REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Lennox SD
June 30, 2020 5:30PM
Lennox School District Board Room
10319 Firmona Avenue,
Lennox, CA 90304
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Board President Fajardo called the meeting to order at 5:32 p.m.
Mrs. Blanco led the pledge of allegiance.
The board president then explained the process for providing public comments on the zoom platform. She then conducted roll call. All board members responded that they were present. |
The Meeting will be called to order at 5:30 p.m. The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by __________________________________________. Members of the public who intend to offer public comment and address the Board should submit a Google Request Form posted on the district website at www.lennox.k12.ca.us before the start of each Board meeting. Please indicate on the Google Request Form which item on the Agenda you would like to address. The Board meeting will be held on the Zoom platform. Based on the Google Form requests, at the time of public comment, the Board President will call your name to speak. No Google Form Request to address the Board of Education will be accepted after 5:45 p.m. Time allowed per speaker: 3 minutes. The Board limits total time for public comment on any topic to 30 minutes. Members Present _________ and Guests present __________.
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She then conducted roll call. All board members responded that they were present. President Fajardo asked Superintendent Dr. Scott Price if there were any changes to the agenda.
Dr. Price responded that there were several changes. He asked that items VI, VII, VIII be removed.
President Fajardo confirmed the changes and conducted a roll call vote.
Dr. Price asked about a possible future meeting on July 14th.
President Fajardo consulted with the rest of the board on their availability. They all concurred. President Fajardo confirmed that there would be a regular meeting of the board of trustees on July 14, 2020.
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Passed with a motion by Sergio Hernandez and a second by Marisol Cruz. |
Yes Alexis Aceves.
Yes Marisol Cruz.
Yes Angela Fajardo.
Yes Angeles Gonzalez.
Yes Sergio Hernandez.
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Roll Call Vote:
President Dr. Angela Fajardo Yea ____ Nay____
Vice President Mrs. Angeles Gonzalez Yea ____ Nay____
Clerk Ms. Alexis Aceves Yea ____ Nay____
Member Ms. Marisol Cruz Yea ____ Nay____
Member Mr. Sergio Hernandez, Jr. Yea ____ Nay____ |
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Ms. Vivian Alvarado said that she and other parents question if the district is ready for students to safely return to classes on campus. She shared statistics on California parents’ thoughts of either keeping their children home or sending them back to campuses. She asked if the district was prepared to disinfect in a way that was safe for school campuses to reopen.
Ms. Becky Ruiz said she would be speaking of the possible classified layoffs. She noted that at a previous board meeting, it was shared that cuts would be necessary across the board to all employees to cover a $6 million deficit. She acknowledged that certificated employees were currently protected from cuts. Ms. Ruiz shared details of Assembly Bill 77 Section 94A. She asked if the administration would take cuts or furloughs. Ms. Ruiz noted that many districts would have to apply for loans to cover deferrals. She said that if the 21 classified employees were laid off, in 60 days, the employees would suffer significantly.
Ms. Sandra Santiago said that she was a CPA at Jefferson. She shared details of her job description as a CPA. She shared details of the CPA’s work during school closures due to COVID and during a regular school year. Ms. Santiago shared her heartbreak over possibly losing her job due to cuts.
Mr. Nelson Omar Reyes said he was a former Lennox student and shared his family history and childhood experiences. He shared how Ms. Tiedemann and her PE class changed his life for the better. He said that through that class he found self-worth, healed, and grew through dance and sports. Mr. Reyes said that he was currently a 3-tour combat army veteran and a senior narcotics officer serving as a US Diplomat Intelligence Officer in Columbia. Mr. Reyes said that because of Ms. Tiedemann and teachers like her, his childhood trauma was no longer trauma, it was an experience to open up and heal and grow.
Ms. Nancy Valle said she was a secretary at Felton Elementary School and a member of the CSEA Board and would speak to the proposed cuts on the current agenda. She acknowledged that the imprudent spending of previous administrations burdened the district, but was sad to see that the current administration planned on cutting 21 classified positions. Ms. Valle said that the loss of those employees meant the loss of programs that attract families to Lennox. She said she understood that cuts were inevitable, but was disappointed to see that only classified employees were on the chopping block. Ms. Valle said that by cutting those 21 positions, the board displayed a lack of concern for the best interests of the children and the district.
Ms. Karen Rodriguez said she was born and raised in Lennox and was currently serving the community as a Parent Liaison. She said that she created a safe environment for parents to learn and grow through parent workshops and classes. Ms. Rodriguez noted that by lifting parents, children and their families were better prepared. She also shared details of the Parent Liason duties during COVID. She said that parent liaisons are willing to take furloughs and believe that it takes a village to raise a child.
Ms. Megan Gomez said she was previously an instructional aide and currently a library tech. She shared her enthusiasm and love for supporting students in the library. She believes that students will get the wrong message when they learn that the library is not supported. Ms. Gomez noted that it was a moral imperative that every school in Lennox should have access to staff and library materials to be successful in their future educational careers. She asked if Lennox would meet the needs of her child and all Lennox children if the doors to the libraries were closed due to the cuts.
