Chino Valley Unified Board of Education: June 18, 2020

Meeting on Zoom, the board adopted the 2020/2021 budget, approved an addendum extending Superintendent Norm Enfield's contract through June 30, 2024, and approved a facilities agreement with Sycamore Academy charter school, with Irene Hernandez-Blair voting no 123. It also raised developer fees, ordered the November 2020 board election, and awarded the Chino High School Reconstruction Phase II bid 14.

This page follows the board's adopted minutes, approved without amendment on July 16, 2020 5. Names are paired with motions, votes and remarks only where those minutes record them; the packet supplies figures, and the recording adds colour only within each speaker's minutes topic.

💰 The 2020/2021 budget

On a motion by James Na, seconded by Christina Gagnier, the board adopted the 2020/2021 budget for all funds by roll call 1. The staff report said the budget reflected Governor Newsom's May Revision, which proposed suspending the cost-of-living adjustment and a total cut of 10% to the Local Control Funding Formula 6. It projected that the general fund would meet the minimum reserve in 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 but not from 2022/2023, and noted that the county office requires the board to identify ongoing reductions to address that projected deficit; the required public hearing had been held June 4 7. Two weeks earlier, the California School Boards Association reported that the Legislature's budget plan rejected the May Revision's school cuts, including that 10 percent reduction 8.

The consent calendar also included the COVID-19 Operations Written Report 2. The staff report explained that Executive Order N-56-20 waived the usual timelines for the Local Control and Accountability Plan and also required this report, to be adopted with the budget by July 1, 2020 9.

A board budget cut that died. Vice President Gagnier moved her agenda item to review potential reductions to the board's own 2020/2021 operating budget; there was no second, the item died, and the minutes record no discussion 10. In communications she explained why she had wanted the discussion and requested that her board salary be frozen for the next budget 11. On the recording she said the cuts she had planned to propose were to board travel and conference costs, board meals and a facilitator 12, and that the board had left about $16,000 of its budget unspent the previous year (as captioned) 12.

📝 The superintendent's contract

The addendum sets the contract term from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2024 and deletes language from the contract's termination section; all other provisions stay the same 33. The minutes record that email comments from Faye Zhou, CV Parents, CV Advocation, Families United, and Chino Valley Parents were read into the record and expressed concerns regarding Superintendent Enfield 2. The minutes do not summarize those emails or the board's discussion before the vote. On a motion by Irene Hernandez-Blair, seconded by President Joe Schaffer, the board approved the addendum by roll call 2. In communications, Enfield thanked the board for its vote of confidence 11.

🏫 Sycamore Academy facilities agreement

On a motion by Schaffer, seconded by Na, the board approved, as amended, the Final Facilities Memorandum of Understanding and Shared Use Agreement with Sycamore Academy of Science and Cultural Arts-Chino Valley charter school; Hernandez-Blair voted no 1. Under changes and deletions, the item was corrected on two of its pages to give Enfield's title as Secretary, Board of Education 13. The staff report said the district had offered the charter co-located facilities at its Alternative Education Center, the former Los Serranos school site, and that the charter's own board had agreed to them on May 18 14. The district will charge a pro rata share fee of $104,446.35 plus 25% of utility costs during the one-year term 15.

