February 5, 2025

REDWOOD CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Redwood City, California

APPROVED MINUTES OF BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING

February 5, 2025

REGULAR BOARD MEETING

1.    Call to Order

President Wells called the Closed Session Meeting to order at 5:45 p.m. 

1.1    Roll Call

Present at the Closed Session Board meeting: President Mike Wells; Trustees Cecilia Márquez, David Li, and Jennifer Ng Kwing King; and Superintendent Baker

Others present during the Closed Session Board meeting: CBO Rick Edson, Peter Ingram, and Clarissa Canady

Absent during the Closed Session Board Meeting: Vice President David Weekly

2.    Oral Communication on Closed Session Items Only

None.

3.    Closed Session - 6:30 PM (Closed to the Public)

3.1    CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATORS (Gov. Code, 54956.8) Property: 750 Bradford St, Redwood City, CA 94063 Agency negotiators: John Baker, Superintendent, Peter Ingram, Consultant, and Clarissa Canady, Legal Counsel, Negotiating parties: Redwood City School District and The Sobrato Organization Under negotiation: Price and terms of payment of Property Exchange Agreement

4.    Reconvene to the Regular Session at Approximately 7:00 PM

The School Board reconvened for the regular session at 7:00 p.m.

4.1    Roll Call

Present at the Regular Board meeting: President Mike Wells; Trustees Cecilia Márquez, David Li, and Jennifer Ng Kwing King; and Superintendent Baker

Others present during the Regular Board meeting: Assistant Superintendent Anna Herrera, Deputy Superintendent Wendy Kelly, CBO Rick Edson, Principal Lupe Guzman, Assistant Principal John Michael Gomez, Dean of Students Josh Griffith, Principal Melissa Bowdoin, Assistant Principal Jason Koenigsberg, and many others.

4.2    Report Out on Closed Session from February 5, 2025

The School Board received information. No action was taken.

Trustee Weekly officially joined the meeting as a guest and will not take any action.

5.    Welcome

President Wells welcomed those present. 

6.    Changes to the Agenda

None.

7.      Approval of the Agenda

The School Board approved the agenda as submitted (Li, Márquez; 4-0).

Trustee Li (Ayes)
Trustee King (Ayes)
Trustee Márquez (Ayes)
Vice President Weekly (Abstain)
President Wells (Ayes)

8.    Oral Communication

The CSEA Union Chapter President Maria Stockton addressed the School Board to express appreciation for her team and the district's efforts in the negotiation process.

Diana Escalante Ocon, Librarian at Adelante Selby, addressed the School Board to express her concern about the proposed reduction of the librarians’ working hours, emphasizing that it would affect the completion of essential library maintenance tasks.

Devon Mullane, a Teacher at Hoover, addressed the School Board to express appreciation for the Hoover administration. He emphasized the crucial role of support staff throughout the district, highlighted their outstanding qualities, and urged the Board to support them.

Meghan O’Reilly Green, a parent of the district, addressed the School Board to express support for the Orion MI and Co-op programs, emphasizing the importance of adding a second Co-op TK class due to different enrollment patterns. She highlights the growth of both programs, noting the school is gaining students rather than losing them. Meghan advocates for collaboration between the programs and calls for a community discussion on growth. She also thanks the staff for their hard work.

Superintendent Baker clarified a misunderstanding, confirming that there would be a second TK class for the Orion co-op.

9.    Bond Program Consent Items

The School Board approved the Bond Program Consent Items (Li, Márquez; 4-0), taking the following action:

9.1    Recommendation re: Approval of Bond Program Consent Items
9.2    Recommendation re: Approval of Performance Audit Administration Services Agreement with Christy White, Inc.
9.3    Recommendation re: Approval of Proposal for Phase 2 Solar Procore Project Management Information Systems Software with Holt Renewables

Trustee Li (Ayes)
Trustee King (Ayes)
Trustee Márquez (Ayes)
Vice President Weekly (Abstain)
President Wells (Ayes)

10.    Bond Program Action Items

10.1    Recommendation re: Approval of Agreement for Rental and Purchase of Mobile Air Conditioning Units

Carl Landers addressed the School Board in support of the interim solution to the issue of hot classrooms, specifically the use of portable AC units. However, he opposed the idea of using bond funds to cover the cost of the rentals.

