001Mark Olson: [low level talking] Doug Paulson: Well, good evening, everybody. I am going to call this regular meeting of the Board of Education to order at 5:30 p.m.. Prior to closed session, we do have four public comments. Entonces tenemos cuatro comentarios antes de nuestra junta and tenemos [inaudible] Si. Okay. Perfecto. La primera es Agustina Garcia. Agustina Pacheco: [inaudible] [speaking in Spanish] . Interpreter: Good evening. My name is Agustina Pacheco. My son's name. I'm the mother of Erik Gaytan. I wanted to come to you to let you know that my son did commit an error, but we would like for him to return to school. He is really sorry for what he did. And God forgives us of our sins. And so he's been repented. And he would like. They would like for him to return
002to school. Thank you. Doug Paulson: Thank you. Our next speaker is Luis Gaytan. [speaking Spanish]. Interpreter: Hello. My name is Luis Gaytan, father of Erik. I would like another opportunity for my son to return to school. And that's it. Doug Paulson: Alright. Next up is Erik. Eric Gaytan: I hope you're doing well. I just want to apologize for what happened with the recording of John [inaudible]. I know my actions were wrong, and I understand I broke the school rules. I regret it, and I have taken some time to think about it. I get it now how important it is to respect others privacy and follow school policies. I just want I would want to make I want to make things right and learn from this. I went to a [inaudible] at St Mary Catholic Church,
003and I learned a lot of things about not bullying people and behaving good and becoming closer to God. If I'm possible, I would love the chance to come back to school and show that I'm committed to doing better, both in behavior and academics. I promise to follow all the rules and contribute to positive behavior. Thank you for considering this. I'm eager to move forward and continue my education at Del Dios Academy. Doug Paulson: Thank you. Erik. Next speaker is [Chantelle Rhombus?]. [Chantelle Rhombus?]: Thank you for having us here. I just want to say I had got the notice that possibly my daughter may be like, expelled from school districts out here and in San Diego. So I just wanted to clarify in regards to that, if that is what's going to happen. I'll accept the
004Escondido school district, whatever. Like she don't have to come to school out here, but not out in San Diego because we plan on moving from over here. It's been a lot of stuff going on with her at the schools, a lot of people bullying her, and it took for her to take action for this meeting to be called. Even though I tried to get this meeting called previous regarding her being bullied at school. So and to to take into consideration that we are moving. I do not want her to be expelled from all school districts because that's the message that I got from one of you guy's superiors. So. Thank you. Doug Paulson: Thank you. Thank you. Alright, we are going to adjourn to closed session. Thank you very much for for being here this
005evening. Of the Escondido Union High School district board of education. It's shows that it's on. It's on, it's on. Did I really. I want to apologize to everyone here. I would like to reconvene this regular meeting of the Board of Education of the Escondido Union School District. Wow. And thank everybody for coming out on this rainy night. Would like to call up at this time, Alicia Gonzalez from Del Dios Academy of Arts and Sciences to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Alicia Gonzalez: 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. Doug Paulson: Alright. Thank you. All members are present and we do have a report out of closed session. Mark Olson:
006Thank you president. On item B2, in the matter of existing litigation. Case number 37-2024-00022563-CU-PO-NC. The board voted to approve the settlement agreement by a vote of 5 to 0. On item B3 in the matter existing litigation OAH case number 2024080429. The board voted to approve the Special Education Settlement agreement by a vote of 5 to 0. On item B6 in closed session, the board considered dismissal charges against a classified probationary employee and took action to approve those charges and release employee number 666589 by a vote of 5 to 0. In closed session, the board considered dismissal charges against a classified probationary employee and took action to approve those charges and release employee number 666646 by a vote of 5 to 0. And finally, in closed session, the board considered dismissal charges against a classified probationary
007employee and took action to approve those charges and release employee number 667914 by a vote of 5 to 0. That is all. Doug Paulson: Thank you very much. Moving on to item C5 approval of the agenda. Does anybody have any changes to be made to the agenda? Joan Gardner: Move approval of the agenda. Frank Huston: Second. Doug Paulson: Miss Gardner moves, Mr. Huston seconds. All in favor? Please vote. [low level talking] Michelle, can you please vote Aye for Miss Harper? Motion passes 5 to 0. Moving on to item C6. Approval of the minutes of the January 16th meeting. Anybody have any corrections or changes? Looking for a motion. Zesty Harper: I'll move. Mark Olson: Second. Doug Paulson: Miss Harper moves, Mr. Olson seconds. Please vote. Motion passes four, with one abstention. Thank you very much.
008Moving on to approval of the meetings of February 4th, 2025. Zesty Harper: I'll second. Doug Paulson: Mr. Huston moves, Miss Harper. Seconds. All in favor? Please vote. Motion passes. Three in favor, two abstentions. All right. And moving on to item C8 approval of the minutes of the February 20th, 2025 meeting. Zesty Harper: I move approval. Joan Gardner: Second. Doug Paulson: Miss Harper moves, miss Gardner seconds. Please vote. And that motion passes by a vote of four aye, zero nay. One abstention. All right. Moving on to item D 1 recognitions. Doctor Philyaw. Dr. Laura Philyaw: Yes. Well, we are so happy once again to be able to celebrate. Our students from across the district with our Student Excellence Awards will begin with the Bernardo Elementary School, and we have a highlight video to share. [video playing]
009Hi, I'm Jeremy Lyche proud principal of Bernardo Elementary School, home of the Mountaineers. We're excited to share this video with you and highlight some of the amazing things that happened here at Bernardo Elementary every single day. Thank you so much for joining us. At Bernardo Elementary. Our staff and families have created an environment where each student feels valued, respected and excited to learn. We want our students to be problem solvers who find solutions to real world challenges. That's why every class at Bernardo participates in project based learning. Everyone should have 1 or 2 of the items that you're going to be selling. These second graders are becoming business savvy. Working in groups they create items to sell and decide how to market them. So it's not just checking a box or doing a worksheet and
010reading about it, it's actually getting your hands in it. First graders are buzzing about science. You're working together as a team. They're learning insect anatomy and the importance of pollinators. We find that if they're manipulating the pieces and putting them on the actual bee, they tend to retain the information better. That's why we're doing it as a project and not just a lecture. There's a lot of sitting in the classroom, so we like to just get out, exert their energy. Students stay active by engaging in fun fitness. Mind Tigers, eyes up here . With fully credentialed PE teachers. It's great for their social skills to be able to interact with their other students and gameplay. Learning about teamwork. It's time for lunch. Nutritious meals are available every day free of charge, and our students take
011responsibility for their waste by participating in the district's food recycling program. Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck. Our kids are creative and self-confident. At Bernardo Elementary each student performs on stage in one of our many musicals. Ready? So breathe in through your nose. Welcome to the Zen Den. And out. Here our students reflect on how to deal with conflict and manage stress so they can interact positively with others. It's just a space that isn't often provided in schools, and it allows them to kind of like, lower their anxieties and just be. We got to do a tomato cage on this one. Our mountaineers take pride in caring for their campus garden. It's just great to see how some students just really engage with nature, and they really. This is one of their highlights. It was born as
012a tribute to a fourth grader who had a love for gardening. First, figure out how far it is from there to there. Bernardo was the first school in the district to pilot the Lego Robotics program. Every fifth grader gets hands on experience, but some take the science and tech to the next level. When we worked in the first Lego League, we had a group of mentors from one of the local high schools, and they're doing Lego robotics on their level. Each grade level participates in a school wide community improvement project. It's just another example of how Bernardo's students possess the power to make their community and the world a better place. All right. And next up, we'll go ahead and invite up Principal Jeremy Lyche. Jeremy Lyche: Thank you. That's really hard to see yourself
013on there. Do I sound like that in real life? I've got to change my voice. Good evening, President Paulson. Members of the board, doctor Ibarra and cabinet. My name is Jeremy Lyche, and I'm the proud principal at Bernardo Elementary School. Thank you for your time tonight to recognize some special Mountaineers from our school. Can I please have Hailey and Annalis and Zander? Come on up and join me. Can you stand right here? Yeah. Good job. I asked him if they were ready to give their speeches, and they were like, yeah, sure. No problem. They weren't nervous, like Mr. Lychey is. First up, before we do that, I'd like to recognize our parents and staff. They are exceptional in every way and have helped these students unlock their unlimited potential. Will the Bernardo staff and parents
