001Doug Paulson: Still have a minute? Okay, Giselle, you're going to be going first when we're ready. We've still got. Hold on. Not yet. We've still got to wait about 30s for the clocks to turn. I know it is. It's like. All right, well, it is 6 p.m.. I'm going to call this regular meeting of the Board of Education to order. At this time, we do have two public comments regarding closed session items. So first off I would like to call up Giselle Hernandez Ramos. Student: My name is Giselle and I respectfully request to attend Bear Valley Middle School. I have learned from my mistake of getting into a fight. Getting into a fight was not the safe thing to do, and I understand people may think I'm a troublemaker. During my time at Escondido Community
002School I have worked on myself in different areas through counseling. I have worked on decision making and communicating with my peers and adults. I learned that I allowed my anger to get the best of me, which which led to choices I now regret. Counseling and a smaller school have helped me stay focused, avoid distractions at school, and stay on track with my goals for my future. I would like to request the opportunity to attend Bear Valley Middle School as my school placement. This placement will allow my parents and guardians to pick me up. Starting at Bear Valley would give me a fresh start with new friends and teachers. I am not a troublemaker and I would like to [inaudible]. Doug Paulson: Thank you. Thank you. Next up. Jaden. Student: Hello. My name is Jaden. And
003I request if I can go back to Del Dios because I realized that I should never be taking any weapons or anything from the ground from other people. So if I ever do that again, which I won't. But I've learned from my mistakes not to be taking stuff from other people because it affects me and my family. But the only reason why I want to go back to Del Dios is because it's way closer from my house to my house, and I can walk to Del Dios and walk back home like, you know. But I request to go back to Del Dios because that's where I have a lot of friends and memories over there. And. I don't want to go to any other school because I ain't got no friends over there, and I
004really don't want a fresh start. I just want to stick where I'm at right now and work on myself over there. Doug Paulson: All right. Thank you very much. And you will explain the process to them. Thank you so much. We are going to adjourn to closed session, and we will reconvene at 7 p.m.. All right, well, it is 7 p.m.. We're going to reconvene this regular meeting of the Escondido Union School District Board of Trustees. And we are going to open up with the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Hector Solis Valenzuela of Felicita. Student: Please stand. Remove all hats and hoods. Place your right hand over your heart. Ready? Begin. All: I pledge allegiance to the flag and of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands one nation
005under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. You may be seated. Doug Paulson: Alright. Roll call. We have Miss Gardner, Mr. Huston, Miss Harper and Mr. Paulson here. Mr. Olson is absent tonight. We do have a report out of closed session, Miss Harper. Zesty Harper: In closed session, the board considered dismissal charges against a classified probationary employee and took action to approve those charges and release employee number 495286 by a vote of 4 to 0, and with one absence. In closed session, the board took dismissal charges against a classified probationary employee and took action to approve those charges and release employee number 675225 by a vote of 4 to 0 and one absence. Doug Paulson: All right. Thank you very much. We do have the agenda for approval. Is there, are there any changes
006or modifications desired? Zesty Harper: I move approval. Frank Huston: Second. Doug Paulson: Motion and a second. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Motion passes 4 to 0. Moving on to approval of the minutes of October 2nd. Frank Huston: Move approval. Joan Gardner: Second. Doug Paulson: We have a motion and a second. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Motion passes 4 to 0 with one absence. Moving on to item seven. Approval of the October 21st minutes. Joan Gardner: Move approval. Zesty Harper: I'll second. Doug Paulson: We have a motion and a second. All in favor, please say aye. Zesty Harper: Aye. Doug Paulson: And motion passes 4 to 0. All right, moving on to the good part of the evening. We do have recognitions. Rick Oser: We are really excited to continue with our
007student recognitions. And first up will be Principal Higginbotham, who will present Felicita Elementary School. Stephanie Higginbotham: Good evening, President Paulson, doctor Ibarra, Mr. Maguire, board members cabinet and especially our Felicita families. Thank you for the opportunity to share a glimpse into the incredible work happening at our school. At this time, I would like to call up Hector Solis, Aiden Cordova and Dario Cuautenagno. At Felicita, Bobcats have a global perspective. After our redesign last year, we've embraced a global education framework that challenges students to think beyond our walls, to explore real world issues and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals through problem based learning. Bobcats are leaders. Our students are shaping the direction of our school through our Student Ambassador Program and amplified version of Student Council. Student led initiatives make meaningful decisions for the school
008and truly have a voice in how we grow. And it's not just our students who lead, our staff, our leaders too making key decisions through distributed leadership. Our visioning teams bring educators together to innovate, collaborate, and drive our redesign forward, ensuring every voice contributes to our shared direction. Bobcats are public speakers. From becoming a greeter for classroom visitors to presenting project solutions to community partners. Our students are learning to communicate with confidence and purpose. Bobcats impact their community with our focus on sustainability and local engagement. Students see themselves as changemakers tackling authentic problems that matter right here at home and eventually across the world. And most importantly, Bobcats are family. Our Multi-age Learning communities meet once a month and bring students and staff together in collaborative, supportive teams that connect students in new ways, strengthening
