School Board Meeting Bullets- February 22, 2022

MEETING OF THE GOVERNING BOARD 
February 22, 2022
(Notes are Abridged)

1. OPENING PROCEDURE
A. CALL TO ORDER   at 6:02 p.m.
B. ESTABLISHMENT OF QUORUM  All Members Present, Quorum Established
2. REQUESTS TO ADDRESS THE GOVERNING BOARD  No requests to address the governing board. 

3. RECESS TO CLOSED SESSION at 6:05 p.m.

A. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – Anticipated Litigation (Pursuant to Government Code §54956.9). Significant Exposure to Litigation Pursuant to Paragraph (2) or (3) of Subdivision (d) of Section §54956.9, one ( 1 ) case.

B. STUDENT DISCIPLINE OR CONFIDENTIAL STUDENT MATTERS (Pursuant to Education Code §35146, 48900 et seq., 48912(b) and 49060 et seq., and 20 U.S.C. Section 1232g). Final Settlement Agreement for Special Education Student OAH Case No. 2022010038

C. PUBLIC EMPLOYEE DISCIPLINE/DISMISSAL/RELEASE/COMPLAINTS (Pursuant to Government Code §54957)

D. CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATOR(S) (Pursuant to Government Code §54957.6, subd. (a)). San Gabriel Teachers Association & Teamsters Local 911 


4. RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION at 7:01 PM

A. ANNOUNCEMENT OF ACTION TAKEN IN CLOSED SESSION

The board took action in closed session. The board voted to approve a pension case for an employee who performed work duties during summer school. The district agreed to pay the employee’s pension fund for summer work, and the employee agreed to waive any rights moving forward. Case has been settled. 

B. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE  by Rochelle Haas

C. APPROVAL OF AGENDA  
Move of approval by Scott - move item 7E taken care of right now which is Wilson’s MDLI program 2.0 presentation:

Superintendent Symonds thanked all involved who have contributed to the Mandarin Immersion Program. He thanked Ms. Contreras, Ms. Calhoun, those who served on the DI Committee and the DI teachers at Wilson Elementary. He thanked the parents for their support throughout the past 3 years. He stated that enrollment has increased at Wilson Elementary.  He said that moving forward we need to evaluate the program and take a look at where we have come, where we are going and where we need to grow. 

Joan Perez: We are committed to improvements and how to better serve our students. We want to use data to make informed decisions and gain feedback from multiple perspectives. We want to make sure decisions are aligned with our vision and purpose, and aligned to our portrait of a graduate.

SGUSD is aligned to the vision of the State. Our vision is to prepare students for the business world, pursue jobs that are high paying, using the mandarin/spanish language. This program also introduces ways for students to broaden their perspectives culturally. Our goal is to create a pathway for bi-literacy. So, how are we doing in this reflective process? 

Joan Perez: It is difficult to find curriculum that align. The challenge is finding curriculum for the core content areas and the ability to recruit and hire qualified DI teachers. DI teachers have to go through a rigorous process so hiring highly-qualified DI teachers is a challenge. We are going to consider all of these questions in moving forward next year.

Symonds: What will next year look like for DI Mandarin? We want to take 2022-23 as a planning year - doing a full program evaluation. We want to gather input from educational partners such as students, parents, teachers, admin, Board, and linguistic experts. We also want to bring in our secondary Mandarin teachers in the conversation. Heather Wolpert - thought exchange. We want to attract quality teachers to our program and partner with local universities. So next year, we will continue to offer the traditional program to 3rd grade. 

Joan Perez: We would like to seek our educational partners’ feedback. We are seeking input, especially from students and teachers who are living it everyday. We will use this input to make informed decisions. We would like to have monthly meetings. Our first meeting will be in March and we will be sending out formal invitations soon.

Ken Tcheng: I want to thank all the teachers and the district for creating this program. I really appreciate the presentation and what you are proposing.

Scott: Sometimes we get so engrossed in what we are doing that we forget to evaluate ourselves on how to get better. So, how can we do better and make this program more successful for our students? We want students to learn content and a new language at the same time, which can be a challenge. I am excited.

Alvarado: Always having time to think things through and allowing people to have their voice. There is a discussion and a process to decide which way to head, we took a risk. Now we have a lot of interest in the program, it's a learning process. 

Haas: I echo what my colleagues said about hiring quality teachers and taking time to be strategic in what we have. Thank you team for what you are doing for our students so that they can be global citizens in the economy.

