--------- ing and thank you for um joining us for this part of our business meeting. And um we were um discussed in close session items related to um students and we will
be um I'm sorry I need to focus. Give me just a minute. There we go. Um we were talking about stu uh we talked about items related to students. Um no um action was taken and um we will
start our open session at six o'clock and then which is right now um and we'll start with a pledge of allegiance and I asked Giana if she wouldn't mind leading us to the Flag of the United States of
America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you so much for that and then I will hand it over to Mrs. Reid for our
executive summary of our workshop. >> Thank you so much, President Hill. Well, it was an amazing start to our day today. We were uh graced with the presence of the community of Los Alamos High School, Mrs. Krauss principal joined us with her administration team as well as her directors. Over 260
students were recognized as we really celebrated the 4A's at the home of the Griffins. We talked about our football CIF division 2 championships, our men's soccer team, which is division three, as well as the state champions, as well as our returning grand national champions,
both with sound effects, soundtracks, as well as just a plethora of individual student recognitions across academics, athletics, activities in the arts. And so, it really was just an amazing kickoff, especially to be, I think, serenated in the beginning of the meeting um by our grand national
champions. it just really echoed in this building in in an amazing way to to start the evening. And then we concluded with um being able to recognize a longtime um leader volunteer in our campuses, Mrs. Leon Boy, who is the hero of the heart at the high school, as well
as recognize one of our classified employees of the year, Mrs. Lillian Ford Patterson, who's really made an amazing end inside our counseling and career services department. >> Thank you. this evening. >> Yes. Thank you very much, Mrs. Reid. Um,
we will now move on to um, Miss Schmidt, and she's going to give us a fabulous board report. >> Good evening, Madame President, Superintendent Pulver, Executive Cabinet, and members of the Los Alamos community. My name is Bren Schmidt and I'm honored to serve as your student
representative to the board of education from Los Alamos High School. Here is my report. Activities. The recent Griffins with a mission activities at Los Alamos High School provided a meaningful and engaging opportunity for students to
connect across grade levels with freshman participants supported by sophomore, junior, and senior leaders. Through a variety of interactive ice breakers, ranging from thoughtful discussions on the impact of words to classic games and circle activities, students were able to build trust,
reflect, and share openly with one another. These experiences reinforced Guam's core purpose to ensure every student feel supported, valued, and a true sense of belonging on campus. Team-based games further emphasize the importance of communication and
collaboration, helping students strengthen relationships in a fun and inclusive environment. Notably, participation reached 77%, representing a significant increase from last year in highlighting growing student engagement. This event marked
the second day of a two-part series that began last semester, continuing to build the momentum in fostering a positive and connected school culture. Academics on March 12th, we we had our recent showcase night, an event designed to to
welcome incoming 8th grade families and provide a comprehensive look at at all that Los Alamos High School has to offer. Every aspect of the school was represented, including ASB, world languages, the arts, science, history,
and more, allowing families to explore the full scope of academic and extracurricular opportunities available to students. The evening provided valuable clarity for incoming families, helping them better understand what their child will be will be learning and the educators who will be guiding them.
Additionally, current families had the opportunity to connect with teachers and see firsthand the work their students have been engaged in, reinforcing the strong part partnership between home and school. Athletics, the Los Santos High School varsity girls softball team continues to
represent our campus with excellence, building on their success as CIF division 2 champions. Under the leadership of co of coach Rob Wheelie and team captain Olivia Magnonales, the program has demonstrated both competitiveness and strong team culture throughout the season. Their most
notable performance came in a dominant 19 to0 victory over Corona Delmare on March 31st. The team's highest scoring game and largest margin of victory this year. Currently ranked number 35 in the CIA Southern section and number 14 in
division 1, the Griffins continue to compete at a high level. The team will take the field for their senior night on April 28th at 3:15 p.m. An opportunity to celebrate the contributions and dedication of this year's graduating
student athletes. Arts. The arts program also shined through its recent jazz show, The Spotlight Show. An imaginative evening of music centered around the theme of creativity and storytelling. Under the direction of Mr. Padilla, students from
Jazz 1, Jazz 2, and Jazz 3 delivered outstanding performances that showcase both technical skill and artistic expression. Student leaders Paola, Kieran, and Sully as lead performers in Jazz 1 helped set the tone for a memorable night that truly captured the
spirit of imagination. A special highlight of the evening was a guest appearance by renowned musician James Morrison, which added an exciting and inspirational element for both performers and audience members alike. With one more performance still to come this year, the jazz program continues to
be a vibrant and impressive part of our school community. Student life. Student life remained vibrant during our March activity week with a series of engaging events led by ASB that brought energy and connection throughout our
campus. One of the highlights was Pi Day where seniors from ASB and Griffin News invited students to participate in reciting digits of pi for a chance to pie someone in the face. An activity that generated excitement and laughter while bringing students together. In
addition, ASB members came to campus on Sunday evening to chalk the grounds with positive messages and festive drawings inspired by St. Patrick's Day, creating an uplifting atmosphere for students as they arrived on Monday morning. The week also featured a popular dirty soda
stand, offering students a refreshing treat and something to look forward to during the school day. Altogether, these activities fostered a school spirit, positivity, and a strong sense of community across campus. Student spotlight. To close out my
report, I would like to highlight an exceptional griffin. Swasia. Swasia began her journey in this district as a weaver whale, then became an eagle at McAuliffe, and is now a proud senior at Los Alamos High School. She is highly involved on campus, taking rigorous
courses including AP Calc BC, AP Stats, AP Environmental Science, AP Gov, and AP Econ. She's also part of multiple clubs including NHS, CSF, Red Cross, Growing Up STEM, and Lead Hers. While still
exploring college options, she wants to attend Boston University. Her favorite part about being a Griffin is being surrounded by people who are driven and genuinely care about what they do. It makes school more meaningful because you're part of something that actually has energy and pride. Outside of school,
Swasia is a part of cross country and orchestra, and also does SAT tutoring, martial arts, intern at SCAN, where she works in healthcare outreach. Swasia's kindness, leadership, and dedication make her an outstanding role model, and I am proud to feature her in this
month's student spotlight. With that, I would like to open the floor to any questions or comments from the board. Thank you all for joining me in my second to last student board report. Bren, I just want to say that it was um we had the high school here today and I
just felt like we were aware a lot of what the high school was going to highlight today because you have done such an extraordinary job of really keeping us informed and we just really appreciate it and appreciate um your
incredible light. Thank you so much. >> Does anybody else have any comments? >> Thank you very much. >> We'll now hand it over uh to our superintendent, Dr. Per. >> Thank you, Madam President. Brenda, as always, it's a pleasure to follow you
and that student showcase that night was spectacular. It was really phenomenal. So, I love that you highlighted that and always love the student um update that you give us as well at the at the very end. So, tonight for my superintendence report as we wait for it to get loaded,
I wanted to just highlight uh our our rock stars of the month. Uh what's beautiful or wonderful about our rockstar program is our staff get to nominate uh other staff members that they want to recognize. And so, we did both the month of February and March uh
because it was such a busy time. And so I'm really pleased to be able to highlight Jill Cruz who's a TOSA elementary. TOSA toa means teacher on special assignment. We have a lot of acronyms in education. Really does a lot of PD and professional development and and trainings and support within
mathematics at the elementary level. And what I love is one of the employees who nominated her was one of our ED specialists, an RSP teacher at Rossmore, who just went on to say how much that Jill, whenever she's trying to find different math manipulatives or or solutions to work with some of our
students with special needs, Jill will come running to Rossmore and provide additional supports and things of that sort. And so I think sometimes we think our TOSAs supporting the gened students, but it was really powerful to see what an impact that our our TOSAs do uh to support all kids as well. And so um
additionally for we were also able to recognize Mattie Maine who's one of our been with us for a few a couple years was a speech and language pathologist at Mclliff Middle School and has just done an exceptional job uh and going above and beyond and finding so many ways to kind of support uh really diverse
learners uh on the campus. And so it was a pleasure to be able to recognize her. And then our classified employees of the of both February and March, these are for both. Um Lindsay Adams who has been just a rock if you uh imagine in our
extended daycare program. Our extended daycare program is bursting at the seams. We actually can't accommodate all the requests that our parents have for wanting after school or before school child care because we can't hire enough staff um to be able to provide um and so they really have just done a wonderful
job. the ELOP, the expanded learning opportunities program has really also thrived because we provide free ch uh daycare program um services if you qualify for ELOP from kinder through 6th grade. Um and so Lindsay just does a wonderful job serving both our students
and our families and our community. And then Katie McGonagal who is the school office coordinator. This is her first year as a school office coordinator. She's been with us for many years in other clerical roles um at Mclliff Middle School and she's just doing an exceptional job. We're piloting uh a
time carding system for our classified employees. It's not without its uh hiccups and a ton of organization and um she's just done it flawlessly and has kept us she stays so calm and unflapable and just does great work. So, we were
really proud to be able to recognize our February and our March rock stars of the month. And then this past weekend, I was really uh pleased to be able to celebrate our all district band and orchestra festival. It was a packed house. We uh so packed that we had to
divide the show into two different performances. one at 1 pm and that was for band uh uh for for all from elementary all the way up to um 12th grade. It was so cute too because we partner with the youth center for some
of our primary you know second and third grade and and younger and then our music teachers at fourth and fifth grade which our students during recorders and then just to see the progression from our middle school uh band and jazz programs to uh Los Altos High School. It was
spectacular and a and a huge um uh accolades to our our band and music teachers. You'll see them pictured there uh down in the in the left uh bottom left picture. They their song selections that they picked were so incredible uh
and just upbeat and and and relevant uh and and it just was a wonderful opportunity for for our community. Our community enjoyed it. Um, when I welcome them, uh, I let them know that we are looking at a new performing arts center
and I know that's going to be later on our agenda and we're exploring a couple different options there. Um, and so they were excited to hear because of course at the high school, our band and our uh, orchestra perform in our performing arts center as well. So, thank you to Ed Services. This is a huge feat. Melissa
Davis organizes along with our our music teachers to put on such a phenomenal performance and really highlight the the the talent and the progression of talent of our of our music uh instrumental program across our district. So, and as you all know, uh well, maybe you don't
all know, but I think just about every single board member was there uh as well. So, it was just a really great uh celebration. And then uh you might see that many of us here tonight are wearing purple. Um and that is very intentional. Several
years ago, we had a student uh in our in our district who really educated us and then since then has kind of put a lasting this is now forever imprinted in our mind knowing that April is the month of the military child and that really wearing purple is kind of a sign to show
your symbol and support. It's the kind of the color of of all the army branches uh military branches coming together. And so April really is the month of the military child. It's a time to recognize and honor strength, resilience, and the
true sacrifices of our military connected students and families. Um and I think we're really fortunate. We are proud in Los Alamos Unified. Um over 47% of our district boundaries are made up by two military bases and that's the joint force training base and the Naval
Weapons Station in Seal Beach. Uh who we serve many families as part of our school community. And so this community always really has a heart for our our military. Um and it's really about um our the children of of families who live in the mil work in the military. They
endure often very frequent moves, school transitions, extended separations from loved ones during uh deployment. Um despite these challenges, they demonstrate remarkable adapt adaptability, perseverance, and strength. And I know several of us board
members were able to go to Maggal Elementary does a flag deck ceremony uh and it was spectacular and the students wrote poems, etc. And I won't speak too much more about that because I think some of you might uh during your public comment or during your board comment. Um but as a as a community, we just and as
a district, we we remain committed to supporting our military connected students by what we hope is while they're here providing them stability, connection, a strong sense of belonging across our schools. And the military has really partnered with us. They provide
military counselors um at many of our school sites and at the levels to kind of make sure that we're providing support uh to our connected military families. Um and it's just something across the district. We've seen a lot of different activities go on throughout this month or people trying to purple up
um to just as a visible reminder to show our appreciation and our support. And I thought it might be nice to kind of uh highlight the uh the number of students in our military um at each elementary school at each of our schools that are part of the military across the district. We have a total of just shy of
450 students um whose families are actively serving in our military. Um and this beautiful bulletin board is at MGA. um and and the um military counselors uh they have a they've created a dedicated
kind of wellspace of sorts for for them and uh just they did their own portfolios of I am a military child and um and so you can see the breakdown of the number of students you you see obviously our larger numbers are at uh LE if you think about that that's right
near the joint force training base uh Mclliff Middle School and and MGA but our biggest number and sometimes I think we forget because all of our students end up at at the high school, but Los Almos High School with 127 uh students. And so this is something that really all
of our uh schools take deep pride on and really trying to recognize um the sacrifices and the and the unique challenges that families in the military um endure. And then last Friday, we had our district longevity. We we get to go out to every school site and recognize
longevity of our employees. And we give we do it in fiveyear increments of we and they get a pin at 5 10 15 and we went all the way up to 35 years. I think on Friday we did district office staff and it was so great to be able to recognize we recognized Chris Forehand
for serving five years in the on the board of education and our own president Miss Diana Hill who's celebrating her 15th year of service uh uh in her role. So, I want to congratulate and thank them for their
dedicated service uh as well. And lastly, I wanted to share I believe they leave, if they haven't left already, I think they might leave tomorrow. Uh just continues to find more ways that this is such an incredible um community. Our Los
Alamos High School song Team is representing the United States of America. only one high school in the entire nation uh is asked to represent uh the United States of America in an international competition in Florida.
And so our and they were just in Florida for just the regular annual competition that they that they um but only one team. And so they're competing in the palm category. And so we wish them well. Uh go USA and go Griffin strong. So thank you. These are our senior Griffins
that are on the song team. Um but the whole team will obviously be able to get to uh go and so we'll be rooting them on and thanking them for representing our country and our district well and with that uh that is the end of my report. >> Thank you very much Dr. Pulver. That's
um some wonderful things. So um as usual I'm going to mix it up a bit. So uh Mr. Braggman, we'll start with you. >> Was waiting for that green light to come on. Thank you very much, President Y. Um, so I'd love to take a few moments just to highlight some of the incredible
experiences that I've had over the past month or so. Um, just going back two weeks ago, two weekends ago, I was able to visit our Loal Golden Griffins, our robotics team at Anaheim's Arena. Um, if you haven't been to that arena before, it's amazing. Holds about 8,000 people and about half of it was full. Uh, with
with fans cheering on a robotics team and and the best of of Southern California. It was really great to be there with I know Miss Hill and Miss Davidson were also able to join me and we were watching at home. I know Miss Forehand and Miss Partisani were getting updates through text and watching the live stream. We could not be more proud
of our of robotics team. They um they came it was their 10th anniversary. It was their first time making the Southern California Championships in a long time. They made the semi-finals of a regional event and made it. They did not make the world championships, but they did us so very proud with the way they innovated and worked together. Also, one of the
key things we saw is them helping other teams and I think that really is the Griff Griffin way. So, want to shout out team 6220, the Golden Griffins on their great year and can't wait to see them again next year and hopefully they'll be in Houston at the World Championships. Um, other events, it really been a busy time at the high school. And so, if
people don't know, um, a lot of our sports teams participate in unified events where they bring in some of our most exceptional students to support them and be a part of the team. And so, um, some of us board members and staff were able to go out, uh, baseball hosted a unified sports day where they had students come out and throw the ball
around and hit and and go out and do the ceremonial first pitch. And it was just a really cool way to see the inclusivity at our high school to see that all students really are welcoming and really the collaboration, the friendship, and just the smiles amongst our team and and the the students that were joining them. It was awesome. So, I I hope that when
other sporting events happen or we have a Griffins coming up uh I think in May, if people can make it out to that event, it's a really special day in our district and I hope people will come out and see our our exceptional students and our Griffins come together for for just community. Um last week um was a buzz of
activity with athletics on campus, but what was really cool also was getting to see the senior day on our track and field meet. I have not been to a track and field meet on our campus before. If you've not been to one, um we won't have another opportunity till next year. But there's not a boring moment on track and field. There is something going on everywhere you look. It is the dream of
someone with attention needs like me. Um, and you just cannot be bored. And so we had a ton of our students have personal records and personal best, high jump and 100 meter dashes and team events. It was awesome. And the event culminated with us winning a league championship. Um, and then they
proceeded to go into the weekend and win the Orange County Championship. And so we have students that'll be competing, I believe, in CIF. So huge shout out to our Griffins. Um, it was really cool. Another example, we had a student who'd been in a car accident who was not able to compete, but she walked her 100 meter dash and her friends met her at the end
wearing her Converse Allstars, but she did it and she finished and it was fun to see her out there. It was her first day being able to compete in a long time and so she walked, but she did it. So, uh, really, really wonderful event. And then lastly, um, I know Miss Dr. Pver and I were able to visit LE um, last week. Such an amazing community, such a
great campus. Really cool to see just the investment that's happening on that campus with new murals on walls. We saw LA grants being put in action with new planters and and like biome specific California um vegetables growing in different sections. And so I really wanted to shout out the Miss Pad and the
whole staff and team there for the community that they're building on LE's campus. It was awesome. It was fun. I know we all get to visit campuses, but that was a really great one for me to get to kind of give me a little life after the spring break. So I am so excited for what we call Mayber in our family, the craziness of May, where
there's an event every single day. Um, but it's such a fun and exciting time. So, I appreciate the opportunity to share and can't wait to hear other board members saw. >> Thank you so much, Mr. Breman. Uh, Mrs. Partisani. >> Told you I was going to mix it up.
>> I love it. All right. Well, um, thank you and good evening. Uh, one thing that's clear is that our district continues to create meaningful opportunities for students to thrive across the 4 A's. And tonight, I'd like to highlight two areas that are grounded
in student learning. First, the artificial intelligence task force that's led by Dr. Bennett. What stands out to me is the dual focus that has been created as part of this task force. Not only are we developing a
thoughtful roadmap to um for AI literacy and instructional practices, but um we're also building staff capacity through hands-on exploration of tools. And I really feel like this approach of learn, pilot, and refine before you
scale across the different campuses, it really reflects the commitment that we have to responsible student centered innovation. and I'm really um excited to be part of this task force, but I'm also really looking forward to see what they're going to bring forward to all of
our campuses next year. Secondly, our district advisory committee um meetings that are led by Mrs. Melissa Davis. Um this work brings together staff and parent volunteers from across all nine schools to analyze
the LCAP survey data. So, if you haven't filled out those um LCAP surveys that are sent to you, uh it's still open. So there's an opportunity, please do so because that feedback really helps us identify trends. It helps us shape district goals and it's really a strong
um you know we really um pride ourselves on uh on the information both quantitative and qualitative that's provided to us by the community. And it's really a strong example of using our data and the community voice to help guide decisions that directly impact uh
student outcomes. And finally, and I'm really excited to share this. I'm going to try to hold it up to give it some props. I'd like to recognize the launch of Griffin Gazette's first print edition, the
Insight. And um this is an exciting milestone that elevates student voice, supports realworld learning, and reflects the strength of our academic programs. Um, I really wanted to um take the time to congratulate all the student
writers, the editors, the visual design team for and the teachers that support them for coming up with this. This is um first edition. So, if you're interested um to see it digitally, it's available right now and I believe they're going to start passing them out in the English
classes all throughout the high school. So, yay. Go Griffin Grisette. >> And back to you. Thank you. >> Thank you very much, Mr. Forham. >> All right. >> I want to focus my three minutes around our goal number three, which is to
foster collaboration, partnerships, and shared responsibility among students, families, staff, and the community to champion unlimited possibilities. Or I take this to mean it takes a village. and we have the best village to reach
unlimited possibilities. I serve on the SULPA board and the community advisory committee which is made up of six surrounding districts in support of the needs and programs for special ed kids. and they sponsor their community
activity community advisory committee awards which demonstrate the commitment of staff to do the extras for our kids with special needs and share in the responsibility for this. Our parents and
staff nominate teachers, instructional assistants, a Oak psychologist, and even the LAPTA to receive the award for going over and above for kids. And I'd like to highlight the LA PTA for winning one of
the awards for ensuring inclusion for our kids with special needs in all the PTA activities. Other examples throughout our district clearly reinforces that it takes a village to make a difference. And believe me, I could go way over my three minutes, but
I will not. For example, parent Brian Morris at Oak, who gives all his time to support the drama program at Oak, and he is actually a parent of a choir daughter. instructional assistant.
