001All right. Like to call to order the regularly scheduled meeting of the Roundab Unified School District Board of Education at 4:31 p.m. May I have a motion and a second, please, to approve the order of the agenda? >> So move. >> Second. >> Any questions or comments? >> All those in favor? I. >> Any opposed or abstensions? Motion passes. We have close session items tonight. Members of the audience may address the board on any listed close session items. Persons wishing to address the board regarding an item scheduled for close session are asked to submit a request to address the board prior to the start of close session. Comments from visitors shall not exceed three minutes unless the time limit is waved by majority of the board. The board shall limit the total time for public
002input on each item to 20 minutes. With board consent, the president may increase or decrease the time allowed for public presentation depending on the topic and the number of persons wishing to be heard. Tonight for close session, we have 3.3 public employee appointment certificated title director 2 South Bay Adult School. 3.4 public employee discipline dismissal release. 3.5 Conference with legal counsel existing litigation government code uh AB218. 3.6 Six, conference with legal counsel. 3.7 conference with real property negotiators. And that is it. Do I have a motion and a second to recess to close session? >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I. Any opposed or abstensions? We'll now recess to close session. All right. Good evening. Tonight, I would like to reconvene to open session at 5:31 p.m. For the pledge of allegiance tonight,
003we will be led by Alexander Glunt, Cleita Elementary School principal. I'd like to introduce >> I'd like to introduce to you Braden to lead our pledge of allegiance. [Applause] >> Put your right hand over your heart. Ready? Begin. I pledge algiance 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. >> Great. Thank you for that. Uh, in tonight's close session, we discussed a number of items starting with item 3.3, public employee appointment. I'm excited to share that the board of education in close session approved the appointment of Jeff Winkler as the next director of the South Bay Adult School by unanimous vote. He will s [Applause] He will succeed Dr. Suzanne Webb, who is retiring after
004an outstanding career in public education effective October 1st. Jeff has been a dedicated RBUSD administrator for the past 18 years. He began as a coordinator in educational services in 2007 before serving as principal of Lincoln and Jefferson elementary schools for 14 years. Most recently, Jeff has led as our director of professional learning where he created opportunities for both certificated and classified staff to grow and advance in their careers. A proud graduate of Chico State University with a degree in US history, Jeff went on to earn his mers in educational administration from Pepperdine University. Throughout his career, he has been recognized with numerous awards, including Teacher of the Year, the Excellence in Education Award, California Distinguished Schools Honors, and most recently, the RBUSD Administrator of the Year Award in 2024. As he steps into his new
005role, Jeff is eager to build on the strong foundation established by Dr. Webb and the SBAS team. His goals include expanding career pathway opportunities, strengthening partnerships with local organizations, and continuing to grow the ESL, high school diploma, and citizenship programs that serve our community so well. Please join me in congratulating Jeff on this well-deserved appointment. We look forward to this exciting next chapter for South Bay Adult School. [Applause] On item 3.4, Four, public employee discipline dismissal. We received info and gave direction to staff. On item 3.5, conference with legal counsel on AB 218. The board received information. On item 3.6, conference with legal counsel anticipated litigation P school data breach. In close session, the board voted unanimously, decided to initiate or intervene in a legal action power school data breach litigation. The action, the defendants
006and the other particulars shall once formally commenced be disclosed to any person upon inquiry unless to do so would jeopardize the district's ability to effectuate service of process on one or more unserved parties or that to do so would jeopardize the district's ability to conclude existing settlement negotiations to its advantage. On item 3.7, conference with real property negotiators, the board received information and gave direction to staff. Uh, this brings us to approval of the minutes. 5.1 minutes of the August 12th, 2025 regular board of education meeting. Is there a motion and a second to approve the minutes? >> Second. >> All those in favor? I. Any nos or abstensions? I wasn't at the meeting >> on 5.2 minutes of the August 26, 2025 special board of education meeting. Is there a motion in a second
007to approve the minutes? >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Any nos or abstensions? >> I abstain. I wasn't there. >> Excellent. The uh agenda was approved unanimously tonight. Um, which brings us to reports of the board. 7.1 Toledita Elementary School presentation by Alexander Glenn, principal. [Applause] >> Good evening, board president, Elder, members of the board, Dr. Wesley and Cabinet. My name is Alexander Glenn and I'm the proud principal of Toledita Elementary and I'm here tonight to present to you a little bit about our vocal music program. First, I'd like to start by saying thank you. We are so grateful that RBUSD prioritizes the whole child because when we commit to educating the whole child, vocal music is not enrichment. It is essential. And when looking at RBUSD strategic plan, our vocal
008music program provides support for three of our goals. Academic achievement, social emotional learning, and post-secondary preparedness. Our program is aligned with VAPA common core standards but also strengthens literacy, language, and critical thinking. For our social emotional learning goal, music provides opportunities for self-expression, confidence building, and collaboration, fostering joy, and a sense of belonging in our classroom communities. Finally, for our post-secondary preparedness goal, voc vocal music builds creativity, communication, and passion. skills that translate into success beyond school and prepare students to thrive in diverse future paths. My personal favorite of this part is passion. How many Toita students are sitting in our classroom today finding their passion for music which could lead them toward their future career. That's the magic of Roondo prioritizing the whole child. Lastly, none of this would be possible without the support
009of RBEF. And I'd like to thank the donors in Ed Foundation for providing funding to allow us to have our incredible teachers. Thank you for your continued partnership and support. To share a little bit about our music program in Roondo, we provide music instruction to all of our kindergarten students through fourth grade students and the instruction is integrated into the school day so each of our students has access. And lastly, we've been able to implement recorders for our fourth grade students, bridging them for the transition to fifth grade band. Um, we always know when the fourth graders get their recorders because there's more stray dog sightings near campus. And my sincerest apologies to the fourth grade parents, it gets better cuz they'll come home with trumpets next year. I would love to introduce you to
010one of our music teachers, Mrs. Mary Pimentel. [Applause] She is one of our itinerant vocal music teachers and she serves over 750 students every week across three elementary sites. She balances instruction and performance preparation. And without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to the real expert, Mrs. Pimentel. [Applause] Okay. >> Hi everybody. Uh, thank you so much for having me at this presentation. I am Mary Pimentel and in my typical music class, I squeeze everything, but we go over vocal warm-ups, music theory, music history, we sing songs together, then we do movement activities, and the kids learn about cultural music appreciation. And we emphasize creativity, participation, and self-expression while providing opportunities for skill development and formative assessment. They work and they have fun. And I wanted to go over the impact of music education.
011It's super important for the student and their brain. Research shows that music increases student confidence, improves brain development and language skills, fosters joy, and classroom community. And these skills that the students learn in the music classes follow them everywhere outside the classroom. So therefore, music is essential. Okay. So here's some footage from class. And okay, this is our hello song, but this is fourth grade. And I use hello songs to create routine. And um they get really excited because when we sing this song, they know that oh, it's a music class. I'm going to press. Do I press this one? >> Here we go. Here we go. >> One, two, go. >> These are cool and days are fair. Not a worry, not a care. Just music, music, music. We all dressed in shorts and
012jeans. Feed ourselves on melodies. Happ music hours. We sing for hours and then we make our way out to the stage. Our show is ready to begin. Music class is full of fun and harmony. Even when we get run down, it's music. Yay. >> Okay. And then our musical activities are pretty much it's kind of like games and activities, but it's secretly for me to assess their progress in music. And for this one, it's a mindful movement activity. And these kinds of things, they engage the student, make them feel energized, connected, and then they also build the skills for music such as rhythm, coordination, and confidence. And this one is um Oh, yeah. Before I get to this, it provides a cultur culturally relevant and inclusive inclusive space for children to express themselves. For the
013footage that I'll play, I wonder if anybody here might recognize this song. This is from fourth grade. Okay, the song is ready. Your ears. Here we go. [Music] Forward side back step back. >> Good job. Here we go. I kind of curious. Does anybody recognize that song? Okay. Okay. All right. Um, next slide. Thank you, Mary. And that song is on repeat in my car everywhere I go, thanks to my children. But I also want to introduce to to you here with me today one of the stars of our show, Braden F. [Applause] Hello, my name is Braden and I'm in third grade at Toita. I like music with Mrs. P because she is nice and I like learning new songs. She teaches us how to warm up our voices and and sing new new
014wait sing songs in different languages. [Applause] >> I'm so proud of you. Good job. All right. Well, thank you Braden and thank you Mary for being with here being here with me tonight. and we want to thank the board for allowing us to share with you. We'd like to leave you with a quote from Hans Christian Anderson. Where words fail, music speaks. Thank you. >> Any questions? Thank you so much for that presentation. That's wonderful. Love hearing from our students. Uh and thank you to Ed Foundation and all the donors who make these programs possible. Um thank you all. >> Thank you. [Applause] >> Up next, item 7.2, the strategic plan year 2 update and review presentation by Dr. Nicole Wesley, superintendent. >> Thank you. and I am going to be facilitating the update but
015um my members of my cabinet are going to also update um based on the strategic plan goal. So let me find the clicker. Okay. So um just as a reminder we have a strategic plan. It is on our website and this presentation will also be posted on the website um after this evening. Um, we have a vision statement and in RBUSD we're realizing passion and purpose and we're maximizing success and significance. We have five strategic pa plan goals and so tonight we will report on the objectives that fall under each of the goals. So u we will be concise but if you have any questions please stop us and again we will present we will have this published on the website. These are the objectives that fall under each of the goals. the ones in
016green. Um so we are moving into our third year of the strategic plan. Um the ones in green uh we are not recommending that they move forward in the in the third year because we've explored or we've completed that that um that objective. So just wanted to point that out or we've made a different decision. Okay, we're going to start with the first goal, academic achievement. All right. So, um, one of our first objectives is to increase math achievement for all secondary students. >> Okay. The secondary math committee created a middle a new middle school math pathway with additional acceleration points and readiness indicators for advanced coursework beginning the this school year, the 2526 school year. And our next steps for this school year is continued collaboration between middle school teachers to ensure alignment for
017new courses and begin working on the new 78 course sequence. We're going to take a deep dive into the high school pathways and look at acceleration points with recommendations for the fall of the 2627 school year and we're going to resume our math curriculum adoption after CDE who has released their approved state adopted curriculum. So just as a reminder, we're updating you on year two and we are sharing um some of these were continuing. So that's why we're giving extra information. Okay. The next one is increasing student achievement in English language arts particularly at the secondary level. Whiten wisdom was officially board approved as the new middle school ELA curriculum for our school district. We have a working group uh made up of middle school teachers and site leaders to support the roll out and
018it's focused on adapting and pacing the curriculum to align with our block schedule. >> Okay, moving along. Um the next objective was fully implementing tier one and tier three inter sorry tier two and tier three interventions at the elementary level. >> Uh so our elementary schools have been trained to implement evidence-based reading interventions um helping students master foundational reading skills and grade level standards. So that's our foundations in just words >> and we'll continue to talk about the interventions through our MTSS um implementation. Um the next one was evaluating the effectiveness of honors the honors programs especially at the secondary level. >> Um ed services department in collaboration with middle school teachers and administrators will conduct an honors program evaluation during this school year 2526. To prepare for the evaluation what has been accomplished so
019far at the March 13th PD day last year. All middle school ELA teachers participated in a session to offer input on program evaluation questions and an honors program evaluation plan was developed with support from middle school ELA teachers and the plan includes data inquiry program assessment and vision setting. >> Moving on uh we have an objective to evaluate our gate program. >> So this year we'll be forming committee to conduct a program review similar to the honors review. Um, we also had an objective based on student feedback to look at additional world language classes at the high school. >> So based on student survey given last year, the board approved American Sign Language as a class at RUHS for 2025 26. However, the position was posted but we were unable to find a candidate. We
020plan on uh reposting and trying to hire uh this position for the 26 27th school year and continue to offer ASL classes as a dual enrollment option with El Camino College on the RUHS campus. >> Yeah, we have quite a few students who are taking it through El Camino and earning dual enrollment credit. >> It's on our campus. >> No, it's not on our campus. Yeah, the goal is to get it on our campus. We just haven't we haven't been able to hire a credential teacher to do it. So, we tried and we'll try again for next year. Um, but they can still take it at El Camino. Okay. The next one has to do with our special education compliance with our IEPs and assessments. >> So, the CDE annual determination letter for our school
021district indicated a significant improvement and you can see it up there on the chart and timely completion of assessment and IEP meetings. Um, our special education department will continue to provide training to our special education staff on how to accurately document attempts to schedule IEP meetings with compliance deadlines. And our special ed department will continue to monitor timeline compliance and provide targeted support when needed to ensure timely completion of the IEPs and assessments. >> We received an email from our Sela director that we have 100% compliance with our special ed completions. So, we're very proud of that. So kudos to the special ed learning center teachers, our department, Danielle, Melissa, everyone. It's huge. This was one of the green objectives. We we are we've checked this um box, but yes, we are now fully um
022full day kinder and through a two-year implementation. So now um implement MTSS. The MTSS committee was established uh last school year and the committee developed goals that included five um implementation elements. These elements are a focus on tier one instruction, common support procedures and structures, uh professional learning focused on assessment literacy, a reboot of PBIS and building collective efficacy with our ILTS. >> Can you just tell everyone >> sorry multi-tered system of supports? There are quite a few people in this room that are actually on the committee. So, thank you for serving on that committee. >> Okay, now we're moving into our se second objective um which is social um social emotional learning. So, um the first objective was to implement and enhance the TK social emotional learning curriculum and supports and we implemented second
023step. So, our goal was to increase the completion rates. >> Thank you. And as you can see from the chart, we increased them. Um so the completion rates has improved in both elementary and the middle school level. Um this school year second step will this school year 2526 we're going to have second step in TK through 12th grade. Um also we wanted to implement the 2P intervention strategies um but we wanted to expand it to 8th grade and 9th grade. So we did more than that. >> Uh last year we utilized uh multiple intervention strategies for substance use. Uh some of these included toupe lessons in science classes. We did a seahawk summit restorative retreat, a mental health fair, peer counseling, and lessons regarding safety planning, healthy coping skills, and suicide prevention. >> Dr. Garland.
