001Go ahead and call the regular meeting of the board of education for Martinez Unified School District to order. It is February 9th, 2026, 5:30 p.m. Do we have any public comments for close session? >> No public comments. So we will adjourn to close session. And I have nothing to report out for close session. Matthew, do you want to lead us in the pledge of allegiance? >> I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Do we have any changes to the agenda? >> There are no changes to the agenda. Next, we have highlights and recognition. Um, Dr. Patrick, do you want to introduce? >> Oh, I'm sorry. Yes. Um, do I have a motion
002to approve the agenda? >> I'll move to approve the agenda. >> Second. >> Student rep. >> Hi. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> So moved. >> Do you Dr. Patrick, do you want to introduce the um Martinez Junior High music program? >> Sure. Um, they're not here, trustee president. So maybe they're running a little behind schedule and if they come you want to go back to them maybe if the board >> Yeah, that sounds good. >> Is okay with that? >> Just going to check outside real quick, but >> yeah checked. >> Okay. Um so not here yet. Okay. So Matthew, do you want to do our um student rep comments? >> Yes. This week, MJHS had a spirit week, home room lessons, and lunchtime activities to celebrate the great kindness challenge. Bull
003pups created a kindness chain that is hanging in the a-hole with links of positive and kind messages. They sent kindness grams to staff members, and they filled the kindness jar with ideas and actions of how to be kind. A huge thank you to the seventh grade science team who worked together to organize and facilitate the seventh grade class field trip to the Exploratorium last Thursday. Students explored varying exhibits and upon their return work to share observations and experiences with all classmates. Additionally, each class participated in a lab provided by the Exploratorium where they work to engineer balancing a sculpture. The end of the quarter 3 progress reporting grade period is this Friday, February 13th. The MJHS PTSA meeting is in the staff lounge at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 17th. And the MUSD area music
004festival at Alhambor High School is on Thursday, February 19th. The 6th to 12th grade band will be performing from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. And the 6th to 12th grade orchestra will be performing from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. And for the whole district, we have President's Holiday Off, which means no school this Friday or next Monday. The AHS college and career hosts at Alhhamra. The AHS college and career center hosted a cash for college workshop on Wednesday, February 4th during access and lunch. I was delighted to attend that. I'm going to be attending college next year and so of course financial aid is a big deal. Um on Wednesday, February 4th, CBO Andy Cannon and M coordinator Jared Ruddle visited AHS to deliver a presentation to our staff on Measure O and all the wonderful projects
005that are coming up. The PTSA meeting will be held virtually on Wednesday, February 10th at 7 p.m. The AHS mock trial team will be competing this week at the county courthouse and Black History Month guest speaker series. We're going to have Conrad Dandridge on Friday, February 20th throughout the whole school day in the PAB. At Martinez Adult Education, the pharmacy technician training program students have completed all of their classwork and are preparing to begin their 130 hour externships with their partner CVS later this month. On Tuesday, February 3rd, representatives from the plasterers and cement masons local 300 visited students as a part of their apprenticeship speaker series. They shared insights into the trade and discussed career opportunities available through their registered apprenticeship program. The Martinez Adult Education spring summer brochure will be available this week.
006Registration for the spring quarter starts on February 23rd. In partnership with Diablo Valley College, Martinez Adult Education is bringing college courses to Martinez. The business communications class begins on Thursday, February 26th. This is a great opportunity for community members to enroll in a college level course right here in town. I actually took this class myself last year and had a great time. And now for my personal comments. I was really disappointed to have missed the last two meetings. Unfortunately, I've been sick so many times this winter that I've literally lost track. Hopefully, I won't miss any more meetings this year as I spend my last few meetings as a representative. I've recently I've recently been participating in the Contraosta County mock trial competition right here at the county courthouse. It's programs like this that give
007me hope for the future of our district. And as I spend my last semester at Alhhamra, I'm one I'm reminded of all the wonderful programs that help students thrive. Our district provides such wonderful opportunities to its students, but unfortunately those opportunities cost money. And on that topic of budget, I'm really glad to hear that the board has changed their mind about cutting the career and college specialist position. I want to emphasize that these choices are not easy for anyone. There's no way that the board can cut $2.5 million from the district without affecting many people's jobs. My heart goes out to all of the people in positions affected by this cut. To the community, I hope you know the board's actions are not malicious. Right now, budget problems are not unique to our district or
008to this year. I truly hope that cuts like this will not become the norm over the next few years, but the board members truly do their best. And if I've learned anything from my time in this position, it's that the job of a board member is not easy. Once again, my heart goes out to everyone affected by these cuts. Thank you. >> Thank you. That was very nicely said. Let's see. And we still don't have the junior high music yet. Okay. >> Oh, okay. All right. Um, do we have anybody from Martinez Education Association? How about CSEA? Good evening members of the board. Stephanie Wentz, president, CSEA Chapter 99. I'm speaking tonight on behalf of the classified staff members, the people who support students, classrooms, and school sites in ways that are often invisible but
009absolutely essential. We understand that the district is facing financial uncertainty. Classified employees understand uncertainty very well. Many of us live it every day. What we do not accept is uncertainty being managed by passing the buck on to students and workers while the district pads its reserves and defers real solutions. In the proposal you will consider tonight. Layoffs are being presented as unavoidable, but they are not. Today, the district holds more than 4.1 million in reserves, over 2.2 million above what is required. At the same time, you are being asked to approve more than $2.5 million in cuts, including $360,000 from classified staff. If we can afford to hold double the required reserves, we can afford to protect jobs. Reserves exist for moments like this, to absorb uncertainty without tearing holes in our schools. Instead, this
