001[Music] [Applause] [Music] w [Music] a [Music] [Applause] [Music] got [Music] you [Music] he [Music] he [Music] a [Music] call this Mee to order roll call president Mr Nishi I am here vice president noola present clerk Mrs yokam Bui present board member Mrs Mendoza present board member Dr Rios board member Mrs SE board member Mrs U here this evening we'll be discussing the following items and Clos session Public Employee discipline dismissal release evaluation one matter Gover code section 54957 conference with labor negotiator update on negotiations ABC ft ABC AFS CME and CS Governor code 54957.6 existing litigation the board will be going to close session forent to government code section 54956.9 V1 to discuss one matter but has determined that specifically identifying the matter with justif its ability to conclude the existing settlement negotiations to its
002advantage pursuant to supremor Court of California County La case number 24 nwcb 01160 special education settlement agreement student ID number 46816 government code section 54956.9 is what gives us authorization to do it this way another special education settlement agreement student number ID 4 62474 which is pursuant to government code section 54956.9 are any public comments on post section items I see none great can I have a motion to move to close session so moved second all in favor to say I I this motion passes five to oh [Music] a [Music] he [Music] he [Music] n [Music] n [Music] he [Music] a [Music] okay go are you able to hear me how come we cannot hear Nishi are you able to hear me okay loud okay all right [Music] a [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh oh [Music]
003[Applause] [Music] a [Music] n [Music] h [Music] a he [Music] he [Music] he oh [Music] okay go one two one two testing one two mic number five one two testing one two one [Music] two testing testing one two testing so it's fine okay let me [Music] a [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] he [Music] [Applause] a [Music] [Applause] [Music] n [Music] [Applause] [Music] he [Music] he w [Music] w e he [Music] w [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] a [Music] a [Music] n oh [Music] a [Music] oh oh [Music] n [Music] oh [Music] w [Music] n [Music] he [Music] oh [Music] he [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] know a oh [Music] oh [Music] a [Music] n [Music] a [Music] [Applause] [Music] n [Music] a [Music] a [Music] down [Music] ah ah [Music] a [Music] w
004oh [Music] n [Music] a [Music] n [Music] a [Music] a [Music] n [Music] n [Music] the board is back at Open Session can I have a motion so move by Sophia second all in favor say I I motion passes 70 please silence your cell phones close session report out tonight in close session the board discussed Public Employee discipline dismissal release evaluation one matter b code section 54957 conference with Le uh labor negotiator update negotiations with abft a afcme and CA government code section 7.6 existing litigation the board discussed in close session pursu to government code section 545 54956.9 D1 one matter but has determined that specifically identifying the matter would jeopardize the ability to conclude the existing settlement negotiations to its Advantage Superior Court of California County of Los Angeles case number 24 NWC V
00501160 in close session the board also discussed and approved a special settlement education agreement in the amount of 25,000 attorney's fees of 5,000 and compensatory education reimbursement for 200 hours of reading intervention for student ID number 46816 by vote of 720 also in Clos session the board discussed and approved a special education settlement agreement in the amount of $ 5,965 for reimbursement to a parent for vision therapy services no attorney fees and no due process filing for student ID 5 uh 462 474 by a vote of 70 Pledge of Allegiance tonight the Pledge of Allegiance would be led by the students from brag Elementary School who are accompanied by their principal Dr Hilda Flores and their teachers Miss Jane Griffin third grade teacher and Miss Julie Lawrence fourth and fifth grade teacher [Music] we are
006at your command good evening ABC unified board members and ABC community members my name is James Tucker and I'm M Brad Elementary student leadership treasure I will be leading the Pledge of Allegiance please stand put your right hand over your heart face the flag ready to begin I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible for liberty and justice for [Music] all my name is Moka and I'm the sixth grade student by president my peers and all are excited to tell you about the great things happening at our school this year has brought many changes to bag we welcome our amazing principal Dr H def Flores and their school is the first Elementary School in the district to be
007modernized as part of measure BB we're really excited about the construction work will be done in the next week or so Pro Community where everyone fits in our teachers are enthusiastic and committed always doing more than expected to help us Le learn i b will focus on being kind showing respect and working together which helps students do well in both their studies and friendships my name is Chase Sanders and I'm a student vice president student leip includes four sixth grade class representatives who meet once a week to share our concerns we work for teachers and staff events like a yearly BR tent show and our board game tournament every board was by raing and Ling the flag and we have class interactions by removing from the off recess each each morning to kindergartens to help
008uh to help kindergarten Sorry by in office thanks to Dr FL we are now kind of the Galaxy each morning we go to the kind help to St that they great being readers me we need to communicate well and work as a Team D for learning these important skills while making our school a better place my name is Sophia Blen and I am a sixth grade student representative our kindness Club is another way Brad creates a positive learning environment the club meets every Monday to spread kindness and make sure everyone feels welcome no matter what grade they're in we plan activities and events to encourage students to be positive both in and outside of school last month Miss Christina our mental health professional and and the kindness Club hosted our first scholar social of the
009year it was a great event where our Bobcats and their fam spent time together had lunch picnic style enjoyed music and played fun games with friends my name is Joseph Booker and I'm our student body chairperson we have scholar assemblies five times a year at these events teachers choose six students who show respect responsibility kindness and good participation our teachers always say it's hard to pick just one student for each award because so many deserve it students learn about school news through our bbtv program twice a week the sixth grade bbtv team creates shows that include the Pledge of Allegiance our PBIS pledge and upcoming events students also enjoy learning about the weather hearing interesting fact laughing at a joke and answering the question of the [Music] day my name is asora and I'm a
010sixth grade student representative and a member of both our Green Team and sister school program I we'd also like to tell you about our world famous Mary Brad Green Team Brad Green Team Works to help the environment through Beach cleanups tree plantings and other activities earlier this school year we held an environmental Summit we featured on CNN for our trash free lunch system and are currently working on projects like the gallon challenge to raise awareness about water scarcity our isn't just our school or Community either we are global we collaborate with students from other countries through the sister school program where we team up with the school in Abuja Nigeria to through Zoom once a month to work on projects like a sister School cookbook to help raise fun for things like shoes and desks
011for those in need my name is Janice Lee and I'm also a sixth grade student representative I'd like to introduce the rest of the sixth grade reps here with us this evening michaa marado and Nathan Toro finally let me introduce our principal Dr Hilda Flores and our student leadership teachers Miss Mrs Griffin and Miss Lawrence thank you very much for allowing us to come lead the pledge and share all the good things that are happening at Brag Elementary thank you do we have any board comments anybody okay hold down uh vice president Francisco noola uh thank you president Nishi uh thank you brag student Reps for coming here and doing the pledge of allegiance and telling us about your amazing school I'm just hoping if you guys are available soon to give me a tour
012of your new measure BB facilities are you guys okay with that okay thank you guys thank you vice president uh board clerk Tatiana y Yama Bui great job guys I really loved your presentation I feel like I know some of your school because I follow you on Instagram and so I find out about all the cool things you're doing I think you have a tree planting on Saturday right that's exciting and I also heard you guys were on the TV recently right super cool and I was super honored to be a part of your environmental Summit and I attended and I feel like based on what I'm hearing you guys are so so busy not only with school but so many other fun activities so thank you so much for visiting us and sharing um
013all the all the um exciting things that's going on there thank you and thank you for um your uh awesome principal who I've also had the pleasure to meet as well as your administrative and staff and the parents who are here to support your children thank you so much thank you uh board member Mendoza thank you Mr President thank you bre for coming out I actually have some stickers for you these are oneof a kind stickers you you can't get them anywhere they were designed here and they say um ABC School District student leaders and I think you guys are all student leaders I think you guys I was writing down everything that you were talking about and as a Kinder teacher the one that you said was it the Kinder Galaxy oh my gosh
014that is so cute do the kindergartens are they so excited when you guys come over yes they are they are now I I think I think it's drag is your school the one that um the kindergarteners drew the pictures the monsters and then G actually made him came come to life oh my God that is so cute um this past Friday it was G's art art Thursday Friday yeah Expo and so they were they were showing off um these cute little monsters that the kindergarteners Drew on a piece of paper and then the art students at G they they made them into C they were so amazing I'm jealous now I want to find a high school to do my kids so can one of you come up and get your stickers or one of
015a kind only thank you again for coming to share with us it was amazing oh we we have another comment it looks like we all want to be a part of this so uh board member sopi say I just wonder where's my stickers well I want to thank you so much the principal you leading the student here tonight and I want to thank you all the principal here too uh during this I believe was couple months ago you took a show around the M BB I really appreciate the hard work you had done and the outcome really the benefit served to our children I I want to thank you again um and the student too you did wonderful um speaking and in the from the public it wasn't nervous at all you did a great
016job you folks thank you thank you board members so I get to say something um so I love the principle that whatever age you're at you can make a difference a green team it's not oh I'm just an elementary school student no you're going to make a difference in our whole Community by doing your green activities by um being conscious about throwing out trash and being conscious about just comfort and helping people in other countries you guys are powerful and the other part of it is kindness my grandfather talked about kindness you know he wrote in his diary about hate will destroy hate will destroy and kindness can bring back even the worst situation and I know that kindness comes from lots of different places but it also comes from uh it comes from the
017administration that that makes sure that it's supported the teachers that enable it but it also comes from the parents so in honor of these kids are there any parents or do these kids drive themselves here could the parents rise cuz I'd like to recognize you W thank you for teaching kind kids we really need that in our world thank you thank you thank you for your uh PGE of Allegiance and you may depart study hard study hard don't forget to have your parents vote as well all right recognitions we'll have recognition of our citizens oversight committee outgoing members Mr nwin oh do we miss something no yep you're on thank you president n we have tonight um as part of measure BB and Proposition 39 the district was required to form a citizen oversight committee
018and their role is to ensure that the district spent every dollar under the measured BB properly and um that there's no misuse of public funds um they served um a 2-year term uh for under the law for a maximum of 3 years which is a total of six years and it has been 6 years I look back at the March 5th 2019 board meeting when de more appoint them uh to to this committee so tonight we have five members that are here that uh have been serving uh for the last six years straight uh on this committee uh to ensure uh that uh the district's properly spent uh measur BB dollars on behalf of the taxpayers so with that I will turn it over to you to recognize the committee members okay our recognition this
019evening is from both the district as well as the California State Assembly uh assembly member Sharon cork Silva has sent a recognition as well for their service and so uh Mr Mark Bowman next we have Joe Joy cab Sanu next Hana Chen Colum next we have Shin [Applause] Yu and then we have Mr William zra Mr should be all right right here thank you so I just want to thank the committee for their tireless work over six years looking over $265 million or somewhere around you probably know the exact number um you know it's not an easy thing and uh to go over these numbers and things but it is really important to have the community uh be part of this to look at where our dollars are spent to make sure that it's spent
020appropriately the way the voters wanted it to be voted for and because of your efforts you know um hopefully we've earned the trust of the community and uh we get the maximum amount of value for the improvements that we're we're paying for so I truly do thank you for going through the tedious and and regular meetings and and having discussions and uh I know it's not easy and it's not in front of the cameras but it is definitely something that is needed did so I from the bottom of my heart thank you for your service thank you spotlight on teaching actually also uh for anybody else that uh would need some translation I don't know if somebody can translate that for me gracias I should have probably started with that but Spotlight on teaching and
021learning we'll now have a presentation for spotlight on teaching and learning take it away thank you president M uh I am calling up our Equity officer Mr Blaine Watson along with our student representatives from various School sites to talk to you about women's history month and the importance of leadership at our school sites by our wonderful students Mr Watson all right uh good evening good evening president Nish uh board president vice president noola uh board clerk yokoyama Bui um board member Rios mendosa SE and Y uh good evening Dr zlo and members of the community my name is Blain Watson Equity officer and I am really excited tonight to be able to present on women's history month and also Spotlight our wonderful student leaders across several of our schools in ABC Unified School District so
022wait for the screen to come down okay so founded in 1978 uh the national women's history Alliance is a leader in promoting women's uh history and it's committed to the goals of Education empowerment equality and also inclusion uh the theme for this year nationally is moving forward together women educating and inspiring Generations this theme celebrates the Collective Strength and influence of women that women have on our communities and the dedication to educa to mentorship and also to leadership through their efforts women have served as an inspiration for all generations past present and future and tonight we have the honor of talking to and hearing from several of our student leaders there are some other goals that are that are highlighted with this theme this year I want to highlight really quickly um the first sub
023theme or goal in this theme is the idea of Honor recognizing women Educators mentors and also leaders inspiring uh which means in the in this case to motivate all generations to pursue Education and Leadership roles also education raising awareness about the legacies of women from every Walk of Life highlighting their unique contributions and diverse backgrounds religious beliefs abilities and personal experiences Unity the idea of bringing together communities to explore share and celebrate women's history and achievements and lastly envisioning creating a blueprint for the future that honors our foremothers and builds bridges for the next generation of women so women's history isn't just about what happened in the past right it's about empowering future generations to understand their worth and their place in shaping the world that being said we have five young wonderful and Powerful
024student leaders from across abcusd who are here to speak to about women's history month and what leaders means to them and I will allow them to present now are good evening ABC Board distinguished members staff and Community my name is Ariana Ooa I am a senior at ARA high school and during my time at ARA I have been a member of ASB class of 2025 Club spirit and rally committee and our Avid organization I am extremely honored to be here speaking in front of you all sharing the importance of women educating and inspiring future Generations throughout my whole life I have been surrounded and inspired by many women my friends my first inspiration came from my mother who showed me what it means to be strong kind and determined she made the courageous decision to
025immigrate to the US to provide a better life for me and my siblings as she worked tirelessly she taught me that success isn't given it is earned through hard work and patience I have been fortunate enough to attend Aria high school a school that is dominated by women as most of our teachers guidance counselors and faculty are women our women Educators work passionately and their contributions and commitment goes beyond the classroom as they teach with the purpose that makes every student feel valued not only is their school one by run by women but women of color and women from different backgrounds with such a and with such a diverse community art ARA High School is important for us students especially young girls to see ourselves reflected in the teachers who guide them our senior class