024>> Yeah. >> For the benefit of the um audience um not familiar with the particular acronym tube, could what is tube? >> Tobacco use prevention education. >> Yes. Thank you. >> Thank you. which includes vaping and other usage >> and substance abuse. Yeah. >> Um this one was actually um initiated by the student advisory council. They do choose goals every year that very much wanted to promote kindness on campuses you may recall and it is a part of the board package that they wrote a resolution that we will be um looking at this evening. And so these are um some of the ways in which we are promoting the anti-hate/kindness campaign. Start with hello week starts next week. So we're excited to kick that off at our elementary schools. Do want to report out that
025we are we did see last year a decrease in suspensions and expulsions. Um we attribute that to a lot of things including the second step curriculum program and it's hard to tell but we're hoping that all of these things are are the reasons why we are seeing um less of these suspensions and expulsions um but that is a good trend. Okay. attendance um increasing ADA and reducing chronic absenteeism. >> Yes. Uh last year our our average daily attendance that's what ADA stands for. So our average daily attendance in the district was 95.1%. Um and the goal was 95.4. So our goal is 95.4 uh for this year. And then um with regard to decreasing chronic absenteeism, chronic absenteeism is defined um by for any reason a student missing more than 10% of the school year.
026So we have 180 school days. So it means if a student is absent 18 days, they're considered a chronic absentee. Uh, and the goal is last year we hit um 11.7%. Um, and the goal is less than 10%. It's a good it's a good number. And just for dollars and cents, um, the amount of money we lose annually due to absences is over $5 million. >> And we also know students do better in classrooms than out of them. >> Absolutely. Right. But if you're sick, we understand. stay home. We get that. We like to say that. We understand it happens. Okay. Next objective, post-secondary preparedness. And so um we did implement a TK through 12 comprehensive counseling plan last fall and uh we're continue to work with that plan, work through that plan. It's on
027our website. Uh the plan was presented to the board um last December and there was a focus on using Navvian last school year with 6th through 12th grade students and we will continue to focus on that this year including fifth grade >> and we're lucky to have um Rachel Andrews working with us to help us keep the plan going and working with our counselors on the plan. Another was to facilitate college and post-secary um planning for elementary students and other families, but mostly just around educating on preparing for college from the financial financial lens. >> So, I'd like to thank uh the RUHS counseling department, the C and the CTE staff as well as Dr. Toronto for putting together a lot of engaging programming for our students and families. Uh we had uh expert panel
028on aerospace and aviation industry. The RUHS career day, arts media and and entertainment industry expert panel, financial planning for college, CTE showcase at RUHS, um early planning for college, and then we had uh we have two uh talks by Mr. Jeff Celingo, uh the author of Who Gets In and Why, a Year Inside of College Admissions, and last uh Sunday's college fair was a big hit at our uhs and very well attended. We hope people will mark their calendars for November 12th. We're very lucky to have Mr. Celingo come back and talk about what we need to know to get into colleges. So, please invite students as well. Okay. Um, our next objective was to look at our pathways both through SoCal Rock but also through our high school. >> So, one of the first
029steps of uh creating and and strengthening those pathways is to secure money for those pathways. So, Dr. Toronto has done an amazing job applying for various grants uh from the state um to secure that money and has brought in almost a million dollars in CTE pathway grant over the course of the last two years. >> Right. So we're trying to increase the number of students who are completing the pathways at SoCal Rock and so um we have data on that to share with you when we meet Friday. The next one was looking at the feasibility of implementing the early and or middle college program in RBSD. Um this is an amazing program. Um unfortunately it does require that we provide transportation some other caveats. So for now we're tableabling it. We looked you know we
030looked at all the ways in which we could do it but maybe at some point we could get some funding to do that. It essentially it allows students to take college classes at the college level as early as middle school and graduate with an AA or more as well as their high school diploma. So it's a pretty cool program. Did you want to add anything, Dr. Garland? >> Yes, please. So, so Dr. Toronto and I um visited a nearby early college program and looked at um all the different pieces that Dr. Wesley talked about. We are however going to continue expand our dual enrollment opportunities. So for 2526, we have calc 2 and calc 3 dual enrollment. We have Al Camino College and we're going to be starting computer science dual enrollment in the spring.
031And then to further our efforts in this area, um teachers, counselors, and administrators have been selected by LEO to participate in creating a dual enrollment action plan for this school year. >> Right. And right and that class that we added is taught by one of our teachers, Mr. Mike Smith at the high school. So that's really cool. Okay. Um fourth is um human resources and um increasing the capacity of our employees and acknowledging them. So we had gathering feedback. >> Yeah. Yeah. So over the course of the last two years, we gathered feedback through a variety of of ways, including surveys and listening sessions. Um, but with this understanding, we need to now shift our attention to identifying needs and and creating action plans to address those concerns. >> So this is to be continued
032in terms of getting feedback and working towards some established goals. Um, enhancing new employee onboarding and support. So that means once we hire the people, not you know, hey, good luck. just trying to really support them through that process. >> Yeah, it's very important that our new employees are accessible and we we retain them going forward. So, um various departments such as maintenance operations custodial have a really strong uh mentor program where they're matched up with with a custodian or M person for the first few days on the job and we're seeking to kind of expand that not kind of but to expand that um to at each site for uh positions such as uh instructional assistance. Um, we're also developing an employee handbook, a practical employee handbook that's more than just policies. Um, that
033kind of gives them a a good practical understanding of of how things work in RBSD. >> Um, we wanted to increase recognizing outstanding employee efforts as another objective. >> So, in addition to our annual employee of the year uh program, which is always a lot of fun, um, we've put together monthly uh, faces and stories of RBUSD uh, one minute videos on various RBUSD employees. Um, and Sam Alpert, uh, former RUHS graduate or a former RU uh graduate has done a great job uh, putting those videos together for us >> and they're all on our HR website. So, we look forward to highlighting more employees this year and then um, building capacity of our current employees. >> So, this is Jeff Winkler's department. He's done a great job putting together partnerships with SoCal Rock, uh,
034CSU, Domingus Hills, Grand Canyon University to help our classified staff um, advance in their career and provide them opportunities to do so. >> U, we are always looking for leaders within the district. We've been fortunate to be able to hire some of our teachers to become administrators and so um, this was our last objective within this goal. >> Yeah. So, the LEAP program, uh, we had 12 folks go through the LEAP program last year, and I think about half of them are now in admin, uh, credential programming or programs, which is is great to see. Um, Jeff helped me out with this program. Um, and he also put together the level up university program and resource fair to provide, uh, employees with opportunities at local universities to get their master's degree or other certifications. >>
035Okay. Okay. And our last goal was to upgrade and maintain our facilities and our IT and security with the objective increase and strengthen our IT infrastructure and as you know that's more important than ever. >> So definitely a shout out to the IT department um who is phenomenal and I love them and I know they're watching I hope. >> Uh we've done some awesome projects. So the first one we've migrated our cloud uh calling so from our analog lines to cloud calling which was a pretty amazing project. Um, the other piece that you are probably seeing is the physical phones that we uh exchanged this summer. It was a fun summer. We exchanged over 846 plus phones and fine-tune every extension. Of course, um we're still working on uh making sure that everybody has the
036right extension, voicemail, and everything in between. The other piece that we are very excited about is the replacement of security cameras. We kicked off with a an approach at Lincoln and Paris. So, we've replaced the cameras there. We are going to increase cameras by three times of what we currently have um as of today. Uh another very exciting project is the data center. It's a new day with cyber security. So we are implementing a lot of changes in our data center that will put um a lot of levels of security to ensure that our data student and staff data are secure. Um and we're doing some exciting stuff with cabling behind the walls. It's all that stuff that when you remodel a kitchen or your living room, it's all the cabling and the f the
037the gas lines that you don't see. That's what we're taking out, ripping in and putting new cabling to ensure that we have uh the bandwidth to support all of the lovely new cameras that we're installing. The outdoor Wi-Fi, this is something new that we're also doing. Um, we piloted at last year at Adams and now we're expanding outdoor Wi-Fi uh to ensure that every staff member including uh PE teachers and all the staff that are out um in the yard have access to Wi-Fi. Um and we um thank you Dr. Wesley for inviting me to the student advisory council. We heard it straight from the students um how they felt how they really felt about the Chromebooks. And so uh we took their advice. We looked at what they were experiencing and we went out
038and got uh a different model, faster devices and larger screens for the secondary levels. Um we're also um very excited about um the access control that we're piloting over at Lincoln in Paris. And also a shout out again to the IT and the TOSA team who put together this year uh AI committee uh the real committee was which was composed of parents, students um teachers uh to set up guidelines and policies as we continue to navigate the AI environment at Redondo Beach >> and that's coming out I think soon. It's being pushed out just read the final draft. Um and so those Chromebooks actually charge longer so they still need to be charged for anyone who's watching. Um but hopefully they should be lasting much longer. Okay. Um we our objective was to implement a
039measure um a measure S phase one. I think Dr. Nalpern and I feel like that's our other major job bonds a lot. But we're excited about the projects. >> Yeah. It's it's great to think about where we were in November of just last year, like 10 months ago, >> when um the community approved a $278 million school bond. And in those last 10 months, um we have successfully sold $80 million um in school bonds and um projects as you know, Miss Garcia was sharing um is really uh underway and um you see it across all of our campuses right now. We're on the verge of completing $9 million in um roofing improvements across nine different school campuses. Um we've got um LED lighting retrofit taking place indoor classrooms, offices, outdoors um across all of our
040campuses. Um you can no longer buy fluorescent lighting in the state of California. And so um it will really save us um both in terms of um time and in terms of energy. um the transition to to um LED lighting. Um we've also seen improved fencing and security and those projects are currently underway. Okay. Um also we just in this slide um you can see the playground equipment. So we're working with our architects and so we want to look explore a few more options for the playground. So, we hope to bring some options to our students and staff before the end of this year. Um, but we want the the playgrounds to look a little bit cooler than what you see um on the screen there. Okay. So, what's next? So, we have a um
041workshop with our board on on Friday. We will be reviewing a lot of data with our board diving into CASP data um map data from last year. again second step etc. All of the district leadership team will be here to go over that with the board. Um from our session on Friday we will talk to the board about updating our strategic plan with additional objectives to meet our goals based on the data that we review. So that's like a a working meeting and then based on your feedback um the team will go back and revise the strategic plan per per your direction and recommendations and then we will bring the plan back and it's supposed to be September 30th. Sorry I I changed at the board meeting September 30th not the 23rd so please don't
