President Genethia Hudley Hayes called the meeting to order at 2:18 p.m.

The following Members were present: Ms. Victoria M. Castro, Mr. Mike Lansing, Mr. David Tokofsky, Ms. Caprice Young and President Genethia Hudley Hayes. Ms. Valerie Fields arrived at 2:26 p.m. and Ms. Julie Korenstein arrived at 2:54 p.m.

Student Members Vicky Chung from Fairfax High School, Alma Islas from Palisades High School, and
Stephanie Varlotta from University High School were present.

Superintendent Roy Romer was present.

Ms. Young led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Student Member Alma Islas commented that her school has a very diverse student population and has a campus environment that is safe. She highlighted the student achievements in the Stanford 9 and Scholastic Achievement Tests (SAT). Students are requesting funds for field trips for both special education and students in advanced placement, honor and regular classes and marine biology classes.

Student Member Vickie Chung reported on some of her school activities such as the Pennies for Patients fundraising drive, which raised $1,644.29 for the Leukemia Society; the Greenway Arts Alliance, recognized in the Los Angeles Times for hosting a successful poetry lounge; the Korean dual language program which allows students to learn the arts and language of Korea; to improve literacy on campus, students hold 15 minutes of Silent Sustained Reading (SSR) daily; and to expand students' creativity skills, a free-style forum performing songs, play instruments, free-style rap, and recite poetry to their peers. She commented on the school's diversity; the achievement awards received for Black History Month; college basketball scholarships; and the students' efforts in helping to redesign the California Museum of Arts. She noted that the cheerleaders have no permanent sponsor and that students lack school spirit.

Mr. Rolando Ramirez, Director of Major Gifts for the American Red Cross, presented the District with a certificate of appreciation.

BOARD OF EDUCATION REPORT NO. 1

Ms. Young seconded the motion, which by general consent was adopted. Ms. Korenstein was absent.

Later in the meeting, Ms. Korenstein recorded an aye vote on the report.

Ms. Castro abstained from voting on Agreement Nos. 0100900, and 0100935 in Section No. (1) of Board of Education No. 2 for reasons previously stated in the Minutes of February 20, 1996, and voted aye on the balance of the report.

Ms. Fields voted no on Agreement Nos. 0100245, 0100852 and 0100996 because of lack of response to her inquiries, and aye on the balance of the report.

Ms. Korenstein was absent.

Later in the meeting, Ms. Korenstein voted no on Agreement No. 0100851 and aye on the balance of the report.

The final vote was unanimous, 7 ayes, with the exceptions as noted.

Later in the meeting, Ms. Korenstein recorded an aye vote on the report.

Later in the meeting, Ms. Korenstein recorded an aye vote on the report.

The final vote was 5 ayes, 2 noes, Mr. Tokofsky and Ms. Young.

Later in the meeting, Ms. Korenstein recorded an aye vote on the report.

Ms. Castro moved that the report be adopted. Mr. Tokofsky seconded the motion, which on roll call was adopted unanimously, 7 ayes, with the following abstention:

Ms. Young abstained from voting on Contract Nos. PG-00000046951 and PG-00000047016 in Section V of Board of Education Report No. 7 for reasons previously recorded in the Minutes, Regular Meeting, August 24, 1999, and voted aye on the balance of the report.

Mr. Tokofsky moved that the report be adopted. Ms. Korenstein seconded the motion.

Dr. Joseph Zeronian, Chief Financial Officer, made a brief presentation and responded to questions and concerns expressed by Board Members.

By general consent, the report was adopted. Ms. Korenstein and Ms. Young were absent.

Later in the meeting, Ms. Korenstein and Ms. Young recorded aye votes on the report.

Ms. Castro moved that the report as amended be adopted. Mr. Tokofsky seconded the motion, which by general consent was adopted. Ms. Fields, Ms. Korenstein and Ms. Young were absent.

Later in the meeting, Ms. Fields, Ms. Korenstein and Ms. Young recorded aye votes on the report.

Later in the meeting, Ms. Fields, Ms. Korenstein and Ms. Young recorded aye votes on the report.

Later in the meeting, Ms. Fields, Ms. Korenstein and Ms. Young recorded aye votes on the report.

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles amend the existing social promotion policy at the very least to:

2. retain any eighth grader whose reading score is below 5 or who has been below 10 three
years in a row. º

Mr. Tokofsky's motion regarding Carson as a Separate School District (Noticed February 13, 2001) was postponed to the March 27, 2001, Regular Board meeting.

