001President Davis, the live stream is now in progress. You may turn on your mic and start the meeting. Good evening and welcome to the April 23rd regular board meeting of the Capistroni Unified School District. This meeting is now in session. The time is 5:00 p.m. Please note Trusty Zinger is teleconferencing from the board meeting this evening. Therefore, all votes shall be by roll call. Her location is posted on the agenda. Mrs. Hayes, please call the role. Trusty Castanos. Trusty Castianos is absent. Trusty Pritchard. Trusty Pritches Pritchard is as absent. Trustee Zolinger. Trustee Zinger present. Trusty Zolinger is present. Trusty Adams present. Trusty Jones present. Trusty Bulicus here. Trusty Davis present. Mrs. Mrs. Hayes, before the board recesses to close session, is there anyone who would like to speak to a close session agenda item? There
002are none. The board will now recess to close session to address the following agenda items. Student expulsions, three cases. Student readmission, one case. Conference with legal counsel, anticipated litigation, two cases. Conference with li legal negotiators, CUA, CSEA, Teamsters, Kuma, and unrepresented employees. Conference with real property negotiations, four properties. Liability claims, three cases. Conference with regal council, anticipated litigation, two cases. Conference with legal counsel existing litigation, six cases. Public employee discipline dismissal release one case. The board will now recess to close session. President Davis, the live stream is now in progress. You may turn on your mic and open the meeting. Good evening and welcome to the April 23rd regular board meeting of the Capistrano Unified School District. The meeting is now in session. The time is 700 p.m. Please note, Trustee Zolinger is teleconferencing into
003the board meeting this evening. Therefore, all votes shall be made by roll call. Her her location is posted on the agenda. Mrs. Hayes, please call the role. Student board member Verando. There will be a short delay in the lights, but they mics work instantly. Here. Trusty Castianos here. Trusty Pritchard present. Trusty Zolinger here. Trusty Adams here. Trusty Jones here. Trusty Bulicus here. Trusty Davis here. The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Senior Micah Wishart. Mike, if you'll go to the podium and get us started. Thank you. Here. Perfect. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [Applause] Thank you. May I please have a motion to adopt the agenda? So moved. Second.
004motioned by trustee Adams and second by trustee Bulicus. And before um Mrs. Hayes, can you please re read the report from close session? Oh, I will call the role. I'm going to actually do a roll call vote. Um we will be doing a roll call vote on all items tonight. Thank you. Student board member Verando. I. Trustee Castianos. I. Trusty Pritchard. Hi. Trusty Zelinger. Hi. Trustee Adams. I. Trusty Jones. I. Trusty Bullicus. I. Trusty Davis. I. Motion carries 70 to adopt the agenda with a preferential vote by student board member Browno. And Mrs. Hayes, can you please read the report from close session? On agenda item 3A, student expulsions. Trustees voted 502 to approve staff recommendation on the following cases. Case number 2025 012 014205 015 on agenda item 3B student readmissions trustees voted 502
005to approve staff recommendation on the following case. Case number 202417 on agenda item 3C anticipated litigation case number one challenge to student records. Trustees voted 70 to approve staff recommendation to uphold the prior determination and deny the challenge to the record as well as deny the request to change the grade. On case number two, trustees voted 70 to approve staff recommendation. On agenda item 3D, conference with labor negotiators, trustees gave direction to staff. On agenda item 3E, conference with real property negotiators, trustees gave direction to staff. On agenda item 3F, liability claims, trustees voted 70 to approve staff recommendation on the following cases. Claim number 2412758. Claim number 241 3255. Claim number 2513216. On agenda item 3G, items G1 and G2, trustees voted 70 to approve staff recommendation on the following cases. ADR case number
00620250212 and case number 20250324. On agenda item 3H, existing litigation items H1 through H6, trustees voted 70 to approve staff recommendation on the following cases. Case number 2024 09-0728. Case number 202410588. Case number 0712. Case number 2024120471. Case number 2025 010386. Case number 2025 011 039. On agenda item 3 I, public employee discipline dismissal release. Trustees voted 70 to approve staff recommendation on the following case. Resolution number 242509C. And that concludes my report. Thank you. I'd like to recognize Dr. Chris Brown who will present his opening comments followed by the trustees. Good evening everyone. Welcome to our regular business meeting of the board of trustees for the month of April. If you're a regular visitor to our boardroom, you'll notice there's been some changes. Uh new screen televisions, new podiums, new cameras that have been
007installed, and new speakers. Uh as I've been mentioning during the previous meetings, we had access to a statewide grant to upgrade the audio visuals. Uh in our boardroom, which it makes it easier for our students, families, and employees, and community members to access our meetings. uh the live stream will start looking significantly different than it was with uh access to visuals of those who are speaking from the podium via the cameras that we now have as well as the actual slideshow presentations if there are any being live streamed as well as as opposed to just the agenda. That being said, I'm going to ask for a little bit of grace. This got just done over spring break. It's never been used. There will be hiccups like the lights on the mics not working immediately. Let's
008hope that's our only one. Um, so if you're on YouTube and you're watching right now, you'll you'll start to know some upgrades. Um, hopefully you aren't just staring at the agenda anymore, but our cameras are poised to capture some of the conversation, so you're probably unfortunately having to look at me speak right now. Um, tonight I would also like to acknowledge and celebrate students who were recognized. This past week, we had our first annual most inspiring students award ceremony that we held at Capo Valley High School. Um, and each principal in each site was asked to nominate a student on their campus who inspires others. They worked with their staff and their student leaders to identify their nominee. And the criteria was completely open to their interpretation as a site. What does inspiration mean to
009you and your campus community? And in the evening, I framed it as these are the kids that just bring us joy when we come to work every day. They bring us joy as our as students when we come to be in class with them uh every day. And the students we honored had a diverse series of backgrounds, compelling stories, and they inspire in a variety of ways. overcoming adversity and personal loss, uh, tremendous academic growth or social growth through the years, showing kindness, respect to others, being a leader in their community, being a leader on their campus, and they come from all walks of life and all grade levels. Again, we did this for every school. So, we had little first graders being celebrated as well as seniors being celebrated as some of our most
010inspiring students. And there's really no limit to how these students exemplify the strong qualities of character that we're hoping to instill in every CUST student. Each honore we recognized was presented with a medallion to commemorate their achievement. And for the young ones, I told them to keep it so that they can walk with it in their graduation many years from now um as the most inspiring student. And as I read over the nominations, really a couple of things came up from the kids that we celebrated. Determination and resilience to overcome obstacles that could have really impeded their educational journey. Dedication to show up every day, prepared to learn and grow and and to make it a better place for those around them. and care and kindness for everyone they interact with on campus helping to
011create a welcoming environment. So, I just like to say for those of them who are still listening that I am so proud of each and every one of you and congratulations to all of these 54 students for their tremendous honor and to the families who celebrated with us and I I really can't wait to do it next year. It was one of the best events we've ever done. Um, and before I conclude my arts, I also want to acknowledge that as we're in the theme for me of celebrating students, there's student artwork hanging in our lobby here at the district office and the pieces were made by fourth and fifth grade students across the district in a unit titled illusion of space. And students practice creating space by drawing California regional landscapes using pencils or
012colored pencils or crayons. And we're always proud to display our student work, whether we displaying it here or we've been blessed to display it in community centers throughout the cities that we serve. So, if you ever get a chance to see our students artwork, uh, I suggest you take it. It's pretty, uh, incredible what they can accomplish. And this concludes my remarks. Thank you. Other trustees, trusty adnups, thank you. Um, I too went to that most inspirational um, student awards and it was amazing and those students are truly inspiring. Um, I also wanted to comment on a recent visit I had at Dana Hills High School. I visited the steps classroom there. Um, I was invited to into what's called the Spider Lab. And I want to read this correctly so I don't get it
013wrong. Um, the Spider Lab is a work-based school program that prepares our next generation of entrepreneurs and graphic leaders through a studentrun business. This all started when the Dana Hills High School steps program partnered with RCCA um and with support from a from the workability program to start a t-shirt business. They started small with a direct direct to garment t-shirt printer on loan from CCA. And then after a successful year, they acquired a new DTG printer and heat presses through a CUSD medical grant written by the occupational therapy department. Um, a generous donation was made to the steps program by the late Jake Schwarzberg, a beloved, I believe he was a teacher. I might not be right about that, but volunteer very involved at Dana Hills High School. Um, with that donation, the program has
014been able to contract with Spider Lab. And I got to meet Calvin and Eli, my new best friends, who while I was there actually made me a t-shirt, um, with all their new equipment. Thank you, Trustee Jones. And I'm wearing it tonight. I told them I may never take it off. It's got um my name and all the logos of my schools on it. And I watched them make it right in front of me. So, shout out to Calvin and Eli. I love my t-shirt. I really may never take it off. And um I just was so impressed with the whole program. I met the teachers. Um I love what they're doing with our steps kids there. They take them out on paddle boards. They take them kayaking. They've partnered with so many people in
015the community. And that's just my heart is when we can work together as a community, community leaders, church leaders, and schools coming together to um to really help bring hope and a future to some of these challenged students. Um I did say that I would give a few shoutouts to the partners. Well, first of all, huge shout out to the teachers, Rob Harris, Joel Tapper, and Angela Rinky. I hope I'm saying your name right. Um, what an amazing job they're doing. Also, huge shout out to Principal Brittney Casey for her support and oversight of such a great program. They also asked me to recognize some of our community partners who have helped build this amazing program. So, I'd like to recognize Jim Miller from Coffee Importers, Kelly Renderneck, general manager at the marina at Dana
016Point, Gilbert Griffiths, the facility manager at the marina at Dana Point, Diane Wel and Steve Saraphino at Westwind Sailing, Glenn Yeah. Glenn Norwood um with Dana Point Outrigger Club. Vicky Patterson, uh, youth program, woohoo, youth program coordinator and stand up to trash founder, Mike and Carrie Foster at Killer Dana Surf Shop and Alexander Eisner um, part of the CTCN Foundation. So, thank you all so much for working with these kids. You're truly um, making an impact that will last a lifetime. So, thank you. Thank you, Trusty Adams. Other trustees. Okay, Trusty Bulicus. Good evening. Well, I had announced in January that it was the beginning of robotics season. It is now April and it is the end, but we have an exciting announcement. Team 5199, Robot Dolphins from Outer Space, were honored for the first
017time in the team's history to earn an award at the first championship, which is an international event at Houston uh in Houston, Texas. They were given the spirit award. This award celebrates extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit through exceptional partnership and teamwork, furthering the objectives of first. So we applaud their efforts and the good time that they had last week in Houston. And along the lines of celebrations, yesterday was um transportation appreciation day and uh the superintendent and trustee Jones, Trustee Davis and I were at the busy yard in Aliso Viejo celebrating with bus drivers, dispatchers, route specialists, the mechanics. These are the people that get our kids to school uh every day and returned home safely. Um, and you know, it's such a joy to listen to these bus drivers that they are as engaged as
018teachers are with kids. Some of them have driven the same route and have seen the kids grow up. Um, and they have many stories to tell and a lot of people uh who work for us who've worked for us for 20 years, 25 years and more. So that's how we started our day yesterday. It was wonderful. Also want to remind you this is spring musical play performance month. Um and I know I'm going to um the Tony awardwinning musical at Toaurus tomorrow night Hades Town. And uh we also have at San Juan Hills High School Le Miser that starts tomorrow night. And at St. Clemente High School is the Little Mermaid, which starts Friday night, as well as on Friday at 300 PM. Uh, San Juan Elementary School is also doing The Little Mermaid. And
019lastly, I want to invite you all. Earth Day and Arbor Day is being celebrated in the city of Mission Viejo on Saturday, this Saturday, the 26th. And um it is all along Oso Creek Trail and from 8:00 in the morning till 12:00 p.m. we will be planting and stop by our Love Mission Viejo booth where I will be there with others um working with kids and families on a special earthy craft. So that concludes my announcements this evening. Thank you. Thank you Trusty Jones. First of all, I want to say that my better angels were not with me at our last meeting and I implied that the community shouldn't criticize us. That was wrong and I apologize. But I also have a success story I want to tell about which regards English learners in CUSD.
