001Good afternoon and welcome to this afternoon's regular meeting of the education steering committee . This meeting starts at 4:30. We have no requests for comments on agenda items this afternoon. Session closed. At this time the table will be withdrawn to the closed session. The open session will resume. at approximately 6 pm. Well, welcome back everyone. The Board of Education meeting was called, it opened at 4:30 pm, session closed. We will reconvene the meeting at 6 pm in open mode. He's going to give us an update on topics, well, his delimitations, discipline of public employees, evaluation of superintendent in close in closed session we had an exchange with an employee number 50537. Unanimous vote. Miss Veneza Pérez will lead us in the oath of allegiance to the flag. Thank you. Brother, the heart. Let's begin. I
002pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, to the Republic which represents one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please have a seat. Thank you all very much. We have some pages to replace tonight. Not today, President Stuart, any additions to the agenda? No, Madam President, we have no reports from previous employees, nor a report from Superintendent Simon. Good evening to everyone who is here. Good evening, Mr. President, board members, esteemed guests, and the Bellflower community. On Friday, August 8 , we convened a meeting in Bellflower with 180 heritage members. Deputy Superintendent Brian Smith had a very pressing discussion with four student criminal lawyers from Mayfir, Bellfower, Flores, and Summerset. They stole the show, they were great, they articulated their breathing, their needs, they emphasized the importance of
003being valued and listened to about their school environments. It concluded with my presentation of the 100-day plan's guiding vision, where I invited cabinet members and assistants who model excellence for the academic year. On Monday, August 11, Assistant Superintendent Ryan Smith and Executive Shanx hosted a breakfast for new teachers in this room. It was exhilarating, instrumental in providing guidance to new teachers, promoting connection and contact with staff members, and thanks to everyone who attended, especially those who attended this event. On Tuesday, August 12 , we had an office staff breakfast in the Belf High School auditorium. Uh, I thank you for orchestrating an exceptional event. I would also like to express my gratitude to all the staff members who contributed, participated, and played a role in making the event a success. Furthermore, I want to thank
004the doctor, the brilliant Víctor Ríos, for giving us a very impactful and powerful message, sharing personal experiences, such as how a teacher recognized his potential and possibly influenced the course of his life. August 17, Saturday, I had the pleasure of being with Mr. José Salacho Junior, assemblyman. where he invited members of the community of organizations to his new Paramount office for an open house, an opportunity for the assembly member to connect with his constituents, explain about state services, celebrate the spirit of public service and partnership with the public. This meeting reflected the assembly member's commitment to a more inclusive and stronger California, and I like his laugh, his spirit, great, a pleasure not only to be with him but with the community as well. Yesterday, our great first day, August 18, we welcomed students back
005to the Bflower Unified School District . It was very inspiring to see the happy parents, many parents who were crying, their preschool and kindergarten children, nervous with some anxiety. Talking to some parents, they say, "Who is this woman having relations with me?" But I was able to have conversations with many parents assuring me that their students will be safe and well treated while with us. Thank you to all the parents and guardians for entrusting us with your children. I like to see, and I'm also happy to see a couple of former colleagues, Mr. Park Peterson, Beth Mary, and Beth Marie, who are residents of this community as well. Thank you for being here, for what you do, and for supporting the Belfor district community. Excuse my voice, but I think I've eaten a jalapeño, a
006chili pepper that's getting the better of me. I'm sorry if I'm mumbling some words, not words with the necessary projection. I apologize, but I'm very excited to be here. Thank you all for being here too. Thank you, Dr. Simon. Any updates from the committees? Yes, President Stuart. Eh, Laxa, the Los Angre Merchants Association met. We met this Saturday, made plans, and got together to organize this year's activities. We need to make more plans when planning for this year than next year; I will share relevant information with you. Well, that's all. Thank you. Any updates to committees? Okay, let's move on to public comments. I have a request addressing points on the agenda. Although these meetings are open to the public , they are not open in closed session. However, they are open at this point,
007and you can comment on this. There are 20 minutes for everyone to gather information, according to a statute of our board of education. Each person will have 3 minutes. Lucyana, please, can you join us? Thank you so much. Good afternoon, Mr. President. Board members, superintendent, and everyone in the room. Lucy Orales, my name. I am here because a very concerned mother, PTA leader, student advocate, Ramona Elementary, from the two fourth-grade classrooms with 34 students. These are the limits of 34 and 34 is the limit which is not very high. If we are dealing with students who have behavioral challenges, trauma-related needs , 36 students speaking is not a number, it is a crisis for learning, safety, well-being of students and teachers. Overcrowded classrooms make learning impossible. Some students fall behind, and those who have challenges
008are sometimes not given attention. Sometimes they have to deal more with behavioral issues than instruction. This is not fairness, this is not excellence, the children and their safety do not deserve this. They include students with behavioral problems, who have made threats to harm others, kill, or have even brought weapons to school. It's terrible and no child should feel unsafe in the classroom or at school. No teacher should have to be protecting students. The ability to teach classes is impactful. Classes are interrupted and there are problems, this, behavioral impacts at school and the student has already been allowed to return. I asked, ask the board directly, what is done about these problems? I don't think Ramona or the district is supporting my son's growth and learning. I am seeking to remove my son from the school
009and district to prevent further emotional and learning harm. There are many of these inequalities. Why at the school? Why don't we have a principal next to the school? We were there for two days and now he's at another school. We do n't deserve one deputy director for 400 students and staff. We also need to have better maintenance. You have to keep the street crossing in the district. I think she's the one who's most negligent. This gate is inoperable. It has to be pushed by hand, and if it's missing a wheel, staff have to push it against the gate to close it, which is a safety issue for students and staff. The other districts and schools have gates and their gates are useful to him. Because? to cross the street in the district and Rabbona is
