you're correct, Ms. Vincent. So, would we be able to use plant funds for renovations at a elementary school? Or does that need to Or does that typically just come from capital funding? Typically, it comes from our capital funding, but it would be another capital source, school plant fund. Ms. Benson, if I could comment on that really quick. So, here here's the the the a little bit of the dilemma in Mesa Public Schools. Uh the student services building on Country Club was garnered for this district back in the 1980s savings and loan crisis. At least that's what oral history has taught me, right? And it was garnered pennies on the dollar. And the mechanicals in that building haven't been replaced since it was procured in that savings and loan loan

088crisis. And so, we have 40-year-old infrastructure over there that we've already gotten quotes on that would cost 10 to 11 million dollars to replace. At the bank building, same thing. It was procured for pennies on the dollar from from a private entity that had built it and could no longer afford it back in the late '80s. And once again, the mechanicals have not been touched in that place. So, here's the dilemma. You have across all these administrative buildings, 30 to 40 million dollars worth of work. We know that if we go out for a capital override or a bond, the community in those types of environments do not want to hear us say we're going to do administrative things with a capital override or bond. So, when we go out for bond and capital override,

089we're going to ask the community to support student-facing stuff, right? Because that is what most communities do. So, then we're not going to go hit the capital budget to fix up administrative buildings because we want our capital budget to what? Support student-facing stuff. And then, it comes down to what bucket of money are you going to go to to keep up on your administrative buildings? And one option is to cobble them together for 50 years and then let the cost rise and rise and rise. But, what people don't realize is when you do that, your M&O costs go up cuz we have to hire more labor to actually keep these places together. So, it all interacts. So, we have more guys more guys and gals, sorry, committed to the student services center and the bank

090building probably than necessary because we have old equipment there. And the M&O bucket's what we pay teachers and support staff out of. It all links together. And so, I I know that we can use school plant money on school things, and we do often make the decision in smaller projects to use school plant money to do just that. But, what we know is we don't want to use a lot of buckets on administrative stuff. We don't want to use a bond bucket. We don't want to use a capital override bucket. We don't want to use a DA bucket to fix We don't want to use an M&O bucket to fix administrative stuff. We want that money to go to schools. And you're left in the conundrum as a district office administrator of there's only so

091many pots you want to go touch to help maintain your administrative buildings. And then, we don't want to any longer maintain three administrative buildings. We want to maintain one administrative building in the long run. And so, that's kind of the overarching story behind why use school plant. And we do recognize fully recognize that school plant can be used for schools as well. Um thank you for your explanation. Through my questioning, that's exactly where I wanted us to head. So, we also know that through our leasing opportunity or the sale of land opportunities because the buildings are essentially not going to be worth anything at this point, right? Um we will be able to actually uh recoup and capture the amount that is necessary for apparently that building over there to be renovated, not this one.

092Is that correct? Yeah, member Benson, um through that board retreat we did identify and and share with the board several of the uh book of business or book of value that we've received from our realtor on on these administrative properties. And yes, um they're valued at uh several million dollars, but we can't sell them until we've left them and then Right. But that revenue would go into the school plant fund. So what I want our community here to hear is that we are really trying to be uh very fiscally responsible and acknowledging that our community wants a majority of our capital funding to go to student-facing and supporting our teachers and our staff in those buildings. We do, however, have to maintain a building that our district leadership can um also function. And it does

093also have to be a safe And again, it's apparently that building is two separate ones. I didn't know. Um so I want I I I think it's really I I love the direction of transparency that um current leadership is really moving towards. There's sometimes I think that when we hear things and um our retreats that other people uh our overall population is not necessarily attending or watching that simply a little a little bit of added information, we're using school plant money rather than Yes, we could use that for some small uh things at schools that need to be done, but we're not going to be able to do do major renovation at any one of our school sites using the school plant money. We can, however, use it for um providing a building that our

