001Present >> present >> Mr. Seagris >> present Mr. and then Mendes Garcia present. >> Before we begin tonight's meeting and um welcome everyone to our meeting who are here in the audience, I just want to take the time to acknowledge an issue that has deeply affected our communities across our country and has had real consequences for many of the children and families we serve. Recent incidents involving federal immigration enforcement have resulted in the loss of life and injury. These events have raised serious concerns about the human and emotional toll of current policies, particularly on children who experience fear, trauma, and instability when immigration raids occur in their communities. As a school district, we want to recognize that these actions do not exist in isolation. Their impact is felt in our classrooms, on our campuses, and
002in the well-being of the families we serve. At this time, I ask that we observe a moment of silence and honor those who have lost their lives and to stand in solidarity with the families and children they affect. Thank you. Okay, we will continue with our flag salute. Pledge of pledge of allegiance. Okay, so we'll be I will be leading it. If we can all please stand, put your hand over your heart and begin. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Next on our agenda item is our midyear district update by our superintendent, Dr. Marbel Garcia. Thank you, President Mendes and board members. Uh, good evening everyone. Thank you
003for being here. Really exciting to be able to share a midyear update with everyone. I I can talk for hours and hours to share all of the wonderful things that we are doing and are happening across the district. But, um, I will try to be brief in my notes, but just know that there is lots to celebrate um, throughout the district. Let me know when you're ready, Robert. So, tonight's presentation serves as both a midyear strategic plan update and a state of the district reflection. It is an opportunity for us to pause, look closely at our work, and assess how intentionally we are moving our district forward. This update reflects our strategic plan adopted by the board and demonstrates how the plan is actively guiding decisions, priorities, and daily actions across EMCSD. Before diving into
004the details, I want to ground us in where we are in the life of this plan. We are five months into a five-year strategic plan, and that context matters. This phase is about building clarity, discipline, and alignment. Not rushing to scale before systems are ready. Early implementation is when habits are formed and expectations are set. Tonight's update focuses on the work we are doing to lay the foundation for sustained impact. So, let me begin with priority area number one. Because academic excellence is the heart of our mission. Every other priority, student experiences, belonging, staffing, resources exist to support strong instruction and meaningful learning and outcomes for all students. Before looking at results, it is important to be clear about what we intentionally chose to focus on for this year. Our priority one work centers around
005strengthening tier one instruction because when core instruction improves, outcomes improve for all students. The objectives on this slide reflect both urgency and realism. They prioritize early literacy, academic language development, and equity focused data use. Our strongest strongest leverage point for long-term growth. When we examine our data, I'm focusing on the patterns that we're seeing this year. In mathematics, we see district-wide growth from fall to winter, indicating that our instructional focus is beginning to take hold across our grade levels and all of our schools. At the same time, the data does remind us that growth must continue and accelerate, particularly for students who remain below grade level. Importantly, we are also seeing a positive shift in overall performance. Compared to last year, more students are moving from median performance into higher performance and higher growth in
006mathematics. An encouraging sign that our efforts are gaining traction. We are approaching reading data data in the same way by examining trends rather than individual results. As we look closely at the data points and these particular patterns, we see early movement aligned with our investment in foundational literacy, science of reading aligned practices, language development strategies. The progress is encouraging and it also reinforces the importance of staying focused and consistent in our instructional work. To understand these data patterns, it is important to look at what has been implemented across the district in the past five months. In a relatively short period of time, we have launched a district-wide CFAS, strengthening data conversations with school leaders and aligned science and social studies instruction. This is system building work. And the next phase is about deepening consistency and
007instructional impact across all classrooms. When we look closely at long-term student outcomes, early literacy is one of the most powerful leverage points that we have. For that reason, priority area 1.2 centers on strengthening foundational skills in TK through 2 grade by the end of the school year. Take note, all kindergarten through 2 grade teachers will be trained in the science of reading. This is the Norton Gillingham an explicit structured and researchbased instruct approach to teaching foundational reading skills and MClass our literacy screener will have been implemented districtwide to establish consistent baseline data. This allows us to identify student needs early and respond with intention strengthening foundational skills at the earliest point of instruction. As we look closely at outcomes for English learners, we are seeing bright spots in both ELA and mathematics. To strengthen instruction,
008teachers in grades three through 8 have been trained in GLAD strategies, a research-based instructional model that integrates language development, literacy, and content learning through purposeful strategies and structured academic talk. The urgency moving forward is to sustain and scale these practices so gains are consistent across all schools. Our partnership with solution tree has strengthened professional learning community structures and protocols. PLC conversations are increasingly grounded in CFA data and focused on student outcomes. The next phase is ensuring rigor and consistency so PLC's translate into instructional change and into stronger learning experiences for all students. Moving on to priority area number two. It focuses on relevance and engagement. Students need opportunities to explore interests, build confidence, and understand how learning connects to future pathways. The focus goal that we selected as our entry point into priority area number
009two emphasizes intentional design rather than isolated programs. We are building a coherent progression of experiences that support student exploration and engagement over time. We are currently in the early stages of developing a district-wide VAPA visual and performing arts progression matrix building on a long-standing commitment to the arts that has been part of our district's identity for so many decades. This work is about moving from strong individual programs to coherent articulated progression that ensures ensures student experiences intent are intentional, equitable visual and performing arts learning across all grade levels. By clarifying the expectations, building continuity, and thoughtfully resourcing each program, we are strengthening the role of the arts in shaping school culture, student expression, and a shared sense of belonging while honoring the strong tradition of arts that already exists at all of our schools. As
010we deepen our work around student engagement and relevance, our work around student engagement, um it's important for us to begin by listening to students themselves. As part of that commitment, we implemented Pathful, a student interest and career awareness survey that helps students reflect on their strengths, interests, and emerging aspirations. This survey is being used intentionally, not as a standalone activity, but as a data point to inform program design, including afterchool enrichment, middle school course offerings, and the integration of career awareness into instructional programming. By listening to students and using their input to guide decisions, we are ensuring that opportunities are responsive, inclusive, and also grounded in student voice. And this is an exciting moment in the Almani City School District. We were just awarded a $700,000 grant through Strong Workforce, affirming the strength of our
