Chino Valley Unified Board of Education: Organizational Meeting, December 15, 2022

The December organizational meeting seated the two members elected in November and gave them the board's top two offices the same night 1. The business was light: a positive first interim budget report, a $1.65 million furniture contract for the new district office, two hearings at which nobody spoke, and a CSBA nomination item that died for lack of a motion 2 3 4. A proposal to change how the board picks its officers sat on the same agenda, for information only 3.

🗳️ Two new members, and a new slate of officers

Vice President Andrew Cruz called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. with all five members present, and Superintendent Norm Enfield administered the oath of office to Sonja Shaw and Jonathan Monroe before closed session 1. In the open meeting, Superior Court Judge Mark Petersen administered the oath to both again 1. Days earlier the Champion Newspapers had reported the certified results: Shaw edged out board president Christina Gagnier for the District 3 seat, and Monroe beat Lisa Greathouse in District 4 5.

The officer elections, as the minutes record them 1:

• President: Andrew Cruz nominated Sonja Shaw. There were no other nominations, and Shaw was elected.
• Vice president: President Shaw nominated James Na, who declined and nominated Jonathan Monroe. Monroe was elected.
• Clerk: James Na nominated Andrew Cruz, who was elected.
• Secretary to the Board: on a motion by Na, seconded by Monroe, the board appointed Superintendent Enfield.

Liaison seats went to volunteers: Shaw to the city of Chino; Monroe to Chino Hills and the Chino Valley Independent Fire District; Cruz to Ontario and the County Committee on School District Organization; Don Bridge to the Chino Hills Parks and Recreation Commission and the Chamber of Commerce; and Na and Cruz to the joint meetings with both cities 6. Shaw became representative to the Baldy View Regional Occupational Program, with Bridge as alternate 2.

Out of closed session, the board reported that it had appointed Joseph Duarte as principal of Magnolia Junior High School, effective January 4, 2023, and had given counsel direction on anticipated litigation 1.

⚖️ A rotation bylaw waiting in the wings

Received for information the same night was a revision of Bylaws of the Board 9100 (Organization) 3. The item came from Andrew Cruz, and it also updated the bylaw for a 2021 state law (AB 486) on when organizational meetings must be held 7. At the November 17, 2022 meeting, the minutes record, Cruz had requested an action item to restore board rotation 8. The proposed text would set the slate of officers on a rotating basis: re-elected members keep their place, newly elected members fill the open positions in order of popular vote, and the outgoing president drops to the lowest position 9.

So this year's officers were still chosen by open nomination. The board approved the bylaw revision on its January 19, 2023 consent calendar 10. It did not last: the Champion reported in December 2023 that the board switched back to an annual election, which let Shaw serve another year as president 11.

💵 Budget, contracts, and one item that died

• First Interim Financial Report. On a motion by Na, seconded by Cruz, the board approved the 2022/2023 First Interim Financial Report and authorized the president and superintendent to sign a positive Certification of Financial Condition 2. The staff memo said the report used actual data as of October 31, 2022 and showed a balanced budget through 2024/2025 12.
• New district office furniture. The board awarded RFP No. 22-23-15 to Culver Newlin 3, one of four companies that submitted proposals, at a cost of $1,653,930.71 to the General Fund 4.
• Transportation vehicles. The board rejected the bid for Transportation Department vehicles and authorized a re-bid 3. Only one bid had come in, and staff found the bid had not been advertised for the proper length of time 4.
• CSBA Delegate Assembly. Nominations failed for lack of a motion 2. The recording has the dais noting that a nominee needed prior permission and a biographical sketch, and that with no nominations the item fails 13.
• Meeting calendar. On a motion by Na, seconded by Cruz, the board approved its 2023/2024 calendar 2.

🏫 Two hearings, no speakers

• Naming of Preserve School #2. President Shaw opened and closed the hearing at 7:34 p.m. with no speakers 2. Under the Board Policy 7310 process begun on November 3, the item was due back for action on January 19, 2023 12. That night the board approved the name Louis W. Moreno School 10. The Champion reported in March 2023 that the board had taken that vote back 14.
• Teachers' reopener proposal. The hearing on the Associated Chino Teachers' initial proposal ran from 7:34 to 7:35 p.m. with no speakers 15. The union's proposal covered compensation and medical benefits, a new progressive-discipline article, and a new special education article 16.

