Mt. Diablo USD Board Meeting 3/25/2026 Part 2

001Thank you. I will now call to order the Mount Diablo Unified School District regular board meeting for March 25th, 2026. We will start with our land acknowledgement. We recognize that the Mount Diablo Unified School District sits on the territory of the Confederated Villages of the Volvon, the ancestral and unceded land of the Baymiwok and Northern Yokut, the successors of the sovereign Verona band of Contra Costa County. As members of the Mount Diablo Unified School District community, it is vitally important that we not only recognize the history of the land on which we learn, but also we recognize the land we inhabit and learn on is the ancestral land of these people who are live and flourishing members of the Mount Diablo Unified School District and broader Bay Area communities today. Please join us in the

002pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. 6.3 review and potential approval of the minutes for the regular board meeting held on March 11th, 2026. I move to approve the minutes for the regular board meeting of March 11th, 2026. I'll second it. Motion by Trustee Z, a second by Trustee McDougall. And that passes 5-0-0. Okay. Next, review and potential Let's see. Approval of independent contractor agreement between Mount Diablo Unified School District and Walk, that's not right. Why is that coming up? It skipped over there, too. Here we go. I tried to skip a page. Um Agenda. Dr. Clark, do you have any changes to the agenda? No changes, Madam

003President. Okay. I will entertain a motion. Madam President, I move the board approve item 6.4, approval of the agenda. Thank you. Second. We have a motion by Trustee Lawson, a second by Trustee Mayo. And that passes 5-0-0. Okay, it takes us to report out of closed session. 7.1, discipline, dismissal, release, and reassignment of a public employee in closed session by a vote of 5 to 0. The board took action to approve the reassignment of one school support administrator to a teaching position for which they are credentialed for the 2026-2027 school year. Existing litigation, the board met in closed session with legal counsel to discuss the matter of existing litigation pursuant to government code number 54956.9. By a vote of 5 to 0, the matter of D.A. Lawler and Mt. Diablo Unified School District, Contra Costa

004County Superior Court case number C2202736, the board gave a direction and settlement authority to the general counsel. In anticipated litigation, the board met in the closed session with legal counsel to discuss a matter of anticipated litigation with significant significant exposure to litigation pursuant to government code section 54956.9b. By a vote of 5 to 0, the board approved a settlement up to the stipulated amount. The plaintiffs and the other particulars shall be disclosed to any person upon inquiry unless to do so would jeopardize the district's ability to conclude existing settlement and negotiations in its to its advantage. And that was what we took action of in closed session. And now we have possible expulsion of the student. Madam President, I move that the board approve the expulsion of student 11-26. Prior to readmission, student 11-26 is

005required to meet the following conditions. One, student must not enter the grounds of any MDUSD school at any time for any purpose. Two, student will not attend any MDUSD school sponsored activities, whether on or off campus. Three, student will complete his coursework at his new site. Four, student will complete 20 hours of counseling to address anger management and conflict resolution. Five, student will demonstrate a successful school experience, which includes no violation of school rules and education code or district rules and regulations, satisfactory academic progress at 2.0 GPA or better, three satisfactory attendance, 90% attendance, and no excessive tardies. And six, student must not commit any expellable offenses as defined under the education code. Thank you, Trustee Lawrence. Do we have a second? I'll second that. Thank you. Did you also move to suspend the enforcement

006of the expulsion? I was unclear. Is that what I was I would also move that the board uh suspend the enforcement of the expulsion of student 11-26. School placement will be determined. I'll second that, too. Second. Okay. We have a motion and a second. >> That passes 500 and let the record show that trust our student trustee Oriana has arrived. Thank you. Okay, we are at public comment. Okay. I don't know, can you do partial? I don't think you can do partial. But two? >> 45 15 * 2 is 30. Yeah, sorry. All righty, we're going to do 2 minutes on public comment. It is 6:07 and we do 30 minutes of public comment, so we'll be done at 6:37. Or sooner. First is Troy Keys. How's that? All right. Good evening. My name is

007Troy Hess. I am the lead instructor at Mount Diablo Adult School. I teach the Emergency Medical Technician program. I had the privilege to speaking to all of you last month when you enacted CTE month, which was very grateful to you for all of that. But I'm back again to please let you know that we are having a lot of problems with retaining teachers at Mount Diablo Adult coming in at $33 an hour, step one, regardless of where you are at the experience. When I came in with 28 years of experience, I made $33 an hour. Now make $38 an hour, and it goes never higher than 40. We have put in some requests from you some time ago and are still working on these issues. We would ask that you would please approve these wages

008and these requirements we've asked of you. We truly We truly train lifesavers, and they go into your home every every day to help you. And we've already shuttered two programs. We've already lost search tech. We've already lost CNA because we do not have teachers that can stay put due to the hourly wages, and we cannot retain them due to the hourly wages. So, we have put some requests in for what we would like to have that would better serve our school what it is what we're trying to achieve there. We know many of you have come visited my classroom. You're always welcome. I I was of the opinion you were impressed with what we were doing. But honestly for me, if we keep staying in this hourly wage, I'm going to have to probably go

009someplace else. If I leave Mount Diablo adult, it's going to have a catastrophic effect on the EMT program. Do we have fairly capable people there? We have a good director and another good instructor. It's just not going to be the same. So, please approve those requests. Thank you. Leslie Garcia I push this button here. Okay. Okay. All right. Good evening, members of the board. My name is Leslie Garcia, and I am the Career Technical Education Allied Health Programs Coordinator. I would like to highlight both an urgent challenge and opportunity within our CTE programs. We are struggling to attract and retreat and retain qualified instructors because current pay rates are not competitive with other adult schools in the Bay Area or with industry salaries. Without competitive compensation, we risk losing very capable professionals who prepare our

010students for critical careers. Our students are deeply committed. Many are working full-time, supporting families, completing patient care hours required for graduate schools, or making courageous second career transitions from corporate jobs into health care. They are driven, and they need strong local career technical programs to succeed. At the same time, workforce data shows a growing crisis. A projected shortage of 73 73,000 nursing assistants and 100,000 critical health care workers in 2 years, in 2028. Our adult school is part of the solution. Our programs place graduates into the workforce in less than a year. With proper investment in our instructors, we can expand that impact. Thank you for your time and commitment to our community. Thank you. Next, we have Sarah Hanley. Good morning uh good evening board members. Um my name is Sarah Hanley and I

011have um I'm obviously here with Bancroft. I have a bit of a different story than you might have heard. Um I currently don't have a student at the Bancroft two-way dual immersion program. Um I have a TK student at Woodside, which is our home school and I have a a second grader in the English only part of Bancroft. Um we started out at a private school that was K through 8 and unfortunately it didn't work out for our family. So when we were looking for another school, we knew about Bancroft and we knew about the Spanish immersion program. We applied for the inter-district transfer last year and we were granted that transfer. However, my daughter was too old, ripe old age of six at the time uh and she was too old to join the

012two-way dual immersion program. However, we enrolled in Bancroft anyway knowing that this would be available for my son. As I said, he's in TK right now at Woodside, which is our home school and he's happy um as is my daughter. Um Thank goodness I have 2 minutes cuz I just lost my spot. Um So but with this sudden change, I wondered do I pull my daughter? She'll be at the third school um at the age of seven if we do that. Um so I want you to just for a moment imagine that the district had preserved Bancroft's program while clearly communicating the roll out of Woodside's with enough time to inform and prepare parents. If that were the case, I would have both my children at Woodside. I would have one drop off and my

013son would be starting two-way dual immersion at Woodside this fall. But the district didn't give us that opportunity. They didn't give us the opportunity to make an informed decision. It's more like a bait and switch to be honest, although I know that's not the intention. That is how it is experienced. So I'm choosing Bancroft. You've shown us that even long-standing successful programs are not safe. So why would I trust that Woodside's program will be protected? Thank you. Thank you. Lucilla And your last name just is? Guisso. Okay. That's harder than my name, I guess. So, good evening board members. My name is Cecilia. Uh and I'm going to ask a direct question to all of you. Will you pause the termination of the Bancroft program, uh dual immersion program at Bancroft, or are you going

014to allow the damage to continue? This week, one of the founding teachers of the program, someone who dedicated 12 years 12 years to building it, made the decision to leave. And it was not because of the students, and it was not because of the classroom. It was because of this decision and how it was made. Again, 12 years. She described feeling devastated. After years of commitment, she now faces the reality that even her own children will not benefit from the program she helped build. That should concern every single one of you. Because this is no longer just about where the program is going to be. This is about losing the people who made successful the program. You cannot replicate a successful dual immersion program by simply moving it. It is built on relationships, trust, and