011vision for student experiences and pathways. This investment directly supports priority area number two by expanding meaningful real world learning opportunities for students. These funds will allow us to deepen middle school career exploration, [snorts] strengthen partnerships with colleges and community partnerships, and create hands-on experiences that open the door for all students, particularly those who have not always had access to these opportunities. And that's key for us. I want to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Pineo and Dr. McLaren for securing this grant on behalf of our district. This award reflects both the quality of our planning and the trust that was placed in our district to translate our current vision into impact. Super exciting. Yes. [applause] We know that learning and connection do not begin and end with the instructional day. Across the district, 2,689 students
012currently benefit from after-school enrichment programs and 254 students participate in before school programs, meaning 44% of our students are accessing enrichment beyond the traditional school day. These programs provide additional time for exploration, relationship building, and academic and social support. As we move forward, our focus is on continuing to integrate and expand these opportunities in ways that meet the needs of all students and families and strengthen the overall student experience. Looking a little bit deeper at the data, student engagement is one of the clearest indicators that learning feels relevant and connected. Looking at participation across the district, we see that 3,729 students representing 56% of our student population are enrollled in at least one extracurricular activity with 6,713 total signups to date. Many students participate in more than one opportunity. This includes teacher-led clubs, musical theater,
013gate cheer, and many more offerings. These participation patterns reflect strong interest and motivation among students and they help us better understand where students are finding connection as well as and we can continue to expand as we continue to expand our learning opportunities. We're looking to strengthen belonging, confidence, and engagement. And I do want to mention another point of of pride for our district. As of December 1st, we launched a supper for all program. When we think about what it truly means to prepare students to thrive, it's important to recognize that learning does not end when the bell rings, and neither do students needs. This expansion builds on our existing meal service efforts and responds directly to the needs of students and families in our community by ensuring consistent access to healthy food beyond the traditional
014day. Supper for all supports students who participate in afterchool program, but just as importantly, it expands access to any student who may benefit from an additional meal at the end of the day, regardless of enrollment or participation in afterchool programs. This is always about equity, dignity, and care. And by removing barriers and normalizing access, we are supporting student well-being in a way that strengthens strengthens all of our students. As [snorts] we move into priority area three, we reflect on academic growth and student engagement. It is equally important to look at the conditions that truly make learning possible. Priority area 3 centers on ensuring that students experience school as a place where they feel safe, connected, and supported. This work recognizes that academic success and student well-being are deeply interconnected, not separate goals. Preparing students to
015thrive means creating environments where students are known by name, supported by trusted adults, and able to bring their full selves into learning each and every day. This priority focuses on the systems, the structures, and the adult practices that make that possible across all of our schools. Supporting the whole child has always been a part of who we are in this district, and we're very proud of that. This year, we're elevating that commitment by bringing greater clarity and coherence to how this work shows up across all of our schools. Under priority area three, our focus is on strengthening inclusive district-wide systems of support so students experience consistency no matter the classroom, the campus, or the moment in the school day. This work is about moving beyond individual efforts toward shared structures, common expectations, and aligned practices
016that that create predictable, welcoming environments where students can fully engage in learning. That system work is carried forward through the adults who interact with students every day. We have invested in building adult capacity to support emotionally safe connected learning environments through conscious discipline training for TK through second grade teachers, counselors, and social workers, establishing shared practices around co-regulation and classroom climate. Through partnerships with the Western Justice Center and the International Institute of Restorative Practices, we expanded restorative and relational practices beyond classrooms to include instructional support staff, our supervision assistants, and community liaison. Recognizing that relationships are built throughout the entire day and not just in the classroom. Initiatives like listening circles and no one eats alone day reinforces this work by strengthening connections with students and families and embedded belonging throughout the school day. Together,
017these efforts reflect how priority three is being lived out through people, practices, and relationships across our district. To support this work at scale, we have focused on strengthening the systems that ensure students receive consistent coordinated support across all our schools. This includes another grant, $100,000 from a restorative practices grant that expands relationship centered and equitydriven practices districtwide as well as leadership development through UCLA project X to support site and district leaders in sustaining inclusive student centered systems. In parallel, counselors, social workers, and interns have been trained in evidence-based trauma responsive practices, including bounceback and cognitive behavioral intervention for trauma. This strengthens our capacity to respond to student needs with consistency and deep care. Understanding who our students are becoming is just an just as as important as what they are learning. We are beginning to
018create structures that support student reflection around who they are as learners and as members of their school community. The superintendent student advisory group will be diving more deeply into our learner dispositions later this year using student voice to help shape and inform how this work is brought forward across the district. This approach allows us to grow this work thoughtfully, ensuring that it remains meaningful for students and it's aligned across all of our grade levels. As part of preparing students to thrive in an interconnected world, we are being intentional about how we teach students to navigate digital spaces safely and responsibly. This year, all TK through 8th grade students receive digital citizenship lessons through Common Sense Media with instruction intentionally spaced across the fall and the winter. For the first time, this learning was completed within
019the first half of the school year, establishing clear expectations early. This work supports consistent norms around online safety, ethical technology use, and digital literacy, reinforcing shared expectations for students across all grade levels. Up to this point, we focused on students, their learning exper their learning experiences, and a sense of belonging. Priority area four zooms out to the systems that sustain all this work over time which is really important especially given our financial outlook. This priority is about ensuring that leadership structures professional learning and resources are aligned to our strategic goals so that progress is not dependent on individuals but supported by the organization as a whole. Building on organizational alignment priority area four focuses on how that alignment is operationalized across the district. This year our focus is on making the strategic plan visible and
020actionable in daily work. That includes launching and maintaining a data dashboard to monitor progress and ensuring that decisions around resources, staffing and programs are clearly tied to student outcomes. In parallel, we are strengthening role-specific professional learning so administrators, teachers, support staff, and families have the tools they need to lead and support student success. Together, all of these efforts move the strategic plan from a guiding document to a shared framework for action across EMCSD. Under priority area number four, we are focused on ensuring that the daily work across the district aligns with the strategic plan and it is grounded in shared responsibility for student success. We are seeing this alignment through stronger cross department collaboration. Instruction and special education teams are working together to ensure that special education staff have equitable access to resources and professional
