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Desert Sands Unified School District board meeting, Sep 15, 2026

56 min · 4 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 56 min.

  1. Who spoke · first speaks at
What happened

What happened at this meeting

Desert Sands board recognizes 24 PBIS schools, hears calls for ASL interpreter coordinator 3:13

  • District staff recognized two IB Teachers of the Year and 24 district schools that earned California PBIS awards, including 6 at Platinum status. 2:52
  • Speakers at public comment raised concerns about school-site staffing cuts and the district reserve, and asked the district to create an ASL interpreter coordinator position. 25:43
Item by item (12)
  1. Item 0:01
    • The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, and Linda Porras read a land acknowledgment. 0:01
    • The roll call reflected that all board members and cabinet members were present. 1:09
    • Motions carried on the minutes of the September 3rd, 2026, special meeting and on approval of the agenda. 1:36
  2. Teacher and school recognitions 2:16
    • A district staff member announced that two district teachers were named IB Teachers of the Year by the California Association for World Schools. 2:52
    • The staff member said 24 district schools completed the California PBIS recognition process and every one earned an award, up from 19 last year. 2:52
    • The staff member recognized 6 schools that received Platinum Award status. 10:24
  3. Board and superintendent comments 13:02
    • Tricia Pearce congratulated the schools for their work to achieve the awards. 13:12
    • Michael Duran noted Hispanic Heritage Month and National Preparedness Month and encouraged people to donate blood. 15:05
    • A staff member thanked city partners and law enforcement for help with back-to-school traffic and said any district staff member can now nominate students for Do the Right Thing. 19:07
  4. Public comment 23:10
    • A speaker at public comment said the speaker's school lost a teaching position for the second consecutive year and asked the board for a transparent review before more classroom teachers are displaced, citing a reserve of approximately 43%. 25:43
    • Speakers at public comment described problems obtaining qualified ASL interpreting services for meetings and students and said video relay interpreting was not dependable. 28:32
    • The speakers suggested the district create an ASL interpreter coordinator position to schedule interpreting services districtwide and ensure compliance with federal law. 31:54
  5. Information items and student body report 37:38
    • The board received information items including an actuarial study of retiree health liabilities and a disposal of surplus property report. 37:38
    • A staff member read the Summit High School Associated Student Body report, which described course offerings, clubs, counseling supports and ASB activities. 38:11
  6. Instructional materials public hearing 40:39
    • The board opened and closed a public hearing on pupil textbook and instructional materials compliance for fiscal year 2026⁠-⁠2027. 40:39
  7. Business services resolutions and bonds 40:39
    • The board took roll call votes on a resolution on the GAN limit and a resolution on appropriations tied to the 2025⁠-⁠2026 unaudited actuals ending fund balances. 40:39
    • A motion was made to take items 18.6 and 18.7 as a group, and the motion carried. 46:29
  8. Item 46:43
    • The board took a roll call vote on a resolution on pupil textbook and instructional materials compliance for fiscal year 2026⁠-⁠2027. 46:43
    • Motions to take educational services items 19.2 through 19.5 and the personnel services items as a group carried. 47:28
  9. Business services consent items 48:55
    • Michael Duran read cash donations of $250 to Palm Desert High School, $15,000 for CTE programs and $200 for the Child Development Center's Children's Garden. 49:33
    • Linda Porras said the artist working on school murals does phenomenal work. 50:59
    • The motion carried. ~51:38
  10. Item 51:38
    • A motion carried on 10 educational services consent items taken as a group. 51:38
    • Motions carried on both groups of items. 51:59
  11. Personnel actions and retirements 52:18
    • A staff member announced one certificated retirement of an adaptive special ed PE teacher with 29 and a quarter years in the district. 52:37
    • A staff member announced two classified retirements totaling 42 combined years of service. 53:57
    • Motions carried on the certificated and classified personnel actions. 53:48
  12. Closed session report and adjournment 54:59
    • A staff member reported no action was taken in closed session on the appointment of an assistant principal for Palm Desert High School. 55:08
    • The next regular meeting was announced for October 6th, 2026, and the meeting adjourned at 7:56 PM. 55:34

Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

Other meetings

Other meetings of this board

Video: posted by the district as “Regular Board Meeting of September 15, 2026”