015experienced educators. When And educators start leaving and start walking away, that's not a minor issue. That is a direct consequence of leadership decisions. And it was preventable. There was no meaningful engagement, no transparent process, no time for families or staff teachers to respond before this was set in motion. Now, the consequences are already here. So, the question is not whether the district the district has the authority to make this decision. The question is whether you, the board, are willing to step in when the process is flawed and the harm has been done. A pause is not optional. It is necessary to stop further damage and retain the educators who are critical to the program. Are you going to restore the trust with our community? Thank you. Elizabeth Kluwek Olives. Good evening, board members. My name

016is Elizabeth Kluwek Olives. I'm here once again tonight as a Bancroft parent to share my continued dismay regarding this announcement. Our community is feeling completely disregarded at this point, to be honest. We have attended countless hours of meetings and have yet to hear a concrete reason why the superintendent is steadfast in his desire to dismantle the most successful dual immersion program in the district and the only Spanish immersion program in Walnut Creek, which has been a vital part of our community for over a decade. As Lucila just mentioned, last week a beloved teacher shared that she had decided not to return to Bancroft next week as she was planned to as a direct result of this decision. The superintendent promised that this decision would not affect current students. But my son, who is losing his

017kindergarten teacher, is affected right now. And this move hasn't even happened yet, and current students are already being affected. How can we have any trust in the district to maintain this program when they made this decision in such a hasty manner with zero notice or input prior to the announcement in violation of state law? How can the district guarantee that they won't just move the whole program somewhere else next year? How can the district ensure that our teachers don't just leave because they know the program is over? The academic success of our students at Bancroft is not a coincidence or just by chance. Our teachers who have dedicated their professional lives to this program deserve better than to have the rug pulled out from under them. My son is in kindergarten. If this decision stands,

018he will be the last one. Please, board, we beg you to do something. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Uh I don't want to mess up this name. Sing Su- Suhiba Sing? I probably messed it up. I got the last name pretty right, didn't I? Thank you. Um Uh let's see. Sorry. Thank you for the chance to speak tonight. Uh my name is Sukhbir Singh, and I'm a Bancroft parent, a physician, and a resident of this district. Um I have a full clinical schedule and three young kids in car seats. Uh so, it's not easy to be here tonight, but that's how important this decision is uh to our family and to our community. Um we're uh here to ask for a reasonable compromise that serves Bancroft, Woodside, and the district as a whole. Uh the

019current plan completely transfers the program over to Woodside. Um we're I think we're asking for at least one class to be kept at Bancroft uh so that camp both campuses can share in the success of the program and the district can move forward without more conflict. Um the simple compromise would save a tremendous amount of time, money, and headache for everyone, families, staff, superintendent's office, and the board. Uh it protects the district's investment in Woodside while preserving the legacy and community trust built at Bancroft for many years. Uh it also honors the fact that families relied on this program in making long-term decisions about where to live and how to plan their children's education. Um so we want to work with you, not against you, and if we can meet halfway and keep at least

020one class at Bancroft for future generations, parents like us are ready to put our energy into positive efforts such as fundraising and community outreach instead of fighting over this transition. Let's bring our community together, protect the interests of both campuses, and share show our children that we when we face hard problems, we solve them collaboratively and fairly, and our leaders listen. Thank you. Jorge Silva. Hi. How are you guys? Buenas noches. Um I want to speak today as a parent, but also as a taxpayer, and as a boarder. Uh public trust in the district is already low uh based on your own polling. We know that 43% of respondents say that they have an unfavorable view of the district. 39 have an unfavorable view of the school board. And when uh boarders lose confident confidence,

021funding suffers. Uh it affects teacher retention. It affects uh whether families stay or leave the district. We know that from your own polling that there's three things that are immediately important for the voters of Contra Costa County. Attract and retain quality teachers. That is now failing with teachers leaving Bancroft. Maintaining high-quality programs. That is now failing because this quality program is being ripped apart from Bancroft. And ensuring local control. We never got consulted. We never have any control. And that's exactly the way they This is the wrong decision. California law and frankly common sense requires meaningful parent involvement in decisions like this because these are These are not your schools alone. These are These schools belong to the parents. These schools belong to the taxpayers. And these schools belong to voters who in the future

022you might want to ask for a bond. And if they do not feel that you are listening to the parents, they're not going to support you. And here's the disconnect. The district wants to attract and retain teachers, but destabilizes a successful program. The district says it want to want to keep high-quality educations, but eliminates the program that is the most successful. And the district values local control, but is not including parents in these decisions. I'm asking you to pause this because when voters feel that they don't have a voice, when parents feel they don't have a voice and are not listening, they're either going to walk away or they're either going to vote against you. Thank you. Elizabeth Silva. Good evening. In addition to the Prop 58 requests that we have made, Bancroft Elementary parents

023are working on model legislation that we're in discussion with members of the California Assembly and the state Senate to introduce to close the Prop 58 loophole. The spirit of Prop 58, as you know, is to allow parents to request multilingual education for their children in California. And while this decision does violate various California Department of Education codes, we are still seeing the district try to remove this highly successful and beloved program without involving families. So, we are hoping new legislation will close that loophole. Bancroft parents are also exploring other avenues to protect programs like this one, including proposing a ballot measure to give power to the voters. For many Bancroft families, this is our fourth board meeting that we've been to in a row. The district's March 4th letter had many flaws in it. It

024cherry-picked previous board comments, which don't equate to community input. There is no clear reason why this program is being eliminated immediately without notice to families effective basically immediately. We are just asking for a compromise that meets the district's needs while also responding to our request to keep this program for our children at our local school at Bancroft Elementary. Please work with us. We love our school. We love our program. I think you know that by how much time we've invested in being here, and we want this highly successful Spanish immersion program to continue. Thank you. Tim Windebank. Or yeah, Windebank. Hello. Good evening. Uh my name is Tim Windebank. I'm a father of two. Uh I'm in the boundary for Bancroft, uh Foothill, and Northgate. Uh these schools were an important part of why my

025wife and I moved to the area. Uh my eldest son is in the kindergarten dual language immersion program, uh what could now be the last class, uh and a class that you've already heard is being impacted by this proposed removal of the program. My youngest son will be entering TK this year, and we were looking forward to having him join his brother at Bancroft in the dual language program next year, uh when he starts kindergarten. Now, if he sticks to Bancroft, he will not be getting the same opportunities as his brother. Uh further, we learned that there would just be one Spanish immersion class at Woodside Elementary, not the two classes that Bancroft Elementary has per grade. That shows that this is not a transition, it is removing half of the program. How many students

026signed up at Woodside? The district's last correspondence to families on March 4th said there were 20 students enrolled at Woodside. How many of those were in-boundary families? At Bancroft, we have more than enough students for two classes per grade, with at least 21 in-boundary incoming kindergartners requesting the program for next year. That shows that we want this program at our home school. Now, Shore Acres will have one contained Spanish immersion class in addition to Woodside. Why do these schools get the program? But it's removed in immediately from Bancroft without any notice to families, teachers, or the multilingual unit at MDUSD before kindergarten enrollment opened. Why was it announced that Shore Acres' TWDI program would be completely removed the same day as Bancroft's, but then one class was reinstated quickly at Shore Acres, but not at

027Bancroft? How is that equitable? Bancroft's TWDI program is the longest and highest performing Spanish immersion program in MDUSD, and it's the only program in Walnut Creek. Please work with our families and at least keep one Spanish immersion class at Bancroft. Thank you. Alice Tillman. Alice? There she is. >> Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My grandson's education matters so much and raising him to be bilingual is very important to me. Please keep my grandson's TWDI program at Bancroft. Phasing it out is already affecting my grandson negatively as his beloved teacher has decided not to return to finish the year. We're all deeply sad. Please reconsider and do the right thing by keeping TWDI at Bancroft. I would love to see the program duplicated elsewhere. It's very successful and it's just wonderful. Thank you.

