February 13, 2025 - Board Meeting

001good evening I'd like to call the meeting to order um I'm gonna do this um good evening I'd like to call the meeting to order so if people would please take a seat I hope there are enough seats or do we need some extra chairs in the room it's going to be standing room only it's going to be standing room only all right well I appreciate I appreciate you all being here tonight and um I'd like to bring this meeting of the board of education on February 13th 2025 to order at p.m. and um we will call this meeting to order by Leading The Pledge of Allegiance so I will ask trusty Heatherton to lead us Mike on mik on IED to the flag of the United States to the stands Nation indivisible jce for

002all right thank you uh M scow will you please take attendance truste Mansfield present truste kamano oh I'm sorry present trusty Anderson here trusty Heatherton present president keer present all right uh do I have an motion to adopt the agenda I move to adopt the agenda I second thank you the motion to adopt the agenda was initiated by truste Heatherton and seconded by trustee Mansfield all those in favor say I I all those opposed okay motion passes okay um item I need to get my paper I have too many pieces of paper tonight item three communication reports um we have board member reports first do I have any but start I'll start it's been a busy week and a half or so for me um I enjoyed Tahoe arts project presentation of Alexon in the

003in the schools and just seeing the kids just o ah that was just that was really fun and then I went to the senior night at the high school which was kind of special and then also the next night I went to Spring um term welcome but the r it was raining that night so there was not a lot of people there unfortunately and then this week I had the the privilege to help Marcel Foundation give out Kindles to every second grader at Sierra house school so Marcel Foundation provided 70 Kindles all loaded up with books and um then today I was able to attend the 2 by two up at the college with the ltcc board and two members from our board and our superintendent flash their president to talk about our agenda that

004for the upcoming joint board meeting and that's about it thank you just thank you thank you very much I've had a couple of busy weeks too it's been a lot of a lot of fun I've really enjoyed it first of all I uh was part of the senior projects got to judge that a couple of weeks ago and I've been doing this for about 20 years best best group we've had yet everyone was just really engaging and we had a nice group of Judges so I just walked out of there feeling very proud of our students and then Dave Zebo was very generous to take a lot of his time and take I uh myself and um trusty um Sanderson thank you um around to look at all the schools and the needs that are

005that hoping that we're going to get accomplished with our passing of the bond and that was just a really very informative day and also I spent a few hours with h principal zunini Zunino with uh the high school and also got to see tap that was a lot of fun he's very engaging at all ages I was um enjoyed that and then got to go around and see many of the different classrooms including several CTE classrooms um this the curriculum that's coming out of there is just so impressive and almost wanted to go back to high school I said almost on that one and then lastly I got to spend some time with principal Holmes over at Sierra house last week and oh my goodness what they are learning I went home and whipped out

006my paper and showed my husband how to add in a couple of different ways I didn't know possible so it's just been uh very exciting thank you anyone else I was lucky enough to spend uh some time this morning with the fine folks uh and uh principal Holmes over at Sierra house working with the Marcela Foundation what a joy that was to to hand out these Kindles to kids and teach them we didn't really have to teach them anything they knew how to do it uh it it was it was delightful and senior night basketball last week really really uh a a heartwarming event didn't Prevail um in the playoffs but uh uh for senior night we did Prevail yeah that's itk you um I wasn't as busy as the other trustees with school stuff

007but I did attend the uh senior night and um just wanted to really give a shout out to the community for all the support it was it was very nostalgic to go back and have those feelings and see people that didn't even have children involved showing up to Rally behind the schools and the uh and all the student athletes so thank you and I I just want to say that yes I I want to just commend the especially the girls varsity team their last game they showed an immense amount of focus and determination and it was it was really impressive um I also want to just do a shout out to the task which is the uh Tahoe Alliance for Safe Kids and Teresa Pap Andrea is in the audience I see her and she's

008done a fabulous job but terms of bringing challenge day to the middle school and um just providing a lot of uh information and awareness and there's been um a woman I can't remember her name from live violence free that's been speaking to our students about Dating Violence and issues um with relationships and uh I really appreciate the support that they've provided to our students with that I am going to go to student board member reports is that the right order let me see yes Scott you're on thank you um hello everybody uh reiterating what the trustees and president um keer has said uh it truly has been an eventful last couple of weeks um jumping straight into it uh we had the classes change and start of the spring term uh along with spring welcome

009in the middle of a downpour uh nonetheless it was great to see the parents there um all supporting our students uh recently too we also had eighth grade tours for CTE classes um and again with the families during spring welcome um winter sports are pretty much all over um it was really amazing to see and uh all the support for basketball dance cheer and our pep band um I know I saw as you mentioned some of the trustees there um and just want to say thank you for supporting our students uh wrestling had a big weekend a little while ago uh cat Hendrick and Charlie berquist are both state championships or state champions placing first in their weight classes as well as Lilia verdusco Alice Lily DM Johnson um all meddling third for their weight

010classes uh so congratulations to our athletes um and thank you trustees and community of South Lake Tahoe for supporting our students um theater is also in full spring uh they have the spring Play The Man Who Came To Dinner uh which opens March 21st and closes on March 30th uh leader ship and clubs have also been spreading the love with uh Valentine's Day coming up tomorrow and um going a little bit deeper uh two Mondays ago on February F 3D uh led by Dr Cutler we had the superintendent student advisory Council and we gathered to have our monthly meeting um we talked about various positive and negative aspects of student culture um really hitting hard on how we can support our students and uh make sure we're seeing their perspectives and listening to their voices

011um now more than ever we need to be a unified community and district and um having this meeting is a great Showcase of how we're um how the good things that we're doing and how there's still much work ahead uh in specific on the day of a national protest and following a specific um rather hateful comment directed at our students uh we need to listen to each other and I believe that these meetings and involving our students are necessary uh to hear their voices later in the week uh the School site Council also met up uh myself and two others on my ASB team represented the high school students um some great things were discussed regarding being prompt on all aspects of the wasque uh regulations and things that we have to meet um especially

012hitting on student achievement as well uh being that our a through G courses and that A's B's and C's will get you through to colleges but D's do not count um along with leadership and counseling we're hoping to tackle some of these misconceptions going into the second half of the year uh thank you that's all I have for today thank you go all right and superintendent report president kber members of the board thank you so much it's great to see a full audience this evening on the different topics that we're going to be addressing appreciate everyone being here I'm going to do my best to be tight with my present my words so we have so we can get on to things um I wanted to start first by by today today was really the

013first day that our team got on a phone call at five o'clock this morning to determine if we were G to have school um it's interesting where I was sitting I had five inches of snow um Teresa says that's an ere exaggeration um but uh but but the team said it's raining we don't have any snow and um and and so as we talked through it and looked at the day we said it's a school day um as as it should be but we did receive a few phone calls of complaints about not canceling school today and I just wanted to reiterate how do we go about making those decisions and do that quite often every year just to kind of remind and one thing I do want I do like to share with people

014is is you know we live in a mountain town and in a mountain town you're going to end up going to school when there's snow on the ground um it's inevitable um so what is our decision-making process while to determine if we go to school first and foremost is can we operate our buses safely to pick up students at at their bus stops and to get them to school safely and as we look at the weather report do we believe in anticipate that we'll be able to get them safely home that's the first thing we look at and the second thing we look at is are our campuses ready to be able to be um safe for our our staff to arrive to and our students to arrive to if the answer is yes on

015both of those um even if it looks pretty dramatic outside or we have a good amount of snow if we're prepared and ready that's how we make the decision and I just want to make sure I shared that publicly as well as just reminding the board that that's how we go about that and and there's a team of five people that get on a call um at 5:00 in the morning to make that discussion um and we did that this morning and we anticipate we're going to do that again tomorrow morning um just as as we move forward um you know it's a shout out about the senior night and and board members made a comment about it what an incredible night and and really a shout out to the high school and to the

016students and to the staff to creating an environment that um was quite impactful um and and listening to our our our musicians perform and our dance team dance and our cheerleaders shear and our basketball teams play and our and our students root and our and our families being proud it's just an incredible night and and I'm so and I will tell you uh Kevin Hennessy said something to me says hey can I bring them to the board meeting to celebrate and I said I think my board would love that so I just share that um Scott mentioned the superintendent student advisory Council and I'm just so proud of the group of folks and we really had a difficult conversation this last time about the school culture around for students we talked about the good things

017and the not so good things and and really they this group of students is taking it up as hey how do we help and how do we make a difference and I just really want to applaud that whole group that that meets with me monthly and we discuss how things are going but also we have students assigned to different entities that go out excuse me and go out and work with for example we we've heard about it today from the 2 by two we have two two of the superintendent student advisor members to go meet with um uh Dr Franco at at the college and talk about you know how they can work with the college to help our connection and our relation between high school students up to up to the college we have

018two students that work with a city two students that work with Barton two students that work with a Family Resource Center um Karen's here and and and then of course two students that work directly with the school district and and I just want to do a very very proud shout out to that group of students um and I want they're also from today's 2 by two with with um the the the college we have a scheduled date of March 25th for our Tu uh for our joint meeting but there was a recommendation to possibly look at Wednesday March 26 we don't need to know right now but be looking at your calendar so we can get back to them and so they're going to get back to us and see if that date would work

019okay and lastly for me um over the last two weeks uh Kelly and I have been on calls regarding our bond um and bond rating and getting ready start to sell bonds um and just to let you know that um we maintain an A1 status that's the bond rating status um in front of the bonds and we I I have a call I believe Kelly might be joining me on that call next Tuesday to kind of finalize and prepare ourselves for the sale of our bonds and so over the next couple weeks our folks that are selling those bonds will be looking for the right timing um and rates and at certain moments to to actually go forth and so we'll keep you informed on that but I wanted to let you know um I

020said I was trying to be tight but there a few things I want to make sure I share tonight that's my report tonight thank you thank you Dr Cutler and we now have item 3D the employee Association reports do we have any association leaders I did not see our association Representatives so at this point in time say no association reports thank you and then um the next item is public comment and this is a time for um comments that are um for public comment on things that are not on the agenda so if you have would like to make a public comment on something that is not on the agenda your name will be called at this time if your comments are on an item that is on the agenda your name will be called

021after that item is discussed and prior to any final action being taken please limit your comments to three minutes or less if there is more than one speaker on a particular topic the board president which is me May limit the comments to Less Than 3 minutes no more than 20 minutes of public input will be taken on any one item we we appreciate your cooperation and helping us facilitate the timeliness of our meetings also I'd like to remind everyone that the brown Act only allows the board to address items on the posted agenda the board is listening and cares about your comments but we cannot respond to any of them at this time related to the public comments um that is this this item right now so are there any public comments for things that

022are not and we' got several comments but only one that was specifically submitted off off agenda okay okay and so we welcome L perini to the to Podium by the way when we have speakers tonight you don't necessarily need to touch the mic when we start moving it it kind of creates issues so just it'll pick you up um if it's not just speak up a little bit louder that's all but yeah because as we start to get lots of folks up there people moving and it actually can create some challenge Lou thank you you're on good evening president and members of the board administrative staff Dr Cutler and and his staff and I came here tonight to address two issues that are on the agenda oh but I'm not going to address those here

023I'm here to support the proclamation and I'm here to support Karen Holmes I mean what a great principle but anyway I was substitute I'm a substitute teacher and I knew your president when she went to work for lotan so you can tell how long I've been here um and I was at the high school substituting today and a lot of people thought well God maybe it's snow maybe tomorrow is snow day and so I at my lunch by the way I looked at the uh uh academic calendar and I saw that we have a planned snow day May 2nd that if we don't have any snow days prior to May 2nd we're going to take May 2nd off and I said all the teachers and everybody wants tomorrow off and why not substitute May 2nd

024for February 14th prior to a whole week off plus on Valentine's Day and I I hope Dr Cutler would consider that in addition to of course the snowfall totals and the safety and all those other things but also the planned day off let's move that up till tomorrow anyway thank you for hearing my comments and I appreciate it thank you thank you all right you know with with the Applause and the board cannot respond but I just do want to say something I I I appreciate that and just so you know though we could have a snow day in Fe end of February could have a snow dat meaning we have to call School in February or March or April before that May 2nd and so you know if tomorrow needs to be a snow

025day it will be I promise but it's a school day we'll have it so there it is all right thanks L all right uh your next item is item number four our student celebration and tonight we have the honor of uh hearing from Sierra house so I'll invite uh principal holes resident camper and trustees please welcome Sierra house principal Miss Holmes and teacher Miss Mandy Miller to introduce some of their amazing students are we all are we all ready all right good evening president keer trustees and Dr Cutler my name is Karen Holmes and I am the proud principal of Sierra house elementary school tonight I am honored to be here to introduce you to our amazing student kindness leaders and peacemakers from Sierra house the Tahoe Alliance for Safe Kids t task and our

026PTA provided the monetary support for us to bring The Peacemaker program to Sierra house this year to follow up the Soul Shop program that we had last year and really working on students being able to say IM messages and resolve conflict in a healthy way thanks to our community schools Grant we were able to bring on Kim Yan this year as a full-time counselor and we are working her tail off um and Mandy Miller has a part-time intervention and part-time support for our students social emotional learning we are so lucky to have these two incredible women doing amazing work with our students and staff and tonight we are happy to have our students highlight the work they have done throughout the year to reinforce the culture of kindness on our campus so um no on

027the side yeah got it okay are we going to the right okay isit we [Music] are Kiran Jacob oh oh sorry this is where yall began this is where we created our normes oh sorry hold hold on I guess our whole slides show didn't has one more talk about this real quick we like you all to join us for our kindness pledge we do it before every meeting and we would like you guys to stand and please join us turn your microphones on board members oh myself on this day to every way others so this is where we created our norms and this is where we presented our Norms our Norms are be kind be focused and don't be mean I don't think we it's okay okay here we are spreading motival kindness with motivational

028messages by drawing on our blacktop and writing Mo motivational messages for all the kids to see this is the time where we were defining kindness and this is where we were starting our kind as wall can see we started printing up sticky notes This Is Us helping kindergarteners add to our kindness wall and another picture a of our kindness right now and it's totally full of so adding to it right Adam here we are wrapping presents for our SE House toy drive to get to kids that may not be able to afford them this is after we have wrapped every present that the Sierra house families have donated my my favorite memory as a kindness leader has been when we finished wrapping the presents for our toy driver and watching the kids faces when they

029unwrap the presents my favorite memory is when we helped the kindergarteners add to our kindness wall and all the activities we did with them my favorite memory as a kindness leader has been when we grabbed the kindergarteners and asked them what they thought is kind and walked him up to this big Bolton board with sticking it's full of positive and motivational messages that kids have done that have been kind my favorite memory as a kindness leadership uh leader has been uh right now we're in the progress of making a kindness chain and the Kinders have been um writing stuff on the kind chain and we're trying to put it around our H so students can see while they're walking for example one of them says I give Miss Peach Nini hugs every day my favorite

