Excerpts from the Regular Meeting of the Cypress School District 
Board of Trustees held on May 14, 2020
SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
Employee of the Year Recognitions
Employee of the Year nominees and winners were announced and congratulated by the Board of Trustees. The district postponed recognition of its Teacher of the Year, Classified Employee of the Year, and Administrator of the Year nominees and awardees to the May Board Meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Teacher of the Year
Nominees for 2019/20 Teacher of the Year were:
  • Caralyn Tiehen, Education Specialist, Arnold
  • Colleen Ferreira, Second Grade Teacher, King
  • Jessica Holinsworth, Fourth Grade Teacher, Landell
  • Molly Chang, Sixth Grade Teacher, Luther
  • Danielle Shaddow, Education Specialist, Morris
  • Jeannie Kim, Third Grade Teacher, Vessels
 
From the nominees, the Association of Cypress Teachers membership elected Molly Chang as the district's Teacher of the Year. Molly was also named as one of the 15 semifinalists in the Orange County Department of Education Teachers of the Year contest. 

Classified Employee of the Year
Nominees for 2019/20 Classified Employee of the Year were:
  • Betty Ann Platt, Administrative Assistant, Landell
  • Nadia Matta, Paraeducator-Instruction, King
  • Corry Smith, Paraeducator-Instruction, Landell
  • Timmi Pearson, Paraeducator-Behavior, Vessels

From the nominees, Timmi Pearson was selected as the district's Classified Employee of the Year. She was also selected as the Orange County Department of Education finalist in the Paraeducator and Instructional Assistance category and has advanced to the statewide competition.

Administrator of the Year
Tandy Taylor, Director of Instructional Services, was selected by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) as the Region 17 Curriculum and Instruction Administrator of the Year. Tandy was selected to receive the state-level ACSA award as well.

Recognition of 2019/20 Retirees
The following employees who retired or announced their retirement during the 2019/20 school year were recognized for their years of service to the district:  
  • Michael Perez, Lead Maintenance Worker, 26 years
  • Maxine Smiley, Student Activity Supervisor, 25 years
  • Dorothy Gotreau, Office Assistant-Elementary School, 24 years
  • Isy Smithhisler, Administrative Assistant-Elementary School, 19 years
  • Michelle Bailey, Paraeducator, 17 years
  • Audrey (Kristine) Conwell, Teacher, 16 years
  • Enrique Uvidia, Custodian, 3 years
BOARD ACTIONS
Administrative Appointment
The Board took action to appoint Emma Connoy as the new Principal at Landell. 

License to Use Agreements
Agreements for use of vacant school sites were approved as follows:

Organization: Grace Christian School
School Site: Cawthon (entire school site)
Term: 7/1/20 – 6/30/21
Monthly Rate: $30,110.94

Organization: Cypress Recreation & Park District (Kids Corner program)
School Site: Swain (3 classrooms)
Term: 7/1/20 – 6/30/21
Monthly Rate: $655.83

Organization: Wisdom Mission School & Chapel
School Site: Swain (main office, multipurpose room, kitchen, 6 classrooms)
Term: 7/1/20 – 6/30/21
Monthly Rate: $7,765.85

Renewal of Agreements 
The following agreements were renewed:

Organization: California State University-Long Beach
Services: Early fieldwork, student teaching, and educational administration program fieldwork
Term: Five years concluding on June 30, 2025
Cost: $0

Agency: Orange County Department of Education
Service: Network Support Services
Contract Term: 7/1/20-6/30/21
Not-to-Exceed Cost: $4,600

Agency: Orange County Department of Education
Service: Internet Access
Contract Term: 7/1/20-6/30/21
Cost: $0

Vendor: Raptor Technologies
Service: Raptor Alert Monitoring license and technical support
Contract Term: 6/2/20-6/1/21
Cost: $3,390

Vendor: Gold Star Foods
Service: Distribution of processed USDA foods and commercial food products
Contract Term: 7/1/20-6/30/21
Not-to-Exceed Cost: $300,000

Purchase and Installation of SMART Interactive Panels 
In the third phase of a three-year SMART Board refreshment plan, the Board approved contracting with Alpha Solutions for the purchase and installation of 15 SMART interactive panels for classrooms across the district at a total cost of $65,304.07. 

Morris Drainage Improvement Project
The Board approved contracting with M.P. South, Inc. for a project to pump excess water that accumulates on the Morris playground and parking lot into the public right-of-way following major storm events at a total cost of $198,894.80.

2019/20 Education Protection Account
Funds generated by Proposition 30, the temporary tax increase passed in 2012, are deposited in a state Education Protection Account for school districts. At the May meeting, the Board adopted a resolution approving the district's spending determination of the Education Protection Account for 2019/20 in the amount of $764,154. All funds will be used for instructional purposes and teacher salaries. The resolution and accounting of the district's 2019/20 funding plan are available on the district website.

Increased School Facilities Fees Imposed on New Development Projects 
The Board held a public hearing regarding a proposed increase to residential and commercial/industrial developer fees based on a school fee justification study performed by Cooperative Strategies, LLC. There were no comments from the public, and the Board subsequently adopted a resolution to increase fees to the maximum allowed by law. Under the new fee structure, the district will receive $2.04 per square foot for residential development and $0.33 per square foot for commercial/industrial development.

Board Compensation for Missed Meeting
Per Board Bylaw 9250, the Board must take action to authorize full compensation for any Board Member who was absent from a meeting. The Board adopted a resolution authorizing full compensation for the month of April for Trustee Brian Nakamura, who was unable to attend the April 27, 2020, Special Board Meeting.

Grading During Emergency Student Dismissal
The Board adopted a resolution setting parameters for continued distance learning and grading during the period of student dismissal due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Updated Board Policies and Administrative Regulations
The following updated Board Policies and Administrative Regulations were adopted by the Board:

BP 3471 Parcel Taxes
BP 3551 Food Service Operations/Cafeteria Fund 
AR 3551 Food Service Operations/Cafeteria Fund 
BP 4112.2 Certification
BP 4113.5/4213.5/4313.5 Working Remotely 
BP 5141.52 Suicide Prevention
AR 5141.52 Suicide Prevention
BP 5144.1 Suspension and Expulsion/Due Process 
AR 5144.1 Suspension and Expulsion/Due Process 
BP 6157 Distance Learning
BP 6172.1 Concurrent Enrollment in College Classes
BOARD DISCUSSION
Board Self-Evaluation
The Board agreed to complete the California School Boards Association's online Board Self-Evaluation Survey starting the week of May 18. The results will be reviewed at the June 18 Board Meeting. The cost for the survey is $200.
FULL BOARD AGENDA
Additional information from the Board Meeting is available  here .
NEXT MEETINGS
Regular Meetings:
Thursday, June 11, 2020 - Open Session 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 18, 2020 - Open Session 7:00 p.m.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES 
Candi Kern - Sandra Lee - Brian Nakamura - Bonnie Peat - Lydia Sondhi, Ph.D. 
 
SUPERINTENDENT 
Anne Silavs