Board of Education — September 5, 2024

🏛️ September 5, 2024 Regular Board of Education Meeting

At its first meeting in the new board room 1, the board adopted two resolutions from President Sonja Shaw aimed at state initiatives 2 3 and first saw the "No Deception" policy it would approve in October 4.

🏘️ Resolution against districts as landlords

The board adopted Resolution 2024/2025-19, Opposing the Role of School Districts as Land Developers and Landlords, on a motion by James Na seconded by Andrew Cruz. The minutes record Don Bridge voting no and the student representative voting yes 3.

Shaw's memo cites State Superintendent Tony Thurmond's July 30, 2024 plan to develop school-owned land into an estimated 2.3 million housing units, and says research on whether such housing helps keep staff is lacking 5. The California Department of Education's release that day said local educational agencies together own 75,000 acres of developable land 6. The resolution formally opposes any initiative or legislation that "mandates or encourages" districts to develop land or act as landlords, and calls the push "a step toward community schools" 5. Closer to home, the Chino Valley Champion had reported in June that the district's outgoing headquarters site was listed as one of 44 properties in Chino where affordable housing could be built 7.

The minutes list two public speakers on the item, Oscar Avila and Amanda Swager, and do not record what they said 3. From the dais, one argument held that the district's own students without permanent homes, put at 1,200 or more (as captioned), should come first, and called asking each district to become a landlord or developer "nonsense" 88. The minutes record Bridge's no votes on both resolutions but not his reasons.

🏫 Resolution against Community Schools

The board adopted Resolution 2024/2025-20, Opposing the Community Schools Initiative and Declaring Non-Participation, on a motion by Na seconded by Jonathan Monroe, again with Bridge voting no and the student representative voting yes 3.

The resolution says state funding for the initiative promotes partnerships with "controversial organizations such as Planned Parenthood," categorically opposes the initiative in the district, and declares that CVUSD will not use taxpayer dollars on programs outside its core mission 9. A statement signed by Shaw and printed in the packet calls Community Schools part of "Sacramento’s Overreach" 10 and urges parents to "stay informed, stay engaged" 10.

Remarks from the dais included distrust of any government role in Community Schools 11 and a warning that Los Angeles Unified's voluntary program could become a statewide mandate through an Assembly bill 12 12.

📜 "No Deception" policy first appears

New Board Policy 0100.1, No Deception, came as an information item submitted by Shaw 13. Its memo says "Sacramento has recently created new laws designed to strip away parental rights by keeping secrets from parents" 13. The draft says the district and its employees "shall at all times be truthful and honest and not misrepresent, either directly or by omission," information affecting a child's education and well-being, and that staff must share relevant health, safety and education information "even if not directly requested" 14. The board received it for information 15.

The minutes list six speakers on the item: Scott Carter, Debi Woolery, Glory Ciccarelli, Jackie Cortes, Paul Griffin and Daniel Spellman 15. Their remarks are not tied to names. Themes, grouped by topic and deliberately not in speaking order:

• it is "so vague and poorly written" that it invites "a free-for-all Witch Hunt" 16;
• the wording sets no standard and leaves open who decides whether something pertinent was omitted 17, and could work around the notification policy 17;
• reporting "every single Small Change" in a student's life would invade students' privacy 18.

The September 19 agenda listed it again as an information item 19. The board approved it on October 17, 2024 4.

✈️ Travel rules and conflict of interest

Shaw also recommended revising Administrative Regulation 3350 on travel and conference expense "to ensure that District resources are used in the most fiscally responsible manner" 14. New language says a board member whose term is ending "shall not be registered for the end of year CSBA conference" 20. A proposed revision of Board Bylaw 9270 on conflict of interest would reflect SB 1439 21. The board received both for information; the minutes list Jackie Cortes as the one speaker on the bylaw and do not record what was said 15.

💵 Budget and consent business

On a motion by Cruz seconded by Na, the board approved the 2023/2024 Unaudited Actuals Financial Report and authorized the superintendent or designee to sign the certification 3.