026counselor Mr has dedicated herself to helping the class of 2025 navigate their educational Journey she has ensured that I received the guidance needed to succeed her immense support has reminded me that I am capable of achieving my goals it is important for young women to have counselors like Mr Heel women who who advocate for our goals and help us in the pathway toward success the fight for women advocacy has been a long time coming coming and for Generations women had to fight to be able to access education activists have paid the way for future future generations of women however equal access to education for women remains a tough battle in many parts of the world and I think that is why our district and Community should continue to recognize women Educators mentors leaders to pave
027the way for future generations of young women as we celebrate National National Women's History Month let us commit to moving forward together together ensuring that our district recognizes and highlights the achievements and contributions of these powerful women in our community and for many generations to come I owe it all to the women who never stopped fighting for for our right to learn and lead and believing in the potential of young girls like me thank you okay good okay Billy saying what was I made for which is something that the average growing woman thinks about daily and why it's important to have a woman as a role model good evening everyone my name is rim shalik and I'm a seventh grader at Carmenita Middle School some leadership roles that I have done at school are ASB
028and cjsf in ASB I am a historian which means that I take pictures of multiple events that take place at our school in cjsf I do community service today I want to take a moment to talk about a woman in my life that has been an outstanding source of inspiration my older sister my sister and I have an age gap of 5 years the age Gap not intruding between us being Inseparable and keeping us just as close to this day from the minute I was old enough to recognize what it meant to look up to someone she's been that person I've watched her go through challenges triumphs and everything in between each step of the way she showed me how to grow stronger she showed me how to littleit determination gratitude and kindness something that
029makes my sister so inspiring is not just what she's accomplished but how she achieved it she's gone through numerous hurdles with a smile on her face and a strength that I've always admired whether it's balancing her work school or personal life she's always managed to stay humble while pushing herself to be the best version of herself her ability her ability to pick herself up has shown me that no matter how hard things may get there's always a way to get through it and have something I was made for uh although she has a great work ethic and determination that's not all that makes her special the ability that makes her exceptional is her way of uplifting others making them feel as if they belong and reminding them of their purpose my sister has never left
030my side now staying with me through na through the highs and the lows of navigating through my life her nobility and selflessness are qualities I strive to embody every day her when I'm feeling down she's the first one to remind me of my own strength encouraging me to use it wisely reminding me in the most supportive ways while while also showing me that it is okay to be imperfect to make mistakes and how to learn from them in a way that often highlights Perfection my sister has been a constant reminder that development comes from experience not from always being perfect her ambition gentleness and power has helped shape me into the growing young lady I am today whether it was a spoken lesson an example or a watch and learn moment I am and will
031always be a extremely grateful for everything she has taught me so to my older sister thank you for not only being my role model my source of inspiration and my best friend but for teaching me the ways of divine feminine I can only hope to be half as inspiring to others as you have been to me in the end inspired by my sister's lead I urge you to join me in making a difference let's celebrate women's achievements challenges and work together towards a brighter future for everyone thank you for your time and have a great evening good evening board members staff and family my name is Brooklyn Myers and I attend carmeno middle school as a seventh grader some things that I have contributed to my school Community is I am a safe School Ambassador
032I have help played many leadership roles in classrooms and with board members and sorry not board MERS staff members and I have played many roles in my honor RS list many of these achievements couldn't have happened without these four special woman in my life my mom my two sisters and my counselor Miss Ivy my mother has always been known to push people and to be the best version of themselves she raised both me and my siblings to be the best versions of herself and beautiful young ladies as we grew up being a young B Roman has always shown me to look up to my leaders and my role models my mom always tells me in Spanish hearing this as a little girl never got me thinking about what it meant and how to put into
033perspective Ive as I got older I finally started to realize that this meant keep moving forward The Best Is Yet To Come understanding this now made me realize that not everything is going to come all at once you need to take everything one step at a time me a little girl I always looked up to my sisters even though they never saw it or knew that I did I've always wanted to be just like them my sisters grew up to be beautiful and amazing women who strive to be who they want to be and proceed to do what they love in their life my sisters aren't just family to me these women are my Educators my leaders and my mentors lastly Miss Ivy when I walked into the gates of carminita I was waiting to
034go home but as I began to walk in I saw a warm welcoming smile I never knew who this was nor was I aware this one was going to be one of my biggest Inspirations in life as I slowly began to talk to Miss Iving during class and passing period we began to remember each other's names and talk about school and what is Yet to Come Miss Ivy slowly started to show me that I have a voice for my community and what's right for my school she showed me that I have talent and the leadership to be a part of something this big as I now speak this I realized that I wouldn't be here speaking in front of you guys thanks to these four ladies especially Miss Ivy I know that in our future
035these four ladies who spoke or will speak are going to make a difference with me as we grow together thank you for your time and have a great [Applause] evening hello everyone my name is r shast and I'm currently a junior at seros high school a first J American a daughter of two Indian immigrant parents and most importantly a women leader at abcusd at of high school I'm currently involved in Model United Nations the future president of our South Asian Club on campus and I'm currently the junior class vice president in ASB it is an honor to stand before you today as we celebrate women's History Month growing up I didn't see many women in leadership roles in my community but I remember one moment that changed my perspective a woman in my district someone
036I looked up to stood up for students like me ensuring that every voice no matter how young Was Heard heard that showed me the power of woman advocating for change her voice brought attention to her unheard voices in elementary school and although I do not remember her name she left a lasting impact on my journey in this District when I was writing the speech I couldn't help but think of someone that represents strength resilience and unwavering love and that someone is my mom she's sitting right over there here today her voice someone who stood by me through every challenge supported me in every moment of doubt and has shown me what it truly means to truly fight for those who you love from day one my mom has been my anchor and my Guiding Light
037she is without the doubt my the hardest person Harding hardest working person I know she juggles so much raising me and my brother who I know haven't always been the easiest to handle balancing her career her friendships and so making our house feel like home every day she gives so much of herself to everyone around her yet she always finds time to remind me of my worth especially on the days where I forget it myself my mom made the brave decision to raise two kids away from her own home from the comfort of what she knew but that didn't stop her in fact it only fueled her to create a life for us that's full of love support and opportunities to me my mom shows me what it means to be a strong woman not
038just in the way that she hand handles the challenges life throws at her but in the way she advocates for the values that matter most she stands up for Equity diversity and inclusion not just as ideas but as things how we live love and treat others so I stand here today honoring women throughout history who have paved the way for all of for us all I can't help but recognize the woman who's made the most significant impact on my life my mom this month isn't just about honoring our past it's about honoring the women present in our lives today whether that be a teacher a wife a daughter or a friend women leaders fight every day to create Fair opportunities whether it's ensuring equal access to education supporting under repesentative voices or pushing for policies
039that help everyone succeed I've seen firsthand how important it is to have leaders who reflect the diversity of the people they serve when we have more women in leadership young girls like myself included see a future Where We Belong at the decision- making table from being one of the only girls in my 8th grade Science Olympiad competition to now being junior class vice president all forms of women in leadership inspired that little girl in 8th grade who felt scared to be the only girl in the Science Olympiad I'm proud to be a part of this District's diversity unity and Equity committee this year I'm one of the five girls in my AP compsite class and and in the near future I hope our committee is able to bridge the gap between the amount of women
040and Colored Women in state stem Fields I went to star's Elementary from kindergarten to 2 grade Sero Elementary from 3rd to 6th grade and Caro Middle School Miss EES Miss Grahams Miss and Sparks Miss ja Singa Miss Melton Miss Stanton Miss Dean Miss McCutchen Miss King Miss Rogan thank you for shaping me to be the leader I am and the person I am today as a student in this District I inspired by the women who lead who Advocate and who make space for the Next Generation but this work doesn't stop with them it continues with us if we want a world that truly values Equity diversity and inclusion we must all uplift and support women leaders in our schools our communities and Beyond let's not just celebrate women's history Let's Make History together thank [Applause]
041you Miss gray Miss gray Miss Vu Miss rodic Miss Oda Miss Jong Miss Yap Miss Stefan Miss mol and miss son nine nine female teachers from my freshman year till now who have all left a resounding impact on me yet their efforts don't just stand alone this is part of a much larger and ongoing movement who have shaped and continued to shape our world good evening esteemed board members faculty and staff my name is Mela rajin and I'm a junior at gar High School to share a little bit about myself I'm involved in Model United Nations student site Council and serve as Treasure of class cabinet CSF and engineering club and I'm also vice president oh we want to make sure we can hear you sorry I think it got turned is it on do
042I restart okay and vice president of math and science club outside of school I've created computer science courses for students published a book and developed a website where students can find volunteer opportunities as we celebrate women's History Month it's important to reflect on how women's contributions continue to Ripple through every aspect of Our Lives the nine teachers I have met mentioned have certainly left a lasting impact on me but they are just part of the larger Legacy of women Educators leaders and change makers yet this month isn't just about honoring women in history but also recognizing the work still being done every day women have always played a critical role in shaping societies from education to business to politics but it's still easy to overlook how much Pro how much effort it takes to move
043forward together especially when it comes to education despite the progress we've made women especially women of color still feel underrepresented in many fields that being said I feel incredibly lucky to attend gar High School in the ABC Unified School District a place where I've had the opportunity to learn from and be inspired by such amazing Educators and mentors the resources and support here have shaped my educational journey and I've learned that the importance of women educating and inspiring Generations cannot be overstated I'm constantly inspired by the teachers who have pushed me to grow not just as a student but as a future leader and Advocate and just as I've been inspired by these incredible women I'm also inspired by the four other girls who have spoken today their voices alongside the work of the teachers
044and all the women before us contribute to the ongoing movement of educating and empowering future Generations so as we reflect on the progress made Let's also remember that our work is far from over because moving forward together means not only recognizing the efforts of those who came before us but also continuing the work through Collective action support and collaboration thank you [Applause] so we have any board comment all right we have uh board clerk Miss Tatiana yokoyama Buie I would like to um thank you all so much for coming up and preparing your speeches they were all very excellent speeches and what I'm hearing in is um a lot of who you look up to and who inspire you daily are are people you see every day and just our everyday females and women um
045are the ones who are helping change our communities because look at you all you're doing wonderful things you're all very bright very intelligent and I'm so um honored to be able to share this time with you um and I I do want to take this time to say you're growing up and I know some of you are are as young as seventh grade but you're all growing up and and I I I know there are probably younger girls who look up to you and and they will continue to look up to you because of the the wonderful things you're going to do in this world so thank you um for not only um inspiring us today but potentially inspiring many others in the future thank you thank you uh Dr Rios well I think I
046speak for everyone like wow go women yay y I think every single one of your stories was amazing thank you for sharing very proud of you very proud of your families for raising such strong and articulate women um my comment is actually for Mr Blaine Watson our Equity officer um I appreciate the opportunity that we take um every month to highlight and uplift in this case the voices of um our special group groups again this month of amazing women in our schools uh but I want to challenge you uh it was kind of brought up in some of the some of the conversations as we talk about issues of equity to also maybe highlight an area where Equity is an issue in our schools and more importantly what we as a district are doing to
047address those um I know that when I read about how girls or women in school are doing it's pretty good right we tend to do well in Reading we tend to do well in um sorry in some areas but as somebody was mentioned they were the only um female in the Olympiad so I know historically we've you know really tried to to inspire women to join the steam Fields um I don't know that's an area that we as a district have taken on I know that we provide a lot of events but are we doing any extra efforts to inspire more women to to um join that field I know in the area of mental health women deal sometimes in school with a lot of issues so again I challenge you to along with uplifting
048voices and bringing us these Amazing Stories let us know how we as a board we as a district are are addressing issues of equity as it relates to in this case women thank you thank you Dr Yos um Board member Miss Mendoza thank you Mr President I just want to Echo my my colleague thank you for coming and sharing your stories I was just in awe of your speeches and you're like so young and you've done so much I'm like wow I don't think I was thinking about that when I was in Middle School or high school um but thank you so much for sharing that and I think um as women of color we have our own issues that we face right I know many times when I was growing up if you're a
049Latina you become the babysitter right where while our families are out there working it's just something that happens and I think with all the challenges that we face you guys are overcoming that you ladies are amazing thank you for sharing and let me see 1 2 3 4 5 count the women on the board I'm I'm looking to you guys I'm saying okay you can rep replace me you can replace so we're hoping that you come back and you share all of these great amazing things with with your future mentees right so you said you had a lot of um women who are mentoring you come back and we want we want you to be those mentors for our our young ladies in the future so thank you again much gracias for coming and sharing
050thank you um next would be uh Miss Sophia say well we're talking about Empower woman here you guys are wonderful I do want to say something about Rian because I went I college I talk KY L about cultural difference how to take care of patient and we emphasize each cultur difference how to respond the disease and how they treat it and when I was one of the class I talked about how Indian woman at home most is a humble and respect the husband and listen but today you talk about your mother Riot right can I have a mother stand up Ria Ria is your mom I want to say I have to talk to you you know I want to say You must have a hard time I learned so well and you are leading
051the word leading a wonderful girls here maybe we talk about five girls here five ladies here one of you guys probably going to be a lady president and I'm looking forward to see that one of this day we will have woman lead in this country I want to thank you I really enjoy what you say celebrate the past but we should also celebrate the present people and I also want to say to make a history together that's wonderful thank you so much for Shing that I will never forget that thank you thank you board member uh say uh vice president Mr noola uh thank you president Nishi uh thank you for coming here tonight and inspiring all of us sharing your stories and elevating your voice and elevating other people's voices what you're doing is
052so powerful uh my favorite thing about being a board member is that I get to be surrounded by strong powerful women every day and I'm inspired by them all the time so so kudos to you guys you guys are the future you guys are inspiring others you guys inspired me tonight so appreciate you guys come here and thank you Mr Watson for always elevating student voices thank you thank you uh board member suu thank you president uh you know one common thing that I heard from all of you guys were your mothers Were Your Heroes that was the common thing that is the power of womenhood yeah because only women can give birth I gave birth to four daughters also so you know my mom used to tell me that you're so lucky to be
