[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.]

ALL RIGHT, WE ARE MOVING ON TO THE STUDENT BOARD MEMBER REPORT. STUDENT BOARD MEMBER ANDINO, PLEASE SHARE YOUR REPORT WITH US. GOOD EVENING, VICE PRESIDENT SPICER, SUPERINTENDENT DR. THOMPSON, SENIOR AND ESTEEMED BOARD MEMBERS.

GREEN COLLEGES STARTED THIS WEEK. THIS SEMESTER, THERE ARE NINE STUDENTS AT OSBORNE DOOLEY LEE ENROLLING COLLEGE. A COHORT OF EIGHT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WILL CONTINUE IN THEIR SECOND BUSINESS CLASS FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP PATHWAY STARTED LAST SEMESTER. THIS COMING FRIDAY, ENVISION YOUR PATHWAY, UIP, IS SET TO START THEIR PROGRAM AS PART OF THE SMALL BUSINESS PATHWAY AND WILL HELP STUDENTS CREATE THEIR OWN BUSINESS PLAN. I AM INTERESTED IN ATTENDING THAT PROGRAM BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO START MY OWN BUSINESS, HELPING PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS AND WHO ARE IN NEED. THIS PAST MONDAY, A NEW BEEKEEPING PROJECT AT BLUE RIDGE HAS STARTED. THIS IS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE GILROY BEEKEEPING GROUP.

STUDENTS IN CONSTRUCTION COHORTS WORKED DILIGENTLY TO PREP THE AREA WHERE THE BEES WERE TO BE HOUSED. STUDENTS WHO HAD BEEN CERTIFIED IN FORKLIFT AND SKID STEER WERE ABLE TO OPERATE THE EQUIPMENT AND PREP THE AREA. AT SONOMA, STUDENTS HAVE ADVOCATED FOR BETTER SCHOOL LUNCHES. A NEW BREAKFAST-LUNCH MENU IS IN THE WORKS USING COUNTY OFFICE CATERING. STUDENTS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON THE DIFFERENT MENU ITEMS. ALSO, AT SONOMA, JACOB'S LADDER INTERNSHIP WILL BEGIN NEXT WEEK. THIS IS ONE CURRENT STUDENT AND TWO FORMER STUDENTS WHO WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN THE TRAINING AND WILL EVENTUALLY RUN THEIR OWN STUDENT GROUP WITH THE ORGANIZATION. AS I MENTIONED LAST MEETING, SEVEN STUDENTS AT SOUTH COUNTY COMMUNITY SCHOOL ARE DULY ENROLLED AT GAVILAN AND STARTED THIS WEEK.

IN THE FALL, GAVILAN PROVIDED A 10-WEEK PROGRAM THAT MOTIVATED STUDENTS TO PURSUE COLLEGE COURSES.

THEY ARE EXCITED TO TAKE THIS IMPORTANT NEXT STEP IN THE ACADEMIC JOURNEY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YOUR PERSPECTIVE IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. MOVING ON TO PUBLIC COMMENTS

[4. PUBLIC COMMENTS OF PERSONS DESIRING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD]

OF PERSONS DESIRING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.

WE ARE NOW MOVING TO ITEM 4.

THE PORTION OF THE MEETING IS FOR COMMENTS ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA BUT WITHIN THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION'S JURISDICTION.

STATE LAW PROHIBITS THE BOARD FROM DISCUSSING OR ACTING ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS. THE BOARD EXPECTS ALL PARTICIPANTS TO MAINTAIN RESPECT AND CIVILITY.

PUBLIC SPEAKER CARDS MAY BE SUBMITTED NOW AS NO ADDITIONAL COMMENTERS CAN BE ADDED ONCE PUBLIC COMMENT BEGINS. UNDER GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION

[00:15:01]

54957.95, THE BOARD STRIVES TO MAINTAIN ORDERLY AND CIVIL MEETINGS AND PREVENT DISRUPTIONS.

DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, WE WILL MAINTAIN A RESPECTFUL AND PEACEFUL ENVIRONMENT. VERBAL ABUSE, THREATS, OR PHYSICAL VIOLENCE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED AND MAY RESULT IN REMOVAL.

PLEASE REFRAIN FROM CLAPPING, CHEERING, SNAPPING, BOOING, OR SHOUTING. TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR A COMMENT, YOU MAY USE A UNIVERSAL SIGN OF APPRECIATION BY WAVING YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR LIKE THIS.

MODERATOR, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? WE DO. WE HAVE 10 CARDS FOR COMMENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CAN I GET A TIMER FOR ONE MINUTE. AS THE PUBLIC PERIOD NOW WILL BE COMMENCING, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ACCEPT ADDITIONAL COMMENTERS. PLEASE SET THE TIMER FOR ONE MINUTE.

IF LANGUAGE SUPPORT IS NEEDED, TIME WILL BE DOUBLED. A TIMER WILL BE DISPLACED. WHEN THE ALLOTTED TIME IS UP, THE BUZZER WILL SOUND, YOU WILL BE MUTED, AND YOUR TIME TO SPEAK WILL END.

MODERATOR, YOU MAY BEGIN.

THANK YOU. AS YOU HEAR YOUR NAME, PLEASE LINE UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT BEHIND THE PODIUM LOCATED AT THE CENTER OF THE ROOM. AS A REMINDER, ONE PERSON AT A TIME CAN BE AT THE PODIUM TO PRESENT THEIR COMMENT UNLESS LANGUAGE SUPPORT IS NEEDED BY AN SCCOE INTERPRETER OR ASL INTERPRETER. THE TIMER WILL BEGIN ONCE YOU START SPEAKING.

COMMENTS EXTENDING PAST THE TIME ALLOTTED WILL BE MUTED AFTER TIME EXPIRES, AND YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE THE PODIUM.

TO PREVENT SOUND DISTORTION, PLEASE KEEP THE MICROPHONE A SHORT DISTANCE FROM YOUR MOUTH. OUR SPEAKERS ARE ZEB FELDMAN, JIM PIAZZA, JOANNE VARS, RODERICK NG, KARLA COLLINS, SOREN KHAM, ISABEL ALVAREZ, HWANG VO, TUHIDA FOWLER, MARGIE MCMILLAN. OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS ZEB FELDMAN. PLEASE CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME AND PRESENT YOUR COMMENT. GOOD EVENING, BOARD. ZEB FELDMAN WITH THE UNION SEMA 0A3. I'M PLEASED TO SHARE THAT SEMA HAS CARDS FOR MORE THAN 55% OF THE SCCOE LEADERSHIP TEAM.

WE MET WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT AND DIRECTOR OF HR TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS.

TO OUR SURPRISE, ADMINISTRATION CHOSE NOT TO RECOGNIZE US AS THE SUPERIOR COURT AND THE COUNTY OF MONTEREY RECENTLY DID.

INSTEAD, ADMINISTRATION HAS INSISTED ON THE LENGTHIER PROCESS OF STATE APPLICATION AND SUBSEQUENT STATE-ADMINISTERED VOTE, A DELAY OF UP TO HALF A YEAR. DESPITE THIS, SEMA IS EAGER TO BE A POWERFUL PARTNER WITH THE OFFICE OF EDUCATION AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO REGULAR MEETINGS WITH YOU ALL. YOU MAY ALWAYS EXPECT FROM SEMA PROFESSIONAL PREPAREDNESS, RESEARCH, AND INTELLIGENT ADVOCACY ON BEHALF OF OUR MEMBERSHIP WITH AN EYE EVER TOWARDS DELIVERING EDUCATION. YOU WILL HEAR FROM MY COLLEAGUES HOW PARTNERSHIP WITH SEMA HAS BENEFITED OTHER EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS ALIKE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS JIM PIAZZA.

HELLO BOARD, MY NAME IS JIM PIAZZA, SEMA BOARD MEMBER AND SANTA CLARA COUNTY IT MANAGER.

WE'RE SO EXCITED AND WELCOME TO WELCOME OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO SCCOELT INTO THE UNION FOLD. WE CELEBRATE NOW AS WE HAVE PASSED 50% MARK AND WE'LL CELEBRATE AGAIN WHEN WE ARE RECOGNIZED.

AS AN EMPLOYEE OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY, I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND THE BENEFITS SEMA HAS BROUGHT FROM EXCELLENT WAGES, BENEFITS TO PREDICTABILITY IN PROGRESS AND PLAN WHEN BUDGETS ARE TIGHT.

WE WORK GREATLY WITH THE COUNTY FROM PIONEERING TELEWORK IN 2014, WELL AHEAD OF OTHER LOCAL EMPLOYERS, TO INTEREST BARGAINING FOR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS AND PIONEERING FOR MEETING AFFORDABLE CARE ACT TO GUARANTEE FEDERAL DROP FUNDS, DOWNTIME FUNDS. YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON SEMA TO BRING CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO COMPLEX PROBLEMS. PARTNERING WITH OUR REPRESENTATIVE EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS THE ORGANIZATIONS THEY SUPPORT. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS JOANNE VARS. GOOD EVENING TRUSTEES, I AM DR.

JOANNE VARS. I HAVE WORKED AS AN EDUCATIONAL LEADER IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY SINCE 2002 AND HAVE BEEN SERVING AT SCCOE BEGINNING IN JUNE OF 2018 WITHIN OUR FOSTER AND HOMELESS YOUTH EDUCATIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT. AS YOU HAVE HEARD, THE SCCOE LEADERSHIP TEAM HAS WORKED WITH SEMA TO REACH THE CRITERIA FOR MEMBERSHIP AND ENTER INTO THE PROCESS OF UNIONIZATION. AS THE MAJORITY MILESTONE RECEIVE RECOGNITION HAS BEEN REACHED, I AM HERE TODAY TO ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT. WHILE THIS IS EXCITING AND A RELIEF TO OUR MANY MEMBERS WHO SUPPORTED COLLEAGUES TO SUBMIT PARTICIPATION CARDS, OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM STAFF STILL HOLDS CONCERNS AND FEARS THAT THEY MAY BE TARGETED

[00:20:02]

FOR PARTICIPATION IN THIS EFFORT. YOUR PUBLIC SUPPORT IS NEEDED AS NUMEROUS COLLEAGUES REPORTED THAT THEY WERE UNCOMFORTABLE PUBLICLY SPEAKING AT TONIGHT'S MEETING.

I AM ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND APPRECIATE YOUR CONTINUED EFFORTS. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS RODERICK NG. HI, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS RODERICK NG. I WORK IN SCCOE UNDER TDSD AS A PRODUCT MANAGER. I'M VERY HAPPY WORKING HERE. I DON'T WANT TO TELL EVERYONE FIRST. THE ONLY THING I FOUND IS WHEN I FIRST WORKED HERE, I SEE EVERYONE HAS A UNION REPRESENTATIVE BUT THE LEADERSHIP DOESN'T HAVE ONE.

SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT MY SUPPORT INTO HAVING A LEADERSHIP UNION SHIP IN HERE. THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY. SO THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CARLA COLLINS. HI, I'M CARLA COLLINS, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF SEMA AND I'M ALSO A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER. SO YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT SEMA'S PROFESSIONALISM, MEMBER ADVOCACY, AND PROBLEM-SOLVING BUT I WANT TO TURN TO SEMA AS A POWERFUL PARTNER.

IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY, WE FORESAW THE BUDGET CUTS FROM THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND HELPED PASS MEASURE A, BLUNTING THE WORST BUDGET IMPACTS TO THE COUNTY.

IN MONTEREY, WE DID THE SAME WITH MEASURE AA. THAT TRULY TRANSFORMED THAT COUNTY BUDGET AND YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON SEMA TO FIGHT FOR SERVICE DELIVERY WITH PHONE CALLS, WALKS, OUR ALLIANCES WITH LABOR PARTNERSHIP TO PROTECT PUBLIC EDUCATION AND SUPPORT WORKING FAMILIES. SEMA IS A MEMBER-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS-ORIENTED, VALUES-BASED ORGANIZATION WITH OVER 50 YEARS EXPERIENCE. I'M RUNNING OUT OF TIME SO I'M ASKING MY COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD TO BE VOCAL IN YOUR SUPPORT FOR SEMA AND FOR THESE EMPLOYEES AND THEIR RIGHT TO UNIONIZE. I THANK EACH OF YOU FOR ALL YOU DO. THESE ARE DIFFICULT TIMES AND I KNOW THAT THIS WILL MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS SOREN KAM.

GOOD EVENING, DR. TOSTIN AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. MY NAME IS SOREN KAM AND I SERVE AS A SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST WITHIN THE COUNTY. I AM ONE OF TEN MEMBERS OF PSWA. TO QUALIFY AS A SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST, I HAVE COMPLETED 50 HOURS OF FIELDWORK, 1,200 HOURS OF PRACTICUM, AND ONE YEAR OF INTERNSHIP UNDER A SUPERVISED EXPERIENCED SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST. MY ROLE IN THE COUNTY IS HIGHLY SPECIALIZED AS I PROVIDE SERVICE TO A DIVERSE RANGE OF STUDENTS WITH COMPLEX AND EXTENSIVE NEEDS. I SERVE FIVE DIFFERENT SCHOOL SITES SUPPORTING 12 CLASSROOMS. MY COLLEAGUE AND I ARE ADVOCATING FOR A FAIR CONTRACT IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR OTHER BARGAINING UNITS. I TRUST THAT YOUR OFFICE WILL ADDRESS THIS INEQUITY. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS ISABEL ALVAREZ.

GOOD EVENING, I'M ISABEL ALVAREZ. I'M A PSWA MEMBER.

MANY SITES TOOK PAY CUTS TO WORK AT COE DESPITE LOWER SALARIES THAN SURROUNDING DISTRICTS. OUR SILENCE OUTSIDE OF BARGAINING HAS ALLOWED UNEQUAL TREATMENTS. WE'RE SPEAKING UP NOW TO ASK FOR FAIRNESS AND EQUAL TREATMENT WITH OTHER BARGAINING PARTNERS.

THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS HONG VO. HONG VO IS A SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST.

MY MESSAGE IS STILL ABOUT EQUITY. EQUITY IN EDUCATION REQUIRES MORE THAN GOOD INTENTIONS. IT REQUIRES FAIR INVESTMENT IN THE PEOPLE DOING THE WORK.

EDUCATORS SERVING OUR MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS ARE OFTEN ASKED TO DO MORE WITH LESS AND THAT DISPARITY SENDS A CLEAR MESSAGE ABOUT WHOSE LABOR IS VALUED.

IF YOU TRULY BELIEVE STUDENTS MATTER, THEN EDUCATORS WHO SUPPORT THEM MUST MATTER TOO.

EQUITY PAY IS NOT ABOUT PREFERENCES OR REWARDS.

IT'S ABOUT RECOGNIZING THE COMPLEXITY, EMOTIONAL LABOR, AND EXPERTISE REQUIRED TO SERVE STUDENTS WITH THE GREATEST NEEDS.

WHEN WE INVEST IN EQUITY IN EDUCATORS THROUGH EQUITABLE PAY WITH ACE, RESOURCES AND SUPPORT, WE STRENGTHEN RETENTION, STABILITY, AND OUR OUTCOME FOR STUDENTS WHO NEED IT THE MOST. EQUITY PAY IS ABOUT COMMITMENT TO JUSTICE, DIGNITY, AND SUSTAINABLE EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS TAHITA FOWLER.

HELLO, I'M TAHITA FOWLER, ONE OF THE SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS HERE AT COE. I HAVE OVER 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN EDUCATION. I CAME TO COE IN 2017 AFTER WORKING IN OTHER DISTRICTS BECAUSE I BELIEVED IN THE MISSION OF COE, WHICH IS TO SERVE, INSPIRE, AND PROMOTE STUDENT SUCCESS.

CURRENTLY, I AM ASSIGNED TO SIX SITES, TOTALING 13 CLASSES, SO PLEASE CONSIDER OUR OFFER OF EQUITY SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THE SAME AS OUR COLLEAGUES AND BE SHOWN THAT WE ARE VALUED MEMBERS OF THE COE TEAM. THANK YOU. AND OUR LAST SPEAKER IS MARGIE MCMILLAN. GOOD EVENING, SUPERINTENDENT TOSTIN AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES. MY NAME IS MARGIE MCMILLAN AND I'VE BEEN A SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST AT COE FOR

[00:25:02]

OVER EIGHT YEARS. THE LAST TIME I WAS STANDING HERE, I TALKED ABOUT HOW MY PAY COMPARES TO THAT OF AN ACE MEMBER WITH MY ANNUAL SALARY $2,500 LESS THAN AN ACE MEMBER AT THE SAME STEP AS ME.

TODAY, I WANT TO TELL YOU WHY I WORK HERE.

IN THE YEARS I'VE BEEN AT COE, I'VE WORKED WITH CHILDREN FROM BIRTH TO 22, COMPLEX STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DIFFERENCES SUCH AS BEING DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING, HAVING AUTISM, VISUAL OR ORTHOPEDIC IMPAIRMENTS, EMOTIONAL DISABILITIES, AND VARIOUS DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, MANY WITH EXTREME HEALTH NEEDS AS WELL. I LOVE WORKING WITH THE STUDENTS OF COE AND THEIR FAMILIES. I LOVE MY JOB AND BEING PART OF THE WELL-TRAINED TEAMS OF ACE AND SEIU EMPLOYEES WITH SPECIAL ED ADMINISTRATORS WHO HAVE THE GOAL OF DOING THE BEST BY OUR KIDS. EVERYONE I WORK WITH HERE MAKES ME A BETTER SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST. I HOPE ADMINISTRATION CAN SHOW THE VALUE OF PSWA AND OFFER OUR TEAM EQUITABLE PAY. THIS CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENTS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO WE ARE

[A. Bargaining Units' Reports]

MOVING ON TO BARGAINING UNIT REPORTS.

OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS BARGAINING UNIT REPORTS.

PLEASE NOTE THAT STATE LAW PROHIBITS THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION FROM DISCUSSING OR ACTING ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS. A FIVE-MINUTE TIMER WILL BE PRESENTED AND COMMENTS SHOULD NOT EXCEED FIVE MINUTES. I INVITE SEIU PRESIDENT TO COME FORWARD, STATE YOUR NAME AND TITLE, AND PRESENT YOUR COMMENTS.

ON BEHALF OF SEIU LOCAL 521-1423 PERMANENT AND SUBSTITUTE CLASSIFIED STAFF HERE AT SCCOE, I'M SARAH GIANNACCARO, CHAPTER PRESIDENT AND DEFENDER OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.

CONGRATULATIONS TO KESTER ON HIS RECOGNITION AS FEBRUARY'S EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH. OUR UNION IS NOW 11 MONTHS INTO NEGOTIATING OUR RE-OPENER, WHICH WAS TWO NON-FINANCIAL ARTICLES, ONE OF OURS AND ONE OF MANAGEMENT'S, AND SALARY AND WAGES.

NEGOTIATIONS HAVE NEVER TAKEN THIS LONG, EVEN FOR A FULL CONTRACT WHEN WE'VE NEGOTIATED UPWARDS OF A DOZEN ARTICLES.

IT'S ALMOST TIME TO START NEGOTIATING OUR SECOND RE-OPENER AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN FINISHED THE FIRST. WHILE THE FINANCIAL PROPOSAL IS ON OUR SIDE OF THE COURT, OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND IS IMPACTED BY STILL MISSING REQUESTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION.

WE DID RECEIVE SOME OF THE DATA THAT WE REQUESTED BACK IN MARCH LAST WEEK, BUT STILL HAVE A LONG LIST OF UNFILLED INFORMATION REQUESTS.

WE DID MEET AND CONFER ON THIS ON THE 23RD AND ARE HOPEFUL THAT SCCOE WILL FINALLY MEET ITS LEGAL REQUIREMENT BEFORE OUR NEXT BARGAINING SESSION ON THE 12TH. IN THE MEANTIME, THE OFFICE'S ANTI-WORKER, ANTI-UNION ACTIONS HAVE SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED.

FIRST, THERE WAS THE REMOVAL OF ONE SICK DAY, A CLEAR VIOLATION OF THE CONTRACT FOR THE PARAEDUCATOR UNIT IMPACTING OVER 400 WORKERS. THEN, THERE WAS AN ATTEMPT TO RESTRICT UNION LEADERS FROM PARTICIPATING IN INTERVIEW PANELS.

THERE'S THE FAILURE TO READ COMMUNICATIONS TO SCHEDULE A DISCIPLINE MEETING AND HOLDING IT WITHOUT THE WORKERS UNION REPRESENTATIVE.

ERRORS WITH PAYCHECKS THAT RESULT IN EXTRA DEDUCTIONS IN SUBSEQUENT MONTHS WITHOUT NOTIFYING THE WORKER.

ENGAGING IN DISCIPLINE WHEN A THIRD PARTY REPARTS AN ISSUE AND THERE ARE NO WITNESSES.

AND APPARENTLY, NOT RESPECTING THE LEADERSHIP TEAM'S CARD COUNT FOR UNION RECOGNITION.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE ORGANIZATION'S CULTURE HASN'T CHANGED. IT'S STILL PRIMARILY TOXIC AND RIFE WITH RETALIATION AND INEQUITIES. WE HAD HOPED THAT THIS BOARD AND THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT WOULD PRIORITIZE ENSURING THAT CULTURE CHANGE WOULD TAKE PLACE. WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE POCKETS OF IMPROVEMENT, SUCH AS DR.

TOSTON'S EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE CULTURE WITHIN EXECUTIVE SERVICES, BUT IT HASN'T MOVED TO THE REST OF THE ORGANIZATION. WE NEED LEADERS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR IMPROVING THE CULTURE WITHIN THEIR DIVISIONS AND DEPARTMENTS. DR. TOSTON, YOU PROPOSED THE UNIONS BE PART OF THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, WHICH WE UNDERSTAND HAS STARTED, BUT THERE'S NO COMMUNICATION WITH US. LAST YEAR'S BUDGET WAS DEVELOPED WITHOUT A COLA AND IT APPEARS THAT THIS YEAR'S WILL BE TOO, EVEN THOUGH MANY OF OUR PROGRAMS DO IN FACT RECEIVE A COLA, EVEN IF IT'S INDIRECT.

IN AGENDA ITEM 5B FROM NOVEMBER 19TH, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE BOARD RECOGNIZES THAT THERE ARE SERIOUS MISDOINGS.

HOWEVER, IT APPEARS THAT THERE'S ALSO BEEN NO ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THOSE WRONGDOINGS. WHAT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FAILED AND HOW ARE THEY BEING REMEDIED? HAVE ALL OF THOSE INVOLVED BEEN HELD ACCOUNTABLE? WE ARE SEIU STRONG AND WE STAND WITH ACE AND PSWA TO DEFEND PUBLIC EDUCATION AND STAND UP FOR OUR STUDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, SORRY, TAKING NOTES. MOVING ON TO ACE. FORWARD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND TITLE AND PRESENT YOUR COMMENTS.