014who are here with us tonight, please stand so we can recognize you. Thank you. All right. The first student that I'm excited to honor tonight is Hailey Kasper. Haley is truly deserving of this recognition due to her unwavering perseverance, exceptional self-discipline, and kind spirit, she consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic. Always pushing herself to achieve her best while maintaining strong character and a positive attitude through her dedication and resilient approach to learning Hailey is an exceptional student who sets an incredible example for everyone around her. We are grateful for her sharp mind, her big heart, and we have no doubt she will continue to make an incredible difference in this world. Congratulations, Hailey. Oh, I thought I was taking a picture. Sorry. I was like, am I supposed to take the picture? I wasn't wasn't
015sure what was going on. Next up, I'm excited to honor Annalis Garcia Chavez. Annalis continually shows tremendous strength, courage and grit to rise to incredible heights. She approaches challenges as opportunities for growth and is never afraid to enthusiastically step outside of her comfort zone. She is not just a student who does great work, but rather a highly engaged learner who takes ownership of her education and makes the most of each day. We are incredibly proud of Annalis, and we can't wait to see what the future holds for her. Congratulations, Annalis. And next, I'm thrilled to honor Zander Lopez. Zander is an outstanding student who has made tremendous academic gains while maintaining an incredible sense of humor and imagination. His energy and enthusiasm, enthusiasm for learning and life are contagious to all those around him, and
016they were evident this year at Biztown when he was asked to give the weather and traffic report for the TV station, he rocked it. And who knows, you might see him on your television someday. Probably will. Zander is beloved by so many at Bernardo, and we will grateful for all of the joy and laughter he brings to our lives each and every day. Congratulations, Zander. Dr. Laura Philyaw: All right. And next we have we'll be able to showcase Del Dios Academy of Arts and Sciences, and we have a video about them. Welcome. My name is Michael Reichel. Zesty Harper: Great. Dr. Laura Philyaw: And we'll invite up Principal Michael Reichel. Michael Reichel: Good evening, Doctor Ibarra and cabinet and President Paulson and the board. Nice to see you all. And welcome to all of you
017tonight. Came out in the rain. I am Michael Reichel. I am the happy principal of Del Dios. And I'd like to, first of all, call up all of the students who are here tonight, and it's Alicia and Yvette and Aubrey. So come on up to the podium. And I'd like to also recognize all of our Del Dios employees and family members who made it out tonight. Could you please stand up and wave and let them know you're here? Thank you. Thank you for coming tonight. Alright, so let's get started with sixth grade and Alicia Gonzalez, first year at Del Dios and Alicia's first year at Del Dios and in her short time with us, she's already made a lasting impression. Alicia is always positive and cares about everyone around her. She is super sweet and
018is always being respectful. Alicia exudes confidence and is dedicated to personal preparation and is committed to excellence. We are proud of all of her accomplishments and for this and more are excited to name her Del Dios sixth grade Student Champion. Congratulations, Alicia! We can't wait to see all the amazing things you look for in the future. Okay. In seventh grade, we have Yvette Uloa. Yvette came into the school after it started and was a part of things in a very good way. From the first day, she asked clarifying questions on things she needs help with. She helps others when she knows what she's doing. Yvette is a compassionate and thoughtful student who is always thinking of others. She goes out of her way to make sure all kids feel included and part of the school
019environment. She does all her work on time, participates, and does everything to a high standard. She is an absolute joy to have in class and is always polite and a great student. She has spoken up for things when she needs help, and I appreciate her ability to be in a struggle but stay so positive. Look out for others that need it and find ways to stay productive. Her willingness to help others take initiative and work hard has made a positive difference at Del Dios. Congratulations, Yvette. And last but not least, our eighth grade leader, Aubrey Kelly. Aubrey Kelly is a scholar, a leader, and a prime example of what it means to be an excellent student. Her achievements have ranged from shining in her advanced math class, language arts, advanced class, and physical conditioning to
020leading our students as the school's ASB president. Additionally, her studiousness and focus earned her a 4.0 GPA every trimester she has been at Del Dios and I predict will continue until the very end. Thank you, Aubrey for your outstanding leadership and dedication to education this year. You truly made Del Dios a better place with your kind hearted positivity and thoughtful intellect. Congratulations, Aubrey. Dr. Laura Philyaw: All right. And next we're going to go ahead and have a we have a video about Limitless Learning Academy. Michael Reichel: Launched in the fall of 2021. Limitless Learning Academy is Escondido Union School District's newest model of hybrid instruction. This innovative blended learning program offers a choice for students to attend entirely online or in a combination of virtual and on campus participation. Core instruction in English language arts,
021math, science, and social studies is delivered virtually over Zoom from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Mentor meetings with teachers are scheduled every day virtually or on campus, offering guidance, tutoring, and feedback for students, guardians, and family members. Students have opportunities to participate in person on campus two afternoons per week. Limitless Learning Academy provides fun and engaging enrichment time with various activities such as art, dance, coding, and more, including Spirit Week, once a month and holiday activities. Limitless Learning Academy and partnership with students, families and staff is committed to engaging learners in rigorous virtual and hybrid learning experiences to generate creativity, communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and to build connections with each other and the world. Dr. Laura Philyaw: So, Principal Reichle will be highlighting limitless students as well as home education. Michael Reichel: Thank you. Very
022proud to have been the founding principal of Limitless Learning Academy. It's been a wonderful journey of creation and innovation, and I would like to first of all, call up our students. One of them cannot be with us tonight, unfortunately. So Daniel and Yvette, can you come and join me up at the podium? And Renata couldn't be here. Her family's out of town, but we're going to still celebrate her nonetheless. So we'd like to acknowledge all of our Limitless family that are here today. Staff and families, would you please rise and wave and be acknowledged? Thank you for being here. And also for Home Education. We had welcomed them last year to our campus. So anyone here from Home Education please stand up and be recognized. We'll start with the Limitless students and we'll start with
023Daniel, Daniel Ceron, a true embodiment of what it means to be a Liger at LLA. He's been honored with the Student Excellence Award for his remarkable approach to learning and personal growth. Though quiet by nature, his considerate demeanor shines through as he consistently extends a helping hand to peers in need, demonstrating both empathy and leadership. Daniel faces challenges with unwavering determination, expressing his authentic self with confidence while developing valuable life skills that will serve him well beyond the classroom. His eagerness to participate in every educational opportunity reflects his deep commitment to learning, making him an exemplary student whose quiet strength inspires those around him. Congratulations, Dan. Next in absentia, we're going to celebrate Renata Navarro. Rennie is, without exception, an excellent student. She strives to participate fully in every lesson, to complete every task and
024check that her work and her understanding is correct. She asks questions to clear up confusions, double checks her thinking, and deepens her understanding. We can see Rennie's excellence when she is helping others and answering their questions as well. Rennie is an excellent facilitator in class and in groups, making sure group work is shared and started right away. She is an excellent time keeper, making sure that students stay focused on the task at hand. And she's an excellent harmonizer looking for opportunities to include quiet students. Without a doubt, Rennie is a shining example of an EUSD student and richly deserves this award. So let's give her a round of applause. And our elder statesman and we just want to say congratulations! You just had a baby girl in her family born yesterday, and the family still
025made it out today. So thank you for being here. Yvette Reyna Gutierrez Yvette is an excellent student who has utilized the growth mindset to achieve success during her eighth grade year at LLA. She participates in class, helps her peers with complex math concepts, facilitates breakout groups, and puts forth effort in everything she does. Yvette is an excellent example of an LLA student who epitomizes the pillars of the LLA way. She understands the world, embraces challenges, expresses who she is with confidence, develops tools for life, and explores her own pathway. And she's also an excellent artist. With that said, Yvette Reina Gutierrez is well deserving of EUSD's Student Excellence Award. Congratulations! And last but not least, from our Home Education program, I'm proud to introduce Valerie Mendoza Resendez. Valerie is a fifth grader who attended Lincoln
