Escondido Union School District Board of Education Meeting - May 21, 2026

001Zesty Harper: Good evening. I'm going to reconvene our meeting of the Escondido Union School District. Can I ask Sophia Luna to please come up to the podium and lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? Student: Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Ready? Begin. All: 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. Zesty Harper: Thank you Sophie. All right. All members are present. We have a report out of closed session. Frank Huston: In closed session the board took action to approve the appointment of Naomi Shanks to the Assistant Principal, effective July 1st, 2026, by a vote of 5 to 0. [applause] Naomi Shanks: Thank you so much. Good evening, President Harper, board,

002Doctor Ibarra and Mr. McGuire. My name is Naomi Shanks, and I am delighted to accept the position of assistant principal at Del Dios Academy. I'm a career educator. I have 28 years of experience, most recently in Poway Unified, and I've also spent much of my career teaching multicultural communities overseas. I look forward to meeting the students, educators and families of Del Dios. I'm grateful for the opportunity to partner with all of you and to join the EUSD family in actualizing the unlimited potential of every learner. I can't think of a more powerful mission and I'm so proud to join Escondido. Thank you. [applause] Zesty Harper: We just wanted to say welcome. We were excited. We were hearing all about your accomplishments, and we're excited to have you in our district. Frank Huston: Additionally, in closed

003session, the board took action to approve the appointment of Michael Brinkley to Assistant Principal effective July 1st, 2026, by a vote of five zero. Michael Brinkley: Full house. That's exciting. Good evening for those of you who know me, I'm sure you understand how meaningful this opportunity is, especially since I am, for the second time attempting to publicly speak at a board meeting. I am usually, as I usually do, I am going in an uncomfortable situation. I'm going to try and deflect attention away from myself. I'm choosing to use my time to highlight and show gratitude to some important people. I will call them mentors. Many of them may not realize that the significant role they've played in the impact they've had on me during my over 20 years in EUSD. Every one of the names

004I'm about to mention have taken the time to support me in different ways while learning from them. I was challenged to do something different to try this out. President Harper, the board, Doctor Ibarra, Mr. Maguire and the cabinet. Thank you very much for this opportunity. Thank you. Brandi Krepps and the union crew. Randy, Randy Garcia, who was the first admin who hired me in in Grant middle school way back in the day. Angel Gotay. Cesar Carrasco, Ali Parviz, Steve White, Beth Crooks, Alicia Jimenez, who was my last principal at Pioneer who kept on motivating me to get back out there. And she was upset when I left Pioneer, but she's happy for me overall. Marissa Raul. Jason Wrzezki. And last but not least, the best school psych in the district, which I might be biased.

005My wife, Amber Brinkley [applause]. I'm excited and hopefully we'll be able to add more names to this list in the coming future. Thank you very much for this opportunity.[applause] Zesty Harper: Michael, we are delighted to have you. Thank you again. All right. Moving on to the approval of the agenda. Are there any changes? I'm looking for a motion then. Doug Paulson: Move approval of the agenda as presented. Zesty Harper: Thank you Doug. Joan Gardner: Second. Zesty Harper: Thank you Joan. All those in favor, please say aye. All board members: Aye. Zesty Harper: Agenda is approved. Do I have a motion to approve the minutes? Mark Olson: I'll make a motion to approve as presented. Zesty Harper: Thank you. Mark. Frank Huston: I'll second. Zesty Harper: Thank you. Frank. All those in favor, please say aye.

006All board members: Aye. Zesty Harper: Minutes are approved. Now, on to our favorite part of the evening, our recognitions. I'm going to turn it over to Ed Services. Rick Oser: Good evening, board President Harper. Yes, definitely. One of our favorite parts of the evening. This evening is going to be even more special because we have four recognitions. So starting off, starting us off will be Rincon Middle School and Principal Tina Meglich. [applause] Tina Meglich: Good evening, President Harper. Superintendent Doctor Ibarra, Mr. McGuire, members of the Board and cabinet. My name is Tina Meglich, and I am honored to be the principal at Rincon Middle School. And I'm super excited to be here tonight. Before we get started with this special event, I'm thrilled to highlight some of the solid work that is happening at Rincon

007Middle School. Rincon is fully embracing student centered learning, aligning learning with the EUSD framework for the future, and the district vision to actualize the unlimited potential of every learner. Our students are not just participants. They are growing in their leadership, demonstrating the EUSD learner profile and the attributes that you are going to see. And there we go. Okay. This year, our web leaders or our Where Everyone Belongs led the charge by mentoring and leading learning for all of our sixth graders. They fostered a vital sense of belonging and welcome through team building and special events, which directly supports our positive school climate. Meanwhile, our PUP leaders or Peers Uniting Peers demonstrated compassion and community commitment by mentoring our special populations during their elective classes. These PUP leaders created lasting connections, organized a student led family

008Art night this year, and hosted the first ever PUP Prom or Dance during seventh period for our special population students. These PUP leaders demonstrated their dedication to making a positive school impact as ethical scholars. Our Avid leaders showcased advanced learning by sharing their scholarly goals at Avid College at the Avid College Fair. They leveraged their knowledge as empowered learners, taking their learning to the next level by leading our staff in creative ways to implement wicker strategies in their classrooms. The capstone eighth grade Excellence Americans on Display was an evening that not only showcased high quality work, but also the superior speaking skills of our students as they embodied the Americans that they researched and stepped into their shoes and spoke to an audience of families, teachers, community members, and students. It was an exceptional example

009of excellence and effective communication. But the ultimate charge to these student leaders was truly to lead our incoming fifth graders or our future bulldogs. This is precisely what they accomplished at our first ever Rincon Unleashed event. Web, PUP, Avid, and ASB all put their leadership to action in creating the most meaningful day for these fifth graders. Our Web and PUP leaders led student tours for over 300 students visiting, engaging all of our future bulldogs in the life of the school and igniting their excitement for their transition to middle school. While they, while they led, ASB and Avid participated in student panels and served as guides through our elective alley. Rincon is on a clear path to creating a culture of excellence and I must say Rincon is unleashing the unlimited potential of all of our

010learners. With that, it is time for what we are here for and that is our Student Excellence Awards. I would like to call up Sophie Luna first [applause]. Sophie has been an exemplary student from the very first day she started school this year. Her incredible aptitude for course material, superior work ethic and ever curious mind are true pleasures to witness on a daily basis. In addition, her teachers can always count on her to turn in high quality work, assist her peers when needed, and show bark in every classroom she steps into. She is a model student who any teacher would be privileged to have in their class. Congratulations, Sophie [applause]. The next student I would like to recognize is seventh grade Joanna Diaz-Sanchez. Come on up. Joanna truly exemplifies what it means to be an

011excellent student. She consistently demonstrates kindness, respect, and a strong work ethic in everything that she does. She completes all assignments with care and diligence, always striving to produce her very best work. Beyond her academic achievements, Joanna is a positive and supportive member of the classroom community. She is willing or she willingly helps others, can contribute thoughtfully and fosters a respectful learning environment. She is confident in asking questions and seeking help when needed, showing a genuine commitment to growth. Joanna sets an outstanding example for her peers and consistently models excellence in both character and academics. Congratulations, Joanna [applause]. And I would like to call up Brissa Dominguez. Brissa is eighth grade. So a little bit a little bit longer with us. Brissa is a wonderful student who shines in all her classes. She is consistent in

012her academic excellence and she fights for every single point. Brissa works well with others and supports a positive culture at Rincon. In advance Art she is a valuable member of the mural Art team, using her creative abilities to paint the Semiquincentennial mural, which was funded this year through the Escondido Education Foundation grant. As a member of the Rincon Middle School PUP program, she has been a part of that program since sixth grade. Brissa has shown kindness and generosity to the diverse students across our campus. We are confident she will continue giving back to the community in the high school that she attends. Congratulations, Brissa [applause]. Rick Oser: Thank you, Principal Meglich. Next up is Principal Krystle Miller with the Conway Academy of Expeditionary Learning [applause]. Krystle Miller: President Harper, Doctor Ibarra, Mr. Maguire, members of

013the Board and cabinet. Thank you so much for the opportunity to be here tonight. My name is Krystle Miller, and I'm the incredibly proud principal of Conway Academy of Expeditionary Learning. I'd like to first begin by recognizing the incredible families and staff that are here tonight. Staff and families, please stand [applause]. I'd like to call up our students, fifth grader Bailey Guardado, fifth grader Oscar Zuniga, and sixth grader Maddox Rojas, to stand next to me [applause]. So this is my first year as part of the Conway Crew, and I'm so incredibly honored to be a cougar. Many people are familiar with the Conway transformation and the partnership with EL Education, and we have lots of people here to thank for that transformation. So you can see some of our epic work that we do here

