CVUSD Board of Education: May 7, 2026

Regular meeting. Closed session began at 4:20 p.m. and the open meeting reconvened at 6:00 p.m. with Cervantes, Cruz, Na, Smith and Shaw present 1. The evening was dominated by two subjects that were never put to a vote: a board discussion of PERB Decision No. 3017, the labor board's ruling on the district's flag and parental-notification rules, and a federal "History Rocks" assembly scheduled for the next morning at Canyon Hills Junior High.

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Closed session report

The Board reported one closed-session action: it appointed John Miller as Director of Expanded Learning & Support Programs, effective July 1, 2026 1. The minutes print the roll call, with Cervantes, Cruz, Na, Smith and Shaw voting yes 1.

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Military Salute

With Colors presented by the Chino Young Marines and music from the Woodcrest JHS Band, the Board honored students who have enlisted in the armed forces, introduced by school and branch of service, and recognized current and former military members in attendance 1.

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Staff report: Teaching and Learning Task Force

Dr. Grace Park, Deputy Superintendent, presented the annual Teaching and Learning Task Force update (areas of emphasis, survey results, professional development plans) and a video presenting the District as a model for districtwide professional learning communities 1. As presented, the staff survey drew 861 responses, from 770 teachers and 91 administrators 2 3, and the district reported that it had met the standard for implementing state academic standards across all content areas in 2025/26 3. Responding to a remark from the dais, a presenter said an out-of-state team made the video 4 at no cost to the district, for training districts nationwide 5.

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Student members: a farewell and an oath

Student Representative Phoenix Kim gave farewell remarks at the end of his term, thanked the school community, welcomed incoming student member Malia Ngo, and received a gift and thanks from the Board and Superintendent Enfield 1.

By consensus the Board took the student-member item ahead of the discussion item 6. On a motion by John Cervantes, seconded by Andrew Cruz, it then approved Malia Ngo of Chino HS as the 2026/2027 Student Member and administered the oath of office 6.

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The main event: PERB Decision No. 3017

What was on the table. Item II.A.1 placed Associated Chino Teachers v. Chino Valley Unified School District (Case No. LA-CE-6828-E) on the agenda for discussion only 7. The agenda memo came from Board President Sonja Shaw, who recommended that the Board discuss the decision 8.

The memo's account of the ruling 8:

• PERB issued the decision on April 20, 2026, on an A.C.T. complaint. In the memo's words, it "addresses how policies are adopted and not what those policies must include."
• PERB ordered the District to rescind its June 15, 2023 revisions to Administrative Regulation 6115, whose definition of a "flag" PERB found overly broad and open to being read as restricting protected employee rights.
• PERB also ordered the District to rescind provisions of BP/AR 5010 requiring certificated employees to notify parents within three days of any incident or complaint involving a verbal or physical altercation. The memo says that provision had already been removed by earlier Board action, so no action is required.

PERB's posting lists 3017-E as a precedential decision and says the flag policy interfered with employees' right to display union insignia 9. An earlier district memo dates the complaint to August 2023 and says the District received an administrative law judge's proposed decision on June 19, 2025, which it appealed 10.

What the record shows. The minutes record a motion by Andrew Cruz to discuss the decision. The seconder appears only as the initials "SS", which match both Shaun Smith and Sonja Shaw, and the record does not resolve which. No action was taken 6. The minutes do not say who spoke, so the remarks below, from the recording, carry no names.

The item was presented from the dais as a slideshow, introduced as being about the "union lawsuit against parent notification and flag policy" 11. It called the litigation "wasted time, money, and focus away from our kids' education" 11, and the presenter said more than once that its characterizations were personal opinion 12. Asked from the dais to describe the complaints that came before the flag rule, a speaker cited Israeli and Palestinian flags 13 13 and Ukrainian and Russian flags in classrooms with students from the other side 13, arguing that when a student "feels the environment is aligned with one side of a conflict or a specific ideology, it creates a barrier to learning" 13.

The slideshow's description of the ruling differed in tone from the memo's. It said of the union that "they fought in court and they won the right to hide bullying from parents" 14. The presenter, calling these personal views, described PERB as a "kangaroo court with a dishonorable judge" 15. The presentation then turned to the next day's assembly. It alleged that a teacher had told students they would not go to college if seen at the event 16, and it played a recording of a teacher telling a class that the program was "fake history" and that the teacher would take that day off 17.

In later comments from the dais, one speaker asked that the assembly be posted on YouTube and the district website for transparency, and the reply was that the district would "see what we can do" 18. Another said board policy requires teachers to remain neutral and called pre-judging an educational event "educational malpractice" 19.

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Public comment

The minutes list twelve speakers: Glory Ciccarelli; an observant parent; Elsa De La Torre; Kristi Hirst; Paul Griffin; Sara Omari; Kate Morales; Oscar; Adriana Cardenas Isley; Mauricio Cantu; Jackie Cortes; and Debi Hernandez 6. The minutes do not record what anyone said, so no comment below is attributed to a named person.

The Canyon Hills assembly drew most of the comment. Critics said the History Rocks program had been designed by Turning Point USA, Prager University and the Heritage Foundation 20. They said families could avoid it only by signing their children out of school 20, and that messages to parents had not named the guest speakers 20. One called it "not hosting an educational event, but a political rally" 21. Another said it was "a very onesided celebration" and asked that history be taught whole 22. Two speakers defended the event. One contrasted the objections with the debate over parental notification 23. The other said the controversy "was started by people that work for the district" 21.

