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TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, MAY 21ST, AND THE TIME IS 5 P.M..[A. Livestream the Board Meeting: https://tinyurl.com/sccboardmeeting]
A LIVE STREAM OF THIS EVENING'S MEETING IS AVAILABLE AT TINYURL.COM BOARD MEETING.ONCE ON THE WEB PAGE, SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM AND CHOOSE LIVE LANGUAGE.
SUPPORT FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN SPANISH AND VIETNAMESE VIA PHONE.
FOR SPANISH SUPPORT, CALL 1-669-900-6833. THE MEETING ID IS 727334810# . FOR VIETNAMESE SUPPORT, CALL 1-669-900-6833.
THE MEETING ID IS 92181539516#. LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE IN ASL, SPANISH AND VIETNAMESE IS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR THOSE IN ATTENDANCE.
HEADSETS FOR SPANISH AND VIETNAMESE MAY BE PICKED UP AT THE TABLE AT THE BACK OF THE ROOM.
PERSONS WANTING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT CARD.
[B. Pledge of Allegiance]
EVERYONE, PLEASE STAND IF YOU ARE ABLE AND PLACE YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART.PLEASE BEGIN WHEN YOU ARE READY.
THANK YOU. STUDENT. BOARD MEMBER. CAN YOU PLEASE RECITE THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT AS WELL?
[C. Land Acknowledgement]
LET US TAKE A MOMENT TO HONOR THE ANCESTRAL CARETAKERS OF THE LAND ON WHICH WE STAND.TODAY, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE CONTINUE TO PROTECT THE LAND.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THE INDIGENOUS CULTURES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES AND REMEMBER THAT WE ALL GATHER, LIVE, LEARN AND WORK ON THE TRADITIONAL LANDS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES.
THANK YOU. STUDENT BOARD MEMBER PASTRANA JIMENEZ.
I WILL NOW CONDUCT ROLL CALL I PRESIDENT BERTA AND PRESENT.
[D. Roll Call (Including Action on Absences if Necessary)]
WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME, PLEASE RESPOND ACCORDINGLY.THANK YOU. I WILL NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE AGENDA.
[E. Set the Agenda]
SO MOVED. I SECOND A MOTION FROM VICE PRESIDENT CHON AND A SECOND FROM TRUSTEE SPEISER.THANK YOU. TRUSTEES, PLEASE VOTE IN BOARD DOCS, AND THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. NEXT WE WILL GO TO OUR SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS.
[A. Recognition of the SCCOE Employee of the Month]
WE HAVE FOUR SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS THIS EVENING.OUR FIRST RECOGNITION IS THE EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH, WHICH WILL BE PRESENTED BY TRUSTEE PACHECHO.
OUR EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH IS BARBARA. BEFORE, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE MISS BIAFORE TRUSTEE PACHECHO AND HEATHER FERGUSON, SPECIAL EDUCATION PRINCIPAL AT STEINBECK CLUSTER, TO THE PODIUM.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CHECK, CHECK. ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU, PRESIDENT BERTA. SO THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION RECOGNIZES TEN SANTA CLARA COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION EMPLOYEES EACH YEAR FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO STUDENTS, PARENTS, COWORKERS, AND CUSTOMERS.
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CAN WE GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE? BARBARA HAS WORKED WITH THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS. PRIOR TO BECOMING A NURSE, SHE WORKED VARIOUS JOBS IN BANKING AND AS A DENTAL ASSISTANT, BUT FOUND HER PASSION IN SCHOOL NURSING, LEADING HER TO WORK AT THE SEC.THIS WAS MY CALLING. I FOUND MY PASSION. I LOVE WORKING WITH THE KIDS AND I LOVE GOING IN AND SEEING THEM, GRIN SAID. BEFORE, BARBARA'S WORK ETHIC AS A SCHOOL NURSE HAD NOT GONE UNNOTICED.
HER COLLEAGUES SPEAK OF HER DEDICATION AND COLLABORATION NOT ONLY AS BARBARA KNOWLEDGEABLE, DEPENDABLE AND EFFICIENT, BUT SHE IS THE DEFINITION OF A TEAM PLAYER.
SHE IS DEEPLY COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING NOT ONLY STUDENTS, BUT THEIR FAMILIES AND STAFF AS WELL, SAID HEATHER FERGUSON, SPECIAL EDUCATION PRINCIPAL AT THE STEINBECK CLUSTER.
BARBARA CREATES A NURTURING ENVIRONMENT AND IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO ADDRESS THE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS, PROMOTING A POSITIVE AND SAFE LEARNING ATMOSPHERE, SAID DR.
SOREN KAM, SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST IN THE SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
EVEN I NEED TO DO THAT TOO. IT IS A GRATITUDE THAT WE CONGRATULATE BARBARA ON HER.
WE SHOW OUR APPRECIATION. BARBARA, TO SHOW OUR APPRECIATION, BARBARA WILL RECEIVE A PLAQUE RECOGNIZING HER CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SCCOE, AN ENGRAVED CROSS PEN AND A RESERVED PARKING SPACE.
BARBARA AND HEATHER ARE JOINING US THIS EVENING.
I'D LIKE TO INVITE THEM TO SAY A FEW WORDS. CONGRATULATIONS, BARBARA. GOOD AFTERNOON, SUPERINTENDENT, BOARD MEMBERS, AND THE COMMUNITY.
MY NAME IS DR. HEATHER FERGUSON, AND I'M THE PRINCIPAL OF THE STEINBECK CLUSTER HERE IN THE COUNTY.
I'M SO HONORED TO HAVE BEEN HERE TWICE IN THE PAST FOUR MONTHS TO HONOR SOME OF THE AMAZING PEOPLE I WORK ALONG THE SIDE OF, INCLUDING OUR MAIN EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH, BARBARA.
FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS, BARBARA HAS BEEN A CONSTANT SOURCE OF CARE, STRENGTH, AND DEDICATION.
AS A NURSE IN OUR SCHOOLS. SHE DOES. SHE DOESN'T JUST FULFILL HER DUTIES, SHE LIVES HER CALLING, WHETHER SHE'S TENDING TO DAILY MEDICAL NEEDS OR PREPARING FOR THE UNEXPECTED.
BARBARA IS ALWAYS THINKING THREE STEPS AHEAD.
IT IS EVIDENT HER PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GOALS ARE TO ENSURE THE WELL-BEING OF EVERY STUDENT, EVERY STAFF MEMBER AND FAMILY SHE ENCOUNTERS.
SHE MAKES SURE THAT EVERYONE AROUND HER IS INFORMED, SUPPORTED AND PREPARED.
SHE TAKES TIME TO EDUCATE STUDENTS, GUIDE STAFF AND EMPOWER FAMILIES ON COMPLEX MEDICAL ISSUES WITH WARMTH, CLARITY AND COMPASSION. BARBARA, I'M GOING TO TURN TO YOU.
YOUR 20 YEARS OF SERVICE AREN'T JUST A NUMBER.
THEY REPRESENT 20 YEARS OF IMPACT, LEADERSHIP AND LOVE POURED INTO THIS COMMUNITY.
YOU ARE NOT JUST A NURSE, BUT A QUIET HERO, SOMETIMES NOT SO QUIET.
YOUR PRESENCE MAKES OUR SCHOOL SAFER, OUR FAMILIES MORE INFORMED, AND OUR STUDENTS BETTER CARED FOR.
EVERYONE, PLEASE JOIN ME IN THANKING AND CONGRATULATING OUR NURSE BARBARA.
WE ARE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE YOU.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS HUMBLE HONOR.
I ESPECIALLY WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO MY SUPERVISORS FOR THEIR CONSTANT SUPPORT.
MY LEAD NURSE, TERESA BOVI, IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR A QUICK QUESTION OR NOT SO QUICK, OR TO COLLABORATE ON ANY ISSUE, AND I TRULY APPRECIATE HER GUIDANCE. I ALSO KNOW I CAN RELY ON THE SUPPORT AND LEADERSHIP OF MY PRINCIPALS, BOTH CURRENT AND PAST, ESPECIALLY MY IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR, HEATHER FERGUSON.
CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. TRUSTEES, IF YOU'LL JOIN US FOR A PHOTO.
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CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, BARBARA. THIS EVENING WE ALSO HAVE TWO RECOGNITIONS FOR STUDENT OF THE YEAR.[B. Recognition of the SCCOE Students of the Year]
OUR FIRST TWO STUDENTS ARE IBRAHIM HERNANDEZ AND OUR STUDENT OF THE YEAR, OUR STUDENT OF THE YEAR FOR MIGRANT EDUCATION, WHICH WILL BE PRESENTED BY TRUSTEE LARI. I'D LIKE TO INVITE IBRAHIM, TRUSTEE LARI AND VERONICA CALDERON, SENIOR ACADEMIC COUNSELOR AT LIVE OAK HIGH SCHOOL, TO THE PODIUM.TRUSTEE LARI, WILL YOU DO THE HONORS? EACH YEAR, WE TAKE TIME TO HONOR AND CELEBRATE STUDENTS WHO EXCEL, OFTEN OVERCOMING SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLES TO REACH THEIR PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC GOALS.
SPECIFICALLY, WE HONOR STUDENTS FOR THEIR ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENT AND ACHIEVEMENTS, LEADERSHIP SKILLS, GOOD ATTENDANCE, GOOD CITIZENSHIP AND CHARACTER, COMMUNITY SERVICE, AND PERSEVERANCE IN PURSUING THEIR STUDIES AND GOALS.
TONIGHT, WE ARE PLEASED TO HONOR A STUDENT WHO EPITOMIZES ALL OF THESE EXCELLENT QUALITIES.
IBRAHIM HERNANDEZ. IBRAHIM, A GRADUATING SENIOR AT LIVE OAK HIGH SCHOOL, IS BEING RECOGNIZED FOR HIS LEADERSHIP, ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND PERSONAL GROWTH.
HE DEMONSTRATES PROFESSIONALISM IN BOTH ROLES, WHICH HAS EARNED HIM PROMOTIONS.
HE IS A RESPONSIBLE AND ENGAGED STUDENT WHO CONSISTENTLY ATTENDS HIS CLASSES AND CONDUCTS HIMSELF WITH RESPECT AND MATURITY, SAID VERONICA CALDERON, SENIOR ACADEMIC COUNSELOR AT LIVE OAK HIGH SCHOOL.
HIS KINDNESS TOWARDS OTHERS HAS NOT GONE UNNOTICED.
HE FREQUENTLY GOES OUT OF HIS WAY TO HELP OTHER STUDENTS AND COWORKERS.
HE IS KNOWN BY FACULTY AND STAFF AS A POSITIVE PRESENCE ON CAMPUS, SAID CALDERON.
IBRAHIM ALSO BALANCES AP AND HONORS COURSES AND HAS ACHIEVED HONOR ROLL STATUS.
RECEIVING THE PRINCIPAL AWARD. FOLLOWING GRADUATION, HE PLANS TO CONTINUE HIS STUDIES AT UC SANTA CRUZ IN CRIMINOLOGY AND LEGAL STUDIES ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION. I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE IBRAHIM.
HE WILL RECEIVE A FRAMED CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION SIGNED BY THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, AND AN IPAD TO HELP HIM CONTINUE THE PATH OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE.
IBRAHIM AND VERONICA ARE JOINING US THIS EVENING.
I'D LIKE TO INVITE THEM TO SHARE A FEW REMARKS.
HELLO. GOOD EVENING. I AM VERONICA, THE SENIOR ACADEMIC COUNSELOR AT LIVE OAK HIGH SCHOOL.
I AM COURTNEY SCHMIDT, OUR MIGRANT LEAD FOR MORGAN HILL UNIFIED.
SO I'M NOT GOING TO GET EMOTIONAL, BUT I ALREADY AM, BUT AS WAS WHAT WAS AS WHAT WAS READ IBRAHIM IS A STAR STUDENT.
IF I CAN KEEP HIM AT THE SCHOOL I WOULD, BUT HE'S GOING OFF TO DO GREAT THINGS, AND I'M VERY,
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VERY PROUD OF HIM. HE'S ALWAYS BEEN VERY PROUD OF EVERYTHING THAT HE'S DONE, AND HE WAS VERY PROUD TO LET ME KNOW THAT HE WAS GOING TO BE THE COORDINATOR AT TJ MAXX, AND HE'S LIKE, YOU BETTER COME AND SEE ME.YOU'LL SEE ME AT THE CASHIER NOW. LIKE BEING THE SUPERVISOR.
HE WAS VERY, VERY PROUD, AND ANYTHING THAT I WOULD NEED SUPPORT IN, I WOULD ASK HIM LIKE, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING A NEW STUDENT. I'M GOING TO PUT HIM IN THIS CLASS.
CAN YOU JUST MAKE SURE HE'S OKAY IN THAT CLASS OR IF SHE CAN BE OKAY, YOU KNOW? OR CAN YOU GIVE HIM A TOUR OR HELP ME GIVE HIM A TOUR? AND HE WOULD. NO HESITATION. YEAH. MISS VERONICA.
I WILL DEFINITELY HELP, AND HE IS A STAR STUDENT.
IF I, LIKE I SAID, IF I CAN KEEP HIM THERE OR CLONE HIM, I DEFINITELY WOULD.
IN A HEARTBEAT. BECAUSE HE IS A DEFINITION OF THE STUDENT THAT YOU WANT ON YOUR CAMPUS.
THE STUDENT THAT YOU YOU HAVE SEEN AND HAVE GROWN, AND NOW HE'S OFF TO DO GREAT THINGS.
SO IBRAHIM IS A STAR STUDENT INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM.
HE EMBODIES PERSEVERANCE AND HE WILL DO GREAT THINGS MOVING FORWARD.
I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE HIM TO THE PODIUM. OH, HELLO.
GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS IBRAHIM HERNANDEZ, AND I'M HONORED TO RECEIVE THIS RECOGNITION IN THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA AS A MIGRANT PROGRAM STUDENT OF THE YEAR. THE PRESTIGE OF THIS AWARD IS NOT IN DOUBT ONLY TO MYSELF, BUT TO MY SCHOOL. LIVE OAK HIGH SCHOOL FOR CREATING AN ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH I CAN THRIVE IN.
I'M ETERNALLY GRATEFUL FOR WHAT MISS VERONICA CALDERON HAS DONE FOR ME, AND ALSO THE CLASS OF 2025, GIVING US SO MUCH GUIDANCE AND SO MANY ACADEMIC RESOURCES TO HELP US THROUGHOUT THE REST OF OUR LIFE.
THE MIGRANT PROGRAM HELPS SO MANY STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, MAKING SURE WE GO TO SCHOOL WITH THE SUPPLIES AND RESOURCES THAT WE NEED SO WE CAN GO TO SCHOOL AND LEARN. IT'S BEAUTIFUL WHAT THEY DO FOR THE FIRST GENERATION, AND I THINK EVERYONE IN THE PROGRAM IS GOING TO DO GREAT IN THE FUTURE. FINALLY, I'M MOSTLY THANKFUL FOR MY MOM.
SHE MADE ME TO BE THE PERSON THAT I AM TODAY, AND SHE'S SUPPORTED ME IN EVERYTHING I'VE DONE, ALL MY ENDEAVORS. ALTHOUGH MY HANDS NEVER ENDURE THE PAIN OF HER WORK, I'M THE FRUIT OF HER LABOR.
IF YOU'LL JOIN US FOR A PHOTO, AND IBRAHIM'S FAMILY IF THEY'RE PRESENT.
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CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, ABRAHAM, AND TO ABRAHAM'S FAMILY AS WELL.THIS RECOGNITION WILL BE PRESENTED BY TRUSTEE ROCHA.
AT THIS TIME, I INVITE ERIC TRUSTEE ROCHA AND EUGENE SANTILLAN, PRINCIPAL OF ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION, TO JOIN US AT THE SIDE PODIUM. TRUSTEE ROCHA, WILL YOU PLEASE DO THE HONORS? SURE. AS WE MENTIONED, EACH YEAR WE TAKE TIME TO HONOR AND CELEBRATE THE STUDENTS WHO EXCEL, OFTEN OVERCOMING SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLES TO REACH THEIR PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC GOALS.
COMMUNITY SERVICE AND PERSEVERANCE IN PURSUING THEIR STUDIES AND GOALS.
TONIGHT, WE ARE PLEASED TO HONOR A STUDENT WHO EPITOMIZES ALL OF THOSE EXCELLENT QUALITIES.
ERIC DE LA ROSA AGUILERA. ERIC RECENTLY GRADUATED FROM OSBORNE SCHOOL AND IS BEING RECOGNIZED FOR HIS PERSEVERANCE, CLASSROOM LEADERSHIP, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. HE WAS OSBORNE'S FIRST AND LONGEST STANDING STUDENT TO BE A STUDENT BOARD MEMBER THROUGHOUT 2024.
DURING HIS TENURE, HE WAS THE FIRST TO PARTICIPATE TO PRACTICE IN THE PREFERENTIAL VOTING, SO CONGRATULATIONS! ERIC HAS BEEN AN EXEMPLARY STUDENT SINCE HE HAS BEEN AT OSBORNE SCHOOL.
OVER THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR, HE HAS BUILT UP THE SELF-CONFIDENCE, HAS BEEN ABLE TO SHOWCASE HIS COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION, SAID MICHELLE DICARLO, ACADEMIC COUNSELOR FOR OSBORNE SCHOOL.
ERIC GRADUATED FROM OSBORNE SCHOOL WITH THE CLASS OF 2025.
HE IS DULY ENROLLED IN CLASSES AT SAN JOSE CITY COLLEGE WITH PLANS TO FURTHER HIS EDUCATION.
ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE YOU, ERIC.
YOU WILL RECEIVE A FRAMED CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION SIGNED BY THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, AND ALSO AN IPAD TO HELP CONTINUE THE PATH OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE.
ERIC AND EUGENE SANTILLIAN ARE JOINING US THIS EVENING.
I'D LIKE TO INVITE THEM TO SHARE A FEW REMARKS.
