Coachella Valley Unified board meeting, Sep 10, 2026
2 h 42 min · 8 public speakers
This board doesn’t post agenda times. Click a board member to jump to where they first speak; we list only members whose voice our check named. Video length 2 h 42 min.
- Who spoke · first speaks at
- Thomas TortezPresident
What happened
What happened at this meeting
Coachella Valley Unified board approves unaudited actuals and long-range facilities master plan 1:59:46
- Valerie Garcia reported closed session actions, including an appointment as director of nutrition services that carried 5-2 and an appointment as coordinator of special education that carried 4-3. 1:04:14
- Thomas Tortez announced that the motion to approve the fiscal year 2025-26 unaudited actuals passed. 1:59:46
- Valerie Garcia questioned why item M14 was considered an emergency, and a staff member said a pump went out and the district installed artificial turf to control dust. 2:22:18
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Item by item (15)
- Opening and agenda approval 0:00
- Thomas Tortez called the meeting to order at 5:34, and Trinidad Arredondo led the Pledge of Allegiance. 0:00
- A staff member said supporting documents for the fiscal year 25-26 unaudited actuals item had been omitted from the original posting due to a clerical error and had since been added. 1:43
- Thomas Tortez announced the motion to approve the agenda carried. 2:11
- West Shores community schools update 2:21
- The principal of West Shores High School said the school served 503 students, with more than 95% identified as socioeconomically disadvantaged and 27% English learners. 2:44
- The principal said St. John's Community Health would provide medical services once a month with a mobile unit starting in October. 7:12
- Asked whether those services were for families as well as students, a staff member said they would be open to the community. 12:45
- Unaudited actuals presentation 13:13
- A staff member said the district receives approximately 69.8% of its revenue through the Local Control Funding Formula and spends close to 82% of its total expenditures on salaries and benefits. 15:21
- The staff member said enrollment continues to decline and the decline in the current year is greater than in prior years. 15:49
- Valerie Garcia said the ending fund balances were higher than they began. 23:08
- Facilities master plan presentation 24:54
- An architect presenting the plan said it documents existing conditions and includes a website with a scenario builder that shows the cost of selected projects. 25:14
- Jocelyn Vargas asked how often a district assesses its facilities, and the presenter said Proposition 2 requires a master plan to be updated every 5 years to apply for state matching funds. 35:02
- The presenter said state matching funds work out to 30 to 40% depending on the project. 36:59
- Public comment before closed session 38:52
- Speakers at public comment thanked the district for new playground equipment, turf and other improvements at Westside. 39:44
- A speaker at public comment said a PERB administrative law judge issued a proposed decision finding the district unreasonably delayed providing information, and asked the board to direct administration to respond to outstanding information requests. 43:44
- Speakers at public comment raised a classified employees' counterproposal of $345,000 and problems with the bus routing system and CNG pumps. 47:07
- Closed session and reported actions 55:13
- Valerie Garcia reported the board voted to appoint a director of nutrition services effective September 11th, 2026, and a coordinator of career technical education effective the same date. 1:03:38
- Valerie Garcia reported the nutrition services appointment carried 5-2, the career technical education appointment carried 7-0, the special education appointment carried 4-3 and the second settlement agreement carried 7-0. 1:04:14
- Public comment after closed session 1:06:56
- A speaker at public comment said a library position should be 7 or 8 hours rather than 5. 1:09:38
- A speaker at public comment proposed having central office administrators work as substitute teachers 10 days a year, estimating savings of approximately $74,100 each year. 1:11:02
- Speakers at public comment raised reductions in bilingual psychologist technician services, compliance concerns and holding public comment before closed session. 1:13:22
- Board member reports 1:22:22
- Joey Acuña Jr. thanked maintenance and HVAC staff for their work during a stretch of hot days. 1:26:43
- Alena Callimanis said teachers asked about starting school after Labor Day and said district scores in English language arts and math had improved for the last 4 years. 1:27:54
- Jocelyn Vargas and Valerie Garcia spoke about bus transportation, with Valerie Garcia saying the district needs to make sure the CNG pumps are in working order. 1:32:05
- Superintendent report 1:38:39
- The superintendent announced a Recovery Day on Friday, September 18th, when administrators and staff will seek out chronically absent students and students who did not return. 1:44:40
- A staff member said all elementary school sites passed their visits this year with 100% compliance and all secondary schools passed at 100% as well. 1:45:47
- Online platform and farm agreement 1:51:44
- The board considered a purchase from Six Crickets Inc. for an online management platform and a 3-year agreement with Timbelpaw Farm to expand career-connected learning. 1:51:44
- One board member said students should gain technical skills such as drone use. 1:52:46
- One board member said they were not opposed to the agreement but was concerned about declining enrollment in the agriculture program. 1:55:33
- Thomas Tortez announced both motions passed. 1:52:19
- Unaudited actuals, furniture and master plan 1:59:46
- Reserve for potential legal liabilities 2:03:45
- The board considered Resolution 2627-05 committing $500,000 of the general fund for potential additional legal liabilities and related costs. 2:03:45
- A speaker said the request was very vague, and a staff member said a lawsuit overseen by the JPA involved a conflict of interest with the district's current counsel. 2:04:27
- A staff member said the money was being set aside because the JPA was not providing legal services under an indemnification clause. 2:05:53
- Thomas Tortez announced the motion carried. 2:06:39
- Job description and consent calendar 2:06:39
- The board considered a revised job description for Director of State and Federal Accountability and the consent calendar, with several items pulled for further discussion. 2:06:39
- Joey Acuña Jr. said about 30% of the certificated and about 40% of the classified extra services reports were late. 2:10:04
- Thomas Tortez announced that the motion on the job description carried and later that the consent calendar motion carried. 2:07:26
- Unit price bid renewal 2:13:10
- A staff member said the unit price bid from 2022 locks in material pricing for 5 years, and the term ends September 30th, 2027. 2:17:28
- Valerie Garcia said item M10 was described as district-wide but its documents covered 2 sites. 2:18:17
- The motion was announced as carried before the board moved on to the next item. 2:22:11
- Item 2:22:11
- One board member said they were not happy the Westside turf project was considered an emergency rather than scheduled, and a staff member said replacing the failed pump would have cost over $250,000. 2:23:25
- A staff member said future projects would follow the facilities master plan and would come to the board in advance. 2:28:08
- Valerie Garcia said the item was $1.2 million, and a staff member said a recent pedestrian accident highlighted immediate safety concerns. 2:32:03
- Motions on the remaining pulled items were announced as carried before the board moved to a motion to adjourn. 2:35:03
Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.
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Video: posted by the district as “CVUSD Board Meeting 09/10/2026”