009their bonds and a deeper sense of belonging across campus. Together, we're creating a school where every Bobcat leads, learns, speaks, and serves locally and globally as part of one family to recognize some Bobcats who have demonstrated these characteristics, I would first like to recognize Hector Solis. Hector is a strong leader and a dedicated hard worker who truly embodies all of our learner profiles. He communicates effectively with others, holds himself and his friends accountable, demonstrates honesty, and consistently embraces challenges with a positive attitude. Good job Hector [applause]. Next up is fourth grader Aiden Cordova [applause]. Aiden consistently demonstrates positive character traits and strong academic habits. Aiden is a hard worker who takes responsibility for completing his assignments with care and effort. He listens to others with compassion, showing kindness and empathy toward his classmates. He is
010confident in asking for help when he needs it and uses feedback to grow. Aiden shows perseverance and problem solving skills when faced with challenges. He cares about his community and demonstrates problem solving skills when faced with challenges. He is excited to focus on global learning and is always eager to connect what he learns to the wider world. These strengths highlight the positive impact Aiden has on our school community. Good job Aiden [applause]. And finally Dario Cuautenango. Dario is a second grader who is thoughtful and curious. He is a learner who consistently goes beyond what they are learning in class. What stands out most about Dario is his ability to see things from different angles, and think about the why behind what they're learning. He often brings up insights that spark great class discussions and help
011others see things in new ways. A special thank you to the teachers who helped shape these three amazing students. Miss Ortiz, Miss Lyon, and Miss Hodge [applause]. Rick Oser: Well done Felicita. Next up is Principal Madrigal, who will present Oak Hill. Carmen Madrigal: Good evening, President Paulson, members of the board, Doctor Ibarra, Mr. Maguire and members of cabinet, family and friends. My name is Carmen Madrigal, and I am the proud principal of Oak Hill Elementary School. We are blessed to have the best teachers and staff, so please stand up there [applause]. We have a great group of people with us. Thank you for being here tonight. They wholeheartedly are committed to supporting all of our students, both academically, socially, and emotionally. Our instructional focus this year emphasizes strong foundational skills through our ten, ten, ten
012practice, ten minutes of reading fluency, writing fluency, and math fluency. We've invited families to support at home by having their students read, write, and practice math for ten minutes each. This has strengthened the homeschool connection as a way to build student consistency and confidence in learning. In the classroom, teachers are emphasizing academic vocabulary across all content areas and deepening student thinking through mathematical practice number one, articulating reasoning and perseverance and problem solving. In the area of school engagement, we are promoting excellent attendance with a variety of fun incentives. Currently, we are in the final game of the Otter Cup, with the final classes being Mr. Omar's SCSB class and Mrs. Handy second and third grade combination class, so good luck to both of them. I'm not taking sides. We find out on Friday who will
013take the win. By the way, Oak Hill has increased their attendance during this same period from last year to this year by half a percent, which I think is a lot. And I've heard from Mr. McGuire's presentations, 1% translates, I think, to $1 million across the whole school district. So I think we are doing our part. The [inaudible] team continues to work hard on motivational attendance challenges, and has sent out postcards to individual students who have improved their attendance. So they're getting postcards that they can come back to school and redeem for a prize. In December, we are planning an attendance campaign combined with the food drive for our community. Students will earn points by coming to school, helping to organize donated items and writing cards to include in food boxes. For school culture and
014climate, we're excited to welcome our new Student Services assistant, Miss Analicia, who works closely with our social worker, Miss Brenda, to provide tier one support at our site. Together, they've launched and continued some engaging activities such as school spirit days, poster making contests and events and the ever popular Otter Pond at recess. They also manage the Otter Store, where students trade in otter tickets for prizes that were earned for being respectful, responsible, safe, and scholarly. My favorite incentive is when they save 150 otter tickets to eat lunch with the principal. I had to raise my price because I was eating lunch with kids every two weeks [applause], and that was taking a lot of time. Overall, things are rocking at Oak Hill. Our students are thriving. They are growing academically, building confidence and strengthening their
015sense of community. Oak Hill continues to be a place where learning is fun and every student is supported to succeed. I would like to now call up our three students. There are three fifth graders Dylan, Evalee and Destiny. Please join me [applause]. From Mrs. Moss's class Dylan Ramos Garrufe is a shining example of what it means to be a dedicated learner and a caring friend. He approaches his journal writing with determination, always working hard to complete his best work. Dylan is also a strong self-advocate. He speaks up for himself with honesty and confidence, showing maturity beyond his years. What makes Dylan truly stand out is his kindness. He treats others with respect, offers help when it's needed, and is the kind of friend everyone is lucky to have. When challenges arise, Dylan doesn't give up.
