001Zesty Harper: All right. Good evening. I wanted to welcome you all to our regularly scheduled board meeting of the Escondido Union School District Board of Education. All members are present. Am I missing one? Sorry. And then we have a representative from Del Dios Academy. Ryder, if you could please come up to the podium and lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Ryder: Please remove your caps if you have any. And 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, Ryder. All members of the board are present, and we do have a report out of closed session. Frank Huston: In closed session, the board considered dismissal charges
002against a classified probationary employee and took action to approve those charges and release employee number 676904 by a vote of 5 to 0. In closed session the board took action to approve the recommendation for appointment of Mike Brinkley as interim assistant Principal of Bear Valley Middle School beginning February 1st, 2026, by vote of 5 to 0. Congratulations. [applause] Mike Brinkley: Good evening [inaudible] president Harper, the board, Dr. Ibarra, the cabinet. Is with great excitement I stand up here this evening saying thank you for this opportunity does not do justice to the gratitude that I truly feel for being given the opportunity to fill in as an interim AP in EUSD. Leaving the amazing staff and students of Pioneer was truly a difficult decision in addition to the group that sits behind me, I am proud
003of the work that I have done over the years at Pioneer and with EEEA, with the intentions of making a positive impact in both areas. With that being said, I see a promising outlook for our district and I'm excited to have been granted the opportunity to continue to make a positive impact on the future of EUSD in a different capacity. Thank you. [applause] Zesty Harper: Thank you. Congratulations! I was very impressed when we walked on the mission campus together, and he was treated like a rock star by all those students, and he wasn't even a teacher there. So that says a lot about your character, and we're excited for you to take this new role with us. Moving on to the approval of the agenda. Do I have a motion? Doug Paulson: Move. Approval of
004tonight's agenda [microphone crackle]. Zesty Harper: Oh, good Doug can't speak tonight [laughter]. All right. This is going to be. We're going to get out of here by, like, 30 minutes. Okay. Do we have a second? Frank Huston: Second. Zesty Harper: Okay. Thank you. All those in favor? Motion passes five zero. Do I have a motion for the approval of the minutes? Mark Olson: I'll approve. Yeah. Make a motion. Zesty Harper: Thank you. All those in favor, please raise your hand. Motion passes. Now on to our favorite part of the evening, the recognitions. Rick Oser: We're really excited to continue our recognitions. Tonight we're going to have Principal Reichle. He's first going to start off with Del Dios Academy of Arts and Sciences, continued by Limitless Learning Academy and then the Home Education program. So Mr..
005Reichle. Michael Reichel: Good evening. Mr. McGuire, Doctor Ibarra and the rest of the cabinet and our Board of Trustees. Good to be here. Good to see you. And I just wanted to welcome all of the people here from Del Dios. Can we show our Del Dios representation, please? [applause]Thank you for being here tonight. So I just wanted to talk about a few highlights and then talk about our excellent students. So move on to the next slide. Do I do it here? All right. So we had some of the highlights this year. We've had some really great achievements. And up in the corner, you see that we actually had a Gabriel Diaz won the esports championship this year. You can see him with Mr. Oser up there. And we were really excited about that. Also if
006you look over that Santa hat is that's our first Lego League team that made it to the regionals this year. And Miss Potter was the one who mentored them. If you could raise your hand, show that you're here. That was a wonderful thing. That brought a lot of school pride. And also, Miss Potter, if you look at the bottom corner, she had the students talking to a real archeologist. So an authentic learning experience, much like dinner with a scientist last year, which we're going to do again this year. So that was a great thing, too. And if you look at those two books, First of all, Miss Jackson let us know that we had four students that were able to get into an a national poetry journal, which is on the right, and they're published
007poets. And then after that, two more went to the next level, where there was a bound book, that Excellence book, where they were published. So that was another level up from The National. So that was a great achievement for our Del Dios kids. To the left of that, we have an amazing training opportunity for girls that come to our school, which is our field hockey team, and you can see them there in La Jolla at the Bishop's School, which is one of the top programs in the state, maybe even in the country. And last week or two weeks ago, they almost beat them. It was one zero till the very end. Our program is bringing the character, integrity and the training both academically and in the sport and in character. We're so proud of that
008program. Mr. O'Brien has been really developing for so many years at Del Dios. Another thing that you'll notice up at the top is you'll see those kids over the table. We've been really focused on Avid strategies and Qtel strategies in our professional development. And Miss Matkowski is here. She's our Avid rep and teaches our Avid class, and we've been really trying to bring that to our tier two Thursdays, where we're trying to do with our shorter classes, a lot of intervention work and using Avid strategies. And also we've been using the Avid Emerge curriculum for our ELs (English Learners), which we've been giving designated EL at Dios this year. So we're really happy that so many people have been taking these strategies on and allowing the kids to focus on what is our instructional focus,
009which is oracy. Being able to express oneself and language, and also their ability to comprehend both in written and oral ways. So that's our focus for the year. And as you can see with the math, we have those standing whiteboards. So the kids can do interactive gallery type walks. And what you're seeing there are seventh graders explaining how they developed the area of a circle to sixth graders. So becoming effective communicators, empathetic collaborators you can see a lot of the great outcomes of the district in those pictures. So let's move on to the students. So first of all, I want to bring up Ryder Goossens, who did our wonderful Pledge of Allegiance. He's our eighth grader[applause]. When it comes to excellence in all aspects of the classroom Mr. Ryder is a shining example. In simple
