001Dez, are you ready? Okay. Good evening. I'd like to call this meeting to order. It is 6:04. Before we begin, I want to repeat a uh repeat the protocol for behavior in the boardroom. This is a meeting of the board. This is a the the board me of the board and a business meeting of the board. We do not allow food or eating during the meeting. We do not allow applause or cheering or woohoos or hissing or anything like that. Uh we expect uh decorum and it's difficult for us to hear when there's a lot of noise. So we also ask that you keep the noise to a minimum. If you need to have engaging conversations, please take it outside. We would appreciate that so that we can get through the business of the board.
002Ivy, can you lead us in the pledge of allegiance, please? Of course, 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. Okay, we out of close session our we have a report that there was a vote 3 to2 to include need loot excuse me I'm so sorry let me start over here coming out of closed session uh close session report is that we voted three to two to include lead negotiators and the board only in closed sessions in closed session regarding regarding a grievance case. Thank you. Okay, we're going to jump right into our reports this evening. Our first report tonight is the student report on the California Youth Climate Policy Leadership Program.
003>> Dr. Glass, thank you. I'll uh just turn things over to our students. They have a report on a initiative that they put together and we're excited to have them. Thank you. >> Good evening everyone. My name is Jen and this is Hley and tonight we're going to be presenting on a green schoolyard initiative. But first we have an announcement. Unfortunately, our environmental literacy coordinator, Miss Harwood, was unable to join us tonight, but she's given us the joy of announcing Laguna Beach High School's achievement in the green in the California Green Ribbon Schools program this year receiving the gold award. And Hadley and I are here to introduce an idea that continues to advance sustainable initiatives within our schools and our ongoing commitment to the environment. So my name is Genevie. I am a senior
004at Lagon Beach High School and I've gone through Laguna schools my whole life. And I am Hadley Melo. I am a sophomore at Laguna Beach High School. Last year we were encouraged by our teachers to apply to CYCP which is California Youth Climate Policy Leadership Program. And since July, we've been learning how to advocate for climate action and have been equipped with the tools to lead progress in our schools. With the help of our mentors, the team at CYCP, and Miss Harwood's support, we decided to make our action to be focused on creating green schoolyards. You may be wondering, what is a green schoolyard? A green schoolyard is a transformed parklike and nature-filled space that replaces typical asphalt student zones with living and rich landscapes. We hope to join the California Schoolyard Forest System, a
005statewide initiative that focuses on increasing the canopy to reduce heat, protect students, mitigate the effects of climate change, and promote environmental literacy. So, why is this an issue for LBUSD students? Free canopies on school campuses can aid in quality of life through providing school on school grounds. This is especially important in California. This is especially important in California where our school grounds include asphalt which can absorb and radiate heat making it very hot on campus. Benefits of this would include health, learning, ecological and climate resilience and community. For our case study, we researched Eagle Rock Elementary School. So in the summer of 2016, Eagle Rock removed over 17,000 square feet of asphalt and replaced it the concrete tolerant trees and plants in order to provide shade and reduce heat. Currently in Lagouna Beach, we are
006falling behind our goals in students shade zone percentage. Right now, Elmoro only has 7.9%. Laguna Beach High School has 6.1% Middle School has 4.5% and Top of the World Elementary has 10%. stretching across these four campuses. Only 8.3 of the total 57.5 acres are shaded by trees. Of this existing canopy, only 19% can be accessed by students during the day in our student zones. So, what is our goal right now? Since there's only 1.7 acres of shade coverage from tree canopy and shade structures in the student zone, our goal is to reach 7.6 by 2030 to achieve 30% coverage in areas used by students during the day. Supporting this goal, we also hope to integrate green building principles in facility design and future projects to create an emphasis on environmental awareness and nature based education
007moving forward implementation. The images depicted here display the various schools in our district and where they could use improvement regarding tree canopies. So for cool down zones, you could plant clusters of trees in order to create green sanctuaries on each campus for climate ready canopies by using a diverse mix of native SoCal trees with large leaf spreads. We are building a resilient and mini forest that is able to thrive in our changing local environment for ultimate outdoor hub. These spots are not solely for they're not solely for looks rather they are designed for everything from outdoor learning spaces to lunch breaks to places to hang out with friends. They're also flexible for every campus. And using the tree equity data from the California school yard tree canopy study and gsi mapping, we can identify zones
008that would be needed for potential funding solutions. So stated on the general facilities master plan under outdoor spaces, 5,347,420 has been previously set aside for this use. This project fit within that budget. Also for opportunities for grants including the screen green schoolyards America which is a California based initiative providing over providing for planning and implementing schoolyard greening projects or CalFire which is a great which is a grant program aid through providing funding to improve forest health together and I have drafted a resolution that brings us closer to our goal of 30% which focuses on making our schools cooler greener and healthier we want to reduce paved areas and replace with native plants to lower heat and improve water absorption. By improving outdoor learning spaces, we can improve student wellness, environmental literacy, and long-term climate resilience.
009We thank you for your consideration. Would like to give a special thanks to Miss Miss Harwood for her support and our CYC cohort in mentors. >> Thank you so much for that detailed report. That's um it's great to see you all involved in our facilities and how we can improve our campuses. So, thank you for that. Do we need to ask questions or if it's a budget item we can address that later? >> You can ask questions of the students. >> Okay. Terrific. Does any board member have a question or would like to start? Deep. >> So, I I know that trees were cut down because we built more and some of the ones that at least a couple of the trees at Elmoro had owls in them. It was really sad to lose those.
010So, I'm excited about your project and I would love to see a plan of where you think the trees can go or is somebody helping you with a plan? >> Yeah, Miss Harwood would be the one to help us implement a plan and pick out the specific zones where you want to do it. I think we have a slide that shows just an example. >> Yeah. So, in like the red squares, there's some places where we could show like have more tree canopies and just like implement more trees. Okay, great. Great. >> Excellent. Thank you so much. >> Member Majeski, >> this is terrific. Thank you. Um, so just to understand process in terms of the project, it sounds like you will be developing with with Miss Miss Harwith plans for, you know, trees and
011whatever. Would that mean that you would come back to us with a budget request or this is something that's already maybe Dr. Glass needs to answer that. I'm just curious about what the process is for helping you to finish your project. >> We aren't really sure about the budgeting. We would be happy to come back if that's needed to help like accelerate this movement forward. Um, but Miss Harwood, as we also outlined, we have like opportunities for grant money that is in the facilities master plan that could support this also. >> Yeah. So, I was just curious about the facilities master plan and where that would go, but we can wait for you to come back. Thank you, >> Dr. Glass. have a follow up on the budget type. >> They got it. >> Member
012Kelly, member Hills, do you have any questions? >> I want to thank you for a very nice presentation and anything I can do to support trees, I'm all for it. >> Thank you. >> I wanted to uh I wanted to um commend you all and faculty that supported you and and your fellow students who are supporting you. And I just want to say you're on the right track. Um I think when it comes to funding, I agreed with member Maleski uh and I agreed with what you already had in the report about funding and that having that be part of the facility's master plan. Um and I would just add a couple points. One is I know people don't like to talk about the past, but we did something very similar to this. Um uh
013when we did the green belt originally in Lagoon Beach and students contributed to the original green belt um trust fund. And so you're part of a tradition of students at Laguna Beach High School who have the consciousness and awareness and the commitment to do something like this. So you you you're following in the footsteps of student leaders uh in the past uh who did this. And I also want to say that in this community in particular, uh the content in here about protecting students from the sun is really important because the damage that's being done to kids uh in this I grew up surfing here and I ended up having a lot of issues because of uh exposure to the sun and for students who are out at lunchtime or when they're out not in
014class to have a safe place. We talk about safety for kids. Protecting kids from uh radiation from the sun is an important safety issue for kids. So, you are you are punching a lot of tickets here with this and I just want to commend you for it. >> Thank you, Mr. >> Thank you. I have no further questions other than a comment about um making sure we obviously stay in touch with uh your needs and our budget as we put our budget together and develop that. Uh and I know Glow is a great advocate for all that you guys do. So, thank you for supporting each other. It was awesome. >> Thank you for having us. >> Thank you. >> Um, I would just like >> um I would just like to say this is
015not a question. This is more of a comment. Um, I know both of these amazing girls. They're in my m I was in mock trial with Hadley. Um, they're both very bright individuals and I'm just really proud of them for going and speaking tonight. So, thank you both. And I know you both have been very patient and wanting to come speak to the board for a while. So, I'm excited to hear from you guys again about your financial plan. >> Okay. Thank you. Moving on to uh executive team reports. First up is the bargaining unit. Bargaining units. Goodness. CSA and Laboufa. Besa, you have the floor. >> Thank you. First, we want to congratulate Betsy tonight, Dr. Cannonburgg, for her wonderful central office administrator of the year um by the Association of California School Administrators.
016She is so welld deserved. I've worked many summer schools with her and she's a joy to work with and she has a passion for our kids. So, we reached out to our um members and classified staff amongst all the chaos and them to give us things that reflect um what they do every day and the exceptional commitment to what we do. And this is what some of the people they've recognized some of our staff and um Raymond Lee in the budget department was recognized by his team for his commitment to financial transparency. Rather than providing isolated figures, Raymond provides deep context and clarity, ensuring stakeholders understand the why behind the numbers. Brenda Joyce, who works for Betsy, commended for her extraordinary work ethic, work ethic, and 150% effort, Brenda is noted for her selflessness, professionalism,
017and willingness to step into any role needed to support the district team, often staying late to ensure success. Mari Mines in our um business office highlighted for her proactive communications. Mari went beyond her standard duties to provide detailed visual documentation to demonstrating her high level collaboration that defines our district. The writing lab at the high school continues to be a vital resource for our students confidence and academic success. Recent data highlights that direct correlation between these resources and student outcomes. AP literature success one-on-one preparation in our writing lab focusing on thesis structure and body arguments led directly to a student moving from a B to an A for the semester. Following this su success, the student referred to a peer referred a peer to who subsequently earned a 98% on their exam, the highest essay
018score of their academic career. It also serves as a hub for studentled goal studying. One freshman utilized the lab for five weeks to massive cursive writing, later transitioning to independent typing. This illustrates how our district resources empowers students to take ownership of their learning beyond the standard curriculum. Also, the district's investment in our staff and ongoing training is yielding high returns. Katie Lassiento is a new employee. She was integrated seamlessly into the district with colleagues, noting her immediate positive impact. Ellen Oxales provided a high value professional development session for district-wide registars. Staff feedback emphasized that her sessions were insightful, prepared, and the kind of PD that really, really benefits staff. And I got a lot of positive emails on that also. And April Keller is recognized for her proactive, reliable presence at parent night events,
019particularly her ability to build natural rapport with students. The common thread with all the testimonials is the dedication Whether it's Raymond's fiscal clarity, Brenda's tireless tireless work work ethic, I can't talk tonight. Or the measurable academic gains in our writing lab that creates a supportive environment where both staff and students can thrive. We just want the community to know that our staff are dedicated. They're working with students. They show up every day and they love what they do and they'll continue to do so. Thank you. >> Thank you, Marian. Hi, good evening. Um, going forward, LabOfa has decided our attention will be firmly placed on the meaningful work happening in our classrooms and buildings. Our educators and staff deserve recognition, stability, and leadership that reflects the seriousness of their work and commitment to students. Our
020community deserves leadership that elevates public education rather than turning it into a spectacle. We will continue to focus on students, on professionalism, and the extraordinary work happening in our schools, even when others choose a different path. While we cannot control the tone set at this table. We can control where we place our focus. So tonight, we would like to focus on excellent work happening at our amazing thirst middle school. Where staff are intentionally bringing the LBUSD learner profile to life through cool celebration of our learning. With teacher mentorship, students select and reflect on meaningful artifacts that demonstrate their progress toward the district's learner outcomes and associated durable skills, helping them articulate not just what they've learned, but how they've grown as learners and people. This work culminates in 8th grade where every student's progress toward
021a specific learning outcome is celebrated in front of authentic audience. This powerful student- centered moment ensures every student leaves their having been recognized for their growth and their achievements. Student leaders is also thriving as PAL leaders recently facilit community community building circles with sixth graders strengthening student voice belonging and restorative practices across campus through collaboration with staff and counselors. How leaders also visited top of the world elementary school today to facilitate these circles with four fourth grade classes and my fifth grade class was super fun. Um it was really great to see the students come back and um facilitate with their some of their siblings and um show us how to great restorative circle. Last, we would like to congratulate Betsy as well. I've worked personally with her many years on MTSS and we are
022so lucky to have Thank you. Uh, next up we have um the SRO report. You guys keep changing people. >> I like to keep everybody on their toes. Good evening. Uh, all right. Well, we uh recently had a ebike safety training on January 31st with about 17 middle schoolers participating. Also, their parents are required to attend as a big part of that event. Uh the instructors have a brief slideshow presentation before they get their hands-on experience out on the blue top here at Thirstston. And a big part of that presentation was the introduction of new ebike safety laws for 2026, particularly how parents can be held liable for their children's actions when they are riding uh their ebikes unsafely in the city or if they might be on an illegal e motorcycle. So that's a
023really important takeaway for our kids and for the parents in the community. In addition, uh we have rekindled the Laguna Beach Police Department Explorer Program and we've hosted a couple information sessions with high schoolers and about 15 students have expressed interest so far and so we'll be hosting more events in the future and trying to get that off and rolling hopefully for the summer. We attended the high school's winter formal in conjunction with Dana Point a couple weeks ago and I believe it was a great success. Leading up to the dance, we took part in presentations at the high school promoting the event as a very safe and sober event and highlighted some of the consequences of not being either. Thirsten Winterfest was last week. I enjoyed about 15 minutes of heckling the middle schoolers
024in their attempts to dunk me in the dunk tank. The last some athleticism prevailed and I was soaking up by the end of it. It was a truly great event. It was a lot of fun. Finally, the Teen Leadership Academy is coming back again this summer and we have some dates tentatively scheduled and so once we get those finalized, we will be pushing that out for our high schoolers to participate. We're very excited for upcoming events and everything else in the future. Thank you. >> Thank you. Does anyone have any questions? Moving on. Thank you for that great report. Um, where am I at? Next up, we have Principal Turner from um Top of the World Elementary. We are excited to hear your report. Thank you so much for being here. >> Dr. Glass, President
025Morgan, members of the board, staff, and attendees. Thank you for the opportunity to spotlight to tonight. When I was here a few weeks ago, it was to recognize students. Tonight it's about the work of students, staff, and the community because we all know it takes a village. There are so many things that happen at to all our campuses. Um, it would not be practical for me to document and present them all tonight. That's why we have focus areas or goals, which is what I will be presenting tonight, highlighting progress, impact, and next steps. Uh, our site goals are tightly aligned with the district's LCAP goals, which you're familiar with. The focus areas are on academic readiness, student well-being, and inclusive school environments. I'll share examples of how these look in practice at top level. Goal
026one centers on strong tier one instruction supported by targeted tier 2 and tier three interventions as well as enrichment opportunities. And just as a reminder for the multi-ter systems of support, there are three tiers. Tier one is instruction for all for students that are on or above grade level. Tier two is instruction or interventions for some, those who are approaching grade level. And tier three is an instruction or interventions for few, those who are far below grade level. And the learner profile anchors this work across classrooms and grade levels. Regarding the learner profile, this year to chose to prioritize empathetic citizen, that attribute to strengthen inclusion and peer relationships. One way we are doing this is to create a peer-to-peer program that creates activities with our general education students and students from the self-contained special
027education program is kind of like the best buddies model but made to fit for top of the world. We're introducing this to the fourth grade in the spring and we're recruiting and planning for the 2026 2627 school year and then we will launch in the fall. Regarding academic performance, these are TO's reading I Ready diagnostic scores thus far this year. Moving students out of the tier 2 and tier three areas into tier one is always the goal. For reading, tier one increased 49 to 69% from the beginning of the year to midyear. That's over a 100 students that moved into tier one. At the same time, tier three was reduced by half. evidence that uh early intervention and strong core instruction are working. And these are the I Ready math diagnostic scores. Math tier one
028grew from 32 to 57% that's 126 students with tier three dropping to 4%. This reflects again improved instructional alignment and targeted supports. All of this is done while piloting new math instructional materials in three grade levels. And regarding that adoption, grades one, two, and four piloted Amplify, which the board recently approved. Thank you very much. Our mid-year math scores from the previous slide uh for the pilot grade levels actually saw the greatest gains uh over time, which is interesting. Teachers report seeing deeper conceptual understanding and training will expand into um in some form to all grade levels. In the spring, we will continue our six week data cycles. Tier two and tier three supports during win time, which is the whatever I need time. Uh they provide uh intervention and enrichment. These will provide instruction
029for all students to match their specific needs. The Sunday system and magnetic reading are a couple of the intervention programs that we use in ELA as well as I Ready and Fact Wise in math. Uh when we talk about enrichment, we include programs like the students selected book clubs um from our librarian Mrs. Romano. Examples of titles include My Side of the Mountain and the Mona Lisa Vanishes and also arts integration which provides creativity and innovation through original art making, communication through visual expression and reflection. An example is TO's holiday boutique which some of you attended. Thank you for your donations. Uh many students sold items that they themselves had planned, designed, drawn or built. Goal two emphasizes strong relationships and consistent social emotional learning instruction. PBIS, which stands for the positive behavioral interventions and
030supports, remains a key structure supporting student behavior and belonging. It is a schoolwide system with clear behavior guidelines that highlight students good behavior. Looking at our data last year, we specifically focused on these three SEAL components from the Panorama survey results for our students in grades three through five. Supportive relationships, positive feelings, and handling challenging feelings. All three of them grew positively between last year and this year. You may ask, how might that happen? Well, school connectedness, we have an all means all approach for every student. For instance, Russell is not just a first grade student in Miss Bond's class. His success and well-being belong to all of the staff at T. Art also plays a key role in building empathy and connection, taking the stance of you're the artist, you decide. Um that builds
031student agency and ownership and all. Art also supports emotional expression and self-awareness. For tier one seal, I wanted to highlight some of the additional activities that build classroom and schoolwide cohesiveness. For instance, in August, TW's counselor and school social social worker hosted a new student lunchon. We had unity day and say boo to bullying in October. And we had kindness week just a couple weeks back. Also, PALS, our PALS program created a peace path in two different locations on campus to help students resolve conflicts by talking it out. PALS then support in teaching students how to use the peace path and our peace path monitors at lunch. Goal three focuses on behavioral supports, attendance, and inclusion through art. These systems ensure access and equity for all learners. We are blessed with a robust tier 2
032and three supports, including dedicated staff. Our counseling and support staff are deeply engaged in preventative and responsive uh services. We have tier 2 small groups that involve eight students weekly. Tier three individual counseling CA case loads include 14 students with our school social worker weekly and 20 students with our counselor weekly. In addition, staff facilitated and participated in 36 total student study team meetings and 18 total 504 meetings. Oh, and chronic absenteeism. Um, we are focused on reducing it. We truly do sit down as an attendance team and review every name within the context that they're on the list and we hold start meetings and we build attendance contracts so we have stronger relationships and partnerships with our families. But the flu and the pneumonia around the community have nailed us this year and we
033miss students for a week at a time and it's been rough just preparing everybody. We are trying though and inclusion through art. Um, as mentioned previously, art provides multiple pathways for success for all students and is ideal for students to work together and be included. If you look at the picture on the bottom right here, that's Lydia and you can see her ceramic piece. This came from a collaboration with the high school ceramic students in a lesson from adaptations through the lens of ceramics. I believe that she is holding a fish that leaves lives in the dark depths of the ocean and a special features that allow it to thrive. And with that, I thank you for listening. And seeing that there are no questions, I will just >> Okay. Thank you so much for
034that detailed report. There's great things going on at to always as long as I've been connected to it. So, I appreciate that. Do we have any questions from the board or the student board members? No. >> Okay. Thank you so much for that. >> Nicely done. Thank you, Dr. >> Okay, we're going to turn to our executive cabinet for their updates. Um, I don't see Dr. Mayberry. Is he here? I'm having a tough time. I'm sorry, Dr. Mayberry. Please, the floor is yours. Thank you. Uh just a couple quick uh updates. Uh I als I want to give one more shout out to Genevieve and Hadley. What they didn't mention was that they were two of 44 students across the state of California that were part of this California Youth Climate Policy uh leadership program.
035So they were advocating for local issues that they want to bring research and bring forward to the community. And so it's a very special recognition that they were accepted in the program and did that research and brought it here tonight. Uh and that really shows what the the recognition for the the high school and the greater community and the school community around the the green ribbon award that the high school won this year. U which is not a surprise when you see all the different things that they do at the high school whether it's through instruction or through the facilities or through the wellness. It's really centered around environmental education, sustainable practices. So, a big shout out to the high school for that gold award this year. Uh, also wanted to give my own special
036congratulations to Dr. Cannonburgg, uh, the Access Central office administrator of the year. I've had the pleasure to work uh, right next to her in my office for the last five years and so she's been she's a very uh, special teammate uh, in the work we do together. She's a wonderful resource for not services but for all the schools uh that lean on her for a variety of things and she just jumped right in. So this is a very welld deserved award for Dr. Kenn. Uh also um as you may have seen uh February is career technical education month. Uh that means there's a lot of things going on uh in CTE. Um we've got TMS recently had their career expedition days as well as a college day. Uh Top of the World had a career
037day recently. Tomorrow has a career exposition date coming up at the end of the month. Uh the high school is highlighting six industry areas this year during tutorial periods. We're bringing in industry experts to talk to students in certain areas of interest. So it's a really exciting month to highlight this very important part of our educational system that's really valuable for students. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Any questions? Okay. Um, man, please you have the floor. >> Thank you. Good evening, board president. Uh, I want to start with the gratitude, the note first. Uh, the students were amazing in presenting green and CYCP. uh it's always good to hear students and build in the green structure infrastructure that are so much important for our energy efficiency and also long-term savings. So that being
038said, I also wanted to thank Miss Zuziac and Miss Binham for the appreciation of the staff. The staff indeed uh likes to be appreciated. they are wearing many hats throughout the day as we are kind of a single staff for each position. So it's always good to see the support from the leadership from the association. Next but not the least is Dr. Cannonburgg. I think we have mentioned enough uh it's always good to be an illustrious company. And the final before I leave I want to thank the board president and Dr. glass for holding the listening session at the district office. The staff feel appreciated when they see both the board as well as superintendent and listening to their concerns. They can speak without being uh afraid and share what their thoughts are, what crosses
039their mind and how we can solve problems uh together. So with that I think uh in my business services we are good fiscal services we are getting ready for second that will come to the board on March. The county approved our first interim with the positive certification and we executed also all the contracts for the swimming pool that's going to start in June. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Are we do we get a are we on we have a weekly update on the pool. Are we going to start incorporating those um from a budget and uh operational standpoint when this project starts? >> Yes. >> In incorporating them how what do you mean >> giving updates um as part of the report for >> trans community awareness? Yeah. Um certainly you can add
040an item to future board me board meetings uh where we update you on the progress around the pool. >> Terrific. Thank you. That would be great. Okay. All right, Mr. Colin. >> Thank you, President Morgan. Just honored time. I know we put a lot on the agenda this evening. So again, kudos to everyone from Betsy to the staff and the student for presenting. Good seeing some little top of world kiddos up here presenting for uh for green schools. Um but with that, again, I want to honor the time for the rest of the meeting. I I'll defer that. Thank you so much. report this time. >> Thank you, Mr. Colin. And again, Mr. Mayberry, my apologies. Who's sitting over here to my right? >> Mr. Superintendent, Dr. Glass. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, since
041we last met, I want to highlight the work of four areas. Governance and policy, student engagement, community connection, and some organizational updates. So, I'll frame my remarks around those. In terms of governance and policy, I've continued regular agenda review and governance preparation meetings, including working with President Morgan, staff, and legal counsel in preparation for this meeting and the upcoming February 26th governance meeting. We've also continued supporting the work of the transportation ad hoc committee and the facilities master plan ad hoc committee, moving both of those efforts forward. I've been visiting campuses regularly over the past two weeks. had visits to LBHS and TMS, visiting classrooms, talking with teachers and staff and students and administrators, and I've uh spent even more time with students through the superintendent student advisory council uh that we meet with once
042a month for a few hours um hearing issues of their concern. So, they have agency. the students on that council get to decide what they want to focus on and they have chosen um our facilities as an area of focus and student voice and we've been working on both of those those issues along with President Morgan I've continued uh staff listening sessions at Thirstston at Elmoro and at the district office those conversations are helping inform us about our current organizational culture climate and understanding the perspective ives of our staff. Shifting to partnership work, I met with the Orange County Superintendent Organization and attended the AXA Superintendent Symposium in Indian Wells. Since the last time we met, these connections are helpful as we think about AI, technology, infrastructure, as well as larger policy trends impacting districts
043like ours. Locally, I met with PTA leadership, the Council of PTAs, and met with our union partners on matters of our mutual interest. shifting to technology and our technology team. As you know, board Mike Morrison has recently retired from the district and I wish to publicly express my appreciation for Mike and all he has done for Lag Laguna Beach Unified. Mike was a transformative leader for this district and we will miss him as a professional and as a person. We wish him well in the next chapter. In the interim, I need to inform you that I will be assuming the duties of CTO and managing that team and making any needed decisions uh with them. We have the benefit of a veteran and competent technology team and they are continuing the work of the district
044forward without disruption. I haven't made any decisions in the intermediate or long term about the staffing configuration for technology or the CTO role. We're fortunate that Mike left us in good shape and as I mentioned, we have a terrific team. So, we're in a stable place right now and we have the luxury of being able to be thoughtful and strategic about what the shape of that part of our organization looks like going forward. I'll update the board when I have determined a direction for that. As I want to object to all the presentations that have come so far because I wanted to be the one to announce that Betsy Cannonburgg was the 2026 central office administrator of the year. But I'll also just join in uh and Bets Betsy's back there. um and join in
045with everyone in congratulating her. We've all come to appreciate Bets's work ethic, her professionalism, her dedication, unquestionable, and appreciate her as a colleague and friend. And I also want to extend my appreciation to our our associations and the way that you've approached both of your reports. Uh I think it's commendable that you're highlighting the good work that's happening with our staff. Um we had a meeting with the district leadership just yesterday and came to the same conclusion. we need to be telling the stories of the people in our district and what they're doing. So, thank you for that. Overall, um the work since our last meeting has centered on maintaining steady operations in this district, strengthening our internal systems, engaging directly with staff and our students and community and continuing more the forward momentum on
046facilities, transportation and governance prep preparation. Finally, I always want to thank you board for the opport in this and work in this wonderful community and work with this incredible team. Our family loves living here and I love working here and we are working really hard to get integrated into this community and have been welcomed by the people here. Just today my wife Sarah worked as a substitute teacher at Top of the World Elementary and she's frequently seen walking our dog Sunny around Top of the World neighborhoods and she's decided that we think we can survive winter here. We think we can make it. My oldest child, Nora, has been selected to perform the lead role in Shrek in the upcoming Thirsten Middle School production. And I'm excited to see how Thirstston transforms Nora from 4
047foot nothing into an overg um in that role. And our son Chase just today participated in a cross country race. Now, Bragg participated as a seventh grader against eighth graders and came in fifth. So, I'm super proud of him. We uh as as I think I've mentioned to you before, Chase is a tuba player. We have desperately hoped that he would find interest in something else besides the tuba. And just today, I was called up to Thirstston Middle School to pick up his new instrument, which is a souafhone. If you've never seen a souafhone, it is the only instrument larger than a tuba. So, thank you, Madam Chair. I'm happy to answer any questions, and otherwise, we'll yield the floor back to you. as a mom of a trumpet player, um size or volume is
048kind of a trade-off. So, I appreciate that. Okay, thank you so much. We're going to move on to board member reports. Uh member Kelly, >> I've been spending a lot of time with school power and which I'm very happy about. What a nice group of people who raise a lot of money that support a lot of programs and teachers. Um they had a wonderful soldout event where the principles uh cooked off and I got to vote on u which dish I liked the best and the nice thing was that my partner couldn't make it. So I voted for each of them. Uh even though I was I was uh told that one group had never won the spoon but uh I still tried to be objective but it was the food was delicious. Uh the
049the parents were wonderful and it was just a great and sold out. There's a lot of buzz about what's happening at the schools. I've also uh attended the school power board meeting last night in this room. Uh it's really fun to be in this room and look at it from different perspective. I was just really happy to see checkers and chess and uh I I noticed the pictures for the first time and I got to look at some of the books but because I usually have the back to that side but it was a great meeting and it was on Zoom also. So, it was lots and lots of family members were there, but again, I thank them for everything they do for us on behalf of the board and uh I gave a small
050report on what we've been doing. Thank you. >> Great. Thank you very much. Um, clerk Perry, >> thank you. I also want to echo a big congratulations to Dr. Cannonburgg. We really appreciate you and thank everyone for their reports and especially Hadley and Genevie. And that's it. >> Thank you, Member Hills. >> Yeah, I wanted to begin um with a point of personal privilege and good order um to make a couple comments. Um and uh I want to start by uh that um uh that um I want to acknowledge uh Mr. Superintendent um that uh you know we've had problems here in the room with our audio system and you and the uh executive assistant have been working on trying to fix the audio system here. I noticed today we've moved uh the more into
051the center of the room and I hope that improves the hearing for you. Um uh and uh I have very good hearing but on several occasions I have asked members and staff to repeat remarks uh to speak more or to speak more loudly. Uh that having been said uh what I want to acknowledge is that my request for you, Mr. superintendent to repeat uh your response to a question I asked at our last meeting was perceived by you uh we talked about it and um and it was perceived by some of the board members and um by members of the public as being personally adversarial towards you and um I want to assure you Mr. Superintendent that was not my purpose or intent. Uh, still what matters most is not what I think about what
052occurred but what you and the public we serve perceived about how I responded. Uh, accordingly I want to apologize to you um and the public for not finding a way to address my frustration with the auditive system uh in a way that did not create the perception of an adversarial intent. This is a case where perception is as much if not more of a defining reality than any explanation I might provide. Um, more than one truth can exist. Truth is I couldn't hear you. But the other truth is is that the way I expressed that um caused people to believe that I was being personally adversarial towards you. And I understand that. I take responsibility for that. And uh so that's just wanted to make those comments. Um I also wanted to um say that
053um I wanted to recommend you know we have a lot of issues going on right now about you know what's the role of the board what's the role of superintendent and um I think that uh uh you know there's all these different theories about you have a strong board and a weak superintendent or you have a weak superintendent and a strong board. I've always advocated a strong board and a strong superintendent and I think We're going to get there. There's been imbalances in the past. When you try to correct imbalances, sometimes people think you're creating a new imbalance. So, we're going to have to address those issues. But, I did want to make one suggestion that I think might be helpful. And it is that people that are interested in how this board is operating
054and how other boards operate, I would recommend that you go to the um Newport Mesa Uniffort School Unified School District website. And you look at the meeting that they had on 129 2025 which was their annual organizational meeting. And I think it was a pretty much model meeting and it showed a strong superintendent, a strong board. It showed strong employee associations but they were functioning together very differently than the way we have. And I I recommend going to that um again 129 2025 at about um at about 29 minutes in the representatives of the employees unions make presentations and they're making presentations about the cost of health insurance premiums and uh they uh take a very different approach uh and the board in response takes a very different approach and the superintendent takes a very
055different approach. than we have in dealing with that issue here. And at at 57 minutes, so that's at 29 minutes that the the unions speak up and then at 57 minutes um the superintendent takes over and he does a fantastic job of addressing the national problem of health insurance premiums and what kind of solutions are available. But the one thing that he makes very clear is that the solution of um increasing the employer share off budget without disclosure was not a solution that he would recommend. He said something very interesting. He said yeah. Okay. He said the cost of the increase in insurance premiums um uh that the that the the district and the associations did not have an agreement to cover the increased cost. And so they're going to have to do an agreement
056to cover the increased cost. But those topics aside, I'll wrap up just by saying uh I commend that that uh viewing that uh organizational meeting of the and by the way our former uh our former colleague Jeff Dixon is now up there and acting as their business officer and he was the one who was taking the increased cost of insurance premiums out of their paychecks. And so they were there to complain about that. But they did it in a much more civil way than we've done it here. And I just wanted to point that out as example. We might learn something from that. >> Thank you, Howard, for your report. Can you turn your microphone off, please? Member Meski. >> Yes. Did you have a question? Go ahead. But >> I just wanted to quickly
