Regular Board Meeting of the Board Trustees - Apr 23 2026

001Good evening. The regular meeting of AADUSD board of trustees is called to order on April 23rd, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. Can I get roll call, please? >> Mask on here. >> Falls draft here. May here. >> Brianna Taxony here. Uh agenda for the regular board meeting. Um I'll go ahead and move it in. Can I get a second? >> I'll second. Dr. Sahin, >> I do have a request respectfully uh an addendum item 10 G as in Gary and H as in Harry bus lease presentation and proposal for consideration. Thank you. >> Okay, with the addendums, let's any discussion? Call for question. All those in favor? >> Mask on. >> I may. >> Brianna Tony I. Uh 2A public participation >> not at this time. Thank you. >> 3A we may discuss conference with labor

002negotiators public employee discussion discipline dismissal release conference with legal counsel and or student matters. 3B adjourn to close session. I'll move. Can I get a second? >> A second. >> Discussion. All in favor? >> M. I >> Brianna Tony I. We are adjourned to close session at 6:31 p.m. >> Board members, there's some snacks up here brought to brought to us this evening by our friends at Snackwell. >> Thank you. Uh the regular board meeting of April 23rd will reconvene at 7:38 p.m. Thank you guys for um being patient. Our flag salute is going to be led by Mr. Mora. nation. >> Thank you. Ken, can you please read the civility statement? When conducting the district's business, we will strive to communicate clearly and concisely with respect for the time of others. Listen objectively, carefully

003considering the opinions of others, understand the counterproductive effects of disruptive, demeaning, and intimidating behaviors. Understand or respect district policies and procedures, and maintain a respect for the rich history of the district and the efforts of others who have served in the past. >> Thank you. Uh 5, a report of action taken in close session. The board took no action. Six, public comments, recognition, and reports. Um I have a comment card for Miss Jackie Ayer. Do I speak into this one or I use this one? I think. Okay. All right. Thank you very much. I'm um just wanted to give a report to the school district on some things that have been happening lately in the community, particularly on one issue. As many of you are probably aware, there's a very large uh lithium ion battery

004energy storage project proposed for the community. It's over a mile long and it's on both sides of Solid Canyon Road. It starts at about um Malinta and goes all the way to the intersection of where Sierra Highway and Solidad Canyon Road and 14 freeway on-ramps all intersect. So, it's a massive project. They the developer has um applied not for approval from the county but for approval from the California Energy Commission through a process known as AB205. Um and the act town council as well as various organizations within the community and a number of uh residents in the community have um strongly voiced their opinion on this project and its safety concerns because there are homes literally 90 feet from some of these facilities. And um if one just one best burns and all of the

005uh florine that's present in the electrolyte vaporizes, it's probably 6,000 or several thousand pounds of hydrogen fluoride that are emitted. Hydrogen fluoride is very toxic and it's got a zone of impact or I like to call it a circle of death of probably several hundred meters if not more. So um there there's been a lot of objection to this project but a component of assembly bill 205 or AB 205 which is the uh legal mechanism that the commission California energy commission is using to approve this or to consider this project. um requires a um a a community benefits plan to be developed. And um uh about six months ago, an agent on behalf of the developer had reached out to very specific individual groups in the community and offered some a little bit of money.

006And um we believe a lot of that was being done to be able to check the box for community benefits. we gave 500 bucks to the women's club or what have you. So, um, so the town council and other organizations reached out to all the organizations and said, can we let's not just individually a agree to this. Let's try to get them to collaborate, work together, engage the community in in toto dividing our groups and, you know, paying a little bit here and a little bit there to check their box. So, the actton town council wrote a lengthy letter to the commission. I think it was like October or November um asking the commission to direct the developer to convene a community meeting and to reach out to all the community serving organizations including the

007school district as well as the women's club, the friends of Acttoni Library, the parks group, the whole you know CRU sports, desert winds, everybody, all the organizations that serve you know our community and um to convene a meeting and invite them all to come so that everybody hears the same message. Everybody sort of has an opportunity to participate or provide input on how this community benefits plan is going to happen. Took us several months, but the developer has reached out to the town council and said that they are going to put this meeting together. I believe it's May 19th and I have I should check May 19th from 6 to 8 I think. I'm sorry. I should have that on the tip of my head. Um, so we are reaching out to all the organizations

008and that's why I'm here tonight to let you know and to ask hopefully that somebody from the school district will be able to attend the meeting. What we have kind of what we discussed at the last town council meeting what okay it's 6 to 8 on Tuesday the 19th and it is at the acting community club. So what we have sort of envisioned or kicked around at our last meeting was that we would sort of form a foundation and the people who would on the board and this is an idea the community can say no we don't want that but whatever this is the idea that we've sort of throwing around um the members of the board would be made up of you know representatives of these individual organizations and they would rotate in and

009out so every organization has an opportunity and again this is just our ide be thrown out because it was very important to the town council that the developer not come in and benefit one small group and not you know ignore other groups and we have seen that happen in some of these CEC projects particularly the Darden project. It was it was divide and conquer and they pitted the community against itself who the developer chose to benefit and and it it was not good. So um I just wanted to first of all let the school district know about this and public know about this and um if if you know of organ communities serving organizations that you can think of and that we should reach out to we've reached out to all the ones we know

010of to please let us know but I it's also very important and I need to say this emphatically us this is not a town council meeting it's the developer putting this meeting together the town council won't be running it we will be there and pushing the developer to engage the entire community and not just some groups. But having said that, it's very important for the town council and for other organizations I work with um and represent that saying these things does not mean that we are in support of this project. The act and town council is vehemently opposed to this project as are many many residents. But and and and a lot of things have happened in the last six weeks that lead us to be very optimistic that this project will not be approved.

011Um but and we are fighting with everything we have to make that happen. But in the chance in the event that it does get approved, we want to make sure that the benefits that they have an obligation to provide benefits that those benefits come to our community. What they pitched in their application to the CEC was large donations to a labor organization and they've made those arrangements with them. It's a labor organization that represents LA and Orange County. Their in the city of LA. I I spoke with their general manager. They have no members in Actton and they most of their members are in Santa Clarita. So that doesn't provide community benefits. Another problem is that in their application they said that this project is not in a community that is three miles outside of

012Actton and that since it's not in a community and it's unincorporated the benefits would go to um schools within LA County and they mentioned LA USD and then they mentioned that it would go to um they they'd support county efforts and um which doesn't necessarily translate to act benefits um as we know. So when we saw that, we we we reacted strongly and made this push and it looks like it's happening. So I wanted to first of all make sure the school district knew about it, make sure the public knows about it. Hopefully you'll be able to send somebody there because I think if if we as a community can come together to decide how benefits will be aortioned and and we're pushing for benefits to happen for the entire 35 to however many decades

013life of this project. the darting project that benefits stopped after five years. We're saying no. As long as the impacts last, the benefits have to come too. So, we're pushing for that. And it's massive project, so they have to be significant. So, anyway, just want to let you know and I can answer any questions about the project if you'd like. So, hopefully you'll be able to come. >> Yours here. This was not a public comment. Um, so this was a community update. So, said, "I hope my board uh will help support the idea that we should be able to make comments and ask a few questions." Everybody good with that? I'm the only one. Good. I like to be disliked. Um let's >> bring it. >> Yeah. Let's let's get this down to a couple

014minutes and and just punchline sentences. You had a stay in court on one of the projects. You were granted a stay. Um what's happening with that now? >> Okay. >> So, I'm no longer on the actton town council. I'm representing Save Our Round. >> That's what she just did is very important. >> Yes. So now I'm speaking on behalf of the save our rural town. Yes, we prevailed in court and there was they had the opposing this is for the humidor project a 300 megawatt also lithium ion battery kind of near where this other large one is and we took them to court in 2023. We prevailed. The judgment came out in January. They had a certain amount of time to appeal. That deadline was Monday and they chose not to appeal. So, >> okay.

015So, I'm gonna help you. So, by default, it's like going to small claims court. If you don't show, the other party prevails. Now, I want you to know that that light over there is named Frank. This one is Billy and that one's Susie. But they're all lights. I don't care what you call them. So, your action, what uh effect did it have on other projects short of new differences in the technology. Tell me why that ruling doesn't compound to the other projects. >> Well, I I it actually has done a lot. So, for example, that developer on the humidor project, they were called um what are they called? Well, they've changed the name now. It's Fullark. They actually had another battery storage called Matai right across the street from Humidor that has now been withdrawn.

016So it does have impacts on propo proposed projects enacted does not have an impact on this particular project because this project is going through the CEC. However, some detailed engineering calculations and assessments that were submitted on behalf of sort to them three weeks ago have basically shown how all of the developers risk assessment and health risk data are completely flawed and the toxicity will be at least 10 times higher than they're claiming and that it will land on all of the neighbors and be substantially. What you're telling me is the actual case facts that the judge considered are replicative in the other cases as long as the technology is >> lights no matter what you call. >> Yeah, they're all using what's called lithium iron phosphate batteries. >> Okay. So again, but guys, what you

017have to remember and this has always been the problem with Actton Town Council. Their world is everybody gets out there and they say what they feel and they talk about what they think and different things and it's a format that's very different than this. We are elected officials. We go through public elections and that fact being flawed is is shown by me sitting here by myself. But in their world, the community comes together and they advocate for our community. We are governed by California state law. We have all 75% of what we do or 80% is calendared every year. Their world is very dynamic. So when I walk in there with a t-shirt on and bib overalls, I'm not Ken up here anymore. I'm whoever the hell I want to be. And I've become very

018loud about things. I do not like genetic uh differences in children that are un that are avoidable. I don't like people developing cancer for no reason, etc., etc. Now, I probably just violated every law because this board up here, they will tell you I'm crazy. You get them out the But you come to that conclusion on your own. I don't um take up uh legal matters that could cause effects like an attorney saying we need to defend you guys because you're out of your lane. You're in the school. U there's a train right over there. I don't know what's on it. Jackie, can you tell me what's on that train? >> There are chemical cars. Oh, >> I I don't I don't think it's Swedish bathing water. So, if that that train derails, Jackie, what's

019going to happen? >> Depends on what's in the cars. >> Imagine that. And we have metal larks down there. Does anyone have a safety plan for this? >> Yeah, the short answer, no. I have some property out in Fairmont out there where you can see Hatch Mountains and somebody dumped chemical containers that people math labs are going, "Dude, that's pretty bad." So, there's not a lot of thought being given to the the health effects on this. >> And it's it's much worse than that. They don't even have county water connected to it. >> They don't they Yeah, >> I like to think, okay, so let let's do a train. >> Hey, how are you? Oh my gosh, >> we are graced >> at the at the end. No, seriously, people. Well, no. You've been doing