014on this slide. So a lot of people know about our student led conferences, our ambassadors, our den, our crew circles, and of course, our Better World Day. Our Better World Day was especially epic this year, thanks to an EL media grant, we want to produce a high quality documentary about our Better World Week. A big shout out to our M & O and our grounds crew for their hard work to make our dreams a reality for our big day [applause]. Yes, give them snaps. The theme of this year's Better World Day was Cultivating Community. At Conway, we cultivate community through service, learning, family engagement, and community partnerships. We are a proud community school. Through service learning, students see themselves as agents of change in the community. One of our school mottos is we get smart

015to do good. Framing our learning in the context of community and service bridges connections for our students, families, and community. Our work has authentic purpose. For example, our TK students learned about worms so they could work with our community partner BCK to create worm compost bins. They learned about worms to help people, plants and the environment. In fifth grade, our students studied bridges and cultivating community by designing a bridge for students to cross on campus at the end of their Conway journey. Students work with experts in the field, with Ranger Jim and Ranger Zoe to dive deep to create not only a beautiful space on campus, but a space of representation and symbolic passage. Our sixth graders created a book of recipes and writing based on the foods and traditions that are important to their

016family's culture. Students presented their work with stories of impact, author signings, live music, and a community potluck. The high quality work of our students and their families was truly inspirational to witness, as students spoke confidently about their family's traditions. Our students come to Conway not just for an academic education, but also for an education in character and service learning. I wish I had time, I don't have time to share all the grade levels work, but I did want to share one final school wide creation. This year we built a labyrinth in our tiny forest. We work with district staff, Conway staff Love Esco volunteers, parents and students, and more to prime Paint and place hundreds of beautifully decorated cinder blocks into a mindfulness center the whole school can use. I can't wait until the documentary

017comes out and you can see the magic firsthand. Thank you. And let's get to recognizing our incredible students [applause]. Oscar Zuniga is a shining example of excellence at Conway Academy. As a bilingual scholar, he consistently demonstrates perseverance, integrity, and a strong commitment to learning. Oscar approaches every challenge with determination and curiosity while encouraging and supporting those around him with compassion. As a member of Conway's award winning Stem team he showcases creativity, collaboration and critical thinking skills while representing Conway with pride and making a positive impact on others as a scholar and active citizen. Congratulations, Oscar! [applause] Next up, Bailey Guardado is a leader at Conway in both character and academic effort and another proud member of Conway Stem team. She consistently pushes herself toward excellence and possesses an intrinsic motivation for learning. Whether she's making

018deep connections between her personal experiences and her class learning, thoughtfully searching for just the right vocabulary to strengthen her writing, or tackling above grade level mathematics with determination and curiosity, Bailey approaches every challenge with purpose and passion. Beyond her academic accomplishments, Bailey's greatest strength lies in her ability to listen and in her genuine desire to use her knowledge to make the world a better place. Congratulations, Bailey [applause]. And last up for Conway is Maddox Rojas. If you know Maddox, you know he is the living definition of what it means to get smart to do good. Maddox somehow manages to balance the mind of a scholar and the heart of a leader. Not only does Maddox demonstrate excellence and perseverance through the caliber of his high quality work and impressive GPA, but he also consistently shows

019integrity, kindness, and compassion toward his teachers, peers, and our Conway staff. He cares deeply about the people around him, and even started a lunch club where sixth graders could reflect on their actions, encourage one another, and work toward making the world a better place. Congratulations, Maddox [applause]. Rick Oser: Thank you, Principal Miller. Next up is Principal Jose Hernandez from Lincoln Elementary School. Jose Hernandez: Good evening, President Harper, Doctor Ibarra, Mr. McGuire, members of the Board and cabinet. It is a pleasure to be the principal of Lincoln Elementary School. This is my first event here to present our students for Excellence Awards. I want to highlight a few events. There has been many highlights this year as a new principal at Lincoln Elementary School. I couldn't fit all the events in one slide. I was told

020I could only use one slide, but I do want to highlight one of the main events that happened in December on December 16th, 2025. So as you know, around our city or our district sometimes students get awarded with new bikes. So on Tuesday, December 16th, 2025, every third grader at Lincoln Elementary School received a brand new bike, a helmet, a light. This was due to the generous donations from the Sunrise Rotary and the Escondido Police Department and friends of the Sunrise Rotary. They were the ones who assembled and delivered the bikes. Students were very surprised and overjoyed. Many had expected only one student per class to win the top prize for the essay on the theme My Big Dream. The event brought smiles, tears of joy and cheers, creating a lasting memory and a strong

021sense of belonging to our third graders. Another big highlight this year for our school. As part of the redesign process, we began something called dense. So on Thursday, November 13th, 2025, we held our first DENS kickoff and launched our Multi-age DENS classes. Students move smoothly into their mixed grade circle groups and showed high engagement. Staff comments included. Students were excited and arrived on time. Older students respectfully supported younger peers. Everyone participated respectfully during the sharing, and leads took pride in guiding their groups. Recent DENS lessons celebrated our school's linguistic diversity by inviting students to share when and where they use the languages they speak at home, with friends, at school and in the community. These two events that I'm highlighting for you are by giveaway and the DENS launch filled Lincoln students with smiles and

022strengthened community, belonging and unity across grade levels. As a new principal, my job has been to try to build a community at the school and build a strong sense of community for our students as well. So going forward, I present our student awards. So I'm going to ask our three students to come up. I'm going to first call Jaden Gaspar to please come up and stand next to me [applause]. Jaden Gaspar contributes to our broader Escondido community through his spirit and commitment to athletics, as demonstrated by participation on baseball, soccer and rugby teams. Though he participates in these activities with great skill even more commendable is his dedication to the principles of sportsmanship, which he constantly demonstrates both on and off the playing field. In particular, his integrity and compassion contribute to a positive environment

023at Lincoln School that all can benefit from. Jaden's exemplary character is a testament to the transformative impact of involvement in team sports. Congratulations, Jaden [applause]. The next student I want to call up is Bryan Cruz Gomez. Bryan Cruz Gomez is a third grade student. Bryan is a hard working student who gives his best effort in everything he does. He's a tech savvy and confident student who uses technology to learn, create and solve problems. He often supports his classmates with technology even when they don't ask. Showing kindness and strong teamwork. His positive attitude and willingness to try make him a true joy to have in class. Congratulations, Bryan [applause]. Okay, my next student I'm going to invite up is Eden Abarca Colin [applause]. Eden is being recognized for his outstanding growth and perseverance this school year.

024He has worked hard to develop positive learning habits and approaches his classroom tasks with more confidence and determination. In addition to his academic growth, Eden has shown significant strides in his personal growth. He has learned to advocate for himself and is beginning to support and encourage his classmates reflecting stronger social and leadership skills. Congratulations, Eden [applause]. Rick Oser: Thank you, Principal Hernandez. And now I'd like to call up our wonderful preschool coordinator, Lorraine Silva: Good evening, President Harper and board members, superintendent Doctor Ibarra, Mr. Andy and Cabinet. My name is Lorraine Silva, and I am the very, very, I have the pleasure of being the coordinator for the state preschool program. This is my sixth year and I'm still loving it. As I thought about what I wanted to say tonight, the word that kept

025coming up to me was change. And as we know that change is a natural part of growth, and there is no better preschool example of that than The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Just like the caterpillar, our preschool program has experienced tremendous growth, transformation, and change. At the heart of this transformation are our dedicated permitted teachers and our classified paraeducators. And I'd like to thank those staff and our families that are here tonight. If you could please stand and be recognized, all of our staff and families, please [applause]. Thank you. At the start of each school year, we enter a season of change and opportunity. This year we implemented a brand new curriculum. We worked with the updates and transitions with the new PTKLF, as we call it. The preschool and TK Learning Foundations saw an expansion

026of our inclusive practices and added art and music enrichment. This past year, our preschool program expanded not only in numbers, but in opportunity and inclusion. Using our prop 28 funds, we were able to add an enrichment program for our students that includes art and music. With the help of our enrichment teacher, Ms. Medina, we participated in this year's Smart Festival for the very first time. It was great to hear all of the positive comments from the families, and it was great to see the excitement in our students eyes as they showed off all of their wonderful talents. One of our biggest accomplishments this year has been the development of two co-teach classrooms Alongside our special education department. These classrooms reflect our commitment to ensuring that every child belongs, every child is supported, and every child