🏗️ Fees, the election and construction

• Developer fees. After a public hearing opened and closed at 6:21 p.m. with no speakers, the board adopted the Level 1 developer fee resolution on a motion by Hernandez-Blair, seconded by Gagnier 1. The fees rise by $0.29 to $4.08 per square foot for residential construction and by $0.05 to $0.66 for commercial/industrial construction, effective August 17, 2020 77.
• Election order. On a motion by Hernandez-Blair, seconded by Na, the board adopted the resolution ordering the election for board members whose terms expire December 11, 2020 1. The order sets a November 3, 2020 election for three governing board members 16.
• Chino High School Reconstruction Phase II. On consent the board awarded the bid, as amended, to the trade contractors listed in the minutes 4; the amendment deleted bid package 19, Fischer, Inc. 13. Before that deletion the packet put the award at $64,578,897.00 from the Building Fund, for work including a new auditorium and theater, a new gymnasium, and new softball and soccer fields; the painting package was decided by a coin flip between two identical bids 1717.
• Other consent items included a copier lease replacing 117 aging copiers at $26,268.92 a month for 36 months 418, white fleet vehicles (Dodge Grand Caravan) from MK Smith Chevrolet at $20,602.04 419, and rejection of all bids for re-roofing at Chino Hills and Don Lugo high schools, which staff found over budget, with authority to rebid 1020.
• Dell lease, ratified. Gagnier pulled this item, and the rest of the consent calendar was approved as amended on her motion, seconded by Na 2. The board then ratified the Dell Financial Services lease-purchase resolution for computer equipment on a motion by Hernandez-Blair, seconded by Na, with Gagnier recused 2. Staff brought it back because Dell had not supplied a complete set of documents for the May 21 agenda; the fiscal impact was $455,193.75 21. On the recording, the recusal was explained as a conflict of interest because the vendor was a client of her firm 2222.

👥 Closed session, employee groups and public comment

Appointments. Reporting out of closed session, the board appointed Vance Stearns as Director, Transportation; Michelle Chiotti as assistant principal of Chino Hills HS; and Joseph Gonzalez as assistant principal of Don Lugo HS, all effective July 1, 2020 13.

Employee representatives. Danny Hernandez, CSEA President, spoke about a letter sent to the board regarding the reopening of schools 13. On the recording he said the letter was "deceiving in points" 23 and that staff concerns about returning were about the safety of students, staff and the community, not salary 24. Tom Mackessy, CHAMP President, announced CHAMP scholarship recipients and said this was his last board meeting as CHAMP president, with Barbara Bearden to succeed him 13. On the recording he said he had retired that day after 24 years in Chino Valley 25.

Emailed comments on non-agenda items. All comments were emailed and read into the record. The minutes list Jessica Maya, Vincent Coletta, and Silvia Lagunas on reopening of schools options and concerns; Shelly Burnett and Sherry Mueller on facility use for the Chino Hills Aquatics swim team; and Hieu Do on racism 13. With three or fewer named writers per topic, this page does not summarize the emails.

🗣️ Board and superintendent communications

• James Na commented on emails received, spoke about options for reopening schools, said the district needs to be mindful of people working with medical concerns, called for a plan to support school athletes, and spoke about racism 11.
• Andrew Cruz spoke about reopening options and sports and read an email from a teacher regarding reopening 11. The email he read argued for starting the year in distance learning 26 and listed problems with a blended model 26, such as distancing during lunch, drop-off and passing periods 26.
• Irene Hernandez-Blair explained that members were not wearing masks because they were at home, asked Enfield to give members a printout of his June 17 email to parents on parent choice options and the survey, asked whether there was a separate staff survey, and said she had suggested a dedicated email account for questions about returning to school 11.
• Christina Gagnier spoke about the budget crisis, the reopening of schools, and wearing masks and taking a regional approach to decisions 11. That day Governor Newsom had issued a statewide order requiring face coverings in most indoor settings 27.
• Superintendent Enfield announced a second study session on reopening schools for July 7 at 4:30 p.m., streamed on YouTube 11. On the recording he added that a second parent survey would go out beginning July 8 28.
• President Joe Schaffer congratulated the CHAMP scholarship recipients, agreed with Hernandez-Blair's suggestion to coordinate responses, said ROP had passed a budget the night before, and reported on Chino Hills Parks and Recreation 11.

🕰️ Meeting record

All five members attended via Zoom, with Schaffer presiding 1329. The board met in closed session from 4:51 to 5:55 p.m. and reconvened at 6:00 p.m. 13. A revision of grading policy BP/AR 5121, separating nonacademic factors from academic grades, was received for information 1030; the board approved the policy revision on July 16, 2020 5. The meeting adjourned at 7:24 p.m. 11.