010not being maintained in its facilities. He is no longer so acceptable. She's like president of P for 2 years. I am a very involved secretary as a single mother, working full time because we care about the students and goidas per cost if it can be finished in less than a minute. One individual has done more as a volunteer than I've seen from the district leaders, and that breaks my heart. I ask that you take immediate action, repair the school, and take action regarding classroom behavior. to ensure that children have a safer learning environment. Children deserve more, and so do parents. Ah, Dr. Simen, she left her phone number here in case we can follow up, and maybe maybe in the Friday memo numbers. I know that while we're reorganizing they're going to give us that,
011but we can check that and the entrance, the gate, the things that the guests brought us. Thank you Natalie for being here. Good afternoon everyone. My name is Natalie Lemos. I am the mother of two students at the elementary school and I am here because I am very concerned about the safety problems my 9-year-old son has experienced due to a classmate's aggressive behavior . A classmate brought a knife to school. He told me he had it in his backpack and wanted to stab the students, and then he said he was going to use it on me so I could see that it was real. My son was terrified. He immediately told the teacher that the teacher had been registered, a police report was filed, and the student was suspended for three weeks. My son was
012still scared and confided in his sister, and the school board scolded him for talking about it when they should have supported him. Two weeks after the student returned, on May 12, the same student indicated in great detail how he was going to kill his teacher with a gun. I know it's hard to hear, but these third-grade students also had to file another police report about the school and the student was expelled for the rest of the school year. Although they had two very serious incidents in just one month, the student has now returned to school. This is alarming due to the nature and severity of the threats. In both instances, my son was specifically targeted; now he has nightmares, is afraid to go to school, and does not feel safe in a place where he
013needs to flourish. He spoke with the counselor again, and instead of supporting him, she made him even more afraid to bring up the incident so that he wouldn't provoke his colleague. I suppose that's how the situation made my son even more afraid. I know something is wrong , something so traumatic happens to a student. The school has someone trained so that the student can feel safe and can trust that no child should be blamed by their counselor without considering that we had those two serious incidents in one month. Regarding the privacy of all students, I also have to advocate for the right of my son and every single child to feel safe in schools. allowing a student to make threats of lethal violence. Returning to the classroom without the current shameful practices puts our children
014at risk. For these reasons, I am requesting a detailed safety plan that will indicate how my school will protect my son and other older students and consider whether it is appropriate for this student to return to the school due to the seriousness of his actions. And finally, clear communication with parents when incidents involving weapons or violent threats occur. When a student experiences something so traumatic at school, the other student should be held responsible. My son is intelligent and compassionate. He loves school, he deserves to feel safe in his classroom and supported. I urge the school district to take immediate action so that no child has to experience the fear and trauma that my son has experienced, because every child deserves to go to school without fear. When will enough be enough? I know the information
015was difficult to process and I even spared you the worst details, but remember that a third-grade student went through this and that's why I'm here asking for help and for you to take action, including doing more for the students. Thank you. and also the same follow-up. Next up is Nicole Gates. Good morning, President Stewart, members, Superintendent Simon, Cabinet members, and the community. My name is Nicole Gates. I have two children, one in 11th grade and one in 9th grade, who attend Mayer. I'm here this afternoon to talk about school safety. There has been a lot of talk about safety, security measures in elementary, middle, and high schools. At the last board meeting, there was a debate about whether the district should have armed guards on the perimeters of each middle and high school. I think
016that having guards outside the school does not address the problems in our schools themselves. As a mother of two children who attend Mayfare High School, I would prefer that the district's limited budget be used for school safety. Inside there have been many incidents of harassment for using electric cigarettes and fights in the bathrooms. I want more security inside the school so that students feel safe using the bathroom and walking around the school. Mirfer has tried to mitigate the problem of fights and the use of electronic cigarettes by closing certain bathrooms because of a lack of security on school grounds. The problem with this is the accessibility of the bathrooms for students. On the first day of school, my son was trying to use the bathroom in the stream building. Two bathroom facilities were closed. This
017is a public safety concern. This is the second time this school year that this has happened. Having armed guards outside Mayfer doesn't solve the problems at the school. We need more security inside the school to limit bullying, e-cigarettes, and fights. Having more security will allow more restrooms to be open. I support, with the limited budget, more security personnel inside the school so that students feel safer inside the school premises. Thank you. Next up is Juliana Risky. Thank you for being here again. Good afternoon, Superintendent Simon, board member and community members. My name is Julian Risky and I am a freshman at Mayf High School and I am a member of the PTSA. I'm here to share safety concerns at our school, especially regarding bullying, fighting, and using e-cigarettes in the bathroom. I have seen when
018students do not feel safe at school. The harassment from fights occurs in places where students are vulnerable, and e-cigarettes in bathrooms add another concern. The smell and the unpleasantness can make it very difficult for students to use the restrooms. That hinders our ability to focus on the school environment. As long as some people are armed, this will not solve the problem. Students may feel anxious and it does not address the root of the security problems. I think that training for administrators, who are the ones intervening during fights, is going to make a big difference. Providing education and support for students regarding e-cigarettes and risky behavior will create a safer environment for everyone. As a student, I want to focus on achieving my goals and learning rather than worrying about safety or uncomfortable conditions. Every student
