001Heat. Heat. [Music] Good evening and welcome back to the regular board meeting of Carpenter Unified School District for July 8th, 2025. It is 5:30 p.m. Um, can everybody please stand for the flag salute? Ready? Begin. 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. Hey, thank you. Sorry. Uh C2, we have a closed session report. We had a conference with uh on existing litigation. Um information was exchanged. No action was taken. Which moves us to C3, public comment for items not on the agenda this evening. If you would like to make a public comment for something that has not been addressed within this evening's agenda, please step up to the podium at this
002time. Thank you. All righty. So, uh, my name is Jay H. Hotchner and I'll provide public comments on behalf of district employees who recently reelected myself and members of our union leadership team to share updates, their experiences, questions, and concerns regarding uh this at the moment, the California state budget. Uh recently legislators and the governor passed a budget for the 2526 uh school year uh with the promise of a fall revision depending on how federal legislation pending in Congress impacts state funding. The budget provides a 2.3 cost of living adjustment for TK through 12 school districts. Of course, CUSD is projected to receive far more than that due to the robust funding model, higher than 96% of districts in the state that CUSD enjoys based on its basic aid status. Amidst the tremendous uncertainty from
003the federal government, California's public education budget is fairly stable at this time. To address a 12 billion deficit in the state budget, lawmakers used options including uh rainy day funds and deferrals to prevent further cuts. Fortunately, California's rainy day fund is also robust as the state through its reasonable reserve mandates has been preparing for future uncertainty like that currently impacting California school districts. This practice, similar to the mandated 3% reserves with 10% caps required of California school districts themselves, is believed to provide an adequate fiscal parameters for a well-run district that is properly investing local tax dollars in the communities they serve. Beyond that, our leadership team recently reelected about a month and a half ago um was recently reelected by district employees and we prepare for another two years of service. We continue to
004express that the majority of CUSD's current district officials and senior administrators appear to misunderstand the critical role an employee union plays in the healthy operations of a public school district. And therefore, we continue to invite district leadership to join us for transparent discussions pertaining to the basics of that relationship. We are certain that CUSD, its students, families, employees, and the broader community would benefit from the opportunities that a unionized workforce provides. The community has a right to demand that district officials demonstrate their ability to maximize this relationship. We remind you that our role as the sole representative of district employees is both federally protected and acknowledged legislated. So as to better serve district students and families, let's sit down and discuss how systematically including the professional experiences from all levels of the organization promotes sound
005and well-informed decision-m. uh how collective bargaining enhances our ability to accomplish the mission. How properly updated, clear, and easily accessible collective bargaining agreements bring clarity to the daily operations of the district and how agreements can be used to depersonalize conflict and efficiently navigate challenging scenarios. We remind you that leadership is a practice, not a position. Thank you. Your time is up together. Thank you. Any further public comments for items not on this evening's agenda? Not seeing any. We're going to go to C4, approval of the minutes of the regular board meeting of June 24th, 2025. If you'd like to make public comment on that, please step up to the podium at this time. All righty. So, at minute 4034, let the minutes show that not a single hand was raised by any board member when
006they were asked to raise their hands if they believed the high ethical standards they held for students, employees, and families actually applied to themselves. Let the minutes show at minute 6:25 that board member Andy Schaefer sat silent and fumbling with his iPad, refusing to offer any explanation after being presented with indisputable documentation confirming significant irregularities associated with his use of CUSD's employee healthcare package for his family at no cost for approximately 11 months during the 2324 school year. He has yet to respond. Let the minutes show during hour 21242 with union comments at 20232 that agenda item H business operations and facilities renewed during that period renewed the contract for the legal services with Fagen Friedman and Fulfrost LLP the firm at the center of CUSD's extraordinary increase in legal expenditures since Miss Rigby's arrival