030memory as a kindness leader has been when re writing what is kindness on ornaments so we can hang on a kind of tree fantastic are we doing a photo Dr reer or is there more there's more second oh the peacemakers peacemakers are next okay now we have our peacemakers we are peacemakers and we make our school a better place on the first day of training we used wait no add again um the first day of training we told our names and gave compliments other we went through the day of training the first day of training we use fake scenarios to encounter real conflicts at our school during those fake scenarios there would be four people in a group two would be peacemakers and two others would be in the conflict those peacemakers would help them

031use their eye messages and cleanups these are what we use for our eye messages and cleanups okay during another day of training we practice scenarios so when we are outside on the playground we'll know exactly what to do my favorite memory of being a peacemaker wait noes and then yes so um so an you want to go first okay um my favorite memory of being a peacemaker is practicing fake scenarios my favorite memory of being a peacemaker is being able to help people people get over conflict so they will not bring negativity into the classroom and we are learning and we'll have a more kind and peaceful environment my favorite memory of being a peacemaker is being able to help people when they need um my favorite memory for being a peacemaker is when we

032try to solve these fake scenarios then try to actually solve them when we're at school I think that we're missing was it yeah she's going to talk about but it looks like we're missing that slideshow of the video and stuff okay unfortunately that's okay um so do you want to just talk real quick about Heavenly can just look here uh thank you uh Veil Resort for prom uh for giving us a grant for all of our grades to go skiing and then um all of our students get to experience skiing snowboarding or sit skiing during our Heavenly days this is a video of Aubrey on the slopes well so um and then is there another this is the old one this is the old one okay so please come see the magic happening at Sierra

033house we encourage you to come anytime you are welcome anytime um and then our community schools Grant uh we have a community night coming up that uh Kayla is going to tell you a more um please join us February 25th from 5: to 7:00 p.m for our winter Community night we will have Story Time with Batman students can read with therapy dogs we will have readers theaters production you can register for a El Dorado County library card we'll have a book fair just to name a few thank you yeah let's let's see if the board members have any before we do that real quick see if the board members have any questions but can I just say wonderful job you guys just so proud of you and this is this is what we needed like

034right in front of our next agenda item this was perfect um thank you guys can can someone please share with me an iMessage and a fix and a solution I'd like to hear so what you do is you always start with I feel and you say how you feel and then you say what they did so you say when people and then you say what you need I need and then will you please stop or even something else the cleanup yes I'm sorry yeah I apologize what can I make do to make it right and they would tell them what they need and stuff next time I will lank will you forgive me now you always don't have to forgive them you can just say maybe thank you perfect thank you any other board members

035there I I'm very impressed thank you so much for all the hard work you guys have done and let's and get a picture let's do that SC get you [Music] guys all right thank you so much all right you're gonna read read what Lor's G read the resolution okay I'm G read this one yeah yeah you'll read all right thank you all for coming to support our students oh okay thank you everybody you anybody who staying on for the meeting um take a seat now I think we have enough seats um I think we're good okay excellent thank you so much may well it's great to have had such a nice focus on kindness because tonight um our next item is a resolution 2024 25- 09 which means the ninth resolution of our school year

036intitled all students accessing equality no that's not right all students um it's called a safe and inclusive School environment resolution I was looking at an old agenda um it is called a safe and inclusive School environment resolution and um we are considering this resolution tonight to support our student to support our students our staff and our superintendent and our broader Community it affirms um state and federal law and the board's own priorities and as Scott uh our student rep said now more than ever we need a unified community and District I'm going to read the resolution and then uh we'll take questions and comments from the board and then uh any comments from the public whereas the Lake Tahoe Unified School District Board of Education is committed to the success of all students irrespective of

037their immigration status ethnic ethnicity race religion sexual orientation ability disability sex gender expression of gender national origin socioeconomic status or ideological beliefs whereas the Board of Education Embraces the diversity of our students and families and the rich Language and Cultural assets they bring to our district and strongly supports and encourages the participation of all parents Guardians and families in our schools whereas all students have a right to attend school regardless of their immigration status the United States Supreme Court in 1982 ruled in pler versus doe that public schools were prohibited from denying students access to free public education based on their immigration status citing that children have little control over their immigration status the lifelong harm it would inflict on the child and Society itself and constitutional equal protection rights whereas state and federal laws

038prohibit educational agencies from disclosing personally personally identifiable student information to law enforcement without the consent of a parent or Guardian a court order or lawful subpoena or in the case of a health emergency the Lake Tahoe Unified School District will follow specific guidelines established by the California attorney general whereas on January 1st 2018 the California values act went into effect which ensures that no state and local resources are used to assist Federal immigration enforcement and that our Public Schools our health facilities operated by the state or a political subdivision of the state our public libraries and our cour houses are safe spaces for everyone in our community whereas reports of potential raids by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement office otherwise known as ice have caused immigrant communities to experience increased levels of fear the

039presence of ice in and around schools could be a severe disruption to the learning environment and educational setting for students and their families now therefore be it resolved the board declares its unequivocal commitment that every school district site shall be a safe and welcoming place for families and a place for all students to be able to receive a quality education be it further resolved the board reaffirms its focus on promoting and elevating tolerance inclusiveness and kindness to all students families and staff at all district school sites facilities and material property be it further resolved the superintendent shall direct schools in restricting the sharing of student files and information that may may be used to ascertain the legal status of students in accordance with federal and state law and be it further resolved the superintendent shall

040ensure that there is adequate training Andor support available for staff that desires more training and or support in dealing with students who feel unsafe on a district school campus or are facing possible deportation the superintendent shall keep the Board of Education updated on the status of any training and other activities be it further resolved the superintendent shall ensure that there are unifying activities occurring within the district to support diversity inclusion tolerance equity and acceptance lastly be it further resolved the superintendent shall ensure that all parents Guardians and students will receive notification of this resolution to fully inform them of their rights and the information they can access from the school district and then if it's passed today February 13th all right do I have any questions or comments from the board or our student representative

041I have a comment um I just wanted it reiterated that it's this resolution is not just for our immigrant students but for all students should feel safe and protected and receive a quality education so that does include um the lgbqt community um homeless community in our that we have quite a few of in our in our school district that they should all feel safe and treated with tolerance and fairness and inclusion and a culture of kindness that Sierra house is embracing right now so thank you thank you thank you trusty Mansville anyone else Scott um I just wanted to say from the student side um thank you to the board uh for this resolution and um for hearing our voices and concerns and um speaking up yourselves on them uh thank you you're welcome all

042right and Dr Cutler yeah you know what I I did want to reiterate and I I do think it's so important to realize to to to acknowledge as uh trusty Mansfield this resolution um though there is also a concern about the immigration and ice and in our community there's also that the concern of making sure we protect all students and and and to call that out it's it is in that first whereas where um irrespective of immigration status ethnicity race religion sexual orientation ability disability sex gender expression of gender national origin socioeconomic status or the or ideological beliefs and I you know I just really like that is so powerful in that statement right there and I just want to reiterate that what you shared um from that um I do want to share that

043I did get a message um that on the on our back side of this piece of paper where it says be it further resolved the superintendent shall ensure that there is adequate training and support available for staff that desires more training there was a suggestion of changing that next portion of that and simply saying um desires more training and supporting students who feel feel unsafe and and dropping from that resolution say support in dealing with so there was a suggestion of just dropping support and dealing with and just saying more training and supporting students so I just if the board would you know any changes you make tonight obviously have to make part of our but that was a suggestion was provided to me today thank you okay um also I was uh provided a

044similar suggestion um for the first as part of the first weas that you just read um to add the word safety in front of success so where we start off by saying the Lake Tahoe school district is committed to the safety and success of all students um because the it is the safe and inclusive School environment resolution so um so I thought that was a good suggestion safety and success so okay any problems with that any other suggestions and then hearing um none I know that we did receive some written comments and uh Teresa so just just in the spirit of an act oh yeah motion what I just just in regards to your your processes yes this is an action item and um you can obviously change your action later if you choose to

045um but you know just encouraging you to stay within your process right and so our process just for the public to know is we we will now entertain emotion and and we do that as a way to um let people in the audience understand where we're headed and and as Dr Cutler mentioned um we can modify that after hearing comments or questions or additional input um but this is an opportunity for our board to now that we've completed our discussion and we've got a couple of um additional uh changes to the um resolution that I will now ask do we have a motion okay I can as a safety right there and on the other side I have it written down to okay I move to approve the resolution for a safe and inclusive School

046environment resolution 20242 um res uh resolution 09 and Does it include the two suggested changes and to include the uh changes in the first whereas of the safety and uh safety and and then and at the end the uh recommendation that you had received with supporting yep very good Andor supporting students and I will second that motion all right we have a motion and a second and now we will ask for the public the written public comments to be read as well as we'll take comments from so if we if you if if the board uh will start with we have several submitted written comments um we'll have mcow read those and then we'll move to the the comments from the public that's okay and just so everyone knows I have nine bear with me

047and we are going to be timing them just as all all of our inut so we'll try to be as timely as possible and we'll have the timer right up there so everyone can see it okay okay this is from Celeste Holmes good afternoon I'm writing in today to address resolution 9A safe and inclusive School environment I attended K12 in the LT us I'm going to abbreviate that like like Tahoe Unified School District I'll say ltusd for all of them I'm a proud STS graduate of 2018 I agree with much of the resolution but feel that there should be additionally uh there should additionally be a stronger stance to protect our lgbtq plus youth all students should feel safe and that's uppercase be safe at school all students deserve dignity and respect from their peers

048and teachers transgender kids need to be protected with their names and pronouns respected and underlined used correctly no questions or strings detached it wasn't that long ago that I was a young closeted queer kid I was very involved in club activities leadership and band yet the only place in all of my schooling that I truly felt like I could truly be myself was at Aly Club at the high school it is my dream oh called Ali I'm sorry it is my dream for students to be able to feel see to feel they could be true to themselves no matter where they are on campus no one deserves to feel like they need to hide a part of themselves in order to feel safe or fit in please take my comments into consideration and create a

049school district that is safe and inclusive for all students including those in the lgbtq plus Community sincerely Celeste Holmes this is from uh Mary Ellen Sanchez I'm writing today to address resolution 9 a safe eight a safe and inclusive School environment I want to thank the ltusd board for this resolution supporting marginalized students in our community as a mother of a non-binary adult child a Community member and ltcc employee I hope ltusd will take this commitment even further by expressly recognizing the value of transgender and other gender diverse children in our community a public affirmation of their specific right to a safe and inclusive School environment sends a strong message about inclusion for in our local school district and Community I live on the n that aside and the C and cross the line State

050Line every day as a member of the Southshore Community I am grateful that in California all in quotes truly means a as I do not feel that as strongly on the Nevada side in struggle during my child's high school years at w watel i urge you to take this commitment to the fullest possible extent and support quote all children students in the community schools oh did they say thank you for your time and consideration Mary Ellen TR Sanchez this is from Nicole Robinson my name is Nicole Robinson and I am a student support specialist for the trio and educational Talent search I can't in case I cannot make it in person tonight here's the public comment I'm here before the board to address resolution 9 a safe and inclusive School environment I would like to

051thank the board for this resolution supporting the mar marginalized students that are in our community I'm asking the board to take their commitment a step further and recognize the value of the transition gender and gender diverse children in our school district and affirm their right to a safe and inclusive School environment as well State superintendent Thurman issued a statement on Friday February 7th saying in in California all still means all while the Trump education department announced that they will no longer protect all students from discrimination California law is unaffected by recent changes to federal policy and continues to provide safeguards against discrimination and harassment based on gender gender expression gender identity and sexual orientation while federal guidelines or while Federal guidance devolves our commitment to safeguarding the rights of all students persists our transgender children

052are scared their health health care isn't safe their ability to play sports and use the bathroom isn't safe the use of their name and pronouns isn't safe in short they aren't safe in schools CH trans transgender children deserve safety they deserve dignity and respect from their peers and teachers and they deserve a school District which is proactively and unequivocally safe and inclusive for everyone in the lgbtq plus Community best regards Nicole Robinson uh Shelly I'm I don't I don't know if I'm goingon to say this right yo Yanka I'm here before the board today to address resolution nine a safe and inclusive School environment I would like to thank the board for this resolution supporting the marginalized students that are in our community I'm asking asking the board to take their commitment a step further

053and recognize the value of the transgender and other gender diverse children in our school district and affirm their right to a safe and inclusive School environment as well State superintendent Thurman issued a statement on Friday February 7th saying in California all still means all while the trumpet education department announced that they will no longer protect all students from discrimination California law is unaffected by recent changes to federal policy and continues to provide safeguards and against safeguards against discrimination and harassment based on gender gender expression gender identity and sexual orientation while Federal guidance devolves our commitment to safeguarding the rights of all students persists our transgend gender children are scared their health care isn't safe hospitals within California have rolled back transgender care even with threats from California's attorney general their ability to play sports and

054use the bathroom isn't safe to due to bullying in the schools the use of their name and pronouns isn't safe in short they aren't safe in school transgender children deserve safety they deserve dignity and respect from their peers and teachers and they deserve a school district which is proactively and unequivocally safe and inclusive for everyone including those in the lgbtq plus Community thank you for your time and consideration Shelley yon Naka this is from Laura Ryland Good evening there are many executive orders from the current presidential Administration that give reason to make LT L TUSD students feel unsafe the ltusd Board of Education resolution number nine sets several example cites several examples of legislation that protects student immigration status there is also legislation that protects students gender gender gender identity and sexual orientation and reaffirms

055lgbtq plus rights most recently bill number 955 also known as the safety act added into the California Education Code the following paragraph effective January 1 22.3 a an employee or a contractor of a school district County Office of Education charter school or state special school for the blind or deaf shall not be required to disclose any information related to a pupil's sexual orientation gender identity or gender expression to any other person without the pupil's consent unless otherwise required by state or federal law Additionally the safety act States in section 2f LGBT lgbtq plus pupils have the right to express themselves freely at school without fear punishment or retaliation including that teachers or Administration administrators might quote out them without their permission policies that require outing pupils without their consent VI violate pupils rights to privacy

056and self-determination please considering adding the protections of lgtbq plus students described in this legislation to resolution nine to Ill illustrate LT usd's commitment to provide a safe environment for lgbtq plus students thank you Sean and Laura Ryland uh here you go we're getting through them uh Joshua this is from Joshua egga Mora I'm here before the board today to address resolution nine a safe and inclusive School environment I would like to thank the board for this resolution supporting the marginalized students that are in our community I'm asking the board to take their commit a step further and recognize the value of the transgender and other gender diverse children in our school district and affirm their right to a safe and inclusive School environment as well State superintendent Thurman issued a statement on Friday February 7th

057saying in California quote all still means all while the Trump admin the Trump education department announced that they will no longer protect all students from discrimination California law is unaffected by recent changes to federal policy and continues to provide safeguards against discrimination and harassment based on gender gender expression gender ID identity and sexual orientation while fed Federal guidance devolves our commitment to safeguarding the rights of all students persists our transgender children are scared their health care isn't safe their ability to play sports and use the bathroom isn't safe the use of their name and pronouns isn't safe in short they aren't safe in schools transgender children deserve safety they deserve dignity and respect from their peers and teachers and they deserve a school district which is proactive ly and unequivocally safe and inclusive for everyone

