0:00The meeting began with public comments, where Primrose Brian advocated for the reinstatement of Britney Taylor, a food service worker who had been terminated for involving a student in a FaceTime call. Brian argued that Taylor was “unjustly terminated” and highlighted her dedication as a worker raising four young children. Following Brian, Liliana Franco from UNITE Here Local 54 read a letter from Natasha Evans, the mother of the student involved. Evans stated she did not want punitive actions against Taylor, believing the termination was unwarranted and that both Taylor and the school were unaware of the situation. The board requested clarity on these comments due to audio issues, leading to a brief discussion on the effectiveness of the meeting’s audio equipment.

Dr. Marilyn Martinez, the superintendent, presented her report, discussing the summer program’s success and offering detailed statistics. Out of 309 students enrolled in summer school for grades K through 8, 65% successfully completed the program. At the high school level, 92% of 126 students in credit completion courses were successful. Dr. Martinez praised the staff’s dedication, particularly highlighting a performance titled “Happily Ever After” and detailing student participation in various summer sports camps, including soccer, basketball, swimming, and esports.

Dr. Martinez also provided an update on the district’s multilingual learners, noting an increase from 19.3% to 24.5% in the current year, with a 56% rise in immigrant students. The superintendent emphasized the district’s efforts to expand its bilingual program and announced plans for dual language instruction from kindergarten through second grade. The district’s goal is to become a model for graduating students with a biliteracy seal, with high school students having opportunities for study abroad experiences. Additionally, a standardized 120 minutes of English language arts instruction across all schools was announced.

32:11A significant change discussed was the increase in math instruction for all students to 80 minutes, compared to the previous 32 to 75 minutes range. The board emphasized the addition of individualized intervention instructional time within the school day, a new initiative for the high school. Core courses such as English, math, science, and history will now be offered over a full academic year, totaling 180 days instead of 90 days, to enhance student proficiency. The board also stressed the need for appropriate texts and pacing guidelines for core courses, particularly in physics and chemistry.

The district is addressing procurement issues after discovering $33,000 in unapproved tech services and $37,773 in tech subscriptions ineligible for e-rate funding, costing the district $377,000. Moving forward, a contingency clause for e-rate services will be introduced, expected to save approximately $2.8 million in technology contracted services for disaster recovery. The upcoming school year will include back-to-school nights for parents and students, with the first day of school set for September 5th.

During the meeting, the board discussed the termination of the food service worker, clarifying that the individual was employed by NutriServe, the food service supplier, not the school district. NutriServe was open to reinstating the worker with a final warning, but the decision had been made by someone in charge at the school.

Alamo Insurance Group representatives presented on the district’s challenges with professional liability insurance for school leaders. Despite a non-renewal notice due to claims history and risk profile, a renewal was secured after advocating for leadership changes. The board discussed the district’s insurance claims, noting six claims for the 2023-2024 period with incurred costs of $270,000, a decrease from previous years. However, the insurance market evaluates claims over a five-year window, necessitating ongoing efforts to improve the district’s risk profile.

53:49Routine business included approving minutes from prior meetings, correcting a numeric error, and entering an executive session to discuss confidential matters. Financial matters were addressed, with finance reports for July and August approved despite a member abstaining due to a conflict of interest. The transportation report and various HR-related items were also approved. Concerns about the boiler project at South Main were raised, clarifying the involvement of multiple vendors for different project parts.

New board policies aimed at improving conduct were introduced, and a fraternity welcoming ceremony at the high school was scheduled for the first day of school. Public comments included several individuals, and board members expressed gratitude and emphasized unity and collaboration within the district.