Ms. Laura Quintas said she was the library technician at Moffet Elementary school where she had the joy of serving the community for the last 11 years. She explained that she empowered her students to be 21st-century learners and provided resources that were physical and digital. She shared her ideas for the future of the Lennox libraries. She said that in being recognized at the 2019 Classified Employee of the Year, her pride was less for herself and more for the pride of a district that valued that elementary school libraries make a difference. She asked the board to reconsider the elimination of the library tech positions.
Ms. Priscila Avila shared that the current year, LTA council voted and 19 scholarships were awarded. Ms. Avila urged the board to consider the cuts. She noted that Ms. Quintas was already including distance learning before the pandemic hit. Ms. Avila reiterated the importance of the parent liaison’s during a time when parents are in desperate need of support. She asked how parents would continue to be educated. She asked who would support the PE teachers in caring for the whole child. She said that the intervention assistants would be a high need once the students returned to school with learning gaps. Ms. Avila said that the engineering program was a proud staple in the Lennox community. She noted that eliminating positions was not beneficial to the students.
Ms. Vanessa Arauza sent an email to Dr. Price asking about the details of the zoom meeting. She read her email. She shared details about her son who has special needs. She shared that Ms. Stein, his PE teacher, and Mr. Peters, his music teacher have provided amazing support to her son. She shared information about the positive changes her son and her entire family has had due to the love and support from Ms. Stein and Mr. Peters. He shared ideas of possible administrative positions that could be cut instead of the current list of employees.
Mr. Armando Franco said he was an employee of the Lennox school district for the last 26 years. He noted that there had been an outpouring of support for the PE department from the community and staff in the current and past board meetings. She said that the board was well aware of the curriculum and work being done by the PE department since their children had participated in and benefited from it. He said that the board had also participated in family nights and had seen firsthand the hard work and dedication from the staff. He also mentioned that one board member was even a product of and had participated in the PE classes. Mr. Franco asked that the board reconsider the cuts and not let dollar signs be the only determinant factor.
Ms. Yesenia Rosales said she and her siblings were former Lennox students and she was now a parent of Lennox students. She thanked her children’s teachers for their support and dedication. Ms. Rosales said that as a student, one of her favorite teachers was Ms. Tiedeman. She acknowledged that in the last 3 months, PE had been a crucial part of daily routine, teaching children to stay physically and mentally active while being at home. Ms. Rosales said Ms. Tiedemann’s class was a crucial part of her family’s routine during the school closure. She then introduced her son. Julio Escobar shared his experience in PE before the pandemic. He said PE helped him release the stress from his other classes and liked participating in learning new sports. He also said that PE during the pandemic was fun and exciting because he was able to participate with his family.
Ms. Rosa Vasquez said she was a former LMS student and currently an educator in the Lennox School District for 17 years. She shared her experience in the PE department as a student and mentioned how much the PE department has grown over the years. She shared her experience in participating in a PE activity where PE teachers cheered her on and she learned that no matter how difficult a situation may be, don’t let fear hold you back and accomplish your goal. She said that Ms. Tiedemann and Ms. Stein support their students during and after school and Mr. Franco was never too busy to work with students. She acknowledged that the PE teachers have gone above and beyond to ensure the wellbeing of the Lennox students.
Fabian Iniguez said he worked at Felton Elementary as an engineering teacher to 4th and 5th grade students. He said he was also a product of the Lennox district and community and came back to the district to give back to the community. He said he wanted to change the future of the community and wanted to be able to fulfill the needs and wants of the students to be future engineers. He shared his love, passion for the program. Mr. Iniguez said that he loved teaching engineering and was willing to take additional furloughs to keep the program open.
Mr. Kevin Menjivar said he has been at Buford for 5 years. He said that problems such as language barriers, socioeconomic status, and deep-rooted psychological issues in the community motivate him to serve the community to the best of his abilities. He noted that a lack of support to parents affected the community and the district saw and met those needs. He said that many parents have even obtained their GEDs. He gave a list of services and events provided to parents such as art nights, fun runs, father nights, all of which have helped in ways like never before. He noted that he continued to support parents and children during COVID in various ways and said he humbly urged the board to reconsider their position.
Ms. Olga Banuelos said she was in the district for the past 39 years. She said she would like to speak on the two items concerning employee cuts. She said she hoped that the Board would consider how much the engineering program has done for the district including receiving awards and winning competitions at the county level. She noted that she understood the current budget crisis, and wondered why cuts always affected students and the school sites. She said that district administrators had not taken furloughs or cuts. She asked the Board to reconsider the cuts.
Ms. Renee Tiedemann said she was proud to share that she had just completed her 29th year teaching at Lennox Middle School. She shared her educational accomplishments of being the first recipient in the state to obtain a dual credential in physical education and dance as well as a master’s degree in multicultural education. She shared her experiences with school closure and continued to use google classroom and zoom. She also shared her daily work schedule during the school closure. She said that the PE department modo, “mind, body and character” rang true for her current students, some of which were children of her former students.
