001Good evening everybody. I'm going to open us um up to open session. We do not have anything to report from close session. And um so this meeting is recorded for live streaming and archiving on the district YouTube channel. And our pledge of allegiance tonight will be led by Noah Zilka. >> Hey Noah, >> please stand. Thank you. >> 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. >> Well done, Noah. and our um oh and let's see. Oh, and Ashira was also leading the pledge. Um and our vision and mission statement will be read by Lydia Flanigan. Did I did I say it wrong? The mission of Bonisha High School is to pro
002provide a safe and inclusive learning environment where all students actively engage in order to develop and pursue their goals. Our commitment to excellence promotes high standards for our students and staff alike with a focus on personal growth through academic and extracurricular pursuits in order to become lifelong learners. Bonisha High School will inspire learning with integrity in order to find personal success in an everchanging world. >> Thank you. >> Um next we have our um our highlight Steve Phillips. >> We have to approve the agenda. Oh, I'm excuse me. Approval of the agenda. Do I have a motion? >> I move that we approve the agenda as written. >> I'll second. >> That was Cece or >> Thank you. All those in favor? >> I I'd like to thank Mark Miselli for always keeping me on
003task when I forget those things. Um, thank you. Our highlight tonight is Benicia High School basketball program and Steve Phillips and Briana Kleinmid. You guys are up. >> Good evening everyone. Um we have a packed house and for the best reason tonight. Uh we get to highlight our unified basketball team. Um but I'd like to do that truly by highlighting the staff and students who make that possible. So teachers and uh our coaches for unified basketball, Kathleen Solder and Scott Schwarz. Scott's in the overflow, so they'll be right over. >> And how about all of our basketball team members? >> Yeah. Welcome, Unified team. >> How's it? >> Okay, >> I'll just talk. I don't need the microphone. Uh, sorry, there's no seats. I had to talk to Coach Grubs over there. I'm pretty close
004to third, so I got stuck in the other room. Uh, really quick, this is the second year that I've done the unified team. Um, I've had all these kids. I ended up in the middle school from couple years ago, so I I kind of know the kids from sixth grade all the way till ninth grade. Um, and I've had all these kids at some point, this knucklehead about 10 times. I've seen this guy forever. All these girls, she's completely changed. But uh the biggest thing with this is not me, which is why I was sitting in the other room. It's not about me. Coach Solder does everything. Not me at all. She's totally awesome, but it's not about us. The biggest thing we have uh with this program and and it's a lot of stuff
005we do at the school. I know I sat there and talked to you for an hour and told you that. The kids that we have, and not all of them could make it because they're playing baseball, uh somebody's on independent study, whatever, whatever, different reasons. Couple of the guys came tonight. Big Kareem back there. Sean Solder. Both those guys should be the two tight ends. I didn't say that. I didn't say that. But the the thing we have is is great kids. All the kids. This this makes the thing go when we play the other couple unified teams. We had the cooler team. I would say everybody wants to play. We have it. It's cool to be on the unified team at Benishia. So I think that's that's the the most important thing. Our kids
006do a great great great job. So, you want to say anything? >> No, he's a senior. Let him talk. Go ahead. >> No, we'll win tomorrow. We'll win tomorrow. >> The kids are awesome. >> Did you like come after? >> You're all welcome tomorrow at lunch. Please have everybody come out. It'd be great if we get the whole place packed. It' be awesome. The kids, >> you're going to win it >> and we're going to hit the night. Karem, you want to talk? >> Okay, before we sit down, Kareem may be the best uh football player in the whole area. No pressure. >> I I just wanted to share what a privilege is now. What a privilege privilege it is to work with these young adults and and how amazing um they all are. And
007if you haven't watched um any of the games, I don't maybe we can get it videotaped or something. Um but a highlight is watching a person being lifted up to to shoot a basket and and watching for >> Yeah. Heck yeah. >> For I think the last 90 seconds of the game at Mirammani, Mirammani was an amazing host and just watching them uh watching Gabby just try after try after try and finally making it and just the inclusivity and just the what really makes life so important and so special is to be a part of this program. Best highlight, best part of my day, best part of the the year is working with all these young people and Schwarz and everybody that makes it happen on Benicia High School campus. >> Thank you. >> She
008hit that shot with one second to go and their whole crowd went crazy. So, >> and I do teach PE, but we should probably be sponsored BY MCDONALD'S. CAN YOU COME up and we'll take a picture? >> I did it. >> Gavin Chase, >> you want to stand with um with Marley? I'm not ready. Perfect. Thank you. I take care of the day. >> Thank you. Don't have it on. >> 13. >> So, moving on to item number nine. Um we have our um student reports. Um Rita, do you want to start? >> Um good evening, President Grub, Superintendent Superintendent Calabesi, fellow trustees and cabinet members. March is women's history month. We will be highlighting diverse stories promoting equality and appreciation, the impact of women globally. We are also encouraging our classmates to attend girls
009on the rise event at Salano Courthouse. Finally, we are planning to attend women in construction event in fe in Fairfield. This hands-on event is open to everybody. We are holding our career day in the upcoming weeks. We will be hosting several guest speakers including a construction company, Benicia Police Department, K9 officers, and the BUSD's own nurse. Sorry, D dehilio de >> dlo sorry. Um, we are going to be participate. We are going to be practicing mock interviews as well as updating resumes. We are busy with our learning through interest program. We will be visiting Benicia Fire Department and local barber shop owned by an alumni and a veterinary clinic. On Wednesday, several students headed headed back to Tahoe Palisades for another snowboarding trip. Students needed to have a 96% attendance rate or higher to attend.
010There was quite a waiting list. Earlier today, students and researchers from UC Davis successfully released salmon hatchlings into the American River as a part of the spinning salmon project. Since receiving the eggs in December, our team has meticulously monitored their development and maintained rigorous data logs to track their progress by working directly alongside univers university researchers. Other students have provided fish fresh insight into urgent conversations, challenges and advising critical data de drived driven effort to protect local salmon population. Lastly, we want to recognize Immani, Khaliz, and Tori for their outstanding contribution to our black history assembly. We want to thank Immani and Khalis for their wonderful performance as well as Tori for sharing her powerful original poetry. On behalf of Liberty High School, thank you. >> And we have Issa and Caroline. >> Good evening,
011President Grubs, Superintendent Calabriesi, fellow trustees and cabinet members. In the past weeks, we had intramural dodgeball from the 23rd to the 27th. On the 27th, girls basketball faced off against Miramonte at Alhhamra. They made second place, and this week they went to state, won first place, and will be moving up soon. Prom tickets went on sale last week for the dance in April at Shabbo Space Center at $140. Also, last week, Black Student Union hosted their own spirit week, celebrating Black Innovation with contests and music in the quad. This week, prom tickets went up to 150. In the coming weeks, the price will cap at 165. Currently at BHS, we are participating in an attendance challenge. The grade level to have the highest increase in attendance by the end of the month will win a
012movie day. Tonight, the band is hosting a free concert in the PAB. Finally, this week, tomorrow, students should wear blue and gold to support the unified teams game at lunch in the gym. Afterward, students will leave at 2:30 for the TPT day schedule. This weekend, March 8th, is the last day to register for AP exams or change AP exam registration. In the upcoming weeks, leadership will continue planning our spring committees such as Panther Passport and March Madness. On the 11th, our speech and debate team is participating in the Lions Club speech competition at 6 in the community center. So, if you'd like to come support us, that would be appreciated. Finally, March 20th is the opening night of our spring musical, Guys and Dolls. On behalf of Benicia High School, thank you. All good. Okay.
013And ladies, I'm I know I often forget to say that you are welcome to go on to all your other activities if you would like or if you would like to stay. >> Thank you. >> And now we come to uh uh Superintendent Calabrace's report. For what it's worth, my senior ball was $75. >> I think I'm still paying back my dad for that one. Thank you ladies. Uh the unified sports, I can't say enough about that program. Um having gone out to a couple of the games now, just invigorating and watching the students and um Mr. Schwarz is right. When you see the students lift up another student and um it's just really really inspiring. And so tomorrow I'll be out at Benishia High and and get to see the uh get to see
014play against um Marmont. So excited about that. Uh typically board I come before you on the superintendent report and I share what I've been doing over the past couple weeks and um and share some pictures. But um the topic tonight, you know, is about reductions and our budget reductions. And so I wanted to speak to that. And so I just want to share some things for you and for the folks in the audience. And and again, I I said this last time we were here and some of you were here and and I hope you've reached out to the governor's office. I hope you've reached out to the senators and state assembly and let them know that what what's happening in California schools is not okay. Uh and my first piece here is that, you
015know, our proposed budget from the governor's 5.4 billion that's promised to schools um is being it's a settle up. It's being shifted. We don't know when we're going to get that or if we're going to get that at all. Um and so u you know and that's this is happening across the state right if you are uh looking at the news Google it or whatever you're seeing the the cuts that are happening 100 million in Oakland schools 33 million in Annioch uh 17 million in Santa Rosa um 171 18 million in Liverour right this is happening across the state for all of us and the impact to our students is unfair I have to remind folks from time to time that Prop 98 was passed in 1988 and it used to be that that was
016the floor for funding for schools and now it has become the ceiling. And on top of that, when you do these this 5.4 billion um uh settle up or or shell game, um what happens there is now it's not even the ceiling. There's a gap. And so um that's what we're facing uh in schools in California. So I I I encourage all of you to reach out and please let your your politician know that this is not okay. this is not okay to do on the backs of our students and our employees. So the next piece here is the uh is you know the impact with Valo um and if you can go back one slide. Thank you Georgina. Sorry I got ahead of myself. Uh Valo is not letting out uh more than 1%
017of its students. We have many students in our district that are interdist transfers um from Valo. Some of which are our employees children that work here and or they work in Benicia. And so we've talked to Valo about uh allowing our own employees children to continue to attend here and they agree with that. Um but that's not the case for folks who work here in Benicia uh but live in Valo and there's something called the Allen bill and they have the right to do that underneath the state law. Uh the closing of Valero and how it impacts us and then low birth rates which is affecting us across the state. And then of course increased costs. All of us have seen an increased cost in our homes. We're seeing the same types of increased costs
018uh here in the district. Thank you. Oh. Um, oh, sorry. I'm not done yet. So, as we move forward, uh, our priorities will remain ground in what's best for students. And, and I know that's that's a difficult thing to to say and to hear because we want to protect core instruction, but when you're laying off people, you're reducing hours. It doesn't feel that way, and I totally recognize that. Uh, we want to maintain strong classroom learning experience, supporting social emotional well-being of our students, ensuring safe, supportive environments for both students and staff. And and I'm going to keep saying this quote over and over again. California does not fund public education at a level that matches its economic capacity with the state's expectations of schools. We're the fourth largest economy in the world and we
019fund schools at 25 or 26 out of the states. 50 states in the union and we're in the middle. It does not equate This is a chart that you've seen many times, right? Enrollment in ADA. And so here the blue is our enrollment and you see that decline for Benisha schools. And then our ADA is our students attending. And so this is a projection. So it takes us ahead. And so I I just want to show you that that that this is a continuing to be um a something that has been talked about for years in Benicia and continues to be the challenge that we face. So reductions to date. uh we came before this board and took the state onetime monies to you and those monies are ending in June and so we had
020reductions there. That is nothing to do with our general fund. Those are one-time monies and so on top of that we have to reduce by 1.7 million. And so far what we've reduced is five teaching positions, the director of student services and a 60% psychologist position. And so what I brought to you was a about a 43 45% reduction in uh based on the budget of teaching positions about a 25% reduction in administrative costs which is the student services and psychologist so admin in our district and about a 24% is classified staff. Sorry I got to keep up with on on my page here. So what this chart shows you is the reductions over the years of our teaching staff on the lefth hand side there. And so you can see it es and flows
021and that's due to enrollment and I believe you heard it here um several weeks ago that you know you you have to have a teacher in the classroom right and so per our contract per ed code and so we've seen adjustments over the years for our classified staffing since 2019 2020 we have seen an increase of about 57 uh employees and that's not our kitchen that's not our uh due to the bond um that's not uh due to other funding mechanism isms that those are general fund costs. And so, uh, the what we're bringing for you tonight is that adjustment because of the reductions in in enrollment and the reductions in the state funding. So, I had the opportunity to go out to Benicia High School last week and then this week, uh, I went
022out to Benicia Middle School and it's part of a, um, I'm trying to gather student voice and listen to our students and hear some of their concerns and and get some ideas from them. And this young man um sorry I got tongue tied on his name here. Acedro Mahia said to me, "What are you doing to make sure we don't have to do what Oakland and West Contraosta is doing?" Was absolutely blown away that this seventh grade student was asking me this question. And so I talked to him about the cuts that are happening here. And we talked about Oakland schools and West Contra cost. And I said, "How how do you know about this? How do you know how much West Contra is cutting?" He said, 'My mom works in the maintenance and operations