007who most recently received $2.5 million for undermining the bargaining process and counseling CUSD on its unlawful attacks against elected employee representatives. Let the minutes show around hour 21320 with comments at 20446 that the board adopted the 2526 proposed budget without reviewing uh the presentation at the meeting without a single question asked at that meeting and while openly laughing about the fact that the presentation did not include any specific mention of CUSD's extraordinary legal fees. Let the minutes show around hour 12650 that Miss Rig Miss Riby misled the board and community when she alleged that the reconfiguration i.e. the pending liquidation of family school was based on the following factors. She blamed declining enrollment which her leadership has exacerbated. She claimed that our reserves are below 3% when the budget documents confirmed reserves are 5.4 for
008the year under discussion, a $1 million difference. She claimed that staffing is 85% of our budget when the budget presentation itself the previous meeting confirmed that 79% of the budget a 2 uh was at a 79% of the budget which is a $2.5 million difference. So all the while even using the district's highly inflated expenditure values maintaining Carpentry Family School's highly successful and unique program would have required $462,000. Miss Riby's obvious me obvious misrepresentations failed to account for approximately three and a half million that could have been used to fund CFS. While Miss Rigby overestimated expenditures and underestimated revenues and reserves, CUSD could be funding the robust CFS program for students and families. And as Riby re misled the record and the community, our board officials just nodded their heads, even while the correct data
009literally sat directly in front of you on the tables directly in front of you and at this table right here. Lastly, let the minutes show around hour 144 that the Oscar truly does go to school board member Jamie Diamond. Your time is up. Okay. Any further comments on C4? Seeing none, may I get a motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of June 24th, 2025? I move to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of June 24th, 2025. I'll second discussion. Okay. All in favor? I I abstain. One abstension. Eric Bridgeford. Okay. Um C5, approval of the agenda and consent agenda. If you'd like to make public comment, step up to the podium at this time. Okay. So, this evening's consent agenda contains the approval of the regular payroll for both May 2025
010and June 2025. Unsurprisingly, CUSD's officials continue the practice of hiding administrative cost figures by including them under the cost of classified support staff that our union represents even after countless requests to make its administrative costs more transparent. We ask our district officials to respond either immediately if our time can be reclaimed or immediately after this comment if you prefer. Why do you think CSD's administrators don't want you to see the administrative salary costs adjacent the cost of those who work directly with district students and families? Why don't why don't you seem interested in analyzing the salary cost of administrators adjacent to the cost of those who work directly with students and their families? Why don't you demand that the salary cost of administrators be shared in the consent agenda to the public adjacent to the
011cost of those who work directly with district students and their families? Board members, are you afraid that by transparently sharing the salary cost of administrators adjacent to the cost of those who work directly with district students and families, you may expose the gross compensation inequities that exist or the gross salary disparities or gross overall imbalance and administrative costs compared to teacher and support staff costs. On June 10th, the community and employees had to endure your decision to rehire Miss Riby for another three-year contract, even in light of her highly unethical, demonstrabably unlawful, and far less than competent performance. On June 24th, the community and employees had to endure your decision to provide all district administrators their third salary increase in 26 months, while the total of those increases is no less than double what teachers
012and support staff received in the same period. And to be clear, CUSD's administrators also received the district's fully funded healthcare plan. So you can use so you can't use that as your routine justification for the gross compensation inequities that exist. On June 24th, when Superintendent Riby referred to the long-term reduction in enrollment, excessive employee costs, and allegedly low reserve balances, you accepted her justifications for painful cuts to successful student programs like Gate and Carperia Family School. Why isn't CUSD focusing on reducing administrator salary costs with the same veracity veracity as it is in cutting resources that directly serve students and families? You should be asking yourselves these questions, but feel free to go back and review. Thank you. Any further public comment on approval of the agenda and consent agenda? Okay, seeing none, may I