019deserves to feel safe, respected, and supported at school. I know that everyone wants what's best for the schools, the students, and the staff, and I appreciate what you all do, but as a girl listening to all of you, I pray and anticipate that the table can be set up in a spirit of collaboration and mutual respect. We need a place of peace and collaboration to find real solutions for students. I sincerely hope that we will be taken seriously so that all schools in Belfar can be places where students can feel safe, grow, and learn. Thank you for your time. Next up is Marisa Pérez. Welcome. Thank you for being here. Good afternoon. My name is Marisa Pérez. I am a mother of three students at Mayfow: a graduating class of 2024, a senior in high
020school, and a tenth grader. I want to acknowledge the changes the school district has made since 2020. I am impressed by the transparency and communication that the district and the board have fostered on such an important issue. We have made a lot of progress. I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts and concerns regarding Black Knight's security measures and services. First, the surveys presented do not appear to reflect the full spectrum of community voices. Only 600 people responded. Involving more stakeholders will ensure that decisions about enjoyment reflect the needs of the community. Talking to communities on back-to-school nights and in classrooms. Another tool, besides language, must be used to get more parents involved. At Mayfir school, I noticed that someone used the bathroom improperly. Twenty male students rushed out of the bathroom, and the headmaster,
021Mr. Teren, also entered the premises to find out what was happening. My son explained to me that they were smoking electronic cigarettes. This highlights that we have, and need, Halos devices to monitor and deter that behavior. I am not opposed to armed guards on the perimeter of school fronts. That can create anxiety in students and residents, particularly in communities of color, as a mother I am especially concerned about Latino and African American men. Community input is essential before taking these actions. I don't want a security guard with a gun near my street. I urge the board to give us the details of the costs and where the funds for security guards and other security measures will come from. That's not in the report from the board. Training must be mandatory for all staff and must
022be a priority for the district. This training needs to cover mental health awareness, escalation, and substance use interventions . These measures will ensure that security personnel have the necessary resources to address these measures with compassion and professionalism. I have seen that weapons detection systems need to be monitored and have personnel and maintenance that are necessary for the success of these systems. And I have a handout for them to review. Finally, I want to thank you for making these comments. The safety and well-being of our students must be the top priority. I eagerly await more collaborative talks that are sure to be inclusive. Safe for everyone. Thank you. Now we have Vanessa Pérez. Thank you for being here, Vanessa. Hello, my name is Vanessa Perez, I am a tenth grade student at Mayfir High School. Thank
023you for giving me the opportunity to speak with you tonight. I want to comment on safety at Mayfir School, acknowledging that most students have no idea that these changes are being discussed in this room. Now, regarding things that affect students, I think as a board we should do more to get student input on safety and well-being . We are the ones directly affected. I understand that parents need to be asked, but many don't have the time and the security, well, we need to use a more effective way to contact students. Our students aren't interested and give any answer, but administrators, principals, and counselors should visit the classrooms, talk to students, and discuss all the options the district is considering. This completes the survey, but they will have information to provide appropriate input. I believe that
024through presentation, students will better understand the situation and have more input on decisions that would impact them as well. Second, I oppose armed security. Mayero, out of school. No, I don't feel uncomfortable with someone carrying a gun outside of school. Last year there was an undercover officer with a gun. The students were confused and alarmed because they didn't know the past. Well, we were told, and someone on the staff was carrying a gun. I also believe there should be more security on school grounds. Teachers sometimes have to break up fights and always arrive before security. I believe the staff needs to improve their skills in handling fights when they occur. The security guards take a long time and can't de- escalate the situation that quickly. Thank you for listening to my comments. Thank you. Thank
025you so much. And Sylvia Jones. Thank you for being here. Thank you. Good evening, board members, superintendent in Simon, cabinet, community members. My name is Silvia Jones. My son is in 11th grade at Mayfer, two daughters too, one who graduated from Mayfer in 2023 and another who graduated from Bellflower this past June. I recently listened to the board's debate about their school safety . These are the same problems my children have felt, they have existed for years without significant changes, and they continue to affect students in both schools. Perspectiva says that as a mother I am concerned that young people should use the restrooms safely and that they should be open when needed. Fights on campus should be minimized and no weapons allowed on school premises. The bathroom problem has not improved in at least
0268 years. They shouldn't worry about electronic cigarettes, um, people who are just wandering around. Um, when they're looking for a bathroom that students need, they should also find one with noise and metal detectors, which can also be useful, but there has to be staff ready to react. Cameras only make a difference if they are viewed in real time, but reviewing them later only shows who committed the problem, but it can't prevent people from bringing weapons onto school grounds. That's why I agree with metal detectors, and the security guards also need better training; training should be mandatory , continuous, and implemented. Then there were some responses in the staff and parent survey, a small percentage, only a small fraction of the school community, who agreed with armed security, and the students were not surveyed. I would
027like to see more staff from inside the school buildings to support the guards who are there instead of an armed officer outside; what is needed is a staff presence where the students are. That's what noise detectors and electronic cigarette safety detectors are for . These behaviors must be addressed immediately . Communicating these actions to parents will also build confidence in school safety. I want to see action now, steps that can make a difference and make students feel safe every day on school grounds. Thank you. Is there anyone else who would like to talk? Okay, let's move on. We do not have a public hearing tonight for transparency. I would like the public to know that I requested a public hearing be held tonight so that more voices can be heard on this issue. Unfortunately, the