023department in West Contra Costa. I said, 'So, you're living this. And he said, 'Yes. And so his concern was, how do we avoid closing schools? How do we avoid mass mass layoffs? And so I appreciated that. I appreciate him putting me under fire like that and asking the tough questions. And what I said to him is, we have to make budget adjustments as we go. But there's also revenue generation. So how how do you do that? Because I often get asked by parents, what can we do to make a difference? ADA. So that we, you know, it's not often talked about because none of us want to put a price tag on a child. And our job here is to educate children, but we get paid by the state on attendance. That's just the reality
024of what it is. We're only one of five states in the United States that pay schools get paid by the state based on attendance. It's archaic system based in a rural lifestyle back when folks were working on a farm. And so, um, 1% increase in our attendance is an additional $500,000 to Benishia Unified School District. The cuts that you've made so far would we would be done if we had a 1% increase in attendance in this district. So, the reduction of absenteeism and the increase of student attendance is critical. Do I want sick kids to come to school? No. Because sick kids make staff members sick and they make kids sick. And so, we should be following our guidelines, right? But there are times to times when an we get an extended weekend and folks
025are out for a couple more days and that impacts us and impacts their learning. It impacts what's happening in the classroom. It puts more work on staff and it puts more work on that child when they return. And so the other piece is increased enrollment. And that's really hard to say because as we are making cuts, we also need to make sure that we're a community that people want to move to. There's roughly about 55 homes for sale in Venicia. And so attracting folks to move here and that have children um is important to us in order to reduce the amount of uh lost ADA and lost enrollment that we have in this district. Right? And although Benicia does not feel like it's affordable, right, as you look at the homes that are for sale,
026when you compare it to the larger surrounding area of the Bay Area, which by the way, San Jose is now now been named the most expensive city in the United States to live. It's shocking to me when you can buy a house in San Jose that's about the size of this room right here for about $1.3 million, right? It's absolutely insane. And so, um, increasing enrollment is important. We're still going to continue to look at grants. We're going to look at other pieces to save money, such as looking at how we distribute our Chromebooks and whether or not they need to go home and and look at those pieces to where we can cut continue to cut costs. today. The decision that's going to be before you later is really about before the March 15th
027deadline. As you know that we have to be able to tell those employees whether or not they're coming back next year before March 15th. And then we will continue to make adjustments uh on the budget um from now through June, you know, and and I I appreciate the questions and and um that I've been getting this week and emails and the advocacy for our students. And these are not easy decisions and not things that I wish to be doing as a new superintendent, but they're necessary. They're necessary to keep this district viable and and sustainable uh for future generations. And so again, I would really ask you that you uh reach out to the governor's office, reach out to the state senators and to your assembly person and let them know that what's happening in
028the state is not okay and the way we're funding schools. So thank you. >> Thank you. Now we come to board reports and I'd like to just start off by saying um thank you to everybody who has um emailed. I I you know I've really it's it's really a hard time and I appreciate the thoughtfulness, the kindness of those emails. Some there have been some great suggestions. It helps with suggestions. Um there was one about, you know, having combining schools and putting in uh uh TK, preschool, TK, maybe K. uh you know that would be that not that that we are there yet but some of the suggestions um another suggestion that came came to me uh more than once was um changing the Friday planning day to Wednesday in order to increase attendance. Are
029we looking at that? Not yet. I'm a person who fought really hard because our parents wanted Fridays as planning days and and I agreed with them. I think it's you know planning days are sacred especially at the elementary school who they don't get much um uh prep time. So anyway, that being said, um I I do I do appreciate the ideas. Keep them coming and thank you for your kindness and your thoughtfulness. >> Anybody else? >> I have one. That was very well said. Thank you. Very well, very well said and agree. Um, I this week had the opportunity to attend the BMS variety show. And if you haven't attended the BMS variety show, you have you must go. It's um a talent show with middle school performers. Everything from a science demonstration, rad science,
030and the theme song or weird science played in the background. Um, there were original poetry readings, dancing, and it really blew me away how many students got up and sang, played instruments, and sang to a group of strangers. A full multi-purpose room. Um, it was amazing. The audience full of middle schoolers. My middle schooler is the one who said he wanted to go. I, okay, we'll go. When your middle schooler says he wants to go to the middle school variety show, you go. Um, the kids were cheering and on clapping for their friends. um friends and family. It was just it was tremendous. So, great job to the staff at the middle school. Well done to all the students who participated and and also to the students who were in the audience. >> I have
031a quick update. I also wanted to just echo what um Cece had said. You know, thank you so much to so many people who reached out and um emailed and called and text and met in person. really appreciate um hearing perspectives and ideas and um it's it's really helpful to me and apologies that I have not responded back but uh I just have not had um a moment to respond but I am reading them. Um I've had some some fun fun times in the past couple weeks attending more of our parent teacher volunteer um organizations. I had the opportunity to spend some time at the BHS PTSA meeting which is really great. they do some wonderful things um across the high school and um really support the the students and and the the faculty there.
032Um I also went to Mary Farmer PTG meeting and wow those parents are busy um really really working hard for for Mary Farmer. So um want to just thank the the parent and community volunteers who sit on those boards and who also volunteer for those organizations. um you know what makes our community our community is really what you know these organizations put into our schools. So I'm very very um I greatly appreciate it. Uh, and I also had the opportunity earlier this week to volunteer at BMS to distribute the prizes for the school's fundraisers. And that was pretty fun getting to see I don't know if they're technically alien hats, but um, it was really great to see uh, you know, the kids putting on those hats. And, you know, once again, thank you to
033the families who support our fundraisers and who put those on. That's it. Members, we are at um item number 10. Members of the public may address the board at a regular meeting on any item within the board's jurisdiction. Speaker, cards are available at the entrance table. Please note the item you wish to speak to and submit a card to the board secretary. The board president will call all the open session general comments government code section 549 54.3 during the public comment item. Comments for items on the agenda will be called for the specific item and most of you are here for item number 13D. Um, comments are limited to no more than three minutes per speaker or the board may limit the total time to 20 minutes per item with the timer displayed on the
034monitors. By law, no action may be taken on any item raised during the public comment period and matters may be referred to staff for placement on a future agenda of the governing board. Please be reminded to keep your comments respectful as students may be watching the board meeting. Thank you. So, I do not have any general comments here. So, when we get to 13D, I'll call you all up. Um, approval of the consent calendar. >> I have a question before we do that. And is Roxan here? She is. I have a question. Um, one of the contracts that we received said you went to the lowest bidder, but it was not the lowest bidder according to the paperwork. So, I didn't know. >> Yes. Um so the we typically go to the low bidder but
035if a low bidder is deemed non-responsive then it goes to the second low bidder and that becomes the effective low bidder because the lowest is non it's it's nonresponsive it's valid not valid. >> Is there another way to put that on that report when we get it that's that in a different color or something to outline that because I had no clue. >> Sure. Yeah. I'll work to make that clearer for you. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Um, so we come to approval of the consent calendar and background information on these items is provided to the board prior to the meeting. A common motion takes a common motion takes action without discussion on roll call votes unless discussion of items is requested by the board members. So, do I have a motion to uh
036approve the consent calendar? >> I move that we approve the consent calendar as written. >> I'll second. >> This is a roll call v. President Grubs. >> Yes. >> Trusty Hirs. >> Yes. >> Trusty Seda. >> Yes. >> Trusty Melli. >> Yes. >> And trusty Manasi. >> Yes. Thank you. And then we come to um items one uh L approval of resolution number 25-26-37 declaration of obsolete items for Robert Simple Elementary. And this is another roll call vote. So President um President Grab sorry >> yes. >> Trusty Hirs. >> Yes. >> Trusty Seda. >> Trusty Melli and Trusty Manoski. >> Yes. Thank you. and approval of resolution number 25-26-38 uh declaration of obsolete library media materials. >> President Grubs, >> yes. >> Trusty Hirs, >> yes. >> Trusty Seda, >> yes. >> Trusty Mali, >>
037yes. >> And trust Manoski, >> yes. >> Thank you. And now we come to presentations and communication. We we are at item number 12 and 12A. Uh Superintendent Calcy. Yeah, this is your first reading of uh California School Board Association board policy updates. Uh this is coming to you from our updates from August, November. Some miscellaneous ones from June of 2025 and September. >> Is there a motion? >> No motion. >> Oh, sorry. >> Okay. And um progress the pro progress monitoring item 12B. Mrs. Rice Good evening, board, cabinet, and the Benishia community. My name is Stephanie Rice and I'm director of education services and I am here today to bring you back up to speed on where we are with some of our progress monitoring across our district. Uh today I'm focusing on our
038NWA MAP assessment as well as our reading difficulty screeners. Uh multitudes, sorry. Now we're working. So I always like to start off with highlights. We have such great things going on across our district and it is showing in our data. Um some growth that we have. You'll notice in the data slides, and I know there's lots of slides, I'm not going to go deep into the data, but I will answer any questions you have for me. Um, in grades uh second grade through 6th and 8th through 11th, we grew in our achievement in NWA uh math from fall to winter. Also, all of our student groups. So, the student groups that we've identified in our LCAP and we look for as um our student groups that have not had the same growth as the overall
039um all of our students, excuse me, such as our African-American students, our students with disabilities, our English learners. Um all of our student groups in math showed gains. most students groups in reading and I'll go deeper into that are multil- language learner students. Um if you remember back a couple years ago I was bringing their data along with students with disabilities and they were in the red, they were in the red, they're in the red and now we've moved to red to orange and our multil- language learners or English learners also gain 10 percentile points in mathematics. And then another highlight is our two or more races. Um if we go back um and it was more um COVID times um but we were identifying our students of two or more races having um a
040large learning gap and there is little to none now. And then also I will share about our multitudes. Um a positive is the students that were identified with support needed were already identified in our multi-tered systems of support. So the assessment we've done through our tier 2 intervention at the elementary, it wasn't a surprise of what students were identified and we were already providing support. And then as we look at data, we also look at areas for growth. So we are, as I shared, looking at our African-American students. We we saw gains in math. Um we did have a dip in reading, but there still is a learning gap. Our English learners improved in both math and reading, but there still is a significant gap even though we went from red to orange. And that's
041the same with our students with IEPs. We also are looking at a small uh dip in our seventh grade math and our ninth and tth grade reading. Sorry. So with the data, it's not just numbers, it's what are we going to do with it in the plan. So we're going to continue our work on professional learning communities. So we're doing this work um at our sites individually, elementaryaries. We also come together across sites at times um to look at the data and dig deeper of what we're going to do next. Um we're going to continue the support this year um for our new teachers with our teacher support coach uh TOSA and Ed services. Um we provide some trainings called learning bites and those um have been done at the beginning of the year in
042person. We've moved to more video um to make it more accessible or slide presentations for teachers. Also, um something we've shifted this year is a big focus um on bringing our special education teachers together with our gen general education teachers for our grade level team meetings for our um curriculum reviews. I was with the high school this week, Tuesday, and we had Liberty, Venicia High, Jinned, and special ed all digging into the curriculum, asking questions about what will be best for all kids. And that has made a sign significant impact. Learning walks. So we do learning walks across our sites with our admin and this year we added teacher representatives and that has really increased the depth of the conversation and brought in a really positive lens in what we're reflecting on and that will
043continue. And then I bring data to our principles. We sit down and do individual site data. We look at the celebrations that go along with their site goals and then we also look at areas for growth and we talk about support and next steps. And then last but not least um it's the feedback from the teachers, the administrators and the students. Um I've put out a survey to our admin and our teachers so far to get feedback on what is happening to make these gains. what do they think is is that secret sauce um so that we can share across the district and I've started to get some feedback. Um I also have gotten a little bit of feedback from some teachers from students and if I don't get a lot next steps will be