027can thrive. Our enrollment reached 309 students this year, which is the most that we have seen in the six years that I have been with the program. Within those 309 students, we know that every child in our program brings their own strengths, personality, and character to our classrooms. Just as every butterfly's journey is unique, we know that every child is unique. So tonight, I am honored to recognize three outstanding student nominees who represent the joy, growth, and potential we see in preschool every day. So I'd like to call up first. Mathias. Come on up, Mathias [applause]. Our first student is Mathias Martinez Encizo from Pioneer State Preschool. Mathias has shown tremendous growth this year, especially in following classroom routines and transitions. One of his biggest accomplishments has been in his speech and communication skills. He

028now communicates more clearly with both peers and teachers, using more complex words and expressing himself with confidence. He loves participating in class by raising his hand, as you saw right now and patiently waiting for his turn. He stays engaged in classroom themes and activities and is always eager to learn. He is also incredibly helpful and kind, often assisting teachers and classmates by cleaning tables, picking up toys, and showing friends what to do. When challenges arrive Mathias tries to solve them on his own and then seeks help from an adult when needed. We are so proud of the wonderful progress he has made and the caring, thoughtful student he continues to become. Congratulations, Mathias [applause]. Next, I would like to call up Julian Leonardo Zuniga from Lincoln State Preschool. Julian is a creative problem solver who

029works through challenges with creativity and persistence. Whether completing puzzles, building with manipulatives and blocks, or helping a peer who is upset, he approaches each situation with care and kindness. Julian communicates respectfully with both peers and teachers, always offering kind words and helpful actions throughout the day. Thank you, Julian for being a thoughtful, caring, and helpful student [applause]. And now, Dylan Leon Hernandez. Come on up, Dylan [applause]. Dylan is always responsible and looks out for others, often stepping in to help classmates or make sure everyone stays on track. He is intelligent and thoughtful, asking insightful questions and putting real effort into understanding what he learns. He consistently follows class rules and sets a positive example, showing maturity and respect in everything he does. We are so proud of Dylan's leadership, thoughtfulness, and the positive examples he

030brings to our classroom each day. Congratulations, Dylan [applause]. Audrey Frank: Oh my gosh. So cute. Oh my gosh. His hair is so perfect. Hey guys. Would you like to come up? Rick Oser: Thank you, Coordinator Silva. Wonderful job. Next up, I'd like to call up Doctor Patrick Newton who's going to recognize some amazing teachers, as well as some programs that were recently recognized during the Community Advisory Committee for their Excellence in Special Education Awards. Take it away Doctor Newton. Patrick Newton: I mean how do you follow that up. I feel so underdressed. Good evening, President Harper, board of education. Doctor Ibarra. Mr. McGuire and cabinet. Every year the Northern Inland Special Education Region (NICER) local planning areas community advisory council, a group of special education stakeholders from throughout North County San Diego, gets together to

031celebrate those who go beyond, above and beyond to serve individuals with disabilities. This year, EUSD has two teachers and one incredible program who are deserving of this award. On May 18th, 2026, Tanner Bolen from Bear Valley Middle School and Pete Fisher from Del Dios Academy of Arts and Sciences...were celebrated in a virtual ceremony, but here in EUSD, we would prefer to publicly humiliate them on camera. Pete, would you like to come up here, please? [applause] Unfortunately, Tanner was not able to come tonight. He's getting the student led coffee cart ready for a Friday morning at Bear Valley. But a little bit about Tanner. He teaches our students with extensive support needs at Bear Valley Middle School. Since the first day he walked onto campus, he's created an inclusive environment for our students. His supportive and

032engaging learning environment helps students grow academically, but also develop invaluable practical life skills as they strive towards long term independence. Tanner closely monitors student goals, provides individualized support and encourages students to reach their full potential through patience, encouragement and high expectations. Please honor Tanner Bolen from Bear Valley Middle School [applause]. All right. Pete Fisher has served in many roles throughout his long and distinguished career in the Escondido Union School District. Everywhere he's gone, he's made a lasting, positive impact. Currently teaching in the Structured Communication, Social and Behavioral, or SCSB program at Del Dios Academy. Pete supports students with autism by building authentic relationships with students and families and creating engaging lessons based on unique student interests. His classroom provides a supportive environment where students can successfully navigate middle school, sometimes a scary place for all

033of us, including us adults. Pete was nominated by one of his families as they appreciate and value his advocacy, compassion, and commitment to student success. As an organization and as a community. We are incredibly proud and deeply admire Pete Fisher [applause]. All right. I'm also pleased to recognize our partners from our partners at the NICER SELPA (Special Education Local Planning Area) and celebrate the inclusive State preschool programs at Central Elementary and Oak Hill Elementary School [applause]. These co-top programs bring together preschool teachers, special education staff, and paraeducators to create meaningful inclusion opportunities for all students. The vision of this program is to increase meaningful and effective inclusion experiences for our early childhood programs. The practical application of the classroom staff is to combine educational best practices embedded in our state preschool program with creative and

034compassionate support for our students with unique needs. Those. For those of us who have been lucky enough to be in these classes, we can all attest this type of education reaffirms our commitment to meaningfully including our students with disabilities. Not because it's easy, but because it's the right thing to do. These amazing professionals regularly tackle challenges of serving all students with a solid resolve and unrelenting compassion. Here to represent classroom staff. This evening from Oak Hill, we have Maria Alvarez and Yureidi Gallardo [applause]. We also have our intrepid administrators who help supervise and support this program. Our coordinator of EUSD State Preschool, Lorraine Silva [applause]. And our special education program specialist, Natalie Muldoon [applause]. Thank you very much. Zesty Harper: Can you. Patrick. Patrick. Patrick, can you have everyone come back up? We need pictures.

035Oh. Too bad. Andrew McGuire: Overruled. Zesty Harper: I wanted to thank all the families for being here tonight and choosing EUSD for us to teach your children and have them be our future leaders. We thank you for that trust and for our teachers and staff who are here tonight and have taken the time out of their evenings to be here to support your students. I really appreciate it. Students, please tell your parents you need to go to Yogurtland tonight to celebrate. You have a coupon. So. But everyone, we're going to take a five minute break. And you are all welcome to go home and do your homework or get some rest before a big day tomorrow. Maybe they just. Oh, there we go. We are going to reconvene this meeting. On to public comments. I

036have one card from Gwen Smith. If you'd like to come to the podium, please. Thank you. Gwen Smith: Only speaker. Thank you. Cabinet. Thank you, Board President Harper and Superintendent Ibarra. And also to you, Andy. Thank you for letting me speak. We have a principal that is moving on to a new opportunity, and that is Michael Reichel. And I could not, in good conscience, let him go without sharing his name, because you have done some great hiring in your careers. And Randy Garcia was already brought up this evening. And Leila also has a heart with love and kindness. And Michael Reichel is right up there at the top of my experience working in this district and teaching 20 years. And I just want to say the environment that he created with his passion for education

037and the knowledge that he brings was inspirational. And the inclusive and professional environment that he brought. And we know teaching is hard, right? But when you have a leader that creates a teaching environment that supports teachers, like you can ask him questions, have really tough conversations, and he supports that and welcomes you really grow as an educator in that environment. So I know that he came in with a varied background and it's really nice to promote within, and I definitely encourage that. It's great. But also I love the fact that he brought a different background of different districts and areas, which I think makes our district stronger with different ideas. And so he's going to be missed a lot. And I know that change happens and I'm excited for Del Dios and what will happen.

038But again, just hats off to Michael Reichel. And one person that had made a comment to me was that he was the first principal that she could talk to and feel comfortable having those honest conversations. And I concur with that. I mean, you want to be able to grow as an educator, and you need a leader that supports you and has those safe environments to help you. And he did that. So Michael Reich, Well, thank you and I'm excited for your next adventures. And thank you for being someone that will last. Your legacy will last with us and it's going to live on with us. So thank you. [applause] Zesty Harper: Thank you for sharing that, Gwen. SCEA on this ace week. Noemi Navarratte: Hi everyone. Once again, we are here to entertain the public.

