001Thank you, Vice President. The topics discussed in the closed session were employee discipline and labor negotiations; we will not take action in the closed session. Thank you, Secretary Kutfield. We do n't have replacement pages tonight and new board member Chipique yu will now be the one who will lead us in the flag oath. Well, I swear allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the indivisible Republic it stands for, with liberty and justice for all. At this time I would like to invite alumni from Mayf, class of 2026, GBK IU and Castillo. Please proceed to administer the ceremonial oath of office for the newest member of the Student Education Board. No, not anymore, it can't be heard, it can't be heard. Excuse me. The new member of the Board of Education
002is being sworn in, just taking the oath to be a new member. And excuse me for not being able to hear the oath, but the oath is over now. The board will accompany us for a couple of photographs. The education board is taking the respective photos with the new member. Well, that's it for the photos with the new member and a member of the audience. Well, welcome, member Iguañagu. It's a pleasure to have him with us, joining the education board. At this time I would like to welcome the reporters representing Belfower High School, Ken Vera, who are new student reporters. Welcome, Kayen. Before sharing your board report, could you share a little bit about yourself? What motivated you to represent Belf High School? Good evening, President ST, board members, Superintendent Dr. Simon, district colleagues, guests,
003and students. My name is Killing Ver. I proudly represent Bellflower Middle High School. in progressing my time in the Ped Flower district. I have been as active as I can be in improving the school culture in my senior year as a school reporter with leadership positions participating in other organizations at the school, ASB, APEC, NHS, CSF, Advisors Club and Early College members . I want to continue my education at a 4-year university in biomedical sciences or microbiology so that I can pursue a career in the medical field as a pediatric oncologist. As a school reporter, I want to report on all the school's achievements and activities, from student accomplishments to student culture. I want to highlight the achievements of our school. and all that has been gained in terms of students and activities. This is
004going to be the September report for Bellflower High School. Starting with the first day, Belf students returned to school on Monday, August 18, and were welcomed with Balloon Art. This red carpet, new principal, this first year as principal at Belfower High School, Mrs. Comics. We're glad to have it. We wish you all the best as you sail this new year. The football team's season opened on August 21st against Santa Ana. It was a good matchup against Santa Ana, and everyone was very excited. Watching and in the last half of the fourth quarter, the Buccaneers secured the win with a last- minute touchdown. The students participated on different occasions that are available at our school. The first meeting was held to give spirit and energy. The next meeting we had was a general assembly and it
005was very exciting. Yesterday, BF students and families were welcomed to the evening to look at the school, following the bell schedule to have their students' shoes filled. On September 11th we are going to show our support for the football team by wearing red, blue and white. This, and we're also going to have food that the Student Association is going to sponsor. It's going to be a new era for twelfth-grade students, and we're also going to have a lot of homecoming events, a lot of big events this semester that are coming up before the homecoming dance. You're going to be able to buy this clothing at a low price, and even better, at an even lower price with a membership to the association. The theme for our dance can be found on September 17th. That concludes
006my presentation. I want to thank you for this opportunity. Representing Mayfir High School, Gil Friedman, welcome back, Gil. Would you like to share a little about yourself before we begin? Sure. My name is Guil Freedman. I am the 11th grade president in Mayfir. I also do theater, the choir, and the new surf club. more to talk about that. I don't surf, but I'll help where I can, but yes, I'm gladly back. Thank you for having me. Good evening, Superintendent Dr. Simon, board members, district colleagues. Here is Mayf's September report. Two leadership groups in the ASB and Link Crew squad. ASB had this camp, we played, met new members, it was a lot of fun working in preparation for our assembly, we had the welcome one last Friday, more photos and slides are coming in the
007future. Super fun. We are focused on the American football game. The atmosphere is picking up. Welcome. Here's a card with all the matches. The other group, Link Cruz, focuses primarily on the ninth grade class with an orientation for them where everyone accompanied them in the gym. They were given two leaders from the link to play with, to get to know them. It gives them a little introduction to high school, a very gentle way to meet people, and there are many activities for ninth-grade students. We are very excited to see what they bring to school. We have flag football, women's tennis, women's golf , volleyball, and electronic sports too. Good luck to everyone. In American football we play against Balinda at the SFI stadium in Bullard at home. We played on the 20th and this Saturday
008if you can make it to San Juan Hills High School. We're going to play against Las Vegas at 2 pm. This is our back-to- school assembly. It was a lot of fun. We played a lot of games. Mr. F, Mr. Sunders was discovered in eggs. I'm not entirely sure what that was about , but that was an assembly at this middle school, which is always fun. The night back to school. We had it last Tuesday. Parents were able to come and experience what life is like for students at the school. by going to their classes, clubs, activities, and whatever else they can get involved in. It was a lot of fun. Senior Sunrise is coming this Friday, and Club Rush is happening on September 11th. Students can view all the clubs on campus to get
009involved, and homecoming tickets go on sale September 22nd at the end of the month. Thank you, Vice President. If I can say something, Guill, good presentation as always. I also want to say, we're very excited because we're going to have a meeting before they have the game against the Laker on September 12th. It's a match where everyone can come and support because we have to beat Ler. Good report. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Thank you for that. Representing Summerset High School Island Roy. Welcome. Island. Would you like to share a little about yourself before we begin? Yes. Hello, thank you for having me back here. I'm in eighth grade at Summerset and I participate in everything that's available at school. I am not in the clubs, the club in which I do participate in the development
010of this youth team in my second year. Basically, I do the work alone while she teaches the first part of the class. That's all I can say about it recently. So I'm going to do my report there. Thank you for this opportunity to share the events that will take place this Summerset. Mr. President, you are going to be the new Minister of Science. When I met him, he became my favorite. I and some other students in the workshops have designed a new plan for the staff bathroom and the students were able to work with instructions from the clients to formally formulate the bathrooms. 25 students and seven staff members went to Teresita Pines for a weekend camping trip. We had many activities such as hiking, volleyball, swimming, and many other things. Prizes were given to
011the players, the best players at the end of the last campfire on the last weekend. On the night he returned from school, Samset held him on August 20. Community members, parents, and students enjoyed a barbecue and spent time observing what students learn at the school campus. We are in the middle of the pickle ball tournament. This, the personal and the young play against one and to continue the championship and next week we continue as part of our this capture students and attention collaborated in creating a contract this in general. Everyone has signed a contract that deals with how we agree to treat each other. We had our first ASB spirit week. They dressed up for White Life, Hawaiian style, and also any style one might like, and also twin outfits. Uh, other events are coming
012up next week. We're going to see a movie, America's God Talent, with our teacher Mara. Mr. Parausa is taking young people to San Jose Creek to learn what happens after we flush the toilet, and for your information, we didn't drink that water on September 22nd. On the 26th, these internment classes were held after the two-week fall break. We have plans to attend the film festival in Los Angeles. I went last year, it was a lot of fun. We learn how to make scary movies, uh, scary impressions and all that stuff and makeup. Oh, and lastly, Haunted Maze is going to happen on Halloween night. It's going to be very, very fun and very, very, very awful. Thank you so much. Family members are welcome to leave, but if they prefer to stay, they are very
013welcome to do so . Have a good day. But I would also like to invite our newest board member, Iwan Yangw, if you would like to share a little bit about yourself, uh, why you wanted to be in this position. Well, first of all, good evening everyone. It's an honor to be here. My name is Shikaniu, I am a twelfth grader at Mayfir High School, so I'll be leaving here soon. A few things about me are that I am a very passionate person. If I find something interesting, I'll dive right in and showcase it through the esports program. I am the captain of the Mayfer math team since ninth grade and I was able to grow into the main team in tenth grade and I am now the captain. He'd been involved in that ever