010proposal protects the balance sheet by destabilizing classrooms and livelihoods. Layoffs mean fewer hands in the classroom, fewer supports for students with the greatest needs, and heavier workloads for the staff who remain. They mean people going home wondering how they will pay rent, keep health care, or feed their families. This proposal prioritizes financial optics and rainy day savings over educational stability and human impact. The district is protecting future flexibility and reserves by pushing instability onto workers and students. That choice has consequences, not just for this year, but for morale, trust, and the long-term health of the of our schools. And this isn't new. Excess reserves have been ma maintained year after year. If layoffs are proposed every time uncertainty appears, even while reserves remain well above the minimum, then something is fundamentally wrong with how the
011district plans. Families hear that there's no money. Staff are told cuts are unavoidable. But the financials show millions of dollars being held beyond what is required. This pattern erodess people's faith in this system. It damages trust and once trust is lost, it is very hard to rebuild. We are not asking you to be reckless. We are asking you to be courageous. You have discretion. You have options. And you have the ability to protect real people. Tonight, we ask that you choose to use reserves for the purpose they were meant to serve. Pair short-term relief with responsible long-term planning. Give this district time to adjust without tearing apart the workforce that makes it function. Protect students. Protect staff. Choose stability over fear. Layoffs should be the last resort, not the first choice. Thank you. [applause] Thank
012you. Do you have any comments from PTA? Okay. Next, we have correspondence, Dr. Patrick. >> Thank you, [clears throat] Trusty President. Um tonight I'd like to share um um correspondence that we received from Contraosta County Office of Education. And so I'm going to read and share this information because this is something that we're really excited about and really proud of. Um and we want to acknowledge that publicly. Okay. So the title is CC CCO applauds 28 schools in five districts named to California's 2025 honor role. There were 28 schools in five school districts in Contraosta County named to the 2025 California honor role recognition presented by Educational Results Partnership also known as ERP. This distinction highlights schools and districts that are improving student outcomes and narrowing achievement gaps. This year, ERP recognized 1,834 schools and
013158 districts across California who represent approximately 21% of all schools and districts in the state. The five Contracasta school districts named to honor role are Alkalani Union High School District, Lafayette Elementary School District, Martinez Unified School District, Moraga Elementary School District, and Orenda Union School District. The following 28 schools were also honored. Campalindo High School, Marramonte High School, Adams J. Douglas Middle School, Garen Elementary School, Discovery Bay Elementary, Burton Valley Elementary, Happy Valley Elementary, Lafayette Elementary, MH Stanley Middle School, Spring Hill Elementary School, Martinez Junior High School, Donald El Ree Elementary School, Wim Maraga Intermediate School, Del Ray Elementary School, Gloretta Elementary School, Arinda Intermediate School, Sleepy Hollow Elementary, Wagner Ranch Elementary School, Richard College Preparatory School, West County Mandarin School, Middle College High School, Olone Elementary School, Creekide Elementary School, John Baldwin Elementary School,
014Neil A. Armstrong Elementary School, Bowlinger Canyon Elementary School, Golden View Elementary School, Sycamore Valley Elementary School, and Coyote Creek [snorts] Elementary School. This recognition speaks to the thoughtful systems our schools have built to support every student, not just academically, but socially and emotionally. Contraosta County Superintendent Lynn Mackey said, "Educators and school staff across our county are leading with equity, designing rigorous lesson, u excuse me, rigorous learning experiences that reflect real world challenges. Their ingenuity of bringing imagination and relevance to a classroom is helping students connect, engage, and thrive. The honor role is based on the Smarter Balance test scores data from 2023 to 2025 and highlight schools that show academic growth in equitable results. ERP partners with business leaders and chambers of commerce across California to identify schools that are making measurable progress. Contraosta County
015Office of Ed is one of the 58 counties in California. It has the 11th largest public school student population in the state where 169,394 students are served. Officially established in 1932, Contraosta County has a long history of providing direct services to some in our county and some of our county's most vulnerable students, including young people who are incarcerated, homeless, in foster care, as well as students who have severe physical and emotional challenges. Contraosta County also provides support services to schools and school districts in the county. Services that can be handled most effectively and economically on a regional basis rather than by each of the county's 287 schools or 18 districts. These services range from budget approval, fiscal support, technology, infrastructure, communication support, and highlevel professional development opportunities for educators. Um, and then it just basically
016says that they maintain where they maintain a website. But we just wanted to take an opportunity to recognize our junior high and our our district. And so I think we could if the board has anything you'd like to share now would be a good time or if we want to just give everyone a round of applause. I'll operate at your pleasure madam president. >> Yeah I just think a round of applause obviously to the junior high and obviously for the whole district. So thank you very much all the employees. [applause] Can I just add that um Miss Kuzzac has also been recognized as I believe is it as AXA's uh district is it the district area that she has won uh administrator of the year? >> Yes, we are. We're very proud that u Miss
017Cusack has been recognized as um D Axa Diablo Valley Charter Region 6 middlegrade principal of the year. high high marks, high kudos, and to show um the staff at the junior high making steady progress is why they um they achieved this award. And that's just wonderful. I've seen the growth at that school um since Miss Kuzzac um became uh principal and so um I think it's a well-deserved accolade. >> Thank you. I wish I knew that in advance, too. But um next time tell us when they get awards. It's nice. So I'm glad you caught that, Brenda. Appreciate that. Any other comments from board? Okay. All right. Next, we have public comment. Uh, the public may address the board regarding any item within the jurisdiction of the board of education of the Martinez Unified School
018District. For items on the agenda, the public may comment at the time the board considers the agenda item. For items not on the agenda, the public may comment under public comment. These comments are limited to three minutes each. 20 minutes have been allocated for this portion of the agenda. Additional time is allowed at the end of the meeting if there was not enough time to speak during public comments. To comply with the Brown Act, the board may listen to comments from the speakers, but can neither discuss nor take action on issues presented. Members of the board are very limited in their response to statements or questions by persons commenting on items not on the agenda. Looks like we have two. First one up is Todd Navaro. Good evening board. So, one of the opportunities I