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles direct the Superintendent and staff to provide to the State Board of Education all of the relevant financial and educational implication of the Carson proposal for a separate school district. º

Mr. Gene Krischer representing Friends of the Children

Mr. George Buzzetti

Whereas, Governor Gray Davis has issued an order to all government offices in the State of California to restrict their use of electricity in order to reduce the threat of rolling electrical blackouts;

Whereas, A majority of schools and offices in the Los Angeles Unified School District City of Los Angeles receive their electricity from the City's Department of Water and Power, and therefore, are not under threat of rolling electrical blackouts; and

Whereas, the District has a moral and civic obligation to practice energy conservation, in order not only to reduce the risk of rolling electrical blackouts, but also to enable the Department of Water and Power greater flexibility to supply electricity to the State of California; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Superintendent request the eleven Local District Superintendents develop strategies for energy conservation and to communicate those strategies to Local District offices and schools; and be it

Resolved further, That the Superintendent direct the Facilities staff to investigate the utilization of solar power in new construction of schools and offices and for gradual adoption at all District facilities. This investigation should compare the initial cost of installation with long term savings, in both fiscal cost and electrical power. º

Later in the meeting, Ms. Korenstein and Ms. Hayes recorded aye votes on the motion.

Ms. Fields requested that the waiver of Board Rule 72 regarding the Healthy Foods motion be withdrawn and that it be assigned to the Safety Committee scheduled for April 19, 2001.

Whereas, A recent study by the United States Department of Agriculture has shown that junk food that students consume at school is contributing to obesity and other health problems;

Whereas, Studies have shown that consumption of a well balanced meal contributes to higher student achievement;

Whereas, The Los Angeles Unified School District has an obligation to instruct its students about the value of healthy eating;

Whereas, Many of the foods served in District cafeterias are high in fat, salt and sugar content; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles direct the Superintendent to assign appropriate staff to undertake an analysis of foods served in our schools, with respect to their fat,

Resolved, that staff recommend a policy that will lead to better health through nutrition for District students.

Business Services Division No. 1 - Ratification of Agreements and Amendments, Agreements for Professional Services Over $250,000, Agreements for Professional Services Aggregating Over $250,000, and Amendment to Agreement for Professional Services Aggregating Over $250,000: Assigned to Regular Calendar

Facilities Services Division No. 1 - Award of Advertised, Unadvertised and Informal Contracts, Default of Contractor, Award of Contracts to Next Lowest Responsive Bidder, Rejection of Bids, and Cancellation of Contract: Assigned to Consent Calendar

Planning, Assessment and Research No. 1 - Delegation of Authority for School-Wide Use of API Award Funds: Assigned to Regular Calendar

Facilities Services Division No. 2 - Authorization for Staff to Proceed with the Expenditure of Funds for Real Estate Due Diligence, Environmental Studies and Design Activities Required to Deliver the Proposed Priority Projects at the Specific Sites Listed in Attachments A-C: Assigned to Consent Calendar

2:00 p.m., Regular Meeting, February 13, 2001
9:30 a.m., Closed Session, February 27, 2001
9:30 a.m., Closed Session, March 6, 2001

Ms. Fields seconded the motion which by general consent was adopted. Ms. Castro and Ms. Korenstein were absent.

Later in the meeting, Ms. Korenstein recorded an aye vote on the Minutes.

Before action is taken on the Report of Correspondence regarding correspondence from Delaine Eastin, State Superintendent of Public Instruction concerning receipt of a notification of non-compliance, Compliance Investigation Case Nos. S-0223-00/01 and S-0245-00/01 a public hearing must be held.

This constitutes a public hearing and those individuals who wish to address the Board on this item will be heard. Speakers should go to the recording booth at the back of the Board Room and fill out a card. Those individuals will be heard after any speakers already on the list.

Ms. Young moved that the recommended disposition of the items of correspondence as indicated in
the report be approved. Mr. Tokofsky seconded the motion, which by general consent was adopted.
Ms. Castro was absent.

The March 22, 2001, meeting of the School Safety and Campus Environment has been canceled.

Ms. Fields announced:

The Special Committee of the Whole Meeting on Tuesday, March 20, regarding the After School/Intervention Plan, and the Promotion and Retention Policy has been postponed; and

There will be a Special Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday, March 27, at 6 p.m., at Riverside Drive Elementary School at 13061 Riverside Drive, Sherman Oaks, for the Annual Review of the Chanda Smith Consent Decree.

Ms. Hayes announced:

The March 27, 2001 Board meeting will be held at 4:00 p.m., at Riverside Drive Elementary School, located at 13061 Riverside Drive in Sherman Oaks.