010ways like enthusiastic participation in discussions Ryder will always be ready in more complicated ways, like writing essays and presenting to an audience Ryder rises to the challenge. This is a student that every teacher wants in their classroom. Awards like this are just the beginning for students like Ryder and all his past and present teachers know the value he adds to the school. Congratulations. [applause] Alright. Next, I'd like to call up our seventh grade Representative Sophia Ihlbrock [applasue]. Sophia has done an outstanding job in DDTV, which is our weekly video program and consistently demonstrates strong leadership in physical education, motivating her classmates and setting a positive tone. She is genuinely kind and respectful. Who is currently participating in field hockey. Showing dedication both on and off the field. In the classroom, she actively participates, takes initiative,
011and continually goes above and beyond expectations. She's also an excellent writer and a reliable teammate who can be placed in any group and immediately strengthen it. Her strong work ethic, leadership, and positive attitude make her a truly exceptional student. Congratulations [applause]. And last but not least, from Del Dios we have from sixth grade, Cali VanderLeest [applause]. Cali has a great attitude, I can tell you that. She says hi to me every day, and I love it when kids say hi to me, so I appreciate that. And she gives 100% in class. When a player falls to the ground, she gives them a hand in getting back up. She always helps pick up equipment and brings it in without prompting. She's friendly, courteous, and demonstrates the Dragon Creed of being safe, respectful and responsible in her
012thoughts, words, and actions every day. Congratulations, Cali. Great start. [applause] Andrew McGuire: I'm going to take a couple of pictures for us and then parents, teachers, staff, everybody want to get some pictures closer. Please come up. Michael Reichel: We have to go up to the slide I think for the. Yeah. Thank you. All right, well, let's move on to the second school, Limitless Learning Academy this is the fifth year of its operation, and for those of you unfamiliar, it's a hybrid program. Students get their academics from 8:00 to 12:00, and then afterwards from 1:00 to 2:45. And once a week they have an opportunity to come in and do some really creative, exploratory type activities. And the key to Limitless is building community. Even though we're online and many of you had that during the
013pandemic, we have a special group of teachers who make the kind of mentorship and the kind of connections and relationships as authentic and as beautiful as being in person, and even better. So there's a lot of care. And one of the key aspects is mentor meetings. And they incorporated a couple of things this year with one of the highest levels of collective efficacy for the teachers is to be able to work together to come up with during the redesign process, a way for students to make their goals and make goals in all these different areas of the Pillars of the LLA way, so that there's individual attention, a personalized approach, and these goals are checked in in the mentor meetings, and there's a lot of attention given to each individual. Another thing that they've really
014worked on this year is exploring the world of work and using the Riasec. And also looking, Riasec is kind of like looking at people's different characteristics, gifts and assets, the things that they're really interested in realistic, investigative, artistic, you get the idea. And when the kids get to know more about themselves, then they can learn about the careers that are out there, some of them that we haven't even learned about yet, you know, their new careers in the changing world, and they study them and also study the trajectory of education it would take to get there. And there's again, lots of beautiful. Miss Bolas is here. Who else from Limitless is here representing, by the way? I wanted to thank you for being here. And Jasmine and her family. And thank you for being here,
015doing amazing art and community building activities every day. All the teachers are doing that when they come in, and they can also do it if they can't come in online virtually. So it's a beautiful program and they're showing amazing results. If you look at the data for how they're doing in I-ready and CAASPP, it's it's really exceptional. So I'm very proud of them. So without any further ado, let's recognize our student from LLA. Today we have Jasmin Fabian Gonzalez, an eighth grader at LLA. Would you come up here Jasmin? Jasmin consistently demonstrates focus and responsibility. Her academic excellence reflects her strong work ethic and attention to detail. Jasmine is engaged in her learning, and her work reveals depth of thought and a mature understanding of the material. We know that she will go on to
016achieve whatever she sets her mind to. Congratulations [applause]. And we'll do it. Okay. And I have to to recognize who's here for home tonight? Who's representing Home Ed [applause]? Isn't that amazing? We have a big family here. They're very proud. And so I would, first of all, want to talk a little bit about the Home Education program that's been at the campus of Limitless for the last two years. And Amanda Wilcox is here, our teacher representing. So in the, in the Home Education program, the parents receive the curriculum and deliver the instruction. And Amanda Wilcox supports in every way possible. So there's so much that she does to encourage and help the students, but also so much she does to encourage and help the parents. Because if you start at an early age doing home
017education, there might be a little fatigued by the time you get to sixth seventh grade, and she encourages them to stick with it. And she also provides a lot of different supports. Every day she provides a virtual class kind of community meeting. She has optional language arts and math meetings every week. She has monthly optional field trips that she tries to get them to build community together, both families and students. And she's always trying to organize and give feedback on the work being done. So she's just an incredible teacher. But these families that I've met, the other thing with both Limitless and Home Education students, are now coming and enrolling in our after school programs at Del Dios. So we get to see them participating and getting that face time there as well. So those
018are some of the great developments have been happening in home education. So congratulations [applause]. And we got a pretty incredible guy to bring up here, Mr. Fabian Leon. Fabian do you want to come up? Fabian has been in home education since kindergarten and works extremely hard on his schoolwork at home, and is also making progress in i-ready and on his daily work. Fabian has overcome many challenges and obstacles in his young life, and yet is such a joy to know with his big smile, fun personality and incredible perseverance. His family is the absolute best as you can see them all here. 10 total of children in the family. There's always supportive, fiercely loving, and dedicated to education. This excellent award is for Fabian, but also to his amazing family. Congratulations [applause]. Thank you very much.