020community work in this town since this town was around. >> But but but listen, the train >> the train that was going to run right under my house. >> Yeah, we live up there in the We live in the best neighborhood in acting because we're there. >> But at the end at the end of the day, >> there's no train now. So they got AVAC to do the water. Now they don't need that water. I've said this before, guys. This is not about the battery plan. This is about the data center. The data center is next. Call me paranoid. >> Is there one planned? I hadn't heard that. A data center. Oh, okay. >> Don't Jackie, I'm I'm tempering things. I'm sorting out the F the F letter. >> Do you see a historical marker

021right here that said I'm wrong? Because the first time I am, there will be one. This isn't batteries. It's about data centers. Where what do you need for a data center? You need water. Oh, we don't need the water for the train anymore. We put data center. Wake up to what's going on around us. >> But at the end of the day, I don't care how many free backpacks you give our kids. I would like to think that every kid who needs a backpack in this town has a backpack. And if you know a kid that doesn't have a backpack, buy them a backpack. I don't need you buttering me up with a backpack. some level of community support. I also don't need you to go pretend you're going to help the little league team

022buy kids whatever it is you won't buy them. Who in this room would not buy a baseball bat and a glove and a baseball or a cheerleading uniform for a kid in this town? If you if you can't do that, get a new job that pays more and get out of here. We don't need these people running in here and winding people up and making some people feel important while the rest of the community languishes behind some rules that are made somewhere in some place I never been. >> Well, your point's well taken because this town came together and every organization said no. It was amazing. And now we're saying let's all come together and say we don't want it, we don't like it, but if it comes, you better benefit us and not LA

023USD and not LA County. That's >> You remember the last train meeting I was at with you? Please do not let this turn into a public post where you got people yelling at everybody and just get everybody calm. I wrote the civil statement that I violate every meeting. Do not let everybody turn this in to a lynch mob. >> Well, I it's it's the developers meeting. We're not running it. We're going to be there to try to >> Well, you need me to come in there and help >> you. >> Okay. So, at the end of the day, let these people talk. Let them run their mouth. Do not have anybody in there that's disruptive to the meeting. >> Right. >> That will be so counterproductive. >> Right. >> Agreed. And I think the developer

024probably will control it. But in the end, it's not and and I'm not speaking now on town council, but it's not a town council meeting. It's not a sort meeting. It's But we need to have all these organizations there so that they know we are we can't be divided. We are united and we're going to work together on this. >> So, let's take up a collection and anybody that needs a 99 cent baseball or beach ball, we'll hand them out ourselves. >> By the way, they did when they came to the town council meeting, they said, "We'd like can you we'd like to talk to your school district because we'd like to give backpacks to the kids." That was how they were going to I was like, "No, that that that doesn't work." So, >>

025I don't see them here. Get them in here. Bring them in here. Party time. Pardon me. Oh. >> Oh, okay. >> No, they I I'm really a nice person. I invented Valentine's Day. These people just sit up here and dump the bad work on me and villainize me. But you know what? There's a side benefit. You know how how cheap Christmas becomes when you have no friends? I'm done. Next. Um, as far as the time for the meeting, what I saw posted in the group um, from Ruthie. >> Oh, Ruthiey's group. Okay. >> Was 4 at 4 to 6. So, that's what I put in my calendar and I just rechecked it >> and the time was 4 to 6. So, if we could get clarification on that, that'd be awesome. I'm going to go

026outside and I know they reserve the room from 4 to 9 because they have to clean it up and afterwards and set it up, but I would run out and make a quick >> I would hate for all of us to show up at 6 and they'd be like, "Yeah, >> you missed it." >> Yeah, >> we did. >> I had six to eight. So, I will I will call Ruthie and I will double check. If I have to, I'll run home and check the town council email. Okay. >> Oh, no. I'm talking between this light and that light that little area right there will take Please, >> I'll veto that. Don't write that in the minutes. Um, thank you very much for all you do for our community there. I know it's hours and

027hours and hours and I'm sure sleepless nights and blood, sweat, and tears for you and your family. So, >> please let everybody on all of the different teams that you sit on know that we very much appreciate you and all you do. >> Well, thank you very much. I appreciate that. I I can I add one other thing? The point about meark and that that's a real thing. I don't know if you know this, but in 2006, LA County put 4,000 pounds of chlorine gas just about a couple hundred feet away and for their new chloromine system and they had done what's called a hazop analysis and I went through the whole thing. So John did too. He's an engineer also and they had assessed they had not they're supposed to look at the most

028dangerous thing that could happen and the frequency and they the one they picked because they looked at many hundreds of scenarios and they picked oh it's not not the worst that'll happen is a couple grams will come out. It won't happen for every 100 years or something. Well, we found one that said a total release of one of the containers, that's 2,000 pounds of chlorine gas in about 10 minutes if if the driver didn't check up the wheel and it rolls out onto Soladad and a car comes because those cars go 60 miles an hour, right? And that was supposed to happen once every 10 years. And the zone of the circle of death for that was all the way to Metoark and we had a big meeting. So, it's it's a real thing what

029Ken's talking about. I you know, this is a little off topic, but it is So we had a meeting and and all the engineers from public works was there, the consultant who did the hazop and she literally said she said well it's not really a problem because chlorine gas is very heavy. So if it happens the kids just have to go up to the second story of the school and everybody looked at her I mean because all the guys some of the guys actually live in Actton right they know there's no second story on the school. So these risk assessment things are very real and important and so Probably tippies. >> I mean, >> no. I Well, you mean elevation? Yeah. Actton Lake is low. Yeah. >> Well, it's it's it's it's heavy and it

030blows with the wind, so it doesn't necessarily go with gravity. >> Oh, okay. Okay, thank you. Um, moving on. I do have three. I have three comment cards. Um, so I can they're all on the same subject um from Da Vinci. I can give you time now to speak or if you wanted to speak during the um open hearing. It's up to you. Do you want to wait till the open hearing or would you like to speak now? All three of you. Okay. Thank you. All right. 7 ADA representative CSA. Uh, and I our student representative to the board is ill and we look forward to hearing her report next time. Hope you feel better, Autumn. Um, D, superintendent report. >> Thank you, President Taxony. I'd like to share a brief update with the community

031and our board. Of course, uh related to goal one of our plan around student achievement. Last school year, we introduced presentations from each of our school sites. That's always exciting. During the superintendent reports back in February, our interim principal from Metoark Elementary, Larry Luick, Mr. Larry presented exciting highlights from Metoark as far as you know where they are um showcasing their school and then next steps for the elementary site and Little Owls. Tonight we have the pleasure of um receiving highlights from Vasquez High School from our principal Dr. Arena Smith about successes and projects and what lies ahead. And at this time I'd like to call up Dr. Smith to do the presentation for Vasquez Highlights. Thank you Dr. Smith. All right. Well, good evening board and superintendent Dr. Sahakin and Actton Dulce community. I'm

032Raina Smith, principal of Vasquez. I've this is my actually my 12th year as an administrator and I thought about it but I'm I've only been here at Vasquez for this is my second year so it's been a lot of learning in these last two years. Um so let me start there's a lot happening at Vasquez and I do agree with board member Tacani. It's so hard to condense everything that's happening in you know 10 slides. So let me just start real quick with our oops there you go our office team. So, um, we have a couple of changes in addition. So, I just wanted to, uh, give a shout out to them. Julie is our secretary. She's in the middle at the top. Um, we have Lana on the right, our records clerk. And then

033Britney Roas, she's a new addition. And so, she's our, um, attendance clerk. And then we have our support staff. They were they've been here for a while. Uh, Mr. Sheldon Sparks, our MTSS TOSA, Alexa Leb, our virtual academy TOSA. We have our two counselors, Nicole Saledo and Tiffany Casada, and uh Charlie Al, our school social worker, which I was so excited when I found out we had social workers at this district. Um, also we have, and I wish I had pictures for everybody, but this is our great, amazing staff. They make all the magic happen. We have 20 certificated staff members and one new addition because we have somebody on maternity leave. We also have 20 classified staff members and again we couldn't do everything that happens at the school without our amazing staff. A

034little bit of our demographics and um now that it's my second year there I have some it's nice to compare make some comparisons and you know you're always looking forward is growth literally growth because we had 394 students last year and then the new numbers are in yellow. So we have now we've grown we have 24 additional students. It fluctuates a little bit, but we're kind of stayed in that 418. Um, our ethnic demographics have been pretty much the same with our two biggest groups have consistently been our Hispanic group, which is about 58% and our um, white population, which is about 32%. And then over on the side, you see the pie chart, about 60% of our kiddos are are boys. So, we're still pretty boyheavy. So, there's a lot of energy on our

035campus. At the top you see four um 504s we have 11 students online students we have 41 and that means they're completely online they're not they don't come to physical campus except for maybe some special events um they're welcome to sports you know etc. We have students um that are on a blended program that's they are at school part of the time and then they're at home part of the time. So at 77 students um these numbers continue to grow. Our aelis online program is pretty popular and I think that we'll continue to see growth because we they keep hearing about these things. Um foster we have 10 students. Special education students with IEPs we have 75 and then English learners are 25. I want to show a little bit about our attendance data because

036um now that I have a a little bit of compare. The the yellow line you see is from last year and um the white one is from this year. So I was we were looking at monthtomonth and I was pretty proud that you know all the the list of things that we're doing they're they're working. Um for example, you're seeing uh month of August you have 93% last year uh and then this year in August we were at 95 almost 96%. So every month we've increased from last year where we were to now um except for January and you know when we're brainstorming with our teams um some of the things that came up there's like remember in January there was a lot of people that were out sick and something was going around. I

037was thinking maybe it's because we told students we were going to be doing a lot of the state practice tests around that time and so I don't I don't know but um we're always trying to brainstorm how to improve any area. You know, you might only see one or two percentage points, but the amount of work to increase that it's it's significant. And I have to say I'm pretty proud. And if I could go back a few slides, I'd say kudos to our our clerk, Lana, because our virtual um our independent study, it has been as it's has just been amazing. Um I think that's really helped us recover a lot of attendance and we're also working with district to do Saturday school attendance recovery. So, I mean, we're just, you know, all these things

038are working. We just got to keep keep it up, move forward. Now, our meat and potatoes, right? our our um ELA, our academics and and then our also our math scores. Um there's a lot of data going on here. So let me explain from left we have our state scores. So the these are scores from last year. So these are the tests the students took in May. And first one state score 48% those are across the state. By the way if you're not aware only our 11th graders test for ELA and math. So, our 11th graders across the state were uh 48% met or exceeded the standard for ELA. However, only 29% of our Vasquez students met or um exceeded and so that is definitely a red flag. Um now, what you see in the