RIJU KRISHNA, PRESIDENT AND OFFICIAL SPOKESPERSON ACE AND DEFENDER OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.

CONGRATULATIONS, KESTER.

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IS THE STRONGEST PEACEFUL WEAPON THAT WORKERS HAVE. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. WELCOME MANAGEMENT TEAM UNDER SEMA, SOLIDARITY TO OUR PAIN, ANGST, SUCCESSES AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THE POWER OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNITS.

DR. TOSTAN, THERE COMES A TIME WHEN SILENCE IS BETRAYAL.

[00:30:02]

AGAIN, DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CONCERNS ARE RESURFACING DUE TO YOUR CONTINUED SILENCE.

THEY PERSIST BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ADDRESSED. AGENDA ITEM 5B FROM NOVEMBER 19, 2025 IDENTIFIED SERIOUS FISCAL FAILURES. TO DATE, WE STILL DON'T HAVE ANSWERS TO THE MOST BASIC QUESTIONS.

WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? WHO REVIEWED AND APPROVED THESE EXPENSES? WHO IGNORED THE RED FLAGS AND WHAT INTERNAL CONTROLS FAILED? MOST IMPORTANTLY, HOW ARE THEY BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE? THE LEVEL OF MISUSE IDENTIFIED IN AGENDA ITEM 5B CANNOT POSSIBLY BE THE WORK OF A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL.

DR. TOSTAN, THE PUBLIC AND YOUR EMPLOYEES DESERVE THESE ANSWERS FROM YOU. WHAT IS YOUR STEP-BY-STEP PLAN WITH TIMELINES TO REBUILD FISCAL OVERSIGHT, REPAIR THE DAMAGE, ENSURE THIS NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN AND HOLD THOSE RESPONSIBLE ACCOUNTABLE? MARCH 15TH IS NEARLY HERE AND THERE HAS BEEN NO COLLABORATION OR COMMUNICATION WITH THE BARGAINING UNITS ABOUT POTENTIAL CLASSROOM CLOSURES OTHER THAN FOR SIX CLASSROOMS. WILL THERE BE LAYOFFS OR ADDITIONAL CLASSROOM CLOSURES? WE ALREADY KNOW THAT DISTRICTS ARE TAKING BACK SIX CLASSROOMS AND STAFF WERE INFORMED BUT PARENTS STILL HAVE NOT.

PARENTS AND COMMUNITIES DESERVE TIMELY TRANSPARENT COMMUNICATION ABOUT CLASSROOM CLOSURES.

BUDGET MANIPULATION IS NOW A PATTERN, IT'S NOT A MISTAKE. A3 SERIOUS CONCERNS DURING THE DURING THE SECOND INTERIM OF 24-25 INCLUDING UNEXPLAINED INCREASES OF 55 MILLION IN SERVICES AND OPERATING EXPENSES, 9 BILLION IN BOOKS AND SUPPLIES.

BUSINESS SERVICES DESCRIBED THESE AS ONE-TIME DEPARTMENTAL NEEDS. THE MONEY WAS NEVER SPENT CONTRIBUTING TO 109 MILLION DOLLARS IN UNSPENT FUNDS. THE SAME PATTERN OF INCREASING THESE TWO CATEGORIES ARE IN 25-26 BUDGET BUT THE CURRENT SPENDINGS DO NOT SUPPORT THIS. WE ASKED YOU WHY WAS THE MONEY NOT SPENT? WE STILL DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER.

LAST YEAR INFLATED PROJECTIONS WERE USED TO JUSTIFY LAYOFFS, DENY A RETIREMENT INCENTIVE AND CLAIM SCCOE HAS NO MONEY FOR RAISES, HEALTH CARE AND OTHER. IS THAT PATTERN GOING TO CONTINUE? SO SUPERINTENDENT AUSTIN WE'RE ASKING YOU AGAIN. WHY ARE THESE INCREASES OCCURRING AGAIN IN THE BUDGET? WHY NO ANSWER FROM YOU? ARE THEY BEING USED AGAIN TO DENY HEALTH CARE SALARY INCREASES IN BASIC CLASSROOM SUPPLIES? DOES THE BOARD UNDERSTAND WHY THE MONEY WAS NEVER SPENT LAST YEAR? AND IF THESE ARE PROGRAMMATIC NEEDS, WHAT ARE THOSE PROGRAMMATIC NEEDS AND ARE THEY ACTUALLY BEING MET? LABOR HARM AND THE ANTI-UNION CONDUCT OF SCCOE IS APPALLING AT THIS POINT. IT HAS BEEN WITHOUT A CONTRACT SINCE JULY 25. NOW MORE THAN SEVEN MONTHS AND HAS BEEN AT THE BARGAINING TABLE SINCE FEBRUARY OF LAST YEAR, WHICH IS A YEAR AGO. WE'RE AT IMPASSE BECAUSE COE'S DELAYS BACK PAID BARGAINING AND LACK OF PREPAREDNESS TO ADDRESS SIMPLE REQUESTS SUCH AS NEGOTIATING FOR A 15-MINUTE BREAK FOR ELS STAFF WHO ARE WORKING NINE-HOUR DAYS. COE CONTINUES TO CREATE MANAGEMENT POSITIONS FOR WORK THAT WERE HISTORICALLY AND EFFECTIVELY DONE BY BARGAINING UNIT MEMBERS.

EXAMPLE, THE EARLY LEARNING INNOVATION SPECIALIST POSITION.

COE IS NOW TRYING TO RESTRICT HOW BARGAINING UNITS CAN SELECT INTERVIEW PANELISTS TO PREVENT ALL UNION LEADERSHIP AT ANY LEVEL FROM PARTICIPATING AND UNILATERALLY CHANGING MORE THAN A DECADE-LONG PRACTICE.

BASICALLY, COE IS SAYING THAT ANYONE WHO HOLDS ANY UNION LEADERSHIP POSITION CANNOT TAKE PART IN ANY LEADERSHIP INTERVIEWS.

WHY? COE CLAIMS THAT WE ARE NOT REFUSING REFERRALS OR WORK FROM DISTRICTS. THAT IS NOT TRUE. ACE RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT A STUDENT WHO HAD NOT RECEIVED REQUIRED VISION SERVICES SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR THAT COE WAS SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO BUT HAS NOT TILL DATE. NOW DISTRICT HAS CONTRACTED OUT TO A PRIVATE CONTRACT AGENCY TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE, WHICH IS A LOSS FOR COE. THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF US. NOW WE'RE LOSING. THIS IS NOT DECLINING ENROLLMENT. THIS IS DENYING SERVICES BECAUSE OF WHICH OUR JOBS ARE AT STAKE.

HOW WILL YOU REPAIR THIS HARM, DR. TOSTON? BECAUSE DR. KING WARNED US THAT JUSTICE TOO LONG DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED.

WILL YOU CHOOSE ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND ACTION? BECAUSE TODAY IS WAY WORSE THAN BEFORE, BUT ALL IS NOT LOST.

IT CAN STILL BE FIXED. ARE YOU GOING TO STAY SILENT OR ARE YOU ACTUALLY GOING TO TAKE SOME ACTION? BECAUSE WE NEED THOSE ANSWERS AND WE NEED ACCOUNTABILITY FROM YOU AND FROM OUR ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND SORRY I, PSYCHOLOGISTS AND SOCIAL WORKERS WERE SUPPOSED TO GO BEFORE BUT I WAS READING THE SCRIPT WRONG, SO I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM THE PSYCHOLOGISTS AND SOCIAL WORKERS ASSOCIATION, PSWA. SORRY ABOUT THAT. GOOD EVENING, DR.

TOSTON AND TRUSTEES. MY NAME IS MEGAN FAIN AND I AM THE PSWA REPRESENTATIVE. YOU'VE HEARD FROM MANY MEMBERS

[00:35:01]

OF OUR GROUP TONIGHT, AND TONIGHT WE HAVE 80% OF OUR GROUP HERE.

AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING, AFTER THE LAST BOARD MEETING, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW UNCOMFORTABLE IT WAS TO SPEAK OUT AND A COMMENT WAS CLIPPED THAT BY NATURE OF THE JOB WE PREFER TO LISTEN RATHER THAN BE HEARD. I'VE REFLECTED ON THAT COMMENT FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS AND I REALIZE THAT THAT'S PROBABLY HOW WE GOT TO THIS MOMENT.

FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS OUR GROUP HAS BEEN TREATED AND EQUITABLY COMPARED TO ARA'S COLLEAGUES, MANY OF WHOM HELD THE SAME TRAINING OF CREDENTIALS AS WE DO. BUT FOR 10 YEARS WE HAVEN'T SPOKEN UP. WE'VE HOPED THAT FAIRNESS WOULD COME SIMPLY BY DOING OUR JOBS. WE HOPE THAT BEING FLEXIBLE, SUPPORTIVE, AND DEDICATED EMPLOYEES WOULD BE ENOUGH. WE HOPE THAT EQUITY WOULD BE GRANTED ON MERIT ALONE THROUGH BARGAINING. IT WASN'T.

WE FAILED TO ADVOCATE FOR OURSELVES AND AS THIS GROUP'S REPRESENTATIVE, I'M ASHAMED OF THE ADVOCACY I'VE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE, OR HAD PROVIDED PRIOR TO THIS YEAR, BUT IMPORTANT LESSONS WERE LEARNED. SO TONIGHT I STAND BEFORE YOU ADVOCATING CLEARLY AND DIRECTLY. THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT INEQUITY AFFECTING PSWA MEMBERS AND THE CURRENT SALARY PROPOSAL FROM SCCOE DOES NOTHING TO ADDRESS IT. OUR CURRENT OFFER IS A 1% OFF SCHEDULE THAT MIRRORS WHAT HAS BEEN OFFERED TO THE OTHER GROUPS. PSWA STANDS WITH ACE AND SEIU THAT THIS IS WHOLLY INSUFFICIENT, BUT IT ALSO DOES NOTHING TO ADDRESS OUR CONCERNS OF EQUITY THAT WE'VE BROUGHT UP.

WE PROPOSED A SALARY SCHEDULE THAT HAD US ALIGNED WITH ACE AT EVERY STEP FOR THE PER DIEM RATE. THIS WAS CROSSED OUT WHEN WE WERE RETURNED A COUNTER OFFER. WE ARE ASKING FOR AT THE VERY LEAST A MOVEMENT TOWARDS EQUITY, BUT IN PREFERENCE, FULL EQUITY. ESPECIALLY WHEN WE KNOW AT THIS TIME WITH OUR VERY SMALL GROUP, THE TOTAL COST WOULD BE PENNIES TO SCCOE'S OVERALL BUDGET.

DECISIONS AFFECTING US ARE SMALL IN SCALE, BUT THEY HAVE AN ENORMOUS IMPACT FOR OUR MEMBERS. AS REFERENCED IN THE INFORMATION ITEM NUMBER EIGHT AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING, A MEMBER RECEIVED A SIGNIFICANT RAISE SIMPLY BY SWITCHING FROM PSWA TO ACE, WHICH ONLY HIGHLIGHTS IN BLACK AND WHITE WHAT WE HAVE BEEN PRESENTING AND BARGAINING AND ASKING FOR FOR MANY YEARS.

MANY PSWA MEMBERS HAVE THE SAME EDUCATION AND SAME CERTIFICATION AS ACE MEMBERS, AND YET PSWA MEMBERS MAKE CUMULATIVELY $35,000 LESS FOR STEPS 9 THROUGH 15.

OVER THE PAST TWO MEETINGS, YOU'VE HEARD FROM OUR MEMBERS WHO TOOK SUBSTANTIAL PAY CUTS TO WORK HERE BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IN SCCOE'S MISSION.

THEY CHOSE PURPOSE OVER PAY, BUT THAT CHOICE HAS CONSEQUENCES. LAST SPRING, TWO OF OUR LEAD PSYCHOLOGISTS RECEIVED LAYOFF NOTICES THAT WERE LATER RESCINDED. WHEN THEY WENT OUT ON THE JOB MARKET, THEY WERE OFFERED POSITIONS FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS MORE, WORKING LESS DAYS AND LESS HOURS, SO WE LOST THEM.

LEAVING US WITH A VACANCY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS THIS YEAR.

WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE FILLED IT WITH SOMEONE WONDERFUL.

THAT'S THE SAD REALITY OF WHERE WE STAND. ON TOP OF NOT BEING EQUITABLE, WE'RE NOT COMPETITIVE. EVEN WITH OUR PROPOSAL, WHICH WOULD ACHIEVE EQUITY WITH ACE, WE STILL WOULD NOT BE ANYWHERE NEAR THE TOP. OUR CURRENT SALARY FALLS IN THE BOTTOM 50% OF THE SURROUNDING DISTRICTS FOR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS. OUR PROPOSAL WOULD PUT US RIGHT BETWEEN SANTA CLARA UNIFIED AND SAN JOSE UNIFIED, WHICH ARE TWO OF THE LARGER DISTRICTS WE SERVE FOR, SO WE FEEL LIKE THAT'S A REALLY FAIR POSITION TO BE. OUR PSYCHOLOGISTS ARE SPECIALISTS AND WE ASSESS AND SERVE MANY STUDENTS THAT MANY PSYCHOLOGISTS WILL NEVER WORK WITH IN THEIR CAREERS.

IN FACT, MANY OF US HAVE HAD TO CONSULT AND SUPPORT DISTRICT PSYCHS AND HOW THEY SUPPORT STUDENTS WITH MORE SIGNIFICANT NEEDS.

WE ALSO GET TO SEE STUDENTS AT AGE 3 THROUGH 22. BEING MY 10TH YEAR HERE, I AM NOW SUPPORTING KIDDOS AND THEIR FAMILIES AS THEY TRANSITION TO HIGH SCHOOL THAT I GOT TO MEET AS TODDLERS AND GOT TO PLACE IN OUR PRESCHOOL CLASSES WHEN THEY WERE THREE.

AS THEY'VE TRANSITIONED FROM CLASS TO CLASS, I'VE GOTTEN TO BE A CONSTANT FACE.

AS PRINCIPALS HAVE CHANGED, TEACHERS HAVE CHANGED, SCHOOL SITES HAVE CHANGED, I HAVE BEEN THE FAMILIAR FACE THAT THE FAMILY KNOWS THAT THEY CAN REACH OUT TO. I'VE BEEN THE FAMILIAR FACE THAT KNOWS THAT STUDENT FROM CLASS TO CLASS TO TELL ABOUT WHAT THEY LIKE AND WHAT THEY DON'T LIKE AND WHAT THEY'LL WORK FOR AND WHAT SCARES THEM. I'M JUST ONE OF 10 OF US WHO DO THAT, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN. SO TONIGHT WE ASK YOU TO CONTINUE TO ASK QUESTIONS. WE ASK YOU TO CONTINUE TO PUSH THAT WE BELONG IN THIS COMMUNITY, THAT THE CONTRIBUTIONS WE MAKE, OUR UNIQUE ROLE, OUR UNIQUE TRAINING, AND OUR COMMITMENT ARE TRULY SEEN AND APPRECIATED.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THAT CONCLUDES OUR BARGAINING UNIT REPORTS. NOW, YEAH. I JUST HAVE A QUICK COMMENT. I THINK IT WAS ACTUALLY MORE SO FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENT RATHER THAN THIS NOTE. AND I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ORGANIZING WORK OF SEMA AND REALLY WANT TO JUST

[00:40:02]

UPLIFT THEM AND SUPPORT THEIR EFFORTS AND SUPPORT NOT OBSTRUCTING OR DELAYING THEIR EFFORTS IN ANY WAY AND MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT. AND I KNOW THAT, DR. TOSTIN, YOU'RE BRINGING A LOT OF RESPECT AND COLLABORATION TO THIS COUNTY OFFICE AND WANT TO ENSURE THAT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I DO HAVE A LOT OF COMMENTS, THE VERY SIMILAR SENTIMENT, BUT I DO RECOGNIZE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO RESPOND TO PUBLIC COMMENTS DURING THIS SECTION OF THE MEETING, SO I WILL SAVE MY REMARKS FOR MY BOARD MEMBER REPORT.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

[6. CONSENT ACTION ITEMS]

WE'RE MOVING ON TO CONSENT ACTION ITEMS. I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT ACTION ITEMS A THROUGH H. CAN I HAVE A MOTION? SECOND. DO WE HAVE A FIRST? BERTHA. TRUSTEE BERTHA MAKES A MOTION AND TRUSTEE LAURIE SECONDS. CAN YOU VOTE IN BOARD DOCS, PLEASE?

[7. CONSENT INFORMATION ITEMS (Information items provided for review that do not require presentation or action.)]

PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE MOVE ON TO CONSENT INFORMATION ITEMS. THIS ITEM IS ON THE AGENDA FOR TRANSPARENCY. THERE IS NO PRESENTATION OR ACTION REQUIRED. UNLESS THERE ARE ANY COMMENTS, WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA. YES, TRUSTEE BERTHA.

JUST WANTED TO MAKE A QUICK COMMENT, AND I APPRECIATE STAFF AS WELL FOR CLARIFYING A QUESTION I HAD ON THE 7C, THE CONTRACTS OVER $250,000 AND THE SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION FOR THE CHILD CARE CENTERS, SO IT WOULD JUST BE HELPFUL TO PROVIDE SOME OF THAT TRANSPARENCY WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ITSELF IN TERMS OF MOVING FORWARD WHY THE SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION IS NEEDED WHEN THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CHILD CARE PROVIDERS, SO IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE JUST FOR THE PUBLIC AS WELL OR ANYONE WHO'S WONDERING WHY, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE THESE LARGE CONTRACTS FOR CHILD CARE PROVIDERS WHEN THERE'S A NUMBER OF AVAILABLE CHILD CARE PROVIDERS. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT CLARIFICATION NOW OR IT CAN BE AT A FUTURE TIME AS WELL SINCE IT'S CONSENT INFORMATION AND IT'S ALREADY BEEN APPROVED.

ANY OTHER BOARD COMMENTS ON THE CONSENT INFORMATION ITEMS? AND I THINK I AGREE THAT IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO HAVE A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION. I KNEW ON THAT BECAUSE I'M THE HEAD START POLICY COUNCIL PERSON, SO I KNEW THE BACKSTORY ON THAT, BUT I AGREE. SO NO

[A. Request for Renewal of the Discovery Charter II Charter School]

MORE COMMENTS ON THAT. WE MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 8 ACTION, ACTION ITEMS. ITEM 8A IS THE REQUEST FOR RENEWAL OF A DISCOVERY CHARTER 2 CHARTER SCHOOL. THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION WILL NOW CONSIDER AND REACH A DECISION ON THE DIRECT DISTRICT APPEAL RENEWAL CHARTER SCHOOL PETITION FOR DISCOVERY CHARTER 2 CHARTER SCHOOL. THIS ACTION ITEM IS A FOLLOW-UP TO THE PUBLIC HEARING HELD ON NOVEMBER 19TH, 2025. THIS ACTION IS BEING CONDUCTED PURSUANT TO EDUCATION CODE 47605, 47607, AND 47607.2 AND BOARD POLICY 420.4. THIS ACTION WILL PROCEED AS FOLLOWS.

FIRST, THE BOARD WILL HEAR AN OPENING STATEMENT FROM STAFF WHO WILL BE GIVEN 15 MINUTES. SECOND, DISCOVERY CHARTER WILL BE GIVEN 15 MINUTES TO COMMENT. THIRD, THE SAN JOSE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT FOR NO MORE THAN 15 MINUTES, SHOULD THEY WANT TO COMMENT.

FOURTH, THE BOARD WILL HEAR PUBLIC COMMENTS. SPEAKERS WILL BE LIMITED TO ONE MINUTE.

SPEAKERS SHALL DIRECT THEIR COMMENTS TO THE BOARD AND ARE URGED TO AVOID REPEATING POINTS MADE BY PREVIOUS SPEAKERS. FIFTH, BOARD MEMBERS MAY ASK CLARIFYING QUESTIONS.

THEREAFTER, THE BOARD WILL DELIBERATE ON THIS MATTER AND MAKE A DECISION REGARDING THE CHARTER PETITION RENEWAL FROM DISCOVERY CHARTER 2 CHARTER SCHOOL. AT THIS TIME, I CALL UPON SUPERINTENDENT DR. TOSTIN TO INTRODUCE THE STAFF. THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE DR. MICHELLE JOHNSON, WHO WILL PROVIDE THE OVERVIEW. I'D ALSO LIKE TO INTRODUCE SHALU

[00:45:01]

SHARMA, WHO WILL BE PROVIDING SUPPORT AS NECESSARY. GOOD EVENING, VICE PRESIDENT SPICER, TRUSTEES, SUPERINTENDENT DR.

TOSTIN, STAFF, AND COMMUNITY.

WE ARE HERE THIS EVENING FOR THE COUNTY BOARD'S ACTION ON THE RENEWAL REQUEST FOR DISCOVERY CHARTER 2 CHARTER SCHOOL, AN INDEPENDENT, DIRECT-FUNDED, SCCBOE AUTHORIZED CHARTER SCHOOL, BECAUSE ITS CURRENT TERM RUNS THROUGH JUNE 30TH OF 2026.

DISCOVERY 2 WAS INITIALLY APPROVED ON APPEAL FROM SAN JOSE UNIFIED IN 2013 AND OPENED IN 2014. ITS PROGRAM CONSISTS OF BOTH A SEAT-BASED TK PARENT PARTICIPATION PROGRAM AND A SEPARATE BLENDED HOMESCHOOL PROGRAM. DISCOVERY 2 SERVES APPROXIMATELY 450 STUDENTS. IT SUBMITTED ITS RENEWAL PETITION ON NOVEMBER 7TH, AND ON NOVEMBER 19TH, THE SCCBOE HELD ITS PUBLIC HEARING ON THE DISCOVERY 2 CHARTER PETITION WITHIN THE 60 DAYS AS REQUIRED BY LAW. SCCOE, DISCOVERY 2, AND DISCOVERY CHARTER SCHOOLS, OR DCS, ENTERED INTO A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING IN 2018, WHICH REMAINS IN EFFECT DURING ANY CHARTER RENEWAL, APPEAL, ETC., OR UNTIL A NEW AGREEMENT IS REACHED. THE CHARTER SCHOOLS DEPARTMENT PROVIDED DISCOVERY 2 AN UPDATED MOU TO ALIGN WITH THE CURRENT LAWS AND PRACTICES, WHICH WAS ACCEPTED AND SIGNED BY DISCOVERY ON DECEMBER 3RD.

INCLUDED IN THE RENEWAL PETITION WAS A REQUEST TO OFFICIALLY CHANGE THE NAME OF DISCOVERY CHARTER 2 TO DISCOVERY CHARTER FALCON.

STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVING THAT CHANGE, AS IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE NAME BY WHICH THE SCHOOL IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AND MORE CLEARLY DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN THE SCHOOLS OPERATED BY DCS. THE CHARTER SCHOOLS DEPARTMENT ANALYZED THE RENEWAL PETITION FOLLOWING CALIFORNIA EDUCATION CODE AND BOARD GUIDELINES. OUR TEAM HAS EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE IN CHARTER SCHOOLS, CHARTER SCHOOL RENEWALS, AND SPECIALTY PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION, ENGLISH LEARNER DEVELOPMENT, SPECIAL EDUCATION, SCHOOL GOVERNANCE, AND EDUCATIONAL FINANCE. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK OF THE LEAD PETITIONERS, LETTY VILLAGASCONE, WHO IS DISCOVERY'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CARLA LUND, FALCON'S PRINCIPAL, AND THE ENTIRE DISCOVERY FALCON STAFF. WE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ON DECEMBER 5TH, FALCON WAS PROVIDED TO THE SCCBOE VIA EMAIL, THE SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION AND DATA REQUESTED AT THE PUBLIC HEARING FROM NOVEMBER 19TH. WE WANT TO STATE THAT OUR REVIEW OF FALCON WAS COMPLETED IN AN OBJECTIVE AND FACTUAL MANNER.

AS REQUIRED BY LAW, STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS AND RECOMMENDED FINDINGS, INCLUDING EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, WERE PUBLISHED ON THE SCCBOE WEBSITE AND SHARED WITH BOTH FALCON AND SAN JOSE UNIFIED ON JANUARY 20TH, 15 DAYS BEFORE THE COUNTY BOARD'S DECISION TONIGHT. SAN JOSE UNIFIED HAS INDICATED, ALTHOUGH WE DO NOT HAVE A FORMAL POSITION ON THE RENEWAL PETITION, WE TRUST THE COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION TO CONDUCT A THOROUGH AND THOUGHTFUL REVIEW, AND WE DO NOT OPPOSE THE SCHOOL'S RENEWAL. THEY ALSO WANT TO SHARE THAT THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN A DEPENDABLE TENANT AND CONSISTENTLY EASY TO WORK WITH, WHICH SAN JOSE UNIFIED APPRECIATES. WHILE THE FULL STAFF ANALYSIS IS CONTAINED IN THE AGENDA, I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR FINDINGS. AS EXPLAINED IN PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS TO THE BOARD, IN 2019, AB 1505 ESTABLISHED A NEW THREE-TIER SYSTEM FOR CONSIDERING CHARTER RENEWALS. WHEN FALCON SUBMITTED ITS RENEWAL PETITION, FALCON WAS IDENTIFIED BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, OR CDE, AS A MIDDLE-PERFORMING TIER SCHOOL BASED ON ITS PERFORMANCE ON THE 2023 AND 2024 CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DASHBOARD INDICATORS, AND REQUESTED APPROVAL BASED ON THAT IDENTIFIER. ON JANUARY 8TH OF THIS YEAR, THE CDE RELEASED ITS NEW PERFORMANCE CATEGORY LIST BASED ON THE 2024 AND THE 2025 CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DASHBOARD INDICATORS, AND FALCON HAS NOW BEEN DEEMED AS A HIGH-PERFORMING CHARTER SCHOOL. SCCOE APPLAUDS FALCON AND ITS STUDENTS ON THIS IMPROVEMENT AND STRONG ACADEMIC OUTCOMES. STAFF NOTES THAT THE RECOMMENDATION TO RENEW WITH CONDITION FOR FIVE YEARS WOULD BE THE SAME WERE FALCON CONSIDERED AS A HIGH OR A MIDDLE-PERFORMANCE TIER SCHOOL.

ANY SCHOOL, REGARDLESS OF ITS PERFORMANCE CATEGORY,

[00:50:01]

MAY BE NON-RENEWED PER EDUCATION CODE 47607E IF THE AUTHORIZER FINDS THAT THE SCHOOL IS DEMONSTRABLY UNLIKELY TO SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM DUE TO SUBSTANTIAL FISCAL OR GOVERNANCE ISSUES, OR IS FAILING TO SERVE ALL STUDENTS WHO WISH TO ATTEND AND PROVIDES THE CHARTER SCHOOL AT LEAST 30 DAYS NOTICE AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO CURE THE VIOLATIONS TO REMEDIATE THESE CONCERNS, INCLUDING A CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN PROPOSED BY THE CHARTER SCHOOL. THE COUNTY BOARD MAY THEN DENY RENEWAL ON THIS BASIS ONLY BY MAKING EITHER OF THE FOLLOWING FINDINGS. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION PROPOSED BY THE CHARTER SCHOOL HAS BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL OR THE VIOLATIONS ARE SUFFICIENTLY SEVERE AND PERVASIVE AS TO RENDER A CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN UNVIABLE. ON OCTOBER 3RD, SCCOE SENT FALCON A NOTICE PURSUANT TO THESE REQUIREMENTS OF CONCERNS REGARDING WHETHER FALCON IS SERVING ALL STUDENTS WHO WISH TO ATTEND.

FALCON RESPONDED ON NOVEMBER 3RD WITH A CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN WHICH WAS CONSIDERED AS WE ANALYZED FALCON'S RENEWAL REQUEST AND STAFF IS SATISFIED WITH THE PLAN AND ITS PLANNED IMPLEMENTATION. STAFF WILL MONITOR FALCON'S COMPLIANCE THROUGHOUT THE CHARTER TERM.

FALCON HAS COMMITTED TO ANNUALLY REVIEWING THE OUTCOMES OF ITS PLAN, MAKING CHANGES, AND REPORTING ANNUALLY TO SCCOE BY MAY 31ST OF ITS FINDINGS ANNUALLY.

ALSO, IN THE STAFF ANALYSIS, STAFF NOTED SEVERAL ITEMS OR AREAS WHICH WOULD NEED TO BE ADDRESSED AS PART OF AN ADDENDUM TO THE MOU.

FALCON HAS INDICATED THAT THEY AGREE WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS.

THEREFORE, STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE FALCON CHARTER BE RENEWED WITH THE CONDITION THAT FALCON AND DISCOVERY CHARTER SCHOOLS ENTER INTO AN ADDENDUM TO THE MOU ON OR BEFORE MARCH 31ST, 2026 THAT ADDRESSES EACH OF STAFF'S CONCERNS AND RECOMMENDED CONDITIONS IDENTIFIED IN THE STAFF ANALYSIS. STAFF FURTHER RECOMMENDS THAT THE COUNTY BOARD ADOPT ALTERNATIVE WRITTEN FINDINGS OF DENIAL BECAUSE STAFF BELIEVES THAT ALL OF THE ISSUES AND CONCERNS NOTED IN THE STAFF ANALYSIS MUST BE REMEDIATED IN ORDER TO FOR RENEWAL OF THE CHARTER TO BE CONSISTENT WITH SOUND EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE AND THE INTERESTS OF THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH THE CHARTER SCHOOL IS LOCATED, INCLUDING REMEDIATION OF THE ITEMS SPECIFIED IN THE NOTICE. STAFF ALSO RECOMMENDS THAT THE SCCOE APPROVE THE REQUEST TO CHANGE THE NAME OF DISCOVERY CHARTER 2 TO DISCOVERY CHARTER FALCON.

STAFF FURTHER RECOMMENDS THAT THE SCCOE ADOPT THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION ENTITLED, RESOLUTION APPROVING WITH CONDITIONS FOR A TERM OF JULY 1ST, 2026 THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2031, THE CHARTER RENEWAL FOR DISCOVERY 2 FALCON CHARTER SCHOOL AND ALTERNATIVELY MAKING WRITTEN FACTUAL FINDINGS SUPPORTING DENIAL AND DENYING THE DISCOVERY CHARTER 2 FALCON CHARTER SCHOOL CHARTER RENEWAL IF THE CONDITIONS ARE NOT MET. THIS CONCLUDES STAFF'S OPENING STATEMENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. DOES DISCOVERY CHARTER 2 OR CHARTER FALCON HAVE ANY COMMENTS REGARDING THE STAFF ANALYSIS? WHO WILL BE SPEAKING FOR DISCOVERY? ALL RIGHT.

GOOD EVENING BOARD PRESIDENT, SUPERINTENDENT, AND MEMBERS OF THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION. MY NAME IS CARLA LUND-OLSNER AND I'M HONORED TO SERVE AS THE DIRECTOR OF DISCOVERY CHARTER SCHOOL FALCON CAMPUS. JOINING ME THIS EVENING IS OUR EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM WHOSE COLLECTIVE COMMITMENT AND STEWARDSHIP GUIDE OUR WORK EVERY DAY. WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TONIGHT AS WE SEEK RENEWAL OF OUR CHARTER FOR THE 2025 TO 2031 TERM.

THIS RENEWAL REPRESENTS MORE THAN A COMPLIANCE MILESTONE.

IT'S A RECOMMITMENT TO OUR STUDENTS, OUR CURRENT AND FOUNDING FAMILIES, OUR STAFF, AND TO THE SHARED PARTNERSHIP WE HOLD WITH SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION AS OUR AUTHORIZER.

DISCOVERY FALCON IS A PLACE WHERE FALCONS TAKE FLIGHT AND GROW TOGETHER AND TONIGHT WE'RE PROUD TO REFLECT ON HOW FAR WE'VE COME AND WHERE WE'RE INTENTIONALLY GOING. BEFORE HIGHLIGHTING OUR PROGRAM, I'D LIKE TO START WITH GRATITUDE TO THE FOUNDING DIRECTOR, DALE JONES, WHO WORKED ALONGSIDE THE DISCOVERY FALCON FOUNDERS TO ESTABLISH THE COMMUNITY WE ARE TODAY.

TO OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LETTY VILLA, WHO LEADS THE WAY EVERY DAY IN SUPPORT OF OUR AMAZING PROGRAM AND SERVES AS A MENTOR OF THE DISCOVERY LEARNING JOURNEY.

TO THE FOUNDING AND FOLLOWING

[00:55:01]

BOARD MEMBERS SUPPORTING THE PROGRAM'S GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. TO THE CHARTER SCHOOLS DEPARTMENT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR STEADFAST GUIDANCE, THOUGHTFUL OVERSIGHT, AND COLLABORATIVE APPROACH.

IT'S TRULY A PLEASURE WORKING ALONGSIDE YOUR STAFF. TO THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION TRUSTEES, WE'RE SINCERELY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR PRIORITIZING VISITS TO OUR CAMPUS. WE WERE HONORED TO WELCOME YOU AND TO SHARE OUR LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. AND FINALLY, TO THE FALCON COMMUNITY, STUDENTS, FAMILIES, AND STAFF TOGETHER, YOU ARE THE HEART OF DISCOVERY FALCON. IT IS YOUR SHARED COMMITMENT THAT MAKES THE SCHOOL THE JOYFUL, INNOVATIVE, AND GROUNDED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IT IS TODAY.

DISCOVERY FALCON'S INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL IS ROOTED IN OUR MISSION AND PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATING THE WHOLE CHILD THROUGH HANDS-ON, DEVELOPMENTALLY RESPONSIVE, AND INCLUSIVE PRACTICES.

ACROSS CLASSROOMS, SANTA CLARA COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION STAFF OBSERVED INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES CONSISTENT WITH THE ACADEMIC MODEL OUTLINED IN OUR PETITION. OUR PERFORMANCE REFLECTS THIS INTENTIONAL DESIGN. WE ENGAGE IN ONGOING DATA DEEP DIVES TO ENSURE THAT WE MEET STUDENTS WHERE THEY'RE THEY'RE AT ACADEMICALLY, SOCIALLY, AND EMOTIONALLY. RECOGNIZING THAT SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND ACADEMIC GROWTH ARE INHERENTLY CONNECTED.

OPERATIONALLY, WE CONTINUE TO DEMONSTRATE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND OPERATIONS MANAGER COLLABORATE CLOSELY WITH SAN JOSE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT TO SECURE AND MAINTAIN A REASONABLE LEASE FOR OUR CAMPUS, WHILE CONSISTENTLY MEETING AND EXCEEDING RESERVE REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED IN OUR MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING. NEXT SLIDE.

WE'RE EXTRAORDINARILY PROUD THAT DISCOVERY FALCON IS RECOGNIZED BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AS A HIGH-PERFORMANCE SCHOOL. THIS DESIGNATION REFLECTS INTENTIONAL, REFLECTIVE WORK, PARTICULARLY IN AREAS AREAS WE KNEW WE NEEDED TO STRENGTHEN, INCLUDING ATTENDANCE AND ENGAGEMENT, ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT, TIERED INTERVENTIONS, AND INCLUSION.

AT FALCON, MULTI-TIERED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORTS, OR MTSS, IS NOT ANOTHER PROGRAM. IT'S HOW WE DO SCHOOL. WE ENSURE THAT EVERY CHILD IS PROVIDED WITH WHAT THEY NEED TO SUCCEED. NEXT SLIDE. ONE OF DISCOVERY FALCON'S GREATEST STRENGTHS IS THE STAFF.

OVER 40% OF OUR CURRENT STAFF BEGAN AS FOUNDERS, PARENTS, OR LONG-TERM COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

INDIVIDUALS WHO BELIEVE SO DEEPLY IN THE PHILOSOPHY THAT THEY CHOSE TO SERVE FROM WITHIN. I'M ONE OF THEM.

THE CONNECTION CONTRIBUTES TO 93% STAFF RETENTION, STRONG AVERAGE YEARS OF SERVICE, A DEEPLY ROOTED CULTURE OF CARE AND ACCOUNTABILITY. WE VALUE STAFF AUTONOMY AND VOICE ACROSS CURRICULUM DESIGN AND PROJECT-BASED LEARNING, CALENDARING, FIELD TRIPS, AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, AND MORE.

IN THE SUMMER OF 2023, WE PARTNERED WITH AGILITY TO CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE COMPENSATION STUDY FOR ALL EMPLOYEES, WITH PARTICULAR FOCUS ON EQUITY FOR CLASSIFIED STAFF, SUPPORTED COLLABORATIVELY BY OUR CERTIFIED TEAM. THIS WORK REFLECTS OUR COMMITMENT TO BALANCING PROFESSIONAL GROWTH, STAFF WELLNESS, AND LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY.

NEXT SLIDE. WE'RE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO BOTH THE SPIRIT AND THE LETTER OF OUR CHARTER, AND TO THE CONDITIONS THAT FORTH IN OUR MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE FINDINGS SHARED BY SANTA CLARA COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION STAFF, AND HAVE TAKEN THEM SERIOUSLY, RESPONDING WITH A CORRECTIVE ACTION AND EQUITY PLAN THAT OUTLINES CLEAR GOALS, MEASURABLE ACTIONS, TIMELINES, AND ACCOUNTABILITY STRUCTURES.

OUR WORK INCLUDES BROADENING ACCESS AND OUTREACH, STRENGTHENING ADMISSIONS TRANSPARENCY, ENHANCING INCLUSIVE SCHOOL CULTURE, AND ONGOING MONITORING AND COLLABORATION. WE ALSO REMAIN COMMITTED TO TRANSPARENT COMMUNICATION, REGULAR REPORTING, AND CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR AUTHORIZER TO ENSURE CLARITY, ALIGNMENT, AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.

NEXT SLIDE.

DISCOVERY FALCON HAS GROWN INTENTIONALLY, REFLECTIVELY, AND COLLABORATIVELY. WE'RE PROUD TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A HIGH-PERFORMING CHARTER SCHOOL BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT

[01:00:03]

OF EDUCATION, AND WE RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION RECOGNIZE THIS DEMONSTRATED GROWTH, AND APPROVE THE RENEWAL OF DISCOVERY CHARTER SCHOOL FALCON CAMPUS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP, YOUR TRUST, AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WE SERVE WITH DEEP, DEEP GRATITUDE. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, AND MICHELLE, YOU SAID THAT THERE IS NOBODY FROM SAN JOSE UNIFIED. ALL RIGHT, WE WILL NOW TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO ONE MINUTE. IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK, PLEASE HAND IN A SPEAKER'S FORM.

SPEAKERS SHALL DIRECT THEIR COMMENTS TO THE BOARD AND ARE URGED TO AVOID REPEATING POINTS MADE BY PREVIOUS SPEAKERS. AND NOW WE CAN, MODERATOR, CAN WE HAVE A LIST OF SPEAKERS. THANK YOU. SURE, WE HAVE 11 SPEAKERS. AS YOU HEAR YOUR NAME, PLEASE LINE UP BEHIND THE PODIUM LOCATED AT THE CENTER OF THE ROOM.

DALE JONES, ALEX BLAKE, CAMILLE CASTILLO-LEACH, SONIA DALLOWELL, APOLOGIES FOR THE MISPRONUNCIATION, ANNAMAL VARESE, NELL REDANIEL, SOPHIA CROCCO, NICOLE MURPHY, ELAINE SOM, CATALINA ROSE BLAKE, AMARA DALLOWELL. OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS DALE. GOOD EVENING, DALE JONES. I WAS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DCS WHEN DISCOVERY FALCON WAS BORN. A QUICK HISTORY. IT HONESTLY WAS NOT OUR INTENTION TO EXPAND.

RUNNING ONE SCHOOL, FRANKLY, WAS ENOUGH WORK. BUT THESE PARENTS WERE VERY PERSISTENT AND PERSUASIVE, SO WE AGREED TO HAVE AN INTEREST MEETING, NOT INTEREST IN SENDING YOUR CHILD TO DISCOVERY, BUT INTEREST IN ACTUALLY WORKING ON A NEW SCHOOL, DEVELOPING THE PROGRAM, AND WRITING THE CHARTER. SO MANY PEOPLE CAME TO THAT FIRST MEETING THAT WE ACTUALLY HAD TO MOVE OUTSIDE, AND I THINK WE SPENT MOST OF THE NIGHT PLAYING GAMES.

BUT IT WAS A GREAT BEGINNING, AND THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE WERE THEN JOINED BY TEACHERS AND ALSO STUDENTS.

AND OVER THE NEXT YEAR, THEY VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME TO WRITE THE CHARTER AND TO CREATE THE PROGRAM THAT BECAME DISCOVERY FALCON. IT WAS HONESTLY THE MOST EXCITING, MOST GRASSROOTS, AND MOST CREATIVE PROCESS IN MY 36-YEAR CAREER. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS ALEX BLAKE.

GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ALEX BLAKE, AND I'VE BEEN A PART OF THE DISCOVERY COMMUNITY FOR 10 YEARS. I'M A PARENT TO TWO CURRENT DISCOVERY STUDENTS AND ONE FORMER STUDENT. I'M ALSO A TEACHER AT DISCOVERY AND HAD PREVIOUSLY WORKED THERE AS A PARAPROFESSIONAL AND SUBSTITUTE TEACHER. IN MY TIME WITH DISCOVERY, I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND THE SCHOOL'S PHILOSOPHY AND MISSION IN ACTION IN MY OWN CHILDREN, MY CURRENT STUDENTS, AND MULTIPLE FORMER STUDENTS.

DISCOVERY'S WHOLE CHILD APPROACH TO LEARNING CREATES NOT JUST GOOD STUDENTS, BUT GOOD PEOPLE.

THERE IS A CONSTANT FLOW OF JOY AND WONDER COMING FROM THE CLASSROOMS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THOSE RESULTS CONTINUE TO HAPPEN FOR MANY YEARS TO COME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CAMILLE CASTILLO-LEACH.

HI, MY NAME IS CAMILLE CASTILLO-LEACH, AND I HAVE BEEN THE ONE AND ONLY OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST AT DISCOVERY FALCON IN THE LEARNING CENTER, OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, SINCE IT OPENED. DALE HIRED ME.

AS I DRIVE TO WORK EACH DAY, I GENUINELY LOOK FORWARD TO BEING WITH MY TLC FAMILY TO COLLABORATE, SWAP STORIES, LAUGH, AND SOMETIMES CRY. OUR EXCEPTIONAL LEARNERS ARE TRULY AMAZING AND EVERY DAY IS AN ADVENTURE. I AM DEEPLY THANKFUL TO WORK IN A COMMUNITY THAT HONORS NEURODIVERSITY AND HAS A PRINCIPAL DIRECTOR WHO TRUSTS SPECIAL EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS TO DO THEIR JOBS, AND WE DO THEM WELL. OUR TEAM WORKS TIRELESSLY TO BUILD MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS WITH STUDENTS, STAFF, AND FAMILIES. THESE CONNECTIONS FOSTER REAL GROWTH AND PROGRESS, PROGRESS WE SEE NOT ONLY IN DATA, BUT IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF OUR STUDENTS. FALCON IS A PLACE WHERE ALL STUDENTS CAN LEARN, PLAY, AND GROW. I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE ANYWHERE ELSE. THANK YOU.

THE NEXT SPEAKER IS SONIA DHALIWAL.

GREETINGS TO ALL JOINING US TONIGHT. MY NAME IS SONIA DHALIWAL. I'M A PARENT AND FIRST GRADE TEACHER AT DISCOVERY CHARTER. THIS IS MY 13TH YEAR IN THE CLASSROOM, GOING ON MY THIRD AT DISCOVERY. IN 2020, I LEFT TEACHING WHEN WE HAD OUR SON. I THOUGHT I WAS DONE

[01:05:03]

WITH EDUCATION, HAVING TO TEACH TO TESTS, A SCOPE AND SEQUENCE THAT DIDN'T FEEL MEANINGFUL, DISTRICTS THAT PREACHED WHOLE CHILD EDUCATION, YET THE STRUGGLES IN THE CLASSROOM CLEARLY SHOWED THAT WAS NOT HAPPENING. WHEN OUR DAUGHTER WAS ABOUT TO START KINDERGARTEN, THE PANIC OF FINDING THE RIGHT SCHOOL SET IN UNTIL WE HEARD ABOUT DISCOVERY. WHILE TOURING, WE WITNESSED A STRONG HOMESCHOOL CONNECTION, DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE ACTIVITIES, ENRICHMENTS, ALL THE THINGS THAT WE WERE TOLD WERE EXTRA BEFORE. DISCOVERY BROUGHT ME BACK INTO EDUCATION BECAUSE I NEVER WITNESSED MAGIC LIKE THIS BEFORE. ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS IS GETTING TO LOOP WITH MY STUDENTS EACH YEAR. I INVITE YOU TO COME SEE THIS MAGIC AS WELL.

THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS ANAMAL VARESE. GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS ANAMAL. I AM MOTHER TO A SPECIAL-NEED CHILD WHO GRADUATED DISCOVERY LAST YEAR.

BEFORE WE FOUND DISCOVERY, WE STRUGGLED TO FIND THE RIGHT SUPPORT FOR OUR CHILD'S DEVELOPMENT.

WE WERE NOT JUST LOOKING FOR A SCHOOL, WE WERE LOOKING FOR A LIFELINE. THE STAFF HERE JUST DOESN'T CHECK THE BOXES IN THE IEP. THEY LEAD WITH EMPATHY AND INCLUSIVE METHODOLOGIES THAT CREATED A SANCTUARY FOR MY CHILD.