019Rick Oser: Thank you, Principal Reichel. We appreciate you taking time to recognize those amazing students. Next up is Glen View, and Principal Julio Lopez will present Glen View [applause]. Julio Lopez: Good evening, Doctor Ibarra, president Harper, cabinet board members. And of course, the EUSD families. Thank you for being here. Special shout out to the Glen View community. So thank you [applause]. My name is Julie Lopez, and I'm honored to serve as a principal at Glen View Elementary, a dual language community school where students truly thrive both in and out of the classroom. At Glen View, students are engaged in meaningful learning every day, and they grow academically and in two languages, both Spanish and English. Just as important, they are encouraged to explore their interests talents through a wide range of enrichment opportunities from theater,
020ballet folklorico, soccer, cooking classes and students build confidence, creativity, teamwork and leadership skills that extend far beyond our school day. We believe that a strong school is built on strong partnerships, and family engagement is at the heart of Glen View. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to be active members of our community by attending events such as coffee with the principal, family nights, school celebrations. These opportunities allow families to connect, share their voices, and work alongside our staff to support student success. Another source of pride at Glen View is our associated student body or ASB. Our student leaders play an important role in creating a positive, welcoming and inclusive school environment. Through their leadership, our students learn responsibility, service, and the importance of caring for one another. At Glen View, we are more than just a
021school. We are a community. Together, students, families and staff create a place where every child feels supported, challenged, and inspired to succeed. Now we're going to get on to the important part of the night, the stars. So I'm going to be asking for third grade DLP student Cody James Davidson. Come on Cody [applause]. So Cody is an exemplary student who has consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic, a positive attitude towards learning. He always tries his best and takes pride in his work. Cody follows classroom rules and sets a positive example for his peers. He's fluent in both Spanish and English and is able to read write confidently in both languages. Cody's bilingual abilities, combined with his dedication and effort, make him an outstanding student and a role model [applause]. Now we're going to continue with
022if I can have Jemimah, fourth grade. Jemimah, come on up, please [applause]. Jemimah excels at everything. She's an excellent student, person and role model. Outside of school, she participates in many extracurricular activities which include Girl Scouts, theater, piano lessons, Vietnamese lessons and ballet. Glen View is so proud of Jemimah, and we are pleased to see her be recognized for her excellence. Good job [applause]. And now, last but not least, we're going to move on to fifth grader Aliya Fernandez [applause]. Aliya has been an all star in class for many years. She is a great example of an exemplary student that is focused, positive and loves to learn. She puts herself before others and takes time out of the day to lend a helping hand. She has a real firm grasp of empathy and shows it
023to all her classmates. She demonstrates through her actions what it means to be safe, respectful, and responsible. Her work ethic and curiosity for learning both play a huge part in her academic standing. In addition, she is also an active member of the of the Glen View community, taking part in ASB and being involved in all school activities. Great job! [applause] Zesty Harper: Congratulations to all of our outstanding students. We have one more recognition for this this evening. I'm going to turn this over to Rick as well. Rick Oser: So it's great to see our students striving for excellence. But this evening, we also want to recognize a couple of our teachers who are also striving for excellence. So we have two teachers who have completed the the requirements to attain national board certification. And I
024believe once here, maybe 1st May not have been able to join us. So at this time we'd like to call up Joriene Mercado. And if Adriana is here, Adriana Osicki to EUSD teachers who have now completed the requirements for National Board certification. [applause] Andrew McGuire: And then after this, parents. Staff, teachers. If they want to take a picture. Rick Oser: And I believe we have some mentors who assisted with the National Board certification. Mentors, would you like to also come up and take a photo with Joriene? We have Katie, Brenda and Harriet, who are some of our National Board certification certified teachers. Mentors. So let's give them a round of applause as well [applause]. Zesty Harper: Congratulations. Congratulations. I don't think people realize what a big accomplishment that is and how much work you had
025to put into it. And I want to thank our mentors as well, who always do an excellent job every year. We are going to take a five minute break. So if you do not want to stay for the rest of the meeting, you are welcome to go home. And for those outstanding students of ours, please tell your parents you should stop for ice cream [applause]. Okay. Andrew McGuire: Was there something more to do tonight? Zesty Harper: All right. We are on to public comments. We have one speaker, Vivian Garcia. And feel free to adjust the mic. Viviann Garcia: The following is in response to comments made by two school board members at the last CSEA chapter meeting. The comments regarding classified staff not receiving a dignified raise. One of the reasons given was that there
026is no money, and we are encouraged to write letters to the Sacramento to Sacramento asking for additional funding. While that suggestion carries merit, we would like to see our school board also writing letters to Sacramento, explaining from their expertise how they are not given enough funding to properly run our district. Alongside this, we are asking the board to closely examine this district's expenditures and ensure that they are being distributed fairly. Classified employees such as office managers, secretaries, accounting and budget technicians and purchasing staff can assist in providing detailed expense information if needed. It was commented that the school board's hands were tied in giving classified raises, since they regularly compare our wages to those of other districts. There is no mandate that we have been in the mid range of that grouping. That is a
027board decision. We've been told that the board's direction has been to make certain our classified positions fall to the medium of similar districts. Why would the goal not be at least the average or better? In recent years, it was boasted that our our administrators were within the top 15% of salaried school administrators in San Diego County. But we set a goal for our classified staff to be paid the median. Respectfully, it feels insulting to be told that there is no money for classified employees while management continues to receive a larger piece of the pie. An example to keep in mind is that when everyone gets the same percentage increase, it will mean a new car or a better vacation for some. Others fall further into debt every year because of their income increase is not
028nearly as large as the cost of living increases that are beyond their control. A school board member also stated that classified employees are valued, and that the struggle is understood because they worked as a classified employee in the 1960s. While the intent behind that comment is appreciated, the reality is that life was far more affordable then. Today's classified employees face skyrocketing costs for housing, gas, groceries, health care and childcare. Prior to the 2000, all medical insurance premiums were covered by the district for employees and families. It was much easier to accept smaller wage increases when the district covered health care premiums. Many of us are working multiple jobs simply to survive. If we were to translate what Paraeducators earn today compared to what was earned in the 1960s, today's employees purchasing power is significantly lower.