Shellhart: Unfortunately we will not be able to please everyone all of the time, but making sure everyone is heard is a priority. And holding off for another year is important. 

Here were the highlights of the Presentation slideshow of MDLI Program 2.0:

Celebrating the Success of the Program 
• Highly-qualified and committed teachers 
• Added a multicultural experience to the Wilson campus
• Grew enrollment by 66 students 
• Enrollment is up; over 130 students on the waiting list 
• Responsive to our community 
• Engaged parents 
• Created a language acquisition program for elementary students 
• Create a pathway to bi-literacy

Vision and Purpose 
San Gabriel Unified’s purpose for all dual-language programs within the District is to ensure that all students receive the highest quality education, master the English language, and access high-quality, innovative, and research-based language programs that prepare them to participate in a global economy. (EC Section 300[n].)

Mandarin Dual Language Immersion (MDLI) Program Goals 
• To develop bilingual, bi-literate, and bi-cultural learners who thrive academically and will be prepared to to participate as productive citizens in a global society 
• To provide a high quality program leading to high levels of proficiency in Mandarin and a solid understanding of Chinese culture 
• Create a pathway to Seal of Biliteracy upon graduation 
• To align prepare students for the AP Chinese exam

Program Considerations to build a sustainable, high quality program
● Access to curriculum 
● Ability to recruit and hire highly-qualified DLI teachers 
● To ensure a pathway for all DLI students to achieve Seal of Biliteracy (The time it takes to learn Mandarin)
● Increases literacy 
● Global use of Simplified (97% of Chinese speakers use simplified)
● Aligned to Global Workforce


So Now What? 
• 2022-2023 Planning Year 
• Program Evaluation 
• Gathering input from educational partners (students, parents, teachers, administrators, Board, and linguistic experts) 
• Discover the Way Forward 
• Developing a recruitment campaign for DLI teachers 
• Partnering with local universities 
• Piloting and developing high-quality DLI curriculum 
• Creating tiered supports for students 
• Connecting outside community to the classroom

Questions for Educational Partners’ Consideration 
• What are the strengths and growth areas of the current program? 
• How do we ensure the continuity of learning? 
• How do we address simplified and/or traditional? 
• Are there creative solutions? 
• Are we able to offer choice? 
• What do our students think? 
• How do we address the lack of curriculum resources? 
• How will we attract high-quality DLI teachers? 
• What else do we need to take into consideration as we move forward?


D. REQUESTS TO ADDRESS THE GOVERNING BOARD 

None

5. APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES

A. Approve the Governing Meeting Minutes of February 8, 2022 
Moved and seconded for approval. All in favor.

6. PUBLIC HEARING(S)


7. SPECIAL REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS
A. REPORTS - Student Board Members
Del Mar High School, Jessie Lopez  - no report
Gabrielino High School, Joseph Aguilar (unable to hear complete speech) 
GAB: March madness signups are on, Prom tickets sold on the 24th for $100. Baseball beat Mark Kepple.  2 members of Wrestling made CIF.  
Coolidge: Students seek first to understand, 
Thank you to the business department as they wrap up projects and prepare for the future.
Roosevelt Speech & Debate students won exceptional awards. Science grams were a big success. Next event will be Read Across America. 
MIE - Link to MIE Episodes are posted on the Roosevelt website. 
Washington- Read -A-Thon is in full swing. This ties into the Art Program. Testing is going smoothly. Students are having lunch with the principal. Wants to thank SEF for the donation. 
B. REPORT - Governing Board President, Cheryl Shellhart  - I just wanted to say Thank you Dena for reaching out and wanting to meet with me. I think we are in a good space and have a good partnership with SGTA. 
C. REPORT - Superintendent, Jim Symonds
Conditions continue to improve in the District in regards to Covid. 3 out of 8 of our schools are reporting 0 cases at this time. This is a sign that things are heading in the right direction and normalcy is soon to return. We are looking forward to a more normal spring and summer as cases continue to decline. I want to say thank you to the Budget Advisory Committee - Lawrence Ferchaw and Suzanne Speck for helping to present and develop our budget. I also want to thank students for participating in this committee. We want to do everything we can to build enrollment to attract new families to our district. Thank you everyone for your hard work. I received an email from our GAB FBLA students. I want to take a moment to share this. The email was addressed to SGUSD Board Members - FBLA students thank the District for the opportunity to engage with community members who work tirelessly to make the District better. FBLA students appreciate that the District takes the time to listen to students. Thank you Dr. Rynkiewicz
D. RECOGNITION - Honoring Kathleen Leon, RN and Leticia Reynoso, RN
Symonds: I am excited about this next part. All I can say is that these 2 individuals have weathered the storm in warlike conditions throughout this whole pandemic. They have worked late hours.  When I go out to sites I hear the same comments, “Thank God for Kathy and Letty.”  You 2 have done heroic work!!  So we reached out to local businesses. Everyone has chipped in to give different gift cards to help give the 2 of you some outpouring of love from the community. 