058in the lgbtq plus Community J we um some of them are similar everyone okay for me to just keep reading okay just keep going Angela this is from Angela albanes thank you so much for the opportunity to be heard today I am a terrified student at South Tahoe High School and a member of the lgbtq plus community we are so fortunate to have an ally Ally Ally club at our school however our school is far from safe for for lgbtq plus students I would like the board to include lgbtq plus people in the right to a safe and inclusive School in our school so many lgbtq plus students are scared to be open about their identities I find myself needing to lie about my pronouns and sexual orientation to teachers and students to protect myself

059from discrimination opposition children who identify along the queer Spectrum are targeted at school I have personally heard slurs targeting homosexual students being yelled at across our campus I have witnessed conversations where students laugh at the thought of quote one less gay in the world after hearing news of a gay man's death imagine standing feet from the peers you've only ever wanted to accept you while they joke about the agonizing death of someone who Ser shares your identity we are not safe I ask the board to especially recognize transgender children and the amount of discrimination and harassment they endure they are afraid to use their name and pronouns because it isn't safe so many trans kids are hiding and terrified at school because of the lack of protection they have against bullying and hostility it is

060dangerous to come out as an lgbtq Plus student we are not safe this needs to change especially as the Trump Administration continues to strip us of our rights and prot ction there shouldn't be these social shackles that suppress children from living as who they are we shouldn't have to hide from the threats of bigotry and hostility we deserve to be treated and accepted as the human beings we are once again I plead that the board commits to safeguarding the rights of all students including the lgbtq plus community help us make our school a place where kids can be protected and respected thank you for your time and dedication your work truly matters and means the world to all the LGBT Q Plus students who are hurting sinc sincerely Angie this is from Quinn Douglas dear

061ltusd School Board I am a queer teen and the vice president of the high school's Ally club I want to thank you for all the support you have given us and all the work you have put in for queer kids in the school system however recently people have been feeling Bolder and seem to have to and seem to have to problem expressing their hatred from watching my friends and peers be bullied to being told that I don't belong on the dance team because I'm not inherently Fe feminine I am tired of seeing this discrimination in my school I ask you to please please please keep up your excellent work at protecting queer and trans Youth and include lgbtq plus and specifically trans kids into your decision about protecting children in the school system tonight thank

062you Quinn Douglas this is from oh this is the last one uh briy hell to the ltusd school board and Dr Cutler regarding the resolution about protecting our students from the federal administration's recent deportation policies I wanted to applaud all of you for making this public state statement because I know it will mean so much to many in our community in the resolution the language States all students in quotes and specifically mentions our immigrant population what I'd like to request is that L ltusd also include our LGBT plus students especially our trans students in this language that refers to quote all students because the PO that population is also facing widespread discrimination and a dismantling of their civil rights by this Federal Administration last weekend at the peaceful protest I was struck by the number

063of flags waving side by side USA Mexico progress and trans Flags what a sight to behold so much Unity as the adviser to the Ali club for 20 years now I've always been so grateful for the Schoolboard support of our students specifically our LGBT plus students who are at greater risk of for harassment depression and suicide than other populations I'm so proud of our school community and the llt community for their continued commitment to protecting these fragile populations please considering consider adding the LGBT plus acronym to the language that refers to keeping quote all students safe on the resolution prior to passing it this evening thank you so much for your ally ship bridey hell thank nice job Teresa thank you so much um now just real quick Nicole did you want to say anything

064more real quick if you'll keep it short just because your statement was read so Nicole Robinson thank you the board I'm glad I was able to be here tonight um hello my name is Nicole Robinson and I work for the trio educational Talent search program at the high school and I know for a fact right now that my students are scared as you heard from many of them tonight they have told me the things that other students say behind their backs and also to their faces in their classrooms and as they walk down the Halls know that the resolution that you are passing tonight is vitally important and should be passed for the success and safety of our students but also know that it needs to be amended to include a definitive and clear language

065that includes the lgbtqia+ and specifically trans Community thank you so much for your time time and thank you so much for your resolution and have a great evening thank you Nicole and thank you for keeping that short for me thank you NE next up meline Weinberg um hello I'm mateline Weinberg I'm an SS graduate in 2009 and also a transgender woman myself um I had a lot of people email and show support for our youth and it's kind of been my guiding principle in the new political climate and my statement's been read a couple times now via email so I'll just come into the very end here that um I would like to see the school board be proactive and explicit and unequal in the support of trans and other lgbtq students thank you thank

066you um John Friedrich good evening uh president keer trustees Dr Cutler and staff John Friedrich and Scott AKA Rosie's dad uh who once sat in your chair about a year ago um I just want to thank you all for taking up this very uh important resolution in support of the right of all students to a safe and welcoming education I support it 100% And certainly after hearing all the comment uh and agree that it would be right if you could to add lgbtq plus students into the resolution um you all have seen how our community uh rallied against the hateful hurtful racist messages that were posted in response to Dr Cutler's letter to the community saying that students are entitled to attend school safely without fear of being reported interviewed or taken despite the Trump

067administration's threats to send Ice into our schools in my 20 years here I've never seen anything like it um I've never seen a larger more diverse rally than I participated in last Saturday in defense of immigrant families and other vulnerable people in our community um huge C uh Kudos goes to Kelly escco Mama three for mobilizing the heart of our community uh by taking a stand for Unity compassion and inclusion one thing became clear after that don't mess with Tahoe moms and their kids any of them the kids um and I would say we have we dads have a lot of catching up to do um uh one comment on that story really got to me it was from Paula Peterson who said that when judging senior projects a young lady learned how to cook

068in uh in case her mom is taken because then she'd have to take care of her three little brothers and cook for them um imagine what she's going through you know imagine what that Mom is going through there's so many people in our community and throughout the us living in fear afraid to go out afraid to go to work to go to the store and now afraid to go to church or send kids to school these are our friends and neighbors who love their kids and families as deeply as anyone who cook our meals clean our houses and hotel rooms and fix our roofs build our houses um your job is not to change the trumpet administ ministrations harsh immigration policies but your job is to strongly uphold the federal and state laws that protect

069the legal rights of all students regardless of immigration status to a public education this right was established as you said in your resolution in the United States and a Supreme Court ruling in 1982 based on the equal protection Clause of the US Constitution I applaud you for putting the district on record for upholding federal and state laws to protect um all of the kids at a time when Mo when they when we most need it when nativist uh mean-spirited policy and rhetoric is rearing its ugly head I encourage the board to make good on the provision to ensure adequate training and support for staff to support students who feel unsafe on a district school campus or are facing possible deportation and in some I just urge you to pass this res resolution unanimously uh to

070further dis uh demonstrate South Lake to's strong support for invaluable uh and vulnerable uh uh children and their families thank you thanks John Philip butts good evening um I'm here to express my support for resolution nine as well um it's and also ask that you commit more towards the safety of our lgbtq students especially the transgender and gender diverse students because it's one thing to know that you included in all and you were safe it's much more important to know that you specifically are included in that thank you thank you Philip Jenny buts hello my name is Jennifer butes I'm sorry butes no you're [Laughter] fine by my apologies so as a former educator myself within this school district and outside of this school district I just want to say how important it is in

071education to create positive relationships with our students and the only way we can do that is by helping them feel safe I want to touch on the part of resolution 9 where it says training is important for staff this is training that needs to be important for all staff including substitute teachers AIDS volunteers everyone coming into the school district needs to make all children feel safe so that they are comfortable and open up their minds to learning um this includes students and their sexual orientation their culture anything going on in their lives we are providing them a safe space they are with us more than they are with their parents for a lot of their childhood when they come into the school they need to know that we are there supporting them they need to

072know that every adult around them is going to keep them safe in that environment thank you thanks J oh Amanda strong sorry trying to make sure read that I don't have a prepared statement um but I do agree 100% that there needs to be more uh better wording for lgbtqia students I'm sure there are lgbtqia students among the migrant population as well thank you Manda Karen Frink hello Karen Fink I just wanted to speak in support of this thoughtful resolution and um thank you for upholding uh state law and um I think it's really important to uh be vocalizing the support for our Tahoe kids and families and I also support any changes that you would make to the resolution to um further support lgbtq plus and transgender including transgender students thank you thank you

073Karen and our last one that I have here is Jack Landy and Mr Dr Cutler um I want to also speak in support of the resolution to protect children on campus from law enforcement due to their parents immigration status uh just about one year ago the Senate negotiated legislation that would have made great progress towards securing the Border by allocating 20 billion dollars for immigration enforcement and hiring thousands more Asylum claim officers and hundreds more uh border patrol agents the compromise gave Republicans 90% of what they wanted but was rejected at the last moment after months of work due to pressure from candidate Trump who told the Republican negotiator and I quote I will do whatever I can to destroy you because I do not want you to solve this during the presidential election democracy

074such as this meeting is a fragile and frustrating but vital process we are witnessing the greatest attack on it since the Civil War which I don't think it's an exaggeration to say could similarly undermine the union during times like this it's necessary for local government to protect human rights and accepted practice consistent with state law and constitutional guarantees in the face of inhumane and unlawful threats and tactics please adopt this resolution thank you thank you Jack that is all that I received did I miss anyone that wanted to speak this evening okay that's okay just come state your name we'll have you we'll let you speak okay I'm Annie Davidson and I'd just like to add my support for resolution nine um I think that all of the my fellow community members and members of

075the school district have already articulated the urgency of this and I would like to underline that um as a a mother in the um this district and also as a um a professional and education I think we are in a time when equal opportunity is um the a fundamental part of our democracy is under attack and your commitment and your willingness to sit here and stand with us all um on behalf of our students and our future is um cannot be um I cannot be more important so I add my support and thank you for your time thank you Annie all right president keber that is all of our public comment on this item tonight um so it's back to the board so much uh board members um can we make an amendment so that

076we add um where it says safety and success for all students including LG btq yeah so where would you like that where would you like that um placed on the first paragraph the yeah this do you have it in front of you yeah I've got I've got I mean maybe to show I'm just going to share mine mine with Val so she you can see the words because I I do want to say that that first paragraph where we talk about gender expression and I did ask briy heidle for she's an English teacher you know so I asked her for for some specific edits because I wanted to um honor and acknowledge you know the the notion of the queer spectrum and um I feel like our sentence about gender and gender expression and sexual

077orientation and sex and culture uh covers that um but I recognize that that's the only place we we talk about the breadth of all and so I appreciate one of the commenters who brought up um John you probably you may have been wanting to talk about this but the bill n Bill 955 the safety act that was just passed in January I think that's so new for us as board members that you know we weren't aware of some of that specific language and it might be nice to add a finding like where we you know like just add another whereas where we talk about the California Val maybe right after the valy act which was adopted in 2018 I want to be careful this is you know this a resolution for you not to send

078us because if you obviously you know I want to do whatever you want to do but I want to make sure we capture it correctly and so no I appreciate it and I and I just and I like that it says um the lake to Unified School District Board of Education committed to the safety and success of all students irrespective of their immigration status ethnicity race religion sexual orientation ability dis ability sex gender expression of gender so I don't know if that covers it enough but well I think what you've heard from folks tonight is that they they feel like would like it to be more specific now I was looking and just to give my thinking because you know obviously there's this the immigration component that has brought a lot of attention um and

079there are specific warehouses that address that but there are other par there are other paragraphs that truly address just overall safety and and security of our students so I think that that is the paragraph if I'm hearing folks right is to where to be very specific of who you're you're you're calling out and supporting so that's just up to you however you guys want to to navigate that from uh from my standpoint on it I I think the importance of the inclusion of that um should be stated near the beginning of the resolution so my vote would be to amend it to be included in the first paragraph due to people's lack attention span also read the first so I think it would be important to get that in at the beginning trusty heon that's

080actually why I when when truste Mansfield had called it out I wanted to restate it because it's the first thing you say and then you read the whole resolution you may you know lose sight that that was that right because you do have um disability sex gender expression of gender and we could in essence I don't know how right there say in like almost a parentheses including l lgbtq Community transgender because I think that also I know it is but people said it's specifically trans that's why just why I said that I'm looking for support on if that meets that to support you guys in your interest I mean I I think a par parenthetical that said lgbtq um and then maybe we have to we have to Define that for folks who don't I

081mean that it's lesbian bisexual transgender queer you know that but do you think that's like right after where it says expression of gender and then like a par oh you could put trans right there maybe I know this is where I'm struggling because it seems like the language is kind of already there it's it's somewhat or at the very end after the ideological beliefs including L lgbtq yes I mean whatever yeah we we will do whatever you ask and whatever you pass are you good with that joh uh bobg um I guess and then the um LGBT so putting lgbtq just at the end of that paragraph lgbtq I like that better than the parenthesis I think the parentheses makes it stand out and almost makes it I don't know I yes separates yeah I

082think it separates it too much including LGB it's an inequity got just separ yeah we will um I'll write it out I think I think that's because again what I heard in the statements was you know especially trans right and I looked to folks that spoke on this tonight um that what we'd say including lgbtq especially trans is actually spell all of those out that like sayt and then what all of that means okay yeah I mean that okay that I don't know I know but I think that would I think folks know that when like when I said lgbtq you said well T is for Trans I know I just want to make sure that some people may not no would it be appropriate to pass the resolution as it's written and then bring

083up for uh another agenda item to uh adopt the uh uh an appropriate Amendment well I think that if you add that um there's a couple things I on that question trusty Heatherton um you can always bring back something and and change it change it um you know I think in the in the moment you have this here right yeah so I think that you capture that um and that was one of the things I was looking at as I was listening to all the all the comments is does this capture you know that we're not just focusing for example on IM immigration and Ice concerns right and and there are two paragraphs that specifically really call that out but the remainder of them really again go back to really focusing and on and protecting

084our students and protecting and educating and creating an environment of safety so I think you don't necessarily have to do another resolution I I think that just calling it out and again I Look to folks that are in the room that spoke on this to say just calling it out does that meet the the interest and concern um yeah and I so I think we could add those words we've already added the safety up at the front and then the and then taking out the words dealing with we already we that's already our um the the paragraph that is in between the two immigration paragraphs that talks about personally identifiable information about not disclosing that information to um immig you know to ice or to Federal I think it says to any federal entity because

085it's passed I pass it on to somebody um does that is that language broad enough in your opinion that it includes uh children's gender so when I was rereading this while I was listening and looking for where do we in essence protect not just the immigration concern and I so I want to read it just so that in record again I in my opinion it does right because when we talk about especially um state law state of California law is very clear on this say so whereas state and federal laws prohibit educational agency from disclosing personal identifiable student information to law enforcement without consent of parent or guardian and cordor or lawful subpoena or in the case of Health Emergency LTC will follow specific guid sta by California attorney general now that specifically was written

086in essence of thinking about immigration but there is connection because there's there's there's um California attorney general recommendations in regards how we protect all of our students there's there's specific in there right now about immigration um and and but there are also other specific recommendations from the Attorney General of how we go about enforcing and protecting the laws of California and the Stu so yeah related to students identity right um and so I mean I'm I guess um because that paragraph seems to kind of cover what I was interested in but this is where I'm wondering John if if the uh the law that was just passed this bill 955 the safety act uh that was passed January 1 two 2025 and one of the one of the commenters had some specific language in there

