001[music] Hey, [music] hey, hey. >> [music] [music] >> Hey, [music] hey, hey. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. Heat. Hey, heat. Hey, heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Hey, Heat. It's Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. Hey, Heat. Heat. Heat. God, God. Got you. Guide go die. Yeah, come on. >> [music] [music] >> Heat [music] up [music] Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. [music] Heat. [music] Heat. [singing] Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Hey Hey, hey, hey. [music] [music] >> [music] >> D. [music] D. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. N. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. [music] Hey, Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Hey, Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Ducks. [music] Do [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music]
002>> Uh, roll call. Miss [clears throat] >> President, Mr. Nyola, >> present. >> Vice President, Mrs. Yokayyama Buui, >> present. >> Clerk, Mrs. Mendoza, >> present. >> Board member, Mrs. McCaten, board member, Mr. Nishi, board member, Dr. Rios, board member, Mrs. U, >> here. Thank you. Uh this evening we will be discussing the following items in close session. Public employee discipline dismissal release and evaluation for matters. Government code section 54957. Conference with labor negotiator update on negotiations with ABCFT AFCME and CSEA government code section 54957.6 Six and anticipated litigation one matter conference with legal counsel significant exposure to litigation pursuant to government code section 54956.9DE1. Do I have any public comments on close session? >> No, there are no Mr. President. >> Thank you. May I have a motion to move to close session? >>
003So move Mendoza. >> Second. Tatiana. >> All in favor, please say I. I. I. >> Motion passes. 5 Z. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Uh-huh. [music] Ah. M ah hey a m a hey a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Heat. Heat. a Heat. Hey, Heat. Heat. Heat. N. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Hey, Heat. [music] Hey [music] a hey a a hey a a hey a hey hey a hey a a hey a a a hey >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Hey. [music] Hey. [music] Heat. >> [music] [music] [bell] [music] >> down. Down. Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. N. >> [music] [music] >> Da
004da da da da da da da da da da da. Oh, [music] [music] oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. >> [music] >> Hey. Hey. Hey. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. N. >> [music] [music] >> One more. [music] >> [music] [music] >> purple. [music] Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Yeah. Heat. >> [music] [music] >> N [music] down. [music] D. Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Hey, hey, hey. [music] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. N. >> [music] [music] >> Come >> [music] >> on. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. [music] Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] >>
005Hey, Heat. Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. N. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Hey, hey, hey. [music] Heat. [music] Hey, Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] [music] >> [music] [music] >> Daddy. >> [music] [music] >> Okay. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. [music] Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Hey, hey, hey. >> [music] [music] >> Ah, [music] hey. [music] a >> [music] [music] >> a >> [music] [music] >> Hey, hey, hey. [music] >> [music] >> Hey. Hey. Hey. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Are you ready? Where are you? Are you Power. Yeah. [music] Power. Got you. God. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] >>
006Heat. [music] Heat. Hey, >> [music] [music] >> Doo [music] doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo. D. [music] [music] Hey. Hey. >> [music] [music] >> down. [music] Hey [music] >> [music] [music] >> down. Hey >> [music] [music] >> Native. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> a h a [music] >> [music] [music] >> Hey, [music] hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey [music] a Heat. Heat. a hey a a >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. N. Heat. Heat. Hey ah hey a hey a a hey a hey a hey a hey a hey a hey a hey a hey a hey a hey a a a Heat. Heat. N. >>
007[music] [music] >> So Mendoza, >> second Tatiana. >> All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Thank you. Motion passes. 70. Uh, can everyone please silence their cell phones and if anybody is in need of translation services, you can uh ask this person in the back of the room. Uh uh tonight's close session the board discussed public employee discipline dismissal release evaluation. We discussed four matters. Government section uh government code section 54957 conference for labor negotiator updates on negotiations with ABCFT AFDME and DSEA government code section 54957.6. Anticipated litigation. One matter conference with legal counsel significant exposure to litigation pursuant to government code section 54956.9D2E1. Uh pledge of allegiance. Tonight the pledge of allegiance will be led by students from Stard Elementary who are accompanied by their principal Miss Pam Miller and their teachers
008Miss Sherry Tom and Miss Tamara Tambala. Ching Chili. Face the flag. Put your right hand over your heart. >> Ready, begin. >> I pledge aliance 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. Good evening, President Nyola, distinguished board members, superintendent Dr. Zitlo, and cabinet members. We are the elected officers for the Star student body ambassadors. I'm Miles Chupinich, Ambassador President. I'm Logan my spirit leader and I'm Deacon Suarez spirit leader. We are joined by our principal Mrs. Miller our assistant principal Mrs. Lavine and our ambass our ambassador adviserss Mrs. Abala and Mrs. Tom. Thank you for this opportunity to share about the highlights of Ster Sters Elementary and our upcoming Lunar New Year assembly. As
009you know this is our third year with dual emerging mandarin classes in kindergarten through 2 grade. In addition, all students learn Mandarin language and culture for 45 minutes a week during our enrichment class as part of the international bachelorette program. Each year, we showcase our dual immersion program through our learner new year assembly. This Friday morning at 7:55 a.m. we will highlight a dragon processional by all of our kindergarteners. Mrs. Cindy Yen Chen, the director of the Cerritos Chinese School, will tell us a Chinese folktale. Lunar New Year songs will be performed by each of our Mandarin dual emerging classes. And our grand finale is a special lion dance by the Lion's Pride Kung Fu Group. This assembly is funded by our amazing PTA. Did you know that Lunar New Year marks the first moon
010in the lunar calendar? This year, Lunar New Year begins today, February 17th, and lasts for 15 days. This holiday is often celebrated by Chinese, South Korean, Vietnamese, Singaporean, Malaysian, Filipino, and Indonesian cultures. Lunar New Year al is also the biggest holiday in Asian culture. Lunar New Year's purpose is to honor your household, heavenly deities, and ancestors. Lunar New Year has a folktale of the 12 animals and it originates from an ancient Chinese poem telling of the story of the 12 mythical animals which descended from the heavens to help people celebrate the coming of spring and a new crop. This year we celebrate the year of the horse. A tradition that children love is when their elders give a the younger generation a red envelope filled with money. As a sign of respect, the child will
011bow and accept the envelope with both hands. We wish you a happy new year. >> We would like to tell you about a few other highlights about our school. A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated kindness week. As the student leaders, we created daily challenges for the students to show kindness, including picking up at least one piece of trash and throwing it away to help our custodian, Mrs. Gloria. Inviting someone new to play with you at recess or sit next to you at lunch. Saying something kind to an adult on campus, being kind by giving five people a compliment, or performing a kind action for a student in your class. For example, you could let them go in front of you in line. You could sharpen their pencil or just help them carry something. Write
012a kindness note to your elbow partner. Each student wrote on a heart-shaped paper and we created banners that said, "Be the eye in kind." so that students could have a photo opportunity during our open house. This month, we are also leading a peer-to-peer Black History Month initiative in collaboration with a group of sixth grader volunteers. We are visiting upper grade classrooms to present the remarkable achievements of black historical figures. Each session includes an engaging educational video, slide presentation, and a hands-on craft to help our students connect with history. Our goal is to foster a deep appreciation for these contributions while building a stronger sense of community across our campus. Finally, as a IB school, we highlight students each month who demonstrate the IB learner profile for the month. This month we are focusing on being
013balanced students who give thoughtful consideration to our own learning and experience and are able to assess our strengths and limitations. Stars also has the an annual IB culminating event. The Ketta Priestley Garcia memorial international festival. At this event, each grade level focuses on a specific country and hosts a booth to showcase the that country. Students work on arts and crafts to decorate the booth. Many classes also prepare a song or dance to display the culture of their focus country. Our ABC excels also participates in hosting a booth and performance. At Sters, our student body speaks over 20 languages and we celebrate our diversity through our cultural fashion show as part of the international festival program. Thank you again for allowing us to have the opportunity to highlight our amazing school. [applause] >> Do I have
014any board comments? Board member Mendoza. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you so much for coming and sharing with us um all the programs in your languages. 20 languages. Wow, that's amazing. Um, how many of you are here today? Just the three of you. >> Okay. >> Yes, we have three, but we have we have five, but only three are present right now. >> Okay, I'm going to give you five. Okay. One, two, three, four, five. I'm going to give you stickers. How do you say stickers in Mandarin? >> Oh, we're not sure. >> That's a hard one, huh? I don't even I don't I don't even know how to say it in Spanish sometimes. There's five stickers here. You can share them. Um, you can you can cut them off like this. One for
015each one. and it just says that you are a student leader and you truly are. You're amazing. You're eloquent. You speak very kind. I I love hearing about um the fashion show. I loved hearing about how you said kind things not just to students but to adults because even adults, we need to hear kind words, right, from from our students. So, thank you so much for being here. Um just want to share a little bit of about myself. So, my great-grandfather was Chinese. Yeah. He he lived in Mexico and he married my grandma and they came over. Um, so I I don't know a lot about my culture. I I identify more with with Hispanic, Latinos. Um, but I love learning and so I learned a lot about um, Chinese Mandarin. And so, thank you
016so much for doing that and being here with us. Can you come over and collect the stickers for me and that's your homework. You have to find out how you say sticker in Mandarin. Okay. You can tell me afterwards. >> So, I cut them up for you. There you go. Thank you, board member Mendoza, board member Rios. >> Thank you, Stower students, ster staff. I know your events will be amazing. I've had a chance to experience some of them. And I just want to give a shout out to Logan because I work with your mom, Dr. Jennifer Mai, and I know she was super excited about you being here. So, hi, Logan. Hello, Dr. Mai. Yes, he absolutely is very handsome. Thank you all for being here. >> Thank you, board member Rios. Board member
017Mcken, >> a very nice presentation. Um I can't make it to your um event on Friday, but can you tell me a little bit more about when you're having the booth and the fashion show? >> We have the international festival on May 1st. >> May 1st >> from 5 to uh 7 p.m. >> Okay. I will look forward to attending that. Thank you. Thank you, board member McCann. Uh, board member, you >> Thank you, President. Well, congratulations and, uh, Shinyan Quaila. I'm Korean, so I'm wearing a Korean dress and, uh, celebrating the lunar um, new year is been the culture and tradition. My parents' birthday changed every year because of the lunar calendar. So, yeah, it was so confusing. Yeah, but it's such a great thing to celebrate your culture and your tradition. You know,
018all of us come from different continents. So, we're here today and California and ABC happen to represent how many languages, Dr. Zitlo? 40 languages. Yeah. So, we are international here. It's amazing. So congratulations and hope to see you here for your event on Friday. Thank you. >> Thank you board member you uh board member Nishi. >> Thank you uh Mr. President. Yes. So it's uh uh I'm also not Chinese. I'm Japanese but uh uh probably many millions I'm wearing Chinese thing. Uh millions of years ago we were all one peoples probably speaking something similar. So I get to wear this. Um, congratulations on winning the spelling bee for your school. It's such a prideful thing. I love spelling because it's like uh I used to always look for the money that would come and this
019this year you guys got a $100. Not just a not just a uh savings bond. It's actual c a check. So that's way better. So congratulations. >> Thank you board member Nishi uh vice president Yokoyama Buouie. >> Thank you so much for your presentation. We always love when our students are able to speak to us and share their what they're learning, share their language with us. Um, I wanted to ask uh about a month or two ago, were any of you in your show um directed by um Miss uh Miss Leegan and Mr. Tuisan? >> Um I was in this year's show and I played the lead role Orlando. >> Yes, you look very familiar to me, but I mean probably because I I visited your school. I went to the open house, but thank
020you so much for being here. That is such a great um element of your school is your ability to not only have your your language, but bringing the arts to the school and I know that your teachers and staff and all the kids um did did such a phenomenal job organizing that. So, congrats on the performance. >> Thank you and hope to see you on Friday. >> Thank you, Vice President Yokyamabui. Um to close it out, Miles Logan Degan, thank you so much for being here to celebrate the Lunar New Year's with us and teaching us a little bit about the history behind it, the cultures, and the languages you guys are learning at Sters. I actually got the privilege to tour this week uh with assistant principal Lavine. I got a little preview of
021your of your parade. So, I'm really excited to be there on Friday. Uh so, thank you guys for being here. I wanted to also thank the parents. So, if the parents are here of these wonderful students, can you please stand up and be recognized? >> [applause] >> We just want to thank you for for allowing these students to become the leaders that we know they will become. They are here. They're looking very sharp. They representing Star Wars and congratulations also on winning the spelling be that is back to back I believe correct. >> So you guys have a legacy. So thank you guys for being here. Have a good night. [applause] Uh moving into spotlights on teaching and learning, we will now have a presentation on the day of remembrance uh by Dr. Castro. >>
022Thank you, President Oyola. As we begin to share the screen, have our equity officer come up. And I think they're fixing the microphone, so I'll delay for a few minutes. Um, we're excited to continue to support this wonderful program through the day of remembrance. Uh, we'll explain some details about that forthcoming, but I believe this is almost our seventh eighth year in a row of celebrating supporting um, the day of remembrance. It's an important event that we want to make sure our students are aware of what's happened in the past in our country and how it could impact uh, the present. And Mr. Nishi has supported this initiative for the last few years and we appreciate his ongoing support and the relationships that he has been able to bring together as members of the Mansinar
023committee have involved with us at the school district. So don't know if they're ready yet are ready. I will hand it over to our equity officer, Miss Mariss Harris, who's going to give you some details about the day of remembrance. >> Yes. Good evening. Um, board president Noyola, vice president Yokiyama Buouie, clerk Mendoza, distinguished board, um, superintendent Dr. Zitlo, cabinet, and community members. Um, so as Dr. Castro already um, mentioned, this is the day of the remembrance. Um, and so it's important that we share the experiences and information. And thank you again um board member Nishi for bringing this amazing opportunity um to ABC. So a little bit about uh day of remembrance. It's a day of commemoration of the incar incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. It's also a day for Americans
024of Japanese descent to reflect upon the consequences of executive order um and create a space for the facilitation of dialogue informing the public about the repercussions of such government action. Um as well events in numerous US states especially in the west coast. um they're held around or are on February 19th, which is the day in 1942 that the executive order um 9066 was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt requiring the incarceration um of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans. Um so the day of remembrance in ABC and what that looks like. ABC um we have that opportunity for ABC students to learn about the history directly from the local survivors um from the Japanese American incarceration and their families hear from the witnesses those who have relationships between these living history and current society. So, it's
025a wonderful opportunity that we have with uh those local local survivors then being able to come to the school sites and be able to share th those experiences. The day of remembrance includes uh resources, lesson plans that are provided to teachers, videos, books, opportunities for them to participate in an art and essay contest. Um, and there's also interactive assemblies that are held annually again in February since 2019. Um, and we were even able to continue that through the pandemic um, online um, for our high school and middle school students. And then for the past couple of years, we've also allowed um, or we've opened it to our fifth fifth grade students um, through a Zoom We have been truly blessed to partner with an incredible, passionate, and gracious group of volunteers, some of whom you
026see here uh featured in this in the slide. The majority of the survivors were only children, infants up to 13 years old during their incarceration. They share the stories of their families before World War II, during the incarceration, and after the war as they reenter American society. Considering their experiences, their love for the country and drive to share the message never again with our youth is truly amazing. From our first years, we sought to create the day of remembrance as a legacy program. We concluded hour-long interviews with 11 survivors to preserve their stories and created this living lessons from history video, which we'll see a clip in just a second with an of an endurance resource for our teachers and students. We also worked with our partners to develop historical context videos given to students
027giving students an accurate representation of the history they hear about our day of remembrance speakers. So, we're going to play a a short clip with you that provides the context of this event for our our students. >> The notices were not given to any homes. They were posted on telephone polls. So uh but they had used the census the 1940 census uh they had gone into that which were not supposed to and got the names of all the Japanese and so they we knew that you know there was no way you could hide. >> Families were separated and had to move away with with the leaders of our community gone. So it was a traumatic time uh economically and socially for everybody. And so listed here are some sample um extension activities that are shared
028with our students or our teachers and all of our secondary classes which has been a great resource is bringing the history alive for our students. So, we've talked a lot about the importance of culture in our stories. And I think every time we come up on this um event, it's it just reminds us that, you know, it's important for all of our students to understand the importance of of your origin story. Um, so I feel that it was a really uh it was a it was a wonderful direction for us to go in go to a couple of years ago when we had the opportunity to expand this to our fifth grade students. And I think something that really sticks out to me the first time I was able to hear the stories of of
029our presenters was that many of them they were able to relate to our students to say that you know I was your age when I experienced you know these types of things. And that's something that's really touching for kids in fifth grade to to to hear that. And so um it's been um a powerful thing that we've done. Uh we what we tried to make sure that we um put it in context, right? This is not a part of fifth grade curriculum. However, it's an opportunity for us to have allow students to to have an understanding of what we mean by living history. And so that was the primary goal. as well as you've heard us talk a lot about our diversity book fair, those kinds of things. It's another opportunity to expose students to
030diverse literature also gives us another opportunity to continue to put um diverse literature in students classrooms. And so we we do we have purchased books, you know, for all of our fifth grade teachers. And you'll see here on this next slide, these are the four titles that we purchased for fifth grade teachers. We also provided lessons for them that they could use the optional lessons but a way for them you know there are many times when you're doing small groups or um you want to provide additional opportunities for kids to to have some extension activities in language arts. And so that was the purpose of this. But uh what we really asked teachers to do was just make them available. Make them available to your students. Um use them as a readaloud. you know, ha
031allow students to do those extension activities and then as the culmination that's when they would log into the virtual assembly which we will have uh next week. And so this gives students an opportunity to build some background knowledge about the topic again be exposed to diverse literature and then hear the the the lived experiences of um our presenters uh to make that connection for them um and then to be able to ask questions. So, we are very excited that for a third year in a row, we're going to be able to make this opportunity available to our fifth grade students. And so, lastly, here is the schedule that we have um for Day of Remembrance. So, Monday the 23rd um at 10:15 and 11:45 we will have the assemblies at Artisia High School as well
032as Whitney High School. And Tracy students from Tracy High School will be able to join um at Whitney High School to hear and be a part of this amazing opportunity. On Tuesday the 24th, we will have Haskell Middle School and Tetsoff and Ross Middle School will be joining Hasll. And then of course, as Dr. about what I mentioned, we will have our virtual option on February 26th for our fifth grade students via Zoom link. So, we invite you all to come and uh partake in this amazing opportunity at any of the dates listed there. Thank you. >> Thank you. Do I have any board comments? board member Nishi. >> Um, so I want to thank staff for extremely uh a lot of the work they spent doing this. Dr. Bwa, uh, Malice Harris, Carol Castro,
033Dr. Elvin Ha, uh, just everybody at ABC who's really worked not to just make this an event and a one-time thing that everybody forgets, but rather something that goes deep into their hearts as to what this is about. This is not a Japanese American per se event. EO9066 affected many different people and is still affecting people to this day. So um it's not just me a history lesson but it's that as Dr. Bo Buena says find something in yourself something about your origin story that you can see within this that uh will enable you to stand up and uh understand what civil rights really means. It's just a civil rights is just a piece of paper like this tissue that's where it's written on. It believes it sits in your heart as to whether they
034have effectiveness. And so each one of us here in this room are directly affected by the experiences that we all have. And so having firsthand experience and they don't by the way say it's a terrible terrible thing because they were kids, right? They were kids. They parents made the best they could for the kids. So they someone will say I had a great time. Uh one of them was a draft dodger. He literally was old enough to have said, "No, I'm not going to fight for a country that puts me in jail uh without due process of law because that's what I signed up for." And later on, he did serve in the US Army, I think. And uh with distinction, we have board members who have parents who are going to participating. I think
035your dad will be participating in he was a child or a baby, but still these experiences have uh generational effects. So just because it didn't affect them directly, it affects their children. And that is a a correlation to what happens with other people today, right? It's not just Japanese American that were negative affected, but other histories that other persons with their origin story deeply feel. And so that's why uh we do this. And I'm glad that everybody here is going to try to participate. don't know how many more years this is going to happen because after all the person there who saw the tanks roll down um the street um has passed away like five years ago five four years ago. So um to the extent that you can go see this this may be
036one of your last chances uh to see the live people and that's what's critical here for the students. It is a student program not necessarily for the adults but um because I want the the students as our future leaders to understand again not just a piece of paper in a book it's to be forgotten but something to be felt here as a real experience from people who lived it. So please come. Thank you. >> Thank you board member Nishi. Board member U. >> Thank you. Um I want to applaud uh board member Ernie Nishi and Dr. Castro and the staff for um being vigilant about doing this every year. I know that Ernie has been uh working on this every year and um history is uh you cannot erase history because there are people who
037lived through the history and the pain and the suffering and the generation who lived and survived World War I, World War II, the Korean War and even the the incarceration and they survived and they thrived. I think uh that's the greatest generation that we need to remember. So yeah, thank you Ernie. I know you put in a lot of effort and I know that our district did um didn't you um put um did a presentation at one of the CSA meeting or something right? It's coming. What is it? So we will have staff that will be presenting this at a conference to other um administrators and districts to understand how to put a program like this together and share that experience. >> Thank you. That is it. >> Thank you board member. You board member
038Rios. Um yeah, everything that was said, I'd like to shout out uh Mr. Nishi for board member Nishi for bringing this project. I think it's a very important project. I've had the honor of listening to to people's stories and it is such an honor to hear it firsthand. I especially like to praise the team on the inclusion of literacy. We know how important it is for children to be able to see themselves reflected in lit literature. Um yeah, I'd like to see that happen. And I think it would go a long way to to including this, you know, when we celebrate black history, when we celebrate other cultures to bring literature to the classroom so that children are exposed um again and see see them as mirrors um in celebrating that diversity. >> Thank you
039board member Rios or uh Vice President Yokyama Buouie. >> Yes. So I would like to thank Dr. Castro, Miss Harris, Dr. Belwa, and Dr. Francois. Thank you very much for presenting um today as well fellow board member um Ernie Nishi for ensuring that we have volunteers available for this. We have speakers, presenters. Um I've also got to uh participate last year, meaning I was an audience member and um I I like the fact that we're visiting the different high schools and the different junior high schools. We're not staying at one location. and we're allowing all the students at our schools to be able to hear and uh hear and listen and witness and become compassionate people. That's who we need today. So, um yeah, it's a huge honor to be able to have my father
040who is a survivor um present and share his story. He loves to share his story and he's not a he's not a big talker of my father but um I didn't know about a lot about his history as I was growing up but as he's he's becoming older he is sharing um now more and more so it is definitely um a huge honor and privilege for him to share his story as it is I'm sure with all our presenters. So if anyone can attend or you know any way we can we can share via the videos, let's do that because again we're building that memory. Um and also thank you so much for the virtual assembly as well. I I know it's it's really difficult for our educators to be able to find time to
