Board of Education — June 10, 2025

This meeting of the Board of Education on June 10th to order at 6.01. Melissa, could you please lead us in the pledge tonight?

Everybody please stand. Put your right hands over your heart and remove any hats. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Please be seated. Thank you.

We're going to do roll call. Board member Ayala Quintero. Present. Board member Olson. Here. Board member Wilson.

Here.

And board member Hollihan. Present. We are all here. In closed session, the board unanimously took action to accept the superintendent's recommendation to appoint Kimberly Liam to the position of Director of Human Resources, effective July 1, 2025, at step four of the management team salary schedule. Ms. Liam, do you have anybody here to introduce? Welcome. And I'm sorry I misspoke. That's Dr. Liam. In closed session, the board unanimously took action to accept the superintendent's recommendation to appoint James Benanti to the position of principal, Franklin Elementary School, effective July 1, 2025, at step five of the management team's salary schedule. James, do you have any family with you today?

and I just want to say thank you to the board and the cabinet for this opportunity to continue to serve our students, and I wish my parents were here, but I know that they're watching, so thank you.

In closed session, the board unanimously took action to accept the superintendent's recommendation to appoint Jeffrey Ray to the position of principal, Kingsbury Elementary School, effective July 1, 2025, at step five of the management team's salary schedule. Josh, you have family here today. I'm here with my mom. She came here from Texas today.

Welcome. I love this family, and I thank the board and the cabinet for the opportunity to lead kind of to the office of the Board of Students in our community.

Thank you. Welcome. In close session, in regards to the public employee discipline dismissal release part of the agenda, the board unanimously took action to accept the superintendent's recommendation to accept the resignation of classified employee number 2024-25-18, effective May 15, 2025, and to approve the settlement release agreement in connection therewith. Is there a motion to approve the agenda with flexibility? So moved. Second. Thank you, Patty. Thank you, Jeanette. Is there a motion to approve the minutes of the April 22, 2025 and the May 8, 2025 Board of Education regular meetings?

So moved. Second.

Thank you, Patty. Thank you to me. We didn't vote on the first one. Nope. Forgot. Sorry. On the approval of agenda, forgot to vote. Let's vote on the approval of agenda on the motion of Patty and second by Jeanette. All those in favor? Oh, roll call vote. Sorry. Oh, thank you, Katie.

Member Ayala-Quintero?

Present. We're voting. Sorry, aye. Jason said roll call. Member Olson? Aye.

President Rundler? Aye. Vice President Holohan? Aye. Clerk Wilson?

Aye. Okay, now approval of the minutes on a motion from Patty and a second by myself. Any discussion on this? We'll call for the vote.

Motion carries 5-0. Oh, pardon me. Okay. Member Iola Quintero? Aye. Member Olsen? Aye. President Rendler? Aye. President Holohan? Vice President Holohan, aye. Thank you. And Clerk Wilson? Aye. Motion carries 5-0.

Thank you, Katie. All right, next we're going to have some presentations. We're going to start with the Adult Transition Program, the Bridge Program. Mr. Todd Rossi, Britta Davidson, and Kelly Cooper.

Good evening, Superintendent Cabral, school board members, executive cabinet, and Redlands community. My name is Todd Rothstein. I'm the director of special services. Thank you for inviting our team tonight to highlight a special program made of special young adults. I would like to introduce Dr. Brita Davidson and Ms. Kelly Cooper from our office to present our adult transition program.

Good evening. OK, my name is Kelly Cooper. I started as a program specialist for this program at the beginning of the school year. And I was tasked with bringing more capacity amongst the two sites. Because although it was one program, it sort of functions separately. So in doing that, one thing I did was bring all of the staff together. and with me and Brita Davidson, and we identified program domains, a shared vision, a mission statement, program goals, and worked to rebrand by creating a new logo and a name for the program.

Thank you. That program is now recognized as the BRIDGE program, which stands for, I don't have it memorized yet, so forgive me, building resilience, independence, and daily living skills for growth and empowerment. The programs that we currently have running are Studio 24. It's a cafe at Redlands High School. Probably many of you have heard of it. It's an awesome program. And about four years ago, we started Terrier Grounds Coffee Shop there as well. So we're working to expand. We're really thrilled. Why it matters is because Studio 24 provides authentic job training. So we bring in those community partnerships. They're working every day on skills that are relevant to like cafes and coffee shops and things that are in the city that we can transition to. This year we've hosted 12 cafe events with two seatings each month. We catered major district and community events such as Friendsgiving, Mother's Day Teas, and the Possibilities Prom. We served approximately 1,000 individuals this year in the cafe and generated over $5,000 in revenue. So it's been really great. And we've had community partnerships that come in to the cafe, local restaurant owners. So they're coming in, they're meeting our students, they're seeing it live in front of them, and it's been a really great connection to the community. Terrier Grounds Coffee Company, Brewing Skills for the Future. It's a wonderful program, and they make absolutely delicious coffee. It's in its fourth year, run by Ms. Natalie Kling. Some highlights this year. We've supported four district office pop-up shops and the parent coffee chats for our special services office. They serve about 20 to 50 people weekly. They actually keep regular business hours, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the campus at Redlands High School. We do not serve students, let me add. It's for staff, and it's also a meeting space. They've generated approximately $4,000 in revenue this year. So the program has continued to grow. We're so thrilled, in fact, because we have been able to add a third program to RHS, which will run a garden, which has been so beautifully supported by Mr. West Cullen and Dr. Ree Hage at RHS. And the new teacher, Sam Waringa, will be running a kind of farm-to-table, so she'll grow the food that we can then use for the cafe. Some things that we expect to focus on for 25-26 are the new program. We want to continue to work with our program to model the program like a structured internship. So the paraprofessionals that work with the students, we don't call them paras or aides, we call them job coaches. We want to continue to increase our collaboration with Inland Regional Center and the Department of Rehabilitation. And we were lucky enough to recently get a grant increased with our SELPA through DOR that will now service our entire adult transition program. So that's really great. Through that partnership, we're going to be fortunate enough to provide like food handlers cards, additional training, more outreach to the community. Branding, they do all the fun, cute stuff too. So it's going to be really great. we will continue to have new community partnerships. So we're going to bring in as much of the community as we can when we're not able to get out. So that's a really great part of the program. And then our hope is, with Mr. Cabral's help, is to develop a plan to increase opportunities for employment within our USD. So we do currently have several students who are working as paraprofessionals right now, and it's really heartwarming to see. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

All right, now we are on to recognition of Redlands Unified School District's 2024-2025 Local Control and Accountability Plan Committee members. Christy Hubbard, Coordinator, Categorical Programs and Educational Support.

Good evening, President Rendler, Board Members. Executive Cabinet, Superintendent Cabral, and members of the Redlands community. Tonight I have the privilege of recognizing our LCAP Advisory Committee. This dedicated group has met over the past several months to review data, discuss the goals and actions of the LCAP, and to ensure that the voice of all educational partners is reflected in the Local Control and Accountability Plan. The committee is comprised of parents, community members, and district staff. representing a cross-section of the district, including the various educational partner groups. Their thoughtful questions, unique perspectives, and consistent engagement have helped strengthen the work of the LCAP, maintaining a focus on student success. The names of the committee members will be displayed on the screen, starting with the parents and community representatives and then the district staff members when I start calling them up. Additionally, we've had student advisory committees meeting throughout the district at the high school over the course of the year. The approximately 80 students who have served on those committees have already received certificates and letters recognizing their contributions and showing our appreciation for their hard work. On behalf of the district, I want to express our sincere gratitude to the committees for their commitment and their valuable contributions. At this time, I am going to start recognizing the people that are here tonight. And so as I call your name, please come forward. And you can come up along the side and receive your certificate of appreciation. And then stay up front with us for a group picture, please. Curtis Dyson. I should say I'm starting with parents and community. Kimberly Hillier. Janine McBride. Jermaine Miles. Paul Norwood. Chris Olson. Arissa Owen. Lisa Ramirez. Heather Rendelman. Umang Sharma. I guess before I started, I should have told you it's a large committee. We have about half of the committee that said that they might be able to make it tonight. So all totaled, we have 44 members of the committee. Our student representative, who we have here tonight, is Bella Salazar. And then moving on to our district staff members, Rebecca Acosta. Emily Appmatic. Michelle Blomquist. Osiel De La Sancha. Lorena Garcia. Jamie Ochoa. Jessica Pooley. Rachel Rehage. Heidi Van Diener. Jeff Ray, Daniel Ibarra, and Wendy Zaragota. Is there anybody else that showed up that didn't let me know that they were going to? Okay. Again, thank you all for your commitment and your hard work. Your contribution to the district and especially to our students is so meaningful. Thank you. I think if you come down this way, it can be like a third row. You guys can be like a third row.

As long as your face shows between the window. Like a school picture.

All right, welcome to the site. In one, two, three.

Right now we will recognize our junior ROTC from Redlands High School.

Okay, yes, please come forward. You may recognize some of these students because they honor us at events when they present the colors right before we honor our country with the Pledge of Allegiance and or the Star-Spangled Banner. And so we want to say thank you. And these are the students that were available during the summer. Thank you for being here. Thank you. I'm sure that there are other students that also have participated throughout the year and throughout the last few years. And so I'm going to say the names of the folks that are here, and you go tell your friends how much we appreciate them, okay? And, of course, they're led by Sergeant, we call her BJ Barnes-Joshua. Sergeant, thank you so much for all the work that you do. Thank you. Okay, let's start with First Sergeant Barnes. Joshua, why don't you come up front? We'll start with you. I'm going out of order, see, I don't know the order. And then we have Cadet Major Tamana Rezaei. Cadet Captain Zoe Ibarra. Cadet Major Catherine Valencia. Cadet First Lieutenant Shandana Bagani. Shandani Bagani, thank you. Hold on, messed it up. Cadet Technical Sergeant Aventica Gadam. And then Second Lieutenant Cesar Nambo. We just wanted to say thank you and show our appreciation for all the hard work you do, not only in the classroom, because we know you're taking care of business, but every time we ask you to come to an event, you do it with enthusiasm, and we know it takes a lot of time. So we're grateful for you, and thank you. And Sergeant, thank you so much for your leadership. We usually excuse students so they can go do homework, but What do I tell them now? We're going to go a little bit out of order because I'm also going to present our recognition for our school resource officers, and so I'm going to have them come up. This is my second full year, and I had the pleasure of working with the SROs assigned to both Redlands High School and Citrus Valley. And from Redlands High School, Corporal Rick McLaughlin, if he could please come up. It is with sadness that I say he has ended his tenure with our school district. Yes, yes, everybody should say ah, because... He is a remarkable police officer who not only has really helped us and kept our kids safe, but we implemented a program of safety where there's alerts on folks' phones. And he was instrumental in not only helping implement that program for us, but also in training our staff. He took time from his duties to be at staff meetings, sometimes after school was out, to really help staff understand the program and understand how to put it on their phone. I actually got to see him in the training and he did a phenomenal job and we're so grateful for that. Yes, a round of applause for that. We are definitely going to miss him. He also did some training for our principals. And so he's just done a phenomenal job. He's not leaving the force. He's actually going to return to his position with Redlands Police Department. And so we're grateful to him. We're still going to have him in our community. And so thank you so much for your service. Our second SRO is Eileen Gutierrez, Officer Eileen Gutierrez, who is on leave at the moment. But she equally has done such a phenomenal job over at Citrus Valley. We just wanted to recognize her and thank her because her tenure is over with us also. Generally speaking, SROs serve about a two-year with school districts, and they return to their positions. And so we're grateful to her. If you know her, please share our appreciation. If you don't know her, but you think she might be here, thank her. Okay, if she's an officer, thank her because we're so grateful for what they do for our community. Who's entering? We have two new officers. We have Officer Randall Casey, who is not here with us this evening, but he is going to be assigned to... Somebody help me. RHS? Okay, RHS. And then we have Officer Mitchell Casey. And he is here. Did I say the name wrong? Thank you. Mr. Mitchell. I'll show you, man. It says Casey right here. Officer Howard is going to be assigned to Citrus Valley. And we're getting started with these officers. We're very grateful to them. We know they're going to be equally as good as who we have outgoing. And then I want to recognize the folks who kind of are in charge, who really help us every time we have a situation. And that, if you could come up, please, when I call your names. Sergeant Ryan Steinhaus. Commander Esteban Valenzuela. Deputy Chief Stephen Crane. And Deputy Chief Jeremy Floyd. I can't say enough how grateful I am for the partnership we have with the Redlands Police Department. We all have the same goal, which is to keep our kids safe, to keep our staff safe, and they help us every day. So we are very appreciative. Round of applause for the Redlands Police Department, please. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Now we will have a recognition of the Redlands Bicycle Classic.

Good evening, Board President Rendler, board members, Superintendent Cabral, cabinet, staff, and community. We are very pleased to join you this evening to share the results of the 39th edition of the Redlands Bicycle Classic. The Redlands Bicycle Classic continues to be the longest continuous running invitational stage race in the country and is well known throughout the world. The race has hosted riders who have gone on to compete in the Olympics, Tour de France, and other world championships. You can say to be a great cyclist, the road runs through Redlands. However, As we like to say, the Redlands Bicycle Classic is far more than a bike race. It is a foundational community event that brings together Inland Empire communities and the professional cycling community and amateur cycling communities together in a healthy and family-oriented environment. One of the staples of our event is the engagement with the youth and students in our community, and that's what we're here this evening to share with you. Dan Rendler will share an overview of our school visit program, and Brian will provide the background and results of the 2025 school board. My name is Scott Welsh, and I'm honored to be here with Brian Zander, who's our public race coordinator and a fifth-grade teacher at Judson Brown Elementary School, and along with Dan and Michelle Rendler, who are our school visit coordinators. Dan? Thanks, Scott. Board President Rendler, Michelle, and I have been honored to lead the RBC school visits for the past several years. In preparation for the RBC this past April, and as part of the tradition of the bike classic, men and women professional cyclists from around the world representing 23 teams, visited all 17 RUSD elementary schools, all four middle schools, and CVHS, promoting safety, fitness, and health with over 8,600 students in the school district. If we also include San Bernardino City Unified School District and Yucaipa-Calamitia Joint Unified School District, it was over 12,000 students. If you haven't attended one of the school visits, I really encourage you to do so. Seeing the excitement and energy on the kids' faces when the cyclists roll up on their bikes, most of them in kits, their helmets and everything, and they share their skills with them, they talk health and fitness, it's just electrifying. And I know a lot of the teachers here in Administrators have been to those as well, too, so really encourage you to do that. Another purpose of the school visits is to encourage our students to participate in the public races and the school duel. And today, that's why we're here, to award the coveted school duel trophy. So without further ado, I'll turn it over to Brian Zander, our public race director, and he will share the results. Brian? Thank you, Dan, and thank you for this opportunity to be here this evening. So first, a little history of the school duel. The school duel began back in 2007 as a friendly competition among local schools and as a method to increase the number of participants of school-age racers from ages 3 to 17. These trophies are trophy guys here. These trophies are awarded to the schools that have the greatest number of participants, not who comes in first, second, third, or last. It is purely based on participation. There are two trophies for the winning schools, one for elementary schools and one for secondary schools. This year's school duel was one for the books. There were 534 participants in 2024. This year, that number grew to 736, an increase of 202 participants. We would like to thank our generous sponsors of the school duel, Stater Brothers Charities, as well as the Brethren's Unified School District for your support of this event. We are already gearing up for 2026, and we're hoping to improve upon this year's event. So without further ado, I'd like to award these trophies to the principals, if they're here this evening, of Cope Middle School and Judson and Brown Elementary School. For Cope Middle School, Wendy Kress, Todd Rossi, and James Benanti for Judson O'Brown. And on behalf of our over 70 all-volunteer committee members, please accept these trophies for your schools. And congratulations. Congratulations. And one, two.

Now we're moving on to California Distinguished Schools.

Before we do that, we do have one special award we want to give to...

I'm so sorry.

It's okay. If you haven't been to the Bike Classic, I urge you to go. This is my second year going. It's awesome to see the kids racing. My only complaint for the kids, not for me, for the complaints, is they have to race uphill. Maybe that's part of the challenge. But when you see a four-year-old trying to just, you know, make it about 100 yards uphill, yeah, it's a challenge. It's really an awesome event. I love helping out. But the person who is just, who really needs recognition is Mr. Zander for all the work that he does for this event. And so we have... a special plaque from us just to say thank you. We appreciate your help. Another picture. Oh, we should take a picture, yeah.

I need to say, Superintendent Cabral is our MVV, Most Valuable Volunteer. A picture.

How are you doing?

Okay, California Distinguished Schools. So let me give you some data because this is a super exciting award. There are about, and you can Google this, okay? You can actually fact check me because I might be wrong. Over 5,000 elementary schools in California. And they will choose the top schools. And you used to have to apply for this award, but now you don't. They just look at your data, and they say, have you had the growth necessary to be recognized? And when the answer is yes, then you get to be, for us, two of only 300-plus schools. out of the 5,000 who are recognized as a California Distinguished School. It's a huge honor, and we have two schools here. And so I would love for the board to come forward to recognize Highland Grove Elementary School and Principal Amy Prye. This is what happens when you recognize schools on vacation. We can't expect them to come on vacation. They're preparing for next year so we can get another award. Ms. Pry is doing an amazing job. Her staff is awesome. We actually got to go to Anaheim to get the award, and that was super cool to hang out with her teachers. Our second school is Kimberly Elementary School Principal Emily Elgin. She has a team of folks with her. Again, 300 schools out of 5,000 to be recognized is amazing, and we have two of them here in Redland Unified School District. Congratulations again.

Ready, and one, two, three.

All right, congratulations to all the awardees tonight. We're going to take a five-minute break, and then we will come back. The meeting is back in session at 646. Public hearing regarding Redlands Unified School District's 2025 Local Control and Accountability Plan, the LCAP. A draft copy of the Local Control and Accountability Plan will be available for public inspection beginning Monday, June 9, 2025 at the District Office, Educational Services Division, and at the Secretary's Desk at the Board Meeting. The plan can also be found on the District's website at www.redlandsusd.net. Public hearing on Redlands Unified School District's 20-25-26 balances in excess of minimum reserve requirements. Public hearing requirements per Ed Code 42127A-2B requires that districts... They're good. Requires that districts provide the minimum recommended reserve for economic uncertainties for the budget and two subsequent fiscal years combined assigned and unassigned ending fund balances that are in excess of the minimum recommended REU for each fiscal year identified in the budget. And a statement of reasons... that substantiates the need for an assigned and unassigned ending fund balance that is in excess of the minimum recommended REU for each fiscal year that condition exists for public review and discussion at its budget public hearing. Get the gavel and ask if there's anybody there.

That opens the first public hearing. Are we on the LCAP one? So on the LCAP, I just need to let the community know as well as the board know that as the legislature and the governor negotiate on that final budget, these numbers may change before the final budget is adopted on the 24th.

Thank you. And now do I do it for this one? Okay. All right. Public hearing on Redlands. Oh, you do? Oh, I'm sorry. Oh, I did.

Same with the budget. As the legislator and the governor negotiate, those budgets may change between now and the final budget's adopted.

Public hearing on Redlands Unified School District's 2025-26 annual budget. on the 2025-26 budget per code 42127 and assembly bill 1200 must be approved on or before July 1st per the district's decision to utilize the single budget adoption cycle. The proposed budget will be available for public inspection beginning Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025 in the district's business services office during business hours. The hearing is open.

Just be sure I'll make the same comment. As they negotiate final budgets, they may change between now and July 24th when we ask you to approve the budget.

Thank you. Do we have any reports from associations? Oh, close it. Sorry.

Okay.

Residence Teachers Association.

Hi. Thank you. Good evening, board members and cabinet. Tonight, I want to share some excerpts of an opinion piece written by Susan Quartz of Highland Grove Elementary School and published in USA Today on May 26, 2025. In her piece, Susan touches on a phenomenon observed by teachers across the country, and I believe her remarks offer valuable insights for both this body and the broader community. I have redacted sections of the article for time, and I have shared this speech with the district, including links to the full article. Hopefully those will be in the minutes so people can refer to it later. The title of the article is What Today's Politics Are Teaching Our Kids by Susan Quartz. As a second grade teacher, I've long believed that character isn't something you explain, it's something you show. Children absorb the values they see in action, at home, on screens, in their communities, and in the behavior of leaders. And right now, what they're seeing is deeply concerning. Over the course of this school year, I have noticed troubling behaviors in young students, not only in my own classroom in Southern California, but echoed in conversations with fellow educators. Children are using racial slurs, mocking peers for their differences, and retaliating in targeted, often cruel ways. At just seven and eight years old, this behavior is especially unsettling. These are the years when empathy, fairness, and emotional regulation should be taking root, not when children begin to mirror the blame, hostility, and division modeled by many adults. What's even more troubling is how some parents respond. When I reached out to discuss one of these incidents, the reaction wasn't concern or acknowledgement of harm, but an attempt to deflect. What did the other child do first? These aren't isolated incidents. They're symptoms of a broader cultural shift, one where cruelty is excused, empathy is mocked, dishonesty is normalized, and accountability is increasingly aware. We are living with the compounded effects of years of toxic rhetoric, division, and bullying, modeled, amplified, and often condoned at the highest levels of government and the media. When the most powerful person in the country uses name-calling, bullying, and demeaning language as a tool of dominance, when cruelty becomes political currency, it trickles down. And now these messages are showing up in our schools, in lunchrooms, on playgrounds, and in classrooms. As educators and parents, we can control the national tone, but we can shape the environment our children grow up in. We can nurture compassion, critical thinking, and resilience. And we can help kids navigate a world where decency and empathy are often regarded as weakness. My comments may invite backlash from those who embrace the current political climate, but I stand by my commitment to what's best for children. I don't follow party lines. I follow principles of integrity, honesty, and decency. We need to talk honestly about what today's political climate is teaching our kids, not just through policy, but through tone, language, and example. We must push back with love, truth, and character. Each of us has a role to play in raising children who can build a better, more empathetic world. What will you do? Our children are watching, they're listening, and they're learning. Let's be the example they deserve. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening, Board President Rendler, Board Members, Superintendent Gabral, Deputy Superintendent Hill, Executive Cabinet. Thank you for the opportunity to update you this evening for the last time on RAPA's end-of-the-year events. One of our... best highlights of the year was the most recent opportunity that we had to award seven scholarships to our graduating seniors across all high schools in our district. And it was a true privilege for our RAPA representatives to attend the senior awards ceremonies at each of our high schools. and witnessed the firsthand incredible accomplishments of our RUSD students. Their stories were powerful and awesome and a great reminder of the resilience, talent, and promise that our RUSD schools and community has to offer. We're confident that these new, now, RUSD alumni will go on to make a positive impact, not only in our local community, but far beyond. In addition to honoring our students, our RAPID team is also looking forward to recognizing the dedication and achievements of our management colleagues as we'll be celebrating them through an end of the year social and awards recognitions throughout the next few weeks. This is a time for us to express gratitude to our colleagues and our team's efforts in supporting students and staff in our community throughout the past year. I'm also excited to share that Ginny Dyerly will serve as our next incoming RAPA president. And we're incredibly proud to share that for the first time in RAPA's history, a classified management team member, Heather Rendelman, has stepped up to serve as our president-elect. So we're excited to share that partnership with our classified management as well. So although the 24-25 school year has just ended, we are already busy planning for the kickoff of 25-26, and we thank you all for your continued support and wrap-a-looks forward to building on this year's successes as we work together to continue to serve our students and community in the upcoming school year. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Liam.

