001Board of Education. Thank you all for being here this evening. Uh we'll begin with roll call. Mrs. Kobian present. Um Mr. Peralta is absent right now. Um Mrs. Menddees Garcia present. Mr. Seagrist present. And Rivas present as well. Now it's time for our flag salute. And pretty much every month we have students come and start off our meeting with a flag salute and a school presentation. And this month we have students uh visiting from New Lexington School. So I would like to introduce and invite up Andrew Zamulio um Kovarios, Zoe Vong, and Senua Yang Yang to come forward and lead us in the flag salute and give us their school report. Actually, can I say something real quick? Okay, sorry. Hi everyone. Good evening. My name is Helen Gu Perez. I am the proud principal
002of New Lexington School. I'm so excited tonight to have uh Mr. Reyes, my teaching assistant principal, my school staff. Uh a couple of them are showed up back there. Yay. And our wonderful student leaders. And so we hope you enjoy all the great things that we're doing at our school. Okay, I'll turn it over to Zoe. Good evening. My name is Zoe. Please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. Uh, face the flag. Put your right hand over your heart. Ready? 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. Please sit down. Thank you. What happened? We need to try to close. The first thing I want to talk about
003is our new Lexington vision statement which is empowering minds, shaping futures, fostering fostering excellence, resilience and compassion in every student. Our mission statement is ride the tide which stands for together individuals drive excellence. This means if every person does their very best everyone will thrive. Another thing I want to talk about is our new Lexington leaders and leadership. We have our student lighthouse team which consists of fourth through sixth grade and second third grade. In order to enter the student lighthouse team, you must submit an application and interview for uh we wanted to include young ones this time to open up more roles to help kids see better with uh being better leaders. Uh the next thing I want to talk about is our student led leader of the month assemblies. Thank you. Which uh
004we have our students go up and introduce teachers and uh introduce the pledge of allegiance. And uh I also want to talk about our junior coaches and junior educators. Junior coaches go out to help the young ones learn games and help supervisor supervise ch the children and junior educators take time out of their recess on two to three days to support the little kids in classrooms. I now want to hand it over to Andrew. Hello, my name is Andrew Zamio and I'm going to talk to you of what we do in the morning. So in the morning we get attendance dolphin dollars for being ready and on time to school. And once we earn enough attendance dolphin dollars, we can either buy prizes or we can buy time like extra rees and other fun stuff
005like that. And once we're done getting our dolphin dollars, we do a thing called fit kids where we get to walk around and we get to listen to music and pump blood through the body to our brains. Also, once we're done doing fit kits, after that we line up and our student leaders guide us through the pre pledge of allegiance and uh the morning announcements. We also have school events like Dios Muertos, PTA joathon, made autumn festival and uh glow sticks attended glow stick party uh uh lunar new year and my personal favorite winter wonderland where they brought in snow. We got to drink hot chocolate and we got so many fun treats. Then we also have a after school enrichment. We had cheer, art, cooking, and kids play. But just recently, we had Winnie
006the Poo musical and the parents loved it and everyone had a great time and I was rabbit. Next, I would like to hand it to Summer. Good. Good evening, schoolboard members. My name is Sona and I am a fourth grader in the dual men dual language immersion program at New Lexington School. I speak Cantonese and I'm learning Chinese and English. Our program at New Lexington offers exciting and engaging ways to learn in both English and in Mandrin. In our program, we learn science in English and social studies in Mandrin. We also practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking every day in both languages. Our classes are full of fun activities like games, partner talk, singing, arts, crafts, and experiments, and even cultural celebrations like Lunar New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival where we share and educate
007our culture to the Elmont community. Right now, we have students from TK to 4th grade. All students benefit from being able to practice and use their English and management skills in school and in the real world. We love learning about different cultures and becoming bilingual, biiterate, and bicultural. We are so proud to be part of this special program. Thank you for supporting our dual language program. We hope more students can join us soon and become global learners. New Lexington Fore! Foreign! Foreign! [Music] Fore and then I'll turn it back to Andrew and Mr. Reyes. The best and last thing I would like to say is computer science coding uh also known as Hello World. Hello World is a computer science program where you you get to code and use your creativity and imagination to create
008a world. Also has vocabulary and other things for kids to create. Can we get the other side? All right. So, for those of you that don't know me, my name is Mr. Reyes. I am a fourth grade teacher at New Lexington. Um, among my other roles, I'm also the uh teaching assistant principal and technology lead teacher. Uh, today we want to wanted to give you an inside look at what our computer science program looks like. Uh in our latest um assignment here, the students were asked to create a scene that represents their future careers. Um so as you can see in the computer science program um we also um try to incorporate multiple domains from the English language, right? There's speaking and listening as the students are presenting and listening to their peers. Um there's
009also a writing portion and a reading comp uh component that comes with it as well. Um you want to start walking around? So, in this one here, um, one of our fourth graders, Annabelle, um, said she wanted to be a future children's author. So, the students go around and they create their virtual reality world. Um, in this particular scene, there is a book signing going on. Um, you want to stop there for a second, Andrew? Uh, this is Annabelle here. Um, and it says, "When I grow up, I want to be a children's book author. Books bring people lots of joy and I want to be able to bring happiness into people's lives. In particular, I want to write fiction books that connect real events like the I Survive series. Check back with me in
01010 years and you might get to meet a Newberry medal winner. So, this is just one example of the great things that's going on with our computer science program here. We also like to um incorporate the seven habits as well for this particular pro project. Habit two, begin with the end in mind, right? um always uh letting students know that it's never too early to start thinking about college and their future careers, right? Um so, thank you on behalf of New Lexington, Mrs. Go Perez, the staff, we thank you for your time today. Um thank you for riding the tide. Go Dolphins. Thank you so much especially Andrew, Zoe and Senua for your presentation. Um thank you everyone from New Lex for being here with us this evening. Um we love learning about um the