044asking if I can come in and and interview the kids also. So I linked some of the questions and some of the answers so far on the survey. This one's from principles and some of the highlights are the focus on goal setting. Um I shared data with uh Miss Kleinmmit and that day she was um she had printed off all of the students results and were bringing them to the teachers so that they can do that goal setting uh for that next assessment and in turn really for the end of the year. Also they talked about messaging and testing environment having a really positive message and conveying that not just to the students but to the parents as well. All right. I wanted to take a moment to highlight our early literacy screener and that
045again um is brought to us from the state of California. It is a mandate and you adopted last year multitudes as our assessment. We're currently giving it this week to our kindergarten students and then in December we gave it to our first and second grade students. This gives a list from language down to visual spatial processing that is assessed for this assessment. As you see here, we share our results with our families along with an explanation of the assessment. And I just want to highlight under support needed results on the universal screener show that your child needs support to strengthen their reading skills. Again, this is not a diagnosis. This is a screener to show us that if there's not an intervention, if there's not support where support is needed, they will most likely have
046a struggle in reading. So that's why we're testing our kids in kindergarten, first and second grade, mandated by the state there, but to identify that and provide support early. What we've done so far this year is we emailed our families about the screener. They also have a right to opt out if they so choose. We shared uh the students results through a secure server and also how to interpret those results. If they came back, our first and second graders so far as support needed. We sent not we, the teachers sent a follow-up email. They also provided a support plan. The classroom teacher identified supports that they would be doing within the classroom tier one. They conferred with our intervention, our tier 2, and if applicable, our tier three or special ed, so that it was
047all on one document showing what support we were going to provide for their student. and then follow-up resources. These are how the numbers shake out so far. The number of first grade students and second grade students that were identified as support needed. Again, to highlight a positive due to our multi-tered systems of support plan, these students were already identified and we were already providing some support because the state does not recommend giving this assessment right away. They said the first and second graders should be in school for at least four weeks and then our kindergarten need to have the exposure to teaching of letters and some sounds. So that's why we need to wait. So we need to have our own progress monitoring to provide that support early. >> Any questions so far? >> I
048have one. I was wondering do you do any screening for um say middle schoolers? Reading screening. >> Reading screening. No other than NWA for reading. >> Okay. And then if a so any I guess plans would be taking place in the classroom. It wouldn't necessarily be um I mean the teacher would be assessing always but so yes. Um so we do NWA three times per year and then from there um through our PLC work we're working on common assessments to be able to do formative assessments along the way. We don't have an additional identified assessment that we blanket give to the grade level. But um this year we were offering support through the dramatic literacy um which was an additional class that students can take as an elective to get support. All right. On to
049NWA MAP. This is an example of the teacher survey. some questions put out. Um, if you had gains in math on NWA as a teacher, what strategies practices do you use that you feel supported these results? Some of the highlighted areas that came back were strategies include the consistent use of CPM. They have a newly adopted CPMic at the middle school. Check for understandings uh utilizing small leveled group instruction, increased math discussions, and personal goal setting in conferences. go through on the next slide just to highlight the messaging and communication. Um I was president Matthew Turner and over the loudspeaker in Mr. Slater's announcement. He was giving them some shoutouts after we had gone over the data on some growth and how he's seeing the focus in the classroom and the classroom I in was
050in was cheering because they had been doing some um goal setting and they were excited to beat their goal. So, it's just this positive message of being able to show what they know. And then I also saw um from the feedback test taking strategies and this was from students that they feel helped them um achieve their growth. And I saw this model today at Barry Farmer in a third grade class that they were going through some practice questions and eliminating answers and the students were saying why that was the closest tricky answer because it was almost a synonym but not quite and they were being able to articulate that which was awesome. The next slide you've seen before is anticipated growth from how we performed in the fall. That's the diamond. And then the blue
051bar is the growth that our students actually achieved. And then the next slide shows 2 grade to 11th. We did test our first graders for the first time in the winter, but this was their first one. So they don't have growth data. growth data compares fall to winter and shows our achievement and then our gains. So 66 to the 71st overall, second through 11th grade, nice gains. And the next slide shows from this year to last year again gains. This slide is second and third grade for math. I want to give a shout out to third grade going from yellow to the 59th percentile to the 67th percentile. Our fourth and fifth grade math. Just a little shout out to fifth grade from the yellow 59th to the 74th percentile. Amazing growth. Yes. Thank you.
052Our middle school, we had growth in sixth and eighth, small dip in seventh. But what I want to point out is three years ago I brought data to you and they were in the 40s. So now across the board they're in the 60s and 70s. And this picture I added because they do have the new CPMIC and it has built in and then the teachers take it to the next level on just engaging the students when they walk into class. This is not a math problem but it's a data set and it's what do you notice? What do you wonder? What questions do you have? And just hearing these sixth graders having this dialogue about um water across our world and what's available here and there and why and their deep questioning as I'm sure
053maybe one of them was the students that you had in asking your questions that I was just blown away and they were just all engaged and um participating. Then we have our high school. Amazing scores there in math. We have our ninth, 10th, and 11th graders. I didn't add the 12th because we only had about 40 students because we only assess our integrated one, two, and three. We don't assess our AP students, so they're not factored in unless the teacher so chooses. But feedback from our teachers that teach those courses, they didn't feel like they were getting data back because the the CASP really focuses on concepts through integrated three. This is our student groups. I won't go through all of them, but you'll see gain gains gains. All of our student groups had growth
054in mathematics. Right. I know. And again, I want to point out our English learners and our student with disabilities are in the orange and not the red. They've had significant gains. All right. Oops. Sorry. Okay. And then for reading, sorry, the microphone here, I'm having a struggle. All right. So, teacher feedback and reading, targeted small group was mentioned several times. Um, also personal goal setting and conferring. Um, I know some BMS math teachers when I was there were handing out um the scores for the students and they were seeing if they met their their goal and what they were hoping to get this upcoming time. And then again it was about messaging, positive messaging and tested environment that seem to have a positive impact. Diamonds in reading were our projected goals. Bars are what we
055hit. And then we look at the overall again gains this year to last year. And then second to third grade, again, strong gains. Check out second grade for reading. Fourth and fifth again gains. 6th 78 growth. 9th and 10th we did take a dip. We're looking into that. 11th gains. And then all of our student groups except for our African-American student group did take a dip showed growth. two or more races. I pointed out in the beginning again there was excuse me was a significant growth over the last few years where it they're either outperforming our average or our white students or are about the same English learners here went from red to orange and our students uh with disabilities in the Orange. Thank you. Data is one measure. There's so much more as we
056saw from our highlight of what makes B USD special. But I think it's also important to see that it does translate to outside um like NWA MAP is not our curricular assessment. It's nationally normed. And this is how we're comparing to the millions that take this assessment and we've definitely showed strong gains each year. So any questions? >> Could you go to slide 29, the district ELA growth data comparison 2526? Just walk it. I just want to make sure I'm understanding this correctly. So the diamonds are where we're at. Slide 29. >> The d the diamonds are what we were projected to get. The blue bars are where we are. >> Okay. So 9th, 10th, and 12th. What does that mean then? >> So 9th and 10th, we didn't hit our growth goal in reading.
057That was we did. We didn't we fell back. >> 12th grade two. Um we didn't hit our growth goal. >> Got it. Mhm. >> And then seventh, we got halfway there. >> And this is somewhat hard to see. Seventh, actually, we did hit our target, but >> we didn't have a significant gain. >> Got it. Okay. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> I have a question and this is kind of a broad question. I've been reading a lot in the news about electronic devices and um how you know the increased use of them has affected kids attention spans and all kinds of things like that. And I'm wondering are you looking at that and one and um are you coming up with strategies to build reading stamina and also look at the impact of
058use of devices at school. Um I know ninth I know in high school they don't have the bell-to-bell ban on cell phones. They can use their phones during lunch. Um, I'm curious to see if if that's an area you might look into um to see if we might be able to get uh some improvement in reading through, you know, regulating the use of those devices, having the kids read longer texts, I don't know, to improve that reading stamina. >> So, reading stamina, that has been a concern for teachers, and I have some out here that do a phenomenal job. Um, but that is something that they work on daily in class. So, with our curriculum, it is either excerpts or shorter stories that they're teaching the strategies in like for elementary, but they do read
059alouds and then they do independent reading as well. Um, but that is something that they work on as a whole is stamina. Um, and being able to read longer periods of time. That is always the wonder, you know, with our curriculum that's digital and that balance and teachers do choose to print things out to have that balance. The the piece that is great about a digital curriculum is it provides a lot of scaffolds. It gives a low floor high ceiling for students activities that all kids can enter in um more easily than when we were printing off worksheets and didn't have these you know uh digital capabilities to adapt or read to. So it is a fine balance and that is something that is discussed and teachers are kind of finding what works for their
060students and I know teachers often give options of whether kids are going to do it digitally or have it in print but it is kind of that that battle and trying to find out about that and then you're you're alluding to like cell phones and just usage um that's something that also comes up um you know I look over to cabinet in our admin discussions of of what what our rules and regulations are and then looking at, you know, the the data that's out there and ever so changing. So I that's always a constant conversation. Um I don't have the answer for you right now, but it's on our radar. >> That's okay. And another thing I'm curious about is I know the middle school enacted the cell phone ban from, you know, the start
061of school all the way through the end of school. So they cannot be on it at lunch. They're not supposed to be. And I'm wondering just you don't have you won't have this answer now, but I'm curious to know if you've seen any gains um since enactment of that policy and it might be hard to separate to isolate that as the causal factor because I know you've adopted different um curriculum and strategies and you've been doing the PLC meetings, but I'm curious to know if that has had an impact or if staff feels that that has had an impact on um getting to the next level for the middle schoolers. I I can't answer that just with valid data. Yeah. >> But I can, you know, give feedback on teachers that they appreciate having the
062rule um to definitely be able to fall back on and help kids regulate. Um I will speak for high school, you know, just in the classrooms. It's a huge shift that you see the the phones in the pouches and kids are engaged. I think maybe having that, you know, at lunch, etc. is kind of a balance for that next level of students. Um, but it definitely has shifted the engagement within the classroom to have the phones put away. >> More questions. So, you know, tonight we're talking about libraries and, you know, I'm I'm curious to to hear a little bit more about particularly when we're talking about reading or language arts reading. um you know how we put you we we you talk a lot about teachers you know is there ways to incorporate our
063libraries our librarians and I I realize this maybe get might get a little bit mushy with contracts and all those sorts of things so but you know I noticed in elementary school it's where you have observed growth um and then when you we start to dip into the the high school um it starts to to to I guess not get to our growth rate of what we want. >> Um are those ways that we can incorporate more of our librarians of more of like the structure of the library? Um reading longer text, having more stamina and reading. Um you know, giving the giving our students the opportunity to just have a place to focus to read. Um, and you might not know that answer, but I'm just trying to like think outside the box and
064think through things of like >> a lot falls on the teachers, which I >> I I respect it. I understand. But can we broaden that out? Can we can we think more about utilizing the resources that we have? >> I hear you. I mean, I think it takes a village, right? You know, we all want to wrap around. Our librarians are fabulous and they do wonderful work. Um, I definitely think it is a great space for our students to fall in love with reading. Um, but the the the teaching of reading does happen in the classroom. Um, the love of reading absolutely in the library. Um, and that's why I'm really, you know, we don't want any cuts. I mean, this is our B USD family. Um, but I do really appreciate your thought process
065on not removing libraries as some districts have done. Absolutely. Because it is a sacred place. Um, >> I think and I do also appreciate that we've left the time so that students can go and have time to have be in the library weekly. So, I'm really grateful that you guys have done that um when it's really a tough time. But I would say the the inspiring kids to read absolutely is that going to benefit reading growth I think a thousand%. But when we're talking about kids learning to read that is in the classroom. >> Yeah. >> Can I chime in just a second as well? Um the other thing that we have at the elementary where we've seen a lot of that growth is when students are struggling we have a really robust intervention system.