042come on the 23rd. Um and so we'll bring back the strategic plan for readoption on the 30th. All right. Um are there any questions? That was a lot of information in a very short period of time, >> right? Yeah, it's a lot. We will post this after I change the date uh on the website for anyone who wants to look through it more and we will discuss it more on Friday in our board workshop. But it reflects a lot of work of the whole district. You know, we're all just moving and shaking. So, we're proud of what we've achieved. So, we wanted to give you that update. >> It's really exciting to realize that we're in the third year of the strategic plan. That's something that never was done before. and um just seeing how
043it starts to come together and I know we still have a lot of work and things to pull through. But it's nice to see the plan and the consistency. >> Yeah. And we've we've had strategic plans historically, but we really want this to be a living document. We want to make it our northstar and really focus on it and continue to provide updates, you know. So, okay. Um, >> one last thing I was just say thank you again as everyone else said for having all this work on the strategic plan because we are a unified school district and the strategic plan is something that's very important to having a unified vision and then following through on it. So, um, I know sometimes you hear us talk about the strategic plan a lot and it may
044not sound that interesting, but it really does trickle down in everything we're focusing on to try and help our students achieve everything. So, thank you to everyone for bearing with us and following along because um, this is our our plan for success. >> All right. All right. Well, thank you. >> And up next, 7.3 student board member report by Key Gold. >> Thank you. Okay. Good evening everyone. Roondo Union's Welcome back Desert Fest themed dance was last Saturday. We had games, a DJ, TK Burgers, and a great student presence. Last Friday, we had our first home football game of the season against Costa. The flock was packed, filling up two entire sections in our stands. And we even won the LA student section of the week after our game on Friday, which we found out
045that we won yesterday. Um, our next football game will be this Friday in Huntington Beach. As most of you know, last Sunday we had the South Bay/LA College Fair. It was insanely packed with students and parents from all over the South Bay. Um, the colleges had their stance and gave brochures, information, and stickers. I personally loved being able to discover schools that aren't in California or are too far to visit. It was super informational and helpful to ask questions in person to an admissions officer or a member from the school. Um, our girls tennis team will be attending their first ever invite only tournament down in San Diego next week on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, which is super exciting. I'll be there. Um, I'm super excited to get Young Leaders kicked off this year. And
046we're also super excited that the Young Leaders will get to help with two district-wide spirit weeks this year with the help of Miss Rachel Andrews. Thank you. >> Thank you. And on 7.4, we have the Superintendent's Enrollment Report by Dr. Nicole Wesley. >> Okay. So on the first board meeting after school year starts um going to continue with the tradition of introducing each school. So for those of you who've been with us for a while you may remember that we u ask the principles to share a picture a quote and um and that's what they send to us and then we share the attendance so you can see the trends in each district. So I'm just going to go through them rather quickly. Um, Alta Vista, Miss Erica Lee, Alta Vista students are ready to
047climb to new heights for the 2526 school year. Respect others, own your behavior, act safely, ready to learn, roar. And you can see the enrollment has gone up at Alta Vista. Okay, Burl with Miss Freellander celebrating a hundred years of joyful smiles and bright futures. Yes, they are having their hundred-year celebration in a couple of weeks and you can see their enrollment has gone up. Bernie, we have a new principal, Miss Kate Christensen. She says, "At Bernie, curiosity grows, kindness leads, and every Bobcat shines." And you see, they went up by a student. Uh, I was going to say, "What grade, but I won't." Okay. Um, Jefferson, we have Mr. Stanley. A dolphin cares. When we come ready and are always accountable, respect others, encourage everyone, and stay safe, we make waves of positivity. And
048we went down a little bit there at Jefferson Lincoln, Miss Kim, Dr. Kim, actually. At Lincoln Elementary, we will foster circles of connections that strengthen relationships between students, staff, and families. We are dedicated to creating learning environments where every child can succeed and thrive. Again, down by student, and this is as of Friday, just um same with last year. We we look at it same time. Um, Madison, oh, sorry, Madison with Miss Hollow. Our kindergarteners may be small, but with backpacks packed with dreams, curiosity, and wide smiles, our littlest comments are ready to soar. And you can see the enrollment number there went down. Toita, just like a title wave, our school community is powerful when united. Together, we can lift every child to new heights. That's Miss Glint. Thank you for the presentation, Toita.
049This evening, Washington, we have our new administrators, Miss Lee with Mr. Gary Gregory. At Washington Elementary School, we are committed to nurturing the whole child by fostering meaningful connections, supporting social and emotional growth, and upholding high academic standards, ensuring that every student feels valued, challenged, and prepared to thrive as part of our vibrant community. Minus four, Adams Middle School. I love this photo, so you're going to see it a lot. Um, the sky's is the limit for our Eagles. We jump in with enthusiasm and soar together. And they've gone up three. Adams, sorry, seven. Adams continues to grow. Uh, the bubbles come in. Paris Middle School with Miss Shaw. Oh, yes. So, sorry, just we know we have a new assistant principal too, Mr. Steven Lewis and Miss Mada. And then, uh, we have Miss
050Shaw, Miss Alexis Oihara. At Paris Middle School, we are kicking off the school year with creativity and collaboration. Teachers are thoughtfully cultivating engaging and welcoming learning environments and students are building connections that will carry them through the school year. There you go. Look at that group. There's the high school Mr. Brown with his team there and the friend and some students. This year we commit to adapt and grow, listening closely, adjusting quickly and supporting every Seahawk. And then we have Miss We have Mr. Brandt at Patricia Dryler and our alt ed RBLA program. Success usually comes to those who are too busy looking for it. Henry thorough. And last but not least, our South Bay Adult School with Dr. Webb and will soon be Mr. Winkler. Attending ESL classes is a family affair at South
051Bay Adult School. Here we have three generations, grandmother, mother, and daughter granddaughter who just registered for fall 2025. Fall term begins on September 2nd. So, it's amazing that we do educate students transitional kindergarten through 12 with adult and preschool. Our total enrollment, look at that group. >> I don't even know what to >> I needed to end with a with fun here. Um, you can see we're down about 31 from last year at this point. Um, but we're at what we projected because as you know, we project about a half a percent decrease each year. So, um, that is my report. Now, I want to, um, acknowledge one of our new administrators, Mr. Ruben Chavez. He's our program specialist, um, in the special ed department. So, we've asked him to come and introduce himself. Thank
052you for being patient, Mr. Chavez. >> Good evening, uh, board president, Elder, members of the board, superintendent, Dr. Wesley, cabinet, and community members. So, thank you for the opportunity to serve the students and families of Redondo Beach Unified. This is truly a special district with a reputation for both excellence and equity. And I'm honored to be here. I want to especially thank my special education leadership team, Danielle, our fearless leader, Melissa, Todd, Christy, Angelique, Dana, and Laura for their amazing support and collaboration. And I'd like to give a huge shout out to our amazing special education teachers, instructional aids, all classified staff, IBIS, speech teachers, OT's, PTS, uh, APEs, all the letters, and all other service providers. Without your passion and dedication, none of this work would be possible. So, at the heart of my
053work are the values of equity, inclusion, and social justice. So ensuring that all students, particularly those from historically marginalized groups, are seen, supported, and given every opportunity to thrive. On a personal note, I'd like to introduce my family who are truly my guiding light. So my brilliant and beautiful wife, Jackie. Uh she's a geologist, and next year we will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. >> Oh, wow. >> Yeah. She's my partner and steady voice who always grounds me. Um my daughter Liliana who's 12 and she's brilliant and creative and she constantly reminds me of that resilience and strength that young people have within them. And my son Benjamin uh he's in fifth grade and he's brilliant, endlessly funny and every day he shows me the power of joy, creativity, and connection. So, they're not
054just my family, they're my why, and they guide every decision I make as an educator and leader. And they remind me that every child we serve is someone's whole world. Thank you again for welcoming me into this community. I'm excited to partner with you in building on the strengths of RBUSD and in serving our students and families together. Thank you. Well, we thank you and I've been walking around and we've heard great things about you. So, thank you so much. You are welcome to stay or you're welcome to leave. Uh we have a full agenda tonight. It won't hurt our feelings if you leave. Yeah. [Applause] >> Uh did someone leave their book though? Yeah. >> Okay. All right. Um so that concludes my report. Thank you. >> And that might be a new record
055there. This brings us to our hearing section 8.1. Members of the audience may address the board on any topic regardless of whether it is listed on the agenda. However, due to Brown Act regulations, the board cannot engage in public discussion on items not on the agenda. Topics not on the agenda, which are brought to the board's attention, may be investigated by the administration and report made to the board either publicly or privately at a future meeting. Comments from visitors shall not exceed three minutes unless the time limit is waved by majority of the board. The board shall limit the total time for public input on each item to 20 minutes. With board consent, the president may increase or decrease the time allowed for public presentation depending on the topic and the number of persons wishing
056to be heard. I will start with advanced written requests. Uh starting with uh Amy Baron. That's okay. It doesn't really help, but thank you. Uh, good evening and thank you for following allowing me to speak regarding the teachers request for salary compensation. I appreciate the board and the community listening to our teachers. I could list the millions of things our teachers do for students, million things I do for students, but I'm sure the board is aware and appreciates us without having to say it. I've always felt appreciated in our district. It's a s source of pride. Being a teacher is an honor and I always take the opportunity to tell people what I teach and where I teach. I have never winced or been embarrassed to say that I work in Roondo. That's why I've
057worked here for so long, over 20 years. And Roondo really is the best district to work in. I think that because Roondo has always been the trends setter of the South Bay. What we do, other districts scramble to do. We knew our school facilities needed to be updated way back when our community voted for Measure C. Our schools looked light years ahead of surrounding schools. Then our leadership heeded the warning that technology was going to be the next hurdle to overcome. So without fail, we passed measure Q so that all students had access to technology that was done years before it was required for students to have Chromebooks. And again, recently seeing the need for better security and accompanying technologies, the community has supported our district's call to action and passed measure S. Roondo anticipates
058and embraces the needs of students and the staff. And right now, teachers are the need. In all those measures, the community recognized the challenges that our schools face. The board and the district leadership has the community's trust by always showing integrity, foresight, and responsible decision-making. In the years of partnership between the board and the district and the community, everyone kind of assumes that teacher salaries would be as upto-date as our facilities or our technologies. Now, I know and you know, bond money is completely different than what's negotiated for salaries, but it's very hard to explain that to our community. I truly believe the vision and leadership of our board and administration will support our teachers so that we're not essentially taking a cut in pay to compensate for the rising cost of medical benefits. I