014since . I'm also an AP Advanced Placement student, taking AP Gio Spanish World History, and I'm working on becoming bilingual, and that's basically it . That's me. Thank you for sharing that, and with such bravery. Any corrections to tonight's agenda or order of business? There is no correction. Thank you. We now have some excellent reports from tonight. Can John Young, the president of the PTA, please come forward? And welcome. We're here now . Good evening, Vice President Garsa, members of the board, Deputy Vice President Simon, cabinet, it's good that I arrived on time. I was working a football game in Long Beach Wilson, it was delayed because of the heat and we didn't leave the playing field. Something I wanted to report, we had an inauguration for new teachers, an event that took place on
015the 28th Bit Ralió Fund, it started tonight around 4 pm, and 25 new teachers who were able to attend joined us. She was able to answer many questions about the BSA introduction process, answer questions about all the steps to get her credentials, her bachelor's degree, and many are at different stages of that path. With pleasure, we are very happy that Mrs. Fan helped us with that. Members were also able to speak with people from Standard and these companies to understand the planning they need to do as public school teachers in preparation for their future. It helped us a lot, very good questions. They learned about many things they didn't know. Uh, we want to do it again, maybe mid-year, on September 13th, the Bell Flower PTA is going to be a cross- street event in
016Ramona. I really want to be there, I'm eagerly hoping to be there, to meet the people who will be present, the parents at their respective schools. It's going to be early. Many people with children in preschool and kindergarten making connections, one creating a CSA and PTA partnership, lots of volunteer work, finding passion and pursuing that work one wants to do. We want to get the message across. Lastly, I want to mention something related to arriving in a hurry from the football game . Typically with baseball and football games because of the heat. They start at 3:15, but the heat delays them. This inclement weather we're having is awful . We want to be proactive. There's a Senate bill that requires a plan by January 1st and implementation by July 2026. So I'm ready and willing
017to talk about that as well and give the PTA's perspective on that issue. Thank you for your time. Thank you, Mr. President. And now it's time for President PTA Cortés, but if we have Lenda, welcome. Well, tonight, Superintendent Simon, Cabinet, and community members will meet. Yes, my name is Lind Morgan. I am the current leadership director for the Belf PTA council. I'm here on behalf of Alex, who couldn't be here because he was sick. It is my honor to represent the Belfar PTA council and share the highlights of the work that is happening in our district. Here we have at the beginning of the school year, the PTA and PTSA were in force welcoming students and teachers with inflatables and helping students find their classrooms, parent leaders, ensuring that the year starts with a lot
018of support and a lot of this affection. Each month we want to highlight each unit and the wonderful things they are doing. Right now it's Woodrof Elementary, the PTA. They held a welcome dance, sponsoring student prizes for the library to encourage them to read. We also had PTSA from Mayf High School. They had their first uh this info meeting with barbecue hamburgers. They had a membership, this membership gift on back- to-school night celebrating something new: 300 PTSA members and growing the number into the future. We are very happy about the community resource fair. Thank you for mentioning us. This is coming on September 13th at Ramona School, with nine PTSAS and PTAS with 27 community resources working together to connect families with valuable information, services, and opportunities. And this is just the beginning of what
019families will see this fall. Throughout the PTAS district, there will be important programs such as Reflections, a national arts initiative showcasing the creative side of students through visual art, music, dance, writing, and much more, and Red Ribbon Week, where we partner with other schools to create better education and drug-free lives. And these programs, along with others throughout the year, reflect what PTA is all about. welcoming school communities, strengthening school and home. On behalf of the Belf PTA council, thank you to all the leaders and the board for your support. Ah, together we work so that all children in all schools can flourish and achieve great things. So thank you very much, Mr. Morgan, for this substitution. We have that in common today and tonight. I would like now, well, it's time for the superintendent's report,
020Dr. Simon. Thank you very much, Vice President Garsa, members of the board , members of the Bellflower community and community. This, we have had much joy in the school district. August 20th was the night of returning to school, Sumerson School. I and other cabinet members support Mr. J, who is back, and the Summers team in welcoming students, parents, and guardians. They have really good hamburgers that night. I would also like to say that. Mayfer's team played against Jorbalinda at Sofai Stadium and although they did not achieve victory, the community showed admirable support for the football team . It was a very energetic, very fun atmosphere. On Tuesday, September 2nd, Mayfer School's homecoming night was celebrated with the Bellflower event. Last night. Both had their respective bands and quite a few parents, guardians and students arrived.
021We thank the board of education and cabinet members for their presence at these events. The first session of the Special Education Parent Academy is scheduled for September 10th from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. The topic will be staff members and assistance and the frequency of absences, as will be designated as the month of attendance. It gives us a point on a very important topic. Every day at school is very important and attendance requires a collective effort. Hey, parents, families, as community partners, you all have a role to play in removing barriers and creating conditions for student success. Finally, I would like to officially welcome, as we have already done, but perhaps not officially, but I will say it again, welcome to the new board member, Shbeque Iwaniau, who will serve as our student board member. He
022continually impresses me two or three times that I have met with him, his wonderful skills, I want to learn more from him and witness his future contributions. Ah, as mentioned before, he is a student at Mayfare High School, serving as the captain of the Mayfir team in Super Smash Brothers, Ultimate Team. I think your family, your mother was here, your friend too tonight and again, welcome, welcome, um, sir, um, eagerly, um, we look forward to your work and everything you're going to do. Thank you very much, Vice President GS. Now we have some committee updates, some HWCK updates, some reports with this, and I'd like to hear more about that as the school year progresses . Yes, Vice President for Caps, I have the next meeting next week, but I want to say that one
023thing I heard quite a bit on back-to-school night at BFO last night was the desire for more courses at the intermediate level, sorry. We are looking at Kap's policies on how to add more courses for eh at the middle school levels. We are currently looking at some policies to make that happen and implement that. Vice President, Chairman of the Board, I didn't do the important part, if you'll allow me to return to introduce new administrators. I apologize because this is a major event. I see many family members smiling, but giving me the side- eye because I didn't mention it. She says, "Well, I'm just playing around. Dr. Jennifer Morgan, I'd like to introduce our principal at Mayfer Middle School. She brings over 30 years of experience in public education, including 15 years as an administrator,
024and a background at the middle and high school levels. She most recently served as an assistant principal in curriculum and instruction at Trust and High School, leading initiatives to improve math achievement, English language learning, and enhance general education subjects. Um, she was principal at Talbert Osura Middle School, where she caused significant growth and helped the school become a California Distinguished School . She has degrees from USC and is focused on student leadership. If Dr. Morgan would like to say anything... Well, I just want to thank everyone for having me here. I'm very happy and excited. I'm finishing the first week, first week morning, third week morning. Thank you for having me here. I've learned a lot from the community. I'm very, very happy about the staff, how they care about the children, how focused they
025are on the students, and I've put in a lot of effort." I 've put a lot of work into my career to get where I am now. This is my new challenge. I'm looking forward to empowering young people to do the best they can and develop according to their potential, preparing them for the future. I'm so glad to be here. I'd like to get to know you better. I'm looking forward to getting to know you better. So, thank you very much. Thank you, Dr. Morgan. Would you like to introduce? Family members, friends, please feel free to do so as well. Mr. Sanpladis, please give him a round of applause. Director of our intensive learning center, he brings more than 25 years of experience in the Long Beach Independent School District, including 14 years as principal,