019have um the pleasure and honor of supporting in addition to my other roles in the district and supporting students and families is I'm also president of Al Hamber's Grad Night system. And while grad night is not a function of the school district, it's one that we partner extremely closely with the district and the high school to make sure that we provide a safe and healthy opportunity for our recent graduates to participate in an activity immediately following graduation on the evening this year of June 4th. Um I wanted to thank um very specifically uh the district office and Andy Cannon um the principal Mr. Bey and all those who helped us very quickly pivot last fall into reimagining the concessions at the football games. If any of you attended, um we went from serving those in
020attendance directly from the diner to we had literally a food court of food trucks in addition to the diner being um supported by Alhamra High School's athletic boosters. Um, thanks to the success of our fundraising [snorts] for grad night through the five home football games this year, we've actually been able to reduce our ticket prices through early bird sales that'll begin this Sunday by over 10% to our graduating seniors. So, Matthew, starting this Sunday and for two weeks, we will be selling tickets for $149. And that includes a roundtrip bus ticket from Alhhamra to um the Alamina Marina where the students will be um entertained for four hours on a bay cruise. Um come back, food, dancing, the whole nine yards and then we get them back nice and safe, tuck them in, and then
021they're off for the rest of their journey as adults. So anyway, thank you again to the district and Alhambor High School for the support. Um and here's to a great graduation for everyone. Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you, Todd, for putting that together. That's wonderful. Next, we have Paula McCaulay. Good evening. Every time I talk to Elizabeth, she I hear about the latest puzzle that she is working on our dorm room tonight. It's 1500 pieces and four feet tall. It's relaxing, she says. And she says, "Hi, by the way. So, I thought I'd bring one for you today as well. So, part eight in a series. Puzzles are a great example of conflict. You take a piece and you ponder where to place it. You turn it, you twist it, you try to figure
022out where it goes with the other pieces. One by one, you persist in making progress. But sometimes when you come to the end of the whole thing, you're missing a piece. You I was thinking that this was very reminiscent of how we're working through our budget challenges. We're taking pieces and trying to see how things fit the best except in this piece case we are changing the piece the picture with each puzzle piece that we add to the puzzle. And also, we as community members are bringing our own puzzle pieces to the table to add to the picture with the goal of making the end results better match our community needs. But now I'm stuck. Where does this piece fit? I'm flipping it over. I'm turning it around and nothing is working. What do I
023do now? Do I throw it out? Do I blame the puzzle manufacturer or accuse someone of simply being ignorant, selfish, incapable? You can add in the blank. None of these techniques would help me solve the puzzle. They would be ineffective in creating a solution. Over the past few weeks, I have intentionally stayed silent. I would have simply added to the noise, and I do mean noise in the most accurate sense. Slanderous accusations, fingerpointing, self-serving interest pieces. What happened to community? What happened to try and solve problems by working piece by piece through the solution and through the situation to come up with something better for our community. I am very thankful for all of you who have attended budget meetings, who have read over 1,500 pages of board documents in preparation for tonight's meeting alone,
024who have listened to all the comments and still been able to listen more. You have responded to emails, phone calls, or someone stopping you for a quick chat. Thank you for turning the puzzle piece over. Thank you again and again for persevering to better our schools and build our community. And thank you to all of you who have answered my personal questions. People in this room and others in the district who have spent time taking my calls, answering emails, and texts, all in the effort of creating a better picture for our district. Thank you for your perseverance. Thank you. All right. Next, we have the consent calendar. And I believe we have a couple of changes. [clears throat] Um yes, if it's okay, I just would like to share with the public that in our
025last um board meeting, we pulled um board policies 4000, board policy 9310 and board policy 9321. Um, each board policy is being brought back tonight in consent and I just wanted to make sure that the public knew since they were pulled publicly that for the 4,000s um, our original recommendations stand. Um, we had a question and we were able to identify the question as well as for board policy 9310. um we accepted all of the changes um and got clarity on that one as well. And then for 9321, we accepted some of the updated language and some language we opted to not change. So those changes are reflected now and they are compliant and they will be in consent for approval. Those were the items pulled last time. Those are in this time's consent calendar.
026Is that what you're saying? >> Yes. >> Okay. Because I didn't see >> 14.7. Okay. >> Yes. Thank you, trustee president. And >> and madam, >> we also have Yeah. >> Can I please pull um 14.3 the personnel action items from the consent calendar? >> Absolutely. And then I believe we're also going to pull um uh 14.8 F. And that one we're going to move to um action item. We're going to make it 16.4. >> So, can I have a motion to approve the agenda or the um consent calendar as amended? >> I'll move to approve the consent calendar as amended. Second. >> Student rep. >> I. >> All those in favor? I >> I so moved. Um, so the personnel action item, >> I'm going to recuse myself from this vote because it affects
027my daughter's employment. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> I just want to acknowledge uh one thing on it. Uh, Dr. Marilyn Bruette's decades of service to our district um, and congratulate her on her retirement and thank her for all that she has done for our students and our community. >> How long has she been here? >> Over 25 years, I believe, because um, part of that was part-time. So, um I think she has like 24 years total full years. It's been a while. It's been a minute. And I can remember um when I was a young teacher that she did a lot of uh work in terms of computers and whatnot. Shared everything. And when we were in COVID, um she because she created all kinds of stuff for her kids, she shared it throughout
028the district, which was really a wonderful um thing for her to do for all of us. So, um, very collaborative. >> Yeah, thank you for pointing that out. Dr. Britt was actually my voice teacher and helped me get roles in the High School Musicals, which I hope there are no films of anywhere, but um, [laughter] so she will be missed. She served our community very well for a very long time. And um, you should tell your daughter that substituting is the gateway. So, she should be prepared for, you know, falling in love with this and the whole um career in education. >> Excellent. Well, we're very happy to have her on board. >> So, do I have a motion to approve the um personnel action item? >> I'll motion to approve the personnel action item.