066um that tapers off as we go up in grades partially because we've had it in the past and once students get to middle school and high school, they have to choose to take an elective or in an intervention class and that's a really tough decision for them. And so there's the structure of school makes it more difficult to do the the um very focused intensive intervention that we're able to do at the elementary school. Any other questions? >> All right. >> Very much. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> And we come to um action items. Uh 13A, consideration, approval of Benicia High School Performing Arts Building. Miss Egan. >> Hello. I'm pleased to bring to you tonight the high school performing arts building um modernization and expansion project for your consideration and
067possible approval. Um this project has been in planning for some time and there's a lot of excitement about it. It did also receive a state grant for the CTE program in the amount of around $3 million plus or minus. So that will help to supplement the cost of the project. The remaining cost will be covered by our major C bond. It's been identified um for a long time as a number one priority. So part of the grant monies um that were awarded with the state. The $3 million come with timelines for the completion of construction and just sharing that that's part of what necessitates this to be built sooner than later. Um the scope for the project is a approximately 3,800 square foot addition. It also does full renovations to the house of the PAB.
068It does a stage expansion. We have new seating. We have acoustical upgrades. All of the supporting classrooms and restrooms around the PAB space will be fully upgraded. The um front entry lobby to the high school will be modernized and updated. These hallway restrooms will be updated. The um roofing above the PAB, but also across the entire A building will be replaced, which that's a high priority districtwide, which we're really glad to put that in there. And then there'll also be Hback for the PAB upgrades. Um it also includes some landscaping upgrades at the front of the school as well as fire sprinklers and all of the utilities. So the um we've done a lot of planning with the high school. They've been really great to work with and supportive. We've identified alternate spaces where the
069drama, band, dance, and other programs that use the PAB will go use in the interim. The PAB would be fully closed during the duration of the construction starting January 2020, I'm sorry, summer, June 2026 and with completion through December 2027. Um, we publicly bid the project. We had a lot of interest, good turnout. We had four contractors um submit bids. The low bidder was CWS construction in the amount of 12,225,000. So, um, I'm happy to answer any questions, but staff recommendation is to award the contract to CWS Construction in the amount of 12,225,000. >> I I have a couple questions. So, it's 12 millions, but that and we're using bond funds and three million of this we got a grant to utilize. Correct. That's great. So, that means that it's like nine million roughly from
070the bond. >> Yes. Don't let please don't let my question like infer because I'm very excited about this. This is great. Where are we with like Mary Farmer and some of those school sites that really need some upgrades? >> Sure. Mary Farmer is in planning. Um so we had to do the fields first because the first space of Mary Farmer will sit on the baseball field. So it's part of Title Nine to be able to take over that space and then move on down. So that's why the fields got to go first. this um part of their funding necessitated that it go first because we don't want to risk losing that $3 million. I anticipate late in 2026 that we'll be coming to you with some information and requested actions on Mary Farmer. Um Joe
071Henderson, we're in planning. I we have some meetings set up with the site and um we'll come back to you after those meetings. Um so we're trying to move everything along. We've got some roofing projects. Uh those are in planning. We're going to try to go forward with more roofing as soon as possible. It's kind of like, you know, you try to do as much as you can as soon as you can, but they're they are definitely in progress. They're moving. >> Yeah. I realize you're, you know, you're one person and, you know, it would be amazing if in the summer we could have as much construction done as we possibly could um just not to affect our our student body. And um but I would just if I can just make the plea to
072really try to get those information in front of us sooner rather than later particular like so we can just start it even if that you know keeps just keeps the timeline going. Our sites really um really need those improvements. I just wanted to say that. Sure. >> Thanks. >> Those improvements that you're talking about um Um, >> which are you talking about? >> Mary Farmer. Oh, well, I was going to say we deal with various different construction and business and different companies that bid. Do they go you go out to bid? And do they ever conflict? And is that why some of their delay has been like like if somebody's working at the high school a roofer just hypothetically and they then they can't do the roofing over at Mary Farmer? >> No, we it's
073not a a a manpower supply problem. Part of it is you have to get the construction completed in the summer. You don't want every single site shut down at once. How much can you bid and get done at once? It's just you want everything to happen at once, but it just can't is the reality. I mean, if we want to hire some construction management companies and do other thing, but you're going to increase your soft cost and have less money available for the actual building improvements. So, it's trying to find that balance between the two. And it's I don't personally think there's any perfect answer. You do the best you can and you try to balance it all out and keep stepping forward as quickly as possible. I do think that we have great benefit
074in a lot of the planning that happened during measure S because planning takes time and a lot of that is already in place and a lot of the schematic stuff site meetings there's we'll keep having site meetings because there's more to come but it's a great benefit and allows us with major C to keep walking quicker um with all of that groundwork in place already. So yeah, >> you're welcome. >> I just want to add that um I'm super impressed with how Roxan does things when they're often most of our delays are because of the state right and and the state architecture and so when and they come back and they send us they want an update they want more information and so then Roxanne and works with other architects and builders to get that
075information and send it back to the state. When that happens, what Roxan often has done is switch to a different um project that is not as impactful, right? And then we were able to get that smaller project done um while we were waiting on these pieces to get passed by the state architecture and and it is a domino effect, right? The the the the I know it we look at we're talking about cuts and we look at our baseball field and softball field that we're building, right? And those are bond monies. And this the $3 million grant that Roxan was able to get is one of several grants that she's applied for and has gotten for us to extend our bond dollars, right? And so that piece has to happen for the Title N move
076the softball field off of Mary Farmer so then we can then do the construction up there. And I agree. I walk into I've said it Roxanne many times. I said it to her today. I walk into Mary Farmer Elementary School and I smell the Play-Doh of 1978 and I feel like I'm in third grade again and it feels just like my elementary school. and and we need to do some upgrades and and um and freshen that school up. There's no doubt about it. And so it is a priority of ours as well. And so and then there's also the middle school fields, right? And that we've been we've talked about that a long time and we keep putting pressure on the on the city and the tower company to remove that tower and um and
077so uh you know you you're going to keep hearing about that as well, right? And there's and then roofs roofs throughout our all of our schools and and the entire high school. Joe Henderson needs roofs, right? And so all those pieces coming together and we worked with a great construction company at Robert Simple. They did a really really nice job on the roofs there. And so we'll continue to do do that work. And again, I just want to reiterate that I appreciate that when Roxanne sees a shift and she can come and bring you a timeline and present to you, but I guarantee you in 30 days something's going to shift and change because we have a change order or because we have something from the state that delays us. So thank you Roxan. >>
078Yeah, thank you for that. But I do try to be very careful in not setting unrealistic expectations or if you set something out and it changes and changes and changes before well all the unknowns are never solved but before you have a confident level that you know the most of them that you know of are there it it can cause more chaos and heartburn than help. So trying to give information as soon as it's available but not um preemptively that could cause false expectations and hopes. Yeah. >> Thank you, Roxan. We do appreciate what you do. And with that, I'd like to move that we approve um consider and well approve the Benanishia High School performing arts building modern moderniz modernization there. So there >> to the lowest bidder. I'll second >> CWS construction 12,225,000.