President Shellhart thanked the 2 ladies for their expertise and work throughout the district. 

Alvarado: All the smiles on the Zoom says it all. You guys did a lot of work (Kathy and Letty). Your passions were there - taking care of our students along with taking care of day-to-day stuff. We appreciate you.

Tcheng: Thank you very much, Kathy and Letty.

Dr. Scott: How do you say thank you to a SuperHero?  Your work efforts are a big deal to our principals, cabinet, board, students, teachers and families, and your work is tireless. You have provided much safety to our students and staff. No words to say thank you. 

Rochelle Haas: Thank you. You were definitely a huge part in taking care of things in our District. We appreciate you - before Covid, after Covid. Thank you very much.

Kathy Leon: Thank you to everyone here. We would not be able to get through this without our District. Thank you for your support. When we needed something, someone stepped up.

Letty Reynoso: Thank you everyone for your support and help.


E. PRESENTATION - Wilson Elementary Mandarin Dual Language Immersion Program 2.0 (moved to top of agenda) 


F. PRESENTATION - Universal Transitional Kindergarten for 2022-2023 School Year

Joan Perez: This is exciting news for our District. Research has shown that early education really matters. Students who had early education before kindergarten have an advantage.

Ms. Calhoun shared the slides and history of Early Childhood/TK in the state of CA. 

Joan Perez: TK is a bridge between Pre-K and Kindergarten. We are excited to align this to our Portrait of a Graduate. We want to make sure they are set up for success. We as a district value a team approach and have brought in experts to help us develop a quality UTK program.

Calhoun: New staffing ratios. By 2023-2024, we will have a ratio of 1 to 10 students per adult in the classroom; no more than 24 students. We will also be connecting TK to K and collaborating with those teachers.

Ferchaw: So there may be some strain since we will be lowering student to adult ratio in the TK classroom. However, this is also a good thing because it will help with enrollment.

Joan Perez: This is best practice for early education and we are all in. 
Timeline: 1) Develop action planning committee, 2) facilities audit, 3) develop the SGUSD’s TK Plan to present to Board, 4) Recruit, hire, and train teachers.
Next Thurs we will meet again to compile a plan and hope to  take it to the board for approval prior to April 1st.  (Waiting for the State to provide all of the pieces for the TK universal roll out) 

Shellhart: I am so proud of our district - to be one of the first ones to roll this out. I am excited for this.

Alvarado: I’ve been in the world of Early Education for at least 20 years. There has been some trepidation in this field because to bring in 4-year-olds is a huge task. Please keep in mind that these are really little people we are talking about. We have to be very careful how we approach this when we accelerate this program. These little ones learn through playing, building, etc. not just sitting down neatly and reciting. I get a little nervous. Options for Learning is a great agency and knows this field-they’ve been around for a long time. When the school bell rings, a lot of parents are still working. So we are dealing with really little people who need a lot of TLC.

Perez: We want to create a program that is developmentally appropriate and we are working with a consultant to make sure that TK is not K. 

Dr. Gary Scott: Thank you to member Alvardo for her input and expertise in this field of early childhood development. This is a unique environment and the needs of a 3 year, 4 year, 5 year student are dramatic. I am excited that the state is committed to fund this and that our district is willing to take this on. 


Current Transitional Kindergarten 
● Currently, TK serves about 100,000 children, primarily those who turn 5 between September 2nd and December 2nd 
● These are the students who narrowly miss the cutoff for regular kindergarten 

New Universal Transitional Kindergarten
●The new $2.7 billion universal TK program, by contrast, will gradually be made available to every 4-year-old in California, eventually serving nearly 400,000 students 
● It will essentially become California’s version of a universal preschool program, available to all children regardless of income

What is SGUSD’s Purpose and Vision?
Our vision is to create an early childhood education program that safely nurtures, educates, inspires, and empowers all young students to learn and explore in a developmentally appropriate classroom environment.