041allow our kids to learn, but but the virtual assemblies kind of bring it in the classroom and really allow them to have that that uh valuable time without having to send them anywhere for it. So, thank you for thinking of that. Thank you again. >> Thank you, Vice President Yokyama Buouie. I also want to echo what my colleague said. I want to thank you guys for for sharing this information, letting our public know, letting our community know that we are connected to history. And I especially want to thank Mr. Nishi and also Miss Yokoyamai for allowing us to learn about your guys' family's experience and letting us learn from them and continuing that history and allowing our community and our students to be a part of that. So, I really appreciate you guys the effort
042that you guys that your family have put into this and I want to continue honoring that. I also want to thank you guys. Our next presentation um will be on the 2025 2026 local control accountability plan. Uh we will have a mid-year update report by Dr. Castro. Thank you again, board president Noyola. Tonight we're presenting our 2025 2026 LCAP year 2ear update. As you can um our entire team here this provide you with that updated that will give you on our progress goals. We're going to talk about the impact we've had so far. We're going to talk about um some adjustments that we're planning on making and our implementation progress up to this point. But before we do our presentation once again, we have another LCAP story. Um you have enjoyed the video series so
043far. So, in this LCAP story, I'm excited to share that we actually have parents and students featured in our LCAP story that talks a little bit about what the midyear update is and what the district is working towards in this year two of our LCAP plan over the course of this school year, we'll be exploring the many ways in which ABC's LCAP positively supports students. In California, every school district engages in a continuous process of planning, listening, and improving. This happens through the local control and accountability plan or [music] LCAP, a tool that connects our community's priorities with how we support student success. The LCAP is part of California's local control funding formula. It explains how districts use funding [music] to support students with a special focus on English learners, homeless and foster youth, and
044students from lowincome families. So, it's important for families to know that the data we received [music] from the state, which is multiple data sources on our California dashboard, this year we received it in October, but it reflects last year's information. So, for this school year, what we really try to do is look at our local information. We look at monthly attendance and suspension rates. [music] We look at our local math and ELA benchmarks that we give at least three times a year. We also consult [music] educational partners throughout the year through our LCAP parent advisory committee known as the LCAP pack as well as other partners such as [music] the district English learner advisory committee, school site councils, labor partners, and student voice, ensuring decisions reflect community insight and student needs. Annually each April, academic
045services releases the educational partners input summary [music] highlighting key community inputs. [music] >> [music] [music] >> The district has brought in new staff to try to add programs to better help our [music] kids advance for the challenges that they'll be facing as they grow. This involves changes to the CTE programs, career technical education. They've also added more of the dual enrollment at the high school levels to help the kids be ready for college. The community meetings provide a synergistic collective community voice for all parents to gather and present student needs from the different community schools so that funding can be targeted to maximize resources. >> Definitely one of the biggest support systems that have helped me this year as a student is actually talking to my school counselor. And I know it seems a bit
046basic, but honestly, I think having a quality school counselor has allowed me to really get more in touch with myself as a student and develop outside of academics, personal life, [music] and really understand my career goals in the long term. Our school in Certo's High School offers writing centers. [music] We have mental health professionals. But a lot of students aren't aware of the resources that they actually have access to. Last, I kind of mentioned that communication barrier prevents a lot of students from knowing what their district is actually like. So, the first time I attended my diversity, unity, and equity committee meeting, I was extremely surprised at how welcoming it was for students. It's very engaging. They have a lot of hands-on activities, so it felt less of a professional meeting and more of a
047learning opportunity for everyone involved. Through the ABCUSD LCAP, we're dedicated to enhancing teaching and learning, [music] one vision for all students. Visit abcusd.us/lcap us/lcap [music] to see how ABC is raising up students and unlocking their future. So, as we uh continue in our presentation, the the student there spoke of our three main goals, and that's really what we're going to focus on today. our goal one of academics, goal two that uh emphasizes connectedness and goal three that looks at college and career readiness. Every year we try to provide a visual example of how the ELCAP helps to support our district plan as a whole. In this visual example, you can see the coherence between our strategic plan and our LCAP. The strategic plan is really the road or the map per se of where we're
048going. And our goal is obviously to help build competencies or learner portrait for our so that they can be collaborative problem solvers, effective communicators, empathetic and conscientious leaders. And so our actions LCAP help to drive that. Our LCAP is a vehicle that helps move it forward, aligning state funding directly to those priorities and ensuring that our investments are intentional, measurable, adjusted based on evidence. This slide shows you the timeline of our LCAP. And basically what it shows you is that uh an LCAP plan is not something that you just put on the shelf. It's an iterative process. It's an improvement science process where we continuously meet with our educational partners as departments. We meet monthly really look at our progress and make sure our implementation is strong. And then every year we have to seek
049approval from the county office of education and ultimately from the state to continue our ongoing um LCAP funding for the following year. Again, this is just a reminder that these are the three main goals of our LCAP. Um, tonight, like I said earlier, we're trying to make sure that we focus on what we've committed to, what the data is showing, and how we're adjusting moving forwards. So, now to give you an overview, I'm going to have two directors from each of our different departments. Um, just a reminder, this is a an effort the ELCAP districtwide. So we have elementary curriculum, secondary curriculum, child welfare and attendance, school services, we have special programs. Um we also have special education as an important part of this. But this evening you can see all the various departments represented
050and also as well our information and technology as part of the presentation. So without further ado, Dr. Bweno will begin speaking about goal one. Oops, sorry. This is very sensitive. There we go. Okay. So, our first um data that we want to share is our midyear benchmarks um in ELA and math. I just want to put in the context that we know that we have two our two core initiatives in our district is reading by third grade and literacy uh for college and career readiness as well as our math steps. So, for our district um elementary benchmark, we're already seeing um at the mid-year benchmark a 3.4% 4% growth. Um, and we wanted to give a special highlight to Hawaiian Elementary who showed 13% growth in ELA on their midyear benchmark as well as in
051math for elementary um 6% growth and then a special note to Aloha Elementary who showed 11% growth on their math benchmark. So, this is very encouraging for us. Right now we are in the middle of our benchmark two and so we're we're really excited to see what that data is going to show us about our progress um in elementary. One other piece of data we wanted to show because we talk about you know um early literacy and so we do have as part of our benchmarking process the star early literacy um assessment and this we give this assessment to our kinder first and second grade students and so as you can already see we have an 8.3% growth um from initial to benchmark one. This is very encouraging for us because we feel like this
052really signals all the efforts we've had um that connects the learning that's happened with our teachers in terms of our structured literacy particularly focusing in the last few years on foundational um skills with our students. And so um again we are really hoping to see that this will continue to either maintain or grow as we um progress throughout the year. This next chart highlights three very important data points looking at college readiness. So the first one, the early assessment programs up 3% in ELA, which is very promising. The grad rate being stable at 95.1%. The second chart reflects the percent of students making progress on the summit of ELPAC, an alternative ELPAC. This is a critical metric for monitoring English learner progress and language acquisition growth. Our focus is ensuring that students are making measurable
053progress towards English proficiency. As you can see from the chart, the green line represents students who are identified both as an English learner and student receiving special education services. There is accelerated progress shown for these group of students. Now this just points to our implementation. So because we have not started summer programs yet that's why it's pending implementation but we already in the planning stages for our summer uh programs for this year. Uh the things the actions you see under fully implemented those are actions that typically um center around you know materials or programs or additional um adults who are helping to move those actions forward. the actions that are in progress, the ones in the middle is really about um the work that we're doing to ensure like our progress monitoring systems, ensuring strong
054tier one instruction. So those are the things that we continually work on which is those um and our targeted supports um particularly around literacy and math and for our long-term English learners. So those are the inrogress um implementation actions. >> So in terms of goal one adjustments for accelerating English learner progress, we have a short pivot we're going to speak about. So as part of the continuous improvement teams from Fetty Middle School and Artisia High School and secondary curriculum attended the 2026 differentiated assistance conference sponsored by LEO. This professional learning experience provided actionable strategies to better support English learners and long-term English learners. This adjustment strengthens our ability to advance equity and improve outcomes across schools with the pivot being the focus on classroom walkthroughs focus on student discussion as well as improving student use
055of academic language. Good evening. We're moving on to goal two, which is connectedness. And it's really the idea of the services we provide students to feel safe, supportive, and engaged at school, which are really the foundational elements to be successful in any any sort of endeavor. Um, it's really an interdep department um action and and and goal is we have myself, we have Dr. Lozano from school services, academic services, chips in it's it's really all the departments working towards the idea of connectedness. And two of the key metrics that we look at when we're discussing connectedness is our district attendance rate, which at this point is stable at 95.19. So that basically tells you that on any given day about 95% of our students are in school. That that's a good good strong figure. Um
056a highlight for this year was well for last year because there's a little bit of a delay as we talked about with some of this data. Tracy High School last year saw an increase of 6.6% in their daily attendance rate. So that's that's very meaningful for some of our most deserving students. We also look at the suspension rate which is a very important metric uh for the state and and for us as a as a district. Um at this point in time this year our suspension rate is about 91%. So that means of all of our students about less than 1% of them has been suspended this year. So that's that's an impressive figure. highlight from from last year was our homeless students saw a decrease of about 8% in suspension rates and they were
057one of our focus groups last year. So we're we're seeing progress in that data. Uh another important rate uh which is measured on the California school dashboard is our chronic absenteeism rate. That's how we're measured on the dashboard and that number is representative of any student that was absent more than 10% of the school year. So that's about 18 absences on any given in any given school year. As you can see on the chart, post pandemic were very high at about 20%. Our low-income students were about 15.3. And over the course of the last several years, we've almost cut that in half. It's it's an ongoing challenge to get some of our in our families and students in need into school every day, but something that we work on very hard in child welfare and
058attendance and also with our school sites and school services. As Dr. Abuo mentioned, this chart speaks to all of the actions in goal two. I won't read them one by one. um is you could have that information and it's available in the um LCAP document as well. But it speaks to things that are fully implemented which are usually staffing and and resources things that are in progress you know they're they're more a little bit more serviceoriented or ongoing projects and then things that are pending implementation which is restorative practices training which Dr. Lozano will speak on in a moment. We're always pivoting as we said before we're always making changes. That's part of the improvement cycle. Um, one thing that we're doing in the area of attendance and suspension for secondary is the focus on
059ELTELS or long-term English learners, which is one of our focus groups right now when we're looking at the data that's coming to us. And one thing that our principal at Tracy High School, Miss Kathy Evans, is she there? Back there somewhere. Say hi. I told you I put you on the spot. Um she's uh the principal at Tracy helps oversee our step path and stay programs which are other means of correction for suspension uh around you know aggression, tobacco use, drug use, and alcohol. And she's surveying our principles to see if the program is effective, if there any changes we can make to the program for it to be more effective with our students who go through that process. And we're also making a pivot around restorative practices which Dr. Myra Lozano will discuss with
060you. >> Thank you. And I think one of the important processes of the LCAP is that it is supposed to be used for us to really look at the data and make any changes, any adjustments that are needed to ensure that we are targeting the right things and that we're doing what we said we were going to do. So as we were working on our midyear review, definitely the implementation of restorative practices is something that we're going to be focusing on uh with our secondary school sites. um in combination of course we continue with our PBIS but we want to make sure that the restorative practice are actually embedded within um the reason we want to make sure that we're um working with our secondary school sites is because we know that um the tools
061that our students need to make sure that they're problem solving that they're being able to communicate with one another and that as a site the entire site is prepared to really lead and have the mindset of restorative practice is going to be really important for for the age group. Um not that it cannot be done with younger students but we know that is uh very developmentally appropriate for our secondary schools. So goal three is our uh impacts scorecard on college and career readiness and our college and career indicator has marketkedly improved over baseline with especially our English learners doubledigit growth in their preparedness for college. Similarly the pass rates of the AP uh test the advanced placement test have improved with double-digit growth at Artisia High School. So a special shout out for 13% increase
062at Artisia High School. This chart actually shows you the uh enrollment comparison uh for uh all students compared to those that are socioeconomically disadvantaged. And you can see uh this metric helps us measure the equitable access to rigorous coursework and it increased. It's great to see. Um this graphic actually is a really good uh way of looking at that college and career indicator. There's multiple ways, eight different ways to be prepared. And this readiness is an additional measure for high school students only. It highlights both the academic rigor students are capable of and ensures that they have skills for success in a postsecary environment. While I spoke before about uh the the AP test, you can see from this chart that there are a variety of ways that that students can show that they're college
063and career ready, including CTE and college credit courses. Good evening. So, in line with goals one and two, we have our um goal three implementation overview. So, as you can see here, we have several of the actions that are fully implemented. Um a few of the actions that are in progress are our AVID professional learning, which is ongoing throughout the year. Um we have communities of practice in place for our elementary teams as well as our secondary elective teams. And then um 3.9 college and career fairs. We're really excited because this is something that is going to um come to fruition this um spring in that we are bringing CTE opportunities to our elementary schools. And so that is one of the biggest feedback that we have received from our LCAP parents as well as
064our DAC parents is that um they see all of these wonderful opportunities for our secondary students specifically high school with college um you know different CT pathways and dual enrollment. But in elementary, you know, we have maybe a career fair or a college fair, you know, once a year, but working um collaboratively with the CT department, um we're excited to bring those opportunities to all of our schools this spring. Um you can see that there is um no action that is pending implementation, but as we look at our goal three adjustments for college and career, um as you can see in that picture, that's just a picture of some of our um our teachers um at our AVID schools. Um we are going to be having our next community of practice next week which is
065an opportunity for our teachers and teams to really engage in some professional learning specifically you know how do we use AVID as a lever to um really improve you know our core practices our universal practices at our school so that we provide those opportunities for all of our students to really think um positively u about college and career in their future. Um so in terms of you know I'll just kind of go to the pivot first. Uh one of the exciting things that we are doing with AVID elective recruitment is that we are adding dual enrollment to our AVID 9 and our 10 class. So this is an opportunity where students you know if they are taking part in that elective um they will be able to earn some college um credit um specifically in
066that class. So that's something that we're working with our college and career department with Brian Glanch and Dr. Francois to make that happen. And then we've got some other plans hopefully on the horizon um to bring that to AVID 11 and AVID 12. Um in terms of just focusing also on our ELTEL students and our foster students. Um we do have our specialized support counselors uh formerly called EL counselors but this year we made that pivot because we wanted to make sure that we included our foster youth. Um we are working with them. Um we are you know practicing our improvement cycle process. We have done some plan do study act cycles and we actually met with them this morning. um to go over the results of their action plan from January to February, which
067included really focusing um their efforts on meeting one-on-one with their students who are ELTELS or at risk of ELTELS and also their foster youth to make sure that um the counselors are providing solid academic planning support. And so today we have the chance to hear about some of the learnings um from our counselors. >> Thank you. And as if you recall from last year, we were in differentiated assistance for foster youth and homeless students. I'm happy to say we are no longer in differentiated assistance for those groups of students. But also last year, the state released a new group, long-term English learners that we are now tracking and monitoring. And so we are in differentiated assistance. And that is because our long-term English learners fell in the red for English language arts and for suspension
068rates. As you can hear, there's been a lot of focus in those areas. specifically for long-term English learners, group of students who have been identified as English learners for six years or more. And so most of that is in the secondary world. That's why we're putting more emphasis in that. We do remain focused on those supports and we know that the dashboard provides us information about what we're strong in, but also where we need acceleration. and our benchmarks. This progress monitoring that we do as a team is really intended to make sure that we're stopping along the way and moving in the direction that we need to move to uh help support students at the moment that they need the support and not waiting till the end of the year. Again, as you saw in
069the video, a key part of this is our parent advisory committee and the support and advice that we get from them. Uh their voice informs the development of that LCAP draft. And this uh Thursday, we invite our LCAP pack again at Artisia High School on February 19th at 5:30m. Welcome any of board members that can attend to come see this process. It's always uh great to see so many parents involved and willing to provide support and then just let us know how it is that they're experiencing the services that we are trying to provide. So we thank you once again for your support and continued partnership with year two of our 2024 to 2027 LCAP. Our academic services team and our school services and CWA team remain committed to measurable progress, student voice, and equitable
070access to highquality learning experience. >> Thank you very much, Dr. Castro. Before we take board comments and questions, I just want to recognize Doritos City Councilwoman Sophia Se who's in the audience with or she was here earlier today. And I also want to recognize uh former school board member Sheila Spitzer for being here tonight. Thank you for being here. And with that, do I have any board questions or comments? Board member Dr. for real. >> I personally know how much work goes into all these LCAP reports, so I don't in any way want to dismiss um any of the work that was done. I'm very happy to see that there's a lot of progress um and that our dashboard overall is is so good. Um I'm always concerned about, you know, specific areas because I
071know if we only looked at the area six, the dashboard would look very different. Uh, I'm glad to see some progress. Um, but I'm going to focus my question just to keep it short on the long-term English learners that have been identified as a student group um that is low performing or in significant decline and like to hear a little bit more about what the plan is. Um, we've made the argument that it's not a language issue, right? A lot of these kids you're telling me that have been in long-term English learners because they've been identified as English learners for six years. I've worked in education. A lot of times these kids don't even speak a second language. they were just identified somehow. Um, so I want to know what I know we have English
072I mean we call them EL counselors but again it's an academic issue. So what are we doing beyond to really close the gap for these kids and do right by them. Um do you know this is personal for me I am an English learner and so I know that the potential is there with the right support uh for these kids to once they reclassify end up outperforming English only students. So we know the potential is there but they get stuck in this space where they're considered els now. So what are we going to do about it? >> Thank you for the question Dr. Rios. Um I think there's been a a lot of different pieces in play. One I'll speak to is uh some of you have been invited this Thursday as well. This Thursday
073is going to be a busy day for academic services, but we have our learning walks at our comprehensive high schools um because we have specifically designed look fors that would support the needs of long-term English learners. And one of the key pieces according to the ELD framework from the state is to not just make sure that they're getting the right supports in English class, but that is integrated through their different content areas. Because once they re achieve secondary, now they're going to have six different teachers with different content. And it's the academic vocabulary and the use of that academic vocabulary in science, in history, in math, and all those main subject areas that really is what's going to push the language development further. the more opportunities that they get to speak and engage with that
074academic content and vocabulary and write with it, the better opportunities that they'll have to actually pass those assessments because the assessment requirement to get passed and be reclassified is very high. They have to do well not only on the state tests, but then they have to do well on this additional test that measures their listening, their speaking, their reading, and their writing skills. So this Thursday we're rolling out with our principles and with um board members and members who are invited to come to be part of these learning walks to learn a little bit more about some of those efforts as well as providing supports specific supports for our teachers through professional learning as well as providing additional tutoring support. I've worked closely with uh Mr. Garcia at Artisia High School to add additional coaching
075and tutoring support specific to our long-term English learners to help make that pivot. So in various different ways across the district as well as targeting that support at both Fetty and Arta High School, we've tried to take uh you know a zoom out and a zoom in. And I connect with what you said, Dr. Rios, because I too am a former English learner and I know how difficult it is sometimes to get past that language barrier. And I interviewed many of our students in high schools to ask them, you know, what is it um that that is preventing you? And and part of it is just that for so long they've struggled with language that they themselves start to think I'm not good at reading. I'm not good at writing. I can't do this. And
076so that's part of why we have our specialized support to help them understand what they are strong in and help support that as you heard from the student right in the video who talked about the importance of having a good counselor that really helped them see what they could be in their future. So again, that's why we emphasize those supports, not just in the academics and in the classroom, which we know is one of the main ways that we're going to support our students, but also just as a whole, child support, having those counselors available to help them change that identity and think about what they can. >> Sounds like a lot of good work. I really look forward to seeing those numbers significantly change. Thank you. >> Thank you, board member Rios. Board member
077McCann. >> Um, thank you for the very informative presentation. I have a couple questions. Um, how are you doing the CTE programs in the elementary schools? >> So, one of the things that we're doing uh to support CT bringing it further down. So you may remember in a previous presentation we talked about summer and so giving experiences to students in summer school at our lower grades. So this spring we want to go a step further. So we want there's a a board item coming for your consideration very soon um to approve some of various vendors to be able to come down and do some work um at our elementary school. You'll see one with coding. So having coding experiences um down you will see some entrepreneurship um opportunities coming down as well. And so I
078believe that there were there are five different ones and we're looking to have those experiences that to come down for the elementary school and it goes well our goal is then to expand. >> So it's more of a vendor presentation than it is a like high school student presentation. >> So they're actual workshops. So you can think of like a for students learning to code, it's more than just a one and done. So there's a series of workshops that the students will participate in in various um content areas. Um so whether it's coding, entrepreneurship, so it'll be a series of workshops the students will experience. >> Thank you. It sounds like a good plan. Get those um ideas rolling in those elementary school kids minds, right? >> Yes. And then my other question is um
079if you're going to um do the dual enrollment with AVID classes. Okay. So there are kids enrolled in AVID classes but you're now going to push along the dual enrollment with special guidance for them. >> Absolutely. >> Sure. >> So one of which we looked at what's what's currently available. What what's our current reality? And I'll just speak to the schools that's on a block schedule like Artisia where there's extended time, you know, to really to go in depth and we saw it as a great way to go in and plug in another um opportunity for students during that time. So the great thing about it, so they wouldn't be taking these classes alone, they'll be taking it with their AVID family, the whole class. And so you have ongoing support from fellow students as
