The March School Board Meeting was held on Wednesday, March 13, and contained discussions of the district’s budget as well as public concerns regarding clubs and the parental notification policy.
Board Member Judy Bullockus began by addressing the pressing issues regarding the district’s budget. She shared that she has been on the phone with fellow Board Member Gila Jones and legislators.
“You all are probably reading the paper about the budget within California, and we are trying to get them to not touch Prop 98 and the funding for our schools.” She references Prop 98 which establishes the minimum funding level for schools and community colleges.
Board President Krista Castellanos followed up the conversation by sharing, “Trustee Bullokus already mentioned the budget—it doesn’t look good. It’s going to be a significant shortfall for us but I think the priority or the messaging that was given up there was to please prioritize public education.”
She noted that the district will learn more about its budget in May. She then spoke about her experience with Senator Josh Newman who talked of children’s education and how the district consistently meets with him to discuss the needs of CUSD students.
The public comments section of the meeting began with the topic of the Students for Justice in Palestine Club at Tesoro High School. A parent shared that this club is supposedly known for bullying, intimidation and inciting violence. She compared them to the Ku Klux Klan and was continued by the following speaker. The second speaker noted that the club calls for political engagement and Palestine liberation but parents feel the school should not be getting involved in politics.
Several parents called upon the Board Members for involvement, with one parent claiming, “Tesoro High School has gaslit and dismissed the experience of students who have filed harassment complaints and that is completely unacceptable!”
The following speakers felt passionately about the parental notification policy, which was denied back in October.
One parent, with a child at Don Juan Avila Middle School, reported that her daughter had been feeling down and reached out to a teacher about it. The parent praised the teacher who then reached out to her to inform her of her daughter’s state so she could receive help. She circled back to the parental notification policy and how important it is for parents to be aware of what their children are mentally experiencing.
While many are still against the parental notification policy, there are just as many parents who express distaste and feel that transgenderism is “evil.”
One parent mentioned that he is considering pulling his children out of the district due to “transgender issues.” He spoke about how he finds it infuriating that the denial of the policy may prevent him from being aware of what’s going on with his children.
The meeting concluded with a presentation that claimed students of CUSD to be meeting or exceeding the standard of English-language arts and mathematics, while also experiencing a declining rate of chronic absenteeism and a consistent rate of suspension.