020First kind of a little background. Some might not know a lot about this. When a student enters our district, they're uh formally classified as formally classified as either English fluent or English learning. The process of developing an English learner's English skills starts almost immediately and culminate culminates when they complete certain steps to be classified as English fluent. We call that process reclassification. A year ago at the Marco Forester Middle School open house, principal Cat Thompson uh brought to my attention a small technical shortcoming or hole in our reclassification pro process that was making it difficult for some students to be reclassified as quickly as they ought to. I brought the problem to the attention of the district staff and they took action to correct the issue. So last month I was at this year's open
021house at Marco and I asked Principal Thompson how things were going with the school's English learners and the corrected reclassification process. I was pleased to learn from her that the process now allows those who are on track to be class reclassified to do so expeditiously. But I was more than pleased to hear that this means more resources can now uh and effort can now be devoted to those English learners who really need additional attention to develop their English skills. I mean this is so huge. It just is huge. This is a much improved outcome for students both those who've completed timely reclassification and also those who need additional support in their journey to become English fluent. So, I've thanked the staff before for handling handling this issue, but I'm also going to do shout out
022to Dr. Rowena Mack, Dr. Michael Gomez, and Superintendent Brown for their work. This is a real win for English learners, and also to uh Dr. Tom uh um Mrs. Thompson at uh Marco for telling me about it in the first place and trusting me to take the information further. and also for the reclassification coordinators at each of our schools who are helping with this. Now, thanks, [Applause] other trustees. Okay, Trusty Castion, thank you. Um, I have a big announcement, big news. Um, our very own student board me member Verando is was nominated for Wolverine of the year. So, congratulations to her. I'm sure none of you are surprised, but congratulations. Um, with May 1st coming up quickly, I know it's a big day for our 20 2025 seniors and looking towards graduation. Um, I have
023my own daughter this year is is getting ready to to take the next step in her journey. And so I wish the seniors best of luck. I know we're in the countdown now. I think today in class we're on uh we started our ABC countdown which means we're at the last 26 days and so we're almost to the finish line and so good luck on finals and um great success to you. I'm sure will come of you because you've been an amazing board member. I'm sure you have lots of things to do and and we will be watching to see what you do next, Katherine. So, good luck. Anyway, that's all I have for tonight. Thank you. Thank you, Trusty Constian. Any other trustees? Okay. And it's been a minute since we've been at our
024board meeting. I think it's been six weeks. So, that lots of things happening. Um, we're able to attend the teacher of the year celebration. Aaron Bro is the orange. These three teachers are moving on to the Orange County High School or Orange County um teacher of the year celebrations which then have the opportunity to move on to state. So we have Trisha Humphre from Leair Ranch Middle School, Sariah Espinosa Perez from San Juan Hills San Juan Elementary School and Aaron Bro from San Clemeni High School. And this is just incredible. It was great to to see that and um we had that opportunity to celebrate our teachers. Congratulations to the Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year, Miranda Guzman, for being the most inspiring student. She is heading off to state to represent um
025CUSD in San Clemeni. She's a Latino student union leader at San Clemeni High School and she was on the um front page. Maybe some of you saw that article. She was on the front page of the San Clemeni Times a couple weeks ago. The JOTC, the cadets have been on a roll. Second place overall girls team at the regional Raider Challenge in Carl'sbad competing against 18 teams in events like archery, rope, bridge, obstacle course, and more. And um they also attended the Swallows Day parade along with CCA and CUSD, a couple of different groups and um organizations that participated in that parade. Our cadetses proudly represented San Clemeny High School in CUSD and earned rave reviews from the organizers. Boys lacrosse at San Clemeni are South Coast League champions along with girls lacrosse also San
026Clemen or um South Coast CCL champions. Boys volleyball also SCCL champions. And all of their spring sports are currently in first place. stunt, boys swimming, girls swimming, baseball, and softball for San Clemen High School. As a couple of other trustees mentioned, the all the musicals are underway and Little Mermaid is at San High School. If you're looking for a somewhere to go see something great this weekend underneath the stars up on upper campus and the others have shared some of the others had an opportunity to attend a few songs meetings um regarding the decommissioning of the Sanopre power plant in the last couple of weeks. Um, lunch with loved ones at Concordia, Toro Spring concert, the BAM's open house, Vistad Delmare open house, Vistadelmar fun run, and the the Lobo fun run where I ran
027alongside our principles and a couple of our staff and kids, and we had a great time. Uh, Marblehead talent show. Boy, they have talent. the um the BMX event at Marblehead Elementary and I had a um a motorcycle that went right over my head as he went across it. It was amazing. The uh Rising Stars student recognition breakfast in St. Cloney High School partnered with Hogue and they helped um navigate some of that and it was incredible to see these students and what um they've overcome and how they've been an inspiration for their families. Great, great things to watch. Great things to watch. Can't wait to see what each of them do. The Crystal Apple Awards and Alisa VJO where teachers were nominated by students and were recognized. Uh toured the Danny Hills High School
028two-story building that was will be completed soon. Kindergarten spring performance and open house at Truman Elementary. Can't wait to watch these 5-year-olds as they learn and grow and develop through these next 12 years in CUSD. um the Orange County Sheriff's Advisory Council lunchon where we celebrated those receiving the Medal of Valor in Orange County. Incredible, incredible opportunity to be there and support um all those that help support us and um keep keep safety in line all across Orange County. The most inspiring student as uh Dr. Brown had recommend had talked about that's something we've done new this year and that was amazing. and speaking with those students after and families. They were so grateful for this opportunity and a neat opportunity that we don't have very often where we're gathering a group from all across
029the district being as large of a district as we are the largest in Orange County and 10th largest in the state of California out of I believe 980 school district 998 school districts across California. So great things happening there. Um the transportation appreciation day yesterday was just wonderful. It was so great to sit and visit with those that transport our kids across our district and and just, you know, appreciate and some of the stories that they shared about their experiences with our students. Incredible. Concordia science night last night was fabulous. Out of this world, incredible to see these kids and their cards and going to each of the stations and learning. We had people from all over coming to present and to share. And if you're looking to see the maybe arguably the best uh
030um robotics lab at the elementary level, check out Concordia. Um CSA is a happening place with incredible learning and growth on all of our campus campuses. We've created a pre-apprenticeship with the Western States Carpenters Union at San Juan Hills. We have 78 students earning career connected certificates for hours and projects that have been involved with in the building industry technology [Applause] academy. On top of creating a constrictive pre-apprenticeship, we were awarded the California jobs first catalyst planning grant to create a program at Union High School. We do not know the amount yet, but it's a it should be good. We just sent in two large career technical student organizations on trips. Um 60 HOSA students went to Sacramento for the state leadership conference. 10 students placed in the top three in their prospective events and
031qualified for the international leadership conference which will take place in June in Nashville. Our virtual enterprise program from San Juan Hills High School sent three firms to New York City over spring break to compete. Although neither firm placed was successful and a worthwhile trip. And our senior pathway um completers for 2025 are up from 580 last year to 620. And that's part of the college and career advantage program that we have in which the program completers gives them a recognition within an industry that helps them find jobs as they as they move forward. We brought 45 students to Texas with over 100 total attendees including parents and mentors. Um the first world championships hosted over 600 teams from around the globe divided across eight comp um competition fields of 70 plus teams each. After Tuesday's
032two days of qualification matches, the top eight teams on each field selected alliances for the playoffs. Winnings from each field then advanced to a final double elimination bracket to determine the world champion. We competed on the Johnson field named after the NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson. We advanced to the quarterfinals of our division where we were eliminated by the alliance then went on to win our field and ultimately finished second in the world. It was widely considered one of the most competitive divisions at the event. We're incredibly proud to share that we won the team spirit award for the Johnson division. The first award our team has ever earned at the world champion. Love our community, love our partnerships throughout the district. And as you can see, just a few highlights from the last six weeks.