President Wells asked for clarification on whether a different funding source could be used to cover the cost of the rental units. In response, CBO Rick Edson explained that an alternative funding source could cover the rental costs, while bond funds could be used for the purchase of the AC units.

President Wells confirmed that the action item would be approved with the revised funding plan, using a different source for rentals and bond money for purchases.

The School Board approved the Agreement for Rental and Purchase of Mobile Air Conditioning Units (King, Li; 4-0).

Trustee Li (Ayes)
Trustee King (Ayes)
Trustee Márquez (Ayes)
Vice President Weekly (Abstain)
President Wells (Ayes)

Devon Mullane thanked the School Board for the solutions provided and raised a concern about the temporary AC units taking up valuable classroom space.

11.    School/Community Reports

11.1    Information on 2023-24 Financial and Performance Audits Building Fund (Measure T & S) for RCSD

Eide Bailly LLP, the District’s independent auditor, presented the 2023-24 financial and performance audit results for the Building Funds of Measure T and Measure S through Ahmad Gharaibeh, CPA. The audit found no exceptions, adjustments, or findings. The trustees had the opportunity to ask questions regarding the information presented.

11.2    Information on Financial Audit Report for RCSD for 2023-24 School Year

Eide Bailly LLP, the District’s independent auditor, presented the financial audit report for Redwood City School District for the 2023-2024 school year through Ahmad Gharaibeh, CPA. The trustees asked clarifying questions regarding the information presented.

11.3    Hoover and Roy Cloud School Presentations for the 2024-2025 School Year

Principal Lupe Guzman, Assistant Principal John-Michael Gomez, and Dean of Students Josh Griffith from Hoover Community School presented the school’s data, highlighting the alignment of site-level performance with the goals outlined in the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) and the School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA). The presentation covered successes, challenges, and site-specific actions aimed at supporting district and site priorities, including attendance and suspension rates, support for English learners, and academic performance in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

Public Comments

Larry Broussard reflected on his experience working for the school district and expressed appreciation for the staff. He emphasized the hard and stressful nature of their work and raised concerns about school safety, requesting the addition of stop signs and cones to improve safety around the school and crosswalk.

Laura Lentz, a teacher at Hoover school, described working at Hoover as the most challenging job of her career and expressed her deep appreciation for the administrative team's hard work and support in helping students. She highlighted how the faculty consistently shares best practices and expressed gratitude for the dedication of the staff at Hoover.

Lisbeth Estrada, a Hoover parent, addressed the School Board to commend the staff for their outstanding work and the emotional support they provide for students and families. She also highlighted BGCP’s contributions in supporting students both academically and emotionally.

The School Board and Superintendent Baker expressed their gratitude to Principal Lupe for her presentation and commended the Hoover staff’s efforts in implementing strategies to address site priorities. Board members also had the opportunity to provide feedback, make suggestions on what data they would like to see, and ask clarifying questions about the data presented.

Roy Cloud Presentation

Principal Melissa Bowdoin and Assistant Principal Jason Koenigsberg of Roy Cloud School presented their school’s data, highlighting the alignment of site-level performance with the goals outlined in the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) and the School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA). The presentation covered successes, challenges, and site-specific actions aimed at supporting district and site priorities, including attendance and suspension rates, support for English learners, and academic performance in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

The School Board and Superintendent Baker expressed their gratitude to Principal Melissa Bowdoin and Assistant Principal Jason Koenigsberg for the presentation and commended Roy Cloud staff’s efforts in implementing strategies to address site priorities. Board members also had the opportunity to provide feedback and ask clarifying questions about the data presented.

