III. Students' Concerns

Student Members Ben Motz from the Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies, Laura Humber from the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies, and Idolina Delgado from Foshay Learning Center

Our Kids, Our Schools - Review of Proposition BB Progress

(Approval of Negative Declaration and Approval of Project - 59th Street Primary Center)

Accounting and Disbursements Division No. 1

(Report of Warrants Issued, Request to Reimburse the Revolving Cash Fund, and Request to Reissue Stale Dated Warrant)

Budget Services and Financial Planning Division No. 1

(Ratification of Amended Revised Unique Multitrack Year-Round Calendars for Broadous Elementary School for School Year 1997-98)

Budget Services and Financial Planning Division No. 2

(Ratification of Amended Revised Unique Multitrack Year-Round Calendars for Liggett Elementary School for School Year 1997-98)

Division of Instructional Services No. 1

C.Business and Operations/Personnel Committee Report No. 1 ADOPTED

(Approval of Item of Nonroutine Nature - Report on Physical Inventories of Stock in District Warehouses)

D. Instruction/Curriculum/Student Achievement Committee Report No. 1 ADOPTED

Division of Instructional Services No. 1
(Ranking of Schools for Title I Program Eligibility)

VII. Regular Calendar ­ Communications Dated March 23, 1998

E.Board of Education Report No. 2 ADOPTED

(Agreements and Amendments, Personal/Professional Services Agreement, Personal/Professional Services Agreements Aggregating $50,000 and Over, and Donations of Money

G.Business and Operations/Personnel Committee Report No. 2 ADOPTED

Accounting and Disbursements Division No. 1

H.Committee Report No. 1 ADOPTED

Offices of the General Counsel and the Executive Officer of the Board No. 1

(Discontinuance of the Education Commissions and Implementation of Board Resolution Regarding Human Relations Commission)

I.Board of Education Report No. 4 ADOPTED

J.Board of Education Report No. 5 ADOPTED

(Rejection of Late Claim Applications, Employee Reimbursement Program Payments, Self-Insured Liability Program Payments, Self-Insured Workers' Compensation Program Payments, Rejection of Liability Claims, and Property Damage Reimbursement)

K.Board of Education Report No. 6 ADOPTED AS AMENDED

L.Board of Education Report No. 7 ADOPTED

M.Board of Education Report No. 8 ADOPTED

N.Board of Education Report No. 9 ADOPTED

O.Board of Education Report No. 10 ADOPTED

P.Board of Education Report No. 11 ADOPTED AS AMENDED

Q.Board of Education Report No. 12 ADOPTED

R.Board of Education Report No. 13 ADOPTED AS AMENDED

S.Board of Education Report No. 14 ADOPTED AS AMENDED

T.Instruction/Curriculum/Student Achievement Committee Report No. 2 ADOPTED

IX. Motions and Resolutions For Action

U.Ms. Fields and Mr. Kiriyama - Delegation of Authority to General Manager, Facilities Services Division (Noticed February 23) DISCUSSED IN FACILITIES COMMITTEE

Whereas, The Facilities Services Division has an established process for selecting architects and engineers for construction and repair projects with professional service agreements;

Whereas, There is already an annual report produced that provides summary information on the number of architectural and engineering firms hired, and the construction dollars they designed; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the approval of architects and engineers to projects with professional services contracts be delegated to the General Manager of Facilities Services Division.

V.Mrs. Boudreaux and Mr. Tokofsky - Review of Contracting Procedures

Whereas, The District should also take measures to examine its policies, practices, and procedures from time to time, in order to make improvements and corrections, as needed;

Whereas, With the passage of Proposition BB, which has made available significant funding for school construction and other facilities purposes, the necessity for such review and accountability has increased;

Whereas, Concerns have been raised by some regarding the legality or appropriateness of District policies and practices related to the awarding of contracts;

Whereas, While the review of these concerns is being conducted by outside authorities and we do not know at this time whether or not any specific wrongdoing has occurred, it is nevertheless mandatory that the District ensure that its practices are lawful and otherwise proper and efficient;

Whereas, The Superintendent has publicly expressed his intention to go forward with a review of the District's contracting procedures, to be conducted by an outside firm with expertise in such matters;

Whereas, Given all of the above, it is necessary to reassure the public that the construction and repair dollars made available by the public to this District are being spent correctly; therefore, it is

Moved further, That the Board of Education authorize the Superintendent to develop an oversight plan to include the review and monitoring by an independent body, of all District bidding procedures and contracts, including, but not limited to, the issuance of so-called "A and B Letters," with regular reports to the Board of Education and the Superintendent regarding the findings of the independent body.