028Yeah. Jessica Kilman. Good evening. More than 600 members of this community have signed a petition to keep the TWDI program at Bancroft Elementary. Hundreds of parents have come and keep attending these meetings in support of the same. And yet you have not added this issue to the board meeting agenda. You are trustees for the community. How do you feel that you're representing and being responsive to the community? I'm highly concerned that you are rubber stamping Superintendent Clark's actions. Where exactly does the buck stop in MDUSD? We have policies and procedures for community involvement, feedback, and planning. Seven of these steps under California education code were not followed. Please add this issue to the board board meeting agenda for April 22nd and afford Bancroft representatives adequate time to speak and present. not just to present our

029arguments, but to refute the misinformation Dr. Clark and Dr. Aguliar presented and use as the stated basis for this bad decision. The presentations by Dr. Clark and Dr. Aguliar based on apples and oranges and irrelevant information. As just one example, MDUSD is a district with school choice. Because of this, Dr. Aguliar's data presented about how far families travel to Bancroft is irrelevant. Likewise, sorting the data for in-zone attendance versus not not is irrelevant. The bond measure to raise money for MDUSD would normally be something my husband and I would absolutely vote for. We want the best for our community and our public schools. We donate to our school and we would be behind this measure. However, to vote for this in the upcoming election, I need to see that this district is running ethically and

030making choices that make sense and serve the students. But this decision does not serve our students. In addition, we have a solution for Woodside's enrollment issue, make it a K-8 school. They've got the room. I've already have community support for this idea. You may already have a few emails of asking for this. There's more to come. Finally, Dr. Clark, we are affected. Thank you. Good evening board president, superintendent. My name is Jane Ball Chin Low and I'm a community and education member in this district. I've been teaching in this district for 31 years. I've been teaching for 35 and I will retire at the end of this year. My children graduated from this district. I'm here to speak in support of keeping Bancroft as a dual bilingual immersion program. For many families, this program is

031not just about academics. It's about community, continuity, and keeping our families together. Right now, some of our youngest learners are pre-K face the possibility of being separated from their older siblings if they want to continue in the dual immersion pathway. That separation creates challenges for families. It affects daily routines, transportation, and most importantly, the emotional well-being of our children. Siblings benefit from sharing a school experience. They support each other, learn together, and feel stronger sense of belonging. The dual immersion program at Bancroft has been a place where families can grow together over time. Changing that structure too quickly risks disrupting that stability. Families need more time, time to plan, time to adjust, and to keep their children on a consistent educational path together. This is not just a logistical issue. It's about honoring commitments made

032to families who chose this program and believed in its long-term vision. It can also be seen as segregation by segregating Latinos to Latino schools. This is wrong. I respectfully ask the board to consider the impact on families and to allow Bancroft to remain a bilingual dual immersion program or at very least provide a transition period that keeps siblings together. Public school schools need to do better in keeping families informed about these issues and not just deciding before getting community feedback. Our school board can do a better job of listening to our community to ensure that the whole community is informed about issues. If we want our community to trust us, we have to work together and learn from our community. John Kelly. John, did you hear me? John Kelly. >> Members of the board, John

033Kelly for the Bancroft Dual Immersion Family Association. Yesterday the district's litigation council confirmed in writing the district will not pause will not negotiate and will begin phasing out the Bancroft program next year. We tried everything. Petitions public comment a formal demand letter citing 22 statutory violations. A good faith meet and confer effort. The district response no obligation to address the issues we raised. This board has the power to stop this before we go to court. Under bylaw 9124 the five can seek independent legal advice from council who reports to you and to you alone. Not to the superintendent. Not to the district. To the board. To help you discharge your democratic responsibility. I'm asking you to please use that authority. Thank you. Molly Keane Hi, I'm Molly Keane. I have an incoming kinder Bancroft TWI

034hopeful. And I'm here representing a group of 51 incoming kindergartner and TK families that filed the prop 58 request for the Spanish immersion program to continue at Bancroft. The majority of families who signed the petition are in the boundary for Bancroft. The request was submitted to the district last week with 21 in-boundary kindergarten students and 11 incoming kindergarteners who have siblings at the school. Um we're also uh currently have 16 in-boundary students who are enrolled in TK next year who have also requested the program. And more families are continuing to request the program as they learn about it. So, to summarize, there's more than enough demand uh to fill one kindergarten garden class at Bancroft for TWDI. Um and and really probably two. Um just with the in-boundary student students and the siblings of the

035students that are currently enrolled. Um this program is wanted in the Bancroft neighborhood and beyond. Allowing Bancroft Elementary to have one Spanish immersion class at this coming year is a good compromise. It's cost neutral. Um it's going to help not separate siblings. It'll help us not be at every board meeting. Um I say that in jest, but this is a beloved program and uh we want to see from you that you're listening. That um our kids matter. Thank you. Tony R- Rashidi? Hello, my name is Tony Rachini and I have a kindergarten uh student at Bancroft TWDI. The TWDI program is a magnet for Latino families to access Bancroft TWDI program at Bancroft Elementary is over 50% Latino. Walnut Creek MDUSD schools are between 10 and 20% Latino. Removing the program from Walnut Creek and

036relocating it to Concord will reduce the enrollment of Latinos at Bancroft and send Latino families to a different pathway away from the Foothill Middle School and Northgate High. It will send this largely largely Latino group to schools that are already 80% Latino. This raises concerns about violations to title six of the Civil Rights Act because it's redlining Latinos out of Walnut Creek. When you eliminate the only pathway into high-performing schools in Walnut Creek, you have to ask who loses access. This decision is closing the door to Latino families. This looks like modern-day redlining. Thank you. Anna Yarkin? Thank you. Hi, good evening board. Um, I'm here. I have a incoming kindergartner. I live by Bancroft Elementary School, uh, walking distance about a block away and we're zoned for Bancroft and Foothill. Um, I have a

037personal reason for wanting this program to continue. We all have different reasons. Um, mine's deeply personal. Um, we chose to move to that area in Bancroft, uh, for the program. I was adopted from a Mex- Mexican-American family and throughout my life I've made sincere efforts to learn Spanish on my own, but without Spanish-speaking family members around me it never truly stuck in a fluent way. Um, that experience shaped how I think about language, identity, and belonging. For my son, the Spanish immersion program represents something deeply meaningful. It's an opportunity for him to build a strong stronger connection to his Mexican heritage and to communicate with my birth family who I've recently, um, met and been in contact with. Um, this program isn't just about language, it's about connection, identity, and access. We're here tonight because

038we believe this program matters and because there are clearly enough families ready and committed to make it successful who live within the Bancroft zone. Thank you for your time and consideration. Kira Seal, Kira? K I R L A Kira? Kira Kira Um buenas noches. Mi nombre es Kira Ayala. I didn't prepare anything but Um so I come here representing my daughters and and also their education in the future. Uh I am one of those people who you will be redlining if you continue with this program. Because um like many others have said, this is not just about having a program. This is about community. And I mean I have two kids, two girls, who would be attending um kindergarten next year and then her sister but just the the not knowing, I mean, I guess

039knowing now that I've been listening, that this program might close or is already closed, is just so stressful and to think to think about the fact that my daughters will have to grow without an identity and I and a community because you don't want to continue this program and the way this being done I'm just like so hurt and also very like amazed at the way things are being done here. You know, my kids deserve an opportunity to participate in a program like this that being that is running well and not in some experiment that might be done next year and also without a guarantee of like continuing or anything. Um so I don't know if you have kids at school. Any of you? Or not. But or if any of you have kids that

040have any connection with their you know, Latino roots or anything. But if you do, you might think about this twice before making a decision and ruining a program that's been successful, that's that's worked here in in you know. That's all. Thank you. That concludes our public Oh, wait. Wait. Let me see my time here. Actually, we're over time. Yeah, we already did 30 minutes, so. Huh? We'll give him a minute. Charlotte Yantley. Can you guys make like hold the microphone down so we can hear? Thank you. Hola. Mi nombre es Carlota. Es una estudiante en cuarto grado en Bancroft. En la programa dual inmersión, yo he read, write, and enjoy myself in both Spanish and English. We love the dual immersion program at Bancroft. Please don't end it. I have so many friends in the

041dual immersion program. I have made friends outside school, too. Even one man who couldn't understand English, but could use for me because I knew Spanish. I learned Spanish from this program. Please do not end it. Also, some of the programs are made for dual immersion. With the rolling curtains through the middle of two classrooms instead of walls in between the two classrooms. This meeting is boring, so the only reason I came is because I don't want the meet the program to end. I wish we didn't have to have this meeting. I wish people didn't want to end the program, so I wouldn't have to be here wasting my play time. I want to be at home playing, but because people are trying to end the program, I can't just stay at my house. Thank you.

