Welcome. The time is now 11:26 a.m. on January 27th, 2026. Welcome to the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education regular meeting. Originally noticed for 10:00 a.m. and the time is now 11:26 a.m. I'm going to take role. Miss Newell
>> present. >> Dr. Rivas >> here. >> Mr. Melvin >> here. >> Miss Grigo >> here. >> Here. Miss Gonomez >> here. >> Here. Uh Miss Ortiz Franklin >> present. >> Present. Board President Schmelson. >> Student board member Yang >> here. >> Okay. We have a quorum. We're going to
go directly into the pledge of allegiance. I will say folks that there are two versions. So when you think you're done with the first, don't sit down yet. There's another one coming. >> All right. Um, so we're gonna get that queued up and as soon as it's up, we can uh we can do it. >> Ready?
Congratulations 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. Please have a seat. We're going to bring up the land acknowledgement. >> We acknowledge that the Los Angeles Unified School District operates on land
originally and still inhabited and cared for by the Gavaleno and Fernando Tatavian peoples who have stewarded this land for generations. We recognize these indigenous communities ongoing presence and contributions and honor their connection
to this region. We recognize Gabeno people as the original stewards of the Los Angeles basin and the nearby coastal lands and the Fernando Tavium as protectors of the northern valleys. These lands have and continue to hold
deep cultural and spiritual significance to their people and have shaped the community we live in today. We pay our respects to the hanuketam ancestors aihum elders and aohhinken our relatives and
relations past present and emerging and commit to supporting indigenous communities through education ensuring their voices are heard and their legacies are respected. We commit to deepening our understanding
of the histories and cultures of the native peoples of this land. This acknowledgement demonstrates our ongoing efforts to build and sustain relationships with indigenous communities and contribute to healing and reconciliation. >> Okay, thank you. It is now time for
board president's reports. >> Okay, do we have any labor partners present? Come on down, Adriana. Come on down. Teamsters local 572 and I'm here to talk to you today about contracts. Um, first contract I want to talk about is the
health benefit agreement that you adopted last month and I want to thank you all for adopting that contract. Um that was an huge first step moving forward um towards the overall
compensation for your employees and it really really shows the commitment you have to your current employees and your retirees and hopefully it shows the commitment you're going to have to your future employees as well because it's all about overall compensation and
health benefits are one of the major reasons that employees come here to work. The second reason they come is for compensation. Period. And that's the second contract I want to talk to you about. Um, as of today, it's been 22 months since Teamsters Local 572 have
been engaged in bargaining with Ellie Unified. 22 months. Um, the first 18 months we waited for an economic counter proposal and that came after 18 months. Uh we have negotiations with the
district today and I am here to publicly say that I don't know how much longer we can wait before we must to mo make forward motion with our own members and make sure that that motion is significant. Um we look forward to be
your trusted labor partner. We look forward to working with the district but we also need to represent our members as well. Speaking of our members, later on your board agenda, there is a third contract that represents over 500 Teamsters Local
572 members. And these members have worked for you as part of your contract professional group for over 30 years. They see themselves as part of the district. They see what they do as being part of the district. Um, we understand
that when we talk about contracts, uh, and when we, as labor organizations, when we talk about contracting out, we really look towards those contracts you have with non-union entities and organizations that cost more for unskilled workers. And that's not what
all of your contracts are. You do have contracts with union force. You have contracts with skilled employees. They are so skilled, you even hire them to come work for you. and we encourage you to make sure that these contracts get
adopted. Um the last thing I want wanted to say really goes towards overall just looking at the district overall and all the achievements that you have made. They don't get made in a box. They get made because of your employees. They don't get made because someone at the top made
a wonderful decision. That decision then had to be shared with people and actually had to be worked out. And those are your employees. Every single one of them, every single one of them helps make you the best. And the only way you get to stay the best is if you continue
to recruit and retain the best, the best of the best. Thank you all very much. Have a wonderful day. >> Thank you. Thank you very much. Any other labor partners in the audience that wish to speak? If not, we will go to our committee
reports and we have committee of the whole with uh Dr. Reus. Could we move on to the next? I'm not quite ready. I have my report here before me. >> Other labor partners? No. Okay. >> Yeah, no problem. How well we can come
back. I believe we have um So about one year, a little more than a year after the devastating fires created such heartache and such sense of loss across our community. Uh we can today celebrate the fact that Marquez students
have returned to a beautiful campus. Pali Elementary students continue to get a great education at their colllocated uh site in Brentwood and today uh Pali High students have returned to their
school with a great deal of joy um in celebration of many contributions made by so many to quickly restore um that school community to as much normaly as possible considering the immeasurable
loss suffered The team put together a video that celebrates what was done, what has taken place, and certainly builds hope for the future. Let it roll. Today we stand together in the heart of the Palisades on the very ground where
devastation once stood to celebrate something extraordinary. Resilience, renewal, and the unstoppable spirit of our community. When the wildfires tore through Marquez Charter Elementary, Palisades Charter Elementary, and Palisades Charter High, they did not
just burn buildings. They tested our courage, our unity, and our belief in what is possible. But look around you now. What rose from the ashes is not just brick and mortar. It's proof of what happens when educators, students,
parents, and neighbors come together with one shared purpose to rebuild hope. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Nick, did you want to say a couple of
words because it's your district. Go ahead. >> Thank you, uh, board president. And I I do I'll be brief. Um, but it is exciting and, uh, so many people to thank. It's like most people leave during the credits of a movie, but it was nice to see the credits rolling there uh, so that we can thank the countless
individuals. I spent my morning um, at Pali High before coming into this meeting. It's the first day back for that school community. Um and it was incredibly exciting uh to see the community, parents, teachers, the Marquez faculty came down to welcome
them so many of their former students. But I was also struck when I walked on campus and into classrooms by just the normaly of it which is actually the most exciting part that after so much disruption in students lives across the district over the last you know decade when it comes to COVID and fires that
affected not just the Palisades but Aladena and Pasadena and we had districts schools closed years ago for fires but particularly in the Palisades this morning um to see those students back on campus ninth graders who were actually there yesterday for a tour because some parents reached out to our office and said, "Everyone's saying
about bringing Pali back, these ninth graders have never been there in the first place." Uh was incredibly exciting. And so I just want to make a note because uh the superintendent and I were were in the Palisades uh the day after the fires literally with school police and with uh fire extinguishers
putting out fires. Um, and the the work that the district did over the last year, from that incredible emergency response and evacuating schools and personnel and the heroism of our teachers and staff who left their own personal vehicles to get on buses with students, to the work the district did
to within a week, a week relocating two elementary schools fully with their teachers and peers and faculty and principles just a few miles away to working with the the Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize school um, uh schools and debris removal uh to getting
this process going and the full the full plan for permanent buildings to then with September literally nine within nine months getting Marquez back in the Palisades. Um and then today just a bit over a year from those devastating fires to have 2500 students back at Pali High.
Pali's also the largest employer in the Palisades. So when I've talked to community members about the resilience and the rebuilding of folks coming back to those local businesses and uh restaurants and family members um who are uh not even connected to the school but now that they see pal pali is back
and the work that our office of environmental health and safety did and outside experts to remediate and show the safety um is a is the gateway back for so many in the community. So, it's been really exciting uh as we continue to rebuild as well and cut uh timelines
in half and work with our federal and state partners. Um I remember being on phone calls with so many people in this room uh in the days uh following and we said at a time when faith in government and what we can do in public institutions is his at historic lows,
this is our moment to show what public education and public infrastructure can do. And it's been incredible to see this district response. I think in my tenure here, it's often our darkest moments where we see the most heroic uh resilience. And I just want to, you know, quickly thank and then I'll turn
it back to our board president, but um uh our superintendent um who uh there's been no daylight between you and your your team and our office from day one. Uh and I'm so incredibly grateful to this board um who has supported my constituents uh with both the immediate
aftermath and also the allocation of funds to rebuild. Um, and I'm so grateful to my colleagues uh for this their support through this process. For our facilities team, Christina Toes and Isam Dadul um Lorena Padilla, everyone there who's worked on the remediation, the portables, the permanent rebuilding,
who's done so many so many community meetings with us, who's been working with FEMA and with calls and others. um to our invas office of environmental health and safety, Carlos Torres, Jennifer Flores and their team who have been working around the clock um and been getting uh you know one of the most
gratifying things for me is a group of experts and scientists um from Harvard and Stanford and UCLA wrote a letter just a couple days ago validating the safety efforts at Palih High clearing us for reopening. But what they said is that they're also all parents and that they were writing it not just as
experts, but as parents and they would send they they felt confident enough to send their kids back to school. And that's thanks to the work of Carlos and Jennifer and their team, the bus drivers from SEIU and and all of our labor partners who evacuated students on January 7th and have been so helpful
with the move. uh when I had the chance to be down at one of our warehouses recently talking to some of those folks who were uh the ones who over the over the weekend and literally overnight moved us two school campuses into their new homes overnight. Um to uh the school staff involved um you know I want to
start the principles of the host schools, Principal Brunson um and principal um uh Lassnover at Brentwood Science and Nor who without asking any questions welcome two entire new school communities. And I will say that as um
as much as these schools had gone through so something so devastating, they were also then getting so much of the attention and the students and the faculty and staff at Brenwood Science and Nor were just such great humble partners and hosts and deserve so much credit. Um the principles Herman at Pali High Pi Elementary and Timberman at
Marquez. Uh Dr. Pam McGee who's the capable leader principal executive director of Palih High. That's another thing I think we have a lot and I know seeing folks in this audience sometimes there's a lot of tension between our charter partners and the district. The commitment I had made to my constituents
last year was that there will be no daylight between the charter school Palih High and LA Unified and I think we've honored that commitment and it's been as if we've been one in recovering and I think that's a nice lesson for all of us going forward. Dr. uh Collier, our region west superintendent um who's been
incredible. Dr. Deborah Bryant who I know is no stranger to this board. She's worked all over but is kind of the fire conigliary if you will. Uh and has just been uh so um effective and compassionate. Uh and we're so grateful. Uh the LA Unified Foundation, Satie Jefferson and her incredible team. Um
and just most importantly the families and students who put our their trust in this district every day. So it's it's really exciting. There's more work to do. Um but I really think that when folks look at LA Unifi's response to this fire compared to maybe any other agencies, uh it's it's seen with such
appreciation and gratitude. And I think quite frankly folks are impressed with what we can do here when we work together. So I know it was a little longer than I planned, but thank you Scott because it's just it's really incredible and exciting. So thank you all so much. >> Thank you Mr. Melvin. Well said. Well
said. Now we're returning to Dr. Revas for our committee of the whole report. >> Okay. Thank you for that. Um, the committee of the whole uh convened on January 20th for a focused discussion on the district's fiscal outlook and
student centered strategies to address enrollment ships grounded in shared commitment to stability, belonging, and opportunity for students, LUSD students and families. Kevin Gordon of Capitol Advisors Group provided an overview of the state budget and Proposition 98,
highlighting key opportunities for the district as a budget cycle unfolds. Martha Alvarez, uh, chief of legislative affairs and government relations, followed with the district's legislative strategy and response to the governor's proposal. Uh, Mr. San Bravo Karimi,
chief financial officer, then presented the district's fiscal outlook, including key assumptions in the fiscal stabilization plan and considerations related to timing, reversibility, and workforce impacts. board members discussed discussed the
risks, advocacy priorities, and how to align fiscal decisions with uh with student needs. The second half of the meeting focused on enrollment trends and evidence-based strategies to stabilize enrollment and improve attendance. Dr. Andrew Andrew Thomas, director of
independent analysis unit, presented data on long-term enrollment decline, followed by Mr. Jose Cole Gutierrez, senior executive director of strategy, and Dr. LC Roado from student support and attendance services who shared district strategies to support students
and families and tailor approaches across great spans. The committee discussed aligning near-term fiscal decisions with the long-term timeline needed for enrollment strategies to show results while building on creative strategies already working in schools
and competitive offerings such as athletics and target investments to attract families. The next committee of the whole meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 24th. Thank you. >> And thank you, Dr. Rivas, Mr. McClean. >> Okay, we'll move on to the consent
calendar. The consent calendar, uh, as you may or may not know, is a procedural mechanism that this board uses to take a number of items all at once if it is agreed that there will be no discussion on that particular item. So, what I do now is I read through the items on the on the um agenda and the board will say
out loud, a member of the board will say out loud, consent, discussion or question. If it goes on consent, it won't be discussed. If there's a question or a comment, it will go on the regular calendar. Tab one, donations of money to the district. >> Question. >> Question.
Tab two, report of cash dispersements. >> Consent. Tab three, approval of the update of certific certification of signatures for fiscal year 2526. >> Consent. >> Consent. Tab four, approval of routine personnel actions. >> Question. >> Question.
New bill. Tab five, provisional internship permits. >> Consent. Tab six, authorization to negotiate and enter into agreements with Los Angeles neighborhood initiative for the construction of a greening project. >> Consent. Tab seven, authorization to
negotiate and execute an agreement with Ocean Charter School. >> Consent. >> Consent. Tab eight, emergency closure of Garfield Senior High School in Monterey Continu Continuation High School. >> And question. >> Was that Dr. Rivas? >> Yes. >> Okay.
>> Uh, tab nine, approval of procurement actions. >> Consent. >> Consent. Tab 10, approval of facilities contracts actions. questions >> question for nine. >> Okay. So, as as to 10, I've got Miss
Newell, Mr. Schmurlson. >> No, no, Mr. Melvin. >> Mr. Melvin, and Dr. Rivas. Okay. And tab nine, you actually have a question? >> No. >> Thank you. >> Do you know on which item? >> Item I >> I g. Okay.
>> So, tab nine is question on item I. Tab 11, compliance with requirement of local bond measures. Consent >> tab 12, Proposition 39, Charter facilities compliance for the 2627 school year finding. >> I have questions. >> Questions. Um, let's see. Approval of the renewal
petition for Kip Academy of Innovation. >> Consent. >> Consent. Approval of the renewal petition for Kip Illuminar Academy. >> Consent. >> Consent. 15. Approval of the renewal petition for Kip Los Angeles College Prep. >> Consent. >> Consent. Tab. 16. Approval of the
renewal petition for Kip Rises Academy. Consent. >> Consent. >> Tab 17. Approval of the renewal position for Kip Vita Preparatory Academy. >> Consent. >> Consent. Tab 18. Celebration of Black History Month.
>> Consent. Tabs 19. >> Presentation. >> Presentation. >> Oh, there's a presentation for tab 18, >> but it's consent. But she was a presentation. >> Just some words. >> Just some words. Okay. So um shall we put it just on
>> unc on consent you? Okay. Uh tab 19 is a 12:30 time certain. Uh so that should be on discussion. Uh 1:30 uh time certain for tab 20 should also be on discussion. Uh tab 21 appointment of member to the
school construction bond citizens oversight committee. >> Consent. >> Consent. adoption of the updated 2526 LUSD committee meeting schedule. I believe there's an amendment that's in the materials already just for a change to date in the meeting
of the committee. Is there a consent on this? >> Consent. >> Consent. >> I just had a question. >> Just Yeah. >> So that that'll be uh for discussion. Uh 23, report of correspondence, >> consent >> and tabs uh 24 and 25 are not voted on.
uh they're just registered and a public hearing will be held for tab 24 and we acknowledge receipt of the annual comprehensive financial report for 2425. I'm going to go ahead and read through the work we've just done to make sure I didn't make any errors. Uh tab one is a question. Tab two and three is consent.
Tab four is a question. Tab five, six, seven uh are consent. Tab eight is a question. Tab nine has a question. Tab 10 has a question. Tab 11 is consent. Tab 12 is a question. Tabs 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17, and 18 are consent. Tabs 19
and 20, time certain discussions. Tab 21, consent. Tab 22, question. Tab 23, consent. Is that accurate? >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Okay. We have 38 minutes to do um to take the public comment for items on the
consent calendar for which there are commenters. So, let's go to tab two. Let me pull up who we have. Okay, there's no comment on tab two or three.
Comment on tab five or six or seven. Tab 11, there's no comment. >> 13. Tabs 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 all have full public comment. Again, this is for
renewal petitions. So, we'll start with tab 13, approval of the renewal petition for Kip Academy. Uh, Gilbert Sanchez. All right, we're going to wave our time for for items. Sorry, just want to make sure I get them
correct. >> I think I can take a guess. Is it 13, 14, 15, 16? >> Yes. Thank you. >> Okay, >> thank you so much. >> Okay. Uh, just for the record, I'm going to read the names of people who signed up in the event there is someone with an oppositional opinion and we don't
accidentally miss them. Gilbert Sanchez, Katherine Sarav, Saravia, Jayen Gildo, Christian Garcia, Laa Garcia, Analita, Isabelle Shear, >> Edith Rodriguez, Siana Zabala,
Jacqueline Moroin, Joshua Pastelin, Lydia Manes, >> uh, Siana Bellow, Noami Hernandez, and Jorge Viella. Okay. So, all those folks have waved their time. I'm going to mark it as such and then we will go on to the
next tab. Give me one moment, please. Tab 14 has also for the record indicated that they would like to wave time, but I'm going to read the names again into the record. Michael Martinez, Joselyn Garcia, Christopher Sandoval, Yenia Montiel,
>> Isaac Chong, Joseph Gonzalez, Tanya Hernandez, Troy Talifer, Lindseay Martinez, Patricia Vargas, Michelle Moreno, Lzette Russell, Nancy Romero,
Melissa Partida, GMO Fernandez. Okay, thank you. And my staff, who sometimes has a better handle on things than me, has reminded me to read the public hearing statement before we conclude action on the item. So for tabs 13 through 17, approval of charter renewal petitions, this
following statement is to be read. Before action is taken on the following board reports, a public hearing must be held. This constitutes that public hearing. This is for Kip Academy of Innovation, Kippy Illuminat Academy, KIP Los Angeles College Prep, Kip Rises Academy, Kip Vita Preparatory Academy. A
maximum of 15 individuals who wish to address the board on each of the items will be heard. Those who wish to speak should sign up online. Folks have signed up online and we are in fact going through the list right now. Um, following the public speakers, I will also have a statement to read, but we
will get to that. All right. Tab 15. Uh, Yanelli Peta, Sal J Himenez, >> Annabel Morales, >> Rosio Perez, Mikarez, >> Maggie Zlaya, >> Monica Madreal, Bertha Arnandez,
>> Susanna Rivas, Monroy, >> Mirina Sanchez, Erica Alvarez, >> Sophia Bizaro, Melanie Barios, >> Rosa Flores, Galysia, >> Heliset Silva, Lorena Quas,
Okay, those speakers have also waved their time. Moving on to tab 16. Uh, Vic Cannon, >> uh, Ellie Cerna, >> Leticia Felix, >> Charito Guerrero, >> Chris Hoffman, >> Arthuro Venor,
>> Christina Mirez, >> Ayanna Isvanka, >> Adriana Abich, >> Eric Mesa, >> Estella Sanchez, Marlene Hoffman, Marisol Sanchez, Janet
Fabella, Anel Portoidio. >> All right, those speakers on tab 16 have also waved their time and tab 17. Same drill. Erica Carpenter, Curtis
Watley, Naika Artega, Elena Beltran, Cynthia Thomas, Anelica Abasto, >> Norma Baro, >> Katherine Ramirez, >> Sharon Pritchette, >> uh, Jessica Coenza,
>> Selena Martinez, Sylvia Mendoza, >> Alma Barios, Eva Belron, >> and Donicia Martinez. Okay, those folks on tab 17 have also waved their time.