021learning. instruction and expanded learning are partnering to connect career pathway exploration across the instructional day and enrichment programs are aligned. In addition, departments within educational services are collaborating with our SULPA outside partners to strengthen behavioral support systems and establish consistent schoolwide norms and classroom routines that promote safe welcoming learning environments. And those are just three examples of the collaboration that's really starting to take place. This is what alignment looks like in practice. It's teams working across departments to deliver a more consistent experience for all of our students. We are also aligning resource allocation, staffing, and pro programmatic decisions more closely to the strategic plan with a clear focus on student outcomes. Departments have been meeting regularly to ensure that this alignment is intentional and data informed. For example, our mental wellness team has been working
022with Hatching Results, a school counselor training to strengthen tiered mental health services and ensure supports are driven by the data and responsive to student need. At the same time, intervention teachers have been refining how support is delivered to provide more targeted effective intervention for students who need it the most. across academic and social supports. We are moving towards systembased approaches, creating clarity and consistency while still allowing space for staff expertise and professional judgment to guide how support is delivered within that system. Under priority area number four, we have expanded professional learning to build capacity across the district by making it role specific, practical, and aligned to our strategic plan. Professional development is now differentiated by grade span and subject area and extends beyond classroom teachers to include administrators, instructional support specialists, maintenance, facility staff, nutrition
023services, everyone. Recognizing that student success depends on everyone within the entire system. For instructional support specialists, the focus has been on practical strategies for daily use. maintenance and facilities have engaged in training related to equipment maintenance, emergency response, career advancement, nutrition services takes the cake. They have participated in 15 professional development sessions this year, including effective communication, Gmail training, and and oven training to support our new menu offerings. And I get to taste test some of those, and let me tell you, good stuff is coming our way. These are a few experiences that reflect our district-wide commitment to equipping every world, every role with the tool and skills needed to support students, schools, and our families. And this next slide highlights examples of how professional learning has been differentiated this year to meet the needs
024of different roles across the diff district. Rather than a one-sizefits-all approach, we have designed professional learning that is practical and role specific exactly the way we intended to do with our strategic plan. Our school facilities reflect the value that we place on students, staff, and community. And for more than 25 years, we have been steadily building and improving our schools to reflect that commitment. Something that we're extremely proud of. The updates in this section highlight how we continue to invest in safe, functional, and welcoming learning environments across the district. This work represents careful stewardship of bond funds approved by our community and a longstanding promise to maintain and modernize our schools. These projects focus on improving learning conditions, strengthening infrastructure, and creating spaces that reflect pride in our schools and in our neighborhoods. As you
025can see, earlier this year, we celebrated um our new Head Start learning space at Cortata. This space at Cortata was designed to create a safe, welcoming, and developmentally appropriate environment that supports early learning, family engagement, and strong transitions into elementary school. This investment strengthens our partnership with Head Start, expands access to highquality early childhood education, and reinforces the importance of starting early when it comes to learning, belonging, and long-term success. This is a great example of how our facilities work is directly connected to student experiences and community needs. It's not just building, but spaces designed with purpose. And we know that our investment in facilities goes well beyond classroom and instructional spaces. Across the district, all kitchens have been fully updated, ensuring safe and modern environments that support expanded nutrition services for students. This past
026summer, five school roofs were replaced and bathrooms across multiple sites have been modernized to improve safety, functionality, and daily conditions for students and staff. These updates reflect our ongoing commitment to maintaining schools that are safe, reliable, and ready to serve our community every day. Creating welcoming school environments is central to how we nurture young minds. These improvements enhance the daily campus experience for students while also expanding access to green space for families and neighbors. They reinforce our belief that schools are not just places of instruction, but shared community spaces shaped by purpose, care, and connection. This work reflects how our facility investment supports belonging, well-being, and pride across our school communities. Creating effective learning environments includes ensuring classrooms are equipped to meet student needs. New furniture has been purchased and installed in all of our
027special education classrooms and many of our primary classrooms. These updates support more flexible, functional spaces for students and staff. The furniture refresh will continue across the remaining grade levels, allowing improvements to be made in a thoughtful phased manner while maintaining continuity across schools. Learning does not only happen inside the classroom. It also happens in the spaces where students gather, explore, and connect throughout the school day. Across the district, we are investing in outdoor learning environments to support instruction, student well-being, and and engagement. These spaces are designed to extend learning beyond the four walls, provide flexible outdoor seating, outdoor settings for collaboration and movement, and create environments where students can thrive academically and socially. A significant part of this work is supported through a $6 million CalFire grant. This is super exciting. The improvements are taking
028place as we speak at Cortata, Gidley, and Sherpser. And these projects will continue to expand green spaces, improve outdoor learning areas, and enhance campus environments in ways that support learning and safety. The other wonderful thing about this particular grant is that we're learning alongside and we cannot wait to begin to leverage some of our dollars to continue these transformations across all of our schools. Looking ahead, we are continuing to plan improvements that enhance both learning environments and student experiences. Future projects include creating cooler outdoor and um and green spaces that support student well-being and extend learning beyond the classroom as well as upgrading visual and performing arts spaces to better support creativity, expression, and school culture in our multi-purpose rooms. These projects will also be a reflection of our ongoing commitment to thoughtful campus design
029that balances instructional needs, student engagement, and long-term sustainability. And before closing out this section, I just want to take this opportunity to acknowledge Mr. Herrera and the business team, facilities, accounting, business services for their commitment and excellence. Their work is often behind the scenes and it is very critical to the success of all of these projects. I also want to acknowledge the school district community. Our community has been so supportive of our bond measures time and time again, and these investments have been crucial and an opportunity for us to continue making improvements in all of our learning environments, enhancing safety and care for our school facilities in ways that directly benefit students, staff, and families. We take this responsibility very seriously and remain committed to stewarding all of these re precious resources thoughtfully and transparently.