029>> I'll second. Student rep, >> we do. >> Yeah. effort for personal action that's regular in the consent calendar. >> Great. I >> All those in favor? >> I so moved. Okay. So, we're up to the discussion item. Um again, the public has an opportunity to make public comment on each discussion item agenda after the staff presentation. Uh first one we have is 2526 principal the P1 report attendance report Andy Cannon. >> Uh thank you President Ber trustees and superintendent Prattrick um and members of the community tonight. Before you is our P1 attendance report um which is going to be positive news for us which I enjoy that aspect of the job more than the other aspect. So um glad to be presenting it tonight. As a reminder, um we're looking at our LCFF or
030our local control funding formula um to be able to determine how we get the bulk of our funding. In fact, we get about 75% of our funds from our LCF accounts. And just a reminder for everyone, the LCFF is the funding model where we get money per student, not on enrollment, but on average daily attendant for kids who come to school. We also get additional grants for kids who are English learners, low-income students, and foster youth. Um, so just a real snapshot of how the principal aortionment system works. Each year we get an advanced principal portionment. So this is what we get scheduled to get cash every month. Um maybe you are aware or not, but we do not get the bulk the whole total amount of our money from the state um in the
031first month. They give it to us each and every month in small little amounts and they use this process um for the advanced principal portion of it based on our last our previous year's P2 to determine what that monthly allocation is. So we get that every month as we lead up to P1 which is this time period now in April. They will readjust our monthly amounts based on our ADA. They'll rebenchmark that give us monthly amounts for the next few months until we get to the P2 principal portionment which ends March 31st. and that acts as our final calculation that the state uses to give us our funds. Um at the end of the year later towards the fall if there's any true up that's where we get the annual aortionment. So this could be
032um for whatever reason we got too little or we got too much they'll make that final adjustment here. So there's a whole process that goes with the state on determining how much money we get to LCFF and what time period that we get that for the data portion. Um schools have been setting I think as the board is aware um setting monthly goals for attendance and working towards improving that because we have made a very strong commitment across the board to talk about and to emphasize um attendance and it's impact not just on student learning but on funding on creating community on a whole list of things that is very supportive of the educational community. As we look at the table on this um slide, you're going to notice that we have a overall projected
033ADA built. This is for budgeting purposes only of 94.5%. And you see that broken out by each of the different grade spans. Those grade spans being take TK through three, fourth through sixth grade, 7th through 8th grade, and high school 9th through 12th grade. The fourth column, P1 ADA percentage. So that is where we sit as of right now. So we are exceeding expectations at each and every grad span this year. So we're seeing some great recovery. We're still looking at getting back to precoid attendance numbers. And so we're doing quite well here with probably the largest jump um in my mind as being the TK through three. They those those guys sometimes can just be really hard for them to get to school for various reasons. Um, but I think with the with TK
034now being really in its third year, I think our families have adjusted to it. So now it's more of a norm that kids come to school every day. And so you see a 96.3% um growth there. Our fourth through eighth grade stayed really steady with seventh and eighth grade just almost flat but growing and also being our highest group. So that fourth through eighth grade group is doing a really great job. high school. We saw some great improvement there and we hope to see that continue through P2. The last column in this table is less than P1. And that's because historically when we look at our data for um year-over-year, we see anywhere from a 0.5% to a 1% drop in ADA from P1 to P2. So the right now um when we get to
035second interim projections and go through that budget report which will be March 9th, I am projecting that last column to be what our final ADA is. If we hold true to what P1 is now, we'll see even more funds. If we drop by just one percentage, that's what our second enma is based upon. So we have a great opportunity to increase revenue um by [clears throat] continuing this emphasis on kids coming to school. So in summary, um right now our district-wide P18A is 96.2% and that is much higher than what we projected at budget time and each of our grades spans is exceeding its attendance target. Um because of this we are projecting now a P2 ADA of 95.2% which is equivalent right now for LCFF funding of an increase of $230,000 for this year.
036Um, and what I want to recommend and and hopefully push for, and we talk about this all the time, is that unless a child is not feeling well, if they're feeling sick, they should stay home. But if not, they should make every effort to come to school. So, avoid trips during the school year and other activities that can um both harm the educational program and reduce the amount of revenues that help to pay for all these services that we provide for that. And with that, I'm open to any questions that the board may have. questions. Nobody. Um I just want to say that um if a child uh goes to a doctor appointment, if they come back to school afterwards, they do count for the ADA. So um if you have to take them to
037a doctor appointment, you can still bring them back to school even if it's um not all day. So just FYI. All right. Um so next we Oh, you do have a question. Okay. Sorry, I may have missed this, but you said these numbers will be updated and reflected in the budget report that you give us in March. >> So, yes, the second interim will include the higher ADA at 95.2%. >> And then I it if you don't have this number off the top of your head, that's okay. But are we getting close? Do you know what the pre-COVID kind of average was or we getting? And if you don't have it, it's okay. We could put it in an update. >> It was just north of 96%. >> Okay. So, we are getting really close.
038>> We're right at that mark. Yes. Okay, great. Thank you. >> Next, we have um review of CSBA updates January 2026. Dr. Patrick, >> comment. >> Oh, well, >> I was expecting people to fill them out if you did anybody have a public comment on that. >> You do have public comment for this. Okay. >> Yeah, I wasn't sure if people were filling them out in advance. So that's what I was thinking. So apologies. >> Okay. >> Um my name is Tracy Eric. I am the office manager at Lois Elementary. Um I just wanted to comment on the attendance. We speak about attendance and guaranteeing that our kids are here every day, but I've mentioned this to the district office. We run attendance um attendance letters are sent out weekly um that reflect that are
039sent home to families that advise whether your student is tardy, whether it's an excused absence or an unexcused absence. And um sorry, I don't like speaking in front of everyone. Um but anyhow, I have mentioned to the district office the person that is responsible for sending those home. um there's a process in order to be able to start and then continue to serve a student. Um so their family is aware of where their child is attendance-wise and for about two and a half months these letters are not ran by the district office. So therefore we are not notifying these families that this is an issue and in order to go with with the process of starting a family which means that they um speak to the principal regarding their child's attendance and then the next
040step is they come to the district. So it's really hard to say that we're pushing for this when we're not sending those letters home for two and a half months. Um, and I really think that that's doing our families, our students, and the district a big disservice because that's revenue that we could, you know, potentially get a jump on and have our our our kids attend every day. Um, and so yeah, and so I have reached out to the district and I asked, you know, from I think the last attendance letters were sent the end of October and then the person who was responsible at the district um is off for a couple months and they returned mid January. So we're losing two and a half months of families being notified that their child's attendance
