Chino Valley Unified Board of Education: May 7, 2020

The board met on Zoom during the COVID-19 school closure, with all five members present 1. Most emailed public comment concerned graduation for the Class of 2020; other emails backed three Butterfield Ranch Elementary teachers or asked about reopening pools, and two members returned to graduation in their closing remarks 23. The board acted on three action items and approved the consent calendar, voting separately on an interim-housing bid from which Christina Gagnier recused herself 456. The next morning the district announced "Drive Up, No Contact" graduations 78.

This page follows the board's signed minutes, which the board approved on May 21, 2020 9. Names, motions and attributed remarks come from those minutes; recording quotes appear only where the minutes already give that topic to the speaker.

🎓 Graduation for the Class of 2020

The agenda asked the public to email comments between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting, to be read into the record 10. The minutes record that the board received complete copies of every email sent in that window, and list 28 entries, naming 30 people, who wrote in support of alternative graduation ceremony options and asked the board to consider them 2. The minutes give the writers' names and that shared subject, not what each email said.

In board communications, Irene Hernandez-Blair discussed graduation ceremony options in light of the pandemic 3. On the recording she said the belief that several members "were not in support of graduation" couldn't have been further from the truth, and that the board was following a public health order 11.

Joe Schaffer, presiding, acknowledged the emails regarding alternative graduation options 3. On the recording he said the board had received "numerous" emails and apologized to writers he had not answered 12, and said he hoped their questions would be answered by the district's correspondence the next day 13.

That correspondence came on May 8. Superintendent Norm Enfield wrote to families that the county had given districts updated guidance listing drive-up graduations as one option, and that the district would hold "Drive Up, No Contact Graduations" at all of its high schools during the last week of May 7. Each student would hear their name called and walk across a stage with close family watching; the virtual video graduations would still air; and the district committed to traditional ceremonies on July 31, 2020 if the state had reached stage 4 of reopening by then 7. Champion Newspapers reported the announcement that morning, adding that the videos would stream on May 26 and 27 8. In mid-April the district had announced virtual video ceremonies only, saying it would consider an in-person ceremony later only if the ban on large gatherings was lifted 14.

✉️ Other emailed comments

The minutes list these writers by subject; they do not record what each email said 2.

• Ten people wrote in support of reinstating three Butterfield Ranch ES teachers 2. The March 19, 2020 minutes had already referred to "released Butterfield Ranch ES teachers" 15. In board communications, James Na thanked Butterfield Ranch ES students and parents for supporting their teachers 3.
• Becky Moon wrote regarding safe pool reopening 2. Andrew Cruz said in board communications that he supports swimming activities being reopened, and encouraged everyone to do things in love and without fear 3. On the recording he said swimming "does not require direct contact between teammates or coaches" 16.

👩‍🏫 Employee representative

Brenda Walker, A.C.T. President, spoke about health and safety challenges facing staff and A.C.T.'s scholarships for graduating seniors of its members, and thanked the board for its Day of the Teacher resolution. She announced A.C.T.'s educators of the year, including Annette Deming as secondary teacher of the year and Jeannetta Altenburg as nurse of the year, thanked CSEA, and acknowledged the board and district staff 2. The student representative was absent "due to the coronavirus social distancing protocol" 2.

✅ Action items

• National School Nurse Day. The board adopted the proclamation for National School Nurse Day on May 6, 2020, moved by Gagnier and seconded by Na 4. The packet notes the day was created in 1972 and falls on the Wednesday of National Nurse Week 17.
• Classified School Employee Week. The board adopted the resolution, moved by Na and seconded by Hernandez-Blair (printed "Blair") 4. It recognizes the week of May 17 to 23, 2020, and more than 1,000 classified employees in the district 18.
• Declaration of Need. The board approved the Declaration of Need for Fully Qualified Educators for 2020/2021, moved by Na and seconded by Gagnier 4. The declaration is required every year for the few emergency permits the district still uses, and must be filed with the state credentialing commission before July 1 19.

📋 Consent calendar

Gagnier pulled item III.D.7 for separate action, and the rest of the consent calendar was approved as amended, moved by Na and seconded by Gagnier 5.

Interim housing at Canyon Hills and Townsend junior highs. The packet recommended three bid packages to their low bidders: Bogh Construction at $955,070, FEC Electric, Inc. at $826,071, and Hamel Contracting, Inc. at $300,008. The work included site preparation, electrical, fire alarm, and asphalt paving for portable classroom egress, at $2,081,149 from Building Fund 21 202122. A change read into the record replaced Hamel Contracting with Bogh Engineering Inc. and the $300,008 amount with $300,100 2. The board then awarded the bid as amended, moved by Na and seconded by Hernandez-Blair (printed "Blair"), and the minutes record that Gagnier recused herself 6. On the recording she said she had not had a conflict check run through her law firm 23. The minutes' award line strikes through Hamel Contracting and names Bogh Engineering Inc, as amended 6.

Other awards and approvals on consent:

• Concrete alterations at Cattle ES, Magnolia JHS and Ramona JHS went to Oak Hills Concrete 24, the low bid in the packet at $377,541 25.
• Kitchen remodels at Magnolia and Ramona junior highs went to Hamel Contracting, Inc. 24. The packet lists Hamel's bid at $2,972,016 from Capital Facilities Fund 25, after the apparent low bidder was found non-responsive and the second-lowest withdrew over a mathematical error 2627.
• A change order and notice of completion for Cal Aero K-8's additional portables and shade shelter 28, which the packet describes as a net decrease of $183,661.47 29.
• New Board Policy 3471 on parcel taxes 28. The packet says it covers a required public hearing before any parcel-tax resolution, a ban on using district funds, services, supplies or equipment to support a parcel tax, and exemptions 30.
• Routine items: the April 16 minutes 5; donations, legal-services payments to Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo and Margaret A. Chidester & Associates, the new course Physics in the Universe, a piggyback-contract resolution and surplus property 6; personnel items; and the claims, which were rejected and referred to the district's insurance adjuster 28.

The board also received the county superintendent's third quarterly Williams report for 2019/2020 28. The county's letter reports no findings in instructional materials, school accountability report cards or facilities 31.

💬 Board communications

• James Na spoke about the pandemic and how it affects students, parents, staff and families, and thanked Butterfield Ranch ES families as noted above 3.
• Andrew Cruz spoke about reopening swimming, as noted above 3.
• Irene Hernandez-Blair spoke about resolutions acknowledging staff and sent a virtual hug to classified employees for stepping up for student health and safety, besides her graduation remarks above 3.
• Christina Gagnier spoke about managing the district in the midst of COVID-19 and making decisions that keep everyone safe 3. On the recording she said she did not want a celebration followed "14 days later" by families and children who are sick 32. She spoke about the Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce Pitch competition 3, which she said had moved online, with five student finalists 33 to pitch live over Zoom on May 14 34. She also acknowledged the business community and thanked teachers 3.
• Superintendent Norm Enfield acknowledged Day of the Teacher and National Nurses Day 3.
• Joe Schaffer acknowledged Teacher Appreciation Week and the upcoming Classified Employee Week, congratulated the students who received A.C.T. scholarships, acknowledged the A.C.T. Teacher of the Year and Nurse of the Year, and acknowledged the graduation emails 3.

President Schaffer adjourned the meeting at 6:41 p.m. 3

📰 Outside coverage

A search of Champion Newspapers' archived May 2020 articles found no report on the meeting itself. The paper reported the graduation decision the next morning 8.