October 19, 2023 Regular Meeting

Chino Valley Unified School District Board of Education

Overview

The evening was dominated by an item the board did not vote on: a revision to Board Policy 6163.1, Library Media Centers, creating a fast removal process for library books alleged to contain sexually obscene content. The minutes list 35 people who addressed it, 16 opposed and 19 in support 1.

President Sonja Shaw called the meeting to order at 4:45 p.m. with Don Bridge, Andrew Cruz, Jon Monroe, James Na and Shaw present 2. Cruz left closed session at 5:24 p.m. and returned at 7:40 p.m., so he was absent for the action and consent votes 233.

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Closed Session and Staff Report

In closed session the board appointed David Ries as principal of Canyon Hills Junior High School 4.

Curriculum, Instruction, Innovation, and Support administrators presented Essential Standards and Smarter Balanced results 4, describing the district's own Essential Standards Assessments as a strong predictor of state test scores 5. As captioned, they put the district's 2023 met-or-exceeded rates near 60% in English language arts and 47% in math, ahead of the next-highest unified district in the county 6. President Shaw then presented certificates of appreciation to Superintendent Norm Enfield and the cabinet 4.

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Pay Items and Consent Calendar

Na moved both action items; Monroe seconded the first and Bridge the second 3. The board approved the minimum wage and compensation increase for the non-bargaining classified service, effective January 1, 2024, with revisions to the classified substitute salary schedule 3; the packet's staff report, before the item was yellow-sheeted, moves AVID tutors and playground supervisors from $15.50 to $16.00 an hour 74. It also approved higher pay for certified registered nurse substitutes 3: per the staff report, the daily rate rises from $180 to $280 ($300 long-term), or to $380 ($400 long-term) for nurses who also hold a teaching credential, effective October 20, 2023 8.

The consent calendar, moved by Na and seconded by Bridge, was approved as amended 3. It included the October 5 minutes, warrant and purchase order registers, donations, four student expulsion cases, a piggyback purchasing resolution, personnel items, and change orders and notices of completion for the Don Lugo High soffit repair and the Ayala High and Briggs K-8 painting project; the board also rejected a claim and referred it to the district's insurance adjuster 33.

Bridge pulled Resolution 2023/2024-17, which compensates him for missing the September 21, 2023 meeting because of a hardship 39. It was adopted separately on a motion by Monroe, seconded by Na, with Bridge abstaining 33.

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The Library Policy: What Was Proposed

The agenda memo is from President Sonja Shaw and says the policy is being revised to outline a complaint process for non-curricular obscene materials 10. Under the new language, parents, students, staff or district residents may ask to remove a school or classroom library item alleged to contain sexually obscene content. The principal must remove it and notify the superintendent within three days, the board holds a public hearing within 45 days, and an item the board votes unsuitable is removed from all school and classroom libraries within five days. Other library complaints still go through the district's instructional-materials complaint procedures 11. Those procedures, in Board Policy 1312.2 as last revised in 2011, already covered library materials and accepted complaints from staff, district residents and parents 12.

AB 1078 had been signed the month before; a San Bernardino Sun preview said it was unclear whether the proposal conflicted with that law 13. The same day, a San Bernardino County Superior Court judge granted a state-requested preliminary injunction blocking parts of the district's separate parental notification policy 14.

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Public Comment on the Policy

The minutes record these speakers opposed: Krista Landgraph, Kristi Hirst, Ashlee Peters, Lisa Greathouse, Jim Gallagher, Bobby Omari, Sara Omari, Darlene Berg, Bethany Saunders-Medina, Megan Garcia, Lauren Daniel, Angela Liu, Tony Montanez, Eric Shamp, Lonna Rojas and Jeremiah Park. In support: Amy Davlin, John Cervantes, Jonathan Marcus, Maria Carrillo, Candy Olson, Christine Collinsworth, James Reid, Karen England, Eric Martinez, Maribel Beltran, Gina Gleason, Oscar Avila, Steven Paez, Michael Sherman, David Whitford, Nichole Vicario, Tiffany Guerrero, London Guerrero and Michael Hagberg 1. The minutes give names and sides only, so this page ties no argument to any individual.