041is an issue. Um, so yeah, I think maybe if there's someone that can continue to run those and notify those families, it it would really be, you know, we're talking about budget cuts and every penny helps and I think that we're not doing our end on the back end to ensure that those kids attend school. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um, Dr. Patrick, do you mind looking into that um maybe and getting back to the board on that and making sure we have a backup? Yes, absolutely. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Next, we have review of CSBA updates January 2026. Dr. Patrick. >> Okay. Um trustees what you have before you for the first read are board policy in the 000000 philosophy goals objectives and comprehensive plans board policy AR0450 which is a comprehensive
042safety plan 1000's community relations board policy AR 13440 Access to district records. Board policy AR 1445, response to immigration enforcement. And in the 5000s for students, board policy AR 5125, which is student records, board policy AR E1 5125.1, release of directory information, and board policy AR 5145.13, response to immigration enforcement. And again they are being presented and as a first read and at this time if there are any questions I'll entertain them. Thank you. Um do you have any questions? I just have a comment that um in talking u with Dr. Patrick that we're removing several board policies and then replacing them with the immigration pol policies um which seem to be um something that I would support at this point. So >> uh yes that they are mandated that the state has issued new
043board policies for districts across the state on immigration enforcement and we've been directed to replace our current immigration policies as well as we have to upload them once the board approves them by March 1st. Any other questions? Public comment. >> Thank you. Next we have review of comprehensive safety plans for 2526 framework of focus safe and supportive schools. Janelle Ayatt. Good evening. Tonight I have before you for information are our comprehensive site safety plans which are brought to the board every year for review. Um and this is following a process that our school sites undergo with um their designated stakeholders with their um site councils to update their procedures and their strategies and responding to emergencies, disasters, um any violent acts or and other things that might happen on campus. Um, these plans have also
044been updated this year to reflect new legislation and requirements for our safety plan, specifically in regards to notification of immigration enforcement, um, as well as our instructional continuity plan, which we introduced last year, as well as procedures for, um, student use of smartphones during emergencies. So, all of our policies are in compliance with these new requirements. They're also being reviewed by Martinez Police and they'll be brought forward um in two weeks for action. >> Thank you very much. Questions? I just want to thank Janelle and Captain Aldridge with the um MPD for their thoughtful and hard work on this. Did that uh public comment. Okay, next we have action item. Uh the first one is approval of the budget reduction proposal for the 2627 school year. Andy Cannon. Uh good evening again. Tonight I'm presenting
045the updated 2627 uh budget reduction proposal. This is the third iteration. Uh we began looking at this at our January 26th uh meeting followed by a special board meeting on the 6th of February and then tonight reflects the final revisions that result from board direction. Um, some of the changes that we've made at the top, if you can float to the top, we have removed the elementary office manager work year reduction, the noon duty elementary, two positions, the noon duty junior high that was listed there, the student services technician and the college career specialist position. Um despite these reductions or removals from the reduction list, we are still projecting that we would be able to main a positive certification and our reserve level of 3%. Within these reductions, you'll notice that we have $1.02 million
046across across contracts, grants, and operational expenses. We have administrative reductions at $46,450. We have classified reductions um and approximate $360,000 and certificated at um just over $1 million. The total of this comes to 2503650. That does include an increase to our OPED um indirect or not indirect but funds transfer that increased from 400 to $420,000. So we were just shy of that 2.5 mark. So increasing OPED allows us to get there. Um this revised proposal reflects the board's direction from previous meetings and as we know that there are many studentf facing programs that this affects but we have done um extensive work in evaluating and making recommendations to try to limit that as much as we possibly can while also looking to maintain our fiscal solveny our other programs you know despite the challenges we
047have with the fiscal landscape in front of us. Um, so with that tonight, um, we are asking for approval of this reduction and I stand available to answer any questions you may have. >> Thank you very much for putting this together. And I just wanted to, um, just clarify for the public um, that if if we hear that there are excess reserves, we have to have a balanced budget with a 3% reserve in the third year out. So, even though we have more on the books now, we're deficit spending still and we're still getting close to that 3%. >> That's correct. And this reduction list does not include any potential salary increases that the board will be um reviewing at the next board meeting. >> Perfect. Thank you. Um questions. >> I have a comment
048that I'd like to make just in case money comes in. Um and I'd like to make a comment on the reduction of certificate staff at bicente bionis. Um realize that these are not added in but I would like to shine a light on the importance of those programs. They provide alternate avenues for students uh for whom a traditional classroom model has not worked and they serve some of our most vulnerable students. Students with diverse lives, responsibilities and needs and access to guidance counseling and individualized support is paramount for those students. My understanding is that there is currently a waiting list for the campus which underscores the ongoing need for these programs. The Vicente Brion's campus contributes meaningfully to our graduation rate and our ADA. Students who are disenfranchised by these cuts may be less likely
049to graduate or may seek private online options or enrollment in other districts to complete their studies. Capping attendance at bronies at 25 students effectively limits access to this alternative pathway to roughly only one half of 1% of our student population and many Vicente Broni students are part of our unduplicated population and this is a title one campus. These students deserve robust supports aligned with our stated commitments to equity and access. And I am making this statement so that if we end up with additional funds that this is where we put them. This is our first priority is to make Vicente Bronies whole. I've seen the program um reduced year after year and these kids need a place where they can go, they can learn, they can graduate. Thank you. >> Yeah, I I I agree
050with um what Brenda said and I also agreed with what Matthew said earlier. That was well said. Thank you. Um, I just wanted to say that we all received, I know I'll just speak for myself, a lot of emails, um, phone calls, text messages, people stopping us at the grocery store to talk about this. Um, I was not able to respond to every single email. So, I apologize for that. Um, but please know that I read every single email and took every single email to heart and thought about what you said. And, um, as people have said over and over and over again, none of these are easy decisions. Um, I think we all worked really, really hard. Staff worked really hard. Um, and had some sleepless nights and um hopefully things improve and we
051can bring some of um the things back that it was very painful to cut. Uh, Andy, I had a question. So, what does that put us at three years out? What if just a quick guess or like a rough number? 3 point one 3.2 >> I I still need to go through and do the second and go through that part. Um but we are above 3%. I can't give you that exact number right now. Um and it can change as we get as we just move keep moving further and further and the reason why it'll change you know specifically is we're still working through our special education budget and we're seeing some reductions in that and we're still looking at some different staffing. The other problem with being able to to guess exactly what that
052number is right now or to be able to project it out is we're also looking at places where we have to increase. So what you're seeing tonight is a reductions list. It's not the additions list. Um we know that depending on, you know, certain um students with IEPs that come in, we have one-on-one needs that are starting to appear. We've actually had a couple of those just recently come in. So we're going to have to work through that. Right now I can commit to we will be above 3%. um in the three years um but we will not be above 4%. >> And does that factor in that from that earlier report the 200 something thousand potentially with the ADA numbers? >> Yeah, that's already been factored in and heading into the second interim report.
