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The Weekly Newspaper of Inglewood
Daily News on a Weekly Basis - Herald Publications - Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, Torrance & Manhattan Beach Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 - March 15, 2018
Gehry Design Gets a Preview
Last week, world-renowned architect Frank Gehry (front row, second from left) provided a first look into the design renderings of the soon-to-be new home of the LA Philharmonic Youth Orchestra building
in Inglewood. Mayor James T. Butts, Jr. and City of Inglewood staff were on-hand for the demo. Photo Courtesy of City of Inglewood
School Board Struggles to Find
Solutions to the Budget Shortfall
By Haleemon Anderson
The Inglewood School Board sought to
mitigate growing deficits at its meeting last
week, proposing over $4 million in reductions
to personnel and services. Potential cuts
include releasing certificated administrative
and probationary employees, and reducing or
eliminating services equivalent to 66 teaching
positions. All teachers must be notified by
March 15 of potential layoffs.
The Board also approved a contract for
insurance broker services that prompted
citizen objection. In public comments, union
representative Chris Graeber questioned the
cost ($30,000) of hiring a consultant. He suggested
the director of risk management for
the Inglewood Unified School District could
handle the task of finding the right health
insurance for classified employees. “This
is an unnecessary expense,” said Graeber.
Chief Business Officer Eugenio Villa
noted the complexity of restructuring insurance
benefits for certificated and classified
employees. “When you are purchasing $15
million of insurance, this is really technical
work. We wouldn’t have someone on staff
who knows that work,” said Villa.
Human Resources Director Nora Roque noted
that with the consultant, the District will see
a savings beyond the $30,000. Morningside
High School Band Director Bryan Lackey
also questioned the proposed hiring, given the
District’s projected shortfall. “I hope we’re
looking very carefully at another way to balance
this [budget], said Lackey.
Teachers and union representatives remained
mostly quiet during the meeting, but made a
display of protest against a recent District-led
professional development workshop. Teachers
lined up to dump the dense workbook, Kagan
Cooperative Learning, into boxes positioned
along the wall of the board room. Several
teachers asked the same question during public
comment, “Why is Kagan being proposed here?”
Abu Ngissah, the president of the Inglewood
Teachers Association, suggested the
text is culturally unresponsive. She said
teachers took offense at what they perceived
as “insulting and demoralizing information”
presented in the book. “We have asked to
be included in this process,” said Ngissah.
“ITA does not have a place in this process.”
Another teacher said, “We don’t believe this
is beneficial to our kids.
Student Brianna Erma read a statement,
noting the students are aware of what’s going
on. “Eight million dollars has been misused
[by the District],” said Erma.
Mr. Johnson of National Demographics
Corporation reported on the ongoing transition
to district-based elections. The last of five
public hearings will take place on March 14,
when the resolution is set for adoption. The
change will transition board elections from
at-large to district-based and make Inglewood
consistent with the California Voter Protection
Act and the Fair Voting Rights Act. “When
members’ terms come up, they will run in
a district,” said Johnson.
Municipal elections in 2019 or 2020 will
incorporate the first by-area elections in
two districts. The remaining three districts
will be incorporated two years later. Board
member ballots will no longer appear on
November slates and will instead show up
on the municipal ballot in April on the first
Tuesday of odd-numbered years, according
to Johnson.
Resident Mario Sanchez, speaking during
the public hearing, said he supports
redistricting. “As a resident and student at
Parent [Franklin D. Parent, K-8], I have seen
disparities within the district,” he said. “We
see the improvements on the north side, but
less on the east side.”
Dr. Jacqueline Sanderlin reported on promotion
activity around the district, saying a
door-knocking campaign is slated for March
17. “Our competitors are doing the same thing,”
said Sanderlin, noting the uptick in charter
schools promoting in the city. “We will be
enrolling on the spot.” The promotion will
focus on Oak Street and Crozier and other
elementary feeder schools. “If we don’t tell
our story, someone else will.”
Board member D’ Artagnan Scorza asked
if analytics are available on this campaign.
“I’d like to know the reach we have, the
number of impressions, who we’re reaching
and where we’re reaching them,” he said. He
asked if follow-up data is available.
Kaiya Farmer from City Honors and Kristina
Lewis from Inglewood Continuation gave the
student report. Farmer said the students will
attend the upcoming Black College Expo at
the LA Convention Center. Lewis said students
will tour El Camino College this month and
take Math and English placement tests.
The Inglewood School Board meets once
monthly. A special budget meeting will take
place on March 14. The next regular meeting
is scheduled for Wednesday, April 11, at
5:30 p.m. at 401 S. Inglewood Ave., in the
Dr. Ernest Shaw Board Room. •