Ms. Eileen Duffy said that it seemed like the district was leaning towards returning to school using a distance model, but she urged the board to consider a hybrid model. She referred a study from NYU, which stated that online education was less successful than in class instruction, and the Lennox teachers could echo that. She said that some of her best students had fallen behind. She then provided details of best practices for learning for younger students. She explained that zoom was not engaging enough for most young children. She said that though many parents wanted to help their children, could not because of their own work. She understood that cleaning and disinfecting would be challenging, but asked the board to put in the effort. She asked that the board reconsider a hybrid model to best suit the needs of children.
Ms. Cheryl Stein said she was a PE teacher at LMS and prior to coming to Lennox taught at a Charter School in West LA. She said that she knew first hand the challenges when small class sizes grew to astronomical numbers and provided details of those challenges. She said that meeting the socioemotional needs were important, but would be impossible to meet. She noted that when she came to Lennox she felt respected and challenged to be a better teacher. She shared the benefits of small class sizes and the lessons that the children learn. She then shared a personal story of a student who had physical and mental disabilities and thought he could not catch a ball, but through the team work taught in class, he was able to do so. She said that both teams of students cheered for him and those were the lessons that were being taught and learned in the PE classes. She said that Lennox was a leader in physical education.
Trustee Hernandez asked the Board President that since the board limits public comment to each topic by 30 minutes, if she would review the list of speakers and take a consensus to limit public comment.
President Fajardo thanked Trustee Hernandez for his input and said she had checked with Dr. Price, but since there were public comments in multiple topics, they would continue with the four speakers left.
Ms. Mary Colbourn said she was a Lennox PE teacher for 20 years and was a Lennox student from K-6th grades. She shared a brief history of colleagues she worked with over the past years. She said her dream job was to work at the schools where as a child she felt safe, fed and loved. She said that Lennox gave her the tools to succeed as an educator and member of society. She said that she went to 5th grade camp as a student and later a teacher. She said that she understood the district was going through financial hardship, and as a family, should bear the burden together, putting aside differences. She said that doing it this way, would best serve the needs of the students. She felt that taking away programs would negatively impact the lives of the students. She pointed out that children develop life long challenges or healthy habits, depending on what they learned as children. She asked that the board consider in class instruction the following school year.
Ms. Erika Kilgore said she was a physical educator in Lennox in the past 18 years and said she was proud to have been selected to create a curriculum for the program. She shared a few details of the 100 minutes per week required by the state. Ms. Kilgore shared that her aides over the years, 6 of her aides have become teachers themselves. She shared her sadness for the possible loss of the PE aides and asked that the elimination of those positions be reconsidered. She said that the learning, lessons and fun in the PE classes was priceless which was possible in part by the PE aides. Ms. Kilgore shared that everytime she steps on a campus, she is greeted with smiles, highfives, hugs, and love from students and staff. She asked that the board reconsider the elimination of the PE aides.
Jessica Vasquez said she was an alumni of the Lennox district and shared her experiences with the library technician, which later helped her while a student at UC Berkeley. She noted that her mother’s involvement in the parent center was crucial to learn and build the community so much so that it supported Ms. Vasquez’s education. Her mother’s support helped her continue her education to obtain a master’s degree and become an educator herself. She noted that the community needed more support, not less. She referenced previous board meetings where she and other community members provided public comments regarding the lack of oversight and said community members were interrupted and were asked to not speak of the past. She believed the past was what brought the district to where it is. She asked that for future committees the community be included to make decisions as a whole.
President Fajardo announced that public comments would end at 6:55 p.m. and the board would recess for 10 minutes.
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This is the time during the Agenda when the Board of Education is prepared to receive comments of members of the public on any matter appearing on the Open Session portion of the Agenda. Members of the public who intend to offer public comment and address the Board should submit a Google Form posted on the district website at www.lennox.k12.ca.us before the start of each Board meeting. The Board meeting will be held on the Zoom platform. Based on the Google Form requests, at the time of public comment, the Board President will call your name to speak. To be recognized the member of the public must "raise their hand" using the Zoom interface. The Board President will recognize the raised hand and "unmute" the person recognized. Prior to beginning to speak, individuals should state their first and last name for the record. No Google Form to address the Board of Education will be accepted after 5:45 p.m. Time allowed per speaker: 3 minutes. The Board limits total time for public comment on any topic to 30 minutes.