029We are not asking for luxury. We are asking for fairness, respect and wages that reflect the critical role classified staff pay in the district. We keep schools running and support students, teachers and administrators every single day. If we are truly valued, that value must be reflected through action, not through suggestions to reach out to Sacramento or to the community to help us. Finally, in reference to a comment made by another board member encouraging classified staff to speak positively, positively about EUSD and to encourage community members to enroll their children with us, we would like to know what it would take for you to enroll your own children in EUSD schools, and why have you not chosen EUSD? Thank you [applause]. Zesty Harper: All right. Thank you. We do not have a public hearing tonight. Do
030we have a report from CSEA? Noemi Navarrete: As always, the better speakers come before me. First of all, good evening. I am happy to announce our new board with some familiar faces. I will continue to represent members as your elected president. Our VP one will be Maria Barajas. This is also a call to all members, VP two position is still open. Chief union steward Teresa Reyes, our treasurer will be Rhonda Potter. Our webmaster will be Josh Stephens. Our communications officer is new, Ana Guaderrama. Secretary is Jessica Torres. And past president continues to be Rick Beebe. One day I too will be past president. We look forward to the day. But, I am here today because I had a lot of emails and messages and people reach out to me directly asking me to advocate for
031them. And so the last time we were here, I told very publicly that I saw our classified staff, and I was here to support them and to be an advocate for them. And so they took me by my word, and they asked that I share with you some of their sentiments, their feelings, their concerns. First of all, a lot of them are not able to attend because they have another job. They are caring for a family member or their own children. And so again, I want to make sure that, you know, that we advocate for those who are unable to speak for themselves. So here's person number one. I'm writing to share my concerns regarding the low wages earned by classified staff and the growing difficulty of staying financially afloat in today's economy. Classified employees
032are the backbone of our schools. We support students, families, teachers, and administrators every day. Our work ensures that campuses run safely, smoothly and with care. I find myself and know of other coworkers who stay after our shifts to do what needs to be done to best serve our community. Yet, despite the essential role we play, many classified staff members are struggling to meet basic living expenses. With the rising cost of housing, food, gas, utilities and healthcare, our current wages no longer reflect the economic realities we face. Many classified employees are forced to work multiple jobs, rely on credit, or make difficult choices between necessities. Some of us live paycheck to paycheck not because of poor financial planning, but because our compensation has not yet kept pace with inflation or the cost of living in our
033community. It is discouraging and disheartening to dedicate ourselves fully to our students and school while experiencing ongoing financial stress. We want to continue serving EUSD with pride and stability, but fair and livable wages are essential for retention, morale, and overall well-being. I respectfully ask the board to truly consider the financial challenges faced by classified employees, and to prioritize meaningful wage increases that reflect our value and allow us to live with dignity. Supporting classified staff is an investment in the strength and success of our schools and the students we serve. Thank you for your time, consideration, and continued commitment to the community. Second individual. As classified staff of EUSD. Our wages are painfully low and the strain this causes on our lives is overwhelming. Every day we show up to support students, families, and our school
034community. Yet many of us go home worried about how we will pay rent, buy groceries, or cover basic necessities. We are parents, caregivers, providers, many in single income households, doing everything we can to make ends meet. It is heartbreaking and unjust that every employee, that every that very employees dedicated to supporting families in need are themselves struggling to survive. A district that values its community must value its workers, and that begins with respect and a truly sustainable living wage. Third individual. Dear EUSD board members, I have been an employee of EUSD for 26 years. Since the beginning, I have worked more than one job to be able to cover my daughter's needs and my own. It has always been a challenge to do so. I no longer work other jobs and the challenge is even
035greater. I sincerely love serving the EUSD community. I am certain that all of the family liaisons share my feelings. We love serving the families who form our school communities. We have had the honor of providing guidance to our families, celebrating with our families, and grieving with our families. It is a great opportunity to work with Juniper staff who want to see students and their families succeed. Uh oh. We stay anonymous. Okay? However, it is definitely demoralizing when the job that we perform is not given the compensation and merits. The struggle to survive financially in San Diego, as they say, is real. This struggle has a negative impact on each of us as we come to do our jobs. The EUSD board has the task of providing our school community with all they need to make
036sure all students succeed. This begins with acknowledging that classified staff members who give unselfishly in their jobs. The noon duty supervisors, nutrition staff, paraeducators librarians. Custodians. Maintenance grounds crew. Liaisons. The list continues. Each classified staff member comes to serve in this service should be acknowledged with a salary that values our commitment to our school community and allow us to live with dignity and stability. Thank you for your time. Next one. Good evening EUSD board. I am a family liaison with EUSD and would like to speak about the compensation being offered to classified employees, like anyone in today's economy, we are all struggling to make ends meet, and our current wages are not enough to pay all of our bills. I have been considered leaving my. I have even considered leaving my position, but have not
037done so because I enjoy helping the families of my school site and making a difference in the community. The families I help in my school site coworkers are the reason I get up every morning and I come to work with a smile on my face. I also want to mention that I have worked for many different school districts in the past, and there are truly no place like EUSD. For this reason, I ask that you all consider giving us a livable wage that properly compensates us for work we do and to better serve the families of EUSD. Thank you for your time. Next one, I promise. I'm almost done. Good evening, members of of the board. I am a classified employee and I am having our CSEA president read the statement on my behalf. I
038care deeply about our schools, our students, and the work that classified employees do every single day to keep the district running. We are the ones who open doors each morning to clean, welcoming spaces. We make sure meals are warm, playgrounds are safe, and children feel seen and valued the moment they step onto campus. For many students, we are the trusted adults. They run to the familiar faces that look for the quiet constants in their lives. And yet, many of us cannot afford to live in the very community we serve. I have become a very skilled. I have become very skilled at stretching a dollar, not because I want to be, but because I have to be. It doesn't mean that money lasts. It only means that I decide which bills get paid this month and
039which one has to wait. I know which credit card has the lowest interest rate. I know which gas stations are a few cents cheaper per gallon. I know which foods can go past their expiration date and still be edible and child approved. I know which food banks have the best food items. Sometimes I see the families I serve there. We exchange hellos and we load our boxes into our cars. Except it is not the same car each week. I rely on rides when I have used up the miles I can afford to drive. I budget just enough gas to get from home to work and back again. January is the hardest month. The long stretch before the next paycheck feels endless, and when the paycheck finally comes, it still leaves my bank account at zero.