033Great things are happening in CUSD. Thank you. And student member [Applause] Brando. Okay. Uh good evening everyone. Um tonight I speak not only as the student representative, but as someone who walks through our school hallways every day. Uh, I witnessed the values we uphold, respect, empathy, inclusion, and how they are challenged in difficult moments such as the one at our last board meeting. Um, at our last meeting, a word was spoken that carries centuries of pain, violence, and oppression. The n-word is not just a word. It is a weapon that has been used to dehumanize black people for generations. Hearing it in this room, in a space that is meant to be inclusive, respectful, and educational, was jarring. As a student, I've been taught that words matter. In school, we are told to be careful
034with our language and to consider the feelings and identities of those around us. While context matters when we're talking about education, literature, and history, how we say things and who says them also matters. Our intentions don't erase the effects of our words. Even if it wasn't meant to harm, words can still cause pain. I've heard from many students who are upset and frustrated. They feel the situation wasn't fully addressed in a way that represents the values we hold. Yes, this isn't about placing blame. It's about setting a higher standard where every student, especially students of color, feel respected in space. Thank you. [Applause] [Music] Thank you. [Applause] [Music] Okay, ladies and gentlemen, please take a seat. We'll move on with our agenda. Thank you. Okay. I'd also like to acknowledge the retirees listed on this
035month's agenda. Jasmine Sawyer, school bus driver, is retiring with over 25 years of service. And Don Stanley, the high school office manager, is retiring with over 15 years of service. Thank you to all those of that are retiring served in CUSD. Okay, we're moving on to oral communications. The total time for oral communications will be 20 minutes. Mrs. taste. Do we have any speaker cards for oral communications? We do have speaker cards. We have over 20 cards. So, we will hear the first 20. Any of those who are not called to speak may speak after all other business of the board is completed. So, I will call up the first 10 to line up. And you'll line up over by the far doors along the wall um by Mr. Jindra, McKenna, Micah, Callie, Michelle, Lisa,
036Heidi, at the back of the line. How do they Cheryl Frink, Amber Smith, Julie Allen, Linda R. Each speaker will get one minute. McKenna, please go ahead. My name is McKenna and I'm a sophomore at Sony High School. In February, the president of the United States signed an executive order tied titled uh eradicating anti-Christian bias. And just this week, the attorney general convinced a task force to begin implementing that order. Yet in just the past several weeks, I have witnessed a troubling rise in anti-Christian posts, a hero a rhetoric direct and trustees Davis, Bullcox, Adams, and Zinger. Many of these attacks have been uh amplified by accounting support by aligned with trustees Kalisino and Richard. Tonight I ask, will this board publicly denounce any attacks on personal uh religious beliefs? And what steps is this
037board taking to complete with the president's executive order to ensure that our schools remain a safe, welcoming place for all religious The time is up. We may be having uh I'm going to have to ask you to stop and we may be having difficulties tonight with the buzzer. So, I'm going to ask you please hold your [Applause] applause. The next speaker is Micah. I will call when the time is up because again, possible technical difficulty. You won't hear the timer. So, I'll ask that you'll hold your applause and so that we can hear the speakers. Go ahead, Micah. Okay. My name is Micah. I am a senior at San Clemeni. I'm saddened that I have to stand here tonight as a student to tell the adult leaders of my district how appalled I am by
038what I've seen over the past four weeks. Every night we see manufactured division on the national stage. It is absolutely heartbreaking to now see CUSD trustees creating that same division here at home. Instead of building unity, trustees Castanos and Pritchard are choosing chaos and conflict at tonight's meeting. CUSD needs leaders committed to healing and bringing us together, not tearing us apart. Anyone unwilling or unable to do that has no place on this board. Tonight, I am calling trustees Castanos Pritchard and any trustee voting to censor Trustee Balakis to resign immediately. Thank you. Our next speaker, again, I need you to hold your applause so I can call the next speaker. Callie Ellington. My name is Callie. I'm a sophomore at St. Cloney High School. As a student, an athlete, and a woman, I'm deeply concerned
039about the implications of recent national discussions surrounding the participation of men in women's sports. specifically with the president's recent executive order titled keeping men out of women's sports. I would like to know what actions this district has taken to ensure compliance with this common sense order. Has the board already taken any steps or does it plan to adopt policy changes to protect the integrity of women's sports here in CUSD? What is the district doing to ensure that female student athletes are safe, protected, and able to compete on a level playing field? Our female athletes deserve to be supported and safeguarded. It's time for leadership that prioritizes their rights, safety, and opportunities for success. Thank you. Our next speaker is Michelle Morgan. Michelle [Applause] Morgan. Our children deserve to grow and learn in an environment free
040from the toxicity of political warfare. Trustee Castayano's influence over hostile activist groups and partisan media outlets threatens that safe environment. Our schools must be sanctuaries for education, not battlegrounds for ideological agendas. We must be steadfast in defending the integrity of our classrooms and protecting our students right to an education free from political manipulation. Every decision the board makes should reflect a commitment to children's success, academic excellence, and community unity, not personal ambition or political gain. Your time is up. Our next speaker is Lisa H. [Applause] Good evening, trustees. The 2024 election results were a loud and clear mandate. The community wants a fresh start. Trustee Castiano's actions What happened? Okay. Um, the community wants a fresh start. Trustee Castiano's actions have brought enough disruption, division, and distraction to the Capistrano Unified School District. Now, we
041must seize this opportunity to rebuild trust among board members, renew our commitment to academic excellence, and refocus our energy on the true mission, the success of every student. We must move beyond politics, restore respect within our district, and foster an environment where teachers, students, and families can thrive together. Let's move forward, stronger, united, dedicated, building a future where politics take a backseat to the power of education. Thank you. Our next speaker is Heidi. [Applause] Thank you, trustees. Um, I'm here to speak on behalf of fairness and girls sports. Allowing transgender boys, which are biological males, to compete against biological females, creates an uneven playing field. No matter how someone identifies, biological differences in strength, speed, and endurance remain, and girls train hard to compete against other girls. When biological males enter their competitions, it takes
042away their opportunities, whether it's a spot on the team, a medal, or a scholarship. That's not equality. That's injustice. It This isn't about hate or exclusion. It's about protecting fairness, safety, and the integrity of girls sports. We owe it to our daughters to stand up for them. Thank you. Our next speaker is Cheryl Our next speaker is Cheryl. Go ahead. Good evening. Um, I've become very appalled by the fact that the um needs of our students is being um circumvented by a politicizing uh battlefield that seems to be existing in our board here. This is a toxic culture and conflict and really ne negates collaboration and progress. Our schools exist to educate and uplift. When politics become involved, it becomes personal ambitions and it infiltrates the classroom. It robs students of safe, nurturing environments and
043they need to succeed. It is time to depoliticize our schools, support our education, and refocus our collective efforts on academic excellence and focus on student achievement and not any bipartisan issues. Thank you. Our next speaker is Amber Smith. Trustee Castellanos has aligned herself with groups like our schools USA and our schools cappo outside private interest. Shut up. Shut up. Outside private interests that bring a toxic political agenda into our district. These groups thrive on spreading division, stoking fear, and creating unnecessary conflict. Not offering real solutions for our students. Our children are not pawns in a political chess game. Our classrooms should be places of learning and go growth, not ideological battlegrounds. We must reject the influence of radical hatefueled organizations and return our focus to what matters, delivering the best possible education for every child
044in Capistrono Unified. Our district's future depends on leaders who are committed to education, not political gain. Resign, trustee Castellanos. Our next speaker is Julie Adam. Our next speaker is Julie Allen. Thank you, trustees. Just one moment before before we speak. Ladies and gentlemen, we we just need to keep just let each speaker speak and move on. Let each speaker speak and move on. Thank you. Julie, please go ahead. The voters have spoken. In 2024 elections, the people of Capistrano Unified sent a resounding message. Enough with the political games and chaos. Trustee Castellano's brand of division leadership was rejected in favor of a new direction rooted in respect, collaboration, and true service to our children. Every trustee must honor that mandate by putting students first, rebuilding community trust, and refusing to allow personal politics to cloud
045their judgment. Our schools deserve leaders, are deser are committed to educational uh excellence, not political theater. Your time's up, ladies and gentlemen. Please be patient with the time. It is the first board meeting with things that are a little bit different. We'll do our best to watch closely on the time. Thank you. Let reset the time. Linda, go ahead, Linda. Linda, go ahead. Good evening. Trustee Castiano's behavior has deeply eroded trust within the Capistrano Unified School District by posting deliberate falsehood falsehoods about fellow board members online. She has manipulated public sentiment and stirred unnecessary political outrage. This is not the behavior of a responsible leader. It's the tactic of someone prioritizing personal ambition over the welfare of our schools. Our community deserves transparency, cooperation, and unwavering integrity. We voted for change in 2024 to end
046this era of misinformation and restore dignity and professionalism to our district. The ongoing spread of misinformation hurts every student, teacher, and family in the district. It's time for accountability and renewed commitment with truth and unity. Resign Trustee Castanos. Ladies and gentlemen, if we could please hold the applause. If we could please maybe maybe you can do snaps or jazz hands. I'm going to call the next 10 speakers. Laura D, Lynn, Stacy Holmes, Lisa Meyers, Luca, Sarah Phillips, Kirsten Fresca, Stephanie, Karen, and Christopher. Laura De, please come forward. Thank you. Good evening. It is deeply trouble troubling that trustee costos has leveraged right uh left-wing media outlets to push false narratives against our district and its board members. These coordinated acts attacks attacks are designed not to inform the public but to undermine the credibility of
047the board for her own political advantage. This damages the reputation of our district, reduces morale among our teachers, and ultimately hurts the students who rely on a stable, focused educational environment. Public confidence in our schools suffers when lies go unchecked. We must stand against these attacks and demand honesty, transparency, and accountability from our leaders, ensuring our district remains focused. Speaker, your time is up. Our next speaker is Lynn. [Applause] Good evening. I've been a resident of Orange County for more than 70 years and a product of Orange County schools, including graduating from UC Irvine. In the Board of Education versus PICO, the Supreme Court emphasized that school boards have a constitutional responsibility to act in the best interest of students free from the imposition of personal political agendas. Trustee Castanos actions blatantly violate this principle.
048Instead of serving the students, she has used her position to advance political agendas and ambitions, undermining the trust placed in her by this community. We must hold our board members to the highest standards of impartiality and student centered leadership if we are to both fulfill our legal and moral responsibilities. Our students deserve nothing less. Thank you. Our next speaker is Stacy Holmes. [Applause] Sir, you may use the mic on the table. Thank you. I'm a retired public school uh employee. Uh for 40 years I was in public education. For 19 of those years as a local school district superintendent or a county superintendent, most of it in uh the New England area. And I am stunned never in my career anything close to hearing the n-word from the deis of a school board. And this
049is now on each of you to countenance this for a period of time to that this is going on. If something like this were to happen in any place I've been in 40 years, it would have been over the next morning. There are people that are going to send their children to school and the school do its best to provide an education in spite of the board of education. And there are people who would prefer to send their kids to school because the board of education is supporting what's going on in the schools. You guys got to decide. But this should not have taken longer than the next morning to be resolved. I'm ashamed. Our next speaker is Lisa Meyers. First, I'm going to start with a response to Gila Jones comment last month. I
050appreciate my first amendment right to speak freely my opinion during this public comment portion of the board meeting. Last summer, I was deeply alarmed when I watched the Freedom Night at Cavalry Church board member Q&A, which I would encourage everyone to watch if they have not. It's on YouTube. Three of the current board members made many condescending and derogatory comments that implied that if you don't hold their religious values, you don't have the right values. Two quotes from that video specifically connect to the N-word incident. One trustee said, "Our community values are not represented." And President T Davis similarly said she wanted to align the values of her community with the school board. which leaves me so troubled. Where are these values? Where are they that they spoke of? I'm Our next speaker is Luca.
051Luca. Ladies and gentlemen, if we could please hold the applause. Luca, go ahead. Good evening. Um, well, I'm just going to change my speech a little. I want to first take some time and say thank you to my trustee Castiano for always working for students and most importantly being very humble about it. She doesn't come and say what she does and doesn't do but she works very hard. We have her in Sacramento every time we go and she has meeting with representatives on and on and on. But tonight I just want actually to say what PTA does in this district. We were very honored to have our first uh educational panel. We were honored to have and welcome Congressman Mike Leven, former Senator Josh Newman, and Donna Clary, chief of staff for Assemblywoman Lorie Davis.
052This was just a moment, one moment when we are talking not politics. We were parents, teachers, and community members. We were talking about things that matters. Schools and children, schools that our kids rely on. So tonight, board president Davis and this board. Thank you, Luca. That I'm I'm sorry. Our next our next speaker is Sarah Phillips. Clapping. Thank you, Sarah. Good evening. My name is Sarah Phillips and I have two kids in the district. April is school library month. I'm a teacher librarian in another district. While CAPO does not employ certified librarians, you do have great people running your libraries. They've had a heap of tech piled on their plates and they deserve a raise to accommodate such a change with their jobs along with an updated job description uh on girls sports. Please support
053girls sports by funding them at the same level of boys sports along with equal time and access to fields and courts. Thank you. Our next speaker is Kristen Fresca. Good evening. I just want to take a chance to say thank you to you. I have five kids in the district. I'm in and out all the time at all the campuses and I just think we are very fortunate to be at a place that you can walk through and you can see the buses bringing kids that needed to go here, all the programs, all the sports, the activities, the clubs. I'm just very grateful. um our superintendent was at the BAM sus performance that my kids led me believe like mom you don't even need to come but it was amazing and I'm really glad he
054got to see that too and I know um uh Lisa Zinger is not here but it was great to see her around the um open house where all the teachers are coming and spending their times after school to meet with the parents and talk to them and I appreciated that and um my daughter's involved with lay miz and when I was a backstage parent at Urine Town it was very cool she sent a basket down with a note encouraging all the tech kids, all the back kids. You hear all the kids on the stage, but there are so much that goes behind the scenes and one of the girls read the notes and was just like really touched like how wow cool it's really neat people see what we're doing. So, it's more than just
055all the stuff that we hear about now, but thank you for being there for our kids and for what's important. Our next speaker is Stephanie Kamacho Van Djk. Good evening, members of the board. My name is Stephanie. Uh, I'm a staff member at the LGBTQ Center OC. I'm also a product of this district K through 12. What happened before was not an unfortunate choice of words. It was a public act of harm. When racial slurs are spoken, especially in the context of our educational leadership, the impact reverberates far beyond the moment. It tells students of color, families of color, our community members of color that their humanity is negotiable. At the LGBTQ Center, we hear from youth who are navigating their schools where their identities are misunderstood, ignored, and actively erased. This moment is not
056just about accountability for a racial slur. It's about acknowledging the compounded harm within uh our current climate. We need more than apologies. We need changes to ensure that all students are protected and affirmed in our every classroom, at every board meeting, and every polic policy decision decision. Our next speaker is Karen Jaffy. Ladies and gentlemen, please hold the applause. Karen, go ahead. I'm here today because like many others in our community, I'm deeply concerned about the pattern of anti-semitic incidents that have occurred in this school district. Three just this year. There these are not isolated mistakes. They reflect a broader failure in oversight response and education. The school board should uphold a zero tolerance policy for hate. And yet we've seen intolerance through inaction such as leaving a blatantly anti-semitic Spanish teacher at Dana Hills.