SGUSD’s UTK Plan: 5 Focus Areas
1. Vision and Coherence 
2. Community Engagement and Partnerships 
3. Workforce Recruitment and Professional Learning 
4. Curriculum Instruction and Assessment 
5. Facilities, Services, and Operations

Legal Requirements/SGUSD Plan
2021-22: Offer TK to four-year-olds whose 5th birthday occurs between September 2 and December 2
2022-23: Expand offer of TK to four-year-olds whose 5th birthday occurs between September 2 to February 2 June 30 (space permitting) 
2023-24: Expand offer of TK to four-year-olds whose 5th birthday occurs between September 2 to April 2 June 30 (space permitting) 
2024-25: Expand offer of TK to four-year-olds whose 5th birthday occurs between September 2 to June 2 June 30 (space permitting)
2025-26: Expand offer of TK to four-year-olds whose 4th birthday occurs by September 1

G. PRESENTATION - SGUSD Mid-Year Update to the Local Control and Accountability Plan for 2021-2022
Supplement to the Annual Update to the 2021-22 Local Control and Accountability Plan:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fd2SNeyNQqNbpzkndjqYx-_jZpGKxeB1/view

Dr. Joan Perez: We want to provide meaningful information to our community partners so we can get feedback. 

Larry Ferchaw:  We have to identify what we are going to use our Concentration Grant Funds on based on our unduplicated youth. 

Gail Calhoun: This mid-year update asks us to clarify any money received that wasn't part of LCAP.  Most notably the state is referring to our ESSER 3 plan. This plan was previously shared at a board meeting. 

Joan Perez: So how are implementing the Federal American Rescue Plan Act? We have a really strong plan for MTSS. We also need to consider ELA and Math Interventions. We added Wellness Centers at JMS and high school. We also increased hours for health clerks. We also included expanded learning opportunities like summer school.

Larry Ferchaw: We need to make sure everything aligns to the LCAP.

Gail Calhoun: We hope to get our parent and staff survey sent out soon.

Jazmin Ortega: Total plan expenditures: The district is on track with expenditures. 

Gail Calhoun: We have 2 metrics that are already in place and we have exceeded our expectations.  We are at 99% registration with parents using the new online tool. 

Jazmin Ortega: As far as Goal 2, some goals have not been met yet due to distractions from Covid. 

Joan Perez: LCAP Goal 3 - Optimize Student Achievement 

Calhoun: We have a great preliminary EL Reclassification Rate which puts us on track to meet our goal. Our EL TOSAS really helped.  Goal 3, Part 2. We have had limited reports from 11th graders who took the CAASP. We are waiting for more results. 

Many of the metrics for this goal of optimizing student achievement is still pending.

Jazmin Ortega: As far as Goal 3, implementation of goal 3 is still in progress. 

Joan Perez: LCAP Goal 4 - Optimize Learning Conditions and Basic Services. As we move to UTK, this will also align to this goal.

Calhoun -  We have data on students' assignments on technology to support their learning. 99% of our students have been assigned lessons via technology. We have declined from overall exemplary to good for Facilities/FIT - in terms of buildings/facilities.

Jazmin Ortega: As far as Goal 4, implementation of goal 4 has resulted in distractions from Covid. 

Board Comments regarding LCAP Presentation: 

Dr Gary Scott:  What is the evidence of what we do day in/out and how we support them everyday.  We are moving the needle. How much is being accomplished every day, in such a time. Thank you to all who are working. Thank you for the report. 


Supplemental Summaries of the LCAP Slide Presentation:
Section 1: Educational Partners’ Input on Use of State Pandemic Funds (ESSER III Community Input Survey)
Section 2: Additional Concentration Grant Funds (Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSAs) to support English learners on our campuses where the unduplicated count is greater than 55 percent.) - Coolidge, Del Mar, Gab, JMS, Wash, McKinley, Roos
Section 3: Educational Partners’ Input on use of Federal Pandemic Funds (How and when the local educational agency’s educational partners were engaged on the use of one-time federal funds intended to support recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts of distance learning on pupils.)
Section 4: Implementation on Federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 
● Enhancement of MTSS services for Unduplicated Pupils (UDP) 
● English language arts and math Intervention 
● Augmented counseling staff
● Increased access to technology and devices 
● Ensuring student connectivity 
● Access to PPE for students and staff 
● Expanded learning opportunities and summer school
Section 5: Alignment of additional State and Federal Funds with the LCAP