011school straight from the students and you um the three of you did a wonderful job. Thank you. It's time now for our cabinet reports. Dr. Garcia. Thank you, President Reevas, and good evening, everyone. It's wonderful to see our boardroom uh jam-packed with community members. Um this evening, we have a robust update on all things EMCSD and a couple of uh some information from questions from the community around the federal government, the Department of Education. So, we'll kick it off with Mr. Adetta uh with the business service update. Thank you, Dr. Garcia. uh members of the governing board and the public uh just to make sure we're all on the same page, the uh the school district operates on a fiscal year that starts July 1st and ends June 30th. Right. So, where are we at
012right now currently in the budget process? Um we are ramping up for the new fiscal year. Uh in January, the governor comes out with a budget proposal, right? Um there's an update in May and the state enacts a budget in June. Uh so as we move on to the next slide, we'll provide some details on some of the proposals that were released in January. Uh when the proposal was released, some more details have come out um in the past few weeks and there is funding set aside um for literacy and math coach funds for the upcoming year. Now again, this is a budget proposal um and we'll see if it gets signed into law in June. Now, there is some promising news for Edmonton City School District. As you can see here, uh we would
013qualify possibly for a little over $1.5 million of one-time funds. If the uh if if the proposal was included in the final budget that the governor signs in June, six schools would likely qualify for uh funds that can be used in the math coaching area at about $165,000 per school. You can see the schools listed there. Um in the area of literacy coaching funds, uh we believe given the details that have come out, Sher School may possibly qualify for some funding there. Um there was some one-time funds in the past few years that have been released u and previous recipients have been Thompson, Potredo, Colombia, and Cortata School of the Literacy Coaching uh grant fund. So, we're excited about the proposal. Um and it's something that aligns with uh the work that we do here
014in the Monte City School District. As we move on to the next slide and talk about uh some of the uncertainties on the uh national and state economy, um forecasters at the UCLA Anderson School of Business recently released an update um and they were quite concerned. They actually issued a recession watch warning for 2025. Some of the indicators or or triggers for uh what caused that concern was um the the tariffs um some of the federal layoffs, right? um that are we're seeing and are uh forthcoming and the immigration issue becomes an issue with labor shortages and um and the like. Right? So, the forecast takes those factors into considerations and we'll see uh what the next few months and the next uh few quarters look like. Now, because California funding uh school funding is
015really reliant on the health of our economy, uh we're monitoring this closely because when uh even if we see a small uh decline in the economic uh vibrancy of the state, it can have a rather dramatic impact on the funding that we get here in the Monte City School District. The last item I wanted to touch on as we move on to the next slide um is again pertaining to our state budget. So, the reason the May revise comes out in May um is because we received taxes in April and the state has one last opportunity to open up the check, see how much tax revenue came in, um and look into their crystal ball and predict what the finances will be for the upcoming 12 months in the fiscal year. Now, for 80% of
016Californians, tax day is tomorrow. Um, but for those that live in LA County, uh, which is about 20% or 25% of the population in California, due to the wildfires, the tax deadline was extended, uh, both for filing and payment of the taxes over to October 15th. Uh, and so that is a bit concerning as it pertains to the broader picture because it still remains incomplete. Uh, April is obviously the biggest month for tax revenues at the state level. As you can see there on the graphic, 17 billion dollars of personal income tax revenue is projected to come in in April. Um, and obviously we're falling well short of that with a day or two left uh to go before tax day. Now, the top 1% of income earners in California contribute about 50% of total
017income taxes in the state of California. Um, so as we see some instability in the stock market with capital gains, um, that's something that we're monitoring very closely. Um, and the what we need to really be aware of, we saw this a few years ago when we adopted the budget a few years ago at the state level where they extended the deadline for all of California due to the winter storms. Now, it's only 20% or so of the population in LA County being uh delayed, but the state will have um not the most comprehensive data when it adopts a budget in June. They will be flying a little a bit blind, right, as they adopt the budget in June uh because the tax revenues won't come in until October. So, there's some uncertainty there and
018we're monitoring that. Um and it speaks to the importance of having reserves, right? So if there are some deferrals um or some reductions uh in the budget, um the the reserves help to soften the impact uh on our programming. So with that, I'll turn over to Dr. Pinedto. Thank you. Good evening, governing board. Um this is always such a fun time of year because of all of our programming in the spring. Um and so we have a lot to share. Um beginning with uh our K8 sites have mariachi programs as part of our enrichment programming and this year uh they participated in Downeyy's um unifi's mariachi festival and so 27 of our students got together from all of our K8 sites and uh made up our mariachi allstars we called them and they participated in
019the novice uh category. It's the first time they um performed together. So, they only had about six practices together. Um and they sang the songs that are listed up there, and I'm not going to try to read them because I will not sound very good, but um they had a wonderful time and got that exposure out there, um in in the you know, community outside of Almani and have been asked to um participate in many other activities that we have going on in our district. So, it was a real great experience for them. I will say that before we allowed them to get booked anywhere else, I say they do have to come to a board meeting. So, you're all invited to our May board meeting to hear our all-star mariachi group. Yes. And along
020with that, um, a big thank you to our governing board for your support of the music program that we have here. Um, again, like I said, spring is always such a a wonderful time because of the music programming that we have taking place. And so our seventh and eighth grade students um are always get invited to a Royal High School to participate in the choir um festival that they have. And so they were able to participate this year. And then we had our big sing for our choir um our choirs through the uh elementary schools and our seventh and eighth grade as well. Um and we have uh our spring concerts taking place as well in our elementary schools. And then we had a wonderful training put on by one of our partners, Pacific Clinics.