080well as the teacher and they're supporting them as well as they take their first college class. And the great thing about it, it's it it helps that mindset that I can do this that I am on the right track. And so we're really excited for that >> good introduction to college. Yes. I think I'll just add um you know a couple of the the classes that we are looking to add on for example for AVID 9 is the counseling 1B class and so that is perfectly in line with just this introduction to college and career and what to expect in college and then in AVID 10 we are looking at career exploration so just adding that college and career readiness piece because a lot of those skills are very much in alignment and synonymous with
081one another. The skills you need to be ready for college you're going to need that for career as well. So, we were very intentional about, you know, looking at the list of what was available and what would actually complement um the AVID elective. >> Thank you, board member McCann. Board member Mendoza. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Um, I I I want to recognize the progress that our district is doing and I hope that as we celebrate that progress here at the board meeting that at every district meeting that we have with our staff members, our principles, our counselors that we're celebrating that progress and even at our faculty meetings, I hope that our principles are sharing this with the with the teachers and the teachers are sharing that with the students because I think when
082we see progress and the kids see progress, they want to do better. So, I hope that that is happening. I do have a couple questions on page number page number eight, which is our alpac and alternate um alpac assessment. I love to see the progress because we know [snorts] that in the primary grades, we really focus on getting them to pass the writing because after third grade, it becomes really difficult. So, I'm glad to see that there's progress in there. On page number 13, I just have two questions for this one. Um it says fully implemented support for mental health. How are we supporting with mental health? Who's going to take that? [laughter] So we have a variety of levels of support as you all know. We have our mental professionals that are supporting and
083then from there too um as I've shared in the past in school we have what we call school-based counseling. So the support that we provide our students is so that they can be successful at school. However, we can also recognize that there may be additional need for mental health support and therefore we can do the referral out uh to our you different agencies that we partner with as well as um oh my god um Care Solace. Yes. that we keep announcing to our um community because it is available for staff and all of the families in ABC. >> Thank you. And then the other one is um teen parent program. Can you elaborate on that a little bit >> program? Dr. Castro, >> yes, that is a a program at Tracy High School that supports
084our teen parents. Our numbers have dwindled quite a bit in our teen parent program. It's not been as high as it's been in the past. So we've had to adjust, re-evaluate the programming efforts. Uh typically those supports involve staffing that directly supports students who are here and those are uh those students are physically located at pres. >> Thank you. And then I just want to um congratulate Artisia High School for the increase in the AP test course. And then I might have missed this. Um on page 17 we have the the graphic and the ones that are circled in red that's what we focus on. That's our focus or >> I can speak to that. So um those are in red are just to highlight like the various ways that students can achieve college and
085career readiness. We talked about advanced placement in our data, but you can see taking two semesters of a college credit course by the state means that you are considered college and career ready. Completing a CT pathway plus taking a college course or scoring an ESPC of three or higher in math or ELA is also another way. So, it it can become a little bit confusing, but it's just to highlight some of the key ways that we as a district focus on. We have multiple opportunities in various ways and soon we will have more opportunities because the state has now added pre-apprenticeship programs and work uh development programs as well as part of this graphic. So this will be adjusted for this coming school year. >> Okay. But we could still have a student who gets
086college and career ready by taking the state seal of by literacy. >> Yes. Yes. >> Okay. Okay. I just wanted to make sure that was a little bit confusing. And then if you can turn to page number page number 20. Again the red circle indicates our our priority our focus. But can you elaborate a little bit on our American Indian students? >> So yes so this uh group of students uh indicated that they were read on the dashboard for suspension rates. >> So how are we supporting them? Because we don't hear a lot about about them. So how how are we supporting them in their needs? >> I'll I'll defer to Dr. Lo to talk a little bit about what his department is doing specifically to address suspension rates. >> We're always looking at the
087data of our different groups, be it, you know, any group and working with our sites to ensure that we're using other means of corrections and using those systems that are available to us and the supports and really just thinking about you before you suspend a kid. It's it's honestly as simple as that. It's a change in mentality and in the way that we support kids. So it's just with any student, what are we doing to support that student before we move on with suspension or other more exclusionary disciplinary processes? And we have other means of corrections such as STEP. We have school-based other means of corrections like our mental health professionals, our counselors, our administrators. So we're just always looking at that plethora of tools and and putting it in our administrator's mind that that
088that let's consider the um the resources available to us to work with the student and their family before we you know um put them out of school for a suspension. Is there anything that we need to do as a district to provide them support because they are a different subgroup? They're American Indians. We don't hear a lot about them. So, correct. Do they have special needs that we need to be addressing? And do we have staff who can support with that? >> That's something we'd have to research and and address. >> If we can do that because if they're here, I want to make sure we're we're looking into it and addressing it. >> Thank you. That concludes my questions, Mr. President. >> Thank you, board member Mendoza. Board member. >> Thank you, President. Um,
089I fall into this category because I was English learner and I have to say that ABC students are so fortunate and lucky because we have these programs in place and we have an amazing team uh of academic services under Dr. Castro and this amazing team to support our students in this um different you know needs and uh as English learners it's been it was very difficult for me because I wasn't um fluent in any language because I came at a very ambiguous age. I couldn't read Korean. I couldn't read English. So, you know, you just struggle all the way. And that's exactly how I felt like I'm not good. But like, you know, they have this services and this support. So, what what a blessing. I hope that our community uh really take advantage of
090uh the services that we have and the resources and and for our students to there's just no easy way out. You just have to work hard. I remember going to college getting in just memorizing vocabulary vocabulary because I couldn't understand the professor's lecture even in college because I missed that you know reading period right so English learners struggle but it can be done it's hard work no you know easy shortcut hard work hard memorize and you can conquer because this is America land of opportunity and we have all these great resources. But I thank you for that. And um and now I'm speaking English pretty fluently, right? Um and I speak Korean fluently and I also speak Spanish too. So it can be done folks. It can be done. And our ABC students, it can
091be done. You can be bilingual and triilingual with 40 languages in our district. I was also wanted to applaud our program with uh students with disability that I've you know met with Dr. uh Verdiscoco and Dr. Chavez and with compared to other district uh our teachers are really well supported and and the students they enjoy uh working here the if the teachers really enjoy their job that means this is a good culture. So I'm very thankful for that. I think that we need to recognize that you know sometime and few things that really you know um the students with uh who are homeless. Yeah. that just kind of struck my heart and I'm just wondering how do we support them and is there a way for our board members to um to understand and to
092learn you know how we're supporting and what can be done >> who who who can we go to >> I think the complexity of you know all our students right but in particular >> um the mobility that we have sometimes with our homeless population right um also even with our foster population, you know, um I think definitely, you know, how can we help? I think being, you know, well informed of the complexity of the students, right? How this data is collected, right? Sometimes they even leave our district, but they're still counted under our counts. uh we do the everything we can to ensure that I always say right each site needs to own all their students right they're the ones that have the closest proximity we provide transportation when is needed we provide additional tutoring
093support right uh we're working to ensure that all of the pieces are put together at the site uh so that they can then reach out and be in contact right not only with the students but also with their families because you know at times um and I think that's the piece uh at this time we can say that they're located in one area you know it is happening everywhere so I think it's just being well aware I think also making sure that everybody knows what their rights are and that we're enforcing those right um and like I said um the way that you can help is continue to support um all our efforts as you know we have our ABC community center and we are monitoring to ensure that our students have all their needs
094met you know physically for us the attendance is very important because if they're there we know that we can provide them with all the um academic learning uh the social emotional learning we can make sure that we are attending to their needs so attendance is you know truly important so I think working in collaboration ation with the other departments. We're truly looking at we're making an effort to ensure that we're from all angles. We're looking at the whole child, right? Because I also and we've shared before, we've also shared the success. We actually have had, you know, students that are doing really well even though they are homeless or foster and they're graduating and they're moving on uh to college and we continue to, you know, support them and and I think that's also what
095we want to expand making sure that some of those students can help. We just recently had um we're going to have actually u a tour for students to go to college and be able to know what what what are the possibilities. So, um, I think continuing to just support everything we're trying to do for our students. You know, we appreciate the support from the board. >> Thank you. You >> I can add one additional piece to that. Um, from a technology perspective, we of course provide every student with a device they can take home. But sometimes the barrier, especially with homeless and even foster youth, is connectivity. So, we have over 80 hotspots available that any student can take home, but we try to proactively make those available to our foster youth and our homeless
096students to make sure that they can access the curriculum while they're at home as well. So, that's another thing that we do specifically for that particular student group. >> Thank you, Mr. Lawrence. I just want to echo again what everybody said here. I just want to start by thanking you, Dr. Castro, and your amazing team of academic superheroes. You guys do everything and it starts by reviewing the data, following the data and ensuring that the relationship that everybody here has established with the teachers, with the principles, with the support staff on campus that they are actually taking that data seriously and implementing it and finally encouraging our students to acknowledge that they can make that change and they do. They have made that change. Everything tonight was very positive. So, thank you guys for for
097doing what you do. To our support staff, to our teachers, thank you. But most importantly to our kids for believing believing in themselves and knowing that somebody believes in you guys. You know, you guys are the ones doing the work at the end of the day. So, you guys are the ones making that change. So, uh keep it up and we're all here to support you guys. Thank you. Uh moving on. May I have a motion to approve the agenda for the regular meeting February 17th, 2026, pooling action item 2.4A? >> So moved. Second, Tatiana. >> All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Motion passes. 70. Uh, approval of minutes. May I have a motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of January 20, 2026? >> Move approval of minutes of
098January 20th, 2026. >> All in favor, please say I. >> Motion passes 70. Uh, middle school activity reports. Betty Middle School leadership students will present on a report on school activities including academics, athletics, and extracurricular activities. Betty Middle School. Um, good evening, President Noyola, Vice President Coyoma, Boy, Clerk, Miss Mendoza, members of the board, Superintendent, Dr. CEO, cabinet, and community. My name is Britney Sanchez and I am the ASB president at Fetty Academy. It is it is honestly hard to believe that it's already February. The months since August have flown by, but we stayed busy with so many activities that make our school a fun, safe place where everyone feels like they belong. We started off the year in August with club rush. And honestly, it was awesome. Students got to sign up for all
099kinds of clubs. We're talking video game club, outdoors club, anime club, Marvel club, and those are just the four out of the 12 clubs we have running right now. What's really cool about these clubs is that they give us a chance to hang out with people who like the same things we do. Whether you're into gaming, hiking, or debating who the best adventure is, there's a place for you, and that's made a huge difference in our campus culture. Moving into September, ASB hosted our sharpen your mind back to school social. It was a giant meet and greet where teachers and students could hang out. We set goals for the year, played a huge game of tug of war, students versus teachers, and showed off our best dance moves. Also, in September, we celebrated Hispanic Heritage
100Month. We had spirit weeks and learned about important Hispanic figures during the morning announcements. My favorite part was the Dream Center activities like playing Loia. It was so cool to see everyone dressing up as Loia characters around campus. Next, October was all about college. We had a big college tableabling event where our teacher sher shared their own stories like what they majored in and their favorite college memories. Their advice really helped us think about our own future futures. During that same month, we also focused on Red Ribbon Week. ASB students made awesome say no to drugs posters and ribbons to decorate the halls. We even had a poster contest to show off our creativity and pledge station where everyone signed Rimus to promise to stay drug free. When November arrived, we shift our focus to
101Native America, Native American heritage month. We put up posters with fun facts about Native American traditions and during lunch, we learned about things like dream captures and powos. At the same time, we celebrated diia de los muertos in Spanish class. And at lunch we built altars and brought items for the or of the whole campus looked beautiful with all the papala decorations. Fast forward to December ASB posted hosted a rock paper scissors competition for spirit day. Everyone wore be necklaces and if you lost a round, you had to give your beats to the winner. It was a fun way to get students to step out of their comfort zones. Our winner or winner Michael ended up with over 100 necklaces. Finally, we ended the year with our masquerade of magic winter social. We had a
102cookie decorating station, ornament making, and various games like trying to eat an Oreo without using your hands. It was a perfect way to wrap up 2025 and get us ready for 2026. Good evening. My name is Carla Guvas and I am the ASB vice president. 2025 was amazing, but 2026 is shaping up to be even better. For example, we've kept up our college Tuesdays by wearing our favorite college gear and we've been campaigning for Rock the Cast to get ready to get everyone ready for the state testing. And speaking of testing, we are so excited that our math scores went up 10%. That's a huge accomplishment for our school and we're going to be celebrating it in April. It feels amazing to see all our hard work pay off and we can't wait to make
103it even better this year. In January, we celebrated kindness week. We set up stations for making kindness cards and sharing positive messages. It felt really good to spread some positivity and make sure everybody feels supported at Fetty. Following that, we started February by decorating the halls for Black History Month. We've been using the morning announcements to highlight influential black leaders who have changed history and culture. It's been really inspiring to learn about their impact. Last but not least, at the end of this month, ASB students are heading to Hawaiian Gardens for Student Government Day. We'll get to shadow city officials and see how their jobs work. We're even doing a mock city council meeting to see how decisions are actually made in our community. Even though it's only February, we are so excited for all
104the spirit weeks and events we have planned. Our goal is to keep making Fetty a positive and motivating place for every student. Thank you so much for listening to all the great things happening at Fetty Academy. Thank you for your time. [applause] Thank you so much, Betty. Do I have any board comments or questions? >> Board member Mendoza. >> Thank you, Mr. President. It's your first time here, right? You did a really good job. You shared a lot of things and I want to say how proud I am of Fetty for increasing your math scores by 10%. I think you should celebrate. Um, maybe some of the board members can show up and celebrate with you. I can't because I teach first grade. I can't go, but maybe some of you. But thank you for
105sharing all the great things that's going on. Um, you guys did an awesome job and I look forward to hearing a lot more the next time you come. Thank you, ladies. >> Thank you, board member Mendoza, board member Rios. >> As a proud graduate of Fetty, uh, it's always nice to hear uh, about what's happening there. Shout out to your principal out there, Mrs. MSAS. [applause] I think when you hear about middle school and about, you know, I used to teach seventh grade and so I know it can be a really difficult time um for kids are transitioning from elementary. It's a new environment. It's really wonderful to hear how you keep your spirits up like playing Loia. I wish I had played Loia when I was attending Freddy. that would have been um something
106that you know I like how you make it culturally relevant. Um yeah, just very impressed by um a lot of the events happening there and uh I especially want to shout out the teachers, you know, having teacher and student what do they say? Oh my class opportunities for them to hang out. We know how important it is for students to build that positive relationship with their with their teachers and having opportunities. I mean that's impressive. Um yeah, could go on and on. So good job. Thank you for sharing all that with with us and I hope to visit your school in the near future and see it in person. Thank you. >> Thank you board member Rios board member Nishi. >> Thank you Mr. President. Yes, your school has a lot of spirit. I remember
107going to one of the the assemblies and it was freezing cold but all of your parents were there to celebrate your successes and having double digit gains in math. I know or or any board members mentioned that but uh that is something special that doesn't happen every day. That's a combination of your work, your parents' work, leadership and teachers. So everybody working together to get that 10% that's usually talk about one or two or 3% gains. 10% is pretty amazing. Uh the only last question here is uh what school did you pick as your favorite? Did it have a bear in it? Oh, okay. Okay, I'll let you go. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, board member Nishi. Uh, Vice President Yamaaboui, >> thank you both for coming and being waiting so patiently um
108to present. You both did an excellent job. Um, there were a number of highlights from your report. What I love hearing about is when you all um recognize and show appreciation for people's cultures and um you had a number of various events and it sounds like you all planned and decorated um but at the same time you're learning. So thank you for doing that for all our kids so that we can um share in that appreciation so every month we we're learning something new. Great job. >> Thank you Vice President Yokoyama Buouie. Um thank you guys for being here tonight. you know, it's your first time. You guys did a really good job and we're all very proud of you for all the growth and all the things you're celebrating. Uh even though I didn't
109graduate from Fetty, I did go I do spend a lot of time at Fetty, so I do feel like a student with you guys sometimes. >> So, I'm happy to be there celebrating all the many accomplishments, seeing you guys grow. I want to take the time to thank your parents. Are your parents here with you tonight? if they can stand up and be recognized. Like the our board members mentioned that it is a team effort, but at the end of the day, you guys are the ones studying. You guys are the ones waking up early to get to class. Um, so you guys are the ones that deserve the credit. So, thank you guys for for being here tonight, for sharing all the accomplishments, and for being leaders in your community and on your campus.
110And also, thank you to Principal MSAS for being here tonight, too. >> [applause] >> We will now have our student board of representatives uh from Tracy High School, Aayumi Ara. [applause] Um, I have a copy if you guys want. I don't know. Oh, okay. Good evening, President. Mr. Nyola, Vice President, Miss Yokoyam Buoui, Clerk, Miss Mendoza, Miss McChatten, Mr. Nishi, Dr. Rios, Miss Yu, Dr. Zitlo members of cabinet and school community. Tracy High School started off the year with a celebration and family dinner for back to school night to welcome families to the Saint community. We have been honoring attendance milestones monthly with student recognition. We had a spirit week with a variety of themes to give all students the opportunity to participate, including superhero day, band t-shirt day, and a day to dedicated to
111showing your favorite support your support for your favorite sports team. To kick off Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrated on September 16th with music and dancing to honor and celebrate Hispanic heritage. To continue the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we will be playing Loia at lunch and enjoying music from Hispanic musicians. And for Halloween, the staff had costumes linked to a Laria card. We celebrated students returning to their comprehensive high schools the last week in December with games and certificates at the end of the day. We are proud of all the work these students put in and we wish them continued success. We also celebrated good and improved attendance and hosted a holiday themed spirit week. In honor of Black History Month, teachers will be sharing ro important innovators, discoveries, and changes brought about by important
112black role models. Not only are we supporting students in the social aspects of school life, we also had a lot of great things happening on the academic side. We have three dual enrollment classes this year, giving our students the opportunity to get both high school and college credit. The amazing teachers are also meeting with students in the afternoon to make up credits for graduation or to transfer back to their comprehensive high schools. Our counselor is meeting with each student during the quarter to discuss upcoming courses, graduation, transfer requirements, and post-secary goals. We also have a continued support from Cerrito's College to support students in taking the next steps after graduation and support in completing FAFSA. In March, we will host a bite of reality in partnership with schools first to give our seniors a taste
113of life that is yet to come. We have open house, prom night, and grad night coming quickly. We look forward to finishing the year strong. Thank you for listening and thank you for your time. >> [applause] >> Thank you very much. Do I have any board comments or questions for Mr. Yumi? Board member. You >> Aayumi, thank you for coming and sharing. And it's so courageous for you to stand alone and share this. Good job. >> Yeah. And thank you for sharing about your school with us. >> Thank you. Board member Yu, board member Rios. I'll make it also short. Um, I just want to highlight your attendance. It sounds like a lot of the efforts that you're doing at Tracy are paying off. It was highlighted in our LCAP report about how we've managed
114to cut chronic absenteeism. Shout out to C.WA. But shout out to Tracy students who made that happen. Right. Your significant um improvement was noted. So, good job. >> Thank you board member Rios Aumi. Thank you so much for being here. I know Eugene couldn't make it tonight, but I want to thank you for for representing Tracy very well and sharing with us things that are happening on campus. Um, I have a question. I know you sat through some of our presentations on the LCAP and some of the resources we have. What are what are some ways that we can help students at Tracy get access to the resources that we have here at the district or what are some things you think we're missing? Um, in my opinion, I would say maybe to strengthen some
115of the programs we already have. Um, I know we're small in numbers, but I feel like the programs we have are really helpful for the people that are at our school. Thank you. Thank you very much. And thank you for being here tonight. >> Are your parents here tonight? >> No. Okay. Well, thank you. and and get home safely. Have a good night. [applause] I will now share my president's report. Uh so starting on January 22nd, I attended the Ferguson family and community engagement uh meeting where we started discussing ways that we can engage families and students and helping them explore more reading opportunities on campus. January 23rd, I attended Hawaiian Elementary School Council and ELAC. They had their midyear review on campus. And then that afternoon, I got to spend time with Tuan reviewing
116our finances. So thank you, Tuan. Uh January 27th, I started my morning downtown with Mr. Ernie Nishi celebrating Artisia High School's girls volleyball who were recognized at the supervisor at the LA County Supervisor meeting. Uh that a that afternoon I was with the Fetty counseling team who hosted a presentation on self-care at the Hawaiian Gardens Teen Center and I ended my evening at the GAR High School open house where I got to see the new esports lab at the computer center. I got to see their new CTE classrooms. I got to got to have a discussion with Miss Pacheco and Miss Porter on their SDC and RF RCF classes and how they're supporting our special education students and also got to see some clubs, a model UN theater, band and all the extracurriculars on campus.
117So that was my day at GAR. February 4th, I attended a public safety meeting where our local Lakewood Sheriff Station officers were intro were giving a presentation on the dangers of nitrous oxide to our students from ABC at the teen center and Juan Gardens as well. Uh and then later that evening, I attended the Whitney High School open house where I got to talk to a lot of our Whitney students and got to get a little insight on what makes Whitney special and how that mentorship is established. And something I've learned and wanted to share is that uh our clubs at Whitney and our clubs also at other high schools and other middle schools are what connect our students. So I'm very glad to see that student leadership at the high school level are the
118ones mentoring our middle school students. So that's something very important. Uh February 6, I I observed our student walkouts uh with staff and parents. I just want to uh commend our students for a really wellorganized uh day. They had, you know, our Whitney, Betty, Artisia, uh Dorito students um organized a pres a demonstration at Dorito City Hall and here outside our district office. Uh they followed all the traffic rules. They were very well organized. They didn't cross the street when they weren't supposed to. So, I want to commend them on on a very very wellexecuted uh demonstration. Uh February 10th, I attended Artisia High School's open house and their report card where parents get a report card of their students and get to actually go around the campus and have a discussion with the teachers.