12.    Consent Items

The School Board approved the Consent Items (Li, King; 4-0), taking the following action: 

12.1    Recommendation re:  Approval of Consent Items
12.2    Recommendation re:  Approval of the January 8 Board Meeting Minutes
12.3    Recommendation re:  Approval of the January 10 Board Meeting Minutes
12.4    Recommendation re:  Approval of the January 15 Board Meeting Minutes
12.5    Recommendation re:  Approval of Addendum to 2024-25 Measure U Application for Hoover
12.6    Recommendation re:  Approval of Addendum to the 2024-25 Measure U Application for McKinley Institute of Technology (MIT)
12.7    Recommendation re:  Approval of Addendum to the 2024-25 Measure U Application for Kennedy Middle School
12.8    Recommendation re:  Award of Bid to Supply Specialty Protein Products

Trustee Li (Ayes)
Trustee King (Ayes)
Trustee Márquez (Ayes)
Vice President Weekly (Abstain)
President Wells (Ayes)

13.    Action Items

13.1    Recommendation re:  Acceptance of the Redwood City Teachers Association's Sunshine Proposal

No questions or comments from the School Board.

The School Board accepted the Redwood City Teachers Association's Sunshine Proposal (Márquez, King; 4-0). 

Trustee Li (Ayes)
Trustee King (Ayes)
Trustee Márquez (Ayes)
Vice President Weekly (Abstain)
President Wells (Ayes)

13.2    Recommendation re:  Receipt of Governing Board's initial proposal for negotiations with the Redwood City Teachers Association for the 2025-2026 School Year

No questions or comments from the School Board.

The School Board received the initial proposal for negotiations with the Redwood City Teachers Association for the 2025-2026 School Year (Márquez, Li; 4-0)

Trustee Li (Ayes)
Trustee King (Ayes)
Trustee Márquez (Ayes)
Vice President Weekly (Abstain)
President Wells (Ayes)

14.    Board and Superintendent Reports

14.1    Report from Board Members and Superintendent

Trustee Márquez reported that she is on the OYE Conference planning committee and informed the trustees that the conference is scheduled for March 22. She also reported attending the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee alongside Trustee Li.

Trustee Li reported touring Adelante Selby Spanish Immersion School.

Trustee King had nothing to report.

President Wells reported attending the Chamber Education Committee Meeting, where discussions included the budget, as well as education-related bills and proposals. Additionally, Trustee Wells reported attending the Bond Oversight Committee meeting.

Vice President Weekly reported touring Hoover, Taft, and Garfield schools and praised the improvements made to the food program.

Superintendent Baker stated that all the events he attended had already been mentioned.

15.     Information

15.1    RCSD Review of Rocketship Redwood City Charter School's First Interim Financial Report for FY 2024-25

No questions or comments.

15.2    RCSD Review of Connect Community Charter First Interim Financial Report for FY 2024-25
No questions or comments.

15.3    RCSD Review of KIPP Excelencia Community Prep's First Interim Financial Report for FY 2024-25

No questions or comments.

15.4    RCSD Review of Rocketship Redwood City Charter School's Audit Report for FY 2023-24

No questions or comments.

15.5    RCSD Review of Connect Community Charter School's Audit Report for FY 2023-24

No questions or comments.

15.6    RCSD Review of KIPP Excelencia Community Prep's Audit Report for FY 2023-24

No questions or comments.

16.    Correspondence

President Wells reported receiving an invitation to a Healthy Cities Tutoring Fundraiser event.

17.    Other Business/Suggested Items for Future Agenda

Trustee King suggested revisiting the Parcel Tax discussion.

18.    Board Meetings Calendar

18.1    Changes to the Board Meetings Calendar

A closed session board meeting was scheduled for February 26 at 5:45 p.m.

Trustee Li asked when the Connect Community Charter School Renewal Petition would be approved, and CBO Rick Edson provided a response.

19.    Adjournment

The School Board adjourned the meeting at 9:35 p.m. (King, Li; 4-0). 

Cecilia Márquez, Clerk