Chino Valley Unified Board of Education: July 18, 2024

Two days after the district went to federal court against California's new Assembly Bill 1955 1, the board adopted a resolution opposing the same law, with Don Bridge voting no 2. The other thread was legal spending: a $287,595.78 consent payment brought the 2023/2024 legal bill to $1,145,827.79 3, and Superintendent Norm Enfield responded with a history of the district's legal costs 4.

President Shaw called the meeting to order at 4:40 p.m.; Na arrived at 4:43 p.m. and Monroe was absent 5. The meeting adjourned at 7:17 p.m. 6.

⚖️ Resolution 2024/2025-06, opposing AB 1955

What was proposed. The board president's memo says AB 1955 cleared the Legislature on June 27, 2024, and that on July 8 President Sonja Shaw requested a resolution opposing it because it "excludes parents from the critical role they play in their children’s lives and development" 7. The memo still described the bill as awaiting the governor's signature 7; the agenda was posted July 12 8. The resolution says the Attorney General is suing the district over its parental-rights policies while backing AB 1955, and set three guiding principles, starting with parents' "unassailable right to direct their children’s education, including their moral and religious upbringing" 7.

Why the timing mattered. Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1955 on July 15, 2024. The next day the district and seven parents sued Newsom, Attorney General Robert Bonta and State Superintendent Tony Thurmond in federal court in the Eastern District of California, alleging violations of the First and Fourteenth Amendments and preemption by the federal student-records law, FERPA 1. The Champion Newspapers reported in August that the Liberty Justice Center was representing the district at no charge, and that the Orange County Board of Education and Anderson Union High School District had voted to join the suit 9.

The vote. The minutes record six people addressing the board on the item: Jim Gallagher, Richard Wales, Paul Griffin, Kristal, Misty S., and Sonja Shaw. Na moved and Cruz seconded, and the resolution was adopted with Bridge voting no and Monroe absent 2.

The minutes do not record who said what, so arguments heard on the recording appear here without names and not in speaking order:

• One speaker urged a no vote on cost grounds 10, citing past costly district disputes from a 2006 board conflict-of-interest case 10 and 2009 school closures 10 to prayer litigation the speaker put at almost $300,000 11.
• One argued that the issue comes down to trust, saying people who identify as trans are about 1.1% of the population 12, and described what the speaker called a high bar of counseling and care before a student may use a different facility 12.
• One said "we've opened Pandora's Box" 13 and asked what else schools would be expected to keep secret from parents 13.
• One played a clip of the National Education Association's president and linked the union to the bill's author 14.

💵 Legal bills: $1.1 million and an explanation

Consent Item III.B.5 paid three law firms. In the packet, Tao Rossini, APC ($532,358.66) and Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo ($525,676.88) made up most of the year-to-date total 3. The board approved the consent items on a motion by Na, seconded by Bridge, with Monroe absent 2, including the legal-services payment 15.

Kristi Hirst and Lisa G. addressed the board on the item; the minutes do not record what either said 2. On the recording, one comment compared the year's total with about $400,000 three years earlier and $590,000 two years earlier 16; one asked how the district came to be the chief plaintiff in a suit against state leaders that was never brought to a board meeting for a vote 17.

Superintendent Enfield's answer came during communications. By the minutes' account, he said fees ran from two to three million dollars a year 18 years earlier, fell under a million about a decade ago, rose to $1.6 million in 2016 and 2017, and came back under a million after he became superintendent, with a COVID-era low near $400,000 4. This year, he said, district-initiated litigation cost about $400,000 and produced a settlement bringing $2.4 million to the district. Netting it would put fees near $750,000, but the district reports the full amount, about $1.1 million 4. The Champion Newspapers had reported on June 29 that the district's lawsuit against Chino Development Corporation over developer fees tied to Cal Aero Preserve Academy settled for $2.4 million 18.

On the state's case, he said he learned on Friday, August 4 (the minutes give no year) from the LA Times that the California Department of Justice had subpoenaed the district, with documents due the following Friday 4. The board, superintendent and counsel sought pro bono help, and from a September 11 special meeting on, the Liberty Justice Center picked up the cost; he acknowledged district bills from August 4 to September 11 4.