028majority of the board did not support that idea. I want a decision, it falls short in terms of the commitment we have as a board and every voice is valued, valued. If we truly value it, we must support it instead of restricting it. Going forward, Dr. Simon. Thank you, President Stuart. I'm going to move on to the general advisor. Thank you, Dror Simon. In recent years, we have discussed the issue of school safety in public meetings, school board meetings, and other media. Well, it turned out that we need more improved security measures and several ideas were mentioned on the subject. Armed and unarmed personnel, gun detectors at school entrances, e-cigarette detectors in bathrooms, and other measures on school campuses. It also went through an RFP process for a security provider. There was one, there were
029presentations throughout the Board of Education. Ultimately, Black Knight Patrol was chosen as the security provider for the district, but since Black Knight was hired, no direction was given on how this group was going to be used. So this item was included on the agenda to allow the school board to give direction on how the services will be used. Black Black Black Knight Patrol provides this training, armed guard services , many services and according to the meeting on August 7, a general theme emerged where there are inadequate measures employed by the district. This created urgency regarding the issues that arose. A contract with Black Knight Patrol has not yet been developed. Uh, one scope of the topics that can be covered in the contract is an armed security guard on the perimeter of Belfower and Mayfer
030schools. Security guards will operate during the school day at the beginning and end of the day, with a third unarmed security guard as a mobile unit providing supplemental security at all school sites when needed. It should be noted that the security services contemplated will not replace, remove, or interfere with the responsibilities of current district employees who provide security services. It was like the era to increase and improve the security service that the district wanted. This also establishes responsibilities and other obligations of security guards and other district officials. The contract with Black Knight Security is for one year, expiring June 20-30, 2026. During this time, you can discuss with the community and partners in the labor sector the contacts you wish to have with Black Knight Security. And having a plan allows you to return this
031plan to the board for a decision with this outcome. We want to have an opportunity to discuss that contract at a community level, and we're going to put the issue back on the agenda. Any comments or questions from the board? Vice President Garsa. Thank you, President Stuart. This, General Counsel, my question for you is, we need to have a public hearing to address this issue and give direction to the staff. No, a public hearing is not required . And yes, we did have it the last time we met. Yes, that's correct. Thank you. My next question is, I know that the two surveys we sent out to the community this time and about two or three years ago when I think the doctoring was here, both stated that the majority of parents did want armed
032security around the perimeter of the schools. Having heard that, if the board decides not to have armed security, what are the consequences? What are the repercussions? Well, God forbid there should be a critical incident due to a deficiency that has been identified by the public and discussed at a meeting, a public meeting by the Board of Education. The district is under alert that there are deficiencies that need to be addressed. Obviously, the Board has the power to decide how to address those deficiencies, but failing to do so could result in legal liability for the district. To clarify, you are failing to put armed guards in front of the school. It could result in liability, a liability issue for the board. Yes, but the board decides how to handle the issue, but to do something, but
033failing to provide more security is what it means, right? New assembly. Yes, thank you, member. Thank you, President ST. My point is that even if we put a guard in front of each school, the guard is basically just a guy. If someone really wanted to cause trouble in our children or schools, I wouldn't want armed guards either. Schools are an easy target, it's true, but there are so many measures we can take before talking about armed guards, and we need training, intervention, not crisis, not violence. We provide that training to NCI employees. We make the instruction assistants, to be honest. I have told my children, there is a reason why some teachers do break up a fight and some teachers do not. The moment that teacher touches a student, that child can say, "The teacher
034hurt me." What we need to do is address the problems that are happening in our schools, on school campuses— bullying, physical altercations, verbal threats. Again, we need to install a device to try to detect weapons when they're brought in. I'm telling you, I'm not giving them any ideas, but if someone really wants to bring weapons onto school grounds, who's to say they can't throw a backpack over the fence at night ? So someone is sick and can attack us, but an armed guard outside the school is n't going to prevent these things. There are many things I could talk about regarding risk factors in schools that we need to address comprehensively, and also ways we can control those risks. We need to have comprehensive security policies. We need to look at policies, visitor management issues—we
035need to do them so well that they can limit public access to our schools, public places, but we have our children here, and we have to keep them safe. Privacy for children is also important. We need to keep our emergency and response plans up-to- date and fully operational, and we need to have training for our staff. And what's the difference? Because even if we hire Black Knight to do the training, what kind of training are they going to give us? What kind versus NCI, which is proven to protect staff if they have to break up a fight? We have to think about that. We have to ensure that even if we address risk factors with controls, we have to think about protecting our employees. I can talk in more detail later to tell you more
036of my ideas, but that's all I have to say for now. Regarding restrooms, the problems in restrooms, we really need to involve our parents and let them know that this is happening. We have to involve our parents in some way. I know we already have certain problems in place, but we need these parents helping their children. We have to find a way to achieve that. Maybe we need to have a We're having this meeting to let all the young people know that we 're thinking about this. As the student said, the young people don't even know we're having this discussion, but we have to bring this to the forefront , involve everyone in this community, everyone involved who has something to say on this issue. But putting an armed guard outside isn't going to happen.