057say, member Hills. Um, his name is Dr. Glass. It's not Mr. Superintendent. And it's not my belief, but sometimes when you refer to him as Mr. Superintendent, it can come off as a little bit aggressive. And um I would just like to say I really appreciate your apology and setting things straight and I think that um this is a great way for the board to move forward and work together cohesively. So yeah, >> words of encouragement are my love language. So I appreciate uh your being those very kind words and um uh >> thank you Howard. Thank you. >> Thanks thanks for those comments. member Maleski >> by thanking Mike Morrison for many years of excellent service. Um there's a saying that everyone's replaceable. Mike comes pretty close to making me think that statement is
058sometimes a lie. Um he's just been an outstanding member and we're really going to miss him. I also am delighted to hear about Dr. Hannenburg's award. Congratulations. I'm a huge fan. It's really welld deserved. Um since the last meeting um I attended the school power endowment committee. The chef's challenge always makes me extraordinarily um happy about the support we get from school power. I also went to the countywide math counts competition um and was just so delighted to see the thirst students who uh represented Thirstston there. I'm really proud of them. Congratulations. But I also want to thank Lauren Anderson for organizing the event. It was terrific. I went to Thirsten's Winterfest. Um, thanks to Joe Vidal and Officer York for getting in the dunk tank and thanks to the PTA and all the volunteers
059who made it such a great event. Um, I also attended two meetings with President Morgan. One at the request of the unions um, uh, for their meeting with her and uh, she and I met with Dr. Glass from both. It was I I appreciated the offer of a meeting, but we also it was clear we have very different conceptions of governance and the role of the board. Um, in the meeting, President Morgan suggested that maybe I bring less of my professional work into board discussions. I don't really think that that's possible. My decades of work in education are not separate from my board service. They're the foundation of it. The principles that guide my teaching and research are the same principles that guide my governance. Commitment to students, respect for educators, care for public institutions,
060and uh knowledge of what we can learn from history. Um, so in this regard, many parents have asked me about the board's decision to move public comments to the end of the meeting. Um, I just want to point out that that some people have asked why that's happened. Um, that was a decision made unilaterally by President Perry without a board vote at the November meeting. It's come up three times with motions from Dr. Kelly and I to move it to the front. And that that has those motions have lost on a 3-2 vote. Um, I don't think that that's a decision that should be continually justified by claims about saving time. It should be evaluated on democratic principles because public comment matters, especially for students. Nearly two centuries ago, Alexis Dtoqueville observed that the strength
061of American democracy lived not primarily in national institutions but in local ones like city councils and school boards where ordinary people could speak and see themselves as participants in self-government. More recently, Benjamin Barber and Sheldon Woolen remind us that democracy weakens when everyday governance becomes insulated from public voice. It erodess legitimacy. Public comment isn't procedural. It's one of the few places where families, educators, students, and community members can speak directly to the people who govern them. When people show up to speak, they're not disrupting democracy. Regardless of how they speak, they're practicing it. And offering comment on an agendaized item is not the same as having a public forum to raise broader concerns. So, I'm reporting on this because it matters for students. When they see disagreement welcomed and participation protected, they learn that democracy
062belongs to them, too. If we want strong schools, we must model strong democratic norms around them. Defending public education includes defending the democratic practices that give it legitimacy. Finally, I want to briefly recall comments I made in March about Lincoln Stefins and his uh expose, the shame of the cities in 1903. He explains why professional administration exists in the form of a superintendent and city manager to prevent elected officials with insufficient expertise or driven by grievance rather than knowledge from substituting themselves for the professionals who run complex institutions like school districts. These reforms were designed to stop governance driven by ignorance and grievance from overtaking that expertise. I urge us to keep that in mind as we think about the relationship of the board to the district and any future bylaw changes and any conversations
063where we try to figure out what is the role of the board. This is uh a conversation that's gone on for a hundred years and it is the basis for the city manager and superintendent system that we have. Um so with that in mind uh I hope we'll keep all of that in mind and I look forward to our discussions. Thank you. Thank you. Um Ivy and Logan, uh usually we do you first, but we'll go ahead and come to you next. Can we have your board report, please? >> Great. Of course. Um so, Miss Binham already kind of covered to a field trip. Um the PAL students went over and had a field trip and they did kindness bingo activities. um just like a lot of Valentine's Day themed stuff in order to foster
064kindness and friendship. Um and then doing some tutorial lessons. PALS had the TMS peer mentoring program uh which has been supporting sixth graders with organization and missing assignments and just building positive connections. So all in the Valentine's Day spirit. Um ASB has been doing a Valentine's Day spirit week. Um including like favorite colors, favorite hobbies, just like things that they love. Um, and they've been selling Valentine's Day grand grams. Um, at Elmoro, students have been engaged in several projects around campus, collecting new and gently used stuffies that will be used in a collaborative project with the high school students. Um, and then the students are having to write poems about the stuffies. I actually did this last year um as a freshman. class and it was really fun. Um, Logan, do you want to do
065to and LBHS? >> Uh, yeah. There's I don't have too much to add for to because um it's kind of made my job a little bit easier this week. Um, but for LBHS, uh, we want to give a big shout out to SRO officer York for covering winter formal is uh, I'm sure there were a million other places that he probably would have preferred to spend his Friday night, but he was out bubble with us. So, we we wanted to give a a big shout out to him. Today, there was the no one eats a lunch uh no one eats alone lunch um at the Laguna Beach High School. It was fantastic. There was there was pizza and salad, pasta. Kids were all out in the quad. I don't think anyone was in the library
066eating where a lot of students do. Like, everyone was out. It was a lot of fun. Sun was out. Um and course registration has been coming up. So, in a lot of classes, LBHS students have been meeting with their teachers and meeting with their counselors on deciding what their course is going to be for next year. There's been a really great new initiative that's been put in place this year at the high school about um course like there will be certain tutorials that are like a preview to the course where they almost it's almost like the teachers will kind of pitch the course to students about, you know, what they'll be learning next year and if they would like to take it. And it's been absolutely fantastic. At least for me, I've been to one
067of them so far. I went to the AP US history tutorial and it was super informative and it like I felt like I was uh learning uh a lot more about what I'm going to take next year and tons tons of students have felt the same way. So, it's been something that's been met very positively by the students as well. I have to add or other than that we're all >> uh No, that's that's it. That's what's been going on in schools. >> Did any board members have any questions? You have a question. Does anybody have a question of our student board members? Howard, can you be brief? >> Um, any update on how we're doing with Ambassador Caner and setting up the model UN for the visit in New York? >> Um, so that
068would actually be totally Logan. Uh, that's his department, not mine. So, I'm gonna have him answer that. >> Uh, yes. So, I I spoke with um Kate Hennessy and Sierra Paul, who obviously you guys know Kate. Um, I don't know if you know, but also the secretary general for MU and I believe there is a meeting set up during the New York trip. >> Yeah. >> But I've been thinking cross my mind so I'm happy that it's moving forward to be a great event. >> No, everyone's really excited for it. M's very grateful for the connection. >> I'm sorry. I did have a question. How how was the winter formal combined with Dana Point? I personally enjoyed it a lot. I thought I thought they did a really good job. It was my understanding that
069it was predominantly Dana Point uh who had been involved with planning the event, but I I thought there was a great integration. I didn't feel like I was going to Dana Points. We were formal. There were tons of Laguna kids there. So, I I thought it was a really good experience and that was the sentiment of a lot of students I talked to. >> Great. Thank you. Um I'll try and be brief. Um I've been very busy since our last board meeting. Um I have with Dr. Glass attended listening sessions at um all the schools and the district office except for Laguna Beach High School which I think is right after the uh winter break. I want to thank Manoj for your kind words on the process. It was always my goal to provide a
070opportunity to listen to staff um to let them know that they've been heard uh and that their concerns are um that their concerns have been heard and that they've been seen. So, I appreciate everyone's involvement in that process. Um, and I look forward to hearing some of the feedback that was written. We had an a public forum a public discussion or Dr. Glass posed three questions. They were responded to um through various pro groups and and um sharing. And then we also offered everyone a card to write anything that they might be concerned about or want to share um more confidentially. and then they left that in a box on their way out. So, I know we have not yet seen the results of those. So, I'm looking forward to that. Um, I attended quite
071a few events as well. We had our first facilities master plan committee that um kind of kicked us off and I know that invitations have gone out to round out the committee based on the applications that came in. So, thank you to everyone that applied and um thank you to those that are um offering your time to join us and help uh drive this committee. Uh we also had a transportation committee and I think we have um I think one of the suggestions made was having staff come in that works that or offer their input on uh experiences experiences that they have with our bus system. Uh one of the things I think I mentioned earlier that you may have reme that you may remember was that when if a bus were to break down
072between 7 and 7:30 there was nobody in the office to call and so it caused some confusion and concern. So, this is just one of the many issues um impacting our students and our staff that the transportation committee is addressing. So, I appreciate all of those um all those that are involved in that. Miss um Clerk Perry is on that committee as well as um don't think I see anybody in the audience tonight that's on it, but I could be wrong. Um if you're here, just raise your hand, but otherwise it's fine. Um I listen I went to um I did a workshop yes on Tuesday for with uh one of the attorney firms that works with us on the Brown Act. It was a three and a half hour webinar. I was grateful for
073that. It always is good to do things like that that either remind us that we understand what we're talking about or we learn something new or we really got to get it together right. So, I walked away feeling like I actually um am grateful for the five sessions now that I've done on the Brown Act uh to make sure that I understand at least the framework of what's happening going forward. Um and then um then lastly I also attended a webinar um put on by the Orange County School Board Association on the state budget and some of the discussion and impacts that are that are being muttered about um community funded districts such as ourselves and at the state level what they're discussing and talking about. So I look forward to Manoj keeping track of
074that and keeping us um a breast of everything and I'm grateful for member Malesky's comment about um democratic norms. Um and I think one of the definitions that didn't come out um just to add on to what she said was that strong democratic norms are the unwritten rules, shared expectations and cultural values that uphold the formal laws of democracy. They serve as the guardrails of democracy, essential for maintaining public trust, ensuring accountability and enabling effective governance. Unlike laws which are legally enforceable, norms are maintained through political culture and a mutual commitment to fair play. Some of the key pillars of a strong democratic norm include u mutual toleration, which is understanding that opposing political parties are legitimate rivals and not enemies and that they have a right to exist, compete for power, and govern. Um
075there's several others. Institutional forbearance, respect for the rule of the law that uh free and fair elections. Uh a commitment to conducting elections without voter intimidation, manipulation or fraud, uh peaceful transfer of power, expectations that incumbent politicians who lose elections will publicly concede defeat and facilitate a smooth transition. civic participation in freedom of expression, neutrality of institutions, truthful disclosure, the expectation that political actors communicate honestly, fostering an informed electorate. When these norms are strong, they prevent political competition from descending into conflict and ensure that political, racial, and ethnic minorities are protected. In contrast, the erosion of these norms, such as the refusal to accept election results or the use of inflammatory rhetoric, can lead to increased political polarization, violence, and democratic backsliding. Thank you for bringing that up so I could add that. Uh, that's
076the end of my report. Okay, we're going to move on to item 6B, planning considerations for promotion and graduation. The board will discuss the high school graduation and middle school promotion ceremony locations, including historical background considerations and its current status. Dr. Glass will introduce the item and have the principles, Dr. Alman and Dr. Vidal uh provide a presentation. I do believe we have an additional packet of information that was included that was provided by a community member that asked to have this item forward. Uh I think there are copies in the back if you'd like to get one. um it will not be on the screen because we will have um the timer on that but I do understand that it will be made available within the required 24 hours uh to the community that
077would like it. Thank you >> Mr. Val. >> Thank you madam chair. Yeah, you'll get to hear from your secondary principles who um have put together um an informative presentation for you. But first, I want to speak briefly to the governance contest text and my recommendation. Graduation planning including venue selection is a site level responsibility that is carried out under delegated administrative authority. There is no board policy assigning venue selection to the board and historically these decisions have been handled at the site level. My recommendation on this matter is that it remain a site level determination that consistent that approach is consistent with our governance framework and our site administrators are fully capable of considering the available options and making an informed decision. At the same time, the board acting collectively has the authority to
078direct the superintendent on this matter if you choose to do so. Should the board exercise that authority tonight, we will implement that direction. I want to I want the record to reflect that my advice is to maintain this as an administrative decision. With that, I'll turn it back to our principles for their presentation. >> It's not an action. Thank you. Good evening, board. Um, before we talk about logistics, we feel it's important to pause and think about what makes a promotion or a graduation special. As a father of four and an educator who's been in 20 years, uh, it's about creating that special moment. It's beyond the gown. It's about recognizing the accomplishments of our students and celebrating with the ones that you love. It's closure with a place that you have been or a
079glimpse of where you might be going. And that's the heart of tonight's conversation. It's not where we hold ceremonies, but how we design them so students feel seen and families and friends feel included. So tonight's presentation is a general snapshot of the planning considerations not only for Laguna Beach High School but also for Thersa Middle School where together over the last several years we've had one shared commitment connection over everything else. And as we walk through tonight's slides, we'll address a few steady anchors with that process. One being inclusion, where we've shifted from a culture of no to yes, where we have expanded guest access for all of those that want to experience the special events. And another is stewardship, where our school sites have collectively shared resources, finances, and staging efficiencies to help co-design
080two beautiful events responsibly. So due to the board's thoughtful interest in the student experience, we're here to share what we've learned, what we've heard, and what we're a advocating for as we plan to move forward. Good evening. To begin, it's helpful to understand how we arrived at where we are today. Because how we got here matters. Prior to 2020, end of year ceremonies were planned independently by each school based on the site needs, facility limitations, and available resources. Each event was meaningful, but there was not a coordinated approach across sites. In 2020, the pandemic fundamentally shifted our operations. When in-person gatherings were prohibited, we pivoted to driveth through ceremonies for our fifth, eighth, and 12th grade students to ensure they were still recognized safely and meaningfully during an incredibly challenging time for us all. In
08121, while some restrictions remained, Guyirefield provided the flexibility to return to in-person ceremonies with physical distancing while maximizing family attendance. Importantly, the venue was able to support both Laguna Beach High School and Thirstston Middle School. Since then, that shared use has evolved into a collaborative planning model between the middle and high school. Logistics are sequenced and coordinated and infra infrastructure including staging, audio, visual production, live streaming and recording is shared. Costs are distributed and planning efforts are aligned to support both ceremonies efficiently and effectively. What began as a response to a crisis became a nice operational shift toward coordination, expanding access, strengthening strengthening efficiency, and most importantly enhancing the experience for students and families. And that context brings us to the first sightsp specific section of the presentation for Laguna Beach High School. This slide
082highlights both the programmatic consistency and the logistical coordination across our ceremonies. At the core, regardless of venue, every student's name is read, every student crosses the stage, ceremonies begin and end at consistent times, and music remains an important part of the experience, including student performances such as the Star Spangled Banner and our very own band's pomp and circumstance. We work intentionally to preserve the traditions that make the moment meaningful. At Guyirefield specifically, students are seated in the bleachers oriented towards their family, creating a celebratory community-f facing experience. For promotion, we've also embraced the future breaker concept, holding the ceremony on the campus students will attend next year. It's both symbolic and practical, allowing students to close one chapter while stepping confidently into the next. Logistically, we've shift shifted from on-site sta off-site staging and transportation
083to coordinated on-site staging. We now share live stream and video production in infrastructure across sites, including large video screens accompanied by student-led production support. This approach increases accessibility for families while maintaining a high quality experience and reflects the responsible stewardship of resources. As we continued evaluating the ceremony experience, we grounded our next steps in the voices of those impacted most, our students. When we asked the students about commencement location preferences at the high school, what we saw was an even split. And that's actually an important finding for us. It tells us the right answer isn't just a place. It's the experience we create in that space. This slide captures the reality. Student preferences divided between Guyerfield and the Irvine Bowl with a small group indicating no preference. But the most valuable part of this feedback
084wasn't the percentage. It was for me the qualitative insight about what students value most. So instead of asking uh the simple venue choice question, we also asked what makes commencement feel unforgettable in the best way? What makes students feel honored? What helps families feel included? And what makes the night feel authentically Lagona? And that leads directly into the key themes that surfaced by students. what we heard, what we learned, and what we always try to honor, consider, and protect as we plan. This slide captures the key themes that emerged from the student feedback about what matters most in commencement, independent of venue. These insights guide our planning alongside operational and accessibility considerations. When we listened to students, one theme rose above all others, sharing the moment with family and community. They talked about wanting their
085loved ones to clearly see them, hear their name, and feel a part of the celebration. They emphasized seating capacity, accessibility for grandparents, and extended family, and having space to gather before and after the ceremony. At the heart, at its heart, this is about connection. Students are telling us, I want my people close and I want them to experience this with me. And this is where inclusion becomes more than a value statement for us. It becomes a design principle. Expanding access where possible, reducing barriers, creating an environment where the families feel welcomed and present in one of the most meaningful moments of their children's journey. Right alongside that family connection, students also spoke about something deeply personal, the importance of individual recognition in a setting that feels authentic to them. The image here is simple. A
086student step forwards, hears their name pronounced correctly, and in that moment, you can see it on their face. I matter here. Students consistently emphasize the importance of individual recognition, including walking the stage, hearing their name, feeling personally acknowledged for their effort and the growth it took for them to graduate. Some also expressed interest in expanding recognition beyond academics, which we do, where we honor leadership, service, club involvement, and the personal contributions that sa shaped a student's high school journey. They also spoke clearly about atmosphere and sense of place, music, scenery, acoustics, decor. We are in Laguna, by the way. So, um what many described simply as overall vibe across preferences, the common thread was this. Wherever we are, it should feel authentic, celebratory, meaningful to their journey, and unmistakably Lagona. So when we step back,
087the through line is clear. Students want a commencement experience that is personal, inclusive, and memorable. This is where our work becomes a careful balance, protecting the student experience, expanding family inclusion, and ensuring operational feasibility. And as we transition to costs, I wanted to acknowledge an important partnership. Business services has been instrumental in supporting the operational and fiscal stewardship of this work. When we review the shared planning model and all the associated costs that go along with it. With that, let's take a look at the shared planning model with Joe. >> Thank you, Dr. Almond. I want to begin with a quick image before you know the first family arrives. Chairs are placed rowby row. AV teams are testing connections. Stages are going up piece by piece. Safety plans are being confirmed. And when it all
088that work is done, it looks effortless. But it only feels effortless because it's coordinated. Because people across our district are working together toward one shared moment for all of our students. The numbers show things like seating rentals and audiovisisual production, props and designs, security, photography, total costs. But what the numbers failed to capture is the endless coordination and collaboration that's happening across our district. Instead of two separate events duplicating efforts, competing for the same types of resources, the shared approach lets us coordinate district staff staging and many other intricate details, ultimately strengthening the commitments we are trying here to protect tonight. The value of inclusivity allows us to expand access to support families, especially those who might rely on live streaming or recording to feel included. The value of stewardship lies in sharing major components
089like staging AV, reducing duplication and reflecting fiscal responsibility. And the value of quality and reliability helps us ensure that both ceremonies have consistent, dependable production and preserve the moment for families who are experiencing it firsthand or can't be there in person. So what we are protecting is a promise that whether a student is promoting or graduating, the experience feels organized, meaningful, and worthy of that moment, all while being financially responsible with our resources. So with that, I'm going to move us to Thirsten Middle School, where the importance of widening the circle of participation prior to Guyerfield has historically been problematic. When you picture an eighth grader on promotion day, it's their first big milestone. And previously in the thirst and gym, and due to spacing limitations, our station our staging only allowed for students to
090face forward and had limited flexibility, but it worked. It was it was pretty tight and it didn't always feel like it matched the size of the moment. Yet at Guyire Field, students are seated up in the bleachers facing their loved ones with a beautiful ocean in the backdrop. That one change in itself where students face the people who raised them, cheered for them, worried for them immediately strengthens the sense of connection. It feels more open, more celebratory, and more shared. That's why for Thirstston this shift has mattered not just operationally but emotionally. Prior to Guyire Field the TMS gym presented real challenges. Acoustics, smaller participation, overcrowding when you're trying to create thoughtfully paced ceremonies where families can actually be present and absorb it. Those factors actually matter. Transitioning to an outdoor openired setting expanded what
091we could offer. band participation in full view of families and friends, additional student per performances, more breathing room and invitations open to all helped create a stronger sense of celebration. And equally important, as Dr. Alamman mentioned, the future breaker concept here is real for our students. Holding a promotion on a campus that students will attend next year, for an eighth grader, that's powerful. It's not just a goodbye. It's a welcome. It quietly says you belong where you're headed. So following and and in addition to that, following the ceremony, it's a special students and families can gather, socialize from one family to the next as they've done together throughout their entire school journey. Taking a big step away from the student experience, it's worth noting another logistical issue that has been dramatically improved since our adjustment
092to Guyire Field. Parking. We all know that parking is difficult no matter where the event is held in town, but the difference is drastic at Thirstston due to the our geographical location. A reality we'll have to face if our partnership with the high school fractures. So from our school's perspective, our aim is to support the same throughine connection over everything else. If there's one slide that we hope the board holds on to, it's this one. because it captures what we're ultimately aiming to protect. It's important to know that although we plan these events annually and for each student and family, this moment only happens once, which is why we encourage you to preserve this experience. We will continue to listen to students values and strive to achieve the inclusivity they are asking for, especially for
093important milestones like these. I would just like to reinforce when we hold on tight to these principles, the v venue simply becomes a tool, not the story. Our goal outside of the simple factors of location and cost is to design to design experiences that are deeply personal, inclusive, and meaningful, ensuring every student is seen, every family feels connected, and the significance of this once in a-lifetime moment is honored with the intention that it completely deserves. The story stays where it belongs for me with students, family, and a community celebrating them. Well, thank you. >> Thank you very much. Uh before we go into board questions, I do have a question for Dr. Glass because this was presented, I think originally, that it would be potentially an action item to whether we move to make a
094decision, move it back to the superintendent or the staff. It's been listed under governance. The question earlier was asked as an action or an information item. It was supposed to be an action item and I think that was an overlook on everyone's part. >> Madam Chair, I've conferred with Victoria and I will clarify for the record that the item is agendaized as discussion only under the Brown Act. The board cannot take formal action this evening. If the board wishes to vote, it would need to be brought back in a properly noticed agenda. Thank you. Uh let's move to board questions. Uh I'll start with the student board members, Ivy and Logan. >> Uh no questions. Just thank you guys for presenting and hi Dr. Alman. Hi doc. Hi Mr. Val. >> I have no questions
095either. member Kelly. >> I thought it was a great presentation and um I hope that we followed the superintendent's recommendation. >> Thank you, Member Kelly. Um Kirk Barry, >> thank you for your presentation. I certainly agree that it it should be about the experience for the students and their families. Um, I just and also from being at many graduations at Thirstston, I think this is a huge improvement to have it on Guyire Field. It's just lovely. Um, as far as the high school, I just wondered from Dr. Alman. Um, so I'm not understanding the the process that there was a a poll, a community poll given where 80% of the community, I guess, wanted the Irvine Bowl and 20% wanted Guyire Field and then um a a decision came out from you that it would
096be at Guyire Field. I just wondered how you arrived at that decision. I mean, I heard that that was before you pulled students to find out what they wanted. accurate. Um, we messaged I I believe our grad night committee messaged a senior parent meeting for senior families and part of that outlines their proposed activities for the week of the leading up to commencement. And what we would always do regardless of where the ceremony is held is stage seniors at the call time prior to graduation at the high school in the gym. So I think that was and I not affiliated with the community survey and we surveyed the senior students specifically in preparation to have some reference points and some really I believe clear data around the topic uh leading up to this uh you
097know this requested presentation. Um so in that process we had about half of the senior students chose to respond to the seniors. >> Okay. So the the graph that you showed us was half the senior students >> approximately half the students. >> Okay. And and the um decision was made after you did that. >> There has been no decision made about >> Oh, I thought there Okay. Again, I'm wrong. I thought there was. Um I'm I care a lot about the process. I'm listening to all of it. I want the students to have what they want. I want it to be a wonderful celebration for them and their families. I just want to make sure everyone has a voice. >> Understood. >> Thank you. Member Mesky, any questions? >> I'm just not sure who to
098direct it to. There's been a lot of conversation about community polls, but I haven't heard anything about like what the questions were. Like for me, Miss Gary, when when you say 80% of the community wants, I mean, I I don't know what that means because I don't know what the question what question was asked. So, for example, I saw a copy of a petition and I knew many people on it. So, I talked to them about it. So, the question, which that's not a question. I'm just telling you why I'm asking. So, what if you're talking about a community poll, what was the question that was asked and who did community. >> I don't know that. I assumed that Dr. Alman did. >> Okay, >> no more questions. >> Thank you. Member Kelly, any questions?
099Member Hills, any questions? I guess um one of the things I wanted to ask is that um you know the presentation that was made by the superintendent statement made by the superintendent and by the the administrators um you know uh the idea is that this is a site responsibility. It's a decision to be made at the site level. Um, and I'm just wondering if in taking that position, um, any of you have had an opportunity to look at, uh, uh, board policy 5127. Um, Mr. Hills, I'm not able to recall that policy uh, from memory. Perhaps you will illuminate us. Well, uh 527 uh the title of it is graduation ceremonies and activities and in the body of the bylaw which is binding on us um references to the principles the principle of the site
100having a role in the process. Uh there are two two references in terms of the references to the site um uh decisions being made at the site level. There's only one reference to site um two references to the principal and there's eight references to the superintendent. So under the bylaw, it's been promagated by a school board before this one. um the issue of graduation ceremonies and activities and how they're managed is um well I asked the question and they said they asked me to to so the point is that this is a superintendent driven issue if you look at it from the standpoint of the bylaws. So yes, I asked if you all had made reference to that. You asked me to elucidate it a little bit. I've now done that. Um I have um
101a lot of comments, but I'll leave the questions at that. >> Thank you. I'll follow up on that and I brought up a policy while you were referencing it. Um this, as I mentioned before, the authority on these have been delegated administratively. I have determined it's appropriate and past superintendents here have appropriated determined it is appropriate that they be made at the site level. Uh I do feel like it's appropriate that they're made at the site level. That said, if the board at any time wishes to reverse that and make this decision, you can. >> Do you have any further questions, Howard? Okay, thank you. Okay, I actually have quite a few. Um I had submitted them earlier this week, but um I'm I'm guessing there was a lot. So, um I haven't heard back.
102So, if you don't mind, I'm going to go ahead and ask them. Um so, do we have um so in the presentation that was provided from the community member, we have um cost breakdowns for Irvine that state that the um venue for the Festival of the Arts would be free to LBUSD if and we would only have to pay for AV lighting, equipment, and staff support, which totals is about $3,200. So, I'm just curious what other expenses that we would have that we would need to take into consideration if if the graduation were to go back to the bowl. >> By the way, just for the record, I did respond and submitted my responses to Dr. Glass and I understood that you had received some of those in correspondence. >> No, I have not gotten
103those. I'm so sorry, but thank you for responding. >> I apologize. Um, >> but we would the additional costs that would be considered with the transportation costs because uh when we had our commencement ceremony at the Irvine Bowl, we would stage again at the gym in the in the high school and then we would transport students via bus down the hill. Um, we would also probably want to uh consider what I consider new newer technology and expectations around new technology since we last were at the Irvine Bowl, which would include our assessing AV and and streaming capabilities at the venue. Uh, additionally, based on some analysis and conversations with the team at the high school campus, we would also encourage moderate cost potentially around um like uh furniture party rentals like chairs and stuff like
104that. We we require a certain specific number of additional seating um for both uh dignitaries on stage and various areas off stage. Thank you. Um, do we have So, again, and I apologize, but I do have quite a few questions, and it sounds like, um, we've got some confusion as to why I don't have those. Um, but that's okay. Uh, this is good. Uh, okay. How long does it take to set up the AV equipment? If we were to set it up at the field, I know you set it up in the morning for both receptions, but then if because I because the bowl has AV equipment, we would have to assess how it's improved in the last six years, but they just hosted the Coast Film Festival and Jack Johnson and it was good
105for him. So, how long does it take to set that up? >> Uh, the the setup and staging takes approximately one and a half days, I think. I mean, that's a really uh efficient timeline. Dez, you can chime in if I'm not accurate on that, but when we have we we have staging begin about one and a half days prior to the the ceremony. >> Okay. Thank you. >> While he's coming up, can I ask a couple more questions? Is there a graduation committee currently for each school for the for the eighth grade and and high school parent group? >> No. There there has has just been at the high school the grad night committee, which is a group of volunteer parents that um that coordinate and offer activities to graduating seniors the week leading
106up to the uh commencement ceremony, but I've never had a uh never had a graduation committee. >> Thank you. Yes, we have a promotion committee that is partnership with staff and uh support typically PTA partnership that helps support with that. >> Thank you. >> For the graduation, we start the installation uh on Tuesday uh prior to Thursday graduation. We begin at 7 a.m. loading in the because we bring in the staging, lighting, audio u and also the chairs. We begin approximately 7 am. We finish approximately at 8:00 pm with the installation. Then the following day, we do a full rehearsal with the uh with the senior class. So we do basically we do a full run through of that prior to the actual graduation ceremony the next day. Uh so we do basically a dry
107run. Then of course graduation day we both we do both ceremonies. So we're there from approximately 9:00 am until we finish about 10 p.m. So all in all it's about a three-day process for graduation. Uh we do approximately 13 hours for the install on the first day and then do the full run through the graduation the next day. >> Thank you so much. Okay. Um so I asked if there's a graduation committee and um there's a promotional committee for thirsten but and there's a grad night committee for the high school. So that has changed then from um where we had a grad committee at each of the elementaryaries, middle and high school where they planned all of the events leading up and we used to have pool parties and um I know there's the parade
108down um forest or down ocean. So is that done in conjunction with the grad committees or with the pro with a promotion and staff focused? Who's who's what is the division of responsibility in the in the in the events leading up to and including graduation and then who pays for what. >> In my experience in nine years at Laguna Beach High School I we did not in my nine years we have not had a graduation committee that was that fell on the admin team shoulders to plan, coordinate and present. Um, I think the grad night committee again is a group of volunteer parents that coordinate graduation events leading up to the commencement. Right. So, they're >> again volunteer parents that coordinate the events. And I I think also that's been enhanced since 2020. We've added
109a couple of uh really neat events for seniors that do that does include uh the parade, the beach uh kind of meet up, the paddle out, the yearbook signing festivities, parties in the park, all of those things which are put on and sponsored by the grad night committee. Grad night committee in addition to those events asks parents for the fee to cover those events and it culminates usually with the grad night event which um has typically been you know sometime after graduation. Last year was the first year that the grad night committee coordinated the event prior to graduation. Um and I know that they are considering that this year also. >> Okay. Thank you. When we collect fees from the families for the graduation events, is that is are those monies moved, are they still
110held in their own account or are they merged into the district account? And if they're held in their own account, are they insured? >> The grad night committee and the work that they do is not affiliated with LBHS or LBUSD in the sense of monies. >> Thank you. Uh so currently then the graduation itself the ceremony at th at th at the high school field that's split the $60,000 fee that is split currently between thirsten and the high school. So those come out of the district budget or from the site budget. Is that correct? Okay. And right now for the high school it includes everything other than the night before Disneyland. Is that correct? I'm not sure I understand the question. >> So the fee the the amount of money that the district that the
111site pays for graduation includes the parade and the security around that. Any No, all of that is done through the graduation committee. >> The grad night committee. So the grad night committee is doing the paddle out. They're doing the parade down um Ocean Avenue. They're doing the yearbook signing and the sunrise breakfast. and they're kind enough to coordinate those events around anything that might be relevant or worthy for senior students at the high school. But those are all coordinated and planned by the volunteer grad night committee. >> Right. I've been on those committees. So, yeah, I know I've I've got um an interesting uh viewpoint on this one. Um okay. Uh, so when we and so before when we bust the students from the high school to the Irvine Bowl, they met in the gym
112or had did they could could they meet in the field if if that were to be the case? if and if we were if this were to change, could they meet on the field um as part of that closing ceremony, if you will, to go from the high school to like because before you said that we used to go to uh we used to meet in the gym, the students would meet in the gym and then they would get bus down to Irvine to the pool. >> They would they would stage in the gym. >> Stage >> and the gym is really helpful for staging. We actually stage in the gym prior to our current graduation ceremony, too. >> Mr. of it all. Also stages his students prior to their promotion ceremony in the gym.