094leadership can then function properly in. And through potentially the sale or lease uh I don't recall the length of time. Was it 3 to 5 years that potentially we recapture the amount that it would tuck cost to But that's close enough. It's going to be depend on the value we lease for, but yes, right. >> So then I Yeah, so I I think it's really important that we make sure we especially when it's talking about real estate and we don't all you know, get real estate sometimes. President Davis does, but Thank you. Board member Hutchinson. Thank you, Madam President. Um I I appreciate all the comments of my colleagues. Um Uh it's obvious that we have studied this issue quite extensively. Um I I do I I do It does pain me though when I

095I meet with students at Red Mountain High Schools, uh Public Service Academy and they share their capital needs um with me and particularly access to bathrooms that are functioning. Um and then um I mean, the board needs in this building and and we have had employees in those buildings for a long time. And when I hear asbestos abatement I'm like, well, jeez, um there were employees that were here in that facility for so long. But I do understand that with more people here and to be ADA code compliant cuz we will have some employees that will need those types of facilities. And I always have to I I have to keep reminding myself that the Maricopa County Superior Court ruled that Arizona's capital funding system is unconstitutional. That the capital funding that the state provides

096for school districts is unconstitutional. And that we are in this crisis because of a lack of funding. And it's not that we are choosing one group over another but to make the most out of what we have to be transparent, to be fiscally responsible. And as board member Walden said, sometimes we got to spend money to make money. And this is one of those times where we consolidate our administrative folks in one area. Yeah, we got to spend some money to do that, but then the potential that we have to bring money into the district because we have vacated some buildings and maybe we sell them or we lease them that goes back into the classroom. So um I know this is confusing and and it really it's difficult for me to vote for administrative

097buildings. Really difficult, particularly when I've just met with 30 kids who talk about their bathrooms. However big picture, this is fiscally responsible. It's what the district needs to do in these dire financial straits that we find ourselves in. Thank you. And thank you, board members, for your discussions and comments and I couldn't agree more with all that's been said tonight. I I think we all It's a hard thing to swallow cuz we want to see our campuses also. And so I think I appreciate the vision that we've seen and we've been working on and we've been studying this This isn't a surprise. We have been discussing this for a while now and kind of the long-term goals of the district of what it looks like. And so um I think it it just is helpful

098for us to keep everything in perspective and then, you know, we do It takes money sometimes to make money like what's been said. And so with that, I think we are ready for a vote. Board member Hutchinson votes aye. It's up. With the vote of Oh. Five ayes, we have approved this contract award of $1,617,049 for remodel of Curriculum Services Center. We are moving on. We have lots of faces in here for tonight's We're excited presentation for um our Family Literacy Program in Mesa Public Schools. This year they are celebrating their 35th anniversary in MPS and will be sharing some of the impact they've seen. I'll turn the time over to the Family Literacy team and we'll take it from there. And I just want to thank everyone for being here for this exciting night.

099Thank you. Good evening, President Davis and members of the board, Superintendent Strom. I'm Christine Niven and I am the Family Literacy Specialist with Mesa Public Schools. It's my honor to share a brief reflection on 35 years of Family Literacy in Mesa Public Schools. In 1991, the world looked very different. The World Wide Web launched its first website, the Soviet Union dissolved, Terminator 2 was the biggest movie, and here in Mesa, we were a much smaller community. But even then, Mesa Public Schools saw something coming. We realized that a child's success isn't just decided between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. It's also decided at the kitchen table in grocery store aisles and in bedtime stories told at home. In 1991, Family Literacy was launched at Lowell Elementary as the Family Tree Project. Since

100then, Mesa Family Literacy has continuously evolved seeing many faces come and go while adapting to shifting landscape Oh. You are. Okay. While adapting to a shifting landscape of leadership policy and funding. Over time, we have expanded, fine-tuned our programming structure to align with national standards and the changing needs of our community. Navigating challenges from budget cycles to a global pandemic that reshaped how we connect. Along the way, our commitment to excellence has been recognized on the national stage with three prestigious Toyota National Teacher of the Year Awards. For 35 years, Mesa Public Schools Family Literacy Program has stood as a powerful example of what is possible when we invest not only in students, but in entire families. Built on a two-generation approach, this program has helped thousands of parents strengthen their English skills, continue their

