Trustee Highlights

Laurel Wood School students, accompanied by Principal Maire McDermid, teacher Karie Duer and the Dolphin mascot, opened the Sept. 16 Board of Trustees meeting by leading the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Ms. Duer, now in her 39th year as a teacher, explained that one of the students reciting the pledge is the daughter of one of the first students she taught.

Laurel Wood student artwork is on display at the Board Room and in the District Office hallways, and will remain hanging until the next Board meeting.

The Trustees acknowledged a number of departments and employee groups at the Board meeting, for the work conducted throughout the school year and over the summer to ensure students, teachers and support staff were set up for a successful start to the 2025-2026 school year.

• The Human Resources Department staff was acknowledged for their work throughout the year—and especially during the busy summer months—to ensure that every school and department was staffed as fully staffed as possible and ready to welcome students and support learning;
• The Maintenance, Operations and Transportation Department, including custodial staff, were acknowledged for working tirelessly over the summer to repair, paint, build, and beautify the District’s schools so that when students and staff returned, they were welcomed into safe, clean, and inviting campuses;
• The Student Information Systems staff was acknowledged for their dedication and work during the summer—troubleshooting, organizing data, and supporting families and schools—which ensured that every student was registered, scheduled, and ready to learn on the very first day of school;
• The Technology & Innovation Department team, in honor of National IT Professionals Day, which took place this year on September 16, for their invaluable work maintaining computers, networks, and phones, safeguarding data and designing creative digital tools. Their dedication empowers teachers to teach, students to learn, and families to stay informed.
  

In addition, the Trustees acknowledged September 15 through October 15 as Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States, a time that honors the contributions Latino and Hispanic Americans have made to the vitality, history and culture of our country.

The Trustees received an informational report from Assistant Superintendent of Fiscal Services Nikki Herring, on the District's 2024-2025 unaudited actuals—the year-end financial statements showing the District’s revenues, expenditures, and ending-fund balances for the prior fiscal year.

In later action, after receiving the informational report, the Trustees by unanimous vote of all members present approved the 2024-2025 unaudited actuals. As a next step, the District's auditors will bring the report to the California Department of Education, and any adjustments requested by the CDE will be brought back to the Board of Trustees.

The Trustees received an informational report on parental rights to opt out of instruction based on sincerely held religious beliefs, as laid out in the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Mahmoud v. Taylor. The decision applies exclusively to elementary settings and pertains solely to instruction, not curriculum, while the opt-out guidance covers objections to fictional content (such as story books).

Parents may opt out if content "substantially interferes" with their sincerely held religious beliefs and practices.

The Trustees approved Resolution 2025-26/04 in support of Community Schools Implementation. This resolution reaffirms the District’s commitment to advancing the Community Schools model as a strategy to strengthen student outcomes, family engagement, and community partnerships. The resolution highlights alignment with the District’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) priorities and state initiatives.

Below please find the Superintendent's report for the month for September, in English and Spanish.

From Oct. 6-9, each Trustee will hold a Town Hall meeting to discuss key District initiatives, including upcoming bond-funded projects to improve school facilities throughout the District, Community Schools Implementation and more. See the flyers below for details. Childcare and translation services will be included in each event.

The next regular Board meeting takes place on Oct. 21. All meeting agendas are posted to the District website the Friday before the meeting.