Board of Education — October 18, 2018

October 18, 2018 — Board of Education

No official minutes are on file for this meeting, so this recap is drawn only from the meeting transcript. Because there is no minutes record to verify who said what, this page does not attribute any statement, comment, or position to a named individual — public speakers, board members, and staff are described by role only.

Public comment presses the board on leadership and conduct

The evening's public comment period drew three signed-up speakers 1. Two of them used their time to criticize a board member's conduct and public remarks, arguing the board member had disparaged the LGBTQ community and blended personal religious views with the board's oversight of a diverse student body, and that this fell short of what the role required 2.

A second speaker built on that criticism to challenge the board's governance structure. That speaker noted that the Education Code requires the board to elect a president each year but does not require the district's practice of rotating the presidency among members without a vote 3. The speaker argued the board should instead choose its president by majority vote, contending that the rotational system — as currently practiced — risked putting a poorly-prepared or divisive member in the chair and could hurt the board's efficiency and public standing 4.

A third speaker presses the district on student sign-in technology and data privacy

A third public speaker shifted the conversation to the district's Raptor visitor and student sign-in technology, describing an unresolved concern about how the system handles personal data 5. The speaker said a Public Records Act request for the district's Raptor subscription agreement had gone unanswered, even though the speaker had obtained and brought a copy of the agreement used by other districts 6.

Reading from that agreement, the speaker highlighted language stating the vendor "shall have the right but not the obligation to collect data and information related to subscribers['] use of the subscription services," with district users' aggregated, depersonalized data made available for the vendor's own use 7; the same clause states data will not be disclosed "in an aggregated depersonalized manner that does not disclose the identity of subscriber or any person associated with subscriber" 8. The speaker also flagged an indemnification clause obligating the district to defend and cover the vendor's costs if the vendor is sued over mishandled data 9. The speaker asked the board to publicly acknowledge the issue and to stop collecting sign-in data until the agreement is reviewed and revised 10.

Closed session: two appointments, two employee appeals

The board reconvened at 7:01 p.m. from a closed session held earlier that evening covering pending litigation, a student expulsion matter, public employee discipline and dismissal, two personnel appointments, and labor negotiations with the district's certificated and classified employee groups 11. Coming out of closed session, the board reported two appointments: an assistant principal at Chino Hills High School, effective November 2, 2018, and a coordinator for teacher support, effective November 1, 2018 1213. The board also announced decisions on two employee complaint appeals 1415.

Whitman Elementary students showcase community-service projects

The meeting's centerpiece was a student showcase from Whitman Elementary's leadership program, introduced following the Pledge of Allegiance 16. School staff described a program, now in its 15th year, that gives fourth, fifth, and sixth graders leadership opportunities built around community service 17; students applying to the program must complete a service project reaching beyond the school and into the community 18.

Three student groups presented their projects:

• A teacher-appreciation kit drive. Two sixth-grade students described assembling 60 care packages — filled with items like chocolate, mints, hand sanitizer, tissues, and encouraging notes — for the staff of a nearby elementary school, made in just two days 1920. As the students put it, "leadership is serving others" 21.
• A singing visit to a seniors' home. A student organized a performance at the seniors' facility where her grandparents had recently moved, enlisting her mother (described as a voice teacher) and the mother's own voice students 22. The residents were delighted, and the group said they'd been invited back 23.
• A kindness campaign built around stamped keys. Two students, a sixth grader and a fourth grader, described designing keys stamped with the word "kind" and distributing them with handmade cards, building an Instagram following that drew attention from schools and youth groups well outside the district 2425.

Board members praised the presentations, with one calling the students' generation an inspiration for practicing kindness and community service 26, and the board thanking the students' parents for raising children with those values 27.

Employee-group and community reports

A representative of the district's certificated management group (CHAMP) reported to the board 28, announcing an upcoming CHAMP-hosted speaker session on November 7 featuring two school principals discussing student engagement and school branding 29, including how to use social media to support a positive school climate 30. The representative thanked school administrators for encouraging participation in a district parent survey 31 and noted that Professional Learning Communities (PLC) training had taken place that day across the district's schools 32. The representative closed by thanking two board members whose service was ending with the board's coming December reorganization 33.

A community liaison, recently sworn in to the City of Chino's community services commission, gave the board an update on upcoming city events: pumpkin carving at a community garden, a holiday-basket registration drive, and a costumed senior dance, among other fall programming 343536.

Collective bargaining notice and hearing

The board opened and closed a public hearing on the district's initial bargaining proposal to the California School Employees Association (CSEA), Chino Chapter 102, for a successor agreement effective July 1, 2018 37; no speakers came forward 38.

Consent calendar: booster clubs and a bingo compliance review

Two items were pulled from the consent calendar for separate discussion: general booster organizations for Chino Hills High School and Ramona Junior High, and a Chino Hills High School booster fundraiser involving weekly bingo. The board approved the general booster organizations, while asking for a provisional approval process on the associated fundraising event pending further review 39.

On the bingo fundraiser specifically, a board member raised compliance concerns under California's Penal Code bingo provisions, which require that bingo games be run only by members of the authorized nonprofit organization without individual profit-sharing 40, and flagged that the booster handbook's language on "cooperative fundraising" and "individual fundraising accounts" could risk the organization's IRS tax-exempt status if funds were credited to individual students or families 41. The board granted a provisional approval for the bingo fundraiser through January 17, 2019, while staff gathers additional information to confirm compliance 42.

Retirements, board comments, and adjournment

The board recognized four retiring staff members: a school secretary at Eagle Canyon Elementary after 28 years of service, a school secretary at Oak Ridge after 19 years, a nutritional-services employee at Don Lugo after 29 years, and a nutritional-services assistant at Don Lugo High School after 32 years 43.

In board and staff comments, one board member described attending a district music showcase and praised a booster club's work organizing it 44; another described attending high school football games and reflected on the recent death of a student at Chino Hills High School, sending condolences to the family 4546; and another asked staff to follow up directly on the evening's Raptor data-privacy concerns 47. District administration closed by noting that all district schools had participated in the statewide "Great ShakeOut" earthquake drill that day 48, thanking administrators, teachers, classified staff, and students for their participation 49.

The meeting adjourned at 7:47 p.m. 50