Meeting of the Board of Directors of Western Minutes

April 10, 2025, 8:30-10:30 AM

Minutes Draft

Western School of Science and Technology: CFA

Minutes

Meeting of the Board of Directors of Western

Date and Time

Thursday April 10, 2025 at 8:30 AM

Location

Notice of Public Meeting of the Board of Directors of Western School of Science and Technology: A Challenge Foundation Academy, Inc.

Pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes (“A.R.S.”) § 38-431.02, notice is hereby given to the members of the Board of Directors of Western School of Science and Technology: A Challenge Foundation Academy, Inc., and to the general public that the board will hold a meeting, open to the public as specified below. The Board of Directors reserves the right to change the order of items on the agenda, with the exception of public hearings set for a specified time.

Pursuant to A.R.S. § 38-431.03.A.3, the Board of Directors may go into Executive Session, which will not be open to the public, concerning any item on the agenda, for discussion, consideration, or consultations for legal advice.

ALL ITEMS ON THE AGENDA ARE OPEN FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION, INCLUDING REPORTS AND ACTION ITEMS AGENDA

Disabled persons in need of special accommodations should contact Ms. Nancy Carbajal at 623.249.3900 at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled meeting time.

Where:                Western School of Science and Technology:
                                             A Challenge Foundation Academy
                                             6515 W. Indian School Rd.
                                             Phoenix, AZ 85033

Virtual Link: https://wsst.zoom.us/j/7439552858?pwd=7AZLshwLev9aWKhmUGabsvoTaXN07c.1

When: Thursday, April 10, 2025 8:30am

The public space will open 10 minutes before the meeting begins. The virtual space will open 5 minutes before the meeting begins.

NOTICE AND AGENDA OF GOVERNING BOARD Western School of Science and Technology:

A Challenge Foundation Academy

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

Date: April 10, 2025 Time: 8:30 am MST

To attend in person:   Western School of Science and Technology:
                                             A Challenge Foundation Academy
                                             6515 W. Indian School Rd.
                                             Phoenix, AZ 85033

To attend the meeting via Zoom -

Please register using the link below:

https://wsst.zoom.us/j/7439552858?pwd=7AZLshwLev9aWKhmUGabsvoTaXN07c.1

ALL ITEMS ON THE AGENDA ARE OPEN FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION, INCLUDING REPORTS AND ACTION ITEMS AGENDA

Disabled persons in need of special accommodations should contact Ms. Nancy Carbajal at 623.249.3900 at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled meeting time.

Instructions for Submitting Public Comment: Virtual public comments may be submitted in advance of the meeting by email to: boardinfo@wsst.school with the subject line “Public Comment for April 10, 2025 Board Meeting” and should include the full name of the individual submitting (no comments will be accepted that are submitted anonymously). Public comments submitted following this instruction will be accepted for this board meeting until Wednesday, April 9, 2025 4:00pm MST. Time permitting, public comments will be read aloud by staff during the meeting up to three (3) minutes each. However, depending on the number of comments this may be limited.

Directors Present

A. Ballesteros (remote), B. Stratford (remote), D. Bess (remote), J. Kaprosy (remote), M. Sandoval (remote)

Directors Absent

E. Yndigoyen

Directors who arrived after the meeting opened

A. Ballesteros

Ex Officio Members Present

N. Carbajal

Non Voting Members Present

N. Carbajal

Guests Present

A. Espana, Valeria Escobedo

I. Opening Items

A. Call the Meeting to Order

J. Kaprosy called a meeting of the board of directors of Western School of Science and Technology: CFA to order on Thursday Apr 10, 2025 at 8:33 AM.

B. Roll Call

A. Ballesteros arrived at 8:53 AM.

C. Pledge of Allegiance

D. Public Comments

Public Comment from Mr. Adrian Espana asking the governing board as they take time to reflect on the actions of the administrator in question, they also take time to reflect on their own actions. What has each board member done to serve this community? What trainings have they completed to prepare themselves to serve the Maryvale community? What policies, outlined in the Board Policy Manual, have they not followed? It is clear that not all policies and procedures are currently being followed. What policies should have been created by the board to support the continued improvement of the school?

How are board members holding one another accountable, and how will they collectively move forward from this point? A request has been made for the board to establish clear policies and procedures for themselves. There are current minority campus leaders with aspirations of becoming principals, directors, and superintendents. However, the absence of clear board policy and the inconsistency in practice is creating a culture of bias and uncertainty. The treatment of the current superintendent differs significantly from that of the previous superintendent. Whether viewed positively or negatively, the disparity is evident. As the board makes its decision today, it is urged to make a decision that prioritizes the students and moves Western forward, not backward.

II. Principals Update

A. Principals update

Principal Valeria Escobedo presented the board with an update on Academics, Staffing and Fundraising