The Champion reported that the U.S. Department of Education chose Canyon Hills as the tour's only California stop, that about 25 parents protested beforehand, and that the program's speakers included Board President Sonja Shaw 24.

Other topics:

• Speaking for residents of Anita Street, a speaker asked the District to cut back the full-height privacy slats on the new fence at Magnolia JHS, saying they leave adjacent homes looking enclosed, and presented a petition 23 20.
• A speaker who said they had taught at Chino HS for 42 years asked the Board to look at how English learners there are moved out at age 18 25.
• A speaker said answers given from the dais at the previous meeting about hotspots for students with IEPs were incomplete. The speaker asked why the devices must be written into IEPs "when families had them for six years without IEPs" 26.
• A speaker asked again for a podium at the speakers' microphone, "one of the basic simple accommodations" 22.
• Several speakers paid tribute to Chino High teacher Amanda Swager, "a staple at these board meetings" 26.
• One speaker, commenting on the meeting-conduct bylaw 27, accused the board president of fear-mongering and called for her resignation 28. That accusation is the speaker's, not a finding.

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Employee representatives

Sarah Palmer, ACT Representative, mourned the death of Chino High teacher and longtime board-meeting participant Amanda Swager 6 and asked for a moment of silence 29. She announced that ACT is awarding 10 scholarships to graduating children of members, introduced ACT President-Elect William Renner, and previewed ACT's Day of Teacher Celebration honorees 6. Annette Hatch, Ed.D., CHAMP President, described the CHAMP scholarship application, invited members to an end-of-year gathering, and thanked certificated and classified staff 6.

Swager, a chemistry teacher at Chino High for 18 years, died May 3 at 44. The local paper described her as a frequent advocate for students before the board 30.

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Action items

For each, the minutes add "Student representative voted yes" 6. The MOU covers Allegiance STEAM Academy's use of the former El Rancho ES site, with a 3% oversight fee plus monthly utility charges over a five-year term 32. The Classified Week resolution marks May 17–23, 2026 and recognizes more than 1,000 classified employees 33. The Board agreed by consensus to continue past 9:00 p.m. 6.

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Consent calendar

The consent calendar was approved as a block on a motion by James Na, seconded by "SS" 31. Items of note:

• Board bylaws. The Board approved revisions to Bylaws 9250, 9320, 9322 and 9323 and a new Bylaw 9320.1, Remote Meetings and Attendance 31. As revised, BB 9250 sets each member's monthly compensation at $2,000, less deductions for unexcused absences 34. BB 9323 gains a "Disruptions" section reflecting the Berkeley People's Alliance v. City of Berkeley decision 35. The section requires a warning before an individual is removed for disrupting a meeting 36.
• Ayala HS Performing Arts Center. The Board awarded Bid No. 25-26-10F to twenty contractors across 22 bid packages 37, with a listed fiscal impact of $43,646,085 to Fund 21 38. The Champion later reported that the project is paid for with Measure G bond money and passed with no discussion, with completion expected in late 2028 39.
• Don Lugo HS MPR refresh was awarded to ACC & Engineering, LLC 37, the low bid at $119,400 38.
• Cortez ES waterline replacement. All bids were rejected and the project will be rebid 37. Staff cited the wide gap between the two bids ($1.93 million and $2.92 million) and missing contract documents 40.
• Legal services. The Board approved payment to Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo; Margaret A. Chidester & Associates; and Tao Rossini, APC 31. March invoices totaled $53,987.42, against $717,788.89 for the fiscal year to date 41.
• Registers. The warrant ($9,462,170.26) 42 and purchase order ($9,680,533.70) 43 registers were approved 31 37, along with student admission, readmission and expulsion cases 31.

The Board also received the first-semester expulsion report 37: 22 students recommended for expulsion, 18 expelled and 4 revoked 44.

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Communications

• Shaun Smith recognized Amanda Swager, commended district music programs including Ayala HS's world-champion and Chino Hills HS's third-place percussion teams, and acknowledged Teacher Appreciation Week. The minutes record that he confirmed the fence at Magnolia JHS will be reviewed 37. In the recording he raised the fence as a question and got a yes in reply 45. Of Swager he said she "never broke the rules of logic and reason" 46.
• James Na mourned Amanda Swager and Adult School teacher Steve Thompson and asked that the meeting be adjourned in their memory 37. He recalled Thompson's work with adult students in citizenship classes 45.
• Andrew Cruz made no comments 37.
• John Cervantes thanked attendees, honored Amanda Swager, recognized students entering military service and all who serve in the military and law enforcement, and urged the community to focus on shared goals 37.
• Superintendent Norm Enfield thanked Phoenix Kim, teachers and classified staff (it was Classified Appreciation Week) and congratulated graduating seniors 37.
• President Sonja Shaw recognized Phoenix Kim and thanked staff, parents and security personnel. She spoke of the Board's commitment to rebuilding trust and supporting staff through negotiations, student safety, state policies on girls' sports, privacy and locker rooms, and recent public statements by state officials characterizing parents and advocates 47. In the recording she cited what she described as a message from the governor that morning 48 and an assembly member's use of the word "Nazis" 48.

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Adjournment

After a moment of silence, President Shaw adjourned the meeting at 9:20 p.m. in memory of Amanda Swager and Steve Thompson 47.

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This summary is produced by an independent community archive and is not affiliated with Chino Valley Unified School District. It draws on the district's agenda packet, adopted minutes and meeting recording.