079>> I'll second. >> All those in favor? >> I passes. >> And Roxan, you're up again still for the um middle school gym locker upgrade project. >> Great. Thank you. So, this was kind of a good preamble to this. This is one of the smaller projects. It has safety, necessity, that's has need. But sometimes when we have very large projects going on, there's an opportunity where we can do one more thing. And this is one of those opportunities. Um, so this request or project that we're bringing to you, it's for the middle school. It's for the gym locker rooms. It's for both the boys and the girls locker rooms to replace all the lockers. Um, it's about 1,250 lockers, so there's quite a bit. the work would occur over this summer um and should be
080fully complete. Even though it's a small project, when you talk about lining things up and how much can we do, if this one project isn't done when school starts, it'll be a huge impact on the site. So, like just trying to not commit to things that you can't get done and we're going to have too many people impacted because it construction is always difficult. It's always hard. So, I hope I'm not setting myself up for failure, but um so the the bid the project was publicly bid. We did receive three bids. The lowest bid was um non-responsive and so the requested motion from you is to award the bid to the subsequent lowest bidder or you could just say to JWalt Construction in the amount of $485,000. Any questions? Is there a motion? >> I'll
081move that we approve the award of contract for the Benicia Middle School gym locker upgrades to the low bidder JWL construction in the amount of 485,000. Second. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. And now we come to item 13 C, the um governing review of the 202526 second interim financial report for BOSD and Miss Trudy Barington is up. >> Good evening board, Superintendent Calibra, cabinet, and members of the public. I'm here tonight to provide you with the uh required second interim budget update as well as the multi-year projection in our annual budget cycle. Um we've gone halfway around. We're here in March um with the second update to you since the budget was adopted. Second interim is a required report. It's um as of January 31st of the
082year. It must be board approved by March 15. And then once you take action on it tonight, it gets submitted to the Slano County Office of Education for review. They review it um both technically and to check whether or not the assumptions used uh match what they expect to see. As of the second interim, um I am happy to say the district continues to have a positive certification. What that means is the district can meet its financial obligations in the current plus two subsequent years. Uh this is something that's really critical uh to a district that has a bond program like you just heard about. Um you don't want the district to drop into what's called qualified because it changes your ratings and your abilities to sell your bonds. So, it is um a really
083important thing that we continue to be able to meet all of our financial obligations. Um and at this point, we are able to do so. So, we'll move on and I will go through what the second interim looks like. Um you saw this slide already. Uh Superintendent Calibres and I both like it. He um borrowed it um and I willingly shared it because I think it's important to constantly talk about where we're we're at with our enrollment. Um if you look at uh 20145 and 1516 we had a lot more students and from then we were on a trend of constant decline some more significant then it kind of plateaued. This year was a pleasant surprise and we also know we have some changes uh with our surrounding uh districts around us as well as
084the closure of Valero. So, we are projecting that we will go back unfortunately to the declining enrollment and that's why we're making various um changes and adjustments within our budget. I'm continuing to project in the 94 to 94.5% ADA because that is how our students are attending at this time. um love to see it jump higher, but it's got to jump and stay because what we're funded on is as of April 15th, the ADA from the start of school through April 15th. So, we're not quite there yet. Um and we've we've had a good trend. It's also winter, but it's warm, so that's good. Um but to see continue to see how our students are attending. So on the revenue side, uh we we have uh certified data now that our enrollment for the year
085is 4,45 and that was as of October 1st, but that is the point in time that's forever held for the enrollment that has to do with the 2526 year for the district. We're projected or estimating that we will be funded on just under 4,200 ADA. Um every little 10% helps. Um we're currently sitting at 94 and a half. The budget was built on 94 because we saw um significant changes last year from December to the end of the year. Um our attendance did um not improve, it kind of dropped back down. So we're being conservative because the last thing in the world I want to do is come here, put more revenue into the budget, and then have to come back to you and say we didn't actually hit our target. Um, but for for
086the ADA, we are looking at being funded on the current year. So, just a reminder that you're either funded on the current year, you're funded on the prior year or the prior three years, whichever is higher. We have higher enrollment. Those students that are enrolled are coming 94 and a half% of the time. And so, we've moved into the current year funding model for our local control funding formula. the majority of our revenue. Our unduplicated pupil percentage is also up slightly from last year. It's not up as much as if you looked at just this year in isolation because it's a three-year average. It's the current and two prior. So, as we continue to go on, if our percentages stay um in this realm, we could see it grow. And that will depend on the
087students we actually have and how they actually certify. From 2425 to the 2526 year, we grew by 59 students. Um, and that resulted in 52.87 increased ADA as far as our funding. It's a graphic picture of our LCFF. I like to put it in each time just so you can see the base and the grades span adjustment is the um base amount of funding we get. Supplemental funding is funding that every district gets. It's 20% based on your unduplicated count. What you do not see here is a concentration band because we are less than 55% of that up. So, we don't get that. And then there's some historic um add-ons as well as the TK and some for the home to school transportation that you kind of saw in the annual transportation plan earlier. So
088we continue to receive those. We're projecting just over $52 million in the current year. So revenues for our district both unrestricted and restricted are reflected here. You can see a majority of our funding is from LCFF um which is derived by the average amount our students are in the classroom. The other funding sources we do have is some federal, some state and then we do have some local funding also and a lot of that is um more so on the restricted side. >> Any questions so far? >> I had a question for you. You knew I did. I wanted to make sure >> um on page six for the with the ADA trends um I didn't do the math on all of this but it looks like our ADA has been about the same since
0892014. Has it always around 94ish percent? >> Okay. >> So it was in the 90 high 94s 95s. There was a little blip at 96 way before CO >> Yeah. CO hit. Um the district really struggled at the 91 92 worked hard you know would really love to see it up at least at 96 but we have hovered in the 94 and a half. >> Yeah. And have I mean this goes back a long time but do you know if we've ever hit the 96? >> Um I think prior to this this I'd have to look. >> Yeah. It doesn't look like it based off this graph at least going back to 2014. I'm just curious. >> No. Um but you know ideally at least a 96% that that you're only missing 4% of your
090instruction time days in school. >> Yeah. >> So it's good. >> Yeah. Yeah. Got it. Thanks. >> Right. So I like to I like to highlight this and I did this at first interim. So how did we change from the budget? This is now how did we change from first interim to second interim as far as our revenues. So, our LCFF revenue is projected to be slightly higher at this point, and that is directly related to our attendance being better, especially with our TK students, and they're really hard to project. Sometimes they're really strong 80% attenders, sometimes they're really strong 95% attenders. And so, we have to find that balance. But this year's TK class as a whole is um attending much better. So, we're able to at least move it up to 90%. We
091would love them at at least 96% too because it's setting a foundation for kindergarten. Um, on the the titles, the federal revenue, our title one was finally certified. Um, as you recall, our title one revenue is is a lot less than it used to be, but it did come in slightly higher, which meant we didn't have to contribute that $4,300, which is good. uh state revenue. We actually received the literacy grant again in 2526. There had been a delay, so that hadn't happened as a first inter. We now do have it. Um and that supports the literacy screeners and local revenue. Um we've seen some more local donations on the restricted side and really that's our elementary sites. They have their um they don't they don't have ASB separate bank accounts like our middle and
092high school. they have it in restricted funds within the district. And so that's really why you see that increase there. On the expenditure side, um again, this is best known through um well actual known through January 31st, best projection of what will be through June. So we've reconciled any vacancies we've had. um you absolutely remove them out of the budget because you shouldn't be budgeting for something that hasn't happened and if it's not going to be filled won't happen. I also have reviewed supplies and services looking at contracts are we going to spend all of this for the remainder of the year. CPI which is you know the percentage expected of increase in costs has gone up since first interim um and we see this a lot in our utilities um but also in some
093of the goods that we need to buy. I can say that we're working really hard in the business office to um educate our sites on really um shopping around. So, we had some fun at the last um office team meeting. We um had the staff try to guess like what it costs if you buy this at Office Depot versus here versus there. Paper being one of those commodities where you could spend three times as much if you go with one vendor than the other. So just trying to find ways where we can maximize government pricing and just make sure that education is sent out. So hopefully that kind of helps some of our our spending, keep it down um and provide everything we still need. And then it's also important to remember that um we
094are required to to contribute 3% to a restricted maintenance account based on our total general fund budget. So not just the unrestricted side, it's both the unrestricted and and restricted together that has to be set aside for that purpose only. So this is a graphic depiction of um our expenditures. As you can see, a majority of our expenditures do go towards salary and benefits. That is our employees within the district with the remaining that goes to fund the rest. Um I always try to provide for you on the unrestricted side of the budget salary and benefits consumes 92.62%. On the restricted side it's 76.94%. So total both restricted and restricted together the budget um for salary and benefits is 87.19% of our budget. So, how have our expenditures changed from first interim? The first line
095um is salary and benefits. What you saw at first interim, you saw the same day you were approving all the negotiated settlements. So, it couldn't be built in. So, this is built in to the general fund. That's the cost increase for the percent on the salary schedule as well as the medical. Um, you know, we looked at books and supplies, what's going to be spent, what's not going to be spent. That's also the line where equipment under $5,000 goes. And so, you know, we're projecting that we're not going to spend as much for services and other operating. On the unrestricted side, we've had um some challenges and opportunities this year. So, we've do have we have seen increase in our legal costs. on the restricted side continue to have challenges with filling some of our
096special ed positions and our um we have seen an increase in our ELOP contracts. We weren't sure that we could do it but we do have the revenue to do it. So you see that cost increase. Most of these changes are on the restricted side because we receive revenue with the restricted purpose on how to spend it. And then the capital outlay and other outgo that is on the restricted side but for two elementary schools we did replace the Chromebook carts so that they are charging correctly. Sorry. Were there any questions on the expenditures before I move on to the contributions? >> Yes. So that's the total budget. On the unrestricted side, which is where a majority of our salary and benefits are, it's it's still greater than 90%. You really would like to see
097it in the 85 to 88 because that gives you the room should you need to make adjustments. We are not at 94. We're slightly below 93. Moving in the right direction, but that's really because all the other good services and utilities went up. So on the contributions side for restricted items there are um required contributions and necessary contributions. We always acknowledge that yes special education does require a general fund contribution. That is because our state and local revenues that we receive are not sufficient to offset the cost of the program. But because our um state AB 602 came in higher, we were able to reduce the contribution slightly. Um special ed is is this year still a million dollars greater than last year, but we are doing everything in our power to kind of maintain
098to the best that we can providing everything that's legally required. Sorry, I have some but I I don't know. Um, for our routine restricted maintenance, as our budget adjusts, we have to adjust to ensure that we're contributing 3%. The actual contribution for routine restricted maintenance does not occur until the year is over because it's not based on what you budget. It's based on your actual expenditures. So, if our actual expenditures come in under, that's what the 3% is based on. Solar, there's no change, but just a reminder that's normally 400,000 from the general fund. It's not this year because back in 23 24 me, they duplicated a payment. So, we're using that this year, but next year it will return to the 400,000. And in the title programs, um, which are staff, because we had
099a increase in our our salary and medical benefits, the contribution had to to increase also. So all of those things together um creates the ending fund balance for both the restricted and unrestricted and restricted. Um you can see where we started with the revenues that have come in expenditures going out our contributions and where we expect to be at the end of June. On the unrestricted side we're projecting that we will be at 5 7.5 million. And then at the bottom you can see the separation of the components. Non-spendable is our revolving cash that we need to have on hand should we um need to utilize it. And now we're all gonna cough. Also part of the non-spendable and this is the last year of it. Um five years ago it was negotiated to um
100pay upfront part of the cost of the ARIES system. And so you pay it but you have to recognize it in the year. Um so then we will just move to the annual renewal of the contract which would be up in your expenditure line. Um also within the ending fund balance is the board policy of one month of payroll. Uh the textbook plan that was put into place many years ago for the new adoptions that are required for science and math. There is as of right now a potential carryover in the LCAP which is unrestricted but it's restricted to the LCAP. So we have to set that aside. And then assigned is um what's what's remaining and it's what we use to stabilize the budget over numerous years. And then you see the reserve for
101economic uncertainty. That's the 3% that we are required by the state to have available in our reserves. This is just a summary for you of all the funds we have. We spend most of our time talking about the general fund because that is that is a majority of what the district utilizes to run our day-to-day operations. But there are these other funds which are all in the positive are not requiring contributions from the general fund self- sustaining and have plans to um utilize all of the funds. Um you can see fund 21 the um second sale of the bond has come through. So you can see there's projected to at the end of the year after the projects we do this year we'll still have $73 million. Um also fund 35 and fund 40 those