039middle because you know in our PLC's we talk about this is we're brainstorming and seeing what what what's going on here. um our benchmark scores, which we use Renaissance and um we use the STAR assessments. There's so many reports, but I really like this one because it shows um it shows how they've been doing over a few years. And I don't have a little red button, but if you look at kind of the center, the 11th graders, it's showing that the 11th graders, how they did in ninth grade, you know, that green and blue bar has gotten bigger over the last three years. And it's kind of it's the same trend for all our grades. They um according to our benchmarks, our kids are making growth. And if I'm looking at just 11th grade, these

040are 11th graders right now. Um it's kind of hard to see on the left side, but 59% of them are it's showing according to our benchmarks that they're at or uh above grade level. And if I include the ones that are pretty close, that's another 19%. So our benchmarks tell us that about close to 80% of our kids or 11th graders are either close or where they need to be. So then the question is what we talk about in our PLC's and what we're brainstorming well where's that gap? Why is this not translating into our state scores necessarily? So lot of conversations. Um, oh, one thing that we we talked about is when it comes to math, and that's the next slide, but it it does I'm sure you guys know that it's hard to

041find math teachers. That's uh one area that has been kind of difficult to fulfill. And so, finding credentialed teachers that are in math that know how to teach math and are um passionate about math. I mean, right now I'm I'm very pleased that we have a full math department fully credentialed there and that makes a difference when you don't have, you know, um long-term subs and teachers that that that's not their expertise. There's there's lots of factors, but I know that's one thing that we are so excited because I feel like we're going to see some more momentum here. Um, also we talk about student buyin the and the impact when I was experiencing and we talked about it as a staff when we're seeing them take some of the tests like last year they

042were going through those pretty quickly and um I don't think the students really understood you know how or the impact what it means. They don't they're not part of their report cards. They're you know how what does this mean for me? So they're starting to see that um when we're looking at our scores that determines what we do and how we guide our instruction. So we put in a lot of incentives. Some of those include, for example, talking to them about if you're showing mastery in this area, why am I going to have you keep practicing if you've already shown you're doing well? You got it. So you can move on, you can skip ahead, you can move forward, do more engaging things. So that's that's huge for them. That's what's in it for me.

043Um, additionally would they they like the the acknowledgements, the certificates we're talking about, the cords that they're going to earn, um, the pins, um, food that also works, right? But, um, just all the different incentives. I think also a big part and I give kudos just to district in general because we've worked as a team to to figure out how and what's the best plan for PRA using the practice test that the state gives us. So they have lots of different tests the FABS the IABS Cas there's there's lots and this is the first year this year that we've started and we've implemented those. So the kids are now they they're used to actually taking the tests as um just like the ones on the state test. And if you think about our benchmarks, you

044know, because again a lot of conversations about this, our benchmarks maybe could take 30 minutes. If you're trying really hard, maybe 45 minutes. And our state tests for ELA, there's two tests. Each one's going to take about two hours. So you're looking at a four hours you're spending to get this score. Um, so you know, we talk about stamina and just learning how to navigate the test, how to answer the questions, what the expectations are, not just for the kids, but for staff, for me. Um, so I think all these components are I'm actually this is this week we're doing state testing. So this is our fourth day. And you know, I almost had to have a tissue box because they were some of those kids were working all the way till the very end

045till the two hours, which is a huge difference from last year. All the I mean all the staff that was part of it, they were commenting on that. So, um I think you know we're going to see some changes. Um one other thing the kids were asking um when is my score going to come in? So that's that was amazing. I didn't hear that at all last year. you know, talk about it now. When is it going to come in? When can I see it? They're done with the test. They run to their teachers and they're saying, "Hey, um, I saw some of these things on the test. Can we review this? Can we review that?" Because, you know, they have it this whole week. So, exciting things. Um, but you know, we are being

046realistic that this is our here's our our math score. Um, 37 for the state and we were at two um point two and a half%. But again, that doesn't match with what we're seeing in our benchmark scores. If I'm looking at the 11th graders right now, again, I'm looking at 12 plus 67 close to 80% of our kids are saying it's saying they're close to or where they need to be. So, um, we're going to continue with this work. I think we can do a lot more also with understanding the tests. We've now practiced and used the state test, but I think next year we can be more strategic about which tests we use. There's some shorter ones, longer ones. How do we scatter it around the year? Um, so this has been probably just

047about every single one of our staff meetings is just, you know, our our academics. Um, last year I would say a big big part of our focus was our our school culture, our discipline, our um right now we're looking at 12 suspensions for up to up to now and last year we were at this time last year we're at 23. Now that's that's only seven incidents. So, I do want to say and I hope it's on the record because I always get comments that people that are not in education that think when nothing happens and there's no discipline unless there's a suspension and they don't understand there's so much in suspension is the last resort. Um, we're always trying to be preventative and proactive and not allowing things to get to that point. I mean,

048if they earn it, if there meets the criteria, yes, we suspend. But our goal is for us not to even get to that point. Um, so we've we've reduced it. We're in the green. Um, and I think that because we've spent a lot of time working on this last year and improving our systems that there's we're not spending so much time. And this kind of sum summarizes our um philosophy over here where you see the triangles. We're aiming to be that top triangle where we're being proactive. So kids aren't spending so much time away. They're missing instruction or in the office or suspended. Um because the old way preppbbis, you're spending so much time reacting to situations. You're not spending so much time thinking about how to prevent things. So I think all our work

049here and especially our documentation um has helped us really be progressive and really fulfill all those layers in between before we get to the suspension. So I'm personally very proud of that. I know our team is and so this gives us more time to focus on the academics. So we're not spending that much time on the on the discipline portion. I kind of already mentioned these this is these are the uh whole long list of things that we're doing to improve our instruction. Um and I would say the bottom one was um one we've that's really helped is just including those practice tests. And next year we'll continue and we'll be even more strategic about it. Um in addition to well working through our academic we're we know that when students are connected to school

050they're more likely to improve their academics. So we're always trying to provide opportunities for them to do that with our partnerships in the community. So these are just some examples. I like the recent one where they were volunteering at other schools. They're good with the littles even though they try to be tough. I'm just saying. Um sports, that's another way to connect them and engage them and um motivate them. So our I thought our sports were pretty good and amazing last year and they just keep getting better. So our boys basketball made history. They qualified for um they were semi-finalist in the CIF the southern section and then they also made it to the semi-final CIF state championship. These are pretty big accomplishments for such you know the size of our school. Um flag football

051they also were semi- finalists in CIF in the southern section. Our spring sports, softball, they earned their seventh straight league championship title. And baseball, they qualified for playoffs for the ninth straight year. We also have quite a few electives. We're trying to include those fun classes, those hands, the the classes that bring them keep keep them coming back to school, right? And um we've added more. We'll keep adjusting, but you know, some of our more popular ones tend to be the culinary and yummier ones. They're they're amazing. They did a lunchon for our teachers today. Um and then our video production, our media um courses, those tend to be pretty popular. Also, uh having opportunities for them to be leaders. So, here are some examples what we have on our campus. Our counseling um team

052has worked pretty hard. We're in we last well two years ago we're in the yellow then this last year now we're in the green because we've improved and added so many pathways and opportunities for students. Again I don't know I don't think people understand how significant that is for the size of of our school. Um we have 16 pathways right now and again our most popular probably culinary currently than construction. Do you have numbers on there of how many students we anticipate finishing those pathways? We have 34 for culinary. We also have uh our wonderful weare um staff and they're fabulous. I know they do their own presentation. They they currently serve consistently um 80 students in sessions but you know they also address things as they come and they've just they're so helpful. Um

053I just want to remind everybody that you know students of course they love their acknowledgement. We save the date. We have our night of the stars May 20th and that's when we're going to recognize all their hard work. They're not just academically for athletics and we have lots of other special awards. So um just like to remind everybody to save the day and thank you so much. Right on Mustangs. >> Thank you. Uh board comments. >> Yeah, thank you very much for the presentation. It's good to see all the great things that are going on over at Vasquez. I I can only imagine what it's like trying to get kids to take a test that has no impact on their grade and expect them to put the level of effort that they could on it.

054Um, if you were to create a new test or a new uh benchmark or metric, like what would it look like for you to be able to capture properly the actual results of the kids, >> whether they're meeting standards or not >> for our district or if I had magical powers? >> Magical powers and you could just go for the state >> and go for the state and go, hey, take do this instead and it would actually capture where we're at. >> I feel like the state tests are very um lengthy. If if you were to have me take it, I would be tired. my attention span's about 20 minutes and then and I'm an adult. Our kids our attention span is is much shorter. So we did ask them I said take breaks and

055so we try to prompt them to you're getting tired. I'd spend an hour, you know, take a break, take um just stop, close your computer if you want to. Um I wish I could shorten them. And for our benchmarks, I I I think that it's we're probably better off we're getting more bang for our buck doing the state provided ones because it's the same format. If you were to look at it, it's a little wonky and you can it's like where do I put my answer? I know this is the answer, but where does it go? And I don't think students also understand that it's um they get points sometimes for just the process, even if their answer is wrong. So, it's understanding the test and how it's scored and and but it's just learning

056how how the test works for them. I I don't wish I could change it and make it shorter. That's for sure. >> It just certainly seems like when you look at the state testing, you could make the argument there's a significant issue, but obviously you're seeing something different with your benchmark testing. So really, you know, getting the community um to understand what your actual results look like for your kids is I know is a challenge. I >> I think I would say that the math um test also requires a lot of writing. >> So if that's a challenge for you, you might know the some math concepts, but you have to explain your thinking >> and um so that might be a challenge, too. So >> it would be interesting to see um the next

057time you do this if you had any sort of action plan or things specifically you were looking to not don't you don't have to give the answer tonight but just understand what your targets and goals are specifically to uh have a more representative test. >> Well it does give us percentages like this much of the test is um percentage of the test is addressing these standards. So, I would like to see our benchmarks mirror that a little bit better. Um, so it's also learning to work with our benchmarks. There's just a lot that goes with it. >> Yeah. Because it doesn't align with our graduation rate at all. >> No. >> When you think about the testing versus how the graduation rate so >> want it all to align. years. I want to talk about

