5/7/26 Regular Board Meeting - Duarte USD

001Test test test. We do have some seating available over here on the front row. So if you need to come here. Okay. Marcelo. Marcelo. Good afternoon. This u this afternoon we have Leonor in the back helping us in translation. If any parents that speak needed translator. She will be able to help you. The board just returned from from close session and while in close session the following actions were taken. The board ratifies settlement agreement between the district and five certified employees affect by the board March 9, 2026 resolution number 15-25-26 to initiate a certificate layout as well as the Dwarte Unifi Education Association. Dr. Laura Hassel move and Dr. and Mrs. Rosa Hogin second and all the board was in favor. 50. The the agreement was entered into the by into by the superintendent based

002on terms and parame parameters authorized by the board and it is meeting and it's meeting on April 16, 2026. The ceremon settlement was fully executed and entered into an April 30, 2026. As a result of the settlement, the effect employes through their request for a healing to contest the layoff. In exchange, the affected employees and others to be laid off, but who did not request a hearing will receive an extension of health benefits through October 31st, 2026. and those who are partially laid off will receive an extension of non prorated benefits through December 2026. The settlement allowed the district to adopt its final layoff resolution and give notices to the employees to be laid off. The board took action to approve ratify the final settlement agreement and general release dated March 26, 2026 between parents

003and district in a student versus Dwarte Unified School District, a special education due process case a case number 202620964, person to to which the district has agreed to fun and provide educational services to student and the students parents have agreed to release claims against the district in exchange for educational service as specified into the agreement. The roll call was was followed at move it was moved by Dr. Finlay second by Mrs. Rosa and the vote and the roll call vote was 50 person to education code section 35031 and 44951. The board took action to not renew an administrator employment contract and services for the following administrator identified by employee employee number GS7201601 effective at the end of the 2025 2026 school year. The administrator will be released and as reassigned to a teaching position effective

004the start of the 2026 2027 school year. The board direct the superintendent or designate to send out appropriate legal notification of this action and to provide the administrator a respond if request pursuant to education code section 44896. The roll call was as follow. It was moved by Mr. Reyes, second by Dr. Hasso, and all the board was 50. Board was in favor. The board took action to terminate the employment contract of classified management employee identified by employee number WU605 622 before the expiration of the contract and without case as peritted. by the term of the employee contract. The board direct the superintendent or designate to send out appropriate legal notification of this action to the employee and to terminate the agreement in employment employment 30 days following the day of the notification. The board direct

005the superintendent to provide for the payment of SUMS's due and continuation of benefits as agreed to in the contract following the early termination of the contract through the remainder of the term ending June 30, 2026. The roll call was vote was as followed. Mr. Tom Rey is moved Dr. second and all the board was in favor 50 in close session duty duty hel duly held on February 27 2026 and March 27 2026 the board with all five board members in favor direct the superintendent to respond to and to respond to and present terms for the mutually consent termination of the employment contract between the district and the assistant superintendent of business services on April 22nd, 2026. The terms were reached out reached and memoralized in writing in accordance with the authority delegate to the superintendent.

006In close session today, the board ratify and reports out the statement that the agreement is consistent within previously the author authorized term and duration. The material term as are as follow. Mutual cons mutual consent to terminate the employment contract between the district and assistant superintendent in place for the term of June 26, 2025 through June 30th, 2027. The Assistant superintendent voluntarily resignation from employment effective March 30, 2027 and change in the assistant superintendent's administrative assignment effective April 1st, 2026 with responsibilities as request and direct by the superintendent. A structure for continue compens compensation and health benefits for the assistant superintendent through the effective day of termination and ineffective sooner provision related to earning an acral vacation through the effective termination day and for payment to verify vacation accurate. No admission by either party of any

007wrong wrongdoing. the district payment of ceremon sum of $46,000 in exchange for a general waiver of non or an unknown claims as waiver of right to contest the separation for employment and convent not to sue pursuant to education code section 44951 the board took action to issue release and reassign the following administr ative employee identified by employee number HB 423759 effective as the end of the 2025 2026 school year. The board direct the superintendent or design designate to send out appropriate legal legal notification and provide them any responses if necessary. The roll call vote was as follow Mr. Reyes moved and Mrs. Rosa Hin second and was 50. Additional additionally while in close session the board education deliberate regarding a recommendation for expulsion in case case number 01-2526 the board will take now action. Mr.

008I move that student be expelled pursuant to education code from the Deward Unified School District for the remainder of this semester and all of next semester with placement at opportunities for learning. The student is eligible to have the expulsion order reviewed for readmissions at a California public school per California ed code section 48916 in December 2026 for the satisfactory completion of the rehabilitation plan. >> Mr. Ray Mr. Reyes move second. >> I'll second >> Dr. Finally second. All in favor? >> I >> Okay, motion has been approved. We now move to regular meeting call to order. Uh it is we use the same time or we going to have this time 7:50 7:13. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Uh Mr. present >> here. >> Uh Dr. Hasso >> here, >> Mrs. Hogan >> here, >> Dr.

009Finley >> here, >> Alexis >> present, >> and Raina Diaz present. I now would like to ask Dr. Finley to please lead us in a flag salute salute followed by Rosa with vision and mission. Place your right hand over your heart. Begin to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands nationy and justice for all. >> Please be seated. >> Miss Hogan. >> Our beliefs. We believe we're a community of learners. We believe learning occurs in a culture of caring and respect. We believe all students are motivated to learn when they are engaged in meaningful work that connects to their lives. We believe expectations do influence performances and outcomes. We believe learning increases when there are high expectations for performance and conduct. We believe we have the responsibility

010to find solutions that enable all students to learn. Our vision 21st century schools producing 21st century students. Our mission provide the knowledge, skills, and inspiration for each student for success in college, career, and life. >> Thank you, Miss Hogin. Uh moving to item number seven, the adoption of the agenda. Dr. >> Yes, madam president. Thank you. Please Note that the corrections were made on the consent calendar item number um numbers 13.2.3 the certificated personnel report and 13.2.5 consultants. The amended versions are the items being presented for approval tonight. And at this time I invite you to entertain a motion to adopt the agenda as amended. >> I need a motion to adopt the agenda moved by Mr. Reyes second by Dr. >> Finley. Any other discussion? All in favor? >> I >> We now move

011to item number eight, spotlight on Valley View Academy. Dr. Mrano. >> Yes, we are so excited to have many um members and families from the Valley View Academy um community here tonight. Thank you so much for being here. I saw many messages go out to invite you. So, thank you for being here. This is a great opportunity to highlight and spotlight our school. So, I will invite principal uh Sherry Heinding to the podium to present the spotlight on Valley View Academy. Can Oh, yes, you can definitely hear me. Good evening, everyone. Good evening uh board president Diaz, uh cabinet members, um esteemed board members and audience. Welcome to Valley View Academy. I am the supremely proud principal Sherry Heinding and we are going to engage you in a spotlight of what it's like to be

012a part of Valley View, the Academy of Technology and Creative Learning by just as I am, I'm just an inherently enthusiastic person. So, just, you know, um just humor me because I just am thrilled with what we are doing at Valley View Academy and who better to really speak to it with students and staff. So, we hope you enjoy our presentation. We'll move to the next slide. So, just thinking about tonight's presentation, we're focusing on a few different Spotlights kind of beginning with where we started. Starting with our site plan. Two goals in the site plan focus. One of them focuses on math particularly cognitively guided instruction. Second one being that we are a technology and creative learning academy. So what does that mean? And we're going to show you. We'll move into CGI and

013then so on as we move through. We have inclusive technology, some wonderful tools that we're using, super engaging, meaning students are interacting with these tools. We were able to showcase a lot of the work. And if you haven't already seen on our school website, our student council partnered with our DMS to produce such an incredible product to engage community to check us out. So, Just thinking a little bit about cognitively guided instruction because when we talk about technology and creative learning, CGI is an approach, a strategy that I cannot say enough about how good it is for the students. It's really that metacognitive approach of thinking about your thinking. Engages students in number talks. You'll see in our pictures, this is a fifth, sixth grade classroom discussing patterns, what you see in an everyday picture.