057Imagine if you're a Jewish student entering a classroom papered with swastikas and this teacher still teaches. Israel's existence was removed at a recent um at a recent Oxford Prep International Day and a student published a bucket of ahistorical rubbish in the school newspaper again erasing Israel. Each incident not only endangers Jewish students but sends a message that such behavior is excusable. What specific steps has the board taken to address these incidents? Have there been consequences, training or policy reviews? If not, why not? We need transparency, accountability, and swift, meaningful responses when anti-semitism occurs. We deserve better. Our students deserve better. I urge this board. Our next speaker is Christopher. [Applause] Good evening, trustees and the community. My name is Christopher Mesa and I'm the chair for criminal justice for the NACP Orange County branch. And
058I want to talk about the use of the N-word that was spoken aloud by an elected board member. That was inappropriate and it was more importantly harmful. The N-word is one of the most painful and violent slurs in American history. It carries with it a legacy of dehumanization, trauma, and systemic injustice. And this is not just about history. Here in Orange County, black residents make up 2% of the population, but they are victims of nearly 50% of all reported hate crimes and hate incidents. That's a clear indication that racism is not a relic of the past. It is alive and it is local. When a board member uses that slur, no matter the context, no matter the intent, it sends a dangerous message that the pain of the black community can be dismissed, intellectualized, or
059minimized. That message is unacceptable. Dr. King got it right when he said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." I urge this board to take a meaningful step to write this. Thank you, Mr. Mesa. [Applause] All right. May I have a motion? Thank you. Okay. Thank you. And we are moving on to discussion action information items and 12A trustee request to agendaize a resolution. Um may I have a motion to agendaize a resolution for censure at the next meeting? So moved. Moved by trustee Richard. Seconded by second trustee Castion. Okay. And President Davis. Yes. I would like to uh amend the motion to agendaize this resolution for censure to include trustee Casianos and trustee Pritchard. [Applause] [Music] I have a second. Okay. I guess I would ask for clarification because I'm not sure what
060we're being censored for. But that's not the action. The action isn't asking for the sensor. This is just a discussion when if and when it came back and you would ask who consent at that point. thought about this beforehand and we and we'd like to recognize Christy Costiana's trustee area five who will present the item. Thank you. Okay. So, tonight my agenda item is in regards to the racial slur used by Trusty Bolicus at our last board meeting. I have thought long and hard about this and I'm a mom. My kids grew up in this district. I teach every day in the public schools and I am a fierce public school advocate and maybe to a fault, but words matter. And I probably can't even articulate this as well as our student me student board
061member just did earlier. She did a fabulous job. And to our speaker, I will give credit to that quote. I loved it. This is on each of us. and you committed to me and this school district that you were focused to my new board members that you were going to be part of a governance team and you wanted to work to put move this district forward and it has been a an adjustment for me. I sat in your seat, President Davis, for two years and tried to run calm, organized meetings. So, I know exactly what it is like to sit in that seat. And I asked this board to please listen and have transparency and have a conversation in front of the public and call a special board meeting so we could discuss what had
062happened. Yes, that was denied. So, I feel like I have to bring this. This has to be a discussion for us to have in front of everybody. They deserve that. Our students deserve that. Mir tonight is only about having a discussion about whether you're willing to discuss censure next time so that I can place it on the next agenda in May. It is not voting on a resolution tonight. I just want to make that clear. I have served on this board for five years and it has been one of the most difficult things I have done in my life because I've had to learn that I don't h it is not about me and I it is about we as a board me as b as a board and we move forward as a board
063I cannot move this district ahead or forward on my own and I have learned that and maybe just several several weeks ago when I was asked to come to board workshops and to engage in governance and I came and I engaged and I read I spent my whole spring break and I listened. I am trying to listen because that is what matters. If if your words matter then you put those words into action tonight. When one of us makes a mistake or does something inappropriate, then we have to hold ourselves accountable. It doesn't matter who it is, we owe that to ourselves and to the public and to the children we serve every day. I have read the book which I was asked to read and I come and I sit in meetings with you
064and you promise me that you are about kids and you are about all kids and you repeat the word all all the time. All kids. Then that's what you have to do tonight. You have to protect all kids. because kids in this district were hurt by words that were said in this board meeting last month. And please take a moment. It doesn't matter what is happening in this in this room right now. It matters how this board moves this district forward. We are great and we do amazing things here and we celebrate every month about our amazing accomplishments, but there is a lot of work to be done and it cannot be done. I will guarantee that. And Dr. Brown, you know it to be true. It cannot be done if the board does not
065serve as a governance team. I didn't pick the team. I you did. But I have an obligation and so do they to work together as a team and to move this district forward and that is what I expect tonight. So that is the agenda item. It is to have a discussion if anybody has any questions. It is to place a resolution for censure for Trusty Bolicus' inappropriate racial slur at the last board meeting. Thank you. Okay, Mrs. Hayes, do we have Thank you, Trusty Costanos. Mrs. Hayes, do we have any speaker cards on this item? Yes, we have speaker cards. Thank you. So, it will be one minute each because we have because we have for 20 minutes because we have more than 20. So, it'll be one one minute each and I'll call the
066first 10 speakers to line up along the far wall as we did before. Geyser Padrante Graser, I'm sorry, Gray, Courtourtney, Shephard, Ryan, might be Dylan, I apologize, Stella, Noah, Will, Nathan, Turner, and Isaac. when they hit one minute. Thank you. Okay, you may go ahead, Gray. Hello, my name is Grayson Padranti. I'm a sophomore at San Juan Hills High School. As a student, I look to this board for leadership and integrity. I expect the adults in this room to model critical thinking, not cave to performative outrage. When literature like James is discussed in the classroom, it is done with purpose to educate, to challenge, and to provoke thoughtful conversation. Misrepresenting a trustees direct quote from James not only insults other trustees, teachers, and parents. Ladies and gentlemen, intelligence of every I'm sorry, just one moment,
067please. I'm going to we're going to stop the clock. Ladies and gentlemen, if you could please I will unfortunately I'll have to ask you to leave if there's any outrage from here further. There will not be any claps, hollers, shoutouts. If you would like to remain in the boardroom, then you can be part of our board meeting. Otherwise, we will ask we will ask you to leave. Thank you. We're going to start the time over or pause it. Is that close to where we are? Okay. Thank you. Cool. Twisting literary discussions into political attacks undermines both our educators and the very purpose of education. Our schools are not battlegrounds for your agendas. They are for learning, nuance, and truth. If the trustees truly value education, they must rise above political theater and affirm their commitment
068to intellectual honesty and lack of censorship. Because when you prioritize optics over education, you don't just fail the students. Our next speaker is Courtney Wishard. So, thank you. Please, please, no clapping or or people will be removed. Thank you, Courtney. Go ahead. My name is Courtney Wishar. I'm a sophomore at Sakam High School. At the last board meeting, one trustee shared a powerful message of unity in response to base attacks. Uh, the so-called conservative trustees continue to face, including much of what we're hearing tonight. And speaking about trustees Davis, Balis, Adams, and Zolinger, Trusty Jones said, "These are thoughtful, intelligent people that care about kids, and I'm ready to hear the tax on them stop." I stand here tonight to echo the message in the strongest terms. As students, we are tired of the attacks
069on our elected leaders. The chaos and division we see tonight was manufactured by trustees Castalanos and Pitchard. It shouldn't fall on the students to set examples for adults, but here we are. I call on trustes Kalisanos, Pitchard, and any other trustee filling this division to resign. Thank you for your time. Our next speaker is Shephard. Oh My name is Shephard Turner and I'm a sophomore at San Clemente High School. I'm disappointed to have stand here tonight as a student asking our trustees to be reasonable in their approach. Using a word from the book like James during discussion is not the same as using it as a slur. Trustees Calstino and Pitchard. When you equate the two, you are both being unreasonable and unfair. We must distinguish between intent and context. In this case, the intent
070was educational and the context was literary analysis. We cannot allow emotions or political agendas to cloud our judgment. Our focus must remain firmly on what is best for our students. Fostering critical thinking, adapt academic freedom, and honest discussion. If you are unable to or willing to put education ahead of politics, then you should resign immediately. Our students deserve leadership grounded in truth, not manipulation. Thank you. Our next speaker is Dylan My name is Dylan Da. I am a sophomore at Sani High School. According to its website, the district's vision is quote an unwavering commitment to student success. End quote. Tonight's school board meeting should have been focused on the success of S of CUSD students. Instead, it has been hijacked by trustees Calstano and Pritchard, who have misrepresented facts, taken quotes out of context, and
071use this platform to further their own political ambitions. As a student, it is deeply disappointing to witness the supposed leaders of our district behaving so immaturely. Trustees Calstano and Pritchard have wavered that in their commitment to student success, prioritizing personal and political gain over the needs of those who were elected to serve. I call on trustees Kalisano, Pritchard, and any other trustee participating in tonight's political theater to resign. Our district deserves leadership that is truly committed without compromise to the to the success and well-being of its students. Thank you. Our next speaker is Stella. Good evening, trustees. My name is Stella Ernest and I'm a senior at San Juan Hills High School. Rather than addressing the real needs of our students, Trusty Castanos consist consistently politicizes even routine district matters. Every meeting becomes a battlefield,
072every issue twisted into opportunity for personal political advancement. This creates a toxic culture of conflict rather than one of collaboration. Our schools exist to educate and uplift, not to serve as political stages for personal ambition. When politics infiltrates our classrooms, it robs students of the nurturing environment made they need to succeed. It is time to depoliticize our schools and refocus on academic excellence and student achievement. Might I mention the controversy about banning white robes at graduation? Let's spend our time talking about that an issue that is far more important to actual students like myself. Resign trustee Castianos. Our next speaker is Noah. My name is Noah and I am a eighth grader at Vista Delmare Middle School. At the last board meeting, every trustee voted for to approve the book James at material for high
073school school students. In doing so, the board recognized that students like me have the m the maturity to engage with sensitive topics and languages and literature. But if a trustee cannot handle the very words they approved for us to learn about, then they lack the maturity required to lead this district. If you can't meet the standard you set for your students, you have no business standing on the boards of trustees. Tonight, I am calling for trustees Castalonis, Trustees Pitchard, and any other trustees who cannot meet the standard to immediately resign. Our next speaker is Will. Uh hello. Uh my name is Will Carlson and I am a junior at San Juan Hills High School. As a student, I am trying to stay focused and succeed academically just like all of my classmates are. Unfortunately, the
074chaos created by trustees Castanos and Pritchard after the last board meeting is now disrupting our schools. Students like me should not be dragged into political games caused by trustees who refuse to work with their colleagues. According to the district's own website, board members are supposed to focus on student learning and success. Trustees Castianos and Pritchard are failing that duty by creating distractions that pull students away from what matters most, our education. Because of this, I am calling on trustees Castanos, Pritchard, and any other trustees supporting the censure the censure of trustee Bulicus to resign. Thank you. Our next speaker is Nathan. My name is Nathan and I am a senior at San Juan Hills High School. As a student, I look to this board for leadership and to set the example. I trust the trustees
075to approach sensitive topics with care, context, and professionalism. When a trustee uses the n-word while discussing a book, it is clearly within an educational context, not as a slur. Any trustee who deliberately takes such a quote out of context to falsely smear a colleague as a racist is betraying that trust and manipulating the situation for political gain. Our educators and fellow students know the difference between quoting literature and using hateful language. We should be standing with our teachers in protecting academic integrity, not weaponizing it for political theater. Any trustee unwilling to or unwilling or unable to uphold these basic principles as trustee Castiono and Pritchard have shown tonight should resign immediately. Our district deserves leader. Thank you. Our next speaker is Turner Rockwell. Turner. My name is Rockwell Turner. I'm a freshman at San Clemeni
076High School. As students, we look up to the board of trustees to lead by example, to embody the values we are expected to uphold. That includes a firm commitment to equality and a zero tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind, whether based on gender, race, disability, or religion. Recently during to the recently during the 2024 election and continuing over the past few weeks, some trustees have been attacked for their personal religious beliefs by individuals and accounts supported by other trustees, including trustees Castalano and Pritchard. This behavior is unacceptable and dis deeply disappointing. Tonight, I am calling on trustees Castalano, Pritchard, and any trustee who refuses to denounce these attacks to resign immediately. Our community deserves leaders who defend the dignity of every individual, not ones who turn a blind eye to religious discrimination. Thank you.