CONGRATULATIONS, ERIC. ALL RIGHT. YEAH, I MEAN, YOU SAID IT A LOT OF FIRSTS. REALLY COOL, AND SUPER IMPRESSIVE, AND I JUST WANT THAT TO STICK WITH YOU, AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF OSBORNE SCHOOL.
MY NAME IS EUGENE SANTIAGO. I'M THE PRINCIPAL OF NORTH COUNTY AED, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A MESSAGE FROM ALL THE FOLKS AT OSBORNE, THE TEACHERS, THE PARAS, COUNSELORS, PROBATION.
WE ARE SO PROUD. WE ARE ELATED. OUR HEART WARMS UP TO SEE YOU GET THIS PRAISE AND ATTENTION THAT YOU DESERVE, THAT YOU WORKED FOR, THAT YOU EARNED. I WAS SUPER EXCITED TO BE AT THE ACSA EVENT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO ON A FRIDAY NIGHT IN DOWNTOWN CAMPBELL WITH A ROOM FULL OF ADMINISTRATORS, FANCY PEOPLE, SUPERINTENDENTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTY, THIS YOUNG MAN WAS THE ONLY STUDENT BEING HONORED FOR THE EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS AWARD.
HE WAS THE SECOND TO LAST PERSON TO GET AN AWARD.
I JUST WANT TO SAY, YOU EARNED THIS MOMENT AND WE ALL LOOK FORWARD TO EVERYTHING THAT'S NEXT.
GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. FIRST I WANT TO SAY I FEEL VERY HONORED TO BE RECEIVING THIS AWARD TONIGHT.
IT MEANS A LOT TO ME BECAUSE I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE IN THIS POSITION TO RECEIVE THIS AWARD.
WHEN I FIRST CAME TO OSBORNE HIGH SCHOOL, I HAD NO INTEREST IN STUDYING, BUT ONCE I GOT INTRODUCED TO OSBORNE STAFF, THEY ENCOURAGED ME TO DO BETTER IN LIFE AND CONTINUE MY EDUCATION.
AS TIME PASSED WITH MY STUDIES IN OSBORNE, I CONTINUED TO SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF MY EDUCATION AND WHY IT WAS IMPORTANT TO EARN MY HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND FURTHER MY EDUCATION IN COLLEGE. WHEN THEY FIRST APPROACHED ME ABOUT BEING A STUDENT BOARD MEMBER, I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT FROM IT.
I WANT TO ALSO THANK ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR LISTENING AND APPRECIATING WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.
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IT MADE ME FEEL HEARD AS A STUDENT. TONIGHT, I HOPE TO ENCOURAGE OTHER STUDENTS OUT THERE WHO WANT TO BE HEARD TO USE THEIR VOICE TO MAKE CHANGES IN OUR COMMUNITIES. LASTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY FAMILY FOR ALWAYS SUPPORTING ME AND BEING THERE FOR ME, EVEN THOUGH I MADE IT HARD. I WANT TO THANK MY MOM, MY AUNT AND MY SISTER FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT WITH ME.THANK YOU. TRUSTEES, IF YOU'LL JOIN FOR A PHOTO AND IF ERIC'S FAMILY IS HERE AS WELL. IF YOU'LL JOIN FOR PHOTO.
CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. ERIC AND ERIC'S FAMILY AND THE STAFF AS WELL.
[C. Recognition of the SCCOE Volunteer of the Year]
OUR VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR IS LINDA CONDA. I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE OR EXCUSE ME, LISA CONDA.I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE LISA, VICE PRESIDENT CHON, AND MARIE BOBIAS, DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, TO THE PODIUM. VICE PRESIDENT CHON. WILL YOU DO THE HONORS? YEAH. THANK YOU. LAST ONE TONIGHT. ALL RIGHT.
EACH YEAR, IN RECOGNITION OF PUBLIC SCHOOL VOLUNTEER WEEK, WHICH WAS APRIL 21ST TO 25TH.
THE SCCOE RELIES ON VOLUNTEERS TO SUPPORT THE INSTRUCTION OF YOUTH THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
SPECIFICALLY, WE HONOR VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN CARRYING OUT DUTIES, WORK EFFICIENTLY WITH STAFF AND STUDENTS, SHOW DESIRE AND ABILITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, DEMONSTRATE CARE AND SUPPORT FOR OTHERS, AND CREATE AND FOSTER A POSITIVE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT AND MOTIVATE OTHERS.
LISA IS A GRADUATING SENIOR AT BRANHAM HIGH SCHOOL, AND SHE IS BEING RECOGNIZED FOR HER DEDICATION TO HELPING YOUTH SUCCEED AT THE WALDEN WEST OUTDOOR SCHOOL PROGRAM. VOLUNTEERS OR CABIN LEADERS ARE RECRUITED AT WALDEN WEST TO HELP OVERSEE AND CARE FOR FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS.
EACH CABIN LEADER CAN HAVE 20 OR MORE CAMPERS AND THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR DURING THE WEEK, INCLUDING AT NIGHT. WALDEN. WALDEN WEST RELIES ON VOLUNTEERS TO ENSURE A SMOOTH AND SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM.
LISA IS VERY RELIABLE AND WE KNOW WE CAN COUNT ON HER TO BE A GREAT ADDITION TO CAMP ANYTIME SHE'S THERE, SAID MONICA ABAKAN, ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION LIAISON AND RECRUITER.
SHE RECEIVES FEEDBACK WELL AND ALWAYS PRIORITIZES OUR CAMPERS EXPERIENCES OVER HER OWN.
SHE ALSO SHARED THAT LISA DISPLAYS A POSITIVE ATTITUDE, ESPECIALLY WHEN DEALING WITH ADVERSITY.
I'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT KIDS AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING DIFFERENT WAYS OF TEACHING AND PREDICTING HOW STUDENTS WILL RESPOND, SAID LISA. LISA'S FAVORITE PART OF VOLUNTEERING DURING SUMMER CAMP AND SCIENCE CAMP IS GOING ON HIKES WITH THE STUDENTS AND WORKING WITH THEM IN THE NATURE LAB.
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WE APPRECIATE AND COMMEND LISA FOR HER HARD WORK AND DEDICATION TO WALDEN WEST AND THE SCCOE .I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE LISA, AND SHE WILL RECEIVE A FRAMED CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION SIGNED BY THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS AND PRESIDENT OF THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION. LISA, MONICA, AND MARIE, DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, ARE JOINING US THIS EVENING, AND I'D LIKE TO INVITE THEM TO SAY A FEW WORDS. CONGRATULATIONS.
UNFORTUNATELY, LISA IS OUT SICK TODAY, SO, BUT WE WILL STILL HONOR HER, AND WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT WHEN SHE COMES TO VOLUNTEER THIS SUMMER, THAT WE GET, WE GIVE HER A BIG HONOR. SO GOOD EVENING, DR.
TOSTON, PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY OFFICE.
I JUST WANT TO, TONIGHT, WE'RE JUST DEEPLY HONORED TO SHARE THAT.
FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW OUR OWN HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR.
A REFLECTION OF NOT ONLY LISA CONDA'S INCREDIBLE DEDICATION, BUT A VITAL ROLE THAT ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS PLAY IN THE SUCCESS OF OUR CAMP PROGRAMS EACH YEAR. WALDEN WEST IS FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF OVER 700 VOLUNTEERS A YEAR, WHO CONTRIBUTE OVER 38,000 HOURS OF SERVICE.
THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT JUST HELPERS, THEY ARE MENTORS, ROLE MODELS, STEADY SUPPORTERS, PRESENCE FOR THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS. WHETHER THEY'RE ASSISTING WITH HIKES OR HOSA KIDS OR SPARKING THE MOMENT OF A SCIENCE DISCOVERY, THEY ARE ESSENTIAL TO CREATING THE MAGIC THAT MAKES WALDEN WEST UNFORGETTABLE.
MORE THAN HALF OF OUR CABIN LEADERS USED TO BE CAMPERS WHEN THEY WERE FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADES, AND I WAS A CABIN LEADER AT WALDEN. AT WHISKEYTOWN ENVIRONMENTAL SCHOOL WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, AND IT SOLIDIFIED MY DECISION TO BE AN EDUCATOR.
WE COULD NOT DO THIS WORK WITHOUT THEM. SO TONIGHT WE HONOR OUR VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR, BUT WE ALSO HONOR EVERY VOLUNTEER WHO GIVES THEIR TIME, HEART, AND ENERGY TO OUR MISSION. WE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR THEIR IMPACT AND FOR THE CONTINUED SUPPORT IN HELPING US PROVIDE OUTDOOR SCIENCE EXPERIENCES TO ALL OF OUR STUDENTS HERE IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY. THANK YOU.
GOOD EVENING, SUPERINTENDENT TOSTON, SCCOE BOARD AND EVERYONE IN ATTENDANCE.
MY NAME IS MONICA ABAKAN AND I AM THE VOLUNTEER LIAISON AT WALDEN WEST OUTDOOR SCHOOL.
IT IS MY ABSOLUTE PLEASURE TO BE HERE TO HONOR SCCOE'S 24-25 VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR, LISA CONDA.
CORAL, AS SHE'S KNOWN AROUND, CAMP, HAS BEEN TO WALDEN WEST NUMEROUS TIMES, SERVING AS A CABIN LEADER FOR OUR OVERNIGHT SCIENCE CAMP PROGRAM AND AS A COUNSELOR FOR OUR SUMMER DAY CAMP PROGRAMS. I HAVE SEEN HER HAPPILY BUNNY HOP WITH OUR PRE-K CAMPERS AROUND CAMP HELP LEAD OUR STUDENTS ON HIKES, AND TRAIN AND MOTIVATE THE FUTURE LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SHE ALWAYS IMPRESSES US WITH HER POSITIVE ATTITUDE, STRONG LEADERSHIP SKILLS, AND ALWAYS SHOWS UP AS A STRONG ROLE MODEL NOT ONLY FOR OUR CAMPERS, BUT FOR HER PEERS AND OUR STAFF AS WELL.
HER POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR PROGRAMS AND CAMPERS SHOWS NO BOUNDS.
CORAL, IT'S BECAUSE OF LEADERS LIKE YOU THAT I AM INSPIRED TO CONTINUALLY STRIVE TO IMPROVE OUR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM, AND IT'S BECAUSE OF LEADERS LIKE YOU THAT OUR CAMPERS AND YOUR PEERS GO HOME INSPIRED AND WITH AMAZING MEMORIES OF A GREAT EXPERIENCE AT CAMP.
YOU WILL BE OFF TO COLLEGE SOON. CONGRATULATIONS WHEREVER YOU GO.
PLEASE DON'T EVER FORGET THAT YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE A HOME AT WALDEN WEST.
I AM SO PROUD OF YOU, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE COMING YOUR WAY.
CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING SCCOE'S VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR.
CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, LISA, AND THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE TO ACCEPT THE AWARD FROM HER.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE OUR STUDENT BOARD MEMBER, PASTRANA JIMENEZ, TO GIVE HIS REPORT.
[A. The student member of the Board may give reports on activities related to their duties as a member of the Santa Clara County Board of Education]
GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT BERTA, SUPERINTENDENT DR.TOSTON AND ESTEEMED BOARD MEMBERS. FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO START OFF BY WELCOMING OUR NEW SUPERINTENDENT, DR. TOSTON. I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU AND SHARING MY REPORTS AT OSBORNE.
IT ALSO PROVIDES A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT WHERE IT CAN CREATE SPECIFIC DRIVING SCENARIOS THAT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS TO TRY IN REAL LIFE, THERE IS IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK ON WHAT THE DRIVER WOULD NEED TO IMPROVE ON, AND I AM ONE OF THE FIRST STUDENTS WHO GETS TO PILOT THIS NEW PROGRAM.
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THIS PAST WEEK IN OUR SHOWCASE WAS HELD BY OUR ART TEACHER, MR. [INAUDIBLE], AT OSBORNE AND BLUE RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL.THIS SHOWCASE DISPLAYED 12 UNIQUE STUDENT ART PIECES INSPIRED BY THE ARTIST RICHARD [INAUDIBLE].
STAFF WERE ABLE TO VOTE AND THE TOP THREE PIECES WILL BE REWARDED.
SECONDLY, SEVEN PIECES OF HANDMADE JEWELRY WERE ALSO SHOWCASED.
THIS WAS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN MR. [INAUDIBLE] AND DR.
RAMOS. MR. [INAUDIBLE] PRESENTED TO STAFF AND STUDENTS AND SHARED WITH US THE IMPORTANCE OF FINISHING WHAT WE START AND HOW HOW THAT LEADS TO SUCCESS. AT BLUE RIDGE, A NEW WELDING COHORT STARTED.
CURRENTLY THERE ARE EIGHT STUDENTS IN THIS PROGRAM.
THIS IS A THREE WEEK COHORT WHERE STUDENTS WILL LEARN THE BASICS OF WELDING AND EARN THEIR ONE F, TWO F, THREE F, AND FOUR F CERTIFICATIONS THROUGH THE AMERICAN WELDING ASSOCIATION.
SO NO COMMUNITY SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE ALSO BEEN SUPPORTING SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS. THEY CREATED ART AND DECORATIONS FOR THE SPECIAL EDUCATION PROM THAT TOOK PLACE AT THE COUNTY OFFICE.
EARLIER THIS WEEK, STUDENTS HELPED OUT AT THE HESTER AND ANNE DARLING SCHOOL GARDENS BY MOVING PILES OF MULCH AND COMPLETING A SERIES OF SMALL MURALS FOR THE SIDES OF THE GARDEN BEDS.
STUDENTS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTY WERE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE CIVIC, TO CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY, AND POSITIVELY IMPACT THEIR COMMUNITIES. THEY WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE AND MEDAL.
I AM HAPPY TO SHARE THAT TWO STUDENTS FROM OSBORNE SCHOOL WERE RECOGNIZED.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK TAKE THIS MOMENT TO CONGRATULATE OUR FORMER BOARD MEMBER AND FELLOW PEER, ERIC DE LA ROSA, FOR BEING STUDENT OF THE YEAR.
ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US AT OSBORNE, CONGRATULATIONS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REPORT. STUDENT BOARD MEMBER PASTRANA JIMENEZ. IT'S ALWAYS REALLY GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU AND YOUR UPDATES ARE REALLY ESSENTIAL TO INFORMING OUR WORK.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR PREPARING YOUR REPORT.
[A. At this time, members of the public may address the Board on any issue within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Board that is not listed on this agenda.]
ON THE AGENDA AND WITHIN THE SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION OF THE SCCBOE.STATE LAW PROHIBITS THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION FROM DISCUSSING OR ACTING UPON NON-AGENDA ITEMS. IT IS THE EXPECTATION OF THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION THAT EVERYONE BE TREATED WITH RESPECT AND CIVILITY.
PUBLIC SPEAKER CARDS MUST BE SUBMITTED AT THIS TIME.
ONCE WE BEGIN TAKING PUBLIC COMMENTS, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ACCEPT ADDITIONAL COMMENTERS PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54 957.95, THE SCCBOE STRIVES TO MAINTAIN THE ORDERLY AND CIVIL CONDUCT OF ITS MEETINGS AND TO AVOID UNLAWFUL DISRUPTIONS.
THEREFORE, DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, WE INTEND TO KEEP A RESPECTFUL AND PEACEFUL ENVIRONMENT.
PLEASE NOTE THAT VERBAL ABUSE, THREATS AND PHYSICAL VIOLENCE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.
INDIVIDUALS WHO ENGAGE IN THIS TYPE OF CONDUCT MAY BE ASKED TO LEAVE THE ROOM.
WE ASK THAT THERE BE NO CLAPPING, CHEERING, SNAPPING OF FINGERS, BOOING OR SHOUTING.
MODERATOR DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? YES, WE HAVE 15 CARDS FOR COMMENT.
PLEASE PRESENT THE ONE MINUTE TIMER IF LANGUAGE SUPPORT IS NEEDED.
TIME WILL DOUBLE. A TIMER WILL BE DISPLAYED WHEN THE ALLOTTED TIME IS UP.
THE BUZZER WILL SOUND. YOU WILL BE MUTED AND YOUR TIME TO SPEAK WILL END.
[00:40:04]
AND YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE THE PODIUM TO PREVENT SOUND DISTORTION.PLEASE KEEP THE MICROPHONE A SHORT DISTANCE FROM YOUR MOUTH.
ABOUT HANDS WITH OUR 15 SPEAKERS ARE DORIS ALEJOS, MERCEDES HILL, SALLY FOX, RIJU KRISHNA, VERONICA ARELLANO, NICK JACQUES, TAMMY PAZ.
IRYNA SPELLED I-R-Y-N-A, AURORA STEVENS, IZZIE STEVENS, LEE LANG. TINA CHANG. SANDY BUKOWSKI, CHRISTIAN RODRIGUEZ, MICHELLE OLIVER. OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS DORIS ALEJOS.
PLEASE CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME AND PRESENT YOUR COMMENT.
HELLO. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS DORIS ALEJOS, AND I'M SPEAKING TODAY IN MY PERSONAL CAPACITY.
I'M HERE TO RAISE A SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT THE MISUSE OF HEAD START EDUCATIONAL GRANTS, FUNDS SPECIFICALLY INTENDED TO SUPPORT OUR MOST VULNERABLE CHILDREN, AND TO KEEP EDUCATORS LIKE MYSELF WITH THE RESOURCES WE NEED.
IF WE ARE BEING TOLD THAT THERE IS NO FUNDING, THEN WHY ARE OUR EDUCATIONAL GRANT DOLLARS BEING USED TO COVER THE SALARIES OF CONTRACTUAL STAFF, SUCH AS THOSE IN THE EARLY LEARNING CARE INITIATIVE WHO ARE NOT PART OF THE HEAD START PROGRAM? OUR OWN DEPARTMENT IS FACING LAYOFFS WHILE [INAUDIBLE] STAR STAFF WHOSE DUTIES ARE NEITHER CLEARLY DOCUMENTED NOR CONSIDERABLY EVALUATED, CONTINUE TO BE PAID THROUGH HEAD START FUNDS.