026School from kindergarten through fourth grade, but then moved to Fallbrook last summer. Luckily for us, her parents chose to request a transfer so she could stay in USD and enroll in the home education program. She immediately showed herself to be warm, kind, friendly, positive, and eager to learn. Valerie is taught at home by her mom and aunt, who both go above and beyond to provide a wonderful, high quality education that both supports and challenges. Valerie. It is so fun to have Valerie on our morning zoom meetings, and for her to attend weekly language arts workshops and monthly field trips. Valerie has already improved greatly in i-ready and on all academic skills. She is practicing at home, especially writing. We are pleased to present the Student Excellence Award to both Valerie and to her teachers at
027home as well. Congratulations. Doug Paulson: All right. Thank you all very much. We are going to take a five minute break to allow all parents and families to make their way home. So thank you all for coming. Again, congratulations to everyone. Thank you to our parents. And we will reconvene at 7:40. Number of public comments tonight. I do thank the, everybody for coming out to comment tonight. We do have a three minute limit per comment and you will hear a chime. We just ask you to try to stick to that as best you can. Our first speaker tonight is Moe Perdomo. Moe Perdomo: Hi there. So this is in regard to LLA and the possibility of it closing. So I just want to, I guess, ask you as a parent to a parent, just want
028to, if you guys could be in that mind frame, that that lens. So my kid goes there and my kid is thriving educationally. She's secure emotionally, socially. She's built trust with the system that nurtures her whole, whole brain, her whole child like personality and has experienced the safest educational experience ever. And, you know, I'm not just talking about our kid, my kid, but I'm also talking about the kids that go there. You know, I was part of the PTA for a while, worked along with principal Reichle, with teachers. And we we just want to let you know that, you know, as I, as I talk, like, that's just progress of what I've seen in my kid. I want to let you know that in the past meeting that you guys had. This is how you
029described LLA, and I quote, it's a beneficial program. Let's not remove the support the students need. Some of these students really have needs. That's part of my kids and a lot of the kids that we've seen. Teachers and staff do demonstrate tremendous do a tremendous job. Teachers have done a great job of in engendering a spirit. I think maintaining the spirit of what they've developed there is the important thing. It's what we wish for every student, if we could. I want you to listen to that. This is your words. It's what we wish for every student, if we could. As a parent, I believe that taking away this, that you believe what we wish for every student, fortunately, is what we have as a reality. That's what my kid has. Every kid has. And as
030I speak about this, I want to let you know I you know, I don't want this to be a wish. This is actually what it is. I don't want this to end. So and if that happens, what's going to happen is we're going to regress. I'm a I'm a licensed marriage and family therapist. And I'll tell you this. My kid feels loved, secure, safe. These are the epitome of of attachment things. And I, I love for you to know that as a parent, it's hard to find that. My kid has anxiety. I know a lot of our kids have either autism, or they don't, they they've been bullied. They feel like they don't belong. And man, I, you know, as a I worked for San Diego School District for about five years and I haven't
031seen kids as happy as, as I think you saw the, the film. These kids thrive here. I'm just asking you guys today to to think about your words. These are your words. These are your realities. I would love for you tonight to weigh and discern your own words. The words of our realities, our kids that are at times time suffering from anxiety, from depression. They come here, they thrive. Education with their education I want you to be logical. I can affirm that this is working 100% for our kids, our community. It meets their needs. Thank you so much. Appreciate you. Doug Paulson: Thank you, thank you. Dr. Luis Ibarra: I'd like to make a real quick comment. We will have an update at the next workshop, which is March 20th. So please stay tuned because
032we've been working with the staff, we had parent input, so we'll have an update on where we stand on that. Okay? Doug Paulson: All right. Next up is Christy Perdomo. Christy Perdomo: Hello. Good evening. Thank you for having us. My name is Christy Perdomo. As you just heard. I've been a member of the Escondido community all my life. Our daughter, Keona, as you heard from my husband is a student at Limitless Learning Academy and she's been there since its inception. I remember the very first meeting that we had as parents. We were invited to attend a meeting with Mr. Reichle, and this was just before the school started. And I remember coming away from that meeting feeling like we were understood. We were heard by a principal who was going to do everything in his
033power to make that school as amazing as it could be. We knew we needed to be a part of it, so that's why my husband and I joined the PTA. We enrolled Keona right away, and working alongside of Mr. Reichle and the LLA staff was really easy because their passion translated into actions every day, and we saw all the students begin to thrive almost immediately. I am here today to tell you that this school is a success. Our students are happy and they're thriving as they learn from amazing staff, and they make friends with their peers and they grow into the best adolescents they can be. I wish I was here simply just to celebrate that rather than to fight for it because it may be on your chopping block. The success that LLA has
034enjoyed this far is really due to a combination of the structure of the school, coupled with the high quality and deeply passionate staff. The students enjoy the safety of it being a stand alone school. Our student body is made up of kids with learning disabilities, social anxiety and experiences being bullied at other schools in the district. We have many students with IEPs, students who just need a little bit of extra help and a little bit of extra support. They don't have to worry about fitting in with other students from another school on another campus. They are not visitors from a program. They are equal partners who help create the culture of safety that our school so proudly displays on a daily basis. The staff are a crucial piece of that culture as well. Many of
035our school staff have been there since its inception. They put the blood, sweat and tears into making it what it is today, and they remain because they believe in it and it is working. Our kids are succeeding in this environment in ways that they would never be able to in another educational setting. I implore you, please don't change something that actually works just to save a buck. Recruit more students to LLA so they too can take part in its success. If you want to save money, please look at other line items. Thank you. Doug Paulson: Thank you very much. Next up, Alma [Guerra?]: My name is Alma [Guerra?]. I am a parent. I've also lived here in Escondido all my life. I am a proud Lincoln lion. I know we don't have Grant Panthers anymore,
036but was there and also cougar. So And I'm very happy that, you know, life has brought me around and moved me back to, to Escondido to be able to raise my kids in this beautiful city and community. And I come to you as a mother of a fifth grader, fourth grader, and first grader who are all high functioning autistic. And so I'm a busy mom. And so I'm here today to speak on behalf of many families whose children have found success at Limitless Learning Academy. And I apologize if I'm reading. I'm very nervous and very passionate and an emotional mama. So success with that was not possible in traditional brick and mortar school. While a standard classroom setting works for some, it does not fit all students, especially those with unique learning needs. For children
037like mine who are high functioning autistic, the traditional school model was not just difficult, it was detrimental. Before Limitless Learning Academy, my children struggled with the sensory overload, rigid schedules, and constant discipline for behaviors tied to their neurodiversity. Many parents here share similar experiences. Our children were bullied, isolated and made to feel different. Instead of receiving support, they were placed on performance plans or disciplined for struggling in an environment that wasn't built for them. The anxiety and emotional toll was immense. This is not an anecdotal. The statistics on bullying among special needs students are alarming. A 2012 survey by the Interactive Autism Network found that 63% of autistic children in the United States have been bullied. Additionally, in the United Kingdom, 82% of children with learning disabilities reported being bullied, highlighting a pattern that extends
038beyond our community. These students already face higher rates of victimization, anxiety, and mental health challenges, yet they are often placed in environments where they are not supported and instead are subject subjected to constant stress. LLA changed that. The school provided the structure, flexibility and understanding that allowed our children to thrive academically, emotionally, and socially. Here they are part of a community where their differences are not just tolerated but embraced. For working parents like myself, homeschooling is not an option, and LLA filled the gap where both traditional school and home education fell short. While I understand that the current plan is to move forward with fourth grade and above, I ask to. I ask you to consider the younger students who will be left behind. My first grader right now. Many first graders at LLA have