119So, I think that's a very effective way that that parent teacher relationship continues and supports are given in the moment that we can intervene now and not later on before the school year ends. So, I'm very happy to see all the positive growth that our high school students are having at Artisia. Uh, February 11th, I went to Fed's open house and I'm very happy to share that 50% of our Fetty students are in honors or higher. So, that's a 3.0 or higher. So, that's another recognition to Fetty Middle School. Uh, February 12th, I visited Sters Elementary with assistant principal Miss Lavine. Uh, like I shared earlier, I got a little preview. So if you guys are available Friday, please come out to Star Wars to see our our students to share their work on their
120parade for the Lunar New Year's. And lastly, I yesterday, February 16th, I had a virtual meeting with the Whitney parents, Whitney Foundation, and some Whitney staff to discuss uh some items today on the agenda and some possible changes. So I want to thank you guys for giving up your President's Day to to have a discussion with me and vice president Yokoyama Buouie. And with that, that is my board report. I will now give it to Dr. Zilo for her superintendent report. >> Thank you. Um this evening I would just like to give an update on the work we are doing around restructuring our schools and and the way we are um helping our uh schools through that process. Um we've been working diligently as a team uh collaborating to ensure this transition is thoughtful um
121student centered wellcoordinated. Um this is very complex work. Um change is never easy and I'm really proud of the intentional planning that's happening across all of our departments and with our schools in this process. Um we have a crossdep departmental implementation team that meets regularly. Um we've been working on um the consolidation of two of the elementary schools at the end of this year so far and working with the transition process for the students and staff to new schools and communities for next year. Um we've done a little bit of initial work um looking at the sixth grade transition to middle school and um we are soon to begin working on the next year's work and what that looks like in terms of moving programs um into new spaces. Um every department from academic services,
122student services, transportation, facilities, human resources involved in this work to ensure a smooth transition. Um we also have monthly meetings with the principles both of the consolidating schools and the receiving schools um where our conversations are focused on not only logistics and staffing in those things but also on how we're going to build strong connections and uh unified communities as this transition happens. Um, in terms of our community engagement and support, um, we've been very intentional about working, um, to honor not only the histories and traditions of our schools that are consolidating, but also the schools that are receiving them, to know and understand who these students, teachers, families are, and building something new together. Um, so we've hosted um different campus tours at schools that will welcome new students. Um, and we did all
123of that before the school of choice process. Um, we've been working with a consultant to help us facilitate community gatherings where we lead the staff at the sites as well as gatherings for families to consider the change and to think about what it will be like um through this transition. Um through that work, the receiving schools are focused on fostering welcoming environments, inclusive environments, ways for new students and families to connect. Um at the consolidating schools, we're working to help the community think through the transition, to process that, and to celebrate the legacies, the work they've done for many years, and to help them move and prepare with dignity and care is our goal. Um we will continue these efforts throughout the spring and we're planning opportunities for students and families um from these schools
124to connect and build those connections before we get into the new school year. Um I think as a whole um these kinds of changes are never easy. Um we are not unique in this experience. Everywhere around us is experiencing these types of changes. Um, what I hope we are unique at is that we're keeping people in our thoughts in how we do that and um, it's not just a checklist of things to do, but people having time to process and think about um, the changes as they come. We don't always control the change, but we can control that there's process to work through the change. And so that is our goal, and we're going to continue to work in that way. So, we'll update the board again in a couple months with where we are.
125Thank you, Dr. Zilo. Uh, employee representative reports. Do I have uh any reports? Nice. Good evening, Board President Nyola, members of the board, Superintendent Dr. Zitlo, members of the cabinet, and all employees and community members here tonight and watching at home. Um, I'm Ruben Mancas and I'm speaking tonight as uh the um representative of ABC Federation of Teachers. It's also an honor to get to speak tonight on the um night that the uh uh Tracy High School uh board representative uh reported. So, go Saints. I'm a proud Saint. Um I appreciate Dr. Zitlo's report um and the outreach that has been made. Um, believe it or not, we do not compare notes, but she and I were obviously um of a like mind with with some of the comments that I'm about to share. Um,
126I I do appreciate the outreach and the commitment to work together and issues of tradition and legacy. I'm I'm going to speak about them tonight as well. Uh, but I do want to convey the very real frustration and anxiety that still exists um regarding issues around school consolidation. Um this is not just at the four schools slated to be closed but clearly they are feeling the brunt of it at the moment. Uh core professional core professional questions remain to be answered right. Where will I be teaching? Uh where are my students going? What will my new workplace conditions look like? And when can I expect to know? Um how will we move forward? Uh h how we move forward with our sixth grade impacts even more sites and more of our teachers, nurses, students, and
127community members. specific questions regarding what Whitney High School will look like uh have no doubt brought many of our audience members out tonight. I want to speak briefly to this vision of Whitney uh to the mission of Whitney because it reminds me of what we have heard from many of our teachers and nurses when Rey and I um visit different uh sites and speak to our staff members and it's namely ask us. We can solve these problems together but involve us in the process. And I say mission and vision intentionally because we all learned all too well that a school transcends its walls. Right? Our teachers and nurses realize that they follow the students, but they remain committed to an ideal of what they know their schools need and what their school should provide. Our
128members value tradition. They are proud of the legacy at their respective sites and of ABC Unified as a whole. But they do not fear change. The vast majority realize that a site is not a place where around which we dig a moat and pull up the drawbridge. It's not a fortress. It's a school. What kind of a school is precisely what members have ideas about. Please continue to listen to the constructive ideas of the experts who actually deliver the services to our students. We recognize that the status quo is not tenable. That is why you made the difficult but ultimately informed choice to reorganize our schools in the first place. This is a real opportunity. Let's do it right. We can be a forwardthinking um institution that uses the past as a blueprint but not
129as a limiting factor because that's what we expect of our students, isn't it? to not fall back on well that's the way we've always done it but to challenge them to use their tools and their skills to improve things to make them new. So let's model for them. Our strength is our tradition. But our tradition is that we are innovative. We are strong because we are willing to adapt. So let's continue to ad to innovate and make smart choices together. A closing thought. In thinking about what our traditions at, excuse me, in thinking about what our traditions are, we naturally consider what our future will be. Our new teachers and nurses are the future. I'm aware of the work that's being done at the state level to make the credential process work more smoothly. And
130I also want to highlight the exemplary efforts of local um educational institutions like Cal State Dominguez Hills, which helps place many of our excellent counselors in this district, or Cal State Long Beach, which has done so much teacher training. So, our responsibility remains how to best attract and retain all of this young educator talent. As a negotiator, I am realistic about where we have been regarding declining enrollment, but that does not need to be. In fact, I argue that it cannot be allowed to be our future. We have to actively push past a narrative of deficits and embrace a path toward growth. Please consider alternatives that allow us to gain enrollment. This is crucial for the long-term health of this district. Encouraging more students to attend our schools is one way we can attract and
131retain our future legacy. Again, we must be willing to innovate. We must find creative, thoughtful solutions together. That is our tradition and it may be our future. Thank you, >> Mr. President. If I could ask a clarifying question or if I can direct the question so that you can ask it. >> Okay. >> If you could um ask staff to come up with a timeline. And I know staff has been working with the schools that are being consolidated um and we have meetings there, but I'd really like to know as a schoolboard member when um our employees get a notice where they're going to be. I think that's important as um our employees. I'm a teacher, so I would want to know ahead of time because I make plans. I'm already planning for my next
132grade level. I'm I'm already saying, "Okay, where am I going to go next year? I I'm looking at my seniority list. Where teachers going where?" So, I know our teachers are thinking about this and they deserve to have an appropriate timeline to know to be notified where they're going. So, if you could ask that because we learned that I'm I'm directing it to you as president and then you can go ahead and ask. Thank you. >> Thank you, board member. I will work with staff to uh communicate these changes and where these features will be ending up and being more transparent in the process. But, thank you. >> And also, please notify us. >> We'll do. >> Thank you so much. >> Uh with that, we will go into public comment. >> Thank you, Mr.
133President persons wishing to address the board should fill out a card located on the table by the door and submit the completed card to the secretary. Speakers will be called in sequence during the public comment section or prior to the board discussion on an agenda item. The board shall provide one hour for speakers to address non-aggendaized items. Each speaker is limited to one presentation of five minutes or less. Those who have a group concern are encouraged to select a spokesperson to address the board. Should there be more than 15 speakers for non-aggendaized items, individual speakers shall be allowed three minutes to address the board. In order to ensure that non-English speakers receive the same opportunity to address the board, any non-English speaker who utilizes a translator shall be provided twice the allotted time to speak.
134Please remember that the board is unable to directly respond to comments made during the public comment section. In addition, the district does not verify the accuracy of the statements made during public comments. Persons wishing to address the board on a specific agenda item at the time the item is under discussion are limited to five minutes each and would be called to speak following the staff comments and prior to the board's discussion and taking action. The board shall provide 30 minutes for speakers to address agenda items. Should there be more than six speakers for agenda's items, individual speakers shall be allowed three minutes to address the board on the item. Adverse remarks about a person's race, ancestry, ethnic group identification, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender, mental or physical disability, or age may not
135be made. Please avoid remarks or charges which reflect upon the character, motives, qualifications, or ability of any school district employee, regardless if the identification is by name, position, or other reference. Such comments may be presented through the proper administrative channels set forth in bylaw 9323. We do have one speaker, Mr. President. Um, if we could have Janice vote and Janice, as you come up, you're going to see an iPad on the podium. I'm going to press the timer and you can see your time. You ready? [clears throat] Hello. Can you hear? >> Yes. >> Um, good evening board members and I see some city council members here as well. Uh, I'm a parent of a 10th grader at Cerritos High School. He swims with the Cerritos High School swim team and with Cerritos Aquatic Club.
136I'm one of the many voices here and there is a student aquatic safety petition circulating on February 1st um, 2026. All Cerritos High School students in the aquatic program were informed that the CPE uh aquatics facility would continue to be closed until further notice. The pool has been shut down since January 21st. For many years, uh students and families have raised concerns about the condition, safety, and reliability of aquatic facilities in our district. With these issues becoming especially prevalent and disruptive over the past four years, recent pool closures and facility failures have directly impacted students ability to practice, compete, and experience important milestones like home games. The closure has greatly impacted all area high schools as they have to share pool time at um Artisia High School. We call for immediate action, transparent communication, and
137long-term investment in safe, equitable aquatic facilities to ensure all students have safe have access to safe, functional, and supportive athletic environments and to ensure situations like this do not continue to impact future students. And that's all I have to say. Thank you. >> Yeah, thank you for sharing. Uh Dr. Zirillo, uh would you please follow up and report to the board? Thank you very much. >> There are no more public comments, Mr. President. >> Thank you, board member Mendoza. Uh consent calendar. May I have a motion to approve the consent calendar? Second. Tatiana. >> Is there anyone who wishes to remove any item to be considered separately? >> Uh, seeing none. Please note that during the student board representative committee, a preferential yes vote was cast for consent item 3.1 C, 3.2 C, 3.3 C,
1383.6 C without any additional comments. Uh, if there are no other items to be pulled, uh, can I get all those in favor, please say I. I. >> I. Motion passes. 70. >> President, can we take a short three minute break? >> Okay. >> 3 minutes. >> We'll take a three-minut break. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Hey, Heat. [music] >> [music] >> All right. [music] >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. N. [music] >> [music] >> Hey. Hey. Hey. Heat. Hey. Hey. Hey. [music] Hey, [music] hey, hey. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Mayor of Cerritos, Frank Yokoyama. Thank you for being here tonight. >> Thank you. I would also like to share he shared some positive news about the pool situation. So, we will get that communicated and work with
139the city of Certo. So, thank you for being here and sharing that with me. I also want to remind uh our community here in attendance and those who have a public comment card for item 2.4A. Uh that item was pulled and will not be on tonight's agenda. So, just as a reminder, item 2.4A 4 A will not be in the agenda. [applause] Uh we will begin action items uh 1.1A. May I have a motion for the following? [clears throat] The board to consider all options and provide direction to staff for a seamless transition of sixth grade students into middle school path as it applies to Whitney High School. >> Tatiana emotions. >> Second. Mendoza. >> Mr. Win. Thank you, President Yolo Nyola. Good evening. Um, at the last meeting, um, was an information item regarding
140Whitney High School configuration, uh, where we present, uh, different options for the board to consider and, uh, get feedback from the public. Um, we're provide directions by the board, uh, to, uh, you know, get clarification on different option, add an additional option for the board to consider. considered that's option one B1 uh request of a board member. So tonight with you uh we have um in front of you the configuration of Whitney right with the approved um consolidation plan with the approved moving sixth grade to middle school. The question now is what will Whitney High School look with the configuration beginning in uh the school year 2720. So on page I'm beginning on page 116 in the board packet um there are options for the board to consider A B1 and C. So these are
141the four options based on the feedback that we received from the board from the last meeting, right? Um you're not limited to these options really, but you want to make amendments or introduce new options uh and provide directions for staff to consider uh we will uh or to to to move forward with that may do that through the amendment process. Um there there's a timing issues uh that you know do not take action tonight which you know it's it's it's your prerogative. Uh we there could be timeline issues but we'll work around that or we'll work with you or we'll keep you informed because if we have to do renovations with facilities there's lengthy process with the state DSA the division of state architect and the planning and the bidding process. So we'll move forward
142with that and we have different options for the board and that's in front of you. We are here to answer questions that have this item. So that's that's the support from from staff. >> Thank you, Mr. Win. And I just remind our audience that for public comment, we will have three minutes per speaker. And I ask if we can please refrain from clapping, cheering, and booing while our public comment is speaking and just to give everybody a chance to share. So thank you. Oh, can I have a motion to extend public comment on this action item? >> So, ma, >> how long? An extra hours to public comment. Second. All those in favor? >> I. >> Thank you, Mr. President. So, we do have a couple of public comments. If I could have Rick Taus
143come to the podium. he'll be number one. Eileen Perry, if you could be ready, you're number two. And Virginia Keith, your number three. Um, you have three minutes on the podium. >> Good evening, board members and Dr. Zitlo. My name is Rick Torres. I'm a Whitney alumni, proud parent of two Whitney 7th graders, and a spouse of a current uh Whitney faculty member. Uh, you've seen me up here a few times, and I continue to appreciate you setting aside time to discuss the proposed ch proposed changes to Whitney High School. Uh when I was here last month, I asked why we haven't gotten feedback from teachers and administrators regarding the proposed changes. Uh now I look at who we have seated in the uh audience and waiting their turns to speak and I'm excited. Uh
144we have a group of engaged teachers who would love to offer their unique perspective into how Whitney works and how the proposed options would affect the current and future students. Uh I don't believe the consultants ever met with the Whitney faculty before they made their suggestions. Yes, we have reports and suggestions from the consultants, but I would argue that they are incomplete uh without understanding of what makes Whitney so successful. We have faculty with decades of experience, not only teaching, but teaching at Whitney. We have faculty who are Whitney alum who have kids who have gone or are currently going to Whitney. Uh with the board's experience and uh this group of faculty, I think we have an amazing set of tools to help in making these challenging decisions. Uh we do have some new
145ideas that have been adding to configuration options and there have been some creative out of the box options that have recently been sent over to the board. I think that after hearing uh the speakers tonight and the new options, it would benefit everyone involved to hold a single study session to thoroughly evaluate option B1 and the options that will be presented tonight and the additional creative ones that were sent over. Uh a deep dive including Mr. Mr. Nuan and his staff. Uh the understanding of the financial impact uh and the district-wide student impact is crucial as we only have one shot at this reconfiguration. Uh after the single study session, the options will have then been fully vetted and subsequent vote can proceed forward knowing that no stone no stone has been left unturned. Thank
146you. >> Thank you Eileen Perry. Good evening, board president Noyola, board pres board members Dr. Zitlo and members of the community. Hello, my name is Eileen Perry and I am a member of the Whitney family in many different capacities. I am an alumni. I'm a biology teacher for 28 years there. My husband is a social studies teacher and both of our sons are proud Wildcats. Um, I'm here with a group of staff from Whitney High School to speak on the topic of reconfiguring Whitney High School. Declining enrollment or any form of contraction is a distressing problem to face for any school district and we want to thank the board for leading us through this challenging time. We at Whitney understand that change is necessary and some difficult decisions need to be made in the interest
147of all ABC students. The Whitney Foundation did a wonderful job of reaching out to Whitney alumni and surveyed them regarding the proposed reconfiguration options. The overwhelming sentiment was that they wanted to leave the school untouched. While we the teachers and staff agree with them in principle, as a Whitney staff, we fully understand that the current climate of constant decreased enrollment requires some changes to occur. We feel that the inclusion of faculty input and ideas in the current options provided by the consultants would give our students the best chance of success through these inevitable changes. With that being said, we have spent time as a staff constructing a proposal that we feel meets the needs both of Whitney and the district as a whole. The Whitney teachers are here tonight unified in one message. We do
148not want to be separated between two campuses. At the same time, we are not resisting growth. We believe Whitney's success can and should be used to generate revenue that benefits every student in this district. We do not believe that the choice must be between bringing sixth graders onto Whitney campus or allowing permit students. The responsible solution is to do both. And that is why we support option B1 with some modifications. We also believe that if the district chooses to expand permit enrollment, it should be structured in a way that strengthens our entire K12 system. One option would be to require permit students to attend a district elementary school for at least three years before applying to Whitney or give priority to those students that have attended an elementary school from out of the district. This
149approach would help build enrollment and therefore revenue beginning at the elementary level. In other words, Whitney's success could support the district financially starting in early grades, not just in the secondary level. Thank you for your time. Next is Virginia Keith and then after Virginia, if we could have Dr. Rose uh Sha prepare and Matt Johnson and area >> Ariel and thank you. >> All right. Good evening, board member, President Nyola, board members, superintendent Dr. Zitlo, and community members. My name is Virginia Keith. I am a proud uh product of this district going to Gonzalez Elementary and Whitney High School. I am a proud mom of two ABC students, and I have been teaching at Whitney for over 28 years. The Whitney teachers believe proposal B1 is an excellent compromise of keeping Whitney united on one
150campus and using Whitney success to generate revenue through allowing permit students. We support this proposal but feel the numbers in our proposal which we will call the modified B1 proposal better maximize revenues without adding any unnecessary costs or risks. I'd like to explain the math of my proposal. Many people hear the number 165, the number of seventh graders we admit and assume it's arbitrary. But it's not. That number comes from our contract. Our contract says that the maximum size of an English class is 33 students and we have five sections of English. So you multiply 5 time 33 and you get that magic number of 165. Our English classes fill every single allowable seat. In our proposal, we want to keep those same 165 seats for district residents and add 20 permit students per grade
151level. That brings each grade to 185 students. And here's where that ma number matters. 185 students divided across six sections equals an average of 31 per class. And 31 is the number in our contract that determines staffing. If a school averages fewer than 31 students per class, the district is effectively paying for teachers with underenrolled sections. This is not fiscally efficient. At the high school level, schedules work a little different. Students have choices with multiple course levels such as world history honors or AP world history. And this does require additional seats. The data we've provided on the data analysis page that I have provided for you shows we currently have the capac capacity in core classes to absorb additional high school students without any increase in staffing. That means those additional permit students generate revenue
152with no added cost. At 185 students per grade, we stay aligned with contractual averages. We use teachers efficiently, avoid unnecessary staffing costs, and generate revenue from permit students. This is responsible budgeting. Modified proposal B1 has the potential to generate even more than the $1 million projected in proposal B1, and it is the proposal we proudly stand behind. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Next is Dr. Rose Sha. Good evening board uh board president Noyola, board members Dr. Zitlo and community members. My name is Dr. Rosalen Shay and I've served in our district for 31 years. Now let's compare our modified schedule with opening a second middle school, Whitney Middle School. A second campus requires duplicating overhead. another administrative team, secretarial and custodian staff, and ongoing maintenance. Even if every projected permit seat is filled,
153total revenue depends on consistently hitting enrollment targets, which is not guaranteed. There is also no evidence that splitting Whitney Middle School and high school model will preserve the academic outcomes we currently seek and achieve. No district in California operates a comparable model. Splitting Whitney into two camp campuses would assume both financial and academic risk. If outcomes decline, we risk losing Whitney's reputation, and with it, the marketability and demand that drive the revenue we seek. Bringing additional students onto our existing campus involves primarily one-time facility adjustments, much of which we believe would be covered by reallocating Measure M BB bond uh funds. If our goal is to generate revenue in the most coste effective way and with the least financial and academic risk, then the clear solution is keeping Whitney together and expanding on the current