Does Ruska have anything to report tonight? Mrs. Brewster, do you have anything to report tonight? No? All right, we're going to go back to the beginning here. All right, first I have something I would like to say. I want to take a moment to acknowledge the ongoing conversations taking place in our community, both in the local paper and on social media, regarding the work and decisions of this board. As a board, we remain committed to serving all students and families in the Redlands community with integrity, accountability, and a focus on student achievement and well-being. We understand and respect that members of the public may hold diverse views about the decisions and direction of the school district. Healthy civic dialogue, even when it includes criticism, is a vital part of public service and democratic governance. It is important to reaffirm that the board's actions are grounded in our responsibility to uphold district policies, comply with the state and federal laws, and ensure that every student has access to a safe, inclusive, and supportive educational environment. We continue to make decisions based on the needs of our students and in collaboration with our educational partners, staff, and families. We appreciate community engagement, and we remain open to constructive feedback that is both respectful and professional and helps us move forward in service of our shared mission, educating and empowering every student to thrive. As board president, I want to begin by acknowledging the importance of this space as a forum for public engagement. Our meetings are designed to conduct the essential business of the district, provide transparency, and offer the community an opportunity to share thoughts, concerns, and ideas with their elected representatives. We recognize and value the role of public comment in strengthening our schools and our governance. We welcome diverse perspectives and we want this to remain a place where all voices can be heard, respectfully and constructively. That said, I want to remind everyone that disruptions during the meeting will not be tolerated. In order to maintain a safe, orderly, and productive environment, we ask all attendees to be mindful of the norms of civic discourse. This includes refraining from personal attacks, maintaining appropriate language and tone, and respecting time limits during public comment. If disruptions continue, individuals may be asked to leave or be escorted from the meeting in order to maintain a respectful and orderly environment. Our commitment is to listen. Every member of this board is here to serve the students, families, and staff of Redlands Unified. We appreciate your presence, your input, and your partnership as we work together to support the success and well-being of every student in our district. Okay, members of the public may address the board on matters within its jurisdiction by submitting a completed registration card to the clerk or designated staff member prior to the start of public comments on agenda items. This is not a forum for debate. Policy-related complaints will be referred to the superintendent. When called, speakers may proceed to the podium, state their name and trustee area, and speak for the allotted time. The amount of time will be announced by the board president before the first speaker begins. and will not exceed three minutes. Tonight we will be doing one and a half minutes. Clerk Wilson, do you have any speaker cards for those who will be speaking on any agenda consent item?

Yes, I do. We're not having a superintendent's report? Nope. Yes, our first speaker is Jennifer Kim, followed by Cooper. Cooper.

Hi, my name is Jennifer Kim. I'm a trustee in Area 1, and I am a teacher, a parent, and a resident in this district. I want to talk about the resolution, the anti-racism resolution, more specifically the letter B resolution. I was on the committee. in 2020 that wrote the original anti-racism statement. It was an honor to be there. There were 16 of us, students, staff, and parents. I remember working with Melissa and Michelle. We were collaborative and respectful. We were honest and we listened to each other. We spent hours over Zoom poring over word choice. We wouldn't have even moved on to the next sentence until we were all in agreement on every single word. We were unified in the duty of addressing systemic racism in our schools. This statement was created out of intentionality, empathy, and equity. That is how you write a resolution, not with a ghostwriter or a copy-and-pasted version of another district's. This is not a game. This involves real people. The current resolution is not perfect, and I welcome thoughts on how to make it better, but the proposed promoting anti-racism one is reckless and embarrassing. It is not anti-racist, it does not protect our students and staff, and it panders to white fragility. It will make our community less safe and less educated. This proposal does not match the statement you just read, Michelle. We have a collective responsibility to the truth. Anything less is the antithesis of the RUSD 2025 vision that was set years ago. If you do want to make changes, I would employ to use even stronger language to protect those this district serves. Ban hate speech so that we don't have to endure the constant and vile comments we...

Thank you, Jennifer. Thank you.

Resolution 21B claims to promote unity and equality, but it raises several serious concerns. First, it uses vague politically charged language like race-based divisiveness and collective guilt, which are often tied to the national debates around critical race theory. Yet it never defines these terms. This ambiguity opens the door to inconsistent application and potential censorship in the classroom. Second, while the resolution claims to support anti-racism, it simultaneously rejects the frameworks that examine systemic privilege or oppression, essential concepts in understanding inequality and US history. This undermines genuine equity efforts and may silence critical conversations about race. Third, by emphasizing individual merit and rejecting any discussion of structural barriers, the resolution promotes a colorblind ideology that ignores the real disparities many students face today. It also risks sanitizing history under the banner of balance, potentially discouraging educators from teaching about difficult but essential topics like slavery, segregation, or ongoing discrimination. Finally, the resolution appears to have been crafted without any meaningful input from students, educators, or marginalized communities. This lack of inclusive dialogue undermines its credibility and risks making schools less welcoming, not more. Stop overreaching your education.

Thank you, Cooper. Next up, we have Peter Kane, followed by Rachel Ugly. Welcome, Peter.

Good evening, Redland Unified Board. Peter Kane, teacher, resident, and product. Here in opposition to the anti-racism resolution, unlike the already existing policy craft in 2020, your policy does not have any student, parent, teacher, or community involvement. Yours sounds like authoritarianism. It's very dangerous to ignore history and pretend slavery, the Civil War, 1960s civil rights movement didn't shape our country to what it is today. Society is not colorblind, and pretending it to be is absolutely reckless. Next, I'd like to thank President Rindler for your no vote at the bogus emergency meeting propped up last Friday. Your upcoming deciding votes, President Rindler. will shape the future of Redlands Unified, please vote with your brain and your heart. It's very obvious a member of this board is just copying what... Peter, those aren't agendized items.

I'm sorry.

A member of this board is just copying what the Chino Valley School Board does, trying to bring fascism to our schools. But as evidenced by the delaying of voting on book banning and banning the pride flag, you're losing momentum and the Redlands community will not stand for your desperate power grabs. Thank you to board members Ayala Quintero and Holahan for your waving support, as well as Superintendent Cabral. And I'll take this moment to thank our President Caperton and Mrs. Quartz. Thank you.

Thank you, Peter.

Welcome, Rachel. Okay, I have two of them. I have A and B. I do want to go over right now about what is the CRT for the critical race theory. What it is is an outgrowth of European Marxism school of critical theory, modified in the 1970s, the 1980s, and the world is based on system, power, race, and racism. Racism is a social, constructive, all-of-American, social, life, political structure that Judicial, economic, and found upon and tainted by system racism. All individuals are classified as oppressors or victims in this culture. And the whites, heterosexuals, males, see genders are oppressors. People of color, homosexuals, females, and transgendered are all victims. An individual by the virtue of his or her race on sex bears responsibility for actions committed on the dissemination of what's in people's minds of fairness and social justice. It breeds anger. It is not basically for everyone and we need to get back to that belongs at home. Thank you, Rachel. Now, what about A? Do I do the A, too? Continue going. Yes.

I'll start the clock again.

Oh, no, that's okay. I have no issue. I'm just trying to follow your school.

No, you have a second card, so you have another minute and a half.

Okay. The resolution adopting to have a commemorative week, everything calendared for every single emotional concern is not really necessary. Parents and legal guardians can totally educate their children at home and make sure, like I as a parent, that everyone is equal. Everyone has their own thoughts. their emotions, and we need to build self-esteem with all the children involved, which really includes the young adults up to the 12th grade. So there really isn't necessarily a calendar that we have to put in people's faces. These things really should be coming from a calendar that's established by the parents. The parents can talk about their religion, kindness, whatever comes to their heart and they strongly believe in and then leave the home with the idea that they're going to honor and respect whatever anybody else desires to celebrate. The celebratory process is easy. So as far as I'm concerned, we have enough things calendared on the school calendar. Thank you.

Next up, we have Kimberly Hillier, followed by Kimberly Hillier, and then JB. Welcome, Kimberly.

All right, so I have A and B? Yes. Yes, okay. Your continued resolution on flag and cultural observances isn't about patriotism. It's not about student protection. It's an attack on students' rights, protection, and their safety. You know the risks for the LGBTQ youth.

I'm sorry, that's not an agenda item.

The cultural observances and flags? That wasn't it?

No, it's commemorative observances and dates and observances.

Oh, okay. If it's about the dates, you can go ahead. But it just sounded like you were talking about the flags.

Okay.

It's an attack on students' rights, protections, and their safety. You know the risk of LGBTQ youth facing higher rates of bullying, hate, crimes, depression, and suicide, and yet this policy that you say says that you don't care, not about all students. The same goes when it comes to cultural observances and dates, and it says you certainly don't care about these students as well. These students show up week after week, and we see you. We stand with you. Your voice matters. We reject any policies rooted in racism and homophobia that don't celebrate you and your cultures. And to send that message to some students that they don't belong is just plain wrong. Hate has no place in this school. And I'm here also to speak out against the deeply harmful resolution on tonight's agenda, promoting anti-racism, equal opportunity, and unity in education. This resolution should be rejected outright. And President Rindler, I urge you to especially reflect on the resolution's language and what it truly means, and not just how it sounds. While it claims to promote unity and equal opportunity, this resolution actually undermines the very anti-racism work that this board has promised to do in response to the painful racist incidents in our district. One of the many problems in this resolution is the statement. Thank you, Kimberly. That was just one. Yeah, you didn't start for the second one? I'm sorry. I apologize. I didn't look up to see.

I just started it.

Okay, thank you. Resolution is the statement that the district should avoid curriculum that promotes division and collective guilt or racial stereotyping. But teaching about racism and injustice is not about guilt. It's about truth, growth, and empathy. Let me offer you a history that might be avoided under this resolution. In Georgia, 1918, a pregnant black woman named Mary Turner was lynched by a white mob. She was murdered in one of the most brutal acts of racial violence in American history because she dared to speak out against the lynching of her husband. The mob bound her feet, hung her from a tree, threw gasoline on her, and burned her. Ms. Turner was still alive when the mob took a butcher knife, cutting the unborn baby from her body and then stomping out the life of this crying baby before the mob killed her. with hundreds of bullets. I educate you on this history not to promote collective guilt, division, or racial stereotyping, is to share and awaken empathy. Resolutions like this one removes the honest accounts required to build a better society. Resolutions like this one allows the acceptance of racism. Resolution like this one doesn't protect children, they protect ignorance. There are racists and bigots in this community. I've encountered them. Maybe you have known them. Maybe some sit beside you. You are now aware of the issues within our school. These incidents are not isolated. These incidents may not be as rare as you hope. And if you're honest, these incidents are likely to continue as they may be core teaching within some families. Thank you, Kimberly. Thank you.

hello board members thank you for being here and for finally listening to the concerns of we the parents thanks for interrupting when it comes to systemic racism I'm confused how a board member can threaten another board member get censured for it and then still push a radical racist resolution which seeks to single out people based on the color of their skin let me get this straight you want to combat racism by pushing racism Even my kids know there's only one race, the human race. My daughter said to me today that if we divide people by race, we'll destroy the things that God created for us and he'll be disappointed in us. Like the anarchy in LA, your Marxist allegiance is on full display for this whole community. Those who didn't see it before, see clearly now that you seek only to divide us and indoctrinate our children. Thank you for taking yourself out of the next election so we don't have to tolerate you much longer. The most disgusting part is that you want to push it on young, innocent... Highly malleable little minds that are still developing. How do you sleep at night? You and the rest of your ilk should be ashamed of yourselves. But that would require morals and a conscience and humility, all of which elude you. Maybe you're not familiar with the Bible, so here's another reminder of Matthew 18.6. If you cause any of my little ones to stumble... JB, I'm sorry.

It's not on the agenda. I'm sorry.

What was wrong with that? What was wrong with that? What was wrong with that?

What you were speaking about was not on the agenda. So I'm sorry. This is on agenda items.

Next up we have Jean Saglam followed by Jean again and then Erica Grossman.

Good evening.

Welcome Jean.

So 21A, regarding celebrations and the Pride Month, our calendar for school, we've said over and over again tonight, I've been listening, we support our children, our students, our community. We want to encourage them to do their best, be their best. By eliminating Pride Month or the celebrations within the month, or within our whole calendar for that matter, is regarding diversity so that those children, those students, can feel included so that they can be seen as adults, leaders in their community. How do they do that? By seeing those people, by seeing the flag, by saying, hey, my two dads or two moms are included in this community. They don't have to hide or be ashamed or be different. Who we are as a whole community with people who look different speak different and live differently Should be included in every school because that's who we are That is our community to deny that for one is to deny that for all it's our civil right to be included and Children need to be seen so they can become leaders themselves. They need to be accepted in their community of school. 21B. Okay. The first part of this acknowledgement of racism is the idea that you acknowledge that we're diverse and we come from diverse backgrounds. The idea that we're going to ignore it and say it didn't exist is ridiculous. It is, it's just ridiculous. Acknowledgement is the first step and realizing that we're not clones, we don't all look the same or sound the same. We need to address history from the indigenous person's point of view, acknowledging the pain and suffering of all non-colonizing people, to do so means accepting the facts as they were, as they are. Indians, black, Japanese, Latino have built this country through their sacrifice.

Thank you, Steve. Thank you.

Welcome, Erica.

Thank you. So I have two. My name is Erika Grossman. I'm a former paraprofessional and a currently substitute teacher at RUSSD. I'd like to speak on commemorative dates and monthly observances. I strongly support the resolution for RUSSD to continue honoring Pride Month on its official platform as it has in previous years. Pride is about existence. It represents people's lives. Janet seems to believe Pride has a sexual connotation. I don't know how you got that idea, but I do know that some people mistakenly believe lesbians exist solely for sexual consumption. It's quite sickening. But because such misconceptions fuel harmful attacks on LGBTQ+, it is especially crucial to honor Pride Month. I witnessed a huge applause for Patty and Melissa at the graduation when a high school graduate expressed appreciation for them. Our students know what you've been doing. They know that you're sitting there not for them, but to push your own ideological agenda. And those graduates will be voters in the next election. Okay, next. I'd like to speak on resolution regarding racism. Teaching accurate history is not about assigning blame. Recognized oppression does not create division. You should not use transparency as a tool to block discussions of racism and inequality. My child has experienced racism. I have experienced myself from both students and staff. It is astounding that you would present this resolution so shamelessly, especially after so many reports of racial discrimination in our schools. And those reports barely scratched the surface. Racism is not just overt discrimination. It manifests in countless microaggressions, repeated daily, shaping our students' lives. You should have witnessed the vile comments and jokes about the black mermaid in classrooms when the movie came out. Our students live through these realities every day because children absorb hateful ideologies at home, carry them into the classroom, and harm their peers. Shame on you.

Okay, next up we have Jordan Santana, followed by Kevin Anthony.

Welcome, Jordan.

Hello, my name is Jordan Santana, Trustee Area 3. I'm a Redlands High School alumni. I previously was the president of our RHS BSU. And I strongly urge everyone to vote no on the promoting anti-racism resolution. Growing up in a predominantly white school, I never felt like I truly belonged. Feeling like an outsider at your own school sucks. It wasn't until I became involved in my school's black student union, which has been around since my grandfather went to RHS in 1959 and was only one of the few black students on campus, did I start to feel welcomed. When we allow people to chop up our history and make it digestible for others to learn about, we then understand not all stories need to be told. That, yes, we can hide our country's ugly truth if it makes others feel better. When we do not learn our history, we are doomed to repeat it. With that being said, we must follow, yes, on the eradicating racism resolution. Instead of running away from the problem, we must understand it to get through it. Our current curriculum is not dividing us, but with the help of our BSUs is teaching us to look at racism historically, accurately, and to look at how these outcomes still have effect today. We are not taught to hate one another, but to band together to defeat the system that holds us all down. Our cultural clubs like BSU are far from divisive and promote celebrations. Thank you.

So that's what I was talking about, the disruption, the snapping fingers, because it makes it so I can't even hear the speaker. So please don't do that anymore. Welcome, Kevin.

My name is Kevin Anthony. I'm a member of the Village SBC, speaking on behalf of my lead pastor, Bishop Dr. Jackie L. Green. To the Redlands Superintendent and the Redlands School Board, greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, we are faced with the issue of an eradicating racism resolution that our children and generations to come will be impacted by. It is time to move our school district forward with bold leadership that will launch progress in Redlands. As a citizen of Redlands since 1983 and raising four children in the Redlands City School District and pastoring the Second Baptist Church for 36 years, my husband, Pastor Emeritus Anthony Green, and I can truly say it has been a slow and isolating and racist experience for my children and grandchildren in the Redlands School District for the past 30 years. I am not in favor of promoting this anti-racism resolution that prevents students from learning the truth about discrimination in our district and instead teaching them the beauty of cultures and learning to live together, which will create healthy learning in our city. We continue to pray for the school district balance that is needed to move Redlands forward and not backward in their thinking, eliminating systemic racism models. Concerned and committed to healthy schools, signed Bishop Dr. Jackie L. Green, lead pastor of the Village SPC Redlands, California. Thank you.

Next, we have Alyce Closer, followed by Kaia Anthony.

Welcome, Alyce.

Thank you. Good evening. My name is Dr. Elise Clouser. I represent many groups of parents and students that could not be here today as it is the summer. I sit on the Board of National Black Grads, State Board for Black Student Unions. I serve as Vice President of the Redlands District African American Parent Advisory Committee and attend the Village SBC Church here in Redlands. My daughter, six nephews, and nieces are all graduates of RUSD, and my youngest is going into her senior year at Redlands East Valley. I'm here tonight to urge you to vote no on the promoting anti-racism resolution. I know the title sounds like something we'd all like to support, but when you look closely, you see the truth. This resolution would silence student identities and history, deny the realities of racism, and block students from learning the full story of our beautiful but complex country. The resolution would dismantle student groups like black student unions, Mechas, Pacific Islander, and Asian student unions, other clubs and curriculums like ethnic studies classes, which are safe spaces that provide honest and affirming spaces and help our students feel proud of who they are, understand who others were and are, as well as support them and who they're becoming. Board members, if you stand with students, families, and truth, and I hope that you all do, you will vote no on this resolution. And if you don't, if you choose to stand in the way, then we will organize. We will show up and we will replace you because our children's futures are on the line and we all deserve better.

Hello, my name is Kaya Anthony, and I'm the president of BSU at Redlands East Valley High School, and I'm here to speak on behalf of my whole BSU club, speaking on the anti-racism resolution. BSU has been my safe place, a place where I can be myself among others who share my identity and experiences. Clubs like BSU, ASU, and METCHA are more than extracurriculars. They are vital spaces where students of color feel, seen, heard, and value. These clubs teach us about diversity, allow us to share our cultures, and help build bridges of understandings within the students and staff. Removing or restricting spaces doesn't just harm those of us involved, it sends a message that our identities and histories don't belong in our schools. History is something that we use to learn about the mistakes of the past and to not make those same mistakes in the future. However, in this moment, with the possibility of getting rid of cultural clubs, we seem to be repeating history. You are taking away our right to express ourselves and overall are only supporting the silence of races. That's damaging for all students. Rather than dismantling these clubs, which will happen if the promoting anti-racism resolution is passed, we should be investing in them. They guide us, empower us, and prepare us for a diverse and connected world. Our education should reflect the richness of all backgrounds and schools should be a place where students can learn, grow, and thrive together. Thank you.

Next up we have Elizabeth Green, followed by Joshua Hall.

Welcome, Elizabeth.

Thank you. I represent Area 4. The resolution before you promoting anti-racism, equal opportunity, and unity in education is framed in the language of inclusion. However, beneath the surface, it represents a disturbing shift away from honest and courageous education and moves toward one that prioritizes comfort over truth. This proposal's rejection of any curriculum that might cause discomfort, assign collective guilt, or highlight racial divisions echoes the earliest actions taken by authoritarian regimes like the Nazi Germany Party in 1930s.

German authorities reshaped education by eliminating materials that divided the nation, framing history around a single idea of unity and pride.

What followed was a historical erasure, racial supremacy, as well as a broken and a loss of silencing voices that dared to challenge the dominant narrative. Just like Project 2025, we now see how this resolution aligns with dismantling diversity programs, erasing terms like systemic racism from classrooms, and restoring a sanitized revisionist version of history. James Baldwin once warned us, not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it's faced. If we cannot face our full history, both the pain and the promise, we cannot expect our children to become thoughtful, informed, changed agents. The idea that teaching honest racial history is inherently divisive is not just misleading, it's dangerous. We can't get through unity through erasure. We must achieve it through empathy, truth, and shared work of confronting injustice together.

Welcome, Joshua.

Can I talk about 21A and B? Because I have a card for both. I only have one card. Okay. It's the orange card for the first one, then. I'd like to talk about the Task Force to End Racism. It's mainly focused through the lens of white supremacy, and white supremacy hasn't been a problem since the 1960s, so we should... We should stop talking about white supremacy and instead focus on the real racism that's happening in Los Angeles right now. Mexican nationals as well as nationals from other South American countries like Venezuela and Colombia. Yes, are we? Not on the agenda, Joshua. It's not a sign of racial conquest and dominance. No, that's not on the agenda.

