No public comments made

Meet called to order at 5:09 pm

Hair drive.  Pali Palooza in Feb. Will replace spring dance talent show coming up.

Nothing to report

Nothing to report

Concern about negotiations but set for Jan. 22.  Teachers still stressed with ovesized classes and safety:  is it compliant with current safety codes?  Not enough materials and furnishings.  Lifetime benefits concerns ongoing.  How much is in there, how is it being invested.  Proposal for lifetime benefits fund which Pali would match.  Teachers are concerned about the # of students who are failing.  

Leslie comment that Lifetime Health Benefits mtg Jan. 16th

Stands as submitted

Stands as submitted.  Rick Steil asked about the spike strip.  Don confirmed that we own it and it cannot be returned.  Installation is about $150 so at some point this will probably be installed.

Stands as submitted but highlights are:

PCHS fund brought in $71K in Dec.
Pali Alumni fund is a subcaetgory.  

We are 65% to goal of $500K.  # of donors have doubled over last year but there is still opportuity for growth.

Annual report distributed this year and will include mailing to anyone who has donated to Pali in the past as well as local business community.  Sue Pasco is also providing a link on her blog to increase community awaremess.

$188,940 in CTE grant monies for next year.  Monies to be available in Aug.

Development Committee mtg Tues. 1/21 discussing a telethon targeting those who donated last year but haven't donated this year yet.  Mtg. at 5:15 in faculty cafeteria.

Report stands as submitted.  Greg will be going tomorrow to learn updated budget information and state goals.  School services of CA will be providing update for funding levels for 2020/2021.

LTSP is being rescheduled to 1/29 and they will be having 2 meetings.  One at 3:15 and one at 6:30 in an effort to encourage parent involvement.  Pam also commended those who participated in PD.  There were gender identify PD and info. will be shared at the next Board meeting with the goal/theme of opening doors for all students.

Nothing new to report.  next mtg Feb. 6th to discuss new bell schedule.

The Budget & Finance Committee is recommending Ivy Greene to serve as a Community Member. She has a long standing history with the committee as a Booster representative.  Reeve C. motioned to approve, Rick Steil second.  Motion passed unanimous.

Textbook (with the exception of the library) and Budget Transfer requests will be frozen as of March 2, 2020. 

no update

Meeting on Jan. 24th at 2:15 in pool ofiice

Meeting on Jan. 16th.  Bids are pending and Michael to provide investment updates.

All grade appeals are current.  Only 1 appeal was approved last semester.  Andy suggested shortening the length between grades and time to appeal.  Currently students have 30 school days to appeal.  Discussion ensued about the timing.  Steve Klima suggested looking at the Ed Code to see if there is a wording re: timing.  Discussion item will be tabled until next month for further discussion/vote on any recommended changes.

Audit committee report to follow.

 

Monica Iannessa reviewed the handout.  Reeve Chudd asked if you have failures in AP and honors courses.  Currently English and Social Science try to provide academic equity within the classroom.  Sometimes the students who might not pass have stretched too far and were not able to do the advanced course work.  Emily Hirsch clarified that students who are failing mid-semester are not allowed to drop a class.  Emily Hirsch asked if students are failing by mid-semester can students drop back into non-honors coursework.

Monica clarified students stay in AP to maintain coursework for AP exam.  Teachers do work with students to discuss how successful they are and parents/students do opt to stay in or drop the class. Grades are available with Schoology so students do know where they are with their coursework.

Monica clarified that the slight drop in pass rate in science may be attributed to more 9th grade students taking Biology and a new physics course which is being offered.

There is an intervention team served over 205 students.  These students are in study skills classes and students are at a 98% pass rate with these classes.  (SST provides intervention services and prepare an intervention plan for students.)  Coordinator also goes into study skills classes to work with the students.  Students who are participating in study skills classes grades have gone up.

2 students have been reclassified of 31 who are English language learners.  

Rest of report as submitted.

Grade policy has changed and if there is a grade distribution out of the norm, it is up to the teacher to reflect on why they are out of the norm.  Teachers who are in off-track math modes are not as successful as compared to the students who are on tracked courses.  Larry clarified that he doesn't think that the time between semesters in the summer is the cause of these classes being less successful.  It is students who were not originally successful in their original math courses.

World language dept. was also commended on the improvement in student achievement.

Rick asked about electives.  Chris Lee clarified that electives were added 2nd semester due to new budget numbers.  Curriculum Council will be locating at new fall curriculum for fall of 2020.  Dr. Magee clarified that they are being vetted a year in advance prior to implementation.  One area is building out the business dept. with additional electives.

PD survey feedback coming in indicates that there are very positive responses.  There is a PowerPoint to post in the faculty Schoology group and Dr. Magee will share with the Board.

