The Morongo Unified School District Board of Trustees met last night in regular session to vote on several action items involving school improvements, in addition to hearing presentations on COVID-19 and LCAP funding. Assignment reporter Chris Fleischman joins us with more details from last night’s meeting…
The Morongo Unified School District Board of Trustees met in regular session last night (February 22) at Joshua Tree Elementary School, as approximately a dozen people in attendance, some holding signs, continued to voice opposition to COVID-19 mitigation measures in the district.
During open session, the board heard updates from COVID-19 Response Coordinator Richard Romo, who explained that K-12 schools were not included in the revised masking guidance in California, even though more updates may be imminent. He also explained that case numbers were significantly lower in the district since the height of the pandemic, with currently only eleven active cases in the district. Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services Amy Woods also delivered an update on the 2021-2022 Local Control and Accountability Plan, or LCAP. During this lengthy presentation, which was required by law, Woods explained the three goals for using LCAP fiscal resources – student learning; school safety, culture, collaboration, and communication; and recruiting and retaining effective educators and other personnel. She then went on to outline the available metrics which are used to measure the outcomes of these goals, in addition to updating the board on all of the LCAP actions and expenditures in the year so far. The board then voted for six candidates for the 2022 CSBA Delegate Assembly election – Heather Allgood (Helendale SD), Christina Cameron-Otero (Needles USD), Barbara Dew (Victor Valley Union HSD), Cindy Gardner (Rim of the World USD), James O’Neill (Redlands USD), and Scott Wyatt (San Bernardino City USD). They also approved the sunshine proposals for the Morongo Teachers Association and the California School Employees Association, looking toward the next stage of contract negotiations for a tentative agreement. Finally, the trustees voted unanimously to approve requests for quotes for asphalt patching, carpet, and flooring at various sites in the district, as well as voting to approve a contract with Ledesma & Meyer Construction Co., Inc. for the Twentynine Palms High School Stadium Improvements Project.