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This is the only time on the Agenda that the public will have an opportunity to address the Board on non-agendized matters. Members of the public who intend to offer public comment and address the Board should submit a Google Form posted on the district website at www.lennox.k12.ca.us before the start of each Board meeting. The Board meeting will be held on the Zoom platform. Based on the Google Form requests, at the time of public comment, the Board President will call your name to speak. To be recognized the member of the public must "raise their hand" using the Zoom interface. The Board President will recognize the raised hand and "unmute" the person recognized. Prior to beginning to speak, individuals should state their first and last name for the record. No Google Form to address the Board of Education will be accepted after 5:45 p.m. Time allowed per speaker: 3 minutes. The Board limits total time for public comment on any topic to 30 minutes. At this time the Board does not answer questions but may refer specific concerns to the Superintendent for attention. On these matters the Board is not agendized to discuss or act. The Board requests that any person wishing to make complaints against District employees file the appropriate complaint form prior to this meeting. Speakers are cautioned that under California law, no person is immune from liability for making intentionally false or defamatory comments regarding any person simply because these comments are made at a public meeting. When recognized by the President of the Board, please give your name and address, and limit your comments to three minutes. The Board limits total time for public comment on any topic to 30 minutes.
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Trustee Cruz asked Dr. Price to elaborate on the changes that were made.
Dr. Price said that it had been a difficult budget year for school districts and at the State level. He noted that the legislature and the governor came to an agreement and there was now a state budget which included the funding level and deferrals. Dr. Price explained that the funding would be the same, but they don’t have the cash to give to school districts. So schools will have to borrow money but said that Ms. Benjamin would give additional details later in the presentation. He noted that there was protection for certificated employees and some classified employees. Dr. Price explained the number of reductions according to the governor’s budget. Dr. Price further explained the shifts were made in the Fiscal Stabilization Plan. He went through a list of eliminations and amounts saved from those eliminations. He explained that there are resolutions that covered those eliminations and those would be discussed later in the meeting. Dr. Price noted that it was very difficult to make the decisions to make the cuts that were necessary to make it through a difficult fiscal year. He said that the cuts reflected the budget and that Lennox truly is a family. Dr. Price shared his understanding of the difficulty that the cuts brought to the staff, administration, and the community. Dr. Price said that altogether, the elimination of positions and contracts would save over $3.6 million dollars.
Ms. Benjamin highlighted the state budget as it relates to the government and legislature coming to a compromise. She said that the per-student funding levels remain the same as 2019-20. Ms. Benjamin outlined the following major highlights: $6.3 billion in Federal Cares Act Funding, $2.3 billion CalPers and CalSTRS pension relief over 2 years, $645 million in Special Education, $100 million restored in After-School programs, $11 billion in Cash Deferrals, cross into next fiscal year (2021-22) and layoff protection for teachers and identified classified positions. Ms. Benjamin then explained the increase of the Cash Deferrals. She said that there would be approximately $11 billion in deferrals and said that the district would have to come up with solutions to pay employees and vendors. Ms. Benjamin shared potential solutions to cash deferrals which were inter-fund borrowing, tax revenue anticipation notes, and apply for state exemptions. Ms. Benjamin said that as a district, there would be options to review to best suit the needs of the district. She then explained the CARES Funding and ESSER Funds were one-time funds. She said there were restrictions on those funds which included student devices and connectivity, PPE, cleaning and sanitizing materials, school supplies, and others. Ms. Benjamin explained that there were unknowns and pending questions in regards to the one-time Federal funds for food services, preschool operations, and the level and timeliness of funding. She explained the declining enrollment trends and their relation to per-student funding and funding loss. Ms. Benjamin provided detailed information on the 202-21 general fund revenues which include LCFF, Federal and state, and local revenues. Ms. Benjamin quickly reviewed the expenditures of the 2020-21general fund. She explained that salaries and benefits make up approximately 85% of expenditures. Ms. Benjamin reviewed projections for the following 3 years.
Dr. Price reiterated that the district did not decide the COLA, rather the State. He said that with COVID it was questionable.
Ms. Benjamin stated that the district would have more clarity after the State provided additional information. She then spoke of the FCMAT Fiscal health analysis, which includes 20 common fiscal indicators to evaluate the risk of potential insolvency. Ms. Benjamin shared the fiscal priorities and policies including implementing the fiscal stabilization plan, maintaining fiscal solvency, building fund balance reserves, building cash reserves, and repaying the LACOE loan. Ms. Benjamin outlined the next steps which include adopting the annual budget, implementing the fiscal stabilization plan, the LACOE approval of the budget, and the first interim budget report among other state dates.
Dr. Price thanked the Business team for the countless hours of hard work and dedication to make the budget possible. He explained that it came down to the wire because of the State deadlines and changes.
Trustee Gonzalez shared her concern for the possibility of cutting positions that work directly with students and cutting the Swun contract.
Dr. Price explained that the Swun contract was for professional development, for $80k. He said that the $45k was to provide extra time for the teachers to attend those training. He explained that the materials were not included in the cuts. He explained that the materials are still in the budget.
Trustee Gonzalez thanked Dr. Price for the clarification. She then noted that the students would return to class with learning gaps and asked how the district would provide support to those students if the positions which normally would have offered students support are cut. Trustee Gonzalez asked if there could be a staff meeting where some options such as taking furloughs or pay cuts could be discussed.
President Fajardo asked Dr. Price if the district had the ability to impose cuts and furloughs or if had to be the State which made those decisions.
