001I'd like to call this meeting to order. We call the meeting to order at 5:05. This is the Monday, September 15th, 2025 meeting of the Elmani City School District Board of Education. Uh we'll begin with roll call. Mrs. Kobian, >> present. >> Mr. Paralta, >> present. >> Mrs. Mendes Garcia, >> present. >> Mr. Seagris, >> present. and Revas present. Uh we will begin with the flag salute. Um would you please stand and join me? >> Ready, begin. >> I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you and thank you all for being here this evening. Um we'll begin with cabinet reports. Dr. Garcia, thank you. Good evening, President Rivas and governing board members.
002Um this evening, we are updating the name of this section. Um for for a few years now, we've done this cabinet update where we share all department updates. um at this time. Uh but given the momentum and the excitement around the strategic plan, moving forward, uh we're going to rename this portion of our board agenda to strategic plan update. Um it reflects our commitment of aligning all of our work comprehensively to the adopted strategic plan. And I look forward to sharing the progress and all of the wonderful things happening as a result of the plan. So, at this time, I'd like to um call our attention over to the screen. Uh lots of wonderful pictures to celebrate. We've completed our back to school nights. It's an opportunity to welcome our school community into our schools,
003get reacquainted with uh staff, with school um and and kick off the start of the school year. Our first priority area is ensuring academic excellence for all. And so I'm going to turn it over to Mr. Era who's going to kick us off with our first slide. >> Thank you Dr. Garcia. Um you know looking at the first area priority area of ensuring academics for all um it's uh was some positive news some unexpected news that we received in recent days we knew there was funding in the state budget related to uh literacy coaching and reading specialist funding um and the May revise you recall there was also funding for math coaches and in that area unfortunately that didn't make it into the budget they pulled that back um recently a few months ago we
004had shared with the board that we thought one of our schools would qualify actually two of our schools qualified for this one-time funding. So, Wilkerson School and Sherpter School will be receiving funding. It's onetime money. Um, and it'll be targeted for uh later instruction uh in the early ages and in the primary grade levels. And so, $450,000 for Wilkerson School and a little over half a million dollars for Sherpser School. Uh we're um uh just received the news from the CDE uh after the guidance came out and Wilkerson and chirps are qualified for the funding and we look forward to the um positive results and the impact that these resources can have on uh improving academic excellence for all. >> Well, good evening. Um I'm going to be covering uh Dr. Penedo's uh areas tonight
005because she couldn't be with us. So um she did leave a nice uh robust uh uh script that she wanted to make sure that um was presented for you all. And so um in in the area of priority one um she wanted to highlight the academic achievement framework. Um and this is a researchbased practice is proven to drive student success. Um at the classroom level um it emphasizes standards aligned curriculum, effective instruction and equitable supports. At the school level, leaders build teacher capacity, foster collaboration, and provide meaningful uh feedback. And at the district level, uh we ensure coherence uh through aligned priorities, leadership development, datadriven systems, and equitable resources. Together, all of these evidence-based practices uh create the conditions uh for every student to thrive. Next slide. And we just completed a uh a full
006week of professional development. Um and so for priority one, I want to cover um the professional development specifically that was aligned for our teachers. Uh so this past week, our staff engaged in professional learning uh designed to strengthen tier one instruction which aligns with priority area one. Uh teachers reviewed the instructional pacing of the essential standards in ELA and math and began to identify big ideas and priority standards in science and social studies in seventh and eighth grades. Um they also reviewed implementation and calendar of district-wide common formative assessments. We also provided training on uh the pair assessment platform which would house our CFAs uh strategies for intervention during small groupoup instruction and integrated EL across content areas. Uh these sessions helped uh to ensure that our instructional practices remain consistent, evidence-based and responsive to
007student needs. And I'll take uh this next slide. It comes out of the personnel department. Um and just wanted to give an update in terms of our certificated substitute uh stability. um and tie it into uh priority one in that uh through the ensur that we have a good pool of substitutes um we are also uh making sure that we have reliable coverage which preserves instructional quality and time. And so over the course of just the start of this year we've been averaging about 40 certificated subs uh per day with 100% uh coverage across absences. Uh we anticipate that will increase because uh we were started off kind of slow and we had some PD last week. So we anticipate these coming weeks and the weeks after um both the department of instruction and our
008sites will start wanting to sub out their teachers for planning and so on. And we might see days where we might have anywhere from 70 to 90 subs um out uh for various reasons um and and again uh with our ability to cover them. Um, one of the reasons why we're able to cover is, uh, one, we keep on boarding all of our, uh, new subs, which is great. We have a great new pool of about 23 or 24 that we've already started to, um, activate and put out into our classrooms. Uh, but we've also had some great support through two of our partners, which are Scoot and Swing. Uh, we've been able to utilize them for more of our last minute absences. So the morning of or um sometimes after the school day starts
009we might have a situation and and they've been great partners in ensuring that we can get coverage as well. >> Thank you Mr. Sullenbach. This leads us to priority area number two to deliver diverse experiences and opportunities that prepare students for future success. >> So some exciting updates. Um we have a uh green schoolyard modernization project underway. Three of the schools that are benefiting from the implementation of this project is Cortana School, Sherpter School, and Gidley School. Right. It was funding that was coming from the CalFire uh grant. We're leveraging some local funds to amplify the projects at those three schools. Um Cortata has made the most progress um of the three schools so far, but the other two schools will uh continue with their progress throughout the school year. Um and as you can
010see there, we've reached some important milestones over the summer uh and recently in the past few weeks. uh students and the school participated in some tree planting a few weeks ago there. It was it was a great experience where we had our staff involved, parents involved, kids involved. Um and uh it was it was a great experience to get them involved in in the process um to uh understand environmental stewardship and the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. Right. So, um, another milestone that we reached, uh, recently was we, uh, updated the sprinkler systems at Cortata School and lay down some new grass there. Uh, so in the next week or two, uh, the kids will be able to access, uh, brand new, uh, grass area with the walking path and it's a beautiful project
011that's coming along and we look forward to providing more updates to the board as we continue to hit more milestones at the three school sites uh, throughout the school year. In regards to area two, uh, from our instruction department, uh, we'd like to highlight our enrichment programs that, uh, are are strong and thriving and expanding. Um, we'll see some more opportunities this year. Um, we're pleased that, uh, with our program because it delivers diverse experiences and opportunities that prepare students for future successes by providing interestbased and interest driven learning beyond the school day. Programs such as mariachi, musical theater, sports, cheerleading, uh various clubs, and the youth cinema project cultivate creativity, teamwork, leadership, and cultural awareness. Um while strengthening academic and social emotional skills as well by expanding access across all sites and partnering with
012our community organizations, we ensure that every student has meaningful opportunities uh to explore their passions, build confidence, and develop skills needed to thrive in school and beyond. Thank you, Mr. Solenach. That brings us to priority area number three, preparing students to thrive in an interconnected world. >> An exciting project that has reached um the completion phase is our childhood modernization project at Cortala School. So, the project kicked off two years ago. Uh we had in that area six portable classrooms that were well beyond their useful life, which we removed. Um, and in its place, we installed uh and constructed four new classrooms, three of them to be used for Head Start, uh, or a few of them for Head Start, one of them for early Head Start, and some new playgrounds there in the area.