087about disclosing and uh the people's consent and their privacy rights and you know maybe it's I don't know that we have typically when something like that gets approved we end up it gets included in our board policies and things like that but I I just because we don't know that much about we drafted this even I think prior to the Final Act of that right that's what I'm I so what I'm wondering this this would be the type of thing that I'm thinking that we could go ahead if the board would like to go ahead and adopt this because I think there's a certain urgency of getting this adopted and on the streets and you know implementing it and that at the future time we could learn more about this particular law you had an

088interest in doing a different resolution it could but I think it could even I to me it seems like it would be a simple just because we've referenced in this resolution these other major you know decisions like fed you know the federal decisions from the past and and the values act and we could include a paragraph that just kind of describes the safety act and I because it seems it seems very uh pertinent to this resolution it's about student safety right so I like the idea of actually acknowledging it in this resolution and I wouldn't want to do that tonight you I wouldn't want to make sure get the language right we'd want to get the language right um but that's so I would be comfortable with moving ahead with our our motion yeah you

089know with the addition of lgbtq and then um and then at some future date we could amend this resolution to to incorporate this law that was just passed and we could get to work on looking at the the law specifically work with our attorneys too about what with that so because I feel like because the I guess the reason it's important also is it fits in with the comments about the proper training for all our staff you know there is and and this is happening all the time there's always new laws that we have to keep our staff um trained on and apprised of and it's it's a difficult task but you know the district is always trying to um get that information out to all staff right so can I ask a question to

090the public real quick so in the first paragraph who who would you be asking though because the commenters I know but we need them on mic for respon just want to the comment out and then whoever way to go in here in the first paragraph uh the resolution States expression of gender would that be an appropriate place to maybe that with uh L lgbtq Plus or my thoughts and the thoughts speaking with the students at high school um was while it was mentioned there we wanted to see just an additional point two protections um specific to the discrimination and challenges faced by transgender children in school that often go unaddressed um by um Administration okay just trying to get a little more Direction on appropriate placement so yeah so trusty Heatherton you had a motion

091it sounds like you were going to amend it do you have an idea of what how you amend that I think the amendment would be um socio economic status lgbtq comma or ideological beliefs okay so right after socio economic status we place lgbtq and then finished with or or or ideological beliefs got it okay so that was that was the seems to flow the easiest for this the speed that we're feeling right now to okay and again to the to to those that spoke and to the to to the commenters Forge direction to me at this point in time before you finalize action is for us to go back and look at the act that just recently got passed and see how we could also incorporate that this into a future reupping of this resolution

092yeah for training and and possibly yeah amending this resolution as well as yeah getting the information out to all staff okay yeah and uh I want to let um some of the I mean I I just appreciate everybody who came tonight to support this it is really nice to have the support of the community and also um just the specific comments and uh I I want uh folks to know that we do uh train all our staff related to discrimination and and inclusiveness and connections because we recognize that students um they need they need one-on-one connection with someone at school and we know that can be the cafeteria worker the janitor the custodian you know the front desk person so AIDS so we do um get that kind of information out to um all staff

093so when we say training uh we do mean all and in fact our board has committed to training of ourselves as well because we want to be those kind of role role models um to be lifelong Learners and that is something that um you know we hope to be constantly evolving and uh so I appreciate all of you for being here tonight all right do I have a vote want to make sure you had we had a revised motion we've got that documented do you want that second and I would second the revised motion so we have a motion by trusty heatherington and a second by F Mansfield and uh trusty Mansfield all in favor say I I I and all opposed all right thank thank you everybody thank you for being here and uh

094we thank you and we have a very busy rest of our agenda but you're welcome to stick around but we're going to move on to Educational Services and we're going to talk about future adoption of a kindergarten through second grade literacy assessment tool so Dr reader it's been read in h you're ready to go okay great yes president ker and trustees tonight I'll be providing you with an informational update on the state required can we just have can you take Scott thank you thank you thanks Scott thank you president CER trustees tonight I'll be providing you with an informational update on the state required K2 reading difficulty screener re I'm not moving okay thank you our 2023 legislature identified the need for an early literacy screener assessment to ident Iden ify students who could be

095struggling with reading skills in grades K first and second grade and in time for the 25 26 school year I placed a link to the Ed code associated with this requirement on your slides this slide identifies a timeline I'm not moving thank you Karen identifies the timeline ltsd Is On Target to have a universal screener chosen by June of this school year on December 16th the CDE the California Department of educations panel identify these four Universal screeners due to our demogra demographics which is includes about 50% of our children uh be in Hispanic and close to 20% be in English as a second language or multi language um students we really need a screener in Spanish so that narrows us to the top three choices there this slide provides you with some cited research in

096summary we need to catch children early who are struggling with reading um and we know we have a much greater opportunity to catch them up if we C if we catch them early in their kindergarten first and second grade our Primary Elementary teachers and our families play a crucial role in uh developing strong readers and early literacy this slide provides a definition of a universal screener the target skills are listed here for your review okay some of the required details listed here are the requirements for a screening as you see we need to screen our K through 2 students within 45 days of enrollment we need to notify our parents parents have the opportunity to opt their child out of the screener the screening results are not to be used for special education or 504

097eligibility and screening cannot be used for high stakes testing reclassification of English Learners or for formal evaluations multilingual Learners on this slide explains that if the screener is available in the child's primary language when then we should use that screening tool again three out of the four uh state approved screening tools identified it are provided in both English and Spanish so we'll be choosing one of those screeners here's ltd's game plan to meet the K2 second reading difficulty screening requirements our Edco friends are providing support we have already had um we already have other Universal screeners uh like letter ID letter sound um basic phonological skills test fontus and panel the skips the sips excuse me are currently in place but as you see from this slide here we met last Friday with with principles

098and intervention teachers which included some of our outstanding teachers that have an extensive primary literacy experience such is Mandy Miller who was here earlier was with us they're going to share this information with their K through second um colleagues at each of their sites then we're going to attempt to do a mini pilot with each of the screeners um starting with a Mira in March mclass in April and then the third one um in May and throughout this process we hope to possibly um have a uh opper through this process we hope to have a decision in late May and bring it to you all right I appreciate your time this evening on this slide and in our board packet I've included several additional links if you'd like additional information do you have any questions

099for me I do um one for the multilingual learner Learners most of them are Spanish speakers but we have a chunk that are talo speakers are we going to get an interpreter or something can we do it or is that I think depending on the screener we may have other languages including English and Spanish and then my other question is can we screen within 45 days all elementary school kids that transfer in from other districts or other states or other countries and not just k too could we use that for others I think uh yeah I think that's worth pondering you know we're going to hit them with the IR ready but but there's definitely other opportunities if we're I think there was a concern about hitting them with the IR ready I just you

100[Laughter] know we will um just as we'd used with our other primary screeners for our third through fifth graders at times we'll use those screeners so I think the same opportunity would apply that we could use that screener if need be with the struggling Learner in third through fifth grade that's a good point yeah because I've had a lot of kids transfering over the years that I could tell that they were dyslexic but there was nothing in their in their cumes or anything about it and so it'd be nice to have some kind of like okay now I can take it to the child study team now I can do this you know so it doesn't diagnose kids but it at least gives you a place to go sure yeah any other questions or comments

101sounds like we got a big task to get test all this progress some and I do teachers at the table helping us with this process as well as our principles and and I do hope that we could maybe you know there's an opportunity to eliminate some I know testing because I know there's quite a bit of assessment so hopefully you can find some efficiencies there that's still you know effective means to that's one of the goals measure progress thank you next we have the midyear data report on I ready president keer and trustees tonight I wish to share some achievement data with you from our k through eight midyear I ready interim assessments this agenda item is for informational purposes only inter interim assessments align with with our vision and mission of discovering talents lifelong

102learning and academic Excellence as you may recall we opted in 23 24 to switch entirely over from the NWA map interim assessments to IR as a result of their ease of use and curricular Pathways as you see on this slide we assess all K8 students in both math and reading the assessment is adaptable meaning it provides more challenging or easier questions based on how the student correctly or incorrectly answers the questions I ready assessments will measure growth over the course of the year and calculate an annual growth goal one year's growth or a stretch goal which would be more than one year's growth goal for each child in math and reading once a child takes the initial assessment I ready will create a pathway for that child um designated specifically for their needs to instruct

103them at their level there is a strong correlation between our state tests or our casps and and um the I ready results the results are color coded and we administer I ready at the beginning the middle and end of the year I put the the the Open dates there they're about a month long so that allows the teachers to fit that in within their schedules this SL this slide shows a little bit more on the color coding essentially we have to uh we hope to see more green and less red as we progress throughout the school year we will start with reading first and then move to math first off you see overall all of our LTD K8 students who took the test in the fall and up at the top and then again mid

104year um in December through January there again we hope to see more green and less red as we progress throughout the school year the green represents students who have already mastered the endof year standards as you see here we started with 30% of our students master ing their end ofe reading standards at the beginning of the year and we are now at 47% of our students mastering end ofe standards you also see that our students in red or well below grade level have decreased from 36% to 25% so in this case the numbers are heading in the correct direction so far beu data is next as you see here we are showing 188 of our 380 students um that's because they are not all administering reading tests in English to their kindergarten through second grade

105students by their by their program design instead they're giving them a Spanish assessment in reading for their K through second students this date is a little bit more tricky to report on without identifying individual students or staff members or teachers so as you see here I'm showing our third through fifth grade students and they've increased from 23 to 23% to 4 6% in the green and our Reds have shrunk from 43% to 22% from their fall to mid year be you keep in mind is our school with the highest percentage of students who are learning English as their second language or multilingual Learners next up is Tahoe Valley again you're going to see their fall results up top and their mid midyear results at the bottom their greens have increased from 24 to 48% and

106their Reds have shrunk 29% to 19% they are progressing very well Tahoe Valley has our highest percentage of elementary students who are socioeconomically disadvantaged at a little over 60% next up is Sierra House's reading results the green has increased from 21 to 43% and our Reds have shrunk from 36 to 21% our final Elementary School is Meyers which has increased their greens from 47% to 70% and their Reds have shrunk from 133% to a remarkable 5% these numbers are impressive Meyers has around 29% of their students who are socioeconomically disadvantaged finally our Middle School's reading has increased their greens from 32% to 40% and their Reds or two or more grade levels below has decreased from 49% to 41% it is a challenging task at this point to try and um try and get those

107Reds um decreased level that that was our reading data next up I'll review our math I ready data keep in mind all of our elementary schools along with our middle school and our high school are involved in a 4-year math professional development project with our friends from Eldorado County Office of Education and our cal cal Ed Partners to gain increased expertise on the new math framework and to improve our math instructional practices the data will show you that we do have plenty of work to do in our math area and to improve our academic results first off as a district you can see here that we've increased our greens from 29 to 31% and have decreased our Reds from 42 to 23% from the fall to midyear there's a little hope there that there's a

108lot more yellow in the winter than there was in the fall and now it is our goal to get those yellows over into the green or meeting end ofe standards next up we're going to move to beu who's increased their greens from 4 to 177% % and decreased their Reds from 44 to 177% they're heading in the right direction Tahoe Valley has increased their greens from 9 to 23% and incre decreased their Reds from 33 to 19% you're going to note that at the past couple years Tahoe Valley has really done a remarkable job of increasing their student achievement Sierra house has increased their greens from 15 to 33% and decreased their Reds from 37 to 177% as you know in as you met some of their students today math is Sierra House's single Focus

109topic Myers has increased their greens from 27 to 156% and decreased their Reds from 13 to 4% again also impressive numbers and finally our middle school has increased their greens from 23 to 29 and decreased their Reds from 47 to 42 our next steps are to share and discuss this data the uh if if you may recall the window closed just February 7th so I just barely was able to to Crunch the numbers and get them um get them ready for this week so they'll be using that data they're going to look at the data they're going to look at the domains the pacing guides um with their educational professionals and make any necessary adjustments teachers are also able to see their own students and class data and make those adjustments as needed within their

110classroom another area that we'll be working on this spring is exposing our students to the rigorous State tests or cast test um that will be administered in May or June there are tools available called interim assessments that we can administer those hard tests or practice tests to our students so they can see what's coming um there's some resources available for teachers to access explore and share with those students additionally our high school teams are working on building common end of term one assessments and passing rates in both English Math and Science it's a work in progress for them um the math department seems to be a little bit more ahead of the game than the other uh departments so I do have some of their data that we feel is solid enough that I could

111I could share with you tonight and their data in their math one class for term one includes a passing rate of their end of term common assessments at around 66% of the students passing and their passing rate for the class ended at 85% of the students passing math one in the upcoming board meetings uh you'll be seeing our single Focus teams presenting on their single Focus plans and using their I ready data and state cast data and and show how that is guiding their plans again this agenda item is for informational purposes only I will be returning most likely on June 26 to provide you with the fall to Spring I results do you have any questions for me any questions from the board comments I visited with um principal Joel damal I three weeks

112ago a mon you were there that day um and he took me into his office and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the reading intervention teaching program um he showed me pulled up he pulled up his computer and he showed me just one student's uh um progress which was remarkable I thought 26 points up in Reading from this this little boy and and when asked by the principal what's the reason for this tremendous progress he said this Briggs yeah those Crystal Briggs the so yeah very impressive great shout out to miss Briggs and the rest of the the hardworking teachers right all right thank you yeah well thank you for um sharing the data and also specifically the all the plans you know for implementation and review of the data and I appreciate all the principles

113work and staff on really paying attention to that you know for individual students because it's going to take some a lot of specific steps for some of those students to get into the um meeting standards you know I think especially at the middle school but but across the board so I appreciate that um staff that teachers and principls are all looking at that data and paying attention thank you for doing that appreciate it right uh the next item is the Lake Tahoe Unified School District local control and accountability plan survey results thank you president keer and trustees uh we have some local control and accountability or lcap survey data results that we can share with you tonight and again this agenda item is for informational purposes only little bit of background information on our lcap

114surveys we administer these each year uh to parents and Community to staff and students in 3rd through 12th grade as well as a separate uh simpler survey to students in TK through 2nd the survey covers six areas safety Equity Community engagement student engagement achievement and social emotional learning it's administered around midyear uh via a tool called Survey Monkey um it's available in English and Spanish and can be taken on a smartphone or computer we preview the questions with the cap task force a group made up of teachers and administrators and students and previous results can be located on our ltsd website or the links you see below here on these slides this slide shows our partition our participation rate comparing this year to last school year as you see our staff participation rate and our

115through through 12th grade students is up a little and our parent community and TK through second students is down the survey opened up on December 16th and closed on January 24th our principles continue to put survey links in their newsletters we posted on our website we shared in our newsletters and we put on social media again as you can see we did not get the same parent and Community responses as we did in 23 24 we have some work to do for 25 26 to increase those numbers so we're going to go through the survey data here uh I apologize for the small print I'm hoping you can see it a little bit better on your screens our wonderful Jenny Goldstein assisted in categorizing these questions by similarity between the through three groups that we