059am confident the same fiscal savvy that has managed to keep academic programs growing, sports facilities updated, and student achievement constantly progressing will be applied to negotiation for teacher salary. We are need we are in need of a 2% increase to cover the rising medical insurance cost. Without that increase or without the district covering that right raise in cost, teachers pocketbooks will take a hit. I anticip anticipate that you, the school board that truly wants to see all students, community members, and employees happy and healthy, will keep to your standards when discussing teacher salaries and compensations. We have always been a forward-thinking, visionary district. I know the board and the district leadership have the creativity and ingenuity to make sure the teachers don't slide back in pay. Thank you. [Applause] Thank you. And up next, uh,
060Kimberly Penn. >> Hello, board members. Dr. Wesley. Um, I'm Kimberly Penn. I am one of two SDC teachers at Adams and um this is my 25th year in education and I want to start by saying I I absolutely love what I do. I often hear people say why do you teach in STC? I love it. Um I love my co-worker. I love the students and the people I work with. Um I'm here I have a deep commitment to my students and their families. However, this year is proving to be one of the hardest years I've ever worked. I live in Long Beach and I have two sons and a husband that they very busy and it takes me a long time to get home. Um it's getting hard harder for me to step away from
061work in order to make it home to get to their games to make it to their practice and just be present in their lives. Again, it's not easy. I chose to be here and I remain committed to my job. But I'm here tonight missing another family time because it impacts my family and I can't stay silent. Last year, the one-time offsary bonus was to help soften the blow for insurance. But here we are again facing another rise in costs, so steep that I had to make the painful decision to downgrade my insurance plan just to keep the coverage that I could afford, essentially avoiding a pay cut. Um, my husband is almost complete with his um yearly checks with his cancer treatment that he got in 2001. And I'm praying that he stays healthy because
062the deductibles are very high. And I tell my sons every day to stay healthy. I want to bubble wrap them so we don't have to go to the ER because I cannot afford the deductible. As a teacher who pours everything into giving students the best education I can, I can't give my own children the health care and my husband the healthcare they deserve. This is heartbreaking. We should not have to choose between serving our students and caring for our families. We need fair onsary increase, something reliable, something sustainable so that educators can provide for their families without sac making sacrifices that cut so deeply into our lives. Thank you. Thank you for that. Up next is Ryan Branta and after that will be Donovan. Uh, good evening board members, Dr. Wesley, Dr. Stephanie, community. Um,
063my name is Ryan Branta and I am a proud educator and a parent in the district. I became a teacher because school was my safe space growing up. And now I want to show up every day and create a similar safe space for my students. I approach teaching like a professional athlete. strategizing, executing, and giving it my all every single day. And I know I'm not alone. Many of my colleagues be bring the same passion and dedication to their classrooms. That's why as our family grew, my husband and I sold our home in Lera Heights and moved into this district. We now have three of our four sons, the schoolaged ones, enrolled in RBUSD schools. We didn't just believe in this district. We invested in it and we continue to invest paying over $5,300 a
064month in child care and CDC tuition. That's a real ongoing personal sacrifice. But again, I'm not the only one making sacrifices. Countless teachers across the district are. decorating their classrooms on unpaid dates, grading late into the night, building curriculum over the weekend, buying supplies with their own money. But lately, we've started to ask each other why. Because honestly, what once felt like passion now feels like pressure. We're stretched thin. Our commitment is taken for granted. And we wonder why we're allowing this to continue. The district is holding steady, and over the summer, this board approved a new contract for the superintendent, a double-digit raise over four years, plus vacation uh day cash outs and job security. So, why are teachers who are doing more than ever, more now than ever, still being left behind? We
065haven't had an onsc raise since 2023. I celebrate fellow educators receiving what they're due. Rising tides should lift all boats. But the message feels pretty clear. Leadership is rewarded. Labor is expected. So what happens then if all educators just stopped going above and beyond? No more working beyond contract hours. No more spending personal money. No more doing unpaid duties. The district would feel it immediately. Because our USD runs on our unpaid labor and personal sacrifice. So, we're here tonight and we're not asking for favors or charity. We're demanding fairness. If the board and the district can find the money to guarantee raises for one, it can and must do the same for all. We're the teachers who show up early, stay late, and give everything to this work. We're the reason families like mine chose
066Roondo Beach. Could I please finish? We're united. >> 30 seconds. >> We're ready to move this district forward, but it starts with respect. And respect starts with fair compensation. It's time this board proves it understands our value. Not with words, not with oneoffs, but with an onschedule raise through the budget that you have to truly refle reflect our worth. No more waiting. No more excuses. Now, thank you. [Applause] Thank you. And up next is Donovan, followed by Marin Edmonton, Edmonston, sorry, and Maline Gratz. >> Hello, distinguished members of the school board. My name is Donovan and I attend Burl Heights Elementary. I want to talk to you about the black fence cover going up at my school. I heard it is so that people so that people can't see in but creeps can hide behind
067and new won't not see them. People from the outside can see in but from the inside you can't see out. There's no point in black fencing if kids can still be seen from the outside. Before it felt like a normal school or like a park with a fence. Now all we see is the black tarp, like a prison. And it makes me feel sad because I liked seeing the outside world. My hope is that you will make the school take down the black tarp so our school can be normal again. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. Up next, Maren Edmonson and Maline Gratz. And after that, Jennifer Barrett. >> Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am Marin Edmonston >> and I'm Maline Gros and we are Paris Middle Schoolers. >> We are here
068today to discuss the black tarps that are being installed around our schools. >> While you may think that these tarps are beneficial to our safeties, we believe otherwise. >> The black tarps may be intended for privacy, but come with several potential downsides. The main cons are security concerns, psychological and social effects, and public relations. >> One downside is reduced visibility for safety. The tarp will make it extremely hard to detect suspicious activity in or outside of the school. Kids won't be able to tell the difference between a passer by and a potential threat. >> If they wanted to, potential live shooters would be able to see into the school, while students and staff would not be able to tell who or what they actually are. After hours, people could sneak into the school and cause
069many problems and safety concerns while going unnoticed. >> In emergencies, it could delay response times due to the first responders lack of vision. Sometimes these minutes or even seconds of delay could be the difference between life and death. >> It could it would create blind spots that could be used for unseen vandalism, fights, or unauthorized entries and exits. >> Here are some negative psychological impacts. It feels prison-like, which can create a hostile or unwelcoming atmosphere. >> It can feel claustrophobic, intimidating, depressing, threatening, and might even trigger anxiety. >> It gives the feeling that you're trapped. Here are some ways that it can affect the public relations. It could signal to the public that the school is a high crime area. >> The dark tarp makes it seem like the school is hiding something. >> It
070can create rumors among parents, students, and the community. >> May give the impression of secrecy, which could undermine trust. It could cause people to assume that there's been an incident and that the school is unsafe. >> Distrust can grow quickly with poor communication. >> One immense concern would be the middle school and high schoolers running the mile. There would be no way to see where the students are. This could lead to countless issues while running. The point of this tarp is to create a safer learning environment. However, it leads students to feel trapped, depressed, and is not a good learning environment. Most kids don't love school, and the black tarp isn't going to change their minds. But we are here today to change yours. >> In conclusion, black tarps may seem practical, but they have
071many downsides. We hope you take our thoughts into consideration. Thank you for listening. [Applause] >> Thank you for that. Uh Jennifer Barrett, as our last written request, Sorry. Followed by Jeff G. Good evening members of the board, President Elder, Vice President Cho, Superintendent Nikki Wesley. Educators and fellow parents. My name is Jennifer Barrett. And I am here tonight not just as a parent, but as a voice for the students who are quietly slipping through the cracks. Those whose struggles aren't always visible in test scores and district rankings. My child is currently reading two years below grade level. And while I've heard reassurances that they're making progress, the truth is progress without urgency is just delay. Every month that passes, another month of lost confidence, lost opportunity, and lost potential. Roondo Beach is a high performing
072district. We celebrate our rankings, our awards, and our achievements, and rightly so. But we must also confront the uncomfortable truth. Excellence in aggregate does not guarantee equity in experience. Averages mask the outliners, and my child is one of them. I'm asking the board to prioritize prioritize reading intervention with the same energy we give SEAL athletics and college readiness. Specifically, increase staffing for reading specialists and interventionists at the middle school level. Use map growth and cast data not just to track but to act early and decisively proactively. Ensure that parents receive transparent updates on reading progress, not vague assurances. I know resources are limited, but so is time for the students who are falling behind now. We cannot afford to wait until they fall or so sorry. We cannot wait until they fail a test or
073hit a crisis point. We must act while they still believe they can catch up. To be clear, to be clear, I am here to collaborate. Let's build a system that sees every child, not just the ones who shine on paper. Let's make sure that reading below grade level isn't treated as a footnote, but as a flashing red light. Thank you for your time and for your commitment to every student in this district. Thank you educators. I appreciate every single one of you in this room. I am from an education family. Thank you all and have a good evening. Thank you. And up next, Jeff G. Hello, school board. Can everybody hear me? Not on. Is it on now? >> There we are. Well, first of all, and thank you Dr. Wesley, Dr. Alpurn, staff, and
074teachers. Can we all give an applause uh for the Roondo Beach Education Foundation for all that music and PE and teacher grants and those school trips with the school buses? I'd love to hear a clap, but anyway. So, I'll probably get in trouble for that, but I just thought I'd let you know there's a fundraising drive this week. And then I heard something about the Sketchers Walk that if you register individually as opposed as a family, there's a better return on investment for the schools. But that's just a little bit of a hint. talk to your local principal about that. Um, I want to mention according to Nich, we're a number five in the state uh for the school districts. Um, I think all the teachers in this room and in Rodana Beach Unified School
075District should get a raise here. Here um it's because I voted for measure S. I don't typically vote for bond measures, but it's because you all do a good job. My mother was a substitute teacher here before she was a special ed teacher at Alta Vista and that's why I'm raising my daughter here. So here here to that. Um and I'd like to thank Dr. Kim working with our traffic engineer for additional improvements over at Lincoln on Veil where there's not a crosswalk. It's not really delineated very well. And uh just making sure that we cover all our corners as we're driving through to drop off and so forth. Dr. Kim's doing an excellent job and so is Alana Fouse. and uh Sher Smith and all the speech and IEP teachers that helped my daughter