026most recently at Long Fellow Elementary School and previously at Bixby. There, he co-created and launched a dual- income investment program in Long Beach and also partnered with ATDL and Long Beach University for community engagement. He has received several honors, including the 2023 Results Honors Award. From Singa, California, the Green Ribbon County Education Department, and also a change agent. He is very respected for his leadership, his practices that respond appropriately to the culture. So welcome, sir. Thank you so much for this great introduction. Yes, I prepared a few words because I didn't want to leave anyone out of this. Thank you, Laura, my wife, for encouraging me, for your love. You made all of this very possible. Vice President Garsa, President Stuart, Dr. Simon, and cabinet members. Thank you for the honor and privilege of being
027a part of the Bellflower School District, because it does feel like we are a family, and this is largely due to the culture you have created here. The first three weeks have been filled with examples of why this place is so special, of very supportive, very involved families, engaged students, teachers who are connecting students to resources, our non- accredited team. I am proud of all the staff, the staff who also run the dual-investment program, the traditional program, and they They've embraced the Capturing Kids Heart program, and we also have the Abid program, and another one for college and careers, so I'm very proud. Yes, I can say this, I love being a part of a district where the vision, values, and practices have truly aligned and come together. It speaks volumes about the culture here
028in the Bellflower district. And finally, we have a theme in IOC, where we're all part of the puzzle. So I thought I'd bring you a little piece of the puzzle because we're all part of it. So if I can, if I can come up here—I'm not going to jump the table or anything—but what it says is, be proud of the work you do, who you are as a person, and the difference you make. So thank you very much for this honor, and I'm excited to be here for years to come. Thank you, Director Plares. We have Dr. Yesenia Alvarez, Director of State and Federal Programs. She brings more than 20 years of experience. Yes, a round of applause. Dr. Alvarez brings More than 20 years of experience in education, including 7 years at Heraco, where
029she most recently served as interim director of research, integration, and data. She is bilingual and does things equitably, known for her cooperative approach. At Heraco Elementary, she transformed the school from the worst-performing in the district to the best-performing. She also launched a double-investment TK program that was returned by the Caliph of Excellence. Dr. Alvarez designed and evaluated intervention programs, improved real-time data for school leaders, and conducted local assessments to better support teaching. Thank you. Good evening, President Stuart, board members, Superintendent Dr. Assim, cabinet, and community members. I want to start by introducing my parents, who taught me the value of hard work—my mom and dad. And I also have my husband here with me, Fernando Sandoval. Thank you so much for all your support. My son, Samuel, who has to go to the bathroom, so
030she'll be gone very quickly as soon as she's done. So, I feel very honored and I am very grateful and very excited to serve in the director role in the state federal programs. Over the past few weeks, I have learned a great deal about this new role and I am still very excited to learn more and I am very excited to support the schools, the principals, the staff by making sure that we do everything by the book and make sure that we do everything that is appropriate for the children. Again, I am excited to contribute to the success and work collaboratively with the very dedicated staff and advance our mission of excellence here at Belfastic. Thank you so much for this opportunity and have a very good night. Thank you very much. We have Bonnie
031Tom, who is the academic coordinator for academics and assessments. She is a highly regarded educator with many accolades in multilingual services and federal compliance. She has been a special education teacher, program specialist, and specially assigned teacher . She led assessment coordination at the school level. She has played a key role in program categorization and classification. of languages and organizing state evaluations. She also contributed to a successful grant and helped the school gain state recognition for academic achievement. She does coaching, data usage, and instructional programs. She will be a great asset to the Teaching Services team —sorry, it's now called the Educational Services team. Good afternoon, Chairwoman, Stuart, board members, Mr. Simon, Dr. Simon, Dr. Smith, cabinet, and community members. I want to sincerely thank you for the warm welcome and the opportunity to be part
032of the Accountability and Services Coordination team. Thank you to all the staff, both accredited and non-accredited, in the Educational Services division for your graciousness in the way you have welcomed me into the Belfarrow family. I am truly honored. Thank you for your trust and for the opportunity to contribute to the important work we are doing in this district. Thank you, and good night. Thank you, Miss Bonitom. We also have Arthur A.J. Conningham, assistant principal at Mayfir Mow High School. Mr. Conningham has over two decades of experience. His experience in education includes, in recent years, serving as a high school administrator in the East Wier district. He was also the principal and vice principal of Health Views High School. He is a very passionate teaching leader who has improved student achievement, expanded college opportunities through programs
033like One Day, and made efforts to improve the school environment through MTSS. His collaborative style has brought him to Lagos because he builds trust with students, families, and staff. Thank you so much, I appreciate being here. Um, Board of Education, President Steart, Dr. Simon, Cabinet, I can't say enough praise for our high school. The truth is, everything has been incredible these first three weeks, seeing all the participation, the student support, the teachers working extremely hard to achieve this. It's been great to see. I see myself as a high school person who's been stuck in middle school for 19 years, but I've loved it. I'm very excited to enter this new role at the high school level, as well as to support the middle school level, and I'm excited to support this community and see Our
034children will thrive. Thank you, Mr. Conjamo. We have Alexander Rodriguez, assistant principal of Bell Flower High School. Mr. Rodriguez brings over 20 years of experience as a math educator, instructional coach, and vice president. He has served at Narvan and Linda Marquez High Schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. He is known for creating student-centered structures and systems that have improved student life, behavior, and academic performance. He is a very strong leader and has experience in professional development, math, and equitable grading practices. Mr. Rodriguez has contributed to measurable growth in student achievement, is fluent in Spanish, and is very committed to student success. He will be, and has been, a great addition to the Bellflower High School administration team. Thank you for the introduction. Thank you to the board members, Dr. Steer, cabinet members, and
035community members. This is, in fact, my 25th year in education. I am very proud of that . This has been my career, and I am very passionate about being in the field of education. In fact, this is my community. I am a neighbor. From Downy, and since I live so close, excuse me, I didn't prepare anything in writing. Because I live so close, I feel like this is my community, and I'm going to be very productive because now the driving hours will be very short. They're going to get a lot out of me , and they're going to receive a lot of passion and many of the systems I'm going to create to help Billflower High School move forward and be better. One of the things I did want to point out is the passion
036I have. What Dr. Simen said, a very important point she made, is that it's important that we get to know each student, and that has been my goal for the first three weeks of school, to get to know the students, and throughout the year my goal is to get to know every single student in the school. I know it's going to be very difficult because we have 2,000 students, but I've done it before, so thank you all, and I really appreciate your time. Thank you. Well, and finally, we have Judy Ian, assistant principal for Ramona and Williams Elementary, the one in Craig. Williams brings over 15 years of experience in public education, including her role as an instructional coach in the Santa Monica- Malibu district, where she supports over 200 educators in 10 schools with
037a focus on instructional improvements, data-driven practices, and professional development. Previously a teacher and school leader, she also brings experience in student supervision, discipline, and school operations as the designated administrator. She is known for her collaborative approach and collaborative mindset. She also holds a master's degree in inclusive elementary education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a bachelor's degree in international studies and economics from UCLA. Welcome. Thank you, board members, Dr. Simen, thank you to the cabinet, and members of the community. I'm so excited to be here. I'm going to be very brief because you can hear my daughter, Eliana, in the background. I also want to introduce my husband, Ivan. I'm so grateful for this opportunity. It's definitely been a hectic three months at the school. CG Williams most of the time, and it's been an