154Whitney campus. Please understand, Whitney is not just a campus. It is a successful system that works. Whitney works academically. Whitney works financially. And as always, Whitney works for this district successfully. If we divide Whitney and the results decline, we cannot undo that decision. We cannot regain lost rankings or lost enrollment demand. However, if we expand Whitney thoughtfully on one campus, we will preserve what makes Whitney strong. This is not about resisting change. It's about protecting a proven model. Please do not gamble with Whitney High School, the number one school in California. Keep Whitney whole. Keep Whitney together. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next is Matt Johnson. >> Good evening, board president Noiola, board members, Dr. Zitlo, and members of the community. I'm Matt Johnson, a 15-year teacher at ABC and a 12-year teacher at Whitney
155High School, where I teach physics and artificial intelligence. I would like to speak to our concerns about the operational realities of moving Whitney Middle School to the Sters campus as discussed in plan C. It's a creative proposal, a short walk between the campuses, no major streets to cross, giving more real estate to a successful program to grow more. It sounded like a good idea to me when I first heard it, honestly. But the city block containing Whitney and Sters was not built with this in mind. Students would need to leave their gated campus, cross through the neighborhood, the streets, public park, then enter another gated campus. The shephering students between the campuses by district employees is impractical and costly. An unsupervised commuting of students is terribly risky and may open the district up to legal
156um action. should any harm come to any student. In addition, many of our club and extracurricular activities occur at lunchtime and during the school day. So being away from the high school campus would no longer allow middle school students to be able to take part in these opportunities. Participating in programs after school is also challenging given that middle school schedules are not the same as high school schedules by contract. Therefore, we believe that collaboration between this Whitney Middle School and Whitney High School in the way it is done now as a matter of course will not be possible and that the relationship between the two schools were most closely resemble Whitney's current relationships with its neighboring schools while still positive is considerably less active. Right now in my camp, my classes, I have 11th graders
157that I have been working with since they were in seventh grade through programs such as robotics and TEDex. And I just don't see that continuing if we split the campuses. My colleague Ariel would like to speak in more depth about what we would lose should we go this route. >> Ariel, can you say your last name for me? Improa >> improa. Thank you. >> Good evening board president Noyola, vice president Yokoyama Buouie, board members Dr. Zitlo, and members of the community. My name is Ariel Emproa. I am the theater and dance teacher at Whitney and a Whitney alumni. I would like to continue with Matt's comments on the impact our school would experience if proposal C is adopted. Although to some moving our middle school students off-campus may not seem like a big cost, we
158would like to emphasize that Whitney does not operate as if it is two separate schools on one campus. All of our middle school teachers also teach high school. 25 of our 42 teachers teach both middle school and high school courses. Advanced middle schoolers often take courses with upperassmen, particularly advanced math and language courses. Middle school students take elective courses like broadcast media, band, theater, stage craft, and ceramics with high school students. I structure my theater program around serving and developing students in grades 7 through 12 as one connected community of learners and artists. Our fall play and spring musical include both middle and high school cast and crew members. I have seventh graders running the lighting and audio boards with the help of 12th graders. I've had an eighth grader stage managing a district musical,
159a 13-year-old who was able to coordinate a district-wide production with 100 students, cast and crew, because she spent her entire seventh grade year training with high school students. We also have a 25-y year tradition of bottom locker productions where high school students direct one act plays starring middle school performers. They cast them, they run the entire rehearsal process, they run the show on their own, um, and they form relationships that extend beyond a single show. If middle school students are moved to a separate campus, these opportunities would be lost. Older students currently volunteer in timeintensive leadership roles such as such as science olympiad roles that would otherwise require additional adult staffing and expense. The opportunity for middle school students to get to know older student mentors, teachers, and administrators that they will work with throughout
160their time at our school is part of the fabric of Whitney. Being around older students who model academic excellence shows younger students what is possible and what is expected and it prepares them for the rigor of high school and offers high school students opportunities to be leaders and mentors. Thank you for your time. >> Next is uh Jod Improa and next after that we'll have Natalie Torres and Ryan Perry. >> Good evening board president Nyola, board members Dr. Zitlo and members of the community. I am Jodie Mroa. I served as the ASB director at Whitney for 28 years and a theater teacher for 38 years. I'm also a former Whitney parent. That was my daughter and also a product of the district. I went to sixth, seventh, and eighth grade at Tetsaf and I attended
161Artisia High School. Under option C, not only will our middle school students lose access to activities, mentorship, and relationships with our staff, they will also no longer have access to the facilities of a high school campus. Not only will they uh they will no longer be able to use our broadcast studio, theater, four science laboratory classrooms and our gym and they will be learning on a campus that is a modified elementary school. Even given the BB funds allocated, the modernization of Sters into a middle school campus will certainly not be able to replace our current Whitney students um the what what our current Whitney students are able to access. There's a serious infrastructure that will need to be built before Stars can operate as a middle school and the timeline provided is not realistic for
162the changes that need to be made to pass muster as a middle school campus. If out of district parents are choosing between their home school and sters, what incentive would they have to choose a modified elementary school? Another benefit to having middle school and high school students on the same campus is the streamlined continuity of curriculum as the students move from middle school to high school. One of the reasons our students are so successful is because the teachers collaborate and can guarantee rigor and curriculum because the academic program is designed and controlled from the seventh grade all the way through the 12th grades. This is the same for the counseling team. In addition, the counseling team is more knowledgeable because our middle school is not in a vacuum by itself, but in continuum high school
163and a goal of college admission with a six-year plan or seven-year plan and not just in trying to graduate middle school. Lastly, w middle school students under option C would lose nearly an hour of instruction every school day. The current middle school students at Whitney operate on the same bell schedule as the high school students. The additional time helps our students to prepare for high school and certainly affects academic performance. Contractually, the middle school schedule is approximately 1 hour shorter than the high school hours, which would effectively result in a cumulative loss of over 160 hours or 10,000 minutes of instruction per school year. To put it in a different way, our middle school students get one extra hour over every other uh middle school student because they're on the high school schedule. For all
164of these reasons, we believe proposal C is not in the best interest of our students. However, we'd like you to consider a proposal that Whitney staff has generated that addresses the needs of Whitney students and the need of our district as a whole, which is why Whitney students favor the modified B1 proposal overse. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you, Natalie Torres. Good evening, board president Nyola, board members Dr. Zitlo, and members of our community. Thank you for taking the time to listen to our comments. We deeply appreciate your time and energy in endeavoring to make our district as good as possible for all of our children. My name is Natalie Torres. I too am a Whitney teacher as well as a Whitney alum and my two children attend Whitney. I'm also a product
165of the ABC school district and was proud to graduate from Nixon many, many years ago. Um, I've had the privilege of working at Whitney for the past 19 years with many of the wonderful people in the audience who are here in support of our school. Um, I am also against proposed option C and in support of the modified B1 option presented by Virginia. I along with many of my fellow teachers who I'm so very proud to work with combined efforts to prepare these statements and fully support what Matt, Virginia, Eileen, Jod, uh Ariel, and Rosellen have said before me. I would just like to say on behalf of our staff that we would love to be a valuable resource to help formulate the best path forward for Whitney restructuring. We can appreciate that this change
166has a lot of moving parts and we hope to be given the opportunity to contribute to this massive undertaking. We just like you want what is best for our current and future students. And by that we do not mean just our Whitney kids because our school is the only junior high in the district that takes students from every elementary school. Our kids are your kids and each of you in turn represents Whitney. We believe that the proposal we presented tonight allows what is best for our school and for our district as a whole and strongly encourage you to adopt our modified B1 option. Thank you for your time and consideration. >> Thank you, Ryan Perry. >> Good evening, board president Noyola, board members, Dr. Zitto, and those in attendance. My name is Ryan Perry and
167I'm speaking to you today as a concerned student of Whitney High School regarding the suggested separation of middle schoolers from our campus. Middle schoolers play a vital role in campus dynamics and their inclusion is a key reason as to why Whitney students are able to thrive as high schoolers. They are given unique opportunities that no other middle school can provide and they are given access to the exceptional programs that make Whitney such an incredible environment conducive to education. These programs such as robotics club and the science olympiad are some of the main reasons why people choose to come to Whitney. As middle schoolers, we are given many opportunities to try these different programs and see which academic paths are right for us. Some high school classes are able to be taken by middle schoolers, including
168foreign language, drama, and media production, giving middle schoolers a jump start on their high school career. As a member of the award-winning drama department since 7th grade, I have been given opportunities to participate in many different activities. is normally reserved for high schoolers, including the Macy Awards. Through the encouragement of familiar teachers and experienced upperassmen, I've continued my drama pursuits throughout my high school career, and I've been able to flourish because of our amazing campus environment. Without the support and opportunities I received as a middle schooler, I would not have been able to develop my skills as much. Many of my peers have reported similar experiences in programs such as robotics, ASB, science, Olympiad, band, and media production. The upper classmen also play a crit critical role in the learning process as they often act
169as mentors or guides to the middle school students. This is a mutually beneficial relationship as the middle schoolers become more proficient in their areas of study while the high schoolers learn important skills such as leadership, communication, and teaching skills. For example, as a member of the cross country team, we would often help supervise the middle school cross country team, providing useful info for training exercises and showing up to help support during meets. This kind of unique environment encourages students to continue programs into high school as they are already familiar with the teachers and other students and have learned from their older peers. The incorporation of sixth graders as outlined by option B would only strengthen this process as younger students would be able to figure out their academic interests earlier and potentially start career paths
170at a younger age. This would lead to more capable, proficient students who know what they want to pursue and have a greater grasp on their skill set. Without middle schoolers, I feel that I fear that Whitney would fall from its position as one of the best schools in the nation. Whitney is such a tight-knit community, and we would be happy to expand that community to sixth graders and additional permit holders rather than smother it by separating into two separate campuses. For the benefit of the students, both young and old, we support a variation of option B1 for the future of Whitney High School. Thank you for your time. >> Thank [applause and cheering] you. Next. Next, can we have Adam Khan? And after that, we'll be Rajan Buddha. I hope I said your name correctly.
171>> My name is Adam Khan. I'm a tenure professor at Cal State Long Beach, where I teach quantitative research methods and lead programs focused on equitable pedagogy. ABC students become my students. I'm here in support of a different option to expand Whitney, one that keeps sixth grade in elementary school and instead repurposes an existing middle school campus to house a Whitney Middle School. Based on my training in quantitative research methods, I want to reiterate what the peer-reviewed evidence actually shows about grade configurations. In high quality nationwide studies conducted over the last two decades, the findings are consistent over time and across diverse districts. Placing sixth grade in middle schools produces meaningful academic, behavioral, and socioeotional harms. These effects impact all students, including those at Whitney, but they are larger for students who are already academically
172in risk, which widens equity gaps further. And despite claims, no highquality peer-reviewed studies demonstrate that the proposed mitigations will reduce these harms. Reconfiguration is still vulnerable to declining enrollment. Middle school grade sizes will shrink over time even with sixth grade. And one campus could quickly drop below 400 total students even after reconfiguration. In the process, removing sixth grade from elementary school also accelerates enrollment decline at elementary schools, particularly title one schools. Therefore, rather than reconfiguring middle school, a more stable way to address district enrollment would be to keep sixth grade in elementary school and repurpose an existing middle school campus to incorporate a Whitney Middle School. This could occur either through full conversion of a campus or through colllocation with a co comprehensive middle school. Both approaches avoid introducing the harms associated with reconfiguration and
173can help strengthen enrollment across the remaining comprehensive middle schools without harming elementary enrollment. Importantly, repurposing an existing middle school into Whitney Middle School is also more cost-effective than other expansions proposals as it requires little to no additional facilities or BB funding. It would strengthen both elementary enrollment and comprehensive middle school enrollment. And unlike elementary disruptions which affect students across multiple grades, at most one cohort of students would be affected by this plan. Most importantly, the research is clear that keeping sixth grade in elementary school is better for students. Reconfiguration will substantively harm all students, but it will particularly harm the most academically vulnerable students. Many of those students are at the elementary schools currently being consolidated, which disproportionately serve Latino, black, and lowincome communities. While splitting Whitney definitely has trade-offs, for the good of the
174district overall, I urge the board to keep sixth grade in elementary school and instead pursue a more cost-effective Whitney expansion through the repurposing of an existing middle school campus. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next is Rajan. Can you say your last name for me? >> I got it right. >> Yeah, you did. >> Thank you. >> Let me know start. >> You can go ahead. >> All right. Good evening, uh, President Noya and members of the board as well as, uh, superintendent. I'm actually a proud uh, parent of Whitney student, first time seventh grade and a longtime service resident. And as previously stated by the faculty and a lot of the members here, I highly recommend um pursuing B1 modified option. And the main reason is because Whitney has been successful for two main reasons.
175It's the culture that has cultivated over the years that allowed the students to perform at a high level and also encouraged the incoming students to be be integrated into the process from day one from 7th grade to 12th grade. And personally, my daughter, she's seventh grade right now, and she has been encouraged to continue at Whitney through and through and achieve higher grades. And not only is this the beneficial to us, but it's also beneficial to the ABC Unified School District because the ABC Unified School District goes as where uh uh the school goes right now. In addition to that, this option is the the most economical option because the fact that all the facilities that you have at campus is geared towards facilitating for middle school. Therefore, you're not you're not expensing any more
176capital cost. We, my wife and I completely oppose the option of C for two main reason. One, as a parent, we're very concerned about having compromised safety for our kids traveling back and forth from campus. And again this is also going to be impacting both faculty and students as they have to do it on a daily basis. This is going to be loss of of valuable hours for learning session. So from that perspective I think we completely oppose C and we in favor of B1. Thank you. In addition I just have one more comment. As far as a parent of a of a fourth grade students going into fifth. Um, one thing that concerns is that there has been a lack of information on how the school district plans to administer entry exams for incoming
177sixth grader into Whitney. Uh, the tests are typically taken in in October and we have yet to hear any information on it. So from a parents perspective, we definitely want to have this information as soon as possible so we can prepare those kids in coming into the school and and that's again looking at from the barement of the students taking the test parents who invest so much time into it and also the faculty that may have to deal with it. So that that's it. Thank you. >> Thank you. [applause] Next gate uh is Andy Shei and after that will be uh former school board member Celia Spitzer. You'll be after and then after that will be Eddie Saledo. >> Mr. Andy, did I say your last name correct? >> Uh we pronounce it Shay. >>
178Shay. Okay. Thank you. Andy Shay. >> Good evening and happy new year. Um, I prepared five minutes of comments, but I only have three, so I'll share what I can. Um, so this year, as Whitney celebrates its 50th anniversary, we remember the words of our visionary teacher, Bill Robbie, who was instrumental in creating Whitney's program and also uh forming the ideas that went into our school's mission statement. Uh, the mission statement says, and I quote, "Whitney High School represents ABC's commitment to alternative education for high achieving students." Why alternative education? Well, we as teachers have been trained to provide differentiated instruction to meet the needs of all students in our classes. In our classes, we have students with uh multiple different learning styles. We have English learners. We have students with IEPs and 504 accommodations.
179We have students who can master the material if they're given a little more time or a little more help or a little more practice. And they all have specific needs. And we have the accelerated learners who amaze us with their depth of knowledge and our evidence-based training has told us that they too have specific needs. Uh in the US, 32 states require gifted and talented education. In fact, uh there are several large states like Pennsylvania and North Carolina that mandate uh IEPs for their gifted students. Here in California, GATE funding has devolved to local control. So, it's the districts who are responsible for implementing their own programs. And here at ABC, um, that commitment is manifested most uniquely at Whitney High School. Whitney is not a charter school where, uh, we take money away from
180the rest of the district. Um, there's a misconception that we're treated special and we get extra funds, but actually we we get the same per pupil funding that everyone else does. And in fact, if the board votes to approve a modified option B1, Whitney can not only pay for its own new classroom construction, but over the long term become a source of permanent revenue to the district. But this can only happen if you let us continue to thrive through our singlepurpose small school six-year model. Um through our surveys, we shared them with the preliminary results with you last month. The final results show by an almost 2 to1 margin uh the expertise of the alumni and current families many of whom don't have a stake but they're sharing with you their lived experience. They say
181please don't split Whitney up and ruin the magic that has um been taking place for the past 50 years. I'm out of time so thank you. >> Thank you. And now we have uh former school board member Nia Spitzer. >> Good evening. Um Whitney was originally the Whitney Learning Center and offered programming and classes for people in grades 4 through 12. It later became Whitney High School for grades 7 through 12. Sometimes change is necessary. ABC will be um adding I this is handwritten usually I have it print on a computer I didn't have time to do it um my husband said am I going to be able to read it um adding grade six to middle schools and yes I I totally supported that before and that the middle school should be 68 and
182because the others would be Whitney should be the same way I completely agree with that um most of the current suggestions are to keep Whitney for or to make it 6 6 through 12. Those suggestions require significant expenditures. However, the whole purpose of school closure was to reduce expenses. I have two suggestions. Um, I want to preface it. I I really like what the uh Whitney staff and the people have come up with. This is another modification. This would save money or not cause the need to bring in the the portables. Um, one is to modify plan B, maybe we should call it B2, um, by red having the enrollment in each grade 6 through 12 the the total enrollment to keep it within Whitney's current capacity. Therefore, you would not need to have [clears
183throat] the um additional uh classrooms. you might have to do some reconfiguring within Whitney because I know those those walls move a lot. I subbed there years ago. This is in keeping with the significant enrollment decrease in ABC since Whitney's current inception and would secure little or no modification at the school require little or no modification. Another thing could be to modify option C by making Whitney a true 912 and not having Whitney having 68 at all. 68 would be split up obviously the other five middle schools high school and not creating a new middle school. Definitely they shouldn't be two campuses. The current five middle schools could absorb these numbers and then Whitney would have far more room for resident students as well as permit students thereby generating income. In conclusion, the two options
184I have suggested should be considered before you make a decision as to the grade configuration and enrollment at Whitney, which would not begin until 2728. That's not happening this year. Um, so I think you should wait and take these other suggestions into mind before you make a decision. So don't do it tonight. Thank you, Eddie Salceo. >> Uh, good evening, president, board members, and superintendent. Uh my name is Eddie Saledo and I am a proud Whitney alum uh as well as a Kennedy Kangaroo and a current resident of uh an ABC school district student. Um I want to start with something clear. I agree that the school closures were necessary. They needed to take place. Um district enrollment is declining. We obviously know and the cost choices leave us few choices. Um I also agree
185with another hard truth. ABC needs to stabilize stabilize enrollment that may include some growth from outside the district through lawful transparent processes. But here is what I will not accept. Growing enrollment on the back of our own kids, especially the kids who have been historically neglected and especially the kids who are now being disrupted by closures, boundary changes, and school moves. If the district is going to expand Whitney or whatever choice you make, then the procedures must be designed with one priority. Our in district students come first and they get a real fair visible chance to earn admission because right now the outcomes are telling us something that we've got a serious equity problem. Let's talk about one number that everyone should understand in this room. According to the California Department of Education certified enrollment
186report for 2324, ABC Unified is 45.5% Hispanic Latino, but Whitney is 12.4% Hispanic Latino. That is not a small gap. That is not a normal variation. That is a Gulf, a 33% difference. At the same time, ABC Unified is 23.7% Asian, while Whitney is 62.7% Asian. Now, I'm not disparaging any of the kids that are there. They deserve the respect and they deserve to be there. But I am saying this. When a district is nearly half Hispanic, but its flagship AC academic school is barely 1/8 Hispanic, the board has a duty to ask why and to fix this procedure that produces that result. because it's not a credible claim to say that Hispanic kids or black kids or underrepresented kids simply can't score. In the 23 24 incoming 7th grade list, admission breakdowns were Leo
187had 27 kids while Kennedy Elementary School had two. The feeder schools 51 admits tied to Carmenita, 40 45 ti tied to Tesloff and 18 to Fetty and to Ross. You have to ask yourself why. Is it access? Is it teaching? Is it neglect? This board, whatever you decide to do in terms of expansion of Whitney, whether it's B, which by the way, these are really smart teachers. You should probably listen to them, not to some consulting company that had one clear goal in mind. Listen to the teachers. And while you do that, make it transparent because there is no way. >> Thank you, Mr. Sedo. There is no way that this discrepancy can be continued. Thank you. >> Thank you. Our last speaker is Kira uh Choan and he will be our last speaker. Mr.
