Note any agenda items to be tabled or reordered.

Should a member of the public wish to speak on matters listed on the agenda, they may speak at the beginning of the specific agenda item.

Speakers will be given a maximum of two (2) minutes each to address the Board (non-English speakers utilizing translators will be given a maximum of four (4) minutes each). Please note that the Board allows a maximum of 6 minutes to each agenda item on a first-come, first-served basis.

Staff will present the ECMS-Gardena renewal charter petition for the term July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2032. The Board will take no action on this item. The Board will vote on the petition under Action Item VII.A, Resolution No. 2026-02.

The following documents are attached for Board and public review:

1. ECMS-Gardena Renewal Charter Petition 2027-2032, with Appendices A-E
2. Charter Renewal Criteria: Renewal Eligibility and Verified Data
3. Reporting on Measurable Pupil Outcomes in the Current Charter Term
4. Proposed Budget: Budget Narrative and Assumptions, Multi-Year Projection, Cash Flow, Staffing, and LCFF Calculator

• Governance Committee (Chair: Anthony Jowid)
• Labor & Compensation Committee (Chair: Kennedy Hilario)

The Board has two vacancies: the seat held by Dr. Madhu Chatwani, whose resignation was effective June 30, 2026, and the seat held by Dr. Betsy Hamilton, whose resignation was effective September 25, 2026.

On October 12, 2026, the Governance Committee voted 4-0 to advance Dr. Isiah in the board recruitment process, and she has since been interviewed by a Governance Committee member under the ECS board onboarding process.

Dr. Rosa Isiah is Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services at Torrance Unified School District and a former teacher and principal, including prior service at Lawndale Elementary School District.

A director elected to fill a vacancy serves the unexpired term of that seat (ECS Bylaws Article II, Section C.5.c).

Proposed: Elect Dr. Rosa Isiah to the ECS Board of Directors to fill the unexpired term of Dr. Betsy Hamilton, beginning October 26, 2026 and ending June 30, 2028.

Under the Educational Employment Relations Act, made applicable to charter schools by Education Code § 47611.5, all initial proposals of the exclusive representative and the public school employer that relate to matters within the scope of representation must be presented at a public meeting of the employer and thereafter are public records (Gov. Code § 3547(a)). Negotiations may not begin until the public has had the opportunity to become informed and to express itself at a public meeting (Gov. Code § 3547(b)).

Environmental Educators United/CTA/NEA submitted its initial proposals for a successor agreement to ECS on October 14, 2026, under Article 2.4 of the collective bargaining agreement. ECS's initial proposals were presented at the October 1, 2026 special Board meeting and are presented again for public review before adoption under Action Item XII.A. Both proposals are posted at ecsonline.org/about-us/board/#sunshine-proposals.

This is an information item. The public may comment on these proposals. The Board will take no action on EEU's proposals.

• ECS Initial Proposals to Environmental Educators United/CTA/NEA
• Environmental Educators United/CTA/NEA Initial Proposals to ECS

EEU will be given a maximum of five (5) minutes to address the Board. This is an information item; the Board will not deliberate or take action on this item.

• 8/24/2026 board meeting minutes

• 10/1/2026 special board meeting minutes

• 10/12/2026 Special Governance Committee Meeting Minutes

• 10/21/2026 Special Labor & Compensation Committee Meeting Minutes

Revisions since the August 24, 2026 approval:

1. Added: October 1, 2026 special Board meeting and the October 26, 2026 special Board meeting at ECMS-Gardena (812 W 165th Place, Gardena, CA 90247), the October 12, 2026 special Governance Committee meeting, and the October 21, 2026 special Labor & Compensation Committee meeting;
2. Moved: December 1, 2026 regular Board meeting to Monday, November 30, 2026 at 5:00 PM.

Proposed: Approve the revised 2026-27 ECS Board & Committee Calendar as presented.

As a condition of receiving Proposition 28 Arts and Music in Schools (AMS) funds, each LEA must have an annual report approved by its governing board, submit it to the California Department of Education, and post it on its website (Ed. Code § 8820(g)(4)). Each report describes the arts education programs funded and states the number of full-time equivalent teachers, classified personnel, and teaching aides, the number of pupils served, and the number of school sites providing arts education with AMS funds.

Proposed: Approve the Proposition 28 AMS Annual Reports for Fiscal Year 2026-27 for ECHS-L, ECMS-G, ECMS-I, and ECHS-G as presented.

Menlo Charter Properties (MCP) is the ECS-affiliated supporting organization for ECS school facilities. Staff recommends appointing ECS directors Kennedy Hilario and Remco Waller to the MCP Board and confirming that Anthony Jowid's MCP term ends June 30, 2028, aligned with his ECS Board term.

Proposed: Appoint Kennedy Hilario for term ending June 30, 2029 and Remco Waller for term ending June 30, 2028 to the Menlo Charter Properties Board of Directors, and confirm Anthony Jowid's MCP Board term end date of June 30, 2028.

A. South Bay Workforce Investment Board, Inc.: 2026-27 Workforce and Work-Based Learning Services Agreement (approval)

• Staff Analysis: Career readiness, work-based learning coordination, employer engagement, and student stipend administration for ECS career pathway students, September 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Not to exceed $44,000, including up to $25,000 in student stipends.

B. GoTo Communications, Inc.: GoTo Connect VoIP 2-Year Renewal under TIPS Contract No. 251003 (ratification)
 

• Staff Analysis: Phone service for all sites, October 1, 2026 through October 1, 2028. $2,179.98 per month; $52,319.52 over 24 months. Executed September 17, 2026.