039been in the same classroom since kindergarten, forming bonds and benefiting from the consistency of this program that this program provides. I urge the board to consider keeping the second grade level open for the next school year, and closing it off after that, and continuing the same process with the third grade thereafter. This would allow students who have already benefited from this program to continue driving in school, rather than being forced into an environment that has already failed them. And I'll leave it at that for now. Thank you. Zesty Harper: Thank you. Doug Paulson: Thank you very much. Moving on. I would like to like to call up, I believe Jennifer Morrow and Gwen Uribe are coming up together. Is that correct? Joan Gardner: We have two cards and four people. So. Thank you. Good evening,
040members of the board and Doctor Ibarra. My name is Jennifer Morrow, and I'm principal at Classical Academy Middle School. And so I wanted to just thank you for this opportunity to speak to you tonight and for your ongoing support of the classical academies. So I am joined here by our musical theater teacher, Cara Howard, and then two of our student actors, Gwen and Genesis. And so we have an upcoming production that we would love to tell you about, and we have a special invitation for you as well. So I'm going to turn the mic over to our student, Gwen, for her to tell you a little bit about musical theater. Gwen: Hello, board members and Doctor Ibarra. My name is Gwen, and I want to thank you for supporting our school. Being part of musical
041theater has helped me grow in ways that I have never imagined. I've learned to step out of my comfort zone, work as a team, and believe in myself. The encouragement from our teachers and the support of our school community have made a huge impact on me, and I'm so grateful for this opportunity. Kara Howard: Hello members of the board and Doctor Ibarra, thank you for your support of the Classical Academies and for giving us academic choice. I am not only a musical theater teacher at Classical Academy, but my kids are lifers. Kindergarten through 12th grade. Just had to graduate. And my son is a sophomore. And our school is more middle school theaters more than just about the production. It's a powerful experience that brings students of all talents and backgrounds, families, and community together.
042Students learn how to be good leaders, speak boldly with confidence, learn regard for one another, and to think beyond themselves. They learn the important skill of delayed gratification, all while fostering creativity and teamwork. These critical life skills last far beyond the stage and can be used throughout their entire lives. Not only do our productions affect our school community, but the local communities as well. Hundreds of students from Juniper Elementary and Felicita Elementary are able to attend our productions, and in some cases, it is their very first experience with live theater. It's so special that we're able to give them this gift. So we'd love to invite you to experience the magic for yourselves. And as a token of our appreciation, we are gifting each of you tickets to our upcoming production of Shrek the Musical
043at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido. So I'm going to have Genesis give you the information on how to get your complimentary tickets to our production. It is going to be the first weekend in April. We have eight, eight performances. And there's an email on here that you can email for more information on the tickets and we'd love for you to come. So thank you so much for believing in our school and for the arts and our students. We appreciate you. So just email the email on there and that's how you can get your tickets right now. Zesty Harper: Thank you. Doug Paulson: Thank you all very much. Next up is Marissa Johnson. Marissa Johnson: Good evening. School board members and superintendent Doctor Ibarra. Let me start by first introducing myself. My name is
044Marissa Johnson. I'm a former public school teacher and a parent of a preschooler who will be enrolled in our TK program and receives special ed services. I was hoping to gain some understanding about how recent presidential actions I find deeply disturbing could trickle down to EUSD. As you might already be aware, there was a Presidential Executive Order issued January 29th, 2025, called Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 schooling. This executive order threatened to withhold federal funding for any school district who affirms a student's gender, as well as teaching history the Trump administration deems as critical race theory. I quote from the executive order. Innocent children are compelled to adopt identities as either victims or oppressors solely based on their skin color. In other instances, young men and women are made to question whether they were born
045in the wrong body. To be clear, as a former teacher, I know that that is not what is going on in our schools. As a former history teacher, I believe the role of public education is imperative to our students, our community, and our nation. Part of that commitment is teaching our students the truth about our history, with all its many nuances and flaws of our past. Teaching about our nuanced history of conquering slavery, etc. does not teach students to become victims or oppressors. Learning about our past informs our present and forges a more equitable future. I also believe that it is essential that our schools honor students as they are, by honoring their pronouns and treating our children with dignity and respect. Therefore, I find it deeply troubling that the president has issued an executive
046order that threatens these important initiatives by threatening to cut off federal funding. A Dear Colleague letter recently sent out by the Department of Education also stated ending federal funding for DEI initiatives. The media has also reported that another executive order could be on the way regarding dismantling the Department of Education, or redirecting its many functions to other departments of government. While I do not wish to be political and do not want to remain alarmist, my goal in commenting during tonight's board meeting is to gain clarity on how much federal funding we receive. What is EUSD doing to fortify our budget against such actions that could restrict our federal funding. Will be EUSD be a district that caters to the president and adjusts our curriculum or protection of students in order to maintain our federal funding?
047If there are significant changes to the Department of Education that provides for title one funding and special ed resources, how can we ensure that students with disabilities get the services that they need? Thank you for your time and all you do for your students in Escondido. Doug Paulson: Thank you very much. And I believe that the budget presentation may answer some of those questions, but thank you. I. There are no public hearings tonight. We are looking for a report from CSEA, chapter 150. Seeing nobody here. EEEA . Brandi Krepps: Good evening, President Paulson, school board members, doctor Ibarra and cabinet. I had a very interesting evening on Tuesday when I attended the Escondido High School board meeting. It was a joy, Doug, let me tell you. I want to begin by saying that the high
048school district school board meeting left a lot to be desired. I'm thankful for all of you, despite our differences, as I feel that our school board hears us and actively collaborates with us to find the best solutions for our students. Sometimes our collaboration takes time as we all have very differing opinions on what we find is top priority in our district. There was a clear lack of understanding of the general workings of education, and I feel it's very important for our school board members to understand and value all moving parts of a school district. The layoffs that the high school district school board approved was appalling. One of my former students, a shining product of Escondido schools, lost her job. This wasn't a budgetary decision. This was a decision by leaders who don't value their
049employees. My former student, Thea, emailed me this evening and said, thank you for showing up for us. Your strength gave me hope and inspired me to not just give up and let this happen. All I did was show up. My action was stronger than my words. And I mention all of this because I want it made clear that we recognize that our district will do everything it can to maintain programs that are of the utmost importance to our students, and value the staff that work with our students every day. That is our continued hope. With that being said, thank you. I do want to stress that although we are on the right track in many ways, we still continue to fall short. I have noticed that there is a lot of focus on what we're
050doing wrong and not what we're doing right. I would like the district to focus on the people in our district who are doing it right, motivate them further to be the change we all want to see and influence those who have not yet seen the path to success through taking risks and through positive encouragement. It's so easy to keep doing what we're doing, expecting teachers and staff just to work harder. But it's not. It's not the right thing to do. Doing what's right isn't always easy, but in the long run, doing what's right becomes easy as it becomes the expectation. The leaders in this district that our staff want to see are leaders who inspire. Leaders who lead by example and have compassion for their staff and students. We do not need leaders who make
