[A. Call to Order] [00:00:04] GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY. I WOULD LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THIS REGULAR MEETING NUMBER 2684 OF THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION. TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, MAY 20TH, AND THE TIME IS 5.03 P.M. I AM VICTORIA CHAN, PRESIDENT OF THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, AND I WILL PRESIDE OVER THIS MEETING. A LIVE STREAM OF THIS EVENING'S MEETING IS AVAILABLE AT HTTPS COLON SLASH SLASH TINYURL.COM SLASH SCCBOARDMEETING. ON THE WEB PAGE, SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM AND CHOOSE LIVE. LANGUAGE SUPPORT FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING. IS AVAILABLE IN SPANISH AND VIETNAMESE. FOR SPANISH SUPPORT, PLEASE CALL 1-669-900-6833. THE MEETING ID IS 727-334-810-POUND. FOR VIETNAMESE SUPPORT, PLEASE CALL 1-669-900-6833. THE MEETING ID IS 937-523-6196-POUND. LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE IN ASL, SPANISH, AND VIETNAMESE IS AVAILABLE FOR THOSE IN ATTENDANCE. HEADSETS FOR SPANISH AND VIETNAMESE MAY BE PICKED UP AT THE TABLE AT THE BACK OF THE ROOM. THE ASL INTERPRETERS ARE IN THE FRONT OF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROOM AS WELL AS ON THE MONITORS. PERSONS WANTING TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT CAN DO SO BY COMPLETING A SPEAKER COMMENT CARD AVAILABLE AT THE BACK OF THE ROOM. IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY OR NEED TO EVACUATE THE ROOM, PLEASE ALERT AND FOLLOW AN SCCOE STAFF MEMBER WHO IS IDENTIFIED WITH THE YELLOW BADGE. OUR STUDENT BOARD MEMBER PARTICIPATES VIA TELECONFERENCE AND THEY ARE AUTOMATICALLY EXCUSED AT 8 PM SHOULD OUR MEETING EXTEND BEYOND THAT TIME. PREFERENTIAL VOTING BY THE STUDENT BOARD MEMBER IS AUTHORIZED BY EDUCATION CODE SECTION 1000. STUDENT BOARD MEMBERS MAY EXERCISE PREFERENTIAL VOTING RIGHTS BY STATING THEIR OPINION AND OR POSITION ON AN ACTION ITEM WHICH WILL BE RECORDED IN THE MINUTES BEFORE THE SCC BOE VOTES ON THE ITEM. STUDENT BOARD MEMBER ANDINA, WE [B. Pledge of Allegiance] WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. EVERYONE, IF YOU'RE ABLE, PLEASE STAND AND PLACE YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU. [C. Land Acknowledgement] STUDENT BOARD MEMBER ANDINO, COULD YOU DO THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AS WELL? LET US TAKE THE TIME TO HONOR THE ANCESTRAL CARETAKERS OF THE LAND ON WHICH WE STAND. WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE OHLONE TERRITORY. SANTA CLARA COUNTY IS THE HOMELAND OF THE MUWEKMA OHLONE PEOPLE. TODAY, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE CONTINUE TO PROTECT THE LAND. IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THE INDIGENOUS CULTURE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES AND REMEMBER THAT WE ALL GATHER, LIVE, LEARN, AND WORK ON THE TRADITIONAL LANDS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE. THANK YOU, STUDENT BOARD MEMBER ANDINO. ALL RIGHT, I WILL NOW CONDUCT A [D. Roll Call (Including Action on Absences if Necessary)] ROLL CALL. I, PRESIDENT CHON, AM PRESENT. WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME, PLEASE RESPOND ACCORDINGLY. VICE PRESIDENT SPICER? HERE. THANK YOU. TRUSTEE BERTA? PRESENT. TRUSTEE LAURIE? YES. TRUSTEE PACHECO? TRUSTEE ROCHA? YES. THANK YOU. AND TRUSTEE SHUKRISHNAN DID LET US KNOW SHE WILL BE ABSENT TODAY. MAY I GET A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE ABSENCE OF TRUSTEE SHUKRISHNAN? SO MOVED. MOVED BY PRESIDENT, SORRY, BY TRUSTEE PACHECO? SECOND. THAT WAS EXACTLY AT THE SAME TIME. OH, WOW. I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE IT TO TRUSTEE BERTA. SORRY. OKAY. UH MOVED BY TRUSTEE PACHECO SECONDED BY TRUSTEE BURDA PLEASE VOTE IN BOARD DOCS A VERBAL EYE FOR TRUSTEE PACHECO A VERBAL EYE FOR TRUSTEE ROCHA AND THAT MOTION CARRIES WITH SIX YESES THANK YOU TRUSTEES I'LL NOT [E. Set the Agenda] ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE AGENDA. I DO WANT TO MAKE NOTE THAT AGENDA ITEM 14 C WILL NO LONGER BE CONSIDERED IN CLOSED SESSION THE INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION HAS CONCLUDED AND THERE WERE NO ADVERSE FINDINGS OR ANY WRONGDOING BY DR. TOSTIN. THE INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED SO THAT WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE AGENDA SEEING NO OTHER ADDITIONS. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE AGENDA? I SO MOVE MOVE BY VICE PRESIDENT'S VISOR. DO I HAVE A SECOND SECOND AND BY TRUSTEE PACHECO? VERBAL EYE FROM TRUSTEE ROCHA. [00:05:05] AND THAT MOTION CARRIES WITH FIVE YESES AND ONE ABSTENTION. [A. Recognition of the SCCOE Student of the Year] ALL RIGHT, TRUSTEES, WE HAVE A SPECIAL RECOGNITION THIS EVENING THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PRESENTED BY TRUSTEE SHUKRISHAN, BUT BECAUSE SHE CANNOT BE HERE, I WILL GO AHEAD AND PRESENT THAT. THIS IS FOR OUR MIGRANT EDUCATION STUDENT OF THE YEAR, KIMBERLY NAOMI GUYEGOS. I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE KIMBERLY, AND I WILL GO AHEAD AND GO UP THERE, AND ROXANA MIHINVAR FROM MIGRANT EDUCATION, THE PROGRAM RECRUITER, TO THE SIDE PODIUM. AND I WILL MEET YOU UP THERE. EACH YEAR WE TAKE TIME TO HONOR AND CELEBRATE STUDENTS WHO EXCEL, OFTEN OVERCOMING SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLES TO REACH THEIR PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC GOALS. SPECIFICALLY, WE HONOR STUDENTS FOR THEIR ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS, LEADERSHIP SKILLS, GOOD ATTENDANCE, GOOD CITIZENSHIP AND CHARACTER, COMMUNITY SERVICE, AND PERSEVERANCE IN PURSUING THEIR STUDIES AND GOALS. TONIGHT WE'RE HONORED TO PLEASE, SORRY, WE ARE PLEASED TO HONOR A STUDENT WHO EPITOMIZES ALL THESE EXCELLENT QUALITIES, KIMBERLY NAOMI GUGAYOS. GALLEGOS, GALLEGOS, SORRY ABOUT THAT. THANK YOU. KIMBERLY, A GRADUATING SENIOR AT KIPP SAN JOSE COLLEGIATE IS BEING RECOGNIZED FOR HER LEADERSHIP, ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, AND PERSONAL GROWTH. KIMBERLY HAS BEEN PART OF THE MIGRANT EDUCATION SINCE THE AGE OF TWO. SHE HAS REMAINED A FOCUS ON HER EDUCATION AND GROWTH WHILE NAVIGATING CONSTANT MOVEMENT DURING DURING DIFFERENT AGRICULTURAL SEASONS. KIMBERLY'S LEADERSHIP, SERVICE, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND ACADEMIC DEDICATION SHOW STRONG CHARACTER AND RESILIENCE, AS ROXANNA, HER MIGRANT EDUCATION PROGRAM RECRUITER. SHE ACTIVELY PARTICIPATES IN ACADEMICS, ATHLETICS, AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE TEAMWORK AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS, TO LIST A FEW. VICE PRESIDENT OF FIRST SCHOOLS SOCIEDAD HONORARIA HISPANICA, SPEECH AND DEBATE PARTICIPANT, CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNER, CHEERLEADER, AND FOLKLORAL DANCER. EARNED SUMMA CUM LAUDE HONORS FROM 2022 TO 2026. GIVES BACK TO HER COMMUNITY THROUGH GIRL SCOUT SERVICE PROJECTS, BLOCK CAPTAIN FOR NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH THROUGH THE CITY OF SAN JOSE, AND SUPPORTS ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION AND COMMUNITY EVENTS THROUGH SHARED ADVENTURES. DO YOU SLEEP? THAT'S AMAZING, THAT'S AMAZING. MY MAIN MOTIVATION TO BE CIVICALLY ENGAGED AND ACTIVE IS TO BE A VOICE FOR MYSELF AND FOR MY COMMUNITY WHICH HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN UNDERREPRESENTED AND OVERLOOKED WHEN IT COMES TO POLICY MAKING, SAID KIMBERLY. ADDING THAT CANVASSING WITH HER MOM INFLUENCED HER CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. I HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED TO CONTINUE SPEAKING UP FOR WHAT I BELIEVE IN, BREAKING THE NOTION THAT SOMEONE OF MY BACKGROUND DOESN'T HAVE A VOICE, BUT THAT INSTEAD PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME AND COME FROM SIMILAR BACKGROUND AS MINE MUST ALLOW OURSELVES TO TAKE UP SPACE IN THE PLACES THAT WE HAVE HISTORICALLY NOT BEEN REPRESENTED. KIMBERLY IS CONSIDERING USC, UC DAVIS, OR CAL POLY WITH PLANS TO PURSUE STUDIES IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING. AND ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE KIMBERLY. SHE WILL RECEIVE A FRAMED CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION SIGNED BY THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION AND AN IPAD TO HELP CONTINUE THE PATH OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE. AND THEY ARE HERE TO JOIN US, SO I WILL GO AHEAD AND SEND IT TO YOU GUYS. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS ROXANA MENJIVAR, AND I AM A MIGRANT ED RECRUITER. IT IS MY HONOR TO RECOGNIZE KIMBERLY GALLEGOS AS STUDENT OF THE YEAR. KIMBERLY HAS BEEN PART OF MIGRANT EDUCATION SINCE SHE WAS TWO YEARS OLD, PRACTICALLY HER WHOLE LIFE. AND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, SHE HAS SHOWN SO MUCH RESILIENCE, DETERMINATION, AND GROWTH. AS A MIGRANT STUDENT, SHE HAS FACED CHALLENGES, BALANCING SCHOOL, EXPERIENCING FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS, LANGUAGE BARRIERS, ADJUSTING TO CHANGE, AND CARRYING OUT RESPONSIBILITIES AT HOME. WHILE STILL TRYING TO SUCCEED ACADEMICALLY. THESE OBSTACLES COULD MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR STUDENTS TO STAY MOTIVATED AND FOCUSED ON THEIR EDUCATION, BUT KIMBERLY NEVER ALLOWED THOSE CHALLENGES TO DEFINE HER. INSTEAD, SHE CONTINUED TO PUSH FORWARD WITH STRENGTH AND POSITIVE ATTITUDE. BEHIND KIMBERLY'S SUCCESS IS ALSO THE CONSTANT LOVE AND SUPPORT OF HER MOTHER, MARIA DIAZ-PEREZ. DURING THE... DURING THE SUMMERS, MARIA WOULD GO WORK IN THE FIELDS AS A MIGRANT WORKER, PICKING STRAWBERRIES IN THE SALINAS AREA TO PROVIDE FOR HER FAMILY. DESPITE LONG, EXHAUSTING WORK DAYS AND ONGOING CHALLENGES OF LANGUAGE BARRIERS, LIMITED RESOURCES, SHE MAINTAINED COMMITTED TO ENSURING HER CHILDREN HAD WHAT THEY NEED. HER MOTHER ALWAYS FOUND WAYS TO ENCOURAGE KIMBERLY, SUPPORT HER EDUCATION, AND REMIND HER OF THE IMPORTANCE OF PURSUING HER DREAMS. STORY IS A POWERFUL EXAMPLE OF THE SACRIFICES MANY MIGRANT FAMILIES MAKE SO THEIR CHILDREN [00:10:01] CAN HAVE A GREATER OPPORTUNITY AND A BRIGHTER FUTURE. THROUGHOUT HER TIME IN MIGRANT ED, KIMBERLY HAS TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF MANY COLLEGE READINESS OPPORTUNITIES AND PROGRAMS TO HELP PREPARE HER FOR HER FUTURE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. SHE HAS PARTICIPATED IN VISITS TO UNIVERSITIES AND EVEN TRAVELED TO WASHINGTON, D.C. CLOSE-UP TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP AND HOW SHE CAN BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN HER COMMUNITY. THESE EXPERIENCES HAVE HELPED HER GROW BOTH ACADEMICALLY, PERSONALLY, AND ALSO SHOWING THIS ALSO SHOWS THAT OTHER MIGRANT STUDENTS THAT THEIR DREAMS ARE POSSIBLE TOO. IN THE FALL, KIMBERLY WILL BE ATTENDING CAL POLY IN SAN LUIS OBISPO WHERE SHE WILL BE STUDYING BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING. THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE ACCOMPLISHMENT AND A REFLECTION OF HER HARD WORK AND DEDICATION SHE HAS SHOWN THROUGHOUT HER YEARS HERE. KIMBERLY, WE ARE VERY PROUD OF EVERYTHING YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED AND EXCITED TO SEE WHAT COMES NEXT FOR YOU. CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS WELL-DESERVING RECOGNITION AS STUDENT OF THE YEAR THANK YOU SO HELLO EVERYBODY MY NAME IS KIMBERLY GALLEGOS AND I WILL BE A GRADUATING SENIOR FROM KIM SAN JOSE COLLEGIATE AND AS STATED PREVIOUSLY I HAVE BEEN A PART OF MIGRANT ED SINCE I WAS TWO YEARS OLD EVER SINCE MY MOM STARTED WORKING IN THE FIELD PICKING STRAWBERRIES IN ORDER TO FOR US TO HAVE MONEY TO GET BY. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, I WOULD SPEND MY SUMMERS AND OCCASIONALLY SKIP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH WAS THE FOUNDATION. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, I LACKED IN FOUNDATIONAL MATH SKILLS AND READING SKILLS AND WAS BEHIND OF ALL MY PEERS AND WAS IN DANGER OF FALLING BEHIND AND NOT GRADUATING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. BUT THANKS TO MY GRANT ED, THEY OFFERED ME RESOURCES OVER THE SUMMER, SUCH AS ACCELERATED MATH PROGRAMS AND READING SUPPORT. AND BECAUSE OF THAT NOW IN HIGH SCHOOL I HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED AND SUCCESSFULLY TAKEN MULTIPLE AP CLASSES SUCH AS AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND AP CALCULUS AND HAVE PASSED WITH AWESOME A PLUSES. I PERSONALLY WANT TO THANK ROXANA MENIVAR, HELEN PETTYFORD, AND TERESA MARQUEZ FOR ALL THE SUPPORT THEY HAVE GIVEN ME IN ACHIEVING MY DREAMS AND MAKING SURE THAT SOMEONE FROM MY BACKGROUND, A YOUNG LATINA FROM EAST SAN JOSE, WHOSE MOM HAS WORKED HARD TO MAKE US GET BY AND THANKFULLY BECAUSE OF THAT I AM HERE IN FRONT OF YOU GUYS AND I WILL BE HEADING INTO CAL POLY AND NOW I HAVE THE BACKGROUND TO KNOW THAT I WILL NOT LET ANY CHALLENGES BRING ME DOWN AND THAT I COULD AND THAT I BELONG THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR STUDENT OF THE YEAR, PLEASE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. [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.] NEXT, WE WILL MOVE TO OUR STUDENT BOARD MEMBER REPORT. STUDENT BOARD MEMBER ANDINO, CAN YOU PLEASE SHARE YOUR REPORT WITH US? GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT CHARLES SUPER AND SENATOR DOUGLAS TOSMAN, SENIOR AND ESTEEMED BOARD MEMBER. BLUE RIDGE STUDENTS STARTED A TWO-WEEK, FOUR-LEFT COHORT TODAY. THEY WILL BE LEARNING THE SAFETY AND HANDS-ON SKILLS OF OPERATING A FORKLIFT. AT THE END OF THE TRAINING, STUDENTS WILL EARN THEIR CERTIFICATION AND BE HIRED FOR A JOB. AT BLUE RIDGE, THE BEE PROGRAM WAS A SUCCESS. STUDENTS REALLY ENJOYED THEIR TIME IN THE PROGRAM. ANOTHER COHORT STARTED THIS [00:15:02] WEEK AND STUDENTS WILL BE LEARNING ABOUT THE SCIENCE OF THE BEES, HOW IT HELPS THE ENVIRONMENT, HARVESTING HONEY. I HEARD THAT SOME OF THE HONEY WAS USED IN CULINARY CLASS TO MAKE HOT HONEY CHICKEN. LAST WEEK, THE PRINCIPAL FROM BLUE RIDGE AND OUR ACADEMIC COUNSELOR PRESENTED AT JCC ASCA CONFERENCE ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT CTE PROGRAMS AT THE RANCH. JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, I WAS SITTING IN THE SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL MEETING. WE WERE THINKING ABOUT APPROVING A... TRUCK DRIVING SIMULATORS SO THEY CAN LEARN HOW TO DRIVE 18-WHEELER. THIS WAY THEY CAN PREPARE TO EARN THEIR CDOS WHEN THEY GET RELEASED. I'M CURRENTLY WORKING ON HELPING HEMA WITH HER LCAP PRESENTATION. ME AND MY PEERS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE LCAP GOALS BECAUSE WE PARTICIPATE IN SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL AND ARE ALWAYS ADVOCATING FOR NEW PROGRAMS THAT WILL BE BENEFITING TO US. TODAY I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN WITH DR. TOSTON. AS ALWAYS, IT'S A GOOD CONVERSATION WITH HIM, AND I'M GLAD THAT WE GET TO SIT DOWN AND LEARN ABOUT EACH OTHER. I WANT TO APPRECIATE YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND SUPPORT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOU, TOO. THANK YOU, STUDENT BOARD MEMBER ANDINO, FOR YOUR REPORT. YOUR PERSPECTIVE IS IMPORTANT TO WORK, AND WE ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. AND I'VE SEEN THAT SIMULATOR. IT IS REALLY COOL. OKAY. APPRECIATE YOU. [4. PUBLIC COMMENTS OF PERSONS DESIRING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD] ALL RIGHT, NOW WE WILL MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT. THIS IS ITEM NUMBER FOUR. THIS PORTION OF THE MEETING IS FOR COMMENTS ON ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA BUT WITHIN THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION'S JURISDICTION. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS MEETING TO ENSURE EVERYONE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND THE BOARD CAN CONDUCT ITS BUSINESS. WE ASK THAT ALL COMMENTS BE RESPECTFUL AND DIRECTED TO THE CHAIR RATHER THAN TO INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS, STAFF, OR AUDIENCE MEMBERS. STATE LAW PROHIBITS THE BOARD FROM DISCUSSING... DISCUSSING OR ACTING ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS, AND THE BOARD EXPECTS ALL PARTICIPANTS TO MAINTAIN RESPECT AND CIVILITY. PLEASE REMEMBER IT IS IMPORTANT TO ADHERE TO THE TIME LIMIT, AVOID PERSONAL IMPERTINENT OR SLANDEROUS REMARKS, AND REFRAIN FROM APPLAUSE, STAMPING OF FEET, OR DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR DURING THE MEETING. PUBLIC SPEAKER CARDS MUST BE SUBMITTED NOW, AS NO ADDITIONAL COMMENTERS CAN BE ADDED ONCE PUBLIC COMMENT BEGINS. UNDER GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 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, SNAPPING, BOOING, OR SHOUTING. TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR YOUR 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 32 CARDS FOR COMMENT. OKAY, THANK YOU. AS THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW COMMENCING, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ACCEPT ADDITIONAL COMMENTERS. CAN WE PLEASE PRESENT THE ONE-MINUTE TIMER? IF LANGUAGE SUPPORT IS NEEDED, TIME WILL DOUBLE. A TIMER WILL BE DISPLAYED. WHEN THE ALLOTTED TIME IS UP, THE BUZZER WILL SOUND. YOU WILL BE MUTED, AND YOUR TIME TO SPEAK WILL END. MODERATOR, CAN YOU PLEASE BEGIN PUBLIC COMMENT? YES, 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. 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. OUR FIRST BATCH OF SPEAKERS ARE JORGE ARELLANO, ANAIS ZAVELLA, VICTORIA ROMERO, TINA CHANG, ROSALINA CAMACHO, JOANNE VARS, CARLA COLLINS, DAN MASON, CLARA LOPEZ, FABIOLA BATAZ, WAYNE MORGAN, FATIMA KHAN, POTENTIALLY A REPEAT, JORGE ARELLANO, JEFF MCCANN, DIANE CAPILLI. UNFORTUNATELY, A HANDWRITING I CAN'T DECIPHER. IF YOU THINK THIS IS YOUR CARD, COME SEE ME IN THE BACK. OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS JORGE ARELLANO. PLEASE CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME AND PRESENT YOUR COMMENT. GOOD EVENING, TRUSTEES AND SUPERINTENDENT TOLSON. MY NAME IS JORGE ARELLANO. I'M CURRENTLY THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT ALPHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS. FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS I'VE OVERSEEN OUR PARENT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WHERE PARENTS LEARN BEST PRACTICES TO SUPPORT THEIR STUDENTS AND TO ADVOCATE FOR THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION. I'M HERE TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION [00:20:01] FOR TRUSTEE PACHECO, TRUSTEE LARI, TRUSTEE SPICER FOR TAKING THE TIME TO MEET WITH OUR PARENTS. IT TAKES A LOT OF COURAGE FOR THEM TO REACH OUT TO ELECTED OFFICIALS, ESPECIALLY WHEN ENGLISH IS NOT THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE. SO IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THEIR EFFORTS BEING AFFIRMED BY YOU. THEY WERE VERY IMPRESSED BY YOU, ALL OF YOU, AND WE'RE ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR EXPRESS SUPPORT OF THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY. THANK YOU ALSO TO TRUSTEE VIRTA, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU'VE ALREADY SCHEDULED A MEETING WITH THEM. I DO ASK THE REST OF THE TRUSTEES THAT WHEN THEY DO REACH OUT TO YOU, PLEASE RESPOND TO THEM. AS I MENTIONED, IT TAKES A LOT FOR THEM TO DO THAT. AND THEY DO WANT TO MEET WITH ALL OF YOU IN THE COMING WEEKS, SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS ANAIS ZAVALA. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ANAIS ZAVALA. I AM THE MOTHER OF A 7-YEAR-OLD SON THAT HAS SEVERE AUTISM AND GOES TO THE COUNTY SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM. MY SON IS PRIMARILY NONVERBAL, SELF-HARMS, ELOPES, AND DEPENDS ON STRUCTURE AND STABILITY. HE WAS ATTENDING NORWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BEFORE IT GOT SHUT DOWN. HE WAS MOVED TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL WHERE HE REGRESSED SEVERELY. I COULD NOT EVEN GET HIM OUT OF THE CAR. HE BEGAN HURTING HIMSELF, TRYING TO RUN AWAY, LOST SO MUCH PROGRESS. HE HAD TO WORK SO HARD TO GAIN. DURING ONE SEMESTER ALONE, HE WENT THROUGH FOUR DIFFERENT TEACHERS, DIFFERENT STAFFINGS. THE INSTABILITY EVENTUALLY MADE HIM REGRESS. HE BECAME SO SEVERE THAT WE HAD TO GET A PEDIATRIC. SAFETY HELMET TO PLACE ON HIM FROM HOW MUCH HE WAS HURTING HIMSELF. OUR CHILDREN'S MATTER. THEY'RE NOT JUST BUDGET CUTS. WE HAVE THE RIGHT FOR A PUBLIC EDUCATION. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS VICTORIA ROMERO. HI EVERYBODY, I'M VICTORIA ROMERO. THIS IS MY SON EZRA. ONE, I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE A KID, NEITHER A SPECIAL NEEDS KID OR BE AT A BOARD MEETING LIKE THIS. I CAME BECAUSE I'M MY SON'S ONLY VOICE. HE'S AUTISTIC, SEVERELY AUTISTIC. I FEEL LIKE THESE BUDGET CUTS ARE REALLY TAKING AN EFFECT AND TOLL ON US. THEY'RE TRYING TO TAKE US OUT OF COUNTY AND PUTTING HIM IN HIS SPECIAL DAYS. AND CLEARLY HE'S NOT, YOU KNOW, HE NEEDS COUNTY. AND I'M HERE TO FIGHT FOR HIM. YOU KNOW, HE NEEDS THE COUNTY PROGRAM. AND I FEEL THE BUDGET CUTS AND IT GETTING WORSE IS JUST GOING TO AFFECT HIM. AND EVERYBODY ELSE AT SUMMERDALE, HE'S IMPROVED SO MUCH. I LOVE AND I APPRECIATE ALL YOU GUYS IN THE COUNTY PROGRAMS. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, YOU GUYS. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS TINA CHANG. GOOD EVENING, TRUSTEES AND DR. TOSTIN. MY NAME IS TINA, AND MY SON EVAN IS A DEAF, DISABLED CHILD ATTENDING OUR COUNTY DHH PROGRAM. YESTERDAY EVENING, EVAN WATCHED DARTMOUTH'S BAND CONCERT. IT WAS AN AMAZING SIGHT TO SEE HIS DEAF FRIEND PERFORM IN BOTH BAND AND CHOIR. OUR 6TH GRADE FRIEND NOT ONLY SANG BUT SIGNED. THE SONG A MILLION DREAMS FROM THE GREATEST SHOWMAN. THIS IS ONE OF THE EXAMPLES OF WHAT DREAMS CAN COME TRUE WHEN WE GIVE OUR CHILDREN LANGUAGE AND OPPORTUNITY. THE SUCCESSES DON'T JUST HAPPEN. IT HAPPENED BECAUSE TEACHERS, INTERPRETERS, ADMINISTRATORS SUPPORTED THAT CHILD WITH EXTRACURRICULARS. LAST WEEK WE ALSO BROUGHT AN ASL COMEDIAN FOR DEAF AWARENESS TO 600 STUDENTS AT OSTRA ELEMENTARY. THE KIDS HAD A BLAST LEARNING HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR DEAF FRIENDS THROUGH HUMOR. EXAMPLES LIKE THIS SHOW HOW WE CAN MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE THROUGH COLLABORATION. WE URGE THE COUNTY TO HELP OUR CHILDREN ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS BY SUPPORTING OUR SPECIAL EDUCATORS WITH CONTRACTS, HEALTH INSURANCE, AND SUPPORTING ACCESS AND KEEPING OUR PROGRAMS OPEN. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS ROSALINA CAMACHO. WHILE ROSALINA COMES UP, I DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF VISITORS TO OUR MEETING TODAY, BUT THE PROTOCOL FOR OUR MEETING IS WHEN WE SHOW SUPPORT, WE DO OUR WAVING OF THE HANDS. I JUST WANT TO REMIND THAT TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. THANK YOU. >> [00:25:01] HELLO, MY NAME IS ROSALINA CAMACHO. I'M JOSE MIGUEL'S MOM. HE IS A SPECIAL CHILD. HE DOESN'T TALK. HE DOESN'T WALK. HE HAS EPILEPSY. UNTIL NOW, WE HAVEN'T BEEN SHOWN AN APPROPRIATE CLASS FOR HIM. THEY'VE PUT HIM IN ORCHARD, AND WE WANT AN APPROPRIATE CLASS FOR HIM. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS JOANNE VARS. GOOD EVENING, TRUSTEE. TRUSTEES. MY NAME IS JOANNE VARS, AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE MET AND AGREED TO MEET WITH US IN SUPPORT OF THE SEMA LEADERSHIP TEAM UNIT. I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE SEEN THE BUDGETARY SOLUTION DOCUMENT THAT WAS SENT TO YOU HIGHLIGHTING TEMPORARY SOLUTIONS FOR TEMPORARY SHORTFALLS OVER THE PERMANENCE OF DISMISSING STAFF. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO REVIEW THIS BRIEFING DOCUMENT SENT BY SEMA TO YOU JUST TODAY. TO REVIEW ALTERNATIVES TO MASS LAYOFFS AND STAFF REDUCTIONS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING VIEWED AND RECOGNIZED AS A UNIT SO THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO BE AN ACTIVE PARTNER IN MEETING THE NEEDS OF SCCOE AND ITS MISSION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CARLA COLLINS. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CARLA COLLINS, CMA SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, AND ALSO A TRUSTEE WHO UNDERSTANDS HOW HARD YOU ALL ARE WORKING FOR STUDENTS, AND I THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO REMIND YOU THAT BRINGING YOUR ONE UNREPRESENTED GROUP OF EMPLOYEES ACCESS TO THEIR UNION BY RECOGNIZING SEMA WITHOUT DELAY IS A SIMPLE ACTION YOUR SUPERINTENDENT CAN TAKE RIGHT NOW. FURTHER, WE BELIEVE THAT THE ORIGINAL LIST THAT INCLUDED DIRECTORS AND ASSISTANT DIRECTORS, THOSE WITHOUT THE AUTONOMY OR SIGNATURE AUTHORITY THE EMPLOYER IS SUGGESTING, RIGHTFULLY BELONG WITH SEMA. SEMA CAN SUPPORT THE WHOLE OFFICE WITH SOLUTIONS TO TEMPORARY SHORTFALLS THAT AVOID THE PERMANENCE OF CUTTING OFF SKILLED... STAFF. I HOPE YOU FIND THE SUMMARY EMAILED EARLIER TODAY WORTHY OF YOUR SINCERE CONSIDERATION. I THANK THE TRUSTEES WHO HAVE MET WITH US THIS LAST MONTH, ESPECIALLY TRUSTEE ROCHA AND TRUSTEE PACHECO, AND I AGAIN URGE YOU ALL TO SUPPORT YOUR STAFF AND RECOGNIZE SEMA WITHOUT DELAY. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS DAN MASON. GOOD EVENING, DAN MASON. I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SEMA'S PARTNERSHIP AND BUDGETARY CREATIVITY DURING... FISCAL SHORTFALLS. SEMA HAS A DEMONSTRATED HISTORY OF SUCCESS MEETING PROPORTIONAL LAYOFF PROTECTION TARGETS. THEY DO THIS THROUGH VOLUNTARY INCENTIVE PROGRAMS SUCH AS STRUCTURED VOLUNTARY SEPARATION INCENTIVES, VOLUNTARY REDUCED WORK HOURS, LONG-TERM LEAVES OF ABSENCE, AND IF NECESSARY, SMOOTH FURLOUGHS CAN FILL IN ANY REMAINING GAPS. I ALSO WANT TO THANK ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR YOUR SUPPORT, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHER CONVERSATIONS WITH DR. TOSTIN AND ANY DESIGNEES. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CLARA LOPEZ. >> BYRON LEON LOPEZ. HE IS 16 YEARS OLD AND HAS AUTISM. HE IS IN A SPECIAL CHILDREN'S CLASS. HE WAS A VICTIM OF ABUSE OF POWER BY HIS FORMER TEACHER. SHE LOCKED HIM UP IN A CLOSET AT ROCKET SCHOOL IN GILROY ON JANUARY 29TH OF THIS YEAR. THIS IS OUR SECOND TIME WE ARE HERE TO ASK YOU TO HELP US ASK FOR THE WRITTEN REPORT OF WHAT HAPPENED TO MR. PAUL WILSON, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN GUIRO. GOOD AFTERNOON, MY NAME IS CLARA LOPEZ AND MY HUSBAND IS ANTONIO LEON. WE ARE THE PARENTS OF DWAYNE BYRON LEON LOPEZ. HE IS SIX YEARS OLD AND HE HAS AUTISM. HE IS IN A SPECIAL NEEDS CLASS. AND HE WAS A VICTIM OF POWER ABUSE FROM THE PART OF HIS EX-TEACHER WHO LOCKED HIM IN A CLASSROOM AT THE RUCKER SCHOOL IN GILROY ON JANUARY 29TH OF THIS YEAR. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT WE HAVE COME HERE TO ASK FOR YOUR HELP IN ORDER TO GAIN THE WRITTEN REPORT OF WHAT HAPPENED FROM MR. PAUL WILSLOW, WHO IS THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES AT GILROY SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT THIS PERSON, BUT WE'VE HAD A LOT OF OBSTACLES PUT IN OUR WAY, AND WE ARE TIRED OF THE EXCUSES, AND WE WOULD LIKE THE REPORT OF THE INCIDENT. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS FABIOLA BATAS. [00:30:01] OKAY, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS FABIOLA BATAS, OF COURSE MOTHER OF ALEXANDER, BRUCE, AND DESTINY. I'M KIND OF AT AN ODD RIGHT NOW. IT FEELS LIKE YOU GUYS GAVE GATEWAY EVERYTHING WE ASKED FOR, BUT YOU'RE TAKING IT AWAY FROM OTHER KIDS. LIKE THAT BUDGET GOT CUT OFF FOR THEM TO GIVE TO THE OTHER ONES. THAT WAS NOT THE DEAL. THE DEAL WAS FOR EVERY KID TO FEEL LIKE HE WAS A KID, TO BE RESPECTED, HONORED, AND TREATED LIKE WHAT THEY ARE, KIDS. AND I'M SORRY THAT I COME HERE EVERY WEEK SAYING THE SAME THING, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO LISTEN TO ME. YOU'RE OVER HERE PROMOTING STUDIES OF KIDS WITH DISABILITIES, STUDIES OF THIS, BUT WHY DON'T YOU ASK THE PARENTS, WITH THE KIDS BEING THERE IN THE CLASSROOMS, AT THEIR HOMES, WHEN HAVEN'T I BEEN ASKED WHAT I WANT FOR MY KIDS? PEOPLE ARE SCARED TO COME HERE. BECAUSE THE WAY YOU GUYS INTIMIDATE PEOPLE, OKAY? I'M SAYING IT LIKE THAT. I'M NOT GOING TO HIDE IT OR SUGARCOAT IT. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO DO EMPOWERMENT AND ENCOURAGEMENT, TALK TO THE PARENTS. YOU GOT OUR NUMBERS. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS WAYNE MORGAN. FROM GISELLE TORRES, DHH TEACHER. GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS. UNFORTUNATELY, I CANNOT ATTEND TONIGHT'S MEETING BECAUSE I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF HOSTING OPEN HOUSE. FOR OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES, A CHANCE TO SHOWCASE THE INCREDIBLE WORK OUR STUDENTS HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THIS YEAR AND REASSURE FAMILIES THAT OUR PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE TO ADEQUATELY SERVE THEIR CHILDREN NEXT YEAR WITH ALL CLASSROOMS OPEN. SADLY, OTHER PROGRAMS CANNOT STAY THE SAME. CLOSING CLASSROOMS AFFECTS FAR MORE THAN STUDENTS. IT IMPACTS STAFF, FAMILIES, AND ENTIRE COMMUNITIES. LAYOFFS, RAISING HEALTH CARE COSTS, AND BARGAINING THAT LACKS TRANSPARENCY ARE FORCING EDUCATORS AND CLASSIFIED STAFF TO CHOOSE BETWEEN A ROOF OVER THEIR HEAD, FOOD ON THE TABLE, OR TAKING CARE OF THEIR HEALTH. WHAT IS SCCOE BECOMING? WE HAVE A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SCOE A PLACE THAT GENUINELY VALUES AND SUPPORTS ITS STAFF AND STUDENTS. HOWEVER, THAT VISION CANNOT BE REALIZED UNDER THE LEADERSHIP MORE FOCUSED ON BEING THE SECOND HIGHEST PAID SUPERINTENDENT IN THE STATE THAN ON SERVING PEOPLE WHO GIVE HIM A JOB IN THE FIRST PLACE BY RUNNING THESE PROGRAMS AND DOING THE REAL WORK. IF DR. TOSTIN CANNOT BARGAIN IN GOOD FAITH, SUPPORT STAFF AND STUDENTS, AND LEAD TRANSPARENTLY, THEN IT IS THE BOARD'S RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND SOMEONE WHO WILL. THERE IS A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE FOR A REASON. THIS IS NON-NEGOTIABLE. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS FATIMA KHAN. I'M GOING TO REMIND THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, PLEASE, IF YOU HAVE SHOWN SIGNS OF SUPPORT, HOW WE DO THAT. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. I AM TALKING ON BEHALF OF ANOTHER TEACHER, CHERYL PASCHAL. SORRY, CAN YOU COME A LITTLE CLOSER? WE CAN'T HEAR YOU. THANK YOU. IS IT BETTER? YEAH. MY NAME IS CHERYL PASCHAL, AND I TEACH STUDENTS WITH MEDICAL FRAGILITY AT ORCHARD SCHOOL. THE PROPOSED RECONFIGURATION AFFECTING OUR MEDICALLY FRAGILE STUDENTS RAISES SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT STUDENTS' SAFETY, DIGNITY, AND APPROPRIATE PLACE. THESE STUDENTS RELY ON SPECIALIZED SPACES, SPECIAL EQUIPMENT TO SUPPORT THEIR MEDICAL, PHYSICAL, AND SENSORY AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS. OUR CLASSROOMS WERE INTENTIONALLY DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE THEM. MOVING MEDICALLY FRAGILE STUDENTS INTO SMALLER CLASSROOMS WITH MOBILE STUDENTS MAY INCREASE SAFETY RISKS, LIMIT ACCESSIBILITY, AND REDUCE THE SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT THESE STUDENTS DEPEND ON. THIS RECONFIGURATION FEELS MORE LIKE A RESPONSE. RESPONSE TO BUDGET REDUCTIONS THAN A DECISION CENTERED ON CHILDREN'S NEEDS, SAFETY, AND DIGNITY. PLEASE READ. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS JEFF MCCANN. I'M READING FOR LESLIE BANKS. GOOD EVENING. I'VE WORKED FOR THE COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION FOR 33 YEARS, ALL IN THE DHH PROGRAM. WHEN I BEGAN MY CAREER, I UNDERSTOOD THAT TEACHERS ARE NOT HIGHLY PAID, ESPECIALLY EARLY ON, BUT I BELIEVE THAT AFTER DECADES OF DEDICATION AND EXPERIENCE, FINANCIAL STABILITY WOULD COME. INSTEAD, MY FINANCIAL STRUGGLES HAVE ONLY GROWN WORSE. I WAS FORTUNATE TO BUY A HOME AND RAISE THREE CHILDREN HERE, YET AS I APPROACH RETIREMENT AGE, I KNOW I CANNOT RETIRE ANYTIME SOON BECAUSE THE COST OF LIVING KEEPS RISING. INSURANCE COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE, OUR SALARIES REMAIN STAGNANT, AND STILL WE DO NOT HAVE A CONTRACT. I HAVE NEVER SEEN EMPLOYEES FIGHT THIS HARD SIMPLY TO NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH AND RECEIVE REASONABLE COST OF LIVING INCREASES. I HAVE DEVOTED MY LIFE TO THIS COUNTY AND STUDENTS. SPENDING THOUSANDS OF MY OWN DOLLARS ON CLASSROOM MATERIALS AND COUNTLESS UNPAID HOURS PREPARING LESSONS. I AM ASKING YOU TO PLEASE NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH AND HELP YOUR EMPLOYEES AFFORD TO CONTINUE LIVING AND WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE. THANK YOU. BEFORE OUR NEXT SPEAKERS GO, I'LL CALL UP THE NEXT BATCH OF SPEAKERS. THE CARD I MENTIONED EARLIER, LAST NAME, POTENTIALLY YOON, IF YOU CAN LINE UP BEHIND THE PODIUM. IF YOU HEAR HER NAME, PLEASE CONTINUE TO LINE UP. ADAM LOPEZ, PRABHAKAR ANDAMI, FADI SABA, RAJESH SHAMI, [00:35:22] CAROL... GOOD EVENING, TRUSTEES AND DR. TOSTIN. MY NAME IS DIANE CAPILLI AND MY SON COLIN ATTENDS THE SCOE SPECIAL ED PROGRAM. QUOTED FROM GOVERNOR NEWSOM'S RECENTLY RELEASED MAY REVISION, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN CALIFORNIA'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS GROWING, AND WITH IT THE COST OF PROVIDING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES. THE MAY REVISION REFLECTS THE STATE'S ONGOING COMMITMENT TO INVEST AND IMPROVE INSTRUCTION AND SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, MAINTAINING THE $509 MILLION DISCRETIONARY INCREASE FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION INCLUDED AT GOVERNOR'S BUDGET. AND ADDING AN ADDITIONAL ONGOING SPECIAL EDUCATION BASE RATE INVESTMENT OF $1.8 BILLION. IN TOTAL, THIS REPRESENTS A NEARLY $2.4 BILLION INCREASE IN SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING, OR 43% OVER THE 2025 BUDGET ACT. THIS IS A COMMITMENT FROM OUR GOVERNOR. WILL YOU COMMIT TO US? PLEASE NEGOTIATE WITH BARGAINING UNITS IN GOOD FAITH. PLEASE RESCIND THE PROPOSED LAYOFFS AND REINSTATE SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOMS. PLEASE DO NOT LET MY SON COLIN AND STUDENTS LIKE HIM DOWN. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS... IS IT DELI OR DEVI YOON? I SPEAK FOR BRENDA BATON. I WORK AT ORCHARD. I SUPPORT OUR PARENTS' URGENTLY OPPOSED DECISIONS TO CLOSE THE MEDICALLY FRAGILE CLASSROOMS AT ORCHARD AND DISTRIBUTE STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOMS WITH MOBILE HYPERACTIVE PEERS. NO PLACEMENT THAT IS APPROPRIATE HAS BEEN OFFERED AT THIS TIME. THE DECISION DIRECTLY COMPROMISES STUDENT SAFETY. VITAL EQUIPMENT LIKE STANDARDS WALKERS, SPECIALIZED CHAIRS BECOME TRIPPING HAZARDS IN AN ACTIVE CLASSROOM. MORE ALARMINGLY, PLACING DEFENSELESS MEDICALLY FRAGILE STUDENTS ALONGSIDE CHILDREN WITH UNPREDICTABLE BEHAVIORAL NEEDS CREATES A HIGH-RISK SITUATION FOR EMERGENCIES AND INJURY. FURTHERMORE, THEIR EDUCATIONAL NEEDS ARE ENTIRELY INCOMPATIBLE. HYPERACTIVE STUDENTS REQUIRE HIGH-STIMULATION ENVIRONMENTS, MEDICALLY FRAGILE. NEED A CALM, THERAPEUTIC, SENSORY-FOCUSED SPACE. OUR VULNERABLE CHILDREN ARE NOT FILLERS. PLEASE LISTEN TO OUR STUDENTS. AS A NURSE, MANY MEDICALLY FRAGILE STUDENTS CAN'T USE THEIR VISION, CAN'T USE THEIR BODIES. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS ADAM LOPEZ. SO MANY PARENTS AND TEACHERS KNOW VERY WELL. A SIGNIFICANTLY LARGE VOLUME OF OUR STUDENTS ARE OBSESSED WITH VIDEO GAMES. THERE'S SO MUCH MORE WE CAN DO WITH OUR STUDENTS' PASSION FOR VIDEO GAMING, AND THERE ARE EXAMPLES ACROSS THE STATE AND OTHER COUNTY OFFICES OF EDUCATION AND THE NATION WHERE WHEN ORGANIZATIONS START TO ORGANIZE CLASS ESPORTS, THERE ARE BEAUTIFUL OUTCOMES FOR OUR DISENFRANCHISED GAMER STUDENTS. RIVERSIDE COUNTY OFFICE OF ED CONDUCTED A STUDY WITH MARINO VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT REGARDING THEIR 1600-PLUS STUDENT ESPORTS INITIATIVE. THEY FOUND STUDENTS IN THEIR ESPORTS PROGRAMS WERE ATTENDING SCHOOL SEVEN DAYS MORE ON AVERAGE. THEY WEREN'T DITCHING SCHOOL TO PLAY VIDEO GAMES. THEY WERE GOING TO SCHOOL. SO THEY MADE A MILLION DOLLARS IN ADA FUNDING, RIGHT? MANY OTHER COUNTY, THERE'S GREAT STATS FROM THEM TOO, BUT MANY OTHER COUNTY OFFICES OF EDUCATION IN CALIFORNIA ARE DOING THINGS WITH THIS, BUT SANTA CLARA ISN'T. AND SO I'D JUST LIKE TO IMPLORE YOU TO CONSIDER THIS ACTIVITY, SCHOLASTIC GAMING AND ESPORTS, AS AN ACTIVITY THAT CAN GIVE STUDENTS A SENSE OF BELONGING, BE USED FOR CAREER EXPLORATION, AND JUST ENHANCE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS PRABHAKAR ANDAMI. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. AS A PARENT, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE CONCERN REGARDING THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND FACILITY BEING OFFERED BASED ON THE ORCHARD SCHOOL BEING CLOSED. COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE, THE CLASSROOMS APPEAR TO BE SMALL, LESS ACCOMMODATING FOR THE STUDENTS WITH MOBILITY AND MEDICAL NEEDS. I WOULD URGE THE TEAM TO RELOOK AT THE DECISION MADE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, UNDERSTANDING, AND COMMITTING TO YOUR STUDENTS. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS FADI SABA. HELLO, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS FADI SABA. YOU ALL KNOW ME. AT LEAST THE BOARD MEMBERS KNOW ME. CTA ENDORSED YOU BECAUSE YOU FELT THAT YOU'LL HAVE TEACHERS AND STUDENTS AT HEART. THREE OF YOU ARE EDUCATORS, IN FACT. I WAS PART OF THAT ENDORSEMENT PROCESS FOR MANY OF YOU. AND WITH THAT, THIS IS WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY. THE SUPERINTENDENT MUST RETURN TO THE BARGAINING TABLE, [00:40:02] PERIOD, FULL STOP, PERIOD. AND YOU, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, HAVE A DUTY TO MANDATE THAT. COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION HAS DERAILED, OH, MY NAME IS FADI SABA, I'M PRESIDENT OF LUTHER RIVERBANK EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, A SISTER ASSOCIATION OF ACE, A VERY PROUD CTA ASSOCIATION. AND WITH THAT, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT ACE IS AWESOME. THE DRL LEADERSHIP IS NOT. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS RAJASHAMI. WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT CARD. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CAROL CANNAVERAL. READING FOR CAROL CANNAVERAL, WHO WORKS AT ORCHARD SCHOOL. AT ORCHARD, STUDENTS ARE ALWAYS A PRIORITY, WHICH IS WHY KEEPING THE SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM OPEN IS SO IMPORTANT. THE PROGRAM GIVES STUDENTS A SAFE AND WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY CAN RECEIVE CARE, SUPPORT, AND ATTENTION THAT THEY NEED EVERY DAY. THE SPACIOUS CLASSROOM MAKES IT ACCESSIBLE FOR BOTH THE STUDENTS AND THE STAFF TO FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THE SCHOOL. FAMILIES CAN ALSO FEEL CONFIDENT KNOWING THAT STAFF ARE HIGHLY TRAINED IN AREAS SUCH AS TUBE FEEDING AND MEDICATION SUPPORT TO PROPERLY CARE FOR STUDENTS WITH ADDITIONAL NEEDS. ORCHARD IS NOT ONLY SUPPORTIVE FOR STUDENTS, BUT FOR TEACHERS AND FACULTY MEMBERS AS WELL. STUDENT MEMBERS FEEL VALUED, APPRECIATED, AND SAFE. THE POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT HELPS THEM TO CONTINUE TO GIVE THEIR BEST TO THE STUDENTS THEY WORK WITH EVERY DAY. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ALICIA ARELLANO. GOOD EVENING. I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF A COUNTY TEACHER THAT PREFERS TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS. IT SEEMS THAT SCCOE'S DIRECTION IS TO CONTINUE TO CLOSE DOWN CLASSROOMS EVERY YEAR. SCCOE CLOSED DOWN 15 CLASSROOMS LAST YEAR AND AGAIN THIS YEAR, 15 MORE. THAT MEANS THAT 15 TEACHERS AND AROUND 60 PARAEDUCATORS WERE LAID OFF. CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW MANY CLASSROOMS AND HOW MANY STAFF WILL BE LEFT IN A FEW YEARS FROM NOW? WE'LL PROBABLY JUST END UP WITH A HANDFUL OF TEACHERS AND PARAS IN AN ORTHOPEDICALLY IMPAIRED CLASS OR MEDICALLY FRAGILE. I ALSO PERSONALLY HEARD FROM A DISTRICT A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK THAT SCCOE WILL EVENTUALLY NOT TAKE STUDENTS FROM THEIR DISTRICT ANYMORE. AND JUST RECENTLY, ANOTHER DISTRICT SAID THAT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE THE COUNTY STUDENTS BACK TO THEIR DISTRICT, BUT SCCOE SAID THAT THERE IS NO MORE SPACE. THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THEY HAD TO PUT UP THEIR OWN CLASSROOMS. THIS IS TERRIBLE NEWS. PLEASE CLARIFY IF THIS IS TRUE OR NOT. SECOND PART IS BEHIND. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS SARAH FORTES. GOOD EVENING, MY NAME IS SARAH FORTES. I'M A TEACHER. THERE IS NEWS THAT THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN IS TO CLOSE ALL CLASSROOMS WITH DISABILITIES AND JUST KEEP A FEW CLASSROOMS SUCH AS MEDICALLY FRAGILE AND ORTHOPEDICALLY IMPAIRED CLASSROOMS. AREN'T WE IN THE BUSINESS OF ADVOCATING AND SERVICING THE MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS WITH ALL KINDS OF DISABILITIES, WHETHER THEY ARE STUDENTS WITH AUTISM, EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE, DOWN SYNDROME, ETC.? DON'T THE OTHER STUDENTS HAVE A RIGHT TO USE SCOE SERVICES THAT HAVE THE EXPERTISE FOR MANY YEARS, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE HAVE THE RESOURCE STAFF MEMBERS TO DO SO? SCOE CAN PROVIDE WHAT DISTRICTS CANNOT. AND YES, SCOE SERVICES MAY BE A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT GIVING THE CARE AND SERVICE THAT SCOE OFFERS IS WORTH EVERY PENNY WHEN IT COMES TO BENEFITING OUR STUDENTS. SUCCESSFUL COMPANIES ARE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THEIR GOAL IS EXPANSION AND CONTINUE TO GROW AND NOT SHRINK IN SIZE AND SLOWLY DISAPPEAR. THE MORE WE EXPAND, THE GREATER SCOPE. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS RAJI SANDRANG. GOOD EVENING. I AM HERE FOR ALAM. I JOINED THE ARCHER TEAM ON OCTOBER 13, 2025. SINCE BECOMING PART OF THIS PROGRAM, I HAVE EXPERIENCED A WELCOMING, SUPPORTIVE, AND COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT. WHERE STAFF WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER TO MEET THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF EVERY STUDENT. AT ORCHARD I HAVE SEEN FIRSTHAND HOW MUCH CARE AND TEAMWORK GO INTO SUPPORTING OUR MEDICALLY FRAGILE STUDENTS FROM SAFELY NAVIGATING WALKERS AND MOBILITY EQUIPMENT TO PROVIDING SPACE FOR MATHS, POSITIONING AND INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL DAY. THESE ARE NOT JUST ROUTINES, THEY ARE ESSENTIAL PARTS OF HELPING OUR STUDENTS FEEL SAFE, COMFORTABLE AND INCLUDED. ORCHARD IS MORE THAN A SCHOOL SITE. IT IS A SPECIALIZED ENVIRONMENT BUILT AROUND THE DIGNITY, SAFETY AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF OUR STUDENTS. MOVING STUDENTS INTO UNFAMILIAR AND LESS APPROPRIATE SPACES CAN BE DIFFICULT FOR CHILDREN WHO RELY HEAVILY ON CONSISTENCY, ACCESSIBILITY AND TRUSTED SUPPORT SYSTEMS. I RESPECTFULLY HOPE DR. TARSTAN AND THE BOARD RECONSIDER THE ORCHARD SCHOOL [00:45:01] CLOSURE OR AT THE VERY LEAST ALLOW THE ENTIRE CLASS TO REMAIN. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS AMY BENNETT. AMY BENNETT. I'M SPEAKING TONIGHT ON BEHALF OF THE LAID-OFF PARAEDUCATORS. IN MY EXPERIENCE, THEY ARE THE HARDEST WORKING PROFESSIONALS WITHIN A SCHOOL SETTING. THEY ARE THE MUSCLE, THE SKELETON, AND THE HEART OF MY CLASSROOM. MORALE IS QUITE LOW. AFTER THE RECENT LAYOFFS, LAST FRIDAY I HAD ONE REGULAR PARAEDUCATOR SHOW UP OUT OF FIVE TOTAL. THE FRONT OFFICE TRIED AND GAVE ME THREE SUB-PARAEDUCATORS. PARAS ARE NOT POTTED PLANTS. THEY DO NOT GROW ON A MOMENT'S NOTICE AND BLOOM WHERE THEY ARE PLANTED. THESE KIND FOLKS DID NOT KNOW HOW TO RECOGNIZE A SEIZURE, HOW TO WIPE A MOUTH, HOW TO OPERATE A G-TUBE, AND MOST ESSENTIALLY, THEY DID NOT KNOW HOW TO USE A HOYER LIFT OR HOW TO CHANGE MY STUDENTS. PLEASE RESCIND OUR LAYOFFS ENTIRELY. GIVE OUR STUDENTS STABILITY, SAFETY, AND DIGNITY. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS RENEE LIU. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. RENEE LIU, SPEECH THERAPIST FOR THE COUNTY. I'M TIRED. IT IS ALMOST A YEAR WITH NO CONTRACT. TRUE STORY. ON THE DRIVE HERE, THERE WAS AN NPR STORY ABOUT A NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS AND PROFESSIONALS. WE ARE LOSING AMAZING TEACHERS AND PROFESSIONALS EVERY YEAR DUE TO LAYOFFS. PEOPLE ARE LEAVING FOR HIGHER PAY IN OTHER DISTRICTS. PEOPLE ARE LEAVING DUE TO FRUSTRATION AND STRESS. THIS IS NOT OKAY. THIS IS DISASTROUS FOR OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. PLEASE MAKE OUR STUDENTS A PRIORITY. OUR STUDENTS DESERVE STABILITY, SUPPORT, AND QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS WHO CAN MEET THEIR NEEDS. PLEASE MAKE OUR STUDENTS A PRIORITY. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CYNTHIA PUNTO. HELLO, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CYNTHIA PUNTO. I WORK AT ELC PARAEDUCATOR. I'M READING THIS ON BEHALF OF JOSEPHINE AQUINO. SHE'S A PARAEDUCATOR AT ALTARD SCHOOL. SCHOOL FOR 18 YEARS AND SHE WORKED MEDICALLY FRAGILE STUDENTS SHE'S CONCERNED ABOUT THE PLAN CLOSURE THAT THE MEDICAL PROJECT CLASSROOM FOR THE 26 27 SCHOOL YEAR AFTER VISITING THE PROPOSED CLASSROOM PARENTS SHARED CONCERNS THAT THE SPACE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THE SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT OUR STUDENTS NEED INCLUDING BEDS SIDE LAYERS AND BOUNCY CHAIRS AND BEANBAGS THESE SUPPORTS ARE ESSENTIALS FOR THE STUDENTS SAFETY COMFORT AND DAILY CARE. I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT THE MEDICALLY FRAGILE CLASSROOM REMAIN OPEN TO THE BEST SUPPORT OF OUR STUDENT NEEDS. FROM JOSEPHINE, PARA-EDUCATOR. THANK YOU. GOOD NIGHT. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS MARIA WRIGHT-SABLON. HI. I'M MARIA WRIGHT-SABLON, AND I'M HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE STAFF ACROSS SCCOE ARE EXHAUSTED. BY THE ONGOING UNCERTAINTY, LACK OF FINALIZED DECISIONS, AND CONTINUED EROSION OF TRUST BETWEEN EMPLOYEES AND MANAGEMENT. FOR MONTHS NOW, MANY OF US HAVE BEEN EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OUR WORK SUPPORTING STUDENTS WHILE MAJOR DECISIONS IMPACTING OUR LIVELIHOODS REMAIN UNRESOLVED OR UNCOMMUNICATED IN WAYS THAT FEEL REACTIVE, UNCLEAR, AND AT TIMES DEEPLY DISRESPECTFUL. SEIU IS FIGHTING TO PROTECT AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE COSTS FOR EMPLOYEES. RIGHT NOW, HEALTH CARE, HEALTH CARE, OR SORRY, STAFF ARE FACING HEALTH CARE DOUBLING EACH MONTH BY OCTOBER. FOR MANY EMPLOYEES ALREADY FACING LAYOFFS, REDUCED CALENDAR DAYS, OR UNSTABLE FUTURES, THAT IS NOT A SMALL INCREASE. THAT'S A SERIOUS FINANCIAL BURDEN. BUT THIS IS BIGGER THAN HEALTH CARE. IT'S ABOUT TRUST, MORALE, AND WHETHER SCCOE IS TRULY VALUING THE PEOPLE WHO DIRECTLY SERVE STUDENTS EVERY SINGLE DAY. STAFF CANNOT CONTINUE OPERATING IN CRISIS MODE WHILE WAITING FOR LEADERSHIP TO FINALIZE PLANS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED WITH GREATER TRANSPARENCY, COLLABORATION, AND FORESIGHT LONG AGO. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS SARAH STEINBACH. HI, MY NAME IS SARAH STEINBACH AND I'M READING THIS FOR SHARON YANG, WHO WORKS AT ORCHARD SCHOOL. THE SCHOOL CAMPUS IS BUILT AROUND PRIORITIZING STUDENT NEEDS, MAKING SURE EVERY CHILD RECEIVES THE CARE, SUPPORT, AND ATTENTION THEY NEED TO LEARN AND GROW SAFELY. WE ALL FEEL APPRECIATED. STAFF HERE AT ORCHARD ARE HIGHLY TRAINED, INCLUDING IN IMPORTANT SKILLS SUCH AS MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION AND TUBE FEEDING, WHICH ENSURES STUDENTS WITH MORE COMPLEX NEEDS ARE PROPERLY CARED FOR THROUGHOUT THE DAY. PLEASE RECONSIDER WITH STUDENT SAFETY, DIGNITY, [00:50:01] AND APPROPRIATE CARE AS A PRIORITY. SO KEEPING THE ORCHARD SCHOOL PROGRAM OPEN IS IMPORTANT FOR STUDENTS AND FOR THE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CHRISTINA MOORE. I'M READING FOR SOMEBODY ELSE TONIGHT. COULD I MAKE IT? HELLO, MY NAME IS ANISHA, AND I'M AN LVN IN THE MEDICAL FRAGILE CLASSROOM AT ORCHARD SCHOOL. I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE DECISION TO CLOSE OUR CLASSROOMS AND REASSIGN THESE STUDENTS TO MORE ACTIVE HIGH SCHOOL. HYPERACTIVE CLASSROOM SETTINGS. THE STUDENTS WE SERVE ARE MEDICALLY FRAGILE, NON-VERBAL, AND MANY ARE UNABLE TO MOVE INDEPENDENTLY. THEIR SAFETY, COMFORT, AND SPECIALIZED CARE DEPEND ON HAVING THE PROPER ENVIRONMENT, EQUIPMENT, AND SUPPORT STAFF IN PLACE. MY CONCERN IS WHETHER THE REASSIGNED CLASSROOMS WILL TRULY HAVE THE EQUIPMENT AND ACCOMMODATIONS NEEDED TO SAFELY MEET THEIR MEDICAL AND PHYSICAL NEEDS. I ALSO ASK THE BOARD TO CONSIDER WHETHER IT IS SAFE AND APPROPRIATE FOR THESE VULNERABLE CHILDREN TO BE PLACED IN ENVIRONMENTS WHERE STUDENTS MAY BE ACTIVE, RUNNING, OR DYSREGULATED. THESE CHILDREN REQUIRE A CALM, STRUCTURED, AND MEDICALLY SUPPORTIVE SETTINGS. AND FINALLY, IF THERE ARE NO APPROPRIATE ALTERNATIVE SITES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO PROPERLY PLACE THESE STUDENTS, THEN WHY IS ORCHARD BEING CLOSED? I ASK THAT THE BOARD CAREFULLY RECONSIDER THIS DECISION WITH THE STUDENTS' SAFETY AND WELL-BEING AT THE CENTER. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS DANIEL ROBINSON. GOOD EVENING. I'M SPEAKING FOR MS. MARICELA SAMANO. GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS. I'M A LONG-TIME PARAEDUCATOR, AND I'VE BEEN SERVING AT ORCHARD IN A MEDICALLY FRAGILE CLASS. UNFORTUNATELY, OUR CLASS IS GOING TO BE CLOSED. HOWEVER, OUR STUDENTS' PARENTS SAY THAT THEIR CHILD WAS SHOWN A CLASSROOM WITH HYPERACTIVE STUDENTS AND LIMITED SPACE FOR EQUIPMENT. MY QUESTION IS, DO OUR STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY NEED? ARE THEY GOING TO HAVE THE ATTENTION REQUIRED WHEN THEY ARE PLACED INTO A CLASSROOM WITH HYPERACTIVE STUDENTS RUNNING AROUND, WHEN OUR KIDS ARE NONVERBAL AND UNABLE TO MOVE? WOULD THE BOARD AND DR. TOSTIN BE WILLING TO SPEAK OUT FOR OUR NONVERBAL AND HIGHLY VULNERABLE STUDENTS? PLEASE PROVIDE THE QUALITY OF CARE NEEDED FOR OUR STUDENTS WITH MEDICAL NEEDS. IF NO OTHER APPROPRIATE PLACEMENT EXISTS, THEN WHY CLOSE ORCHARD? THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS PHILIP NGUYEN. HELLO, I'LL BE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF FATHIA ABDURRAHMAN. GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS AND DR. TOSTIN. I'M A PARAEDUCATOR IN THE MEDICALLY FRAGILE CLASSROOM AT ORDRUTH SCHOOL. I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE FAMILIES AND STAFF ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE CLOSURE OF THIS PROGRAM AND PARENTS WERE SHOWN CLASSROOMS WITH HYPERACTIVE STUDENTS. THEY WERE TOLD THAT THEIR CHILD WILL STAY IN THE WHEELCHAIR ALL DAY WHILE STUDENTS IN OTHER CLASSROOMS ARE INDEPENDENT. THESE MEDICALLY FRAGILE NON-VERBAL STUDENTS ARE TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON STAFF SUPPORT TO MOVE AND REPOSITION. THESE CHILDREN... REQUIRE SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT, INDIVIDUALIZED ATTENTION, AND CALM, SAFE ENVIRONMENTS TO MEET THEIR NEEDS. PARENTS ARE ASKING, WILL THEIR CHILDREN CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THE CARE, SUPPORT, AND SAFETY THEY DESERVE IN THESE NEW PLACEMENTS? I URGE THE BOARD AND DR. TOSTIN TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS AND ENSURE APPROPRIATE PLACEMENTS ARE IN PLACE BEFORE CLOSING ORCHARD SCHOOL. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS MELISSA EARBUCK. I THINK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ME. HI, I'M DR. MELISSA URBAN. I'M A PARENT OF A STUDENT WHO FORMERLY USED COUNTY SERVICES AND THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE SAN JOSE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION. A IS FOR APPLE CHANGED OUR LIVES. THE ATTENTION AND CARE MY PREMATURE DAUGHTER GOT AND RECEIVED FROM THE PROGRAM WAS OUTSTANDING. THE DEDICATED WORKERS HELPED HER FOCUS ON HER CRITICAL MILESTONES OF LIFTING HER HEAD AND INFORMING WORDS WITHOUT CONSTANT ANXIETY. OUR CONSTANT ANXIETY OF WONDERING IF SHE WAS DEVELOPING APPROPRIATELY. THESE SERVICES ARE THE REASON SHE IS ENTERING HER TK YEAR NEXT YEAR AT HER NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL. AND SO EVERY PARENT, STUDENTS, AND FAMILY USING THE COUNTY PROGRAMS RIGHT NOW ARE IN A CRITICAL SITUATION. AND EVERYONE IN THESE PROGRAMS, PLEASE DON'T CLOSE THEM. ORCHARD AND OTHER PROGRAMS AND DENY FAMILIES THESE CRITICAL SERVICES, WHATEVER THEY MAY NEED. AND TAKE CARE. THIS CONCLUDES COMMENT. AND AS A HEADS UP TO OUR BOARD PRESIDENT, WE HAVE CARDS FOR 7B, 10A, AND ITEM 9. THANK YOU. [A. Bargaining Units' Reports] THANK YOU, MODERATOR. 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 OUR SEIU [00:55:02] PRESIDENT IS ALREADY HERE. WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. ONE DAY YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO CHANGE THE ORDER AND WE'LL ALL BE CONFUSED. SARAH GIANNICARO, SEAU CHAPTER PRESIDENT, REPRESENTING OVER 1,400 PERMANENT AND SUBSTITUTE CLASSIFIED STAFF AND DEFENDER OF PUBLIC EDUCATION. DURING THE LAST TWO BOARD REPORTS, WE HAVE SHARED WITH YOU HOW YOU CAN DEMONSTRATE YOUR SOLIDARITY WITH US AND THE STUDENTS WE SERVE. HOW HAVE YOU TAKEN ACTION? HOW HAVE YOU TAKEN THE COMMUNITY'S STATEMENT OF NO CONFIDENCE TO PRIORITIZE REFORM AND ACCOUNTABILITY? WILL YOU CONTINUE TO ALLOW THE SAME BUDGETARY SHENANIGANS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS? WILL YOU CONTINUE TO... SUPPORT A SUPERINTENDENT WHO LAYS OFF FRONTLINE STAFF WHILE RETAINING LEADERSHIP POSITIONS AND REFUSING TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT IT? WILL YOU CONTINUE TO ALLOW STAFF TO BE HARASSED AND WORK IN UNPROFESSIONAL AND HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS WHERE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S BIGGEST CONCERN IS HOW MUCH ARE THESE INVESTIGATIONS COSTING RATHER THAN ADDRESSING THE BAD BEHAVIOR THAT LEADS TO THEM BEING FILED IN THE FIRST PLACE? WILL YOU CONTINUE TO SUPPORT RETALIATION AGAINST STAFF WHO ADVOCATE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND EACH OTHER? SEIU STAFF ARE SOME OF THE MOST ESSENTIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE COUNTY OFFICE. OUR BUS DRIVERS TRANSPORT OUR MOST FRAGILE STUDENTS WHO LIVE IN HOSPITALS AND GROUP HOMES ON A DAILY BASIS. AND THEY'RE ALSO A MEDI-CAL REIMBURSABLE SERVICE, ALTHOUGH I DON'T THINK WE ACTUALLY CLAIM THOSE. THEY ALSO PROVIDE INEXPENSIVE FIELD TRIP TRANSPORTATION, SAVING CLASSROOMS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS PER TRIP WHEN COMPARED TO HIRING A PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY. AND WHILE SCCOE LAYOFFS DID NOT ACCOUNT FOR AN UPCOMING RETIREMENT, SCCOE IS STILL PROCEEDING WITH ALL OF THE LAYOFFS INSTEAD OF RESCINDING ONE. OUR ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE STAFF PROVIDE ESSENTIAL PROGRAMMING SUPPORT. YET ONCE AGAIN, THESE STAFF ARE ELIMINATED WHILE THE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN THE SAME DEPARTMENTS REMAIN. WITH 30 CLASSES BEING ELIMINATED IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, THE CORRESPONDING PRINCIPALS HAVE NOT BEEN ELIMINATED. SPECIAL EDUCATION AND HEAD START CLASSROOMS ARE SHORT STAFFED AND THERE'S INSUFFICIENT NUMBERS OF AVAILABLE SUBSTITUTES. YET WE'RE STILL LAYING OFF STAFF. THE OFFICE NEEDS TO PRESERVE THESE POSITIONS TO ENSURE THAT OUR CLASSROOMS HAVE THE APPROPRIATE STAFFING. SECOE NEEDS A PLAN FOR FOSTER AND HOMELESS YOUTH THAT PRESERVES SERVICES THAT CLASSIFIED STAFF PROVIDE. WITH BOTH STATE AND COUNTY FUNDS CONFIRMED, SCCUE NEEDS TO RESCIND OUR FOSTER AND HOMELESS YOUTH LAYOFFS. SCCUE NEEDS A PLAN TO SUPPORT MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS LIAISONS AND THEIR WORK FOR BOTH SCCUE AND DISTRICT PROGRAMS. MAINTAINING LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH STAFF IS CRITICAL FOR OUR STUDENTS. SCCUE NEEDS TO BE TRANSPARENT IN ITS LAYOFFS OF LEADERSHIP, WHICH SO FAR APPEARS TO BE NEARLY NON-EXISTENT, LEAVING CUTS TO FALL ONCE AGAIN PREDOMINANTLY ON THE LOWEST PAID BARGAINING UNIT STAFF. WALDEN WEST AND OUR COMMUNITY DESERVE MORE THAN PROGRAM CUTS TO STAFF THAT DIRECTLY WORK WITH STUDENTS. SHORTENED SCIENCE CAMP, AND CANCELED SUMMER CAMP, WHILE PAYING LEADERSHIP TO WORK A THIRD OF THE YEAR WITH NO STUDENTS OR STAFF. OUR INITIAL ASK WAS A REASONABLE 3%, CLOSE TO THE STATE COST OF LIVING INCREASE, AND $147 PER MONTH FOR HEALTH CARE, COSTING ABOUT $4 MILLION PER YEAR, A DROP IN THE BUCKET COMPARED TO WHAT SCCUE HAS AVAILABLE IN UNSPENT DOLLARS, BOTH IN ROLLOVER, CARRYOVERS, AND CATEGORIES WHERE IT HAS EXCESSIVE ALLOCATIONS LIKE BOOKS AND SUPPLIES THAT ARE NEVER SPENT EACH YEAR. WE'VE ALREADY REDUCED OUR ASK BY MORE THAN 75% FROM THAT. YET DR. TOSIN CLAIMS THE ONLY WAY TO PROVIDE FULLY COVERED HEALTH CARE IS TO CLOSE WALDEN WEST OR OIA. THE HISTORICAL ACTUAL SPENDING DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS. ANALYSIS BY BOTH ACE AND SEI RESEARCH STAFF DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS EITHER. TODAY, MANY OF OUR 521 MEMBERS WERE IN SACRAMENTO ADVOCATING TO UNRIG EDUCATION AND ENSURE THAT THE STATE FOLLOWS THROUGH ON EDUCATIONAL FUNDING. WE'RE ENGAGED IN PHONE AND TEXT BANKS AND HOME VISITS TO ENSURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY SUPPORTS THE RIGHT CANDIDATES TO PRESERVE OUR ESSENTIAL SERVICES. SSU, WE MUST INVEST IN STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITIES NOW. RESTORE OUR CONFIDENCE IN THE FISCAL PROCESSES AND TRANSPARENCY AND SETTLE THE CONTRACTS. DEFEND PUBLIC EDUCATION AND STAND AGAINST THE LAYOFFS THAT ARE DEVASTATING TO OUR STUDENTS, STAFF, AND COMMUNITY. WE CAN'T WAIT, OUR STUDENTS CAN'T WAIT, AND OUR COMMUNITY CAN'T WAIT. THANK YOU. I WOULD NOW LIKE TO INVITE THE DESIGNEE OR PRESIDENT OF THE PSYCHOLOGIST AND SOCIAL WORKERS ASSOCIATION FORWARD. SEEING NONE, I WILL INVITE THE PRESIDENT OF OUR ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY EDUCATORS FORWARD. RAJA KRISHNA IS PRESIDENT AND A DEFENDER OF PUBLIC EDUCATION. IF EDUCATORS PRIORITIZE STUDENTS WHILE COE CLAIMS WERE TOO EXPENSIVE TO DATE, THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCOUNTABILITY REGARDING THE FINANCIAL MALFEASANCE IDENTIFIED IN AGENDA ITEM 5B. A BUDGET IS A REFLECTION OF PRIORITIES. WHAT ARE COE'S PRIORITIES? ADMINISTRATIVE SPENDING, BANKING RESERVES, AND TRANSPARENCY OR LACK THEREOF. IF YOU NEED TO MAKE CUTS, EVALUATE ALL THE SALARIES IN SCCOE, NOT JUST THAT OF THE BARGAINING UNIT WORKERS. REASONABLE PROPOSALS SUCH AS ACCESS TO STUDENTS' IEPS, TRAINING ON HEALTH AND BEHAVIORAL NEEDS, AND SHORT BREAKS FOR ELS EDUCATORS COST NOTHING AND SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND EDUCATOR WELL-BEING. THESE NO-COST PROPOSALS WERE NEVER EVEN GIVEN CONSIDERATION AS PART OF OUR NEGOTIATIONS. THE ELS TEACHERS WERE NEVER GIVEN ANY CONSIDERATION. [01:00:01] ACE MEMBERS CONTINUE TO SERVE STUDENTS THROUGH CRISIS AND STAFFING SHORTAGES. COE SHOULD HAVE HAD MORE URGENCY IN RESOLVING THE CONTRACT AND ENDING LABOR STRIFE, NOT ON SPENDING COUNTY RESOURCES ON CREATING A STRIKE CONTINGENCY PLAN. ACE IS READY TO NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH. IS SCCOE READY TO NEGOTIATE AND COME BACK TO THE TABLE WITH US? WE ARE HERE AT IMPASSE NOT BECAUSE OF US BUT BECAUSE SCCOE CHOSE TO NOT NEGOTIATE WITH US IN GOOD FAITH. AT THIS POINT IN TIME, I'M ASKING A VERY CLEAR QUESTION. IS SCCOE WILLING TO COME BACK TO THE TABLE AND NEGOTIATE WITH ACE IN GOOD FAITH? INCREASINGLY, ACE MEMBERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT CONFLICTING DIRECTIVES AND RETALIATORY DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS ISSUED WITHOUT EVEN DUE PROCESS, PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE, OR EVEN ANY INVESTIGATION. THIS GROWING CULTURE OF FEAR DAMAGES MORALE, TRUST, AND RETENTION. WHY DOES THE COUNTY OFFICE WANT TO UNDERMINE THE COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT STUDENTS RELY ON? BOTH THE PUBLIC, OUR STUDENTS, AND OUR EDUCATORS DESERVE RESPECT, NOT RETALIATION AND GASLIGHTING US WITH SELECTIVE NARRATIVES OF SCARCITY. CU LEADERSHIP HAS CLAIMED THAT ACE EDUCATORS ARE UNAFFORDABLE WHILE THEY THEMSELVES GET HIGHER SALARIES. OUR PROPOSALS ARE FISCALLY IRRESPONSIBLE? ABSOLUTELY NOT. OUR PROPOSALS ARE ABOUT SAFETY. OUR PROPOSALS ARE STUDENT-CENTERED. OUR PROPOSALS ARE ABOUT PROVIDING A CONTINUUM OF HIGHLY SPECIALIZED SERVICES OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS DO NOT OFFER. WE HEARD FROM PARENTS, WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY, WE HEARD FROM EDUCATORS. I REALLY HOPE THEIR VOICES ARE BEING HEARD. COE OPERATES A BUDGET OF APPROXIMATELY $380 TO $430 MILLION ANNUALLY. FINANCIAL PRESSURES DO EXIST DUE TO DECLINING ENROLLMENT, RISING PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS, INFLATION, INSURANCE VOLATILITY, AND UNCERTAIN STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING. AS AGENDA ITEM 10A SHOWS. THESE PRESSURES ARE REAL AND ACKNOWLEDGED, BUT THEY DO NOT INDICATE INSOLVENCY OR AN INABILITY TO PROVIDE AN ON-SCHEDULE SALARY INCREASE TO SCIU AND ACE AND TO COVER THE COST OF THE RISING MEDICAL AND HEALTH CARE COSTS. IT TRULY IS ABOUT PRIORITIES AND HOW THEY ARE BEING MANAGED BY SCCU. AND... THE TRANSPARENCY AND THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND THE LACK THEREOF. EVIDENCE FROM SLIDE 35 OF AGENDA ITEM 10A SHOWS EXECUTIVE SERVICES 11.7 MILLION, BUSINESS FACILITIES OPERATIONS 49.4 MILLION, TECHNOLOGY AND DATA SERVICES 23.4 MILLION AND OTHER IS 47.1 MILLION. SO THE PUBLIC DESERVES CLARIFICATION REGARDING THE 47.1 MILLION OTHER CATEGORY. HOW MUCH IS SPENT ON CONSULTANTS, LEGAL SERVICES, ADMINISTRATIVE OVERHEAD, OUTSIDE CONTRACTS OR INDIRECT COST RECOVERY? THESE ARE LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS, PARTICULARLY WHEN EMPLOYEES ARE BEING TOLD THAT ESSENTIAL EDUCATOR COMPENSATION IS UNAFFORDABLE. CUE EMPHASIZES THIS IS THE HIGHEST PAYING COUNTY OFFICE IN CALIFORNIA. LET ME TELL YOU, THIS IS ALSO ONE OF THE PLACES IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA THAT HAS THE HIGHEST COST OF LIVING. IT HAS THE HIGHEST COST OF LIVING. ACE MEMBERS ARE ASKING CUE TO COVER THE INCREASED COST OF LIVING SO WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE A PAY CUT. ABSORB THE INCREASED COST OF HEALTH CARE. SUPERINTENDENT AUSTIN, IT'S A DIRECT ASK. RESEND THE LAYOFFS. STOP THESE CLASSROOM CLOSURES AND RANDOM MOVES. RESTORE THE MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS AND ACADEMIC COUNSELORS. INVEST MONEY IN CLASSROOMS. AND LISTEN TO THE STUDENTS, PARENTS, EDUCATORS, AND THE COMMUNITY. KEEP SCHOOLS LIKE ORCHARD OPEN. NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH AND COME BACK TO THE TABLE. A STRIKE IS NOT HELPFUL FOR ANYONE. BOARD OF TRUSTEES. WE ASK YOU TO STAND WITH ACE AND SEIU. HOLD COE ACCOUNTABLE FOR AGENDA ITEM 5B. USE YOUR AUTHORITY DURING BUDGET APPROVAL TO GUARANTEE FUNDING COVERS AND INCREASED HEALTH CARE COSTS. PROVIDE THE LIST OF MANAGEMENT POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN RIPPED. CONFIRM THE ACCURACY OF INFORMATION SHARED WITH BARGAINING UNITS. AND LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY, THE STUDENTS, PARENTS, EDUCATORS, AND THE COMMUNITY. WE CANNOT WAIT. THANK YOU. [6. CONSENT ACTION ITEMS] THANK YOU. WE WILL PROCEED TO ITEM SIX, OUR CONSENT ACTION ITEMS. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT ACTION ITEMS A THROUGH H. I SO MOVE. PRESIDENT CHON, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THE MOTION. IT WAS MOVED BY VICE PRESIDENT SPICER AND THEN SECONDED BY TRUSTEE PACHECO. SORRY ABOUT THAT, TRUSTEE LARI. THANKS. BOARD MEMBERS, PLEASE VOTE IN BOARD DOCS. [01:05:28] TRUSTEE LAURIE, ARE YOU ABLE TO VOTE? I CAN'T. I JUST HAVE A VERBAL EYE THEN. A VERBAL EYE FROM TRUSTEE LAURIE. [7. CONSENT INFORMATION ITEMS (Information items provided for review that do not require presentation or action.)] THANK YOU, TRUSTEES. THAT MOTION CARRIES WITH SIX AYES. NEXT, WE MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM THIS ITEM IS ON THE AGENDA FOR TRANSPARENCY. THERE IS NO PRESENTATION OR ACTION REQUIRED, BUT, MODERATOR, YOU SAID WE HAD A PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS, CORRECT? CORRECT. WE HAVE TWO CARDS, ONE FOR 7A AND ONE FOR 7B. OKAY. TWO TOTAL? CORRECT. OKAY. CAN YOU PLEASE CALL UP THOSE PUBLIC COMMENTERS FOR BOTH ITEMS? YES. IF YOU HEAR YOUR NAME, PLEASE LINE UP BEHIND THE PODIUM. TINA CHANG, FOLLOWED BY DIANE CAPILLI. BEING TRUSTEES AND DR. TOSTIN, TINA, AND I'M ALSO A SELPA CAC REP. I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE CONTRACTS OVER 250, AND I'D LIKE TO JUST HIGHLIGHT THAT A LOT OF THIS FUNDING IS GOING TO NPSS. AND TO ME, THAT JUST SAYS THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF HOME DISTRICTS AND THAT... COUNTY CLOSING ITS PROGRAMS IS ONLY GOING TO FURTHER BURDEN OUR DISTRICTS TO SEND KIDS TO MPS'S AND I'M ASKING WHY WE'RE SPENDING THE MONEY THERE AND NOT INVESTING IN WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE. I STILL HEAR REPORTS FROM PARENTS WHO ARE FIGHTING THEIR DISTRICTS FOR PLACEMENTS AND OR THEY'RE NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND SUPPORTS FOR THEIR STUDENTS WITHIN THEIR HOME DISTRICTS. AND EVEN DEAF STUDENTS WHO THEIR DISTRICTS TELL THEM THAT THERE IS NO COUNTY PROGRAM. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS DIANE CAPILLI. GOOD EVENING, TRUSTEES AND DR. TOSTIN. MY NAME IS DIANE CAPILLI, AND MY SON COLIN ATTENDS THE SCOE SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM. DECLINING ENROLLMENT IS BEING CITED TO JUSTIFY SPECIAL EDUCATION STAFF LAYOFFS AND CLASSROOM CLOSURES. HOWEVER, THE GOVERNOR'S MAY REVISION STATES THAT THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN CALIFORNIA'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS GROWING. WHILE OVERALL ENROLLMENT MAY BE DECLINING, MANY FAMILIES ARE NOT SEEING A DECREASE IN THE NEED FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES. THE GOVERNOR'S STATEMENT REFLECTS WHAT MANY FAMILIES ARE EXPERIENCING, AN INCREASING DEMAND. ARE COMPARABLE REGIONAL PROGRAMS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL STUDENTS BEING SERVED? FAMILIES ARE CONCERNED THAT CONTINUED CLOSURE OF SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS IS REDUCING ACCESS TO THESE ESSENTIAL SERVICES. MY SON COLIN AND MANY STUDENTS LIKE HIM DEPEND ON SCOE PROGRAMS FOR A PHYSICALLY SAFE, EMOTIONALLY SUPPORTIVE, AND MEDICALLY APPROPRIATE EDUCATION. THESE CLASSROOMS ARE NOT OPTIONAL. THEY ARE ESSENTIAL. PLEASE RESEND STAFF LAYOFFS AND REINSTATE THE SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOMS. THANK YOU. THIS CONCLUDES COMMENT. [A. Approval of the Budget Revisions for the Month of April 2026] THANK YOU. OKAY, WE'LL MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM EIGHT, OUR ACTION ITEMS. THIS ACTION ITEM WILL BE PRESENTED BY STEPHANIE GOMEZ, OUR ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF BUSINESS SERVICES, AND LAUREN NGUYEN. DIRECTOR OF INTERNAL BUSINESS SERVICES. OKAY. GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT CHUN, DR. TOSIN AND TRUSTEES. THIS EVENING WE'LL BE GIVING A QUICK OVERVIEW OVER OUR APRIL 2026 BUDGET REVISIONS. THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 220,000 IN RESTRICTED REVENUES THAT SUPPORT LITERACY DEVELOPMENT, WORKFORCE READINESS, PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, AND TARGETED STUDENT SUPPORT INITIATIVES. SOME OF THE PROGRAMS SERVED ARE ARE INCLUSIVE OF FOSTER YOUTH AND UNHOUSED YOUTH, ENGLISH LEARNERS, AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. THE BUDGET REVISION REPORT ALSO REFLECTS A NET USE OF FUND BALANCE OF APPROXIMATELY $6,700. $37,000 OF THIS WAS DESIGNATED FOR LEGAL SERVICES. WE ALSO HAD THE RETIREMENT INCENTIVE THAT WAS, AS I MENTIONED LAST MEETING, WOULD BE REVERSED AND IS REFLECTED AS A NET EFFECT TO OUR FUND BALANCE. THAT CONCLUDES OUR REPORT, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. DR. TOSTIN, DID YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? NO? TRUSTEES ANY QUESTIONS OKAY [01:10:07] SEEING NONE THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM SO I DO NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE ACTION OR UM AGENDA ITEM 8A APPROVAL OF THE APRIL BUDGET REVISIONS LET'S GO MOVE MOVED BY VICE PRESIDENT SPICER SECONDED BY TRUSTEE ROCHA AND THAT MOTION CARRIES WITH FOUR YESES, ONE NOES, AND ONE NOT PRESENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE ARE NOW MOVING TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER NINE. OKAY. WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC HEARING. SO FOR OUR PUBLIC HEARING, THE COUNTY BOARD WILL NOW. CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE RENEWAL APPEAL REQUEST. I'M SORRY, I'M GOING TO JUST CALL FOR A FIVE-MINUTE BREAK. I WANT ALL MEMBERS OF THE BOARD TO BE HERE BEFORE WE START THIS PROCESS. SO TRUSTEES WILL TAKE A FIVE-MINUTE BREAK AS WELL, AND THEN WE WILL START THE HEARING. MODERATOR, AFTER I READ THE INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT AND WE DO PRESENTATIONS, WE WILL DO PUBLIC COMMENT AFTER PRESENTATIONS, JUST SO YOU KNOW FOR THE FLOW OF THE MEETING. THANK YOU. OKAY, WE WILL RETURN AT 620. [A. Public Hearing on the Escuela Popular Center for Training and Careers Charter School Renewal Appeal Petition] OKAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE, EVERYBODY. WE ARE NOW BACK. SO MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM 9A, OUR PUBLIC HEARING. THE COUNTY BOARD WILL NOW CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE RENEWAL APPEAL REQUEST OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL PETITION FOR ESCUELA POPULAR CENTER FOR TRAINING AND CAREERS CHARTER SCHOOL. MY NAME IS VICTORIA CHAN, AND I'M THE BOARD PRESIDENT. I WILL BE ACTING AS A CHAIRPERSON OF THIS HEARING. THIS HEARING WILL PROCEED AS FOLLOWS. FIRST, THE BOARD WILL HEAR AN OPENING STATEMENT OF NO MORE THAN 10 MINUTES FROM STAFF. SECOND, ESCUELA POPULAR CENTER FOR TRAINING AND CAREERS CHARTER SCHOOL WILL BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE A PRESENTATION OF NO MORE THAN 10 MINUTES. THIRD, EASTSIDE UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON THE APPEAL REQUEST FOR NO MORE THAN 10 MINUTES. FOURTH, THE BOARD WILL HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT. EACH SPEAKER 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... BOARD MEMBERS MAY ASK CLARIFYING QUESTIONS AND THEREAFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE CLOSED THE BOARD ANTICIPATES RECONVENING TO ACT ON THIS REQUEST ON JULY 15 2026. AT THIS TIME I CALL UPON DR MICHELLE JOHNSON DIRECTOR OF CHARTER SCHOOLS TO INTRODUCE STAFF THANK YOU GOOD EVENING PRESIDENT SEAN TRUSTEES SUPERINTENDENT DR TOSTON STAFF AND COMMUNITY WE ARE HERE THIS EVENING FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE RENEWAL APPEAL REQUEST FOR ESCUELA POPULAR CENTER FOR TRAINING AND CAREERS FAMILY LEARNING CHARTER SCHOOL. THIS IS JUST A PUBLIC HEARING AND NO ACTION WILL BE TAKEN TONIGHT. THE RENEWAL APPEAL PROCESS CONSISTS OF SEVERAL PARTS. FIRST, THE CHARTER SCHOOL SUBMITS A CHARTER RENEWAL PETITION ON APPEAL OF ITS RENEWAL DENIAL FROM ITS CURRENT AUTHORIZER. SECOND, THE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION IS REQUIRED TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE RENEWAL APPEAL REQUEST WITHIN 60 DAYS. THREE, THE COUNTY OFFICE CHARTER SCHOOLS DEPARTMENT STAFF THEN ANALYZES THE RENEWAL APPEAL REQUEST AGAINST THE STANDARDS FOR RENEWAL SET FORTH IN THE CHARTER SCHOOLS ACT. FOURTH, THE CHARTER SCHOOLS DEPARTMENT THEN PUBLISHES ITS RECOMMENDATIONS, INCLUDING RECOMMENDED FINDINGS AT LEAST 15 DAYS BEFORE THE BOARD MEETING AT WHICH THE SCCBOE WILL ACT ON THE REQUEST. AND FINALLY, THE BOARD ACTS ON THE REQUEST FOR THE RENEWAL APPEAL. AS AN APPELLATE BODY, THE SCC BOE CONDUCTS A DE NOVO REVIEW OR FRESH LOOK, MEANING THAT IT INDEPENDENTLY REVIEWS ALL ASPECTS OF THE RENEWAL PETITION AND RENDERS AN INDEPENDENT RECOMMENDATION. THIS RECOMMENDATION IS NOT BASED ON ANY PRIOR REVIEW OR FINDINGS AND INCLUDES THE REVIEW OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, GOVERNANCE, FINANCIAL, OPERATION, AND ANY OTHER REVIEWS NECESSARY. THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH STANDARDS OUTLINED IN THE CHARTER SCHOOLS ACT, CALIFORNIA REGULATIONS, AND SCCBOE POLICY. IT IS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME REVIEW THAT IS CONDUCTED ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THE SCCBOE AUTHORIZED CHARTER SCHOOLS WHEN THEY ARE UP FOR RENEWAL. SO LET'S LOOK AT THE MATTER BEFORE US TONIGHT. IN 2004, ESCUELA POPULAR [01:15:01] CENTER FOR TRAINING AND CAREERS FAMILY LEARNING, OR EPCTC, WAS INITIALLY APPROVED BY THE EASTSIDE UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT AS A GRADE 9 THROUGH 12 CHARTER SCHOOL TO SERVE ADULT STUDENTS AGE 18 AND ABOVE WHO COULD NO LONGER BE SERVED BY ITS SISTER SCHOOL, ESCUELA POPULAR ACCELERATED FAMILY LEARNING CENTER, OR EPAFLC. WHICH HAPPENS TO BE A TK-12 CHARTER SCHOOL. ON APRIL 13, 2026, EASTSIDE UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT TOOK ACTION TO DENY THE EPCTC CHARTER, WHOSE CHARTER TERM EXPIRES ON JUNE 30, 2026. THEY THEN HAD 30 DAYS IN WHICH TO APPEAL TO THE COUNTY BOARD, AND ON APRIL 23, EPCTC TIMELY SUBMITTED ITS RENEWAL APPEAL REQUEST TO THE COUNTY. THEY ARE NOW SEEKING A FIVE-YEAR TERM AS IT IS A DASHBOARD ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL STATUS OR DOS SCHOOL. WITH THE APPEAL EPCTC IS ALSO SEEKING TO CHANGE ITS AUTHORIZER TO THE COUNTY BOARD. ITS CURRENT ENROLLMENT IS APPROXIMATELY 420 STUDENTS. AS IT IS A DOS SCHOOL IT DOES NOT RECEIVE THE HIGH, MIDDLE, OR LOW PERFORMANCE CATEGORIES THAT WE'RE USED TO WITH REGARDS FROM THE CDE. THUS, EPCTC'S SCHOOL PERFORMANCE AND GROWTH ARE MEASURED BY THE CALIFORNIA DASHBOARD INDICATORS, AS WELL AS OTHER ALTERNATIVE METRICS THAT ARE APPLICABLE TO THE POPULATION SERVED BY THE SCHOOL AND ESTABLISHED WITH THEIR CURRENT AUTHORIZER, WHO HAPPENS TO BE EASTSIDE UNION. THE DOS CHARTER AND THE CHARTERING AUTHORITY WILL WORK TOGETHER TO ESTABLISH THE APPROPRIATE ALTERNATIVE RENEWAL METRICS DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF THE CHARTER TERM. RENEWAL OF A DOS CHARTER ON THE BASIS OF THIS PERFORMANCE MAY BE DENIED ONLY IF THE CHARTERING AUTHORITY MAKES SPECIFIC WRITTEN FACTUAL FINDINGS THAT CLOSURE OF THE CHARTER IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PUPILS. DOS SCHOOLS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR UP TO A FIVE-YEAR RENEWAL. HOWEVER, ANY SCHOOL REGARDLESS OF PERFORMANCE CATEGORY OR BEING A DOS, 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, GOVERNANCE ISSUES, OR IS FAILING TO SERVE ALL STUDENTS WHO WISH TO ATTEND, AND THEY PROVIDE THE CHARTER SCHOOL NOTICE AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO REMEDIATE THESE CONCERNS. THE CHARTER SCHOOLS ACT PROVIDES NO LATER THAN 60 DAYS AFTER RECEIVING A PETITION. THE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION SHALL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROVISIONS OF THE CHARTER, AT WHICH TIME THE COUNTY BOARD SHALL CONSIDER THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR THE RENEWAL PETITION BY TEACHERS, OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES, AND PARENTS AND GUARDIANS. THE COUNTY BOARD'S DECISION ON THE APPEAL RENEWAL OF THE CHARTER SHOULD OCCUR WITHIN 90 DAYS OF THE RECEIPT. UNLESS THAT TIME IS EXTENDED BY 30 ADDITIONAL DAYS BY MUTUAL AGREEMENT. THE DECISION HEARING FOR THE EPCTC RENEWAL APPEAL WILL TAKE PLACE ON JULY 15, 2026. SCCOE STAFF HAS ALSO COMMUNICATED THROUGH EMAIL WITH THE LOCAL DISTRICT, THROUGH THEIR SUPERINTENDENT, AND THEY ARE PRESENT TONIGHT TO SPEAK ON THIS MATTER. THE CHARTER SCHOOLS DEPARTMENT STAFF HAS BEGUN ITS PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS FOLLOWING CALIFORNIA EDGE CODE. AND THE BOARD'S GUIDELINES REGARDING CONSIDERATION OF EPCTC'S CHARTER RENEWAL APPEAL PETITION. A FULL ANALYSIS WILL BE COMPLETED IN THE UPCOMING WEEKS, AND STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS AND RECOMMENDED FINDINGS WILL BE PUBLISHED ON THE SCCOE WEBSITE BY JUNE 30, 2026. THIS CONCLUDES STAFF'S OPENING STATEMENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY, NOW WE WILL MOVE TO THE PETITIONER'S PRESENTATION. IS THE ESCUELA POPULAR CENTER FOR TRAINING AND CAREERS CHARTER SCHOOL READY TO MAKE THEIR PRESENTATION? THANK YOU. AND WHO WILL BE SPEAKING FOR THE CHARTER SCHOOL? THERE WILL BE THREE OF US. OH, COULD YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELVES? YES, MY NAME IS PATRICIA REGUERIN. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ESCUELA POPULAR, AND WITH ME I HAVE OLIVIA CORTEZ, OUR PRINCIPAL, AND JANELLE RULLI FROM YOUNG MINION CORPS. THANK YOU. OKAY, PLEASE PROCEED WITH YOUR PRESENTATION. AND DR. TOSTIN, DO WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO WILL BE DOING THE TIMER? TEAMMATES IN THE BACK, CAN I ASK YOU TO KEEP US ON TRACK WITH THE TIMER, PLEASE, THE 10-MINUTE TIMER? THANK YOU. OKAY, GO AHEAD. GOOD EVENING, TRUSTEES, SUPERINTENDENT TOSTIN, AND [01:20:01] STAFF. AGAIN, MY NAME IS PATRICIA REGUERIN. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ESCUELA POPULAR, AND IT'S MY PLEASURE TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TONIGHT TO SHARE THE VITAL WORK THAT WE DO AT ESCUELA POPULAR FOR OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS. FOUNDED BY MAESTRA LIDIA REGUERIN, AN IMMIGRANT WOMAN FROM BOLIVIA, WHO HERSELF BROUGHT HER FAMILY TO THE UNITED STATES SEEKING STABILITY AND BETTER OPPORTUNITIES. MAESTRA LIDIA WAS AN EDUCATOR AHEAD OF HER TIME, WHO STUDIED WITH AND WAS INFLUENCED BY PAULO FREIRE AND HIS POPULAR EDUCATION PHILOSOPHY. POPULAR MEANS IT COMES FROM THE PEOPLE AND THEIR COMMUNITY. EVERY TEACHER AT ESCUELA POPULAR EMBODIES THE PRINCIPLES THAT TEACHING IS AN ACT OF LOVE AND EDUCATION TRANSFORMS LIVES. WE UNDERSTAND DEEPLY OUR ROOTS, THE FOUNDATION, AS MOST OF OUR STAFF AND TEACHERS HAVE DEDICATED MORE THAN 15 YEARS TO ESCUELA POPULAR. INCLUDING MANY WHO FIRST CAME TO OUR SCHOOL AS STUDENTS, WHO WE CALL OUR HOMEGROWN. WE ARE DIFFERENT. WE ARE UNIQUE. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE. WE SERVE A STUDENT POPULATION THAT TRADITIONALLY DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS TO EDUCATIONAL SERVICES DUE TO THEIR UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES. THAT IS WHAT WE DO. THAT IS WHO WE ARE. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS OLIVIA CORTEZ, PRINCIPAL OF ESCUELA POPULAR. EPCTC SERVES ONE OF THE MOST UNDERSERVED STUDENT POPULATIONS IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY. CURRENTLY, 99.4% OF OUR STUDENTS IDENTIFY AS HISPANIC. 96.5% ARE SOCIOECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AND 99.2% ARE ADULT ENGLISH LEARNERS OR ENGLISH LEARNERS. MANY OF OUR STUDENTS ARE BALANCING WORK, FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES, AND MAJOR LIFE CHALLENGES WHILE PURSUING THEIR EDUCATION. OUR SCHOOL WAS INTENTIONALLY DESIGNED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THIS POPULATION. OUR STUDENTS FACE CHALLENGES THAT STAND FAR BEYOND ACADEMICS. MANY NAVIGATE HOUSING AND FOOD INSECURITY, INTERRUPTED EDUCATION, LANGUAGE BARRIERS, TRAUMA, AND IMMIGRATION-RELATED IN STABILITY. DESPITE THESE REALITIES, OUR STUDENTS CONTINUE SHOWING RESILIENCE AND COMMITMENT TO THEIR EDUCATION. UNDERSTANDING THESE CHALLENGES IS ESSENTIAL WHEN EVALUATING OUR SCHOOL'S OUTCOMES AND IMPACT. EBCDC OPERATES AS A COMMUNITY SCHOOL FOCUSED ON REMOVING BARRIERS TO OUR STUDENTS' SUCCESS. WE PROVIDE INTEGRATED SUPPORTS INCLUDING CASE MANAGEMENT, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, LEGAL AND FAMILY SUPPORT, AND COLLEGE AND CAREER ADVISING. THESE SERVICES HELP STUDENTS REMAIN CONNECTED TO SCHOOL DURING PERIODS OF INSTABILITY AND CREATE PATHWAYS TOWARD LONG-TERM SUCCESS. WE SUPPORT THE WHOLE STUDENT, NOT JUST ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. WE ARE HAPPY TO HIGHLIGHT OUR DUAL ENROLLMENT PASSING RATES. OUR DUAL ENROLLMENT OUTCOMES SHOW THAT STUDENTS CAN SUCCEED IN RIGOROUS COLLEGE-LEVEL COURSEWORK WHEN GIVEN THE RIGHT SUPPORT. DURING THE 2025-2026 FULL SEMESTER, STUDENTS ACHIEVED 71% PASSING IN ENGLISH 1A, 73% IN CULINARY, AND 88% IN INTRO TO PUBLIC SPEAKING. THESE RESULTS ARE AS ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL GIVEN THAT MANY STUDENTS ARE LEARNING ENGLISH OR RETURNING TO SCHOOL AFTER LONG EDUCATIONAL INTERRUPTIONS. EPCTC'S IMPACT STRENGTHENED THROUGH PARTNERSHIP WITH COLLEGES, HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, NONPROFITS, AND WORKFORCE ORGANIZATIONS. PARTNERS SUCH AS MISSION COLLEGE, SAN JOSE CITY COLLEGE, EVERGREEN COLLEGE, STANFORD CHILDREN'S HEALTH, AND LIFE MOVES HELP PROVIDE ACADEMIC PATHWAYS, HEALTH AND WELLNESS SERVICES, TECHNOLOGY ACCESS, AND FAMILY WORKFORCE SUPPORT. THESE PARTNERSHIPS EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS AND REFLECT THE STRONG TRUST EPCTC HAS BUILT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. NOW I'M GOING TO PASS IT OVER TO OUR LEGAL COUNSEL. GOOD EVENING. JANELLE ROOLEY AGAIN WITH THE LEGAL COUNSEL FOR THE CHARTER SCHOOL. AS YOU'VE HEARD, WE'RE HERE TONIGHT ON A DE NOVO APPEAL STANDARD. IT'S BEEN A LITTLE WHILE SINCE ONE OF THESE HAS COME TO THE COUNTY, BUT TO EMPHASIZE AGAIN, WHEN A RENEWAL CHARTER IS DENIED BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT [01:25:02] AUTHORIZER, AND THEN IT'S APPEALED TO THE COUNTY. WHAT THE COUNTY IS DOING IS REVIEWING THE CHARTER AS THOUGH IT CAME TO THE COUNTY IN THE FIRST INSTANCE. WE'RE NOT SITTING IN JUDGMENT OF WHAT THE DISTRICT DID OR DID NOT DO. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE CHARTER PETITION AND WHETHER THE CHARTER MEETS THE LEGAL CRITERIA FOR RENEWAL. HERE, EPCTC IS A DAS SCHOOL, A DASHBOARD ALTERNATIVE STATUS SCHOOL. THE LAW TREATS THESE DIFFERENTLY, AS YOU HEARD, FROM HIGH-MIDDLE AND LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOLS. TO BE A DAS SCHOOL AS A CHARTER SCHOOL, AT LEAST 70% OF THE STUDENTS HAVE TO MEET THIS HIGH-RISK CLASSIFICATION. SO THEY, FOR EXAMPLE, WERE EXPELLED, PREGNANT AND PARENTING, RECOVERED DROPOUTS, CREDIT DEFICIENT, GAPS IN ENROLLMENT, ALL OF THESE THINGS. SO GREATER THAN 70% OF EPCTC'S STUDENT POPULATION MEETS THESE REQUIREMENTS OR MEETS THIS DEFINITION. SO THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE STUDENTS IT'S SERVING ARE JUST VERY HIGH RISK, ACCORDING TO THE STATE. FOR DASH SCHOOL OUR STANDARD DASHBOARD, SO IT'S CALLED DASHBOARD ALTERNATIVE, RIGHT? SO IT'S AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE DASHBOARD. WE DO LOOK AT THE DASHBOARD, BUT REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE METRICS AND WHETHER THE SCHOOL MET THOSE. SO THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE A MEETING WITH THE AUTHORIZER, WE DECIDE ON THE PERFORMANCE METRICS, AND THEN WE DISCUSS THEM. THE OTHER UNIQUE ASPECT OF DASHBOARD ALTERNATIVE STATUS SCHOOLS IS THAT THEY CAN ONLY BE DENIED IF THERE ARE WRITTEN FACTUAL FINDINGS THAT CLOSURES IN THE BEST INTEREST OF STUDENTS. AND THE LAW DOES USE THE WORD ONLY. ONLY MEANS ONLY. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY THAT THEY CAN BE DENIED. YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM THE DISTRICT THAT THEY HAVE ANOTHER WAY TO DENY IT, BUT THE LAW SAYS ONLY. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO DENY A MIDDLE, SORRY, A DASH SCHOOL. SO EPCTC DID VERY PROUDLY MEET THE METRICS THAT IT ESTABLISHED WITH THE DISTRICT. SO THESE RATES INCLUDED ATTENDANCE, NWEA, THAT'S AN ALTERNATIVE KIND OF ASSESSMENT PROGRAM, NWEA GROWTH IN BOTH ELA AND MATH. THEIR GRADUATION RATE, STUDENT PARTICIPATION, CREDIT COMPLETION, AND INCREASING THE NUMBER OF ENROLLED LONG-TERM STUDENTS. AND SO THERE WAS NO REQUIREMENT TO MEET ALL OF THEM OR TO MEET ALL OF THEM EVERY YEAR, BUT AS YOU'LL SEE IN THE MAIN, I THINK THAT THE COUNTY BOARD CAN CONFIDENTLY ASSESS THAT THAT EPCTC DID MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS, DID MEET THESE ALTERNATIVE METRICS, AND THE SCHOOL IS REALLY PROUD OF THAT. AND HERE'S THE REST OF THEM, SO MET AND EXCEEDING AND MET. SO IN ALMOST EVERY CASE, THE CHARTER SCHOOL MET OR EXCEEDED THOSE REQUIREMENTS. THERE'S A SEPARATE ISSUE OUT THERE ABOUT THE CHARTER SCHOOL AND TEACHER CREDENTIALING. THIS IS WHAT THE DISTRICT IS GOING TO SAY, WAS THERE A REASON FOR DENIAL? BUT AGAIN, WHAT THE LAW SAYS IS THAT THE CHARTER CAN ONLY BE DENIED IF CLOSURE IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE STUDENTS. WE THINK THAT THE DATA, THE ACADEMIC DATA, SHOWS THAT CLOSURE IS NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF STUDENTS. WE ALSO THINK THAT THERE ARE NO OTHER SCHOOLS THAT SERVE THIS POPULATION. SO WE WOULD BE SENDING 400 STUDENTS, 400-PLUS STUDENTS, OUT INTO AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE. GIVEN THE DATA, AGAIN, WE THINK THAT THE COUNTY CAN CONFIDENTLY DETERMINE THAT THE CHARTER SCHOOL HAS MET THOSE REQUIREMENTS. THE LAST THING I WANT TO SAY, THIS WAS THE PIECE ON THE DISTRICT SAYING THAT THE CHARTER SCHOOL IS NOT DEMONSTRABLY LIKELY TO SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENT BECAUSE OF TEACHER CREDENTIALING ISSUES. I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THE CALIFORNIA COMMISSION ON TEACHER CREDENTIALING TAKES THE SAME INTERPRETATION OF A SUBSTITUTE CREDENTIAL HOLDER THAT THE CHARTER SCHOOL DOES, WHICH IS THAT SOMEBODY WITH A SUB-PERMIT CAN SUBSTITUTE IN ANY CLASS, INCLUDING ELD. SO CLOSURE IS NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF STUDENTS, AND I WANT TO GIVE PATRICIA THE LAST COUPLE SECONDS HERE. BUT TRULY, THERE IS NO OTHER OPTION. AND SO THESE INDIVIDUALS WILL JUST NOT HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO DO. SO I'LL HAND THIS LAST OVER. IN CLOSING, ESCUELA POPULAR HAS NEVER REFUSED ACCOUNTABILITY. WHAT WE HAVE SOUGHT IS A COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP THAT RESPECTS THE OPERATIONAL INDEPENDENCE THAT CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE INTENDED TO HAVE. WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO TRANSPARENCY, OPEN COMMUNICATION, AND CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE ARE CONCERNS, AND THOSE CONCERNS HAVE SUBSTANTIALLY BEEN ADDRESSED, WHILE CONTINUING TO EFFECTIVELY SERVE OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES. MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE WANT TO CONTINUE THE EVOLUTION OF OUR WORK, BECAUSE WE REMAIN DEEPLY RELEVANT AND RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF IMMIGRANT FAMILIES AND ENGLISH LEARNERS. WE RESPECTFULLY HOPE THAT THE BOARD WILL CONSIDER THE CHARTER PETITION AND ALL THE INFORMATION PRESENTED, INCLUDING THE PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR SERVICES BEING PROVIDED TO STUDENTS. AND THE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT THAT [01:30:01] A NON-RENEWAL ENCLOSURE WOULD HAVE ON OUR STUDENTS, FAMILIES, AND EDUCATORS. WE BELIEVE THESE DECISIONS TO SERVE A PROCESS GROUNDED IN FAIRNESS, PROPORTIONALITY, AND A CONTINUED FOCUS ON THE BEST INTERESTS OF STUDENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE EASTSIDE UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT WHO WISH TO DO THEIR PRESENTATION. AND THEN COULD YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE WHO WILL BE SPEAKING FOR THE DISTRICT? YEAH, I'M JUST GOING TO ENTER HERE. MY NAME IS GLENN VANDERS, I'M THE SUPERINTENDENT OF EASTSIDE. THANK YOU BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT AND STAFF FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. WE'VE HAD AN OVER 20-YEAR RELATIONSHIP WITH ESCUELA POPULAR. WHEN THINGS CHANGED WITH ED CODE IN THE YEAR 2000, WE STARTED AND CAME BACK IN 2025 WITH CREDENTIALING ISSUES. WE STARTED TO LOOK INTO SOME ISSUES AND SOME CONCERNS, WHICH LED TO OUR... PROCESS WHICH LED TO THE BOARD GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS THIS YEAR TO VOTE FOR NON RENEWAL THIS IS THIS IS A SPECIAL COMMUNITY AND THAT'S UNDERSTOOD IN THIS COMMUNITY ALSO DESERVES QUALITY TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY WHATEVER DECISION YOU ARRIVE AT I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE OPTIONS FOR FOR THIS COMMUNITY AS OTHER CHARTER SCHOOLS OTHER ADULT HEADS AND OTHER DISTRICTS IN OUR AREA AND SO JUST FOR JUST BY WAY OF INTRO, THANK YOU FOR TAKING YOUR TIME ON THIS AND OUR TEAM WILL INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND GIVE YOU A SUMMARY OF OUR TIME. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. BJORN BERG, DIRECTOR OF ASSESSMENT ACCOUNTABILITY, CHARTER SCHOOL OVERSIGHT. SO, OK, FIRST, WE START WITH THE TIMELINE. WE WENT THROUGH THE RENEWAL PROCESS WITH THE SQUARE POPULAR THIS YEAR SUBMITTED IN DECEMBER. WE HAD THE FINAL BOARD VOTE ON APRIL 13TH NOT TO RENEW. SO THIS NEXT SLIDE JUST HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE SHARED WITH THE PCTC LEADING UP TO THIS, KNOWING THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL THINGS. THIS DID LEAD TO A VOTE OF REVOCATION BY OUR BOARD AND NON-RENEWAL. SO THERE WERE THREE STANDARDS THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT IN THE RENEWAL. THE FIRST ONE IS STANDARD CRITERIA EDUCATION CODE. THE LAST PORTION OF THAT IS DEMONSTRABLY LIKELY TO SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM IN THE PETITION. THAT IS THE CRITERIA WITH WHICH WE DID NOT RENEW A ESCUELA, NOT BASED ON THE ACADEMICS. SO THE DISTRICT DENIED BASED ON THAT. THE FINDINGS OF FACT WERE PRESENTED BY DISTRICT STAFF. OUR BOARD ADOPTED THOSE. AND WHILE EPCTC IS A DASHBOARD ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL, THE DISTRICT DID NOT DENY BASED ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. SO IT WAS NOT REQUIRED TO MAKE FINDINGS THAT THE CLOSURE OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF STUDENTS IN ORDER TO DENY THAT RENEWAL. SO IN OUR OVERSIGHT AND... THE RENEWAL PROCESS, WE LOOKED AT ALL OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE CHARTER, AND THERE WERE FIVE OF THOSE THAT WE HAD CONCERNS WITH. AND WITH THAT, I WILL HAND THIS OVER TO MR. GIDEON. GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS AND SUPERINTENDENTS. SO WE ARE GOING TO HIGHLIGHT THE MOST IMPORTANT CRITICAL AREAS THAT WE FOUND WITHIN OUR STAFF FINDING. SO THE FIRST AREA IS ELEMENT A, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM. WE IDENTIFIED SEVERAL YEARS PRIOR TO THE RENEWAL THAT THERE WAS DEFICIENCIES WITHIN THE ATTENDANCE ACCOUNTING AND MONITORING AT EPCTC. SPECIFICALLY WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT THEY WERE SUBMITTING ATTENDANCE REPORTS WHERE THEY WERE OVER CALCULATING THEIR ADA MEANING WE FOUND INSTANCES WHERE STUDENTS WERE MARKED PRESENT WHEN THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN. AN EXAMPLE THAT WE CAN SPEAK TO HAPPENS TO BE THEIR DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM WHERE WE IDENTIFIED THAT THEY WERE MARKING STUDENTS PRESENT AND CALCULATING THAT IN THEIR ADA REPORTS. SO WE ISSUED NOTICES OF CONCERN ABOUT THE CORRECTIONS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE IN ORDER TO RECTIFY THAT. TILL TODAY, WE HAVE NOT YET SEEN A RESOLUTION ON THAT CONCERN. AND SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE HAVE COMMUNICATED, WE HAVE SUPPORTED, AND WE HAVE NOT YET SEEN A RESOLUTION ON IT. ANOTHER AREA HAS TO DO WITH INCONSISTENCIES WITH INSTRUCTIONAL CALENDAR AND MINUTES. WE'VE IDENTIFIED INCONSISTENCIES WITHIN THEIR STUDENT INFORMATION CENTER WHERE THEY HAVE PUT IN A SCHEDULE THAT'S NOT THE SCHEDULE THAT THEY'VE PROVIDED TO THE DISTRICT. SO WE'VE COMMUNICATED OUR CONCERNS, HAVE NOT YET SEEN A RESOLUTION ON THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE. WHEN WE LOOK AT THEIR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT THEIR RESOURCES AND THAT THE CURRICULAR OFFERINGS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN OUR CHARTER PETITION IS NOT WHAT HAPPENS ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS AT THE SCORE PLATE. SO WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE IN A MOMENT. AND IN THE LAST AREA, WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS REGARDING THE ENROLLMENT NUMBERS OF THEIR [01:35:02] NINTH GRADERS AS IT RELATES TO THE PROMOTION OF THOSE KIDS AS THEY GO THROUGH THE FOUR YEARS AT THEIR PARTICULAR SCHOOL. SO HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF A DOCUMENT THAT WE RECEIVED THIS YEAR WHEN WE DID AN AUDIT OF THEIR SENIOR CLASS FOR THIS UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR. SO THIS IS A DOCUMENT THAT IS GIVEN TO STUDENTS THAT HIGHLIGHTS THAT THERE IS A PRE-NINTH GRADE THAT WAS NOT IDENTIFIED IN THEIR CHARTER PETITION. THIS PRE-NINTH GRADE DEMONSTRATES THAT THEY ARE PROVIDING CLASSES THAT ARE NOT GRADE LEVEL APPROPRIATE OR ALIGNED. TO THE EDUCATIONAL COURSE OUTCOMES THAT THEY'VE IDENTIFIED IN THEIR CHARTER PETITION. WHEN WE REVIEWED THEIR SUBMITTED TRANSCRIPTS FOR THE CLASS OF 2025 AS WELL AS THE CLASS OF 2026, WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT THIS APPROACH IS ACTUALLY REPRESENTED IN THOSE TRANSCRIPTS WHERE YOU WILL SEE A LARGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS BEING HELD WITH NON-GRADE LEVEL COURSES AND THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED LATER ON AS YOU GO THROUGH THEIR TRANSCRIPT. ANOTHER PART OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IS THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED THEIR COURSE OFFERING AND SEQUENCE IN THEIR CHARTER PETITION AND WE FOUND THAT THEY ARE NOT USING THAT COURSE OUTLINE AND SEQUENCE AND THEY'RE NOT PROMOTING STUDENTS APPROPRIATELY. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE 99.2 PERCENT OF EL STUDENTS THAT THE SCHOOL SERVES, WE FIND THAT THEY ARE NOT MEETING THE NEEDS OF THIS POPULATION. AS IT RELATES TO THE EVIDENCE THROUGH THE OVERSIGHT PROCESS AND THROUGH THE TRANSCRIPT ANALYSIS. THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS OUR MAJOR CONCERN AROUND THE EDUCATIONAL EQUITY AND THE RETENTION LOOP THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT YOU WILL SEE STATISTICALLY IN THE MOMENT. SO HERE IS THE DASHBOARD DATA THAT TALKS ABOUT THE MISREPRESENTATION THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED IN THEIR GRADUATION OUTCOMES. SO YOU WILL SEE THAT THE FOUR-YEAR COHORT DATA IS LISTED THERE THAT'S THAT'S AROUND 1%. YOU WILL SEE THAT THEIR ENROLLMENT DATA SHOWS A LARGE NUMBER OF NINTH GRADERS THAT IS IN THEIR DEMOGRAPHIC DATA. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE ONE-YEAR GRADUATION RATE, WE FIND THAT THAT NUMBER DOES NOT REPRESENT THE PRIOR YEAR'S 11TH GRADERS. YOU WILL SEE THAT THE 11TH GRADE COLUMN DOES NOT REPRESENT THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF STUDENTS THAT IS CAPTURED IN THE GRADUATED COLUMN. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A REPRESENTATIVE OF HOLDING STUDENTS BACK AND NOT PROMOTING THEM IN TIME WHEN THE SCHOOL YEAR STARTS. INSTEAD, THE SCHOOL MAY HAVE A PHILOSOPHY OF PROMOTING THEM IN THE LAST QUARTER OR TWO OF THEIR SENIOR YEAR, WHICH BYPASSES THE ACCOUNTABILITY THAT WE HAVE IN CALIFORNIA FOR GRADE 11. WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE MEASURABLE OUTCOMES. WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT THE DATA THAT THEY PROVIDED FOR THEIR OWN GOALS WERE NOT ALWAYS CONSISTENT. WITH THE EVIDENCE THAT WAS SUPPORTED FOR THE CHARTER RENEWAL. FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE THEIR NWEA SCORES WERE NOT PROVIDED, BUT WE'VE GIVEN AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THEY BELIEVE THEIR DATA IS SAYING. SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE INTERNAL METRICS THAT THE SCHOOL HAS PROVIDED, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE SCHOOL PROVIDES THOSE FACTUAL PIECES OF EVIDENCE SO THAT WE CAN VERIFY THAT THEIR CONCLUSIONS ARE ACCURATE. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE LOW ATTENDANCE GRADUATION OUTCOMES, THAT'S AN AREA THAT WE PRESENTED AS A CONCERN WHEN WE DID OUR FACTUAL FINDINGS AROUND THEIR AUDITS FOR THEIR TRANSCRIPTS. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE GOVERNANCE, THIS IS THE SECOND AREA OF MAJOR CONCERN. WE'VE IDENTIFIED NUMEROUS MOMENTS WHERE THERE WERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEPOTISM WITHIN THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE. SPECIFICALLY, WE'VE IDENTIFIED A BOARD OF ABOUT FIVE MEMBERS THAT OUT. ONE HAS A CONFLICT DUE TO BEING A STAFF AT THE SCHOOL. ANOTHER BOARD MEMBER WHO HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE CHAIR IS ACTUALLY A SIBLING, A BROTHER OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. SO THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN INVESTIGATING COMPLAINTS REGARDING STAFF AND CONCERNS SUCH AS RETALIATION, SEXUAL HARASSMENT, AS RELATES TO THE INABILITY TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO NAVIGATE THE BOARD AND MAKING SURE THAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE HEARD AND VALUED. WE'VE IDENTIFIED AREAS OF LACK OF COMPLAINT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT ARE POSTED, THAT ARE COMMUNICATED AND TRANSLATED FOR THEIR COMMUNITY, WHETHER THAT BE ON THEIR WEBSITE OR IN A HANDBOOK. EMPLOYEE QUALIFICATIONS, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS EARLIER WITH REGARDS TO THE REVOCATION PROCESS, WHERE WE'VE IDENTIFIED INSTANCES OF STAFF BEING PUT IN FRONT OF STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT ELIGIBLE. IN TERMS OF HAVING THE APPROPRIATE CONTENT CREDENTIAL AS WELL AS EL AUTHORIZATION. [01:40:03] DUE TO THE UNIQUE POPULATION THAT'S OUTLINED IN THEIR CHARTER AND THEIR COMMITMENT TO HAVING STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE DUAL LANGUAGE THAT THEY IDENTIFIED IN A CHARTER PETITION, WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS VERY CONCERNING THAT WE'VE BEEN COMMUNICATING IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS AROUND OUR CONCERN OF THEIR ABILITY TO MEET THIS EXPECTATION. AND THEN WE FOUND OUT, EVEN THROUGH THE REVOCATION PROCESS, THAT UP UNTIL FEBRUARY, THERE WERE STILL SUBSTITUTES THAT WERE IN CLASSROOMS THAT DID NOT HAVE ANY FORM OF LEGAL CREDENTIAL AUTHORIZED BY CDE. SO WHEN WE END, WE WANT TO JUST HIGHLIGHT OUR CONCERNS AROUND BUDGETARY AND FINANCIAL. WE'VE COMMUNICATED MULTIPLE TIMES REGARDING OUR CONCERN TO ENSURE THAT THE PETITION THAT WE'VE RECEIVED THAT... CONTAINS AN AUTONOMOUS STAFF, A STAFF THAT IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A PRINCIPAL, A STAFF THAT'S SUPPOSED TO HAVE DEDICATED TEACHERS AT THEIR SCHOOL SITE, IS REFLECTED IN THEIR BUDGET. AND SO WE'VE SEEN A SHARE BUDGET BETWEEN THEIR SISTER SCHOOL THAT DOES NOT COMMUNICATE HOW THEY ARE CHOOSING TO REALLOCATE STAFF WHENEVER IT'S NEEDED BY THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND PRINCIPAL. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT. NOW WE ARE MOVING THROUGH OUR HEARING. WE WILL MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT. COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO ONE MINUTE, AND IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK, PLEASE HAND IN YOUR SPEAKER FORM. SPEAKERS SHALL DIRECT THEIR COMMENTS TO THE BOARD AND ARE URGED TO AVOID REPEATING POINTS MADE BY PREVIOUS SPEAKERS. MODERATOR, DO WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT? WE DO. WE HAVE 16 CARDS FOR COMMENT. OKAY, GREAT. CAN YOU BEGIN PUBLIC COMMENT? YES, THANK YOU. WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR NAME, PLEASE LINE UP 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. THE TIMER WILL BEGIN ONCE YOU START SPEAKING. COMMENTS EXTENDING PAST THE TIME ALLOTTED WILL BE MUTED AFTER YOUR TIME EXPIRES AND YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE THE PODIUM. OUR SPEAKERS ARE ZAINAB HOSSEINI, IVAN GARCIA, SERGIO MACIAS, MICHAEL KINE, ASTRID HERNANDEZ, SONIA OCHOA, MARIA HERNANDEZ, PUI FAN, CATHERINE REZA HERNANDEZ, GABRIELLE RUIZ, EMELINA MENDOZA, CLAUDIA REYES, NORBERTO BOZZO, ROSSO, JONATHAN RIOS, CHRIS COPOPIO, GERARDO TOLL. OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS ZAINAB HOSSEINI. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS DR. ZAINAB HOSSEINI, AND I'M A POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY AND AN INCOMING ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY. I'VE SPENT OVER A DECADE WORKING WITH SCHOOLS ACROSS THE U.S. TO SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING FOR IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND I'M CURRENTLY COLLABORATING WITH ESCUELA POPULAR TO DELIVER PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES THAT SUPPORT THEIR EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS. I'M HERE TO SHARE AN OBSERVATION WITH YOU THAT I HAVE HAD DURING THIS COLLABORATION. SO AS YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE HARDEST CHALLENGES THAT SCHOOLS FACE IS TO PROVIDE A SENSE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY FOR STUDENTS SO THAT THEY CAN LEARN. AND IN MY PERSONAL INTERACTIONS WITH THE STUDENTS, I HAVE BEEN TOLD DIRECTLY THAT THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT FACILITATING THIS ENVIRONMENT FOR THE STUDENTS SO THAT THEY CAN SUCCESSFULLY LEARN AT TIMES WHEN THEY FEEL DESPAIR AND FEELING LIKE THIS MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE. SO I CANNOT PRESS UPON YOU ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR YOU TO PROTECT THIS SAFE HAVEN FOR THESE STUDENTS. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS IVAN GARCIA. HELLO, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS IVÁN GARCIA. I'M A STAFF AT ESCUELA POPULAR AND THE MAIN REASON WHY I'M HERE IS BECAUSE I WANT TO PRESENT TO THE RIGHT PERSON SUPPORT LETTERS FROM OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, STAFF, PARENTS, AND STUDENTS. BUT ABOVE ALL, I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT WE HAVE A FULL ROOM IN THE CAFETERIA OF STAFF AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE TO SUPPORT. THEY WOULD LOVE TO BE HERE AND THEY'RE A LITTLE MAD BECAUSE THERE'S NO ROOM. BUT AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A COMMUNITY BEHIND US, THAT EVERYTHING CAN BE WORKED OUT, THERE'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT, AND WE'RE WILLING TO DO EXACTLY THAT WITH THE PROPER GUIDANCE, COLLABORATION. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS WE CHOSE TO BE IN THIS FIELD. BECAUSE WE'RE STUDENT-CENTERED. [01:45:03] WE LOVE OUR COMMUNITY. WE KNOW THAT THIS CAREER IS TO CHANGE LIVES. SO PLEASE ALLOW US TO DO THAT, AND DON'T FORGET THAT WE HAVE A LOVING COMMUNITY BEHIND US. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS SERGIO MACIAS. HELLO, GOOD EVENING, AND THANK YOU TO THE BOARD AND STAFF OF THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT. MY NAME IS SERGIO MACIAS, AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF COUNCILMEMBER PETER ORTIZ. I'M HERE TODAY IN SUPPORT OF ESCUELA POPULAR'S CHARTER RENEWAL APPEAL AND APPLICATION. FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS ESCUELA POPULAR HAS BEEN A CORNERSTONE FOR EAST SAN JOSE FAMILIES, IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES, BILINGUAL STUDENTS, AND ADULT LEARNERS. THE SCHOOL HAS BUILT TRUST THROUGH COMPASSION, CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING, AND A DEEP COMMITMENT TO SERVING STUDENTS WHOSE NEEDS ARE OFTEN OVERLOOKED IN TRADITIONAL EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS. ESCUELA POPULAR IS MORE THAN JUST A CAMPUS, IT IS A TRUSTED COMMUNITY INSTITUTION. MANY OF ITS STUDENTS DO NOT HAVE ANOTHER EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT THAT TRULY MEETS THEIR UNIQUE ACADEMIC, CULTURAL, AND PERSONAL NEEDS. THE EDUCATORS AT ESCUELA POPULAR ARE CREDENTIALED TEACHERS WHO REFLECT AND UNDERSTAND THE COMMUNITY THEY SERVE. CLOSING THE SCHOOL WOULD HAVE REAL AND LASTING CONSEQUENCES FOR HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WHO RELY ON ITS BILINGUAL PROGRAMS, FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES, AND SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS. THIS IS WHY I RESPECTFULLY URGE THE BOARD TO SUPPORT THIS APPEAL AND KEEP ESCUELA POPULAR OPEN FOR FAMILIES AND STUDENTS. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS MICHAEL KINE. HI, THANK YOU. YEAH, MICHAEL KINNEY. I'D LIKE TO RESPOND TO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE DISTRICT SAID. I FEEL LIKE THERE'S SOME MISREPRESENTATIONS AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS GOING ON WITH SOME OF THAT INFORMATION, BUT I'M GONNA TRY TO STICK TO MY SPEECH INSTEAD. SO MY NAME IS MICHAEL KINNEY AND I'VE BEEN TEACHING AT ESCUELA POPULAR HIGH SCHOOL FOR 14 YEARS. BEFORE EP, I TAUGHT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN EAST LA AND OAKLAND. WHERE I OFTEN SAW STUDENTS FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS. STUDENTS DEALING WITH TRAUMA, PREGNANCY, IMMIGRATION CHALLENGES, STRUGGLES WITH LEARNING ENGLISH. TOO MANY DISAPPEARED FROM THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ENTIRELY. WHAT I'VE SEEN AT ESCUELA POPULAR IS DIFFERENT. EP WORKS HARD TO SUPPORT THE STUDENTS WHO ARE MOST OFTEN OVERLOOKED. IMMIGRANT STUDENTS THRIVE HERE. STUDENTS WITH CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO GOOD DAYCARE. STUDENTS WHO NEED SUPPORT RECEIVE IT. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS ASTRID HERNANDEZ. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS ASTRID HERNANDEZ, AND MY FAMILY'S STORY IS ONE OF MANY LIVES TRANSFORMED BY ESCUELA POPULAR. WHEN MY MOTHER IMMIGRATED FROM MEXICO, SHE DREAMED OF BECOMING A TEACHER, BUT WITHOUT ENGLISH, SUPPORT, OR OPPORTUNITY, THAT DREAM FELT IMPOSSIBLE. THEN SHE FOUNDED ESCUELA POPULAR. THE FOUNDER, MAESTRA LYDIA REGUERIN, BELIEVED IN HER WHEN OTHERS DID NOT. WHILE RAISING FOUR CHILDREN, MY MOTHER LEARNED ENGLISH, EARNED HER A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, AND LATER BECAME AN ELD TEACHER THERE FOR OVER 13 YEARS. ESCUELA POPULAR OPENED DOORS FOR MY FAMILY AND GAVE US OPPORTUNITIES WE OTHERWISE MAY NOT HAVE HAD. I GREW UP BELIEVING I COULD OVERCOME BARRIERS, DISCRIMINATION, AND STEREOTYPES OFTEN FACED BY IMMIGRANT AND LATINX FAMILIES. TODAY, I WORK SUPPORTING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND THIS JUNE I WILL GRADUATE FROM SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY WITH MY MASTER'S DEGREE IN COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY. FOR MANY IMMIGRANT FAMILIES IN SAN JOSE, ESCUELA POPULAR IS MORE THAN A SCHOOL. IT IS HOPE, OPPORTUNITY, AND COMMUNITY. PLEASE ALLOW MAESTRA LIDIA REGARÍN'S LEGACY TO CONTINUE TRANSFORMING LIVES JUST AS IT TRANSFORMED OURS. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS SAN JUANA OCHOA. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS. ESCUELA POPULAR HAS A LONG HISTORY OF WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THIS SIDE AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL LEADERS ACROSS THE COMMUNITY TO SERVE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WHO ARE OFTEN OVERLOOKED BY TRADITIONAL... SYSTEMS. I ONCE WAS ONE OF THOSE STUDENTS. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED AND HAVE MADE SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS. WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO COLLABORATION AND CONTINUE. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARIA HERNANDEZ. GOOD EVENING MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS MARIA AND I TEACH [01:50:01] MATH AND ELD AT ESCUELA POPULAR. EP IS ACCREDITED BY THE WESTERN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES. EP OFFERS DUAL ENROLLMENT SO STUDENTS RECEIVE COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL CREDITS. EP HAS OFFERED HEALTH EDUCATION AND HAS CONNECTED STUDENTS TO RECEIVE CNA TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION. EP HAS BROUGHT A PROGRAM WITH CERTIFICATIONS IN THE AREA OF CONSTRUCTION COMPLIANT TO OSHA. EP TEACHER'S CREDENTIALS ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. IN MY CLASSES, I HAVE STUDENTS AGES 19 TO 73 YEARS OF AGE WHO HAVE BEEN AT EP FOR LESS THAN FIVE MONTHS AND OTHERS WHO ARE ABOUT TO GRADUATE IN THE NEXT MONTH AFTER FOUR YEARS WITH US. THEIR GROWTH IS INCREDIBLE. SOME OF THEM WAKE UP AT 3 IN THE MORNING TO GO TO WORK FOR EIGHT HOURS OR MORE, THEN COME TO SCHOOL UNTIL 10.40 P.M. TIRED, BUT THEY ARE... ALLOWING THEMSELVES TO DREAM, BE SUCCESSFUL, AND TRANSFORM THEIR LIVES. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS HUI FAN. WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT CARD. CATHERINE REZA HERNANDEZ. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CATHERINE REZA HERNANDEZ. MY FATHER IS NORBERTO RASO. HE'S A STUDENT AT ESCUELA POPULAR CTC. BEFORE ATTENDING THIS PROGRAM, HE HAD ATTENDED OTHER PROGRAMS, BUT THESE PROGRAMS DID NOT GIVE HIM THE SUPPORT THAT ESCUELA POPULAR CTC DOES. THIS SCHOOL DID CHANGE HIM, AND AS HIS DAUGHTER, I SAW LATE NIGHTS OF DOING HOMEWORK AND NO REST AFTER EIGHT-PLUS HOURS OF WORK. THIS PROGRAM IS NOT ONLY CHANGING STUDENTS, IT IS CHANGING ENTIRE FAMILIES AND FUTURE GENERATIONS. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY AWAY FROM OUR AMAZING COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS GABRIEL RUIZ. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS DR. GABRIEL RUIZ, A SENIOR APPLIED SCIENTIST HERE IN SILICON VALLEY WITH DOCTORAL TRAINING IN THE FIELD OF STATISTICS. I AM ALSO A FIRST GENERATION HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE WHOSE PARENTS LEARNED ENGLISH AT AN ADULT SCHOOL LIKE THIS ONE IN EAST LOS ANGELES. I HAVE TWO POINTS. FIRST, THIS REVOCATION BEGAN OVER TEACHER CREDENTIALING. EP HAS REMEDIATED... FROM 23% TO 95% COMPLIANCE ABOVE THE DISTRICT'S OWN 81% RATE AND ABOVE THE STATE'S 83% THRESHOLD. THE ORIGINAL TRIGGER IS SOLVED. CONTINUING REVOCATION NOW IS MOVING THE GOALPOSTS. SECOND, ON PERFORMANCE, GIVEN THE STUDENT BODY AT EP, I BELIEVE A FAIR MEASURE FOR ITS PERFORMANCE IS GROWTH. THE CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DASHBOARD IN 2025 SHOWED THAT EP HAS MATH GROWTH AT 69.6%, WHICH IS ACCELERATED, AND ELA GROWTH AT 63%, WHICH IS MODERATE. THE ORIGINAL CONCERN IS FIXED. THE GROWTH DATA IS STRONG. PLEASE SUPPORT. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS EMELINA MENDOZA. GOOD EVENING MEMBERS OF THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION. MY NAME IS EMELINA MENDOZA AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT ESCUELA POPULAR AND THE POSITIVE IMPACT IT HAS HAD ON MY LIFE. WHEN I CAME TO THIS COUNTRY I FACED MANY CHALLENGES BECAUSE I DID NOT SPEAK ENGLISH. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO COMMUNICATE AT WORK AND TO FEEL CONFIDENT ABOUT MY FUTURE. THANKS TO ESCUELA POPULAR I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO IMPROVE MY ENGLISH, GAIN CONFIDENCE AND ACHIEVE GOALS THAT ONCE SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE. ESCUELA POPULAR NOT ONLY OFFERS HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES, IT ALSO HELPS STUDENTS WITH COLLEGE CLASSES THROUGH DUAL ENROLLMENT. THOSE CLASSES GIVE US COLLEGE CREDIT, AND THIS IS A BIG ADVANTAGE I CAN TAKE. TODAY I HAVE A BETTER JOB, AND I'M READY TO GO TO COLLEGE. ESCUELA POPULAR HAS NOT ONLY HELPED ME, BUT ALSO MANY MEMBERS OF THE LATINO COMMUNITY BY GIVING US OPPORTUNITIES, SUPPORT, AND HOPE FOR A BETTER FUTURE. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CLAUDIA REYES. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CLAUDIA REYES, AND I'M A FORMER STUDENT OF ESCUELA POPULAR CTC. BEFORE ATTENDING CTC, I FACED MANY OBSTACLES ABOUT MY FUTURE. I KNOCKED ON MANY DOORS, SEARCHING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE MY EDUCATION. WHEN GOD OPENED THE DOORS OF THIS PROGRAM, IT BECAME MORE THAN JUST A SCHOOL. IT BECAME A PLACE OF SUPPORT AND TRANSFORMATION. CTC NOT ONLY HELPED ME ACADEMICALLY, BUT ALSO TAUGHT ME RESILIENCE. THIS PROGRAM BECAME THE BRIDGE THAT I'LL... THAT ALLOWED ME TO COMPLETE MY BACHELOR IN PSYCHOLOGY AT SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY AND ALSO HELPED ME TO BELIEVE IN MY POTENTIAL. TODAY, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF GIVING BACK TO MY COMMUNITY THROUGH MY WORK AS A COUNSELOR FOR PEOPLE DEALING WITH ADDICTIONS. I RESPECTFULLY ASK YOU TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING THIS PROGRAM SO THAT ITS DOORS REMAIN OPEN [01:55:02] FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS NORBERTO RAZO. GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS. MY NAME IS NORBERTO RAZO AND I WANT TO THANK ESCUELA POPULAR FOR EVERYTHING IT HAS DONE FOR ME AND OUR COMMUNITY. ESCUELA POPULAR IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT GIVES PEOPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN ENGLISH, CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION, AND BUILD A BETTER FUTURE. FOR MANY STUDENTS, IT IS A SECOND CHANCE. PERSONALLY, ESCUELA POPULAR HELPED ME IMPROVE MY ENGLISH, GAIN CONFIDENCE, AND FIND BETTER JOB OPPORTUNITIES. IT CHANGED MY LIFE. AND HELPED ME BELIEVE IN MYSELF AND MY FUTURE. THIS JUNE, I WILL GRADUATE AND I WILL CONTINUE MY EDUCATION AT SAN JOSE CITY COLLEGE. I AM VERY PROUD OF THAT. I HOPE WE CONTINUE SUPPORTING ESCUELA POPULAR SO MORE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY CAN SUCCEED JUST LIKE I DID. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS JONATHAN RIOS. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JONATHAN AND I AM A STUDENT. AT ESCUELA POPULAR. ESCUELA POPULAR IS A PLACE WHERE MANY IMMIGRANTS FIND SUPPORT, OPPORTUNITY, AND A COMMUNITY THAT TRULY WANTS TO SEE THEM SUCCEED. HERE YOU DO NOT ONLY LEARN SCHOOL SUBJECTS, YOU LEARN TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. THE TEACHERS SUPPORT YOU, THE COMMUNITY ENCOURAGES YOU, AND LITTLE BY LITTLE YOU BEGIN TO REALIZE THAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS. MANY OF US CAME HERE WITH FEAR, INSECURITIES, OR THINKING IT WAS TOO LATE TO RETURN TO SCHOOL. BUT ESCUELA POPULAR TEACHES US THAT DREAMS DO NOT HAVE AN EXPIRATION DATE. THIS SCHOOL WELCOMES PEOPLE FROM MANY LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES AND REMINDS US THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE BECAUSE EDUCATION CAN CHANGE LIVES AND ESCUELA POPULAR CHANGES LIVES EVERY SINGLE DAY. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CHRIS CAPOLILLO. GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS. MY NAME IS CHRIS COPPOLILLO. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA CHARTER SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION AND IN SUPPORT OF ESCUELA POPULAR. ESCUELA SERVES STUDENTS WHO NEED FLEXIBILITY, STABILITY, AND A SCHOOL SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED AROUND THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES. THAT IS EXACTLY WHY CALIFORNIA CREATED DIFFERENTIATED RENEWAL PROTECTIONS FOR DASHBOARD ALTERNATIVE STATUS SCHOOLS. AMONG THOSE PROTECTIONS IS THAT UNDER ED CODE 47607C7 C7. SCHOOLS MAY ONLY BE DENIED RENEWAL IF CLOSURE IS DETERMINED TO BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF CURRENT PUPILS. THAT STANDARD RECOGNIZES AN IMPORTANT REALITY. FOR VULNERABLE STUDENTS, LOSING A HIGHLY SPECIALIZED SCHOOL COMMUNITY CAN CAUSE ENORMOUS DISRUPTION AND HARM. THE QUESTION BEFORE THIS BOARD IS WHETHER CLOSING A ESCUELA WOULD TRULY SERVE THE BEST INTEREST OF THE STUDENTS CURRENTLY ENROLLED, STUDENTS WHO DEPEND ON THE PROGRAMS, RELATIONSHIPS, AND SUPPORTS UNIQUELY AVAILABLE AT THIS SCHOOL. AS YOU WEIGH THE RENEWAL DECISION, I URGE YOU TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE INTENT OF THE LAW, THE UNIQUE ROLE THAT DAS SCHOOLS PLAY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THE IMPACT OF YOUR DECISION ON THE STUDENTS OF THE NEXT SPEAKER IS GERARDO TOL. GOOD EVENING MEMBER BOARDS. I'M GERARDO TOLSO. I'M CURRENTLY A STUDENT AT ESCUELA POPULAR. I WANT TO SPEAK ABOUT ESCUELA POPULAR BECAUSE IT CHANGED MY LIFE. THE FIRST SCHOOL I ATTENDED MADE ME FEEL LIKE I DIDN'T FIT IN. I FELT LOST, CONFUSED. IN A LAWN EVERY DAY. SOME STUDENTS MADE FUN OF ME BECAUSE I COULDN'T SPEAK ENGLISH WELL AND THAT MADE ME FEEL DEPRESSED. EVERYTHING CHANGED WHEN I FOUND ESCUELA POPULAR. THE TEACHERS WERE PASSIONATE AND KIND AND THEY HELPED ME LEARN STEP BY STEP. THEY MADE ME FEEL COMFORTABLE AND GAVE ME CONFIDENCE. AT ESCUELA POPULAR I FINALLY FELT ACCEPTED AND SUPPORTED. THIS SCHOOL HELPS STUDENTS LIKE ME BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES AND HELP AND HAVE HOPE FOR A BETTER FUTURE. THAT'S WHY ESCUELA POPULAR IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME. AND I AM PROUD TO SPEAK ABOUT IT TODAY. I AM ASKING YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO KEEP OUR SCHOOL OPEN. THANK YOU. LAST CALL FOR HUI FAN. NOT SEEING SOMEONE CLAIMING THAT CARD. SO THIS CONCLUDES COMMENTS. THANK YOU. SEEING THAT THERE'S NO MORE COMMENTERS, PUBLIC COMMENT IS NOW CLOSED. WE'LL NOW MOVE TO CLARIFYING QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD. BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE QUESTIONS, SO I COULD GO FIRST IF THAT'S OKAY. I'LL GO FIRST. SO, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO THANK ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENTERS THAT CAME, AND THIS IS NOT AN EASY DECISION. WE AFFECT, YOU KNOW, THIS AFFECTS STUDENTS AND COMMUNITIES, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HOLDING SCHOOLS ACCOUNTABLE. I ALSO DO WANT TO NOTE THE REASON WE HAVE THE OVERFLOW ROOM IS BECAUSE IT'S FIRE SAFETY. [02:00:02] WE CAN'T HAVE MORE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM. MY FIRST QUESTION IS FOR ESCUELA POPULAR. IT IS A QUESTION ABOUT THE 30-DAY SUBPERMIT. AS AN EDUCATOR MYSELF, I KNOW THE VERY SERIOUSNESS OF HAVING PROPERLY CREDENTIALED TEACHERS IN YOUR CLASSROOM. TO THE FACT THAT IF A CREDENTIAL, IF A TEACHER SIMPLY DOES NOT EVEN RENEW THEIR CREDENTIAL ONLINE, THEN THEY WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE CLASSROOM THE FOLLOWING DAY. SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS, AND THE CREDENTIALING HAS BEEN A TOPIC, SO HOW MANY OF YOUR TEACHERS HAVE VALID CREDENTIALS? AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE 30-DAY SUB-PERMITS. I WANT TO KNOW HOW MANY OF THEM HAVE THE ACTUAL CREDENTIALS, WHETHER IT'S PERCENTAGE OR A PERCENTAGE WOULD BE GREAT. ESTIMATION IS FINE. YEAH. OF THE SCHOOL SPECIFICALLY FOR EPCTC, WE HAVE 26 TEACHERS FULLY CREDENTIALED. WE HAVE ONE VACANCY, WHICH IS COVERED BY A 30-DAY SUBSTITUTE. OUT OF HOW MANY? THERE'S A TOTAL OF 27. SO 26 OF THE 27 TOTAL TEACHERS? FOR EPCTC, YES. YES, SO YOU HAVE 27 TEACHERS. TEACHERS, YES. OKAY, GREAT. AND THEN... CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED IN THE PAST WITH THIS CREDENTIALING ISSUE? SO PRIOR TO JULY 1ST, 2025, BEFORE AB 1505, NON-CORE CLASSES COULD BE TAUGHT BY NON-CREDENTIALED TEACHERS. AND THAT IS WHO WE CALL OUR HOMEGROWN TEACHERS. THOSE ARE TEACHERS THAT HAVE BEEN TRAINED WITH US AND HAVE BEEN WORKING. THEY ARE FORMER STUDENTS. WHO HAVE CONTINUED THEIR EDUCATION, BUT THE PATH TO A CREDENTIAL TAKES QUITE A BIT OF TIME. THE LAW GRANTED FIVE YEARS FOR THOSE TEACHERS TO BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE A CREDENTIAL, AND FIVE YEARS IS NOT ENOUGH TIME FOR MOST PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE MOST ARE ALSO HEAD OF HOUSEHOLDS. AND SO, AS YOU HEARD, THEY COULD BE PARENTS AND HAVING TO WORK AND GO TO SCHOOL. SO IF WE HAD MORE TIME, MORE OF OUR HOMEGROWN TEACHERS WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STAY IN THE CLASSROOM. WE BEGAN AND RESEARCHED WHAT IS POSSIBLE FOR OUR TEACHERS BECAUSE THEY ARE A VALUABLE RESOURCE FOR OUR STUDENTS. AND WE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD HAVE THEM GET CTE CREDENTIALS AND BEGIN TO REFORMAT OUR COURSES SO THAT IT WOULD BE CAREER EXPLORATION FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS. SO WE WOULD INFUSE ELD STANDARDS INTO A CAREER EXPLORATION CLASS. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, THE DISTRICT SAID THAT WE NEEDED TO DO A MATERIAL REVISION SO THAT WE HAD TO GO REVERT OUR ELD CLASSES AWAY FROM BEING A CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION COURSE TO THE STANDARD ELD CLASSES WITH NO CTE STANDARDS INFUSED IN THEM. SO WE WERE PUT ON AN IMPROVEMENT PLAN, AND WE ASKED THE DISTRICT, WHEN WOULD YOU LIKE THIS ROLLOVER TO HAPPEN? BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE TO HIRE TEACHERS. COVER THE CLASSES THAT WE NEED TO COVER. THEY SAID YOU DECIDE. WE LOOKED AT IT AND WE SAID WE CAN DO IT BY SEPTEMBER 29 AND THAT'S THE DATE THAT WE PRESENTED IN OUR IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND PRESENTED TO THE DISTRICT AND WE ACCOMPLISHED COVERING THAT WITH AN EXCEPTION OF FOUR VACANCIES. VACANCIES THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO FIND THE APPROPRIATE CREDENTIAL TEACHER FOR THAT AND FOR THOSE VACANCIES AND AS WE WERE LOOKING FOR TEACHERS THEY WERE COVERED BY 30-DAY SUBSTITUTE CREDENTIAL TEACHERS. OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. I'M GOING TO PAUSE ON THAT ONE. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR EASTSIDE ALSO. ON SLIDE 11, WHICH WAS TALKING ABOUT THE GRADUATION RATES ON YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU WENT THROUGH IT REALLY FAST. SO CAN YOU JUST KIND OF EXPLAIN TO ME THE NUMBERS HERE JUST SO I UNDERSTAND VERY CLEARLY ON WHAT I'M LOOKING AT. SO ALL OF THIS DATA COMES FROM THE CDE UNDER THE DATAQUEST SIDE OF THE DASHBOARD. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FIRST CHART, THE FIRST CHART IS LOOKING AT FOUR-YEAR COHORT DATA, MEANING IF I ENROLL AS A NINTH GRADE, WE FOLLOW THOSE STUDENTS TO SEE IF THEY GRADUATE WITHIN FOUR YEARS. THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A FIFTH YEAR, BUT WE DID NOT CAPTURE THAT IN THIS PARTICULAR DATA SET. SO WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF STUDENTS THAT WERE ENROLLED IN THE SCHOOL YEAR THAT'S BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR. SO YOU'LL SEE IN THE MOST RECENT SCHOOL YEAR, 24-25, THERE WAS A TOTAL OF 732 STUDENTS. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT COLUMN, ONLY EIGHT OF THOSE [02:05:01] STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN COHORTED SINCE THEIR NINTH GRADE YEAR WERE ABLE TO MATRICULATE TOWARDS GRADUATION GIVING THEM A 1.1 PERCENT. BECAUSE THEY'RE A DOS SCHOOL, WE LOOKED AT THEIR ONE-YEAR GRADUATION RATE. MEANING IF I'M A STUDENT, IDEALLY BY THEIR PETITION, THEY PROMOTE ALL STUDENTS AT THE ENDING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR SO THAT WHEN THEY RETURN THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL YEAR, THOSE ARE THE STUDENTS THAT WE SHOULD BE TRACKING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO PROGRESS THROUGH THAT CURRICULAR OFFERING THEIR SENIOR YEAR. AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LAST CHART, THE SCHOOL HAS IDENTIFIED A TOTAL NUMBER OF 38 STUDENTS. 34 OF THOSE STUDENTS GRADUATED, GIVING THEM A NET YIELD OF 89.5%. WELL, OUR ARGUMENTS ARE AS TWOFOLD. ONE, WE NOTICED THEM AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR THAT THEY WERE OUT OF COMPLIANCE WITH USING THEIR CHARTER PETITION GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS, AS WELL AS THE MINIMUM GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS. MEANING... DURING OUR RENEWAL PROCESS OF EPA-FLC LAST YEAR, WE IDENTIFIED THAT THEY WERE NOT FOLLOWING EITHER THEIR CHARTER PETITION NOR THE STATE MINIMUM GRADUATION RATE. SO WE COMMUNICATED TO THEM IN A NOTICE OF CONCERN THAT THEY WERE TO RESORT BACK TO THEIR APPROVED CHARTER GRADUATION REQUIREMENT AND THAT THEY WOULD BE AUDITED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE IN COMPLIANCE THIS YEAR OF MEETING THE STATE MINIMUM AND MEETING THEIR CHARTER PETITION. SO WE COMMUNICATED IN THAT PROCESS THAT WE KNEW THIS DATA WAS NOT GOING TO BE ACCURATE BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT THEY HAD IDENTIFIED AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF STUDENTS OVER AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF YEARS, STUDENTS WHO WERE GRADUATES BUT THEY DID NOT MEET EITHER THEIR CHARTER PETITION REQUIREMENTS NOR THE STATE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS. SO WE WENT INTO THIS YEAR REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW DO WE START A NINTH GRADE CLASS IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THE TOTAL 304 THIS SCHOOL YEAR, WE HAVE 589 STUDENTS IN 24-25, BUT WE YET NET YIELD 27-29 STUDENTS AS SENIORS. SO WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THE AUDITING PROCESS OF THEIR TRANSCRIPTS, WE'RE REALIZING THAT THE PROGRAM THAT THEY'VE BEEN HIGHLIGHTED IN THEIR CHARTER PETITION IS NOT THE PROGRAM THAT'S TAKING PLACE AT THE SCHOOL SITE. SO WE'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION REGARDING RECENT LAWS AROUND REQUIRING THE NEED OF GIVING EL STUDENTS ACCESS TO CORE CLASSES IMMEDIATELY UPON ENROLLMENT AT A SCHOOL SITE. AND SO THIS IS THE DATA THAT WE'VE BEEN DIVING DEEPER INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE ENROLLMENT NUMBERS, THE PROMOTION NUMBERS, AND THOSE WHO'VE BEEN ABLE TO MATRICULATE TOWARDS GRADUATION. OKAY. THANK YOU. MY QUESTION WAS JUST FOR THEM TO EXPLAIN THEIR GRAPHS, SO THANK YOU. SO THEN ESSENTIALLY IN THIS MIDDLE COLUMN, 27 OF THE 420 WERE ELIGIBLE FOR GRADUATION? TWENTY-SEVEN HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS TRUE SENIORS ACCORDING TO THE DATA. AND THERE IS NO DATE IN WHICH WE ARE ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHEN DOES THE SCHOOL IDENTIFY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS THEIR SENIOR POPULATION. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT 27, IF YOU GO TO THE PRIOR YEAR, YOU'LL SEE IN 24, THERE WERE ONLY FIVE IDENTIFIED 11TH GRADERS OUT OF A TOTAL OF 658 STUDENTS. AND WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THAT GAP. HOW DO WE GO FROM FIVE 11TH GRADERS THE PRIOR YEAR TO NOW IDENTIFYING A GRADUATING CLASS OF A POTENTIAL 27? AND THESE ARE BASED ON JUST A THROUGH G REGULAR UNIT REQUIREMENTS, LIKE COMPARABLE TO NE SIDE? SO AT THE CHARTER SCHOOL, THEY CAN OPT OUT OF BEING A THROUGH G, MEANING THEY CAN ALLOW DS. THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ALL OF THEIR STUDENTS GRADUATE BEING UC ELIGIBLE. SO RIGHT NOW, WITH THE MATERIAL REVISION, THEY'RE MEETING THE MINIMUM GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS AT THEIR PARTICULAR SCHOOL SITE. OKAY. THANK YOU. TRUSTEES, DO YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS? I'LL PAUSE FOR A MINUTE. I DO WANT TO NOTE, FOR THE RECORD, TRUSTEE LAURIE HAS DROPPED OFF FOR THE MEETING FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT, SO IT IS JUST THE FIVE OF US HERE. OKAY, I TRUST YOUR WORSHIP. THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU TO ALL THE PARENTS THAT SHOWED UP AND THE ADVOCATES FOR THE SCHOOL. I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING TIME TO THE SCHOOL AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND STAFF. I'M JUST GOING TO ASK A COUPLE PROCESS QUESTIONS. SO JUST AS I UNDERSTAND IT, LOOKING AT THE ITEM AS IT'S WRITTEN ON THE AGENDA, TONIGHT IS THE HEARING, AND THEN THE ACTION ITEM IS IN JULY. CORRECT. AND THEN THE... [02:10:02] THE REASONING BEHIND THAT DELAY BETWEEN TODAY AND JULY, IS THAT JUST A PROCESS, A SCHEDULING? IT'S A PROCESS. OKAY, SO THAT'S A TYPICAL ONE. AND FORGIVE ME, I'M GOING TO PLAY THE NEW CARD EVEN THOUGH I'VE BEEN HERE TWO YEARS AND MAYBE THREE YEARS NOW. SO YES, JUST LIKE WE DO WITH ALL OF OUR RENEWAL PETITIONS, THE TIMELINE IS THE PETITION IS DELIVERED TO US AND THEN WE HAVE 60 DAYS IN WHICH TO HOLD THE PUBLIC HEARING. AND 90 DAYS IN WHICH TO HOLD THE DECISION HEARING. WE USUALLY HOLD OUR PUBLIC HEARING WITHIN 30 DAYS SO THAT WE CAN THEN UTILIZE ANY QUESTIONS THAT ARE GENERATED FROM THE BOARD SO THAT WHEN WE GO DO OUR SITE VISIT, WHICH WE WILL DO WITH ESCUELA POPULAR ON FRIDAY, ON TUESDAY, AND ON WEDNESDAY OF NEXT WEEK, THE SAME PROCESS THAT WE DO WITH ALL OF OUR CHARTER SCHOOLS WHERE WE INTERVIEW PARENTS, WE INTERVIEW STAFF, WE INTERVIEW TEACHERS. WE VISIT CLASSROOMS, WE DO FILE REVIEWS, SO THE EXACT SAME PROCESS THAT WE DO WITH ALL OF OUR OWN CHARTERS, WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING WITH ESCUELA POPULAR. OKAY, THANK YOU. THAT'S VERY HELPFUL. SO AS YOU DESCRIBED IT, THAT HASN'T TRANSPIRED YET. WE HAVE NOT DONE OUR OWN INVESTIGATION YET. WE'RE READING THE PETITION AT THIS MOMENT, BUT THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL SITE VISIT WILL TAKE PLACE ON FRIDAY, ON TUESDAY, AND WEDNESDAY. AND THEN WHAT ABOUT GOING THROUGH THE RECORDS? WHAT YOU JUST REFERRED TO? WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH ALL OF THE DOCUMENTATION, ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT WAS SENT TO US FROM, SO THEY HAVE TO GIVE US A PETITION, AS WELL AS THE INFORMATION FROM EASTSIDE, AS WELL AS, SO EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T LOOK AT THE RECORDS FROM THE UNDERLYING, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MAKE OUR OWN DECISION, WE STILL GO THROUGH ALL, WE LOOK AT THE CREDENTIALS, WE LOOK AT THE FILES, WE DO. WE DO ALL OF THE SAME THINGS THAT WE NORMALLY DO WITH OUR OWN SCHOOLS. OKAY, THANK YOU. DID THAT MAKE SENSE? OH, COMPLETELY. OKAY. AND THEN THERE'S A WHOLE FINANCIAL, I'M SURE, COMPONENT OF THIS IN TERMS OF ITS SOLVENCY OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE. YES. WE WILL DO A COMPLETE FINANCIAL REVIEW LIKE WE DO WITH OUR OWN SCHOOLS. AND IS THAT ALL INTERNAL WITH OUR STAFF, OR DO WE USE OUTSIDE HELP? THAT'S INTERNAL. YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE ENTIRE TEAM. OKAY. NO WONDER YOU NEED THE FULL 90 DAYS. SO WE HAVE AN AMAZING FINANCIAL PERSON AND WE HAVE THE PROGRAM PERSON. WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. AGAIN, HELP ME WITH THE TERMINOLOGY. THIS IS THE FIRST ONE AS FAR AS I CAN MAKE SURE. THIS IS OUR PUBLIC HEARING, YES. BUT THIS IS A DISTRICT SANCTION CHARTER. WHAT'S THE TERMINOLOGY? SO THIS WILL BE A DISTRICT APPEAL CHARTER SO THAT IT IS GOVERNED UNDER EDUCATION CODE 47605. THE OTHER ONE THAT WE NORMALLY DEAL WITH IS A COUNTYWIDE, AND THAT COMES DIRECTLY TO US. THAT'S NOT ONE OF THESE. SO IN THAT CASE, THEIR ELECTED BOARD HAS DENIED THE RENEWAL. CORRECT. AND WITH THAT DENIAL, WAS THERE ANY KIND OF REMEDY OR THE SCHOOL IS JUST AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, IF YOU FOLLOW THE PROCESS OUT, IT CLOSES? SO THE REMEDY IS APPEALING TO THE COUNTY BOARD. AND THEN NEXT, TO SAY HYPOTHETICALLY, WE DENY THEM. AND IF OUR BOARD MAKES THE DECISION TO DENY, THEN ESCUELA POPULAR WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO APPEAL TO THE STATE. BUT THAT REVIEW WOULD NOT BE A DE NOVO REVIEW. THAT REVIEW WOULD BE LOOKING AT WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS AN ABUSE OF DISCRETION. SIMILAR TO ONE THAT WE, IF WE DENIED, SIMILAR TO OURS THEN. GOES TO THE STATE? CORRECT. OKAY. AND THEN IT'S NOT AT AN OVO. OKAY. AND THEN AGAIN, IN TERMS OF THE TIMING FOR, LET'S SAY, HYPOTHETICALLY, THE SCHOOL WINDING DOWN, IS IT IMMEDIATELY AT THE END OF THE CONCLUSION OF THE SCHOOL YEAR? OR IS IT AN ANNUAL OR YEARLY WIND DOWN? SO, ACCORDING TO ED CODE, CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE SO LONG AS THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF THE APPEAL PROCESS. THEY STILL GET TO OPERATE WHILE THE APPEAL IS HAPPENING. AND THEN IF THE STATE SCHOOL BOARD OR THE STATE, WHAT WAS THE TERM AGAIN? I'M SORRY. THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, LET'S SAY, HYPOTHETICALLY OVERTURNS ALL THESE DENIALS AND THE SCHOOL OPERATES, DOES IT GO BACK TO THE DISTRICT OR DOES IT BECOME ONE OF OURS? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I GOT ONE. YOU GOT A GREAT QUESTION. BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DENIAL OF THE RENEWAL, IF OUR BOARD, IF THE STATE BOARD OVERTURNS OUR DECISION TO DENY, THEN THE STATE BOARD HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO ESCUELA POPULAR TO DETERMINE WHO THEIR NEW AUTHORIZER WOULD BE. [02:15:01] OKAY, SO THEY GET TO CHOOSE? BECAUSE INITIALLY EASTSIDE IS THE AUTHORIZER. THEY'RE COMING TO US RIGHT NOW ON APPEAL. IF OUR BOARD APPROVES THEIR RENEWAL, THEN WE BECOME THE AUTHORIZER. IF OUR BOARD DENIES AND IT GOES TO THE STATE, THE STATE THEN, AND THE STATE OVERTURNS, THEN THE STATE WORKS WITH THE ESCUELA POPULAR TO DETERMINE WHO THE NEW AUTHORIZER IS. WE DON'T HAVE A SAY. EASTSIDE DOESN'T HAVE A SAY. IT IS THE STATE BOARD THAT MAKES THE DECISION. AND THE STATE BOARD'S REVIEW OR ASSESSMENT, IS THAT SOME OF THE SAME FACTORS THAT YOU LOOK AT, OR IS IT A DIFFERENT FACTOR THAT THEY LOOK AT ENTIRELY? A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SET OF FACTORS. THEY'RE LOOKING TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT OUR BOARD ACTED APPROPRIATELY AND EASTSIDE'S BOARD ACTED APPROPRIATELY. SO THEN IT'S MORE ON PROCESS THAN IT IS ON ACTUALLY THE CASE OF WHETHER OR NOT THE SCHOOL IS. CORRECT. THEY'RE NOT LOOKING AT THE MERITS OF THE SCHOOL. THEY ARE SIMPLY LOOKING AT ABUSE OF DISCRETION. IT'S A DIFFERENT FACTOR COMPLETELY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THOSE WERE MY PROCESS QUESTIONS. I'M GOING TO STOP THERE. I HAVE SOME OTHER NOTES, BUT I THINK I'LL HOLD ON FOR THE MOMENT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? TRUSTEE BERTA. I CAN GO NEXT, AND I WANT TO THANK THE CHARTER SCHOOL DEPARTMENT AS WELL FOR... ANSWERING SOME QUESTIONS THAT I'D HAD PRIOR TO THE MEETING. I'LL TRY TO DO THAT AS WELL PRIOR TO OUR NEXT DECISION FOR ALL PARTIES INVOLVED POTENTIALLY IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. IT'S QUITE A LENGTHY DOCUMENT, SO I WANT TO BE SURE DON'T EXPLORE ALL THE QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW, BUT ALSO WANT TO EXTEND THE APPRECIATION FOR EVERYONE WHO'S PRESENT TONIGHT AND STAYING ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS. I THINK IT'S A TRUE TESTAMENT OF JUST HOW MUCH EVERYONE CARES AND THE IMPACT ON ALL PARTIES INVOLVED, AND SO JUST WANT TO SHARE THAT DEEP APPRECIATION. THE ISSUE, I GUESS, THAT I'M INITIALLY JUST A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT, MAYBE FOR OUR CHARTER SCHOOL DEPARTMENT TO CLARIFY, THIS ISSUE OF THE LAW OR THE BASIS OF THE DENIAL AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S THE SAME PROCESS THAT WILL FOLLOW IN TERMS OF A REVIEW, BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING, RIGHT, IF EASTSIDE DID THEIR... REVIEW AS PART OF THE RENEWAL PROCESS, THEY'RE USING THE SAME CRITERIA THAT WE ARE GOING TO USE IN DOING THAT. DOING OUR PROCESS? YES. OKAY. AND SO THE EDUCATION CODE SECTION THAT WAS REFERENCED IN TERMS OF THE BOARD NEEDING, OUR BOARD NEEDING TO MAKE FACTUAL FINDINGS, DOES THAT INCLUDE, DOES THE LAW INCLUDE THE BASIS OF CLOSURE BASED ON THE STUDENT'S INTEREST? OR IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN THAT EDUCATION CODE SECTION A LITTLE BIT. SO AS I EXPLAINED IN THE OPENING STATEMENT, THERE'S... BASICALLY THREE PARTS. THE FIRST PART IS THAT THE CHARTER HAS TO BE UPDATED TO CONFORM WITH THE MOST CURRENT LAWS. SECOND THING THAT YOU LOOK AT IS WHETHER OR NOT THE SCHOOL IS A HIGH, MIDDLE, LOW PERFORMING OR A DOS SCHOOL. UNDER DOS, IF THE SCHOOL QUALIFIES, THEN YOU HAVE TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAVE MET THE DASHBOARD INDICATORS AS WELL AS THE ALTERNATIVE METRICS WHICH HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE SCHOOL AND THE AUTHORIZER. ONCE YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THAT, YOU THEN HAVE TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THOSE INDICATORS HAVE BEEN MET AND WHETHER OR NOT, IF YOU'RE PLANNING TO DENY, YOU HAVE TO DENY BASED ON CLOSURE AS BEING IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE SCHOOL. THE LAST THING YOU CAN LOOK AT IS FOR ANY SCHOOL THAT MIGHT BE IN THIS HIGH, MIDDLE, LOW DOS, THAT IS UTILIZING EDUCATION CODE 47607E NOTIFICATIONS, MEANING THERE ARE SUBSTANTIAL GOVERNANCE, SUBSTANTIAL FISCAL, OR THE SCHOOL IS NOT SERVING ALL STUDENTS WHO WISH TO ATTEND. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, THE AUTHORIZER HAS TO PROVIDE NOTICE OF THAT INTENT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO UTILIZE ONE OF THOSE THREE OPTIONS AND GIVE THE SCHOOL NOTICE OF THE CONCERN AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL 30 DAYS IN WHICH TO CURE THAT FACTOR. OKAY, THANK YOU. AND THEN I GUESS A QUESTION FOR EASTSIDE. I KNOW THERE WAS A AT THE BEGINNING THE INTRODUCTION IN TERMS OF PROGRAMS AVAILABLE FOR ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS THAT COULD SERVE STUDENTS. DO YOU, DOES EASTSIDE CURRENTLY HAVE ANY PROGRAMS THAT ARE COMPARABLE IN TERMS OF SERVICES PROVIDED [02:20:02] TO STUDENTS? AND IF YOU NEED MORE TIME TO COME BACK THAT CAN BE A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION AS WELL. TERESA MARQUEZ, ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES FOR EASTSIDE UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT. WE ARE A HIGH SCHOOL ONLY DISTRICT AND SO WE DON'T HAVE SCHOOLS THAT WOULD SERVE THE TK TO 8. WE DO HAVE 11 COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOLS THAT CAN SERVE 9TH THROUGH 12TH. AND WE DO HAVE AN ADULT ED PROGRAM THAT CAN SERVE ADULTS AND HAVE A DIPLOMA TRACK AS WELL FOR THAT ONE AS WELL AS A GED PROGRAM. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR NOW. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, TRUSTEES? TRUSTEE ROCHA? I'D LIKE TO ASK, YOU HAD OFFERED TO RESPOND TO THE DISTRICT'S COMMENTS AROUND THE GRADUATION, SO... I'M INTERESTED IN WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE. YES. SO ESCUELA POPULAR IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR IMMIGRANT ADULT, WORKING ADULT STUDENTS. SO WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE STUDENTS IS THAT THEY HAVE MANY COMPETITIONS FOR THEIR TIME, RIGHT? SO THEY HAVE TO WORK, THEY HAVE TO RAISE A FAMILY. SO WE'RE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR STUDENTS TO COME IN AND OUT OF SCHOOL. AND WHEN THEY HAVE TO LEAVE, THEY CAN COME BACK A MONTH, TWO MONTHS, A YEAR LATER. AND PICK UP FROM WHERE THEY LEFT OFF. THAT'S HOW WE'RE DESIGNED. THAT'S WHY OUR COURSES ARE DESIGNED IN THE WAY THAT THEY ARE. WE ENROLL EVERY NINE AND A HALF WEEKS. WE HAVE OPEN ENROLLMENT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT OUR STUDENTS AREN'T JUST GOING TO BE READY TO GO TO SCHOOL AUGUST 1ST. THEY MAY BE READY TO COME TO SCHOOL IN JANUARY. AND SO OUR PROGRAM IS DESIGNED THAT WAY SO OUR NUMBERS ARE NOT GOING TO FIT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT A TRADITIONAL SCHOOL. WE'RE NOT SET UP TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO TRADITIONAL STUDENTS WHO CAN BE THANK YOU. IN SCHOOL CONTINUOUSLY FOR FOUR OR FIVE YEARS. THERE'S GOING TO BE AN IN AND OUT PROCESS. AND SO THE OTHER WAY THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE MAKING PROGRESS, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE HAVING TO COME IN AND OUT, IS THAT WE LOOK AT THE COMPLETION OF CREDITS IN ORDER TO MOVE THEM AT A GRADE LEVEL. SO YOU COULD HAVE SOMEONE STARTING SCHOOL IN JANUARY. THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO COINCIDE WHEN EVERYBODY TURNS INTO A 12TH GRADER AT THE BEGINNING OF A SCHOOL YEAR. BASED ON THE CREDIT, IT WILL... IT WILL CHANGE. WE ALSO KNOW THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS, SO WE PROVIDE INTENSIVE ELD COURSES. AND THEN IN THAT PATTERN, IT'S THAT THEY DO LIKE A BLOCK COURSE. PERIODS OF ELD AND THEN WHEN THEY GET TO ENGLISH 1 WHICH IS THE CORE ENGLISH CLASS IT'S A BRIDGE CLASS THEN TO CORE ENGLISH COURSES THEY STILL HOLD ON TO A BLOCK PERIOD AND SO THEY GAIN DOUBLE THE CREDITS WHILE THEY'RE DOING THAT CLASS SO THAT WAS A QUESTION OF WHETHER WE COULD CONTINUE TO GIVE THE FIVE CREDITS PER PERIOD GIVEN THAT THEY'RE DOING IT IN TWO PERIODS OR SWITCH IT SO THAT THAT EVERY YEAR IS REPRESENTATIVE OF 10 CREDITS. FOR ENGLISH CLASSES. SO THERE ARE REMEDIES AND THINGS THAT WE CAN WORK WITH THE DISTRICT IF WE NEED TO LOOK MORE TRADITIONAL AS LONG AS IT MAKES SENSE FOR OUR STUDENTS BECAUSE IF WE TURN INTO A TRADITIONAL SCHOOL WE CAN NO LONGER SERVE THE POPULATION THAT WE SERVE. SO WE'RE AWARE THAT THERE MAY BE SOME THINGS THAT WE NEED TO SWITCH TO WE NEED TO LOOK AROUND AND SEE HOW WE CAN MODIFY AND ALL OF THAT HAS A REMEDY. ALL OF THAT IS PART OF A CONVERSATION AND UNDERSTANDING OUR PROGRAM AND KNOWING THAT AGAIN WE DON'T DO THIS RECKLESSLY WE DON'T DO THIS WITHOUT ANY CARE AS YOU CAN SEE WE WOULDN'T HAVE OUR STUDENTS HERE WITH US AND OUR FAMILIES AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A FATHER OR A MOTHER TO COME TO SCHOOL AFTER 10 16 HOURS OF WORK THEY COME TO SCHOOL WE UNDERSTAND THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT'S WHY WE'RE DESIGNED THE WAY THAT WE ARE AND SO I THINK WHAT NEEDS TO BE HIGHLIGHTED IS IS WHEN A STUDENT DOES REACH 12TH GRADE WHEN THEY'VE GOTTEN THOSE COURSES WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY, IN THAT YEAR, COMPLETE A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND DON'T DROP OUT WITHIN THAT YEAR, EVEN THOUGH THAT THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES. THAT'S WHY OUR ONE-YEAR GRADUATION RATE IS THE HIGHEST OF DOS SCHOOLS IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE DISTRICT. THE LAST RENEWAL THAT YOU PROVIDED TO THE SCHOOL WAS HOW LONG AGO? IT WAS 2018. 2018. OKAY, AND BETWEEN 2018 AND NOW, I'M ASSUMING YOU DO ANNUAL REVIEWS LIKE WE DO. A LITTLE OVERSIGHT VISIT. YES, AND THEN THESE ISSUES WERE NEW RECENTLY OR HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME YEARS? AND I KNOW THAT'S A GENERALIZATION BECAUSE THERE'S A NUMBER OF FINDINGS HERE. [02:25:01] THEY'VE BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS. OKAY, SO GIVEN THAT, THEN I'M GOING TO GO BACK, WHICH IS... I APPRECIATE THE EXPLANATION AND IT MAKES SENSE TO ME, GENERALLY SPEAKING. YOU KNOW YOUR BUSINESS BETTER THAN I DO. BUT IF THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN RAISED FOR THIS LONG, IT'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT ACT BY AN ELECTED BOARD, AT LEAST IN MY OPINION. I'VE BEEN HERE TO DENY A RENEWAL, KNOWING THE IMPACT OF THAT DECISION ON FAMILIES, STUDENTS, EMPLOYEES, ETC., AND THE COMMUNITY. WHY ARE WE STILL HERE TODAY WITH A NUMBER OF THESE? AND I'LL EVEN USE ONE AS AN EXAMPLE, LIKE THE GOVERNANCE ISSUES. THOSE TO ME, AND AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO MINIMIZE THIS, POLICIES ESTABLISHED, WRITE IT UP, ADOPT IT, AND YOU MOVE ON. YOU GET THOSE OUT OF THE WAY BECAUSE THE MORE FINDINGS THAT ARE DELINQUENT OR NEGATIVE, THE WORSE THIS CASE, THE SITUATION I'M ASSUMING HAS GOTTEN OVER THE YEARS IN TERMS OF PROBABLY THE DISTRICT'S CHALLENGES IN TERMS OF MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THEIR ELECTED BOARD. I'M SURE THEY WANT TO MOVE AWAY FROM A NUMBER OF THESE ISSUES WITH YOU AND GET THEM OUT OF THEIR INBOX. I WOULD ASSUME YOU AS WELL, SO I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW IT GOT TO THIS POINT AFTER SEVEN YEARS. AND I KNOW THERE'S CHALLENGES. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE POPULATION YOU'RE SERVING. THOSE ARE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES, AND I APPRECIATE THAT, AND I'M SURE THE DISTRICT DOES AND THEIR ELECTED BOARD. SO THAT WAS A LONG DIATRIBE, BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IN MY HEAD AS HOW WE GOT HERE. AND, AGAIN, I DIDN'T FOLLOW THE SITUATION CLOSELY UNTIL NOW. YES. AND SO WE HAVE EVERY LETTER THAT WE'VE GOTTEN, AND WE'VE GOTTEN QUITE A FEW IN THE LAST YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF, WE'VE RESPONDED ON A TIMELY BASIS. WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY RESPONSE FROM THE DISTRICT AS TO DOES IT MEET SATISFACTION OR NOT. ARE THERE ANY OTHER CHANGES THAT WE NEED TO? AT TIMES, WE'VE REALIZED THAT WE EITHER MET THE CRITERIA FOR THE CONCERN THEY HAD OR NOT AT A PUBLIC HEARING. SO IT'S BEEN A BREAKDOWN IN COMMUNICATION IS ALL I CAN PUT IT TO. BUT LIKE YOU SAID, BOTH PARTIES, WE DO NOT WANT TO BE, NO ONE WANTS TO BE IN THIS SITUATION. NO ONE WANTS TO PUT OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF IN THE LEVEL OF UNCERTAINTY THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY. AS YOU NOTED IN YOUR TIMELINE, SCHOOL ENDS JUNE 30TH. OUR STAFF IS WONDERING IF THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A JOB COMING NEXT YEAR. OUR STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW WHETHER THEY'RE GOING TO COME TO SCHOOL. AND FOR THE OTHER ISSUE THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THEY NEED TO KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO GO. SORRY, IF I DRINK TOO MUCH WATER, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO THE RESTROOM. OKAY. SO IT IS A REAL ISSUE AND IT IS CONCERNING FOR EVERYONE AND I WOULD REALLY WE HOPE THAT WE COULD COME TO SOME SORT OF RESOLUTION, BUT SOMETHING HAS GOTTEN IN THE WAY. AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH ESCUELA POPULAR? I'VE BEEN WITH ESCUELA POPULAR SINCE 2000, SO 25, GOING ON 26 YEARS. THANK YOU. SO THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS FOR OUR STAFF. I'D SAY HYPOTHETICALLY YOU GO THROUGH YOUR ASSESSMENT AND YOU MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, WHETHER TO DENY OR APPROVE. LET'S SAY IT'S TO APPROVE BUT WITH CONDITIONS. WOULD THAT BE SIMILAR PROCESS THAT WE DO WITH THE ONES THAT WE WORK WITH DIRECTLY THAT YOU COULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE RENEWAL WITH CONDITIONS? SO THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS YES. IT WOULD BE THE SAME PROCESS. IN A HYPOTHETICAL WORLD YOU COULD. IN A HYPOTHETICAL WORLD IT WOULD BE YES. OKAY. YES. INTERESTING. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ONE QUICK ONE BASED ON SOME OF HIS QUESTIONS. AND I JUST WANT TO RE-ASK THE QUESTION. YOU KIND OF TOUCHED UPON IT WHEN YOU WERE TELLING US. IF BECAUSE OF THE APPEAL, THEY GET TO GO THROUGH THEIR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR? THEY GET TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE THROUGH THE PROCESS OF THE APPEAL. SO OUR DATE FOR... THE DECISION HEARING IS JULY 15TH. THE DEADLINE TO GET TO THE STATE BOARD AGENDA IS JULY 14TH. SO THEY WOULD HAVE 30 DAYS IN WHICH TO APPLY TO THE STATE TO MAKE THE NEXT TIMELINE, WHICH WOULD BE SEPTEMBER. SO THEY STILL HAVE THAT. THEY'RE NOT BARRED FROM THEIR APPEAL. THEY WOULD STILL HAVE THAT 30-DAY WINDOW TO APPEAL TO THE STATE. BUT THEY WOULDN'T BE ON THEIR TIMELINE YET UNTIL SEPTEMBER. SO THAT MEANS THAT THEN THE STATE BOARD, THEY HAVE TO GO TO THE ACCS OR THE GREAT, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF IT. ADVISORY COMMISSION ON CHARTER SCHOOLS. THANK YOU. [02:30:02] THE ADVISORY COMMISSION ON CHARTER SCHOOLS. THANK YOU, JANELLE. THEY GO TO THE ACCS. THE ACCS MAKES A RECOMMENDATION. THAT THEN GOES TO THE STATE BOARD. THIS COULD TAKE THEM ALL THE WAY TO THE DECEMBER BOARD MEETING, IS MY UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR TIMELINE. AND SAY IT SOMEHOW GETS REJECTED, WOULD THEY HAVE TO STOP CEASING IN DECEMBER, WHENEVER THAT HYPOTHETICAL TIME? THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. OKAY, THANK YOU. MAY I CLARIFY? SURE. WHERE IS THAT VOICE COMING FROM? SURE. JUST TO BE CLEAR, FUNDING WOULD STOP. FUNDING FROM THE STATE WOULD STOP AS OF JUNE 30, SO THE SCHOOL WOULDN'T BE RECEIVING FUNDS TO THEN OPEN ITS DOORS DURING THE APPEAL. THAT'S WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAS SAID. OH, THAT'S NEWS TO ME. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. TRUSTEE PACHECO. I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO CAME OUT. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS A DIFFICULT DECISION, AND I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS FOR ALL SIDES. SO I'LL START WITH THE EAST SIDE. DID YOU DENY ESCUELA POPULAR CTC BASED ON 47607E OR C, WHICH EXACTLY? I KNOW IT'S ALL WRITTEN DOWN. YOU'VE ALREADY EXPLAINED IT, BUT JUST... TO CLARIFY, I'LL ASK YOU TO REPEAT SOME INFORMATION. SO WE HAD A, HI, I'M BILL SCHUTZ, I'M COUNSEL FOR THE DISTRICT. THE DENIAL WAS BASED ON DEMONSTRABLY UNLIKELY TO SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM BASED ON STANDARDS AND CRITERION 47605. SO WE LOOKED AT THE GROUNDS FOR DENIAL. IN THAT SECTION WHICH APPLY TO RENEWALS AND THE FINDINGS WERE BASED ON THAT NOT ON SUBSECTION E SO I THINK WE HAVE A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION ON WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN THE IT IS DEFINITELY CLEAR THAT WE DON'T HAVE UNLESS WE'RE MAKING DENYING BASED ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE WHICH THE DISTRICT DID NOT THAT WE DIDN'T NEED TO MAKE THAT FINDING THAT CLOSING IS IN BEST INTEREST OF STUDENTS OKAY SO FOR MICHELLE, DO YOU KNOW WHICH... LAW WE WILL BE UTILIZING FOR OUR DECISION HERE? SO WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING ALL OF THE PETITION ITSELF BECAUSE WE'RE DOING A FRESH LOOK. SO I WILL BE LOOKING AT 47605, 47607, 47607E, 47607D. I'LL BE LOOKING AT ALL OF IT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PERFORMING WHAT WE NEED TO DO. AND THEIR ARGUMENT IS THAT WE CAN ONLY USE E, CORRECT? SO THEIR ARGUMENT IS THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT DOS, WHICH IS WHAT I EXPLAINED, AND WE WOULD HAVE TO USE E IF WE'RE LOOKING AT NON-DOS. NON-DOS. I'M NOT MEANING NON-DOS. FOR ANY OF THE CRITERIA, HIGH, MIDDLE, LOW, OR DOS. THAT WOULD BE 47607E, WHICH SAYS... THERE'S SUBSTANTIAL GOVERNANCE, SUBSTANTIAL FISCAL, OR THE SCHOOL IS NOT SERVING ALL STUDENTS WHO WISH TO ATTEND. AND THEN, SO THEN LET ME THINK. THE SUPERINTENDENT SPOKE EARLIER ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCE OF CLOSING THE SCHOOL, THAT THERE ARE COMPARABLE PROGRAMS IN THE AREA. COULD STAFF JUST... EXPLAIN WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THOSE COMPARABLE PROGRAMS ARE. I KNOW THAT ADULT ED WERE MENTIONED. ARE THERE OTHER DOS PROGRAMS? ARE THERE OTHER LEAS THAT HAVE SUBSTANTIAL SERVICES FOR ENGLISH LEARNER IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES? WHAT ARE THOSE COMPARABLE PROGRAMS? SO AT THIS MOMENT, WE ARE LOOKING AT THREE DIFFERENT ENTITIES, ONE OF THEM BEING OPPORTUNITY YOUTH ACADEMY, ONE BEING APOLLO, AND THE OTHER IS SAN JOSE CONSERVATION CORPS, AND WE HAVE ONE MORE. WELL, METRO ED IS ALSO. YEAH, OKAY. SO THERE'S A WIDE VARIETY. THEY MAY NOT LOOK EXACTLY LIKE A SQUALIPOP, BUT THERE ARE COMPARABLE ENTITIES. [02:35:03] AVAILABLE IN SAN JOSE. AND PROCESS-WISE, BOTH OF THE SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN REVOKED. SO TONIGHT WE'RE ONLY FOCUSING ON THE DENIAL OF THE RENEWAL. WE ARE NOT LOOKING AT THE REVOCATION ISSUES. I SEE. THE REVOCATION IS A COMPLETELY SEPARATE TOPIC. AND YES, I CAN SPEAK TO THAT, BUT IT'S NOT PART OF TONIGHT. UNDERSTOOD. BUT WHEN A CHARTER SCHOOL AS THEY'RE TRYING TO REVOKE. THAT MEANS THEY CAN'T OPERATE. SO IF A CHARTER IS REVOKED, THEN YES, IT IS BASICALLY STATED THAT THEY NO LONGER EXIST AND THEY HAVE AN ENDING DATE. AND RIGHT NOW THAT ENDING DATE IS JUNE 30TH OF 2026 FOR BOTH EPCTC AND EPAFLC. AND THERE'S AN APPELLATE PROCESS FOR THE REVOCATION. THERE IS AN APPELLATE PROCESS FOR THE REVOCATION. BOTH EPCTC AND EPAFLC HAVE SUBMITTED THEIR REVOCATION APPEALS TO THE COUNTY BOARD. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE THOUGH IN HOW WE LOOK AT THE REVOCATION PROCESS. AS I EXPLAINED FOR THE RENEWAL, IT'S A DE NOVO REVIEW. FOR THE REVOCATION PROCESS, HOWEVER, OUR JOB IS TO STAND AS AN APPELLATE BODY AND DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT ALL OF THE RULES WERE FOLLOWED TO HANDLE A REVOCATION BY EASTSIDE, AS WELL AS WHETHER OR NOT THE EASTSIDE BOARD HAD SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO MAKE THE DECISION THAT IT DID. WE ARE NOT STEPPING INTO THE ROLE OF EASTSIDE IN THAT RULE. WE ARE SIMPLY LOOKING AT PROCESS. SO HOW MANY BOATS ARE WE GOING TO TAKE? ON THIS. ON JULY 15TH, THERE WILL BE THREE SEPARATE ACTIONS. I SEE. THE NON-RENEWAL, THE RENEWAL ISSUE, AND THEN TWO REVOCATIONS. THERE WILL BE THE TWO REVOCATIONS FIRST, AND THEN THE NON-RENEWAL, AND THE REASON, OR, AND THE NON-RENEWAL APPEAL. THE REASON IS BECAUSE THE TWO REVOCATIONS WERE SUBMITTED PRIOR TO US RECEIVING THE DENIAL. AND THE CONSEQUENCE OF ALL THREE ACTIONS COULD BE HYPOTHETICALLY. THE SCHOOLS CONTINUE TO OPERATE OR THE SCHOOLS WILL CEASE OPERATIONS AFTER THAT DATE. SO AS I SAID BEFORE, THE SCHOOL HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE IN. PROCESS AS LONG AS THEY'RE IN THE APPEAL PROCESS. SO ONCE OUR BOARD TAKES ACTION, DEPENDING ON WHAT OUR BOARD DECIDES, THEY THEN HAVE THE RIGHT TO APPEAL THAT DECISION SHOULD THE DECISION GO COUNTER TO WHAT THEY WANT. AND THEY WOULD GO THROUGH THE SAME STATE PROCESS THAT I ALREADY EXPLAINED WITH REGARDS TO THE DENIAL. ALSO, I'LL JUST SAY YOU'LL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO RE-EXPLAIN IT MULTIPLE TIMES. SO HAVE PATIENCE BECAUSE I WILL ASK IT MULTIPLE TIMES. OKAY. I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND. IN FACT, I'VE HAD TO EXPLAIN THIS SO MANY TIMES THAT I SOMETIMES GET MIXED UP MYSELF. YES. OKAY. SO QUICK QUESTION FOR EASTSIDE RIGHT NOW. WHAT IS THE GRADUATION RATE FOR ESCUELA POPULAR CTC HIGH SCHOOL, LIKE SENIOR LEVEL, ONE NUMBER? I'M NOT SURE WE ARE QUALIFIED TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION BECAUSE WE DON'T DETERMINE IN THEORY. WE SHOULD NOT BE AUDITING EVERY SINGLE. SENIOR IN ITEMIZING AREAS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AS DEFICIENCIES. THESE ARE THEIR OWN STANDALONE LEA. OUR JOB IS TO DO A PULSE CHECK, RIGHT? SO WE'VE NOTICED CTC LAST YEAR SAYING THAT WE WERE GOING TO DO A DEEPER ANALYSIS. CONTRARY TO WHAT YOU HEARD TONIGHT, OUR STAFF HAVE BEEN AT EP HE A NUMEROUS AMOUNT OF TIMES... SCHOOL YEAR PROVIDING INTENSIVE SUPPORT WE'VE HAD OUR EXPERTISE IN THE VARIOUS SUBJECTS WORKING WITH THEIR STAFF WE'VE GIVEN THEM COLOR-CODED COMMUNICATION THAT OUTLINES THE AREAS OF CONCERN THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE HAD WE HAVE ADDRESSED THESE AREAS OF SUPPORT WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A RESPONSE AND WE HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED A RESPONSE SO I THINK IT'S BEST TO ASK THE CHARTER SCHOOL THEMSELVES WHERE THEY ARE AT IN TERMS OF THEIR PROGRESS TOWARDS GRADUATION AND THE AREAS OF CONCERN THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED REGARDING CREDIT DEFICIENCIES REGARDING ACCESS TO CORE CLASSES AND BEING ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE A COURSE WITHIN THE DESIGNATION [02:40:01] OF A SCHOOL YEAR THANK YOU I ONLY ASK THAT BECAUSE THERE CAN'T BE TWO SETS OF FACTS. THERE CAN'T, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO NUMBERS. SO OBVIOUSLY OUR DEPARTMENT WILL HAVE OUR OWN DE NOVO, WHATEVER THAT TERM IS, TO DETERMINE OUR SET OF FACTS. BUT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE INFORMATION THAT EASTSIDE HAS PROVIDED US, I IMAGINE... YOU DISAGREE WITH THE FACTS AS THEY PRESENT THEM? IS THAT YOUR POSITION? DO YOU THINK THEY'RE LYING? I DON'T THINK THAT THEY'RE LYING. I THINK THAT THERE IS MISCOMMUNICATION, MISALIGNMENT. SO WE, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. WE, THERE'S THE ISSUE OF CREDENTIALING THAT WE'VE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH. AND WE REQUESTED IF WE COULD PLEASE HAVE A MEETING. TO SIT DOWN AND GO TEACHER BY TEACHER BY TEACHER BY TEACHER BECAUSE THERE WERE ERRORS IN THEIR FINDINGS. AND IT COULD BE SOMETHING FROM A TEACHER'S NAME HAVING TWO LAST NAMES, SO WHEN THEY LOOK UP THE TEACHER IN THE CREDENTIALING WEBSITE, THEY WON'T FIND THE TEACHER, AND THEY'LL SAY NO CREDENTIAL, WHERE IN FACT THE TEACHER DOES HAVE A CREDENTIAL. NOW EASTSIDE DOES HAVE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS AND DATES OF BIRTH, BUT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO FIND. NUMEROUS TEACHERS' CREDENTIALS. AND SO WE WANTED TO HAVE A SIT-DOWN MEETING. WE WERE FINALLY GRANTED THAT MEETING JANUARY 29TH. WE HAD FOUR DISTRICT STAFF PRESENT AND MY STAFF IN THE SAME ROOM. WE WENT TEACHER BY TEACHER. WE WENT TO OUR POWER SCHOOL SYSTEM TO LOOK AT THE MASTER SCHEDULE TO VERIFY THE COURSES THAT THEY WERE TEACHING, THAT THEY HAD THE APPROPRIATE CREDENTIAL TO TEACH THAT COURSE. WE HAD SOMEBODY ON THE COMPUTER LOOKING AT THE CREDENTIAL AND THE COMMISSION WEBSITE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS STILL VALID. AND WITHIN THE DISTRICT'S OWN TALLY, THE NUMBER WAS 39 TEACHERS, AND THIS IS A COMBINATION OF BOTH SCHOOLS, WERE FULLY, OUT OF 39 TEACHERS, 35 WERE FULLY CREDENTIALED, AND WE HAD FOUR VACANCIES. SO IT'S A MATTER OF GETTING IN THE SAME ROOM AND MAKING SURE WE'RE TALKING THE SAME LANGUAGE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SAME INFORMATION, BECAUSE YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. THERE SHOULDN'T BE TWO VERSIONS TO A NUMBER. IT APPEARS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TWO TO ALIGN. IT DIDN'T HAPPEN, SO WHY? WE'VE BEEN OPEN AND READY TO DO THAT. EASTSIDE? LIFTING UP SOME OF THESE ISSUES AND IDENTIFYING THE CONCERNS DID NOT START THIS YEAR. IT'S BEEN EXPRESSED PREVIOUSLY. PREVIOUSLY, THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN, WE HAVE A DIFFERENCE IN INTERPRETATION. OKAY, WE HAVE A COMMUNITY THAT DESERVES QUALITY EDUCATION. WE GET THE FACT THAT A STUDENT'S NOT GOING TO JUST GRADUATE IN FIVE YEARS IN THESE SITUATIONS. BUT IF WE PULL UP THAT PAGE, YOU WOULD SEE THAT IF THE LIST OF SENIORS HAD BEEN ACCUMULATED BY THEIR OWN MANAGEMENT AND PROMOTION FROM THE LAST 20 YEARS. STUDENTS HAVE 20 YEARS TO GET TO THAT SENIOR YEAR BY HOW THEY CALCULATE. AND THE SENIOR CLASS IS STILL UNDER 40. THE COMMUNITY IS NOT MOVING TOWARDS COMPLETION OF A HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM. UNDER 40%? UNDER THE NUMBER 40. OUT OF OVER 400 STUDENTS. SO COMMUNICATION HAS HAPPENED BEFORE. WE'RE TOLD IT'S A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION. AS AN OVERSEER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE US WITH THE STAFFING THAT MATCHES THE SCHEDULE. LAST YEAR WHEN THE BOARD APPROVED THE RENEWAL OF THEIR PETITION, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR STOOD IN FRONT OF THE BOARD AND SAID, THEY WERE ASKED, WILL YOU BE FULLY CREDENTIALED FOR THE START OF NEXT YEAR? WE WERE TOLD YES. A BOARD MEMBER DID A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION. WE CARE FOR THIS COMMUNITY. THEY DESERVE A QUALITY EDUCATION. THEY DESERVE TO PROGRESS. WE BELIEVE THAT A PATTERN, ROVING PATTERN OF 30-DAY SUBS IS NOT IN THE EDUCATIONAL BEST INTEREST OF STUDENTS. EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE MAKING THE ARGUMENT THAT IT IS, THEY DID NOT START THE YEAR FULLY CREDENTIALED. THEY WERE ASKED AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER, NOT FULLY CREDENTIALED. THEIR ATTORNEY SHOWED UP IN OUR BOARDROOM IN OCTOBER AND SAID, HERE'S THE BINDER THAT SHOWS WE'RE FULLY CREDENTIALED. THERE WERE INCONSISTENCIES IN [02:45:01] THE TEACHER LIST AND CREDENTIALS WITHIN THEIR OWN BINDERS. AT THAT POINT, THERE WERE 54 EDUCATORS IN THE BINDER. NONE OF THEM IS NOW LESS THAN THAT. WHERE DID THEY GO? YOU ARE CORRECT THAT THERE SHOULD BE ONE SET OF FACTS AND ONE SET OF NUMBERS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A FOOT NOT HAVE A FULLY CREDENTIALED SCHOOL BECAUSE AN OVERSEER DIDN'T GO AND MEET WITH A STAFF. WE HAD A STAFF THAT KNEW SINCE THE YEAR 2020 THAT THEY HAD TO BE FULLY CREDENTIALED. THEY DID NOT MAKE MOVES TO THAT OUTCOME. AND WE CAN SEE WE CAN SEE THE EVIDENCE OF HOW IT'S AFFECTING THE COMMUNITY BY THOSE GRADUATION NUMBERS AND HOLDING STUDENTS IN A CYCLE. IN THE NINTH AND TENTH GRADE CYCLE, FOR YEARS, AND THOSE STUDENTS ARE NOT SHOWING UP FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS LATER TO GRADUATE, THEY'RE BEING LOST IN A SYSTEM THAT IS NOT PREPARED TO ADVANCE THEM. THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY QUESTIONS. I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT HAS GONE FROM BOTH SIDES INTO THE ANALYSIS AND BREAKDOWN. BUT IF THE FINDINGS AND TRAJECTORY AND HISTORY THAT EASTSIDE HAS PRESENTED IS TRUE, THEN HOW CAN OPERATION CONTINUE? THAT'S THE ULTIMATE QUESTION. SO THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, TRUSTEES. HAVING RECEIVED COMMENTS FROM STAFF, AS WELL AS THE POPULAR CENTER FOR TRAINING AND CAREERS, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND THE PUBLIC, THE BOARD NOW CLOSES THIS PUBLIC HEARING. THE BOARD WILL RECONVENE AND ACT ON THIS REQUEST ON JULY 15, 2026. ANY FURTHER DELIBERATIONS BY THE BOARD PRIOR TO ACTING ON THIS MATTER WILL BE IN CONFORMANCE WITH ALL OTHER REQUIREMENTS OF THE BROWN ACT. THIS HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. WITH THAT, WE ARE NOW MOVING TO ITEM 10, OUR INFORMATION ITEMS. EXCUSE ME, PRESIDENT JOHN. YES. [A. Informational Presentation and Study Session – County School Services Fund] WE HAVE TWO PUBLIC COMMENTS, ONE FOR 10A AND ONE FOR 10D. OKAY, THANK YOU. 10A AND 10D. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, THE FIRST INFORMATION ITEM IS INFORMATIONAL PRESENTATION AND STUDY SESSION ON THE COUNTY SCHOOL SERVICES FUND. THIS INFORMATION ITEM, I'M GOING TO WAIT UNTIL THE ROOM CLEARS JUST SO WE CAN DO THAT. YOU GUYS WANT A BREAK? THE FIRST INFORMATION ITEM IS INFORMATIONAL PRESENTATION AND STUDY SESSION ON THE COUNTY SCHOOL SERVICES FUND. THIS INFORMATION WILL BE PRESENTED BY STEPHANIE GOMEZ, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF BUSINESS SERVICES, AND LAUREN WYNN, DIRECTOR OF INTERNAL BUSINESS SERVICES. OH, I WAS GOING TO DO THE REPORT AND DO PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT WE CAN DO PUBLIC COMMENT, SO IF YOU GUYS WANT TO PREPARE FIRST. MODERATOR, CAN WE DO PUBLIC? THERE'S JUST ONE COMMENT ON THIS, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO THAT BEFORE WE START THE PRESENTATION. OUR SPEAKER IS DIANE KAPILI. IF YOU COULD PLEASE APPROACH THE MICROPHONE, CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME, AND PRESENT YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT. HELLO AGAIN. GOOD EVENING, TRUSTEES AND DR. TOSTIN. IN PAST BUDGET STUDY SESSION PRESENTATIONS, THERE WAS A FIVE-YEAR TREND SHOWING SPECIAL EDUCATION ENROLLMENT AND THE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOMS, AS WELL AS PROJECTED ENROLLMENT FROM PARTICIPATING DISTRICTS FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR. THESE SLIDES HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO YOU STARTING FROM FISCAL YEAR 2017 AND 2018. PLEASE REVIEW THE NUMBERS CAREFULLY. I AM CURIOUS WHY THESE TRENDS ARE NO LONGER INCLUDED. THIS INFORMATION PROVIDES IMPORTANT CONTEXT FOR UNDERSTANDING STAFFING AND PROGRAM DECISIONS BUT ALSO RAISES SOME QUESTIONS. CAN WE SPEND MORE TIME ANALYZING THESE NUMBERS RATHER THAN FOCUSING ON COUNTRY COUNTY-WIDE DECLINING ENROLLMENT TRENDS? WE HAVE HEARD FROM MULTIPLE CONCERNED FAMILIES TONIGHT THAT THEIR CHILDREN MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATELY SERVED WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR IN A NON-MEDICALLY FRAGILE CLASSROOM SETTING. LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS. PLEASE SPEAK WITH THE PARENTS. I'M ALSO CURIOUS AS TO WHY THE INCREASE IN SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING INCLUDED IN THE GOVERNOR'S MAY REVISION WAS NOT HIGHLIGHTED IN TONIGHT'S BUDGET STUDY SESSION PRESENTATION. IF DISTRICTS ARE RECEIVING INCREASED SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING, THOSE RESOURCES SHOULD HELP SUPPORT PEOPLE. THIS CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU. OKAY, NOW WE WILL GO TO OUR PRESENTATION. [02:50:13] OKAY, GOOD EVENING PRESIDENT CHAN, DR. TOSSMAN, AND TRUSTEES. THIS EVENING WE WILL BE GIVING A BUDGET STUDY SESSION. WE HAVE LEILANI FROM SCHOOL SERVICES THAT'S GOING TO GIVE A HIGH-LEVEL OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE STATEWIDE TRENDS, UPDATES ON THE GOVERNOR'S MAY REVISE, AND THEN ALSO TALK ABOUT OUR FUNDING. AND THEN AFTER THAT PIECE OF THE PRESENTATION, THEN WE'LL GO INTO A HIGH-LEVEL PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF OUR COUNTY SCHOOL SERVICE FUND BUDGET THAT WE WILL BE BRINGING BACK HERE ON JUNE 3RD FOR PUBLIC HEARING. SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO LEILANI. GREAT. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE WITH YOU THIS EVENING. SO THIS IS AN UPDATED PRESENTATION. YOU'VE HEARD SOME OF THIS INFORMATION IN YEARS PAST, AND I WAS ASKED TO COME BACK. LEILANI, CAN YOU GO A LITTLE CLOSER? HOW ABOUT NOW? OH, THERE WE GO. YEAH, THAT'S BETTER. THANK YOU. I WAS ASKED TO COME BACK TO PROVIDE AN UPDATED PRESENTATION ON SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE RECEIVED IN THE PAST. AS WELL AS TO GIVE A SUMMARY OF THE GOVERNOR'S MAY REVISION THAT WAS RELEASED A WEEK AGO. YEAH, TODAY'S WEDNESDAY. IT WAS RELEASED A WEEK AGO. SO FIRST WE'LL START WITH SOME STATEWIDE TRENDS. AS YOU'VE HEARD BEFORE, CALIFORNIA'S PUBLIC K-12 ENROLLMENT CONTINUES TO DROP. THIS IS A TREND THAT REALLY STARTED DURING THE PANDEMIC, WHERE... THE ENROLLMENT STATEWIDE WAS ALREADY STARTING TO DECLINE YEAR OVER YEAR, BUT REALLY, ONCE COVID HIT, THE DECLINE WAS INCREASED PRETTY RAPIDLY. AND SO HERE YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE ARE NOW POST-COVID IN THE BLUE BARS AND THE EXPECTED PROJECTION, WHICH IS A MUCH DEEPER DOWNWARD TRAJECTORY THAN IT HAD BEEN IN THE ORANGE BARS THERE BEFORE COVID. AS AN EXAMPLE, JUST TO PUT SOME NUMBERS TO IT. IN THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET, WHEN HE RELEASED HIS BUDGET PROPOSAL IN JANUARY, COMPARED TO THE MAY REVISION THAT WAS RELEASED LAST WEEK, THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE REDUCED THEIR ESTIMATE FOR AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE IN 25-26 BY 64,000. SO THAT'S JUST BETWEEN JANUARY AND MAY FOR THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR, 64,000. AND ACCORDINGLY, ON PATH WITH THE TRAJECTORY THAT IS OUTLINED HERE IN THIS GRAPH, THEY UPDATED THEIR PROJECTIONS SINCE JANUARY TO THE MAY REVISION TO REDUCE AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE IN 26-27 BY AN ADDITIONAL 81,000. SO AGAIN, SIGNIFICANT DROPS THERE. HERE WE SUMMARIZE HOW THIS LOOKS, WHAT THE DISTRIBUTION IS OF THESE CHANGING ENROLLMENT PATTERNS ACROSS THE STATE. SO THE PATTERN IS REALLY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN YEARS PAST WITH A SIMILAR PATTERN FOR THE COUNTIES THAT ARE IN DEEP RED VERSUS THE COUNTIES THAT ARE INCREASING IN ENROLLMENT REFLECTED IN BLUE. AND HERE IS SIMILAR INFORMATION THAT SHOWS IT HERE WITHIN SANTA CLARA COUNTY. THE NEXT FEW SLIDES ARE SEPARATED BETWEEN ELEMENTARY, HIGH SCHOOL, AND UNIFIED DISTRICTS. SO HERE YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE PATTERN IS LOCALLY FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICTS. YOU CAN SEE THE DISTRICTS WITH THE SHARPER DECLINES IN ENROLLMENT IN DEEP RED, AND THEN THOSE FEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE INCREASING IN ENROLLMENT IN BLUE. AND THEN HERE IS THE CHART FOR HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THERE'S ONLY ONE DISTRICT IN THE COUNTY, ONE HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE COUNTY, THAT IS SHOWING ANY INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT. AND THEN HERE WE HAVE SIMILAR INFORMATION FOR UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE COUNTY. AGAIN, IT'S ONLY ONE OR TWO DISTRICTS THAT ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT WITHIN THE COUNTY. HERE WE HAVE A LIST OF THE 10 FASTEST DECLINING COUNTIES WITHIN CALIFORNIA. I THINK LAST YEAR SANTA CLARA WAS THIRD OR FOURTH FASTEST DECLINING SO NOW YOU'RE STILL IN THE TOP TEN BUT NOW YOU'RE NOW YOU'RE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST BUT YOU'LL SEE IT'S A MIX RIGHT IT'S A MIX OF LARGE COUNTIES LIKE OBVIOUSLY LOS ANGELES VERSUS A COUNTY LIKE PLUMAS WHERE MAYBE ONE FAMILY MOVED OUT RIGHT AND AND IT'S A AND IT'S A STEEP DROP IN ENROLLMENT FOR THEM MAYBE THAT ONE FAMILY THAT LEFT PLUMAS MOVED TO ALPINE RIGHT AND THAT'S WHY ALPINE HAS THAT THAT. HAS THAT GREAT INCREASE AND HAS THAT ROLE ON THE LIST AS THE TOP, IN THE TOP 10 FASTEST GROWING COUNTIES. BUT THAT'S WHAT'S REFLECTED HERE ON THIS SLIDE. AND ALL OF THAT DATA IS REFLECTIVE OF ENROLLMENT, BUT AS YOU ALL KNOW, MUCH OF THE FUNDING FOR CALIFORNIA'S K-12 LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES IS RELIANT ON AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE, [02:55:03] WHICH FACTORS IN THE ATTENDANCE RATE. AND APPLIES THAT ATTENDANCE RATE TO AN LEA'S ENROLLMENT. SO HERE YOU SEE WHAT THE PATTERN IS, RIGHT? IT WAS STEADY ADA PROPORTION BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, WHERE IT WAS IN THE HIGH 90S AND OR IN THE MID 90S. AND RIGHT AFTER THE PANDEMIC, RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE IMPACT IS. AND ATTENDANCE RATES ARE STILL CLEARLY REBOUNDING FROM THE PANDEMIC. SO IT'S GOOD THAT IT IS REBOUNDING. IT'S GOING IN THE RIGHT TRAJECTORY. DIRECTION, BUT WE ARE STILL HOPEFUL THAT THE ATTENDANCE RATES WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE TO GET CLOSER TO WHAT THE ATTENDANCE RATES WERE BEFORE COVID. AND AGAIN, HERE, THE ENROLLMENT PATTERNS ARE BROKEN DOWN BY ELEMENTARY, HIGH SCHOOL, AND UNIFIED DISTRICTS. AND THEN HERE, WE JUST SHOW WHAT THE BIRTH RATES ARE RELATIVE, THE CHANGES RELATIVE TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR. SO OBVIOUSLY, IN 2024, THERE WAS AN UPTICK. SO HOPEFULLY THAT'S A BUBBLE, PARTICULARLY IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY, THAT WILL DEMONSTRATE ITSELF AS AN INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT IN ABOUT FIVE OR SIX YEARS, RIGHT, WHEN THESE BIRTHS, WHEN THESE BABIES BECOME SCHOOL AGE. SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE OF THE HUGE DECLINE IN THE BIRTH RATE THAT WAS SEEN IN 2020. AND FROM THAT, I WILL MOVE ON TO AN OVERVIEW OF THE GOVERNOR'S MAY REVISION. SO AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE GOVERNOR RELEASED LAST WEEK. BY LAW, THE GOVERNOR IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE WHAT WE CALL A MAY REVISION TO HIS BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR. AND THE REASON FOR THIS IS BECAUSE WHEN THE GOVERNOR UNVEILS HIS FIRST DRAFT OF HIS BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR 26-27 IN JANUARY, AS THE MONTHS GO BY, WE HAVE MORE UPDATED DATA. SO THE LAW REQUIRES THAT BY MAY 14 EACH YEAR THE GOVERNOR UPDATES HIS BUDGET PROJECTIONS. UPDATES HIS BUDGET PROPOSAL TO REFLECT MORE REVENUE DATA THAT IS AVAILABLE. AND SO WITH THAT, HE'S ABLE TO CHANGE SOME OF THE INVESTMENTS THAT HE INCLUDES IN HIS BUDGET PROPOSAL. SO HERE WE START WITH THE RISKS TO THE ECONOMY AND THE STATE BUDGET. AND THESE ARE RISKS THAT ARE AT THE STATE LEVEL, RIGHT? SO THESE ARE RISKS THAT ARE NOT SPECIFIC TO THE PROPOSITION 98 SIDE OF THE BUDGET. AND AS YOU ALL KNOW ALREADY, THE PROPOSITION 98 MINIMUM GUARANTEE THANK YOU. IS A REQUIRED FUNDING LEVEL FOR WHAT THE STATE PROVIDES FOR K THROUGH 14 EDUCATION. SO MORE GENERALLY, RIGHT, SOME OF THE RISKS THAT I WANT TO NOTE HERE IS ONE OF THE BULLETS ON THE RIGHT. STRUCTURAL DEFICITS PERSIST DESPITE STRONG REVENUE GROWTH AND IMPROVED TAX COLLECTIONS. SO THIS IS PARTICULARLY FELT ON THE NON-98 SIDE OF THE BUDGET, RIGHT? SO WHILE WHEREAS THERE'S YEAR-OVER-YEAR GROWTH IN THE PROPOSITION 98 MINIMUM GUARANTEE TO PROTECT SCHOOLS IN THE STATE BUDGET, ON THE FLIP SIDE THE NON-98 SIDE OF THE BUDGET, AND THIS IS THE PART OF THE BUDGET THAT FUNDS THINGS LIKE THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SYSTEM, THE CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM. HEALTH CARE, SOCIAL SAFETY NET PROGRAMS, RIGHT? SO VERY CRITICAL PROGRAMS FOR OUR FAMILIES, AND THAT'S WHERE THE STRUCTURAL DEFICITS ARE SEEN. THERE'S ANOTHER NOTE THERE ABOUT A GREATER DEPENDENCE ON TECH AND FINANCIAL MARKETS, WHICH INCREASES VOLATILITY RISK FOR STATE REVENUE. THIS IS ALL HAPPENING IN YOUR BACKYARD, RIGHT? WE'VE HEARD OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS THAT THE MARKED INCREASE IN REVENUES THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING IN THE STATE BUDGET IS BEING DRIVEN. BY THE BOOM IN THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INDUSTRY. AND SO THE CONCERNS ARE THAT THOSE GAINS, WHILE IT'S GREAT THAT THE STATE IS EXPERIENCING GAINS IN THE ECONOMY FROM THOSE REVENUES IN THAT INDUSTRY, THE CONCERN IS THAT IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE, RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S WHY THE GOVERNOR CONTINUES TO BE VERY CONSERVATIVE ABOUT HIS NUMBERS BECAUSE HE DOESN'T WANT TO ASSUME THAT THE REVENUES, THE PACE OF THE REVENUES THAT HAVE BEEN COMING IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS WILL PERSIST FOR YEARS TO COME. AND THEN THE LAST THING TO REALLY POINT OUT ON THIS SLIDE IS AT THE VERY BOTTOM, THE MEDI-CAL COSTS AND CASELOAD PRESSURES, ALONG WITH THE REDUCED FEDERAL MEDICAID SPENDING. SO THIS REALLY IS A RESULT OF THE CHANGES AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL ON RULES ASSOCIATED WITH ACCESS TO MEDICAID AND THE PRESSURES THAT PUTS ON THE CALIFORNIA SAFETY NET PROGRAMS. AND, OF COURSE, CALIFORNIA WANTS TO FILL THAT GAP. THAT'S CREATED BY THE... RETRACTION IN THE FEDERAL RESOURCES THAT ARE PROVIDED. AND SO THAT'S WHERE THERE IS A LOT OF TENSION THERE WITH THE STATE BUDGET. SO SHIFTING TO THE PROPOSITION 98 SIDE OF THE BUDGET, I DON'T HAVE A SLIDE THAT SPEAKS TO IT, BUT I WILL SAY THAT RELATIVE TO THE JANUARY BUDGET PROPOSAL, THE MAY REVISION INCREASES THE PROPOSITION 98 MINIMUM [03:00:02] GUARANTEE BY $6.4 BILLION OVER THE THREE-YEAR BUDGET WINDOW. AGAIN, WHEN COMPARED TO HIS PROPOSAL IN JANUARY. SO THIS IS GREAT NEWS FOR SCHOOLS, RIGHT? IT'S MORE THAN $6 BILLION OF ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS TO PROPOSE FOR INVESTMENTS FOR CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS. HOWEVER, AND I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN A BIG PRIORITY FOR MANY OF YOU, THE GOVERNOR'S MAY REVISION STILL DOES INCLUDE A SETTLE-UP PROPOSAL FOR THE 25-26 FISCAL YEAR. IN JANUARY, THE SIZE OF THE SETTLE-UP WAS MUCH GREATER. HE WAS PROPOSING TO UNDER-APPROPRIATE THE MINIMUM GUARANTEE BY $5.6 BILLION. AND NOW WITH THE INCREASED REVENUES, THE INCREASED PROPOSITION 98 LEVEL, HE IS SPENDING MORE OR HE IS INVESTING MORE IN K-12 EDUCATION, IN K-14 EDUCATION. HOWEVER, HE IS STILL PRESERVING $3.9 BILLION. HE IS STILL RETAINING. A $3.9 BILLION UNDER APPROPRIATION OF THE MINIMUM GUARANTEE BECAUSE HE IS CONCERNED THAT SOME OF THESE REVENUES WILL NOT MATERIALIZE. HE IS HOPEFUL, BUT HE'S WORRIED IT WON'T MATERIALIZE. SO THAT'S $6.54 PER ADA. THAT IS A BACK-OF-THE-ENVELOPE CALCULATION WHERE IF THAT $3.9 BILLION WAS INCLUDED IN THE EXPENDITURE PLAN BY THE GOVERNOR, AND IF IT WAS PROVIDED TO LEAS ON A PER ADA BASIS. THIS IS WHAT IT WOULD TRANSLATE TO. HOWEVER, RIGHT, THE CAUTION THERE IS, OF COURSE, THIS IS NOT, IF THE GOVERNOR WAS TO INCLUDE THE $3.9 BILLION IN HIS APPROPRIATION, WE CAN'T ASSUME THAT ALL THAT MONEY WOULD MANIFEST ITSELF, YOU KNOW, AND FLOW DOWN TO SCHOOLS. FOR EXAMPLE, HE COULD CHOOSE TO PUT $3.9 BILLION INTO THE RAINY DAY FUND, RIGHT? AND SO THEN IT WOULDN'T, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD FLOW DOWN TO SCHOOLS ON A PER ADA BASIS IN THIS WAY. WE... WE SIMPLY PROVIDE THAT FIGURE AS A WAY TO KIND OF GET A SENSE OF WHAT THE SCALE IS OF THAT $3.9 BILLION. AND SO NOW I WILL TURN TO THE MAY REVISION PROPOSALS THAT IMPACT THE COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION FUNDING SPECIFICALLY. SO A COUPLE OF SLIDES HERE ON THE DIFFERENT LOCAL CONTROL FUNDING FORMULA POTS OF MONEY THAT THE COUNTY OFFICE RECEIVES. SO THIS POT OF MONEY, THE FIRST ONE, IS YOUR OPERATIONS GRANT. SO THIS MONEY, A PORTION OF THESE FUNDS ARE PROVIDED BASED ON THE COUNTYWIDE ADA. THE STATUTORY COLA, I SHOULD BACK UP AND SAY THAT THE STATUTORY COLA, WE NOW KNOW WE HAVE ALL THE DATA POINTS. IN ORDER TO CALCULATE THE STATUTORY COLA AND IT IS SET AT 2.87 PERCENT. SO THAT'S A SLIGHT INCREASE FROM THE PROPOSED STATUTORY COLA IN JANUARY. BUT AGAIN, THIS FIGURE IS NOW SET. WHAT I DIDN'T INCLUDE IN THIS SLIDE, HOWEVER, IS AN AUGMENTED COLA THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS PROPOSED FOR THE LCFF. IN ADDITION TO THE 2.87 PERCENT STATUTORY COLA, THE GOVERNOR HAS PROPOSED AN ADDITIONAL 1.44 PERCENT INCREASE. IN LCFF FUNDING YEAR OVER YEAR, THIS OPERATIONS GRANT, AT FIRST WE THOUGHT THIS WOULDN'T BENEFIT FROM THE AUGMENTED COLA, BUT WE HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT, WE JUST FOUND OUT YESTERDAY, SO I APOLOGIZE IT'S NOT REFLECTED ON THE SLIDE, BUT THE OPERATIONS GRANT THAT THE COUNTY RECEIVES WILL ALSO RECEIVE THAT AUGMENTED 1.44% COLA. IN ADDITION TO YOUR COUNTY OPERATIONS GRANT THAT IS PART OF YOUR LCFF FUNDING, YOU ALSO RECEIVE FUNDS THROUGH THE ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION GRANT. AND THE ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION GRANT, THESE PER ADA FIGURES THAT ARE NOTED ON THIS SLIDE, THAT IS REFLECTIVE OF BOTH THE 2.87% COLA AS WELL AS THE 1.44% AUGMENTED COLA. I SHOULD ALSO TAKE A MINUTE TO EXPLAIN THAT PART OF THE REASON THAT THE GOVERNOR PROPOSES THAT AUGMENTED COLA OF 1.44% IS BECAUSE OF A PROPOSAL THAT HE HAS INCLUDED IN HIS MAY REVISION TO REQUIRE LEAS TO PROVIDE UP TO 14 WEEKS OF PAID PREGNANCY DISABILITY LEAVE STARTING JULY SO THIS IS A VERY HUGE LANDMARK INVESTMENT AND PROPOSAL FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE. SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE GREAT FOR ALL LEA EMPLOYEES, HOWEVER, AS FAR AS FACTORING IN WHAT THE ADDITIONAL REVENUES ARE THAT COME FROM THAT 1.44% AUGMENTATION TO THE LCFF, I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALSO REALIZE THAT IT IS ALSO PARTIALLY INTENDED TO PAY FOR THOSE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEW PROPOSAL FOR A PAID PREGNANCY DISABILITY LEAVE. THE AUGMENTED COLA, HOWEVER, DOES NOT APPLY. [03:05:02] TO ANY OF THESE OTHER LCFF FUNDS THAT ARE INCLUDED ON THIS SLIDE. SO THE LCAP SUPPORT FUNDS, THE COUNTY COMMUNITY SCHOOL FUNDS, AND THE JUVENILE COURT SCHOOL FUNDS THAT THE COUNTY OFFICE RECEIVES, THAT IS INCREASED BY THE 2.87% STATUTORY COLA ONLY. AND SIMILARLY, THE FUNDS THAT THE COUNTY OFFICE RECEIVES FOR DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE, THESE ARE FUNDS THAT FLOW THROUGH THE LOCAL CONTROL FUNDING FORMULA BUT ARE USED... ONLY FOR DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE SUPPORTS THAT YOU PROVIDE TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS IDENTIFIED FOR DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE WITHIN YOUR COUNTY. AND SO THIS IS THE FORMULA FOR HOW YOUR DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE FUNDS ARE CALCULATED. AND IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS POT OF MONEY WILL ONLY RECEIVE THE STATUTORY COLA AND NOT THE AUGMENTED COLA. SO FOR ALL OF THESE COMPONENTS OF YOUR LCFF FUNDS, I DON'T HAVE THE BREAKDOWN FOR HOW MUCH EXACTLY SANTA CLARA COUNTY RECEIVES FOR EACH OF THESE POTS OF MONEY, BUT I DID INCLUDE THESE SLIDES JUST TO ILLUSTRATE THAT YOUR LCFF FUNDS COMES TO YOU THROUGH DIFFERENT METHODOLOGIES, AND SOME OF THEM HAVE ASSOCIATED REQUIREMENTS WITH THEM. YES? WAIT, IS THE FLOW OF THE PRESENTATION, CAN WE JUST FLOW THROUGH IT FIRST, AND THEN CAN WE GO TO QUESTIONS, TRUSTEE PACHECO? SURE. OKAY. CAN WE JUST GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION FIRST? SURE. SO THIS SLIDE JUST REFLECTS, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW IT GETS VERY CONFUSING EVEN INTERNALLY WITHIN OUR OFFICE. SOMETIMES THE QUESTION COMES UP, WAIT, IT'S JANUARY. IS THIS COLA FINAL? NO, WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE MAY REVISION. IS THIS COLA FINAL? YES, THIS ONE IS FINAL, RIGHT? SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE CAN BE A LOT OF JUST WHIPLASH ASSOCIATED WITH HOW THE COLA CHANGES DEPENDING ON THE POINT IN TIME, RIGHT? AND SO HERE WE ILLUSTRATE THAT CHANGE. WITH THE LAST FEW YEARS TO SHOW HOW IT HAS CHANGED AS WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS AT THE STATE LEVEL. SO YOU SEE IN 22-23, THAT ONE IS THE BIGGEST EXAMPLE OF HOW THE COLA HAS FLUCTUATED, RIGHT? AT ONE POINT FOR 22-23, IT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 2.48 PERCENT, AND THEN ULTIMATELY IT LANDED AT THE FINAL LEVEL OF 6.56 PERCENT. SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE CAN BE A LOT OF VARIANCE. HOWEVER, THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, IN 25-26 AND 26-27, THE CHANGE HAS NOT BEEN AS GREAT AS IT HAS BEEN IN 22-23. THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE THE COLA MEASURES HOW MUCH PRICES CHANGE. RATHER THAN HOW MUCH THINGS COST AT A POINT IN TIME, RIGHT? SO EVEN THOUGH RIGHT NOW THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WE STILL SEE COSTS FOR THINGS AT A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL THAN THEY WERE MAYBE FIVE YEARS AGO, THE FACT THAT THE COLA HAS NOT CHANGED VERY MUCH REFLECTS THAT THE PRICES, WHILE THEY'RE HIGH, THEY HAVEN'T FLUCTUATED MUCH, RIGHT? WHEREAS IN 22-23, THE GREAT FLUCTUATION IN THE COLA REFLECTS THE YOU GREAT CHANGING THE GREAT LEVEL THE PRICE THERE ARE CHANGES IN THE COST LEVELS THAT WE WERE EXPERIENCING DURING THAT PERIOD IN THE ECONOMY FOR COMPARISON I ALSO INCLUDED THE CPI BECAUSE OFTENTIMES THERE'S YOU KNOW THOUGHTS OF WHY DO WE RELY ON THE STATUTORY COLA WHY NOT DO THE CPI THAT'S BETTER REFLECTIVE OF THE ECONOMY BUT I ALSO JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT YOU KNOW SOME YEARS THE CPI IS LOWER THAN THE COLA AS YOU CAN SEE THERE IN 2223 AND 23-24. SO JUST TO FURTHER ILLUSTRATE WHAT THE IMPACT IS OF THAT CHANGING COLA, WHICH CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR BASED ON, AND THE REASON FOR THAT TOO IS THEIR PROJECTIONS AT DIFFERENT POINTS IN TIME, RIGHT? IT'S NOT UNTIL APRIL, AT THE END OF APRIL EACH YEAR, THAT WE HAVE ALL THE DATA POINTS TO SET THE STATUTORY COLA. SO UNTIL THAT POINT IN TIME, WHAT WE HAVE FOR THE COLA IS A PROJECTION. AND THE IMPACT HERE ON THIS GRAPH, IT'S MEANT TO SHOW HOW PROJECTIONS FOR LCFF REVENUE, THEY CAN FLUCTUATE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AT FIRST INTERIM, SECOND INTERIM, OR ADOPTED BUDGET, THOSE ARE THE PERIODS IN TIME WHEN THE COLA CHANGES AND THE NUMBERS THAT ARE BUILT INTO THE FIRST INTERIM, SECOND INTERIM, AND ADOPTED BUDGET, THEY REFLECT THE LATEST INFORMATION THAT IS PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, RIGHT? SO AGAIN, AT FIRST INTERIM AND SECOND INTERIM, THE COLA'S ARE ONLY ESTIMATES AT THAT POINT. AND SO HERE, AGAIN, WE SHOW THAT. YOU KNOW, HOW THE NUMBERS CAN CHANGE AND WHY IT FEELS LIKE THERE'S THAT WHIPSAW EFFECT. ANY INCREASES YEAR OVER YEAR THAT ARE SEEN IN THE LOCAL CONTROL FUNDING FORMULA, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, FOR THE MOST PART SERVES AS THE GENERAL PURPOSE OR THE GENERAL FUNDS AVAILABLE TO AN LEA, YOU KNOW, JUST HERE A REMINDER THAT OFTENTIMES A LOT OF THAT IS CONSUMED BY INCREASES IN THE CALPERS [03:10:02] EMPLOYER RATE AND THE CALSTRS EMPLOYER RATE. SWITCHING GEARS A LITTLE BIT, ALSO INCLUDED IN THE GOVERNOR'S MAY REVISION PROPOSAL IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ONE-TIME FUNDS THROUGH THE STUDENT SUPPORT AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DISCRETIONARY BLOCK GRANT. SO AT THE STATE LEVEL, THIS IS A HUGE INVESTMENT. IN JANUARY, THIS WAS PROPOSED FOR $2.8 BILLION, AND NOW IN THE MAY REVISION, THAT AMOUNT WAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY TO $5 BILLION. OUR BACK OF THE ENVELOPE CALCULATION AT SCHOOL SERVICES IS THAT WE ESTIMATE THIS WILL PROVIDE ABOUT $937 PER ADA. THE THING WE DO WANT TO POINT OUT, HOWEVER, IS THAT WE EXPECT THIS AMOUNT TO CHANGE AS BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN WE HAVE AN ENACTED BUDGET, HOPEFULLY BY JULY 1. THE REASON FOR THESE CHANGES, OR THE REASON WE ANTICIPATE THINGS WILL CHANGE, IS THAT $5 BILLION AMOUNT. WE HAVE A HIGH EXPECTATION THAT THAT TOTAL STATE INVESTMENT WILL CHANGE, RIGHT? IF REVENUES CONTINUE TO PROGRESS AND IF THE GOVERNOR ANTICIPATES THAT THERE WILL ACTUALLY BE EVEN MORE PROPOSITION 98 FUNDING AVAILABLE, HE COULD VERY WELL DECIDE HE'S GOING TO THROW MORE OF IT INTO THIS DISCRETIONARY BLOCK GRANT, AND SO MAYBE THAT $5 BILLION WILL INCREASE. ALTERNATIVELY, THERE COULD BE A DECISION THAT THEY WANT TO FUND OTHER THINGS IN THE BUDGET, AS AN EXAMPLE. JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, RIGHT, THEY COULD DECIDE TO INCLUDE IN THE ENACTED BUDGET FUNDING TO MANDATE ETHNIC STUDIES, RIGHT? AND SO THAT WOULD COME WITH A CERTAIN PRICE TAG, AND IN ORDER TO FUND THAT, THEY COULD TAKE IT OUT OF THE DISCRETIONARY BLOCK GRANT. SO THOSE ARE ALL DECISIONS THAT COULD HAPPEN IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. SO WE DO HAVE A LOT OF CAUTION ASSOCIATED WITH COUNTING ON ANY OF THESE FUNDS THROUGH THIS DISCRETIONARY BLOCK GRANT. THE OTHER THING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS STATE PRESCHOOL AND CHILD CARE. THE MAIN THING I WANT TO DRY YOUR EYE TO HERE IS I TALKED ABOUT THE 2.87% STATUTORY COLA. I TALKED ABOUT AN AUGMENTED COLA FOR THE LOCAL CONTROL FUNDING FORMULA. UNFORTUNATELY, STATE PRESCHOOL AND OTHER CHILD CARE PROGRAMS HAVE AN EVEN LOWER COLA. THE COLA FOR PRESCHOOL AND CHILD CARE PROGRAMS IS LESS THAN THE STATUTORY COLA. IT'S PROPOSED TO BE ONLY 2.01%. SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT IS GOING TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS FOR LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES THAT RUN ROBUST PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU COUPLE THAT LOWER COLA WITH THE END OF A HOLD HARMLESS, WHICH WILL EXPIRE JUNE 30, 2026. AND THEN FINALLY, WHERE ARE WE? AND THEN I JUST HAVE TWO MORE SLIDES AFTER THIS. SO JUST AS A REMINDER, WE'RE AT THE MAY REVISION. WE'RE NEARING THE FINISH LINE, BUT WE DO EXPECT FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS. AND THE HOPE IS THAT AN ENACTED BUDGET WILL BE IN PLACE BEFORE THE START OF THE FISCAL YEAR ON JULY 1. SO JUST TWO MORE SLIDES THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO SANTA CLARA COUNTY. THIS IS A CHART YOU'VE SEEN BEFORE, RIGHT? AND IT REALLY SHOWS WHAT THE INTENT HERE IS TO SHOW WHAT THE CHANGES HAVE BEEN. FOR SANTA CLARA COUNTY'S LOCAL CONTROL FUNDING FORMULA AND COMPARING IT TO THE YEAR-OVER-YEAR INCREASES THAT K-12 DISTRICTS HAVE SEEN IN THE AREA AND THE REASON THAT THE YELLOW LINE HAS BEEN FLAT FOR SO MANY YEARS IS BECAUSE YOU ARE WHAT IS CONSIDERED A BASIC AID COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION AND SO IT REALLY WAS ONLY IN I BELIEVE THE END OF THE 22-23 FISCAL YEAR WHERE YOU YOU FLIPPED INTO STATE FUNDED STATUS AND SO THAT'S WHY YOU STARTED SEEING AN AN INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR IN SOME OF YOUR LCFF REVENUE. BUT OF COURSE WHAT THAT ALSO MEANS IS THAT YOUR LCFF FUNDS, BECAUSE YOU'RE NO LONGER CONSIDERED A BASIC AID COUNTY, WHAT THAT ALSO MEANS IS THAT IT IS IMPACTED BY ANY CHANGES IN YOUR AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE. AND THEN FINALLY, OH DID YOU WANT TO JUMP IN? SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THE BASIC AID STATUS. SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BASIC AID COE, WE STILL TECHNICALLY ARE BASIC AID COE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO RETURN ALL THE EXCESS PROPERTY TAX MONEY. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR FORMULA FLIP, WE ARE ELIGIBLE TO GET A COLA, WHICH HAPPENED IN 23-24, BUT THEN THAT'S THE NET EFFECT THAT IS THE REDUCTION. SO WE WERE HELD HARMLESS AT THE ADA WHEN LCFO WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 13-14, BUT WE NEVER GOT A COLA. WHEN WE FLIPPED, THEY CONSIDERED IT STATE AID, SO WE GET THE COLA, BUT THEN NOW IT'S NETTED AGAINST OUR ADA DECLINES, WHICH IS THE REAL-TIME ADA. SO I WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT. I SAW YOUR, YEAH, OKAY. SORRY ABOUT THAT, STEPHANIE. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. SORRY. AND HERE IS WHERE SOME OF THAT EXCESS PROPERTY TAX THAT STEPHANIE JUST MENTIONED COMES INTO PLAY, RIGHT? FOR THE AVERAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT, K-12 SCHOOL DISTRICT, A LARGE PORTION OF THEIR REVENUES ARE UNRESTRICTED, RIGHT? THAT'S WHY I SAY THAT A BIG PART OF THEIR GENERAL FUND BUDGET, WHICH IS UNRESTRICTED, IT COMES TO THEM THROUGH THE [03:15:01] LOCAL CONTROL FUNDING FORMULA, AND ONLY A RELATIVELY SMALLER PORTION OF THEIR REVENUES ARE RESTRICTED, SUCH AS TITLE I, RIGHT? WHEREAS FOR COUNTY OFFICES, AND THIS IS TRUE OF ALL COUNTY OFFICES AROUND THE STATE, A MUCH LARGER SHARE OF A COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION'S BUDGET COMES IN THE FORM OF RESTRICTED REVENUES, RIGHT? SO THESE ARE THINGS LIKE CALIFORNIA STATE PRESCHOOL PROGRAM, AGAIN, TITLE III FUNDS OR MIGRANT ED FUNDS, ET CETERA. AND IT'S A SMALLER PERCENTAGE THEN THAT FLOWS TO COUNTY OFFICES THROUGH UNRESTRICTED REVENUES. BUT EVEN THEN, THERE IS A CAVEAT. BECAUSE EARLIER I SHOWED WHAT THE ALLOCATION METHODOLOGY IS FOR YOUR LCFF DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE FUNDS, FOR EXAMPLE. SO THOSE DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE FUNDS DO COME TO YOU AS PART OF YOUR COUNTY'S LOCAL CONTROL FUNDING FORMULA FUNDS, BUT THOSE ARE FUNDS THAT ARE INTENDED TO BE SPENT FOR THE DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE SUPPORT THAT YOU PROVIDE. SO THAT'S A CAVEAT THERE FOR THE UNRESTRICTED REVENUE PERCENTAGE. THE OTHER BIG CAVEAT THERE FOR YOUR UNRESTRICTED REVENUES, AS STEPHANIE MENTIONED, IS THE PORTION OF YOUR FUNDS, YOUR PROPERTY TAXES, THAT YOU ARE REQUIRED TO RETURN BECAUSE THEY'RE CONSIDERED, QUOTE-UNQUOTE, EXCESS LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES, RIGHT? SO THAT ALSO IS TAKEN OUT OF YOUR UNRESTRICTED REVENUES. AND THEN WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO STEPHANIE. ONE THING TO ADD TO WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE SLIDE IS THAT, AND THE NEXT PRESENTATION WILL GIVE A BREAKDOWN, BUT OUR UNRESTRICTED REVENUE TRULY IS ABOUT 9% TO 10%, AND SO WE BREAK THAT OUT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO TAKE OUT THE EXCESS PROPERTY TAXES BECAUSE IT'S PART OF THAT FUNDING AND THE DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE. SO COMPARED TO THE 83.32% THAT AN AVERAGE DISTRICT RECEIVES, OURS IS ROUGHLY ABOUT 9% TO 10%, AND IT'S FLUCTUATING BECAUSE OUR EXCESS PROPERTY CONTINUES TO GROW YEAR AFTER YEAR. SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT. THANK YOU. CORRECT. IT WAS 9%, I BELIEVE, AT FIRST OR SECOND INTERIM, AND THEN WE'RE PROJECTING ABOUT... 10% FOR BUDGET DEVELOPMENT FOR 26-27. YEAH, YOU'RE WELCOME. CAN WE PAUSE HERE FOR SOME QUESTIONS? OKAY. TRUSTEE PACHECO. AND ARE UTILIZING THOSE SERVICES FROM US? YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. SO THE ANSWER IS NO, IT'S NOT A FLAT LEVEL OF FUNDING, RIGHT? AND THIS HAS BEEN PART OF THE FRUSTRATION FOR ALL COUNTY OFFICES IS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT YOU RECEIVE EACH YEAR FOR DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE VARIES EACH YEAR DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS IN YOUR COUNTY THAT ARE IDENTIFIED FOR DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE, RIGHT? OH, I SEE. SO IT'S A THREE-YEAR AVERAGE. SO ONE YEAR YOU COULD HAVE 10 DISTRICTS IDENTIFIED FOR DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE, AND THEN ANOTHER YEAR YOU COULD HAVE 20, RIGHT? AND SO. THEY TRY TO STABILIZE IT BY DOING A THREE-YEAR AVERAGE, BUT IT DOES FLUCTUATE FOR THAT REASON. AND I SHOULD ALSO SAY THAT IT'S BASED ON THE ADA OF ALL OF THOSE DISTRICTS, RIGHT? SO, FOR EXAMPLE, SAN JOSE UNIFIED IS ON THE LIST ONE YEAR AND THEN NOT ON THE OTHER. THAT'S OBVIOUSLY GOING TO CHANGE YOUR ADA QUITE A BIT BECAUSE THAT'S A LOT OF ADA THAT WILL GO IN AND OUT. ONE THING I'LL ADD, TOO, IS THERE'S A LOT OF WORK DONE AT THE STATE LEVEL THIS YEAR TO TRY TO REFINE THE FORMULA BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO END TO DO EARLIER INTERVENTION BECAUSE THE DA FUNDS CAN ONLY BE USED FOR THOSE DISTRICTS THAT ARE IN DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK AND CONVERSATION AT THE STATE LEVEL ABOUT MAKING THIS AVAILABLE TO HELP DISTRICTS BEFORE THEY ENTER INTO THIS PHASE I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK IT HASN'T BEEN FINALIZED OR IT ON PAUSE YOU CAN ADD MORE TO THAT BUT THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM IS THAT ONCE THEY ENTER THEN YOU GET THE FUNDING AFTER BUT IF THERE'S FUNDING TO HAVE MORE DISCRETION TO HELP THOSE SUPPORTS ALONG THE WAY IT WOULD PREVENT SCHOOLS FROM ENTERING IN DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE. YEAH, AND SO WHAT STEPHANIE TALKED ABOUT THERE IS A PROPOSAL TO, INSTEAD OF HAVING IT TIED TO DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE, IT WOULD BE REFERRED TO AS UNIVERSAL AND TARGETED ASSISTANCE TO REALLY STABILIZE THE FUNDING FOR ALL COUNTY OFFICES. AND PART OF THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE THERE ARE ALSO EFFORTS UNDERWAY TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF LEAS, TO DRASTICALLY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS IDENTIFIED FOR DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE. YOU GIVEN THAT, THERE WAS A REALIZATION THAT, WAIT, THAT'S GOING TO TOTALLY DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS THAT COUNTY OFFICES RECEIVE FOR THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT THEY PROVIDE. SO IT'S AN EFFORT TO STABILIZE IT. THANK YOU. I'LL JUST ADD SOME EXAMPLES OF UNIVERSAL INTERVENTIONS. WE KNOW THAT LITERACY IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE AN AREA OF FOCUS. AND SO WITH THE SHIFT IN POTENTIAL SHIFT IN POLICY, WE COULD INVEST IN UNIVERSAL LITERACY CAMPAIGNS AND [03:20:01] ON-GRADE. ON GRADE LEVEL READING INITIATIVES TO SUPPORT ALL OF THE DISTRICTS AS OPPOSED TO WAITING FOR THE SEVEN DISTRICTS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THAT AREA AND THEN PROVIDING RETROACTIVE INTERVENTION THE TARGETED ALLOWS US TO IDENTIFY DISTRICTS WHO MAY BE FOCUSING ON CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM OR HAVE AREAS THAT ARE UNIQUE TO THEIR DISTRICT AND PARTICULAR STUDENT GROUPS THANK YOU DR TESTON CHRISTIE DID YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS VICE PRESIDENT SPICER. QUICK QUESTION. IT'S ON SLIDE 21. I WANTED TO, I GUESS IT'S ACTUALLY MORE OF A QUESTION AND POSSIBLY IT WILL BE TOUCHED UPON BY STEPHANIE, BUT I WAS WONDERING WHAT THE EFFECT OF THE SUPPORT AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DISCRETIONARY BLOCK GRANT WILL BE ON OUR BOTTOM LINE BECAUSE IT'S 937 PER ADA. IS THERE ANY BACK OF THE ENVELOPE MATH ON THAT FOR US? I WOULD SAY TYPICALLY BECAUSE OUR ADA IS SO LOW, RIGHT? OUR CORE SCHOOLS IS ABOUT 50 ON AVERAGE. NOIA IS 3% OF OUR BUDGET. WE TYPICALLY CAN SEE $200,000 TO $300,000 POTENTIALLY. WHEN WE GET A LOT OF THESE INITIATIVES THAT ARE ONE TIME THAT HAVE COME THROUGH THE BUDGET CYCLE EVERY YEAR, IT'S VERY SMALL BECAUSE OUR ADA IS VERY SMALL. SO WHERE DISTRICTS, THEY MIGHT GET MULTIPLE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS BECAUSE THEIR ADA IS SO LARGE. BUT OURS COULD RANGE FROM $200,000 TO $300,000 POTENTIALLY. AND IT ALSO DEPENDS ON WHAT WE HAVE CLOCKED AS OUR ADA FOR THAT TIME PERIOD THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR OUR ADA FOR CALCULATION. THANK YOU. YEAH, YOU'RE WELCOME. IS THE ONE POINT I'M TRYING TO SEE, THE PERCENTAGE FOR THE ADD-ON FOR THE COLA FOR THE PAID PREGNANCY LEAVE, WILL THAT BE ENOUGH TO COVER THE COST OF THAT? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. COUNTY OFFICES, THE WAY IT'S GOING TO IMPACT COUNTY OFFICES, WE'VE LEARNED JUST IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT SPECIFIC TO SANTA CLARA COUNTY, BUT BECAUSE OF THE FUNDING MODEL FOR COUNTY OFFICES OF EDUCATION VERSUS SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THERE COULD VERY WELL BE COUNTY OFFICES IN THE STATE THAT RECEIVE LESS MONEY THAN WHAT THE ANTICIPATED COST WOULD BE. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE FOR COUNTY OFFICES, MOST OF YOUR POSITIONS ARE FUNDED OUTSIDE OF THE LCFS. SO FOR A SCHOOL DISTRICT WHERE A BULK OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT'S EXPENSES ARE, OF COURSE, IN PEOPLE, RIGHT? THEY'RE IN STAFF. BUT ALSO, AS WE SAW IN THAT SLIDE AT THE END, MOST OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT'S REVENUES COME TO THEM THROUGH THE LCFF, RIGHT? SO WHEREAS FOR A COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION, IT'S FLIPPED, RIGHT? MOST OF YOUR FUNDS COME TO YOU THROUGH RESTRICTED REVENUES. SO TAKE, FOR EXAMPLE, PRESCHOOL. YOU GET A LARGE... A COUNTY MAY GET A LARGE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THROUGH CALIFORNIA STATE PRESCHOOL PROGRAM, AND YET AS WE SAW EARLIER, THE PROPOSED COLA FOR CALIFORNIA STATE PRESCHOOL IS ONLY TWO PERCENT, RIGHT? SO NOT ONLY ARE YOU GETTING LESS FUNDING YEAR OVER YEAR FOR PRESCHOOL COMPARED TO LCFF FUNDS, THOSE, YOU ALSO THROUGH THAT REVENUE SOURCE ARE NOT SEEING THE AUGMENTED COLA THAT IS INTENDED TO HELP OFFSET THE COST OF MANDATORY PAID PREGNANCY LEAVE, RIGHT? SO, FOR EXAMPLE, ANY OF THE ADDITIONAL AUGMENTED COLA, THE 1.44, YOU'RE GOING TO GET THAT ON A MUCH SMALLER POT OF MONEY BECAUSE IT'S ONLY COMING TO YOU THROUGH YOUR LIMITED LOCAL CONTROL FUNDING FORMULA REVENUES, WHEREAS A LOT OF YOUR WORKFORCE IS BEING PAID FOR THROUGH OTHER REVENUE SOURCES LIKE STATE PRESCHOOL THAT AREN'T GOING TO SEE THE BENEFIT OF THAT AUGMENTED COLA. SO THERE IS A VERY BIG CONCERN THERE THAT COUNTY OFFICES ARE NOT GOING TO RECEIVE ENOUGH FUNDS. AS PROPOSED. AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE THE SOURCE OF MANY CONVERSATIONS IN THE WEEKS TO COME TO TRY TO FIX THAT. HAVE YOU GUYS COME UP WITH SOME POTENTIAL NUMBERS ABOUT WHAT THAT GAP COULD BE FOR US? NO, WE HAVEN'T. THE OTHER CONCERN THAT WE HAVE ALSO IS THAT FEDERAL FUNDING WILL MOST LIKELY NOT SUPPORT THIS. SO A LOT OF OUR GRANT-FUNDED PROGRAMS, THIS IS THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA INITIATIVE. SO AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THEY MIGHT NOT ALLOW THEIR FUNDING MOST LIKELY TO NOT COVER THESE COSTS. SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME AREAS WHERE WE MAY HAVE SOME UNFUNDED EXPENSES THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS BECAUSE THE GRANTOR, IF THEY SAY NO, WE CAN'T PAY IT OUT OF THEIR FUNDING SOURCE. I THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE HERE. I THINK THE SMALL AMOUNT WE GET THROUGH LCFF, WE WOULD GET IT THERE IN OUR ALT-ED GRANT BECAUSE THAT'S OUR MANDATED STUDENT PROGRAM, BUT ALL THE OTHER PROGRAMS, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A BIG CHALLENGE. THANK YOU. I'LL JUST ADD, WHEN YOU THINK OF OUR LARGEST STUDENT PROGRAMS, OBVIOUSLY HEAD START, IT'S A FEDERAL GRANT. THAT WOULDN'T BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE AUGMENTED COLA. AND OUR SPECIAL ED PROGRAMS ARE FEE-FOR-SERVICE, AND SO THERE WOULDN'T BE A COLA APPLIED [03:25:02] TO THOSE DOLLARS EITHER. THAT MEANS WE'VE GOT TO PAY IT OUT OF OUR OWN POCKET FOR THAT, RIGHT? OR INCORPORATE IT INTO THE FEE-FOR-SERVICE CONTRACT. BUT WE'RE NOT RECEIVING ANY ADDITIONAL REVENUE FOR OUR LARGEST PROGRAMS FOR THIS NEW MANDATE. BUT IT'S A NEW PRESSURE NOW. IT'S A NEW YOU CAN LOOK AT IT AS ANOTHER UNFUNDED MANDATE POTENTIALLY IF YOU DON'T GET A FUNDING SO FOR COUNTY OFFICES THAT WOULD BE THE SITUATION THAT MOST OF US WOULD BE IN WITH THIS PROPOSAL AND AND I JUST JUST PIGGYBACKING OFF THAT QUESTION I WAS IT I THOUGHT THE THE PAID PREGNANCY LEAVE WAS GOING TO BE PAID THROUGH THE SUPER COLA SO THAT'S NOT FUNDING THAT WE WOULD RECEIVE AND MAY JUST MISUNDERSTANDING SOMETHING HERE. SO WE'LL GET IT PROPOSED TO GET IT ON OUR LCFF OPERATIONS GRANT, WHICH IS THE $38 MILLION, AND LEILANI DID THE BREAKOUT IN OUR PRESENTATION. WE HAVE IT BROKEN OUT MORE. WE'LL GET IT FOR OUR CORE FUNDING AND THE ALT-ED PROGRAM, BECAUSE THAT'S OUR MANDATED PROGRAM. BUT AS FAR AS HEAD START, ANY OF THE MIGRANT, ANY OF THE FEDERAL PROGRAMS OR GRANTORS, THEY WILL NOT BE GETTING FUNDING TO SUPPORT THIS, AND MOST LIKELY IT WILL NOT BE ALLOWABLE WITH A LOT OF OUR GRANTORS FOR OUR HEAD START APPLICATION. WE SUBMITTED IT. THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE PUT IN THERE TO FUND. I SEE. SO IT'S MORE THAT IT'S JUST GOING TO, THE PROGRAM WOULD HAVE TO COVER MORE EDUCATORS THAN WHAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY RECEIVE FUNDING FOR. CORRECT. SO WE'D HAVE TO FIND ALTERNATE, WE DON'T HAVE ALTERNATE FUNDING SOURCES, BUT THAT WOULD BE THE CHALLENGE IS HOW DO YOU FUND IT OUT OF THOSE RESOURCES THAT DON'T GET A COLA OR HAVE FUNDING TO COVER. SURE. OKAY. AND THEN ALL THOSE GROUPS THAT ARE, THAT IT WOULD NOT COVER, ARE THEY, HOW DO I WORD THIS? THE PAID PREGNANCY LEAVE ACT IS SUPPOSED TO BE CENTERED TO HELP EDUCATORS WHO ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE STATE DISABILITY WHEN THEY GO ON MATERNITY LEAVE AND DO NOT HAVE FUNDING FOR PAID MATERNITY LEAVE. SO ARE ALL THE GROUPS THAT WOULD BE NOT COVERED THROUGH THE STATE PRESCHOOL, THE HEAD START, ARE THEY IN THAT SAME BOAT? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? THE WAY THE PROPOSAL IS CRAFTED IS THAT THE REQUIREMENT TO OFFER PAID PREGNANCY DISABILITY LEAVE APPLIES TO... TO ALL OF AN LEA'S CLASSIFIED AND CERTIFICATED STAFF, RIGHT? SO REGARDLESS OF HOW THEY'RE FUNDED, RIGHT? BUT THEN, LIKE, ARE THEY, SORRY, CURRENTLY, ARE THEY INELIGIBLE FOR THAT AS WELL? OH, GO AHEAD. SORRY. NO, NO, GO AHEAD. I WAS GOING TO SAY NO. I THINK BECAUSE OF THE LAWS IN CALIFORNIA, THEY WOULD, AS SHE MENTIONED, THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE JUST FOR OUR CONSTRAINT WOULD BE THE FUNDING PIECE. SO THE WAY IT WAS ASSIGNED TO... NO, NO, SORRY. I DON'T THINK MY QUESTION... OKAY, I'M SO SORRY. OKAY, SO MYSELF AS A TEACHER, I CAN'T APPLY FOR A STATE DISABILITY LEAVE FOR A PAID PREGNANCY. SO MY MATERNITY LEAVE, IT WAS ALL THROUGH MY SICK LEAVE. SO THESE PRESCHOOL TEACHERS, THE HEAD START TEACHERS, THAT'S ALL BECAUSE I'M A PART OF THE STRS PROGRAM AND A TEACHER. SO THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT TECHNICALLY AREN'T COVERED, ARE THEY CURRENTLY ELIGIBLE FOR... ARE THEY CURRENTLY ELIGIBLE TO GET DISABILITY FOR PREGNANCY? UNDER CURRENT LAW? YES, CURRENT LAW, CURRENT LAW. I DON'T BELIEVE THERE IS PAID PREGNANCY DISABILITY LEAVE THAT IS REQUIRED TO BE OFFERED. TO THEM? I THINK THOSE ARE LOCAL DECISIONS. BY THE STATE, THE STATE DISABILITY. THE STATE DISABILITY, SDI. IT DEPENDS. YEAH, I THINK IT DEPENDS ON, I THINK IT'S AT THE AGENCY LEVEL TO OPT IN OR OPT OUT OF SDI. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE LOCAL DYNAMICS ARE HERE. SO THAT WOULD BE MY FOLLOW-UP QUESTION IS BECAUSE MOST TEACHERS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE BECAUSE WE DON'T PAY INTO SDI. SO IF THERE'S A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS THAT DO PAY INTO SDI, THEN THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE STATE DISABILITY, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN THE GROUP THAT THIS PAID PREGNANCY. YEAH. SO THAT'S WHERE MY QUESTION WAS. SO THAT IS ONE OF THE, I THINK I UNDERSTAND IT BETTER NOW. SORRY. NO, NO, NO. SO THAT IS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT HAS COME UP, RIGHT? SO FOR GROUPS OF EMPLOYEES THAT ALREADY PAY INTO STATE DISABILITY INSURANCE AND THEY HAVE ACCESS TO PARTIAL WAGE REPLACEMENT THROUGH THOSE PROGRAMS, HOW DOES THAT INTERACT WITH THIS, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE QUESTION IS THAT WE'VE HEARD IS, DOES THAT REDUCE? THE EXPENSE THEN TO THE LEA BECAUSE THERE'S ALREADY A PORTION OF FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THAT EMPLOYEE. AND THAT WE'RE STILL TRYING TO TEASE OUT WHAT THE INTERACTION IS WITH THINGS LIKE SDI, RIGHT? HOW THAT RELATES TO THE COST THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED. OKAY. OKAY. GREAT. SO THAT'S JUST MY FOLLOW-UP QUESTION. SO THAT'S STILL TBD. BUT ONE QUESTION I DID HAVE WAS ON SLIDE SIX, OR THE SLIDE NUMBER 10, WAS I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING THIS CORRECTLY. SO THE CHANGE IN BIRTH RATE FROM PREVIOUS YEAR? YEAH. SO ARE WE, IS THIS, AM I UNDERSTANDING THIS ACCURATELY THAT THE BIRTH RATE IS ACTUALLY STARTING TO GO UP IN 2024? THAT'S WHAT WE SAW IN 2024. YEAH. AND THAT'S THE MOST RECENT DATA THAT WE HAVE. SO I WOULD BE CURIOUS TO SEE, I MEAN, BECAUSE IT'S LAGGING OBVIOUSLY, RIGHT, THE DATA THAT WE HAVE. SO I WOULD BE CURIOUS TO SEE IF THIS ALSO MANIFESTS ITSELF IN [03:30:01] 2025. AWESOME. THAT'S GREAT. AND TRUSTEE LAURIE IS TRYING TO COME BACK. I THINK TRUSTEE LAURIE IS BACK. TRUSTEE BERTA? I'M BACK. THANK YOU, TRUSTEE LAURIE. I HAD A QUESTION ON SLIDE 21 RELATED TO THE DISCRETIONARY BLOCK GRANT. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT OUR COUNTY OFFICE MAY NOT BE GETTING AS MUCH OF THOSE FUNDS JUST BECAUSE OF THE ADA ALLOTMENT, BUT OUR DISTRICTS WILL. AND SO THOSE FUNDS SPECIFICALLY, AND MAYBE I'M GETTING THE TWO MIXED UP, IS THIS THE SAME AS THE SPECIAL EDUCATION BLOCK, OR IS THAT SEPARATE? IT'S DIFFERENT. SO FOR THIS ONE, THOUGH, THE... DISTRICTS CAN ACTUALLY UTILIZE THIS. WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO UTILIZE IT FOR LIKE THE FEE-FOR-SERVICE SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES THAT WE OFFER? GOOD QUESTION. THEY CAN USE THIS FOR ANYTHING. OKAY, SO IT IS COMPLETELY DISCRETIONARY. EXACTLY. THE FUNDS THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS RECEIVE, AND COUNTY OFFICES, THE FUNDS THAT A LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY RECEIVES THROUGH THIS DISCRETIONARY BLOCK GRANT ARE 100% DISCRETIONARY. THE STATE DOES HIGHLIGHT CERTAIN STATE PRIORITIES FOR HOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT. TO SEE THE FUNDS USED, YOU KNOW, LIKE FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION, BUT THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT FOR HOW THESE FUNDS ARE USED. WHEREAS THE SPECIAL EDUCATION DOLLARS THAT YOU JUST REFERENCED THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS PRESENTATION, BUT THOSE ARE THE SPECIAL EDUCATION BASE RATE INCREASES THAT THE GOVERNOR PROPOSES, AND THAT ONE'S A HUGE INVESTMENT AT THE STATE LEVEL, WHICH IS GREAT, RIGHT? THE CURRENT BASE RATE AMOUNT IS $917 PER ADA, AND THE PROPOSAL WOULD INCREASE THAT DRASTICALLY TO $1340. SO THAT'S AN UNPRECEDENTED YEAR-OVER-YEAR INCREASE. AND, OF COURSE, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT DISTRICTS ULTIMATELY RECEIVE WILL DEPEND SIGNIFICANTLY ON THEIR SELPA ALLOCATION MODEL. AND SO WE'LL KNOW THAT BY JUNE 30TH IN TERMS OF WHEN THE BUDGET'S? YEAH. AT THAT POINT, WE WILL KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE FINAL ADOPTED BUDGET. AND THAT WOULD BE ONGOING FUNDING. WE HAVE A SENSE, DR. TAWSON, YOU CAN GET BACK TO ME LATER ABOUT THIS TOO, JUST A SENSE OF WHAT DISTRICTS ARE PLANNING IN TERMS OF IF THEY DO RECEIVE THIS SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING AND HOW THAT MIGHT IMPACT OUR FEE-FOR-SERVICE MODEL OR WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO OFFER. CONVERSATIONS ARE OBVIOUSLY IN THE VERY EARLY STAGES, BUT DISTRICTS HAVE COMMUNICATED THAT THE DOLLARS ARE ESSENTIAL TO REDUCE THE GENERAL FUND OR THE CONTRIBUTION FROM OTHER RESOURCES TO COVER THE DEFICITS IN SPECIAL ED DUE TO LOW FEDERAL FUNDING AND YEARS OF UNDERFUNDING ON THE STATE SIDE. EACH DISTRICT WILL HAVE TO MAKE THEIR OWN DECISION. BASED ON THE TWO DIFFERENT ALLOCATION PLANS THAT ARE IN THE COUNTY AND HOW MANY DOLLARS ACTUALLY THE DISTRICT RECEIVES AT THE END OF THE DAY. AND THEN SPECIFIC TO THE SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING WOULD THE COE GET ANY OF THAT OR IS THAT DIRECTLY RELATED TO PUPILS AND THE DISTRICT? WE WOULD RECEIVE AN INCREASE IN OUR SPECIAL ED FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAMS WE OPERATE. OKAY. SO OUR CORDEN COMMUNITY SCHOOL WHERE WE'RE RECEIVING THOSE DOLLARS THROUGH THE SELPA BUT NOT NOT AUTOMATICALLY FOR OUR FEE-FOR-SERVICE PROGRAM. I SEE. AND SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS THAT WE DO HAVE HIGHER PERCENTAGES OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY. BUT SPECIAL ED FUNDING IS BASED ON ADA. OKAY, I SEE. SO THE INCREASE FOR US WHEN I THINK OF CORDEN COMMUNITY SCHOOL, THERE ARE 50 STUDENTS. SO $423, IF THAT IS THE AMOUNT THAT FLOWS THROUGH THE SELF-ALLOCATION PLAN, TIMES THOSE 50 STUDENTS. OKAY, SO I THINK MORE OF THE IMPACT WILL DEFINITELY BE ON THE DISTRICTS, BUT THAT COULD STILL IMPACT US BECAUSE OF THE FEE-FOR-SERVICE MODEL. POTENTIALLY, BUT OUR FEE-FOR-SERVICE MODEL IS BASED ON OUR CONTRACT AND POLICIES AROUND HOW WE DETERMINE COSTS FOR THE PROGRAMS AND FIXED COSTS AND FORMULAS. SO IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THERE WILL BE AN AUTOMATIC INCREASE IN REVENUE TO THE REGIONAL PROGRAMS BECAUSE WE ARE... PAID FOR THE SERVICES WE ACTUALLY PROVIDE BASED ON THE AGREED UPON RATES. I UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU. GOING BACK TO THE PAID PREGNANCY LEAVE, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THIS. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, HEAD START FEDERAL PROGRAM, IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO UTILIZE THOSE DOLLARS TO FUND THE 14 WEEKS, AS AN EMPLOYER I STILL HAVE AN OBLIGATION IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO PROVIDE THAT. SO FOR US, WE'RE LOOKING AT A CONTRIBUTION FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO BACKFILL ANY OF THE GRANTS OR FUNDING SOURCES THAT DON'T ALLOW FOR THOSE 14 WEEKS [03:35:01] OF PAID LEAVE. EXACTLY. AND AGAIN, I MEAN THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CALIFORNIA COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION HAS NOTED AND HAS ALREADY BEGUN ADVOCACY TO SUGGEST THAT ALTERNATIVE METHODOLOGIES FOR THE STATE TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR OFFSETTING THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PAID PREGNANCY DISABILITY LEAVE THAT ALTERNATIVES BE CONSIDERED RIGHT IT'S NOT AN OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSAL TO REQUIRE EMPLOYEES HAVE ACCESS TO PREGNANCY DISABILITY LEAVE ITS CONCERNS ABOUT COUNTY OFFICES OF EDUCATION WHO VERY WELL COULD NOT RECEIVE ENOUGH SHARE OF THE STATE FUNDS THAT ARE INTENDED TO OFFSET THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT THANK YOU. TRIS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. BACK TO YOU GUYS. SO I'M GOING TO GO AND JUST DO A HIGH LEVEL OF WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR COUNTY SCHOOL SERVICE FUND BUDGET. I WANTED JUST TO HIGHLIGHT OUR CALIFORNIA PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM, WHAT WE DO AS A COUNTY OFFICE, AND HOW WE ARE FUNDED. THIS JUST GOES OVER OUR ROLE. SO WE HAVE THE STATE WHICH IS THE REGULATORY BODY THAT ESTABLISHES THE POLICIES TO CDE AND THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION. THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE TO DO THEIR DAY-TO-DAY EDUCATION OF THEIR DISTRICT RESIDENT STUDENTS AND AS A COUNTY OFFICE WE ARE THE SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND ALSO SERVE AS A LIAISON WITH STATE. THE REASON WHY I'M HIGHLIGHTING THIS BECAUSE IT DOES IMPACT HOW WE ARE STRUCTURED AND HOW WE ARE FUNDED. SO WE ARE CONSIDERED A REGIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGENCY. I'M NOT A SCHOOL DISTRICT WHICH IS WHERE WE'RE HERE TO PROVIDE INFRASTRUCTURE TO LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND WE'RE MANDATED TO PROVIDE COURT SCHOOL SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR FUNDING MODEL AND WE'LL GO OVER MORE OF THAT IN DETAIL THAT'S WHY OUR STRUCTURE LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT HIGHLIGHTING THE BOARD PRIORITIES WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BUDGET AND REALLY IDENTIFYING FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE CAN GAIN THROUGH CONTRACTS AND GRANTS AND PARTNERSHIPS TO ALIGN TO OUR BOARD PRIORITIES SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE HEAVILY ALIGNED WITH. THE COUNTY OFFICE IS BROKEN INTO THREE SERVICE CATEGORIES. OUR STUDENT SERVICES, OUR EXECUTIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE, AND INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES. HIGHLIGHTING THE MANDATED SERVICES, SO COURT SCHOOL, OUR COUNTY OPERATIONS GRANT, THERE'S AN ALTERNATIVE PORTION I THINK AS OF THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR WAS ABOUT SIX MILLION WAS THE BASE FUNDING WE GOT THERE. SO THAT'S WHERE WE GET THROUGH OUR LCFF CONTROL FUNDING FORMULA. THE ELECTIVE STUDENT SERVICES WE MENTIONED ARE PRIMARILY BASED ON GRANTS, CONTRACTS, OR FEE-FOR-SERVICE THAT INCLUDES OUR HEAD START, MIGRANT ED, WALDEN WEST. SPECIAL ED, WALDEN WEST AND SPECIAL ED ARE OUR LARGEST TWO FEE FOR SERVICES AND THEN WE HAVE OUR ALT ED COMMUNITY SCHOOL WHICH WE DO CHARGE FEES TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO BE ABLE TO ENROLL THEIR STUDENTS FOR SLOTS AND THEN WE HAVE OIA. OUR EXECUTIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ARE MANDATED. A LOT OF OUR GENERAL FUNDING GOES TO SUPPORT OUR TECHNOLOGY LIBRARY. WE HAVE OUR DA FUNDS WHICH THEY ARE CONSIDERED DISCRETIONARY BUT YOU CAN'T USE THEM FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR DISTRICTS AND CHARTERS THAT ARE THAT ARE DEEMED IN DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE SO THAT'S WHERE IT GETS A LITTLE TRICKY BUT IT DOES SHOW UP IN OUR DISCRETIONARY CATEGORY WE'RE ALSO REQUIRED TO PROVIDE FINGERPRINTING TEACHER CREDENTIALING FOSTER AND HOMELESS YOUTH SERVICES AND IN THAT CASE WE DO GET FUNDING FROM STATE AND FEDERAL WE ALSO GET CONTRACT REVENUE FROM THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA AND THEN ASSESSMENT ACCOUNTABILITY ELECTIVE SERVICES WE HAVE OUR YOUTH HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND INCLUSION COLLABORATIVE YOUTH HEALTH AND WELLNESS HAS REALLY GROWN SINCE COVID THAT'S WHEN THE STATE PILOTED OUR FIRST ROUND OF THE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS GRANT, WHERE WE WERE PILOTING THAT, AND THEN IT HAS SINCE EXPANDED TO THE CBYHI THAT WE'VE PARTNERED WITH SACRAMENTO COUNTY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A FEE SCHEDULE. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE DONE THROUGH THE ABILITY TO RECEIVE GRANTS AND ALSO CREATE PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER AGENCIES THROUGH GRANTS AND CONTRACTS. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE OUR INCLUSION COLLABORATIVE. INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES. THESE AS WELL ARE ALSO ELECTIVE AND THEY ARE MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH GRANTS OR CONTRACT REVENUE. I HIGHLIGHT THE TOBACCO USE PREVENTION EDUCATION. THAT'S A GRANT THAT WE HAVE HISTORICALLY RECEIVED AND WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN FUNDING LAST YEAR. THE POSITIVE PIECE IS THERE'S A DECLINE IN YOUTH USING TOBACCO, BUT THEN THAT DOES IMPACT THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT WE GET, SO THERE'S PROS AND CONS TO BOTH. EDUCATOR PREP PROGRAM IS ONE OF OUR LARGE FEE FOR SERVICE PROGRAMS THAT WE DO GET A LOT OF GRANTS FROM. I'M AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE OUR ICE TEAM AND SCHOOL CLIMATE LEADERSHIP INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES. THE LOCAL CONTROL FUNDING FORMULA COUNTY OFFICES WE REACHED OUR TARGET IN 13-14 AND SO THAT WAS DEVELOPED FOR OUR OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES FOR AB 1200 CHARTERS EXCUSE ME SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD AUTHORIZED CHARTERS AB 1200 OVERSIGHT FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THEN OUR CORE SCHOOL PROGRAM. [03:40:01] THIS IS KIND OF TINY, BUT IT DOES KIND OF SHOW WHAT LEILANI HAD MENTIONED ABOUT THE WAY OUR FUNDING IS. WE HAVE OUR COUNTY OPERATIONS GRANT, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY ABOUT $30 MILLION. THAT'S WHAT COMPRISES THAT $38 MILLION THAT I REFERENCE FREQUENTLY. WE HAVE THE ALT-ED GRANT, WHICH IS THERE, AND THEN WE GET A TRANSPORTATION ADD-ON, WHICH IS REALLY MINOR. SO THAT IS THE $38 MILLION THAT WE GET FOR OUR BASE FUNDING FOR OUR OPERATIONS. THE LARGE PORTION IS A RETURN ON LOCAL PROPERTY TAX, AND THAT'S THE ONE THAT HAS SIGNIFICANTLY GROWN SINCE 2013-2014. YEAH, IT'S HUGE. I HAVE A CHART ON IT. AND THEN AS OF TODAY, SO WHEN THESE WERE UPLOADED FRIDAY, WE WERE STILL DETERMINING THE SUPER COLA IF IT APPLIED. SO THAT'S WHY IT SAYS 2.87, BUT WE'LL HAVE IT UPDATED FOR OUR PUBLIC HEARING BECAUSE THIS WAS HOT OFF THE PRESS ON FRIDAY. THEN ALSO THE FLAT FUNDING. SO WE TALKED ABOUT HOW WE TRANSITIONED IN 23-24 TO RECEIVE A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT ON OUR BASE COUNTY OPERATION FUNDS, BUT THEN NOW WE'RE REDUCED. BY OUR ACTUAL COUNTYWIDE ADA, SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE SEEING OUR REVENUE BEING REDUCED FURTHER. AND THEN ALSO THE BASIC AID COUNTY OFFICE IS OUR RETURN OF OUR LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES. THIS CHART WAS REALLY ASTOUNDING. WHEN WE LOOKED AT IT, WE DOUBLE-CHECKED THE NUMBERS. WHEN YOU GO TO 23-24, YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH IT'S GROWN, BUT THEN BASED ON OUR ESTIMATES, IF THEY HOLD TRUE AND OR IF THEY INCREASE, BY THE END OF 27-28, WE'LL BE AT LIKE $554 MILLION. SO THAT'S REALLY SIGNIFICANT. WE JUST KEEP HIGHLIGHTING THAT BECAUSE THE GROWTH IS JUST CONTINUING AND SO I WAS REALLY SHOCKED BUT THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY THAT WE ARE RETURNING YEAR AFTER YEAR I KNOW THAT YOU WERE ALL ADVOCATING FOR THAT TO FOR THAT TO BE RETURNED TO OUR COUNTY IN OUR OFFICE BUT WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT HERE AND THERE'S 12 OF US AT THIS POINT 12 BASIC 8 COUNTY OFFICES ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT WE WERE ONE OF THE FIRST SO I'VE SEEN COUNTY OFFICES I KNOW WE'RE ALWAYS THE FIRST I'VE SEEN COUNTY OFFICES THAT HAVE FLIPPED MIDWAY THROUGH LCFF BUT WE WERE THE FIRST, SO WHEN I LOOK AT THE CHART AND WE'VE DONE OUR RESEARCH ON THIS, WE'VE REMITTED THE MOST MONEY OUT OF ALL THE COUNTY OFFICES. BE CLEAR, THAT'S HALF A BILLION DOLLARS? CORRECT. YEAH. CORRECT. AND IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE MORE BECAUSE THESE ARE ESTIMATES, AND SO WE HAVE SEEN FLUCTUATION IN PROPERTY TAXES. IF IT GOES UP HIGHER, WE COULD BE AT 600. I MEAN, IT JUST DEPENDS. BUT EVERY YEAR WE PROJECT AND EVERY YEAR WE FIND OUT THAT DEPENDING ON PROPERTY TAXES, IT CAN GO UP MORE. WE JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT. AND THEN THIS IS THE CYCLE. SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING, THIS IS AS OF OUR SECOND INTERIM. SO JUST THE FLOW, THE $250.6 MILLION IS THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE THAT COMES IN FROM THE COUNTY TREASURER TO SECOE. WE THEN TAKE THAT REVENUE AND WE SPLIT IT BETWEEN OUR SELPAS BASED ON OUR AB602 SPECIAL ED FUNDING CALCULATIONS, ABOUT 62.1442%. AS OF SECOND INTERIM, THAT WAS $155.7 MILLION. SO THAT GETS CARVED OFF THE TOP OF THAT PROPERTY TAX MONEY, AND THEN THAT GETS SENT TO THE SELPAS BASED ON THEIR ALLOCATION PLANS, WHICH IS BASED ON THE DISTRICT'S ADA. THE OTHER 37.8558% IS CARVED OUT AGAIN. WE GET OUR 38.4% FOR OUR COUNTY OPERATIONS BASE GRANT ALT-ED FUNDING, AND THEN THE 56.4 MILLION IS WHAT WE'RE PREDICTING TO SEND BACK FOR 25-26 TO THE STATE. SO JUST AS A NICE WAY TO SHOW HOW THE FUNDS COME IN AND THEN HOW WE HAVE TO... PARSE IT OUT TO THE VARIOUS PLACES. AND THEN THIS JUST SHOWS OUR FUNDING OPTIONS. SO WE LIKE TO USE THIS CHART BECAUSE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, OVER 200 DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES, BUT THIS REALLY SUMMARIZES WHERE THE FUNDING LIES AS FAR AS THE FOUR CATEGORIES. SO THE LOCAL CONTROL FUNDING FORMULA IS THE COUNTY OPERATIONS MANDATED SERVICES. IT'S 24% IT SHOWS THERE, BUT THAT INCLUDES THE EXCESS PROPERTY TAX AND DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE. SO WE HAVE A SLIDE THAT'LL SHOW IT'S ABOUT 9% TO 10%. FEE FOR SERVICE IS OUR LARGEST, SO AS OF SECOND INTERIM IT WAS 49%. THE BULK OF THAT IS THROUGH SPECIAL EDUCATION, AND THAT'S BASED ON SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THEM WANTING TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROGRAMS AND REFER THEIR DISTRICT OF RESIDENCE STUDENTS. THE OTHER 24% IS GRANT AND CLIENT GRANTS, AND SO THAT VARIES. WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF GRANTS THAT HAVE EXPIRED THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR OR WILL BE EXPIRING, AND SO THAT NUMBER DOES FLUCTUATE BASED ON GRANTS THAT HAVE EXPIRED AND OR NEW GRANTS THAT WE GET THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. AND THEN AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE IS ABOUT 3%. IT'S VERY, VERY MINOR. THE OTHER LIMITATION THAT WE HAVE FOR FUNDING IS WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO USE PARCEL TAX OR BONDS TO GENERATE REVENUE FOR OUR FACILITIES FUNDING. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT BECAUSE WE CURRENTLY GET REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY MONEY, WHICH IS ONE-TIME FUNDS. AS THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA DISSOLVES THOSE AGENCIES, I THINK THERE'S LIKE FIVE LEFT, THAT WILL BE LESS FUNDING THAT WE'LL HAVE, AND THAT'S THE ONLY REAL REVENUE SOURCE THAT OUR... OFFICE GETS FOR FACILITIES MAINTENANCE CONSTRUCTION. AND THEN SPEAKING OF FACILITIES, WE ARE ALSO REQUIRED TO ALLOCATE 3% OF OUR TOTAL COUNTY SCHOOL SERVICE FUND [03:45:02] RESTRICTED EXPENDITURES FOR OUR FACILITIES. AND SO THESE ARE OUR PROJECTIONS FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS. THIS IS A REQUIREMENT. AND SO IF WE DO NOT HAVE RDA FUNDS IN THE FUTURE TO USE THEM, THIS WILL COME DIRECTLY OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND. SO THE UNASSIGNED BALANCE THAT WE WILL SHOW YOU THAT'S EXACTLY WHERE THOSE FUNDS WILL HAVE TO BE PULLED FROM AND IT IS A REQUIREMENT TO HAVE OUR BUDGET PASSED OKAY FACILITIES FINANCING SO IN ORDER TO PURCHASE THIS BUILDING UH THE COUNTY OFFICE IN 1995 UH WENT THROUGH A CERTIFICATE OF PARTICIPATION THROUGH THE FINANCE CORPS AND THEY FINANCED THIS BUILDING FOR ABOUT 16.1 MILLION DOLLARS IT WAS FULLY PAID IN 2024 AND WE WERE DOING ANNUAL LEASE PAYMENTS AT THAT TIME WE TIMED IT PERFECTLY TO WHERE ONCE THOSE ENDED, WE WOULD BEGIN OUR LEASE PURCHASE AGREEMENT FOR THE SOLAR PROJECT. WE FINANCED THAT. IT'S ABOUT $12.3 MILLION, AND IT WILL BE PAID IN 2043. AND SO WE ARE CONTINUING TO PAY LEASE PAYMENTS FOR THAT, BUT WE WILL SEE SAVINGS OVER TIME FROM OUR SOLAR PROJECT BECAUSE OUR ELECTRICITY RATES HAVE GONE UP SO HIGH. AND I THINK PRESIDENT CHANYU ASKED US AT ONE OF THE LAST MEETINGS, THIS IS THE SAVINGS OVER A 25-YEAR PERIOD. AND SO IT GOES OVER HOW MUCH SOLAR WILL PRODUCE, OUR ENERGY CONSERVATION SAVINGS, HOW MUCH WE PLAN TO SAVE OVER THE YEAR. AND SO BY 25 YEARS, WE WOULD HAVE SAVED $11 MILLION. WE'RE ALSO ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE UP TO A $2 MILLION FEDERAL DIRECT TAX CREDIT. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING WITH A CONSULTANT TO GET THAT PAPERWORK IN. AND SO THE CAVEAT THERE IS IT HAS TO BE EXPENSES THAT ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO SOLAR GENERATION EQUIPMENT. SO WE HAVE A SPECIALIST THAT WE'VE CONSULTED WITH THAT IS DOING THE WORK AND THE REVIEW OF THE EXPENSES BECAUSE WE HAVE TO FILE SOMETHING WITH THE IRS TO RECEIVE THIS, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE WORKING ON CURRENTLY. OKAY, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO LAUREN TO GO OVER OUR BUDGET AND FINANCIAL REPORTING PROCESS. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. SO THIS FLOWCHART HERE HIGHLIGHTS THE TWO-YEAR PROCESS OF OUR BUDGET AND FINANCIAL REPORTING, AND THEN WE ARE NOW FINALIZING THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE GOING TO PROPOSE, AND WE SCHEDULED A PUBLIC HEARING ON JUNE 3RD. SO WE WANT TO BRING BACK SOME BUDGET INFORMATION THAT WE PRESENTED AT THE SECOND INTERIM. FIRST, THE FUNDING SOURCES BY PROGRAM. AT THE SECOND INTERIM, APPROXIMATELY 49% OF SCCUE COUNTY SCHOOLS SERVICE FUND REVENUES COME FROM FEES PAID BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, LOCAL GRANTS AND CONTRACTS. THIS LIES ON HAVING RELIANCE ON EXTERNAL PROGRAM FUNDING FOR ELECTIVE SERVICES AND PARTNERSHIPS. ANOTHER 24% AS YOU SEE COMES FROM STATE AND FEDERAL GRANTS. WHY ANOTHER 24% SUPPORTS COUNTY-OPERATED MANDATED SERVICES? SO AS YOU SEE, ONLY 9% OF COUNTY SCHOOL SERVICE FUND REVENUES ARE FROM LCFF ENTITLEMENT FOR THE COUNTY OPERATIONS THAT WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THERE IN THE PIE CHART. THIS IS A POINT I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE. JUST MATHEMATICALLY, THAT 9% IS INSUFFICIENT TO BALANCE DEFICITS OR STRUCTURAL DEFICITS IN THE OTHER. 91% OF THE PROGRAMS AND REVENUES THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE THERE ARE FIXED COSTS RELATED TO THE COUNTY SERVICES GRANT. AND SO EACH YEAR THOSE COSTS ARE GOING UP FOR THE STAFF WHO WORK IN THOSE DIVISIONS AND PROGRAMS AS WELL AS FACILITIES. AND SO THE AMOUNT THAT'S AVAILABLE SINCE IT'S FLAT FUNDED, AS COSTS GO UP FOR MANDATED SERVICES, THAT REDUCES THE AMOUNT THAT IS AVAILABLE TO OFFSET DEFICITS IN SOME OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS. 9% IS THAT THE GENERAL FUND UNRESTRICTED THAT'S WHERE WE USED TO LIKE COVER LIKE YOU KNOW THAT'S WHERE OUR STATUTORY MANDATED RESPONSIBILITIES AS A COUNTY OFTEN DISTRICT OVERSIGHT TECHNOLOGY HR ALL OF THOSE PIECES ARE COMPRISED OF THAT GRANT OKAY THANK YOU SO SALARY COST BY PROGRAM, MORE THAN HALF OF OUR SALARY COSTS ARE SUPPORTED BY FEES FOR ELECTIVE SERVICES, LOCAL GRANTS AND CONTRACTS. THIS DEMONSTRATES HOW THE COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCCOE AND VARIOUS PARTNERS PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN SUSTAINING OUR PROGRAMS. IT ALSO STRENGTHENS OUR CONTINUED FOCUS ON EXPANDING PARTNERSHIPS AND SECURING EXTERNAL FUNDING TO SUPPORT SERVICES FOR STUDENTS AND DISTRICTS. IF I CAN ADD. ONE OF THE OBLIGATIONS THAT I HAVE BY POLICY IS TO MAKE SURE THE BUDGET IS ABLE TO ADDRESS FUTURE LIABILITIES. AND SO AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE PAID LEAVE, IF I JUST LOOK AT STATE AND FEDERAL GRANT-FUNDED PROGRAMS, SO STAFF IN THOSE PROGRAMS, [03:50:01] IF THOSE GRANTS DON'T ALLOW FOR THE PREGNANCY LEAVE, WE NEED TO HAVE DOLLARS SET ASIDE TO PAY FOR THOSE, AND THAT WOULD COME FROM THE GENERAL FUND. AND SO MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO COVER THOSE LIABILITIES SHOULD THEY OCCUR. THANK YOU, DR. TOSMAN. SO FTES BY PROGRAM, THE MAJORITY OF SCCOE FTE POSITIONS ARE FUNDED THROUGH FEES PAID FOR ELECTIVE SERVICES, LOCAL GRANTS, AND CONTRACTS, ALONG WITH THE STATE AND FEDERAL GRANTS, WHILE ONLY ABOUT 25% IS SUPPORTED BY... ADA AND COUNTY OPERATIONS FOR MANDATED SERVICES. AND THE FTE IS FUNDED BY FEES PAID BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS, SO THIS CHART BREAKS DOWN MORE ON THE FTES FUNDED BY FEES PAID BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. SO AS YOU SEE IT HERE, THE SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM MAKES UP THE MAJORITY OF OUR WORKFORCE. THIS MEANS THAT ENROLLMENT FROM OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN SUSTAINING THESE POSITIONS. AND THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE. IF I MAY, JUST LOOKING AT SPECIAL ED, I KNOW THERE WILL BE LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE INCREASE IN SPECIAL ED FUNDING. WHILE THERE MAY BE MORE DOLLARS AVAILABLE FOR SPECIAL ED, THAT DOES NOT, IT'S NOT A PREDICTOR THAT OUR SPECIAL ED PROGRAMS WILL GROW OR THAT THERE WILL BE AN INCREASE IN USE BECAUSE THIS MAY ACCELERATE DISTRICT PLANS TO CONTINUE TO BRING PROGRAMS BACK IN DISTRICT. NOW THAT THERE IS AN INCREASE IN REVENUE, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING PROGRAMS WITHIN THE DISTRICT, AS WELL AS REDUCING COSTS FOR TRANSPORTATION AND OTHER ASSOCIATED ITEMS. AND SO WHENEVER AGENCIES RECEIVE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OF ONE-TIME DOLLARS, IT CAN ACCELERATE MAYBE SOME LONG-TERM PLANS THAT WERE ALREADY IN PLACE. THANK YOU, DR. POSTON. SO AS WE UPDATED OUR BUDGET AT THE SECOND INTERIM, THE MULTI-YEAR PROJECTIONS SHOW THE SEC REMAINS FINANCIALLY SOLVENT. HOWEVER, AVAILABLE BALANCES DECLINED OVER TIME, HIGHLIGHTING THE NEED FOR CONTINUED FISCAL STEWARDSHIP AND FOR MAKING NECESSARY PROGRAM ADJUSTMENTS. WE WANTED TO JUST HIGHLIGHT SECOND INTERIM BECAUSE THE NEXT TIME WE COME BEFORE YOU IS THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR 26-27. THIS WAS THE LAST REPORTING PERIOD THAT WE DID, SO WE WANTED JUST TO KIND OF REFRESH WHERE WE WERE. AND THEN WHEN WE COME FORWARD, YOU'LL SEE KIND OF THE COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE TWO REPORTING PERIODS. ALSO, ANNUAL AUDIT, THE REASON WHY I BRING THIS UP, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING IN TWO DIFFERENT FISCAL YEARS. SO WE ARE WORKING TO CLOSE OUR BOOKS IN THE NEXT COMING WEEKS WHILE WE'RE DEVELOPING AND GETTING THE BUDGET APPROVED. APPROVED FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, 26-27. AND SO THE NEXT PIECE FOR 24-25 WOULD BE ON AUDITED ACTUALS, BUT WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE 24-25 YEAR. THE ANNUAL AUDIT REPORT, WE DID RECEIVE AN A-PLUS RATING. WE WERE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT. I KNOW WE DID HAVE ONE MINOR AUDIT ISSUE, WHICH WAS THE HOME TO SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION THAT THE AUDITORS WERE QUESTIONING. WE RECEIVED AN UPDATE YESTERDAY FROM CDE THAT OUR CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN THAT YOU ALL APPROVED IN APRIL, THE PLAN WAS APPROVED. THEY REMOVED IT AND WERE ABLE TO KEEP THE $13,000. SO I WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. SO I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT. ALSO WANT TO INCLUDE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE AUDIT. SO WHEN WE GET OUR NUMBERS AUDITED, THEY VALIDATE ALL OF OUR BALANCES. THEY VALIDATE THE RESTRICTED FUNDS. AS PART OF OUR RESTRICTED FUNDS, WE ALSO HAVE TO UNDERGO A SINGLE AUDIT. SINGLE AUDIT IS WHERE THEY DO A REVIEW OF ALL OF OUR FEDERAL FUNDS. THEY REACH OUT COMPARED TO THE GRANTORS. THERE'S ANOTHER STEP THAT'S TAKEN BECAUSE IT'S A FEDERAL REQUIREMENT. SO ALL OF OUR BALANCES ARE VALIDATED AND SO WHEN WE HAD THE 109 MILLION THAT WE ROLLED FORWARD THE BULK OF THAT WAS RESTRICTED AND VALIDATED WITH OUR GRANT TOURS. SO REALLY APPRECIATE THAT THAT KIND OF CLOSES THAT YEAR SO WHEN YOU SEE THE NON-ACTUALS COMING IN 25-26 WE'LL HAVE THAT AUDIT COMING IN JANUARY. SO THERE ARE VALIDATION PROCESSES ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR SO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AND ALSO GIVE THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE HOMESCHOOL TRANSPORTATION. OKAY AND THEN BUDGET DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE SO I FEEL LIKE THIS TIMELINE HAS FLOWN BY. I FEEL LIKE IT REALLY HAS. SO WE STARTED WITH THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET PROPOSAL. WE STARTED INTERNAL BUDGET DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS. WE HAD A BUDGET STUDY COMMITTEE IN FEBRUARY THAT TOUCHED ON PIECES OF THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET PROPOSAL, WHICH HAVE CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE THEN. ALSO WENT OVER OUR SECOND INTERIM AT THAT TIME OR PREVIEW THAT. THEN WE WENT AND DID OUR SECOND INTERIM, DID ANOTHER BUDGET STUDY COMMITTEE, AND THEN WE SUBMITTED OUR HEAD START GRANT APPLICATION. IN APRIL, WE'RE WORKING TO WRAP UP THE BUDGET TO BRING IT. BACK HERE FOR THE BUDGET STUDY SESSION. SO WHAT YOU SEE TODAY IS VERY PRELIMINARY BECAUSE WE'RE ALSO MERGING EVERYTHING, AND THEN MAY REVISE JUST CAME OUT LAST WEEK. SO WE'RE PREPPING TO BRING THE BUDGET TO THE HEARING IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS WITH ADOPTION THE FOLLOWING WEEK AND THEN SUBMITTING IT TO CDE [03:55:01] BY THE STATUTORY DEADLINE. AND THEN THESE ARE THE CRITERIA FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE ANNUAL COUNTY SCHOOL SERVICE FUND BUDGET. SO WE HAVE TO MEET OUR 2% STATE REQUIRED RESERVE. THAT IS A REQUIREMENT. AND WHEN WE UNDERGO OUR DEVELOPMENT OF ANY OF OUR INTERIM OR BUDGET REPORTS, IT'S IN THE STATE SYSTEM. SO THE STATE SYSTEM DOES A VALIDATION. IT MAKES SURE THAT WE CAN MEET ALL OF OUR CRITERIAS, AND IF NOTHING IS MET, IT WILL GIVE US, LIKE, ERROR MESSAGES. SO IT IS VALIDATED AT THAT LEVEL, TOO. WE ALSO WILL MEET OUR BOARD 2% REQUIREMENTS, AND THEN THE POSITIVE CERTIFICATION, AS LAUREN MENTIONED, POSITIVE MEANS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MEET OUR FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR AND TWO SUBSEQUENT FISCAL YEARS. BUT WHY WE ARE CONTINUING TO JUST EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR THE UNASSIGNED TO BE POSITIVE IS IF THE UNASSIGNED IS NON-EXISTENT OR NEGATIVE, THAT IS A QUALIFIED BUDGET. AND IT BECOMES NEGATIVE IF THERE'S A CASH FLOW ISSUE. SO THAT'S WHY WE REALLY ARE EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF INCREASING OUR UNASSIGNED BALANCES FOR UNFUNDED COSTS THAT MAY BE COMING THAT WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR. PART OF OUR WORK GOING INTO NEXT YEAR WILL BE DEVELOPING A FISCAL STABILIZATION PLAN. AND CONTINUING OUR REVIEW OF PROGRAMS TO IDENTIFY WAYS TO ADDRESS STRUCTURAL DEFICITS THAT ARE IN THE PROGRAM, TO BRING THEM IN LINE IF POSSIBLE, OR MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THE SUSTAINABILITY OF PROGRAMS THAT CURRENTLY HAVE STRUCTURAL DEFICITS. AND THEN JUST SOME OF THE BUDGETARY CHALLENGES. I WON'T GO THROUGH THEM ALL, BUT DECLINING ENROLLMENT, ELANI TOUCHED ON THAT. ADA IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE ACTUALLY GET THE REVENUE. IT'S BASED ON OUR ADA, NOT ON OUR ENROLLMENT. SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS IS THE INFLATIONARY PRESSURES, THE EMPLOYER COSTS, THOSE STRS AND PRS, THOSE CONTINUE TO GO UP AND WE, I MEAN, WE GET THE COST OF LIVING NOW AND IT'S REDUCED BY YOUR ADA DECLINE, BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO COVER THOSE INCREASED COSTS. THE LOWER BIRTH RATES, WE HAD THE SPIKE, SO WE'LL SEE IN A YEAR IF THAT CONTINUES. THE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION, I THINK THAT'S ONE THAT WE'RE STILL CONTINUING TO MONITOR BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTEN REDUCTIONS IN FUNDING. I KNOW IN OUR MIGRANT ED PROGRAM, WE'RE EXPECTING, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A REDUCTION OF ALMOST 800,000 FROM THE PRIOR BUDGET YEAR AND SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT CONTINUING THAT ARE CONTINUING TO HAPPEN THAT WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO BUDGET APPROPRIATELY BECAUSE OUR GENERAL FUND CAN'T MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE AND THEN ALSO WE CONTINUE TO HAVE REDUCTIONS IN GRANTS AND OR EXPIRATION OF GRANTS SO WE'RE SEEING SOME OF THOSE IMPACTS AND THEN ONE TIME COVID FUNDS HAVE EXPIRED A LOT OF THE STUFF AND THINGS WE PUT IN PLACE AT THAT TIME LIKE THE MERV 13S AIR FILTERS WE'VE CONTINUED ALL THAT WORK SO THOSE ARE COSTS THAT WE'VE CONTINUED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE IN PLACE BECAUSE WE WANT GOOD AIR QUALITY, WE WANT STAFF TO BE IN A HEALTHY WORK ENVIRONMENT, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT. BUT WE'VE ABSORBED THOSE TO WHERE MAYBE OTHER AGENCIES HAVE NOT, SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE WANT TO LOOK AT. AND THEN ALSO, WE REALLY ARE TRYING TO MONITOR AND LIMIT THE INCREASED GENERAL FUND SUPPORT FOR NON-MANDATED PROGRAMS BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MAKE THAT POSITIVE CERTIFICATION. AND IF WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO DO THAT, THEN IT DOES INCREASE OUR RISK OF NOT MEETING OUR POSITIVE CERTIFICATION. THIS IS JUST A CHART THAT I WANTED TO SHOW BECAUSE OUR ADA, IT KEEPS GOING DOWN. AND I WANT TO SAY A COUPLE YEARS AGO, I THOUGHT WE WERE PREDICTING IT TO BE HIGHER BASED ON DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE. BUT FOR 26-27, I MEAN, WE'RE LOOKING AT POSSIBLY 213,000. SO IT'S A VERY SIGNIFICANT YEAR-OVER-YEAR DECLINE. I KNOW WITH ALL THE LAYOFFS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING IN THE AREA, TOO, WE DO SEE SHIFTS BECAUSE OF THAT. OR PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, MIGRATE OUT OF THE AREA. SO SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON TO MONITOR CLOSELY. BECAUSE WE BRING YOU THE BUDGET TO PLAN, WE BRING YOU THE BUDGET WHEN WE GET IT ADOPTED, WE BRING YOU THE INTERIMS AS THINGS CHANGE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. WE DON'T GET CONFIRMATION OF OUR COUNTY FUNDING UNTIL P ANNUAL, WHICH IS THE FINAL NUMBERS. SO WE'RE WORKING ON PROJECTIONS TO SEE HOW MUCH WE'RE REALLY GOING TO GET FUNDED, WHICH IS WHY THE BUFFER IS REALLY IMPORTANT. AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO LAUREN. THANK YOU. SO THIS SLIDE SHOWS YOU THE STRUCTURE OF OUR COMPLEX 35-DIGIT ACCOUNT CODE THAT WE UM USED TO CODE IT IN THE SYSTEM, IN OUR FINANCIAL SYSTEM. AS WE DEVELOP THE BUDGET, IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR SECUE PROGRAMS, WHICH IS SO CALLED INRED. EACH RESOURCE CODE HELPS DETERMINE THE TYPE OF FUNDING SOURCE, WHETHER IT'S FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, UNRESTRICTED, OR RESTRICTED FUNDING, AND IT HELPS US TO DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE STEP TO DEVELOP THE BUDGET. ONE OTHER THING TO ADD, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR SACS, REPORTING STRUCTURE. CDE ISSUES RESOURCE CODES FOR EVERY FUNDING SOURCE. WE CAN'T MAKE THEM UP. THEY HAVE TO BE BASED ON CDE AND THEN THEY'RE VALIDATED THROUGH THE SOFTWARE WE PUT ALL OUR BUDGET INFORMATION IN. SO THIS IS BASED ON THE STATE TELLING US WHERE WE CAN ALLOCATE THINGS, BUT IT ALSO TELLS US HOW WE CAN USE THE FUNDS. SO I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS CRITICAL TO KNOW THAT THESE ARE OUR STANDARD CHART OF ACCOUNTS THAT ALL LEAS HAVE TO USE FOR FUNDING SOURCES. SO THEY ARE DEVELOPED AND THEY'RE TIED TO WHETHER THEY'RE RESTRICTED, FEDERAL, STATE, EVERYTHING AND THE ACCOUNTING WORLD HAS A PURPOSE. [04:00:01] AND SO THAT HELPS US TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT USE THE FUNDS FOR. THANK YOU. SO NEXT WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE YOU WITH SOME PRELIMINARY INFORMATION ON THE 26-27 BUDGET. AND THIS SLIDE PROVIDES PRELIMINARY FIGURES FOR THE 26-27 COUNTY SCHOOL SERVICE FUND BUDGET AS WE CONTINUE FINALIZING THE PROPOSED BUDGET. THE CHART REFLECTS THE BREAKDOWN OF TOTAL REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES BETWEEN UNRESTRICTED AND RESTRICTED FUNDING SOURCES. THE RESTRICTED AMOUNTS SHOW IN RED REPRESENTS FUNDING THAT IS LEGALLY OR PROGRAMMATICALLY DESIGNATED FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES AND CANNOT BE REDIRECTED FOR OTHER OPERATIONAL NEEDS OUTSIDE OF THE FUNDING TERMS AND CONDITIONS. AND WHILE REVENUES ARE INSUFFICIENT TO FULLY COVER OUR EXPENDITURES WITHIN THE COUNTY SCHOOL SERVICE FUND, CARRYOVER FUNDING IS BEING UTILIZED TO HELP SUPPORT ONGOING OPERATIONS AND REQUIRED SERVICES. THE CARRYOVER BALANCE CONSISTS OF APPROXIMATELY $23.9 MILLION IN RESTRICTED FUNDING SOURCES AND $4.7 MILLION IN UNRESTRICTED RESOURCES. THE DECISIONS REGARDING HOW WE USE THESE FUNDS ARE CAREFULLY EVALUATED BY THE PROGRAM BASED ON FUNDING RESTRICTIONS AND ALLOWABILITY, OPERATIONAL AND CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS. LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF ONGOING COSTS AND THE CONTINUED NEED TO PROVIDE MANDATED COUNTY OFFICE AND STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES. IN MANY INSTANCES, PARTICULARLY WITHIN RESTRICTED RESOURCES, CARRYOVER FUNDING IS NECESSARY TO SUPPORT MULTI-YEAR GRANT AND CONTRACT ACTIVITIES THAT EXTEND BEYOND A SINGLE FISCAL YEAR. AND THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS THE BREAKDOWN OF COUNTY SCHOOL SERVICE FUNDS. REVENUES BY PROGRAM AREA COMPARED TO THE SECOND INTERIM BUDGET THAT WE PRESENTED EARLIER. THERE IS A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE PROPORTIONAL SHARE OF THE COUNTY OPERATIONS FOR MANDATED SERVICES REVENUES. THIS CHANGE IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE DECREASES IN REVENUES GENERATED BY FEES FOR ELECTIVE SERVICES, INCLUDING DECLINES IN ENROLLMENT WITHIN SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS. AS WELL AS REDUCTION IN THE STATE AND FEDERAL GRANT FUNDING. AND I'LL JUST ADD THE POINT, OR CONFIRMATION. COLAS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WOULD BE APPLIED TO THE 10% AND POTENTIALLY OIA IN TERMS OF INCREASES FOR US RELATED TO THE COLA. IT'D BE THE 10%, YEAH, AND THEN OIA, CORRECT? YEAH. SO THIS CHART PROVIDES PRELIMINARY BREAKDOWN OF COUNTY SCHOOL SERVICE FUND EXPENDITURES BY DIVISION. EDUCATIONAL SERVICES REPRESENTS THE LARGEST SHARE OF... BUDGET AT APPROXIMATELY 54% OF TOTAL EXPENDITURES. WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT APPROXIMATELY 11% REFLECTS THE NET IN OTHER EXPENSES, REFLECTS THE NET IMPACT OF THE RETURN OF LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES AND STORES ON BEHALF CONTRIBUTIONS, AS WELL AS THE INDIRECT COST RECOVERY GENERATED FROM RESTRICTED FUNDING SOURCES. AND THIS IS THE PRE-LIBBY EXPENSE BUDGET BY COUNTY SCHOOL SERVICE FUND BY DIVISION. MORE SHOW YOU HOW MUCH FROM GENERAL FUND AND RESTRICTED FUNDING SOURCES. SO COMPARED TO, SO AS SHOWN IN GRAY, THE GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES PRIMARILY SUPPORT ESSENTIAL COUNTY OFFICE OPERATIONS. CENTRALIZED ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS INFRASTRUCTURE, COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS, AND STATE MANDATE SERVICES THAT PROVIDE DIRECT OPERATIONAL SUPPORT TO PROGRAM DISTRICTS, AND ALSO THEREFORE THEY'RE NOT ENTIRELY DISCRETIONARY IN NATURE. SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S GENERAL FUND, BUT THE FUNDING IS USED TO SUPPORT MANDATED SERVICES. FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE IF YOU SEE BUSINESS FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS DIVISION, THE DIVISION SUPPORTS CORE COUNTY OFFICE FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING LIKE BUDGETING, ACCOUNTING, PAYROLL, PROCUREMENT, FACILITIES, RISK MANAGEMENT, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, AND THE FISCAL OVERSIGHT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND IN CONTRAST, THE DIVISIONS SUCH AS EDUCATIONAL SERVICES AND INSTRUCTION LEADERSHIP AND INNOVATION DIVISION, THESE TWO DIVISIONS ARE PRIMARILY FUNDED THROUGH RESTRICTED GRANTS. CONTRACTS AND FEE-FOR-SERVICE REVENUE TIED [04:05:01] TO SPECIFIC PROGRAM PURPOSES. ONE THING I WANT TO ADD TO THE INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP IS THAT'S WHERE THE DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE WORK TAKES PLACE. SO THAT GENERAL FUND PIECE, IT'S CONSIDERED GENERAL FUND BECAUSE DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE COMES THROUGH LCFF, BUT THAT'S WHERE THAT FUNDING IS ALLOCATED. SO IT SAYS GENERAL FUND, BUT IT'S FOR THE DIFFERENTIATED ASSISTANCE MANDATED WORK. THANK YOU. SO THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS EXPENDITURES IN THE OTHER CATEGORY THAT WE PRESENTED IN THE PIE CHART FOR EXPENDITURES BY THE DIVISION. THESE EXPENSES ARE COUNTY-WIDE IN NATURE AND NOT SPECIFIC TO ANY ONE DIVISION WITHIN THE COUNTY SCHOOL SOCIAL FUND. SO THE LARGEST COMPONENT IS THE RETURN OF LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES TO THE STATE TOTALING APPROXIMATELY 60.4 MILLION DOLLARS. SO IF YOU SEE WHERE AT THE SECOND INTERIM WE ESTIMATED THE RETURN OF LOCAL PROPERTY TAX LIKE $56 MILLION, BUT AT THE BUDGET, LIKE WHEN WE'RE PREPARING THE BUDGET FOR 26-27, WE ESTIMATED $60.4 MILLION IN THE RETURN OF LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES. AND ALSO THIS SLIDE INCLUDES APPROXIMATELY $7 MILLION IN THE STIRS ON BEHALF PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS BY THE STATE, WHICH WE REQUIRE TO RECORD THE ACCOUNTING ENTRIES AND THE BUDGET ENTRIES FOR FINANCIAL REPORTING PURPOSE. EVEN THOUGH THESE ARE NOT ACTUALLY THE SECUA EXPENSE. AND OFFSETTING A PORTION OF THESE COSTS IS APPROXIMATELY $20.2 MILLION IN INDIRECT COST RECOVERY GENERATED FROM RESTRICTED GRANTS AND PROGRAMS. OKAY, SO AS FAR AS TIMELINES, JUNE 3RD WE WILL BE HERE TO PRESENT THE PROPOSED COUNTY SCHOOL SERVICE FUND BUDGET. WITH THE JUNE 10TH BOARD MEETING BEING THE ADOPTION, THIS ALSO INCLUDES OUR LOCAL CONTROL ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN. AND THEN THE REQUIREMENT IS THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE THE COUNTY SCHOOL SERVICE FUND ADOPTED BY JULY 1ST TO SEND TO THE STATE TO MEET OUR STATUTORY DEADLINE. THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. TRUSTEES, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? PRESIDENT PACHECO. TOTAL REVENUES FOR 25-26. 430,000,000, UM, 26, 27, 3 80. SO IT FLUCTUATES EVERY YEAR BECAUSE WE'RE CLOSING THE BOOKS IN ONE YEAR AND THEN WE'RE DEVELOPING THE BUDGET IN THE NEW YEAR. SO IF YOU LOOK HISTORICALLY, YOU'LL SEE THE BUDGET'S A LITTLE BIT LESS AT BUDGET ADOPTION. THEN WHEN WE CLOSE THE BOOKS AND WE CARRY OVER THE FUNDS AND FINALIZE THE NUMBERS, FIRST INTERIM IS WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT OF THE CARRYOVER. PRIMARILY, IT IS FROM GRANT FUNDS. SO IT'S GRANT FUNDS WHERE WE'RE CLOSING OUT THE FINAL AMOUNTS AND THEN CARRYING THE BALANCES FORWARD. SO BY FIRST INTERIM, YOU'LL SEE A FLUCTUATION UP, AND IT'S FROM REVENUES OR GRANT MONEY THAT WE HAVE THAT WE HAVE TO RECORD. OKAY, SO THAT $50 MILLION GAP IS NOTHING TO REALLY BE CONCERNED ABOUT RIGHT NOW. WE DO HAVE A REDUCTION IN GRANTS, THOUGH, SO I WILL SAY THAT. SO YOU MIGHT SEE A DECLINE FROM A PRIOR YEAR BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD BIGGER GRANTS THAT HAVE EXPIRED THIS YEAR. A LOT OF THE YOUTH HEALTH AND WELLNESS GRANTS, MY UNDERSTANDING, THOSE HAVE EXPIRED. SO A LOT OF THOSE MULTI-YEAR GRANTS WE'VE HAD FOR FIVE YEARS ARE ON THE VERGE OF EXPIRING. SO I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE MAYBE AS HIGH AS IT WAS IN THE PRIOR YEAR UNLESS WE GET NEW GRANTS, WHICH THAT'S WHY IT'S CHALLENGING BECAUSE WE COULD GET GRANTS AND I BRING THE BUDGET REVISIONS, WE BRING THEM EVERY MONTH AND THEY SAY WE GOT THIS GRANT, WE GOT THIS GRANT. THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN ANY UPDATES TO THE BUDGET FROM JULY 1 UNTIL OCTOBER 31ST. SO IT'S A FLUCTUATION, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO IMPROVE THE WAY WE SHOW WHAT'S COMING IN. SO YOU CAN SEE THESE ARE CARRYOVER FROM THE PRIOR YEAR OR THESE ARE NEW MONIES COMING IN. SO THE BUDGET BOOK WILL HAVE THE BREAKDOWN OF THAT. YEAH. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? CHRISTY BERTA. I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK IF WE COULD GET SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE ASSIGNED BUDGETS. I KNOW WE GET SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS EVERY YEAR, AND SO I'M JUST TRYING TO ANTICIPATE FOR JUNE AROUND THE ASSIGNED BUDGETS, BUT ALSO WHAT'S BEEN CARRIED OVER IN THOSE ASSIGNED BUDGETS. CATEGORIES YEAR AFTER YEAR. SO I KNOW ONE THAT'S COME UP IN THE PAST, FOR INSTANCE, IS BOOKS AND SUPPLIES. SO IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE MORE CLARIFICATION ON WHY THOSE TRENDS SEEM TO OCCUR, IF THAT'S ANTICIPATED, OR IF THERE'S OTHER CLARIFICATION THAT CAN BE PROVIDED ON THAT. YEAH, I CAN ANSWER THAT. AND ALSO IN OUR PUBLIC... OUR PUBLIC HEARING BUDGET, IT WON'T HAVE CARRY OVER AT THAT POINT BECAUSE IT'S THE BUDGET WE'RE ADOPTING FOR 26, 27. SO IT'S GOING TO BE THESE ARE THE NUMBERS, YOUR REVENUES, YOUR EXPENSES, AND OUR PROPOSED CARRY OVER. WE'LL GIVE A BREAKDOWN. I WILL SAY, THOUGH, THAT WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE FLUCTUATIONS IN BOOKS AND SUPPLIES AND CONTRACTED [04:10:01] SERVICES BECAUSE THE WAY THAT WE ARE FUNDED THROUGH GRANTS. I LIKE TO GIVE THE EXAMPLE, THE SIMPLEST ONE, BECAUSE OF THE NUMBERS. IF WE GET A $5 MILLION GRANT AND WE GET A GRANT AWARD NOTIFICATION AND $5 MILLION. WE HAVE TO BUDGET THAT WHOLE $5 MILLION, BUT THE WAY THAT OUR SYSTEM WORKS, WE CAN'T GIVE THE PROGRAM THE WHOLE $5 MILLION IN THAT CURRENT YEAR BECAUSE LET'S SAY THEY CAN ONLY SPEND A MILLION, RIGHT, FOR LIKE 26, 27. SO THEN WE WOULD TAKE THE $4 MILLION AND WE WOULD PUT IT IN A HOLDING, WHICH IS TYPICALLY IN YOUR CONTRACTED SERVICES, WE HAVE A HOLDING ACCOUNT OR IT COULD BE BOOKS AND SUPPLIES HOLDING ACCOUNT, AND IT WILL STAY THERE UNTIL WE GET EITHER APPROVAL FROM THE GRANTOR TO USE MORE MONEY IN THAT YEAR. OR WE CARRY OVER THE NEXT YEAR, THEN WE ALLOCATE THE NEXT MILLION, AND THAT REDUCES. SO YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE FLUCTUATIONS IN THOSE TWO CATEGORIES FOR THAT PURPOSE. SO WE CAN GO OVER THE CARRYOVER THAT WE HAVE. WE CAN GO OVER THE REVENUES WE HAVE, BUT THAT IS GOING TO BE A CONSTANT. AND I HIGHLIGHT WE'RE NOT TAKING GENERAL FUND REVENUE AND ASSIGNING IT TO BOOKS AND SUPPLIES TO CARRY OVER EACH YEAR. SO IT'S TYPICALLY RESTRICTED REVENUES OR FUNDS THAT ARE BEING HELD IN THAT AREA. AND BECAUSE THEY'RE RESTRICTED, WE CAN'T NECESSARILY SAY, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO ZERO IT OUT HERE TO INVEST IN OUR PROGRAMS OR TO INCREASE OUR SALARIES AND BENEFITS FOR STAFF ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION. THE OTHER THING I CAN ADD IS THAT SECOND INTERIM, I MEAN, WE CAN ADD RESOURCES, BUT THE TEAM AND I, WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS. AND IN THE BOOKLET, WE HAVE LISTED ALL THE CARRYOVER FUNDS, ALL THE FUNDING SOURCES BY FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND WE'VE DONE COMPARISONS THIS YEAR TO SHOW WHERE ARE WE AT BUDGET. WHERE ARE WE AT FIRST INTERIM SECOND INTERIM SO IT'S BEEN VERY WE TRY TO GIVE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE SO WE CAN HELP CIRCULATE THOSE IF YOU WANT IF THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL BUT WE'RE TRYING TO REALLY SHOW ALL THE FUNDING SOURCES AND WHERE THOSE CATEGORIES ARE IN BOOKS AND SUPPLIES AND CONTRACTED SERVICES SO WE CAN SHARE THAT AGAIN IF YOU'D LIKE THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THANK YOU CAN I JUST JUMP IN JUST TO FOLLOW UP WHY WHY ARE THE HOLDING ACCOUNTS HAVE TO BE IN THOSE TWO CATEGORIES SPECIFICALLY. THAT'S JUST THE WAY THE SACS FORMS WORK. THE STATE IS THE ONE THAT DEVELOPED THE STANDARDIZED ACCOUNTING CHART OF ACCOUNT SYSTEM. SO THAT'S JUST THE WAY THE SOFTWARE WORKS. AND TO BE HONEST, IF WE HAD A MORE SOPHISTICATED SYSTEM, BUT WE DON'T. AND SO THAT'S WHY THOSE HOLDING ACCOUNTS ARE THERE. THE WAY THE SYSTEM WORKS, IF WE WERE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO ALLOCATE THEM IN DIFFERENT YEARS AND THEN HAVE THE ABILITY TO SAY, OH, THIS IS FOR ANOTHER YEAR. BUT WE DON'T. WE GET IT, WE PUT IT IN THAT RESOURCE IN THE CURRENT YEAR. THERE'S NO WAY TO GO BACK AND SAY, OH, THIS IS FOR NEXT YEAR. SO THE RISK THAT WE RUN IS IF WE PUT IT ALL IN THE BUDGET FOR A PROGRAM TO USE, THEY COULD ERRONEOUSLY SPEND MORE MONEY THAN THEY'RE ALLOWED. OH, SURE. AND THE OTHER RISK WE HAVE IS THEN WITH SOME OF THE FEDERAL GRANTS, WE COULD BECOME A HIGH-RISK STATUS WHERE GRANTORS WILL REDUCE FUNDING, NOT WANT TO WORK WITH US, AND WE WON'T BE ABLE TO GET FUNDING. SO WE'RE REALLY STRATEGIC ON PUTTING IT THERE, WORKING WITH PROGRAMS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE MONITORING. MONITORING CURRENT YEAR BUDGETS, BUT THEN ALSO AS YOU'VE SEEN FLUCTUATIONS WITH SOME OF OUR FUNDING, A LOT OF OUR GRANTS ARE CONTINGENT UPON AVAILABLE FUNDING. SO EVERY YEAR, MAYBE WE DON'T GET THE FIVE MILLION, MAYBE WE ONLY GET TWO, WE CAN'T SPEND BEFORE WE'RE ABLE TO DO IT BASED ON OUR TERMS. YEAH, YEAH. THIS IS SUPERTENDING GOMEZ. IF I COULD JUST CLARIFY, WHEN YOU SAY IT'S THE SYSTEM WE HAVE, BUT IT'S THE SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE RULES AND DIRECTION. AROUND HOW WE HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR RESOURCES. SO WE'RE NOT JUST DECIDING TO PLUG IT IN WITH THIS OBJECT CODE. THAT'S THE GUIDANCE AND DIRECTION THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN TO PARK IT THERE SO THAT WHEN AUDITORS AND OTHERS LOOK AT IT, THEY UNDERSTAND THAT'S WHERE IT'S AT. I WANT TO ADD TO THAT. LIKE WHEN WE RECEIVE THE GRANT AWARD, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BALANCE THE REVENUE AND THEN OUR EXPENDITURES. AND THEN THE REASON WE CANNOT BUDGET IT IN SALARIES AND BENEFITS BECAUSE OUR SALARIES AND BENEFITS HAVE TO... ALLY WITH THE NUMBER OF FTES THAT WE HAVE IN THE SYSTEM. SO IF WE BUDGET IT IN THE SALARIES, THE BENEFITS, WE KIND OF OVERSTATE OUR SALARIES BUDGET. SO THAT'S THE REASON WE HAVE TO PUT IT IN THE 4,000 AND 5,000 OBJECT CODE TO IN OUR HONOR ACCOUNT. OKAY. AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS THE INDIRECT COST CALCULATION. THE GRANTORS, THE GRANTS HAVE DIFFERENT INDIRECT COST CALCULATIONS. IF YOU INFLATE THAT, IT COULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON YOUR INDIRECT COST, TOO. THEM. GOT IT. YEAH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. YOU SHOWED THE TIMELINE. IS THERE ANY KIND OF TIMELINE ASSOCIATED WITH TONIGHT'S MEETING? AND THE REASON I'M ASKING IS BECAUSE THE LAST TWO MEETINGS HAVE BEEN PRETTY LIGHT AGENDAS, AND TONIGHT WE HAD A HEARING FOR CHARTER RENEWAL. I'M TRYING TO, IN TERMS OF INVESTING THE TIME IN MY BRAIN INTO THIS AT 10 O'CLOCK OR CLOSE. WHAT DROVE THE DECISION AROUND THIS PRESENTATION TONIGHT IS WHEN WE TYPICALLY HAVE THE BUDGET STUDY SESSION AND WE WERE WAITING FOR THE MAY REVISE SO WE HAVE THE MOST CURRENT [04:15:01] INFORMATION. GOT IT. AND SO THIS IS THE LAST BOARD MEETING BEFORE WE HAVE BUDGET ADOPTION. GOT IT. WE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD MOST OF THIS DATA TWO WEEKS AGO. TWO WEEKS AGO. THANK YOU. I FORGIVE THE POINTED QUESTION, BUT I, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PRETTY HEFTY ITEM AND IT'S MY FAILURE FOR NOT FOCUSING ENOUGH TONIGHT. THANK YOU. OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO JUST TRUSTEES, I JUST GIVEN THE HOUR, I WANT US TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHAT THE AGENDA I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE IS WE WILL HEAR, WE JUST HEARD ITEM 10A, WE WILL HEAR ITEM 10B AND C. I DO KNOW WE HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT. SO I'M GOING TO PROPOSE WE TAKE OUR PUBLIC COMMENT. WE TALK ABOUT ITEMS 10B, 10C, AND THEN I'M GOING TO MOVE THAT WE TABLE ITEM 10D, 11, 12. 