113And the the reason the gym is really nice to stage is because acoustically students can hear and follow directions and be put in like lines. Ironically, they're not in kindergarten anymore. They're moving on to bigger and better things, but we still put them in lines that very last moment um just to get them organized. Uh in the current case with graduation taking place on Guyire Field, we stage them in the rows and how they sit. But when we had the graduation at Irvine Bowl, we would stage them um on their buses so that they would know what bus to get on. >> Are the Thirsten students bust back up to the school or are they do they leave with their families? So it's the bus is a one-way bus from Thirsten down to the field.
114The day of promotion, um, the families bring them straight to the gym. >> Okay. >> And then they go home with their families after the promotion, >> but we bust them down to the field. >> Oh, you start everything's done at the high school campus. >> To be clear, like what Dr. Almond said is that we stage in the at the high school the gym at the high school campus and then we transition out for a promotion. >> So parents drop them off there and then we stage them up in the gym at the high school. we complete promotion and they go home with their parents. >> Okay, terrific. Thank you. I know those are a lot of questions, but um again I apologize. Uh we seem to have an issue there. Um I think
115last question um the band, the thirsten band because again I've had somebody playing in the band so I do have a lot of different experiences with some of this stuff. So it just to and for those in the room that aren't aware right there's a lot that go I know there's a lot that goes on and that's why I want to ask all these questions to make sure that we're really clear here. Um, the Thirstston band, I know at the high school, if I recall correctly, they play over on the side on the field at the same plane that theu that the families are sitting. Where do they sit? And I think at Thirsten when we had it here, they were down on the floor, right? Because you were in the stadium seats and you
116could see the band there, but it was a very crowded environment. I've had two there. Um, where are they? I cannot recall where the band is at the bowl. Are they down in the pit or are they up on the stage? >> The bowl. >> The Irvine Bowl. >> Oh, sorry. >> At the Irvine Bowl, the band is on the stage in the back part of the stage behind the curtains. Curtains are drawn when the band presents and plays pomp and circumstance. Students walk across and then the curtains are closed. >> Okay. Thank you very much. Um, okay. At this point, I don't have any other questions. Um, I know uh we have comment. How many comment cards do we have? >> Think about 15. >> So 15. If we're at three minutes, we're going
117to need to extend beyond two, but we should do we want to allow um do we need to shorten the time or is everyone good with getting started and seeing how it goes? Three minutes. Okay. I don't want to limit it to less minutes and then and then have time. Okay. So, we're going to do three minutes per speaker. >> Okay. >> Um because this was not agendaized as an action item. Um any any desire to have take action on this, it will have to come back to the board. Um is there I have one last question. Is there a timing? What's the timing on on this that um needs to be decided on or whether it goes back whether we decide whether you decide? What is the timing on that? I'm sorry that was
118the last question. Um, I said it was the last question before, but what is the timing? Because this was not agendaized as an action item, which is what the what I understood it was going to be. So, we're under governance. So, we're not going to be able to make a motion or a decision tonight. Um, but if we want to bring it back, what is the timing that you would need direction by? >> Well, when we considering a setup at either venue, really, we really like to have as much lead time as we possibly can, specifically for the tech side of our setup. the chairs and furniture and staging not so much. But we usually really try to get that button down and contracts secured because of other venues maybe taking you know the services
119away from us. >> Um like a comfortable time is March. >> Okay. So we're >> early March. >> Okay. Okay. So, if we do want to take action on this, we should consider bringing it back to the February 26th meeting. >> And since I'll just answer a question that wasn't asked, but I want to share in my 30 years of experience in education in across three districts where I was principal in three different schools. Um, this has always been an honor and a privilege to do and serve the students and families around this commencement and um promotion ceremony. Uh and um I just wanted to share that as perspective tonight. Thank you. >> Thank you, Dr. Alman. Okay, so let's move on to public comment. >> Uh sure. Let's start with Cruz Seol. And after
120that, Carly Simpson. >> Hello. Um I would just like to start to say thank you for all coming here and listening to this. Um for me as a one of four um siblings um two of which have graduated from this high school um I have been able to experience both the bowl and the geer the geer field and I would like to say that um the bowl was definitely a lot more of a kind of spiritual almost as it sounds. Um event for each student to be able to really feel the center of the stage as the circular um bowl would allow them to have everyone's attention. And I think that having a graduation at the bowl is a lot more um kind of symbolizing each student's kind of journey throughout high school as kind
121of just being a in the wheel and um giving them the chance to be able to really hit the center stage and be able to really feel kind of like they matter. I feel definitely makes it a lot more of an incentive to have it at the Geer Field. And I mean I also was able to experience the um or I mean at the Irvine Bowl is a lot more um like center stage. And the guy feel is also quite special, but it doesn't and I I talked to my sister after she um graduated and we came home and she said I felt kind of let down by just kind of how lackluster it was and this was the first one but after co and I understand that it was definitely a big switch and
122has changed since then. Um but I would just like to point out the fact that I And my if my siblings were here, they could also attest to the fact that it was definitely a more like centerstaged um graduation at their event bowl. And if they were here, they could definitely tell you that they would um prefer it there. And as an as a senior of 20 2026. I would agree that um it is also quite important for us to be able to experience that and I just like to say thank you so much for my time. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you Cruz. We really appreciate your student opinion. Okay, Carly. >> Hello. I'm Carly Simpson. I have two kids. One has already graduated and I have one in middle school and
123one in high school. I have did graduate my husband graduated at the high school at the bowl. I've attended my niece and nephew's graduation at the bowl and those were great experiences. With that being said, having experienced graduations also at the field, being able to see our students, being able to watch them experience their graduation as a parent and seeing their faces and their interactions with their children is a wonderful experience. Um, anyway, So I really recommend staying where it is with also with that said that is not parent decision that should not be a board decision that should be a site decision. Our principles and administration want to make the experience the best for their students and it sounds like they've really done their research and listened to them. So, I'm hoping that the
124board will step back from this decision and let the sites choose. Thank you. Next, um Jen Merritt and then Steve Macintosh. Okay. My name is Jen Merritt and I am both a teacher at LBHS and a parent to both a senior at LBHS and a second grader at T. First, I want to say to Principal Alman and Principal Vidal, thank you for your presentation. I know that as secondary school principles, your jobs are not easy. You juggle a lot of decisions and I have always had complete confidence both as a fellow staff member and as a parent that both of you put students first. There are times when decisions are easy to make and there are times when they are not easy. But you have always been professional in researching options, communicating with stakeholders, and
125choosing to do what you feel is genuinely right for our students. And when you make decisions, there will always be people that are happy, and there will always be people that are not. As they say, you can never please 100% of the people 100% of the time. And in this decision as to where to hold the high school graduation, no matter what you decide, it sounds like there will be at least 40% of the students that will be disappointed. It's not an easy decision, but I want to make it clear to this board that the decision of where to hold graduation has always been and should remain a sight decision. If we allow the board to begin to micromanage site level decisions, we begin to enter uncharted territory that potentially has no limits. The board
126is a governance body, not a management team. When the board micromanages site level decisions, it demoralizes the staff. Our principles and my fellow educators are trained professionals who have expertise in our fields, years of wisdom, and most importantly, a passion for what we are doing. When you micromanage our decisions, you are effectively telling us that you are the experts in our fields and you are telling this community that our decisions don't matter. If you go down this road of micromanaging, what's next? Will you begin to dictate where homecoming is held, the historic gym or the outdoor quad? Will you begin to dictate our bell schedule when lunch and recess can be held? Will you begin to dictate the master schedule, which classrooms teachers get to be in? Will you begin to scrutinize the cafeteria menu
127and which items can be served on which days? I know that you may think that some of my examples are far-fetched, but by forcing your opinion of where you feel graduation should be held, it sets a scary precedent to myself and my colleagues. I urge you to stay in your role as a governing board and let the superintendent and his site leadership manage site decisions. >> Thank you, Jen. >> Good evening, everyone. Uh Steve Macintosh here, Sensible Lagona. Um many of us move to Lagona for the beauty, the weather, the ocean. Uh but we stay and fall in love with the traditions, the history and the community. People say tradition, oh that's over in the past, and it's for old people. Well, you know, it's just not true. Tradition is not only the connection to
128the past, but is a bridge to the future. The great composer u German composer Mer said, "Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire." Graduating in the bowl is an over 75 year tradition of moving from the school bubble into the community and connecting with the world. It is that fire that needs to be preserved. I've heard dozens of stories over the years about the wonderful connection that is strengthened when kids get to walk across that same stage that their parents or their grandparents may have in past years. They may not have realized it then, but they say they sure did later. Fond memories indeed. Laguna is extremely unique and we pride ourselves on being just that. Having the Irvine Bowl as a fantastic graduation experience is something that other districts
129just don't have. You can go to hundreds of schools to graduate on a football field and there's certainly not much soul in that. The reason they do that is because they don't have any choice. They don't have a worldclass theater venue that they can use. In 2020, my daughter was robbed of a graduation ceremony at Irvine Bowl when she had dreamed of for over 12 years. She had watched neighbors, friends, and babysitters celebrate their perseverance, their triumphs, and successes on those magical nights in the bowl. She wanted to do the same, just like them. It was a connection, a tradition. Instead, we had to beg the former administration to barely get a drive-through graduation. and thanks to President Morgan who didn't even have a kid in the class stepped up and really helped make that
130happen. Very much appreciated. In a later conversation with the former superintendent, he stated to me that graduation will be moving back to the bowl. And I think it's about time that actually happens. So during these presentations, it sounds a little bit like uh we're trying to just justify staying there and not at the bowl. But I'd like to commend the board for honoring board bylaw 9322 and allowing this issue to actually be placed on the agenda at the request of the community. This is the way it's supposed to work. Over the previous 10 years, the community cannot get one item added to the agenda. Dozens of us tried and were shut down. This is a great display of openness, transparency that has been much needed and you were elected to be a part of. For
131that, the community thanks you. For those that are perhaps making this decision tonight or sometime in the future that are new to Lagona or don't live in town, think about the traditions in your life that have lived on through you and have raised a lasting impact. Don't rob the kids from a magical experience they may not even know they could have that they will remember for the rest of their lives, even if they don't understand or appreciate it now. And for those of you just focus on who should be deciding and making all those uh outlandish statements up, maybe you should just be thinking more about the kids. Uh and that would be important. So what what I didn't understand here was that we had a situation where why can't the thirsten kids also share
132the bowl? I mean it act like it's just it's one thing or another. So anyway, a lot of things to consider, but thank you and consider the tradition. 78 years. >> Thank you. Thank you. Next, Scott and Thesa. >> Good evening, board. Uh, I'm Scott Wickup. I'm a community member. I've had two kids go through the system. I have a current senior. Um, I'm a teacher. I'm also the president of Labou. So, I wear a lot of hats. My concern here is not about where it actually is. Um, that's a decision I think that should be made at the site level. One of my concerns is how things are getting on the agenda. And I know that he said community members brought it up too, but I want to look back at our leadership associates
133governance meeting because I've heard this come from the board a number of times. Oh, well, community uh members came and talked to me and that's why I'm bringing this up at the board. In that governance meeting, they were very specific saying best practices were if community members come to you or if students come to you in the public, you are to direct them to Dr. Glass and then Dr. Glass um directs them to um wherever that conversation needs to go. I trust our administration at our site to do the right thing. I once again have a daughter graduating this year. I'm fine if it's at Irvine Bull. I think it's a fabulous place. I'm also fine if it's at the high school. Um, the one thing I'm not fine with is graduating here in the
134gym. I've had students, two of my kids go through there. My their grandparents could not come and see it. Um, it's very small. We barely get the two parents in there. So, I definitely think that that needs to be changed, but I also believe that this should be a site level thing. Like Dr. Glass said, I trust them and I know that you guys can have conversations with our site, too. I think it needs to be collaborative. Um, and I don't I agree with Miss Merritt. I don't want to see micromanagement coming down from the board. I think we have great employees and I think we should work together collaboratively to do this. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Good evening. Both of my kids graduated from the bowl. It was nice, but after then
135going to the high school field graduation, I felt sad. Because sitting out on the field, I could see all my students that were graduating. I could see their smiles. I could see the joy they were having. And I thought back to the bowl where we had to get in line super early. We couldn't enjoy a relaxing dinner because we had to get there to get our seats and try and get grandma and grandpa up into the stands. And I couldn't see where my kid was the whole entire time until he and she walked across the stage. Irregardless of that, this should not be here right now. This is a site level decision. This is not a community decision. They are not the stakeholders. The stakeholders are the students that are there now and the families
136that are there now. We have to take ourselves out of it and our memories and our because I could sit here and say it was the best thing ever. And we have to do that because that was my experience. That isn't this experience now. We have to let them make the decision and let them decide. They are the leaders. It's like what the heck do we have principles and a superintendent for? We might as well just give you guys the keys, Sherry. Let you guys just run everything then. I mean like trust the people. It's not going to make everybody happy. You never can make everybody happy, but they have what is best for the kids in mind. So that's all. Thank you, Steve Brown and Erica Hennon. >> Mine's pretty short. Uh, first and
137foremost, thank you for supporting the open public comment uh discussion and consideration of a topic like this that carries so much history, resident interest, and focus. Obviously given the um comments and stuff I think that this is fantastic for for Lagouna Beach. Um it's my understanding that somewhere as far back as somewhere in the 1940s uh the bowl had been used for graduation and co brought changes of course with a focus on Guyire Field and that's also an option. Based on conversations around town, it's clear the community is of two minds on this. uh as are the parents while the alumni bias uh just rough roughly seems to be leaning toward going back to the bowl based on probably their experiences. Uh given what I've heard from many people around town and from various speakers
138tonight, I wanted to simply encourage the board to offer your full and cohesive insight and support on this potentially thorny issue versus just dumping it on Dr. glass who's new to Lagona or the staff who has a lot going on and don't need unnecessary pressure there either. Uh so it's it's going to be all in the water working together. Uh no matter what you decide, I'll close by saying the transparency and open dialogue on this matter tonight is appreciated. Thank you. >> Hello everyone. Uh my name is Erica. I'm here to uh really kind of bring a different perspective on this discussion. What I'm hearing right is a lot of people who have a lot of strong opinions and a lot of nostalgia, a lot of uh memories of their graduations and change is very
139hard. And so I want to really have everyone understand that it's not about you. It's not about us at all, any adult in this room. It's about the students and it's about what they want and it's also about following proper governance. And so I want to make sure that when we're talking about this, we are allowed to talk about it. The school board is allowed to have a presentation about the graduations. They're allowed to review the budget, making sure everything is ready and on time. They are not supposed to be making decisions, operation decisions like the site location. They can again review this. We can all talk about it, but it should not be an action item. It this should not become something on a future meeting that you will be voting on to override
140staff decisions. And the other part of this too, it's been five years or so, right, since we've moved these graduations over. Now, a lot of these students have were when they were at Thirstston, they've graduated on MacGyver field. What a wonderful full circle moment it can be to also graduate your high school at the same place. I did it at my middle school and high school. It was a combined thing where it was uh in eighth grade you graduated on the field and then in high school you graduated on the same day even. So, it's one of those things that I think it's really important to understand that just because your tradition and your nostalgia and your memories of it is really nice and rosy, it doesn't mean that's what every student wants. And it's
141something that having this discussion uh is again important uh but it's not about us. It is about the students. Thank you. >> Thank you uh Briana Heathcott and Elizabeth Bates. A little nervous. Um, my name, good evening. My name is Brianna and I'm a mother of two top of the world students. Clearly, this is an issue that's going to impact me anytime soon. But I really want to understand what are we trying to solve for here? We have all spent a ton of time preparing for these conversations and I guess I'm just really unsure what is the issue. So, and my job, right, if we put I don't know how many 100 people in a room, 50 people in a room, all of their time is worth something. what are we trying to solve for?
142Um, seems like five years ago, the district took a diff difficult challenge and came up with a great solution, one that seems to be working, right? So, as I understand it, I'm not super involved in the high school. Uh, but there's probably other things that we maybe should focus on. If the district is considering different locations, the community deserves a clear and sideby-side comparison that is practical and factual. This is not just about preference. It is about whether families can attend easily, whether the venue works for students with disabilities and older relatives, whether parking and traffic controls are realistic, how much staff time is required, what the true costs are, and whether the experience is equitable for all families. Before anyone signals a direction, I'm asking for transparency. Please have staff provide a simple comparison
143that includes cost, safety plan requirements, staffing impacts, accessibility, transportation, and parking realities, and any trade-offs for students and families. Also include what students are saying, not only what the adults are saying. I request that you commit to a decision that is student centered, accessible, and stable from year to year. The current approach is working. Do not disrupt it without a clear operational reason and clear plan. Graduation should feel welcoming and doable for every family. Also want to say thank you all for your time and commitment to this issue. To the two principles, your presentation was wonderful. You ever leave academia, I'll find come work. I'm just kidding. Uh but thank you all. I know that this is a very divisive topic and I really think that we could come together, put some guiding principles in
144place and hopefully find a solution that is uh great for everyone involved. Appreciate it. Hello. Uh, my name is Elizabeth Ace. Thank you so much for having us on the agenda tonight. Um, I'm going to stick to script. Um, I'm a lifelong Laguna Beach resident. I moved here in 1979 when I was 5 years old. I graduated high school in 1992 at the Irvine Bowl. I have raised four children in my hometown. Two have graduated already and two are yet to graduate, a junior and a senior. For six months, I've worked very hard to return school graduation to the Irvine Bowl. It's been our community tradition for over 70 years and only moved because of co um I'm here tonight for transparency and for a democratic process which I believe we're having now. And thank
145you board again. In two in August uh 2025, I emailed Principal Alman to request the return of graduation to the bowl. He cited logistics and student requests. Superintendent Glass said it would be studentled with the principal making the final decision. The principal dismissed public petitions and polls as inappropriate tools and said it was a not a community decision. My request for details about the high school leadership team and student surveys went unanswered until I wrote a rather tur email that finally received a response. Many alumni and community members face similar plating. Um this suggests predetermined decision for the graduation venue. In mid January, LBHS was announced as a graduation venue on the website before any student survey was conducted as promised. Fast forward two weeks and I was sent I sent a second letter to
146the board to intervene due to lack of transparency. The senior survey finally took place but favored the B favored the field heavily but the bull mentioned neutrally only once and with no text of its history or its location. Many students thought the Irvine Bull was actually in Irvine. Uh the results were 50/50, but with full information, I believe the results would have favored the bowl. We have a petition with over 700 signatures to take graduation back to the bowl. We have two polls showing roughly 80% of the community support for turning graduation there. that was run by the Laguna Beach unfiltered um Instagram page with 29,000 followers and about 25% are residents of Laguna Beach, which is a good chunk. Just yesterday, the Festival of Arts confirmed no rental fee for LBUSD, just $3,200 for
147Festival of Arts staff. The school would be responsible for other costs, including audiovisisual, but there would that would be tens of thousands dollars less than the cost of graduation on a football field. I'm not pointing fingers. We all care about our community. Traditions evolve and many of them already have, but sacred ones like the bull define Lagona alongside the sawdust, Halloween at Oak Street, music in the park, Brook Street surfing competition, hospitality night, etc. This is why people pay a premium to live here. Some say this decision isn't within the board's purview, and it's for the principal and seniors only, but the board was elected by the entire community to make decisions like this, preserving our community's heritage. California Education Code confirms this. I ask, well, actually, you can't vote tonight. We just found that
148out. But I believe the petition and polls alone show a majority of support. COVID is over. If you will please direct a transparent democratic, as you mentioned, approach district-wide process that includes all voices, students, parents, alumni, and the community. Thank you. Let's protect our heritage together. >> Thank you, Elizabeth. Next, um Liz Derkowski and Elijah Bron. Oh, that's a W. Sorry. Hi. Thank you. My name is Liz Dowski. I have been living in Laguna Beach since I was born. Um I'm a fourth generation Laguna Beach native. My son, who is a junior in high school, is going to be a fifth generation Laguna Beach LBHS graduate. Um, I was an athlete in high school. I could care less about having a play a graduation in a in the Irvine Bowl. I'm sure I probably complained
149to my parents, "Oh my gosh, we have to get on a bus." And yes, we did. And I went to graduation and I did everything that we were supposed to do. And then I went back east college. I could not wait to get out of Laguna Beach. Okay, I'm here now, so things have changed. And at as a freshman back east, I learned that everybody else had graduation on the football field. I thought, huh, that's weird. I had this really cool venue. I didn't care, but it was really cool. Years later, I brought my husband who's here. When we were engaged, I guess he had to meet my parents. So, I brought him to Lagona. We went to the Festival of Arts. We went and sat in the Urban B. and I said, "No, I
150graduated from here." I was proud. Then I brought my child, both of my children, to see that same festival and to go to the Irvine Bowl where we sat and we watched art. We watched what made Laguna Beach Laguna Beach. And I told both of my little kids, this place is cool. I graduated right up there. And they were proud of their mom. I didn't know at the time that somebody else the room. The adult in the room made a decision because they knew my graduation needed to be special, not just a graduation that makes it easier because we can have both schools have the same stuff and it can be all good. It can all be like I I taught in schools for 30 years, guys. I'm a high school history teacher. I I've
151been to more than 30 graduations. Okay? Three of them were memorable. mine, the one at Giza, that's still the high school that I taught in in Egypt, an American school. They graduate, they rent up, you guys, there are 36 million people in Cairo. They found a way to bust those kids there so they could have that moment. The other one, the last one I meant to write was at Red Rocks in Colorado where I taught at two different districts, Little Public Schools and Govern. And I know when you were there, I went to graduation at Red Rock under your leadership. Schools were lining up their graduation at Red Rock because other people, the adults in the room, not the kids that didn't know their prefrontal cortex isn't there yet, you guys. The adults said, "You're
152going to love that you're having it there. Even though it's difficult to get, even though it might it might snow, they wanted to go. I've been to some really good graduations at Red Rock. You know how special that place is. The Irvine Bowl is equally important to the heritage of this. We can't just say that we want to just make it good for the kids. Think beyond that. It's good for the kids and it's good for the community and it shows the heritage and history of this. I'm good with whatever choice is made. If it's not you guys that get to choose and it's the site administrators, I would the chance to be able to talk to them and be in a committee of some sort to make those decisions. I just think the community
153>> I was just going to tell you your time is up, but thank you so much for your comments. >> Um, thank you Danielle Roer and Emily Ralphie. >> Oh, I'm sorry. >> No, you're good. >> The Egypt. >> No, you're all good. Uh, so what's up? I'm Eli. I'm a student at LBJS High School. I'm a senior. I've had Mr. Con as my elementary school teacher or principal. Uh, I know Ivy. I know Logan. Uh, Mr. Wickops, my multimedia teacher. Miss Cy helped me pass sophomore year. So, I know everyone in here. Um, I as a student just want Actually, I wrote it down. Let me pull this up. Uh, I just wanted to say that when I graduated, uh, eighth grade at the high school, it was like it was super cool. It
154was cool to be like, "Okay, I'm going here now." Like it was nice to be able to see like, okay, this is where I'm going to be. I'm graduating where I'm going to start in a year or a couple months. But like graduating high school at the high school I spent four years at, I don't know. It just doesn't really make sense to me. I thought like, all right, maybe my graduation could be at like a bigger, more professional place that I've never been to before. I mean, I've been there before. I got to watch her graduation there 2019. U so I just thought that you know moving upwards in the world I can move to a nicer location. Uh my little sister Lilia she's going to graduate next year. Uh my girlfriend here I
155went to her graduation at San Hills which was on the field and it was very it was very cool. Um they had a lot of production in it but it just didn't really feel special like okay yeah the football team plays here and okay now I'm graduating here. I don't know. I just thought maybe the cooler place would be a more in order, but uh I don't know. I feel like the Irvine bull gives a sense of like a bigger future and not the same campus. Uh I speak on behalf of most of them I mean I've made friends with this whole graduation uh graduation thing going on. I've talked to new people. People come up to me like hey like you're the one kind of try to get this going. I'm like yeah like
156me and my mom we've been working on this and you know I've talked to new people. I've made new friends. they've, you know, there's people that are strongly with it, strongly against it. I've been able to have conversations with them and, you know, it helps. I got my friend here. We got to talk earlier. So, it it was cool. Um, last thing I wanted to say. Oh, it's a lot louder. Um, yeah, that that was about it, but I just want to say as a student that I uh I really want it. I think it' be very magical and uh thank you for your time. >> Thank you, Elijah. Okay. Now, >> just as a reminder, make sure you speak into the microphone. We do have auditory uh challenges on this side back here. It's
157hard to hear. >> Hopefully this works. Yes. Sound check. Okay, good. Um first and foremost, I do take issue with the fact that this is before the school board to begin with. This is a site issue just as bell schedules were a site issue between the high school and the middle school. There I hear you that the it needs to be democratic and they need to be able to hear from the entire community. There are appropriate venues to solicit parent and student input just there like there was at that time. There are surveys, there are town halls, surveys for the parents, surveys for the kids, either virtual or inerson town halls. So that could have been conducted and not necessarily done here. Um so practically speaking, the thirst and gym has a capacity problem. I
158served on the eighth grade graduation committee for the high school class of 2023. And even before that bumper class, which that was the year where like people were doubling up in rooms and having babies in hallways, um there was a long-standing problem of accommodating families in the gym. There were parents who could not see their child's promotion and only hear their name called because they were standing outside. It was magnified that year with a class of over 200. Under different leadership then we were not allowed to explore the opportunity of outside. So although this solution came out of COVID, moving both ceremonies to the high school solved the problem and started to build the bridge between the middle and the high school. I have to admit as a parent of a senior in 2023, I
159actually asked Sherry um about that because I was like, "Oh, I'm kind of bummed that it's here." And she said, "Actually, since she had children metriculating in both locations, I actually like it better. you are closer and you can actually see your kid instead of just a dot of maroon or white in the distance. And the fact that they were like this instead of seated flat, you could see your child. So, I'm curious as to what has pivoted your opinion. Um, is it politically motivated? I don't know. I'm trying not to minimize the memory of those alumni that graduated there, but also realize there's a portion of this community and students in this class that have significant memories on that field. Personally, watching my son and do daughter share find each other immediately at the
160conclusion of this ceremony run towards each other and share a tearary embrace which I thought as their mother I would never actually see is seared into my memory and I made them duplicate it so I could actually get a photo because I wasn't fast enough. Um that field has and those stands have hosted count countless of their track meets, soccer games, Friday night lights, sideline cheering, and meant more to both of my kids than the one or two times they've gone to the pageant grounds. Not to mention that insane view. My dad won't be there this June to see his only son graduate. Both of my kids have the memory of him being there swelling with pride a few short weeks before he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, which he fought valiantly for nine
161months and lost. Those memories aren't any less important. The crux of the dilemma is this. The students are the main characters. Parents are the supporting actors. This is their celebration of their hard work and achievements. Yes, we drove them to and from school, rehearsals and practices, but they are the ones who completed the assignments, took the tests, sat in those seats for six hours a day, and forged the lifelong friendships. listen to their voices and then listen to the administrators who are keenly aware of the pros and cons and the actual costs that impact their operating budgets that are their responsibility. >> Thank you. >> Good evening. Emily Ralphing. I am an alumni. I am the parent of a recent graduate and I'm a parent of two kids currently in the district. Thank you for
162the opportunity to speak tonight. Um, I graduated at the Irvine Bowl and our older oldest graduated last year at the high school. Uh, this is not to diminish anyone's experience or feelings around the issue. I think for me the highlight is our district's high graduation rate and celebrating our students as whole children moving through the world to change it for the better. I asked her son last year if he would be interested in graduating from the Irvine Bowl over the high school field. He shared that graduating on Guyire Field as an eighth grader coming out of COVID, he felt very connected to the space and graduating there as a senior after four years of high school where he attended football games, track meets, and more. He really enjoyed that connection. He shared this public comment
163earlier today written and I hope that you as a board will consider it. Um, I was proud of him. Proud mom moment. Um, we were also able to have all 10 of my family members there during the sunset looking at him up in those bleachers. Um, two of which were their three and one-year-old niece and nephew of mine who got to watch their big cousin's name announced walked walked across the stage and they got to eat snacks and sit on the ground and sit through a long graduation ceremony. That's just my p perspective to share. I want to thank all of our incredible staff who put time in on promotion, planning, graduation planning, and created a beautiful, thoughtful presentation tonight. Um, I just want to say you're incredible. I see you. Uh, so many of
164us see all that you are doing to keep our district together and our students safe, supported, and cared for. I see you and I trust you. Thank you for all you are doing to keep our students at the forefront. Please keep this society decision board. To the board majority, please stop overreach. If every community community member can come to request every item, where do you draw the line ethically? This community continues to show up and speak up, and it's your job to listen. Please consider these comments and help improve relations with staff by listening to them and trusting them. Thank you. >> Thank you, Amy Jackson. Good evening, school board, and and uh thank you for making this issue something that we can all discuss. I think we're here today because of an inadequacy and
165opportunity for the community to come and interact with the staff and the people that are on site managers failed to hear the voices of the community. That's why we've had to come and bring it before you and thank you for listening to us. Um, if that had happened, then we wouldn't have to usurp their their um uh um area of of influence and come to you. But what the majority of people in town and I would think if the students were informed, they want to have that special unique experience uh that it defines Laguna Beach. And being having had four children graduate and down the aisles at Irvine Bowl. It was an incredible experience for both all of my children and our entire family and we had we had the ability to see them and