042And the absolute last is Meredith. I guess Meredith is with Yeah. Hello. It's 1 minute, just to remind you. Okay. Uh my daughter is a fourth grader in the TWDI program at Bancroft. Uh as you can see, she's doing quite well, and she loves it. Uh she has gained familiarity and confidence and a good number of new friends in using both English and Spanish thanks to this program. Uh the teachers work really hard and have done an excellent job in preparing our students for their futures. This program is operating extremely well. Students are thriving. Shuttering this wonderfully successful program makes no sense. Trying to recreate it all from scratch at another location is foolhardy. The elimination of this program is being done in contravention of the rules established by the MDUSD board itself. The board

043does not have the opportunity to act and furthermore, the manner in which this change is being implemented is not properly established. Schools, teachers, and families haven't been notified until recently, and it's going to be a big mess. It's being set up to fail. Please don't allow this change to go through without board action and without notice being given to the relevant stakeholders, schools, teachers, and families and That's out of time. Thank you. All righty. That ends our public comment. Our next item is 9.1 communications where district organizations at regular board meetings or a single spokesperson of each recognized district organization may make a brief presentation. Items are limited to those which are informational. Now, we'll wait a second for the room to clear and then we'll be hearing from Linda Orti. Although you're welcome to

044stay. >> There you go. >> go. Good evening, President Mason, trustees, Dr. Clark, members of the audience. My report is very short today. I would like to wish everyone a happy spring. I was happy to see the tulips coming up and all the other flowers and listening to the birdies in my garden. That always brings me joy to be involved in nature. With spring break around the corner, I know many of us may be traveling and I wish I really do wish everyone safe travels. In regards to what I've been working on, there have been some issues that have come to my attention. However, as I work through these issues with the district, it has always been my goal to resolve these before I bring them to your attention. Finally, to our educators and students

045who are listening, I just want to wish you all a very nice and much-deserved spring break. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, that takes us to 10.1 review and potential approval resolution 25/26-57 in recognition of Arab American Heritage Month, Dr. Clark. Thank you, Madam President. So, I have before you resolution 25/26-57, April as Arab American Heritage Month. Whereas, for over a century, Arab Americans have been making valuable contributions to virtually every aspect of American society, including medicine, law, business, science, and technology, government, literature, art, and entertainment, and in positions of leadership at all levels. Whereas, California is home to more immigrants than any other state, our state is fortunate to have the largest Arab American population in the country with thriving communities in the Bay Area and Southern California. The more The more than 715,000 Californians

046of Arab descent trace their heritage across the Middle East and North Africa with unique traditions and histories. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Mount Diablo Unified School District celebrates the countless past, present, and future contributions of Arab Americans to American society and the state of California, recognizing and honoring the month of April 2026 to be Arab American Heritage Month. And be it further resolved that the Mount Diablo Unified School District encourages staff to review the district's equity policy and review cultural literacy resources, and urges the district to observe Arab American Heritage Month with appropriate programs and activities that celebrate the contributions of Arab Americans to the United States. Madam President, I leave this in the hands of the board. Thank you. Madam President, I move the board approve the resolution 25/26-57 in recognition of

047April as Arab American Heritage Month. Second. Yes. I'm listening to me now. 10.2 Review and potential approval of resolution 25/26-58 in support of California Adult Education Week, April 19th through through April 25th, 2026. Dr. Clark. Yes, and and Madam President, when I finish this resolution, we're going to have Elaine Alvey come up who is our director of adult ed and she would like to say a few words about this resolution, but let me go ahead and read this real quick. So whereas over 65% of adult learners enrolled in adult schools across California in 2024-25 were between the ages of 25 and 54, making them very likely to have children in our public school system. The impact of adult education is felt across generations, particularly for early childhood learners who have been characterized as a priority

048of the governor and legislator. and legislature. And whereas the Mount Diablo Unified Adult Education successfully serves Concord and the surrounding communities through its collaboration and with its community college partners and community-based organizations. Through the adult education system, Mount Diablo Education Mount Diablo Adult Education served 6,733 students in the 2024-25 school year. And whereas the Mount Diablo Adult Education provides significant and varied classes and programs to serve Concord and the surrounding communities including classes in healthcare training, computer technologies, uh computer technologies training, job preparation classes, high school diploma and equivalency programs, English as second language, citizen classes, and much more. So now there be it be it resolved that the Board of Trustees of the Mount Diablo Unified School District strongly urges the Governor of California Gavin Newsom and Gavin Newsom and the California Legislature to

049recognize the important role of K-12 adult education in addressing the needs of our communities in the short and long term and to increase access to programs and services for the most in need and not yet reached members of our great state. Madam President, I leave this resolution in the hands of the board, but I would like to call up our director of our adult school education. I'm going to come and talk. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Elaine Alvite. I'm the director of adult education. And I thank you for your continued support of our adult school. So, we are looking forward to bring this resolution to our state capital in Sacramento when we meet with our legislators on April 21st. So, I just wanted to let you know that at Mount Diablo Adult Ed,

050we are building on that strong foundation that the previous directors established while also expanding our programs to make sure we meet community needs. For example, in partnership with our maintenance and operations department, we are going to be piloting a custodial training course, which is for our lower-level English learners. And the goal of that is to create these employment opportunities within our district. We're also strengthening pathways by we're going to be providing targeted math support for our seniors who are going to be transitioning excuse me into Diablo Valley College. Excuse me. So, I just wanted to say that it's the work that moves from access to outcomes. It's the one we create those clear pathways, the clear supported pathways that really lead to real opportunities and economic mobility for our community. Thank you again for your

051support. Thank you. I will now entertain a motion. Madam President, I move that we approve the resolution 25/26-58 in support of California Adult Education Week, April 19th to 25th, 2026. I'll second. We have a motion by Trustee McDougal, a second by Trustee Varela-Oriana. Can I make a comment on that? Absolutely. Um, glad to see this. We do need adult education. We We proved that in this district for a long time. We are working to incorporate them into MDAA, which hopefully will increase their pay. Uh, but I was especially interested in seeing the new class on custodial training. For years, I was a salesman for Hilliard and uh Kelly Spicers, which sold janitorial supplies. And part of my job was to train custodial uh employees. And so, I'm glad to see that the MDAA is taking

052this over. And I think this will be a very successful program. Looking forward to that. Uh, thank you. Second. We have a second. Okay. Yes, you did. Third. >> Thank you. I forgot. So, we have the motion and the second. The second was from our student trustee. Okay. Oh, I second. You can vote. Oh, I'm You're waiting for me to ask. I'm like, "Yeah, you can vote." Okay, our student trustee, Varela-Oriana, how do you vote? >> Yes. See, I got out of shape last week. You were last meeting. You weren't here. We missed you, though. And that passes 5-0-0 with support from our student trustee. 10.3, review and potential approval of resolution 25/26-59 in support of Cannabis Awareness Month, April 2026. Feels like it should be 1973. Madam President, whereas the National Cannabis Awareness Month,

053observed each April, aims to increase education, prevention, and community awareness surrounding the health and safety risks associated with underage cannabis use, including impacts on adolescent brain development, academic performance, mental health, and driving safety. Whereas cannabis products available today, especially high-potency vapes, concentrated THC oils, edibles, and flavored items pose significantly greater risk to youth than in previous decades, with evidence showing increased potential for addiction, cog- cognitive impairment, and co-use with alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Monte Bello Unified School District Board of Education proudly recognizes April 2026 as National Cannabis Awareness Month and affirms its support for initiatives that educate students, family, staff, and community members on the risks associated with cannabis use. Madam President, I now leave this in the hands of the board. Thank you. I would entertain

054a motion. Madam President, I move the board approve Resolution 25- / 26-59 in recognition of Cannabis Awareness Month. Thank you. I second it. Motion by Trustee Nao, seconded by Trustee Trustee McDougal. No comments? Trustee Morello Oriana, how do you vote? Yes. And that passes 5-0 with support from our student trustee. 11.1, review and potential approval of certificated personnel appointments executive director curriculum instruction and improvement. Dr. Clark. Yes, we have our HR department that's going to um that is going to present this next item. Madam President, trustees, Dr. Clark, the Human Resources Department is bringing for the board's review and potential approval the appointment of Christina Filios as the executive director curriculum instruction and improvement of educational services. Christina Filios brings nearly three decades of educational leadership experience in this role. Beginning as an English, ELD,

055and literacy teacher in Morgan Hill Unified School District, where she also served as a literacy coach and vice principal. A highlight of her career in Morgan Hill was serving on the founding staff of the newly built Ygnacio Valley High School. Since joining MDUSD in 2008, she has held a range of leadership roles including vice principal at Northgate High School, student services coordinator at Pleasant Hill, and Oak Grove Middle Schools, principal of Oak Grove Middle School, and administrator of Crossroads High School. She currently serves as assistant director of instructional support in the Educational Services Department. Christina attended and earned her Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in French from Santa Clara University. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Educational Administration and Supervision from San Jose State. She earned a second Master of