016Instead, he thinks through problems carefully and finds thoughtful solutions. His honesty, hard work, kindness, and problem solving skills make him not only an excellent student, but also a role model for others. Congratulations, Dylan [applause]. From Mrs. Tarr's class. Evalee Pabloff [applause]. It is an honor to recognize Evalee. Her kindness, humor, and creativity make her a positive influence in the classroom, while her many talents showcase her dedication and passion, whether leading with fresh ideas, supporting peers, or sharing her gifts as a musician, artist, and performer, Evalee embodies excellence in every way. She is truly a shining example of the Oak Hill spirit. Congratulations, Evalee [applause]. From Mr. Spelts class. Destiny Lara. And speaking with Destiny's previous teachers, it's clear that she is most deserving of this award. Destiny is hard working and confident in her abilities
017in class. She is an active member of our Otter News team and helps to write, film, and present our weekly news show. Destiny is participating in our explorer classes after school in the cheer dance classes. She is respected and admired by her classmates for her kindness and willingness to help and support her classmates. Congratulations, Destiny [applause]. Rick Oser: Well done, Oak Hill. Next up is Principal Ramirez and Rock Springs Elementary. Elizabeth Ramirez: Good evening everyone. Board president Paulson, doctor Ibarra, Mr. Maguire, board of education, cabinet. Thank you for our staff who's here and our families who've joined us. At Rock Springs we believe in developing strong character traits are just as important as academic success. This year, Rock Springs has made a commitment to real world learning through project based learning. Our students engage in
018hands on, authentic projects to challenge them critically collaborate, communicate, and persevere. Through these experiences, students not only build academic knowledge, but also strengthen essential character skills such as empathy, responsibility, teamwork, and leadership. By connecting rigorous learning with character development, we help students understand it's not just what they are learning, but why it actually matters. This learner, every learner is encouraged to take ownership of their own work, care for others, and contribute meaningfully to their community. Together, we are creating a learning environment where every student is known by name, supported and inspired to grow. At Rock Springs, were not just educating our students. We're building confident, compassionate leaders who will make a positive impact today and in the future. I'd like to introduce you to some of these rock stars at Rock Springs. I know, I
019coined that [applause]. I don't know if all my friends are here. I only saw a couple of my friends. Denise Sanchez Montelongo, please come up. Legend Hewitt. And if Jacob Sanchez Echeverria. He did make it. Okay. Good. Jacob was absent, so I wasn't sure. I was really worried about him. So. Alright, so starting at the top of our list, there we have Jacob Sanchez Echeverria. Jacob is a third grade student. Go ahead. It's okay [applause]. He is a very special student who has a very kind heart. He has strong character that shines every day. He always does the right thing, even when nobody's looking as we always want them to do. He treats everyone with respect and compassion. He is positive and quiet, and his leadership inspires others to follow his example, making our school
020a warmer, kinder place and happier place to be at Rock Springs. Thank you Jacob [applause]. Next up, I'd like to invite Mr. Legend Hewett, fourth grade student [applause]. Yes. You've all met the legend now. Yeah. It fits. Rock springs. Yeah. Legend is an outstanding student who shines both academically and personally. He approaches his learning with curiosity and dedication, showing consistent growth and strong desire to succeed. Beyond his studies Legend demonstrates kindness, integrity, and willingness to support his classmates. He makes a positive impact on everyone he meets. He's hard working, has strong character and an aspiring attitude who makes him truly deserving of this award. Congratulations, Legend! Now Denise has been asking me for two weeks. What day? Today is the day, Denise. Come on babe [applause]. I'm very excited to introduce you to Miss Denise
021Sanchez Montelongo. She is a fifth grade student. This is our final year with Miss Denise. She has made a wonderful impact on her academic progress. Her determination and positive attitude shine through everything she does. She approaches challenges with confidence, ask thoughtful questions, and continues to grow both skill and confidence. This is not the Denise I met many years ago. This Denise is ready for middle school, soon enough, and she is a joy to see so much hard work and dedication. Congratulations, Denise [applause]. Rick Oser: Well done. Rock Springs, well done. Doug Paulson: We want to thank everybody for coming out tonight. Parents, thank you for trusting us with your children. Thank you for choosing EUSD. I hope that we are providing the best education possible for your students. I know that our teachers truly care
022about each and every one of their students. Thank you. Teachers thank you all for coming out tonight to support the families and the students. Thank you for everything that you do at this time. Before we launch into our agenda, we are going to take about an eight minute break. We will reconvene at 7:30. That will allow everyone who wants to go home and get to bed, to go home and get to bed. Thank you. Zesty Harper: It's been eight minutes. Doug Paulson: Well, it is exactly 7:30 p.m., right when I said we were going to get back together. And we are going to move into public comments. We have two public comments tonight and we will start off with Andrea Sima. Andrea Sima: I like this sign. Please speak directly into the microphone. Hopefully you
023can hear me. Alright, so yes, I am Andrea. Thank you for having us tonight. And I wanted to make tonight about the month of thankfulness. We are in November, so I have a few thank yous to put out to my fellow community school peeps. This job is not for the weak. That is for sure. I appreciate all of their willingness to share what has worked and what is not. Sharing is caring and they have saved many of us newbies a lot of time and heartache. I thank you also to the many principals who are taking risks with us and allowing for the change that needs to be brought to our campuses. A special thank you to Lisa Pitard who gives me the latitude to be myself. A thank you to our new Community Schools coordinator,
024Christine Carrera, who has come in with an eager mind and heart. You are the. You are in the right spot and I can't wait to learn with and from you. And last but not least, I wish for all of our EEEA, CSEA, board, cabinet, management, families who are not here us right now, but might be in the public and students a fantastic Thanksgiving month. Let us all be thankful. Thank you. Doug Paulson: Next up is Jamie Russo. Jamie Russo: Hello. I'm unfortunately not here to say thank you. I've been in the district for over 20 years, and I would like to address our professional development. They've become a little bit of a joke, I think. And not a funny one in our district. I don't know what happened at the last one that I went
025to, but I got to sit and learn how to play war with my students for a half an hour, which I've been doing this for 23 years. You guys need to start thinking about what we need as professionals. We sit through these scripted sessions that don't address the challenges we face. Kids are years behind grade level, overwhelmed by anxiety, which you did address. Thank you for letting me know that if a child asked to go to the bathroom every day during math or they're crying that they have math anxiety, maybe they wouldn't have that if I wasn't told for the last. I don't know how many years. Just keep going. They'll eventually get it. Yeah, they'll eventually get math anxiety. Our PDs are supposed to be making us better educators. Instead, I find that they
026are wasting our time and energy. We're already stretched to the limit. We don't need another slideshow from people who have not been in the classroom. We need tools, training and collaboration that actually helps us reach our students. We're professionals. We care deeply about our children in our rooms, and our PDs need to support that mission. It's time to stop checking your little boxes that you did stuff and bring us practical, relevant ideas that we can actually use today in our classroom. Our students deserve better. A lot better. Teachers deserve better. That may have been great PDs for somebody who just started, but when you're going to throw kindergarten through fifth grade teachers into the same PD all across the district, please think about those of us that have been doing this for a long time.