021Um, big feelings, little learners. Uh, with the focus on early childhood development and and their key developmental characteristics. Um, we've noticed a change in some of our littles coming in. And so we wanted to learn more about that and how we can be more proactive in um you know teaching self-regulation and you know how we can support students in the classroom. And so they learn some um techniques such as breathing exercises and the use of visuals and mindfulness. And this is just the beginning of of some of the professional development we want to be able to provide to support our our younger students. Oh, and lastly, all of our fourth grade students now have been able to um go to Sacramento. 600 of our students have gone during our enrichment Fridays. Um and they visited
022the state capital, the Railroad History Museum, and Oldtown Sacramento. And this year we added on um the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park where they went panning for gold and had a wonderful time. Good evening, governing board. Uh just want to give some updates regarded personnel. Aside from um our hiring and preparing for next year, um we have some other things that are going on. Go next slide. Um our annual service pin mixer. And so um we're pleased to share the date of May 29th um as our date for our annual uh service pin mixer. We're trying to figure out uh we're well over 30 plus years that we've been um hosting this event. It's changed names and formats over the over the many years, but the idea behind it has not changed where we
023celebrate our uh employees for their dedication and service to the Almani City School District. Um, notably we we celebrate the 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and occasionally we do get a 45 year person. Um, sometimes they retire before that. Um, so we're excited that uh we have well over 160 employees this year with uh a combined 2,600 years of service uh and dedication to our community and our school district. Notably this year, we will be honoring Connie Akazino for her 40 years of service um here in the Almani City School District. So let's give her a round of applause. Um, but just want to uh highlight this wonderful event that we host and and uh officially invite you all and invite everyone in the audience as well. May 29th from 2:30 to
0244. Um, come by anytime and just celebrate with us as we celebrate uh our committed employees. I'll start off with a few global updates. Um, there have been many questions about the the recent executive order regarding the Department of Education. Recently, President Trump signed an executive order directing the US Department of Education to begin the process of shutting down. And while we know this move is very significant, it's important to note that a full closure of the Department of Education would require congressional approval. It's something that we're monitoring, Los Angeles County is monitoring, as well as the state. Um at this time the order provides very few specifics but I do want to highlight um the context that how it applies to Almani City School District. The three key educational programs title one um IDA
025and PEL grants. This is how we would be impacted. Almani City School District receives a approximately 5 million annually in title one funding um to support students from low-income backgrounds. Two millions through IDA and PAL grants. Well, it's not directly managed by K12 districts. We know that many of our students uh qualify for PEL grants. As of now, there are no details to these programs, but um in the executive order, it was said that these actions would be transferred to other departments and that they would continue um providing those resources to districts. So, we're going to see what happens. As of now, like I said, there are no details. We're going to continue to monitor the developments and provide updates to the board and to our school community as to what's next. Also, earlier this
026month, the US Department of Education issued a directive requiring K12 schools to certify compliance with Title six and eliminate discriminatory DEI practices to maintain federal funding. Non-compliance could risk losing critical funds like title one and trigger liability under the False Claim Act. Uh, this follows a federal memo stating that race-based treatment in schools is illegal under the 2023 Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admission versus Harvard. The California Department of Education is taking the lead on behalf of the entire state. They're working with legal counsel to issue guidance. For now, districts are advised not to respond to the federal inquiries until further notice. Um, we sign compliance documents every single year. And so the position that the state is taking is that we've already signed compliance documents and and so we'll see how this
027once again develops and we'll keep our community informed as well. Shifting on to some really fantastic news. Um it is really a pleasure and an honor to announce that Lor School was not was named as a California distinguished school for 2025. And so we are so proud of the work that LGore has done. and I'm going to be inviting the Lora school community to join us at an upcoming school meeting so we can honor and celebrate them. Uh there will be some local recognitions that will take place through the county and the state and we'll be participating at every single one and recognizing and honoring Lor school. So congratulations to [Applause] Lor. And lastly, um it's really really exciting that I get to share our most recent conversation that we had as a board um
028for our new mission and vision statement for the Almani City School District. Um our new vision is nurturing young minds to achieve beyond limits. Our new mission statement is we empower generations through learning, leadership, and community. These statements reflect not only who we are, but who we aspire to be. a district committed to unlocking the full potential of every student every day. This work has been deeply collaborative. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the guiding coalition, a dedicated group of over 90 individuals representing every corner of our district who came together throughout the fall meeting in September, October, November, and December to shape this vision and mission. I also want to thank our board of education for their leadership and support throughout this process. Their commitment to student success and community empowerment has
029been instrumental in bringing us to this moment. As we continue to build out the strategic plan, this mission and vision will guide every step forward, ensuring that our goals, strategies, and actions align with the hopes and dreams of the community that we serve. So, this concludes our cabinet update for this evening. Are there any questions? Thank you so much cabinet for a wonderful another wonderful report and it's time now for our board reports. Mrs. Kovian, do you have any? Thank you. Um nothing in particular to add tonight. Just want to welcome everyone here and thank you um all for your dedication our community um and to wish you a very good spring break coming up. I know everyone's looking forward to that and definitely looking forward to all of the events that kind of are