Lynette at the high school attends every high school musical program to ensure that a student with special needs gets to perform with the orchestra. Jackie, the office clerk at Hopkinson who goes all be all does all the behind the
scenes prep for the Huskys to get to Sacramento on their field trip. and our own Miss Tina who behind the scenes made I was told 287 certificates that we handed out
to student athletes performers this afternoon. And what about the two choir parents who drove all the props to Florida, all the way to Florida? Griffin clubs who plan and support our kids with autism with special events and
activities and the tech student crews at the high school who are kids behind the scenes who work for show choir to excel in events in Florida and Oceanside and for our middle school drama programs and
also the high school drama program. and parents everywhere who support events with donations, their time and energy. As I said, these are just a few of just a few of how this community and staff make a difference for all kids. But I
always like to end with a student and he's an eighth oak eighth grader. His name is Jack, who I observed at the Into the Woods drama show where he was in charge of all the lighting for the show. And his commitment, his extra time and
his actually expertise behind the scenes goes over and above to make the show outstanding. And I will conclude what we have a village and it makes it all happen. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Forham. Mrs. Davis, I bet you Mrs. Davidson, I bet you figured out
you're next. >> Yeah, it was process of elimination. I I can do that math. Okay, so I was able to join Andrew, Diana, and Nicole, and so many others at the flag ceremony at Macau honoring our military children. One thing I just like to highlight what
I felt touched hearts across the crowd, and it was a big crowd. Five students from the military families got up, and each one recited a line proudly from the military creed. Then six more students stood up in front of this large crowd to share their poems. Their poems from
their hearts that they wrote about what it means to be a military child. Their words were filled with honesty, revel revelation, pride, and sometimes sadness. In all that transpired that morning, there was a thread to the message to never forget the courage and
sacrifices of our military families. We can't even imagine what what they're willing to yield. They move on command, leave their spouses and children for long periods of time, and face great danger on our behalf. Just as their children begin to find Just as their
children begin to find their place in a new home, make a new best friend, and join a local team, they may be asked to uproot themselves and begin again. We are so grateful for their courage, tenacity, and their heart. Thank you to Principal Wendy Wood, administrators,
and all those who worked to put together such a powerful tribute across our district to celebrate our military children and their families. And then on Tuesday, April 14th, I joined staff and families for a parent information night called social media, AI, and your child,
what parents need to know. The goal of the evening was to provide parents with a better understanding of the digital world and how to protect their children from its darker sides. Clayton Cranford, a leading law enforcement educator for
online safety known nationwide, provided a powerfully informative 90minute presentation on how social media impacts your child's mental health, critical insights into how predators exploit so social media, the apps and trends
parents should know, practical and effective ways to keep your child safe in the digital world. Nearly every chair in the room was occupied by parents who came to learn about how to keep their children safe and healthy. No one left early. Mr. Cranford paired real life
stories with the latest research to educate and equip our parents with tools for internet safety. At the end of the presentation, Mr. Crawford Crawford, sorry, was surrounded by parents wanting to share their personal stories and voice their concerns. I would like to
express my sincere gratitude to Evelyn Garcia, our director of uh wellness and safety and her team for creating such an important evening. It is my hope that there will be more opportunities to continue this conversation and work together to address the serious issues
emerging from the impact of social media on our children. And lastly, I want to say I was at the Rotary meeting today and we presented the student of the month in Interact student of the month and it was uh a lovely young woman from
Los Alamita High School of Senior Natalie Jenkins. She's part of the biomed pathways as well as our EMT program. Her teacher, Kelly Rafie, sang her praises. Sang her praises. She's going to the University of Utah, admitted to an outstanding nursing
program that only takes 60 students out of the entire United States per year. She's interested in either becoming a traumatic nurse practitioner or a trauma flight nurse. And I think I she's an exceptional young lady and we have so
many exceptional students in our schools. the CTE and RO programs create create avenues for them to begin to think about their future and I'm so deeply grateful and she expressed her g gratitude as well. So thank you. >> Thank you very much Mrs. Davidson.
So I will go now and um so since Papa Forehand brought up the three minutes I'll start with that um last month we are we take our governance very seriously and we take our responsibilities
as board members seriously and how we work together. And so last month we had what we call a midyear check-in. And that's an opportunity for um for the board to come together and say how are we doing as a governance team and how
are we moving our mission and our vision forward um in the district. And so one of the things that we discussed at that meeting was that we we know meetings go long and we want to make sure that we're
communicating and communicating clearly and the things that we're doing and showing the impact of that but without doing a laundry list um of the things and places that we've been um because I think that you will see you see board
members at all the events that you go to because that's how seriously we take the job we do. And so sometimes you'll get all of us, sometimes you'll get one, sometimes you'll get two. So we're trying to make sure that we're highlighting all of those things, but
also being really respectful of um staff's time, of executive cabinet's time, of your time, and um giving you the pert pertinent information within a very short um time frame. And we figured
what we figured is if we make everybody else go three minutes, why shouldn't our communication go three minutes? So, I just wanted to um let you know a little bit about that and and how important we take our governance. Um also, I had the
incredible opportunity to go to um the Rossmore family night, and there were a lot of phenomenal things that were at that night. And one of the things I loved is that they're really using our ruler, which is a program that we put into effect about um helping children be
able to identify um how they feel about things and where they are and monitor their feelings. Um, but they, one of the other things they had that I just adored was they had a farmers market and that was put on by food services and it was
local vendors that are supporting our um our students now with food and so local freshly grown vegetables. These are um and then um Mary's Chicken which is a um
Pardon me. >> Out of Fresno. >> Out of Fresno. So poultry and this is good food. And we have really as a board really been on on Annie and her team that is just
phenomenal and they hear us. What can we do to give more nutritionalbased foods to our students? What can we do? And she's finding grants. her team is doing just phenomenal work out there and using these using small businesses to support
that. And one of the things I'm going to ask is I'm going to ask parents to help your children understand these foods they're getting are delicious. They need to love to eat them and be excited about eating them so the cocoa pops can
disappear and we can have really important nutritionally based food for our students. And I'm just really thankful of food services in Annie and all the amazing work that she's doing. And um my last thing really isn't
necessarily related to my board work, but I did want to highlight that we had a woman named Debbie Kent become the citizen of the year for Los Alamidos. And Debbie um Marlo knows Debbie. She
was um a teacher at McCulla for a number of years. She gives back to this community nonstop. And we are just really grateful that people like this have also come through our district. So that is it for our Okay, great. And I
went the longest. Um so um >> didn't counting everybody. >> I am timing everybody. We we got to keep each other accountable, right? That's what we do. So that's how we learn and that's how we get better. And so, um,
now we will be moving on to our, um, uh, public comment. And I need to read this. We do have a card for public comment this evening. And the board welcomes input from the public. And this is the opportunity for members to provide
public comment to the board on agenda items or items not listed on the agenda. Persons wishing to address the board should complete a speaker request card prior to the start of the meeting. Each speaker is limited to a maximum of 3 minutes and public comment is limited to
a total of 30 minutes. Comment cards can be submitted to the district office any time after 9:00 a.m. the day of the board meeting and will also be accepted up to the start of the board meeting at 6 p.m. A speaker may not relinquish his or her time to another. And when
addressing the board, speakers are requested to address the board from the podium, state their name, and adhere to the time limits. The board may not um take any action or discuss any item that does not appear on the posted agenda and cannot and cannot
immediately respond respond to public comment. And that's a very hard thing for us to do. Speakers are cautioned that under California law, no person is immune from liability for making intentionally false or defamatory comments regarding any person simply
because those comments are made in a public setting. So we do have one card. Um and Gianna Payne, I ask you to come to the podium. Thank you board Dr. Pulver, Miss Reed, high school administration
for hearing me today. I would like to thank you guys for giving the color guard sixth period performing arts credits for A throughG. It's been really helpful in our recruitment this year as well as next year. and hopefully we will
have a bunch of freshman and eighth graders willing to join our program. Recently, um I went to 8th grade middle school PE classes to teach color guard basics to the kids because color guard
isn't really something you do cuz it's kind of unique. And we're really hopeful that a lot of them are going to join and a few seemed pretty interested. Um, I would also like to share that we got second place at our championships this
weekend and it was really due to the new members that we had because they were able to get arts credits. So, thank you. >> And I think I can say this, that is a really spectacular jacket.
Well, and I I just want to remind Yes, you guys can't necessarily comment, but if you recall, uh she came to us uh last year uh and requesting that uh not knowing and thankfully Mrs. Reid had shared we that was actually work we were
also working on uh as well. But it's great to see that work that we're working on is really impacting positively um for our students and that I love that our students feel that they have a voice to be able to come and share with us as well. So, we love we love uh compliments as well. So, thank you. We're glad that that it that it's
working out and congratulations on on the the weekend uh second place. Good job. >> Papa for him has >> it's with us >> is my eighth grade grandson. I got a picture of him twirling a flag. It was
the highlight of the whole family and the whole month. Whether he'll sign up or not, I don't know. >> Thank you very much. So, we are going to move on to ourformational and presentations and Dr. Pver.
>> Thank you, Madame President. Esteemed members. So, tonight I'm really pleased to be able to uh call up Sulma Hogin, who is the vice chairperson of our citizens bond oversight committee. Sulma is a member on the CBOC, been a
very active parent in our district over numerous years, and we're just so grateful for a your willingness to serve on the CBOC. She serves as a as a taxpayer representative uh on the committee, and tonight she will be presenting the annual report. I It actually might be the last report.
>> It is. Yes, it is. >> I'll turn it over to you. I don't want to steal your thunder. >> Yes. Okay. Thank you, Dr. Pulver. And good evening, uh Madame President, esteemed members of the board, Dr. Pulver Executive Cabinet and our community partners in attendance. As Dr. Pulver mentioned, my name is Smma Hogin
and I'm here tonight presenting beha on behalf of chairperson Pervy Travidi who could not be here tonight and serving as a co-chairperson of the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee, also known as the CBOC. The CBOC was established as a
requirement of Proposition 39, which mandates that any school district receiving vote voter approval of a general obligation bond must form a citizens bond oversight committee to oversee, monitor, and inform the public concerning the expenditure of bond
proceeds. Following the passage of Measure G in November 2018, the district was required to establish the CBOC. Our committee consists of seven members. Donna Artovvic, Christina Cannon,
Christina Coxill, Eric Johnston, Ellison Muana, Pervy, Travidi, and myself. Our responsibility is three-fold. It's to inform the public concerning the district's expenditures of bond proceeds
under measure K and measure G. to review expenditures reports and ensure bond proceeds are used only for the purposes set forth in measures uh K and G as mentioned and not for salaries or operating expenses to present to the
board an annual written report on the district's compliance with the California constitution and a summary of our proceedings for the preceding year. Tonight I present the CBOC annual report for the fiscal year 2024 2025 and I am
pleased to share as Dr. Pulver mentioned earlier that this is our final report. With all the bond proceeds expended and all the projects complete, our oversight responsibility has been fulfilled. This milestone reflects years of community trust and most importantly
commitment to our students. Key accomplishments for the fiscal year being reported, which is a 24-25, is the new three court gymnasium and weight room at Los Alamos High School and the completion of remaining classroom renovations on the high school
campus. All our committee members are all our committee meetings on I'm sorry at our committee meeting me uh meeting on February 25th Edy Bailey our independent auditing firm presented the financial statement and performance audits for
measure K and G. The audit states both financial statement audits had no adjustments and this firm issued an unmodified opinion on both measure K and measure G. There were no findings with respect to the financial statements.
Edie Bailey responded fully to all questions of the committee. The 2025 final audit reports for both measures are available on the low cell uh website under our citizens uh bond oversight committee tab. For the fiscal year 2425,
our committee reviewed expenditures to ensure bond funds were used solely for their intended purposes. Interest revenue totaled 410,996 across both measures. Expenditures were 13,485
with 13 cents for measure K and 14,279,51653 for measure G. The CBOC found all expenditures to be appropriate and in compliance with the requirements of measure KNG. In fulfillment of our responsibility,
the CO CBOC finds the Los Alamito Unified School District to be in compliance with the requirements of article 13A section 1B3 of the California Constitution. The CBOC would like to thank Dr. Pulver, Elvia Schuner, Timothy Golden, and
Shosana Dornblazer for their support throughout our fifth term. And welcome Edwin McGa. Your coordination and rep responsiveness to our requests made it a pleasure to our achieve our mission together. They invited us on tours and
were always just very responsive in anything that we needed. So, we've greatly appreciate that support. We also extend our sincere and sincere gratitude to all our current and past committee members who gave their time to ensure accountability throughout this bond program. We equally recognize the Los
Alamito's community whose continued trust and support made these improvements possible. The lasting impact of this work, modern classrooms, state-of-the-art facilities, and enhanced learning environments will be felt by generations of students to come.
Finally, we want to thank the current and previous members of the board of education for your governance and support in guiding meaningful enhancements to student learning environments. Your governance made this bond program a success. Thank you.
>> I'm going to turn it over to Dr. pulver in just one minute, but I have to say that um I'm a little tearary because I was the first chair. Um, and so, um, it just is just such a culmination of work,
um, over 14 years, and I just really appreciate all the work, um, that you've done and the oversight. And that's such an important part that when we went out to bonds, we let the community know that there would be an oversight committee to make sure that we were really being
responsible for their money with their money and that that was something that was really important to the district. Dr. Pulver, >> thank you. I I wanted to share uh similar but because it's it's the closeout report I thought it might be uh important to just highlight uh the
measure K and measure G projects uh both to the public because not everybody might be having the report so it's on page 10 of the report and as uh Sulma shared it is the the last uh report and it actually saddens me a little bit because that means any other project
we're doing is without bond dollars and so that's why the PAC becomes such a a more difficult uh task. But out of a $97 million bond that Measure G passed, and there was a little bit of leftover Measure K funds, I just wanted to read the the completed project list because I
think it's beyond impressive. It's certainly more than $97 million because of some of the state matching dollars that we secured for this community. The high school three court gymnasium and weight room. Uh, the high school multi-story STEM building, the high school classroom renovations, the high
school aquatic center, uh, LA school new restroom restrooms, Hopkinson Elementary School new restroom, Hopkinson Elementary playground and replacement at kindergarten and preschool. Lee Elementary School playground replacement uh, which was their second uh, playground that they replaced. Lee
Elementary School playground replacement for preschool and kindergarten. That was a third. Los school playground for their primary and their secondary. So uh every elementary playground was done. Weaver Elementary, Macau, Rossmore and Weaver again rather than repeating myself too
much. Los Alto's high school scoreboards uh were part of the measure G projects. Los Alamos High School infrastructure was some of the very early work with some of the leftover K funds and then obviously construction and project management. So, for a bond of $97 million uh and a little bit of leftover
measure K, that is a a huge accomplishment and and hats off to uh everyone and this community for making these facilities possible for generations uh and future generations. >> Thank you, Dr. Pulver, and thank you very much for coming and presenting. We
really appreciate all the work from the committee. Uh we are going to move on now to a public hearing and I am going to a public hearing for proposed increase in developer and school facilities field fees. So I'm going to
gavvel in Oh sure. Go ahead. I'm sorry. Thank you. >> Sure. Before we go into the public comment just to explain to the public what uh this is. This item is part of a process required under state law to for the district if they adjust uh developer fees for residential and commercial
development. Um these fees help offset the impact of new housing and construction that they may have on our schools, specifically the additional students that may generate from these housing developments um or even modernizations of of of your of your
home um for any additional classroom or space or facilities. uh the state really does uh sets a maximum dollar amount and they allow an update every two years. So they re update that. So this is something we've done every two years.
The proposed increase is based on a study that was prepared for the district and later in in the action item the the study uh and the resolution to increase the developer fees. The current developer fees I5 $5.17
per square foot for residential and 84 commercial and the new rates u which would go into effect should the board approve it on the action item within 60 days after it's approved so around June 20th would go up 21 cents uh for residential. So, the new rate would be
$5.38 and the commercial rate would go up 3 um to 87 per square foot. And so, this is an opportunity before to allow the public to um share any input that they have before the board takes action later
um on the agenda. >> Thank you very much, Dr. Pver. So, I'm going to um gavvel in to the public hearing. Is there any public that would like to come forward and provide any input?
Seeing none, I'm going to gavvel out. I only have to gave in and out once, right? I'm good. Okay, great. So, um, thank you for that. And we will be looking at that item later in the agenda. Uh, the next item on our agenda
is the presentation of LAHS Performing Arts Center Project. Dr. over. >> Thank you, uh, esteemed board members. So, this really is will be a two parts to this presentation tonight. Um, and it's really part two. If you recall, uh,
in the fall, um, we made a change. We changed our architect. We were kind of going down a path of modernizing our performing arts center with the limited dollars that we had secured at the time. Uh, and we made some some changes uh, with the architectural firm. And with
that, Westgroup came to us and presented to us in the fall and presented uh a new option for us to consider. They wanted they asked if we wanted to give them about 3 months to really study the option of looking at um building a new performing arts center, constructing a
brand new building. Um and in this case, it would be right behind the current PAC as as opposed to modernizing the current PAC. Um and so we thought uh the direction we gave them was we think it was worthy of pausing um until we can
get a more informed decision because they they said that there could be some additional grant dollars for new construction that aren't available um for the modernization. And so uh we're inviting Westgroup back tonight to give us an update uh on the three months that
they've been using to study really this option. And we still know the the option still exists for us to modernize the PAC if we don't go with with the new construction. And so I'm going to call up uh Ken from Westgroup, Kenong from Westgroup who's going to present uh and
in that they we did ask them to give us a a financial estimate from their cost estimators. And then the second part I will present um because our uh Miss Elishner, our our assistant superintendent business service is unable to be here tonight as we've been
really working to see if this is the wish that we want to move forward with, how would we be able to fund it um and make this potentially a reality. Um and we're not fully there yet, but we um are optimistic. So at this point, I'd like to call up Ken from Westgroup Designs
who have been great partners with us. Um, and I'm so grateful that we were able to even have this option to consider cuz it was one that we were not considering um prior to the fall. >> Uh, good evening uh, Madame President, members of the board, uh, Superintendent
Pulver, Executive Cabinet, and members of the community. Thank you for the opportunity to be here tonight. Um I am joined this evening by our CEO Parisima Hassani and senior principal Shazad Gmbari. Both of whom have been integral
to the project and are here to support tonight's presentation. Uh tonight I'll be sharing a feasibility study uh update for the proposed new performing arts center uh at Los Alamos High School. a project I'm genuinely excited about both
for what it means for students and for what it could mean for the campus long term. I'll take you through the proposed design uh which includes site strategy, floor plans, building sections, renderings, and a cost summary and I
will do my best to try to do that in under 10 minutes. Uh before we get into the design itself, I want to quickly share how we got here. Um, the existing and let me just scoot forward a couple of slides. The existing performing arts center has served the
campus for about 60 years. It has a lot of history, but it also has real limitations in terms of technical theater capability, space efficiency, and the overall patron and performer experience. The goal of the feasibility
study has been to explore what a replacement facility could look like. To make sure we were designing for the right things, our team met with the existing user groups and conducted facility tours to hear directly from the
staff and directors who use the PAC daily. Uh, and that input shaped the program in meaningful ways. The most significant adjustment that came out of those conversations was a 15% reduction
in seating capacity from 590 seats of what's in the current PAC down to approximately 500. This wasn't just about cost. It was about rightsizing the house to improve the audience experience and it allowed
us to be more efficient with the auditorium form which I'll speak to in a moment. The new building is uh cited as Dr. Pulver mentioned on approximately uh a little bit over an acre of open space directly to the north of the existing
PAC. Uh in our uh diagram here, it's identified as the phase one limit of work. This next slide shows the site plan of the proposed location of the new PAC and
how it relates to the existing one. One of the most important strategic advantages of this location is continuity. Because the new PAC is being built on open space rather than demolishing the existing building first,
the existing PAC can continue to be fully used during construction. There's no gap in operations. Students and the community don't lose access to the performing arts facility during the construction period.