102are connected to um activities and projects that we do under the bond. Fund 51 the district cannot touch only the county treasurer and fund 73 are two ongoing um scholarship trust funds that people left with their states. So, moving on to the multi-year projections. Um, you'll see on this screen there are two years listed because that's what we're required to do, but I did on all the subsequent um slides you're going to see add a third year because 2526 is while it's only March is nearly over and you're going to be adopting the budget. So, it's important to see where we're at. So, what is a multi-year projection? It's based on a set of assumptions known at a point in time. It's 100% correct the day you use the assumptions and 100% of the time
103it is going to change based on changes to the factors. So it's not a prediction. It's not a forecast. It's just important to remember that as things change our projections will change. So as you can see there are four columns here now. The current year plus three more. Um so you can see what this data is saying. Cola might be in the out years. Um, important to note, every time the state has told us the cola might be over 3%. It goes down. So, I don't know will it stay in 27 28 28 29 hard to say. 26 27 um was over 3% initially down to projected next year um 2.41% which is even down from first interval which is at 2.51%. So, we will see how the how the how it goes. um most
104of the factors are in. So the state should be able to um certify what they're going to use in the budget next year, hopefully by the May revise. You can see we're going to continue to project declining enrollment um until we know otherwise. But based on birth rates and um IDA renewals at kindergarten, 6th, and 9th, that's what's forming these figures. As a result of our um enrollment going down, we will next year move to prior year funding for LCFF because the current year is going to be our highest ADA and then we will drop into the three-year average which is beneficial because it gives us time and we don't just if next year we we've projected 189 students will lose and we lose 400, we're protected to make a plan for the year after
105that. So we still have to be conservative because we don't want to um overutilize but we do have time to um make changes should it be different in the outsource. So given that LCFF is our largest funding source, these are the assump assumptions being used to to project the revenue in the outy years. And you can see um as we get to 27 28 and 28 29 we're losing ADA which means our our funding will will decrease. You'll see funding go up because COLA hits it but it's not up as much as it would be if our um enrollment in ADA rema remaining flat. So, in the multi-year projections, I split out the unrestricted from the restricted because we we talk a lot about um things that we can affect on the unrestricted and things
106that we cannot affect on the restricted. So, what you see here is the current year, which you've already seen, where we um are deficit spending, and then the outy years. Um I want to point out that in 2627 looks like we're not deficit spending as bad. what what is reflected here is um included in here in the projections is already the action you took on February 19th to reduce certificated positions. So that's been factored in here. The reason I included a an additional year out because you can see yes, we've made changes to the 2627, but if no additional um adjustments were done to the budget by 2829, we're back to deficit spending almost $1.8 million because our revenue is going to decline as our enrollment declines. On the restricted side, um deficit spending is
107is not scary on the restricted side because you often get your restricted monies up front. You have a plan, you intentionally deficit spend. Um in 2627, it looks like there could be a larger balance there. Part of that has to do with the one-time monies the governor put in the the budget that might be there. It's not in the expenditures because we were um advised to not budget expenditures until we know there will really be the revenue. So, we can include the revenue because we're not spending it, but that's why there's likely a balance there. So, put together, this is the picture for the district um for our general fund ending balances. You can see in 2526 the balances we've already talked about 26 27 27 28 and then I added the 2829 year. It's
108important to note that these reserve projections do not include anything that has to do with negotiations because we cannot predict what will occur at the table. Any increases in salary and benefits will lower these reserves. I do want um to point out as you look at them in 2627 if no changes had been made at the um February 19th meeting the reserves would have projected at 9%. Uh 2728 instead of 8.98 would have projected at 6.48 and then the 2829 year if no changes had been made um at the February 19th meeting the reserves would have projected at 2.54%. And that that's why I included that column because the next thing you will hear about is the proposed 2627 budget which becomes the current year plus two. And so we always have to watch what's
109occurring as we deficit spend. It is one-time money and it can't it doesn't replenish unless we have additional revenues. So the things to consider as we go on to sustain fiscal responsibility is where's our enrollment? We have to continuously watch it. How is our ADA going? Um we can budget based on 94 and a half% but if we see it's only coming in at 94. We'll have to uh revise our revenues down. Where are our staffing levels and the deficit spending and it's it's a it's a structural deficit. So, we it's something that we're working on and you've been um hearing how we need to reduce the amount we're deficit spending because it's onetime money. Um our reserve levels, we have to no matter what be at 3% to stay positive and then our general
110fund contributions as as things increase at so do the general fund contributions. So, our next steps, we are developing the budget for 2627 already. You you already got the enrollment projection. Um, and those things are being put into place. May we will hear what the governor says is or isn't going to do with the budget. We don't know. June 11th will be the public hearing and June 16th, you will adopt the budget and we will start our circle all over again. There any additional questions? >> Um, I have one. When will we know the status of our intra intrad district transfers? When's the cuto off? I guess I should ask when when when do you have to apply to transfer? >> Well, you're asking when the date for the uh interd district transfers for the
111other districts, right? So, because we have very few people that leave us, right? So, that varies by district, right? So specifically Valleo um that window is open now and closes April 1st. Do I have that right? >> March 31st. April Fool's Day I guess is when we'll know. Right. So yeah >> earlier this year correct. >> We did open up our window earlier to make that adjustment. Yes. >> Thank you. >> We may we may not know April 1. Valo will have everybody and Fairfold soon will have everybody who's who wants to go out of their district. They will then begin to notify families in their time frame. So we will know uh the first day of school how many kids we truly have. >> Oh, so April f March 31st is their cut off.
112>> Their cut off. Correct. >> Okay. >> Yeah. And unless the family notifies us that they've been denied, we won't we won't know that, right? And so, um, or through the appeal process, we won't know. So, I'm sorry, I wasn't clear on that. So, we may not know how many students we have until the first three days of school. So, is there a motion to Are there any other questions? >> Is there a motion to um approve resolution number 25263? No, I'm sorry, wrong one. Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. I knew I was on the wrong place. Governing um is there a motion to approve the 2526 uh second interim financial report? >> I move that we approve the second. >> I'll second. All those in favor? >> I I motion passes. So, now we
113come to item 13D and I'll start calling you up. And our first speaker tonight is Aaron Gilly. Glly, please correct me. >> Gilly. First, I want to say um I want to acknowledge with our previous superintendent, I felt that the organization was extremely topheavy in this district. So, I I do want to say thank you for streamlining that. Um we had more assistant superintendent than any other North Bay public school of comparable size. So, that's great progress. It still of course hurts to see cuts to positions that are vital to our kids. especially when the people deciding this make a quarter a million dollars a year, but the situation has improved. Our community is so strong. This is now a great opportunity for our volunteers to shine. We have great programs like the watchd dogs
114at the middle school. Um, but I want to say workability, our vocational program, is one of the most evidence-based impactful things that helps our students with special needs actually have positive outcomes in their uh in their lives after they leave school. And we're just letting that go. And we've heard so much about the library joy and the magic of the libraries. And I keep hearing this word librarian, librarian, librarian. We've heard so much from them. We don't have librarians. Most public schools don't. We don't have librarians because no one can afford them. A librarian is someone who has a library credential. So they are compensated that way like a teacher. They have their degree in library media sciences. Of course, our librarian, our library technicians, they do the same thing. They provide that programming. They
115provide those reading incentive um you know schoolwide reading incentive programs that bring so much joy and that schoolwide um drive to to be the best reader, you know, to make it exciting. They do that anyway. And we're already getting such a great bargain by having them as classified employees. And now we're cutting back their hours even more. And I recognize the efforts that have been made to cut back as little as possible. But when we cut back so that the library technicians are just there when the kids are there, that means that as an education specialist, I don't have access to that library technician because they're only there when the kids are there. I'm only working when the kids are working. We can never connect. And as an education specialist, I'm expected to be able
116to teach every subject at every grade level. The person that I reach out to first is not my program specialist. It's my librarian because they're the one who can help me find that random book for that one exceptional kid with that very special interest. I reach out to my librarian very very frequently and my students do too because they see it as a safe space to be. So thank you. >> Thank you. >> Our next speaker is Ry. Hi >> Riley. >> Hello. My name is Riley Woolenweber and I am representing Mary Farmer Elementary. I am here to speak about the about about the cutting of library media technicians hours. There is this club in the library where people draw during recess because the library is open during recess and kids really love it. That
117is what is at stake if you cut the li the hours of our library media technician. The library will be closed for recess. >> Thank you, Riley. Thank you. >> And Cindy Crane, you're up next. >> Here we are again. Hello. Uh, good evening. My name is Cindy Crane. I'm the president of Benishia 1096. The district has made it clear that cuts need to be made. $1.7 million in reductions and layoffs. As you look at the information in front of you, know that it's not just numbers on a budget sheet. These are real people doing real work every day. We work already, excuse me, we work directly with our children, our parents, and our community. We support students who need extra help, guide families who are trying to navigate the school system, and help keep
118our schools functioning. When these positions are reduced or eliminated, the work does not simply disappear. The needs of our students and families will still be there. So, my question is to the board is this. When these positions are cut, who will do the work? and how will our students continue to receive the support they deserve? Are you prepared to explain to the students and parents why Benishia Unified is still the best choice? And when funding returns to the district, as we hope it will, I ask that you remember that the dedicated classified employees who have been serving and committed to our schools and community and who may be impacted by your decisions today, they should be the first considered to return to the to these positions. Our students, families, and schools benefit from the experience,
119commitment, and care that these employees bring every day. Thank you. Thank you, >> Pascal Van Beern. And can I say just thank you for your clear handwriting. >> Thank you very much. Um, and thank you for this opportunity. Um, my name is Posure and I'm the parent of Isabella, a second grader at Mary Farmer. Last year she struggled with learning and often felt frustrated with reading. Thanks to our school librarian, she not only improved academically but discovered a love for books and reading. Her growth has been remarkable. She now reads confidently, explores new ideas, and has gained real curiosity and independence. Our library is more than a place for books. It's a safe place where children can explore, question, and grow. The librarian teaches research skills, critical thinking, and helping students develop strong character and
120become well-rounded, globally aware citizens. Studies show schools with full-time librarians have higher literacy scores and more engaged learners. I urge the board to preserve our librarians hours. For students like Isabella, this role is essential to nurturing allincclusive community and keeping a safe, inspiring space where reading and learning truly thrives. And thank you for your time. >> Thank you. >> I have a card here um that was filled out, but somebody forgot to put their name. So I'm gonna >> Yes. And so so excuse me if I since you know moving on uh Marisol Marisol I know Terifa. >> Hi Marisol. Thank you for all your support all these times. Um it's been rough but it's okay. Thank you. I just wanted to um share uh like two weeks ago I shared some concerns about the
121proposed reduction of the district's OT position from a 40hour work week to a 24-hour work week. Um and I'd just like to briefly add a few numbers just to help illustrate the impact of that change directly to our special ed students and also to the students who haven't even been identified yet um that will be coming along. Um, so basically I I said us um earlier I serve students across six different school sites ranging from preschool all the way to the high school. So when you think about it, each grade level you have to uh teach or work with them differently. You can't treat a preschooler the same as a high schooler or middle schooler as an elementary school. So you always have to switch hats when you work with our kids. And also not
122to mention um the ser the responsibilities that go with serving our students. It's just not direct services or consultation services. It's also the assessment. So for example, this year alone I already completed 24 OT assessments with 10 open that I'm still working on. And that's right now at 34 evaluations. and you times that by eight hours, that's already um 272 hours used. So that's taking away from the direct service time. That's take away from consultation. And think about it this way. If I'm servicing six sites with only 24 hours, that's four hours per site. So, how does that work to be able to service all students and then think about, oh, if I have meetings to go to, then I have to switch to a different site midway or um if I need to um
123uh attest to student in another school, then I have to travel. So, it it's it's not really cut and dry how services are um given. Okay. Um, in order to maintain compliance with special education timelines and and continue providing services to students, a reduction in work hours would typically require a proportional reduction in workload, not case load but workload. So that that's how we were talking about that as well. Um if expectations remain the same while available time is reduced by nearly 40 40%. It will become difficult to complete all the tasks needed within the mandated timelines. So when required services or evaluations cannot be completed due to limited staffing you know the district will be required to provide compensatory services or seat contracted providers which can create additional cost. Um so just my goal