039I'm kidding. Sorry. Let me breathe. Hello, everyone. My name is Noemi. I am the president of CSEA chapter 150. And this week we celebrated the best week, which is Classified School Employees Week. I mean, not to take away from the certificated staff, but but it is a really fun week because we celebrate in a way. It's called ACE, which is appreciating classified employees. And it's an opportunity for those in a leadership position to shadow classified staff. And by what we gathered today during the luncheon, everybody had a good time. Everybody enjoyed either being shadowed or shadowing. Some work was done around schools. We'll have to double check if that was done correctly, Mr. Smith [laughter]. Some stucco was was put up on a wall somewhere. But. Yes. No, I'm very thankful to those in leadership

040positions, many of them here who did participate and for those who were unable to participate because some people were not able to be shadowed. But I am very thankful for everyone who signed up who took the time to get to know, you know, what our classified staff do every day. Oh, where's this mic? And then to our classified staff who were brave enough to allow those in leadership to shadow them. It is pretty nerve wracking for some of them. Some of them did share that. Where? Well, what about if they figure out that I, you know, maybe do too much or do too little? So it is a concern. So from that, they've now said that, hey, I'm going to encourage my friends to do it. And I'm like, yeah, and it could be like

041a whole fun lunch thing. So I encourage anybody who's watching either in a leadership position or classified to consider it for next year, we do have a good time. There was goodie bags at the end. And I do want to thank our coordinator of preschool who actually worked with our printing department to, you know, create the stickers, cut them out. She did a wonderful job. So I'm very thankful. Thank you to everyone. And I guess since it's May and we're getting closer to June. I do want to shout out Doctor Ibarra because I know it's it's moving quickly. As CSEA we want to recognize the work that you've done to, you know, bring us together and, and to keep those open door policies and, and for transferring that goodwill that you have with the unions

042over to the rest of your cabinet and to the school board. I am very thankful for that. It is years of hard work, and Andy's already doing a great job. So I am very thankful for everything that you've put into place that will now continue. Your legacy will also live on and we're very thankful for you. And hopefully we get to see you come around every now and then maybe part of the shadow program. As a retiree, you know, I'm just hint, hint. Okay. Well, thank you everyone. Have a good night. Zesty Harper: Too soon. Too soon. Noemi Navarratte: Nutrition department. A shout out to the nutrition department. It's not that I forget you, but it, my brain. But they did an amazing job as ever. As always. They keep me accountable and they just

043make things work. Just like magic. They just come in. Everything looks like magic. So thank you to nutrition. And also thank you to the social committee here at the district office. Oh my gosh, the decor. They even did papel picado. I mean, the work that that everybody does, the dedication that they put forth. Very thankful for everybody's time. Thank you. Zesty Harper: EEEA. Andrea Sima: I'm afraid of this thing hitting me in the face. Alright, so most of you know me. I'm Andrea Sima, community school specialist, MTSS. We got to figure out the name over at Orange Glen. I have FOMO now. Noemi. I'm jealous. Why don't we get to participate in Ace Week? I want to shadow somebody special like that. Like Mario over at Rincon. That would be fabulous. I want to know

044what he does in a day. Because I know it's, like, too much. As any custodian we have in our district, Nelly is fabulous too. But I have worked with her and she just makes me tired. Yeah. Alright, so thank you for taking the time or trustee (TTEE) Doug Paulson and Joan Gardner for attending our first annual Orange Glen Open School event last night. So I'm a little tired. The wonderful event occurred because you had someone on a campus at 16 schools can do this, right? That can spend the time to develop community resources and bring them onto our campuses. What our families want is on our campuses. We need to bring them on our campuses. If you ask most teachers, they're going to tell you they want the parents on the campuses. So that's what

045we're really supposed to be doing, is bringing our parents and our community onto our campuses. I'm going to keep saying that. So I want to thank again, Doug and Joan for coming last night and participating in our first annual event. And, Mr. McGuire, thank you. I appreciate you for your continued conversation and presence on our campuses. It shows your desire to embrace community school events in the future, and I hope to see other board members and cabinet members attend, not just mine, because you're all going to be invited, but other MTSS community school events because we should be happening as canned events at every campus. It took a lot of work to get all those resources and all those people to come to a place, because it's not just about having the contact. You also

046have to get their information and then get that information to the district office and in a timely manner. And they have to have the insurances and they have to have the frevvo forms. And we don't always have access to that information. We have to ask the right people for that information. So it may look like, oh my gosh, that was such a wonderful event, but it took a lot of time and energy. And I just want to make sure that we kind of can these events, which means someone else can just take my information and take it to their school and invite them, but they shouldn't have to go through all the background information. It should just happen because it shouldn't have to happen 9 million times the information being shared. We need to figure

047out a better way. And so I'm here to talk for all MTSS and all of our family liaisons who are going to eventually take this on from us when our community school money goes away, this has to continue. And so that's my role, is to bring sustainability to this position. So I hope to see more of you come to the events that we will have in the future. We will have more, not just at mine, like I said, but at other campuses in the next three years and maybe further on of the grant. Remember, we have 16 schools, so you should be attending at least one of these events a year, maybe two at a site. So that's the goal is trying to get everybody on our campuses. And that also includes everybody else, right?

048So if you're a director or a coordinator, you should be expected to be invited to these events too. We need to get everybody on the campuses because if you're not on our campuses, you don't know what's happening. And a lot of us as teachers think that people are disconnected because you're not present. And guess where the presence exists on a school campus? Where does it really matter where the kids are? And we had over 500 people come last night. That was more than I expected. And I'm very humble and very proud of what happened last night. But I just want to say it has to happen everywhere. So our schools also appreciate your approval tonight of the climate and culture journey that orange Glen is going to be journeying on next year. And I also

049want to mention, I don't think that they're here right now, but I really want to plug out for Pete Fisher and Tanner Bowlin fabulous, fabulous individuals and the accomplishment as award winners in our SELPA. I mean, yeah, we gave them a great, you know, hurrah. But we really need to be lifting them up because our district does have some very special, special people. And I just want to say that Pete Fisher is going to have my para as a P3 resident next year. And I am extremely proud of Alex Vega for taking that journey because he was very nervous about this. It was his first year with me. He didn't know if he really liked it, but then he learned to love it. And I had a very hard eighth grade class and he became

050extremely good at what he was doing. And now he's going to be a P3 under Pete Fisher. So look out for Alex Vega. He's going to bring a lot of passion. And his mom works in our district too. So we're bringing up a family here. And I just want to say yes. Be prepared for lots of invites because this isn't going away. So thank you so much. [applause] Zesty Harper: Thank you all. Written communications have been distributed. And now on to our consent agenda. Does anyone have any items they have questions on or would like to pull otherwise I'm looking for a motion. Doug Paulson: Move approval of the consent agenda as presented. Joan Gardner: Second. Zesty Harper: Thank you Joan. All those in favor, please say aye. All board members: Aye Zesty Harper: Motion

051passes five zero. Thank you so much. On to business services. Community facilities district. Andrew McGuire: So every year we already have a community facilities district, with several developments included that have been added from previous board items. Board meetings. This is the annual item that, if approved, allows the county to collect those taxes. And we have to do this every year. And so that's before you, is to approve the collection of the taxes for another year of our CFDs. Zesty Harper: Thank you. Any questions on that? This is just the renewal of it. And do I have a motion? Mark Olson: I'll make a motion to approve. Doug Paulson: Second. Zesty Harper: Thank you. Doug. All those in favor, please say aye. All board members: Aye. Zesty Harper: All those opposed? Joan Gardner: No. Zesty Harper:

052Passes four one. On to the iPads with business services. Andrew McGuire: Okay. Now it's before you. Is another of our leases for iPads to refresh our iPads that are seven, eight and nine years old that are beyond support so they no longer can be updated for security and things like that. And if they remained operational would be a hole in our security infrastructure. And so this would be a four year lease for 3500 or so, 3350 iPads to refresh those seven, eight and nine year iPads. Doug Paulson: So I do have a question on this. There has been a tremendous amount of discussion in the community in a variety of places about the appropriateness of of screen time of technology use in the classroom. There's a lot of research that's been coming out surrounding that.

053I, I, I understand we need to refresh these. I'm not objecting to that, but I'm wondering if this would be an appropriate time for us to form some sort of a subcommittee, a district subcommittee or a district Committee just to come up with recommendations to do some deep extensive research on the entire screen time technology use thing. I understand right now we're sort of committed to all grades using this. It appears that there is such a committee might uncover some information about whether that is appropriate at the younger grades. So I would just I'm just wondering if this is an appropriate time to, to ask for such a committee and if there's any other interest in it. Mark Olson: Yeah. I, I echo Mr. Paulson's just at least having the discussion and, you know, having

054been in the safety committee conversation, I think Miss Sima has brought that up as well as many other staff members. I think many people are nodding their heads over there. And I recognize that as well as speaking to several parents. And just reading about a lot of things. So I, I would hope that, you know, we would be able to have a conversation about the appropriateness of this topic and how we as a district are utilizing this technology. There's a place for it, but the amount, the time and the place, I do think a handle needs to be gotten ahold of in this, this day and age and, and a plan and a place I think is appropriate. So whether it's a committee or whether how we do that, I think a plan needs to

055be in place. So I echo the conversation, whether it's on this dais at this time, I'm not sure that's necessary, but I would hope and Mr. McGuire would work with the staff, because I do believe this is a real challenge, and I would like to support the teachers and the staff in addressing this, this topic. Joan Gardner: I agree. Zesty Harper: Absolutely. I think we're all in agreement. We'd like to see a subcommittee to really work on this and have a district help shape the district's future. Doug Paulson: But now my question is, and this is more of a because such a committee is not agendized, is that something we can simply ask to bring back to establish at the next board meeting? Andrew McGuire: Okay. So later on this agenda, we're actually there's an