I'm sorry. That's not on our agenda. I'm sorry.

Next up, we have Jen and Elias, followed by Chris Clotis.

Welcome, Jen.

I'm short. I'm going to have to move this down. Hi, good evening. This is in reference to discussion item 21B2. Creating a resolution on equity and anti-racism is most effective when it includes input from a broad committee of educators, parents, and ideally students. Involving these key stakeholders ensures that the resolution reflects the real experiences and values of the entire school community. This is important because these are the people who are most impacted by our school policies and culture, teachers, students, and parents. This collaborative approach, which was taken before in 2020, promotes transparency, builds trust, and ensures that multiple perspectives are represented, making the resolution more inclusive, relevant, and grounded in real experiences. When school community voices are heard, the district can craft a thoughtful, balanced resolution that supports all students while still respecting the unique perspectives of families and educators. I do not believe this current draft adequately represents our school community. It does not align with what Board President Rundler said about the board caring about all students and their education, safety, and well-being. Please reject this version. Look at it again. See what we can do better. Thank you.

Welcome, Chris.

I have two blue cards submitted.

Yes.

Thank you. My name is Chris Sklodis. I am a resident of Redlands, a retired public school teacher, and grandfather to five RUSD students. Part of today's agenda is to discuss the RUSD LCAP, and it is my fear that the school board, as currently configured, is losing sight of the first goal of the LCAP and is ignoring the students who will directly benefit from successful application of goal number one. Goal number one is intended to foster a sense of connectedness for at-risk and marginalized students. We want these students to know that we value them every bit as much as we value our high-achieving, able-bodied, non-minority students. And yet you are actively trying to dismiss LBG students via flag banning and students whose political perspectives are contrary to your own. via your attempted suppression of divisive speech. You need to recognize that diversity is strength, and a lively exchange of competing ideas is the lifeblood of any academic environment. There is a resolution regarding racism currently under consideration. It is intended to replace a four-year-old resolution written by RUSD students. Spoiler alert, the students who wrote that resolution got it right. It acknowledges the progress we have made since 1860 and acknowledges that the journey is not over. The fight against racism is not one and done. There are those who claim that the existing resolution is intended to make guiltless people feel guilty. That claim is, at the very least, disingenuous and is, at worst, intended to water down the existing resolution so much that it will now be okay to ignore racism with the excuse that if I am not directly responsible for it, then I have no obligation to speak out against it. The existing resolution is not intended to make guiltless people feel guilty. It is intended to make guiltless people feel resolute. It is intended to create a social conscience in our schools and, therefore, in our students. Because a student with a social conscience becomes a citizen with a social conscience. And that is the very definition of a good citizen. Thank you. Thank you, Chair.

Next up, we have Hannah Edmondson, followed by Michael Paisner. I have two cards?

Yes.

Okay. I'd like to thank the board for the proposed resolution regarding commemorative dates and monthly observations. Gosh, I'm having trouble reading. The list is broad and inclusive and represents a thoughtful balance of culture and academics. I especially appreciate the recognition of Ed Roberts, a name that prompted me to do a little research. Ed Roberts was born in 1939 and contracted polio at the age of 14. He was paralyzed from the neck down, used a wheelchair, and relied on an iron lung. In 1962, he became the first student with severe disabilities to attend UC Berkeley. He fought for the right of people with disabilities to live independently, not in institutions, and he helped pave the way for today's advances in accessibility and inclusion. He's an inspiration to us all, a reminder that we can do hard things, and we can make life better for ourselves, and for others at the same time. These commemorative dates and monthly observances provide fertile ground for teaching and learning and sharing and help us build greater understanding of one another. Thank you. Thank you, Herman. Oh, yeah, one more. Sorry. Part two. First, I'd like, again, to thank the board for bringing forward these resolutions regarding racism. As a teacher, I know this work is necessary. We see every day that telling kids to be kind isn't enough. Even our youngest students are picking up slurs and using them as intended. If you Google Redlands Unified, an article about racism in our district shows up on the first page. This is real. Our kids are watching. When I first read these proposals, I was encouraged. Seeing the word anti-racism was fantastic. It signals action, not just intention. But as I read further, I noticed nearly a dozen coded phrases. Language that's being used across the country to make teachers second-guess themselves, to limit honest discussions, and to chill important lessons. What happens when a teacher wants to share the story of Ruby Bridges? but worries it might be seen as promoting guilt, victimhood, or privilege. Ruby Bridges is still alive. What happens when parents' rights override professional judgment and district standards? It means history gets censored. A colleague of mine recently said, I think this might be my last year teaching black history, That's heartbreaking, and it's not where we should be going. Anti-racism should support teachers, not silence them. It should empower us to teach truthfully and fully for all students. Thank you, Hannah.

Welcome, Michael.

I should have four cards?

Yes. Yes.

Michael Paisner. First one is LCAP. Goal one of the LCAP is to provide a positive learning environment by creating safe, more inclusive schools. And within that goal, you have lots of metrics. But what I don't see is a metric that captures the behavior of the school board with respect to safety and inclusivity. Specifically, I'm thinking of Ms. Olson labeling the LGBTQ community a cult and bullying a child for participating in an athletic event. I'm thinking of Ms. Wilson denying gay people have a right to marriage and saying that people of a particular religion are a threat to her existence. I'm thinking of this board passing a resolution that discourages trans and non-binary students from participating in sports. I'm thinking of three members of this board considering a policy intended to limit the display of pride flags. How is the discriminatory behavior of this board, which has been directly in opposition to creating a safe and inclusive school, get reflected in these LCAP metrics? Obviously, they don't. So you can give yourselves whatever score you want on this goal, but we all know our schools are less inclusive due to the actions of this board. And Ms. Rendler, you have it in your power to censure Ms. Olson and Ms. Wilson when they behave contrary to an LCAP goal. and the fact that you have failed to do so puts you on the hook as well. Please correct this and do better. Look at what they're doing with regard to safety and inclusivity. Next, the budget. There are two items that caught my attention in this budget. The first is our diminishing reserves. In the current school year, the total reserve is estimated at $111 million. However, for next year, the total reserve is budgeted to be $91 million. Reserves decreasing by around $20 million, that is definitely cause for concern and something you should be talking about. Why is it happening and what are you going to do about it? But I have a related concern about the accuracy of the budget. Where in here are legal fees accounted for? I'm guessing it is buried in the 5,000 coded object codes, but that can't be right because that category is projected to decrease next year. Please don't tell me that you took a simple scaled approach where that category is simply projected as a percentage of the total budget. A shrinking budget does not mean shrinking legal fees. Since Ms. Wilson and Ms. Olson have joined, The behavior of this board has become reckless from a legal perspective. The culture war policies you've copied from Chino and Temecula cause those districts' legal fees to skyrocket. The budget must reflect your recent reckless behavior that will absolutely result in increased legal fees for our district. Thank you. Next, holidays and social media. Our holidays are our stories. Some holidays are days to remember what we've lost, others celebrate achievements, remember our history, or simply reflect and renew ourselves. Each holiday tells a different story, and some holidays give a particular group an opportunity to share their story. If a holiday is important to you or your community, great, enjoy it. If a holiday isn't part of your culture, then even better, because the holidays from other cultures are an opportunity for us to connect and learn from each other. If you take the time to listen to a story from another community, you know what happens? You reduce divisiveness. Listening to each other reduces divisiveness. You know what increases divisiveness? Attempting to silence other people and their stories. If you want to know why visibility is so important to the LGBTQ community, you have to listen to the stories of how their existence was criminalized and visibility denied to them. If you think the pride flag is about sex, then you haven't taken the time to listen to the story about why Pride is celebrated in June. And after you have listened to someone's story, you always have the option of scrolling to the next item in your social media feed if you decide it isn't for you. We should listen to and celebrate as many stories as possible because that is what will reduce divisiveness and start to bring our community together. Thank you. The racism resolutions. It's important to note that the current eradicating racism resolution was drafted back in 2020 by a committee that included staff, board trustees, community members, and students. It went through an extensive review and editing process before it was passed by all board members present at that time, including you, Ms. Rendler. If I can remind you of your words at that time, the resolution acknowledges the importance of racial equality and brings awareness to social justice and concerns about racism. Your words. Some crucial aspects of the current version is that it calls out racism as a public health crisis, gives a brief and concise history of the most egregious examples of racism in our country's history, and it calls on us to do better. Contrast that with a watered-down alternative that not only dismisses the efforts of our community who wrote the original resolution but fails to truly call out racism as a current issue, It fails to cite specific examples and focuses on avoiding anyone feeling guilty for discrimination rather than actually combating racism. While no one here needs to feel guilty on an individual basis for our country's sins before any of us were even born, as a country we have to acknowledge racism is both a current problem, as demonstrated by issues brought to your attention at recent board meetings, and it's part of our history, even referenced in our Constitution. We will never do better if we aren't honest with ourselves about where we are and how we got here. Thank you.

Thank you, Michael.

Next up we have Valerie Zavis, followed by Douglas Hauser.

Welcome, Valerie.

Hi. So my comment is on the calendar and the dates. While it is important to honor history, culture, and important causes, an overabundance of special dates can overwhelm the core mission of school, which is education. You could find something every day to commemorate, turning the classrooms into spaces of constant distraction. The school website should emphasize academic-related topics and focus on neutrality. The only way to be fully inclusive is to remain neutral on religious and ideological issues. Lessons in math, science, history, the skills that shape a child's future, is what the focus should be. So why not add World Population Day, World Chest Day, World Hepatitis Day, And today is National Frosted Cookie Day, so how come that's not added to your list? Because it's ridiculous. Maybe if the focus is more on educating the children, rather than filling their day with all this other nonsense, our test scores will improve. Thank you.

Thank you, Valerie.

Thank you for focusing on education, ma'am.

Welcome, Douglas. Thank you. Welcome, Douglas.

Hi, Douglas Hauser. It seems like it's deja vu all over again. I'm talking about the commemorative dates and monthly observances, and I think what the previous speaker said is very true. There are so many. What is going to happen is there's going to have to be some kind of selection. Some people are going to be included. Some people are going to be excluded. And that is, once again, going to cause the same problems that we were talking about with the previous flag issue. I have no doubt that this is well-intentioned, that it's an attempt to be inclusive. That's all fine. But the board's job and the school's job and the teacher's job and the reason we pay taxes for this is to educate these kids, not to indoctrinate them, not to teach them about foreign cultures. It is to teach them the basics. English, reading, writing, math, science, history, geography, civics. There's plenty to fill out there. There's plenty to fill out the school day. I have no doubt that several of these students, if I were to give them a basic knowledge, skills, test that we were all required to pass when we were in high school, they would fail miserably. And we all know that's true because too much energy is going to these other things. My own personal experience, I grew up in a neighborhood that was about two-thirds Catholic, about one-third African American, and a small sliver that I was in, the Jewish population in there. Somehow we all got along. We learned the facts of history. Thank you, Douglas.

Next up, we have Sandy Strumreiter, followed by Aya F. Sandy left. Aya?

Welcome, Aya.

Testing. Okay, okay. So, I'd like to inform you that this country was founded off of the genocide of its indigenous population and the enslavement of an African diaspora, ravaging through all the existing cultures in order to make way for what was justified as the supposedly superior white race and white nation-state. The material inequalities from that era persist till today. Look all around you. Here in what you call Redlands, you will see suburbs upon suburbs, a relic of the redlining policies from the Jim Crow era. Time and time again, we see that everywhere around us was founded upon the myth of a white race and its supposed racial superiority. And who else gets benefit from this but white people? White supremacy is a real issue, whether you like it or not, which you two probably do. So shame on you for disregarding and stepping on the corpses of those who told this lie for generations upon generations who are not as white as you. Shame on you for trying to attack our POC neighbors' stories and their real lived experiences of systemic racism, whether at the hands of police, ICE, what have you. You cannot opt out of the material advantages of your whiteness in the same way I cannot opt out of the politicized nature of my identity as a Filipino trans woman. Candy and Jeanette, you two are absolutely shameless. Michelle, shame on you as well for even entertaining their ridiculous notions.

Thank you all.

Next up we have Dale Broom followed by Pablo Hernandez.

Welcome, Dale.

Hi. School board trustees, I just want to verify I have two blue cards. Okay. So first I'd like to go ahead and start talking about the commemorative dates resolution that was put forward. Just to let you know, there are 170 different dates, weeks, months that are being celebrated in this thing. And, you know, I think the important thing is it's way too much because what happens is when you have so many different months and days and weeks, that you're celebrating, it diminishes the significant ones. So I think what's really significant to do is to make sure that we honor the special federal holidays, state holidays, and those type of things. Those should be the priorities. And, of course, academic calendar is when school starts and when it ends and things like that. But beyond that, you know, if you take a look at it, there are three dates that are addressed for Asians. We have two for Hispanics, five for blacks, and three for Native Americans. And the result, there's none for whites. Now, the other thing is, I'm just saying, if we're going to be doing equal time. See, this is the issue, is you start showing favoritism to one, then you don't show favoritism to others. And then that becomes a racial conflicting issue. It's better to keep it neutral, as was mentioned earlier, and not be pushing one particular group over the other. And the other thing is we also should focus on the holidays, the regular holidays that are accepted for the federal and the state government. So that's what I would recommend. Thanks. So the second one. Okay, so the second one I wanted to address was the anti-racism resolutions. One of them is really quite long, and that one I think has a number of problems with that particular resolution. And that is, number one, it has some false statements in there. First of all, there's a statement in there that says racism is a public health problem or a crisis. I've been a doctor for 40 years. I've never seen anybody come in the emergency room with systemic racism symptoms. That is a fictitious issue. It is not a real issue. The other thing is it also... I'm being interrupted? Okay. It also, I think, mentions things like white supremacy. So what happens is you're tagging one race against another. We need to keep it very neutral. Also, I wanted to bring up another issue, which is, you know, when Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, he did not say... that all men are created unequal. And we need to establish equity inclusion programs to make sure that everybody rises to the same level. No, he said all men are created equal. That is the foundation of our Declaration of Independence and the nation that we live in. So what we need to emphasize is equality, not equity. Equity means, and it's even one of the statements that's in the first resolution, is equal outcomes. That's what equity is all about. You cannot guarantee equal outcomes. We have to give everybody an equal opportunity to get a good education. Thank you.

Thank you, Gail. Welcome, Pablo.

Yeah, good evening. My name is Pablo.

Yes, I want to talk about the racial division, teaching our kids about racism and all this other stuff, like Duck House and my other... Conservatives be talking about it. We should be concentrating on teaching our kids about their ABC, not the AOC, okay? We need to, for them to learn how to read, write, stuff like that. It's more important. I'm a grandfather, okay? I'm from Cuba. I had to come over here and learn. Yeah, I'm a minority. I am white, Cuban, proud, okay? I'm not that. When I came over here to this country, what I learned from the, this is from the communista demoratas, okay? That's what they are. They're communist Democrats, okay? They divide us. They say, oh, you're a minority. You're a victim. No, I'm not a minority. I'm a victim. I'm Cuban. And I have black, white, Hispanic, everything on me. And I came over here. These people, these Democrats start to divide us, okay?

And that I don't appreciate.

Thank you, Pablo. Next up, we have Greg Britton, followed by Valerie Tabor.

Welcome, Greg. Thank you. We have four cards? Yes, sir. Okay. First up, local accountability plan. Wouldn't it be great if we actually had local control over our schools, maybe someday? I was looking through that, and a couple of things stood out to me. One is, I didn't see any urgency or even any mention that only 37% of Redland students are proficient in math, and only 50% are proficient in English. It would seem to me that that would be, we got a big problem here. That is completely and totally unacceptable outcomes of education, and we need to do things differently to improve that. You know, we're doing this, we have this program, this plan, and blah, blah, blah, blah, bureaucratic blah, blah, rather than actually trying to focus on how we're going to do better by all of these students. Because that's the foundation of them having a better life, of getting this educational background, and it's the foundation of having good citizens who can keep the republic. Remember Ben Franklin? It's a republic if you can keep it. And that foundation begins here in the schools. And transmitting our history, our culture, it's essential for any country. So I think a whole different focus is needed in that plan. The only one that talks about it, but the discipline, that always interests me. And I look through these cases, and there are a number of cases of causing serious bodily harm. And those students are going to get one semester off in the fall term, and they're going to be back. Why should their victims, their parents, other students, think that those students are now going to be rehabilitated and not offend again? Those sound like criminal offenses to me. They should have been referred for criminal prosecution if you're causing somebody serious bodily harm. But now we'll just give you a semester off of school. And it's all obtuse. We don't know really what they did. We don't know their record. Was this the first offense? Was this their fifth offense? Was this their tenth offense? It's all obscure. So the public, other students, parents of students, staff, they may be injured. I don't know. We don't know what any of the facts are in any of these cases. cannot have confidence that they're going to be safe. That's the real meaning of safe. Not safe if you don't hear other ideas. Not safe if somebody uses a different pronoun. Safe means no one's going to beat you up when you go to school. That's real safety, and that's one of your primary duties. Look at this calendar of stuff of all these memorial days. When you have so many items, they lose value. Anything of significance loses value. It's like printing too much money. The value of every dollar goes down. You should focus on things that are really, really important. You should also get rid of all of the identity group recognition. And I will commend to you Morgan Freeman's interview with Mike Wallace. If you haven't seen it, Google that. It'll come up. And Morgan Freeman says, Black History Month is ridiculous. We have American history, and my story is part of American history. And Mike Wallace asks him, well, how are we going to get rid of racism? And Morgan Freeman says, we're going to stop talking about it. I'm not going to call you a white man, and I would ask that you not call me a black man. I know you as Mike Wallace, and you know me as Morgan Freeman. We treat people as individuals, not as members of identity groups. And to the extent that people are, there is rising racial hostility, a large part of it is due to the fact there is so much emphasis on what identity group you belong to, instead of saying our identity group is American and our colors are red, white, and blue. Racism. The existing resolution is fiddly disguise, critical race theory, systemic racism. It is the 180 degree opposite of Martin Luther King's dream of judging people on their character, not based on the color of their skin. CRT. systemic racism, all of these things judge people based on the color of their skin, and that is both morally wrong, and it's practically wrong. It's a really lousy way of choosing a friend, choosing an employee, choosing anybody that you're in any kind of relationship with. And I wonder how many people that are opposing that have actually read any of the words of Candy's resolution. Whether by, I presume it's hers, I don't know. Whosoever it is, have they read it.

Greg, please talk to us up here, please.

Whosoever it is, have they read it. Students should be judged on their character, effort, personal achievement, not based on identity factors beyond their control. That is exactly what Martin Luther King's dream said, and that's the policy that the district should pursue, not dividing people up on racial and ethnic groups. Thank you. Thank you, Greg.

Next up, Valerie Tabor.

Welcome, Valerie. Thank you. I am a parent and a resident of Area 5. We cannot discuss addressing racism in our community without discussing the impact of colonialism, imperialism, and white supremacy that our country was built on. There are systemic generational impacts from colonialism and all of these things that have created an environment that disadvantages people of color, particularly black and indigenous people. Overcoming racism in our community requires acknowledging and addressing these harms that still impact our community and our students today. You can't do that if you refuse to name the actual problem, which is that our country has systematically and systemically put white people at an advantage and people of color at a disadvantage. The way that slavery, redlining, segregation, and nepotism has denied certain members of our community opportunities for generations due to the color of their skin and allowed for others to benefit from generational consolidation of social power and capital also based on the color of their skin in ways that still affect our community. You can't have true equal opportunity and unity without equity, Candy. And you can't address racism without discussing oppression and privilege based on race. I stand with the other community members here and urge you to scrap this trash resolution promoting anti-racism, equal opportunity, and unity in education. I have a second card. I'm also here to urge you to pass the resolution on commemorative dates and monthly observances. We have had at least three years precedence of acknowledging Pride Month on social media and perhaps longer on the district website, but there's not any cumulative history to access on that. Why are you breaking with this now? I mean, we know, we know why you're doing it, but can you all explain it in a way that isn't full of homophobia and transphobia? I don't think you can. From my recollection, all of these holidays and celebrations are acknowledged and listed by the CDE, not an arbitrary day like sugar cookie day or whatever that lady said. And we also have precedence of acknowledging them in our district. This should make them perfectly acceptable for acknowledgement by our district going forward, including Pride Month in June and LGBTQ History Month in October, because we know this is the real issues that you have a problem with, these two celebrations. Although apparently other members have other issues with cultural observances. Acknowledging these various holidays and celebrations creates a sense of belonging, which your own diversity, equity, and inclusivity director, Nashae Thompson, stated in her presentation just a few meetings ago, is vital to academic success. I thought that's what y'all were all about. Thanks.

Next up we have Rue Whitmore followed by Catherine Appleby. Welcome, Rue.

Do I have two cards?

Yes, but I really take exception to your email addresses.

What did I put down? Can you tell me?

No, we're not going to be swearing here. Oh, I didn't know I swore on them.

They're just email addresses. I don't know. So anyway, here's my first one. I am so tired of coming up here and saying pride isn't about sex or the observances and these things are not about this. And you would know that because the city of Redlands literally put on a human relations campaign. committee where a bunch of queer people from Redlands sat and talked about what Pride means and how the queer community is doing in Redlands, but literally none of you would bother to show up. None of you. So, you don't care. You don't care to know. And we know that this is all homophobic. Right? There are no other things that people are pushing back on. Cultural observances are important. Inclusivity and a sense of belonging is one of the number one reasons why children succeed or fail in schools. We have seen repeatedly over and over that the children who belong the least do the poorest in school. And also, I, first of all, I can't believe I'm saying this. I, temperature check, I don't. I almost agree with some of them folk in the back talking about we should be focused on school. But Candy can't seem to do that. You guys have three goals you are supposed to be focused on. Do you know what they are? Do you remember them? Because it's all culture war stuff. So I believe that doing observances as they have been observed will increase children's sense of belonging as opposed to anything else that you guys just consistently fail at. I'm ready for my next card. And I know we're supposed to be speaking with respect, but quite frankly, it is all due respect, which is very little. So when we're coming to our racist policy that we got told was candies, I also would like to say that there is no input. We don't know who authored the document. It was definitely not somebody in our district who goes to our schools who has children in our areas. It was probably some little brainchild meeting with Sonia. We all know it. And if you could, again, actually use the document that was made with students, with teachers, with educators, with our community members involved, you'd probably actually do better. And again, would have more time to focus on your three goals that you are supposed to be dealing with. But no, consistently, a culture war topic gets brought up by one of these Hold on, let me find it. I'm finding it. It does. These agitators who will never listen to our actual community. We have stood up here and talked and talked and talked at length. We have FOIA'd the emails. We have FOIA'd everything. You do not listen. Candy, you represent me. And I have to say, you have never listened to a word I said. Ever. You are all embarrassing. Thank you, Ru. Thank you.