030going to lead us through May and the open houses and musical theater. So, I know we have a lot of stuff coming up. So, thank you all. That's it for me. Thank you, Mrs. Menis Garcia. Yeah, same thing. Um, nothing much at this time to share, but again, we made it spring break was um very far at the end of the calendar this year. So, I'm glad that we were able to implement two enrichment days. And it's always great to see our social media does such a great job, uh, Mr. Desmotti with really updating the community and board members as well with just the daily updates to know like, okay, New Lexington went on their Sacramento trip or enchiladas are on the menu this week. So, it's just a great way that I know if
031I'm feeling connected, I know that our community is also feeling connected with that with um the ongoing outreach and letting us know what's going on from day to day at all the different school sites. So, thank you for that. Thank you, Mr. Sagrist. Um, and again, thank you, as Mrs. Kobian said, uh, to everyone for being here, and I know we have a few more things to celebrate this evening, so we'll move on to those. First, in items of interest, we have Tech Trek finalists. Thank you, President Rivas. I'm really excited to share a wonderful opportunity for our students. Uh, every year we've participated in the last few years. I think we have to go back and track how many years we've been a part of this where we have the opportunity to send um
032seventh grade girls to Tech Trek. Um this is a oneweek summer camp designed to inspire middle school girls and ignite their interest in science, technology, engineering, and math. Um through hands-on problem solving and encountering with inspiring women role models in STEM, Techre helps girls visualize their futures while na non-stop fun. Uh the program is grounded on a W's research and focuses on making STEM fields exciting and accessible to girls at a critical time when participation in these fields statistically drops during middle school for girls. So founded in by AAW California member Mary Walbeck in 1998, Techre has grown to include 22 sites across the nation. A 2013 survey of Techre alumni demonstrates the program's lasting impact, boosting participants interest and confidence in STEM, as well as influencing their career choices and future academic pursuits. Through
033the years, we have been so fortunate that our board has guided and endorsed many opportunities and experiences like this one. So this evening um I it is my pleasure to congratulate the sixth seventh grade students who were selected to participate and I just want to say these are coveted spots and it was a very rigorous process. Every student was nominated by their teacher for their strong interest in STEM. Then they completed an application which included an essay. Representatives from AAW conducted interviews with all the candidates and they selected the finalists. Our students will attend the University of San Diego from June 22nd through the 28th for this life-changing experience. And we are thrilled that our girls and for our girls and look forward to seeing how this opportunity will help spark their curiosity and place
034them on a path towards success in STEM fields. So, at this time, I'd like the board invite the board to come on up. I'm going to call up our students so we can recognize them and we can take pictures and congratulate each one of our girls. And for everyone else in the audience, this is the future. These are, you know, the future Nobel Peace Prize winners. The this is who you're going to see in the front page of a newspaper. Even if it's a digital print, they're going to be changing the world. So, I'll start off uh with Dery, Ella Grace Galvesquez. Congratulations, Ella. [Applause] and stay up here Ala so we can take a picture with everyone all together at the end. Also from Dery School, Constance Marico [Applause] from Columbia School. Yasmin [Applause]
035Guido from Gidley School. Anika Adi [Applause] Jaja from Real Hondo School, Renee Ta. And from Frank Wright School, Yesi Figeroa Garcia. Pelicades, congratulations. We are so proud of you and you have an entire school community that's rooting for you and wishing you all the best in San Diego. [Applause] Hold on. Open. You're such a big picture. Yeah. Fold it back. There you go. Yay. So, let's Why don't you stay there for one second? We'll invite parents to come up and take pictures just so that parents can come up and take a picture as well. This is always my favorite picture. Taking a picture of the parents taking a picture. All right, let's give him another big round of applause. Woohoo. Thank you. And I just a note to our parents, you know, I know that
036this is it's a lot, right? Sending your girls away to a college campus for five days. We know that they're going to be in great hands. And we are here for you. If you have any questions about the experience, the program, anything, please don't hesitate to reach out. Uh we are here to support you as well as you support your child, your daughter navigate this wonderful experience. [Applause] wires. I do love you. What a wonderful experience that those girls have in store for them. Techre. Yeah, techre. My oldest daughter did tech. You want to share? Did you want to? No. Um to have um one-on-one, you know, contact with with scientists, women who are scientists. Um, just so many hands-on experiences and a week in San Diego. What a wonderful experience. Really excited for you.
037Congratulations. Well, it's time now for communications. One more. Oh. Oh, sorry. Sorry. Got ahead of myself. We do have a lot to celebrate tonight. It's time to recognize our classifi classified employee of the year, Dr. Garcia. Thank you, President Rivas. Um, in the spirit of continuing the celebrations for this evening, tonight we have the great honor of celebrating someone whose name is synonymous with service, humility, and heart. Our classified employee of the year, Mr. Rodulfo Roy Melendez. But you need to look [Applause] back. That's comparable to a Dodger game, Roy. That's pretty amazing. Roy is more than just a data analyst. He is a quiet force behind so much of our district's success, collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data to ensure that every decision we make is informed, equitable, and focused on student success. Whether he's
038simplifying a complex complex reports or guiding administrators through assessment, data, Royy's work impacts every level of leadership. And I have to say on a personal note, he taught me how to create a pivot table. Something I've been trying to do for many, many years. And Roy was able to walk me through that. So I will forever be grateful. Royy's contributions go far beyond spreadsheets. He is Almani City School District silent mentor, volunteering his time to support administrators, leading with empathy as a union steward, and showing up for his colleagues in ways that matter most. And if you've ever heard, "Hey, you need me to grab some lunch for you?" You've likely been on the receiving end of his signature thoughtfulness. He's also the first to volunteer for district events like trunk or treat, team potlucks,
