Robert Rene: Have we considered a forum to discuss the issues that are raised through the public comment? A response is important. Is there a venue that would answer these questions?

Sara Margiotta: We do have a plan to respond to these questions and that is something we are aware of.

Anonymous: There's been a lot of talk about the surveys that went out in the spring to parents, teachers and students. Much of the conversation has revolved around the faulty and ambiguous questions, the surveys' purpose and takeaways, and the lack of transparency over the actual results.  All the results have apparently been tabulated, many parents have asked for them to be released, but the school has made no indication that anything will be shared with stakeholders. It seems like the administration is unwilling to release the results, which makes the administration look like it's got something to hide. Please make all of the survey results available to all of the stakeholders. 

Anonymous: Our family is local to the Palisades, but I know there are many students who live far from the school that rely on low-cost or free bus transportation to attend Pali High.  I understand these expenses have risen recently and have led the school to put more of the financial burden on the traveling families. How about charging the students who are not part of the free or reduced lunch program for their cafeteria meals? My two kids have yet to pay a cent for any lunch they've ordered from the cafeteria, and we're a family who is entirely willing and able to pay. If the families not on the free/reduced program paid a modest $2 for every lunch their kids ordered, how many students would pay each day? 1000 out of the 3000 that attend? That's $2000 daily in additional revenue. I honestly feel terrible that my kids are eating free lunches when other students are struggling to make it to school. Please allocate resources to where they're most needed.

Anonymous: Students and parents just received notice early today that Ferrer's Spanish 3A class is CANCELLED? How can that be? Changing schedules and finding another class, let alone an upper foreign language class, is basically impossible and EXTREMELY disruptive considering school has been in session for five weeks!! 

Peter G: Friday football game upcoming and Senior Tye-Dye. The game is a blackout game with a student section. Friday is also a climate tent event and a climate march in front of Starbucks. Voter registration is happening, as well as a debate between two city council candidates next Wednesday

Monica Batts-King: Some complaints about the late bussing, as well as the high cost of bus transportation. The marine biology class takes a trip to Catalina and it is first-come, first-served. The students that are there first are not students that take the bus and this is an issue for equity. Maybe think about sign-ups happening another way so that they have a better opportunity to sign up for this. We need to make sure that when there are sign-ups it is when all students are on campus and have a chance to be apart of that.

Saken Sherkhanov: Thank you for the opportunity to participate on the Board. Parents are concerned about the surveys and what they are used for. Parents voices are important and they have questions about the survey.

There is a disconnect in the community about the surveys and we have to be sure that parents understand how their feedback is being used. We need to be overly descriptive about the process and how their results are being used.

Nothing to report.

Lisa Saxon: Faculty would like clarification of the absence procedures and how they will be able to take time for mental health without taking personal time.

David Pickard: The History Department is working towards developing a new Ethnic Studies course, which will be available to 9th grade next fall.

HR Report stands as submitted.

Director of Operations Report stands as submitted.

Brian Banducci: Last Friday we met with stakeholders and the architecture firm to explore our options for the front of the school. Secondary meeting will be in October before the next Board meeting in hopes of getting some direction.

Sara Margiotta: The deadline is November 18th.

Michael Rawson: Report stands as submitted. The PCHS Fund is at $46,456. Last year was our biggest year and we are considerably up from last year. We received unrestricted gifts and are getting ready for BTSN. We are putting together a development budget and getting approval for future campaigns.

CBO Report stands as submitted.

Saken Sherkhanov: How is our ADA?

Juan Pablo Herrera: We are a little low on the 9th grade, but we are doing well in enrollment overall. Attendance rates are up.

Dr. Magee: EDP Report stands as submitted.

BTSN: Back on campus this year and everyone is very excited. A lot of information sessions and student life entertainment, as well as teacher classroom opportunities. A simple link will be on our homepage to get family feedback. Pali Period is being unrolled soon to make sure people are informed and in the loop. There is a lot of professional development happening and we are encouraging folks to take advantage of that. We are working towards meeting our school-wide goals. The feedback survey is on the website and accessible, reach out if there are any issues accessing it.

No major updates. Committee elections are taking place on Thursday, Sept. 29th, 2022. Currently working on recruiting new members from stakeholder groups.

Sara Margiotta: EPA and ConAct and will make recommendations to the Board. Rene Rodman was elected Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee. Still looking for new members and will be posted end of this week.

Saken Sherkhanov: Is there a schedule of when committees meet?

Sara Margiotta: Information is on the website. 

David Pickard: Academic Accountability can be updated on the website.

Nothing to report.