116ask you're going to see this First Data sh third through 12th grade how they responded to to very similar questions as the staff as the community please also note we chose an arbitrary number of 75% or more either strongly agreeing and agreeing as a highlight in green on that far right hand side and another arbitrary number of 25% or more disagreeing or strongly disagreeing as a highlight in red on the right hand side for ease and studying the feedback you can see the top three questions there are grouped together and refer to the third through 12th grade students parents and staff feeling that the school is physically safe inside and outside of the classroom 75% or more of the students in parents agree with these statements and almost 28% of the staff disagree or strongly

117disagree under this category we ask about negative online experience um that was a request from staff all three groups disagree or strongly disagree at a higher rate which is a little comforting please note that this is the only part of the survey where we may want to see high levels of disagree or strongly disagree the rest of the survey questions we don't necessarily want to see those High numbers of disagreeing or strongly disagreeing but of course this was based on the negative online experience for students which was comforting the next set of questions here refers to safe and secure online environment the students had a high agree rate and about 70% of our parents and staff agree or strongly agree with these statements finally the last three questions here have some similarities third through 12th

118graders who responded 80% agreed or strongly agreed they have a trusted adult at school school that they can go to for help that's very reassuring um but but some work to do still the staff's question centered around clear systems and structures in place to promote a safe campus 73% agree or strongly agreed 25% disagree or strongly disagree and the final question from staff about feeling listened to or supported by their administrators and leaders nearly 70% agree or strongly agree and 30% disagree or strongly disagree now of course this is districtwide um these numbers can also be bro broken up by school and I know that principal Martinez and principal Holmes have already requested from Jenny to have that data disaggregated so they can share more specific data to their school with their team the next

119slide uh is on the equity questions um these Equity questions are for student staff and parents as you see we have some high rates from parents and staff agree or strongly agree that the school treats students with respect and and teaches students to possibly Embrace to positively Embrace diversity while our numbers are a little lower and we heard that tonight from some of our public comment from students regarding the school treating all students fairly and respect each other's differences at 70% agree or strongly agree and 26% disagree or strongly disagree the next four questions for staff are around rigorous curriculum staff being able to differentiate instruct the school demonstrating high expectations for all students and additional resources for students are provided for students you can see the perceptions from staff with one being identified as

120strongly agree or agree and three being flagged for disagree or strongly disagree next up are the community engagement results as you can see 87% of our parents who responded feel welcome but almost 30% do not agree that they have opportunities to provide input on decisions about the school and the district the remaining questions on this slide deck ask parents about accessibility for students with IEPs 504s English Learners and Community Resources as you see these questions didn't generate a strong agree or disagree response that would Cho you know that would that would alert them as a highlighted in green or red next up is student engagement overall these results appear quite positive with the except ception of parents feeling that their students may not be challenged academically coming in at 26% disagree or strongly disagree I'll

121review these questions uh I'll let you review these questions for a moment here okay this slide has more student engagement questions the top question and an example of very indifferences among a wide range of third through 12th grade students again we can break this data down by by school and share with principal so they can share their uh School specifics 41% of our third through 12th graders disagree or strongly disagree that they like going to school every day and in this section below 26% disagree or strongly disagree that they are motivated and prepared to learn the parents feel a little different about that question with 83% agree and or strongly agree strongly agreeing and nearly 93% of our staff agree or strongly agree that they have tools and strategies strategies to engage students the next

122SE section on emotional support came in Fairly High among all three groups and the section below around filling welcome and connected to school is also fairly High and the final questions for students about opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities and events was quite High the next set of questions is around student achievement the first group of questions is about getting additional support with about 34s of the students parents and staff agreeing or strongly agreeing with the questions the next set of questions is around succeeding and future success these results were quite High among all groups except for the parents perception on future college and career or CTE coming in at less than 2third agreeing or strongly agreeing this could be a case of us not sharing some of our the support and resources offered through

123our Counseling Services as well as our CTE opportunities finally the last set of questions around information to parents engaging students parents and understanding around academic standards staff differentiating instruction and staff's perception of current PD opportunities these are definitely opportunities for improvement for us as Leaders slide 10 is around social emotional learning as you see the results appear strong from the students parents and staff finally our TK through second survey results are displayed on this screen as you can see 78% of our students who responded like School almost 94% like their teacher almost 85% indicate they have friends at school and 75% feel safe at school PE was identified as their sa favorite subject by 70% of the students and writing came in as their least favorite at 50% our next step will be to review

124these results with our task force our leaders all of you of course and employee organizations we can use this information to help guide our future actions and our elap revisions which will be presented in to you in June for approval again this agenda item is for informational purposes only do you have any questions for me anybody have any questions or comments Scott uh I would just like to say that um it was very uh good to see that um student engagement is um positive and that uh there's a lot of students that are uh believing they belong in the schools as well thank you um I just I just thank you for sharing and I I am concerned that you know and from hearing from parents in the community today too that you know that

125a quarter of our students 27% feel that they've had negative experiences and that they um don't feel like they're being treated with respect I mean I hope that we can um see those numbers go down in the future and um I like that teachers I the numbers that jumped out at me teachers feeling like they have the tools and strategies to engage students 93% that's awesome and then but then the the question were they this towards the end where the staff disagrees that my school provides additional resources for students who need extra support like 24% about a quarter of the teachers are saying I need more support for the equity piece and um I did talk to Cindy Martinez today and she was suggesting that that and some other staff I think have been suggesting

126maybe in the future having more detailed question um about what kinds of support because it's a little vague as to like okay we need support and then what type what type of support so you kind of mentioned that too about some of the other questions maybe getting drilling down a little differently in the future so thank you and I appreciate all the staff president keer before we uh just leave that agenda it Dr rer mentioned that you know obviously we're using this this data to drive um our revisions and updates to our lcap plan right we're in the first year of a three-year plan right now that so obviously we just AR we just modify an update one of the things that I wanted to share with the board tonight is that on March 19th

127at state of the district um event we will be going over lcap and one of the specific activities we'll be looking at some of the data from the survey to get feedback from parents and specifically um based on the one that you just talked about what are the supports and those different pieces we can drive home and and really ask and we'll have students there I just asked all of our superintendent student advisory members to be there that night um to help with all that feedback so um that's an important night I hope that folks will be able to attend the March 19th um state of the district perfect thank you thanks for encouraging folks to be there all right now we're on agenda I thought Dave was getting ready to leave but he's coming

128up to the podium which is excellent item number seven facilities and transportation um looks like you're ready to talk about event management software item 7A good evening president Mansfield members of the board last August the board approved ltusd to purchase upgraded event management software to assist our fields and facilities coordinator with streamlining reservations and invoicing for nearly six months Angela Ramirez who is our senior secretary for our facilities and transportation departments and is also our fields and facilities coordinator has been hard at work on training and uploading all the necessary data needed to get this information online for our district I'm very proud tonight to introduce Angela this evening and give you all an update in a quick tutorial on our brand new events management system thank you no good evening president ker and members

129of the board um thank you for allowing me to speak before you today I am excited to present to you our new brightly and manage brightly event management software that the board graciously approved in August of 2024 um our go live date was December 16th and although there have been some Kinks we had to work out um the overall process has improved communication and engagement internally and externally um the community feedback has been positive most remarking on its userfriendly platform um the overall objective of implementing this new software was to streamline workflows within the reservation process the previous system was outdated and did not have the flexibility needed to ensure our school functions had priority scheduling um its user friendliness allows the requestor to navigate through the fields easily site secretaries receive immediate requests for

130approval of availability and the old system required me to send multiple emails uh to site secretaries for the availability um custodians and ground Crews receive automatic notifications when they are assigned tasks and leads are able to track and assign these tasks within the system um and we are able to generate and send invoices directly from the system there's also uh built-in payment reminders and we can easily track um payments I am currently in the process of adding an online payment system to the program to make it even more convenient for our um Community organizations to submit payments I hope to have that rolled out by the end of the month um and because of these news new uh process efficiencies we have definitely minimized uh time loss due to over over commmunication and when I

131mean by overcommunication it's the multiple emails that I sent between the requester the site uh back to the requestor again to the sites confirming approval and then to the custodians so there were multiple emails that went out um with the old system um I think one of the best features of this program is the ltusd community event calendar um that our community members staff and students can access from our district website um we are able to Showcase school events on a public facing calendar enhance Community engagement and participation um give our students family members and Friends an easy way to find school and athletic events to attend and support um it also provides transparent and accessible event information for outside groups looking for available space um as you know in winter months our Sports organizations

132are always looking for indoor facilities to use and so I was receiving a lot of emails looking for that space I don't receive those emails anymore they are able to go on this calendar see what's available at the different sites and then book their reservation um and then up at the top right corner there's a search function um that will drop down a list of site location ations to filter through um this has been really helpful with our site custodians to have a first glance view of the month of the week of the day of any events that are happen at happening at their School site and then lastly I would like to direct you to our fields and Facilities web page loc located on our district website under Community here you will find all

133pertinent information regarding the use of our fields and Facilities including the links to our community event calendar and the online reservation link overall this program has made my job so much easier um I've saved I'm saving so much more time for all the other projects that I'm working on um and also this is a cloud-based program meaning that all upgrades will automatically um affect you know come into play with our program so it's only just going to make it more effective and efficient for our program here um I would like to thank Dave and C for their support and advocating for this new system um and then I have some site secretaries Lupe from South Tahoe Middle School and Deb from uh from the high school for their work on the internal reservations and their

134invaluable feedback um which helped tremendously in the software build and if you have any questions I'd be happy to answer them any questions yeah it looks really great thank you Angela nice job angel yeah appreciate you guys I'm glad you have more time for other stuff too thank you thanks Angela uh are you ready to move on to item 7B Bond construction delivery method pre-qualification process members of the board at our last board meeting staff provided construction delivery methods available to public schools and the pros and cons to each of them the design bid build and Lease leaseback delivery methods are the two most pertinent methods in relation to our bond design bid build did come with some risk uh these projects require to go through the lowest bidder and this method has the propensity

135to generate change orders that can go well beyond the original bin bid if I believe if you recall the presentation last uh board meeting uh the dingy and the yacht and we budgeted for a Dy and we ended up with a yacht at the end of the project well that's what we're talking about so the lease lease back was the other option this allows the uh District to select contract contractors based on their qualifications and the ability to deliver the best value for a specific project this delivery method does hold us to some legal terms and I'll go over them real quick one the board has to adopt this as a policy which this has already been adopted by the board in 2017 that was resolution AR 33112 and the document is attached to this

136agenda item two for the bond to adopt the prequalification process uh three and last is to issue an RFP or a request for proposal to interview and select our prime contractor as it is the staff's intention to move forward with the lease leaseback delivery method for the primary delivery of our bond projects this does not preclude the district from using design bid build for smaller projects or if we just find the lease leaseback method is not ideal for us I have attached two pre-qualification documents to this board agenda item as a requirement pursuant to public contract code section 20116 that the district pre-qualify prime contractor or contractors and the second to pre-qualify First tier mechanical electrical and plumbing subcontractors for all lease leaseback projects it is staff's intent to bring this back in two separate

137agenda items for resolution at our next board meeting March 13th if the board has no real concerns we will place this on the consent calendar so at this time I believe we do have Reed Shannon with us tonight he's our attorney with dwk and he's here virtually to assist with any questions that the board may have we don't see him on the on the screen but he is here with us okay we're getting him up so do you have so we wanted to make sure that Reed was here for you in case you any specific questions on the information's been provided um as he is our expert in this so do you have any qu Reed would you want to add anything that you heard this evening or or board do you have any questions

138re I just throw it to you just in case there was something else sure uh good evening the the only uh addition that I would have um to that summary um and it's captured in the agenda item is just a note that the pre-qualification process is mandatory not only for lease leaseback projects regardless of dollar value and funding source but also for any project over a million dollars that may use certain types of State funding so it is advantageous to adopt and indeed required under the public contract code for those projects independent of the leas lease back project delivery method so that's an additional reason to bring these resolutions back for adoption at a future meeting thank thank you Reed any questions board for Reed tonight no questions okay thank you Reed Reed thank you

139for jumping on with us this evening and all the preparation you work you've done on it as well supporting Dave U and we'll just keep moving forward uh thank you good evening everyone thank you and then so just before we leave this agenda so you know the staff's direction um and I'm assuming without any other additional comments that we're on track that it would be okay to move forward with the consent agenda for those resolu solutions that you've got in in the agenda item okay very good thank you okay all right item number um s c home to school transportation plan it's me again members of the board LTD is required annually to update our transportation plan and bring to the board for consent by April 1st per educational code 3981 the district does receive

140funding that is aligned with this prior year's expenses provided to this document it is staff's intent to place this the updated Transportation plan to the consent calendar at our board meeting March 13th uh we have also updated our existing ltusd Transportation safety plan to reflect updates from the California Highway Patrol uh this is for presentation only updates have been made in yellow for your your review and the intention is to update this document to our website tomorrow are there any questions do I have any questions plan any um can and I know this is related to the topic how I know this year we're we're requiring uh people to pay for the bus do you have a sense of how that's worked out or I mean are we I don't know maybe that's not what

141you're maybe you you don't track that somebody else does but maybe super you know what if if if that's an to the board we'll make sure we get that information to you I could even possibly provide it in an upcoming um weekly update to oh sure okay okay thank you that's good thanks with putting that on consent and then um the next item is 70 proposed projects for the bonds for sale members of the board as we move forward with our first Bond sale of measure U we are now prioritizing the first phase of of our school projects we do have a presentation this evening consisting of projects we have pulled from our facilities master plan that the board approved May 23rd of 2024 uh we also have our architect Brian Whitmore with Studio W

142here virtually to present and discuss these proposed projects with you so and Brian was gonna be up here you said Todd are you okay if I don't travel through the snow and I said okay Brian we'll see you again another time go ahead Brian well good evening members of the board superintendent cabinet Brian Whitmore from Studio w glad to be here tonight virtually so thank you for that opportunity um as Dave just mentioned we have a a brief presentation here this evening I'll go through and then happy to answer questions uh after I'm complete let's go into the first slide there so just as a reminder for everyone here um the total $130 million Bond measure U that you passed obviously unfortunately you don't receive all of those funds day one um you're going to

143be selling that series over time with the first sale occurring here in the next 30 days or so and we already know that that's been established at $35 million now that's a gross amount there are some costs associated with selling each of the bonds so we anticipate that your net Bond sale will be somewhere around $ 34.8 million and that'll be money that you will have in the bank you do have the ability to grow some of those funds so um there is some interest that's accured over time um but generally speaking we anticipate between three and four sales occurring over the lifetime of the bond and this is information that I gathered from isim advisers who is your bond consultant uh the other day we anticipate that roughly two years later and and that

144time frame can be uh dictated a little bit by the fact that your um every October we will receive information as it relates to the um the value of your uh properties within the district and if those values are obviously trending upward there may be an opportunity to actually sell the next Bond in late 2026 but generally speaking we anticipate about every two years you'll sell bonds so probably in early 27 and then again in 29 and then 31 if necessary we anticipate that in 27 you'll sell between about 35 to $40 million in Gross Bond sales and then again a third time at least in 2029 now you can see the variation there between 35 and 75 million that really depends on whether or not you can actually sell the entire bond in three