FOR THE FIRST TIME, SHE FELT SAFE, SAFE ENOUGH TO SUCCEED. I WATCHED MY CHILD TRANSFORM FROM MINIMALLY VERBAL AND SOCIALLY ISOLATED INTO A CONFIDENT TEENAGER WHO SELF-ADVOCATES.

TODAY, SHE IS THRIVING IN A BIGGER HIGH SCHOOL SETTING, A MILESTONE WE ONCE THOUGHT WAS IMPOSSIBLE. FOR FAMILIES LIKE MINE, DISCOVERY ISN'T JUST AN ALTERNATIVE. THIS IS A LIFELINE. THIS IS A PLACE WHERE OUR CHILDREN FIND THEIR VOICE.

IT'S HOPE FOR MANY FAMILIES LIKE MINE. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS NELL REDANIEL. GOOD EVENING, SUPERINTENDENT, BOARD TRUSTEES, AND STAFF. MY NAME IS NELL REDANIEL, AND MY ROLE AT FALCON IS TRIFOLD. I AM A PARENT OF A CURRENT SIXTH-GRADE STUDENT. I AM THE CURRENT PROGRAM SITE COUNCIL PRESIDENT, AND I'M THE EXTENDED CARE LEAD GOING ON MY SECOND YEAR AS STAFF AT FALCON. MY DAUGHTER, EMMY, HAS BEEN AT FALCON SINCE SHE WAS IN KINDERGARTEN AND IS NOW IN THE SIXTH GRADE. WHEN I FIRST WALKED ONTO THE CAMPUS SEVEN YEARS AGO TO TAKE THE TOUR AND DO HER KINDERGARTEN PLAY DATE, I IMMEDIATELY FELT THE KINDNESS AND THE CARE THAT DEFINES THIS SCHOOL. AND AFTER TOURING FOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, WE CHOSE DISCOVERY BECAUSE IT CENTERS AROUND CHILDREN AND IS ACADEMICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE. MY DAUGHTER IS THRIVING. SHE IS HAPPY, AND SHE HAS STRONG FRIENDSHIPS AND HAS GROWN AT HER OWN PACE WITHOUT THE PRESSURE OF EXCESSIVE TESTING, HOMEWORK, AND GRADES.

FALCON IS NOT JUST WHERE MY CHILD GOES TO SCHOOL. IT IS WHERE SHE HAS GROWN, AND SHE'S FELT SUPPORTED BY HER TEACHERS AND OTHER PARENTS WHO HAVE BEEN A PART OF MY CHILD-REARING COMMUNITY.

AND THE NEXT SPEAKER IS SOPHIA KRAKOW.

GOOD EVENING. I'M HERE AS THE PARENT OF A CHILD WITH A DISABILITY WHO GETS SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES AT DISCOVERY. MY DAUGHTER STARTED AS A KINDERGARTNER, AND SHE IS NOW AN EIGHTH GRADER READY TO GRADUATE. WHAT MATTERS MOST OVER THOSE NINE YEARS IS THAT DISCOVERY SAW HER FIRST AS A PERSON, NOT A LABEL, NOT SEPARATED FROM HER PEERS. I'M EMOTIONAL.

SHE WAS PART OF A COMMUNITY THAT LEARNED TOGETHER. SHE WAS SEEN, VALUED, AND KNOWN. THINK OF THOSE WORDS, SEEN, VALUED, AND KNOWN. THAT IS THE FOUNDATION TO BE ABLE TO LEARN. THAT IS CRITICAL TO SOCIETY.

THAT HAS BEEN EVERYTHING TO US. SHE WILL LEAVE DISCOVERY THIS YEAR, NOT JUST WITH THE ACADEMIC SKILLS SHE NEEDS TO SUCCEED, BUT WITH A SENSE OF DIGNITY AND OF THE ABILITY TO SPEAK FOR HERSELF, THE ABILITY TO SEE THE VALUE IN OTHERS, BECAUSE THAT IS THE DISCOVERY WAY THAT SHE'S INHERITED.

THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS NICOLE MURPHY. HELLO. MY NAME IS NICOLE MURPHY. MY DAUGHTER, TESSA, STARTED AT DISCOVERY IN KINDERGARTEN. SHE'S NOW IN THE SIXTH GRADE AND WILL BE 12 IN MARCH. DISCOVERY HAS BEEN SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR LIVES AND HAS BEEN SO AMAZING FOR TESSA IN EVERY WAY. TESSA HAS DOWN SYNDROME AND HAS ONLY BENEFITED FROM THE CULTURE AND PHILOSOPHY AT DISCOVERY. WE LOVE THAT SHE'S IN AN INCLUSIVE CLASS WITH TYPICAL PEERS, ALLOWING FOR SOCIALIZATION AND DAILY STRUCTURE, THAT SHE HAS PULL-OUT SERVICES FOR PERSONALIZED ACADEMIC GROWTH. MY FAVORITE PART OF DISCOVERY IS THE CULTURE. THE KIDS AT THE SCHOOL ARE SO SPECIAL.

THEY GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO INCLUDE HER IN ALL ASPECTS OF SCHOOL LIFE, FROM CLASS PROJECTS TO HANGING OUT AT LUNCH TO PLAYDATES. I LOVE THAT EVERYONE KNOWS HER AND IS HAPPY TO SEE HER EVERY DAY. SHE'S MADE REAL FRIENDS WHO LOVE HER FOR THE CRAZY, SILLY, SPICY GIRL THAT SHE IS. MY HOPE IS THAT YOU WILL RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUING OUR CHARTER STATUS. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THIS TIME TO SPEAK. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS ELAINE SAUM. TO ALL JOINING US

[01:10:04]

TONIGHT, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ELAINE SAUM AND I AM AN ALUMNA OF DISCOVERY FALCON FROM THE CLASS OF 2024. I ATTENDED FALCON FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE AND I COULD NOT BE MORE GRATEFUL FOR MY YEARS THERE. DISCOVERY FALCON IS SPECIAL AND I HAVE NOTICED THAT MORE PROFOUNDLY AS I'VE PROGRESSED THROUGH MY CURRENT HIGH SCHOOL.

THERE ARE SO MANY SKILLS THAT DISCOVERY FALCON GAVE ME THAT I'VE NOTICED MY PEERS LACK.

THE ONE THAT'S IMPACTED ME THE MOST PROFOUNDLY IS THAT OF ADVOCACY AND COMMUNICATION.

THROUGH ITS STUDENT-DRIVEN LEARNING PROGRAMS, FALCON TAUGHT ME TO COMMUNICATE WITH THOSE AROUND ME, ESPECIALLY MY TEACHERS, AND TO ADVOCATE FOR MYSELF AND THE THINGS THAT I BELIEVE IN.

THESE SKILLS ARE SO ESSENTIAL AND FALCON TAUGHT THEM IN A WAY SO EFFECTIVE THAT I DIDN'T REALIZE THEY WEREN'T STANDARD.

ANOTHER FACET OF FALCON THAT IS SO UNIQUE IS ITS COMMUNITY. MY BEST FRIEND IS STILL THE SAME PERSON WHO I MET AT A PARK PLAYDATE WITH MY KINDERGARTEN CLASS IN 2015 AND I SPEND TIME WITH THE FRIENDS THAT I MADE AT DISCOVERY DESPITE US ALL CURRENTLY ATTENDING DIFFERENT HIGH SCHOOLS. FALCON HAS INFLUENCED MY LIFE FAR BEYOND ACADEMICS AND IT CONTINUES TO DO SO WITH EACH NEW GENERATION OF STUDENTS. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CATALINA ROSE BLAKE.

HI MY NAME IS CATALINA. I'M 12 YEARS OLD AND I'M THE FALCON SPIRIT CHAIR ON THE STUDENT COUNCIL. I HAVE BEEN A STUDENT AT DISCOVERY FALCON FOR EIGHT YEARS STARTING WHEN I WAS IN KINDERGARTEN. WE HAVE A VERY LOVING WELCOMING COMMUNITY AT DISCOVERY FALCON. THIS EXTENDS TO STUDENTS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND EVERYONE WHO COMES TO OUR CAMPUS. MOST OF MY FRIENDS ARE IN MY GRADE BUT I LOVE THAT I HAVE FRIENDS IN THE OTHER GRADES AS WELL. I HAVE ENJOYED THE OVERNIGHT FIELD TRIPS VERY MUCH. I HAVE GONE ON ONE EVERY YEAR SINCE THE FOURTH GRADE. THEY ARE VERY EDUCATIONAL, ENTERTAINING, AND FUN. I ALSO LOVE THE VARIETY OF THINGS I HAVE LEARNED THROUGH ENRICHMENTS AND ELECTIVES. FOR EXAMPLE, FALCON SPIRIT AND YEARBOOK ARE FUN AND HELP OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY. IT IS MY HOPE THAT OUR CHARTER IS RENEWED. THANK YOU. AND OUR LAST SPEAKER IS AMARA DHALIWAL.

GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS AMARA DHALIWAL. I'M IN SECOND GRADE. I'VE BEEN AT DISCOVERY FALCON SCHOOL SINCE KINDERGARTEN. I LOVE DISCOVERY. I FEEL THIS IS A SPECIAL SCHOOL BECAUSE OF ITS COMMUNITY. EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS EACH OTHER.

TEACHERS JUST GET YOU. IF YOU NEED SOMETHING, THEY UNDERSTAND. FOR EXAMPLE, I NEED A MINI-MOVEMENT. THEY SAY, OKAY, GO AHEAD. IT'S AWESOME HAVING PARENTS IN THE CLASS. THEY CHOOSE ENRICHMENTS THEY ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT. AND YOU CAN TELL WHEN THEY TEACH. IT'S SOMETHING THEY LOVE. FAMILIES COME FROM DISCOVERY FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS. I LOVE THAT YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT TRADITIONS FROM THEIR CULTURE. THANK YOU, DISCOVERY FAMILIES AND STAFF FOR HELPING US GROW. WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO COME VISIT OUR SCHOOL TOO.

THANK YOU. THIS CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. EACH BOARD MEMBER WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS. WE WILL BEGIN WITH ONE TRUSTEE ALLOWING EACH TO TAKE A TURN ASKING ONE QUESTION. EACH BOARD MEMBER WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK CLARIFYING QUESTIONS. I WILL ROTATE THROUGH ALL BOARD MEMBERS UNTIL EACH BOARD MEMBER HAS ASKED ALL OF THEIR QUESTIONS. ANY CLARIFYING QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? TRUSTEE BERTA? I CAN START US OFF AND MAYBE MY COLLEAGUES WILL LET ME BORROW THEIR QUESTION TIME. JUST KIDDING. FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANT TO THANK BOTH THE CHARTER SCHOOL DEPARTMENT STAFF AS WELL AS THE DISCOVERY, SOON TO HOPEFULLY BE FALCON, SCHOOL COMMUNITY. I KNOW I HAD THE PLEASURE OF VISITING AND YES, SAW MANY MAGICAL THINGS HAPPENING IN CLASSROOMS. IT WAS TRULY A PLEASURE TO VISIT, SO THANK YOU FOR FACILITATING THAT. I ALSO APPRECIATED THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET SOME MORE DETAILED QUESTIONS ASKED AND ANSWERED AHEAD OF TIME, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK THAT HELPS SIMPLIFY THIS PROCESS FROM THE BOARD STANDPOINT. I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REFLECT ON AS COUNTY BOARD RESPONSIBILITY IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT ALL STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO, YOU KNOW, THESE OPPORTUNITIES, WHETHER IT'S AT DISCOVERY OR AT ANY OTHER SCHOOL, AND SO I APPRECIATE THE OVERVIEW THAT YOU PROVIDED SPECIFICALLY ON THE AREAS OF CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM WHEN IT COMES TO THE PATTERNS THAT WE WERE SEEING JUST IN THE DATA, SO TRYING TO BUILD A FULL PICTURE OF WHAT THAT ACTUALLY MEANS SPECIFICALLY FOR STUDENTS WITH IEPS AND STUDENTS WHO ARE SOCIOECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED. CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT ANY PATTERNS YOU'RE SEEING OR TRYING TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT WHAT THE BARRIERS ARE WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE TWO STUDENT POPULATIONS IN PARTICULAR AND THE INCREASED ABSENCES THAT YOUR SCHOOL IS SEEING? I CAN CERTAINLY TRY. WE DO, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SOCIOECONOMIC AND ELL? AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.

[01:15:04]

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, YES. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A PARTICULAR PATTERN, BUT WHAT WE DO IS TO TRY TO DISCOVER AND TRY TO ENGAGE WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL FAMILY TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE BARRIERS ARE AND THEN WORK WITH THEM ON IMPLEMENTING A PLAN THAT WORKS FOR THAT FAMILY. THERE'S NOT ONE PLAN THAT WORKS FOR EACH, FOR ALL FAMILIES, SO IT REALLY IS TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE SPECIFICS FOR THEM. I CAN SHARE THAT THERE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SCHOOL AVOIDANCE BASED IN ANXIETY THAT WE SEE, WE'VE SEEN QUITE A LOT FOR OUR IEP STUDENTS, SO WORKING WITH THEM ON A SOFT ENTRY INTO SCHOOL IN THE MORNING.

THERE'S MANY, THERE'S SO MANY FACETS AND I CAN DEFINITELY GO DEEPER INTO IT IN A IN A LONGER CONVERSATION. I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK, YOU KNOW, JUST WANTING TO NAME THAT RIGHT IS IF THAT IS A AN AREA THAT'S SHOWN UP ON THE DASHBOARD ESPECIALLY, IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR THE SITE, YOU KNOW, TOGETHER WITH THE PARENTS TO ENGAGE IN KIND OF A DEEPER DIVE ON THAT ISSUE AND AND BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE ROOT CAUSES AND AND ALSO FROM THE PREVENTATIVE STANDPOINT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE APPROACHES THAT YOU'LL TAKE FROM A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO ADDRESSING, YOU KNOW, THAT ONE AREA. I THINK IT WOULD BE WOULD BE HELPFUL. I CAN WAIT FOR MY OTHER QUESTIONS IF WE WANT TO GO DOWN. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. TRUSTEE CHRISTIAN? TRUSTEE PACHECO? NONE FOR ME OTHER THAN I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF VISITING THEIR SITE AND ASKING A LOT OF QUESTIONS TO THEM AND THEIR TEAM AND AND THEIR PARENTS TOO AND REALLY APPRECIATED THE TIME THAT THEY TOOK TO FIELD MY QUESTIONS AND SHOW ME THEIR CAMPUS AND SCHOOL COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU EVERYBODY AND AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THE CHARTER RENEWAL.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. TRUSTEE LAURIE? I'M OKAY ALSO. THEY DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF ANSWERING SOME QUESTIONS AT THE LAST PUBLIC HEARING SO I'M ALL SET. ALL RIGHT.

TRUSTEE ROCHA, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THE SCHOOL SITE AS WELL AND ASKED ALL MY QUESTIONS THERE AND THE STAFF REPORTS VERY THOROUGH. THANK YOU. VERY WELL DONE PROJECT AND I'LL PASS ON MY QUESTIONS TO MY FELLOW TRUSTEE IF SHE WOULD LIKE THEM. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR VISITING. VICE PRESIDENT SPICER, IF YOU'D LIKE TO. I ONLY HAVE TWO MORE AND THEY'RE THEY'RE RELATED TO THE QUESTIONS I ALREADY SENT SO I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A LITTLE BIT BETTER OF A SENSE OF THOSE. THE OTHER AREA THAT I HAD ASKED ABOUT WAS THE WHEN IT COMES TO SPECIFICALLY THE SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE PROGRAM IS COMMUNICATED TO PROSPECTIVE FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A LOT OF WORD-OF-MOUTH AND SO TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW DO YOU ENSURE THE MESSAGING IS THAT YOUR PROGRAM IS INCLUSIVE TO STUDENTS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS AND OF ALL NEEDS. I THINK ONE OF THE POINTS THAT YOU HAD RAISED WAS YOU KNOW GIVEN THAT A LOT WHERE SOME ARE COMING FROM SPECIAL DAY CLASSES HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU COMMUNICATE THAT YOU ARE STILL GOING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS EVEN GIVEN A POTENTIAL TRANSITION? I CAN PROBABLY ANSWER PART OF THAT QUESTION AND THEN KELLY BROWN OUR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST TO COME AND JOIN ME TOO. SO IT ALL STARTS WITH THE COMMUNICATION IN THE INFORMATION MEETINGS AND TALKING ABOUT OUR PROGRAM, WHO WE ARE, WHAT SERVICES WE CAN PROVIDE ON CAMPUS, AND ENCOURAGING FAMILIES WHO MAY HAVE STUDENTS WHO HAVE SENSORY NEEDS OR WHO MAY HAVE AN IEP OR 504 TO COME TALK TO US. JUST LET'S HAVE A TRANSPARENT CONVERSATION AND SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND YOUR CHILD AND SO THAT WE CAN ALSO SHARE MORE ABOUT OUR PROGRAM SO THAT THEY HAVE FULL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT OUR PROGRAM IS BEFORE THEY COME AND THEN OF COURSE WHEN THEY ENROLL OUR TEAM REVIEWS THE IEP AND THEN THEY WRITE INTERIM PLACEMENTS FOR STUDENTS WITH IEPS AND I'M GOING TO LET KELLY TAKE OVER FROM HERE. THANK YOU. CARLA, HI EVERYONE. I'M KELLY, SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST. ONCE WE HAVE ACCEPTED A STUDENT OR THEY'VE ENROLLED WITH US WE HAVE THEIR IEP AND WE ARE ABLE TO OFFER AN INTERIM PLACEMENT.

WE HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, 30 DAYS, TO HAVE THE STUDENT ON OUR CAMPUS, OBSERVE THEM, COLLECT INFORMATION. WE HAVE AN IEP MEETING WITH THE FAMILY WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO OFFER THEM AN IEP IN OUR SETTING. WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE OF NEEDS OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS. I KNOW THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WAS ASKED IS HOW HAVE OUR HOW HAS THE NEED CHANGED OVER TIME AND CERTAINLY THERE ARE MORE

[01:20:02]

STUDENTS COMING FROM A SPECIAL DAY CLASS SETTING THAN EVER BEFORE. I DO THINK PARENTS REALLY WANT THAT INCLUSIVE EXPERIENCE FOR THEIR CHILD AND WE ARE KNOWN FOR DOING THAT QUITE WELL. WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE EDUCATING ALL OF THEIR NEEDS IN THE WAY THAT THEY NEED AND SO THAT DOES REQUIRE, IT HAS REQUIRED US TO SPEND AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF TIME CONSULTING AND FIGURING OUT HOW OUR PROGRAM CAN MEET THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS WHO FALL MORE IN THE MODERATE SPECTRUM OF THE MILD TO MODERATE PROGRAM OF NEEDS AND SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS CREATED MORE FLEXIBLE PROGRAMMING SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE SAI FOR UP TO SEVERAL HOURS A DAY TO ENSURE THE ACADEMIC NEEDS ARE MET, THAT OUR SPEECH THERAPY SERVICES AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY SERVICES ARE MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENT AND THEY'RE ALSO ABLE TO BE IN THE GENERAL EDUCATION SETTING FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE DAY SO WE DON'T HAVE STUDENTS THAT ARE PULLED OUT FOR ANYWHERE NEAR 50% OF THE SCHOOL DAY AND SO IT'S TAKEN SOME FLEXIBILITY AND HOW WE'RE DELIVERING OUR SERVICES TO BE MORE MOST EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT AND THE SCHEDULING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN HAVE DIFFERENT GROUPS RUNNING AT DIFFERENT TIME TIMES SO THAT'S BEEN A BIG IN INTENTION AND FOCUS OF OUR MODEL. WE'RE ALSO COLLABORATING ALL THE TIME WITH THE FAMILIES TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE PART OF THE IEP DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND THAT THEY ARE ACCEPTING AND IN AGREEMENT WITH THE SERVICES THAT WE'RE OFFERING.

OVER TIME AS WE ANTICIPATE BASED ON THE CLOSURE OF SPECIAL DAY CLASSES WITHIN THE COUNTY AND WITHIN THE DISTRICTS WE CERTAINLY WILL BE CONTINUING TO FOCUS ON HOW WE ARE SERVING OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS AND PARTICULARLY THE ONES WITH THE HIGHEST NEEDS ON OUR CAMPUS. THANK YOU FOR GOING THROUGH THE DETAILS OF HOW THAT WORKS AND I THINK JUST ALSO WANT TO ENCOURAGE THAT YOU KNOW THE PARENTS THAT HAVE COME TO SHARE THEIR STORIES AND THEIR EXPERIENCES I THINK IT'S POWERFUL FOR FOR OTHER FAMILIES WHO MIGHT BE YOU KNOW EXPERIENCING SIMILAR THINGS OR BE LOOKING FOR A PROGRAM THAT FITS THEIR CHILD'S NEEDS I THINK THAT WOULD BE TOO GREAT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL FAMILIES KNOW ABOUT THAT AND HAVE ACCESS TO THAT.

SO THANK YOU ON THAT. THEN MY LAST QUESTION WAS REALLY AROUND THE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND INVOLVEMENT. I KNOW THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SAW IN THE ON THE VISIT WAS YOU KNOW PARENTS I THINK IT WAS A BIRTHDAY OR SOMETHING THAT THE PARENTS HAD COME IN TO DO A LITTLE ACTIVITY WITH AND I GUESS I JUST WANT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THIS YOU KNOW HOW YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT IT FROM AN EQUITY LENS AS WELL YOU KNOW FOR FAMILIES THAT MIGHT BE WORKING MULTIPLE JOBS OR MAY NOT HAVE THE FUNDRAISING CAPACITY OR CONSTRAINTS JUST TRYING TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW YOU BREAK DOWN THAT BARRIER AND AND ALSO JUST ON THE PARTICIPATION AND EMPHASIZING THE I WANT TO SAY OPTIONAL NATURE BECAUSE EVERY I THINK EVERY PARENT WANTS TO BE THERE TO BE INVOLVED BUT IT'S JUST NOT ALWAYS FEASIBLE AND SO JUST TRYING TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW YOU NAVIGATE SOME OF THOSE CONSTRAINTS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ASKING AND I RECOGNIZE THAT DISCOVERY CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE NOT THE SAME AS THEY WERE 20 YEARS AGO WHEN THERE MAY BE MORE HOUSEHOLDS WITH ONE WORKING PARENT AND NOW MOST HOUSEHOLDS HAVE TWO WORKING PARENTS AND SO WHAT WE'VE DONE AT DISCOVERY IS THAT WE HAVE ONBOARDED FAMILY LIAISONS ON BOTH SITES, A FALCON INCLUDED, AND THE FAMILY LIAISON REALLY IS TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN THAT REALLY TIGHT BOND THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR FAMILIES AND WORK WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL FAMILY ON COMING UP WITH WAYS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO ENGAGE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND HOW THEY CAN ENGAGE IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE KNOW THAT NOT EVERYBODY CAN AND AND WE DON'T TURN ANYONE AWAY. WE DON'T HAVE SPECIFIC TIME THAT THEY HAVE TO BE THERE. WE HAVE YOU KNOW WE WE TELL THEM THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THERE ARE AND THINGS THAT THEY CAN ENGAGE WITH IN THE COMMUNITY BUT IT WE WORK WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL FAMILY.