101education, and become confident partners in their children's learning. For 35 years, we have seen that when parents grow, children succeed. Classrooms become communities, schools become centers of opportunity, and parents become leaders. What began in 1991 as a small effort has grown into a sustained district-wide model rooted in equity, access, and long-term impact, serving generations of Mesa families and contributing to stronger schools, stronger families, and a stronger Mesa. Tonight, we celebrate not just a program, but a legacy. One that reflects vision, commitment, and belief that education changes lives, especially when it reaches the whole family. Some people hear family literacy and think it's family reading night. It's much more than that. Our success is built on the federal definition of family literacy, which requires intensity and duration of services and includes the integration of four components.

102Number one, adult education. We help parents earn their high school equivalency diploma, learn English, and gain computer and workforce skills. Two, early childhood education. While parents learn, their children are in high-quality Mesa Public Schools elementary schools. Three is PACK Time. That's parent and child together time. This is the secret sauce. This is when parents and children learn together in the same space, their child's classroom, and at home. Four is parent time. We support parents with strategies as their child's first and most important teacher. When a parent gains the confidence to read a bus schedule or a medical form, and they aren't just helping themselves, they're showing their child that learning is a lifelong pursuit. While these components explain our process, participants' feedback highlights exactly how these program's components translate into real-world benefits. In a 2024

103ASU graduate study, researchers found that parents valued time in their children's classroom, English language acquisition, and supportive relationships as the program's primary benefits. Beyond these core areas, participants gained critical life skills, notably public speaking, patience, and the ability to navigate the school system. The program's impact also extended into the broader community with nearly all participants sharing resources and program information with their family and their neighbors. Additionally, school staff report improved communication and participation of parents who are a part of the program. But to truly understand 35 years of impact, you have to hear from those who live it every day. We've invited four representatives of our family literacy or of our literacy family to share their 1-minute story. Good evening. As the principal of Adams Elementary, I see the ripple effect of this program every

104day. When a family joins our literacy program, that traditional school-to-home barrier simply vanishes. These parents aren't just visitors in our hallway, they are true partners in our mission, which at Adams is to inspire, empower, and succeed. They understand our school culture. They show up for conferences with confidence, and they are the driving force leading our PTO. Since we have made upgrades to our security systems, the campuses are a little more difficult to access, but the FLP program has helped to make families feel like they are still able to be on our campus and a part of our school community. For 35 years, this program has served as the front door that welcomes our most hard-to-reach families into Mesa Public Schools, ensuring every student has the foundation they need to thrive and to make our school

105successful. Good evening. Um I will speak to my experiences as a teacher of PACK Time. Um at Longfellow, PACK Time is where the magic happens. We've loved watching our students light up when their parents join them in the classroom. There's a special kind of pride in a child's eyes when they get to show off their world, and we've seen this through the side-by-side the side-by-side learning, and it leads to a huge boost in student effort and a much more positive attitude towards school. It's just as meaningful to our families, too. PACK Time helps parents feel right at home in our classroom communities and empowers them with practical strategies to use at home. When parents feel confident acting as their child's first teacher, we see it pay off directly in the classroom, especially with stronger literacy

106skills and deeper student understanding. Ultimately, PACK Time builds a bridge between home and school that makes our entire Longfellow community stronger. Hi. Um my name is Rosalba. I've been in the program for 3 years. I first came to this program because I wanted a better life for my children, but I didn't realize I will give me a better life, too. While my child was in the next room learning to read, I was learning how to advocate for them and how to finish my own education. Because of Mesa Family Literacy Program, I'm no longer afraid to talk with to my child's teacher. What I like most and being able to spend time with my children and participating in their school activities. I also love being being a able to learn English English and meet new people.