013Um, we got licensing that recently signed off on it. They're cleared for occupancy. The fire marshall came by and did the inspection. So, any day now, the kids will be moving into the new spaces and, uh, it's a wonderful space. The playgrounds are a nature explorer concept, right? Um, as we looked at the green schoolyard updates a few slides ago, uh, green spaces in our community sometimes are non-existent. Um, and so we're happy to provide these type of learning opportunities for students on our campuses. Um, so more details or or an invitation to come to the board and parents and the community, right, to celebrate this uh this project that is is completed. So more details and an invite to come soon on the ribbon cutting ceremony. Uh also as we look at the conditions
014that we set for optimal student learning to occur, uh we now look at some upcoming exciting projects that we plan to move forward with and hope to get implemented in the summer 2026. Uh two of them being at uh the our first school, Cortado School and the Arondo School. Um so at our October board meeting, we hope to bring forward a contract to the board to approve uh a pool of architects that we can assign to design the work. Right. Cortado School. You can see some of the the window units there that are quite noisy. The the last of its kind that we have across our school district. They don't um allow for optimal learning conditions are quite noisy. And we're looking to update those HVAC units and put them on the roof, right? For
015better um ventilation and also to reduce the noise levels, right? And if you ever walk into any of those classrooms, it's quite noisy, right? So, it's not the best uh learning experience for our students or for our teachers as well. And so we've kicked off that process for the request for qualifications because we likely will be moving the ACS onto the roof. It uh impacts the structural load and we have to go through the DSA for approval. So we hope to complete that process in the next few months, bid it out in the springtime and complete the project in the summertime. As we pivot our attention to Real Hondo School, right, um the AC systems there have been quite challenging um over the past decade or so and they're on the back end of their
016useful life. Um, we're also exploring the modernization of the AC units there. Um, so a lot of exciting work going on in the area of HVAC, making sure that we have cools that are or or rooms that are um uh optimal as far as heating and and cooling, right? So that the great learning can happen inside the classroom. So more to come on that and we'll provide updates at the October board meeting going forward. Thank you. continuing uh instruction. Um we also want to focus on preparing students to thrive in an interconnected world. Um at its heart, this means ensuring that every child feels known, supported, and connected through authentic adult student relationships while also strengthening the systems that promote safety, wellness, engagement um and engagement across our schools. Across our district, we have a
017range of staff in place in addition to our classroom teachers who support the whole child from mental and behavioral health to academic learning, family engagement, and overall wellness. And you can see um you know on the uh our slide there, we've listed quite a few of them. Um not just our staff in-house, but also some of our partners that help support this process uh as well. Um so these positions reflect the board's commitment to creative inclusive environments where students can learn, grow, and thrive. Next slide. And then continuing on the professional development, we also want to highlight um the professional development that we put in place this last week that uh was not just for our teachers but also for our classified staff as well. Um so this past week um we engaged in professional
018development directly connected to our priority three. Our teachers, counselors, social workers participated in conscious discipline training uh to uh to strengthen self-regulation and create emotionally safe classrooms. Our supervision assistants refresh their skills with playworks, learning inclusive play practices and simple conflict resolution strategies uh in order to be able to support a safe and joyful recess environment. and our instructional assistants participate in big feelings little learners where they learned practical tools to nurture young children's growth and respond to early signs of struggle. These efforts equip our staff to build the strong supportive relationships that our students need to thrive academically, socially and emotionally. >> And also um something really exciting that took place, believe it or not, on the first Friday of the first week of school. Sherpser hosted their very first field trip and kudos
019to Sherpser, the principal and the staff. Remember the first day of school was Thursday and they were on a field trip on Friday. Uh we have been very fortunate to have this long-standing relationship with Lango Toyota and every year they adopt a school and they do a backpack giveaway and so uh for the past few years they've come out to the school site and they host an assembly. Um they do a Q&A with the kids and there's a lot of you know car facts that get thrown around. It's really fun. This year we decided to take the kids to Longo and tour the facility and get to know the business and the partnership which really aligns to the work of the strategic strategic plan and create. You know, we have strong relationships with our community
020partners, but we want to deepen those relationships. And so here it is on the first Friday of the first week of school, a field trip that Longo Toyota hosted. Um so our fifth and sixth graders from Sherpser um went to the the campus there, Longo campus, and they got a tour of the facility. They got to meet with the CEO. Mr. Pensky was there and he was able to answer questions. They were very impressed with all the questions the kids always bring because their cars is is still a very much a popular thing amongst our students. Um and then every student on the campus got a backpack filled with supplies thanks to Longo Toyota. Our last area, our priority area number four, aligning leadership, staffing and resources to student centered priorities. Tonight the board will
021receive the unodit actions report. Uh it's an action item presented. Um here's a summary of that document. Uh that gives a high level overview of the results of financial results after we close the books in the past fiscal year. We run July 1st through June 30th. That's our fiscal year that we operate on. Um and as we look at our 2425 financial um operations, you can see that we had a deficit which meant that we spent more uh than the revenues that we brought in. um to be expected obviously with the large infusion of one-time funding that came into schools from the state and mostly the federal government over the past few years and the expiration of that funding uh in the 23 24 fiscal year. 202425 was the first year uh where we felt
022the the revenue cliff I guess you can say uh with the expiration of that funding right so um we have a large deficit there and we're uh putting a plan together to make sure that we can uh maintain fiscal stability it is important to um understand the importance of reserves right as you can see there although we had a deficit right giving kids what they need sometimes requires spending more than the funding that comes in in that given U but as you can see there we had sufficient reserves to help weather the storm. Um now that will buy you a few years but as you move out a few years into the future right you'll need to correct that deficit. That's something that district staff is looking uh at um to develop a plan to
023make sure we have a balanced budget um as uh we go into future years. Another update around this time of year as the dust settles and we know what the final enrollment counts are. Um you can see the updated numbers there. If we look at TK through 8th grade enrollment, uh now that we have fully implemented our universal TK expansion, right? All students that turn four by September 1st qualify for TK. So, we've added an entirely new grade level to the system. Uh similar to what kinder was. Now, we have TK, right? It's a year before kinder. You can see there our counts there are just above 6,600 students across the district. That's a decline of about 4% as compared to the prior school year or about 272 students. And to put that in context,