🎄 Ceremony and employee groups

Maddison and Brooke Shaw led the Pledge of Allegiance, and Principal Carl Hampton and Boys Republic students presented the Della Robbia wreath 1. A presenter said this year marked the 100th year of wreath production 17. The board recessed from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. for a reception, and student representative Maya King was absent 2.

Jonathan Gabriel of CSEA thanked board members for serving. Molly Large of CHAMP welcomed the new members, congratulated assistant principal Josh Reger on an ACSA Region 12 award, recognized the Chino Valley Fire Foundation's Make a Child Smile program, and thanked CHAMP members for a Hope Center gift card drive 2. That event's 21st edition had been held the day before, with the district helping pick the children, according to a state corrections department release 18.

🗣️ Public comment

The minutes list the speakers on non-agenda items with each one's topic 2:

• Leila Maleki thanked staff for helping students 2.
• Art Bennett congratulated the new members and announced the Chino Hills city reorganization and boat parade 2.
• Curtis Burton introduced himself as the liaison from the city of Chino and congratulated the new members 2.
• Michael Apolinar congratulated the new members 2.
• Oscar Avila congratulated the new members 2.
• Misty (the minutes give only a first name) congratulated the new members 2.
• Chris Shaw congratulated the new members 2.
• Jeff Morabito, principal of Sycamore Academy, introduced himself 2.
• Rita Loof spoke on special education concerns related to West End SELPA 2.
• Monica Thomas spoke about school bus pickups running late daily and hurting her child's education 2.
• Greg Abdouch congratulated the new members 2.

Names come only from the minutes, which give topics rather than remarks, so the recording's words are not summarized here. On the consent calendar, Oscar Avila addressed the fundraising item; the minutes do not record what he said 15.

✅ Consent and information

On a motion by Na, seconded by Cruz, the board approved the consent calendar as amended, including the Master Plan for Multilingual Programs 2022/2023 15. The contractor agreements item had been yellow-sheeted to add a new contract 2. The calendar also carried a revision of Board Policy 5111 (Admission), three piggyback-contract resolutions, and a new district office generator awarded to Mel Smith Electric 15. Baseball and football scoreboard replacements went to one contractor, Tricore Enterprises 3 3. Received for information were the county's Williams settlement report 3 and revisions to Board Policies 6143, 6146.1 and 3430 3.

🎙️ Board communications

As the minutes record them:

• James Na thanked family and friends for attending, said their hard work had resulted in a victory, thanked parents for standing up for children, spoke about the passing of Don Lugo High football coach Greg Gano, and relayed an attendee's request that breaks come at the end of meetings so the public can speak earlier 3. In the recording he calls it "a common sense movement" that "starts with Chino Valley Unified" 19.
• Don Bridge welcomed the new members, said Ayala High teacher Michael Collins received a Golden Bell Award, congratulated Townsend Junior High teacher Jodie Noblett as an Educator of the Year finalist, and spoke about Coach Gano 20.
• Andrew Cruz congratulated Shaw and Monroe and spoke about Coach Gano's kindness 20.
• Jonathan Monroe spoke about Coach Gano, said the Chino Hills High band took first place and swept every category, and thanked his wife 20.
• Superintendent Enfield congratulated the new officers and announced a January 14 board governance session 20, which in the recording he calls a special board study session 21 to look at the board's protocols and meetings 21. It went ahead as a governance workshop on standards, roles, meeting format and protocols 22.
• President Shaw thanked the community and her family, said the board stood united at the CSBA conference, said she was grateful to Boys Republic, and acknowledged Coach Gano's contributions 20.

President Shaw adjourned the meeting at 8:01 p.m. in memory of Coach Greg Gano 20.

An independent summary of public records, not affiliated with Chino Valley Unified School District. Names are paired with statements only where the adopted minutes make that pairing.