124here today is just to ensure that our special ed students get the services they require. >> Okay. Thank you. Noah Sila. >> Noah. >> How you guys doing today? >> Good. So, I'm know I go to Benisha High School and I know Mr. Sto's here. I don't want to embarrass him in front of, you know, everyone. And like I love the library, you know, my friends go in there, you know, every morning, you know, and hang out and like play like, you know, game >> and like that's all, you know, that's all I have to say. >> Thank you, Noel. Marine Bolton. So, um try not to be upset when I I'm just going to read this. Um we have been fighting for four years for many things and it's hard for me to believe
125that we're once again fighting for something else. I'm going to speak to O the reduction for OT although I fully support everything that has been said um about the library. Sorry it's it's hard. I have um I am a Graham's mom to two eight-year-olds uh sped kid and at simple and neurotypical at farmer. Um I've been aware of the state cuts. Um in general we have found that the service providers have had to struggle to provide the necessary and mandated uh things as it is now with a full-time 40hour position. Everything Marisol said we have seen that over four years. How can they with a 40% reduction provide necessary and mandated services, be involved in IEPs, give feedback to parents to assist in these sped kids, and do the necessary administration that they have to
126do. your risk as she said your risk you are at risk of losing your staff and in what is mandated services and then you go I even it was very interesting the financial statement where some of the expenditures had to do with the inability to get qualified staff and then having to go out on short-term contracts which is much more cost to the district. Um we um I understand you're hampered by the availability of staff and funding. Um but um how can they possibly provide these services? We we have a qualified staff, works more than they should and gives more than they should and it I understand you're having to make difficult cuts. I I get it and but the OT I I applaud the unified team. It was wonderful to see them here. Those
127kids have benefited and been able to do the unified team because of OT. I I have an 8-year-old boy who needs all the OT. He can and will continue to need that for the rest of his school years to be able to do that. And I look forward to him being able to join the unified team. But if you are unable to provide the OT anyway, please consider that and the library >> cha Vigil. >> Good evening everyone. Um, so obviously, so my name is Chess Sto Vhil and I'm the library media textbook manager over at Benicia High School. Um, and so obviously I have a personal stake in the decision facing the board tonight. However, tonight I really feel the need to advocate for the students. Um, a traditional sixth period day is a
1287-hour day while the block days are 6.5 hours. Uh the current proposal of five and a half hours uh per day for my position assures that the library doors will be closed during part of the school day. Choosing to reduce the hours at the high school library to less than a school day would be a true detriment to the student success. We have English classes in periods 1 through six and teachers require textbook swaps periodically during all of those periods. How does that line up with ensuring students have required class materials if the library is closed for part of the day? I current currently see students at all hours of each school day for Chromebook exchanges and loaners. When a student is unable to acquire access to a functioning schoolmandated device, how does that ensure
129success? When we have rallies, there's s a significant portion of the student population that chooses not to attend the rally and instead they come to the library. If the library is closed and all those students are milling about campus, how does that lend to the safety of the campus environment? When a student has uh one of the assortment of reasons why their classroom environment is not conducive to their ability to focus, they come to the library to study. Where will you send them when the library doors are shuttered? There are charging stations in the library. And when a student shows up to school with their Chromebook that has low battery but is taking a locked quiz, they can come to the library to plug in and complete their work. How will a closed library support
130these students? Students utilize the library printer at all hours of each school day to print their assignments. I can only imagine the number of projects that will be stalled or missing if the library is not open during the whole school day. The BHS library is an educational and cultural hub that supports our young scholars in many ways. I truly believe that reducing the hours of the BHS library to less than a school day is the wrong choice and will undermine student success if that is indeed BUSD's mission. And so that's what I have for you tonight. Um, I really want you to consider this decision that you have before you, um, as not just a number, but like the true impact. Thank you, >> Julia Han. Hello all. Um, so the thing that's surprising for
131me is that the occupational therapist reduction in hours is even on the agenda at all. We had this discussion last year. We talked about the additional costs associated with reducing those hours. The likelihood that a person takes a 40% pay reduction and stays in this district. Come on. So now you're looking at hiring somebody. Okay? You're going to get a part-time occupational therapist to come in and take this job for that amount of pay without a reduction in any of the workload. That's ridiculous to think that that is somehow crossing your mind. So now we're looking at contra short-term contracts. Those are way more expensive than just paying a full-time employee. So, you are sacrificing the long-term success of this district for short-term what $50,000 reduction. That is so shortsighted. And that doesn't even get
132into the fact that children will be harmed. That doesn't even get into the fact that I personally will be making sure that my children receive the se services that they are needed to attend class and I am not the only parent. So please do the right thing. Do what you did last time because it was the correct decision last time and keep OT at full time. Thank you. >> Shauna Grace. >> Hello. Uh, my name is Shawana Grace. >> Please excuse me. I'm so sorry. >> It's okay. Shauna Shaw, I understand. >> I apologize. No worries. I'm so sorry. >> So, my name is Shana Grace. I'm here as a representative with CSEA. I bargain directly at the table with the leaders who are here and have helped to kind of organize the voices of
133those who are impacted with these layoffs and reductions. Um I applaud the board for the last board meeting. You asked some very hard questions. You sent the district back to ensure that you had options, not just what was presented. But again, we're back looking at layoffs, reductions that are as closest to students, not positions at the district office. I can tell you, I represent multiple districts in this county, and we're in tough financial times. We understand that. But the decisions you're faced with tonight will impact decisions that parents and students are going to have to make when they consider whether they want to stay in Benicia. Some of it's tied to the services of the workers that they come across every day. There are vacancies that could be considered for layoff or reduction very similar
134to what you did last year. Um I recall at the last board meeting there was discussion surrounding teachers through attrition. Um there was a question that came up multiple times about looking at district office positions. There's a lot of concerns that the workers now are bearing the brunt of decisions that were made by the board for things like the PARs incentive and that haunts us every time we're at the bargaining table. The conversation has shifted from discussions about the culture here. It's better in Benicia, the Benicia way to why should I stay in Benicia when they're treating us like everyone else. A lot of the reductions aren't just salary. It's going to cost more for these workers if they choose to stay to pay for things like their health and welfare benefits because they're no
135longer fully covered here for the employee. It's a share of cost. So, as you look at these decisions and you look at who's putting them forward, notice how decisions that are furthest away from positions here, the higher salaries are considered. You're never going to get the savings you're looking for on the backs of the classified workers, certificated workers at the site. You have to look at some of the higher income wage earners. I ask you before you make this decision today, are you going to be prepared to justify it in years to come when you see things like declining enrollment and students choosing to go other places because of services they've gotten comfortable with here? Please take this decision seriously and think of the long-term implications. Thank you. >> Thank you. So now I come
136to my nameless card. Was there anyone who wanted to speak? Okay. All right. I know I did it. So, my name is Amber Kelly. I'm a senior librarian at the Benisha Public Library. I am also one of your um Oh, I just lost it. Library of Record because you guys don't have a district librarian. The public library has contract with you guys and we are your librarian of record, which is a job I love. You should have a district librarian, but I like my job. Would I work for the district? So sometime today, I sent each of you a very dry, very wellressearched, and very well-sighted email with links to about 20 studies done over the last 30 years, proving that uh public schools with public libraries that are fully staffed and have updated, dynamic
137collections result in higher reading scores, stronger research skills, and better academic outcomes. So if you guys want to use the data, go back to my email. It's all there. It's cited. It's researched. We've been doing this for 50 years and as everyone know so what we should really be doing is we really should be arguing how many more hours to give these guys instead of how many less. That's the conversation we should be having as I go forward. As everyone knows with a phone in our pocket we can instantly find articles, videos, statistics and opinions about almost anything. Unfortunately, we can also find conspiracy theories, AI generated nonsense, and at least 12 websites explaining that the moon landing was filled in somebody's garage. Back in the day, these were our research skills. And today, they're
138just how we get along in life. So, this is why I would like to argue that the libraries and the library technicians who run them are more important than ever. When a student begins his re a research project, their first instinct is to type in the words into Google, click the first thing appears. Great. Sometimes that works. Other times it leads to blogs that are written by somebody named Truth Warrior 420. When that happens, CH can help students slow down and ask better questions. Who wrote this? Where did the information come from? Is it evidence? Is it an opinion? Or is it somebody just yelling at the internet? Chay helps students find credible sources, navigate databases, and understand how information works. He has the time from before school to after school. He has the space.
139He has the resources to help students learn how to compare, recognize biases, and understand while Wikipedia is a good starting point, it should not be your final destination. Just as important, the BHS library provides something many st students don't have enough of during their day. A calm, welcoming space where thinking is allowed to happen. students can work, read, research, or sometimes just take a breath between or before classes and all of the other things he said that I didn't include. So, in our world, misinformation is spreading faster than Tik Tok. Teaching students how to evaluate the information may be one of the most important things we can do. So, when we talk about supporting our school libraries, we are not just talking about books. We are talking about helping the students become thoughtful readers, careful
140researchers and informed citizens. >> Thank you. And so um we come to uh Dr. Pat Jennings. >> Good evening, President Grebs, board trustees, superintendent calibraz, and the busd community. The attached resolution number 252635 addresses classified positions to be reduced due to lack of funds and is presented for your consideration um and approval. >> Does anyone have any questions? >> Yeah, so structurally I know that with RIP notices it's hey, you know, we have to make these reductions. We're letting you know that it's quite possible that we won't have the money to bring you back. Now, uh in these position, let's say that we did go forward with this if we did not end up having the uh reduction in enrollment that we were considering that we might that we're planning for because there's so many
141things or that the budget in May comes out better. We can I mean these are initial but we could bring people back and right I mean structurally >> that's correct. Can we look at putting together a priority list of uh bringing people back based on a change in funding? >> Absolutely. >> That'd be great because uh you know this is we have to plan budget-wise before we know all the pieces. So obviously when you have to do that you're going to plan worst case scenario which we're doing but if things end up better it'd be good to have that list to say okay hey things have come out better let's bring back this then if it you know and have that list that'd be you know really good. >> Absolutely we can do that. >>
142Thank you. >> Any other questions comments? I mean this is terrible. Um I will say from you know my perspective just thinking um about just in particular the libraries the only cut that I will will support is to number 369. Um, and that's reducing it by 0.125 just to be equitable with the other elementary school library media technicians. Um, so >> which one is that? >> So on the second it says number 369. So this um elementary school has is at 875 where the other other elementary schools are at 75. So you're saying you'd go from 0875 to 7? >> That's correct. >> And is that the only the only one that you'd support on the list or >> for for the libraries? I'm kind of dissecting it as we as we go down. Um
143that's that's my perspective. >> Anybody? The hard part is that we're at the we don't have any more time. I mean, this has to be done by March, you know, so that people could be let known by March 15th. And I mean, we to me it seems like if we have to make that amount the amount the money work, then we would have to right now before we go anywhere, if we're not doing these cuts, we'd have to right now decide what we were going to do so that we could let people know by March 15th. And I don't see what I mean, they're all terrible. And like I said, we're planning for the worst case scenario if things do work out better, which, you know, there's what are the odds of it being the
144worst case scenario that we could add back. But otherwise, I mean, to me, it seems like we would literally have to decide right now, okay, instead, let's get rid of a position we haven't even talked about yet or reduce a position that we haven't even talked about yet. we don't have the ability to not get to the NE the 1.7 million that we're looking to get to. So I I I don't know and I respect where you're at and I would you know I vote your conscience but for everybody I you know I don't know how else we do this. >> Yeah. I mean I I would appreciate a conversation you know a dialogue. I think that it's important for us if we have different differing opinions. >> I know um we did get a
145lot of letters, emails rather, and um it's so appreciated to hear different perspectives from different people in our community, teachers and uh everybody. So, but we have I just want you to know we have exhausted some of these things that you shared with us as ideas um to to think of doing. We we we really look outside the box trying to make it like the peg fit into the square, right? It's very it's it's um I just want you to know that and that I appreciated hearing from you and I'm sorry I couldn't answer everybody, but I really do appreciate when staff or parents or students I had a student come to me and and or share with me that why they're unhappy with this and what their job entails because it's so many things.