014We are we're so fortunate to partner with UCLA and really do the work with our staff and then in our classrooms and we look forward to continuing that work next year. So, it's this it's the people that make the work move forward, right? So, order to do what we're doing, we have to first think about our staff and engage them. So, we have a number of different tools. We've exposed staff to um different hands-on games that are inclusive to all students, second language learners, students with disabilities, students that are needing a little bit more acceleration. So, really just taking a look at that. And to really speak to the inclusivity piece, I would like to bring up one of our DC special day class teachers, Mrs. Priscilla Chavez, who teaches our TK SDC. Good evening,

015members of the board. As a special education teacher for our youngest learners in TK and kindergarten at Valley Academy, my goal is always to make the abstract concept of inclusion tangible. Following our recent PD, I use Gemini to create personalized um for abilities week that did exactly that. On the screen, you'll see a project that brought our campus together. I used AI, >> the angler fish. >> What does it >> I used AI to feature our actual TK kindergarten and K1 teachers as characters. The story highlights how each classroom is a beautiful mix of diverse learners and specifically educates students on different communication styles, including the use of AAC devices. When these when the teachers read these books to their classes, the engagement was immediate. Students didn't just see a story, they saw their own

016community, fostering an early culture of acceptance and empowerment. This project underscores why technology has proven um to be an essential equalizer. It allows us to create mirrors for students who rarely see their specific needs reflected in traditional media. Tools like Gemini allow educators to produce highquality scaffolded resources in minutes rather than hours. It reinforces that tools like AAC are vital voices within our school. By integrating these tools, our school is moving beyond awareness and toward a future where every student, regardless of their ability, feel seen, heard, and understood. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mrs. Chavez. I am going to bring up um with the next slide one of our fourth grade teachers who's using another digital tool to amplify student voice called Seessaw. So, she's going to just tell you a little bit about what

017she's been up to with her students. >> Good evening, members of the board. If I could, I would like to start off with showing you a video of a science project that one of my students The angler fish. What does the angler fish eat? The angler fish eat small fish. Where does the angler fish live? The angler fish lives in the deep, dark ocean. How do they catch their prey? The female angler fish has a glowing lure at the top of their head that helps them catch their prey. It attracts other animals so that the angler fish can eat them. Did you know that the female angler fish is actually a lot bigger than the boy angler fish? Do angler fish look cool? >> Angler fish do look super cool. At first they look scary,

018but they actually look pretty cool. Well, as you can imagine, angler angler fish are really cool. Well, hope you have a good rest of your day. But like seriously, cuz if I just ruined your day, then I'm not very Byebye. >> You wouldn't know it from watching this video, but this student, as amazing as she is, is quite reserved in our classroom setting. You wouldn't see this type of personality come out in a normal classroom discussion with her. Amplifying student voice through technology isn't just about using tech in the classroom. It's about giving students the information and allowing them to input their own personalities and their own strengths. Learning is amplified when students feel heard and are able to play with and mold the information that they have been told, have been given, and use

019it in a way that makes sense to them. Thank you. And you might be wondering what that's all about. So that was something featured um with in our open house that occurred in April back on the 15th really focused on Rub Goldberg machines. And to speak to that is our teaching and learning coach, Mary Jansen, along with a few students who were the innovative creators of this. >> I'm going to let the students talk. They'll tell you all about it. >> Hi, my name is Emma and I'm in sixth grade. My name is Michelle and I'm also in sixth grade. Michelle and I along with work together to make a roof gold machine. We have to have at least three transfers of energy and we used an onboard design and we tested it out and

020made many changes along the way. This process also took a lot of patience and creative thinking. Our group shared many memories along the way and we hope and we enjoyed this project. >> In the future, we we hope have many more opportunities to work together. >> We hope you have an amazing night and we both thank you for letting us share our process. >> Pretty incredible, right? I can speak to it, but it's best when they do. So, moving into our next piece. Oh, our student council. What an amazing group of leaders they are. And when challenged to create a video to showcase all that is Valley View, they collaborated with our digital media specialist and produced an outstanding product. So, I'm going to have them come up here right now and tell you about

021it. May you maybe you like to accommodate the microphone to them. >> Good evening board members. Good evening board president Diaz, esteemed board members, Dr. Mrano and audience members who have joined us this evening. We represent the 2026 Valley View Student Council. Our names are Lucio Lozano and Desaria Sebastiani. We are proud to share with you a product of our work that represents the technology and innovation at our school. We worked very hard to write the script and film scenes with our amazing DMS, Miss Rihanna. The video is on our school website for all to see. Please enjoy the video now which showcases our innovative school. >> Good day. I'm Sean, your ASB president. Here we are taking you inside Valley View Academy of Technology and Creative Learning, where big things are happening for young

022learners. Here are the top five features that make our school stand out. First up, our innovative classrooms. Our provide fun lessons, flexible seating, smartboards, and student Chromebooks to integrate technology in their learning. Each student has the opportunity to engage in hands-on interactive learning every day. Next up, our ASB vice president, Alana, to discuss the award opportunities for the students at Valley View. Over to you, Alana. Thanks, Sean. At number two, Valley View has many ways we recognize achievements. We have author's team where students get to share their writing with our principal as well as student of the month and reading awards. Students can receive prizes and special opportunities for their achievements. Next up is our ASB representative Aaria to talk about the extracurricular activities that are part of Valley V Academy. Thank you, Alana. At

023number three, Valley View Academy has vibrant art programs are a great stepping stone for creative learning. From visual art to dance, music, and band. Valley View is rich with creative expression. Here to discuss the events at our school, ASB Treasurer Lucio. >> Thank you, Isaria. At number four, each Valley View student has the opportunity to experience campus happenings such as fun assemblies, class field trips, and whole school events. Bringing us to number five is Shan and the ASV team. >> With innovative learning, our supportive PBIS system, and a connected community, Valley View continues to empower students every day. At Valley View, dolphins can swim. >> S show respect. >> Work as a team. I identify and solve problems. M positive choices. >> Together, we can swim. Thank you for giving us the time this evening

024to celebrate Valley View Academy of Technology and Creative Learning. Have a wonderful evening. >> Thank you. >> Wow. So you can see Valley View Academy of Technology and Creative Learning is going places. When you think of technology, it doesn't mean putting a student in front of a screen. Technology should be used to enhance instruction. You can see the many pieces put into that video which support PBIS and all of the other activities. It is a true product of innovation. We thank you for listening about our school. We are thrilled with what we're doing and partnerships to come which includes partnering with Mr. Morris at MIT and CTE to really build the bridge of technology and creative learning. So thank you. >> Thank you. >> It was a it has been a wonderful presentation. Before you

025move from there, I just like to ask uh introduce uh Mayor uh Terara Martin Delo who is here tonight, please stand up and face the community and also I would like to ask Mayor Proim Kim Sam to please both of you stand up and look at the community. I just want you to see that this community is the one who help us to be able to see successful exto stories at each school. Without the support of each parent and each person that is here tonight, there is nothing that we can do by ourselves. So, thank you for being here tonight, the two of you that represent the city. But I also like to say these students that are here tonight are the top of the cake. the cherry on the cake. You made this presentation

026wonderful. Your teachers have done as wonderful work and so thank you for this wonderful presentation. Board members, do you have any other comments? >> Yes, I' I'd like to say something. So, I love this presentation. This was so this was so exciting to see and and really um you know when when Valley View um talks about having the technology and creative uh thinking and design. I mean that that's in Valley View's DNA. I I remember being a kid at Valley View and I remember we were one of the first classrooms to have uh computers in the classroom and one of the things that we did they they were actually connected to the internet. You had to use you know old dialup and everything. But the thing I remember was uh my sixth grade teacher Mr.

