Mr. David Hussey led the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States of America (USA).

Mr. Ryan Guinto explained the procedures for public comments, including the two-minute limit per speaker.

Public Comments are the following:

Cash Ellingwood stated that the Aquatic Program received a $12,400 donation from families, friends, and the community but the program was abruptly shut down. Ellingwood argued that it is unfair that they cannot use the equipment or access the donation money, emphasizing that they deserve both access and the ability to use the funds for other needs.

Alexander Saleh expressed disappointment with the hiring decision for the aquatics coach and allegations of inappropriate behavior.

Allison Wong highlighted the efforts to keep the Woodland Hills rec center open and the lack of support from the administration.

Anders Sundberg discussed the administration's handling of the aquatics program and the lack of communication. Sundberg argued that the donated funds of over $12,000 and the equipment should either be used for the students or returned to them.

Olive Sanders, shared her experiences with the aquatics program and the lack of support from the administration.

Sophia Hernandez stated that students secured reliable practice locations, including a community pool and two school facilities, but the program was abruptly shut down. She flagged concerns about the hiring of an unqualified coach and the failure to find a qualified replacement before the second semester.

Mr. Wright acknowledged the heartfelt comments and promised to look into the concerns, including the donated money. As a former athlete himself, he emphasized the importance of the students' efforts and hard work. He expressed hope that they would trust the management moving forward.

Mr. David Hussey gave an update: 

• He thanked the classified staff, teachers, administrators, students, and families for a smooth start to the 2025 spring semester.
• He mentioned the lottery with 550 applicants were accepted into the lottery for school next year.
• He mentioned that during the emergency, he and Mr. Delgado arrived at the campus at 7 o'clock to assist the American Red Cross. Within less than an hour, the American Red Cross successfully gained access to the campus to provide emergency relief.
• He acknowledged the contributions of various individuals and organizations in supporting the Red Cross efforts.
• He highlighted the involvement of Mr. Wright, Mr. Camp, Mr. Jones, the custodial staff, and Angel and Alicia in the main office staff in the Red Cross efforts.

Mr. Wright shared that while at the Red Cross, he requested families to register their names, though some chose not to. He expressed gratitude to those who did register, acknowledging their contributions in helping those in need during the emergency.

Mr. Gregory Wood gave an update:

• He mentioned that as a new calendar year 2025, a new financial cycle to start budgets and reports he was able to attend the California Association of School Business Officers meeting. Mr. Hussey attended the School Services of California meeting.
• He discussed the opening for the Director of Finance position and the staff accountant position. He will meet some candidates next week. 
• He mentioned the ASB Treasurer, Angelina Cruz, and her involvement in the finance committee meetings.
• He outlined the student council's activities, including planning for school activities, repayments to the community, and student recognition events.
• He highlighted that following achievements: able to passed a budget of $225.85 as a care package for fire stations, worked on some beautiful posters in the halls, international student lunch treat, 4.0 student brunch recognizing students acquiring a weighted 4.0 GPA. 
• He mentioned various students activities to look forward to.
• He explained the process for handling donations and the use of trust accounts for specific program funds. 

Mr. Brad Wright mentioned that Mr. Sebastian Winter is the new board meeting member.

• Mr. Winter mentioned that the Arts Program has a trip scheduled for April, and he is excited to apply his experience to enhance the program. Additionally, he will oversee the use of funds and monitor facility access for the swim and polo Aquatics teams.

Mr. Gregory Wood, CBO provided a detailed investment update:

• At the end of the calendar year, the OPEB trust account held $31.6 million, reflecting a $1.1 million gain for the year. It covered $300,000 in retiree payments, with an overall investment increase of 3.5% and a net account growth of 2.5%. The school's general investment account stood at $7.8 million at the end of December, slightly down for the month. Combined, both accounts totaled $39.4 million. As of this morning, the OPEB account had risen to $32.3 million, benefiting from a favorable market trend, despite a December downturn.

Mr. Gregory Wood, CBO provided a detailed financial update:

• The state budget planning includes funding for the cost of living, primarily through the Local Control Funding Formula. The COLA was initially projected at 2.9% in May but was later adjusted to 2.4%. Budget planning will continue based on this estimate until further updates in May. 
• Additionally, cafeteria operations remain financially stable, with December revenues of $130,000 and expenses of $108,000, maintaining a positive fund balance. These funds are restricted for cafeteria improvements, including infrastructure and staff training.

