Editor’s note: Because few people, especially parents of school-age children, have time to attend and report-out from government meetings, Santa Monica Next has been working to determine whether artificial intelligence can transcribe and write news reports from these meetings. This report is AI-generated based on a transcription of the meeting and a summary instructed to have an informative but neutral point of view. No one, especially journalists, wants AI to editorialize on the news. Next’s mid-term plans includes training SMMUSD students to cover SMMUSD, and we’re much more interested in what SMMUSD students think about the district.
The board heard wide-ranging public testimony calling for tighter restrictions on student technology use in classrooms, received a sweeping update on roughly $480 million in active and recently completed construction projects across the district, and approved a consent calendar amid a procedural abstention tied to absences at prior meetings.
Key Votes and Decisions
Agenda approval
The board voted to approve the meeting agenda, with Board Member Richard Tahvildaran-Jesswein absent from open session. The vote carried unanimously among members present.
Minutes approval — Sept. 3 and Sept. 9 meetings
Board Member Jennifer Smith moved to approve minutes from both prior meetings together; Board Member Stacy Rouse seconded. Board Vice-President Laurie Lieberman abstained, stating she had not been present at the Sept. 3 meeting. All other members present voted yes, and the minutes were approved. (Board Member Leon-Vazquez briefly considered abstaining due to absence from the Sept. 9 meeting, then confirmed a yes vote after Board President Alicia Mignano noted that absent members may still vote to approve minutes.)
Consent calendar
The consent calendar was approved. The vote basis for this action does not support reporting a tally or outcome word. Board Member Leon-Vazquez moved; a second was recorded. Public comment preceding the vote, described below, focused heavily on a mobile device policy item embedded in the consent calendar. Major action item J1 — postponed
An item listed under major action as J1 was postponed before the meeting began. The transcript does not identify the subject of J1.
Public Comment
The board accommodated an unusually large public comment period. After speakers signed up to address a consent item on mobile phone policy, the board voted to consolidate all public comments — moving the general comment period forward — so that all speakers could be heard in sequence.
Student technology and screen use (multiple speakers)
The largest group of speakers addressed district technology policy, ranging from the specific mobile phone consent item to broader concerns about educational technology use in classrooms. A speaker representing Schools Beyond Screens — who identified himself as the organization’s local chapter representative — said the group had developed a proposed technology use policy at Superintendent Shelton’s request, supported by peer-reviewed research. He said the proposal was not “anti-tech” but called for limiting technology use to specific instructional contexts, with exceptions for students with IEPs or Section 504 accessibility needs.
A speaker who identified herself as a former middle school teacher and current district parent said technology use felt inconsistent across classrooms and schools: “It doesn’t feel like it’s consistent across schools, across grade levels, across teachers.” She asked for a clearer district-wide instructional technology policy and greater transparency about which applications students are using. A speaker who identified herself as a parent of students said her children in transitional kindergarten and first grade were coming home describing regular video-watching in class — including a showing of Angry Birds 2 — and that one child had said she preferred school to aftercare because “I get to watch videos in TK.” She asked for a policy that provides concrete guidance to teachers on screen use for the youngest students.
A speaker who identified herself as the parent of a middle school student said the district’s consent language for Google services YouTube access on school-issued Chromebooks was misleading. She said parents who selected “allow” believed it was required for classwork, but that the setting granted students access to non-instructional YouTube content subject only to district filters she described as insufficient. She asked the board to reset all student accounts to “deny” and to send families a clear explanation of what the consent options actually mean.
A speaker who identified himself as PTA president at Will Rogers Elementary, speaking as a parent, said he had seen the district’s cell phone pouch policy working well, with his son reporting less distraction in class at JAMS. He said he runs an artificial intelligence technology company and supported intentional, grade-appropriate technology use. Board Vice-President Lieberman, who noted she is part of the district’s technology working group, told speakers that while the board had heard their comments, open session rules prevent a formal response when items are not on the agenda.