027Sadderberg he um he connected with a uh a school that was over on the east coast that was tracking sea turtles and I was just fascinated with this. And so this this this is really in Valley View's DNA and it's so exciting to see that that continues decades later and I'm so thrilled with what you've shown us tonight and it it really makes me proud that we have a school like this in our district. So thank you for sharing this tonight. >> Thank you. Any other comments? I do. Thank you. And I love when you guys integrate staff and students into your spotlights. It just, you know, because that's what it's all about, the kids. Um, and music to our ears. You know, technology doesn't mean putting kids in front of a computer screen. And

028I think we could sometimes get lost in that. And so, thank you not just for saying that, but for demonstrating that tonight. >> Thank you. I also like to introduce Michael Wright from the town council from an incorporated area. Michelle right thank you for being here with that that's tonight and the board we would like to take a picture with the school valu school please by and if there any parent that would like to be in the picture with uh valley view parents that are here would like to take pictures >> I know there's some dolphins out there so come join us in the Come on. Yes. See, we're slowly coming up. Come on. Sure. Come on. Thank you. more comfortable. We now continue with reconnections. Dr. Mrano. Thank you, Madame President. have many recognitions

029this evening, especially this time of year. So many great things happening as we wrap up the 2526 school year. I would first like to start with recognizing um our 2526 Darti High School student board member, Alexis Salana. Let's give a round of applause. Every meeting, Alexis is here to report on items for Dwarty High School and the district at large. We've had a great conversations with her. She even attended training at our California School Boards Association annual conference. So, we really enjoy the opportunity to collaborate with our students and hear the student voice even in our board meetings. We do have a gift to present. Would you like to take a photo with Alexis and present her with a gift? Yes, I'll get up for a picture. We're going to be taking a lot of

030pictures. Okay, rather than have everybody sit back down, I'll just do the other ones from the podium here. Uh, next, I would like to take a moment. Uh, we have a couple of community partners that have done some generous donations recently that we want to take a moment to recognize. Um, we'd like to start with our city council member, Sam Kang. would you come on up and join the board up there? Um, we would like to thank Sam for his generous contribution of the cheer mats for the Jardy High School logo. And I'd like to invite uh associate principal, Mr. Ernest, to come up and say a few words about the impact of this donation. They're actually here um in this in the gym with us tonight um about the impact of the donation on

031our school community. Thank you so much, Dr. Mana. If I can have our cheer stand behind me, if our coach does. Uh Sam, thank you so much for uh this kind donation. I think what started out as just a simple conversation of you asking how can I help. Next thing I know that uh our mayor is talking about it and it just gets the ball rolling to have these wonderful cheer mats that are here today. Uh so coach Dez Lopez has done a great job uh transforming our team from just cheerleading which is still awesome to competitive stunts and we were able to host our first event in our brand new gym here just a few weeks ago. So uh thank you council member Kang. Uh it it's it's amazing. Thank you so much. And

032if I can have the uh cheer team come out for a picture with everybody. Thank you so much. And my dear colleagues and friends, um, board member and president, I really truly appreciate you guys. We've been colleagues for over a decade and, um, it is my My passion and same with your passion is to help how our school district and how our city can thrive and be better. Um, it is truly my honor to be able to give this gift to DHY High School. And this story actually goes, I get it. It was an request actually by Miss Stephanie, but this gets deeper than this. Um it's so correlated to today's um about Valley View. My kids went from TK all the way and graduated from Valley View. And a lot of it has to

033do with the teachers and the principal like Miss Chow, Miss Jansen. You guys have been so wonderful to my kids. I really truly appreciate you guys. Um, in addition to that, Miss Stephanie at the front desk, she always looked after my kids and so on. My daughter would call in sick and I would go and help her out and so on. She's going to kill me after this. Um, but it's because there's so much commodery happening in our city. Our city is very, very unique. It's so diverse, but we help each other out so much. It's incredible to see. And then during the the opening of this gym, Miss Stephanie said, "Hey, you know what? We need to have some mats." And by the way, Miss Stephanie actually works at Valley View and also at

034DHS. And then she said, "Hey, can we have some mats to be donated because the cheerleading team want to they want to grow and they want to gohead and compete." and I said yes. And that was the whole reason why we're doing this. We want to go ahead and give back like my colleagues over here. Um we believe in giving back and helping each other out so we can go and grow and have a better community for all of us. So thank you. Thank you very much. Um we actually have another uh donor here with us today. recently Foothill Credit Union. Um, and we have Sochi Lores here, I believe. Come on up. Um, we want to thank them. They donated a new scores table for DHS athletics and school events. And I'll have again

035Mr. Ernest talk a little bit about it. We actually have it here as well. Luckily, we have the meeting in the gym today so we can feature all these amazing gifts that we've received. >> Perfect. Thank you, Dr. Madrono. And similar to Sam King, uh we had an event here and Foothhill Credit Union, who's always been a great partner for our school district and our employees, uh they simply asked, "How can we help?" They noticed we had our old scores table and our brand new gym and they said, "That's not even our logo." So, uh with our partnership, they helped out quite a bit. So, uh Soshi, come on up and say a few words, please. >> Thank you. Thank you. Uh I'd just like to say, uh thank you very much. And this is

036our mission. Our Foothill Credit Union is here to be partners with you at the school districts and to help the students and everyone from cradle all the way up to retirement on reaching your financial goals. So please visit our branch. We're on right on the corner of Santa Fe, I mean Sanita in Foothill. We're up and down the 210 and we are here to help you and to teach everybody about financial goals. Thank you. Sam, we missed your nice certificate and a great photo opportunity. So, uh, here's your certificate. Thank you so much. All right, don't go anywhere, Mr. Ernest. You're up next. All right, now um we have the great and distinct honor of recognizing our Dardi High School class of 2026. honor role with distinction students. So, I'm going to turn it over

037to Mr. Ernest who's going to be um talking about the students we're honoring, including our highest honors, I believe, as well. So, at this point, I'd like to invite up our four uh people who will be on stage at our graduation. Uh these are the ones who are validictorians and salutorians. So uh I want them to come on down and stand next to me with their certificates. I'll talk about them a little bit and then we'll go ahead and take a picture with the board that's standing. So uh first validictorian come on down. Josephine Wong. Next validictorian Joshua Wong. one of our salutotorans, Dorothy Chi, and Isabella Woo, another Salutoan. All right. So, just a little bit about our scholars up here today. They are the best of the best. Uh they are bright. They

038are smart time management. They do a lot from playing sports involved in the community. So, they do amazing things. So, first let's talk about Joshua, one of our valadictorians. He's headed off to UCLA. His major is going to be business economics and his career he hopes is accounting. So, round of applause for Joshua again. As you might know, Joshua and Josephine are twins. So, Josephine Wong is also attending UCLA. Her major is biology, and she plans on being a dentist. Round of applause for Josephine. And not with us here today are one of our salutotorans is Dorothy Chi. She's headed off to UC Berkeley. She's going to be majoring in business administration and she hopes to be a sales engineer. And finally, Isabella Woo. Thank you. Isabella Woo, who is here on stage with us.

039She's attended UC Berkeley. She plans her major to be in uh integrative biology and her career is to be a doctor. So, round of applause for Isabella. and we're going to be joining our board up there for a picture and we'll see him on stage for graduation as well. Can I invite up Mr. Mayor to help with certificates, please? Mr. Mayor, if you can help me, please. Um, we're also going to be recognizing some of our top scholars here at Dwarty High School. These are outstanding students who again excel at a lot of things around campus. time management. They play sports. They're off to equally as great college and will do great things. And so, uh, we're going to call them out kind of in rapid succession and Mr. Mayor will assist me in handing

040out their certificate. So Raul Martinez, Avery Delphin, Joseph Ferris, Ethan Anderson, Selena Bano, Alfredo Marquez, Ariel Low, Urezi Konchas, Victoria Ramirez, Jason Velasquez, Tara Hoffman, Andrea Menddees, Tracy Castillo, Lesie Ok. Costa, Jose Huerta, Alisa Ramos, Carter Win, Jared Smith, Juliana Para, Amy Benar, Jonathan Castanada, Thomas Chi, Lizzy Gabriel Gonzalez, Lizzie has also helped run our tutoring program this year and did an outstanding job. Thank you, Lizzie. Kayn Bamanti. Alexis Sana. And before we officially take our picture, let's do a round of applause for all of our outstanding graduates, for all of their accomplishments. It has been a pleasure to have them at a school site. They are each leaders in their own way, and I'm going to miss this class very much. So, come on kids, let's go up and take a picture with our

041board of trustees. At the time that we are taking this picture, I just like to to see the future of our country. And one of the students who is graduating in this year, he's 15 years old and he's graduating from Dwarte High School. He's here. I'm not going to put him on the spot, but I just want to tell you our teachers are amazing. And so, thank you to all the teachers who work in Dwarte Unified School District. And that's why we are able to see a student graduate as 15 years old from Dwarte Unified School District. Madame President, um we will take a recess like a five 10 minute recess. We do have refreshments in the lobby for you to enjoy. So if you would like to, this is a 10-minute recess and we'll