107I am a student. I am a leader, and I am a child hero. Thank you. >> [applause] [applause] >> Good evening. My name is Kiara. I'm a seventh grader from Taylor Junior High. I'm here tonight because I remember what it felt like when I was little and my favorite part of the day was seeing my mom walk into my classroom. Back then, we sat at those small tables together reading books and working on projects as a team. My mom doesn't go to class with me anymore, but the impact of those years hasn't left our home. Because of this program, I grew up knowing that school wasn't just a place where kids were sent. It was a place where our whole families belonged. Watching my mom be a student back then is what gave me confidence

108today. She showed me that learning takes hard work and bravery. Because she was a student then, I know I can follow my dreams in the future. And I want to say thank you for the 35 years of this program. You didn't just help my mom with her classes years ago. You gave the You gave me the foundation I needed to succeed today. Thank you for helping my family grow together. >> [applause] >> You belong here. Welcome, lifelong learners. You are your child's first and most important teacher. These core messages were displayed around a family literacy classroom back in 1988 when I first set foot in a school here in the United States. I'm not entirely sure why they captured my attention. Perhaps it was the bright, colorful posters and the beautiful written words in a

109language that I barely understood. Or maybe, deep down, sometime within me recognized that one day my life would be guided by those words. And 28 years ago, I walked into a family literacy program as parents, unsure, hopeful, and wanting something better for my children, my family, and myself. I learned English as a second language and gained valuable parenting skills that helped me support my children's growth and education. The experience didn't just teach me, it opened doors I never knew existed. It gave me confidence, knowledge, and and a sense of purpose. I grew alongside my children, discovering the power of education, perseverance, and community. Today, I stand here not as the same uncertain parent, but as a family literacy liaison. I now have the privilege of giving back, supporting families who are where I once was,

110helping them build skills, confidence, and hope for their future. This program changed my life, and now I honor to help in change others. >> [applause] >> Thank you. Board members, superintendent, we are presenting to you a flower arrangement made for our parents, and a 35th 35th anniversary portfolio. It contains information about the program and a QR code leading into a website with stories and past and present families who have been in this program and are now contributing members of our Mesa workforce. We invite you to visit our website, and also our classrooms to see the magic in person. >> [applause] [applause] >> Thank you for 35 years of investment, believe, and legacy. And here's for the next 35. >> [applause] [applause] >> It's not fair when you watch that reaction after you leave. Thank you.

111Um, I would love to have everyone that's here for family literacy, please stand so we can recognize you, and we are JUST SO APPRECIATIVE. >> [applause] [applause] >> THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND THANK you for being here. We really appreciate it, and we are so grateful for this program and that it's a proud Mesa Public School moment right now to be a part of, and to see these faces here tonight. So, thank you for being here and being a part of this program. Um, board members, do I have any questions or comments? I'll start with board member Chaffee and we'll go around. Well, it's not usually hard to go first, but I'm going to try. Hold it together. >> [applause] >> This is not about us. Thank you so much. This, like like board president

112said, this is such a public school proud moment. Our public schools do incredible things in our communities. I have a deep passion that strong schools create strong communities, and this program is such a pillar of that in Mesa. Thank you for everyone who participates, who is brave and compassionate, and showing up every single day to make this happen. It is making a difference in our community. I can't see my notes cuz I'm crying. >> [snorts] >> Um, you said at the beginning that our schools become centers of opportunity, and I am going to hold that in my heart, and I want us to remember that schools are centers of multi-generational opportunities, and this is why we do what we do. Thank you so, so much. This is This is a lovely way to end the

113board meeting. Thank you. Thank you, board member Walden. Thank you. Thank you very much for this. I'm going to bring this home, and my daughter's going to say, "Can I put this in my room?" So, I may [laughter] not see it every day. Uh, I thank you. And if everybody that came out, thank you so much, and I know you were last you did sit through our board meeting. So, thank you for doing that. I'm so passionate about literacy. I I love our community and the people that I know put in so many hours and so much passion and so much heart to help Mesa, to help our families, to promote literacy. I I don't have enough words to thank you all, but thank you. I'm really happy to uh be able to to be

