1. Board of Education Report No. 49 - 02/03
Facilities Services Division

(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 Escutia Project at Gratts New Primary Center) Authorizes staff to proceed with expenditure of funds for real estate due diligence, environmental studies, and design of a 380 seat Primary Center.

(Resolution Authorizing Staff to Submit Applications and Other Documents Required Under the School Facilities Program, to File Appropriate Lease-Purchase Program Forms and to Submit Applications for the Programs of Other Governmental and Outside Entities; and Designating Authorized Signatories of the District for Filing All Such Applications) Authorizes staff to submit facilities related applications and other required documents under the School Facilities and Lease Purchase Program. Designates authorized signatories for the filing of the applications.

(View Park Preparatory Accelerated High School (VPPACHS) Charter Petition) Approves a 9-12 grade charter school to operate in the Crenshaw area.

(Stella Academy Charter Petition) Approves a 5-8 grade charter school to be located at 2636 Mansfield Avenue, Los Angeles in the Dorsey High School area.

(Amendment to the California Academy for Liberal Studies (CALS) Middle School Charter Petition to Expand to Grades 6-10) Approves expansion of existing 6-8 charter petition to a grade level span of 6-10.

Andrew Dayao from Verdugo Hills High School, Andrea Gonzalez from Sylmar High School, and Downtown Business Magnet

6. Board of Education Report No. 65 - 02/03 CONSENT
Instructional Technology Division

(Adoption of Instructional Materials for Senior High Schools) Approves instructional materials for English, mathematics, computer science and foreign language courses for senior high schools.

(Increase Adult Group Fees Under Civic Center Permit Program) Approves increase of fees for use of District facilities under the Civic Center Permit to non-profit adult groups. Fees to be increased annually to reflect increase of direct costs.

(Agreements and Amendments) Approves various contracts to $1.07 million. Increases contract with Sylvan Learning by approximately $255,000.

(Award of Advertised Construction Contracts; Approval of Change Orders; Award of Unadvertised Special Services, Unadvertised and Informal Facilities Contracts; Cancellation of Contracts, Rejection of Bids, and Approval of Agreements for Professional Services and Amendments to Agreement) Approves construction contracts for approximately $26 million, with an additional $500,000 in change orders. Approves professional services contracts for property management for $731,000 and increase legal services contract by $150,000.

(Delegation of Authority to Execute Agreements Relative to Acquisition of Property) Delegates authority to Chief Facilities Executive to execute various agreements in connection to school construction.

(Renewal Lease for MTA Parking Lot) Lease renewal for parking lot at 4200 Wilshire for use by District staff and visitors.

(Renewal Lease for Department of Transportation Parking Lots) Lease renewal for 4 parking lots used by Transportation Branch and Maintenance Operations.

(Accelerated Elementary School Charter Petition) Approves a charter petition for a K-5 grade school to be located in South Los Angeles.

(Accelerated High School Charter Petition) Approves a charter petition for a 9-12 grade school to be located in South Los Angeles.

(Imagine Academy Charter Petition) Approves a charter petition for a 6-12 grade school to be located in the San Fernando Valley.

(Culture and Language Academy of Success Charter Petition) Approves a charter petition for a K-5 grade school to be located in South Los Angeles.

18. Board of Education Report No. 85 - 02/03 PUBLIC HEARING CONSENT
Instructional Services

(High Tech Charter Petition) Approves a charter petition for a 9-12 District affiliated school to be located on the Birmingham High School campus.

(Agreement for Audit Services) Authorizes execution of three-year agreements with 7 CPA firms for specific types of audits.

(Bond Contracts Audit Services) Approves agreement with CPA's to audit District's financial records for 5 specific years.

(Supplemental Service Providers Contract) Authorizes contracts with 22 state approved providers for after school and Saturday academic programs as provided by No Child Left Behind federal legislation.

(Increase in Specially Funded Program Revenues) Increases Specially Funded Program restricted income by $60 million from Federal sources and $90.6 million from State sources not received prior to adoption of the 2002-03 Final Budget.

(Approval of Project and Adoption of the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Kennedy Senior High School Portable Building Additions) Approves portable building additions for a total cost of $1.9 million. Adopts the Mitigated Negative Declaration and the Mitigation Monitoring or Reporting Program.

(Approval of Amendment to Agreement for Professional Services) Approves contract increase of approximately $1,184,980 to existing software copyright compliance contract and contract for negotiations services.