166interact with them. It was not a distant experience. It was extremely meaningful and as you have heard graduates speak here today, it is something that is definable that makes us unique. uh the high school football field was sufficient for COVID, but I have to agree these traditions or these um uh actions that were taken during COVID need to be put aside. Please continue to celebrate what makes Laguna special and that Irvine Bold graduation is something unique and truly truly meaningful. I'd like you to stand up against I I believe a lot of the the feelings here are mostly parents who want to fight with the school board and I I I not really being very involved. I'm I'm not familiar with that. But what I can see is that thank you for making this a
167an issue that we can bring forward. As you can see, the Instagram polling and the extensive work that these parents have done to try to bring this forward fell on deaf ears. And that's why we're here to say please bring this tradition back and please bring that magic back. I don't think it necessarily should be led by the students because they don't know. I I I believe that a lot of them think the Irvine bowl is in Irvine. So of course they wouldn't want to go to Irvine. Um so I think we as the adults in the room need to stand up for that magic, that unique quality, the celebration of the arts, the celebration of our students and bring it back. Thank you very much. Thank you, Gwynavir Bates. Thanks for helping me out
168with the pronunciation. >> Hi everybody. Um, so I graduated class of 2019, so I was the last class to graduate at the bowl. And I'm hoping we can bring it back for my younger brother and younger sister. Um, our mom graduated there, their dad graduated there. Like, it's tradition. It's they should be able to go the same way that we did. Um, the bus ride down, I never really felt close to my class at all. Um, but the bus ride down to the bowl was unreal. We were singing crazy rap and uh, it was like the most connected I've ever felt was the bus ride down and sitting in the stands alphabetically, so with people I never I talked to but wasn't close with, but like just this buzz of energy and like excitement and
169happiness. It was just pure like unbridled joy being there and being in the space that so many of our siblings and our family members had graduated. It was just it was unreal. Um I cried walking across the stage the whole way hugging people that I had never met. And it was it was just like such a really like important memory that's burned into my brain. Um, I had space to have all my siblings there, my dad, my mom, my boyfriend at the time, and friends. I I don't know why people think that there's not enough space there, but there surely is. Um, I've also went there to watch a friend's graduation who was a couple years older than I was, and I was there, my mom, my brother, my sister, and in addition to her
170family. So, that's just kind of what I had to say. I wanted to just bring that up and kind of say that as the last. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> I I believe that's the last one unless I missed something. >> Do we have anybody else that wanted to speak on this item that either didn't get a card in or heard something that they wanted to comment on that hasn't already spoken? >> Okay. Thank you. Um first I'd like to say uh before we turn to board questions, I would like to thank all of you that have come out and spoken. And I know there's a lot of new faces in the room and I appreciate that. Um it does take a lot of courage to speak up against um something or to speak
171up for something that you're very passionate about. Uh especially in today's political climate. Um I would encourage all of you to stand tall in what you and what you desire. That is one of the beautiful things about the country that we live in. and um to respect each other's opinions and differences of opinions because we seem to have been lacking some of that lately. So, thank you. Uh let's move to board comments. I'd like to start with the students first if there's any additional comments or discussion. >> Uh I mean, I don't have anything to add, Logan. Do you? >> I do have something to add. I think the the the number one thing at least that I have have heard from the community and have heard individually uh is the sentiment that the students
172should not you know even though it's great to have their input or our input I should say they we don't know how great it was so um you know we can't provide valuable reasoning about wanting to want whether we should want to go there or not and I have quite a few things I want to say about that because I think that first of all the there is 100% a lot of truth that nostalgia is what makes the memory. So if the students who graduate at the um high school will have nostalgia about how great the high school was and how great their graduation was there. I think that's been demonstrated by the students who've graduated there. Many of them have have you know there are obviously people have different experiences and obviously people some
173people I'm sure hated have hated graduating at the high school field and some people have loved it. I know personally there are students have loved it because I've spoken to them. Um the so there there's there's that. The other thing is that this notion that students think that um the Irvine Bull is in Irvine. The vast majority of students that I I've spoken to personally that I've been aware of are very familiar with the Irvine Bolt. Whether it's through the Festival of Arts or Patch of the Masters, kids know where it is. Like it's even if you've had a family member who's been involved in it to some extent. I I hardly know any kids in Lagona who haven't been there, let alone have never heard of it or think it's in Irvine. So, that's
174just one thing I I personally wanted to clear up is that I definitely think that any forms that have said uh or any polls, surveys that have been sent out to kids saying where is the um or not where is the bowl, but would you rather have it at the Irvine Bowl or at the high school? There's definitely been knowledge. I don't I don't think informing the students about where the Irvine Bowl is would exactly change a lot of that data. So that that was the number one piece of input that I I wanted to have. And the other piece of input I wanted to have is that I agree with uh that I I'm not really fully certain why this is being talked about at a board level. It's it's seems to me like
175it would 100% be a site issue and that the the students maybe it's in the best interest of of us to instead of have it be a poll system and then the site decides even if it's just a pure I mean we talked about democratic process. What about a voting system where the students at the high school just they just vote on where where they would like to have it? Um, and then have it have it be done that way? I I think I think that the voices of the students should be not only the number one voice that's heard, but I really think they should be the only voice that's heard because at the end of the day, it's their graduation. if they if they would if it would be beneficial to them to
176be informed about like where you know what would be the pros and cons of each I think that would be great but um I that's that's the comments I wanted to give on it. >> Thank you Logan. Um Dr. Kelly you don't did you have any further comment? Okay, member Malchesky. >> Yeah, I just have a couple of quick comments. only experience the uh high school at graduation or the graduation at the high school field. Perception's everything. I graduated on my high school field in rural Michigan and I walked out to that graduation and I was like, "Oh my god, this is unbelievable. These students are graduating with ocean views and this huge field and it was really festive." I can't compare that to Irvine Gold. So, I'm not, you know, trying to make a
177strong opinion about that. I'm just that you know it it is special for the people who are there for a variety of reasons and I think we have to be mindful of that. Um and generally I'm agnostic on it because I have been here for a decade in town. I didn't my older kids didn't graduate at the Irvine Bowl. So I don't have a strong feeling that the Irvine Bowl is better or not better. But I, you know, I I do think it's a sightbased issue because I know how much that Joe and Jason think deeply about how to serve our students and how to serve their families. The second thing I want to say is I'm really grateful, Miss Bates, for all the information that you gathered and all the letters and you know,
178you're sharing your concerns. I did have a lot of questions about the survey and I've been a little bit uncomfortable with the kind of banding about of how many people agree or don't agree with the Irvine bowl. Um I looked through the uh the petition and many of my friends were on the petition. So I just sent the text, not a leading text, but I see you're on the petition. What what are your feelings about the Irvine Bowl? And what I got back was some people, obviously many people who signed that petition feel strongly about the Irvine Bowl. And you know, that's great. But what I also got back was, "Well, it sounds kind of cool, but I don't know what the tradeoffs were and it's a site visit or I think it's a site
179decision." But when I was asked, do you think graduation be at should be at the Irvine Bowl? I was like, yeah, that sounds cool. So my point there is not that there aren't a lot of people on there like you and your kids and many other people who feel strongly about the Irvine Bowl, but I don't necessarily think that 750 people were voting strongly to move it to the Irvine Bowl because I don't think it was that kind of survey. And I just say that because even on the, you know, Instagram survey, 29,000 people are on the Instagram account. that doesn't tell me anything about who voted. And I also know that when you answer a survey on Instagram, it's probably because you feel really strongly about it, right? It's you don't answer every survey
180that comes out. So anyway, um th those are just my thoughts about the discussion. Um, again, I what it really comes down to for me is understanding that ultimately nobody's really going to be happy or not everybody is going to be happy with the decision, but I really trust our principles who tried to be very thoughtful about this and and I want to support that. Thank you. Um, who wants to go next? Member Hills or Click Perry? Clary, would you like to go next? Do you have any further discussion or comments? >> Uh, sure. Sure. Um, I agree with Dr. Alma and I'm really honored to be part of this and have been part of this for quite a long time now. I think I think strongly about the Thirsten venue that the field is
181so much better. Um, the other two venues, we're lucky here that we have two beautiful places. Um, I love the special feeling of the Irvine Bowl, the historical part. Um, that it's a generational thing that many families have had their parents or grandparents, siblings. It's kind of cool to walk in the steps of someone before you and I hate the idea of taking that away. But I also understand um the high school field is also lovely. And I know one graduation I went to had the most spectacular sunset out on the side. One I went to was pretty darn cold, but it, you know, it's still a lovely location. Um I I wanted everyone to have a voice here. I think this is a community. Everyone deserved to have a voice. I also thought that
182if it was a sightbased decision that the students were going to vote and hear pros and cons. Um, and so I that wasn't exactly what happened. So I feel that that something dropped there. that decision wasn't really fair. But I personally I think I I don't think it should be our decision, but I think everyone should be heard. >> Thank you, Member Hills. >> Yeah, you know, there's been a lot said tonight about the subject of where the graduation should be. There's been a lot said about a lot of other subjects that um sort of create context for this. And um I think some of that discussion is as important or more important than um the the the li or has more implications and ramifications than the subject of where the graduation is held. Let
183me explain what I mean. um the idea of somebody who's uh official of the school district saying that we shouldn't be here talking about this. Um, I really struggle with that because we should be here talking about this and the idea that there's some kind of differentiation between site decisions and and and administrative decisions and board decisions and that the board's micromanaging and that, you know, this stuff this conversation is is not uh not very literate. Um, you know, it's interesting. On one hand, we're told board shouldn't micromanage. But then we're told that um you know that uh board members shouldn't talk to members of the community. They should just refer things to the superintendent. So who's who's micromanaging who? If you're a board member and you talk to somebody from the community and you
184have a conversation with them and they've got a grievance or they got a problem, if they say, "I want you as a board member to solve my problem." That's when you refer it to the superintendent. Because you say, "I'm a board member. I'm just one board member. I don't have authority to speak for the board. I have an authority to act for the board. I can hear you out and I can have a discussion with you and I'm interested in doing so." But if you actually want to get somebody to act on a complaint or a grievance or something, Yeah. That's when the board member says you need to go to the superintendent. And you know, Mr. Woodco, I um view you and know you and believe in you as a brilliant educator and as
185a really smart guy and somebody that I really respect and admire. But what you were talking about when you're up there today was you're you're talking about bylaw 92000 and you're saying, "Oh yeah, if you're a board member, you know, you can't micromanage. If somebody comes up and says something to you, you just got to refer them to the superintendent." That's not true. In fact, if you look at 92000, when it says that board members can't direct staff, in other words, they really can't micromanage, 92000 is a really good bylaw. And it says board members can't go in and tell staff what to do and try to solve problems. But that very paragraph begins unless the board otherwise provides because there are situations and we had this on September 18th, we had this issue. We
186had the council in there and people are saying well board members uh have no individual authority that the board acts as by majority vote as a whole. Absolutely true. But the reality is that if you look at the bylaws, there are several areas where the board has delegated to the board president a function and a responsibility and an authority. And that includes communications, it includes hiring policy, it includes access to legal services. And it includes setting the agenda. Those are all areas where there's shared powers and there's collaboration required. And so you get up and you say, you know, you say something and you know, it's just it's you're it's confusing and it really leads back to a very important principle and that is that you know uh remember Mal Chesy was talking about 100
187years of you know how it evolved that you have uh local control through elected school boards and um you know thanks very much but the reality is that um local school boards have complet authority over everything in the district and the proponent of the activity night wanting the board to address an issue that's a community issue. You know, graduation from high school isn't just a class of kids, students in the school, gring from being seniors to then going out into the world. It's a completion of their entire for a lot of them it's a completion of entire you know 12 years from uh pre from K to 12. It's a community event. It's not just a site event. It's something that involves the community. The site deals with parents and grandparents on school activities, but
188this is a community event. And um the idea that it's it's limited to a site decision. Um I I think that it's you notice here um somebody's gone to the trouble of citing section 35161. That says that the school board has all authority over everything in the district and everything the district does. And the school board can delegate its authority to the superintendent and to the pre the president. The school board can delegate its authority to anybody it wants to. And so, uh, that's why the superintendent was saying, uh, he believes that under the under the bylaw, um, that we cited earlier that this has been delegated down to the site level. And that's he's absolutely right about that. But section 35161 also says the board retains legal authority and responsibility for how all delegated
189powers are exercised. So, you can't delegate something away from the board. You can't delegate something away from the superintendent. You can't delegate it so it's restricted to the site. The board retains authority and responsibility for all delegate how all delegated powers are exercised. So these are things that go far a field of um the the subject of the graduation, but these were all issues that were raised tonight. And um uh so I felt like some of them had to be addressed. As to the site for the graduation, I just want to say this. I I went to graduation on the football field. I agree with um I agree with what Emily said and what um several people said uh that and and what member Malchesky said, you couldn't have a more beautiful site for a
190graduation than the high school, you know. And every time I drive by that field, um as I've been doing for 70 years, um uh you look out over that and you go, "What a magnificent location for a football field." And what a magnificent location for a high school. Um but that's not where that that discussion ends either. Um because uh you know um as much as I like that enjoyed the ceremony there um the there is a 70y year tradition of graduations at Irvine Bowl and um Irvine B is in my view a more intimate uh it's a more culturally significant um I I knew Red Guy who Guyfield nameer he was one of my coaches and um you know uh the the situation is that Irvine bowl is actually symbolic of a transition out
191of the high school and into the future and going to the high It's like, you know, graduating from Ryel High School in the movie Greece, you know. I mean, it's great. I I I'm all for people who do and have fun and have a good experience graduating from their high school. But Laguna Beach has is a is a is a community that has the ability to recognize the students. You talk about being seen and heard as a student, as a graduate. I thought what the young young folks said about being seen when you walk across that stage at Irvine Bowl. You you know all the summers that the students worked at the art festival, all the students that were in the pageant of masters, all the students that grew up in the summers in Laguna
192Beach when the art festival was going on and they worked in businesses all through town. It's all about the the art festival that's the heart of our community. And so, um, I think that the idea that we shouldn't be here tonight and we shouldn't be talking about this is one of the craziest ideas I've ever heard. And I want to thank everybody on both sides of the issue that came in. This is exactly what the school board is for, where you have half the students want one thing, half the students want another, a bunch of really good parents and solid citizens want a bunch of other parents and solid citizens want another thing. That's what a school board, that's why section 35161 gives the authority to school boards and not to educators. I always I'll
193end by saying this, educators do not govern and elected officials do not educate. And what we what we've got here in this school district is a lot of confusion about who's micromanaging who, who's trying to take the other person's uh other other person's responsibilities or play their role. We need a lot of work on role definition here because it's gotten very muddled. >> Thank you, Howard. >> Madam Chair, >> yes, sir. Dr. Glass, >> I I'll be brief. I know it's been a lot of been a lot of >> to make a comment as well. Um, I have been to probably hundreds of high school graduations. I will stack up my list of high school graduations against anybody in this room for the number that I've been to. And as someone who graduated in a
194sweaty, humid gym in Kentucky, um, you have two incredible options. They're incredible, both of them. I was making a list of the places I've graduated. I won't go through them all, but they've been school fields that have been incredible. The Veil Auditorium, the chapel in Vale, uh Dude Ranch in Eagle County outside of Vale, um Red Rocks Amphitheater was mentioned, uh the Denver Opera House, uh the stadium at the University of Colorado, several school sites, and one lunchroom. And the lunchroom was one of my most memorable graduations because it was for the Kentucky School for the Blind. And they the staff there transformed that place into something special for those kids. These are emotional decisions. So they they bring out people um that have strong feelings about it. And I feel that every time I
195go to a graduation. The two most hopeful experiences I've had in my life are being in a nursery where children are being born and seeing families for the first time uh welcome that new life into the world. That experience and every single one of the high school graduations I've been to. Those are those are hopeful moments. There is no question member Hills is absolutely right. There is no question that the board has the authority to make this decision and I am grateful that the board has had this opportunity for the community to state their thoughts on it and for our site administrators to hear that and for me to hear it. I think that's important. The question really before the board is not do you have the authority to make the decision. It is the
196question before you is should you? And you'll have the opportunity to think about that and agendaize this for the future if you want to make that decision. But I will just end by saying of all the hundreds of graduations that I've been to, they've all been terrific and I the school leaders have never let me down. >> Thank you, Dr. Glass, um, for your insight. I think um of everyone up here, you've probably been to the most graduations around the not not within the area but around. So I do appreciate that perspective. Um so there has been a lot of information. There's a lot of different perspectives. Um and as I said before, I do appreciate and respect everyone that has come. I appreciate the effort to put together um a presentation to reach out
197to the community and understand their desires. Um as a parent of four, I have a very unique perspective. Uh we've had grad ju just within Laguna Beach, not my own experience. Uh we have had graduation in both venues. Uh we had two at the bowl. Uh we had two at Guyer Field. As far as a high school graduation, uh we've had two graduations at Thirstston. So, thank you for moving that. That was tough. You can't sit if you have elder family, you can't sit with them because they can't get up the stairs. I mean, there's there was a lot of issues there. And I think for Thirstston, that was one of the great things that came out of it was moving it to the high school. Um I've experienced it as a graduation committee member,
198a parent, a guest with elders in need of handicap access. And last year I joined my fellow board members on the side of the stage as the students exited ready to as the students exited and we stood ready to congratulate our students after they took their moment on the stage. I did not know that Dr. Glass had experience at Red Rock Stadium. That's pretty cool. Uh you two was one of my favorites there. Uh and a tradition that I would I would imagine has been upheld and has continued part of the magic as we are all on the arts committee. The voices tonight should demonstrate the importance of reconnecting our community to our historical roots, our artistic community, and that we do indeed have a connection with the venue that is the heart of the
199community and is a location that sends our children off into the world. When we discuss the venue and being the next place our students are going to go, if our students are graduating at the high school from that perspective, then they're not going back to the high school, they're going out into the world. So in relation to that find that found that guiding principle that was presented I would beg to challenge that the high school sends that message better than Irvine and again I'm just touching on things that have been said and presented. Um I do understand the importance of this item. It's being hotly debated in our community and the concerns with the board hearing what many believe as I do should be a site level decision. However, having it be an annual discussion
200and voted on every year could pause could potentially cause logistical issues year after year instead instead of becoming a well-tuned traditional event as it used to be. In my role as a board member, and while this personal experience that I've just shared with you is relevant, I am processing this from a governance standpoint that upholds the responsibility as a board to provide leadership accountability all while holding up the values of our community. According to the California School Board Association, and I quote, "The role of the school board is to ensure that the school districts are responsive to the values, beliefs, and priorities of their community. The boards fulfill this role by performing five major responsibilities. setting direction, establishing an effective and efficient structure, providing support, ensuring accountability, and providing community leadership as advocates for children,
201the school district, and public schools. These five responsibilities represent core functions that are so fundamental to a school systems accountability to the public that they can only be performed by an elected governing body." End quote. In the spirit of this important responsibility regarding accountability and a commitment to our students, our community, it is my opinion that this conversation should have occurred when the emergency resolution 20-03.1 expired. And it was promised to the community at that time that the conversation would come up again to determine whether or not we would return to the bowl or not. Those families at that time and the community coming off of COVID could have helped dialogue what traditions new or old should be upheld going forward as promised to the community as was indicated as outlined by ED code 3050,
20235060 and 35010 and board policy 9322. as it currently stands and in the amended version being heard later tonight. This topic is before the board after it was elevated to the superintendent and the board for consideration. The superintendent and I discussed it and while I had asked to have it on immediately, the superintendent reminded me that we have a lot of work to do in preparation for that and he recommended that we defer it to tonight's meeting. So, I appreciate the collaboration on that. We also agreed that it was within the p per purview of the board to hear because a community had elevated it to the board and asked the board to hear it. I appreciate the staff's detailed presentation regarding Guyerfield the timeline logistics and its importance importance to the high school experience.
203I also appreciate the community members that put together a detailed presentation offered to the board on the Irvine Bowl's importance to the Laguna Beach experience. As we said before, the supporting documents are in the back and will be available online. As I stated, I am focused on the governance process in this in this situation. Given the information presented, I do have concerns that were indicated earlier um by members of the audience as well as um Clerk Perry about the process and the procedure and what appears to be a survey sent to the students that does demonstrate bias with the intent to direct a decision. the survey which I meant to ask for or what I had asked for but I didn't I didn't again I didn't see earlier um are as as such when considering
204two graduation locations Guyerfield and the Irvine Bowl each one creates a different kind of experience so here are a few things to think about as you share your preference field is on campus located um it has a large overall seating capacity and outdoor ceremony connected to the school setting The Irvine Bowl off-campus things to consider off-campus and requires travel, smaller seating capacity, an outdoor amphitheater with a long history of hosting LBHS graduations. They go on to say that there is no wrong choice. It's simply about what matters most to you and your class. The survey's focus, which I understand 107 students responded, indicates that the bowl is off-campus and requires travel to the destination while Guyirefield is on campus and appears to me it's creating a biased survey and it seems to exclude the concept
205that many of our students thirsten and LBHS come from North Lagona, Crystal Cove, and the Ottabbon and travel right by the Irvine Bowl in route to the high school. So, I don't know if it's off-campus or onampus, but both require travel, too. So, I think um I think that's important when we emphasize the initiation of this change in the graduation um which CO was um holding the drive-thru in 2020. Um I'm grateful for the staff that came together and created that opportunity for the students that graduated in that year. My first student graduated in 2021 and that year we had thirsten and the high school back I had actually three graduations that year. Um but I don't believe in 2020 we did a drive-thru graduation for elementary schools or thirsten. I don't think those students
206actually had a graduation. So I am grateful for the opportunity for the high school to have a graduation that year as a board in the district. Did we have it? Oh, we did. Okay. I I I was I was not aware of that and I had asked several people and they said that there wasn't. So, my mistake. Thank you for correcting me. At the sawdust. We had it at the sawdust in 2020. Okay. Thank you for correcting me. I appreciate that. As a board and a district, we must be consistent in our commitment to students. A survey that presents one side of the story not only creates a biased perspective and appears to be leading participants to a predetermined solution. This bi bias also hinders independent analysis, prioritizes compliance, discourages questions, and reduces cognitive engagement
207and critical thinking development. Our LCAP goals are clear on page four of our district LCAP goals. And if you don't know, those are our local control accountability plan. Our our first goal is to develop college and career readiness skills through meaningful collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, and stewardship. As a district, our board and staff must commit to our LCAP goals. Staff doesn't need to live in Lagona to to nurture and support rebuilding the connection between schools and students and Laguna Beach's history and culture. Opportunities are all around us and we must celebrate our community. The comment of a future breaker concept is relevant, as I said, to thirst and graduation, but I don't know if that aligns with the high school. We're sending them into the world, and the bowl offers a beautiful community
208experience that brings the benefits of Guyerfield to the bowl. It's a neutral, unifying experience as not every student in the high school wants to see themselves graduate in the high school because they really did not have a positive high school experience. And that's got nothing to do with staff. It's got nothing to do with our student, our teachers. It's every it's it's whatever that student's experience happens to be. But we have a class of 180 or so. And I'm I'm sure 180 are are not all sad to leave. So, um, I'll say that, um, grad night, the night before graduation, Disneyland, by having the evening, um, one of the things that I really liked about the bowl, personally, going back to my personal hat for a moment, was the fact that we could do a
209beautiful ceremony at the festival grounds if they weren't leaving to go into their grad night. So, the idea of having grad night before is a wonderful idea. Disneyland was always the kids talked about, but that might be something to consider. There's a stage for music, post-graduation, family events. Um, budgetary concerns can be addressed through site level um, budgets as well as with the district. Um, I think that this is um I do think that this is appropriate that the board heard this tonight because it was elevated to the board, not because the board wants to get into sight level decisions, but because there was a community of people that felt that they weren't heard, that they were told um that there was that was presented with an answer such as it's already in the high
210school graduation, but now here's new information that says maybe we didn't get all of the information first. And so I'm disappointed that we agendaized this incorrectly. It is not something that I caught when I reviewed the final agenda before it was printed because I do believe we discussed this as an action item. Um so I um because we're not because we don't have a motion that we need to move it. Um, I know for me personally, and I have no further comment on it, I would like to recommend that we bring this that we have the staff re-evaluate this process, work with the community that has worked so hard to put presentations together, bring our site level um, leader in leaders in on this particular item and find a solution that can that goes back
211out and thinks outside the box. as a board we are responsible for the values of our community and that is a strong position that I believe in and I believe it is why I'm here uh because I have always said I think our staff does a great job but we have lost our connection with the community and we need to work as a as a team to bring that back together and graduating out of the bowl in my opinion is a great way to do that. It has its flaws. I don't like having to wait in line for a seat in my kids graduation. I loved the assigned seating that was provided at the high school. So, to um Danielle Roershire's comment, um that waiting in line to get a seat in graduation because I'm
212one of those moms that sat at the front row on everything. That was one of the most stressful things I think I've had to go through was trying to get a seat. People were paying students to wait in line. That's not a model that I think we should continue. We can do assigned seating. They do that for concerts. They did it for Jack Johnson. They do it for the festival. So, I think there is a lot of opportunity there. Um, I agree. Looking at my kids up on stage was wonderful and magical, but it's their ceremony. It's not our ceremony to look at them and watch them enjoy their ceremony. But maybe you could do something creative by having them on the stage before they cross. I don't know. I'm not trying to get into
213the details, but I am suggesting that we re-evaluate this and and and as and take uphold our responsibility as a board and encourage um reconnecting this commu the school community with our Laguna Beach community. So, thank you. That's all I have to say on that and I would love guidance on what to say what to do next. um you should consider if you want to reagend as it for a future action item. That's the next step. If you choose not to, it will remain a site level decision and your site level administrators have heard all of the conversation tonight. So that is um a benefit to them and helping them shape this decision. But if the board wishes to um intervene and direct a decision, you need to agendaize it in the future. As I
214said before, the question before the board is not if you have the authority, you do. It's should you exercise it. >> So, I really don't want to I'm trying to not get into more back and forth with the board because I we have a lot still to get to and it's already nine o'clock. >> Can you repeat your comment, please? No, I No, I'm not asking him to repeat it. >> I'm not going to do that. You ask. Um Um >> I wanted to ask you, is there an administrative regulation or is there um uh some other bylaw that we should be referring to that specifically designates that this is a site decision? >> The uh your policies and bylaws do not reserve this for the board. Um, so that is the through that uh
215lack of uh the board reserving it the decision for themselves. Uh it's my responsibility to execute and make sure that all of the directives and things that need to happen for a school district happen. So in this case that's been delegated to the high school principles. They um have shown their plan for doing that. But I I think again the question before the board is do you wish to step in and make the decision? If you do, you should agendaize it at one of your next two meetings. So the principles have said they would like a decision by early March. You have the opportunity to do that. If you decide not to, it will defer to a site level decision. >> Can we defer this for a meeting with all of the participants involved that
216would like to readress it and then um see where we're at and bring it back to the board for cons for a final vote. you may um agendaize it in the future as an action item and you would go through the process of um presentation that probably would be truncated now. You've heard what we have to say on it. Um you would have public comment again, you'd have discussion again, take some action. So it would be a similar process to what you normally do when you make a decision. >> Okay. So we do have a policy that indicates that if we've heard it and nothing has changed, we don't have to offer public comment again. But if we send this out and defer it to ask the community that put the presentation together, Dr. Alman,
217yourself to reconvene and revisit this and see what the possibilities are and came back, that would be a different of enough situation where it would be welcoming to have more comment. Correct. >> I think at where you are in terms of the timeline, uh, you need to we need to make a decision. >> It would be February 26th, I would think. So, you should uh decide if the board is going to make this decision and make it. If the board is not going to to make the decision, leave it to the high school. >> Well, we can't make it tonight because it was not agenda. >> As I said, you can bring it back and decide to make the decision. >> So, we can bring it back on the February 26th for a decision and
218ask that there's meetings prior to that to see if we can get to a decision um that's agreeable. >> I think the facts are out on the table and what people think is out on the table. So I think if the board wishes to make the decision, you can. Uh if you uh it's also um reasonable to say that your site level administrator should make this decision. That's my recommendation to you. But as has been clearly stated, the board has the authority to step in and direct this any way you want. >> Okay. Thank you. Member Mesky, you had a quick comment. Yeah, I just want to make a quick comment that I I don't think it I'm sure it wasn't intentional, but it made it sound like the principles were trying to lead students.