038incredible journey getting to know the community, the students, the staff, and the great teachers who have been such a strong support throughout my time in the school district and with its students, and how to create this inclusive community for us. So I want to thank you for this amazing opportunity. I'm excited to be here, and I'm excited to continue the school year with everyone. Thank you. The board would like a picture with everyone. Yes, that would be great. Let's do it. The Board of Education is getting down from their seats to have their respective pictures taken. Well, please excuse my late return to school. I'm having a bad day. We have public comments; we want to address certain items at point of order. These aren't public meetings, but they are open to the public. You
039are allowed 3 minutes to address the board on things on the agenda and other items that aren't. It's 21 minutes total for all speakers according to the Board of Education's bylaws. Ms. Angela Guiguera, thank you so much for being here. Well, this might be 3:15, but it's going to Do the best you can. Thank you, Angela. That's my name. I've been part of this community working for Bellflower and the district for over 20 years. I speak on behalf of myself and other parents. Good evening, President, School Board Members, Superintendent. Thank you for the opportunity to express my concerns. I want to talk about the displacement of fifth-grade students from Albert Baxter and my daughter Danison Higuera, the youngest of my children, who is 15. She's been at Baxter for 15 years, and my oldest is
040the school she chose. But well, we chose Baxter. When we removed the option, I had to get permission for my middle and youngest children to attend the one-year-old school. Each of them knows Anaston, and she was able to express herself as she wanted without questions. Last Monday, they called me, and I was devastated that my daughter was forced to move . There was no discussion, just administrative advice. She cried for an hour because of these emotions that affected her. They are all administrators; they don't know the children. My daughter, you don't know her story, but my daughter is just a number to you as a district. All the fifth-grade students have been affected; they've made connections, created a community where they feel comfortable, and are very excited to go to school. Students and families were
041given days to move to a new school. There was no discussion, no options; they were simply told, "Hey, by Tuesday you have to find a new school, new rules, and different start and end times." This impacted my daughter and her friends, but a routine is strong, resilient, but other students are not so lucky with the flexibility to be able to help. It was the worst possible start for her and other students in the district. The classes had to be separated because of all this. I understand, there aren't enough teachers, and enrollment is low, but if there are more than 40 fifth-grade students in BX, why can't there be two small classes? The district did not hire enough fifth-grade teachers. They focused on the lower grades; they didn't want to spend money for a second class
042at Baxter. Perhaps think about how this displacement can affect a fifth-grade student after two weeks, and any child, and this girl who only knows one school like mine, others who have moved from one place to another, have made collections and this year are told there is no more room for you. Last day of school, the children left crying, many of them. Hey, my strong daughter, I don't know who moves more children than this district, this one, especially when they've only been in session for two weeks. I want to advocate for all children, not just my daughter, and all those who will be affected by these last- minute changes. I beg you in the future, please find a new system, investigate other systems, other districts in the summers, work, set deadlines for registrations, figure out how
043to do this before the year starts. Do better so that children don't go through this trauma year after year. And yes, it's traumatic, very traumatic for my daughter. She will forever remember how the district made her leave the only school she knew and all her friends because they didn't handle the issue well for her. It is no more than a number, name, permit next to your name and a dollar sign. This is a person. This school is meant to capture the hearts of children, and they have broken the hearts of children, not just the children, but the families and teachers. I have been in close contact with the teachers; it has affected them deeply. Thank you for your time. I have loved this district for many years. Let's make it work, but I had to
044express how and how much it has affected us. Thank you very much for your time. Thank you, doctor. Can we do a little follow-up on Friday's memo to see how the registrations are going and what the reorganization is looking like this year? Thank you. We have Mr. John Paul Jer next. Thank you for being here. Hello, I inserted my card. I want to speak after the unaudited presentation to ask questions after the presentation so that the questions and answers are more complete . Ms. Soraya, unfortunately that point is not on the public hearing, there will be no public comment after that point. This will be the only opportunity to discuss that point on this agenda. At the next meeting I can comment on what they said because I looked at the report, but I think
045it's better to ask any other questions later because there are other things they present besides the information here. I am John Paul, a graduate of Albert Baxter, class of 1974. Five members of my family attended Albert Baxter. So thank you. I am part of Baxter Bear. I am a former Baxter Bear employee. I am very concerned about the deficit spending that is being done. I spoke with Dr. Su, my friend. She also spoke about the deficit expenses. I think it's an emergency and I think we're going door to door looking for a bonus; we need one. Some of the bonds can help with the facilities if we had the perception for the votes. We need a commitment now that we're putting up the bond. Many of these expenses can be covered with a voucher. I've
046gone to houses and knocked on the door. They have students from Downy Unified, North Belfower, they're going to the Downy Unified district, this Downy Unified class of 2038. We have to get those students back into our ADA, back into our existence, bring them back to BF and tell them why they have to return to our district to bring the money back. We need to find ways to cut costs. We need to lower the air conditioning temperature so low. We have an emergency situation. We need to have measures in place to cut costs. I was in Cerrito, at the Cerritos university college. We made a 3-year budget projection. Which one is ours? How can we find ways to save money? We can go to the contractors and help them do this to see if they can
047do the job for less money, that we can fill all the positions, hire combined classes so that students don't have to leave their home, the school closer to their home. We need to have an event where the community can discuss the issue. Uh, this is very important to me. Cristina García and I were both math teachers, weren't we? We helped me get the state audit. This is very sad. We have to work hard. It's an emergency. Thank you. Thank you. We do not have a public hearing tonight. Let's move on to the topics of discussion, um, the unaudited figures. Mr. Arquez, are you going to do that? It's point 12. Turn on your microphone. Well, thank you Chairwoman Stuart, board members, I appreciate the opportunity to talk about the unaudited figures this year. These are
048the unaudited figures 24 25 is a specific term because we are going to have unaudited figures. This is the district's opinion to close the books. We looked at the expenses and income from the previous year. This report comes from the external auditors, and the report will be released in December. The external auditors have come several times during the year to support us by looking at and researching documents, and they will return in December to let us know how we did the audit. This series of books allows the district to capture the remaining funds and closes the 15-month cycle. This started in June 2024 when the budget was brought in for consideration and we gave three updates. First interim, second interim and estimate of the estimated figures. Now we have the final numbers. I talk quite
049a bit about the general unrestricted fund . It is the largest fund where all cumulative activities take place in the district. This is a summary of the unrestricted General Fund . We had income of 153 million, and expenses of around 127 million. other transfers, uh, this one like 35 million. Well, I should mention that this year our general unrestricted fund has spent about 9.7 million in deficit . How can we balance the books? So we have a final balance in which the unrestricted budget is $86 million and it consists of what you see on the screen. cash accounts, some expenses, it's a reserve for economic uncertainty, it's a state requirement, funds committed for facilities, projected deficit expenses, and we have a balance of about 12.8 million in unallocated funds. That's right, those are the results.
