Chino Valley Unified Board of Education: January 16, 2020

Public comment took up about an hour of the open meeting: parents and teachers from Butterfield Ranch Elementary in Chino Hills raised concerns about the school's leadership, and a second large group spoke for a Chino Hills High girls' soccer coach. The board ratified a classified-union agreement, gave top administrators matching raises and raised substitute pay. Late in board communications, members clashed over the sex-education curriculum.

About this record. This page draws on the signed minutes 1, which the board approved on February 6, 2020 2, plus the agenda packet and the meeting video. Names are paired with what people said, moved or seconded only where the minutes do so, or, attributed, where press reports do.

🏫 Butterfield Ranch Elementary

For non-agenda comments, the minutes list seven speakers who addressed the board about Butterfield Ranch leadership concerns, and Reema Khan, who spoke about both the school and the soccer coach 3. The minutes record who spoke and on what subject, not what each said, and speakers were called by name on the recording, so remarks are not summarized here.

Champion Newspapers reported that 24 of the school's 27 teachers had asked to transfer out, allegedly over dissatisfaction with the principal's leadership, and that parents and teachers at the meeting described the campus as "unwelcoming, unsupportive, awful and unbearable" 4. The paper also reported parents' accounts that disruptive students were not being removed from class, including a kindergartner alleged to have pushed and kicked a teacher who needed medical treatment 4.

• Andrew Cruz addressed the leadership concerns and said he supports a change in leadership 5: "as for me I recommend the change so I support new leadership for Butterfield" 6.
• James Na commented on the statements made about the school and about student behavior, and acknowledged the parents for raising concerns 5. "I cannot imagine kid punching a teacher," he said 7.
• Irene Hernandez-Blair said the board is receiving updates on what is being done, spoke about new laws that limit student discipline, and asked Superintendent Enfield to follow up on reports about guns and physical attacks on teachers at the school 5: "if there is hitting if there are threats that that needs to be addressed" 8.
• Christina Gagnier acknowledged the parents who reported concerns 5, and President Joe Schaffer said things are being addressed 1. Superintendent Enfield made no comments in his communications turn 5.

Non-agenda comment ran past 30 minutes, and the board agreed by consensus to keep hearing the remaining speakers 9.

What happened next. On February 8, the Champion reported that the superintendent had announced the principal would be out of the position "indefinitely" from February 3, and that the district had hired an outside firm to investigate 10. At the February 6 meeting, CHAMP president Tom Mackessy expressed disappointment at the situation at the school, spoke about uncertainty, fear and mistrust among administrators, and thanked Superintendent Enfield for removing the administrator to the District office, according to that meeting's minutes 11.

⚽ Chino Hills High soccer coach

The minutes record eleven speakers who addressed the board in support of the Chino Hills High girls' varsity soccer coach 3. They do not say what the speakers asked for. During board communications, Andrew Cruz commented on the coach, Andy Placensia, and James Na thanked him 5.

💼 Pay and labor decisions

• CSEA agreement. After a public hearing at which no one spoke, the board ratified the tentative agreement with the California School Employees Association and its Chino Chapter 102 for July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2021, on a motion by Andrew Cruz, seconded by Irene Hernandez-Blair 3. The packet lists a 2.5% raise from July 1, 2019 plus a 0.5% one-time payment, and 2% from July 1, 2020 plus 1% one-time 12, a 2019/20 cost increase of $1,583,233, or 3% 13. CSEA president Danny Hernandez spoke about the agreement and acknowledged the negotiating teams' work 14, calling it a contract "completed in record time" 15.
• Administrators' contracts. On a motion by James Na, seconded by Christina Gagnier, the board approved addenda giving the superintendent and the associate and assistant superintendents the same raise schedule 16, at a packet-estimated cost of $40,427 ongoing plus $8,085 one-time in 2019/20 17.
• Certificated substitutes. On a motion by Na, seconded by Cruz, the board approved a pay increase for substitute teachers 16. The memo says it was the first since 2014 and that neighboring districts paid more; the daily rate goes from $125 to $140, and the long-term rate from $140 to $155 18. A.C.T. president Brenda Walker spoke about the increase 14, thanking the district for recognizing the need "to be competitive with surrounding districts so that we can secure substitutes" 19.
• Classified substitutes. On a motion by Hernandez-Blair, seconded by Na, the board approved a revised classified substitute salary schedule 16 that covers all classifications and aligns with Step A of the CSEA schedule 20.
• School Counseling Week. On a motion by Na, seconded by Gagnier, the board adopted a proclamation for National School Counseling Week, February 3 to 7, 2020 3. CHAMP president Tom Mackessy spoke about what school counselors do to help students succeed 14.