056Arts in Interdisciplinary Education from Santa Clara University where she completed her English credential. Christina is deeply committed to student success, instructional improvement, and supporting school communities across the district. In her free time, she can be found reading a good mystery, cheering on her children at sporting events or musical performances, or volunteering at her church. With that, I leave this appointment in the hands of the board. Thank you. Madam President, I move the board to the appointment of Christina Filios as executive director curriculum instruction and improvement. I second. Motion and a second motion by trustee Mayo second by trustee McDougal. Trustee Varela Oriana how do you vote? Yes. And that passes by unanimous vote for our student trustees. Did you write this? This This great. Thank you Dr. Clark. All truth. Good evening President Mason, Vice

057President Inzeo we Board of Trustees Dr. Clark Thank you for this honor. Uh from the beginning of my career here MDUSD has felt like home. I've been given the opportunity to serve many different school communities and now at the district level and for me this is more than a job. I live in this community, my children attend school here in MDUSD and so for me the success of all of our students is deeply personal. Um I look forward to continuing to work on behalf of all students and families and I commit to lead with service and a commitment to equity at the core of my work. Um and I know you're going to ask me if I have anyone here so I'm going to I'm just going to share that the people who are here

058with me and the special person watching on Zoom. They are not only the why at the core of what I do but they're also the how I do what I do. They without their support I would not be able to do the work I do in MDUSD. So I'm really grateful. I have my husband George on Zoom watching. He's working hard tonight and I have my mom and my brother and my two children Mariana and Costa. Where's Mariana? We can't really see you. And I I do want to thank my mom. She's here celebrating her birthday with me instead of us being out celebrating with her. So happy birthday mom. Thank you. Madam President, we have the HR department's going to do the next item as well, 11.2. Good evening, Madam President, Trustees, Dr. Clark.

059The Human Resources Department is bringing for the board's review and potential approval the appointment of Megan Gertz as the Assistant Director, Instructional Support with Instructional Services. Megan taught a variety of grades for 11 years at Monte Gardens, after which she started a new role as teacher on special assignment. During this time, she was able to support her TK through 12 colleagues in training and coaching the use of technology in the classroom. Megan has spent the past five years as a curriculum specialist supporting curriculum adoptions and the implementation, professional development, and leading various teacher services teacher items. Megan earned her Bachelor of Science and Biochemistry and minor in Psychology from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Luis Obispo. She acquired her Master of Arts in Education focused on Educational Technology from Touro University. Megan attended and received

060her clear administrative services credential credential from Touro University. Megan enjoys spending time with family and friends at the coast and in the the She maintains a vegetable garden and fruit trees using what she grows for cooking and baking for her colleagues, choir, and friends. She also serves as a volunteer director at a High Sierra Girl Scout camp she attended as a child. With that, I leave this appointment in the hands of the board. Madam President, I move the board approve the appointment of Megan Goertz as assistant director, instructional support. Second. We have a motion by Trustee Mayo, seconded by Trustee Lawrence. Trustee Guerrero-O'Connell, how do you vote? Yes. And that passes 5-0 vote with support of Trustee Mayo. I'll present it up here. Uh Dr. Clark, Trustees, President Mason, thank you so much for this

061appointment. I look forward to continuing the work um that we've been doing thus far in the district. This is a deeply personal thing cuz I was a product of Mt. Diablo. And um so I I look forward to continuing to serve the students um in our district and offering an equitable education for everybody, um ensuring that we all have or that they all have um high-quality instructional materials, um teachers that are trained, and um environments that are uh conducive to learning. So, thank you so much for this and I I I look forward to getting getting started. Thank you. Me, too. Okay, that takes us to board member reports. Would you like to start us off, Trustee Guerrero-O'Connell? I almost called you Trustee Guerrero-O'Connell since we missed you last time. Yes. I will happy spring

062everyone. I know it's been an extremely busy time. I just want to give out a shout-out to all the seniors. I know college decisions are coming to an end. It's been a nervous nervous month for me. I've experienced acceptance, rejection, wait list, but I think even if you've been rejected, it's more of a redirection where you're going to go. It's it's new stepping into life. You're going to be adults, I think. I'm just grateful for the opportunities I've had and just want to give a shout-out to all my seniors as it's been a year. It's been a good year. That's it. You you got to What are you thinking? Well, I got accepted into UC Santa Barbara, so I'm going to go there, yeah. There you go. Go Gauchos. Okay. Uh let's see. Relatively busy.

063On the 16th of March, went to the BEST Day, B E S Day, which is uh educator externships, uh where we take teachers out and and take them to the local businesses and have learned for half a day. And uh I also learned of the extent of Heather Fontanilla's medical leave, and we wish her a speedy recovery. On March 17th, I forgot to wear green, uh being Scottish, I guess that's an excuse, but uh I did go to the Budget Advisory Committee meeting, and it's good to see that they achieved a quorum at that. And on the 19th, I went to the Health Trade Fair at Loma Vista. Um Excuse me, which was uh well attended and uh had a lot of good uh suppliers giving out information. I would like to see, and I

064told this to the people there, uh us doing this kind of trade fair uh earlier, and to what I mean earlier is to uh middle schoolers, 6th, 7th, 8th graders. Uh so that they get exposed to it. Now, what I know it's expensive, so maybe we do it at one middle school and bus them in or something like that. But, I think this kind of exposure is needed because we need them thinking about their future in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade rather than just in 11th or 12th grade. So, that's uh what I want to see and encourage and and try in the future. And then also on the same day, I went with Linda Mayo to the every 15-minute enactment of a car crash at uh College Park. And um was unseasonably hot at

06590°, and so uh but it was excellently done. I think we had uh sheriffs, we had fire department, we had uh CHP, uh we had other first responders, we had a helicopter, and so it was uh well done, and I'm glad to see that this program is um done on a regular uh 2-year rotation. And I'm my question is, it goes to other high schools other than College Park? It does. Okay, good. Glad to see it. Um I I'll keep mine short. Um I I appreciate the speediness with which um our staff adapted uh what had previously been Cesar Chavez Day to instead a recognition of farm workers, and I think it is um you know, difficult and unsettling news that that came out. Um but, just a belief that um it is greater than

066one person instead a recognition of people who um some of whom are in our community, who do a lot to support uh our community, our state, um who are subject to some very challenging working conditions and are experiencing extra, um stress and intimidation because of uh federal enforcement policies. And just say a recognition of those families and I appreciate that. And I'll conclude my report. Thank you. Trustee Mayo? So, I too attended the BEST Day, uh which is busi- Business Educators Shadowing Together. Um as uh Trustee McDougall shared, the faculty members spent the morning with business partners and then they came back to Serendipity to debrief over lunch. And I want to give a shout-out to Marathon Petroleum and Concord Chamber of Commerce for sponsoring the lunch. Their afternoon was spent reviewing the Mount Diablo

067Unified School District's Graduate Profile and exploring the recently revived Department of Education standards for career readiness. So, I look forward to those reports. On March 17th and 18th, um many of us in Con- trustees in Contra Costa County participated in the CSBA Legislative Advocacy meetings with Senator Grayson and Assembly members Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Buffy Wicks, and Anna Marie Ferreras. Uh we had uh several priorities. The budget priority was to protect Prop 98 guarantee and reject the $5.6 billion in withholding, fully fund the COLA, and ensure that student support and professional discretionary block grant is fully discretionary. We want to protect LEA solvency and address the impacts of AB 218 from 2019. There are four bills from CSBA that are sponsored and we were encouraging support on those bills. AB 2225 by Patel, which is a state

068plan to close the achievement gaps. AB 2514 by Ransom. State of the achievement gap dashboard. AB 2149 Garcia, which is an annual report on the state's progress closing achievement gaps. And the fourth one is AB 2202 Marachioti. I didn't say that correctly. Establish a state board education advisory commission on closing the achievement gap. Two other things that we spoke to the legislators about were AB 2008 by Patel, which was limitation on reporting requirements and AB 2490 Valencia, which is the 60-day substitute teacher requirement. On March 18th, I too attended the Allied Health Fair, which exposes our high school students to the outstanding career education offered at Loma Vista Adult Education. College Park High School had the Every 15 Minute Program. And then on the field on Thursday for the juniors and seniors and then on

069Friday there was the memorial service, which was very moving for the students and attendees and for the parents whose students were involved in the activity. Um Yes, it was very moving. I attended the Mount Diablo High School JROTC Career Fair for military service and emergency responders held at Mount Diablo High School. It was planned and organized by our JROTC cadets and several of the participants complimented how well organized and how well spoken our cadets are. So, a shout out to our cadets. Um, on that Friday I also attended Gregory Gardens Robert Shearer Preschool TK and K Special Olympics. If you haven't had the opportunity to attend that event, it's just so much fun and so heartwarming. And I want to give a shout out to the fifth graders that helped the young Olympians participate in