145series or um if for whatever reason there is a lag on the property values um there may be a desire to actually go out to a fourth Series in 2031 um but nevertheless what what you need to be concerned with here is it's a cash flow issue um and so what we look at is Phase by phase you know what can you do with those funds and and how can those funds be spent and an effective manner so that you maximize the funds and at the same time get ready for the next upcoming Bond sale let's go to the next slide so looking at that $ 34.8 million in what we would consider phase one we sort of go back to the master plan that we generated um as well as the revisions that were

146done in the last year or so um and we've also kind of learn some more information even since that master plan is completed about what we might want to do with that first round of funding first and foremost um and it's a no-brainer here really the Softball Field improvements at South Tahoe Middle School which we estimate around a half a million dollars in construction is already DSA approved and ready to go um and that was at the um um I'll say Goodwill of the S Optimus Club here in South Lake Tahoe you know they were the ones that compensated um our firm to put those plans together and also get DSA approval um so so those are actually ready to move forward and as soon as you get a Contractor on board if you decide

147to go lease lease back route or certainly could go hard bid with this project the intent would be to go ahead and just get this project done this summer and that includes the dugouts the fencing the path of travel Ada improvements and parking Associated uh with that softball field to really maximize its use um I do believe maybe even the S Optimus had a few more dollars that they could put into the project but they didn't have enough to complete construction and so it makes sense that obviously uh With Their donation along with the district's bond funds to get that going get that completed here this summer the um if we go back to the master plan and we remember kind of all of the first round projects or the high priority projects that we

148wanted to do um we wanted to try to tackle a lot of different projects ac across many campuses one of the things however we learned through the process of especially engaging each one of the school communities was at Tahoe Valley in particular uh was in I'll say a great amount of need they were probably one of the most outspoken communities uh when it came to each of the school sites um certainly they suffer from the most amount of non-permanent portable classroom spaces um and it also makes sense to try to tackle an entire campus at one time it's a little bit cleaner from a DSA application number and so one of the things we looked at was to say what if we could do all of Tahoe Valley Elementary School's modernization as well as new

149construction in one shot it's about 22 A5 million dollars at least in today's dollars that we had estimated there we probably need to build in a little bit of escalation uh but generally speaking there's there's more than enough funds obviously in Phase One to tackle that and have dollars left over so assuming those first two items um or about the cost that we anticipate we have various other projects that maybe could total around 11.8 million one of the things that continues to be brought up at all of the sites is the fact that the asphalt parking areas hard courts as well as the drop offs are really suffer um at each one of the sites that's including the middle school and the high school as well as at the maintenance and operations facility so we

150have seven sites there in our master plan there was about $4.3 million allocated to improve those things and I think it would be good to try to tackle a lot of those in this first round um when it comes to Safety and Security having one point of entry um at the administrations in each case so that you can't bypass the administration office you really forced to come in check in before you can go on to campus uh was something that was um widely discussed um now one of the things of course at the high school that's a pretty big move because it would mean building a new facility for the purposes of administration that's not actually included here in this first round because we recognize a lot of the funds from the prior Bond went

151to the high school but at least every other Elementary School campus and the middle school campus trying to improve that that we anticipate was right around $4.1 million in total project cost the athletic surfaces as well as the athletic amenities associated with the middle school so at the baseball field things like the restroom facilities the Press Box The Dugout some of the other components there tennis courts uh the track and field area all of those things that have suffered greatly as a result of the weather and other impacts over the years make sense to try to tackle those as well and that leaves a little bit of funds left to tackle other district-wide sustainable projects if recall at the last meeting we had ver as part of that meeting and they're looking at identifying ways

152that we can improve some of things like lighting uh window systems exterior envelope HVAC those kinds of things as well so kind of a variety of different projects here that we want to look at um along with maybe trying to tackle Tahoe Valley in its entirety uh in phase one now one of the things um I will mention it's not included in the slide and I think you will want to consider as well is taking some of the dollars and actually positioning that for the design and agency approval of phase two so in two years as I mentioned before when you sell your next Bond rather than then start the design process and start the agency approval process that can sometimes take a year or a year and a half to complete we want to

153try and do that ahead of when the bond sale happens so that when the bond sale happens in two years you're actually shovel ready to go um and that's really trying to anticipate the fact that that construction escalation is still going to happen and we want to get ready for when that money drops that you can go to construction almost immediately so there maybe a few hundred, there that's positioned to actually pay for the soft cost to get yourself ready for phase two in Phase One let's go to the next slide so just a reminder um when we look at Tahoe Valley this is from the um master plan that was put together previously this is the existing permanent and non-permanent spaces there again Tahoe Valley being one of the um largest uh population of

154non-permanent classroom buildings uh there in the back of the campus let's go to the next slide and these were the things that we wanted to consider so building a new classroom facility more than likely a multi-story classroom facility uh there in the back um having the opportunity to then remove those Portables that freeze up area for hardcore it's more playground areas more parking potentially for staff um freeing up areas in front for a more dedicated drop off Zone reconfiguring that admin area creating Next Generation learning spaces and other Outdoor Learning opportunities as well as an improved entry um and and signage um and let's go to the next slide and so this was sort of how that $22.5 million broke down replacing the asphalt paving updating all the fire alarm clock B and speaker systems

155creating modern Learning Resource bases and administration for safety modern izing all classroom environments including the addition of TK modernizing all playground areas creating out and activating Outdoor Learning areas modernizing the multi-purpose facility and kitchen area and then replacing the non-permanent facilities uh with the biggest dollar amount there of course being the um um demoing of the Portables and then creating that new classroom facility next slide so when we talk about next SK steps and schedule um what I'm hoping we can do is get into conversation a little bit here this evening and then um resulting in conversations that are also going to be adopted by ourselves um and the program manager that will hopefully be brought on board um by mid-march um it's our intent to authorize you we already have the master contract in

156place so now we're looking at the um amendments or the exhibits to that Master contract that allow us to move forward on these individualized projects and bringing those back to the board uh as well in midm Mar um we are securing uh the program management services for the district so the interviews were actually held just um the other day on Tuesday uh which went very well and I think a recommendation is forthcoming um securing the construction services this was just talked about earlier with the lease leaseback RFP being issued after uh 313 and my apologies these should all be 2025 clearly I'm still living in 2024 the tenative schedule then moving forward is that design and documentation would occur roughly from March to September of 2025 looking to try to get into DSA the department

157of the state architect Sometime Late fall um that continuing through agency approval until early next year to where we'd have bidding and construction start in March uh Real Construction activities happening um beginning the um um June let's say when students are off campus um and then continuing through um the next calendar year with the potential of occupancy in August of 27 so that's the that's the game plan obviously there's a lot to unpack um we've got a lot of things to deal with here from squa to trpa to um the department of the state Architects requirements and other things there are projects that we'll look at that probably don't require DSA approval and those can go on a faster track than others U but when it comes to some of the long-term DSA requirements for

158say new construction and heavy modernization of course we anticipate trying to get a lot of that done uh by school year 2027 in this first round um so that's the game plan I think the next slide is just our question and answer slide so if you have any questions for me I'm happy to answer them before before you do what's really important four questions and and and is for us is really walk away from night do you feel like this is the right direction um and we can get a little more detailed and bring that forward to you for you to say yep that's the right direction and then we get off and running and then and so making this a little bit of a discussion if necessary yeah so that we're we're really clear

159on the board's thoughts great anybody have input questions discussion any ideas anything I'm thinking it's going in the right direction and we have a plan we had our facilities master plan drawn up and we're taking that from there and then budgeting the 35 million that we're going to start with okay okay trusty Anderson my question really has to do with um there was a slide on Tahoe Valley yeah uh you want to look at the the the way go back to the Tahoe Valley slide Brian right there one the physical layout that one yeah U the brick and mortar to be constructed is is going in back where the playground area was um or is um is there any any reason not to consider putting that building to the east of the campus yes to

160create more playground uh area yeah so I I when when we draw these these basic schematics it's not the final plan so I would want to say that I think we can look at different locations on it Brian yeah you're absolutely right the this is a very highlevel concept plan that was part of the master plan that yellow box could fit just about anywhere as long as it's not taking up the space of the existing Portables because we anticipate that those students would have to stay in those spaces until that classroom facility is completed um one of the challenges obviously we deal with in your neck of the woods with trpa is when we look at creating more non-permeable surfaces Elsewhere on campus that aren't currently uh permeable we end up with a situation where

161we have ultimately more runoff and so that's something we're going to have to look at very delicately obviously if we were to take up more playground space with the classroom building we'd want to gain back playground space once we remove the Portables so we're sort of trading out spaces but certainly I think we want to explore that East End we want to explore the North End we want to explore probably several different options to try to optimize the location ultimately before we land that building thank you yeah um thank you trusty Anderson um Brian I have a question too while we have the slide up uh Tahoe Valley a couple of things um um yeah I I I support what's proposed I a general question about design because I know you're going to be doing

162design in March do you will you be sitting down with teachers at Tahoe Valley the principes um just I want to understand how how you approach design and and the specific thing that I heard last time I was at Tahoe Valley and I kind of observed because I was out on the playground was over in the east in that Eastern corner where the TK and kindergarteners play they currently play around the they play like along that Eastern Edge and then around the corner kind of facing the front of the school and um the adults who are out supervising they kind of have a hard time keeping eyes on everybody because of the way they wrap around the building there so that's just an example but I'm just under I just want to understand how you

163engage with the staff so you you get to learn these things from them yeah the answer is all of the above we're going to more than likely start out with some sort of U visioning session with the site and that might include you know most of if not all of the staff then I think we want to compartmentalize into a working committee um that would include probably the site principal maybe a couple of key administrators um and then members of the district Administration staff and then that would be the working group that we would work with from I'll say week to week month to month as we come up with Concepts um as we develop design you know we have phases schematic design first and design Development and Construction documentation at the end of each

164phase we will have a page turn um where we will sit down with those committees and with those groups and go through and say here's what we developed is this agreeable before we move into the next phase of design um so you're going to see a lot of that happen that's great and then how do you where do you um where do you uh incorporate or invite trpa uh in the room because back to trusty Anderson's um question about moving buildings I I know that Tahoe Valley sits basically in a stream environment and I know that there's been problems with drainage in the past and it connects to Tac Lagoon and there's a lot of concerns about the runoff you know and its impact on the waters that are tributary like Tahoe and so there

165may be some opportunities for our students too to have like a you know the storm water may be something that can be done in a wetland fashion or a meadow you know there may be opportunities for some restoration the students can learn from as well as and I I know what you mean I mean you could move potentially the building but you'd have to do some additional restoration you know to account for that to move coverage around but I'm just wondering if you have anybody at trpa that you would uh engage as part of these those kind of conceptual discussions or and and the city because City Public Works their drainage runs through here and they'd want to know they'd want to try to maximize opportunities as well the whole planning process actually entails all

166of those folks all those folks right go ahead briyan sorry yeah we're going to we're going to want to engage trpa right away as quickly as we can um one of the ADV manage as you'll see when we bring forward the group um the um program management group that was um tentatively selected with the interviews the other day is that they have a real strong relationship and have done a lot of work with that organization so they're going to be involved in that as well um we're going to want to get surveys of this property complete surveys we want to get geotechnical reports to indicate what our what our ground soils look like um for the purposes of that facility and even some of the modernization as well so there's a number of studies and

167other things things that are going to happen right away um and rather quickly out there um but that's one of the advantages I will say of focusing on one side at a time is that we can sort of kind of completely look at the site holistically rather than try to compartmentalize it and make sure that we sort of address all of the issues not just the new construction but also the modernization and everything else at the same time parking drop off Safety and Security Etc okay great thanks and then I have one more question or one more yeah kind of just wondering and because it is a very stormy day today and we have a lot more water and I as as an environmental Jer who worked with water I was surprised where I was

168seeing ponded water today around town that I have never seen before so it was it was a pretty big event but at South Tahoe Middle School today where I was visiting um the one of the Wings has um a lot of flooding that's occurring in the in a couple of classrooms so I'm wondering if some of the general you know you were talking about playground and athletic fields at the middle school and these two rooms um face the towards the newer buildings and face towards the like where the basketball courts are and clearly the classrooms are below grade I mean you know the the classrooms were both science classes so you know I walked in and we started talking about gravity and uh because they were working on uh they were working on velocity equations

169and some other things and the but the point being that it seems sort of obvious that it's not an easy fix those classrooms are you know are below grad so water is coming in and so um I don't know if there's an opportunity when we're looking at like the basketball courts there at the middle school at doing some work to try to alleviate some of those drainage problems and and I and I know Dr Cutler might is gonna have to spend some money probably before you guys are be able to do projects at the middle school but it's not going to be it's not an easy fix what's happening right now at the middle school but it's uh it's something that would be great if if in the thought of looking at all the play

170areas at the middle school if there's some way to account for um some of the impacts that are happening at the buildings right now at the middle school well again if you if you want us to consider adjusting the projects for things that you see one of the things we're going to have happen is we have to continue to basically Peach Mill and and Band-Aid items that we've been working on Main you know throughout time and you know luckily we still have Dave um but I mean you know because we don't get all of the money at once that you know this is like hey let's get to Tahoe Valley because Tahoe Valley's got a lot of challenge yeah a lot of lot of needs um we'll eventually get uh one of the things that

171will happen when when we think about the the the entrance into this campus is there might be opportunities to to take advantage of the work that's being done for the the campus parking and drop off in area but also there might be an opportunity to take advantage of the work that we're doing along with um the the the ball fields and see if there's something so yeah yeah Brian have to fall upon okay thank you all right thanks Dave thanks Brian thank you I think I think that's all we have for this item and okay so just to make sure because so com okay one more com Brian I uh just wanted to comment real quick on uh you know thank you for the uh facility master plan and uh recognizing s Optimus and all

172the work they've done and uh you know kind of fast-tracking that project um I did have a little Community input on it I thought it was relevant to bring up um one idea with the uh with softball fields and the Middle School Fields an idea was to have a a clear lit uh like walking path for the parents when they uh students and children are participating in that and if that can be brought over and uh be inclusive of the alaho uh boys and girls club site um so in you know in your master ideas just you know if you can keep that in there please yes yeah and I think it's really great feedback and as Brian and team start to design that we'll we'll be bringing that you know that'll there'll be a

173lot of opportunities for us to to impact you know to look have the community invested in US yeah absolutely I think we need to give them plenty of places to recreate yeah have know how Brian and team work right just as like the question that was up about how do you work with the staff there will be a small group including the principal and at least one teacher if not to um District level folks like Dave um will be in regular meetings looking at those designs before they become final making like where that building goes obviously trpa you know water as a water engineer where water is moving and how we move things we all be part of it but I want to just assure the board is right now will be the list of

174getting what projects we're working on the design and then how we do that will be in the months to come yeah and I I I just want to you know just go on record that I I support the prioritization that we've listed there in terms of Tahoe Valley and then the asphalt the playgrounds at the middle school and I I guess in terms of if because I know it's going to cost more than we maybe are estimating that maybe we don't end up doing all the admin modifications you know the the entry points some of those other sites we might have to wait and do later because it seems like the most important things are T Valley and the Middle School um athletic fields and all that as that's an important point because really when

