ECRCHS Science Teacher Ms. Karen Evens led Board Members and guests in the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States of America (USA). 

Public Comments are summarized as follows:

1. PE Teacher Lori Chandler asked for board support in ensuring that Retiree health benefits are equal to or better than LAUSD's.   Emphasized the change needed to Dental Benefits.  Requested Board's support to ensure retiree benefits match those of LAUSD's.

2. Sp. Ed. Coordinator Steve Kingery asked for board support of ensuring Retiree Health Benefits are equal to or better than LAUSD's benefits for retirees.

3. Nurse Peggy Valentine asked for Board support in ensuring Retiree Health Benefits are equal to or better than LAUSD's retiree benefits.

4.  PE Teacher Kevin Williams asked for Board support in ensuring Retiree Health Benefits are equal to or better than LAUSD's retiree benefits.  Mr. Williams noted his concerns about how his retiree benefits "end with me" and would not continue to cover a surviving spouse.

5. Sp. Ed. Resource Teacher Glenn Short asked for Board support in ensuring Retiree Health Benefits are equal to or better than LAUSD's retiree benefits.  Mr. Short wants to ensure that ECR Retiree benefits are the same as those for active employees in terms of costs.

6. Teacher Maryellen Webster asked the Board to take care of teachers by providing retirees the same or better lifetime benefits as those offered to LAUSD's retirees.

7.  Teacher Susan Niven expressed support for retiring teacher colleagues by asking the Board to provide the same or better retiree benefits as those offered to LAUSD's retirees.

8. Teacher Stacey Meltzer expressed concerns about the quality and quantity of available substitute teachers.   Expressed concern about Kelly Substitutes terminated partnership.

9.  Teacher Gary Asarch asked the Board to bring benefits up to par with those of LAUSD's retirees, especially with regard to dental benefits; noted that ECRCHS's benefits are not similar with LAUSD's and therefore ECRCHS is in "violation" of its charter promise.

10. Community Member Daniel Ozstreicher asked that the proposed Fiscal Policies and Procedures allow employees to receive 100% reimbursement for professional courses beyond those offered through the UCLA Extension.  Suggests $5K-$10K general cap with unlimited courses/programs/institutions beyond just UCLA.

11.  Teacher Sue Schuster expressed concern about rule of 80 benefits eligibility rule and requested board support for ensuring ECR's retirees' benefits stay the same or better.

12. Teacher Setari Bahri expressed her displeasure with SISC benefits administrator and then informed the Board of her great concerns regarding Schoolwide Discipline, noting the school environment is going down "big time" and that she does not feel safe walking in the hallways and on campus.  

13.  Dean Barbara Stanoff informed the Board that she feels discriminated against for being made to attend an October 4th, 2022, faculty meeting, giving her little time to prepare for her observation of the high holy day "Yom Kippur."   

14.  Science Teacher Sukbhir Dhillon expressed concerns about the Adhesive Hall Passes, noting that the Dean's office had rejected adhesive hall passes five years previously due to theft, cost, sticker removal, etc.  Mr. Dhillon also noted that administrators needs to be made to attend professional development in the same way teachers are expected to attend PD.

15.  Parent J. Dean expressed concerns about the School's reputation, saying it is going down. She noted that there are reports of fighting, vaping, drug use, fentanyl, etc., in bathrooms and that her daughter has been exposed and/or influenced accordingly.  Wonders why bathrooms and students are not being monitored.  Parent noted that she is considering transferring her child/ren to Oak Park HS.

Mr. Hussey provided his Executive Director Update, with highlights as follows:

1. Thanked administrators, Student Council Advisors/Students, and other stakeholders for their collaborative efforts in hosting a very successful Homecoming Dance that included over 1,600 students/participants.

2. Thanked Administrative Director Jason Camp and Athletics Administrator Richard Russell for securing alternate sites for football home games while the ECRCHS football field is off-limits/under repair. 

3. Thanked Board President Wright for assisting with successful effort in securing traffic bollards from the Dept. of Transportation (DOT) which have been placed on Valley Circle Boulevard to facilitate increased traffic safety (preventing U-turns).

4. Noted that the football field will be repaired beginning in March, per LAUSD Maintenance and Operations.  Concerns about completion date due to Graduation on June 2nd, 2023. 

5. Noted that he had recently met with some soon-to-be-retirees regarding health benefits concerns.  Noted that there is a process involved and he is looking into this matter after a meaningful conversation.

Mr. Wood provided his Business Officer Update, with highlights as follows:

1. Noted that the materials include ADA and cafeteria updates, including the following charts which were discussed at length in the Finance & Investment Committee Meeting:

2. ADA - Enrollment by Grade Level and ADA of the school; gen. ed., sp. ed., alt ed., and ISP programs.

3. Cafeteria - averaging about 2400 meals/day; generating a profit that is well beyond anything Mr. Wood has experienced in his twenty-plus years of service; revenue funds to be reinvested in the Cafeteria (upgraded equipment and a design/remodeling); design renderings in process. 

4. Participation up 60%.

5. EEBG report filed and the form is in the materials.

6. Annual Audit process underway and due 12/15.

7.  CBO's networking meetings with Birmingham, Granada, Palisades charters.

Mr. Wright provided the Board Chair Update, with highlights as follows:

1. Ms. Malconian noted that the school is in process of securing and placing vape sensors in the bathrooms.

2. Mr. Wright noted that he's scared about what is happening everywhere in terms of students' use of drugs/at-risk behaviors' noted he's been with LAUSD Board Member Scott Schmerlson, the DA's office, etc.  

3. Thanked Board Members for their dedicated, voluntary service to the school.

Mr. Wood, CBO, provided the September, 2022, Investment Update, with highlights as follows:

OPEB:

1. $19.7M in OPEB as of September 30th.