070all the activities. Um, that Friday night there was an elementary and middle and high school choir performance and that was excellent as well. And then on March 24th, which was last night, this community advisory committee and the special education department um, shared or presented the celebration of success, which is recognition of 87 students from our district schools for their increased performance and social skills in our special education program. And these included toddlers from our deaf and hard of hearing program to students in our bridge program. And as always, Dr. Clark did an outstanding um, uh, awards. You just have to see the joy on his face and the joy on the students' face. And of course, the parents were cheering loudly. The audience stayed. There was standing room only and I'll let Ms. Mason wrap

071it up when she shares. Um, to all the parents also of seniors going through this college stress and turmoil. It's his the season, but it's almost over. Uh, and I do hope um, exactly what our student trustee said is that even through rejection, you said this is how uh, I've learned a new thing. They said this is cope, okay? So, that uh, rejection is redirection. But, um, I think uh, to all of our students and families, we're so proud of you um, for um, having college in your sights. As Dr. Clark always says, we're preparing students for career, college, career. College, career. Is there a College and career. I feel like there was a third thing. That was right, sometimes military. So, for the folks who are going to call college and not straight to

072career, and to those who would be taking advantage of our own adult school and and other opportunities in their community to go straight to career, but those who are going to college is almost over. And also, there's only how many days of school left? 40, see? 41 days of school left, seniors. Do not fail any class like that are trying to go to college. Don't like do not fall off. Do not get True story. Trustee and Xavi got a D her final semester of high school and got a letter from the university that she went to that said, well, you were supposed to still do good and you disappointed us, but I guess we'll let you come. And so, um, my D though was not because falling off. It was like a very Yeah, it

073was a hard earned D to be in fact. Um, so yeah, so I just want to recognize that and to everyone, happy spring break. To Dr. Clark, congratulations on um, finishing up your tenure as the president of California Association of African-American Superintendents and Administrators. We are very proud of you and and excited now that you are past president and see how you fill that role. Um not in my role as a school board member, but I bring my whole self to every place that I am. I'm on strategic round table of a movement called We Are California. And it's the table that is for education, but I'm really I'm there for early education, but I can't deny that I'm also so-called expert on K-12. Um so it's called We Are California, and I just want

074to read you a little bit a description of what that is. We Are California and we're proud of it because California is like no other place in the world, and because it's of who we are and how we have fought to make California better for all, regardless of race, class, age, gender, and who we love, we all want a good life, quality education, safety for our families, and a place to call home. We know there is more to do. Corporate billionaires, bigots, and authoritarian bullies see our vision for a California where everyone has the freedom to thrive as a threat. They want to shut down progress towards a strong California for all. We can't let them. And the purpose of the our each for this education round table was to think about just trying to

075think ahead. What are all the attacks that will come? We we've learned what's happened in this last year, but what can we can we try and get into the minds of these people who see these good things as a threat and anticipate what the threats are to to education, early care through college, um, and be ready for it or just anticipate it and not even let it happen. Um, so if you visit wearecalifornia.org, you too can join that movement. Finally, today I was in Sacramento. Um, it was really crowded in the capital. There's a lot going on. Um, but I was advocating and I've been a policy advocate since I graduated college 30 years ago this May. Um, yes, I'm that old. Um, and so I've had a career of being a policy advocate. I've

076had a career of standing up, um, in front of policy makers and decision makers, um, giving public comment, writing letters, writing memos, proposing legislation, pushing a bill. I've had several bills successfully passed and I think, um, what the hard thing is advocates to to, well, for some advocates to know and understand is that sometimes, like, the people who have to make decisions, um, also have to consider the people who aren't necessarily the loudest, um, who aren't necessarily the most in front of you and have to consider, um, all sides and all people, um, and listen to all sides and all people. And I think it's it's hard to understand that sometimes when when people show up and advocate for themselves and they think that they're the only voice, um, and I really appreciate this board

077for considering everything before us, um, considering all the things that we learn about any given topic, um, and considering the things that people say before us, the things that people write before us, but we also have to consider the people who are silent, um, and they're not silent necessarily because they have nothing to say. It's that it's quite a privilege as um we heard from a public comment earlier of someone who just described what they do during the day and how hard it is to get to get here, but this was so important to them. But um not everyone has that privilege no matter the difficulty. Um and we have to consider their voice, too. And so I just really wanted to express my appreciation to my fellow board members because I know that you

078all, as well as myself, do a really good job of of considering all voices whether we hear them loudly or whether they're silent. Thank you. Thank you. Um I went to the wellness um committee meeting which was the online meeting. We're trying to get that going again. And I was like telling them before I even was on the board, I was knocking on the district's door going, "The state says we're supposed to have a wellness committee. Do we have a wellness committee?" And I don't think they really wanted to let me in, but they finally did. So we're trying to rejuvenate that. I too went to the best day. I went to the parent advisory committee meeting and we had a presentation on LCAP and our A AI which I'm trying to deny exists cuz

079it's too much for me to deal with. Um went to the DELAC meeting where they're razor laser focused on reclassification and they were talking to the parents about how to get the kids ready for the reclass and the importance of doing it early. I also went to the Allied Health Fair that was at Adult Ed and the kids from Ignacia Valley, Mt. Diablo High School and College Now were there. This uh pathways that we're interested in health. And then I had Java with Janice, that's the principal at Rio Vista and the parents on Friday morning. Then I must have been following Trustee Mayo around because then I went to JROTC where I had a nice conversation with Brandon, a student from Bay Point, who was saying, "You want to try to do some pull-ups?" I

080said, "Honey, that didn't happen in high school. It's not going to happen now." But he was very nice. He was trying to encourage me. "Maybe you could just try." I'm like, "Nope. Trust me. Those days are gone." And then I went to Gregory Gardens, but I got there right at the end of So, I didn't get to see So, I'm just watching the kids having recess. And I'm like thinking to I go home and tell my husband, "Nothing's changed. The boys come out and they're running around and seeing who can The girls are sitting in the shade gossiping. You have The kids on the swing rolling the getting it all wound up so then it sw- and they fly off. You have the little kids trying to come down the slide. The other kids are

081pushing them up the slide." I'm like, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." So, that was fun. I went to the celebration of success last night and I'm sure Dr. Clark will talk more more about that. That's always one of the most touching things. But it brings me thinking tonight about my comment last night to the parents is "You're here and that's the most important thing. You're here to celebrate your kids." And then we have the parents that have been coming to us about Bancroft. And I guess my story would be I graduated 1973. Yes, I'm that old. From Pacifica High School. And in 1974, they built a beautiful high school in Walnut Creek called Northgate. And in 1975, they closed our high school. On the poor end of town. So, I

082thought, "Well, if I ever thought my kids were going to go to my alma mater, that's not going to happen now." So, my kids had to get on a bus and go over or sometimes I drive them depending on what I was doing and go to Mount Diablo High School. They were fine. They've got Actually, it turned out to be a benefit. They got to get out of their community. My oldest daughter, the two friends she's still in touch with today lived in Concord. She'd have never met them if she stayed in little downtown Well, it was West Pittsburg then, but if she stayed home. So, then I get when I did take my kid to to enroll her in kindergarten, my daughter on know like, oh, she gets in my elementary. She gets to

083go to Bel Air school. So then I go to Bel Air school and I don't know what this district was thinking, but at that time, Bel Air was kindergarten through second grade for the whole town of Bay Point and then they all went to Shore Acres to second, third, and fourth, and then they all went to Riverview. So I'm like, okay, this is really weird, but okay, she they had great teachers. So when my next kid comes along, I'm like, okay, I've got the good teachers picked out. I'm ready to go here. And then they decide to change it to back to neighborhood schools and they open Rio Vista. And so I had my baby's first grade teacher picked out, but nope, she had to go to Rio Vista. Had some teacher I never heard

084of, amazing teacher called Ellen Murphy, loved her. My mo- the moral to my story is, if you are there with your kids, if you're paying attention, if you have the passion that these folks have for their kids, your kids are going to be fine. Both my kids went to college, both my kids graduated, they're doing great. It's harder on the parents than it are on the kids. And I just hope they understand, as Trustee Zay we say, we take all those things into account when we're looking at any changes we make that's going to affect the kids that we serve every day. And I know all of them, I always say this and I know they're with me. Every day when I wake up, my first thought is, what are we going to do today