Audit Committee: Meeting with Juan Pablo Herrera and looking to set up a time to meet.

Grade Appeal Committee: Meeting next week over Zoom. The Chair will reach out about specific meeting information.

Survey Committee: The results from last year's survey are problematic and are public. Moving forward, it is a new survey committee and we have heard everyone's complaints to say that these are an opportunity to hear from our stakeholders and when the results are being hidden or misconstrued, that is a problem. Moving forward, we will alleviate the concerns of those that want to hear their voices properly represented. We will take all of this into account when moving forward.

Peter Garff: Created in response to the renewable energy resolution passed by the board. Dr. Magee elected representative to form this task force. LAUSD Representatives and PermaCity Representatives have sent representatives and have been developing a plan to get solar energy. The committee has met every month and there are 3 sub-committees:

Number One: Investigate and develop plans to transition Pali to 100% clean, renewable energy, plus battery storage.  We have worked with PermaCity to develop the Pali solar proposal. PermaCity/ Catalyze is updating that proposal right now, to review with the Pali Clean Energy Task Force hopefully by Oct.6.  The Pali proposal would harvest approximately 3.6 MegaWatts from Pali rooftops and solar canopies. Pali needs approximately 777 kW DC to offset its electricity use, and that leaves 2.8 MegaWatts to sell back to the L A Departments of Water and Power, which will pay for the installation, operation and maintenance of the solar project. Besides lowering Pali’s electric bills, Pali will help reduce the carbon emissions that are causing climate change. LAUSD Facilities Division officer Christos Chrysiliou is prepared to help review the proposal when Pali is ready and then coordinate it with the installation of the new air conditioning for all of Pali.  Dr. Magee and Mr. Parcell can share more information about the path for Pali’s solar proposal. Lots more details here than we have time to explain tonight.

Number Two: Pali must commit to energy efficiency.  Lots of work still needed in this area, but we have asked LAUSD for reports on our energy use and costs.  Students have researched energy dashboards that could be posted on our school website which would give constant, real-time reports on energy use. Other school districts provide this.

PermaCity says they could create two energy monitoring systems for us -- one which would report into LAUSD and one which would report directly to Pali. 

[Peter, Herb just told me this about the dual monitoring systems! It would be great!]

We need this data!

Number Three:  Pali will strive to embed sustainability and climate change education for students and employees in everyday teaching and learning. 

This really needs a full report on its own from Ms. Iannessa and Cleo Waxman, co-chairs of the Climate Change Education subcommittee.  Pali held its first Climate Summit Day last April 22 – which was Earth Day.  On that day, 90 Pali classrooms had climate change lessons during fourth period, lessons taught by students and teachers. Much more is planned so that climate change instruction will be included in all subjects areas at Pali. We’re excited for tomorrow’s Pali period climate lesson specifically regarding the global climate strike. We are also prepared for our own climate change march happening right here in the Palisades Community after school on Friday, September 23.

Please join us from 3-5pm at 15300 West Sunset Blvd.

The climate crisis is an emergency – and we are working hard to get decision-makers to treat it like an emergency. 

These new solar panels would produce more energy than the school consumes and we can sell the excess back to the city. Energy Efficiency, publishing the energy consumption to the community. We are doing research to get an energy dashboard up.

Dr. Magee: Students very passionate about this and are working hard to finding solutions to the problem. Our community is actively involved in this initiative and we are working towards accomplishing our climate goals as a community.

Don Parcell: It is important to remember that LAUSD are motivated to do these projects and have internal initiatives to accomplish these projects. They are committed as much as we are, so it is important to be patient to get these things through their process.

Sara Margiotta: Any updates on financial impacts?

Peter Garff: The only cost is really time for solar panels. We can sell 2.8 megawatts for solar panels and maintenance.

Sara Margiotta: We need to take out a loan to pay for the process and we will be paid back on the back end. It is a big ticket item up-front.

Dr. Magee: If we can become part of the program some of the costs will be lower.

Dr. Magee: So far this school year has been calm and we still see some cases, but nothing more than normal flu numbers. Practice good hygiene, but no significant changes at this time.

Tabled.

Tabled.

Refer to EDP Report.

Sara Margiotta: We are trying to respond to the community about public comments at the prior meeting. Brian B is here to give us an update.

Brian Banducci: There has been much discussion about receiving academic credit. We have few on-campus coaches that are able to be teachers of record, so most of our sports do not have teachers of record. Other sports receive academic credit for their participation through my office that states they have met the qualification to receive the academic credit. On the transcript is says "PE Credit" with the specific sport.