058what really happened. There are people from understand most of basically ruled out the workplace and the goss What do we do? How many boys did not figure out how They don't have even principles and director of education. based power are able That is really not days and that's where let's go I'm sorry person well. The only message that you know you guys focus on how much I'm trying else next week. She looks like she's handever. She was So the last communic being at the end. How do we communicate? Thank you for your presentation. >> Yes, thank you for your presentation. Um, I know it's a lot to put all together and to sum everything up. Um, so thank you for taking the time out of your busy busy day to do that and thank you

059to Vasquez staff for everything that went into that and everything that goes into our students um on a daily basis. Um, of course the attendance part with having all of the months be up in attendance is fantastic. Um, I do want to comment on your January. I don't think the 96.7% is a fair number because that had I believe 13 days of Edison shut offs in that year. So it was less days >> for students to be absent. So then they were very eager to come back because they had five weeks off for winter break. So they wanted to come back. So I think that that 96% that your 93.43% is battling against is um on steroids. So, I think that your January month being at 93 when the December and the February are at

06092.5, I think is fantastic. I think that your January deserves a happy face, too. >> Let me let me unhighlight it then. >> Yeah, I think it's good. Um, I think every single month in there is absolutely fantastic. So, I I mean I'm sure May is going to be above 90.53 and that's great. So kudos to your kids, your families, your staff. >> That is awesome. Um what that equates to is learning. That equates to kids being taught. So that's fantastic. Um so thank you for everything that you're doing up at Vasquez. Go Mustangs. >> Thank you Dr. Smith and keep up the good work. >> Thank you. Okie dokie. um facilities finance subcommittee report. >> So the facilities and finance subcommittee met this uh last Monday at 4 pm. Uh we went over an

061IEL draft lease agreement. Um there's a couple I think modifications that were going to be done and I think it'll be ready to give to the board at the next board meeting. Um we also went over bus leasing option which Mr. Moore is going to go over with us a little bit later. Um the high desert heartscape proposals uh we went over that. Um and that should be coming the way of the board probably next week. >> Yeah, I think there's a there's a huge win there to talk about. So basically with um you know the staff and Mr. Mora's efforts, they were able to save a significant amount of money compared to what we originally budgeted for some of the roof replacements, which allowed us to move up several other projects that were able

062to accomplish across the district. Additionally, we're starting to take the step now to look at the summer projects um which will be focusing again on deferred maintenance items that simply must be done just to keep the lights on around here. make sure any item that would impact education will be prioritized, impact the students directly will be prioritized. Uh so we should be able to bring that back before the summer starts and that is our report. >> Um education subcommittee. Uh so we met last week on April 16th. Um we discussed the graduation board policy uh that is on for a first review on um tonight's agenda. Uh next ed subcommittee we will be discussing some items that our student board representative Autumn Klaus wanted to bring to the table. Um so some initiatives and things

063that she wants to discuss and I'm all for it. I'm excited to hear that. Um, moving on, policy and management subcommittee report. >> We had our subcommittee meeting today. Staff brought forward um California School Board Association policy updates for our district to consider. One of them get gave a great deal of attention to people who have 504s and IEPs and what type of rules we have to have about those people participating in just general uh physical education like this idea that you have to have physical education every day. But if you decide that you want to uh have physical education one semester and none the next, um that that would be presentable. That's the reason the doughnut companies stay in business and the reason I look the way I do. So staff is going to

064look at that and make it real to our little town where our where our kids go to school here and not what's working somewhere else. Likewise, there was a great deal of discussion about people with similar documents uh or or considerations being expelled for very specific type uh violations. I don't even want to get into all that. Um and um and it it basically dumps the um decision making process on the board where my kid gets one treatment and somebody else gets something different and there's lynch mobs at the school and the principal has to be very quiet about that why that one kid stays in school while the other one uh is not and it's it's a mess again we have uh programs in place that are supportive behaviorally uh culturally that build community

065that gives kids value so we don't have to try to go like this every time something goes wrong staff is working on those um on those policies to see if any of them even one is applicable to a place called act in California good people are raised that's my report >> thank you 7H submissions >> there are no new submissions this evening thank you >> thank you moving on um 8A approval of consent >> yes Fantastic. So the the meeting on the 19th held by the battery company is from 6:00 to 8 at the community center May 19th. Thank you for checking on that. Um 8A, approval of consent calendar items 8B through 8G. I'll move it in. Can I get a second? >> I'll second. >> If there's any items I could actually address

066and answer any questions or clarify, I'm happy to do so. >> Thank you. Discussion hearing. None. Call for question. >> Mask I >> J I May I >> Brianna Tony? I uh 9A personnel report. I'll move it in. Can I get a second? >> I'll second. >> Thank you. There are no new change. There are no new um updates or changes to the PAR as posted. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh discussion hearing. None. Call for question. >> M I >> Ma. >> Brianna Tony. uh 10A presentation charter overview. >> Thank you. I'll be um happy to share the floor with our director of charter services, Shay Patterson, to provide the board as well as our community a charter school overview. Um and I will pass out her presentation to our trustees. Thank you, Miss

067Patterson. >> Thank you. Good evening. My name is Nish Patterson. I'm the director of charter services here for active unified school district. Good evening. Thank you Dr. Sahakian superintendent and the board President Jackson and board members. Um so today essentially we are doing a umformational session on charter school oversight um as it applies to um actual state unified school district. Um essentially the presentation is to summarize what our district's um fulfillment of statutory um role is in charter school oversight. Um essentially while charters operate independently we still have an obligation to make sure that we are providing um supports and we are um providing oversight for financial for curriculum for um operational um policies that align with the uh charter schools petition. So here we have the legal oversight foundation as this um that lets

068us know why we have to provide certain areas of oversight for our charter schools. So we have several ed codes that make it mandatory for us to provide ongoing oversight to make sure that we are approving, denying, modifying um petitions that we receive and that those are actually based on um state and federal requirements. That these are not just arbitrary um approvals or um denials of petitions. and also that we are managing and overseeing the fiscal oversight of charter schools. And of course, this is to make sure that they're working within the framework of state law and um the commitments that are outlined. So essentially the oversight structure, I'm going to start with the with uh the ground up. Um so essentially in this oversight structure you have the oversight team. >> Uh so the

069oversight team essentially is performing all the dayto-day operations that um that go on with providing oversight for charters. So we perform site visits and when I say site visits we have a number of charters that have uh resource centers um where students are actually sitting in seats and participating in the educational process. Each one of these resource centers have to be um viewed in person. with the number of charter schools we have right now. I personally um visit about 27 um fiscal locations um those go all the way from Fontana, Hisperia, Long Beach, Downey, Rancho, Cukamonga, all throughout LA County. Um with the um charters that we have that are virtual, it entails sitting in on class sessions. I sit in on virtual class sessions. Um I'm muted. I'm not on camera, but I am

070observing the instructions of students, of teachers, of attendance, participation. Um and I'd have to say I'm going to add that the best part of of what I do is actually that part is being able to sit in classrooms and touch and work. Um it's overseeing the operations. Um So that goes into having conversations whether they're zoom meetings whether they're inerson meetings when I go to the sites it's conversations with teachers it's conversations with parents it's conversations with um founders of charters and what we do there is we talk about what's going on in the school we talk about the overall operations of the entire um charter um reviews of annual reports um that's where our epicenter comes Um we have um a way that we collect information from schools and a lot of the information

071that we collect are um required documents. It might be bylaws, it's student handbooks, it's teacher handbooks, it is um financial reports, attendance reports. All of those things go into at the center where we house um these documents. Um we track audit findings. Um, one of the things that we have um within the charter department right now is we have our independent consultant. Um, we have um Sher Shannon who um reviews uh with me overall operations of charters. We also have Jody who um conducts the uh first second interim reports for our charter schools and reviews um the fiscal reports that we receive. Um we also use our CBO in um uh acting CBO but for the continuity of making sure that our charters are getting the same message and we are um monitoring them on

072a ongoing basis. is that person who gets these reports who um we request narratives when there's things in the report that may not flow well um with the budget uh report that they're giving us. Um we ensure legal adherence. Um so Eric Stevens being our legal counsel for charters uh anytime we may have uh issues that come up even for renewals and for material revisions he is the legal making sure that we are in compiance with um all of the um renewals and material revisions or anything that has to do with uh charters and federal law. Um then we have the superintendent and the superintendent I'm going to say is that liaison between the charters and the board and the district. So essentially um the oversight team receives information questions from the state, CDE, parents,

073um community, it you name it, we get questions and so a lot of those times the um information will also go to the superintendent. Sometimes it goes to the board and so it is the oversight's team to be able to communicate with charters and communicate with those who can give us those answers. We then give those information to superintendent who's been able to convey that information to the board. Um and then finally at the top is the board. The board has final uh approval and authority of all things charter related that are significant. So for example, when we have our um news that come forward or we have renewals um the charter team will make recommendations. We base those recommendations on charter law. We base them on rubrics of um expectations and a matrix um

074that follows um the uh charter laws for what a charter petition is supposed to have and what it's supposed to look like. And from there we make our recommendation that final determin. So essentially when we're looking at oversight we're looking core questions. We're looking at academic success, we're looking at financial health, we're looking at good governance, and we're looking at public purpose. So, essentially, when we're looking at academic success, we can even go back to the previous presentation of Basquez High School. Um, and what you're looking at is many times we're looking at the dashboard for schools that are not a um dash school or dashboard alternative school. So, what we're looking looking at outcomes from the dashboard. Um but what we are also looking at as you see are student growth trends. We cannot

075base simply academic success on if they passed um the state test. We have to look at growth which we also can determine from internal and external benchmarks. We look at proficiency in core subjects. We have uh charters that are project based. So some of those proficiency will work different. We do audits and budget reporting. Um we're looking at fiscal solveny indicators. Um is attendance going down? Attendance we know is going to directly affect funding. Um we look at um is there any changes in the financial stability of a charter? And if so um those are um flags for us to be able to be proactive with. Um good governance is compliance and ethics. Um and that making sure that this is our board has to follow the Brown Act. We are also looking at um

076the boards of charter schools and making sure that they are comparing at this time she um attends the board meetings of ourble We have public accessity and that's to make sure that enrollment practices are legal in their petitions. They also talk about enrollment and lottery and um how they are going to make services oversight looks like. Um so we have our annual as I mentioned before where we observe and assess programs um we are looking at instructional quality we're looking at school culture um that it aligns with the charter goals um in those annual site visits typically um the requirement is that you um do that once a year we do that at least two to three times a year that we have with our charters we have at the beginning of the school year