053born in this age because my mom grew up in a country where women were not equally treated they were inferior but in America we're all created equal women are not Superior over men and men are not Superior over women we're all created equal and you guys are so blessed to have wonderful mothers and I wish my daughters would say that about me and also this is the greatest nation in the face of Earth greatest government that gives opportunities to women women and men are different different strength but this is the country that you can be all that you can be and pursue all that you want to pursue and thank God for Banning men playing in women's sports protecting all female athletes and sports God bless you thank you so much and bless the parents
054who raised these wonderful wonderful wonderful women all right I'll be really quick because uh I've only known powerful women my mom she was a judo person um so I I don't think we need to add any additional comments from me because uh I could get beat up by these powerful women next to me um but I would like to take a a couple seconds for the parents uh the paparazzi in the back that I saw videotaping if you could please rise we know who you are want to thank you for being an inspiration to these Future Leaders thank you all right I need to have somebody approve our agenda second all in favor say I I all right the motion passes 70 can I get a motion to approve our minutes for the meeting of
055February 4th 2025 second by S okay all in favor say I I all right can I have a motion to approve I I thank you one Obion so it would be 61 [Music] and because we'd love to have meetings I'll have another motion to approve the minutes of the special study session motion February 18th 2025 got the motion second which one was first which one do you think was first all right Mr no was second all in favor say I I I any extensions I think we're all there I'd love to hear the student board representative report from Whitney High School that's why we have the rail yeah good evening president n vice president noola CL yokoyama Bui uh distinguished board members superintendent zlo C members and ABC USD community members my name is Andrew
056du and this is William King and we both serve on Whitney High School's ASB board this winter sports season has been an exciting one with many of our teams wrapping up with strong performances including girls and boys basketball our girls basketball team had an incredible season earning the title of League champions of the 605 League they continue to push forward and secure spot in CIF state competition and recently had a game tonight actually against pbos High School in which they won and moved on to the next round our boys basketball team also had an impressive run securing a third place spot in the 605 league and earning a well-deserved spot in CIF both teams has both teams have represented our school with pride throughout the season in addition ouram made history of the Season by
057securing their first win in three years defeating Glenn High School in a thrilling match this Victory marks a major milestone for the team recently Whitney H School its annual open house welcoming parents and Guardians onto campus for an informative evening where we learn more about students at Whitney this event provided families with the opportunity to explore classroom meet teachers and gain insight into the daily experiences of our students parents were able to learn more about the curriculum extracurricular activities and academic programs that make Whitney High School unique adding to the vi atmosphere a variety of Club student organizations showcase their activities allowing many visitors to see the passions of our students here at Whitney parent organizations such as PTSA were also present offering valuable resources and ways for families to get involved in the school
058Community to make the evening even more enjoyable several F trucks were available to Vis visitors creating a festive environment we also honor to welcome member Sophia SE to the event on January 17th Whitney hosted our annual homecoming basketball game against Oxford Academy our girls and boys varsity basketball teams both secured victories allowing us to coordinate our homecoming king and queen in good spirits the following day we had a homecoming dance at the Henda in Anaheim or sorry in Santa Ana with the theme of in The Secret Garden the venue offered spacious rooms delicious refreshments and many other amenities to make for an enjoyable evening since our homecoming dance is not open to middle school students our middle school students also had their own Middle School social this dance held on campus provided provided a special
059opportunity for underclassman to experience their first formal dance the dance was entirely planned by the middle school members of RB who chose the theme of La Land city of stars another major event ofy is the district musical this year the musical chosen was Chicago a dark but comedic production set in the 1920s Wendy's drama Club hosted this districtwide uh performance to support the young actors and actresses in our ABCD community as many as as many of us know severe virus have recently impacted Southern California leaving thousands with their homes destroyed and access to basic necessities Limited in response Whitney High School hosted a donation drive on January 16th donations were sent directly to the LA Food Bank to to support victims of the wildfires multiple sites were set up across campus and a Whitney Community
060generously provided items to Aid those affected on February 1 we command the day of remembrance on our campus board president Nishi brought this important event to our school where students learned about the unjust treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II we want to thank him for his continued presence and support at Wy High School Our Guest speakers were able to share their experiences regarding the Japanese internment camps during this event held in our Max theater as well as through videos shown in Whitney classrooms recently the city of serers hosted the annual Optimus Club essay contest we are that Whitney students swept the awards scoring first second and third place the Whitney will be the next level of competition additionally Whitney play Third in the annual scdl the Southern California debate leag V the debate
061in division 3 finally we to announce that Whitney High School was recently ranked the number one Middle School in the state by US News and World Report although the high school rankings have yet to be released it expected that Whitney High School will also be ranked among the top schools in the state it is a pleasure to share all the exciting events happening at Wy with the board and the ABC USC Community thank you for your T thank you for taking the time to listen to us today thank you do import comment okay so oh we do apparently okay uh board member sue you well thank you for waiting all that time we had that was a long presentation but um thank you for coming out and congratulations to Whitney um high school middle middle
062school and I know that you have some staff here right where's your principal right there stand up stand up yeah and okay yeah well seems like wiy is very busy with a lot of uh not only emphasis on the academics but really strong musical program yeah fantastic did anybody go watch Chicago right here okay yeah well thank you for coming out thank you yes that was a great musical I saw that what are your uh goals and plans for for the future um for the future uh I was recently elected for next year to be ASP president at our school so um I'm looking forward to an exciting next uh exciting another year of ASB to wrap up my time at Whitney um but closer to now um I'm currently on Club kabigon the Filipino
063Club at uh wiy high school and I'm looking forward to uh our PCN which is this weekend our Filipino cultural night it's on Saturday and Sunday uh recently I was also elected the ASB vice president of the school for next year and I think just being able to create a welcoming environment for our incoming students is something that us and our cabinet in ASB as a whole really wants to focus on next year additionally I'm part of the crane cultural Club at my school so just being able to create a more close-knit and tight Community next year thank you so we really need students school board members because you have a perspective that I don't have which is as a student right so um I encourage you to I know you have lots of studies
064but uh just because you have this time now doesn't mean you can't ask me questions later on or tell me what you think of all the issues that you have surrounding your community because we value your specific perspective um so feel free to stay or you can call us and um and um let us know how we can really serve you cuz that's that's the key right thank you for being our Future Leaders maybe someday you'll come take our seats here right all right thank you all right uh looks like my report is next so I'll try to be quick a few things here I had to write it down uh I went to back school night at carminita Ross award with the um I think Soph the Fetti mural project also by uh with
065Mr noyola Brian Green Team recycling Carrie Flores thank you Carrie for really uh leading these kids to further great things K's fundraiser with Mr snack Whitney that show was amazing if any of you guys missed it you guys missed it I mean yeah it it's a great show uh everybody else out there in the community please don't miss that uh they're future ones I had a tea with the trustee we got a lot of information and we'll be following up and getting some answers to you spelling be I said hirs got a second place finish I don't know who won but I know who won uh Ferguson I once saw this around the world dance that was also amazing they had like K-pop to Africa it was uh great things and actually uh Sharon cork
066Silva's Deputy came and and presented uh we had Amazon reopening Lakewood state of the city black Educators award at Cabrio thank you to the um our Equity officer for making that a really big event not just a few people in the inside uh we had the first ever Black History Month at Aloha that was also pretty amazing uh Whitman susal reading Olympics Whitman one um reading to Gonzales reading to Whitman Quirk Silva meet and greet discussion of our needs and discussion of issues surrounding ice um sopus fundraiser these people serve our kids so please if you guys have any extra bandwidth joint or Optimist Jo the Optimus they definitely directly help our kids we can't do it all we rely on the community to do this s's Chinese School New Year gar film festival with
067uh uh Miss Mendoza it was an amazing Film Festival it wasn't just all about homework it was about everything else that I was just creative um good reviews on the budget meeting I met with Aria Lakewood Hawaiian Gardens city managers to discuss our partnership regarding our budget we got to maintain our student services that's the key right we can't have any of these fiscal issues affect us directly so we will need our partners and I'm not just going to do it as a a lip service thing we definitely going to make that happen as a real thing we had day of remembrances we had 13 sessions three high schools two middle schools and all elementary schools and I've gone back to see some of the middle schools at Hawaiian Elementary and those places and I
068think we've had an impact and I'm hopeful that that you know it's the thing that we can make a difference at whatever age whether you're an elementary school student as you see at Brag or if you're 99 years old as a draft Dodger your principles your ethics matter you never can have there's no age where you can stop making change um and I know that our students responded with art with poetry each of the schools wrote cards um it affected them and it needs to be a continuing lesson and it's a a meses of how great our country is so I think that's the the main thing of this report we have a great Community great school district and a great people working towards the betterment of of our society and that's the president's report
069we have superintendent report next thank you good evening everyone um had a number of things in my schedule since our last meeting um in the area of a shared vision for Learning and growth for all students um I had our my monthly District pal team meeting with all of our employee presidents I'm just looking at data that we've gotten back on the culture of our district and how employees and Staff feel um working here and um looking at that data with everyone over the next few weeks to really then make some decisions together about how do we continue to develop our culture so that people um are feeling not only um cared about but that they they feel empowered to do the right work for our students and to serve our students well um we
070had meetings with our principls um about 18 of them February 5th 12th and 19th where we reviewed where they are with their sipso where kids are progressing this year mid year um how we're spending those funds to make sure students are doing well and looking at changes that are needed to improve where things are not going well for students in the area of building a collaborative culture of teaching and learning I did a full day visit at gar High School on February 6th um we did pal focus groups with abcf Partners on February 6th looking at things that we're working on together to make things better for teaching and learning at our schools um we had a visit at Elliot Elementary School and Aria high school with Dr Douglas Reeves on February 11th looking at
071the work teachers are doing there collaboratively together and and the processes and systems in place for students and then I attended the day of remem assembly at seros high school on February 18th um in the area of collaboration with families and educational Partners I've been very busy I was at the district Musical seros High School openhouse um I participated in the AI Community round table that was a virtual meeting uh I attended the district Honor Band concert the district Elementary spelling be fetty Middle School awards and open house event the black Family Circle parent advisory committee meeting uh the district elementary Reading Olympics and committee meetings with our student board reps um to prepare for this evening um and then along with Mr Nish I attended uh meetings with the city managers for the cities
072of artisia Lakewood and Hawaiian Gardens and that's my report thank you Public Employee representative reports that's a nice shirt Mr gr thank you why are you wearing a red shirt I will get to that for sure um good evening everybody uh Ray G president the ABC Federation teachers uh good evening uh president Nish uh board trustees uh superintendent Dr zlo administrative cabinet um teachers nurses and the ABC community and thank you for being here and staying in here um I'm wearing a red shirt for for um the reason across the country many are wearing red shirts or dresses or scarfs or something red right um typically uh Union actions you know we're trying to just have a solidary action in ABC we wear blue because we like blue and blue is a nice color and
073it's our color but when we're part of a a national just a recognition that we are in education to support support students and public education and so I appreciate all of those who who are wearing red um just because um public education is a very special thing and I was talking to a very smart person earlier and she was telling me um that public education does not get to pick which students we get to have uh we don't get to pick uh the backgrounds or the the the socioeconomic situations of our students students um that's the dream the dream is that we get public education u i those speakers we heard earlier you know these are immigrant families um I'm also from an immigrant family my mom was the youngest of 14 uh education is
074the pathway it is the door to create a better Society you know and um giving people the opportunity to have education and to meet them where they are so that they can be lifted up and be successful that's why we're in education so um you know spoiler alert on Dr zeto's um Educators thriving survey that she did it's a really great survey it talks about why do people stay in education and specifically why do they stay in ABC and what we've heard the word over and over it's the culture in ABC you know uh I I just came from DC and people always ask me is ABC a real place you know it we are like some test question right if ABC District did this um I will tell you that we will go down
075in the history books as one of the best districts to ever be a public education service in the in the United States uh and I'm not I'm not saying that just to be flambant and out there but we really have done some amazing things over the just the last five years these members who watched over our bond you know we worked as a community to pass that bond to make our schools better and you know to have the community support that and to have the oversight Community you know recognized for the hard work that they did you know we we did that in direct that wasn't an easy time but look at what's done for our students and for our classrooms so teachers throughout ABC are wearing red and administrators are wearing red because we
076understand what we're doing here for kids as a community it's powerful one of the another thing that makes us powerful is that we have Educators really getting together to have conversation about what's best for kids in the survey I'm going to spoiler alert again over half the people said their number one reason is that they go to school every day is their focus is on student student student now me maybe the next one was hey I'm trying to take care of my family but they are there for this right purpose students and and the mission of of of teaching students and so is such a powerful me message one of the things that we do differently here is that Administration will actually work with teachers to find new strategies shortcuts things that save money so
077that we roll out things into our classrooms so they make sense for kids and for families an example today is next year we're going to have to test for um dyslexia for every I think it's kindergarten first grade something you know it's three grades it's a heavy lift but I had um opportunity to go to uh a meeting today where Administration was there with about 20 teachers from all over the district to kind of brainstorm of how to do this that makes sense and every teacher after there's some great ideas that came out of there and they have strategies and I they have a plan that's going to work for next year but every teacher walked out of there saying that's why I I work in this District because I get a say and I
078get to help and I own it just like everybody else and I think that's just so powerful and we are the exception to the rule you know I wish every school district was doing what we're doing you know and I know the school are very diverse we don't throw stones at each other who have different backgrounds different beliefs but we don't burn things down for our kids we keep ey on the main thing which was Dr Ron's Mission keep the main thing main thing and that's the kids so I I think thank you for you're wearing red I think this is an important time for public education and for our kids thank you public comments persons wishing to address the board should fill out a card located on the table by the door and submit