THANK YOU. I HOPE THAT CONTINUES TO BE A PRIORITY WHEN IT COMES TO THE OUTREACH AND LETTING PERSPECTIVE FAMILIES AS WELL KNOW THAT YOU KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE ACCOMMODATIONS IN TERMS OF OF THE INVOLVEMENT AND THAT IT SHOULDN'T BE SEEN AS A BARRIER TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE. YEAH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? AND I I

[01:25:01]

HAVE NO QUESTIONS. I THOUGHT YOU DID A THOROUGH JOB WITH YOUR PETITION AND THAT OUR STAFF DID A GREAT JOB WITH THEIR RECOMMENDATION AND I APPRECIATE THE COLLABORATIVE THE COLLABORATION YOU HAVE WITH YOUR FAMILIES BUT YOU HAVE I HAVE WITH THE CHARTER SCHOOL DEPARTMENT WITH WITH EVERYONE WITH WITH THE KIDS YOU IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE YOU IN FACT ARE TREATING EACH CHILD INDIVIDUALLY AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT AS A MOM AND PERSON IN THE EDUCATION SPACE SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. I GUESS WE CAN NOW MOVE ON TO A VOTE SEEING THAT THERE'S NO MORE BOARD DISCUSSION. NOW I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE OR DENY THE RENEWAL PARTITION FROM CHARTER DISCOVERY CHARTER TO CHARTER SCHOOL. CAN I GET A SECOND? TRUSTEE SHUKRISHNAN SECONDS.

TRUSTEE ROCHA MADE THE MOTION.

PLEASE TRUSTEES PLEASE VOTE IN BOARD DOCS.

OH IT HAS PASSED IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE THE PARAGRAPH IS SO HUGE THAT I CAN'T SEE THE NAMES. IT HAS PASSED 6-0. ALL RIGHT WE ARE

[B. First Reading and Adoption of Board Policy 1445 – Response to Immigration Enforcement]

MOVING NOW ON TO ACTION ITEM 8B. BEAR WITH ME HERE FOR A SECOND. IT IS THE FIRST READING AND ADOPTION OF BOARD POLICY 1445 RESPONSE TO IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.

THIS ITEM IS PRESENTED FOR FIRST READING AND ADOPTION TODAY TO MEET EDUCATION CODE 234.7 REQUIREMENTS AS AMENDED BY AB 495. STAFF REQUESTS THAT THE BOARD WAIVE THE SECOND READING TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE BY MARCH 1ST 2026 BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A REGULARLY SCHEDULED BOARD MEETING UNTIL MARCH 4TH. SO DR. TAWSON DO YOU HAVE ANY OH ACTUALLY I GUESS DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON BOARD POLICY 1445? THERE IS NO SORRY I'M RELYING ON THE ALL RIGHT. LET ME PULL THE ITEM UP AGAIN SORRY I WAS STILL ON THE DISCOVERY ONE IF YOU DON'T MIND. WAS THIS DEVELOPED USING ANY OTHER TEMPLATES OR CONSISTENT WITH OTHER DOCUMENTS SIMILAR TO THIS OR WAS THIS OUR OWN DRAFT? WE RECEIVED GUIDANCE FROM THE CALIFORNIA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION SO THEY SENT OUT A TEMPLATE FOR OUR DRAFT POLICY LANGUAGE FOR DISTRICTS AND COUNTIES TO USE AND THIS IS THE ONE THAT SPECIFIC THE COUNTY OFFICES OF EDUCATION. OKAY AND I'M NOT LOOKING TO ASK YOU PUBLICLY BUT DID WE MODIFY IT MUCH OR IS IT GENERALLY PRETTY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT THEY PROVIDED? AND THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO THE LEGISLATION THAT IN THE END THE BOARD OF EDUCATION SUPPORTED. OKAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH ANY OTHER YES I HAD A QUESTION ALSO YES TRUSTEE LAURIE AND SO I REALLY DO WELCOME THIS POLICY AT THIS TIME OF TOXIC STRESS FOR OUR IMMIGRANT FAMILIES AND OUR STUDENTS SO I WAS JUST WONDERING WHAT IS THE TIMELINE FOR TREATING REGARDING INFORMATIONAL ISSUES ESPECIALLY INFORMATION ON RESPONDING TO A REQUEST FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO HAVE ACCESS TO STUDENTS? SO THE TRAINING HAS ALREADY BEGUN ON THIS TOPIC WE ROUTINELY SEND RESOURCES TO THE FIELD HOST TRAININGS AND SUPPORT OTHER TRAININGS IN THE COMMUNITY RELATED TO THE TOOLKIT THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED THAT HAS BEEN UPDATED AS LAWS HAVE BEEN PASSED. SHOULD THE BOARD ADOPT THIS POLICY ANY UPDATES THAT ARE REQUIRED IN TRAINING WILL BE MADE AND WE'LL BE COMMUNICATING OUT TO ALL STAFF IN TERMS OF THE EXPECTATIONS. THANK YOU.

TRUSTEE SRIKRISHNAN. YEAH I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU DR.

TOSTIN AND YOUR TEAM FOR ITEMS 8B THROUGH D I KNOW WE COMMUNICATED A BIT ON THIS OFFLINE AND I WANT

[01:30:01]

TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS HERE THANKS.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? MAYBE JUST TO NOTE THAT AS WE SAID WE'RE ASKING YOU TO WAIVE THE SECOND READING AND YOU MAY WANT TO INCLUDE US IN THE MOTION BUT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DELETE THE BOARD POLICY 5143.13. IT'S IN THE SCRIPT.

OKAY GREAT. THANK YOU IT'S BEST THAT YOU FLAG THAT SO THANK YOU. AND I THINK WE CAN HIGHLIGHT IT'S BEING DELETED BECAUSE THE CONTENT IS REPLACING YEAH IT IS MORE MORE SPECIFIC TO THE MOST UP-TO-DATE LANGUAGE THAT THE LEGISLATION DESCRIBES. I APPRECIATE THE TIMING AND URGENCY ON THIS ON THESE POLICIES AS WELL AND DOING OUR BEST EVERYTHING WE CAN I KNOW IT WAS A BIT OF A TIGHTER TURNAROUND EVEN WITH THE LANGUAGE THAT CSBA PROVIDED SO THAT WE COULD GET IT ADOPTED OR BROUGHT TO THE BOARD PRIOR TO MARCH 1ST SO APPRECIATE THE EXTRA EFFORT AND TURNAROUND ON THIS AND I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE WITH THE I WANT JUST ONE AT A TIME YEAH OH YEAH WE HAVE TO DO ONE AT A TIME BUT I'M GONNA I'M GONNA ASK THE MOTION BECAUSE IT HAS SPECIFIC PERFECT MAY I GET A MOTION TO WAIVE THE SECOND READING ADOPT THE BOARD POLICY 1445 RESPONSE TO IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND APPROVE THE DELETION OF BOARD POLICY 5145.13 RESPONSE TO IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AS ITS PROVISIONS HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED INTO BOARD POLICY 1445. SO MOVED. AND CAN I GET A SECOND.

I'M GONNA GO WITH TRUSTEE PACHECO ON THE SECOND TRUSTEES VOTE IN BOARD DOCS.

IT PASSES 6-0 UNANIMOUSLY.

MOVING ON TO 8B FIRST READING AND ADOPTION OF 1445 RESPONSE TO OH SORRY 8 NO IT IS RIGHT OKAY 14 WHAT AM I IN THE RIGHT IS IT 1445 IT'S

[C. First Reading and Adoption of Board Policy 5125 – Student Records]

JUST I THOUGHT I JUST SAID FOR 55 DIDN'T I 51 25 SORRY OKAY YEAH SORRY 51 25 STUDENT RECORDS THIS ITEM IS ALSO BEING BROUGHT FORWARD FOR THE FIRST READING AND ADOPTION WITH A REQUEST TO WAIVE THE SECOND READING DUE TO STATUTORY TIMELINES. DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE AGAIN REMEMBER THAT THIS IS REPLACING YOU KNOW 5143.13 TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE AND IT'S JUST UPDATING ALL OF OUR POLICIES TO MAKE SURE THAT IT COMPORTS WITH AB 49. ANY QUESTIONS PASS THAT SORRY. CAN I GET A MOTION TO WAIVE THE SECOND READING AND ADOPT A BOARD POLICY 5125 STUDENT RECORDS. I MOVED. CAN I GET A SECOND WROTE TRUSTEE ROCHA TRUSTEE ROCHA SECONDS.

TRUSTEE VOTE IN BOARD DOCS.

THANK YOU.

[D. First Reading and Adoption of Board Policy 5125.1 – Release of Directory Information]

PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. MOVING ON TO 8D FIRST READING AND ADOPTION OF BOARD POLICY 5125.1 RELEASE OF DIRECTORY INFORMATION. THIS ITEM IS ALSO BEING BROUGHT FORWARD FOR FIRST READING ADOPTION WITH A REQUEST TO WAIVE THE SECOND READING DUE TO STATUTORY TIMELINES. AGAIN IT'S AN UPDATE BECAUSE OF AB 49. DO ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE? I DID HAVE ONE QUESTIONS FOR STAFF IS HOW DIFFERENT IS THIS THAN STATE LAW PRIOR TO THIS? IS THAT YOU KNOW READING IT I WAS I THOUGHT MAYBE THAT WOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN AN ESTABLISHED PRACTICE MAYBE YOU KNOW A BIT OPTIMISTIC. I KNOW IT'S A TOUGH QUESTION SHOULD ASK IT AHEAD OF TIME.

NOW THIS ONE IS IS UPDATING THE TITLE FOR THE POLICY. OH THAT'S IT OKAY CONSISTENT THEN. ALL RIGHT CAN I GET A MOTION TO WAIVE THE SECOND READING AND ADOPT BOARD POLICY 5125.1 RELEASE OF DIRECTORY INFORMATION.

TRUSTEE ROCHA MAKES THE MOTION.

WHO SECONDS? I'LL GO

[01:35:03]

WITH TRUSTEE LAURIE THIS TIME.

VOTE IN PLEASE VOTE IN BOARD DOCS.

[A. 2025-26 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) Mid-Year Report]

ALL RIGHT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

WE ARE NOW MOVING ON TO INFORMATION ITEMS. WELL WE'RE STARTING WITH THE 2025 LOCAL CONTROL A 2025-26 LOCAL CONTROL AND ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN LCAP MID-YEAR REPORT. THIS INFORMATION ITEM WILL BE PRESENTED BY DR. MATT WAYNE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT EDUCATIONAL SERVICES. GOOD EVENING. IT'S MY PLEASURE ALONG WITH HEMA ALVAREZ OUR MANAGER FOR COMPLIANCE AND IMPLEMENTATION TO SHARE OUR LCAP LOCAL CONTROL ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN MID-YEAR UPDATE FOR COURT AND COMMUNITY SCHOOLS. AND THIS MID-YEAR UPDATE IS REQUIRED BY ED CODE AND IT INCLUDES ALL AVAILABLE MID-YEAR DATA EXPENDITURES AND IMPLEMENTATION DATA. AND WE'RE DOING IT FOR A COURT AND COMMUNITY SCHOOLS BECAUSE WE THE BOARD OF EDUCATION HAS JURISDICTION OVER THAT SCHOOL. THE OPPORTUNITY YOUTH ACADEMY IS AS A REMINDER A DEPENDENT CHARTER SCHOOL AND SO IT'S CONSIDERED ITS OWN LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY. SO THE LCAP MID-YEAR UPDATE WILL BE PRESENTED AT THAT BOARD MEETING. AND THE END SO THE UPDATE IS BASED ON OUR LCAP GOALS AND SO WE HAVE SIX GOALS FOCUSED ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS, EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, SUPPORT FOR INTERVENTION PREVENTION PROGRAMS FOR UNDUPLICATED STUDENTS, OUR EQUITY MULTIPLIER GOAL FOR COURT SCHOOLS FOCUSING ON GRAD RATE FOR SOCIOECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS, AND OUR EQUITY MULTIPLIER GOAL FOR COMMUNITY SCHOOL ALSO FOCUSED ON CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM AND ENGAGEMENT FOR SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS. AND SO ATTACHED IS THE IN-DEPTH REPORT. I'M SURE YOU ALL READ AND STUDIED CLOSELY BUT AND WE WANT TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS PRESENTATION TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE KEY STRATEGIES WE'RE DOING WE'RE PUTTING IN PLACE TO ADDRESS THE DATA AND THEN SHARE SOME OF OUR PROGRESS AREAS AS WELL AS AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT. AND SO FOR THAT I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO HEMA. THANK YOU DR.

WAYNE. UNDER GOAL ONE WE ARE WORKING ON INCREASING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR STAFF. THIS INCLUDES BUILDING LEADERSHIP CAPACITY, SHAPING CURRICULUM, AND PROVIDING TRAINING TO IMPROVE INSTRUCTIONAL RIGOR IN OUR CLASSROOMS. SIMPLY PUT WE'RE HELPING OUR TEACHERS BE THE BEST INSTRUCTORS THEY CAN BE. WE PROVIDE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS, MATH, AND SCIENCE SUPPORTS TO STUDENTS INCLUDING ADDITIONAL STAFF HOURS FOR TUTORING AND CREDIT RECOVERY. THESE EFFORTS HAVE INCREASED OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO RECOVER CREDITS AND GRADUATE ON TIME. CREDIT RECOVERY CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF THE MOST REQUESTED SUPPORTS BY OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.

ADDITIONALLY WE'VE INVESTED IN SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS SUCH AS NEW LIBRARY BOOKS, PLAY-AWAY AUDIOBOOKS, SCIENCE KITS, AND ONLINE READING PLATFORMS. THESE RESOURCES SUPPORT STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND HELP STRENGTHEN LITERACY SKILLS IN A FUN AND ENGAGING WAY. FOR GOAL TWO WE'VE BEEN EXPANDING CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION, CTE, BY IDENTIFYING NEW PATHWAYS AND COURSES ALIGNED TO STUDENTS INTERESTS AND INDUSTRY NEEDS. STUDENTS HAVE SHARED THEY CURRENTLY ENJOY THE PROGRAMS OFFERED SUCH AS CULINARY ARTS, ART, CONSTRUCTION, AND WELDING.

IN RESPONSE TO STUDENT FEEDBACK WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING TO INTRODUCE ADDITIONAL OFFERINGS SUCH AS BARBERING, COFFEE BARISTA TRAINING, AND SEMI-TRUCK DRIVING SIMULATORS.

WE HAVE ALSO STRENGTHENED DUAL ENROLLMENT PARTNERSHIPS WITH GAVILAN COLLEGE AND SAN JOSE CITY COLLEGE TO IMPROVE ACCESS FOR OUR STUDENTS.

FOR THE FIRST TIME SOUTH COUNTY COMMUNITY SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE DUALLY ENROLLED AND ATTENDING CLASSES ON THE GAVILAN COLLEGE CAMPUS. AS A STUDENT BOARD MEMBER MENTIONED CURRENTLY SEVEN STUDENTS ARE ENROLLED THIS SPRING WHICH IS EXCITING AN EXCITING MILESTONE FOR OUR PROGRAMS. EL CAPO 3 THIS YEAR MARKED ANOTHER FIRST FOR ALTERNATIVE ED. OUR COMMUNITY SCHOOLS HAVE FULLY IMPLEMENTED A YOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE WHICH MEETS MONTHLY TO DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS, ENCOURAGE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH A MEANINGFUL VOICE. WE WERE HOPING THAT SOME OF OUR STUDENTS WOULD BE ABLE TO JOIN US TO CO-PRESENT TONIGHT BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THOSE LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS. ONE OF THE MOST IMPACTFUL STUDENT ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES WE PROVIDE IS SPORTS. EVERY TIME I STEP INTO A CLASSROOM OR TALK TO A STUDENT ABOUT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW

[01:40:02]

THEY'RE DOING THEIR BEST TO ATTEND EVERY DAY SO THEY CAN BE ON THE FOOTBALL TEAM OR ANY SPORTS THAT SEASON. FOR EXPANDING PARENT IMPACT OPPORTUNITIES WE BEGAN USING PARENT CONFERENCES AS A NEW WAY TO GATHER FEEDBACK ON OUR PROGRAMS CREATING ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILY VOICE AND INPUT AND SHARE WHAT WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING AT THE PROGRAMS. UNDER GOAL 4 OUR PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS SPECIAL EDUCATION TO INCREASE INCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL STUDENTS. THESE EFFORTS HAVE RESULTED IN SUCCESSFUL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS GARDEN DAYS, ART PROJECTS AS SEEN ON THE SCREEN, AND ANIMAL ASSISTED WELLNESS VISITS.

OTHER INTERVENTION PREVENTION SUPPORTS THAT ALSO SPRING FROM PARTNERSHIPS INCLUDE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. IT'S TRULY EMPOWERING TO SEE THE WONDERFUL WORK STUDENTS DO IN OUR COMMUNITY AND SEE AND HEAR HOW PROUD THEY ARE OF THEIR WORK SUCH AS THE MURAL IN DOWNTOWN GILROY FOR GILROY CENTER OF THE ARTS WHICH IS THE PICTURE AT THE BOTTOM.

ADDITIONALLY FOSTER HOMELESS YOUTH AND ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION DEPARTMENTS ARE PARTNERING ON UPCOMING DISTRICT AND COMMUNITY PARTNER MEETING BRINGING TOGETHER KEY STAKEHOLDERS TO BETTER SUPPORT STUDENTS AND FAMILIES. AT OUR COURT SCHOOLS KEY STRATEGIES FOCUS ON ENGAGING STUDENTS, SUPPORTING ON-TIME GRADUATION, AND BUILDING REAL-LIFE SKILLS.

THESE INCLUDE EXPANDING OUR CT OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOCIOECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS AND PROVIDING MULTIPLE PATHWAYS FOR STUDENTS TO RECOVER CREDITS FOLLOWING ATTENDANCE GAPS. THIS BOTH SUPPLEMENTS AND STRENGTHENS OUR EXISTING CTE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES. OUR SITE TEAMS ARE FOCUSED ON CREATING SAFE WELCOMING AND ENGAGING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS. STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO MENTORSHIP, SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING SUPPORTS, AND THERAPY SERVICES. THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL CONDUCTS HOME VISITS TO CONNECT WITH STUDENTS AND FOLLOW UP ON ATTENDANCE. WE KNOW STUDENTS SHOW UP WHEN THEY FEEL SUPPORTED, CONNECTED, AND EXCITED TO BE AT SCHOOL.

KEY OUTCOMES AND DATA HIGHLIGHTS. AS SHOWN ON THE CALIFORNIA DASHBOARD, SCCOE'S CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM RATE IMPROVED BY 12.5%. STUDENTS ARE RESPONDING POSITIVELY TO THE PROGRAMS OFFERED WHICH MOTIVATES IMPROVED ATTENDANCE.

I CONSTANTLY WITNESS STUDENTS AND PARENTS SAYING THEY WISH THEY COULD STAY AT COMMUNITY SCHOOL. OUR SUSPENSION RATE DECREASED BY 2.2% AS PROGRAMS IMPLEMENTED ALTERNATIVES TO SUSPENSION, INCLUDING SAFE SPACES FOR DE-ESCALATION AND IN-HOUSE INTERVENTIONS. SCHOOL LEADERS AND WELLNESS STAFF HAVE ALSO CLARIFIED SUSPENSION CRITERIA AND HELP STUDENTS PRACTICE THEIR OWN DE-ESCALATION STRATEGIES. ENGLISH LEARNER PROGRESS IMPROVED BY 12.2%, SUPPORTED BY TARGETED TUTORING, ENHANCED LITERACY MATERIALS, AND STRONG FOCUS ON ELA AND TIMELY TESTING PRACTICES. ONE OF THE AREAS WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON IMPROVING IS OUR GRADUATION RATE. AAD CONTINUES TO TRACK GRADUATION RATES AS PART OF PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS, WHICH HAS STEADILY INCREASED OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS. WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR TRANSITION NAVIGATOR TO MONITOR FOUR AND FIVE-YEAR COHORTS AND BETTER UNDERSTAND THE BARRIERS FOR STUDENTS WHO DO NOT EARN A DIPLOMA. WE REMAIN FOCUSED ON IMPROVING ELA, MATH, AND SCIENCE OUTCOMES THROUGH INTERVENTIONS, SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS, AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, WHILE REINFORCING THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING ASSESSMENTS SERIOUSLY TO GUIDE PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT.

WE CONTINUE EXPLORING INNOVATIVE WAYS TO STRENGTHEN PARENT ENGAGEMENT AND IMPACT.

BEYOND COLLECTING INPUT, WE WANT OUR FAMILIES TO KNOW THEIR VOICES TRULY MATTER.

THIS YEAR WE'VE WORKED ON DISTRIBUTING FLYERS FOR OUR ADVISORY MEETINGS, HOLDING RAFFLES WITH DONATED ITEMS, GATHERING FEEDBACK THROUGH PARENT CONFERENCES, AND THE LCAP SURVEY. STUDENT VOICE IS ALSO A PRIORITY. AS MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, COMMUNITY SCHOOL HOLDS MONTHLY YOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETINGS WHERE STUDENTS BUILD LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND PROVIDE PROGRAM FEEDBACK. OUR STUDENTS WERE UNABLE TO ATTEND TONIGHT, BUT DURING A RECENT MEETING, STUDENTS CREATED SHORT VIDEOS SHARING WHAT THEY LIKE ABOUT THEIR SCHOOL AND HOW IT CAN IMPROVE. THE FOLLOWING CLIPS HIGHLIGHT STUDENT PERSPECTIVES IN THEIR OWN WORDS.

MY NAME IS MATTHEW. I'M A JUNIOR AND I GO TO SUNO. WHAT I ENJOY ABOUT THIS SCHOOL IS THE ACTIVITIES SUCH AS GARDENING, WORKING OUT, COOKING, AND THE FIELD TRIPS. WHAT I WOULD IMPROVE ON THE SCHOOL OR CHANGE IS THE FOOD AND THE TRANSPORTATION ISSUE TO GET HERE, AS NOW WITH THE SCHEDULE, I MEAN THE LOCATION CHANGE, I HAVE TO TAKE TWO BUSES TO GET HERE AND IT IS A MUCH LONGER TRIP. YES.

WHILE WE'RE QUEUING UP THE SECOND ONE, I WILL SAY DR.