(Award of Advertised Construction Contracts; Approval of Change Orders; Award of Unadvertised Special Services, Unadvertised and Informal Facilities Contracts; Cancellation of Contracts, Rejection of Bids, and Approval of Agreements for Professional Services and Amendments to Agreement) Approves construction contracts totalling approximately $86.5 million and approves agreements for property management services and hazardous material detection, evaluation, and monitoring totalling approximately $4.5 million.

(Delegation of Authority to Execute Contracts, Licenses, Permits and Other Instruments that are Necessary for or Incidental to School Construction Activities of the District) Delegates authority to Chief Facilities Executive to execute and commence performance under contracts for school construction activities and for routine ministerial actions, relatively minor transactions, and nonsubstantive matters.

(Algenard School for Design and Technology Charter Petition) Approves a 9-12 charter school to operate in the South Los Angeles area.

(Notice of Release/Reassignment for all Certificated Management/Supervisory/Confidential Employees, Staff Counsel, and Contract Management Employees) Notifies certain employees of their possible release and reassignment due to funding changes, restructuring, loss of confidence or for cause. Authorizes General Counsel to notify contract management employees with expiring contracts of possible release for their current positions.

30. Board of Education Report No. 69 - 02/03 (Direct) ADOPTED
Office of the Chief Financial Officer
(Second Period Interim Financial Reports for the 2002-03 Fiscal Year) Certifies that the District
can meet financial obligations for the remainder of the fiscal year.

31. Board of Education Report No. 70 - 02/03 (Direct) ADOPTED
Pupil Services
(Student Expulsions) Expels 23 students for specific education code violations.

32. Board of Education Report No. 71 - 02/03 (Direct) ADOPTED
Business Services Division

(Various Purchasing Transactions) Approves approximately $13 million of purchases of various items including plumbing fixtures, copy machines, and 2.5 million gallons of diesel fuel.
33. Board of Education Report No. 72 - 02/03 (Direct) ADOPTED

34. Board of Education Report No. 73 - 02/03 (Direct) ADOPTED
Human Resources

(Special Education Teacher Waiver Request) Application for waiver of certain credential requirements for specific special education teachers.

(Nonroutine Personnel Actions) Approves nonroutine hiring and dismissal of employees and corrects previous suspension-dismissal.

(Routine Personnel Actions) Approves 7,786 routine personnel actions such as promotions, transfers, and leaves.

Whereas, The United States government's proposed preemptive strike against Iraq represents an act of unilateralism that threatens to have serious implications for national, state and local economies;

Whereas, According to the Congressional Budget Office a potential war against Iraq "would cost taxpayers between $9 billion and $13 billion a month," jeopardize federally funded programs and thus deepen the fiscal crises of state and local governments nationwide;

Whereas, Over 80% of the Los Angeles Unified School District's students are students of color and/or high poverty students whose families disproportionately depend upon the social, health and welfare services that come from federal funding for education, anti-poverty programs, workforce assistance, affordable housing and transportation;

Whereas, People of color are disproportionately represented in the military (according to the Department of Defense African Americans represent 20% of the armed forces, while they are only 11% of the national population) and hence working class communities of color will be heavily impacted by a potential war;

Whereas, Unilateral action against Iraq, in circumvention of the United Nations Security Council, would represent an act of imperialism and would seriously undermine the United States' professed role as a force for democracy within the global community;

Whereas, Unilateral action against Iraq would potentially claim the lives of scores of innocent Iraqi civilians as well as those of American troops;

Whereas, The United States government has not provided the American public and the international community with conclusive and compelling evidence of the need for war against Iraq;

Whereas, The United Nations weapons inspectors should be allowed to continue to exercise due diligence in their thorough investigation of the existence of chemical, nuclear and biological weapons in Iraq, and every possible diplomatic avenue should be exhausted before resorting to a costly and protracted war;

Whereas, massive global protests against the prospective war have provided profound and compelling testimony to much of the international community's belief that the right of international law, as adjudicated through the United Nations Security Council, should be respected, and that peace and diplomacy should prevail over the rush to war; and

Whereas, District students should be allowed to engage in critical debate about the implications that geopolitics have for democratic citizenship, civil liberties and venerable American traditions of civil resistance; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Los Angeles Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles support education, public information and community organizing on the potential risks of a preemptive strike against Iraq as well as the continued diplomatic efforts of the United Nations Security Council toward a peaceful resolution to the conflict with Iraq; now be it

Resolved, further, That the Los Angeles Board of Education supports the Los Angeles City Council's February 21st antiwar resolution decrying the potential impact of a military action against Iraq upon the local economy and the welfare of the people of Los Angeles.

Resolved, that the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles encourages balanced, open education and debate in our schools regarding the appropriate role of the United States in global security and supports the students in their peaceful, legal freedom of expression.

