March 4, 2021: Chino Valley Starts the Move to Trustee-Area Elections

Chino Valley Unified's board began switching its own elections from at-large to trustee areas after a law firm's voting-rights demand letter, at a short meeting held on the first day TK-2 students were back on campus. President Joe Schaffer called the meeting to order with Bridge, Cruz, Gagnier and Schaffer present; James Na was absent 1.

🗳️ From at-large to trustee-area elections

The board adopted Resolution 2020/2021-25, Intent to Comply with the California Voting Rights Act, on a motion by Christina Gagnier, seconded by Don Bridge, with Na absent 2. Superintendent Norm Enfield's memo said that on or around January 23, 2021, the district received a letter from the law firm of Shenkman & Hughes stating its belief that the district's at-large board elections had resulted in minority vote dilution in violation of the CVRA. The memo said the resolution would begin the process of establishing trustee areas "to ensure compliance with the CVRA and to avoid potential legal challenges" 3.

The resolution's text says the board believes the at-large method serves the district's needs, but commits it to complete the transition to trustee areas, if compliance requires it, starting with the November 2022 election. It directs the superintendent to begin the legal process of establishing trustee areas under Education Code section 5019 3. No email comments were received on the item, and no board member commented before the roll call 4.

The Champion reported that the action followed the Shenkman and Hughes letter, and that the same attorney had pushed the City of Chino into district elections in 2016, with Chino Hills moving after a separate letter from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund 5. The San Bernardino County Sentinel, critical of the demand, called the board one of the most ethnically diverse in the county and argued that the district would likely have won had it contested the claim, though at extensive expense 6.

What came next. At the board's next meeting, a presentation on the CVRA explained that a resolution of intent must follow a demand letter within 45 days 77. Once it is adopted, no other plaintiff can file a demand or sue for 90 days 7, and the firm that sent the letter can then claim up to $30,000 in attorneys' fees and costs 7. A May 6, 2021 agenda scheduled a public hearing on the makeup of trustee-area maps 8. On August 19, 2021 the board chose map Plan 4A 9 and asked the San Bernardino County Committee on School District Organization to approve and establish the trustee areas 9. Plan 4A put Trustee Areas 3 and 4 on the November 2022 ballot and Areas 1, 2 and 5 on the November 2024 ballot 10.

🏫 First day back for TK-2

Barbara Bearden, CHAMP President, spoke about elementary site administrators welcoming K-2 students on their first day of in-person instruction, and said staff were looking forward to grades three through six returning on Monday. She also congratulated the newly appointed administrators and congratulated Maggie Bunten, Director of Technology, on her new position with San Bernardino County 2.

Under board communications, the minutes record:

• Andrew Cruz spoke about TK-2 students' first day of in-person instruction at Cattle ES, spoke about parents who request changes to instruction models, and read an email from a parent about the return 11. In the email, as read on the recording, the parent objected that the blended model offered two in-person days and an online minimum day instead of five days of instruction 12, and asked why the district would not reopen full time 12.
• Don Bridge thanked CSEA staff and teachers for getting classrooms ready for a safe return, thanked Chino HS Principal Miller for showing him the vaccine clinic set up for teachers and staff, and acknowledged Women's History Month 11.
• Christina Gagnier thanked teachers, staff and the community for the first day, thanked students who had emailed the board, and asked Dr. Enfield to respond on tentative plans for next school year and on why the district was not back to full reopening 11. On the recording she noted that some students had run petitions and surveys 13. She said many parents had expected secondary schools to reopen once the county reached seven cases per 100,000, as captioned 13, and that it was unclear to them why some private schools in the area were open 13. The minutes do not record the answer.
• Superintendent Enfield spoke about the TK-2 return and thanked classified staff, certificated staff and site administrators 11. On the recording he said he did not believe another district in the county had pivoted as quickly 14.
• President Schaffer said he visited Eagle Canyon ES and was impressed with how smooth the return was, thanked elementary staff, and noted that the offices of Congresswoman Kim and Congresswoman Torres had announced the 2021 Congressional Art Competition 11. On the recording he described a strikingly calm campus 15.

👥 Assistant principal appointments

Reporting out of closed session, the minutes record the appointment of five assistant principals, with Na absent: Stephenette Graham at Litel ES and Jung Choi at Cal Aero K-8, start dates to be determined; Teressa Moore at Magnolia JHS, effective March 5, 2021, and Denise Gonzales at Magnolia JHS, start date to be determined; and Stephen DeFrancis at Woodcrest JHS, effective March 8, 2021 2.

📊 LCAP update: Goal 1

Staff presented the annual Local Control and Accountability Plan update on Goal 1 2, which aims to give all students a high-quality teaching and learning environment 16. Staff reported, as captioned, that all teachers held appropriate credentials for their assignments, with 1.6 teacher vacancies at the time of reporting 16. All facilities rated good or better on the facilities inspection tool 16. On the district's five-level scale for implementing state standards, English language arts, English language development and math were rated 5, and Next Generation Science Standards and history-social science 4, with new science books being piloted 17. Staff also said universal second-grade screening had met the goal of identifying 10 percent of second graders for gifted and talented education 1818.

🎓 Student report

Student representative Justin Rendon reported that Superintendent's Student Advisory Council students took part in the LCAP and described school events focused on keeping students engaged and connected 2. His examples included a student photo festival and film festival at Townsend Junior High 19 and themed days, from Motivational Mondays to Fun Fact Fridays, at Canyon Hills Junior High 19.

🗣️ Public comment

Under the board's pandemic advisory, public comments were submitted by email in a set window before the meeting and read into the record 202. The minutes record that Stephen and Jennifer Laddaga submitted email comments regarding reinstating school sports training and games, and that William Price and Lisa Fraga submitted email comments regarding Tracks A, B, and C at Cal Aero Preserve Academy 2. The minutes give subjects, not content, and with only two writers listed per subject, this page does not summarize the comments from the recording.

✅ Other business

• CSBA Delegate Assembly: on a motion by Cruz, seconded by Bridge, the board cast its votes for Tom Courtney, Andrew Cruz, Shari Megaw, Eric Swanson, Mondi Taylor and Kathy Thompson for subregion 16-B, for terms from April 1, 2021 through March 31, 2023 2. The ballot listed thirteen candidates 21.
• Consent calendar: President Schaffer pulled the student readmission item, and the rest of the consent calendar was approved on a motion by Gagnier, seconded by Bridge 2. It included the warrant register, listed at $14,008,850.39 2223; payment of $5,502.50 to the law office of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo 2425; and the purchase order register, listed at $622,472.94 2426. It also included notices of completion for two small projects totaling $45,175 2427 and for the Chino Valley Adult School's new parking lot, a $352,300 contract with Premier Paving, Inc. 27.
• Homeless students policy: the board approved the revision of Board Policy 6173, Education for Homeless Children 24, which the staff memo said updates it for the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act 28.
• Student readmissions: the board approved two student readmission cases on a motion by Bridge, seconded by Cruz. The minutes record Gagnier abstaining and Na absent 24.
• For information: a revision of Administrative Regulation 5113, Absences and Excuses 24.

President Schaffer adjourned the meeting at 6:49 p.m. 29

This page is an independent summary, not an official district record. It is based on the district's signed minutes for this meeting, the agenda packet, and the meeting recording. Names are paired with remarks, motions and votes only where the minutes record them.