037It's not going to help what's happening inside the school. And again, I'll say it again, if it were me, these kids don't want to behave, they destroy the bathrooms, they lock the bathrooms and put in portable toilets. It's going to be difficult to use e-cigarettes and fight in a bathroom over portable toilets. I don't want that, but we have to come together as a community and fix the problem. Thank you very much, Member Amsterdam. Thank you, Member Central. I like the idea of portable toilets. I want to read a statement. I've been thinking a lot about this information, knowing that I participated in every survey in this district. It's been about safety as a mother in this district with my students in our local schools. I'm going to read it from above. So, good Good
038afternoon, staff and community members. I want to take a moment to address the point before the board and provide some perspective. In my short time here with this board, one of the most consistent things parents, students, and staff have said has been school safety. This isn't a basic issue; it's something we've discussed in committees, in focus groups, and here on this podium. What I want to make very clear is this: my top priority will always be the safety of our students and our staff. I will never endorse anything that I believe would put them at risk. Having said that, I believe that strengthening security with resources that are equipped to respond is an important step forward. With that in mind, I recognize the concerns that have arisen regarding armed guards in the long term. But
039the district can invest in having trained professionals who can see this work as a career, supporting students on their educational journeys and ensuring they do so in a safe environment. This is the vision. Unfortunately, it's not something that We can achieve this immediately, but the need for more security measures is here. Right now , for that reason, perhaps by placing an armed guard on the perimeter of high school campuses , people can respond quickly to a critical incident and prevent harm. Perhaps it's going to be a step we're going to have to take with the incredible staff. I want to be absolutely clear with you. This is not about taking away or replacing jobs, decreasing pay, or taking away benefits. This is about adding support. Support that will strengthen the security we already have in
040place and alleviate the problems that have come to your attention. There are concerns that still need to be addressed, and I recognize that. That's why we're directing the general counsel to address those issues before the board makes any final decisions on any contracts. Today's action is to be proactive and address the security concerns that the community has raised. But no, this is not the end of the discussion. As the school year unfolds, we're going to be listening closely to students, staff, and families about how these changes are working out . The practice will continue because everyone We share the same goal: to create safe schools where students can flourish and learn. Thank you to each and every one of you who has participated in this process. For now, I encourage you to participate, be involved,
041and share your voices so that together we can arrive at the best long-term solution for district safety. And I know that everyone here on the stage, and many of you, have had these conversations, but I want to share a discussion I had with a third-grade student. Keep in mind, when we were in school, our drills had to be for natural disasters like earthquakes, or our students had to do drills for an active shooter. When a third-grade student asked me where they should go if they were on school grounds, if they heard gunshots, whether they should listen to the teacher or run down the street to their house, it's incredible that so many people are flourishing in shameful ways, defaming people and making false accusations on this issue when this is not what we should be
042focusing on. I applaud the students who are here and I'm asking and anticipating that the people on this stage, all of us who voted us in here, can collaborate and have a real conversation. I do n't invite that comment, and thank you very much, because if a teenager can identify with that, how embarrassing. Excuse me, I personally apologize for anything inappropriate I've done on this topic, both on this stage and off this stage, in public in our community. While attending events, while going to school, while talking with parents and unions. If anything inappropriate came out of my mouth, please come here to the microphone and call me out, call me out on it. I invite you to put me in my place because, to me, that is inappropriate, and the people who do that should
043be ashamed of themselves. Thank you, Secretary Kchfield. Thank you, Madam President. As a parent of two PUST students, as a member of the board, there is absolutely no more important issue than safety. I've said this since I became involved with the district, and I say it all the time: those conversations have already... This has happened frequently over the past three years, and I hope it continues. I know it's a priority for the board, but also a collective responsibility, to ensure that our school campuses are safe. We've considered this over the past two years, and we've been transparent and communicative about our decisions on this issue. On two separate occasions, we asked the community for input directly: once in May with 3,635 responses, and again this past summer with 600 responses. In both instances, the response
044from students, staff, and parents was very clear: they want us to do more to protect our children at school. The board's action must increase security immediately, but this conversation cannot end here. I support the continuation of the safety committee and its ongoing existence. I also want to have clear communication with security officials, as we discussed at the last board meeting, and create that position, support internal staff training, and hire more security personnel for our schools through our CSA partners. And I want to be clear as the Member Centron said, "I wouldn't expect to replace any of the BUSG staff. This is always going to be, in my view, a layer of resources and support for our staff. The issues we're addressing, that we're addressing in May 2023, haven't diminished the sentiment of the broader community.
045Of the 3,600 people surveyed, including 600 students, 86% supported in-house training for our own security staff, and seven opposed assemblies to establish behavioral expectations to address bullying. Many of the concerns raised tonight were not about threat deflection. I agree. This board has been discussing these measures for over two years, and these are things we have to do, and we should do them, and these conversations have to continue. But these are things that go hand in hand with perimeter security. These are things that we not only need to explore, but we also have to implement, because security isn't just securing the perimeter; it's a layered approach. We have to address it in layers, and we have to create..." A culture of care for students, care for teachers and staff, and accountability—taking responsibility and talking about the
046excellence that Dr. Simen has spoken about with such passion. By taking these steps, we address the immediate needs to increase student safety, but in the long term, we have much more work to do. I express the sentiments expressed at the board meeting; this conversation is passionate. There are strong opinions, and I commend anyone, whether we agree or disagree, who makes their opinions and lends their voice because every perspective contributes to the decisions and our conversation. And yes, I thank you very much, and again, for this conversation being passionate. Conversations at the podium can be more collaborative. We need to get back to that because we have many incredible things and many things that you have been eagerly anticipating. We need to get back on that path. Thank you, Madam President. Vice President Garsa. Thank you,
047President Stuart. I would like to support the comments of my fellow board members. I echo their comments. Centron Kchfield, that is something with which we must To move forward, but I also want to bring some clarity to our discussion. Perhaps speaking of the comments I've made, which have been made very clear to the public, none of us are minimizing the need for, or perhaps the improvements to, increased security in these school facilities . We know very well what's happening, and we want to work with the unions to address those problems. But what we have here tonight before us is a point about security outside, on the perimeter, which is completely different. I don't expect our staff to be outside armed or unarmed because they don't have that training at the moment. In my opinion, it's
048a very specialized skill that we're dealing with. That makes a big difference. I'm not going to take a teacher, put them in a classroom, give them two days of training, and there you have it, a certification, a fully qualified teacher. It doesn't work that way. These skills that we're discussing at this juncture are very specialized and do take time to develop. So there are two different issues and problems that we're looking at. Neither is wrong or incorrect. Tonight we're addressing the The issue is whether we're going to use armed or unarmed security outside of school. The community has told us twice that they want them armed. Remember when we first started addressing this issue in 2023, we had several guns on school campuses. The threat is here; it's at our doorstep. If we don't make
049a decision now that benefits your children, God forbid something happens and we're not prepared. That doesn't mean we're not going to continue working with the unions, the staff, and continue improving what we have in place on school campuses. I agree with you. We need many things. Security on campus is something we 're continually working to address with our staff. We're going to have more discussions about that as well, but I think there was more of a bit of confusion at this point. I hope that has helped, to some extent, to bring clarity to what we're discussing and what our decision is tonight. Thank you. Anyone else? Well, I'm going to speak on this topic as well. I I cannot support hiring an outside agency for armed security when the immediate need on campus is clear.
