Chino Valley Unified Board of Education: Regular Meeting, November 3, 2022

A resolution opposing the Biden administration's proposed Title IX changes on gender was pulled from the agenda during Changes and Deletions, after seven members of the public had spoken on student rights, LGBTQ students and parliamentary procedure 1. James Na, whose memo brought the item forward 2, was absent 3, and Vice President Andrew Cruz left before public comment 1. The three members who remained, Don Bridge, Joe Schaffer and President Christina Gagnier, took up the rest of the agenda: a timeline for naming Preserve School #2, a minimum-wage increase for some classified pay schedules, and the consent calendar 1. The meeting came five days before the November 8 school board election in which Sonja Shaw defeated Gagnier, as the Champion later reported 4.

Opening and reports

President Gagnier called the meeting to order at 5:15 p.m. with Bridge, Cruz, Schaffer and Gagnier present and Na absent, and the board met in closed session until 5:30 p.m. on a student discipline matter, a personnel matter, and labor negotiations with A.C.T. and CSEA. It reconvened at 6:00 p.m. and reported no action requiring disclosure. Vice President Cruz led the Pledge of Allegiance 3.

Student representative Maya King spoke about the Ayala Park Halloween festivities, congratulated high school teams advancing in CIF competition, encouraged juniors and seniors to research scholarships early, and encouraged fellow students to speak up and be heard 1.

Danny Hernandez, CSEA President, recognized students' results on the state's CAASPP exam, encouraged charitable giving for the holidays, and acknowledged service members ahead of Veterans Day. Emily Lao, CHAMP President-elect, echoed him, and said almost every school in the district was receiving an award at a county PBIS showcase 1.

Cruz's request and departure

Before audience comments, Cruz asked for a special meeting on the process for approving fundraisers, then left at 6:07 p.m. 1. As captioned on the recording, the request concerned a Don Lugo grad night booster bingo fundraiser open to all ages, which he likened to a drag show meant for adult audiences 5. From the dais the request was set aside to come back to at the end of the meeting, and the record was asked to reflect that Cruz had left 5. The minutes record the request and his departure but no further action on it 1.

Public comment

The minutes list the speakers on non-agenda items and their topics 1:

• Student rights and LGBTQ students: Rey Alexander, Max Ibarra, Leila Maleki, Darlene Berg, Krista Landgraf and Kyle Penette.
• Student rights and parliamentary procedure: Amanda Swager.

This page does not summarize individual remarks. The minutes give only names and topics, and the names on this page come only from the minutes.

The Title IX resolution

Resolution 2022/2023-19 was on the agenda as an action item, with a memo from board member James Na 2 that recommended adopting the resolution and sending President Biden a letter stating the district's opposition 6. The draft resolution said the change would "deprive women of privacy and safety," open single-sex spaces such as bathrooms and locker rooms "to anyone who identifies as a woman," and perpetuate "the false and controversial claim that men can be women" 6.

The same resolution had come to the board on October 6, 2022, when the board received for information Sonja Shaw's resolution urging opposition to the proposed changes 7. The November memo says Shaw submitted it on September 6, 2022, and dates the earlier agenda October 3 2; the meeting was October 6 7.

At this meeting the item was deleted during Changes and Deletions and marked "pulled from the agenda" in the action section 1. The minutes do not say who pulled it or why.

A year earlier, a Na proposal that would have kept transgender students out of restrooms and locker rooms matching their gender identity failed after student opposition and a warning from the state superintendent, LAist reported 8.

Action items

• Naming Preserve School #2. Approved on a motion by Bridge, seconded by Schaffer, with Cruz and Na absent; the student representative's preferential vote was yes 1. Under the timeline, the public would have 30 days from November 4, 2022 to submit names, the board would hold a public hearing on December 15, 2022, and the board would act on January 19, 2023 9.
• Minimum wage and classified pay. Approved, again moved by Bridge and seconded by Schaffer 1. With the state minimum wage rising to $15.50 an hour on January 1, 2023, the district raised WIOA students, AVID tutors, playground supervisors and Nutrition Services Assistant I from $15.00 to $15.50, and adjusted Step A of the substitute schedule to match the CSEA schedule. The fiscal impact was listed as unknown because substitute use fluctuates 9.

