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Los Angeles Unified board meeting, Feb 17, 2026

8 h 08 min · 62 public speakers

School closures ▶ 1:20:01Budget cuts and layoffs ▶ 32:08Enrollment ▶ 48:13Reading and test scores ▶ 1:42:58Safety, weapons and police ▶ 6:25:44Vouchers and school choice ▶ 2:47:47
Meeting video · district archiveLos Angeles UnifiedFeb 17, 2026Watch on the district’s video site ↗Opens in a new tab; skip to 3:10:22

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 8 h 08 min.

  1. Who spoke · first speaks at
  2. Sherlett Hendy NewbillBoard Member
  3. Scott SchmerelsonBoard President
  4. Karla GriegoBoard Member
  5. Nick MelvoinBoard Member
  6. Kelly GonezBoard Member
  7. Tanya Ortiz FranklinBoard Member
  8. Rocio RivasBoard Vice President
What happened

What happened at this meeting

Los Angeles Unified board votes 4⁠-⁠3 to authorize reduction in force notices 4:03:04

  • Several speakers at public comment asked the board not to approve the reductions in force. 1:16:32
  • The board also denied the renewal petition for California Creative Learning Academy Middle, with 5 yes votes and 2 abstentions. 3:25:25
  • The board voted 4⁠-⁠3 to approve a staffing and resource alignment item that authorized the district to issue reduction in force notices. ~4:03:04
  • A district staff member said the item covered 657 net position closures and 74 positions with reductions in hours or basis. 4:15:00

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

Item by item (12)
  1. Opening, roll call and pledge 0:02
    • A staff member opened the meeting at 10:02 AM, took roll and introduced the Pledge of Allegiance and a land acknowledgment. 0:06
  2. Black History Month recognitions 3:04
    • Sherlett Hendy Newbill introduced student performances from 2 schools in Board District 1 for Black History Month. 3:22
    • Sherlett Hendy Newbill said the 3rd annual Black History Month essay contest received over 80 submissions. 21:03
  3. Remarks from labor partners 31:33
    • Scott Schmerelson introduced labor partners who wished to address the board. 31:33
    • A speaker introduced as a labor partner said the district threatened layoffs to save $30 million, affecting 292 people in the speaker's unit. 31:33
    • Another labor representative asked whether labor partners had been mobilized to go to Sacramento instead of pushing for layoffs. 44:24
  4. Superintendent report on budget 59:36
    • The superintendent said the plan prioritized reductions in central office operations to protect school sites and classroom services. 1:05:25
    • The superintendent said the plan involved a potential RIF of 657 individuals plus the typical 2,600 certificated personnel RIF done each year. 1:06:17
    • The superintendent said preliminary RIF notifications must go out no later than March 15th. 1:08:39
  5. Consent calendar 1:12:17
    • A staff member read the items for consent, including routine personnel actions, a charter renewal petition and a report of correspondence. 1:12:17
    • A speaker at public comment urged the board to reconsider proposed reductions in force for classified personnel. 1:16:32
    • A staff member announced that the consent calendar passed. 1:36:54
  6. Judgment obligation notes 1:36:54
    • Karla Griego asked why the district was seeking the judgment obligation bonds. 1:38:27
    • A staff member said the district was exhausting funds available to satisfy claims brought against the district and would otherwise have to use general fund cash. 1:38:40
    • A staff member said additional authorization may be necessary in the future. 1:41:47
  7. Charter renewal denial recommendation 1:42:58
    • A school representative said the school moved from low-performing to middle-performing after the state released updated classifications. 1:44:57
    • One board member said they planned to support the staff's recommendation and that it would be unacceptable if schools learned of denials through the website rather than from district staff. 1:59:02
    • A staff member said the school made improvements but not enough to meet the middle-performing standard as staff applied it. 2:00:17
  8. Second charter renewal denial recommendation 2:11:55
    • A speaker for the school asked the board to support a 2-year renewal. 2:13:04
    • A staff member told Karla Griego the school had been low-performing 3 consecutive years and enrollment fell from 183 students to 103 students. 2:50:41
    • One board member abstained, saying standards and regulations do not enable schools like this one to succeed. 3:25:39
    • A staff member announced 5 yes votes to deny and 2 abstentions, and the petition was denied. 3:26:21
  9. Charter petitions public hearing 3:26:37
    • Several speakers at public comment spoke in support of a proposed charter petition for Fenton Launchpad Academy. 3:33:06
    • A staff member said the board would act on the charter petitions at a subsequent meeting and took no action. 3:50:15
  10. Accountability plan mid-year update 3:50:15
    • Tanya Ortiz Franklin asked whether the district was on track with its plan goals this year. 3:56:28
    • The plan administrator said spending and goal actions were on track. 3:57:03
  11. Staffing and resource alignment 4:02:25
    • A staff member said the notices were preliminary and the board would vote on final notices in May or June. 4:22:26
    • A staff member told Tanya Ortiz Franklin that school police met their reductions through vacant positions. 7:43:37
    • One board member stated an intent not to vote in favor of the item. 7:55:54
    • A staff member announced 4 ayes and 3 nos, and the item passed. 8:02:54
  12. General public comment 6:35:27
    • Several speakers at public comment asked the board to protect psychiatric social worker and student support positions. 6:36:29
    • Several speakers at public comment asked the board to cut school police funding instead of student programs. 6:40:39

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 “Board of Education Meeting”