039and anything that brings people together. Roy builds community not only with his skills, but with his heart. His colleagues describe him as a true servant leader, someone who always puts other first. While his name may not always be front and center, his impact is felt in every corner of our district. Roy, your kindness, your brilliance, your unwavering commitment to our schools as a former student, as an employee make you a true gem in the EMCSD family. On behalf of all of us, thank you and congratulations on being our classified employee of the year. Now, we before we bring Roy up, we have a little video that we want to play for you. So keep keep the pom poms out. Yes. He's just an incredible person. I think sometimes when we think of employees, we often
040just focus on their vocation, right? How they contribute to the overall mission of the district. Roy is much more than that. He really views um his his work here in Almani as part of his family. It's an extended family. He he presents himself as an individual who authentically cares for the individuals he works with, which makes the work that he does on his level almost personable. So, he's just an incredible individual. I've known Roy for many years um in different capacities and I used to call and bother him all the time when I was working at a school site. He's making sure that um all of our test settings, everything is ready for our ESPback testing, which is very important because if that's not all ready to go, um then we can have findings and
041we won't have, you know, secure data. and he gets all of that data and compiles it for all of the schools, for all of the principles, um, and and then shares it for all of the teachers so that they're able to read it, go through it, analyze it, um, to prepare um, for instruction for the year. Why he deserves this award? Um, he is just the most caring, genuine person. Um, he is willing to do whatever it takes um, to get the job done, to help you get your job done. Uh he wants everyone to be successful. So Roy is just a nice person overall. Like I I'm sure everyone has had contact with Roy and he's just a nice person. I mean he picks up lunch for everyone. Like anyone that needs lunch, you
042know, he'll be like, "I'll pick up lunch for everybody." You know, he is involved with the union. He makes sure you know um the union employees know what's going on. think he's just an overall great person, a great personality, and I think, you know, at any level, even if he was in a different role, you county role, state level, here at the district, in any position, I think he would excel in in anything that he does. And I I honestly think that he should be recognized at a different level because he just does a great job overall. [Applause] And before we bring Roy up, we do have some breaking news. It It gets better. We heard Roy was selected as a Los Angeles County Office of Education Employee of the Year. So, not only did
043El Monte City uh select Roy, but he's also now the county classified employee of the year. And did I mention that he's a Bruin? I don't think I mentioned that, right? I just want to note that. Congratulations, Roy. Yeah. Now you get to come on up. Poor guy. Just kidding. Sorry, I'm nervous. Cabin aboard, thank you so much. Um, this means so much to me. I I I truly I just I I don't have any words. Um, I did not expect this. This was a big surprise for me. Um, it's an honor to be able to serve the students of Alman Cisco district and be able to support my staff however I can. To my colleagues, to my friends, my second family, thank you so much. um you've supported me in everything just difficult times
044in life and I truly thank you for everything you guys do for me and um my family thank you so much for being here um this is an honor that I I just I thank you thank you thank [Applause] [Music] you All right picture Hi, Dr. Her as you're coming up. Um, just want to also share that as the Los Angeles County employee of the year, he is now in consideration for possibly the state employee of the year. And so, we should find out within maybe this month or next month um if he was selected for that. So, uh say your prayers, you know, you know, send up your extra um condolences for him and make sure that he gets that next title. [Applause] One, two, three. Okay, one more. One, two. Perfect. Thank you.
045[Applause] wanted to say the family [Applause] but so cute. I love it. I I do want to share just very briefly um that we did set up a backdrop um in the hall and we'd like to take pictures of all of our Tech Trek finalists uh with your families before you leave the meeting this evening. Uh so please make sure that you stop by so we can capture uh your wonderful accolade and and continue to celebrate you as we share this wonderful information with our school community. And then Roy, we got to get a picture of you in front of the backdrop too with the fan club back here. Sounds great. Well, um I just right about now will be a great time to do that. Um we it's time for public comment, but we
046have no cards. And Dr. Garcia, was there any written communication? No written communication has come forward. Okay. Then at this time, the board will be moving on to close session and we will discuss item one. Um close session item pursuant to government code 54957.6, Six, conference with labor negotiations, employee organization, EMETA, CSEA 10 and CSEA 356 and close session item two pursuant to government code 54957 public employee perform performance evaluation superintendent. We'll resume the open meeting shortly at close session. Um we discussed close session item one pursuant to government code 54957.6 Six, conference with labor negotiations, employee organization, EMETA, CSEA 10, and CSEA 356. No action was taken. And close session item two, pursuant to government code 54957, public employee performance evaluation superintendent. No action was taken. It's time now for the approval of the
047minutes. Do I hear a motion to approve um the minutes from the March 10th, 2025 board meeting? I'll make the motion. Motion made by Mrs. Kobian. Is there a second? Second. Seconded by Mr. Peralta. Any discussion? All those in favor? I I opposed. Motion carries. 5-0. Did everybody get the voting? No. Did it cut off or not on his on it? Okay. Are we okay? Okay. And then consideration of approval of the March 31st special board meeting minutes. Do I hear a motion to approve? I'll move to approve. Motion made by Mrs. Koban. Is there a second? I'll second. Seconded by Mrs. Mendes Garcia. Any discussion? All those in favor? I opposed. Motion carries. 5-0. Uh now for the reports, we have the EMCSD Williams universal complaint report, quarter 3. Uh thank you. Good evening.