President Shaw thanked him, said she had questioned such bills as a parent before learning what it costs to run a district this size, criticized the state for using nine attorneys, and thanked the board for getting a pro bono attorney 6.

🧑‍🏫 Employee representatives

Sarah Palmer, A.C.T. Secretary, asked for a moment of silence for CVUSD student Jason Phan and, speaking for association president Steven Frazer, raised a lack of paper, staffing problems affecting classroom air conditioning, and inadequate technology for special-needs students 2.

Emily Lao, CHAMP President, described administrators' participation in Leadership Charge and the district's Model PLC District recognition 2.

🗣️ Public comment on items not on the agenda

The minutes list seven speakers and their topics: Jen Wiersma regarding general policies; Nick Wilson regarding concerned citizen; Eric Shamp regarding Board governance; Glory Ciccarelli regarding Legacy Academy; Juan Villalbut regarding fiscal responsibility; Daniel Villanweva regarding petitioning for TK for daughter; and Tremale Ratcliffe regarding Just Us 4 Youth introduction 2. Names come only from the minutes, so these themes carry none and are not in speaking order.

• At least one speaker said legal fees had passed a million dollars in a single year 19 and argued that "a dollar can only be spent once" 20.
• One speaker praised the board's stand on parental rights 21.

In communications, Na asked Dr. Enfield to have staff talk with the parent who spoke about TK for their daughter, and said he was moved to have a four-year-old speak that night 22.

🏛️ Closed session and consent

Out of closed session the board appointed assistant principals Nicholas Hale (Ayala HS), Elvira Flores (Chino HS) and Cindy Palacios (Biomedical Science and Technology Academy at Chino HS), effective July 19, 2024, and Lisa Madera as Director of Elementary Curriculum and Instruction. It also ratified a hearing officer's decision upholding the termination of a classified employee and accepted a resignation agreement with a certificated employee 5. Jim Gallagher led the Pledge of Allegiance 5.

The rest of the consent calendar, approved with the legal payment 2:

• Don Lugo High School: the new administration building, kitchen and pool renovation was awarded to 22 contractors 23, at a packet fiscal impact of $18,308,265 24.
• A purchasing error. The board approved payment to Dave Bang & Associates "under threat of potential litigation or disputed claim" 23. Staff had misread a per-unit quote for two Legacy Academy shade shelters as the total; the real $172,424.10 exceeded the bid limit 25.
• Student discipline policy. Revisions to Board Policies 5127 (graduation ceremonies) and 5144 (discipline) were approved 15, the latter to clarify the Behavior Code for Senior Activities 26. As revised, BP 5144 excludes a second-semester senior suspended once from senior activities other than graduation, and a student suspended twice from the graduation ceremony 27.
• New courses: eight "Fundamental" courses plus Cultural Experiences in America 15.
• Proposition 28: the arts and music annual report was approved 15; the packet shows $3,813,011 received for 2023/2024 and no spending yet 28.
• Also approved: the Ayala HS shade structure and Dickey ES fencing awards, rejection of all bids on a five-school asphalt rebid, personnel items as amended, and rejection of a claim 23.

The Williams quarterly complaint report was received for information 22.

📣 Board communications

• Don Bridge attended Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez's June 29 open house, where CVUSD Teacher of the Year Carrie Walker of Canyon Hills JHS was honored, and said the opening of Legacy Academy in The Preserve went very smoothly 22.
• James Na spoke about parental choice and parental rights, thanked Nick Wilson for voicing his belief about his child, and described a meeting with City of Chino leaders on campus security and south-side growth 22.
• Andrew Cruz said CVUSD was the top unified district among 345 in California for PBIS recognition 29.

Legacy Academy, the second K-8 school in The Preserve, had opened that month as a multi-track, year-round school with 806 students, the Champion Newspapers reported 30.

This is an independent, community-maintained summary of public records and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Chino Valley Unified School District. The minutes for this meeting are a scanned document read by optical character recognition; names appear as the minutes print them. Where the minutes record that a person spoke but not what they said, this page does not assign them specific remarks.