076read better and improvements uh coming along. We're very happy with that. Um what else do I have? I've been on the public safety commission for eight years. I'm done. Hooray. Um and uh I just wanted to mention that I've heard and you know we had in one of our meetings we had 55 traffic arteries in Roondo Beach that they have to monitor like PV Boulevard and Prospect and bike versus car and so forth. But I wanted to mention that Robinson even though it's a fire department lane is critical to keep monitoring for speed and that's by Madison and that's by Lincoln. And I also want to mention the area around Lincoln uh for any sort of uh crossing guards that we can add. And I know we just got whatever $9 million and I know
077we want to give some to the teachers and so forth, but public safety on Artisia Boulevard grant have like a walking school bus and so forth. We ought to look at all the options. I know we're talking about Eeky and wellness, but the other Japanese phrase that you have heard is Kaizen or constant improvement. So I want to add that to the uh strategic planning. Um, and I just want to thank all of the dialogue that we have between municipalities, the police department, the fire department, the school district, and uh, I'm really glad I'm here, and I wish you all a great evening. Thank you. Uh, that is all the advanced written requests we have. Would anyone else like to address the board on anything not on the agenda or on the agenda? Going once,
078going twice. All right, moving on to the communication section. Starting with RBTA. >> Hi, good evening. My name is Janelle Tanaga. I'm here with Sue Carlton and we are RBTA's leadership this year. To my RBTA colleagues, you all have my utmost respect. I do not take this role or opportunity to do good for others lightly. Before any response or action, I have taken the approach of being quick to listen, slow to speak, and doing nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, valuing others above myself, not looking to my own interest, but yours. I believe you do this for our students. You put our students and their education first. I also take this role of serving you to heart because your jobs are tough. I can't do your job and I know
079the challenges you face and the support you need from us outside the classroom. I see you. Jobs in education is not for everyone. You are all special. Teachers are special. I know because I walked in your shoes and that was enough. At the start of my educational career, I sucked for three years and even earned my teaching credential, but I never applied to one teaching job. It wasn't my skill set. To our district nurses, you're special. I know because not everyone is built for blood and broken bones. Myself included. And you can ask my son. To school psychologists, the amount of writing and assessments, enough said. To SLPs, you're special. The patience and encouragement you show not easy. To counselors, I know what we do. And this happens to be my skill set. So, I
080know how special we are. When I say I see you, I truly see you. I see you all serving students, not in just teaching and providing curriculum, but I see you serving students outside of your expertise by providing students opportunities to grow as future leaders or being advisers for their clubs when it not when it might not be an interest you share. Even when it eats into your lunch and takes time away with colleagues, giving that up for a Pokemon club, respect. or I see you passing on your passion and knowledge to students in your interest areas, whether it's esports, coaching a sport, theater, band, or being a middle school athletic director. The results, award-winning programs such as our national cheer team, student winners in our business class and competitions, middle and high school students
081putting on jaw-dropping performances in theater, bringing the first ever girls flag football teams to our middle schools and high school. It's not possible without our educators. Take it from me, it's not for the stipen. We do all this because it's what's best for kids and we are here for kids. We serve our students, we inspire, we encourage, and we support the next generation. With the upcoming negotiations to the board, with the utmost respect, I ask you to look at these educators in the room and I ask that you truly take time to see the value they bring to our students. And I challenge you to meet with them not just during the quick school site visits, but meet with them when they are supporting students outside of delivering instruction. You'll see high school students still
082excited to see a teacher and still greet them. It's because they put time into their growth as students and future members of society. You also see the heartwarming interaction when our youngest students greet their teachers with the cutest smiles and enthusiastic energy. It's because they give them time and attention during their early educational journey. And teachers make kids feel special. You'll probably even chuckle when you see our middle school students who are in the too cool for anything phase will greet a teacher or counselor from across the room when visiting classrooms with an energetic, immediately regrettable wave. It's because we're there supporting and guiding during this special phase in their life. That's where you'll see the value we bring. We impact kids. Our showing tonight is in no way adversarial. We're struggling to keep up
083financially with the increases we are facing with the cost of living as shared by teachers tonight. Each educator here and for those watching, we packed the boardroom and there's still people outside in the hallways. It has they each have an example of a financial impact. And while we can't hear from each one of them, just know that they are here because they no longer can just do nothing. We ask that going into negotiations next month, you acknowledge the efforts and the value these educators bring to this district and we can reach a fair on salary increase that these teachers are here to advocate for themselves. If you still don't believe me in our value, take the challenge and sub for a day. I believe a CBS is all that's required. Plus, weren't a sub shortage,
084so it'll help. Walk in their shoes. You may have a different a different perspective after. I did 13 years ago and my respect for teachers has grown and why when they bring up a concern, RBTA leadership led by a school counselor speaks up and my team works with the district to be solution focused because when we work together and have a partnership which both sides have worked hard over the past year to build, students benefit and I do believe there is mutual respect on both sides. I wish both bargaining teams good luck and challenge both teams to be quick to listen and slow to speak so we can reach a TA quickly. Thank you all who showed up today for yourselves. You did one of the hardest things as an educator. You came and advocated
085for yourself. You showed up for you. Bravo. Again, you all have my utmost respect. Thank you and good night. [Applause] Thank you. And up next is the California School. >> Mr. Elder, are we allowed to ask questions of of staff during the uh >> Yeah, you can um you can ask questions. You can give direction. You can't comment, but you can ask questions. >> Dr. Wesley, then I just want to make sure I understand because I feel somewhat lost here. We have not entered into negotiations yet with RBTA. Um, and Mr. Tanaka, I think, just clarified that by saying that they were coming up. Um, in the past, I think we used to do this earlier before, for example, the medical costs were changed. Yes. Just I just want to >> So if you don't
086mind, I can speak under superintendent's comments to answer that question. Um because I was previously in HR, so there is um a little a little bit of confusion um because a um uh a comment was made that we need to quickly I I think it was no more waiting, no more excuses. But um the district with the union sunshined in May and historically we have began negotiations um sometime even before the school year ended through the summer. We have an agreement um that when we enter negotiations, all members um are paid their hourly rate, not the extra duty rate to negotiate. And it has always been our practice to negotiate, at least begin and and try our best to settle before October 1st, knowing that the increase in healthcare was coming. It also is good
087for morale and starting a school year and knowing that people are coming back with their raise. Um so that changed about three years ago and um we are still here all summer working um eager wanting to sit at the table and bargain. Just so that those who are watching note the board has not received any negotiation proposals. They haven't discussed negotiations. It hasn't been agendaized. So they are asking and eager and waiting for it. Um but we are um when I say we, the district leadership doesn't necessarily control the negotiations timeline. Um we have to receive dates from our associations in order to begin negotiations. So we continue to be willing and able and eager to begin earlier and we hope that our associations would be open to that in the future. Again, we don't
088have to settle um you know, if depending on the timeline, but we just want to begin at least so that the board can consider um proposals. Uh we always want to come to the table. Um and I think that we have uh we what we love about this district is we believe we have a healthy relationship, mutual respect. Um and we see staff as well. Um, and we we just want to have the ability to have the negotiation process begin and have these conversations. Um, because I think what it feels like is that the board has said no to something and they haven't even started talking about it because we are waiting for dates. So, we finally got dates and they aren't until October. So, we're we're eager and ready to get started because we
089want our employees to feel um proud of working here and we and we want them to not have to struggle as outlined tonight. So, we'll leave that at the table, but I just want to note that the board has not had any conversations about negotiations because we just haven't even started the process yet. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions? Uh up next, the California School Employees Association. Good evening board members, Dr. Wesley, Dr. Stephanie, and cabinet. Hello. I'm Mark Lewis. I'm a president here at our classified school union uh association. Uh so over the summer, I attended our annual conference where we do kind of what you guys do every every two weeks or more often where members are, you know, making changes for what the associ outlook is throughout the whole year. But
090I do want to bring back there a sentiment that kind of was over the whole thing is that we know that schools are school districts as a whole are being attacked whether it's from federal or changes we really can't do on the state side. So, we know there's lots of things happening. Maybe funds that you guys may not have access to that we once had, whether it's from lowering um ADA, but fortunately not by too much. We're good on that. Um but we totally understand. But, uh I think what the local side when it comes down to what actually truly affects us, it's a lot of the decisions that we make here locally. It's we you guys have such a profound effect on the lives of us, our students, and we're happy to see that
091when when you guys back decisions that support us, support our local and make sure that, you know, are we're strengthening our local schools and not giving into changes that the state or federal are pushing down to try to promote private schooling and things like that, charter schools, whatnot. um alongside I know we have lower ADA but I believe actually um when it comes to my unit there's actually a higher necessity for IAS this year then um what's coming to that is um there's openings all across our positions and we're filling them as we can but I think the position is becoming less and less uh appealing because they see that you know it doesn't they hear from people members that are here because a lot of people that apply are somehow related whether friends or
092what not from people that within our district to hear that they feel like their wages have been stagnant over the course of time because the rising healthcare costs we don't really have control over um has kind of put away put down all the raises that we have come up to agreements and fought over over the course of let's say 5 years all during co I can remember that my real wages have not increased essentially since then because it's been a constant debate on that so I I do agree with the sentiment the teachers are. We're really we're hoping we're hoping we're in need of that assistance and we're looking forward to the future negotiations. U I do want to echo that with Dr. Wesley stated that I believe a lot of the slowdown I understand
093you guys have know that is u last years took a lot longer than year the years prior. So I think we kind of wanted a break of the negotiations. Uh, so I think we were on our end, we definitely were late in uh, presenting our letters and getting the whole process started. So, it's definitely not on you guys. It's on us as well because I know we need to get that started on rolling on the ball on our end. But, uh, I so far as far as the school year goes, it's felt pretty good. Good start to the school year. I think I hope that you guys feel the same and, uh, I look forward to a great school year and productive negotiations. Thank you. >> Thank you. [Applause] Up next, American Federation of Teachers.
