Chino Valley Unified Board of Education: November 21, 2019

The board replaced its automatic rotation of officers with an annual election of the president, vice president and clerk, and endorsed the Schools and Communities First Funding Act, a proposed November 2020 ballot measure to reassess commercial and industrial property. Andrew Cruz and James Na voted no on both 1. The open session also heard a school-safety update and union concerns about the substitute shortage.

About this record. This page draws on the signed minutes 2, which the board approved without amendment on December 12, 2019 3, plus the agenda packet and the meeting video. Names are paired with what people said, moved or seconded only where the minutes do so.

A closed session on litigation, student discipline, labor negotiations, employee discipline and the superintendent's evaluation ran from 4:50 to 5:42 p.m. with no reportable action; no one commented on closed-session items 4.

🗳️ Officers elected, not rotated (Bylaw 9100)

The packet memo, submitted in Christina Gagnier's name, says she asked Superintendent Enfield on October 29, 2019, to agendize revising the bylaw's language on electing officers, and that the change was presented as information on November 7 5. The redline struck the rule that the board identifies "its entire slate of officers on a rotating basis" 6 and the order in which members moved up each year, replacing them with "THE BOARD SHALL EACH YEAR ELECT ITS ENTIRE SLATE OF OFFICERS," in open session at the annual organizational meeting 7.

Sylvia Orozco addressed the board on the item; the minutes record that she spoke but not what she said 1. Following discussion, the board approved the revisions as presented on a motion by Christina Gagnier, seconded by Irene Hernandez-Blair. Andrew Cruz and James Na voted no, and the student representative voted yes 1. The minutes do not summarize the discussion, so remarks from the dais are not reported here.

What came next. The December 12 organizational meeting was held with Cruz and Na absent 8. There, Irene Hernandez-Blair nominated Joe Schaffer, and with no other nominations he was elected president 9. The question did not stay settled: in December 2023 KVCR reported that the board had implemented a rotation system that January and had just voted to get rid of it 10.

💵 Schools and Communities First resolution

The packet memo says A.C.T. President Brenda Walker asked on November 8 to place a resolution endorsing the measure on this agenda 11. The resolution states that a loophole lets major commercial and industrial properties avoid regular reassessment, that California's school funding is $2,400 per pupil below the national average, and that the measure would provide about $5.3 billion a year for K-14 schools 12. In her employee-group remarks, Walker thanked the board for placing it on the agenda 13.

Christina Gagnier moved and Irene Hernandez-Blair seconded to discuss the item. Following discussion, James Na moved and Andrew Cruz seconded to table it; that motion failed, with Hernandez-Blair, Gagnier and Joe Schaffer voting no. The original motion to endorse the resolution then carried, with Cruz and Na voting no; the student representative voted yes 1.

The coalition's measure reached the November 2020 ballot as Proposition 15, which called for reassessing commercial properties every three years. Voters rejected it, EdSource reported in a story republished by Local News Matters 14.

🚨 Risk management: safety and security

Whitney Fields, Director of Risk Management and Human Resources, gave an update on environmental health and safety, mandated training, emergency management, security and school safety plan compliance 13. From the presentation, as captioned:

• Mandated online training, including anti-harassment and child-abuse reporting, stood at about 90 percent completion across 38 locations 15.
• The district sought a consultant 16 to write a district-wide Emergency Operations plan and run tabletop exercises with district administration 17.
• Classroom lockdown kits are the next step after the emergency containers placed at every site in 2018 18; a sample kit was on display 19.
• With San Bernardino County's Office of Emergency Services, each school will get a red flag and a green flag 20 to show first responders whether aid is needed 21.
• An employee emergency notification system with a panic-button feature 22 was set to launch in February 2020 23.
• A full-day training for all security personnel was scheduled 24, and three new security vehicles were due in December 2019 25.

CSEA President Danny Hernandez thanked Fields and Laurie Griego for the presentation and spoke about implementing a safety plan across the district 13; on the recording he said emergency evacuation planning had always taken place at school sites but not at district-level departments 26.