024uh we went back a few years to look at enrollment trends in Monte over the years. And as you can see here, going back, you know, 25 years, we had about 12,000 students and every 5 years or so, we go down about a thousand or so students every year. So you can see the decline over the years. Now the trend of declining enrollment uh in the school district persists and will continue for years to come. The main reason um are um smaller um family sizes, declining birth rates, right? And so although that's the main driving factor, there are other um uh migration flows going on in LA County. So declining enrollment and uh that's not something immune that we're immune to here or unique in the Monte City School District. It's impacting virtually all school
025districts in LA County. You're having a lot of families that are moving out of the LA County area into other areas within California or maybe all out of the state altogether uh due to the cost of living or putting off um um the uh having kids which obviously has a compounding effect on birth rates. So the high cost of living um the declining birth rates, the migration flows within LA County, within the state is impacting it. Um but it's not something that is um unique to Edmonton. It's impacting virtually all school districts across uh the state of California and LA County. And to put it in context, we've reduced about 45% or so in our enrollment decline going back u 25 years. Uh next uh topic to celebrate actually some uplifting news is uh bond
026measure me. So you recall around this time last year we passed bond measure me. Now, the next uh step is to make sure we can now access the funding. It was $105 million that the voters authorized, right? And so, uh on the agenda tonight is a public hearing um so that we can pursue the next steps in submitting a bond waiver capacity to the state board of education. U it's something that's unique to Edmonton City School District and only a few districts submit these type of waiverss up to the state of California because we've had strong support over the years. We've had five bonds passed over the past 25 years in Edmontone. Right. So, uh, in simple terms, uh, ED code limits how much funding you can borrow to improve your schools, right? But because
027we've had five bonds passed over the past 25 years, right? Um, we have strong support from the community and we have we've exceeded that um, uh, that percentage, right? And so we did this back in 2015 when we had measure M that was passed, right? We went to the board, the state board for a waiver. We did it back in 2021 as well, right? when that uh waiver expired and now we're going back um hopefully in the next few months to the state board of education so that they can update the waiver to include bond measure me. It's important to note that this doesn't uh increase tax rates above what the voters have already approved, right? So there's just some language in ED code that limits how much schools can borrow, right? Um and it's
028actually a good thing to submit this type of waiver to the board because it means that um you have strong support from the community, right? Um, you'll notice that if you look at the correlation between the districts that submit these waiverss up to the state board, if you go on their websites, if you look at their school facilities, they're in top-notch, top tier facilities because um there's a reason why they're going above the the borrowing limit because the voters have allowed them um and have prioritized that, right? So, that's exciting. There's a public hearing and a resolution on the board agenda tonight. Another thing that we're looking at with the passage of bond measure me, our oversight committee um is being restructured to now have oversight over all five bonds, right? Um and so we're
029bringing that to the board to update that uh update the bylaws and we're kicking off the application process uh to bring in uh new members to serve on the oversight committee. Um it's an oversight committee is required um under ED code when you pass bonds and there's various categories. We look for a parent, a parent that's part of a PTA, a business owner in the community, someone that's part of a senior citizen organization, a taxpayer organization, and some members of the community at large. So, we're hopeful that we can uh bring forth some updated members uh to the October board meeting and we will reconvene our oversight committee meeting and we have lots of things to celebrate uh and review with them. So as we look at priority four in terms of making sure that
030we have the uh our appropriate staff and resources uh earlier we talked about uh the professional development and the supports that we have in place just wanted to actually uh share some of the pictures of them u and once again highlight uh the positions such as our counselors and social workers behavior instructional assistance supervision and so on uh and down to some of our our educational partners as well. Uh so really pleased that we were able to provide the the um the professional development for all of our staff. Um and just really thankful for the wonderful um staff that we have. And then finally, flu season is coming. And so with that, I just wanted to kind of share some reminders in regards to um some of the changes that have happened and probably over
031a year ago, but uh it's always nice a little refresher, especially as we are kind of out of that COVID era um and and now that everything is sort of back together, we know that we've seen a little bit of an increase in COVID cases. And so just to kind of highlight um you know the the protocols and practices and um so basically you know employees and this this transfers down to our students as well but uh focus on the employees side. Our employees with flu symptoms you know um they're going to follow the influenza guidance. Um and they should remain home until uh their their symptoms have have improved and they're feverfree for 24 hours. Um, and then if anyone were to test positive for COVID, we want to just make sure that know
032that they actually can return to work so long as they're fever-free, their symptoms have reduced, and they're wearing mask um as well at all times. Um, and these um uh protocols are just align are aligned with the Department of Public Health guidance, you know, and and they both support staff wellness and continuing of or continuent continuity of student learning. Sorry, >> it wouldn't be an update without us talking about something related to COVID and guidelines. >> It's been a while, so every now and then we have to do little reminders, right? So, >> thank you, Mr. Sullenbach. Um, I I there's a lot of exciting and fun slides on our presentation this evening, but I have to tell you that I was really looking forward to this one in particular because last week, uh, we
033hosted community tours. I'll tell you a little bit of background. um our partners, YTA invited us to uh spend a day together um in Anaheim as we were talking about the work around community schools and to start off we they they invited us to be part of a community tour where they toured us around Anaheim and we got to see a different side of Anaheim. I think most people think Anaheim and they think Disneyland and they think you know what is it the most wonderful place on earth. What is their their tagline? Um the most magical place on earth or happiest. The happiest. Thank you. the happiest place on earth. And and there was another side. There was this narrative about, you know, that that's really um adds to the community's story um that highlighted
034um needs and it highlighted assets. And so it was it was a wonderful experience. And so we brought that experience to um our school district. So last week, um I'm so grateful for our communities that allow us to, you know, change our school schedule so that kids go home and staff can stay back and be part of professional development. So as a community, um we were able to charter a variety of buses, uh to tour our schools around their u feeder patterns. So an example, you know, Cherry Lee and Dery traveled around the Cherry Lee and Dery pattern because the kids go uh feed into the Dery school for seventh and eighth grade. And so they had an opportunity to see, you know, the things that impact our community. They looked at green spaces. They
035looked at the different housing options. They looked at the assets within the community. They pointed, you know, how highlighted cultural relevance and significant things. And I want to highlight, I know Christina Davila is here in the room. I want to just lift up our community leads and Christina Davila who really curated a fantastic fantastic um script that highlighted you know the work that needs to happen in the in the future as we come together as as in a community school setting as well as build on some of the assets that exist within our community. When we came back from the community tours staff uh was able to participate in a community circle and really share some of their reflections and next steps. I've received numerous emails since um the community tours. Um I think some