Let's go to tab 18. We have nine speakers on tab 18. Um, it's on consent. And Miss Newell, did you want to make a comment? Yes, thank you. Um, obviously, uh, during the month of
February, um, we will be recognizing and celebrating Black History Month, which is an annual opportunity to honor the central role black Americans have played in shaping our history, culture, and democracy of the United States.
This year holds a special significance as Black History Month 2026 marks the centennial legacy of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, whose establishment of the Negro History Week in 1926 laid the
foundation for what we now observe as Black History Month. Dr. But Woodson believed deeply in the power of education and truth that scholarship would challenge prejudice and expand democracy.
His vision continues to guide us a hundred years later. For a century, black history commemorates have preserved, elevated, and honored black life, culture, and achievement.
The milestone is reflected in the 2026 theme from the Association for the Study of African-American Life and History, which is a century of black history commemorations. From the Harlem
Renaissance to Civil Rights Movement, from Voting Rights Act of 1965 to today's advancement in science, technology, government, and the arts. Black Americans have shaped every aspect
of our nation's progress. Black History Month also reminds us that many stories have historically been overlooked or excluded. While our nation's founding ideals were
not written for everyone, black Americans have continuously fought to make those ideals real for themselves and for all of us. Their leadership, courage, and
contributions have strengthened American democracy. For the Los Angeles Unified School District, this centennial moment reinforces our commitment to culturally responsive education, inclusive curriculum,
and historically accurate instruction. Through initiatives such as the Black Student Achievement Plan, we continue to address opportunities, gaps, opportunity gaps, and support the academic, social, emotional, and community needs of our
black students. Our strengthened African-American history as well as our ethnic studies curriculum ensures that students learn about American civilization, the African diaspora, the struggle for civil rights, and the
ongoing pursuit of justice. Our Black History Month is not only a time of reflection, it's a reaffirmation of our commitment to anti-racism, educational equity, and learning
environments where every student feels seen, valued, and empowered. We also recognize that black lives matter at our school week of action which supports our student voice,
community engagement, and social justice in education. So, as we honor a century of black history commemorations from 1926 to 2026 and beyond, we recommmit ourselves
to ensuring the future generations learn from this legacy and carry it forward. We recommmit to protecting civil rights, expanding educational opportunities, and building a more just and equitable society for all. and that black history
is also American history. >> Thank you, Miss New Bill. New bill, may I be um honored being a co-sponsor? Thank you. Thank you. Go ahead. Go ahead. >> Me as a co-sponsor as well. And um just
wanted to also make a comment on this important resolution. Um, I would like to thank board member um, Hendy Newell for bringing forward this important celebration. As we mark the centennial of Black History commemorations, we are doing so at a pivotal moment for public
education and for our democracy across the country. The teaching of honest history, the pursuit of racial justice, and the rights and dignity of black communities are being actively challenged and restricted and politicized. In that context, this resolution is not symbolic. It's a
statement of values and responsibility. This resolution affirms the black that black history is essential to understanding who we are as a nation and to fulfilling the promise of public education. It reinforces that culture responsive education, ethnic studies,
and the Black Student Achievement Plan are not optional initiatives, but core commitments that shape student belonging, academic success, and civic understanding. By advancing this work, we are choosing the truth over eraser
and action over rhetoric. Honoring black history requires sustained investment in black students, educators, and communities. And a will willingness to stand firm with those comm community commitments when they are being tested. Especially in moments like this, our
responsibility is not only to commemorate the past, but to protect the present and shape a more just future for our students, our city, and our nation. Thank you. >> Well said, Dr. Reas. Well said. Anyone else?
Okay. >> Some co-sponsors >> additional co-sponsors if you'd be open to it, please. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> You saw your additional co-sponsors. Okay. and Carla, Miss Go ahead, Miss Grigo.
>> Hi. Thank you um board member new bill for bringing this resolution up again. Um as an educator, Black History Month was um one of the most important months for me to teach my students, especially in a school that
was predominantly Latina. To me, it felt even more important to be talking about um the history of of black people in our country, the contributions, and to find inspiration in all that they have done
um throughout our our our history and continue. And so for me, um here in this district, I take great pride that several years ago, we made that commitment to BAP, to the Black Student Achievement Plan. I would love for our
state to also make that commitment to our black students. And um I'm glad that this resolution calls for the district to continue with its efforts to close the academic gap, the um achievement gap for black students and to ensure that
black students see themselves represented in the curriculum. I think that is very important. as chair of the curriculum and instruction committee, it is the most common comment that I get from parents, from students uh and educators. So, I'm glad that this
language is included in the resolution. Um, I did not read a full article, but there was an article today about what would it be like for black boys to have joy. I want to look for that article again. I saw it saw the headline, but I didn't have a chance to read it. But I
want us to think about that. How do we make black lives joyful and and stick with that and do that? I know that we have lots of parents who want that for their children in our schools. And sometimes they leave our schools because they
don't feel that in our schools. And I want to tell everybody that although that that is that may be the case in some places, I want you to know that we are committed in this board on this board to make black lives matter not
just in February, but all the time. So, thank you for bringing this. Thank you, Miss Grigo. Thank you. Anyone else? >> Okay. Okay. Mr. McClean, thank you. >> I want to make sure we got all the co-sponsors on that. Uh, Miss CGO. >> Yes.
>> Anyone else? >> Yes, me as well. I think all of us, >> one to my right. >> Okay, great. Unanimous. All right, that word unanimous. >> Okay, there are public speakers. Uh, Christopher Coington, are you here?
Uh, Leila King, are you here? Marcus, an individual only as Marcus. Tania, are you here? Uh, Mila Turner, are you here? Those are the folks who signed up to speak in person. I will check to see
online. Uh, if those folks are here, e Irene Rivera, I see you're on the line. Please press star six to unmute yourself. And you have two minutes to speak once you begin. Irene Ria. Hi. Can you hear me? >> We sure can. Speak up a little bit and be sure to speak a little slower,
please. >> Okay, sounds good. Thank you. Uh, good afternoon board members and superintendent Carvajo. My name is Nea and I am a senior policy advocate and organizer with the ACLU of Southern California. On behalf of the ACU SoCal,
we support board member Nougl's resolution recognizing Black History Month and honoring the legacy of Dr. Cardig Woodson's vision for truthful inclusive history education. Uh this resolution affirms the importance of culturally responsive, inclusive, and
historically accurate education in LA USD. Initiatives like expanded African-American history and ethnic studies curriculum along with ongoing efforts to foster affirming learning environments are important steps toward uplifting black voices year round. These
initiatives are critical to addressing decades of systemic neglect and underresourcing for black students inequities that Black History Month reminds us we must continue confronting head-on. We particularly applaud the directive to expand and strengthen the black student achievement plan uh which
was born from community organizing and student advocacy. Uh BAP has already shown progress including improvements in A3G completion rate with recent funding increases. Uh now is the time to build on that momentum by investing further in proven equity focused strategies. Um
yeah, as we honor this century of black history commemorations, LA USD faces a new lawsuit from an out ofstate conservative group. uh the 1776 Project Foundation challenging the district's PHBOO and magnet programs. These legally required programs were designed to
correct historical segregation and provide targeted supports in schools serving predominantly students of color. They do not discriminate, they promote equity. And so we urge the the board to vigorously defend these programs in court and continue expanding DSAP and
similar efforts that serve as national models for supporting historically marginalized youth. Honoring black history means committing to sustained action that advances justice and equity for all students. And so, thank you for this resolution and for your commitment towards ESAP. Uh we believe L USD will
prevail in court and are ready to support the district. Thank you. >> Thank you for your time. All right. The next folks listed themselves as speaking remotely. Jason Melendez, are you here? You're not online. Christian Flag, are you here? You are also not online. Uh,
Duria Ahmed signed up to speak remotely, also not here. So, that concludes public comment on tab 18. Next on the consent calendar is tab 21. There's no public comment on tab 21. Comment next on the next consent item is
tab 23, report of correspondence. There's one person signed up as VC. Are you here in person? VC. Okay. Not here. >> No, sir.
22 is on discussion, sir. So, that we're on consent right now. So, that concludes public comment on consent items. Can I have a move and a second for hearing the consent calendar? >> I'll move it. >> Second. >> Proceed. >> Sorry. Moved by board presidentson. No,
by Nick. >> Oh, by Mr. Melvin. >> Seconded by Dr. Rivas. >> Okay. Any discussion on these items? Obviously not. Miss Newell, >> yes. >> Dr. Rivas, >> yes. >> Mr. Melvin, >> yes. >> Miss Grigo, >> yes.
>> Miss Gonomez, >> yes. >> Miss Ortiz Franklin. >> Board President Shmelson? >> Yes. >> Student board member Yang? >> Yes. >> Okay, the consent calendar passes. Thank you, everybody. All right, we have 18 minutes before our
next time certain. So, let's go to tab one. There is no comment on the item. Miss Newell, you had a question. This is tab one, donations of money to the district. >> Yes, and I had a question. I'm not sure who's here to answer. >> Yeah.
public comment on >> I just had a question. >> Okay. So my question is um the funds that are allocated from the educational foundation there's a donation um to our division of adult and career
education from the foundation. Where will the programs be located within the district? Do you know where they are? >> So they will be provided uh board member to our day's programs. We'll get to the list. It's uh particular programs that
the donation was identified for. So we'll we'll provide you that list. >> So they were already identified when the donation was. >> Yes, exactly. So there was specific schools. >> Got it. So specific schools. Okay. Exactly. And you'll have a list provided for us. >> Yes. >> Got it. Thank you. >> We're working on it right now to get
down to you. Thank you. >> That's all I needed, Miss Oh, I was going to move it. >> Oh my gosh. Until >> we can take action. Oh man. Yeah, there was public comment listed. VC is the only person I called their name. Oh, now it's David Tokovski.
>> Come on up, Mr. Tokovski. >> Please go ahead. You'll have two minutes to speak once you begin. >> Yes. Uh first of all, uh recessing from close session to close session, I believe, uh violates the spirit if not the letter of the Brown Act. If somebody
continued to recess the close session for an entire year, it would preclude public comment for an entire year. I'm no expert on the Brown Act, but I'm certainly letting it be heard in a public meeting that there is some concern with respect to that. Number
two, there is no IG present in this closed session, this open public meeting who represents the board of education. Uh, I encourage you as a board to use your staff wi wisely. Um, so that when
you do go into close session and you have an entire staff from the superintendent side that you have the staff that is direct control of the board of education or clear the close session so that the eight of you can speak honestly. uh number three on the
Brown Act. Uh I wish to speak uh perhaps against uh Kip Charters hypothetically, but there is no opportunity in this board to speak if in fact all positions are taken by the pro-side. I would refer you to the way the county board of ed
operates and other boards of ed which allows both sides of an issue to be heard by allowing somebody to fill up every spot precludes the public from having an opportunity to speak. Uh let me also say the committee of the whole was a wonderful meeting. Um it spoke
about the May revision as an opportunity to raise more money for this district. Miss Rivas asked in the open meeting whether or not the presentation by the districts included the November and December of 25 revenues on franchise tax board the January, February, March,
April and May and the answer was no. So you continue to get a presentation of a fiscal cliff and you continue to get negativity when the governor has done a great thing and to call the governor a liar in an open meeting is disgraceful. I would encourage you to get the
Department of Finance and the governor to speak right here and say what his state budget allows. Thank you for your time. I'll remind folks that when they are signed up to speak on an item specific that they keep their comments constrained to that item. So this was tab one, donations of money to the
district. Thank you so much for your time. This item has been moved. Has it been moved yet? >> Move it again. >> Moved by Miss Gonz. Thank you by Miss Newell. >> Yes. >> Miss Newell.
>> Yes. Okay. Dr. Rivas, >> yes. >> Mr. Melvin, >> yes. >> Miss Grigo, >> yes. >> Miss Gomez, >> yes. >> Miss Ortiz Franklin. >> Board President Schmurson. >> Yes. >> And student member Yang? >> Yes. >> Okay. Tab one passes. >> Moving on to tab four, approval of
routine personnel actions. There's no public comment on the item, but we do have Miss Newil with a question. >> And I had a question regarding our substitute for special education assistance. HR
>> we can follow up and and ensure that somebody from the team comes down and answers the question. So the the question is so the number of substitute uh special education assistant wanting to know is this is regular giving the report time period I think there was
likeund 38 substitutes and whether that number is higher than usual or is that the same number? Mhm. Okay. We will look into that. And >> and then are these subs in special ed assistance helping us to reduce our
reliance on other agency staffs for this particular role? >> So I can't answer the second part of that in that it's the IEP team is the one who determines who would deliver the services a student needs. Uh in most
cases it's our own special education assistance within the district. But there are moments that the IEP team may determine that a non-public agency should provide that support. >> And then is this number higher than usual? You don't we'll
>> Well, that's what we'll confirm. Um but I will we'll ask David to provide that information for us. >> Got it. >> And those are just my concerns. And I would like to thank the personnel commission for changing the title of
library aid to library technician. So very very much appreciated. Thank you. >> Move the item. >> Okay. Moved by Miss Gomez. Second. >> Seconded by board presidentson. Uh Miss Newell. >> Yes. >> Dr. Rivas.
>> Yes. >> Mr. Milvoyne. >> Miss Grigo. >> Yes. >> Miss Gomez. >> Yes. >> Miss Ortiz Franklin. Board President Schmurson. >> Yes. >> Student member Yang. >> Yes. >> Okay. Item passes. >> Moving down to tab eight. This is
emergency closure of Garfield Senior High School item. There's no public comment to the item. Uh but Miss uh Dr. Revas had a question. >> Yes. Um >> hi Brian. Good morning. >> Um I just want to start by thanking you and region east school operations and
all the staff. um the work that you did during this incident and for continuing to support our students, families, and school communities through a very challenging, precarious, and quite frankly very scary situation, right? Uncertain uncertain situation. I also appreciate you from walking us through
these questions uh during our briefing. So, these are the questions just for public um knowledge for the benefit of the public and to support transparency and share learning. I'd like to ask you um can can you explain what the G13A form is and why the district is required
to submit it after an emergency closure and why this item is coming to the board um at this point in the process. >> Thank you. So, uh the J13A is a form that's submitted anytime we have an emergency closure of a school. Um and in
this particular case, the emergency closures took place for Garfield High School and Monterey Continuation High School due to um explosives that were found at a home nearby. So the J13 is submitted to the California Department
of Education for the purpose of obtaining attendance allowance and to rectify any pay for uh the staff that are involved. And so we're we ask first the first step is to ask for the board to um approve the uh board uh report and
then we move forward with submitting the J13A to the California Department of Education so that they can um rectify and so the school does not have to make up uh a day of school. >> And this came because this h occurred in October, right? Um correct. And then
because we had November was short and we had that uh break and then um December came it was just short. So because of just you know the the number of days that's why it's coming forward right now. >> Yes. Okay. Thank you. And my last question is based on this experience
what were the key lessons learned particularly around communication family unification and how are those lessons lessons informing district emergency response and protocols moving forward? Well, the lessons that were learned, you know, Garfield High School is a very
large high school and so we learned that, you know, you have to be ready to pivot. You have to be ready to make changes on a just moment's notice as far as reunification. Um maybe moving the reunification location closer so families don't have to walk as far. Making sure that you're
prepared to have water, pop-up tents to take care of the families because they were waiting patiently. And I'm grateful for the families in line for at least a couple of hours. Also, making sure that you have generators on hand, making sure you have uh
extra laptops, um ensuring that your team is ready to run and pick up the students because as you know at Griffith, they were loc because they are large, they were located in different areas on the campus. But overall, um it went well. We were able to reunite all the kids with their families. And um we
will oh also one big thing is for large schools to have on hand their emergency booklets with the emergency cards and make sure that families keep those updated because not everyone is available to pick up their child. It may be a neighbor or a grandparent or someone. So those were some of the
lessons we learned. >> Crazy. And you also mentioned that there was a mobile unit, right, that can be able to transfer this. Yeah. >> Sorry about that. Our office of emergency management team has a minivan that is loaded and ready to go in case of emergency with stocked with supplies
to support any school in case we have to do another emergency closure. Hopefully we don't anytime soon. >> Well, thank you for that and thank you for uh like I said the whole entire team just keeping our schools, our students safe and our staff. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you.
>> That's all. >> Move the item. >> All right. So that's tab eight moved by Miss Gomez. >> Second. >> Seconded by board presidentson. Miss Newell. >> Yes. >> Dr. Rivas. >> Yes. >> Mr. Melvin. >> Miss Grigo. >> Yes. >> Miss Gomez.
>> Yes. >> Miss Ortiz Franklin. Uh board presidentson. >> Yes. >> And student member Yang. >> Yes. >> Okay. Item passes. Moving on to tab nine. >> Approval of procurement actions. We will take the public comment before the item
is discussed. So, we have one uh call in and one in person. Uh Miss Relle Tunl, are you here? Michelle Relle T. All right, come on down. You'll have two minutes to speak once you begin. >> Good morning. Good afternoon to you all. My name is Rachel Ton and I am a school
bus driver for Zoom school bus services. I've been a driver for 35 years and I've been operating as a cover driver for 20 years. I am a long-standing member of the Teamsters Local 572 where I serve as a shop steward. Um,
I've been I love what I do and the goal is providing the highest level of safety, consistency, and professionalism to our children and their families. I understand that there are a lot of moving parts to ensure that this goal is accomplished. With the support of the
training and equipment, I am able to focus on covering the routes and transporting our students with the highest and the safest means of transportation. The school bus, I'm sorry, the students and their families depends on us working
together accomplishing this goal. We are forward we look forward to continuing the work work relationship with LUSD transportation. And again, thank you all for allowing me to come speak and have a great day. >> Thank you for your time. All right, we have one remote caller, Maria Louisa
Palma. Maria Louisa Palma, I see you're online. Please press star six to unmute yourself and you'll have two minutes to speak once you begin. Maria Louisa Palma. >> Good afternoon. My name is Marlo Palma. I'm speaking on behalf of Olada, a nonprofit organization. So today, as you
do in every board meeting, you consider some specific contracts in various amounts of various leng various lengths of time. And why why do you do that? You may you have questions. I'm assuming you want to understand some of the detail that goes into that. And rightly so, but
these are small dollars and these dollars that you look at in these contracts affect not just the current, but a longer term operating budget. Great. I'm glad that you do that. But what is missing here in today's board meeting? What we are
missing is a high-level review of the big liabilities, long-term liabilities. Where would we find those? In the full set of the financial statements in the annual comprehensive financial report, which you have on the agenda for today on item 25, but that item is not
available for public comment. Education Code section 41020.3 says that the board must review at a public meeting the annual audit and its findings not receipt. You show it as a receipt. It's supposed to be placed on
the agenda in accordance with the Brown Act. But how are you in compliance with the Brown Act if the public cannot address directly what is in that annual audit? You know I am a broken record in the critique. You need to analyze the long-term liability. Any assessment,
analysis of financial statements in any entity, public or private, should begin with the balance sheet. Your statement of net position, you should have a discussion, especially given the structural deficit situation. Unrestricted net position in in June
2025, still negative 114 11.4 billion. So your statement of net position and your statement of activities by fund that are included in those financial statements are the most descriptive. You should be using these throughout the year when they are available even if
they're unawudited actuals. This becomes more and more essential as this deficit situation continues and please discuss those financial statements in public. Thank you >> for your time. Okay. Can I have a move in a second to bring this to the table
and be heard? >> Move it. Moved by Miss Gomez, >> second. >> Seconded by board president Shamrosen and Miss Grego, I believe you had questions. >> Yes. >> Hi. Um, I was just wondering why uh there is a need to contract these services.