094>> Good evening board. Dr. Wesley, Dr. Alpurn, Dr. Nick. Um, I do also Oh, Dr. Stephanie, I apologize. Dr. Stephanie, I I apologize. I do I do share the same sentiment in regards to raises. I've I've shared that sentiment for like the last five years. Um, and I think the reason why CDC feels that that squeeze is because we are in a separate budget and we feel like sometimes we just get the same thing the school side and and classify gets even though we are in a separate budget. Um, and the other part of it is just, you know, the economy is just not as good as it, you know, should be. So, and healthcare costs and all that. Um, but I did want to just share with you guys that we are starting negotiations
095in November. So, we just started the process as well. So, we are a little late to the game. And the other part is I don't feel I feel like the tarps look fine. They don't look like crazy. So, unpopular opinion, but yeah, thank you for everything that you guys do and I look forward to uh negotiations and working together. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Up next, Rodondo Beach Council Parent Teacher Association. Hi, good evening everyone. Um, I'm here to report on the very successful college fair that we had on Sunday at the high school. Thank you so much. It was such a beautiful day. I was so proud to show off our campus to all the South Bay students that came um from all the different cities. It was a great collaboration between the
096school district and council PTA. I wanted to especially thank Dr. Toronto for being such an amazing partner and Andy Wrigle who took care of so much of the logistics. We had a huge volleyball event on Saturday and a school dance Saturday night. But Sunday morning 7 a.m. the school was ready ready for all the tables to come down. Um we had over a 100 colleges and universities represented and 15 just under 1500 people registered for the event. So, I don't know how many actually showed up, but it felt like a lot, like a lot a lot. And it was it was really amazing. I I also want to thank my council planning committee with uh Rachel Shaker, Jessica Wong, Eileen Canoy, and V Wendy Vincent. Lastly, I wanted to share um some feedback from the
097community on a chat. Uh we have a big WhatsApp chat for our uhs and some of the feedback about the college fair that night. Huge shout out to the team that organized the college fair today. My somewhat reluctant senior actually found a couple of new schools to look into. It was an amazing event. I learned about two small colleges I've never heard of. One that started in 1775, the 10th oldest in the US and the other school that started in 2014. Both seem so great. The older school gives an automatic $30,000 a year scholarship to all Eagle Scouts. Thank you, PTSA. It was a great event. I was able to get information on schools I didn't know existed. So I I feel like the impact of that event was really great because a lot of
098people found out about schools that they've never heard of and it was just new options open to our students and 70% of the schools I've never heard of. So it was really great and thank you. >> Thank you. Up next, Radonna Beach Educational Foundation. >> Good evening everyone. Um, today I wanted to share an update on um, our RBF investor drive. Um, thanks to the generosity of our community, in just one week we were able to raise 130 thou $35,000. So that's uh, amazing. So thank you. Um, however, we still have some way to go because as you may know, our um yearly goal, fundraising goal is $725,000. Um, so please continue to invest in uh in RBF and our students. Um, the money we raise help us fund lots of vital educational programs. So,
099this is not about facilities. This is not about, you know, teachers. It's about these educational programs that really could not exist without this funding. So, just a couple of examples, physical education in all elementary schools. So, um for those of you that do not know, um this impacts around 4,000 students in our district. Um same with music in all our elementary schools. I was so happy to see the presentation that Toita made. Um and it just yeah, it touched my heart to see the students actually enjoying this and you know, it helps on so many levels as um they expressed earlier on. Um, at the middle school we have intramural sports. After school we have science camp transportation that helps keep the cost down when our students go to Pali, when our students go to
100see me or um, you know, in eighth grade. Um, and then um, also we have the museum of tolerance trips uh, which is very impactful. I was privileged to to be one of the um, you know, in in one of the buses and attend um, those field trips. So yeah, it's impressive. Um and then at the high school we have robotics, we have project echo, we have SAT. Um and last but not least we have a program that impacts on all the levels and that's teacher grants. Um so this year um RBF gives over $80,000 um for this program alone. Um so there's there's just so much more. You can see all the programs right outside here on the bulletin board that we put together a couple of weeks ago. Uh but also on our
101website. Um so with that in mind, please invest in RBF. um please invest in our students because when our community comes together lots of good things happen. Um so this year our logo moto or kind of theme for investor drive I should say is one community every student endless possibility. So with that in mind thank you so much for this and uh have a good evening. >> Thank you. [Applause] >> We have a superintendent comment. >> I I did want to just um because just so there may be some confusion. There was comment about traffic improvements and some 9 million. I'm not sure what that was in reference to, but we haven't received any money. And I just wanted to also um make folks aware that traffic improvements fall under the purview of the city.
102So um we do our best to um as our principal Dr. Kim has been doing to work with parents with their concerns, but any change in the city traffic flow, uh stops, etc., those have to go through the city. And again, we have a great relationship with um the city engineers so we can bring those issues up, but we don't make those decisions. >> Thank you, >> Mr. Elder. May I ask for a short fivem minute recess, please? >> Sure. >> Can I second that? >> All right. All in favor? >> I will recess for five minutes. All right. The board will now reconvene at 7:03 p.m. Thank you all for your patience. Uh, moving on to general consent calendar. Are there any items anyone would like to pull? >> Mister, I'd like to uh
103pull 10.6. 6, 10.7, 10.8, and 10.9, please. Does anyone else have any items they would like to pull? Uh, I myself will pull item 10.10. Can I have a motion and a second, please, to approve items 10.1 through 10.5 and >> 10.11 through 10.15? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed or abstensions? Oh, sorry. Student advisory vote. Sorry. >> Excellent. Uh, starting with item 10.6 then. >> Thank you. Uh the reason for my um pulling these items is to bring focus on the items. Many times the consent um docket items get overlooked but I I looked through our agenda uh over the weekend and realized some of these are uh important items that need extra attention. 10.6 6 talks about a resolution the board is asked to
104review and adopt tonight um regarding our district as inclusive, safe, and welcoming district, ensuring a protective space for all students to learn. Um I'm not going to read all of it. There's a one section I'd like to read out loud. Whereas the RBUSC will put in place programs, events or experiences at all schools each year to promote kindness, inclusion and respect for others differences through activities such inclusion day clubs, buddy benches, multicultural nights, the young leaders unity spirit week and make social, emotional and counseling resources available to all students. Uh, also want to point out that this was brought up and started by our own student group and it's it's very important that we recognize that it's um we do this and we do so intentionally um every day. >> Thank you. Any questions or
105comments? Please get a motion and a second to approve item 10.6. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Student advisory vote. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Any nos or abstensions? 10.7 passes. Can I have a motion and a second, please, to begin discussion on item 10.7, adopt resolution R252603, recognizing September 15th through October 15th as National Hispanic Heritage Month. >> So move second. >> Thank you. Same purpose uh for pulling this item to recognize uh National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15th through October 15th of this year. Just read out one section here. The Red Roanda Beach Unified School District joins in support with all people of the community to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities to honor the contributions Hispanic Americans have made to our community, city, state, and nation
106and may at the world. Thank you. >> Thank you. Student advisory vote. >> All those in favor? I. >> Any nos or abstensions? Motion passes. Can I have a motion to second, please, to begin discussion on item 10.8? 8 adopt resolution R252605 recognizing September 26th as California Native American Day. >> Second. >> Thank you. This item uh highlights the importance of uh and celebrating the contributions and impact of California American Native Americans have had. As many of you know and students that may not know, um the land that we occupied enjoy so much today was for many years occupied by our Native Americans and they some of the areas that you look at names are named after them. Uh I'll read out of one section here. Uh by observing Native American Day, which is September
10726 of this year, we honor and preserve indigenous cultures while empowering native people to fully participate in their communities. Thank you. >> Thank you. Student advisory vote. >> All those in favor? I. >> Any nos or abstensions? Motion passes. Motion in a second, please, to begin discussion of item 10.9, adopt resolution R252606, recognizing September 2025 as childhood cancer awareness month. >> So second. >> Thank you. September is uh childhood cancer awareness month. uh we often do not associate illness with our younger population, but it's also true that many of our students unfortunately are battling this the very difficult illness. Um I'd like to read this one segment of a resolution we're asked to adopt this evening. The Ronda Beach Unified School District is committed to supporting the health and well-being of all students and recognizes
108the importance of standing with children and families affected by childhood cancer. Thank you. Student advisory vote. >> All those in favor? >> I no or abstensions. Motion passes. >> A motion and a second, please, for item 10.10, approve field trip extracurricular activity travel request during the 2025 2026 school year. >> Second. >> Uh and I have pulled this one just for a separate vote. Uh student advisory vote. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Uh and I will abstain uh because my student is going on the trip. That is >> wide. >> Nothing nefaries. Just tried to keep it all above the board. >> Okay, >> this brings us to our action items. Starting with item 12.1 approve uh may begin discuss uh motion a second please to begin discussion on approving the pre-qualified
109geotechnical engineering cons consulting firms as per RFQ2025-09. Second, >> it's probably Dr. Albert. >> It is. Thank you. Um, first of all, I want to thank um Alan Rising who's here with us. He is a a consultant that we work with through DAG um on our bond project. So, he's been really helpful um in working with us to put out these um RFQS for various services that we anticipate we may need um for the various bond projects. So, tonight you'll see this is the first of I believe three or four u different requests where we've gone through a process of um of advertising for the requests for qualifications on a variety of topics. This first one is for geotechnical engineering um firms. We then receive the um proposals. Um we go through a process where
110we review the applications and we narrow them down and then we make our recommendation to the board for um a list of pre-qualified firms which will allow us when the when we have a need for instance in this case for geotechnical engineering services we will already have we've vetted the board has authorized us and so we in this case we can reach out to either 3QC Inc. or P2S Inc. um to provide those services with us. So um our recommendation is that you um you approve these two firms for geotechnical engineering services as pre-qualified vendors. >> Thank you. And I know a lot of work goes into that process. Anyone have any questions? Student advisory vote. >> All those in favor? I. Any nos or abstensions? Motion passes. A motion and a second, please, to
111begin discussion on item 12.2, approve pre-qualified labor compliance monitoring firms as per RFQ 2025-10. Second, >> I'm assuming also Dr. Albert. >> Yes. Uh, similar to to the previous item, this one is for pre-qualified labor compliance monitoring, and we are recommending CSN Associates, Inc. and Parsons Constructors, Inc. Um, and we request that you approve these vendors as pre-qualified. >> Any questions? Student advisory vote. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Any nos or abstensions? Motion passes. A motion and a second, please. On item 12.3, approve pre-qualified commissioning services firms as per RFQ205-11. >> Second, >> Dr. Albert. >> Yes. Uh the board uh the staff recommends that the board approve um the following two commissioning services firms um for pre-qualified commissioning services 3Q and P2S. >> Any questions? Student advisory vote. >> All those
112in favor? I >> any nos or abstensions? >> Very good. Uh brings us to item motion and second please to begin discussion item 12.4 for approval of pre-qualified hazardous material consulting services firms as per RFQ2025-12. >> Second, >> Dr. Alpurn. >> And lastly, um staff recommend that you approve Encore and Nino and more as pre-qualified hazardous materials consulting firms. >> There's been a lot of work you've been doing to get all of these lined up. >> Busy summer. Yep. >> Any questions? Student advisory vote. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Any nos or abstensions? Motion passes. Um motion a second, please, to begin discussion on item 12.5, approve legal service agreement with France Law Group for purposes of power school data breach litigation. >> Dr. Alpurn again. >> Uh yes. Uh Mr. Elder,