Welcome, Catherine. Good evening. Clerk Wilson, I have three cards, correct? Yes. Awesome. First is on agenda item 12D. To say that I am excited for this partnership between RUSD and Leading for Student Success, well, that would be an understatement. Beyond excited, I am joyful and hopeful about this opportunity. Over the past six months, we have all had the experience of witnessing this school board abdicate their call to focus on student success. I hope that through this engagement, you grow your understanding of student-centered board governance and recommit to actions with measurable outcomes on student success. I am looking forward to your individual board reports and superintendent comments, as I am sure that you will share how these leadership development services have increased and or improved your student-centered board governance. May the six months after this partnership be a world of difference from the last six months. Moving on to 21A. I support this resolution. It succinctly summarizes what RUSD and the school board have done in the past and reaffirms our commitment to highlighting commemorative dates and observances that matter to our students and community, whether that is a handful or a majority. I urge the board to pass this resolution as we can always learn more about others. Other community members have brilliantly stated why you should pass this and I urge you to listen to them. 21B. Two resolutions, both alike in words, but very different in intent. However, 21B1 is the only resolution that sets the district up to support the 2025-2026 LCAP Goal 1, specifically 1.1's description on pages 108 through 111 of the Local Control and Accountability Plan. Yes, I read the entire thing. Furthermore, the resolution to remain committed to changing our system, eradicating racism, and standing to create more equitable and inclusive schools for all children, families, and staff members of the Redlands Unified School District continues the work that was started in 2020 by a coalition that was representative of RUSD, while the resolution promoting anti-racism, equal opportunity, and unity in education does not build upon that work. In fact, It doesn't even mention RUSD in its name. I want us to move forward, and the only resolution that will do that is 21B1. Thank you, Catherine.

Next up we have Matt Appleby, followed by Peter Hall.

Mr. Wilson, I have two. Is that accurate? I only have one card.

Welcome, Matt.

You said you only have one?

One card.

What is it for, then? I should have two, but if one of them got lost, somehow I'll speak to the one.

It says 21B1 and 2. So is that the resolution?

So yeah, I submitted one for A, but I don't know what happened. That's all right. So I'll go ahead and hit my timer. So out of these two policies, like many people have said, there's one that's clearly moving us forward and one that's just seeking to deny a lot of issues. My biggest thing that I like about Policy 1, or Resolution 1, is that it, as people have mentioned, invites the community to come in to learn together about a wide variety of cultures, a wide variety of struggles, and work together to create a more inclusive system for our students. On the flip side, Resolution 2 really only seeks to put up the community as kind of watchdogs, right? It says that they're going to keep an eye on what is being taught in schools because that needs to be shared with parents. I feel like one is clearly better here. Another thing I like about it is that the first policy, Policy 1, is great in that it acknowledges the skills of our history teachers, while the second policy goes and calls into mind and calls into question their ability to actually do their job by saying that they're going to be planting sowers of guilt. They're going to be sowers of guilt and division. I also like that Policy 1 is very factual. It mentions specific times where our country has had struggles with racism, and it treats it honestly. The other policy instead discounts all of that. It seeks to sanitize history, which is not ever going to be good for any of us. In the end, policy one admits the issue of systematic racism and seeks as a community and as a school district to kind of seek resolution, while the second one just ignores the issue.

Thank you. Matt. Matt. Thank you, Matt. Oh, did you find this card? Matt. I found your other card. Welcome back.

Hey, thanks. So this one, I'll keep it real short. Honestly, I love this because it includes everybody, right? And while we've talked a little bit, some community members are worried that it's going to take away from classroom time. The actual resolution specifically mentions this being used on the district website and on the district social media. So really, there may be very little impact on classroom time, but I can guarantee every Jewish person, LGBTQ person, black person, Hispanic person, and any indigenous person, all of these, will see it when it is featured on the website, when it is featured on social media, and it'll mean the world to them because their stories are being told. They are being included in a way that if we don't celebrate everybody, they won't. And how important is that? And as people have mentioned, it does really make an impact on those students' academic performance. Students who do feel safe, who do feel welcomed and celebrated at school, do better. So if we're really worried about student academic success, we should go ahead and promote this policy. Thank you.

Next up is Peter Hall, followed by Joette Borman.

So a bunch has been said about the resolution to end racism, and it seems like everybody hates it. One side hates it because they think it's not doing enough to stop racism. The other side hates it because all it does is draw focus to race, and that causes its own problems. So I grew up in the 90s when... We had peak diversity back then and so everybody got along. Skin color was only briefly focused on and then people forgot about it and just treated everybody normally. Now everybody's going around demanding recognition just because they're this or that, they're whatever. You don't deserve special recognition just because you have a certain type of skin color or you identify a certain way or whatever. So I see a lot of narcissism in this room, actually. A lot of narcissism. And it's disgusting.

Thank you.

Welcome. I'm sorry, what's your name? My name is Joette Orman. Joette, nice to have you. Hello, thank you. Okay.

I really don't want to be here right now. I don't want to be speaking, but I'm here because I feel like it's important. I am a product of Redlands School System. I went to Valley Prep, I went to Sacred Heart, I went to COPE, and I graduated from Redlands High School. I just recently graduated from the University of Redlands with my Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. That's part of why I'm here to speak. What we're doing here is damaging children in a way that is irrevocable. Passing a bill that others is an invitation for children not to thrive. Children cannot learn in an environment where they do not feel safe. My daughter will be starting in Kimberley next year. This is incredibly important to me because it starts early. And what they learn when it comes to being included is of utmost importance. And I will be here every time that I need to be as much as I hate doing it because it matters. Thank you for your time. Thank you too.

Next up we have Brian Kuntz followed by Bea.

Okay, just to confirm, I have two cards, correct? Welcome, Brian. Okay. I am Brian Kuntz from Trustee Area 1, and I am speaking on Agenda Item 21A, Proposed Resolution Regarding Commemorative Dates and Monthly Observances. There is no reason whatsoever to remove commemorative dates and monthly observances from our calendar, so there is no reason to change the calendar. Let's talk about the two months targeted by this board, Black History Month and Pride Month. Black History Month is a wholly necessary observance as our district still sees problems regarding racism and derogatory comments in our district. The prevalence of racial slurs and derogatory comments are commonplace at elementary, middle, and high schools. Only through education and correction can we fix these damaging problems. And Black History Month does just that by dedicating a month to education, outreach, and help. It is therefore not only truly helpful for our students, it is necessary. The same holds true for Pride Month. The vast majority of queer and trans youth at our schools were on the receiving end of slurs, homophobia, and harassment. Queer and trans youth are our district's most valuable and vulnerable, and it is vital we protect them. The school board affirming Pride Month shows queer and trans youth that they are valued as human beings and drastically reduces the threats of suicide, self-harm, and internalized homophobia. Protect kids and protect our calendar. As an extremely high achieving student, keep the calendar. Moving on to my second part. The second one is on resolutions regarding racism. 21B resolutions regarding racism, yes. First off, I would like to support the first resolution as it actually addresses root causes in systemic racism. A few statistics for everyone. RHS is a very virtually diverse school made up of about 41% Hispanic, 24% white, 14% Asian, and 5% black. However, in honors and AP classes, the racial makeup is strikingly different. 38% Asian, 31% white, 25% Hispanic, and 4% black. That means Hispanic and black students are about 40% less likely than white and Asian students to be enrolled in honor classes. This is just a sign of the entrenched racism still present in our schools and it still needs addressing. Thank you for the authors of the first resolution for trying to solve these problems. Moving on to the second proposed resolution. Candy's resolution does not address these problems and only introduces more. Florida's education system allies heavily with these misguided beliefs. So let's take a look at what Florida teaches. One, slavery benefited, slaves benefited from slavery. Two, the Civil War was not caused by southern states wanting to keep slavery. And three, that the Civil Rights Movement solved racism once and for all. These are all lies meant to indoctrinate our students into believing what our country is perfect and that the students, the future stewards of this country, do not need to address the problems still facing our country. Protect our students and our history. Protect our most vulnerable. Vote for the first resolution's helpful and uniting resolution that actually addresses root problems and not Candy's divisive, deceitful, and hateful one. Thank you.

Welcome, B.

Thank you.

I wanted to voice my support regarding the proposal to approve agreements with behavioral autism therapies and to provide autism spectrum intervention and training to students. If you've never had an autistic child, it is hard to understand the struggle it is to get adequate services. For two years, we worked with school administrators to get our child adequate support. And despite the fact that the school recognized our child's behavioral struggles, the district denied our request for an IEP two years in a row on the grounds that our child was performing above grade level. I remember one day in particular when the school principal who had just come back from vacation greeted me and asked how things were. Our child had just been suspended for three days. And with tears in my eyes and feeling tired and broken, I said to her, just make sure they get through the day. And then I broke down in tears. And that principal was here tonight, and because of her, our child is now receiving appropriate support services and is thriving. I don't want any family to go through what we went through. I want them to get services. I'm glad to see the school considering approving these policies and these services, and I hope that they will consider backing more policies like these that actually help students rather than ostracizing them. Thank you. My next part was actually asking for clarification about item 12N. It says approve reject claim number 653077 in accordance with government code 6 section 913. I looked up this government code. It's basically just a letter template for how to reject claim numbers. So I would be curious to know what this claim number is and if the board could please provide some clarification on this.

We wouldn't do that directly here, but we definitely can follow up.

Okay. Well, then I would ask if you could hold off voting on this until you can communicate that to the community.

Your question can be considered by the board at the time of vote, but as far as your question, I can definitely follow up with you after the meeting, or maybe somebody on my cabinet can follow up with you during the meeting. Okay.

I want to express my support for the proposal to commemorate monthly observances that celebrate people of color in the LGBTQ community. Honoring these communities allows them to feel seen and included. It encourages their social development and mental health. And even if students are not BIPOC or LGBTQ, these observances allow them to celebrate their families and friends openly, just like we celebrate our unions and our veterans with observances for them. And then you can start the clock for the next one. I do not support the policy that recommends we reject race-based divisiveness on the grounds that it assigns guilt, victimhood, or privilege based on race. Candy Olson, the person who proposed this policy, has been nothing but divisive. She has proposed several policies that newspapers on both sides have described as dividing our city. Recently, she made a comment on PragerU's Instagram page where she described her constituents who oppose her anti-queer policies as absurd and radical. I was one of the people to whom she was referring. This board member is not in any position to define for others what is and is not divisive. Even if she were qualified, there is no way to discuss racism or privilege without discussing division. By definition, racism and privilege divide communities. There are examples throughout history of people who were imprisoned based on race, refused services because of race, denied legal rights based on race, and subjected to genocide based on race. It is impossible to discuss history without discussing racial divisiveness. If you support this policy, you are silencing these discussions, and that is not education. That is state propaganda, and it has no place in this country. Thank you.

Next up, we have Lina Serhan, followed by Janessa.

Welcome, Lina.

Hello? OK, it works. Hello, my name is Lina Serhan, and I'm a student at Redlands High School. I'm here to comment on the Local Control and Accountability Plan, specifically the 2.3 related to enhancing school libraries to promote reading proficiency among English learners, foster youth, and low-income students. This section stresses the importance of libraries equipped with a wide range of materials, or as stated in the LCAP itself, well-resourced libraries. However, you cannot plan to invest in literacy and well-resourced libraries without planning to limit students' exposure to diverse authors, perspectives, and life experiences. When books that reflect the identities and struggles of students are removed or restricted, we are not promoting libraries, I mean literacy, we are restricting it. Maybe the book that gets banned is the one book that gets someone into reading. The idea of restricting books that students may relate to is especially harmful to the very students this policy claims to serve. English learners, foster youth, and low-income students, many of whom rely on school libraries as their only access to books and information. I urge the board to reconsider the contradiction of funding library support while censoring the content those libraries are allowed to carry.

Welcome, Janessa.

I live in Area 2, and I teach in Area 3, promoting anti-racism, equal opportunity, and unity in education. There is no point to even consider this resolution. We already have a policy that was collaborated on and agreed upon by our students, staff, and community members. Why should we throw away the hard work of our own stakeholders who know our community for a copy-paste piece of propaganda from another school district? The current policy isn't perfect. But it is a step in the right direction. Instead of considering this new resolution, we should work to strengthen our current policy. This resolution's title sounds good, but the resolution is a sheep, a wolf in sheep's clothing. It lays the groundwork for the teaching of revisionist history when true historical events make people feel uncomfortable. Being uncomfortable is a part of life. As I tell my students, you can do hard things. We know how far the board members will vote. Michelle, please, you can do hard things too. Vote against this resolution. It is not in the best interest of our students and our community. Thank you.

Next up we have Olani followed by Maya.

Welcome, Olani.

Hello.

OK. Good afternoon, President, Trustees, and Superintendent. Thank you for allowing me this time to speak. I'm here today to strongly oppose the resolution titled Promoting Anti-Racism, Equal Opportunity, and Unity in Education. On the surface, it reads as inclusive, but in reality, it undermines the very values that Redlands Unified has publicly committed to. RUSD has stated that it values equity, access, and inclusion. Your LCAP plan that we just highlighted and celebrated outlines goals around closing achievement gaps, addressing disproportionality in discipline, and ensuring culturally responsive practices. You've invested in equity task forces and community engagement efforts, but this resolution contradicts that very vision. It adopts a colorblind framework that minimizes the real racialized barriers many of our students, especially black and brown students, face every day here in Redlands. Colorblindness doesn't promote fairness. It protects the status quo. It says we're all the same while ignoring the data that tells us we're not being served the same. And Redlands African-American students are overrepresented in suspensions and underrepresented in AP and honors classes. Ignoring race does not fix that. It perpetuates it. RUSD wants to be seen as a leader in the Inland Empire, but currently we're only leading in inaction and ignorance, shown through the increasing racial issues highlighted on media outlets and those that are swept under the rug and not brought to these public spaces. Being an intentional leader means responsibility to lead with courage and clarity. This is why I'm urging the board to vote no on promoting anti-racism resolution and voting yes on eradicating racism. Thank you. Thank you.

Welcome, Maya.

Thank you. I'm a resident and I'm a parent. Two of my kids went through the doors of this district. And today I'm here to speak against the adoption of this resolution under the banner of promoting anti-racism, equal opportunity, and unity in education. The resolution appears to suggest that racism can be addressed by curating history, by selectively teaching students what to think or what not to think. That's a troubling premise was it seems to imply that students, teachers, or parents are the primary perpetrators of racism or discrimination. But in our own experience back in the day, the discrimination that we faced on grounds not limited to race alone came from the district leadership itself, the board and the superintendent. So if the goal is a genuine reckoning with discrimination, then any resolution must also hold accountable those in positions of power, not just those in the classroom. A truly honest assessment would begin with your own history. How many families that are here, maybe there are unapologized to them, that they can say that they prevailed in a civil rights discrimination hearing against this district. It was held in the very same room, and we did. It was against the same set of attorneys that represent you now, and I represented my children. So it's time you listen to the voices of those who actually experience racism, discrimination, and take into account before writing any resolution and passing on it. I strongly tell you, please do not vote. Vote no. Thank you. Thank you, Maya.

Next up, we have Daniel Tenejero, followed by Ayanna Balogun. Balogun.

Welcome, Daniel.

I'm just going to speak on 21B. I have two cars, but I'm just going to speak on 21B. Okay.

Okay. If speaking the truth and stating the facts makes you a racist, then I guess I am a racist. The reason why I say this is because if I'm going to get a job just because I'm Mexican or my daughter is going to graduate just because she's Mexican or her best friend who's black has a better chance than she does because she's black and supposedly black people are oppressed more than the Mexican is, what... I just don't know where that's going to take us. See, what happened to merit, you know? The way I'm teaching my children is that you got to get up, you got to go to school, you got to hit the books, you got to read, you got to do your math. Do that. That's what's going to take you further in life. Not just get standard, oh, yeah, I'm Mexican, I'm black, I'm going to get it. No. Just work on it. That's what you should do. All this nonsense, please stop it. It's hurting our children. We are indoctrinating our children into something that does not exist and they're not going to take them anywhere. What am I supposed to tell my oldest daughter? To hate her best friend because she's white? That my daughter has a better chance than she does? No. They both do the homework. They both go to school. They both play together. See, that's exactly what we need to do. We don't need all this nonsense in school and all of that. Thank you for your time.

Thank you, Daniel.

Ayanna? Oh, here you are. Welcome, Ayanna.

Thank you.

I believe I have two cards. Yes.

I'm ready. Good evening, members of the board, educators, parents, and fellow community members. My name is Dr. Ayanna Belligan, and I'm here tonight because I care deeply about the quality of education and the values we instill in our students, not just through textbooks, but through the experiences and stories we choose to highlight. I understand that there is a proposal to eliminate cultural event and heritage months from our school's calendars. I want to express my strong opposition to this move and urge the board to reconsider. By the way, happy Pride Month. Cultural events and heritage months are not mere celebrations. They are essential educational tools. They help students see themselves reflected in the curriculum. They expose all the students to the rich, deep diversity of our world. When we observe Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Women's History Month, and Asian American Pacific Islander Month and others. We are not promoting division. We are promoting historical accuracy. This history should be more than just a month. Removing these programs sends a message, whether intentional or not, that these histories, voices, and contributions of entire communities do not matter. That message runs counter the values of inclusion and respect, which you guys claim to uphold. These cultural recognitions don't take away from anyone. In fact, they add educational experience of every student, not just all students. Thank you, Ayanna. Thank you. Let me read the second one. Good evening again. Although I do not reside in any of your areas, I paid a lot of money for my doctorate degree in educational excellence right down the street at the University of Redlands, so I feel I am an honorary member of this community. Although I'm in support of any policy or resolution in favor of eradicating racism, I am deeply concerned about the reissuing of another resolution that dilutes the current resolution. While I see your board, you are advocating for eradicating racism, you are simultaneously promoting anti-racism and the erasure of commemorative dates and monthly observances all on the same agenda. I am confused. Either you are in support of anti-racism or you're not. This resolution sends confusing messages, especially to the students of color. I was here a few months ago in support of a young student who was defending his name and being called racial slurs. It is my recommendation that you propose a policy on anti-racial racism. language usage for students so that they can feel safe and included and feel like they belong, and not contradictory resolutions that confuse the community. You can also train your teachers to celebrate culture because clearly there is a need in this community. Thank you. Thank you. I love it.

Next up we have Anita Rhodes, followed by Debbie Cornett.

Welcome, Anita.

Thank you.

I have two cards. With respect to the racism... resolution I am of the opinion as a black person exceeding half a century from the Midwest Los Angeles County San Bernardino County Riverside County I have a broad experience of black and white relations I am not of the opinion that there is systemic racism in the words of James Brown for those of you who remember him he says I don't need y'all to give me nothing get out the way and I'll get it myself we don't need equity I don't need you to take anything from anybody to give to me. I am an autodidact. Many black people are. I'm concerned that all of this empathy, and pardon me for saying so, are the liberal white women. We don't need your help. Your help is harmful. Your empathy is causing too much division, too many problems. Step aside. Take care of your own. Leave us alone. We can raise our children. We can educate them about our history. For anybody that's concerned about black history and what we know and our self-esteem, we created, we invented many things Americans use. So have LGBTQ people. It's irrelevant what your skin color is, what your sexuality is. I'm going to repeat what I said with respect to racism and bullying and feeling less than. Some things are private issues. They belong at home in the bedroom. When you bring certain things out to the public square, your insecurities. Now with respect to the other issue, I think I counted 159 items for the commemorative calendar. This speaks to empathy gone amok. Empathy becomes stupidity when you do things like that, okay, trying to appease everybody. Empathy becomes stupidity when you tell a boy he can be a girl because he puts on a dress. That's not empathy. That's not love because it's not truthful. We can speak the truth in love. And to my LGBTQ neighbors, with respect to these dates and commemorations, Pride Month, I showed up at the human relations thing. I was told to get out because I was from the Ark Church. I think they're disingenuous when they say they want to communicate and talk and be heard. I think you want to compel speech. You want to dominate our agency. That's not going to happen. We can live here cohesively. I'm willing to dialogue and get some understanding from you. But you have to understand, you're not going to tell me what to do. You're not going to compel my speech. You're not going to take my agency. We can live here together, cohesively, with understanding and unity. We did that when it was homosexuals, gays, and bisexuals. The TQs, y'all were just stone crazy. We can't even relate to you guys. You guys think the whole world revolves around you and everybody needs to do what you tell us to do. That's outrageous. So please, if you're serious about living in unity and wanting some human relations, wanting some respect, some dignity, have the courage and the respect. The two counselors had no respect. They even admitted it. Thank you, Anita. Thank you.

Next up is Debbie Cornett.

Welcome, Debbie.

Thank you. Good evening. I want to address my concerns about Resolution 21B, the lengthy one that begins with a quote from Martin Luther King, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It focuses on the very thing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did not want his children to be judged by, the color of their skin. There are many examples of black Americans throughout history who were outstanding citizens and patriots of this country. The content of their character was stellar. James Armistead, a spy who helped make possible the 1781 Yorktown victory. Peter Salem, a hero of the 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill. Prince Whipple and Oliver Cromwell, pictured at the front of the boat in the famous picture of the 1776 crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas night. Frederick Douglass, after reading the Constitution, he fully supported it. Black Americans served in the House of Representatives after the Civil War. I'm not saying we leave out the struggles that the United States has gone through in our history, but we balance it with the many steps we have taken to right our wrongs. Thank you.

All right, we're going to take, what do we need, five minutes? Five-minute break, and we'll come back. How many people still? And let's start outside.

30 cards.