077and the beginning of the school year is actually a wrap up of the end of the year and that wrap up is say, "How did your your benchmarks go? How did your what does your growth look like? Is there anything that you guys are going to be changing for the upcoming school?" Um, by the time we have our middle meeting, that has to um start talking about um any new operations, things that they are um initiating and also looking at um how their midyear benchmarks are going. And then at the end of the year it is a tying in their entire year to see um where they fall with reaching a goal. Um dashboard indicators as was mentioned previously are indicators of a number of things whether it's graduation rate whether it's uh ELA scores

078whether it's um uh special population these are things that we look at uh to monitor and then look at alternatives for um determining growth and once again um gas schools have a different performance matrix but that difference does not mean that it is a different quality what it is making sure that there is an alignment with the indicators that are on the dashboard. But because of the population that we serve, there is just a modification how we're looking at those um fiscal oversight. Um we once again as I mentioned we receive reports reports at first and second in we find that um are still issues or that there are qualifying issues that we need to address. It is possible that we will request a third interim report. Um what we do is we are looking

079at these reports. We are giving recommendations and we are following up to make sure that schools remain solvent and that there is no fiscal distress. As mentioned earlier, there are a number of things that we look at to make sure that um they are sound. Um we look at student enrollment, um budget deficits, how they're spending, um inability to payroll and monthly cash, a declining cash are all indicators or some indicators of uh fiscal distress that we would address with a school prior to and that's one of the reasons why we expect give us a year um uh view of their budget. um governance and compliance. As mentioned before, we uh look to make sure that um schools are compify the credentials of teachers in their charter schools and that's kind of a back and

080forth making sure that people are teachers are in the correct assignments and then as I mentioned before the documentation via center which our centralized documentation management system that we use to maintain our oversight. Um so what our charter portfolio and annual cycle looks like. So our portfolio we oversee 11 charter schools in total and we serve different populations that are from adult learners all the way to students. We have five virtual schools that operate virtually and we have six hybrid seats or how um a lot of us are terming it recently is flex space um instruction. So essentially in our annual oversight what we do is we collect data and when I say we collect data one of the things that I have to say that I'm proudest of in our data collection is that

081when I go to do oversight meetings I don't come there with a checklist. A check absolutely nothing. You need to know what is going on at the site. We need to know what they are doing for students. It needs to be more of a personal approach. The checklist can come later when we are visiting charters. It's to see how they're functioning, how students are performing, and what they need. Um from there, we do a performance evaluation, and that's that ongoing all year long where we are analyzing the data that we whether it's the dashboard data, benchmark data, fiscal data and we put all that together to give us a picture of their performance. Um and then from there, you know, we sites throughout the year and from there we get um a picture of how

082successful the charter school is and what areas they may need um support. So essentially um as we continue to We provide oversight. We look to be proactive and strategic in our charter authorizing because in the end it is about relationships. It's about collaborating with schools. And in the end, what it really boils down to is making sure that we are there for students. And whether they are students that are within our boundaries or they are students that are able to be supported outside of our boundaries, it still has to do with student success. It has to do with supporting schools and it has to do with making sure that we communicate, we provide guidance and that we have systems in place that we are able to make sure that um schools are compation. That was

083very informative and in-depth and uh I appreciate the effort that went into putting that together. Um just a couple questions for you. So we manage a total of 11 charters. >> Yeah. >> Approximately how many Dr. Approximately how many students that is or >> I would say roughly what 11,000. >> Um yeah it fluctuates. Um, so we're going about a little bit under 10,000 right now. >> And that could be a combination of virtual, in person, and hybrid. >> Yes. >> From a a budget perspective, we have a guess at like what sort of >> budget these 11 charters have combined that we're man helping them manage. >> Um, so it's uh roughly over two million uh combined. Um, as far as what their what their combined budget is for those 11 charter schools, what

084their combined budget would look like. So 10,000 kids. I'm >> Well, it depends on the charters. We have charters that are much larger. We have some that only maybe have like 200 students or 300. So some of them have um where their budgets can be in excess of $5 million or they can be as low as um 300 500,000. So it just fluctuates with the size of the >> Understood. Um and you talked about the oversight team. So who who exactly is the oversight team? >> Well, we have one here at the district office. You're looking at her at the podium. >> And then we have two independent consultants as well. >> Yes. And then our legal essentially. >> You're very busy then. Thank you very much. Okay. Um, superintendent, in the big picture of

085things, who is our authorizer as the district? >> Well, it would be the LA County off office of education and then I would say the state. >> Okay. So, when we authorize a charter, do we take on the role of the county office of education? No, we don't take on the role of LEO. >> So tell me where LEO fits in and where the state fits in. >> Well, we would be the LEA would be the immediate authorizer and then LEO is the support um as they have a charter division as well. >> Yes. >> Okay. Um, we had a situation, you know, I ask a series of questions of every charter that comes in here. And the first time I asked those questions were of uh who was Mercury, who became uh valiant, who

086became A3. And the people stood right there and lied to me on tape. And then they were indicted for the same thing. And I felt it necessary to go down there as they walked by in handcuffs and hand them offer to hand them cigarettes. And you can read about it in the LA Times. Just write my name down and let I AI do the work. So every time that someone comes in here and I ask that predictable set of questions if you lie on from there I have proven that the board has done its oversight and its oversight can be very different than the role of our charter director and or the superintendent. So everybody needs to understand that. The last experience I had was we started getting this letter that I read into the

087record from the state department of education suddenly there's concerns and I don't want to say that AI has made me the state director but it was very odd that 10 days after I asked the questions the letter comes from the state and basically says this what about this what about that and then Um, I invited the person that wrote the letter to sit in the meeting and and listen and I opened up the floodgates of hell. They had no comments, but after the fact, they basically sent what now instead of become well-meaning suggestions um became kind of the new standard by which we operate. And there's some other people out there um that are authorized to doing the same thing. So the problem with some of these people and I call them out and uh

088uh again in education, we seem to be confused about how to send a message. I run a division of a city. People that work for me are very clear on my message. If they're not clear, I make it more clear. So, um, I think what this presentation is really about is the board needs to be updated on the changes in charter law. And whoever's riding the surfboard of the wave that decides what's what it means today and what the flavor of ice cream will be next week needs to understand that I am voted in by the constituents who vote for us to put us up here and our role is very different than anyone else's. So, thank you for your presentation. I like it. It lets everybody know what it is we're doing, but there's

089a lot of stuff going on in the background. If you want to know what some of it is, find that meeting I'm talking about. >> Yes. Sorry. Thank you for your presentation. That was very insightful. >> Thank you for your presentation. Um I I did ask for this presentation just to educate myself, educate the board, educate the community on the world of charters and how it affects our district. Um, I don't know how to put this eloquently and speak like Ken does. Tell me >> I I want to like why why do we approve charters? Why do we keep approving charters? What do we get out of it as opposed to um and I'm my I'm brain farting. I'm so sorry. As opposed to what what we could like how it could hurt us. Why?

090Let's weigh that. How? Because we could be liable if a charter doesn't follow all of the rules and is caught doing A, B, or C. That falls on us, right? Yeah. So, essentially, charters are going to exist no matter where they're located. So, the issue is that charters have to be authorized through a district. They're authorized through a district or a county office. When I came here almost nine years ago, um we had 16 charters and um through attrition through a number of uh policies um we no longer have that many. So we have charters that we have had for quite a few years and in evaluating the successes of those charters and the benefit to students um through I guess actually saying legal terms there would be no reason for us not to approve

091certain charters unless it was detrimental to our district. So, for example, if there were um fiscal restraints within our district and we did not have the capacity to be able to provide the oversight for a charter, that would be a reason for not having charters because we didn't have the capacity. Um but we do um the charters that we authorize, we authorize and we provide the oversight to make sure that they are following the law. And as long as we're doing that, then it's the charter if there's something that comes up that is nefarious that is liable for that. We've had charters that had imploded fiscally. and through our oversight of making sure that we were providing the appropriate oversight that was not put back on us because as long as you're providing the um

092appropriate oversight then you are not in that category of people who are not doing what they're supposed to be doing overight. So, as Ken mentioned with um the A3 issue that happened, there were districts that were providing absolutely no and they were not visiting the schools. They were not doing anything but collecting money. So, that's not where we fell into that. Um so, essentially our goal is to make sure that we're supporting kids and supporting schools that are doing good. So, that's where it comes down to. Believe me, there's a lot charters that have that come to smaller districts because they're hoping that they'll be able to um do more with their programs because as we know is big. They're they're a large organization and they have a million charters. Um so a lot of

093times they're looking for a more of a collaboration and more of a partnership with with a district. So there's a lot of factors as to why um you know we have charters and We are supporting the good ones and that's what I want to say is that um we do vet um I have about three other charters that have since June that you are not um so going back to when you said some districts don't have the ability for the oversight, but we do um is that because we have one person on staff and two >> independent contractors and a lawyer. >> All of those salaries get paid for by our district. >> No, those are paid for through charter oversight fees. We do not, for example, my salary is not paid through districts. I

094am % with uh charter oversight. I do not submit schools. I do not do anything else for the district except for provide charter oversight. The um district lawyer that we have for charters and our consultants completely paid out of charter oversight. >> Okay. Um I think that was the end of my questions. I you every time I wrote a question down, you turned around and answered it on the next page. So, thank you for a very thorough report. I appreciate it. >> Can we go for it? >> I don't have any comment. Actually, it's >> okay. Um, I prefer these questions are answered by the superintendent. Um, is there a back of house company that I don't know about that is a private company that is running this district and you're just kind of we're

095all just kind of puppets of that the profitability of that company? >> Absolutely not. >> Wow. That's interesting. Um, we all know that the way this works is there's not supposed to be a fiscal impact to the district. This is not a revenue source for this district. So, the only thing that's left is risk to consider. Um, give me your best opinion on this question. Is the is the capacity of the district other words ability to provide oversight to a charter. Is that any indicator of the quality capacity or anything of that charter? >> Does that impact the quality or or is there a correlation? saying just because we are and what we do is that a reliable indicator of the quality of the charter? >> No. >> Thank you. Okay. Um 10B public hearing

096Da Vinci Rise charter petition pet petition. I will open the meeting or the open hearing at 9:11 p.m. >> President, before we click on the timers, could we have staff give us an overview of kind of what this process is going to look like? what happens first, what happens next, what the time limitations are. Um >> Okay. Um so essentially during the public hearing um we have the charter school come before the board and the community to present um information on their charter school. What the information that they're providing essentially is we've received the petition and they are essentially giving a voice to um their uh petition. And so from there they have a maximum time of 15 minutes in which to present to the board and the board then is able to ask questions