219And I did not hear in that question that you asked about the survey that anyone was being led because the students understood that the Irvine Bowl is down the street. Okay. >> And they would be staging in the gym and then would have to move down the street. What I heard in that was that the principal spelled out for the students what the logistical basis was for the decision that was made and given those logistics, how would the students vote? And I think it's really important to clear that because, you know, I I don't want people to think that there's not real information being collected. >> Thank you. I'll give you a quick comment and then I'm gonna close it. >> Yeah. >> Mr. Superintendent, I'm not um I'm not second guessing anything. I'm just
220trying to get on the record. Um you said that the first of all, nobody has any problems with the site administrators. Nobody has any everybody appreciates what they've done. So this isn't about them or criticizing them. This is about us being clear about our lines of authority and our chain of command. And so my question to you is when you said that they've been designated, is that something that's been promulgated as an administrative regulation or is it is because the reason I ask it is that if not then under bylaw under board policy 5127, you said that either the board can do it if it wants to or then it goes down to the site. But actually under by uh board policy 5127, it goes back to you. And so um and I'm not trying
221to quibble. I just want to make sure we have an understanding before we go forward. >> So I think before we so we can move on because we can't make a motion and I to those that are here hoping that we made a final decision I do apologize. Um I will uh collectively take responsibility for um for that. Um so where can we go from here so we can move to the next item? >> You should decide if you want to bring it back and have the board make the decision. If you do not bring it back and have the board intervene to make the decision, then it will fall to me to make sure that a graduation happens. How that will occur is I will count on your capable site administrators to put this
222together and have graduation. >> Okay. So, we can So, I think that that it would be um because we were understood that we would make a decision tonight, we I I do believe we should bring it back for a final um for a vote if necessary. But I would like to ask that um the site leaders I think were clear on the on I don't think the question is thirsten. I think that um but I'm not going to make that assumption. Uh I don't think thirsten is is the item that's being really considered. I think having it at the high school is from what I'm hearing is um uh a welcome opportunity. I think it's the high school versus Irvine. I know there's a big costing consideration. So, I would really appreciate if there could
223be um another opportunity to come back together on this given what's been heard tonight and um we can plan on agendaizing it for the 26th if need be unless um uh it's been unless it's been elevated back to the board. Does that make sense? >> I'm not sure. Um I think again your options are to agendaize it in the future and make a decision or not. >> Right. So, if we want to agendaize it, it would need to be elevated to the board again based on how I came here today. You you need not do that. Um okay. Uh I think uh you as the board president have the authority to add things to the agenda. You can do that >> but the community can elevate it as well. >> The community has. Yeah. Uh
224I guess if I understand what you're asking um no one needs to email me and ask can we get this on the agenda. You can put it on the agenda or I can put it on the agenda. And so either way clearly it's it's an issue that the um community has raised. The question before the board is, do you wish to intervene or not? >> Okay, thank you. Okay, so again, I apologize to those that are here hoping that we were going to make a decision. Um, I'm not sure how that was overlooked, but uh we're going to have to move on to the next agenda item. I would encourage communication. If it needs to come back to the board, please let us know. >> President Morgan, could we take a little break? >> Yes,
225five minute break. >> We're going to take a fivem minute recess. Hello. We're going to bring this meeting back to order. Please, if everybody could take their seat, we're going to get started. Thank you so much. Um, I appreciate uh everyone that's here. I appreciate that we were able to take a break. I'm trying to figure out where I'm at because I got us started again and then I Okay, here we are. We're on item seven. We are going to try and go through this quickly. We are way over schedule. Um but I think that was a very important conversation and I really encourage uh those involved to have another discussion otherwise we can definitely uh bring it back to the board if needed. Okay. Item seven is the information is anformational item on instructional
226services presentation of the 2526 midyear update of the local control accountability plan. Uh which I know I referenced earlier. Uh Dr. Mayberry who's to my right, Dr. Keller and Dr. Cannonburgg will present. Thank you all. You have the floor. >> Thank you board president. Um, this presentation provides a mid-year update on the LBSC's 2526 local control accountability plan, the LCAP. Uh, I will share a general overview of the LCAP. Uh, and then myself, as you said, Dr. Keller, Dr. Cber, will present information on each of our goals. Um, this evening will only be sharing new midyear data aligned to our LCAP goals. There's more data coming in the spring and at the end of the year, a lot more data. Um but and you also have the more comprehensive 93page uh midyear report that was
227shared with the board a couple weeks ago. Uh but for tonight we're just going to be presenting the newer data. Uh so it'll be a little bit faster than we'll have in the spring. So the LCAP uh is a three-year plan that outlines goals, actions, services, and expenditures aligned to the eight state priorities that you see up there. It serves as our primary accountability and continuous improvement roadmap for these eight state priorities. Uh these eight prior eight eight priorities are about whole child resources to support schools and creating environments where students feel safe, connected, engaged, supported and challenged. The LCAP addresses the needs of all students, but in particular, it requires explicit focus on students who are learning English, foster youth, and students who are economically disadvantaged. Uh, equity is the core requirement. It's not
228an optional add-on in the plan. Uh, supplemental title one funds are the key categorical funds in the LCAP, while there are others. Uh but within the LCAP, the funds are allocated strategically for staffing, interventions, and targeted supports for these students. It's important to note that the resources are aligned directly to student need. Up here, you'll see a timeline of our LCAP developmental process. It's a year-long continuous improvement cycle that includes data analysis, stakeholder input, and public review. uh school plans as uh principal Turner shared earlier, they're designed uh and on the and based on the LCAP goals to ensure that cohesion and alignment across the district uh as well as transparency and shared accountability at the school and district level. We collect state required data throughout the year. Um sometimes qualitative metrics such as student
229performance data as well as qualitative data u including student and parent staff perceptions through stakeholder surveys and f and several focus groups. This is the California state uh school dashboard. Uh this is our one from 2025 which is released in the fall. These are the state identified growth metrics that align with the eight state priorities which is what the accountability plan is based on. Um these are also growth metrics that measure from one year to the next year. Um just setting the stage for the the the student population here more than as we know more than 2,000 students with diverse learning needs across all grades spans are part of LBSD. Understanding and knowing our learners helps guide us on what best to do for them. There are three district goals um that focus on college
230and career readiness, social emotional development, and safe inclusive schools. These goals align academic success with student well-being. Uh we prioritize education of the whole child in Laguna Beach where academic excellence and well-being go hand in hand. This slide here shows the the district priority areas. Uh each goal integrates instruction, student support, and family engagement. Uh the district priority areas operationalize the goals into actionable strategies that we can take and work through daytoday, week to week, fall, spring, winter. And then as you know, here is our learner profile. Uh these skills, dispositions, competencies students need for future success were determined and developed by the local Laguna Beach student staff and families. This is a communitydriven and created set of competencies that uh was created several years ago and is now integrated throughout the LCAP. This is
231this is I would say not even a school or district learner profile. It's the community's learner profile for the students that go here. I'm going to talk a little bit about goal one uh first. So goal one uh emphasizes collaboration, creativity, communication, critical thinking and problem solving. These skills are embedded uh not only in academic but also in our enrichment activities. Uh a couple key uh higher level uh trends uh in this goal area. ELA and math performance have shown improvement from the beginning to the end of the year. Sorry. Uh also early college credit participation continues to remain strong. So we're students are moving in the right direction at for college and career readiness on the on the new midyear data. Um this slide demonstrates the midyear progress monitoring which again uh Mr. Turner
232talked about a little bit earlier in the evening but important this is important component of our midyear data. Uh it's our screening diagnostic assessment that shows the growth from early fall to midyear. It allows us to identify students who may need uh more targeted interventions as part of an MTSS system which I'll share a little bit uh I'll share here in a second but there are three tiers within there. Tier one being what we what we would call our our best first instruction. So that is every students getting that instruction where tier two students are getting some additional scoops of intervention or support and tier three being the most intense. So at the midyear in regards to reading uh only 7% of our K8 students remain in tier three reading interventions. Um a five that's
233a 5% increase in students from tier one and two reflects that effective uh support from fall winter. Early target intervention interventions really paying off in this area. Uh you can see the same data here in a little bit slightly different view. uh there's been significant number of students that have exited tier 2 or three intervention support at the midyear uh and academic growth is happening at scale uh in this area at the high school level. Um you'll see that the ELA interventions are showing strong exit rates uh from these supplemental supports and interventions uh with 25 of the 40 students having a successful intervention cycle in the fall. And again those that targeted interventions helping reduce those students that may need that intensive support uh while there are still some continuing those those supports remain
234in place for mid-year math. Uh you see here the K8 students uh similarly doing exceptionally well. Currently only 5% of the K8 students remain at the tier three level interventions at the midyear. Um this mirrors our ELA reading and our reading um midyear scores around the ones that need the the most interventions. That is where we put our most resources at that 5%. Here you can see it broken out into the three tiers. Uh similarly um nearly all students are now in ti tier one and two as you can see um that strong tier one instruction uh with the target two and three intervention has is making a difference right you're seeing that reduction uh in the yellow and the red while the green is growing and those are the those are the students that
235are at are on grade level at the high school level for math uh there are 66 students uh who improve their mid-year math intervention tier level. Uh and there are more that are continuing to get support um at the tier 2 and tier three levels, those different levels of of intervention. So those are sport those are ongoing supports that happen throughout the the day that remain in place through the end of the year. The other piece of information to share uh around college early college credit um currently 21% of LBHS students have already earned college credit um at some point during their career. Um so that's looking at all students at some point though obviously be more of those. We have classes with we that's partly due to our partnership with Irvine Valley College as
236well as Saddleback College doing classes directly for our students. Uh we also have some students that that uh definitely a percentage that take it on their own. Uh so we will expect this to continue to grow as we get to the end of the year. Uh but right now this is a a really remarkable number for our 9th through 12th graders. At CTE level uh participation in articulation college credits continue to grow. As you can see here, 41% of of current LBHS students enrolled in one or more CTE courses this year. Um these are these are above average uh at the for the county level. Um 43% of current uh high school students have earned early college credit through articulated courses as well. And then lastly just are an update. We don't we've shared that
237the pass rates previously but right now we this year we have 20 we're offering 27 AP courses um which is strong level of participation by our students. Um last year more than 90% of those AP exams were passed at a really exceptionally level not just at the the county or the state level but nationally. Uh this really highlights the extensive amount of college level rigor offered at our high school along with the access to these courses. So with that I'm going to hand it off to for goal two for Dr. Keller and then we'll go to Dr. Canterburg after that. Goal three. Good evening, board president Morgan and board of education. Thank you so much for having me. Um, goal two builds the foundation that allows academic learning to thrive through uh formal attendance systems,
238tiered behavior supports, restorative practices, multi-tered systems of support, and school-based mental health services. as we ensure students are repaired, engaged, and supported. I'm going to highlight a couple primary areas that are reflected in the in the accountability dashboard. Um, first and foremost, uh, attendance. So, we students with chronic absenteeism generally responding to our systems of support and are making good progress through the year. and add additionally our suspension rates which is something that we really look at from a full systems approach on the prevention side with positive behavior interventions and supports and also on how we're using restorative practices to try to look at alternatives to suspension. So first and foremost we'll take a look at our district-wide attendance data. Our attendance work is systematic and tiered. Each site implements a formal attendance improvement plan
239within our multi-tered systems of support. Teams routinely monitor attendance data and initiate immediate outreach when concerns emerge. Interventions escalate based on student need, beginning with phone calls and written communication. We sent 437 attendance letters to families this year in the in the fall. And then we might move into daily student check-ins and and the site team meets with a school attendance review team and that might generate an attendance contract or an attendance plan. Should there's be more serious issues such as a student maybe having nine unexcused absences or really being chronically absent, we that might escalate to a district a district attendance review team, a DART meeting. And that's where uh a parent is invited to join district leadership and support staff. Law enforcement might be involved. Our law law enforcement partners with our school
240resource officers and potentially the Orange count Orange County truency mediation team. So our data we have 96% of our students with average daily attendance. That's in line and a little bit improved from the 23 24 school year. That's really a measure of how full our schools are on any given day. So we have really strong attendance there. And then we have 89% of our students were attending more than 90% more than 90% of their school day with 11% of our students being identified in January of this year as being chronically absent. That is right in line with our previous midyear data at 11.8%. Um and I'm happy to say that it's already trending down and I think over time with our systems in place it'll get even better. Our suspension rates continue to make great
241progress. I mean, we we do not it's a last resort to use exclusionary discipline, a suspension in in the case of a student's behavioral difficulty. We have structured preventative and and and we use data driven systems. So we've declined from 2.9% in the end of year data in 23 24 down to 1.7% making really strong progress especially at the middle school level and now down to with our mid-year rate of 0.8%. So we've had a total of 19 students suspended through January of this year in the previous year was 27 students. This refle reflects consistent implementation of positive behavioral interventions and supports and restorative practices across all school sites. The PBIS we establish clear expectations. We reinforce positive behavior schoolwide. When behavioral incidents do occur, we use a progressive discipline approach and often restorative practices
242when appropriate to focus on accountability, conflict resolution, and repairing the relationship. discipline is teaching. And so it's a really important fundamental philosophy and we're trying to take students at in difficult situations, really help them learn and not not re-engage in those behaviors. And then lastly, I just want to take a moment to recognize the extraordinary professionals who serve our students every day. Our teachers, our support staff, administrators, and specialists. In particular, our school counseling, school social work, and school psychology teams are among the most skilled professionals I've worked with in my career. Our team includes nine sight school counselors who provide direct services. Four school social workers with one of them being a a student support specialist who's a school counselor credential. four school psychologists, our program supervisor and director of special education, who are
243also credentialed school psychologists, our coordinator of career readiness and family engagement, who are also credentialed school counselors, all working together with a full team to ensure that every student is known, supported in their educational journey, and prepared for life beyond high school. We've had over 7,000 counseling contacts through January of this year, including one-to-one meetings for academic planning, post-secondary advising, crisis response, attendance interventions, and social emotional support. We prioritize direct services over indirect services. And with the board's support, we've been able to staff at really appropriate levels to be able to provide more and more direct services. I also want to highlight our counseling teams at Thirstston Middle School and the Good Beach High School. Our preparing to apply for the recognized American School Counselor Association's model program designation in October of 2026. This is
244really a multi-year data-driven process to showcase comprehensive counseling guidance and a really systemsbased process and it's focused on student outcomes. Our wellspaces and expanded services reinforce a simple message. We have qualified support providers and our to our students our your school journey matters to us. And we are fully committed to that whole child approach. As Dr. Mayberry had mentioned, we we support students academic success and the development of resilience, mindsets, and skills necessary to thrive in school and in life. And now I'd like to turn it over to my colleague, Dr. Elizabeth Canterburgg, AXA Region 17 Central Office Administrator of the Year for 2026. She'll share some highlights on goal three. Good evening members of the governing board. Thank you for the opportunity to share mid-year progress related to goal three, safe, equitable and inclusive
245schools. This goal strives to ensure that every student regardless of background, ability or circumstance has access to a learning environment while they where they feel supported, valued and empowered. For our LBUSD students, this means schools where they feel physically and emotionally safe with access to personalized support and classrooms that celebrate unique student strengths and are responsive to diverse learning needs. An important element of this is providing school-based resources that help close achievement gaps and ensure all students have equitable opportunities to succeed. Goal three is assessed through a combination of state and local indicators, including student academic performance, targeted intervention outcomes, and school climate and culture perception data. This includes feedback from our upcoming LCAP annual community survey launching at the end of this month, which will be open to students, staff, parents, and community members.
246Together, these measures will inform our 2627 LCAP update, helping us to evaluate progress and identify areas for growth. Our commitment to goal three includes offering targeted interventions and supports for all students demonstrating a need with particular emphasis on three significant student groups. students who are English learners, students with disabilities, and students from economically disadvantaged homes. The LCAP requires districts to monitor outcomes for these specific student groups. This ensures resources and supports can be adjusted to better meet their needs. This midyear data is especially valuable to our district LCAP process because it allows our teams to move from reflection to action while the school year is still in progress rather than waiting until outcomes are finalized at the end of the academic year. This leads to more intentional planning informed by current metrics. Midyear I Ready
247data for our small cohort of students who are English learners shows strong academic growth from fall to winter. In reading, tier 1 performance increased from 10% to 38%. Meaning 11 additional students moved into tier 1 for a total of 15 out of 40 students assessed. At the same time, the number of students requiring intensive tier three support decreased from 21 students to 18 students with three students exiting tier three. In math, tier 1 placement increased from 16% to 31% with five additional students advancing to grade level performance for a total of 11 of 36 students assessed. Tier three placement decreased from nine students to six students, meaning 8% exited intensive math interventions. This midyear growth builds on last year's reclassification outcomes when 14 of 55 of our English learners or 25% of the cohort were
248redesated as reclassified fluent English proficient by the end of the 2425 school year. Among the 37 students with year-over-year ELPAC data, the majority either advanced profici proficiency levels or maintained the highest level, indicating continued progress toward English proficiency. Currently, 49 English learners are served across all district sites, supported through consistent progress monitoring using the elevation platform, supplemental programs such as ILT, Lexia, EL, and Readable English, and the high school English language development elective, which continues to show momentum toward both reclassification and graduation. Mid-year I Ready progress monitoring for students with disabilities also shows measurable academic growth from fall to winter and reflects the impact of targeted evidence-based supports. In reading 126 K8 students receiving special education services were assessed at the midyear. The percentage of students performing within grade level increased from 24% to 30%,
249meaning 12 additional students moved into tier 1 for a total of 38 students. At the same time, the number of students requiring intensive tier 3 reading support decreased from 47 students to 39, representing a 14% reduction with eight students exiting tier three. In math, 128 students were assessed and tier one placement increased from 19% to 24% with 10 additional students now performing within grade level range for a total of 31 students. The number of students in tier 3 math decreased from 47 students to 37, reflecting a 16% reduction. These gains align with ongoing LCAP supported efforts within the special education program, including personalized learning, expanded reading interventions, and increased access to instructional day and afterchool supports such as read to succeed and zero period intervention. The district continues to strengthen inclusive practices for students receiving
250special education services through professional development focused on evidence-based instruction, dyslexia expertise and high quality IEP development while expanding opportunities for family collaboration and engagement through partnerships with the family resource center. Midyear I Ready progress monitoring for our students from economically disadvantaged homes also reflects the impact of our targeted supports in reading. 84 students were assessed at the midyear and the percentage of students performing at or above grade level increased from 47% to 57% meaning seven additional students moved into tier 1 for a total of 48 students. At the same time, the number of students requiring intensive tier three reading support decreased from 16 students to 11, representing a 5% reduction. In math, 83 students were assessed at midyear. Tier 1 placement increased from 34% to 44% with seven additional students reaching grade level performance. The
251number of students identified for tier three math interventions decreased from 16 students to 11, again reflecting a 5% reduction for this cohort. Overall mid-year results demonstrate meaningful academic movement for this student group and continued progress in narrowing opportunity gaps. The district's multi-tiered system of supports or MTSS is grounded in research demonstrating that early identification, ongoing progress monitoring, and tiered instruction improve academic outcomes and reduce long-term learning gaps. Students are identified for academic support using multiple data points including IRE diagnostic assessments, Dibbles, early reading assessment, CASP results, course grades, and formative and summitative classroom assessments. This comprehensive review ensures that that supports are prescriptive, responsive, and aligned to individual student needs rather than based on any single measure. Within the academic MTSS framework, students receive targeted instruction through tier 2 and tier three intensive interventions in
252English language arts and math. These interventions provide a double dose of instruction in small group or individualized settings focused on both learning acceleration and remediation. Student progress is monitored regularly and intervention placement is adjusted based on demonstrated growth. At the elementary level, academic MTSS includes structured literacy based reading interventions and targeted math instruction delivered multiple times per week with frequent progress monitoring to ensure mastery of foundational skills. At the middle school level, students identified through multiple measures access personalized learning opportunities such as ELA Academy, ELA Boost, and Math Boost, which provide additional instructional time alongside grade level coursework to strengthen core skills. At the high school level, academic MTSS includes in-class interventions, prescriptive tutorials, skilluing workshops, and peer tutoring supported by a redesigned tutorial period that functions as a flexible intervention block. Students move in
253and out of supports based on data, maintaining access to both remediation and enrichment as needed. To extend learning beyond the school day and school year, the district also offers afterchool programs as well as summermies. Social emotional and behavioral supports are embedded with MTSS to reduce barriers to learning. Universal social emotional learning instruction and positive behavior expectations support all students while targeted and individualized supports are available for students requiring additional assistance. I would be remiss if I also didn't address the MTSS work happening behind the scenes. Interdisciplinary teams across all four schools regularly coming together to engage in analysis and reflection talking through whole child data identifying areas of growth and developing intentional student centered action plans. What I see when I have the privilege of attending these meetings is a complete and unwavering commitment to
254student success. LBUSD's integrated MTSS approach reflects a research-based, cohesive, and aligned system that is currently producing measurable academic gains, reducing reliance on intensive interventions, and supporting safe, inclusive learning environments in alignment with LCAP goal three. The development and refinement of the LCAP is a collaborative process grounded in meaningful community partner engagement. We look forward to initiating our next steps this spring. So, as you can see, we have our community survey launching at the end of the month. We will dedicate March and April to holding community convenings, both convenings with our LCAP committee members who are repres represent the parent community, staff and students from our schools, as well as some community partners from the broader agencies that work with our schools. And we will also offer a third convening at the end of April that
255will be open to anyone in Laguna Beach who wants to attend and wants to discuss our student performance and be part of the LCAP process. We also are engaging in student focus groups over the next several months. There will be a student panel at the second LCAP convening. And finally, in May, we will bring before the board a public hearing where community members will have the opportunity to review the draft LCAP and provide input both at the time of the meeting and then also following the meeting where the draft will be posted online and we will have a feedback form readily available to collect input from anyone in the broader community who wishes to um share their input. And last but not least, the LCAP will come to the board for approval in June 2026.
256In closing, we would like to thank the members of the governing board for your continued support of our programs, services, and supports for our students and families. We hope that this presentation has highlighted how our district teams leverage both state and local data in meaningful, intentional, and strategic ways to assess needs, drive decisions, and most importantly, create the conditions for every student to succeed. As we shift into the latter part of the academic year, our staff will continue to enthusiastically embrace our LBUSD collective commitments, emphasizing continuous improvement, a focus on positive relationships, and the prioritization of every student every day. Thank you. Thank you for that detailed report in a shorter period of time than I think you guys were anticipating. So, thank you. We're definitely running late. Um, I want to open it up
257for board questions or comments. Uh, member Perry, do you have any questions or comments? >> Um, comment that you've been working really hard and doing a lot of great things for our students. Thank you to all the staff. >> Member Moses, >> I will just add my another great report. You always do great reports that are very informative. So, thank you. >> Go all the way to the end. Uh student board members, do you have any comments or questions? >> No, just thank you for coming up here and presenting. Um very thankful for all the teachers and staff here and in our district. >> No questions. >> Member Kelly. >> First, I want to thank everyone. This is an excellent piece of work. Um the data is superb. As someone who spent most of their
258career from I guess fifth through 8th grade in the third group, we didn't have we we couldn't get out of it. Uh and so we didn't have these types of supports. And so I'm I'm grateful for what we're doing here. I'm also grateful for you giving us the numbers. Uh that's made it very helpful to understand the data. I greatly appreciate that. Um I also where is we have full-time occupational therapists now. Am I right? Where does is that person is that person part of your team? Because basically an occupational therapist is a great person to be part of a mental health team. And so I I never hear about the occupational therapist as far as uh what they're where they're at or what they're doing. >> Yeah. She spends um a vast majority of
259her time providing direct services to students at kindergarten through 12th grade. But that's a it's a direct services model. >> Yeah. Just would like to hear more about that. Um I had a couple more comments. I'm glad that your surveys are involving the total community. I think that's superb. Uh and uh I'm grateful for that. I think it's great the number of kids in CTE and doing dual college credit. Uh just again what a great school district. Thank you, Member Kelly. Uh, member Hills. >> Um, so we're still on both what Dr. Mabry and you are have presented here. So, you're both you're both still presenting to the board. Um, and I wanted to uh, you know, listening to this and you know, I'm all for continuous improvement, data driven and all that, but um,
260uh, what's not working? what's broken. >> I think when we take a look at all of our data holistically and there will be some survey data coming too in the next couple of months, we look at all of the quantitative metrics, qualitative metrics, the student voice that's collected through our focus groups and our student panel. We're going to put all of that together and see where our gaps are and make sure that we are making an action plan to address them. >> Yeah. You know, I think the local area control plan, the concept is that I mean local control local control plan um is you know the the idea is that districts have local at the control of the schools is at the local level and yet this is now an accountability plan for what
261we're doing at the local level and uh and so I think this exercise is really useful. Um but um I I have a few areas to just ask about really briefly. One is uh when we look at the learner profile and um you know if you look at all the elements of the learner profile um they all are real world um uh except for the empathetic citizen um element of the learner profile. And um I've been talking about this. I raised it in a agenda planning meeting the day the other day. I would have to say it wasn't very um it wasn't very well received and maybe it wasn't very well delivered. But um at what point do we talk about um something like for example if we have questions about the learner profile have
262suggestions for how it ought to be perhaps re-evaluated uh what what would be the procedure for doing that >> in regards to re-evaluating um one of the ways that that came together uh was through a pretty wide variety of stakeholder groups from the community parents staff uh and and students u really probably had the biggest impact on it. Um so going back and revisiting something like that was kind of like revisiting your vision statement or your mission statement, right? And so it was a two-year process for the district to land on >> well the depth the district I would say for the community >> to land on those five competencies and those four learning experiences. Um so in order to if we were to ever revisit that it would be a really kind of like
263a bigger what's our vision what's our plan what's what do we want for our students >> uh to readjust or or make some changes. So for example we know what an effective communicator is. We know what a creative problem solver is. We know what an empowered learner is. We know what a constructive collaborator is. But what in the heck is an empathetic system? >> The lens the lens that the when they were that was being developed there I can tell you there was a lot of discussion around having empathy and having uh making being thoughtful of your of your neighbors of not just of your neighbors in your community. There was a long discussion around neighbor community global versus local where does that live right and so at one point I think it was global
264citizens which is a common term and so through iterations it became empathetic citizens through the lens of wanting students to have to take in the local community to take in the thought and think of others as they're making decisions uh whether that's at a local level or a global level >> well there is no citizenship ship ship at a global level and there's really no citizenship at a local level either. And empathetic is one adjective you can apply to a citizen. You could also apply that adjective to a person. You could say this is that we want to have an empathetic person. But um I really um I'm not going to belabor this because everybody rolls their eyes every time I raise this and um I've been roundly criticized for raising this. I have a
265lot of people from the Veterans of Foreign War, from the American Legion, from the League of Women Voters, um liberal, conservative, um who want to know why we don't have a stronger citizenship and civics program in our schools. And um uh one of the issues is um the cheapening of the currency of the term citizen. The term citizen um only comes from the national government and case of the United States because we have a American system of constitutional federalism that involves sovereignty for the states. You also have state citizenship. But um this is pretty serious business as far as I'm concerned because we're telling we're using the word citizen in a concept in a in a context that um doesn't really make any sense if you would understand the word citizen. And um so I
266would think that what we want to here is not just have one adjective for citizen but we'd want to talk about some general everything else is very general every everything else makes sense but you've narrowed citizen down to one quality or one adjective and I think that if we want to rate if we want to include citizenship in the learner profile that we need to come up with a definition of citizenship that is um literate and I'm all for empathy I'm That's great. But this is a use of a word that has a lot of meaning. People when they have citizenship because you have citizenship, you have a duty of allegiance. And if you have a duty of allegiance, you have responsibilities under the law. So we're cheaping the currency of our civics by using
267this term uh in such a cavalary way. Um and um I think we need to practice continuous improvement and data driven um uh u approach to addressing that. Um I also wanted to ask on the subject of safety. Um what's that? >> Oh no that's on the safety plan. This is the safety element of the LCAP. Um so um You know, I just wanted to ask a couple questions. When we talk about safety in the schools, what do we do? You know, people um I found that people don't want to talk about safety problems in the schools. We just want to say it's safe and we're doing everything that we need to do. Um and everybody should feel good about it. Um you know, we got to make sure that we have a schools have
268a good reputation, have a good image, and we don't unpleasant things but um because we don't want property values to go down but um the question I have is um what element of our safety plans and strategies in the concept of LCAP not in the concept of the safety plan but in LCAP uh goes into um educating students about threats to their safety on campus uh and in the context of school Um, do we have training programs or for example we um teach students about um what kind of dangers there are on campus and what kind of threats there are to their safety? I mean, how do we make students literate and effective and competent in terms of self-defense and protecting themselves? >> I can answer a little bit. there there are multiple points within
269the K12 curriculum where that's explicitly called out and can think of one right now in our health class and obviously you're speaking to actions right that might lead to that and so um we do have health classes and other classes where they do talk about whether they get trained they get CPR certified right that's a type of safety um for each other and for themselves um they do talk about safety with other students right whether that could be any kind of ab abuse both physically or verbally, right? And how do you handle that? How do you respond to that? There are lessons that counselors push into as well around those types of say could be safety with strangers, safety with people that are on the outside. So, it comes up in a variety of ways
270um in different classes. >> Yeah, I I really appreciate I won't pursue it any further, but I wanted to go on record about a little bit, but what you just hit on is really what I was after. And um you know, we tal for example, as members of the board and Everybody we all go through training on mandatory reporting. Um and the question is is there something equivalent to that for the students where the students get trained about possible threats in the in whether it's uh strangers hanging around who hanging around the campus or whether it's threats from other students or whether it's threats from other adults you know um I think it's great that we have the mandatory training for us and for the but question are we doing an equivalent of mandatory training
271for the student >> different levels of that and even online safety is another one that we do we do with all students >> I'm going to pause you for just a second I want to check in because it's 10 after 10 do we need to we need to make a motion to extend and are we having any issues uh techn technologically or audit like that okay so we need a motion to extend I need a motion to extend. >> I guess I won't get a motion to >> I'll make a motion to extend. >> Okay. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Okay. All in favor? >> I know you want to move the agenda. I >> Okay. >> Yeah. Well, that's why we should break meetings up into more meetings and try not
272put so much. >> I agree. Um Okay. So, uh motion passes four to uh one. giving it up. Yeah. Yeah. Please continue. I apologize for the interruption. >> I'm done. Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. Thank you. So, I have a Yes. >> Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait. I'm sorry. >> No, you said you were done. >> I have one more question I want to ask. >> Um, yeah. Well, uh, I won't respond. Um, I wanted to ask you in the, uh, in the LCAP, uh, summary, uh, it refers to the fact that we have 55 immigrant students. My question to you about that is how do we know that and why do we know that? Why is this why is this in here? Is this result of a federal uh, a federal uh, you know, are
273we counting immigrant students for under federal law or is there a state law that requires us to count immigrant students? Sure. These are students who have been in the country for three years or less. And yes, we are required um to collect data on that. That's part of our state and state data that goes into our student information system. And then uh students who come to us whose primary language is something other than English, we're required to assess them upon enrollment to determine their level of English proficiency and determine if they need additional services and support. I find this really >> member Hills, I'd like you to wrap up, please. >> I find this really weird because um the law says that um the law prohibits school districts and county offices of education from one
274soliciting or collecting information or documents regarding the citizenship or immigration status of a student or the student's family members. Now, uh it goes on to talk about the fact that um uh can be federal and state law mandates that require it. But I'm not quite sure I understand this because on one hand it says don't gather the information and then so I guess my question to you is where is the specific mandate that requires us to gather that information because uh we're putting information we're gathering information about the immigrant status of students and the law says that we can't do that. So, I just don't understand it >> and it's in it's in your report, >> right? We can pull that. That is something that is collected um across the state through CowPads and the
275student information system. We're not asking about um citizenship status or anything of that nature. But if students do come to us from another country that have been in enrolled in a US school for three years or less, we collect that. We don't advertise that data with names associated with it, but really it can um entitle students to extra supports. So, it's from >> you know, I know that there must be an answer to this question. >> There is. May I? Yeah. >> Um if I might inter interject, um the the difference is uh as Betsy was saying, um some students are classified in the system if they've been in the country less than three years. That's different than what you're asking about, which is protected under the Plyer Veto case. uh where the Supreme Court
276in 1979 determined that schools could not ask about the um um documentation status of students. So we can we can and do ask if are you in the country within three years. We cannot ask and would not ask for their documentation. >> Yeah. Well, thank you. And I I'll I'll conclude. I think what I'm going to suggest, Mr. Superintendent, uh Dr. Glass, is that um is that we uh ask counsel about this because I think we really need because the term immigrant means that you're here under the immigration and nationality act and um and uh that's your immigration status and so we're gathering information about it. So we just need to get an I'm not an legal expert on it but we need to get an explanation from it. >> Yeah, the um I happy
277to do that. Uh the the short answer is it's a difference between asking someone's documentation status versus are the you in the country um within the last three years. Um just very quickly um madam chair um we pushed through this quickly. There's some really important data here. Um who's got the clicker? Um Michael, could you go back to um slide 15? Keep going back back. Um, and I just want to point out a couple of things. Keep going back. Right. Um, one more. Okay. What that? There you go. So, so um, this is beginning of year I Ready data. It shows 12% of students in tier one, 37% in tier two, 51% in tier three, and then you see the shift to midyear. That's not good. It's incredible. I just want to note that a
278lot of districts would love to be in the place that we started at at the beginning of the year. This is an elite performing district. At midy year, you're an elite performing district and we still have half a year to go. So, testament to the work that's happening in schools. The math data looks similar in terms of its outcomes. Go forward just a couple of slides. Keep going. Yeah, keep going. One more. Uh, one more, sorry. There you go. Um, 59% of students take an AP class. Again, elite performing uh district. You'll be in the top 5% of schools in the country, if not in the world, on those outcomes. Um, so when we ask about how is the district doing, the midyear LCAP data shows the district persists as an elite performing school district,
279competitive with any school system in the world. The other element, we don't have to go to this, Michael, you um touched on it, um but it's the decline in the number of students that are being suspended. Um that's a half, we've cut that in half from the previous year and and that is half again from the year before. So when questions are raised around restorative practices, intervention approaches that are non-exclusionary in nature, you have hard data that shows that the the district is moving in the right direction. And by that data, comparatively again an elite performing school district. Now um Trusty Hills, you asked a really important question. Where are the weaknesses? Right? And I will point out two of them for you. They are around high school math and they are around your targeted
280groups, English language learners, students with disabilities, socially economically disadvantaged. Those groups are always commonly come up as uh groups that you have to focus on. They're the achievement gap groups. Um the good news is that is exactly where this team and your school site leaders and your teachers have focused their attention this year and we're seeing good gains out of those. So I just want to for the record and for the community say that this data shows continued elite performance of this school system. Um and uh we do have some things that we're working on and they are exactly the targeted areas from an academic standpoint where we're focused. Thank you. I'm gonna ask you to turn your mic off. Don't use it again. I'm kidding. Okay. Thank you so much for that great presentation.