036of the ones that really just resonate with me is people that have lived in this community for a very long time and got to see the community from a different perspective and from a different angle and and that resonates with me personally and so I'm looking forward to the conversations that continue as a result of the community tours. I also want to take this opportunity to uh congratulate the board um for the CLSBA lead award. Uh this past Saturday um Mrs. Mendes Garcia and I were in San Diego to receive the B award on behalf of the Almani City School District. So there's the CLSBA uh board of directors um and they highlighted the work that Elmont City School District is doing specifically around experiences and opportunities for kids. And so we had the opportunity
037to share some of the things that we're doing in Monte City and collaborate with other districts um on things that they're doing and bring back some more fresh and wonderful ideas. But congratulations to the board and to the entire district uh for this another accolade for Almani City. And that concludes our strategic plan update for this evening. Thank you. [Applause] Thank you, Dr. Garcia and cabinet. What a great report and thank you for putting it in the format of the strategic plan. Looking forward to seeing more of that. Well, now it's time for board reports. Um, Mrs. Kovon, thank you. Um, I just wanted to just kind of highlight how um all the work that everyone did to make the beginning of the school year um a really great success in terms of welcoming back
038students and all the back to school nights. Um it's really great to see everyone kind of come together and you know really return with this you know great task we have ahead of us. Um as we're kind of looking at the strategic plan and all the work we did last year. It's really nice to see how it's um kind of being implemented and and really making an impact um in in real life in some of the documents that we are getting in in the work that's being done at the schools. Um, I've been doing some, you know, additional research in terms of grading and and kind of how we are accountable to ourselves and and as a district for some of the work that we're doing. And I think it's really I I really like
039the foundation that we have in terms of making sure that the grades that students get reflect um a commitment to learning, encouraging students to make mistakes, to grow, um, not just to um, you know, kind of mark them with a letter or a number. and um and and kind of the equity behind that where academic achievement is important um and it's important to recognize what students are learning within the context of the classroom and all of the things that they're doing outside of the classroom. So kind of looking forward to the ongoing discussions that we're going to be having around that as well. Um and that will do it for me. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Palta. >> Nothing for me at this time. >> Okay, Mrs. Menddees Garcia. >> Hello everyone. Happy to
040be back. Um, I was on a maternity leave on, of course, I'm going to announce it. Um, on July 1st, my daughter, Ealis Mariana Garcia, was born. And so, yes, clap. Yes. But I'm so glad to be back here because obviously my heart is still with the school board and the community and continuing to uplift our students. And it was so great that one of the first things I did was I attended the California Latino School Board Association conference. I opted to attend the conference this year um instead of the larger California one that we normally do that's statewide and I really appreciated the intimacy of this conference. Um the title of the conference is actually called unity because they really emphasize that this conference is open to board members, right, of all ethnicities and
041backgrounds because when we elevate Latino students, we're elevating all and acknowledging that Latino students represent such a significant demographic, but also our future workforce. And so they definitely tied that into um to the various workshops and um and also the speakers. And so I do want to kind of share just briefly some of the highlights of the conference. So they opened it up the superintendent of San Diego um Dr. Beula opened up the general session along with the board president and they were just showing with being so close you can imagine to the border the impact that their district has had with ICE and immigration and the three things that she left us with as board members is one. We need school boards that are courageous. we need policies that are rooted in community and
042we need leadership that reflects the students we serve. >> So that was the opening. So you can imagine that really then um set the platform for the rest of the conference. We also had the CEO of Latinos for Education for I believe the following general session, Amanda Fernandez, and she shared the various demographics again about why it's so important to invest in Latino education. Um by 2026 one in five it's projected u members of the US labor force will be Latino. Projected growth in Latino labor market from 2020 to 2050 is going to be 43%. Projected growth in overall labor market is going to be 90 n sorry 9%. And also acknowledging that we contribute as a Latino community 4 trillion dollars um of the I think the term is of the GDP right gross
043domestic product. So again, just really connecting to why this conference is important and why the work we're doing um again it's yes this conference is about Latino students but again how it is tied to equity and supporting um really our nation right in our future workforce. And then lastly another one that really sat out I wanted to share was one on actionable strategies to elevate student voice and the first thing the presenter and this was a presenter along with Dr. Rios that was there asked us right at the beginning of the workshop is what is something your teacher needed to needed you to understand during your your most hardest moment, right? And so everyone because I was able to kind of go around and share like what is something like looking back that you needed
044one of your teachers to know. And with that, um, one of the quotes that they shared was, "Student voice refers to creating authentic spaces for students in and outside of the classroom to share, provide feedback, and collaborate on procedures, policies, and practices with educational partners. And they listed various steps that we can take to enhance our student voice. And one of the ones that really resonated with me and Dr. Y it was selecting a cross-sectional group of students because of course you tend to have your student leaders participate but it's also about elevating students that you normally wouldn't select to have a voice because those are the ones right that we really need to make sure that we're elevating and providing a platform to share what they're going through connecting again to what you're doing
045right in our district with creating those community tours. So I highly recommend next year for more of us to attend. Almani was very strong. Almani Union High School District was there. Mountain View was awarded as well and then Valley Lindo was there as well. Um some of their board members. >> Yeah. So, thank you and happy to be back. >> Thank you so much and thanks for the summary of that conference. Mr. >> H about 15 items, but I'll narrow to a few. Uh the first one is I'm still busy promoting the Carson scholarships uh in our district. I've tried to notify every principal that it's open again in the St. Gabriel Valley, in fact, all of LA County. The only district I've been able to find that has ever won or even applied for
046the Carson scholarship is the Almani Union High School District. Last year, a young lady from Roseme High School got the $1,000 scholarship. So, I would like every principal in our district to make sure that they have a person applying for it. It's fourth grade to 11th grade and it's $1,000. It's based on leadership skills and also academic performance. that's not financially based. So, you don't have to have a low income to get that. Also, I'm promoting resources. I keep finding there are so many resources that unless our students know about these, they're not going to compete at a same level equity-wise with other students. The Khan Academy, KHN, from pre kindergarten to the university is free. It's online. They now have special training in artificial intelligence. The counterpart from Mexico is appren.org. the very same