LCAP Goals:
●LCAP Goal 1: Intentional Culture of Care: Social-emotional and Physical Wellness 
By 2023-24, through multiple measures, create schools that successfully sustain a positive school climate and are committed to meeting the cognitive, social-emotional, mental health, and physical needs of students and staff.)
●LCAP Goal 2: School Connectedness and Engagement
By 2023-24, through multiple measures, each school site will develop and maintain positive parent and community involvement and engagement to promote and support student success.
●LCAP Goal 3: Optimize Student Achievement
By the close of the 2024 school year, San Gabriel USD will have publicly begun implementation of a plan for Multi-Tiered Systems of Support to identify and support students at promise. The plan will include measures to address equity of preparation, access, and support by addressing processes, procedures and cultural conditions that may serve as barriers to the achievement of underserved students. 
●LCAP Goal 4: Optimize Learning Conditions and Basic Services for Students
By 2022, through multiple measures, SGUSD will provide optimal conditions for learning, including basic services, the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, and course access for students will be maintained or improved.  \

Impact to the Budget Overview for Parents 
When SGUSD adopted our LCAP and Budget on June 29, 2021, the state budget act was not complete. The adopted state budget included additional funds that were not anticipated by our district. The impact to our adopted Budget Overview for Parents is as follows: 

Total LCFF Funds (As adopted in BOP June 15, 2021): $43,706,934
Total LCFF Funds (Amount per Budget Act June 30, 2021): $43,747,201 
Total LCFF Funds (Amount per First Interim December 15, 2021): $43,770,965

LCFF Supplemental/Concentration (As adopted in BOP June 15, 2021): $7,143,510 
LCFF Supplemental/Concentration (Amount per Budget Act June 30, 2021): $7,654,455 
LCFF Supplemental/Concentration (Amount per First Interim December 15, 2021): $8,081,367

H. PRESENTATION- Budget Advisory Committee, Lawrence Ferchaw

Ferchaw: We have some community partners who are here tonight to share as well as Suzanne Speck.

Rynkiewicz: Thank you Board for giving us a chance to present as a team of multiple stakeholders. He thanked all the participants of the District Budget Committee. The purpose was to develop recommendations to the superintendent for cost SAVING options that support the district's goals. Thank you for all the discussion and trust in the room. 

All stakeholders presented problems and solutions for upcoming years. 

Tcheng: Thank you everyone for presenting tonight. I really like the approach you are taking. Thank you for looking for cost-saving options. This is wonderful.

Chellhart:  What was the actual ratio to compare the student:administrator ratio?   Which districts were compared? 

Suzanne Speck: Are you asking which districts did we compare SGUSD to or what was the actual comparison?

Shellhart: What was the actual ratio?

Larry Ferchaw: 383.5 students per school admin and SGUSD is at 321 per administrator.

Suzanne Speck:   SGUSD had fewer students per administrator.  This is based off of 17 unified districts within about 50 mile radius.

Alvarado: I appreciate that all of you took a piece of the presentation and shared out. 

Scott: This is one of the hardest conversations to have depending on where you sit as a stakeholder because it can get emotional. Thank you for giving us this wisdom and guidance for where we need to be. These are not easy decisions, but we appreciate the guidance.

Haas: I appreciate the student and parent input. I also appreciate the more slow and steady approaches which will be beneficial in the long term.

(See presentation for complete information)

Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) Purposes:
●The District BAC was tasked with developing, and recommending to the Superintendent, cost saving options that support the achievement of District goals
●The District BAC reviewed financial data, generated cost-saving options, and evaluated those options against a set of agreed upon criteria
●The District BAC used a consensus decision-making model to ensure that all members were heard and understood
●Consensus is not the preference of the majority— consensus results in the best solution that the group can achieve at the time
●The BAC reached consensus on all recommendations included in this presentation