WHAT PROOF DO WE HAVE THAT THEY ARE FULFILLING THEIR CONTRACT? STAFF. THE REGIONAL OFFICE HAS ALREADY IDENTIFIED.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS MERCEDES HILL. PLEASE CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME AND PRESENT YOUR COMMENT.
GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MERCEDES HILL. I HAVE BEEN AN OFFICE SPECIALIST FOR THE HEAD START PROGRAM FOR FIVE YEARS, AND I HAVE WORKED AT THE SCCOE FOR SIX. I AM ALSO AN SEIU MEMBER.
I FIRST WANT TO THANK YOU, DR. TOSTON, FOR MEETING WITH SEIU MEMBERS LAST WEEK, MYSELF INCLUDED.
MY DEPARTMENT ALSO RECEIVED TODAY A MUCH AWAITED UPDATE ON THE HEAD START CLASSROOM LIST FOR THE 25-26 YEAR, WHICH MEANS OUR ENROLLMENT AND RECRUITMENT TEAMS NOW KNOW WHERE TO PLACE NEWLY ENROLLED CHILDREN.
IT IS WHY I'M HERE BEFORE YOU TONIGHT TO MAKE A DESPERATE PLEA TO LOOK INTO OUR HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START FUNDS TO REQUEST A CARRYOVER TO AVOID THE INTERRUPTION OF SERVICES DURING THE CRITICAL MONTH OF JULY. WE HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS TO UTILIZE AS CARRYOVER TO CARRY US INTO THE 2526 SCHOOL YEAR.
AS WE APPROACH JULY 1ST, THE STAKES FOR HEAD START TO REMAIN OPEN BECOMES MORE DIRE.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS SALLY FOX. MY NAME IS SALLY FOX AND I'M A SUBSTITUTE.
HI, I'M SALLY FOX, AND I'M A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER.
SO I WANTED TO DO A QUICK REVIEW OF A PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR EDUCATIONAL LEADERS IN THE CONTEXT OF EXTREME ANTI-SEMITISM THAT JEWISH STUDENTS AND STAFF ARE EXPERIENCING ON CAMPUSES, PARTICULARLY IN CUPERTINO AND IN SAN JOSE.
TWO, I'D LIKE TO BRING UP TO THAT IT IS THE DUTY OF EDUCATIONAL LEADERS TO PROVIDE MORAL DIRECTION FOR THE SCHOOL AND PROMOTE ETHICAL AND PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR AMONG FACULTY AND STAFF.
SO WHEN I WENT UP TO THE PRINCIPAL AND INQUIRED ABOUT SECURITY AND KEYS, HER RESPONSE TO ME WAS, DO YOU HAVE ONE? I SAID, YES, I DID, AND SHE PUT HER FINGER WITHIN FIVE INCHES OF MY EYES AND THEN SAID, AWESOME. THIS IS IN THIS PARALLELS MY EXPERIENCES IN 1921.
KRISHNA, TEACHER AND DEFENDER OF PUBLIC EDUCATION AT HEARING.
ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT GOMEZ SAID THAT SHE WASN'T INVOLVED IN THE LAYOFF DECISIONS. IT WAS DR.
WHEN ASKED WHY CERTAIN ROLES WERE CUT, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL ED REPEATEDLY SAID, I DON'T KNOW, DR. TOSTON. YOU SAID YOU HAVE TO TRUST THE PROCESS AND DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE THROUGH THIS COLLABORATIVE APPROACH.
WELL, THE COLLABORATORS ALL CLAIM TO NOT BE INVOLVED.
THE BARGAINING UNITS WERE NOT TOLD WHO COLLABORATED.
THEN LET ME TELL YOU, THERE WAS NO COLLABORATION.
[00:45:02]
THE PROCESS AND DECISIONS ARE A FARCE BASED ON FALSE LIES.NO FISCAL CRISIS, NO COLLAPSE, INCREASE IN REVENUES.
SO THEN WHAT WAS THE APOCALYPSE THAT LED TO THE $64 MILLION BEING MOVED, FUNDS REDIRECTED TO HEAD START, WHICH LEGALLY REQUIRES POLICY, COUNCIL AND BOARD APPROVAL.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS VERONICA ARELLANO. GOOD EVENING.
MY NAME IS VERONICA ARELLANO. I AM A PROUD SEIU MEMBER AND A HEAD START STAFF WITH JUNE.
WITH JUNE 30TH APPROACHING, EARLY LEARNING STAFF FACES SERIOUS UNCERTAINTY NOT JUST ABOUT OUR JOBS, BUT THE FUTURE OF THE ENTIRE PROGRAM. ASIDE FROM TODAY'S LONG OVERDUE EMAIL, WE'VE BEEN LEFT IN THE DARK.
WE ARE ASKING FOR TRANSPARENCY, NOT SILENCE. IF THERE IS A PLAN FOR A MAJOR CHANGE, WE DESERVE TO KNOW WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP? HOW WILL THE STAFF BE BROUGHT BACK? THE MORALE IS LOW.
INSTEAD, WE ARE PROTECTING INSTEAD OF PROTECTING DEDICATED STAFF.
THE COUNTY HAS OUTSOURCED CONTRACTORS. WE NEED LEADERSHIP TO SHOW UP.
WE URGE THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE BOARD TO ENGAGE DIRECTLY WITH THE STAFF AND REBUILD TRUST.
POSITION IF THE NEXT SPEAKER IS NICK JACQUES .
GOOD EVENING, ESTEEMED STAFF OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS NICK JACQUES .
WE HAVE BEEN VERY REASONABLE IN VOICING OUR CONCERNS ABOUT YOUR FIDUCIARY DUTY AND MORAL REASONING FOR WHY YOU NEED TO BE REASONABLE, AND SO FAR YOU HAVE NOT BEEN REASONABLE. YOU WERE ELECTED.
YOUR POSITIONS, I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE SOUTH BAY LABOR COUNCIL WHEN I'VE EXPLAINED THE SITUATION, THAT I SHOULD SAY WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY NOW, WHICH IS THAT WE WILL ABSOLUTELY USE OUR WAR CHEST AND OUR MANPOWER TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE NO LONGER IN YOUR POSITION, IF YOU WILL CONTINUE TO BE UNREASONABLE.
GOOD NIGHT. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS TOMMY PAZ. TAMMY PAZ.
GOOD EVENING DR. TOSTON, ESTEEMED BOARD MEMBERS, I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF A PARENT WHO IS A WORKING MOM WITH A TODDLER ENROLLED IN EARLY HEAD START PROGRAM AT EDUCARE.
BEING A WORKING MOM IS NOT EASY. BALANCING WORK, PARENTING, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN CAN BE OVERWHELMING, BUT ONE THING I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IS WHETHER MY CHILD IS IN GOOD HANDS BECAUSE HE'S AT EDUCARE.
EDUCARE IS A PLACE WHERE CHILDREN ARE LOVED AND RESPECTED.
THE TEACHERS AND STAFF ARE INCREDIBLY DEDICATED AND IT SHOWS EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THIS PROGRAM IS A LIFELINE. IT SUPPORTS WORKING PARENTS, EMPOWERS FAMILIES, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, GIVES OUR CHILDREN THE BEST POSSIBLE START. I ASK YOU TO CONTINUE INVESTING IN THIS INCREDIBLE PROGRAM.
WHEN YOU SUPPORT EARLY HEAD START AND YOU'RE NOT JUST SUPPORTING THE SPEAKER IS IRYNA.
AFTERNOON. I AM IRYNA, AND I WANT TO SHARE SALVADOR'S STORY.
WHEN HE WAS BORN, I WAS OVERJOYED, BUT WHEN OUR FAMILY LEARNED HE WAS AUTISTIC, IT WAS SHOCK.
I FELT LIKE THE GROUND HAD BEEN TAKEN FROM UNDER ME.
IT WAS HARD TO TELL MY HUSBAND, BUT TOGETHER WE DECIDED TO DO EVERYTHING WE COULD TO HELP SALVADOR.
THE HEAD START PROGRAM HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN HIS DEVELOPMENT.
HE IS A PROFESSIONAL AND KIND STAFF, HAVE NOT ONLY CARED FOR HIM, BUT ALSO LOVED HIM.
SALVADOR HAS THRIVED, STARTING CONVERSATIONS, DRAWING PICTURES, RIDING BICYCLE AND DRESSING HIMSELF.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR HEAD START DEDICATION AND EFFECTIVENESS.
I HOPE OTHER SPECIAL CHILDREN WILL HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED LIKE SALVADOR.
THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS AURORA STEVENS.
HELLO, SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION.
MY NAME IS AURORA STEVENS, AND I'M HERE TO HUMBLY REQUEST YOU CONSIDER APPROVING MY INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFER SO THAT I MAY BE ADMITTED INTO LEE HIGH SCHOOL WITHIN THE CAMPBELL UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT. THIS PLACEMENT WOULD BE.
[00:50:01]
INSTEAD OF ME ATTENDING DEL MAR HIGH SCHOOL WHEN MY SISTER WAS BORN, SHE WAS DIAGNOSED TO BE DEAF.I AM A WEB LEADER FOR THE INCOMING DHOH STUDENTS AS A PART OF WEB WHERE EVERYBODY BELONGS.
SIGN LANGUAGE HAS ALLOWED ME TO COMMUNICATE WITH A BROADER WITH A WITH A BROADER RANGE OF STUDENTS, AS WELL AS MY SISTER. BY GOING TO LEE, I WOULD BE ABLE TO PURSUE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE AND SUPPORT A COMMUNITY THAT I WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS IZZIE STEVENS.
HELLO. MY NAME IS IZZIE, AND I WOULD LIKE MY SISTER TO GO TO LEE HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE I WOULD BE NERVOUS ON MY FIRST DAY OF HIGH SCHOOL, AND SHE CAN HELP ME EVEN IF SHE CAN'T HELP ME.
IF SHE GOES, I WOULD GET A PROPER FEEL FOR THE CAMPUS WITH THE OPEN HOUSES.
MY SISTER IS A VERY GOOD STUDENT. ALWAYS A'S, AND IF SHE GOES TO LEAVE, SHE'LL GET A BETTER EDUCATION THAN OUR HOME HIGH SCHOOL AND SHE HAS A BETTER CHANCE TO PURSUE ANY JOB SHE WANTS, AND I WANT MY SISTER TO BE HAPPY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS LEE LANG.
YOU'VE HEARD FROM MY DAUGHTERS AS TO WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM. AS YOU MAY APPRECIATE, SIBLINGS OFTEN DO THE INVISIBLE WORK OF ADVOCACY AND MAKING ENVIRONMENTS TRULY INCLUSIVE, CREATING A COMMUNITY THAT WELCOMES THEM AND EASING DIFFICULT TRANSITIONS.
SEPARATING THEM WOULD PLACE AN UNNECESSARY BURDEN ON BOTH THE GIRLS AND OUR WHOLE FAMILY.
KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS TINA CHANG.
GOOD EVENING, TRUSTEES AND DR. TOWSON. MY NAME IS TINA CHANG, AND THIS IS EVAN.
MY SON, WHO IS A DEAF, DISABLED STUDENT AT OSTER.
THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS, FOR LISTENING TO OUR SERMONS WHEN WE BROUGHT THEM UP IN 2023, AND FOR THE PROVISION OF A CLASS AND TEACHER WHO WAS WELL TRAINED IN SERVING DEAF DISABLED STUDENTS DURING THE 24-25 SCHOOL YEAR. WE'VE SEEN TREMENDOUS PROGRESS THIS YEAR AND EVAN'S ACADEMICS, COMMUNICATION AND OVERALL WELL-BEING. SADLY, SCCOE HAS DECIDED TO CLOSE HIS CLASSROOM.
I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT TO SCCOE, MY CHILD IS A NUMBER AND NOT A KID WITH UNIQUE NEEDS.
OUR COMMUNITY VOICES ARE NOT BEING HEARD, AS ADMINISTRATORS HAVE PUSHED FORWARD AN INCLUSION AGENDA THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE OR CONSIDER LIVED EXPERIENCES OF FAMILIES OR EXPERTISE OF TEACHERS AND STAFF WHO WORK DIRECTLY WITH DEAF STUDENTS.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS SANDY BUKOWSKI. HELLO. I'M SANDY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, BUILT ON TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY, WORKING COLLABORATIVELY TOWARDS A COMMON GOAL TO SERVE STUDENTS.
WE HAVE ASKED FOR RATIONALE FOR 63 MILLION IN INCREASES MADE IN SECOND INTERIM.
STILL NO ANSWERS. WE KNOW THERE ARE MONIES IN THE BUDGET THAT COULD CHANGE DECISIONS MADE IN HASTE, WITHOUT THINKING THROUGH JUST WHO WOULD DO THE WORK OF THESE PEOPLE IN THEIR ABSENCE.
MADE WITHOUT DIVISION LEADERS WHO KNEW THEIR STAFF AND THE ROLES THAT THEY PLAYED? WE IMPLORE THE BOARD AND DR. TOSTON, SLOW DOWN.
ROLL BACK. THESE LAYOFFS TAKE TIME TO DO A DEEP ANALYSIS OF WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO.
WE HAVE TIME FOR THIS AND THE BUDGET ALLOWS FOR IT.
WE ARE THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION.
THE COMMUNITY NEEDS US. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CHRISTIAN RODRIGUEZ.
GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CHRISTIAN RODRIGUEZ, AND MY TEN PLUS YEARS IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.
[00:55:04]
TOO OFTEN, THESE CHOICES BENEFIT LEADERSHIP, NOT STUDENTS OR STAFF.SO WHY ISN'T THE SAME URGENCY AND CREATIVITY USED TO RETAIN CLASSIFIED STAFF? CLASSIFIED STAFF ARE THE BACKBONE OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
WITHOUT THEM, SCHOOL AND PROGRAMS CAN'T FUNCTION.
TRUSTEES, WHEN BUDGETS COME FORWARD, ASK THE HARD QUESTIONS.
DEMAND THE DATA. IF THERE'S NEW GRANT FUNDING, ASK TO SEE THE AWARD LETTERS.
NOT ALL GRANT FUND SPECIFIC POSITIONS. MANY FUND FTES.
IN THESE CASES, STAFFING DECISIONS ARE OFTEN UP TO THE LEA.
THANK YOU. THE LAST SPEAKER IS MICHELLE OLIVER.
HI, MICHELLE OLIVER, 26 YEAR TEACHER WITH THE COUNTY OFFICE AND PROUD TEACHER OF SALVADOR THERE.
THE STUDENTS DO NOT HAVE ANYWHERE TO GO. FAMILIES ARE ONLY NOW BEING TOLD THAT THIS CLASS WILL NOT BE THERE NEXT YEAR, EVEN THOUGH THIS BOARD AND THIS COUNTY OFFICE HAS KNOWN THAT FOR MONTHS.
NINE HEAD START. STAFF IN MY CLASS ALONE DO NOT KNOW IF THEY HAVE JOBS.
THEY ARE FACED WITH THE DECISION OF FINDING JOBS ELSEWHERE, WHICH LEAVES OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATION WITHOUT TRAINED AND COMPETENT STAFF THAT KNOW THEIR CHILDREN. HOW DOES THIS ALIGN WITH THE COUNTY OFFICE BEING A PREMIER EMPLOYER, OR WITH OUR MISSION TO PROVIDE QUALITY SUPPORT TO STUDENTS? DR. TOSTON, I ENJOYED MEETING YOU AND I TRUST THAT YOUR INSIGHT AND YOUR EXPERIENCE AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO LISTEN TO US WILL MOVE US BACK TOWARDS THE KIND OF COUNTY OFFICE WE NEED TO BE. I HOPE THAT INCLUDES PROVIDING STABILITY IN EARLY LEARNING AND INCLUDING INCLUSION.
THANK YOU. THIS CONCLUDES COMMENTS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE WILL GO TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM WHICH IS BARGAINING UNIT REPORTS.
[A. Bargaining Units' Reports]
PLEASE NOTE STATE LAW PROHIBITS THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION FROM DISCUSSING OR ACTING UPON NON-AGENDA ITEMS. WE WILL HAVE THE ONE THE FIVE MINUTE TIMER PLEASE.I'D LIKE TO INVITE THE PRESIDENT OR DESIGNEE OF THE SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION, SEIU. FORWARD. PLEASE CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME AND TITLE AND PRESENT YOUR COMMENTS.
HI, I'M SARAH GIANOCARO, SEIU CHAPTER PRESIDENT, REPRESENTING APPROXIMATELY 1100 PERMANENT STAFF AND 500 SUBSTITUTES, AND WE ARE DEFENDERS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION. HAPPY SEIU 521 DAY.
AS PROUD MEMBERS OF SEIU 521 AND SEIU INTERNATIONAL, OUR MEMBERS HAVE JOINED FORCES WITH OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING PARENTS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS, TO ADVOCATE FOR CRITICAL STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING THAT SUPPORT OUR PROGRAMS AND OUR COMMUNITIES.
THE BUDGET AND ENROLLMENT DATA DOES NOT SUPPORT EXTREME CUTS.
SCC HAS FAILED TO THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX, TO COLLABORATE AND TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT THE PROPOSED CUTS, ESPECIALLY IN THE GENERAL FUND. MANY OF OUR PROPOSALS, SUCH AS ALLOWING STAFF TO REMAIN ON THE REEMPLOYMENT LIST WHILE ALSO BEING ABLE TO RETIRE TO PROTECT THEIR RETIREMENT BENEFITS, WOULD PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF STAFF DURING LAYOFFS AND COST THE ORGANIZATION NOTHING.
