Chino Valley Unified Board of Education: July 16, 2020

Meeting entirely on Zoom, the board adopted a resolution directing a 2020-21 reopening plan of blended in-person learning districtwide, with distance learning for students who are medically fragile or at risk 1. Christina Gagnier later clarified that school would still open on August 10 in distance learning for everyone, whichever model families chose 2. It also adopted a COVID-19 emergency authorization resolution for the school year, approved an internet-services agreement with Allegiance Steam Academy-Thrive over one member's dissent, and approved addenda to five Cabinet contracts 34.

🏫 The reopening plan

What the board adopted. On a motion by Irene Hernandez-Blair, seconded by Andrew Cruz, the board adopted by roll call a resolution directing the Superintendent or his designee to adopt a reopening plan that provides blended learning instruction districtwide, to limit the number of students on campus, and distance learning for students who are medically fragile or would be put at risk of COVID-19 1. The Champion reported that the board approved Superintendent Norm Enfield's recommendation and gave him authority to switch the learning model if he felt it necessary 5.

Starting in distance learning anyway. The Champion reported that just before the vote Enfield said he would start the school year with distance learning and reevaluate in the weeks after school began, with a possible move to blended learning on Aug. 31 5.

The parent survey. The Champion reported that 22,440 parents filled out the district's Parents Choice Survey between July 8 and 14, that 70 percent chose blended learning and 30 percent distance learning, and that about 5,000 surveys that were incomplete or never completed defaulted to the blended model 5.

Emailed comment. The recording puts the emailed comments on the item at approximately 56, described from the dais as an exceptionally large number 6. The minutes list 18 people who submitted email comments: Tim Ricketson, Kristiana Trucios, Scott Rossen, Jennifer Galindo, Jimmy Wu, Cindy Banh, Robert Whitmore, Michele Fleischer, Courtney Mullen, Rosemarie Huynh, Kellen Donavan, Jay Kennedy, Vincent Coletta, Beth Struikmans, Angie (no last name), Wendy Pennett, Lara Savage, and Tyra Weis 1. The minutes record who wrote but not what each said, and staff read each name aloud 7, so this page does not summarise individual comments. The Champion reported that a majority of the 56 emails favoured distance learning at least until the pandemic eased, while other letters favoured starting in August with the blended model 5.

Board discussion. The recording holds a long board discussion before the vote, which the minutes do not record; members are called on by name throughout, so this page does not summarise it.

🦠 Emergency authority for 2020-21

Hearing this item first, out of agenda order, the board adopted by roll call the resolution "Authorization Needed to Take Any and All Necessary Actions to Prepare and Respond Effectively to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) for the 2020/2021 School Year," on a motion by Christina Gagnier seconded by Irene Hernandez-Blair 3.

🤝 Other action items

• Charter internet agreement. The board approved the Computer Network and Internet Services Memorandum of Understanding with Allegiance Steam Academy-Thrive for 2020 through 2025, on a motion by James Na seconded by Christina Gagnier, with Irene Hernandez-Blair voting no 4.
• Cabinet contracts. On a motion by James Na seconded by Irene Hernandez-Blair, the board approved addenda to the employment contracts of the two associate and three assistant superintendents 4. In his closing remarks Superintendent Enfield thanked the board for approving them 8 and said the addendum was a contract extension, not a salary increase 9.
• CSBA run-off. On a motion by Irene Hernandez-Blair, the board cast its vote for Barbara Flores of San Bernardino City USD for the CSBA Delegate Assembly, Region 16-B; the minutes print no seconder 4.
• Closed session. The board reported appointing Debra Fisher-Hinshaw as assistant principal of Chino High School, effective July 17, 2020 10.

🧾 Consent calendar

On a motion by James Na seconded by Andrew Cruz, the board approved the consent items as amended, after Christina Gagnier pulled the contractor and consultant agreements for separate action 4.

