April 8, 2025 — RUSD Board of Education Regular Meeting

Date: April 8, 2025 | Location: Board Room, 25 West Lugonia Avenue, Redlands | Open session called to order: 6:07 p.m. 1 | Adjourned: 8:56 p.m. 2

Board members recorded at the open-session roll call: Melissa Ayala-Quintero, Patty Holohan, Candy Olson, Michele Rendler, Jeannette Wilson 1

The board adopted the agenda with flexibility and approved the minutes of the March 11, 2025 regular meeting 1.

The agenda for this meeting contained no policy item about classroom flags, parental notification of student gender identity, or library materials 16. Public comment was about almost nothing else.

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💰 The one split vote: board member pay

The board approved an increase for board member compensation, 5% effective July 1, 2024, under Education Code section 35120 and Board Bylaw 9250. The minutes record the motion by Melissa Ayala-Quintero, seconded by Jeannette Wilson, and record President Michele Rendler in the nays 3. It is the only item that night on which the minutes record a board member voting against.

Bylaw 9250, the district's own remuneration rule, provides that "Each member of the Governing Board may receive the maximum monthly compensation as provided for by the law" and that board members "are not required to accept payment for meetings attended" 4.

The item had a history. Two months earlier, on February 11, 2025, board member compensation was a discussion item, and those minutes record Melissa Ayala-Quintero referencing state guidelines that allow a $400 monthly stipend with a 5% raise each year, "though this hasn't been utilized in the district" 5. Redlands Community News reported after that meeting that the board "may soon increase their compensation rates," quoted Board President Michele Rendler saying there, "I'm against doing the raise just because I think we are public servants for the school district, for our constituents," and reported she would donate any raise she received 6.

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🔒 Closed session: a termination process begins

Before the open meeting, the board took one action behind closed doors. On a motion by Patty Holohan, seconded by Melissa Ayala-Quintero, it approved the Superintendent's recommendation to proceed with suspension without pay and a 30-day notice of termination for certificated employee 2024-25-12, under Education Code 44934 7. President Rendler announced the action when the open session convened 1.

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📋 Consent calendars, resolutions and the AI contract

Three consent calendars carried, along with three resolutions 48 9 10 11 3.

• Business Services (XIII.b through XIII.q). The largest items were roofing materials from Weatherproofing Technologies, Inc. at an approximate cost of $4,450,000 in Measure D funds, and PBK Architects master planning services at $360,255 plus reimbursables 9. Payment transmittals 25001977 through 25002200 totaled $7,427,650.61 10.
• Business Services action items. The board adopted Resolution No. 37, 2024-2025, Transfers of Appropriations, and approved Resolution No. 38, 24-25, authorizing Juan J. Cabral to apply for and sign assurances for local, state and federal transportation funding 10.
• Educational Services (XV.a and XV.b). Two student trips: six fifth graders from Cram Elementary to Three Oaks Outdoor Science School, and seven Redlands High School FCCLA members to a statewide leadership competition in Riverside 10.
• Human Resources (XVI.b through XVI.ae), plus Resolution No. 39, 2024-2025, Teaching Outside Credential Authorization 11 3.

One consent item drew a public objection. The board approved item XIII.e, an agreement with Designing Schools with Dr. Sabba Quidwai for an AI Bootcamp hybrid training and workshop, not to exceed $9,576, funded by the Educator Effectiveness Block Grant 9 12. Katherine Appleby asked which 12 staff were participating, what need prompted the expenditure, how the consultant was selected and what measurable outcomes taxpayers would see 8. On the recording: "This approval of a $9,576 contract is only for 12 licenses. That is about $780 per person." 13

The board did take the item up before voting, and the answer given from the dais was that the training is for "managers, cabinet and ed services managers, so that we can help our school sites through the AI world" 14. The minutes carry Appleby's questions and the consent calendar's approval, but no answer to them 8.

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🎤 Public comment: 41 speakers on policies that were not on the agenda

Community Forward Redlands, covering the meeting three days later, wrote: "At the April 8 school board meeting, the proposed policies weren't on the agenda—but they were on everyone's minds." The outlet described a coordinated turnout by members of The Ark Church, many in matching "Protect Girls Sports" shirts, and quoted a claim that similar policies in Chino Valley cost more than $1.2 million in legal fees in a single year 15.