050Uh, we had the opportunity, well, ah, in the year 24 25, then I'll talk about the cake. The year 2425, the unrestricted General Fund. There is a comparison to the estimated figures. I presented it to the board in June. Well, he already showed me this, he already showed us this in June. It can't be, there can't be so much change in the timeframe from June and what you're telling me now in September. However, each district with this faces several changes at this time regarding the information being brought in and given in June, but many numbers are set up at the end of April and May and there are two payrolls that we have to continue to carry out. The summer session, many things that happen in these last months, there are also these expenses. I
051spoke at a site where there was a need to create another fund to acquire those items before the end of the year, because it is a 15-month process. A lot of activity has been happening in these last two months, and I see that my colleagues agree because there are many acknowledgments, recognitions, and things that need to be approved during this time, things that stand out and that I want to share with the board. One thing I talked about, a budget, is something like a guide that we have to use to be fair. Uh, maybe I'm wrong, but you're going to see some things happen along the way, and well, my job is to talk to you and explain some things we're experiencing. We had interest rates that were 1.4 million higher than we anticipated .
052This was a move as we transferred our finances to the county education office and we're dealing with two bank accounts to make those transfers. Hopefully that's what we're going to see as a one-off change, although I like the positive change for income and revenue, but I'm not too disappointed, but we can monitor the interest. One and these are funds in fiscal year 24 25. You who know Eates, the state of California and the government. They can apply. The thing about ERay funds is that you don't know. There are funds that many entities, uh, districts, and this can be larger or smaller depending on how many people apply for it. So this year it did grow and we saw these funds as cash. You won't want to count on these funds until you know if we're
053going to receive the funds for it. Some of the changes in expenses we had were 1.7 million less of our expenses. We had lower hourly costs, we also had some open positions, and also an allocation of unique calaps that was not repeated, so these are some of the things we are looking at to examine this in more detail for the future. We also have $1.8 million in unallocated special education funds from 202324 that we use to decrease the special education contribution. That's like the usual outdoor activity we had here. I and I were new to the district and we realized that there were some special education resources from 2023-24 that were not used, and when they are not used, they actually impact the general unrestricted funds balance. So, by not using it previously, the district
054had more expenses in unrestricted general funds. So it was an opportunity to use these for unallocated expenses. We didn't change how much we spend on students or how, it was just an opportunity to use some funds that would basically go back to the general funds because we actually had funds to pay for it. So this is a comparison of what I was talking about for the four things on the slide before, which is like a $6.1 million increase. So, that's good news. Here are the final, estimated figures, uh, for unrestricted deficit spending funds, we're at 9.7, 7. So we still have things to investigate, and we have a great team here that's looking at options to see how we can improve areas within our budget to see ways we can improve these deficit spending, and
055we're going to continue to do that. So, this is my little cake, my payla about income. Uh, they came, as we were anticipating more than anything, I think I already told you the two things that were great. We had income, changes with respect to restricted programs. It's a very interesting topic. Uh, the changes to revenue, most of this means that the programs didn't use all the funds for the year, so we can't claim the revenue we passed on to the following year. So nothing has changed regarding the restricted ones. way to spend the funds in future years and talk a little bit about these figures that are carried over to another year. The expenses presented us with more specific challenges, some of which I already mentioned. He requested advance payment for using some of the
056restricted funds on program activities that cannot be fully spent. If we try, we're looking at some unique funds that had maturity dates in the next few years, and we're seeing how we could use those funds sooner so they have a longer-lasting impact, but we're having a little bit of trouble. These funds will be spent in the following years, but we'll have more time to do that. The funds that are spent in other years were mostly in the restriction; an opportunity for most of these funds is because restricted funds have multi-year planning. So the federal and state governments are giving us more than a year to use this. So we see opportunities to extend them. to see things that we can give for a longer time to the level of the schools. So the restricted expenses
057and funds are programs that we didn't fully spend, but we'll be able to carry them over to next year and continue with the PAN. We also had some at the ELCAP review in June, where we talked about how we would spend these one-off funds. So these are some of the impacts and impactful factors on the budget. The state funding for the local control formula remains the same. The cost of housing has been 3.4% this year, but with the decrease in income this leads to little or no funding for the districts, because maybe they are a little bit, but if they have fewer students, uh, the enrollment decreased the amount, so we had fairly even funding. We continue to see fewer enrollments, and we are constantly monitoring the situation. Well, the more we know, the more
058we can share with you. Several districts were talking today about the impacts on local districts, and I think we're not the only ones feeling this impact. Ongoing expenses need to be reviewed. The current deficit spending pattern is not sustainable, so let's look at ways we can improve. We have an impact on general funds due to the capital improvement projects, how can we mitigate projects in the future. Regarding the next steps, my office puts them there, but we and the people from the RCU department didn't like the pictures of the children there, that's what I thought. Uh, but we're going to ask you to approve the final figures, in case you have any questions. In December we'll bring you the audit report, and it basically gives you a cumulative review of what I presented today, or
059anything the auditors want to tell you about what I presented. We're going to test the interim update from 202425 at the December meeting. It gives us a great opportunity. In fact, I put the current inscription there. For those who don't know, October is the month when we talk about how the registration process is going. This is the moment when we can see how much enrollment we have, and we will have the trends in expenses and income. Another thing that came up while we were talking to some people during this presentation is that the first interim update where we can talk about the current figures at the end of the year is because there are some ways we can improve that don't just have to do with revenue and expense trends, such as transitioning and not
060having that expense there. which is a great opportunity to present it to the board, to the community, and give a presentation about where we begin. This was the best information we had at the time, but it is actually the reason why this gives us the opportunity to have more presentations to catch up on any changes that may have occurred. And finally, the next step will be the second interim presentation at the March meeting, and it will give us more trends. Regarding income and expenses, by then they will give us the governor's budget in January, and we will know that we are going to receive that new news, since we will have a new governor and some other changes that could impact how things will be, and all those changes are yet to come. And I
061welcome any questions you may have as a board of directors, colleagues. " Thank you very much," she replied. Well, one, but three questions held to see if they can cover some of the expenses. We test them and if so, we use the primer funds before the cos that we are going to see. Like, come on. Double investment program that many people don't know about, unless they see it here. So we need to do a better job in marketing, in the culinary arts, the new building we have, but the community doesn't know this, so we're working on it. for things that we are going to present to you, but please take this into account. I think I already mentioned this a little bit , but could you tell me a little more, could you go into