097of the petitioner. If there are questions that the cannot answer immediately then we request that information and then we provide it to the superintend. >> So is there a limitation on the time of of um the board asking questions? >> It's supposed to be equal time actually. >> Okay. And then There there's not a decision to be made this evening. >> No, there is no decision to be made. >> Thank you. Welcome. >> I'll go ahead and start that time at 9:12 instead of 9:11. >> Thank you so much. Good evening. Uh, President Takoni, members of the actu Unified School District Board, and Superintendent Sahakin. Thank you for the opportunity to be here tonight. I also want to extend my sincere gratitude to Sha Patterson for her leadership and partnership throughout this process. My name

098is Aaron Whan. I serve as assistant superintendent of student services at the Da Vinci schools network and as the founder of Da Vinci Rise. Tonight I am here as lead petitioner for Da Vinci Rise High School consideration for authorization under the actual Unified School District. Also here with me tonight is Da Vinci Board President Ronaldo Santiago, CEO and Superintendent Matt Wonder, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction Michelle Rainey, principal Naomi Lara and dean Jonathan Crouch, director of special education Lynn Rodriguez, and online I believe we have our CFO Michael Lamato, legal counsel Merrick Wadsworth, and our chief people's officer Veronica Rodriguez. We also have special education educator with us this evening. We come to you as a school that has been operating since 2017 with a clear mission, a proven model, and a deep body

099of learning. This is an invitation to partner in serving some of the most vulnerable young people in our public education system with a model that has been built, tested, refined, and continues to grow over time. To understand rise, it's important to first understand why we were created. Da Vinci Rise did not begin as a theory. It began with a young person. When I began teaching at the age of 21 in North Miami, Florida, I met a student, Sakard, who had already been failed by too many systems. He was mute, homeless, 13 years old, trying to survive while also being asked to succeed in the school. What changed the trajectory of his life was not a program. It was a relationship. It was a space where he felt safe enough to emerge, safe enough to be

100known, and safe enough to begin trusting that school could be a place for him rather than a place that simply measured what he left. It turned out that his story mirrored far too many others in my class. But what made his story a little bit different is that I now call him my son. With love, shelter, high expectations, and stability, Sakard began to speak. attended the school's first GSA, got into college on a scholarship, and now works as an interior designer featured in Architecture Digest and Anthropology. He is one of many reasons the school exists. He showed us that when systems are designed with equity, rigor, and humanity, young people don't just recover, they rise. But Sakar's story is the exception in a system where the data tells us far more urgent truth. Each year,

1014,000 youth in California age out of foster care entering adulthood facing staggering odds, homelessness, incarceration, unemployment, and limited access to higher education. At RISE, more than 19% of our students are in foster care, significantly higher than most alternative schools, making this not a peripheral issue, but a core of who we serve. This is precisely why schools like Rise are not optional. They are essential essential to disrupting these outcomes and rewriting what is possible. Thank you. That understanding led to the founding of Da Vinci Rise. In 2016, the model was recognized nationally as one of 10 just 10 recipients of hundreds of applications for the XQ Super School grant, a $10 million investment in rethinking high school. For Rise, the redesign was around intricate needs of our homeless, foster, and justice involved youth. Grounded in the

102belief that if we build from the margins, all youth are better served. As you can see from left to right, 67.6% of RISE students arrive already habitually truent. 21.2% with enrollment gaps of at least 45 days. 20 uh 15.4% 4% are students who have dropped out of previous schools and nearly 25% enter with four or more of these high-risisk factors which are designates us as a DOS school. As Miss Shay was speaking about these numbers define the context our school is designed to meet. RISE was intentionally built around three core commitments. First is personalized learning, competency based pathways that allow students to continue their education while navigating real life conditions. Second, purposeful instruction project-based career connected learning that reconnect students to why school matters. And third, integrated support wraparound services embedded alongside academics through strong

103community partnerships. Since 2017, we have continuously refined our model and what we believe matters most is how our community responded to disruption and change. Da Vinci Rise set bold audacious goals and was selected by LEO to participate in the agame process helping to define success metrics for DOS alter dashboard alternative schools across the county in the wake of co 19 and within our existing initial model. We clearly saw that we were not meeting those goals, particularly in student engagement, which then led to things like assessment participation, attendance, and graduation outcomes for highly transient populations of young people. That reality required reflection. It required humility, and it required recalibration. We made the decision to fundamentally redesign our systems, strengthening engagement strategies, rebuilding attendance and re-engagement structures, and aligning supports more intentionally to student realities. And as

104a result of those changes, we are now seeing measurable, meaningful growth across every major indicator. Over the past two years, we have made significant system level improvements, multi-tered attendance intervention systems, expanded re-engagement staffing and outreach, increased on-site instructional access and structure, strengthen assessment and participation systems, and integrated academic, behavioral, and social emotional supports. We also strengthen leadership and coordination, including targeted support for English learners and student success. As systems strengthened and adjusted to the school closure era, outcomes have followed. Dropout rate reduced from 55% in 2021-22 to 25%. Graduation rate increased to 72.7%. Internal assessment participation now exceeds 85%. And chronic absenteeism decreased from 95% to 58%. In addition, our NWA map, 82% of students met their ELA growth goals. 76% met their math growth goals. We also saw major advancement in engagement. Attendance increased

105to 72% and rising. Cast participation increased to 77 to 78%. Subgroup success is also especially meaningful as our homeless population of students reached the 81% graduation rate which is the highest group that usually has highest dropout rates. These outcomes matter because of where our students begin resulting from instability, interrupted enrollment, trauma, chronic absenteeism. We monitor that growth through multiple measures. attendance, credit accumulation, NWA map growth, CASP participation and performance, graduation and dropout data, school climate indicators, and subgroup outcomes reviewed consistently throughout the year. Because RISE serves a highly transient student population, we use both state accountability measures and charter defined local benchmarks to more accurately understand student growth, persistence, connection, and success over time. And the conditions for that growth are strong. 96% of RISE students report feeling safe. 96% feel encouraged by adults. And

10693% are happy to be at RISE. And within a school where many of our young people come to us suspended in within their academic journeys, we maintain a 0% suspension rate rooted in restorative justice. We are seeking authorization from Actton Auadulce to in pursuit of a missionaligned stable authorizing partnership. Our transition from Los Angeles County Office of Education is not rooted in conflict but in fit. Over time, it became increasingly clear that the expectations of a countywide benefit charter, which is a designation originally allowing us to provide access to operate small learning centers across the county, required expedited growth. Not fit for our school model. Additionally, the misalignment between alternative school realities and traditional accountability structures did not provide a strong long-term home for Da Vinci Res. We began examining like-minded authorizing options. As we

107understood more clearly the implications of our workforce investment board partnership and our upcoming affiliation with youth build and the importance of geographic flexibility through ed code 47605. Additionally, this partnership with youth build brings industry connection career partnerships, workforce development, and real world learning experiences, all focused on re-engagement as well as both academic um credentials and meaningful career skills. In that process, we were encouraged to explore actu because of the district's demonstrated openness to innovative charters as well as the possibility of a missionaligned partnership marked in predictab predictable oversight and operational stability that mattered to us and still does. Da Vinci Rise is also a school whose model has been recognized because of its innovation. We have been visited by leaders such as Supervisor Holly Mitchell, Assembly Member Isaac Bryan, and Congresswoman Sydney Commander. We have

108been selected by Lauren Pal Jobs and Russ Ali from among 700 applications as an XQ super school. We are the only alternative school in Teach for America's school to learn from portfolio and we were selected by the California Department of Ed as a California homeless innovative program where we create toolkits and guide books for schools across California in serving homeless youth. We have also been designated as a California community school. And lastly, we are a US USC candle research partner being studied by neuroscientists to develop and understand how educators can unlock adolescent potential through transcendent thinking. The Da Vinci Schools is a nationally recognized network known for its innovative student- centered approach to public education across the county. Da Vinci schools have earned recognition for designing models that connect rigorous academics with real world application.

109We are here because we believe this partnership can be meaningful, responsible, and mutually strengthening. This is an opportunity to authorize not only a school but a model aligned to the realities of vulnerable youth grounded in transparency, accountability, and shared purpose. RISE brings deep expertise and re-engagement, wraparound services, and flexible pathways. And we are eager to be held to high standards in partnership with this district. Da Vinci Rise was born from relationships. It was built on the belief that young people who have experienced instability and disconnection still deserve rigor. possibility and a school designed for their success. Tonight, we stand before you with pride, humility, and a clear commitment to continued growth. This partnership would not simply sustain a school. It would strengthen a promise to young people who deserve more than a second chance. They

110deserve a system built with them in mind. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. Um, I do have comment cards from others. Do we Was that the presentation or the four other you? We haven't had this long of a board meeting in a really long time. I am tired. Um, the people that are on the comment cards, would you like to get up and speak as well before we start board comments? Okay. Just state your name. >> Go. >> Yes. Thank you. >> Good evening, esteemed supporters of education and members of the community. And thank you so much for your time tonight as well as for an incredibly gorgeous drive I took to get here. My name is Kim Harmon. I'm a 16th year special educator. years ago. Sorry. Six years ago, I came to

111rise in pursuit of an alignment with my core professional values. A deep I didn't think this would happen. Sorry. A deep belief in the powerful future of all learners. An understanding that all behavior is communication and that communication is a developable skill. An approach that addresses the whole child, including mental health and physical resources, acknowledges our differences as avenues towards strengths, and encourages growth and excellence across settings and experiences. Not only did I find a like-mindedness in these philosophies at RISE, but I was thrilled to find them in practice. RISE is an authentically full inclusion learning environment. We operate within a universal by design framework, the belief that what benefits an individual strengthens the community. This approach enables all students to learn within the least restrictive environment while still receiving necessary supports. We see this

112in how every student at Rise has a personalized learning plan. We see it in our overwhelmingly bilingual staff. We see it in how differentiated supports are provided and more importantly viewed as tools of and towards increased self-efficacy. A rise student may begin with a teacher provided graphic organizer, but over time will learn to create their own and furthermore learn when to prompt themselves to do so. Rather than parent teacher conferences, we hold studentled conferences where all students present their goals, hurdles, and progress. In alignment with this core practice, when our students with disabilities graduate, we support them in leading their own exit IEP meetings. They themselves are able to highlight the skills they've built and their immediate next steps into their growing futures. Rise does integrated healing centered academic learning better than any school I've

113seen. We are never perfect. We engage consistently in professional development and in partnership with other orgs. We openly model lifelong learning at Rise and our students are lifelong learners as a result. Whether it's Carla who balanced her academic needs while caregiving for her autistic niece, Jonathan who traded in his gang affiliations for positive peer mentorship, Valerie who found success through internships, or Pat engaging in cross school student leadership. Our rise students with disabilities are not only graduating but leading. So far, these six years have been the most impactful of my special education career. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to share about it. >> Good evening, members of the board, superintendent, members of the district, and the community. My name is Michelle Rainey, and I serve as the assistant superintendent of curriculum

