October 17, 2018

The October 17 meeting of the Board of Education began with no announcements out of Closed Session.   

Next, Michelle Ramirez, a parent that has had a positive impact at Robinson Elementary, led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Students from Terronez Middle School were present and spoke about what they love about their school, and being a Terronez student.

Next, Malak Sarama, ASB representative from Sunnyside High School shared with the board ideas for this year’s SAB project. She spoke how Club ”Don’t Laugh at Me” is currently visiting elementary schools and performing skits and plays for students to prevent bullying. SAB members are also looking for an appropriate way to respond to bullying thru kindness, emotional support and self-acceptance. Sarama shared that Sunnyside High School is hosting a Halloween Carnival night and the Unified Soccer is being hosted for the first time. Students are also working on FAFSA and CSU applications. Sunnyside was recently honored as a state champion for helping students complete financial aid applications.

The board then adopted two resolutions:

  • Recognizing the Month of October as LGBT History Month, resolution accepted by Erica Hasenbeck and Kellen Dart along with several Fresno Unified students.
  • Recognizing the Month of October as National Cyber Security Awareness Month, resolution accepted by Gaston Middle School student Jairo Brito Sanchez.

Next, Superintendent Nelson provided a brief report to the Board of Education including:

  • The launch of eLearning Companion Device Initiative, LCD program.   Over the next three years, Fresno Unified will provide all interested students with tablets to use at home to make sure they have the educational resources and tools they need outside of the classroom.  This new initiative puts a tablet in the hands of students who want and need it, providing them academic support beyond the school site.  This is the district’s largest investment and distribution of tablets for home use ever with the plan to provide 24,000 tablets per year for the next three years. In the first phase, students in pre-K, TK, kinder and grades 9 through 11 will have the option of receiving one of these new tablets. 
  • Nelson also shared the annual School Choice Expo is October 25 at Duncan Polytechnical High School, in where nearly 30 magnet and specialized schools will be there to share their unique programs. The Expo provides an opportunity for students and families to come to one location and learn about the various school choice options our district has from visual and performing arts, International Baccalaureate (IB), science/technology/engineering/ mathematics (STEM), dual language programs, world languages, early college to career technical education and many more.
  • Superintendent noted that the high school eFuel sports league had begun. Competition play opened up with 10 high school teams represented. Students from both comprehensive and alternative education sites are participating in this inaugural season.  Teams are competing in the Rocket League, which is car-meets-soccer-meets-Indy car like sport. This innovative new eSport is building skill sets for those interested in going into the coding and gaming development field.  Currently there are more than 200 colleges and universities around the country that are providing scholarships for eSports athletes, giving them opportunities to engage in gaming career pathways. He shared a video highlighting the new program.
  • Superintendent highlighted that the Board will vote tonight on a purchase agreement that will allow the district to buy the old juvenile hall campus at Ventura and 10th Street.  The County of Fresno has owned that property since the 1800’s and for 62 years, that building served as a jail to the youth of the city.  With the Board’s approval, Fresno Unified will demolish the building and replace it with a new state-of-the-art facility.  Nelson shared pictures from a walk-through he took with Board leadership the day prior.

Next, the Board of Education took the following action on the below consent agenda items:

  • Approved Personnel List
  • Adopted Findings of Fact and Recommendations of the District Administrative Board
  • Approved Minutes from Prior Meeting, September 19, 2018
  • Adopted Resolution 18-07, Acknowledging that New Construction Funding Bond Authority Under the State Facility Program is Exhausted
  • Approved Award of Bid 19-05 Phase 1A. Installation of District Video Security System at Elementary Schools: Aynesworth, Kirk Lawless, Leavenworth, Phoenix, Turner, Viking and Wishon
  • Approved Budget Revision No. 2 for fiscal Year 2018/19
  • Approved Provisional Internship Permits
  • Denied Claim #GL18-0323-1498
  • Denied Claim #GL18-0403-1579
  • Ratified Addendum to Master Services Contract Agreement with the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center, Inc.
  • Ratified Agreement with Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Early Stars Program
  • Ratified Amendment to CalWorks Agreement for  2018/19
  •  Ratified Change Orders for Various Projects (Trustee Ashjian abstained pursuant to board Bylaw 9270)
    • Bid 18-02, Adult Transition Program Modernization
    • Bid 18-09, Construction of Classroom Buildings and Modernization of Administration Building for Slater Elementary School
    • Bid 18-10, Construction of Classroom Building 100 at Figarden Elementary School
    • Bid 18-20, Gaston Middle School Portable Classroom Relocation and Infrastructure
    • Bid 18-22, Rata High School Modernization
    • Bid 18-24, Section C, Water Conservation and Irrigation Improvements at Ericson Elementary School
    • Bid 18-40, Bullard High School North Parking Lot Asphalt Reconstruction
  • Ratified the Filling of Notices of Completion for Various Projects (Trustee Ashjian abstained pursuant to board Bylaw 9270)
    • Bid 18-23, Sections A-C, Exterior Painting at Various School Sites
    • Bid18-24, Section A, Water Conservation and Irrigation Improvements at Jefferson Elementary School
    • Bid 18-40, Bullard High School north Parking Lot Asphalt Reconstruction
  • Purchase Orders from August1, 2018 through August 31, 2018, Item (A-15) was pulled from the agenda due to the lack of sufficient quorum to vote, it will return at the December 12 board meeting 

Next, the Board of Education took the following action on the below conference/discussion agenda items:

  • Public Disclosure and Ratification of the  2018-2021 Negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement between Fresno Unified School District and the California School Employees Association, Chapter  125
  • Discussed and Adopted Resolution 18-01, approving the Execution of a Sale/Purchase Agreement and Escrow Instructions Between Fresno Unified and the County of Fresno Pertaining to a  12.5 Acre Parcel of Land Located Near the Intersection of East Ventura Avenue and South Tenth Street in Southeast Fresno, and Also Approved Related Matters
  • Presented and Discussed the California Dashboard Overview Series, Part Two

Next, the Board received information and Report agenda items:

  • Received the Fresno Area Substitute Teachers Association Initial Proposal to the Fresno Unified School District for the 2019-2022 Successor Agreement
  • Received the  Fresno Unified School District Proposal to the Fresno Are Substitute Teachers Association for the 2019-2022 Successor Agreement
  • Received the Service Employees international Union, Local 521, Initial Proposal to  the Fresno Unified School District for the  2019-2022 Successor Agreement
  • Received the Fresno Unified School District Initial Proposal to Service Employees international Union, Local 521, for the 2019-2022 Successor Agreement.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Education is Wednesday, November 14, 2018 at the Fresno Unified Education Center, located at 2309 Tulare St. in Fresno. Complete minutes and agendas are available online at https://go.fresnou.org/board.

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