042be back in 10 minutes. Thank you. Okay, board members, we need to start our business. Are you ready, Alexis? >> Yes, I am. >> Okay. Okay. Okay. Alexis, we now move to um Darte High School student board member, Alexis Salana. >> Thank you. Hi everyone. I hope you are having a good evening. Um as we wrap up the school year, we are met with many final activities to end the year off strong. Um on April 18th, we had our Garden of Gold prom. It was a very magical night and our prom committee did a wonderful job putting it together. We had our senior spring rally honoring students in sports and our seniors for their academic achievements throughout high school. This spring sports season, boys tennis, boys baseball, and girls softball have all made it to

043league finals and our CIF bound. Our open house was on April 21st, and I would like to thank you all for coming to support our students. Starting May strong, we had our nighttime rally clash of the classes where the class of 2026 won from their spirit and creativity. At the at the start of this week, we hosted the state of the city and school address in our gym with performances from our DHS students and catering from our culinary arts. On Cinco de Mayo, we had a taco man with music for students to enjoy. And yesterday we got to celebrate our seniors with our annual decision day. This was a very important moment which recognizes our seniors for their accomplishments and future careers. Students got to play games and win prizes, all of which were purchased

044by donations from our Dherty families. As you seen um our seniors here tonight, our graduating class has over 400 college acceptances. 80% of percent of students apply for financial aid and our um many students attending UC schools including our validictorians and saludiatorans. Tomorrow we have our annual wellness fair. It is a day where students have the opportunity to take the time to engage in arts and crafts, fun games, and valuable wellness resources. Tomorrow night, Derty High's band program will be having a performance called Jazz by Moonlight. At this event, our students get to work with professional Grammyinning musicians, allowing our students to have an empowering experience. This event begins at 7 pm and it will be located by our band room. Tomorrow also at Dherty High, we will be hosting the eighth grade dance here

045in the gym. On May 13th, which is next Thursday, we have our academic awards night where students will be recognized for their academic achievements throughout the school year. Seniors have their grad night at Disneyland on May 17th and their senior sunset on May 26th. Senior breakfast will be on May 27th. And to end the year, we have our last day of school and graduation ceremony on May 29th at 7 p.m. The end of the school year is coming to an end and there is still so much in store and amazing things to look forward and I'm very excited for the future at DHS. Thank you. >> Thank you, Alexis. We now move to superintendent report. Dr. Morano. >> Yes. Thank you, Madame President. Um, President Diaz and board members. One of the things that continues

046to stand out for me in Dwarti Unified is a level of care, commitment, and heart our staff brings to students every single day. And in my visits uh recently to schools classrooms, we have performances, athletic events, showcases, open houses, and different community activities, I continue to see students who are engaged, supported, and growing, which is so affirming. As we move into that final stretch of the school year, there is a great deal to celebrate across our district. As we saw here tonight, our students are participating in end of the year performances, CIF athletic events, exhibitions, and culminating activities that reflect their hard work, talent, and growth throughout the year. I also want to take a moment to congratulate our boys tennis, baseball, softball, boys volleyball team for qualifying for CIF playoffs this spring. And we

047also had a swimmer participate today at Cash Bartlett at uh the CIF meet. Their success is a reflection of the dedication of our student athletes, coaches, staff, and families. And this past week, like Alexis mentioned, our state of the city and district event was also a meaningful opportunity to celebrate our students, staff, schools, and the strong partnership between our district and city. I've worked in different communities, and the partnership we have with the city is a unique one and one that we should cherish and continue to foster. We are also continuing important planning and transition work across the district. The MIT transition team is planning to continue continues to meet regularly to support students, families, and staff through the transition process. The team remains focused on prioritizing our student voice, communication, transparency, and community building

048between the MIT and DHS students and staff while ensuring families remain informed, engaged, and supported throughout the process. In addition, construction continues to move forward on our child development facility at Beardsley, as you may notice. And while we simultaneously prepare to expand programming next year by offering new child development classes at Royal Oaks and Valley View and expand programming at Maxwell, these efforts reflect our continued commitment to supporting our students and family while planning thoughtfully for the future. This is also a very important time of year for us um the district as we engage in planning and engagement in preparation for the 2627 budget and local control accountability plan or what we call the LCAP. Over the coming weeks, we will continue to gather feedback and actually over the past few weeks, we've gathered much

049feedback and we've been using that feedback to develop and uh refine our plan. And we've provided many opportunities for staff, students, and families and the community members to share their input that will help guide our priorities and investments in the coming year and beyond. As we continue planning for the 2627 year, we also look forward to expanding academic and social emotional supports for students while continuing to strengthen those opportunities for parent and family engagement across our schools. We've heard a lot of great feedback about this through our processes. We know that strong partnerships between schools and families are essential to those student success and we remain committed to creating welcoming, supporting and connected school communities. And finally, I want to take a moment to thank the many donors we recognize tonight. Community partners, organizations that

050continue to support our schools and our students. Their generosity and partnership help create additional opportunities and experiences for our students and reflect a strong sense of community that exists in DHY Unified. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Dr. Mrano. We now move to general functions. approve the minutes of the regular meeting of April 16, 2026. I need a motion. >> Oh, I'm sorry. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Item number 12, request to address the board. >> Dr. Midren, >> yes, we do have some speaker cards. Um, I will call up Susanna Parina. Yes. >> Okay. Yes. Um, each speaker will have three minutes. We'll have a timer. So, when the time is up, that will be the end of your time. So, >> good afternoon board members. My name is Susana

051Par and my son comes here. His name is Raul Aina. And the reason I'm here is because I heard that you guys wanted MIT to come play with the Dardi High School at with their sports, the sports that they have here. but they're not going to be following the same curriculum as the kids for eight hours compared though they have for four hours. And I wanted some clarification on that as well. I wanted if you guys are going to ready to vote, we wanted to hold off on that vote so we can get more clarification of what exactly is you guys are voting voting on because we have no clue of what exactly MIT is going to be doing when they come here to DHY High School because our kids are here from 6:00 in

052excuse me from 6:30 in the morning till 4 or 5 o'clock in the afternoon doing eight hours and I don't think it's fair that they don't share the same um academics as our kids. So, I would like for the vote not to be counted today and move forward to the next time we get to more information on that. >> That's it. >> Thank you. >> Next, we have Gilbert Guerrero. Hello there. My name is Gilbert Guerrero. My son Jonathan is a sophomore and a student athlete. And I also wanted to move the vote for MIT allowing the students to play sports here to be moved to the following meeting. That way the parents here can get more information during this time and share that with the other parents that um the students that come here.

053Thank you. >> Thank you Patty Navareti. Hi, good evening board members and superintendent. Um, I am here as a parent of DHY High School and I respectfully oppose the implementation of the multischool membership agreement that would allow MIT students to participate in the Dhy High School athletic program. I also agree with other parents that maybe it should be tabled and surveyed to athletes um parents and maybe even coaches to see what their opinion is. Um the requirements for graduation are different as far as credits. Um the discrepancy in time at school as well. I've been in some of the meetings that we're trying to implement having the school come on board at the high school. It's been very productive. But I am um seeing that there's a lot of programs that DHY High School students

054cannot participate. Um yet the sports program is something that we value and it's important to all of us. I respect, you know, all Darty students. I'm here for every student to be successful in Dwarty. Um, but this is something that we would like to reconsider or maybe give other parents and students the opportunity to have their voice also um be um for you guys to consider what they think about this. This was just in the agenda and I saw it by looking at it. Other than that, it wasn't brought up to any meeting that I was in. It wasn't in a flyer. It wasn't given to us as parents. So that's why I would like it to maybe be given to the community for so you guys can see what our opinions are, not just

055mine. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next, we have Tracy Hall. I just want to say if you have tissues, get them because I know I'm going to cry. Um so I just wanted to first of all um Alexexas mentioned we have the wellness fair. That's my uh culminating event as community school specialist. So that's tomorrow. So I wanted to invite you guys. Um it's going to be around 11 to 1 o'clock. We're going to have three different sessions where um three different groups of classrooms come out and get to enjoy everything. We have a few different um organizations coming out and having resource tables, um lots of different activities, yoga, um we have Miss Busos who's going to do aroma therapy. Um and so and then a lot of little crafting things and and every

056station has a a sign a poster about how it helps you with your mental health um and an awareness on on wellness. So, um, I just like to invite you to that. Um, I would also like to piggyback on M Miss Jonno talked about swim. I just have to say as part of the swim coach, um, I had to market to get kids because, you know, we didn't have a team. Um, so I went out with little flyers when we were having our meeting and which is handing it out to kids. Hey, are you in spring sport? If you're not, come out to swim. Come out to swim. You know, get you in athletics and get you built up for football. and I handed one to Cash Barlet, not knowing he's never swam before. He