114and instruction for Da Vinci schools. I'm also a staff member at Da Vinci. I've worked here since 2009 and I've been part of the founding team for four schools in my 28 years as an educator. I'm also a parent at Da Vinci Schools and I believe very much in the work that we do. Um, I'm here tonight to offer my gratitude for your time and consideration um for RISE and I've already seen a significant amount of alignment in our philosophies about learning and students. So, I'm just very grateful for this time. Um, in my role, I've had the opportunity to work closely alongside the RISE team, supporting attendance, compliance, ensuring access to curriculum that meets students where they are, and while also raising the bar for all that they can achieve, and helping to bridge

115signature practices and best of approaches from across the Da Vinci schools network. um including the expertise that RISE staff provide to all of the rest of our schools. Through that work, I can personally attest to the courage of Rise's leadership, their integrity, the strength and commitment of their staff, and the genuine sense of care and belonging that students experience every day. At Da Vinci, I am known for being a strong voice, helping to ensure that each of our schools not only provides a beautiful culture for students, but also delivers on high expectations and compliance. Just today, I sent an email to our leadership team shouting out RISE's progress with CAS, CAST, and ELPAC testing. And although that is not our most glamorous work, we know the importance of that and of accurately understanding our students

116progress. And I truly appreciated the comments earlier today about your own district and seeing students for their progress and not binary scores. Um that really matters. Additionally, RISE is a place where relationships are foundational. not just relationships within the schools, but within the educational community, including all of our partners. Um, our staff show up not only as educators, but as advocate advocates and steady adults and students lives. You probably heard that in Kim's voice tonight. Um, peers support one another in ways that reflect a true sense of belonging. And for many students, RISE is the first time that school has felt like a place where they want to be. At the same time, RISE is deeply committed to continuous improvement. The team uses data thoughtfully. They reflect honestly on their areas of growth and they

117adapt quickly in response to student needs. This is not a static pro program. It is ever evolving. Authorizing RISE is an opportunity to expand a program that is already changing lives, one that leads with care, adapts with purpose, and holds an unwavering belief in students. And we are really grateful for the opportunity to be here tonight. Thank you. Was that Naomi? >> Okay. And Jonathan. >> Thank you. Um so we'll go ahead and with start with board comments. >> All right. Thank you for your wellprepared and timely presentation and I appreciate all your comments about the school. >> Thank you. >> Um couple questions for you. So is it site based or online? >> It is sight based. >> How many facilities do you have? >> Two. >> Uh where are they located? >> We

118have one in Hawthorne and then we have a second in South LA. Both are colllocated with nonprofit organizations. The one in Hawthorne is with Rich Family Center and South LA is with an organization called >> Um, how many students do you have today? >> About 166. >> 166. >> Thank you. >> Um, who is your current authorizer? >> Uh, LEGO Los Angeles County Office. >> And have they non-renewed you or plan to non-renew you? >> No, they have not planned to renew. >> Okay. I'm I'm confused on why you're reaching out beyond LEO if um you have a current authorizer today. >> Sure. So, as we are authorized by LEO, we're currently authorized as a countywide benefit charter. The original petition had us getting to about 600 young people enrolled by this time. We realized

119very quickly within our charter term that that was not the model that we wanted for young people, that they needed more target interventions. We had a lot of things in our original petition like a mobile learning center things that we have rethought since. We also have I think a few things converged. We realized that with our workforce investment board authorization and our emerging guoa we had flexibility with geog geographic location. We did not realize that prior and so now we started to look at what are some mission and vision aligned more nimble smaller districts that might serve an innovative model like rise better. Leo was very very big and had there's a lot of oversight. They've been amazing partners in our work. They chose us for a game, but once we realized that we had

120in this renewal term an opportunity to look elsewhere, we were very interested in a more nimble and smaller. >> So, you'll have to break it down for me so I understand it. So, what exactly will change for you if you're authorized by actual versus currently in LEO? Like what what restrictions do you have on you currently that you would not have with us or what would changes would you make within >> uh Da Vinci schools that you can't do under LEO that you would with us? So the geographic restriction would be one looking at >> what is the geographic restriction? >> So being able to be authorized by you as a smaller and then being able to serve our two existing sites. I think the largest is understand >> I'm not understanding that response though.

121So what's the difference geographically versus with us versus with Lego? We're in LA County >> obviously. In order to location So nothing will change with what you're currently doing today. Then >> I think the biggest change would be the partnership with you all and being able to seek out the support of Shay and the team. Again, a smaller, more nimble authorizer and one that emphasizes on creativity, alternative models. We've been at LEO since um 2017 18. Um and I think that has brought up ideas around how we could work more nimly and and kind of more intimately with a smaller office. >> You must have planned what you intend to change or do differently than you are today. Like is there anything at all specifically that you're going to plan to do that you're not

122doing today or that you want to do differently? So we such a long time they want shorter pathway to employment and so we partnered with a beautiful model that we wish to continue a lot of work. So that's a big change. >> And you're unable to do this under LEO as you're authorizing. >> Um we could do it under but they will want us to expand that would match their Understood. Thank you. Um, just to be clear, LEO is your current only your only current authorizer today. >> That's for which school district and part of So that's they authorize one of your schools and >> they authorize science communications. >> So why not expand within that current authorizer? Why seek out a different authorizer? >> Why is in the process? >> So you petitioned it

123both. We have not submitted a petition. We have submitted a material request to our connect. >> Understood. Um, do you use a back of the house service for kind of handling all your administrative functions, reporting, auditing? >> We have a robust office management. Is there any common ownership or investment between that back of the house service and Vincent schools or the rise platform? >> And then um on top of that those eight employees that you use are they spread are they doing work for both charters authorized by two or both schools authorized by different charters? >> Yes sir. >> Pretty good at uh managing that they're how they're paid and applied to different schools. the CFO's on the call. >> Okay. Thank you. >> All right. Those are all of my questions. Thank you. >>

124Thank you. um the buildings you're currently in. So the Richstone Family Center, um how much of that area do you guys occupy? of both. >> So you set them up as classrooms and they use them for something else later in the day. >> And the rationale for the collocation model is that a lot of these nonprofits students and families are largely vacant during the day. And so that allows us to put all the resources in one place and then over time merge those resources so that young people and families when in crisis when need have those service agencies in house and it doesn't feel like we're we're sharing them and having them go elsewhere when they're in a crisis. >> Do you guys have any extracurricular sports things like that that >> any extracurriculars? organiz.

125However, Okay. Okay, >> that's all. >> The great thing about going last is that my amazing counterparts have asked all of my questions. Um, where where does your student base come from? Do you have school boundaries or can you take anybody as long as they can get there? How what's your student base? >> Yeah, we can serve students from all around LA County as well as neighboring counties through our countywide benefit charter uh designation. Many of our referrals come from social workers, probation officers. We um the executive director of Children's Law Center was on our founding team. So, I present to their attorneys to make sure that those young people know that we exist. And so, we do a lot of targeted outreach. And then we also have an enrollment team at Da Vinci that

126provides those resources out. you have the pamphlet in your folder of what goes out to families within the region as well. We also very sensitive to the issue of you more than happy to work with you to make sure I'm sorry. I just wanted to add an answer to one of the questions about um um LA County Office of Education and their charter that they have with them. Um we've been in communication um discussing um their charter um renewal with um LEO and one of the um things that we did previously was we did reach out to LEO to find out what their views on Rise was. Um and like any charter school um that is operating with um diligence um I can say that of comments from was that they felt that um had

127purpose, that they felt that they really were working towards um serving students. Um that their program was relatively new as far as serving gas students and their um prior operations were more um aligned with a traditional program. So um with working with one of the uh concerns was that um their program being more uh geared towards the students that they're serving. And so that's why in part of the petition I mean the um public hearing presentation they mentioned the goals that they had and some goals that they had not met and these were goals that they had with LA County Office of Education. And in our conversations, it was one of those where we discussed how we could support them moving forward. Um actually did mention that they felt they were headed in the right

128direction. Um but um so going back to your student population, is it an application process or you accept anybody who involves >> Yes, we are public charter so we accept any students. >> Um I think that that was I would love not in this setting but I would love to pick your brain on how you re-engaged the students that I work in the virtual school and that's one of our biggest things. we have these kids that are AP and we have these kids that are doing great and then we have these kids that we never hear from. Um so just to hear how you brought your kids up would be fantastic. >> We would love to invite you all to visit and to see our students and our staff and talk about that process because

129it has been a journey um and figuring that out from knocking on doors and sitting on couches to figuring out ways to get young people out of some of the trauma that they faced during pandemic. So we are an open book. Our first journey of sharing that information was with the CDE and in kind of the homeless innovative schools grant and since I mean Naomi has shared a ton with Dinci schools and and large so we are an open book. >> Awesome. Thank you. >> Do we need to close? Do you guys have anything else? Thank you. I will close the public hearing at 9:48. President, can we take a five minute uh recess to get everyone out and then I move that we extend the board meeting till 11 p.m. >> Can we say

13010:30 p.m. because I don't want to be here until 11 p.m. >> Uh my motion was till 11 p.m. Called the question. Do I have a second? >> Called a question. Yeah, good enough. >> This meeting is called back to order at 953. Um, we're moving on to 10C approval resolution number 2025-26.13 to order bianial governing governing board election. I'll move it in. Can I get a second? I will second. >> Thank you. I do have a presentation for this. >> No, I don't. I'm just joking. I just want to get a reaction, get everybody pumped up. Anyway, the resolution orders the governing board member or members in our case. Um, an election to be held on November 3rd of this calendar year. As we know the LA County registar recorder performs all of the

131duties um pertaining to and and and holding the election pertaining to the election itself while district um is on the hook for the cost of the election. So this resolution is a formality which orders the election of our board members come November 3rd. >> Thank you. Discussion call for question. Masc I >> I may >> Brianna Tony I >> D approval resolution number 20252614 approving assignment of a delinquent tax receivables to California statewide do I need to read all this delinquent tax finance authority for fiscal years 2026 27 and 28 and authorizing the execution and delivery of related documents and actions I'll move it in. Can I get a second? >> Thank you. So, with the approval of this resolution, districts are allowed, as President Taxony mentioned, to receive additional revenue through delinquent property taxes

132for the three years she mentioned for the year 2026. Our current year, what we should be receiving is approximately 6,000. >> Thank you. Discussion hearing. None. Call for questions. >> Mask on. Draft I >> Mason, >> Brianna Tony I. E. Approval expanded learning opportunities school year contract not to exceed $433,500. I'll move it in. Can I get a second? >> I'll second. >> Thank you. So this amount would be paid through our categorical funding of our expanded learning opportunities grant. Uh this will be um sunny days the extended after school care for the next calendar year. to exceed 433,500 >> discussion hearing. None call for question. >> Ma >> Brianna Tony I. F. Approval expanded learning opportunities contract non-school days 2026 27 not to exceed 153,000. I'll move it in. Can I get a second?

