March 26 Board Meeting: What's on the Agenda and What We Are Watching

Written By Emily Rolfing

Dear FUEL Community,

Tonight is a regular board meeting. Open session begins at 6:00 p.m. at Thurston Middle School Library, 2100 Park Avenue.

We want to share a few things that are on our minds as we head into this evening.

LBUSD Board Meeting - TONIGHT Thursday, 3/26 at 6:00 pm | Thurston Middle School - Link to Agenda | Link to Public Comment Form | Link to Watch

Our Students and Staff

Thank you!

Our students continue to show up and impress all of us. They are thoughtful, informed, and deeply invested in their schools and community. Seeing the different traits of the LBUSD learner profile shine through their actions is inspiring.

Our staff has also been speaking up. We hope the whole community is listening. These are professionals who chose to work with our children, who choose LBUSD, and whose work matters every single day. We are grateful for them. We trust them. And we believe they deserve to be supported fully in the work they do.

On Tonight's Agenda

Item 8A - Restorative Practices and the California Healthy Kids Survey

Tonight staff will present a detailed update on restorative practices within a progressive discipline system, alongside data from the California Healthy Kids Survey. This is a follow-up to a presentation from October. We commend district staff and prior leadership for their continued commitment to social-emotional learning and positive discipline approaches. This kind of forward-thinking work reflects the values our community holds, and we look forward to seeing the full report and the data it contains.

Item 9A - District Communications Plan Review

The board will also receive a review and discussion of the LBUSD communications plan tonight. At the March 12 meeting, Member Malczewski raised a significant concern. She noted publicly that the plan inappropriately focuses on the board, and that no individual board member has the authority to develop district strategy independently.

FUEL's View: All board members are bound by bylaws and represent their whole electorate. The superintendent manages district operations, including how the district communicates. When important items like this come before the board, we encourage the community to pay close attention to the discussion and any action taken. We reiterate that our superintendent is qualified and should be set up for success, supported in fulfilling his role in service of all of LBUSD, and most importantly in service of our students and staff.

Item 5 and 11A - Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items

Tonight, public comment on non-agenda items will be heard at the beginning of the meeting for 20 minutes. If more speakers remain, comment will continue at the end. Students and staff deserve to be prioritized in that time. We hope they are.

What We Are Watching: FUEL’s View

Items 3D, 3E, and 4C - Closed Session Items and Report on Closed Session Action

Since President Morgan formally assumed her role, this board has issued a steady stream of 3-2 votes on governance and procedural matters, often against the recommendation of the superintendent and voices of the community. We have watched members of the board majority publicly challenge the superintendent's leadership from the dais. And since February, an Employee Discipline, Dismissal, or Release item has appeared multiple times on closed session agendas sometimes without a report out or any indication of resolution.

We have shared our concern about the superintendent's off-cycle performance evaluation before. Off-cycle evaluations outside of the established process send a signal. The lack of any report out of closed session leaves our community without answers or transparency. Dr. Glass deserves the stability and support to lead the district he was hired to lead.

Taken together, these actions feel abnormal for a small, well-resourced district like ours. They reflect a board majority that is moving in a direction that students, staff, families, and community members have not asked for. 

Join Us

  • Attend in person at the Thurston Middle School Library. Open Session begins at 6:00 p.m. - Join us in the room to see what occurs in our school board hearings. Help us be there and witness what occurs in full from the dias.

  • Follow along on Social Media

  • Reach out to board@fuellaguna.org with questions, connections, or to grab a coffee!

Thank you for your support!

Emily Rolfing
Next

March 12 Board Meeting Recap: FUEL's Perspective and What You Need to Know