The agenda provides that the chairperson sets the speaking time before the first speaker, up to a maximum of three minutes 16. The limit that night was a minute and a half: Samantha Trad objected to the reduction 17, telling the board, "You have cut our time down in half. We used to have three minutes. Now we have one and a half." 23 The minutes name 41 people who spoke in that period, two of them recorded by first name only 3.

What individual speakers said, as the minutes record it:

• Michael Paisner raised an omission in the January 14 meeting minutes: more than 300 written public comments were acknowledged at that meeting but do not appear in them, and he asked the district to correct the record 18. On the recording: "there are no written comments in those minutes" 19.
• Trisha Keeling cited a September 20, 2023 email written by Candy Olson requesting a vote on a flag ban and stating opposition to pride flags in classrooms, noting that no other flags were mentioned in it, and said the Temecula flag policy had produced a costly legal process and more than $100,000 in fees 20 17. Her closing line: "We need to focus on funding our classrooms, not the courtrooms." 21
• Katherine Appleby, back at the microphone in the general comment period, said President Rendler did not use a microphone during the March 21 workshop, which kept district administrators, among them Assistant Superintendent Buchmiller and Directors Joye and Bline, from answering board questions about supposedly problematic textbooks 17 22.
• Samantha Trad warned the proposals were modeled after Chino Valley USD and would cost RUSD millions in legal fees, money she argued belonged in classrooms and field trips 17.
• Bea Hamilton asked why the board had changed its long-standing practice of letting teachers and librarians speak first, and pointed to $500,000 in legal costs from similar policies in Chino 24. She told the board that "these policies have been consistently overturned by the courts" 25.
• Cindy Van Horn, a special education music teacher and Christian youth leader, spoke from a faith-based perspective against the proposed forced outing policy and named the Ark Church in Redlands as its promoter 26.
• John Berry told the board about a 48-star American flag given to him in childhood that inspired his military service, and urged a policy permitting only the American, California and POW/MIA flags 27.
• Kevin O'Connor urged the board to prioritize parental rights in classroom decisions, and raised AB 1955, participation in girls' sports, and content he described as sexual reaching students through flags and library books 3.
• Joshua Hall urged the board to revisit and vote on a proposed flag policy limiting classrooms to the American and state flags 3.
• Lawrence Hebron raised concerns about library content on gender and sexuality and urged the board to act as trustees of student welfare 3.

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🎓 The student trustee's statement

Student Trustee Bella Salazar led the Pledge of Allegiance at the opening 1 and then, in the board comments section, delivered the longest single statement of the night. The minutes record her introducing herself as a junior at Redlands High School active in speech and debate and RHS chamber strings, and speaking as a Mexican American with unilateral deafness 28. On the recording she opens, "Hello. My name is Bella Salazar, and I am the RHS student trustee." 29

The minutes record her opposing forced outing, arguing that requiring a child to disclose their identity can make school unsafe for students who are not safe at home; opposing book bans on the ground that school libraries are already age-appropriate; and opposing a pride flag ban, saying the flag represents love, equality and the struggles of the LGBTQIA+ community 28. They record her criticizing efforts to make the American flag the only flag in classrooms, "stating that it could be seen as an act of hate rather than a representation of freedom" 28. Her words on the recording: "Having the American flag being the only flag in classrooms is not about representing America. It is about representing hate." 29

She also raised classroom escape routes and the fear of assault weapons, the district's history of sexual assault cases, the legal exposure of the proposed policies, and funding for arts and academics, citing cuts to the Redlands High School speech and debate program and thin support for music programs across the district 30.