013get a motion to approve? A move to approve as presented. Second. Okay. Any discussion? Roll call. Eric. I. Aaron. I. Sally. I. Jamie. I. I'm. Okay. We're moving on to Eboard policies. We have one item, E1. If you'd like to make public comment on E1, please step up to the podium at this time. So once again, CUSD will go through girrations to suggest that transparency exists on paper while failing to honor those very policies in practice. Be it taking money and gifts and donations from dealers of vice, drugs, and other products that are against the board's policies, at least that were against the board's policies before you got caught and changed the policies. Be it in establishing ethical and morality based expectations for students and families and community members and employees that our very district
014officials and senior administrators violate as a routine and demonstrate no intention of adhering to themselves. Be it making grand policy proclamations pertaining to protecting our most vulnerable students, families, and employees while simultaneously exerting unique forms of pressure uh clearly determined unlawful by multiple state and county courts when the district doesn't settle for extraordinary sums of taxpayer dollars. Be it the board's pension to demand homebaked civility expectations beyond those you are legally entitled while cutting off often cutting off speakers arguing over public comments interrupting community members brave enough to stand before you enforcing rules selectively and banging your little hammer Miss Diamond in an effort to silence and intimidate the audience. Now the community gets to watch CUSD officials demonstrate their penchant, your penchant, to approve this board policy, which stands as a stellar example of
015do as I say, not as I do leadership. Is the community to pretend that our board officials only discuss matters according to policies such as bylaw 9320 or the Brown Act or associated laws that govern their behavior? Uh at these meetings, do school boards reach 100% agreement 100% of the time on matters that impact all members of the community in different ways when they are making decisions in private or in public? Are we to assume that issues before the board are only discussed at public board meetings like these? Aren't you really just hiding behind practices on paper with this and either or either violating these policies or hiding behind your attorney client privilege to discuss all kinds of matters outside the established legal and procedural boundaries? Do you think that the community doesn't know what
016you're up to? Do you think that CFS parents aren't aware that you made the decision to liquidate their successful program years ago? Do you think that employees truly believe you are waiting to discuss providing admin raises while finding ways to reduce employee access to healthare and maintain wages and keep employees in the realm of working poor only at these meetings? And do you think that employees believe that you have not been coordinating your attacks on their elected leaders outside the bounds of your legal obligations? If you do, you are the only ones who appear to be fooled. Thank you. So, none of the comments that were just made had anything to do with E1. Um, so we will not be able to consider that comment because it had nothing to do with the agenda item.
017Okay. E1, bylaw 9320 meetings and notices update. The board is asked to approve the second reading and adopt the updated bylaw 9320 meetings and notices. Meetings of the governing board are conducted for the purpose of accomplishing district business. A board meeting exists whenever a majority of board members gather at the same time and place to hear, discuss, or deliberate upon any item within the subject matter, jurisdiction of the board or district. Any questions from the board? Okay. May I get a motion to approve? I'll move to approve uh uh E1 bylaw 9320, meetings and notices update. I'll second that. Okay. Discussion. All in favor? I I Okay. F educational services. We have one item on this under this uh the purchase of Common Lit 360 curriculum pilot. If you'd like to make public comment on
018F1, please step up to the podium at this time. Not seeing any. May I get a motion? Uh let's see here. F1, purchase of Common Lit 360 curriculum pilot for CMS and CHS. The board has asked to approve the purchase of Common Lit 360. Carpa High School and Carpondria Middle School will pilot Common Lit 360 as the primary ELA curriculum designed to be engaging and rigorous. Common Lit 360 features high interest themes, diverse texts, and scaffolded lessons to help students build knowledge and master grade level skills. It's built to be flexible for various classroom settings and offers resources for both digital and print use. The cost for each school is $6,500 for a total of $13,000 and will be paid with restricted lottery funds. questions from the board. Um, so currently, what is the program