062more detail about how great it is? I think that what the educational services office and the tax office did this year is that we were able to use those remaining funds from the previous budget in the Scal Apps program. The remaining funds, this, along with other resources we have to secure, is the early recovery grant. The early recovery grant expires in 2028, but much of the remaining money we have transferred is included in the LCAP 3-year budget so we can continue to support students. It's often there, but it's common extra money that we can use. Many sites have Title One funds and already know about their remaining money and start looking at it when we close the books, what is remaining money, what money we can use for what we can use money for their
063school sites. These are very exciting numbers to look at and look at. We need to have these numbers to close the books in September; October is when the numbers come out, we inform people and say, "It's time to look at what we can use to spend and how much we can spend in this budget." Thank you very much for your answers, Vice President Garsa. Thank you, Madam President. My question has to do with the large funds we 're talking about. This, by chance, we are, in our audit findings, there are some funds that we have to return if they are not spent. No, we monitor the funds well to ensure that we spend them in a timely manner. It has to do with how we spend them, how we use them. The two offices that
064deal with grants. We spend a lot of time with expiration dates. When are those expiration dates coming in? How are we going to look at the way we are spending the budget money? There are decisions we have to make. We are given some grants for more than 4 years, and how can we use them over those 4 years to have a different impact, or if there is any option we can use in the first year for purchases that could affect students in subsequent years? There's a lot of work to be done. Before, the district, well, before coming here they always did a very good job, ensuring that the money was used and that the state funds did not return to the state sources. Thank you for answering my question, KTfield. Thank you, President Stuart. I
065want to start by mentioning something that was n't mentioned in the presentation, and is n't in the document itself, but it's something that received quite a bit of attention last year. The designation is independent of the county's; we haven't had that status for a long time, but it creates a legal situation. Uh, with pleasure, thank you. We made a new decision instead of fighting with the cash and we came together and formed our association and made it stronger by avoiding the heavy legal cost that we were warned about and it did not drain our resources as we were warned and it gave us positive results previously. Part of the improvements we've seen in the unaudited figures are money we were able to recover by opening that collaboration with the county and with that partnership. There
066are more safeguards now than before to increase staff accountability, and they've done a tremendous job turning around the trust of this board with previous administrations and the public's confidence in what they're doing. But I must say thank you to Superintendent Acevedo for starting that change, Dr. Smith for bringing her experience and strong relationships with the county, Mr. Arques, and all his staff on a daily basis, because there were quite a few pieces of that puzzle that had to be put together. Thank you for your work, Doctor, for helping us finish the exam. This isn't a topic that's going to receive a lot of attention, but it makes a big difference and we see it in the budget. Thank you so much. And at the same time we have been working on cleaning up, cleaning up
067what I would call, and what I have called in the past, this accounting, this where it is scary, I mean, there are sometimes 15 million dollars that we have seen that we estimated and they were not real money, real figures. He made some very difficult decisions for the board. Money that was supposed to be used for the children this year was money that we had been carrying over with the leadership of the lady; we have turned the page. We have a more responsible and cautious approach, spending money on today's children while keeping districts sustainable for years to come. I appreciate the discussion we had about remaining funds, because we won't always be exactly on top of things, but the assumptions about the needs of the children's programs this year, thank you for the work you
068have done up to this point in improving practices. There is more work to be done. There are computer programs and others to estimate and approximate, to be able to plot and value those numbers. Uh, supervision is our responsibility on the bench. Yesterday we had those 50 million, it wasn't yesterday, but it feels like we have those 15 million, but today we are practicing more responsible economic management and because of the leadership we have we are in a better position to meet the needs of the students. I mean, I've been using this, well, when it comes to the budget it's been tough, these numbers don't add up and I want to focus on that, but I have a lot of faith in the work that's being done. I see the progress, I appreciate the communication and
069transparency, so thank you. Armstrong Board Member. Thank you so much. Yes, thanks. Armstrong Board Member. I want to say congratulations on your first time closing our books. I want to speak for the entire board when I say that we are understanding the budget much more clearly, and I have always worked as treasurer before, so I know some things, but this is much more complicated. There are many who need to look forward to this, and I want to congratulate you and your staff on how the three of you have worked together, because we need to spend our money on our children, our young people, this year. And if we have funds that cover 4 years, we have to divide them. Or as you say, we have to buy the program that will last us 4 years.
070So congratulations again. I thank you for your hard work in creating this and making our job easier, because this budget could be very difficult if you don't understand how to read it. So, many congratulations. I'm going to echo what they just said, to be honest, B 2.5. What is this? It 's always 20, 30. What's going on? It's very, very, very exciting that we're looking at the numbers better. We have a great superintendent staff thanks to everyone. It's much better to look at this than before. We left feeling very frustrated, quite frustrated. Thank you so much for everything you've done. Anyone else? I can only say thank you again because it is greatly appreciated, and I truly mean it, this group of people has made this job much easier. Those people in front of me
071on the stage have made this job easier because they have asked the questions, they make me delve deeper, look for ways to come back with something for you that I am very proud of. So thank you very much. You should eat lots of cookies tonight. He says, let's move on to the consent agenda. Sorry, sorry. Yes, I did n't push the button, Madam President. I am waiting for their time, but I also want to congratulate CBO René Orquez. If you do n't know René, René takes the budget very seriously. She looks at every number, she probably scrutinizes it, and sometimes she's her own worst critic when it comes to it, but I'm very grateful for that because with that work and dedication she ensures that our money is spent correctly for the students. And even
072though she doesn't have a teaching background, she looks very clearly through the lens when it comes to the budget, to give her point of view. I also want to congratulate her for being the first person to close the books in the Bflower Unified School District, tell her that she is appreciated, and thank you again. And just to add one more thing, it really is very nice to have faith in someone. Believe what they say, ask questions. I haven't felt that way at this meeting, but I did feel that way last year. Thank you very much. Anything else? Someone? Okay, let's move on to the agenda, any topics that you want to keep on the agenda for tonight . Motion to approve. He has that motion. Someone seconds him. It is seconded. Okay, vote, please. Member
073Ivan, Mrs. Armstrong. Yes, Mrs. Cintron, yes. Mr. CRV, yes, Mr. Garza, yes, Mr. Stuart, yes. Well, it's time for the board reports. Let's start with a member of the Central Board. Thank you, Madam President. Well, I just want to say that, and I want to include, but not make it any longer, that even though I don't have the teacher accreditation, I feel incredibly excited about numbers when I did my 10-year thing and had to work with budgets in the non-profit organization. I know there's still trauma, I mean, I feel that, well, from other things in the past related to that issue, but I just want to tell you that this entire cabinet is very transparent and has the power to empower others, and I am very grateful for that from you. I want to make
074that clear in a strong way. Thank you. I had the pleasure of going to the Mayfer vs. Yor Balinda game at Sofi Stadium. Well, I have to say I felt quite pampered. We had a seat with a great view of the field, I mean, I ca n't afford that expense, but the team had a lot of energy. Yes. They didn't take home the victory, but they were very excited to have that experience with live cabinet members, some of my colleagues , it was incredible and hopefully we'll have more opportunities like this for students in all different sports, not just football , but it was amazing. So I mean, thank you for saying yes to that. Let's do more and do better, but I also had the privilege of attending the Mayfer stadium, uh, I mean,