Okay, we're moving on. Board committee reports. Does anybody have anything to report on the committee? No? No committee reports. Okay, superintendent's report.

Yes, thank you. I'd like to update the board on the... OAG, which is the Office of Attorney General's report regarding our Title IX mandates. As you know, and as I shared on this dais last summer, is we entered into a stipulated judgment in June of 2024. And it is a five-year agreement. And we completed year one. And the stop date for data to be collected and to review our district given to us by the OAG was May 19th. So on May 19th, they looked at us, assessed the entire year. And there are 97 mandates that are included in stipulated judgment. But the public letter that you saw that you may have read includes the numbers 63 and 61. Ninety-seven mandates are described in 63 paragraphs. That's where the connection is. Sixty-three paragraphs, of those 63 paragraphs, we were found to be substantially compliant, which is the highest rating in 61 of those 63 paragraphs. That amounts to two of the mandates we were found to be partially compliant and 95 of the mandates we were found to be substantially compliant. Now, I'm very proud of the work that we've done, and it's taken a complete team effort for us to do that, led by Dr. Rudy Wilson and his division. But, of course, being partially compliant in two provisions or in two of the paragraphs, means that there's room for improvement, and so we are taking steps. What is the reason why we are partially compliant? We had, from July 2024 through May 19, 2025, 1,140 cases filed. When a case is filed, we have 60 days to have resolution, to complete the case, or to ask for an extension. The two provisions that we were found to be partially compliant, that is the reason we were found partially compliant, is we didn't fully complete every single case by May 19th. Of the 1,140 cases filed, 930 were Title IX or under the Title IX and UCP complaint as a UCP or Title IX case. And as of May 19, 630 were closed. Now, how did we get there? Well, I believe the system is working. And evidence to show that is why did we have so many cases? We had so many cases because we made our students and our parents aware of what they should do when they see something. And we provided many avenues for them to share that with us. We also provided trainings to all of our staff and all of our classified support team along with our students. And every time that we would have a training with our students, that would produce more cases because they would identify maybe things that they saw or that they experienced that they said, hey, I just saw that on this video. and I'm going to report it now. We're very happy about that because we want those cases to come to us, because we want to have resolution. We want to make sure that we're teaching our kids what is right and what is wrong. When you hear 1,140 cases, which is a lot, of those 1,140 cases, 21 had to do with staff. The rest were student-to-student incidences. And the majority of the staff incidences had to do with the violation of boundaries. What's a boundary is if you place your hand on the shoulder of a student, that would be a boundary violation. That is a description of what could be if you are exhibiting or if you're a staff member and you give a student a gift, that could be a boundary violation because that is against our boundaries policy. What steps are we taking to make sure that in year two we are found to be substantially compliant in 63 paragraphs or in 97 out of 97 mandates? We've had to increase our team. To kind of give you a little bit of history, when we started, Dr. Rudy Wilson, as the Assistant Superintendent of Compliance, was the team of one. It was Dr. Wilson at the beginning of the year who was taking in all the complaints and By October, we found that that was not gonna be enough. We added an assistant. By December, we added an additional support manager. Then in January, we identified that we had almost 500 cases, if I want to remember correctly. And there was no way that the team of two now were going to be able to accomplish resolution on those cases. We added more additional staff. Now it's a team of seven, and we plan to start next school year with that same team. If we could do things a little bit differently, we would have started with a larger team to begin with. We didn't anticipate that many cases so quickly, but I don't think that we'll be here in the same position next year where I'm talking about not being able to resolve all of our cases. I can say with confidence, though, that all the cases that were still not completed after May 19th will be completed before we start next school year so that we can have sort of a clean start to the school year. The other thing that is unprecedented that we did that I think people are going to be coming to us... for copies of it is our videos. The videos that we created, which were created completely by our team, because national search for something that existed wasn't there. And so we took it upon ourselves not only to write the script, but to have our IT department help us with the cartoons, or I don't know if cartoons is the right word, but the graphics of the videos. And then we had our own high school students serve as actors for the videos. We also got feedback from our parents. Dr. Wilson led a committee of parents who gave us feedback, not just on the videos, but on the surveys that we gave. And we were able to get some input about how to change some of those videos. So going into the summer, we're going to make some edits, improve them. And so then in the fall, we'll have even stronger videos. It is our commitment to continue to be substantially compliant. And that is going to remain our goal. And you will continue to get updates from me, not only on this dais, but I will also send notices to parents, to our community, to our staff. Again, I want to thank Dr. Rudy Wilson and his team for the work they've done. But I also want to thank all of our staff, our principals. our site administrators, our teachers, our support staff, our classified staff, because we asked a lot of everybody this school year not only to take the time to do trainings, but whenever we had a case, there was a lot of investigation involved and there was a lot of conversations that had to be had, and teachers helped us. Principals helped us. Support staff helped us. And so it took a team effort to be able to get to where we are today, which is to say that overall we are substantially compliant in year one. So I would like to give a round of applause to Dr. Rudy Wilson and his team. I urge not just the board but the public, if there are any questions that are just unanswered, you read the article, you read the article in the newspaper, you read my letter, and you just feel like there's questions that need to be answered, please do not hesitate to reach out. I am available to speak to you either by phone, by Zoom, in person. All you have to do is reach out to my office and we can set something up. Thank you.

Thank you. We'll now continue with the superintendent's recommendations. First, we have consent items under business services. Mr. Hill, do you have any changes or additions?

Are we pulling the... I'm going to pull item K. We'll bring it back on the next board.

We want to be able to provide the MOU, a copy of the MOU, so everybody can see it. We didn't have it on this agenda, and so we want to be able to agendize that, and we can bring it back on the 24th.

All right, is there a motion to approve items 7A, consent items B through P, pulling K?

I'll move.

Second. Thank you, Patty. Is there any discussion? All right, we'll call for the vote.

Board Member Aliyah Ayala-Quintero. Aye. Board Member Olson. Aye. President Rundler. Aye. Vice President Holohan. Aye. Board Clerk Wilson.

Aye.

5-0, motion carries.

All right, we have no business service action items tonight. Moving on to consent items under educational services. Mrs. Buckmiller, do you have any changes or additions?

No changes or additions, thank you.

All right, is there a motion to approve items 19A, consent items B through L? So moved. I'm at 14. Second. Second. 14. I'm sorry. What did I say?

19.

Oh, I'm sorry.

14.

So moved. I'll second. Thank you, Jeanette. Thank you, Melissa. Any discussion? All right. We'll call for the vote.

Board Member Ayala Quintero. Aye. Board Member Olson. Aye. President Rundler. Aye. Vice President Holohan. Aye. Board Clerk Wilson. Aye.

Aye.

5-0 vote. Motion carries.

Actually, I had something I was just going to say. I was going to say, H, approving the revision of board policy for high school graduate requirements. I'm really happy because this is going to allow our students with disabilities to receive their diploma and thus allowing them employment as they get older. So I think it's great. Moving on to educational services action items. Mrs. Buckmiller, any changes or additions? No changes or additions. Thank you. Is there a motion to take items 15A through 8 together?

I'll move. Second.

Any discussion? All right. I'll call the vote.

Board Member Ayala-Contero? Aye. Board Member Olson? Aye. President Rendler? Aye. Vice President Holohan? Aye. Board Clerk Wilson?

Aye.

Five zero vote. Motion carries.

Moving on to consent items under human resources. Mrs. Bruick, do you have any changes or additions?

No, I do not. Thank you.

A motion to approve item 16A, consent items B through A. Aye. Is that an aye? So moved. Thank you, Patty. Thank you, Melissa. Any discussion? All right, I'll call for the vote.

Board Member Ayala-Quintero. Aye. Board Member Olson. Aye.

Aye.

President Rundler? Aye. Vice President Holohan? Aye. Board Clerk Wilson? Aye. 5-0 vote. Motion carries.

Moving on to human resources action items. Mrs. Bruick, any changes or additions? No, I do not. Thank you. Management. Establish position and approve job description for facilities project manager effective June 11, 2025. I'll move. Second. Thank you, Melissa. Thank you, Jeanette. Any discussion?

All right. We'll call for the vote. Board Member Ayala-Quintero. Aye. Board Member Olson.

Aye.

President Rundler. Aye. Vice President Holohan. Aye. Board Clerk Wilson.

Aye.

Five of vote. Motion carries.

Management ratify approved contract of employment for Lisa Bruick, Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources, effective May 14, 2025. So moved. Second. Thank you, Patty. Thank you, Melissa. The compensation for the assistant superintendent of human resources includes the following. A base annual salary of $238,005. As reflected at step one of the management team's salary schedule, health and welfare benefits afforded to all members of the management team, longevity pay incentive if applicable, a monthly stipend of $350 for miscellaneous expenses, and paid membership to the Association of California School Administrators, AXA, and one local service club. Any discussion? What service club?

No.

You can pick one for me.

No, no, no, no, no. I was just curious. I thought maybe you did.

Any other discussion? All right. We'll call for the vote.

Board Member Ayala-Quintero? Aye. Board Member Olsen?

Aye.

President Rundler? Aye. Vice President Holohan?

Aye.

Board Clerk Wilson? Aye. 5-0 vote. Motion carries.

All right. And before public participation, I'm... Going to read what I read the first time, just so you are aware. As a board, we remain committed to serving all students and families in the Redlands community with integrity, accountability, and focus on student achievement and well-being. We understand and respect that members of the public may hold diverse views about the decisions and direction of our school district. Healthy civic dialogue, even when it includes criticism, is a vital part of public service and democratic governance. It is important to reaffirm that the board's actions are grounded in our responsibility to uphold district policies, comply with state and federal laws, and ensure that every student has access to a safe, inclusive, and supportive educational environment. We continue to make decisions based on the needs of our students and in collaboration with our educational partners, staff, and families. We appreciate community engagement and we remain open to constructive feedback that is both respectful and professional and helps us move forward in the service of our shared mission, educating and empowering every student to thrive. And that said, I just want to remind everyone that disruptions during the meeting will not be tolerated. In order to maintain a safe, orderly, and productive environment, we ask all attendees to be mindful of the norms of civic discourse. This includes refraining from personal attacks, maintaining appropriate language and tone, and respecting the time limits during public comment. If disruptions continue, individuals may be asked to leave or escorted from the meeting in order to maintain a respectful and orderly environment. Our commitment is to listen. Every member of this board is here to serve our students, families, and staff of Redlands Unified School District. We appreciate your presence, your input, and your partnership as we work together to support the success and well-being of every student in our district. All right. Clerk Wilson, how many cards do we have? We have 30, 29, 30. All right. So in the interest of time, I'm going to have public comment to one and a half minutes.

First up, we have Kimberly Hillier, followed by Kristen Williams.

Welcome, Kimberly. Thank you.

We've asked and you've promised transparency and equity in multiple meetings. Today I'm asking this board to take specific actions. First, restore public trust by allowing e-mail public comments to be included in the official minutes. Many in our community cannot attend these meetings in person, but they're, in my voice, still matter, so don't deny this platform. Second, treat incidents of hate on our campuses with the same urgencies and seriousness as disciplinary action items like expulsions. These acts should never be swept under the rug and make them public here for true accountability. That also means doing better in the board meetings when people spew hate to our LGBTQ family. As a nurse practitioner, I spent the past years training under a leading geneticist who literally authored the newborn genetic textbook. So I understand genetics can be complex, so let's start with the basics. Yes, there is the X and Y chromosome, but human biology doesn't stop there. There are natural variations like XXY, XYY, and 45X, and that doesn't even begin to cover chromosomal deletions, duplications, and translocations. that could impact development and identity. So when people speak with certainty here, but without understanding, they risk spreading misinformation and fueling harmful bias. We cannot allow hate or fear, as it ignores the science. If we truly care about our students, then we must make room for science, compassion most of all, and the complexity here in this boardroom.

Thank you, Kimberly. Welcome, Kristen. Thank you.

Good evening.

My name is Kristen Williams. I'm a resident and teacher in Area 1, and I've dedicated 23 years of my life to serving students with professionalism, care, and integrity. I'm here tonight because I, along with several other staff members, have been the target of discrimination and false accusations by board member Candy Olson. These experiences have been deeply damaging, personally and professionally, and they've shaken my trust in the values that this district claims to uphold, fairness, respect, and accountability. Since Ms. Olson joined the board, educators have been subjected to repeated, unsubstantiated accusations about our professional conduct, accusations that appear rooted in political bias and personal agendas. We've endured public slander, demeaning comments, and targeted hostility. Let me be clear, this is not a matter of disagreement or oversight. This is harassment, this is discrimination, and this is an abuse of power. No teacher enters this profession to be humiliated, bullied, or falsely accused by someone in leadership. We're here because we believe in students, in education, and in the good we can do. But we cannot do our jobs when we are working under a cloud of fear, fear of being the next target. Board members are elected to lead, not to intimidate. Yet Ms. Olson has created an atmosphere that is toxic, divisive, and unsafe for staff. Our reputations have been attacked, and our ability to work without fear has been compromised. I'm asking the board to take action, investigate this conduct.

Thank you, Kristen. Thank you.

Next up we have Rachel Ugly followed by Lawrence Hebron.

Welcome, Rachel. Hi, I'm Rachel Ugly, and I find it very enlightening that there are so many complaints, so much emotion, that those that threaten other people should really look at themselves. I as an older person now feel intimidated because I don't belong to any of the groups. This is ridiculous. And to isolate only two members and to also make another board member feel inadequate because they challenge whether or not she can make a logical decision on her own. It's so embarrassing when you add what everyone else. They demand that we listen to them. When are you not going to turn around and listen to us? Just because we have someone else that comes in from another district doesn't mean that we brought them in because we don't like what's going on over there. Maybe we do. Why did Candy and Jeanette win? Because maybe the tides have turned. And things I've heard from some board members, well, things are not the same as it used to be. No, excuse me, life goes on, and a culture is going on, and if you think you're going to change it, wrong. Thank you, Rachel. Thank you.

Good evening. My name is Lawrence Hebron. I live in Area 3 of the Redlands School District. There's been a lot of debate within these walls recently about such things as flag policy, boys and girls sports, sexually explicit materials in school libraries, and keeping parents informed. Do you know where there has not been a lot of debate about these issues? Outside these walls. In our community and across the nation, polls have shown that an overwhelming majority of parents agree that they should be kept informed about their children's activities. Boys should not be in girls' sports. Flags of divisive and aberrant ideology should not be displayed, and sexually explicit materials should not be in our school libraries. And since the pandemic, many more parents are aware of what is going on in our schools, and they are not happy. If representing a majority of parents is not a consideration of some of you on the board, then consider this. There is a movement afoot here and across the nation to provide a viable alternative to public schools, specifically to make homeschooling more affordable and accessible. I know because I have been approached by some of these people to assist that movement in our community. If this takes off, we will have a significant drop in enrollment, and that means we will need fewer teachers, counselors, administrators, custodians, and security guards. It also means that we will have a lot less money to pay for them. So unless you want to face the prospect of laying off a lot of employees, you'd better start listening to Candy Olson and Jeanette Wilson.

Thank you, Lawrence.

Next up we have J.B., But I don't see him. Erica Grossman, followed by Joshua Hall. Okay. Welcome, Erica.

Thank you. Instead of fixating on those harmful policies, you should be worrying about losing teachers and staff. You just lost one of the most devoted special education teachers because the district neglected her classroom, her students, and her staff. Her aides told me they're also considering leaving the district. This year, just three of them had to care for 18 students, all with extensive needs, yet the district didn't care. Their wages don't even reflect the demands of their work. I told them that leaving might be a good idea since it's unlikely their work environment will improve. Our school board has been too preoccupied with book bans and anti-LGBTQ policies. leaving no budget to support staff. When I told them that, they looked at me in shock, visibly upset. They asked, is that what they're really doing? I said, yes, it is. Several other elementary classrooms are facing similar issues, but clearly those real concerns don't matter to you. I saw Candy and Janet at the CV prom volunteering, dancing with Maracas on Instagram. You should volunteer in moderate-severe elementary classrooms so you won't lose any more staff. Thank you, Erica. Thank you.

Next up, we have, oh, sorry. Well, I can't read the first name, but Endicott, followed by Hannah Edmondson.

I can't read.

Hello. I am Antonio Endicott. I'm a student at RHS. And I'm here to talk about the policies and, more importantly, the consequences of the policies because as many people agree, they are wrong on a moral, logical, and material basis. Subjugating people for no reason and enforcing some dogma about Being gay or not doesn't matter. Why are we wasting time trying to ban flags when we need to save money? If we institute these policies, we're going to hit lawsuits. Every other school district that has instituted these policies has faced extensive backlash legally. We already spent a bunch of money defending pedophiles in the previous admin, and thankfully, we have been able to rectify a lot of that with Title IX. I'm very thankful for your actions there. But we need to focus on actually caring for our students. How is it that any of this cares for them I also want to point out one thing. Some people have talked about a lack of focus on education. So I've only seen student speakers talk from our perspective. And on top of that, I have a 3.7 weighted GPA. He has a 4.0. And one other person who seems, yeah, right there, has a 3.9 weighted. So clearly, the educated students agree. So maybe, just maybe, they might be right. Thank you. Thank you.

My name is Hannah Edmondson from Area 5. Welcome back. This weekend I watched with sadness and, frankly, humiliation as our boardroom became the backdrop for a viral video on PragerU. It was designed to stir outrage. Then I saw another post mocking the words of NEA President Becky Pringle, shared through libs of TikTok with words, add for homeschooling. Both shared with popcorn emojis by Ms. Wilson, my trustee area board member. This is part of the national playbook. Whether everyone following it here fully understands that or not, the goal is clear to erode trust in public schools, divide communities, and drive families away from public education. I believe in strong public schools that serve every student with dignity and care. This is the work I've dedicated my life to. As a constituent of Area 5, I'm asking our board president, Mrs. Rindler, to think very carefully about the messages members are amplifying and where this path leads. This is not personal. It's about protecting the integrity of our schools and standing up for the students and teachers who rely on them. Redlands deserves better. Our students deserve better. Please do not let our district become a pawn in someone else's culture war. Our kids and teachers and our community deserve better than that. Thank you. Give him a hand.

Next up, we have Michael Paisner, followed by Brian.

Michael Paisner, parent in District 5. I also represent Together for Redlands. Since the current school board refused to let the school district acknowledge Pride Month on social media, Together for Redlands will do what we can. Together for Redlands wishes everyone a joyful and safe Pride Month. Together for Redlands is here for everyone, including the LGBTQ plus community. So on behalf of Together for Redlands, let me say to the LGBTQ plus community, you are seen, you are beautiful, and you are appreciated just the way you are. And we wish everyone a happy Pride Month. And I have to ask the board, would making that kind of statement be that hard for you? What would it have cost you to make that statement? It wouldn't have diminished you in any way. It would uplift others. And let me also suggest, if you had made that kind of statement, perhaps graduation would have gone a little differently for you. Who got thanked? Who got applause? All of that could have been very different if you had just made a very simple statement, oh, by the way, you'd have to actually mean it as well. And I know that's asking a lot from some of you. And, yes, I'm talking to you, Ms. Olson and Ms. Wilson.

Thank you, Michael.

Welcome back, Brian. Thank you. My name is Brian Koontz. I am from Trustee Area 1. I would like to address the school board about what your goals are with this culture issues and how you will adhere to your own LCAP principles. Firstly, what is your ultimate goal? Candy, you're not a stupid person, so no doubt you know that any culture war policies concerning transgender rights, pride flags, cultural celebrations, or freedom of expression are illegal and will only be overturned after litigation. Anything culture war issue that you actually pass will have no lasting impact on our district other than the tens of millions, that's right, tens of millions of district funds lost due to the legal complexities of litigation. So, given that there's a singular result of cultural policies, I would assume that your goal would be to achieve the result, defunding our schools of tens of millions of dollars. My question is why? Why are you so insistent of depriving our schools of funding? Did something happen to you at school and you just want to carry out decades-old trauma on completely innocent kids? How can you look at me in the eyes and tell me you are helping my school when you deprive my students of thousands of dollars from the programs I am a part of? How can you look at me in the eyes and say you are helping my school when you relentlessly bully minorities? How can you look at me in the eye and say you care about my school when you wish to deprive students like me of my own rights? Seeing as the board won't answer my questions, I will answer clearly for them. This board does not care about your students. This board does not care about your tax dollars. And this board sure as hell doesn't care about our city. I will also add that every single teacher and every single student here totally agree with me. Thank you, Brian.

Next up, we have Dale Broom. Did he leave? Pablo Hernandez. Laurie Ann Doll, followed by Aya.

Welcome, Laurieann.

Hi. Good evening, Laurieann, Area 2. Team Humanity, something Mr. Wagner mentioned at the Redlands High School graduation last week, is a concept several board members need to embrace. All five of you should believe in kindness, justice, dignity, compassion, and inclusion for every student and staff member. Instead, several of you want to create division through hostility, cold-heartedness, hatred, and indifference. The lack of concern you have for our unique student body shows your inability to want to understand others. Our students' thoughts, feelings, perspectives matter more than your uncomfortableness. Stop worrying about what genitalia a student has or who they love. Work together and prioritize the issues that gravely affect our school sites. Avoid irrelevant topics, Candy, and fight for true safety, true inclusion, and true sense of belonging. None of us want to be Chino Part 2. I don't subscribe to Sandra's hate.

Thank you, Lorianne.

come back the marketplace of ideas every single meeting i have people debating whether or not i should even exist putting me on the chopping block whether i like it or not what you are doing michelle is doing jeanette and candy's job for them legitimizing talking points that are otherwise nonsensical and just plain immoral take a good look at the world around you A genocide in Gaza, killing over 60,000 Palestinians, with ICE raids taking innocent families in LA away to God knows where. Free Palestine, by the way. It is supposedly valid and negotiable to decide whether or not certain demographics of people deserve human rights. And it is so disgusting to see that loop around to not just me, but to all my oppressed siblings all across the world. The longer you entertain these fascist talking points, the more I want to blow my brains out. I don't trust you adults to have power over others when this is what comes to it. I speak of this as a high school student. We are not your property to be herded into good little workers, indoctrinated into your hateful, totalizing ideology that deprives us of our innate humanity. We want agency over our own lives. I have friends who barely get enough sleep because the only way for them to have a fighting chance in this stupid capitalist hellscape is through getting into colleges that legacy students can just waltz their way into. What kind of world is that? Now that they have to deal with you motherfuckers in charge to debate their identities, fuck up.