050More untrained officers, individuals who know the students, know the schools, are embedded in our school. We have heard repeatedly that the problems on campus are fights, bullying, tardiness, using e-cigarettes in the restrooms, being out of class. Armed security off campus is not going to address the issue. As an elected official, I am interested in what most directly and immediately affects the students, which is increasing security on campus. We have already implemented detection systems with trained dogs , keyless entry, great. Trained to be able to lock the school quickly. We use them in Perma, they are great, they maintain these entry and exit schedules. If we put two or three officers on each school, vaping and metal detection systems , we can increase punctuality, ensure access to the restrooms, a more conducive environment for learning, and
051it immediately affects the students. Student staff. I know we're voting on just one item, but we could have put the other things on the agenda tonight. Don't be fooled, we couldn't install Bape or Halo detectors. We could have chosen that, but this is the board's priority, let's be honest. Next. Security, the current security officers do have first aid training, they have a positive relationship with students. Even the Black Knight evaluation recognized this as a strength of the district. If you read it, what officers lack is not dedication and skill, but numbers. Support from administrators, five officers on an entire school campus is inadequate. That's the truth. We've already taken steps that I agree with my colleagues, establishing a new security director position . It will take time, but we can staff our own guards, but
052to say we should use an outside agency, that's not true. We can contact our own, too. Every member of the security staff is credentialed and works within their respective classifications. Colleagues, colleagues say that's not true, but we have to be transparent. They're all in Their rankings. That's not true either. I also believe that letting unions negotiate how their workers will be affected is important. And I know that the timeline we have hasn't allowed enough time to cooperate. We need to meet with them to see what's most important for the employees, not outside agencies. We've talked about how we're against them, but we want to do this by putting armed guards on school campuses. They deserve effective, sustainable security measures that are in line with our values, and respect. For those reasons, I respectfully voted no.
053At the last meeting, if you paid attention, we talked about the student surveys and reached a consensus that we did n't want to follow the student surveys. It says, "We don't need parents making decisions," but the students here aren't saying that. We had a public hearing. Honestly, we don't need to have a public hearing. My colleague is right, but it's the correct thing to do. Don't be fooled by that either. So we didn't survey any students, but obviously they're here talking. I want you to know that you are great and that you can have a voice, and we shouldn't limit your voices, and that's what we did. We reached a consensus on the bench and decided not to address the issue. So that's that part. following. We all like this, what are the pitfalls of
054having people on school campuses and chat TPT says a limited impact on student problems. The problems are inside, not outside the school. Armed guards will not deter fights, bullying, chronic tardiness, and e-cigarette use. We are talking about student achievements. Let's talk about that, we need to talk about it. Pushing someone in the school field to push you into class would be better and more effective. These school shootings are rare; the problems come from within, do n't they? Strange people are approaching the building. I have a note, it says mass shootings are 2%. There's no more than one in one hand; you can tell from where an armed guard has stopped a school shooting. Negative effects on the school climate. It creates an atmosphere of militarization and fear. Seeing someone armed makes you feel less safe
055than protected . Not a single person has come forward to say they want armed guards, but the majority of the community is in favor. Uh, it also creates and damages relationships between students and staff. They feel that they are being looked at as potential criminals instead of people who want to learn. There is an escalation, they introduce additional danger, crisis, misunderstanding. An armed guard can escalate a situation instead of de-escalating it. If there's a fight in a room, why would we want someone with a gun there? There is also a greater potential for accidents. We have legal counsel. Accidental shootings on school grounds can cause rare consequences, but they can. Armed personnel cost more than unarmed personnel. Supervisors in schools who can interact with students cost less, but they also take away our funding. We
056do not have a lack of unlimited money. There is no package. Nobody has told me if we have a money package that we can use for anything, but it takes money away from social workers, teachers, and can address the root causes of problems with students. Students and families may also feel more like they are being monitored, as if by the police. They already have so much trouble and stress with so much police and, proportionately, armed security personnel may be questioning and asking and approaching students of color more than others. And I've seen other articles about whether guns have stopped mass shootings in schools, but I know it's long, but I want to read some of the article. And he says there have only been a couple of documented cases of an armed guard on duty
057stopping a shooting. It says that one resource, this evaluation that was done by a very knowledgeable group says that of 133 shootings or possible shootings in 1980-2019, using the shooting database, an armed guard was present in a quarter of the times studied and there is no significant reduction in injuries or fatalities in these instances. So, shootings with armed guards, uh, with this, increases three times more people who are killed. This one, too, has room for error. They make last- minute decisions, some armed security guards make bad decisions, and many shooters are suicidal and want to die on the spot. So an armed city guard can be an incentive, not someone who will deter him. FI has also made assessments that many attacks are carried out in minutes. It is very difficult for an armed guard