CONCERNS REGARDING BUDGET ALLOCATIONS HAVE BEEN UNANSWERED, DESPITE REPEATED REQUESTS OVER THE LAST YEAR, AND ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT GOMES CLAIMED UNDER OATH THAT SHE HAS RESPONDED WHEN SHE HAS NOT AND SCCOE STILL HAS NOT PROVIDED THE DATA TO SUPPORT ITS FINANCIAL CLAIMS. OUR MEMBERS HAVE PROPOSED COST SAVING MEASURES, WHICH ARE BRUSHED ASIDE REAL SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS THE HIGH VACATION PAYOUTS AND MISSED THERAPY SERVICES. AT THE SAME TIME WITH AN OT TO PROVIDE COVERAGE HAVE BEEN IGNORED.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JENNIFER ANNE TESTIFIED THAT SHE DOESN'T HAVE ANY DATA, NOR DID SHE PRESENT ANY UNDERSTANDING OF THE DATA THAT DID EXIST TO JUSTIFY SEIU'S POSITION TO MAKE CUTS, ESPECIALLY TO THE PHYSICAL THERAPY AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY POSITIONS. IN ORDER TO REMAIN IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR CONTRACT WITH LAYOFFS, MANAGEMENT WILL ALSO BE FORCED TO ELIMINATE ALL CONTRACTORS, MEANING 30 STUDENTS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND SCHOOL.
THE FIX IS EASY. CREATE A POSITION CODE FOR EVERY STUDENT WHO REQUIRES AN LVN.
SCCOE'S REFUSING TO PROVIDE LEGALLY MANDATED PHYSICAL THERAPY SERVICES MIDYEAR TO STUDENTS THAT WE WERE SERVING AT DISTRICT'S REQUESTS THAT 0.5 FTE, COMBINED WITH THE 1.0 LAYOFF, MEANS THAT OVER 50 STUDENTS WILL NOT RECEIVE THERAPY SERVICES NEXT YEAR.
DISTRICTS CANNOT FIND CONTRACTORS TO SERVE THESE STUDENTS.
ONE DISTRICT WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN A PHYSICAL THERAPIST WHO WILL ONLY PROVIDE SERVICES VIRTUALLY, WHICH IS UNLIKELY TO MEET THE STUDENT'S NEEDS.
THE EDUCATION PROGRAM ANALYST POSITION HAS BEEN IN SPECIAL EDUCATION SINCE 2013, AND PERFORMS HIGHER LEVEL, STATE REQUIRED DATA WORK THAN THE REMAINING STUDENT SERVICES SPECIALIST POSITIONS CAN DO.
THIS WORK CANNOT BE TRANSFERRED TO A LOWER CLASSIFICATION OR TO MANAGEMENT.
INSTEAD, WHO'S GOING TO DO THE NECESSARY DATA WORK? THE RESEARCH ANALYST ASSOCIATES CONDUCT DATA ANALYSIS.
[01:00:03]
CREATE OR REVISE DATA COLLECTION SURVEYS. RESEARCH TOPICS FOR GRANTS.THIS WORK MUST CONTINUE AND SHOULD NOT BE ELIMINATED FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
SIMILARLY, THE CONFERENCE CENTER COORDINATOR IS ALSO A GENERAL FUND POSITION.
THERE IS NO PLAN OR ALTERNATE JOB DESCRIPTION THAT COULD COORDINATE ALL OF THE ROOM RESERVATIONS, AND HER WORKLOAD HAS BEEN INCREASING OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
EVEN THOUGH THEIR AVAILABLE FUNDS. ONE POSITIONS GRANT DOES NOT EXPIRE UNTIL THE END OF 2026, BUT IT'S STILL BEING ELIMINATED NOW. THE OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE POSITION COULD BE MORE THAN PRESERVED BY ELIMINATING ONE OF THE 15 HIGHLY PAID ADMINISTRATORS THAT ARE BEING RETAINED.
IN THE CASE OF LANGUAGE TRANSLATORS, WITH THE LAYOFFS, THERE WILL BE NO VIETNAMESE INTERPRETER ON STAFF, AND HALF OF HER WORK IS ALREADY OUTSIDE OF EARLY LEARNING SERVICES.
DR. TOSTON, PLEASE RESCIND THESE POSITIONS AND FOR ALL OF YOU AS WE MOVE INTO BUDGET DEVELOPMENT TIME, WE ASK THAT YOU ENSURE THAT STUDENTS IN THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE ARE PRIORITIZED IN THE BUDGET.
IN MOST CASES, THAT MEANS ENSURING THAT THE BUDGET SUPPORTS OUR STAFF.
WILL YOU STAND WITH ACE, PSWA AND SEIU TO DEFEND PUBLIC EDUCATION? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I WOULD NOW LIKE TO INVITE THE DESIGNEE OR PRESIDENT OF THE PSYCHOLOGIST AND SOCIAL WORKERS ASSOCIATION, PSWA FORWARD.
PLEASE CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME AND PRESENT YOUR COMMENTS.
WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT. POINT SEVEN OF A PSYCHOLOGIST POSITION WAS REINSTATED THAT WILL GREATLY IMPROVE HOW WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO OUR STUDENTS, AND WE APPRECIATE THE STEPS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN TAKEN TOWARDS TRANSPARENCY AND INCLUSION OF OUR GROUP.
WE DO APPRECIATE THAT YOU'VE ALREADY MET WITH ME AND GOTTEN TO HEAR ABOUT THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF THE PSYCHOLOGIST GROUP, AND HOW OUR ROLE WITHIN THE COUNTY OFFICE IS VERY UNIQUE.
WITH ALL THAT POSITIVE, THERE CONTINUES TO BE CONCERNS. THE THERAPEUTIC PROGRAM CONTINUES TO BE SLATED TO BE CLOSED, AND WE CONTINUE TO NOT KNOW APPROPRIATE PLACEMENTS FOR SEVERAL OF OUR STUDENTS.
IT'S VERY CONCERNING THAT THERE ARE LABELS ON THE FURNITURE IN OUR CLASSROOM, AND THAT WE KNOW WHERE THE FURNITURE IS GOING, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE STUDENTS ARE GOING OR THE STAFF. WITH ALL OF THAT BEING SAID SWA DID SUBMIT OUR SUNSHINE AGREEMENT AND ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO STARTING A FRUITFUL BARGAINING SESSION.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I WOULD NOW LIKE TO INVITE THE DESIGNEE OR PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY EDUCATORS, ACE, FORWARD. PLEASE CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME AND TITLE AND PRESENT YOUR COMMENTS.
RIJU KRISHNA, ACE PRESIDENT, DEFENDER OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS AND ESTEEMED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
DR. TOSTON, WELCOME TO SCCOE, A PLACE I VALUE AS MY HOME AWAY FROM HOME.
I HOPE YOU WILL ALSO TREAT THIS AS YOUR HOME.
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT SCCOE ISN'T JUST DISAPPOINTING, IT'S INDEFENSIBLE.
THE PROPOSED LAYOFFS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION ARE NOT ROOTED IN FISCAL NECESSITY.
THEY ARE BUILT ON FALSE DATA, FLAWED ASSUMPTIONS, AND AN ALARMING LACK OF TRANSPARENCY.
WE WERE TOLD 120 FEWER STUDENTS JUSTIFY THESE DRASTIC CUTS.
THAT FIGURE WAS WRONG. AS OF MAY 9TH, ENROLLMENT HAS DROPPED BY ONLY 67 STUDENTS.
THESE CUTS ARE NOT PROPORTIONAL, THEY'RE DEVASTATING, AND THEY TARGET THE VERY BACKBONE OF SPECIAL ED, THE HARD TO FILL, HIGH IMPACT ROLES THAT SERVE OUR MOST VULNERABLE LEARNERS.
CLASSROOMS ARE BEING SHUT DOWN, THERAPEUTIC SERVICES ARE VANISHING.
SCCOE STILL OWES THOUSANDS OF MISSED MINUTES AND OFFERING A SPEECH CAMP AS A SUBSTITUTE.
IT GETS WORSE. DISTRICTS ARE BEING TOLD NOT TO SEND REFERRALS FOR VISION SERVICES BECAUSE SCHOOL STAFF, AND YET SCCOE IS ACTIVELY SHUTTING THOSE VERY POSITIONS.
THE WORK EXISTS. THE STUDENTS NEED HELP. DISTRICTS ARE WILLING TO PAY.
WHEN IT COMES TO NURSING, THE NEED IS EQUALLY CLEAR.
STUDENTS WITH SPACS, WHICH IS SPECIALIZED HEALTHCARE PLANS, RELY ON LVNS AND CREDENTIALED NURSES.
[01:05:01]
OUR OWN ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT ONLY TWO SUCH STUDENTS WILL NOT RETURN NEXT YEAR.YET SCCOE IS CUTTING TWO SCHOOL NURSE POSITIONS.
THAT'S NOT NEED BASED, THAT'S NEGLIGENCE. WE WERE PROMISED LAID OFF STAFF WOULD BE PRIORITIZED BEFORE CONTRACTORS WERE REHIRED, YET CONTRACTORS ARE ALREADY RECEIVING RENEWED OFFERS FOR ESY AND FALL.
THAT IS NOT BUDGET DISCIPLINE. THAT IS BETRAYAL.
THESE ARE NOT LAYOFFS. THIS IS A DELIBERATE DISMANTLING OF THE STUDENTS SERVICES THAT WE OFFER.
THIS IS A DELIBERATE DISMANTLING OF SPECIAL EDUCATION, ALL CLOAKED IN MISDIRECTION.
BE A RUBBER STAMP OR BE A LEADER. COMPOUND HARM OR BEGIN TO REPAIR TRUST.
BECAUSE IF THE SHIP IS SINKING TODAY, IF OUR HOUSE IS BURNING TODAY, THEN THE ACTIONS TO SAVE IT MUST BE TAKEN TODAY, NOT AT SOME UNDEFINED POINT MOVING FORWARD. PLEASE REASON THESE LAYOFFS.
INSTEAD OF LISTING ALL THE GAZILLION REASONS IT CANNOT BE DONE.
FIND THE ONE REASON IT MUST AND CAN BE DONE. OUR STUDENTS ARE WAITING.
OUR EDUCATORS ARE WATCHING, AND YOUR LEGACY WILL BE DEFINED BY WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO DO NEXT.
WE ARE READY TO STAND BY YOU, BUT ARE YOU READY TO STAND WITH US? STUDENTS, STAFF, COMMUNITY, PARENTS, ACE, SEIU, PSWA.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THIS CONCLUDES OUR BARGAINING UNIT REPORTS.
[6. CONSENT ACTION ITEMS]
A THROUGH P. SO MOVED. THANK YOU. HAVE A MOTION FROM TRUSTEE PACHECHO AND A SECOND FROM TRUSTEE SPEISER.TRUSTEES, PLEASE VOTE IN BOARD DOCS.
LET US KNOW IF YOU NEED ANY VERBALS. THANK YOU, AND THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS SEVEN OUR ACTION ITEMS.
[A. Approval of the Budget Revisions for the Month of April 2025]
DR. TOSTON, WILL YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE THE ACTION ITEMS? YES. THANK YOU, PRESIDENT BERTA. THIS ACTION ITEM IS APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET REVISIONS FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 2025, AND WILL BE PRESENTED BY ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT STEPHANIE GOMEZ AND STAFF LAUREN NGUYEN.. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, SUPERINTENDENT TOSTON, PRESIDENT BERTA AND TRUSTEES.
THIS EVENING, I'LL BE GIVING AN OVERVIEW OF OUR APRIL 2025 BUDGET REVISIONS.
WE RECEIVED A TOTAL OF $75,100 IN THE MONTH OF APRIL.
THIS FUNDING WAS TO SUPPORT EDUCATOR GARDEN EDUCATION PROJECTS.
THERE WAS SOME FUNDING TO SUPPORT PARENT ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FORM OF A GRANT, AND WE ALSO RECEIVED ABOUT $5,000 FOR A WATER REFILL STATION GRANT AND THEN $11,000 FOR A TEACHER PERMIT APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.
THESE WERE THE INCREASES IN REVENUES FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL, AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT GOMEZ.
TRUSTEES, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? TRUSTEE SPEISER .
ONE OF THE EXPENDITURES WE HAVE IS $500,000 IN LEGAL FEES.
I'D LOVE TO HAVE A BREAKDOWN AS TO WHAT THOSE LEGAL FEES ARE.
I'D REALLY LIKE A BREAKDOWN, HISTORICALLY, OF OUR LEGAL FEES OVER THE LAST YEAR AND WHAT IT COMPARED TO IN, SAY, PRIOR YEARS. THANK YOU DR.. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
[01:10:09]
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DRIVERS, BUT FOR PRIMARY, WE'VE HAD A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF REQUESTS FOR PUBLIC RECORDS IN THE YEARS 2018 TO 2023, TOTALING 118 PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS.IN 24-25, WE HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED 96 REQUESTS FOR PUBLIC RECORDS, SOME AS A RESULT OF LITIGATION, OTHERS RELATED TO EMPLOYMENT ACTIONS OR COMMUNITY INTEREST.
THIS HAS BEEN A UNIQUE YEAR AS IT RELATES TO PERSONNEL MATTERS CONNECTED TO LAYOFFS, AS WELL AS SOME INTERNAL INVESTIGATIONS OF STAFF, AND ALSO PENDING LITIGATION THAT THE ORGANIZATION NEEDED TO BE RESPONSIVE TO OR ACTUAL LITIGATION, AS WELL AS MATTERS RELATED TO CHARTER SCHOOL RENEWALS AND OTHER TOPICS.
I'LL TURN TO ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT GOMEZ FOR ANY ADDITIONAL CLARITY OR DETAILS.
NO, THAT WAS A GREAT SUMMARY. THANK YOU, DR. TOSTON.
RECOGNIZING WE CAN'T PREDICT WHEN THE NEXT UNIQUE YEAR WILL COME OUR WAY.
SOME OF THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE ALREADY PLANNING TO MANAGE OUR COST FOR LEGAL SERVICES IN THE FUTURE ARE WE'RE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY IN REVISING OUR CONTRACTS AND REDUCING THE NUMBER OF FIRMS THAT STAFF HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH.
WE ARE LOOKING AT OPTIONS TO BRING SOME OF THE INVESTIGATIONS IN-HOUSE.
FOR MORE ROUTINE MATTERS. WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR LABOR PARTNERS OR WE'LL BE WORKING WITH OUR LABOR PARTNERS TO BE MORE PROACTIVE IN SHARING THE INFORMATION, AND ADDITIONALLY, WE WILL BE BUILDING IN TRAINING FOR ADMINISTRATORS OVER THE SUMMER.
RELATED TO BEING ABLE TO HAVE THE CAPACITY TO MANAGE SOME LOWER LEVEL INVESTIGATIONS, AND SO A NUMBER OF STRATEGIES THAT WE ARE PLANNING IN THE FUTURE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE AREAS AND RECOGNIZING AS A PUBLIC AGENCY, IF WE HAVE POTENTIAL LITIGATION BROUGHT OUR WAY, THERE IS THE OBLIGATION TO RESPOND. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. TRUSTEE LARI, AND YOU PROBABLY DON'T HAVE THIS INFORMATION RIGHT NOW, BUT I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW WHAT KIND OF BUDGET ALLOCATION DO WE ANTICIPATE IN THE COMING MONTHS ALSO? AND WHAT ARE WE DOING TO PREPARE FOR IT? JUST ONE CLARIFYING QUESTION. IS IT BUDGET ALLOCATION RELATED TO LEGAL FEES? YES, EXACTLY. OKAY. I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION AT THIS TIME, BUT I WILL MAKE A NOTE.
THANK YOU. OKAY. YOU'RE WELCOME. WE ARE ANTICIPATING THE LEGAL COSTS WILL OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NEAR THE END OF THE YEAR AND THESE ARE INVOICES THAT HAVE ARE COMING IN FROM THE PREVIOUS MONTHS. FOR EXAMPLE, WE JUST FINISHED THE HEARINGS RELATED TO PERSONNEL ACTIONS.
TRUSTEE SREEKRISHNAN. YEAH, I REALLY APPRECIATE BOTH OF THOSE QUESTIONS, AND , YOU KNOW APPRECIATE YOU, DR. TOSTON, FOR WHAT YOU HAVE JUST SAID TO ABOUT TRYING TO WORK ON, YOU KNOW CONSOLIDATING AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE BROUGHT UP BEFORE THAT I THINK THAT YOU KNOW, WE'VE BROUGHT ON MORE COUNSEL AND SWITCHED COUNSEL AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THE ISSUE IS WE NEED I DON'T THINK WE NEED MORE LAWYERS, AND SO APPRECIATE WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM, AND YOU KNOW, I JUST HOPE THAT WE CAN TRY TO MINIMIZE SOME OF THOSE COSTS, AND FOR THAT REASON, I WILL BE VOTING NO ON THIS ITEM. THANK YOU.
TRUSTEES, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OH, COUNCIL [INAUDIBLE]. TRUSTEE LARI AND SUPERINTENDENT, I DO HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOUR QUESTION.
THEY DO INCLUDE THE LAYOFFS, WHICH INVOLVED A NUMBER OF HEARINGS OVER SEVERAL DAYS THAT WE HAD TO PAY FOR, AS WELL AS WRAPPING UP LITIGATION. WE HAD TWO VERY WELL, THREE VERY UNIQUE PIECES OF LITIGATION THIS YEAR THAT COST US ROUGHLY 4 TO $500,000, DEPENDING ON WHICH CASE THEY ARE, AND WE ANTICIPATE TRUSTEE SREEKRISHNAN THAT THOSE EXPENSES WILL NOT BE INCLUDED NEXT YEAR, AND THAT THOSE FIRMS WILL NO LONGER BE NEEDED.
[01:15:05]
THANK YOU. TRUSTEE SREEKRISHNAN THANK YOU, AND I'M GLAD THAT AT LEAST WHAT I THINK I'M HEARING IS A LOT OF THIS CAN COME TO A CLOSE, AND WANNA ALSO SAY, YOU KNOW, YOUR PART, WHAT YOU HAD MENTIONED ABOUT ALL THE INVESTIGATIONS.I'M HOPING ALL OF THAT WE CAN MOVE PAST ALL OF THAT.