077Our next speaker is Isaac Paige. My name is Isaac Paige and I'm a junior at San Juan Hills High School. I'm not here for a Christian matter and I understand not everyone here believes in the Bible, but there are still important lessons that come from it. In the Bible, they bring forth a woman who committed a crime. The crowd wanted to stone the woman for what she had done. Jesus then said, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." In response to what Jesus said, "No one cast a stone at the woman. In life, we all make mistakes." I'd be lying if I said I'd live by my my life perfectly. I know that Trusty Bulakus messed up, but everyone else in this room with me has all
078made a mistake here. It might not be to the same level or extent, but instead of acting harshly on her for what she said, it is insane that kids had to tell adults behind us that we are that we need to not punish others, but that we need to be working with one another to better this community. Thank you. At this time, I'm going to call up the next 10 speakers to line up along the wall. Heidi Mary John Doe 47 Cheryl Susan Amber Smith Jean Aaron Pam Lynn Double You want me Heidi, go ahead. Hi, my name's Heidi and I am a retired longtime public school teacher and a resident of San Clemeni. First of all, I have no idea why any of you approved this book. There's so much good literature out there.
079Why do our students need to Please don't laugh. Please be respectful. Thank you. Um there is so much good literature available. Uh why do we need to be having our students read about a child or a somebody witnessing the rape of his sister? I didn't read the book, but I don't need to because I um I find it very offensive that anybody even approved this book. Anyway, let's set the record straight for the public. All seven of the trustees on this board, including Christa Costanos herself, voted to approve this book. Every single one of them, without objection, approved the very language Christa is now pretending to be outraged about. And are we to believe that she's accusing the entire board, including herself, of being racist? Thank you. Our next speaker is Mary. Mary, please come
080forward. Good evening. Let's be clear. During her campaign, Christa Castellanos promised their classrooms would be without politics. Yet here we are just a few months later and she's at the center of a political circus. Wasting thousands of taxpayer dollars on lies, witch hunts, and lawfare. Christa stands against parent rights and she is heavily backed by private interest groups who care more about power than our children. She lost her grip on the board and now she'll stop at nothing to clot back. Even if it means dragging CUSD down with her. Our community sees through this. We reject Christa's chaos and we demand that she put students first, not her political ambitions. We demand trustee Castellanas resign. I'm a former teacher nationally board certified and I am appalled at what I'm seeing tonight. I see something completely
081blown up, hyperbolized just for political gain and I'm very sorry to see this. This is where education has turned. It is very, very sad. Our next speaker is John is disgraceful that trustees are lying to the public and turn this boardroom to a stage for political theater. While some are here pretending to stand for justice, the reality is it's all about power and politics, not about the students. CUSD will not be hijacked by radicals like Christine Castelinius, who would rather create chaos and celebrate success. Our district outperforms the state of California by 23% in reading and language arts, 24% in math, 22% in science. That's because our hardworking students, dedicated teachers, and engaged parents, not because of political games. Christia Cesalas and her political allies should be ashamed. It's time to put the focus back
082to where it belongs, on education and excellence. Concerned parent, grandfather. Thank you. Our next speaker is Cheryl. I must say I find this whole thing to be rather ridiculous. You've approved a book that has the exact language in it that seems to be a trigger um when it's spoken out loud. Unfortunately, these students have expressed tonight that they are not triggered. They do not have these issues. And if any of you have ever heard some of the rap songs that are being talked about and listened to on a daily basis, ladies and gentlemen, the language is absolutely obscene. But it is not for me to speak about. It is for me to understand that everyone has their own uh way of expressing themselves. When things are brought in context of what the subject matter was,
083there is no reason to create this absolute circus around this. And I think this has been a total waste of time and a waste of your expertise when you should be working on making sure that there is act. Our next speaker is Susan. Susan, please come forward. Because of trustee Christa Castanos reckless lies to the public on her social media about this very issue, real people are now being put in danger. Just recently, one of our board members was accosted while shopping at the San Clemeni outlets. Her safety, her very well-being was jeopardized because of the false narratives Christa has irresponsibly pushed. But it's not just our trustees at risk. It's also parents who bravely come to the boardroom to speak up for their children. Christa's actions have created a hostile, dangerous environment, all for
084her own political gain. This is unacceptable. Leadership demands responsibility, not reckless behavior that endangers our community. Christa Castellanos must be held accountable for the chaos she has unleashed. We demand the trustee Castellanos to resign immediately. Our next speaker is Amber Smith. After an overwhelming mandate for change in the last election, the radical left is now desperately and shamelessly trying to hijack our district with lies and chaos. Ladies and gentlemen, can we just kick him out like we're supposed to? I think he's leaving. Hold up my time. Yeah. Can I get my time back? I stopped the time. Uh, I lost 10 seconds. Okay, give it to I'll just finish my speech. Go ahead. Okay. Trustee Casianos and her allies are wasting thousands of taxpayer dollars on a manufactured scandal and politically indulgence strictly because they've
085lost power. Instead of focusing on our students, the kids who are outperforming the state by significant margins in reading, math, and science, they'd rather create division and confusion. But no weapon formed against us shall prosper. These plans will not prevail. CUSD will stay focused on excellence, not political theater. We stand for our kids, families, truth, and the future of this district. And we will not [Applause] Okay, your your time is your time is up now. I can we counted to 10 additional 10 seconds and you you use that time. We let it run. Thank you, Amber. Our next speaker is Jean. Well, what is the reason for this public call out and reprimand? Is it offensive to read from a passage of a book that was approved unanimously by the board? While discussing the book
086James last month, the book the there was much time spent about the frequent use of the n-word throughout this book. And with all the attention you made about the nword, you all thought that the book had merit and it should be included as important piece of literature. And so a trustee quotes an excerpt from the book that includes the n-word. And now you're expressing an outrage. I didn't hear it last week, last month. Nobody said anything. You just sat there and you accepted. So now you're making this accusation of the trustee has some evil intent when this is clearly not the case. What is the intent here? Are you seeking to unify the board or are you creating division? Are you showing grace given the context of the discussion or is the intent of Thank
087you. Our your time is up and our next speaker is Aaron Washington. And thank you. Um I'm Aaron Washington, retired Navy commander, 35 years, resident of San Clemeni. Um this whole topic is just disgusting. I'll be honest with you. Um I sit here. I know if I was on your board, maybe the only African-American on there. I would have strongly talked you out of putting this on there. The in language has no no it should be nowhere there. We don't need it. The division that is brought is already bad enough. I have a hard time understanding that. You can hear it and get offended, but you can read it and not be offended. Um, Trustee Balokos, you should not be censored, but you guys need to work together and figure this out. And remember, you
088all approved this. Shame on you. You approved it, but you need to work through this. This division that we have in all this, no one feels the n-word more than me and a few others in Orange County. I'm one of a very low percentage, but I do not identify to the N-word. All right. So, you guys work that out. Our next speaker is Pam. Ladies and gentlemen, if we could please zip no applause. Pam, go ahead. Tonight, I'm here to call out the corruption that's now creeping into CUSD. It's called lawfare. the abuse of our legal system as a weapon to silence, intimidate, and destroy political appoints. This isn't about justice. It's about weaponized government being used against parents, trustees, and anyone who stands in the way of the radical agenda. Thanks to Trustee Christy
089Canal Castanos, lawfare has now been unleashed on our district. Instead of focusing on education, the school board is being forced to waste thousands of taxpayer dollars to defend itself from fabricated scandals designed to create fear and chaos. It's an abuse of power, plain and simple. We stand up. We reject these dirty tactics and we demand our district t return to its real mission putting our kids first and keeping our next speaker is Lynn and Lynn will be our final speaker for this topic. I wish I could bring it home, but I'm just another speaker who's here to talk about racism. And I'm sure everybody on this board has been through training because it's an important topic, but our community is ensuring that our schools place inclusivity and respect for all students. But the witch hunt
090that trustee Castianos has started is the exact opposite. It undermines that commitment and weighs valuable resources. The chaos she's trying to create is a political stunt and lawfare tactics. And it's just that serious. We won't stand for it anymore. Lies have been spread. The truth needs to be spoken. And our community won't let this go unchallenged. We reject Trustee Castiano's chaos and the demand that she retract her false statements immediately. We owe it to our students, our families. Thank you. Your time is up. We'll be moving on. President Davis. Thank you. Okay. Trustees, discussion, comments. Is that all for the speakers? Per board policy. We hear 20 minutes on each agenda. You didn't let the black people [Applause] We're going to have the superintendent explain how the process works. Ladies and gentlemen, please have a
091seat. And we're going to have the superintendent explain how the process works. Thank you. Gas. Excuse me. I I think we're going to need to escort her out, please. Thank you. Board policy on speakers is that there are 20 minutes allotted for an on agenda item. Uh for oral communication off agenda, it's 20 minutes and then the rest would be at the end of the meeting. For on agenda, it's 20 minutes only. That's the board policy that has been in place. Uh cards are verified actors speaking on cards are handed out on a first come first- serve basis. Period. I am I am too. You stacked the deck with people in your If you could please if you could please escort her out. Thank you. Okay. Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, if we want
092to recess, you want to recess the room. Ladies and gentlemen, we will recess. Please um escort yourselves out of the room. and come back in May and then the resolution for censure to be amended to add names to it for different reasons or different cases. That would happen at that point. Um but that that amendment wouldn't happen if the doesn't pass because then it's not agendaized at all. Right? So the ask right now is just to agendaize for censure. You'll notice that the name there is no trustee named there. So, it's just something that would be amended if it were considered in May. Okay, now we're moving on to discussion. Trustees follow. I have a comment before I have a comment before. You have a point for discussion. I do. This is the time. Okay,
093there it goes. Jones, go ahead. Pardon me. I just have to bring up my notes on my phone. So, there's been a lot said tonight and um in emails and such about um uh I think I think I would say manufactured outrage. Um, and it's been suggested to me that uh some of the people that are objecting to what was said um were uh had political motivations. And this was mentioned also tonight. And to me, whether that's true or not is really not relevant. Um I understand that people can be offended about it, but but I don't that's not relevant to me. What's relevant to me is that there are people in this community, and it's a small percentage in this community of mixed race and black people who were actually deeply hurt by having
094this word said. And I think it is hard for us who are not of that race to understand that. I I I don't totally understand it, but uh but I but I believe it. Um, I think there are people in this community whose own greatgrandparents were born into slavery and that just feels very close to me. I knew one of my great-grandparents that feels very close to me. So, I can appreciate the sting of this and the personal feelings that it engenders when it's there's a word that's associated with the enslavement of ba black people. Um, Trusty Bulockus has apologized for pronouncing the word. Some people say her apology was insincere. Um, but that's also beside the point to me. The point is hurt and anger or sadness of people whose ancestors were called that
095word. To me, that's the whole thing. Um, we often hear about the public's loss of trust in the public school system. And I think what happened caused the people in the black community in COD and in in Orange County in general, maybe farther than that, to lose trust in us. I believe our board has to take action to reestablish that trust. And for that reason, I will vote to discuss this matter at the next board meeting. I'm not saying I I'm going to vote for centur. I'm not saying how I'm going to vote, but I think we should discuss it. Um I um uh this Mr. Washington said one of the last commenters that we should work together to figure this out. I I agree with him. We should be working together to figure this
096out. And maybe even like what do we do in our in our schools when kids use these words, this word? Um the teacher who spoke at the last board meeting mentioned about how she hears kids say this to each other in the hallways every day, which horrified me. Um, I I mean I think part of the problem is that the constant use of this word by generally by black people to other black people normalizes it and that is not okay. But that's beside the point too. Anyway, I I I don't have an opinion about what I will do. I just when we talk about this, I just feel like we should as a board talk about it. That's all. It's uh it's it's not that I think some we should do this or that thing.