114here tonight and hear this wonderful presentation. Board member Benton. Um, I too want to just extend my gratitude for you coming and sharing the impact that this program has had on you. I'm not generally prone to emotion, but I almost cried. Um, I'm a little teary-eyed because one of the things that I love that the focus of the family literacy project promotes is that parents are their first and best teachers of our students. They're our students, they're your children, and the fact that we're this program's empowering parents to um to really grasp and run with that role is I just think fabulous. The education is more than uh just what we do in K-12 with students. It really is a lifelong process, and those who continue to learn um continue to grow. At you demonstrating

115for your children that value, I just highly commend you for it. It's it's beautiful, and this is I don't have any children at home that I have to share it with, so I I'm kind of glad about that. I'll just have to hide it from my daughter that lives alone. Um, could you share with us though just briefly um the number of families on our different campuses that uh take advantage of this program, and is there a way that we as the board or district leadership can um increase the likelihood of other families um also participating so that uh I see kids smiling across the room, uh and I loved I loved the student that came from Taylor Junior. I love that you uh acknowledge that um and I hope you tell your mom all

116the time how awesome it was that you sat down with her. So, could you like how can we help you expand the possibility to other families across the district? Well, >> [laughter] >> um so, we are at eight schools, and there's a capacity of about 20 to 25 families at each school. We right this year we served about 145 families. During the immigration scare, the number went down, but we can serve about, you know, 8 * 25 would be about 200 families at the most. I think that that would be a lot of people. Um, we would love to expand to two more schools. We've had schools contact us asking for the program. Right now, the one of the last things we changed is we take families from any Title I school. So, if they

117are an Emerson family, they can attend Eisenhower. Um, the child will stay at Emerson, and the parent can go to Eisenhower and go to Emerson for pack time. So, we coordinate that with the school, and that has gone that has been really um very positive to be able to serve families not just in their home school. And so, you know, we always Title I covers the costs of um salaries for teachers and for Norma and I, and then um we look for grants, and the teacher of the year awards have been used to buy curriculum, um we provide Canvas for the parents so that they can learn Canvas alongside their child, and um other curriculum and testing, the English language testing. So, all of that uh really is costly for us, um and we have

118kind of maintained We have a budget that has lasted for 35 years. I mean, we used to get DES money, and we're still what That's that's gone now, but we kind of eke out every penny that we can. And and it's difficult to find I don't think Title I can cover curriculum because it's for parents. So. So, those are So, it's going to be an issue of finding grant and additional or nonprofits that find the value in and >> family education and literacy. And there are um you know, we we just recently wrote a grant with United Way, and um and then also we've written the Dollar General grant that But, one of the things that kind of hurts us is that we are the longest-running, continuously-running program in the nation. Why does that hurt

119you? Because programs like Dollar General, they want a new program. They want to help somebody who's just starting out. And we have gotten the Dollar General grant twice, and but um we we applied for it We've applied for it probably four times and um only got it twice. And I think, you know, they're looking for programs that are starting up. There's a bigger impact, you know. Yeah. I don't know if there's a bigger impact than 35 years of families that have been enriched by what Mesa has invested in. So, thank you very much. And again, I just commend you uh the the difference that uh you're making in your children's um education benefits not just you as a parent, not just your family, but it it it really does benefit the entire Mesa community. So,

120thank you for coming. Thank you, Board Member Hutchinson. I've been lucky since I've been on the board to be familiar with you, Christine, and you, Norma, and learned about the program early on, and I've enjoyed any and all opportunities that you've afforded me to to witness firsthand. Um my grandparents [clears throat] were immigrants, and I can't help but see my grandmothers in all the moms that are in the program. Um and Norma, you said that the program gave you confidence, knowledge, and a sense of purpose. And I know that my grandmother's community did that for her. And I'm thrilled that this community look at all the people that are still here, and it's the last agenda item. I I this community um is about as Christine mentioned, supportive relationships, and I know that a lot

121of the moms leaned on each other. And this has been tough this has been tough this year. And they've leaned heavily on each other. Um but through it there are leaders that are emerging on our campuses, and you are profiles in courage to your kids and to your community and to each other. And I would like to suggest one way in which the bigger Mesa community could help. One of the activities is a parent reading a book to a child. And there is just not reading of the book. There's a process in reading the book. And there are activities that are suggested when reading the book. And when a parent deeply reads a book with a child using the family literacy process, they get to keep that book, and it builds a home library. Norma