027We still want help, but I don't find it in our current professional development that we're getting offered. So I'm hoping in the future we can get something that might help us reach those students that we really are trying to help and reach. Thank you. Doug Paulson: Okay. We do not have any public hearings tonight. Do we have a report from CSEA, chapter 150? Noemi. Speaker15: Well, I'm thankful this is the first time somebody has said my name correctly. So thank you for that. Well, good evening, everyone. I don't have anything nice to say. I'm just kidding. I do have very many things nice to say. I am also very thankful for everyone in this room and for all of our staff who continue to work hard to support our students. I actually am going to
028piggyback on what one of our teachers just said in regards to PD, I think over the years we have focused on our kids and the pandemic and how are we supporting them, right? How are we encouraging them to come to school. And but I think one of the things that has kind of fallen to the wayside is PD for all staff. There is so much that that is continuously changing in education, right? We are not a stagnant being. We are continuously moving. I think we were talking about 21st century libraries back in the days, and that was like ten years ago. And we're still talking about 21st century libraries. One day we will get there. Side note, but, you know, PD is very important and we have so many resources just not within EUSD but
029outside of EUSD. So I do I should I'm going to reiterate the importance of continuing to push for that for all staff. Not, you know, in the classroom, outside of the classroom. Our custodial, our maintenance. Everybody. Right. Could benefit from from PD. Sorry, I'm now just rambling. The other thing and the thing that I was going to be up here to say is I am very thankful to those of you who participate in bargaining. And I hope that we continue to bargain in good faith, and we hope we have a positive outcome for all, including EEEA. We're we're rooting for them, too. Thank you. Doug Paulson: And EEEA. Brandi Krepps: Okay. Good evening, President Paulson, school board members, doctor Ibarra and cabinet. First, more than anything, I couldn't be more proud of pioneer teacher Corina
030Martinez for earning the esteemed recognition of California State Teacher of the Year. Stand up so everyone can see you. Wooo! [applause] This kind of recognition shows the special gift we have in our district. So thank you, Corina, for being amazing. I am pleased to publicly recognize that EEEA has reached a tentative agreement with EUSD. I would like to thank EUSD's bargaining team Audrey Frank, Michelle Cagle, Albert Noh and Elizabeth Ramirez for their professionalism and clear desire to take care of all of us. I would like to thank our bargaining team for supporting our members and looking out for our best interests. Thank you Mike Brinkley, Romero Maratea, Krystal Zinn, Molly O'Hara, Lisa Magana, and Chris Kaminski. And a special thank you to someone who's not here this evening, but to Gordon Walker, who after 14
031years has hung up his bargaining chair hat. Gordon has led our association to be in a place of collaboration and competitive with other districts. I will miss him dearly, but I know he's a phone call away. Moving forward, Miss Krystal Zinn will sit in the bargaining chair throne to guide us and she is amazing. School board members, thank you for continuing to show that you value our employees with this tentative agreement. We definitely appreciate your recognition in all of the what we do. If you look around this room, these are the people who do the incredible work. They take a lot of pride in this district and they get up every day for this community. These teachers and staff are dedicated to making this district the best it can be. And to all of EEEA,
032I remain proud to be your president. We will always continue to advocate for our students and we are dedicated to improving our working conditions. Thank you, EEEA members for placing your trust in our executive board and our bargaining team. I may be the face of the association, and I am the one who speaks, but the heart of our district and this association are in this room. We all seem to have a common goal, and although we may not agree on how to get there sometimes, just know that the dedication and passion for teaching is what drives our advocacy. And as we get closer to Thanksgiving, let's be thankful for each other, our families, and for all of our experiences, both great and challenging. And I will close with this. A very, very happy birthday to
033Mike Brinkley, who loves public recognition [applause]. My husband is the rock when I'm at home because he has to deal with this tornado. Mike has to deal with the tornado at work, and Amber has to deal with Mike after dealing with the tornado. So thank you Brinkleys. Happy birthday Mikey. Thank you [applause]. Doug Paulson: Alright, all written communications have been distributed. Moving on to item F, consent items. Are there any items that anyone wants pulled for separate consideration or discussion? Seeing none. Looking for a motion to approve the consent agenda. Joan Gardner: Move approval for the consent agenda. Frank Huston: I'll second. Doug Paulson: We have a motion and a second. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Motion passes 4 to 0 with one absence. We are moving on to item L one. Superintendent's
034office 2026 proposed board meeting dates. Dr Luis Ibarra: Okay, so we need to establish the dates for the year 2026. And I already know that December 10th does not fall within the window. For a reorganization, meetings need to be between December 11th and 26th. And if we don't want to have a separate meeting for the reorganization and the adoption of the first interim we need to move our date because first interim needs to be adopted on or prior to December 15th. So I'm going to propose that we move the December, we set the December meeting to December 15th. That would be a Tuesday. But with the way those days fall, that's kind of needs to happen. Fine with everyone? Okay. Doug Paulson: Okay. Zesty Harper: I most likely might won't be here January 22nd. But.