079the completed card to the secretary speakers will be called in sequence during the public comment section or prior to board discussion on an agenda item the board shall provide 1 hour for speakers to address non- agendized 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 15 to 20 speakers for non- agendized items individual speakers shall be allowed 3 minutes to address the board on the item in order to Ure that non-english speakers receive the same opportunity to directly address the board any member of the public who utilizes a translator shall be provided at least twice the allotted time to address the board please remember that the board is unable to directly respond
080to comments made during the public comment section in addition neither the board nor District staff 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 will 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 agendized items there uh should there be six to 10 speakers for agenda items indid individual speakers shall be allowed 3 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 be made please avoid remarks
081or 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 have um public comment from uh I have three names here unique Aragon Brook n aen c cardinas cardinus and next up will be Carla B Santa Cruz good evening oh do you hear me okay good evening board president Nishi vice president noola board clerk Yoko board member Rios board member Mendoza board member s board member U and superintendent Dr zlo my name is Brook Nom my name is jar my name is Arlin kardas I we are all Juniors at gar High School it is with a great honor and excitement that we stand
082before you today to present an initiative that will Empower Our Youth and uplift Our Community Voices United a festival for justice a social justice and advocacy event dedicated to spreading awareness about systemic injustices and the intersectional activism of students of color and education system this Festival will take place at gar High School tentatively in September 20125 and Promises to be a transformative experience for our students particularly as they navigate the complexities of identity policies and social change in st's world this Festival is an event spearheaded by youth for change a student LED civil rights and social justice Club committed to empowering youth through education on the policies and laws that directly affect them our club was founded in response to the alarming developments in the current political climate and a concerning political apathy among youth
083we believe in the power of engaged and educ informed students who can drive meaningful change within their communities and we are proud to collaborate with interdistrict student organizations local nonprofits and ethnic studies and arts department of gar High School to bring this Festival to life this Festival itself will serve as both an educational and experiential Space by the board's discretion it will include workshops on Arts Justice and cultural music designated by Los Angeles organization project knucklehead as well as local businesses showcasing their offerings live poetry readings student conferences and cultural performances we plan on facilitating student fors design to engage youth in critical discussions on issues affecting the diaspora the experiences of students of color the current curriculum on ethnic history and policies related to law enforcement presence in public schools our student forums will
084be Central to the events Mission we will provide students with a platform to discuss the complexities of their lived experiences particularly focusing on how systematic barriers manifest in their education and communities we hope to provide abcusd students with a comprehensive education on the intersectional nature of policy culture and identity uh celebrate the resilience of ethnic communities and people of color to Foster solidarity for restorative justice and educate youth on current structural systems of Law and policy that affect communities of color in a contemporary context through this Dynamic through this Dynamic and interactive approach we aim to nurture the kind of collaborative problem solvers empathetic leaders and effective communicators that the ABC Unified School District student profile Champions we are also excited to announce that our keynote speaker for this Festival will be salomi agbaji an
085alumna Richard Guy high school that is now at Harvard University salom is a passionate activist and advocate for the protection of marginalized communities uh uh and their rights her experiences and dedications to social justice will inspire our students to deepen the impact of the festival ultimately this Festival is not just an event it is an opportunity to extend the values of ABC usd's uh commitment to a holistic education by oh sorry by engaging with systemic Injustice and encouraging youth advocacy we help cultivate students who are not only academically successful but also socially aware and ready to contribute to a more just Society we deeply admire the ABC UniFi school boards on wavering commitment to Student Success and we believe that voices United align seully with the district's goals by supporting this event you are affirming
086U the importance of student voices in shaping the future of our education system and beyond we are grateful for the support of administr Administrators like Dr Moore and Mrs pitsky as well as our advisor Mr caneles we would like to particularly highlight Equity officer bla Watson's commitment and support throughout our planning process for this Festival through each step of this journey Mr Watson has been a vital proponent in guiding our team and isens Shing the absolute potential of this project this Festival is a reflective of the progressive inclusive spirit that makes our school district a model of Excellence it is our Collective responsibility to Foster an environment where students not only learn about the world around them but also actively shape it we are grateful for your support and advancing this Mission and we look
087forward to the opportunity to collaborate with you to make voices United a fesal Justice a sound um a resounding success thank you for your time your commitment and your dedication to the students of the ABC UniFi School District thank you [Applause] thank Carla B Santa Cruz good evening my name is Carla Santa Cruz formerly known as carlaa when I worked here in ABC from 19 75 until 2013 when I retired so for those of you that I haven't met I haven't had the pleasure of meeting congratulations to all of you for being on our board and thank you for your support I came to visit you and didn't get to see all of you in January and I'm coming back to reinvite you to the California Association for bilingual education's 50th Anniversary conference but specifically
088to the uh English learner administrative leadership Symposium it's going to be held on Friday March 28th it's free to administrators uh at the high level I'm hoping that our superintendent and our cabinet can be there and especially our board members because it's specifically for you it's local here in Long Beach and it's our 50th anniversary and I'm especially excited because when cab as we know it started that's when I began my career here in ABC after I did my student teaching here in 1974 so my first reason for coming here is to remind you and I really hope that you'll be there and you'll take advantage of this second of all I'm very happy to be supported by this board and as um Ray GE our our our union leaders have said we app appreciate
089the support that we give and it's a place where we want to work in fact I'm still coming back all these years my son is now working for the district my grandson is attending um the nemis two-way emerging program and that's my next Point even though there may be executive actions that declare that English may be the designated language I want to not be complacent and make sure that we all remember that in ABC and in our community in our world we are a Multicultural Society and I'm coming because I want to make sure that we have the Assurance to our community that we still have the support for our multilingual Learners and our multilingual programs and finally I really appreciate the fact that we do have the assurances for safety for our students but
090because there is so much talk and there are so many reasons to have fear and insecurity I just want to ask you and thank you for the assurances but to continue because as we have new students new people in our communities they might not know that we've enjoyed the support that we've had for so many years and so I'm just urging you to please keep up the message so that as we have new people come into our community that they know that our children are safe and um I I just want want to thank you very much for that and urge you to go to the cab conference on March 28th thank you no further public comment thank you uh consent calendar can I have a motion to approve the consent calendar by sop second
091s is there anybody wishes to remove any items on the consent calendar uh Miss Mendoza yeah no I don't want to pull I just want to make a comment I know this this always gets put in the consent but I always want to uh thank our our our community it's consent item 4.3 C and it's uh the donations that have been made to our district by um Community businesses parents and families and I just want to thank them because during these times the money that they donate really goes to supporting our schools and I also wanted to ask Mr NN if at the end of the school year could we get a you know what I'm talking about right I want I want to see how much I want I just want to acknowledge them
092because I think in these times I mean our our families they make a big difference in our school so could we get at the end of the year a a total amount of donations thank you so much thank you Mr President thank you I agreed you have to say thank you all right so um no items are pulled so so therefore uh all those in favor say I I any the motion passes 70 thank you can I have motion to accept measure BB General obligation Bond annual report for the fiscal year 2023 2024 as presented by the members of the citizens oversight committee second noola thank you Mr n thank you president she is annually as required by Education Code 41020 the citizen oversight committee have to um compile a an annual report to present
093it to the board for acceptance so they have done that and tonight we have the chairperson of the committee Mr Mark Bowman along with his um committee members will be presenting the report to the board Mr Bulman I'm I'm sure you'd like the reader digest version right any questions that is short thank you now it's uh it's great to have the time to serve on this and be recognized by the board the district the fiscal responsibility we were charged with I believe we've done a excellent job taking care of things for the district uh focusing on what priorities you have handed to us from the board uh I recognize you have a big challenge ahead keeping that fiscal responsibility with the declining enrollment our district faces it's a it's a big challenge uh I wish
094you the best of luck because whatever comes about not everybody's going to be happy but it's part of your job what you're elected to do uh trust you've had time to look over the report to our faults not all at once you've seen the report right Twan yes thank you good job the answer is yes the answer is yes but of course the public would love to hear it we've gone around and visited various sites um I'll speak for myself when I came on this six years ago I contacted a certain person on the board and said hey I need some mentors tell us how to do this and they were very helpful uh our staff uh Tuan we've had a few changes of Staff over the years uh but twan's been the most consistent
095and has a gray-haired friend over there Scott he keep us rolling forward uh Alice has done a fantastic job when she picked up the responsibility keeping us moving on our project management they've done a great job you've seen the results and there's more to come uh we've got most all the money committed and once the board makes a decision on what we're going to do about the declining enrollment that may change the landscape of some of what we're were allowed to do fiscally direct some of that money to where it could be better utilized rather than left for else do any other board members have anything to say that's good good job you think we're done we're done they have to dismiss us I still think we have questions here so um is your report
096complete yes sir thank you sir uh board member Laticia Mendoza sorry oh sorry okay so let me go to board member Sue youu on behalf of the board I do want to say thank you for serving and you know spending all these years just uh really uh you know uh representing the citizens and just how the money is used and just looking at all the numbers I'm sure looking at the numbers isn't fun but we do need accountability and uh you know just um what's happening with the bond of money has been pretty um you know uh exciting for the community and it really helped at the start of the you know pandemic and just you know we were able to renovate the most important thing which is safety yeah with all the you know
097things that's going on so we were able to do that so thank you very much for your service that's welcome and donating and volunteering your time yes um board member say I do too want to thank you so much for your folks is here put your time there and kind of watch the budget for us and make sure the money we spend is the right way and right place I really want to thank you so much because you know what the public do not understand you know the money you guys ask so much money we get where you going to spend it then we have our local Community member will be there witness for us the money we spend is the right place for the right student I remember our a union president just mentioned
098about nothing but for us but for the children I want to thank you thank you very much welcome man thank you anybody else all right I'm also going to uh for perfect transparency we did not select this specific committee we had the authority to to do that but we thought for the community's benefit that the community would apply for these positions and we ended up with a very highly competent questioning board you don't want um a rubber stamp that is not what we wanted here we wanted somebody to critically look at the details put Twan through the ringer as much as they possibly could but that's so that way the community understands we don't have fiascos and and problems which happens when you have a closed door meeting so truly it took a lot of
099time uh and truly uh thank you from the bottom of my heart the community doesn't know all your sacrifice and time that you spent on this but but we do so thank you welcome nothing further we can go home oh wait a second we want some public comments are there any public comments on this particular item I see no further public comment all right then you are dismissed sir thank you for your service so uh on that we would need to approve this we had a motion in second all in favor say I I then I have a motion that's pass 70 thank you very much 1.1a can I have a motion to approve Community member and student appointments to the uh board advisory committees Dr Z sop go ahead first go ahead second Dr
100zlo we have a couple of students that have been added to the diversity Unity equity committee for this evening okay huh so do we have any public comments on this item I see no public comment do we have any uh board comments on any of these all right then I will call for a vote all in favor say I I any a seeing none the motion passes 7-0 can I have a motion for the Board of Education to vote for no more than five names from the list of candidates or writing candidates to be submitted to the California School Board Association honored before March 17th 2025 Tatiana moves thank you Dr zlo good thank you um so this is the ballot from csba for you all to select delegates from our area um Mr Nishi
101is one of the nominated delegates so um you'll need to vote um how you would like to vote as a board and then we will submit that for the board do we make suggestion um Dr Rios I always appreciate people stepping forward and um taking on this role I especially like that we have our very own board member representing the interest of um our district and all districts on the delegate uh assembly so I actually I see five candidates I say we move them all forward thank you um Miss Mendoza I agree all five okay great any other comments any public comments I see no public comment great so based upon this we have five persons up for uh recommendation uh all in favor say I I any Nays motion passes 70 and I say
102thank you good job I get to work more uh 1.3a can I have a motion to approve the revised board policy and administrative regulations 6159 individualized education program so move second by sopia Dr Castro thank you per cba's recommendation this policy was last updated in 2010 and so we are looking to update them with new regulations and laws and what you'll notice with the new bpn is that there's Provisions for foster youth Provisions for students who are involved in the juvenile court system it provides um items such as what are the student voice components of the IEP how to handle audio recordings as well as making sure that uh we have access to language accessibility for our families and translation services during IEPs all right do we have any public comments on this item no
103public comment do we have any board comments on this item all right well that's uh nice to hear uh a lot of this is prescribed by law so just because there's no Comon sense because a lot of this is prescribed so thanks the the legislative Review Committee for this um I want to call for a vote all in favor say I I the motion passes 70 thank you can I have a motion to approve revised board policy and administrative regulation 619 59.1 procedural complaints and safeguards for special education Tatiana makes a motion second sopia Dr Castro again this is to comply with the law and update our policies in particular about procedural safeguards for special education this law talks about prior written notices other safeguards that we have in place in addition to the format
104of those parent Guardian notices and due process complaints thank you um is there any public comment on this item no public comment any board comment on this item no board comment also just as FYI um administrative regulations are more detailed uh further development of the board policy so in that I want to call for a vote all in favor say I I any n motion passes 70 thank you can a motion to approve revised board policy and administrative regulation 6159 point2 non-public schools and agency services for special education second Tatiana Tatiana Dr Castro thank you once again our special department and our Sela has been busy ensuring that we are updating these new uh laws and regulations this is in particular to non-public and non- sectarian schools you can see that most of it is
105updated or new and it's about those procedural safeguards of ensuring that we are reviewing those non uh Public School Systems and that we're providing fate through those uh contracts and agencies thank you is there any public comments on this item no public comment any board comments again this has been reviewed by the Legislative Review Committee who's worked on it very hard so I'm going to call for a vote all in favor say I I any Nays the motion passes 70 thank you 2.3a can I have a motion to adopt resolution 24-17 to release from employment and non reelect temporary or probation employees per Education Code section 44954 and Education Code 45117 can I have a motion for this so move second by Sophia Dr Frasier thank you Mr President um tonight we're bringing this resolution