051unrealistic demands and devalue the strength and successes of their staff. We don't need to unnecessarily make our teachers feel like failures and micromanage away their creativity, their voice, and their out of the box thinking. It's really easy to make decisions without stepping into the shoes of those whom your decisions affect. Let's ask the leaders who don't have what it takes to inspire their staff to move on. For the remainder of my presidency, I will be helping teachers in their classrooms to be present with what is happening in our district. I've been out of the classroom for two and a half years and I miss it. In order for me to be an effective leader and a voice for this association, I need to know that what I share here is through experience. I'm up for
052the challenge, willing to do the work, and hoping you will join me in this adventure. Let's be the change and let's do that together. Thank you. Doug Paulson: And Brandi. I, I think I would just like to express my appreciation at our constant communication, although we do not always agree. And I know I'm not always anybody's favorite person. At a minimum. At a minimum. Our district communicates with our teachers union, with our classified union. I honestly believe that our meetings every quarter are are vital, and I think it's a model that other districts would benefit from so that we're not only meeting up once a month as adversaries. So, you know, thank you to all of the teachers in our district, all the classified staff for keeping lines of communication open and for when we
053do go to schools for welcoming us there. Again, our presence on campuses is a model for other districts, so thank you. Anybody else we set? All right. Moving on to item F one. Do we have consent agenda? Does anybody have any items that they would like pulled for separate consideration or questions on the consent agenda. Zesty Harper: I just had one comment on the school plans for student achievement that were in there. I feel like those are always, always overlooked and 838 pages. So I just encourage everyone to take this is not the venue to review them or talk about them, but just to take time to see what each school is putting their time and effort into and where they're directing their funds and their efforts, and what kind of results they're getting from
054that. I think it's really important. Doug Paulson: Motion. Zesty Harper: Oh. I'll move. Mark Olson: I'll second. Doug Paulson: Miss Harper moves. Miss. Mr. Olson seconds. All in favor? Michelle Kemp-Zempoalteca: It passes five zero. I'm not sure why it's not [inaudible]. Doug Paulson: Motion passes five zero. Moving on to item M one. Business services update to resolution 24-25-14. Emergency waiver. Andrew McGuire: When we have an emergency waiver that precludes us from going through the bidding process so we can do some emergency emergency repairs to any of our facilities. We're also required to report back to the board at every subsequent meeting until the emergency is over. The update on this. This was regards to a delivery truck striking the overhang walkway at Felicita Elementary. Thanks to the board for declaring that emergency. That work has
055actually been completed and this will be the final update for this emergency. Thank you. No action needed, just an update. Doug Paulson: Thank you very much. Moving on to item N one second interim report. Michelle Cagle: Good evening, president Paulson, board members, cabinet. This evening we're seeking your approval on our budget as of January 31st, our second interim. The last time you saw this was actually not that long ago. It was just two weeks at our board study session. However, tonight we're going to go into more detail as to what the changes were between first and second interim. As always, we've done the math for you and we'll go into what the changes are. On the revenue side, there's an increase of $4 million. The majority of that is related to Medi-Cal. As we previously
056discussed, the state has amended the program and how we can seek our reimbursements. We were able to amend all of our claims as going back as far as fiscal year 15-16. That's amendment has netted us a one time funding of $3 million. What we plan on doing with that funding is we're going to we're going to move some of our salaries that are in the unrestricted column into the restricted column. You'll be able to see how that plays out in our MYP. The other is related to our interest. The cash that we have in our county treasurer earns interest in it. We've received two quarters worth so far this year. Based off of what we've received we're reevaluating where we think we're going to be at the end of this fiscal year, which is a
057positive change. For expenses, the $548,000. At the time of first interim, we were still working with our labor groups and we had not captured the final agreement. We're going ahead and doing that now at second interim for the transfers out and incorporating the EUSD plan, we've moved some of our expenses into the most restricted funding sources, freeing up money in our unrestricted column, which allows us to now pay off our Apple leases that we would have had to make payments in the next two fiscal years. Any questions before Andy goes into the details of the MYP? Andrew McGuire: Thank you Michel. Great opening. So as we talked about the multi-year projections, so those changes that she just went over are reflected here in our first the first section there, the what's now the second interim
058of our current year's adopted budget. And that's the action that's before you tonight to adopt the revision to our adopted budget. So as you can see here, at one point, I wanted to make in this second year, as we talked about at the study session, so that second column that the blue top 25-26, that's what we worked on a lot at our study session in a couple of weeks ago. And one thing I did want to point out on that, and speaking to a comment we received earlier, we did set aside in that study session, we spoke about setting aside some money in order to offset any impacts that we might see, at least in the temporary basis, to give us time for planning if there is a reduction or elimination of any federal funds.
059And so that's what that $4 million that's down there in this commitment here, here for federal budget stability in case those funds are reduced. And also it's reflected in there is a lot of the things we spoke about at the study session and some of that work of transferring our funds with our EUSD plan. That concept that we brought up last year for the current year's adopted budget of utilizing some of our one time monies in order to offset our unrestricted general fund expenses, which that's the $6 million that's on top here. Now, previously, many of these budget presentations, it's been a red number of projected cuts. We've actually been able to transfer some of our expenses and budget reductions have been able to remove $6 million of expenses from our unrestricted general fund for
060next year. Now, that would be finalized and brought before you for adopted budget in June. So we'll be presenting that to you then. And that's when we would be asking for the board to vote. Tonight's just a budget revision for the current year budget. No decisions will be voted on until June. That's reflected on that column. But that's the work that we've been able to do so far. And we still project a need for reduction in expenses and our unrestricted general fund of 1.5 million in the 26-27 year. And altogether, that leads us to having an ending fund balance of $23 million as we stand now. Now, when we come back before you in June for that budget presentation for adopted budget, which we showed you the study session, it's not here now because we're
061still talking about the current year only would be that fourth year and that of the 27-28 year. And so you'll see that again in June. And the impact of all of the decisions we're making and expenses and revenues as we move forward into that fourth year, which will be our third year of our adopted budget. So this is our multi-year projection as of our second interim. Is there any questions on this before I move on? I think we talked a lot about it last a couple weeks ago. Okay. And as I always like to present the graphical representation of our ending fund balances in the forecaster. Here's our updated version of the forecaster. Now with the new second interim. That's the light blue line on top. You remember from that presentation before we talked about
062that blue circle that's sitting right there just above the black line. That blue circle represents our people. And I know that's one of the main priority for us is to protect our people. And that's what the blue circle is. And at this point, those blue people, the blue circle people. I knew I was going to get that twisted up. Is protected as it stands now in our multi-year projection. Also, it came up at the study session a couple of weeks ago was a question about how I talked about absences, and we wanted to talk about absences by grade level. So we threw together this chart here. And so I'll walk you through it. On the left here in this chart. And then the columns here reflect what numbers are in this chart. So these are
063actually total student absence days by grade level here. As you can see that over the course of this year up until February 28th, we've had 121,000 days, student absent days. Right. So we only have 14,000 kids, but every time a kid is absent totals up to that number. But then just for perspective, we got added the average daily attendance rate by grade level. And so you can see here I'll take that off so you can see it clearer. Sorry. The attendance rate by grade level there up through February 28th for the current year. And then that chart on the side there is is just charting out the absence days. But then with the ADA on top of each of those columns, and you can see the TK number is quite low. That's because that's total