>> Good afternoon. My name is Daniel Kang, director of transportation. Um, board member Grego. Transportation has 1,400 routes with 950 drivers. We have a shortage of drivers as well as equipment. Um for the past several decades it's
been a um plan to diversify. Over the over the years we range from anywhere from 1400 routes to 2,000 plus. Um since the district has shrank over the last 10 years in in regards to the number of students transported the number of routes have been reducing.
>> So we have uh this contract says that it'll support 405 bus routes. uh 75 are sped routes and 30 are magnet routes. So the others are just are what >> the other routes 375 sped routes. Oh, it
says here in the book it says 75. Maybe the three was typo or left out. >> Zoom. >> The number is 375. >> Correct. >> Okay. And um so the reason is because we don't have enough bus drivers, right?
How long has that been an issue that we don't have enough bus drivers? >> Um it's been a challenge. We've been working with I've been here for 5 years. uh that we continuously work with PC and um and we also in the last two years we started our own training originals
program inhouse and that's been ongoing um but uh throughout the nation and especially our market uh class A drivers or school bus drivers are in high demand >> and people are not applying for those jobs. It's high demand but there people
are not applying. >> Correct. Why is that? Due to the regulations, there are high standards, meaning absolutely clean record um and uh a level of responsibility outside of driving hours, meaning you are not speeding, you are not drinking alcohol.
Um class A certified drivers are often very professional, responsible uh line of folk. >> Okay. So, this contract is 63 million dollars. What would that be if we had them in-house? What would be the cost for us if it was in-house?
that would also include an additional bus yard. So, I would have to do some analysis to provide that. Um, >> okay. So, you're saying not only do we need the bus drivers, but we also need to have a space to hold the buses and and >> correct. Okay. And we we have plenty of land, I think, all over the district
that we could do that. Um, >> yeah. And so, yeah. So, I would like to know that because, you know, this is $63 million and I know some of our labor partners are concerned and I understand that Zoom are represented by Teamsters. Um, which is great. I'm glad that they
are represented by a union. Um, but I do want to know uh what the cost would be if we were to have these employees in house, the buses in house. Um during our briefing I asked about the uh also about uh special ed buses and or the buses
used to transport students in who receive special ed services and um I heard that our buses don't have the hardware for some of our students. >> So is that an >> yes and no issue? Um we have 19
different bus models and majority of our sped routes um are contracted through our contractors with specific equipment. Um um napkin math. Let's say we need about 400 buses with wheelchair lifts. The
district only has 200 and then therefore we contract out with spec saying we need buses with wheelchair lifts in this amount to help us cover our need. >> Okay. And I know we're requiring a lot of green buses, right? Are these are the buses that are coming in the new ones
are we trying to get some that will meet that need? >> Yes. Um but to add to that caveat uh Miss Grego is the majority of our 250 order have been primarily for our heavy buses our large buses due to the age. Our next wave of orders are the light
buses with the specific equipment that we need. So, we are uh acquiring buses that will meet this need and hopefully I mean eventually, do you think we may not need to use um Zoom services for special ed transportation?
>> That would be an ideal goal. To get there will require another busy yard or um an amendment to our STR transportation strategy. So, there are several variables involved in that >> and that that conversation hasn't happened. >> It it does continue to happen. >> Okay.
>> Yes. and and when would we see goals for this when >> that would be a continued discussion with leadership. Um I'll speak to this. I think one of the key things that we're looking at is there's a number of variables as Mr.
Kang noted is um we're looking at modernization efforts that um will very much inform our strategy around writership and supports. Um, you know, when we talk about this particular contract, it's really driven by special
ed services and IEP and the eligibility of our students. And I think that ultimately um requires a district to be a little more nimble and flexible in terms of what is the required um set of um add-ons on a bus that we need. Some
may actually require bus. Some may require spec special accommodations on a bus to serve a particular student. And so the the contracting nature allows us to be a little more flexible. When we acquire the bus, we now have that there
and it may not be utilized because it may have certain things that a student may not require. Um so we know that the more efficient way of looking at it is kind of a mixed portfolio. we do see an opportunity to reduce the contracted
side. Thinking about what does it mean to serve our students two years from now and thinking about also the recruitment of staff that will I would say join in utilizing the newly acquired buses that we intend to bring on through our kind
of grant program and and our greening of our fleet. >> Um is that are those plans and goals written anywhere? are they part of and I would like to see that. I mean, if we don't set goals, if we don't set some timelines, if we don't then if we're
just discussing without anything concretely that we're working toward, I don't know when we're going to get to that. So, I would like to see because I I would like to reduce contracting out of services. That's privatizing our workforce. And so, I don't want that. That's definitely not the route that we
want to go. So I understand that right now it provides some flexibility to meet the needs that we have but we should be working toward a goal that reduces that. So when can we see this report? How are we going to see this report? Who's going to produce this? It
>> it has been part of our strategic plan um where we've set some I would say very clear goals about utilization and leveraging the capacity that our system provides for transportation whether we're looking at our existing fleet and contracted fleet. Um the key thing for
us is really looking at how do we meet a number of different elements whether it's modernization so that we have quality wrership participation from families and utilizing what's available in the system. Second, it's really looking at how do we look at outyear uh
I would say consolidation of routes so that you're actually providing a very clear set of participation for families when it comes to expectations around writership time. Um our goal is striving to a a wrership time of under 60
minutes. We have a long way to get there and it requires us to look at all these various variables uh to improve that. >> So I will see that in the strategic plan. >> Yes, >> all of this in the that is the current one and then in the next one in creating new goals.
>> All right. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Gonz. >> Thank you. >> Yes. Thank you. Um and thank you board member Grigo. I um echo a lot of that and I also want to appreciate you know I think that if we are going to be in a position of ne needing contracted services I think it's great that we have
a partner that has a unionized um that has unionized workers and I appreciate that the testimony of the bus driver who spoke um that being said we know that this is an ongoing effort where we are trying to um close the gap when it comes to bus drivers and also physical buses.
So, I agree that more details would be helpful as well as kind of a year-over-year analysis. So, we have we've expanded the hours of our bus drivers. We have this training program. It would be helpful to know the efficacy of those efforts um whether the supports and training that we're putting in place
are actually resulting in um more folks being hired as bus drivers um for LA USD. And then the confluence, as I think Mr. um Deputy Superintendent Salceto spoke to of as we are working on transportation for all, as we are working on um optimizing our bus routes
so that they are more utilized by students, we're actually taking advantage of the spaces that exist, how does that align with our workforce and ensuring that we have the infrastructure in place um to meet to meet the expanded transportation needs of our students? Um so I I agree that more details would be
helpful um particularly as we look for a new strategic plan. Um, and then again, how does this align with our ongoing conversations with our labor partners um about hiring more LA USD employees who are bus drivers?
>> Thank you. Anyone else? >> Mr. McClean. >> All right. I haven't been moved and seconded already. Miss Newil? >> Yes. >> Dr. Rivas? >> Yes. >> Mr. Melvin, >> yes. >> Miss Grigo, >> yes. Miss Gonz,
>> no on item I and a yes on the rest. >> Gomez, no to I. Yes on balance. >> Miss Ortiz Franklin, >> yes. >> Yes. Uh, board presidentson. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. And student member Yang? >> Yes.
>> Okay. I'm going to collect some votes and then we have a time certain that we're running eight minutes behind. So, um, I will run through the votes we missed. Um, Miss Ortiz Franklin, how do you vote on the consent calendar? >> Yes.
>> Yes. How do you vote on tab one? >> Yes. >> Yes. How do you vote on tab two? >> That was consent. No, you mean tab four. >> Uh, report of cash dispersements. Uh, >> that's correct. I'm sorry. Tab four. >> Tab four. Yes.
>> Yes. Uh, Mr. Meline on tab four. >> Yes. Yes. And then tab eight. Uh, Miss Ortiz Franklin. >> Yes. >> And Mr. Meloy. Tab the same. Tab eight. Yes. >> Yes.
>> Okay, that brings us current. Now we're on to tab 19 with a time certain of 130. I apologize to those who were here timely. We are running nine minutes late. Okay, Miss Newil. >> Thank you. Um, wow. Well, this is um so
fitting uh as the time. Um, we are bringing this resolution to oppose the administration's unlawful transfer of core United States Department of Education functions to other federal agencies. actions that undermine congressional
authority and threaten the stability of our nation's educational system. Congress alone, as we know, has the authority to alter the responsibilities of the Department of Education for decades. The department has played a critical
role in protecting students civil rights and ensuring access to essential programs, especially students of color, students with disabilities, English learners, students experiencing homelessness,
and students from low-income families, which we all share within this district. We have already seen the consequences of these actions. Earlier this year, the transfer of career and technical education to the Department of Labor resulted in operational failures.
Delayed guidance and disrupted access to funding. Expanding these transfers would only increase confusion, reduce oversight, and place educational programs in agencies that lack the expertise or infrastructure to administer them.
We particularly are alarmed by the potential transfer of title one, the office of civil rights and special education oversight, especially as we mark the 50th anniversary of IED individuals with disability education
act. These moves would represent a serious step backwards for equality and civil rights enforcement. This resolution affirms that LUSD's commitment to defending the rule of law, protecting student rights, and calling
on Congress to reasset its authority and safeguard the mission of the United States Department of Education. So, I am grateful to my colleagues, board member Scott Smearien and Rosio Rivas for co-sponsoring of
this important resolution. And I will now invite them to have some words as well as comments. And Marlson, would you >> I will. I will. Thank you. And uh Los Angeles Unified is very aware that the
federal government intends to ultimately shutter the Department of Education. and I signed on to board member new bill's resolution because this is a very serious matter that will ultimately harm our most vulnerable student populations.
So regardless of what the federal administration believes, the Department of Education advocates for students with disabilities and students living in poverty and helps ensure that all students have accessible means to a
quality education. And these demographics also transcend political and social ideologies. It doesn't matter what side of the political spectrum you students sit on, it affects many. So
uh there is an argument that uh transferring these tasks to other federal departments will streamline the department of education services. However, there has been no concrete evidence that proves that argument. So,
what will happen, I know, is this. There will be disruptions in the distribution of funds or the execution of programs. And we call on the federal education rather than closing it down. Now, I
would like to introduce Anthony Regina, who represents the office of Senator Lena A. Gonzalez, California Senator of the 33rd District, who'd like to make some comments on this matter. Thank you, sir. Thank you.
>> Good afternoon, president and members of the board. Uh, my name is Anthony Regina and I serve as district representative for Senator Lena Gonzalez and I'm here on behalf of the senator in strong support of the resolution opposing the unlawful transfer of United States Department of Education functions to
other federal agencies. This resolution is a critical affirmation of Congress's constitutional authority to establish and oversee federal education policies. Any unilateral effort to dismantle or res reassign core functions of the department of education undermines the
authority and threatens the stability, accountability, and equity of our public education system. The Department of Education plays an essential role in admin and in administering and enforcing programs that serve millions of students nationwide, particularly students from historically
underserved communities. These include students with disabilities, English learners, students experiencing homelessness, and students from low-income families. Transferring these responsibilities to agencies without the appropriate expertise or infrastructure risk service disruptions, weakens civil
rights enforcement, and diminishes vital protections that students and families rely on every day. As this resolution notes, previous transfers of education responsibility have already resulted in operational failures and reduced oversight. At a time when school districts need clarity, consist
consistency, and strong federal partnership. These actions move our nation in the wrong direction. Senator Gonzalez condemns the Los Angeles Unified School District for taking the principal stand in defense of public education, federal accountability, and the rule of law and respectfully urges
the board to adopt this resolution. Thank you for your leadership and continued commitment to the students and families of Los Angeles. >> And thank you. Thank you, Mr. Regina, for coming down in person. We appreciate it very much. And our thanks to the senator. >> Of course. Thank you so much. >> Have a good one. >> Uh Charlotte, I believe that um Miss Dr.
Rivas would like to speak. >> Uh first of all, I'm honored to join uh my colleagues, Mr. Merlson and Miss Hendy Newell as a co-sponsor of this resolution and to recognize the leadership of board members um a board
member for bringing this forward for a district of our size and reach. Silence is not an option. Student LUSD educates hundreds of thousands of students serves some of the most diverse communities in the nation and operates at a scale that
makes federal policy decisions immediate and real in our classrooms. The unlawful transfer of the US Department of Education functions is not a technical adjustment. It is a fundamental threat to the civil rights enforcement. So to
IDEIDA protections for newer divergent students, students with disabilities, to title one funding for lowincome students, and to the UN account the accountability systems that safeguard equity and public education. Fragmenting these responsibilities
across agencies that lack education expertise weakens oversight, destabilizes implementation, and puts the most vulnerable students at risk. As one of the largest public school systems in the country, LUSD has both a
responsibility and a national voice. What happens at the federal level directly shapes our ability to deliver services, uphold student rights, and meet our legal and moral obligations. We have already seen how improper transfers create confusion, delay guidance, and
disrupt programs that students and families rely on. Those consequences are magnified at our scale. By adopting this resolution, LUSD is drawing a clear line. Civil rights, special education protections, and educational
accountability are not negotiable, and attempts to weaken them will be met with principal opposition from this board and this district. Thank you very much. Thanks. >> Thank you. >> If there's no other comments from the
board, we can take the public comment, folks. And there is no no public comment. >> Can I please be added as a co-sponsor? >> Thank you for bringing the resolution. >> Okay.
>> Jerry has a comment. >> Yes. Sorry. I really I wanted to really quickly comment on this resolution in particular because it's increasingly relevant to students and it's been a consistent point of discussion. You know, when I talk to the students, um, as students and youth who will inherit the systems we are currently living in,
it can often be disheartening to look at the news every day and see personal freedoms being violated and key issues like education being cast aside. Um, and I think this resolution is a continuation of the precedent Los Angeles has always set, being in an environment of advocacy that is willing
to resist oppressive, unlawful, and unethical conduct. On behalf of myself and all the students of LA Unified, I want to thank board member Nubble for bringing this resolution to the board and also in general thank the board of education and superintendent for their quick response to our ever evolving political atmosphere. Um, always
prioritizing student experiences and resources. Thank you. >> Thank you, Jerry. Any other comments, Carla? Well, first thank you Jerry for making those comments and bringing the student voice and how all of these impact you all and also what you are understanding
and analyzing out of what's going on in our world right now. So, thank you for bringing that voice. Um, I'm glad that uh via this resolution we are taking a clear stance um against the dismantling of the Department of Education. This
dismantling impacts our students civil rights and especially as it pertains to our students with disabilities or students in the special education program. We need to continue to put pressure on our elected officials and also call on our school communities to
join us in this fight. We have so many constituents in this district who I know are also impacted by this and want to do something about it and we need to bring them together to join in this call and in this fight to uh stop this dismantling. So, thank you very much for
bringing this forward and I'd like to be a co-sponsor as well. >> Wonderful. Thank you. Any other comments? >> I would just love to be added as well. >> Thank you. >> And also Miss Ortiz Franklin. Okay, you got got them all. Okay, >> I think we got them all. Okay. >> I want to say thank you for your support.
>> Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Ready for a vote. Can we have a move? >> Moved by Mr. Meloy. >> Seconded by Dr. Rivas. Uh, Miss Newell. >> Yes. >> Dr. Rivas, >> yes. >> Mr. Meloyne, >> yes.
>> Miss Grigo, >> yes. >> Miss Gomez. >> Miss Artis Franklin, >> yes. >> Board President Schmuren, >> yes. >> Student board member Yang. >> Yes. >> Just verify the number of co-sponsors. >> Yes. Yeah. So for co-sponsors on that, the original sponsors were uh Miss Newville who brought it, board president
smurlson and then Dr. Revas. And then we have um just four more board members that added. So that's Kelly, Greg, Miss Ggo, um Mr. Melvin, and Mr. Tis Franklin. So all seven board members and and Jerry. >> Okay, >> that would be a unanimous.
>> Cool. >> All right, we have a time certain of 1:30, so we can go on to other remaining business. All right. So that that would be tab 22 adoption of the updated 2526 calendar.
And I believe that we have >> wait what it 10. >> Okay. No, I I uh >> he went to the other side of the page. See that? Um, neither one has p anyway.
Yes, we'll go to 10. Okay, 10 has no public comment and there were questions from Miss Newil and Mr. Melvinne and maybe others. >> Rosio, yeah, >> I had just a question on our best value
policy as a tool. >> Hi, Matt. So my question is, will this uh tool allow us to leverage more tools to obtain competitive pricing on items we purchase in volume so that we can continue to be good stewards of our public dollars like flexibility for
piggybacking prices um with other agencies with that. >> Good afternoon. Matt Freriedman, chief procurement officer. Um so best value is specific to public construction projects. So this method is being used strictly in in a construction manner.
>> Got it. Just for that. And so will we be able to obtain better pricing that could in turn benefit other school districts within LA County or other parts of the state? >> Um the the best me value method doesn't
look at cost specifically. Um it's a range of uh qualifications around whether it be um the specifics of the the the resumes of the project team um a number of other things that that are based around quality as opposed to price
is factored in as part of the scoring method. So do do we look at other school districts I mean publicly of the cost to another entity or another to be able to factor that price in there to see that we are getting the best value.
>> I I think maybe what you're you're asking is whether an assessment of construction costs across different districts is being done. Um I I can recall that there was a recent study um done by MGT around our our construction program and that's one factor. Um, I'm
not sure if there's other analysis that have been performed to take a take a look or assess kind of the the construction costs in comparison to other school districts. >> That is just one piece of it. When I ask about the cost that's going into the best value,
>> correct? the the scoring methodology is that the the bid price or the cost is divided by the the actual quality score in a best value um format and then an ultimate score is is given. So cost is a factor in it but not necessarily the the
entirety of of the decision. That's why they call it best value, right? So again the best value for the district amongst quality and other factors or scenarios >> and the quality where we be able to measure it against where do we get the criteria for that quality to be in the best.