030I want to thank our community for being such wonderful partners across the district. Up to this point, we focused on impact, what students are experiencing, how our systems are aligning to support that work. To sustain this progress, we also need to be very clear about the broader conditions that are shaping our district and education. This section focuses on enrollment, budget, and staffing, not necessarily as challenges in isolation, but as realities that require discipline, planning, transparency, and thoughtful decision-making, which we will get to through the framework of our strategic plan. The first slide shows a long-term enrollment trend that I know you've seen before. It spans over two decades. Since 2000, enrollment in the Almani City School District has steadily declined from just over 12,000 students to approximately 6,600 students today. This context is important because
031it shows the current enrollment changes are part of our long-term demographic shift, not a short-term fluctuation. This year, the district experienced a decline of 272 students, which represents approximately a 4% decrease from last year. While this decline is significant, it aligns with both historical patterns and recent projections. Understanding this helps to ensure that we respond proactively rather than reactively. Several overlapping factors continue to drive enrollment decline. The most significant is declining birth rates across Los Angeles County and California. This trend is compounded by rising housing costs and the out migration of families to more affordable areas along with slowed immigration compared to prior decades. These patterns are not unique to Almani City School District. Most districts across Los Angeles County are experiencing similar enrollment declines. Since 2000, EMCSD enrollment has declined by approximately 45%. Enrollment
032projections indicate that this trend will continue over the coming years. The district hired a demographer in 2023 to project enrollment through 203233. One strategic decision expanding transitional kindergarten helped delay projected enrollment loss by approximately one year, but it does not fully offset long-term demographic realities. These projections reinforce the importance of long range planning. That brings us to our financial outlook. The board accepted the district's audited financial report in September 2025 with no audit findings. The structural deficit reflected in the report is due to continued enrollment decline and the expiration of one-time state and federal funds that supported learning recovery following the pandemic. This slide in particular this slide provides a snap a snapshot of our general fund at first interim for the 2526 school year. On the revenue side, the district is projecting approximately 163.3
033million in total general fund revenue. As expected, the majority of this funding comes from LCFF with additional support from federal, state, and local resources. On the expenditure side, total general fund spending is projected at approximately 184.2 2 million with the largest portion allocated to staff salaries and benefits followed by contracted services, books and supplies and capital expenditures. When we compare revenues and expenditures, this results in a projected 20.9 million deficit for 2526. It is important to place this figure in context. The graph on the right shows our surplus and deficit history over the past several years. During 2223 and 2324, the district experienced surpluses driven largely by one-time federal funding provided during the pandemic. That funding has now either ended or is ending at the end of this school year. The deficits we see in
0342425 and 2526 are not the result of new spending decisions but rather the expiration of those temporary funds combined with long-term enrollment decline a pattern we are seeing across dis across the districts statewide. So this slide reinforces discipline P planning early adjustments and long range fiscal strategies are essential as we move forward. The district is addressing these realities thoughtfully, focusing on maintaining stability while responding to aligning our resources. Over time, we have worked carefully to minimize staffing reductions and manage our change thoughtfully. I want to acknowledge Mr. Solenbach and his team for the care and diligence that personnel provides and professionalism to that they bring to this work. They balance fiscal responsibility with the deep respect for each employee and the impact that these decisions have on people. From 2015 to 2025, there were 71
035reductions to general education positions. For 2526, there were 11 reductions and projections for 2627 indicate that staffing may need to be appropriately rightsized by approximately 15 certificated positions. These decisions continue to be guided by a commitment to protect classroom instruction while aligning staffing responsibly with enrollment trends. Even in the context of declining enrollment and ongoing fiscal pressures, Elmani City School District remains highly competitive within Los Angeles County when it comes to certificated salaries. We currently rank seventh out of 78 districts countywide and first among the 26 elementary districts. This standing reflects deliberate and thoughtful decisions by the board and district leadership to prioritize our people while maintaining fiscal stability and responsibility. Competitive compensation is not just about rankings. It supports stability, continuity, and instructional quality in our classrooms. It allows us to recruit strong educators
036and just as importantly retain the talented professionals who already serve our students, families, and community. One of the strengths of the Almani City School District is the culture our staff have built together. Staff survey results show consistently strong indicators of trust, safety, and care across the district. More than 90% of staff report feeling supported, valued, and part of a positive working environment with especially strong responses related to caring relationships and social emotional support. These results reflect the commitment, professionalism, and shared values of our employees and reinforce the importance of investing in our people as we continue to move our district forward. This strong staff culture is also reflected in our retention data. Many many sources of pride here. Almani City School District has a 99.7 certificated retention rate, significantly higher than the state and national