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💬 Board comments

• Michele Rendler apologized to the Hawkins family for the events at their children's school, said she had reviewed the 2021 resolution on racism and found it aligned with the district's commitment to condemning racism and hate, and set out board goals of reading by third grade, middle school math intervention and dual immersion by 2027 30. She said, "As board president, my responsibility is to act in the best interest of all students, regardless of their race, background, or identity." 31
• Melissa Ayala-Quintero celebrated Bryn Mawr as the first school in Redlands USD to earn the ASCA RAMP designation, then said she was embarrassed by the conduct of the meeting and criticized the board for censoring profanity while leaving hate speech directed at students unchallenged 32. Her words: "And we're censoring profanity, but we're not censoring hate speech." 33
• Candy Olson called for respect between board members, said material circulating about the flag policy was false, and described books she considers inappropriate for elementary grades 32. She told the room, "there is no proposed ban on multicultural holidays or celebrations, which has been circulated by some teachers throughout our district" 34. She renewed a request for an AQMD resolution that had not reached the agenda and asked for a resolution on girls' sports 35.
• Jeannette Wilson argued that allowing boys in girls' sports creates injury risk and unfair competition for scholarships and tournament places, referenced Title IX, and asked the board to send a statement to the state 35. On the recording: "it's a biological fact that boys are often stronger and vastly different in their physical abilities" 36.
• Patty Holohan thanked librarians and commended the student representative for her bravery in speaking 35.
• Juan Cabral, in the superintendent's comments, acknowledged a perception that he is failing and said he would keep trying, then pointed to an AP pass rate 15% above the national average and to Kimberly Elementary and Highland Grove being named California Distinguished Schools, in the top 1% of the state's elementary schools 35. On the recording: "Words don't mean anything. We are going to take care of our kids, and you'll see those actions from me." 37

Community Forward Redlands reported that the following month the board censured Trustee Melissa Ayala-Quintero over her conduct at this meeting 38. The April 8 minutes themselves record only Ayala-Quintero's stated embarrassment at how the meeting went and Olson's call for respect between board members 32.

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📈 Superintendent's report: the response at Mariposa

Superintendent Juan Cabral reported on equity and anti-racism work in response to parent accounts of racism shared at a previous meeting. At Mariposa, every classroom received two student lessons before spring break, one on kindness and one on no hate speech, all teachers were trained to deliver "No Hate Zone" lessons, and all staff including support staff were being trained that week 40. District-wide, the work is led by Equity Coordinator Ms. NaChé Thompson through equity teams at every school site, nearly 200 trained staff, with the goal of extending the Mariposa lessons to every elementary site by the end of the year 43. On the recording he framed it as continuing work rather than a solved problem: "It's not going to get solved with just a few lessons that we're doing. We have to stay on top of this." 41

Community Forward Redlands had reported a month earlier that Cabral issued a March 12, 2025 statement to families and staff condemning recent racist incidents and pledging stronger intervention, staff accountability and districtwide training, including a two-week intervention plan at Mariposa Elementary 42.

Jeannette Wilson later asked for a full presentation from NaChé on her work at Mariposa and her wider district role 2. The district's governance handbook, in the 2025-26 edition issued after this meeting, sets out that any board member may request an item be placed on a regular meeting agenda by writing to the Board President and Superintendent at least eight calendar days beforehand 39.

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📊 Presentation: District English Learner Advisory Committee

Sonya Balingit, Director of Special Projects, gave the annual DELAC update 43. The minutes record 56 languages spoken across the district, with Spanish, Arabic and Vietnamese the most common; 1,671 English learners, about 8.4% of enrollment, and more than 3,000 English learner and reclassified students served; and 216 students reclassified so far that year, with reclassified students monitored for four years afterward. Future goals included updating the EL Master Plan and continuing to explore a dual immersion program 43, along with support for reclassification and for the more than 200 students to be honored that year with the State Seal of Biliteracy in 19 languages 47. On the recording the figures are given as of the 2023-24 CALPADS reporting year, with Spanish spoken by over 2,000 students 44.

Association and committee reports were brief. Stephen Caperton of the Redlands Teachers Association marked National Library Week and recognized Moore Middle School librarian Jenann Elias, featured in CTA Educator Monthly and awarded a $40,000 grant to modernize the Moore library 45.

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📌 What the record does and does not show

The flag, parental notification and library materials proposals were discussed at length in public comment but were not before the board for a vote at this meeting, and the minutes record no action on any of them 16 15.

The district's Board Policy 6115, Ceremonies and Observances, carries an original adoption date of July 8, 2025, three months after this meeting. Its current text provides: "No flag other than the United States of America and State of California may be displayed on school grounds or in classrooms, unless it is a country, state, or United States military flag used solely for educational purposes within the adopted curriculum." It makes exceptions for school championship, academic achievement, college and national flags, and lets student clubs display their own materials at club meetings and events 46.

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This summary is based on the official agenda, minutes, and transcript on file in the RUSD Board of Education meeting archive, together with the district's board policy manual and governance handbook and the outside coverage cited above. This site is not affiliated with or operated by Redlands Unified School District.