047thing. What I'm saying is if our students do not have access to these resources, they're behind other kids. Also, I had the pleasure of attending a wonderful celebration at the Elmani Union High School District. It was the annual awards ceremony for the girls, the young ladies who went to Girl State. Out of the 25 young ladies in the district, the five high schools that were candidates, five were chosen as delegates, one from each high school. And it was a marvelous thing to know that so many of those young ladies, those delegates, 11th graders were products of our district. So the legacy is there. And one other thing I noticed at the Almani Union High School district, there's a very large table as you walk in. And guess what's on it? a huge number of headsets
048to do interpretation, which means that anybody in that audience that needs interpretation in another language can just pick up a headset and they can hear in their first language what's happening. Finally, I would like to help us promote PTAs around our district. Why? If you go to ed00.org, everybody can do it. You will have the most marvelous training in LCAP, LCFF, school law resources. There are so many things available and we need to promote the PTAs around our district. So, I will cut short and say the other 10 I was going to bring up. I'll stop and thank you to the superintendent for providing me water. I truly appreciate it. >> Thank you, Mr. Seagrist. Well, we'll move on to items of interest. Dr. Garcia. >> Thank you, President Rivas. Uh governing board members, on
049Saturday, one of our very own, Mr. Oscar Pinto, was recognized by Assembly Member Mike Fong as an outstanding educator. Mr. Pinto has is an eighth grade language arts educator at Potto School. He's been there for the past 13 years. He's poured his energy and passion into teaching while also serving as a leader and advocate for his school, his colleagues, and this wonderful community that we all serve. Oscar is a strong believer in ethnic studies and is ensuring that students see themselves reflected in the curriculum. His passion for inclusion and equity also led him to co-create an equity and human rights team through his teachers association working to address the diverse needs of both students and staff. In addition, he provides extra language support and creates safe and welcoming spaces for for all students, especially newcomers
050and LGBTQ plus youth so that they can feel supported and valued. His colleagues and students alike know that they can count on him to advocate for social justice, to speak up for what's right, and to be both a good friend and a great listener. His generosity, his leadership, and his charismatic personality make him a trusted presence in every space that he enters, and I can vouch for that. Outside of the classroom, Mr. Pinto continues his commitment to equity and community through his work with environmental justice in the San Gabriel Valley, and he also serves as secretary of the executive board on EMA, the Elmani Teachers Association. He is the proud son of immigrant parents from El Salvador and recently celebrated 10 years of marriage with his partner. Oscar exemplifies what it means to be an
051educator, an advocate, and a community leader. His tireless dedication and heart for others make him deeply deserving of this recognition and so so much more. So, please join me in congratulating Mr. Oscarpinto for being named as the outstanding educator by Assembly Member Mike Fong. not going to get off that easy. Mr. Pinto, we have a certificate for you. We want to take pictures with you and we'd love for you to say a few words. So, if I can ask the board to please come on forward. >> Okay. And of course, [Applause] Thank you for all you do. There it is. >> All right. Check. Check. All right. Uh well, first I'd like to thank uh our our our school district. I've been welcomed uh to the Almani School City School District from day one as
052when I did my student teaching at Perto School. uh and my mentors, Lety Areola, uh who I think was really like foundational uh in teaching me uh what it takes to run a classroom uh and especially with the curriculum. Um and my parents like uh they are like the inspiration, the rock, the they have my they're my moral compass. uh they did uh their sacrifices are go beyond anything I can imagine. Um and just my colleagues and my family and friends. Um they support me in everything I do. Uh and yeah, I just want to continue to do this work. uh because our students deserve to see um that you know we need to give back to the community and that they deserve uh this kind of support. So, um, I thank you for this
053honor and I was humbled to be recognized, uh, with with such an amazing group and I have to I would be remiss not to mention that Tony Wong uh, from a Royal High School uh, really I was in awe of what he is doing at his high school and we're going to hear more about that from uh, the board member here. So, I don't I won't uh take away his uh, what he's going to share about that, but thank you. [Applause] Thank you and congratulations. Well, it is time for communications. Um, let's see. First, we'll do public comment. Um, this is the time reserved for members of the public to address the board. Each speaker will have three minutes to share their comments. A timer will be displayed to help you keep track of your
054time. Please note that in accordance with board policy, board members will listen respectfully but will not respond or engage in dialogue during this portion of the meeting. If you have written material materials you'd like to share, you may submit them to the board secretary for distribution. And when you're called, please come forward, state your name for the record, and begin your comments. Thank you for your cooperation. And we'll begin with our first speaker, Ricardo Padilla. Good evening, uh, honorable Elmani City School District board members, President Beth Rivas, uh, Superintendent Dr. Mariel Garcia, cabinet members, and the Almani community. My name is Ricardo Padilla, senior board member of the Almani Union High School District. And I'm here tonight to express my strong support from my colleague, Mr. Qui Wyn, uh, and to share the extraordinary results
055that we have achieved through our TK14 partnership with Rio Hondo College Math Academy. Let me begin by stating something very clearly. This program works. This summer, 500 of our students participated for the very first time ever in a math academy, and the results were nothing short of phenomenal. The passing rate for 220 Latino students was 81%. Let me repeat that, 81%. In my 34 years as an educator, I have never seen Latino student performance in math reach this level of success. and our 240 Asian students passing rate was 91% also exceptional an exceptional outcome. As we prepare to celebrate Mexican Independence Day tomorrow and considering the political climate that we are currently living in, I cannot think of a more meaningful gift for our families, a sign of academic empowerment and equity and action as
056board member um Miss Scion alluded to. So what's this program? Why is this program so awesome? First, Real Hondo College will will hire your own teachers. They will pay them more than the district rate and they purchase the entire curriculum. Secondly, the program takes place on your campuses Monday through Friday from 8 to 2:00 p.m. in a familiar, safe, and supportive setting. Furthermore, they will hire our own high school students to tutor in the program, providing some financial help for our local students. I want to personally thank Dean of Students Yolanda Emerson and Rio Hondo College for their transformational investment in our community. This program is not a pilot. It is a blueprint, a new model for summer learning that surpasses anything we've previously offered. It is 10 times more effective than our traditional math
057summer program that we offer in the high school. Participation can start right away with both your incoming seventh graders and your incoming eighth graders. The Mount View School District is already participating and the Roseme Elementary School District is receptive. I encourage you to take a close look at this model. The most important question is, is this good for kids? The answer is unequivocally yes. Beyond the impressive statistics, this is about this is about preparing our students for the future. Math is the gatekeeper gatekeeper, the subject that determines college readiness, access access to steam careers, and a pathway out of poverty. Therefore, this evening, I urge you to join us and become a part of the movement that is changing math outcomes for students in our district. This is what a 21st century education looks like.
058Collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity across institutions. If you remember one thing from my public comment, please remember 81% 91%. These are not just numbers. These are lives being changed. Thank you, Elmani City School District Board of Education. Thank you. Next up, we have Florencio Briones. Good evening, Madam President, members of the board, members of the cabinet. My name is Florencio Brunes. I'm here today as a delegate to the California Schoolboard Association, region 23B. As one of your representatives, I wanted to invite you to um a workforce housing boot camp, one day boot camp that the California School Boards Association is offering. Uh one of your earlier presentations, we talked about declining enrollment uh which usually translates in into surplus property and vacant schools. I noticed the Ammani City School District uh had to close
059some schools many years ago and you have some property that's available. This is uh happening throughout the state as has been discussed. It's not unique to our area or our school districts here in the Sanro Valley or LA County. So, the California School Boards Association is inviting members to participate in this one-day boot camp. Um, as we are aware, high housing costs are driving educators away from many communities across California. Local educational agencies like your own um are facing challenges recruiting and retaining staff, and they can explore how they can leverage their existing property to address this issue and improve student outcomes with CSBA's new education workforce housing boot camp. This one-day in-person training is designed for board members, superintendents, and senior administrators who want to better understand the ins and outs of building housing
060development on existing property and take the first steps towards exploring the solution. Board members, superintendents, and senior administrators who are considering workforce housing but have yet not yet taken formal steps to explore a project should attend this boot camp. There are two options available. One is in Northern California at the Santa Clara uh County Office of Education in San Jose on October 15, 2025 from 9:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. And there is a Southern California boot camp option here in the San Gabriel Valley at the Coina Valley Unified School District uh school um district field event center in the city of Coina from on October 24th, 2025 from 9:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. There's a registration fee of $500 per person. Uh there is a late registration fee of 575 per person starting October 10th.
061So you're still able to get the early bird registration. Registration fees include materials, continental breakfast and lunch and capacity at each boot camp is limited. So registration so excuse me. So register now to take the final step towards a sustainable staffing solution for your educational agency. And lastly, I do want to change hats really quick. As a member of the Ammani Union High School District Board of Trustees, I was also at the California Latino School Board Association Unity Conference this weekend. And I was very happy to see that Dr. Garcia and Mrs. Mendes Garcia were there to receive the lead award from CLSBA. Very excited to be there to support uh both you and your colleagues on the board as well as your entire school district. I always like to share that your success is
062our success at Almani Union as well. Very excited for you and the work that you're doing. Um I am always um amazed by the amount of work that you put into supporting your students, the experiential learning that you help them with, the trips to DC and Sacramento. It just it's very meaningful work and I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart and the information for the boot camp I've sent over to Dr. Garcia and she'll share it with you. Thank you. [Applause] Thank you. And our last speaker this evening, Queen W. Greeting to board president Elizabeth Rivas, board members and superintendent Dr. Marbel Garcia. First, I want to congratulate Principal Peturro Elementary School, Miss Evelyn Barber, and especially Mr. Oscar Pinto for a recipient of Assembly Mong 2025 outstanding educator award
063last Saturday at Rose Community Center. My name is Queen Wen, trustee of 3 of Armani Union High School District. I'm here to share with you the result of the following report from our school district. The first one is a 2025 summer Rio Hondo College Math Academy. And the second one is the latest fall 2025 NWA. NW stand for Northwest U Education Assessment, Math Assessment for all grade level in our school district. You know, you can look at the color. You don't have to read it. But you know, if anything that become blue and green is good. Anything below it is, you know, is not good. So spring semester great distribution from all freshmen from all of our feeder school district which includes Almadi uh city school district. We have raised high school graduation expectation from
064all our student not just simply focusing on graduation rate but also a tog graduation rate because we are not a unified school district. We depend heavily on feeder school district such as yours and partners such as Pasadena City College and Rio Hondo College to complete our mission. The biggest challenge in math is math proficiency. As you can see from the report, many our student complete only two year of math with Dgrade and still can graduate from high school. Now day it would have be sufficient to go to college or ready to emark embark on professional career. I know that your district had uh has had curriculum ver vertical alignment meeting with our school district on math initiative but I'm respect respectfully ask you to double down on your effort in this school year and keep
065the m momentum running. I strongly believe that the strong and prosperous community is well educated one and you know like I say math is so important is a gateway to a lot of success to our student and most of our student our community you know need that to get out of poverty get out of you know challenges and like my war president say your success is our success your student today is our student tomorrow. So we need to be united together, work together for the same mission, educate them and we are an institution of education of academia. Thank you very much for your attention. >> Thank you. And Dr. Garcia, do we have any written communications? >> We did receive written communication that I will distribute to the board. >> Thank you. And it's now
066time for us to move into close session. We will be discussing close session item one, pursuant to government code 54957, public employee performance evaluation superintendent. Item two, pursuant to government code 54957.6, conference with labor negotiators, EMA, CSEA 10 and CSEA 356 and close session item number three, pursuant to government code 54956.9D4, initiation of litigation one matter. We will resume the open meeting shortly. Okay, I would like to resume the open meeting. It's 6:52. We are now back from close session. As a result of the consultation, direction was given to legal counsel to enter as amicus cure in the case of Vasquez Pjono versus um Gnome at all. Case number 225CV05605 MEMFSP regarding the impact of immigration enforcement on the school community. Um the vote was unanimous in favor for close session items one and two.