Whereas, Physical and emotional well-being is a critical precursor to optimal learning;

Whereas, Primary care, health education and preventive measures provided by school-based and school-linked health centers can promote such well-being;

Whereas, a growing number of underserved students do not have access to medical, dental and psychological care, and as a result, may not get needed services;

Whereas, In 2003 the Los Angeles Unified School District has over 60 school-based and school linked health care partnerships delivering comprehensive medical, dental, mental health, vision, and health education services at, or linked, to schools;

Whereas, Students served by school-based and school-linked health centers show improved rates of school attendance, improved scores on standardized tests, less absenteeism due to illness, increased immunization rates, and generally feel safer and more supported while attending school;

Whereas, Schools that are served by school-based and school-linked health centers have student populations with lower rates of substance abuse problems, lower instances of school violence, and fewer teen pregnancies and cases of sexually transmitted diseases;

Whereas, Families that are provided services by school-based and school-linked health centers in their community utilize emergency room care less frequently and have lower work absenteeism because of the on-site health services readily available to their children; and

Whereas, The District has adopted substantive policies for its schools that address the importance of coordinated efforts that facilitate child and adolescent well-being, including safe schools, family involvement, active health promotion, and creative learning environments; now therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles promote the use of robust partnerships between the District, schools and community providers to enhance the availability of needed health services; and

Resolved further, That the Board encourage that all funding options for school-based health and school-linked health centers be explored, including federal, state, local, and private resources; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Board urge all District schools to ensure access for students and families to appropriate learning-related health support.

Whereas, The District's Gifted and Talented Education Programs are excellent opportunities for students with the highest potentials and abilities to develop to their full capacity by providing enriching and challenging learning experiences; and

Whereas, Identification of gifted students in the District may be inequitable across ethnic and socio economic groups, with District less likely to identify minority and low socio-economic status students as gifted than other groups of students; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles direct the Superintendent to authorize staff to examine possible inequities in identification of gifted students and present a plan to identify and serve gifted students, and remedy existing inequities.

Whereas, The Governor's budget proposal for fiscal year 2003-04 recommends a realignment of child development funding;

Whereas, The California Department of Education has administered the funding for child development programs since their inception in 1943;

Whereas, The budget proposal recommends that all child development funding, with the exception of State Preschool and the After School Education and Safety Programs, be transferred from the California Department of Education to counties;

Whereas, If child development funding is transferred to counties the approximately $89.3 million of anticipated district funding would be transferred from the California Department of Education to Los Angeles County 2003-04;

Whereas, The Governor's budget proposal does not guarantee that the district or other currently funded agencies would receive their current level of child development funding from counties in 2003-04 or subsequent years;

Whereas, The proposed child development funding re-alignment will compromise quality child care and development and may result in the loss of care for 153,000 children in the District;

Whereas, The proposed funding re-alignment would undermine school readiness efforts and linkages between early education and California's educational system (K-12);

Whereas, Eighteen organizations including the California Association for the Education of Young Children, the California Head Start Association, Children Now and the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund oppose the realignment of child development funding;

Whereas, The City of Los Angeles Board of Education strongly believes that the Governor's proposed budget must consider children's needs first and hold children and families harmless so that they can continue to have access to quality early care and education; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles believes in the current statewide early care and educational development system administered by the California Department of Education that delivers optimal school readiness for California's neediest children; be it

Resolved further, that the Board opposes the Governor's Proposal for Fiscal Year 2003-04 on Child Care Funding Realignment; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Board instructs its State Legislative program to advocate against the Governor's proposal for the child development funding re-alignment, and to promptly send copies of this resolution to all California State Legislators.

Resolved, That the Board of Education direct the Executive Officer of the Board to amend Board Rule 72 to read:

Board Members wishing to present a motion or resolution for action by the Board of Education shall announce the subject matter of the intended motion or resolution at least two meetings before the Board meeting at which the motion or resolution will be presented for action. Prior to Board action, the President shall assign such motions and resolutions to the appropriate Standing Committee for consideration of their programmatic and financial effects. Draft language of the proposed motion or resolution shall be presented at least one meeting prior to the meeting at which action is to be taken.

The President may direct that the Standing Committee sit as an Augmented Committee for purposes of consideration of the motion. In such event, consideration of the motion shall take precedence on the Committee's agenda, and the provisions of Board Rule 144 shall apply to the Committee meeting.

All Board Members' motions shall be submitted to the Board Secretariat and referred to the appropriate committee by the President of the Board. The committee chair shall agendize the item for consideration at the next committee meeting. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Board Member may request that an item be agendized for a full Board Meeting, in which case, draft language of the proposed motion or resolution shall be presented at least one meeting prior to the meeting at which action is to be taken.