097I just think we should talk about it. I think we owe that to people who I believe were truly hurt here. Not that were perhaps manufactured outrage, but were truly hurt. Okay, I'm done. Thank you. Other trustees. Okay. As a president of the Capistron Unified School District Board of Trustees, I feel it is my duty to speak clearly on this matter. Tonight, we are faced with the potential to set a very dangerous precedent. If we as a board begin to censure one another based on disagreements or political frustrations, we lay down a path where any future board majority could use censure as a tool against dissenting voices. This is not how a healthy functioning governance body operates. It undermines our ability to have robust, honest discussions and ultimately harms the community we are elected to
098serve. The act of censuring a colleague over differences does not strengthen this board, it weakens it. It erodess the principles of collaboration and mutual respect that are critical to effective leadership. We must not allow short-term frustrations to drive long-term damage to the institution we have been entrusted to protect. I must also raise an important concern. This board recently approved a book that has been generating significant division and contention both within this boardroom and throughout the broader community. When we see the kind of chaos and hostility that one decision has unleashed among adults, it raises serious concerns about whether this is something we should be exposing to our students. If the adults cannot model civil discourse and responsible leadership, how can we expect our young people to learn it? Our responsibility is to protect children not
099just from inappropriate context content but from inappropriate behavior by the very leaders they look to for guidance. We must hold ourselves to the highest standard. As board president, I urge my colleagues, do not set a precedent that we will turn future boards into political battlegrounds. Let's demonstrate leadership, maturity, and respect for each other, for our community, and most importantly for the students who are always watching us. In your comments, President Davis, you just said honest discussions. That is exactly what this agenda item is about, is to have an honest discussion, but you're not allowing the board to have a discussion. So, you're using board majority to silence the discussion is what you're doing. You just said it. I want to have an honest discussion. That that is all I'm asking. That is what Trustee Jones
100just reiterated. I want to have an honest discussion. They deserve that. They have been hurt by words that were said on this dis. That is all we owe them is to have a discussion whether we move forward whatever we decide to do. That's for the future to decide. But you're not even allowing the discussion to happen. Let's go ahead and bring that back. That's not going to bring trust back to this district or this board. You cannot move this district forward when they don't trust the board. It's very simple. I I've had to step back a lot and really reflect on what I can get done and what I can do here. I want to do lots of things that I that but that's an I, right? But I have to put that aside because
101I have to compromise and create the Wii and I'm completely willing to do that because that's the only way to move students forward. I agree. We need to because you're not I do agree. I I may not even allowing for a discussion to happen. Trusty Costanos, I do agree that we need to move this board forward and we are doing that through governance work and we need to do that as a It won't happen, President Davis. It won't happen. That's your choice. It's not my choice. It's what you're choosing. Trusty Costianis, we can have a a separate discussion if you'd rather you don't have the power to silence me. I have a microphone. I Go right ahead. You're welcome to speak as long as you'd like. I was given the responsibility from my community to
102sit on this board. I was voted in just like the rest of you. I won a campaign. I won an election. And the people of Aliso Viejo said, "We have faith in your leadership." That is what was said to all of us to work. But I have said I am willing. I will work as a team. I will put kids first because at the end of the day that is truly what I believe. I I truly believe that this is not this is not and I want to reiterate it. It is not a political agenda. It is not. You know me, Trusty Jones. I have sat on this board with you for five years. This is not politics at play. This is about kids and leadership. And leadership is hard. And it's not like sitting
103in those seats out there. And it's not like being a mom. And it's not like being a teacher. It is hard work up here. And it is probably going to get harder because if we don't come together as a board and unite ourselves, we can't do it. We can't move this district forward. We just can't. It's not possible. It states it in the book. Districts do not move forward when boards student are not unified. Trusty Bulicus, Trusty Costanos, if I felt you were earnestly wanting to have a discussion, I would certainly have it. But you brought those people tonight. You have sland, excuse me, you have slandered my name. You have run it through the gutter. You have asked for my resignation. You have trusty Christa social media. No, that is political theater. So I
104can't trust that we can have an honest conversation because I have had that in my community. And like you, they support me. The emails and the texts I've received is they know my heart. And if I made a mistake and I mispoke, they understood what I was trying. They they listened to the whole message, the whole conversation. And you couldn't get out of that conversation that I was against the book, against blacks, against slave owners. But that is the direction you took it. That is the direction that happened that night as of 10 o'clock when this meeting ended. It started all over social media. So therefore, tonight I wouldn't be speaking to the people that are hurt by my words. Th this was political theater. Happy to have a good conversation, but not when you're
105asking for my resignation. I'm an elected official. I haven't asked for your resignation. And I've asked for I've asked to have a discussion. That's all I've asked for. Well, you asked for it over social media. I didn't ask for your resignation. What? And would like to call the question. Okay. Dr. Pritchard has called the question and let's go ahead and have a roll call vote, please. Student board member Verando. I trusty Costianos. I trusty Pritchard. Hi. Trusty Zallinger. No. Trusty Zinger voted no. Trusty Adams. Nay. Trusty Jones. I. Trusty Bulicus. Trusty Davis. Nay. motion. The motion and the motion fails. We'll move on to 12B, award of request for proposal number 4-2425. May I have a motion to We need a Clear the room. That is our job. You're asking for me. I would propose
106we move forward as we can. Let them be outside. The deputies have said it's not but There's no cards on like 100 people have left. We made May I have a motion to approve the award of request for proposals number 4-2425 Crisis Alert System Senate California LLC. So moved. Moved by Trustee Adams. Second. Second by Trusty Bulicus. I'd like to recognize Clark Hampton, Deputy Superintendent, and Greg Merwin, Associate Superintendent, Student and Support Services, who will present the item. Thank you, President Davis. Trustees. So, as trustees know, the district has a close working relationship with OC Sheriff and does an extraordinary job responding to emergencies. However, the district has been interested in acquiring an integrated crisis alert system to augment and enhance our existing emergency response systems. So, with that, we uh uh put out a
107request for proposal in late January and 17 vendors downloaded the proposal and four submitted proposals in the school district uh interviewed all four um uh uh those who were submitting proposals. We interviewed all four companies and after careful review and oh and the the committee that reviewed the proposals it was made up of uh district staff, school principles and the technology department staff. It was a broad-based um uh committee that reviewed the proposals and after careful review uh Centigg was selected as the winning provider and they stood out for their customer support functionality uh system usability and meeting all the technical requirements of the uh request for a proposal. So now I'd like to turn it over to Darren Gindra to provide a presentation on the um how the system operates. Thank you. Thank you,
108Clark Hampton, Trusty uh President Davis and trustees. Thank you for hearing for hearing me tonight. Um I first like to start out by introducing Ken Nunes. He's our representative from Cintigics who can also support me as I present um the program and what it does. So I invited him here to in case you had any more in-depth questions uh that he might want to answer. So, to start off, over the past year or so, I've been working diligently to build a district-wide safety standard. As you are all aware, what we've done so far, we've contracted with independent school safety experts, the soil group, to evaluate some of our schools. We've collaborated with law enforcement partners. We've done some research in school safety, averting targets, targeted school violence, campus safety assessments at all of our school
109sites. I've been to every one of our sites so far. And I am currently in the process of meeting with each principal to go over their their assessment that will be completed by year's end. This information is only a small piece of what I'm going to present as more of what I'll present tonight. But um this will be explained more in depth um in the upcoming workshop during a close session meeting with you guys. So, moving forward, um, currently our school district, like said, does not have a crisis alert system that is usable. Um, in July of 2030, it's written in education code that all schools in California are encouraged to be in compliance with having a crisis alert system. So, I want to introduce to you through the RFP process. This is who we've
110selected. As a small note, if this is approved, we will be the first district in Orange County to acquire something of of this magnitude. The system is very simple, and that's what I like about it. It's very, very simple. You know, when a panic moment hits for whatever reason, your fingers go numb, they tingle, you can't hit the keys on your phone so easily, your brain maybe freezes up a little bit. But if you just had to push a button because I need help, that's what this system is. There are two types of alerts. So, I'm going to start with the first one. By the way, you each have one of these test badges in front of you. And that's what every employee in our district will receive. All over 5,000 of them will receive.
111So when they're at their school sites, ranging from the custodian, the campus supervisor, the paras, the teachers, the administration, everyone, every employee will have this that they will wear with their their uh district ID. We start with the first of the two types of alerts. It's three clicks. You could try it on your safety badges there. If you click it three times, it's going to vibrate. That will show you that the signal's been sent and help is coming. So, when we talk about three is me, that just means that lower level thing on campus that I just need someone to come help me now. There's a fight. There's a medical emergency. Somebody fell down and is hurt. Um, I need backup. I see a person that is walking on campus that I don't know, but
112I don't know that I want to just go confront the person. So, I'm going to ask for someone to come help me. That will increase that safety tremendously. So, we're empowering those teachers and those staff members to just be able to say, "You can get help by just clicking a button." When it's clicked, okay, the site admin team or the response team usually will be the administrator um and somebody probably in the office who's at their desk the entire time will get an alert and it will pinpoint exactly within feet of where that badge has been depressed that I need help. It will also open up an incident on the system. Right? So then the administrator responds to the location, assesses it, figure out what's going on. Do I need to escalate this to a
113shelter in place? What do I need to do from here based on the situation? So there's immediate response to to the staff member about what's going on. When we talk about the alert and the incident that it creates, it creates data. When we talk about that data driven system, right, like PBIS and those other things, this produces data that we can use to enhance our safety at our safety programs at our school. This is from 2223 in another district, a 70s site school district. When you look at behavior disruption, right, they're going to close that alert out and put some data into it. So, we can now asset figure out what is happening where these buttons are being pushed. Now, that's going to be the majority of what happens with this system. It's three clicks.