067No action was taken. It's time now for the approval of the minutes um for the consideration of approval of the August 18th, 2025 board meeting minutes. Do I hear a motion? >> Motion to approve. >> Motion made by Mr. Peralta. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Seconded by Mrs. Kobian. Any discussion? >> All those in favor? I >> oppose. I abstain. >> Motion carries 40 with one abstension. Moving on to public hearings. Um item one, public hearing for bond capacity debt limitations waiver. I will now open the public hearing for the bond capacity waiver. The Almani City School District is requesting a waiver from the California State Board of Education of certain education code provisions that limit the amount of bonds an elementary school district may issue. Specifically, state law sets a bonding
068capacity limit of 1.25% of the district's assessed property valuation. Our district is seeking a waiver to increase this limit to 1.77% of the assessed valuation for a period of 10 years ending on June 30th, 2035. This waiver would apply to the 20 2004 measure J, 2008 measure KC, 2014 measure M, and 2024 measure ME bond authorizations. Approval of this waiver will allow the district to issue bonds under these voter approved measures without delay so that important school modernization, safety improvements, and facility upgrades can move forward as scheduled. Importantly, this waiver does not raise tax rates beyond the limits already established by law and previously communicated to voters. As required by education code, this public hearing is being held to provide an opportunity for the community and interested parties to share their comments regarding the district's
069request. At this time, I invite any members of the public who wish to speak on the bonding capacity waiver to come forward. Hearing no comments, I now close the public hearing. Let the minutes reflect that the board held a public hearing on September 15, 2025 prior to the board considering the adoption of a resolution authorizing the submission of a waiver request. Public hearing number two regarding Elmani Elementary Teachers Association Sunshine proposal for negotiations for the 2025 2026 school year. The Educational Employment Relations Act, EER, specifically Government Code section 3547, requires that all initial proposals of the exclusive representative and the district which relate to matters within the scope of representation be presented at a public meeting of the governing board. In large part, the purpose of this sunshining requirement is to inform the public about
070the issues to be negotiated to afford the public a full opportunity to express their views on the issues and for the public to know the positions of their elected representatives. EMA has presented their initial proposals for 2025 2026 reopener negotiations with the Elmani City School District. Is there anyone who wishes to comment on the EMEA initial proposal? Seeing now when approached, I'll close the hearing. Let the minutes reflect that the sunshine proposal from EMEA to reopen negotiations for the 2025 2026 school year has been received. We will move on now to the action consent agenda. Are there any items that a board member would like to pull for separate consideration? Okay. Do I hear a motion to approve the consent agenda? >> I'll make the motion. >> Motion made by Mrs. Kobon. Is there a
071second? >> I'll second. >> Seconded by Mrs. Mendes Garcia. Any discussion? >> All those in favor? >> I opposed. Motion carries. 5-0. Action item number one, consideration of approval to adopt resolution proclaiming October 12th through 18, 2025 as the week of the school administrator. President Rivas and governing board members, it is my privilege to introduce a resolution that reminds us of a simple but powerful truth. Leadership matters. Behind every thriving classroom, every student success story, our school leaders are working tirelessly to make that possible. In our district, those leaders are our assistant principles and our principles. They all began their journeys as teachers and through the years of dedication, they now guide our schools with the same passion and commitment to student success that first brought them into the classroom and into this wonderful profession.
072We know that their leadership extends beyond the classroom walls. As we advance our work in community schools, our administrators are at the center of really bringing our entire school community together, parents, community partners, families, and students. We they are there. They're very committed to creating the conditions and the systems where every student will thrive. As we proclaim the week of the school administrator, we also reaffirm our commitment to our district's strategic plan and our vision to nurture young minds to achieve beyond limits. This celebration honors the leaders who are working to make the vision real for our students every day, beginning the first day of school. >> Thank you. Do I hear a motion to approve item one? >> I'll make the motion. >> Motion made by Mrs. Kobon. Is there a second? >> I'll
073second. Seconded by Mr. Paralta. Any discussion? All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. Motion carries. 5-0. Item two, consideration of approval of purchase orders. >> Board President Revas and members of the governing board. Before you is the purchase order report activity for the prior month uh in the month of August. There's 384 purchase orders listed on the report totaling $2.35 million. >> Thank you. Do I hear a motion to approve item two? I'll make the motion. >> Motion made by Mr. Peralta. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Seconded by Mrs. Mendes Garcia. Any discussion? >> All those in favor? >> I I abstain. >> The motion carries. 401. Item three, consideration of approval to adopt resolution 252609, authorization to pursue a bonding capacity debt limitations waiver. We've had strong support from the
074voters uh in the community over the past 25 years with five separate bond measures passed in that time frame. Approval of the resolution before you will authorize district staff to pursue a waiver with the state board of education. If approved, uh EMCSD will be able to access the remaining $150 million of voter approved bond authority over the next 10 years or so. Uh approval of the waiver, it's important to note, will not cause tax rates to increase above what the voters have previously already authorized. Um and if all goes well, we hope to submit the waiver application up to the state board of education in early 2026. Um and begin to access funds to fund projects in 2026 and beyond. >> Thank you. Do I hear a motion to approve item three? >> I'll make
075the motion. >> Motion made by Mrs. Kobon. Is there a second? I'll second. >> Seconded by Mrs. Mendes Garcia. Any discussion? All those in favor? >> I oppose. Motion carries. 5-0. Item four, consideration of approval of 2024 25 unudited actuals. as required under ED code. Uh we by September 15th must submit a financial report to the board of education to the county office of education up to the California Department of Education once we've closed our financials known as the unodudit actuals. These actuals will be audited in January uh and by January and a report will be submitted up to the board. Um and we foresee uh no audit findings. So, we hope that the figures presented in this report will stay the same uh once they go through an audit process that's required by law.
