September 23, 2025 AESD Regular Board of Education Meeting
Click image to watch on YouTube.
This information was generated and retrieved by AI. Consequently, errors like misspellings may be present.
The Adelanto Elementary School District (AESD) Board of Education held a regular meeting on September 23, 2025, which included presentations on school plans, special education updates, technology services, and community school projects, followed by public comments and board business.
Meeting Commencement and Introductions
The meeting was called to order at 5:30 p.m. [01:08:30].
Roll call established a quorum, with Trustee Webster joining shortly after [01:08:43].
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited [01:09:08].
The agenda was adopted after a motion and second [01:09:45].
Staff Presentations
Educational Services - School Plan for Student Achievement (SIPA): Dr. Valdez introduced presentations from three school sites [01:10:45].
Eagle Ranch Elementary (Principal Jonathan Wilson):
Demographics: 538 students, primarily Hispanic (70.3%) and African-American (14.9%) [01:12:05].
Focus areas include purposeful direct instruction, small group instruction, clear objectives, and student goal setting [01:12:33].
CAASP data showed similar ELA scores to the previous year, with growth in 4th and 5th grades. Math scores slightly decreased, but 4th graders showed growth in closing the achievement gap [01:12:53].
African-American and English learner students showed growth in all areas of closing the achievement gap [01:13:40].
Top priorities: ELA and math skills, and increasing student attendance [01:13:54].
SPSA goals aligned with district LCAP goals, showing progress in ELA for 4th and 5th graders, and growth for English learners. Chronic absenteeism remains a priority, and parent engagement goals were met [01:14:05].
Melva Davis Academy of Excellence (Principal Kathy Yuskovich):
Enrollment increased to 857 students, with demographics consistent over time (74% Hispanic, 13% African-American) [01:16:14].
Overall language arts scores have grown over the past four years, despite a small dip in 23-24 [01:16:43].
Math scores have improved over four years, with a focus on continuity of instruction across grade levels [01:16:56].
Significant efforts are being made to narrow the achievement gap in all areas. English learners are reclassified quickly, with a focus on long-term English learners [01:17:19].
Focus areas: improving math instruction (especially 8th grade), common assessments, and support/intervention blocks [01:18:00].
SPSA goals: Met language arts goal, showed growth in math (though fell short of the overall goal), and English learners receive daily support [01:18:19].
Special education students are included in campus activities, and chronic absenteeism is monitored [01:18:53].
Parent engagement is a focus, with events like a Steam Scream and a food truck night [01:19:08].
Morgan Kincaid Elementary School (Principal Kristen Cooper):
Current enrollment of 678 students, with consistent demographics (highest population Hispanic and African-American) [01:20:38].
An AVID and platinum PBIS school, having completed a CASP grant program focused on cultural proficiency [01:21:03].
CAASP data showed a slight increase in ELA overall and in all grade levels. Math scores remained steady, with significant growth in fifth grade (7% to 14% meeting/exceeding standards) [01:21:11].
Growth in all student groups in ELA and math, with the largest growth from the EL subgroup (4% to 17%). A slight increase in science scores was also noted [01:21:42].
Top focus areas: after-school intervention with research-based materials for math, in-day interventions in blended learning for ELA, and focused collaboration using data to monitor intervention effectiveness [01:22:28].
SPSA goals align with AVID work and math intervention. EL students are monitored for growth, and special education students receive needed supports [01:23:25].
Chronic absenteeism continues to decline but remains a focus. Parent engagement is encouraged through PTSA, Parent Square, and social media [01:23:42].
Special Education Department (Dr. Best):
Discussion on reduction of over-identification of students in special education. In 2016, 17.9% were over-identified; currently, it's 15.2%, well below the "danger zone" of 18-20% [01:29:25].
Significant reduction in one-on-one para-professionals, from 125 in 2016 to 30 currently, with a focus on fostering student independence [01:30:26].
