Menu

New Haven Unified School District board meeting, Aug 11, 2026

3 h 03 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 3 h 03 min.

  1. Who spoke · first speaks at
What happened

What happened at this meeting

New Haven Unified board approves revised process for renaming Cesar Chavez Middle School 2:37:22

  • Several speakers at public comment addressed the renaming and asked for a transparent process with criteria based on local impact. 1:27:45
  • The board also heard a facilities update and a 45-day budget update. 1:44:19
  • The board discussed a revised process for renaming Cesar Chavez Middle School, including a 13-member renaming committee and who would select its members. 2:05:16
  • The board later approved the renaming process with modifications to the committee selection process and the timeline. 2:50:29

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

Item by item (13)
  1. Opening and closed session report 20:36
    • Shamsa Rafay also reported a 5 to 0 closed session vote approving a settlement agreement in a special education dispute with a total monetary value of up to $280,000 for educational expenses and attorney's fees. 1:20:59
    • Patricio R. Urbi, Jr read the land acknowledgment. 1:23:54
  2. Public comment on school renaming 1:24:48
    • Several speakers at public comment thanked the board for slowing down the renaming process for CCMS and asked that a new name reflect demonstrable local impact. 1:27:45
    • A speaker at public comment said the original renaming committee never had a chance to share its initial criteria and asked the board to listen to them. 1:38:58
    • Another speaker at public comment said the first process was unfair and that many people did not get to take part in the survey. 1:39:59
  3. Labor partner report 1:41:02
    • After the chair called for a report from the NHDA president, a speaker said the school year had started smoothly and that air conditioning concerns had been addressed quickly. 1:41:02
    • The speaker thanked the board for settling the contract. 1:41:21
  4. Facilities update 1:44:07
    • A district staff member said the CCMS track and field project would be completed by the end of September and that a guaranteed maximum price package for the IBC track and field would come to the board at the next meeting. 1:45:05
    • Shruti Kumar asked when the CCMS track would open to the community, and the staff member said it could be open to the school and the public by the end of September. 1:55:57
    • Patricio R. Urbi, Jr asked about the timeline for the swimming pool project, and the staff member said utility lines could mean about 2 months delay, with construction still targeted to start before next summer. 1:58:26
  5. 45-day budget revision 2:00:08
    • A presenter said the final state budget resulted in about a $13.3 million increase to the district budget, mostly one-time funds. 2:00:21
    • The presenter said unaudited actuals would be presented at the next board meeting and the first interim by December 15th. 2:00:21
    • The presenter cited about $1.8 million from an additional 1.44% COLA, about $8.7 million in one-time discretionary block grant funding and about $3.2 million in ongoing special education revenue. 2:02:10
  6. Middle school renaming process discussion 2:05:16
    • Shruti Kumar asked who would select the committee's community members, and the superintendent said under the draft staff would make the selections. ~2:10:01
    • One board member asked whether the board would consider appointing committee members, and another board member said board selection could introduce bias. 2:17:15
    • A district staff member summarized changes including a committee report on 10/6 sharing the criteria for reviewing names and a subcommittee of 2 board members and staff to select the renaming committee after all board members review applications. 2:34:58
  7. Information items and reports 2:39:09
    • Shamsa Rafay said the district received zero Williams complaints during quarter 4 of the 25⁠-⁠26 school year. 2:39:31
    • Shruti Kumar said a Chat with Your Trustee session would be held Wednesday, August 19th, from 3 to 4 PM. 2:40:57
    • A committee report stated the Mission Valley ROP was awarded a CTIG grant of $4.8 million for the '26-'27 school year, an increase of $2.1 million. 2:48:30
  8. Renaming process action 2:49:17
    • A motion was made to approve the CCMS renaming process with modifications to the committee selection process and the timeline. 2:50:29
    • Shamsa Rafay announced that the motion passed. 2:50:55
  9. Heritage month and fiscal resolutions 2:50:55
    • The board considered a resolution proclaiming September 15th through October 15th, 2026 as Latinx Heritage Month. 2:51:20
    • One board member said they did not like the word Latinx and identify as Chicano. 2:55:36
    • The board also considered resolutions on use of free and reduced lunch information and designating certain general funds as committed fund balance. 2:56:16
    • Shamsa Rafay announced that the motions passed on resolutions on use of free and reduced lunch information and on designating certain general funds as committed fund balance. 2:56:16
  10. Contracts and agreements 2:57:03
    • The board considered contracts with Circulating Air Inc. and Kurtco Electric for HVAC and electrical upgrades at Kitayama Elementary School. 2:57:03
    • The board also considered cybersecurity agreements, a facility use agreement with Treeview Swim Club for the James Logan High School water polo program and an agreement with Point Loma Nazarene University. 2:57:56
    • Shamsa Rafay announced that each motion passed. 2:57:29
  11. New high school course 2:59:24
    • The board took up a motion to approve a new entrepreneurship course at James Logan High School for fall 2026. 2:59:24
  12. Consent agenda 2:59:45
    • A trustee asked whether both the board and administration could review committee applications, and a staff member said that is what would happen. 3:00:05
  13. Trustee requests for staff 3:01:57
    • Shruti Kumar asked staff to send IVC families an update on the track project. 3:02:11
    • Shruti Kumar also asked for an update to board members on plans for the N-word initiative this year, and a staff member said the district was getting ready to roll out its plan soon. 3:02:34

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 - Tuesday, August 11, 2026”