048Uh um as required by Williams and Los Angeles County Office of Education, um we're pleased to share that for the third quarter um which is January 1st through March 31st. Um we had zero complaints regarding instructional materials, our facilities, or uh teacher credentiing. Um, as a reminder, the the Williams report must be submitted to the Los Angeles uh county office of education, but it also must be shared with the board of education at a regular meeting. Uh, no action is needed. Thank you. Under public hearing, we have item one, the hearing and adoption of CSEA and its chapter 10 proposal to reopen negotiations with the Almani City School District for the 2024 25 school year. Uh, the Educational Employment Relations Act, EER, specifically government code section 3547, requires that all initial proposals of the exclusive
049representative 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 the 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. CSEA and its chapter 10 has presented their initial proposals for 2024 25 reopener negotiations with the Almani City School District. Is there anyone who wishes to comment on the CSEA 10's initial proposal? And seeing none, is there a motion to adopt CSEA and its chapter 10's initial proposal for negotiations with the Elmani City School District? Motion to adopt. Motion made by Mr. Peralta. Is there a second? I'll
050second. Seconded by Mrs. Kobian. Any discussion? All those in favor? I I opposed. Motion carries 5-0. And item two under public hearing, presentation and consideration of CSEA and its chapter 356 initial proposal to reopen negotiations with the Elmani City School District for the 2024 2025 school year. The Educational Employment Relations Act, EER, specifically government code section 3547, requires that all initial proposals of the exclusive represent 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 the 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. CSEA and
051its chapter 356 has presented their initial proposals for the 2024 2025 reopener negotiations with the Elmani City School District. Is there anyone who wishes to comment on the CSEA 356's initial proposal? Seeing none, is there a motion to adopt CSEA and its chapter 356's initial proposal for negotiations with the Almani City School District? I'll make the motion. Motion made by Mrs. Kobian. Is there a second? I'll second. Seconded by Mrs. Mendes Garcia. Any discussion? All those in favor? I I opposed. Motion carries 5-0. We're moving on to the consent agenda. Are does any board member have an item that they would like to pull for separate consideration? Hearing none, do I have uh do I hear an motion to approve the consent agenda? I'll make the motion. Motion made by Mrs. Mendes Garcia. Is there
052a second? I'll second. Seconded by Mrs. Kobian. Any discussion? All those in favor? I opposed. Motion carries. 5-0. Um, time for action items. Item one, consideration of approval to adopt resolution 242530, celebration of the day of the teacher, May 6th, 2025. President Rivas and governing board members, it is my honor to introduce this resolution declaring May 6th, 2025 as day of the teacher in the Almani City School District. At the heart of every thriving democracy is a strong public education system. And at the center of that system are our teachers. Stewards of knowledge, guides of critical thought, and champions of equity and opportunity. Our teachers do more than deliver instruction. They help shape the minds and the hearts of the next generation. Instilling values of empathy, justice, and civic responsibility. In doing so, they ensure
053our society reflects the ideals we hold dear. In times of stability and in times of challenge, our teachers have shown unwavering commitment to their students, their communities, and the betterment of our shared future. They are the architects of possibility. Through this resolution, we express our deep gratitude to the teachers of the Almani City School District for their tireless dedication and we affirm our belief that the future of our democracy is in good hands because it rests in theirs. Do I hear a motion to approve item one? I'll make the motion. Motion made by Mrs. Cobian. Is there a second? I'll second. Seconded by Mr. Peralta. Any discussion? That was a wonderful description. Thank you so much. Um, all those in favor? I I opposed. Motion carries. 5-0. Item two, consideration of approval to adopt resolution
054242531, classified school employee week, May 18th through 24th, 2025. Thank you, President Rivas. It's also with great pride and honor that I introduce the resolution declaring the week of May 18th through the 24th as classified school employee of the week in the Almani City School District. Our classified staff are the quiet heroes who keep our schools running smoothly and safely. They are the first to greet our students in the morning, the ones ensuring our campuses are clean, nutritious meals are served, technology is functioning, and everything in between. They support instruction, contribute to student well-being, and help build the welcoming, positive environments our students need to thrive. Their work, often behind the scenes, is the foundation on which teaching and learning are built. Tonight, we recognize their dedication, professionalism, and vital role in our education mission.
055With this resolution, we extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation for all that they do. Thank you. Do I hear a motion to approve item two? Motion to approve. 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 opposed. Motion carries. 5-0. Item three, consideration of approval of resolution um AsianPacific American Heritage Month. Thank you, President Rivas. For your consideration this evening, this resolution acknowledges California's diverse Asian and Pacific Islander student population, which comprises approximately 12% of students from kindergarten through grade 12. It recognizes the rich cultural heritage of these students and the substantial contributions made by Asian and Pacific Islander individuals to California's economic growth and social fabric. Thank you. Do I hear a motion to approve item three? I'll make
056the motion. Motion made by Mrs. Koban. Is there a second? I'll second. Seconded by Mrs. Menddees Garcia. Any discussion? All those in favor? I opposed. Motion carries. 5-0. Item four, consideration of approval of resolution 242533, National Mental Health Awareness Month. Thank you for your consideration this evening. This resolution recognizes that mental health conditions are a significant cause of disability in the United States, affecting millions of children, adolescents, and adults in California. It emphasizes the importance of sharing personal knowledge and experiences of living with mental illness to reduce the stigma and barriers associating associated with seeking mental health treatment. Thank you. Do I hear a motion to approve item four? I'll make the motion. Motion made by Mrs. Mendes Garcia. Is there a second? I'll second. Seconded by Mr. Peralta. Any discussion? I'll second. All those
057in favor? I I opposed. Motion carries 5-0. Item five, consideration of approval of Norwood Greening Projectou between EMCSD and the Trust for Public Land. Thank you. before you is a an agreement that allows Trust Republic Land who uh applied for a grant um through Measure W through the LA County uh to proceed with the next steps of improving the site um and revitalizing the 6acre site at Norwood into vibrant community green space. As we uh reach important milestones and finalized designs, uh we'll be sure to bring back regular updates to the board uh regarding this exciting project. Thank you. Do I hear a motion to approve item five? I'll make the motion. Motion made by Mr. Poda. Is there a second? I'll second. Seconded by Mrs. Kobian. Any discussion? I just had a question. And
058I was looking up the trust for public land and I was curious if there are local projects that they've completed that um anybody plans to visit or or is able to visit. It looks like they've done things around the country. They have locally. I know they're working with the city of El Monte uh with a um similar project to improve I believe it's Samora Park uh locally in the community. Uh, and that one is uh I don't think it's been um initiated or it's in the beginning phases of that, but that's the one that's most local to us. Um, so that's that, but they have again done various projects throughout LA County. Uh, green schoolyard projects. We're also partnering with them on some exciting projects this summer at Sherps Cortillis and they have a presence
059across state of California. Thank you. So, do you expect it to go similar to our other building projects working with a contractor to It looks like there's a lot of collaboration between the district, right? Um the difference with this one typically uh in Mont City School District is a grantee um and we control the funds bring on the contractor. This one um Charles Public Land uh pursued the grant funds and so they're the grantee, right? And they will be improving the site, right? And so through thisou or donation agreement uh it allows them to uh improve the site and at the conclusion of the project um the uh donation of the improvement reverts back to the Monte City School District and there is language in theou um that um obviously uh allows Monte City School
060District to be involved uh in the decision- making of the design and control and um dictate um what's best for for the community, right? So, although Trust Public Land is a grantee, right? Obviously, we're the property owner of the site where the improvements are happening. And so, um it's a it's a strong partnership there, right? Because they bring the funds, we bring the property, and we work together to make sure that the design and the improvement works for um for the Monte community and is obviously uh compliant with the grant guidelines. Yeah. Thank you. Well, it's something that we've been really looking forward to for a really long time now. So this is pretty exciting to have this tonight. Any other questions or discussion? Okay, then all in favor? I I opposed. Motion carries. 5-0.