056item before you to establish a board subcommittee. And so when we go through that, you'll see the process. It would be Agendized. It could be agendized on the next board meeting. Absolutely. And we would replicate the process that we're going to go through here later tonight to establish the board subcommittee. And I feel like it probably should be a board subcommittee with you know, up to two board members on it as well as staff stakeholders. So there's two different versions of a subcommittee, but one that includes the board and stakeholders, which include families, parents, staff, teachers, classified staff, administration as well to explore. So I think we're all we're all in agreement about the use of technology and trying to kind of come out of the era that we went into where technology was the

057only way to do things and now get back to where education adjusts back to technology can be a tool, but not necessarily is it the entirety of the educational experience. And so we need to have that committee, I believe, to start exploring and to drive the direction of the district when it comes to our use of technology. Absolutely. Doug Paulson: So I believe we've got five individuals saying that we'd like to see that on the next agenda. And with that, I will move approval of whichever item this one is. Zesty Harper: Oh, wait. Hold on. Andrew McGuire: The approval of the four year lease. Yes. Mark Olson: Yeah, I, I'm okay with that. Just one more comment. Having worked in government my entire career and served on numerous subcommittees, my concern with that is subcommittee's

058take forever and nothing gets done. A lot of times. So I would caution. Not that I'm opposed to subcommittee, but I would hope that there is very specific timelines because I don't want to see this take 18 months. I don't think it needs to take 18 months. I think there's data. I think there's examples all throughout. It was only six years ago we weren't doing this. I don't think it needs to take a very long time to replicate what we know is working. And so I think there's districts that are doing this all throughout the country. They've already made this pivot. I would hope that if there's a subcommittee, it's very tight, it's very focused and efficient, and that we can implement this not in 27 or 28, that we can make changes quickly and

059give the teachers the tool to get a little bit more control. And most importantly, give our students the ability to actually make progress in the areas that we've seen these deficiencies. You know, Joan talks about cursive and handwriting, and these are deficiencies that we're seeing all over the place. And these are not things that take a lot of time to correct. And so I would hope that in caution subcommittee's in general, public agencies oftentimes don't yield results very quickly. And I would like to see that not be the case in our circumstances, I don't think it has to be. So with that, I'll second it. Zesty Harper: Okay. Thank you Mark. So I have. Doug Paulson: And and I got I understand we've got a motion on the floor, however. So you're saying you want

060to see dates for a report with recommendations from the subcommittee probably within the next six weeks. Zesty Harper: Well, what we could do is when we bring it at the next meeting, we could have, you know, kind of establish who would be included on the subcommittee, I would assume. Andrew McGuire: Yes. Zesty Harper: We could meet and example deadlines of what to be discussed and determined. Andrew McGuire: The item for this to establish the subcommittee will be on the next agenda, and then the work begins and. And to to Mr. Olson's point, yeah, we're not talking about this is not set up or being set up as a way to delay the progress or, or in any way, shape or form. We need to be thoughtful, though, in the evolution that led us to here,

061that we're being thoughtful when we're when we're adjusting our our practices across the district, across 23 schools, 14,000 students that were being thoughtful in how we're evolving out of that. It doesn't that doesn't mean that it has to be an evolution that takes years or a long time to do. We just need to be thoughtful. That's why bringing together representatives from the board, representing the community, other parents representing their students, our staff representing their students and their educational programs at our schools to just be very thoughtful in what we're going to do going forward so that we still we come out of this with a very good educational program, with focus on there being less of the technology and more of all of the things that you spoke about. Zesty Harper: Okay. Any other comments?

062Okay. So I have a first from Doug, second from Mark. All those in favor, please say aye. All board members: Aye. Zesty Harper: Motion passes, five zero. On to you, Frank. Frank Huston: Okay. Action on student reinstatement. Case number 2520 or 2025-26-01. Motion to accept the recommendation of reinstatement. Joan Gardner: Second. Zesty Harper: Thank you. Joan. Doug, how do you vote? Doug Paulson: Aye Zesty Harper: Joan Joan Gardner: Aye Zesty Harper: Frank Frank Huston: Aye Zesty Harper: Mark. Mark Olson: Aye Zesty Harper: I vote aye as well. Frank Huston: Action on student reinstatement case number 2025-26-02. Motion to accept Recommendations of reinstatement. Zesty Harper: Do I have a second? Mark Olson: I'll second. Zesty Harper: Doug, how do you vote? Doug Paulson: Aye. Zesty Harper: Joan Joan Gardner: Aye Zesty Harper: Frank. Frank Huston: Aye.

063Zesty Harper: Mark Mark Olson: Aye Zesty Harper: I vote aye as well passes five zero. Last one. Frank Huston: Acts upon student stipulated expulsion case 2025-26-5. Motion to accept recommendation of expulsion to December 18th, 2026. Zesty Harper: Thank you. Do I have a second? Doug Paulson: Second. Zesty Harper: Thank you,Doug. Doug, how do you vote? Doug Paulson: Aye Zesty Harper: Joan Joan Gardner: Aye Zesty Harper: Frank Frank Huston: Aye. Zesty Harper: Mark Mark Olson: Aye. Zesty Harper: I vote aye as well. Passes five zero on to superintendent's office. Establishment of the mural review Committee subcommittee. Andrew McGuire: So let's practice for the upcoming technology subcommittee now. So over in the past, for many years before I got here it's been a practice where murals in this district, especially those specifically those painted directly onto our

064walls of our buildings, require board approval. It's been a practice. And in this case, we want to formalize this because we have a bunch of murals and there's an interest in, in moving forward with with with lots of murals across the district, but also caught up in the practice of anything painted directly onto the walls of the school being board approved gets caught up into things like, for instance, the Quantum Academy just received the California Distinguished School Award and coming with that, now we're able to put the seal of that on the school. You see that at many schools that have that recognition. And that would have been something to come before the board or, for instance, the L.R. Green Foundation is wanting to fund some school name and logo graphics on their school. Recently,

065a year ago, we painted on the little wall in front of Bear Valley, the like it says Bear Valley there with their logo. And so what I'm, I'm saying is that when we establish the mural, I'd like to split out where things like that that are school logo specific are something that doesn't necessarily have to go into a subcommittee for review. And we'll get into the subcommittee here in a second, but that'll just be separated out. School logo, school name specific painting is something that we would do professionally and do it and be able to do that with cabinet approval and our facilities maintenance department being a part of that process. Now, as far as the murals, that would be a part of this subcommittee that's before you, if you agree with that, would be

066those artistic expression type murals. And that those would be requiring board approval and that would go into the subcommittee that in this item, the recommendation is to have two board members myself or a designee if I'm not available for a meeting. But and also our maintenance director who currently is Brian Morris sitting over there because of the involvement of painting on the walls. And we want to make sure we have the expert people that are involved in that work, and this subcommittee would then take on the, be a process to submit renderings of what a mural you would like it to look like, that whoever's wanting to do it. And then that would be then discussed in this subcommittee and then that recommendation to the board for approval or denial out of that subcommittee. And

067so I know there's some conversations that I think you might want to have around around that, but this item would establish that subcommittee with the two members. You pick your members, the other two be myself and the maintenance director. And then if you want to talk about kind of the this is practice for the technology one for sure, how you want to see that subcommittee go in the purview of it. Doug Paulson: So so I'm at the end of the table. I'll kick this off. When we're talking about murals and artwork on our walls I think there's a larger, a larger situation here, I think we what I would like to expand this idea out with is that this subcommittee would first of all come up with a public art policy, a, a proposed policy

068for the board to go through with public comment. So that the there's no art, there's no perception of arbitrary decisions being made. How long is the artwork going to be up? What, what are what is going to be the required student involvement? Because this artwork needs to be student centered if it's at a school, but also how long is it going to be there for? There is a lot to be said for the school campus, and the artwork on it belongs to the students who are at the school at that time. We don't want to put up any sacred cows. The artwork went up during my time at Orange Glen High School when I was a student there in 1981, and it can never come down. So there have been issues at other schools. Exactly

069that situation where the school is being not allowed to replace a piece of art because it was done literally 45 years ago. And, you know, it no longer reflects the school at any way. So there's there's just a lot of different aspects to this. Plus, what are the topics going to be? How is the funding? How are we going to be funding these things? Where is that money going to come from? And there's just a lot of different aspects to this. So I would like to see a comprehensive policy surrounding this with a deadline, you know, so that we can have something in place prior to the opening of next school year. And I would just propose that that be added to the purview of of this proposal tonight. Joan Gardner: So, Doug, I just