The consent calendar was approved as amended on a motion by Cruz seconded by Monroe 3; the change corrected a Briggs fundraiser listing to read fall festival 22. It included:

• legal payments to Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo; Margaret A. Chidester & Associates; and Tao Rossini, APC 3, whose July invoices total $61,616.05 in the packet 23;
• Gann limits of $194,874,873 for 2023/24 and an estimated $199,990,822 for 2024/25 3;
• change orders closing out structural repairs at Cal Aero Preserve Academy, which the packet shows falling from a $250,000 bid to $49,000 24, and the four-school football scoreboard replacement, which grew by $278,052.77 and 115 days 25, both approved 15.

🔒 Closed session

The board met in closed session from 4:20 to 5:25 p.m. 22 The agenda lists conferences with legal counsel on one possible case of anticipated litigation (Margaret A. Chidester & Associates) and on existing San Bernardino County Superior Court case CIVSB2317301 (Liberty Justice Center) 2. The board reported appointing Brian Martinez as assistant principal at Cal Aero K-8, effective date to be determined, and Lisa Conetta-Lee as assistant principal at Chino Hills High School effective September 6, 2024 22.

🎤 Opening reports

Student representative Gabriella Segoviano described events and homecoming themes at the high schools 22. A.C.T. President Steven Frazer asked for updates on supports for educational specialists, supplies such as paper, curriculum, technology and unifying the community 22; on the recording he asked whether the board had unified the community "or have you caused divide" 26. CHAMP President Emily Lao spoke about Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports and the honors district schools have earned for it 22.

A statement from the dais rejected a claim that the board had mishandled the student representative's preferential vote 27, which Board Bylaw 9150 defines as cast "before the official vote of the Board" 28.

🗣️ Public comment

Nine people addressed the board on non-agenda topics, the minutes record: Palace Leavitt, Oscar Avila, Amanda Swager, Scott Carter, Misty S, Glory Ciccarelli, Lisa G, Jackie Cortes and Paul Griffin 22. The minutes do not record what each said, so comments are not tied to names. Themes, grouped by topic and deliberately not in speaking order:

• a claim, unverified here, that the board hid its decision to sue the state over AB 1955 (a federal suit filed July 16, 2024, according to Liberty Justice Center 29) inside a consent-calendar amendment to its Liberty Justice Center contract 3030;
• objection to the targeting of teachers' safe-space cards 31;
• objection to district funding of the teachers union president's full-time release position, put at about $181,000 for 2023/24 (as captioned) 32;
• a call for Calvary Chapel Chino Hills to reimburse the district 33 for the dropped prayer lawsuit 33;
• solidarity with school boards resisting AB 1955 34, called a contradiction of the 14th Amendment 34;
• criticism of the board president's Instagram account 35 for doing "nothing recently except bash the union" 35;
• whether active-shooter training twice a year is enough 36 after the Georgia school shooting 36.

💬 Board and superintendent communications

• Don Bridge reported on the Chino Hills Parks and Recreation Commission, the joint meeting with the City of Chino, and heat precautions 15, saying student volunteers served 2,736 hours this summer (as captioned) 37.
• James Na thanked principals and spoke about the Georgia shooting and school safety 15, asking for a meeting with security personnel to "brainstorm" campus safety 38.
• Andrew Cruz spoke about the district's PBIS recognition 1, saying CVUSD ranked first among 345 California unified districts for having all its schools recognized (as captioned) 39.
• Jonathan Monroe spoke about the City of Chino meeting and relationships with law enforcement and district security 1, citing added school resource officers and a sergeant assigned to them 40.
• Superintendent Norm Enfield thanked technology staff for the new room and addressed school safety 1, citing single-point entry and tripled camera counts 41.
• President Shaw spoke about union president release time, an A.C.T. questionnaire promoting three board candidates on campuses, the board stipend and CSBA-endorsed policies, and last Friday's courtroom experience "where the judge personally attacked her instead focusing on the legal merits of parental rights" 1. On the recording she put last year's release-time cost at $153,000 (as captioned) 42, and a reply from the dais said the district was already looking into the questionnaire 43.

The minutes do not name the case. Six days later, the Attorney General announced a San Bernardino County Superior Court final ruling permanently halting the district's earlier policy provisions requiring schools to inform parents 44.

Shaw adjourned the meeting at 7:58 p.m. 1