057got that flyer and he was so excited. That's all he talked about. His mom said, um, when he came out, um, it was his first time ever being in a pool. Um, I'm just proud to say that today he swam in the CIF final southern section and we've never had a kid swim there in my three years. Yeah. So, very proud. very proud mama because I don't know how to teach swimming and I don't know how I did it. Um and then the other thing is just um many of you know that I've been laid off because the grant I'm under is ending and I just wanted to say thank you for my 22 years here at Darty. I love it. I'm going to miss you guys. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next, um, Marita

058Moreno. >> Make sure Jenny Moreno will speak right after. >> Good evening, board members. My name is Marissa Moreno and I'm the mother of Felipe Gonzalez. I'm here to speak about what has been presented as savings in special education. I'm here because I am my son's voice and I'm a voice for those who cannot advocate for themselves. The one the $1 million you guys saved by putting together a medically fragile classroom at the last minute came at a much higher cost. It resulted in a lawsuit and more importantly, my son experienced abuse. Let me be clear. Nothing in an IEP gives any teacher the right to deny accessibility, neglect essential medical such as oxygen battery changes and mistreat a medically fragile child. Those savings cost you the trust of a special education families. And I

059ask you plainly, was it worth it? The environment you allow at Maxwell speaks for itself. Proctors, substitutes, nurses, all sorts of staff refuse to go there. Ask yourselves why. To me, it's clear. You continue to keep staff who have abused children. Anyone would refuse to go to an environment like that. Don't ask me. Ask the who told the truth and were were removed from those classrooms. Accessibility is not a budget line. It's the law. I want to address the way the situation has been handled. Concerns were minimized and pushed aside rather than addressed transparently. Why are we not addressing the process of handling safety concerns for children? Do we have a system that diminishes and invalidates concerns and hides wrongdoings? Rick Crosby, what families are seeing because of your coverups is not but deflection. When

060serious concerns are raised and then quietly minimized or redirected, it sends a clear message that protecting the system is being prioritized over protecting students. That's deeply concerning and it's unacceptable. You don't have to admit it to me, but you know exactly what you brushed under the rug. And I've heard around the city that you've done this plenty of times. And let's be clear, the teacher that engaged in these behaviors denying a nonverbal child, an oxygen battery change, continues to be in a classroom with non-verbal students, and that's all because of this administration. Mr. Crosby, let's look at the resources that your daughter had full access to and benefited from from long-term in her district. Truth be said, I'm glad she was supported and received the access to what every child deserves to keep them safe,

061to set them up for nothing but success. This should be the goal that we all have in common to set all our students up to to for success and not save a penny at a bigger cost. So tell me, why doesn't my son get the same? My son engages in selfharming behaviors, including head-hitting that commenced in a poorly structured classroom where there was neglect and lack of safety and educated professionals. Our individual commercial insurance and all medical professionals on Felipe's team warrant the medical necessity for ABA therapy, but your administration takes it upon themselves to deny that medically indicated support. Make that make sense? Or could this be >> Can I finish my sentence or you can finish your sentence? >> Could this be where savings is presenting where the savings is presenting and the

062most vulnerable of our population has to pay for their education. Does it make sense to you? And Dr. Madron, I would like the opportunity to speak to you about everything that happened. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next, we have Jenny Moreno. Thank you. At a at a recent special education parent gathering, families were explicitly told that discussing IEP concerns was not appropriate in that space. So, we asked, where is the appropriate place? Where are parents supposed to go when their children's needs are not being met? Where do they go when access when the recommendations of medical professionals are not being followed? What happens then? Because from where we stand, the system makes it incredibly difficult to access the most basic supports for these kids. Therapists are stretched thin and not given the support they request.

063My grandson's speech therapist recommended an AAC device this year and he never received it. Through the district, my daughter had a fight and a device for herself, for her son to access. Is this where the cuts are showing? It also appears that necessary supports are being downplayed during evaluations, making it harder for children to qualify for services. Why is it so difficult to obtain a one-on-one aid when it is clearly needed? Historically, the district can look back at previous negative outcomes from the decisions to cut aids for children that need one-on-one and have been severely injured to due to those poorly made decisions from individuals that are not in the professional medical capacity to ensure to ensure a child's safety. Additionally, why do families feel like they must hire attorneys just to secure appropriate support

064for their children? Is this factored into the budget as well? These are not isolated issues. These are patterns. Our children are among the most vulnerable in the district. They depend on you to make decisions that prioritize their safety, dignity, and access to education that they deserve. We are all taxpaying citizens. We are not asking for a handout. These children have rights. I am here because this is so important and life-changing because your administration has made it clear that if we don't fight, will fight. The current process in place does not represent a fair and safe education. We need change and representation. Whether or not anyone likes it or whether or not it satisfies your budget, we hold a place here and these kids deserve basic human rights. Please support us in a fair and well

065represented education for these children. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Next, we have Johnny Torres. Hello, my name is Johnny Torres and I go to MIT. And as a MIT student, I think that MIT should be able to compete with DHS because I I believe that talent and opportunity shouldn't shouldn't be separated by school boundaries when both schools share the same commitment, discipline, and growth, allowing us to play together, which strengthen teams, raise the level of competition, and give us all a fair chance. Sports are meant to reward effort and ability, not limit students based on where they go to school. Thank you. >> Sorry. Next we have Jessica Torres. Good evening board members. Nice to see you. So, I'm Jessica and I'm an MIT parent. That's actually my son and he's a junior. Um,

066so I believe that instead of limiting our youth, we should be speaking power into them, lifting them up and not holding them back rather than prevent the students from engaging in sports. This moment should be used to bridge the negative feelings surrounding MIT and create unity and not division. I ask we do better for all of our students, no matter where they go, and work together to take Darti Unified to the top where every student has a chance to shine. MIT students are often are fairly labeled as bad, but they are not. They are simply kids that deserve an opportunity for them to belong and grow and feel part of something positive. Sports can be the path and place place where they find purpose and connection. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you. We have

067um I think it's Mark Flynn or Mr. Flynn. I might get the first name wrong. I'm sorry. Thank you. Sorry. >> Can you please tell us what your first name is? >> Yeah. Mike. >> Mike. Okay. Sorry about that. >> I'm here to represent MIT. Um I think everybody should play sports together. Uh I don't think uh somebody should be separated by the curriculum. I think everybody's going to school. And if you go to cif.org, all of that is there for your information. I read it this morning. So, it's all there. you can do your research. Um, I think there should be a vote and uh, I think iron sharpens iron when it comes to sports and uh, I don't know the total number of people in this city, but um, it's pretty small relatively

068and I think the more talent that you have in the pool uh, makes everybody better, right? And correct me if I'm wrong, but tryyous are held to make each team, right? So, if you make the team, you make the team. Uh, whether or not you're going to DHS or MIT. Um, I think, uh, sports are important for everybody, so that's what I'm here for. >> Thank you. Um, our last comment is Daniel. Um, you're going, did I say that right? >> You're going. >> Okay. >> I'll need the lesson later on that. Thank you. Uh, I would like to announce that tomorrow, Friday, May 8th, will be our fourth annual uh, Jazz by Moonlight event. The gates will open at 5:45 p.m. with the show starting at 700 p.m. This is an outdoor event and

069will be held in front of the band room on the east side of campus. Uh, we still have VIP tables available, uh, which includes dinner, um, from Cabreras and uh tableside service um and tableside service. Uh you can still purchase uh a VIP table for $250 which will seat six people and uh you can still purchase that up until 12:00 p.m. tomorrow. Oh, and I was just told no Cabreras, but it is Mexican food, right? Yes. Yes, it is Mexican food, but not Cabrera's mystery. So, you have to come to find out what it is. Um, general admission tickets are still available and we'll have concessions available for, uh, those who do not have a VIP table. Tomorrow's event, uh, we will welcome back Grammy award-winning uh, performer Poncho Sanchez. Uh, along with guest artist