188President, >> good evening board. President Niola, board members, staff. First of all, happy new year. Happy Chinese New Year. I am going to speak to option C. You need to expand your brand with me. Okay. There are good reasons to do 628. Part of the pressure that this district faces is how do you accommodate kindergarten TK UTK on top of 1 2 3 4 5 6. So we have in growing pressure at the elementary school that needs to be pushed off middle. This is a practical matter. So Whitney having a middle school is not this is not the first configuration of a split campus. I do agree with the staff with one. There should only be one Whitney principle. I don't want to see two principles that I one principle with the AP that sits
189over there. There can be true vertical articulation. For too long, students who have attended ABC but did not reside in the district were denied access to Whitney High School. It is also within my lifetime that people were denied access to water fountains. I'm asking you to ensure that students are given access to the fountain of knowledge which is Whitney High School. If they are giving you money and which they have your revenue, this district relies on students from out of the district. So therefore, do write by them. Give them access to Whitney. What is a million dollars? 70 students. You're not going to do that with a plan B, B1. It's your choice at the end of the day. You have to go with C. C is a true expansion of number of students that
190will attend Whitney. You're going from 1,200 students to approximately 1,600. It is your only viable option. 15 students are the same students who probably might have made it to other ABC campuses. If you want to do right mathematically and increase your revenues, increase the number of students who actually attend ABC, your most practical option is option C. Thank you. >> [laughter] >> See, no more public comments. Uh, do I have any board discussion? >> Board member Nishi. >> Thank you, Mr. President. >> I'm really torn by what I've heard. Actually, I didn't see this modified option B1 proposal. So, um, I, you know, I think it's, uh, actually very credible. I don't know what the cost of this particular proposal is. um I imagine is somewhere closer to option B1 maybe four to $6 million
191I don't know um that's something that Juan would probably hash out and um also I would like to if if this was a thought that we would have that we'd have a little bit more in high school for residents because as um the previous speaker uh from the K Kennedy Kangaroo had indicated um you know we maybe we need to have more of a focus to some more people there just simply because I remember the high school offerings are kind of challenging, right? There's not so many kids, so you can only offer so many classes and so you only have a limited offering of each grade. They have specifically exactly the number of English students to teacher ratio. It is exact, right? Because they don't have any margin of error. They don't get any extra
192money because of it. Um, so modified B1 looks good except I would like to add uh some at the high school. I also wanted to kind of So the reason I'm I'm very much torn is um Whitney is a resource, but it's not a cash cow. Um, I want to have the best academically for Whitney, but also I want Whitney to not just be an island all by itself. because if it's an island all by itself, it's only 1,000 students out of a district of 17,000. Um, so one of my concerns about when we went to 678, uh, although I am the one who who put that forth was that it makes it difficult for a lot of our elementary schools to survive. Title one, I think somebody had indicated title one uh, elementary schools
193would be have some challenges. Carver, Elliot, um those two schools if we took away their sixth grade and I tried to add a little bit to their base area, but unfortunately I can see that they would be dropping down to the 300 level within just a few short years because they don't have an attendance area and we cut off their sixth grade. So I have heard uh a thought not just for Whitney but also for the district as a whole, right? Not just I mean Whitney is very important but I think it could also benefit Whitney as well. The thought was the collocation idea where you go 78. Um you enable the students at whatever school that is selected as the collocation school to kind of interact to see what are what makes Whitney great
194and see if those some of those skills can be cross cross-pollinated. I don't know how successful that will be, but the thought is and I wanted to see if there's board uh action or thought on this. Um something like that since it's already middle school wouldn't cost any money or it wouldn't be substantial because we already have underutilized middle schools. Some that are very underutilized. I think we have one middle school that's only 400 students. That's that's barely enough per grade level. And that's why we decided to expand. But if we were not to do the expansion, um this might be a thought where we would at that one middle school since we're going to still have five comprehensive middle schools. We're not closing one. Uh that the one where it's colllocated with Whitney would
195not take out of district or school of choice kids because then it would take away from the other schools. This is just a school for the residents in that specific area and the Whitney students. so that they would have a collocation, they would have the middle school facilities. Um, I don't know how to get around the argument that uh the the Whitney Middle School gets more hours except that maybe all of our middle schools should have a little bit more hours, right? Because clearly there's some sort of success there. Um, but that is uh my thought. I'm hoping or wondering if there would be a a second to adding a a C1 option which would go 78 or the entire district uh which would enable Carver and Elliot and some of those lower populations schools
196to survive a little bit longer um and um collocate Whitney but if there you know just this is just thought as it relates to the entire district that that's what I'm thinking about this is this is about Whitney need, but it's also about everybody else. Um, but in the alternative also a modified B1 is not is seems like a pretty good option as well. But I just don't know the cost of option B1. We don't have right now. We don't have money. That is the problem. Like I would love to invest more money, but we don't have it. That's why U board member Mendoza was very uncomfortable with spending $12 million at one location. I totally get that. when we're talking about salaries and everything else to spend $12 million on one site. Of course,
197Whitney is a school that I I I like, but um I have to consider other options, too. So, so that is my proposal, but if it dies without a second, I understand as well. >> Thank you. Um we'll have other board discussion unless there is a second. Okay, seeing none, uh, board member you. >> Thank you, President Niola. First of all, it is obvious that Whitney is doing something great because the past uh few board meetings, many parents came and shared advocated the value of uh attending school that is unique to Whitney, which is 7 to 12 and the uh mentoring program and all that you mentioned tonight was just so valuable. And I guess that's something that we can look into for other um middle schools as well because it's it's working well and
198especially even the alumni are you know coming out and sharing the value of that which is wonderful. Um however uh if we look at B1 turn to page 117 it says over time this option will reduce the total number of resident students by 70 and allows for app approximately 105 slots for interd district permit students. So currently our uh admission policy um no Whitney no out of school district students can uh take the Whitney test. That's the current policy. So this kind of you know there it kind of conflicts with each other. So that is one thing that I'd like to point out and I'd like to ask a question to Dr. Castro. Currently, does Whitney have any uh out of district students? >> Uh there's a provision in the admissions which allows for permanent
199ABCUSD employees will apply and those would be the only ones. >> The only ones, right? >> So, do you think that you can give us a very quick refresher course on the Whitney uh admissions >> policy? Yes. >> How how are the students selected in throughout the entire district? So after the completion of the assessments um which includes a writing test, a English test and a math test, students are ranked top 20 from each geographic middle school feeder. So it's a listing from top 20 of Fetty, 20 of Ross for each middle. Correct. After we look at the top 20 for each middle school, so this is the geographic attendance middle school. Then we offer two offers of admission and uh at each elementary that's the additional 52 spots. So then we look at each
200elementary school and for students who did not make it into the top 20 based on the middle school then we look at the next people on the list. So it would be the top two at each elementary but 14 of the largest schools receive an additional offer. Some schools receive three offers. They have larger population students. So and that is based on the attending elementary. So they have to be attending that school to receive an offer of >> ad. And so the admission policy has been reviewed systematically, right? >> Yes. >> Yeah. So right now that is our admission policy and um it it is a little bit complicated. So I think that it is worthwhile for board members to sort of uh meet up with Dr. Castro to to really understand the policy. So
201we know that it is um applied to the entire district giving opportunity for all the students and um I visited Whitney open house and was invited with the Whitney Foundation and we had some heated discussion and uh I was able to it was good to listen and hear the perspective of the parents and um alumni and the teachers tonight and there is a consistent consistent message that keep the school the the students together. Yeah. Keep middle school and high school together. Yeah. So the thing is um with option one option A so option A is doing nothing and that is the easiest thing. I wish we can do that too but that is not possible because the rest of the district is going towards moving shifting sixth grade to the middle school. So option B
202obviously you know option A doesn't work. So option B is just increasing adding the sixth grade. Yeah. Which which is not going to work for the in light of the whole district. So I would like to propose I don't know if we're going to be able to make any decision tonight, but go with the option C. And where's Tuan? Most difficult job at this stage. Is there a way to find build build classrooms so that we can house um six through 12 on one campus. Yeah. So, so is uh we're throwing ideas. So, can you come up with um a possibility to do that? Can Can we please allow Can we please allow staff to answer the question? Thank you. >> I want to repeat the question to make sure I understand the question before
203I answer the question. So the question is um keep Whitney on one campus >> 6 to 12 um similar to a B1 model but expanding but expanded so that we can accommodate more students. >> Yes. >> Right. So whether it's B1 or B2 as um suggested by uh you our teachers at Whitney or B3 now if you want to throw it out basically the same version but add more students >> uh onto the current Whitney campus. So let me address that. Right. So you have B1 right now that will potentially have to add six um modular uh classrooms mainly to accommodate the sixth graders are coming right if if if Whitney is taking on another grade level uh you have to add modular regardless of any modification or addition uh to to to include um
204uh students from outside the district. Should the board consider that under B1 to to add some provision whether it's 15 or 25 or 20 as recommended uh by uh the teachers uh that will that will create some space for that and that will bring in um additional revenues ongoing because where there's 105 or 140 that's that new students from outside the district. Right? So that's that and adding um if you want to bring the total um enrollment to $12.95 um per I'm going to call it B2 now for the lack of a better number. Uh then the addition there will be most likely two more classrooms instead of six it'll be eight uh you know uh we we can look at that and work with with with the school to to do that. it will
205be a little bit more than four million. Uh it could be five but like um there will be money from the measure BB that will not be used at Star Wars uh to to go toward that. Another point I want to make is that if we were with that uh if we were to go with that plan then that will free up Star Wars for other use right so that is a true revenue generation. So, I want to make sure that the board is aware of that. So, by going with option C, as we we said it in the report, right, there's there's one time cost of renovating u into middle school. Um, but there's also the loss of opportunity cost because you you can use that that site for other thing. if we were
206to um add sixth grade onto the Whitney campus. Now there's other factors we have to consider right traffic flow um you know Whitney the site itself is smaller than other companies have site school already is is that possible we have to work out all that logistic with the staff and with the city but uh B1 or B1 modify u both are doable uh there's not much different between B1 and B2 basically um you know Uh B1 is uh right now the way you see it is at 12:25 with 105 students from outside the district. B2 would keep uh resident students at 165 which is the current um um enrollment for 7 and 8 but right now 9 to 12 is 175. So I want to point that out. So there's potentially about 40 students uh
207over time resident students uh will not have that slot. But then on the other side we'll bring in 140 students. So so that that uh you know other than the staffing cost uh and and the one-time um facility cost you know we would uh have that benefit over time with with the modify B1. So I hope I answer your question. >> So I'm saying go with a C >> but with on one campus. So let's call B3 now. Yeah. >> Yeah. C on one campus. >> So basically you want to take Whitney to 1600 students. >> Yes. >> We can look at the logistic. We can look at creative ways >> uh of maybe a two-story building instead of one. Uh but like I said, traffic and parking and and you know it it it
208could be anywhere between 1225 under B1 and600. >> If the theme is to keep it 612 on one campus at Whitney, >> uh it could be any variation within that, >> right? uh and and that would freed up the the unused money for measure BB at Star Wars is sufficient uh to support the facility cost at the Whitney B1 or B2. Um uh and uh and that would free up sour for other facility uh you know other option for the board. me. So, >> so my point is because the funds will go into the permanent infrastructure uh that would bring a lot of value and also uh the ABC parents the residents the enrollment will also increase under B1 the ABC parent ABC community the enrollment reduces the parent we will have some >> correct
209so will be two. >> Yeah. So, >> so as as recommended by by by our teachers, uh there's very little keep it 165 once they get into sixth grade, but I mean seven or six, seven, and eight or 165 throughout. Uh so then uh there may be some and if you want to really analyze it depends on on the staffing formula in the contract at at at at um you know 185 may not be ideal but we'll make it work. >> Yeah. And my point, the reason for the option C is, you know, currently there's a lot of students in our elementary schools that are from out of district, but they are not given the opportunity to take the Whitney test, so they go to other schools like Oxford. So, we're kind of losing them.
210And secondly, you know, uh current student body of 160 students at the high school level, there is only so much classes that you can offer, especially the advanced courses, right? Um you know, other high schools, you know, have more opportunity to open up classes because, and this question can go to Dr. Castro, what is the minimum number of students that you need to have to open up classes? >> Well, the the number is dictated by the contract. So, typically we use additional funds to support starting up programs, >> but then to sustain it, we have to have enough students to at least support the contract number. >> Yeah. So both in middle school and high school the the increase in number can also expand it uh access to programming for the students. So that's that's
211my reasoning for the option C and if Tuan can look into that appreciate that. >> Thank you board member U. Um we are almost at 10:30. Can I get a motion to extend the board meeting? >> How long you want it? >> Second. Do we do we want it longer? >> I I think we need longer just simply because uh we also have uh several different policies to go through in this agenda. I'm thinking unfortunately tonight I hate to hate to extend it too far, but if we extend to midnight, >> I'd rather give us more time than we have extra time than not enough time. >> Yeah, we can we are only allowed one extension. >> Uh Dr. Rios, would you be okay extending to 12:00? Thank you. I have a second. >> Okay.
212>> Second. >> All those in favor, please say I. >> I. I. >> Thank you. So, meeting is extended till midnight. Um, I want to hopefully cut in and Bernie, if I wanted to bring back to your original motion. Um, your motion was to propose a modified B1 and add that as a viable option. And also your C option, your C1, let's call it, to a collocation. Is that adding it to our vote tonight? Yes, as a potential consideration, but if there's no second to it, then I understand as well. >> Okay. >> There was no >> board member Mendoza. >> Thank you, Mr. President. I'm going to make this kind of short and sweet. Um um when this idea of adding students to Whitney, I made this proposal at the very beginning to um
213have permits outside district and I also mentioned that we should have priority to um students who come to us at an early age and I'm still going to do that. So, I'm going to go with the option that the teachers proposed to us because I think that that is going to do two things. And there and I want to thank the Whitney community for coming out and being proactive and and and trying to work with us because ultimately you are the teachers who are going to be working with the students. So, if you want to max out your classroom to help us out, I I appreciate that. >> Um I I I I think it's time. Um I think our entire district is going through a change, right? We're clos We're we're doing consolidations. We're
214moving sixth grade to to middle school. So, I think Whitney is part of our district and I think they should help us out. Thank you. Um and for so many years, and I like some of the comments that were made for so many years, Whitney was not an option for students. Whitney was not an option for students who could not come and live in our district. Unfortunately, our district has become a district that in in in any district that they can't afford to live here. So why not give them the opportunity to come to one of Hold on to the best school, the best school in California. [applause] And I want to thank you for doing this work because it brings in 140 students. And if we can do in our policy that we include
215that you are given priority if you come to us kindergarten through third grade. If you spend three years with us because ultimately if you come to us if you come to ABC Unified in kindergarten and you stay kinder first, second, third, fourth and fifth, you're our kid. I'm sorry. You're a kid. You're not an out of district kid. You we own you. You belong to us. You are part of our family. And also I like that um Mr. Salo brought up that we also need to give priority to Latinos, to our our African-American students, because Whitney should still represent our district and it should look like us. And I want to thank you for that comment. Um, I do know that some of our students who are Latinos and African-Americans, there's other reasons why they
216don't accept the invitation. And I I I would like it very clearly say to them that they are welcome there. You have a choice. you should be there. So, and if we're going to spend um the measure BB fund, that's that's that's something that we can regain if we're going to go above 1 million annually over time. So, I'm going to let my colleagues know that I'm not going to support any other option except for option that the option that the teachers um proposed and that we make it in our policy that students get priority if they come to us at a younger age and they stay with us and that priority is given to our subgroups of students. That's it Mr. President. board member [applause] or member Macan or before I continue, do I
217have a second to add option B1 modified to our vote tonight >> from me? >> Second by Tatiana. So, we will vote on that at the end of discussion. Thank you. >> Finish the board comments first. Okay, we'll finish board comments and then we'll have >> an amendment. Board member Macan. >> Um, I really like the modified B1 or B2 as it's now called. Um, just I love the continuity between grade six and 12 at Whitney. Um, in the beginning, um, I was very concerned about the location of the portables, but Juan was, um, very, um, forthcoming with me and I I think where I see the location, I think it's it's very, um, doable. That one area that's a parking lot now, um, that's very rarely used, I think, can easily be classrooms. Um,
218and the other part of the field also, um, it doesn't take up a huge amount, um, of space on the on that field. and um interesting the part in the front of the school on Shoemaker. But um as a whole, I really like the proposal. I am a little bit concerned about the statement um going back to Lety um the statement about having kids come in early. I just don't want parents to think that just because they come in early from another district that it's going to be an automatic. They need that needs to be very clear um that your that your student is going to take the same test as everybody else in our district and then you may come in. I don't want them to come in thinking, "Oh boy, I'm in here
219in K and I'm going to automatically make it into K or into into Whitney." It's not going to happen. Um Mr. Saledo, I'm very concerned with the um the um ethnicity ethnic ethnicity of um of Whitney. I think that needs to be looked at. I'm I'm very concerned about that. Um um and unless I know that that's really going to be looked at, I I don't want to vote vote on this proposal. So, that's a really big concern to me. Um I think the cost is doable if we can do it out of BB. Um I see um many many positives. >> Thank you, board member Patton. Uh board member Rios. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Um I have three points to speak to. The first one is that um same thing. I wasn't exactly
220sure which proposal was going to was going to get my attention the most. We looked at all of them. Heard spoke to some people who had very strong opinions. Um but we're very responsive to our community and I too appreciate the staff of Whitney to um that came out and talked to us about their preferences, the students um because it matters. We want to hear from the people that this is going to impact. Um, I also appreciate the the comments of the professor that pointed out that there's research out there and as educational prof education professionals, I like to think that we consider um the data that's out there. Um, and the third point that I want to highlight is the equity issue. Every single time we talk about Whitney, that comes up. Um, we've
221talked about it in previous meetings. We've talked about it in um study sessions. We've had students come out and talk to us about the lack of uh diversity at Winnie and how they they would benefit and would love to see that expanded. So, thank you for um uh for that um shining the light on the equity. I think uh challenges provide opportunities. I think this is an opportunity for us to um consider that equity issue and see how we can address that um in in a better way. Um I so my friendly amendment to your proposal board member Mendoza is that I absolutely don't want these spots to go to outside residents. I think that Whitney is a celebration of um the kids in ABC and so u maybe you know established residency of three
222years to add to that proposal of B2 that we're considering. um those permit spots could go to the spaces that are going to be made at the schools who end up or additional spaces that are going to of students that are going to be brought on to to to Whitney. I mean, we have students lining up to come into schools like Leo where most of the students come from that enter Whitney. So, I think it's it's an opportunity all around. And so, I also like the B2 um proposal again with that caveat. [applause] So, do you accept? >> Okay. >> I think we're >> Can you Can you explain it further? I I think I'm understanding your amendment is that >> so these 140 permits, they don't they're not permits. They're for resident students. >>
223So, the purpose of having the permits is to generate funds >> which would be gotten when we those 140 spots are taken from our existing elementaryaries. the ones who who >> added kids. >> The added district kids who have been with us for uh a minimum of three years, >> right? Okay. >> Yeah, those are fine. >> Okay. >> Yeah, that's what I was talking about. The established residency of minimum of three years. >> Okay. >> So, they're not completely non resident students. There are students. >> Yes, they we I mean after a couple after I would say after three years if they continue with this like there are students they're dead. Okay. >> Um they would still be out out of district. They would be bringing us funds in elementary school and continuing all
224through high school. >> Okay. So maybe I misunderstood that these 140 would be to incoming sixth, seventh or whatever >> incoming brand new students to Whitney, >> but that is not the case. If I can explain it, I think you're adding a criteria for these outside permitted students to first establish I guess permanency uh permanent availability by being a by having uh three years at the district. >> Yes. >> Okay. Is that clear? >> It's kind of the same thing then. >> Okay. Moving on to board comment. Uh board member Nishi. >> Yeah. This will be really quick. Um, so I met with some parents that were very upset that uh we were quote unquote taking away residents spots. Um, and so I am >> in terms of this particular B1 uh or B2 proposal.
225Yes, for 678 165 is what we had before. So 165 is what is currently proposed. That will be probably acceptable to the residents. Um but unfortunately the high school previously had 175 >> correct. >> So I would modify that unfortunately to 175 so that the residents who are fighting for the spots don't suddenly go what happened to my kid trying to compete. Why why are we letting the outsiders in before my kids? You actually took away my spot for my kid. So I'd like to modify that back to 175. I know it doesn't quite math out perfectly. Um, but I'd like to uh increase it to that particular number. Um, because I know that the residents would be upset if we took away 40 of their spot. One, two, three, four, 40 of their spots.
226They would be extremely upset. That would probably be one more class, right? We would have to create or build for that, which would be an uh an impact on the budget. >> Okay. Uh just to clarify, board member Nishi, are you asking that we increase the in district number from the modified B1 to 175 and subtract 10 from the permitted or just increase the numbers overall? >> Just increase the numbers overall. But also I want to make sure so we have 20 permits, right? Uh how many like in this in the sixth grade right now? How many out of district kids are are attending schools at that particular grade level where they would make that decision >> roughly? No, I Right. So, we have let's say 1300 per grade level at at sixth grade right
227now. 1300 students total, right? 15% of whom are from outside the district of those students, right? So, roughly I'm going to say 175 uh of of the 1300 are permit students right now. Does that make sense? So, so what it is is I don't want it to be where I'm an out of district kid. I've been here for three years, but I'm an out of district kid and now I have an advantage over the residents in getting a particular spot. There are at the sixth grade level a certain number of residents that are vying for a certain specific number of spots. I don't want the ratio to become suddenly we encourage people to move outside of Cerritos or outside of Artisia or outside of Lakewood because it's easier to get into Whitney from outside of
228the district and try to do the out of district jump in. That's what I am concerned. I I understand that the residents, the taxpayers would be very upset if the ratio was easier from the outside coming in. I think that's what also Dr. Rios referenced. So, so another point is that if they were with us already, they they most likely would apply to be at one of our other middle school. So, because they have good experience with us normally, for the most part, they would go to move on to one of our middle schools already. So if we were to move, if they were to go to Whitney under this proposal, then they will not go to other middle school. So there's not a really net gain of interd district permit kits. >> So we
229have to analyze it further and said how many would have stayed to other middle school like Carmenita, Heslav, and Hascoll already up using my number 165, right? uh now that they 20 of them would go into um Whitney. So, so just the 20 up 165, right? That's the ratio. 20 slot guaranteed for them out of the 165 versus 165 slots for the rest of the uh >> the whole >> right for 1300 students less than 165. So about >> Okay. So >> 11. >> Does that make sense? >> So okay, right now there's 165 of out of district kids that would potentially buy for 20 spots. >> Correct. Okay. 160 kids going. >> So it's more than 10%. About 12% chance. >> So about a 12% chance if you're outside the district. >> Yes. >>
230More or less. >> And if you're in the district, >> again 165 versus um about not 13 because you have to subtract out the interd district permit kits. So >> 11 um 65 or something more or less. So there's a 16% chance roughly. Roughly. >> So it's better. >> It's better. >> Okay. But we're not hurting the the local res. >> Correct. But there's no net gain of 20 really because they would have stay and say go to our other middle school. So the other way is to open it to all outside district students and get through you know and not and lift that restriction. So the advantage of uh Miss Mendoza's a board member Mendoza's proposal is that it encourages them to come to our elementary schools think >> and so they would build
231>> so so yeah in theory then that could instead of now normal 15% maybe we'll see 20% of district permit because of this so they have a chance >> so so they didn't have a chance >> but that will happen over time >> if we were to implemented this um our first here you know um we we uh we won't see that we will see that over time. >> Okay. So thank you for validating that. So my only modification to uh board member Mendoza's proposal on B2 is to add >> uh from 9th grade to 12th grade 10 10 per so that way the residents don't lose that particular spot. Would you uh agree to the friendly amendment of 10 per grade? So you're saying 9th grade instead of 165 in district you wanted 175.
232>> Correct. >> Yes. So my question is this. Does that >> please allow staff? I mean >> does that allow does that push classrooms above and beyond? That's a staffing question. If we increase all of these 175 >> are we pushing the limit for class size? So um if you look at the true math right our English can go up to 35 at the high school and 33 at the middle school. Correct me >> 33 throughout at the entire Whitney. So under this proposal it will go down to a little bit less than 32. So if contractually we can keep it 33 then we'll just work back the number and and and go with that. So a me a modified B2 provision but but not going we can't legally go over contract anyway. >> Exactly.