040People say you should have gone to college for a better paying job. What many don't realize is that many of us are college graduates, and even if we were not, how painful it is to hear that the work we do is considered worth less dignity and less respect. You may ask if things are so urgent, where are the people? Why are there so many empty chairs? We are at the second job, our third. We earn the living. If we earn the livable wage, you would see us here more often. If you want to offer the same words about how much you value classified employees, I invite you to come find me today, January 28th. I am at the Escondido High School collecting a box of food from their food distribution. Please stop by and look
041me in the eye and tell me how much you value me. Thank you. Next one. Good evening EUSD board members. I am a classified employee in the Escondido Union School District. I am advocating not only for myself, but for the many classified staff members who keep the district running every single day. Classified employees are the backbone of our schools. We are the front office staff who welcome families, the instructional aides who support students in the classroom, the campus supervisors who ensure safely safety, the custodians who maintain clean and healthy learning environments, and the food service workers who ensure students are fed. Our work is essential. Not optional, not supplemental, not fundamental to student success. Need I mention our health tech clerks? And last but not least, family liaisons whose roles are often not respected or
042appreciated. Yet, despite the critical roles we play, our wages do not reflect the value of our work or the cost of living in the community we serve. Many classified employees are struggling to make ends meet. Some work second or third jobs, some rely on public assistance, and others are forced to choose between necessities like housing, food and health care. No employee who works full time for this district should be living paycheck to paycheck, let alone still need to seek free food from food banks in our community. A livable wage is not a luxury, it is a necessity. When classified staff are underpaid, the entire district feels the impact through high turnover, low morale and staffing shortages that directly affect students and school operations, you cannot expect stability, commitment and excellence from the workforce that is
043constantly worried about survival. As the Board of Education, you have both a moral and ethical responsibility to ensure that all employees, especially classified staff, are compensated fairly. Investing in classified employees is an investment in student success, school safety, and overall health of this district. We're not asking for special treatments. We are not. We are asking for dignity, respect and wages that allow us to live in the community we serve and continue to show up for students every day. I urge this board to take meaningful action toward providing classified employees with a truly livable wage. Our work matters. Classified staff matters, and it is time our compensation reflects that reality. Thank you for your time and consideration. Last one I promise. Dear Board members. I hope this message finds you well. As a proud classified employee
044of EUSD, I felt compelled to address an issue that weighs heavily on our work community. Our current wage levels. Each day we dedicate ourselves to fostering an enriching, learning and enriching learning environment for our students. We take on diverse responsibilities ensuring smooth operations of our schools, supporting teachers and staff, and creating safe spaces for our children. However, the compensation we receive does not reflect the invaluable contributions we make. Many of us struggle to make ends meet, with our wages falling short of the basic living standard necessary to sustain ourselves and our families. It is not our right to receive, is it not our right to receive a fair wage for our hard work? It is our duty as board. It is your duty as board members to ensure that all employees of EUSD, including including
045classified staff, receive a livable wage. We believe it is imperative to review and increase our current salaries to better align them with the cost of living and the financial demands many of us face. We urge you to take this message to heart and recognize the impact that fair wages can have, not just on our individual lives, but on the morale and productivity of the entire district. A commitment to fair compensation is a commitment to the future of our students and community. Thank you for your attention to this vital matter. Together, together, let us advocate for the support and recognition that all EUSD employees deserve. Thank you so much for listening to that and for taking taking it in. This is how many of our classified staff feel. And we hear it on a daily. So
046I don't know what we can do. I don't have an answer or solution, but as a team, we can work together and we can come up with a solution so that people can have food on their table. Thank you. Zesty Harper: Thank you so much. Thank you for sharing their voices. That's very important. EEEA? Brandi Krepps: Good evening, President Harper, school board members, doctor Ibarra and cabinet. First, I'd like to say thank you for today's meeting. It was super positive, and I feel like we're making great strides, great strides to improve our district. Secondly, I don't know whether to be angry with you or happy with you for taking my Mike Brinkley away from me [laughter]. I'm very proud of him. And I have to tell you that thanks to him and Amber, because Mike's
047the yin to my yang when it comes to work. I'm very like this, and he's so not. And Amber always tolerates me bothering Mike on the daily. So thank you. And, Mike, we're really, really proud of you. Even though we're losing you. Your CTA dues will quit tomorrow, by the way. So, anyway thank you guys so much for everything. And tonight was actually really special for me because that family of ten kids, I was very ingrained in that family. My last years of teaching. Oscar and Tony were two of my boys, and Lupe and I became very close. In fact, we would bring food over for their family because they got Covid. Grandma passed away and they were struggling to make ends meet. So it was a great pleasure for me to always go see
048them and bring them food. And I miss them dearly. So it was wonderful to see Lupe tonight. And that's the importance of the work that teachers do and classified staff do in this district, because that is a family that has stayed dedicated to this district. Even when times were tough for them, they showed up here. So to them, I know they left, but just. They touched my heart greatly. So anyway, thank you very much. And again, Mike, you are no longer paying union dues, so you're fired [laughter]. Thank you guys. Zesty Harper: Thank you so much. All written communications have been distributed. Moving on to the consent agenda. Are there any items that anyone would like to pull? Okay, I'm looking for a motion. Doug Paulson: Move approval. Frank Huston: I'll second. Zesty Harper: Thank
049you. All those in favor, raise your hand. Motion. They all pass. Thank you. Okay, so on to the announcement of intent to appoint a commissioner to the Personnel Commission. Andrew McGuire: After reviewing the applications we're recommending the appointment of Chrysta Klaczyk to be the replacement for Leila Sackfield as she's stepping down from the Personnel Commission once we have a replacement to fill the role of the management representative on the Personnel Commission. And so tonight, it's the, it would be the board taking action to announce the intent to appoint and then a 45 day wait for the public to be able to comment. And this would be brought back in our regular meeting in March for a vote. Zesty Harper: Okay, so we just need a motion for it? No action? Okay. Andrew McGuire: It's just