>> Sure. Um so as part of um the the state's law and and certainly when it was given as a pilot to the district um the the idea was around reduced contract delays um reduced change orders uh construction claims and in 2024
um the district had a independent audit done and it basically found that all of the things that the best value method was intended to to achieve um is being achieved. And so that in this equation we will be able to see those that get the bid or
get the job they will have less change orders in their particular or because I know that also boosts I mean we we're here looking at cost often right and we want cost and product to match and so when we look at it obviously we're looking at the whole
piece and we want to be best stewards of the dollars that we spend districtwide statewide. So when we look at that are we able to say yes because we've been able to reduce the amount of change orders which benefits the cost. We know that the product is done well because the state reviews whomever we use
because they have to follow a certain standard. >> So I I think maybe looking at it from like a total cost of ownership. So change orders, construction claims, um the back and forth that may be involved with a project of the scale and size of
the district. Um so all of those in aggregate should be reduced as a result of this method and in that audit they more or less agreed with those findings to say these are the things that that have have been achieved with the program and as a result of that the states actually now um written law that all K12
districts can use the best value method. >> Okay Nick, >> thank you. Um and thanks Mandy Nubble. I had a similar question about basically if value is driving up quality, you know, we're improving quality, it could also be driving up cost and how do we
ensure that it's not and so thank you for asking that and I had heard from the team about the independent audit as well. But I think that's something as we assess this and now that it's codified in law to think through um at what cost are we getting this quality and making sure that we're you know kind of
continually reassessing. So thank you for that. I guess my my one other question was that while this is limited to facilities contracts, I did note that one of the changes is that we can now use best value for non-bonded procurements and so is that just
non-bonded within facilities and can you explain more about the implications of that? >> Correct. So it's specific again to to construction projects. Um so ELOPF funded projects, COPS funded projects, but specifically to uh construction projects and and maybe a way to look at
it is liking it to non construction projects where cost isn't necessarily the sole driver of a decision. It's it's objective criteria set within the scope and the RFP. Uh again, for non-construction projects, it's very similar in that manner. So prior to this
policy change, it was still only construction but only bond funded >> specific to the district. So in in the state code, it's it's all construction projects. And >> so what this policy adoption by the board is doing is saying that the ELOP,
the COP, the non-bonded construction projects, we can also apply best value. Correct. >> Great. >> Over a million. >> Over a million. Yeah. Thank you. >> Rosio, did you have a question on this? No one else. Okay. Mr. McClean.
>> Okay. Can I move in a second on tab 10? >> Move. >> Moved by Dr. Rivas. >> Second. >> Seconded by board presidentson. Uh, Miss Newell. >> Yes. >> Dr. Rivas, >> yes. >> Mr. Meline, >> yes. >> Miss Grigo, >> yes. >> Miss Gomez. >> Miss Ortiz Franklin. >> Yes. >> Uh, board presidentson.
>> Yes. >> In student board member Yang. >> Yes. >> Six eyes. 10. Go to tab 12. We have seven speakers on tab 12. Proposition 39 charter
facilities compliance for 2627. Uh Nicole and Duket, are you here to speak to tab 12? Uh Keith Delequila Dequila, are you here for tab 12? Yes, you are. Come on down. You have two minutes to speak once you
begin. >> Good afternoon board members. Um I'm here on behalf of charter public schools across Los Angeles serving more than 100,000 students. Um we believe the district can do better on facility issues. We're not there yet and this item continues to demonstrate where we
have areas for growth. In the item before you, we are repeating the same flawed analysis and inevitably seeding the same old conflicts that we do want to move past and we're not moving closer towards lasting solutions. We're moving closer towards repeating the same
challenges that we've seen before. It's frustrating of how familiar this all feels. The findings that you have this year's read very similar to last year's. It's a lot of copy and paste. um the same conclusions, the same assumptions, and the same lack of school specific analysis. Courts have already
made clear that the district can't provide its own convenience over equitable access for students. Um but this report recycles the same approaches under some new labels. Um a few points. There's no clear data analysis here showing why schools can't be
accommodated on a single site. No transparent classroom calculations. um no meaningful comparison of capacity and enrollment. Um that analysis just simply isn't here. The report continues to detail hypothetical impacts to district programs without reckoning with the real
impact to charter school students. Um but ultimately this is a tired approach. It's one that I think each one of us here at the deis me at this microphone an approach that we've inherited not one that we've really embraced. And so what I'm asking you for is don't keep
recycling the same approaches. Let's solve these problems in different ways. Partnership is possible. We saw a tremendous example of it this morning in welcoming back 200 kids to Palisades Charter High School. That took adults working together beyond our old partisan
or ideological differences. Tremendous work for which this district deserves a claim and appreciation. We can do that work elsewhere. The charter community is here to work with you. We do not want this board to engage in the same fights that we have before. So, we're asking for conversation around
a comprehensive facilities plan. Let's move past these same old tired arguments. Thank you. >> Thank you for your time. Uh Joanie Angel. >> Waving time. Thank you. Uh David Richardson waving time. Uh Carmen Loera is calling
in. Let me see if that person she's not line. Uh Justine Gonzalez, are you here? Here. And Casey Kenda signed up to speak online. Are you in the room? No. So that completes public comment for tab 12.
May have a motion in a second to take the item. Oh, okay. We can move it and and bring Yeah. and bring it to the table, please. Moved by Dr. Rivas. >> Second.
>> Second by Miss Newell. your questions. >> So I have cher school division comes forward prop 39. Um I understand that there will be material revisions separate from what is before us today. Uh can uh staff clarify what revisions
are anticipated and how those changes can be reflected in the final findings and written statements and what materials will be ultimately be submitted as part of the formal prop 39 record. And this is in regards to Extera. board vice president. I'll take that for
the team uh since it's still something that's pending. But to your specific question, um sometimes schools indicate to us they may have plans for private facilities. In this case, as you noted, Extera is one they they discussed that they may be submitting or they plan to
submit a material vision if they have already. Yeah. And so then the team will be reviewing that per process and at some point should they have those facilities the district can enter into an alternative agreement to then uh
potentially then they'll go to that private site and potentially then not be on a district site. So it'll depend on those facts and the timing etc. Uh but not just that case other cases there may be schools that have changes there could be those discussions for alternative
agreements. At that point the board has delegated to the superintendent or his designate and then those alternative agreements can be entered into certainly within the alternative agreement. Lastly I'll note there is conferral with the board office per policy. >> So just to get this to understand so the
there will be some materials revisions that you will be analyzing and bringing forward to us for a vote. Um and based on that there there may or may not be an alternative agreement just for based on what you see in the material vision
>> for that case or any other case uh that can come though the material vision timelines are pretty much going to be passing to get it done by June. So, but that is one that we uh will be analyzing >> and at one point will any of these changes be communicated to this the colloccated schools.
>> It'll be once we have the facts and so with any alternative agreement for example the schools and the regions are very much involved. So at the appropriate time there will be uh there'll be discussions with them to consider those alter. have um an estimated timeline of given the fact
that they've already turned submitted them. So after this point, what would be sort of >> an a timeline that you would >> based on the current submission? While the target date is June, we the team will assess a potential action for material visions in May if possible um
and then any other appropriate actions thereafter. So when is the ultimate last date that alternative agreement has to be um sort of settled or >> there's roll in there's no one deadline. It can happen throughout the cycle.
Certainly the timelines of then occupancy or you're not going to occupy but we've had that before with charter schools exploring private facilities where there may be some language uh that is added to consider the timing um if they're not going to occupy. that have
to be done by say June 30th by the end of this fiscal year or academic year. Not necessarily. No. >> So it could be done in July. >> Correct. >> I'll be in August. >> It could >> obviously the closer you get to uh the
start of the school year. There'll have to be decisions made by the charter school, the district to really uh understand those impacts. >> Right. I I mean I'm asking in terms of settling the ultimate al alternative agreement. Correct. So it can be at any point >> during the cycle. Yes. So yes, short answer is yes.
>> Um based on that scenario, um I think it's best to take into account the impact it would have on our district schools so they have an understanding because if there is no if all of this is uncertain and our schools, right, need
to know if they're going to have the space or not. Um um particularly um yeah all of the three schools there we have Eastman Breed and Second Street. So it' be good for them to also know what is happening have a communication so they
know also how to plan and prepare and know when they will you know hopefully have use of the extra space that they will be getting. >> Understood. And our operations coordinators uh will be in touch and are in touch with the schools my understanding. >> Thank you.
Any other questions? >> Go for it. Yeah. >> Um I have questions regarding um decisions about how we uh decide that a middle school or a span school, charter
span school will be colloccated with an elementary school. uh like a middle school and an elementary school. >> Sure. So um my name is Janette Bordon, charter schools operations manager in the charter schools division. Um so our
team in assessing the facilities requests that are received from charter schools um works with the regions and other offices in LA Unified to assess each facility's request including the the grade levels that are served by the charter school and the locations where the charter school is requesting to
colllocate. Um, and so whether a charter school is currently coll-located, if they're already at a particular site and they're requesting to remain at that site, that plays a factor in um in in the decisions that are made as um one of the the districts um excuse me. Um one
of the district's matching guidelines is to not move a charter school unnecessarily. Um that's part of the state regulations as well. Um and so uh if a charter school is already in a configuration like that then they um may stay in in such a configuration and
otherwise it's an assessment of what space is available in the area where the charter school has requested to locate. >> So it's it's guided by space availability it sounds like not necessarily by the needs of the students. >> It depends too on what the charter
school's requesting the the specific facts of each facility's request. Um, sometimes there is a charter school that's particularly requesting a site that may be um, you know, like a charter school may have grades K through eight and request to be at an elementary school. Um, and so that's assessed and
then we're looking at the the full inventory of where space is available and other factors at each of the district campuses. Um, that plays into what how the region and uh, our office works together to assess where the most appropriate um, collocations might be. So, we look at the charter request and
that guides what we're going to do. Or do we also look at the at the district school? Absolutely. To see how the what the impact is going to be? >> Yes, that's part of our district matching guidelines as well is considering student safety and um and and so the starting point is looking at
what is in the facilities request. That's part of what the state regulations tell us to look at what they've requested and then you know work with that first to assess if that is possible. Um and if it's not then we are able to offer other locations. And how
are schools supported? Both schools, a charter and the the district school supported in situations where you have um an elementary school district school and then a middle school that is a charter school and obviously there you know each school has its own rules,
expectations of kids um policies. So, how do we support both of those schools to be able to communicate with one another to when issues come up that are impacting student safety, how do we deal
with that? How often do we go and talk to them? Do we include the educators from both um schools in those conversations? >> Great question. Um so most importantly communication at the school site is paramount. Um when when in order to have
a successful collocation communication between the administrators of the the colloccated sites so the the charter principal and the district principal that's the first and most important relationship because they're there on a day-to-day basis overseeing the operations. So what they do is they
create shared schedules. They create um they have at least monthly meetings if not more frequent to discuss um operational concerns to you know talk about their schedules um so that they can continually adjust and be responsive
to each other's needs. Um and so at those collocation meetings that um our staff in the charter schools division were able to support at those meetings if if they want us to be there. Um, we're also going out and providing training to both the charter principal and the district principal about the
policies that are in place. Um, and then checking in and helping to uh mediate as needed when there are questions and concerns. >> So, the principles have to call you in order to get that support. >> Our staff goes out proactively. Um, we have particular check-ins and then our staff is, you know, continually as the
the weeks unfold going out and dropping by to check in to see if there are issues that they need support with. Okay. I had a couple of schools that had some concerns around that and they were struggling with um being able to communicate um the concerns from the
elementary school, the concerns they had with the middle school like around safety, student safety. Um I als you know I also had concerns about just the traffic that it creates when you know some parent and it wasn't the principal
and it wasn't the educators from the charter but it was actually the parents who were not following the policies the parking and driving policies of the neighborhood and it seems like the charter principal also couldn't deal like they just they had tried they
understood the issue but nothing was getting done and I think I shared it with you so I I mean, I I want those things to be taken care of because what the gentleman earlier said about, you know, a lot of this has to do with, you know, relationship building, being able
to communicate something that feels fair to both sides, right? And so when we don't have that, that's when you issues come up. And um and that's my concern with collocations because I don't I don't it's not something that each side
um well at least for us for the district for our district schools it's not necessarily that they chose that it's something that's been imposed on them right and so because of that that's more work for you all in the charter school division to try to make sure that that
relationship that conversation those those agreements are are done in a fair way in a fair manner for both. So, >> thank you for that. I also wanted to add we work really closely with region operations. Um, and so we're we're continually, you know, bringing together
different offices to make sure that needs are addressed and we we do appreciate when we hear concerns so that we can more uh we can address them reactively. We're out there proactively trying to get information and see where we can help support and coordinate around uh challenges at at our
colloccated sites. Okay. and we'll follow up with your office on other details. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> So, thank you. Um, now if we can, uh, go for a vote on this. It's been moved and seconded. >> Vote sounds good. Uh, Miss Newil, >> yes.
>> Dr. Rivas, >> yes. >> Mr. Meloy, >> yes. >> Miss Grigo, >> yes. >> Miss Gomez. >> Mr. Ortiz Franklin. Board President Schmurson and student board member Yang. >> Yes. >> Four eyes. I know some folks are
grabbing lunch, so we'll return to those votes shortly. >> So now I'm not sure if um Miss Hendy new bill is ready for I know it's not 1:30 yet, but if you want to start now or we can move on. Oh, okay. So, we're moving on to item 22.
No, sorry. Uh, item 20, recognizing January's human trafficking awareness month and affirming student support for student safety and prevention. So, Miss Newil. >> Yes. >> Yes. Um, thank you. This is very
important um work here and so just thank you guys for allowing me to bring this um where am I? So this resolution um is important in learning and discussing what educators should prioritize when addressing human
trafficking in our schools. A thousand of our children in the US are at risk of child exploitation and labor trafficking every year. Schools can do their part to fight human trafficking by incorporating age appropriate lessons, teaching
students to catch warning signs of trafficking, and including survivor stories within the curriculum. Also reinforcing annually with our middle school students, high school, how traffickers build trust online and in person through gift, secrets, and things
of isolation. Annual training for our educators and staff to recognize signs and respond appropriately. The national hotline has struggled in the last two years with increased call volumes and request staffing and
operational capacity has increased. technology and data security challenging this vital support system to more effectively and efficiently address the needs of victims and survivors. There are two additional ways to help ensure victims
and survivors that can exit situations of trafficking and continue their journeys toward recovery, healing, and freedom. And so it is my pleasure to be able to introduce our speaker today. Um Heidi
Feinstein Sodto is a 43rd Los Angeles city attorney, the first female city attorney in the Los Angeles history, and the first Latina elected citywide. She is the city's general counsel and serves as the legal adviser to the
mayor, the city council and entitled and entities that make up the city of Los Angeles. The city council and to hundreds of boards, departments, officers, and entities that make up the city of Los Angeles.
She and her team of over 300 attorneys have been working in the area of homelessness, criminal justice, senior abuse, environment, domestic violence, drug and human trafficking. This is why we thought it important for the board
and our community to hear from her on this resolution. Thank you for being here. >> Thank you so much for having me. Good afternoon, honorable board members, educators, staff, the community, to superintendent, and to the board
president. Thank you so much for having me here. I want to especially thank board member Charlotte Hendy Newil of District 1 um for the invitation and for bringing us together as LA USD formally recognizes human trafficking prevention
month. Um I'm Heidi Felstein Sto. I am your Los Angeles city attorney and I've been involved in human trafficking, particularly the sex trafficking of our minors um since almost my first day in office. Um this year the theme of human
trafficking prevention month is stronger connections, stronger futures. And I think that shows the shift in the law enforcement approach to this problem and to this terrible crime because we have for too long in our history criminalized
the victims and given a pass to the perpetrators. And so starting in 2023, um my office was very proud to recognize that disrupting this kind of trafficking requires connections like the ones we
see here today between those who interact with our children who are in a position to keep them safe, educator, staff, and the community, our law enforcement personnel, and I'm very proud to have partnered with the Los Angeles Police Department, primarily the
South Bureau, and the 77th Street station on the Figuroa corridor initiative that we've been spearheading and service providers. We have reached out and at this point in time our patrol cars and our response to the sex
trafficking especially of minors along the Figuro rowa quarter and elsewhere in the city of LA has a provider, a counselor, someone who is focused on trauma- centered care right there with the police department so that when we
approach a victim, a potential victim, we are in a position to have them speak to someone who's not wearing a badge and a uniform and a gun and someone who can relate to them and hopefully get them the help they need. Just this morning, I
was very proud to stand with our Los Angeles district attorney with one of our service providers, Journey Out, and um with the um Los Angeles Police Department to announce the expansion of our anti-trafficking measure to the
Western Avenue between Santa Monica and Washington. Um, very grateful to council member Ugo Sto Martinez from CD13 for his leadership and help in us moving this project as well into his district.
Trafficking, as I learned, and it wasn't something that was in my life experience when I took office, um is something that comes about as a result of sometimes force, such as kidnapping, sometimes fraud, basically the seduction of a
young person, or coercion into some kind of labor or commercial sex act. I wish I could tell you it was uncommon. It's not. Um it can happen in any community and victims can be of any age, any race, any gender, any nationality and any
economic status. Um some of the victims that we have rescued off the Figua Street corridor uh were as young as 12. Um and at least some of the adults were here as students at our schools in this community and were romeoed out what we
call a Romeo and Juliet relationship that turns abusive and coercive. Traffickers use violence, manipulation, romantic relationships, you know, promises of fame and fortune and well-paying jobs to basically entrap primarily young women and girls um but
sometimes boys and young men into a life where they no longer have any choice and they cannot leave. So the objectives for this work and which are so well enshrined in your approach in this resolution are first and foremost to
assist and decriminalize the victims those who are trafficked in this trade. Secondly, to disrupt the demand, to make sure that the purchasers, the exploiters, the john's pay a price for coming out and purchasing sex from a
minor. That is something that we take quite seriously. Um, third, to build a case and prosecute the predators, the proiteeers, the traffickers themselves who are earning money off of other people's bodies. and finally shutting
down the crime magnets, the motel, the places of business that tolerate this kind of activity in broad daylight. I will tell you that we've rescued over 250 children, uh the youngest of whom was 12. We've sent out over 2,000 Dear
John letters, which are photographs of uh the license plate and of usually it's a man who's buying the services um to let them know that we're operating in the area. And we have arrested and prosecuted more than 190 John's
perpetrators and pimps in my office as sort of misdemeanor prosecutions. There were also 66 felony pimping and pandering arrests and 68 human trafficking arrests which usually are referred to the district attorney or the US attorney's office. We also have
85 supervising prostitution arrest. In leveraging all of this, we have tried to bring a comprehensive approach. And I'm proud to stand here today and say that um the Los Angeles Police Department has for a long time been in the schools, as
I suspect, you know, holding quarterly meetings with administrators and with teachers and with other adults in these children's lives to help the adults in their lives recognize the signs of human trafficking and be able to report it. As I wrap up with this, I want to thank you
for bringing this important issue to the forefront. I want to assure you that my office has been talking to the LAPD about joining and expanding that effort in order to build public awareness and to build educational awareness so that our kids can't be seduced as they leave
the school to go home or as they walk to their school. We are making our neighborhoods safer and I will tell you that we will not tolerate the trafficking of our children any place in the city of Los Angeles whether it's the Figuroa corridor, it's the western
corridor, the Sepulva track or beyond. For those who may be listening, please know there is a national human trafficking hotline. It offers 247 confidential assistance in, believe it
or not, 200 languages. And so we really encourage folks to call them. The number is 8883737 Whoops, 788 or you can text them at 233722.