133>> Second. This again will be paid through the um expanded learning opportunities grant. Uh as we know summer school this summer is considered the 2627 school year. So this contract with sunny days will be for the summer school days. Um that is scheduled for June through July not to exceed 153,000. Thank you. >> Discussion hearing none. Call for question. >> May I? >> Brianna Tony I G. presentation. A a USD transportation bus. >> All right. First and foremost, thank you to the facilities and finance subcommittee, our board leaison for the support, guidance, and feedback and input. So, we do appreciate that. So, we are um here to go ahead and present the possibility of a bus lease option as a need is there for our transportation office to go ahead and support transportation for our

134kiddos who do ride the bus. And to do the honors, we do have our director of MOOT, Mr. Mura, to go ahead and present the proposal as well as some visuals for our board and our community if this shall be approved. Thank you. In in the future. So, this is the Thomas Bust uh that we're looking into purchasing, leasing. It's identical to the ones that we have back there right now. They're a lot bigger than the uh original bus that we were looking at. You're going to see the inside. It's got seat belts and it's got air conditioning. The storage compartment is a lot bigger than the uh previous ones that we're looking at. So leasing a new school bus is significantly more cost effective than operating the current own school buses. The district would

135reduce annual transportation costs from 463,73 to 378,551 with 48 cents resulting in a annual savings of approximately $85,151. 21 cents over the fiveyear leasing projected savings of district would save around $425,75955 with a 22.49 return the savings of primary reduced by maintenance fuel staffing eliminating unexpected repairs on charter cost. Additional finance benefits leasing provides operational advantages such as improved reliability, fewer breakdowns, warranty coverages, and more predictable budgeting. Leasing a new school bus offers both substantial cost savings and improved transportation efficient in making it stronger financial operation choice for the district. It will not affect the budget. Ideal it would be to lease four buses, but if we're not able to lease, at least a minimum of two buses would be better. That way, we could we're able to take the students home and to school

136safely. Is there any questions for me? Um just to add a little bit to it. So there was a lot of work done uh basically to analyze what our current cost structure was for maintaining the current fleet of buses. Um and it was after you see from Mr. Mo's work there. We're actually saving around $80,000 a year just by using new lease buses. brand new buses for the kids with four new buses. Then we have all of our coverage for going games. They're the transit style buses that specifically that Michelle wanted. I'm kidding. All everybody was pretty much wanted the transit style bus because it offered the all the area for storage underneath. So you could fit band equipment, the all the sports team equipment, everything. So, these fit our need very well. And at

137the end of this lease term, which will be five years, we can purchase the buses. I think it's a $70,000 buyout total for all the buses. We can purchase them. Um, or what we're likely to recommend be just a continu. That way, we have new buses every five years. We've always got new equipment and we don't end up maintaining more and more buses just so we can deal with breakdowns. They will be under warranty for the full five years. That is correct. Yes, >> due to the challenge of qualified drivers. >> We shouldn't have an issue finding qualified drivers. Uh we have plenty of them right now and soon as we get new buses, they were definitely going to come and work for us. This is not a bus driver. >> No, it is not.

138>> Uh, can you explain just recently we've had a couple breakdowns and what those have consisted of and >> what you had to deal with? >> Basically, this year we had three major breakdowns. One of them was on Sierra Highway a week ago and we had to transport students from one bus to another just to take them to their home. It was probably a 45minute delay due to that breakdown. And before that we had a transmission that went down as well in agados. We had to go pick up the students and take them to another bus so we could transport them home. So we had a lot of upset parents due to those issues. >> Yeah. What was the plan with the existing fleet? So bas uh the existing fleet we were trying to get

139rid of it because due to old age and replace them for new ones >> and the age of the old fleet >> they're over 25 years. >> Thank you. Um and then wait I had another question and it went away. Um no but you you did a great job putting this together. Oh, the other thing was um at that point we'd only need how many technicians to work on buses? >> We need one one mechanic. >> Only one mechanic, right? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Again, thank you for all your hard work. You're welcome. >> Um how many seats do these buses have? >> How many seats? So basically you're able to seat 84 students in the bus. >> Okay. Um and that's the same as the buses that we have now. Yes. 84

140student. So they're not bigger or smaller than that. >> Well, they're the same size as what we have out there right now. >> Um and how many how many bus routes do we have now? How many buses do we have running at the same time? >> So we have three regular transportations and two sped. >> Okay. So, if we're leasing four big buses, that would be three for our regular transportation. So, our regular transportation would not be impacted when we have a field trip or a sports trip. >> That is correct. >> Or something of that sort. Um, and that's where the cost savings comes in with the the charter buses. >> Yes. Go ahead. >> We would be keeping the one new bus. >> Yes. The newer bus that we have. We would be

141keeping it to use it for the middle art students or transporting local because it's the newest bus basically. Yeah. It wouldn't be wouldn't make any sense to get rid of that one. And you said that we have two um special ed buses, special ed routes. >> Those are the new newest buses we have. Those we don't have any issues with them. >> Okay. So, we'll be keeping those. Yes. >> And only leasing the four big buses and keeping our newest big bus and our special ed buses >> and pawning off the other. >> Yep. Getting rid of them. metal, scrap metal, or try to sell one of them at least because they're too old. They won't even they don't want to buy them. I asked already. >> Um, are these new ones gas, propane, electric?

142>> They're diesel. >> Diesel. >> I would be super excited to ride in a new bus. gotten on them. I've sat in them for several years now and I really thought that it was not in our cards. So, huge thank you to the the finance facilities committee, the transportation department, Ernesto. That is fantastic to put these numbers together and figure it out um to where we're saving the district money and giving our kids Everybody loves riding a new car. So, that's cool. and how cool for our bus drivers to get brand new buses to drive. I would be ecstatic. So, that's very cool. >> Um, I'm excited for that. Do we have anything else? Do we need to loop? >> Well, that's next, but do we need to loop on this? Okay. Thank you very

143much. >> You're welcome. >> Okay. Um H approval KS state bank formal proposal not to exceed 1 million286,83316 term five years. I'll move. Can I get a second? >> I'll second. >> Thank you. Um Mr. Moira, the quote um that we have in terms of the proposal itself, a million change for a term of five years. Just to clarify, this will be for the four new bus leases in the amount of four buses, correct? >> Thank you. >> Discussion hearing none. Call for question. All those in favor? >> I may. >> Brianna Tony I. Um, congratulations. That's huge. uh 11A first read board policy BP 6146.1 high school graduation requirements. Dr. Sahakian. >> Thank you. I'll call up Mrs. Erdrich um as she is a staff leazison for the um policy management subcommittee to go

144ahead and provide some of the highlights of um first read for graduation requirements high school and agenda meeting minutes. Thank you. Good evening. So for the graduation requirements, it's the what the state says that the minimum requirements are for the students to be able to graduate. I do want to highlight the fact that the state says that the students need three years of English. We're adjusting that to four years. Two years of math, we're requiring three. We've also added one health course. And it also states that for the school year 2930, they will be adding one semester of ethnic studies as long as there is funding available for that. And then for the 3031 school year, it's a one semester of personal finance. Any questions? >> So when Is this effective immediately or next school

145year or for incoming freshmen? >> This this really is in effect right now. This is what our students are doing. It's just updating because our policy was was very old. >> Thank you very much. This is what we did discuss in our um education subcommittee. So, um I've asked all of the questions and had lengthy conversations with um with Paula and all that. So, thank you very much for that report. If there's no other questions, we'll move on. 11B first read board bylaw BB agenda meeting minutes. So this really is just again something to bring it current but the majority of the things that are being said are being done already by the district. Some of some of the things are a little bit different is it says that students and parents can request directory

146information or their personal information to be excluded from board minutes. And also uh any materials distributed to the board related to a regular board meeting shall be made available to the public upon request. Again that's something that's already because of the fact that we post everything online with all the attachments. Everything else that it states on there, it's what the district is already doing. >> Thank you. Discussion >> hearing none, we can move on. Thank you very much. >> Uh 12 board comments, Mr. Masone. Uh for board comments tonight, um I will be tendering my resignation from the board. Um I will not be leaving until mid June. So I will remain on the board till mid June through graduation from that point forward. I will no longer be a board and you'll need to

147find somebody new to to take the spot. But um I've enjoyed >> find >> I have enjoyed my time on the board. I've learned uh an amazing amount. It's been beneficial for me personally and professionally to serve in this feature and I'm as function and I'm humbled by all of your efforts and everything that everyone does here to make this place work. It's uh it's truly a labor of love to do this. This isn't something you get into because you just want to make a bunch of money. He thought it'd be fun. Like it's fun, of course, but Definitely a labor of love for sure. So, thank you to all of you for everything that every one of you has taught me and tolerating my learning curve on the whole thing as well. >> All

148right. We'll miss you, Lester, even though we get you for a couple more months or month and a half. Um, very excited about the buses. I think that's a huge win for our students and the district and looking forward to all the end of year activities. Thank you. >> Um myself as well, I'm looking forward to the end of the year. There's so many things um being added to our calendar daily. Um I think we just got six more things tonight. So, thank you for that. Um I I'm looking forward to that. I'm looking forward to new buses for our kids. Um Lester, I'm not looking forward to you leaving. I think that you add such a dynamic um lens to our board. You definitely fill a a spot that that none of us do.

149Um so your expertise is going to be greatly missed. So um if you want to, you know, just stay just saying we can resend your resignation. Uh but that's all that I have. Uh future agenda items, we have May 14th, May 28th, sorry, calendar, May 14th, May 28th, June 11th, June 25th, and a whole bunch of events um sprinkled in there. Are we all planning on being here on all those days except Lester? You will not be at the June 25th. >> Okay. >> I will not be here on the 14th. >> Okay. So that will be a quick meeting. >> Uh future agenda items. We don't have anything listed. Does anybody want to add anything? 15 adjournment. It's recommended the board adjourn the meeting at 10:14. Can I I'll move that in. Can I

150get a second? >> I'll second. >> Discussion hearing. None. Call for question.