Once the new building is complete and operational, the existing PAC would be demolished. that opens up approximately an acre and a half of open space right in the heart of the campus, which is what we're calling phase 2.
You'll see some conceptual imagery in a couple of the upcoming uh renderings showing what the phase 2 area could eventually become. Potential green space, additional covered lunch shelters, an outdoor amphitheater, potentially a future film and broadcast
CTE building. But I want to be clear, those phase 2 elements are strictly conceptual at this stage and are not part of the scope or cost of what we're presenting tonight. Tonight's focus and tonight's cost estimate is entirely
phase one. Now, let's uh take a look at the floor plans. This is the uh first floor uh level. One of the first priorities of the layout was improving uh program adjacency,
making sure the right spaces are next to each other in a way that actually works for the users. The main lobby which is in the uh located in the northeast corner of the plan uh facing the rear parking lot. This placement does uh two
things. It provides a clear, intuitive arrival point for patrons coming from the rear parking lot and gives the lobby direct connections to both the main auditorium and the blackbox theater. From one lobby, you can access both
performance venues, which is a significant upgrade over the existing uh PAC configuration. The restrooms are accessed just outside the lobby via a covered walkway. That separation is intentional. It allows the
restrooms to be used during the school day without requiring the entire building to be unlocked. A practical benefit for cabinets operations. Turning to the main auditorium, the shape of the house is 20% more efficient
than the existing PAC. That efficiency means we can seat the same 500 patrons with better sightelines while actually using 1,200 square ft less space. Smaller footprint, better experience.
Now, while we were more efficient with the seating, we were intentionally more generous with the technical theater components. The proposed stage is 40% larger than the existing stage. It's only a foot
deeper, but more significantly, it's 24 ft wider, which finally creates functional wing spaces on both sides of the stage. That's a gamecher for productions that need to fly scenery, store props, and move performers on and
off stage. Adjacent to the main stage is a larger scene shop, a dedicated space for stage craft that connects directly to both the main stage and the blackbox theater. That easy adjacency makes movement of
set materials between spaces far more practical. The back of house is served by a continuous 8-ft wide corridor wide enough to move set pieces and it connects storage rooms, dressing rooms, and student restrooms.
At the far west end of the plan, you have the band and instrumental music classrooms, which can be reached either from the exterior or through the interior corridor. That flexibility is important for the day-to-day rhythms of the school.
Uh moving to the second uh level uh the main lobby below in the corner uh reads as a double height space at this level which gives the building a sense of arrival and more of a civic presence. There's an elevator that provides
vertical access to this second level which houses a variety of technical theater support spaces, control rooms, box room lighting positions that are essential for professional quality productions. At the east side of this plan in the
light blue, there's an exterior terrace that serves as a patron egress point from the top of the auditorium seating. Both a functional exit and a moment of outdoor connection. This uh next floor plan uh illustrates
the proposed technical theater catwalk and follow spot lighting positions at the rear of the house. These are critical elements for the kind of productions this program aspires to mount and having them clearly defined at this stage of the design reflects how
seriously we're taking the technical performance requirements. >> This May I ask a quick question? Sure. >> I'm sorry. Back on >> Oops. Let me back up here. >> You're giving Oh, >> I'm going in the wrong direction. Sorry about the button.
>> There we go. >> One more. >> Yeah, >> one more. >> So, the box boom. >> I don't understand that. >> The box boom are the kind of triangular
spaces flanking the uh front of the uh precenium on both the north and south sides. Basically, they are lighting positions behind the wall that allow for stage lighting to be coming from the
sides or a little bit more of a 3/4 angle kind of in front of the stage. And so they're concealed locations that allow for a lighting technician to be uh located. >> Fabulous. Thank you very much. >> Yep.
This uh next slide shows a couple of building sections and I want to spend a moment here because these sections represent some very deliberate decisions. Having worked on both the STEM building and the new gymnasium on the campus, we're acutely aware of the
soil conditions at the high school. With that in mind, the proposed design is purposefully purposefully trying to minimize how far we go below grade, keeping excavation to a minimum to manage both cost and geotechnical risk.
At the same time, we're very conscious of accessibility. We want to minimize the number of ramps and stairs for both patron and performer circulation. The top section really shows our solution most clearly. The ground floor,
the stage, the music classrooms are all on the same level. The front rows of the auditorium seating step down from that level to create the stage offset rather than the stage being elevated above grade. It's a structural and
accessibility solution that keeps the building largely at grade while still achieving the proper technical uh theater relationships between audience and performer. With that, I'd like to transition to the
uh 3D views. This first image is an aerial photograph of the existing campus from the east. I want to start here just to orient everyone before we look at the design renderings. You can see the existing PAC and get a sense of where the new building will sit uh to the
north of it. This rendering introduces the new PAC in context and also gives you a very conceptual placeholder sense of what that phase 2 quad area could eventually become once the existing PAC is removed.
The green space, the outdoor gathering areas. Again, that's aspirational imagery for phase 2, not part of what we're costing tonight, but it helps illustrate the long-term potential for this part of the campus. This rendering gets us a bit closer to
the building. Uh, our architectural approach for the new PAC is very much in keeping with the design language we established with both the STEM building and the new gymnasium. Uh, the pallet is a combination of
brick, veneer, and stucco materials that have uh a grounded lasting quality. And we're continuing to incorporate the campus identity color blue in deliberate ways rather than as a generic uh accent.
In this view in particular, you can see how we're using blue to give the new PAC a distinct identity with what we're calling the blue box theater uh on the north elevation. It's a moment of expression that says this is a place where creative work happens. to the
right of that. A little bit tough to see on uh this rendering and the colors here, but that's the access to the scene shop uh which features a large garage door that allows scenery and staging materials to be brought directly in and
out. A functional feature that any technical theater director would appreciate. Can I pause you for a second and just say my my favorite if you go back my favorite fun fact about the Griffin Center which I saw in these pictures just for the public to see is that that is to mimic a Griffin's wing. Is that is
that still we're going with that? >> We are trying to emulate and abstract the idea of the Griffin wing. >> I tell everyone that and I'm happy to see it again because that's my favorite fun fact when we're on campus. So the Griffin wing, I'm sticking to it. So I love that you did that again. >> Thank you.
This uh next view takes us around to the southeast corner and it's a little bit washed out on the screen. Uh here you see basically the second floor terrace with uh what we're describing as a contemporary kind of Romeo and Juliet
balcony and an exterior exit stair running along the south face creating a dynamic geometry between the upper and lower portions of the building. Uh below the terrace are the new restrooms we discussed earlier in the floor plan.
And finally, this last render view brings us to the main lobby entrance, the face of the building that patrons uh would experience on performance nights. What you're seeing here is how we're imagining a digital marquee on the brick elevator enclosure paired with banner
graphics at the terrace. This is the kind of uh graphics and branding that builds uh community pride. It gives the PAC a public presence and an an identity that is similar to how the new gym is uh
in deploying technology and graphics to support the function of the building. My final slide is the cost estimate summary for phase one. The estimated hard construction cost for the new PAC is approximately $19.2 million. At this
stage of design, we're carrying a 15% design contingency to account for the level of definition we currently have. When we add escalation to the projected midpoint of construction, which we're targeting for next October, along with
other soft costs, the current total estimated project costs comes to approximately $27.8 million. I want to be candid about where we are in the process. This is a feasibility level estimate. There are elements of the
design that we would look to refine and sharpen as we move forward both in terms of program and in terms of specifications with the goal of reducing costs while protecting what matters most. As part of that effort, uh we would be working
collaboratively with the district's selected builder as a fully integrated team. The goal is to arrive at a design that delivers the technical theater improvements this program needs, enhances the character of the campus,
and is at the same time being responsible stewards of your budget. We're committed to that balance. So this is a slide that we and motto that we took from the athletics program when we were first
doing the gym which was believe, prepare and execute. Uh that is still uh a driving force of how we go about doing what we do and it's your vision that determines how we move forward. And uh
we believe that this project represents a meaningful investment in the students, educators, and community uh who use and love performing arts at Los Alamos High School. We're proud of the work the design team has done so far, and we look
forward to uh continuing this conversation with the board and the district. Uh I'm happy to answer any questions you may have. >> Provide a little context. So, if you can um Kenny, can you bring it back to the PAC design floor plan?
So, uh I I just want to share that they've been great partners to work with, but we've really been leaning on our uh performing arts teachers, whether they be dance, music, uh band, uh show, choir, uh drama, etc. And so, they've come out and done field trips with us to
take a look uh back to the floor plan. >> The floor plan. Yeah. Um and so as we were remember at one point we were considering whether these um seating should be fixed seating or whether retractable. We thought maybe retractable seating could might be uh
less expensive. And so in consultation with our uh teachers and performing art groups, they were willing to have um uh the retractable seating if it meant that some of the other projects as Westgroup shared with us with executive cabinet a
couple weeks ago when they presented to us right before spring break actually the the fixed seating price is going to be the same. So that's why you're only seeing that. But in that when we went back to our user groups as well, um even though this is less seats, that's almost close to the same number of actual
visible seats. If you recall, there's probably 40 or more seats uh behind the first two rows on both sections that really don't have sight lines of the stage. And so when we talked with our user groups, we asked, well, what is the absolute smallest if we're trying to get a new PAC? Uh and they said 500 seats.
And so Westgroup delivered with 500 a design with 502 because it was really more important to our user groups was a much bigger bigger stage. The wing space that you heard uh Ken talking about and maintaining a similar size of our current band rooms uh and and blackbox
at least maintaining what we we have. Um and then these additional answer spaces of right now the our CTE um theater tech when they're building sets it's outside kind of like in a shed. Uh and so part of the reason having some of this space
too is we hope to be able to apply for a grant that I'll talk about later about career technical education for our theater tech class. And so um this really does marry um the feedback that we receive directly from our user groups. Um, so I just wanted to kind of give give that shout out an explanation
a little bit more. Why would you go for less seating and yet um we have a bigger u footprint. >> I have a question about where the restrooms are that they're outside, but though that we're in California, so that's not really a big problem, but it is covered. Correct.
>> That's correct. So in this plan, it's kind of colored in green there and facing uh a line of columns and kind of a dash line that represents what would be the terrace above. >> And so it uh stacks
>> restrooms. It's located basically directly underneath the second level uh control room and uh theater uh spaces that uh are in the back of house. >> Great. Thank you. >> Question though, and and maybe I was
misering this because I understand there's that the exterior entrance which would be able to be used during the school day, but if I was watching a show and had to go to the restroom in the middle, do I have to leave the space physical space to go or is there entrances from inside too? Uh, no. There is no connection to the restrooms from
the interior of PAC. So, you would be stepping out of the auditorium or the lobby to make use of the restrooms that are under the covered walkway. >> So, we approached that a little bit differently than how it was configured
at the new gymnasium where we kind of had a double-sided entrance that wound up taking up more space and square footage than this configuration. And that has created some different challenges as well of when we don't want people entering the gym um but they're
using the restrooms on the outside for let's say some of the field sports etc. So I think I asked that question and and knowing that that's been an issue understanding that it's it's just a complicating factor right because you have to deal with ticketing or someone comes in and goes out someone
keeping keeping the door secured or not secured during a show and that's cross that bridge if and when we get there's a good problem. There are restrooms for the performers as you see in the yellow spaces there. Are there any other questions about the design or anything before we go to the
second part? All right. Thank you very much. um really beautiful and um we just really appreciate the partnership that we have had and uh you've really transformed our
um our campus. So, Dr. Pver, >> well, not only have they transformed the campus, one of the things that I've said about Westgroup when we first came on when they first started with the STEM building is they expanded our vision. We never thought of even the STEM building, if you recall, for those of you who are on the board, that it would be in the front of the campus. It was going to be
back where those 800 portables uh are. And so really expanding our vision of what's possible. They've done that again. This was not something that we were thinking of. Um and trying to really be partners with us to find funding opportunities that could help make this vision become more of a
reality than than than possible. So I think you know God works in mysterious ways I often say and so as we switched uh I'm really pleased that this kind of maybe it was a blessing uh uh by making that switch. And so, uh, tonight I want
to talk about the the how we could, if we were to make this a possibility, what are still some of the roadblocks and yet what what is some of the momentum that we've been able to make? And you may recall, I believe it was two years ago at the state of the district, I think we had shared initially that we had $5
million budgeted um for to modernize the PAC. And we weren't sure how much that was going to do, but we we we said, "Okay, great. We have 5 million." Um, and then we uh, which is going to be another recommendation that we'll we'll look into a little bit later. When the
state gave us one-time dollars, they framed it as the arts block music uh, arts and music block grant, but it was really a discretionary grant that could have been used for anything, but it was onetime dollars. For us, it was $5 million. At that time, a two years ago or so, we decided we were going to put
all of that because we had so little to be able to invest into the PAC. We were going to put the 5 million of that onetime block grant uh to the PAC. And so, I believe last year at um the state of the district, I think I had shared we now have $12 million um to be able to do
a PAC project. So, it's been really interesting and exciting um to see that grow. And so as we're faced uh remember as we heard these are preliminary costs but they've really done a great job of trying to use um an outside uh uh
company who really this is their specialty to give us a hard construction cost. But I want to remind you construction cost is both hard and soft. And so we can't get stuck in the trap. So it's $27.8 million of hard
construction cost. Um but in that construction cost and um we've been told this that would include all of the seating, the audio visual, the lighting, the acoustics, the mics and all of that equipment that would be needed to have the PAC because that was a question that um cabinet had uh early on and so I
wanted to clarify that in case that was a question of the board. But it's all the soft costs, the the design fees, the DSA fees, um construction management, uh as you know, we have to have um inspectors ongoing, etc. And so that is typically in in some districts it's 30%.
I think right now we're using we we tried to soften it. Our soft costs have been between about 15 and 20%. I think this right now from a budgetary standpoint is either 20 or 25%. And so that's 5.5 million. And so the overall which is I think the way that we have to
think about funding is both the hard and the soft cost. So this project really would be $33.3 million. remind you we don't have an actual estimate from a builder. Um and so um that does not include two mill it would
a rough estimate we had heard earlier um kind of you know thrown against the wind is that it would be about a one and a half to $2 million to demolish the existing PAC because in order for us one of the ways that Westgroup brought this project forward to us is that we might
be able to qualify for seismic mitigation grant dollars just like we did with the front of the school and that would be about 5 million but a condition of that is you have to tear tear down the the uh the the building because what you're saying is it's not earthquake safe and it's so that the
state is investing in you to remove that from a safety hazard per se and the PAC is not just the auditorium from from this from the state it's also the band rooms and the black box and so we have to we'd have to destroy all of that so
we're looking at an overall project uh with which including the demolition of having to come up with about $35.5 million Well, last fall when we presented this um Elia um shared what we had $14 million in our uh performing
arts center uh allocation. So, we've continued as remember I said we went to five, then we went to eight, then we went to 12, and just uh and then to 14. And I can say just since the fall, any new dollars or matching dollars or areas where we've saved money that have been facility dollars, we have we have tried
to prioritize to make this PAC option um possible. And so just from last fall to now, it's now 15. We've been able to add another million dollars to this project. Um, so I'm really pleased to be able to share that as Westgroup came to us and said we believe and they part of that MI
part of this feasibility study was to see would we really qualify for uh about $5.3 million of seismic mitigation funds and their team really spent time over the last three months and they're confident that um with with all the information that they have that we would
qualify for that. As you recall, we did qualify and receive the money for the the STEM building as well. Um, and then we already wrote uh a grant uh CTE grant for um technical theater, but that was when we were going to be modernizing the
PAC and that was 1 a.5 million. So if you do new construction, it actually doubles to three million. And so we would re-engage even though we got approved for it, we'd pause on that and apply again for a $3 million new construction for technical theater. And
then um we're in the midst of applying for the sports medicine back to the gymnasium. Um but once you receive facility dollars, you can apply those facility dollars to any new project because the gymnasium in the weight room has already been project has has been built. So in that now if you take our uh
the dollars that we have along with the potential um grants that we think that we could get, it now yields us $26.3 million. So we're not there yet. Um, and so you can see, uh, we have about a $9
million shortfall. So that seems daunting, um, in in some ways. And so I want to talk about what are some ways we can get ourselves closer to making this um, a reality um, for this community uh,
for generations to come. And so some of the other projects that we did have planned um was we were talking about uh and this has been probably more recently within the last two years that we definitely have after modernization and
part of our fields were used for landing spaces for construction. There's a huge amount of green space on the high school campus that should be practice fields and field space that are really just uninhabitable. Um they're not even safe. And so we we we took a look at and we think we had allocated potentially
reserving them within budget dollars that we have for facilities $2 and a half million dollars to either put in two um practice turf fields or to really rehab that entire green space. Um uh whichever was most uh we believe that the turf fields would be the the best
long-term investment on that. Um and so we could pause on doing that um if we wanted to to be able to make the PAC uh possible. Um we've also been talking about we've modernized all the other kitchen spaces on on our eight other campuses through part of measure K and
other dollars. And so our kitchen at the high school um we had reserved about a million and a half dollars of facility dollars to modernize the high school kitchen plus the food services budget was going to use some of their dollars about a million dollars or so to pay for equipment and things of that sort
because prior to uh just this past week uh this we've been hearing that the state does not allow us to use because the food services has a surplus and they have over $3 million that could be used for this project. um but that they we couldn't use it to do infrastructure,
tearing down walls, electrical, etc. It could only do your equipment. Good news to share is that some of the new regulations that were just presented at a at a food service uh presentation um last week is that they are allowing districts to be able to use food service
dollars and their reserves, etc. to be able to um renovate kitchens, including the infrastructure. So, we believe we could easily still keep the the kitchen renovation project moving forward using all the food service dollars that can
only be spent on food services. So, in some ways, while it's pausing that project, it really isn't. We're able to shift dollars in in a different way. Um, and then with the high school restroom renovations, as you know, we already do have our quote. We and we're already in
the process of and we had reserved a little over $4 million for the restroom renovation project at Los Alamos High School. It came in under that and so we'll have about a million dollar in savings there. And so if we were to reallocate um all of those funds that brings in $5 million and one of the
things that I want to remind you all um is we heard in the governor's January budget that next year the one-time dollars coming to districts could be even larger than this year. This year, I think the onetime dollars, and remember, onetime dollars should only be spent on one-time expenses. Um, three years ago
when the onetime dollars for the arts block discretionary, we moved 5 million and applied it all there. Um, so we're told at the January budget at least that it could be four to$5 million for um, Los Alamos Unified specifically. And so we do think while we say that we we
could pause the sports field renovation, we certainly could. And our recommendation would be to if we set aside this two and a half to the PAC that we would use two and a half to three million of the onetime dollars that we get next year to to continue
moving forward because that's really a critical space as well for our athletes and for our students. Um and it's a direct benefit that our students and our staff and our and our community will benefit from these onetime dollars. So I think while there's some trade-offs, we also have some other solutions to make both possible.
Um, and so that initial $9 million gap, um, if we were to reallocate the $5 million as I outlined above, so now that leaves a gap of $4 million. So we're not still there yet, but usually um we our
budgets are higher than when than what we um really have come in. And that's why we've been able to add more money to different projects along the way is because we had a higher budget and as project savings came in um we reallocated them. And so we think we're actually much closer uh than than we
think. And so what are some ways that we could potentially um mitigate that $4 million? Well, again, the board could could consider let's say we get $5 million of onetime dollars next year if we wanted to be able to allocate some of those onetime dollars to towards this.
