Board of Education — June 17, 2021

The Chino Valley Unified board adopted its 2021/22 budget and Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), approved a new contract for Superintendent Norm Enfield through June 30, 2025, and raised substitute pay 123. A proposed raise for board members died for lack of a motion 3. The board also held a public hearing on draft maps for by-trustee-area elections 1, and seven people spoke in public comment, several about the mask mandate and the Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO) plan 4.

Names attached to remarks, motions and votes on this page come only from the signed minutes.

Key decisions

• 2021/22 budget adopted for all funds, moved by Na and seconded by Gagnier 1. The staff memo said it reflected the Governor's May Revision, including a 5.07% LCFF cost-of-living adjustment 5, and would meet the minimum reserve requirement through 2023/24 6.
• 2021/22 LCAP adopted after Assistant Superintendent Lea Fellows presented its goals, state priorities and local indicators; Gagnier moved it and Bridge seconded 2. The memo listed a fiscal impact of $52,968,880 7. On the recording, Fellows described three continuing goals: conditions of learning, engagement, and student outcomes 8.
• Superintendent's contract approved for Norman P. Enfield from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2025, after President Schaffer's oral summary of pay and benefits; Schaffer moved and Bridge seconded 3. The contract in the packet sets an annual salary of $294,279 9, yearly step increases of at least 3% from July 2022 if his evaluation is satisfactory 9, and a 4% doctoral stipend 10.
• Cabinet contracts amended for the associate and assistant superintendents: a 1.47% raise, one-time payments of 1.08% and $1,254, and a $10,000 health-and-welfare cap, moved by Bridge and seconded by Na 11. The addenda also run each contract through June 30, 2025 12, at a general-fund cost of $55,588 13.
• Substitute pay raised. The board approved a higher classified substitute salary schedule, moved by Na and seconded by Bridge, and higher pay for certificated substitutes, moved by Bridge and seconded by Na 3. The memos tied classified rates to Step A of the CSEA salary schedule 14 and raised the substitute-teacher day rate from $140 to $150, and the long-term rate from $155 to $165 15. An item on pay for administrative substitutes was pulled from the agenda 4.
• No raise for the board. A proposed 1.47% increase in board members' own pay, costing $736 a year 16, failed for lack of a motion 3.
• Closed-session appointments: Donna Escareno as assistant principal of Cal Aero K-8 and Jasmine Norman as assistant principal at Chino HS. The minutes record Gagnier, who did not take part in closed session, as absent for both 174.

Trustee areas: a hearing on draft maps

The process began with a letter the district received around January 23, 2021 from the law firm Shenkman & Hughes, alleging that at-large board elections diluted minority votes under the California Voting Rights Act 18. On March 4 the board adopted a resolution of intent to comply 19, and the Champion noted the planned move to district representation in its May 1 school notes column 20.

On June 17, attorney Todd Robbins of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo and Larry Ferchaw of Cooperative Strategies presented before the hearing 1. On the recording, Robbins said the district was responding to a demand letter asserting that its at-large system impaired minority voters' ability to elect candidates of their choice 21. Once the board chose a map, the county committee on school district organization would hold its own hearing, and the district would then ask the State Board of Education to waive a narrow election requirement 22. A state law effective January 1, 2022 later let districts make the switch with county committee approval and no election, according to the Association of California School Administrators 23.

Ferchaw said two more map hearings were scheduled, with a map choice possible August 19 24 and adjustments once 2020 census data arrived 25.

President Schaffer opened the hearing at 6:52 p.m. Tony Flores addressed the board, and the hearing closed at 6:55 p.m. 1. The minutes do not record what he said. Four proposed maps came to a July 15 hearing that drew no speakers 26, and the board selected map plan 4A on August 19 27.

Employee and public comment

Emily Lao, listed in the minutes as "Champ Vice President," said elementary campuses were hosting summer enrichment programs to help students reconnect with their schools 4.

Seven people addressed the board on items not on the agenda. The minutes list them with their subjects 4:

• Nichole Babel, opposing the mask mandate
• Sonja Shaw, regarding partnering with parents and amending the ELO
• Caily Martinez, regarding putting kids first and appealing the additional 30 minutes school day
• Richard Wales, regarding COVID-19 funding and proposing a COVID-19 emergency fund committee
• Kelly Allen, regarding the lack of communication and amending the ELO plan
• Tony Flores, who acknowledged Cattle ES administrators
• Jamie Hogg, opposing the mask mandate

Because names here come only from the minutes, this page does not summarize the recorded remarks beyond those subjects.

The extra 30 minutes came back on August 19, 2021, when a motion to make them optional for 2021/22 failed 28.

Other business

• Chino HS: an easement and a right-of-way deed to the City of Chino for streets, utilities and trails at the site 229, and an offsite-improvements bid to Southern California West Coast Electric 30.
• Sycamore Academy: revised facilities and shared-use agreements with the Sycamore Academy of Science and Cultural Arts charter school for July 1 through December 31, 2021 only, moved by Na and seconded by Bridge 29.
• Community day school: after a hearing with no speakers 31, the board adopted a resolution keeping Chino Valley Learning Academy co-located at the Alternative Education Center site and seeking a renewed state waiver 3.
• Consent calendar: Gagnier pulled the contractor and consultant agreements, and the rest was approved 11, including a playground bid to Nextgen Construction, Ayala HS change orders 30 and $8,617.50 in legal invoices 3233. The agreements were then approved separately, moved by Na and seconded by Bridge, with Gagnier recusing herself 30.
• Student board members: the board received, for information, revisions of Bylaw 9150 and its regulation, with the student board member guidelines exhibit deleted and its essentials moved into the regulation 3435. The current bylaw carries a July 15, 2021 revision date 36.

Board and superintendent communications

• Andrew Cruz said he supports a COVID-19 emergency fund committee, and spoke about the strength of women advocating for their families and a community movement to protect the country 37.
• James Na recognized retiring warehouse team member Roy Strona after more than 42 years. He spoke about the mask mandate, said including teachers and parents in a possible COVID-19 emergency fund committee mattered to him, asked whether the ELO plan could still be changed, and spoke about bringing graduations back to campuses 37.
• Don Bridge spoke about Cal OSHA's constantly changing guidelines and hoped for a permanent decision before school resumed in August. He congratulated the Don Lugo HS girls basketball team on its CIF title and said he would not be opposed to graduations returning to campuses 37.
• Christina Gagnier asked Dr. Enfield to clarify the process for ESSA funds and congratulated Chino Hills HS's solar cup team. She said mask mandates had never been a district-level decision, but she would like a supportive resolution on a future agenda asking Cal OSHA and the California Department of Public Health for a decision on fall 2021 and more flexibility. She affirmed that she listens to constituents 37.
• Superintendent Enfield said the district was working with Cal OSHA, whose guidelines now looked aligned with the state health department, and that he was hopeful indoor mask restrictions would loosen 37. On the recording he said that meant masks were no longer needed outdoors 38. The Cal/OSHA standards board had adopted revised COVID-19 workplace rules that day, according to the state Department of Industrial Relations 39. On what the minutes call ESSA III funds, he said the spending plan was due to the state by September 30 40 and that a district-wide survey was planned 41. He said the district was the only one in the county where students returned to in-person instruction, and thanked the board for his contract 42.
• President Joe Schaffer reported on the Baldy View ROP Commission, spoke about the mask mandate, encouraged the community to hold the board accountable, said Cal OSHA investigations are costly, and urged people to take concerns to state representatives 42.

The meeting adjourned at 8:23 p.m. 42.