Chino Valley Unified Board of Education: February 6, 2020

Concerns at Butterfield Ranch Elementary drew 17 of the evening's 22 speakers on items not on the agenda 1. The board also renewed the Allegiance STEAM Academy-Thrive charter for five years, adopted resolutions for up to $45 million in refunding bonds and up to $275 million in new Measure G bonds, and approved its consent calendar 2. All five members were present; President Joe Schaffer adjourned the meeting at 7:59 p.m. 34.

This page follows the board's signed minutes, which the board approved on its February 20, 2020 consent calendar 5. Names, motions and attributed remarks come from those minutes, which call Irene Hernandez-Blair "Hernandez" in the roll call and "Blair" in vote lines 32. Recording quotes appear only where the minutes give that subject to the speaker.

🏫 Butterfield Ranch Elementary

The Champion reported two days later that parents had kept nearly half of Butterfield Ranch students home on January 30 and 31, that 24 tenured teachers had requested transfers, and that Superintendent Norm Enfield had announced principal Al Bennett would be out of the position "indefinitely" from February 3. It also reported that a kindergarten teacher had been arrested and cited on January 23 on allegations that she assaulted a student, and that the district had hired an outside firm to investigate 6.

Seventeen speakers addressed the board regarding concerns at Butterfield Ranch ES: Deagan Cauley, Kevin Butscher, Tricia Cauley, Debra Johnson, Misty Startup, Dave Denny, Lisa Juarez, Jim Beyers, Mary Butscher, Jaaye Person-Lynn, Amy Desmet, Stephanie Anderson, Dale Melton, Marion Henderson, Aldo Flores, Monique Alexander, and Priscilla Iglesias 1. The minutes record who spoke but not what each said, so this page does not summarize individual remarks. Comment ran past its 30-minute limit, and the board agreed by consensus to hear the remaining speakers 7.

The Champion's account of the meeting reported that several Butterfield parents told the board the four teachers placed on leave had made positive impacts on their students and that their absence had disrupted learning, and that the mother of the student in the January 23 incident also spoke 8.

Tom Mackessy, CHAMP President, expressed disappointment at the situation at Butterfield Ranch ES, spoke about uncertainty, fear and mistrust being created among administrators, and thanked Superintendent Enfield for removing the administrator to the District office 1. On the recording he said he was disappointed in "those teachers who put in for a transfer just to make a point" 9, and, "choosing my words very deliberately," thanked the superintendent for sparing a colleague "an emotional lynching by a mob" 1011. The Champion reported that he spoke in support of Mr. Bennett 8.

🎓 Allegiance STEAM Academy-Thrive charter renewal

The charter was first granted conditionally on December 14, 2017, for a two-year term to serve up to 660 students in grades TK through 8; the renewal petition sought five more years and up to 960 students 12. Staff found it met the Education Code renewal criteria 13; the memo's fiscal impact is lost ADA and categorical funding for district students who enroll 14.

The first hearing covered the petition's five admissions preferences, which include siblings of current students, children of staff (capped at 10% of enrollment) and children living within district boundaries 12. Troy Stevens and Callie Moreno addressed the board 1. Na moved and Cruz seconded approval of the five preferences; the motion carried with Hernandez-Blair voting no, and the student representative voted yes 2.

The second hearing, on support for the petition among district teachers, other employees and parents, heard Vanessa Okamoto, Claudia Reynolds and Sebastian Cognetta 2; the minutes do not record what the hearing speakers said. On the same motion and second, with Hernandez-Blair again voting no, the board adopted Resolution 2019/2020-35 renewing the charter from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2025 2.

💰 Bond resolutions

Resolution 2019/2020-33 allows the sale of up to $45 million in refunding bonds to refinance part of the district's 2002-election Measure M bonds; the memo, prepared by Assistant Superintendent Gregory J. Stachura, estimated gross taxpayer savings of about $2.1 million 15. Resolution 2019/2020-34 covers the second sale of Measure G bonds, up to $275 million of the $750 million voters authorized in November 2016 16. Hernandez-Blair moved and Gagnier seconded each resolution, and both were adopted by roll call vote 2.