146Um I just wanted you to know that for me. Um yeah, of course this is a very difficult um all of these all of these people in our schools are extremely valuable. Um libraries very important part uh and in the elementary schools I do feel that they're they are the heart of the schools. uh middle school and high school also play an important role especially uh to be a place for students to go and I I know that they do use the library. Um I feel like really uh in a very difficult position because the board has a responsibility to adopt a balanced budget and make sure that we remain financially stable. And I think that's probably the our biggest role, one of our biggest roles. And what I'm trying to grapple with is I
147don't want to kick the can down the road and end up in a much worse position in the future. And we've seen how that snowballs. I mean, we've seen it in the city. We've seen it across other districts. And so I that is in my mind and I want to share that because it's really important for me that um I do my duty as a trustee. Um it's a difficult job and again I just like Sher said, I thank everybody for their emails. I know that that you understand that. I know that um really key questions for me is to make sure that students are still being served and I understand that there they might not be served at the same level. Um I I feel that that's probably the case. I know that there
148are ways that maybe the days can be structured so that we can ensure coverage when students need those services most. Um, that's really the guiding principle for me is will students still have access and are am I doing my job as a trustee to ensure that I give our district a balanced budget so that we can continue operating our schools. Um, I gosh I had something else I wanted to say and it's totally out of my mind. I um I did review some emails that offered other suggestions that I thought were very good. I think this is going to be a continuing thing for Benicia. I don't want to be the big downer here. I hope that we come out of this looking much better than we think. Um, but just given the state of
149our declining enrollment, I find that chart very impactful and alarming that we've been basically in a declining position for the last um 12 years. Um, I had, you know, I Mark, I thought you're I love the idea of being able to do um a priority list to bring people back. I think that that's really great. We're in a tough position with the timing of all of this. I had also kind of grappled with can we um instead of going down from 6:00 to 4, can we go down one hour per day? Is there, you know, what would the impact be? it it is a very difficult position because often we do end up better than we think right and that's something that I've learned from you on this board for sure um so I am
150trying those are my those are my concerns I want to make sure that students are still being served that we're still getting books in the hands of students I want to make sure that our reading um scores improve I they have to improve and are we doing everything we can to do that um and I know that the district has done analysis. I know that I've received a lot of emails with um all of the tasks that people do in a day. It's a it's a huge it's a huge job. It's a huge important job. And so, um one question for the district is just looking this at this holistically when you Oh, I remembered the thing I wanted to say. I do want to mention um I think that the the comments about the
151district office are very well taken. Um, I do want to acknowledge that the district is eliminating a um an entire department. Um, and I think that there's going to be a lot of adjustment there and there's going to be a lot of work that needs to be divvied up. I want to revisit um additional district office uh reductions in the future. Um, but I do acknowledge that it's going to be very tough, um, I think in the next year for the district office to readjust with the loss of that department. Um, so back to my original point, I'm rambling. Um, I just want to know from the district, can you explain your assessment and um, how how especially the library like how did that come back on our list as a reduction? I know I
152know it was last year. we didn't vote for it. Um but why did it come back, I guess, is my question. >> Yeah. And and let me speak to um all the positions and and why they're here. And so um it was very evident to me when I came into Benicia and and looking at our budget and seeing the decline in enrollment and hearing about um Valero closing the impact that it was going to have. And then and within a few months, we heard about Valo and the interd district transfer process, right? And the number of students that we have here. And so one of the first things we did was was meeting with the cabinet team is talking about positions that we have. And one of the first questions I had is about position
153controls. Is there anything on the books that is not filled? That's a vacancy that we can eliminate. And so that work already had been done. Dr. Jennings and Trudy had already met and they had gone through that. And so and they shared that with me and and you know from my background we went through that and looked at those situations, right? and there wasn't. Um then uh beyond that it was looking at contracts and and I I come from a place where we had lots of contractors in special ed and so we met with Steve Phillips and with cabinet and we went through that and we have very few contractors and the positions that we have we have posted and we're seeking to fill those right and and someone commented those are expensive positions and
154they're not wrong. They're very expensive. And so we looked at that piece and looked at where can we can make cuts in special ed. Is there anything um that that uh can be cut there? Especially when it's expensive. As as Judy said earlier, it's it's an increase in expenditure into the general general fund. What tends to happen is that you you bring in a contractor and pretty soon they become Joe or Dave and they're treated like an employee instead of a contractor. And so taking a hard look at that to see um have we posted those positions? Have we filled those positions? And so what we saw was that there's very few contractors as I said. Then we looked at case load and workload and we looked at where where can reductions be made. OT
155services can still be filled. We have 24 students on the OT and the case load can be 55. So there's room there, right? And and we're not in a position to be able to to afford that at that 100%. Right? Is it difficult? Absolutely. Will there be changes in the schedule? Absolutely. But kids can still be served that are on an IEP that have OT services. Right? That's near and dear to my heart because my son had OT services. Uh my wife's a special ed teacher. So I I understand the importance of that. Um beyond that, we also looked at what are the other things that are expensive for this district. And the two things that are most expensive for all districts are health and welfare and salary. And so having looked at the position
156control, the next piece was health and welfare, right? Well, that's a negotiated item, right? And and I would argue that what was happened federally has not helped our situations, right? And that's something we're going to continue to explore in the future is the health piece, right? Um but again, that's negotiated, right? There's some other pieces that we need to talk to our union partners about, but again, those are negotiated items, right? We need to look at class size at the secondary level, but no one's going to argue that that's a good idea, right? Um, but as things get tighter and as enrollment uh decreases and and if ADA doesn't go up, that may be a situation that we have to look at, right? So, beyond that, we also looked at what other expenditures, right? What
157what's going out the window? We had our uh budget advisory committee and a lot of things that we heard there was about conservation, right? Closing doors when the heater's on, air conditioner's on. Alfredo has gone out and he's began to look at our Pelican system to see when does it turn on, when does it turn off. Um and uh to see if any reductions, we're not going to save $1.7 million there, but we might save some money there, right? And so looking at each of those those pieces, um librarians. So what we did was we we looked at the impact with kids, right? Clearly our kids are inspired to read in libraries. There's no doubt about it. And our libraries are amazing places. Um, and so core instruction, as Stephanie said, happens in classrooms, right?
158And so, and we need to preserve that piece. And so, what we looked at was schedules and and and the number of students. I came from a school of 850 students and all of our kids got to go to the library during that week. And so, we looked at those pieces. Will there be a change in schedules? Yeah. Would students be impacted? Yeah, there'll be less uh um uh library open time, right? And those would be impacted. There's no doubt about that, you know. I appreciate the work that they've done and the places that they've created there. Uh they are safe places for kids, you know, and so um those are hard. Looking at the um the uh our vocational specialist program, um that was it's directly funded by the grant and so we're reducing
159by 20%. So the grant will fund that 80%. And so for the amount of students that it impacts, is it important? Absolutely it is. And so that one allows us to continue that program, but it would be a reduction in in the services there, right? But we can still serve the same number of students um and have them be able to go out in that vocational program. Um we did make additional you you asked me to go back and look and we did and we made an additional cut to the district office. Our total amount for the district office I believe is around 480,000. And so that is an entire department along with the psychologist position, right? It's I want to say a little over Trudy can correct me, but I want to say it's
160a little over 28% of the reductions that you're seeing. And so um that will there be impact certainly. Um and other departments are going to have to take on that work and I'm going to take on that work. And so that's just what we need to do. Um I want to make sure I answered all of your questions here. Um each piece that we went through. I'm trying to think of what else uh you had asked there but but you know >> so when would we be able to see a priority list for reinstating positions? Well, I you know, let me explore that with cabinet. And I think part of that has to be a scenario base of of how much money, right? And so, and part of that is also just prioritizing what's most
161important, right? And that's hard, right? Because all these things are important, >> right? And so, we can come together with and talk to staff and talk to site leaders and and see what the priorities are and then bring that back to you, you know, and um and and explore that further. So is it is difficult and and I appreciate what everyone has said here tonight. Um and I again I'm just going to get on my soap box. It's unfair. It's unfair. The state of California, our kids deserve better. And and I hope that we can get together collaboratively and put that pressure on the state, right? And so um and I hope that there some changes will occur there. You know, I appreciate what Trudy said that whenever the coal is over 3%, it always
162drops. So yeah, and I appreciate the position that you're in. Uh we certainly can come back to you with a prioritized list and as funding changes and if the enrollment isn't uh isn't the 189 loss that we that we were projecting um then we can build things back in. I really uh Trudy when you were going over the years and you talked about what the uh ending fund balance would be without the changes we made in the last meeting. That was stunning to me the difference in the ending fund balance between what it is and what it would have been if we wouldn't have made the reductions we did. I mean, especially that last year getting down under 3% that startled me because you can't do that not >> I you know I I I've
163said this before that our I I guess enrollment you know is going to decrease when we don't have these programs these you know, areas for our students to to be. Um, ADA is probably going to drop because students don't want to come to school if they're not going to have a place to go. Um, you know, I think I these positions aren't the ones that are going to sort of break the budget, make the budget. Um, I want to say I appreciate the cuts that we've done to the district office. I just want to put it on the table. You know, one idea to think about is when cola comes out that we start to really look at the percentages of where they go and that, you know, do our management, do our other areas,
164do our other salaries get the same high percentage as our teachers, as our classified and certified um staff. >> Me, too. So, you know, I I I don't necessarily want to say we we need to keep cutting at the district office or cutting positions, but like what are those other alternatives that we can look at that are part of the unrestricted budget? um that so um you know I I under I understand um you know campus supervisor there are positions on here that I feel comfortable with but I I really don't think that we are serving the students at the end of the day by cutting some of these positions or cutting some of the time I should say >> you know I really I agree with what everyone has said this is a position
165position that um as a former teacher I would never want to be in. Um I don't know how we're going to service um all the kids who do need OT. I think that that need is growing. I think not having um the libraries open during recess and and lunchtime and before school On the other hand, on the other hand, we have to make cuts somewhere. This is not this is not where any of us wanted to be. My heart is broken because these are people we're talking about. These are positions that that are valued and needed and I don't know what to do. I don't know how to make it better. I don't know how to how to go through the budget anymore to see where we can cut nonhuman positions. it because our because
166schools are human-based, you know, our students, our staff. So, I I just want to say thank you to everyone who is um who has emailed, who will email, but also please think about emailing the legislature. the legislature is who controls the school budget. We have to have some sort of grassroots because schools in California are closing um neighborhood schools are closing. People are losing their jobs. People are losing their careers that they love and it's to the detriment of our kids. So, I would really urge everyone to start start calling, start emailing. This is not right what's happening to schools in California. >> Well said. >> So, where do we go from here? >> Is there a motion? >> I move that we approve Resolution 25-26-35. >> Um, I'd like to make an amendment to
167um add that we get a priority list um approve with the subject to the condition that we can get a priority list to bring back the positions if the funding permits. >> So, I'm Yeah, I don't know if I'm making a new motion then. We all look at Georgina. >> Georgina. Yeah. I think I I >> got Mark. >> Yeah. I move that we approve resolution 25-26-35 with the amendment as proposed by >> and I'll second. >> So this is a roll call vote. President Grubs. >> Yes. >> Trusty Hirs. >> Yes. >> Trusty Seda. >> No. Trusty Miselli. >> Yes. >> Trusty Manas. No. >> So, the motion passes. So, thank you everyone for being here tonight. Um, our next regular board meeting is Thursday, April 16th.