Next up, we have Greg Britton, followed by Rue Whitmore.

Welcome back, Greg.

Thanks. Why is every meeting like that? Why is every meeting like that? Don't fight culture war. Just give us everything that we've been waging a culture war against the traditional American culture for decades. Don't be divisive. Just give in to whatever we want. The reason all this is, you understand, is that Give us the child for eight years, it'll be a Bolshevik forever, Vladimir Lenin. Accuse others of what you're doing to sow confusion, Karl Marx. He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past. George Orwell. So what we're seeing here is a smaller aspect of the much larger cultural civil war that is underway in the country because two sides fundamentally disagree. The people who think that there is a God, we'll be judged by that God and we'll try to do our best versus the people who don't believe that. The people who want the state uber alice versus the people who want freedom. And we've seen some of the results of this indoctrination here. And unfortunately this is going to continue because, in part because of the COVID, the people who believe as we do who believe in the traditional country, the traditional values that made this country great, free, and prosperous, are not going to surrender the government-run schools to a lot.

Thank you, Greg.

Rue? What more? Kaya Yoshimitsu?

Welcome, Kaya.

Good evening, board members. I brought something for you today. I want you to take a good long look. These are wristbands from my admission to the hospital from April 30th of this year to May 6th of this year. If you guys didn't know, by the way, the AP statistics exam was on May 8th. I didn't get a chance to study because I was in the hospital because of your policies to ban flags. I became suicidal for the first time in almost four years because of the hostile environment you created made me think that there was no hope for the future. That I cannot live past 17 years old. That I would not make it to graduation. I want you to look at these wristbands. I want you to remember these wristbands because there will be more. And maybe there will be less, but there will be more deaths. And that will be blood on your hands. Thank you for your time.

Next up we have Matt Appleby followed by Katherine Appleby.

I'll come back, Matt.

Hey, thank you. So first of all, happy Pride Month, everybody. So second, I wanted to go ahead and continue my education series about LGBTQ and trans issues. So a while back, we were talking about the American flag and the symbolism that it represents. 13 stripes for the original 13 colonies, 50 stars for the 50 states. And we said, you know what? This flag stands for everybody, right? This flag is... historical it's worth having in the classrooms so board members i've given you the progress pride flag so you've got a visual aid i wanted to talk about how this flag does many of the same things we have many different colors red for life orange for healing yellow for sunlight green for nature blue for serenity and violet for spirit beyond that though in the chevron stripes we have white pink and light blue representing our trans culture but We have black symbolizing the historical stories of those who died from the AIDS epidemic. We have brown representing the marginalized communities of people of color. And then we have the chevron itself moving to the right, indicating ongoing progress for LGBTQ equality. So if we are saying that this flag is historical, that this flag is inclusive, so is that flag. It represents the history of the AIDS epidemic and the people who sadly lost their lives in it. It is inclusive by including our marginalized people of color. They're both the same. So one shouldn't be seen as sexual, as some of you have talked about, when it's not. It's just historical. It's just inclusive. And it helps some students. If it helps even one student, It's worth it. Thank you.

Thank you, Matt. I'll come back, Catherine.

Good evening, board. I'm sorry the first time I was up here, I did not state my trustee area. It is area four. My name is Catherine Appleby. I am a parent, a graduate, and a resident of this district. For tonight's community input, President Rendler, in your comments before public participation tonight, you indicated that you value healthy civic discourse and community engagement. But the only community input that is available to all is here, in this room, at RUSD board meetings that have given me the knowledge of what restaurants are still open after midnight. While it appears that the community can write physical letters or emails to the board, there is no indication given to the sender that the board members have received and or read those communications. In fact, the only response I have ever received was from Superintendent Cabral. Thank you. I am asking for this board to transparently communicate to all stakeholders how we can engage in conversation with you beyond these lengthy board meetings that prioritize outside voices rather than the voices of students, parents, and residents. No student should be speaking past 10 o'clock. Board Member Wilson, I am a constituent in your district. Outside of joining your church, how am I to engage in civic discourse with my RUSD board trustee?

Thank you, Catherine. Next up, Peter Hall, followed by Maya.

Come back, Peter. Thank you. So once again, we've seen personal attacks directed at two of the board members, particularly Candy Olson. Once again, people have been saying that Candy Olson harassed a trans athlete, but nobody has any proof of who this athlete is, what Candy Olson said to them or said about them. We live in an era where everybody carries a recording studio inside their pocket. You'd think that somebody would have gotten this incident on video if Candy Olson was harassing a trans student, but there is no video of this, or if there is video, then the person who has the video is hiding it. So I think it's despicable that people keep bringing up this alleged incident without proof that it really happened, because I don't think it happened. And the only proof that you have that it happened is Candy Olson saying that biological men should not compete against biological women in female sports. That's the only proof that you have that Candy Olson harassed this athlete. Thank you, Peter.

No Maya. Izzy Pastras.

Welcome, Izzy.

Hello, I'm Izzy Pastras, and I'm going into my junior year at RHS, and I'm here to talk about the flag and book ban policies that will be voted on next school board meeting. Imagine walking into your school, a place that's supposed to make you feel safe, and being told that the LGBTQ plus flag, a symbol of hope and identity for millions of LGBTQ plus students, is suddenly too political. And it's banned. What's really being said is that your existence makes people uncomfortable. Banning pride flags sends a loud and clear message that you are not welcome here. And that, plain and simple, is homophobia. This isn't just about flags. It's about erasing identities, silencing voices, and protecting ignorance over truth. This isn't the oppression Olympics. But it doesn't just stop there. This district is trying to ban books that discuss race, gender, and sexuality. Books that help students feel seen, that teach empathy, and that tell stories of those who have been historically silenced. What are we so afraid of? Kids learning the truth? Learning to think critically? Learning to care? Um... Here's the truth. Banning pride flags and books doesn't make schools safer. It makes them cooler and more ignorant. And if schools can't stand for inclusion, they're standing for the exact opposite. And the only people disagreeing with us are nearly all octogenarians with no students in our districts. Vote for students and teachers, not random people. My last words for you, President Rundler, don't disappoint your students and teachers. Take a stand for our districts. In other words, do your jobs. Thank you. Thank you, Nancy.

Next up, we have Bea, sorry, Bea, followed by Roberto Seha. Welcome back, Bea.

In a previous meeting, board member Candy Olson mentioned several research papers discussing the negative impact that early exposure to sexually explicit material has on young adults and teens. She did this to support her argument that the district should remove books that contain sexual content from its libraries. Together for Dreadlands took the time to review these papers. The papers she mentioned all dealt with electronic media, photos and videos, whose sole purpose is to elicit sexual arousal. None of them said anything about young adult literature that contains sexual content. We are therefore forced to come to one of two conclusions. Either Olson did not read these papers and she lied about it, or she did read them and then she lied to everyone about their contents. Either way, it is not a good look for her. Given that Olson lied to the board and to the public about the contents of this research, I would encourage the board to exercise extreme skepticism regarding any future policy statement or evidence she puts forward and to take pause before aligning with her. Unlike Olson, we took time to look up actual research that examines the effect that such literature has on teens. Not only did we not find any research that suggested it is problematic, we found a couple of papers that recommend schools include this literature in their curriculum. there was a research review that found that not only is it beneficial in sex education for young adults to grapple with these issues, but it undermines their ability to establish healthy sexual relationships to exclude these books. Okay, there's more. Read the papers.

Thank you. Welcome, Roberto.

Thank you. My name is Roberto Ceja. I am a first time parent as well as a graduate student at Cal State San Bernardino as well as an instructor. I'm going to talk to you a little bit about student experience as well as I'm a graduate student as well as an instructor. Growing up, I've had many numerous amounts of graduations from preschool graduations up until my recent bachelor graduation back in 2020 and my upcoming graduation for my masters in mathematics. I remembered all of that, and I'm pretty sure all of you have remembered your previous experience through graduations. But as I mentioned, I am a first-time parent. Seeing that, for instance, my son just graduated from preschool, that never happened. And that's something that I want to be able to show my kid that, you know what, you can grow up and be able to experience what I experienced. Because all of us as parents want to be able to provide the best for our kids. And that's something that I want to be able to implore the school board. So at least adhere to student experience as well as here to your constituents. These are actual experiences and these are actual stories that people are trying to engage with you. And I urge all of them to be transparent. Thank you.

Thank you, Roberto. Next up we have Olivia Mortensen followed by Anita Rhodes. Welcome, Olivia.

Good evening, board members. I'm a resident trustee, Area 5. I want to speak on indoctrination, the definition, the process of teaching a person or a group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically. The LGBTQ community is indoctrinating our children. They're indoctrinating them to believe that they can identify to be any gender they want. This is uncritical thinking. It leads to error and emotions, emotional choices, not the best lasting impact on lives. Whoever chose to indoctrinate know their ideas are faulty at best, harmful at worst. And it's causing detrimental damage that can be unreversible. And I ask that you stop indoctrinating our children with your perverse ideology. Thank you.

Thank you, Olivia. Welcome back, Anita.

Thank you. Thank you for having me. And board members, I thank you for the work that you do. I am here to speak to the great job Candy and Jeanette are doing. I want to encourage you, ladies. You hear a lot of opposition, a lot of name-calling, a lot of emotionalism, which to me represents a lot of immaturity. There are two different points of view here. A mature person can hear that. And you guys, people are being educated here. Having changes of mind. This is part of the educational process. So thank you for standing strong. Don't be intimidated. You're an attractive woman, both of you. All of you are attractive. Ms. Riddler, you're surrounded by prayer also. So anyone that's coming against you guys, I want you to know this whole board is being prayed for. You're being prayed about, some of you. Okay? And there's a lot of prayer going on. You're... History will prove that you guys have the moral high ground. You're doing the right thing. You will be respected. Who cares if you're liked or not? Understand that. Don't be afraid of any of these people. Okay, all they have are words and threats and wishing they could be you, wishing they had your strength. Perhaps they will get better character, better insight. And please, why don't somebody tell these children they don't need anybody's approval to be a homosexual? They can be it. They can be it. They don't have to kill themselves to be it. The emotionalism is also manipulation. Okay? Don't be taken in by emotional manipulation attempts to control. Thank you.

Thank you, Anita. Next up we have Kevin O'Connor followed by Sarah Cooper.

Welcome, Kevin.

I'm Kevin O'Connor in District 5, and actually we have from our church, as I've shared before, family members and kids from all five districts. I wanted to let you know, since we're talking about a lot of subcultures, I remember back several months ago when the superintendent shared about the growth of the kids and families coming from Vietnam. Well, we have several families in our church from Vietnam, and And I get to talk to them, and I hear their concern that they are not feeling like they can voice their concern of the liberal progressive move that they would like to protect their kids from because they feel like that, well, we don't have a voice to say because could we get deported or how long we've been here and many other different issues. So I want to tell the board, thank you for your stance. You're bringing sanity back to this world. And yes, Jeanette, Candy, and Michelle, we love the job that you're doing. Elections have a result for a reason. And what you're hearing from in here, the Redlands population, this is less than 1%. So keep the course. Stay strong. Thank you for all you're doing. Don't give up.

Thank you, Kevin. Welcome, Sarah.

My name is Sarah. I'm from the trustee area, too. And I just wanted to speak. I work 40 hours a week, so I was not able to be here in time to set up a blue card. But if I had had the time, I would have talked about the racism or the anti-racism policy. So one of the main things that I want to get across is that you're all educated people. You guys understand what it takes to learn and grow and thrive in a school environment. I don't know why you would look at history and not consider it. I don't know why you would ignore it. I don't know why you would write a new resolution saying that, oh, we're not going to do white guilt anymore. We have to. That's part of the reckoning of this country. That's part of what we have to do. Without being able to name it, we cannot tame it. That is a core principle. We have to be able to look at this rationally. And we can't do that if we're ignoring about 75% of the story. And I hope that you guys will hear us, and you will hear the people that are here. Every student that's been here, every teacher that's been here, they haven't been in support of any of these hateful policies. If you notice, the educated people, the people with actual degrees, they're...

Thank you, Sarah. All right, moving on to board comments. Who would like to go first? Jeanette, you want to go first?

Yeah, I just, well, first of all, I did want to acknowledge the bridge program. I was able to observe their luncheon and awards and their transition program procession at CVHS and it was a really great experience and it's a great program. I really hope we can do everything to support them in their growth in that program. And Christy, I don't know if she's still here, but Christy doesn't get a lot of acknowledgement, and I wanted to give her some for all of her work with the LCAP and the process. It's a huge project that she is in charge of. I think I'll just save my other comments for the discussion items.

What a wonderful and exciting time we had last week with all the graduations. Congratulations to the class of 2025. Let's get back to what is real and what we're here for, and that's to graduate our students. So I am so thrilled and so happy that we were able to attend all of them. Staff who's here, who's left, I want to tell you that I hope that you get some rest. And our students that are here today on their off day, they're off of the summer, that are here today, if your friends have already left, let them know. We appreciate that you took the time to come out. We know how important it is. I also hope that you get a little R&R, staff and students, with your family and enjoy some time. I love seeing you, but I hope that you get to have some fun. I do want to say congrats to Mr. Bonatti and Dr. Liam and Mr. Ray and to Superintendent Lisa Bruick. Congratulations on all of them. And the fact that we're all from RUSD and we promote it from within makes me really happy. So we're doing something right. Controversy to what those people that are saying that we're not, we're doing something right, and they still want to be here. That's about it for me tonight. Thank you. Do you have anything?

Happy Pride Month. Okay. Candy, do you have anything?

I just wanted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the graduations. I'm so proud of all of the graduates. I'm so happy I was able to attend the graduations. It was one of the most joyful times that I've had being on this board so far. Seeing all their smiling faces was so great. And I am very happy we have a high graduation rate and hope we can continue improving that. There's a couple other things I wanted to suggest, and I don't know when a good time would be, but I would like to see when we're discussing our curriculum, a new curriculum that's coming, I would like the public at some point to get an update on the process and what that looks like. And also we're implementing a new safety director hasn't been chosen yet. But when that happens, I would really like to see what the plan is coming forward to reduce our fighting, bullying, and aggressive behavior on the campuses. Those are two huge things that are of huge interest to me, the academics and the bullying and the fighting. So I would like it when a good time comes. because I know we're still getting a new director for the security department. But as far as curriculum development, I would like to see what's going on and get the board giving an update regarding that and the process and the dates when a new curriculum will be chosen and why it's chosen. And I would like to see the security have at least a skeleton plan of what are we going to do different Because I know we have good staff and good employees, but something that we're doing needs to change and improve so that we can keep our kids safer. And that's it for my board comments.

I just wanted to talk about that I was able to attend all four of our high school senior award nights. The Redlands Community Scholarship Foundation was able to award over $500,000 this year. um our students are incredible um winning all these different awards um many many fun events have taken place the last two weeks of school there was a bubble run at one of the schools um a spring sing at smiley and let's see what else and steaming through the states at mariposa that was really fun the fifth graders picked their state different than when i did state reports we just had to do research they got to do like a video and a whole thing with the bots and it was it was pretty neat um And I just also wanted to congratulate Iwana Contreras, who will serve as the council PTA president this next year. State Seal of Biliteracy Awards, that was wonderful. We do have amazing students, if you don't know that already. And let's see, all six graduations, like Patty said, that was wonderful, and Candy said, wonderful time. The speeches, the student speeches, the teacher charge to the class, along with the principal's messages. Every graduation is so unique, but that's all what Redlands Unified is all about, being unique. And I want to congratulate LCAP committee members. And congratulate the RHS Junior ROTC. I'm incredibly proud of those students under the leadership of Senior Master Sergeant Ione Barnes-Joshua and the past teacher, Master Sergeant Julio Sandoval. Congratulations to Judson and Brown and Cope students for winning the school dual trophy again. And to Brian Zander, without your leadership with the public races, this program would not exist within the Redlands Bicycle Classic. This event is good for our town and it's great for our school district. I also want to congratulate Officers McLaughlin and Gutierrez from RHS and CV. You will really be missed, but at least you'll still be protecting our city. Please stop in and say hello sometime. I want to congratulate the staff and students at Kimberley and Highland Grove for being awarded the California Distinguished School Award. And congratulations to Dr. Kim Liam on your new role as the Director of HR. and Mr. James Benanti as the new principal at Franklin, and Mr. Jeffrey Ray as the new principal at Kingsbury. And I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the incredible teachers, parents, community members, and friends who have reached out to me with prayers, texts, and letters of encouragement, and unwavering support as we continue to work through these challenging issues. Your kindness and support mean the world to me. I fully understand and respect the concerns that many of you have about expressing your thoughts at board meetings and on social media, Please know that your voices matter and your support has not gone unnoticed. Your encouragement and prayers are a source of strength for me, and I appreciate them more than words can ever convey. And that is all I have for tonight. We are going to go on to Superintendent's comments.

Yes, I can echo graduations, my favorite week. Absolutely enjoyed every one of them, over 1,700 students and adults, adults on Friday night, which is always a favorite event. We have folks walking across the stage ten years after, you know, or five years after. In one case, there was a married couple who graduated together. It was awesome. TO HEAR THEIR STORIES. BUT GRADUATION DOESN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE OF JUST BECAUSE OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS. GRADUATION HAPPENS BECAUSE OF EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR TEACHERS AND SUPPORT STAFF. IT REALLY HAPPENS AS SOON AS STUDENTS ENTER OUR DISTRICT AT WHATEVER GRADE THAT IS. IT'S THE COMPLETE PROGRAM THAT WE PROVIDE AND WE ALL SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF THAT GRAD RATE THAT IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO RISE. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR ENTIRE SCHOOL COMMUNITY. Personally, my favorite approval tonight was Lisa Bruick because that means that we have a complete cabinet for the first time in like 15 months. And so I appreciate the board's support as we move forward with a full executive cabinet. There is nothing that will stop us at this point in helping serve our students well. And to our new principals, high expectations. You might be watching at home, high expectations. But we know that you're going to meet them. And to our new director that completes our HR team. So we're excited to have Dr. Liam. And then really quick, security team. Our security team does a phenomenal job. And I just want to say thank you. You've been here with us until midnight. We get to leave at 12.15. I think last time one of the meetings ended at 12.15. We get to leave. They walk us out, but then they have to just shut everything down, so they probably didn't get out of here until close to 1 o'clock. And so I just want to say thank you for hanging in there with us. for the job you do very professional and all of you I like the way you switch stations and no matter who's at which station we can expect the same and so I just want to say thank you to you that's all my comments all right we're going to move on to our discussion items we're going to start with um oh you do sorry okay thank you for the reminder I did want to update the community on the policies. We have been some comments on them, but just to give everybody sort of a timeline. They are ready to come to the board for first read at the June 24th board meeting. And the policies that I'm referring to are the policies that we've been talking about beginning in January. First read means that they'll come to this board as an action item. And then should they move forward, then on July 8th, that would be the second read. Once that happens, should they seek full approval, then we will work with our unions to negotiate any impacts of any of the final policies that have passed. And then we can give additional updates at that point, but that's just sort of a timeline for everybody to have in their minds. Thank you for the reminder.

Okay, so on to discussion items. First one we're going to take is the proposed resolution regarding commemorative dates and monthly observances. Does somebody want to open up the discussion?

I would like to. I would like to know why we did not celebrate Pride this month on our social media and our website. Can somebody fill me in as to why that happened?

I can say it's basically a decision that it's a district practice. It's not a policy. In the last several years, I would say that we have this year made the decision not to, considering that I felt like considering what we have been discussing here at board meetings. I just felt like that's what we were going to do.

Was that a conversation that you had?

No.

Because I would like to know why I wasn't asked about that. I would like to know why this is something I understand, but if we, I understand like your feeling about that, but if this has been a practice and we don't have a policy in place to change that, why was it not celebrated as usual?

I don't know that I might have a good answer for you.

I'm just feeling very not informed because just like that meeting was called without my input, this decision was made by the board, I would imagine, without my input. So there were no conversations with our superintendent about any sort of input about Pride Month.

Not with me. Never had any conversations with Juan about this.

No, I didn't either. And I would like to say for the record, I didn't know about the meeting scheduling last week either.

For the record, I didn't know either until the time was placed in the group. I wasn't asked if I was available that time. It just came in the chat. So I saw the time the same time.

That would just further highlight that we are not being consulted when we're making decisions for the entire board without actually involving the entire board. Okay, but yes, I'm obviously proposing this resolution because we have had a practice over the last three years and who knows how much longer on our social media. I'm also attaching the appendix. This isn't something that I made up. These are dates that we have gotten from the district. that we have celebrated or acknowledged in the past. So this isn't anything new. It's not. I mean, there may be a lot of dates on here, but we are in school a lot of dates. And it's not necessarily asking that we celebrate everyone. It's just a sampling of things that we could. So I'm asking for this board to consider and move this forward because I'm not asking you to agree with it. I'm just saying it's one post. It's a banner on our website every once a month when our kids aren't even here. How many of our students are actually hitting the website? I don't know if anybody can actually tell me. But it means less to the people that don't identify with it. It means more to the people that do. We have LGBTQ plus students, staff, and just like our Hispanic and our Asian and our African American community, they deserve to be represented as well. So I don't see why we aren't doing it.

talking about all the on the website all the events that are coming on yeah I don't have a problem with that I'm good I feel like it's a lot there's a lot on that list I don't know that we do all of those but I do know that in schools they could celebrate any of those that make sense to them like for their population at their school. And they can do different events. I know that that's possible.

Well, because we can't restrict them from not doing that.

That's illegal. I just feel like I would just encourage us to focus on academics and achievements for our students, for our schools and our staff. We can highlight those kind of things. Maybe highlight each school a different month. or a different week, and all the good things that are happening at that school, whether they're...

So we're not going to acknowledge African American History Month? No. Asia Pacific Islander anymore?

In our schools. Let's do that in our schools.

So you don't want to do it on our social media anymore?

I'm just saying, let's do things that highlight our schools, highlight our kids.

That does highlight our kids and our staff.

So if we pick two that we're doing, then we have to do all of them. And if we do all of them, that's clogging our website. I mean, it's like too much stuff. Every day there would be a different thing on there.

I'm not asking to do all. I'm asking to do the ones that we've done before, the ones that we continue to do.