Um we could add more of that in addition to the the fields. Um, we could also potentially um take a look at um doing some project scope adjustments and so um reducing the overall footprint. Uh the
the the the black the blue box theater is a little bit larger than than the current black box. So there are some ways that perhaps if we needed to reduce square footage in terms of construction costs, the instrumental and the band rooms and the current uh design are a little bit larger than than current. if we needed to shrink the lobby a little
bit more to reduce square footage etc. So there are some ways that we could reduce overall we would continue to look at simplifying design elements and finishes um take a look at value engineering other aspects as well um uh along the way as we bring in a
contractor we believe once we decide our builder and we've now narrowed it down to I think it's four or is it five um contractor four um and so we will now be moving forward with selecting that um that contractor so that we can have the contract contractor work directly with
Westgroup because sometimes they'll say actually if you do this and it achieves the same result this is going to get you a better price and then built into that as well is a design contingency of $2.8 million and we don't it's always smart to still be able to budget but we
actually don't believe that that's um needed. We think that that that design contingency can get much smaller particularly if we can really make sure that we don't change certain aspects of the design as we move forward. And so uh we think we are actually much closer
than we um than what it sounds like. And so that $9 million shortfall getting down to four if we can continue to do work on some of these other enhancements. Um I I I think uh our recommendation is we think it's too close to not explore um that that we're
so close to be able to touching it to make it happen. I also would throw out if there's any community out there that has wants to donate a lot of money uh and wants to have you know the Griffin Performing Arts Center sponsored by blah blah blah that you know uh the Hilton or
Crypto or um the Honda Center. We would certainly welcome some some naming rights for x number of years. Um we've also talked about within our community and I don't think it would really move the needle a ton but we've seen other places with that they have you know uh invited the community if they wanted to
purchase the the chair uh in the performing arts center etc. Um and having people they can have their name plaque on it um doing some other um on the side and you know that could maybe raise 500,000 to a million. Who knows? Depending if you sold, you know, 500
seats at $2,000 or or or what. I don't know what we'd have to do there. So, um, so maybe 500, maybe a thousand or so. Um, so we just think, uh, the board really kind of I think I want to narrow down what we believe are kind of three options for us to do. Do we, um, move
forward with constructing a new PAC? Um, giving Westgroup uh, to keep working on this design. um because now we'd want them to be able to make refine those refinements uh and then getting things closer to be able to give to a contractor who can then help us further
delineate where we can save uh prices. Of course, uh the option to still modernize the existing PAC is is there uh $14 million without all of those other grant dollars um is still uh will do a dent, but we won't be able to do a
lot to it. And I think that's why our performing arts teachers were so interested in trying to find a way to make it possible. Um should we reallocate the funds from the identified projects that we just uh mentioned um I think is also an area that we would need to get uh support from the board
obviously in my mind if you're saying yes move forward with constructing continuing moving forward at least that we'd have to reallocate those funds. Um and then of course the other option out there is proceed with the new PAC project. um pending formal bids from a
from a guaranteed maximum price. That's the GMP when we do a lease lease back from a selected contractor. And if we had to once we get that GMP and we realize, wow, this is now a $40 million project and now this $4 million shortfall is a uh $9 million shortfall
even after we've reallocated, then we'd have to go back to the drawing board. But that approach would require two different things. we'd be spending double work, double fees in architecture fees because they would be doing all the architectural fees for the new PAC and then if it doesn't work out now we'd
have to have them uh do the architectural fees to modernize the PAC. Um so there would be some some duplicate design work um some constru construction cost escalation and then we would have to use interim facilities. And so the beautiful thing here we think we save
probably $200 to $300,000ish. We're not really exactly sure. It could be a little bit less um maybe 150 to 200,000 of interim facility space if the PAC was being performed. We'd have to go see what facilities are available to ramp for us to still host, you know,
three show choir performances uh throughout the year, our drama, etc. Um and so at this point, I'm going to turn it back over to the board for questions and um uh further dialogue. >> Thank you very much, Dr. Pulver. Um
let's start with any questions that we have clarifying questions. >> Um and then and then we'll move on to decisions. So Mrs. Davidson, >> so I understand about diverting the money or pausing the
allocations for certain projects and but you talked about the possible one-time funds next year. Did we have plans like you know what would we be giving up if we use that those one-time funds for this? I mean, was did we have any
projections of projects we wanted to use that for? >> No, not yet. So, this year, um, one of the things we really talked with our bargaining groups was trying to see if we needed to use any of the one-time dollars to help with some of, uh, if we couldn't do ongoing salary to do maybe some sometime that doesn't seem to be an
interest uh, at least at the bargaining table. Um, so we were intentional of not spending the onetime dollars this year initially till we waited to really explore and have more conversations with our bargaining units. Um but remember two or three years ago we put all of the onetime dollars that was five million to
really make something possible for the PAC. And so um we think that that is an excellent use of onetime dollars meets immediate needs for our students and for this community. Uh and and I want to remind the board often when we went out for the bond, we often heard from
community members who said, "Why do you uh you know, we're happy to support you, but how much of skin in the game are you going to put of money that you receive?" And in this case, this is onetime dollars that you receive to also and not put everything on the backs of taxpayers. And so this could be another gesture that the board shows of it's
really a a marriage of of a lot of different funds to make this possible. um and then create an incredible space. And I think the reason we also recommend this is what it could do to the high school if you remove that the old PAC, you now
have a truly quad area that for campus culture, student life, etc. that just opens so many more possibilities as well. Um, so and if you think about it, we'd be able to really think about some big things that we've been able to do in the 4A for our students and every single
one of our students lands at Los Alamos High School. So, every student in this district would benefit uh from these investments. >> Mr. to brag me. >> You actually just talked about one of the areas that that is causing my mind to hurt is that phase two from the quad
to where the pack is currently without accounting for how much it's going to cost to rehab that if we tear down the pack, we have a big empty area. So, do we have any estimate on how much it's going to cost to fill that area? Even if we're just putting grass and we know we know how much turf costs in the back of the fields, like we're talking about $2 and half million dollars. It's
a pretty large area that we'd have to figure out something to do. So any estimate from West Group on what it could even cost to just turf it over like grass >> in general. I mean, you know, there's they're going to be excavating dirt. So honestly, you can seed if we're really
if if we are that you can seed and rope it off if we had to do something that generically um uh I if we had to. And so >> I obviously don't want to just t it more just thinking about the cost. >> But I think it's also that also is something that could be we're going to
do that in two years as you've been seeing the budget the state budget the state unfortunately keeps applying new money to one time or not new keeps applying one-time dollars instead of doing some of the ongoing costs. They obviously they do both but they're they're undervaluing the revenue so that
they don't have to give us the full ongoing dollars. So what the positive benefit is we've been getting onetime dollars for the last several years. I believe we can continue to get onetime dollars that those could be another thing to use in the out years. We just don't have we do right now from the governor's January budget. We know of at
least potentially five or more million dollars that could be be coming to us >> of I I fear that we're building a like the crown jewel on campus and that we have this empty space for a year or two and I wouldn't want that to be there. I I personally think even if that is the
case that that is a short-term vision versus the long term of being able to make something like this possible. We may have to be okay with an eyesore for a little bit. I'm hoping we don't. I'm hoping that the demo of one point of 2 million is not that and there'd be enough like let's say $250$500,000
to be able to invest in. But I also don't know that for sure yet. But I think that we should be mindful that that's possible and is it still worth the the the big picture. >> Mrs. Partisan, did you have questions? >> Yeah. >> Okay. I just wanted to make sure
everyone could hear me. Uh so yes, um you know, I think the design is beautiful. I think the plan that we have for um future Griffins and I can picture my kids walking on campus just gives me goosebumps to be able to go and see all
of our talented Griffins um be able to perform in such a beautiful area. But um I say but because you know I sit here as a trustee and one of my biggest roles is to be fiduciary responsible. So, when I
look at this project, you know, what started out was a $15 million renovation and what I'm seeing now is a $35 million um redesign and um or I guess I would say yeah, new new PAC. So, and a lot of
the funding that we're talking about does it's it's a potential. So, for me, I, you know, as I'm kind of trying to wrap my head around it, I'm thinking, um, you know, I was just taking kind of some notes that even though if we were
to pause some projects, um, yeah, thank you for going back to that. So even so even if we paused some projects that we had already planned and we said were important like the fields like the kitchen renovation and moved some funding around at the end of it we have
a potential for the um the CTEFP of 3 million we have a potential of the CTE as at another 3 million so that's six and then I think you were hoping that for the um the budget that we would have some one-time funds allocated to us even
all of That combined together leaves us with a deficit of $4 million. And it's just it's giving me as excited as I am on the one hand to want to see this happen and want to support it wholeheartedly, it's it's giving me pause because I'm having a hard time um
trusting that all of these potential funds would come in. >> So just to speak to part of that because I think that is going to be the reality. Uh so I think you you hit a very sharp point that all of you will have to entertain. um the size we received the seismic mitigation for the STEM building
and so even that portion was its potential and we were very successful. In fact, I think at the time we thought it was going to be 3 million is what they shared and I think it was 4.3 or 4 something that we actually ended up receiving. So we actually received more than when Westgroup came to us and said
we think you would qualify for 3 million. So is that possible? Yes. But the reverse could also um as well we already received the one of the CTE grants but it was for modernization and so we are very and we haven't seen um
the state as you as you know is really investing heavily in career technical education and so just about uh any grant that really meets these scripted out requirements seems to be qualifying and meeting those dollars. Um, so we're
cautiously optimistic about the the the six million uh and the two CTE grants as as well. Um, so but yes, there's no sure thing, >> Mr. Forham.
>> I'm cautiously optimistic, >> but I want to go for it. That's how I feel. >> I want to try it. Thank you, Mr. Forham. >> Of course. >> So, in when we did the new the new gym, we didn't know if we were going to do
the weight room and so we wanted to leave a footprint there so that potentially we could build it in the future. Um, are there opportunities for that? That I mean, we ended up getting it. it happened and I I I agree with Chris. I feel very optimistic and what I
can't quite imagine is now doing it halfway and having this repaired PAC with a big investment already poured into that. Um if it there's any conceivable way we can create the new
one. Are there any parts of it that if that along the way we wouldn't have to pay the redesign costs, but we could say let's we're moving along, but we're not going to do the wait room yet or we might do it, but leave the footprint. >> I'll I'll ask uh Westgroup to come join
me to be able to answer some of those questions where I think that the problem with this is because 5.3 maybe more of the seismic mitigation requires us to destroy the other building. Uh and yet we have to do the same thing. And so that building is not only the PAC, it's
the band rooms, etc. So maybe off the top of my head, it's that storage room or the prop the the design room you like I think what we were calling maybe. Um we've really been talking we would also like to apply for a grant for CTE for
film. Um and that would be phase two. Uh that we they've left space to be able to add on, but that would be again $3 million, but that $3 million would pretty much just pay for that classroom. So we didn't even want to talk about it here in that sense, but to me that would be um but any other Ken?
>> Yeah. So, I mean, it's really just those outside places, but I again, it's why I think it's very powerful to have Westgroup here, hearing what our concerns are and how close that I think we are because I do think there are things we could go back to reduce the scope and things of that sort to get us
closer to um making this a viable option and still meeting the needs um for our for our uh artist and students. Are there >> just one other thing um you said about the band and the uh music rooms. Are
those the rooms that we just renovated and we just invested in all the soundproofing and the walls and the cabinetry. Are we able to save any of those? >> Th those are those rooms. Uh and because you remember uh at that time the decision was to modernize the PAC. This
kind of vision wasn't even part of our vision. And um already arts were feeling like they weren't getting this the full spectrum of support through facilities as as athletics has because when measure G um first got passed um we knew
initially we were hoping for $150 million. We surveyed the community they would not support anything over a hundred. So at that time they were actually the the facility master plan had a 55 or $50 million performing arts center. So that's why um it seems
daunting, but the some of the things we can take with us if they're going to we would still want to make sure it makes sense. So I don't want to but the soundproofing if the if the soundproofing would still fit within those are on the wall. You can take them off and and put them up. Um the the some
of the because we didn't do a ton. We didn't go through DSA on on most of that. That was all just kind of cosmetic. Um it was also the uh storage. Well, all of those lockers could be removed and and placed in the new one if we needed as long as they met the same
footprint. Um, but they already did meet. So, we do think that there's a possibility to be able to use some of those dollars uh um in the new building. >> So, I I just want to make sure everybody else has commented or has commented and I'll then I'll call for direction before
I voice my thoughts. So, as I said earlier, um I I passed the first measure G. I was the chairperson and then on the CBOC, I have se I've seen every project that we've done at every school, whether
it was on the board or um or part of the CBOC. This district and its leadership has done nothing but been the most fiscally responsible to be able to find ways to
do things. We the bond dollars that we went out with and the things that we have done, we never even put in the bond um in the bond uh request cuz we didn't think we'd have enough dollars to do
that. And as we did things and and as we um and staff was so amazing at controlling that money and also finding every opportunity for matching funds, every opportunity to maximize. I remember when CJ was here and the front
of the stone building, how he found a way to be able to um uh um engineer what was that called where we had >> value engineering. value engineering things. So I have complete confidence
that if if and and what I'm going to ask is ask Westgroup if these numbers are accurate and I love that you built in already built in a 10%. We're looking at a 10% increase just in starting in October. So I'm thinking okay I know
prices have gone up but I'm not sure they can go up another 10% in 4 months. Um, do we feel confident that that this is that that we're going to get bids back that are going to be that we are
going to be able to move on on on these numbers because I feel I just know this district and this leadership um well enough to to believe that Dr. Pulver, if you think we can do it and we're close,
I've seen it. I've seen us do it so many times that I have a lot of trust in you for that. >> I think uh Dr. Pulver's cautiously optimistic uh assessment is right on
target. We are close enough on both the scope and design at this particular phase that I'm confident that as we work forward in the next phase with additional engineering and coordination
with whatever builder the district selects that we can meet the target. So, I'm I'm really bullish on the idea that we can deliver a new PAC that meets both
the programmatic needs and the targeted budget as outlined by Dr. Pulver. >> Mr. Bragman, did you have something to add? >> I I don't know if it's something to add. I mean, I think for for me, I mean, because I know people are kind of just going through the through the motions of
kind of sharing a little bit. I I I also will support the construction of the new pack. I do think though we need to really be aware of the needs that are aligned with the things we're pulling money from. So, so things like the the athletic fields, I mean, I think as you said, they're unsafe, right? Like we have to we have to figure out a way to
rehab them as quick as we can. So, identifying funding for that kind of thing. The kitchen, these are just things that we have to find a way to make sure to do. We already know there's a strain on our athletic facilities. We know that the grass out there is unsafe. We know that the kitchen. So, I'm all in on on trying to make the packing happen. I think the onetime funds and if there
are other creative ways I mean it's like you said you you and I have talked outside of this if there are creative ways to ask the community to help out with funding the turf field and doing other things like let's go all in on that and so community members also fearing that too you want to have great athletic facilities and want to donate to new turf fields like we'll take whatever we can cuz I think these are
all priorities for us >> well west group brought to us that Pedro Pascal uh graduating from Los Altos High School now connection to him but maybe you know they said Dr. Dre sponsored the performing arts center in Compton. Yep. Uh now, uh so Pedro, if you're listening, uh
>> Matthew Morris, come back and show off your glee. >> But whatever it is, we just or Morrison, whatever his name is, we just need people to to donate. But but I I will say I'm as people are saying, I'm I'm in favor of moving forward. I think we can find a way. I just want to really put top of mind these other things have to
be priorities as well. And that's why I do want to say like even though we said why we think because we also agree that the fields something has to be it's they're they're not inhabitable and we need space and so we really don't look at as a compromise because we believe we're going to be getting you know north
of four to 5 million of one onetime dollars that could make that uh still have us move forward. Now what other needs do we have of onetime dollars? in the past technology needs. Um we already put $500,000 in our tech budget every year that um we've safety security.
We've uh security cameras, things of that sort. So there's always going to be we we'll have no problem finding a way to spend onetime dollars. Don't get me wrong, but I think at sometimes but can some of these things wait a year or two when more onetime dollars come so that we move forward because the further we
delay the construction escalation cost just grows um as well. And so Elia and her team is already also looking are there any slight little overlaps in the melouge payments because we have to pay the coops every year but maybe through some of that there might be 500,000 or
600,000 that will still guarantee we can pay the coops each year but still have some leftover that we can apply. So we're looking for all kinds of ways to squeeze, you know, 100,000 here, 500,000 here, etc. be because we're really diligent to be able to try to make this possible for this community.
>> And you you brought up another good point is that we do know that the Lamson project is going forward. It I mean it does not seem to be stopping and that would um we would also um be recipient
of developer fees as that project goes forward as well. And so there are things that we are not um adding in because they are like to your point Mrs. Partisani they are not they are a potential they are they're going to
happen there. I don't I feel that I know staff well enough to know that when you put down that as a potential that that that that's more than a potential. I mean you you said the three for three million for the career tech I mean for
the theater tech we already have approval for 1.5. So it's just saying now we're going to re we're going to build new we're not going to remodel >> to be clear it will have to be a new application because we and now wouldn't be modernizing we would be doing new but if we've if they've already said yes to
us that we meet all the requirements we would be able to um we're very successful in getting that that approved as well. >> So Mr. Mr. Bragman, you said to move forward. Mr. Forham, >> Mrs. Davidson, forward. Mrs. Partisani,
>> I I like to just add to what I um what I was just talking about earlier. So, I I do think that um you know, it's not a matter of trust. I trust you. I trust the staff. I love the creativity where we can pull, you know, different funding. I think it really comes down to
like the hard dollars and looking at um the projected financial plan that I'm looking at in front of me of a project that started as a modernization and became a new build. There was, you know, again, kind of going back and really
looking at hard numbers, you know, $15 million became a $35 million project. and we can be very creative to try to find that um delta of about $20 million. And I see everything that you're saying
and I'm really hopeful because again I would love to see that on our campus. It's just you know and I just Mr. Bragman right now said but you know field renovations and the kitchen renovation is really important. So I really want to make sure we also do that. Well that's the $4 million that we
were thinking of reallocating. So, if we're going to keep that as one of our priorities, that really I I just feel like the remaining funding gap, the math is just is a hard one to swallow. Um, so I, you know, in terms of giving you
direction, I feel like I would I would like to have more um final and fi and actual dollars in in front of us that are not just potential that we're hoping. I would like to see that some of
those things that we are going to re um submit and and that we assume that we're going to have comes our way before I can say, you know, that yes, let's go for it. So, I guess at this point, one of the options that you provided me, I
don't know if my um my vote really fits in. I think it would be more about like get more information, make sure we really understand how much of a gap it exists before we can kind of greenlight a project in an environment where, you know, enrollment is down. State funding
is not something that we can really guarantee. We don't know how much we're getting. We know that we are sort of in this tug-of-war of tightening our belts, but yet wanting to make sure that we um modernize our facilities. And I feel like again kind of going back as a
trustee when I one of my main responsibilities is to be fiduciary responsible. I just want to make sure I have all the information given that I was just received this last night and we're just reviewing it today. >> So a few things I just want to be able to respond to. So, when we first talked
about the PAC, um I I know because we've said, well, it started off as uh 4 million, 5 million, 8 million, 12, we that was just whatever leftover dollars we had from all of our other projects. We were ne we never said that that was the the amount sufficient to modernize
or um modernize that facility. It was just the way that the the projects got laid out is well, here's the leftover dollars. So, what can we do with $2 million? what can we do with four million etc. And I think so our our of the 4A our arts group have really felt as though that they've been kind of like
the back seat to a lot of the other other aspects. So I I share that because I think sometimes I think well we thought we could do this. We really never thought it was possible to do anything for $5 million but that's all we had and we knew we had to do something. Um and so we've been working
really diligently to to make that possible. Um, unfortunately the other part of your your your question, I want to make it very clear. We're not saying not doing the kitchen renovation. What we're now saying is we just got guidance from the state is that we will be able
to use the kitchen uh fund dollars to be able to do that project. So now the facility dollars that we were reserving for the LHS kitchen of one and a half will just be able to be spent fully by by by the kitchen dollars. So that project will continue to move forward.