281I know we're really going along, so I'm just gonna I just want to ask a couple of quick questions, but I first would like to um one thank um member Hills for his question on where the gaps are. And I would like to commend you all for recognizing the um legitimacy of the question without offense. Recognizing that as we focus on continual improvement, best practices every student every day. Being able to celebrate our successes, but also openly acknowledge, yeah, we got to work here a little bit more, I think, is um such a welcome conversation. And I really appreciate that. Um it helps us be the best that we can be and continue to grow because we shouldn't rest on our laurels of being the best. We always want to improve. So, I am grateful
282for that comment. I'm grateful for your responses um and pointing out our strengths and as well as where we need to work. So, thank you very much. Um I just had a couple quick questions because I have three LCAP presentations in front of me that we were all given. So, which one is which one has to be turned in? Is it is it the one in the binder? Is it the one the the hand the abbreviated handout or what's in the agenda? because I think because of time and because we're coming back to it, I'd like to make sure that I'm finishing going through the right one or all of them. If it that's the right answer, that's fine. >> Absolutely. And the question is the answer is we won't be turning any of them
283in. This is a mid-year update to the board when we develop our full LCAP annual update which will be coming to you in May and then for final approval in June. the process after June. Um after you approve it, that is turned into Orange County Department of Education to review and approve and then after they review and approve it and we make any recommended changes they provide. It then goes to the California Department of Education to review and approve and then it gets turned in after all of that. >> Perfect. Thank you. And then I have couple real quick. So in our goals and I I know I've raised this question a couple of different times. We used to have five goals when I was on the LCAP committees and somewhere in my, you know,
284scaling back of focus years ago. I missed when we went down to three. So, I think I've gotten an answer that this is just part of the process that we've developed. But I do have some curiosities because and if I look at these and and maybe it's just a typo, I don't know. But if I look at these different reports, um, one of the, and of course now I don't know where I put it in here, but one of the reports that what what's included in the three circles, I'm just curious like where does um like academics and just rigor as far as um as far as our three goals? because I I see I I appreciate all the goals, but I they're they're um they don't seem as concrete. They're very um holistic and
285theoretical in some areas, but we have action items within it. So, >> sure, I can tackle that one for you. So, that would go under goal goal number one, college and career readiness. And our requirement as a local educational agency is to address all of the state and local indicator areas. So what you saw on that slide of our California dashboard. So within our goals and our goals can be multiaceted and I think that's what you see there. You see those tangible metrics and those are the metrics that are required by the state of California for all school districts. So if you want to um Dr. Keller help me go back to the dashboard slide. So those um I can tell you under the area of college in career readiness and academic rigor on our
286dashboard I can tell you the exact metrics that are aligned with that. Thank you so much. So you can see there college and career we're in the blue that's the highest level that's based on a few different things um CASP scores that's where that how that's measured. Um we of course have many other metrics that like we just shared with you are uh in-house universal screeners and progress monitoring assessments. Graduation rate would also speak to rigor because um that's also calculated to see how our students are performing. Are they meeting the criteria? We speak a lot to like student number of students meeting UCO to G requirements. also under college and career. Now I believe we have 82% of our students from the last class graduating class of 2025 who are college and career ready
287by the state definition which is a hybrid of factors. Are they accessing advanced coursework through AP and passing those? Are they um taking CTE classes and having pathways um pathway certifications things of that nature? So, um, that's all described in your report under the dashboard analysis. It's really like two pages attributed just to college and career readiness and all of those standardized metrics so that it's not theoretical. It's actually tangible to make sure that we're hitting that and that's the bar for all public school districts in the state of California. >> Thank you. I had I do have a question about the AP. So, I appreciate that we have 59% of our students that take one class. Do we have data points on how many take the tests? >> Uh we do. So that was
288in our analysis that we did on the AP data and I believe it is in your report under the AP section, the exact number of students that took the test and the exact breakdown of scores. But if you have further questions on it, I'd be happy to go back. >> Good. And then I have just one >> more data. >> Okay. Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. Um and I can look at that and I'll my last question so we can move on. Um I just con concerned or questioning the consistency of the of the um priority areas. So because I'm a little confused because in this doc that's why I was asking which one um because this document we talk about environ environmental lit literacy and sustainability which is super important but it's under
289safe equitable schools and so I don't know if that do we have to separate out the um quality of the schools environmental or what is that why would that be there because it's not under this one and so I'm a little confused which goals which circles like yeah see it's on that one there but it's not one in here. So, I'm just curious as to where how we determine where some of these things go if they move around within the circles. >> Yeah, I think you could there's several of the actions that could probably live under multiple goals, right? That's a good example. We kept environmental education and sustainability as one together, but ultimately there's a parts of sustainability that fall under facilities and safety, right? That would live under goal three. There's parts of
290sustainability and environmental education that live under student wellness which is goal two. Environmental education and the academic side which we do a lot of in our classes. That's under goal one. We ultimately may decide to put one there. There's there's data metrics that we have to align under one goal. Um so there are definitely ones that overlap like that one that we just have to pick one. >> Thank you. I have more but I will I will formulate them and send them and have um have them responded to that way. And I was just going to clarify that um safety of the school um in terms of the logistical part of that and when we're talking about the physical space. So that is our facilities department does an evaluation on every single school site once
291a year. That's called a fit report and you can find the results of that in the school accountability report cards that were pushed out in January for each individual school site. And then another element of safety is the perception of safety. And that's the our school climate data. That is a requirement of LCAP and we will be collecting that via student surveys and focus groups. >> Okay, great. Thank you so much. Yes, sir. >> Just real quickly, uh Betsy, could you go back to the slide with the indicators on it again, the the dashboard? Yeah. Um so, uh just quickly, um you'll recall board that one of my former roles was the commissioner of the state department of education in Kentucky. And part of my role in the time that I was there was developing
292this same kind of state dashboard for the state of Kentucky. And if you look at Kucky's dashboard, it looks exactly like this one. And the reason is that the super majority Republican, super red state of Kentucky legislature, and I can say this now because I'm in California, plagiarized this completely from California. But we couldn't talk about it then because they never wanted anybody to know that they'd taken the idea from California and ri written it into state law in Kentucky. But if you look at at Kucky's dashboard, it looks exactly like California's because it was taken. And now that I'm in California, I can say they totally ripped it off. So go >> your your amusement in sharing that information is almost as funny as the story itself. >> I think that's awesome. Thank you
293so much. If nobody has any more questions or comments, um, we can move on. Yeah. Thank you so much. Have a great weekend. Have a nice evening. Yeah, you would hope so. Okay. >> President Morgan, we do have questions. >> Oh gosh, I'm so sorry. Please. >> Public comment. Um, Danielle Roers, >> my apologies, Danielle. Fortunately, my my comments are coming after um instead of before, but I was going to say I call upon the members of this board and our entire community that when we are discussing consolidated indicators of student performance to remember that there are real human beings at a very vulnerable age behind these numbers. A majority of our students are driven and focused in giving it their all. They are also athletes, performers, artists, and part-time employees. They are siblings and
294they are volunteers. State testing in high school is conducted in junior year, notoriously one of the toughest years and it happens after AP exams when students are pretty much already burned out. Although there are moments certainly to reflect on opportunities to improve, your words and your tone matter. It should be done with deep thought, reflection, and respect. It is incredibly demoralizing to these students and to the staff that give so much themselves to take data and interpret it incorrectly and paste it all over town on social media and make it part of a campaign with callous disregard for the whole person that makes up these students or disrespect for the careers our staff have built and should be proud of. A student is not a GPA or a test score and neither is a school
295district or the validity of a teacher or an administrator. We should be looking and speaking of the whole child. Are they engaged with the campus? Do they have access to resources? Do they have a trusted adult? Look at the whole story. And for those who still don't realize this, I know that today that the cast scores were not the entire focus, but the percent that's reported indicates how many test takers met or exceeded the state standards. So before you rush to slap a letter grade on something, perhaps you better understand the data first and then take a pause to think of the people you're hurting before you try to slander their abilities or their life's work. If we looked at your high school transcripts and your test scores and we talked to your classmates and
296see how kind you were, how much you participated in school or how much you contributed back to the community, would that be indicative of your success in life? However you choose to measure it, we teach our students empathy and I think it is high time that some of the adults start modeling it. >> Thank you. >> Okay, great. Okay, thank you. Okay. Um, moving on to item eight, uh, the comprehensive approval of the 2526 LBUSD comprehensive district and school safety plan. Bless you, uh, Mr. uh, Mr. Zeta, thank you for bringing this forward. We look forward to your presentation. >> Good evening, President Morgan, members of the board, student board rep, superintendent Dr. Glass. Pleasure to be here. Um, this is an annual requirement that the district must bring the comprehensive district safety plan to
297board for approval prior to March 1st for the following school year. That is why we are bringing it to you tonight. Um, over the past decade, the district has put a lot of work into this plan, updating and revising it each year to be specific to our district's needs. I want to thank the safety committee that works on this plan, and a special thanks to Lagouna Beach Police and Fire for their participation. Updates are based on new legislation, best practices, and this update includes a section addressing the Family Preparedness Act of 2025 that promotes safe and secure learning environments for all and gives guidance to assist in responding to requests for access and information for immigration enforcement purposes. As a note, just because we bring it to you this time of year for approval does
298not mean that this is the only time that we solicit feedback. This plan is a living document and if you have any feedback or questions throughout the year, please send them to us. It really does help with the safety committee's work. And with that, if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them at this time. Thank you. >> Thank you for that abbreviated presentation. >> Sorry. Uh is there any comments or questions from the board? >> Do we use Mission Hospital as far as for emergencies? Um we have a close partnership with Mission Hospital and they have attended our safety committee meetings and whatnot. Um I believe when it comes to an emergency for fire type call it does get sourced to the nearest the nearest respon first the nearest responder. So and
299for hospitals they they go to where there is space or where it's where they're told to send the patient. I'm bringing this up because of the community talking about them closing mission Laguna and so I was wondering if we've taken that into consideration as far as and we haven't I haven't seen anything about the concern that you know we use that as far as for our emergency plan and part of our emergency plan and I think we should get that message out there. >> I mean it is the first hospital nearest hospital so it's most likely that any sort of incident you'd be taken to mission hospital unless there's a reason to go different based on situation, but um it is a very nice amenity to have a hospital folks in town and it's away.
300>> It is, but isn't the conversation about whether or not we're going to the city is going to keep it open or the mission hospital is going to stay open? That's that's out of our purview. I mean, even as a district, so I think I Yeah, the emergency room part. >> Yeah. So, I So, having a backup plan in our safety plan is probably I don't know. I don't know if I saw that, but that would be something just to take into consideration as you move as you move forward. >> Said we don't dictate where where you go once the you know paramedics come and they they take the patient to where the best location for the patient to go. So it's as far as a school district, we don't have a say in that
301situation. We call in the first responders. They show up. They address and once, you know, a student or staff, you know, someone is, you know, taken, they it is routed through their emergency response system. >> Um, member Perry, you have any comments or questions? >> Thank you so much, Ryan. I think our safety plan plan is very thorough and I'm confident that if we lose our hospital, we'll come up with another plan for people. You've done a great job on everything else that's come up. Thank you, >> Logan. Any comments or questions? I'm all right. >> Is the fentanyl plan is that new or is that what was within last year? >> I think it's it's from last year I believe or maybe the report Dr. Keller was very instrumental in that update may have
302left for the evening but I think that was last year. >> It's a great plan. It covers everything. I used I was a representative of the PTA. I always encourage them to know where it is at and to look at it. We still have we have Narcan sites on every or kits on every site. And is it in every classroom as well and backpacks or is it just on the campus? >> I believe it's on every location where the AED device is where our Naran devices are located but not every classroom. >> Not every classroom. Okay. And we have the heart monitors. Um I have no further questions but I know I've been on this committee and I know how much work it is. So I really appreciate the report. It's very expensive and it's
303it is a huge task. So, thank you and all that you guys do to keep our kids safe. Okay, anyone else? Thank you, Ryan. >> We need a motion to approve. Um, thank you. >> All in favor? >> Iard. Okay. Motion to approve. 5-0. Okay. Moving on. Uh, item nine. Correct. Dr. Glass. Yes. Okay. Uh Okay. Item nine, public hearings. Uh at this time at 10:36, I'm opening the public hearing for CSEA Chapter 131 and LBUSD's joint proposal for the reopeners to the 2427 collective bargaining agreement and announcement of a requisite public hearing. Member Perry, do we have any quotes on this? Okay. Okay. The public hearing then closes at 10:35 10:36. Okay. Item two under uh item 9A. At this time at 9:30 at 10:37, I open the public hearing for the presentation of
304the Laboufa Unified Faculty Association and Laguna Beach Unified School District's joint p joint proposal for the 2629 collective bargaining agreement and announcement of a requisite public hearing. Have any speakers been cards been turned in on this topic? Okay. Uh, seeing none, the public hearing closes at 10:37 and a half p.m. All right. Uh, item 10 A, appro approval and adoption approval adoption of the Laguna Beach Unified School District's proposal for the 2629 collective bargaining agreement with Laguna Beach Unified Faculty Associ Association. Uh, Mr. Colin. >> Thank you, President Morgan. At this time, this item is per board policy. the um boards to adopt the proposal, the district proposal between Laboua and and LBUSD for the 20 2026 2029 collective bargaining agreement with Beach Unified Faculty Association. Should we we ask for to approve it so
305we can open negotiations with the >> Thank you. Is there any um are there any uh cards turned in on this topic? Okay. That's fine. If you'd like to come to the VA coming up, Scott, >> um yeah, that's for Labou. Um >> giving a joint statement for both unions as well after I'm done. Um we just want to say that we're deeply disappointed that the district board has unilaterally changed the way we negotiate and the way that the contract's been read for the last 10 to 30 years. Um, and that we want to make a public statement that we have filed a grievance. We're through the informal process and the formal process um will be delivered within the 20 days that the contract mandates. Um, and on top of that, you know, Howard mentioned
306uh earlier the Newport one and how the union presented something and how everything went so smoothly bea because of how the union represented that I thought that just to be odd statement in general, but also I just wanted to say we're going to be negotiating and stuff and the things that keep coming out from the board of the insurance continues to hurt the the trust between the district and the board. Um once again this week again another email came out from Mr. Hills um talking about the $1.3 million that went from from the general fund to the unions. I want to make this statement very clear again. That money wasn't to the unions. It was to the entire staff here at Laguna Beach High School, including board members. So that money was not to the
307unions. And it's and when Mr. Hills talks about this, he also always says, "And the unions endorsed the defeated incumbents." Yes, we did endorse them. We we openly admit that. But that had nothing to do with the $1.3 million. And you keep you keep putting that out there kind of like, oh, we did this and we got the fund. That's what it implies. I'm hoping that's not what you mean, but it keeps coming out. And I'm just telling you that hurts the staff and the morale. So, I just wanted to to make that clear once again that the money did not go to the unions. It went to the hardworking staff at the at every site level, the district office, and to board members. So, I just wanted to make that clear. And once again,
308we uh have a grievance that is on the books that we'll be dealing with. And unfortunately, that is going to push back the time of our negotiations. Could be months and months where we won't finish on in time this year. It's it's going to be very difficult to start redoing um meetings. So, I was hopeful that Dr. Glass and I could work out a work out something in the informal meeting, but I thought we had, but it ended up I guess when you went to council or to the board or whatever, uh, it turned out to be different than what I was hoping for. So, we were very open to even writing anou to cover what you guys saw as a discrepancy. But yeah, it >> Okay. Okay. Okay. Can I get a motion to
309approve the Laguna Beach Unified District School District's proposal for that? We already did that, right? 26 29. So move. >> I need a second. Uh, any further discussion? Seeing none, all in favor? I. Motion carries 5. Okay. Okay. Item B, adoption of the Laguna Beach Unified School District's proposal for reopeners to the July 1st, 2024 to June 30th, 2027 collective bargaining agreement with California School Employees Association. It's Laguna Beach Chapter 131. Mr. Colin. >> Thank you, President Morgan. So, per board policy 4143.1, after the public has had an opportunity to provide input, the board shall adopt its initial proposal at a public meeting. Staff requests that the board adopt the proposal for the 202627 reopeners to the 2024 2027 collective bargaining agreement between CSEA and LBUSD. >> Member Perry, any cards on this one in
310addition to Miss Suzak? >> Okay, Miss Suzak, you have the floor. >> Thanks. Um, so we are deeply disappointed that the three member board majority was chosen has chosen to unilaterally try to negotiation structure that's worked for over 30 years between CSEA and the district, a structure grounded in our contract and interpace bargaining for three decades. This district has negotiated through collaboration, trust and professional respect. That process has not been perfect, but it has worked and it has allowed us to resolve um disagreements without unnecessary conflict and to keep students at the center of decisions. In just six months, the three of you have destroyed that foundation. Your decision has forced us to file a grievance and consider an unfair labor practice charge. It may delay the opening negotiation scheduled for March 4th. And that
311delay does not support students. It does not support staff. It does not strengthen this district. Spending tax day taxpayer dollars on attorneys to question how many representatives can sit at the table when the same structure has existed for 30 years sends a clear message. Collaboration is no longer the priority and intimidation, power, bullying, and creating chaos are. Why create an adversarial environment where none existed? Why insert conflict into a process that was functioning? That is a question this community should be asking this three board majority. This path three of you have taken weakens trust, continues to damage staff morale, and unlimits the students we are all here to serve. This is course of action. It wastes taxpayers dollars, diverts focus from students, and creates unnecessary conflict where collaboration once existed. >> Thank you. Uh, can
312I ask a question, Dr. Claus? So, we're currently doing interbased inter Thank you. Interest based Sorry, it's getting late. Interestbased bargaining um IBB type negotiation. I don't recall that we are trying to change that >> that that's not the issue. >> Contracts require interest based bargaining and you've hired an interest bargaining um facilitator. >> So we are still doing I IBB process. Correct. >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Do we have a motion? Uh is there any other speakers? Uh, can I get a motion to approve the uh Laguna Beach Unified School District's? >> Thank you. All in fa uh all in favor? >> I motion carries 5-0. Item 11, governance action first reading of board policy 1445, response to immigration enforcement. Uh, Dr. Glass. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Pursuant to education code
313234.7 as amended by AB495, districts are mandated to update their policies by March 1st, 2026 with language that is equivalent to the model policy developed by the California Attorney General in promoting a safe and secure learning environment for all. Guidance and model policies to assist California's TK12 schools in responding to requests for access and information for immigration enforcement. Uh board policy 1445 is the first of a series of policies that we will be asking the board to amend to comply with the attorney general's guidance. >> Thank you. Um clerk Perry, do we have any uh do we have any question? Sorry. Do we have any questions from the board on this item 1445? So, what exactly are we doing here? Um, are we adopting language that will become part of our bylaws? You're adopting language
314as a first reading that would become a policy. >> Revise your policy. So this is this isn't the actual language. This is informing us that there's a mandate to come up with language. I mean I just don't understand. >> Yeah. We open that for them. >> Is this a policy that exists right now in our in our policies and we're just updating it? >> Right. >> So we have a current policy under a different number. has rewritten it completely based on the new law. So after this is adopted, we will delete the current policy of I think it's 1553 instead of 14453. >> So >> 15 something. I'll have to look. So what we have right now is we have board policy 5145.13 um which is response to immigration enforcement and the legislature in 2025
315um mandated that we come up with that there be a new a new uh immigration law provision and um but they didn't really say what it was going to be and then they finally published what they want in December 1st of 2025. Um so since December 2025, we've um been on notice that this is coming. So is that what you had up on the screen there just a minute ago? >> She's working to bring it up for you. your question, Howard? >> Well, I'm just asking. >> This is the policy that you should have in your binders, the actual wording from CSBA. We have made no revisions to this. This is just for you to review for the first reading. I have a mic I have a question just um >> item so just item
316one solicit and collect information or documents regarding the citizenship. It says we should not do any of that which I totally agree with. So how are we including how are we doing how is that the policy and then our LCAP requires us to gather information. >> Yeah I addressed that earlier in the LCAP discussion. There's a difference between asking um students if they're in the country for the first three years and asking them for their immigration status or their documentation. You clearly cannot ask someone for their documentation, >> right? But so citizenship doesn't fall under that as well. I mean >> we don't inquire status ask if a student is >> how long where the questions that we are permitted to ask are where are you born and how long have you been in the
317country. We don't ask we cannot ask for per the plyier veto decision. You can ask about the legal status of someone of a student. >> Okay. >> It's madam chair the >> the state law is requiring us to gather some information about where students are coming from and how long they've been in the country. That's different than asking about them about their immigration status or are they documented or not. >> Thank you for clarifying that. I just want to make sure that we're not um contributing. >> No, this is a normal um data collection in school districts all over the country. >> Okay. >> So, um got some questions. So, um >> yeah, the uh I I I I cannot find in the book what exactly it is that we're doing here. We don't have
318it in our book. >> What's that? >> I I I think we don't have it in our book. I couldn't find it either. >> So So you know, let let me just stop here for a second. So >> Mike will print out copies for you >> so we can because two of our board or two of our members have not seen it because I mean, some of us I mean, Joan is amazing with her computer and how she keeps track of all of her notes. I like to have things written down so I can look at them. So, if we have two members that haven't seen it, we need to move it to second to second reading regardless. >> You Well, you have you have some options. >> Yeah, we can do that. >> You
319have some options. Um Mike can print them out and hand them to you. Now, what you'll get is uh CSBA attorney vetted language that the um Orange County Office of Education and the Attorney General and the um California School Boards Association is recommending that districts adopt. Uh so, you could do that tonight. Um you could um if you're not comfortable doing that uh you can hold on this for us um a reading and adoption at your February 26 meeting and there are um a few other policies that are also affected by this that we would be bringing forward at that time. >> So this affects like five other policies correct as well as the safety report and the >> Yeah. The pressure that's on the school district is that um >> the guidance that we've
320received and I'll read this to you. Each district and county office of education is required to update policies required by education 4 to education code 234 4.7 by March 1. So that's why this is coming forward. So we we are trying to get the district in compliance with legal changes. I understand that you're asking to see the exact changes and if you're not comfortable moving them forward tonight, uh you can do them all as a u adopt them all at your February 26 meeting and get that gets you in before the March 1st. >> I think there's just concern that they didn't see it in their bind so they haven't >> So, um Mike's printing them out for you again. It's up on the screen here. Uh, and yeah, you have >> Well, I have
321you recognized you. You all can be fine with it if you want, but CSBA is all over the map on this. First of all, they say that the deadline is March 1st, but then they say um then they say you need to talk to lawyers about First of all, what they say is they want language, either the language from section um 2347 or the equivalent language. And so they don't really they're not really recommending specific language unless we choose to do what's in the statute. We've we've known about this since early um 2025 and we've had this uh since December 1st and now we're getting crunched up against this deadline and then we're told by staff that you know the people at the um uh California School Board Association are saying that these deadlines are
322not really hard deadlines. And what I've been able to to to figure out from trying to put this puzzle together is that they're going to be monitoring compliance. They're going to be monitoring who's in and who's not in. They're going to have like a a an index of which districts are in compliance and which still need to be in compliance. I don't see any consequence of being in compiance. I don't see where they say but but I do see this and it's a warning sign. Um it says that the um CDE monitors compliance with the requirement to adopt policies in accordance with the education code 234 uh 234.7 during its federal program monitoring review. So you know first of all California schoolboard association is saying right here in its paper that there's a whole bunch
323of other policies that have to be brought in compliance with with this and they don't know when or how that's going to happen. So that's not a hard deadline. My question is is the deadline a hard deadline for uh adopting the uh some version of of of the education code provision or something equivalent to it. So this all contemplates a very complicated uh uh legislative this is a legislative body. This contemplates a very contemp complex legislative action and it gives us a deadline and then it says the deadline isn't necessarily we're going to monitor it but you're not going to get your you know you're not going to get your funding pulled or anything. >> So member Hills you're you are channeling the frustration that we have felt trying to figure out how to do
324this and do it right. So, we felt like exactly the same level because we haven't been able to get clear and straight answers on this. >> My responsibility to you is to keep this district in compliance with the law. Right? >> So, that's why I'm bringing these forward to you now and asking you to approve them or asking you to prove them at your next meeting. If this board decides not to be in compliance with the law, you can do that. But my job is to keep you in compliance with the law. And that's why these are before you now. >> So, do we want to move this to second? I don't know what it would be that we would be approved. >> I think we should move it to the February 26th meeting in
325Duke Mall. There >> somebody give us a piece of paper shows what we'd be reading first on first reading. >> Um, did you Oh, he's not back yet. >> At this point, we may have been able to just read it on the screen here. >> Okay. Can >> can we move it to um >> my my recommendation would be move this forward to second reading. You haven't approved it. You moved it to second reading. So if you want you'll have an opportunity at it again at second reading. >> What what policy? >> Policy 1445. That's what we're discussing. That's what you were just talking about. >> Where is it? Well, he still hasn't returned from trying to get you a copy, but it is up on the board and we are talking about moving it
326to second reading so that we can um uh approve it on the 26th. We which would give us time to review it, look at it. If you have any questions about it, if you want legal to review it, we could do that prior to the 26th. Correct. And then um approve it then. And that way you will know. So right now we're not approving. We're we're need we're motioning to move it to the 26th. >> And I would also add, Madam Chair, that uh at the February 26 meeting, we hopefully will also have the benefit of counsel with this because these are legal questions. Right. Right. And I'm not an attorney. And so you'll have someone here who's more capable to answer them than I am. We are simply trying to follow the guidance that
327we've received from the state and from the county office. >> I appreciate that. And we've done we've start we've initiated the agenda planning but um on on yesterday and kind of trying to rack and stack a few things. We've got a meeting tomorrow with regarding the governance meeting with the attorney to make sure we're in we've got a clear plan and then uh the meeting on the 26th. So I think I would be comfortable moving it to second reading on the 26th. And we have a motion on the floor. Correct. >> We have a motion and a second. >> And a second. So can we vote on this? >> Yeah. But um Are we going to have any questions or discussion about the motion? >> Um, also also we do have for um public comments.
328>> Comment. Okay. >> So, we have public comment. So, we have a motion on the floor. So, I'm going to call for public comment and then we're going to vote because um we can move it vote to move it to second reading >> or however anybody wants, but the motion on the floor right now is to move it to second meeting. So, now we have public comment. Okay. Um, clerk Perry, please call the first speaker. Okay. Uh, public comment from Briana Heathcott and Erica Hannon. Thank you, Erica. So, we have a motion on the floor to move this to second reading. You'll have a copy of it. You'll have an opportunity, a couple of different opportunities to review it and discuss it. Does that work? Can we approve? Can we vote? >> Yeah. Um the
329answer is yes. But um you know uh this is a problem because there's a lot that needs to be understood and said and and discussed about this and once again we're taking the position that oh because it's recommended by the California School Board Association we're just going to go with it. And that's what two members of the board have said on the record. And what you if you actually read what the attorney general of the state of California is saying about this, if you actually read what this uh superintendent of public instruction is saying about this, it is not um consistent with this. And so if we don't want to discuss it now, we can discuss it on the second reading. But what we're doing is we're passing something on first reading with no discussion.