County programs and outsourced services are used for students with greater needs than the district can offer. A statewide shortage of speech-language pathologists necessitates virtual outsourcing [01:31:11].
Positive developments: school psychologists are now on campuses to counsel students and assist with Student Study Teams (SST) to ensure proper evaluation processes [01:32:44].
10 new special education programs were added, bringing back 127 students from county programs, projected to save the district $3.7 million in ADA for the next school year [01:33:49].
Over 20 family engagement events are held annually, including IEP empowerments for parents [01:34:39].
Staff are being trained in Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) in-house, eliminating the need for external outsourcing [01:35:05].
Exploring a preschool expansion program for the district, which could bring back 85 students currently paid for, potentially saving $425,000 annually, or even $1.9 to $2.5 million if opened to all students [01:35:59].
Information Technology (Mr. Anthony Sinatra):
The IT team of 10 supports over 20,000 devices and 7,500 users across 14 school sites and the district office [01:40:50].
Past issues included daily email outages, failing active directory servers, slow computers, inconsistent internet, open firewalls, and no backups [01:41:16].
In the past three years, mission-critical services were offloaded to the cloud (Gmail, student information system) for uninterrupted communication and emergency access [01:42:05].
Domain controllers were updated, asset tracking implemented, and the help desk system improved [01:42:35].
A significant network overhaul in December 2024 and over the summer 2025 involved reprogramming switches and adding "freeways" to improve traffic flow and Wi-Fi [01:43:01].
Current status: over 100 switches upgraded, but 150+ still need replacement. Wireless access points are state-of-the-art but need streamlining. Fiber optics, the backbone of the network, is old at many sites [01:44:42].
Future plans: develop a five-year technology plan, including audits and needs assessments, to stay updated. Continue leveraging federal funds (E-rate) for equipment upgrades, especially switches. Systematically approach updates per campus to avoid district-wide disruptions [01:45:54].
Community Schools Project - Wellness Center at Bradock Elementary (Dr. Valdez and Mr. McAlpin):
A community schools grant of $1,425,000 was awarded in Spring 2024 to build a wellness center at Bradach Elementary [01:51:14].
Purpose: remove barriers to learning by addressing physical, emotional, and social needs of students and families [01:51:32].
Current progress: clerical staff hired, physical space identified, and an implementation timeline drafted [01:51:50].
Currently in phase three (approvals and bidding) for the building, following planning/feasibility and design development [01:52:13].
Financial update: Of the $1.425 million, $9,087.35 was spent in 24-25, leaving a balance of $1.415 million. The budgeted amount for 25-26 is $239,743 [01:52:51].
Next steps: revamp the lead team (staff, parents, community), adhere to an updated timeline, conduct a comprehensive needs assessment, and start small with parent engagements, workshops, after-school programs, and health resources while the building is completed [01:55:37].
Public Testimony (Close Session Agenda Items)
A period for public comments on close session agenda items was held [01:59:49].
Jennifer Rader (Educator): Expressed concern about working without a contract for 450 days, highlighting financial stress, slashed school site budgets, and inadequate healthcare funding. Argued for ongoing COLA and fair healthcare contributions, emphasizing the impact on students and the need for immediate action [02:01:47].
Diane Lynn (CSEA): Spoke about low pay and high health insurance deductions for classified staff, leading to resignations. Referenced a "Ewing report" showing lowest pay in the high desert and urged the board to settle negotiations with better than 1% off-schedule and fully covered insurance [02:05:48].
Sophia Miranda (Intern Teacher): Shared her personal struggle as a single mother, where a step increase disqualified her from medical assistance, leading to significant monthly healthcare costs. Highlighted working long hours for low hourly pay and requested reconsideration of healthcare payments [02:08:46].
Jason Turkers (CSEA Labor Relations Representative): Questioned the board's authorization for only one-time funds in negotiations. Pointed to a $19 million expenditure on consultants and a $1.5 million expenditure on a consultant to take away classified jobs, arguing that funds are available to meet employee demands [02:12:27].