037average. More than half of our workforce has been with the district for over 20 years, demonstrating deep commitment, institutional knowledge, and longstanding relationships with students, families, and our wonderful community. This level of stability strengthens instructional continuity, supports mentorship and collaboration, and it allows us to move forward together with confidence as a district. Our strong retention reflects the trust, experience, and relationships within our district. Our community schools framework builds on that foundation, bringing staff, families, students, and partners together to identify needs and solve problems collectively. We are in year one of our community schools grant and this year is focused on putting the processes and structures in place to allow this work to happen intentionally and collaboratively across all sites. As we strengthen how we work together to support students and families is also important to
038look ahead and plan for the years to come. That brings us to enrollment. an essential part of ensuring that we are prepared to welcome families, staff, our schools responsibly and continue building strong school communities. Early enrollment for the 2627 school year opens on February 2nd. This early enrollment window supports responsible planning and provides us with an opportunity to begin welcoming our families into our wonderful school district. So, back to this slide. Five months into a five-year strategic plan, we are seeing clear signs of progress, stronger alignment, deeper coherence, and meaningful momentum across the district. At the same time, we are approaching the work ahead with focus, urgency grounded in disciplined planning, responsible stewardship, and a shared commitment to every single one of our students. I want to thank the board for their leadership, partnership, and
039our staff for their professionalism and for dedication and our community for the trust that they place in us every single day. Together, we are not only honoring the vision of achieving beyond limits, we are building the systems, culture, and conditions to make it real for every student every day. Thank you. [applause] Thank you so much, Dr. Dr. Garcia for that wonderful update 5 months into our strategic plan. As a board, we're we are really looking forward to our upcoming school visits where we can see our strategic plan in action. That was one of our requests, right? So we can really pinpoint all those initiatives that you're pointing to. So we can really see that um the the vision that we have set up as a board and as a district is being um again just
040being seen in action and and our children are experiencing what our mission was behind that. >> Yes. Thank you. Any questions from the board? Any comments? Thank you. Right. We'll move on to our next item is our board report starting with Miss Kobon. >> Um I just want to welcome everyone back and wish everyone a happy new year. Look, we're definitely looking forward to the second half of our school year. Um and that's all for me tonight. Thank you. >> All right, Mr. Baralda. >> Pretty much the same thing. Looking forward to our upcoming work for the remainder of this school year. And welcome back everybody. >> Right, Miss Rivas. Yeah, I just want to share I have two high schoolers right now and um this is the time of year when uh people are
041getting um their college acceptance letters and so I'm in the really neat position where I get to hear from my kids about their friends and the schools, the wonderful schools that they're getting into and these are all, you know, former EMCSD students. um and just thinking about what lies ahead for them and it's it's a really sweet position to hear um hear the different you know schools that these kids are getting into and um they really have kept you know I think that was a very strong EMCSD uh push right is um keeping that dream alive for everyone to go to college and they've really maintained that despite some people trying to tell them that oh it doesn't you don't need this anymore and um it's obsolete whatever uh but I think our students really
042know that this is the way that uh their dreams will be realized and they will in a few short years be in positions of influence because of it. So um that's your work that you've done. So thank you so much and um yeah such a joy to be able to hear that and celebrate that with those kids. >> Thank you Mr. Secret. As always, I'm impressed with what our district does. Uh my wife and I just came back last week from Hawaii. We were at the Hawaiian International Conference of Educators, 1100 people from all over the world. We did a presentation on resources for learning Spanish. And it was wellreceived, thank goodness. And [snorts] while I was there, I shared a lot of what our district does. And people around the world, especially from Australia,
043were so interested in what we do. So I I'm networking with those people also. But I was so impressed with tonight's presentation, especially with the focus on students, students, students, students, and that's why we're here and let's all work together. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Seagar. I would like to share with the board and also the audience that a few months ago I was invited to be a guest on a new podcast called Shattering Inquities and it was hosted by um Dr. Robin Avalor Lel who was our keynote speaker two two years ago and she's also the CEO of Arunda and we talked about what it really means for board members to support a district's work in providing high quality education for every student no matter their background and I was of just like
044Mr. seeker is really able to highlight the work we're doing in Almani City School District from our great level capstone experiences our innovative leadership I highlighted with just that we have the mentality of what would it take to get this done and we do it right and even as a board member I was like can we do that and they're like yeah we're doing it I'm like okay uh I also spoke about us as a governance team and how we've used our governance handbook as a tool to really align ourselves on our role as board members and how because of that, you know, we don't because we work in that way and we know our role, we're never having to worry about maybe outside pressures because again, we understand our role and I think we
045project that um to to our community and to like our outside public on what type of board that we are. Um so yeah so I just wanted to share that with everyone just um that's again another one of our other roles is right is to advocate for public education but one way is to highlight that the work that we're doing in the Almani city school district and so yeah I'll ask Dr. Garcia to to share that with the board and anyone else you want to share it with in the district it's on YouTube and also on Apple podcast >> to share. >> Thank you. All right moving on if we have any uh public or written comments as part of communications. No written communication has come forward. >> Okay. Then we're going to move on