050an announcement. So if you're if you accept that recommendation and obviously reviewing the applications, you can make that announcement right now. Zesty Harper: Okay. Do I have a consensus? Yes? Yeah. Andrew McGuire: It's been announced. Zesty Harper: Okay. On to the business services. The 2024-25 audit report. Andrew McGuire: All right. We have a representative from our audit corporation coming up. Mr. Peter Glenn, he is going to go over some of the high points of our audit from the last previous 24-25 fiscal year. Go ahead. Peter Glenn: Good evening. Thank you for having me again. My name is Peter Glenn. I'm with the audit firm Nigro and Nigro out of Murietta. So I'm here to talk about the 2025 audit report for the district. The the audit is a process that that takes about ten months,
051usually starts in February, March. And it extends all the way through, really two of your school years. But two of your fiscal years, really. And then we end up in November, December and issue the report sometime in mid December, per requirements in the education code. The audit encompasses several different things. A financial piece, which is the pages that you kind of come across early in the report, if you were to look at the report. And those financial pieces are audited from your unaudited actuals that you provide us from the district in August, September. So what we do is we we audit the balances and the transactions that appear in those unaudited actuals, and then we make sure that the presentation meets generally accepted accounting principles that the state Comptroller's office requires. So the format that
052you're you're looking at now where you're seeing financial statements, maybe some that look a little familiar and maybe some that look a little unfamiliar. Those are all required by the state comptroller's office, and they're also in compliance with Governmental Accounting Standards Board pronouncements. So each year or usually each year, the GASB, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, will come out with new pronouncements about how they want things presented and things they want recognized. So this year was no different. So that was presented. That was GASB 101. You may have noticed that in your in your quick review of the financial statements there. So that was incorporated in your in your audit. So the as I mentioned, the financial piece is something where we, we verify those balances, those transactions, we test a representative sample to make
053sure that everything looks materially accurate. And that basically provides the district a starting point when you're looking at your when you're looking at your interim reports, and when you're setting your budget, you can at least look back to that starting position of all those fund balances and of all those restricted and unrestricted fund balances, and and have confidence that as you go forward, those are verified amounts. The next part of the report, which which usually draws a little more interest is the compliance piece. So there's two compliance pieces. There's a state compliance section. And then there's a federal compliance section. So I'll start with the federal compliance section. The federal compliance report is again an annual process. We usually have to audit major programs in a cycle, if you will. This year we looked at,
054for example, title one was one of the programs we looked at and the other program I'll refer to real quickly here was the child nutrition cluster. So those were the two federal programs we looked at. That's on page 80 if you happen to jump there. And so that was the federal piece. And again, that that supplement comes out every year. And then the state piece, there's about 30 to 35 state compliance areas that the state wants us to look at. Not all of them are applicable. For example, in your district, continuation education. Not applicable. That's for the older students. But there are many compliance areas that are that are applicable. So we we look through all of those areas. We determine whether the district is in compliance or times out of compliance. And then those
055are found in the back of the audit report, if you will, under the schedule of findings and questioned costs. So that is kind of the process and that is the reporting requirements that that are required annually with each audit from year to year. There may be some changes in programs and in certain areas. I mentioned, I already mentioned the GASB change. But with the state compliance, sometimes there's changes with, for example, the ELOP program. That was probably the biggest change in the last couple of years. And that's, that was for 24 and 25 years. So at the end we had one finding that was an attendance finding. And really we're finding this to be more common with districts, unfortunately, because if there are little tweaks that need to be made throughout the year to the
056attendance, either due to our audit or even just changes that the district makes the state is less receptive to the changes in the state software. It used to be just kind of a really quick, hey, run down the hall, get this signed off, enter it in the in the system and you're good to go. Doug Paulson: And now it's it's a window that actually opens and closes. And so if your timing isn't perfect the window closes. It doesn't reopen until the audit's already issued. So that's kind of what happened here. Although this finding was actually for additional funding. So it was a good it was a good change that that's going to be made. And then at the end of the report, we always have our recommendations from going out and doing our site testing
057where we're, we're looking at ASBs. And so we always have those recommendations at the back of the report. Sometimes it's, you know, timing of deposits, sometimes it's approvals, things like that. So those little things that seem to kind of carry on from period to period. We always put those in the in the back of the report, just as reminders that, you know, there's always an opportunity for improvement. So I'll just end my, my talk there and extend our thanks to the Business Services department and the other departments that we visited this year in our audit. Everybody was very cooperative, as usual. And so we wanted to extend our appreciation. And if there's any questions. So am I. Am I hearing correctly that we basically wound up with three findings on the entire one, the attendance,
058then the ASB funds and then ELOP? Sorry. Peter Glenn: There wasn't any ELOP finding. No but there was. Am I missing something? I'm sorry. I looked really quick. On attendance. Oh, is that a prior year? Maybe. Doug Paulson: Possible. Peter Glenn: And then I've got, I've got. Doug Paulson: Yes. Peter Glenn: Abs that I mentioned. Doug Paulson: Okay. So that was on page 86 and I was looking there, but that looks like. Peter Glenn: Oh yes. That's a prior year. So we have prior year. We have to. In each report we have to report prior year findings. And then if those have been resolved. And so that one there you if you, if you look there on the very far right hand column it says current status implemented. So that's showing that we did look
059back at that. And that was resolved for the year. And then there was no findings for this year in that category. Doug Paulson: All right. Thank you. Peter Glenn: Yes. No problem. Zesty Harper: Anyone else? No. Thank you so much. Yeah. Appreciate it. Peter Glenn: Thank you very much. Have a good evening. Andrew McGuire: So the action before the board tonight is to approve this audit report. Zesty Harper: Do I have a motion? Joan Gardner: I'll make that motion. Mark Olson: I'll second. Zesty Harper: Thank you. All those in favor, please raise your hand. Motion passes. On to Education Services 2025-26 comprehensive safe school plans. Rick Oser: California Education Code section 32281A requires that all public schools and public charter schools develop and implement a comprehensive safe school plan. Presented tonight is the safe school