064student absence days. There's just over half of our student population in TK as there is in kindergarten. So there's just a lot less students. So that's why there's a lot less student days because as you can see, that actually has the highest absence rate or the lowest attendance rate in our TK program. Speaking of someone who's recently had kids of that age, it's difficult to keep them healthy and going to school at that age. But you also see, interestingly enough, I should have started off with the pop quiz or the question of what grade level do you think has the best attendance? As you can see here, it's fifth grade, so progressively it gets better and then it starts to kind of decline again as we get into seventh and eighth grade there. But our
065fifth graders are going to school the strongest this current year. Is there any questions on this and that came up at the study session. Any follow up questions on this data as we see it here? Okay. All right. So now we're going to get into future outlook. And so there's a lot of information coming out now from the state and state agencies about what will become the state's adopted budget. The Legislative Analyst's Office, they do all the calculations on the cost of programs and the future outlook of the budget for the state. So I'm going to walk you through some of the things that some of the the points. I don't want to call them high points because they're not all good. So first, the governor's proposal in January proposed to increase the TK add
066on. So that's an additional amount of money we get per TK student, because the of the requirement to have a second adult in those classrooms, the governor had proposed nearly a doubling of that add on the Legislative Analyst's Office. Actually, looking at the state's finances and the cost of the TK program is recommending to the governor to increase that by a lower amount. But either way, it's still a recommended increase. So I put down there that if the governor's proposal were to come to pass in the state's final adopted budget that would be worth about $2.5 million more in revenue for our district. If they go with the LAO's recommendation, it'd be about $1.1 million more in revenue specifically to help us with our extra adult in our TK program. Now, as I put on
067that final bullet there, when the state finally adopts its budget at the end of June, they could take the governor's proposal, the LAO recommendation, or none of the above. Something in the middle. And so that remains to be seen. We'll continue to watch for that. And of course, in May, when they do the May revision to the governor's January proposal, we'll get some more indication of where they're at with that. And then obviously in June, when they finally adopt our budget, and if they do adopt it in May, if they go with either one of these recommendations, we'll have that included in our adopted budget, because that's based on our May the May revision. And then if they change it from that, then that's what we would come back and present to you at the
068time we do our unaudited actuals or our 45 day revision in August. Any questions on that topic first? Okay. Attendance recovery. That's a good thing. So there's a new law that comes into effect for the next fiscal year, the next school year that allows us more opportunities to recover attendance for students that are absent. So currently Saturday school is an option, you know, for all districts. But they're adding to that to where we can recover attendance through our after school program and also Saturday school and other activities we do around our school day. And I included, and you'll see in the update for you all tomorrow some more information about that. They kind of released some information for the audit guide. So like the rules for that. And I just kind of quickly it requires
069there that that time in our after school program to be spent with a certificated teacher. And then there's a ratio cap on that of 10 to 1 for TK and kinder kids, and 20 to 1 for any, all the other grades all the way up through 12th grade. And then so we're still waiting to see more details on that, but also using those details to develop a program here. Obviously, for us to recover attendance absences and to recover that ADA for that, but also given the opportunity for those kids to because also the certificated teachers that would do this, there needs to be lessons given that are similar to what we've done in class. So it gives those kids an opportunity for time that they missed to catch up on some of that lost learning.
070Okay. And now back to I kind of put a good thing in the middle here. And now we're back to something that's not so good. And that's where when we first, last talked to you about this, our first interim, we were working off of a planned COLA for next year of 2.93%, and then in the January proposal that was reduced to 2.43. And that actually is a reduction of about $900,000 to our budget revenues for next year. And that's unfortunate because we use those future year COLAs, the projections that they give us for planning for, for multiple years, for specifically for those years in our MYP. And so we built our plans and and what we're doing going forward based on that 2.93. And in January, we got that kind of demoralizing news that that
071reduction of that COLA which we experienced in the current year. But then the LAO is now looking at the state's revenues and tax revenues are down compared to their projections. And so the LAO is now recommending or estimating that that COLA might actually come in at 2.2%, which is an additional $400,000 in reduction in revenue for next year. So all in all, since December, when it's about $1.3 million less in expected revenue for next year, if, and they're estimates. That's not a recommendation necessarily. That's based on the calculations that they would use and that the governor would use in the state legislature when they finally adopt their budget of what the COLA would be. So we're going to watch that closely and see where that COLA finally comes in. We may not know, they'll say
072something in May. Probably closer to the 2.2. We'll see how it lands when it comes to June as well. So that's like the the big ticket item for us to be watching in any news that comes out around the state budget. Any questions now? Okay. So our next steps will be having a study session on a variety of topics. I think Doctor Ibarra mentioned one of them already. On March 20th. Then that May revision that comes out in May and will be attending some of us here in this room will be attending the workshop from School Services, where we get into all the details of the May revision and then what that means. And we'll be using that information for adopting our budget and we'll report back. Obviously, for those that didn't get to go
073to that workshop, anything we learned from that. And then of course, in June we'll be adopting the budget for next year and all of the work that we're doing again, I threw it up there again, the blue circle, because that's again our priority when it comes to the budget, when it comes to our planning, when it comes to our educational programs, and everything that we do here in EUSD is do everything we can to protect our people. Now it's questions. Zesty Harper: Thank you. I just had a comment because I'll be very nice about this, but like, I really appreciate us being proactive and really trying to create stability for our district and for our staff and exactly what you said, protect the blue people and make sure they are valued and they know they
074have a home here in EUSD. We've had I mean, since Covid, it's been up and down and I think being able to have a stable future and think ahead and make changes as we need to really protect our programs that are working and protect our staff is really important. And you don't see that at a lot of districts. So I really appreciate that that's one of our core focuses here and that we're actually following through with it. Thank you. Andrew McGuire: Thank you. Doug Paulson: If there are no other. Questions, thank you very much. Andrew McGuire: Thank you. Doug Paulson: Alright. This is an action item, isn't it? Joan Gardner: Yes. Doug Paulson: Alright. Looking for a motion to approve the second interim report? Zesty Harper: I'll second. Doug Paulson: Mr. Olson moves, Miss Gardner.
075Seconds. Please vote. Alright. Motion passes 5 to 0. Moving on. Item N2 the transportation plan. Andrew McGuire: All right. Me again. I'm over here now. So every year the state requires us now for the last couple of years, to adopt a transportation plan. And with an emphasis on asking districts to explore, explore options to expand transportation services. Now, we know in our district, we provide transportation for our special education students to get to some of the schools that those programs exist at. And although the state would like us to explore increasing our transportation services well beyond that, they also don't provide funding for that. But in order for us to maintain the funding that we do get, we must adopt this plan in an annual basis. And if you read that plan, what it would
076say to that is that our plan at this point, and I hate saying this, is to continue to plan for that opportunity for for expanded transportation services. But at this point in time, we do not have the revenue to start a transportation program beyond our special education program. So before you tonight is an action item to adopt this transportation plan, which essentially is no change from the last year's plan. Joan Gardner: More paperwork. That's all it is. Doug Paulson: It is a, it is a fantastic plan that we have seen before. We might see it again. Joan Gardner: Every year without fail. Doug Paulson: And we are looking for a motion to approve. Joan Gardner: I'll make that motion. Frank Huston: I'll second. Doug Paulson: Miss Gardner moves, Mr. Huston seconds. All in favor? Please