SO, THANK YOU. I CAN. THE INVESTIGATIONS ARE DRIVEN BY THE PUBLIC, AND THEY ARE COMPLAINTS FILED BY EMPLOYEES AGAINST EMPLOYEES OR BY THE PUBLIC AGAINST SOMEONE WITHIN THE AGENCY. THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF COMPLAINTS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND UNDER THE UNIFORM COMPLAINT ACT OR ANY OTHER ACT THAT WE LAW THAT WE HAVE TO COMPLY WITH, WE HAVE TO RESPOND TO THEM.
I APPRECIATE THAT NOT SAYING WE SHOULDN'T RESPOND TO THOSE.
I'M MORE SO I'M TALKING ABOUT THE ONES THAT THIS BOARD HAS INITIATED, BUT THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM TRUSTEES REGARDING THE BUDGET REVISIONS? ALL RIGHT. HEARING NONE, I WILL ACCEPT A MOTION ON THIS ITEM.
I MOVE TO APPROVE. A MOTION FROM VICE PRESIDENT CHON.
I SECOND. WAS THAT TRUSTEE SREEKRISHNAN? THANK YOU.
OR NO, TRUSTEE SPEISER, THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
TRUSTEES IF YOU CAN VOTE IN BOARD DOCS.
THAT MOTION PASSES WITH SIX YESES AND ONE NO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT ACTION ITEM SEVEN B.
[B. Head Start/Early Head Start Carryover Funds for 2024-25]
DR. TOSTON, WOULD YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE THIS ITEM? THANK YOU, PRESIDENT BERTA. THIS ACTION ITEM, THE HEAD START EARLY HEAD START CARRYOVER FUNDS FOR 24-25 WILL BE PRESENTED BY DR.KRISTEN LEE, MANAGER OF EARLY LEARNING, PLANNING AND SUPPORT.
THANK YOU, DR. LEE. GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT BERTA TRUSTEES AND DR.
TOSTON, SUPERINTENDENT OF COUNTY SCHOOLS. THANK YOU.
THIS EVENING, I'M REQUESTING FOR YOUR APPROVAL REGARDING THE SUBMISSION TO THE OFFICE OF HEAD START.
A CARRYOVER REQUEST FOR THE 24-25 SCHOOL YEAR.
SO, TO PROVIDE CONTEXT, WE CURRENTLY HAVE APPROXIMATELY $5.5 MILLION IN HEAD START AND $7.4 MILLION IN EARLY HEAD START ACCRUED BETWEEN PI ONE AND PI FOUR, WHICH IS PROGRAM YEAR ONE AND PROGRAM YEAR FOUR.
OF THESE, DOLLARS WERE REQUESTING APPROXIMATELY $2 MILLION.
THERE ARE MANY FACTORS THAT ARE TIED TO SPENDING CARRYOVER FUNDS.
CARRYOVER FUNDS CAN BE USED ONLY FOR ONE TIME USE SPENDING, AND CANNOT BE USED FOR SALARY OR FRINGE.
IN ADDITION, FUNDS ONCE APPROVED, THEY NEED TO BE OBLIGATED BEFORE THE FISCAL YEAR CLOSES AND THE FUNDS MUST BE SPENT OR EXECUTED WITHIN A VERY SPECIFIC TIME FRAME. AS YOU WILL SEE IN THE NEXT SLIDE, MAKING MAJOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS VERY CHALLENGING.
SO FOR OUR TIMELINE, WE DID GET PC BOARD APPROVAL LAST MONTH, AND WE HOPE THAT WITH TONIGHT'S APPROVAL THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO QUICKLY TURN AROUND AND REQUEST THE CARRYOVER TO THE OFFICE OF HEAD START.
ONCE THE OFFICE OF HEAD START PROVIDES US APPROVAL, WE WILL BE OBLIGATING FUNDS BY THE END OF JUNE, AND WE PLAN TO REQUEST FOR A LIQUIDATION EXTENSION, WHICH ALLOWS US FOR MORE TIME TO SPEND DOWN THOSE FUNDS.
SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, MOST OF THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE REQUESTING FALLS UNDER SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT, WITH APPROXIMATELY $2 MILLION IN HEAD START AND $5,500 IN EARLY HEAD START, AND FOR SUPPLIES LARGE LARGELY, MOST OF THE FUNDS ARE BEING USED FOR RECRUITMENT FOR OUR NEXT YEARS TO COME.
WE'RE BEING VERY HOPEFUL, AND WE HOPE TO ALSO UTILIZE FUNDS TO ENHANCE AND SUPPORT OUR PROGRAMING IN THE AREAS OF PARENT ENGAGEMENT, HEALTH, SAFETY AND EDUCATION FOR EQUIPMENT. WE HOPE TO USE THESE FUNDS TO REPLACE VEHICLES THAT ARE BEING USED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO OUR HEAD START FACILITIES AND SITES, AS WELL AS TO BE ABLE TO CREATE AN ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEM,
[01:20:02]
AND ALSO TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL OUTDOOR PLAY SETS THAT FALL UNDER THE BUDGET CATEGORY OF EQUIPMENT.ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, TRUSTEES.
I'LL START WITH VICE PRESIDENT CHON AND THEN TRUSTEE SREEKRISHNAN AND THEN TRUSTEE SPEISER.
IS THIS LIKE A SECURITY SYSTEM OR WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? SO WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT IS INSTEAD OF HAVING A KEY SYSTEM IN WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE COLLECTING LIKE HUNDREDS OF KEYS EVERY YEAR AND ISSUING THEM BACK OUT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, MAKING A LOT OF LOCK REPLACEMENTS. WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS HAVE AN ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEM SO THAT ALL TEACHING STAFF OR EVEN CONTRACTORS, WE CAN ACTUALLY PROVIDE A KEY FOB OR AN ACCESS CARD SO THAT THERE IS BETTER ACCESS AND EASE OF ACCESS FOR OUR TEACHING STAFF AND POTENTIALLY OUR FAMILIES. WHILE WE'RE ABLE TO QUICKLY RESTRICT ACCESS TO ANY CONTRACTORS OR ANY OTHER PROVIDERS THAT MIGHT COME.
OKAY, GREAT, AND THEN GIVEN THAT THIS IS A CARRYOVER FUNDING JUST FOR 24-25, WHAT IS TO HAPPEN IF YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'RE STILL WAITING ON OUR FEDERAL FUNDING, BUT YOU KNOW, WORST CASE SCENARIO WE DON'T GET THAT FUNDING.
THEN WHAT HAPPENS TO ALL THIS. SO THIS IS TIED TO THIS FISCAL YEAR, AND SO WE WILL STILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO SPEND DOWN, BUT I ANTICIPATE THAT IT WOULDN'T MAKE A LOT OF FEASIBLE SENSE TO INSTALL AN ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEM IF WE WERE TO NOT BE GRANT AWARDED. SO EVEN IF POSSIBLY WE WERE TO BE APPROVED OF THE CARRYOVER, IF IN THE POSSIBILITY THAT WE DO NOT GET THE GRANT AWARD, IT WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE IN OUR BEST INTEREST TO USE FEDERAL FUNDS IN A WAY THAT'S WASTEFUL.
OKAY, AND THEN DO WE HAVE A PLAN FOR HOW THAT'S GOING TO GO OR WILL THAT COME BACK, COME TO THE BOARD LATER, THEN? YES, WE WILL ALWAYS INFORM THE BOARD PRIOR TO ANY MOVEMENT THAT WE MAKE.
SO THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL. I WANT TO CLARIFY. I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY.
SO I BELIEVE YOUR QUESTION WAS STATING IF WE GET BAD NEWS FROM THE FEDS, WE WOULD THEN COME BACK TO THE BOARD TO GO THROUGH WHATEVER PROCESS WE NEED TO CLOSE DOWN THE GRANT AND STOP THE EXPENDITURES AND FILE THE, I GUESS, THE FINAL REPORTS FOR OUR GRANT YEAR.
OKAY. THANK YOU. TRUSTEE SREEKRISHNAN THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR.
LEE, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, AND SO JUST THINKING ABOUT THIS, IF I'M LOOKING AT IT CORRECTLY, IT LOOKS LIKE THE FUNDS ARE BEING USED ON SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT, AND CAN EITHER DR.
LEE OR DR. TOSTON SPEAK TO IF THERE'S FLEXIBILITY TO USE THESE FUNDS FOR STAFF OR STAFF RETENTION OR YOU KNOW STIPENDS OR THINGS FOR STAFF BASED ON, BASED ON THE RESEARCH THAT WE'VE DONE AND THE REGULATIONS, WE CAN'T USE IT FOR PERSONNEL RELATED COSTS. THESE ARE INTENDED TO BE AS I UNDERSTAND IT, SUPPLEMENTAL CAPITAL PROJECTS, BUYING MATERIALS AND TO NOT BE USED FOR STAFF.
OKAY. YEAH, I THINK THIS HAD COME UP AT PREVIOUS CARRYOVER DISCUSSIONS, BUT I WANTED TO ASK SO THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS FOR NOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. TRUSTEE SPEISER. I BASICALLY WANTED TO REITERATE THE QUESTION, OR I WAS GOING TO ASK THE SAME QUESTION SHE DID.
JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS CLEAR. ALSO IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT IF WE DON'T GET TO SPEND IT, IT JUST GOES BACK TO THE TO THE GOVERNMENT. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE HAVE THAT $1.2 MILLION OR WHATEVER, THE $2 MILLION IN OUR COFFERS. IT JUST LITERALLY GOES BACK TO THEM.
I WANT TO REITERATE THAT IT'S NOT IT DOESN'T STAY IN OUR COFFERS AT ALL.
IT GOES BACK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. THANK YOU.
HOW'S THE NO FISCAL IMPACT TO OUR GENERAL FUND IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? CORRECT. IT IS. WE ARE. HEAD START IS FULLY FUNDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
DR. LEE, I'LL CHECK MY UNDERSTANDING. THIS GRANT IS ALSO BASED ON REIMBURSEMENT, AND SO IF WE WERE GOING TO USE THE CARRYOVER DOLLARS, WE WOULD IF APPROVED, IF WE HAD AN ONGOING GRANT, WE WOULD BEGIN EXPENDING THE DOLLARS, BUT WE HAVE THE ELIGIBILITY TO BE REIMBURSED BY THE
[01:25:01]
FEDS FOR THE COST THAT THEY APPROVE WITH OUR CARRYOVER? CAN YOU SAY THAT IN A DIFFERENT WAY? WE DON'T RECEIVE THE FUNDS UNTIL WE HAVE DEMONSTRATED PROOF THAT WE'VE EXPENDED THE FUNDS.SO WE'RE REIMBURSED FOR OUR EXPENDITURES FOR THE PROGRAM.
IS THAT NOT NECESSARILY. OKAY, BUT I WILL GET BACK TO THE BOARD REGARDING THIS IN MORE SPECIFICS WITH THE REGULATIONS SO THAT IT'S MUCH CLEARER, I BELIEVE. ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT GOMEZ. JUST A COUPLE POINTS OF CLARIFICATION.
SO WHEN WE GET THE GRANT AWARD ALLOCATIONS IT GIVES US THE AMOUNT OF ALLOCATION THAT WE'RE ELIGIBLE TO SPEND, BUT WE DON'T PHYSICALLY GET FUNDING. WE HAVE TO INCUR THE EXPENSES, AND WHAT WE DO IS ONCE WE INCUR THE EXPENSES, WE HAVE TO DO DRAWDOWN REQUESTS WHERE WE HAVE TO SEEK REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO IT'S NOT PHYSICAL MONEY THAT WE HAVE ON HAND, AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THESE CARRYOVERS, BECAUSE WE DON'T FULLY EXPEND OUR GRANT AWARD IN THE CURRENT YEAR.
SO I WANTED TO PROVIDE CLARIFICATION. YEAH. SORRY.
TRUSTEE PACHECHO. I GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS. SO IS THERE A DEADLINE AS TO WHEN WE HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE THE EXPENDITURES FOR REIMBURSEMENT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? IS IT JUNE 30TH? YEAH, OUR GRANT YEAR IS JUNE 30TH, SO WE HAVE TO HAVE ALL OF OUR EXPENDITURES INCURRED BY THAT TIME PERIOD, AND SO THAT'S BECAUSE THAT'S THE END OF THE GRANT TERM.
SO FOR OUR END OF OUR FIVE YEAR GRANT THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY END JUNE 30TH IS THE LAST DAY TO HAVE ANY EXPENDITURES INCURRED, AND THEN WE HAVE LIKE A 90 DAY PROCESS TO PAY ALL OUR INVOICES AND DO EVERYTHING, BUT ANY EXPENDITURES BEYOND JUNE 30TH WOULD BE INELIGIBLE AND WE WOULD NOT GET REIMBURSEMENT FOR THEM. SO IN ORDER TO AVOID WASTEFUL SPENDING OF FEDERAL DOLLARS MOST LIKELY THERE'S A CHANCE THAT WE'LL FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT OUR NEXT GRANT CYCLE FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AFTER JUNE 30TH, POSSIBLY, IF THAT. IS THAT A POSSIBLE SCENARIO? IT'S POSSIBLE. I KNOW THAT THE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION, FROM OUR MEETING THAT WE HAD RECENTLY, THEY ARE WORKING TO TRY TO PRIORITIZE THE GRANT APPLICATIONS.
THERE ALSO WAS A MENTION ABOUT THESE REQUESTS.
WE'RE HOPEFUL TO GET AN UPDATE PRIOR TO JULY 1ST, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY CERTAINTY AS OF MONDAY OF THIS WEEK, BUT WE DO KEEP CHECKING IN. YEAH. MY LAST QUESTION IS, SO IN THE EVENT THAT WE DON'T RECEIVE NOTIFICATION, YOU KNOW, BY JULY 1ST GOING BACK TO THAT QUESTION, ARE WE JUST GOING TO ESSENTIALLY CANCEL EXPENDING THIS MONEY THAT IS ESSENTIALLY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE FUTURE OF A PROGRAM? SO THAT WOULD BE A SEPARATE REQUEST. SO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THIS REQUEST WILL GO THROUGH AS A CARRYOVER REQUEST.
IT ALSO NEEDS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S APPROVAL, AND SO BASED ON THE CONVERSATION WE HAD WITH THE REGIONAL GROUP ON MONDAY, THEY'RE GOING TO PRIORITIZE OUR [INAUDIBLE] APPLICATION FIRST, AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THESE SECONDARY.
SO I MY HOPE WOULD BE WE WOULD KNOW ABOUT THE CURRENT YEAR FUNDS FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR FIRST BEFORE THEY WOULD PROCESS THIS THIS KIND OF WHAT OUR UNDERSTANDING WAS WHEN WE LEFT THAT MEETING ON MONDAY. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME.
I DID I DON'T KNOW IF TRUSTEE LARI HAD HER HAND UP OR.
OKAY. IT WAS TRUSTEE SPEISER. IT WAS JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
HOW DO WE SHOW THAT WE HAVE INCURRED SAY, BY JUNE 30TH? SO WHAT WE WOULD DO IS WE WOULD HAVE ALL OF OUR EXPENDITURES.
WE WOULD HAVE INVOICES WITH INVOICE DATES THAT WOULD SHOW THAT.
SO WE HAVE OUR INTERNAL PROCESSES AND THEN WE DO OUR REIMBURSEMENT. WE HAVE TO UPLOAD IT IN THE FEDERAL SYSTEM, AND THEN NOW THEY STARTED THIS REVIEW PROCESS WHERE THEY CAN ASK QUESTIONS AND GET SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION. SO THAT'S HOW WE MANAGE THAT AS PART OF OUR FISCAL YEAR END CLOSE PROCESS FOR 24-25.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME. TRUSTEE SREEKRISHNAN.
YEAH, JUST TO CLARIFY. SO FOR THIS LIKE, SAY FOR THE VAN, FOR INSTANCE, WE WOULD ONLY PAY FOR IT IF WE KNOW HEAD STARTS BEING RENEWED. OR DO WE HAVE? WILL WE HAVE A SCENARIO WHERE WE HAVE AN EMPTY VAN LYING AROUND AND WE DON'T HAVE HEAD START? OR IS IT DO WE PAY FOR IT AFTER YOU WOULD HAVE TO GET THE APPROVAL FIRST, AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE TIME TO USE THE FUNDS TO PURCHASE THESE ITEMS, AND THEN WE WOULD SEEK THE REIMBURSEMENT AFTER.
OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. JUST A QUICK CLARIFICATION ON MY END.
[01:30:02]
POTENTIAL AREAS OF NEED. SO A LOT OF THESE CAME FROM OUR COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT, AND AT THAT TIME WE DID EXPLAIN A LOT OF OR WE DID GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM OUR POLICY COUNCIL, AND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THEY'VE NEVER NOT BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE US ANY FEEDBACK ON WHAT THEY THINK ARE IMPORTANT ASPECTS, AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WE DID USE.THANK YOU. I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT, AND JUST EVEN IN THE FUTURE, HOPEFULLY AS SOON AS WE GET OUR GRANT TO CONTINUE TO BUILD THAT FEEDBACK CYCLE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE AREAS THAT OUR STAFF AND PARENTS ACTUALLY THINK ARE THE GREATEST AREA OF NEEDS? OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WITH THE EXPERTISE OF OUR LEADERS AS WELL, BUT REALLY INCLUDING THAT PERSPECTIVE AND THAT VOICE IN THE PROCESS AND THEN THE OTHER THING, I JUST WANT TO BE SUPER SURE THAT THIS IS THE RIGHT INFORMATION IN TERMS OF THE CARRYOVER FUNDS.
IS THERE A FEASIBILITY FOR THESE FUNDS TO BE USED TO BRIDGE ANY TYPE OF GAP, GIVEN THE UNCERTAINTY WE HAVE IN TIMING FOR POSITIONS OR FOR FOR STAFF? NO. SO ON THE ON THE PRESENTATION, THERE WAS THOSE SPECIFIC OBJECT CODES.
SO WHEN WE SUBMIT THIS TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE EXPENDITURES WE INCUR HAVE TO ALIGN TO THOSE EXPENDITURE OBJECT CODES, AND SO THERE WERE SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT IT WOULD NOT BE ALLOWABLE TO DO SALARIES AND FRINGE BENEFITS.