Um, thank you very much for helping to raise public awareness. Thank you very much for always keeping the safety and security of our children first, for your service on this board, um, and for your work in making all of us safer because
with our kids is where it all starts. I'm happy to take any questions if you have any. Um, otherwise I applaud the LAUSD trafficking resolution and I look forward to a partnership as we go forward.
>> Thank you so much. Um, again, so appreciate you to be here because um, those two of those areas drive through district 1. Um, and we're often um, in support of those families. I as a
coach have been I've seen that face to face. I've seen one of my students on the street. Um and so it is definitely an area where we want to continue to bring awareness to continue to um
provide resources. Um, and as you mentioned with that national hotline 1883737888 again because it is so important to continue to highlight where we can be able to support and help educate our students. So I think there's some questions. Yes.
>> First, thank you city attorney for for what you do. And for those who don't know, you are a fluent speaker of Spanish. Very good. Very good. But I just wanted our people to know that uh you can be contacted in English or in Spanish. That's very important. I appreciate
that. >> Thank you. >> Now, back to Miss New. I want to extend my appreciation to you really for the opportunity to co-sponsor this resolution. And this uh is a unfortunate and horrifying problem that we are
currently experiencing Los Angeles. Nothing new. Just a few blocks on Figaroa Street, there have been several atrocities by uh written by the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times about human trafficking happening before our very
eyes right on Figuroa and in the valley too. I have to admit I represent board district uh three in the valley also. And as a school district, we must realize how this affects our students, their families, and their friends. While
the thought of going on so close to where we are currently sitting is unimaginable, we cannot avert our eyes from the reality. So, however, we are here to look out for each other. That's our job. And to take care of our
communities. So, we are holding out hope for anyone who is experiencing these terrible conditions to reach out to your local LA USD school. And when I say the school, that doesn't just mean your teacher or your principal. It's
everybody. It could be the B&G worker, your cafeteria worker, your library technician, your campus aid. Reach out. There are people at school with whom you can speak. And if you are a survivor of human trafficking, please know you are
not alone. Okay? We care and this district cares. And I want to thank you for what you have done, uh, city attorney. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Nou. Thank you. And I do want to just add it, I didn't mention this, but also to make an
appointment, I think it needs to be public. You said for your individual members of Congress to ask them to increase funding as we talk about um for a trafficking hotline. As we mentioned, they're inundated. Um and I'm recommending our government relations team to request that we have a
congregational delegation as well. I I will add to this that my office does have some funding available. Uh we have a program called Children Exposed to Violence. Um and we use that grant grant money to partner with our service
providers to ensure that the children that are um and with children I will say rescued. Okay, I do think that adults help themselves but with children that we rescue get into a safe space. So, um,
we should coordinate with that. >> Thank you, Rosil. >> Yes. Um, well, thank you, uh, Miss Newil for this. So, at a time when students are facing increased exposure to exploitation both online and in their communities, I strongly support your
resolution and respectfully request to be added as a co-sponsor. Um, human trafficking is a grave violation of human rights and a real and present danger for our young people, including students in our schools. In the current moment, uh, marked by economic
instability and displacement and digital exploitation, the risk of trafficking is heightened, particularly for students who are already vulnerable. Schools are often one of the few stable institutions in a young person's life. Educators, counselors, and school staff are
uniquely positioned to recognize warning signs, intervene early, and connect students to trusted supports. I want to thank board member Newell for her leadership in bringing this resolution forward, which affirms the district's responsibility to prioritize prevention,
training, and traumainformed responses, and to strengthen partnerships that protect students and support survivors. Raising awareness is an important stepping stone that supports and strengthens our broader efforts, including continued investment in staff training, clear protocols, and
coordinated systems of care so that every campus is equipped to respond with care, clarity, and accountability. In moments like this, affirming student safety and dignity is essential to our mission as a public school system. Thank you. >> Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> All right, Carla, you'd like to speak? Yeah, thank you Charlotte for bringing this forward. Like you, I had students when I worked at a school for pregnant and parenting minors who we suspected might have been trafficked. And it's really hard because as a teacher, um,
you don't you may not know all the signs, right, of it. And so I'm wondering I saw the the resolution had some language around professional development but I want to ask my our staff if we have professional development on this on human
trafficking. We have uh ongoing professional development and human trafficking as well as our CESC which is committees that are established at the school site that are intended to identify provide intervention and coordinate um with city
services ald um to continue kind of educating folks on looking for those signs but also how do you respond um it's also part of our resilience curriculum that um our uh student support services has developed
over the years. Um so there there are a number of resources that we have executed on over the years um and we continue to support. >> Are these mandatory or are they optional professional development? >> They're they're optional professional
development but we know many of our s sites take advantage of of the time and effort. >> Anyone else? Mr. Melvilley. >> Sure. I'll just appreciate my colleague for bringing this. I'd love to be added as a co-sponsor. I also want to thank our city attorney. I know in the past and the superintendent and I a couple
years ago met with folks from the US attorney's office in LA and department of labor over this as well. Obviously in a prior administration and so I don't know that we're getting that federal support but appreciate you being here. Um and just uh Miss Feldinto your your support in general um uh for our schools
and our school districts. It's been you've been a great partner for our students and so we're grateful for you being here on this issue but on every issue that affects the students of LA. So thank you. Thank you very much, sir. And it is my honor to do so because our children are our future. If we don't
invest in our kids, if we don't provide a path for them to go forward, we have nothing left. We have failed as a society with our legacy. And so, thank you for everything you do to make our students and our communities better. Really appreciate it, >> Jerry.
Yes. I wanted to thank board member Newell and city attorney Feltin Sodto for bringing awareness to such an important issue of making my peers and I more knowledgeable about the injustices that many human beings face and many of their peers might face as well. Especially with the proliferation of social media, human trafficking has
taken many different forms that are often difficult to identify, making it all the more important to inform students of the dangers and various tactics. I would love to see this information and awareness extended beyond PD sessions to mandatory classes like health education, seeing as studies have actually proven that education on
the various forms of human trafficking is directly correlated with increased reporting and identification of dangerous online human trafficking schemes. The first step to action is education and learning and this commitment represents a critical step towards a safer Los Angeles for all students and communities. So, thank you
and I would love to be added as a co-sponsor. Um let me just say as you mentioned online as did board member Grigo um we have a bill that we are taking to Sacramento this year. If you look at some of the online crimes basically the
production of child pornography is a crime. We have a bill that we have taken to Sacramento to criminalize the viewing of child pornography on the internet because once again I'm trying to shift the focus from the individuals from the
children who are visible on the tape or online to the people creating the demand for that kind of exploitation. And if you're interested in a volunteer project and you might want to work with us on a bill uh that we actually will be pushing through Sacramento, I would invite you
or any of your fellow students to join us. We have an internship program in my office and it's an opportunity to see a bill affecting kids start to finish. >> Awesome. >> So, Miss Felstein Sto, I just have to
tell you that u children are so important to us. This is the LA Unified School District. And we as teachers and counselors and administrators, we see what goes on in our schools and we recognize when something is wrong with a child. Something is just wrong. We can
tell how they're acting. They're just not acting the same as normal. And that's where we get into this business of making sure that you and your office knows what's going on. The kids talk to us. They do. And that's uh our job to help you. And we thank you very much. >> Thank you, sir. And thank you again to
board member New Bill for allowing me to be here and inviting me. I applaud your efforts. Thank you. >> Thank you again. Appreciate it. >> All right. We've got some public comment on the item. I'll read the folks who are listed as speaking in person and then transition to the person who listed
themselves as speaking remotely. Uh Aiden, are you here? Aiden. Uh Nola Newell. Nola Newell. Brian Zbrano, are you here? Brian Z, Trainee, are you here?
Joseph Williams, not here. Uh, Khalil Williams, uh, Leo Seron, uh, Felix Maxwell, Gilbert Lopez. All right. And the remote speaker is
Dion Guen. Miss Gen is going to speak in Spanish. So, if you're like to hear what she's saying in English as she's speaking in Spanish, please put your hands up and we will get you these translation headsets. >> Okay, Miss Guen, please press star six to unmute yourself and you'll have two
minutes to speak once you begin. Diana Guen. Okay. >> Well, good afternoon members of the board. My name is Diana Gen and I represent a parent network for school safety and we have collected
hundreds of signatures so that school police can come back to the premises on school grounds. So, we want to thank the um representative of the city to come and speak about this since the human trafficking and minors is such a big
problem in our district. She provided some very important facts and how her work and police is important and vital for to deal with these types of crimes. So
we've been coming here for two years now trying to fight for this and Miss Grigo and Mr. Melvroy and Miss Gomez and more even Miss Rosio who fight for
our kids for safety but they continue not wanting police in the schools. There is a law right SB 357 that was that was called SA save student
safety for all and it says what there shouldn't be discrimination for uh black women for criminalization. But there's a lot of crimes where women are being obligated to work
in this sexual realm. So please listen to our voices as parents to protect our kids and we don't feel listened to. Sometimes they create laws but they're really hurting us as a society. To me
this law is important but it requires more. Not just not to discriminate the adult people who are dedicated to uh prostitution, but how are you going to protect kids without police and say
if there is suspicions of a minor that is being abused, police is not able to do anything and sometimes uh she at least this person knows that these things happen. So thank you very much and I hope the on the rule 72 waiver.
>> Move it. >> Moved by board president Schmurson. Seconded by Miss Newell. Uh Miss Newell. >> Yes. >> Dr. Rivas. >> Mr. Melvin. >> Yes. >> Miss Grigo. >> Yes. >> Miss Gomez. >> Miss Ortiz Franklin. >> Uh board president. >> Yes.
>> Uh student member Yang. >> Yes. >> One, two, three. So it's four. That's four votes. The rest are either at lunch or returning to us shortly. So tab 20 passes. We'll come back and I'm sure it'll be more votes for that and then we'll go to tab 20 actual moved by for
presidentson. >> Seconded by Miss Newell. Uh Miss Newell. >> Yes. >> Dr. Revas. >> Mr. Melvinne. >> This is for >> 20 proper. So the first was the waiver. >> Yes. Yes. Yes. >> That's a yes. All right. Miss Grigo.
>> Yes. >> Miss Gomez. Miss Ortiz Franklin, board president Schmelson. >> Yes. >> And student board member Yang. >> Yes. >> All right. So, tab 20 passes along with the >> We have
more business. I'd like to go to tab 22 if that's okay. Very quickly, there is just one amendment that needs to be made to the calendar that was posted for the committee schedules, and that was to move the February 26th safety committee
from 1:00 p.m. to 2 p.m. to accommodate. So, that's the only change that's been made to the committee schedule. Um, should we >> Okay, we're gonna we're gonna pause for a moment. Um, and then we'll come back
to this. We don't have a we don't have a quorum for the time being. So Okay. So, we're going to continue with tab 22. It's just changing a date from Feb a time on February 26 for the safety
committee from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. >> Okay. Moved by Mr. Melvin. >> Second. >> Seconded by Mr. >> Uh, Miss Newell. >> Yes. >> Dr. Rivas. Mr. Melvin. >> Yes. Yes. Miss Grigo,
>> yes. >> Miss Gonz Ortiz Franklin, board president, >> yes. >> Uh, student board member Yang, >> yes. >> Tab 22. Um, let me see if I can collect any votes.
Board President Schmelson on tab 12. >> That was the charter facility compliance. That's a yes. That's all that I have for that. Um shall we go to tab 25? I believe there's a brief presentation the receipt of annual comprehensive financial report.
>> Yes, >> that is correct. And and before we invite u Mr. for Musa up. I I I thought it'd be important to just go over some some quick highlights and just want to extend my my gratitude to uh someone bravo Karimi,
um Kurt John, uh Ernie Thomas, Victoria Reyes, the team that prepared this report, and it's intended to provide a a comprehensive review on the well-being of the district's uh financial um position. And
what you'll see in the in the report is that we are seeing a acceleration of revenue adjustments um from the 23 24 to 2425 um calendar years and we're looking at
um less resources that have come as a result of the changes in ESSER upwards of $800 million in less revenue. Um, and when you combine that with just general fund unrestricted revenue, it's a net
difference of 1.7 billion less revenue that is seen in the 2425 year. Um the other key thing that I just want to highlight is that and you all will see this in the second interim report is that there is about 7 57 million
uh more reflected in unexpended dollars in the 2425 year as compared to the unudited actuals that came to the board in September. Um and so we're we're reflecting that because there was less expenditures in our special ed program
and also some higher LCFF revenues that um were not captured in the unodudited actuals. And so with that I would invite Mr. Musa um to kind of walk us through the highle points of the um annual comprehensive financial report. And I've
also um we'll look to Simon, Ernie, John, um Kurt and the team to answer any questions that the board might have. >> Thank you very much. Uh good afternoon everyone. My name is Joe Musa, audit partner with Simpson and Simpson CPAs. I served as the engagement uh engagement
partner over the audit of the district's financial statements as of June 30, 2025. So, um, as as previously discussed, we're going to have a very brief presentation over the results of our audit and certainly always available to answer questions. So, overall, what why are we here? What
is a requirement? You'll see here on our slide, uh, the ED code 41020 requires an annual audit of every LEA's financial statements. And we're here to satisfy that requirement and assist the district in resolving that requirement. uh it is the district's responsibility district
management to prepare the financial statements uh with oversight by the board of education and is our responsibility to provide an opinion whether those financial statements are materially stated and according to our auditing standards. So very quick overview we'll talk a
little bit about our responsibility uh we'll have a very high level executive uh overview of the results of the audit. We'll talk a little bit about uh the three facets which is the financial statement audit, our federal compliance and state compliance audit and then we'll open it up for for questions as
well. So what's very important to auditors and this is uh in statements of auditing standard 114 is our requirement to come to the governing board of our audit to present our findings to that governing board as a way to communicate directly with you what occurred during the audit.
So, a few of our responsibilities as we plan the audit are responsibilities to review the district's internal control and to identify areas that are that are very relevant to financial reporting to review those controls for effectiveness. Uh we also uh plan procedures, audit procedures to gain a reasonable
assurance that your financial statements are free from material misstatements. We also conduct uh tests of other laws and provisions, a lot of which are covered in our state and federal audits to make sure that you're in line with those provisions. And then ultimately our responsibilities to provide an opinion.
So moving over here to uh the slide that kind of talks about our responsibilities. So again, management prepares the financial statements with oversight of the governing board. Our responsibilities to make a determination if those financial statements are reasonably stated in accordance to generally accepted auditing accounting
principles. Uh so what we'd like to report to the district is that we issued an unmodified opinion. And what that really means, it's it's a quote unquote clean opinion. Uh meaning to say that we have concluded that the financial statements as currently stated uh is reasonably stated and meet the the
requirements of accounting standards. Now moving on here to the executive summary, it doesn't mean that we won't find instances of findings or non-compliance. Uh and what's very important is for us to also be able to communicate certain areas that we identified as a result of our audit. So
talking a little bit on the financial statement audit and I'll be walking you through some page numbers in the event that you have the act for in front of you uh the annual financial comprehensive report. Uh our actual opinions are included in that report. We have an opinion over the financial audit
the federal and state compliance. As we look over our financial audit, one of the things we talked about briefly is the requirement for us to look at your internal control. So we've identified a few instances uh where there are deficiencies that we noted where are areas of improvement that the district
should make. One of them is surrounding uh specifically the review of it and various vulnerabilities. The district does a very good job in identifying vulnerabilities and they also rectify those and we have best practice standards that talk about rectifying those within a 30 to 60-day period.
There are a number of reasons why uh the district may not be able to meet that time period during certain periods. Uh they have very valid responses that they've included in the report. Uh I'd like to point out page 253 talks a little bit about this finding. So they provided responses agreeing with our re
exc excuse me with our recommendation and uh essentially the idea here is that they've have very good uh compensating controls in place to ensure if a vulnerability exists longer than the 30 or 60 days that there won't be any actual uh you know no one will be able
to actually come in and uh be be able to ruin or mess with the system in place. Okay so that's very important. Another uh significant deficiency we identified is in acred payroll. We identified about $21.7 million of liabilities that really should not have been reported on the
financial statements. These are related to acrruels that were not reversed from prior year. Uh so we provided recommendations for the district to go back into the acred payroll to review those and to reverse them from the books. So when it whenever it comes to us providing recommendations, the
district will put together a corrective action plan. that plan will address the issue and have a plan in place to ensure that that doesn't occur again in the future. So what we do next year is we review that plan in detail and we make sure that they follow through all the various steps that they implemented or
said they would do and those are also documented in the report as well. Uh from time to time we may have instances where we make recommendations on improvements to the district's uh processes. Those come in the form of a management letter. So we have four areas of improvement that we've identified.
These do not raise to the level of a significant deficiency but more so uh encouraging the district to improve processes. As we go to the federal compliance audit in the current year we had a total of five major programs. So what we do is we take a look at at all the programs that
the district manages that has federal funding and we do a sample selection of those on an annual basis. We had five of them in the current year. We did identify three instances of non-compliance. These are fairly low level. It resulted in a total of about $117,000
in question costs. You'll find those uh discussed on page 154 of your of your report. The next one is state compliance. Uh and within the state compliance realm, uh the California Department of Education on an annual basis will provide auditors
a list of procedures uh that they would like uh performed over eleas. uh and for the most part the district pretty much qualifies for a majority of those. So we audited a total of 28 different state programs uh and within that realm we identified a total of 14 instances of
non-compliance that amounted to about 47.7 million of question cost. 93% of that which is 44 million comes from the uh classroom teacher salary test. And this is to ensure that uh salary uh salary over teachers in the
general fund are at least 55% of total general fund expenditures. The district in the current year missed it by about a half percent. They came in at 54.5 uh when obviously the requirement is 55%. I would point out that this is a major improvement from the prior year. Last year the deficiency was about
7.92%. This year it's only about a half percent. Uh the excuse me the idea here is that the district will submit a waiver to LEO uh to avoid that penalty which is the $44 million there. Uh so that that accounts for about 93% of the
current year findings identified in state compliance. The remaining 13 findings amount to about $3.4 million or 7% of our identification in the current year. So, with that being said, uh I'm very much open to questions from the board
and thank you very much for giving me a chance to speak. >> Miss Grigo, >> was that me? Sorry. >> That was you. >> Oh, sorry. Um thank you for your report. I'm wondering with the 55% um
part that we're not in compliance. We improved, but we're not there yet. What is the only recommendation is that they go and submit a waiver or what else is what other recommendations do you have for us? >> Yeah. No, thank you so much. So, our recommendation is not for the district to submit a waiver. Our recommendation
is for the district to continually track their spending throughout the fiscal year so that they know exactly where they're at. Obviously, the requirement is to meet the 55% which is our recommendation that they do. So, uh, the district have put in their corrective action plan that they're going to create
measures of, uh, continued monitoring. So, they have been monitoring, as you can see, an improvement in the percentage. They're going to continue monitoring that percentage as well. But our recommendation, of course, is to meet the requirement of the the statute.