Monica clarified that there has not been in an increase in SST interventions meetings which translated into 504 plans vs. kids coming into the school with them.

There are study skills courses for every period.

There are 2-3 independent living courses.  Reeve would also like to add a financial skills class.  New ideas for classes should be presented to Curriculum Council for vetting.  

Report next month

Steve Klima presented.  The calendar is negotiable item but typically isn't controversial.  There is a formula that is used and sent to Dr. Lee with a 3 year projection.  There were discussions of adding fire days to second semester and reorganizing PD time.

There is some faculty who want to align instruction days between 1st and 2nd semester.  76% teachers responded to survey.  (Teachers that teach semester classes are more in favor of alignment.)  Survey results:

1.  Start earlier in august (70% teachers no)
2.  End first semester after winter break (75% teachers no)
3.  Were they in favor of adding early PD days and fire days second semester.  The vote was very close and there were practicality questions.  Because the vote was so close, it would need to be presented by the Board and submitted to the teachers for a formal vote during negotiations.  

Leslie asked about the early PD days.  One calendar had teacher PD days moved to Thurs/Friday so students began school Monday vs. Wednesday.  Doing this would allow for fire days built into the schedule and perhaps have 2 unassigned days in spring semester.  Dr. Lee suggested that the Board needs to evaluate whether there is a the need for fire days.  Is this something that is going to be mandated by the state?  Leslie suggested that we vote on a 3 year calendar.  The draft calendars Dr. Lee created for charter renewal mirrored the calendar that Steve Klima created.   Steve is recommending that the calendar remains status quo unless there was a "fire day" mandate from the state.  

Greg expressed concern that doing so might become a budget issue if the state does not approve ADA reimbursement for fire closures.  Historically, the state has not "not" approved these but we are currently at the minimum required school days.  Don P also clarified that the approvals for reimbursement for missed fire days were approved in late May.  Events could also occur later in the year.  Having those additional days later in the year create cushion.

There are questions from faculty about who decides to use the "fire days" and will they be compensated.  Per the UTLA contract, the calendar is due in April but we always try to do it early.  However, there are some questions that remain for the members.  If we wanted to consider fire days there should be language about what triggers the fire days and if they are compensated.    Fire days should also be considered school closure days vs: limiting these to "fire" days.  Currently, teachers are compensated in the event of unexpected closures.

Emily asked what the administrators feel about the "school closure days".  Steve suggested if the Board decides that they want to have additional emergency closure make up dates, this should be discussed and then go back to the teachers for union negiotations prior to board approval of the new calendar.  If there are 5 consecutive years of emergency school closures the state will mandate the built in emergency school closure days.  

We are not contractually obligated to have 5 PD days.  Steve clarified that the built in PD days are not all PD.  These are more like teacher work days vs: formal PD.  Chris clarified that LAUSD only gets 2 PD days.  But they have 2 additional "student days" where school work is not being done.  Larry also clarified that last date of each semester can also be a school day which is unassigned if needed for ADA.  This worked 1 year when the instructional days was low.  

Greg also clarified that the concern is not just "fire" days but getting state approval for other issues (such as lack of electrical) might not be as easily approved by the state.
 

Don clarified:  Don and Tammy separated admissions and busing.  We are under contract for 1 more year.  Scholarship pool for next year has been set but he expressed concern for further discussion for long term.  The following year we are also back into the open market place so we need to consider what options we have as currently we only have 1 option.

Operation report- there was another heating system problem that has been fixed.  Infrastructure is still aging and replacing major utilities via a bond with LAUSD.  The process would involve water, underground, etc.  This will be a year-long project beginning in June 2020.  It will be disruptive.

Other long term project is the gym renovation which is also funded with another Bond.  It is with division of state architects.  Once approved may be an additional 6 months/year.  Improvements will take 15 months but will be functional during the school year.

These may or may not be ongoing at the same time.  

Pending clarification from stakeholders about all day budget meetings.  Feb. 2020 B&F Committee rescheduled to 2/3/20.  Finalized budget calendar will be presented at next Board meeting.

As submitted with the caveat that equipment is inventoried with ongoing accounting and safe storage.  S Margiotta made a motion to approve, Emily seconded.  

Approved:  Reeve, Emily, Sara, Leslie  

All interested members abstained.

Audit report reviewed by Auditor (Vanessa).  No material findings and stands as submitted.

As submitted to allow new teacher to take required test.

Approval of waiver, Emily motion to approve, Sara seconded.  All in favor:  Unanimous

None

Parent funded and budget neutral.  Brooke motions to approve, second Paula.  All in favor unamimous

Open session ended 7:38 pm

Returned to Open Session 8:40 pm. 

There was nothing to report out.