175we think about it t Valley was identified as the highest priority of campuses sier house actually was identified really next in that order and so if it comes down to it maybe we're not specifically addressing some of those those entry level components to but that parking lot at Sierra house is one of our most challenging we have right and I know the asphalt parking lot's important for all sites if we can do it but I know we may not be able to and then I appreciate that Brian wants to spend some money you know on design for the future out years too that makes sense so well thank thank you for the direction and so we'll bring that back for you in March 13th all right great thanks thanks Brian and David and now we

176have um item eight Business Services Kelly buttery's got a number of items five lesson last time president keer and Board of Trustees tonight I will share information about the California uniform public construction cost accounting act or cupka cupka allows local agencies to perform Public Work projects of up to $75,000 with their own workforces this would allow the district to use a less formal bidding process reducing reducing the number of bid based based on Project size and expedite Contracting for projects the district will establish a list or update its list of qualified contractors by mailing facts or emailing written notices to all construction trade journals the notice must invite all licensed contractors to submit the name of their firms to the district for inclusion on the list of qualified biders this would also assist in our

177bond projects as all of the project program uh management firms mentioned utilizing cupka to help us get started quickly with some of our projects this is an information on item only I will bring it back next time for Action any questions any questions all right looks good excellent moving on you have my presentation the next item is the uh review enrollment data from calpads in September staff reviewed enrollment and Bridge daily attendance for Lake Tahoe unified and I will review it again tonight uh through February 7th doesn't want to advance is it frozen nope I think you both clicked on it at the same time there we go thank you to begin tonight we'll review some of the key terms I'll give you a moment to review the terms and their definitions if you recall

178I presented those uh in September just for there we will be be there every time for you to review if you ever have questions on what the terms are they are they'll be listed this slide shows enrollment in Ada through February 7th it also shows cumulative attendance and Ada from the beginning of the school year through last Friday okay this is a three-year comparison for both enrollment and Ada as you can see it appears our district is leveling out and in while we are still considered declining enrollment it is seems to have hit a floor rather ceiling there's always a ceiling there's always a floor so we seem to be leveling out which is really good for the district uh February 3rd was known as the day of the Immigrant we saw saw a significant

179increase in absences on that day at almost all School sites we did learned that when our uh Ada is more than 10% below the average uh we can apply for a waiver for that day we can do it districtwide or by School site we will be applying for a waiver for that day for the sites that were all in the 75 percentile range and I do want to note the mount Tac you'll see I have three asteris next to that their their um Ada is calculated differently it's positive enrollment because they have their number of hours is significantly less than a comprehensive high school so their attendance always says 100% because the number of hours are less any questions any questions no all right so did you and you said 75% or even like the

180one there was one site that was like 76% that we can apply for waiver on that one cuz they're all averaging about 90 or a little bit higher so that's more than 10% of the average day yeah so when you look at it our district wasn't really at that level to do a districtwide you know they're called they're called the j13 forms right you know when we call when we call it snow day but we aren't able to make that day up because we' run out of opportunities make it up we do the J1 13s so so we can't do it District y but we can do it for those schools and so any of those that you see that are in That 70s range they're all going to we're going to do it for

181all them okay yes so the three schools we won't apply for a waiver for our Meyers elevated and mount Tac the other schools we would apply for a waiver for the j13 great thank you okay cool the next item it see is the is the bond oversight Committee Member item and it's an action item as part of the bond the district is required to have a bond oversight committee the makeup of the committee has specific requirements per Proposition 39 the district collected applications from January 6th through January 17th and during that time we received eight applicants of the eight one was determined to have a conflict and was removed from consideration the remaining seven met all requirements the summary of applicants is attached to this agenda item including the specific organization requirements they align to

182in accordance with Ed code 15282 it is staff's recommendation to approve the appointment of the listed members to the bond o citizens Bond oversight committee right do I have any questions or comments do I have a motion I'll make a motion to approve the um the list of our oversight committee do I have a second I second that motion all right I have a motion by trusty kamacho and a second by trusty Anderson all in favor say I I I all opposed no and just to note that their first meeting there is there going to be a training for them on uh I think it's Thursday February 27th uh and Meredith Johnson from dwk will be providing them that all right excellent Thursday February 27th all right appreciate everybody that applied I really do all

183right item 8 D is update on project management selection in continuing to move forward with the bond selection process the district posted a request for qualifications proposals on January 15th for prog program and project management the deadline for submissions was January 3 first and we received five prop proposals director of facilities Dave Zebo board member Valerie Mansfield the facility is maintenance manager for the city of South Lake Tahoe Travis shindelbower and myself reviewed all the proposals we selected three candidates for an interview that took place on February 11th the interview panel was made up of myself Dave Zebo board member Ellen kamacho and Travis shindelbower and uh District's architect from Studio W Brian Whitmore and and alen oh Allan I forgot he should forgot he to make the list it's not I mean you forgot

184me in that last meeting um yesterday we were able to choose a firm and dwk our attorneys will be working on the contract for the selected firm we will bring the select firm back to the board for March on the march on the March 13th board meeting for approval it's an information item are there any questions so you're not going to tell the you know what I actually am going to tell you group really it's a little premature because we have to negotiate an agreement but we actually have somebody in the in the in the in the room here that's from the company and that's Roy Ben Roy there nice to see you um and the company is is actually the same company that has been working with ltcc um recently on their projects it's

185called The Coming group um again a little premature because we do have to negotiate but I feel really confident and and and excited about them Roy just lives down the street for example we have some local folks that that are part of the company and and will be working with us so Roy fiance works at Tahoe Valley that's right you know uh oh yes we have and he's related to a to to an employee so all right do we have any public comment on this item anybody want to say anything well number one it's not an action and I know I know it's not an action people can comment on but not tonight all right hi Roy thanks for being here right and uh we have a vote no no no this is just information

186because the vote will be March 13th on the actual project management um and that will be after the contract is negotiated yeah so we have we um we negotiate the contract over next week or so and and then that'll be ready for you on March 13th perfect thank you all right last item uh in the business service on operations section is uh item 8e the lake Taho Unified School District employee Child Care Program both staff and board have received several concerns regarding the staff daycare including two teachers who spoke at the last meeting John Simmons Director of Human Resources sharing information about the Child Care Program we operate it's when it switches slides yeah sometimes you have to get it started for you just move it all right uh good evening president ker and trustees

187our school has been serving family since 2017 um currently it operates at alaho campus offering both infant care and preschool programs staffing has been an ongoing challenge raising concerns among staff parents and the district uh to meet the required Staffing ratios the infant program should have one teacher for every four babies while the preschool program should maintain one teacher for every 12 students at present the program operates with one teacher uh one Aid and one sub aid while the preschool program runs with one teacher in three AIDS ideally each program should have at least two teachers along with one but preferably two aids to ensure proper support and compliance uh we have two openings at this time for teachers that we are ad advertising for currently next um this slide shows our current enrollment we

188are at our limit in the infant program due to Staffing uh but in the preschool program we could bring our number to 20 um the 20 is the limit due to room capacity I realize this is difficult to read it might be easier to read on your screen um this slide shows the revenues and expenses for the last three years uh and through the end of January of this year which is when we ran the data uh which is about halfway through the year you could expect to double all of those um by the end of June we've raised the rates by 10% each of the last two years to try to recover some of the expenses but the expenditures continue to exceed the in amount of money were able to bring in in order

189to doe our D due diligence the staff put together a pricing comparison of local Child Care Facilities we includ included two home dayc carees as these are often affordable options the price the range of price at a couple of the facilities is because they charge different prices If the child is in diapers or not so it was a little interesting trying to put that together um but you can see the difference in um prices and they are mostly current one of the inhome daycares we contacted them uh last spring and I was unable to get uh current numbers and they said last spring they were going to raise those rates at that point so I would expect that those would be higher correct and the it sort of depends on the um Child Care Facility

190how they price it out whether it's per day some of them do it per month um and then they'll break it down even by day if you go more days it's cheaper it's just an adjustment and that's all we have is there any you have any questions you know before we we hand it off here um as as staff we talked about this agenda item and whether we needed to bring it forward to you um last year we spent time and we spoke to board members about um the concerns as we were looking across all of our budget uh trying to determine if we needed to do riffs or not and identified that this was a a challenging economic component for us yet it was was determined uh through our staff work that we would

191continue to to provide this service and do our best it's been quite challenging and and staff have been I think more than stressed about how we're maintaining staff keeping staff having the the appropriate staff um and I know that this has been emotional component for many of our parents and we have them here tonight and appreciate their patience for being here to towards the end of the evening um I I want to say that that that the intention of bringing it Forward tonight was really to provide the information so that it's very clear what we have in front of us um and I and and so really your direction your feedback uh is is important to us as we continue to plan on how we um provide the service and how we move forward with

192it so I have a few more comments I'd like to share but I want to make sure you get your questions asked so okay how many families do we serve how many teachers are benefited from it or receiving care for their children who how many we have with the families we have 17 families yeah 17 24 children but 17 and okay and I wanted to acknowledge that we received as a board many letters well several and just for everyone to know that each of us read those letters and are listening thank you I would also like it to be known um that obviously as a public entity we we don't have to break even we don't have to do these things so there's um uh a lot of I guess we have some latitude we

193do have fiscal responsibilities to the taxpayers um as a board which obviously that was mentioned in a lot of the letters and I appreciate that recognition of that um I I I believe as um beyond the benefit to the family um it's also a tremendous benefit to the district for a retention tool for our our qualified teachers so that I just want to say that I recognize it as much more of a retention tool for them beyond the benefit that they are receiving so I would Echo that sentiment the you know we would like to attract and retain the highest quality teaching staff that we can get and uh I see this as a as a way to be able to do that if we can hold on to it comments thank you um thank

194you I um value this this program that we have and and as um tressy Heatherton uh said we need to be physically responsible and so there is a struggle there um but I as it is very important to it's so hard in Tahoe and we we we feel that so um I appreciate working to keep this going can I amum I also I I think it is a really great program and I appreciate all the letters we received um and I I do I will read some of them into the record because I said I would so but I also uh just want to comment um that yeah I think it is I I I I really heard that it's not it's a wonderful benefit and it's also particularly good because we have um very

195qualified staff doing the work right that that's that's you don't always get that in a home health care situation uh home daycare even though there are licensing requirements so but I also recognize the challenge of us you know not being able to fill um Staffing I really appreciate the the all the information we got from the staff I also what you guys presented tonight and just looking at um costs I mean it does I'm looking at you know how can we continue this but maybe not have to spend so much money and and that would require obviously parents probably paying more for the service and I know there were suggestions about grants or other you know other revenue and I don't I know that child care has been an ongoing issue it was brought up

196during at the last several elections you know there really has not been much support nationally or even from the state of California to support families in a way that you know augments or helps them with funding child care it's just I don't I'm not aware of anything so I don't know if there is anything out there related to that and then when I look at what uh especially it's interesting to me that our infant care program that the charge of $53 is is pretty much in line with what you're seeing in town but the older children they're definitely the teachers are paying kind of a reduced rate at $33 instead of you know an average of possibly 50 or 60 so I I guess I'd be interested in looking at raising those rates because you

197know if we doubled the amount of I mean I'm not saying we want to double it but if we doubled the C what the employees paid we wouldn't the district wouldn't have to pay that much money to provide this surface but we'd be able to still provide it um and I don't know in the in the cost numbers I know you did include benefits and and what we're paying but we did not include like um our overhead like heating that's not included so so that I mean I just because originally I was thinking that's something that I was going to say I want to I want to support like I want to just say well we're not going to charge them for electricity and but we all know that those cost just keep going up

198too you know to heat the building and and water and sewer and all that so anyway I I guess I'm I would like us to look at raising the costs but continue to provide the service so that's that's just my thoughts um and then with that I'm gonna read the five letters or do you want uh I was just gonna say you know I did have a meeting with parent Mera she'll be I speaking here a little bit with you um and we talked about lots of different things um this afternoon and and she gave me the indication uh that you know parents would be willing to pay more to be able to hold on to it and so you know I think that if the board's interest just based on the comments I've heard

199just now uh I would say that staff's job moving forward and I and I shared this with Bara really is because I saided to her you know this is just an item to provide the information um really but to also get some direction from board and what I heard tonight and so I wanted to say that I heard that this we want this we also you know need to be fiscally responsible we have to have to make you know to take a look at how we can possibly reduce that impact um and and so I know we're going to have have parents speak and and you're going to read in but staff's intention right now will be to let's go back to the drawing board and see what would it take to to try to

200keep it still affordable for our for our staff but also to reduce our cost um Andor increase the revenues right so charge more increase revenues and also how can we reduce cost and and uh I mean really the most the majority of the costs are staff right that's just that's that's our if you look at our budget as a district our costs are staff right that's 85% um give a plus or minus so that's what it is really as as we showed it's you know if we want and and I think John said we had seven who one of you told me that we had seven babies that are waiting to get into our program right and we want to get those seven babies in but we have to have enough staff to get them

201in right have to have and and of course lure and and the things that they have to have train and and the training they have to have because it is a separate entity right when when we think about K12 education tk12 education we have different rules than prechool and daycare um and and so we have to manage that and the state comes in and they do surprise visits on us and there's lots of things in that program so again what I I guess I'm sharing is that from the conversation I had today with Marissa to what I'm hearing from you from our conversations as staff you know our intention is that we'd love to be able to make sure that we can keep this and keep this going and serving our our families um we

202need to look at revenues and we need to look at expenses and how we can work on that yeah I appreciate that and I and I know that um I know the teachers all know this but I mean I think I think the bot I know a lot of people were uh Disturbed to see the dollar amounts but when you're talking about a couple hundred if this district is spending a couple hundred th000 to provide this service um $250,000 that that equates to a couple of teachers and so you know if if we were going to fund this program and we didn't have enough money then we might be you know losing or not being able to fill you know two other teacher positions in the district and that that's that's a pretty big burden

203you know on on those 20 families I mean I it's just it's a lot to ask I think because uh those two teachers would be serving you know anywhere from 20 to 35 um students and and so that there's an impact then back on the teach back on the teachers that are teaching because they're going to have bigger class sizes right so it this is where uh we need my math might be crazy but no I'm just really the reality is if we can't hire teachers if we're if we're spending the money at daycare and we can't hire two teachers then class sizes get bigger in in some grade level just to make sure right our our staffing for teachers is truly about ratios right and so we have so we have to do that

204what we when it comes down to budgeting it's what's just when we get down to priorities right and so as we think about it um we do have to do some cuts on our budget for next year um and and where do we where do we cut those those components really comes in because overall our staffing we talked about Staffing ratios with the board as well right we have Staffing ratios and we work on on those Staffing ratios so then you when you start to think Cuts it's cuts to it's cuts to budgets it's Cuts cuts to components right sure trying and trying not to touch program absolutely like this is program really when I see it this is program right and so this is a special program and so you know when you talk

