Board of Education — March 2, 2023

March 2, 2023 Board of Education Meeting

Highlights

The board rescinded its January 19, 2023 action naming Preserve School #2, adopted a resolution laying off five classified positions, and cast its ballot in the California School Boards Association Delegate Assembly election. 1 It also heard part one of the annual LCAP update and twelve speakers on items not on the agenda, four of them on support for the Chino HS music program. 21 Don Bridge, Andrew Cruz, Jonathan Monroe, James Na and Sonja Shaw were present, with President Shaw presiding. 2

🏫 Preserve School #2: the January naming is rescinded

The item came from board clerk Andrew Cruz, who, according to the agenda memo, asked at the February 16 meeting for an item rescinding the January 19 naming. 3 On January 19 the board had approved naming the school Louis W. Moreno School. 4 Before the motion, the board was told that a yes vote meant it would take up naming the school at a future meeting, and a no vote would leave the January 19 naming in place. 5

The minutes record that Eric Moreno addressed the board on the item, but not what he said. The motion to rescind, moved by Cruz and seconded by Monroe, carried with Bridge voting no; the student representative's advisory vote was also no. The minutes give no reason for the rescission. 1

Champion Newspapers reported that Bridge said he stayed with the original motion he had made; that after the vote Eric Moreno, Louis Moreno's son, asked from his seat for a reason; and that Shaw replied that something concerning had been brought to the board's attention after the January 19 vote. It also reported that Albert vande Steeg, who had asked at an earlier meeting for the name to be reconsidered, turned in a speaker card but was not present when called, and that Louis Moreno served on the school board from 1981 to 1989 and was a Chino police captain. 6 The San Bernardino County Sentinel's headline called the reversal "cryptic." 7

On April 6, 2023 the board approved a process for naming Preserve School #2. 8

🗳️ CSBA Delegate Assembly ballot

The board voted for six candidates for the CSBA Delegate Assembly, subregion 16-B, for a term from April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2025: Gwen Dowdy-Rodgers, Maria Gomez, Ronald Newton, Gabriel Stine, Eric Swanson and Kathy Thompson. The motion, moved by Bridge and seconded by Monroe, carried with Cruz and Na voting no; the student representative voted yes. 1

📉 Classified layoff resolution

The board adopted a resolution giving notice of layoff of certain classified staff under Education Code 45117 and 45298, on a motion by Cruz seconded by Monroe. 1 It lists two WIOA/WIA Employment Placement Specialists, one WIOA/WIA Career Technician, one Typist Clerk II and a 0.4375 FTE Elementary Library/Media Center Assistant, effective at the end of the 2022/2023 school year. 9 The staff memo says the WIOA program is being discontinued, the Typist Clerk II job in Facilities is cut for lack of work and funding, and the Title I-funded library position is at Liberty ES; it estimates annual savings of $121,553 to the general fund and $210,716 to restricted budgets. 9

During discussion the board was told that several people in the affected positions had received promotions, one had moved laterally, and one, still finishing the grant program, was expected to have a position by the next school year. 1011

📊 Staff report: LCAP annual update, part 1

Curriculum, Instruction, Innovation, and Support staff reviewed the district's LCAP goals and its implementation of state academic standards. 2 The presentation reported zero teacher misassignments and zero English learner authorization misassignments, with two vacancies as of October. 12

📚 Information items

World language textbooks. The board received for information new materials for Spanish, French, Mandarin and Japanese courses. 13 The memo put them on public display through March 16, 2023, 14 and estimated their cost at $2,027,000 to the general fund. 15 The board adopted them on March 16, 2023. 16

Board Policy 7310 (Naming of Facility). The board received a proposed revision for information; Monroe requested a minor change, and no action was taken. 17 The draft adds a section on rescinding or renaming facilities: a rescission is considered only on a request from students, their families, school faculty or community interest groups; the section sets out what counts as sufficient cause; and a rescission restarts the naming process. 1819 The record of this meeting does not connect those criteria to the Preserve School #2 vote. 17

The draft also struck a sentence requiring a Citizen Advisory Committee to review name suggestions. 18 On the recording, Monroe asked that the passage instead say the superintendent may appoint a committee to review suggested names, and the reply was that the change would come back on the consent calendar. 1111 The board approved the revision on March 16, 2023, 20 and the policy as revised that day carries that wording. 21