070heard you volunteer for the committee. Doug Paulson: Murals can be an absolute nightmare. And having overseen the putting up of six of them and now finding out that there's drug symbolism in one of the ones that has been up for seven years there's a lot of pitfalls. You know, so we just need to be very cautious. Cautious. There is an absolute beautiful commercial Mural at Conway Elementary, but it was put up using plywood. And we've got to understand, we put up a piece of art on plywood with a internationally famous artist. The plywood does not last longer because the artist is internationally famous, and the rain will indeed fray the edges and destroy it. So there's a lot more to this than painting on the side of a wall. And my big thing is this

071needs to be student centered. I, if, if you, if you put me on the committee, I can guarantee you that you know, this it, it screams to me because there's a lot to visualizing a mural, learning about them, learning about the symbolism, then designing it, and then actually placing the mural. And in my opinion, that needs to be done by the students. And yes, you can have kindergartners helping with that. So I mean, that's just my thing. What I would hate to see is for us to be hiring commercial artists to come in and put up their vision. And there's always a pressure to do that on school campuses. Joan Gardner: And you brought up an interesting point about the mural at Conway. My point was, and I was going to ask you that Orange

072Glen, the mural that was put up when you were in high school is that, is that refreshed on a regular basis or has it lasted? Doug Paulson: It was last refreshed in 1985 and all. And the high school district is just under incredible pressure from the alumni to never take it down. Joan Gardner: But but they do need to be refreshed periodically because they they do get weatherbeaten. So that's another consideration. But I think it's a good conversation for a committee to have as well. Zesty Harper: I agree. Joan Gardner: I mean, we don't have to. It could be a great rush. Every school want a mural now and that's not necessarily a good thing. It has to be a commitment to maintaining it as well and funding it. So they're all good questions Doug.

073And as I said, I think you're a perfect person for that committee as you bring another perspective. Zesty Harper: Yeah, absolutely. Doug Paulson: I also love murals, by the way. Don't anybody think I don't want murals, I want murals, I just want students doing them. Zesty Harper: And I think it's, it's a great opportunity to really have a, a district policy for like a board policy for it. So everyone's on the same page. Again, so there's no confusion on what the expectations are and what the parameters are. Joan Gardner: It was a practice for a while of, of the students doing times, if you remember that. Zesty Harper: Oh, yeah. Joan Gardner: And my youngest son has won a great big [inaudible]. Zesty Harper: Exactly. Joan Gardner: And I found it and and one of

074my grandsons found his brothers at at Bernardo. So I know that they are, the kids love. Even when they grow up, they like to go back and look for them. That's a nice thing. And having a mural, that would be something else to be proud of. Zesty Harper: And help the whole, the whole thing. Any other questions? Okay. So are we just moving approval? Are we are you looking for members? Andrew McGuire: So a couple of things. So the first thing I said when we talk about murals, I it doesn't take a vote. It's not up for vote, but just is the consensus of the board that a mural is that more expression of art, but school imagery where it's the school logo, the school name. Is that something that you would want to have

075included in this, or can we split that out? Doug Paulson: I think that would be part of the policy. Andrew McGuire: Okay. Doug Paulson: Okay, but I, I also think that if we've got things that need to go up right away. That that. Andrew McGuire: There's just two projects that are before us that I'm talking about. And that's the L.R. Green. And there NPR is the school name and their school logo that the foundation wanted to, to fund doing. And then the California Distinguished School Seal to go on the Quantum building. And so those to me don't seem like murals or more like. Mark Olson: I would concur with that. Andrew McGuire: Right. Zesty Harper: I'd say with cabinet can make that decision. Andrew McGuire: In our practice before has been if it gets painted

076on the wall, it comes to board. And so and so instead of holding up those types of projects, we can get started on that. But what goes into the committee or those [inaudible]. There's also another for the foundation wants to do LR Green, which is some trees and whatnot imagery, and it's kind of muralesque. And so I think that stays with the committee, the part of their project that's just the school name, school logo doesn't stay with the committee. That's something that cabinet. I think that's what I'm looking for. Consensus that those types of things. And of course he would check Friday updates and things like that just to make sure. Like that's something. No, I think that really belongs on the committee. Give you a chance to have input on that for sure. But

077when we're talking about the expressive art that, that would definitely be there. And I'm part of the, the, the recommendation here that's on the screen on your screens to supporting this committee would support a collaborative and transparent review process. I think having a policy is the way that you do that. And it's your, obviously your purview to create board policy and to have us come back to you with board policies for you to discuss and vote on. And also as part of this, considerations in this would be like the long term maintenance is in there, the placement, the messaging, the design all of that would be part of the purview of the subcommittee and analysis to determine, is this an approved mural? Does there need to be an. I think that part of this could

078look like is that whoever is wanting to do the mural from the school site could come and present to the subcommittee, or even do that just by giving the documents, or come and actually present to the subcommittee there. And there could be a back and forth if there, you know, conversations about the final design of the mural. So tonight's item would be to establish that and in the form and in the process of establishing it, then assigning members to members, maximum of two members to the subcommittee from, from the Board of Education. Zesty Harper: Okay. Is everyone okay with that? Okay. So we'll make a motion to approve it, and then we'll ask who would like to join the committee and then we'll fight it out. Doug Paulson: But are we in agreement that one

079of the first deals this committee is going to do is the policy? Zesty Harper: Yes. Doug Paulson: And then and then the ongoing work will be the actual approvals. Zesty Harper: Yes. Andrew McGuire: I think the right thing to do is to create a policy. That's how we provide a collaborative and transparent review process and establish that. So there isn't a feeling of arbitrary decision making. I think there needs to be a policy. We're missing that policy here. Doug Paulson: Got it. Zesty Harper: Excellent. So, do I have a motion? Doug Paulson: Move approval. Zesty Harper: Thank you. Doug. Do I have a second? Thank you. Joan. All those in favor? All board members: Aye. Zesty Harper: Okay. Motion passes five zero. Now, is there any volunteers? Doug?. We got. Okay, I'll volunteer to anyone

080else. Okay, so it'll be Doug and I on the subcommittee. Doug Paulson: Mark, I see that you've had a lot of experience with murals, and you're actively not volunteering. Zesty Harper: He's a smart one. Mark Olson: I've stated my thoughts on subcommittees previously in this meeting, and we don't need to get into murals either. Andrew McGuire: Do you want a subcommittee on subcommittees? Doug Paulson: And, Mr. Olson, I will say that one of the first things the subcommittee is going to do is put a due date on the the policy at a minimum, the policy needs to be done. Zesty Harper: You know, I hate wordsmithing. We can get that done quickly. Okay. Okay. Andrew McGuire: Looking forward to it. Zesty Harper: Yeah. First, I'm absolutely. Absolutely. Oh, okay. Perfect. Okay. Moving on. Superintendent's office.

081Employment contract. Andrew McGuire: Okay. So tonight we have two. So the first one is you guys voted and appointed Michelle Cagle to be the assistant superintendent of Business Services, effective July 1st. This is now the actual contract for that. And so this contract was a term of starting July 1st of 2026 through June 30th of 2029 at a salary on the existing assistant superintendent salary schedule of $204,463. And so that's what's up for vote here tonight. Zesty Harper: Thank you. Do I have a motion. Frank Huston: Motion to approve. Zesty Harper: Thank you. Thank you Frank. Thank you Joan. All those in favor, please say aye. All board members: Aye. Zesty Harper: Motion passes five zero. Back to you. Andrew McGuire: All right. And this one actually comes with a little bit of an extra.