053>> Okay. >> What it also doesn't do is the 20 enrollment that we're reducing next year because of what our projections look like. So, there's a lot of up and downs with different accounts and things and that's why I'm not I'm not fully committed to giving you something more than um less than four, greater than three, but at least we can maintain that um that 3%. And then when we look at next year and we go through a cycle of where we are with the budget, we will most likely be looking at further reductions at at minimum in the restricted side of the house. Right? Because when we're talking about the 3% reserve, we're talking about the unrestricted side. the restricted side will absolutely have to see some reductions. So, the other way to look
054at that that amount of money above the minimum 3% is depending on what the board decides [snorts] in future years, you may want to move some of those restricted um positions into unrestricted. So, we'll be back down to 3%. So, right now it's just a a mark to set a benchmark that we can achieve, but it will change. >> Great. Thank you. I have at least one public comment, but if you Yep. >> Yep. Okay. But if I have any others, please fill out the form. Uh Todd Navaro. So again, I stand before you. I thank you all for the work that you did, both the district and the board. I know this wasn't easy, and I I don't envy any of you. Um I will say um for the criticism that it's received and
055I understand why it's received the criticism that it's received. One of the activities that those of us that participated in the budget advisory committee went through was we weren't picking and choosing where we thought reductions needed to happen. What we were asked to do and the exercise that we went through was basically prioritizing where we felt funds should be spent through the district. So whether that was special education, uh, classified positions, whatever, we we we did that with the information that we were presented. One of the things that's bothered me through this process is how the board has gone through identifying your priorities. And so I think one of the things and I shared this with Andy while we were going through this. I think it would be very a very diligent exercise for each
056of you to go through some type of activity where you are prioritizing what your individual priorities are as well and bring it together so that the public can have a collective view of what the board's priorities are. balance them out with the district and our goals and even what you're hearing from the public from that business budget advisory committee or do it again with a brighter broader sweep and start seeing where there are connections or disconnects so that rather than in 4hour meetings you're some of you are throwing out your five pri priorities some of you are throwing out your five priorities whatever that exercise is because it's really difficult to follow for those of us that are sitting here and trying to understand why the cuts are being made and then what you want
057to bring back and what isn't coming back. Okay. The other comment that I'll make um and and this isn't against any position through this activity, one of the things that I noticed is from a business acumen perspective, the district presented reductions that were not based off of attrition. They were based off a business analysis that they've gone through that maybe a position isn't x number of months every year because the workload doesn't exist any longer or things have changed as technology has evolved etc. And I feel like there's still a prioritization being given to those positions even though the district is coming back and saying, "But we don't have the work." Somewhere there's a there's a tug and a pull here that the district needs to be allowed to make business decisions that make sense
058based off of the daily activities that employees are going through. We didn't question a lot of attrition activities. It's the same exercise whether somebody has enough work to do their job or not. And I think that some of that autonomy needs to be given back to the district and you all need to understand that and balance that in your prioritizations. Thank you. >> Thank you. Any other questions or comments? Are we Go ahead, Annie. >> So, I wanted to speak to the mental health at MTSS counselors for a moment and I had thought I was going to say one thing and I'm going to say something different. So, I know I've said it in meetings before, if our funding situation doesn't change, we will be back here again next year talking about these positions because
059they were funded out of one-time funds that we don't have anymore. Most districts in our area have cut MTSS counselors because that funding stopped a few years ago. We as a board collectively have prioritized those positions consistently. We have heard the public and we have prioritized them. And it is part of why we are here flexing to make the budget work and make the reductions work because we do see how important they are and we do see how they benefit our students and they mean a lot to us for lots of different reasons. Every one of us up here. So, I was going to get kind of negative and just say, "Well, so we're going to do this and we're going to be here next year. Get excited." And that might be true, but we
060have a whole year before that. And I have also heard from the public over and over that we need to get creative. And I don't suggest that we have some, you know, million-dollar grant out there that we're going to magically get. I think that's a lovely thought. I don't think that's a reality. And I think our staff is well equipped to find these things when they can. We have had that in the past. We have done creative things with our mental health counselors. But what I do think is that we can in the year look at ways to prioritize and rearrange and look at our puzzle, if you will, and see how we might be able to sustain these positions in the long run. But it does require being flexible. It does require looking at
061things and taking a really good hard look at what happens when the state says these aren't a priority and the board says that they are and our local community says that they are because I think that's really valid and I think that's where we are. And so I guess my task to all of us, everyone in this room, anyone in the public who cares is if we want to keep these positions, which I think we really do, we have a year. What can we do? Where are we going to find this money? How can we possibly prevent us from talking about these positions year after year after year? And I don't have the answer. And that's why there's smarter people than me in this room. And that's why we are here collectively. So I guess
062that's my public service announcement. I would like to not talk about these positions. I would like to be able to keep them. And yet we're faced with realities that make that really challenging. So that's it. >> Thank you. Um, yeah, I mean, budget discussions are hard and things change and hopefully we will get some more money, but you know, we never know, but we're optimistic still. Um, with that being said, um, do we have a motion for this item? I will move to approve our um 2627 budget reduction proposal. >> Second. >> You do not get a vote on this, Matthew. Um all those in favor >> I >> So moved. Next up, we have review and adoption of resolution 2026-15, determination to enter into design build agreement for the Alhhamra High School Upperfield track
063and tennis court project. Andy Cannon, >> we continue to work diligently on our projects that are aligned to measure O, which is the $90 million general obligation bond that the citizens of Martinez uh voted in favor of just recently. Um, this project is for the high school, the track and the tennis court. Our tennis court that has shifting ground that needs to be repaired, our track that's got some waves in it and also to be able to add a new synthetic service. So, this first resolution is for the design build part. What um working with our construction partners, we found that it was better to break this job into two different segments. So design build for the kind of the infrastructure of the project and then the next resolution is for the turf. We would
064do a separate source well contract which is through a different agency and we found that we could save the district more money by doing so. So that's why it looks a little bit weird here. So the first resolution 2615 is for the infrastructure part of this and then 2616 is for the synthetic turf um for the infield and also the the track or not excuse me the tennis court surface. So tonight first we're asking you to approve 20265 design build agreement for the high school track field and tennis court. >> Thank you. Questions? >> Yeah. So for this one, um obviously they've had issues up there in the past. Does this include drainage? >> Um be that's why we're going to the synthetic surface. So when we go and and dig down um below the
065track right now, we're going to do a line treatment I think down to 18 in which will establish like kill everything in the ground and then when we put all the base rock and other things back, it will cause drainage where we won't see that shifting of the track again. Um, for the tennis court, we're going to put a PT slab in, which means it's a steel reinforced cable system through the slab and goes on top. There may be still movement, but if it moves, the whole slab moves at once instead of cracking and breaking up into pieces is what we have right now. So, we have chosen that PT slab, which is more expensive because we believe that it'll last for 20, 30 years without any problems. Um, so yeah, we've we have not
066addressed the drainage as much as we've addressed the other issues that come with drainage. Um, a couple of years ago, um, to help with the drainage, we actually put in about 4 feet deep around the tennis courts, large corrugated pipe that helps with the runoff from that to go through that. So, we've mitigated a lot of it around the tennis courts. And so, we just think this is the next evolution of the project um to prevent any future damage. And then for the lime treatment, is there any like concern about that running off because I mean the the school sits a little bit higher than some homes that are around there. So >> there there hasn't been any, but I can double check on that and see, but um no one's expressed that to happen.