C. Raptor Technologies, LLC: VisitorSafe Visitor Management Subscription Agreement (ratification)
 

• Staff Analysis: Visitor management, ID screening, and PowerSchool tardy sync at four sites, 36-month initial term beginning September 1, 2026. Year 1: $6,722 ($1,630 one-time implementation and training; $5,092 annual subscription). Annual fees may increase by the greater of CPI or 6%. Executed September 11, 2026.

D. California Charter Schools Association: 2-Year Standard Membership Agreement, 2026-27 and 2027-28 (ratification)
 

• Staff Analysis: CMO-wide Standard Membership for all four schools at $24 per student for 2026-27, based on prior-year CBEDS enrollment (estimated 2026-27 fee: $38,600). Executed May 22, 2026.

E. Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor: ECMS-Gardena Space Usage MOU 2026-27 (ratification)
 

• Staff Analysis: Use of outdoor recreation space and limited indoor space at the Harbor Gateway Club for ECMS-Gardena physical education and recreation, August 24, 2026 through June 10, 2027. $28,000, payable in four installments of $7,000. Executed September 4, 2026.

Proposed: Approve the South Bay Workforce Investment Board agreement, and ratify the GoTo Communications, Raptor Technologies, California Charter Schools Association, and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor agreements, as presented.

A CCAP partnership allows high school students to enroll in community college courses for dual credit. Before adopting a CCAP partnership agreement, the governing board of each district must present the agreement at an open public meeting, take public comment, and approve or disapprove it (Ed. Code § 76004(b)). The El Camino Community College District Board of Trustees considered the agreement on August 19, 2026. Once both boards approve, the agreement will be filed with the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office and the California Department of Education before the partnership begins (Ed. Code § 76004(c)(3)).

Proposed: Approve the 2026-2029 CCAP Partnership Agreement between El Camino Community College District and ECHS-Lawndale and ECHS-Gardena as presented.

Following Dr. Betsy Hamilton's departure from the Board, ECS must update the authorized signers on its accounts at Beneficial State Bank. ECS Financial Policies Section II.A.1 and Bylaws Section XI.C name the Board President as an authorized signatory on ECS bank accounts.

Staff recommends removing Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) Hamilton and adding Board President Dr. Denise Berger as an authorized signer on all ECS accounts at Beneficial State Bank. Superintendent Danielle Kelsick remains a current authorized signer. No other signer changes are proposed.

Proposed: Approve removing Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) Hamilton and adding Dr. Denise Berger, Board President, as an authorized signer on all Environmental Charter Schools accounts at Beneficial State Bank, and authorize the ECS Superintendent and Secretary to execute all documents necessary to implement this change.

The current ECMS-Gardena charter expires June 30, 2027. Under Education Code § 47607, a charter may be renewed for a period of five years. The authorizer evaluates the renewal under Education Code §§ 47607 and 47607.2 and 5 C.C.R. § 11966.4. The renewal petition describes the school's educational program, its measurable pupil outcomes and progress toward meeting them in the current charter term, its governance, and the other required elements under Education Code § 47605. Upon Board approval, staff will submit the petition to the Los Angeles County Office of Education. The renewal petition, Charter Renewal Criteria, report on measurable pupil outcomes, and proposed budget are attached to Discussion Item III.A. The Affirmations and Assurances, required documents, and supporting documents are attached below.

1. Resolution No. 2026-02
2. Affirmations and Assurances
3. Required Documents: Notice of Submission, Countywide Charter Rationale (Not Applicable), and Board Roster and Resumes
4. Supporting Documents, Sections II-IV: (a) Fiscal, (b) Contracts, (c) Governance and Facilities

Proposed: Adopt Resolution No. 2026-02 approving the ECMS-Gardena renewal charter petition for the term July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2032, including the proposed budget and supporting documents, and authorizing submission of the petition to the Los Angeles County Office of Education.

• Monday, November 30, 2026 @ 5pm (moved from December 1, pending approval of Consent Item E)

Committee meetings:

• Governance Committee: Wednesday, October 28, 2026 @ 3pm
• Labor & Compensation Committee: Wednesday, November 4, 2026 @ 3pm
• Finance Committee: Wednesday, November 18, 2026 @ 1pm

Events:

• ECHS-Lawndale Day of the Dead Celebration: Friday, November 6, 2026 @ 5pm (doors close 7:15pm), 16315 Grevillea Ave, Lawndale. Free entry; food for purchase, free desserts and aguas frescas while supplies last.
• ECMS-Inglewood Harvest Festival / Festival de Otoño: Saturday, November 7, 2026 @ 9am-1pm, 3600 W. Imperial Hwy, Inglewood. Games, lunch, vendors, and campus beautification volunteering; prospective parent campus tour @ 9:30am.

Agency designated representatives: Danielle Kelsick, Superintendent; Lucia Bañuelos, Deputy Superintendent of Schools; Robert Escalante, ACLIENT PC
 

Employee organization: Environmental Educators United/CTA/NEA

ECS submitted its initial proposals to Environmental Educators United/CTA/NEA on October 1, 2026 under Article 2.4 of the collective bargaining agreement. The proposals were presented at the October 1, 2026 special Board meeting with an opportunity for public comment, were posted on the ECS website, and were presented again under Informational Item IV.A. After the public has had the opportunity to express itself, the employer must adopt its initial proposals at a meeting open to the public (Gov. Code § 3547(c)).

Proposed: Adopt the ECS initial proposals for a successor collective bargaining agreement with Environmental Educators United/CTA/NEA (attached in Informational Item IV.A) as recommended by Labor & Compensation Committee.