Gen. Account:

2. $5.7M in three difference investment advisors, plus annuities, for a total of $6.5M in Gen. Account/Fund as of September 30th.

3. One advisor, Polen Capital, is underperforming and is under review by Beacon Pointe, with information forthcoming by Beacon Pointe at the November Board Meeting with regard to whether or not any adjustment to our investment advisor (Polen Capital) is recommended. 

Mr. Kofahl noted that the investment advisor is under review and he wanted to know by whom to which Mr. Wood noted that ECRCHS's investment advisor, Beacon Pointe, is reviewing Polen Capital and will include their review at the Nov. board meeting.

Mr. Wood, CBO, and Ms. Ilyas, Director, Accounting and Finance, provided the September, 2022, Financial Update, with highlights as follows:

1. Mr. Wood noted that Ms. Ilyas created a summary page/user-friendly that includes revenues and expenses and reviewed the columns on the summary page (e.g., Revenue, 

2. First interim report due by 12/15 to LACO, LAUSD, and CDE (projections through the end of year).

Ms. Malconian noted that the Finance & Investment Committee had worked with Mr. Wood and Ms. Ilyas to provide a summary to make this information easier to understand and with a faster presentation.  She encouraged anyone who is interested in the school's finances to to attend the Finance and Investment Committee meetings wherein the materials are discussed in greater depth.  F&I Committee meetings are on the Thursday prior to the Regular Board Meetings.

Mr. Wood, CBO, and Ms. Ilyas, Director, Accounting and Finance, led a discussion on the CARES and ESSER Funds Budget Proposal, with highlights as follows:

1. Ms. Ilyas noted that the document shows a summary of CARES and ESSER Funds received as a result of COVID as related to support for 1. safety; and 2. to address learning loss.

2. Ms. Ilyas provided an overview of the form and columns (Name, Grant, Allocation, YTD Spent, Amount Left, Deadline to spend.

3. Noted ECRCHS has received $13.7M, spent approximately $5M; has approximately $8.6M remaining funds. 

Mr. Wood - Important part; deadline order due to use it or lose it;  Last two grants Arts/music ima and learning recovery (all the way out to 2028); will have conversations about how best to spend these categorical funds.

Ilyas noted that the State requires a spending plan to accompany how these funds will be spent, with an example being the A-G funds and spending plan that Mr. Alba will present later in this meeting.

ESSER:

1. Mr. Wood noted that the ESSER Plan (with funds amounts) had been submitted recently and is attached to the materials (supporting schedules for these grants).

Mr. Wood, CBO, and Boardmember Malconian, led a discussion on the FPPs, with highlights as follows:

1. Mr. Wood noted that this is the last draft of the FPPs, which has been an ongoing process and that they are seeking input from all stakeholders on the FPPs over the next thirty days and ahead of the next board meeting.

2. The goal is to have one more month for input on the FPPs; edits on the document in red color represent changes to titles and amounts.

3. Mr. Wood is hoping to have all input in time to present a final FPPs draft to the Finance and Investment (F&I) Committee in November for recommendation for approval to the full board in November.

4. Ms. Malconian encouraged comments and input by all stakeholders.

Mr. Wright asked Board members to initiate a discussion about dates for committees.

F & I Committee Dates (Standing) are already established.

School Site Safety (Standing) 

Dr. Lowry noted that this agenda item is placed in order to ensure that all committee meetings are scheduled such that the dates don't conflict with other meetings and for the purpose of creating a master meetings and committee meetings calendar.

Ms. Ibach asked whether or not the school already has a School-site Safety Committee, to which Mr. Hussey responded in the affirmative.

Mr. Wright noted that one or more members of the Board who are part of the School Site Safety Committee will attend the school-based School Site Safety Committee meetings.

Dr. Lowry requested members of committees to determine their committee meeting dates and communicate them.

Mr. Wright asked members to provide proposed committee meeting dates by November 10th, 2022.

Dr. Lowry noted that the school complies with this resolution which allows the public to be informed leading up to, during, and after Board meetings.

He explained when Board materials are posted and that all materials are available electronic and hardcopy format, upon request or via the website, in order to ensure 100% compliance with the resolution. 

Mr. Alba, Administrative Director, provided an overview of the A-G Block Grant and spending plan, with highlights as follow:

*Received approximately $500K ($474,406) for the purpose of promoting student access and success and mitigation;

1. Propose adding a full-time college counselor (bilingual desired to support EL college access);

2. Expand access to A-G courses outside of the school day (Cyber High, BYU, ISP, etc.).

3. Funding increased for counselors outside of regular school hours, including Summer, for student support

4. Access to individuals with whom they can speak; ratio of 1800:1, to bring down to 1200:1 for college counselor (expand outreach to parents and for activities).

5. Cost breakdown presented as listed in the materials.

6. Possible expansion of auxiliaries to expand access to our student body for in-seat learning.

Ms. Ibach noted that when students struggle during the day, they also struggle on those platforms, to which Mr. Alba acknowledged.

Ms. Ibach commented that she believes that we lose students in the 9th grade and hopes that the outreach can target those students and their parents to which Mr. Alba noted that he is working with Ms. Bero to require an outreach prior to any student coming off an A-G track.

Ms. Malconian asked if the College counselors have enough current support, to which Ms. Alba noted that demand is largely social-emotional and he hopes for more resources so more time can also be dovoted to academic support; noted that one additional college counselor will be helpful.

The Board entered Closed Session at 6:47 p.m.

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The Board returned to Open Session at 7:47 p.m.

Mr. Wright reported that no actions were taken during Closed Session.