Budget Advisory Committee Recommendations:
Increase Elementary Staffing Ratios: There are inconsistent class averages at each grade level across K-5 schools in the district resulting in overstaffing at some sites increasing overall personnel expenditures. To be fiscally responsible with staffing ratios and ensure that we are maximizing FTE allocations, it is recommended that we identify classes at the elementary levels to handle overflow from other schools. Additionally, enrollment protocols need to align with class size averages in the certificated Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Class size averages should be monitored centrally and communicated monthly with office managers and include current overflow schools for each grade level. Student services can support on a case-by-case basis when special circumstances arise. It is our recommendation that the District make reductions through attrition and reassignment first.
Increase and Staff to the Secondary Teacher Base Allocation: Secondary school teacher staffing is above the base allocation resulting in overstaffing increasing overall personnel expenditures. Adjust the currently existing base allocation to account for the needs of all students, including GenEd, Physical Education, and Special Programs (SAI, Co-Teach, CTE, AP, etc.) and lower the existing FTEs. It is our recommendation that the District make reductions through attrition and reassignment first.
Convene an Enrollment Task Force: The District’s annual enrollment is declining, and the reasons are unknown. Declining enrollment has a significant impact on our revenues, especially when staffing adjustments are not made. We have no control over birth rates and housing costs, however, there are still school aged students leaving our district or choosing other schools. We recommend that the district convene a task force to investigate the root causes for in-boundary students leaving SGUSD. This should include student and parent surveys to determine what would make SGUSD a destination district. Additionally, the task force should consider any lessons learned during the pandemic in terms of health and safety protocols and programs that minimized lost ADA as a part of their research. Consideration should be given to the development of signature programs for all sites and advertising the programs to the community at large.
Increase the Ratio of Students per Administrator: Year-over-year enrollment decline resulted in a loss of 369 students between the 2017-18 and 2020-21 school years. Reductions i n administrative staffing have not been commensurate with this decline resulting in overstaffing and higher than average administrator salary expenses and more administrators per enrolled student than neighboring school districts. We recommend the following actions to reduce administrative salary expenses and increase the student-to-administrator ratio: 
• Provide a retirement incentive for certificated management 
• Reduce administrative positions to bring them into alignment with current enrollment and staffing ratios 
• Reduce positions through layoff and/or reassignment to bring the student-to-administrator ratio to the average of the comparative group 
• Consider having some administrators be split between two school sites
Bring SGUSD Administrative Staffing in line with Comparative Districts: Year-over-year enrollment decline resulted in a loss of 369 students between the 2017-18 and 2020-21 school years. Reductions in District-level administrative staffing have not been commensurate with this decline resulting in higher than-average administrator salary expenses and more administrators per enrolled student than neighboring school districts. We recommend the following actions to further reduce District-level administrative salary expenses and increase student-to-administrator if needed: 
• Review School Services’ Comparative Organizational Structure and Staffing Review to be provided this year. 
• Implement reductions in positions to bring SGUSD in line with comparative districts.
Investigate the Sustainability of Health Benefit Contributions: The district’s contribution to employee benefits is the highest among the comparative group and salaries are below average. Lower salaries interfere with the district’s ability to attract and hire new staff. Fully paid medical benefits at the family HMO rate may prevent the ability of the district to offer competitive salaries and implement programs that support student achievement. We recommend that the District work with employee groups through negotiations to investigate the sustainability of the current district contribution to health benefits. Consider cost-saving options such as 
• A hard or floating cap on the employer’s contribution to health benefits 
• Offering a wider variety of insurance plans with potentially lower costs 
• Grandfathering in current benefits for current employees and setting a cap for new employees to be able to offer higher salaries
Actively Recruit Special Education Aides and Speech Therapists: At $482.44 per ADA, the District is spending significantly more than the statewide average of $56.38 per ADA in the special education expenditure category of “Other Outgo”. These expenses include contracted agency services to provide special education aides in vacant positions and to provide day-to-day substitutes. This category also includes contracted Speech and Language Pathologist (SLPs) that are needed to fill vacant positions. On average, this translates to $100 more per day to fill special education aide vacancies than would be spent if vacant positions were filled with District employees. For contracted SLPs, the District is spending on average $5,000 per month per SLP than it would if we were able to employ District SLPs. We recommend that the District develop and implement an aggressive plan to recruit instructional aides and SLPs. A recruitment plan should include the following activities: 
•Hosting of a District job fair 
•Attendance at University job fairs in our area 
•Multiple job search platforms 
•Creation of recruitment materials that highlight special education programs programming and include parent/family testimonials 
•Develop relationship with SLP graduate programs in our region 
•Additionally, we recommend that we build Special Education Aide pathways at our high schools by offering Student-worker (aide program) or “TA (Teacher’s Aide” class assignments for elective credit
Increase Special Education Employee Retention: At $482.44 per ADA, the District is spending significantly more than the statewide average of $56.38 per ADA in the special education expenditure category of “Other Outgo”. These expenses include contracted agency services to provide special education aides in vacant positions and to provide day-to-day substitutes. This category also includes contracted Speech and Language Pathologist (SLPs) that are needed to fill vacant positions. On average, this translates to $100 more per day to fill special education aide vacancies than would be spent if vacant positions were filled with District employees. For contracted SLPs, the District is spending on average $5,000 per month per SLP than it would if we were able to employ District SLPs. We recommend that the District work to increase special education employee retention by: 
• Develop and deliver a robust onboarding program 
• Provide a program of ongoing professional development 
• Provide coordination of student loan forgiveness process