233>> So so we either have to give additional FTE or or keep it 33 and work and work it. Uh so basically you'll be adding 33 more students per grade level. >> Could I could we do 175 in district students for all grade levels 6 to 12? >> That's okay. So then we have to look at the permits and and not and and to maximize uh the contractual staffing if that's the intent then it's at 165 and then if you want to go another one it'll be 33. It just a u a 33 or multiplication of per session. >> Yeah. You need per section. >> You need to talk to me like I'm a kindergartener. So my question is Tuan on this one. I'm looking at the the one the teachers gave to us and
234and and um um board member Nishi is telling me he wants to go from 9th grade he wants to give 175 seats to students who are in the district. Could we do that? So in the column that says in district they would all be 175 permit would be 20 and then it would go up right to 195 total for each grade level. Is that a possibility? Yes, any variation up to 1,600 student is a very is is an option. Okay. >> The option that would ideally maximize staffing would be 33. You add 33 more because that's that's a section. So, uh so you can do 175 uh plus that won't be 20. It will be a little bit less. audience, can you can you please allow staff to answer and board discussion? Thank you. >>
235So I could we could do that. So Ernie, could we do all grade levels? >> Could we do from 6 to 12 give 175 seats to indistate students? >> So the residents would be happy. >> Yes. >> Because they would have 10 more spots. >> Um that's, you know, I'm sure the residents won't complain about getting 10 more spots. Um it might be a good idea. However, Tuan is kind of been because it's if it's by contract, right? >> Right. So, we want to maximize it to you know >> um >> you want to do more or let's do more. >> Just do 30. So, we can do 33. So, here's here's another thing though. I want to make sure everything is on the table. >> Okay. >> You'll be taking more from other >>
23610 students from the middle school that are so >> and these are will be tested in. So they they are >> and the problem was that we have some low low enrollment middle school. >> So do you want to leave it at 165 then? I mean >> for for middle school let's leave it at 165 but for high school instead of 175 would 178 add that ratio or make it more perfect. >> If we were to add to the ratio my recommendation is add the the permit student. >> Well >> so keep keep the current students the same 165 middle school and 175 at the high school. >> Yes. And then to get to the contract numbers that would allow the the adjustment would be the permit. >> So what would the permit number be
237then? >> Um so it it could be 20 or 23 or 25 whatever it is to get to the 33. Maybe 23. Yeah. >> I'm okay. I I think the residents would like those three rather than the outer district. Go ahead. Um, I'll I'll let you. >> So, you want to do just keep it high school 9 through 12? >> 9 through 12, >> 175, and keep the middle school so we don't hurt our middle schools. >> Correct. >> Okay. I I'm fine with that. Audience, can you please allow board to finish discussion? Uh, board member, you >> Yes. Um, it is very confusing. I don't I'm not sure if uh everybody really understands. So, um, but I think it was important for us to hear from the public, especially the staff, and we heard
238from the parents, but I think that, uh, it would be best to give and allow the staff, uh, to do a little more number. So, >> I don't know if we're ready to vote today tonight, but to, you know, go back and do some number and give time for board members to do a little study and to really understand the numbers and the admission policy before we uh make a decision tonight is is my uh recommendation. >> To clarify, are you asking for the three additional students at the high school level to be >> permitted for staff? >> I'm asking to not vote tonight. Okay. Motion table future because we are oursel are confused and even the community is kind of confused too because I hear both >> audience >> excuse me because when I
239went to the foundation last week or week before some of the parents were like we work our backed off to come in and move here to live here. So this whole thing about giving um increasing the permits and not ne increasing the the residents it it might not sit well with the because we have to change the board policy. So we can't do that here. The committee, there's committee, right? So we yeah, we need to separate that. So we're a little bit confused. I don't think we're ready to vote today tonight, you know, to do it in in the very near future with a little more, you know, study and crunching the numbers. Okay, that's that's my proposal to delay. >> How do I say? I make a motion to delay and table it. >>
240Next immediate meeting. Is there a second? Okay. Seeing none, your motion doesn't pass. Uh, do you have any further comments or questions? Okay. U, uh, Vice President Yokoyama Buouie. Thank you, Mr. President. Um I um am an alumni of Whitney High School and so for me truly understanding the dynamic of the 7th through 12th campus is something that is unique. Um I love all our schools having visited all our high schools. I love all our high schools, but there is something um unlike any other school at Whitney and and I think it is that 7th 12th. Um, I think a few of uh the the uh community members present brought up the mentorship which I think was it was highlighted somewhat in um the board presentation or the district presentation earlier, but being able to
241have high school students reach out to junior high and kind of give them insight into what they're doing builds rapport, builds relationship. And I it's something that we really should encourage districtwide. But with that said, we have that at Whitney. Now, with 6th through 12th moving in, I don't think any of us should diminish the fact that they're sixth graders and they're going to be with high schoolers. We all know that. We recognize that. And I feel like the high school, all of you here being present are acknowledging that Whitney community will be able to recognize, will be able to um help build that community in even more stronger way, but not but not in a way that uh I I I still feel like we we have to be very mindful about how we
242bring these sixth graders in, but in a way that's taking ownership of the fact that you all understand, hey, if we're going to be one campus, we're going to do it in our own Whitney way. Um, I know when I was on campus as a seventh grader, uh, I I I share this anecdote. I don't know if I shared it with you or, um, uh, we had an orientation. We were told everyone was going to welcome us and it was going to be great and, you know, just just the genuine orientation beak you want to hear. And I get on campus and this is like 20 I don't even know how many years ago, 25 years ago. And I'm in Junior Pit, not not knowing as a seventh grader, I'm in Junior Pit. And I'm
243told, why are you here? You're not supposed to be sitting here. And me being a loudmouth seventh grader, I say, "What are you what are you talking about? I'm They told us at orientation you were going to welcome us and you were going to um let us in, and now you're telling me I can't set up this table. Keep in mind, I never went back to that junior pit. I found where I was going to sit as a seventh grader, but but things like that where I think most most of our junior high kids at Whitney have very special experiences. They don't they don't experience that. I just want to ensure that we are welcoming to our sixth graders, and this applies for all of our junior highs that are going to potentially be changing.
244I want us all of us to be very aware that things like this do happen if we're not paying attention. So um I I was at a meeting uh virtual meeting with with uh President Nyola yesterday. So I did have a chance to hear the modified B1 proposal and get additional explanation. Um I I understand that potentially there will be less spots for in district and I understand that not many are going to be happy about that. We have three other phenomenal high schools in our district and I hope that the work that all of our educators are doing, we're very mindful that we can be appreciative of all the high schools we have here and find options because Whitney, while special is not for everyone and that's okay. So, um, I do want to
245thank everyone again for speaking. I do want to thank all my board members for the very innovative thoughts. This is potentially not the end of options we have to consider. Who knows what's going to happen in 10 or 20 years, but I think currently at this time um we have a really good option in front of us and we can move forward tonight. So that's my thoughts. Thank you. >> Thank you, Vice President Yokoyama Buouie. Uh board member Mendoza. >> Thank you, Mr. President. I think um I think we have to, you know, take action because it's it's getting close to the the time where we need staff needs to have direction what they're going to be doing with um Whitney. Um I I I hear the concerns of our community saying that we're going
246to take away from our residents. But I I'm going to remind everybody I teach in LA USD. Those are my kids and these are my kids. Kids are kids. We have to remember kids are kids. no matter what district we we we like to think about there's boundaries but there really isn't because kids move everywhere with their families and we have to remember that whether they come to us in our district out of district our kids are our kids are kids and they deserve to go to good schools too um so I'm going to urge my um colleagues to take action today because um it's it's almost like crunch time they need to know what's going on our staff needs to know our community needs to know So, um I I like all the amendments
247and I think um if if you would like to add any more, I think we can do so at this time, but I think we have to remember that the kids who are coming into Whitney are going to be tested. They're going to take the same test. All the kids are going to be tested. There's not like, okay, we're just letting everybody in. They're going to be tested. So, I think that's the level the playing field. We're leveling the playing field with an assessment. Um, and then from there we have a we have to change our policy to make sure that we make sure that we have students from out of district. But again, I think we need to take action tonight. Thank you. >> Thank you, board member Mendoza, board member Macan. [applause] >>
248Um, I don't want to diminish what's happening at any other high school. I think there's great things happening at all of our high schools. Um, but I think we do need to start moving ahead on this on this. Um, if I if I my numbers are right and we have 175 and I would I would like to just go with 175 6 through 12. Um, we end up with 2365. Can we accommodate that number, Juan? Or is my math wrong? My math is wrong. [laughter] >> It's too much. >> Yeah. >> Oh, yeah. It's probably way too much. Yes. Yes. Yes. Um, 40 and 30. 1,365 70. We're just adding another >> No, no, we're 160. two. Sorry. >> I know, but I need to know what You want to call the question? >> I
249do want to call the question. Am I being called on or is I think >> figure out what's on the phone? Do you have an amendment? >> Right. That's only three more because I don't have a number here down. I don't have a number here. >> Oh, I see. Okay. 1155. say public. >> These are all 165, >> right? >> Okay. Uh Tuan, can >> if I can just quickly summarize the amendments and the motion that board member Mandoa put together. >> Yes. >> Uh she's asking that we go off of the Whitney teacher modified B1 proposal. Uh but with the amendments that Ernie and Dr. Rios have given which is for sixth, seventh and eighth to rem keep the 165 and add 23 permits per grade level and starting at 9th grade throughout high
250school increase the end district to 175 and then allow the permits to continue to 23 for a total of whatever that total is. [laughter] >> Okay. >> Is that is that >> doable without adding an extra teacher? So I want to make sure I repeat okay the option on the table right resident students right 6 to 8 at 165 >> correct >> 9 to2 at 175 >> correct >> resident student right and then permit students uh per grade level be up to 23 uh to the extent of the contract allow >> per grade level >> correct >> okay that uh board member for Rios. >> Yes. >> Yeah. I like that. >> Okay. >> So I So it will bring in um so the total is >> Oh, I called >> 161 plus >> about
2511356. >> Thank you. Okay. Uh seeing no further board discussion, uh we are going to do a roll call vote for Mr. >> Mr. President, I think there was some other amendments to it. Okay. Do we need a second for for me? >> There was other amendments that Dr. Rios put in. >> That was earnings a Yeah, >> you built online. I like it. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Which? >> Okay. Do I have a second for the emotion with the amendment? >> Second. >> Okay. I have a second. Uh so we will go roll call for every option including board member Mendoza's uh modified B1. Okay. Starting with uh option A. Can I get a roll call? >> Can you can you say before we vote? >> Yeah. Can you say it is >>
252Are we voting on it entirely or are we picking the >> entirely? We >> Okay, got it. Thank you, >> Mrs. McCaten. No, >> Mr. N. We're we're voting on >> a >> option A. Option A, correct? >> Well, wait. >> No. >> Oh, >> wait. Don't scare me. >> Voting option. >> Voting on your motion. >> We're not voting on my motion >> yet. We will >> only option A. >> Option A we're voting on. >> Okay. >> No. >> Right. >> We're voting on all the options. And so option A was the six just the 7H no change. >> Okay. Thank you for the clarification. >> I'll repeat. Mrs. Mrs. McCaten, >> no. >> Mr. Nishi, >> no. >> Dr. Rios, >> no. >> Mrs. Yu, >> no. >> Mrs. Mendoza, >> no.
253[clears throat] >> Mrs. Yokoyama Bui, >> no. >> Mr. Nyola, >> no. >> Motion fails. >> Okay. Can I have a roll call for option B? >> Mrs. McCaten? No, >> Mr. Nishi. >> No, >> M. Dr. Rios, >> no. >> Mrs. Yu, >> no. >> Mrs. Mendoza, >> no. >> Mrs. Yokayyama? >> No. >> Mr. Nyola? >> No. >> Motion fails. >> Thank you. Uh, roll call vote for option B1. >> Mrs. >> Thank you. >> Just to clarify, this is the original B1, not the modified that we'll be voting on next. >> Thank you. Uh, roll call, please. >> Mrs. McCaten, >> no. >> Mr. Nishi, >> no. >> Dr. Rios, >> no. >> Mrs. U, >> no. >> Mrs. Mendoza, >> no. >> Mrs. Yokoyama Buoy, >> no. >> Mr. Nyola, >>
254no. >> Motion fails. >> Thank you. And can I get a roll call vote for option B1 with the modified amendment? >> First. >> Yes. >> Clarify. >> Okay. Yes, Dr. Zilo, please. So, as it was modified, there would continue to be 165 students grades 6 through 8. There would be 175 students grades 9 through 12. And then at each grade level, 6 through 12 up to 23 permits to make sure we were able to uh adjust for the contract. And the amendment also included that for the permit spaces, you would have been a permit student in ABC for at least 3 years to test. >> Can I get a roll call vote? >> So, just clarify. >> Yes. >> Total number of students would be 1,300. >> Yeah. >> Yes. >> Thank you, >>
255Mrs. Maten, >> yes. >> Mr. Nishi, >> yes. >> Dr. Rios, >> yes. >> Mrs. U, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mendoza, >> yes. >> Mrs. Yokoyama, >> yes. >> Mr. Nyola, >> yes. >> Motion passes 70. [cheering] [applause] >> Uh, can I please have a final roll call vote for option C? >> Mrs. McCaten. Oh, see. No. >> Mr. Nishi, >> no. >> Dr. Rios. >> Mrs. Yu. >> No. >> Mrs. Mendoza. >> No. >> Mrs. Yokoyama Bui. >> No. >> Mr. Nyola. >> No. >> Motion fails. >> Thank you. [applause] >> Okay. Do anybody need a break or can we continue? >> Keep going. >> All right. >> Okay. Thank you. Can I get a motion to approve uh board item 1.2A, the board of education to vote for no more than six names
256for the list of candidates or writing candidates to be submitted to California School Board Association on or before March 16, 2026. >> So moved. >> Second, Mendoza. >> Dr. Zilo. So, we have a list of names that were provided. Um, there are >> more than there are more names than the spaces. >> Um, and so we would need um to know which ones you want to vote for. Um, do that. >> Thank you, Dr. Zitlo. Uh, board member Dr. Rios, >> you know, I I appreciate people taking this on and so I know there are six incumbents and so I'm just going to say that we vote there's six spots, six incumbents, unless someone knows anybody else personally. I don't >> Okay, thank you. Uh, board member Nishi. >> Yes. Thank you, board president. Uh,
257yes, I know all of the incumbents personally. I've sat with them for approximately six years, some of them three years because they're new. They are all extremely competent, dedicated public servants and uh I do not know any of the challenges, although I'm sure they also have certain experience as well, but I I I would uh second uh board member or Dr. Rios effort to include the incumbents. >> Okay, thank you. We have a second. Uh board member Mendoza, >> uh just concur with my colleagues. >> Okay, thank you. Can I get a vote to approve the six incumbents? All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Motion passes. 70. >> Uh, action item 13A. May I have a motion to approve new board policy and administrative regulation 1445, response to immigration enforcement? >>
258So moved. Second. Tatiana. >> Thank you, Dr. Frasier. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Uh tonight we're bringing forward our the new board policy and administrative regulations uh 1445 response to immigration enforcement. Um in accordance with the California Assembly Bill 49 um effective [snorts] the 20th of September 2025 uh all local agencies educational agencies are required to update policies regarding immigration uh enforcement of school sites by March 1st 26 2026 rather. Some of the big changes in these uh BP and AR really um allows uh limited access explicitly pro prohibits staff from allowing ICE officers into classrooms or non-public areas without a jud judicial warrant. Uh notification requires a superintendent or the designate to notify parents and staff of any immigration enforcement is confir confirmed on campus. ensuring compliance with uh SB98 requirements and also with
259data privacy restricts the gathering of information that could indicate immigration status. It also um replaces our old policies which um really in essence covered students and now includes our staff and our community as well. >> Thank you, Dr. Frasier. Any public comments >> there on Mr. President? Oh, wait. I think we do have one. >> Right. Thank you, >> Mr. Regger. You have three minutes. >> Good evening, board. Uh, all right. Uh, well, I just want to say that I'm hoping you vote for the affirmative and passing this. Um, I think this is a good uh a reassuring message to not only the the employees, but to every student, every family um that they don't have to be scared to go to school. I think what we've seen happen across the country is really put
260into doubt the safety of our families, the safety of our students, and the safety of the staff. And so, um, I'm glad that you are going to vote on this tonight. I hope you vote to pass it. Um, it's something that I would uh love to take to other uh other leaders and show that what we've did here in ABC again and how we protect our community. Thank you. >> Any other public comments? >> I believe no. >> All right. Thank you. Uh, board member Rios. Quickly just want to really appreciate our board. I'm really proud of the fact that uh our board and our staff was very proactive in doing what um our labor pres um just highlighted that we did put students first. We went out of our way to reassure our community
261that the school is a safe place. we provide buses that I also agree, you know, more other people were taking note of and doing the same because that's who we're here for to protect our students and safety is at the top of everybody's list. So, just shout out to our staff, um, our board for being in support of students, especially our vulnerable students during these terrible hard times. Thank you. >> Thank you, board member Rios, board member Nishi. >> Thank you, board president. Um, I uh also agree that this policy should be approved. Um, however, um, this is primarily a board policy and an AR that I would like to make some minor modifications to, and I'm hoping that we can consider these. Um, one is under one on page 153 passed uh, item number
262four. However, the district staff may not say obstruct, interfere, or otherwise impede an officer. I agree with all that, but I don't want it to be interpreted that uh a verbal impeding would also subject that employee to discipline. I'd like it to be specific that if they physically block a ICE agent that um they would not they would possibly be uh subject to discipline. Um so that was one amendment. I want to make it clear that if if the employee is just talking about, hey, here's our rules. Please don't come in. Please don't come in and they push past that person, I don't want that employee to be disciplined for saying that that and that's what the way this potential rule could be interpreted. So that's that's one. I would like to add the word
263shall not physically obstruct, interfere with, or otherwise imped. I don't know if the board wants to put a particular time maximum on when this superintendent or designate responds to uh this but I think I'll pass on that particular comment on AR 1445D page 160 the same issue that they do not physically obstruct interfere or otherwise impede any officer I think we add need to add the word physically so that way again the liability of are employees only to physical obstruction of a an ICE officer. So that would be one. Also, I don't like the language here that says that even if the officer or employee appears to be acting outside the law or in excess of the state or documented authorization. Here's a situation that I'm worried about. So I think of George Floyd. The
264guy was killed while people are standing around watching him die. And I think that if an employee sees something that's illegal or they're killing somebody that we don't have a policy saying let the guy die, I think we need to have a policy that lets them have their conscience. And uh so I don't know that we should even delineate whether it's acting outside the law or in excess of a state or document authorizing. I would just like to put the period right after. They should not interfere or otherwise interfere with any officer or employee of an agency conducting immigration enforcement. Period. Do not include all that other language in there which puts an employee at fear for being fired. They see something illegal. Don't want that to occur. I know we wouldn't normally do that
265in practice, but I don't want an employee to have the impression, oh my gosh, I could get fired for doing what's I see in my conscience. That's important. >> So, um, what I would say is, um, we will take those amendments into consideration and have to bring it I I can't bring this back because we have to have this in place by March 1st. But all of this has been set by CSBA based on model policies coming out of the department uh uh attorney general's office and it's based on what was written in the law. >> I I >> so I get cons I just want to we can eliminate that but we want to check with legal before we do. >> Yes. And I would check because I have also looked at the law.
266It doesn't you know DSBA is a great resource but also we have our conscience that I don't want to I'm okay. >> I just want our policy to meet the requirements of the state because we have to submit it. >> So the other part here that I would like to object to is obey any direction from such officers or employees. So the issue is I think they normally should obey the instructions of everyone except and in their good conscience they're being told to beat somebody, right? And that unfortunately I'm not going to even say I don't know that that's occurred. I just want to make sure that the employee is not subject to discipline for disobeying an order of an officer of the law which in his conscience is inappropriate. Again, I I don't want
267us to have employees that are afraid to stand up when they see a George Floyd on the ground being beaten. I would like them to have the right to stop that or at least not be afraid that the district is going to deprive them of their job. So that is my interpretation of this particular language. I understand CSBA may have different thoughts. Um, and I understand that [clears throat] we want to pro, you know, I I don't want any employee to like just disobey the law of the officer. Um, at any point in time, we do have a policy and I'm I'm not taking away from that policy to say you must obey when ICE says to get out of the way, you must obey. But I don't want it to be interpreted such that
268the guy asks the question, oh, you're violating a district policy that's inappropriate and somebody besides this board, some different board says, "Let's let's fire this guy." They weren't following rules. Same thing with this thing about obeying any direction. Not the legal direction, but any direction. I prefer again even if it's I don't see how a state would pursue us say you guys pursued a rule that's against us. I don't think it adds our liability. In fact, I think the employee should have comfort that we're not going to p persecute them for following their conscience. >> Does anybody second uh Ern's amendment the board policy seconds? >> Can can we go through other board members comments because there might be some other amendments that we want to add to that? >> Of course. Thank you. >>
269Thank you. >> Uh Vice President Yokyama. Um so just uh some background that was shared with me related to legislative policy committee meeting that took place at the end of January. Um the committee was split on this um policy change. Um, as you all know, there was a prior policy that we've were completely pending and we are now establishing the new policy and I did try to go and review the policy page by page and see where the changes were made. Um, so I do feel like having policy presented to the legislative policy committee at the end of January for a midfe February meeting in order to make a deadline of March 1st, 2026 is something that I would prefer not to happen. I would prefer to have more time especially when something related to
270immigration enforcement and um you know concerns that uh board member Nishi brought up were similar to concerns I believe that were addressed at the policy meeting. In addition, there were concerns related to uh potentially less restrictive ability of ICE to have have contact with our students. So, um I understand we need a policy. I understand this is recommended and uh the guy uh we're following state law, but um again, I I'm noticing the language in the prior policy is different and not on the way I wanted to. With that said, I do believe that there's more accountability here in terms of um and I did speak with Dr. Zilo in terms of measuring our ability to track what uh ICE is doing, reporting it, um presenting it to um filing claims if we needed to
271with with uh government regulation. But again, if if we have an assembly bill that passes September 20th, 2025, and it's presented to us in January, uh I understand we we have to compile, we have to do studies, we have to get that done, but if we have um and holidays, etc. So, I I just want to be able to have more time for the future because our legislative policy team works very hard. They review I mean, they they go through every line. So for me I want to ensure that that we do right by the entire board. Uh so I do thank board member Nishi for those amendments and um yes so I I do want to thank everyone. I do want to thank you Dr. Frasier. I I believe he was there to address
272a lot of the concerns that the committee had. Um so thank you for your time in doing that. >> Just to clarify timeline um we've been watching and monitoring since September for information on this. it didn't come until early January with a deadline of March 1st. So, I agree with you. Um, we don't normally function that way. Um, and we're doing our best to implement this for helping our students and protecting them as soon as possible based on what the law says. >> Thank you, Vice President Yokamabui. Board member Mendoza. >> Thank you, Mr. President. And I did want to add some some just some wording because um a lot of it like on page 154 at the very top, the superintendent or design shall report to the board in a timely manner any request
273by an officer. No, immediately. We need to know about this immediately because timely manner to me is like I'll do it during lunchtime. I'll do it during recess time. I think that has to be done immediately because I think you as a superintendent need to know what's going on at the schools so that you can inform us. And then at the bottom at the very bottom it says the superintendent or designate shall develop procedures for and may provide training to staff. Don't do we do training for staff. So can we do and I don't know my shall thank you if we could take change it to shall because May is like May and you can correct me. May is kind of like we can or if we choose not to, but I think our staff
274needs to have training on that. I think they need to know what to do. And then just on page um page 159 again it says as early as possible at the very bottom. Additionally, district staff shall notify the superintendent or designate as early as possible. I think that should be immediately. And then on the next page, right in the middle, it starts, district staff shall report the presence of any officer or employee of an agency concluding immigration enforcement on district property to district police. We don't have district police. So, can we scratch that out and put local law enforcement? I don't know what what what needs to be there, but we don't have district police. I know that's for other districts, but 160 right smack in the middle. Sorry. >> Police right in the middle.