076Um, as referenced in the cabinet update, we had a structural deficit of $26 million in the 2425 fiscal year, um, which is depleting our reserves. We have a deficit projected in the 2526 budget, uh, which will deplete our reserves further. Um and we're looking to implement a fiscal stabilization plan um to course correct to make sure that uh we remain fiscally solvent going into the future years. Uh thank you to our fiscal department who works very hard over the summer and everyone else involved to make sure that we can close our books uh in a timely manner. >> Thank you. Do I hear a motion to approve item four? >> I'll make the motion. >> Motion made by Mrs. Kobian. Is there a second? >> I'll second. Seconded by Mr. Praalta. Is there any discussion?
077All those in favor? I >> I >> opposed. Motion carries. 5-0. Item five, consideration of approval of resolution 252610, citizens oversight committee restructuring. >> This resolution will consolidate our existing citizens oversight committee to have oversight over all of our bond measures with the newly passed bond measure me back in 2024. the oversight committee. Uh this resolution will um give the authority to have oversight over all outstanding bonds including bond measure me. Also, while we're doing this, we took the opportunity to update the bylaws um to make sure they are up to date with current best practices um and given that we're in 2025, we are kicking off an application process to uh invite members of the public, the community uh to submit their um informations for review and we hope to bring that information to
078the next board meeting appointing new members um on this oversight committee. There are various categories that need to get filled. Parents, parents of uh that are involved in a PTA, um senior citizens in the community, uh some at large community members, um some members that own a business, and also there's a category for uh a member that's part of a taxpayer organization. And so we're kicking off that application window and hope to bring something back to the board in October to appoint the citizens oversight committee members. and we'll kick off our first meeting and uh update them on a training to that they're aware of the role that they serve on the oversight committee and update them on all projects that are going on in the Edmonton City School District. >> Thank you. Do I
079hear a motion to approve item five? >> Motion to approve. >> Motion made by Mr. Peralta. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Seconded by Mrs. Menddees Garcia. Any discussion? >> All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. Motion carries. 50 and item six, consideration of approval of management position, director of facilities. >> I'm pleased to recommend uh Mr. Herardo Jerry uh Torres as uh the candidate to fill the director of facilities position vacancy. Uh we went through an extensive process when we flew the position. We had a very deep applicant pool u which is a great thing to uh experience. I I want to say that uh we had such a deep applicant pulling strong interest from outside candidates given the condition of our facilities, right? Uh it was very clear that Jerry
080was a uh best person for the job. He really separated himself in the interview panel. Tonight, we bring for you the recommendation uh to appoint him and hire him into that role. Um the uh uh with over 30 years of service starting as a subcustodian working his way up into his current role as a maintenance and operation manager. Uh over the years Jerry has prepared himself for this role and we're pleased to bring the recommendation uh to the board tonight. >> Thank you. Do I hear a motion to approve item six? >> I'll make the motion. >> Motion made by Mrs. Kobon. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Seconded by Mrs. Mendes Garcia. Any discussion? All those in favor? I >> opposed. Motion carries. 5-0. [Applause] Derry, we have a tradition where uh
081we give the opportunity of the newly appointed person to come on up and just say a few words and introduce your family. [Laughter] Well, first I want to thank all the guys for being here and supporting me. I didn't tell them. I don't know how they got it the word, but uh means a lot. I know there's a lot of sports going on. There's Dodger games and bugs. So, it's a it's an honor. It means just that much more. But, um um I'm truly honored and excited to step into the role of director of facilities for El Monte City School District. I want to express my sincere appreciation to the cabinet, the leadership teams, um the board, and the entire school community for placing your trust in me. Facilities may often work behind the scenes,
082but I believe they are the foundation of a safe, supportive, and inspiring learning environment. I'm committed to working collaboratively, listening closely, and helping ensure our schools remain places that where students and staff can achieve beyond limits. Thank you again for this opportunity. I look forward to building something great together. Thank you again. Jerry and you have your family. Can you introduce your family, please? >> Oh, yeah. >> My wife. [Applause] >> Thank you. >> Congratulations. And thank you everyone for being here to celebrate. Um, last on our agenda are our board policy updates and um, we'll approve them all as a unit unless there are any that a board member would like to pull for separate consideration. >> No. Okay. Then do I hear a motion to approve these 18 um, board policy updates? >>
083I'll make the motion. >> Motion made by Mrs. Cobian. Is there a second? >> Seconded by Mr. Mr. Palta, any discussion? All in favor? I I opposed. >> Motion carries. 5-0. And for our discussion session, uh, first up is board retreat. Dr. Garcia, uh, President Rivas, governing board members, we have a date set for our upcoming retreat. That'll be on September the 29th at 5:00 PM. And I wanted to just take this opportunity to review the things that we normally agendaize for our board retreat. It's an opportunity for us to look at our governance calendar for the year ahead as well as uh look at some of the board resolutions that we will be bringing to the board. Um and then also it's an opportunity for the board to uh take a look at some
084presentations, request presentations for the year. Um we'll also highlight some of the recognitions that we'll be bringing forward uh to the board. And so those are the things that we've traditionally brought to the board retreat. Um in the past there's also been an opportunity for the board to do some work to build on their governance. And so I just wanted to get a sense from the board if there's other things that you'd like to add to the agenda, things that we want to focus on um for the retreat on the 29th. >> I'll just say I think that's a good I mean that's going to be a full schedule as it is with um the things you mentioned. I think we'll also because I know sometimes we do another retreat in like January. So I
085think it'll be if we're intentional about setting what we would like to do at that retreat at that time also. >> Oh, that would be great. >> Planning that way. >> I like that. >> Any other ideas for the board retreat? >> Uh, only one item. I would like us to consider joining KBBY, the California Association of Bilingual Education. I've already investigated going to the conference. It's since we're into dual immersion, I think it's a really good thing we should be part of KAB. Thank you. >> Thank you. Any other items? No. Okay, then um we'll move on to the future discussion items. Um any other items that um e any of you would like to discuss at a future board meeting? Anything? >> Okay, then we are wrapping up our meeting. And uh we
086will adjourn this meeting at 710. Thank you again to everyone for being here.