OKAY, I HOPE WE CAN CONTINUE TO EXPLORE ALL ALL OPTIONS ON THIS.
THANK YOU FOR FOR ALL THE INFORMATION. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS I MISSED? ALL RIGHT. TRUSTEES, I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE.
SO MOVED. THE MOTION FROM TRUSTEE LARI AND A SECOND FROM TRUSTEE ROCHA.
TRUSTEES, PLEASE VOTE IN BOARD DOCS.
THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. GOING TO OUR NEXT ITEM.
[C. Head Start/Early Head Start Budget Revision for Program Year 5]
DR. JOHNSON, WILL YOU INTRODUCE THE NEXT ACTION ITEM, PLEASE? THIS ACTION ITEM THE HEAD START EARLY HEAD START STATE BUDGET REVISION FOR PROGRAM YEAR FIVE WILL BE PRESENTED BY DR.LEE, MANAGER OF EARLY LEARNING, PLANNING AND SUPPORT.
GOOD EVENING AGAIN, PRESIDENT BERTA, TRUSTEES AND DR.
TOSTON SUPERINTENDENT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR APPROVAL FOR THE CARRYOVER REQUEST.
WE ARE NOW REQUESTING FOR YOUR APPROVAL TO PROCEED WITH ASKING FOR A BUDGET REVISION FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR IN P5 OR PROGRAM YEAR 5 FOR 24-25. THE BUDGET REVISION WAS APPROVED BY PC LAST MONTH, AND SO, AGAIN, WE HOPE TO GAIN YOUR APPROVAL SO WE CAN SUBMIT OUR REQUEST AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO THE OFFICE OF HEAD START.
ONCE WE SUBMIT OUR REQUEST TO THE OFFICE OF HEAD START, AND ONCE WE RECEIVE THEIR APPROVAL, WE'LL BE ABLE TO OBLIGATE FUNDS BY JUNE 30TH.
SO TO PROVIDE CONTEXT, THERE ARE TWO INSTANCES IN WHICH A BUDGET REVISION OCCURS.
ONE IS IF ANY DOLLAR AMOUNT MOVES IN AND OUT OF THE EQUIPMENT CATEGORY, AND THEN THE SECOND CASE IS WHEN THERE IS A SUMMATIVE TOTAL OF $250,000 THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THAT GETS SHIFTED BETWEEN BUDGET CATEGORIES.
SO WE HOPE TO TAKE THE UNEARNED BALANCE AWARD FROM PERSONNEL AND SUPPLIES THAT TOTAL APPROXIMATELY $1.26 MILLION AND REALLOCATE THEM TO FRINGE EQUIPMENT, CONTRACTUAL AND OTHER. SO TAKING INTO ACCOUNT PROJECTIONS OF SUBSTITUTES AND THEIR PAY, AS WELL AS EXTRA AND OVERTIME, THE UNEARNED AWARD BALANCE ALLOWS US TO INCREASE THE FRINGE CATEGORY AND REDUCE OUT OF OUR
[01:35:05]
PERSONNEL. AND THIS HELPS US TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE POSSIBILITY OF NEEDING TO PROVIDE VACATION PAYOUTS TO STAFF AT THE END OF OUR FISCAL YEAR.ALSO, WE HAD PURCHASED EQUIPMENT AND WE HAVE THAT REMAINDER LEFT IN OUR BUDGET TO ALSO PAY.
LASTLY, THE CURRENT BUDGET DOES NOT REFLECT CERTAIN CONTRACTUAL INCREASES, LARGELY FROM OUR PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE WITH OUR PARTNER KIDANGO AND AN INCREASE IN ANOTHER SERVICE CONTRACT THAT FOCUSES ON SOME BEHAVIORAL SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND STAFF.
LASTLY, WE HOPE TO ALLOCATE ADDITIONAL REMAINING FUNDS TO THE OTHER CATEGORY TO ACCOUNT FOR REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENTS TO ENSURE OUR PROGRAM CONTINUES TO HAVE FACILITIES THAT EXEMPLIFY QUALITY. QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. TRUSTEES, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM? TRUSTEE SREEKRISHNAN. THANK YOU. SO COULD YOU GO A BIT DEEPER INTO THE FUNDING FOR PERSONNEL THAT'S BEING CUT, LIKE, EXACTLY WHAT IT IS GOING TO RIGHT NOW? YES. SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S UNEARNED AWARD BALANCE, WHICH MEANS THAT'S THE COST SAVINGS.
SO MONEY THAT ISN'T OBLIGATED. SO WITHIN OUR CURRENT YEAR, WE HAVE ALREADY OBLIGATED SALARIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO ALL OF THE STAFF THAT ARE CURRENTLY HERE UNTIL THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, SO WE'RE NOT TOUCHING THAT MONEY. ALL THE MONIES THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT READJUSTING OUR MONIES IN OUR UNEARNED AWARD BALANCE, WHICH MEANS THOSE ARE MONIES THAT HAVEN'T NECESSARILY BEEN CONNECTED OR TIED TO A SPECIFIC CONTRACT, OR TO A SPECIFIC PC, OR TO A SPECIFIC TO ANYTHING.
SO THAT'S WHY WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO IS UTILIZE THAT MONEY AGAIN FOR OUR STAFF BY BEING ABLE TO REALLOCATE THEM INTO OUR FRINGE IN THE CASE THAT WE WILL HAVE TO DO A VACATION PAYOUT, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MEETING OUR OBLIGATIONS TO OUR STAFF.
THANK YOU. I HAD A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THE ON THE LAST SLIDE RELATED TO THE CONTRACTORS.
SO TYPICALLY WHAT WE HEAD START ALSO ENCOURAGES US TO CREATE PARTNERSHIPS, AND SO ONE OF THE WAYS IN WHICH WE ALSO DO THIS IS BY WORKING WITH DIFFERENT AGENCIES THAT CAN PROVIDE SERVICES, LONGER DAYS OF CARE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND SO WE HAVE HISTORICALLY PARTNERED WITH NONPROFIT AGENCIES LIKE KIDANGO AND SJB TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES IN OUR SERVICE AREA, AND SO THEY CURRENTLY HAVE CONTRACTED 100 STUDENTS, AND AT THIS TIME IT IS TO OUR BENEFIT, GIVEN THE NUMBER OF PERSONNEL AND NUMBER OF SPACES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WE HAVE.
THANK YOU. TRUSTEE LARI. COULD YOU SPEAK TO SOME OF THE REASONS WHY THERE WOULD BE A REMAINING UNEARNED AWARD BALANCE? SURE. IN WHICH AREA? IN ANY. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN OUR PERSONNEL, WE HAVE AN AWARD BALANCE BECAUSE WE HAD THIS YEAR, IF YOU ALL RECALL, WE WENT THROUGH A NO COST ENROLLMENT REDUCTION, WHICH MEANS THAT WE HAD DROPPED IN, WE REDUCED THE NUMBER OF ENROLLMENTS WE HAD, RIGHT.
BUT WE KEPT THE SAME FUNDING AWARD AMOUNT. SO WHEN WE DECREASE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS, YOU DON'T NECESSARILY NEED ALL THE TEACHER POSITIONS, AND SO WHAT WE WHAT THAT UNEARNED AWARD BALANCE HAS IN THERE PARTIALLY IS THINGS LIKE VACANT POSITIONS THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THOSE CLASSROOMS DUE TO THE REDUCTION IN ENROLLMENT.
AND HEARING NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM SO I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION.
A MOTION FROM TRUSTEE PACHECHO TO SECOND AND A SECOND FROM TRUSTEE SPEISER.
[01:40:01]
TRUSTEES, PLEASE VOTE IN BOARD DOCS.THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. WE'LL GO TO OUR NEXT ACTION ITEM.
[D. Request for Approval of the Student Recruitment Plan]
DR. TOSTON, WILL YOU INTRODUCE THE FINAL ITEM? YES. THE FINAL ITEM IS. THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM IS A REQUEST FOR APPROVAL FOR THE STUDENT RECRUITMENT PLAN TO AGAIN BE PRESENTED BY DR.LEE. MY FINAL GOOD EVENING TO YOU, PRESIDENT BERTA AND TRUSTEES AND DR.
TOSTON, SUPERINTENDENT OF COUNTY SCHOOLS. SO THIS PRESENTATION IS THE FUN ONE.
SO IN HEAD START, THE CONTINUITY OF ENROLLMENT IS A VERY IMPORTANT FACET TO OPERATIONS.
SO UNDER THE HEAD START PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND HEAD START ACT, THE GRANTEE IS REQUIRED TO MEET FULL ENROLLMENT, WHICH ALSO MEANS YOU NEED TO BE 100% OF YOUR FUNDED ENROLLMENT.
AND YOU ALSO HAVE TO MAKE EFFORTS IN MAINTAINING A HEALTHY WAIT LIST.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE GRANTEE IS REQUIRED TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A RECRUITMENT PROCESS TO REACH OUT TO FAMILIES WITH THE HIGHEST NEED, ESPECIALLY IN NEED OF OUR SERVICES WITHIN OUR SERVICE AREAS IN SANTA CLARA AND SAN BENITO COUNTY.
SO FINALLY, IN ACCORDANCE TO THE HEAD START AND HEAD START ACT AND HEAD START PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS, IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE GOVERNING BODY TO ESTABLISH PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA FOR RECRUITMENT, SELECTION AND ENROLLMENT OF CHILDREN. SO TO THAT END, WE WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH OUR ANTICIPATED PLANS OF THE EARLY LEARNING SERVICES AND MEETING OUR FULL ENROLLMENT FOR 25-26, AND AGAIN, THIS IS CONTINGENT UPON OUR GRANT AWARD BEING FUNDED.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON RECRUITING IN OUR SERVICE AREAS IDENTIFIED BY OUR COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT, WHICH IS IN EAST SAN JOSE, GILROY AND HOLLISTER, AND AS MANY OF OUR PROGRAM OPTIONS ARE FULL YEAR ROUND SERVICES, WE DO PLAN TO DO RECRUITMENT YEAR ROUND. WE ALSO NEVER STOP ENROLLING CHILDREN, AND SO THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE RECRUITING YEAR ROUND, AND WHEN WE DO OUR RECRUITMENT WE DON'T RESTRICT BASED OFF OF WORKDAY.
WE DO RECRUITMENT DURING THE WORKDAY AS WELL AS WEEKENDS AND EVENINGS.
THE PEOPLE WHO DO RECRUIT IS THE BACKBONE OF HOW WE ARE ALWAYS ABLE TO REACH FULL ENROLLMENT.
AND FOR 25-26, OUR STAFF AND OUR PARENTS WILL CONTINUALLY BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF RECRUITMENT, AND WHEN I SAY STAFF, IT IS AN ALL HANDS ON DECK FROM OUR FAMILY SERVICE STAFF TO OUR ADMIN STAFF, EVERYONE HAS PUT IN ALL THEIR EFFORTS IN ENSURING THAT WE ARE RECRUITING AT EVENTS.
AND WHO WE CONTINUE TO RECRUIT AS PER GUIDELINES OF THE HEAD START ACT AND PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS ARE FAMILIES WHO ARE ELIGIBLE, SO FAMILIES WITH THE GREATEST NEEDS OF OUR SERVICES.
AND WHAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON ALSO IS MAKING SURE THAT OUR FLYERS AND RECRUITMENT MATERIAL ARE MATCHING AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH REALLY, OUR FAMILIES. SO WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE AND DEVELOP FLYERS THAT ARE IN LANGUAGES THAT SUPPORT OUR FAMILIES, AND ULTIMATELY, THE WHOLE GOAL BEHIND OUR STUDENT ENROLLMENT FOR ALL OF OUR STAFF AND WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO IS SO THAT WE CAN SERVE THE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT HAVE THE HIGHEST NEEDS AND THE GREATEST NEEDS, AND TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WE DID WANT TO WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT RIGHT NOW WE ARE WAITING FOR APPROVAL, BUT AS REQUIRED, WE STILL WANT TO ALWAYS PLAN AND PROVIDE A PROCESS, AND SO THIS IS A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT WE HAVE AS OUR TIMELINE GOING FROM APRIL 2025 ALL THE WAY TO APRIL 2026, AND THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF RECRUITMENT KEY POINTS THAT WE'RE MAKING.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR LARGEST RECRUITMENT ACTIVITY IS FALLING ON RECRUITMENT EVENTS.
SO ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. TRUSTEE PACHECHO.
SO HOW MANY STUDENTS DO WE CURRENTLY SERVE WITH HEAD START?
[01:45:01]
IS IT 1073 RIGHT NOW? SO RIGHT NOW IT IS 1207.OKAY. GOT IT FROM BOTH GRANTS. OH I SEE, AND THEN IS IT GOING TO BE THE SAME.
IS THAT GOING TO BE THE 100% THRESHOLD FOR. OKAY.
THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM TRUSTEES? JUST A QUICK COMMENT ON THE RECRUITMENT. I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE, YOU KNOW, THE INTENTIONALITY BEHIND THE LOCATIONS, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S IN ADDITION TO EAST SAN JOSE AND HOLLISTER AND GILROY, IT'S ALSO WHEREVER OUR FAMILIES EXIST, AND SO I THINK AS LONG AS WE KEEP THAT CENTERED ON NOT ALWAYS EXPECTING THE FAMILIES TO COME TO US, BUT TO MAKING IT A POINT TO GOING OUT BECAUSE FAMILIES AND CHILDREN EXIST IN ALL PARTS OF OUR COUNTY, AND JUST TRYING TO BE REALLY INTENTIONAL ABOUT THAT, I THINK WOULD BE WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE.
THANK YOU, DR. JOHNSON. I JUST WANT TO AGAIN UNDERSCORE THE COMMITMENT OF OUR TEAM, WHO ARE BOTH TIMES PLANNING FOR A POTENTIAL CLOSURE AND THE HOPE OF POSSIBILITY AND THAT THE GRANT IS APPROVED.
IT'S BEEN VERY DIFFICULT FOR TEAMMATES TO KIND OF RIDE BOTH PATHS AT THE SAME TIME, PREPARING FOR WHAT HAPPENS TO THE FURNITURE AND THE POTENTIAL GOOD NEWS. AND SO JUST THE I THINK IT WAS MENTIONED IN PUBLIC COMMENTS, THE MORALE, BUT ALSO THE PROFESSIONALISM OF ALL THE TEAM INVOLVED TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT PUBLICLY AND THANK OUR TEAMMATES FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND EFFORT. THANK YOU FOR THAT, DR.
TOSTON DEFINITELY AGREE AND ECHO THOSE SENTIMENTS.
THIS ONE WAS A ACTION ITEM. SO, TRUSTEES, IF I CAN GET A MOTION FOR THIS ITEM.
TRUSTEES, IF YOU COULD VOTE IN BOARD DOCS, AND THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OUR NEXT ITEM IS THE INFORMATIONAL UPDATE ON THE HEAD START PROGRAM.
[A. Informational Update on the Head Start Program]
DR. TOSTON, WILL YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE THE INFORMATION ITEM? YES. THE FIRST INFORMATION ITEM IS AN UPDATE ON THE HEAD START PROGRAM, AND IT WILL BE PRESENTED BY DR. LEE, WHO DOESN'T REALIZE THAT SHE HAS ONE MORE ONE MORE GOOD NIGHT, AND WELCOME FOR US.PUT YOUR HEART INTO IT, IT'S THE LAST ONE WE PROMISE.
GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT BERTA, TRUSTEES AND DR.
TOSTON, SUPERINTENDENT OF COUNTY SCHOOLS. AS PREVIOUS REQUESTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO PROVIDE YOU ALL WITH MONTHLY UPDATES REGARDING OUR DEFICIENCY IN AREAS OF NONCOMPLIANCE. WE ARE PROVIDING AN UPDATE FOR JUST APRIL AND THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED.
SO WE DID WANT TO INFORM YOU THAT APRIL 29TH AND 30TH, WE DID HAVE AN ON SITE VISIT FROM OUR TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OFFICE OF HEAD START TEAM. SO THERE WERE ABOUT FOUR DIFFERENT MEMBERS FROM THE TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TEAM THAT CAME AND VISITED VARIOUS SITES AS WELL AS WENT OVER A LOT OF OUR PROCEDURES THAT ARE RELATED TO OUR AREAS OF NONCOMPLIANCE.
SO WE CONTINUALLY UNDER THE SAFETY PRACTICE, WE ARE CONTINUALLY TAKING ACTION BY HAVING STAFF AS WELL AS PROGRAM LEADERSHIP, GOING TO OUR CENTERS AND CONDUCTING A LOT OF MONITORING SO THAT WE'RE WE'RE ENSURING THAT THEIR SAFETY MEASURES ARE LOOKED INTO.
AND IN ADDITION, WITH THE PROGRAM GOVERNANCE AND SELECTION PROCESS, WE ARE CONTINUALLY AGENDIZING ITEMS FOR POLICY COUNCIL AND BOARD MEETINGS IN PROGRAM AREAS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE CARRYOVER, THE BUDGET REVISION.
ALSO, WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY UPDATING YOU ALL ON THE STATUS OF OUR MONITORING REPORT.
AND THAT'S IT, BUT ONE THING IS THAT ALSO THIS MONTH WE WILL BE HAVING ANOTHER ON SITE VISIT AT THE END OF THIS MONTH FROM OUR TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TEAM FROM THE OFFICE OF HEAD START.
[01:50:06]
RELATIONSHIPS AND CHALLENGES IN GOVERNANCE AND QUESTIONS THAT STILL MAY BE LINGERING OUT THERE.AND I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR THE LEADERSHIP OF THE POLICY COUNCIL AND THE MEMBERS FOR THE VERY DIRECT FEEDBACK THAT THEY PROVIDED, BUT ALSO THEIR INVITATION AND WILLINGNESS TO GET THROUGH THIS PERIOD OF TIME AND RECOMMIT TO GROWING AND IMPROVING OUR PERFORMANCE IN THE COMING YEARS, FINGERS CROSSED, RELATED TO THE GRANT.