060plans for all the schools in the district for board approval. And once approved, these plans will be available in the superintendent's office for public review. Zesty Harper: Excellent. Any questions? Do I have a motion? Frank Huston: Motion to approve. Joan Gardner: Second. Zesty Harper: Thank you. All those in favor, please raise your hand. Motion passes. Education Services. Action upon student expulsion. Case number 2025-26-02. Frank Huston: A motion for full expulsion through June 10th, 2026, with the stipulation of successful completion of the rehabilitation plan. Zesty Harper: Thank you. Do I have a second? Doug Paulson: Second. Zesty Harper: Now, this is a roll call vote. So, Mr. Paulson. Doug Paulson: Aye. Zesty Harper: Mrs. Gardner. Joan Gardner: Aye. Zesty Harper: Mr. Huston. Frank Huston: Aye. Zesty Harper: Mr. Olson. Mark Olson: Aye. Zesty Harper: And I
061vote aye as well. Number, on to item four. Human Resources management and confidential salary. Audrey Frank: Hello. So since unrepresented groups are not automatically included in any of the agreements with CSEA or EEEA I'm seeking approval to increase by 0.75 one time and 0.75 ongoing, much like the same other two labor groups for the following individuals, all certificated management, classified management, superintendents, cabinet only as to range six, classified supervisory and confidential employees. And then we would exempt the range three of the superintendent's cabinet, which would be effective July 1st, 2026. As well as we're looking to align the classified management and certificated management vacation schedules and align supervisory and confidential vacation schedules. Zesty Harper: Yes. Thank you. Any questions? Looking for a motion? Mark Olson: I'll make a motion to approve, as recommended. Zesty Harper:
062And a second. Thank you, Mr. Houston. All those in favor, please raise your hand. Motion passes. Now, Human Resources, again for our tentative agreement with EEEA. Audrey Frank: Yes. On December the 11th, the EEEA tentative agreement was conditionally approved pending receiving the approved AB 1200 that has now been received. And we are seeking approval of that AB 1200 with the tentative agreement for EEEA. Zesty Harper: Excellent. Okay. Do I have a motion? Doug Paulson: Move approval. Joan Gardner: Second. Zesty Harper: Thank you. All those in favor, please raise your hand. Motion passes. Superintendent's ffice. Superintendent's contract amendment. Andrew McGuire: I'll take this one. So this would be to approve an amendment to the existing superintendent's contract, applying the salary increase 0.75% ongoing and 0.751 time to his contract. Zesty Harper: Excellent. Okay. Do I have
063a motion? Joan Gardner: I'll make that motion. Zesty Harper: Do I have a second? Mark Olson: I'll second. Zesty Harper: All those in favor, please raise your hand. Motion passes. On to Educational Services oard policies. Our second reading. Rick Oser: Presented to the board this evening is the second read for two board policies. The first one being Board Policy 5131, which focuses on student conduct. And the second one is 5130 1.8 mobile communication devices. So this is a requirement by by the CDE that all governing boards must approve a board policy pertaining to mobile communication devices. So 5131 the the, is, has been modified to include the language from 5131.8. And in essence 5131.8 is is that all smartphones and mobile communication devices will be away the entire school day, from the moment that a
064student arrives on campus to the moment that the student leaves. This also includes if a student is in the after school program. What we also presented based on the conversation at the last the last time this was presented to the board was the administrative regulations. So the administrative regulations will inform all school employees as well as our before and after school program, exactly what will happen if a student is in possession or not in possession, but if they have a device that's seen during the school day, regardless if it's during the instructional day before school or after school. Zesty Harper: Any additional questions or discussions on this? Are we? I think we've talked this through quite a bit. Okay. Do I have a motion? Joan Gardner: I'll make the motion. Zesty Harper: Okay. Mark Olson:
065I'll second. Zesty Harper: All those in favor, please raise your hand. Motion passes. Thank you. On to board member reports. Mr. Paulson, all the way down there. Doug Paulson: All right, well, I would like to thank the members of CSEA and for their messages tonight. Is this just not working at all? All right. I would like to thank the members of CSEA, who, both speakers and everybody that you were representing. One of the. I am extremely sympathetic. I did meet with CSEA at one of your regular meetings. I was one of the two people being referred to by our first speaker. And thank you very much. I would like to clarify that I did not work as a classified employee in the 1960s. I grew up in a being raised by a classified employee, one
066of our district's first instructional aides. The point that I was making that I'd like to make again for everybody is that my mother was one of our instructional aides from 1968 until she retired, when I had all of my kids, and she needed to take care of them. So in the 1990s and at that time, as an instructional aide in our district 1973, we found pay stubs. She was making $6.60 an hour. Minimum wage was approximately $2.35 an hour. She was making three times minimum wage. The point I'm making is that at that time, instructional aides were making a livable wage. We have not kept pace. We recognize that. We have not kept pace. What we're trying to do now is not pay three times minimum wage. We're trying to stay above current minimum wage.
067I, I started off as a classified staff member with the high school district. I, I get the struggle. In answer, I do want to just answer a question. I did recommend writing to our Sacramento legislators. I do want to point out, yeah, I do write to them. And recently had a long conversation with our local assembly member Darshana Patel, regarding exactly this. And she, as a previous board member in Poway, understands we need to keep pressure up. I'm not sure how to resolve it. I did note that again this month. We had a number of classified resignations. And I think we all know why. Because you just can't live. And if anybody is interested in seeing one of our our two of our instructional aides pay stubs, I have them here on my phone and
068they have told me, yeah, show people because what we're paying you can't live on. We get that. Okay. Along with that. So thank you to CSEA. We get the problem. I'm not sure how to resolve it. I'm not. But we got to keep working, and CSEA needs to keep up the pressure. I was able to go to Sacramento to the California State teacher of the year honoring Corina Martinez. I'm sure Miss Harper is going to give more information on that. Just excellent. And shows again, Escondido being honored for excellent education, for excellent education being provided by our teachers and our classified staff every day. And so congratulations to her. That was quite an event. Attended the insurance committee. I also don't have answers for that. And I was very pleased with meeting with our EEEA
069representatives this afternoon. Anyone who attends the high school district board meetings may know that I spoke last time at the high school board about this practice we have of meeting with EEEA and CSEA on a regular basis. And while it doesn't solve all problems, at a minimum, we keep lines of communication open, and that is extremely valuable. So thank you all for that. Joan Gardner: I don't think I hopefully don't need that. I really don't have a report this this time, but it's been a long time since our last meeting. In fact, it was last year. So I wanted to welcome everyone back and wish them a Happy New Year. And this year I'm so I'm excited because it is the 250th anniversary of our country, of of our becoming a country. And I hope
070that we'll remember that, that our students will learn more about the country that we live in and the benefits of it and how it came to be. So I look forward to that. I look forward to seeing a lot of history of the United States of America being taught. And I, I always remember the motto E pluribus unum out of many one. And that was the Founding Fathers intention, and I hope that we'll remember that and pass that on to the children in our district. That's it. Frank Huston: I don't have a report other than I just want to give a shout out to Central School. For the last three years, I've been invited to their Christmas pageant. Would that be the best? Okay. And unfortunately, due to a conflict in my schedule, I was