Dr. Price said that it would have to be negotiated with the Unions. He said that each one of the groups would have to do that. He mentioned that the previous year, all district administrators took 5 furlough days, including Cabinet. Dr. Price explained that with LTA, unless the education dates, teachers only had 3 days available. He said that each furlough day was $217k. He said that it would have to be a process. He said that tonight, the budget had to be passed. He said that the budget presented would pass by LACOE.
Trustee Gonzalez asked if the Budget could be revisited so that employees can be saved with the furloughs.
President Fajardo said she did not feel comfortable pressuring the unions into making those decisions so quickly.
Dr. Price mentioned that those options had been communicated to the unions.
Trustee Aceves noted that typically there is more time to review the budget, but asked how the unrepresented cuts were determined.
Dr. Price said the district has communicated to the unions the amounts that the percentages in cuts represent. He explained that in unrepresented and management, there would be reductions across the board. He said that it might be a mechanism that might be used later on, depending on the State. He said that those positions are determined by evaluating the positions, though all employees were dedicated to the success of the students. Dr. Price said that the following year would be challenging and the staff would do everything possible to help the students grown and succeed.
President Fajardo asked Dr. Price if the cuts were not over and there would be another possible wave in November.
Dr. Price said that the groups have all said that if there cuts, there should be cuts across the board and explained the eliminations across the board, in the different groups. He said that the cuts had been as equitable as possible. He said that depending on the flow of the State budget and the dollars available, there would either be additional cuts or employees could be brought back.
Trustee Aceves asked for details of the appeals process for the budget or for layoffs.
Dr. Price explained the process in cuts and said that the district worked with the unions to determine seniority. He noted that in a regular layoff window, the certificated employee could appeal and review seniority.
Dr. Fajardo asked if the appeal process was only for certificated employees.
Dr. Price said that for certificated employees, the process began when the window opened.
Dr. Foley agreed with Dr. Price and reiterated the certificated employee appeal information. She said that with classified, the implications could be bargained. She said that the district would work closely with the union. She added that classified employees do have reemployment rights where they would be placed on a 39-month rehire list. They then would have the right to return to a position should it open in the future.
President Fajardo referred to the slide with the side by side per-student funding. She asked if the district expected to have fewer students.
Ms. Benjamin explained that the chart illustrates the loss of funding due to fewer students, though the amount of funding received per student would remain the same.
President Fajardo noted that the importance of loss of ADA, or loss of students, was the big issue.
Trustee Cruz concurred that the loss of ADA was a big issue. She mentioned the Virtual Academy provided ADA funding and said that the loss of those students was negatively impacting the district.
President Fajardo asked if it was base funding.
Dr. Price clarified that the slide was an example and not the exact numbers. He pointed out that in 20-21, the funding was the same, but because of the deferrals, the state was telling districts to borrow the money.
Trustee Cruz asked if the state was encouraging even districts who had previously been financially stable to go out and take loans, that it was for districts across the State.
Dr. Price said that the State knows that they do not have the money available to give to the schools.
Trustee Cruz mentioned that the district would apply for exemptions later in the year.
Dr. Price explained that there was a little language that referred to potential solutions to cash deferrals. He explained that the State suggested participating in temporarily inter-fund borrowing, TRAN, and finally apply for a State exemption after the rejection of the TRAN.
Trustee Cruzs aksed if the chances of the exemption were slim to none.
Dr. Price explained that the district would participate in TRAN pools with LACOE. He said the Lennox cost might be more than others because Lennox is a greater risk than others.
Trustee Cruz said that since the budget had to be approved tonight, could the budget be approved and revisiting it to review the proposed budget cuts. She said that there had not been enough time to review the budget. Trustee Cruz also mentioned that she believed that Lennox was a family and worked together as a cohesive unit. She said that with the budget being presented, the classified members were taking the hardest hit. Trustee Cruz shared that in the past, people were not laid off and asked that especially PE teachers, librarians be spared from cuts. Trustee Cruz asked for leadership to step up, and that the current cuts were unjust. She asked if there could be communication with the unions. She asked if there was a way to pass the budget tonight and revisiting at a later date. Trustee Cruz noted that these issues called for leadership.
Dr. Price said that the budget could be revisited at any time and work through it, but LACOE needed to know that the board and district would do what was necessary to be fiscally solvent.
President Fajardo asked if, in the future, cost-saving measures were found, could some of what was being proposed.
Dr. Price confirmed that it was possible to do so. That if Unions were in agreement to take cuts, it was possible, but the budget and resolutions had to pass tonight.
Trustee Cruz asked Dr. Price for additional clarification with the resolutions. She asked if they could be pulled, tabled, or revisited.
President Fajardo said that the resolutions either passed or not, and if they did not pass, the budget was incomplete.
Trustee Cruz asked if the district would have any penalties with LACOE or with the State if the budget did not pass tonight.
Trustee Hernandez asked for clarification.