Prior to the vote, Mr. Gregory Wood, CBO provided a detailed December 2024 check registers update:

• The general account processed $439,000 in electronic payments, with the largest expense being a $347,000 health premium, along with other payments for insurance, HR subscriptions, and 403(b) funding. The ASB account issued $52,000 in checks despite the shortened month. The fundraising account, holding approximately $46,000 to $50,000, disbursed $3,700 for Bagel Wednesday and a PD meeting. The largest account check register recorded nearly $1.3 million in payments across four pages, covering legal expenses, Student Council activities, books, and supplies.

Prior to the vote, Mr. Gregory Wood, CBO provided a detailed December, 2024, Credit Card Charges update:

• The credit card statement summary details charges made by two cardholders, Executive Director Mr. Hussey and CBO Mr. Wood, including dates, PO numbers, vendors, descriptions, requesters, amounts, and funding sources. In December, Mr. Hussey’s charges totaled $15,532.38, while Mr. Wood’s amounted to $5,873.07, bringing the combined total to $23,405.85.

Prior to the vote, Mr. Wood, CBO, discussed the CONAPP:

• The Consolidated Application (Con App) is a biannual report detailing federal funds received by school districts. The district shared its spending plans, receiving $68,000 in Title II funds for teacher training, $26,000 in Title IV funds for additional training, and $369,000 in Title I funding. The Title I funds will be used for administration and parent assistance, with $280.75 allocated per low-income student, based on the district’s 38% Free and Reduced student population.

Discussion on the 2023-2024 Audit Report was moved due to the presenter, Vanessa Pineda, not available at the time of her presentation. 

Prior to the vote, David Hussey, Executive Director, highlighted several key points:

• He presented the School Accountability Report Card (SARC) for 2023-2024, emphasizing the school's mission and vision, enrollment, state priorities, and test results.
• He noted the high percentage of fully credentialed teachers, with 100% of the faculty qualified to teach at El Camino, compared to the district.
• He mentioned that the CS charter school division confirmed there are no misaligned or vacant teacher positions at this time, commending the school for this achievement.
• He highlighted the use of textbooks across various subjects, including English, math, science, history, world languages, health, and visual arts.
• He also emphasized that the school's facilities are in good condition, with no gas leaks, solid interior structures, cleanliness, and proper electrical maintenance.

Vanessa Pineda, Audit Manager at Christy White, highlighted the following points from the report:

• As of June 30, 2024, the state compliance, federal compliance, and financial statements received an unmodified opinion, with no significant deficiencies or material weaknesses identified.
• The postemployment benefit plan is now considered an asset.
• No audit adjustments or findings were noted.
• The Letter of Management was obtained and submitted to the authorizing agencies.

Ricardo Covarrubias, Marketing and Communications Outreach Coordinator gave an update of the following:

• He presented the marketing update, discussing the decline in enrollment and the strategies to combat it, including social media ads and partnerships with platforms like Niche.
• The marketing efforts, including Meta ads and traditional advertising, have resulted in 118 applicants, highlighting a projected positive return on investment (ROI) of nearly $2.5 million. 
• Moving forward, the district plans to advertise year-round, similar to colleges, to sustain enrollment growth.

Prior to the vote, Ms. Vania Rodriguez, Director of Human Resources, presented the following points:

• She presented the resolution for the reduction or elimination of certain certificated services due to declining student enrollment and uncertainty around ADA funding.
• School Services of California recommended that probationary teachers receive both a non-re-election letter and a reduction of force letter. There are approximately 44 positions listed, including probationary roles, and the recommendation is to issue preliminary layoff notices for these probationary positions as well.

Prior to the vote, Vania Rodriguez, Director of Human Resources, explained the purpose of the Variable Term Waiver form:

• The form allows a teacher to teach while working towards obtaining their full teaching credential. Specifically, the waiver is for a teacher to acquire their English learners authorization.

The board entered closed session at 7:00 PM.  

The board reconvene to open session at 8:01 PM.  

Brad Wright announced the resignation of Mr. Sokovitz and the opening of a new teacher position on the board.

The Board discussed the executive compensation, proposing a three-year contract for the same salary without bonuses. 

Board Chair, Mr. Brad Wright, provided the following details:

• He gave a detailed breakdown of the Executive Director's which includes a base salary of $276,896.14, a $5,000 master stipend, and a $3,000 bilingual stipend, totaling $284,896.14. The contract includes the same health benefits and participation in the STRS retirement plan.
• The contract includes a work year aligned with the work calendar, 13 days of sick leave per year, and vacation accrued at a rate of two days per 24 days per year, up to a maximum of 36 days, covering the period from July 2025 to June 2028.
• He noted that the salary aligns with the compensation compatibility study the board has received.
• He also mentioned the contract includes a 12-month early termination buyout contract.