>> And um I How many years have we been not in compliance in this particular section? I believe uh if I'm not mistaken about five years counting this year I believe since uh the COVID era began >> even when we had a lot of money we did
not meet this criteria >> I believe back starting 21 or 2021 around that time period. >> Okay. All right. Thank you. >> I was going to say I I like made a little comment. I'll just say to my colleague, I understand that's kind of why we haven't met the criteria is
because we've had so much money we've spent outside of the classroom for a lot of the social emotional supports and the wraparound services. And so, um, when we receive additional dollars, we have contributed to the holistic needs of students, which has made the ratio of in-classroom supports going down, right? I don't know if the team wants to layer
onto that, but that's how I've always understood it. >> That's absolutely right. I mean, it's not that we reduced classroom personnel. that dude has gone up because of shifts on class size reduction that were negotiated two years ago. But outside of classroom personnel as a result of those
COVID uh protection monies u uh increased in a much more aggressive way as a percent of the budget and obviously postco even though those funds sunseted uh we continue to make investments right uh and that continues to create uh this
problem. >> Yeah. My question was um how do you who do you consider to be a teacher when you start counting to the 55%. There's so many different categories of teachers. >> Yeah. No, absolutely. And and the district does have a very detailed
schedule in which they outline the specific type of teachers that qualify in this calculation, but yes, there's a wide variety. >> Okay. All right. Mr. Melvin, >> yes. Thank you uh to the team uh Simpson Simpson for the for the comprehensive
audit. I feel like usually we do this at like 10 p.m. So, the fact that it's not even 2 o'clock, we have the opportunity to hear you out and answer questions. Thanks to Simon and Ernie and and the team. Um, yeah, one of my questions was, so thank you for clarifying that I also despite the progress from a 77 million
$770 million gap to a $44 million gap on the um 55% ratio. I know that one of the things we do is make these manual adjustments. And this I maybe is more of a question for the superintendent just how do we know that the manual adjustments are not just manipulations
to make it look better than we are. I mean what what are we so if you could just speak I mean that was Miss Grego's question too but what steps are we taking there? >> Yes. So this is part of our audit. Um this is the first fiscal year that the district managed and maintained and took advantage of uh what we call column 4B
overrides and there are very clear requirements in the education code that stipulates what should qualify as a deduction in this area. So I'm just going to read it out just so that we're precise. The program is supported by categorical aid. Uh the expenditures are restricted in nature. So meaning to say
they're they they have restrictions in terms of what you could spend the money on. And then ultimately there can be no teacher or instructional excuse me aid salaries. So when we looked at the calculation by the district, we took a very detailed approach at looking at every program that was included in
column 4B as a manual override to ensure that the nature of that program is consistent with the requirements in the ED code. >> Great. The only thing I will add is obviously San and his team prepare the paperwork but uh they verify it in in in
parallel to state guidelines. That was my understanding. I just thought when people see a manual adjustment it's I wanted to better understand what that meant in terms of manual override. And so that's helpful. Um I know and and you confirm that the district's taken uh are undertaken
significant upgrades around our IT security particularly after the cyber attack a few years ago. Um and yet uh we see some vulnerabilities in the audit um and some from last year's audit that are ongoing in terms of remediation. So what
else does the team need to ensure we're doing everything in our power on the cyber security uh upgrades and IT security in general? I if I can just clarify. So, so what we test is to make sure that there's a monitoring tool in place to identify vulnerabilities. So,
we're not saying that they don't rectify those or turn them around or clean them up. I think we just have a best practice for the time period in which we would expect them to get cleaned up. And actually, that is within the district's policy. So, there are certain reasons for why they may not rectify them uh
within that time period. For instance, if a patch is not available, if there's a blackout period as a result of the school starting. So our recommendation is to stay within best practice but if you look at their response and the finding they have very good compensating controls to ensure that nobody can
actually come into the system right or manipulate that vulnerability. So they know what the vulnerabilities are. They do turn them around uh and then we make sure that those that weren't turned around timely were eventually turned around. So the the nature of our finding is mainly saying look within the timing of best practice this is what we
recommend and the district has agreed to that. But but I'll let the district Yeah. Sure. It's less substantive. It's more about here are the feedback loops and best practices to make sure you're getting these vulnerabilities and the district is following those. And I and I see so hail is here. I don't know. That was my question mostly. But if you want
to come while you're here, you've walked this way anyway. So why don't you just come and give us a quick update while and our CISO as well. >> Thank you. Um definitely what was shared here exactly what's uh what's going on in your process. We have a vulnerability management. A lot of those projects are in place. There are some policies of
compensating control. One example I can identify during the open of a opening of the school we stay back from patching the system you know your computer received the patch during opening school because we don't want to impact the enrollment and that significant timeline we pass that 30 days sometimes that
parts of our practices during that time we have compensating control which essentially u we put in place extra monitoring relying on uh contractors for off-site monitoring and alert us immediately if anything happened but at the same time
sometimes the one the patch is not even available it doesn't the vendor doesn't release the patch within 30 days and we pass that timeline the finding is we need to make sure we work with the business not it essentially with finance and other department that the system
need to be patched to share and document those risk with them and share the compensating control it's more about I would say documentation and processes that we are putting in place is not about techn gap in technology. >> Thank you. That's helpful from from both
ends. Um two more quick questions. Uh one and this was addressed earlier in the procurement item and I could have brought it up then but it's really the the observations around failures in tracking home to school transportation are concerning. Um and I know that we're in the midst of a larger revamp. This is
probably a question for the superintendent or deputy superintendent. Um but not being 9% off is pretty significant. And so I'm just curious if we can publicly explain how we're ensuring our tracking systems are operating better moving forward. And then uh and given the conversation we
had a bit ago around the Zoom contract, when might we receive an overview of of more broad changes and improvements to the transportation division? Oh, I don't see our deputy super not here, but um our superintendent on the these issues. So I I think it would be more
appropriate for the auditors to speak to what they saw. But uh to the more important my opinion part of your question uh we are doing a a deep deep dive uh into all dollars spent on transporting students in our district.
Analyzing for efficiency. um understanding the drivers that uh create cost escalation beyond increased cost of fuel and the like. And uh we're coming up with some conclusions even by benchmarking it against other large
school districts that transport much larger number of students even in smaller districts. There are some impediments um those that were established by policy a long time ago such as uh the starting time of schools being pretty close across the board for elementary, middle, and senior not
allowing um not allowing the fleet to do multiple runs. Um that causes cost escalation in a very significant way. Secondly, legal parameters specific to students with disabilities and magnet program transportation that really restrict the
availability of transportation for other students but still require a very very large number of buses on the road to transport those kids who are legally entitled to transportation. So uh not very soon but soon enough the board will
be receiving uh a number of studies, analyses and recommendations on how to decrease costs potentially bring in to our school system u sectors of transportation are currently farmed out to private sector entities uh and
transporting greater number of students at the same or lower cost. I don't know if there's anything wrong. >> No, I mean I would just like to cor I I did hear about this earlier about an independent audit, but this was not within the realm. This was not Simpson and Simpson uh audit that that aspect. I'm I'm not sure what they were
referring to, but it wasn't. Yeah, >> that was right. No, this was but this was in your audit was around the 9% home to school. >> Oh, understood. Yes. Oh, very good. Yes. So, so >> that was another conversation. Zoom and contract. So, so that specific uh observation uh is mainly as a result of
the manner in which the department was charging indirect costs. So, uh about 90% or so of the department's activities does qualify for a home to school related program, but there's a very small percentage that does not. So, what they were doing is they were charging 100% of their admin to the hometoschool
program when they really should have just been charging the percent applicable to the overall work that that department does. So, that was the main observation that we identified and they went through a very detailed uh analysis to determine what that percentage should be and that's how we came up with that
uh $2 million number. Uh and they're going to be applying that same methodology moving forward. Yeah. >> Got it. And I appreciate the superintendent's comments too because I think the there have been these disperate and discreet conversations around transportation whether it's um reducing some of the options as part of the FSP um the fiscal stabilization plan
or out you know the contracting which we talked about an hour ago and now this and I think it's it's it's warranting a more holistic review which the superintendent was alluding to. I guess more broadly speaking, my last point um which is maybe more a question for the the district staff is one of the things
that's reassuring about this audit um is that a lot of the areas for improvement are things that the district is either independently through the superintendent or through board action working to improve additionally around transportation m effectiveness construction processes um
the digitization reszo that I brought a few months ago. And so I guess the the question um is really around how do the recommendations from this audit I guess for the superintendent align with the work the district's already doing based on these studies um and how where do they complement are there things we want
to add to the overall operational efficiencies that we're learning from this audit. So while the the findings and recommendations um arrived at uh by this independent outside audit are very very important, they're usually much
more focused on very specific issues sometimes based on state policy uh or budgetary practices at the district. They align well however with a bigger picture that uh we're seeking to create efficiencies whether it is in M
construction transportation digitization etc those rely in part on recommendations from this audit but also disproportionately on recommendations from very specific audits to that division or that function such as
construction maintenance or transportation. But yes, these uh these findings and recommendations shall be embedded in our future practice alongside the largest scale and much deeper scale examination
under those very very specific audits. >> Thank you. And I'll just say I'll conclude by by saying it is nice that we have the opportunity to talk about this. I think we're at a time where we're having more public conversations around uh our finances and building credibility in those finances at a time when there's a lot of important discussions with
labor partners and around school site budgets. And so I think this is helpful. There's also a lot in here that's interesting about our our net position and when we're looking at our slightly improved position with our net our long-term liabilities and the conversations the board is having around OP our oped trust. There's also just
some interesting things in here about the larger LA landscape when it comes to largest tax contributors and um you know is it is it universal versus Century City Mall and all these things. So appreciate kind of the contextual knowledge that you're that you that this also helps to provide for the district.
So with that I'll turn it over back to uh Mr. Schmelson. >> Anyone else? Charlotte go ahead please. >> Thank you. Um and I think you may have mentioned this just um for the record. How long has the firm um been the auditor? >> Uh since 2007.
>> 2007. And as you mentioned um best practices that the district can implement to reduce potential areas of vulnerability in the future. um were identified as you mentioned in your findings for example in security of the
district um server as we talked about and uh the way of calsters how it's acred revenue is captured are there best practices that we may put in place that we haven't >> well actually in addition to what we
have in the report there's always ongoing conversations with dis with the district's controllers's office about you know improving certain processes. What we have laid out in the report is a combination of those that we believe are significant and need very very great attention to the district uh which we've
seen they've paid and then also recommendations of lower level control deficiencies in our management letter where we believe uh these improvements will help avoid a potential deficiency in the future. So what we believe in the report as it stands encapsulates a lot of the things that we would like to see
improved in the internal controls. And then is there a report that shows when you say demonstrate stronger controls over documentation in areas like reporting, best practice, adequate documentation to make compliance, reporting, programmatic funding
allocations? Is there year to year where we can see definitively this is what's been implemented so we see next year and subsequent since you've been with us since 2007. >> Yes. So wi within the audit report there
is a section I'm just trying to pull up the page but on an annual basis we have a requirement to follow up on prior year findings. So what we do is we look at last year's recommendation and the district's corrective action plan and we ask for documentation reflecting that they did that. So for example if they if
they do uh state that they're going to have trainings every quarter then we're looking at documentation reflecting that they did that. If there's a new processes in a system we want to see that that processes was implemented. So our responsibility is to look at the plan that they've created in the previous year and make sure in the
current year they've implemented that plan. And then what we do in the report and I'm hoping I can find the page number uh in the report what we do is we document whether or not that corrective action plan was indeed implemented. And you actually if you look at the back of the acter, if you go to the very uh
back of the ACT, you'll find that that report summarizes every finding from prior year and whether or not that has been implemented in fiscal year 25. So yes, within your act, you'll absolutely see our followup on prior year findings.
>> And that's a 278 to >> Yeah. Do you see that? Right. Yes. I'm sorry. >> Okay. And then with the areas of non-compliance were that were identified the action or what they said would be
implemented is there from year to year. So if we say we have 14 that are non-compliant and next year we look there's another 14 may not be the same 14. >> Is that where we can see that? Is that report available that we can track year to year? uh that may be a special report
that would need to be created for you to see it all, you know, in one piece as opposed to pulling every report from every fiscal year, but but it's all documented from the previous year. So, for instance, if there's a fiscal year 24 finding that was indeed implemented in fiscal year 25, you're not going to
see that language anymore next year in 26. If they don't implement it, we keep carrying it forward until it is finally implemented. >> And maybe that's something that the board needs just to be able to review as we look at things in three years. We don't I mean obviously year to year, but when we're making decisions, we're
looking 3 years out for us, >> right? Yeah, >> that's that was my question that might ask. >> Tanya Ortiz Franklin, >> you um since 2007, have we ever had an unmod or a modified opinion? When was
the last time if we did? >> No. Um so so what what's important I think to understand about the opinions is unmodified doesn't mean that we didn't have issues in the audit or or adjustments that were posted. Uh when we find the realm of modified or qualified that means that there were major
instances where either management was unwilling to book adjustments that we created or that we had recommended or the financial statements the accounts that we're testing are not supported. They don't have documentation. They're withholding documentation. So that's what that's what would lead to a
modified opinion is if there's a reason for us to modify it. Uh so every year we have audit adjustments and we have it in our presentation in the appendix that there are corrected audit adjustments and also uh we determine that uncorrected audit adjustments are immaterial. So those are all always a
part of an audit annually. But to answer your question, no we have not issued a modified opinion on the district's financial statement since we've been their auditor. >> That's great to hear. Um there was a a statement in the summary probably lots of us leaned on the summary to help us understand the full package um which I
really appreciate and I just wanted to get your perspective as an independent auditor like how you would respond to the public who um says uh something that we hear often. So the statement that is in the eval or in the summary says the district's net financial position continues to be negative. This is along the lines of Mr. Melvin's last thought.
However, various budget strategies have been identified to help address the effects of declining enrollment on revenue and to mitigate structural deficits and long-term liabilities. So, I understand that to mean, you know, we're in the negative, but we've got a plan to get out of the negative. Um, sometimes people publicly say, well, the
district has all this money in reserve, so you should be able to pay for XYZ. What would you from your perspective kind of help someone understand who says to us you have so much money in reserve how can it be that you have this net uh deficit? >> Yeah, I I've seen the district address
this a lot and uh what's important is to look at the composition of your net position. There's a big chunk of money that's restricted meaning to say you have to specifically use it for purposes of what we're discussing state compliance, federal compliance. There's laws that restrict how you can use that money. Um, when you look at your balance
sheet, you can very clearly see some of the major ticket items and liabilities that have been there for many years. Your long-term debt, you know, your borrowings are are a big element. Your OPE, your pension is a very big element. Those those are critical and and those are there and are not going to
disappear, right, until the district has the means to be able to do something about it. Um, what's important for us as well is tracking LEO's approval of the district's budget. We understand in the most current year the district has put together a fiscal stabilization plan which is a a way for them to outline how
to deal with the deficits coming up in the future and LEO asked for the district to submit that in their latest submission. The district did do that which lays out a plan to be able to continue improving and and ultimately making sure that uh you don't get to a point where you don't get your budget
approved by LEGO. The numbers in the balance sheet and income statement we audit. So our opinion of unmodified says that those numbers are reasonably stated. Uh so from our perspective, you should rely on those figures to get an understanding with regards to how the district is doing from your purview,
however you'd like to analyze the financial statement. So we're pretty confident that those numbers are a good representation of what's really happening. Uh although we don't audit the budget, we we do pay attention to what's coming down the pipeline. Having the fiscal stabilization plan in our opinion is a very good step to making
sure that you address some of the future uh potential deficit issues. >> I appreciate that and I'll end with how this conversation was opened which is just a shout out and appreciation for our budget team that has gotten us to this position. So thank you Simon and Kurt and the entire team. >> Rosil. Um well I was listening in the
back um there were some questions that already posed particularly Miss Grego mentioned the um 54.5% so that was asked and Mr. Mova and also as ask some questions so forgive me if I didn't hear everything if I repeat a
question so um and I did hear Mr. uh so Katal also come up so I'm going to try and identify some forms of these questions that haven't been asked. So, um I'll go with this one. So, several findings including Prop 28 and the transportation
um um issue that was already asked about the hometoschool transportation uh reflect documentation and oversight gaps uh rather than misuse of funds. What does this say about the strength of internal controls at the school site and
central levels and how is the district tightening those controls as these programs scale? Well, I can give you our perspective as the auditors. So, it it it it shows that there is a need for improvement. Uh and that's why we're bringing it up as recommendations. Uh within our recommendation, we are we are
requesting for an improvement in document retention uh and analyses and following procedures. So, that's very clearly outlined. Uh so, whenever you have these findings, it's it's usually leading to some sort of an internal control issue. and our job is to try to find what's the best recommendation to
assist the district in being compliant moving forward. Uh so, you know, we're pretty confident that we've outlined a very good plan for the district. They review it. They take a look to see if it's even remotely possible for them to apply our corrective actions and they typically will agree and formulate a a
plan around that. And do you also suggest or um discuss if um some of these um identified, you know, weaknesses or vulnerabilities can either be addressed um through policy or through rather than
just, you know, some a system that needs a patch or something like that or what the case may be or um other ways to address this >> if it needs a structural intervention or board level policy. Of course. Yeah. No, that's a great question. So, a lot of what we find uh and you may be referring
to the state compliance since there's typically a number of those on an annual basis. Often times it may just be very well that the school is just not following policy already applied and already present. Uh so it's a matter of reinforcing the policy. It may not be that you have to change the policy.
Policy is good. It's just that people aren't really following it. So how are we following up to make sure that they're understand what the policy is? Are there trainings? Uh, as you can see, if you read through the corrective action plan, there's a lot of a lot there about drop-in sessions, meeting with regional directors, kind of going
broader so that we can get the information down at the school level. Um, and if there is a policy issue, we will recommend that if we find that the policy lacks some sort of a guidance in order for the district to stay on track, then we will make sure to note that in our recommendation that the policy needs to be either beefed up, clarified, or
maybe something needs to be written up that's more detailed. Uh so we're always looking at those possibilities uh because we see you know we've been auditing since 2007. We clearly see a a rhyme a rhythm here on an annual basis. So we have a good way of really understanding what the core issue is.