106forward as presented thank you is there any public comment no public comment any board comment on this item thank you board member Mendoza just for the public can we explain a little bit further what this resolution is Dr Frasier yes mannually we um we have a number of temporary employees so um annually we bring forward the release of the temporary employees in terms of our staffing um our hopes as a district is to bring back as many temporary employees as we as we possibly can as we continue to work um through budget and Staffing for the for the following year and this is required by specific date by California state law correct and needs to be done in this way yes sir thank you Mr President thank you so the reason is because we need
107to let our staff know in case they are not returning that they have an adequate time to you know find other unemployment and we want to be respectful of them right correct that is correct and all of these employees have been notified thank you so much thank you so um based upon that all those in favor say I I I the motion passes 70 can I have a motion to approve contract with learning for a living Inc in the amount of $10,000 for the keynote speaker for the classified professional learning event Dr Fraser thank you Mr President um we're happy to bring this forward tonight uh uh we have our um classified professional development day on March 31st so we're excited to uh bring Phil boy uh to speak to our classified employees uh and
108our our classified management and certificated management as well um he is just uh excellent in terms of um his ability to uh capture the room to really uh value amongst our employees so I think I think uh we're R for a real treat in terms of uh his ability to to help our employees um really uh feel good about the work they do for us thank you do any public comment on this item no public comment do we have any board comment on this item or question oh sorry um board member Mendoza you didn't cancel me from the I didn't cancel you I apologize Dr Rios did you want to speak on this item I do thank you um president isi I think this is great I I know that we've discussed this a lot
109we focus a lot of our attention on our certificated staff and our site leaders about creating a positive School culture and we know that our classified employees play a vital role when it comes to um helping us in create a safe supportive culture at our schools they interact with our students they interact with our families and a lot of times this is the one opportunity that kids get to have a better day whether they're interacting with them at recess or lunch and or office staff in um you know when parents come in to talk or ask questions so just for I guess a qu I should have started off with a question can you outline some of the classified staff that will be participating in this event so it will be all of our our
110our classified employees for that day so what what is it's a student free day and a teacher free day so um we have all of our classified uh classified employees uh working that day will come um so anywhere from secretaries to uh maintenance workers to uh clerks Finance all of the uh district office employees Etc um so we will be sort of shutting down uh the district uh uh so to speak for us to provide this opportunity for growth for all of our classi employees will it include our n supervisors I'm sorry our noon supervisors yes our IAS or I don't know correct par Educators yes fantastic thank you thank you any other questions all right can I have a vote on this all in favor say I I any n and the motion passes
11170 can I have a motion to approve memorandum of understanding between the Board of Education ABCA Federation of teachers local 2317 California Federation of teachers American Federation of teachers AFL C amending article 7 school calendar and article SE 18 adult education uh L adult education calendar for the 2025 and 2026 2026 and 2027 and the 2027 and 2028 school years mov over thank you second Tatiana thank you Dr Fraser thank you Mr President um I'm happy to say that that and I want to First say to thank you know obviously Ray gear and uh Ruben man CS um for for their work with uh with us uh during this portion of the negotiations um working on school calendars as you see there we have three years in front of you so we really together um
112thought that that was a a really good thing for our community um and our staff to really kind of know where we're going to be for the next 3 years um so I would want to thank them uh publicly for their work uh and their team as well um it was a great collaborative effort and we were able to to come to an agreement so thank you do we have any public comment on this item no public comment any board comment I have um board member Dr Rios just just wanted to publicly um thank the staff for um the calendar I know that it took us a while to get us especially from a High School parent to get us to a place where we um now can end the semester before winter break I
113know that it really goes a long way in now allowing students and their families to enjoy the holidays without finals hanging over their head so I'm very happy to see that we're continuing with that Trend thank you thank you uh Miss Mendoza thank you Mr President I also want to just say thank you to the district and abcf2 um for planning um three years ahead because you know as as families we want to planning we want to make sure you know what's coming up and make sure we're not taking up instructional time to go on vacation so I want to thank you for having that and our families I think I to appreciate that too um board member you thank you president yeah this was a took a while because we had to all the
114stakeholders had to really agree so it took few years to come to this uh agreement but gosh my children all graduated from high school already but it's good for all the other students especially for high school students uh when they're done with ap in May you know they're they're done and then for them to come back in January and study for a few weeks and take the final was pretty that was pretty tough situation so this is kind of it streamlines it's good for the high school kids and everyone's happy so coming out with three-year plan was great because that gives everybody all stakeholders to plan ahead thank you good job everybody board member say I do want to give this credit to our president Mr Nishi that he had brought us up long time
115ago he was talking about we should move the dates close to the other school so kids can go out together at the same time travel things like that I think you suggest that right at the very beginning put up together more close late rather than so early but I think that was a good point and that was really good suggestion now we get the fruit from here thank you all right any other comments three years of certainty parents won't be asking that question all the time I appreciate it uh can I get a motion uh can I get a vote all in favor say I I I don't hear any Nays and so the motion passes 70 thank you item 3.8a can I have a motion to proove a request to contract with basic life
116support Express CPR to provide CPR classes for students enrolled in the ABC Adult medical assistant and pharmacy technician programs for the 2024 2025 school year second by Sophia thank you Dr Castro yes again we're trying to provide the best experience possible for our adult school program for medical assistant and pharmacy technician and so we put forward this item to support that pathway do we have any public comment on this item no public comment uh we have board comment Miss suu Dr you know this um CPR program it only cost uh $35 per student which is a really good deal and this is a really good skill to have for anyone especially for parents too so good opportunity thank you uh Dr Rios preparing for emergencies for some reason has become something that we regularly talk
117about I'm it's more of a question do we have other opportunities where other people including maybe even the community can attend CPR classes uh but especially our staff we Mrs Dr R uh we we do uh opportunities for for um CPR classes for our staff members I'd especially like to be notified and get an invite because I know it's been decades since I took a CPR class sounds good we'll do that I can provide you for free Sophia all right so we have some people who are already going to take the class that's get we're getting our money's worth so uh can I have a vote all in favor say I I I I I I okay great motion passes seven zero item 4.5 because we skipped the other one uh may I have a
118motion to approve bid award ABC 1667 Roofing at various sites to best Contracting Services for the base bid and unit prices to reflect decking and FAS as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder so move second by Sophia Mr NN thank you Bo president Nish good evening again um we are this summer ready to R um R roof Brack and hasell Middle School bra elementary school so the district went out to bid for the roofing project at these two schools um we received seven bids which is um more than what we usually received so we excited about that we are recommending the lowest possible bidder to best Contracting Services um at BR Elementary for 1, $46,490 at Haso 2, 23, 325 so best roofing is the lowest responsive and responsible bidder out of the seven bits
119that we receive we also excited to see that the next lowest bidder is only about 2.5% higher so it is um a very um I want to say accurate but competitive bid so um we have used bestest before they actually did the roofing last summer for serios high school and Ross Middle School so um we have we are familiar with uh this vendor great do we have any public comment on this item no public comment do any um board comment Miss Board member Mendoza yes Mr President thank you uh Mr can you just for the community so this work will be done during the summertime so it doesn't um disrupt instructional time thank you I don't think your mic was working but he said yes yes ma'am all right any other comments I also want
120to thank you for having these bids because that means that uh they understood the bid there's not very much discrepancy and so it's really well competitively bid we don't always get that and so in particularly now with the fires and everything um they have plenty of choices and they chose to bid on us so I I appreciate that thank you so call a vote all in favor say I I any Nays all right 70 or actually 70 yes 4.6 a can I motion to adopt emergency resolution 24-18 W of emergency contract to nor nor system international for the replacement of full pool filtration system and water circulation pump at Aria high school so move M R thank you so much president is this is an emergency resolutions meeting that um is authorized staff to skip
121the beating process if you aware um public contract code required that any Public Works above $115,000 must be officially um legally bid uh but because the system fell at the pool at Atia and that is the only pool we have in the district um without immediate replacement of the equipment um it would be out of service for our students so we are asking the board to authorize staff to uh procure the um um filtration system and the pump without a formal bit process we do get qu and the amount um is about $52,900 thank you do we have any public comment on this item no public comment um do we have any board comment on this item yes Mr President M Mendo the board member Mendoza thank you Mr President Mr how long has the
122pool been out of service um we try to I want say patch it but keep it working for the last week or two and and it's it's working but it it's it could go out any time so that's why it's important for us to do this and get the replace um pump and the filtration system as soon as we can and once approved how long will that take for the pull to be back in service for the students you're asking out a good question the tough we try to get it within a month one month so we can let the we can let the students in the and the school know that yes one month they'll be back service we keep we we there daily to make sure that it's working thank you so much
123thanks I have one quick question so this isn't relation this is an emergency and so if we don't approve this right now um what would the fiscal impact be it would be just um potentially the pool could be out of service for the students to use so what we would normally do is we would go to bid right the normal process is we go out to bid for the pump infiltration system at Aisha high school so we have to advertise we have to get bit and we bring it to the board for approval that process take about 6 weeks to about 2 and 1/ half months depends on on on on on the timeline so it's just delaying the service if ultimately we have to replace this so This allow us to do it immediately
124it's just buying us some time that's all oh and time is also money and that's an issue as well yes um so one more thing and uh when you contacted this bidder we've worked with this bidder before yes and you've done probably three calls to other biders as an informal process yes staff have yes yes so even though it's not a formal bid process we got quotes you've made the you've gotten close than you've worked with this company before is there a bond required for 52,000 no right there's always performance bonds and and and bit bonds if it's a formal bit but this is in this case it would be just um a performance bonds just a performance and the purpose of a performance bond is so that um sorry um just to make sure
125that it gets done and that there's that we're covered in that situation correct uh board member say hi T just have a quick question remember we had a um meeting with the Jenn Hong regarding the using the Dan karabi pool area what's happening there so I provide an update to the board they are not able to turn over uh the pool for us to operate however they make they can make it available for us to rent so we're exploring that but it would be uh depends on the availability of the Pool Plus um it would require the county staff to be there as you know we would rent from them just how how we would rent our facility so we still exploring that but um it's not as if what we like to do initially
126is basically take over the op you know the the control of the pool at Don kby Park so we still keep the conversations open thank you and that item's not really on the agenda but thank you for answering that all right so can I get a motion to approve this uh and we need a unanimous vote on this one so can I second can I get a did we get it first and second we did yes you did all in favor so all in favor say I I thank you motion passes 70 4.78 can I have a motion to approve campfire Long Beach action youth America Aya and wood raft craft Rangers to provide the expanded learning program ABC excels to 18 elementary schools and to five middle schools per cohart for the 2025 2026
127school year with an option to renew annually for up to two years so second second thank you Mr n thank you again president m is we went out to um we issue a request for proposal for service for the after school program as you um very familiar with the elop program or the expanded learning opportunity programs that we always talk about right this program run by Community Based organizations provide three additional um hours um during the school day or it could be before School uh to all unduplicated count students meaning English Learners Foster Youth and low-income students uh free of charge so we have that and also 30 additional days in the summer as as I talked about at the 30 sessions so we have about 5,000 um students eligible for this in the um
128Elementry and right now we currently serving about 70% of that about 3,000 538 students so um we very um happy with that because we started this program with just a thousand students you know every year we're able to build that and of course the goal is 100% but we're happy with 70% right and we also do it at the middle schools and we serving about 632 students so um so that went out to bit and we have recommended the top three uh campfire Long Beach action youth America Aya and wood crap Rangers um at the um three highest um bids with the highest points for this program uh then we have a criteria of the ranking that's we normally do for this kind of service and we have um staff from the um um uh
129Child Development Department or Elementary School uh learning um and the after school program evaluate the proposal and this is the recommendations to the board thank you do we have any public comments on this item we do have public comment how many do we have we have eight So based upon our board rules we can reduce that down to three minutes in terms of speaker per speaker so first uh we will have Damon mallei and following Damon we'll have Trevon limrick following Trevon we'll have Charles bar barjon all right thank you um good evening um superintendent um president vice president members of the board thanks for having me today for the record my name is um Damon Meli melie and I'm a um I'm a parent of a um eighth grader at Ross Middle School um
130so I recommend you guys do not approve um 4.7a and the reason being I found about um about ABC excel's program at um Ross Middle School my son's eighth grader there and as we were touring the um different middle schools when he was in elementary we went to high school tesl Carmenita and Ross of course they all spoke about their electives their Core Curriculum but with Ross they really talked highly about the ab ABC excels program ran by Mr Mike it's basically embedded in the Ross community and that's what kind of sold us for to um have her school sorry have her son attend that school and also participate in after school program ran by Mr Mike it's um a great program it helps with the homework but not only that it helps with just
131the overall development of a student of course it takes a bill to raise a child so of course I'm his father his mother's in the audience but takes um the the teachers Mr Mike Etc to help with the development so just in closing although my son's a eighth grader I do want the future elementary elementary students kids are not even born yet so hopefully still have U Mr Mike and staff at the head of ABC excels at Ross to continue so they can benefit like my son has thank [Music] you thank you and we have Trevon Trevon limrick followed by Charles Baron followed by Vanessa alaras good evening president uh and board vice president and board members uh my name is Travon lri and I'm also uh going to Echo that sentiment we want the
132ABC excels program to stand because um I deal with atrisk youth currently that's my profession and my son has I I want to thank the board and the district my son's been going to ABC from kindergarten to the eighth grade and I'm really grateful grateful for the district um this program the EXL program with him being in eighth grade he was in it in the seventh grade and the eighth grade and it's helped him Jael from that middle from that Elementary School through to uh his middle school and just the communication that that he's learned with the ABC excels program has been tremendous and I feel like you know hopefully you guys can keep the EXL program going because what they have is keeping those children safe um it's benefited my child and I would