In fact, Westgroup will probably help us with that um as as well as as we continue to explore that. Uh the field renovation, we believe to use some of the onetime dollars. What you won't have, and that and that's going to be your conundrum as as the board is we won't have this information. This is a
hope and a prayer and and a and a and a true uh if uh experience from what we've done in the past because the seismic mitigation dollars we won't find out until we when when we did the STEM building and we said it was 3 million. Um we you can't even file for it if I
understand until it's built until it's destroyed. Um and so that could be four years from now. Um so I won't be able to give you that information that this board needs to be able to count on the 5.3. But we have a great track record of where we knew that was this project and
it was we were told three million and we ended up getting 4 point something. Um so we actually grew from that. For the CTE u we will be applying we have to reallocate and and apply for the CTE. The sports medicine I believe we have we will be turning that in June 30th of
this year. The technical theater won't be until it's a two-part process. So one part's due in December and then the following years. But really in reality it won't be officially all the way through. through its through its phase until June of next year. So, you won't
have that information um to help you. I want to remind you though, we did receive other CTE dollars when we've applied for the grant and we've gotten it. So, so far, every CTE construction grant we've applied for, we received
except um the sports medicine on the STEM building because we really didn't have a great dedicated space for it. um the the gymnasium and the weight room certainly seems to be um that. So I I I won't be able to give you that
information until 3 years from now unfortunately. >> So it just to kind of put a button on it. So just um so if your question is am I for the you know getting a new PAC and and you know working through all the
different funding avenues that we have to try to make it happen. Um yes uh by all means but seeing those funding I feel like it's almost like a like you I think you just said to quote you a hope and a prayer. Um, and you know, the
answer can be yes, but then of course, you know, the dollars need to follow in order for us to be able to fulfill our duties to the vendor that's sitting right there. >> Yeah. And and I I would should probably have said it a little bit better than a hope and a prayer because we have some really good strong experience that has given us sol and people who have done
this before that have given us really solid recommendations and a great track record where we've been successful. But of course, I think no matter what has to be if when when all this is said and done, we will still always have to leave that little second um in inlet of if
when we get a GMP and it's just too cost prohibitive. It was much bigger than what we thought, etc. that we would have to come back to. But I would want you all to know now that if we do that, that means we are and it's just going to be the cost of doing business. You would pay an architect twice to design a PAC
that we couldn't build. um and then design a modernization of our current PAC. I don't think that will happen. I'm extremely confident that we can make this happen. Again, as I shared, even the 2.8 in design contingency, I don't think will be needed to that extent. So,
um we're very optimistic with some of the areas that we have and using one-time dollars that come in over the next year or two to make this um possible. >> Mrs. Mr. David, so I just want to get I want to make sure that I'm clear and I know you want to say something, Mrs.
Davidson, but Mrs. Partzani, do do you want are you saying that we can give direction toward to um in your opinion uh for your vote to Dr. Pulver to move forward with looking at the construction
of this new PAC and and continue farther down the road? It sounds like the uh that's the path regardless of which of these options we choose. That's the path we're going. We're going forward to see if what type
of funding we're going to make be able to gather to be able to fulfill either a new PAC or an existing PAC. The work and the um the the looking into the different funding is going to happen regardless. I >> Well, your other option is to stop. We
were said we were going to spend three months to study this and we we can't do it uh or it's too many unknowns and so we should just take the 14 million that we have allocated and not duplicate dollars and just tell Westgroup to modernize the current PAC. That's not
our recommendation but that is another option that the board could do. Um if you don't do that then it you still have that option. And it just means that we have our eyes wide open that we could be spending other dollars um down the road to architect fees etc.
>> So So I still am not clear. >> Yes. Yes. >> Yes. Move forward and to explore and see if you get the funding for a new PAC. I think if the answer be you know becomes >> it's not we're not going to know. I
think this is where where the disconnect is for me understanding your direction. We're not going to know where the funding is. We're going to move forward with looking at a new PAC if that comes back after we and correct me if I'm
wrong, please. Um but after we get really a um cost estimates from a contractor and we say, you know, we've been working the last 6 months, we're not thinking we uh maybe they've taken
away the seismic mitigation dollars or we got rejected for this or something like that happens. Then at that point, that's when we're not that's when we would not move forward. What we're what we are saying right now is and what I
believe Dr. Pulver is asking for is are we going to move forward with plans to to get them to a point that we can start getting bids on what a new PAC would cost from a contractor. And at that
point in time um we'll have a better idea of where these funds are. But we won't, as he said, we'll we'll not have the seismic mitigation. >> We will not know. That's why I want to be really clear. If if if we kept moving forward and we were building in October,
we would have a GMP probably when Edwin um uh West Group. So >> yes, before DSA approval, we can have >> Right. >> So that would go to DSA when if we were
to just keep going forward. >> So it would go to DSA in October, they'd have probably six months of review maybe or so. So why it's by October, we would probably October, November, December, we'd probably have a GMP. But by
December, we won't have a an affirmative on um one of the CTE grants, and we won't have an affirmative on the big 5.3 seismic mitigation dollars because we didn't get the affirmative until after it's built and and and destroyed. Again,
we have a very good track record. We if information changed, suddenly the state said, "We're no longer doing seismic mitigation." We'd have that information. But those answers won't even be known when we would have to move forward with the project. So, um, but we have a great
confidence and track record of what's possible, but there's going to be I think this is going to be the dilemma. Are we comfortable with not 100% and yet taking that risk for our students in the community, but it there is a small >> that's what I just want to really want
to make sure I know. >> And conversely, just so you said, we won't know. What will we know by then? Do you have a good idea >> um about that? >> Well, we will we will have a firmer number of the actual hard cost. And once we have the hard cost, we can calculate
the soft cost. And even still, typically if we we use a 25% soft cost. Is that the percentage we use, Tim? 25% right now. >> I actually think we'll get it down to at least if it's been similar to our other projects, 20%. But you never know with our soil conditions and things of that
sort. So you would have to build um so we would at least know that. So now maybe that what we thought was a gap of 4 million, maybe it's only a gap of 2 million. We'll know by then. By June we'll know the onetime dollars from the from the governor or from the from from the state. Um uh what else would we
know? Um I think it would be that >> if I may approve one disqualified >> right so west group part of the study over the last three months is would we
even qualify meet the requirements so we met phase one requirement for seismic mitigation which is a great sign I mean if we didn't pass that they wouldn't they probably would not have even perfor for uh uh gone forward with the design um aspect. So, thank you for that. That's an important piece I forgot to
mention. >> So, just to clarify, so a yes vote will get us through to June or October by the time where we have a lot more information of our hard costs, soft costs, um the one-time funds that we
would get, perhaps the CTE um grant. So, it sounds like we would have >> one of the CT No, I'm sorry. by October, neither CTE will will know because we'll file the CTE sports medicine, I think it is, um, June of this year. >> Uh,
good news is we already earned it for modernization. We haven't applied for it for new construction. So, I think that's a good >> I think maybe the way we look at this >> is that what we're approving tonight is basically the cost for Westgroup to go
forward and to get us to a place where we are able to then get construction bids. And so, we're not we're not approving construction, we're approving that. And what Dr. Pulver is saying is
if we get to that point and now it's $40 million and we don't see how we can do that now that money we're not going to get back and now we're going to have to pivot and go in a different direction and that's money that we will have spent not doing a project. So I think if we
clarify it that way do are you comfortable with that? >> Absolutely. That's a really good way of putting it. Absolutely. Two thumbs up. That makes more sense to me. Um, given that this is just a feasibility study, given that there is a delta, given that,
you know, we don't have those hard costs yet, we haven't gone out to a builder. I think that if this is a yes vote, go get that information to us so we can make more of an informed decision. Absolutely. >> Okay, great. Mrs. Davidson, was there something you wanted to share?
>> I just quickly I need we need new microphones. >> Small cost. >> Why not in the budget? Uh, so I really appreciate what Mrs. Partisani a asked. I mean, we are responsible for for the
budget, but I also was waiting and and she always runs everything so smoothly to hear what Mrs. Hill said because of her background a as the chairperson as in the over on the oversight committee and having been involved in a lot of buildings uh construction that we've
done. I was waiting to hear what you said and I thought it was it was very uh powerful in terms of looking back. We were we had to make a leap of faith to put the third story on and we made a leap of
faith to not build a gym that was a practice gym. Yeah. >> And I can't even imagine now the idea of a practice gym. It would have been shortsighted for the future. Um we have a great partnership with Westgroup. you you have are incredibly professional,
responsible, and innovative. So, I think that rather than I don't think of this at all as a gamble. I think it's it's an educated um decision to move forward based on on past experience, trust, and and and
present outcomes with our three-story building and our gym. And so, I I'm very much in favor of moving forward. >> We're moving forward. >> Great. So, I just want to be real uh lastly clear is there will still be what we will fully manage, but there will be
some heavy complications that uh our business team continues to take a look at is from a cash flow because you no longer have bond sales to be able to suddenly get all the dollars to be able to fund the bills as they come in. Many of these um grants won't come in until after the project. So we will be able to
do some inner fund borrowing from within our um investments and other uh areas of our budget that then when the money comes back we'll be able to we will manage that even if we have to go take a small a loan out. Um I don't think that that's going to be required but from a cash flow standpoint that's going to be
probably the next um hurdle that we will manage um and we will manage it effectively. I'm not even worried about it. >> We will. Okay. Thank you very much. Thank you very much for your presentation and your vision. Um, as I said, these are things that we did not
think were even possible. Um, and you're helping us get there. So, all right, Mrs. Reid, we are on to you. Let's talk talk about coursework. >> Good night. Thank you. >> Thank you, President Hill. Where we're going to really shift focus from
building to some teaching and learning this evening. So, I want to come back with some outside coursework um policy recommendations. As you know, I gave a workshop at the March 10th board of education meeting where I outlined a lot of the committee work that the outside
coursework committee had completed as well as presented a two-phase plan. And so, I wanted to start this evening with a slight recap um for people who are tuning in for the first time. But in March, the board received an initial report about the committee work which really convened to examine how outside
coursework is approved, monitored, and really apply applied towards graduation credit here for our Griffins. And so the committee engaged in a structure review process that really included an analysis of current policies, a review of comparable policies across the county, an examination of student participation
trends and sk scheduling patterns because those really are uh a big component of us outlining this as well as considerations of transcript integrity, GPA implications, and any program impacts that could come. And so the key findings from this work really included that we once again had a
growing number of students that were um completing outside coursework for acceleration and flexibility, particularly still in those social science classes that nearly half of the juniors enrolled at the high school were only enrolled in a five period day. So this did raise some questions about overall academic engagement and
alignment with our our district um board uh visions and goals. Um, our current board policy really lacked some clear guards, so it had no unit cap and some of our practices were really inconsistent and needed to be put into a policy measure. And then when we looked at comparable districts, um, they did
typically define limits as well as the majority of comprehensive of high schools had students through junior year enrolled in a full school day or six periods. And so through the analysis, the committee really centered its work on balancing three core priorities.
student opportunity. So really making sure our kiddos have that flexibility, access and ability to accelerate their schedules, program integrity. So what is the rigor of our um transcript as well as the value of our diploma? And then program sustainability. So as we look at students taking courses offsite and
building those guard wells, what is staffing, course availability, and then enrollment stability look like as we build that into the master schedule. And so at the March workshop, we really introduced a two-phase approach. Phase one was the foundational updates to board policy 6146.1
um which is on the agenda tonight as a second reading. And then phase two was the development of a comprehensive policy and administrative regulation to bring clarity, consistency, and transparency to the details in that outside coursework. So tonight we have a
second reading of phase one of the plan. And so I do want to bring some attention. Um, anything with a striketh through was is removed language from the first reading on March 10th. Anything underlined is new language from the first reading on March 10th. And
anything underlined and highlighted is a revision for the second reading. So something added on. And that was due to getting some feedback from the board while we were presenting. And so it was intentional to leave some of that information to provide opportunity for the board to discuss and then come back
with those revisions for the second reading. And so um the revision really is that um the sixth day would not start until the class of 2029 so that current sophomores would not be impacted by the full school day. It would be our current
freshman class moving up. And I also added a line in there in accordance with board policy administrative regulation 6146.11. That would be the new policy so that it would make sure that parents or students directed themselves to the guard rails
and the explanations if they were just looking at our big policy on high school graduation credits. And so this is coming forward with the revisions that are highlighted tonight um for action as a second reading. Phase two, which is on the board docket tonight as a first
reading, is that big comprehensive policy that we talked about um last meeting. And so the new policy is 6146.11 alternative credits towards graduation. And the purpose of this policy really to is to establish the expectations and
guards for outside coursework that are applied towards graduation credit. And it really helps ensure those priorities, the academic integrity, the rig rigor, as well as the equity because we know that we had practices in place before that weren't potentially being used equitably student for student. And so by
putting it into a policy, we can assure that every student's transcript and diploma are treated the same. And so key policy commitments that are embedded in this are that outside coursework is supplemental and that it must align with district graduation expectations in case in the future uh graduation expectations
change as we have seen them change just in these last few years with the new supplement of the personal finance. So as those happen this automatically gets encumbered. Students may not concurrently be enrolled in two comprehensive high schools for graduation credit. So, under ed code, students aren't allowed to be enrolled
in two comprehensive um schools at the same time that are public funded. And so, that's why it's in the summertime we see our students when they're not technically enrolled with us um logging into and signing on to um free courses,
for example, um Pacific Coast High School or Access. And so they're not going to be concurrently enrolled, meaning they're taking that class while they're enrolled in their fall classes or spring classes here at Los Alamos High School. That the coursework must be preapproved um aligned and was
accredited. We can't assign high school graduation credit here in the state of California if a class isn't accredited and that it needs to be aligned to AG and NCAA requirements as applicable. And then we would establish those clear guard rails. So a maximum of 40 total
units of outside coursework towards graduation. That's the maximum we'd be allowing on a diploma. District retains final authority on credit accepting sorry acceptance and application. And that the district funded summer courses
known as Griffin connections currently, but I didn't name it there in case names change. Um would be prioritized for students who are enrolled in a sixth period day the following school year. So, this wouldn't mean that a student who was in a five period day their
senior year, sorry, who took a summer class, um, their rising senior summer wouldn't be forced to a full sixth period day by taking that course. However, because the purpose of Griffin Connections was to alleviate students who had an impacted schedule, we would
be prioritizing our free class first to those students who would be enrolling in a full school day the next school year. That doesn't mean that students couldn't enroll in an outside provider. Um, but the purpose of Griffin Connections really was our vision of the 4As and this ability to create flexibility in
the schedule for students who were so impacted that they couldn't fit their day in six periods. So, keeping our summer funded options as a priority. Now, should they not fill with students who are going to take a six pray day, then we would open it up, but that would be our our first priority to our
families and that that equity and access commitment. So that it requires clear communication and consistent implementation across all student groups so that we're clearly communicating with families. It's posted and that it ensures all students have equitable access to opportunities and expectations.
>> Thank you, Mrs. Reid. Mrs. Reid, can you help explain the maximum of 40 total units of outside coursework toward graduation? Um how many courses does that come to? >> Four. >> So four. So, you're during your four um
you know high school years, you're allowed four courses to be taken outside. >> Yes, ma'am. >> And what if you decide to do six? Does it it can show up on your transcript, but it doesn't count towards graduation or you don't even accept it as part of the transcript? >> We would not be accepting it as part of
graduation credits. >> So, um graduation sometimes there's two really things that could happen. Sometimes students take more classes than needed for graduation. that happens now and we don't place them on our transcript. Students are always able to take additional coursework and submit that transcript separate from ours when
they're applying to universities. What we're saying is that four core courses that are needing needed to get a high school diploma, we're not going to take more than four from an outside agency. And then we're not going to put more than 40 on your transcript. >> But that doesn't mean you can't submit
additional. 40 would be our guard rail and the 220 we require for a high school graduation diploma. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Additionally, uh the regulation would include more details. So, as a reminder, the community the policy is the big vision and the regulation has some some
u more specific to-dos about how we're going to execute things. And so, the coursework must include instruction, assessment, and documented completion. So, as we're approving those, that will be part of the process we're looking for align to district course standards and graduation requirements. we're not going to be able to take a course that doesn't align to a graduation requirement we
have and still count it as a graduation requirement. That credit's awarded based on district equivalency. So, this is something we run in a lot. And our transcripts, we do full credit. We don't offer partial credit. So, we're also not going to accept partial credit from an outside organization. So, if you only
completed half of semester 1 of world history, we're not taking any of it. you would have to complete the entire semester for us to be able to put because we log credits by semester. Five units a semester, 10 units total for a course. So, we won't be taking in partial credits that you can't duplicate
previously completed courses. So, just to rack up additional um units. We're not going to put a duplicate course on your transcript. That recorded on the transcript is only up to 40 units. and that we won't be um waiting your GPA
based on outside coursework that is completed. Outside coursework cannot be used to reduce enrollment below minimum requirements. So, should you take a course over your rising senior summer, you'll still be required to be enrolled in five periods as a senior. That will
reduce your required enrollment to four periods. Conversely, so for a freshman, sophomore, or junior, if they took a summer class, they'd still be required to be enrolled in a full school day. Taking a summer class doesn't reduce our minimum requirements uh below
enrollment. And so, clear communication of timelines and procedures to families. That's something we've heard ongoingly is a mixed message. So, the administrative regulation really puts that on us to make sure families have this information accurately. Ongoing monitoring, usage, and compliance that we're relooking at our systems
ongoingly. That was part of what the committee talked about. Things are moving so fastly in this world of online schooling and the way that kids are trying to be creative to create a rigorous transcript for um admissions to universities that we want to come back and relook at this and make sure that
our policies aren't outdated and that they're still serving our community and our in our interest. And then alignment with graduation policy, grading practices, and student records. So the same practices that exist in other board policies and administrative regulations when it comes to courses and grading
will apply here in this setting as well. And so wanted to just really give a refresh about the two things that were on the agenda tonight. A second reading of um 6146 and a first reading of 6146.11.
>> And may I ask a question? And Mrs. read. So I I I really appreciate and if you don't mind just to refresh our memory of um the work that has gone into in you know proposing this uh 6 day for 9
through 11 and five period day for seniors if you don't mind just resharing that. So, um, as I shared in at the March 10th board workshop, that really wasn't the, um, point or even a goal or really even an area that the committee
was looking to investigate. when we started to look at the rising number of students again that were taking outside coursework but still unfulfilled sections and it not making sense where students were and the number of sections we were offering based on who's taking
courses offsite and looking at the master schedule. We started looking a little bit more broadly as to where our students and how dissections account at the high school. That was when we noticed many other districts because we were looking at comparable policies
required their students to be enrolled in a full school day up through junior year. That started to become a question of ours. And so we started running the data and looking at the trends of the number of students that we have enrolled that start to access a five period day.