122needs books, people. She needs books. And I'm I'm I'm thrilled that my sisters of AAUW are here today because they heard the call, and they have donated books. Find Norma and Norma Huerta and Christine Nivens' email address on the MPS website under the family literacy program, contact them, ask them what books you can donate to do a home library. >> [applause] >> Thank you. Thank you for the opportunities you give our families. And I echo these words. Um I had the opportunity a couple years ago to the parent leadership project showcase to attend and to watch these family literacy groups um present their projects, and I came away like this is Mesa. Like it was an invaluable experience, and um it taught me a lot, and I had so much respect for each of those

123um groups and families and groups in there participating and getting up and doing scary things, and it was very inspiring to watch, and I'm grateful for all those that go forward and um help in this, and I watch leadership grow in our schools in our community through this program, and so I hope you know how much we appreciate you, and we appreciate each of you for being involved and for being a part of this program. So, thank you for enduring a meeting tonight, um and we just appreciate you being here. Dr. Strom. Yeah, I I want to close after y'all a little bit. I think Miss Shields wants to say something. I I was not part of the presentation, but I would be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to acknowledge Christine Niven. She's

124retiring this year. And um she has >> [laughter] >> she has created a program um Mesa Public Schools has, but she I want you to know that the National Center for Family Literacy uses Mesa Public Schools Family Literacy as a demonstration site. No matter who they send across the country, they always send them to Mesa. When they present at the national conference, they always tout Mesa. They use our um data. They use our videos. Um and then a lot of times they don't acknowledge that it's us, but we know it's us out there. Um but they tout us as their own. And I I just need you to know that about Christine and about this family literacy program. Um it's one of the things that Mesa chooses to spend money on that they don't have

125to, but you can see the huge impact. And I'm so glad you got emotional because I was filming, and I thought I was the only one. I couldn't believe I was crying. But now all of these people are crying. So, thank you for your support. >> So, can we charge the uh United States Literacy Program for highlighting us? Like that might be a way to fund. It's an idea. Yeah. Uh when I took this [clears throat] job, I knew how unique it would be to be the superintendent of the largest school district in Arizona. What I've learned in the last 10 months is how unique it's it is to be in a community that's so special. Um and the city of Mesa, Mesa Public Schools has so many special components to it where we see

126each other taking care of each other. One of the things I say a lot in uh my family life, and I said it last night at the student services, is your success is our success, and our success is your success. We're all so interconnected. We're all so interconnected. And when our neighbor has success, I have success, and when I have success, my neighbor has success, and that's what I see throughout this program. We'd be remiss if we didn't ask you if you wanted to come up here and take pictures. I do not know how to structure it. If we want to do it by If we want to do it by school, or if you all just want to come up, and we'll hold up our little uh uh uh uh Yeah, and Jen will

127direct it, but I definitely want a picture with all of you. Uh and I so hope that you all all you students here today get to connect with a young man in the front in the second row over here who's a drum major at Mesa High for years. Uh because he he's a prime example of what happens when families surround their kids with love and support. And so, anyways, all you young ones over here, make sure you connect with Mr. Huerta, uh Mesa High drum major for a couple years there. So, anyways, come on up, we'll get a picture. Jen, if you could direct. >> [applause] >> Really quick, we're going to adjourn the meeting here if I can get a vote, and then we'll do pictures. So, do I have a motion to adjourn

128the meeting? So moved. Do I have a second? Second. Any discussion? Seeing none, Miss Kirby, will you please take our vote? Thank you. I was going to It's good to have it as a school both instructor and both of your schools together. So, I going to call it Adams and Webster. Melinda and Martina. >> [applause] >> And kudos to our instructors and our family support specialists. They make this happen, too. So, they're amazing. Adams and Webster. Webster. I'm blessed I'm alive today. With a vote of five yays, the meeting is adjourned at 8:11. Thank you for being here tonight.