275>> So, I can call local law enforcement, but I don't believe they will have anything they can do to assist. >> So, can we just omit it? Um, well, we do have sheriff that are on our campus, so we would use them. They're not a district police, but I think it gives us the opportunity to work with our our sheriff who is on our campus at the one school. >> So, can we change it? Because I like I work for Ali Unifi. We have our own district police. That's what I'm thinking. We don't have that at ABC Unified. No. Okay. So, I don't know how we that wording could be because if I'm not in the community of ABC Unified and Oh, you have a district police. Yeah. >> Okay. So, you're saying >> and
276that's it. So, if I can add those to to Ernie's motion amendments. >> Yes. >> I just would it be okay instead of immediately because it puts immediate liability on to the uh superintendent to report to us, which I think she should. >> Yeah, I would. But we should provide probably an outside time like as soon as possible but no later than because I agree it's it's kind of vague just soon is soon. It's not a specific time and you could do it three weeks later and that's >> no >> but what if we just put like 24 hours as outside >> it will happen sooner. I think what he's saying is immediately may not may not >> you may not have all the facts. So immediately may not happen if the office staff is
277engaging with them. >> It may take a bit before they can get that person to have a seat and notify their supervisor and the supervisor notifies me. So I think as soon as possible when it happens like the day it's happening is probably more reasonable. >> Yeah. I don't know how what do you want to change that to? >> No. I mean like as soon as possible but no later than 24 hours or 48 hours or some specific outside time. >> You have a preference 24. >> That's fine. Yeah, >> within 24 hours. Okay, >> that's the only >> Thank you. board member Rios. So I I know so I get the urgency of this because in my day job I had to review this policy as well and help um our district adopt. Um
278we usually do go with CSBA's um suggestions because again it's been vetted and it's took a whole legal team to put together but sometimes it does help like I do like the changes that were suggest that were suggested. Usually there's guidance that comes out of this and I think the the message that that Mr. Nishi is or board member Nishi is making and I echo is our goal is to protect staff who are going to act in defense of our students. You know, we've we've seen a lot of these situations play out and and I think it would go a long way for our staff to know that we would support them and in no way hold them accountable should they choose to do something that's going to protect the safety of our students. Thank
279you, board member Rios. Board member Nishi. >> Oh, sorry. >> Thank you. Uh, do I have a second on the amendment to Ernie Nishi's motion? Miss Mendoza. Okay. Do I have a a second to board member Mendoza's amendment? >> Thank you. Okay. Um, we're going to vote on board member Mendoza's. Okay. All those in favor of approving a board policy with amendments by board member Nishi and board member Mendoza, please say I. I. I. I. >> I. 70. Action item 1.6A. May I have a motion to approve revise administrative regulation 4341.1 management compensation committee? Oh, sorry. My apologies. May I have a motion to approve deletion of board policy and administrative regulation 5145.13 response to immigration enforcement? >> So moment do >> Dr. Frasier. >> Thank you Mr. President. Um in order to adopt the
280new policies um that we presented and were amended approved and amended um we're bringing forward the deletion of the policies uh 5145 uh.13 response to immigration enforcement. >> Thank you Dr. Frasier. Do I have any public comments? >> There are there are none. >> Okay. Seeing none. Any board discussion? >> Seeing none. Uh all those in favor please say I. >> I. >> Motion passes 70. Action item 1.5A. May I have a motion to approve revised board policy 4342.1 exclusion from overtime provisions exempt employees? >> Second, Mendoza. >> Dr. Frasier. >> Thank you, Mr. President. We're bringing forward revised board policy 4342.1 exclusion from overtime provisions exempt employees. Um so identifies uh this policy identifies the classified positions that are management, supervisory, administrative and executive or professional in nature which are deemed to be exempt
281from overtime provisions. >> Thank you Dr. Frasier. Any public comments? >> Yes, we do. Mr. President, Mr. Bobby Rogers, thank you. You'll have five minutes. Thank you. Any other public comments? >> There are none, Mr. President. >> Any board discussion? Uh, seeing none, all those in favor, please say I. I. >> I. I. >> Motion passes. 70. May I have a motion to approve revised administrative regulation 4341.1 management compensation committee? >> Move approval. >> Second, doza. >> Dr. Frasier. >> Thank you, Mr. President. We're bringing forward uh tonight revised administrative regulation 4341.1 management compensation committee. Uh the work of this committee um uh basically uh serves as an advisory committee to the superintendent and salary and policy matters related to management confidential employees to ensure salaries and compensation are competitive and fair. Um we updated
282this um because we've included uh revised job titles as they've evolved since we last updated in September of 2023. >> Thank you. Do I have any public comments? >> There are none, Mr. President. >> Any board discussion? Seeing none. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Motion passes 70. >> Action item 1.78. May I have a motion to approve revised board policy and administrative regulation 6164.4, identification and evaluation of individuals for special education. >> So moveen. >> Second. Mendoza. >> Dr. Frasier. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Uh we're bringing forward tonight revised board policy and and administrative regulation 6164.4 for identification and evaluation of individuals for special education. Um this uh board policy is uh provides process by which districts identifies and evaluates individuals for eligibility of special education services. Uh the
283policy and regula regulation has been updated with the latest uh CSBA samples. These are recommendations uh put forth by CSBA. Um it includes addition of language regarding establishing a child find process and timelines. Clarifying informed parent guardian consent, developing procedures for screening data and reviewing inter uh interventions and the development of evaluation plans, ensuring evaluators are qualified to conduct the evaluations and uh designating staff to coordinate transitions between programs. >> Thank you, Dr. Frasier. Any public comments? >> There are none, Mr. President. >> Any board discussion? Seeing none. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Motion passes 70. >> Item 1.8A. May I have a motion to approve revised board policy and administrative regulation 6164.41 children with disabilities enrolled by their parents in private school. >> So move. McCaten. >> Tatiana. >>
284Dr. Frasier. >> Thank you, Mr. President. to bringing forward revised board policy and administrative regulation 6164.41 children with disabilities enrolled by parents in private school. Um this is uh this policy is a company regulation uh and board policy outlined by the district complies with federal and state law and providing equitable services to children with disabilities who are enrolled in private schools within district boundaries. Uh they were these are again recommendations of CSBA. Um the policy was uh minimally revised with updated references in addition to updated references. The regulation was up updated to include language regarding provisions for the developing and implementing individual uh service plans articulating how the cons consultation process would operate among district staff, private school officials and representatives of parents and how services will be provided to children uh parentally placed in
285private schools. >> Thank you Dr. Frasier. Any public comments? >> There are none, Mr. President >> Seeing none. Any board discussion? >> All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Motion passes 70. >> Item 2.2A. May I have a motion to adopt resolution 25-18 to release from employment and non-reelect temporary or probationary employees per education code section 44954 and education code section 45117. >> Domo Mendoza. >> Second. Tatiana. >> Dr. Frasier. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, tonight we're bringing forward resolution 25-18 uh the release of uh from employment and non-reelect temporary or probationary employees. Um, so pursuant to ED code 449 9454, excuse me, and 45117, the board is required to notify temporary or probationary employees before the end of the school year of its decision to not reelect these employees not
286reelect the employees for the next succeeding school year. Thank you, Dr. Frasier. Any public comment? >> There are none. >> Any board discussion? Board member Mendoza. >> Just a quick question. I ask this every year. Have these employees been notified before came to us as a board? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Thank you. >> Any other board discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Motion passes 70. Item 2.3A. Okay. May I have a motion to adopt resolution 25-9, reduction or discontinuence of particular kinds of service certificated pursuant to education code section 449494 and education code section 44955 >> a motions >> second Dr. Frasier >> thank you Mr. President, we're bringing forward a resolution 25-9 reduction of or discontinuence of particular kinds of service certificated uh due to changing programmatic
287needs. It is necessary to reduce or discontinue particular kinds of service for the 2627 school year. Pursuant to ED code sections 44949 and 44955, the district is initiating a reduction in force to align staffing with these changes. >> Thank you, Dr. Frasier. Any public comments? >> There are none, Mr. President. Any board discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say I. I. >> I. >> Motion passes. 70. Action item 3.78. May I have a motion to adopt resolution 25-21 proclaiming March 31st, 2026 as adult school student recognition day. >> Second. McCen. >> Dr. Castro. This resolution again is to recognize our adult school, the staff and the programs that are offered at the amazing at the two locations that we have lane and drive. >> Thank you, Dr. Castro. Any public comments? >> There
288are none, Mr. President. >> Any board discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say I. I. I. >> Motion passes. 70 item 3.8A. May I have a motion to approve request to submit the secondary district plan and application for the work experience education program we to the California educate department of education to implement work experience education programs in the 2026 2027 school year. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Dr. Castro. >> Thank you. As mentioned before, this is part of our plan to make sure that we're providing a variety of work experiences. By submitting this plan, uh we seek approval from the state to issue work permits to students in the different professional internships listed in the table on the item. >> Thank you, Dr. Castro. Any public comments? >> There are no none,
289Mr. President. >> Any board discussion? Board member you. >> Again, I'm like to really thank Dr. Castro. I very I'm very very pleased to see this on our agenda today and just to uh know that uh you know we have a special education program specifically geared towards uh experience at in the work. So this is a really good news and good for our uh thank you. >> Thank you board member U. Any other board discussion? Uh please note that during the student board representative committee meeting a preferential yes vote was cast for this item without any additional comments. Um if there's no other discussion all in favor please say I. >> I motion passes 70 item 3.9A. Okay. May I have a motion to approve request to adopt the following >> approve request to adopt
290the following textbook and workbook titled essential health skills for high school at fifth edition beginning in 2026 2027. >> Second [laughter] high school movement. >> Dr. Castro, >> thank you. We're seeking the approval for an updated essential health skills for high school. Uh it's been many many years since we've had updated health curriculum and textbooks. So I'm excited to forward um for your approval. >> Thank you Dr. Castro. Is there any public comments? >> There are none, Mr. President. >> Thank you. Any board discussion? Uh Mr. Nishi? >> Yeah, really quick. Thank you Dr. Castro for bringing forth a great book. Uh talks about all kinds of different issues from a non-political viewpoint. Talks about marijuana, uh the dangers of that and some of the safety issues. So thank you. and it talks about airbrushing
291and and all the different issues. I'm I'm glad our kids are going to get to see this updated and modern. Thank you. >> Thank you, board member Nishi E. Is there any other board comments? Seeing none, uh please note that during the student board representative committee, a preferential yes vote was also cast for this item without any additional comments. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. I. >> Motion passes 70. >> Item 4.3A. Okay. May I have a motion to accept gift report 256 totaling $47,97.92? >> So moved. >> Second, >> Mr. W. >> Thank you, President Yolo. Nola, as presented, we um are um reporting the gifts from the community for this period of this month totaling $47,97.9. >> Thank you, Mr. Win. Any public comments? >> There are none, Mr. President.
292>> Board comment. Uh board member Mendoza. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Just again just want to thank our community and our um our support at our schools for donating and supporting our students. Thank you, Mr. President. >> Thank you, board member Mendoza, board member Nishi. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Yes, I uh echo the the the thanks to the community and to our staff for all these uh donations. Specifically want to thank uh Taylor Turf for performing some valued work at Gar High School. last thing I did as president and uh Juan and his staff I believe uh everyone over there worked very hard to make it happen for the kids. So um sometimes this all works out. I am very thankful. All these other things are very important. So but I just wanted to
293point that one out. Thank you. >> Thank you board member Nishi. Uh please note that also during the student board representative committee a preferential yes vote was also cast for this item without any additional comment. Uh, can I get a mo? Uh, all those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Motion passes. 70. 4.4A. May I have a motion to approve revised board policy bylaws and exhibit 9250 renumerication, reimbursement, and other benefits? >> So move. >> Second. >> Mr. Win. >> Thank you, President Nyola. Um so I will speak on this uh and it's related to the next board item. Uh due to recent uh change in the law uh AB1390 was passed and signed into the law by the governor in October 2025 be and became effective uh on January 1st 2026. uh
294this um bill modify uh compensation for uh county board members and so our school board members that has not been um modified for 40 years. So um the spirit of the law, the intent of the law is um to um basically recognize the work that are being done by board members but also allow people um more open more opportunity for for citizens to run for schoolboard member. So that's to encou encourage participation in the in in our civic process. So with that uh there's two uh requirements uh to enact this right. First you have to modify your bylaw which is uh in front of you by approving this by law. This is just to be in compliance changing your compensation that would be the next action. So approving this bylaw is something we we we
295normally do when the law change we modify our bylaw to be in compliance with the law. So as you can see on page 222 the the law modified uh sipon for board members uh by category uh for example uh we are falling into the c category between 10,000 and 25,000 and that's compensation or stipen change from $400 to up to and this is permissive doesn't have to go it can't go more than that but it can be anywhere between 400,000. So that's the intent of the law and the recommendation here is just to adopt the new by law be compliant with AB13. >> Thank you Mr. W. Is there any public comments? >> There are none. >> Thank you board member Mendoza. >> No, this is 4.5. >> Thank you. Any board discussion? Seeing none.
296All those in favor please say I. >> I. I. Oh, >> yes. 4.4. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Motion passes 70. Item 4.5A. May I have a motion for the following? The board is encouraged to consider the intent of the law as well as the district's current financial health and fiscal condition before considering any modification to its monthly siphon and maintaining public accountability for how educational funds are allocated. I get a motion. >> Second, Tati. >> Dr. Rios. >> Um, yeah, I just want to say that this has been a long time coming. 40 years in the making. Um, was the last time that the compensation was um set for board members. And so I think I don't know if um the public is aware but uh several months ago
297ADA became an issue and um the first ones to take a hit were the board members where our stipen was cut in half of what we usually get and mind you I don't know that any of us do it for the money but you know it does help to pay for gas a and a few other things and so when that happened I think board members across the state started to ask you know why that was started to look into it and lobbyed some of our um assembly people who saw um the need to revisit the board member compensation. And so I think today before the board is a s a a a small increase to that compensation to make up for the work that we do. Um when you look at it proportionally like
298what is this of our budget? What percentage of our total budget would this be? um twine this will be less than 0.5 of 1%. I hope I explained correctly. Our total budget is 300 million. So uh 1% is 3 million. So 140,000 be 05 actually 1% Thank you. And so I noticed that it said here to consider the district's financial health. Um you always, you know, hear people say you want to look at how or what districts value. You look at how they spend their money money. The fact that you're spending less than half of a percentage onboard compensation again um accentuates the fact that we're not in it for the money, right? We're here to represent our communities. We're here to bring a voice to the table that will um hopefully advocate for for
299our students to be truly college and career ready. Um so I know it's super late, so I won't go on and on and on, but I think it's it's it's about time. I I'm really glad that we finally got to see it on the agenda. It went into effect January 1. I think we asked for it to be on the December. It didn't happen. January didn't happen. Finally, we're here in February. So, uh, I I think it's about time and I really hope that, uh, everybody supports us. So, thank you and thank you for the work that we all do. >> Thank you, Dr. Rios. Uh, any public comments? >> Yes, we do, Mr. President. We have, uh, Bobby Rodriguez. >> Roger. Sorry. >> Real quick. >> I definitely think you all should get a
300raise and and there's no I mean, I know you guys don't do it for the money. My only recommendation um because of the timing like it's the midnight hour, we had all these other old things that happened. I would I would hope that if you I don't know if you all can, but if you all can motion to table it until the next meeting and make it one of the first items when more people are here, I just think it it it it'll go better over with the public. I just think that right now given the timing we had this big old thing with Whitney and all this other old stuff and all of this and then I don't want anyone to feel like oh well they snuck it in at the midnight hour there
301was nobody there. So just me as a former chairman of a board of directors of a $50 million corporation. I just think that the timing I just the smell test I I think you guys should definitely approve it, but I just think the timing of it if you can postpone it to the next meeting, make it the first item and then make the pay retroactive back to January 1, um that might be something y'all could do. But just just think about how the public would perceive it as a community member, taxpayer, all that stuff. I'm totally approving of it. I'm in support of it. But just think about that aspect of it. That's all I'm saying. Thank you. >> Thank you. Are there any other public comments? >> There are none, Mr. President. >> Thank
302you. Uh, board member McCann. >> Um, I have to be honest. I'm torn on this one. Um, I know it's been 40 years in coming. Um, but we're faced with budget cuts in the district and I don't know how good it looks to the public to say we want an increase in our salary. Um, I think we work really hard for what we do and we're in at all kinds of activities. We're here. Um, I just don't know if it's the right time and I might I would suggest going with a lesser amount. >> Thank you, board member MC. Board member Nishi. >> Yes, I'm not torn. This is appropriate. It's 40 years that this has not happened. This is basically keeping up with inflation 40 years ago. Um, so there's never a good time.
303I was told by CSBA, never a good time. Bad. There's no money in the budget. Never money. Uh, we need to have quality board members. These are all quality members on this particular board, which is really great. If you look all across the state, there's many places where you can't get enough board members to come because they got a job, they got a family, and it's actually hurting their family be on the board. We need a broad spectrum of people that are not, you know, we need a broad spectrum of people to be on the board. And if if it's one of those jobs where you just cannot do without sacrificing your family, we end up with a different kind of board. So I think this is long over not uncomfortable at all. Thank you.
304>> Oh, board member Rios. I was just going to say that uh if people don't feel comfortable and they want to donate their money back to the district, that's always an option, but yeah, I with Mr. Nishi, this has been long overdue. Thank you. >> Thank you, board member Mendoza. >> Thank you. Um I have a quick question. So, does that mean that our stipen is going to go up to $2,000 or can we go a little bit lower? What? What is >> So, you as a board would have to set the amount and you'd have to have someone motion an amount and second it to vote on >> because I am torn because I do know that 40 years is a long time. Like um yeah, 40 years it's it's been going on for
30540 years and I I agree with uh board member Nishi that it's hard to get find people who want to do this. It's it's it's a lot of time away from your family. It's not just board meetings. It's committee meetings. It's um going to visit schools. So, I I see the need for it, but I'm I'm kind of torn because, you know, we're going through financial crisis right now. So, I don't know if you guys would be willing to like not go the full amount consideration. Thank you, Mr. President. Sorry. >> No, thank you, board member Mendoza. Uh board member Dr. Rios. I think all of those considerations have been taken into account and given the size of our district I think is appropriate. Um yeah, I think a lesser amount if we were a
306district of a lot less students would be to worth considering. Um but again, what's the total cost to the district one? I mean it's outlined here. We have it. >> So it's $1048,915, >> right? So, I mean, when you look at the total amount and you look at a district of 330,000, like taking a lesser amount would be hundreds of dollars. So, I propose actually motion that we go for the $2,000 amount. >> Is there a second? >> That was already motion. >> There was already a second for Yeah, there was already a second for >> Oh, somebody said we had to say the amount. No. Okay. Sorry. Retract. >> Member you. [clears throat] >> Um there is this is a pretty legitimate because I've been on the board for a while and it's a
307lot of sacrifice and so you know how our our work is called public service, we're called public servant. We're serving the community and I know that this board, all of us on this board, although we may have um differences and different opinions, we don't always agree, but all of us are here for a calling. We're public servant. However, considering the current uh financial climate of our um district and just in general, I mean, we're just not in the best physical health where we want to be and we're negotiating compensation right now with our different employee groups. Um, I would recommend, you know, go staggering the increase gradually and, uh, you know, cap it at a certain amount. If somebody wants to make a motion, um, stagger, you know, go, you know, where we the the
308the stipen that we used to receive was like 800 and then it cut in half last year or something, right? So go back to 800 and then stagger the rest, you know, stag not all of a sudden to 20,000. Yeah. So that's what I would recommend. >> Thank you. Uh board uh vice president Yokoyabui. Um, so having been on the board for about a year, um, it is a huge sacrifice. Um, there's not a day that goes by that I don't get an email or a text or a question, something in passing related to the board or what we're doing. So, it's part of our daily lives. um nights like this where it goes long, we're not with our families, half the day is spent, you know, with with our fellow board members. uh taking
309into account the the days and the nights that we spend at community events. Um I'm invited to events and and sometimes I'm not always able to get a complimentary ticket and and I pay I pay to um I donate to schools. So, I'm not saying that uh that's required, but I like to and that's where part of my stipen goes in addition to um you know uh being away from my kids, being away from my husband. So, while it's not something that I would consider, uh, the thought that you're compensated for how much you're appreciated, I I understand that sentiment because I do feel like there are ways um for the board that potentially um we can look at, you know, in terms of of um finding a way to, I guess, meet the the
310new stipen. Um, so that's uh where my thought process is, but yes, I do appreciate everyone here who uh we don't do it for the money, we do it for the service to the community. Thank you. >> Uh thank you uh board member Nishi. And just for a time check, we have five minutes. >> I'd like to call a question. >> Thank you. So all those in favor please say I of approving the the motion the full motion to increase the siphon to 200. >> You have to vote on call a question first. >> Okay. >> Yeah that's sorry. >> Thank you. Can I get a motion to >> Sorry. Can I >> So can we just uh vote for calling the question? >> Okay. Can we vote to call the question? >> Yes. All
311in favor, please say I. >> I. Okay. >> And I return to the original motion. Uh, can I get a a vote to pass the motion to increase the siphon to $2,000? >> No. No. You just call the vote. >> Okay. All those in All those in favor, please say I. >> I. You should do a roll call. >> Okay. Roll call, please. >> Mrs. McCaten, >> no. >> Mr. Nishi E. >> Yes. >> Dr. Rios. Mrs. U. >> No. >> Mrs. Mendoza. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Yokoyama Buui. >> Yes. >> Mr. Nyola. >> Yes. >> Motion passes. >> 52. >> Thank you. Um, moving into ourformational items. Uh, results of site visits, review, and uniform complaint data 2025 2026 second quarter. Dr. Zela. Thank you. We had both announced and unannounced visits to Burbank,
312Ferguson, and Hawaiian, and they found our schools to have sufficiency of all the materials and things that were needed. >> All right, thank you. Going to quickly go through our announcements. Next regular board meetings, Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 7 p.m. here at the district office board meeting. Committee meetings. Uh, strategic planning board advisory committee, Tuesday, February 24th, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. District office boardroom. Legislative policy board advisory committee. Wednesday, February 25th, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. District conference room diversity unity equity board advisory committee Thursday, February 26, 2026. 5:30 p.m. District Office Board Room Finance Audit Board Advisory Committee Thursday, February 2026, 6 p.m. District conference room. Naming a facility at Whitney High School Board Ad Hoc Committee, Wednesday, March 18th, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. District conference room. Um, okay. Uh, we don't have time
313for second public comments. Uh, can I get a motion to adjourn the meeting? >> Second. >> All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Motion passes. 70 at 11:59. One more minute. [music] Heat. Heat.