Whereas, The Child Development Division of the Los Angeles Unified School District is celebrating the Week of the Young Child, April 19-25. 1998;

Whereas, By calling attention to the need of high-quality early childhood services for all children and families within our community/state, we hope to improve the quality and availability of such services;

Whereas, The future of our community/state depends on the quality of the early childhood experience provided to young children today; and

Whereas, High-quality early childhood services represent a worthy commitment to our children's future; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles does hereby proclaim

April 19-25, 1998, as the Week of the Young Child in the District, and urge all citizens to recognize and support the needs of young children in our community and school district, and recognize in April of each year the Week of the Young Child.

X.Ms. Korenstein - Space Week (Precatory) ADOPTED

Whereas, International Space Day will be observed on May 21, 1998, throughout the scientific and educational community as a "Celebration of Space Science Education;"

Whereas, the Los Angeles Unified School District is the first school district in the nation to partner with the embrace space initiative, made up of a consortium of 29 international leaders within the education, space, communications, corporate and scientific communities, including the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Cable in the Classroom, NASA, McGraw Hill Corporation, National Space Society, Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum and many others; and

Whereas, The District, through the Los Angeles-Systemic Initiative (LA-SI) has been working with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and NASA entities to "bring the wonders of space exploration" to the students and families of LAUSD through a variety of activities in the past year for students, teachers and the community; and

Whereas, The LA-SI continues to bring space science to the LAUSD through an official partnership with the Mars Exploration Office at JPL; the creation of an LA-SI Mars Rover project currently in process at 24 LAUSD middle schools; in-classroom visitation by space industry professionals, continued professional development on space science; participation of a math/science class in a live TV program entitled "Outside the Envelope: Exploring Beyond Earth's boundaries," which will air nationally to 2 million students on May 20th and be broadcast on KLCS; and involvement in an eight-hour Internet Cyber-Webcast on May 21, Space Day; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles declares the week of May 18 through 22, 1998, as Space Week to promote interest and participation in space science education throughout the Los Angeles Unified School District and the communities of Los Angeles.

Whereas, The nation's schools are charged with the challenge of preparing children, youth, and adults to lead humankind into the future;

Whereas, Quality education is fundamental to progress and prosperity;

Whereas, Teachers have a role of profound importance in our schools and in our society, assisting with the welfare, education, and safety needs of all of our students;

Whereas, The education of our children, our most important natural resource, is directly linked to the time, effort and dedication of our teachers; and

Whereas, The week of May 3-9, 1998, has been designated as National Teacher Appreciation Week and May 5 as National Teacher Day; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles recognize and honor the contributions of the District's teachers to quality education in our schools; and be it

Resolved further, That the Board of Education declare the week of May 3-9, 1998, as Teacher Appreciation Week, and that May 5, 1998, be recognized as National Teacher Day; and be it

Resolved further, That the Superintendent be directed to ensure that appropriate observances are conducted at each of the schools in the District with respect to these occasions, to allow each school to choose appropriate activities, including recognition in the instructional program and in classrooms.

Whereas, There is pending before the California Legislature AB 1753 (Escutia) which would amend the State Education Code, commencing with the 2004-05 school year, to include among graduation requirements the completion of a one-semester course in health education which may be completed in any of grades 9-12;

Whereas, The legislation would thereby create a State-mandated local program and provide reimbursement to school districts for certain costs related to this mandate;

Whereas, The LAUSD has itself set an example in California by having not only one semester of health education in the high school setting, but also a required semester at the middle school level;

Whereas, This District also has health standards that have been adopted by the Board of Education, plus related support materials currently being developed;

Whereas, The legislation that has been introduced will strengthen State support for the District's health education program and insure appropriate health instruction on a Statewide basis; and

Whereas, The next hearing on AB 1753 will be on April 15, 1998, before the Assembly Education Committee; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles express its support for

AB 1753, as currently amended, or as may be further amended consistent with the principles set forth in this resolution; and be it

Resolved further, That staff take the necessary steps to communicate the Board's resolution to appropriate parties.