114I need help. Keep in mind there's going to be training on what three clicks means. It doesn't mean I need to go to the bathroom really bad and nobody would answer the phone. It's a little higher than that, but I need help is what that means. Right? So, we can use this data to help augment our safety programs now. Let's talk about the ultimate that fear that we know we all have that everyone has about that shooter, that active threat on campus where you see the gun, you see something bad happening and we need to lock down the school. That's a very powerful decision. That's a difficult decision to make. But with training, it's going to be there for all of our staff to be able to initiate. That's eight clicks. No, we don't expect
115you to count to eight in an emergency when you're panicking. That's very difficult to do. But you're going to click it until the alarm sounds. Once it goes, you know you've activated it and it's going to go into a lockdown. This is actually what happened at the Appalachia High School shooting in Georgia. Um, this system was in place there. Um there was a teacher who was actually walking back to the office, heard a ruckus in a classroom and was about to go into dis to to calm the thing, but then the lockdown took place. Turns out she would have been walking right into something. So that's a difficult thing to deal with. I know. And it's traumatic no matter how you look at it. But eight clicks um can happen. So what happens when you
116click it eight times and you activate that system? Now we're not just going to notify the the school site team. We're going to notify everybody. So, when you click the button, the strobe lights start to flash. These will be placed in all of our schools within eyes distance, in every classroom, in every hallway. You shouldn't be able to walk on a campus and not see where one of these is. It'll be activated immediately. Then, simultaneously, an auditory cue comes on. It's a pre-recorded message. So, the administrator doesn't have to get on the PA, go find the PA, punch the code in, hey, lock down, lock down, those kind of things. It's a pre-recorded message that just comes onto the screen. You notice the lockdown screen and that computer face. Every computer on the campus, every
117teacher's computer, every office computer, everybody's computer that they're engaged in will have this screen. I'm going to show you and demonstrate it how it's going to sound. It also includes the mapping so we know where the button is being pushed um to the within feet. Not only does it notify the site team, but it instantly notifies law enforcement. Our Orange County Sheriff's Department is already on board. It can compete with their systems and it will go activate in their real-time operations center so they can get a they can shave minutes off of a response to actually go right where the buttons are being pushed. So we know right where it's coming. This is what it looks down. Okay. And here's what it sounds like. I'm teaching and lock down. Lock down. Lock the doors. Stay
118away from the windows. Everybody knows that there's a problem. Now we can make this recording sound what we want to say. Um this is a very standard one but we can say what we need to say. We can customize it. So that's what happens when the lockdown happens and the campus is alerted. We can also, and by the way, it instantly goes to the sheriff's department real-time operations center map goes up on their screen, shows exactly where the button's being pushed so that they can get in touch with their deputies as they're responding code three with lights and siren to go right where the threat is. It gives them that instant instant feedback, that data to go and say, I know where I'm supposed to go. It's no longer a matter of coming on the
119campus and reading the crowd trying to figure out by listening where maybe gunshots are or trying to figure out where the threat might be. Now it's I know where I'm going and I need to go to this place because I'm already have a map with it and it's going to populate in to the sheriff in their response immediately. Now that's the ultimate of course that's that situation that we don't ever want to have to use it in. Right? Remember I said it's customizable. So there are times when law enforcement may call and say, "Hey, there's some police activity in the area. We need you guys to shelter in place as a precaution, right? Not lockdown." So it's not going to flash in red. So the administrator who has access to the mapping system, the app
120can just go in and put shelter in place. All the screens turn yellow with a shelter in place, whatever color we decide, but it will turn yellow. And so everyone knows this is shelter in place. and they can get on the PA and say, "Hey, we're shelter in place because this is what's going on and we're staging for a lockdown." So, everybody's just going to stay inside for right now. So, we can customize. We can do uh green for evacuation. We could do blue for a medical emergency, right? We want to hold them because paramedics are coming because we have a situation going. So, there are many different variations of what we can do to alert the staff immediately and everybody will get that on a computer, on a PA system, and on the strobes
121that will flash different colors. In all of our K8s right now, we have Raptor, the Raptor visitor check-in system. Um, that checks for people when they come in and they scan to get a badge. Um, where it'll check against uh sexual predators, it'll check against custody disputes uh based on who we enter, who's not supposed to be on campus, right? This um strategics has the same system. So what will happen is Raptor will will will sunset and we'll go away and Ctrix will take over. Same printers, same stickers, same system. So it's going to be seamless, but they will replace Raptor and it will be districtwide at all of our locations rather than just K8. So all of our schools will use it. You'll still scan your ID. You'll still print the sticker out and
122give it to to them. One additional feature that I think is impressive is that while I should note by the way that the badges that everyone will have, we're not going to know where everybody is at all times. It's not a trackable thing where you know, okay, now I know where you all are at all times. No, that's not situation. These badges only become active when you push the button to say I need help. That's when they're active. It opens the alert. We close it. It's back to being a paper weight around your neck. So, they're not trackable. We're not going to trace people, but sometimes there are visitors that come onto campus that we do want to track. The vendor who comes in, I'm going to be working on Oh, here it is. There
123we go. Thank you, Ken. Um, the vendor who comes on campus, I'm going to work in room 402 on the HBAC unit. Okay. We don't know this person from Adam. We checked him in the database and he seems fine, but we want to be able to know that he has done what he's supposed to do and then left. This one is always on. this one will know exactly where that person is who's wearing this on campus. I challenged him and Ken will remember this. I was like, "Okay, well, say the bad guy just comes in and goes, "Yeah, okay. Um, I'm gonna be in 402." And just goes to 402, pops it in there. Now, I'm going to go take care of some business that I want to take care of. There's a sensor in
124this that says, "This hasn't moved for 30 seconds. You might want to go check to see that he threw in the room." So, it's an additional feature. Excuse me. um an additional feature that can be used in tracking those visitors that we might want to keep track of a little more specifically on campus. So, like I said, that's an additional feature that is um that Raptor does not have. So, should the board approve this tonight, um there's a timeline, a rollout timeline. During the summer, the spring and summer of this year, we're going to spend time installing the hardware at each of our schools. And it's just simply this. Remember, simple system. Um, installing the hardware. Um, and then in July, uh, when our administrators come back, then we're going to train them a little
125more in depth so they understand the system completely because remember, they're going to responding to the mapping thing. They're going to know how to escalate it to a shelter in place. They need to know a little bit more in-depth details. And the strategic staff is gracious enough to come and train our administrators so that they know how to use the system. And then in August when teachers come back, we will simply be train give them some training on here is your badge, here's how it works, here's where you will need it. And it will be ongoing to kind of have them learn so they understand, okay, I know when I need to push my button, I know what how I need to do it. But it's just simple. Okay? And so we're going to train
126those teachers and all staff is going to get this including here 62 sites. So should you approve this tonight, you're going to build the confidence. You're going to empower over 5,000 employees to be the eyes and ears to protect our kids. Thank you. Any questions? Trusty Bulockus. M if they're going out to do a repair or anything on site, will they have these or they will go into the office to check out one? Great question. So every employee who has one of these badges um it will be active at whatever site you're at. So for example, I go to Toro High School to visit for the day. Okay. And I see something I got to do and I need help. I click it three times. It's going to go on the site administrative team map
127at Toro. It says Jindra is right over here by 200 building. Need some help. They're going to respond. If you guys have them, you'll be at a school site. I see something. I need some help and something's going on. You'll click it. It'll say Judy Bulicas. I'm right here. It'll say Gila Jones, you're over here by this side. Whatever campus you're at where the system is in place. It does not. As soon as you leave, it's not going to measure. To quote Dr. Brown, it's not going to You can't be at Costco and it's crowded and somebody bumps your cart wrong and it's crowded. You can't click the button because I need help at Costco. Doesn't work. So, it will work at every site that has this system in place. The way it works is
128that these are also tracking beacons. They also flash, but it'll triangulate exactly where the button is. Now, each badge will be assigned to a person. So, that person's name will pop up wherever campus you're at. Did that answer your question? So, short answer, yes. M staff will have them. Yes. And they won't need to check into the office to get a guest badge. They will have their own badge, just part of their ID sitting right behind it. And it will be active at whatever site they're on. It's it's um flexible like that. Substitute teachers, they show up for their teach, they're going to they're going to be assigned one as well and and shown how to use it. I mean just before we go on ahead PTA having meetings at the schools. So they will
129check in the office and get one of these or so that will be something in the roll out that we will discuss and how we want to move forward uh because of the employee like the employee name um to make sure that's going to work. Yeah. I mean technically they would still do the same system they have. They check in with Raptor get their Raptor sticker. Right now, I've talked to PTAs and I when we we sort of previewed this after it was announced on the agenda item, um they could fund additional guest badges. So, they could have a PTA set of guest badges if they wanted to. They're not all that expensive. We will give every site a certain number of guest badges because we don't have that many guests that we need, you
130know, high high target guests or high value guests we have to track around, right? So, but if PTAs want more, that's something they could fund each individual badge. The badges aren't primitively expensive. As soon as they fund the badge and they get the badge in, it works in the system. So PTAs could do that, but we won't be assigning PTA people their badges because they're involved in the first year, but then they're not the second year or the first couple months, then they stop not coming. So they would be the guest badges if they want. So we're keeping No, this replaces Raptor. Replaces Raptor. Same system. It'll have a It also has a sticker and a background checking system also. So there's a sticker. Yep. Yes. For visitors. Correct. Trusty Jones. Jones. So, I was
131actually at the bedet and there was probably 15 of us there. So, um a PTA meeting where it's like a general meeting and I think those are generally at night. Uh although maybe I'm wrong. Uh or like coffee with Chris, you're going to need uh a decent number of them. Right. Choose the stickers like we do now. Okay. So, okay. So, for some Right. All right. I understand. will be able to help on their right. Darn. Trusty costas. No, I'm not done. Sorry. Go. You're not done. Let me finish. Yes. Yes. If you don't mind. Um, okay. So, I think then we'll get new employee orientation which will start including this. Right. Absolutely. Ongoing. So, as new employees come in, we're going to train them and affiliate them, make them familiar. But if somebody goes
132to the training at school, like let's say I'm an employee over at I don't know, Marco Forester, and I go to the training and then it's like, wait a minute, I don't understand. Can we have a periodic voluntary you can come to the district office and get some more training or something like that? Well, what what I can understand is that the the administrative staff will have the more in-depth training because they're running the program, right? Um, so they're going to be the one in charge of like what comes on the screen, the mapping and and understand the system. Um, the teachers, it's just here's when you would push the button if you need tell me when you need help. Okay. Okay. And then we're going to gauge that. So really the training is not
133and there's an app. So like principals who are out and about in the school will will probably have the app and if they if an alert comes they'll you know on their phone but then I assume someone in the school office will have it running on their their desk. So ideally obviously you know sometimes the you know I don't have my phone on me or something like that. I'm out and about. I'll have my radio that they'll call or something when if I'm out doing something in classrooms. Um but um somebody at the office staff who's always at their desk that clerk will have it'll come on. Hey, did you get that? It's over here. This is where it's going to be. Did you have a comment, Ken? Yeah, I just wanted to answer your
134previous question on the training. So, uh, you mentioned earlier, we are going to provide training for each and every site administrator and their safety team. So, that'll be a strategic trainer going to every school as well as the other sites that you're covering. And as part of that, they're going to train those site administrators on how to train their employees. And they'll actually provide the content in conjunction with your protocols and your safety policies to create videos. We actually provide videos. We could help you guys make your own videos. They're typically 6 to 10 minutes long that you can use to train your staff on demand. Work with your HR department to be able to share with new employees as well as substitutes. So they can see, hey, for your specific school, how do you
135use the badge? Here's clicking three times. Here clicking eight times. What that means? It's about a six to 10 minute training. Okay. Okay. So, um I'm assuming that people that are not normally at sites like people that work in the central kitchen and the print shop, they won't do this, right? Absolutely. They will. They will. Okay. Okay. So, everyone every employee 5,380 of them. So, groundskeepers that are just cutting grass and trimming, they all will have it. Okay. All right. Um and then um when I was at uh capital today, I think Mr. was us thought that it was RFID. It's not it's not um Wi-Fi. Is that correct? Correct. It's it's a Bluetooth type system and I'll let Ken elaborate on that, but it's a Bluetooth type connection if you want to explain. Yeah.