Dr. Price said that if the budget did not pass at the end of the night, the county could stop payments to the district. He said that the board had to pass a budget, or funding would cease.
Trustee Cruz asked how long the payments would stop.
Dr. Price explained that it would be as long as there was not an approved budget. He noted that the reason that the district had a fiscal advisor, was because of the LACOE loan and to show that the district had fiscal responsibility.
Trustee Cruz said she agreed with being fiscally responsible and asked who had made the decisions to eliminate the positions being discussed.
Trustee Cruz asked if there was a grace period due to the last minute changes.
Dr. Price said that there was no mention in the state law.
Trustee Cruz asked if there was any way to review the positions that were being eliminated.
Dr. Price said that his responsibility was to have a budget that would pass and would be solvent. He said that different budgets had to be presented in the future, but that it had to be a solvent budget.
Trustee Cruz again asked if the budget could be revised at another meeting.
Dr. Price said that it could be revised, but that real numbers had to be produced.
Trustee Gonzalez mentioned that there were a lot of people still on the zoom meeting and she was sure that the negotiating teams were watching. She thought that if all employees pitched in by taking a cut, positions could be saved.
Dr. Price said that the budget had to be passed by the end of the board meeting and could not negotiate in public. He said it had to be discussed with the unions.
Trustee Aceves said that the administration took 5 furlough days but did not know the decision-making process for those furloughs.
Trustee Hernandez said that negotiations took place in closed session prior to Dr. Price’s arrival to the district.
Trustee Cruz asked who represented the board at those meetings.
Dr. Price explained that he and cabinet did so, which included Dr. Foley, Ms. Benjamin and a team from the District.
Dr. Foley said that it was herself, Ms. Benjamin, Mr. Victor Herrera, Ms. Lisset Pichardo, Ms. Michele Lopez, and Mr. Eddie Garcia.
Trustee Cruz said that in the past, it was leadership, including directors.
Trustee Hernandez said that Trustee Cruz was correct in that in the past it was as such, but with the reorganization, assistant superintendents were demoted to directors.
Trustee Cruz said that she remembered it being upper management and was surprised to see a secretary and a manager as part of the team.
Dr. Foley clarified that Ms. Lopez was on the team as the note taker and did not participate in any other activities. She said that she did not change the teams and were the same teams prior to her arrival.
Trustee Cruz said that to her it was about leadership and thought it should be the leadership team.
Dr. Foley said that the legal council was also part of the negotiations.
Trustee Aceves asked what the district’s plans were if the budget did not pass at the end of the night.
Dr. Price said that he was willing to stay as late as possible to endure that it did pass.
Trustee Aceves referred to the attachment and noted that it stated that additional was coming in the following days.
Ms. Benjamin stated that the district was part of SELPA, which included south bay area districts. She said that the funds also have to pass through the SELPA before they are allocated to the districts.
Trustee Aceves asked for clarity on the statement, “Categorical Programs with fewer cut, however, no COLA will be applied…”
Ms. Benjamin explained that categorical program funds were used for specific programs such as afterschool programs.
Trustee Aceves then highlighted that cash deferrals increased significantly, $9.19 billion and that the June deferral was expected to be received next month. She mentioned the deferrals would continue into the next school years and had already begun. Trustee Aceves also noted that the document mentioned that even accounting for only increased pension contributions salary step/column costs, statutory benefits, and health and welfare, the increased costs alone would outpace any projected LCFF revenue increases that could be driven by COLA in the future years.
Ms. Benjamin explained the structural costs. She referred to pension, COLA, and health and benefits costs. She said that pensions’ costs would increase over the years. She said that when the structural costs were accounted for, the costs collectively outpaced COLA. Ms. Benjamin mentioned that it was common for medical costs to increase, though there was a relief in pensions the current year. She said that the district had to assume the costs of steps in columns and other pension costs. Ms. Benjamin said that collectively this year there was no COLA. She mentioned that the district had to be fiscally responsible.
Trustee Aceves again referred to and read from the document and asked for clarification of the $3.646 million.
Ms. Benjamin provided details of the reserves for the following reserves. She pointed out that COLA was zero with declining enrollment and said that the district had to be cautious. Ms. Benjamin noted that under the previous recession, funding was cut in the middle of the year. She noted that the district had to be cautiously optimistic about the state revenues and the national economy. Ms. Benjamin said that there are many factors that are taken into account when considering the budget.
Trustee Aceves then gave details of the ongoing concerns and priorities which included addressing deferred maintenance needs, technology infrastructure, and others. She noted that Lennox and other children in the area had had connectivity issues. Trustee Aceves also said that the district had to have at least 3% reserves.
President Fajardo thanked Trustee Aceves for her questions and Ms. Benjamin for explaining with details.
Trustee Hernandez said that his questions were answered throughout the presentation. He did thank Dr. Price and Ms. Benjamin for their presentation and noted that he agreed with Trustee Cruz in that they felt cornered. He responded that part of the reason which there were so many cuts to classified was because of the decision of the legislature to protect certificated personnel. Trustee Hernandez clarified that in the fall there would be PE, as the PE teachers would still teach. He also noted that the 39-month rehire list also provided time for employees to return. Trustee Hernandez noted that the district would be negatively impacted should the board not approve the budget by the end of the night.