So reduced schedule beginning junior year instead of beginning senior year. And I think we were all pretty amazed. I I was really surprised that we had 50% of our students junior year not engaged in a full school day with us. So
that started to really make a lot more sense at were I mean think if you have 790 in a graduating class if you take half of that you're looking at you know 350ish uh students not enrolled in a section somewhere junior year. So that was also
contributing to the decline in sections, not just the increase in outside coursework. And so that's how it became part of the story. We then reached out to every Orange County high school, so any district that has a comprehensive
high school, and found out that we were really one of only five districts in the county that didn't require students to be engaged in a full school day six periods through junior year. And so last workshop we really went through each of those districts and looked at the
parallels between what our expectations um and that really kind of aligns to that commitment to the value of our diploma as well as the rigor of a transcript when we're looking at this. And so although we came to look at outside coursework, part of what emerged from the data was a different story
about a large section of our junior class that is not engaged in a full school day. So that became part of the work um at hand for the committee. Yeah, thank you. >> Thank you very much, Mrs. Reid. And we will look for those policies and towards
you as we move forward. Um, so our uh last presentation is the quarterly report on the Williams Williams uniform complaints and Dr. Reese Wright Thank you, Madam President. My
presentation is very brief. We have no report we have no Williams complaints to report from the last quarter. >> You are my favorite presenter tonight. >> All right. Thank you very much. All right. We're going to move on to consent items. So, we have several polls. So I
am going to look for a motion for consent items 10 A through E G through L or I L >> um Q through >> A O >> AO >> so moved
>> second >> moved and seconded. All those in favor >> I opposed passes 5. We will now I will now look for a motion for item 10F. >> Second
>> discussion. >> Yes. I I pulled that item. It's approval of an overnight extended field trip for three L high school song and cheer students to attend team up for St. Jude in Memphis. And it's part of a
partnership with the song and cheer program and St. Judes, it has gone on for a very long time and it's got such tremendous heart and it's involved the whole community, but there's a person sitting here who knows who can tell the story much better. So, Mrs. Reed, would you explain about it? Thank you so much,
uh, Mrs. Davidson. So, our song and cheer program has held um a song and cheer clinic in the community for close to 30 years where um the ladies of the program invite other students and from really preschool through 8th grade to join them on the field and through a
week of practices. And so, although that's been going on for 30 years, when we when I started looking at this, they've only partnered with St. Jude for about eight years. So about eight years ago, the partnership grew and in that time the song into your families have
raised over $50,000 for St. Jude and out of the last 5 years that St. Jude has been running a national campaign for schools to raise money for them. Our high school has been the top donor for three of the last five
years. And so it really is a a huge >> absolutely >> a huge uh commitment of the families in our community as well as coach Ramirez um and her coaching staff and the ladies that come through those teams that um
they host over 250 um students PK through 8 on the field and after school that week. And so I think it's really just a great thing that our community is now known for and such a way to positively impact both the students that participate and the community around us. So three young ladies and coach Ramirez will be
traveling to the headquarters of St. Jude for the third they've won three times but the first time was in 2020. So they didn't get to visit. So this will be the second time they've got to visit at the national headquarters and receive the recognition of being the the high school that's raised the most and dented
that kind of big vision for them. Thank you so much. >> It also teaches philanthropy which is so important. So thank you so much. So I had a first a second. We've had discussion. All those in favor
>> I opposed passes. 5. The next one I am looking at is I want um I'd like a motion for 10 M. >> Second >> discussion. I had asked for this one to be pulled just in recognition of the work that we
do around professional development, specifically around the key shifts that are happening in the California math framework. Um, and Mrs. Reid, if you'd like to comment on that, it's a little touchy tonight. Thank you so much, Mrs. Partisani. We've really
been focused as a K12 organization this year and really examining the instructional shifts and the framework. So I think our community is probably really aware of mathematical standards. And so when we talk about standards, that's the actual what that students are learning in the classroom. But the framework is a larger document that
really outlines the pedagogy or the how we're going to achieve those standards. And so every about seven years, the California Department of Ed um brings together a group of professionals to rewrite the framework and look at the standards to make sure we're still meeting the needs of a diverse
California student population. And so there was quite a shift in the mathematical framework. And so prior to us going into an adoption because new standards and framework always indicate new textbooks on the horizon, we really wanted to pause and make sure that our teachers were educated on the
instructional shifts of the framework. So already this school year, we have engaged our K5 teachers that will be piloting curriculum in a full day of learning on the shift of these standards. And then upcoming we have a day for 612 teachers, all 612 math teachers to really engage and understand
the why of how we teach mathematics and then how that why is aligned to the what and where we're going when we look at a year's scope and sequence. So we're really excited about it. I think it's also a really great time just to calibrate conversations with teachers about the practices we have in our classroom and how instructional design
can really meet the needs of all learners in the classroom. >> Yes, thank you so much. And I wanted to highlight that because I think it shows our commitment through professional development and really helping our teachers um you know learn the new methodology in a p practical way. Thank you. >> Absolutely.
>> All those in favor >> I >> um now looking for a motion for 10N. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Discussion. >> Yes. So the the next few I asked to pull again really with the um under the
notion that I think that these are some really important investments that we as a district are making and I just wanted to highlight this one specifically focuses on business and entrepreneurship pathway and um if you don't mind talking about that. >> Absolutely Mrs. Pisani. So the K12
strong workforce grant really is going to help the high school launch their new CTE business and entrepreneurship pathway next school year. This grant also supports teacher professional learning, curriculum development, and the materials that we need to start up this program. Um, it also gives us a
dedicated workbased learning technician who will support the CCT CTE team through the county team um that really helps build the community business partnerships that are going to be integral to the level two and capstone um classes for our kids. And so we're
really hoping it's a way to build um an engaging focus on industry adviserss as well as coordinating workspace learning entre um opportunities for students who engage in the new business pathway. >> Love it. Thank you. >> All those in favor?
>> I looking for a motion for uh 100. >> I'll second discussion. >> Yes. Um so as as we talked about at the AI task force that's underway, one of
the great things about it is that um they are looking at various tools to help teachers perform and and utilize this new um technology in the best possible way. And so I what I wanted to do is really highlight this is an approval for um a tool. It's a AI
teaching and learning um tool and I I believe let me see if I unders okay is to pilot the magic school and select classrooms and um again it kind of goes back to what I was saying as part of my board comments that I I love that we're learning we are piloting and then we're
refining before we scale. So that's just um such a great way instead of just jumping on the you know the first technology tool that we see. So, if you have anything you'd like to add to that, I'd love to hear it. >> Absolutely. So, first of all, I want to give a big thank you to Dr. Daniel
Bennett. So, Dr. Bennett, um, our educational technology coordinator, has really been leading this work, and he really is so mindful and thoughtful about the process, not only from an instructional lens, but also its impact on classroom teachers and its pervasiveness of what it might look like
um, for a student both at school and in the home environment. because I think there are other concerns when we talk about AI that families may have about the way students learn. And so um they are using Magic Schoolhouse at the the in 4 through 12 as well as on tonight's agenda there's P which is also looking
at Scholastic AI as another um modality and kind of getting just like you said this opportunity for a smaller group of teachers who are part of the task force try this in their classroom pose questions take it to their teams to look to see how can this fit for us? Is this
something we're ready to do? Is this something maybe we want to branch out now to a larger group of teachers and get more feedback before we really jump into something that's large scale that could potentially have a great impact in the way that students interact with the world around them and become useful
learners because I think that's a new term that we're really trying to how do you associate useful learning when we talk about all this emerging technology because we still want to make sure at the core of what we do that students have an academic struggle and understand how to research and have those practical
foundations. I think that our public education and in particular Los Altos that we're known for. So what is the marriage and blend of that? >> Love it. Thank you. >> All those in favor >> I opposed and 10p will be our last
consent item. >> So move. >> Well, we still need a vote on it. We still need a >> move. So move >> second. So we don't need any discussion. Okay. All those in favor? >> I. >> Great. Um so now we'll move to action items.
Action item 11A and um these are resolutions for our um our employees. And I've asked um different board members to me to read um to read our resolutions. So we're going
to start with 11A. Do I have a motion? >> Second. >> And Chris, would you please read that? >> Yes. Tonight, we proudly shine a light on the incredible contributions of our classified professionals, the dedicated individuals, individuals whose work
often happens behind the scenes, but whose impact is felt in every classroom, hallway, and off school office. From keeping our campuses clean and safe to making sure students get to school, have meals to eat, access to technology, and
receive the support they need. Our classified staff are truly the backbone of our district. They are the quiet heroes who show up early, stay late, and do their work with care, pride, and a deep commitment to our students and
staff. In sincere appreciation for all they do, the board of education proclaims May 17th through the 23rd, 2026 as classified school employee week in Los Alamos Unified School District.
We are so very grateful for the heart and hard work they bring to our schools every single day. >> Thank you very much. All those in favor? Roll call. >> Mrs. Pisani. >> I. >> Mrs. Davidson. >> I. >> Mrs. Hill. >> I. >> Mr. Fhan. >> I.
>> Mr. Braggman. >> I. >> Wonderful. Uh, so I'll look for a motion for 11B. >> So move. >> Second. >> And Mrs. Davidson, would you read that, please? >> California Day of the Teacher. Tonight we have a moment to honor the teach the
teachers who make such a profound difference in our lives and in the lives of their students. As a former teacher, I know how much heart, effort, and love goes into every lesson, every conversation, and every quiet moment of encouragement. Teachers are ones who
shape futures, spark curiosity, and believe in students even when they may not yet believe in themselves. Their impact reaches far beyond the classroom. It's in the confidence they build, the passions they help ignite, and the hope they instill for what's possible. On
behalf of the board of education, we proudly proclaim May 13, 2026 as California Day of the Teacher in the Los Alamus Unified School District. We are forever grateful for the dedication, passion, and selflessness that our
teachers show each day and the lasting legacy they create in the hearts and the minds of our students. Beautiful. Roll call. Mrs. Dangelo. >> Mrs. Pisani. Proudly I. Mrs. Davidson. >> Hi. >> Mrs. Hill. >> I. >> Mr. Fhan. >> Hi. >> Mr. Bragman.
>> I. >> Fabulous. Passes. 5-0. Um, next is 11C and Mrs. Partzani. >> A motion. >> So moved. >> Thank you. >> Second. >> Thank you. Now, Mrs. Partisani. Thank you.
>> Okay. Thank you. Well, tonight we recognize the incredible leadership and dedication of our school administrators. From principles and assistant principles to instructional leaders, business officials, and classified administrators, these professionals
ensure student success by supporting teachers, managing school operations, and creating safe, inclusive learning environments. Their work impacts every aspect of our schools, helping to shape the future of education in our district.
In appreciation of their dedication, the board of education proclaims May 1st, 2026 as the day of the school administrator. We thank our administrators for their leadership, their hard work, and unwavering commitment to our students,
staff, and community. >> Thank you very much. Roll call. Mrs. Dingelo, >> Mrs. Pisani, >> I >> Mrs. Davidson, >> hi. >> Mrs. Hill, >> I >> Mr. Forhan, >> hi. >> Mr. Bragman, >> I >> fabulous. Um, we are now on to 11D,
which is the second reading and approval of revised board policy 6146.1. Um, Mrs. Reid, thank you so much, President Hill. Bringing forward the board policy with the amendments as described earlier, inserting the
language that the full school day begins with the class of 2030. In addition to adding an annotation that additional information is available at board policy 6146.11, alternative credits towards graduation. Do I have a motion?
>> I have a second. >> I'll second. >> Any discussion? All those in favor? I opposed passes 5-0. Um the next is action 11 um E and
it's the first reading of approval of board policy 40 614611 and Mrs. Reid. >> Thank you so much President Hill. As described earlier tonight, this is phase two of our committee work and so we're
bringing forward for a first reading the details on how the 40 units allowable under board policy 6146 would operate as well as information as to how those guard wells pertain to students and families.
Thank you. Do I have a motion >> and a second? >> All those in favor or any discussion? I'm sorry cuz it is the first reading of a policy. No discussion. Okay. All those in favor? >> I I passes 50. Uh we are now moving on
to 11F and Dr. Reese Wright. >> If the board wanted they could probably consider taking F and G together for uh time sake when when the motion comes up. >> Great. Thank you, Madam President. Okay. Um tonight we're bringing forward um the
tenative agreements between both of our bargaining units with CSEA and LAA. Um we're very fortunate to be in a district where we have really positive partnerships with our bargaining associations. Big shout out to our lead negotiator with LEA, Mrs. Lorie Avalos,
who is hung in here this whole time. Um her work as well as the work of Andy Macau with CSEA is really instrumental in us being able to reach these agreements. So tonight um we are asking for approval of the tenative agreements with LAUSD and CSEA chapter 324 that's
11F which uh would authorize an increase of 1.375% on salary schedule compensation retroactive to July 1st 2025 for all unit members >> and um do we want to take we want to take a motion to do F and G together and
>> great so G uh very similarly with LEA and lowal USD 1.375% on salary I will I will happily make the motion to approve FNG >> discussion >> just yes thank you very much and um uh
our partnership with our employees is it is what keeps our school district going and we are very very appreciative. Um all those in favor >> I opposed passes 5. Uh, now we're moving on to 11H
and um, Dr. Reese Wright. Okay, Dr. Reese Wright, why don't you just chat about them and then we'll decide. >> You got it. Um, so the the various salary schedules that are impacted by the 1.375% increase include the student supervision assistant salary schedule. their
employees that are not um represented by CSEA and so that salary schedule is taken separately as well as the um confidential supervisor and FMOT manager supervisory salary schedule and the counselor psychologist athletic director activities director and admin salary
schedule. >> Thank you very much. Do I have a motion for Hi NJ >> second? >> Second. >> Great. first and second. And once again, uh, our staff is exceptionally important
to us. And so all those in favor, >> I opposed passes 5-0. Fabulous. Um, we are now moving on to K, which is approval of our school calendars. And Dr. Reese Wright, >> yes. Um, every year we work with LAA um
to plan out um the school calendar for two years in advance. That's our commitment to our community. And so tonight we're bringing forward the 202829 school calendar with all of the major breaks that are listed for all of our schools and for Weaver separately.
>> Thank you. >> Second. >> Great. And that is something that we're negoti that is in negotiations. Correct. >> That is correct. Yes. >> Thank you. So all those in favor I I
>> Great. Now we're moving on to 11 um L adoption of retirement uh resolutions. Dr. Ree Wright. >> Yes, we're really excited. Um as you know, we passed a large retirement incentive last year that captured a lot of employees, but we do have nine
employees who will be retiring um with us this year that have submitted so far and so we are recommending um approval of that resolution. >> Wonderful. Do I have a motion? >> A second. Second. >> Any discussion? >> Roll call.
>> Mrs. Pani. >> I. >> Mrs. Davidson. >> I. >> Mrs. Hill. >> I. >> Mr. Forehand. >> Hi. >> Mr. Bragman. >> I. >> Dr. Pulver. Did you want to add something? >> I would just share that there are, you know, we we love our employees and there are some giants uh who are on that
retirement list. One of which who is in this room. And so she's been a teacher of the year and just uh in so many different ways. Um and that's true for so many of our employees. And so I just thought it would be lost if we didn't at least and we'll have an opportunity at our retirement uh district retirement
ceremony. But uh the work that our our staff do uh they give such service to public to the public and to this community and so I think we're just indebted to them. So I I wanted to take a brief moment to to recognize that. >> Can I second adding on to that cuz I
know I sit in Missos the other day. I introduced her to my daughter the other day and I said, "Oh my gosh, you have to have Miss and I didn't even think about that, but every student that's had her and these these wonderful staff are just so lucky and and it is I know we'll have a celebration of them in a couple weeks here at the district office. It was
really special last year with so many people. It'll be a smaller group, but it'll be really fun to just celebrate the retirees. >> Congratulations. >> Um, so we did a roll call, correct? We we and and we had perfect comment from Dr. Pver. So now we are going to move on
to the adoption of resolution 2025 through 2026 authorizing the Los Alamos Unified District to increase developer fees. Dr. Pver. >> So I shared much of this during the public uh hearing. Um uh so I don't need
to say much more but this basically will allow us to increase uh the developer fees by 21 cents uh for residential commercial residential development and by 3 cents to commercial. So it'll be 538 for residential and 87 cents per
square foot um because we met the needs of the study and then the increase can't increase again for another two years based upon the level set by the state. Do I have a motion? >> A second. >> I'll second.
>> Uh, this once again is a roll call. Mrs. Dingelo. >> Mrs. Pisani. >> I. >> Mrs. Davidson. >> Hi. >> Mrs. Hill. >> I. >> Mr. Forehand. >> Hi. >> Mr. Bragman. >> I. >> Fabulous. Okay. Moving on to 11N. This
is the adoption of resolution of the board of education um acting as the legislative body of the community facilities district um and it's related to the increasing of the levy of special taxes within the
community facilities. Dr. Fulver. >> Yes. So this is commonly referred to as the the meer. You might recall the meer does carve out leisure world. So um this is uh increasing the meerus tax annually by 4.75%
which is allowed. Um so per the dwelling unit the tax for 2627 will be $287.7. And the reason we really need to do this is back when the first uh measure um K was passed when we were able to do all
the modernizations of all eight schools and a little bit at the high school. The way we were able to maximize those projects is we actually had to borrow they're called certificates the participation um funds to be able to do the projects faster than the way the bond dollars could come through. So we
borrowed against the meeroos. So for us to be able to pay the those coops we have to increase the miller every year and we have done so since then by the allotted amount of 4 um 75.
>> Thank you very much. Do I have a motion? A second. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Mrs. Dingelo. >> Mrs. Pisani. >> I. >> Mrs. Davidson. >> Hi. >> Mrs. Hill. >> Hi. >> Mr. Forehand. >> Hi. >> Mr. B. >> I.
>> All right. We're moving on to 110, which is the adoption of resolution authorizing filing of the application for state allocation board administrative programs. Dr. Alber. >> Yes. I'm I'm fil I'm pen shedding for Mrs. uh Schneer tonight, but this
resolution acknowledges that the district is aware of the requirement for the five-year of a 5-year facility master plan in order for us to receive state funding. And when the district does not have a Prop 2 compliant 5-year master plan at this time, we will comply
with that requirement by the time state funds are released. And so, it's just acknowledging our um knowledge of that and ensuring that we will meet that requirement uh before the funds become available. >> Do I have a motion? So move >> second. >> Second >> discussion.
Seeing none. Roll call. Mrs. Gingelo. >> Mrs. Pisani. >> I. >> Mrs. Davidson. >> I. >> Mrs. Hill. >> I. >> Mr. Forhan. >> Hi. >> Mr. Bragman. >> I. >> All righty. Now we are moving on to the approval of warrants. Um, and I'm
looking for a motion for 11P. >> Second. >> Second. >> Thank you. 86 pages. This is the district's checkbook. Um, and we had 86 pages. I think that font is four, um, to
go through. So, um, I had a motion. I had a second. Um, all those in favor. >> I >> I >> opposed. Passes 5. We can pay our bills. Um, acceptance of donations, our very generous community.
Um, so we will uh we get an opportunity to thank many of the ones that participate um in our community, but I know there's even many more that are on here related to booster clubs and other things that um don't come through. So,
uh total for this period was over $27,000. Year to date is over 800 oh almost $846,000. Um, so, um, do I have a motion? >> And thank you. >> Second and thank you again.
>> All those in favor? >> I >> I >> I >> uh um our last items are our um 11 RS&T and I recommend that we take them all together and those are classified, certificated and administrative
personnel reports. And Dr. Reese Wright. >> Thank you, Madam President. Yes. We bring forward the three personnel reports reflecting changes since our last meeting and we recommend approval as submitted. >> Thank you, sir. Do I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Any discussion?
All those in favor? >> I opposed. Passes 5-0. Um I am now going to move us into closed session. And uh thank you Give her a cookie. Part: 2
Good evening, LOS AL. >> [applause] >> I WOULD ASK FOR a adoption of the agenda, please. >> So moved. Seconded. First and seconded, all those in favor? I. Opposed? Passes 5-0. We will now move
on to whatever Mrs. Dingillo tells me to. Yes. Okay. >> [laughter] >> Roll call. Mrs. Pattisoni. Here. Mrs. Davidson. Here. Mrs. Hill. Here. Mr. Poehan. Here. Mr. Bragman. Here. You can turn it Okay.
I was going to turn turn it over to Mrs. Reed. Okay. And but I will go ahead and I would like to introduce our principal from the high school, Mrs. Kraus. I'll let you take it away. Thank you.
>> [applause] >> Good evening, Board President Hill, esteemed members of the school board, and Superintendent Dr. Pulver, executive cabinet in the Los Alamitos High School, and our collective community. I'd like to start by welcoming Kensington Nelson to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.