TAWSON DEFINITELY HEARD THE

[01:45:02]

MESSAGE ABOUT THE FOOD, AND ALTHOUGH THIS ISN'T IN OUR LCAP AS A STRATEGY, HE IS WORKING WITH THE DIRECTOR AND WE THINK WE HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE THAT WILL BE BRING, YOU KNOW, A NUTRITIOUS BUT TASTIER FARE FOR OUR STUDENTS THERE, SO AND THEN WE STILL NEED TO WORK ON THE TRANSPORTATION, BUT WE'VE HEARD THAT EVERY VISIT, SO I APPRECIATE THE DOCTOR AND HE'S BEEN OUT THERE A NUMBER OF TIMES, SO I APPRECIATE HE'S MOVED ON THIS.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THE SCHOOL? SO MANY ACTIVITIES HERE AND ALSO YOU CAN WORK AT YOUR OWN PACE AND I LIKE HOW WE CAN GET EARLIER OUT THAN OTHER SCHOOLS.

NOW WHAT ARE WAYS WE CAN IMPROVE? SOMEONE SAID I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING TO IMPROVE AND THEN MORE KEYBOARD AND MOUSES FOR MUSIC AND BETTER FOOD AND A STUDIO. AWESOME, THANK YOU.

ONE COMES UP, I'LL SAY IF YOU DON'T KNOW HE'S TALKING, THEY DO HAVE MUSIC STUDIOS THERE, WHICH IS REALLY COOL.

THEY'RE INTO PRODUCING MUSIC, SO THE MORE, THIS IS ASKING FOR MORE RESOURCES THERE BECAUSE IT'S A PRETTY NEAT LEARNING AND CREATIVE OPPORTUNITY. I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT I THINK THAT'S ALSO WHY THE STUDENTS ENJOY CULINARY ARTS SO MUCH IS BECAUSE THEY GET TO TRY THE FOOD THAT THEY MAKE.

LEO, WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THE SCHOOL? WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE SCHOOL IS THAT WE HAVE ART, WE GET TO PAINT AND ALL THAT, WE GET TO LEAVE SCHOOL EARLY, AND WE HAVE A GYM AND NOT MOST SCHOOLS HAVE THAT. AWESOME, HOW CAN WE IMPROVE? BUY BETTER SCHOOL LUNCH, BETTER GYM EQUIPMENT, AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT.

OUR BUDGET UPDATE. THIS TABLE SHOWS EACH LCAP GOAL, THE ORIGINALLY ADOPTED BUDGET, MID-YEAR EXPENDITURES, AND PROJECTED SPENDING THROUGH JUNE 2026. MID-YEAR FIGURES REFLECT ACTUAL EXPENDITURES AS OF JANUARY 16TH, WHILE PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON CURRENT SPENDING AND ENCUMBRANCES. ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURES ARE PLANNED AND ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION REMAINS CONFIDENT THAT ALL LCAP SPENDING GOALS WILL BE MET.

THIS SLIDE SHOWS UPDATES TO THE BUDGET OVERVIEW FOR PARENTS. COMPARED TO ADOPTION LAST JUNE, SECOND INTERIM REFLECTS ADDITIONAL LCFF BASED FUNDING AND A SLIGHT REDUCTION IN SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING. WE CONTINUE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH PARTNERS TO ADJUST PLANS STRATEGICALLY AND RESPONSIBLY.

NEXT STEPS. MOVING FORWARD, WE WILL CONTINUE IMPLEMENTING OUR STRATEGIES WHILE MAKING ONGOING ADJUSTMENTS AS NEEDED.

ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION IS ACTIVELY DEVELOPING THE 2026-27 LCAP ENGAGING STAFF, STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND PARTNERS TO IDENTIFY AREAS FOR GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT.

THE LCAP PUBLIC HEARING WILL TAKE PLACE ON JUNE 3RD WITH LCAP ADOPTION SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 10TH. THIS CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, DR.

TOSTAN? I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK THE TEAM FOR THE REPORT AND UPLIFT THE LEADERSHIP, THE TEACHERS, AND THE CLASSIFIED STAFF IN OUR ALTERNATIVE ED PROGRAMS. THEY ACTUALLY HAD A NUMBER OF CHANGES THIS YEAR THAT WERE NOT ANTICIPATED, BUT THEY HAVE REMAINED DEVOTED TO PROVIDING QUALITY EDUCATION, AND SO THAT'S ALL I WOULD ADD.

ALL RIGHT.

ANY QUESTIONS, OR IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS? NO? THERE IS NO PUBLIC COMMENT.

THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE TRUSTEES ON THIS? OH, SORRY. TRUSTEE KRISHNAN.

YEAH, JUST I WANT TO SORT OF REACH OUT AND ASK DR.

TOSTAN HOW WE'RE INFUSING ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY. I SEE IN THIS LAST SLIDE, AND I WANT TO SHARE SOME CONTEXT UP.

AT LEAST DURING MY FIVE YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE, I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR THAT AND HAVE SEEN THAT COME ACROSS MORE, AND OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF WORK WAS DONE BEFORE I WAS HERE, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T LOSE THAT AND WOULD LOVE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT. THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM OR TO THE GARDENING FOR ALTERNATIVE ED WAS A LITTLE DISRUPTED BECAUSE OF THE TRANSITION. THEY ARE INTENDING TO RESTART THAT AS

[01:50:01]

SOON AS POSSIBLE. I KNOW IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO THE LEADERSHIP, AND SO AS SOON AS THEY'RE ABLE TO, I BELIEVE THEY WILL BE REENGAGING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GARDENING.

TO MY KNOWLEDGE, WE HAVE NOT SUSPENDED OR STOPPED ANY OF THE OTHER ACTIVITIES RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION OR SUPPORT. THAT'S GREAT, AND MAYBE, I KNOW THIS IS THE MID-YEAR, MAYBE THAT CAN BE REFLECTED MORE IN THE FUTURE PRESENTATIONS. I KNOW IN THE PAST ACROSS ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS IT WAS REFLECTED MORE, SO I KNOW THAT EVEN IF IT'S HAPPENING AND IT MAYBE IS JUST HOW IT'S REFLECTED, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO REFLECT ON IT. THANK YOU. IF I COULD, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THE PROGRAM IS ACTUALLY WORKING ON DEVELOPING THE HORTICULTURE PATHWAY AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY CREATING AQUAPONICS. THEY HAVE AQUAPONICS AT THE COURT SCHOOL AND THEY'RE WORKING ON ACTUALLY EXPANDING THAT, SO YOU MIGHT HEAR ABOUT IT.

THAT'S VERY EXCITING. YOU MIGHT HEAR ABOUT THAT AT THE LCAP PRESENTATION.

YEAH, JUST FOR FIVE YEARS, IT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT AT EACH OF THESE PRESENTATIONS. DR.

DAWSON, FOR YOUR CONTEXT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? TRUSTEE PORTA. YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FOR ELEVATING THE STUDENT VOICE.

IT'S ALWAYS REALLY GREAT TO HEAR FROM THEM DIRECTLY ON HOW THINGS ARE GOING. I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SOME FOLLOW-UP AT SOME POINT ON THE TRANSPORTATION PIECE. I KNOW THAT'S, PARTICULARLY WITH SOUTH COUNTY, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME CHALLENGES, SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SUPPORT THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE THE BEST THAT WE CAN. I DID ALSO JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE WORK ON THE DATA AND SEEING THE GROWTH THERE. THAT WAS REALLY EXCITING TO SEE, PARTICULARLY IN CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM, AS WELL AS THE SUSPENSION RATES. SO THANK YOU FOR THE EFFORTS THAT ARE THERE.

ANYONE ELSE? AND I WANT TO, I APPRECIATE THE TRANSPARENCY ON BOTH WHAT WE'RE DOING WELL AND WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER AT, BECAUSE WE ARE LIFELONG LEARNERS. IT'S BETTER THAT WE KNOW WHAT WE COULD DO BETTER AND OWN IT AND GO FORWARD. AND SO I DO APPRECIATE ALL THAT AND I APPRECIATE THE SUCCESSES AND THINGS THAT WE COULD DO BETTER AT.

[B. Santa Clara County Office of Education 2024-25 Annual Financial Audit Report]

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. SEEING THAT THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM 9B, WHICH IS THE 2024-25 ANNUAL FINANCIAL AUDIT REPORT. THIS INFORMATION ITEM WILL BE PRESENTED BY STEPHANIE GOMEZ, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT, BUSINESS SERVICES, AND LAUREN NGUYEN, DIRECTOR, INTERNAL BUSINESS SERVICES. GOOD EVENING.

THIS EVENING WE'LL BE GIVING AN OVERVIEW OF OUR 2024-25 ANNUAL FINANCIAL AUDIT REPORT.

JOINING ME, WE HAVE HEATHER RUBIO FROM CHRISTIE WHITE, WHO IS THE FIRM THAT CONDUCTED THE AUDIT FOR US. AND SO JUST WANT TO GIVE SOME BACKGROUND ON THIS ITEM. SO BY JANUARY 31ST OF EACH YEAR, WE ARE TO BRING OUR AUDIT FOR THE PRIOR YEAR, WHICH IS 2024-25, TO THE BOARD FOR REVIEW, BUT ALSO TO HIGHLIGHT IF THERE WAS ANY ITEMS OR AUDIT FINDINGS IN THERE OR ANY AREAS OF CORRECTION NEEDED. THIS IS COMING A LITTLE BIT LATER BECAUSE THERE WAS A DELAY IN THE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION'S SUPPLEMENT GUIDE THAT'S NEEDED FOR OUR SINGLE AUDIT FOR OUR FEDERAL FUNDS. SO WE GOT AN EXTENSION FROM THE STATE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, AND SO IT WAS SUBMITTED TIMELY BY JANUARY 29TH, BUT BECAUSE THE TIMING OF THE MEETING, WE ARE BRINGING IT FORWARD TODAY. I WILL TURN IT OVER TO HEATHER TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE AUDIT REPORT, AND THEN WE'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

OKAY. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT TOSTIN. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE. I'M HEATHER RUBIO, AND I'M ONE OF THE PARTNERS AT CHRISTIE WHITE.

AND THIS, I WAS THE LEAD AUDITOR ON THIS PARTICULAR AUDIT, SO I'M PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH THE INFORMATION.

BUT I DON'T PLAN ON GOING INTO ALL THE INFORMATION IN DETAIL, BUT INSTEAD TO KIND OF GO INTO THE RESULTS OF OUR AUDIT AND THEN A FEW THINGS OF HOW WE HOW WE GET THOSE RESULTS. BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS IN THE AUDIT REPORT, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.

SO JUST TO START OFF, I ALWAYS TAKE EVERYONE TO MY FAVORITE PAGE IN THE AUDIT, PAGE 1, SECOND PARAGRAPH. IT'S THE AUDITOR'S OPINION, AND IN OUR OPINION, WE ARE SAYING WE AGREE WITH THE NUMBERS THAT WERE GIVEN TO YOU. I THINK YOU GUYS GO TO BOARD IN OCTOBER? SO YOU REVIEWED THESE NUMBERS, INFORMATION ITEM IN OCTOBER, THE UNAUDITED ACTUALS, AND WE AUDIT THOSE NUMBERS, AND WE'RE SAYING WE BELIEVE THEY WERE THEY WERE CORRECTLY STATED. WE HAD NO ADJUSTMENTS TO THOSE NUMBERS, AND WE BELIEVE THE NUMBERS ARE MATERIALLY CORRECT. AND SO YOU HAVE AN UNMODIFIED OPINION, WHICH IS THE BEST OPINION YOU CAN GET. SO HOW DID WE DO THAT

[01:55:03]

AS AUDITORS, RIGHT? WELL, THE AUDIT GOES IN A FEW STAGES, AND SO FIRST WE START THE AUDIT OFF AT AROUND THE SUMMER, AND WE FOCUS ON A FEW AREAS.

THE CONTROLS THAT YOU HAVE AT THE COUNTY, MOSTLY RELATED TO PAYROLL, WHICH IS ONE OF YOUR LARGEST EXPENSE, AND THEN YOUR OTHER CASH DISBURSEMENTS, AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, ANY MONEY COMING IN. AND AFTER ALL OF THAT, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT A LOT OF YOUR STATE COMPLIANCE AREAS, AND WE'RE TESTING EXPENDITURES RELATED TO FEDERAL COMPLIANCE. AND THEN AFTER YOU APPROVE, THEN WE COME OUT AND WE'LL DO MORE OF THE TESTING OF YOUR ACCOUNT BALANCES. SO THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS IN HERE. SO IF YOU SAY THERE'S A CERTAIN MILLION DOLLARS OF CASH IN THE COUNTY TREASURY, WE ACTUALLY VERIFY THAT IT'S AT THE COUNTY TREASURY, YOUR ACCOUNTS PAYABLES, AND YOUR ACCRUALS ARE RECORDED CORRECTLY. AND THAT BEING SAID, I WANT TO TAKE YOU TO PAGE 86, WHICH IS A GOOD SUMMARY OF THAT. AND SO LIKE I SAID, YOU HAVE AN UNMODIFIED OPINION ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, AND THEN WE LOOKED AT THE INTERNAL CONTROL OVER THAT FINANCIAL REPORTING PROCESS, AND WE HAVE NO MATERIAL WEAKNESSES OR SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES OR NON-COMPLIANCE TO REPORT. AND SO AGAIN, THAT'S A LOT OF THAT TESTING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

I'M OVERSIMPLIFYING. IT'S AROUND 200 REQUESTS WE SEND OVER TO THE COUNTY, AND SO THEY'RE SUPPLYING THAT, AND THEN SAMPLE SELECTIONS AND EVEN MORE. SO A LOT OF DETAIL AND WORK GOES INTO THIS, AND WE WANT TO THANK THE COUNTY FOR PROVIDING THAT. THE SECOND PIECE IS THE FEDERAL PIECE.

STEPHANIE TALKED ABOUT THIS.

SO THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET COMES OUT WITH AN AUDIT GUIDE EVERY YEAR.

EVERY YEAR THIS AUDIT GUIDE COMES OUT, USUALLY MAY, JUNE.

GREAT. THIS WAS AN EXCEPTION.

THERE'S A LOT GOING ON. SO THAT AUDIT GUIDE WAS DELAYED, AND IN ADDITION, THERE WAS A FEDERAL SHUTDOWN THAT FURTHER DELAYED THAT AUDIT GUIDE.

THEREFORE, THAT'S THE RESULTING OF THE EXTENSION, AND SOME OF THOSE PROCEDURES HAVE CHANGED.

THE TWO PROGRAMS SELECTED ARE YOUR MIGRANT AND YOUR SPECIAL ED PROGRAM THIS YEAR. WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A LOT OF CHOICES IN HOW TO SELECT IT. THAT AUDIT GUIDE ALSO LETS US KNOW EXACTLY HOW TO SELECT THOSE PROGRAMS AND WHICH PROGRAMS TO SELECT.

SO A LOT OF HEAVY EXPENDITURE TESTING, COMPLIANCE TESTING, REPORTING. A LOT OF WORK GOES INTO THOSE TWO PROGRAMS, AND AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, EACH YEAR THERE'S A MATRIX.

THERE'S A WAY TO SELECT THOSE PROGRAMS, AND IT DEPENDS IF YOU'RE A LOW-RISK ENTITY OR HIGH-RISK.

YOU'RE A LOW-RISK, SO WE ACTUALLY GET TO SELECT LESS PROGRAMS. 20% TOTAL OF YOUR FEDERAL EXPENDITURES.

IF YOU'RE A HIGH-RISK, IT'D BE 40%, SO IT ALMOST DOUBLE THE TESTING. SO YOU WANT TO STAY ON THE LOW-RISK SIDE, AND I'M HAPPY TO REPORT YOU HAD NO SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES OR MATERIAL WEAKNESSES. AND THEN FINALLY, YOUR STATE PROGRAMS. THIS IS BASED OFF THE K-12 STATE AUDIT GUIDE.

REALLY HARD AREA TO GET A PERFECT SCORE FOR A LOT OF REASONS. ONE, THE STATE AUDIT GUIDE CHANGES EVERY YEAR, JUST LIKE THE FEDERAL ONE, BUT THE STATE AUDIT GUIDE IS A LOT MORE DETAILED IN ITS PROCEDURES, AND THOSE PROCEDURES ARE COMING OUT AT THE SAME TIME YOU'RE USUALLY IMPLEMENTING THESE PROGRAMS. THERE IS ANOTHER LEVEL WHICH WAS REALLY UNIQUE TO YOU THIS YEAR, AND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. IT DOESN'T TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION A LOT OF COUNTY OFFICE OF ED SITUATIONS ALL THE TIME, SO THAT IS KIND OF A PIECE OF THAT. SO A LOT OF THIS LEGISLATION IS BASED OFF SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND IT DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THESE KIND OF EXCEPTIONAL SITUATIONS.

BUT I'M HAPPY TO REPORT YOU HAD NO MATERIAL WEAKNESSES OR SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES, BUT WE DID HAVE ONE AUDIT FINDING, AND THAT IS RELATED TO YOUR HOME-TO-SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION.

IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE LAST YEAR YOU DID NOT HAVE A REIMBURSEMENT FOR THAT PROGRAM, AND THIS YEAR YOU DID RECEIVE A SMALL REIMBURSEMENT. AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THAT REIMBURSEMENT, IT TRIGGERED THE ADDITIONAL AUDIT PROCEDURES, WHICH WAS YOU HAD TO HAVE A PLAN, WHICH IS INTERESTING BECAUSE YOU WERE LIKE, HOW DID WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THAT REIMBURSEMENT? WELL, I CALLED THE STATE ON YOUR BEHALF, AND I ASKED THEM BECAUSE IT THREW US OFF TO AS A FIRM BECAUSE WE HADN'T ENCOUNTERED THIS, AND THEY SAID, WELL, YOU SHOULD JUST HAVE A PLAN. I SAID, BUT THE PROCEDURES READ EXACTLY YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE REIMBURSEMENT AND THEN THE PLAN, AND SO IT'S KIND OF A, IT'S JUST A SITUATION THAT WASN'T PLANNED FOR ON THEIR END. IT IS WHAT IT IS.

YOU CAN APPEAL IT, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S THE COUNTY'S PLAN.

WE WERE GOING TO LOOK INTO THE APPEAL PROCESS. IT WAS APPROXIMATELY $13,000 THAT WE WERE ELIGIBLE TO GET REIMBURSED FOR. THE PLAN WOULD HAVE TO BE ADOPTED BY APRIL 1ST OF EVERY YEAR, AND THEN WE DIDN'T FIND OUT ABOUT THE FUNDING UNTIL JULY 2025, SO THE FUNDING REIMBURSEMENT CAME AFTER, BUT WE DO WANT TO DEMONSTRATE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DO WANT TO APPEAL. IT'S $13,000, AND THEN GOING FORWARD, WE WOULD HAVE A PLAN JUST TO HAVE IT, AND THEN IF WE'RE ELIGIBLE, WE WILL HAVE A PLAN, AND IF WE'RE NOT, WE WOULD JUST HAVE TO KEEP HAVING A PLAN IN PLACE. YEAH, SO YOU'D HAVE TO SHOW THEM SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE, AND I THINK JUST HAVING A PLAN THE NEXT PERIOD ADOPTED WOULD, I'M NOT GOING TO SPEAK FOR THEM, BUT USUALLY THAT'S KIND OF HOW IT WORKS. THERE'S A WHOLE PANEL. THEY HAVE MEETINGS AND EVERYTHING, SO,

[02:00:02]

AND THAT'S REALLY THE SUMMARY OF THE AUDIT, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR PROCEDURES, ANYTHING IN THE REPORT.

YEAH, I JUST HAD A PROCEDURAL AND PROCESS QUESTION, BECAUSE I DID RECEIVE IN OCTOBER OF 25 A CALL FROM THE FIRM ASKING A SERIES OF QUESTIONS. IT WAS, YOU KNOW, RELATIVELY COMPREHENSIVE, AND WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, I KNOW I SENT A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER WE HAD USED THE SAME FIRM LAST YEAR, WHICH YOU HAD CONFIRMED, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANY RECORDS OR RECOLLECTION. I ACTUALLY WANTED TO ASK TRUSTEE ROCHA, WHO WAS VICE PRESIDENT AT THE TIME, IF HE HAS ANY RECOLLECTION OF BEING INTERVIEWED AS PART OF THAT PROCESS. I'M JUST A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT, JUST EVEN GIVEN THE EMAIL THAT I DID REVIEW FROM OCTOBER, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A PRETTY SPECIFIC REQUEST OF THE ACCOUNTING SERVICES WANTING TO SPEAK WITH A BOARD MEMBER, PREFERABLY THE BOARD PRESIDENT, ABOUT THIS. I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, WAS THERE A DIFFERENT PROCESS THAT WAS FOLLOWED, AND HOW DO WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, WAS, IF THE BOARD PRESIDENT WASN'T CONSULTED, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THE VICE PRESIDENT, AND I REMEMBER THIS DISTINCTLY BECAUSE THE SERIES OF QUESTIONS INCLUDED, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT, AND, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY I COULD HAVE HAD SOME CONCERNS, AND I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR TRUSTEE ROCHA, BUT I THINK HE WOULD HAVE, MAY HAVE HAD SOME CONCERNS AS WELL.

SO I'M JUST CONCERNED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROCESS, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN HELP CLARIFY IN TERMS OF WHETHER A BOARD MEMBER WAS INTERVIEWED, AND WHY THE PRESIDENT OR VICE PRESIDENT AT THE TIME WERE NOT. SO THE AUDIT GUIDE, THE PROCEDURES REQUIRE US TO COMMUNICATE WITH THOSE CHARGED WITH GOVERNANCE, AND EVERY YEAR WE KIND OF DETERMINE WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT. THERE ARE A FEW WAYS, RIGHT, SO IN A COUNTY STRUCTURE LIKE THIS, THE GOVERNANCE REALLY FALLS ON THE SUPERINTENDENT, BUT THERE ARE ADDITIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE DETERMINE, YOU KNOW, WE REASSESS THE SITUATION EACH YEAR, SO SO THAT'S WHERE NO TWO AUDITS ARE THE SAME, SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO AUDIT THE SAME THINGS EVERY SINGLE YEAR, BUT I DON'T KNOW, WE COULD HAVE REACHED OUT, I DON'T, I DON'T, I THINK IT WAS YOU I SPOKE TO, AND I FEEL LIKE I DID LOOK OVER, AND WE DID, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY, NOW I HAVE TO THINK, BUT THERE'S NOTHING THAT SAYS WE HAVE TO CONTACT YOU, WE JUST HAVE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THOSE CHARGED WITH GOVERNANCE, AND SO THERE'S MULTIPLE WAYS TO DO THAT, AND SO THERE'S A BOARD LETTER THAT YOU'RE RECEIVING, THERE'S A BOARD MINUTE, THERE'S A BOARD MEETING WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW, THERE'S A CALL THAT'S MADE TO YOU, AND EACH YEAR IT DEPENDS ON KIND OF HOW WE LOOK AT YOU AS A DISTRICT, OR COUNTY, AND DETERMINING WHAT THE NEEDS ARE. DOES THAT? YES, AND I GUESS IT RAISES SOME QUESTIONS AND POTENTIAL CONCERNS ON FULLY UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC TO THE CONTEXT AT HAND, AND I THINK THERE SHOULD BE SOME PRACTICES FOR CONSISTENCY OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE EXPECTATION IN TERMS OF GETTING A SENSE OF GOVERNANCE WITHOUT SPEAKING TO A MEMBER OF THE BOARD, THAT, THAT FOR ME AS ONE TRUSTEE WOULD BE A CONCERN. I WOULD FEEL WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE AN ESTABLISHED PROCESS WHERE, JUST LIKE WITH MOST OF OUR POLICIES, IT GOES THROUGH THE BOARD PRESIDENT, IF THE BOARD PRESIDENT'S NOT AVAILABLE, IT GOES TO THE VICE PRESIDENT.

TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME INSIGHT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOU COULD GET A SENSE OF GOVERNANCE. I FULLY RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S ROLE, BUT THE BOARD ALSO HAS A ROLE WHEN IT COMES TO GOVERNANCE FOR THIS AGENCY, AND SO JUST WANTING TO BE MINDFUL THAT THAT'S INCLUDED, AND I WOULD ASK THAT THAT BE, YOU KNOW, A, WHETHER IT NEEDS TO BE THROUGH POLICY CHANGE OR PRACTICE MOVING FORWARD WITH ANY AUDIT AGENCY THAT WE WORK WITH AS, AS A, AS A STANDARD PRACTICE.

THANK YOU. TRUSTEE SRIKRISHNAN. YEAH, AND JUST FOR CLARITY, SO THE AUDITORS, YOU GUYS REACHED OUT TO OUR BOARD PRESIDENT IN OCTOBER 5TH, 2024, WAS THAT, OR WAS IT LAST YEAR, 2025? I WAS REFERRING TO THE CALL THAT I RECEIVED IN OCTOBER OF 2025, AND MY UNDERSTANDING WAS, MY CONCERN WAS THAT PREVIOUSLY, IN 2024, WHEN I WAS STILL PRESIDENT, I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY CONTACT, AND AS FAR AS WE KNOW, TRUSTEE ROCHA ALSO DID NOT RECEIVE CONTACT, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS ANOTHER BOARD MEMBER THAT WAS CONTACT, BUT THAT IS THE CONCERN THAT I HAVE. SO THEN, WAS IT THAT YOU GUYS CONTACTED THE SUPERINTENDENT? WELL, WE DEFINITELY SPOKE TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AT THE TIME. OKAY. WAS THAT WHEN WE HAD A SUPERINTENDENT? AT SOME POINT IN TIME, YES,

[02:05:01]

WE MUST HAVE SPOKE TO SOMEBODY. OKAY. BUT I, AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE THOSE WORK PAPERS IN FRONT OF ME, BUT YES, WE FIND METHODS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THOSE CHARGED WITH GOVERNANCE. AND WHAT I, IS WHAT I'M HEARING, YOU GUYS ALWAYS TALK TO THE SUPERINTENDENT ABOUT THE AUDITS, AND THEN SOMETIMES YOU ALSO TALK TO THE BOARD PRESIDENT.

DEPENDING, YES. NOT BECAUSE OF YOUR GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE, RIGHT? IT'S DIFFERENT. ARE THERE OTHER FOLKS YOU REACH OUT TO? WELL, WE TALKED TO MANAGEMENT, WE TALKED TO THE AP CLERK, WE TALKED TO, SO WE ARE, OVERALL, THE REASON WE REACH OUT TO, THAT IS BECAUSE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO ASSESS FRAUD RISK, AND SO PART OF THAT IN OUR QUESTIONS, AND SO WHEN WE TALK TO YOU, WE PROBABLY ASK, ARE YOU AWARE OF ANY, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S PART OF THE QUESTION, ANY FRAUD OR ANY ISSUES THAT WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF. AND HOW MANY AGENCIES DO YOU USUALLY AUDIT PER YEAR? WE AUDIT SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND COUNTY OFFICES, AND I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT IT'S, IT'S A FEW HUNDRED. OKAY, A FEW HUNDRED. BUT FOR ALL OF THEM, THE ONLY PERSON YOU ALWAYS REACH OUT TO IS THE SUPERINTENDENT? NO, NOT ALWAYS. LIKE, SOMETIMES I WILL REACH OUT TO THE BOARD.

IT'S, AGAIN, I READ THE BOARD MINUTES. I WATCH THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, SO I'M ASSESSING AND I'M DETERMINING THE RISK OF THE SITUATION AND WHO I SHOULD REACH OUT TO, AND KIND OF GAUGING. BUT AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW IF WE DIDN'T CONTACT ANYBODY. THAT IS, I DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER TO YOU RIGHT NOW. WE MIGHT HAVE CONTACTED SOMEBODY AT THE BOARD. BUT YOU ALWAYS CONTACT THE SUPERINTENDENT? YES. OR DO YOU SOMETIMES NOT? SORRY. NO, NO, YES, WE ALWAYS CONTACT, LIKE THE CBO. WE ALWAYS SPEAK TO THE CBO. WE ALWAYS SPEAK TO THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF PURCHASING. WE SPEAK TO THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF RECEIVING THE MONEY.

WE, THE PAYROLL, HR. SO, SO YES, WE SPEAK TO THOSE PEOPLE, BECAUSE THAT'S PART OF KIND OF THE, BUT WE, AGAIN, WE MODIFY OUR PROCEDURES.

THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE WE SPEAK TO. THAT'LL CHANGE. IT'LL, IT'S NOT A, THERE'S A TEMPLATE, RIGHT? THERE'S AUDIT STANDARDS.

BUT THEN WE ARE, WE MAKE OUR, WE DEVELOP OUR AUDIT PLAN BASED ON THE RISK AND THE AUDIT STANDARDS. AND SO. AND THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL. SO, WAS IT, ARE YOU ALLOWED TO SHARE WHY YOU REACHED OUT TO A BOARD MEMBER LAST YEAR SPECIFICALLY? IT COULD HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE BOARD MEETINGS OR THE RISK. IT COULD HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED AS A PART OF THE PLAN, BUT SOMETIMES WE CHANGE IT. I DON'T KNOW. I GUESS WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS SOMETIMES WE DETERMINE WE'RE GOING TO REACH OUT TO THE BOARD MEMBER. SOMETIMES WE REACH OUT TO ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS.

SOMETIMES WE REACH OUT TO TWO BOARD MEMBERS. SO, I GUESS I WANT TO GIVE YOU THAT THERE'S AN EXACT, BUT IT KIND OF REALLY DEPENDS. THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL. YEAH. WERE THERE, OKAY, BUT YOU DON'T REMEMBER WHAT TRIGGERED YOU WANTING TO REACH OUT. MAYBE BECAUSE MAYBE I HADN'T REACHED OUT FOR THE BOARD MEMBER. THAT COULD ALSO BE A TRIGGER.

SOMETIMES I ROTATE EARS.

SOMETIMES, I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS THE PROCEDURES CHANGE. THERE'S NO, WE JUST FIND WAYS TO REACH OUT TO THOSE CHARGED WITH GOVERNANCE IS KIND OF THE OVERARCHING THEME. AND THEN I CHANGE IT BASED ON JUST DEPENDING THAT YOU'RE ASSESSING THE RISK AND LOOKING AT KIND OF WHAT WE HAVE AS SUPPORT.

WHAT I FEEL NEEDS TO BE IN THE AUDIT OR OTHER MANAGERS ON THE TEAM. WELL, THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YEAH. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR RAISING THIS.

LOOKING AT THE ACTION IN FRONT OF US, AND THIS ONE IS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM, RIGHT? SO, AS FAR AS THIS PRACTICE OF HOW THESE AUDITS ARE DONE, AND THIS IS AN ANNUAL AUDIT THAT WE GET EVERY YEAR THIS TIME OF YEAR, AND IT'S THE FISCAL REPORT, RIGHT? IT'S OUR LAST FISCAL YEAR, 24-25, CORRECT? OKAY.

AND THEN ESTABLISHING WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS AN INFORMATION ITEM OR AN ACTION ITEM. IS THAT BASED ON STATE LAW, OR IS THAT BASED ON OUR OWN POLICIES? HOW DO WE DETERMINE WHETHER THIS IS JUST AN ACTION ITEM OR INFORMATIONAL ITEM? BECAUSE WE ARE, TO THE POINT MADE ALREADY, WE'RE THE ONES RESPONSIBLE FOR VOTING ON THE BUDGET.

THERE'S SEVEN PEOPLE. THE SUPERINTENDENT DOESN'T VOTE ON THE BUDGET. WE DO. THESE ARE KIND OF RELEVANT ITEMS TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT I'M A GOOD STEWARD OF PUBLIC FUNDS.

THAT'S WHAT MY JOB IS, MY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO THE PUBLIC. SO, IF THERE IS AN ISSUE, AND I APPRECIATE THAT YOU GET TO DECIDE WHO YOU TALK TO, BUT THAT DOESN'T HELP ME IF THERE IS AN IRREGULARITY OR AN ISSUE.

AND I'M SURE MAYBE IT'S JUST A MINOR ONE AND YOU GET IT CLEARED UP, BUT I'LL GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL QUESTION, WHICH IS WHO ESTABLISHES WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM OR WHETHER OR NOT WE VOTE AND ACCEPT THE REPORT OR APPROVE THE REPORT. AND THAT MAY NEED TO COME BACK IN TERMS OF ANSWERING. I APPRECIATE THAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW THAT ANSWER NOW.

YEAH, THIS ONE HAS BEEN A STANDING INFORMATION ITEM

[02:10:01]

BECAUSE THE AUDIT REPORT'S DONE, IT'S CONDUCTED, WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE ANALYSIS, WE REVIEW THE DRAFT FROM THE MANAGEMENT LENS, AND THEN THEY ISSUE THEIR REPORT AND THEN WE HAVE TO SUBMIT TO THE STATE. SO IT'S TYPICALLY DONE AS AN INFORMATION ITEM.

WE TYPICALLY DO THIS IN DECEMBER, BUT BECAUSE OF THE DELAY IT'S BEING BROUGHT TODAY.

SO THIS IS HISTORICALLY, SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, IT'S BEEN AN INFORMATION ITEM.

I SEE THE BOARD, OR THE COMMUNICATION LETTER, AND THAT'S FROM YOU? IT'S IN BOARD DOCS. YEAH, IT'S THE SEPARATE ITEM THAT'S ATTACHED.

OKAY, AND THEN AS FAR AS THE ADMINISTRATION'S COMMENTS, THERE AREN'T ANY, IT'S THE REPORT, THE AUDIT'S DONE, IT'S THERE IN FRONT OF US, THERE REALLY ISN'T A NECESSITY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO PROVIDE ANY COMMENTS.

AGAIN, YOU COULD PROBABLY ANSWER THE SAME, WHICH IS AS FAR AS YOU'VE BEEN HERE, NO, THAT'S NOT A PRACTICE. WE, EDCO DOES REQUIRE US TO BRING IT HERE FOR REVIEW AND FOR A PRESENTATION, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE DOING TONIGHT. WE ALSO HIGHLIGHT AND UPDATE ANY FINDINGS OR AUDIT CORRECTIONS, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE THE AUDIT FIRM COME TO GO OVER, ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS, AND THEN ALSO GIVE GUIDANCE ON AREAS WHERE WE ARE NEEDING TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS.

IN THIS PARTICULAR YEAR, IT'S THE HOME-TO-SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION, WHICH WE WILL BE BRINGING BACK AT THE MARCH 4TH BOARD MEETING FOR REVIEW. THANK YOU, AND MY QUESTIONS AREN'T REALLY CENTERED AROUND THAT PARTICULAR MINOR ITEM OR OTHER PAST ONES, OR THERE WAS NOTHING. IT'S JUST MORE, I THINK, UNPROCESSED BECAUSE, YEAH, YOU KNOW, IF THERE IS A MISACCOUNTING OF FUNDS, AS YOU PROBABLY HAVE SEEN, IT LANDS ON OUR LAP, NOT STAFF'S. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, IF I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME INACCURACIES THAT STAFF MAY OR MAY NOT BE AWARE OF, OR MAY BE AWARE OF, AND WE'RE NOT PRIVY TO IT, IT STILL ENDS UP ON MY LAP.

THANK YOU.

YES, TRUSTEE BERGER. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE ONE FINAL COMMENT ON THIS. I APPRECIATE WHAT'S BEING SAID IN TERMS OF TAKING IN THE CONTEXT, AND I THINK ESPECIALLY IN OCTOBER OF 2024, YOU STATED THAT YOU REVIEW OUR BOARD MEETINGS OR YOU WATCH OUR BOARD MEETINGS AND ARE AWARE OF THE HAPPENINGS OF OUR ACCOUNTING OFFICE, AND I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD MAKE IT EVEN MORE SO IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE ALL MEMBERS, NOT NECESSARILY ALL MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, BUT AT LEAST OUR DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVES AS PART OF OUR GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE OF THIS AGENCY, SO I REALLY HOPE THAT CAN BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE FUTURE.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT,

[C. First Reading of Revised Board Policy 1312.2 – Complaints Concerning Instructional Materials]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE ARE MOVING ON TO ITEM 9C, FIRST READING A REVISED BOARD POLICY 1312.2, COMPLAINTS CONCERNING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS.

THERE'S NO PRESENTATION. DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE TRUSTEES

[D. First Reading of Revised Board Policy 1312.3 – Uniform Complaint Procedures]

ON THIS FIRST READING? ALL RIGHT, WHY DON'T WE MOVE ON TO 9D, FIRST READING A REVISED BOARD POLICY 1312.3, UNIFORM COMPLAINT PROCEDURES. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS FIRST READING? TRUSTEE BERTA. I KNOW I HAD SENT A QUESTION ABOUT THIS AHEAD OF TIME, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO BETTER UNDERSTAND. THERE WAS A COMMENT ABOUT THE APPROPRIATE PROCESS FOR EMPLOYEES SINCE THAT SECTION WAS TAKEN OUT OF THIS POLICY IN THE REDLINE VERSION, AND A COMMENT ABOUT THAT PROCESS BEING REDEVELOPED. I STILL WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OUT A REFERENCE TO, YOU KNOW, EMPLOYEES NOT BEING ABLE TO USE THIS CHANNEL TO MAKE COMPLAINTS, THAT THERE IS SOMETHING THAT IS REFERENCED IN TERMS OF WHAT THE APPROPRIATE CHANNEL IS FOR THOSE COMPLAINTS AND PROCEDURE.

I'M JUST TRYING TO CATCH UP TO WHERE YOU ARE IN THE DOCUMENT. CAN I ASK YOU TO RESTATE THAT FOR ME? I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M CAPTURING THAT. YEAH, THERE WAS A SECTION THAT TOOK OUT THE EMPLOYEE DISCRIMINATION. I BELIEVE IT'S ON PAGE THREE OUT OF FIVE THAT WAS THAT WAS STRIKED THROUGH RELATED TO NON-DISCRIMINATION EMPLOYMENT, AND RECOGNIZE THAT THAT FALLS UNDER A DIFFERENT COMPLAINT PROCESS. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL JUST TO IDENTIFY WHAT THAT PROCESS IS SO THAT PEOPLE AREN'T THINKING WE ARE NOT ALLOWING THEM TO MAKE, EMPLOYEES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO MAKE COMPLAINTS, BUT THAT IT IS LOCATED IN A DIFFERENT VEHICLE FOR PROCESSING THOSE COMPLAINTS.

[02:15:07]

THANK YOU FOR ASKING THIS BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAR THAT WHAT THE UNIFORM COMPLAINT ENTAILS, BECAUSE I'M THE UNIFORM COMPLAINT OFFICER, SO I DID HAVE SOMEONE COME TO ME WITH A HUMAN RESOURCES COMPLAINT AND STARTED THE PROCESS AND REALIZED IT'S NOT A UCP. SO WE'RE CLARIFYING THAT IN THE BOARD POLICY AND THEN WE'LL BE COMMUNICATING THAT ON IN OUR DIFFERENT MATERIALS.

LIKE IT IS ON OUR WEBSITE TO GO TO HUMAN RESOURCES FOR AN EMPLOYEE COMPLAINT, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS CLEAR IN POLICY AND WE NEEDED TO UPDATE OUR FORMS, SOME OF OUR FORMS TOO, AND COMMUNICATION FOR THAT AS WELL. SO A UNIFORM COMPLAINT HAS TO DO REALLY WITH THE STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDED PROGRAM AND THEN EMPLOYEE COMPLAINTS COME UNDER BOARD POLICY, I BELIEVE IT'S 40-30 COMPLAINTS FROM EMPLOYEES TO EMPLOYEES, THAT SORT OF THING. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THERE COULD BE AN OVERLAP THOUGH IN TERMS OF AN EMPLOYEE MAKING A COMPLAINT ABOUT A FEDERAL OR ONE OF THE PROTECTED AREAS THAT FALLS UNDER A UNIFORM COMPLAINT? AN EMPLOYEE COULD MAKE A UNIFORM COMPLAINT. SO I THINK IT'S HELPFUL AND I FULLY APPRECIATE YOU KNOW THAT SOME OF THIS WILL HAPPEN IN THE POLICY AND THEN SOME OF IT WILL HAPPEN IN TERMS OF GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT TO FOLKS SO THEY KNOW WHAT THE APPROPRIATE CHANNEL IS. IT WOULD JUST BE HELPFUL TO BETTER DEFINE WHAT FALLS UNDER THIS AND IDENTIFY THE ALTERNATIVE IN TERMS OF THIS DOESN'T BECOME A YOU CAN'T FILE A COMPLAINT. THE WAY THAT IT READS BY REMOVING THAT SECTION AS IS IS EMPLOYEES CAN'T USE THIS TO MAKE A COMPLAINT, WHICH I DON'T THINK IS THE INTENT BECAUSE THERE MAY BE CERTAIN SCENARIOS WHERE THEY WOULD NEED TO USE A UNIFORM COMPLAINT AND OTHER SCENARIOS WHERE THEY USE.

YEAH, TWO THOUGHTS ON THAT.

ONE IS I THINK THAT YEAH BECAUSE THIS IS SAYING WHAT A UNIFORM COMPLAINT IS. AN EMPLOYEE CAN DO A UNIFORM COMPLAINT. WE'RE TRYING TO DISTINGUISH UNIFORM COMPLAINT IS NOT A COMPLAINT ABOUT AN EMPLOYEE OR EMPLOYEE TO EMPLOYEE COMPLAINT. WELL, THIS IS A FIRST READING. ONE THING, I'LL HAVE TO PULL IT UP.

I'M NOT SURE IF WE DO THIS, BUT WE CAN CROSS-REFERENCE IN THE POLICY WHERE EMPLOYEE COMPLAINTS GET ADDRESSED. SO, AT LEAST IN THE POLICY, IT'S NOTED A LOT OF TIMES, POLICIES WILL CROSS-REFERENCE, HAVE A NOTE, SEE. X POLICIES.

SO THAT COULD BE A POTENTIAL REVISION TO MAKE TO THIS ONE, JUST SO IT'S CLEAR. YES, THERE IS A PROCESS FOR COMPLAINTS AGAINST EMPLOYEES, AND HERE'S WHERE YOU GO TO DO THAT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DR. TOST.

FURTHER DOWN IN THE POLICY, ON PAGE 305, IT DOES REFERENCE ANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMPLAINTS AND WHERE THEY NEED TO BE REFERRED. FOR EXAMPLE, BULLET FOUR. ANY COMPLAINT ALLEGING EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION AND OR HARASSMENT REFERRED TO THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT. I BELIEVE THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE RELATED TO STUDENTS. UM, SO WE WILL TAKE A LOOK AT IT. UM, BUT IS IT YOUR? IS IT THE DIRECTION TO, BEFORE WE BRING THIS BACK FOR SECOND READING, REVISE THE POLICY, GO BACK THROUGH POLICY SUBCOMMITTEE. NO, THAT WASN'T MY. I INTEND TO. NO. OK.

BUT IF YOU, IF YOU'RE SUGGESTING ADDING ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE OR CLARITY, DO THAT AND BRING IT BACK FOR A SECOND READ? BUT THAT WOULD BE TECHNICALLY THE FIRST READ? THAT WOULD BE AMENABLE.

IT'S NOT A FIRST READ. IT IS PART OF THE SECOND READ THAT IT'S DONE IN EVERY OTHER BOARD LIKE THIS. SO CROSS-REFERENCING THAT EMPLOYEE COMPLAINT PROCEDURE, POSSIBLY WHERE IT'S DONE. IT KIND OF IS IN THERE. IT'S A GOOD PLACE FOR IT.

UNDERSTOOD. UNLESS YOU FIND ANOTHER GOOD PLACE FOR IT.

OKAY. UNDERSTOOD. THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ON THIS ONE? ALL RIGHT. WE ARE MOVING ON TO THE FIRST READING OF THIS ONE'S 9C, REVISED BOARD POLICY 1312.2, COMPLAINTS CONCERNING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS. ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE OR COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT. 9D, FIRST READING OF REVISED BOARD POLICY, 1312.3. DID I ALREADY DO THAT? I'M SORRY, GUYS. THEY'RE ALL

[E. First Reading of Revised Board Policy 3400 – Management of SCCOE Assets/Accounts]

THE SAME NUMBERS. 3400? YES.

MANAGEMENT OF SCCOE ASSETS AND ACCOUNTS.

ALL RIGHT. IT'S NOT ACTUALLY ON THE THING,

[02:20:01]

BY THE WAY. I HAVE 9250 ROUTINE TRAVEL ITEMS. THAT'S WHAT I HAVE ON THE SCRIPT. I'M FINE WITH THAT. I JUST LET ME LOOK AT THE AGENDA HERE. I CAN GIVE THE OVERVIEW? YEAH, THANK YOU.

THIS POLICY IS BEING BROUGHT FOR A FIRST READ. IT'S BEING REVISED TO ALIGN WITH THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET REGULATIONS. WE ARE ADJUSTING. THE CAPITAL ASSET THRESHOLD FROM $5,000 TO $10,000, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH STATE LAW. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ON THIS ONE? ALL RIGHT. MOVING

[F. First Reading of Revised Board Bylaw 9250 – Routine Travel Items]

ON TO... 90 TO 50 ROUTINE TRAVEL ITEMS. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS POLICY HAS BEEN UPDATED BASED ON CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD. I BELIEVE IT WAS A POLICY PREVIOUSLY TO CLARIFY THE POLICY SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO REIMBURSEMENT FOR TRAVEL.

TO THESE, TO THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS AND SOME OTHER AREAS THAT WE DISCUSSED THAT DIDN'T HAVE THE CLARITY THAT WE DESIRED. IT WAS MAKING SURE THAT WE UNDERSTOOD THAT, LIKE TRAVELING HERE, WE WEREN'T GETTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THAT. OR TO OUR REGULAR REPORT MEETINGS BECAUSE WE HAD A ROBUST DISCUSSION ON THIS. THE LAST TIME WE SAW IT IN OUR REORG MEETING, ANY QUESTIONS, AND WE HAD KIND OF A CATCH-ALL. YEAH, FOR ASSOCIATIONS THAT WE ARE PART OF, WE CAN TRAVEL. WE HAD THINGS CATCHING. ALL ACTIVITIES OF PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS FOR WHICH THE COUNTY BOARD HAS SUBSCRIBED ACTIVE MENTORSHIP.