061Um item six, consideration of approval of tenative agreements between EMA and EMCSD for the 202526 negotiation year. Uh good evening. before you for consideration would be the tenative agreements to wrap up the 2425 bargaining um year with the uh EMEA or our teachers association. Uh notably um in these agreements are some updated language regarding safety special education um a fewus regarding the development of a a special education committee. Um and then the acknowledgement of of um planning space for special education uh personnel um where they can focus on their IEPs or the development or assessment and so on. And then most notably would be an instructional calendar for the coming school year. Um and that way we can uh start sharing it with our families and and our our staff as well and they can
062plan their summer and and prepare for the coming school year. Thank you. Do I hear a motion to approve item six? So moved. Motion made by Mr. Seagris. Is there a second? I'll second. Seconded by Mrs. Kobon. Any discussion? All those in favor? I oppose. Motion carries. 5-0. Moving on to our board policy updates. We're going to consider all 20 together. Um but before we do that, is there an item that you would like pulled for to consider separately? Okay. Hearing none. Then do I hear a motion to approve uh the set of 20 board policies? I'll make the motion. Motion made by Mrs. Cobian. Is there a second? I'll second. Seconded by Mr. Podalta. Any discussion? All those in favor? I opposed. Motion carries. 5-0. We're nearing the end of our meeting. It's time
063now for the vision statement, the mission statement. We we looked at the that we landed on something that really represents the characteristics that we want to um all of our students to embody as part of our EMCSD experience. So, something to think about um as you think about the notes that were shared, the summary notes that were shared around the board discussion, I would love to just hear if they captured the essence of the conversation, review the themes that were brought forth in that conversation, and then I'd like to introduce the con the idea of thriving leader as the sixth disposition for the Almani City School District. So, we can start building that those definitions or that description around each of those. So, I open it up to the board to discuss thriving learner and
064also um to think about the themes that we've identified that came from the study session and I'm happy to review those if you'd like for me to do that as well. Would you read those six dispositions? Absolutely. Uh so the first one is change agent. The second one is knowledge seeker. The third one is forward thinker. The fourth would be empowered communicator. Fifth globally conscious and sixth thriving leader thoughts. I like that. I I like it too. I think it has a little more this follows the rhythm of the other ones. So I appreciate that. Yeah. And it connects with our mission, right? As well. Making sure that we're connecting those dots. Agreed. And it's such an emphasis. Yeah. Of you know the everyday talk at the schools. Exactly. So, so we can bring that
065back. Um, one of the other asks for this evening, and I don't want to get ahead of myself, would be to schedule a second study session to to really finalize our thinking around our goals, the themes that we wanted to uh bring forward in goals, and then we can bring back um descriptions for a thriving leader as well. So let me just uh read some of these. Uh so based on our conversation on March 31st, the emerging themes that came from the conversation were academic achievement and alignment. And um I I'll read some of these items. Establishing a clear academic floor for student achievement, ensuring students are high school ready, especially in math and writing. Reinforcing academic engagement through meaningful feedback, not just test scores. The second theme was realworld readiness, elevating STEM access, financial
066literacy, career awareness, and I think those are some examples. Um, offering hands-on learning experiences like cooking, building or growing, emphasizing digital literacy and AI fluency and instruction. The third theme was strength-based and engaged learning, valuing programs like musical theater, field trips, and steam initiatives, creating opportunities for students to identify their talents and interests. Incorporating student voice and choice to foster ownership and learning. The fourth theme was inclusive and safe learning environments, ensuring every child feels seen, supported, and safe. Expanding inclusive practices, especially in relation to special education and the broader school community. The next theme was leadership and staff development. Investing in leadership development for staff across all levels. Maintaining aligned professional development that supports the district direction. Uh next theme was digital citizenship and media literacy. Teaching students how to navigate online content responsibly
067building critical thinking and fact-checking skills from early grades. Next theme was strategic alignment and focus. Avoiding the Christmas tree effect. I think uh Mrs. Mendes Garcia said that. too many disconnected programs and ensuring all initiatives align with core priorities and student outcomes. And the last theme was around enrollment and communication, addressing declining enrollment through targeted outreach and better marketing of district strengths, increasing visibility of student and district achievements through media and media presence and storytelling. And so so from those themes based on our conversation this evening we can set up you know we we'll bring forth cabinet and I will bring some some broad goals that encompass the themes um so that we can start really fine-tuning and working on creating achievable tangible goals within the district and then aligning our metrics. But but really
068wanted to open up for you to comment uh around on on the themes I'll just say I I think I mean I I feel like it the the document you know encapsulated the all the the different points that we had. Um, I think I guess my question is in preparation for that meeting, is there an ask of us or is it going to be you and the cabinet working on some things for us to review or should we come in with, I don't know, some descriptors or anything like that? It could be a combination of both. It'll be a working meeting. So, so based on those themes, we can start to create some broad goals because because there's a lot of uh crossover and linkage between some of these themes, right? And so, because we
069want to we want to have no more than five goals. I think we all agreed that we want to keep it very precise. And so how do we create goals that reflect the conversations around priorities and the themes that the board has identified and and so making sure that these are the priorities um we can then you know come prepared to have thorough conversations to support the board's goals for the strategic plan. So we can either, you know, come in with just some broad categories for goals and then we can take the time to build out what those goals look like and then really identify what is it that we're looking for, right? So so that'll be part of the working meeting that we have all together. But but we can come in already creating