058to be in the right place at the right time. When we set up the school, if there's an armed guard in front, what happens if they come in from behind? And in mass shootings there is evidence that unarmed people have stopped more attacks in those early minutes than armed people. The investigation has analyzed that there are 249 shootings between 2000 and 2021 that ended before the police arrived. Most ended with the shooter fleeing or dying by suicide, but they have stopped shooting without pistons that an innocent person by chance has been shot. I have seen that many young people want to say that we want to discuss issues in this second and armed guards. I don't think that's the answer. If we do all the other things first and have enough money, let's hire armed
059guards too. Well, that would be a different conversation, but that's not what we're dealing with now. I don't see anything presented about these systems that we have talked about that they want to be put in place right now . That's how I'm thinking about this topic. I'm not going to support this. I think our student achievements, what students need on the school campus, is more important. We've discussed the costs, we've looked at them, they're around $26,000 depending on the contract. So I'm averaging two armed guards and one unarmed guard. If you look at the CSA, it's like 8000 for a security guard, so I can get four CSA security guards. I prefer that to someone standing in front who doesn't directly impact students at this second student achievement of student safety at this moment. That's
060my opinion on that. Kurt Kishfield. Thank you, Madam President. These numbers are correct for the two armed guards and one unarmed guard would be 156,000 for and for our own classifieds, for our own classified security would be approximately $46,000 to $4,000 plus benefits for 9 months, 180 days. And where are we with the other safety measures that the committee had recommended? I know we ca n't use the official logos or brands of e-cigarette detectors and gun detectors. Mrs. Arquez is going to talk about it . We were just implementing the electronic cigarette detectors . I think we've finished in Belfare, now we're going to continue in Mayfar. We haven't implemented the other actors at this time. There's a lot to it and I'm not going to answer because I think there are many errors in
061what was just said, although it was cool and very logical. the benefit of the doubt that they heard the same thing as me. I don't believe there was anything wrong, and I'm going on based on the fact that nobody wants armed guards today, but I've heard many reasons and excuses. The community is saying, being a teacher and educator for 26 years, security has to be increased because one can anticipate, can see that the children are gathering, can have conflict resolution, can address lunches, and having been a teacher for 27 years. I understand that. I need Chat GPT to tell me what I need. I see it at my school. I am a teacher member Arman, thank you, Madam President. Sart, I'm glad we have the electronic cigarette detector. I would like that. I know it's
062not on the agenda, but I would love to have a timeline of when we can get gun detectors in schools. And then again, I would love to, I know we have the safety committee, but I've been writing a lot of things, the risk factors that are happening in schools and the control measures that we can put in place. We have spoken and collaborated with the unions and labor organizations to see what they have to say about what we are asking of the board of directors so that they take on more of a security role. We've had those talks about how we can strengthen relationships with our partners in the community and even the sheriff's department . We've done that. I think Mr. Hospitals also has people nodding their heads; we need to get CSA. Doctor,
063you can also answer Mr. SGA's question in terms of communication with CS and have your input. That was the request. I want to know, have you collaborated with the unions? We are waiting, as the board of directors, for added security measures and we have contacted community partners, specifically the sheriff. I believe we did contact the sheriff and they requested if they could provide school resource officers due to limited numbers in their own departments. and the shortages. The answer was that they couldn't for very long. And yes, yes. When did we contact them and who contacted them? To clarify, to make it clear, I believe that member Kchfield mentioned it at the last meeting. Can you give us clarification on when you were last contacted and told that you didn't have availability for SR while I
064was on the Lwer safety committee? I have contact with the Lwer sheriff, that's what he usually tells me, and also about the staffing shortages in the marshals' department and the cost of a school resource officer, and I think they have two, and it was also surveyed in that poll of 3600 and people were in favor of it. We explored that when Pen was here. That's a common response: it's extremely difficult to get an agent from the school and it can cost up to half a million dollars. I also had several contacts after being part of that committee for the city. When was the last one? Do you remember? Or when was the last one? Because the last time I heard about it was 2 years ago, but someone from the district has actually contacted the
065Lakware agils. Yes, I have a meeting with one of the captains of the shares department. I can follow up and ask that question next week. Unfortunately, it will be after that vote, but I'm sorry. One more thing for the technology to work out, if we can fix Dr. Samen's name for some clarity, Ben Rit also sat down to have coffee and two years ago he was told the same thing. How long has it been since Dr. Trady left? It's been 2 years. Madam President, would you like me to end my answer with CS's question? I got in touch, we had a productive conversation with them. Part of the process will actually be sitting down with the current security staff and the proposed Black Knight guards to discuss the hierarchy, rules, and procedures that need to
066be in place to ensure effective communication. It's not a labor negotiation, but of course we want to take all the necessary steps to ensure that employees currently working for the district understand their roles and responsibilities, and also that contractors who are coming in have a very easy integration with the insurance and staff who are currently employed. There will be more discussions than before the contract is presented to the board, and the goal is to address those issues before anyone starts providing services. Okay, member Armstrong. I'm finished. Secretary Kfield. Thank you, Madam President. I want an impediment to approving point 11.1. Security, Black Knight services is such a collaborative school security . Wait a second, apparently we're not going to have any more debate. They called the vote so collaboratively. Mrs. Armstrong. No, Mrs. Centron. Yes.