NO, APPRECIATE THE UPDATES MULTIPLE UPDATES, DR.
LEE, AND IT'S GOOD TO HEAR. I MEAN, ALTHOUGH THIS IS NOT THE MOST THE MOST POSITIVE WAY OF OF GETTING THE NOTIFICATIONS, BUT IT'S GOOD TO SEE THE ENGAGEMENT FROM THE OFFICE OF HEAD START.
I JUST KNOW THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH UNCERTAINTY AND CONCERN ABOUT COMMUNICATION THAT IT'S SOMEWHAT OF A RELIEF TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE STILL ENGAGED IN THE OVERSIGHT OF OUR PROGRAM AS WELL. SO THANK YOU, AND THIS WAS AN INFORMATION ITEM.
SO WITH THAT WE WISH YOU A GOOD NIGHT. OH I DID, BUT I CAN ASK THAT OF YOU IF THAT'S OKAY. BEFORE WE DO THAT, I DID HAVE A QUESTION I JUST WANTED TO ASK FOR FOR TRANSPARENCY AROUND OUR OPTIONS EXPLORING HEAD START, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I HAD HEARD ABOUT WAS POTENTIALLY MERCED COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION BEING ON THE SAME GRANT CYCLE AS OURS, AND WHETHER THERE WAS ANY POSSIBILITY OF OUR COUNTY OFFICE DOING WHAT I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IN TERMS OF LOANING THEIR PROGRAM SOME INTERMEDIARY FUNDS TO COVER THE STAFFING.
IN THE EVENT THAT WE DON'T RECEIVE OUR GRANT BY JULY 1ST, AND SO I WANTED TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY INFORMATION ON THE POSSIBILITY OR THE FEASIBILITY OF THAT. THANK YOU. WE HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING A NUMBER OF OPTIONS AND HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK WITH THE LEADERS AT MERCED COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION, AND WE LEARNED THAT THEY'RE IN A DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCE THAN US.
THEY ARE IN THE SECOND YEAR OF THEIR GRANT CYCLE, AND THEIR STRUCTURE IS SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE HAVE BLENDED OUR GRANTS TOGETHER WHERE THEY HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT STRUCTURE FOR THEIR PROGRAMS AND SO DIFFERENT SCENARIO.
THEY ARE PLANNING ON CONTINUING THEIR PROGRAM WHILE THEY'RE AWAITING THE APPROVAL OF THE.
THEY ALSO SHARED WITH US THAT THE IF THEY CONTINUE ON IN JULY AND THEY ARE NOT AWARDED THE GRANT, AND THAT WOULD RESULT IN MID-YEAR LAYOFF NOTICES FOR THE PROGRAM STAFF THAT THEY ARE COVERING THE COST FOR INITIALLY.
AS WE ARE EXPLORING DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND I JUST WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT, WE ARE LEARNING AS WE GO.
GIVEN THAT THIS IS A GRANT, CONTINUING ON A GRANT THAT YOU NO LONGER HAVE THE AUTHORIZATION TO RUN CREATES NEW QUESTIONS. IT'S NO LONGER A HEAD START PROGRAM.
WHAT IS IT? WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA FOR ENROLLMENT? WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS AND LICENSURE TO PROVIDE A PROGRAM THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE AUTHORIZATION OR AUTHORITY OF A FEDERAL GRANT? AND SO THIS IS AN AREA THAT WE'RE EXPLORING TO UNDERSTAND THE POSSIBILITIES, BUT THEN ALSO WHAT FUNDS CAN BE USED AND WHAT OTHER AREAS WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF.
AND SO I'LL HIGHLIGHT THIS MIGHT INCREASE LEGAL COST BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEXITY OF WHAT WE'RE WE'RE NEEDING TO UNDERSTAND THE CERTAINTY THAT WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE IF WE WERE ABLE TO FIND A SOLUTION THAT WAS VIABLE TO CONTINUE THE PROGRAM ON WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR THE AUTHORIZATION.
TRUSTEE PACHECHO. I REMEMBER DURING OUR LAST BOARD MEETING, I FIELDED A QUESTION CONNECTED TO THIS THEME, AND THAT WAS I. CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THERE ARE AROUND 12 COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION WHO ARE SERVICERS OF HEAD START EARLY HEAD START.
IS THAT RIGHT AROUND THERE? NO. I BELIEVE THERE'S FAR MORE THAN 12 COUNTIES.
HOW MANY? HOW MANY THEN? I'M SORRY, I DON'T HAVE THAT FIGURE.
BECAUSE THE QUESTION I THINK I POSED LAST TIME IT WAS BEFORE YOU STARTED WAS, COULD WE IDENTIFY WHICH OF THESE SERVICES SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE ON THE SAME CYCLE, LIKE GRANT CYCLES AS US, AND CAN WE LEARN TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING? YOU KNOW. CAN I CONTINUE TO REACH OUT AND ASK OUR COUNTERPARTS AT COUNTY OFFICES WHO MIGHT BE IN THE SAME GRANT CYCLE? I THINK THERE WAS A RECENT EDSOURCE ARTICLE THAT CALLED OUT, I WANT TO SAY, A THOUSAND HEAD START OPERATORS IN THE STATE.
[01:55:03]
LEAS SCHOOL DISTRICTS CAN ALSO OPERATE HEAD START PROGRAMS AS WELL, AND SO TRYING TO CONNECT WITH ANY, ANY PROVIDERS BEYOND COUNTY OFFICES MIGHT BE OUTSIDE OF OUR REACH, BUT WE WILL CERTAINLY REACH OUT TO OUR LISTSERV TO ASK IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE IN SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES. TO DATE, WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY ANOTHER OF THE 57 THAT HAVE THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES AS WE DO.YEAH. THANKS, TRUSTEE LARI. D OES IT HAVE TO BE CALIFORNIA, OR CAN WE LOOK AT COUNTY OFFICES IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AS WELL? THAT WOULD BE A BIT OF A CHALLENGE, BECAUSE OTHER STATES MAY NOT MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT INTERMEDIATE STRUCTURE AND ALLOWANCE OF WHO CAN WHO'S PROVIDING HEAD START PROGRAMS IN THOSE STATES.
OKAY. THANK YOU. TRUSTEE SREEKRISHNAN. THANK YOU.
I WILL JUST JOIN THE CHOIR OF MY COLLEAGUES IN I ALSO THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT HOW WE CAN BE INNOVATIVE HERE AND LEARN FROM OTHERS TOO. I DO THINK THAT CUTS SHOULD BE A LAST RESORT.
SO THANK YOU, DR. TOSTON. THANK YOU. WELL WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE WORKING DILIGENTLY ON THIS, AS IS ALL OF US DOING WHAT WE CAN, SO THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.
[9. CLOSED SESSION]
WE'LL MOVE TO OUR CLOSED SESSION. THE BOARD IS IS ABOUT TO ENTER CLOSED SESSION.CLOSED SESSION INVOLVES CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.
ONCE IN CLOSED SESSION, I WILL CALL THE CLOSED SESSION TO ORDER AND REQUEST THAT EACH TRUSTEE STATE THEIR NAME TO RECORD WHO IS IN ATTENDANCE, AND TO AFFIRM AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PARAMETERS FOR THE CONDUCT OF BUSINESS IN CLOSED SESSION.
THE CLOSED SESSION AGENDA ITEM INCLUDES THREE ITEMS A INTERDISTRICT ATTENDANCE APPEAL FILED ON BEHALF OF A STUDENT RESIDENT DISTRICT ALUM ROCK UNION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT DESIRED DISTRICT MILPITAS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK OUR STUDENT BOARD MEMBER.
STUDENT BOARD MEMBER WE APPRECIATE ALL YOUR INPUT DURING OUR MEETING.
YOU ARE DISMISSED. THE BOARD WILL NOW ENTER CLOSED SESSION.
I JUST WANT TO CHECK THERE ARE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM.
THAT IS CORRECT. THANK YOU. THE BOARD WILL NOW ENTER CLOSED SESSION.
WE WILL RETURN IN APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR AT APPROXIMATELY AFTER 8 P.M..
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE ARE READY TO RESUME OPEN SESSION.
[A. Report of Actions Taken in Closed Session]
THE TIME IS 8:57 P.M.. UPON COMPLETION OF AGENDA ITEM 9A INTERDISTRICT ATTENDANCE APPEAL FILED ON BEHALF OF STUDENT RESIDENT DISTRICT ALUM ROCK UNION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT DESIRED DISTRICT MILPITAS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT.A MOTION WAS MADE BY VICE PRESIDENT CHAN AND SECONDED BY TRUSTEE SREEKRISHNAN TO APPROVE THE APPEAL BASED ON FACTORS 3 AND 12 FOR A LENGTH OF TIME THROUGH 8TH GRADE WITH A VOTE OF SIX. AYES, ZERO NO'S, ONE ABSTENTION, ZERO ABSENT.
CUPERTINO UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT DESIRED DISTRICT SANTA CLARA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY VICE PRESIDENT CHON AND SECONDED BY TRUSTEE SREEKRISHNAN TO APPROVE THE APPEAL BASED ON FACTORS 3 AND 12 FOR A LENGTH OF TIME THROUGH GRADE 5, WITH A VOTE OF SEVEN AYES, ZERO NO'S, ZERO ABSTENTIONS, ZERO ABSENT.
UPON COMPLETION OF AGENDA ITEM 9C INTERDISTRICT ATTENDANCE APPEAL FILED ON BEHALF OF STUDENT RESIDENT DISTRICT ALUM ROCK UNION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT DESIRED DISTRICT BERRYESSA UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT A MOTION WAS MADE BY TRUSTEE SREEKRISHNAN AND SECONDED BY TRUSTEE LARI TO APPROVE THE APPEAL BASED ON FACTOR 4 FOR A LENGTH OF TIME THROUGH GRADE 8, WITH A VOTE OF SIX AYES, ZERO NO'S, ONE ABSTENTION, ZERO ABSENT.
AT THIS TIME, WE WILL HEAR COMMITTEE REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES THAT HAVE MET SINCE OUR LAST MEETING,
[A. Committee members may provide or report on recent committee activities.]
FOUR COMMITTEES HAVE MET. SILICON VALLEY READS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.TRUSTEE SREEKRISHNAN, STRONG START COALITION BY TRUSTEE LARI, WARMENHOVEN INNOVATIONS COLLABORATIVE ADVISORY BOARD, TRUSTEE SREEKRISHNAN, AND HEAD START POLICY COUNCIL ALSO BY TRUSTEE SPEISER.
WE'LL START WITH TRUSTEE SREEKRISHNAN. YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND , YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN SO LONG, BUT I THINK SILICON VALLEY READS WE HAD OUR MEETING APRIL 21ST, AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK DEBBIE GARGIULO'S ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE BOARD WITH ME. AND THERE HAS BEEN RECORD BREAKING PARTICIPATION WITH SILICON VALLEY READS,
[02:00:03]
INCLUDING 250 EVENTS AND 14,000 PARTICIPANTS.YOU KNOW, A LOT OF AI INTEGRATION, AND OBVIOUSLY I SPOKE PRIOR ABOUT OUR PREVIOUS SUCCESSFUL KICKOFF, AND NOW WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THEMES FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND NOW, I DID TALK TO DR. TOSTON ABOUT THIS AND IF APPROPRIATE WANT TO MENTION SORT OF CONTINUING THE SILICON VALLEY READS PROGRAM AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT WORD WOULD BE, BUT RE RE I WILL LET DR.
TOSTON GO AND GIVE AN UPDATE. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
IT IS OUR INTENT TO CONTINUE OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SILICON VALLEY READS PROGRAM.
WONDERFUL, AND SO YOU KNOW, I'M I'M A BIG, BIG SUPPORTER, AND AS I MENTIONED TO DR.
AND I'M SPEAKING AS A DAUGHTER OF A RETIRED SCHOOL LIBRARIAN, AND YOU KNOW, REALLY THE RESOURCES FOR OUR LOCAL LIBRARIES IS SILICON VALLEY READS. SO THANK YOU TO THE AMAZING WORK FROM THE TEAM.
THANK YOU. WOULD YOU ALSO LIKE TO MY NEXT ONE? PERFECT. SO THE INNOVATIONS COLLABORATIVE HOSTED ITS ANNUAL WARMENHOVEN RETREAT MAY 2ND, AND THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 40 ATTENDEES FROM LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND DR.
TOSTON CAME AND THANK YOU, AND I REALLY WANT TO THANK SANDYA LOPEZ FOR WELCOMING ME TO THE TEAM, AND AMANDA DICKEY, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AT SCCOE, PROVIDED LEGISLATIVE UPDATES, INCLUDING FEDERAL, STATE AND HEAD START POLICY NEWS, AND THEY WE ALSO HEARD ABOUT UPCOMING EVENTS, LOCAL INITIATIVES. THE INCLUSION SPOTLIGHT FEATURED MELISSA ESCARCEGA AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS WITH THE COUNTY.
THEY SHARED THEIR WORK AND REMINDED US WHY INCLUSION IS SO IMPORTANT, AND ATTENDEES ROTATED THROUGH INTERACTIVE STATIONS FOCUSED ON EARLY LEARNING, UDL, WARMLINE TOOLS, EQUITY IN ACTION, AND REIMAGINING THE DEPARTMENT'S MISSION AND VISION AND COMMITTEE FEEDBACK WAS GATHERED AND IT, THE RETREAT CLOSED WITH THE CELEBRATION OF SANTA CLARA UNIFIED AND ITS PRESCHOOL CO-TEACHING TEAMS FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND INCLUSIVE PRACTICES.
AND I WANT TO YOU KNOW, REALLY THANK ALL OF OUR STAFF THAT SPOKE, AND , YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, NOW WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON, I THINK IT ONLY SPEAKS TO MORE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS WORK, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT FEDERAL AND STATE ADVOCACY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY THESE TEAMS IN OUR OFFICE AND THE WORK, LIKE INCLUDING FROM THE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST THAT SPOKE, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
AND SO I REALLY JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR STAFF AT ALL LEVELS FOR THE WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING.
THANK YOU. WE' LL GO TO TRUSTEE LARI. SO THE STRONG START COALITION MET VIA ZOOM ON TUESDAY, MAY 13TH. COALITION MEMBERS HEARD A PRESENTATION FROM CECILE NAVA FROM THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT ON THEIR EARLY CHILDHOOD MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM, PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS KID CONNECTIONS.
THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO YOUNG CHILDREN SERVED BY MEDI-CAL, WITH PARENTAL CONSENT FOLLOWING REFERRAL BY THEIR PEDIATRICIANS, SCHOOLS, AND CHILDCARE PROVIDERS. DANIEL JIN, FROM SCCOES EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION INITIATIVES DEPARTMENT PRESENTED ON THE CHILD CARE PORTAL, INCLUDING DATA ON CHILDCARE SEARCHES PERFORMED BY OVER 15,000 FAMILIES IN JUST THE PAST YEAR.
[02:05:03]
THIS DATA PROVIDES REAL TIME UNDERSTANDING OF CHILDCARE DEMAND IN OUR COUNTY FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND ALSO THE PORTAL OFFERS ACCESS TO 1,980 LICENSED CHILDCARE PROVIDERS FOR FAMILIES.JOHN SWEENEY, SCCOES GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, PRESENTED THE COALITION ADVOCACY ACTIVITY.
THOSE WERE LETTERS TO THE GOVERNOR AND CHAIRS OF THE STATE ASSEMBLY AND SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEES, ASKING FOR A TEMPORARY EXTENSION OF ENROLLMENT BASED FUNDING FOR STATE PRESCHOOL AND CHILDCARE PROGRAMS. THE NEXT STRONG START COALITION MEETING WILL BE ON TUESDAY, JUNE 10TH, 2025.
AS PRESIDENT, BERTA WENT TO THE SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION MEETING ALSO SHOULD I TALK ABOUT THAT OR NOT? YES, PLEASE IF YOU CAN COVER THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION.
YEAH. EXACTLY. SO I ATTENDED THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION MEETING ON THURSDAY, APRIL 24TH. THE GUEST SPEAKER WAS BROOKLYN STEWARD FROM CENTRICA, A COMPANY THAT PROVIDES ENERGY SOLUTION FOR SCHOOLS.
HE SPOKE ON THE TOPIC OF GOING GREEN AND PRESENTED THE CAMBRIAN SCHOOL DISTRICT AS A CASE STUDY OF THE WORK CENTRICA DOES TO PROMOTE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND BETTER INDOOR AIR QUALITY WHILE PROVIDING ENERGY SAVINGS. THEY WORKED WITH 100 SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN CALIFORNIA.
THEY CONTINUE TO MONITOR THEIR SYSTEM AFTER INSTALLATION FOR ANY SUBSEQUENT ISSUES.
ALSO, THE LEGISLATIVE ACTION COMMITTEE, REPRESENTED BY CHAIR CHRIS NORWOOD FROM THE MILPITAS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, DISCUSSED CO-SPONSORSHIP OF SB 743, THE EDUCATION EQUALIZATION ENDOWMENT ACT, THAT WE ACTUALLY ADOPTED A RESOLUTION ABOUT TODAY. THE BILL, INTRODUCED BY SENATOR DAVE CORTESE, SEEKS TO ENSURE THAT ALL STUDENTS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR ZIP CODE, HAVE ACCESS TO THE SAME LEVEL OF RESOURCES NECESSARY FOR A HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION.
THE FUNDING GAP BETWEEN BASIC AID AND NON BASIC AID DISTRICTS IS PRESENTLY $13,372 PER STUDENT, AND THE LEGISLATION ATTEMPTS TO CLOSE THAT GAP.
SUPPORT LETTERS CAN BE SUBMITTED TO ZIPCODER.COM.
THANK YOU. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT.
TRUSTEE SPEISER. I THINK SINCE WE LAST MET, I PROBABLY HAVE HAD ABOUT THREE POLICY COUNCILS.
ONE, TWO OF THEM OFFICIAL ONES, ONE WAS A SPECIAL ONE.