Consent calendar

The consent items were approved on a motion by Bridge, seconded by Schaffer, with Cruz and Na absent 1. They included:

• Board compensation for Na for the October 20 meeting he missed 1, which the memo describes as an absence due to a hardship the board deemed acceptable 10.
• Routine business: the warrant register, at $9,110,284.46 11; fundraising activities and donations; and the purchase order register, at $1,028,514.03 12 13.
• Legal services. The agenda item and the minutes name Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo and Tao Rossini, APC 14 13. The memo's invoice table and recommendation also include Margaret A. Chidester & Associates, at $12,094.50 for September, and the memo's $39,805.13 total includes that invoice 15.
• Students: expulsion case 22/23-16 and school-sponsored trips for Chino Hills and Don Lugo high schools 13.
• Policies: revisions to Board Policy 6146.2 on certificates of proficiency and high school equivalency, and 6164.5 on student success teams 13; and 7110, Facilities Master Plan, and 7150, Site Selection and Development 13. The 7110 revision recognizes teacher housing needs and reflects AB 306 (2021) on residential housing 16; the 7150 revision adds the board's obligations when evaluating property and reflects AB 819 (2021) on posting environmental review documents 17. The revised texts are in the district's policy library 18 19.
• Other items: a Great American Smokeout proclamation for November 17 and contractor and consultant agreements 13; Notices of Completion for CUPCCAA projects, the annual and five-year developer fee reports for 2021/2022, personnel items, and a nursing agreement with Grand Canyon University 13.

Information items

The board received the adopted 2022/2023 student body budgets, a revision of Board Policy and Administrative Regulation 6161.1 on instructional materials, and the Cash Management Program report 13. The 6161.1 revision reflects Senate Bill 820, which counts the equipment needed to use technology-based materials as part of those materials 20.

Board communications

• Joe Schaffer thanked students for attending and addressing the board, and said comments made by some community and board members do not represent the majority of the current board 13. On the recording he told students those comments "do not represent the vast majority of this community and the majority of this current board" 21.
• Don Bridge spoke about supporting all kids 22, saying on the recording that he and his wife would not have taught over 30 years in the district "if we weren't here for all students" 21. He noted the Ayala and Chino football playoff games, a Chino Hills girls volleyball quarterfinal, and Don Lugo girls volleyball's league title 22. He attended the 2022 Fall Joint Meeting of the Riverside and San Bernardino county school boards 22, where, he said, a couple of board colleagues asked about what was coming up on Chino Valley's agenda 23. He acknowledged Veterans Day 22.
• Superintendent Norm Enfield made no comment 22.
• President Christina Gagnier spoke about community dynamics, students feeling safe and welcome, the job of officeholders and school board elections, announced Chamber of Commerce events for students, and acknowledged veterans and service members 22. On the recording she said every student "should feel safe and welcome" in the community and the schools 24, that "this board has become so politicized" 24, and that the board's job is "to listen to people even when they don't agree with you" 24 24. Calling it her only comment on the election 24, she said the school board election had become "one of the nastiest things I've ever seen in this entire area" 24. She promoted a Chamber kids' entrepreneur fair and pitch competition at the Shops at Chino Hills that weekend 25.

Gagnier adjourned the meeting at 6:44 p.m. 22.

What came next

On November 17 the board approved these minutes and compensated Na for missing this meeting 26. The naming timeline ran as scheduled: no one spoke at the December 15 public hearing 27, and on January 19, 2023 the board approved naming the school Louis W. Moreno School 28. On March 2, 2023 it rescinded that action 29.