Monica Batts-King: We don't care about the credit, we want the cheer participation to be appear differently on the transcript as a team.

Brian Banducci: We have very few on-campus coaches and we do not have enough to include the credit as a course.

Maggie Nance: The majority of sports do not get the academic credit. There has been a shift away from on-campus coaches. We used to have about 10 on-campus coaches and now we are down to 3. Should we recruit more on-campus coaches. Many athletes do not want the credit because they do not want to show up when the season is over. Everyone is trying to do what is best for kids, but many of the kids do not want to be on the rosters so that they are not required to be here when they are not practicing. We have a wonderful athletic program at Pali and we have kept it going through some tough times.

Lisa Saxon: I was the teacher of record for LAX and parents/children were upset because they had to stay during period 7, but had to stay until practice started at 5 pm. We are responsible for children that are on our rosters.Many cheer scholarships and recruiting are done through campus, not through the transcripts.

Monica Batts-King: Have we checked what other school sin LAUSD are doing to get students credit for cheerleading?

Brian Banducci: There must be a teacher of record and there is a cost involved and students must stay in that class all semester. We used to have teachers of record that would do this, but we do not have many that will carry these classes now. There are scholarships for students out there and having students participate in camps helps get our students recognized. 

Robert Rene: There is a difference between personal interest and the interest of the school and the Board. We have done due diligence and it is what it is. We are not going to solve this issue that seems to be an issue nationally. We are constrained and have a finite amount of resources.

Sara Margiotta: Thank you to Maggie and Brian for doing this. It has been very helpful. I agree that we cannot solve the issue here, but the administration can meet and discuss options of how to move forward on this issue. 

Juan Pablo Herrera: Included in the Board Packet. We will show what has been adopted, the budget that has been revised and the current month budget.

Robert Rene: When do you think we will have an idea of when we may or may not have a surplus.

Juan Pablo Herrera: P2 is when we will publish our actuals.

Sara Margiotta: Special Education costs have gone up, Is that a contractual thing?

Juan Pablo Herrera: That was from the prior year's expenses.

2022-2023 Budget Update

• This item is included as a separate agenda item. The budget vs actuals report tracks actual expenditures versus the revised budget. 

• As of budget revision (8/22/22) there was a projected positive ending balance of $343,155. This ending balance does not include the following: (1) impact of PESPU or unrepresented salary adjustments and (2) one-time funds included in the 22-23 state budget (because the allocations are not finalized). 

• However, since budget revision (8/22/22), we decreased our revenue projection by approximately $35,468. This was a result of decreased Federal funding allocations. 

- Our projected Title I allocation was reduced by -$29,888 compared to 8/22 budget revision. Title II and Perkins allocations also slightly reduced (approx. $6,220 in total). 

• The new projected ending balance is $298,699

Looking Forward

Over the next few weeks, finance will be evaluating: 

- 5-year textbook adoption cycle 

- 10-year furniture purchase plan o Deferred maintenance funding schedule 

- Ed Tech funding schedule 

▪ Will work with Datalink Networks (technology consultant who has K-12 experience) to refine the Ed Tech plan and evaluate funding scenarios. 

• The one-time funds included in the 2022-23 state budget will be finalized soon. Once available, we will gather feedback from all educational partners and work with LTSP and budget committees to develop a spending plan.

Juan Pablo Herrera: Education Protection Amount. EPA budget proposal is in-line with how PCHS has historically allocated EPA funds ◦ ~75 FTE (certificated salaries/benefits) and 1% oversight fee Once again, this is NOT new revenue, just part of our total LCFF entitlement. These funds have already been accounted for when we adopted the 2022-23 budget. We are simply adhering to this constitutional requirement and publishing our EPA budget to confirm that we are only using EPA funds on classroom instruction (certificated salaries/benefits) and oversight fees.

Refer to CBO Report for financials.

Sara Margiotta: We broke out into groups and made new goals for the school year. 

Refer to 9/10/22 minutes for results of each subgroup's breakout session.

It was a great meeting to have informal collaboration and meet with the other stakeholder groups.

Lisa Saxon: 1-1 devices are critical to improve our ability to meet testing requirements in the future. We need these resources moving forward.

Next Board meeting is Tuesday, October 18th at 5 p.m.

Board went into closed session at 6:39 pm with non-interested parties.

Board returned into open session at 7:00 pm

In the matter of Employee discipline/dismissal/release, on a motion by Sara Margiotta and seconded by Saken Sherkhanov, the board voted 4-0 (with 1 absence) to terminate the employment of a classified employee from the position of substitute coordinator effective immediately.