082So this is not just a renewal of existing assistant superintendents contract, but actually a promotion. And within this contract is the promotion of Audrey Frank from Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources to the Deputy Superintendent of Human Resources. To be my right hand [applause]. Same term July 1st, 2026 through June 30th of 2029 on the Deputy Superintendent salary schedule for an amount of $214,689. So that would be up for vote for you now. Zesty Harper: Thank you. Do I have a motion? Mark Olson: Second. Zesty Harper: Thank you Mark. All those in favor, please say aye. All board members: Aye. Zesty Harper: Excellent. Motion passes five zero. Thank you so much. Okay, moving on to board reports. And Doug, since you are at the end of the row, let's get get us started, please. Doug Paulson:

083All right. Well attended the honoring our own retirement ceremony and the ceremony for years of service out in the courtyard. I think last Thursday and I just, I just want to reiterate my previous thoughts. A lot of people retiring and every one of them is going to be a huge loss to this district. I wish them the best in their futures. At the same time, there are going to be so many retirements over the next several years. That I will tell you that I, I just know we are going to miss these people. They have been a huge part of the fabric of this district. And I think we need to recognize that. While we were sitting there at that ceremony, I was looking at the, the program. And I suddenly realized we had a

08440 year employee, 40 year employee, Silvia Solorio, a paraeducator from Pioneer Elementary School. And she wasn't there because she was at her school site coordinating the YMCA program in the afternoon, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. And 40 years. That just did not seem right to any of us. The next morning, Zesty and I, after a mild bit of collusion, showed up and presented her with flowers, a gift card, and then her plate. Her glass plate from the district. I had her 40 year glass plate. And I will tell you she was very clearly she did not look like a 40 year employee. Her energy level looked like she had just been hired. And so just a shout out to Sylvia Solorio. And I will tell you [applause]. In in the future, when we

085have a 40 year employee, we need to have the principal ordered them to attend the ceremony because we all need to recognize them. Right after the honoring our own ceremony, I went to the classroom of the Future Foundation Award ceremony at Sea World where our expanded learning program was honored as just a typically as an exemplary program across the district. And so congratulations to them. I did indeed go to the community schools event yesterday at Orange Glen Elementary and learned that TTEE is indeed a an abbreviation for trustee. I certainly had never known that before, and I'll just second that. That was obviously a lot of work. And I think you're absolutely right. That just needs to be a package deal that is handed out to the other schools. So anybody here's who you call,

086here's how you do this, here's how you set it up. So we're not reinventing the wheel at 16 different schools. I spent quite a bit of time last night talking with the MTSS from Rose Elementary School about their sustainability plan. I'll be attending one of their upcoming community school advisory committee meetings, just to hear more about the sustainability. Because sustainability within the Community Schools program has to be our primary focus. And I know you all agree with that. Looking forward to doing my ACE job shadow. I, I do everything late, right? I do everything when I don't have babies, so that's going to be tomorrow. I'll be with a paraeducator over at Del Dios tomorrow. Looking forward to it. [applause] Joan Gardner: So good thing there are five of us to to be spread around.

087I was happy to represent the board along with Mrs. Harper at the last Star Superintendents Advisory Roundtable meeting of the year. And it was basically a, a promise to continue the program and to to flesh it out more in the, in the next school year. So we're looking forward to that and hoping that people will come back and participate. And I also was happy to be at the Honoring Our Employees garden reception, and was impressed by the number of 20 and 30 year employees, let alone the 40 year employee. And to honor the the teachers and the classified employees of the year from each school. And then from the district, and also honoring Patrick as the district employee of the year. So it was it was a lovely event [applause]. And also, Andrea did a

088beautiful synopsis of what the community event was. And what I liked about it was that it combined that with an open school night. And so the parents not only got to see a lot of the vendors were really geared to social, emotional feeling, social emotional needs, and also a way to help families who are struggling through the difficult financial times as well. So I picked up some good information. I picked up a disaster ready guide, which I'm going to use, which helps prepare for disasters like fires or earthquakes that might come having to go. And the documents that we need to assemble to have ready to go and things that if we have to stay at home and our water supply is cut off and the food to have on hand anyhow, it's a really

089good it's a really good guide. And also Compact had a had a booth set up called Families First, and I was told by a young man at that booth that they all flush with a grant and they're looking for families to apply and it's for utility assistance, rental and mortgage assistance, wrap around case management offering, long term coordination and accountability. So it's it's something to look into for those even in, in our district who are struggling when to pass that on. And then there was a, this, now this one I was really interested in. New Hope Music Studio was offering piano lessons and they're a very low cost was stressed to me. And there are scholarships available even if the parents cannot afford it. And starting at seven years old, and as someone who was

090offered piano lessons at my elementary school in first grade and I continued on until high school, I think it's a very valuable thing. So I hope I'd like I brought kept a flier. I'm going to anyone who's interested. I'd like to pass that information on or maybe leave it with the district office. So if anyone within the sound of my voice is interested in passing that on to our parents, it would be probably be appreciated. But getting back to Orange Glen and what you talked about too, I, it occurred to me we could register the participants with the district office, and once they're cleared, they're cleared. And so it's a one stop. Yes, we're already we're going to be at such and such a school, but we have clearance. So I think that's a great

091idea. The Boy Scouts were there. They had a booth. The PTA had a booth, the library had a booth giving away free books. And then there were also there was a table with free books. I imagine that was through the school. And then the piece de resistance. I had the the opportunity to visit a second grade classroom with a window that overlooked the Killdeer nest when they were there, and that class did a project on the killdeer, studied them, wrote essays about them. And when you talk about bringing back those skills Mrs. Buford explained that not a picture goes up in her classroom unless it has writing to go with it. And I saw examples of that. Example after example, and I was very, very pleased that the and, and she actually shared that her

09214 year old son does not have a cell phone. So I thought that was really great. Yeah. Anyhow, I was very impressed with that. I was impressed with the artwork and the, and the volcanoes, the working volcanoes that were created. It was a very welcoming classroom. So I was happy that I had that opportunity. And to learn about the Killdeer and the fact that the Killdeer actually pretends to have a broken wing to lure predators away from the nest. Clever. Very clever. Yes. Yeah. Yes, she told us about that. And what else? Oh, and there was a fire engine and a health mobile. And as I said, Compact was there just a great program, great to bring the parents out and getting them involved in their school. And then they can go on to go

093to their kids classrooms as well. And the kids would go play on the playground in the meantime. Let's see. And then this morning I attended the the May revise, and this is something else that came up about the community schools. And so I would like to share the good news. The May revision maintains a 1 billion in new ongoing funds to expand the Community Schools model to support existing grantees and new community schools with a UPP which is an Unduplicated pupil population of 65% or more. The LEA's may retain up to 10%. Okay. An LEA with an eligible school must opt in to receive funds, and a new certification process will begin in [inaudible]. So the funds will are ongoing until at least 2033. When you talk about continuity and I [inaudible] oh and then

094I spent a little time at Del Dios, at the Americans on display before a meeting tonight. And it was, it was a lot of kids. And they were very, some of them were very enthusiastic about the subjects that they studied. And I got to listen to a presentation on Helen Keller, but also one less I've seen less often, which was Elizabeth Blackwell, who was the first American female doctor. And the young lady who did that studied that gave a wonderful presentation. I prepared a wonderful presentation. So I was very happy. I never did find Dolley Madison, however, which made me sad. But. And Ben Franklin, of course, was there. There were numerous Ben Franklin's and and George Washington's. But as I said, Elizabeth Blackwell was was a different one. And that's my report. Thank you.

095Zesty Harper: Thank you, Joan. Frank. Frank Huston: Okay. So this morning I visited Central School. A, the TK had a presentation and the presentation was Mother Goose themed. And it was absolutely amazing. The kids were reciting not one, not two, not 5 or 20. It was 35 minutes long. They yeah, they were singing and reciting all of the nursery rhymes. And they knew them by heart. And in speaking with Miss Reyes and Miss Peralta, this was a two month venture for them. And it was absolutely amazing. And the work that they're doing with those kids at TK was just overwhelming. I mean, it was just it was amazing. Zesty Harper: I mean, everything was memorized. Frank Huston: Oh, yeah. Zesty Harper: It was unbelievable. Frank Huston: It was. And every and every TK had a

096part. So it wasn't just them standing up and reciting the, the, the poems and the nursery rhymes. It was every, it was just, it was just magnificent. I mean, I was in the back just, just enjoying myself thoroughly on it. And it was very nice for them to give us the heads up that they were doing this and thoroughly enjoyed it. Also, I know that there's about less than 20 days left of school. How many? 14. 14. Okay. And it's interesting because when I was talking to Miss Cortez, I asked her and she said, I don't know. And I said, I'm sure I could ask any teacher, and she would give me the day and hour of when that final bell is. And we're in the finish. We're we're getting to the finish line. And

097I just cannot thank everyone. Just all the work that you guys have done has been noticed. We appreciate all the work you do. And now the hard work starts, especially for Naomi and her group. Because all of the cleaning, all of the getting ready for next year starts in during the summer. So we appreciate that you guys work very hard and we thank you for the work that you do. And we and we, we be safe and you know, but we know it's going to be done properly. And we, we do thank you for all of that hard work. So just wanted to recognize your group and everything else. So they're ready. Alright. And that's my that's my report. Mark Olson: Thanks, Frank. Just want to acknowledge I know it's like Frank said, schools coming

098to a close and we have a lot of staff that are retiring or perhaps moving on to a different opportunity. I just want to from my perspective, say thank you to all those and wish them well in whatever their next opportunity or next adventure may be. As well as I want to congratulate Michael as well as Naomi. I wish them well in their new pursuits. And I also want to, we had a good discussion today with our administration or the district administration about how those positions are filled, and I think they really do a great job. And I want to acknowledge not just the cabinet, but all the staff members that are involved. I really appreciate that. They include a cross section of the staff across the district in in some of those conversations. And