077vote. Motion passes 5 to 0. Moving on to our next highly exciting business services action item. Andrew McGuire: Okay, so this is an action item asking the board to declare an emergency for a significant roof leak issue that we had at Rincon Middle School in one of the buildings, or at least in half of one of the buildings. And we've done that. We've already started that work because obviously we needed to we are we had to tear out some walls and repair some of the of water damage that happened because of that leak. And that's already happened. And we had a contractor working last week all the way in the in every evening so we could avoid disrupting the school day and worked all the way till Saturday. They were able to complete the repair
078of the roof section where the leak was happening. We still have some more work to do on the other half of the building where it was not leaking, but it's it's a kind of an interesting building where there's pod areas in the middle, but there's a contiguous roof on the sides. And so we will complete the rest of that repair once it stops raining here. But that's the section that's not leaking. So the area that is that was leaking is now repaired. The leak is stopped and we'll be able to get in. And now repair those walls and get everybody moved. The two rooms that people had to move out of back in there. And so this is just to declare that emergency, because we had to get that work going before we could do
079the bidding process. Now we also just in the future, we are going to be putting out a bid, and you'll see that when we to award that contract, I think in the next couple of meetings for us to repair the other buildings that have the same construction and same age of roof at that school, they were not currently leaking, so they wouldn't technically qualify as part of the emergency. But again, they're not currently leaking. But we want to be able to repair those as well during our spring break period. And so you'll see a contract come before you that that bid is out now, and you'll see a contract come before you so that we can do that work during spring break, and that way we can avoid there being any new leaks in any
080of those buildings going forward. So we're the action item is to declare the emergency for the current roof leak. Doug Paulson: Very good. Thank you. Zesty Harper: I'll move. Joan Gardner: Second. Doug Paulson: Miss Harper moves, Miss Gardner. Seconds. Please vote. Motion passes 5 to 0. We will look forward to seeing the updates at each meeting on that work. Student expulsion cases. Mark Olson: Regarding case number 2024-25-04. The board considered action upon student reinstatement. The board voted to suspend the panel's recommendation for expulsion as follows. And place the student on a district behavior contract and to remain at Del Dios Academy of Arts and Science. Doug Paulson: All right. That is the motion. Looking for a second. Joan Gardner: Second. Doug Paulson: All right. Mr. Olson has moved, Miss Gardner seconds. All in favor? Please
081vote. Motion passes 5 to 0. Mark Olson: Regarding student [low llevel talking] . Regarding student expulsion. Case number 2024-25-05. The board voted to approve the panel recommendation for full expulsion as follows. Full expulsion through November 15th, 2025 with placement at JCS. Doug Paulson: All right. Mr. Olson moves. Mr. Huston seconds. Please note that we will need to change the wording in this motion to be to take out the word reinstatement. Please vote. Motion passes 5 to 0. Moving on to item M6. Rincon Middle School closure. Dr. Laura Philyaw: Yes. We are asking to adopt a resolution. And this is in regards to the school closure of Rincon on January 7th due to the gas shutoff. And this will allow for our ELOP programing not to suffer any penalties for not fulfilling their program requirements. Also
082it allows to be able to recoup any ADA loss. Doug Paulson: Looking for a motion. Zesty Harper: I'll move. Mark Olson: I'll second. Doug Paulson: Miss Harper moves. Mr. Olson seconds. Please vote. Motion passes 5 to 0. Moving on to item N Seven. Declaration of need for fully qualified educators. Audrey Frank: Yes, I'm looking for approval of this declaration, which contains our estimated number of emergency permits, limited assignments, and internship credentials that will be requested during the 25-26 school year. Mark Olson: Move approval. Frank Huston: Second. Doug Paulson: Miss Gardner moves. Mr. Huston seconds. Please vote. Motion passes 5 to 0. Moving on to item N seven. A MOU with EEE A. Audrey Frank: I'm seeking approval of the MOU with EEEA related to the Community Schools grant. This is the first annual renewal of
083the grant for the grant that originated during the 24-25 school year. We also have attached the calendar that outlines the workdays delineated in the MOU. Zesty Harper: I move approval. Doug Paulson: Miss Harper moves, Mr. Paulson seconds. Please vote. Sorry, I beat you to it. [inaudible] I get one a night. And motion passes 5 to 0. Moving on to item N9. And this is our resolution. 2024-25-19. Miss Frank. Audrey Frank: I'm seeking adoption of our yearly review and elimination of identified vacant classified positions for the 25-26 school year. Doug Paulson: All right. In light of what has happened in the community over the last week, can we clarify for everybody? Are there any individuals who are currently attached to these positions who are going to be terminated? Audrey Frank: No. Doug Paulson: There are. So
084just to clarify, we are not laying anybody off. Audrey Frank: Correct. Doug Paulson: These are vacant positions that we're eliminating. Audrey Frank: Correct. Doug Paulson: Thank you. Looking for a motion to approve. Joan Gardner: I'll make the motion. Zesty Harper: I'll second. Doug Paulson: Miss Gardner moves, Miss Harper. Seconds. All in favor? Please vote. Motion passes 5 to 0. Moving on to item N ten. Leonard LeVine: So this is a project with the UC San Diego Rady School of Management to provide up to four graduate level students and up to 400 hours of data analytical support to the district from March to June of this year. Doug Paulson: And what sort of information are they going to be gathering. Leonard LeVine: Various data sets, looking at our student achievement data, our attendance, our Framework for
085the Future data, just various data sets and stuff that we're already reporting on. Doug Paulson: And I assume that we'll see the results. Leonard LeVine: We'll see the results. And any data involved will belong to the district. Doug Paulson: All right. Thank you very much. Questions? Mark Olson: Motion to approve, as recommended. Zesty Harper: I'll second. Doug Paulson: Mr. Olson moves, Miss Harper. Seconds. Please vote. Motion passes 5 to 0. Moving on to the superintendent's office. Dr. Luis Ibarra: Yes. This resolution is to excuse the two board members who were absent last. Last meeting. That was Mrs. Gardner and Mr. Olson for illness. Zesty Harper: I move approval. Frank Huston: I'll second. Doug Paulson: Miss Harper moves, Mr. Huston, seconds. Please vote. Joan Gardner: It's been a long time. Do we have to abstain? Doug
086Paulson: Yes. If you are involved in this, you abstain. And this was not the last meeting. This was the February 4th meeting. Is that correct? Okay. Yeah, yeah. And that passes 3 to 0 with two abstentions. Moving on to item N 12. CSBA Delegate Assembly election. And so I think I'm running this one. Is that correct? All right so. We have got well I've got a list somewhere. [inaudible] Yeah. That's okay. All right. So we have got up to six votes for CSBA Delegate Assembly. Does any member have someone that they would like to put on our slate of nominees? Alright, so I would propose Barbara Avalos of National School District or Reina Morocco of Vista USD. Cypriano Vargas of Vista. Bob Weller of the Escondido Union High School District. Joan Gardner: That's four. Doug
087Paulson: Those are the four that I that I was looking at. Does anybody have anybody else that they would like to nominate? Alright then our slate of four would be for Cypriano Vargas, Bob Weller, Renault Morocco and Barbara Avalos. Zesty Harper: I'll second. Doug Paulson: All right. Please vote on that slate. Music. [low level talking] So we need to vote verbally or we got it? All right. Motion passes 5 to 0. We will fill out the appropriate paperwork and submit it. Thank you all very much. Alright, we have a. I'm sorry everybody. Business services board policy first reading and this is sale or lease of district owned property. Andrew McGuire: So this is an update to the law regarding the how we would dispose of selling or otherwise for surplus property. So if we were
088to have property that we no longer wanted to retain, there's a process for how to sell that either to declare that as exempt. There's a list in our administrative regulation of the exemptions, and if not that, then a declaration by the board and a submission to the housing authority. I'm [inaudible] the wrong government agency name, but that's similar to that. And then they can rule on whether or not we've properly exempted it or not. And then a process to follow that would include community input from specific list of stakeholders on the disposition of that property. So this is just an update, law update to our board policy. It's not something we're taking action on in any way right now. Doug Paulson: Okay. Any questions. It's not actionable. Andrew McGuire: I would, I would recommend to
089the board to approve or. Doug Paulson: Okay. So this is a first reading. We have the option right now Andrew McGuire: You have the option . Doug Paulson: Do we have a motion. Okay. Second. Miss Gardner moves. Mr. Huston seconds. Please vote. Joan Gardner: Yes, I vote yes, obviously, since I made it and I figured out why because I wasn't alone. Doug Paulson: Alright. Motion passes 5 to 0. Moving on to board member and president reports. Miss Gardner. Joan Gardner: Start. Okay. Doug Paulson: Yay! Joan Gardner: I have a little bit lengthy because the last meeting I attended, I missed the meeting where I would have reported. So I have a few items. I represented the board at the PTA council, which is always a joy. And, you know, they they always have one of