Trustee Cruz asked if the LACOE representative was in the audience and if so, could she ask a question.
President Fajardo asked Dr. Price if the representative was present and if so she would allow the representative to participate in the discussion.
Dr. Price confirmed that Ms. Pearl Izuka was present.
Trustee Cruz asked Ms. Izuka if there were alternatives that could be presented to the board. She asked if there would be penalties if the board revisited the budget because of the layoffs. Trustee Cruz also asked about loans.
Ms. Izuka said she agreed with Dr. Price in that the county superintendent had the ability to not let the district issue warrants such as payroll, payment for vendors, and others. She explained that the district would not want to be in that position. Ms. Izuka said once it was approved, it could be revised multiple times, but it still had to maintain 3% reserves. She said that she was very supportive of the budget being presented that night. Ms. Izuka noted that whatever revisions were brought back to the board, the reserves would have to be in place. She explained that as long as the bottom line is the same in that there is a sufficient amount of reserves, the budget could be revised. She noted that the cuts were expected and should be followed through. Ms. Izuka said that the county is trying to work with the district and that’s why the extension of the loan was granted.
Trustee Cruz said that the intention of the board was for the district to be fiscally solvent, but she felt that she did not completely agree with the presented budget. She shared her struggle with approving the budget and the resolutions.Trustee Cruz felt she was being forced to approve the items. She thanked Ms. Izuka.
President Fajardo thanked Ms. Izuka and conducted a roll call vote. The board agreed that an additional hour would suffice. She said they would recess for 10 minutes.
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Passed with a motion by Marisol Cruz and a second by Sergio Hernandez. |
Yes Alexis Aceves.
No Marisol Cruz.
Yes Angela Fajardo.
Yes Angeles Gonzalez.
Yes Sergio Hernandez.
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Approve and Adopt the 2020 - 2021 Proposed Budget. This item is to approve and adopt the 2020 - 2021 Fiscal Year Budget as required by the State of California. The budget must be approved by June 30th of each year to meet statutory requirements. Details for the budget are included within the attached documents including the assumptions that form the basis of the budget. Roll Call Vote:
President Dr. Angela Fajardo Yea ____ Nay____
Vice President Mrs. Angeles Gonzalez Yea ____ Nay____
Clerk Ms. Alexis Aceves Yea ____ Nay____
Member Ms. Marisol Cruz Yea ____ Nay____
Member Mr. Sergio Hernandez, Jr. Yea ____ Nay____ |
2020-21 Adopted Budget Lennox
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President Fajardo reconvened at 10:11 p.m. and conducted roll call where all board members confirmed they were present.
Trustee Aceves provided her understanding of the document.
Mrs. Blanco clarified that it is a report submitted to the county and for the community to view on the district website. She noted that it would also be translated.
Trustee Aceves asked if it was a point of information.
Mrs. Blanco said that it is in lieu of the LCAP. She said that in its place would be something else that had not been released yet.
Trustee Aceves said that she knew that there were many different experiences in the COVID closure and asked if that information was purposely left out of the report. She said she saw it as a learning experience.
President Fajardo said that the document included a note that only asked for an overview of 300 words or less.
Mrs. Blanco agreed and said that it asked for a summary, but did understand noting the challenges. She noted that she summarized the resources available during the closure.
Trustee Aceves shared her understanding and thought it should include shortcomings. She thought it was important to share everything.
Mrs. Blanco thanked Ms. Aceves for her suggestions but said she could not edit it because it was due the following day.
Dr. Price asked if the only revision was to add details.
Mrs. Blanco said the document would be approved as is, and told Trustee Aceves that there would be another report due at the end of September that could include additional details.
Trustee Cruz asked if the board could approve by amending the motion.
President Fajardo asked if Trustee Aceves was in agreement with that.
Trustee Aceves thought that it was important to include negative feedback as well.
Trustee Aceves said she could not remember enough specific negative feedback other than being notified with sufficient time before school closure.
President Fajardo said that it was across the board and that it was difficult and unprecedented times.
Trustee Cruz asked if it was the communication that was not enough.
Dr. Price said that there had been a plan to allow staff to return and prepare for three days, but because of a COVID case, the district went into school closure. He noted that in the future if there is a COVID case and employees did not feel safe, administrators would have to make decisions.
Mrs. Blanco said that originally, the word from LACOE would be for 14 days and that no one imagined thought it would go so long. She said that as far as the report went, there were specific prompts that she had to answer to.
Trustee Cruz mentioned an emergency plan and asked who was involved. And asked if there was a safety plan.
Mrs. Blanco said that the safety plan was led by Mr. Garcia, but it included shootings and that type of plans, but it would probably include something that may be included for COVID.