035Doug Paulson: And I just want to point out that because of shifts in airline schedules with United, that I'm not in control of, I will probably be missing March 5th and May 7th. Understanding that missing an occasional meeting as long as we have four members is really not a problem. I do think, I would not ask us to move a meeting for myself, because we do have a responsibility to the community to have regular and consistent meetings. So just throwing that out and predictable. Joan Gardner: Okay. Zesty Harper: Okay. Joan Gardner: After the guilt trip? [laughter] Zesty Harper: Yeah. Doug Paulson: No, I didn't do that. Nope. Not me. I'm just saying I've got I'm going to be out of the country on those two dates. Zesty Harper: Well, let's move them. Joan Gardner: I
036have a problem with the 15th of October. So that that's the only meeting we have that month. Doug Paulson: So that one could be moved. We're talking a year out, so. Joan Gardner: Could either be the Thursday before. The Thursday after. It could still be a Thursday. Doug Paulson: 2026. Joan Gardner: Yes. Dr Luis Ibarra: December 15th. We're talking about December 15th, 2026. Doug Paulson: No we're talking. Dr Luis Ibarra: Yeah, that these dates are all for 2026. Joan Gardner: Yes, I'm talking about October. Doug Paulson: October. Miss Gardner's talking about October 15th. So that could be either the eighth or the 22nd. And it seems like the 22nd might be more convenient because we would have just met on September 24th. Joan Gardner: Perfect. Zesty Harper: Yeah. Dr Luis Ibarra: So December 27th. Doug
037Paulson: No October. Dr Luis Ibarra: October 22nd. Got it. Doug Paulson: October 22nd in. Miss Harper, which day were you talking about? January? Zesty Harper: 22nd. Doug Paulson: And we would be. Joan Gardner: That's the only meeting that month as well. Doug Paulson: That's the only meeting that month. We're just getting back into school. The 29th would be just one week before the following meeting on February 5th. Andrew McGuire: There's a PTA council meeting. Dr Luis Ibarra: But yeah, we can move that. Zesty Harper: Or in the 20th. Andrew McGuire: The 29th. Dr Luis Ibarra: January 22nd to the 29th. Andrew McGuire: The 28 work? Doug Paulson: 29th. Then the first meeting in February is the fifth. That's one week after. Zesty Harper: Can we do the 20th? Do the Tuesday? Dr Luis Ibarra: 20th
038would be Mr. McGuire's birthday, so It'd be perfect. [laughter] Zesty Harper: Not a national holiday? Andrew McGuire: It's not a holiday. Dr Luis Ibarra: I heard him squirming over here. So. That would work. Andrew McGuire: Yes, yes. No place i'd rather be than in the board meeting on my birthday. Zesty Harper: That's what Mike's here. Doug Paulson: That's on. Dr Luis Ibarra: Mike. Zesty Harper: Mike's dedicated. Dr Luis Ibarra: If Mike can do it, so can. Andrew McGuire: I will accept this change. Doug Paulson: January 20th, a Tuesday. Dr Luis Ibarra: Okay. Got it, got it. Doug Paulson: So then to work out my March 5th issue. I won't be here on the third, but the Saturday, March 7th would work for me. I'm joking. I'll be missing that meeting. Okay. Zesty Harper: Okay. But
039the the. I think the May one though, because those are usually we talk about budget and stuff. We should. Doug Paulson: Yeah. But. Dr Luis Ibarra: There's two meetings. Doug Paulson: There's two meetings in May, but there's also stuff that just has to be approved there. I, I, I was trying to figure out how to work that one out. I don't see it personally. Zesty Harper: Are you here on, like, the fifth? May 5th? When do you? Doug Paulson: Know I'm, I'm I'm in New Guinea that whole week prior, so I really I think we're fine. I think you guys are going to be able to handle this perfectly on your own. Perfectly. Zesty Harper: Trained as well. Doug Paulson: So? So with those changes, January 20th, the Tuesday and moving October 15th to October
04022nd, are there any other changes? Dr Luis Ibarra: And December 15th. Doug Paulson: Oh, I am so sorry. December 15th. Correct. And that's also a Tuesday? Dr Luis Ibarra: Yes. Frank Huston: Yes. Doug Paulson: Okay. Okay. Okay. Are those changes acceptable to everybody? Okay. Dr Luis Ibarra: Yeah. Doug Paulson: Beautiful. I don't think this is a motion item to move. Is this just for future consideration? Dr Luis Ibarra: We'll bring those back at next meeting. We will adopt them. Doug Paulson: Okay. Perfect. All right. Item L2 announcement of intent to appoint Commissioner to the Personnel Commission. Dr Luis Ibarra: So we have two items here. So this one's announcement. Intent to appoint commissioner. I need to scroll up. We've got two, two separate items on there. I've gotta. Can you tell me which one item
041this is? I can't see the bottom. Doug Paulson: No, this is. Dr Luis Ibarra: Is this our appointment? Doug Paulson: This is L2. This is our appointment. Dr Luis Ibarra: Announcement of intent to appoint commissioner. Doug Paulson: So this is just saying I believe that what this one was, is just we are going to be putting out for application the position of personnel commissioner to replace our current personnel commissioner who is resigning the position? Andrew McGuire: Yes, when we were. When we have a replacement. Dr Luis Ibarra: Yes. Mrs. Sackfield has, is not going to be able to finish her term. She's indicated she would like to step down. So we would want, need to find a replacement to replace her for her to complete out her term, which would not expire until December 1st,