👩‍🏫 Employee and student reports

• Brenda Walker (A.C.T.) marked American Education Week, congratulated teachers Tracy Buss (Liberty ES) and Kristin Knight (Canyon Hills JHS) on their honors, and spoke about the lack of substitutes and certificated staff support 13. "Our nurses are even performing double duty because there are no subs for our nurses," she said, as captioned 27.
• Tom Mackessy (CHAMP) thanked Dr. Johnson and Dr. Enfield for attending the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools PBIS program where 26 district schools were recognized 13. The Champion later reported that 26 of the district's 32 schools had received state PBIS medals 28.
• Student representative Audrey Ing reported on high school activities, including CPR training for Ayala High seniors 13.

🎤 Public comment

On non-agenda items, the minutes list Don Bridge and Sharon Duran on the Principal for a Day program; Gerardo Sanchez on the need for more psychologists; Suzette Dang, field representative for Supervisor Curt Hagman, announcing Hagman's Christmas Open House on December 5 at Chino Hills City Hall; and Cathy Osman on technology in the classroom 1. The minutes do not record what each speaker said, so remarks are not summarized here.

📋 Agenda changes and consent

Revisions to the Classified Substitute Salary Schedule were pulled from the agenda 1. The packet proposal would have listed every classification and aligned substitute rates to Step A of the CSEA salary schedule 29; the board approved revisions to the schedule on January 16, 2020 30.

The consent calendar was approved on a motion by Christina Gagnier, seconded by Irene Hernandez-Blair 31. Among the items:

• Set December 12, 2019, at 6:00 p.m. for the annual organizational meeting 32.
• Revised Bylaw 9321 on closed sessions, deleting Bylaw 9321.1, and Bylaw 9323 on meeting conduct 32. The 9323 redline moves routine adjournment from 10:00 to 9:00 p.m. unless a majority extends the meeting to a specific time, no more than once 33.
• Approved a memorandum of understanding with the South Coast Air Quality Management District 32 for its Why Healthy Air Matters (WHAM) curriculum in Advanced Placement Environmental Science at Chino Hills and Chino high schools 34.
• Amended the Richard Gird Educational Hall of Fame bylaws, approved two student expulsion cases, and approved school trips for Marshall ES and Chino Hills HS 32.
• Approved change orders on three construction projects and four notices of completion 35; one change order cut the Ayala HS gym and kitchen HVAC contract by $51,260.09 36.
• Rejected all proposals for a new student information system 37; seven firms had responded, and technology staff decided not to award 38.
• Revised Board Policy 7140 on architectural and engineering services, rejected claims, and created a Digital Media and Video Production Specialist position 37, which the packet costs at $90,817 including benefits 39.

💬 Board communications

• Joe Schaffer spoke about a Chino Neighborhood House fundraiser and the services it provides 37; on the recording he said it was founded by two school nurses in 1945 40 and serves about 1,100 community members a month, as captioned 41. He asked Superintendent Enfield to talk about attracting substitutes and streamlining the process, and reported on a Veterans Day program at Cattle ES, the November 16 Los Serranos Park dedication and the Community Principal for a Day event 37.
• Christina Gagnier thanked attendees, especially teachers and parents from the Butterfield Ranch ES community, and those who shared concerns; the minutes do not say what the concerns were. She announced a Lyft offer of over $500,000 in ride credits for San Bernardino-based nonprofits, spoke about the city of Chino's Teen Opportunity program, and extended support to the Saugus HS community after the recent tragedies 42. A student had opened fire at Saugus High in Santa Clarita on November 14, killing two students 43.
• Andrew Cruz spoke about substitutes and site leadership and about the request for more school psychologists, encouraged A.C.T. leadership to share its needs with the board, and spoke about 21st century education and gratitude 42.
• Irene Hernandez-Blair announced a Boys Republic HS bakery sale on November 27 and 28 42.
• James Na recognized the Butterfield Ranch ES attendees, noted with appreciation that A.C.T. leadership attended the Los Serranos Park dedication and that CSEA leadership hosted barbecues for new members, and spoke about Joyce Butler, a former community member who advocated doing something for kids in her community 2.
• Superintendent Enfield wished everyone a happy Thanksgiving 42. President Na adjourned the meeting at 7:29 p.m. 2