070Francisco Torres and the Miguel Martinez Jazz combo. Uh, for those of you who do not know, uh, Francisco Torres is also our guitar teacher here at the high school and and also will include will include our Darty High School jazz band. Uh, Want to note that this is uh a major fundraiser for our band boosters which supports our field tournament which you can mark your calendars as being nove uh November 11th veterans day uh which will now be called our Veterans Day field tournament as well as our jazz festival which we had last month at the pack. And uh one more thing if I'm being told what else to say. Um and I think that's it. So see you tomorrow. It's going to be a nice cool evening. Bring a blanket. Be careful because you'll

071be under the watchful eye of uh Ernest. So no funny business. Just come here. Have fun. Make it a date night. If you need a date, let us know and we'll find you. So okay. Thank you very much. Thank you. More comments. Okay. We now move to general functions. Approve the minutes of the regular meeting of April 16, 2026. May I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Moved by Dr. Finley. Second by Miss Hol. Any discussion? >> All in favor? I >> we now move to approve the consent calendar. The next item in business is the adoption of the consent calendar. Does anyone want to remove any item from separate discussion or action? We had an objection from board member Reyes to approve the consent calendar. >> Move to approve the consent

072calendar with the exception of number four and number eight. Okay, we have an objection from board member Reyes to approval of the consent calendar with the inclusion of item 13.24 classified personal report and 12.28 27-27 CIF application for new multischool membership status. Those items are being moved to the cons from the consent calendar and should be considered individually under separate action. May I have a motion to approve the consent calendar with the exception of item 13.2? >> I just made a motion, madam president. >> Okay. Thank you. Then may I have a motion to >> second. You need a second. >> I'll second. >> Moved by Mr. Reyes, second by Dr. Finley. >> All in favor? >> I thank you. Motion approved. We now consider item 13.24. Right. Okay. May I have a motion to

073approve to open for discussion at >> Yes. Motion to approve. He can do it. >> So, did somebody second? Uh, I'll second. >> Okay. Mr. Reyes move and Dr. Second, we now consider item 13.24. >> Yes. Uh Dr. Madrono, please uh explain um what is happening with Mr. Shaw and uh Mr. Brian Bz. >> Yes. Thank you, Mr. Reyes. So, on the classified personnel report, we have a change of assignment for Mr. Shaw and Mr. to move from um the salary scale uh M63 to M101. In reviewing the salaries for our classified managers, specifically directors, we noticed a discrepancy compared to surrounding districts. So, we would like to make our classified directors um have more equity when compared to our certificated directors. So, this allows them to have more of an equitable salary. And so

074we h that's why we're recommending this change. >> And so they're going to get an increase of over $20,000. Is that correct? >> I'm not sure off the top of my head the exact increase, but there is a substantial increase for their salary. Yes, >> board. I think we should wait on this at least a year before making this decision. Um I think it right now the way morale is and we're trying to rebuild it that this is kind of a slap in the face to the classified personnel that are the lowest paid in the district. That's this is my opinion. Any other comments from the board? Seems none I ask for a motion to approve and uh it has been moved by Mr. Reyes, second by Mr. uh Dr. Finlay. All in favor? >>

075I >> Okay, the I was Dr. Finlay. Uh Miss Dr. Hasso, Miss Holin. >> Hi Read ideas. Yes, Mr. Reyes. >> No. >> Thank you. The motion has been approved. We now move to consider um item 13.2.8. There is a motion to approve item 13.28. >> I'll second. >> Moved by Mr. Reyes, second by Dr. Finlay. discussion. >> Any discussion? >> Okay. >> Yes. Uh board, I believe a survey should be sent out to the high school parents and the students. I don't believe uh we've been very transparent with this process. Um from who I've talked to, spoke to, there wasn't very good communication. and only a few parents knew about this. Um, I think I I would I I would like to table this till the next board meeting or until we get that

076survey. Um, I'm sure it's not hard to do. You got that parent square, whatever it's called, and shoot it out there. Uh, it it's important to to have more of a voice. there wasn't enough people um that uh got to participate in in uh supporting or or or being against this. So I think we should uh my my wish is that we table this. >> Dr. Mitano, do you have anything to add to this conversation? >> Members. >> Yes. >> Um I'm uh in agreement with Mr. Reyes. I um think that transparency has really become the name of the game with the way that we're governing um our school and um I don't see any harm in tableabling it until we could get more input. But I am very happy to hear what you have

077to say, Dr. Bedra. >> Yes. Uh that is not a problem. We can definitely do surveys or whatever the board would like. Um I do want to note um that we did have a meeting the high school and this was shared as something we were looking into. Um and we also at that meeting clarified that there are many things that MIT students participate in currently with DHS students. We have students participating in band early college. We had MIT students attend prom. So this is very much like that. Um it's we have a small population at MIT. So if it's something we want to get a little more input on, we're happy to do that. We have a transition team that is been meeting regularly. I'm going to put it back on that team to figure

078out how we can best get the input. But I want to just remind us all that we are very inclusive and we want to create a sense of belonging where all students are welcomed and that's currently what's happening. So it's just an extension of that. Um MIT students right now participate in their own sports league but because of the relocation this was something that we discussed at the parent meeting at the library at DHS. So, um definitely open to getting more input, but um it would be like the other things we do already that students participate in together. So, >> Madam President, may I speak? >> Thank you. Uh oh, >> sorry, one more item that I was just reminded of that we do have a deadline um that it must be completed by May

07931st. So, if we do not sign the document by May 31st, we will not have the opportunity to participate next year. Thank you for that reminder. Sorry, Dr. >> That that was actually going to be my question. Uh whether or not there was a deadline associated with this. Um and I I do uh I do agree that uh I think it's it's important for us to have transparency. Um and I I mean I'll I'll frankly say I'm I'm definitely in favor of this. I think it's important to include all these uh the students. Um I did ask uh you know about you know how how the scheduling would work would work with that and it's definitely something that we we can uh figure out and I think it'd be a great opportunity for the students

080to get to participate in even more events and activities to together than more than they already do. Um but I I I would uh I'd be supportive of of having um additional discussions and input from the community about this. Uh, so if if it's possible, I mean, I don't know if that potentially means a special board meeting. Um, but it would be, I think, beneficial to get some input from the community about the matter. And and and another thing, this isn't the first time that we've been brought something and we're given a deadline and we don't have space time to to make a decision or to table it. This should have been on last month's agenda instead of we're just two weeks out away from uh submitting this form. >> Well, I believe that if

081uh we really want to work through this and resolve this um we can uh table for for next week or call a meeting for as soon as we can after have the discussion. I would say give it a week and a half so we could get the survey out >> the day before the the deadline. I mean as as long as we do it before the deadline. >> Could we add it as an item to our special meeting on May 30th and meet that deadline? >> Um I can confirm that if we can and add it to our special meeting on May 30th and still meet the deadline. I will confirm that. That way we don't have to do another special meeting for this item. Um and yes, I do agree that we need to

082be we need to as far in advance as possible. Um I just received the application before the prepar for this board meeting. So it wasn't delaying it by any means, but um I do agree that input is needed. So um we can again like try to do it by May 30th and if not then we will have to call the special meeting in order to meet the deadline. >> Okay. >> So do do we need to have a motion to supersede this one or do we? >> Yeah, we would we would need a motion to table the item because we want to not approve it because then we won't have the opportunity to approve it later. >> So I move to table the item. >> I'll second. >> Okay. Mr. Reyes move to table and

083Dr. Finley second that I that motion. Um board members all in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? >> None. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Okay. With now we move to Right. We did approval. >> First first reading. >> Okay. First reading. Yeah. >> Okay. I need to um I item number three, first reading of board policies. May I have a motion? >> Motion to approve. >> Second. Oh, it's just for information. Okay, >> I resend my motion. >> First reading of board policies is just receive. No, >> I rescended my motion. >> No, we have to vote on this. It's not just for >> it's first reading of our board policies. Okay. May I have a motion? >> I'll motion again. Okay. Dr. Finlay, >> Second by Miss Holin. Any discussion? >> Yes. >>

084Okay. Go ahead. >> All right. So, for for the community that's here that that may not um have had a chance to look on the agenda yet, uh this is our uh mobile phone policy. Uh so, um you know, I I I think there there's a lot to be said about this. I think it'd be great if everyone uh could read it and um I I think that the the policy is is well written and I think it will provide the the needed uh flexibility that uh when when teachers and educators and administrators need andor want students to uh engage in in the classroom or at school with their phones, they'll be able to do so. Um but at the same time there's an ability to enforce when phones should not be out and used.