136One of our superpowers is this always works. And we promise to cover every square inch of each property. So that's interior as well as exterior because things can happen in parking lots and and ball fields, etc. And we chose to use a technology that's a a band of Bluetooth. It's not the one that you connect your earphones on your ear pods on. It's not detectable. Disruptive. Yeah. Not detectable by any regular computer or phone, but it allows us to find you. It allows us to control these strobes, but it also works really well through walls. It actually goes about three miles through walls as well as upstairs and downstairs for your multi-story buildings. So, we know which floor you're on. So, it's not like a regular GPS. It doesn't use Wi-Fi. Doesn't use cellular. And
137that's a really important because this badge will actually last multiple years before it needs to be replaced. So we don't have to ask anybody to put it in a charger and we monitor everything to make sure it's running at all times so that you always have a badge that works. Okay. Mhm. Trusty Castion. Yeah. Can Mr. Jinder, can you just do clarification on the subs? So currently subs don't have employee badges. Correct. All right. But that's something that I'm correct. Usually there's a sub badge when you get to a school. Okay. But it's not a district. It's not issued with their picture. Correct. It's more of a standard sub badge. Mhm. Right. So, but when So, when they check into the office, they get issued one of these. One of these. Correct. And then they
138will be trained along with the rest. Correct. Their name will be associated with it. Um, so we know it's them. Um and then they will go throughout their day. So they'll receive some instruction. Here's what you need to do if you need help or if you see something and the basic instruction of what you need to do. So they'll get their training on that site and most subs have been repet you know repeat when you go to school. So I know yeah I know how to do that. I know what that means. It's the newer ones that we need to kind of really um talk about it more thoroughly with it. Okay. And then you mentioned um principles having access to the app. But do teachers have access to the app or is it just
139it's just notifying them if their computer through their app and you can correct me if I'm wrong but the app really what the app is it has the mapping feature on it where I'm going to know where I'm supposed to go. Okay, that's what comes in. And then it has the series of alerts that I may want to escalate to medical um shelter in place lockdown that I will have access to. So I get there um and you say, "Hey, I need help. There's two coyotes or or whatever mountain lions that are about to come on the campus. Okay, I'm gonna shelter in place. I'm gonna hit it through my app and then that just created the yellow screen. I just put the school in shelter in place by standing there and hitting the app.
140That's what the app is. The app is not okay, now we're going to communicate. Now we're not going to go into the in-depth thing because if I'm being honest, those app-based companies that started their system that way. Yeah. Um are good. I've I've demoed a few in our school sites, but they're clunky. If the cell phone doesn't work, the W being from Alisa Niguel, I would imagine you can understand the cell phones don't work very well there. Am I correct? You are correct. So when that's down, yeah, you got nothing. I think the other goal was too is for for teachers and staff. It's simple. Yes. Three is something small, eight is something huge, right? And eight isn't eight. It's as many as I have to push until I see red lights everywhere. Right. So
141I I I've talked to Mr. Jinder about this just because being in the classroom every day, right? My campus is huge. It's acres, right? And so I would never know like we have a lockdown system, but I don't know what does that mean, right? So when I'm told to lock down, I don't know as a teacher where the actual situation is happening. And it's going to happen as we've talked about very quickly in a matter of seconds. I don't know if it's in the four five building, if it's in the 23 building. Like that's the thing that concerns me most as a teacher. I mean the closer it is or proximity to me is you know what I have to do in my reaction, right? Um and so having the map come up and so
142it identifies where the situation is, I think is the vital piece that is probably lacking in a lot of lockdown drills because you really don't know. You're blind, right? Yeah. I guess for for us what we want if it's the red lockdown we want every teacher to go as far as they have to go serious like all the way there is no well it's a lockdown but it's not in mind like we if it's lockdown windows are closed lights are off you're away from the door and away from the windows you're not teaching anymore right as opposed to a shelter in place which is this isn't really about our school necessarily we're just not letting kids outside so I think we don't actually want teachers going well I wonder if there's a different level of
143lockdown we want it full lockdown all the time and that'll be part of our drills as well. Um Jendra and I are talking about all sorts of spot drills and fun things to do drilling during off time, right? Unstructured time. You could do drills with this as well that but you know to take that a step further you know um in the board workshop and a close session I'm going to give you guys some of the training um understand difference between lockdown versus shelter in place and what you do how to efficiently lock down a area and what you should be prepared to do when a lockdown happens at that level that magnitude is what we're looking for that should seldom happen we don't want it to happen but if it does the focus comes
144to your four walls and you're locking down. I'm getting in my safe corner. I'm ready. Where it is should not matter at the moment. You need to process, but first it's you and your kids. Then we're going to get through that and then first three minutes, right? And then we're going to say, "Now I need to figure out where it is." I'm always concerned because the building has multiple access points. So the teacher next door to me puts her doesn't flip her lock. Right. Right. And she's a PE. But then I'm now responsible for running into her room, flipping the lock block on those doors and my doors because we're in a full lockdown, right? Yeah, I get you. It's traumatic. These are scenarios that running through your mind as a teacher. We're in all
145different spaces all throughout the day, right? We're not sitting on the carpet in the moment. And so that's the challenge of Yeah. Agreed. But I appreciate this is wonderful. So I appreciate the information. I think it's a step in that direction that we need to go. Appreciate that. Erin, when was the last time we had an actual lockdown in this district? I know sometimes they say it's lockdown, but it's really shelter in place. I'm not sure I even remember. There was something in San Clemeni like really it was a lockdown. Shouldn't have been a but it shouldn't have been a lockdown. Right. It it was it when you talk about lockdown and the way I plan to train everybody what a lockdown is. That's what I tell teachers as I get in front of them
146is the lockdown is now you and your kids you need to fight because it's here. They're coming to the door and it's coming after you. So you got to be prepared. Now I'm going to teach you how to be prepared in that particular moment. That's a lockdown, right? We're getting in the corner. We're protecting. That is the ultimate level. Okay. Now when you describe it that way, I can't recall one that's at because everything else is shelter in place. We're shelter in place right now. I think there was a lockdown at San Clemeni High School like 10 years ago where there was like a bomb threat. There was a bomb threat actually cuz I remember first day of school they activated the EOC and they had the the phones came to the district office. Yeah.
147Um and that's the only one I remember and I mean that's like right after I got on the board. Yeah. Um, some guy named Mike Beakman couldn't go because he was off work that day. So, it was struggle for him. But I mean I I mean that was a lockdown, right? Am I am I or am I thinking it was Well, okay. So, as we've grown over time, the language has changing changed and adjusted. So, when you talk about lockdown, typically for a bomb threat or something like that, you're going to shelter in place, okay, until we know where the threat is because you need to clear the stadium before we go there. There's protocol that we need to do, okay, to step by step get to where we need to be. So I would
148safely nowadays call that a shelter in place and then evacuation. So a lockdown is really like an active shooter or an active person with a weapon whether it's gun or knives or bow and arrow or whatever. Um correct. Um the threat is imminent. It's right in your face. It's right there. It's happening. Yeah. Yeah. So it it's okay. Everything's all bars nothing. It's all over. We got to fight. We got to live. So, so probably within and Gary's been on around longer than I there have not been any lockdowns in the last what 12 years. We're speaking. We're putting a lot out there right now. That's what I'm thinking. No, I mean like Okay. All right. I'm just kidding, Trusty Jones. I was just kidding. Got it. But um what I meant was like we're
149talking a lot about it and I hope that doesn't happen. We don't want it to happen, but that is the ultimate. Yes. Right. Right. Right. Okay. We have more training planned for you at the board workshop next week. So if your questions are lockdown shelter in place specific, you're getting a ton next week. So you can hold on that and and we can stay on on centers. Okay. Yeah. And is there a distance from the monitors to the lanyards? So I'll let Ken kind of step in, but ideally from what I know is that they're within eyeshot. Um so within a large campus I'm going to see two district office. I'm gonna know. Yes. So it's am I correct in that? Yeah, I'll just share our methodology. So we want everybody to be able to
150get visual and audio alerts and you saw some examples there. So these strobes will be in every single classroom as well as all of the public areas within the buildings. Like this room might have two to four of them. So we want to make sure that within about 30 to 60 ft, which is most people's visual range. Depends on, you know, obstructions and things. But we'll come out and and and work with your facilities teams to make sure that we're getting it in the right places. We'll typically install anywhere from 80 to hundreds of strobes. They're wireless and uh battery powered, so they last for 5 years. We monitor and maintain them with our crews, so this isn't a burden on your IT and your facilities departments. And so we're watching them to make sure
151they're working at all times and ensure that you always are covered for safety. They're also battery backed up as well as internet backed up so they can talk to each other even if your power is out or your internet is down. Safety and these badges still work. Still connects to local law enforcement if needed. But most of the time these badges are used like 95% of the time for medical issues, fights, physical assaults, heart attacks. There's over 7,000 heart attacks at school in America every single year. over 800,000 documented physical assaults in schools. That's where this gets used for rapid response on everyday incidences. And that's our everyday value. It also trains people because it gets used in an average school two to three times a week. It trains people if they're unfortunate enough to
152actually see somebody they think is an active shooter, they're actually going to be able to push this button and close down and lock down that school. Thank you. Other questions, comments? Okay. And Miss Miss Hayes, um, can you please call the role? Student board member Verando. Trusty Castianos. Trusty Pritchard. Hi. Trusty Zolinger. Yay. Trusty Adams. I Trusty Jones. I, Trusty Bullus. I trusty Davis. I motion passes 70. Thank you very much. Thank you. And we are moving on to consent calendar. Oh, sorry. 12 C. The whole page I missed. We have a motion to approve resolution 2425-25, authorization to apply for and secure grant funding from the South Coast Air Quality Management District Program. Announcement number 2025-2002 lower emission school bus program. I have a motion. So moved. Okay. Moved by Trustee Adams. Adams, seconded
153by Trustee Bolicus. like to recognize Clark Hampton, deputy superintendent, who will present the item. Thank you, President. Uh, President Davis. So, this item is uh approval of this item is simply to allow the school district to apply for the grants and if we are lucky enough to um be awarded the grant, then we would be coming back to the board uh for the actual purchase purchases of buses that would be paid for partially by these grants. Great. Thank you, trustees. Any comments? Okay. And Miss Hayes, do you do you have any speaker cards on this item? No. Okay. And discussion. All right. Miss Hayes, can you please call the role? Student board member Verando. I. Trusty Casianos. I. Trustee Pritchard. I. Trustee Zolinger. I. Trustee Adams. I. Trusty Jones. I. Trusty Bulicus. I. Trusty Davis.
154I Okay. And the motion cap passes 70. And we'll move on to consent calendar. Miss Hayes, do we have any speaker cards for this item? We do have consent speaker cards if they're here, but I don't know if there's any. Okay. And are we calling names and bringing people in from outside? One moment, please. There are five speaker cards. 15 minutes. The first speaker is Cheryl Frank, then Amber Smith, then Chris, Justin, and Ally. Let me do it one more time for me. The five people who filled out cards for consent are Cheryl Frank, Amber Smith, Chris on item 15G, Justin, and Ally. Okay. trustees. Is there anyone that would like to pull any items? Hey, it's moved by Trusty Zinger and and seconded by Trusty Bulus. Any further comments before we call the role?
155Mrs. Hayes, please call the role. I. Trusty Castianos. Trusty Pritchard. I. Trusty Zolinger. I. Trusty Adams. I. Trusty Jones. I. Trusty Bilicus. I. Trusty Davis. I. Motion carries 70 to pro to approve the consent calendar. And there being no further business before the board may have a motion to adjurnn. So moved. Moved by trustee Jones. Seconded by second. Trusty Zinger. Miss Mrs. Hayes, please call the role. Student board member Verando. I. Trusty Costianos. Hi. Trusty Pritchard. I. Trusty Zinger. I. Trusty Adams. I. Trusty Jones. I. Trusty Bulicus. I. Trusty Davis. I. Motion carries 70 to adjourn the meeting with a preferential vote of I from student board member Brando. The time is now 9:38 p.m. Thank you.