046to our close sessions. We have two items. First item, close session regarding pursuant to government government code 54957.6 conference with labor negotiators EMTA and CSA 10 and CSCA 356. We also have close session item pursuant to government code 54957 public employee performance evaluation of the superintendent. Thank you. [snorts] >> [clears throat] >> Good evening. Resuming our board of education meeting at 6:46 p.m. We are resuming our open meeting. Um no action was taken regarding um item one and two of close session items. One being conference with labor negotiators and item two being public employee performance evaluation of the superintendent. >> Moving on to our next item, approval of minutes. Do I have a consideration of approval for the December 15th, 2025 board meeting minutes? >> I'll move to approve. >> Is there a second? >>
047Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? The motion carries 5-0. Next, we have a report. We have one EMCSD Williams uniform complaint policy for the 2526 school year, quarter 2 report. >> Good evening. Uh before you um for your information is the uh second quarter Williams uh uniform complaint policy report that we must submit to LEO uh four times a year. So this is for the second quarter and it does cover uh our instructional materials, our facilities and then our teacher assignments. And so for the second quarter, we had zero complaints filed. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Next, moving on to our action and consent agenda item. Are there any individual items that a individual board member would like to vote on separately at this time? Okay. All
048right. So, do I have a motion for the action and consent agenda? >> I'll make the motion. >> I have a motion for Miss Bara. Is there a second? >> A second. >> Second by Miss Kobon. Any discussion? >> All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Okay. Thank you. The motion carries. 5-0. Now we have our board policy updates. Once again, this is an item that we can vote on. Well, let me get in there. >> Action. >> Oh my gosh. Thank you so much. Jumped ahead. Next is our actions items. >> Okay. Starting with number one, consideration of approval to adopt resolution for the 2526 school year celebration of African-American history month for February 20 26. >> President Mandis Garcia and governing board for your consideration this evening. This resolution
049recognizes and celebrates the lasting contributions of African-Americans to the nation's history, culture, and society and reinforces our commitment to promoting awareness, education, and appreciation of African-American heritage and achievements. >> Thank you. Is there a motion for item one? >> I'll make the motion. >> Motion by Miss Kobon. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Second by Miss Rivas. Any discussion? >> All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? The motion carries 50-0. Next, we have item two, consideration of approval to adopt resolution for the 2526 school year celebration of college awareness month in California. And that would be for this February. And for your consideration this evening, this resolution highlights the value of higher education and encourages students to consider and pursue post-secary opportunities. It also supports increased awareness of the many pathways available
050after high school, including colleges and universities. >> Thank you. Do I have a motion for item two? >> I move to approve item two. >> Motion by Miss Rivas. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Second, bya. Any discussion? >> All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Thank the No. The motion carries 5-0. Okay. Item three, consideration of approval of certificated personnel matters. >> Well, good evening. Uh before you is our uh monthly routine item. Uh but because we have six of our certificated staff members who have uh submitted their retirement letters for the end of the school year. We wanted to just acknowledge that um and just uh give them some uh credit and and thanks for what they do. Um so we have six teachers that are retiring at
051the end of the school year. uh between the six of them is 197 years of service to the Almani city. >> Thank you and thank you so much for our employees and congratulations on on that upcoming retirement. I do have a motion for item three. >> I'll make the motion. >> Motion by Miss Kobon. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Second by Miss Rivas. Any discussion? All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? >> The motion carries. 5-0. Item four, consideration of approval to adopt resolution for the 2526 school year authorizing the issuance of measure me general obligation bonds. >> Governing board members, this authorization of this resolution passed through. The resolution allows district staff to move forward with the first step of accessing bond measure and me funds. The bond was passed
052in November of 2024 uh with authorizing $105 million of voter approved debt. The first step we went through after passage was um working with the state board of education last week. The state board of education approved a waiver adding bond measure ME um onto our bonding capacity which allows to access the funds. As part of our uh facility master plan improvement uh process, we are accessing the first third of the $105 million. So, passage of this resolution would allow us to access approximately $35 million of bond funds, specifically out of bond measure MU. The next step in the process, if passed, we would submit information to the county board of supervisors. Next month, they would approve a resolution which would then kick off the process to then sell the bonds in March of 2026. Uh,
053and sometime in the March or April time frame, we would get the $35 million of funding deposited into our district fund so that we can plan for projects as we go into 2027 and beyond. >> Thank you. Okay. Do we have a motion for item four? >> I'll make the motion. >> Okay. Motion by Miss Bara. Is there a second? >> A second. Second by Miss Kobe. Any discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? The motion carries. 5-0. >> Next we have item five, consideration of approval to adopt resolution for the 2526 school year authorizing the issuance of the 22 26 general obligation refunding bonds. >> This next resolution is a refinancing opportunity. Whenever we go to market to sell bonds, we look to see if there's opportunity to ex uh
054refinance existing uh voter approved bond debt that we've issued in years past. Um and so with the upcoming bond measure, MEale, uh we explore the opportunity to refinance existing debt. There is an opportunity to save quite a bit of funding uh funds via a refinancing opportunity. The savings would then obviously go to the uh the taxpayers. Um, so if passed, uh, what we're looking at is a refinancing of approximately $27 million of voter approved debt from the past that we've already issued that debt and we would hope to generate approximately $2 million of savings on that refinancing if interest rates hold. >> Thank you. Do we have a motion for item five? >> I'll make the motion. >> Okay. Motion by Miss Kobon. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Second by Miss Rivas.