019that that's being used? Uh, at the high school, it's a different uh they use a different publisher. It's a different they're using different programs, two different programs entirely. At high school and um at the middle school, it's all teacher developed curriculum. So, they're very interested to see what the common lit uh curriculum would uh help them with instruction. So, they're piling it. Yeah, it seems interesting. like a it would help with the curriculum development, but also having it be cohesive from middle school through high school, consistent and cohesive through the through all the years. That way the students would be familiar with the program and it seems like it would be useful. So they're u the teachers are interested in piloting it. Yeah. And they'll collect their information about it. So how how are we
020just one year, two years? What is the commitment? It'll be one year. Okay. Yes. Okay. Um, may I get a motion to approve F1? I'll move to approve approve F1. Second. Discussion. Okay. All in favor? I I uh G1, business, operations, and facilities. We have uh several items under this agenda item. If you'd like to make public comment on these specific agenda items, please step up to the podium at this time for your comment. So, first union leadership wants to thank those community members who provide gifts, grants, and donations to CUSD without any unethical or unprofessional strings attached. First five's grant is a clear example of the generosity that Carpenters community members, nonprofits, clubs, and associations provide. They make it clear that the community wants to see the district and district families succeed. uh district
021employees appreciate how consistently such support is provided. These additionally uh these additional highly targeted resources that come from within and without the district uh directly serve our students and have the potential to transform the experience of district students. Secondly, elected employee leadership has reviewed the warrants. Employees sure hope our board members make a routine practice of such review as well, although that is not obvious. If they did, they would notice that approximately one quarter of all money spent on CUSD's warrants this evening was directed to a single law firm, Fagan Freriedman Full Frost LLP. This evening, this firm has received another $47,49,000. That's a considerable chunk of money that CUSD alleges it would have needed to maintain a comparatively robust Carpia family school. On many occasions, the community has been advised that FFF LLP is
022the firm that Superintendent Riby brought with her to CUSD. This is a law firm at the center of CUSD's extraordinary increase in legal expenditures, most re recently receiving $2.5 million to council CUSD on its sustained effort to undermine collective bargaining and pursue unlawful attacks against elected employee representatives. Not to mention the additional million dollar of acred debt at least that COSD must now pay as a result of its illegal behavior. Prior to this approximately $50,000 expenditure showing up on this evening's warrant, each one of you, Superintendent Rigby, Miss Diamond, Mr. Smith, Mr. Schaefer and Miss Green were warned about the unethical legal practices, pitiful legal record of the legal outcomes with CUSD and extraordinary profits that FFF LLP has earned on the backs of Carpa's taxpayers, district students, and families. But each of you ignored
023those warnings and each of you approved the most recent contract with this firm which ensures that this firm will continue to disrupt the efficiency or the efficient delivery of educational services in the district and continue to promote the most dysfunctional relationship between CUSD's officials and employees uh we have seen in the last 25 years. So there goes another $50,000. We stated that at the last board meeting and we will again if the school board really does give a darn about providing students the best resource programs and educational experiences possible, it would cancel the contract with 3F and redirect the next several million dollars of taxpayer money towards student learning achievement and well-being. Thank you. Any further public comment on G? Okay, seeing none, G1, warrants. The board has asked to approve the warrants for the
024period of June 25th, 25 through July 2nd 25 in the amount of $213,5734. Warrants are issued once a week on Thursdays. The report format shows check number, check date, payee, brief account description, payment comment, and check amount. Any questions from the board on the warrants? Okay. May I get a motion to approve? Move to approve. I'll second. discussion. Okay. All in favor? I I G2 gifts, grants, donations. We have G2A, approval of grant and memorandum of understanding between Carpenter Unified School District and First Five Santa Barbara County for early learning model TK outdoor classroom project at Aliso. were asked to approve the grant from first five SBC and theou between CUSD and first 5 SBC for the early learning model TK outdoor classroom project at Aliso. The grant is in the amount of $30,000. The