In the event that a Board Member wishes to introduce an emergency motion, this rule may be waived and the motion may be introduced and acted upon at the meeting at which it is introduced, subject to the Brown Act and provided that a majority of the Board determines that immediate action is required to avoid imminent harm to the District. To assist Board Members in making this determination, the Independent Analysis Unit shall examine the need for immediate action and shall provide a written recommendation to the Board of Education.

Amending and substitute motions for items already on the Board agenda shall not be subject to these provisions.

Whereas, The Cinco de Mayo holiday is an important day for persons of Mexican ancestry and is celebrated annually by people of all cultures on the fifth of May;

Whereas, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla, a victory of the Mexican armed forces over the invading French army in 1862, an important milestone in Mexico's struggle to retain its sovereignty;

Whereas, Cinco de Mayo is a day when all Latinos honor their spirit of self-determination, dignity, and respect for cultural heritage;

Whereas, Mexican American and Latino communities suffer disproportionately from the negative effects of alcohol use and abuse, high rates of alcohol-related diseases and death, an inordinate number of traffic fatalities and alcohol-related driving violations and many types of alcohol-involved violence;

Whereas, Alcohol and tobacco free Cinco de Mayo celebrations elevate the cultural level of Latino communities and promote healthy lifestyles and not festivities organized to sell more beer and alcoholic beverages;

Whereas, The Los Angeles Unified School District recognizes the importance of the Cinco de Mayo holiday and commemorates he holiday in all schools throughout the district; and

Whereas, The Los Angeles pursues policies to protect health and to prevent alcohol and tobacco consumption by its students; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles endorses and adopts the "Cinco de Mayo Con Orgullo" campaign of Latino and Latinas for Health Justice and directs the Superintendent to encourage all of Los Angeles School District schools to commemorate Cinco de Mayo and to utilize the materials, resources, and assistance of Latino and Latinas for Health Justice in order to educate students about the holiday and to encourage the commemoration of alcohol and tobacco free Cinco de Mayo celebrations.

Resolved, That the Board of Education direct the Executive Officer of the Board to amend the Rules for the Operation of the Board of Education such that:

1.All matters receiving a committee recommendation for approval by majority vote or general consent may be forwarded to the Regular Calendar of the next regularly scheduled board meeting.

2.All matters receiving a committee recommendation for approval by unanimous vote of all assigned committee members may be forwarded to the Consent Calendar of the next regularly scheduled board meeting.

Whereas, April has been designated as Child Abuse Prevention Month by presidential proclamation since 1983;

Whereas, In 1999, the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System estimated that 826,000 children nationwide were victims of maltreatment and most experts believe that the actual incidents of abuse and neglect are more numerous than statistics indicate;

Whereas, The April observance seeks to raise awareness about child abuse prevention by educating individuals and communities about how they can help prevent abuse and neglect of children;

Whereas, The abuse and neglect of children results in countless health, societal and community problems, including poor academic performance, soaring school drop out rates, violent crime statistics, and substance abuse;

Whereas, Schools, parent education program, community centers, respite care services and other preventive programs help to protect children by addressing circumstances that place families at risk for child abuse and neglect;

Whereas, The Children's Bureau reports that professionals, including teachers, law enforcement officers and social service workers, made 56% of the screened-in reports nationwide; and

Whereas, The mission of educating children includes a responsibility to promote the health and welfare of children; now therefore be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City Los Angeles hereby declares April as Child Abuse Prevention Month and directs the Superintendent to encourage all District staff to support activities which promote education and awareness on the prevention of child abuse in the month of April and throughout the year.

9:30 a.m., Closed Session, February 25, 2003
1:00 p.m., Regular Board, February 11, 2003

47. Public Hearings ADOPTED

Resolutions of Intention to Dedicate Easements at Middleton New Primary Center to the City of Huntington Park, and at Monroe New Elementary School No. 2, Manual Arts Primary Center No. 2, Ramona New Elementary School and Commonwealth Elementary School Addition to the City of Los Angeles, without consideration.

Announcements

This Week in Education

Public Comment

Adjournment

Please Note That The Board Of Education May Refer Any Item On This Order
Of Business For The Consideration Of A Standing Committee Of The Board
Of Education Which Meets On The Tuesday Or Thursday Immediately After
This Meeting.

Members Of The Public Who Wish To Address The Board Regarding Items
On This Agenda Should Call The Board Secretariat At Area Code (213) 241-7002
or (877) 772-6273, Prior To 10:00 A.M. The Day Of The Meeting To Determine
If They May Be Added To The Speakers' List.