• Construction bids. A change read into the record moved the HVAC and controls package of the Canyon Hills JHS and Townsend JHS alterations bid from Westland Mechanical ($1,736,000) to SIMCO Mechanical, Inc. ($1,497,000), lowering the fiscal impact to $29,967,903 3. The board awarded that bid to 18 contractors, and awarded Chino HS Reconstruction Phase II to Bogh Engineering and Fischer, Inc. while rejecting and rebidding all flooring bids 11. J2 Builders received two awards, the Don Lugo HS culinary hood replacement rebid and the Cortez ES and Dickson ES fencing and concrete project 11, and Angelo Construction the Magnolia JHS life skills classroom renovation 12.
• Contractor agreements. Approved separately on a motion by James Na seconded by Irene Hernandez-Blair, with Christina Gagnier recused 11. On the recording she said one of the listed parties is a client of a firm in which she is a shareholder 13.
• Grading policy. The board approved the revision of Board Policy 5121, Grades/Evaluation of Student Achievement 11; the district's posted copy of BP 5121 gives this meeting's date as its last revision 14.
• Routine items. Legal-services payments to Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo, Margaret A. Chidester & Associates, and The Tao Firm; five student readmissions; and an agricultural CTE grant application for Don Lugo HS 15. Also piggyback-contract resolutions 11, rejected claims referred to the insurance adjuster, and placement agreements with Cal Poly Pomona, CSU San Bernardino, USC and Baylor University 12.
• Information items. The admission policy revision (5111), the Williams quarterly complaint report, Library Science course changes, and the annual debt report under BP 3470 2.

🗣️ Employee groups

• Barbara Bearden, CHAMP President, welcomed staff back, introduced herself as the new CHAMP president and named its new officers 10.
• Danny Hernandez, CSEA President, reported on a CSEA survey of members about returning to school; the main concerns were testing and tracing when exposure occurs, sanitation and not enough PPE, and he reminded everyone to wear masks 10. As captioned, 339 members took part 16, and 51.3 percent of them named proper testing and tracing as their main concern 17.
• Brenda Walker, A.C.T. President, spoke about anxieties around reopening and the need for constant communication and training on learning options, and thanked educators working through the summer 10. On the recording she noted that blended learning was "brand new to us" 18.

📬 Emailed comments on other topics

Anelle Veiga wrote about bullying at Newman ES; the minutes record the subject only 10. A parent-group email from Jenipher Ruby, Victoria Gonzales, Krystal Cassandra, Sarah Schweitzer, Julie Weber, Richard Wales, Lisa Wales, Faye Zhou, Keven Butscher, Tricia Cauley, Denise/Paul Castro, Erin Erb, Paisley Velasquez, Misty Startup, Floradel Villanueva, and Michelle Lozano raised Aeries data breach concerns 103. For background, the Champion reported in late June that the district had asked parents to change their Aeries passwords after an unauthorized person tried to exploit a software vulnerability, and that the district said no Social Security or financial account numbers were exposed 19.

📣 Board and superintendent communications

• Andrew Cruz made no comments 2.
• Christina Gagnier clarified that every student would start on August 10 in distance learning, whether they picked blended or distance 220, noted that over a thousand people were attending online 21, and thanked everyone who attended online 2. She spoke about school funding and resources, endorsed a central email pathway for pandemic communications, and requested an item on the August 20, 2020 agenda on what the district is doing about bullying and sexual harassment 222.
• James Na spoke about the public's participation, asked Dr. Enfield to have staff contact the parent who raised the bullying concern and to look into an elementary teacher's concern about financial support, and commended staff 8.
• Irene Hernandez-Blair acknowledged people who thanked her for trying to clarify the vote on reopening, restated the vote, and raised concern about how surveys that were never received were counted as blended 8.
• Superintendent Enfield thanked the board for supporting the recommendation for the two resolutions, called it a difficult decision, and spoke about programs supporting parents' choices 8.
• President Joe Schaffer said the reopening plan might need to change pending Governor Newsom's announcements scheduled for Friday, noted that CIF expected to announce the status of fall sports on July 20, commended the Cabinet, and apologised for falling behind on emails 8. The next day Newsom announced that schools could open in person only if their county had been off the state's COVID-19 watch list for two weeks 23, and on July 20 the CIF postponed all fall high school sports 24.

🕰️ Meeting record

Called to order at 4:00 p.m. with all five members present via Zoom, the board met in closed session from 4:05 to 5:37 p.m. and reconvened at 6:00 p.m. 2510. It adjourned at 8:11 p.m. 8.