025funding cycle begins July 1, 2025 and it ends June 30th, 2026. Questions from the board? No. May I get a motion to approve? Move to approve. I'll second. Any discussion? just like to thank First Five um for I know they're very excited about helping us with this. It's just great that they can continue to fund a lot of our projects. Yeah, this will be a a great addition to the new TKK space at Aliso. So very excited for for this addition. Um okay, all in favor? I I Okay, moving on to item three, purchase of Chromebooks from Dell Technologies for CHS. We're asked to approve the purchase of 160 Chromebooks from Dell Technologies for incoming 9th graders and extras to replace the broken ones. The cost of $42,56053 will be paid from general funds. Questions
026from the board? Uh, may I get a motion to approve? I'll move to approve. I'll second. Okay. Discussion. Um, I just have a few comments. Um, something that I've noticed, uh, with my own kids, um, and I've I've talked to some of their friends about it, too, because I, with using Chromebooks, and this is just it is what it is with Chromebooks, but, um, they have no real understanding of anything other than the G Suite use of tools. Um, so like a word document or an Excel spreadsheet, like they have no concept of what those things are unless unless they take computer science, which we encourage every student to take computer science. So it's just it's an interesting thing as a parent cuz I'm like, "Hey, yeah, so create a Word doc and then blah
027blah blah and do this and that." And I get a what's that? And I'm like, "Oh boy." Um, so I mean, and this is universal. This is all over the place because all most I should say most districts I believe are using Chromebooks really. But um oh the other part I guess I do have a question for you. Um so are the eighth graders turning in their Chromebooks before they leave the middle school? They do turn but you'll remember they've had them since third grade. Oh yeah. So they're not they're not useful but I'm asking if they're getting turned in. M they are getting turned in but they're not many of them are not usable. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Great. Okay. Uh we have a motion and a second. All in favor? I I Okay. And
028on to item four, purchase of iPads and MacBooks from Apple Store for Education Institute. The board has asked to approve the purchase of 10 iPads and 10 MacBooks for incoming teachers and to replace broken ones. The cost of $15,382.70 will be paid from general funds. questions from the board. Okay. May I get a motion to approve? I move to I move to approve the purchase of uh iPads and MacBooks. Second. Discussion. Okay. All in favor? I. Moving on to H, personnel summary. This is the only item under H. If you'd like to make public comment on H, please step up to the podium at this time. All righty. So, let's take a peek together at the personnel report. Give you a moment to take it out if you like. So, um, the district received three
029more resignations, two teachers and an instructional assistant, a special education instructional assistant. And so, although the district also hired two new teachers um, recently and one uh, classified technology support specialist to fill a retirement, um, the district is still again behind because it has now received as many resignations as it has brought in new employees. Uh with that in mind, we'll simply remind you that while CSD gives administrators the third salary increase in the same period, it provides just one. And the total of those increases is no less than double what teachers and support staff received. And those same administrators also received the district fully funded healthcare plan just like employees. And apparently as the district even allows board member Schaefer to uh floats him in 11 months of a access to the healthcare plan,
030uh CUSD still struggles to recruit and maintain consistent coverage in CUSD's classrooms. what used to be a very very difficult district to get hired in because of the demand and the number of people who wanted to come work in this district and the ability to pick and choose the experts qualified highly qualified experts that existed that you used to have that doesn't exist anymore. Now we're just running around sticking our finger in the dyke trying to you know stop the water from coming through and uh um and you know it's just the same problem over and over and over. Uh we fear the personnel report continues to serve demonstrates as a clear indicator of the self-imposed hardships USD continues to create for itself by refusing to invest properly in the district's teachers and support staff.
031And investing does not just mean investing financially. It means investing intellectually as well. It means wrapping your mind around the fact that you have a partner in this district that you should be working with that brings a tremendous amount of experience, the experience of every employee in the district before you and can coordinate that to run this district in a way that is marketkedly better than what's going on right now. So, thank you. So, H1 personnel summary. The board is asked to approve the following recommended personnel items. three assignments, one coaching assignment, and three resignations. Any questions from the board? May I get a motion to approve? I'll move to approve. I'll second. In discussion, yeah, I'd just like to uh let it be known that Maria Spitzia um is actually becoming a sped teacher.