Board of Education
AA. Budget Services and Financial Planning Division No. 1 CONSENT
(Ratification of Revised Unique Multitrack Year-Round Calendars for Tenth Street Elementary School for School Year 1997-98)

BB. Business Services Division No. 1 REGULAR
(Approval of Agreements and Amendments, Personal/Professional Services Agreements Over $50,000, Reimbursement Agreement, and Personal/Professional Services Agreements Aggregating $50,000 and Over)

CC. Child Development Division No. 1 CONSENT
(Expansion Funds: Child Development Program)

DD. Facilities Services Division No. 1 REGULAR
(Award of Advertised and Unadvertised Contracts, Unadvertised Contract Amendment, Cancellation of Architectural Agreements, and Rejection of Bids)

EE. Facilities Services Division No. 2 CONSENT
(Acceptance of Judgment - Bell Area New Elementary No. 3)

FF. Personnel Division No. 1 CONSENT
(Credential Waiver Authorizations)

GG. School Management Services No. 1 REGULAR
(Facility Needs for 1998-99 Relief of Overcrowding)

Student Health and Human Services Committee
HH. Office of the Superintendent No. 1 REGULAR
(Request for Approval of the 1998-99 Senate Bill 65 (SB65) School-Based Pupil Motivation and Maintenance Program Competitive and Non-Competitive Applications)

II. Office of the Superintendent No. 2 REGULAR
(Delegation of Authority to Negotiate and Execute Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) Between Plans Participating in Government Sponsored Health Programs for Children/Youth and Student Health and Human Services Staff)

XI.Approval of Minutes APPROVED

JJ.1:00 p.m., Regular Meeting, September 18, 1995

1:00 p.m., Regular Meeting, January 13, 1997

9:30 a.m., Closed Session, March 23, 1998

KK.Report of Correspondence

LL.Mr. Tokofsky - Motion to Establish an Office of Inspector General (Noticed November 3, 1997)

Whereas, the Los Angeles Unified School District projects one billion six hundred million dollars ($1,600,000,000) annually in business, construction, and consulting contracts for the next 10 years, adding an additional approximate four hundred million dollars ($400,000,000) in voter approved Proposition BB funds;

Whereas, such funds should be allocated in the most cost-effective basis that prevents tax dollar waste or abuse; and

Whereas, the District wishes to avoid even the appearance of lax controls over these new expenditures; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles establish the Office of Inspector General and appoint an Inspector General to a term of office of five years, which may be renewed once for a total of 10 years; and be it

Resolved further, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles convene a panel of at least three members of the Association of Inspectors General to screen and recommend candidates for the selection of an Inspector General; and be it

Resolved further, That the selection panel use the following criteria when making their selection: That the inspector general shall have verifiable experience in criminal investigations and prosecutions, the conducting of audits, public administration, conflict of interest and campaign finance laws, and any additional skill or knowledge necessary to carry out the duties and responsibilities of an inspector general; and be it

Resolved further, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles shall select the inspector general from the candidates recommended by the panel of Inspectors General; and be it

Resolved further, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles establish policies and procedures for the removal from his or her position as Inspector General if 1) a two-thirds majority of its members votes for the removal; or 2) if the Inspector General is found to have violated a state or federal law or regulation, local ordinance, or a policy or practice of the Board, relative to ethical practices, including, but not limited to, the acceptance of gifts or contributions; and be it

Resolved further, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles define the duties of the Inspector General as being responsible for auditing and investigating any and all matters regarding the operations, activities, construction, and expenditures of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles, District and Board staff, and District contractors and subcontractors. The authority of the Inspector General shall also include investigation of possible conflicts of interest, improper communications with Board Members on potential contracts before contract awards, or other ethical violations and be it

Resolved further, That the Inspector General shall have subpoena power as authorized by state and local codes or granted powers and the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles acknowledges that any investigatory file compiled by the inspector general is an investigatory file compiled by a law enforcement agency subject to disclosure pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 6254 of the Government Code; and be it

Resolved further, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles direct the Inspector General to establish procedures to require that a prequalification questionnaire be completed by each construction company, engineering firm, consultant, legal firm, product vendor, and any other business entity seeking to contract with the board for the furnishing of goods or services. The Board will establish polices and procedures to prohibit the District from entering into a contract or doing business with any firm that knowingly provides false information on the questionnaire. The questionnaire shall solicit information regarding the firm including, but not limited to the following subjects: (1) Experience; (2) Quality and timeliness of past performance; (3) Reliability and responsibility; (4) Compliance with wage, hours, and other fair; (5) Compliance with equal employment requirements; (6) Subcontractors used by the firm; (7) Integrity of the firm and its key personnel; (8) Gifts given, or contributions made, to members, alternate members, or employees of the Board; (9) Lawsuits filed against the firm and their dispositions; and be it