070okay those categories or those broad goals bringing things together. Does that make sense? I'll give you an example. Um, if you look at um, real world readiness and strength-based engaging learning, I I could see one goal emerging from that, right? Um, alongside a few other items, descriptors. So, so the themes or the priorities don't necessarily reflect a onetoone goal. Yes. Does that make sense? Yeah, absolutely. In fact, um, when I I I tried to like not look at the summary and then just write write out my own kind of, you know, my perspective of the my recollection of the meeting. And so, um, so I I kind of grouped things a little bit differently as well. Um so so just for example um I I thought we were talking about a vibrant learning environment for
071students where there's belonging and engagement. Yep. So I put engagement there with belonging and and um the opportunities to learn in a vibrant learning community. Um, another that I appreciated that came out in the summary was um, the development of staff around student thriving and creating those optimal opportunities to learn. Um, I found it interesting that in the summary there was a kind of a combining of ideas that I had separated. So, um, you know, I think a theme that came up repeatedly when we talked last was a commitment to the essential learning outcomes or the floor um for our students. And then I've kind of separated out from that being clear about what we are preparing students for. Whether are we talking about high school? Are we talking about preparing them for STEM? Or
072are we talking about AI and technology use? Um, and what does that actually mean? Right? Because sometimes we well, how many times have we all heard, I'm doing this to prepare them for whatever thing, but we're not really all in agreement about what does that actually look like. Anyway, those are just some of my um my recollections of the meeting and how it um just was reflected back a little bit differently than the summary. But I'm excited to see um what comes to us at our study session in its own, you know, grouping of maybe five or so key focus areas. Yeah, it'll be great. Any other any anyone else want to share reaction response to the summary or feedback prior to that meeting? Yeah, I think that's just having again um emailing us ahead
073of time. I know the vision and mission we agreed to the graduate profile some of our summary notes and then that will help prepare um I know for me help me help me prepare and take notes on some of those um how I'm envisioning those goals and then again bringing that to back to the team. And I think maybe um I don't know rescending or um some of the like samples because what I'm kind of thinking of is is making sure I understand how it connects the goals then connect back to the portrait of a learner like what is even if there's just some visuals maybe that other districts have shared so there's understanding what that connection looks like. Um, so I know I know we've seen some of them before, but I think, you
074know, not to to copy what other districts are doing, but to at least have an idea of what the end product is really going to look like would be helpful. You're right. That would be helpful because I've mentioned that before. I want to make sure everything's connected. Yeah, I agree. I was reflecting on that same thing today that the profile of the learner is um or the portrait right of the learner really gives us an idea of what characteristics we would like to foster in the students and then you want to make sure that our focus areas kind of get you there remind us of that a little bit. Yeah. Yeah. That would be really helpful to have a sample just to kind of refer to Is there any are there any other priorities that
075you would like to um share at this time that you want us you know the the governance team here to consider as we're building this out? I'll share something that came up for us in our discussion was making sure that we're very intentional about um you know naming parent engagement in in this work, you know, and so where it falls is is something that we still want to make sure that we um we plug it in, but but as a as a priority, we would love to see something that dedicates um you know, some space to parent engagement. Does that resonate with the board? Yeah, I think and and it connects in with that um I think there was one about the communication and all that. So, it's Yeah, could see that easily. I'm also
076thinking too if we how we tie in parent engagement into all of the pri all of the priorities as well. So if we don't necessarily have one separate making sure that it's in every goal area that we have, we want that community engagement, right? So that's another way to look at it too. That's a good thought. uh you know the this might not really go into the expression of these key areas but to circle back to the full community right because we had so many people involved in developing especially the mission and vision and really creating a direction for the whole process and so circling back and making sure that this is all communicated with the whole community I think is um would be really important to do. I agree. Anyone else would like to
077is there any thoughts? So, so the next ask is to consider another um a study session to continue this conversation. Um and and so we are proposing that we set a study session for May 5th. Does that work for the board? Yes. Yes. Yes. Is that 5:30? Okay. Um there is a request to move the start time to 5:30. Um would that be okay with the board as well? Yes. Okay. And as a reminder, whenever we set a study session, we notify our school community. we update the website so that um our school community, district communities are aware of the updates to the board calendar. So what we'll do in advance um we'll set the agenda for May 5th to continue the conversation around um the strategic plan. will specifically um look at um defining
078and finalizing the portrait of a learner um the the the description, excuse me, the characteristics and and the description for each one of those characteristics. So, the board will have an opportunity to look at those very carefully and make sure that it's the right wording to match. And I really like the idea of connecting all things. And then what we can do as a cabinet will bring forward some broad goals that the board can use to start really considering you know how we finalize the goals that we'll set forth in the strategic plan um representing the conversation that we had at the March 31st meeting as well as the comments that were made this evening. and we can share that when we release the agenda so the board has time to take a look at
079that and comment and and then the goal is that by the end of uh May 5th by the end of that meeting we'll have finalized uh portrait of a learner with the descriptions and that we have a really good direction for the goals and then we can then fine-tune and word words smmith um the goals for the final product. Then what happens after that is our departments, cabinet and and our directors departments we're going to then um align create the the measurable goals and align the metrics to bring those back to the board in the final strategic plan. Very good. Any questions or comments before we move on to our last item? Our last item is future discussion items. Um we have been just really focused on the strategic plan and making sure that we're
080continuing to move forward in that process. Um but are there any other items that you would like to place on a future agenda? Okay. Uh then we will close the meeting. It's 7:15. The meeting adjourned.