055Um any discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? >> The motion carries 5-0. >> Next item six, consideration of approval to adopt resolution for the 2520s of school year authorizing the insurance of the 20 2026 general obligation refunding bonds forward delivery. Similar to the last resolution that was voted on, what's different here is a refinancing opportunity for debt that will come due uh August 1st. By law, you cannot refinance uh within 90 days. And so that moves us up to May 1st. In order to um pair this refinancing with the broader sale that we're doing and the other refinancing, we've identified $9 million of voter approved debt that will come due in a few months and so not so not have to go to market again a few months and incur the
056cost of the legal and the financial advisors and underwriters. Uh we are exploring to move forward with the Ford delivery. What that means is you lock in your interest rates a little bit sooner than the 90 days. um and you pay a small fee for that, but we generate um there's enough savings on there to pay that um that small fee uh to warrant the savings. So, this would uh in our calculations and talking with our underwriters and financial adviserss, approximately $9 million of debt that we will pair with a broader uh refinancing that was approved in agenda item five, and it would result in approximately $500,000 worth of savings after the fee uh to lock in the early interest rate. >> Thank you. Right. Do I have a motion for item six? >> I'll
057make the motion. >> Motion by Miss Goon. Is there a second? >> I'll second. Second by Mr. Barta. Any discussion? All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? >> The motion carries. 5-0. >> Now we're at the board policy updates. Moving for we will be voting on this um as a whole unless there's indiv individual policy items that board members would like to vote on separately to discuss. Um, I'd like to pull item one, two, and 15. >> One, two, and 15. Okay. So, do I have a motion for board policy updates minus 1, 2, and 15? >> I'll make the motion. >> You have a motion by Miss Kobon. Is there a second? >> Second that. >> Second by Mr. Seagrist. Okay. All in favor say I. I. I. Any opposed? The motion carries
058for those. 5-0. Okay. All right. We now we will look at the first board policy update. Consideration of approval of revised board policy 0440 district technology plan and deletion of administrative regulation 0440 district technology plan. And so what what I wanted to do was um actually for both uh number one and two um is I I would be interested in adding in maybe some explicit language around student safety as well as their physical and mental health related to our technology plan um just because I know and I know it's something we have discussed before. So I I'd like to see that reflected um in the language here if that's something the rest of the board would be interested in as well. Do you have sample language like ideas of what and where? >> I I
059don't at this point. So, I would more turn to our staff to see what legally is appropriate there. >> Yeah, we're happy to build in language um that reflects the the the ask here if that is the consensus of the board. Um just procedurally is it um helpful to approve this as is and then re you know when it's ready um to revise it or is it um >> yes in other words to have something in place now? >> Yes. So the recommendation for this evening uh would be for you to approve the first reading as amended by um Mrs. Kobian's remarks. We'll bring back a second reading that reflects the remarks and then the board can take action final action on the board policy. If you would like to prolong the second reading, we
060can also do that as well. And so, you know, make sure that we get it right. >> Yes, we still have to have the second reading. Okay. >> So, um yeah, with that, I'll I'll move to approve item one. >> Okay. So, Oh, okay. So, we have a motion to approve item one with the amended comment. >> Yeah. >> By Miss Kobon. >> Okay. And we have a motion by >> Miss Kobon. Is there a second? >> Second by Miss Okay. Miss Rivas. Okay. Okay. Any other discussion? Okay. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Right. The motion carries 5-0. >> And so then I'll I'll make the same motion for number two with revisions based on those comments. >> Okay. All right. So then we do we have a a motion
061for item two for for artificial intelligence. Is there a second? >> A second. >> Second by Miss Rivas. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? Okay, the motion carries 5-0. Now we have item 15, consideration of approval, revised board policy and administrative regulation um 6143, courses of study. Thank you. Um, so for this one, I was was looking at it a little closely and was wondering, I know sometimes we include things that relate to the high school, you know, a high school age student that may also be appropriate in in rare circumstances for in our middle schools. Um, in looking at the courses of study though, I feel like we should be make sure these are focused on our grades span specific items. So, I know there's a few um
062in particular when you get up to seventh and eighth grade uh that don't necessarily reflect our um uh our expectations of what our students should be learning. Um in particular, the the ethnic studies semester course, which I know is it's a high school expectation. Um I think there's a financial a personal finance one. Um and then as well some of the um there's some repetition I think in the the first through sixth grade in the seventh and eighth grade and maybe being specific as to which is appropriate for which grade level. Thank you. >> Um so I I think I just ultimately and and I don't know if this one we may need to bring back I don't know if this works in the the bringing it back for the second reading. Um, but just
063ultimately have it reflect a little more directly what we're doing because I think we also in terms of our course of studies have things that maybe aren't included in here that I think would be appropriate to do. So I I know that's a bigger ask at this point, but that that's something that I was felt like if I was a parent looking at this and I would see see some of these things listed, is this what I would expect my student to be learning at the grade level that they're at? and and I want to make sure that we are reflective of of what our actual practices are. >> Got it. >> That's a great point. And then procedurally, do you have a recommendation, Dr. Garcia? >> Very similar. I think we can um add
064some language here to correct um the or make that distinction between elementary, seventh, and eighth grade. I would still encourage us to keep high school information on there. Sometimes we have students that are with us as seventh and eighth graders, but they take courses at the high school. So perhaps some language to distinguish that they're not necessarily responsible for some of those courses. But but I think, you know, we can definitely work on that. We can bring it back as a second reading as amended for the board to consider. And if it still needs some additional refinement, happy to bring, you know, different versions back until we get it right. >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> No, I agree as well that kind of distinguishing some of those items being more at that high school level.