IF WE WANT TO GO TO THAT, THE OFFICE WILL PAY FOR THAT.

THAT'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT, BUT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS ALSO DISCUSSED, NOT NECESSARILY FROM YOUR COMMENTS. I THINK I'D ALSO MENTION, THOUGH, THAT... SOME OF THESE ARE WITHIN THE DUTIES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, SO THAT'S WHAT OUR STIPENDS ARE FOR. SOME TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT FOR DOING OUR RESPONSIBILITY WAS ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT I MENTIONED. I BELIEVE THOSE ISSUES WERE ADDRESSED IN TERMS OF ATTENDING THIS MEETING OR ANY REGULAR MEETING. I DON'T WANT TO BE REIMBURSED. YEP.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? TRUSTEE SRI KRISHNA? YEAH, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AS WELL, DR.

TOSTIN. EVERYONE FOR JUST WORKING SO QUICKLY

[G. Future Agenda Items]

ON THIS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

AND WE ARE NOW MOVING ON TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BROWN ACT, ITEMS MENTIONED HERE ARE SUGGESTIONS FOR POTENTIAL FOLLOW-UP UNDER BOARD BYLAWS. THEY ARE NOT AGENDIZED FOR DISCUSSION, BUT PROVIDE TRUSTEES A SPACE TO IDENTIFY TOPICS FOR POSSIBLE FUTURE AGENDA CONSIDERATION.

TRUSTEES, ARE THERE ANY ITEMS WITH THE BOARD'S JURISDICTION, YOU WOULD LIKE TO MENTION AT THIS TIME. AND DR. TUSTIN, YOU HAVE ANY? I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WERE ON THE LIST THAT WERE REMOVED FOR THIS BOARD MEETING, NOT BECAUSE THEY'RE NO LONGER FOR CONSIDERATION, BUT BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING A CONVERSATION. I AND THE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT ARE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHERE TO AGENDIZE AND IF WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO FOLLOW UP WITH THOSE. SUGGESTED FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS SO THE ITEMS ARE NOT LOST AND WE'LL BRING THEM BACK FOR THE NEXT MEETING. SO THE DISPOSITION OR DECISION RELATED TO THOSE ITEMS IS THERE AS WELL. ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS TO ADD HERE? TRUSTEE SHRIKRISHNA, DR. TOSTIN YOU HAD MENTIONED SO OKAY, SO THE ADDITIONAL STUDENT BOARD REPRESENTATION THAT'S GOING TO COME AT OUR BOARD RETREAT.

OH, OKAY. I WASN'T PLANNING ON THAT. WE'RE ENGAGING AND BUILDING ON THE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL STUDENT BOARD MEMBER. YEAH, THIS IS FEB.

11TH. I WILL HAVE AN UPDATE.

I'LL HAVE AN UPDATE ON THE 11TH. TIFFANY IS GETTING IT RIGHT. IT IS THE MEETING THAT HAS BEEN SET UP WITH...

MADDIE CHANG. OH, WE'RE HAVING A MEETING ABOUT IT. YEAH.

PROGRESS IS BEING MADE. WE HAVE A MEETING SCHEDULED NEXT WEEK TO TALK THROUGH WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE. AND WHAT DOES PAC KICKOFF MEAN? I AM A PEER

[02:25:06]

ADVISORY COUNCIL, ADVISORY COUNCIL.

BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN? PEER ADVOCACY AND ADVISORY COUNCIL.

DIRECTOR SIMPSON, CAN I ASK YOU TO COME TO THE MIC? IS IT ON? IT IS. SO THE PEER ADVISORY COUNCIL THAT YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT IS THE VEHICLE FOR THE STUDENT BOARD ADVISORY.

SO THEIR KICKOFF IS STARTING.

STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD.

THERE'S SO MANY ACRONYMS. YES. HERE IT SAYS, STUDENT BOARD ADVISORY, SO THAT CUT ME.

YES, SO IT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT. THAT GROUP IS WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT IS RUN THROUGH THE PAC, BECAUSE THAT IS ALREADY A SYSTEM THAT WE HAD IN PLACE. SO DOES THAT MEAN WE'RE STARTING A NEW STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD, OR DOES IT MEAN WE'RE SUPPORTING OUR CURRENT ONES? SO THAT ADVISORY BOARD BECAME THIS ONE. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? NOT REALLY. SO WHEN YOU HAD ASKED ABOUT IT INITIALLY.

OH, SO THERE'S A NEW PEER ADVISORY COUNCIL. YEAH. WE ALREADY HAD THAT. WE ALREADY HAD IT, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE IT IN THE ROLE THAT WAS TO ADVISE THE BOARD. THAT'S GREAT. I MEAN, I'D LOVE TO HEAR. SO THEN WE ADDED THAT PIECE. TO IT, THAT ADVOCACY AND THAT BOARD ADVISORY PIECE TO THE SYSTEM THAT ALREADY EXISTED. AND THEN THEY WENT OUT WITH THE NEW CHARGE OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO AND RECRUITED STUDENTS.

THAT IS SO COOL. IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THIS COULD COME AS A BOARD, AS AN INFORMATION ITEM, DR. TOSTIN. AND THANK YOU, JESSICA. WE WILL HAVE AN UPDATE. I MEAN, THEY'RE HAVING THEIR FIRST MEETING ON FEBRUARY 9TH. THIS IS EXCITING.

AND I'M GOING TO ADD ONE MORE, BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH OF MINE HERE.

BUT WE HAVE JUST BEEN IN SOME INITIAL CONVERSATIONS, SPEAKING BROADLY, AND I MENTIONED THIS BEFORE ABOUT SUPPORTING UNHOUSED YOUTH. AND DEFINITELY, THIS IS NOT. I KNOW. WE'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS, AND YOU HAVE BEEN REALLY GREAT.

WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO SOMEONE I LOVE, JOANNE BARS. AND MAYBE ONE OF THESE DAYS THAT CAN COME TO A FULL BOARD UPDATE, BUT THAT WOULD BE IT. AND, AGAIN, I WANT TO JUST THANK TIFFANY AND JESSICA AND YOU FOR WORKING WITH US ON ALL THESE THINGS. THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? TRUSTEE BERTA. JUST A COMMENT.

I APPRECIATE THAT. WE'LL BE GETTING THE ITEMS BACK, I THINK. ONE OF THE PIECES THAT I JUST WANTED TO EMPHASIZE IS THE FUTURE.

AGENDA. ITEMS ARE NOT JUST FOR US AS TRUSTEES OR AS A GOVERNANCE TEAM, BUT IT'S ALSO A WAY FOR US TO COMMUNICATE, YOU KNOW, TO DEMONSTRATE TO THE PUBLIC THAT THESE ARE ISSUES THAT EITHER THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, CARES ABOUT SIGNIFICANTLY, OR WOULD LIKE TO SEE FUTURE PRIORITIZATION OF. AND ON THAT NOTE, I'LL JUST UNDERSCORE ONE OTHER, ONE TOPIC SPECIFICALLY THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN NAMED IN PREVIOUS COMMUNICATIONS. I THINK ONE WAS ACTUALLY NAMED BY TRUSTEE SIRKRISHNAN AND THEN MYSELF. ON IMMIGRATION-SPECIFIC SUPPORTS, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF QUITE EXTENSIVE WORK THE COUNTY OFFICE DOES ON THAT TOPIC SPECIFICALLY, AND WE JUST LIKE TO GET A LITTLE BIT BETTER SENSE OF DIFFERENT AREAS THAT WE'RE PRIORITIZING WITH THAT AND CONTINUING TO BE A SOURCE OF SUPPORT TO OUR COUNTY. THANK YOU. ANY MORE? RIGHT, THANK YOU. SEE

[A. Committee members may provide or report on recent committee activities.]

HERE, NOW WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM COMMITTEES THAT HAVE MET SINCE OUR LAST MEETINGS. THE TWO COMMITTEES THAT HAVE MET ARE POLICY DEVELOPMENT SUBCOMMITTEE, MYSELF, AND SANTA CLARA COUNTY SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION, SECSBA, AND THAT WOULD BE TRUSTEE LAURIE. WE HAD A POLICY DEVELOPMENT SUBCOMMITTEE JUST BEFORE THIS MEETING. AND WE WENT OVER ALL OF THOSE IMMIGRATION AB 49 BOARD POLICY CHANGES. SO THAT IS WHAT WE DID TODAY. AND YOU JUST APPROVED THOSE TODAY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. TRUSTEE LAURIE ON THE SCC SBA MEETING. YES, I ATTENDED SCC SBA MEETING ON JANUARY 28TH. DR. DAWSON AND VICE PRESIDENT SPICER WERE THERE. THEY SHARED OUR ROLE, VISION, AND GOALS.

AT THE MEETING

[02:30:01]

WITH THE SCC-SPA, THE PRESENTATIONS WERE VERY WELL RECEIVED AND APPRECIATED. AND I WILL LET DR. TOFTON AND VICE PRESIDENT SPICER TALK IN MORE DETAIL ABOUT THEIR PRESENTATIONS.

THANK YOU. MAKING YOUR BOARD MEMBER REPORTS.

LIKE SEVERAL LIFETIMES AGO, IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY WITH SCC SBA ON SATURDAY. IT WAS WELL ATTENDED. VERY POSITIVE CONVERSATIONS. I'M SORRY. IT WAS THEIR NIGHTTIME MEETING. OH, OUR NIGHTTIME MEETING. OKAY. KIND OF THE STATE OF THE COUNTY.

OH, STATE OF THE COUNTY. I'M SORRY.

THERE WERE TWO DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT I THOUGHT SHE WAS REFERENCING. WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE OUR UPDATED VISION AND STRATEGIC GOALS WITH A NUMBER OF TRUSTEES. AND THANK YOU TO TRUSTEE SPICER FOR PRESENTING THAT INFORMATION WITH ME. WE PROVIDED AN OVERVIEW OF THE COUNTY UPDATED DEMOGRAPHICS. THE HIGHLIGHTED, OR A NUMBER OF HIGHLIGHTS ACROSS THE COUNTY THAT ARE TAKING PLACE IN OUR DISTRICT PARTNERS, AS WELL AS WITHIN OUR PROGRAMS. RECEIVED GREAT FEEDBACK DURING THAT MEETING, AND SUBSEQUENTLY, DISTRICT TRUSTEES HAVE SENT MESSAGES OF APPRECIATION AND ALIGNMENT WITH THE VISION AND GOALS THAT YOU ALL HAVE ADOPTED. I MEAN, I CAN TELL YOU HOW YOU GUYS KNOW THE MISSION AND VISION AND STRATEGIC GOALS. IT WAS QUITE

[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.]

WELL RECEIVED, AND PEOPLE WERE HAPPY THAT WE WERE MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION. THIS BRINGS US TO ITEM 11, COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBER REPORT.

IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE BROWN ACT, THESE MUST BE LIMITED TO ACTIVITIES DIRECTLY RELATED TO OUR DUTIES AS TRUSTEES OF THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION. WOULD ANY TRUSTEE LIKE TO REPORT ON ACTIVITIES? RELATED TO THEIR OFFICIAL RESPONSIBILITIES WITHIN THE BOARD'S JURISDICTION. TRUSTEE BERTA.

THANK YOU. I ATTENDED SEVERAL EVENTS IN ALUM ROCK AND EASTSIDE UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT, ESPECIALLY THE STUDENT-LED WALKOUT. I WAS QUITE IMPRESSED WITH THE STUDENTS, THE YOUTH LEADERS, AND THEY HELPED ORGANIZE IT AND REALLY DEVELOPED THE ENTIRE PROGRAM, AND IT'S JUST A REALLY GREAT WAY TO... TO SHOW SOLIDARITY WITH THE IMMIGRANT STUDENTS AND FAMILIES. I ALSO SPOKE AT THE SCHOOL LEADERS UNITED PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA IN MY INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AS A BOARD MEMBER, AGAIN, JUST TO STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH OUR IMMIGRANT AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES. I'VE BEEN ATTENDING A LOT OF THE IPEN MEETINGS, PLANNING MEETINGS, AND I WANT TO JUST REALLY THANK A LOT OF THE LOCAL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS AND STAFF. I KNOW SOME OF OUR COUNTY OFFICE STAFF ATTENDS THOSE AS WELL.

JUST SHARING RESOURCES AND REALLY THINKING ABOUT WAYS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY IN THESE TRYING TIMES. AND FINALLY, I ALSO WANT TO THANK AND RECOGNIZE THE SEMA REPRESENTATIVES AND LEADERS THAT WERE HERE AND ECHO THE COMMENTS ABOUT CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP. I JUST THINK IT'S REALLY GREAT. REALLY GREAT.

ANYTIME WE CAN SUPPORT UNIONS AND THE EFFORTS AND STRUCTURES I THINK THAT THEY BRING IN TERMS OF... FACILITATED DIALOGUE AND PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. SO EXCITED BY THAT POTENTIAL AND HOPE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT IT.

UH, EXPEDIENTLY. THANK YOU, TRUSTEE ROCHA, TRUSTEE TRUSTEE LAURIE. OKAY, TRUSTEE PACHECO. I'M ALSO OKAY. THANK YOU ALL RIGHT. TRUSTEE SHRI KUSHAN. I'M OKAY TOO, BUT I HAVE UPDATES, BUT I'M ALSO OKAY.

BUT I REALLY, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK DR. TOSTIN AND TIFFANY AND DR. TOSTIN AND I, WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO MADDIE ABOUT THE STUDENT EFFORTS.

AND JESSICA, THANK YOU FOR, SIMPSON, THANK YOU FOR HELPING WITH ALL THAT. AND I SAY THAT TO SAY IS I'VE HAD A FEW MEETINGS WITH DR. TOSTIN AND DIFFERENT COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON DIFFERENT ISSUES. AND A LOT OF THE TIMES, THEY REACH OUT TO HIM DIRECTLY, OR I JUST CONNECT HIM TO DR.

TOSTIN. AND WHAT I CAN SAY IS HE TAKES EVERY MEETING. THIS MAN IS FILLED WITH MEETINGS ALL DAY. SO YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN REALLY RESPONSIVE AND EVEN HAS COORDINATED SOME COMMENDATIONS FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT, AND EVERYONE'S JUST REALLY APPRECIATED FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD. SO I WANT TO MENTION THAT,

[02:35:02]

AND I'M JUST EXCITED TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE STUDENT VOICE WORK THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING. AND ALSO WE'LL SAY AGAIN, TO JOIN THE CHOIR TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZING EFFORTS OF SEAM. I THINK THAT I KNOW FROM JUST MY EXPERIENCE BEING HERE FIVE YEARS, I THINK THE STAFF HAS BEEN THROUGH A LOT, AND I DO THINK THEY DO DESERVE THAT TYPE OF SUPPORT IN GOOD FAITH, AND I REALLY JUST WANT TO SUPPORT THOSE EFFORTS WITHOUT DELAY. SO, THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. I'LL QUICKLY GO THROUGH WHAT I'VE DONE. I DID THE NEW PRESIDENT'S COUNTY BOARD TRAINING BY ACCBE, WHICH WAS THE DAY AFTER OUR LAST BOARD MEETING, WHERE BEVERLY GERARD, ALONG WITH A COUPLE OTHER COUNTY TRUSTEES, RAN A TRAINING, AND IT WAS QUITE USEFUL. DID THE BUDGET PERSPECTIVES WORKSHOP HERE. I WENT TO THE SEC, SBA, LEADING IN CHALLENGING TIMES.

SYMPOSIUM HELD HERE. AND I DID A COUPLE OF SCC SBA LEGISLATIVE ACTION COMMITTEE MEETINGS WITH THE ROBERT RIVAS ASSEMBLY MEMBER OR SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY.

ROBERT RIVAS AND CONGRESSMAN JIMMY PANETTA. WENT TO THE SCHOOL LEADERS UNITED RALLY, WENT TO A SANTA CLARA COUNTY CHILDCARE TOWN HALL PUT ON BY A PARENT VOICES, CALIFORNIA, AND SAW MATT TINSLEY THERE. AND I ATTENDED NISA FLIGER'S SWEARING IN. SHE IS OUR NEW ASSESSOR, SO I'M EXPECTING HER TO FIND ALL THE PROPERTY TAX DOLLARS UNDER THE MATTRESSES FOR US.

SHE'LL DO GREAT WORK. AND I ALSO WANT TO ECHO THAT I SUPPORT THE UNIONIZATION

[A. The superintendent may give a report on any activities related to his duties.]

OF OUR ADMINISTRATORS AND SEMA.

SO, THANK YOU. AND I THINK WE'RE ON TO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THERE'S BEEN A LOT GOING ON.

SINCE THE LAST TIME WE MET, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO OPEN UP ONE OF THE SILICON VALLEY READS OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE YOUNG ADULT AUTHOR, KELLY YANG. THERE WERE OVER 100 STUDENTS ON THE CALL. WE ALSO HOSTED OUR FIRST OR THE FIRST COUNTY SCHOOLS COLLABORATIVE. IT'S AN INITIATIVE ENVISIONED BY I BELIEVE SUPERVISOR REYNOS, AND IT BRINGS TOGETHER DISTRICT STAFF, COUNTY OFFICE STAFF, AS WELL AS LEADERS FROM COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO IDENTIFY AREAS OF COLLABORATION FOR OUR HIGH PRIORITY AREAS.

HELD THE OIA GOVERNING BOARD MEETING AND RECEIVED THEIR LCAP UPDATE. AND PARTICIPATED IN A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS. AS WE ARE, AND VERY MUCH IN THE LEGISLATIVE SEASON SEASON LAST WEEK. I WAS OUT OF THE OFFICE ATTENDING THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS MEETING. A NUMBER OF THE MAJORITY OF THE EXCESS COST. COUNTIES SPENT ABOUT TWO HOURS TOGETHER DISCUSSING THE ISSUE AND PLANNING OUR ADVOCACY GOING FORWARD WITH CAPITAL ADVISORS, SO THERE'LL BE MORE INFORMATION TO COME. I ALSO RECEIVED AN UPDATE ON CHANGES TO LEGISLATION. ONE I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ARE CHANGES TO THE DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE GRANT. PREVIOUSLY, THE DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE GRANT RESTRICTED US TO PROVIDE, I MIGHT SAY, RESPONSIVE SUPPORTS WHEN DISTRICTS WERE ELIGIBLE. THE REVISION TO THE LAW WILL ALLOW US TO PROVIDE UNIVERSAL, PROACTIVE SUPPORTS TO PROVIDE RESOURCES THAT BENEFIT DISTRICTS AND STUDENTS. BEFORE.

THEY ARE DETERMINED TO BE ELIGIBLE ON THE DASHBOARD. AND THERE WILL BE A NUMBER OF CHANGES RELATED TO THAT THAT WE'RE STILL TRACKING THROUGH THE TRAILER BILL PROCESS, BUT OUR TEAM IS ALREADY BEGINNING TO ENVISION WHAT OUR WORK LOOKS LIKE IN THAT VEIN. AND END OF THE WEEK, LAST WEEK, IT WAS THE ANNUAL SUPERINTENDENT'S SYMPOSIUM.

AND SPENT SOME TIME WITH MANY OF OUR DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS WHO WERE IN ATTENDANCE.

TO LEARN TOGETHER, TO TOUCH BASE, AND TO BE TOGETHER AND LEARN. SO

[13. CLOSED SESSION]

THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO REPORT AT THIS POINT. THE BOARD IS NOW ABOUT TO ENTER INTO CLOSED SESSION. CLOSED SESSION INVOLVES CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. THE CLOSED SESSION AGENDA ITEM INCLUDES THREE ITEMS. A, CONFERENCE

[02:40:03]

WITH LEGAL COUNSEL, EXISTING LITIGATION, GOVERNMENT CODE 5496565. POINT NINE D ONE, CASE NUMBER 24 CV, FOUR, FOUR, NINE, EIGHT, FIVE, NINE, SANTA CLARA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT. AND THEN THERE'S B CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL. EXISTING LITIGATION GOVERNMENT CODE 54956.9D1, CASE NUMBER 524CV08527, U.S. DISTRICT COURT, NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA, AND C, CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL, EXISTING LITIGATION, SIGNIFICANT EXPOSURE TO LITIGATION, GOVERNMENT CODE 54956D21, ONE CASE. THE BOARD WILL NOW ENTER INTO CLOSED SESSION. WE WILL RETURN IN APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR, OR, SAY, 8.45, WE ADJOURN

[14. OPEN SESSION (Immediately Following Closed Session)]

TO CLOSED SESSION. READY TO RESUME OPEN SESSION. TIME IS NOW 8.25. UPON COMPLETION OF AGENDA ITEM 13A, CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL EXISTING LITIGATION, GOVERNMENT CODE 54956.91. CASE NUMBER 24, CV 44-98-59, SANTA CLARA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT, NO ACTION TAKEN UPON COMPLETION OF 13B, CONFERENCE OF THE LEGAL COUNSEL, EXISTING LITIGATION, GOVERNMENT CODE 54956.91. CASE NUMBER 524, CV 08-527, U.S.

DISTRICT COURT, NORTHERN DISTRICT, CALIFORNIA, NO REPORTABLE ACTION TAKEN UPON COMPLETION OF ITEM 13C.

CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL EXISTING LITIGATION EXPOSURE TO LITIGATION GOVERNMENT CODE 5495, 56.9 D2 ONE CASE, NO REPORTABLE ACTION. WE ARE GOING TO ADJOURN. THE NEXT BOARD MEETING IS ON MARCH 4TH AT 5 P.M. MAY GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN. CAN I GET A SECOND? TRUSTEE PACHECO MOVED BY TRUSTEE SHUKRISHNAN, SECOND BY TRUSTEE PACHECO. PLEASE VOTE IN BOARD DOCS OR ORAL. ALL RIGHT. GO, PAT. ADJOURN. I MEAN, ADJOURN. THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.

1. SCCBOE CALL TO ORDER

2. SPECIAL RECOGNITION

3. STUDENT BOARD MEMBER REPORT

5. BARGAINING UNITS' REPORTS

8. ACTION ITEMS

9. INFORMATION ITEMS

10. BOARD COMMITTEE REPORTS

11. COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBER REPORTS

12. SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT

Feb 04, 2026 County Board of Education

1. SCCBOE CALL TO ORDER

2. SPECIAL RECOGNITION

3. STUDENT BOARD MEMBER REPORT

5. BARGAINING UNITS' REPORTS

8. ACTION ITEMS

9. INFORMATION ITEMS

10. BOARD COMMITTEE REPORTS

11. COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBER REPORTS

12. SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT

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