032Uh so she's not leaving the district. Um, uh, Miss Murder is actually, I believe, going to Guatemala to immerse herself in Spanish to come back as a DLI teacher. And then Mrs. Hatton is taking a principal ship in in Ohigh. So, congratulations to her. Yeah. So, wow, that's pretty awesome. Okay, so, uh, we have a motion and a second. All in favor? I I Okay, future agenda items. We will take public comment right now. We are glad to hear that about Maria. We will believe it when we see it. We don't know why you didn't put it on the assignments for rehire that she's coming back as a sped teacher, but that would be much better news, wouldn't it? a a a shred of light in the darkness right there. Um as we look at
033future agenda items, um there are so many there are so many. So rather than belabor each one, we'll just kind of list a few of them and you guys could have your pick. Um certainly there's time. There would have been a lot of time this evening as you rushed through yet another meeting. But um you know, nonetheless, seems like when you don't have time, you use that as an excuse. And when you do have time, you just push through to get out of here as fast as possible. Nonetheless, future agenda items. Uh remuneration for district uh board members. You know why, and the community may know why as well if they've been paying attention to these meetings. Um another one would be Mr. Schaefer's irregular use of the district healthcare plan, which still has not
034been um clarified in any way except for the damning documents that have been released and reached in these public uh request process. the rules for children who um see or come across a firearm in their presence. Here we go. Years asking for that one to be brought forward still for some reason because um what because union leadership is asking for that one. You you can't see the wisdom in that. Struggling to see the forest through the trees. um reviewing the misleading statements by Miss Riby at the last board meeting and um reconsidering the millions of dollars that she suggest that she suggested do not exist or expenditures that she claimed will be there even though it's clearly documented in the very budget presentation you shared on June 10th that the data that she provided you
035was absolutely inaccurate but none of you looked even though that document was sitting directly in front of you. Shake your head if you wish. We're shaking our heads too, Miss Green. Uh, how about the special education changes that are going on across the district, especially those at Carpenter Middle School, which really have the impact of fundamentally changing the educational value of our special education students and having perhaps a really severe impact on the general education opportunities and achievement as well. Um because this is being thrown together, it appears without a great deal of consideration and certainly without any transparency. Um we could go on. We'll stop here tonight because we know you want to get out of here. You have a good summer. Okay. Okay. So, do does the board have any future agenda items
036to propose? Not at this time. Okay. Um board calendar. Is there anything of note we need to be aware of? Monica? No. Okay. Um, and board announcements. Anybody have any announcements? Just reiterate that free lunch is available at Aliso all summer long on weekdays. Um, you do have to eat on site, but um, it is available for everybody in our community. Um, the St. Joe's Festival, I believe, is this weekend, uh, which I know a lot of folks really enjoy. Um, so I look forward to seeing folks at, uh, at the St. Joe's Carnival. And Sally, did you have something? Well, I just realized that uh the cheer camp is going on at the high school and it must be packed because the parking lot is at least half full and I can hear them.
037Um so they they must be having a great time and it is very well attended. Um and then uh so what was it yesterday? Oh, yesterday um I had the pleasure of working with an organization called Tidy Seas and Karp Junior Guards to organize a beach cleanup um on Karp Beach. It was really great. Um yeah, it made the news. Uh and we're going to be doing another one with TidyC's and Girls Inc. uh I believe next week or in two weeks. Um and so just really great opportunity and uh Principal Cornnejo and Superintendent Riby agreed that we could sign off service hours for any high school students participating um through the programs and so they were really excited to hear that that they could get those hours signed off. A lot of great raffle
038prizes for the kiddos that that worked really hard to to clean up the beaches, especially after a holiday weekend. So good job to JG's for that and to to Girls Inc. when they get going. I got to say that the morning rotary went out on Sunday afternoon. There was nothing on the beach. So, I'm sure those kids didn't pick up very much. They they actually I believe it was like aund 15 tidy seas posts um the total poundage and it was actually fairly significant. Okay. Um but uh yeah, it a lot of folks I think Saturday went out and cleaned up um our local community is really awesome like that and went out and cleaned up the beach on Saturday as well as Rotary on Sunday and then Yeah. So, okay. And with that, we're
039adjourned. [Music]