065So, I'll I'll make a motion um for to approve the first reading with the the adjustments based on comments. >> Okay. >> And I'll second. >> Second by Miss Rivas. Um any other any other discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? The motion carries. 5-0. Right. Next we have our discussion session starting with our governance handbook. So Miss Cobian and I with Dr. Garcia reviewed our governance handbook because that was something just again we that was one of our commitments as a board as well just every annually reviewing the governance handbook. Um and so we found some areas that uh that we were like okay is that already repetitive? Is it something that we can consolidate and just also just kind of clean up? So we all have a copy in front
066of us. It's a portion of the governance handbook. We know the first section it has like moreformational item about about the district. Yes. >> So like one of the big sections or well we used to have like a three or four pages at the end and we looked to see like how much of it was just repetitive and we found that a lot of it was just a repeat of what we had in the first section. So we are recommending to we deleted that section. And then we made sure again that um the first sections regarding our governance team protocols reflect all the items that we wanted to make sure we to reflect and we just like we said we kind of just cleaned it up a little bit more. Cobin, you would like to
067add anything else or to highlight any >> um I I think um you know ultimately we were looking at it with the lens of you know a new board member. I mean, and and even for us as as returning board members, um, you know, does this kind of capture the process, the the behaviors and procedures that we use? Um, and I think I think we did a good job of kind of creating categories where there there hadn't been categories before. I mean ultimately when we were looking at it the first time we I think over time we had gotten new good ideas and we thought okay well let's add this and let's add this and some of it was as you know you said pretty um repetitive and so I think just to kind of
068you know center everyone the first set is is about how we operate as a board and a team um and just sort of the the philosophies that that are behind the work that we do um and then the protocol call section is is more of the the how-to. So, if you wanted to add to the agenda, um preparing for meetings. Um in particular, we added a section around the Brown Act, which we, you know, we know and has regular updates, but this this lays out some things kind of explicitly in terms of expectations for that. Um and then in terms of community engagement, we wanted to to have some specific protocols so that we um not not only for ourselves so we know what to expect. So one of them we in particular that we
069added was making sure we're identifiable as board members um and and that we notify um you know the the administrator on site that we are there. So, um, there's no surprises and that we we interact well and so, so kind of for us in terms of behaviors, but also so that those at the school sites and the community know what to expect from us. So, because this is a a public document as well, um, making sure that that, you know, we hold ourselves accountable and the public knows what to expect from us. So, those are kind of the areas where we we I won't say we made changes, but we kind of clarified what the expectation is. And we also added language of the strategic plan. >> Yes, >> I noted as well. And um
070regarding identification, please check if you still have your name tag or and also just kind of think because I know sometimes that there are moments where we don't have our name tag. So um if we go into an event, just kind of just wanting to make sure we can just do a better job at our identification. We may need to have a backup. What if you don't have a name badge >> or a sweater? >> Mr. Peralta needs a name badge. >> Okay, there we go. >> I wore my city one if you guys want me to wear that. >> No, but please let Dr. Garcia know if you need a new name badge. >> And I note taking on the sweater. It is getting a little chilly out there. >> Right. >> Jacket. And
071and I think the other bit that we added in was about and and I we've started doing this already, but in communicating with Edna about our attendance at events and just making sure that that people know to expect us um so it's not seen as like a surprise to >> or if we can't make it as well. It's important >> so that we we have that also. any any feedback? We also kind of cleaned up additional meetings. Just kind of highlighted what additional meetings um we typically have. I just think it's really great. I was um reading it a little bit when I first arrived since you had it here um at our seats and you know we had a lot of great bullet points before but it was like you said all mixed together.
072So this just is so much easier to read and all make sense um by being categorized in this way and it's very thorough and clear. So thank you both for doing this. >> All right. Perfect. So, are we is it we going to bring it back as an action item or do we just if we don't have changes, it's just part of our handbook. >> I think it's it's a protocol where the board just consents on this is the we're going to we're going to add this to the governance handbook and then we can make sure that um we add it to the binder and then it's something that's at your seats when you come to the meetings in the future. >> Yeah. Do we have consensus as a board to this updated >> yes
073governance team principles and expectations? >> Yes. >> Thank you. And then we'll make uh like Dr. Garcia said they'll we'll make sure to get that updated. Are we able also able to have it electronically? >> We do and just shared via >> No, I we do have uh the the handbook electronic as a version. I think it's on our website. Am I >> Can they be shared to us via Google? >> Yep. We can also share that with the board >> because I feel like I have one but I know it's an old one. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> My recommendation is that we we not attach because the bylaws live within you know the the board just the policies. Um but we can also we can make mention of the board bylaws as like
074a just a title page and where they can be found. Yeah. >> Is that agreeable? >> I agree. Yeah. >> Okay. >> And I know um for future discussion items, I mentioned it last time that it was Lendell Unified that shared um their ethics policy and it's a policy but also a protocol on what to do. It's really for the public or any of us if there is a board member right that is maybe not following um board policy regarding governance. So if I can just have Dr. Garcia maybe to share it with the board to ensure that all of us have it. I he was emailed it to us and it's also on Glendel's website. It's pretty it's very detailed but something for us to consider if that's something that we also want to
075adopt as part of our governance handbook and also that that policy as well. >> Happy to do so. >> Are there any future discussion items board members would like to add so I can make note of that? All right. So then that um adjourns tonight's meeting at 7:10 p.m. Thank you.