090the vendors come and and provide food. And this time it was Shakey's, which was a. Yes. It was really good. Yeah. But it's it's so well run. It's so perfectly run. And they keep to time and they finish all their business. I'm always impressed, I really am. I was happy to attend the the Escondido Education Foundation gala, the an auction, and I hope it was a big success. It was very well attended and a good time was had by all in the new location. I represented the board at the The Gate Collaborative. Yes, I had I thought I wrote that down. The Gate Collaborative. And it seems to be attending to the to the parents concerns, which is, which is good because parent parental involvement is very important. And gate kids have special needs as
091well. They they should be identified as special needs kids. Of course, we had the board study session. I had the great pleasure. And this is one of my favorites every year to Read Across America at at Juniper, I read to a lovely two 2 or 3 classroom, and I should have brought my notes with me on the on the teachers, but they were so beautifully behaved and they so, so appreciated the story that it was a real joy. And then I read at let me go after that, I went to Orange Glen and read and another, another 2 or 3 classroom. See, where did I do the TK? Oh, the TK was at Oak Hill on, on that Wednesday, but I read to it a 2-3 mild-mod classroom. And you would not have known. I
092wouldn't have known. They were all so beautifully behaved and very attentive. Enjoyed the story. I actually had brought with me Three Billy Goats Gruff because I thought, oh, that's something that they probably don't don't teach anymore. It's probably not in there, but it actually is. It actually is. Oh, actually that I think I read that to the TK. Sorry, but it was it was a lovely time. So I always appreciate being invited. I hope wish more schools would do it. And what I found out at Juniper when I went into the library, they actually have a scrapbook of all the past readers. It's like going down memory lane. You would, you'd recognze Carilyn, of course, was was in there, Carilyn Gilbert and past board members, members of the community and just brought back really nice
093memories. Had a nice conversation with the with the librarian as well before. And she's. Librarians of course love reading and they share that love with the kids, which is wonderful. And oh, I also attended the DAC meeting and I have to say I got some some comments. I was very impressed. It was nicely attended first of all, but there were some TK parents that that was their first meeting and we need to encourage them to stay involved and make sure that they understand that their participation is critical to this district. So I hope that they'll be with us for many years. They had some good input. One of the remarks that came across was that the parents would like to see more focus on academic intervention in the ELOP program to help individual students who
094are struggling in reading and math. And so that was encouraging to me that the parents are asking for that as well. I mean, it's all well and good. And and you like to see kids enjoying themselves and exercising and, and participating in different sports and so forth. But they they need to be literate. We need to pass on children through our, through our system who are literate when they when they leave in eighth grade. It's critical for their future success. So just encouraging. They also there was a suggestion that came forth about having and this was based on a parent's previous experience having counselors for an intensive eight week intervention program prior to automatically requiring IEPs for students. In other words, maybe. And they said that Vista Hill has a program called Dino schools. Laura,
095I thought I thought you were there at that meeting. Do you remember that conversation about the the counseling intervention before? I don't know if it if it struck a chord with you. Oh. Yeah. Dr. Laura Philyaw: Replicate what they were suggesting. Joan Gardner: Good. Dr. Laura Philyaw: Yes. Joan Gardner: Good. Thank you. Okay. And that's my. I think that's my report. Yeah. Zesty Harper: I'll take both of your times. I've been trying to visit schools and see their UA time. So I visited Oak Hill, and I saw the first grade ELA [inaudible] time. And that was fabulous. They have a rock star team there. Some of the I think 2 or 3 of those teachers in the first grade have been together for 20 plus years teaching as a, as a group, and you could
096tell they had a a lot of continuity between the classrooms and what they were working on and what was up on the walls. And then I went to Central. I saw the fifth grade for their math UA time. And again, excellent instruction, excellent breakouts with the students and what they were working on. So that was great to see. I attended the Gate Collaborative with you. I thought it was interesting that we have screened 1465 students this year, and we had 101 qualified students, which brings us to a total of 560 students in the Gate program in our district, which I think is really good. And I think it's important that we keep supporting that program, because I know how hard we work to get that program back here. So and then we also had a
097presentation there from our own Tina Page on perfectionism. So I thought that was very interesting and great to hear from someone from our district. And then I attended the Education Foundation Gala with you as well, and we had a great time. I beat my record last year, so I had three bottles of wine, one this year instead of two, so I was pretty proud of myself. And then I participated in the Reading Across America as well. I saw the second graders at Orange Glen. I did the fifth grade at Juniper, which had a fantastic book. The librarian suggested it was called New in Town, and it was a really great book. And then on Wednesday, I did kindergarten at Oak Hill and not playing favorites, but Oak Hill did have snacks set out for all
098of us. So just putting that out there of not saying it's my favorite, but, you know, it was really, really nice to stop at. And then I also represented the board at the Community Schools Committee meeting. I think it's our third one of the year. We have one more before the school year is out or at the very end of it. We talked about the best ways to what the goals are again, and the best ways to track those goals. And then what, you know, just kind of updates on what's happening at the school site. So it's it's really encouraging and look forward to the next year of community schools when we, you know, have a whole year behind us and we're up and running. But that is my report. Thank you. Doug Paulson: All
099right. Just a couple things I will that I'd like to highlight would be yes, Read Across America Day. I was over at Oak Hill Elementary and had a very good time reading to a class there. An alternate book view of the Three Little Pigs from the wolf's point of view. And just a wonderful reminder that there's two sides to every story. Fifth grade, fifth grade. Joan Gardner: So you didn't confuse the little ones? Doug Paulson: I. It was not a TK class. And so that was good. I was able to visit a couple of schools that are special education programs focusing on the experience of our para educators in, in the classroom and just how hard they're working to help serve our students. So wonderful experience, and thank you to everybody that was willing to
100talk with me. The Education Foundation fundraiser was again, a a joy. Over $17,000 raised, which will go directly into our classrooms. So thank you all very much. Doctor Ibarra would have one more bottles of wine. Except I was I was rationing the tickets with his winning number on them. And then, oh, PTA council. I went to the last PTA council meeting, but I go for the frozen yogurt. So, you know, in this case, the vendor was a hot dog vendor. But what was really cool were all the different ways that they have of raising money for the schools and sort of how PTA supports that. And that particular night, there was a Reidy Creek parent or family that has a fundraising business where they they market coffee that is personalized branded for the school. So
101I have a Reidy Creek coffee which I learned more about coffee that night than I care. I didn't mention that I'm 711. So. Joan Gardner: [inaudible] you're not a coffee snob. Doug Paulson: Definitely not. And with that, reports from cabinet. Dr. Luis Ibarra: So it is National School Social Work Week. And so a big thank you and shout out to our school social workers who do an amazing job each and every day. I also went to Juniper and Oak Hills Read Across America, and I read that same book, but to a first grade class. Mr. Miller. So Mr. Lemasters and I realized, okay, these kids really believed me. Joan Gardner: You see. Dr. Luis Ibarra: So I had to do a little more explaining to do with that first grade class. Joan Gardner: They trust
102the adults. Dr. Luis Ibarra: But what was really cool at Oak Hill is the every classroom door. They have a contest and they decorate their door on books. And so Curious George, there was just a lot of great things to do. So both Juniper and Oak Hill I was able to do. Joan Gardner: Did you see the couch? The couch potato one. Dr. Luis Ibarra: Oh, yes. Oh, yeah. And yes, snacks were available. And yes, PTA council. It was a hot dog vendor. Bacon wrapped hot dogs. So. It was good. Okay, that's all I have. Doug Paulson: All right. The board study session will be held on Thursday, March 20th, 2025 at 6 p.m.. At 7 p.m.. The next regularly scheduled board meeting will be held on Thursday, April 3rd, 2025 at 7:00 pm in
103the Escondido Union School District. Carilyn Gilbert Education Center, 2310 Alder Grove Avenue 92029. And we are adjourned.