📚 The sex-education exchange

Andrew Cruz commented on the board's earlier action "regarding SB 673 and provided information about the curriculum," as the minutes put it 5. On the recording he said he had received "numerous phone calls" 21, described sexual content he said "those responsible are adding" to "our public education teaching materials" 22, and called exposure to it "a form of mental abuse" 23.

Christina Gagnier responded to "the sex education curriculum comments made by a fellow Board member" and said the board should stop revisiting things that are inaccurate and false 5. She said she had read the junior high health textbook "just looking for trigger words" 24, and that "the things that were just said are not in our sex ed curriculum" 25.

President Schaffer said it is irresponsible for board members to consistently mischaracterize the sex education curriculum 1, called it "offensive to our teachers" 26, and said "none of this is in there" 27.

🗣️ Other comments

• From the public: the minutes list Chino Hills councilmember Cynthia Moran on information from the city; Melissa Compani from Supervisor Curt Hagman's office on unincorporated areas; Mike Kreeger of the fire board on its organizational meeting; Cathy Osman on technology in the classroom; Troy Stevens and Sebastian Cognetta on Allegiance STEAM Academy; and Larry Ortega on a community technology risk advisory 3. The Champion's "Here & There" column reported that Moran said the city had cut fines for cars parked without permits at Ayala and Chino Hills high schools, and that she was denied extra time when her three minutes ran out 28.
• Andrew Cruz also spoke about the book Life Animated and the World Health Organization's global vaccine safety summit 5, a December 2019 event in Geneva 29.
• James Na spoke about Allegiance STEAM Academy and said he hopes for a five-year approval 5. On February 6 the board adopted a five-year renewal running to June 30, 2025 30.
• Gagnier noted the January 18 veterans' monument dedication in Chino Hills and VEX Robotics competitions 5; Schaffer said Baldy View ROP did not receive the state Career Technical Education incentive grant but is hopeful about a K-12 Strong Workforce grant 1.

🎓 Reports

• Student representative Audrey Ing reported on high school activities 14. (The minutes print "Audry"; the agenda prints "Audrey".)
• College and Career Indicator. Curriculum staff gave the annual report 14. As captioned, 48% of 2019 graduates rated prepared and 35% not prepared 31, placing the district in the yellow band 32.
• Audits. The board received the 2018/19 audit 33. The auditor reported an unmodified opinion, "the highest level of assurance" 34, with no significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting 35; the Measure G bond audit was also unmodified, with no internal control findings 365.

✅ Consent and closed session

On a motion by Na, seconded by Cruz, the board approved the consent items 16, among them:

• the E-Rate data networking services award for 2020/21 to Charter Communications Operating LLC 37, a General Fund cost of $1,058,580 38;
• rejecting both emergency operations plan bids, over budget at $148,700 and $165,450, and re-bidding 3739;
• joining the Education Technology Joint Powers Authority 40, a purchasing vehicle for technology 41;
• revising Board Policy 0450 on safety plans 42 for AB 1747, which requires sharing approved plans with law enforcement and other first responders 43;
• a daytime tennis-court rate of $20 to $30 an hour, and three new electronics technician positions 4244;
• completion notices for Chino High, Ayala High and Briggs K-8 projects 45, and board pay for Na and Cruz for the missed December 12, 2019 meeting 16.

From closed session, the board voted to accept a settlement agreement under which a classified employee resigned effective January 16, 2020 14; the employee number was corrected under changes and deletions 3. President Schaffer adjourned the meeting at 8:13 p.m. 1