067Um we did do a lime treatment also on the softball field for the same purposes to be able to help with the drainage issues. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions? public comment. Do I have a motion? >> All right. How about I move to approve um the adoption of the resolution 2026-15? >> Second. >> Student rep >> I. >> All those in favor? >> I I so moved. Next up, we have review and adoption of resolution 202616-16, approval of piggyback agreement uh with Helis construction for the synthetic field um and tennis court resurfacing project. Andy, >> and thank you. As already mentioned, this is the second phase of this project, which will be the turf and the other surface areas there. Um we did use and are using a piggyback bid, and that's where
068we found the cheapest rate is when we broke this bid in half. Um, so we're asking tonight for the board to approve 202616 approval of the piggyback bid with Helis Construction. >> Questions? >> Yeah. What kind of infill are we using or is there any requirements as to what they're allowed to use and what not allowed to use? >> Um, there were a lot of different options there, but um, House is using a product that does not have any infill at all. Um, so right now De Lasal and I think College Park and a few other schools have put in uh a new a surface from I think a manufacturer called Tincate. So it's a larger, thicker fill green grass mat that requires no fill and just fluffing every now and then. And uh and
069it's actually safer and has a little bit more fall protection than the standard with the fill on it because as you probably know, you can get fill with rubber. Um, you can get it with olive pits, you can get it with cork, lots of different even sand, but this actually has um a better surface for safety. >> I've never heard of that before, but um I was going to ask if they are if they end up do having to use something, it'd be antimicrobial. Any other comments? Public comment. I'll make a motion to approve resolution 2026-16 approval of the piggyback agreement with Helis Construction. >> I'll second. >> Student rep >> I. >> All in fa All those in favor? >> I I so moved. >> Then we have um what we pulled out earlier
070from the consent calendar. We have California Design West Architects Inc. and Annie Cannon. Yeah, this contract was on for ratification and sometimes there's confusion when we do contracts. So, ratification generally means that the contract has already been approved and the board is ratifying it after the fact. Um, it's just the way that this that we have had our agendas placed through here. Um, when for all intents and purposes when a contract is brought on board, we generally wait until the board approves it to go through that, but we use it on consent. I think the sheer dollar amount that this contract has for design and architect structures along with the fact that we do resolutions for many of our um contract bid awards um it was good to move this down into that action item
071so that it can be really kind of upfront and show because again it's a high cost amount. So California Design West Architects has been a partner with this district for many years have designed all of our newer schools. um they use a sliding scale. So when they go through construction, depending on the overall amount, that's what they charge for their services. So they put our bid packages together, our bridging documents that tell the builder how things are done, and they go through extensive amount of work um with us to be able to plan out each of these projects. Um, so we're asking that the board will approve this contract to continue that work, the work that will go to building F replacement and other modernization projects at the high school. >> Thank you. Questions? Public
072comment. Do I have a motion? >> I will move to approve the um what do we call it? The piggyback agreement. >> No, it's the last one. California >> the architect um contract >> seconded student rep >> I >> all those in favor >> I so moved >> okay next we have superintendent report >> thank you trustee president um will I first would like to take a moment to acknowledge that MUSD celebrates black history month um and for tonight in my report I have a few highlights from the adult school program. So um the adult school has it has new they're introducing additional technology workshops for DAC parents and um basically they're saying that in partnership with the Yera Sabat Sapata the Martinez adult education launches the new Spanish language tech workshop led by Patty
073Pacheo. The parents will receive hands-on support with Aries, Parent Square, and Essential Digital Skills. And those sessions will be held on Tuesday evenings from 9 to 10, excuse me, Tuesday morning from 9 to 10:30 a.m. and Thursday evenings from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the adult school. They are also launching an apprenticeship speaker series which began on February 3rd. Um and they held a a session where the plasterers and cement masons apprenticeship program presented to 25 students offering insights into training and career opportunities in skilled trades. Um I also would add that um in late January I also attended one of the trade sessions for steel workers and it was extremely informative and there were at least 25 people in the room for that session as well. So, our adult school is really doing some
074great work um with introducing stu adult students to the trades. And so, it's really exciting because there's so many opportunities out there for adult learners. And um anyone that has really strong math skills and maybe just wasn't interested in certain things in, you know, in traditional education and going to college, the trades are where it is happening. Um, I did not even know that some of those positions, so those highly skilled positions can be extremely lucrative for students um and adult learners and literally change their lives. You know, just being able to um secure apprenticeships, grow and learn and get jobs and, you know, do really well for themselves. So, I'm I'm very excited about that. as well as there's an ELLL healthc care pathways grant which is the round three and so the adult
075school is uh collaborating with adult schools across Contraosta County to apply for round three of the ELLL healthc care pathways grant supporting English learners and um who are interested in entering the health care profession. And so the local focus is going to be on pharmacy technicians, dispensing, optitians, medical billing and coding, and also the regional pathways CNA medical assisting, dental assisting, and the application for the grant is due in March. So I just want to commend um the adult school on all of their hard work. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Uh Courtney, do you want to start? Yeah. So, um last week I attended along with um Yadira Zapata and a couple other people from the district the spring convening for the um uh antibbias grant from the California Department of Education. Um