And we go out to the schools you know we we visited 140 some odd schools this year. We meet with the administrators, the principles. We have a good idea in terms of how the operations are there. So we also use that in our implementation and recommendations to the district. >> Okay. Great. Thank you. And and lastly,
um what information would be most helpful for the board to receive during the year uh rather than at audit time to better exercise oversight or over compliance or any fiscal risk? Any instances where the dis where the board should be um or is necessary for the
board to address some of these issues or intervene or be at least notified rather than waiting for your report. >> Yeah. Uh I think I think you know the answer is going to be the same for any organization. Uh having information in advance is always useful to be able to
make change. Uh of course looking at our results this year and seeing that and knowing that it's likely going to happen unless there's something done is a good enough you know reminder to say hey let's start looking at these issues uh during the fiscal year because you know they exist. Uh some of these are are
repeating on on year after year which is why I mentioned that sometimes it's not how the district is applying the policy it's whether or not people are following it right. Um, so I think monitoring is a big thing in in an internal control environment. More monitoring, more information is always helpful. So that's
one thing I would always recommend. >> More information for the board, right? For the board, >> right? Under Yeah. getting a sense of what's going on and if there is if there was updates to certain programs that you're worried about understanding whether there could be red flags coming down the pipeline uh before we begin
auditing those are always useful to have >> particularly with uh was asked before about the IT um sort of findings why weren't they addressed within those 30 days and I did hear the response to that so knowing that right beforehand rather than you
know finding understanding why those delays happen if it happens after the year during the summer and don't want to address any sort of um >> as I heard mice's issues or want to sort of um >> ignite or start a an issue that could
prevent um or be a challenge for the beginning of the beginning of the school year. >> Right. >> Okay. So, that's it. Thank you. >> Thank you. Anyone else? Okay. Mr. McClean. >> Okay. There's no action on this item. So
that concludes the presentation and the question period. I have to fall on my sword and admit that I forgot to call in a caller who had signed in. So we'll return to that caller. Miss Maria Daisy Ortiz on tab 22. Please press star six to unmute
yourself. And you have two minutes to speak once you begin. Maria Daisy Ortiz. >> Hello. CS. Good evening. >> My name is Maria Desi Ortiz and I'm here because I know that you will
review the committees. I hope I believe that this big district and we want to be able to receive information and I believe that you should have more or should give us more time so other voices
could be heard. You should establish a budget committee. This is a way of understanding how the budget is being used and also to educate people so that people can come and give their opinion.
Another subcommittee that you should add that is very important and it was removed. I'm not sure why is not what you do is what you is not what you say is what you do. uh we represent the parents voice and I
know it's not so important to you but I believe that parents and families should be included. Sometimes there are heavy agendas like like last week's it was almost uh at 300 p.m. that's when we were able to give our public comment at
a community hall and I believe that you should establish more committees so that they could we can have more opportunities or you can have more opportunities to listen to other voices and also to give transparency especially with budget. I believe that I would like
for that to be a priority for you for this new year and for it to for us for you to give opportunity to so people can have the information. Thank you and have a great afternoon. >> Thank you for your time. Okay, I'm going
to collect some votes on tabs. So tab 12, u Miss Franklin, how do you how do you vote? >> Yes. >> Yes. For Miss Franklin on tab 12. On tab 20, how do you vote? >> Also yes and would love to be added as a co-sponsor, please.
>> 20 is a yes. That's yes. Both as to the rule 72 waiver, I assume. >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> Sponsor and Miss Rivas, how do you vote on tab 20? >> Yes, for both.
Bear with me. I'm just making sure I don't miss anything. >> And Miss Rivas on tab 22. How do you vote? >> Yes. >> And Miss Ortiz Franklin, tab 22. >> Yes. >> Okay.
All right. That brings us to tab 24 which is a public hearing. I'm going to read a public hearing statement. Have 24 charter petitions for public hearing. Uh this constitutes a public hearing on Grover Cleveland Charter High, Aspire Junior Collegiate Academy,
Aspire Centennial College Prep Academy, and Ela Elaine Leroy Lock College Prep Academy. A maximum of 15 individuals who address who wish to address the board on the item will be heard. Those who wish to speak should sign up online. Speakers will be called on by name and we
appreciate your patience. I will call on the folks who listed themselves as being in person and then if anyone is remote I will call on them last. David Richardson Janth Johnson Smith come on down. >> You have two minutes to speak once you
begin. And after Miss Johnson Smith is Bellen Ramirez and then Annabelle Moscowitz. Good afternoon members of the board. My name is Janette Johnson Smith and I'm proudly serve as a senior director of counseling and college persistence for Green Dot Public
Schools. I'm here today because I believe deeply in what is happening at Lach. Our students come to Lock with extraordinary potential. They also arrive carrying real challenges, academic gaps, and uncertainty about what comes next. Our responsibility and our commitment is to make sure that
where a student starts never determines how far they go. And over time, that promise has turned into progress. Lock is ranked in a middle tier school. Lock improvement in distance from standard in English and math is greater than the states. And locks has multiple sources of verified data that
demonstrate lock students are achieving more than one year of growth each year. Graduation rates have steadily improved. College and career indicator outcomes have also risen. Lock now offers multiple career pathways including computer science, construction and building, child development, and medical
apprentichip. The medical apprentichip pathways particular has become a model for what's possible. Its impact has been so strong that Assembly Member Gibson is sponsoring a legislation inspired by the program at LOC. Legislation that would expand access to professional medical
opportunities for students across the state. Just this past weekend, LOC hosted a youth policy forum event typically held in Sacramento. But instead of asking Watt students to travel far to access opportunity, we brought the experience to them by replicating this hallmark event on our
campus. lock insured students could engage directly in CTE learning, policy exposure, and leadership development without barriers. Last year alone, the percentage of lock graduates enrolled on the first day of their second year college increased by 19 percentage points and college and career indicator
outcomes increased by more than 22 percentage points for black scholars and English learners. At law, counseling and college persistence are promised to support and believe in all students from the day they arrive and through graduation and beyond. Thank you for the opportunity to share this work and for
our continued support for our students and our schools. I'm grateful for your time. Thank you. >> Thank you for your time. >> All right. Uh Jennif Oh, I'm sorry that Ben Ramirez, come on up. You'll have two minutes to speak once you begin. >> Hello, Superintendent Carvalo, board
president Molson, and esteemed board members. My name is Ben Ramirez and I'm honored to serve as co-principal at LOC. This is my 19th year in education, 10th year with Green Dot Public Schools and sixth year at LOC. I come to this work not only as a school leader, but as a
first generation Mexican-American who grew up in Compton and have experienced firsthand the power of access to a strong public education. Lach is not just a school for the Watts community. It has long stood for pride, leadership, and possibility. Since opening in 1967, generations of families have placed
their hopes in the school. What matters most is not just where luck has been, but what it is becoming. To understand our progress, you have to understand where our students start. On average, our scholars arrive performing in the bottom third percentile in ELA and sixth percentile in math compared to their
peers statewide. Once enrolled at LOC, students show consistent academic growth year after year. The student growth is showing up in outcomes. Lock is ranked as a middle tier school. Multiple sources of verified data show our students are achieving more than one years of growth each year. When Green
Dot began its work at LOC, less than half of the seniors were graduating. Today, our graduation rate sent at 72%. More of our graduates are persistent in college with a 19 percentage point increase in students enrolled in the first day of their second year since Green Dot assumed operations. Between
8th and 11th grade uh year, Lock students are growing significantly faster than their peers, outperforming the state in ELA in math. In the past year alone, Lock improved by 29 points in DFS and English and by 30 points in DFS and math. The progress we see today
is a result of deliberate choices, sustained effort, and shared belief in what our students are capable of achieving. When opportunity is paired with high expectations and strong systems, outcomes and lives change. Thank you for your time, your leadership, and your continued commitment to our students and our
community. >> Thank you for your time. Annabelle Moscowitz. Okay. >> Okay. Thank you. Uh Neil Brandenburg, are you here, Mr. Brandenburg? >> Thank you. Annette Gonzalez, >> all right. Uh Gordon Gibbings,
come on down, sir. You have two minutes to speak once you begin. Good afternoon, Superintendent Carvalo, board presidentson, and members of the board. My name is Dr. Gibbings. I am the chief schools officer for Green Public Schools, and I've had the privilege of serving LOC for 12 years. When lock
first opened in 1967, it was embraced by the Watts community. Students were proud to be part of the Lock family. This was a school of promise. Its first principal, James B. Taylor, was one of the first African-American principles in Los Angeles. Locks marching band, the
marching saints, traveled the country. Graduates went on to become leaders at every sector. Over time, the promise was tested. In 2007, over 50% of teachers petitioned for Green Dot to operate lock. And what we've learned in these 17
years has both challenged us and taught us what is truly taken to run a comprehensive high school with robust programming for all students. We don't do this work alone and want to acknowledge Dr. Vladivic for the years of service at Lock as a principal and
later as district board member. His leadership as well as that of board member Tanya Franklin Ortiz and the LUSD board and many staff members of LUSD are all part of lock success today. It has been a neighborhood school and we take great pride in serving any student who
wishes to attend. What we see today is growth across multiple fronts. Lock is ranked as a middle performing charter school by the California Department of Education. Lock has multiple sources of verified data that demonstrate students are achieving more than one year of
growth each year. Graduation rates continue to rise. Our approach is aligned to the LUSD strategic plan and we do this work in partnership with our unionized, certificated and classified staff because we believe that people closest to the students matter. We
believe educators deserve voice, dignity, and partnership in the work of change. Thank you for your continued commitment to the students and families of this community. Thank you for your time. No karubas, come on down. You'll have two minutes to
speak once you begin and after um Noi is Alma Vieira. >> Thank you. Good afternoon members of the board. My name is Noi Kvaruas and I'm very proud and honored to be speaking on behalf of the Children's Institute, a proud partner with Loach College
Preparatory Academy. In 2024, LOC was awarded a 1.9 million 5-year grant to deepen wraparound supports that remove barriers to learning and allow students to fully engage in these opportunities through the California Community Schools Grant. I'd like to share how LO has embraced the community schools grant and
propelled student growth with a support of strong school leadership, committed educators, and a meaningful p partnership with Children's Institute. Nearly 90% of students report having at least one caring adult reflecting um relationship reflecting the school's strong culture and support and me
mentorship. At Lock, we have also seen measurable improvements in attendance, engagement, and social emotional development because the school takes a proactive and student centered approach. Monthly attendance incentives, practical supports, and one-on-one wellness check-ins have also helped remove
everyday barriers that can keep students from coming to school. As a result, chronic absenteeism has declined by 11 percentage points year-toear, reflecting a sustained improvement in attendance. Family engagement has also grown significantly. Lach has intentionally
expanded opportunities for parents by offering ESL classes, hosting resource fairs, organizing clothing drives, and also providing targeted supports for families facing immediate needs. Student engagement has also grown through programs like partnerships with Rainbow
Labs and Path Hacking Initiative. After participating in these opportunities, 50% of students say they now see STEM as a more inclusive field and also reported interest. Beyond academics, students are building life skills. 100% reported that they learned skills that they will use
in their everyday lives and 83% said that the activities were relevant to their daily experiences. It is a privilege to partner with a school that understands that educating children is not only about outcomes but about dignity. Thank you for your time and your attention and your continued commitment to the students and the
community at luck. >> Thank you for your time. Alma Vieiraa and then after Miss Vieiraa is Tony Gin. Come on down. Afternoon and everybody else. My name is proud
mother, an aspire and a believer in public school system. My trajectory with Aspire has been in the works for years with students that have graduated from Aspire schools and have gone on to college. Today, this road continues with
my youngest son who is an actual student in Aspire Junior College Academy. Aspire has always given my family a solid education direction and support and I am very grateful with what they've done for the
success of my children. As a mother, I value being involved in the education of my kids. And Aspire really truly does value parent participation personnel since they have high expectations and at the same time they
support students academically and emotionally. Thank you to Aspire. My kids not only were prepared to graduate, but also they felt safe and ready to have success in life and university.
Now, Aspire Junior College Academy, I still see that excellence and that promise since they prioritize the students and their growth and a safe, solitary, unified place where there can be
prosperity for students. I would like you to re to reenact this so that more families like mine can benefit from highquality education that Aspire offers. I also invite you to visit our schools so that you can see firsthand the positive
impact that Aspire has onto the students, families, and the community. Thank you for your time and for your commitment to our students. >> Thank you for your time. >> Tony Gin or Tony, I may have mispronounced your last name.
>> Okay. Thank you. Greetings, Superintendent Carvalo, board president, and members of the board. My name is Tony Gan. I'm a 30-year veteran educator who grew up in the Watts area. I have been committed to the Lock School for 15 years serving as a teacher,
assistant principal, and now proudly serve as a co-principal. Real change happens when schools are grounded in the community. Lockach is a school that has known both challenge and possibility. 17 years ago, when Green Dot began its work
here, the focus was never on quick wins. It was always on long-term commitment and sustained improvement. Today, that commitment is producing results. Lock is currently a middle tier school with consistent improvement in distance from standard in English and
math. Multiple verified data sources showed that our students are achieving more than one year academic growth annually. Many of our scholars arrive below grade level. In response, we've built targeted student center supports. Many of are in line with your
resolutions this morning. From our black scholars, our black excellence team and tier 2 affinity spaces strengthen belonging, recognize black girl magic, and amplify black boy joy. Our ELD Academy serves approximately 140 first
and secondyear scholars, many with interrupted formal education. To support the whole student, we invest in seven school mental health professionals and a dedicated McKenna Vento and foster youth specialist. As a
result, our suspension and our suspension rate remains below 2% and nearly 90% of our scholars report they have at least one caring adult on campus. Our direction is clear. Continued progress in ethnic studies programs show that we are building
something that is working. Thank you for your time and dedication to the children of the city of Los Angeles, especially in the Watts area. >> Thank you for your time. Carmen Loa, uh Natalie Dixon, come on down. You'll have two minutes to speak once you
begin. And after uh Natalie is Melissa Partida. >> Good morning. Oh, sorry. Good afternoon, good evening, Mr. Kavajo and board president, Mr. Smurlson. This is my son. My name is Natalie. I am
a proud parent at JCA Academy. My son has autism and ADHD and he has attended Aspire since first grade. He is now in third grade and the growth I have seen in him is truly remarkable. Aspire JCA has provided my son with understanding,
structure, and support he needs to succeed. Aspire JCA needs to remain open because they truly specialize in supporting neurodyiverse students. The IEP team is excellent and works closely with our family to ensure my son's needs are met. When he needs a break, he is
given appropriate opportunities like playing basketball, which helps him regulate and refocus. He also works with a wonderful therapist who supports him through breathing exercises and creating outlets such as drawing to help him manage his emotions. Because of this level of care and attention, my son
feels supported, understood, and safe at school. He is both challenged acade academically and given the tools he needs to succeed to succeed as at Aspire. He has helped my uh Aspire has helped my son build confidence and develop strategies and supported his
learning and overall well-being. I respectfully ask that you renew Aspire JCA to so that students like my son can continue to receive a specialized support they deserve. I also invite you to visit our school firsthand and inclusive um the inclusive and supportive environment Aspire JCA
provides. As a parent, I would welcome the opportunity to continue growing a strong partnership between Aspire and LUSD so together we can best serve students with diverse learning needs. Thank you for your time and your commitment to students and um to students and families. Thank you.
>> Thank you for your time. Melissa Partida, Melissa P. Uh Jessica Galvan, Jessica Galvan, are you here? Jessica G. Uh, Maria Ernnandez, are you here? >> On down. You'll have two minutes to
speak once you begin. >> She's going to speak in Spanish. >> Yeah. >> My >> like you said, my name is Maria Hernandez. Good afternoon, everyone. I'm here from Centennial School. I'm a
mother of a student there, a daughter, and it's been a while that I I've been wanting to talk about spider. I'd like to in honor of all the parents that stayed
and the kids in the school, I want to speak on their behalf to say the great the greatness that these schools are. and I lived a very difficult uh situation with my eldest and it was a
district school and it was when I was aware of a barter school that my daughter attended when opened and that's when we discovered how great the spiday schools are. I also
have a daughter in Titan, a seven-year-old as as a student there. And I love the schools because they're small schools. And every moment that you go by, you see members from the from the
staff and you feel like a family. It's not such a huge school so that kids at that age aren't lost. and some of the school district schools are so enormous. So for that reason, I'm here to ask you
that you please renew us once again so that we can continue the school. Uh and my daughter can continue to benefit from it because she calls mom, mom, what what's going on? And I respond, it's okay. and I I trust
you that I can provide a good answer for her. >> Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. >> That concludes public comment on tab 24. Um there's no action being taken on this item today. Um the board will be taking
action on these charter items at the next board meeting which will be February 10th when they appear on the agenda for uh um for action by the board. All right. Give me one quick second to confer with um the board president. All right,
next order of business is general public comment. Um, I know those watching on the television can't see, but can those here for general public comment put your hands up? Is anyone here for general public comment?
I'm going to go see if there's any folks for general public comment here because we have arrived to the general public comment period a little bit earlier than usual. So, as folks filter out, um, we will take a brief a brief break. Hello my friends. Uh the time is now
2:48. We are well ahead of our 3:30 uh approximate time for public comment. So we're going to take about a 10- 15 minute break. And as folks trickle in for general public comment, we we will begin taking it, but not not before 3 p.m. So um
they say we're just going to cool our heels for a little while. Thank you. >> Very good. All right, welcome back. We're going to start working through the general public comment a little early. If folks aren't here when I first call on them, we'll be sure to return and call back on them again as we wind down the public comment
period. I'll call on the folks who are listed as being in person first and then we will transition to those who are listed as speaking remotely. All right, Lel White, are you here? And again, we'll come back to folks. Mao
Tjo, are you here? I saw Mr. Tjo just a few minutes ago. Uh, Christopher Sandival, Christopher Sandival, U. Mare Doss in Kirsy.
I can see Mr. I'm looking right at Mr. Kirsy. Just one second. >> Come on down. You have two minutes to speak once you begin, sir. Thank you. I'm yielding my time to Gilbert here.
>> Go ahead, Gilbert. You have two minutes. >> Good afternoon. My name is Gilbert Lopez. I'm a senior at Venice High School and a leader with students deserve. As students, we come to we come and demand protection for students of color from immigration and other enforcement agencies. Although the district has introduced safe zones, the
goal of which is put school areas on watch for ice patrol, very few teachers, let alone students, know of this initiative by the district. If no one knows about it, then when will this idea start? And how long will it take for us to come true? For it to come true. All my times at these public comments, I've
always advocated for assemblies and drills to help pass this knowledge for support, for affected families, and for students knowledge. Although yet we have a lag of all these things or how they're moving. What's the plan if ISIS is to be in our area? Or how will our parents know we are safe?
Or even how can I know I'll be safe at school? These are all common questions students ask themselves each day. All we want is for the district to communicate with us and work alongside us so education can be given without worry. Now we know there's much work to be done. We've had these talks with
districts and in here. But it's time to take these discussions to our peers. We call and invite all students, teachers, community members, and seed organizations to work with us, the students, because it is time for us to make a plan of safety. It is time for us to look out for each other. One too many have sacrificed so much for us. And now
it's our turn and not let history repeat itself. And we demand for the board for again for there to be drills, assemblies, and a plan of action. That way, we know where to go and that way we can be worry free of our education. Thank you.