13 TO OUR NEXT MEETING AND WE WILL GO STRAIGHT INTO CLOSED AFTER 10 C. IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THAT? OKAY, I'M GOING TO MOVE THAT. I DO NEED A 2ND, SINCE WE'RE TABLING TO A FUTURE. I'M MOVED BY TRUSTEE. OKAY, OH, I'M THE MOST. OH, YEAH, SORRY. AND THE MODERATOR WHILE WE'RE VOTING, COULD YOU CALL UP THE PUBLIC COMMENTER? SURE, OUR COMMENTER IS CHRISTINE MOORE. I THINK I'M A PURPLE EYE BECAUSE IT LOCKED ME OUT. PLEASE CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME AND PRESENT YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT. I'M SORRY, WHICH ITEM IS SHE SPEAKING ON? 10D. 10D? YES. CAN SHE STILL SPEAK ON IT IF I TABLE IT? I DO NOT THINK SO. [D. Future Agenda Items] OKAY, I DO WANT TO RESPECT THAT SHE'S STILL HERE, SO WE'LL TAKE IT. BUT TRUSTEES? YES, IT'S NOT YOU I'M CONCERNED ABOUT. YOU'VE NOT ALREADY VOTED. YEAH, WE DIDN'T VOTE YET, SO I'LL TAKE THE PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE'LL VOTE. WE'LL DO THAT. I WANT TO RESPECT THAT YOU STAYED FOR THE ENTIRE MEETING UP UNTIL 930, SO WE'LL HEAR YOUR COMMENT. ALL RIGHT. CHRISTINA MOORE. IN LIGHT OF THE NEED FOR ONGOING BUDGET PRIORITIES DEVELOPMENT, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM REGARDING ONE, STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS THAT PROTECT EDUCATORS FROM RETALIATION FOR PROTECTED ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS ADVOCACY FOR STUDENTS AND HOW THE SCCOE WILL ENSURE THOSE LAWS ARE NOT BROKEN. ESPECIALLY SINCE LEGALLY BUDGET ISSUES ARE NOT AN EXCUSE FOR INAPPROPRIATE SERVICES AND ONGOING ADVOCACY CONTINUES TO BE NECESSARY AND TO THE SEC HAS BEEN CLOSING CLASSES FOR YEARS IN THE NAME OF SAVING MONEY AND AS PART OF A PLAN FOR THE SEC OE TO TAKE A MORE CONSULTATIVE TECHNICAL SUPPORT ROLE HOW HAS THAT BEEN GOING AS DR. TAWSTON JUST REFERENCED AN INCREASE IN STATE FUNDING MAY LEAD TO SUPPORTING MAY LEAD TO SUPPORTING DISTRICTS FED PROGRAMS BUT MONEY DOES NOT EQUAL EXPERTISE WE HEAR THAT DISTRICTS TAKE BACK STUDENTS DUE TO LACK OF FUNDS BUT NOW A POSSIBLE INCREASE OF FUNDS MAY ALSO LEAD TO DISTRICTS TAKING BACK STUDENTS SINCE THERE HAS BEEN MALFEASANCE WITH FUNDS WITHIN BOTH THE SSU THIS CONCLUDES COMMENT THANK YOU ALL RIGHT UM THANK YOU PROCEDURALLY I'M JUST GOING TO MOVE THAT WE TABLE ITEMS 11 AND ON EXCEPT FOR CLOSED SESSION. SORRY, PRISCILLA. OH, OKAY. OKAY. EVERYBODY LOG BACK IN. YEAH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GO ON [B. Findings of the 2025 Santa Clara Kindergarten Readiness Assessment] TO 10B FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, AND THEN WE CAN VOTE AFTER. WE HAVE PEOPLE HERE, SO WE WANT TO RESPECT THAT. THANK YOU FOR WAITING. WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE. OKAY, WE'RE ON TO ITEM 10B. THIS IS THE FINDINGS OF THE 2025 SANTA CLARA KINDERGARTEN READINESS ASSESSMENT. THIS INFORMATION WILL BE PRESENTED BY DR. MATTHEW TINSLEY, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION INITIATIVES AND POLICIES. GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT CHONG, TRUSTEES, SUPERINTENDENT, AND STAFF. MY NAME IS MATTHEW TINSLEY. I AM THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION INITIATIVES AND POLICIES HERE AT THE COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION. THE 2025 SANTA CLARA COUNTY KINDERGARTEN READINESS ASSESSMENT PROVIDES CRITICAL INSIGHT INTO THE DEVELOPMENTAL STRENGTHS AND NEEDS OF OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS AS THEY ENTER KINDERGARTEN. THIS REPORT ALIGNS WITH THE BOARD'S STRATEGIC GOALS OF A COORDINATED, SORRY, COORDINATED CRADLE-TO-CAREER EDUCATION ECOSYSTEM AND SYSTEMS THAT SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN THE [04:20:01] WHOLE CHILD. HERE FROM LINCOLN, WHERE SHE WILL BE DRIVING BACK AFTER SHE PRESENTS TONIGHT. IS LISA KOHLWEG-NICKLEY, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF PLANNING AND EVALUATION AT APPLIED SURVEY RESEARCH. NO, YOUR MICROPHONE'S NOT ON. OKAY. HOW'S THE SOUND? YEAH, THAT'S BETTER. THANK YOU. NORMALLY THIS IS THE FUN PART OF THE EVENING. I GET TO DELIVER DATA TO YOU. IT'S FUN TO THINK ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES. SO I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU'VE HAD A LONG NIGHT. I'VE BEEN WITNESSING THE DIFFERENT PRESENTATIONS. SO THANK YOU FOR THE... TIME THAT WE HAVE WITH YOU HERE TODAY. SO AS MY COLLEAGUE SAID, I'M WITH APPLIED SURVEY RESEARCH. WE'RE A NON-PROFIT SOCIAL RESEARCH FIRM ACTUALLY BASED IN SANTA CRUZ, SAN JOSE, AND RECENTLY EXPANDED TO THE SACRAMENTO AREA. AND I'M EXCITED TO SHARE THE 2025 SANTA CLARA COUNTY KINDERGARTEN READINESS ASSESSMENT FINDINGS. WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH SANTA CLARA COUNTY AND YOUR DEPARTMENT FOR THE PAST 21 YEARS. SO IT'S BEEN A LONG JOURNEY AND I'VE GOT LOTS OF DATA TO SHOW YOU TONIGHT. OKAY, SO FIRST A BIT ABOUT WHY WE MEASURE KINDERGARTEN READINESS. FIRST, THE RESEARCH IS CLEAR, AND I KNOW THAT I'VE GOT RESEARCH FRIENDS ON THE BOARD HERE. WE KNOW THAT WHEN CHILDREN ARE READY FOR KINDERGARTEN, THEY ARE MORE LIKELY IN LATER GRADES TO BE READING AT GRADE LEVEL, HAVE BETTER ATTENDANCE, AND HAVE FEWER BEHAVIORAL ISSUES. SECONDLY, WE USE THESE DATA TO LOOK BACKWARDS. BECAUSE WE KNOW THE FACTORS THAT ARE PREDICTING KINDERGARTEN READINESS, WE CAN USE THESE DATA TO BUILD STRATEGIES THAT ADDRESS THOSE FACTORS, SO BASICALLY HELP NEXT YEAR'S CHILDREN BE MORE READY FOR KINDERGARTEN. WE ALSO CAN USE THESE DATA TO LOOK FORWARD FOR FORMATIVE PURPOSES. SO SCHOOLS OFTEN ASK US, HOW DOES THIS HELP US INFORM INSTRUCTION, PROVIDE SUPPORT TO PARENTS, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO IT'S LOOKING FORWARD AS WELL. AND FINALLY, THESE DATA HELP BUILD BRIDGES. WE'VE BEEN AT THIS FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS, AND WE'VE SEEN... WHEN WE HAVE A SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF THE SKILLS THAT ARE NECESSARY AND THE EXPERIENCES THAT SHAPE THOSE READINESS SKILLS, EARLY LEARNING PARTNERS AND SCHOOL PARTNERS CAN COME TOGETHER FOR BETTER RESULTS IN PROMOTING THOSE SMOOTH TRANSITIONS INTO SCHOOL. I WON'T TAKE YOU THROUGH EVERY BUBBLE. THERE'S A LOT HERE TO GO THROUGH, BUT JUST A QUICK GRAPHIC OF ALL THE TIME THAT WE'VE SPENT HERE IN THE COUNTY AND IN THE REGION ASSESSING KINDERGARTEN READINESS. OUR FIRM DEVELOPED THE FORM, WE CALLED IT THE KINDERGARTEN OBSERVATION FORM, IN 2001 IN SAN MATEO COUNTY. AT THAT TIME WE HAD WHAT WAS DESIGNATED AS HIGH-NEED SCHOOLS, AND THE COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION WANTED TO SAY, WELL, WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH KINDERGARTEN READINESS IN THOSE SCHOOL DISTRICTS? WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH FAMILIES AND THEIR EARLY EDUCATION PROVIDERS? HOW CAN WE HELP PREPARE THOSE KIDS FOR SUCCESS? SO WE STARTED THERE FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS, PILOTED THE TOOL, REFINED THE TOOL, AND REALLY GOT IT TO THE FORM THAT IT'S IN NOW. IN 2004, SEEING THE SUCCESS IN SAN MATEO COUNTY, WE THEN WERE BROUGHT INTO SANTA CLARA COUNTY, WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE OFFICE OF ED, FIRST 5 SANTA CLARA, SEVERAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS, TO LAUNCH THE FIRST COUNTYWIDE READINESS ASSESSMENT HERE. AND WE DID THAT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS FOR SEVERAL YEARS. IN 2009, WE WANTED TO ASK THE QUESTION, DOES READINESS REALLY MATTER? WE THINK THAT IT DOES, BUT WE WANTED TO REALLY TEST THAT HYPOTHESIS. SO WE WORKED WITH YOUR DISTRICTS AROUND THE COUNTY TO MATCH. THIRD GRADE TEST SCORES WITH THE KINDERGARTEN OBSERVATION FORM DATA THAT WE HAD FOUR YEARS PRIOR AND WE PUT THOSE RECORDS TOGETHER AND WE COULD REALLY ANSWER IN YOUR COUNTY AND SAY FOR CERTAIN THAT WHEN CHILDREN HAD HIGH SCORES ON THE KOF THEY WERE MORE LIKELY TO TO BE READY BY THIRD GRADE READING ON READING SCORES AND MATH SCORES SO WE REALLY KNOW THAT READINESS PREDICTS LATER ACHIEVEMENT. WE THEN WENT AND DID SEVERAL YEARS OF TARGETED STUDIES TO REALLY DIG DEEPLY INTO THE POCKETS OF THE COMMUNITY. SO WE DID SEVERAL YEARS OF WORK WITH YOUR HEAD START PROGRAMS, SO USING THE KOF OR THE PKOF IN THAT PRESCHOOL SORT OF ARENA TO HELP AS AN EXIT MEASURE. ALSO TEACHERS USED THE DATA TO MESSAGE WITH PARENTS ABOUT WHAT KINDERGARTEN WAS GOING TO BE LOOKING LIKE AND HOW THEY COULD SUPPORT CHILDREN. WE USED IT WITH YOUR MIGRANT ED PROGRAMS, SEVERAL SUMMER BRIDGE PROGRAMS, NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS IN GILROY AND ELM ROCK DISTRICTS, AND THEN MOST RECENTLY A UNIVERSAL ACCESS PILOT. THAT WAS FUNDED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IN ALLEN ROCK AND FRANKLIN MCKINLEY DISTRICTS TO REALLY MAKE SURE THERE'S NO WRONG DOOR FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES AS THEY WORK THEIR WAY INTO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. AND THEN IN 2021, WE RESUMED OUR REGULAR TWO-YEAR SCHEDULE OF READINESS ASSESSMENT. SO I KNOW THAT'S A LOT, BUT JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU THAT YOU HAVE BEEN INVESTING IN KINDERGARTEN READINESS AND PARTNERSHIPS FOR A LONG TIME. NEXT SLIDE. SO A BIT ABOUT HOW WE MEASURE KINDERGARTEN READINESS. THE MAIN TOOL IS THE KINDERGARTEN OBSERVATION FORM, WHICH I JUST MENTIONED. IT INCLUDES 19 RESEARCH-BASED SKILLS AND IT TAKES TEACHERS ABOUT 10 MINUTES TO COMPLETE THE ASSESSMENT PER CHILD. SO WE HAVE TEACHERS DO THE FORM [04:25:01] WITHIN THE FIRST MONTH OF SCHOOL. WE TELL THEM DO A COUPLE CHILDREN PER DAY SO YOU CAN SPREAD IT OUT ACROSS THE FIRST MONTH OF SCHOOL. THE DOMAINS THAT ARE MEASURED ARE SELF-REGULATION, SOCIAL EXPRESSION, KINDERGARTEN ACADEMICS, AND THEN WE HAVE A COUPLE ITEMS RELATED TO MOTOR SKILLS AS WELL. WE KNOW THAT TEACHERS ONLY KNOW A PART OF THE EQUATION. THEY'RE SEEING WHAT CHILDREN ARE LOOKING LIKE WHEN THEY BEGIN SCHOOL, BUT THE FAMILIES CAN TELL US A LOT MORE. SO WE HAVE A MATCHED PARENT INFORMATION FORM THAT TEACHERS DISTRIBUTE TO PARENTS. THEY COMPLETE IT IN QUALTRICS. IT'S ANONYMOUS TO THE TEACHERS AND IT TELLS US ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S HEALTH EXPERIENCE, EARLY LEARNING EXPERIENCES, FAMILY STRESSORS, AND PARTICIPATION IN KEY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. ONCE WE HAVE THE DATA ON THE BACK END, WE MATCH IT USING CHILD THE INITIALS AND CHILD DATE OF BIRTH. SO WE CAN PUT THE KOF AND THE PIF TOGETHER, NOW WE HAVE A RICH PROFILE OF WHAT KIDS ARE LOOKING LIKE WHEN THEY COME INTO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. SO IN TERMS OF WHO PARTICIPATED WITH US IN THE FALL OF 2025, WE HAD A SAMPLE OF SCHOOLS THAT WERE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COUNTYWIDE POPULATION OF 14,000 KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS. SO ULTIMATELY WE HAD 11 DISTRICTS PARTNER WITH US, 23 SCHOOLS, 36 CLASSROOMS, AND THAT GAVE US 705 KINDERGARTEN ASSESSMENTS. AND WE HAVE... PARENT SURVEYS COME BACK FROM 321 PARENTS. SO ULTIMATELY, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE DATA THAT WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU IN A MOMENT WITH A 3.7% MARGIN OF ERROR. SO A NICE, ROBUST SAMPLE. OKAY, READY FOR SOME DATA? THAT WAS ENOUGH METHODOLOGY. OKAY, SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF WAYS THAT WE CAN SLICE AND PEEL THE DATA. THE SIMPLEST WAY IS JUST SIMPLY LOOKING AT MEAN SCORES. SO EACH OF THOSE 19 ITEMS IS ASSESSED ON A 1 TO 4 SCALE OF PROFICIENCY, WITH NONE BEING NOT YET. FOR BEING FULLY PROFICIENT. SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS THE OVERALL MEAN SCORES ACROSS ALL ITEMS. ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE THOSE ARE OUR OVERALL SCORES. YOU CAN SEE THAT THE LEVEL OF READINESS HAS DECREASED SINCE 2018. IT WAS 3.3, DROPPED TO 3.2, THEN TO 3.1. WE ALSO LOOKED TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITHIN THE DOMAINS AND WE SEE THE DROPS HAPPENING THERE AS WELL. IT'S CONSISTENT PATTERN OF REDUCTIONS IN KINDERGARTEN READINESS SINCE 2018. I WILL TELL YOU THAT THIS IS WHAT WE'VE SEEN ACROSS THE STATE IN ALL OF OUR COUNTIES, SO IT'S NOT JUST SANTA CLARA COUNTY, BUT THE PANDEMIC WAS VERY CHALLENGING FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY. THE NEXT SLIDE IS A DIFFERENT WAY OF LOOKING AT READINESS. ACTUALLY, I'LL JUST POINT OUT QUICKLY THE MAP ON THE FAR RIGHT IS STILL THOSE MEAN SCORES, BUT THE AVERAGE MEAN SCORES PER ZIP CODE. YOU CAN SEE THE DARKER THE SHADING, THE HIGHER THE LEVEL OF READINESS. SO THIS, I THINK, KIND OF MAPS CLOSELY TO THE SOCIOECONOMIC LEVELS AND OTHER FACTORS THAT WE HAVE IN THE ZIPS. SO PROBABLY NO SURPRISES THERE. BUT OVER ON THE LEFT IS WHAT I WANT TO SHOW YOU. IT'S A DIFFERENT WAY OF LOOKING AT READINESS. SO IT'S NOT A MEAN SCORE. BUT BASED ON OUR DIFFERENT LONGITUDINAL STUDIES, WE LOOKED AT THE CHILDREN WHO HAD BEEN ASSESSED BY US AT KINDERGARTEN. WE HAD THEIR THIRD-GRADE SCORES. WE SAID, WHAT WAS THE LEVEL OF READINESS? READINESS THAT THEY HAD WHEN THEY CAME INTO THE SYSTEM. SO IT WAS 3.25 OUT OF A FOUR POINT SCALE SO WE'RE CALLING THAT THE READINESS STANDARD. BASICALLY IF CHILDREN HAVE A 3.25 WE KNOW THAT ABOUT 75% WILL BE ON TARGET BY THIRD GRADE SO WE CAN SAY WELL HOW MANY KIDS MET HAD THAT 3.25 OR HIGHER? THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CALLING FULLY READY SO IN THE FALL OF 25, WE SAW THAT 35% OF YOUR KIDS COMING IN WERE FULLY READY SO THEY HAD THAT READINESS STANDARD THAT'S PREDICTIVE OF THIRD GRADE SUCCESS WE SAW ABOUT 31% BEING PARTIALLY READY. SO THEY WERE READY ON ONE DOMAIN BUT NOT THE OTHER TWO OR VICE VERSA. AND THEN THE ONE I WANT TO POINT OUT FOR YOU IS THE PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN WHO ARE NOT READY ON ANY DOMAIN. SO THAT'S 34%. THAT MEANS THAT 34% ARE GOING TO BE FACING AN UPHILL CLIMB AS THEY GO INTO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM UNLESS THERE'S A LOT OF INTERVENTION BETWEEN KINDER AND THIRD TO TURN THAT AROUND. WE'VE SEEN FROM OUR PAST LONGITUDINAL STUDIES THAT OF THOSE CHILDREN THAT ARE NOT READY, ONLY ABOUT 10% ARE MEETING GRADE LEVEL STANDARDS BY THIRD GRADE. SO THERE'S SOME WORK HERE TO DO. NOW FOR SOME TRENDS, LOOKING AT, AGAIN, THAT FULLY READY, PARTIALLY READY, NOT READY EQUATION, WE'RE SHOWING YOU THIS SAME DATA OVER TIME. SO IN 2018, THAT'S WHEN THINGS WERE GREAT FOR US. WE HAD 50% OF CHILDREN BEING FULLY READY FOR SCHOOL, AND THAT TRACKED REALLY CLOSELY TO WHAT YOUR THIRD GRADE READING PROFICIENCY WAS. HOWEVER, THE PANDEMIC, UM, OCCURRED AND YOU SEE THEIR NEXT TIME POINT IN 2023, WE DROPPED FROM 50% DOWN TO 37%. AND NOW AT 25, WE'VE MOVED TO 35%. SO THE PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN WHO ARE FULLY READY FOR KINDERGARTEN IS DROPPING STEADILY OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT THESE DATA IS THE GLASS HALF EMPTY IS LOOKING AT THE PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN WHO ARE NOT READY. SO THAT USED TO BE 19% AND NOW IT'S GROWN TO 26% AND NOW UP TO 34%. SO AGAIN, THE TOP IS DROPPING AND THE BOTTOM IS INCREASING. OKAY, NEXT SLIDE. [04:30:03] SO THAT BEGS THE QUESTION, IF YOU'RE A RESEARCHER LIKE WE ARE, TO SAY, WELL, WHAT IS DRIVING THOSE READINESS NUMBERS? HOW DO WE TURN THE CURVE? HOW DO WE CHANGE THE EQUATION THE WAY THAT IT'S TRENDING? SO WE USE SOMETHING CALLED MULTIPLE REGRESSION. WE'RE TAKING ALL THE FACTORS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US IN THE PARENT INFORMATION FORM AND THE KINDERGARTEN OBSERVATION FORM AND SAYING WHICH OF THOSE FACTORS INDEPENDENTLY. PREDICT THE READINESS NUMBER MOVING UP OR DOWN FOR A CHILD. SO WHAT I'M SHOWING YOU WHETHER YOU LOOK ACROSS THE WHEEL OR UP AND DOWN THE LADDER ON THE RIGHT, IT'S THE SAME SET OF INFORMATION. THE TOP PREDICTOR OF KIDS COMING TO SCHOOL READY TO LEARN IS IF THEY ARE WELL RESTED AND WELL FED IN THE MORNING AND THAT IS AS ASSESSED BY THEIR KINDERGARTEN TEACHER. THE SECOND STRONGEST PREDICTOR IS CHILDREN WHO HAD FORMAL EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS WHETHER IT'S TK OR PRESCHOOL. THE THIRD FACTOR IS PARENT EDUCATION LEVEL AND THEN AFTER THAT THERE ARE A SERIES OF WHAT I WOULD CALL FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND SCHOOL CONNECTION FACTORS. SO FOR INSTANCE WHEN CHILDREN HAD LESS THAN AN HOUR OF SCREEN TIME A DAY THEY CAME INTO SCHOOL MORE READY TO LEARN. WHEN FAMILIES WERE ACTIVELY PREPARING FOR KINDERGARTEN WITH THEIR CHILDREN, ATTENDING ORIENTATIONS AT THE CAMPUS, READING BOOKS ABOUT KINDERGARTEN, THEIR CHILDREN WERE MORE READY FOR SCHOOL. AND THEN FINALLY PARENTS THAT READ TO THEIR CHILDREN EVERY DAY, THOSE KIDS ARE MORE READY FOR SCHOOL AS WELL. SO AGAIN, THESE ARE INDEPENDENT ASSOCIATIONS OVER ABOVE ANY DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS. THESE ARE THE PREDICTORS THAT ARE PUSHING UP READINESS. NEXT SLIDE. SO WE WONDERED, WELL, HOW DO THESE FACTORS WORK TOGETHER? SO WHAT WE'RE SHOWING YOU ON THE CHART IS BASICALLY THE LEVEL OR THE PERCENTAGE OF KIDS THAT ARE FULLY READY FOR SCHOOL DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF FACTORS THAT THEY HAD. SO THINK OF THIS AS A CUMULATIVE INDEX, IF YOU WILL, OF FACTORS THAT ARE GOING TO PUSH UP READINESS. SO WE CAN SEE... ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE, WHEN CHILDREN JUST HAD ONE OF THOSE FACTORS, ABOUT 8% WERE FULLY READY FOR SCHOOL. ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE GRAPH, WHEN CHILDREN HAD ALL SIX OF THOSE FACTORS, 50% WERE FULLY READY FOR SCHOOL. SO IN OTHER WORDS, OUR CURRENT LEVEL OF READINESS IS ABOUT 35%. WE CAN ALMOST DOUBLE THE PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN THAT ARE FULLY READY WHEN WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THOSE THINGS THAT YOU SEE IN THAT LADDER THERE. COMING TO SCHOOL WELL-RESTED AND WELL-FED, HAVING EARLY EDUCATION EXPERIENCE. A LOWER SCREEN TIME AT HOME, AND SO FORTH. OKAY? THE NEXT, I WON'T GO THROUGH ALL THE ITEMS HERE, BUT JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU JUST HOW DIFFERENT THOSE TWO PROFILES OF CHILDREN ARE. SO, FOR INSTANCE, AMONGST THOSE THAT ARE FULLY READY, 95% OF THEM CAME TO SCHOOL WELL-RESTED AND WELL-FED IN THE MORNING, JUST READY TO GO IN THE MORNING, COMPARED TO 70% OF THOSE CHILDREN WHO ARE NOT READY. SO ABOUT A 20% GAP BETWEEN THOSE TWO TYPES OF CHILDREN. THEN IN TERMS OF ACCESS TO FORMAL EARLY LEARNING EXPERIENCE, ABOUT 88% AMONGST OUR FULLY READY CHILDREN AND 63% FOR OUR NOT READY CHILDREN. IF YOU JUST LOOK DOWN THE TABLE THERE, YOU'LL SEE THAT SAME GAP PERSISTENT BETWEEN THOSE TWO GROUPS ON THOSE FACTORS THAT MATTER MOST. SO NOW I'M GOING TO GO INTO SOME OF THOSE FACTORS AND KIND OF PEEL THEM OPEN A LITTLE BIT. SO THE FIRST WAS EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION EXPERIENCE. WE SAID THAT WAS A NUMBER TWO PREDICTOR. AND WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN TERMS OF SOME GOOD NEWS ON THE FAR LEFT IS THAT OVER TIME, WE HAVE INCREASED THE PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN WHO'VE HAD SOME KIND OF LICENSED FORMAL EXPERIENCE. SO IT USED TO BE 81%. WE HAD THAT DROP DOWN AFTER THE PANDEMIC, BUT NOW WE'RE BACK UP TO 86%. THAT IS FANTASTIC. WE DON'T SEE THAT KIND OF NUMBER IN MOST COUNTIES. AND THE CHARTS TO THE RIGHT OF THAT SHOW WHAT'S KIND OF HAPPENING WITHIN THAT OVERALL NUMBER. SO WE'RE SEEING A DROP IN THE PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN WHO'VE HAD A LICENSED PRESCHOOL OR CENTER-BASED EXPERIENCE, BUT AN INCREASE IN THE PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN WHO'VE HAD A TK EXPERIENCE. SO I THINK THAT REFLECTS A SHIFT IN THE MARKET. SO AS MORE KIDS ARE ELIGIBLE TO GO TO TK, THEY'RE AGE-ELIGIBLE, FAMILIES ARE CHOOSING THAT, SO WE'RE SEEING REDUCTION IN USAGE OF CENTER-BASED CARE. AND THEN FOR FAMILY-BASED CARE AND HEAD START, THOSE ARE HOLDING PRETTY STEADY. I SHOULD SAY THIS IS TALKING ABOUT THE YEAR PRIOR TO KINDERGARTEN, BUT WE'RE SEEING SOME REAL ADJUSTMENTS IN THE KIND OF EXPERIENCES THAT FAMILIES ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF. NEXT SLIDE. PEOPLE OFTEN ASK US, WELL, WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF TK? IS THAT THE SAME AS HAVING A DIFFERENT KIND OF LICENSE EXPERIENCE? AND SO WE ARE CURIOUS ABOUT THAT QUESTION AS WELL. HAD TO RUN THE DATA ON THAT AND AGAIN DO SOME CONTROLS FOR DEMOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES OR AGE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE THREE GROUPS OF CHILDREN. BUT WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT CHILDREN WHO HAVE ATTENDED TK IN THE YEAR PRIOR TO KINDERGARTEN, THEIR READINESS LEVEL IS A 3.3. SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY ABOVE THAT READINESS STANDARD OF 3.25. SO THAT'S FANTASTIC. CHILDREN WHO'VE BEEN IN ANOTHER FORMAL LEARNING PROGRAM ABOUT A 3.0 SO STILL A REALLY GOOD FINDING BUT SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THOSE IN TK AND THOSE CHILDREN WHO HAVEN'T HAD ANY KIND OF EXPERIENCE THEY WERE THE LEAST READY AT A 2.7 SO WHAT THIS SAYS BIG PICTURE IS THAT FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE AGE ELIGIBLE IT IS A GREAT THING TO GET THEM [04:35:01] INTO TK BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO GO INTO THE NEXT YEAR OF KINDERGARTEN JUST FULLY READY TO GO NOW MOVING INTO ANOTHER FACTOR WITH WHICH RELATES TO HOME ROUTINES AND THAT SCREEN TIME AND BEDTIME IN PARTICULAR. SO FIRST, WE THINK THAT THE TEACHER SAYING THAT KIDS WERE NOT QUITE WELL RESTED IN THE MORNING IS PROBABLY RELATED TO SCREEN TIME AT HOME OR BEDTIMES. AND SO WE HAVE TWO QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT ON THE PARENT SURVEY. SO ON THE LEFT HAND OF THE SIDE OF THE SCREEN, YOU'LL SEE SCREEN TIME. WE'VE GOT TWO CHARTS FOR YOU. WE BASICALLY ASK PARENTS HOW MUCH SCREEN TIME THEIR CHILDREN HAD. IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER IF IT WAS A PHONE, A PAD, A TV, IT'S STILL SCREEN TIME. AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING, WE WANT TO SEE THIS NUMBER GO UP, MEANING THAT FEWER PARENTS ARE SAYING, MORE PARENTS ARE SAYING IT'S AN HOUR OR LESS. WE'RE ACTUALLY SEEING THAT NUMBER GO DOWN. SO IT WAS ABOUT 56% IN 2023, AND NOW IT'S DROPPED TO 48%. THAT MEANS CHILDREN ARE HAVING MORE SCREEN TIME, ESSENTIALLY. AND THEN IN TERMS OF SLEEP, WE WANT TO SEE THAT NUMBER GO UP AS WELL. WE WANT TO SEE THAT KIDS HAVE AT LEAST 10 HOURS OF SLEEP PER EVENING. PER NIGHT AND THAT MOVED FROM 22 PERCENT AND 23 TO 32 PERCENT SO WE'RE GOING THE RIGHT DIRECTION THERE SO GETTING MORE SLEEP WE COULD STILL LOOK AT THE OTHER WAY AND SAY YES BUT ALMOST 70 PERCENT OF CHILDREN ARE NOT GETTING 10 HOURS OF SLEEP A NIGHT AND WHEN YOU'RE A YOUNG ONE YOU KNOW THAT MEANS A BEDTIME AT AROUND EIGHT O'CLOCK OR SO IN ORDER TO GET UP THE NEXT MORNING FOR SCHOOL SO THAT THESE ARE PROBABLY CONTRIBUTING TO KIDS COMING TO SCHOOL BEING FAIRLY TIRED IN THE MORNING ALMOST DONE WITH THE SLIDES. THE NEXT ONE HERE IS GETTING INTO THE OTHER PREDICTIVE FACTOR OF HOME ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES. AND HERE WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS COMPARING RESULTS OVER TIME THAT ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF OUR PARENTS ARE PLAYING GAMES AND PUZZLES WITH THEIR KIDS, WHICH IS GREAT, ABOUT 60%. A LITTLE OVER HALF ARE PLAYING OUTSIDE TOGETHER WITH THEIR CHILDREN. THIS SKILL OR THIS ACTIVITY OF COUNTING OBJECTS TOGETHER TO DEVELOP EARLY MATH SKILLS, THAT'S ALSO LOOKING REALLY GOOD. AT THE SAME TIME, WE SAW DECLINES. IN ACTIVITIES LIKE READING WITH THEIR CHILDREN, STORYTELLING, AND DOING ARTS AND CRAFTS. SO SORT OF A MIXED PROFILE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AT HOME. THE NEXT SLIDE IS LOOKING AT KINDERGARTEN TRANSITION ACTIVITIES. WE SAW THAT THIS WAS ALSO A PREDICTOR. AFTER THE PANDEMIC, I THINK WE'RE SEEING A REBOUNDING OF THOSE KIND OF KEY ACTIVITIES. SO IF I'M LOOKING AT THE PURPLE BAR COMPARED TO THE TEAL BAR ACROSS ALL THOSE, WE'RE SEEING AN UPWARD MOVEMENT COMPARED TO THE LAST TIME POINT. SO MORE KIDS GOING TO VISIT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WITH THEIR PARENTS PRIOR TO SCHOOL STARTING, PARENTS AND KIDS WORKING ON SCHOOL SKILLS TOGETHER, MEETING THE FUTURE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER, ATTENDING ORIENTATION, AND ASKING THE EARLY CARE PROVIDERS WHAT KINDERGARTEN IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN THE NEXT YEAR. SO I THINK THIS DOMAIN IS LOOKING REALLY, REALLY STRONG IN TERMS OF. PREP ACTIVITIES. SO OUR LAST SLIDE FOR YOU TODAY IS REALLY THREE TAKEAWAYS. THIS REALLY COULD HAVE BEEN AN HOUR-LONG PRESENTATION. I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE THE TIME FOR THAT TONIGHT, BUT YOU CAN REALLY LEARN A LOT FROM THESE DATA THAT HELP INFORM, AGAIN, TO YOUR STRATEGIC GOAL AREAS AROUND CRADLE TO CAREER, WHOLE CHILD CARE, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS. SO THE FIRST THING TO POINT OUT IS WHEN WE SEE THAT KIDS COULD BE IN EARLY CARE AND THEY'RE NOT, THAT SPEAKS TO WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET MORE OF THOSE CHILDREN CONNECTED TO AN EARLY CARE ENVIRONMENT. SO WHETHER THAT BE SUBSIDIZED CARE OR PRIVATE PAY, BUT WE STILL SEE ABOUT 20% OF KIDS NOT HAVING THAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE. AND THAT NUMBER WAS MUCH GREATER FOR KIDS THAT WERE NOT READY FOR SCHOOL. THAT WAS 40% OF THOSE KIDS DID NOT HAVE AN EARLY LEARNING EXPERIENCE. SO HOW DO WE CHANGE THAT? WE ALSO WERE ASKED PRIOR TO THIS PRESENTATION ABOUT WHAT SORTS OF THINGS WE COULD DO OR HAVE DONE. IN PAST STUDIES HERE ARE OTHER COUNTIES AND THERE'S THINGS SUCH AS SIMPLE READY FOR KINDER TYPE HANDBOOKS THAT HAVE BEEN PRODUCED IN THIS COUNTY, SAN MATEO COUNTY, SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY, THAT CAN BE PASSED OUT TO PARENTS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SOME OF THESE EARLY EXPERIENCES AND HOW TO CONNECT AND GET THE RESOURCES THEY NEED. SECOND, STRENGTHENING HEALTHY DAILY ROUTINES. SO YOU SAW THE DATA ON EARLY BEDTIMES AND SCREEN TIMES. THOSE ARE PRETTY EASY FIXES WITH JUST SOME EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS TO PARENTS. COULD ALSO GO IN THAT SAME KIND OF HANDBOOK. REINFORCING FAMILY ENGAGEMENT TIME AT HOME, THE SAME THING WE SEE THAT FAMILIES ARE ENGAGED IN SOME ACTIVITIES BUT NOT IN OTHERS. AGAIN, THAT'S EARLY TO ADDRESS, EASY TO ADDRESS, WITH THE GOOD KIND OF COMMUNICATION AND CAMPAIGN MATERIALS. SO ALL IN ALL, I'LL PAUSE HERE, BUT BASICALLY I HOPE THAT YOU'RE SEEING FROM THIS LIST OF THINGS THAT CONNECT TO THE WORK THAT YOU'RE ALREADY DOING OR THINGS THAT YOUR PARTNERS ARE DOING OR YOUR FEEDER PROGRAMS ARE DOING, AND WE REALLY HAVE SEEN. STRONG RESULTS OVER TIME ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PEEL AND LOOK AT PARTICULAR PROGRAMS THAT PROGRAMS ARE DOING THESE THINGS WITH THEIR FAMILIES THEIR KIDS ARE COMING TO SCHOOL MORE READY TO LEARN SO WE'VE SEEN THAT WITH THE QUALITY MATTERS PRESCHOOLS WE'VE SEEN IT WITH FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS IN THE COUNTY THAT WE REALLY CAN TURN THE NEEDLE ON READINESS FOR OUR KIDS SO I ALWAYS LOOK AT THAT AS A POSITIVE AND OPPORTUNITY NOT A DEFICIT FROM THESE DATA. THANK YOU. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? [04:40:05] I'LL JUST ADD AS QUESTIONS ARE COMING, THE REASON WE BROUGHT THIS PRESENTATION IS WE'RE OBVIOUSLY IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES RELATED TO THE BOARD GOALS, AND SO UNDERSTANDING THE FOUNDATIONS AND SOME OF THE INVESTMENTS WE'LL BE MAKING. DR. WAYNE IS HERE, AND WE'VE ALREADY STARTED TALKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN ENGAGE MORE AND INCREASE OUR EFFORTS THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS. LITERACY INITIATIVES AND CAMPAIGNS WITH OUR COUNTY PARTNERS AND NONPROFITS AROUND SOME OF THESE STRATEGIES THAT WILL MOVE THE NEEDLE BECAUSE KINDERGARTEN READINESS TRANSLATES INTO THIRD GRADE LITERACY AND ON GRADE LEVEL GOING FORWARD AND SO IF WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP WE WANT TO START AT THE FOUNDATION. THANK YOU. TRUSTEE LARI, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? YEAH, THIS IS GREAT WORK BUT I JUST WANTED TO ASK WOULD THE INCORPORATION OF ACES OR ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES BE A FACTOR THAT COULD BE USED ALSO IN PREDICTING KINDERGARTEN READINESS? I WOULD THINK THAT IT ABSOLUTELY WOULD. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE ASKING PARENTS ON A CONFIDENTIAL SURVEY, BUT WE HAVE SOME PROXIES FOR IT. SO WE HAVE SOME PARENT STRESSOR QUESTIONS ON THERE. AGAIN, WE DON'T ASK DIRECTLY, HAS THE CHILD BEEN EXPOSED OR WITNESSED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE? WE SAY, HAVE THERE BEEN ISSUES WITH PARTNER RELATIONS IN THE HOME, OR ARE THERE ANY DEVELOPMENTAL CONCERNS WITH THE CHILD, STRESSORS WITH HOUSING, OR MEETING FOOD SECURITY NEEDS? SO WE'RE GETTING AT THAT THROUGH PROXIES, BUT WE COULDN'T DIRECTLY ASK THEM IN A SURVEY LIKE THAT IF THEY'VE EXPERIENCED ACES. BUT I THINK YOUR PREMISE IS PROBABLY CORRECT, THAT WHEN THAT'S IN THE BACKDROP, IT'S GOING TO BE AFFECTING WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE HOME ENVIRONMENT, AND EVEN THAT CHILD'S NEUROLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AS WELL. THANK YOU. I JUST HAVE A REALLY QUICK QUESTION, AND I'M SORRY, TRUSTEES, I NEED TO ASK THIS. SO I LOVE ALL THIS DATA. AS A NEW MOMMY, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M GOING TO DO WITH MY CHILD. BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HEAR AS AN EDUCATOR IS THAT THERE'S SO MUCH ASSESSMENTS IN KINDERGARTEN, RIGHT? THE TEACHERS ARE CONSTANTLY ASSESSING THE KIDS, THE 10 MINUTES A DAY PER KID, BUT THIS IS ONLY ONE ASSESSMENT THAT THEY DO, AND THEY DO SO MANY. SO ONE, IS THERE JUST ANY WAYS THAT WE CAN TRY TO REDUCE THE TESTING WILL ALWAYS BE GREAT BECAUSE THEY JUST DO SO MUCH OF IT. AND THERE'S ANOTHER ONE COMING, I HEAR. SO THAT'S ONE, BUT THE OTHER IS THIS DATA THAT WE HAVE THAT COMES AS A RESULT OF THE TESTING, I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY POWERFUL TO SHARE THAT WITH THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS. ABSOLUTELY. YEAH, JUST SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT THIS IS WHAT YOU DO THE TESTING FOR AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS. AND SO JUST THE MORE WORK THAT WE CAN DO IN THAT I THINK WOULD BE FINE. AND IF YOU'RE ALREADY DOING IT, GREAT, BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE POWERFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENT. WE ABSOLUTELY, IN THE PAST, BEFORE WE ALL WENT VIRTUAL, WE USED TO HAVE A TEACHER APPRECIATION NIGHT AND BRING BACK THE DATA TO THEM. AND THE SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION WOULD PROVIDE FOOD. AND SO NOW WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN GET THESE DATA BACK OUT TO TEACHERS. SO WE'RE THINKING OF SENDING, WE HAVE A RECORDING OF THE PRESENTATION. WE ALSO HAVE A FASCINATING DATA DASHBOARD WHERE THEY CAN CLICK AROUND AND SEE THINGS. SO DEFINITELY SENDING THAT OUT TO TEACHERS. AND WE'RE THINKING TO THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS THAT PARTNERED WITH US SO THEY CAN SEE THEIR DATA. AS WELL AS PRINCIPALS AND MAKE THE OFFER IF THEY WANT US TO COME AND MEET WITH THEM IN PERSON. WE'D LOVE TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T HAVE THIS DATA. WE WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT IS DRIVING READINESS IF IT WEREN'T FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SO FULLY ON BOARD WITH YOU. SO IT'S GREAT FOR ME TO KNOW AND NOW WHEN I HEAR FROM KINDER TEACHERS, WE DO THIS SO MUCH TESTING. ACTUALLY, IT'S SUPER POWERFUL. SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC FOR THEM TO KNOW THAT. DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING? YEAH, JOSEPH. JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK. AND RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE DONE. IT'S REALLY GREAT TO HAVE SUCH PASSIONATE PEOPLE THAT LOVE OUR KIDS AND WANT THE DATA TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEIR EDUCATION AT THIS CRITICAL STAGE, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. OH, TRESSIE, TRESSIE, YOU WERE ADDRESSING THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND APOLOGIES FOR YOU HAVING TO DO THIS AT THE END OF THE EVENING. FOR ME, THIS WARRANTS A LOT MORE CONVERSATION THAN I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO OFFER YOU. SO YOU POINTED OUT THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT STAFF IS DOING AN ASSESSMENT OF. AND BEFORE YOU SPOKE, I WAS GOING TO ASK IF STAFF COULD BRING THIS BACK AT AN AGENDA THAT WE HAVE THE TIME TO INVEST IN IT THAT IT WARRANTS AND HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS TO THIS ORGANIZATION. AND WE CAN ALL HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT MAYBE BRINGING TO THE TABLE SOME OF WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM OUR OWN INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS. BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS FANTASTIC STUFF AND SO CRITICAL TO A CHILD'S DEVELOPMENT AS YOU POINTED [04:45:01] OUT AND WE ALL KNOW THAT BUT HERE WE ARE 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT AND IT DESERVES MORE THAN THIS SO THANK YOU AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GONNA INVITE YOU BACK I WOULDN'T BLAME ME FOR NOT WANTING TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY FROM SACRAMENTO TO HAVE US STICK YOU AT THE END AGENDA OR LET US DO THE WORK AND WE'LL CONNECT BACK WITH YOU BUT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER I THINK THIS REALLY NEEDS TO BE ON THE AGENDA AGAIN AT SOME POINT THANK YOU WE ARE HAPPY TO COME BACK ANYTIME. THIS IS ACTUALLY MY HOME COUNTY. I LIVED ON TRADE ZONE FOR 10 YEARS WITH MY KIDS AND WENT TO SCHOOL HERE. SO JUST RECENTLY MOVED UP TO THE SACRAMENTO AREA. HAPPY TO COME BACK ANYTIME AND DIG MORE INTO THIS. I KNOW THAT DR. TINSLEY CAN ALSO HELP, BUT THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU BOTH. OH, SORRY, TRUSTEE BURT. I'M SORRY. GO [C. Employee Compensation Increase Exceeds the EC 1302 (a) Limit] AHEAD. IT'S NOT TRYING TO MAKE YOUR EVENING EVEN LONGER, BUT ALL OF THIS RESONATES DEEPLY. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU DR CHINSLEY AS WELL OKAY UM WE ARE NOW MOVING INTO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEMS WHICH IS OUR EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION INCREASE EXCEEDS FOR EC13028 LIMIT UM AND THIS WILL BE PRESENTED BY UH MR ROGER NO BY DR THOMPSON I'VE RELEASED STAFF OH OKAY BY DR THOMPSON THEN SO WE HAD ONE INCREASE GREATER THAN $10,000 LAST MONTH. VEENA, I WON'T ATTEMPT TO PRONOUNCE HER LAST NAME RIGHT NOW. THE INCREASE WAS BASED ON A COMPETITIVE PROMOTION. SHE WENT THROUGH A PROCESS THAT WAS AN EXTERNAL RECRUITMENT AND WAS THE SELECTED CANDIDATE TO MOVE FORWARD. I ALSO JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, PLEASE NOTE, THE LEGEND HAS BEEN UPDATED SO THAT C NOW REFERENCES THE COMPETITIVE. PROMOTION RATHER THAN AN APPOINTMENT OR THROUGH SOME OTHER PROCESS. AND COMPETITIVE MEANS LIKE AN INTERVIEW PROCESS? YEAH, INTERVIEW PROCESS. GREAT. YEAH, QUESTION I WAS GOING TO ASK FOR A LITTLE CLARIFICATION. SO THIS WAS A POSITION, NEW POSITION OR AN OPEN POSITION? SORRY TO STUMP YOU. OKAY. THEN. YES. I'LL FOLLOW UP VIA EMAIL. BECAUSE THEN THE QUESTION NEXT WAS, YOU MENTIONED THIS WAS AN INTERNAL OPPORTUNITY FOR PROMOTION, BUT THEN THAT MEANS WAS IT A NEW POSITION OR AN OLD POSITION? AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WAS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. AND IT'S NOT AN IMPORTANT QUESTION. THANK YOU. AND WHEN I SAY INTERNAL, SO BEING THAT THIS IS NEVER POSTED. NO, IT WAS POSTED. THIS WASN'T THE EXTERNAL. YEAH. WE HAD A FULL RECRUITMENT FOR THIS. OKAY. THAT'S RIGHT. THANK YOU. I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT QUESTION. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR DR. HUDSON? FOR THIS MOMENT, RIGHT NOW, IT'S IMPORTANT. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE ARE DOING ITEM 10D. ANYTHING THAT YOU MUST TALK ABOUT RIGHT NOW? OKAY, SEEING NONE, WE'RE GOING TO ITEM 11. OH, WE NEED TO VOTE. I'M GOING TO MOVE THAT WE TABLE 11, 12, 13 TO THE NEXT MEETING. I MOVED IT, BUT I'LL LET YOU SECOND IT, SECOND IT. AND THEN, PRISCILLA, IF YOU CAN PUT THAT ONTO THE BOARD DOCS FOR US TO VOTE. CAN WE DO A VERBAL? [14. CLOSED SESSION] YES. AYE. VERBAL AYE FROM TRUSTEES ROCHE, VICE PRESIDENT SPICER, TRUSTEE BERTA. TRUSTEE ROCHA AND MYSELF AND TRUSTEE LARI? YES. YES, WE'RE OBLIGED. OKAY, WE ARE NOW MOVING INTO CLOSED SESSION, WHICH IS OUR THREE ITEMS, INTER-DISTRICT ATTENDANCE APPEAL, FILED ON BEHALF OF STUDENT, RESIDENT DISTRICT, MILPITAS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, DESIRE DISTRICT, EASTSIDE UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT, CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL, ANTICIPATED LITIGATION, GOVERNMENT CODE. 54956.92 ONE CASE THE BOARD WILL ENTER [15. OPEN SESSION (Immediately Following Closed Session)] INTO CLOSED SESSION UM IT IS A 9 58 P.M WE'LL RETURN AT APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR UM ON OR BEFORE ON OR BEFORE 11 P.M ALL RIGHT THANK YOU 55 P.M UPON COMPLETION OF AGENDA ITEM 14A A MOTION WAS MADE BY TRUSTEE PACHECO AND SECONDED BY TRUSTEE LARI TO APPROVE THE APPEAL FOR MILPITAS UNIFIED FOR A STUDENT, RESIDENT DISTRICT, MILPITAS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, DESIRE DISTRICT, EASTSIDE UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT. THERE ARE NO REPORTABLE ACTIONS FOR ITEM 14B AND 14C WAS REMOVED. THE NEXT SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION REGULAR MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 3RD AT 5 MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED. MOVED BY VICE PRESIDENT SPICER. MOTIONED BY TRUSTEE PACHECO. I'M GOING TO TAKE VERBAL AYES. VERBAL AYE [04:50:02] FOR TRUSTEE PACHECO. AYE FOR VICE PRESIDENT SPICER. AYE FOR TRUSTEE BERTA. VERBAL AYE FOR TRUSTEE LARI. AND VERBAL AYE FOR TRUSTEE ROCHA. YES? NO. WE'RE TIRED. TRUST. AN AYE FROM TRUSTEE ROCHA AND AN AYE FROM MYSELF. THANK YOU. WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 10.57 P.M. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.