>> [applause] >> Everybody, please stand. Place your right hand in front of your heart. Ready? Begin. 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, with liberty and justice for all. It gives me great pleasure to introduce our amazing Los Alamitos Choral Department. It has been another exceptionally successful competition season for them. With immense joy, I
would like to introduce our 2026 Grand National Champions, Sound Effects, to sing our national anthem, followed by our 2026 Grand National Champions, Sound Effects and Soundtracks and Sound Effects, singing their a cappella pieces from their award-winning competition
set, songs entitled Beauty in the World and Is Iscariot. YES. >> [applause] [cheering and applause] [clears throat] >> OH, SAY [singing] CAN you see by the dawn's early
light, what so proudly >> [music] >> we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and [singing] bright stars through the perilous fight,
o'er the ramparts we >> [singing] >> watched were so gallantly streaming? And the >> [singing] >> rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say [singing] does that star-spangled banner yet wave >> [music] >> o'er the
>> [music] >> land of the free and the >> [singing] >> home of the brave? >> [music] [applause] [laughter] >> Longing for the circus days to come.
Oh. Every woman's struggle was different eyes that [singing] glinted like a diamond lover she was then. And back then, there was beauty in the world. An angel
>> [singing and music] >> everlasting, now we stand. Now we stand. Among the greatest saints and he's strange with you. I see
it all again like you. >> [music] >> A glimpse of beauty A glimpse of beauty in the world. A glimpse [singing] of a flame yesterday. Yesterday. >> [music]
>> Yesterday. >> [music] >> Or to whom knew true beauty [singing] in the world. >> [music] [music] >> WOO! >> [applause] >> WOW! >> [applause] >> OH, WOW.
>> [clears throat] >> I KNEW THIS OF MYSELF. >> [music] >> THAT IF YOU HAD >> [music] >> thrown yourself [singing] down into >> [singing]
>> the light, my brother, [singing] >> [music] >> I follow you. So perhaps >> [music and singing] >> I lack some foresight, >> [singing] >> but I know you [singing] were so
bright. >> [music] >> That sure >> [singing] >> as the sun, >> [music] >> sun, >> [music] >> you can't trust >> [singing and music] >> anyone.
>> [singing] [music] >> That's what you want, but it's [singing] not [music] what you're asking for. I said, "That's what you had, but you don't >> [singing] >> have it anymore." You had it coming.
>> [singing and music] >> Coming, coming, coming. And >> [singing] >> I never imagined you there. But [singing] all I >> [music] >> knew was this chariot.
>> [singing and music] >> You were >> [cheering and applause] [applause] >> Hold on, guys. Mr. Forehand. Yes. Listen, I don't think Well, there's going to be there's an overflow room. We want them to hear. Oh, the overflow room. Hello. Okay, on behalf of the Board of Education, we know this doesn't
happen. And you guys have made us so proud. But really, where's Moana? COME ON, MOANA. >> [cheering] [cheering and applause] >> AND WHERE IS MATT? WHERE IS MATT? MATT. MATT.
>> [cheering] [applause] >> And where is Cara? Cara. >> [cheering and applause] >> On behalf of the Board of Education, you get our highest medal. >> [cheering] [cheering] [applause]
[cheering] [cheering and applause] >> We'll see you guys in about 15 more minutes and then we're going to honor you again. Great job, you guys. Well, I think we just heard the acoustics in this board room is is pretty incredible. Let's give it up ONE MORE TIME. >> [applause and cheering]
>> WELL, I'M NOT SURE THERE'S A MORE joyful way to be able to start our board meeting. We are really, really blessed to be celebrating all that is Los Alamitos today. And so,
um just got to figure out where I am. Okay. Oh, yes. Okay. Thank you. Thank you for giving me a moment to uh Um Mrs. Reed, did you want to say anything before um we turn it over to our esteemed principal? Thank you so
much, President Hill. Just wanted to welcome Mrs. Kraus and her team to the podium tonight. It's such an honor for us to be relieved this blessed with the presence of the Griffin community as our only high school in the district. We all take such pride and honor in watching our students matriculate from preschool
up through high school and seeing them at these culminating events, I think, is the reason why I know I became a teacher and why many of the people up here sit and do their work. So, just welcome and thank you for your leadership, Mrs. Kraus. Thank you. Um what a way to start.
I know I've heard those songs so many times and I still get goosebumps. So, what a great way to start. Um tonight, we are excited to share our year in review with all of you. Along with me presenting tonight, you'll hear from some of our administrators, as well as our directors, assistant principal Blake Highcock, Cara Vienna, and our direct
athletic and activities directors, Nate Burger and Lauren LaVache. Our school motto this year, Griffin's Rise, Make Your Mark, was wonderfully crafted by our ASB team to remind of us of our potential. We are a community, as we've seen already, that never stands still. We are
always looking for ways to evolve, innovate, so that we continue to shine in everything we do, from the classroom to the stage to the athletic field. Tonight, that spirit will be in full display as we honor over 260 students.
Ms. Dingel had lots of certificates to print. Um for this incredible achievement across the four A's. As uh we have journeyed through the 2025-2026 school year, we have continued to build a culture where every student understands their role in the bigger picture. We will continue our culture of
moving from the focus of me to the ongoing commitment to us, ensuring that every individual response makes the Griffin family stronger, more inclusive, and resilient. This year's I'm supposed to click, aren't I?
We'll get there. Uh this year's alignment for impact uh professional development focus was our professional development focus. Uh directly s- uh slow down. Directly supports the district's goal of passionately pursuing academic excellence. By showcasing
sessions such as the Box Method for visual learners or Notebook LM and Loom for digital resources, our high school is actively addressing our WASC area of focus regarding effective implementation of instructional technology and differentiated instruction. Furthermore,
the inclusion of sessions entitled uh Overwhelmed to Organize reflects our school and district's core value of care, prioritizing staff wellness and sustainable systems to ensure teachers can remain motivated and present for and present for their students. These
workshops are some examples that exemplify our commitment to providing a caring, respectful, and encouraging environment by equipping educators with tools to reduce burnout and enhance student engagement. The practical application of our district's vision and core values is
exemplified in the classroom setting. Through a focus of collaboration, common assessments, and scored discussion, Los Alamitos High School is executing a key district goal of using data-driven results to adjust curriculum and differentiate instruction. This collaborative approach aligns with
our WASC goal of developing systemic instruction to improve student outcomes across all student groups. The images you see of students engaged in group work and active discussion reflects the district's mission to foster critical and creative thinking. By emphasizing common assessments, our
school ensures equity and high standards fulfilling the core values of responsibility of holding all stakeholders accountable for meeting the needs of every student and ensuring they are prepared for college and career readiness. Something we have been very proud of
since 2021-2022 school year, we year after year, Los Alamitos has maintained a trajectory of consistent academic growth, characterized by a 95% success rate in first instruction. That means students are getting an A, B, and C in all of their classes at 95% first time,
effectively reducing us to a 5% D/F ratio in first time instruction. This achievement is particularly significant as we continue to drive excellence as a comprehensive high school without an alternative school. Recently, and just side note, these are harder measures the higher up we go, it's
harder and harder to go up if you're in education. And so, we're certainly proud we went up again recently with another 1% increase in our AP pass rate and a 2% boost in our A-G readiness. With over 80% of our students currently placing on
one of our honor rolls, these gains reflect the unwavering commitment in elevating college preparedness and student success year over year. >> [applause] >> What we're seeing here are our CAASPP in ELA and math and our CAASPP with a T
science scores from our juniors of last year. CAASPP may be newer for some of us. It's the California science test, and it's a state-mandated assessment for 11th graders that evaluate student mastery across life, physical, earth, and space sciences.
This assessment, formally integrated into our 2025 California School Dashboard, the CAASPP now serves as a primary accountability indicator for science proficiency alongside English and math metrics.
We recognize that as a school, this data is an outlier from the rest of our data points, and we see how important it is and vital for us to improve this. We as a school identified where the majority of our students landed at almost met, and that's where our biggest group was just
off that cusp in ELA, math, and science. We worked closely with our teachers and built in more intentional practices to address the areas we identified as areas of need. Finally, we dove into educating our students building incentives and
changing our schedule time and the way that we did our test. Explicitly, what we did is as you may remember, we usually did our our CASP and CASP after APs and then right before finals. And so, we made a decision to test in March to stay away from that testing fatigue.
We also shortened the days of testing to two focused days in math and English. We created a minimum day at the end of the testing to shut the day down for testing recovery. And many of our courses, our teachers built incentives to provide a variation of grade or test boost for
students who met or exceeded the standard on the exam. We also built in, because we know our students love regalia at graduation, we built in chords for our students who met or exceeded the standards on those exams. And then we hosted a junior
assembly with high energy to explain the importance for them individually to take this exam seriously and school wide. And then we also reiterated the incentives I've just mentioned. We will most likely have actually a preliminary individual student scores sometime in May and we feel hopeful to
see that uptick in the scores, but what we are saying also is this is a high priority commitment of our school to continue to tackle this measure and improve our data in that area. I'm also excited to say that the high school has joined the middle schools and
elementary schools in giving the NWEA MAP Growth assessment. This is a smart and adaptive assessment in reading, language, and math. Unlike traditional static tests, the difficulty adjust in real time based on each student's answers. This provides our teachers with
precise data to measure individual progress and tailor classroom instruction to meet every student exactly where they are. Exciting news about this data for our ninth and 10th grade Griffins. If you look at our reading scores, our average student is
in the 92nd percentile nationally. This means that our average reader performs better than 92% of the students in the United States. While growth appears flat, we've given this assessment two times with the third one coming, maintaining it's kind of that ceiling you hit when you're
maintaining that top primary goal. If you look at our Algebra 1, our ninth graders, another excited exciting data point, we sit at the top 20% in the nation on our first exam and second exam in the 81st percentile and are rapidly
climbing to accelerated growth rates. In Algebra 1, our ninth graders achieved an observed growth of seven RIT points. And to give that context, to put it in this certain perspective, the national norm growth in that period is a 2.4 point growth. And so, we are essentially
almost tripling our speed and growth in that assessment. Our geometry students performed at the top 10% of the nation at the 90th percentile. And again, to give some final context of who are they comparing us to? To understand how many
students, there are over 13 million high school students who take this assessment. Over 35, almost 36,000 high schools who are in this assessment pool with over 4,500 districts and that's literally half the districts in the
United States. And so, to say where our Griffins are measuring in this early data it shows us where we're we're hitting the right mark and our teachers now have immediate data to respond and make those tweaks in their units and in their planning. Another fun academic excellence that we our students participate in is our
National Merit Program. Each year, nationwide, over 1.3 million students enter the National Merit Program by taking the PSAT their junior year. But only the top 50,000 high school high scores are recognized with honor.
Approximately 34,000 commended students are honored for their high national performance, while the top 1% in each state, which is roughly 16,000 students, advance to the semi-finals. To become a finalist, about 15,000 semi-finalists
must maintain a high academic record and submit a qualifying SAT or ACT score to confirm their initial performance. Ultimately, only approximately 6,870 scholarship winners are selected,
representing less than 0.5% of the original pool of testers nationwide. There's also corporate awards, which you see one of our students has achieved, such as the Hunter Industrial Scholarship. It provides specific funding to finalists who are children of
employees, combining financial support with the prestigious title of National Merit Scholar. Will the following students please stand and come up here to the board the front to be recognized? Commended.
Yes. Absolutely. Yeah. Yep. Commended students, Spencer Bystrom. I'm not sure. >> [applause] >> And I will preface, our students have a lot going on back on campus, so we don't know how many will be here tonight, but
they were invited. Sydney Chung. >> [applause] >> Zhuwei Deng. >> [applause] >> Maxwell Ang. Elliot King. Charlie Nelson. David Shorter. >> [applause] >> Destry Smith.
>> [applause] >> Christian Samborski. Akshay Verma. Our three semi-finalists are Amelia Jen. >> [applause] >> Michael Garner. >> [applause] >> Michael Wu. Our Hunter Industries Scholarship winner
is Natalie Shestakovich. >> [applause] >> And amongst these students, we do have a 2026 National Merit Scholar, but that is embargoed to May 19th. So, we know who it is, but we can't tell you. So, congratulations. We're so proud of
you. Parents, if you want to take pictures, we'll pause right here. Thank you. Congratulations. You guys can have a seat. Thank you. >> [laughter] >> Or you can stay. You're really pretty to look at. So, here at Los Altos, our top priority
is ensuring that every student has a pathway towards graduation that supports their post-secondary goals. Those goals can range from college-bound to workforce or a combination of both. Through our work in college and career
center, there is a strong emphasis on ensuring that our students are on the right pathway for graduation as well as future ready through our our career and CTE programs. As you can see, we've made an incredible
strides in creating tangible opportunities from hosting over 70 college [snorts] representative visits to taking students on 11 field trips to local colleges and CTE industry locations. And for example, fire science
experience with the N1 N411 FA helicopter, bridging the gap between classroom learning and real world application. We are also bringing experts directly to our students with eight career speakers.
300 plus students attended our skilled trades fair with over 15 different trades represented. Additionally, we have expanded access and work readiness skills to help prepare students for the workforce.
We have expanded workplace readiness workshops and tips in our monthly newsletter, which we'll hear more about later. And finally, while we are proud of all of these programs and their results, we know that success comes from dedicated
people, that it is our privilege to announce that our very own Ryan Weatherman has been named the NOCROP Employee of the Year. Come on up, Ryan. >> [applause and cheering]
>> Congratulations. Woohoo! >> [cheering] [applause] >> Ryan, on on behalf of the Board of Education, you two get one of our medals because you are number one and you make a difference for our kids. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> [cheering and applause]
>> TAKE THOSE MOMENTS. THEY GET IT. I'M GOING THE WRONG WAY. That's See, there we go. Okay. We are incredibly proud to celebrate the 15 extraordinary students in our community who have reached the pinnacle of youth leadership by earning the Eagle Scout
rank and Girl Scout Gold Award. These honors are not merely badges of participation. They represent years of ongoing commitment, personal discipline, and the successful execution of large-scale
service projects that leave lasting impressions in our local neighborhoods. Only about 6% of Scouts and 5% of Girl Scouts nationwide ever reach these elite tiers, making the collective achievement
of 15 [snorts] students in a single cohort cohort is remarkable and a testament to the character and work ethic fostered here at Los Alamitos. As we recognize these young champions today, we celebrate their transition
from high school students to lifelong service leaders who have already proven they possess the vision and the grit to lead and serve our world. As I call [snorts] your name, will the following students please stand up and come to the front of the boardroom to be
recognized. Ryan Han Honus Lam. Dean Lehigh. Zachary Lecca. Stewart McCaleb. >> [applause] >> Brandon Nawa. Vin Truong.
Phoebe Grimshaw. Cassidy Lee. Sophia Mason. Violet Murphy. Violet Murphy. >> [applause] >> Yara Sade. Allie Sutherland.
And Tam Tamlin Yoshida. Congratulations and great work. >> [applause and cheering] >> Good afternoon. My name is Blake Highcock. I I have the honor of serving as the assistant principal over athletics, arts, activities, and facilities at the high school. Um today we get to talk about athletics to start. Uh at Los Alamitos High
School, we don't just play the game. I truly believe we set the standard of athletic excellence. Our Griffin athletes are one of the key heartbeats on this campus and the community, consistently dominating on the field, the court, and in the water. Beyond the scoreboard, we take immense
pride in the fact that dozens of our student athletes sign national letters of intent each year to continue their academic and athletic careers at the collegiate level. This success is a testament of to the grit of our players, our dedicated coaching staff, and the unwavering support of our families and the
community. Together we are building a culture that emphasizes discipline, teamwork, and resilience, ultimately preparing our students for success in and beyond the high school experience here. This year we had over 45 student athletes sign national letters of intent, one of the largest groups of
signees in recent years. And while spring sports are still finishing up this week, we have had at least 23 sports advance to CIF playoffs, culminating with two CIF championships, a regional championship, and a state championship. To kick off our team recognitions, I do want to give a shout-out to our song
team who is currently in Florida or leaves tomorrow. Uh they'll be competing in the ICU Junior World Championships. They will be represent They were chosen to represent the United States against 70 other nations globally, and we are looking forward to an electric performance from them.
Next, I'd like to bring up our athletic director, Mr. Nate Burger. How's it going? I thought Blake and I were going to do a cappella tonight, but uh Mrs. Krause chose choir instead. I thought it was a great choice. Brought the house down. Shout-out choir. Uh it's my honor and privilege to talk
about the two uh teams who had exceptional years that went above and beyond and uh proved by the rings that they got. Uh I'm going to start with our football team this year. Uh Drive and just steal the medal. You can start our football team with the word grit and uh every sentence talking
about them the entire year could use the word grit. Uh from the beginning of the year you could tell that it was going to be a special year. Even a couple games into the year, there was a lot of momentum, TV stations on campus, and you could kind of feel the energy of who they were collectively as a group. Uh as
they went through Alpha League play, they made it to playoffs, Division 2. They were down, had a deficit, and faced adversity in every single game, and grit came through uh at every single round, culminating in their Division 2 CIF championship game
when they were down 17 to 3 and finished the game on a 30 to 3 run, forcing multiple turnovers, multiple scores, and kind of ran away with it in an awesome way to cap an unbelievable season. The boys were led by head coach Ray Fenton who was appropriately named and
honored the LA Times Coach of the Year in bringing together a special group who knew how to play together as one. >> [applause and cheering] >> Again, congrats to our 2026 football team. That was the 2025, little confusing, Division 2 CIF championship
team. >> [applause and cheering] >> You see these rings? They're huge. Unbelievable. >> [applause] >> Can we have the seniors stay? Seniors, if you're a senior. >> [laughter] >> Coach, do you want to get in there or
not? Coach, you just got to get in there. >> [cheering] >> All right. >> Our 2026 boys soccer team ended their year on an unforg unforgettable streak. I'd like to bring them up. >> [applause]
[cheering] [applause] >> Starting their playoff run with a playing game for a tiebreaker in league to get the last automatic spot. They went on a hot streak in CIF, couple shutouts to start, a big win against Godinez, kind of a weird foot a forfeit
for a CIF title, but the team showed its adversity by pushing through, staying strong, gritty home win, a gritty road win that put them in Sacramento against top-seeded Watsonville and a legendary coach. A late goal off a volley gave them a one nothing win. Oh,
sorry. Thank you. It's on me. Um [snorts] and brought home a state championship for soccer for the first time in D3. >> [cheering] [applause] >> Again, another coach honor as coach Jonathan Martinez was OC coach of the
year holding the team together. >> [applause] [applause] [applause] >> One more time for the CIF and state champs. >> [cheering] [applause] >> Parents photos? Parents photos? And then the seniors stay up there if
you can. We need to see [clears throat] everyone's faces, you guys. So, bend down a little bit in the front. CHAMPIONS! >> [cheering] [applause] >> SENIORS! >> [applause] [applause] [applause]
[cheering] >> GOOD EVENING. I'M LAUREN BASH, the proud um activities director here at Los Alamitos High School. The pulse of student life at Los Alamitos has never been stronger with student connectiveness reaching 90% a remarkable 11% increase since 2022.