067Mr. Critfield, yes. Mrs. Carsa, yes. Mr. Stuart, no. Continuing with the consent agenda, does anyone want to exclude any points? No. One motion, approve the consent agenda. He has that motion. One second. Second. Please take attendance. Mrs. Armstrong. Yes. Mrs. Centron. Yes. Mrs. Critfield. Yes. Mrs. Garcia. Yes. Mrs. Stuart. Yes. Okay, continuing to board communications, Member Central. Thank you. The only event I was able to attend in the last two weeks was the district welcome breakfast, which was amazing, especially since this was my first time attending one of these. Victor was an incredible speaker. Many thanks to the superintendent and the team for making that possible. They nicknamed him Victorio because I found him incredible; he really opened my mind and I talked to a lot of people while I was rushing from the event
068to work. It's everything to me. Thank you, member Armstrong. Thank you, President Steart. Hello everyone, thank you for coming and to all the people who participated in the comments and shared their opinions on the previous topic. But my friends wanted to say thank you, on August 8th the Rodary club had an event honoring 200 members for their contributions to the community. Many people attended, including members of the Laker and Bellflower City Council. One purpose of the event was to raise funds and I participated in it, but I didn't win any prize, I forgot about it. So I didn't bring it up . So, I didn't dress like a cowgirl, but the food was amazing. The opportunity to support, connect, and spend time with others was what was important to me. My students, I am also
069a teacher, my students returned to school on the 11th, so this time I couldn't make breakfast for the new teachers, I couldn't because I was also starting school and it seems we had a great start and I want us to continue the school year so that the district has the proper support for staff, teachers and students. On the 14th I attended the League of California Cities, the Women's Caucus event, which was about leadership with purpose and they had a women's trailer. We took this opportunity to celebrate courage and leadership. The women who are shaping the future gave awards to four distinguished women, a trophy, and the women shared many stories about their special moments, why they got involved in community service, moments that were like a learning point, how they overcame those problems, and how
070to improve in their efforts to serve the community. The stories opened me up, they were incredible and very encouraging, and challenging and sometimes emotional, exciting. I learned so much from these women; some of the things I heard I could hardly believe. These women have dedicated their lives to a life of service and they are encouraging young women to be leaders in their communities. And on the 16th I also attended an assembly, Assembly Member Scher had an open house at his new headquarters, it's a very nice area in Permound that gives him the space to have community events like that. The attendees were community representatives and leaders from the towns of Maywet, Walnut Park, Paramount, Bellflower and Lakewid Southgate, Huntington Park and Linwood. There was a Color Guards band and cheerleaders to add to the excitement
071of the day. There was plenty of food and more to share with other people. Yes, I want to share that August is the month for vaccinations, which is important as we begin in schools. We want to make sure that children are up to date with their vaccinations so that they don't get sick as often. And August is also known for intersectional awareness, which is when someone identifies with more or marginalized groups, although it can be ability, disability, gender, or race. And the purpose is to understand all personal experiences with identity. while we are becoming a more diverse and inclusive community. That's all I have for now. Once again, I'm looking forward to a very good school year. I have a lot of work to do and I'm here for it. Thank you. Thank you Armstrong
072member Kurt Carfield. Thank you, Madam President. First of all, I want to thank you for being here. I hope you had a great week. It's only Tuesday. These meetings are on Thursdays, but a great second day. My daughter started yesterday. I know there have been changes and that's one of the things this board has been great at making progress on, making positive changes in the district, but I will say in an email I've received, there are no changes without challenges. So I think our school site-level staff work on that with those challenges. I feel that some parents are having a tough start to the school year, but I have experienced many good things at the sites, visiting places in these last two days. I hope everyone had a good week. I want to ask Dr.
073Simon for breakfast for the new teachers we had here in this room. The breakfast in the general district was phenomenal. Congratulations to you, President Stuart. The production was fantastic. I appreciated that. I really appreciate that. I also attended the opening of Assemblyman Solche's office with Member Armstrong and Dr. Simon. Thank you for being so visible in the community, participating in events even on weekends when you could be with your family, making connections. I see it and I appreciate it very much. I also have a puppy, a little dog, I've never had one before. And it's great. I am the one who is 3 months old. She is 3 months old . I'm the one who used to make fun of me by showing pictures of my dog on my phone. This is a new chapter
074in my life and I love them very much. I wish you a very good rest of your week. Thank you K, Vice President Garsa. Good evening everyone. Thank you for being here. I was able to attend the Rotary Club in Belf at Barbacoa with member Sintron and member members Armstrong and Kchfield. It was a very nice event, quite a lot, I also enjoyed the new teachers' breakfast. Many thanks to Cabinet and Superintendent Simon, Dr. Simon, and I was also able to attend the welcome breakfast with Victor Ros as the speaker, very inspiring. It was pretty cool and there was a lot of energy in the room. I want to say a big thank you to Dr. Simon. You definitely brought energy to that room along with all of our school spirit. I loved seeing that.
075Tomorrow I'll be able to accompany Doora Silent Simon and visit Ernie P and Bellflower High School before I have to go back to work. I also have to take a moment to acknowledge the strength of the cabinet, the executive team. It has taken us several years to bring together the right people, but now we have a team that has the experience and commitment to move us forward. I have every confidence that the team, with your collaboration, will help us, the board, to make the right decisions and to do what matters most: doing the right things for the children, who are at the heart of what we do. Thanks to the community as well for the trust they have placed in me. I want to reaffirm my commitment to serve the people who elected me. I
076will serve with integrity, transparency, and responsibility, as I always have. My promise has been to listen very carefully and evaluate every perspective towards decisions based on facts rather than emotions. By doing so, I will ensure that every choice I make reflects sound judgment and the best interests of the community, both today and in the future. We have a saying in Spanish, it's a dice, and if you know, you know, say have a good night. Thank you, Mrs. Garcia. I want to thank the doctor's examination staff for the breakfast. Uh, they gave me pretty good feedback. I went to a pre-kindergarten event; Rita and her granddaughter were there. It was great to see that we've added another preschool class, which is very encouraging news, very, very nice that we're growing in that area. Ernie Palbino's people,
077Dr. Robertson, Mrs. Ashtin, are going to do a great job. This, I see I 'm very happy that we have a new class in Lenstrom. Happy first week to all employees and teachers. be members of the PTA. I received my envelopes from Rita. I'm going to put all the $10 bills out and they can meet at their site or be members of all. Meet with the PTA, join them, they do a lot of things. Mayf, we've changed this meeting because Mayfer is playing in Sofi on Thursday. My daughter is coming from Texas, she's flying that day, I won't be able to attend, but Mayf, good luck. I'm so glad you're in SF. That's very, very nice. I know that on Friday Coach Miller and his team, I also like American football. I am eagerly awaiting
078my return to the court. Regarding what I've done, I also want to say that I'm obviously disappointed, but I'm the elected official you trust, and I want to say that I will always be straightforward with you and do what I think is best for students. Whether we agree or disagree, I promise to try to lead as best I can by doing the research, doing the work, showing up, and attending events to talk to the community. I promise to listen to the community, that no one will lobby me, and I will always be honest. So thank you very much. If there are no objections, the Board of Education will be, I think, what? September 4. If there is no function, this meeting is adjourned at 7:27 so that the next meeting can be scheduled for September
0794, 2025. Thank you.