071unable to make it. But I know that they did also call you. And I figured that you would probably let them know. But every year, that is an unbelievable program. And and I did speak with several of the teachers at Central, and they said that it was a fantastic program, and I want to thank them for putting that on. And please continue it. And next year I will be there. So Zesty Harper: Your presence was missed. They they did mention that you come every year. Frank Huston: Every year, every year. Last three, 3 or 4 years I've been going to it. So it's always a great, great, great program. So but I want to apologize for not being there. But shout out to Central School for again putting that on and please continue on doing
072it. Thank you. Mark Olson: No report this evening. Thanks. Zesty Harper: All right. Thank you. Joan, you're right. Yeah. We have I had to go back to December for my notes of everything we did. I did attend the bike giveaway at Lincoln school this year for the third graders. That was sponsored by our local rotary clubs. My only comment was they gave away Padre bikes. So I, you know, already not liking that. But other than that, everyone was really excited about it. I actually had the pleasure of joining the ignite dance team for their first community outreach event that they did. They went to the Silverado Memory care facility and talked to the residents and saying Christmas carols. And it was just it was really a great time for them to spend just giving company
073to, to the residents there. So thank you, Veronica, for your leadership with that. Because that is an amazing group of girls. They are so fantastic. And they were just warm and loving with all the residents there. So I thank you for inviting me. And I did attend the Central holiday show. It was fabulous. And there was a, I think a TK or a kindergartner who brought her own microphone, so to sing on stage. So we I was very impressed by that. And then on the I think, I mean, I know they say what this one day was the Blue Monday of the year or something, but I think the first Monday back after the holiday break is always the hardest. And I went to that empowered Ed PD that is put on by our own
074teaching staff. And so I want to commend all the teachers that showed up on the first Monday back from break, when it was cold and rainy, and I did not want to get out of bed, but they were all there. And I walked around to all the classes and saw a lot of the lessons. And it was great to see the teachers collaborating and sharing what's actually working in their classrooms. And at that event, I also went to the Avid training, which was great to see how they're going to incorporate, try to incorporate Avid into the regular classroom as well, and thank those teachers and the principals and admin that were there taking, taking those courses in because you had some national the national trainers there, from my understanding. Rick Oser: Yes, that was the
075Avid Emerge, which is Avid also designed to provide English language learners additional instructional support. And so the Avid trainers were facilitating that really well attended workshop. Zesty Harper: Excellent. They were I mean, even their discussions walking around, they were already sharing great ideas, you know, right at the beginning of it. And Doug is right, we we attended the gala to honor honor our teacher of the year. But again, it I love her spirit about it because she's talking about EOC and what all the teachers do, but she had a great story and where she talked about one of her kiddos and how it was important that she was there that day for her kiddos, and what an impact she feels she makes in her students lives, which is we know that happens with teachers, but
076it was really heartwarming to see because she's motivated by those students to come to class that day so she can affect them that day. So it was a great, great honor to be there, and I can't wait to see her all all over the state, probably all over the country this year, really representing us well. I attended the city council meeting last week because they were talking about, I believe they're calling it their Safe Routes to School. So there's a Transportation committee safety committee that we actually have a, Roy is a member on now is our representative. And so they have been working for the last three years to put a plan in place to really analyze all the intersections and walking paths to all of all the all the schools, not just our school,
077but all the schools in Escondido, and they've come up with this three year plan. And it sounds like it's almost $2 million in cost for every single location. So they've had a $50,000 budget every year to start, kind of prioritize and address items. And so this year, they were asking the council for an additional $35,000. So to bring $85,000. And next year they're asking for $200,000 a year annually to really kind of tackle some of these items that are pressing. And so the council did approve that. And the for this, they're going to focus on four intersections this year, which was Farr, over by Valley High over by Central and over by Del Dios. And then it also sounds like they were going to with the measure I items. They actually might accelerate this even
078more. But I just want to make sure we continue our talking with the city council and working on the enforcement piece as well. We'll work on the education piece for our students as well. But, you know, it's such an important topic to our city right now. And I think we have a momentum to really push this farther so we can, we can implement a lot more safety features and a lot more education to get people to slow down in the city and, you know, not lose this any one of our students this year? We've already lost too many. So whatever we need to do to get behind it to really push it forward, I want I want to be there for. I also attended the NETs program meeting, which is always fantastic. Those mentors do
079a great job, and it was great to hear from some first and second year teachers reviewing some of their projects and what they're working on, what they've learned and how they're going to, you know, change it up for the next round. So that is my report. Cabinet? No, nothing? Okay. Dr. Luis Ibarra: All right. Happy New Year to everyone. And I want to especially thank EEEA and CSEA for the continued lines of communication. I think that's the key. So we just need to continue that. And again, congratulations to Corina Martinez, California Teacher of the year. She's got a great platform. And it's really about choosing love over fear. So I'm sure we'll be putting her in front of different groups as well as our own EUSD audience. It's a great message. And with that, happy
080New Year, everyone. Zesty Harper: Thank you so much. We, our next meeting will be on February 5th, 2026 at the at the Escondido Union School District. Carilyn Gilbert Education Center, 2310 Aldergrove Avenue, Escondido, California, 92029. We do not need to go back to closed session, so our meeting is adjourned. Thank you so much. Doug Paulson: May I just add that the Escondido Education Foundation is having its annual fundraiser on February 6th? And everybody's invited. If you've got money. Zesty Harper: We've got one more meeting. It'll be quick. It'll be quick. Mark Olson: All new assistant principals. Zesty Harper: Yeah. Assistant principals have to stay [laughter]. Mark Olson: It's a two hour meeting. Zesty Harper: I'm going to call to order the Escondido Union School District school facilities corporation meeting. Everyone is here. Are there any
081public comments? There are none. Thank you. We have. I need a motion to approve the minutes of our last meeting. Mark Olson: Motion to approve. Joan Gardner: Second. Okay. Zesty Harper: Great. Okay. All those in favor, please raise your hand. Motion passes. Thank you so much. And we are adjourned. Now you can leave.