0422026. So last time the board wanted us to seek out applications and then and to anyone who was interested, if that's the board desire, we will will do the same process. So, okay. Doug Paulson: And I think there is consensus that we would like to make that a public announcement, a public posting, that this position is open and we will have an application procedure for it and go through an appointment process. Dr Luis Ibarra: Perfect. Okay. We shall do that. Doug Paulson: All right, next up we have our several student reinstatement cases. Zesty Harper: Okay, so I move that we approve the recommendation. Oh. For Kate. Okay. So sorry. Case number 2024-25-02. I move that we recommend accepting the recommendation of the committee and reinstate the student to a school of the district's choosing. Joan
043Gardner: Second. Doug Paulson: Okay, this is a roll call vote. Miss Gardner. Joan Gardner: Aye. Doug Paulson: Mr. Huston. Frank Huston: Aye. Doug Paulson: Miss Harper? Zesty Harper: Aye. Doug Paulson: Mr. Paulson votes aye. Motion passes 4 to 0 with one absence. Zesty Harper: So on student case number 2024-25-05. I move that we reject the recommendation of the committee and extend for one trimester. Frank Huston: I second. Doug Paulson: All right. We have a motion and a second to reject the recommendation for reinstatement and extend the expulsion for one trimester. Roll call vote. Miss Gardner. Joan Gardner: Aye. Doug Paulson: Mr.Huston Frank Huston: Aye. Doug Paulson: Miss. Harper Zesty Harper: Aye. Doug Paulson: Mr. Paulsen votes aye. Motion passes 4 to 0. One absence. Zesty Harper: For student for case number. Reinstatement. Case number 2024-25-06.
044I move that we accept the recommendation of the panel and do a placement to the school of the district's choosing. Joan Gardner: Second. Doug Paulson: Alright. We have a motion and a second. Miss Gardner. Joan Gardner: Aye. Doug Paulson: Mr. Huston. Frank Huston: Aye. Doug Paulson: Miss Harper. Zesty Harper: Aye. Doug Paulson: Mr. Paulson votes aye. Motion passes 4 to 0 with one absence. Next up, we have item M. I am so sorry. M4 proposed school calendars. Audrey Frank: Yes, I am. Based on the parameters of the past calendar committee. I'm seeking approval of the 2026-27 academic calendar and the 27-28 academic calendar. Doug Paulson: Okay. And these follow the parameters that were set up some years ago where our calendar is predictable, consistent, holidays remain approximately the same within the Easter break changes. Audrey
045Frank: And that that and that school would start for families after two full weeks in August and then school would start. Doug Paulson: All right. And so this is an action item. Does anybody have any questions on these calendars? Frank Huston: Can you make a motion for both or do we have to accept. Doug Paulson: No, we would make a motion for both of them together. Frank Huston: Okay. Motion to approve both calendars for 26-27 and 27-28. Joan Gardner: Second. Doug Paulson: All right, we have a motion and a second. Any discussion? It, I just will say that if anybody wants to extend out and predict the calendars for the next 100 years, you can do that right now because we've said it and this is what it's going to be. So it's pretty, it's
046really consistent. I think it serves the community very well. With that all in favor, please say aye. Aye Motion passes 4 to 0 one absence. Moving on to item M5. Dr Luis Ibarra: Okay, so this is the. Doug Paulson: This is where it is. Dr Luis Ibarra: So this is a motion item to appoint, to ratify the appointment of Mr. Carlos Magana. He was for his interim position and then further take action to appoint him for the, the following term. Doug Paulson: And so this is the personnel commissioner that represents CSEA. Dr Luis Ibarra: That is correct. Doug Paulson: And this one he has actually been serving in this position. We are just ratifying that appointment at this time. Dr Luis Ibarra: Yes. Doug Paulson: Looking for a motion to approve. Dr Luis Ibarra: And
047then we're extending it. Doug Paulson: And extending it. Dr Luis Ibarra: Yes. Joan Gardner: Move approval. Zesty Harper: I'll second. Doug Paulson: We have a motion and a second. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Motion passes 4 to 0. One absence. Okay. Here is the exciting part that everyone has been waiting for. Board policies. These are nutrition services. Board policies. First reading. Possible approval. Mr. McGuire, is this you? Andrew McGuire: It is. So we actually have upcoming in the next few months, an administrative review of our nutrition program, which is mostly funded by the federal government. So that's providing that review. And some of the things we have to get done is updating our board policies to align with the requirements of the federal government. So this is updating our Nutrition Services Board policies.