Resolved further, That the Inspector General shall, at a noticed public meeting of the Board of Education, report quarterly on the following: (a) School construction, design, and repair contracts, including expenditures on such projects for consultants, attorneys, developers, and construction firms; b) Expenditures of funds allocated by Proposition BB and any future bond measures approved by the voters for school construction, design, or repair; (c) Travel, meals, and refreshments, private club dues, membership fees and charges, and any other expenditures which are specified by the Board; (d) A report on savings or recommendations for savings; and be it

Resolved further, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles fund the Office of Inspector General using existing District resources, which may include redirecting funds which would otherwise be allocated to the Independent Analysis Unit or the recently established Special Audits Branch.

MM.Mr. Tokofsky - Domestic Violence (Noticed March 23) DISCUSSED IN STUDENT HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE APRIL 2

Whereas, Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of emergency room visits and hospitalizations of women;

Whereas, The health, safety and welfare of the mothers and fathers of our Los Angeles Unified School District's children is of vital importance to the students' ability to learn;

Whereas, Court issued restraining orders are routinely provided yet seldom found to stop the violence forcing parents and their children to go into hiding in shelters and other locations;

Whereas, Many of the Los Angeles Unified School District's children are currently residing in the Los Angeles area's twenty-seven domestic violence shelters, and

Whereas, Abusive partners are known to track the whereabouts of their spouses through the enrollment of their children in schools; now, therefore, be it

Whereas, Fear and disruptions already abound in these young children's lives; now, therefore,

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles requests the Superintendent to do all that is possible to encourage these youth to attend school safely; and be it

Resolved further, That senior staff examine such ideas as "tagging" the student files, preventing phone dissemination of addresses, training programs for staff, legal implications; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Los Angeles Unified School District, in conjunction with the California School Employees Association Attendance Clerks and city and county experts develop and implement a uniform attendance system that protects the identity and perhaps the lives of these children and their mothers by June 10, 1998.

NN.Mr. Tokofsky and Mrs. Boudreaux - Continuation School Office Manager Positions (Noticed March 23, 1998) ASSIGNED TO BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS/PERSONNEL COMMITTEE - APRIL 16, 1998

Whereas, Until October 22, 1995, Continuation School Office Managers performed the same assigned duties and responsibilities and were rated at the same level and salary schedule as School Office Manager I;

Whereas, On September 21, 1995, the Los Angeles City Board of Education restructured the position of School Office Manager I, without a change in their basic duties and responsibilities as an individual in a larger school due to the absence of additional certificated administrators;"

Whereas, Chanda Smith office assistance was provided to most schools, but not Continuation Schools;

Whereas, Restoring equity to Continuation School Office Managers in The Los Angeles Unified School District will require approximately $67,000 in immediate salary increases for incumbents;

Whereas, The demoralization of key personnel working with at-risk children can have tragic consequences on young people's lives; and

Whereas, In order to rectify the inequality caused by the reclassification plan adopted by the Board of Education on September 21, 1995; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles grant salary equity with the School Administrative Assistants to the position of Continuation School Office Managers, retroactive to October 22, 1995.

OO.Motions and Resolutions (Initial Announcements)

PP.Meeting, Conference and Convention Motions and Announcements

Notices to the Public Posted by Order of the Public Employment Relations Board

QQ. This Week In Education

• Baldwin Hills Elemementary School Career Day

• Gubernatorial Candidates Visit Foshay Learning Center

• Western Regional Conference on Educating Black Children

• Greater Los Angeles Vendor Fair 1998

• Manual Arts Cluster Resource Coordinating Council Meeting

• National School Boards Association Conference

Mr. Kiriyama will comment on the following:

• Parent Involvement Recognition

• Career Day at Barrett Elementary School

• LAUSD Title VII Conference

• Park Western/Harbor Magnet School Festival '98 - An American Celebration

• Parent Institute For Quality Education Graduation - 15th Street School

• Banning High School Academic Excellence

Mr. Tokofsky will comment on the following:

• Assistant Principal Secondary Student Services Conference

• Metropolitan Forum Project

• Students Run L.A.

• El Niño Preparation Team Kudos

• Performing Tree - Plaza de la Raza

• Vendor Fair

• Firefighters Memorial

• Passover

• Roosevelt High School State Audit

  
  RR. Speakers

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 Thursday Immediately After This Meeting.