Trustee Hernandez said that the form could have been edited in the past and he would vote on the document as it was brought forward.
President Fajardo conducted a roll call vote.
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Passed with a motion by Sergio Hernandez and a second by Angeles Gonzalez. |
No Alexis Aceves.
No Marisol Cruz.
Yes Angela Fajardo.
Yes Angeles Gonzalez.
Yes Sergio Hernandez.
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Approve COVID-19 Operations Written Report. Per Executive Order N-56-20 School districts are required to develop a written report to the community that explains how the district responded to school closures beginning in March 2020. This plan must be submitted in conjunction with the adopted annual budget to the county office of education. Roll Call Vote:
President Dr. Angela Fajardo Yea ____ Nay____
Vice President Mrs. Angeles Gonzalez Yea ____ Nay____
Clerk Ms. Alexis Aceves Yea ____ Nay____
Member Ms. Marisol Cruz Yea ____ Nay____
Member Mr. Sergio Hernandez, Jr. Yea ____ Nay____ |
FINAL CDE COVID-19 Report
Written COVID Report
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| President Fajardo noted that there had been a lot of discussion in the previous item and asked the board if they needed further discussion. After no other trustees commented, she conducted a roll call vote. |
Passed with a motion by Sergio Hernandez and a second by Angela Fajardo. |
No Alexis Aceves.
No Marisol Cruz.
Yes Angela Fajardo.
Yes Angeles Gonzalez.
Yes Sergio Hernandez.
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Adopt Resolution 19 - 43 Reduction or Elimination of Certain Classified Services.
Roll Call Vote:
President Dr. Angela Fajardo Yea ____ Nay____
Vice President Mrs. Angeles Gonzalez Yea ____ Nay____
Clerk Ms. Alexis Aceves Yea ____ Nay____
Member Ms. Marisol Cruz Yea ____ Nay____
Member Mr. Sergio Hernandez, Jr. Yea ____ Nay____ |
Resolution 19 - 43
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| resident Fajardo conducted a roll call vote. |
Passed with a motion by Sergio Hernandez and a second by Angela Fajardo. |
No Alexis Aceves.
No Marisol Cruz.
Yes Angela Fajardo.
Yes Angeles Gonzalez.
Yes Sergio Hernandez.
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Adopt Resolution 19 - 44 Reduction of Elimination of Certain Non-Represented Services.
Roll Call Vote:
President Dr. Angela Fajardo Yea ____ Nay____
Vice President Mrs. Angeles Gonzalez Yea ____ Nay____
Clerk Ms. Alexis Aceves Yea ____ Nay____
Member Ms. Marisol Cruz Yea ____ Nay____
Member Mr. Sergio Hernandez, Jr. Yea ____ Nay____ |
Resolution 19 - 44
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This is the time during the Agenda when the Board of Education is prepared to receive comments of members of the public on matters appearing on the Closed Session portion of the Agenda only. Members of the public who intend to offer public comment and address the Board should submit a Google Form posted on the district website at www.lennox.k12.ca.us before the start of each Board meeting. The Board meeting will be held on the Zoom platform. Based on the Google Form requests, at the time of public comment, the Board President will call your name to speak. To be recognized the member of the public must "raise their hand" using the Zoom interface. The Board President will recognize the raised hand and "unmute" the person recognized. Prior to beginning to speak, individuals should state their first and last name for the record.
No Google Form to address the Board of Education will be accepted after _____ p.m. Time allowed per speaker: 3 minutes. The Board limits total time for public comment on any topic to 30 minutes. CLOSED SESSION – Following any public comment on item(s) on the Board’s Closed Session agenda, the Board will adjourn into Closed Session at ______ p.m. to discuss the following matters pertaining to labor negotiations, property acquisition negotiations, litigation, personnel, expulsions, or other matters as authorized by the Government Code:
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Trustee Cruz noted that the budget was approved, but they had an opportunity to revisit. She noted that the negotiations had to be unbiased and people that she trusted including cabinet.
Trustee Aceves said that there were a lot of employees listening in on the board meetings because they were trying to get information. She felt like as a board member, she was always expected to always vote yea.
President Fajardo acknowledged that board members took their votes very seriously and said that there was a lot advocating. She said that moving forward, she would trust administrators, and if there were possibilities in reinstating employees should be a priority. President Fajardo then conducted a roll call vote. Meeting adjourned at 10:45 p.m.
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Passed with a motion by Sergio Hernandez and a second by Marisol Cruz. |
Yes Alexis Aceves.
Yes Marisol Cruz.
Yes Angela Fajardo.
Yes Angeles Gonzalez.
Yes Sergio Hernandez.
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Roll Call Vote:
President Dr. Angela Fajardo Yea ____ Nay____
Vice President Mrs. Angeles Gonzalez Yea ____ Nay____
Clerk Ms. Alexis Aceves Yea ____ Nay____
Member Ms. Marisol Cruz Yea ____ Nay____
Member Mr. Sergio Hernandez, Jr. Yea ____ Nay____ Time:_________ |
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