048The change that's here is really about the nondiscrimination statement in the board policies. It remains mostly intact. They've actually just added we also may not discriminate for political beliefs. Beyond that, that's the what's that. Joan Gardner: Or activism. Doug Paulson: Or activism. Andrew McGuire: Or or. Yes. So political action, things. Joan Gardner: Like marital status. That was added as well. Andrew McGuire: Yeah. So we can't discriminate for those things and all of the other items that you normally cannot discriminate for sex, gender that kind of thing. Religion, national origin, all of that stuff. So they've added a couple new things to the list. And that would bring us in compliance with the federal guidelines for nondiscrimination clause that would be required in all federal contracts or federal programs. So this is the first reading of
049that. We've included the ARs in there as well, which which spell out how to file a complaint if one were to have one. And so it's for you for first reading or for approval. Doug Paulson: We can do them all together. I believe. Andrew McGuire: It's all one item. Doug Paulson: And we can do our first reading and approval tonight if anybody would care to make such a motion. Frank Huston: Okay. Motion to approve policy 355035513553 and 5030. Doug Paulson: All right. Do we have a second? Zesty Harper: I'll second. Doug Paulson: Okay. We have a motion and a second. All in favor, please. Please say aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion passes 4 to 0 with one absence. Board member and board president reports. Miss Gardner. Joan Gardner: Well, I had the great pleasure to be
050at Pioneer when it was announced to the staff and students about the honor bestowed on Corina Martinez, our wonderful teacher of the year for the district, for the county, and now for the state. So congratulations. So nice to see you here. You're much appreciated. And we're, I know you're going to be really busy this year, but the honor is well deserved. And also I was happy to attend the ribbon cutting at Mission Middle School. It what a beautiful campus. It's almost like a college campus, a university campus, everything brand new. So happy to see the community getting something that that can be, can show the value that we place on our students and on the teachers that that work there. Every classroom, it was very interesting. I'm sorry we didn't do more to encourage tours
051because every classroom actually had a video set up. And I did stop in. I had I had toured the campus when it was not quite finished, but to see the classrooms fully staffed and stocked. They were already using the classrooms. It was a happy time. So thank you for for that. And that's my report. Doug Paulson: Mr. Huston. Frank Huston: And I also attended the ribbon cutting. It was very, very well put on. Thank you so much. It's good to see the property funds being used and just amazing. Absolutely amazing. That's cool. Like I said, it almost looks like a college campus. I mean, it is really, really impressive. So that was very nicely done. And I thank you guys for all the work that you did. Also for our staff that worked on that
052and got that all up and running. That's my report. Zesty Harper: Thank you. I had to go back to my notes. We haven't had a board report in a while, so I'm going way back. That we. Joan and I attended the YMCA pool opening. That's okay. We both were there. No one jumped in the pool, though. I was kind of disappointed about that. Joan Gardner: No one got pushed. [laughter] Zesty Harper: No one got pushed either. But it's a beautiful facility and the students were really enjoying it and I can't see. I can't wait to see that program bloom. Went to our favorite, Joan and I, insurance committee meeting, which, you know, is fantastic. And then I went to the I think it was opening weekend of the rugby over at Rincon. To see them.