085So um I I just wanted to to point out that I think that this policy is is uh is a good I think it strikes a good balance between uh enforcement and flexibility. Uh as well as you know still providing students uh the ability to have their phones should some sort of emergency arise. Um that would not be an impediment to the students being able to contact uh in the event of emergency. So, um I think it's important that we have this and and I hope that it will be a tool that uh our teachers can use uh to to be able to enforce when it's actually learning time in the classroom. So, that's that's my thoughts on it. >> Yeah. Thank you, James, for >> sharing that. >> Any other comment? Okay. All in

086favor? >> I Item number four, second reading, approval of the board policies. >> Move to approve. >> Moved by Mr. Reyes, second >> second by Miss Hogin. Any discussion? >> Any opposition? All in favor? >> I. >> Thank you. >> Item number five, construction and construction and modernization project update by May 2026. Receive for information for information. Item number 14, personal student services management employment contract. May I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Second move by Mr. Reyes, second by Dr. Finlay. Any discussion? >> Yes. Who is this for? Dr. Madrono. >> This is for Dr. Platkin, our assistant superintendent of education. >> And where is he? Is he here tonight? >> Yes, he's here. Yes. >> Please stand so everybody can see you. Welcome. Welcome. >> Yes. Thank you. >> I If you

087like to share anything with us tonight, please come to the podium. >> This is for ed services, correct? >> Yes. Educational services. Yes. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. Good evening, board president Diaz, members of the board, Dr. Madano. My name is I am honored and humbled to serve the Darti students, staff, families, and community as the assistant superintendent of educational services. Um, it's really the sense of community that drew me to Dardi, and I' I've felt it deeply already just in my short time here. I look forward to hitting the ground running and working tirelessly to ensure that all of our students uh excel and thrive. Thank you for the opportunity. Thank you and welcome to Dwarte Unified School District. It is, as you can see, it is a very unique community. Thank you. >>

088Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, that's going to Okay. >> Oh. Oh, and he's also fluent in Spanish. >> Yes, he does. >> Plus, it's a plus. >> Yes. um one by one. No. >> Okay. Any other discussion besides that he's bilingual? >> Okay. All in favor? >> I >> motion approved. >> Congratulations. >> Yes. >> Welcome. >> I know. Okay. Um Number two, resolution number 28-25-26 terminating services of certificated employees as a result of reduction or discontinuation of particular kinds of services. May I have a motion? >> So move. >> Moved by Miss Hin. >> Second by Mr. Reyes. Any discussion? All in favor? >> I. >> Thank you. Number three. Item number three, approval of rate increase for daytoday and long-term certificate substitutes. May I have a motion? >> So

089moved >> by Mr. Reyes, second by Miss Havin. Any discussion? >> Yes, Dr. Madrono. Please uh let the community know what's happening with this, please. >> Um thank you. We also did a salary comparison on this one to look and see how much we are paying our day-to-day and long-term subs. And we have an interest in increasing that to just attract and retain some subs that will be a good part of our school community. We're small and we we even have a substitute in the audience. I know we have a few. So, thank you. Um and we appreciate that because we always need subs for training and when teachers are out sick, but we are raising our rate to um it was 150 and we're raising it to 190 and long-term. Mr. Crosby, can you

090confirm the rate? I don't remember. >> Yes. Uh rate at current rate is 150 for shortterm and long-term is 175 and this will increase it starting July 1st to 190 to 215. >> Thank you. Yeah, this will be effective July 1st. >> Thank you. >> Any other discussion? All in favor? >> Thank you. >> Moving to educational services attendance recovery pilot program. May I have a motion? So moved >> moved >> by Dr. Finlay, second by Miss Hin. Any discussion? >> Uh yes, Dr. Madrono. >> Yes. Thank you, Mr. Reyes. Um attendance recovery is a way that we can earn income and also enrich um learning for students. So we are piloting some programs that feature interest experience and career technical education this year to begin work in that area. Um, recently there has been

091some changes in uh law that allow us to do different more creative types of attendance recovery. Um, when many of us were in school a few years ago, it was more Saturday school where you sit in the cafeteria. It's not like that anymore. So, we want to pilot some programs this spring and then kick it off in the fall with even more opportunities for kids to come beyond the school day to recover attendance. So, this is seeking your approval for that. Thank you. >> Any other discussion or question? >> All in favor? >> I item number two, revise 2025-2026 single plans for student achievement. May I have a motion? >> So moved >> by Dr. Finley, second by Mrs. Any discussion? >> All in favor? Hi. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Item number three, receive

092for information the program offerings for summer school 2026. Moving to business and finances. Public hearing regarding AB200 public disclosure and tentative agreement with the California School Employees Association CSDA and it's Dwarte chapter numero number 25. Do I have a motion to open to the public hearing for item 16.1? >> Move to open by Dr. Hasso. >> Second. Second by the Miss Holgin. >> Since I don't see anybody approaching the mic, move to close. >> Second. >> I need to open it first to the public. >> I have a motion to open it to the public. >> Oh, you didn't call for a vote. Okay. Sorry. >> So moved. >> You're ready to >> I'm I'm anxious to get home. Sorry. >> The public hearing is now open. Now you can say it. >> Okay. I

093I do not see anybody approaching the mic. Move to close. >> Second. >> Moved by Mr. Reyes to close. Second by Miss Holin. All in favor? >> I thank you. >> Item number two, AB1200 public disclosure and tentative agreement between the Dwarte Unified School District and the California School Employee Association CSEA and its Dwarte chapter 25. May I have a motion? So moved moved by Dr. Hasso, second >> by Dr. Finlay. Any discussion? Seems none. All in favor? >> I. >> Thank you. Motion pass. Item number three, AB1200 salary increase and increase to the annuals annual district health benefits allowance for management supervisors confidential and other unrepresented district employees. May I have a motion? So moved. Moved by Dr. Hasso, second by Miss Holing. Any discussion? All in favor? >> Thank you. Item number four,

094resolution 23-25-26, cash borrowing resolution from school pools fund, Los Angeles County Treasurer for the 2026-2027 school year. May I have a motion? >> Move to approve. >> Moved by Mr. Reyes, second. >> Second by Dr. Hasso. Any discussion? >> Seems none. All in favor? I >> thank you. >> Number item number five, resolution 242526, temporary intern fund cash borrowing resolution for the 2026 2027 school year. May I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Moved by Dr. Hasso. Second. >> Second by Miss Hogin. Any discussion? All in favor? I >> I >> motion pass. Item number six, resolution 25-25-26, approving assignment of delinquency delinquent tax receivables to the California statewide delinquent tax finance authority for fiscal years ending June 30th in each of the years 26, 27, and 28 and authorizing executive on delivering of

095related documents and actions. May I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Moved by Mr. Reyes, second >> second >> by second by Miss Dr. Hasso. Any discussion? All in favor? >> I. Motion passed. Item number seven, year end appropriation transfer for the school year. May I have a motion? >> Salute. >> Moved by Dr. Hasso. Second. Second >> second by Miss Hovin. Any discussion? All in favor? >> Motion pass. >> Item number eight, proposal from little divers diversified architectural consulting for portable building additional at Maxwell campus. May I have a motion? >> So moved by Dr. Hasso, second by Mr. Reyes. Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor? >> I. >> Now move to nonaggenda item by board members, student board members and superintendent for discussion only. I gonna go with Alexis tonight. >>

096Thank you. Um, today is my final board meeting. Um, so I would like to acknowledge my my I'm here at Dherty Schools. Um, I've been in this district since kindergarten. I went to Royal Oaks K through 8th. Um, and I spent my high school years at DHS. While at Royal Oaks, I had countless um, experiences within the school that had shaped my childhood and memories. It's okay. You're doing good. Okay, I'm gonna go with Mr. Reyes. >> Yeah. >> And then I'm gonna go back with you. >> Okay, Mr. Reyes. >> This is This is gonna be quick. Okay, we're going to miss you. >> Um, thank you all for coming out tonight and uh I'm going to make this short and sweet. Everybody out there who's a mother, have a happy Mother's Day this

097weekend. Okay, again, thank you all. Good night. >> Thank you, Dr. Hassa. Thank you. Thank you everyone for joining us tonight. It's always great to see the community show up um and hear your voices and just have your presence here. Um, Alexis, it's a big deal to be finishing high school and it is emotional. So, um, totally understand. Um, we appreciate you so much. Thank you for being a valuable addition to our board. Um, congratulations on your graduation and your future and we wish you nothing but the best. Please stay in touch with us so we know how you're doing and come back and visit. Um, your future is very bright. So, congratulations to you. And as Alexa started, this is our final board meeting of the 2526 school year. And I can't believe how