113you made an announcement after close session that the board took action. So, this action um item is really requesting that the board approved the legal services agreement with Friends Law Group to represent us in litigation against P school. >> Any questions? Student advisory vote. >> All those in favor? >> I. Any nos or abstensions? Motion passes. Motion and a second, please, to begin discussion on item 12.6, review and file final unodudited actual financial reports for 2024 25 accept revised ending fund balances and adopt district GAN appropriation limits resolution number R25-2607 >> second >> Dr. for Alpurn. >> Our books are closed for the 2425 school year and um our reports have been um completed and um as long as you approve this, we are filing them with the county tomorrow morning. Um the requirement is
114that they are filed by September 15th every year and they are available for review currently on our district website. I know it's a um voluminous work and a lot of checking and doublechecking and oftent time I drive by the school district oftentimes our teams are still working wee hours in the day. So please extend our thank you thanks and appreciation to your team and thank you for dedication working the whole summer. Thank you. >> Yeah, it's a hardworking team for sure. >> Thank you. >> And it's not just us reviewing it. LEO and other entities have to approve our budgets and everything else as well. So, um, thank you for everyone coordinating that. Any questions? Student advisory vote. >> All those in favor? I. Any nos or abstensions? Motion passes. A motion to second, please,
115to begin discussion item 12.7, approve agreement between RBUSD and Playworks for Jefferson Elementary. >> Some moved. >> Second. >> Dr. Garland. Uh, Playworks partners with schools to create safe, inclusive, and engaging resource recess environments where every student can participate and build social emotional skills through play. The program includes te training staff and students, introducing recess structures, and teaching conflict resolution on the playground. And we recommend the board approves this contract. >> Any questions? >> This is just for Jefferson. >> Yes, ma'am. Would it possibly be for other schools if it works out? I mean, just curious as to why. >> So, Mr. Stanley has uh has um experience with playworks before and loves it and he said he would happily be the pilot school and we'll look at you know discipline rates on the playground
116because sometimes in elementary we we've been seeing some >> you know some behaviors on the playground and this will definitely help with that. So, >> great. I know postcoid we've tried a variety of different ways to improve those behaviors from having fifth graders work with incoming first graders and a lot of different things like that. So I'm eager to see anything we can do to help students adapt to the school atmosphere and uh appreciate him working on this. So thank you everyone making this happen. >> Thank you. >> Other questions or comments? Student advisory vote. >> All those in favor? >> I abstensions. Motion passes. Have a motion and a second, please, to begin discussion on item 12.8, approve appointment to the South Bay Adult Education Consortium. >> Second, >> Dr. Nick. >> That's my
117new name. All right. Um, so this item is a recommendation to appoint Jeff Winkler, who uh we appointed earlier tonight as the director of the South Bay Adult School, to the U. South Bay Adult Education Consortium, which is a group of K12 school districts and community colleges working together to improve adult education services throughout the region. So Jeff would be our representative on that board or on that consortium if approved. Questions? Student advisory vote. >> All those in favor? I nos or abstensions? Motion passes. Have a motion and a second please for 12.9 approved memorandum of understanding on school psychologists between Rodono Beach Teachers Association and Rodon Beach Unified School District. Dr. Stephanie. >> All right. >> Oh, sorry. >> Thank you. So over the course of last year uh we worked with a group
118of psychologists including Dr. Val who's here tonight um to to take a look at different provisions for the psych school psychologists um and we came up with anou uh that provides uh clarification on their workday overflow assessments and the acceptance of additional assignments as well as substitute um coverage for extended leaves. >> Thank you. And I know again particularly postcoid how critical these services are. So absolutely thank you everyone for your work there. >> Any questions or comments? Student advisory vote. >> All those in favor? >> I. Any nos or abstensions? Motion passes. >> Motion and a second, please, to begin discussion item 12.10. Approve new classified job description for behavior intervention specialist registered behavior technician. >> So move. >> Dr. Stephanie. All right. This is a new job description as you uh mentioned for
119a registered behavior technician. Um which is would be a CSEA uh job. Um, and this will be able to provide advanced behavioral services to students with disabilities, particularly u those with emotional, behavioral and social challenges. And >> this is similar to an IBI but at a different level. >> Similar to an IBI. Um, yeah, a different level, a little bit higher level, higher pay. Um, provides a pathway for our classified staff to move up in the organization. >> Thank you. >> Questions or comments? Student advisory vote. All those in favor? I any nos or abstensions? Motion passes. A motion is second, please, for item 12.11, receive for second reading and adoption, board policies, administrative regulations, and exhibits. >> Second. >> So, this is the second reading of the board policies that you had for discussion
120at the last board meeting. there were uh no revisions or changes made since then. >> And thank you again everyone for reviewing those. It's hundreds and hundreds of pages. Um but getting in your questions and feedback early makes this process very smooth. So thank you all for doing your homework. Any other questions or concerns? Student advisory vote. >> All those in favor? I. Any nos or abstensions? Motion passes. We don't have any information items tonight. So, moving on to discussion items. Uh, motion in a second for 14.1. Oh, don't. All right. Sorry. Discussion item for measure S bond projects. >> Yeah, we just put that on here. Um, in case, um, you know, the board had any questions. Did want to share that we are going to have a an up. We're going to be
121doing quarterly updates. We did one in June, uh, sorry, July, and we put them on our website. We will be sending one out next week um updating the community um our school community and our families of the projects that we have going and what are the next steps for future projects. Um we did discuss a lot of this in our strategic plan as well. Um we did hear from students um this evening about the protective shades. Want to just note that at Burl um and we've informed the the families that have reached out as well as uh the principal etc that the protective screen shades that are currently at Burl will be replaced with the ones that we have had presently at our schools including Burl at the Kinder area. Um so um I I'm
122not sure if the students are aware of that but they will um be changed to the ones that are a little bit more transparent. Also wanted the board to know that I did myself speak to Lieutenant Long and Officer U. Rex uh Yap and asked them about the protective screens and what they believe are the the safest screens for our schools if any. Um they shared both of them these were separate conversations. Um they both were excited that we were putting them up. They said that the ones that we currently have on our schools, you know, some of our schools already have them, but we're going to be doing it around the whole perimeter. Um, that are the ones that they would prefer so that there's somewhat of a transparency like it's not completely blacked
123out. Um, you can see that there are students there, but you can't really see identities, etc. What they believe is the the best is that you don't have anyone talking to students through gates. You don't have anyone trying to hand anything through gates. Um, you know, we there are situations where that well, it appears as though that may be happening, especially on the busier streets. Our principles do want the protective screens because they do deal with situations where someone may just come and talk to our students. Could be innocent, could be not, but we don't want any interactions. Uh, we do want the safest um environments for our students. And this is something, as you know, we've been talking about for a couple of years before we even got the bond approved. But, uh, Lieutenant
124Long and both off and officer Yap both shared that, um, they do believe that the protective screens will pro will provide better protection for our schools. Um, and that the somewhat transparent ones would be the best continue with what we have. Um, it does provide some line of sight when they're driving by if they have to check in on anything. Um, it also provides some line of sight if they're on campus having to look out and so that's what they would recommend. So, that's what we're moving forward with um, on our school sites. And then also just to add uh the citizens bombed oversight committee met yesterday and um they have their information that um their agenda and the information that they have and we review is subject to the same Brown Act requirements that
125you that you all are. And um so we post those agendas 72 hours in advance of the meetings. that are open to the public. And um so I invite anyone from the public to go to our same website and be able to review the citizens bond oversight committee reports. Um and they really are looking at the bond projects and the expenditures for each of the bond projects. And we I think the report does a really nice job of being able to look at through the lens of expenditures by school site as well as by project type. Yeah. That that we in our in the newsletter that's going out next week, we link um to that website when we talk about our oversight committee just to make it easier for people who want to look look
126into those details. >> Are the schedules for the meetings up on that site as well? Um, we just agreed to them at the meeting. So, we will be adding those items. Yes, >> those dates. Sorry. >> And know some of these uh committees like the bond oversight committee can sometimes be challenging to get people to join. Uh, one of the ones that I don't think we've ever had a challenge with is the insurance ensuring safety proactively committee. I know there's far more applicants than there are room for. Uh, which just shows that this is something our community thinks a lot about. Um, a lot of parents are worried about school safety in an area of gun violence and everything else. Uh, it's something that, you know, I was happy to be able to serve on,
127but things like these screens were something that directly came out of those committee meetings. Um, hearing from security experts, hearing from RBPD with that great partnership we have. And it it is, you know, as a parent, it's sad. I grew up in a world where schools didn't even have fences a lot of the time, things like that. But that's not the world we live in today. And while I don't like having screens or having locked front entrances or any of those things, it is the reality of the environment we're in uh that those types of safety controls are needed and and it is tragic. Our students shouldn't have to feel unsafe. No one should have to feel unsafe, but those are the types of measures we have to take because you can't learn if you're
128worried about your safety. So, we do have to carefully balance, you know, so many different variables into what that looks like. Um, so I understand a lot of people have strong feelings about the screens. It's something that we will continually adjust and tweak as necessary because the security environment will change. This is why the ensuring safety proactively committee has been formed multiple times and it will continue to be formed in the future because the threats change. But um, you know, I certainly understand a lot of people's concerns. We're adjusting some of the things to make them a little more transparent and looking at better ways of doing things. but with the the ultimate goal being student and staff safety. That that has to be our our primary goal there. So, I appreciate all the work
129that everyone's putting into that and I appreciate the community feedback. That's really important too for us to understand because ultimately the community, you know, has a big stake in in what we're doing here. Um, you know, so it's it's always important to hear from everyone, but I do appreciate that we are continuing to evolve to deal with the reality of the world around us. Yeah, the the insurance safety proactive proactively committee also recommended the buzz indoors and so um we are working on um I think we're just actually the parts I think are in route. Uh so we would be installing those at our the two schools that we started at Lincoln and Paris first and so we can let you know once those are installed but at all schools we'll have that. And so
130again, that was something that we've been discussing while we've been on this bond journey. Um, and when we did have community events, um, safety was one I'd say the number one topic of or what number one concern of the community members that that gave feedback in terms of the projects that we looked at and approved. Um, so we're open to the feedback, but there are there are some projects that we promised the community we would do when we went out for the bond. You know, uh, we went to every PTA meeting, we went to we had, um, open meetings, we had conversations, discussions, and so um, we we do need to move forward with our promise to the community um because that was done prior to people voting. So that will be happening as well.