133like it to benefit future future children in coming along thank [Applause] you next we have Charles barjon um Vanessa alarz and m g Gap good evening I'm Charles barjon II a program leader and tutor at FY Ross Middle School's after school program I've been Faithfully working here for the past 3 years hoping students actualize her potential to be successful lifelong Learners it has been brought to my attention that this program which benefits not only students but the entire ABC unified Community is at risk of being handed over to a third party what a great mistake this would be this the district is a shield from outside companies who do not care about who they hire or the quality of the student experience and as a matter of fact in this room there are many who
134would attest to this they know and you know that our district run program is allowed for student growth both academically and personally our students deserve to be in a program that cares about their growth over time that doesn't just see them as a number they deserve a program that's accessible to all the last time a third party ran a program at Ross Middle School I was told there was chaos that the instructors were not passionate and the families were not happy this is night and day compared to the program we have been running for years at Ross our program is a well oiled machine keeping students safe communicating with parents effectively and working with daytime staff to ensure Student Success I hope all this won't be undone because this isn't the ABC way I myself
135am a child of the great ABC Unified School District the District that everyone wants their child to be in the school district has countless notable alumni I myself attended cito's elementary carminita middle school seros high school and I'm now working at FY Ross Middle School so I know what it's like to sit at these desks to Value caring teachers and to grow up in a community that cares about me I know how tragic it is when teachers and staff are not valued and how appalling it is when students and their families are not prioritized the idea of handing this program over is a direct violation of our mission at ABC Unified School District to Empower every student to Exel academically Thrive physically and emotionally and to succeed in their chosen future endeavors by fostering cultural
136culture of safety resiliency inclusivity and lifelong learning this Mission cannot remain words on a paper but must be given meaning the words are empty bottles left to be filled with our dedication support and passion for our students I come here tonight to implore you on behalf of my co-workers students and their families please consider the ramifications of handing this program over to a third part Party The Shield that is the district is just that don't leave our families exposed the campus culture of Ross and other District run sites will forever be impacted and the communal growth stunted I'll end this by saying I'm currently finishing my last year working within the district I told myself when I graduated from seros high school in 2018 godons that I would return after my undergraduate education and give
137back to my community the community that raised me I fulfilled my goal I have nothing to worry about personally but the plight of of my students and the futures of my soon to be former co-workers is my plight I refuse to sit idly and watch I refuse to be silent and as enriching programs are being diluted to lose their effect so please for the sake of our district of our communities of every child who sits at a desk do not go forward with this notion thank you for your time and please remember our families we have Vanessa almeras ma Gap and after Mac we have Susan Cruz good evening my name is Vanessa alaras and I've been an after school program teacher for the past eight months I am a proud product of the ABC
138Unified School District I attended Elliot Elementary Ross Middle School and gar high school today I stand before all of you to address the issue surrounding the ABC excels after school program at Ross Middle School as a former falcon I know the profound impact teachers and administrators have on students one that cares about Student Success inside and outside the classroom and far beyond the junior high every day I see instructors such as Mr Charles Miss Anna and Miss Jessica connect with students to the point where they're so excited to see them my team and I deeply care for the safety and success of our students my team and I make the connection before the correction connection before correction my team and I believe and maintain a safe fun and engaging environment speaking for myself I am
139passionate about mathematics students ask me for help and I enjoy doing this I'm currently in the process of becoming a math teacher I communicate the idea that mathematics is beyond memorization and assist them in developing critical thinking skills after school programs keep students on track with their grades with the assistance of individuals such as my team and myself in which we are teachers mentors and tutors all inone for our students bringing in an outside organization and rebranding a r after school program will have a negative effect on our Ross community and the families we support families would have to rearrange and look for alternatives to keep their their kids safe while they are at work students will not have access to participate in various clubs we lead such as Basketball Club football club board games
140club and Anime Club media production club and 3D printing Club please consider the negative consequences this will bring to students and their families thank you for your time next we have mac gab Susanna Cruz and Dolce meta good evening guys uh my name is Matt quab um I'm a father of Nathan a student at IIA High School um the ABC Excel staff means so much to our family and our son Nathan is now a freshman at high school and um I have a third grader that's going to Burbank and um together with my wife we incredibly fortunate to uh be part of the after school program Community um our son has been with ABC EXL program and their team since he was in TK um this group of professionals has cared for a kid and
141his fellow classmates like they own children um they provided them with opportunities to explore and develop skills that goes beyond academics and have truly mentored them in ways that have contributed to their educational and emotional growth let's face it California is an expensive place to live and like many many other parents and my wife and I work countless hours just to meet daily needs and it's TR a blessing to have found not only a program but also people that can that we can trust with our children people um who can keep them safe teach them and encourage them to be their best um one of the greatest outcomes of the ABC Excel program right now is that our son Nathan he's dedicated to his academics with the hopes of earning scholarship for basketball and if
142that doesn't work hopefully mechanical engineering um one of the best habits that he learned from the program is that you know he he learned to do his complete his school work before playing uh which is which he still does go today um as a result he is now um has a 4 4.0 GPA teacher high school and he also discovered his love for basketball which um he he found out through being with ABC um after school program um last year he also participated in the junior high March man competition for basketball and led his team into the championship game unfortunately he in by two points so but this year um as a captain over a teach the freshman team he helped coach um Ross came back and helped coach Ross alongside myself uh leading them
143into Championship this year and that was like this past weekend um it's refreshing and very emotional for uh for us to see a son giving back to the same Community to help him uh to help him to help race him and as as the saying goes it takes a village to race a a child and I feel lucky to have Village helping to raise mine so please reconsider thank you thank you we have Susanna Cruz Dolce meta and Sonia Robinson ree hi good evening I'm here to support the Excel program um my daughter is now in ninth grade so she's not part of them but I'm very grateful that she was part of the program I was able to work because of them and also my daughter was support with them I feel secure that
144my daughter was taking care of people that is uh educated and helping her with the um classes and the homework because I was always frustrating trying to help her I was like but also my daugh feel more comfortable and feel free more than now that they are team teager is difficult sometimes to communicate with them as a a parents but with them even right now they uh they are free to go if they needed to talk with them and feel comfortable with them with the um leaders of the program and even to talk with the um kids that are right now in the program and just as a comment one of the days that I picked my daughter uh earlier from that program it was another mom crying asking for help to be uh enoll
145uh the son I guess to the program because she needs to work two jobs and she was crying because there was no more space for them I guess they had a list uh waiting list and there's many parents that are in that situation and earlier they were working about um talking I'm sorry talking about women's leaders and and many moms and parents in general dads and moms now we both have to work to support them if they want to be our leaders they need somebody to lead them besides parents and parents sometimes we are not able to be with them at home because we have to be working and um just just want to say thank you to the exop thank you you for being here and listen to us and I hope they can
146help them for the that they are going through those programs thank you have a great night we have doce meta and Sonia Robinson Reese DOL it's okay she's going to trans perfect [Music] um well her name is do and she wants to give her opinion about the excel's program the reason that she's here is just to explain um why her kids that are been going to the the program the excels program and it's been helping them a lot academically and it had help them how to express thems and talk to their friends on school and class okay she she wants Excel to keep at Ross because she been helping her kids with the development they have sports tutoring and they help them how to be leaders and all the instructors are really good very educated
147and they're treat the kids really good it's a really good example with all of the teenagers [Music] especially cuz they're growing up and then that this stage it's really hard for them and that's it this is her opinion and thank you [Applause] everyone next we have Sonia Robinson Reese after will be Nathan Cortez and Jennifer Cruz all right good evening respected board members my name is Sonia Robertson Reeves and I have been with the Los Angeles County Office of Education and the reason why I bring that up because I truly understand the RFP process and unfortunately I believe our Excel program did not get the information that you know hopefully everybody else got but they weren't able to get the information regarding the RFP process so they did not submit maybe their proposal to become
148part of this particular solicit um and but more importantly I am a proud parent of children who have been part of ABC UniFi school district for over 30 years in which my eldest is 32 years old and up under the leadership of Dr zlo at gar high school at that time I'm here today to speak on behalf of my children now Dion and Dior re which dior's here and many other families about the tremendous impact the excels program has had on our students my twins so diand Dior are twins have participated in excels since their time in TK and are now in middle school I can confidently say that this program has been not only beneficial but ensal to their academic and personal development excels has been a vital extension of my children school day
149um from TK through Middle School the program has provided them with academic support that reinforce classroom learning it has also help kept them academically engage with enrichment activities like steam um of course they just started the basketball team and they won um at Ross they are the champions um project and language arts exercises this balance has helped them grow into well-rounded individuals I've seen how well organized the program is as well with professionals dedicated staff who genuinely care about the students well-being the program offers a structure and that's important with children um when we change programs when we change individuals that um oversee the care of them the structure could change for them too um their environment has been very balanced with learning playing Social Development additionally the clear consistent communication and that's important too
150consistent communication with Leaders with caretakers with individuals that they're familiar with um has made parents as well um feel part of the process the community feel part of the process Excel isn't just a after school care so I don't want it they look like oh they're just babysitting or kids it's a space where children explore explore interest make lasting friendships and develop socially emotionally I have kids have from TK all the way to middle school I know the time is up but all I want to say I urge the board to consider the lasting benefits that a consistent provider can have over her children and the impact that it can make to children when we change providers so please consider Excel to remain as their provider thank you we have Nathan Cortez and then after
151will be Jennifer Cruz good evening everybody uh my name is Nathan Cortez uh I'm a freshman at seros high school and I'm a for former ABC rosic Cel student um i' just like to say that everyone who's here today is here because they truly care and that it may not be every family or every family student family that came here today to come support but at the same time these people are here because they truly care and they care um about their student their child and what education they're getting what benefits are getting out of this abcu program and I feel like as a student here these these staff members are very reliable they're very hardworking and they truly care about their students they care about um about um their academics their relationships their friendships
152and they just want them to enjoy themselves they want them to be able to express themselves in a positive manner and hope that they look back here like me for example knowing that all the that I'm here today to come and help all these people here who seek to keep their jobs and to all these students and family members here hoping that these F that these uh staff members stay and that they can keep progressing with their kids and keep driving as a program cuz I would just say that my experience was amazing and I never once thought it was bad I felt like I was truly thriving and I could truly express myself in this program and that these staff members gave me an opportunity to truly be myself and I finally knew who
153I was going into high school as well with the help of them and I just hope that you guys please don't replace them or continue to add more uh staff members and more third parties to this program and that's it thank you Jennifer Cruz um good evening everyone my name is Jennifer Cruz and I'm here on behalf of the Ross excels program um currently I'm a freshman at gar high school and and graduated from Ross Middle School um I was part of the ASB program during my eighth grade year and um I was in the after after school program both years of my middle school experience so I would like to share a few of the things that I've learned from the program and the people who put hard work into making it happen um
154first off I'd like to thank my former after school teacher Miss Anna um she has been one of my biggest Role Models during my time at raaj she is bright and an inspiring person who has brought Joy not only to me but to the several other people who were in her class um these type of people have also become some of my closest friends and I would even consider them family I'm ever so grateful for the time I have spent in after school because without this program I may not have shied many of the friendship I have today including me one of my best friends who has been with me through my ups and downs during um Middle School this program has given the students many opportunities to learn and grow as a person and
155as students the staff there are very sweet and have all been great and willing to listen to many of the things and like share emotions and thoughts um and I would like to say that this program is great how it is and nothing should change about it currently I have friends who are in this program and I would like them to have as great as an experience as I did when I was a student there without it being cut short and all this program was a great experience for me and I treasure every moment I spent with them um um I have met many people and learned many things that have helped me ever since and will continue to use them throughout my life with this being said I hope you will consider keeping law
156Exel however it is because I positive that it will continue to bring many new experiences to current and upcoming students who will be in this program thank you no further public comment thank you um thank the audience before we get started uh for coming and making comments about a very important issue do we have any board comments All right we have Dr Rios well well I think this definitely raises questions um I can I appreciate the community coming out here and voicing their opinions um can we can I um understand why we didn't continue with excels I mean it sounds like continuity is important and I get the RFA Pro process um but yeah if somebody can just start with explaining why they're not part of the list I can explain that so the the
157ABC excels program at Ross is site based it is hired by the principal there's not an outside vendor they would be part of an RFP process since they are not a community- based organization it is internal staff hired by the school site therefore in working what you what you have in front of you in terms of the RFP is to approve community- based organizations that would work within the ABC excels program our next step is that we then meet me with principles to determine what the best program is at their site at some of our sites it is that they fully go all in with the CBO at some of our other sites we have that the principal has teachers or internal staff that work as interventionists or tutors after school and they also have
158the CBO to help provide the enrichment programs because the enrichment programs can include things like um CTE type of experiences Dance Program art programs Etc and so that is part of what the RFP is particularly for the cbos and the type of experiences that they can provide as part of our process we did send out parent surveys to get input from our parents as to the type of experiences that they would like to receive within ABC excels remember that ABC excels is the name of the overarching program and that the program is a combination of our own staff as well as CBO coming together to provide the best experience possible for our students whether it be at Ross or any of the other schools in our district so just to follow up then and and