053I missed the Felicita cheer team again. I'm very upset I missed them, but everyone was really into the rugby. I wanted to mention, and she was actually here tonight, so. But that doctor Carmen Madrigal, she got an honorary membership from the Kiwanis Club because of her dedication to the students in our community and her support of the reading program there. So, again, just such a fabulous representative of what we do here at EUSD. I attended the PTA meeting again where I joined the Conway's PTA, so I'm official PTA member again this year. And then I also wanted to thank that our schools, the presentation that we had last time of all the schools that did the redesign presentation I really appreciated those teachers and the admin taking time to give us a presentation and update
054which was Rock Springs, Bear Valley, Rose and Central. Really, they had really great ideas and it was great to see their passion. I'm really excited to see where that flourishes. And especially I would really like to see how that affects our academics with our students and how that, you know, the increased attendance, the increased PDs, all that type of thing of how that helps our students really be successful. I also toured Pioneer, where I got to see one of the wheel classes where they were working with robots. We got to play with the TK class, which is always so adorable. We saw the newcomer, one of their small group meetings. And then also the reading room update. I wanted to thank, I saw it on Facebook, but Rincon had put out a post about support
055services for our community members and that anyone struggling options they have. And I thought it was a great idea. And I think it's also good to remember what we also have in place with our community schools and our family liaisons. So any of our families in our community that are having a hard time or during this challenging time that we do have resources for them to come talk to and we can make connections for them. So I wanted to remind everyone of that and not to get political. But I did want to say go Dodgers. [laughter, groans] Doug Paulson: I and I would like to echo miss Miss Harper's sentiment on the Dodgers. I believe that we all need to come and get behind our local little league teams, whether it's Escondido National or Escondido
056youth baseball. We need to support the children. The Little League teams like the Dodgers [laugher]. I also would like to talk for just a minute about the importance of the YMCA pool opening, that the opening ceremony was nice. That was nice for the adults to get the word out. But what is really cool there is that we are getting our kids into the water again after so many years of our city. I'm sorry. When I was growing up and this was a city of 40,000 people, we had three pools. We now have 150,000 people and three pools. We have neglected our aquatics culture. We live 20 miles from the beach. This district has taken a tremendous step to open up aquatic options again. And that does not mean that our kids are only going to
057be going swimming in swimming pools. Once they are able to swim, once they're able to be in the water and feel comfortable, it opens the options for doing more aquatics, surfing, scuba diving, snorkeling, all of those things that traditionally kids would be doing in the city of Escondido and we've lost it. I'm sorry that it needed to be the school district that is working to bring it back, but somebody's got to and I'm very proud. If there's one thing that I am proud of, it's that one, because that's going to make the difference in a lot of kids lives. Equally what we have done with our facilities. When I first started, my whole thing was Del Dios. You know, first thing you see as you come into the city of Escondido, whether you're coming from
058north or south, you pass by. And we used to look down off the freeway, and there was whatever Del Dios was, the portables and wonderful things going on in the classrooms. But from the exterior it wasn't pretty. And now it's new and it's spectacular. Same thing with Mission Middle School. I toured that school very extensively in 1975 through 1977. It's a different school now. The locker room is still the same. The sweat, the stench in the locker rooms is exactly the same as when I attended there. But the school itself is spectacular and it's reflected in student behavior. It's reflected in student outcomes. It's reflected in what those students are like when they come out and come to high school. Mission Middle School. That may be the name of a mission, but they are also
059the students are on a mission. And that has become an a, an exceptional school because the kids, when you've got facilities that are cared for, the kids know that you care about them also. So thank you to everybody involved in that project and in all of our building projects. Yeah. Corina Martinez I was also there for that unveiling. Another state teacher of the year [applause]. If this were our district's first teacher of the year, state teacher of the year, that would be incredible. There have been several. And Corina, congratulations to you. I know that you've been on the news all over the county and all the newspapers, but I think they've really understated what an accomplishment this is. This is something not to be believed. Congratulations to you [applause]. And I want to thank you
060for in advance for continuing as a classroom teacher even once being state teacher of the year is over. Because unfortunately, sometimes state teachers of the year find other occupations when it's over. And I'm not laying down the guilt, I'm just stating a fact. That I pray that you are a classroom teacher in our district for a decade or years to come. On the fun side, I was able to go to the rugby this last weekend over at Rincon Middle School. Huge turnout. If you haven't had a chance to go over and see that, it's really well run, really well organized, as are all of our after school and extended day programs. I think that is another place that our district just stands out. I was able to attend the Rose Fall Festival, which was a
061great deal of fun. Very well run. And that would be it for me. Doctor Ibarra. Dr Luis Ibarra: Mrs. Martinez, congratulations. Now, this is this is a and it's a big deal. This is really a big deal. And I just want to tell you. I mean, I've been watching you. I've been following your your clips. You did an outstanding job. Especially on KUSI. I'm pushing that out in the family communication to the families. If you haven't seen it, please take the time to do it. It. You're representing us well. You're going to represent us well. And you are just amazing being in your classroom. I know why I kind of had a good feeling that you had a really good chance. When I saw what you're all about, and you're going to do wonderful. And
062thank you so much. This is really a big deal and a big honor to all of us and for you and your family and your school family. So thank you. Next Tuesday, we're celebrating. We get to honor our veterans. So to everyone who has served a huge happy Veterans Day to them and to all our teachers and staff who are doing amazing projects with their kids, recognizing veterans. I know a lot of that goes on unseen. And just because of the, you know, we have a military just real close to us, all around us. And so thank you to everyone who's doing that in their classrooms and at their schools. And then to all, it's great to see EEEA and CSEA out. Thank you so much. Please know that we truly appreciate all the hard
063work that you are doing. And as Thanksgiving is coming up, have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Very well deserved everyone. So that concludes my report. Doug Paulson: Okay. Anything else? Alright. Our next regularly scheduled board meeting will be held on Thursday, December 11th, 2025 at 7 p.m. at the Escondido Union School District. Carilyn Gilbert Education Center, 2310 Aldergrove Avenue, Escondido. 92029. We will not be going back to closed session. We are adjourned.