✅ Consent calendar

The consent items were approved as amended on a motion by Na seconded by Cruz; the one change added a teacher's resignation to the personnel items. 1 Among them:

• February 16 minutes, and a resolution compensating James Na for missing that meeting. 1
• The warrant register, 1 which the memo puts at $4,161,656.31. 22
• Legal payments to Margaret A. Chidester & Associates and Tao Rossini, APC, 1 whose January invoices total $66,884.68. 23
• Three student expulsion cases, and trips for Ayala HS, Chino HS and Don Lugo HS. 24
• Change orders and notices of completion for Butterfield Ranch ES and Hidden Trails ES alterations and Chino HS Reconstruction Phases 1 and 2, and two bid awards for Chino HS Reconstruction offsite improvements. 24 The memos list low bids of $2,568,000 from Bogh Engineering, Inc. and $1,190,420 from Blackbird Contracting Services, Inc., both from Measure G. 2525
• Rejection of a claim, referred to the insurance adjuster. 24
• A Learning Site Agreement with California State University, San Bernardino, 24 under which the State pays the district $250 per student per semester, up to $50,000 through June 30, 2025. 26

🎓 Student and employee representatives

Student representative Maya King reported on the 43rd annual Student Government Day and encouraged support for fundraising for Chino HS student Melissa. Brenda Walker, A.C.T. president, thanked President Shaw and Vice President Monroe for recent meetings with the association and spoke about the Festival of Arts and Read Across America. 2 Barbara Bearden, CHAMP president, welcomed new Secondary Curriculum Coordinator Brian Ilharreguy and announced CHAMP's next meeting. 1

🗣️ Public comment on items not on the agenda

The minutes list twelve speakers: Gordon Kesler, Malia Kesler, Arminda Gonzalez and Michael Gonzalez on needed support for the Chino HS music program; Adrienne Chase on science camp being snowed in at Crestline; Kelsey Robertson and Darlene Berg on previous meetings' public comments; Samuel Love on ethnic studies; Sandra Sue Bright inviting the board to the March 11 Soroptimist International "Stepping Up" program; Richard Wales on a Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce video posted on social media; Chloe Wong in appreciation of the band program; and Sharon Duran on performing arts and LGBTQ youth. 1 The minutes record subjects, not remarks, so individual comments are not summarized.

💬 Board and superintendent communications

Don Bridge attended Student Government Day, asked Dr. Enfield whether a Principal for a Day event could return in the fall, congratulated the Chino HS girls' basketball team on reaching the CIF finals, and noted Wickman ES's multicultural day. 17

James Na encouraged parents to bring their daughters to Stepping Up, spoke about music-program transportation needs at Chino HS and Magnolia JHS, and spoke about the video incident at Chino Hills HS, asking Dr. Enfield to follow up with the Chamber so it is not repeated. 17

Andrew Cruz spoke about Student Government Day and the Festival of Arts, spoke about supporting music programs and his concerns regarding the vaccine, and read from and donated the book Dream, My Child to Glenmeade ES. 17 On the recording, his vaccine remarks included that he might bring an action item on letting parents choose whether to vaccinate their children, 27 and, citing a 2015 research paper while discussing the COVID-19 lab-leak theory, that "the truth is coming out that this was a bio weapon." 2727

Jonathan Monroe thanked Glenmeade ES staff for reporting on the efforts to get students back from Crestline, said he met with Chinese families in Chino Hills, and described events he attended, including Read Across America. 17

Superintendent Norm Enfield commended staff for bringing students home from Crestline, encouraged families to attend Stepping Up, and acknowledged Human Resources for its work in the layoff process. 28 ABC7 reported on February 28 that hundreds of Irvine Unified students snowed in at mountain science camps, including Thousand Pines Camp in Crestline, got home that Monday. 30

President Sonja Shaw thanked Principal Chase and her staff, spoke about the Chamber video that parents brought to her attention and acknowledged Dr. Enfield's efforts to have it taken down, acknowledged the music parents' concerns, and introduced councilors Mr. Bennett of Chino Hills and Mr. Burton and Mr. Flores of Chino. 28 On the music concerns, she said on the recording that she would work directly with Dr. Enfield to see what could be done. 29

🕰️ Meeting details

The board met in closed session from 5:15 to 5:37 p.m. on student discipline and public employee discipline/dismissal/release, reporting no action requiring disclosure, and reconvened at 6:00 p.m. 2 President Shaw adjourned the meeting at 7:36 p.m. 28