8. ACTION ITEMS
A. BUSINESS SERVICES
1. (ROLL CALL) - Adopt Resolution No. 19/2021-22 California Schools Healthy Air, Plumbing, and Efficiency Program. Administration recommends that the Governing Board adopt Resolution No. 19/2021-22 California Schools Healthy Air, Plumbing, and Efficiency Program and authorize the designee to execute the necessary documents

Financial Impact: To receive grant funding of approximately $ 764,130.
Discussion: None
Action Taken:  Moved and seconded for approval. All in favor.
Roll Call  Vote: 
Cheryl Shellhart- aye
Rochelle Haas-aye
Ken Tcheng-aye
Gary Scott-aye
Cristina Alvarado-aye

2. Approve Agreement Between the San Gabriel Unified School District and Jones Hall, A Professional Law Corporation. The agreement for legal services with Jones Hall is for bond counsel and disclosure counsel services in connection with the issuance and sale of general obligation bonds. 

Financial Impact: Total: $70,000 (Funding Source: G.O. Bond)
Discussion: None
Action Taken: Moved and seconded for approval. All in favor.

3. Approve Agreement for Professional Services Between the San Gabriel Unified School District and Dannis Woliver Kelley for District Counsel Legal Services. By entering into this agreement with Dannis Woliver Kelley they will provide specialized legal support to the District on bond financings, refinancing and debt obligations.

Financial Impact: Total: $5,000 per financing; for simultaneous financings, $5,000 for the first financing and $2,500 for each financing thereafter (Funding Source: G.O. Bond)
Discussion: none 
Action Taken: Moved and seconded for approval. All in favor.

4. Approve the Professional Agreement Between California Charter Authorizing Professionals (CCAP) and the San Gabriel Unified School District. The California Charter Authorizing Professionals shall support the San Gabriel Unified School District in setting up and implementing its ongoing authorizer monitoring of the Options for Youth San Gabriel charter school.

Financial Impact: Total: $5,000 to support operational implementation of Epicenter.
Other: Flat monthly rate of $1,500 and reimbursement for travel and per diem expenses at standard district rate. (Funding Source: General Fund - Charter School Reimbursement)
Discussion: none
Action Taken: Moved and seconded for approval. All in favor.

5. Accept a Proposal of E-Rate Project (Hardware) 2022-2023 and Enter Into an Agreement with AMS.NET. Five elementary school sites will receive updated indoor Wi-Fi hardware under the upcoming E-Rate funding application year. 

Financial Impact: Total: Approximately $166,496.07 (or $33,299.22 after e-rate discounts) Funding Source: General Fund
Discussion: none
Action Taken: Moved and seconded for approval. All in favor.

6. Accept a Proposal for E-Rate Project (Internet Services) 2022-2023. Due to the increased demands for internet bandwidth, the District would like to enter into a new three-year contract for internet services starting the new fiscal year. Upon board approval at a subsequent board meeting the contract will be awarded to AT&T for approximately $252,000.

Financial Impact: $252,000
Discussion: none
Action Taken: Moved and seconded for approval. All in favor.


B. EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

1. Approve Final Settlement Agreement for Special Education Student OAH Case No. 2022010038 (Special Education). Administration recommends the approval of the Final Settlement Agreement for Special Education Student OAH Case No. 2022010038.
Financial Impact: Total: NTE $10,525.00 (Funding Source: Special Education)
Increase: $10,525.00
Decrease: N/A
Discussion: none
Action Taken: Moved and seconded for approval. All in favor.
2. Approve Consultant Agreement with Dr. Megan Stone for SGUSD Special Education Program's Medicaid LEA/MAA Federal Reimburse