But then you're leaving somebody out because you can't do all of them.

Why not? I mean, how many were there here?

There's a whole, there's a lot.

And how many days are we in school?

180.

Yes. You want a different one every day?

I'm just saying if we want to be inclusive, I mean, we could, I'm not asking us to, but I'm asking us to acknowledge the one that apparently is the issue.

Well, I just think, I think it all becomes an issue. And when you're, You make a list, and then there's another one that somebody says, oh, what about this one? You could add that one in, and then you add another one in. Like somebody mentioned the Frosted Cookie Day or whatever. I don't know. Maybe they're a baker, and so that's an important day to them. I don't know.

But I'm not asking for anything like that. I mean, Frosted Cookie Day, I know there's a French Fry Day and a Pancake Day and a Donut Day. I'm not asking for that. I'm asking for Black History Month, Ronald Reagan Day. I mean, these aren't really like – I mean, controversial. There's one. We would rather remove all our holidays because of one. What are we afraid of here? Why are we having this conversation? And all we had to do was put up one post. One.

I'm not sure you've been around here, but we're moving in more of a politically neutral direction. Excuse me?

I've been here longer than you.

No, I know. Well, I was trying not to be disrespectful, but lately in the movies, I was trying to... just remind you that we're trying to move in a more politically neutral direction. And that would not include some of the divisive holidays that are on this list.

What divisive holidays?

I also see several religious holidays that I disagree with. I don't think we should be... What holidays? Can you be specific? I would like to know. Hanukkah. Christmas Day, 12 days of Christmas, Hanukkah, Hanukkah, all kinds of different. Why do you disagree with that? Also Halloween. There's a lot of different religious holidays on here and things that I don't think that we should as a district, we should be celebrating any religious holidays. I think we should be neutral and we should keep. Why do you keep that out of our schools?

Why do you disagree with religious holidays?

Do you celebrate Christmas?

No, I don't. I love Christmas. Okay. But that's my personal belief.

I don't understand.

I am saying that I love Christmas, but I know that some people do not celebrate Christmas.

They celebrate their own holiday.

That's right. And as a district speech, we should be neutral. Okay. We should not be promoting one religious holiday over another. We're not promoting, we're acknowledging. This is not keeping the main thing the main thing. The main thing is academics. This is like a full-time job for someone to be posting. It's like 147 or whatever, someone counted them up. There's a lot. This would be a full-time job for somebody to be posting this.

I've gotten this list from our district, so this is something that we've already done.

We celebrate every single one of these on our social media pages every year. Is that what you're telling me?

They are options that we are able to post.

Well, I disagree. I think it needs to be about academics. We need to get back to the basics. This goes so far off academics.

So you're telling me that teaching about pride is not academics? Because pride is history.

You're not teaching anything by putting it up on social media.

How?

That's not a lesson. Acknowledging it? That's not a lesson. That's district speech.

So you would prefer that we did not celebrate Veterans Day or acknowledge Memorial Day?

District speech should be neutral, and we should have it just about academics. That's my opinion. That is academics.

That is history.

I disagree with this. That's my opinion.

No, that is not something you can disagree with. That is a fact. All of this is history.

That's what I'm talking about.

This is history. You can say that you don't agree with it. It is still history, whether you want to. Veterans Day, we have an obligation as an LEA that we should be teaching, not just saying, hey, this is what it is. We should be teaching this.

This is not about teaching in a classroom. Rosa Parks Day is not about teaching. No, what she's saying, if I could. This is about speech on the social media websites, right? Right. This is about

what our district puts on social media. It has nothing to do with curriculum. It has nothing to do with what's taught in the classrooms.

But as one of our speakers said, that they didn't realize who one of these people was. Right. and they looked it up. They learned something that is teaching.

And I would hope that happens in the classroom. I looked some up, too, and I learned information. And you learned something.

So it's a random fact, a random fact that you might not ever have to think about ever again. But to someone, that might make a difference. They might want to look up all of these. That's the point.

It's education.

But I don't think that's the point, in my opinion, is not the point of our website or our social media. I've think it should be utilized to highlight observances tied to academic or civic significance. The national holidays that the district acknowledges gets time off for whatever should be this is my opinion this is a discussion um that it should include that and remain the the only way to remain fully inclusive is to be neutral so how how how is world mental health day controversial and not neutral The point is, the point I'm making, Melissa, is that we can't, well, first of all, it's way too many. And you're wrong when you say you're not asking for all that because it says that we would be resolving and direct the superintendent to see to it that the commemorative dates and observances listed in Appendix A be officially highlighted by the district.

Yeah.

So that's all of them. And I believe it's too many.

Okay, so let's cut the list. If it's too many, let's cut the list. If you're in agreement that, yes, we should be recognizing these, let's cut the list.

You want to cut, and there's one I want to add that we oversaw. And I think it is a teaching moment, but it's personal to me, and it's in October. And we have staff that is going through its Breast Cancer Awareness Month. To me, that's important, having been a breast cancer survivor. And I don't see that on here, and some of our staff went through that. You are right. I looked at it and I said, well, why isn't that on there? I mean, it's celebrated worldwide.

This is a great point that you made, is that, incidentally, a group was forgotten accidentally, and that's hurtful. So why don't we rectify it? So I think that that's hurtful to people who don't feel included, right? And I think that we are inevitably going to leave out a group. It's just the way it is. There is going to be... Skin Cancer Malignancy Awareness Week. There is going to be all kinds of things that come up with that people have been affected tremendously in their personal lives with. It would be very meaningful to them. However, if we just keep it neutral about academics, this is an academic institution. This is not to celebrate and to publicly make it our mission to... Acknowledge every single group there is out there because we should be acknowledging everybody and all of us in all walks of life. And that's why keeping it neutral, I'm against this completely because I don't think we should be doing all of these at all. I think we should just keep it neutral, keep it to academics.

Academics and accomplishments. Accomplishments of our kids. Keep it about what they're doing.

So being that we're not doing this or that you guys are apparently too afraid to move forward because how dare we be inclusive? I mean, we have Down Syndrome Awareness Month. Like, you really feel like that's something that we shouldn't highlight?

Do you not understand what the point is? There's always a group. Of course, that would be great to acknowledge them. There's always going to be a group that we are forgetting about. District speech should remain neutral. Says who? That's how I feel.

And I don't.

That's what I'm trying to have a discussion. Let's see who agrees and who doesn't. Oh, because you've already discussed this. No, we have not discussed it. I'm saying let's see who agrees. Well, that's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to have a conversation. Okay, but you're asking me if I promote Down Syndrome Week or not.

No, I'm asking you to tell me which you don't agree with because the way you're sounding is you don't want to celebrate anything.

I just want it about academics.

Then say the words you don't want to celebrate anything because then that would mean a huge change to our district social media.

No, our district website should remain politically neutral.

So just the website? I just said and social media. Well, that's what I'm asking. I need you to actually say it. That's what I said. No, no, no. We did post for African American history. We did post for Native American history. We did. It wasn't until this month that we didn't post for Pride. I understand certain people feel that it has to do with sexuality. That's not what it is. It's about Stonewall. There is actual history attached to it. So even if you don't agree with it, it's probably because it doesn't apply to you. That doesn't mean we should not celebrate it. It doesn't mean anything to you. It doesn't mean anything for you to scroll on by. But it does mean something to a lot of people. And it's not going to hurt us to just scroll. Don't go to the website during June. I thought we were supposed to be on break. We're supposed to be on vacation. I don't understand what the harm in this is.

The problem is that you don't understand the other people's point of view. There's a lot of people that disagree with you. I represent them.

Don't tell me I don't understand. I do.

You don't care about their opinions. They don't want to see that.

And you don't care about my opinion.

That's not true. I'm not trying to force any of my beliefs on you.

You're trying to politicize something as simple as a rainbow post.

Many parents don't want to see that on a website. And many do.

I'm going to interrupt for one second. I don't remember any parents coming and saying that we objected to you putting that on the website years ago from the times that we've had in the past. I specifically do not remember, and correct me if I'm wrong, that we had parents come up and say that was wrong, I was offended by that. That didn't happen.

Well, I know it happened because several people I know have complained about it. They didn't come here to speak. Well, they didn't come to you today. I'm talking.

It was my turn. They did not come during the many years that I've been here that had a problem with that. Many years. And all of a sudden, it's an issue now. That I don't understand.

maybe they didn't come to you personally. They've come to the district. I know they have because people are very upset about that.

The other thing I was thinking about is many times people that aren't living here go to a school district's website to learn about that school district and to see if they feel like It's a good match for them and their family. This is another reason why I feel we should be very neutral and not have things on there that could influence outsiders negatively about the district. I mean, anyone looking at our website is going to appreciate information about... academic issues. I even had the idea maybe our different departments could take a month and highlight either STEM information, STEAM, history, you know, share the responsibility around so that when people are looking for At our website, they'll see that we're focused on the academics of children. So how does us being inclusive turn people off? Do we have gay staff? You know, we've already... We don't agree, Melissa. We've already discussed that. I'm asking you a question. I'm asking you a question. Do we have gay staff? Yes.

Do we have gay students?

Yes.

Do we have gay families?

Yeah. I don't know what that means, but what do you mean? Gay families? Yes. Like, we have gay students.

Like, do we have, you know, students with two moms, two dads, you know? Oh, I'm sure we do. Okay. So, why... are we so opposed to showing them that we accept them as they are? We don't ask them their gender identity or their sexual orientation when they come into this district. Our students and our staff, we take them as they are, and we appreciate them for the work that they do in our district. And so why not show them that we appreciate them by acknowledging their existence?

I would like to show them we appreciate them through, for example, Teachers Week, Teachers Month, Teachers Appreciation, Administrative Assistance Appreciation, multicultural events. I mean... That is different than acknowledging all these different specific events.

But we just, Candy just said that she didn't agree with multicultural months.

Well, maybe I don't agree with her. I didn't say that. You did. I did not say that.

You did, though. You just said you didn't want to celebrate anything.

First of all, it doesn't mean anything. You're twisting my words.

No, I would just like a clarification because I asked the exact question. I asked the exact question. I asked, can you please tell me what you don't agree with and you can please, if you're trying to say that you don't want to celebrate anything, I need you to say it because I don't want to be accused of putting words in anybody's mouth or, you know, I'm asking point blank. Just say what we mean.

I think that the schools can do – the clubs can celebrate their special days or months that they want to celebrate. And I think that a multicultural day is fine too. I just think that specific groups and classes, if we start doing that for our social media, you cannot – include one and not another. And so we have to either do all of them or none of them. So multiculturalism is not a specific class of people that is protected. So am I right?

Multicultural day would be something that... A multicultural day, so we celebrate not the individual months that we do, but you want to celebrate every culture on one day.

I don't. I'm just saying. I have nothing against that.

Well, just for clarity, everything that we do is for students. So everything about our district website, social media, is all about students. And it's representative of every diverse community that we have within our 26 schools. That's what's represented on our district website. Not... It's the opposite of exclusive. It's inclusive of everybody. And that's what we've been doing over the last few years. I'm just trying to provide clarity. That's what I think. So when we say, like, the district website, it's not for students. It is. It's representative for our students. So, like, having... them represented on our website is what we have been doing, is to show that we do have a diverse community.

Just not if you're gay. That's what this board is saying. We have a diverse community, but this board of few. No, my apologies. You're right.

That is not what I'm saying.

No, well, because it is this board. I'm sorry. It is this board because the majority has already made a decision. And that's once the majority makes a decision, that's it. So I would just like to know if we are celebrating as we have been or if we are not going to celebrate anything.

So I guess we're not going to agree on this and what to have in and what to leave out and all that. So we can move forward to see if anybody would like to see this resolution go forward or just do it the way we've been doing it, where the district just decides which ones are going to go up. Who decides? The district. I don't know. It might be... I don't know. Does Christine have anything to do with that? Or you guys just talk about it.

I work for the board. I am your one employee. So if there is any displeasure from any of the five of you, then you would take it up with me. So any actions that I take, you would talk to me about it if it's not something you like. So as an example, if one of you doesn't like something... We talk about it. I don't know that that changes any action. If five of you don't like something, then I'm probably going to do something different. And you can just kind of take it from there.

So I don't really like having to put a target on your back.

I would just really like to see on our website and the social media thing, highlighting our kids, what they're doing in their classes. And summer, I mean, maybe there's nothing put on social media in the summer. Summer, it's dark. Maybe on the social media in the summer, we highlight what our staff is doing to get ready for the next year.

Okay, so what constitutes summer? Because we're still in school in June.

Well, I know we were out on the 5th, but whatever. I don't know. I mean, I just think highlighting what our students are doing, their achievements, what our sports teams do during the year, the academics, our superintendent awards, all that stuff.

We already do all of that.

That's the stuff I want to highlight. Yes. That's the stuff I want to highlight.

But we do all of that. What I'm trying to get you guys to say, which you guys are refusing to acknowledge, is that we are erasing a large subgroup of our student and staff population by refusing to acknowledge their existence. And I understand that you do not agree with it, and I am not asking you to agree with it. I am asking you to be kind to those other community members. If it doesn't apply to you, that is great. I do not find myself a part of the Asian Pacific Islander community, but I love watching our students celebrate themselves. It is beautiful. I loved going to our multicultural fair and getting jewelry made by a Nigerian family. That is amazing. We have a very, very diverse population. And because you guys don't agree with one, and apparently maybe even a few more, we're going to erase people from our social media.

No one's trying to erase anybody. In fact, we're respecting everybody. And it's all inclusive. You can call it respect.

So, Melissa, with that line of thinking, what about how, I mean, then the... To turn the tables around for a group that finds that they're not on this list, you would be being unkind to that group. No. Patty just suggested breast cancer awareness.

That is a large population. That's the whole point of being flexible. And if it's something that we would like to highlight, why not? It doesn't hurt anybody.

I would also like to say that in this resolution, you have a part in here that says, direct the superintendent to see to it that the commemorative dates and observances listed be officially highlighted by the district. I mean, maybe we just say... we don't direct him and let cabinet and people at the district say, Oh, maybe we'll put this one up this week or maybe we'll highlight. That's what we have this week. I mean, I do. We need a resolution. That's what we've been doing. I know. Do we need a resolution to do this? Do we need a resolution? Thank you.

Thank you for that. Thank you. I appreciate that. No, I understand that. I don't think we need a resolution. I didn't think so until there was a change made unofficially.

That you thought you weren't a part of?

No, that I know I wasn't a part of.

Well, nobody was a part of it. It just happened. It didn't come out of anything. It just happened.

Just casually forgotten?

It just happened.

We are moving in a direction. We've had a flag policy underway in union negotiations, and this board has been discussing it many times. The majority of this board feels that a sexual flag shouldn't be in our children's classrooms. Can you please stop calling them sexual flags? And I wish that I could speak without being interrupted, please. And I wish that you would speak without being hateful. It is rude and disrespectful to those in our community to call it sexual.

Excuse me. Please, no, I'm not going to be shushed when she's speaking hatefully. I am not saying anything hateful.

I have not said a hateful word. This is a major... I'm sorry, but was I not in point of order?

We are having a discussion.

Okay, Candy's finishing her statement.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Now she forgot it. What was it?

What was it? That's one of the problems with interrupting.

You were talking about sexual flags. The majority of this board has decided that we are going to take, remove... put divisive flags out of our classroom. That's what we've been working forward with a policy that the majority has agreed upon. It's been going through union negotiations. We just get an update tonight. We are moving forward with these policies because people do not, parents do not want their children raised by the teacher's values. It has nothing to do with erasing people. It has to do with respecting all parents. So just because some parents want something, there will be another set of parents that want a different thing. So let's just keep it neutral. Along the same lines, our social media should... go in line with the policies that are moving along forward. So there is no reason that on one part of our social media or website should be doing one thing, and yet our formal policies are doing another thing. So do you see there's a disconnect there? So, of course, naturally, without having to have a conversation with anybody, the district understands the direction that we're moving, the policies are moving forward. They understand that the majority of this board wants... to move in a different direction.

So the majority of the board made this decision?

No, I had no part in the decision. And I hear that Jeanette didn't and either did Michelle. None of us did, but we're moving forward in public meetings with policies that would create less divisiveness in the classroom.

That is not true. You can call it whatever you want. You can say it's not divisive, but it is. Okay, well, that's your opinion. Exactly, and that is your opinion. But a neutral classroom... So this is what I don't understand. Why is it when it's my opinion, it's controversial, but when it's your opinion, it's the will of the people?

I don't believe it's controversial to have a neutral classroom.

Again, that is... That doesn't offend anybody. That's offensive to literally no one. No, it is. Being neutral means having zero impact. Zero. Zero impact. That is being neutral.

This does not have zero impact. No, I'm sorry. Teachers can have an incredible impact on their students while being politically neutral. That is a sign of an excellent teacher that their students are taught to think critically on all sides of each issue and they don't know... And being presented with both sides.

Okay, we're not getting anywhere.

So, no, I still want to know what's going to happen because you don't want a policy. Because we can't even agree on this. Excuse me. You can interrupt me. So what I'm saying is you don't want to have a policy. That's fine. But that just means that no one's calling anybody saying, I don't like that. Take it down. If we're going to leave it up to the superintendent, we leave it up to the superintendent. I don't need a policy. But what I do need is people's religious beliefs or ideologies or a lack of recognizing an entire marginalized community. I don't need that to impact our students.

Well, I don't think you can tell us that we can't talk to the superintendent about something that we don't agree with.

I didn't say you couldn't.

I thought you did. Is this one just not going anywhere?

Well, we vote whether to move it forward, right? There just needs to be a majority that would like to see it move forward. I would not like it to move forward.

No, I would not.

But it's fine.

Keep what we're doing and let the superintendent You're okay with that?

Let's move on to the next resolution regarding racism. You have two before you. The one is very similar to the one that we already have. Two Points are taken out, the RUSD 2025, if I'm correct, Melissa, and the fact that we need to have an ethnic studies class because we already do.

No, it says continue to offer, but I will. The only things that are changed, it is the exact same resolution that was put together by literally our community. And so there's only a few changes. One is in the first line, it's resolution to remain committed, which, I mean, we have been asked by the community multiple times already. to reaffirm our commitment to this. Unfortunately, this was passed before I joined the board, so I wasn't able to be a part of it. But I think it is fantastic, and I think that we need, especially in such a trying time, that we need to reaffirm our commitment to ending racism in our district. So the first line does say resolution to remain committed. On the second page, there is... Third section down, or third section from the bottom. It says, now, therefore, be it resolved, we will adopt policy envisions such as those found in RUSD 2025 that is removed just because I would like to keep it not dated. We are in 2025, and I feel like that dates the policy a little bit. So just removing that and just leaving it to we will adopt policies and visions that implement and reinforce equitable learning opportunities and outcomes for all students. That does change preschool to 12 because we do TK. On the next page, in the second paragraph from the top, now therefore let it be resolved the Redlands Unified School District Board of Education will work to create the safe space to work collaboratively with parents. There should be a comma, so that's actually just an error. Educators, leaders, and all community members. The fourth paragraph down says, Now, therefore, be it resolved that our district will explore and implement a comprehensive and robust ethnic studies course at all high schools, just that we continue to offer since we already have one. And that is it. It's really just updating the language.

And we had a committee for this one last time. We had a large committee with several committee members on the staff. It was done, and it took a lot of time. I would hate to see anything happen to that.

No, well, this isn't erasing any of it.

I know that. I understand. I'm just saying all the work that went into this.

No, absolutely. And the time that we had to do all that. I would actually like to bring this to the day pack to get their input as well.

I would like to just reiterate what I said in April that I believe there's no place for racism, discrimination or hate in our district or our community. So I know we need something. I do like some of what's in this one and I would like to see us be able to sort of merge them together because there's some good stuff in here and I'd like to see if that could work. I would like to see, Patty, would you and Jeanette work on this together? Could you do that?

The other input I was thinking about, I would like to hear Nashe's input in her department.

Well, if we form a committee, yes, I'd be happy to be on the committee. But I'd want staff, you know, Nashe, obviously, staff and community members.

Why can't we just take it to our day pack? We have quite literally have a district African-American parent advisory committee that has been asking for this. Michelle and I were both at the meeting. And I don't.

that to see who on that day, because I would like, Oh, sorry.

I would like to see it not be, um, just speaking to African American. I think we need to be talking about anti-racism, anti-discrimination across the board. And I, some of this, I feel like, um, I didn't realize it was the same as anything else because I wasn't informed of that. Um, But I think some of the wording, to me, implies that the district is not doing as good of a job as I believe we are. So I would really like to have a resolution that more so is reflecting the board's values and beliefs rather than it sounding in some parts like we're not doing this is already our resolution though this has already been passed and adopted yeah and I think

We're asking for some changes.

Small language changes. This isn't huge.

What part are you confused about? I'm not confused. Let's see. Because this is what we've had. Well.

What we've had doesn't mean it can't be made better or different.

That's why I'd like people to look at it. And times change.

I'm happy to sit on a committee.

If there are some good things, then we could put it a little bit together. I mean, even the title of this one always was way long. It's, you know, it was way too long, that title.

What is the title?

Resolution to remain committed to changing our system, eradicating racism, and standing to create more equitable and inclusive schools for all children, families, and staff members of the Redmond Unified School District.

I don't see why the board can't sit in on those meetings. I don't know that we should have any input on it. This was crafted by a committee.

Which a board member sat on.

Okay, but I think right now is a very difficult time for this board, and I don't know that that's something. This is something that the community wants. We already have a resolution. I would like us to bring it to our day pack, which we did not have then.

Well, that's why I'm asking if Patty and Jeanette would say that, because they're removed from this. They didn't bring it. They didn't write this. They didn't.

I didn't write this.

You changed some things. I changed a few words. And you brought it forward. So they're a little more subjective maybe to it. So if we could have them be on that committee.

I was part of this original one. Well, I mean, we all were because we obviously adopted it.

Well, we still would have to adopt it.

We still have to adopt it.

So because I brought it forward, I'm not allowed to sit on the panel?

No, I'm just saying that, I don't know. I don't actually know what I'm saying. I'm saying that maybe only two people and maybe it can be them.

Well, it can only be two people because then we'll be in a Brown Act violation.

I know what we did last time where we each took a day and we each got to be in one of the meetings. That's how we did it. We took turns. We each got one meeting.