From a packed brand new student freshman sweet start event to successfully implemented school-wide assembly schedule, our ASB works tirelessly to ensure every Griffin feels like they belong. With the 132 active clubs on campus, we take immense pride in the diversity of
student interests, especially the steady growth of our service-based organizations. Our academic clubs continue to set the standard for excellence, frequently qualifying for and competing at state and national levels. This vibrant culture of involvement proves that Los
Al's more than just a school. It's a community where students lead with intellect, passion, and a genuine desire to give back. While student connection is a key part of our campus culture, the arts are where that connection is often brought to life. At Los Alamitos High School,
our performing arts programs have long been recognized as the cornerstone of our community's identity, consistently setting the gold standard for excellence in Southern California and beyond. Through a rigorous commitment to craft and a culture of collaborative passion, our students transform the stage into a
place of professional-grade storytelling and technical mastery. Tonight, we are especially proud to showcase the elite selection of ensembles and their exceptional accomplishments. At Los Alamitos High School, show choir program continued its legacy as a national powerhouse this season,
achieving historic double grand championship sweep. >> [applause] [applause] >> Our advanced treble group Soundtrax captivated audiences with an emotionally charged historic epic, securing top honors at elite competitions and a national title at the Heart of America
event in Orlando. Sound FX pushed the boundaries with their avant-garde production The Hollow, blending raw vocal intensity with daring design to claim their own national grand championship. A major highlight of the season was the exceptional performance of Luna Vasquez,
who stood out on the national >> [cheering] [applause] >> who stood out on the national stage um to earn the prestigious Best Soloist Award for the entire competition. >> [cheering] [applause] >> These accomplishments reflect the
outstanding leadership of directors Moana Durlin, Matt Davis, Cara Jennings, and Duong Pham, who continue to foster a culture of excellence, creativity, and collaboration. Let's give it up for Sound FX and Soundtrax um as we recognize them for their
incredible success this season. >> [applause] [laughter] [screaming] [applause] >> Yep, we're ready. Under the expert direction of Stacy Castiglione, the Los Al High School drama program reached an extraordinarily
milestone during the 2026 season, solidifying its reputation as one of the premier theater departments in the state. Competing at the California State Thespian Festival, our students delivered a master class in both performance and technical theater, earning top honors across a wide range
of categories including monologue, costume design, lighting design, and ensemble musical. These rankings weren't just personal victories. They were collective triumph that showcased the depth and talent within our program. Because of their elite standing at the state level, these talented Griffins
have officially qualified for the International Thespian Festival, where they will represent Los Alamitos on a global stage. This achievement is a testament to the professional quality standard that defines Los Alamitos drama, proving that our students possess the technical
precision and emotional range to compete with the best in the world. We are incredibly proud of these young artists and technicians who continue to raise the room and bring international recognition to our community. >> [applause] [applause] >> She can
Congratulations. Photos, photos. >> [applause] >> One more, congratulations. >> [applause] >> Congratulations. All right, I think that's we're good. Yeah. Yeah, you get to sit down now.
>> [laughter] >> It is actually also an honor to recognize extraordinary talent representing Los Alamitos High School, excuse me, in uh this year's Orange County Artist of the Year program. This prestigious competition celebrates the finest students artists in the
region, and tonight we're incredibly proud to highlight our nominees across three distinct disciplines. We celebrate our vocal nominees Jenna Jenna Curry. >> [applause] >> Come up when I call your name. Emily Maruko Gale.
>> [applause] >> Sophia Guderman. >> [applause] >> Kensington Nelson. >> [applause] >> And Luna Stella Vasquez. >> [cheering] >> WE'D ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE our dance nominees uh Nicole Kim.
>> [applause] >> And I know he's not here, and I'll explain that later, but Aaron Myers. >> [applause] >> And for our film nominees, and this includes Alexander Erzep, Erzepay, Erzepay. Christopher Blocker.
Joseph Eto. Preston June. Brendan Cavana. Sean Masamune. >> [applause] >> Kai Rowland Engel. Leonard Rosa. >> [applause]
>> Davis Taylor. >> [applause and cheering] >> Natalia Sandoval Velasquez. >> [applause] [cheering] >> And before we take all our pictures, we would like to also acknowledge uh our semifinalists that we just learned all
three made it to the finals as finalists, Aaron Myers for dance, film and television Christopher Blocker, and Sean Masamune. >> [applause] [applause] >> While photos are taken, I just want to acknowledge how far you all have come.
This is over 800 applicants. Um so to meet this measure and to get to it's pretty impressive, so you should be really proud of yourselves. So, congratulations. >> [cheering] >> And our finalists, um many of them are already being acknowledged in industry, right? Um our students in film, their
their products are being put Angel Stadium. Our recent uh will be in every DMV. And Aaron Myers, well I can't say what he's doing because there's an NDA, he is actually already uh living his craft right now, um and will be on a worldwide tour as the youngest dancer
for this um these artists, is what I'll say. Good job. >> [applause] >> So beyond the stage and the spotlight, the foundation of our students' success is built in the classroom. And tonight we are overjoyed to honor a true pillar of our academic faculty, and
it's this distinct pleasure, if I can have her come up, and privilege to recognize Karen Yoshihara-Ha as our late Teacher of the Year. >> [applause and cheering] [applause] >> Every day I I torment her right now cuz every time she walks through the halls, I don't call her Yoshi anymore. I'm
like, "Hey, Teacher of the Year." and then she turns bright red. Um Karen, she's been a dedicated English teacher here with us. You really are have a gift of the craft. Um our students love you. Your colleagues just praise about you. You're an incredible mentor to them and to our students, and
our school is stronger because you are with us. So, thank you. >> [applause] >> WE'RE JUST GOING TO STAY HERE FOR A PHOTO. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, we know that um we always say the hallmark of our community, right, Dr. Pulver, are the people. It's really our community
collectively. Um we could not do what we do without our parents and our boosters and our foundation, our PTSA, and all of our small businesses who just provide so much individual support. And so, with that said, we just say thank you um for this opportunity, and thank you for tonight to present a little bit about
Los Alamitos. >> [applause] >> Thank you, Mrs. Clawson. I'm sure that the board has some comments. So, Mr. Brackmann. Mrs. Clawson and and everyone, I'm I thank you for a great presentation. I just want to go to the very beginning when you talked about Griffin's Rise as really kind of like the the motto of the
of the year. I I feel to me that speaks to everything that we saw tonight. It's about I've always said this district and our high school, which is our one school, is already great, but how can we be the best? And that's what Griffin's Rise is. We're always striving to be better than we were the day before. So, thank you for leading a school and and having a team that helps us get to that
place. Um and I know that we'll never settle. I love when you looked at the data, but just to see how we're reflecting every day to be better, whether it's in the arts, the academics, the social emotional state of our students. So, uh keep up the good work and keep rising. Thank you. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Mr. Foreman.
>> Yeah, I'll keep it very brief because I'm going to have a grandson entering next year at Los Alamitos High, and I can't wait for him to get to know everybody there because I truly believe the staff will take very good care of him. And also, oh I had one more thought. Oh,
the rest of our meeting's going to be kind of boring. >> [laughter] >> Thank you, Mrs. Clawson. Thank you. Mrs. Forouzanfar. Well, you know, I'm still in awe but what we just witnessed uh in during this
meeting. This high school of um that all other students really culminate to come to this level, it just is so impressive. And uh you know, this type of the caliber of academics, athletics, activities, and the arts doesn't just
happen on its own. And it doesn't go unnoticed that we have excellent leadership. So, thank you, and to all the leaders that are here representing the parents, the community, the volunteers, and um of course, you know, the incredibly bright and talented students that we have. So, thank you for
building the culture that helps our students rise up. Thank you. Mrs. Davidson. Well, it's I'm sorry. You can laugh. It's absolutely incredible to see what we see with these kids.
I thought I had a big enough mic. Okay. So, uh is you must be in arts and you must be like OSHA. You must be a performing Well, what that? Well, no, you must focus on sports. We have great scholar athletes. We have great athletes. There There is a There isn't a program on the campus that
these kids don't give their hearts to, that they don't find their passions in. The I mean, I could go on and on, and I I was telling Krista when I go to North I'm part of the Board of Trustees for North Orange County ROP, and they want us to share what's happening on our
campuses, and I can't do it all the time because nobody believes me. You're too awesome. You're too unbelievable. So, I really thank the administration, Christiana, your administration, staff, teachers, coaches, directors, and thank
you to the kids. Your hearts are beyond belief. Your fortitude, resilience, tenacity is unmatched, and you make all this happen. Now, I have to give a little special shout-out to Karen, to Yosh. I I got to teach with her for a number of
years. She's got more heart, more intellect, and more passion than anybody I know. I What a great choice. So, congratulations. And congratulations to Cara, who just got back from Washington, D.C., as administrator of the year. Thank [applause] you.
Mrs. Krauss, to say that I swell with pride is an understatement. And what I really love is we saw, I don't know how many students here today, over 200, but I know that when I walk on that campus,
there is something for everybody, and that's what we're about. We are about connecting our students so that they can become all they were meant to be, no matter what that is, no matter what their passion is. And that support means
everything to us as a board, to this community, and to their parents. And so, I am eternally grateful to you and to your team and to all our amazing teachers for all the work that you do and really making sure every child is
seen and every child has an opportunity. So, thank you for a beautiful, beautiful report. And Dr. Pulver? Thank you, Madam Pres- Went off again. They're It's a delayed light. No questions, just tons of accolades and
um pride for this evening. You know, I was sitting and and listening to starting off the evening with the show choir performances, and I'm amazed by the acoustics in this room and how how our students sounded. And I had
turned over to to Tina for a second, and I said, "I am just so blessed and and lucky to be superintendent and such an amazing district." Um you know, we just have so much and it's um
None of this happens in isolation. It's really a powerful, cohesive force of adults who come together, whether they be teachers, whether they be our volunteers, or we saw the community business slides, or our partnerships with North Orange
County ROP, of these adults coming together to to just fully enrich the lives of our students. And and as I think Mrs. Davidson hit it on the head is at Los Alamitos High School, it has any any it's it's a place it's a home for any kid. As as you saw tonight, I
mean, we're a powerhouse in academics, as we saw from our data with 95% of our students earning first instruction, 90% of our AP passage rate. This is a place for scholars. We're a powerhouse in in athletics. We saw we had two CIF championships, two coaches of the year,
Mr. Venton and Donovan Martinez. Doesn't happen by by accident, as well. Powerhouse, obviously, in our arts. How many artists of the year, whether they be our vocal performing championships, as well. And our
powerhouse, as well, in activities. And if you just think about so many what I think we heard it was 132 clubs, 45 national signers, and our student connectedness of over 90%, almost 91%. It's an amazing place
for our kids to grow and learn and thrive, and it's because of the people that make the difference. So, thank you. Thank you for the leadership. Thank you for our teachers, our classified staff, our walk-on coaches, our directors, our parents, we would be nothing without you. I often say that the secret sauce of this district, because we are the
lowest funded district in Orange County, is all of the money and support and time and human hours put in and investing day in day out into our students. So, thank you. It is such a privilege to be a part of this incredible organization. Congratulations
and go Griffins. >> [applause] >> Are you ready? Okay, great. So, before I share who our Hero of the Heart is, I again want to reiterate I take great pride for our school, our teachers, our staff, our community, and our parents. It really is all the little things, the things that are seen, the
things that are unseen that really continue to grow our school and that we're never settling. And we've had an incredible Hero of the Heart who exemplifies that. And so, before I read about her, I would like to say our Hero of the Heart
IS LEANNE VOIT. >> [cheering] [applause] [applause] [applause] [cheering] [applause] >> SO, TO KNOW LEANNE VOIT IS TO know the true heart of Los Alamitos community. From the her early days at McGaugh
Elementary to the 2026 graduation of her youngest child, Emma, Leanne has been much of a volunteer at every shape and form. As a principal, I've seen firsthand how she serves as a constant beacon of support and a loving advocate for every student on our campus. The
2025-2026 school year marks a bittersweet milestone for the Voit family as Emma prepares to graduate as a member of the class of 2026. She follows in the footsteps of her brothers, Gary, class of 2022, and Robert, class of 2023.
While Emma [snorts] may be the last Voit Griffin to walk these halls, the legacy of Leanne leaves behind through all her things her she's done for her children with profound kindness and a standard of leadership that has shaped our school culture. Leanne's leadership has been
foundational in the most vital organizations in our district. During her 6-year tenure at LA Board of Directors, she was instrumental in the success of Royal Gala and the seamless transition to our new signature event, LA's Night Out. Her commitment to our high school, specifically, has been
exhaustive. She's served on PTSA Executive Board for years, taking on essential roles in recording secretary, historian, and chairperson in senior scholarships, and I probably missed some. In the In my time working with her, I have always admired her approach to
leadership. Whenever she brings a concern to my office, she does so with genuine desire to be part of the solution. She doesn't just identify the needs, she rolls her sleeves up and to meet What sets Leanne apart is her heart-first approach to service. She's
the kind of volunteer every principal hopes for and wants to work with. Don't leave. >> [laughter] >> She makes everything run smooth when no one even knows what she she's doing it. And from coordinating complex logistics for
the show choir program to supporting basketball and baseball teams, her presence has created a sense of stability and trust. Leanne and her husband, George, have even gone above and beyond opening up their home for team events, fostering
that kind of connection and village atmosphere that makes our program special. She has been a gracious pillar for the ASB program, consistently saying yes to any task, whether it was preparing luncheons or managing the invisible details that allow our programs to thrive.
This is where I Give me a sec. Beyond her formal titles, Leanne's impact is deeply personal. To her peers, she's been a a guide and welcoming new parents with an open heart and offering us reassurance to those
navigating the high school experience for the first time. I have witnessed her selflessness extend far beyond school business when members of the community face personal crises, Leanne and George are the first to reach out, offering their contacts and support to help families in need.
She is truly a good human who cares for Gary, Robert, and Emma's peers as if they were her own, ensuring that every student feel seen and supported. Leanne is the very definition of Hero of the Heart. Her impact reaches far beyond any single event or season. She has
helped build foundational community legacy and tradition that defines the Los Alamitos High School. It is a distinct pleasure, a privilege to work side by side with you throughout [snorts] your journey with you in the district, and we just love you. Congratulations.
>> [applause and cheering] [applause] [applause] >> I came to watch Emma sing, and I was so impressed that Robert wanted to come and was willing to >> [laughter] >> see the presentation, and I wanted to support Christiana and the staff and and
hear all about the great things that the high school's doing, not that I don't know. This is a really huge surprise and a great honor, and it has been my actual pleasure and my honor to be part of this
school, be a part of this district, and I will miss it, Um, but it is time to move on to whatever is next. So, uh, I leave you all in good hands and I'm sure I'll see you around. Come get your car washed.
But, love you guys. Thank you. Thank you for this. >> [applause] >> Oh, my favorite. Yay. >> Yeah, it's your favorite. Now, how could this be your favorite over these beautiful flowers in this bag? But, on behalf of the Board of Education, you two get our highest award, which is the
"Thank You, You Are Awesome, and You Make a Difference." Thank you, Papa. >> [applause] [snorts] [laughter] [cheering] [applause] >> Good evening, everyone. My name is Cara Vienna, and I am, um, the assistant
principal over college and career counseling and many other things, but tonight we're all about college and career. So, there are people in this world who make everything around them better. Not by demanding the spotlight,
but by quietly, steadily pouring themselves into the work and the people they love. Tonight, we get to stop and say, "We see you. We celebrate you. And we are so grateful for you."
It is the deepest honor of my evening to introduce our 2026 District Classified Employee of the Year, in other words, CEO with a Y, a woman who is, without question, a
unicorn in the very sense of the word word word, sorry. Lillian Ford Patterson, please come join me. >> [applause and cheering] [applause] [cheering] >> She hates the spotlight.
>> [applause] >> For 3 years, I had the privilege of working alongside Lillian when she served as our counseling assistant. What I witnessed was not just a skilled professional. It was someone who walked into every
room and made the room better, calmer, warmer, more capable of handling whatever came next. There is a well-known list of traits that define the most effective leaders, CEOs.
These traits include the following: vision, decisiveness, empathy, resilience, accountability, innovation, integrity. The kind of leader people write books about, study in business schools, aspire
to become. What strikes me about Lillian is that she embodies every single one of these qualities. Not loudly, not with fanfare, but every single day in the way she
shows up for students, colleagues, and the community. She possesses a poise and professionalism that is rare and earned. Whether the moment calls for calm in the storm or creativity in the challenge,
Lillian meets it, and every person who works with her on a project or a problem walks away feeling lifted, supported, and genuinely wiser for having been in her presence. What makes Lillian's story even more
remarkable is where it begins. She grew up in a complicated, blended family, navigating the kind of circumstances that might cause others to lose their footing. But, Lillian didn't just find her footing, she ran.
She credits her success to her family, who cheered her on, and to her own childhood college counselor, someone who believed in her as a little girl, opened doors she didn't know existed,
and showed her what was possible. That counselor planted a seed, and Lillian has spent her entire career in education watering that same seed in every student she meets. That's not just a career,
that's a calling. In just 2 years as our work-based learning specialist, a brand new role she stepped into without nothing but a title and her own extraordinary vision, Lillian has built a thriving, highly
impactful program from the ground up. She established internship pipelines that connect our students to real careers. She designed approval and feedback systems that work. She expanded placements across multiple
CTE pathways. And from that foundation, she launched the Pathways to Career Speaker Series, the Workplace Readiness Workshop, and the CTE Student Spotlight, programs that are are that are already changing the trajectories of young
people's lives in just 2 years. But, [snorts] numbers and programs only tell part of the story. The deeper truth is this: Lillian's work has given students permission to dream bigger. Her calm, dependable presence has been
the steady hand that says, "I believe in you, and I will help you get there." Countless young people have grown in confidence, in self-efficacy, and in hope because Lillian Ford Patterson decided to show up fully for them.
I said at the beginning of this evening that Lillian is a unicorn, and I mean that with my whole heart. She is the kind of person you are lucky to work alongside once in a career. Someone who makes the work feel meaningful, the days feel lighter, and
the students feel seen. Lillian, you have taken a role that didn't exist, a program that was just a possibility, and students who needed someone to believe in them, and you turned it into something extraordinary.
You have led with grace, built with purpose, and given with generosity of spirit that is simply breathtaking. You are our visionary, our builder, our steady North Star.
You are every single quality on this list of great leaders, and you've been those things not because of a title, but because of who you are. Lillian Ford Patterson, you are our CEO. Congratulations, and let's cheer her on.
>> [applause and cheering] >> And these are all letters FROM HER STUDENTS. >> [applause] >> IT'S YOUR TURN TO speak all of this. You go speak. We're going to have a few other people speak. >> [laughter] >> Lillian, um, the guidance and the opportunities that
you give our students are are will live long, long after you have any idea that you've impacted them. And there will be someday that there will be some student who will be in a
similar position as you are, and you will have been their guiding light. And there will be more, and we are just really, really grateful that you are part of our La South family, and that we get to celebrate YOU. CONGRATULATIONS.
>> [applause] >> AND THEN, ALL OF THESE bags with names. All right, Lillian. Um, for those of you who don't know, we only get to choose three classified employees of the year every year, and so Lillian is our classified employee in the category of health and student services. The work you do, there's nothing I can say that will top what Cara says, ever.
Um, but especially about you uh, is is instrumental to how we function as an organization. So we're thrilled to celebrate you, thrilled to recognize you, thrilled to submit you to the county level and see what happens with those guys. And also we have a great partnership with LAEF and she would like to come up and recognize you as well. Carrie Logan.
>> [applause] >> Hi Lillian. On behalf of LAEF, the Los Alamitos Education Foundation, we wanted to congratulate you on this amazing honor and just present you with a small gift and thank you note as a token of our appreciation. Thank you for your incredible work with our Griffins. >> [applause]
>> One more. You don't get your metal since you already got your metal. You get the highest honor and a trophy from the Board of Education and it's you're the best. And I personally have a >> [applause] >> meeting next year that's going to meet
you and figure out why. >> [applause] >> Thank you for those kind words. I am incredibly blessed to be able to do a job I love with the most amazing people who inspire me every day to go above and beyond.
Thank you guys. But my number one fans are right here, my fam. Thank you so much. >> [applause] >> I love you all. And do you want to introduce them? Sure. Come up guys. Yeah. They're the real MVP.
>> [applause] [applause] [laughter] >> Introduce. My beautiful Griffin daughter Lily, Breanna, my daughter Breanna, my son Wally and MY HUSBAND WALLY. >> [applause] >> WE HAD TO PUT LILY'S IN THERE. I MEAN,
COME ON. Take a turn chair. Yeah, Ryan, Christiana, Cara, counseling team. Come on up. Diana. Yep, come on in. Yep, yep, yep. One burger in the back. >> [applause] [applause]
>> Well, we feel very fortunate today to have celebrated all the amazing things that go on at Los Al High School and all of the amazing people that have made a huge impact not only on the high school but on our district and
we're just very grateful for you all coming and it was so well organized. I am very very in awe. So we will now move into Oh, I do have one card.
It's for for close it. Okay. So we will now move into close session. Thank you very much. >> [applause]