159I think that that was a misunderstanding maybe miscommunication that we are definitely going to continue with after school programs to support our families because we know of the need we know the fact that there are working families who need extended um time for their students to be at school in a place that is safe um Etc and so we're not not con not we're not dismissing Excel so I think that that's something that the community would appreciate learning and so the next step would be to have those conversations at the sides about that okay that that's it thank you board member you thank you president Nish so the the current staff will continue they're temporary staff so that is up to the site principal and the decision that are made based on the needs of
160the school site but again that's a discussion we'll have with the school site the site principal um and with the ABC excel's team to discuss what are the best options for that School site but we do work with our principles to coordinate services from both sides cbos and from their own staff members whether that be teachers or parent Educators or tutors okay because tonight what I heard was a uh from the community was very legitimate because for parents who are working especially like single moms or I mean parents are working and they need to drop their kids off early and pick them up after work that that's a lot of stress and in addition to that we all know because of the inflation the you know the rent for renters the the rent just went
161up 20 30% and I think that uh we heard pretty clearly and I I really do feel that it's very legitimate and I don't know if I really feel really comfortable voting tonight because I I really don't want to see any impact on on these families because uh the connection the relationship the trust is very important so I think like some kind of assurance is there that the especially Ross Middle School the whole Community I mean lot of community came out so so as a reminder I I'll say it again the ABC excel's program will continue at Ross okay so yes there will be a program parents don't have to worry daycare or the after school extended the enrichment the tutoring all the components of the program that is not going away okay the program
162is growing and so as our program is growing across the district and at Ross Middle School we are looking to continue to partner with our cbos to enhance the experience for our students and I will remind us that this particular board item affects 18 elementary schools as well as five middle schools okay sounds good thank you okay that kind of clarifies a lot of things so that's kind of like assuring to our community and especially the Ross Middle School okay thank you very much thank you board member Mendoza thank you Mr President so just to clarify and just to make sure I understand this correctly what we're approving today if approved is we're proving vendors that our schools can choose to select if that's what they decide to do at their School site and if
163Ross decides to stay with the current program that they can they have right now they can do that and other schools can choose as they so it's basically School site selected right and these are the venors they can prove of so remember that this program has very specific requirements that we have to meet and those are listed under the RFP so intervention supports and tutoring is only one component we have to have physical education we have to have enrichment opportunities as well as others with limited staff we provide limited opportunities and so therefore we're looking at a combined program where we have cbos offer Enrichment Services as well as as always think it's best if our own staff provide the tutoring supports provide the connection with students because they know the students best so we
164don't disagree with that and so that's why we offer a combination program um we typically don't do one or the other uh especially moving forward now that we've reached 5,000 almost getting closer I'm sorry 70% of 5,000 getting closer to 5,000 students I think I still didn't get an answer if if Ross chooses to stay with the program that they have right now can they do that Ross will need to increase their enrichment activities and we are working with them to try to use cbos to help with those enrichment activities but if they choose to stay with the program as is they will work with our ABC excel's team to make sure that they can meet the requirements with hiring their own additional staff members at their site so they can keep the staff that
165they have now they they can just add more staff correct I'm I I I'm it's kind of like a I'm getting answers that really don't answer the question I think the community wants to hear those answers okay so part of the part of the um the answer is yes if they would like to keep their site staff they can keep their site staff okay that's it that's that's all I need thank you thank you um vice president noola uh thank you president Nishi uh just just for my understanding I know previously we've uh talked about how the Extended Learning opportunities program is actually growing in California that the governor has given more additional funds so that is why we're we're trying to look for additional cbos to offer more programs so this is just that
166process moving forward because there's new regulations coming forth and action youth America is possibly the biggest CBO that we partner with at majority of our schools is that correct yes that's correct yeah and for for Ross Middle School they do have a very unique program and it is a very great program that they do use uh teachers as intervention workers so uh maybe that's something we can look to as best practices moving forward yes thank you thank you uh board clerk Tatian yokoyama Bui so thank you um for the discussion thank you community members so my understanding um not only are the programs appreciated at Ross specifically it's it's the teachers and the staff there that are leading this excels program so so my thought is this will the communities at the sites be able
167to be in the discussion of what happens with their excels programs if if substantial changes will happen that was the intention of the parent surveys was to gather their feedback on what they would like to see at their sites we review those surveys with the principal so then the principal can make some decisions based on their community's needs and so now that the surveys have been completed and potentially um changes could happen uh positive or interpreted as as not so positive could there be discussions further at the sites yes I mean that is part of The Next Step this is only to approve these community- based organizations to work within the larger District excels program this is not specific to any one particular school this is about just being able to work with these organizations
168across the board our next step is we'll be meeting with each principal at each School site to then make some of those decisions and my understanding and uh forgive me if I'm my information is not up to date but in the past ABC has worked with Aya as well as YMCA correct yes correct does that does this mean that moving forward YMCA will no longer be um one of the cbos you work with correct okay thank you any other questions so I have a few questions um so I understand that the staff that's at Ross currently is temporary and they may not be are they certified teachers the ones that are helping with the after school program I don't have that information I know that it's a combination of teachers along with tutors parent Educators
169um and AIDS so I don't have a specific listing of how many teachers versus tutors so there are some certificated teachers in that program I believe she does have a a few certificated teachers from her own staff that are supporting but again I don't have that information in front of me and so for the only way for her to maintain the program that she has she would have to add to her budget to meet the standards is that the only way that she could continue on with the program that she has no ABC excels our elot funds cover the funds for this program so it's not her site budget that covers the funds for this program it is our Extended Learning opportunity funds that cover the cost of this program we just work with the
170principle to help design it so it best meets the needs of the growing Community understood I think what the community seems to want is continuity uh with the people that are there and so um that's why I'm asking the detailed questions so she gets an elop budget and she's used that elop budget rather than hire an outside uh entity she's keeping it within the ABC community and so for her to continue with that is it realistically feasible with the current allocation that she has with elop to maintain the current people that are there with her current allocation she should have enough funds to cover uh offering services to our students yes with the same people with the same people are the same costs that cover those people so theoretically she would not be utilizing campfire
171Long Beach action youth America or Woodcraft Rangers so I cannot speak to that because as uh vice president noola spoke to there are changing requirements we have not received final word from the state where we fall in the different tiers of the requirements for the expanded learning it may actually expand the program and so we may have to include the CBO in the process if our program EXP F and we need to continue to offer different requirements Enrichment Services Etc also as a reminder if you look at this this is not just about after school program this is also about the 30 days in the summer and for some of our elementary sites that have laid starts it's the before school care as well as after school care so this is to make sure that
172there is continuity of programming as we look at not just during the school year but also summer programming and that these are the cbos that qualified for all of those components and for the community not CBO means Community Based organization okay I'm sorry I'm asking a lot of questions um but I understand that issue of consistency is important to have the same thing but obviously she has an allocation to elop and you're not sure that she could keep the current con current people that are there under uh if we if we pick these particular firms to provide services you're not 100% sure now she could keep the Staffing she has based on her current allocation what we are not aware of is the changes that the state has making because the budget hasn't been approved
173by the state with this particular program it may cause changes where we would have to expand the program even further and meet greater requirements and so that's why it's a good thing to always have these cbos available because typically this is this is what they do full-time and it it could supplement what she already has in place at Ross Middle School okay so it's not going to impact her current program if anything it will add to her current program okay so that's that's the key thing not that it's going to take away it's going to enhance her program um because I also know that some of the the the rate pay rates are different right so I don't know what she's paying for her people there but obviously teachers are not cheap and so uh
174if she can if if what you're saying is true that there is no harm done to this particular school then I'm I'm ready to vote so I'm going to call for um a roll call Mrs Mendoza yes Dr Rios yes Mrs SE Mrs Yu yes Mrs Yoki yabi yes Mr noyola yes Mr Nishi yes motion passes 6 01 all thank you thank you k for coming out and talking about this detailed issue I very much appreciate it chose involvement [Music] right can I have a motion to approve the second interim report for the period ending January 31st 2025 with a positive certification so move second Mr NN thank you president ises I will be short because we already had a budget study sessions on this so annually we are required to update the budget twice
175right the bo approved the budget in June the first interim was in December second interim is in March so uh we have some minor some not minor but some changes to the budget as an update based on the latest information that we have and it's all on page 186 so our lcf Revenue decrease um modestly by $219,000 um so as you can see there that's the revenues and this is the adjustment space from the County of Los Angeles and our expenditure did go up by $2.5 million and we have talked about this this is as a result of a settlement agreement with a Ab 218 cases so um um it's reflecting now here at the second income report so that will drive the deficit spending to 11 million $48,000 as you can see there at
176the where the column say second interim and the net change in the fund balance so um again as I mentioned the last meeting we are still working with the county to see if we can char Char some of these um expenditures to certain categorical programs and if we were able to do that and it would help the unrestricted general fund fund balance so that is my report thank you uh any public comment well um I I don't see any public comment on this any public comment's no all right uh any board comment uh no public no board comment okay okay cuz I saw you going like this I didn't want to um board member you yeah we had the study session so I think we're good yes I understand all right so we did have
177the study session we did go over these issues um and it just shows that we have some work ahead of us for the 11 million everybody can look at the the special session that we had so I'd like to have a motion to approve this particular mov not move I'm sorry we already done it just a votee to pass this so all in favor say I I motion passes 60 can I have a motion to open a public hearing and adopt resolution 24-19 support of applications for eligibility determination and funding designation of authorized District Representatives so move second thank you Mr nin thank you president she is I will speak on the next four items this is 4.9 a 4.10 4 4.11 and 4.12 is all the same so this is um to allow the
178districts to apply for State matching fund file Bond program under proposition two so as you can see here um the voters approved proposition two back in November and in that $8.5 billion is set aside for k12 and 1.5 billion is for community colleges So within the 8.5 billion for a for K12 4 billion is set aside for modernization projects which we uh could apply for so there's new requirement added to the state um the school facility program as required by proposition two is that um the first um item 4.9 a is that the board has to conduct a public hearing and adopt a resolution authorizing staff to apply for um the schools you have to list out the schools that you're applying for which we have it here and also authorized um designated District staff
179to be an authorized signer for this program so that's that's 4.9 a 4. for 10 is basically authorizing the actual application itself so 4.11a is recognizing that uh proposition two may not be um able to fund all the programs so that we will be in line for the next Bond program should there be one should the money run out under the proposition two and a fourth requirement is that in order to be part of this program all contractors have to be pre-qualified so that's item 4.12a so basically this is all the requirements for the district to be eligible and apply for State matching dollar under the modernization program again there's a long waiting list to go after the $4 billion it may have done out already but at least we will get in line for
180whatever remaining of prop proposition to or the next uh State Bond program so this is the first step so St recommendations is for the board to approve the next four items so that we can start the application process for State matching funds okay thank you are there any public comments on this public issue no public comment all any discussion there's no discussion all those in favor say I I any NS hearing no further comments the public session hearing is closed motion passes 60 thank you for making that application and saving us money potentially we got to go after all the money we can possibly get to maximize the dollars that we have here 4.10 a may have a motion to adopt a resolution 2420 uh authorization of filing an application for the state allocation board
181administered programs for the ABC Unified School District Sam since we've already had a discussion from Mr nin are there any public comments on this issue none thank you any B comments all right all in favor say I I I any Nays seeing none the M motion passes 60 41A may have a motion to adopt resolution 2421 State allocation board and school facility program Beyond Bond authoriz Authority acknowledgement Tatiana moves thank you are there any public comments on this issue none since we've already had the staff report any board report or issue saying none all in favor say I I I any Nays motion passes 60 thank you the last one 4. uh1 12a may have a motion to approve the pre-qualification for contractors as identified in California public contract code section 21116 for Prime biders
182and subcontractors and delegate authority to bond program manager to handle the appeals process so move second any public comments none any board comments seeing none calling for a vote all in favor say I I any is motion passes 60 so this will enable us to have some pre-qualification go do this quickly we have item 19 information items 1.61 so there was a request the previous meeting regarding actually can I have a I'll just call Dr zlo so at the last meeting um president nishii requested that we look at board policy 73 7310 about naming facilities um and this particular policy it states that there should be a committee but there are no structures around that and so um my request of the board is do we want to have a update to that with some
183regulations and we can take that to the committee to have it come back to the board so are any public comments on this item none are there any board comments on this item board member Mendoza thank you Mr President I wasn't here at the last meeting so can you just clarify again so we're we're making a recommendation to form a committee or so uh the idea is we have already existing a legislative Review Committee okay uh that could look at policiy and changes that we have in board policy currently our policy just says um it's it's pretty Broad and gives Authority for the the board to basically make any recommendation for anyone to become uh named after a building and in fact we don't even have a policy regarding the fields or the the schools
184so uh a school can just independently name a facility and we have no say over it it could be anyone and and we have absolutely no say over it so my thought was uh there was a request from somebody to make a a request for a property to be have a name and I was thinking we should have some specific procedures so that way the public knows we just didn't named somebody after for no reason we had a way a method and a method so that's why I had this so uh board member Mendoza so we're going to send it over to the legislative policy committee to review that would if somebody makes a motion to to do that we can do that okay so I'd like to make a motion uh let me also
185see I have item Dr Rios sorry so when I attended what is now fetty Junior High it used to be Killingworth so I know that there's this has happened in the past can somebody just give me a little bit of history of how we've gone about it in those situations from what I can gather um because I was here but I wasn't involved I think they would just put a group of people together and I don't think there was thought as to were their students involved were their staff involved and so most of our committees are very clear that board members name people there are people from the school sites or from our employee groups that are part of it there are students part of it and so the thought here would be to have