Whereas, The Los Angeles Unified School District is undertaking a vigorous effort to improve its facilities and meet the needs of students in the 21st century, through new construction and significant building modernizations and alterations utilizing Proposition BB funding;

Whereas, The majority of the District's school campuses are now over a half-century old, and special attention is necessary in order to ensure that long-overdue rehabilitation and expansion projects do not adversely affect these schools' most treasured features;

Whereas, A community outcry arose in 1999 at Lincoln High School when much-needed air conditioning units were installed insensitively, marring the school's most historic elements;

Whereas, The District currently lacks any comprehensive inventory of which schools have historic value and lacks design standards to guide modernization work at historic schools;

Whereas, The District, with the assistance of the Los Angeles Conservancy, obtained a $50,000 grant from the Getty Grant Program's "Preserve LA" project to conduct an inventory of the District's most historic schools;

Whereas, District staff lacks any specialized historic preservation expertise necessary to guide and implement this grant, and to assist in making daily multimillion dollar decisions on historic schools;

Whereas, District staff can build on the Getty Grant activities by developing its own set of design guidelines for historic schools, saving considerable time and money on each individual project by solving from the outset the District's programmatic and facilities needs at historic campuses;

Whereas, Schools represent the heart of every community and the public face of education to every neighborhood ­ fixing in the community's mind either positive or negative images of what takes place behind the school walls; and

Whereas, Denver, Colorado's school district has created an award-winning curriculum involving students in linking the rich history of their schools to the history of their city and neighborhoods -- an opportunity currently missed here in Los Angeles; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles approve creation of a Historic Preservation Coordinator for the District, a position with significant professional experience in historic preservation and architecture; and be it

Resolved further, That the Historic Preservation Coordinator: 1) help complete the District's historic school inventory; 2) develop comprehensive design guidelines for rehabilitation of historic schools; 3) review rehabilitation and modernization projects affecting the District's historic schools; and 4) coordinate, with assistance from the District's curriculum staff and an outside curriculum consultant, a model program involving District students in understanding local history by learning about the history of their own school; and be it finally

Resolved, That the District approve $100,000 in salary and benefits for this position, with $40,000 for salary and benefits for administrative support and $35,000 for a curriculum consultant for the model local history program, for a total of $175,000. º

Whereas, The Los Angeles Unified School District has undertaken a massive program of building new schools;

Whereas, Schools have been traditionally named after heroes, distinguished citizens and upstanding members of the community;

Whereas, The late Congressmen James C. Corman and Julian C. Dixon were products of the District;

Whereas, Congressman Corman faithfully served on the Los Angeles City Council from 1957-1960;

Whereas, James Corman honorably served in Congress, representing California's 21st District for 20 years;

Whereas, Congressman Dixon served in the California State Assembly for 6 years;

Whereas, Julian Dixon honorably served in Congress, representing California's 32nd District for 22 years;

Whereas, Both Congressman Corman and Congressman Dixon were champions of civil rights; and

Whereas, Both men worked tirelessly for the benefit of District children and employees; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles direct the Superintendent to name a new school after each of these men, in the geographically appropriate Local District. º

Mr. Tokofsky reported that a number of schools from across the District met at the Second Annual Eastside Youth Summit hosted by Wilson High School, and about 500 students had the opportunity to discuss conflicts at school. He thanked Will & Co., a non-profit multi-cultural theater group, and the Eisner Foundation for providing students an opportunity to see Shakespeare's "Midsummer Nights Dream" at the El Capitan Theater. He commented on the "Wonder of Reading" program opening and refurbishing Garvanza Elementary School's library; recognized the various organizations which financed the attendance of young women from Ramona High School and other District schools to the 10th Annual HOPE Symposium. He congratulated Lincoln High School, recipient of $10,000 from the College Board, for work in developing Advanced Placement classes and examinations; Pacoima Middle School on their open house; and commented on the Applied Mathematics, Science and Technology Program.

Ms. Clara Holmes Special Education and IEP's

Ms. Judy Brady Fogel Air Quality in Schools

Ms. Shirley Isaacson Testing

Mr. Francisco Torrero, representing Consultation Plan
the Parent Collaborative

Mr. Walter Waddles, representing Parent Involvement
the Parent Collaborative

Ms. Kerrie Pratt Homework

Ms. Lorena Jaramillo Voucher

Ms. Jan Murdock Psychological Services Concerns

Mr. Michael Saulenas Toxics and Asbestos

Mr. Jeff Carr Proposed South Gate High School

Ms. Geri Kenyon School Violence

The meeting adjourned at 5:45 p.m.

APPROVED BY BOARD: April 17, 2001

_____________________________________ ____________________________________
GENETHIA HUDLEY HAYES JEFFERSON CRAIN
PRESIDENT EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE BOARD
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