075the Mayfer State Project forum . I want to thank all the parents who accompanied us, the students as well, and the student groups that were represented there. It was truly amazing and very exciting. I did n't realize it would take 10 or 12 years to build this stadium, this field. It was wonderful to hear and see everyone's enthusiasm about this, the concerns expressed, and to learn more about the project. So I'm really looking forward to when that happens and I want to congratulate the students and parents who attended. I also want to welcome the board members, even those who went home early, who I think are doing their homework, but also our new staff who have joined us. I love the enthusiasm, especially when new staff arrive. I love how everyone has been together for
076three weeks now, we've been listening to everything for three weeks now and I really appreciate that. I love seeing the power of welcoming our new staff to our district, do n't you? I feel that we chose well, we made good hires, but also our staff, our administration, the teachers were able to welcome their new colleagues in a very positive way to help the students. I've been getting quite a lot of very good feedback from them all over the district, so it's been pretty nice. And another comment, another thing to say about the comment, this now the trip, now I can also no more this as I am very close quite productive because my path is very short. Thank you. Excuse me, I'm trying to figure out how to say this. Chibique Chibique Higuayano I know
077how to say Chibique. Thanks to Vice President Garso, we interviewed amazing students. I think there were five and he was the one who, well, let's start with you, excuse me. Something I forgot to add earlier in my presentation. The reason I wanted to be part of this position is based on my experiences in Mayfir or simply the district in general. I always felt that the student attitude towards the school and the district has been somewhat negative. I know I've seen and heard that their voices don't matter, and I used to feel that way too , but that's how I learned about this position. I applied for the president's cabinet last year, which I didn't get, but I'm here on the board. So this impulse to actually want to be the student voice so that maybe
078they can change their attitude about school to make it a little more positive, is the reason why I chose to be here. Going back to what Mr. Crchfield said about the CALAPS classes, I was curious, I do n't know about the other university courses, but for the culinary one it starts with one and then pastry and then the fundamentals of pastry. I thought maybe we could do some of the fundamental steps in Capston's baking so that they have the basics of culinary arts and baking, and if they wanted to do the fundamentals of baking or pastry, and I think that's all I wanted to say, the main points. Thank you, thank you that our president of Callaps will talk about this with Miss Whitney, about this as a capstone as fundamental. Hey, member Armstrong, member,
079thank you, welcome everyone. Thank you for being here with us tonight. I just wanted to say that I did indeed go to the football game in Sofai. I love being there too. It's a great experience for our students to be able to play on a professional field. I remember when my younger brother was a quarterback and had the opportunity to play at Rose Bow and he was a super dad. So I know that the children enjoyed it even more than we did. Then when I saw that they were going to be in Las Vegas I was almost disappointed because I know they were going to be at the stadium, but oh well, it's okay , it's okay , but I'm excited for the kids since they're starting sports this year. I also met with the
080superintendent, went to the Back to School meeting for Mayfow Bell Flower, and met with moms of kids who were in the band. I loved listening to the band, and it was great to see the staff, counselors, parents, students, and just excited about the year ahead. It was especially great seeing the counselors and teachers who also taught my kids, and it was great that they asked me how their kids should say, "No, well, he's doing this, that one is doing this, and so on." But anyway, it was pretty cool, huh, just hanging out with the staff and students and the PT, the lovely parents and teachers group was here. Ah, it's still here. And the PT had their council meeting and I wanted you to know. She already told them, but they have a lot planned
081for students and families this year, so we're excited and eager to see a school year full of events, so you know she's going to want us to sign up, so we need to increase those numbers. And I also wanted to share that I'm going to be a co-host. from a legislative water workshop with an organization called Wello. My colleague, in fact, his wife was a speaker at our legislative workshops, and it's for people who don't know what it is, well, it's water education for Latino leaders, and it's a non-profit civil society organization dedicated to educating and also getting elected and local officials involved in the most urgent water issues in Los Angeles. So, it will be me and others who completed the program, and we're just going to explore how we can transform school gardens
082into water-conserving laboratories , have more environmentally friendly neighborhood spaces, and have better generations to see what the water needs will be in the coming decades. There is plenty of money, and there are quite a few aquatic projects coming up. The last one, the huge one about 100 years ago, was when they built the Hoover Dam, and that facility is still going strong. But there are other challenges we're exploring, and we just want communities to be ready about the technology that's going to shape California's water future and to make sure that every neighborhood has equity with respect to water resources and income in every respect. So this is going to happen on September 20th and I'm hosting. I also got information about an organization called Schools on Wheels. This is a volunteer organization that provides free
083tutoring and mentoring to children from kindergarten through 12th grade. Those who live in nursing homes, motels, in vehicles, in foster care groups, and other areas of California. I'm sharing this information because we have some students who have additional needs, and I simply want them to explore how this resource could potentially support our students. free and seeing the public here and I'm not going to say much here about my uh members here who finished off the cookies. I'm telling you this because National Cookie Day is coming up . We have to celebrate. It's December 4th. The only thing is that we're going to be in SCBA. December 4th. I don't know when we're going to celebrate National Cookie Day. Look at him, look at him. Eating more cookies. I'm going to have to beg them. I'm
084not going to beg them because they love cookies. But we have to celebrate National Cookie Day. But it's going to have to be in November or on December 11th because we'll be on CBS CSBA. So, with that said, I want to know, Chevi, what? Are you going to CSBA with us? Okay, we'll talk to you because I think it's very important because your voice matters and I hope you'll come. We'll talk if we can, because what's going to happen, if you can go, is that you'll be able to meet students who think like you, and simply so you know that your role is super important because you are our eyes and you are our eyes on the environment, culture and climate that is found on campus. We need you to present all the issues and
085concerns here to this organization, whether good, bad, ugly, whatever, because we are not there, because you, you will realize the great influence you have. We need you to be our voice with the students. We need you to be that voice for the students with us. So congratulations. I just wanted to bring that to light, and I know the new staff have all left, but welcome to them too. Uh, I think it's all National Cookie Day. Thank you, René. I didn't see you, listen, I didn't see you write the cookie plan. We need to start putting that in place by December. Thank you all for being here. I know it's been a pretty busy few weeks. Thank you for participating. All the privilege. Excuse me, my voice is all wrong, but I had the privilege of
086going to the football game in Sofi's state. It was great, I think it was great that they were able to play there. Yes, I knew it was a fundraiser for the other school that got me thinking, but then why not for Bell Flower? Because we are not creating these opportunities to raise funds for students and invite others to play while we raise funds for the programs. So that's something I want to emphasize. It was another moment that reminded me why I'm so excited about the BCU luncheon coming out on Monday the 26th. We have this song that is the president to know about how things are going. I'm excited that this initiative is being launched. We're also talking about machines, uh, little machines for healthy food, because I think it's a good idea and it