186a regulation that lines out what it looks like if we're naming a school and what it looks like if we want to name a field or a building I would support that so I thank you second the motion well have a comment from um board member Su youu I think for the future it would be good to have a policy that we can all agree on yeah so we probably could look at the policies and from other cities other you like universities historically and put go through those uh policy policies and then you know make something that simple for that uh works for our district so move forward with that I agree thank you m so sounds like we have a consensus here so we have a um going to need a motion from she's
187trying to press her button I'm guessing it's board member Mendoza where's Twan yes I'd like to make a motion to send um board policy 7310 facili naming of facility to the legislative um committee so that they can update it and review it thank you do I have a second for that second I'm going to ask for a vote all in favor say I I motion passes 60 thank you very much 1.7 I result of site visits reviews and uniform complaint data for 20124 2025 school second quarter thank you Dr Z thank you for the second quarter um there were uh no issues with instructional material complaints facilities complaints or teacher vacancy or misassignment complaints thank you that's a great report uh item 20 we have board member reports Dr Rios so I think we need
188to fix these buttons here yeah they're a little sensitive okay a couple of things first I will report that I um attended the Lakewood Hall of Fame where women dominated um received a lot of awards I I think this was the first time that I attended the event and was incredibly pleased at the amount of athletes that come from our school district um that are recognized particularly ARA high school because they are in the City of Lakewood but it was nice that they get the they get to share the stage with other other districts in um in celebrating them I also attended ARA High School's uh report card night which is always a fun event it was nice that I was able to um talk to some of the counselors and hear about all the
189awesome work they're doing I especially enjoyed meeting the El counselor I know that I've been very critical up here about their efforts I was very happy to hear that the success that he's having in reclassifying students I mean he was he gave me a number that was very surprising and um very high and so led me to other questions because it's like okay is this not happening at other sites or what's going on but anyway had a very good time there enjoyed um enjoyed that um the next one is kind of a question but I was I love the the people that came up and spoke to us from AR tea I mean gar High School about their initiative and I don't know if they were presenting it to us it sounds like it's a
190coordinated event that is happening so it was more of an invitation but regardless I I'm so happy to see young people taking on um the lead and and bringing about activities and introducing programs that are going to further social justice in our schools and talk about those issues that are so important to discuss so yeah we get some clarification okay cuz yes I she has my support they have my support um to cab I want uh um I don't know what the next step would be I I thank you for the invite from um the lady that came up what was her name Carla God I'm so sorry Carla you come here enough I should know your name Carla to invite us to cab um especially on the March 28th it's a free event so
191I don't know if we need to register yeah we can put that in request I would like to go I don't know if my colleagues would like to join me but I like to be there on the 28th um lastly the CDE has released guidance on what to do an immigration enfor enforcement officer comes to our school and so I really appreciate their format I know that we've talked to we've talked about it as the board we've talked to our principles and administrators but I don't know if all of our office staff is comfortable in following these procedures this is a one pager that I would really like us to see you know all you have to do is put in the district's name and the contact people I don't know if you have the
192link if not I'd be happy to forward it to you um that I'd like to see every single person get this that that interacts at a front office and of course our administrators and that ends my report thank you thank you vice president noola uh thank you president Nishi uh this uh yesterday I got to attend uh literacy day at hawaian elementary for read across American uh I was joined by President Ernie Nishi we got to read or I got to read the true story of The Three Little Pigs so that was you know interesting aside from the big bad wolf you got to watch Russ m uh last Wednesday I attended uh the Hawai Garden City Council to give a district update they were very uh happy to get an update from us and
193also it coincided with student government day where uh fetty middle school students go and Shadow uh directors uh city council and kind of Shadow them and you know be the city council for a day so that was pretty cool uh Tuesday February 18th I got to volunteer at Whitman Elementary to sett up for the art gallery night um I want to thank the parents who volunteer at all our elementary schools to make every little event special for our kids I know they do a lot and it goes unnoticed and of course it's unpaid for so they do it with their with their love uh Thursday February 13th I attended uh the day of remembrance at gar high school with President Ernie Nishi and at the same time I was able to meet with the ASB
194students so all the ASB class uh we had a discussion slash Forum slash uh Q&A with the yeah with the hot seat with the board member so I wanted to uh you know extend that invitation ASB are always here giving reports and they're and just like other students they're here advocating for their class they're advocating for their Community they're advocating for their ideology and their beliefs so I think as their representative and as their stewards we should be communicating elevating their voice and participating with them uh and last but not least I also attended uh the Fetti mural unveiling uh this is a a mural that was done by our Fetti students so that was very very cool so if you haven't seen it I implore you guys to see it so I want to
195thank president ER Nishi and clerk uh yokam Bui for attending as well thank you board member you thank you I'll make it short it's already almost 10 o'c plenty of time um you know I'm really delighted I'm really delighted to to to find out this week's news that Apple company have decided to invest $500 billion doll in America for the future of our children which creates tens and thousands of jobs good news for our kids because you know as a mom my eternal maternal instinct is I'm looking after the future of our kids and um hundred billion dollars uh the Taiwanese based company the biggest company that uh makes manufacturers microchip tsmc I never heard about this company but they will will also invest hundred billion dollar in America which is good that's why I've
196been talking about the tech we need to strengthen our kids in math and science because you know the future America our competitor or not enemy but let me put it in a good way China uh is a little bit ahead of us with AI and robot that's pretty dangerous so America has to catch up and so it's good to hear that Corporate America is responding to the Tariff money and power talks so good for good news for our kids that is the end of my report thank you board member Tatiana yokoyama Buie thank you president Nishi and um I do want to Echo uh What uh my fellow board member member Dr Rios has stated regarding our gar students who were here earlier um three female students during women's History Month talking about an initiative
197they're bringing to Gar High School is is so inspiring to me um I was on campus at Leo Elementary where I cook um they there was a we voted on this a couple months ago I cook was conducting a culinary class by ABC EXL students I I came to towards the end but the dish was a green bean with a tasty looking sauce it looked very fresh and the students said they really liked it they like the flavor so um the teachers shared to me the menu items were healthy and mostly vegan and I was happy to see this program in action I know many of us have expressed a you know a concern related to the nutrition of our kids so this was really exciting to see in action um I attended fetty Middle
198School schol mural reveal the mural was planned and painted by The Dream Resource Center students I attended uh the district Musical Chicago at Whitney High School very exciting show uh I attended the csba new trustey orientation with other trustees from ac across the state I attended the ABC spelling be um it was my first spelling be and it was very exciting I was on edge of my seat the entire night um I attended the day of remembrance at seros high school honoring the Japanese Americans sent to internment camps and I do want to thank uh president Nish she for for really just in really connecting with the kids and ensuring they understand the importance of this event um thank you to the survivors who presented and shared their experiences with students including my dad uh
199he spoke directly with a few students um he's my favorite US Army veteran tomm uyama who was the youngest of his family when they were sent to the internment camp I also attended the Leo Elementary beginning band concert so these are mostly fourth graders and it's led by Mr gullet who also leads uh tetoff Middle School it was really cool to see all the kids and how much they've grown in the in the past few months I attended aapi Leadership Summit last week uh also the serapis international artisa citos 31st Annual Monte Carlo knight uh Ser Optimus benefits sucasa ending domestic violence local charities and Sur Optimist programs in education uh I also uh recently attended the abcusd legislative policy committee meeting um uh last week I attended the ab abcusd special education local plan
200area Sala Beyond school resource Expo which helps students with disabilities prepare for Life After High School so I would like to thank I I saw Dr Castro there uh I also saw Dr roacha Mr Chambers and Mrs Peterson for sharing details about the adult transition program if you have any recyclables uh Mr Chambers does collect them at the ABC Adult School am mon Cabrillo and it helps the kids uh helps I'm sorry not the kids the young adults learn some responsibility and kind of have um like a plan for the day so thank you thank you to the incredible dedication and commitment to support our young adults um lastly I participated in the Lakewood fun run this past weekend I was one of 800 Runners Walkers and I'm so happy to hear that I heard
201some ABC USD students from gar friends of my nephew also participated in the race so thank you so much thank you board member Mendoza mine is a little long Mr President because I was not here at the last meeting it's okay we got half an hour at least okay so um unfortunately I wasn't able to attend the last board meeting because I teach kindergarten and when the kids get sick you get sick too so I apologize um but since my last meeting I attended gar High School open house and that's my last one as a parent from now on it'll be as a board member cuz he's a senior and he didn't want to walk around with me so I just kind of walked around and visited his classrooms um but it was nice it
202was nice to be back um as a board member and I got to almost walk the entire um school then visit all the teachers um I just couldn't do it you know as you get older I just can't do it anymore I can't walk around anymore as much um but it was great to be there and see all the great things they're doing at gar I attended the black Family Circle meeting with um Mr President here and it was a great discussion that we had and it was great to hear from our parents and other concerns um I did make a visit Tunas elementary school because I did want to go visit their M migrant education and they're doing an amazing job over there working with our students on Saturdays and it was great to
203see them because it had been like I think a couple of weeks that they had an attendance so they had a really good turnout and while I was there I got to talk to parents and they voiced a lot of their concerns um about the atmosphere with their country right now with immigration and um you know they talked to me about and I I talked to the superintendent about this about you know making sure our families have a lot of information and that we continue like Dr real said continue to give them information because things are always changing in our communities I also got to meet with um aresia Council woman Z here because she's also our board Lees on from the city of artisan so we got to sit down and we got to
204know each each other and got to you know um discuss things that we would like to do in the city and the district um I attended the diversity un unity and Equity meeting and I we our Focus was on students in math and science and I I got to hear great amazing things of how our teachers are becoming the leaders of teachers and their training teachers and I think that's amazing um and I thank them for that because they do it all voluntary and after school after teaching so thank you for that Mr uh president and I went to the first annual vapa CTE multimedia expo at gar High School um there they highlighted the automotive the art the band The Sports the medicine the theater video um design and video production and again my
205my son was part of that too so I got to see his artwork but I got to see amazing um artwork amazing videos everything just I looked at there and I said these could be artworks that are in like a really high class art store and I would pay like $200 and I wanted to buy everything cuz it was just amazing so I want to thank them for putting that on um last night I attended the Hispanic Latino Family Circle planning meeting and so I want to invite everyone not just our Latino families but everyone we're having our meeting on March 18th at fety med school from 6:00 to 7:30 and um uh agenda is going to be um College and Career Readiness and we're just not talking about high school students we want to
206talk about um getting our kids focused on College even in kindergarten even in TK and getting them ready um and I do want to tell the superintendent that at that meeting some of our parents also uh wanted to voice their concern that they wanted some information about immigration so that we could pass out at that meeting too um and then I want to tell you about something really fun that I I did with um our nus teacher kindergarten teacher her name is moso she was my daughter's teacher and I've always wanted to do a pen palel with the school and so this year our kindergarten students are doing a penel so it's going to be nice to see them my kids are super excited they're waiting for their cards um we're going to do that
207throughout the year and if it it's Suess I know it is so cute they're so excited they don't even know their pen pals yet but they're like when are they sending me their cards like are they here yet are they here yet so I'm I'm excited about that she's excited about that too and I just wanted to wish everyone um a happy women's History Month um I want to thank all my colleagues here who are women and the superintendent and all our staff who are women I want to thank my family for being the mentors I just was thinking about the ladies who came to speak and it's so true mother we do everything right we're our own Heroes um yeah I want my kids to say nice things about me too but I wanted
208to leave all my women with the word that I have I've had in my in my mind every single day and it's the word Grace I have fomo because I hear you guys going to all of these events and as I get older I can't do the things that I used to do um and and I'm okay with that I have Grace with myself now because even though I'm not here I'm doing other things with education I'm planning for my kindergarteners I work with my teachers at my school so I I'm still involved but yeah I get a little jealous when I hear you guys talking about all your vents just just take me with you and thought okay but that's my word for all of all of our women is to have Grace with
209ourselves we do the things that we can and the things that we can't do we have Grace with ourselves and it's okay and red for Ed Ray I wear red every Tuesday at work that is our red day so I forgot today cuz I was thinking St Patrick's Day but I do wear red every single Tuesday every Tuesday at utla and LAUSD we wear red so I'm with you just not today so that concludes my board report Mr President thank you thank you thank you announcements next regular board meeting will be Tuesday April 1st 2025 at 7 p.m. District Board office committee meetings we have strategic planning board advisory committee Tuesday March 25th 2025 at 5:30 p.m. also over here if you'd like to come on down to the legislative policy board advisory committee that
210will be Wednesday March 26 2025 at 6:30 also here we have a finance and audit board advisory committee talk about money uh Thursday you can't get it though 10 uh Mar Thursday March 27th at 6 PM also here diversity Unity Equity committee due board advisory committee will be on Monday April 14th at 5:30 p.m. also right here so if you want to talk about fairness issues please come on down we'd love to hear your comments item 22 second public comment section no public comment nobody all right can I have a motion to adjourn in the memory of Mr kanji Sahara ABC day of remembrance presenter I'll make a motion second thank you tonight we close our meeting in honor of Mr kanji Sahara born April 4th 1934 in Hiroshima Japan Mr Sahara came to the
211United States and grew up in Los Angeles during World War II he and his family were incarcerated at the Santa Anita assembly cember before being relocated to the Jerome and rower camps in Arkansas he was 8 years old when his family was forced from their home later Mrs Sahara became a passionate advocate for raising awareness about the mass incarceration of over 120,000 Japanese Americans without due process during World War II he was a leader of the tuna Canyon detention station Coalition the historic winsburg Conservancy which I'm part of and led the camp wall project World War II Camp project he shared his story in our day of remembrance activities in our schools he made an impact I worked with him and sometimes he was frustratingly hardheaded he wasn't the shikat uh it can't be helped
212attitude he was not that he was clearly gamb which means go for it he had a vision that he could see so clearly and others couldn't quite see it but he made things happen at his age he was able to stand out in the cold for the matters that things that he cared about he taught our Future Leaders his dedication to our country is immeasurable we all in this room have a lot to give thanks to Mr kanji Sahara so everyone in this room um I thank you kanji you're probably listening up there um thank you thank you so uh call we have a vote all in favor to close say I I I we are adjourned [Music] of all the money that I spent I spent it in good [Music] compy and of all
213the har that I've [Music] done it was to none but me and all I've done for want of wi to meory I can't recall so F to me the part glass good night and joy I be with you [Music] all if I had money enough to spend and Le a time to sit