📋 Consent calendar

Gagnier moved and Hernandez-Blair seconded the consent items, and the motion carried 2. Among them:

• Board Policy 2121. The board approved a revision of the Superintendent's Contract policy 17, which the memo says adds professional development as an optional contract component and removes maximum cash settlement requirements for contracts executed before January 1, 2016 18. The revised policy lists "Professional development" among possible contract terms 19.
• Legal services. The minutes record approval of payment "to the law office of The Tao Firm" 20, while the agenda item and memo list three firms, Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo; Margaret A. Chidester & Associates; and The Tao Firm, with invoices totaling $131,193.96 21.
• Emergency kits. The board awarded the emergency preparedness classroom supply kits bid to Prep & Save LLC 22, the lowest of three bids at $300,968 23.
• Construction. The board approved change orders or notices of completion for work at Cattle, Litel and Oak Ridge elementary schools, the Briggs K-8 science building, Buena Vista HS, Ayala HS and the Alternative Education Center 2224. The Briggs change order adds $94,895 25.
• Other items. These included the January 16 minutes 17, an expulsion case and a 17-member Career Technical Education advisory committee 2022.

👥 Student and employee reports

Student representative Audrey Ing announced Student Government Day on February 13 and reported on high school activities 1. Danny Hernandez, CSEA President, thanked Canyon Hills JHS staff for administering life-saving procedures to a staff member, thanked payroll staff, and said he would like to see an agenda item giving the board the compensation increase that was voted down at the October 3 meeting 1.

🗣️ Other public comment

On items not on the agenda, James Houston addressed the board regarding Allegiance charter school; Cathy Osman regarding the use of technology; Marissa Murray and Tiffany McClure regarding gym use for color guard activities at Ayala HS; and Peter Attwood regarding special education 1. The minutes record the subjects but not what each speaker said. The Champion reported that Attwood publicly served Superintendent Enfield with a federal court complaint at the meeting 8.

🗨️ Board communications

From the dais, members were reminded before their remarks that district policy and the Education Code bar comment on pending personnel matters 26.

• Andrew Cruz spoke about community, the coronavirus outbreak and the state-approved sex education textbook he ordered, and said the Chino HS baseball field and Ayala HS gym concerns should be addressed 27. On the recording he relayed, as captioned, a claim that the coronavirus is an "offensive biological warfare" weapon 28, and called topics in the book "totally inappropriate" at such a young age 29.
• James Na spoke about fair gym use by the Ayala HS color guard and congratulated the Butterfield Ranch parents who attended, saying he will be there for them and support the kids 27. On the recording he asked the superintendent to look into the gym situation "and see if we could find some mediation" 30.
• Irene Hernandez-Blair clarified the coronavirus notifications going out, acknowledged emails on the Ayala HS gym and Chino HS baseball field, and spoke about the Butterfield Ranch concerns, saying it has always been about the children in the classroom for her 27. On the recording she said every employee "should be free of fear and should feel supported" 31.
• Christina Gagnier thanked the Student Government Day participants and the students who spoke, addressed the Chino HS baseball issues, spoke about privacy, and said an independent investigation will give the district important information so it can move forward positively 4. On the recording she said "the bathrooms are open" 32, and that she was "not in a position to comment" 33, adding "there's an independent investigation that's all we're really able to share" 34.
• Superintendent Enfield made no comments 4.
• Joe Schaffer commented on the Butterfield Ranch concerns 4, saying on the recording that "the investigations are underway" and that it was not "wise to put an artificial timeline on this" 3536. He also thanked Canyon Hills JHS for its quick response to a medical emergency, congratulated it on its selection as a 2020 School to Watch campus, and reported on community events and the Measure G oversight committee 4.

🔒 Closed session and adjournment

The board met in closed session from 5:00 to 5:50 p.m. on anticipated litigation, a student discipline matter, and public employee discipline, dismissal or release, and reported no action requiring public disclosure; Don Bridge led the Pledge of Allegiance 3. President Schaffer adjourned the meeting with a moment of silence for former Adult School student Alex Sayago, who passed away at the age of 22 4.