087solves a lot of problems. On August 28th I also went to the Mayfir community forum in the Sico report. Many thanks to the council, the councilor, and Miss Arega for carrying out this effort to ensure the community's voice was heard. They said they are reasonable and can be addressed. I also felt relieved to learn that we are hiring a project manager in Mayfield. It's a good step in the right direction to ensure excellence, but without overburdening our staff. We need to have a good, firm, and solid collaboration with our team. Patrick is totally into BF. They know the facilities better than anyone. We need them to be part of the decision-making process because when the project is completed, they are the ones who will maintain it, and the students are the ones who will use
088it. So if I carry out the master plan for facilities. A bonus written by Bell Flower. 99% of the bond measures passed the last election. Our children deserve the same investment. We need the support of the entire community and the backing of our partners in the cities of Pflow Lake and Territos to support and assist our students and the community. So I'll keep saying it because I know that at some point I won't be able to, but out of a thousand. Uh, just so you know, they're not fully functional yet , so I appreciate it while they're just starting out, but thanks for that. The always helping after the tragic Minneapolis shooting. A school shooting is one too many. Fears increase if the house is closer. My heart goes out to those parents; protecting children
089is a collective responsibility of that community. I am proud of this board for supporting moving forward with security investments and for having these conversations. I also attended Belf and Mayf's homecoming school nights. It was very energizing to be at school with parents and students on campus. Dr. Morgan, Morgan and Mrs. Cings, thank you for leading those events. That's Mrs. Camics, right? I don't want to steal from all the work he has done and his titles. You have done a great job, and although the nights back to school are quite a lot of work for you and the staff, you are very important in accommodating the parents. I had the Caps booth. I will return with those recommendations for the new path and to grow the program because we have quite a few great things in
090this Bellflower district at the Caps. I want to put on record that my ongoing concern about the middle and high schools, when I went to the board I thought they were going to separate the elementary, middle, and high school students and that, but I was concerned and now I focus on the only thing that is the strength that is for the district and the cost to separate them was very high, so I withdrew. But when I go to the schools more closely, I think there is n't enough separation. At a minimum, I believe that middle school students should have a bathroom just for them and other boundaries where possible so that 12-year-olds can be with their peers and interact with older youth for their own comfort. A reasonable step, I think. We don't have a
091meeting scheduled for the security committee , but I think it's an issue where it would be good to have those inputs from people and have those debates and discussions. I want to hear more from the staff at the school sites to see what we can do better at that meeting. If I could show you the data you mentioned earlier, uh, when children enroll, where they go, when they leave the district, what leave is granted at what grade level students. I know we already talked about it there, we touched on the subject a little, a couple of years ago, but the data was not completed. We need to look at that again to get a better picture. For me, it was a pretty busy week. Both children started school, and we all got sick like everyone
092else. But next week I'm going to the Association of Latino Boards in California. I am very excited to attend that one next year. Proud of the work done by the staff, teachers and administration. Thank you for coming tonight, and know that you have a board that listens, responds, and is always looking out for the well-being of your children. Have a fantastic year. Thank you, Vice President Garza. Thank you, President Stuart. I couldn't attend Mayfer's game from Sofa Stadium, I was stuck in traffic, so I got the minute-by-minute coverage from colleagues. Thank you so much. I am eagerly awaiting this meeting with the new student board member. I want Mrs. Rway to be very proud of you. Thank you. I will make sure she knows and that you are with us. Mrs. Rockway was the dual
093immersion kindergarten teacher of our student board member. I couldn't see it, but it was either part of his educational career or it was part of it, but that was definitely part of it, I mean, and that unites us. Um, I'm really glad that the students in our district can explore and want to do this when they grow up, along with us. I would also like to say thank you to Mayfir School for sponsoring us and the community on Back to School Night. It was very nice to see so much of the community attend that night. Thank you for coming to talk to the teachers because they commit a lot of time and effort to welcoming you to the new school year. I think that's all for now. I'm really looking forward to going to all
094the other back-to- school nights next week. Well, thank you very much. Good night everyone. Sorry I could n't make it to this whole meeting, but I also had my own back-to- school thing. I went to Bellflower's first game , didn't I? To the sofa stadium and I think I told them, my daughter came from Texas, I wanted to see her after 6 months without seeing her, but I did go to the opening of Bell Flower on August 22nd. It was a very exciting match. Santana the fourth, in the last quarter they had their score and we won 27 to 21 with 11 seconds left in the game. It was really great. Many thanks to the entire team, the staff. Uh, we didn't win any games last year, now we have one game, one win. I
095want to congratulate Austin Miller. He's a gem, just look at him, so much talent. He is in ninth grade, uh, this 65 190 and scored for the first time uh of ninth grade playing on the first team. Austin is a great young man. I'm excited to see what he's going to do in these 4 years. October 10, large group of Bell Flower alumni from the 90s. I'm already telling you secrets. Many former football players will be attending the match. We want everyone to come and celebrate new talent. October 10th at home at 7 in Belfower. On the 26th I met with PTA President John Young . I always enjoy having those conversations. We talked about many things that are happening, tentative agreements as well, and I also spoke with Dr. Samen in the district. I
096think something we need to improve is the focus on systems, things, protocols, procedures. We talked about the administration's regulations, the district's guidelines, basic things, like inclement weather schedules. It was a very good conversation, and I will continue to support them and help them with whatever they need. I was grateful to go to the fields. Dr. Simon gave us the opportunity to speak to the community. The more we talk to the public, the better. I will always believe in that. Last night I went back to Bellfower High School. Mr. Camin always does a great and wonderful job. Messages in title one very organized, easy to understand, somewhat complicated with what to talk to the parents about, where the funds come from, the different categories. You simplify it quite a bit, it's very nice for parents. I
097appreciate it very much. Thank you PTA for everything they do. I have my 12 envelopes of $10. I've already filled my envelopes. I'm going to give them all to Silvia before I leave. Ah. Please pay $10 each for PTA registrations, for as many as you can, and sign up. We have these super, super cool pathways. Tomorrow is the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Bellflower baseball team. It has great facilities for Caps. Dr. Simon talked about this, uh, sports, fields, uh, grass for space. We're talking about the enrollment campaign. It would be nice to put up a video to highlight the athletic facilities at Belfar, the new weight room, the arts room, the culinary arts room, the flight simulator, many things we have to offer as part of our enrollment campaign, great facilities. I'm going to IOC
098next week and the Latin American board conferences in San Diego. I have n't attended that one and I want to grow and learn more as a board member. One thing I want to add, I was thrilled to see reports about the flowers. A person came up to me and the Barça vice-president. They were part of our program when we were looking for new members and I'm really excited to add them to this now with us here. One last thing I want to add, we have made quite a few moves in special education, we have changed sites. I would like to investigate if there is a possibility of having special equipment for them, such as adaptive swings, shaded areas for special education students. We've moved quite a few students, transferred them, they've asked about it quite
099a bit and they also want to use the swings, play in the games and we want to see those teams, those shaded areas, these special students too. Any questions about the information points? Any questions? Okay, then, if there are no objections, this meeting is adjourned at 8:11 pm until the next meeting on September 18, 2025. Thank you. [Music]