A LOT OF WHAT SHE COVERED TODAY IS WHAT WAS IN THOSE MEETINGS.
I CAN GIVE YOU A TENNER OF WHAT IT FELT LIKE IN THOSE MEETINGS, BECAUSE YOU HAVE ALL THE OTHER INFORMATION YOU KNOW, AS, AS YOU CAN SEE, AT LEAST FROM THE STAFF EVERYBODY'S SCARED, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, WE ARE. WE ARE. I KNOW I'M AFRAID TO LOSE HEAD START IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY AND SAN BENITO COUNTY, AND YOU KNOW, THAT DOES COME OUT, AND BECAUSE OF THE TRAUMA OF THAT AND WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON IN THE LAST YEAR.
THAT DEFINITELY COMES IN AND OUT IN HOW THE POLICY COUNCIL GOES, BUT THERE'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF GRACE GOING BACK AND FORTH, AND IN THE LAST MEETING WE HAD IN PERSON, DR.
TOSTON CAME AND HE WAS ABLE TO REALLY MAKE THEM FEEL HEARD AND MORE COMFORTABLE, AND I DO BELIEVE THAT WE CAN START GOING FORWARD IN ALL OF THIS TOGETHER.
THEY WERE THEY DO UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION WE'RE IN, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE NOT UPSET RIGHT? AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE UPSET IF THIS GOES AWAY.
SO THANK YOU. VERY MUCH. ARE THERE ANY COMMITTEES THAT I MAY HAVE MISSED? ALL RIGHT. HEARING NONE, WE WILL GO TO ITEM 12.
[A. The members of the Board may give reports on any activities related to their duties as members of the Santa Clara County Board of Education]
OUR COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBER REPORTS.WOULD ANY TRUSTEE LIKE TO PROVIDE A REPORT ON ACTIVITIES? TRUSTEE PACHECHO. TWO. THE FIRST IS I HAD THE PLEASURE OF TOURING THE VOICES MORGAN HILL SITE, WHICH WAS A REALLY WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE, AND I WANT TO THANK THE CEO, ALDO RAMIREZ, FOR BEING SO HOSPITABLE, AND AS WE DID THAT INFORMAL TOUR AND I DID, I WAS REALLY INQUISITIVE ABOUT THE CREDENTIALING TOPIC, AND SO I AM LOOKING FORWARD FOR OUR FULL BOARD TO RECEIVE THE SAME INFORMATION THAT I LEARNED,
[02:10:03]
WHICH IS GOOD NEWS. AND THE LAST THING I WANTED TO SAY IS WITH TRUSTEE SPEISER, WE WENT TO WASHINGTON DC, THANKS TO THE SPONSORSHIP OF THIS BOARD AND THE COUNTY OFFICE WHERE WE ADVOCATED TO EVERY SINGLE CONGRESS MEMBER THAT WE COULD SPEAK TO ABOUT HEAD START, AND I'M NOT GOING TO SAY IS BECAUSE OF THIS, BUT A FEW DAYS LATER, YOU KNOW, TRUMP DID REVERSE. THE ADMINISTRATION REVERSED.SO I THINK WE ARE PART OF A REALLY LARGE CHORUS OF PEOPLE ADVOCATING FOR THIS PROGRAM, AND LET'S JUST HOPE THAT THE TIMING WORKS OUT FOR EVERYBODY, AND BUT YEAH, IT WAS A REALLY WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE, AND IT'S JUST WANT TO THANK TRUSTEE SPEISER FOR ACCOMPANYING ME TO THIS AND FOR THE BOARD FOR SENDING US THERE, THANKS. REPORTS FROM OTHER TRUSTEES? TRUSTEE SREEKRISHNAN. AND I WILL ECHO THAT AGAIN, THAT, YOU KNOW, AND DR.
TOSTON WANT TO REITERATE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE OUR STAFF WORKING ON ADVOCACY FOR THE STATE, THE FEDERAL LOCAL LEVEL THAT ARE ORGANIZING ALL THIS, AND I KNOW THAT OUR BOARD PRESIDENT WENT TO THE CAPITOL AND SPOKE AS A LEAD WITNESS AND WAS THAT WAS REALLY EXCITING, AND I WANT TO REITERATE THAT IT IS OUR STAFF THAT'S DOING THAT 'S HELPING, AND I WANT TO THANK THEM, AND I THINK WE SHOULD SUPPORT THEM.
SO I WANT TO SHARE SILICON VALLEY YOUTH CLIMATE ACTION IS HOSTING THEIR 2025 YOUTH LEADERSHIP ACADEMY AT THE SCCOE AT RITTER PARK, AND YOU KNOW, WE ARE CO HOSTING THAT EVENT, AND SO IT'S GOING TO BE A TRAINING IN FROM JULY 7TH TO JULY 25TH, AND SO AND AS FOLKS KNOW IT'S REALLY ABOUT EMPOWERING YOUNG PEOPLE TO TAKE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES.
SO I AGAIN WANT TO THANK EVERYONE AT SCCOE THAT'S WORKING TO MAKE THAT YOUTH CLIMATE SUMMIT HAPPEN WITH SILICON VALLEY YOUTH CLIMATE ACTION. THEN I HAD A MEETING A LONG TIME AGO WITH TRUSTEE RICHARD NGUYEN FROM CAMPBELL UNION SCHOOL BOARD, AND IT WAS ABOUT THE SCIENCE OF READING, AND WE WORKED WITH ESPECIALLY WITH DOROTHY GULLO ON ORTON-GILLINGHAM TRAINING AND NOW THE COUNTY OFFICES HOSTING THOSE TRAININGS.
SO IT'S BEEN GETTING GREAT RESPONSE, AND , YOU KNOW, AN IDEA THAT TRUSTEE NGUYEN HAD, WHICH I SUPPORT, IS HAVING THE COUNTY OFFICE LOOK AT RIBBON OR SEAL FOR THE SCIENCE OF READING.
SO I'M GOING TO ADD THAT TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS LATER, BUT I DID HAVE THAT MEETING.
I IMAGINE THAT HE SPOKE WITH SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES AS HE'S ADVOCATING FOR THIS.
AND WANTED TO LASTLY MENTION, OH, I ALSO SPOKE.
I WANT TO SAY THIS WAS APRIL SOMETIME AT AS THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER FOR THE NAMI CALIFORNIA BAY AREA YOUTH SYMPOSIUM AND SPOKE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR WELLNESS INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE DOING, AND AGAIN IT'S HAS BROAD SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITY, OUR WELLNESS PROGRAMS. AND NOW I'M GOING TO MY LAST ITEM, WHICH IS MY LATEST ARTICLE IN SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE IS TITLED HOW TWO CUPERTINO TEAMS HELPED TO CHANGE DEMENTIA CARE IN THE BAY AREA.
SO CHECK THAT OUT, AND TO THAT END, I WILL BE REMOVING THAT ON FROM FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN HONORING THEM AND WE GAVE THEM A CERTIFICATE SO WE CAN REMOVE THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OTHER TRUSTEES WITH UPDATES, TRUSTEE SPEISER.
YEAH, I ATTENDED A I WAS INVITED TO AND ATTENDED A RECLASSIFICATION CEREMONY FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS AT MOUNTAIN VIEW SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHERE HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS WERE RECLASSIFIED TO FLUENT ENGLISH LEARNERS, AND IT'S JUST AMAZING BIT OF HAPPINESS AND CELEBRATION OF ALL AGES FROM KINDERGARTEN TO EIGHTH GRADE, AND THE FAMILIES THERE.
JUST LOTS, LOTS OF FUN AND LOTS OF NOISE. I WENT TO THE SCCOE SPECIAL EDUCATION CRAFT FAIR HERE.
[02:15:10]
THEY HAVE ME THERE AS, LIKE, A FRESH FACE THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS NO IDEA WHAT SHE'S DOING.I MEAN, SHE KNOWS A LITTLE BIT WHAT SHE'S DOING, BUT KNOWS WHAT I NEED TO LEARN.
AND MAIMONA, I AND DR. TOSTON WENT TO THE HOFFMAN AWARDS, AND WHAT ELSE? I THINK IN DELEGATE ASSEMBLY THIS LAST WEEKEND WITH MAIMONA, AND WE DID THE STATE SEAL OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ON MONDAY, AND THERE WEREN'T ALL 650 STUDENTS HERE, BUT WE HAD HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS HERE.
WHO GOT THE AWARD? WHO CAME? AND THAT WAS AN AMAZING A FUN TIME.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE I'M MISSING? JUST VERY BRIEFLY, I DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT.
I'M GETTING CONFUSED WITH MY MESSAGES. THERE WAS AN IMMIGRATION MEETING THAT I RECENTLY PARTICIPATED IN WITH TRUSTEE LARI TO DISCUSS SUPPORTS FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND ALSO POTENTIALLY LOOKING AT SUPPORT WITH THE COUNTY OFFICE.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE THAT. SEEMS LIKE I'VE ATTENDED AT LEAST THREE, MAYBE FOUR WEBINARS ON HEAD START, JUST TRYING TO STAY ENGAGED ON UPDATES, DIFFERENT IDEAS, ADVOCACY EFFORTS ACROSS THE NATION.
THE ASSOCIATION OF HEAD START HAS BEEN REALLY KEY IN LEADING ACTUALLY, THERE'S ONE OCCURRING TOMORROW, I BELIEVE. ALSO ATTENDED A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE SINCE I DIDN'T DO THIS AS A COMMITTEE REPORT, BUT IN MY ROLE AS THE COUNTY DELEGATE TO OUR REGION 14, WHICH IS THE COUNTY, COUNTY, REGION. WE GOT UPDATES THAT THE COUNTY BOARD IS NO LONGER COUNTY BOARD FEES FOR CSBA ARE NO LONGER DOUBLED UP.
SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS. WE'RE JUST PAYING THE NORMAL DUES LIKE OTHER SCHOOL BOARDS.
THERE'S ALSO A NEW MASTER'S IN GOVERNANCE COURSE FOR COUNTY BOARDS, AND THERE IS A REQUEST TO GET MORE COUNTY BOARD WORKSHOPS IN FOR THE COUNTY CONFERENCE IN MONTEREY, AND I DID SHARE THAT WITH DR. TOSTON AS WELL.
I KNOW RECENTLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT HESTER'S SCHOOL WITH WITH TRUSTEE SPEISER AND THE CSBA PRESIDENT, BETTY LUSK, AND IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE VISIT, AND I THINK THEY WERE VERY INSPIRED WITH, YOU KNOW, HOPING THAT WE CAN SHARE SOME OF THAT. SO SOME OF THOSE BEST PRACTICES WITH OTHER SCHOOL BOARDS ACROSS THE STATE, AND JUST WANT TO ALSO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO TRUSTEE SPEISER, SHE ACTUALLY LED THE INSPIRATION FOR CSBA DELEGATE ASSEMBLY FOR ALL THE DELEGATES TO HEAR, AND IT REALLY WAS QUITE INSPIRING TO HEAR OUR COLLEAGUE SHARE, SHARE HER JOURNEY TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE. I WILL END WITH I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE SPECIAL EDUCATION CRAFT FAIR AND I WILL SAY I BROUGHT MY SON ALONG AND HE LOVED ALL THE COWS AND GOT LOTS OF GOODIES FOR MOTHER'S DAY.
AND WITH THAT, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER UPDATES, WE CAN GO TO OUR NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS OUR FUTURE.
[A. The superintendent may give a report on any activities related to his duties.]
OH, NO. SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT. DR. TOSTON, PLEASE SHARE YOUR REPORT.I'LL KEEP THIS BRIEF. SO TODAY'S MY 15TH DAY OF EMPLOYMENT, AND IT HAS BEEN JUST A GREAT WELCOME.
I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN REFERENCED AS WELL AS AND WHAT HAS REALLY BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT IS GETTING TO KNOW THE TEAMMATES HERE AT RITTER PARK AND AT SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S A SQUARE FOOT THAT I HAVEN'T HIT IN THIS FACILITY, AND JUST AND I'VE SHARED WITH SOME OF YOU ALREADY, A NUMBER OF ALL PROFESSIONAL, GREAT FOLKS WHO CARE ABOUT WHAT THEY DO AND BEING ABLE TO SPEND TIME IN THE WAREHOUSE, THE PRINT SHOP. I KNOW PUBLIC AFFAIRS HAS THE BEST SNACKS.
HR HAS LOTS OF CELEBRATIONS WITH DONUTS AND CAKES AND SO LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT, WHICH HAS BEEN VALUABLE FOR ME, BUT ALSO BASED ON THE FEEDBACK VALUABLE FOR OUR TEAMMATES HERE IN THIS OFFICE AND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
I'VE BEEN ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH DISTRICT LEADERS, SUPERINTENDENTS, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE OTHER LEADERS FROM DISTRICTS AND HAVE PLANS TO CONTINUE TO BE OUT AND ABOUT AS WE ENTER
[02:20:09]
GRADUATION SEASON, AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY SETTING UP ONE ON ONE MEETINGS WITH VARIOUS LEADERS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.AND I WOULD CLOSE WITH ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT TO A MEETING WITH OUR LABOR PARTNERS VERY DIRECT CONVERSATIONS THAT I REALLY APPRECIATED, UNDERSTANDING THEIR PERSPECTIVE AND ALSO THEIR WILLINGNESS TO CONTRIBUTE TO HOW WE APPROACH NEXT YEAR AND BEGIN MAKING PLANS IN ADVANCE RATHER THAN IN THE MIDST OF THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING AND SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE CONTINUED CONVERSATIONS. AND I'D CLOSE WITH MY APPRECIATION FOR PRISCILLA WHO HAS BEEN ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS BALANCED AND I HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATIONS AND WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKING PLACE IN THE MOMENT, IN THE COUNTY OFFICE AS AND BEING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT'S MY REPORT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. TOSTON.
[A. Future Agenda Items]
THAT BRINGS US TO OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. DR.TOSTON, WILL YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE THIS ITEM? ABSOLUTELY.
SO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BEGIN. I'M SORRY I LOST MY SCRIPT.
THANK YOU. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BROWN ACT, ITEMS MENTIONED UNDER THIS ITEM ARE BEING SUGGESTED, SO THEY MAY BE CONSIDERED AND EXPLORED FOR FOLLOW UP ACCORDING TO THE BOARD BYLAWS.
TOPICS RAISED UNDER THIS ITEM ARE NOT AGENDIZED FOR BOARD DISCUSSION, BUT RATHER TO CREATE A SPACE FOR TRUSTEES TO MENTION TOPICS FOR REVIEW FOR CONSIDERATION AS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, AND I KNOW WE DO HAVE A RUNNING LIST, SO APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S PATIENCE.
WE'LL BE TOUCHING BASE WITH DR. TOSTON SOON TO SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME MORE CLARITY ADDED TO THIS SECTION OF OUR AGENDA, AND BEFORE WE KIND OF FIND OUT IF ANYONE HAS ANY ITEMS I DID WANT TO JUST MENTION TO EVERYONE.
WE HAVE THE UPCOMING BUDGET STUDY SESSION SCHEDULED FOR MAY 28TH FROM 5 TO 7 P.M., AND WE'RE ALSO HOPING IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO SCHEDULE A BOARD RETREAT.
SO LOOK OUT FOR A SURVEY FOR NOT JUST DATES, BUT ALSO INPUT.
SO ARE THERE OTHER ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT TRUSTEES WOULD LIKE TO RAISE AT THIS TIME? TRUSTEE SREEKRISHNAN. YEAH, I WILL JUST SAY THAT YOU KNOW, THE FBLA ITEM CAN BE REMOVED.
WE HONORED THEM, AND I IN WOULD WANT TO HEAR FROM VICE PRESIDENT CHON, BUT I IMAGINE NOW THE BUDGET STUDY SESSION AND THE STANDING PUBLIC COMMENT FROM LABOR GROUPS CAN BE REMOVED SINCE WE'RE DOING THOSE, AND THEN I WOULD JUST WANT TO ADD THE SCIENCE OF READING, LOOKING AT A RIBBON OR SEAL.
THERE ARE OTHER ITEMS. THANK YOU. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS FALLS, BUT I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME RESEARCH DONE ON OTHER COUNTY OFFICES OF EDUCATION WITH HEAD START PROGRAMS WHO ARE FACING THE EXACT SAME SITUATION WE'RE IN, WHICH IS THE END OF THEIR FIVE YEAR GRANT CYCLE.
YEAH. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU. I'LL SAY THAT THE THIRD TO LAST ITEM IS VERY SIMILAR, AND WHAT TRUSTEE PACHECHO SAID, IF THAT COULD BE INCORPORATED AND JUST MADE ONE, IT'S I WANTED THE SAME THING.
OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THOSE ITEMS. THAT BRINGS US TO THE AGENDA, THE END OF OUR AGENDA. I NOT TO DELAY OUR MEETING FURTHER, BUT I WILL JUST POINT OUT AGAIN,
[15. CONSENT INFORMATION ITEMS (Information items provided for review that do not require presentation or action.)]
I I KNOW THAT WE HAVE OUR CONSENT INFORMATION ITEMS AND SPECIFICALLY THE CONTRACTS OVER $250,000.I DO THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY TRANSPARENCY ON THIS ITEM, SO I'M STILL HOPING THAT WE CAN REVISIT THAT AS THERE ARE SOME SOME LARGE NUMBERS ON THAT ON THE TABLE THAT I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON IN AN APPROPRIATE TIME.
ALL RIGHT, AND WITH THAT, THAT BRINGS US TO ADJOURNMENT.
THE NEXT SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION REGULAR MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 11TH AT 5 P.M..
[02:25:02]
MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? THAT'S A MOTION FROM VICE PRESIDENT CHON AND A SECOND FROM TRUSTEE PACHECHO.A VERBAL AYE FROM TRUSTEE SREEKRISHNAN. IF YOU CAN VOTE IN BOARD DOCS, AND THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY AT 9:25 P.M.. THANK YOU SO MUCH,
EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY OUR STAFF.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.