205about academic programs for our students obviously don't want we're trying to protect those at all times right so that's just one of the challenges we face um and and and that's the job we have over the next few months to really take a look at this all right I'm going to read my the five letters I said I would read all right we have a letter from uh Katie fiser dear board members my name is Katie Fisher I teach seventh grade English language arts at the middle school and I have two children in our staff Child Care Program Amelia my three-year-old daughter in the preschool program and Max my one-year-old son in the infant room I'm writing today to stress the positive impact this program has had on my family since beginning the preschool program

206in the fall of 2023 my daughter Amelia has grown both academically and socially she started her time there knowing very few letters and barely counting to three now she can identify and name most letters in the alphabet identify the sound they make and can sometimes give an example of a word that starts with that letter she can count to 10 with confidence she has made friends with every student in the classroom she can regulate her emotions more often and with more strategies than what we've taught her at home when I dropped her off this morning she was nervous to go back after being sick for a full week the only thing that loosened her grip around me was the idea of sitting with teacher Amy as I left she cares about her teachers and trust

207them Max began in the infant room when he was 3 months old he loves teacher Abby and teacher Claudia and we trust his teachers completely not only does he receive excellent care but he is also socializing and consistently meeting developmental Milestones the infant room is a safe haven for our littlest ones while we educate the Youth of our community without the staff Child Care Program my husband and I might not have been able to remain in South Lake Tahoe I may not have been able to continue teaching in the community I love we are so grateful that this program made choosing to stay in South Tahoe and no-brainer we are incredibly grateful for the staff Child Care Program I urge the board to continue prioritizing and investing in this vital resource ensuring that Educators like

208myself can continue serving our students and Community with peace of mind thank you for your time and consideration Amelia and Max oh then there was a picture it's from Katie Fisher but she provided a picture of Amilia and Max so that's uh that letter and then um the next one is from Aaron Cel uh dear Dr Cutler and members of the school board I'm writing to express my heartfelt appreciation for the exceptional care and education provided by the staff of the lake tah Unified School District infant and preschool program as a parent who has been part of this program since the very beginning I can say without a doubt that it has had a positive impact on my three children who have gone through both programs and on my family as a whole is imme

209immeasurable the Affordable Care provided by this program has been life-changing for me it allowed me to continue working as a teacher while also starting and raising my family without the option of such an affordable reliable program I would not have been able to have three children and continue my career in education the peace of mind this program has given me knowing my children are receiving quality care and education in a supportive environment cannot be overstated my children have not only loved going to school but have also developed strong bonds with their teachers the care support and guidance they've received have helped them grow into independent responsible and confident little individuals I am incredibly grateful for the teachers who have gone above and beyond to help Foster a love of learning kindness and curiosity in my

210children this is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the staff this program was not intended to make a profit but rather a necessary initiative that the district recognized as essential to supporting younger teachers and families like mine I truly believe that this program plays an important role in helping new teachers balance their careers with the challenges of family life without it many teachers including myself would not have been able to pursue both our professional and personal dreams it is critical that this program continues to be available to Young young families within our district the positive impact it has had on my family's ability to thrive both personally and professionally is invaluable and I'm confident that many others in the district would benefit just as much I also want to highlight the specific

211impact this program has had on my children Everett age8 and Ellie age5 have both thrived in the program setting them up for success as they transitioned into TK and beyond my daughter Emma H3 who is currently in the preschool program has acquired essential skills that will benefit her for years to come the program has not only helped her build basic academic skills but has also provided a strong foundation for her social and emotional development which will serve her well as she enters formal schooling I sincerely hope that the district will continue to recognize the importance of this program and its ability to foster a strong supported Workforce by offering affordable and reliable care to families thank you for your time and consideration warm regards sincerely Aaron Cel first grade teacher Tahoe Valley and then Chelsea

212caler Chelsea Vermillion uh dear members of the Lake Tahoe Unified School District board I'm writing to express my deep appreciation for the Lake Tahoe Unified School District infant daycare program which has been an invaluable resource for educators like myself as both a dedicated teacher and a mother this program has play played a crucial role in making it possible for me and many of my colleagues to continue serving our students with focus and dedication since its establishment in 2017 under superintendent tarwater this program has helped address two of the most PR ing challenges for educators in Tahoe Child Care and housing it has not only supported District staff but has also benefited students at Mount Tac High School by providing child care services that help them stay engaged in their education the availability of on-site Child

213Care is a significant factor in teacher retention making our district more competitive and attracting and keeping high quality Educators I understand that Financial considerations are always a factor in District decisions and I recognize the concerns raised by the program's reported deficit however I urge you to evaluate this program not simply as an expense but as an investment one that directly impacts teacher stability Student Success and overall District strength instead of reductions I encourage the board to consider long-term strategies for sustainability such as exploring funding sources grants or restructuring options that could ensure its continuation as you review the information presented at the upcoming meeting I ask that you engage with teachers staff and families who rely on this program and who can speak to its profound impact with thoughtful collaboration we can work towards solutions

214that support Educators while maintaining fiscal responsibility thank you for your time and commitment to the success of our district sincerely Chelsea Vermillion and then one more Laura ringer um I'm writing to you very concerned as an employee and parent of students in the staff infant and preschool program last night I noticed there will be a presentation on this program on Thursday at the board meeting and is very clear to me the way it is presented that the district's intentions are to discontinue the program I would love to think that this presentation aims to improve it and make it more efficient but based on how the program has been treated in the past by the current Administration I highly doubt that's the case here when this program was started back in 2017 the purpose of it

215was to help with one of two big local issues affecting District employees expensive housing and expensive and limited Child Care these issues were and still are making it hard for the district to attract and retain staff it was a program created to provide a benefit to employees not to profit to the district I understand the numbers shown in the presentation which are not completely clear and I'm hoping to get a more thorough explanation of them at the meeting portray a really negative picture I'm not oblivious to this fact but I'm curious to understand how in only a few years these numbers got so bad when this program was started it was presented to and approved by the board which at the time I would think considered it to be a sustainable program I would like

216to ask you to please look back at the data from then and ask the district to figure out where and how the situation got this bad and take steps to try to fix it without jumping to close it I strongly believe that this can be solved with better management and decision-making the program started with much lower rates than those we are paying now rates that have gone up yearly at a higher percentage than the staff salaries have the district also discontinued without notice to anyone a sibling discount that used to exist and in the last two years made it so that we have to pay for every single day regardless of our child's attendance instead instead of only when attending which was another big perk that the district took away I doubt that back in

2172017 the board would have approved a program with the amount of loss they are currently showing so I ask that this gets looked into to find where the problem lies and try to create Solutions without drastically affecting so many employees and families I'd like to also address The Human Side of this not just the numbers I was sad to see that there was only one vague slide to give any information about the program itself ignoring completely how important it is to those who it serves this program has served my family since 2019 and we were hoping we would continue to be part of it for another four years with my youngest daughter it is currently serving many families and also providing several jobs if this program were to close it would mean many employees having

218to find another option for daycare making it even harder to make a living with the teacher salary staff that are parents using this program are also younger employees that are naturally low low lower in the pay scale as we have not taught or worked for very many years Years yet to get the higher pay levels I myself due to being unable to get a spot in the infant room for my daughter when returning to work last month have gone through the extensive search of child care options and I can tell you seeing it firsthand that they are extremely limited and significantly more expensive and I'm not saying that the staff daycare is cheap but it still provides the benefit of a lower rate than other places it has in many cases in my case also

219given me a great Community being able to connect with other parents in the district with kids of similar ages I currently have one baby at another daycare as I mentioned before and if the program closes and I have to pay at the other daycare for my toddler as well I would have to seriously consider if it's worth still working my teaching job as most of my pay would now go to child care for a while now other parents and I have been feeling like the District administration does not want to support this program making little or no efforts for it and now it seems that this feeling has become a reality once again the district is trying to cut costs at the student staff level which should be a priority and the last level to

220cut instead of looking at other expenses to be reduced at higher levels more distant from students and their education this program did not start with the significant loss we are now being shown I would respectfully ask that this program is considered seriously for its benefits to our District employees and their families that are s that these benefits are significant and that careful thought is given and research is done to come up with a solution to keep it open thank you for your consideration and for taking the time to read this I think that's the ones I I I know we got a few more comments later this week and I want to just explain too that um it I'm I'm I'm learning how to be a president and I'm um and normally when when uh

221staff comment or when I get comments if they come to all the board members and they don't go through the public comment process which is to send your comments to info ltusd so if you send comments to info ltusd.org those comments then are automatically Teresa would read them into the record and they would be um included for this agenda item and I understand that um some people staff or members of the community may want to just send their comments or thoughts to uh board members without um without Dr Cutler knowing about it or without me uh disclosing their names and uh you know reading their letters uh in the public in this public setting so I apologize if anybody did not want that to happen I because I let everybody know I was going to

222do it and I did not hear anybody say that was not okay I went ahead and did that but in the future um I will if I get comments that are related to an agenda item but they they came to me I will uh respond to that person and say if you want this included in the agenda please send it to info ltusd.org and otherwise I will treat it like it's a it's communication to me or to me and the board members have a went out to the the additional trustees so I just want to make that clear and with that um Dr Cutler do we have some folks that want to speak to we do so we'll I'm just going to go in the order I have in my hands so Allison Murphy almost

223there um I don't have to read I mean I know Dr Cutler received my email he commented back in Lori so I'm assuming all of you so I don't need to read it I just want to reiterate how wonderful the program is um my daughter's four years old my son is 23 months so he will be moving to the uh preschool room next month which will make room for another inp family so that should help out um the staff members have Abby Claudia every morning I mean my son is so excited to see them uh teacher Amy teacher Emily teacher V my daughter you know just adors talks about them all the time they're really great people I'm happy to hear that you guys you know enjoy the program and you want it to work

224I just hope that we're willing to have a discussion as parents boards Administration how can we all work together because I'm sure there is a solution and and we can make it happen and I really hope so thank you thank you right Alison I wanted to read your letter but it got lost in my CU that's good thanks Allison Laura R Laura redinger sorry hi thank you I'll be brief since you read my letter thank you um I want to say thank you because I do appreciate that it felt like you will be supportive and trying to find Solutions uh when I first saw that um presentation I was worried that it felt like okay this looks terrible we're going to shut it down um I've also felt in the past that the program hasn't

225been supported as much as other programs throughout the district um it doesn't serve many as many families maybe as other programs but those that does serve is huge and it has created you know provided big benefit so thank you and yeah I would like to see how we can come up with a solution and try to keep it going so thank you and also appreciate the staff let's not forget about employees that are District employees also that have been wonderful with our kids um so I want to appreciate that too thank you thank you Laura Marissa Lopez B here hello good evening everybody thank you for um having this conversation with us um if you've ever walked into I first of all I have I'm a teacher at Buu and teach third grade and I

226have a toddler who's at a different school but um a one-year-old in the infant room and my toddler who's four years old Elio he went to the infant care program back in 2020 and some of the you know teacher Abby is still there um two other great ones have left um for bigger and better adventures in their life but um Galia and Abby if you've ever walked into that room and John can attest to this and so can the other parents um it is a special environment and I feel very attached to it personally so I come to you guys just from this human perspective um and I get kind of emotional thinking about it like this doesn't exist in our community U my husband works at the hospital there is no daycare they provide

227for their staff and it's to me it says a lot about how you feel about your teachers um and their children when you provide this and you support it 100% um I think you should know that a lot of us are really willing to work on cost um I think more people are flexible than you think and so like Allison said if we can open up the conversation to make this um what can we do to brainstorm explore creative Avenues uh we're teachers we think outside of the box and you guys are supportive and I think everyone here is a team and when we approach problems that way I think we can achieve great things and our kids my daughter jumps out of my arms every day to get into Claudia's hands um it is

228is John's wife and it's a special place and I don't want to see it go away I know no one does and I know you guys um are invested in it too so let's work together to make it happen on a side note um childcare in town it hasn't quite been mentioned yet but start times for all these places are between like 7:30 and 8: our contra actual hours you know magnets like reporting at 8 or 7:30 and so that's a whole another conversation but just you know Food For Thought um thank you guys very much and let's make it work thanks Marissa and I just want to say I really appreciate that Marissa said set time to schedule meet with me today and we really talked about all of the things that she shared

229all the things you've heard and and and it was really more of a collaborative you know thought provoking how do we possibly look at some options and so I really appreciate her efforts there so thank you you uh mentioned something that uh really got my mind thinking about Barton not providing it and we we worked very collaboratively with them that was easy to say um so maybe we uh open up a conversation with them to see if we can't collaborate on a on a program that they could benefit from too and help offset some of the costs just an idea well the college does have the college has the child care facility that there they don't do infants at that child care facility they own so so so as you bringing ideas um I believe

230it's our our job at this time right to to go back and and and take a look at well what would it what are there any ways to cut that expenses well what what would it cost what increase of Revenue would it cost to to to make an impact um on on the bottom line and that's our job right now and as I shared with Marissa um you know as we start to work on and build next year's budget we're going to be looking at all these all of these components right and and uh and so that starts to work we well we started on that work already but we'll continue on that and really the idea is that in March and April we'll get you know a really good picture of what this looks

231like and so our hope is that we'll uh you keep us a breast of the Staffing I mean uh I know John Simmons mentioned that there's two openings that are that we have posted and I don't know if we have Anyan you know there's been lots of challenges with with with Staffing that many that I can't speak on about but um we're going to continue and the effort has been there to to solidify staff we've we've also had to make some changes so because multiple reasons yeah all right thank you um all right then nothing else we will move on to item number nine ladies thank you so much for waiting till the end of the meeting thanks for I know it's been a late night how did you get how did you get child

232care I know I know okay sorry about that thank know um item nine is the csba policy updates and this is just an information item at this point yeah you know uh members of the board um as all most of you know we have quarterly uh updates from csba policy that they they come in packages they're bent to align with uh changes in law and other things that may be um pertinent for adjustments and so you have this week's this December 24's packet in front of you this evening if there are some specific questions we can address them otherwise it is intent of staff to bring this back for Action at the March 13th meeting okay you all right any questions no all right uh the next item is the review the board governance calendar

233and uh I think Teresa provided that to us so we have it so it and members of the board we do this at least twice a year on agenda um so that you have the opportunity to look at what's coming up and what's and if there's any modifications or changes you know again this is a schematic of the year there's two sides to it for board members that might just be looking at it more for their first kind of real look one side is really specific to topical areas um and then the second side really is built for our departments to make sure that they're looking at at it so when you think about it like head Services Educational Services Allen knows he can look down that column and go okay I've got these things

234coming up on the these months and so we work to get as much into it as possible that is consistently being done so um the intent of the agenda item is to Simply see if there's anything that you would want to change or adjust um or have questions about all right uh any questions or comments I don't see any and so I'm going to move on to the uh next item which is the consent agenda do I have a motion I move to approve the consent agenda do I have a second second okay I have a motion from truste Heatherton and a second from Ellen kamacho trusty kamacho to approve the consent agendum all in favor say I I I I'll oppos okay it passed uh and then finally uh item 11 any items for

235consideration for future board meetings seeing none I am going to adjourn this meeting at 9:13 P.M