085to make things better for the kids in our district. So that's my report tonight, Dr. Clark. Thank you all for your for your reports. It's just again, we have such diversity on this board, it's just great to hear um all the different perspectives. Um I have a report, but no PowerPoint, so you're just going to have to hear you're just going to have to hear my voice. So So um so first of all, I just I want to talk about our professional development day, just a a a very special day. Um started off the day over at Concord High School in the gym with all of our special ed teachers and employees and just um you know, Dr. Ghilotti and her team do a great job at supporting them and um providing them with the

086resources and the support that they need to serve our students. Um I then went to a to a session with classified staff, which and it was labeled they are trusted adults. And it was by the the training was by the say something our online sort of alert system. And to hear these individuals, you know, office managers, campus supervisors, just yard supervisors, security to hear the stories that they talked about their students and the connections that they have and the reason why they connect with our students was extremely extremely powerful. And we have a lot of really dedicated people out there that are that are trusted adults to our students. And so that was that was a great opportunity to go and participate in that in that training. Then went over to over to serendipity and

087spoke with our teachers and business partners who are doing CTU courses. And again, I I I talked to them multiple times a year and they're just really dedicated people who have a craft and have a passion and have a love of passing that along to young people. And and I'm so motivated every time I I see those folks. And I could start naming them, but then I'd get myself in trouble cuz I would leave somebody out. Then after that, I went over to Yuba High School where the teachers were participating. It was actually pretty cool. It was down on the science wing and in every room there was some sort of AI presentation by by different platforms that we use or different platforms that are available to us. And I sat with with many teachers

088and they were sharing their projects with me and just so excited about learning and about the work that they were doing. And so So was just very invigorating. And I know Aaron Biaggio is the one who is our is our AI. I don't even know what we call our AI coordinator, AI director, AI tech person, but she's really leading that charge and working with our staff so that so that we understand what it is and we can better support our students in understanding what it is. So that was a really good day and I want to thank the team that put that together and got input from you know from staff throughout the district and I want to thank all the staff who actually came and participated and I'm sure they got a lot out

089of that day. The other thing I I I just wanted a couple things here is the other day I I opened up the paper and and I really just want to take a moment to recognize this board and our outstanding and our outstanding fiscal team for the work that they do every day to keep Mount Diablo fiscally strong. I read about about school districts right here in the Bay Area, dozens of school districts announcing layoffs, budget cuts, and school closures to address deficits ranging from $6 million to $100 million. Just a couple of examples, Oakland Unified laid off more than 400 staff. You know, I doubt that staff had input. I doubt there was opportunities for debate about that. They just got their got their notices and unfortunately it's our system when 90% of our

090salaries 90% of our dollars go to salaries and benefits and we have to we have to cut you inevitably are going to have to lay folks off and even a a district San Jose and West Contra are West Contra laid off nearly 200 employees and San Jose is is considering closing five elementary schools. Not not moving them or anything like that but closing and so so anyway the the primary push from this is declining enrollment with within our within our communities and rising cost for everything. Um so was um was just thankful and and I wanted to make sure that you give people their flowers when they're here. So, I wanted to thank this board um for you know, for always keeping a keen eye on our finances and making sure that we're doing the

091right thing by our students. Um the other thing I was just super super excited about last week and and proud of was um or maybe it was the week before, but Prospect High School um uh became named uh 2026 Model Continuation School. I think that says a lot about our district. Um Olympic was had um holds that same distinction and Prospect holds it now. And um again, um the the accolades that Mount Diablo receives is just is is beyond. We are just stacking them up. But to show that we we value the students who are there, um um we have something for everybody in this district. And sometimes that's hard to cuz we stretch ourselves uh thin. And um but to to have that team uh of educators and those students to know that um

092their school is a model for the state is something that um I'm extremely proud of. And I know this board is is proud as well. Um in the in the same day uh we also received notice that two of our um two of our schools um were recognized as distinguished schools also. And so, um these are two middle middle schools, Pleasant Hill Middle School and Diablo View Middle School. Um and I know there's tremendous pride in um in in both of those schools. You know, they get flags and they um you know, they like get the banners painted on there and things like that. And the the students are are proud. The parents are proud. Again, another way that um we are working as a team to make this a destination district and to really

093showcase the great things that our students, staff, and and parents are doing. Um I I did want to share and Trustee Lawrence talked about this, but um it it's really for for many it's a very painful moment in our community with the um with the news that came out around Cesar Chavez and and those and those allegations. Um we we always like to wait for for um guidance from the state before we make long-term um you know, changes for for for something like this, but the the the changing from Cesar Chavez Day to Farm Workers Day is working its way through the assembly and and through the legislator legislature and um so we will on all of our on all of our marquees and all of our information that we put out on that day,

094it will be Farm Workers Day, but I will be bringing a um a resolution to this board where we officially change it. But I I I do just I do just want to read this is that this is a difficult and painful moment for many in our community, particularly for those whose families had deep connections to the farm worker movement. The the renaming of this holiday does not erase the important history and contributions of California farm working families. And so um so just really want to acknowledge that and just um we were you know, taken taken aback by by that. Um I I I now I want to talk about the um CAC from last night and and again is something that that warms my heart. Um we in this district we we serve all

095of our students and again um you know, I am very clear and steadfast that I'm here for every single community, every single every single student. Um sometimes we have to make tough decisions that not everyone agrees with, but for for this community specifically last night, um I I laid out our commitment to them and I also apologized for where we fall short and don't meet the needs of their students or um still we have not changed um all of the mindsets from a from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset when it comes to the um when it comes to the achievements by students who just learn differently than the masses. And um and so I'm always very clear with that and I take I take full responsibility as the as the superintendent, but um

096there is nothing better than seeing students who don't often get recognized for positive things to see them sitting front row, dressed up. Yes, we had a velvet tuxedo jacket last night. Um we had a suit. Um we had balloons. Um sparkly dresses. Um just everything that that the students were beaming. Um the the parents were proud. Um every single student that I put a um a medal on around his or her neck, um I took a I took a picture for the family as I said to the kid, "Where's your family?" And to see from my view the um the the absolute joy and just pride in these families is something that um just cannot be replicated. And so I thank uh uh Dr. Egilly and her team. I thank the CAC. I thank all

097the um administrators who were there last night. I thank all the classified staff who were there last night. I thank the teachers who were there. I wish more folks would come. I would like to personally invite Linda Ortega or some representative from IDEA to come and and see that to see that work in place so that they can so that they can also um you know see the work that their teachers do. I think that would be a just a a wonderful thing to see. Um just in in closing um you know we we are getting ready the the year is coming to an end. Um we have star that's taking place this this you know this week. We this is our third star exam. Um and and I did just you know it's it's

098only just as we think of where you know over testing our students or what not it's a it's a 20 20 to 30 minute um test three times a year on on this particular test. And so I don't think that that is asking um too much. Um we expect everyone to administer the test so that we can so that we can properly assess where our students are and um and still help them help them have access and and be successful. After spring break um you know I hope everyone has a a a safe and restful spring break. When we come back we're going to go right into CASP and then um and then we will be finishing out the year and we'll be you know sending this group of students on. We'll be graduating some

099of our students. That's our product that we produce in this business of Mount Diablo education and we're extremely extremely proud of that. And then lastly um I did wrap up my my two-year term as the um as the CASP president and um I you know and it's been um it's been a joy to lead a a state organization. It's been a joy to travel throughout the state and advocate for our kids to um to talk about the work that we're doing here in in in the Mount Diablo Unified School District. And when you know you talk about advocating with the State Board of Education when the you know uh State Board President Linda Darling-Hammond um, knows the work that we're doing here in this district. When you have people like Dr. Pedro Noguera, who know

100about the work that we're doing in this district, and know about the work of this board, know about the challenges we face in this district, and know about the work that we're doing. Um, I've been I've been extremely, um, just encouraged by the work that's happening up and down the state. And so, um, you know, I'm going to continue just I'm going to continue to to serve. That's what That's what we do. And, um, and and just so we So people understand, when you're a superintendent, um, you have a responsibility to go out and do professional development, and to train other people. Um, for example, this Sat- you know, last Saturday, I was working with new administrators. This Saturday, I'm I'm again with another organization working with new administrators. The previous Saturday, I was talking