131We'll keep everyone updated and you know people are welcome to comment and share whether it be here or via email or you know we'll meet with folks. I know Dr. Auburn has spoken to many families who've had questions and concerns and we'll continue to be available to anyone who has questions. >> Any other feedback, comments, questions on measure S bond projects? I know it's been a busy summer. Thank you for and the team for everything. just looked at the report. It's a lot different than when I was on the bond oversight committee. It's wow. >> Yeah, we we had the fortune of being on towards the end of measure Q where there wasn't much going on at that point. >> No, but did you look at the reports that's on our website? You have to
132see it's pretty >> detailed and yeah, easy to follow. >> Yes. No more having a separate key for uh location codes. Yeah. Yep. Excellent. Uh if there's no other discussion, moving on to 14.2. Receive for first reading the following board policies, administrative regulations, exhibits, and board bylaws. >> I just want to um I know this is just a discussion, but these there's not as many board policies as the last group, but these are around the opt out um um because of the Supreme Court case. um Mmood v Taylor and um parent opt out rights. CSB did put out some board policies we just received. So we wanted to get these to you before the next regular bunch that we normally do. So that's what we apologize. It's so close, but um we would like to
133get some board policies in place around that. There's also some update of bylaws in terms of um representing board members um when you're in your capacity um should there be a claim. So that was other um policies that have are are in this packet. >> Thank you. And I appreciate the timeliness given the rapid changes in federal law and changing legal landscape. So I'm glad CSBA is reviewing all this and giving us language we can use that's been vetted through lawyers. So we're not trying to come up with it ourselves. So uh that is very important. Yeah, I really appreciated the um the way you all put these together and um and after I had read that case when it first came out and wondered how we would make it happen. So, it was nice
134to see um I thought I thought they were great. >> Thank you. In addition to the policies, Dr. Garland, her team has created guidance for our principles so they know um what to do should they receive a request. Thank you. Any other comments or questions? >> All right, that takes us finally to announcements and communication board members report starting with board member Archer. >> Thank you. Um, wow. When I sat here in this seat in May, May this year, um, very fast and furious to the end of the school year. So, I'm so excited to get a full start to the school year. um love seeing all of our administrators at their leadership retreat and then the rally having all of our teachers and staff and just sort of kicking off that school year knowing
135that two of our departments were very very busy um you know maintenance and operations and it getting our campuses ready for um our students and our staff to return. Um I got to go to the uh back to school night at Toledita uh walked down memory lane um visited Mrs. Belle's class and Miss Vega's class and um just excited parents again and just to see them just you just want to be back on an elementary school campus um with these teachers. And so I just don't remember the desk being that small. Um and I I realize I am um not smarter than a third grader. Um there's a picture of me that um Dr. Garland took and I we struggled. We really did struggle in that class. Um, but anyways, it it was it was
136great and I'm so excited for our students and I know we have a lot of work in front of us and uh I ask for grace and kindness as we get through this year. Um, and I'm excited to go see our middle school uh back to school this week. >> Thank you, board member Silverman Neimoth. >> Wait for it. I have a scrock report for you. >> You do? >> I do. >> Good for you. I know you've all been waiting. Um, Scrock went back to uh, school on Septe. >> Thank you. Um, but even Dr. Rodriguez puts Scrock in the email. So, um, I did check. Uh, they started back up at school on September 8th. There are new additions to um the morning schedule which is their busy schedule which was for plumbing
137which um a lot of our M employees have opted into. Um and they are also doing dental um assistant. So that's been gone for three years. They're adding it back. Um a lot of kids I think at the high school were interested in that before. Um, in Roondo, we still stay the most involved out of all the districts in the SCROCK programming, support, everything else. Um, they really do look to us. Um, the other districts, especially right now, PV, um, are looking to us as an example of how to support, um, Dr. Rodriguez and his team, um, in moving forward. So, I'm excited about that. Um, we've firmed up all of our dates and uh all the special events. I will let you know as they are happening. >> Thank you. Uh, up next, board
138clerk Flynn. >> Thank you. I just want to echo that the college fair was amazing on Sunday. Um, and there so Cal Rock was there. They had a booth next to um, a flight school which I thought was really exciting to see. Swing flight school. So, it wasn't just colleges and universities. I've never seen it that big a a college fair at the Roondo campus ever. Um, and it was really neat thing to see. Great collaboration with PTA. So excited about what we can do next year. It's like just talk about starting with a bang and lots of options for kids, which is really it's nice to see that we have our partnership with Scrock. We have a commitment to CTE that Dr. Toronto has really been working hard on with some really exciting um
139pathways that I think he's going to come report to the board on at some point. Um and to all the teachers who got school started smoothly and in an excited manner for all of our kids and we've already been through back to school night for elementary school. It feels like we just ended school. I don't know how we've started it and had back to school night. loved going to Madison and seeing all the classrooms, seeing how excited all the teachers were. And you guys do work countless hours outside of your contracted hours. And we do appreciate it. The kids appreciate it. And that's really vital to Roondo. So, we appreciate all the teachers, classified, M technology. I mean, it really is always such an honor to work with such a dedicated group of people who
140always put kids first. So, I'm really excited for this school year. >> Thank you, Vice President Cho. >> Thank you. As um Miss Flynn ended her remarks, it it is remarkable how all of us come together. Um and we had that one single goal, what's best for our students. And that is echoed throughout all the events that I've been to, starting with our TK uh back to school night. Um, alist I got to sit on a calm corner and I >> calm corner >> and I actually >> Were you calm? >> I was not calm when I got there. I had a rough day of work and that was absolutely necessary >> and it they calm me down and as I made my way over to Jefferson back to school night at TK back to
141school night was much bigger. The room was full but there are about 200 parents packed a room. Um, it was great to see. I saw my neighbors with their um oldest that first school experience. It was a really good to see Laya. Um and and then my excitement continued on uh at Washington. Um my youngest is now fifth grader there and also visited Bernie with our new uh principal. Um again um our teachers are the best. Um, everybody was ready and all the students were happy to be back and our schools are the best because as our my fellow board members have mentioned all the staff worked throughout summer u M, IT and um number crunchers uh everybody did um so we are able to have the best environment for learning. So, I just want
142to extend my heartfelt sincere thank you to all of you and also to board members who worked through summer making decisions that we needed to make so that we can um move forward and hopefully you're having a great senior year. >> Thank you. Uh just to echo some of that, it's been, you know, knock on something, such an incredibly smooth start to the school year and it's because of all the work everyone puts over the summer, everything our teachers bring to the classroom every day and our classified staff, aft, everyone coming together in support of our kids. And and it's a lot. Uh and so we so appreciate it because every day, again, parents are entrusting you with the most important thing to them, their kids. And that's a huge responsibility and and we have
143such an amazing team here doing it. So, thank you to everyone that got us going and and hit the ground running for the school year, particularly with all the construction projects and everything else that have gone on. It's been, you know, amazing. So, thank you to everyone. Uh, other exciting things recently got to see Dr. Toronto's CTE presentation for Rotary, uh, or sorry, round table. Um, that was just incredible seeing all the new opportunities our students have and the different ways they can they can really, you know, reach their full potential and thrive whatever that path looks like. Having that opportunity is is just fantastic. And then of course uh you know the college fair just amazing. I think we had over 60 volunteers from PTA and students. This is something that that just opens
144so many doors for people and making these new connections. So I loved seeing that. Um you know just fantastic. As everyone said these back to school nights are great. You get to meet so many other parents who are so excited to to you know meet their teacher, meet see the kids classrooms. Uh TK for me was at Lincoln which has beautiful newer classrooms although not spacious. Um, so it's different experiences at every school site. Um, but yeah, it's it's, you know, I love seeing all this passion. I always remind myself parents are advocating for their kids. They're always coming from a place of, you know, just like we're parents, they're always coming from a place of of concern for their kids and care for their kids. And that's I love that that level of engagement
145and passion. Um, it's it's so important for us to have. Uh, one of the things I would advocate say for everyone, um, who, you know, I'm not obviously not responding to public comment because that would be a Brown Act violation, but on the legislative side, I would just continue to remind everyone that school funding is something that is critical. And so things that in California we're looking at are the LCFF base because that's such an important thing where every student in the state gets that funding level. Again, that's something very important for us. And as we have these new crop of legislators in the state that don't remember categorical funding and why we moved to the local control funding formula, they're starting to go back the other way towards these categorical funds which often bypass
146us. So as you're meeting with your legislators and doing your advocacy um and as the community and teachers and everyone else can help us when you're talking to legislators and everyone else, please help us continue to advocate for the higher base because so many of these other funding sources bypass RBUSD. Um whereas LCFF helps every student in the state. So that's uh just an important one to keep in mind on the legislative side. Another thing to watch out for is September 30th is the deadline for the federal government to fund the new fiscal year. They often come up with a continuing resolution or something else, but there is a lot of talk of funding cuts. We've already seen really scary things happening over the summer. We don't know what that will look like, but again,
147advocacy and partnership is going to be important for all of us to work together uh because it's it's for our kids. Um we need more resources for our kids. We don't have enough. We need more. So everyone spreading that message is so important uh because you know education is that silver bullet that that just helps their entire trajectory through life. Um so again preaching to the choir in this room but uh thank you all for your efforts there. Uh another thing on the legislative side is the Assembly Bill 218 lawsuits. Those continue to be a major cloud hanging over a lot of districts. The state has given some additional funding to cover some of that. Um but it's not enough. Those lawsuits are very expensive. you know, you only have to look at the billion-d
148dollarar settlements and class actions and things like that to see what's hanging over cities, districts. Um, you know, thankfully we don't have anything in the billion dollar range hanging over us. Uh, but it is a very real um, you know, tragic but but real financial concern. So again, the legislative side just continuing to advocate for any relief we can get for these decades, you know, 40, 50 year old lawsuits that are now coming back or or things that are now triggering lawsuits. So, um, just wanted to highlight that. But, uh, other than that, thank you to everyone for everything you're doing for our kids every day. And that brings us to our calendar of events. September 11th will be back to school night for the middle schools. September 12th will be a special board of
149education workshop. We're going to take a look at the data and the strategic plan review here at the boardroom at 10 a.m. September 18th is back to school night at Rodana Union High School, the finest high school in the South Bay. September 23rd is a local holiday. It's a non-work and non- studentent day. September 24th is back to school night at Dryler Continuation High School. September 30th is a regular board of education meeting right here at 5:30. That brings us to meeting and adjournment. Is there a motion and a second to adjurnn? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All student advisory vote. >> All those in favor? I. >> We arejourned at 7:42.