Los Angeles Unified board meeting, Dec 16, 2025

2 videos · 70 public speakers

Budget cuts and layoffs ▶ 4:52 Enrollment ▶ 2:53:39 Safety, weapons and police ▶ 32:30 Vouchers and school choice ▶ 1:26:54

Meeting video · district archiveLos Angeles UnifiedDec 16, 2025Watch on the district’s video site ↗Opens in a new tab; skip to 0:48

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What happened

What happened at this meeting

Part 2

Los Angeles Unified board selects president on 7⁠-⁠0 vote 7:22

The board selected its president by a vote of 7 to 0 to serve until the meeting convenes again in December 2026. 7:22
Board members also said they would keep their committee assignments, and the board kept its representatives to outside organizations. 20:22

Until Nov 4, lines where a board member takes a side don't name the member. Why →

Item by item (8)

Opening and roll call 0:02
- The superintendent said the superintendent would preside over a short portion of the annual meeting until the board selected its president. 0:02
- A staff member noted the meeting started at 10:18 AM and called the roll. 0:31
- Students led the Pledge of Allegiance. 0:48
Selection of board president 1:56
- The superintendent said the order of nominations would be set by the board attorney shuffling cards and that the first person to reach 4 votes would be selected. 1:56
- Kelly Gonez said a person technically did not need to be nominated more than once and also made a nomination for the same board member. 6:04
- The superintendent said there was only one nominee. ~6:35
- The superintendent announced the president was selected by a vote of 7 to 0 to serve until December 2026. 7:22
Vice president nominations 8:12
- The presiding officer said board rules call for a vice president who will chair the Committee of the Whole, using the same process as for president. 8:12
- Board members were called on in order for vice president nominations, and a staff member then said there was one nominee. 8:12
Public comment 11:05
- A speaker at public comment asked why the district was adopting AI programs for students and what evidence showed screen-based instruction was working. 11:43
- A speaker at public comment raised concerns about a charter school ahead of charter renewals and asked for a more thorough investigation and added oversight. 14:12
- A speaker at public comment said board members should listen to parents, students and school personnel and raised school security and LGBTQ content in schools. 16:55
Vice president vote 19:21
- A staff member called the roll on the vote for vice president. 19:02
Board committee assignments 19:36
- The presiding officer asked each board member with a committee whether they wanted to keep the same committees. 19:36
- Kelly Gonez said they would continue with the Children and Families in Early Education Committee, and Karla Griego named Special Education and Curriculum and Instruction. 20:22
- Sherlett Hendy Newbill said they would remain part of several committees. 20:56
Representatives to outside organizations 21:03
- The presiding officer offered to continue as the board representative to the LA County School Trustees Association and the County Committee on District Organization. 21:03
- A staff member said the two positions are linked but must be chosen separately. 21:57
- One board member said they would like to continue as representative to the Council of Great City Schools. 22:29
- After a board member offered to continue as representative to the LA County School Trustees Association, a staff member said there were no objections. 21:03
Adjournment 22:53
- A staff member said the annual meeting adjourned at 10:41 and the regular meeting would follow. 22:57

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

Who spoke

Rocio RivasBoard Vice PresidentFirst speaks at 3:01

Scott SchmerelsonBoard PresidentFirst speaks at 8:10

Sherlett Hendy NewbillBoard MemberFirst speaks at 48:52

Kelly GonezBoard MemberFirst speaks at 50:06

Karla GriegoBoard MemberFirst speaks at 4:14:05

Video: posted by the district as “Board of Education Meeting”