Arguments heard on the recording, grouped by theme rather than speaking order: opponents pointed to the review process under policy 1312.2, whose committee includes administrators, teachers, a librarian and community members 1515 and that the revision would move book decisions to where the public could not hear the board's reasons 16. Supporters said sexually explicit material could harm young readers 17. Comment was interrupted by a five-minute recess after an audience member was ordered to leave for disrupting the meeting 1818.

Two speakers had their own slots. Student representative Chloe Kubeldis, whose concerns about the revision the minutes record 4, called "sexually obscene" an ambiguous phrase and said "this policy will do far more harm than good" 1919. A.C.T. President Brenda Walker, recorded speaking about culture war distractions and against the revision 4, said one complaint could pull a book for at least 45 days and get it "permanently banned from every library in the district," and that the union had notified the board of the policy's potential illegality 2020.

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Comments on Items Not on the Agenda

The minutes list these speakers and subjects: Daniel Mora and Phoenix Guiza regarding President Shaw; Max Ibarra alleging district racism; Jessica S. regarding the ruling by Judge Sachs; Lance Asbra to pray for the district; Steven Paez encouraging the board on parental involvement; Jess Holden regarding student abilities; Nichole Vicario regarding Judge Sachs granting parents a motion to intervene in the lawsuit, and CTA materials at school sites; Robert Davis regarding visual and performing arts funding; Elder Casley regarding the community's overtone; Byron Gonzalez regarding the way the country is going; Amanda Swager regarding conflict management and thanking district security; Marisol DiPaolo regarding donations to the Liberty Justice Center; Glory Ciccarelli regarding an email she sent the board; La'Maya Epps regarding racism at her school; Art Bennett announcing Chino Hills activities; Lisa Greathouse regarding board member behavior; and Kenneth Zhou thanking the board for protecting parental rights 44.

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Board and Superintendent Communications

Don Bridge requested a legal opinion on the revision and on whether AB 1078 affects it, asked how Board Policy 1312 does not pertain, and asked that he and Shaw visit school sites to confirm the books were there 21, saying "I'm kind of like Missouri you got to show it to me" 2222. He also suggested Cruz stop reading portions of books during his board comments, asked whether the Israel-Hamas conflict was being covered in class, and noted the death of district teacher Tracy Buss 21.

James Na said he was shocked and disgusted by the content of the books read by community members and that it was a shame to allow such books to be available to students 21: "this is not a book banning, this is trash" 23.

Jon Monroe noted that AR 1312.2 is already in place to regulate books, asked whether that process had been applied to the current concerns or had failed, and wanted answers before going into a new policy 21, including complaint data by the next meeting 2424. He also responded to an issue a community member had raised about him 21.

Andrew Cruz raised a gate issue at Country Springs Elementary, noted the security team's donation of iPads to special education, and noted the Golden Bell Award for Ayala High's counseling "Road Show" program 212525.

Superintendent Enfield said the same counseling work happens at the other three high schools 21 and that the California School Boards Association had asked the district to present on it 26; CSBA lists "High School Road Show" among its 2023 Golden Bell programs 27. He announced Chino High's Biomedical Science and Technology program for interested eighth graders, with open houses on November 1 and 15 212828.

President Shaw asked about the holding of Prop 28 funds, and Enfield explained the audit guidelines tied to their release 29; on the recording he said the money had not reached the district, could come as early as February 2024, and should not be spent before audit guidelines expected around March or April 3030. She asked about attorney DiMarco's Zoom participation in the public hearing in San Bernardino County 29. On the library policy she said the current policy does not address sexually obscene material and the revision is not banning classic books 29 ("first of all there's no book banning") 31, adding that she had heard objections to involving residents without children: "maybe we need to revisit that part" 32. She explained the website's option for donating to the Liberty Justice Center, closed the meeting in memory of Tracy Buss and Mathew Barajas, and adjourned at 9:12 p.m. 29.

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Coverage and What Came Next

The Daily Bulletin described a line from the board room door to the parking lot an hour before the meeting 33; the Champion counted about 40 speakers and at least one person escorted out 34; LAist also covered the hearing 35. On November 16, 2023 the board approved the revision along with revisions to Administrative Regulation 1312.2 36, as KVCR reported that night 37.