099I really think that that's a testament to why we have such great administrators. We have great individuals who are really caring about the sites. And I think obviously sometimes changes are difficult. And we have staff members of the community that are very attached. And I think that's a testament to how, how much our, our staff, each and every one of our staff members care about the community and care about the students that they serve. And so I appreciate the process that we have in place. And I think it's great that we have a good blend of how those positions are filled. And it creates opportunities for the staff who want those. So I want to acknowledge the staff, and I appreciate kind of how that's been going through. Frank mentioned it. You know, I think

100one of the most exciting times for me is the promotions at the end of this in school. But at the same time, I do realize to all the teachers out there, this is probably a time where there's a lot of amped up energy and having a son who has extreme senioritis at this time. I just say thank you and I ask you to hold on. And I appreciate every one of the teachers who are trying to get to the finish line. But at the same time, like Frank mentioned, I know a lot of work goes in both for the teachers as well as the classified staff to get ready for those promotions. I know it's a lot of hard work. And once those promotions are done, I know a lot of work then begins heavily

101for Noemi and the classified staff. So I want to acknowledge that on the front end once that's done, I know the real work really starts to line up. And so I hope that Mr. Maguire and your staff have some things in place to acknowledge and take care of those staff, and I hope that we can, as a board, be involved in that as well. So I think that's it. I just want to acknowledge those things and say thanks to everybody as we come to the end of another exciting year. Thanks. Zesty Harper: Thank you. I think we all matched up on most things this this time around, I attended the Star meeting, which I'm excited we're going to continue into next year and shaping this district. I really like the format and how you have

102the mix of everyone. I attended the honoring our employees where Doctor Ibarra got to ring the bell. Where's your bell? Dr.Luis Ibarra: On the mantel. Zesty Harper: So he got to ring the bell, which I know he was excited to do. And then we were also able to honor all of our long standing employees and our employees of the year, but then also our admin of the year. Patrick. Congratulations again. It was great [applause]. It's always the best when we get to surprise you. I attended with Doug the Innovations in Education awards which again honored our expanded learning team. They are a great model for the county of how they're using those resources we've been given in an amazing way that affects so many of our students. So thank you again for all that you're,

103you guys do it's really fantastic. And Doug had the great idea of going to Pioneer and surprising Sylvia, who I know her principal tried really, really, really, really hard to get her to go. She refused. She was, she was so dedicated and felt they were short staffed. But she, she had so much energy and so much passion for her position, but she did have a countdown, which I was happy about on her phone for her retirement, which is in two years, 11 months, similar to what Doctor Ibarra has, not quite down to the seconds yet, but so that I, appreciate all her years of service and her and still her enthusiasm. And we won't mention the chalkboard that Doug broke or may not have broken in a classroom. So beware if you invite him into

104your classroom. So anyway, sorry, I also was at the street fair, the Escondido Street fair on Sunday. And I was able to stop by the booth that expanded learning had and the preschool as well. So that was great. They had great activities that really engaged children. That walked by. I mean, when I went, the booth was full of kids and, and they were out, Cesar was out talking to different families. And so it was a great outreach event because there was a lot of people there this year at the street fair. It was really well attended. So I'm glad we had a presence there. And then again, ACE day, I was able to shadow Abby. She is a para at Bear Valley. And we just, she was pushed into different classrooms throughout the day and

105how she handles those students and really is mindful of what they need and the extra effort she takes to make sure they have a successful day. I really appreciated that about her. She's studying for her master's in social work at the same time as she's working for us. So I mean, she works in the day and then she goes and does her internship hours in the evenings, which is amazing. So we're really lucky to have her. So again, I really appreciate any of our ace of our classified staff that volunteer because I know it's scary and we're not trying to do a gotcha. It's really so we know what you go through on a day to day you know, basis and it really is eye opening. And I really appreciate you putting that together and

106the effort it takes. And then we had the luncheon to accompany it so we could all share what everyone learned. It was some great stories. Unfortunately, Doctor Ibarra didn't get put on a roof or in a sewer pipe this time. But you know, nothing dangerous for him. But again, I mean, we have such a range of our classified employees and what they have to do. And so again, thank you for putting that together. I also attended with Frank, the TK program at Central, which was fantastic. They were adorable. And we stopped by Dell Dios for the history night, the Americans on Display, which was great to see. And then I'll just echo you guys of it's the end of the year. We won't have another meeting before the end of the year. And I'm, I'm

107even feeling it this year because it is we're all tired and we just have to push through for these next couple of weeks. And I think we should have teacher and staff appreciation. Actually, the first week after summer break starts when all the kids are back home. And so they realize, oh yeah, the teachers were amazing and we should just send, you know, we miss them very, very, very much. I know I feel that as a mom that I'll have all three home this summer. But but again, thanks. Thank you guys again for pushing through this year. We can't do it without any of you, and I hope you hear us say that. But I also hope you see us show up and really and and, and show up and show that we see you

108and we see what you're doing and that we do appreciate it because words don't don't feel enough of that void. But again, thank you. And that is my report. Dr.Luis Ibarra: All right. Yeah, 14 days to go. And but who's counting now? For me, it's 36 days. 3,000,000 seconds. Three. That's actually. I was teasing Mr. McGuire because I have this countdown that's got the days and down to the seconds and 3,000,000 seconds, which is pretty. Wow. It used to be a lot longer when I started this countdown a few years ago, but no, yeah, no, I was really appreciative that we had ACE Week and I had an opportunity to to shadow Adriana Melendez, who's preschool para over at Lincoln Elementary School in the preschool program. It was a full circle moment for me because

109I, when I was in college, I started I started as a part time job in the child care center and became a preschool para first and then a preschool teacher. As I was working for my credential to be a teacher. So I chose that with intention because I wanted to end my career in with the littles. Everyone knows I'm a little impartial to the littles have been a former kindergarten teacher as well. But it was exhausting. I'll be honest, just to be back in the classroom with those littles, it's just boom, boom, boom, boom. I did get admonished by a preschooler because, you know, my I got a text and the emails don't stop coming. So I was checking my emails with kind of over the kids. They were reading the story to them and

110I had a preschooler say, teacher, no phones at school. So quickly put the phone away for the rest of the day. Okay. So no, it was a pleasure working with shadowing Adriana Melendez. Wonderful employees who also received her 30 year pin this year. So very dedicated, has been in preschool her whole career and she just loves it and does a wonderful job, as do all of our amazing employees. Just a full circle moment to just watch all of these. Just what makes this district tick. And it's really the people. So for everyone that has 14 days left or 36 days, it's 15. Yeah, it's been a wonderful pleasure working with all of you and I will miss you. So thank you. [applause] Andrew McGuire: All right. So first of all, I just want a quick

111shout out to our girls on the run program. There was an event last weekend. We have like the most schools in that like just a huge turnout. So that's an amazing program for our girls here. Also I want to pile on about what happened in Orange Glen. That was last night. I know. How are you still awake? So. I've been talking about as long as you guys have known me here, but even longer in my life about just the unfair negative attention or negative perception that people put on public education. And I always say the answer to that, the remedy that the antidote to that is that for people to be inside of our fences, in our classrooms, on our campuses. And so I want to thank you Andrea and the other MTSS staff that

112have done these kind of things, and it's going to continue to grow. You absolutely have mine in all of our support in this. I know there's some technical things and this is a new thing for us to really do. We're going to figure that out. Because this is something that we need to do all the time because we need people to be in our campuses so they can see what really is happening there and the great work that's happening with our teachers, our classified staff, everybody involved in developing that next generation. And so absolutely, thank you for what you did there. I know that the next time it's going to be even bigger, we have to start with something and give people something to want to be a part of. And you had a great

113start to that. And I know that it's just going to keep growing and growing. Obviously we can't have everybody on campus while we're doing school, but definitely after hours, we're going to, I think we're going to see this as a much more common thing. And with, with your leadership and those that that do that work at our schools. So, so thank you for that and have a great end of the year. We're almost there. I know May is that trying time when kids are looking forward to summer? Everyone's looking forward to summer, but hang in there and we're here to support you. And thank you for a great year and I look forward to many more to come. I think I have billions of seconds left. [laughter] Zesty Harper: You just started. Andrew McGuire: Billions.

114I look forward to every single one of them. Here in this district and with, with all of our, our students and staff and all of that. So thank you. And that's all I have. Zesty. Zesty Harper: You're good. Excellent. Okay. Our next meeting is Thursday, June 18th at the Escondido Union School District. Carilyn Gilbert Education Center. We do not need to return to closed session, so we are adjourned. Thank you everyone.