Thank you for your time, sir. Uh, Mr. Tjo, do you want to go? >> Sure. Marquavius Moore, Lucas Shane, Yenia Montiel, Isaac Chong,
Sasha Solomon Degrrood, uh, Amber Cely. Come on up. You'll have two minutes to speak once you begin. I'm here today to talk about technology in schools and the negative impact it's having on our children's learning and social emotional health. From my
understanding, all of you board members have access to the research and facts about how detrimental screens are to our children's education and mental health. Study after study has shown that edtech leads to worsening test scores, poorer social skills, and an overall lack of critical thinking. And yet, this board
does nothing. Sadly, even those of you who say you support limiting screen access in schools, my sixth grader comes home every single day having accessed YouTube, Chat, GPT, and other websites that he is not supposed to have open access to. His constant access to these unsafe sites greatly worsens his ADHD
and his overall school performance. Google's own internal documents released in the news have stated that they are only giving free Chromebooks to gain quote lifelong customers. The people who design these addictive technologies don't allow them for their own kids. And yet, L USDC is okay with forcing
children to spend the majority of their day on a device. At our school, there is no other curriculum or way to do homework should a child want to opt out of screens. How is it possible that there is no other option for anyone who does not want their kid accessing unsafe websites? Why don't board members who say they support groups like schools
beyond screens take action? You repeatedly tell us parents that your hands are tied, but every board member can present items to be discussed on the agenda and it is your job to work for the kids of LUSD. All of you have access to the statistics of what screens do to kids learning. How can you justify
having children be in control of stopping themselves from these devices and websites which were literally designed to be addictive and which even us adults do not have the preffrontal cortex strength to withstand the lore of. I beg of you, please take action and no longer let our children be big tech
guinea pigs and also full solidarity with the amazing folks at Students Demand. >> Thank you for your time. Amir, come on down. Amir. I'm yielding my time to uh Felix Photo Maxwell here.
>> All right. Thank you. Come on up, Felix. You'll have two minutes to speak. Why don't you begin? >> Hello. My name is Felix Photo Maxwell, a junior and a member of the students deserve chapter at John Marshall Senior High. I come to speak in the light of the increased ICE presence in Los Felis
and the increased need for protections for students in our area. Our school has been put on lockdown a multitude of times in the past weeks, leaving families and students in fear of being detained on their trip home. A friend of mine has turned to bringing his passport to school in a bag that he carries
around his neck. The consequences of ice rays are no longer distant or abstract, but directly felt by community members and students. Just four weeks ago, a beloved member of our community, Keith Porter Jr., was fatally and carelessly shot by an offduty ICE agent. Just three
days ago, ICE agents killed an ICU nurse caring for veterans. His last words were, "Are you okay?" as he defended a woman from getting beaten by enforcement officers. These are fathers, mothers, family members, and all equally human. ICE attempts to strip us of our humanity. But we must fight back.
Considering the proposed budget cuts estimating 1.2 billion, we need guarantees that programs like the Black Student Achievement Plan, Dream Centers, and our community-based safety initiatives remain fully funded. Students of color should not have to worry if their protections will remain in place during such a turbulent time.
Instead, we must demand LUSD school police. Uh, we must defund LUSD school police, which only creates a doineering presence in a time of much uncertainty, and anxiety when we should be uplifting students and making them feel secure. We can then divert this funding into alternatives like community- based
safety, which provides an environment that fosters connection, safety, and trust. CBS can strip school security forces of their bias, racial profiling, and intimidating presence. We must also implement a wider net for the safe passage program as areas of high crime and gang activity are no longer the
singular target for ICE attacks. So far, only 5% of students are eligible for safe passage. A startling difference from the amount of Hispanic and African-American students, making well up making up well over 3/4 of the LSD student population. This is no longer just about protection from crime and
violence. This is about the protection of families from being split apart. >> Thank you for your time. Another shocking discrepancy exists in the school busing system. Are a form of Thank you for your time. Martinez.
Lindsay Martinez, are you here? Patricia Vargas, are you here? Patricia Vargas, Michelle Moreno. Michelle Mareno, Lizette Russell,
Lizette Russell, Norma Alvarado, Norma Alvarado, Ezekiel Get Ezekiel. All right, let's go to our remote caller. Let's see. We have
Jennifer Lup. Please press star six to unmute yourself. And you have two minutes to speak once you begin. Jennifer Lup. So you're with us, Miss Lup. Please press star six to unmute yourself. And you'll have two minutes to speak once you begin. I see you're unmuted, Miss Lup.
All right, we will uh we'll come back to you. You might want to call back in uh because we're not we're not we're not hearing you. >> Okay, I'm going to go through the list again. Uh Lel White, Lel White, come on down. You'll have two minutes to speak.
Why don't you begin? >> For folks just walking in, I called on a bunch of names. I'm returning to the names as soon as we go through the cycle again. So, please, the two minutes is yours. >> Thank you. Um, I'm going to yield my name my time to Jana. Good evening, school board. You guys
already know who I am. Jana Tyler been here for years. And I want to thank the baby that uplifted my cousin. So if you guys don't know, Keith Porter Jr. was my cousin. That was my family that was snatched by ICE.
We know that LAPD doesn't keep us safe and neither does school police. School police has been stationed on my campus since October even though we've had them removed. They're not going to keep us safe. Thank you guys for passing the community-based
safety resolution, but now we need to make sure that it's implemented properly. We need to make sure that there is really a community-based safety expert hired by this district on at least central level to make sure that the correct analyses are done and we're
matching schools with the proper community-based safety partner in their areas. With all of these budget cuts that we're facing, we need to remember the guarantee that you gave us, Superintendent Carvalo, that BAP and none of its staffing positions or
resources would be cut and that we continue to grow the progress that we've made in shortening the academic achievement gap between our black and brown students and others. We need a guarantee that you guys will continue to
work hard to keep our black, LGBTQ plus, Latinx students safe, our gender expansive students safe. And right now, my emotions are really raw because it's a farce to think that school police officers at the front door
of a campus can do anything against ICE when LAPD itself is complicit. So, how are we supposed to have faith in that? school police, their job description is to protect property, not people. So, I ask you guys today to continue to honor
your students, honor your families, and to honor us as staff members and make sure that you do all that you can in your power, in the elected power that we've given you as your constituents to actually realize real community-based safety and
to do all of you, all that you guys can do to make it come to fruition. Not just in name only. >> We don't want to have any more lapses in keeping our families or our staff safe. >> Thank you for your time. >> Christopher Sandival.
>> Christopher Sandival. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> Mare Doss. Mar. >> Okay. Thank you. Uh trainee from Marquius. Trainee, are you here? Marquavius, are you here? Oh,
there you are. Thank you. Come on up. You'll have two minutes to speak once you begin. >> Hi school board members. I'm Chenise Thomas, a senior at King Drew and a student leader within students deserve. You know me. I've been here before and so have so many of my peers. We are here again. We we are here again to tell you
about your school system. Once again, safe passage needs to be fully implemented immediately. As of lately, there have been students there have been people robbing students in Watts and the police do nothing about it as they sit in their cars zone nearby and watch. Safe passage was not present this day
for some reason and the the police the police have witnessed this and have not done anything about it. What's going to happen one day when a student is shot over a gold chain? Who will be then to blame? The police who sit there and watch or the student who just wants to wear jewelry? You guys cannot you guys have to fully implement safe passage
because there are students lives who are in trouble over something as stupid as a chain. With upcoming budget cuts, we demand LUSD fully defund LA school police. What benefit does school police personally bring you? The ones who aren't affected by a single policy that you implement. At this point, you are aware of the bad LPD
does and you just dismiss it. I live I live in these classrooms every day. I see what LA LSPD do and as Sorry, my bad. I'm nervous today. Um, as you have seen on the news lately, ICE has been murdering people in broad daylight. And now more than ever is a
time for LUD to protect undocumented students. ICE violence continues to increase in our communities. What is LUD going what is LD going to do to keep students safe without policing because they are not doing anything. Every student has the right to go to school without being terrified of being detained by ICE. There has been ICE
spotted in Englewood, Hardthornne, and Watts where a lot of undocumented students live and a lot of people of color live. ISIS killing parents, nurses who are just trying and nurses who are just trying to help. And it's not going to start. It's not going to end there. They will continue to kill people. They're going to continue to harm and kill people. Rest in peace to every life
that was taken by ICE. No one deserves to die. Thank you. >> Thank you for your time. Yenia Montiel, Yenia, Isaac Chong, Cheryl Kono, Lindseay Martinez,
Patricia Vargas, Michelle Moreno, Lzette Russell, Norma Alvarado, Ezekiel getu ma tjo second call
Mr. Tjo. >> I'm sorry. >> Please go ahead. You'll have two minutes to speak. Why don't you begin? >> Hello. Hello. Yeah. Yeah. This is Cheryl Kono. She couldn't call in. >> Okay.
>> And Isabella. >> Yes. Please go ahead. >> Isabella and Miss Isabelle, are you there? >> They're ready for you. >> Hold on just a minute. Just a minute. >> We got to We We We got to move along. M. Do you want to give your two minutes and have this?
I can give her my two minutes while we figure it out. >> Okay, we're gonna >> Is it possible they could skip me because I'm having trouble with my connection and I was deferring my time to a parent and student and we've been waiting. So, they got disconnected.
>> Are they here now? >> They're on the phone. >> Yeah, I'm trying to reconnect them right now. >> There's only so much we can do. So, I'm going to move on to the next person. >> They're going to move on to Can you come back? >> So, Ma, do you want to use your your two
minutes right now or no? Okay. >> Uh, Christopher Sandoval, >> Lucas Shane, >> are you here? Lucas Shane, Sasha Solomon Dood. Okay. >> I don't know who him is.
>> Okay. >> Okay. Please bring up um Lucas Shane. It's not working. >> Okay, we'll double check it. just in time. Please give us your name if you've signed up and we will go ahead.
>> Good afternoon. My name is Ezekiel Gacho. Uh I'm a student at King Drew Magna High School of Medicine and Science and a junior uh and a leader through students deserve. As a student of a school built on on creating success opportunities for black youth, I believe that it is my duty to stand here today and demand that LUSD
protect the programs and empower students like myself. As a junior um soon to leave high school, I hope these words lay the groundwork for future generations of high school students. I want to take this time to celebrate the successes of BAP and my outstanding counselors. From the moment I arrive I arrived on my
campus, I have felt endeared, surrounded by love, supervision, and support through BAP staff. who truly care about my education and growth. I've been able to take this feeling and create motivation, now pushing myself to strive for excellence. This is a feeling I want developed in every child in every LUSD school.
Students deserve is focused on building a a policefree LUSD, destroying the school to prison pipeline. I believe maintaining funding towards BAP over Los Angeles school police will do exactly that, allowing schools to facilitate and empower the minds of black youth. It is LUSD's responsibility to to make a
change turning this pipeline from school to prison into school to higher learning. As I mentioned in a previous comment, BAP is one of the few systems where black students can search for represent representation in an education system designed to hinder the success of black students who have been historically crippled by educational barriers. BAP creates a safe space for
students, allowing them to finally feel equal and empowered, setting the foundation for the future. With this, I come to the question, why? Why does LUSD wish to remove such a powerful system? Why promote the destru the destruction of futurists rather than empower them? Why do we continue to kick down a
misrepresented community? LUSD has a billion dollar budget with L with Los Angeles's future in their hands. Students are people, not products. LD needs to do better. Thank you. >> All right. Thank you for your time. Um >> I'm double checking the phone line right
now. phone line seems to be seems to be working. >> I don't mean to evade responsibility, but sometimes it can be operator error when they're when they're dialing for the first time. Okay, so that's it for general public comment. Um, unless other
folks have checked in in the back. >> Okay. Would you just name who it is and we'll we'll get to it. >> Okay. Thank you. You'll have two minutes to speak once you begin. >> Good afternoon. I am Sasha D. Good, a Jewish student union board member and
junior at Hamilton High School representing Stand with Us. Today we mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day to honor the 6 million Jews and millions of other people murdered during this tragic event. This day is a reminder that not only have we faced prejudice in the past, but also as a
community, we continue to face it today. The day serves to let us mourn for our tragedies and emboldens us to create a future where we oppose anti-semitism and other forms of hate together. Anti-semitism is a growing issue in our society. As a LUSD Jewish student, I've
always felt proud to wear my Jewish star to school. But I have felt unsure how to confront students who have engaged in negative Jewish stereotypes. I shouldn't have to feel like I need to defend my identity in order to live it. LD Holocaust education is severely lacking
given that I learned the actual details of the Holocaust from my eighth grade US history teacher. Not because it was ever taught to me, but because I asked. LUSD needs to partner with Jewish organizations to educate teachers and students about the Holocaust. We need
time dedicated to the teaching of this genocide, not just thrown in with the rest of World War II history. Equally important, it is the need to spread the message that prejudice and persecution against any marginalized group is unacceptable. In Judaism, the concept of
tikunol teaches us that we have an obligation to heal the world. I support and encourage all the effort of the LUSD has made to protect marginalized groups, not just Jews, but also those currently under attack. Holocaust education is not just about teaching history, but should
lead us to action so that never again does any group suffer under the danger of tyranny and oppression that we are still witnessing today. Thank you. >> Okay, thank you for your time. Thank you. >> I got I got Cheryl.
>> Okay, let's do it. Cheryl Kono coming in on the line. Uh two minutes and then I will turn to Miss Lup. >> Please go ahead. You'll have two minutes to speak once you begin. >> Okay, thank you very much. This is Cheryl Kono, psychiatric social worker. I defer my time to um Miss Gonzalez and
Isabella, mother and daughter. Please go ahead. My daughter safe place for her was her home and she started to see Miss Kono and everything started to change for the good. She learned to manage her emotions and her
fears and I want all the schools to have a PSW so that she they can help students just like my daughter. I assure you that they will it will change their lives. Please help us. Here's my daughter and wants to say
something. W's in each school simply because they help us express our emotions more and they teach us skills that I feel are needed for our emotions. So, we know how to express ourselves freely. Each school should have a PSW because it gives
students someone to confide in and share their feelings with. And for me, that's one of the most important things that has helped me through out my high school so far. Thank you. >> Thank you for your time. >> Okay. Uh Jennifer Lup, please press star
six to unmute yourself. You have two minutes to speak once you begin. I see you're online with us. >> Hi, can you hear me? We sure can. Please go ahead. >> Okay. Thank you. Hi, my name is Jennifer Lupo. I am a parent to an LUSD student
and a school-based PSW. I am highly concerned about the lack of PSWs to provide mental health and psychiatric social work services for all LUSD students and their families. My daughter's school does not have a PSW. There was a student who was having
issues with being bullied and picked on by peers. The parent reached out for support from the school, but her child continued to struggle as feeling disconnected and targeted. The parent became very frustrated and reached out to parents in the school to ask for help. As a PSD and a parent, I could
only imagine how difficult it's been for the student and mother. I provided resources to the staff and admin about tier one resources that could help. I offered the parent some recommendations and resources that could help her child. If she hadn't spoken out to the wider school community of parents, I wouldn't
have known this was happening at my daughter's school. This was an instance where my daughter's school could have truly benefited from having a PSW at their school. L USD needs to invest in all our students and provide central district funds so that all students can
benefit from PSW support and intervention. Mental health and PSW services are a right and a necessity. Not just a privilege for some, but for all LU students and their families at all schools programs at all levels from early education, elementary, middle, and
high school, alternative education, and adult education. Please fund PSW so that all our students can benefit. >> Thank you for your time. Uh Ila, you'll have come on up. You'll have two minutes to speak once you begin.
Hi, my name is Leila. I'm a senior at Man You see Lake Community School and I'm a leader in students to serve. I'm here today to share my demands for Superintendent Carvalo and the school board. I'm here to I'm here to ask you to continue um your support for our programs like BSAP and dream centers and
community schools as well as mental health centers centers because us students rely on these programs for support and much more. And I feel like us as
students, especially colored students, definitely rely on programs such as BSAP for, you know, support with scholarships and finding schools. And, you know, it feels more than it's not just a program, but it's a community that us students
rely on um pretty much every day. So, I feel like us cutting funding from BAP is unnecessary when it's could be used on us. all the time. And
um I feel like we need the funding much more than school police do and I think students of color benefit from it much more than
it's realized. So thank you. >> All right. Thank you for your time. That concludes general public comment. I'm sorry, what name? >> Lucas Shane. >> Okay, last one. Lucas Shane, come on up.
>> Hello, my name is Lucas Shane and I'm a senior and the president of the Jewish Student Union at University High School Charter and a Kenneth Levventhal High School intern at Stand with Us. Today and every January 27th, we observe International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It is a time to honor the 6 million Jews
murdered in the Holocaust, reminding us what can happen when prejudice, fear, and discrimination grow unchecked. For me, Holocaust remembrance is personal. My late great-grandmother was a Holocaust survivor. She was forced into the Warsaw Ghetto, fought in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, survived Majanik and
Awitz, and was liberated on January 27th, 1945. She went on to live more than a century, reminding everyone she met that survival is not just about enduring, but about choosing humanity. I'm a fourth generation Holocaust survivor urging LA
USD to expand anti-semitism education across the district and to keep misinformation and hate out of our classrooms. In my AP World History class, the Holocaust was simply folded into a lesson covering every genocide in history. While it's important to learn about all genocides, presenting the
Holocaust this way strips it of context, specificity, and meaning. When Jewish history is rushed or reduced, it sends the message, whether intentional or not, that Jewish suffering is interchangeable or less worthy of deep study. This is especially troubling in today's climate. According to the ADL, anti-Semitic
incidents in K through2 schools increased by 434% from 2020 to 2024. An academic study found that over 60% of Jewish educators have been exposed to anti-semitism in the workplace. These numbers are not abstract. They reflect the real experiences of Jewish students
and teachers in our schools right now. That's why meaningful Jewish representation and and intentional Holocaust education and LUD classrooms truly matters. International Holocaust Remembrance Day reminds us that silence has consequences. Honoring history means
acting now to ensure our schools are safe, inclusive, and welcoming for Jewish students and for all students. There are mainstream Jewish organizations ready to part with you right now to educate administrators, teachers, and students. Jewish students deserve education that accurately
reflects the diversity, diversity, history, and lived experience of the Jewish community. Thank you. >> Thank you for your time. That concludes general public comment. I want to remind folks we have a call-in system uh with the number listed on the agenda if you wish to call in and appear remotely. Uh
it was working today. Uh we please help you uh come in person. If you can't make it in person, please use the call-in system that we have set up. All right, that concludes general public comment. And I believe that there's an adjourning motion.
Thank you, Mr. McClean. Uh, I'd like to journ today's meeting in memory of Emily Bututner, who passed away on January 6th, 2026. She was 22 years old. I know the whole LUSD family joins me in sending our deepest condolences to former superintendent Austin Virginia
and the whole Butner family during this devastating time. He was a junior studio arts major in the LMU College of Communication and Fine Arts with a passion for photography, yoga, and a true commitment to service. She had recently traveled to Tijana for a
service trip to work on a new home construction project for a local family. People often say that they can't imagine what a family must be going through in these situations. And on one level, of course, we can't. But as a new parent myself, I can begin to appreciate just
how crushing the loss of a child must be. And we're sending so much love and comfort and as many prayers as we can to the Butner family. As we say in Judaism, may her memory be for a blessing. Thank you. Go ahead. Go ahead.
>> Um, I just also want to adjourn um this meeting in the memory of a teacher from Wilshshire Park Elementary, Maida Himenez, who um we lost um last week and uh Wilshshire Park Elementary had a vigil. Her her
colleagues and parents and students were out um in in her memory. And I just want to adjourn um in her name and in her memory and know that um she will not be forgotten and our hearts go out to WA
Park Elementary. And um so thank you Miss Maya Himenez um for your legacy not only at WA Park um elementary but also what you gave to so many of your of your students and your ne your memory will
never be forgotten. Thank you. >> And unless there are any objections the meeting uh should be adjourned. Okay. Ajourned. The time is now 3:47 p.m. Thank you.