098fast it's flown by. We went through some really significant changes. And I just um personally feel really good about the state of our district and our current leadership and our board as a whole. And um looking forward to wrapping up the school year strong and um kicking off next school year stronger. And I just want to recognize that it is um teacher appreciation week and so um you know much much much appreciation to our teachers and then we'll officially recognize day of the teacher next week um on May 13th. So thank you educators teachers for everything you do um you do it all. So thank you for that. >> Thank you Dr. Hasso Dr. Finley. >> Thank you Madam President. Yes. And and Alexis, um I I also want to echo what's been said. Thank

099you so much for all your contributions to the board. It's been wonderful having you on here and I am very very happy to see uh that you're you're you know emotional about this because that that that tells me that you're you really love this place and that I think there's no better testament to what happens in our school district that than to hear people that are sad to leave it. Um, that means it was it was a good place to be and and you you've got such great exciting times ahead of you. Um, when when I graduated, I I didn't know, you know, what what things were going to be like, and that's part of the excitement of it. Um, so really, I'm I'm very jealous for for this uh time in your life. and

100and I would encourage you to just keep using your your same skill set and and uh show them show them what comes out of Dwerti. Thank you very much for all you've done. >> Um you know as this this is such an exciting time of year for our students uh especially those that are are taking large steps into the future. Uh you know whether that be you know graduating from high school or whether that be going from eighth grade into high school. Um it's this is a very exciting time of year and it's so uh rewarding to see the the hope and aspirations that uh are in the eyes of our scholars and those those hopes and aspirations are built and sustained by our teachers, by our parents and guardians and by their friends. And

101so I I hope that everyone as we go into this exciting season really uh realizes that that excitement and that hope and uh and the aspirations that our students have doesn't just happen in the last week of school. That's something that's built over years and years and years through the dedication of our our staff, our teachers uh that are here that really give their all to our students. And uh I'm just I'm thrilled to to be a part of such an amazing district and an amazing community and uh I'm looking forward to to all the the celebrations uh that come with the end of the year. So thank you very much Madam President. >> Thank you Dr. Finley. Miss Hog. >> Well, good evening everybody. Thank you for being here and Alexis. Thank you. We

102are going to miss you and um please come visit us once in a while. And um Well, as they've been saying, it's the end of the year, our last board meeting for this 25 26 year. And um looking forward to it. A lot of events coming up. We have three graduations, one promotion. And I want to give a shout out to Miss Lewis who is our our our gym custodian. Um I want to thank her for enforcing the rule of no food or drink in the gym. I know it's hard, but made a big difference. She's doing a great job by herself basically. And I wanted to give her a shout out. Every time I see her, she's um doing something. She's smiling. She takes a lot of pride in her work. So, just want

103I don't know if she's around, but shout out. She's doing a great job. And everybody have a great evening and happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Hin. Um do you want me to go, Alexis, or you want to do it now? I'm I'm good. I could do it right now. >> Okay, go ahead. >> Okay, that was kind of embarrassing. Like I didn't mean to get emotional. Um but as I was saying, I went to uh Royal Oaks kindergarten through 8ighth grade. Um and I specifically remember the day like um the high school came to the middle schools to give us like a preview of um Darty High School. I remember like seeing um all the clubs and the cheerleaders come in and I knew like

104I told myself I want to make sure that I make the most out of my high school experience. Um and that's what I did as a freshman. I joined leadership. Um I did tennis. Uh I did varsity swim. Um and I was class president. Um and I took also took college courses my freshman year. all while meeting new people and exploring all the options at Darti High School. Um, and I believe that's what the beauty is in at Dwarti High School because every student has an opportunity. Um, and uh, no matter your experience or where you come from, uh, you are welcomed. Um, uh, no matter if it's a club or a sport or I know we have like international ambassadors, like there's so many different opportunities to grow at the school. Um, and that's

105like what I'm most thankful for. Like the opportunities are very endless. Um, and as now I serve as ASB president, um, the class of 2026 treasurer and uh, this Darti Unified student board representative. Um, this role has been uh, something I love being a part of and being the voice for my school has been a great opportunity. Um, it's been a opportunity of learning but also challenge. Um, I would like to say thank you for all the to all the board members for always welcoming me. Um, and also I want to say thank you to Dr. Madrono because watching her come into the district has been very inspiring. Um, I watched her as like everything changed in our district and our schools and I really appreciate how she came in and she wanted to hear

106the student voices and I seen that um, automatically um, from when she came in and I think that's most important is our student voices. Um, it has been a great honor to serve on this board. Um, and I'm very thankful for this opportunity and I'm very excited for the future of the DHY district. Thank you, >> Alexis. How was the traffic when you used to come in the mornings, drive in the mornings? Tell me how long it took you to get here from your house. >> It's like 50 minutes every day. Thank you for doing that that love showing that love to our school district. Thank you. Okay. Uh yes yes yes yes. the the board have have remind me to say thank you to mom and dad to make possible uh to support Alexis

107for what to be the uh the an excellent uh representative from the from the for the students but also she did an amazing representation at our um uh board when we go to the board retreat. no to CSBA. She represented really well. So, thank you, Alexis, and to your parents, too. And so, now it's my turn. Um, I just want to add that uh I am very humbled to serve on this board. And when we come to the board meetings, we are prepared. We have to read hours and hours and hours. And when we hear the parents and when we hear both sides for different schools, we sometimes we have to stop and make the stop. Not because we are not prepared to vote, but we have to listen to the parents too. And that

108give us the opportunity to have more discussion among the board and to the superintendent and follow her directions. But remember that every decision that we made, we made it with our hearts, with the information that we have to impact all the students of our school district. And I know it's our responsibility to make sure that every student succeed here and uh have a successful story to tell at the end of their time to leave the district. So, thank you for your support tonight. I believe that we haven't seen um many parents stay that long with us. Most of the time parents speak and then they leave. But thank you for being with us tonight. Dr. Medano, I know that the board mentioned that this is our last meeting, but I don't think so. I think

109we have another meeting, right? We we have two very important meetings in June. So, don't miss those. Yeah, that is after the school year is over, but it is technically still. >> It's technically. >> So, I knew what I knew what she meant. >> You know what I mean? So, Dr. Medano, it's your time. >> Well, I had some I always prepare some words because there's so much going on that goes behind the scenes to prepare for board meetings. So, I always try to write something just so I can keep myself grounded. But, I'm going to speak a little bit from the heart tonight, hearing Alexis talk and everything that you all have to had to say. Um, it's okay to get emotional. Um, that shows that we're human and that I'm a very emotional

110person myself and I mean it brings tears to my eyes sometimes to hear some of the amazing things that we say and do. And so I will try not to as I speak because I hear you and it feels like this is the end of a chapter in a long book of our life. But it's really such a beginning. Um, you know, I I want you to just enjoy this moment. There's so much to enjoy. I think about um my own life and when I was your age and I was very involved in school also and and look at me now, right? So just enjoy the moment. If I could go back to those times, I would just enjoy it more because I think um there's so much around us that makes us focus on

111so many social factors and all these things, but just enjoy it and discover who you are even more than you know now. So, um, I love this time of year. We get to celebrate. May is such an incredibly busy month for all of us that are mothers as well and all that, but it's also a time of celebration. As you mentioned, we're celebrating teachers. We have Day of the Teacher May 13th coming up. I'm excited to celebrate our teachers and also our classified employees May 17th through 23rd. We did Day of the Principal. There's administrative assistance, all these things that we're celebrating. So, I'm really thankful for that. We've been celebrating our employees. Um the years of service is coming up. So we have many employees that are celebrating being in our district for many

112years and I'm just really happy to be a part of that with all of you. Looking forward to finishing the school year strong um and working together to continue our work and it's been a great it's almost been six months. I can't believe it. Um but I'm excited for where we're going next. So thank you for your support and collaboration. >> Thank you Dr. Mrano. Okay, we now move to adjournment. Um, I need a motion to adjourn the meeting. >> Moved by the by Miss Kin, second >> Second by Mr. Reyes. Any opposition? Motion adjourn. Meeting adjourned. Thank you. Anything to say?