101with administrators as as well. So, we we give lots of our time. It's a way of of giving back. And then, I don't have anyone in this district who, um, who understands the pressure, the challenges, and the, um, you know, the decisions that I have to make. So, when I go out to places and work with other superintendents, I'm getting my professional development. I'm collaborating with colleagues. I'm finding best practices to bring back to this district. Now, we're doing so many good things that usually I'm on the teaching end, and people want to talk to me about what we're doing here, and the things we're doing, and and and how this board leads, and how does that happen when we have so much news about boards who, you know, have multiple, um, you know, multiple

102pet things that they're that they're doing. But, how do you get a board to come together, and to focus on educating all kids, um, in a fiscally responsible way, but also in an empathetic way? And that's what this board does so well, and that's why I'm so proud to serve you. Um I serve at the pleasure of the board, and nothing that I do um does not come from approval and uh in collaboration and in community with this board. So, um regardless of what is said out there, um I I work for this board first and our students second, and that's it. Thank you. Okay. That takes us to our consent agenda. And before we get a motion, I did I don't need to pull anything, but I wanted to comment on 14.6. The um

103after school the after school um application that was written, and I'll I'll whoever wrote it, I think I some of those words were my words coming back, which was good. And um after I did after school for a while, I served on a lot of committees with the state, and so I started reading applications to score them. I would definitely score that as a fundable application, so good job on you, Linda Pete and your department. Now, we have a comment from Michael It starts with an A, Michael. There we go. Uh thank you guys for your time for being here and for supporting all of our students. I am a parent of a first grader at uh Alum Rock Elementary, which is one of the schools being funded by the expanded learning program, and it's

104been a huge success. Um we started in TK, she was there. It was a separate CARES program. The ELO P's been amazing with one caveat, that things keep changing. And I know you guys are trying to make things better constantly. One of the challenges that we have as parents is keeping up with that. And the daycare, the after school program as well, has trouble keeping up with that. And so that that leads to trash for well, my daughter and a bunch of other students. So one thing that I'm up here to ask for is just a little bit of a heads up when things are going to change, like the contract. Um and that these programs are trying so hard to to be supportive of these contracts to keep them, that then they're abandoning things

105they used to do. One of those things that came up was at a PTA meeting that summer camp could be canceled. Um that students would be forced to do summer school and not just the full day play. And that was really worrisome for us. I think if if you're struggling and you're falling behind in class, of course summer school is an amazing opportunity. Um it's a it's a great time where you can catch up and then still have that before and after school care. Um but for all the students who are then impacted by having to go to coursework all summer long when they could be having fun going to the pool, having water play, all the other activities that this expanded learning program may be taking away from them, uh felt like the right

106time to get up and talk. So thank you for hearing me. Thank you. Okay. I'd like to pull 1417 and 1420. I move to approve the items listed under the consent agenda except for 1417 and 1420. I'll second. >> Patsy Burl Oriana, how are you? Yes. Go ahead, Bob. It's hard to tell what you are. I know. No, it's just She's just one of us. That's my second emotion. Glad to pull the two items in case we need them. All right. That passed me. Maybe. Yes, that passes 5-0 with consent from our student trustee. Trustee Mayo. Okay. It will now be >> My notes are in the item. I'm waiting for a vote. Okay. So I have So I have a couple of questions regarding this particular item. Um, are the solar panels at Shade

107Lands Preschool included with the Monte Gardens or Dent Center package? And for uh, it lists Mount um, Pleasant Hill Adult Ed under review. Does this site also include the solar panels uh, that are on the Pleasant Hill Middle School um, section? And then I was also going to ask, will the work be completed during instructional hours, after school hours, on weekends, or a combination of all times? You know me, just curious. All right. Good evening. Um, good question. So Sunrise and Shade Lands um, the two smaller campuses here behind the Dent Center, neither of those two properties actually are a participant in the solar project. At the time of the initial installation, the utility usage did not quantify installing them there. So, that's where they are the two sites left off the list. Um and

108I apologize for the um misrepresentation of Pleasant Hill Adult Education. It's actually the Pleasant Hill Education um location. So, that's the middle school and adult. We just utilized how it was listed under SunPower's original project. Um and so, that was just a clerical error. But, it it's a whole campus. Okay? And when will the work be done? Um so, they are looking depending on what happens this evening at starting assessment um over spring break with the assumption to be completed within this fiscal year. So, now or April through June. Um and it will be a combination of instructional hours and not. Um and we'll do full notification to our school administrators and make sure that there is an approved individual with the assessment crew. Thank you. Thank you. Trustee Lawrence has a couple questions. Yep.

109And so, uh solar and the providers in this district have had a long history. Um could you give some insight just in terms of the the capacity, any diminishment we've seen in production, and the impact of this contract in terms of uh what that would do for that? Absolutely. I think the biggest transparent um situation is that with SunPower filing bankruptcy, we lost that maintenance portion of contract that was that we had with them. And so, with that um we lost the month like the the day-to-day or the ongoing monitoring. Um it's not that the district doesn't have access to the monitoring system. It's just that we don't we don't have staff assigned directly to that. So, one of the bits of work that we're going to be doing with SunUp, assuming the board approves

110this contract, um, is get fully immersed in how the monitoring system, um, uh, lets us know what's going on with our programs. We do believe that there are some systems that may not be working at full capacity. Um, some of it may be a simple repair batteries on the monitoring system or something like that need to be replaced. And potentially we'll find through these assessments sites that maybe have a larger issue. I think that there's a lot of uncertainty because we just didn't have that piece. And so, by getting these assessments done, understanding how the monitoring system works, and then being able to use this data to go out for bid for a maintenance program for our district-wide solar is the ultimate goal. No problem. So, um, I move the board approve, uh, item 15.1,

111the review and potential approval, I'm sorry, approve the independent contractor agreement for visual and mechanical inspection of all sites with solar system with SunUp Solar Tech Services. Second. I second by Trustee Lawrence. Let me vote. Trustee Aurora Oriana? Yes. So, for this one, um don't we all love Roto-Rooter? Um it's uh an important service, whether it's your home or a business or a school, right? Um my question regarding this will um who is responsible for the concrete, the clay pipe clay pipe and the debris disposal? Can't speak well, but Great question. Um so, the contractor in this case, Roto-Rooter, is responsible for all of the waste disposal. So, it will not be left on our site or within our um uh garbage containers. It will all be taken off of site. I just didn't see

112that in the language. Thank you. >> got it. And I'm presuming this will also happen. Will trench walls 4 ft and deeper be supported? And barriers be provided to protect the students and adults during the business hours and outside of business hours? Correct. This work specifically at Mount Diablo Elementary, assuming board takes action tonight, will be scheduled for spring break. Notification will go out to the site and barriers will be placed to ensure that our child care program out there is safe and any other activity. Um and all contractors are required to follow public contract code and OSHA requirements. So, yes, all shoring and um supports will be utilized. Okay, thank you. So, with almost I do remember something. Um I would move we approve the sewer line repair for Mount Diablo Elementary School. And

113it's awarded to Roto-Rooter. Second. We have a motion by Trustee Mayo, a second by Trustee Lawrence. Trustee Ferrer-Oryon, how do you vote? Yes. Thank you. >> And that passes 5-0-0 with consent from our student trustee. Now, it takes us to business and action items, 7.1. Review and potential acceptance of the Teamsters Local 856 additional sunshine proposal submitted to the Mount Diablo Unified School District. Dr. Clark. Yes, we're going to have Ms. Medina-Estrada share this item. Good evening again. Uh December 10th, uh Teamsters Local 856 and MDUSD jointly presented their respective sunshine proposals to the board. On March 14th, Teamsters submitted two additional articles to the district for inclusion in their sunshine process related to the ongoing negotiations. And in accordance with law, we bring those back to you um for your um acceptance. So, we

114seek your acceptance this evening. Madam President, I move that the board approve item 17.1, acceptance of the Teamsters Local 856 additional suns- sunshine proposal submitted to the MDUSD. I'll second that. Second. Okay, we have a motion by Trustee Lawrence, a second by Trustee McDougall. Trustee Barrera-O'Connell, how do you vote? Yes. And that passes 5-0-0 with consent from our student trustee. 17.2, review and potential approval of changes to board policies and administrative regulations per California School Board Association recommendations for September 2024, and this one is for action. I move that we approve the provi- that we approve the revisions, board policy 4040 and exhibit 4040 Employee Use of Technology as presented. Second. We have a motion by Trustee Zaley, a second by Trustee Mayo. Trustee Brewer-Oriola, how do you vote? >> Yes. And that passes 5-0-0

115with consent from our student trustee. 7.3, review of potential approval of changes to board policies administrative regulations for California School Board Association recommendations for January 2026. This one is for information only tonight and will be acted on at the next meeting, I would assume. And with that, I think we are adjourned. Thank you.