076and this is it's kind of like a mini conference where folks just kind of shared what things they were doing with the grants and ideas around antibbias education. And it was just a really nice um opportunity to hear what other districts are doing and talk about what we're doing. And I think we got some um good ideas to bring back for our next DEI committee meeting which is I think next Thursday, February 19th at 3:45 here in the district office. And I'm also going to be an attorney scorer for the mock trial competition tomorrow night. I probably cannot score Alhamra High School, but maybe I will see you there. And good luck. I just want to start by saying that this has been um very painful um looking at the budget um making decisions and
077I want to thank everyone that hung in there because even though there was a lot of discussion and and differences of opinions, it shows how much our community really cares about education and they care about our students. Um, the board chose to use some one-time funding to preserve vital programs for our students. And at the same time, we have to acknowledge that without additional support from the state, we are going to find ourselves facing the same difficult decisions again next year. Um, with decidedly fewer options because we will have spent a good chunk of our oped money. Uh, in the meantime, there are actions we can continue to take to improve the district's fiscal outlook, and we must continue to address chronic absenteeism, pursue billing for eligible nursing and counseling services, examine contracts and legal
078fees, and actively seek additional funding sources if we're going to preserve the programs that are currently unfunded but essential to our students success. And I would like to see this topic brought back as a future agenda item where we maybe look at options that we have to increase um funding and what we might do um so that we can keep these programs and and these services. Thank you. >> You did most of it for me. Uh, and I want to just echo what uh, Trusty Leel just said, especially around we had that report back a few months ago where they talked about the billing uh, for the MTSS and the nursing. So, I'd kind of like get an update on that like if there's any issues uh, related to, you know, if there's any questions
079just on how they're submitting, kind of what feedback they're getting back. um and just ensure that we're making sure that we're like, you know, getting parents signed up for that so that we can collect as much as possible to help offset some of those future costs along with uh trying to get some grants. And then I do want to uh say that myself and trustee Leel and even Mayor Zorn were in attendance at the Bull Pups uh poker night fundraiser. I bought some cupcakes. Uh, I didn't get to try any of them, but I I the cakes looked really good and it raised a lot of money. I mean, there was parents paying $700 for a cake. So, we have some pretty awesome uh community members and it was a really fun night and I
080hope they do another one, but I'm not sure exactly how much they raised and I think they sold all the tickets except for maybe three. And I want to thank the yacht club for uh hosting the event and uh their sponsor. So, thank you again for joining me and uh really had a good time. Whoops. Sorry. I'm gonna piggyback on that just because we got to taste that $700 cake. >> They did. >> You We did. They brought a huge fat slice over to our table and it was delicious. So very, very generous. Not only did they overpay for the cake, [laughter] but they shared it, too. So, >> you did. You should have hung around. [laughter] I'll echo a lot of what uh Brenda alluded to in this process. It's always really challenging and
081I did also try to respond to lots of emails and I think I was doing a good job at the in the first part of this and then I dropped off. So if you sent me an email and I did not respond, I apologize. And I I think it's it is a hard process for everyone. And I think it is really good to remember, as Brenda alluded, that when we have discourse like this, it's because people care. It's because people are passionate. Um we're seeing that across our district right now and we had high school students, you know, expressing their constitutional rights and walking out. And we have people flooding our boardroom and telling us exactly how they feel. And I have talked about this in the past. That is how democracy works. And it
082really, you can see it alive and well at the local level. And so as difficult as it is for us, which candidly it has been extremely difficult. is really hard as you can imagine to sit up here and hear an hour and a half of comments that make it feel like no one thinks you know what you're talking about or doing or that you don't have a grasp on any of this. That's hard to hear. And I constantly am reminding myself that people are here because they care. And it is a sign of solid good democracy and discourse that we are having these discussions that we're here in this room that we're seeing the kind of work and the kind of passion across our district from students to staff to board members to community members.
083And so, as much as it is an icky, painful process often, I thank everyone for sticking it out and being here and making it work in the way that it's supposed to. And I will just echo those comments about um it is always hard um every year and we tried to do um some extra workshops or or special meetings to make sure everyone was heard and I think everybody really does care about the students and we you know we know it's going to impact somebody. But I just want to say I appreciate all the staff and I certainly appreciate the cabinet for putting together um spending a lot of time putting together and listening to our comments um and adjusting things. Um so hopefully I mean I'm going to be optimistic that it won't be
084as tough next year. Um but very likely it could be um the same again. So, um I think we should definitely um have some discussions in followup about the MTSS billing and things like that and any ideas that people have. Um and I just want to thank everybody for for all your hard work and for coming to the board meetings and I really appreciated the students when they came to speak. I thought a lot of them most all of them did a great job for speaking. So, um I appreciate that as well. Um, and then I just want to remind everyone that we have that um, music um, at Alhhambor High School, which is both for the junior high and the high school on Thursday, February 19th. Um, so that's always it's going to be
085in the gym. It's always crowded, so get there early if you want to have seats. Um, otherwise, and there's just a ton of kids. It's just amazing to see. Um, the acoustics are not necessarily as good, but it always sounds spectacular regardless. Um, it gets a little hot though inside that room, the gym. Is there air conditioning in there yet? >> No, that's on the list. Okay, that's what I thought because it's always hot when we're in there. But yeah, if you haven't gone, it's really great to see the junior high and the high school together. So, looking forward to that and good luck in your mock trial tomorrow, Matthew. Um, and with that, I think we will adjourn at 7:47 p.m. Thank you.