Jack Banks: Recalled a time when the district offered competitive salaries, attracting teachers. Contrasted this with current "reverse migration," high turnover, and prolonged negotiations. Urged the board to offer competitive salaries proactively [02:15:56].
Wyatt Reese (Teacher): Stated that 15 months without a contract is too long, explaining that annual step increases are negated by rising healthcare costs. Emphasized that staff cannot thrive or properly serve students if they are not adequately provided for, and urged the board to "make things right" [02:18:33].
Lisa Martinelli: Raised concerns about the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASP) for third graders, highlighting the difficulty of the test for young learners, particularly in reading comprehension and multi-step math problems, and the emotional toll it takes [02:21:42].
Siobhan Long (SAI Teacher): Described the severe impact of three weeks without Wi-Fi in her classroom at Mesa Linda Middle School, hindering student access to digital learning tools, accommodations, and teacher work. Requested immediate hotspots and infrastructure rewiring [02:25:29].
Natalie Nisio (Paraprofessional): As a 24-year-old paraprofessional, she highlighted the struggle to live comfortably on a 1% off-schedule raise, especially with rising costs and a $90 insurance cap. Asked the board to consider the financial burden on employees, particularly those with families [02:28:28].
Melissa Ochoa (Parent): Expressed support for teachers and classified staff, urging the board to provide the necessary salaries, benefits, and insurance to retain quality staff for the children and the community [02:30:51].
Angelique Jolly: Reiterated the 15-month delay in contract settlement, emphasizing the uncertainty and lack of trust felt by educators and classified employees. Referenced the district's unaudited financials, stating the district is fiscally sound with surpluses and discretionary funds, questioning why the contract isn't settled [02:33:15].
Damian Johnson (Lead Custodian, CSEA Vice President): Spoke about the struggle faced by classified staff, having to work second jobs due to rising costs and medical insurance. Asked the board to consider "their why" and avoid making staff suffer financially [02:37:20].
Post-Close Session and Public Testimony
The meeting reconvened to open session at 9:33 p.m. [05:11:47].
The meeting was extended until 10:00 p.m. [05:12:22].
No reportable action was taken during close session [05:13:07].
Another public comment period was held for items not on the close session agenda [05:13:15].
Rhonda Dennis (Business Owner): Proposed using the former kindergarten rooms, office, and multi-purpose room at the old George Elementary School building for a Head Start program, citing the urgent need for early childhood education facilities in Adelanto [05:13:41].
Lauren Benson: Questioned the alleged "teacher-unfriendly" trustees and the narrative surrounding contract delays, implying manipulation within the board regarding the contract settlement [05:17:19].
Board Business
The adoption of the minutes was tabled due to a request for more specific language regarding a consensus on an RFP presentation item [05:20:09].
The remaining consent agenda items (excluding 6 and 16) were approved [05:22:05].
Item 6 was approved with one abstention [05:23:21].
Item 16 (Certificated Administrative new hires) was tabled to allow for separate voting on the two individuals [05:24:11].
New Business:
A motion to establish and appoint trustees to the budget committee was approved [05:27:42].
Trustee Soto was nominated and approved to the budget committee [05:29:08].
Trustee Krause was nominated and approved to the budget committee after another trustee declined [05:30:01].
A motion to establish and appoint trustees to the policy committee was approved [05:31:16].
Trustee Webster was nominated and approved to the policy committee [05:31:43].
Trustee Love-French was nominated and approved to the policy committee [05:32:31].
Consideration of a governance resolution to strengthen board governance and transparency was tabled due to improper formatting and lack of a resolution number [05:33:20].
Approval of legal services and a contract agreement with BBK was approved with one nay vote, with discussion regarding the pre-dated contract and ability to pick a lawyer [05:34:42].
A motion for an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with CSEA to address crossing guard issues was approved unanimously [05:36:22].
The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 p.m. [05:38:07].