330And um we have the document and we're not looking at information that's available to us. >> Yeah. I'm sorry, Mr. Hills. I I have read the document. So, I'm not just accepting something because CSBA said it. I do trust CSBA, but I also read it because I have it. >> So, that's different than what you're presenting. >> I'm not recommending we just approve it. I'm recommending we take it to the next meeting where it can be discussed and approved and any edits could be made. This is not the motion on the floor, Howard, is not to approve it as is. The motion on the floor is to move it to second reading so that it has a chance to be reviewed if or any further any further review or questions between now and then. >>
331Last question I'll ask is what is a reading? Is a reading um an act of the board? Are we approving it or are we just saying we've read it? My understanding is that a reading is when you either when you approve it and move it to the next reading. >> A um um I'll give you my answer. Um again, I'm not an attorney. Um but my experience in governance is a reading is when there is um a a governing or legislative body uh considers a policy, presents it um makes it publicly available and then moves it forward for consideration. So there are two steps in your reading process. This is the first one and you have a second one after that. >> You you could and if you wish to read the whole thing and
332take it literally you can do that too. So >> that actually is better than saying a reading is just reading. We either approve it, disapprove it or we wave the reading and that's an act of the board. I don't think we want to, if I may, we have a motion on the floor to move it to second reading. Um, so we're not approving it as is. We are moving it to second reading. And I'd like to stay focused on this and keep moving forward so we can all go home. >> Um, going home. >> I know. >> So is Jim. So, >> okay. So, we haven't had a reading because not everybody had the information in their binder and weren't able to review it because it's a difference. reading it on a paper or the
333technology uh knowledge. So what would we do then in that situation if we haven't read and we want to move it so that we can approve it in time on the 26th? >> You have a first and a second. You have a motion and a second should vote on your motion. >> Okay. So we're going to vote. All in favor of moving item um 11 A, board policy 1445 to a second reading on the 26th. >> I believe that was the motion. >> Does that mean we approving it? >> No. >> Well, then you can't you can't say you had a reading if you didn't do anything. >> But we're not approve but we're not changing. >> Kelly has got the right idea. We should wait for the first reading if we want to move
334it. Okay. Okay. You want to amend the motion to to wave first reading and move it to second reading? >> Can we amend the motion? Can I have a motion to amend the motion to we waving first reading and moving board policy 1445 to second reading? >> Okay. So, you have a first and a second. Now, someone I'm assuming it's member Kelly is a is asking is making a submotion. We've we've been down this road. Um you are making a submotion and >> second his subot. >> What is it? >> What's the sub motion? Somebody say it. >> Okay. So now you should do discussion on this and vote on whether or not the submotion replaces the main motion. Um you should discuss this. If there's no discussion, you can go right. Any discussion on
335amending the motion to move it to second reading >> to wave first reading and move it to second reading. Do I have a any discussion? I hearing hearing >> the I I support this under the circumstances because we have a deadline but not as a precedent for regularly waving first readings and going right to second readings because it's not technically in line with 9310 but it makes sense to do that right now. >> Thank you. Okay. All in favor? >> I thank you. Motion passes 5. >> So now >> we waved first reading. >> Now your submotion has replaced your f first motion. Now you need to vote to approve what is now the main motion. Do so you do that again. >> Got it. Okay. So we are So I need a motion to
336approve waving first reading and moving board policy 1445 to second reading on February 26th. All in favor? Any further discussion? All in favor? I. Perfect. Thank you. Okay, moving on. Item 11B, second reading of board policy of board bylaw 9322, agenda meeting materials. Um, Dr. Glass. Thank you, Madam Chair. This item is the second reading of proposed revisions to board bylaw 9322 brought forward pursuant to board bylaw 9310 which governs policy adoption and revision. At the January 22nd meeting, the board discussed revisions to agenda planning development authority and directed that revised language clarifying the board president's role in approving the agenda prior to posting be forwarded to legal counsel for review. The version before you this evening reflects that direction and incorporates council's revisions for clarity and placement within the bylaw. Added language appears in
337bold and in underline in the red line that you have. At the first reading, I outlined several governance considerations, tradeoffs, and potential risks associated with changes to the agenda development authority. Those considerations remain relevant as structural implications to this proposed bylaw change the bylaw. I will not restate them unless the board would like further discussion about them. The item before you tonight for consider is for uh consideration and possible action under board bylaw 9310. The board may approve the revision as presented or require an additional reading. >> Thank you. Any questions on this item? Okay. Hearing no questions. Uh public, >> do you have a co question or a comment? >> Actually, um a couple questions. One is that there was uh I I can't with this new board thing. I apologize. Normally, I would
338look up all the details of what happened at the last meeting, but I couldn't figure out how to do it with the new system. So, my apologies. So, there was a discussion about the um taking uh the consent agenda items of $100,000 and it looks like um we >> Yeah. What what was the resolution of that is my question. Jerry wanted to move everything off the consent agenda and it looks like it's still in here. based on um based on advice of councel and my advice last time you did not move that forward. What you moved forward was the change to the agenda uh authority. >> Is it possible that we could lost that in the conversation because I think the intention was to increase it that 50,000 wasn't was too low. So I think
339but I don't see it in here. >> I it shouldn't be. I what you have is what council gave me and directed me to upload this. This is what the board should consider. >> But where's the rest of the policy? >> Um, what you have is what council advised that I provide the board for consideration. >> Yeah. So, it was a little bit difficult because of not being able to compare everything, but I was also concerned about the um I was concerned with Mr. Hills edit which I thought was deeply problematic because it went further than where we were before and didn't ex uh address your concerns Dr. Glass and then um confused because the attorney seemed fine with that. So my question for you is that our board is now on I think their
340fourth attorney this year. Um and with all due respect to the current current attorney, I don't know him. Um, I I mean, I've met him, but I don't know a lot about him. Um, I worry about uh the the perception that we're maybe shopping for an attorney that will support board majority initiatives because this is something that's clearly not good for the district and something that our our superintendent doesn't support. And I know that President Morgan and Mr. Hills met at length with the new attorney and as a board member, I don't really know what the his agenda is on behalf of the board. So, I worry about whether that impacts us getting the best legal advice we can get for the district because we seem to be on the second reading of a policy
341that is not um I don't see this as being something good for the district and it's completely anomalous in the entire state and um you know when in a study of other what other states do. So, Dr. Glass, I'm wondering does it does it make sense at some point to an attorney that represents the district because I worry that we have a board attorney that doesn't have the district's best interests in mind. So, I want your question on that. For issues such as bylaws and other issues and is your role as the CEO, how do you um excuse me and your role as a CEO, how are you going to handle the possibility that we have an attorney that I don't even know what his goal is because I wasn't part of that meeting and
342it's never been discussed at the board. So, can you respond to my concerns about the And again, all due respect to the attorney, I have real concerns. >> Thank you. When when I receive ad legal advice from council, I treat that seriously and start from a place of assuming that came in good faith, that the council is doing work that we asked them to do. The legal council that the district has represents the district as an institution. Doesn't represent an individual trustee. It doesn't represent me. Doesn't represent part of the board. It represents the whole our whole body. If there are questions that I have about interpretation or implications of advice that I get from council, my first step is to seek clarification from the council, which I do. when council gives me something that
343I go I don't know about this or I disagree or I have questions about it I'll go back to the council and ask for clarification. So that's that's the first step and it often res that often resolves the misunderstanding. um if there's a matter of significant legal risk or potential exposure to the district um that comes as a result of council's advice, I would inform the board and request direction. Um so I would tell you I think council's um uh advice is needs to be questioned. Uh and I would ask and ask if the board wishes to seek additional legal review. So you could direct um me to get further legal review. What I what I can't do and shouldn't do is bring on multiple attorneys within the district and sort of pit them against
344each other. The board can direct additional legal review and sometimes you should. Attorneys are human beings and capable of errors just like anybody else. Um so there are situations um like that. In the case of this bylaw, I made uh my concerns about it clear at the last meeting. Um so I don't need to uh revise those. What council's done is is taken what was passed at the last meeting and embedded it in in the policy in a way to u move it forward. I I wouldn't independently retain counsel um for uh unless you directed me to. Um the only exception would be an issue that related to my contract. I would retain individual counsel like any employee would. >> But but am I right to be concerned that we have a superintendent who has
345advised us that it is a bad idea to proceed with this and we have a community that's um made their concerns very clear and we have board members who have also made their concerns clear. But our attorney has come back with the same eylaw change that our CEO and the community and I mean I have real concerns about this. It doesn't make any sense relative to other districts. So am I right to be concerned that the attorney has not taken that into consideration? >> The the attorney's lens is is this legal or is it permissible? And so that's the legal advice that you get. um my lens is what is the governance impact of this and so that's why you get sometimes different answers. So in the last meeting I advised you what I thought
346the governance risks were. The attorney told you it was legal and it was reasonable. So that's why you had a difference of opinion on >> Thank you. Yes, we're asking questions. It's not opinion, it's questions. So if you have questions, but I'd like to ask a question first. Um, where can you clarify because I don't think member Hills understands we're missing part of the policy in the binder and I don't think to to member Malesky's point I don't think that we addressed um I don't think we got to that part of the conversation with and without um there was quite a bit of confusion and and this policy and that and approving it as is and not I remember very clearly we went back and forth and I felt very kind of >> that It's
347on the screen. >> No, what's missing is the whole idea on the consent calendar. I don't have a second page. >> It's a second to last paragraph. >> Oh, but we didn't So, he didn't address that because we didn't we never >> address what you have is exactly what council gave to me. >> I know you said that a couple times. I'm asking for where's the consent? Where's the consent item? >> Okay. >> So, mine got cut. I had explicit direction from councel to provide this and only this to you without any commentary, without any analysis, without anything else. And that's what you have. >> Member Hills, you have a question? >> Yeah. Um, I don't know, um, Mr. superintendent, how much background you have on this, but um I think that you probably would
348be in a position to possibly confirm or deny um that uh up until very recently the law firm that we've relied on for governance matters is the same law firm that the previous board had and that's the Atkinson law firm that on on governance issues um we when we came in is it your understanding um that we on most government governance issues that up until a few weeks ago we relied primarily on the same law firm that the previous board had retained. >> It's >> Yes, it >> it's a >> it's not >> okay. Um when you have an >> you talk about if you talk about >> we're getting into discussion I'd like to keep this to questions please so that we can get to board public >> trying to get an answer from
349the question from the superintendent. We have a number of firms that we work with. They for board issues they have included Tony DeMarco and Scott Danforth with Atinson ARR. It is now John Pearl. We have on occasion used F3 for board items. Uh it is my understanding that the board has also used a firm called BBK. I don't have any information on them and I did not work with them but my experience working with this board we've worked across all of those different for all of those different different firms in some way. >> I think we're deviating off of the topic of 9322 and moving into discussions about legal firms and so I need to redirect the conversation um back to 9322. Are there any other questions? Seeing none, can we move to public comment,
350please? D, do we have cards? Sure. >> Um, Besa, >> I'm speaking for both um unions right now for Scott and I. So, you can take his card off. Um, as union presidents, we're firmly opposed. I'm sorry. Now I have a piece of candy in my mouth. Are firmly opposed to the proposed changes to this board bylaw. And Mr. Hills, we're a little confused also because on January 9th, two hours into the meeting, you held up the CSBA guide book and called it the Bible that guides us. Yet the Bible doesn't recommend it. There are more than 40 pages of public comment, many from staff clearly opposing this change. Our superintendent does not recommend it. They alone should that alone should give this board pause. This proposal does not unite the community. It divides it.
351It deepens mistrust and it further separates staff and community from the three board members pushing it forward. There's no emergency here. There's no mandate to rush. Accelerating this decision in the face of overwhelming opposition only fuels anger and reinforces the perception that educators and community members input is being ignored. If the goal is good governance, then slow it down. Put it on hold. Study high performing gold standard districts across California. Examine multiple governance models. Engage in an open and transparent review process. Do not rely on one individual's assessment while dismissing the lived experience of the people who work in the district every day. We should not be making ourselves a negative anomaly in California. We should be aligning with best practices. Sher, you stated when you you became president, you wanted to bring this community
352together. 44 pages of public comment clearly tell you that this action does the opposite. Leadership is not about pushing change through through despite board objections, broad objections. It's about listening, reflecting, and adjusting. Pause this, re-evaluate it, and engage in a process that actually builds trust rather than erodess it. >> Thank you. Um, Steve Mintosh and then Daniel Danielle Roers. >> Is it morning yet? Um, well, for those of you running around screaming that the sky is falling and uh spreading incomplete and skewed uh information, it's pretty pitiful. Just so you know, you're all being manipulated by a few that have stated on the record many times that they are going to do whatever it takes to ruin this board. Apparently, that also means playing parents and manipulating and hurting kids along the way. This notion
353that this change to this bylaw is a power grab, blockade, or taking over is just plain false. Do the homework, people. All the other districts that quote don't have this were not being run by a king like the last one was here. The history of this bylaw and its abuses by the former superintendent and his rubber stamping board are very wellnown. As mentioned earlier, the community tried to get items on the agenda for 10 years and we were ignored. My understanding is that member Perry was not able to get a single item added to the agenda and also in 10 years. Some of you are saying that one person should not be deciding what's on the agenda. Well, guess what people? That's exactly what was happening before when the uh board gave up their control
354of the agenda to the superintendent. That's exactly what was happening. You just said don't have one person do it. That's what was happening. And where was everybody in the 45 letters then? Well, guess what? Um, so what that resulted in was kept a lot of important issues off the agenda that are still affecting academics today. And yes, your kids are suffering for it. First off, this change does not do any of that. the super uh superintendent and the president still work together as you see and then the board can actually override everything. So it really doesn't change much. It just solves issues to keep things moving. Changes to agenda oh Dr. Glass wrote in the in the following memo. Changes to the agenda development authority establish governant precedents that extend beyond current board composition and
355leadership dynamics. While future boards retain the ability to amend bylaws, such such structural changes may nonetheless shape practice and expectations over time and can be difficult to unwind once established. That's exactly where we are today. The former operation absolutely changed the shape and practice of the expectations and as you can see by the antics of some are incredibly difficult to unwind. The skewed view of bylaw 9200 that came up tonight was just another example of that. U just not true. I urge the board to stay the course and try to put some of these guard rails to keep these insane interpretations of these simple bylaws uh to keep rogue and weak boards in check. The ones that quieted the public voice for years. That is what the community elected you to do. The idea that
356the board majority can adopt protocols to silence opposition of the board minority on any issue is so juvenile and inane. No doubt student board members could explain to the board why that simply is simply anti-democratic petulence by the board majority. If those words sound harsh or out of character for those people who know me, you're right on both accounts. Howard, do you recognize those words? They were your written public comment on January 14th, 2021. So which way is it? It appears what is right, legal, constitutional or warranted changes based on what you want to happen. That is not good governance. that is anti-democratic and it grants unchecked power and steamrolling over the checks and balances that are designed to designed in every level of government. >> The idea that the board majority can adopt protocols
357to silence the opposition of the board minority on any issue is so juvenile and inane no doubt student board members could explain to the board why that is simply anti-democratic petulence by the board majority. No, it had to do with like board protocols and bylaws. So, it >> I'm not going to get into a debate with the speaker. Thank you. Thank you. >> Amy Jackson and Kimberly Smith. Good evening. My name is Kimberly Smith. Um, the proposal to shift final control of the board agenda from the superintendent to the board president may seem procedural on the surface, but it carries long-term consequences that extend far beyond this moment and beyond this board majority. Today you may feel confident in who holds leadership roles but board terms end majorities shift and one day each of you
358will be sitting on the other side of the dis subject to the very precedent you are creating now. The superintendent's role in shaping the agenda is not about power. It is about stability, professional judgment and a clear separation between governance and administration. Concentrating agenda authority in the hands of a single board officer risks politicizing what should remain an objective process and blurs the line between oversight and control. Maybe you'll pay attention to this, Howard. Yes, the board does have ultimate governance authority. Maybe you'll also hear this. But the board's authority is collective. It is exercised by majority vote. That is not just best practice. It is a foundation of public governance under the Brown Act. For someone who continuously emphasizes strict adherence to bylaws, it is difficult to reconcile while the only ones proposed for
359change are those that would expand board authority. I want to address something else this evening that was said last meeting. Trustee Morgan stated that she is representing community members who support the bylaw change. Here's what the public records show. At the last meeting, every written comment opposed the change. Every speaker opposed the change. Tonight, again, the written comments are 100% opposed. And every public speaker sans one has voiced concern. Those are not private conversations. Those are documented expressions of community will. Anyone who supports this change has every opportunity to do so publicly. That support has not appeared in the record. So when we ask ourselves of representation, we must ask representation of whom? I voted for both of you. I am your community. The people who took the time to write and show up are
360your community. If public input actually matters, as you made a big display of it earlier in another topic, it cannot matter only when it aligns with a preferred outcome. The record is clear and I urge you to move forward with not proposing this change. Good evening. There are two people that support the change in the room. Um although what I would ask is um I think it's wonderful to change from what we had because we it was clear that the system was being abused with the in the prior um years and I believe that the changes that you've created >> oh I'll be um I believe the changes that you've proposed are an attempt to create a better system and I believe that that is is effective especially you made some amendments from the last
361proposal that have you and the superintendent working in tandem. I think that's very positive. I'd like to see a clarification that if you and the superintendent um if the president of the board and the superintendent have a disagreement have a clear protocol that that comes to the entire board with uh clear steps and voting democratic voting so that we can see it. Um the one thing I think that is missing and that would be a great addition would be what about the public? If there's an issue the public would like to raise and they send it to the superintendent and is discussed yet denied, I think that there um in in your written protocol does not address how that is to be handled. I think it would be it would give Garner a lot more
362support and u transparency if there was a clear message that superintendent would respond in writing in a timely manner and that that that individual could appeal and that appeal process and have a very clear and timely appeal process. Um, that's what I would ask that would allow for more public input and um, faith that we're all being heard. Um, we voted you in for change. We saw that the system before was failing and thank you for standing strong to bring that to the community because each person who comes here represents a lot of people who didn't have the time and fortitude to be here. So, thank you for your your work and I look forward to great things to come. Erica Hennon and Briana Heath. And um just note uh Briana had to leave so
363she won't I think she has like another one. Yeah. Um okay. I know some of you believe that this change is necessary because you feel the system before you was flawed or even corrupt. And that's going to be a serious claim. But the answer to a system you believe was misused is not to loosen the structural guard rails. It's to strengthen the transparency within the existing framework. CSBA is very clear about the roles. The board governs as a body. It sets direction and holds a superintendent accountable. The superintendent manages operations. And that separation is not about protecting personalities. It protects the institution. If something was wrong before, the tools already exist. Public meetings, agenda authority, majority votes, and the structural power shifts are not the only option. The concern tonight is not about your intentions.
364It's about the precedent. Bylaws outlast board members. They outlast majorities. They sit there waiting for the next configuration of personalities and incentives. The question is not how this board would use this language. The question is how could it be used five years from now? And so when you formalize a governance expansion, you're going to normalize it. And once normalized, it becomes very difficult to walk back. Right now, trust is already fragile. Staff have publicly expressed no confidence. Resignations have followed. Community confidence is unsettled. In that climate, expanding board reach instead of reinforcing boundaries will not feel like reform. It feels like consolidation. So good governance is not reactive. It does not assume that the last system was irredeemable and therefore requires structural expansion. It assumes that the checks and balances matter precisely because leadership changes.
365So if the goal is transparency and accountability, strengthen the process. Don't blow do do not blur the roles. So I please urge you to vote no on this. Thank you. Are there any further comments? Is there something I missed? >> Oh, I thought you said um >> Okay. >> Yeah, come on up. >> Come on. I'm very concerned about the ramifications of this proposed bylaw amendment um which has been written by Mr. Hills and shephered by Mr. Hills and Miss Morgan. It seems to ignore common sense, best practices, uh the recommendations of Dr. and the fact that no other high performing school district in the state of California has an analogous policy. As Dr. Malachesky said, we would be an anomaly. If adopted, it puts uh the the role of managing the district and clearly
366the agenda uh on the shoulders of one person, which is our president, Sher Morgan. So, Miss Morgan, if that would pass, that would mean that if anything goes ary in this district, if enrollment goes down, if staff members leave, if teachers leave, if administrators leave, if the school doesn't finish on time or finish on budget, it would be your fault and we would hold you publicly accountable. >> Thank you. Um that's our last public comment on this. Thank you. Um okay, so we can move to com to comment or to um board discussion. Uh I still do have a concern that we not address the second half of this of this board policy at the last meeting as far as the consent. I don't think that's not my recall. >> You said okay. >> So
367is it the policy read because I don't have the policy and I can't get board docs to come up to see it. So I don't know what the second half of the policy states. >> 100,000. Okay. board action that involves borrowing $100,000 or more shall be discussed, considered, and deliberated upon as a separate item of business meeting. >> Oh, it's right there. I'm sorry. >> So, okay. So, then I um Okay. So, we're in discussion, so I can't ask a question, but I meant to ask it earlier. What is that? A typical amount? >> Is that a more reasonable number? >> $100,000. It really depends on the size of the organization. Uh it's low. Um but it's not unreasonable. If we're going to put the district in debt, we should talk about it with the
368board. This is not the consent item issue. Uh this is a different matter. If we're going to borrow, you should publicly have a discussion about that. >> Okay. >> Yeah. It's it's appropriate. >> Okay. >> This is not a problem. In my professional judgment, this is not a problem. >> Okay. Terrific. Thank you. Um board discussion. Um, member Kelly D member clerk Barry, do you have any uh discussions on this? >> So, first of all, we would ask, you know, why are we changing this? Um, and for me, the answer was as uh when I first was on the board, I was allowed to put items on the agenda. Um, I put on the agenda to video the meetings. Um, Mrs. Brown will remember and we we all agreed I at that time the superintendent
369said, "If you put something on the agenda, you need to do the research." So I did. The rest of the board agreed so it would be more transparent for people. I was also allowed to put on the agenda um having science teachers at the elementary school. Not because our teachers couldn't do a great job teaching science, but because they would have more science then because um as a teacher, if you want hands-on science, you had to spend your lunchtime getting all the equipment out and so on. Um, so I knew students would get more science if we had a science specialist, which we had had in the past and then we didn't. And so Irvine Unified was very helpful with that. And anyway, I brought everything in. The rest of the board agreed and we
370have science specialists now. Then um, the superintendent changed and as Mr. Macintosh said, I was not allowed to put anything on the agenda. I mean I could ask but I was always denied and one of like an example would be and the these are things for our kids these aren't you know things about governance. Um when the when the pandemic hit and everybody was struggling and teachers were doing the best they could. They hadn't had to teach all online and at home anymore. And so it was it was a a huge learning curve from whenever from end of March to summer. Then we had no summer school. Students go back in the fall and um at at the middle school it was decided students would have two classes and for this is when I probably
371got the most calls of any time on the board. Um for many students one of the classes was PE and for other student for some students their two classes were PE and band or PE and orchestra. Parents were very upset that their students hadn't had math, language arts, science for months and now we're going to take them through 10 11 months of none of that. And when I brought that up, shouldn't we talk about this? There are a lot of people in the community upset, I was told, "No, this is a sight decision." And what happened then was we had a lot of parents leave because they said, "If you think this is best for our kids, you don't really you're not you don't really care about kids." I can give a lot of other
372examples. I won't take the time, but I I think it's very important for the community also to be able to put things on the agenda and that it shouldn't just be the superintendent's decision. Um, as far as doing the agenda, it's important for the board president and the superintendent to collaborate and do it together. We need both of them. I think if there is a disagreement, if the superintendent would like something on the agenda that it should come to the whole board and the same for the board president. If the board president thinks something should be on the agenda and the superintendent doesn't, it should come to the whole board. It should be a group a group decision. I think so far um Dr. Glass has been great about this for my time with him.
373There were not disagreements like that. We handled everything well. And I think there hasn't been a problem collaborating. And when it says that the board president will give the final okay, I think that that means when the superintendent and the board president agree on the agenda. If they don't, they bring that issue back to the board. I I I don't see um the big problem. I don't see why people think that the board president is going to be making all the decisions and that the superintendent is, you know, is not a part of it. That's not what we want at all. We want collaboration. So, I'm Hang on. Yes, I understand. We're not going to respond to that. Um, questions are um comments. First of all, comment about uh that uh it would be good
374for members of the public uh to be able to request matters for the agenda is already provided for what happened here. Uh and and also the process for another board member to request something on the agenda is already in the bylaw. And in addition to that, I think it's important to note that the bylaw as it's currently written, and you know, frankly, this was all discussed at the last meeting. Anybody that really wanted to understand this could go back and listen to the discussion in the last meeting, but we'll go through it again as in in as quick a way as possible. The idea of there being a disagreement between a board member or a board president and the superintendent is already addressed in this. It says if the board president and superintendent deny a
375request from a board member to place an item on the agenda, the board member may request the board to take action to determine whether the item shall be placed on the agenda. So there's already a model and a mechanism uh for that kind of scenario if it takes place. But that's with respect to another board member with respect to the board president and the superintendent. the bylaw that's in place already contemplates that they will be working together and that and so then when the the council that um member Malchesky um seems to not trust or something um the council came back and he he came in with a proposal that said if there is a disagreement then you know uh the then the president makes the decision and um I think that some of us
376felt that we didn't really want to base the thing on the idea of a disagreement because what it really is and I I talked with the superintendent several times about this early on after he came on board and he agreed that you know the president is the one who sort of takes the agenda that's been developed and cooperate with cooperation with him and passes it to the board to propose it to the board and then the board adopts it. So the board is always the final. But the thing about it is is that if you look at the bylaws, if you look at the bylaw on use of attorneys, if you look at the bylaw on hiring policy, if you look at the bylaw on communications, what goes on is it's it's it's sort of
377a um perpetual motion machine. on some of those shared power provisions, the superintendent has the lead and the president comes in behind the superintendent and they are supposed to act in conjunction or in collaboration and but the primarily the superintendent makes the call. On some of them, the president is the one who's in the lead and makes the call, but they does it does it in consultation with the superintendent. And that's the model that's here. And it says very but what happened is when we did the amendment saying that the president could do it. We put it down in the body of the provision that follows all of the the the the cascading tiers of mutual shared power on the agenda issue. Um we put it down at the bottom of that series. So in
378other words, board member requesting, public member requesting, uh appealing it to the board and so after all those things we're doing, we put in there, but in the end, the president is the one who will send it forward to the board. That's all it's really saying is the president is the one who will send it forward to the board. But the the thing about it is is that the what the what it what so that because we put it in a logical place down at the bottom of that sequence, people didn't read it in conjunction with the first sentence in the provision which says the board president and the superintendent as secretary of the board, not as CEO of the board, not as any other capacity. But then you go and you look at what
379are the duties of the secretary. The duties of the secretary are mostly ministerial. He prepares the documentation of the meeting including the agenda. So this isn't a competition between them. This is a collaboration. And so it says the board president and superintendent as secretary of the board shall work together to develop the agenda for each regular and special meeting. And so um uh so then as in all of the other ones, it would then say the board president shall have final authority to approve the agenda before it is posted and proposed for adoption by the board subject to the authority of the board to remove an item from the agenda or place an additional item on the agenda. Now the superintendent's view on this uh had he had some concerns about it and they were
380valid concerns. You know what happens there's something that's legally required to be on that agenda. Kind of like the stuff we did tonight on the um on the u you know the the immigration thing with the deadline of March 1st. So the superintendent would say to the board president, "Hey, I think we really need to put that on the agenda." And the board president say, "Well, I don't want to do that right now. Um I just want to approve this agenda and get the board get it to the board." At that point, it would be completely consistent with the superintendent's authority and he has all the authority requisite to go to the board members and say, you know, um the president sent you a an agenda and um I think that we really should add
381some items to the agenda. And then using the same model we have where the superintendent and the board president reject a board member's um request, the fact of the matter is the board could convene a simp a special meeting and decide whether or not that issue should go on agenda. So this is really not what has been portrayed as being um it's actually very orderly and if you read through the sequence of events everyone says the board president and superintendent shall the board president and superintendent may and so it's set up for that kind of collaboration and the other thing I want to add it's just it's not it's just been there's a lot of misinformation disinformation about what this is because this actually works very smoothly and the issue is um once it's posted
382then the board has to decide whether or not it wants to reschedu it. I want to add finally that um uh you know it's funny whenever somebody wants to justify something they say well this is what the California school board is approving and so they they cite the California school board said well we got to do what they say and in fact we had one former board board member come in and said if we question what the California school board association says we're stupid. And that's what we were told. The board was said, you asked questions about the recommendations of the California School Board Association. So, you're stupid. So, okay. What does the California School Board, you know, you referred to the Bible? This is the Bible. What does the California School Board say about
383the power of the um to approve the the um agenda? It says, "Who makes the decision about the agenda?" This question is really about authority. Who really decides? By nature of their roles, both the board president and superintendent have important duties in developing the board agenda. Boards should discuss the role of the board president and superintendent and determine which process makes the most sense to meet local needs. In other words, the California School Board Association says there's nothing in law that says that the superintendent approves the um agenda, but it does say that the president develops the agenda working with the superintendent in his capacity as secretary. So uh and and then it goes on to say um the board president and the superintendent as secretary to the board shall work together to develop the
384agenda for each regular and special meeting for school districts. The role of the secretary to the board is described in California school board association board bylaw 9122 which reads the governing board shall appoint the superintendent to serve as secretary. The secretary the board shall be responsible for maintaining an accurate complete record of all board proceedings. So, um the what this comes down to is that um is that it what the California School Board Association is saying since we wanted to refer to the Bible, what the Bible says is that it's not clear and it has to be decided locally based on local conditions. So, that brings us to as it did last in meeting to what are local conditions. What are local conditions are as follows. in n in um the president of the board
385announced that she was no longer going to be involved in deciding what's on the agenda and she was turning that over to the superintendent. So what we had there was under law and under bylaws we had a duty of the president to participate with the superintendent in approval of the agenda and we had a president who announced that she was not going to do that. that constitutes dereliction of duty. So, one local condition that drives the need for this amendment is that we in this local district, we have a history of a president. >> I move that we vote immediately. >> I'm sorry. I'm going to finish it right now. >> Howard still has the floor. I have not recognized >> I'm going to finish. And and the other thing that we have in this
386district is we have a history of a superintendent who would not allow anybody else to put anything. So this is an appropriate if you look at the what the California school board they said make a decision about where the decision lies based on local conditions. Those are our local conditions. Those other school districts that the superintendent cited who don't do this um they don't do it because they don't have the same local conditions we have. And if if we do this we may have other districts that will decide to follow the same example. Thank you, Howard. Uh, member Kelly, >> I move that we vote immediately. >> Thank you. Member Maleski, you moved to vote immediately. We haven't finished discussion. I think member Malchesky has something to say and I haven't said anything at all.