Maybe we do that now.

I don't necessarily agree to sending this to a committee. I think that we should be able to handle it ourselves. I have a problem saying that racism is a public health crisis. That's absolutely not true. It is not a public health crisis. It is an issue that we've been dealing with, and I think Neche has done a tremendous job, along with our superintendent, And the rest of the staff has done an excellent job in handling the situations that have come up in our school district. And I also disagree with recognizing white supremacy and systemic discrimination and oppression. I think that this one is very polarizing. It's divisive. And as opposed to the other resolution that is more unifying, has a commitment to anti-racism, I think that our... Really, the work that Nishay has done truly embodies the spirit of unity and not forgetting about our predecessors, our history. Absolutely, it should never be forgotten, which doesn't say anything about forgetting that. But as far as promoting division and oppressor versus the oppressed, which clearly it says here, the white supremacy and systemic discrimination movement. We had a black president, so you cannot argue systemic racism. We do have racism, pockets of racism here and there, but we do not as a society. Systemic racism is not a thing, as evidenced by the fact that a majority of Americans voted for a black president. I'm just saying that this one is very divisive, and I don't know why gender identity is in here. That's weird. And religious beliefs, because I thought this is about racism. So that was strange. Sexual orientation is in there, too.

Can I just say something? So when this all was brought up, when the Hawkins family came to talk to us, In her letter on April 22nd, she asked for an anti-discrimination resolution or policy. That's what she asked for, anti-discrimination. I'm happy to work with all the family. So she didn't want harassment, bullying, racism, any of that. So maybe that needs to come in there some, and that title needs to be changed, anti-discrimination all across the board for everything. So that's what I would just like to see. I would just like to see...

I find it very upsetting that I asked this board to recommit to a policy, and all of a sudden we want to change all of it. This is already something that we've adopted. Whether you like it or not, we've adopted it, and we are committed to doing it. But this is already something that was created by a committee of students and admin and teachers and parents, and it's not that long ago. It was only 2020. But clearly... I find it very ironic to say that racism isn't a thing. I don't know if you guys got to drive by the freeway just a couple of days ago. It was a horrible, horrible banner hanging from it talking about F your foreign flags.

I didn't say racism isn't a thing. I said systemic racism. It is a thing. Maybe it hasn't been something that's affected you, but it is a thing. It has affected me, actually.

But you just said it wasn't a thing.

I said systemic racism. That is the part that you're not listening to. I said several times, we do have pockets of racism, obviously. Why did she get to interrupt me? I'm not interrupting you. We're talking.

Oh, so it's talking when you do it, but not when I do it. So I was saying that there was a banner dropped the other day on the freeway. You're not going to tell me that that wasn't racist because it was. I didn't say there weren't. Again.

I thought you were finished. You stopped talking.

I breathed. Is that allowed? I am happy to talk with the Hawkins family as they sit on the day pack. I am happy to have this conversation as long as we are reaffirming our commitment to to anti-racism in this district. However, I will not agree to toning it down. These are uncomfortable conversations that need to be had. Pretending that they didn't happen does not help us end them. We can talk about Martin Luther King during February All We Want To doesn't change the fact that he was murdered. We can say he died, but he was murdered. And it doesn't change the fact that there have been awful things happen in this country. I am not blaming anybody in this room. I'm asking you to acknowledge it, to continue to teach about it, and to, you know what, make it a part of the conversation. So that not only we learn from it, but our children learn from it.

All I'm saying is I want to look at this policy, I mean this resolution, look at the one Candy is proposing, and see if we can somehow merge them together. Let's talk about that one. To have some common ground.

There is no common ground because in Candy's policy... There has to be common ground. No, there isn't because in Candy's policy... Where is that? I would like that we could... No, I was still talking.

Well, you were looking for something, so I thought I'd insert... And I found it.

In Candy's policy, we will not support curricula or policies that assign guilt, victimhood, or privilege.

So take that out then. I'm not saying you have to have everything in.

Isn't that when we're going to have this conversation? I don't find this policy to be beneficial. One, it's only one page. I mean, a page and a quarter. But what I'm saying is we will not support curricular policies that assign guilt, victimhood, or privilege based on race, nor will it promote ideologies that seek to divide students along racial lines. Okay, so are we not teaching about the Holocaust anymore? Or Japanese internment camps?

I think the idea is not to assign... Because there were victims in that. Go ahead. I think the idea is not to assign current guilt and victimhood. That's the idea.

Tell me when.

Because currently we should not have classes of oppressors versus oppressors. That's the whole idea, that we should learn from history, learn from our mistakes, teach history, but not that we should currently teach these concepts of victimhood towards our children.

How are we currently teaching victimhood? By acknowledging this.

I'm not saying we're teaching victimhood. You just said that. No, I didn't. I said the resolution. The resolution doesn't say to... You're saying you're having a problem right here, right? Where is it where you said victimhood? What paragraph was it?

Three. One, two, three. I mean, it's your policy, so you should know, but it rejects race-based divisiveness. The district will not support curricula or policies that assign guilt, victimhood, or privilege based on race, nor will it promote ideologies that seek to divide students among racial lines. So I guess we're saying that it wasn't primarily white slave owners. Is that what we're trying to say?

No, what I was saying was that we're not going to be assigning current guilt or current victimhood.

No one is assigning current guilt on anything. Okay, how about this line? The district affirms individual merit and achievement. The district will encourage academic excellence, personal responsibility, and respect for all without attributing success or failure to racial or ethnic identity. I think that's a very bold statement, but... I mean, if this is your policy, coming from you, because success or failure to racial or ethnic identity, it is a fact, a fact that some of our students, minorities, have different outcomes because of systemic racism. And the fact that you're trying to say that we won't acknowledge that does a huge disservice to our population.

I would disagree. I don't think that's a fact that it's because of systemic racism. I would say that they weren't afforded an equal opportunity, which we've done a really good job of. Systemically.

Because of racism.

Because of racism. Where is your proof that because of racism we weren't given a kid an equal opportunity to succeed?

Because there were the fact that there were black landowners whose land was taken from them simply because they were black. The fact that women were tested on in the medical field. Because systemically, people thought that they had a higher pain tolerance.

Do you think, I don't think, that we have had some horrible injustices in our history? I would just like you to acknowledge them. I thought we're talking about currently. Of course I acknowledge them. History needs to be taught. So we do not repeat the sins of our past, obviously.

But we are having, here's the thing. And you know what? I appreciate that. I do. Because I am not trying to, one, this is already a resolution that we have. But I am not trying to assign current guilt. I am asking that because we have had racial issues come up in this district, because people still say horrible things to each other, not because they're evil. Hate is taught. And because we're not comfortable saying, you know, yeah, no, we shouldn't say things like that to each other. That's wrong. That's why those things happen. I've had my own children come to me and tell me that students were singing slave songs at a black student as he was picking up trash on lunch detention. This is not a far-off thing. This is a current issue. And I'm not saying that we still have a majority of these problems, but pretending that we don't have any does a disservice.

I am not pretending that we don't have any. And in fact, I was the first one to respond to the family, and I wrote this up a long time.

Because they are in your area.

It has nothing to do with them being in my area.

I actually did reach out to the superintendent, and I did ask to meet.

Okay, so back to this policy, back to this resolution. Could I say something, please?

But we're having a discussion.

But it's getting way off.

You're monopolizing. It's getting way off. Excuse me. It's because I started the conversation.

Jeanette? Yes, I would like to say I think part of what we need to look at is what is the purpose of a resolution? My understanding is it's to signify the board's priorities and key values, signify it to the community. And I would like to see the resolution be more current focused. I mean, our students should be getting the education that Melissa is outlining, learning all of that information in their classes. This is not a policy. It's a resolution of what our priorities are. I mean, it doesn't need to be pages and pages. That our priority is, we all agree, our priority is to reduce any racism, any discrimination. We know we can't eliminate it all, but we want to do our best to reduce it. And like someone mentioned earlier, also talk in here about speech and the words that kids use. Yes, they learn it. A lot of times they learn it at school. So, you know, it's a never-ending goal, I'm sure, that we all want to have. But I feel this document is trying to provide so much of the education rather than being a resolution.

So I just looked at the fourth whereas on candies, and it could say, whereas the board acknowledges the importance of teaching history accurately and objectively, recognizing both the struggles and achievements of all people, period. You don't need the rest of that sentence.

Okay, so teaching history and social studies in a factual and balanced manner. Please tell me how you teach slavery in a balanced manner.

Who said balanced? I did not say balanced.

But that's what it says.

The board acknowledges the importance of teaching history accurately and objectively, recognizing both the struggles and achievements of all people. That's what it says.

Well, I would love to bring this to the day pack, which Nishay is on, and I would love to let them merge the two if they saw fit, too.

I don't know about taking it to the day pack.

Why not?

Well, it doesn't sound like it's broad enough of what we're looking for, and I agree that we should be able to handle it ourselves.

Well, that's why I suggested we had two people look at it, see what they could do, To clean this one up a little bit, merge it a little, and then come back and tell us this is what we need.

Clean it up in the sense that where this board is comfortable with it.

No, this is a very long resolution. It's very long.

Is that a problem?

I think you people start reading it and you get lost because there's so much. There's so much.

We had it for a long time, Michelle, and nothing. It wasn't a problem. Well, and like I said, we had it. I remember working on this. Remember that? We had it. It got put in the book, and nobody ever looked at it again. Adding and adding and adding and adding.

Okay, so I have a quote.

I do want to say, though, that it helps the district because when the board passes a resolution, it is a commitment. It is saying this is what we agree with. So then as a superintendent, we take the resolution and we implement. And so much of the work that we're doing today is a result of the resolution that was passed in 2020-2021, which is still in effect. It doesn't mean that it's perfect, but I've heard Neche's name a couple of times. That position was created because of this resolution. The work that we're doing to try to eliminate or reduce racism in our district is a result of the work done because of the resolution. And so I think that's what I heard from the community with respect to an affirmation that we're still committed to that. I don't know that that means anything different than just acknowledging that it exists and we're working towards it still, the current one. But if we, as a board, you want to recommit in a different way by having it look differently, well, that's kind of what you're discussing right now. But I just want to point out that if there is a resolution that the board passes, we do take that very seriously and we do want to make sure that we carry it through.

I like how this became a whole conversation about changing a resolution that we have already passed and adopted when all I'm asking is to update some of the language. We've done that dozens, probably hundreds of times with other policies where we update the language. I'm asking to update the language as our community has been asking us to do by affirming our commitment to it. And I have a quote from you, Michelle. I was doing a lot of research about this. Trustee Michelle Randler said the resolution acknowledges the importance of racial equality and brings awareness to social justice and concerns about racism. The resolution, she said, calls on the district to, quote, continue to focus on equality through equity.

Yeah, that was through the RUSD 2025. No, this is specifically on the policy.

This is an article I can give it to you. It's specifically on the adoption of this policy.

Yes, it came from RUSD 2025. That's where I got that from. That's where it came from. But there are parts in here that I didn't like when we did it. But overall, I was like, well, I will support this. Just because there was like three or four things I didn't like, I wasn't going to say forget it.

But now you are.

Well, I'm not saying forget it, obviously. I would like to look at it. I would like to look at it with the other one, see where the common ground is on both. And I really want to change the name of it because that name always was too long for me. But I also see where the quote is that we ended up using. And I like that. And Candy speaks to some of that in hers about the content of your character.

It's the very first tier in the beginning of the policy. Again, I'm just saying that if this board is going to go back, instead of updating the language, if this board is going to go back and completely change it, then that is taking away from the input that the entire community had on it. So if you're going to change it, the entire community needs to have input again.

We don't have to do another committee. We can all decide what we want to do. If we could handle it ourselves, then we can handle it.

Then we shouldn't do anything. We shouldn't do anything. And I guess when the community asks about reaffirming our commitment, we can just say that we are not.

I was like the first one out the gate wanting to do an anti-racism thing, but I was told we already have one in place, so it didn't get on the agenda. This was quite a while back. So no, I care quite a lot about this issue, and I'm very interested in what happened with our students, and I want to keep moving in the positive direction. I don't like calling people white supremacists. I don't like saying racism is a public health crisis. I don't like the gender identity and sexual orientation is included in an anti-racism resolution. I don't think that's what it's supposed to be about. It's supposed to be about racism, right? And I have several problems with this. I didn't vote on this. So now you brought it to the board, and since your resolution was coming, then mine got to go too, the one I'd submitted a long time ago. But at the time, I was told we already have one, so I left it alone. I didn't complain about it. But now you put yours, so I put mine, and now we have two.

It's not mine. It's not mine. Can we just get away from that narrative? Okay, the one you submitted. It is not mine.

Excuse me. But however, you're right, the one you submitted, excuse me. However, now it's a different board. And I disagree with some of the language in here. It's very divisive. So I like the idea of a resolution. I just think it needs to be written appropriately. And I think it's way too long.

So this is written inappropriately.

It has some language I disagree with.

And I don't.

Well, it was brought forward. Again, that's all that matters. You brought it forward, so now it's here. And it's way too long. That's another problem. This is talking about all of the... Just the point Jeanette makes is an excellent point. This is talking about curriculum and all of these... It should be our position as board members, as a district. The resolution should be stating our position regarding racism and our intentions to eliminate it or reduce it as much as possible. That should be a short, succinct thing instead of like pages and pages of stuff.

So how much reading are you comfortable with?

I just think a page would be great. And, you know, I want to say that I think all of us here are very committed. None of us, I feel, are racist people. I think we have a disagreement on the language and how it's written. And I know that you have great intentions, and I have good intentions too. I don't have any feelings of ill to any class of people. So I think we just all disagree on the language, and it shouldn't be a personal attack.

This isn't changing a comma or switching out a word here and there. You want to delete the work.

No, there are certain things. Like racism is not a public health crisis.

Do you not see the irony in you saying that?

It's not a public health crisis. It's an issue for sure that we need to address and create a high priority. It is not a public health crisis. That's a little different. And also white supremacy, I don't like that. I don't think we should be calling people that.

But I'm not going to pretend that it doesn't exist. It currently still exists. Does it not?

I suppose somewhere. I don't know anybody like that. But of course, I told you, I know there are pockets of racism. But this acts like white supremacy is the overriding population of our land. It's not.

I don't even know anybody like that. No one is suggesting that. I'm asking you to reaffirm your commitment to this district and to the probably dozens of people that saw it. How many people were on this committee before? Do you guys remember?

Like 18 or 21 or something.

Oh, my. From all walks of life.

Students. Students, staff. Staff.

So they all had their input on it. And I value that. And I think that even though I don't know any white supremacists, I know it's still out there. And pretending that it doesn't exist isn't going to make anything better.

I just feel it's a little heavy on the... It's supposed to be, though. A little heavy on the oppressor versus oppressed, and I feel like it would divide us. And I'm not opposed to working on it. I don't think we need a committee to do it, but I think that if we kind of had the focus more on unity and not without discounting our history, I think that that would be much more acceptable to me, and I would... I'd be totally fine with that. Just a few wording changes here and there.

I'm not comfortable changing the language to fit your comfortability.

Well, the second whereas, I have, I mean, a simple change for the second whereas. As a school board and district, we value each and every student, family, and staff member and are committed to an equitable and anti-racist system that honors and elevates all with dignity and respect. I mean, that can take another... One of the other whereas is out because you can put it together. I mean, it's just so wordy. It's very wordy. It's meant to be wordy. But I think with the committee, everybody, people, not everybody, people had their thoughts, so then they just put it in as a whereas, and it just kept adding and adding and adding. It's a lot of duplication for sure.

Wow. That's really disappointing. All I did was ask you guys to reaffirm your commitment, and I guess now we see that the board is not willing to.

I am reaffirming my commitment to it and cleaning this up a little bit.

that I don't think cleaning it up means deleting any of it.

I would like to see it be more future-focused, like what we want to do with our school district, bring it down to a smaller focus that we have some amount of control over. How what? How?

Well, we're changing some of the wording. Like how do you acknowledge racism without pretending it doesn't exist, but in the future?

That's not what I said. So I'm talking about a resolution stating what our goals and vision are for our district in reducing racism, reducing discrimination,

We have an anti-discrimination policy. We have a discrimination policy already. That sounds like a whole separate policy. Our vision for the future, we have board goals. That's what I'm saying. I feel like that's a lot of different things that you're trying to...

Okay, so bringing back here. Patty and Jeanette, would you be willing to work, and maybe with Nishay, just to look at this and see where we can go from here. What if we can... Yeah, let's try it. Try a meeting and see how that works. I mean, I don't know what she can... or insight or something, and maybe she could help. I don't know.

I'm not opposed to something like that. I just don't want for our coordinator to be put in a position where they feel like they have to either agree or disagree with either board member. Yeah. You know, the only real way to change the language, if we don't want a committee, is to do it here at the dais.

Could we each work on it and then bring it back to the next meeting so it can wind up like this again?

Well, at some point, I think that that's okay. But at some point, it's the same outcome where it's just going to have to be worked out here. Right. Yeah. Which, you know, just be agendized as a discussion again. And then everybody would bring their new ideas, and then we would discuss it as a board.

I'm for that.

We certainly could.

I don't. Oh, I'm sorry.

No, I was just saying, but I'm not opposed to input, like certainly getting input from some of the experts on our staff, either individually as you all look at it. That is also an option.

I was just going to say, because that committee, I don't know how that committee was actually selected. We just sat on one day. That was hard. That was a hard committee. That was hard. I don't know how you pick people.

Typically, if we were to go that route, we would probably ask for volunteers. And folks who are most committed to wanting to see this would probably be the first to come out. We could get 100 people. We could get 10 people. You know, it's easier if you get 10 because it's not a whole lot of selection process. But if you get 100, well, then you just have to create a rubric to figure out who gets to sit on it. Generally speaking, larger than 17, I think is what the number I heard, is probably too much. You know, but you also don't want to rule out anybody because you do want a fair representation. Okay. So I'm pretty positive that's probably the way that it was created last time.

Michelle, what were you saying about what the Hawkins were kind of asking for?

Anti-discrimination policy. A policy. Anti-discrimination policy or resolution, yeah. One point she said resolution, another point she said policy.

So can we wait until the Hawkins family actually is able to say something before we're putting words in their mouth?

Well, I have her letter.

That's coming from the letter that she submitted?

She wrote a letter.

I think that's where you're getting that from.

Yeah, yeah. But, I mean, discrimination, racism, you know, like, I mean, it's in the end.

We have plenty of policy, right? I've seen a lot of anti-discrimination policy.

I just want, she might have been referencing discrimination policy that we already have and that she wants to see the resolution, actually action, but... That's why I just thought if you guys could do this work together, try and come up with something, and maybe everybody look at it on your own, and we'll come back again and see if we can come up with something. And if we can't? I don't know if we can't.

Well, that's what my concern is. I'm just asking us to update the current language.

Then we would just leave what we have in. Right. We would just leave what we have in.

The original request from the Hawkins family was to look at the resolution that exists and recommit to it.

We were still following it. Yes.

Is to see if the district is still going in the direction that was passed in 2020-21. The statement that's in the writing says, yes, we want to see an anti-discrimination. And that's where that information is coming from. I hear that we have an interest in being able to, in some way, recommit. And so it's up to you if we want to at least try to see if we can come up with the language that everybody can agree with. I think it's worth taking the time to do that. But it does take a commitment. Like what if we can't do it? Well, it's going to take a commitment. It's going to take a commitment of time. It's going to take a commitment of coming in with an open mind and the ability to compromise because otherwise, yeah, we can talk for two hours, three hours here at the dais and end up not having anything.

What about like a public statement that we are, instead of trying to undo or redo or edit or make new ones, just a public statement from the board that we are recommitted and continually committed to educating our students and eliminating or reducing racism as much as possible? So something like that, like a statement of affirmation, basically, instead of trying to redo old policy, old resolutions or create new ones. Because I could see that, you know, there's not a lot of compromise.

Well, and we've all said that to them. So putting it in writing would.

Maybe something like that, like a. Is there a thing like that, like a public statement we could make that would that.

But is that action?

We are doing a lot of action. I mean, maybe outlining.

There's a lot in the resolution. And like I've stated a little bit ago is a lot of what we're doing now is a result of us taking action from that resolution. So a recommitment or any kind of statement would basically say it's affirming that we're going to stay on that path. Right. that the work that we're doing is going to continue. And ethnic studies, for example, is an example that's in there. You know, it's a class that exists, that that is going to continue to exist, that our work with trying to close gaps with our marginalized groups is going to continue, that we're going to continue to do that work. So if a statement is going to affirm that, I think that that is significant.

We could all agree on something like that, I think.

Mm-hmm.

I mean, I could.

I can work on that, and then that's something that I definitely could.

I think we should be a 5-0 on that, that everyone should take ownership in that. Everyone should be committed, not majority 3-2 or 4-1. That's just how it works now. Well, I would hope that we would all be in it, that it would be 5-0. That would be the way to go. That would show commitment.

That would show operative. Since we can't agree on either resolution, my idea was to be unified. That was the idea by a statement of reaffirmation of our polls. Just forget about them. Just leave the one that's already in place.

Yeah, we have an active resolution that we're talking about as a statement that would basically reaffirm the path that we're on with the resolution that exists.

I can work on that. Because it looks like we're not getting anywhere with changing language.

Provide a draft to the board. If that's the direction we want to take, I can create a draft and provide that to you. I'm on vacation starting Thursday to Monday, so probably can provide it by next Friday.

You should take a longer vacation.

Much longer.

You've earned it.

Thank you.

I think someday in the future we could bring it back if we wanted to change things. But at this point, I think it's more important to become a little more unified.

Yes.

What did you say, Michelle?

Become a little more unified.

Oh, yeah. Does that remain for every policy or just mine?

What?

That we wait until we become a little more unified.

I didn't say wait until we become a little more unified. I said so that we... No, I know what I'm just saying, but we're still passing things.

Okay, I'm just trying to be clear.

So we can be a little more unified on this.

Yeah, I'm just trying to be clear because we're still passing things even though we're not. So I just want to make... Just understand here.

So as it stands, the... Racism resolution is just still with the one that we had in 2020. We haven't changed it. Okay. Any other discussion about it? All right. Then what time is it? Oh, 1122. I win. The meeting is adjourned at 1122.