387So, just to say, >> did you have anything further? >> Mr. Hills summed it all up for us and you two are going to vote with him. So why are we painting you know the audience and uh the rest of us because you know we know that what the outcome's going to be. >> So we have a motion on the floor to move to vote immediately. Is there a second >> thank you for your vote? >> Student boards can make a motion >> and they can second it. Okay. Okay. So seconded to to move to vote with a the provisional vote moves the agend moves the motion but it does not count on a final vote. >> You can't vote but you can make a motion in second. >> Thank you for the clarification. My
388apologies. My apologies. >> It's merely a tired issue. Um so we have a motion on the floor to vote immediately. Um and we have a second. Thank you. Excuse me. Thank you. Do we have So we have a So all in favor to uh vote for the motion as vote for the policy as it is. I have not made comments yet. So I don't know if that matters. I would like to. Yeah. I don't know. Can I make a We made a motion. So now we can have discussion. Correct. >> Move immediately to a vote. So I don't get to make my comments either. And we have a second and we have to vote on that. >> Okay. So all in favor to vote on this item as it's written. No, that's not the motion
389that we have >> to move immediately to a vote. So all in favor to move immediately to a vote. >> Have a discussion. >> The motion on the floor right now is to move immediately to a vote and suspend all further discussion. So you can vote yes on that or you can vote no. If you >> can't have discussion on that, >> Howard, the motion on the floor is to move immediately to a vote. That's the motion. It's not are we approving it or not. If we move immediately to a vote, then the discussion discontinues. If you want to move immediately to a vote, you need to vote yes. If you do not want it to move immediately to a vote, you need to vote no. >> We have a motion on the floor and
390point of order. I believe that there should be discussion on the motion to not have any further discussion because >> then no >> well but I don't get to express my opinion and try just to move excuse me everybody is tired this is going to I'm trying to keep this under control I need it to be quiet I'm trying to help people understand that is my role I would appreciate your support thank you >> and all I want to say is I want to hear your discussion your comments and and Then the then the motion on the floor is to move to vote immediately. If you do not want to do that, you need to vote no. So I need a vote. Let's do roll call vote, please, on if we're going to move to
391vote immediately. >> If we follow that procedure, will we get comments from you and Joan about >> then say no and we will not vote to move immediately. Okay. >> No. >> Okay. So motion fails. So the discussion can continue. Member Malchesky, did you have a comment or do you want to wave your comment? >> First of all, I'm really sorry, D, that you had a relationship that um you felt like your requests weren't made. I don't really know. I wasn't there during that, but I just want to put on the record that my experience was very different in in that I sat in agenda meetings. And I just want to clear the comments that there was no real agenda meeting and that the superintendent was fixing the agenda. There were actual real discussions with
392the board president where they arrived at agreement about what was going to be on the agenda. So that characterization in my experience more recently I don't think we need to go back 10 years and set policy based on something that happened 10 years ago is not what happened but nonetheless we have a new superintendent and we have a situation where the superintendent and the board president um now two board presidents have been working together. So, it's not a system that needs to be rewritten or fixed. And we shouldn't be legislating or setting up board policy for some grievance you have from 10 years ago. And again, I'm very po uh I feel sorry that you had a bad experience, but that's not the basis for writing policy. We write a policy that makes sense for
393top performing school districts. And you do it because you have need to have trust and we have a superintendent I trust and this is just completely ridiculous to come up with an anomalous policy for no reason. So, um it's a system that has worked here and I strongly urge us not to approve this. There's no reason to do it and I'd like to make a motion to go back to the original wording. >> We have a motion on the floor to go back to the original wording. Uh, it's been seconded. So, we can have discussion. Correct. and nothing. >> Okay, that's that's not what the motion >> that's not the motion. Okay, the motion on the floor was to the motion on the floor was to approve the previously written policy. Correct. >> I need
394the specific motion that you made. Victoria, can you give me read the motion back, please? >> Is that we to the policy is originally written without any edits to it. >> Is is there a second on that? Okay. All in favor of vote of voting all those in favor of taking 9322 back to its original format. Uh roll call vote, please. >> Member Kelly. >> Member Morgan. >> No. >> Sorry, President. Member Hills. >> No. motion fails. Discussion continues. Um, >> Madam Chair, >> yes. Thank you. I don't know the jurist who said this, but the quote is something like bad facts make for bad laws. And if it was indeed the case that um board president in the past abdicated their responsibility under the current board bylaw 9322 that was improper. It was >>
395I can't say if that happened or not but I can say if if those facts as presented are true that was improper and is in violation of the policy that you have. The only point that I want to make is that if that is the issue that the board president abdicated their authority, this change does not solve that problem. >> Because if you move where the board president has the final authority over the agenda, that does not keep a future board president or the current board president from saying to the superintendent, you just do it. It's the same problem. this doesn't get to the root of the problem that I understand you're trying to do. >> Yeah. It's not just a matter of authority, it's a matter of responsibility. And um and I was in
396the room when the announcement was made um uh by the president that she was not going to do it. Now, the fact that she Joan said that they had meetings and she was there and everything. I have to just go by what she said in the public meeting which I recall very vividly and um fact is this if this can't work then there's several other bylaws that can't work either because the board in the past and we had this on September 18th when we had our meeting said that the board president can't do communications on behalf of the board and you know the problem with that and so she individual board members do not have any authority. The board acts as a whole by majority vote, but by majority vote, the board has delegated some
397authorities to the president and um Okay, my time's up. >> Thank you, Howard. I was going to give you a little bit more time, but thank you for yielding the floor. Okay. Um I would like to make one short brief statement. Um I appreciate um everyone's comments. Um, I'd like to start by saying I am extraordinarily disappointed in the broad effort by certain community members and staff to misrepresent this item. Every paragraph in this policy states that the board's president and superintendent, the board president and superintendent, the any board member or member of the public may request that a matter be within the jurisdiction of the board be placed on the agenda. So, the comments that are out in public about this item that has created this chaos um are inaccurate. And so, to a
398comment made earlier by um one of our speakers, I don't know if it was Eric, I don't know who it was, but it says, "Strengthen the process. Don't blur the roles." And that's what this policy does. It strengthens That's your timer, Howard. Sorry about that. Uh this policy um strengthens that process and does not blur the lines. Um, the board must uphold our bylaws according to ED code, according to our policies and that's what this does. The first sentence, the board president and the superintendent of secretary board shall work together. I do agree that what someone said about if the public cannot get something on the agenda. So, um, when I make a motion, I'm going to include that. But I think it's really important. The current policy and the amended suggestion are both included
399and focus on the collaborative effort of the agenda development that agenda development requires. Nowhere does it indicate that the superintendent would not be aware of items desired to be on the agenda or not to be included in the process. It's it's outlined under the Brown Act under government code 54950-63 and ED code 3514-35149. Under that same guidance, ED code 35 35145.5 outlines that the public must be allowed to place items related to district business on the agenda and that the governing boards must include a time for public address on agenda items. This is the law. This is policy and it's deeply connected to law as it was presented and as it was amended. Any suggestion otherwise is a false statement and by creating a false statement or by creating a false narrative, I caution this
400community to do your own research and ask questions. Um this is not um I have I continue to state state and I continue to uphold that how I've seen this is that it's merely a procedural effort. Um there was absolutely many years where madam um where member Perry could not get anything on the agenda. There are members of the community that could not get under the anything on the agenda. I know I could not get anything on the agenda. So this is not a policy that is a it is a power grab. It is doing exactly what was recommended which is to stren strengthen the process and not blur the lines. It's also important it's also important to remember that the president that we're that is being discussed that did not allow things to be
401on the agenda and I hear what Dr. Glass is saying but this president was on the was president of the board seven of 10 years. So this policy to me also ties into another policy that should be addressed which is um um rotating the president which was also changed so that was not required. It was it was ambiguous and it was a may instead of a must. Um and so that's where a lot of these problems started. That's where this this policy is coming from is to me this triggers the next one which is we must rotate presidents. That makes it an equitable issue. If we don't change that policy, I understand people's concern with this policy because we had a president that was sitting in the seat for seven years. So, I would like
402to make sure that we bring that policy back on rotating and also possibly even term limits, but that as a policy can be changed. So, that's probably a bigger task, but I would like to see term limits because that same president was on the board for 37 years and was recalled once. So, um, I would like to make a motion to make an to include in one, two, three, four, in paragraph 4, if the board president and superintendent deny a request from a bo from a board member or the public to place an item on the agenda, the board member or the public may request the board to take action to determine whether the item shall be placed on the agenda. I would like to move to approve the this policy as written with those
403two changes. Yes, it's in one, two, three, four, paragraph 4. If the board president and superintendent deny a request from a board member or the public to place an item on the agenda, the board member or the public may request the board to take action to determine whether the item will be placed on the agenda. >> I can I just say something? >> We have a motion on the floor. We need a second, please. >> Second. That sounds really risky to me. You could get like a hundred people saying I want a com I want something on the board agenda. >> Then please refer to the second paragraph that or the third paragraph that says the board president and superintendent >> I'm not done talking. >> I'll give you one minute because I gave Howard
404one minute. You have one minute. >> Great. Um, then if you have to bring it back, if if they can petition the board to discuss it, you could spend an entire meeting discussing whether or not community concern should be on the agenda. It's not that I don't support community concerns. It just and getting them on the agenda, it just strikes me that your edit is pretty shortsighted about what the potential outcomes could be, policy, you know, uh, policy implications and, you know, The community just expressed concern that the public did not have a route to in to be able to request items on the agenda. So, I included that. If you go up, you don't have the floor. If you go back to paragraph three, the board, president, and superintendent shall decide whether a request
405from a member of the public is within the subject matter of the jurisdiction of the board. So, it does have to be under the jurisdiction of the board. It does not it can't be just anything. It has to be something that comes under the purview of the of the of the board. We have a motion on the floor. We have a second, Dr. Glass. And then I'd like to move to vote, please. >> Thank you. I need to advise you from a governance standpoint that making um a lastm minute adjustment to a policy without the process of legal review and multiple public readings in introduces risk. Um it may be that the amendment that you've just put forward is perfectly fine. Um, but it is it is also possible that it creates unintended risk. For
406example, you could have multiple individuals request things to be put on the agenda and if you get a hundred of them, you this board then has to have a public hearing on all hundred of them and why you're not having them. So those that is an unintended consequence. I do understand and and respect where this is coming from. you're trying to create an avenue whereby someone gets items from the public or from other board members heard. Um, but I I just from a governance standpoint, this is this is risk risky and I would advise you if you're going to do that, send that back to council for review and bring this back again with that change. >> You have 30 seconds, Howard. Next one is going to be 10. I I tend to agree with
407the superintendent on this. Um I think it's a bold idea. It's a bold concept and I think it actually may be viable. The proceeding provision right now is what deals with public requests and it basically is pretty much a dead end for the public. basically says if if the if they turn down a public request, then they'll decide whether it was really just an information requirement and it sort of just goes off and doesn't go anywhere. In other words, there's no real remedy for members of the public. So, what you're proposing is kind of interesting. It would say, but the thing that I don't agree with about the superintendent is I don't think it requires a hearing. I think because it just says may request the board to take action. And if the board doesn't
408take action, then it doesn't go anywhere. But I agree with the superintendent that that's kind of a sensitive legal thing that we should get an opinion on. So I would I would recommend approving the amendment as we've got it and then getting a legal opinion and coming back and and doing the public uh um the public uh request amendment once we've got a legal opinion on it. >> Okay. So then we need to amend the motion. So, I I would amend the motion to approve the um >> You can just strike the words >> the the change as it's been proposed by the council in the board book. >> Say that again. >> No, I think he's amending the motion, which we can do. >> Yeah. In other words, I move that we go back
409to the proposal that we have before us for a second reading. Right. Ready to vote? You second it. >> Oh, you second. >> So, you were the second. Do you agree with that? Um, I'm I think we should add to it like you said and have a way for the public, but I think we should pass this and then ask legal if we can add something. >> Okay, we can add it to the I don't know if we can add it to the 26. That's already a huge meeting, but we've got another governance meeting coming up right after that which we could readress it. Okay, so the motion on the floor is to approve the mo the policy as written or as amended. Um, we need a roll call vote, Jim. >> We're voting on
410>> 9322. >> No, >> yes. Joe, >> I vote yes. Motion passes. item on the agenda, consent calendar. Are there any items on the consent calendar that the board would like to have removed and discussed further? Hearing none. Um, are there any speaker cards on this topic? >> Okay. Can I get a motion to approve the consent calendar items A through P? >> Okay. Uh, all in favor? >> All right. Item 13, motion carries. Item 13, public comment on non-aggenda items. Clerk Perry, do we have speaker cards on this? >> Uh, yes. We have 17 cards. So, it looks like another hour. Um, okay. 17 cards unless we'd like to move to shorten those time that time frame at midnight. 12:15 >> for a song. >> Great. Okay. 17 cards. Here we go. >> Okay.
411Um, Julie Gerston and um following Julie Megan Pillard, let's make sure we have students go first. Excuse me. There are some that are not part of the numbers. Okay. But I Okay. Uh go ahead. Sorry. >> Um let me tell you about two versions of the same place. One is a district our community believes in. A small coastal town with extraordinary schools, deeply concerned, committed teachers, engaged families, and resources to be truly excellent. This is the district parents move here for. It is the promises we make to every ch child who walks through the doors. The other version is one we are living in right now. In that version, board meetings run five and six hours. Key decisions are pushed into the late night. Staff report quote morale is near a breaking point and our
412superintendent whose job is to focus on teaching and learning is spending an alarming amount of time managing board conflict rather than supporting students. The students are being robbed of the effective leadership they need. District insiders report our superintendent spends quote about 50% of his time dealing with a dysfunctional board end quote. That is half his expertise, half of his vision, half of his energy diverted from the students and poured into managing preventable conflicts. That contrast matters because when governance becomes chaotic, leadership capacity is drained. And when leadership is drained, students lose attention at the top. This is not theoretical. It is measurable in time, energy, and focus diverted away from the classrooms. Charles Dickens wrote of the best of times and the worst of times. We are living in that contradiction. We have the ingredients
413for excellence, but we are squandering them through dysfunction. This is not the inheritance the students deserve, and it is within the board's power to change that course. Good morning. Um, the last few board meetings I come to a great majority of them, I brought my children and unfortunately because public comments are moved to the end. Uh, not only did I not have enough time to be able to speak to the agenda items that I wanted to, I could certainly not do this. um which was very disappointing because I need to get them into bed at a reasonable time. Um so this is what I wanted to talk about this evening. The right of public to be heard. The public to be heard is the bedrock of local democracy. Yet this board has found a way
414to honor the letter of the law while killing its spirit. By banishing non-aggenda public comments to the end of marathon meetings, you've effectively silenced the parents and teachers that you serve. Staff This move has unequivocally reduced teacher participation. The right of the public to be heard is the bedrock of local democracy. School boards are not just administrative bodies. They are civic spaces where parents, educators, students, and community members speak directly to those who govern them. And yet, this board has found a way to silent silence voices without banning speech by moving non-aggenda public comments to the very end of the meetings, often after 10 or 11 at night. And now we're into the next day. You've effectively excluded parents and teachers from this participation. And this decision was not preceded by a full board decision
415discussion or vote. And its impact is already clear. Staff report a sharp decline in teacher participation. In Ray Bradberry's fair Bradbury's Fahrenheit 41, they didn't have to burn every book. They just had to make people stop reading. You don't have to ban public comment. You just have to make it not impossible to participate. A teacher cannot give her best to students at 8 in the morning after waiting until 10 or 11 at night to speak. A parent with young children cannot stay indefinitely to exercise their right to be heard. This is not access. It is attrition. You don't have to ban public comments to suppress it. You just have to make it so burdensome that people give up. That may satisfy the letter of the law, but it violates its spirit. Democracy does not disappear
416all at once. It erodess when participation becomes an endurance test. Thank you. Sometimes in a moment of unguarded honesty, the truth is revealed. At a recent meeting, after parents and teachers have been worn down by hours of delays, the board president was caught on a hot mic celebrating this tactic of suppression with two chilling words. It worked. Two words and they told the community everything. It worked to silence your constituents. It worked to marginalize the voices of the very educators you employ. As historian Timothy Steiner warns, modern authoritarians often announce itself quietly through procedural moves that appear technical but function to eliminate disscent. When silence is engineered and then celebrated, it should alarm every member of this community. In that moment, the strategy was laid bare. The goal is not to listen, but to outlast,
417not to engage, but to defeat. The victory celebrated was not for our students but a victory for the community itself. We are here to say we heard you and your victory will be short-lived. That moment mattered because it revealed the intent through outcome. Whether planned or not, the result was silence. And the silence achieved through exhaustion is not consensus. It's withdrawal. We heard those words. Thousands of community members heard them. And we are here to say this is not how public education should be governed. That hot mic moment revealed a mindset that sees governance not as a public service but as a game against the people you represent. What happens when the silence is not just encouraged but engineered and then celebrated as a victory? It reveals a profound moral failure at its core of
418this board's leadership. Our educators tell us they feel a growing disconnect between the day-to-day work happening in our schools and the actions of district leadership. They say the foundation of a collaborative culture built over years and allowing teachers to flourish is now being threatened. That culture is the soil in which our children's education grows. When you poison the soil, the plants wither. Our students do not learn in a vacuum. They learn from teachers who feel respected and empowered. But right now, our teachers are telling us they feel no value or respect for their education and passion. This isn't a line item on a budget. This is the human spirit of our schools being crushed. And as one teacher warned, in districts where educators do not feel trusted or respected, professional investment declines and students ultimately
419pay the price. Our children are paying the price. Let's be clear about what paying the price means. It looks like a classroom where passionate teachers inspiration is dim by feeling constantly criticized and undervalued. Decades of research show that teacher morale is directly linked to student achievement. And when our teachers describe and us versus them mentality created by this board, that division doesn't stop at the classroom door. It seeps into the learning environment and our children are the ones who suffer the consequences. Teachers report feeling devalued. They describe it us versus them mentality. And research is unequivocal. Teacher morale is directly linked to student achievement, retention, and stability. And when morale collapses, students pay the price, not immediately, but inevitably. This is not about hurt feelings. It is about institutional health. And when experienced educators disengage,
420when innovation slows, when collaboration disappears, the damage compounds quietly. By the time test scores um fall, our enrollment drops, it is already too late. A district that breaks its culture, breaks its future. I am an alumni of Lagona and this is my first time being here in person and I just commend everybody that has stayed. And wow, I I just I really would love to see you guys be more organized and think about the community and how the community is important and their voice needs to be heard not at 12:30 in the morning. >> Thank you. >> Hello. One of the most heartbreaking things we have learned is that this district is in our teachers own words not a safe place anymore. They report fear if we speak out. We will be retaliated against. Imagine
421that the professionals we entrust with our children are afraid of their own leaders. Fear of retaliation if they speak openly. Fear that their words could be twisted, mischaracterized, or used against them later. So they do what people do in unsafe environments. They self censor. Fear does not always look like look like chaos. Often it looks like compliance, like silence, like people deciding it is safer not to raise concerns, not to propose new ideas, not to challenge bad decisions. Historian Timothy Snder calls this anticipatory obedience. When a climate of fear is created, people begin to self censor. They stay silent, not because they are ordered to, but because they have learned it is safer. One staff report noted that people chose not to speak at all out of fear that their comments could be twisted or
422later used against staff. This fear is a cancer in our district. It stifles creativity. It kills collaboration. And it turns our schools from places of joyful learning into places of quiet anxiety. Innovation in education requires safety. This culture of fear is the enemy of excellence. Innovation in education requires teachers who feel safe enough to experiment, to challenge norms, to admit when something isn't working and ask for help. But in an unsafe environment, fearful compliance replaces creativity. When teachers worry that their honest feedback could be weaponized against them, they won't just stop criticizing the board. They'll stop proposing the bold new ideas our students need. That is how a great district stagnates and begins its decline. In George Orwell's Animal Farm, the pigs justify seizing power by declaring, "It is for your sake that we drink
423the milk and eat those apples." When this board consolidates power and ignores the advice of its own experts, we hear echoes of this logic. Eventually, the farm's guiding principle becomes a cynical lie. All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. By your actions, you have declared that some voices, yours, are more equal than others. More equal than the parents who wait hours to speak, more equal than the teachers whose professional judgment you override. More equal than the superintendent you were you hired to over were hired to oversee, not to undermine. This is not governance. It is hubris, Howard, and it has no in a public school district. This elitism extends to who you seem to serve. Staff have expressed a clear perception that this board majority, and I quote, prioritizes community
424members without children over student needs. When a school board's actions suggest that the concerns of parents and teachers are secondary to outside political agendas, it has fundamentally lost its way. A school board's primary non-negotiable duty is to the students in its schools. You betray your actions betray that duty, creating a hierarchy where some voices are indeed more equal than others. What is the ultimate cost of this dysfunction? It's not just wasted time or damaged reputation. It is the joy being stolen from our classrooms. One staff member stated they have taken all the joy out of working at the district. We hire credentialed professionals for a reason. Teachers train for years to understand teaching methods, curriculum, and child development. Superintendants are hired for their experience managing complex educational systems. And yet, educators report that their professional
425recommendations are increasingly overridden by board members without relevant expertise. When a board substitutes its judgment for that of trained professionals, it sends a chilling message. Knowledge is optional. Experience is negotiable. And expertise can be dismissed. A demoralized teacher cannot spark a love of learning. An administrator consumed with managing board politics cannot focus on instructional leadership. When teachers say there is an us versus them mentality in the district, that division inevitably trickles down into our schools. Excellent schools are built on inspiration, trust, and joy. You cannot have a thriving educational environment for children when the adults are mired in conflict and disrespect. Our students deserve leaders who cultivate joy, not destroy it. Maya Angelou taught that good done anywhere is good done everywhere. The reverse is also true. Toxicity at the top poisons everything below. When
426the district office is a place without joy, when leadership meetings are consumed by fighting and divisiveness, that poison leeches into our schools. Joy is not a luxury. It is the engine of curiosity. It's what makes a child want to come to school and what inspires a teacher to go the extra mile. And by your own staff's account, this board is systematically destroying it. We teach our students to value learning, evidence, and expertise. What lesson are we modeling when the board itself treats professional judgment as expendable? This is not oversight. It is interference. And interference weakens institutions long before it produces visible failure. We hire credentials of professionals for a reason and yet our teachers report that the board is overriding the recommendations of the classroom professionals. A staff wrote, "When a small number of board
427members, many of whom lack appropriate qualifications, override the voices of credentialed educators, it sends a clear message that professional expertise is no longer valued. In this this is the world of Fahrenheit 451 made real. When expertise is suspicious and critical thought is a threat, Timothy Snider tells us to abandon facts is to abandon freedom. When you abandon the expertise of our educators, the facts of pedagogy, curriculum, and child development, you are abandoning the very foundation of a free and thriving educational system. We stand with the professionals. We believe in truth and expertise. This attack on expertise sends a horrible message not only to our staff but also to our students. We teach our children to respect knowledge, to listen to experts, to do their research. Yet, they see a board that publicly models the opposite
428behavior where unqualified individuals override credentialed educators. What lesson are you teaching a high school student about the value of their education when the board itself signals that their teachers professional judgment is subject to political whims? This isn't just bad governance. It's a disastrous lesson in civics. This is my first time coming to a meeting. I felt so compelled. I've been walk watching from home all year last year and I just felt really compelled to come here today. As historian Timothy Snder warns, tyranny doesn't arrive overnight. It arrives through the slow, steady erosion of norms and institutions. A public meeting is an institution. An agenda based on shared governance is an institution. Respect for professional staff is an institution. Snder writes, "Institutions do not protect themselves. They fall one after the other unless each is defended
429from the beginning. We are here tonight to defend our institutions. The procedural games, the condescension, the power grabs, these are not small things. They are attacks on the guard rails of our local democracy. We are choosing to defend them starting now. To defend an institution is an active verb. It requires our presence, our voices, and our refusal to normalize this destructive behavior. We must reject this as the new normal. When a board subverts public comment, we must defend the institution of the public meeting. When it disrespects its staff, we must defend the institution of professional expertise. Each person who speaks and each person who shows up is casting a vote to preserve the democratic institutions you seem intent on weakening. Thank you. >> I have two comments and they're interrelated. The first pertains to procedural
430and bylaws changes. The reasons that these are looked at, our community shivers every time this comes up because our community, the vast majority of community, as evidenced by all these people tonight, do not trust the board majority. My comments are entitled, we hate what you are doing. At some point, you have to listen to the people, not just the loudest voices at the microphone, but the collective voice of your employees. One educator who a teacher in this district summed it up by saying, "We hate what you are doing to our district and its reputation." Can you hear the pain in that statement? It's not a policy disagreement. It's a cry from the heart from someone who's dedicated their life to this district, watching it get dismantled by constant criticism and attacks. This is what your
431leadership has produced. Not innovation, not achievement, but a feeling of profound loss and betrayal among the people who matter most to our children's success. You are breaking the heart of this district. Hate is a powerful word, especially coming from dedicated public service. It is born of profound disappointment. It comes after seeing professionalism dismissed, after enduring dismissive remarks, and after witnessing the creation of what staff called a culture of arrogance and disruption. This is not the language of everyday policy debate. It's the language of a workforce in crisis. A five alarm fire alarm that's ringing from the heart of our schools. And it appears that you are holding the matches. >> Hi, I'm Lyn Ross and I'd like to read to you the lie of listening. This board claims it wants to listen. You've held listening
432tours, but what does listening mean in a culture of fear? Staff reported that they did not feel safe speaking openly. That's huge. And they censored themselves out of the fear that their comments could be twisted. Listening is not a performance. It is an act of trust. You can create a hostile environment and then demand people trust you with their honest feedback. It's like the the Joy Club who struggle to be truly heard and understood. Until this board rebuilds its trust through its actions, not hollow gestures. These listening tours are just a painful reminder of a chasm that separates you from the people that you claim to serve. Advocacy experts say that a true advocate must listen. But listening isn't a tour or a photo op. It's an act of humility. Trust has been shattered. The
433feedback was unequivocal. The staff felt the tour was staged, controlled, and inauthentic, driven by a single board member's agenda rather than a genuine desire to engage. You cannot poison the well and then complain that no one will drink. Rebuild trust with respectful actions and consistent professional behavior. Only then will anyone believe you are actually listening. Listen with your ears, with your heart, and with your head. Listen to people with who have opposing opinions to yours. You'll learn something from that. Thank you. Hi everyone. I have young children, which means that they will be students in this district for well over the next decade. After hearing the very impressive presentations from the staff and the administrators, I'm left wondering whether that same level of excellence will still be here for my kids in the years ahead.
434I'm concerned that the posture of this board feels less like a partnership and more like control. Treating the teachers, administrators, and their union as entities to be dominated, investigated, and forced into submission rather than empowered and well-compensated collaborators in giving the children of Laguna Beach the best education possible. If this attitude continues, I worry that our most respected and talented teachers and administrators will choose to leave. And that ultimately is my deepest concern and the concern of many. But in this moment of deep concern, something hopeful is happening. This community is waking up. We are learning, as Timothy Snyder urges, to stand out. He wrote, "The moment you set an example, the spell of the status quo is broken and others will follow. Parents are following. Teachers, despite their fear, are following. We are breaking
435the spell of apathy. We are finding our voice. We are here tonight and we will be here at the next meeting and the one after that. This is not a fleeting protest. This is the beginning of a communitywide movement to reclaim the promise of our public schools. We are setting an example and we invite you to join us. Margaret me said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. We are those thoughtful committed citizens. We are not just a protest movement. We are a movement for excellence. We stand for the collaborative culture our teachers say is being threatened. We stand for a governance model that respects our professional leaders. Hi Lesie Elliot. Um I'm going to be reading this. Let them
436do their jobs. And when I use air quotes, I will be using quotes of people on our staff that use The role of a school board is not to be a super principal or a super superintendent. It's to provide vision and oversight. Yet, our staff's time is being consumed by board drama. We see a superintendent reportedly consumed by board management issues rather than instructional support. Not the best use of his expertise. In John Steinbeck's of M And George and Lenny's dream fails because they cannot escape the destructive forces around them. Our district's dream of excellence is threatened by the destructive force of micromanagement. We say to you what your own staff has begged of you. Stop micromanaging the new superintendent and stay in your lane. Let our professionals do the jobs they were hired to
437do. Professional governance handbooks from California from school districts across California are clear. The board's role is big picture policy, not daily management. Board members must avoid placing unnecessary demands on district staff's time. Yet, our professionals report the exact opposite. A board that inserts itself into curriculum and instructional decisions and diverts leadership from its core mission. Your job is to set the destination, not grab the steering wheel and drive the bus into the ditch. Hi, Megan Hillard here. Um, I'd like to consider some principles and and thinking about, you know, what is the purpose here, right, of of the board? And it seems it's build a place where children can learn not just facts and figures but what it means to be part of a decent, respectful and functioning society and a society where that values
438truth, honors expertise and practices democracy. Um, and our school board should be that highest expression of those values. And sadly, it it really feels like it's a study in dysfunction and it's disheartening and it's hard and I'm sure it's hard for all of you as well. And board meetings really shouldn't be consumed by drama and conflict that erode this trust, this social trust between educators and the community and the professionals. This should be functional and kind of boring. And we hope you turn to these principles and restore some level of respect and practice collaboration and model that for our students the civility that you demand from them and I hope that you want for yourselves. Thomas Jefferson said an educated citizenry citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people and your
439highest purpose is to foster that citizenry. You're supposed to be a model and that reasonable the reasonable debate and democratic process. And instead, it feels like we're modeling chaos and division and creating a us versus them, a you versus we, the b the board versus teachers in the community in a battleground. And it really feels like a terrible curriculum. And I hope for you and for our children that you consider this duty and this role of nurturing our democracy by being worthy examples of it. Thank you. At the end of A Tale of Two Cities, Sydney Carton goes to his fate thinking, "It is a far, far better thing that I do than I have ever done." He sacrifices himself for a better future. We're not asking for that sacrifice. We're asking you to choose
440right now to build a far, far better future for our children. Be as courageous as you can, as Snideri advises. Move public comment back. Stop the political games. Show our teachers they're valued. Show this community you can lead with humility and grace. The promise of this mighty school district is in your hands for now. The community is watching, and we will remember what you choose to do. We embrace the words of the late Congressman John Lewis who taught us, "When you something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up, you have to say something. You have to do something. We are doing something. We are here tonight. We'll be at the next meeting and the one after that. And most importantly, we will be at the ballot box. We offer
441you a chance to join us. But whether you do or not, know this. This community will not rest until the promise of our schools is restored. We won't be silenced. We won't be outlasted. And we will prevail. Apologize for my attire. I came straight from an event, got home, had to deal with family responsibilities. The dog decided to poop in its crate. Had to clean that up. But here I am after a shower, and I cannot believe it's 1:00 in the morning. I'm in my pajamas and if Thank goodness the kids are asleep because if my eighth grader could see me right now, she'd be absolutely mortified that I'm out here in public. But that doesn't matter because I'm standing here like this. The reason is simple. I believe public voices matter. Good governance is
442not just about what we decide. It's about how we create a culture of respect and collaboration. I mean, I've said all this before and I cannot believe I'm literally repeating it again. It's like deja vu. But when public comment is moved to the end of the agenda, especially after hours of proceedings, it doesn't just impact parents. It impacts staff. It impacts teachers. It impacts everyone. They should not have to wait until midnight to speak about issues affecting their classrooms and school sites. If we say we value our educators, our structure should reflect that. It's really simple. Public comment belongs at the beginning of meetings when people can participate fully, thoughtfully, and without exhaustion. This isn't about convenience. It's about respect. Please just return public comment to the beginning of the meeting or I will continually
443show up in my bathroom. Thank you. >> Do we have any more speakers that did not submit a card or wanted to say something? Everything that everybody said was super inspirational. I'm not going to be I'm just going to speak to the three of you who continue to keep public comment at the end of the meetings. Howard and Sher, you two spent so many years using the benefit of public comment to speak to the board about the items that you wanted, and you are now silencing the community of parents, which is incredible considering how much you are valuing community input, but seemingly not parent community, only community of people that don't have kids in the district, which is really confusing. Indeed, you spoke tonight about why you wanted bylaws changed because you felt silenced for
444so long, yet have no problem silencing parents for the last three months. Think about the decisions you guys are making and the president that you have set. Restore public comment to the beginning. Nobody wants to be here till 1 in the morning. I promise you, 18 of us will not show up to public comment if it's at the beginning of the meetings. Thank you. Anyone else? Go ahead. First of all, I want to thank you all for staying and speaking. I hope that this isn't falling on deaf ears. This is how staff is feeling. We've done a survey. We are united. I want to tell you about a conversation I had this morning with a teacher that came to my classroom today and it kind of broke my heart. He's a good teacher and he
445said, "I'm retiring." And I said, "Because he's rather young." And I said, "Why are you retiring?" He goes, "I don't want to work for this board. I don't feel like I can do a good job here anymore." Do you think about that? You worked as a teacher here. Think about teachers feeling that way. And I know some of you are going to think, "Oh, this is misinformation that we're giving or you know, this is everybody else's fault." But you need to look at look into yourselves and see what part did you play in this. We need to make changes. Everyone needs to make changes and we need to turn the ship around and I hope that you're on board to do that. >> Thank you everyone. It's been very hard and you just inspired us
446more. I'm trying not to cry. Um, Howard, you like to point out that Scott and I are making this all up and we're not representing everyone, but you haven't been at the listening meetings that Dr. Glass has been putting on. And Sherry has and they haven't been very pleasant for her. And I don't know if you would have had the guts to sit through what she's been sitting through. I'll give her that. She's been sitting through it and taking it. And they have been honest and There have been tears from teachers and staff at the way they're being treated by the three of you. The three of you. This has to stop. You are burning us down. And I think that's what you want, Howard. I really do. You are like Dr. Jackekal and Mr.
447Hyde. You speak one thing here. You speak another with your email today. Calling our teachers. Um, I had it all written, too. But again, throwing us that your email that you sent out today, >> you're not allowed to respond to public comment. >> I will happily bring it up at the next meeting when I look at the Newport Beach meeting. But since uh the Newport Beach I work with that president, they're not continually attacked by their board like you do. You want a working relationship, you have to put it out, too. You have You give what you got. So, you can shake your head. You can It just You don't want to listen. You don't want to self-reflect. None of you want to self-reflect. It's everybody else's fault. But it isn't. And people are starting
448to see that. I get messages now all the time from old parents who still live here going, "Oh my god, what is going on? This is so sad. People are starting to notice finally. It's been a year, but you've got to do better. I know you want to burn us down, Howard. You want to burn us down. You want to take it down. Your 30 years of grievances, you've been very clear about that. This isn't where it belongs. Take it somewhere else. >> Thank you. Anyone else? >> Okay. Seeing none, thank you so much for your public comments. I need a motion to adjurnn. All in favor? Governance meeting. Our next meeting is Oh, we journ so I can't say anything. February 26th and the next regular meeting is March 12th. Thank you.