Classified employee payroll errors
A classified employee who said she has worked for the district for 17 years described a series of payroll problems she said began in April when the district transitioned to a new payroll system called LACO. She said she had not received a verifiable paycheck in five months, citing errors in overtime calculation, duplicated transactions, unexplained deductions, and paychecks with zero earnings. She said payroll staff had confirmed the system cannot reliably process irregular schedules — a structural problem she said affects a substantial share of classified employees who work part-time or variable hours. She asked the board to implement a documented reconciliation plan, audit PERS retirement contributions retroactive to April, and commit that no employee would bear the financial cost of errors in a system the district chose to adopt.
Workplace safety and labor relations
A speaker who identified himself as Javier Gonzalez, director of the Santa Monica Division for the School Workers, said classified employees represented by his organization are experiencing what he characterized as an increase in workplace harassment and retaliation. He described specific incidents — including an alleged assault, a surveillance camera placed in a shared work area, and discipline he said had been reissued after being previously settled — and said bargaining sessions have not yet produced a substantive contract proposal to address wages he said lag well below comparable districts. A separate speaker, who did not state an organizational affiliation, described workplace conflicts, two separate incidents in which she said she was injured on the job, and concerns about a camera placed in her work area.
Safe Routes to School
A speaker who identified himself as Juan Matute [editor’s note: this was me], co-founder of Santa Monica Families for Safe Streets and a researcher at UCLA, said the district had sent the city a letter containing what he called false claims about the California Environmental Quality Act in connection with a bike infrastructure project. He said Education Code Section 32282(a)(2)(g), as amended in 1997, requires school site safety plans to address student ingress and egress, and that 2019 California Department of Education guidance explicitly extends that requirement to Safe Routes to School planning. He said the district is the only school in the Bay League without a corresponding board policy and asked the board to adopt one.
Lincoln Middle School Commendation
The Principal of Lincoln Middle School, presented to the board on the school’s achievements and priorities. He reported that California science test scores improved from 53 to 65 — an increase of 12 points — while English Language Arts scores remained at 80%. He described the school’s instructional focus on tier-two and tier-three academic vocabulary as a key strategy for students with disabilities, Latino students, and socioeconomically disadvantaged students. He also reported that chronic absenteeism had dropped approximately two percentage points, to just below 10%, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted the opening of a new legacy building on campus, which District staff Carey Upton was credited with preparing before the first day of school.
Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Shelton reported that a heat wave at the start of the fall semester caused more than 90 HVAC units across the district to fail. As of the meeting date, those units had been repaired and returned to service; 22 systems remained out of service or operating below full capacity. Replacement parts have been ordered, with most repairs expected within the following week and the remainder within three weeks. Temporary cooling units have been installed in affected spaces.
The district is also conducting a district-wide review of all HVAC systems to assess long-term reliability. Shelton noted that Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month runs through Oct. 15 and encouraged families to complete free and reduced-price meal applications, explaining that the forms help schools qualify for additional programs and funding even though all students already receive free breakfast and lunch.
Facility Improvement Program Update
District staff Carey Upton and the bond program manager presented an update on the district’s bond-funded construction program, covering projects totaling approximately $480 million.
Recently completed projects:
- McKinley Elementary — Completed this summer. Construction contract: approximately $33.5 million. Some outstanding change orders and potential claims remain under negotiation. Electric vehicle chargers not yet installed.
- Ocean Park Schoolhouse — Fully open for fall semester. Construction contract approximately $58.5 million. Some HVAC issues with existing units have largely been resolved.
- Grant Elementary library and courtyard — Opened fall semester. Construction contract $10.3 million.
- Lincoln Middle School legacy building — Ribbon cutting held the week prior to the meeting. Construction contract $18 million. Structural repair work required on weekends only due to a historical modification to a load-bearing wall.
- JAMS gymnasium modernization — Completed slightly ahead of schedule. Described as having needed renovation for approximately two decades.
- Lincoln Child Development Center — $1.2 million project replacing hardscape, play areas, and shade structures.
Projects under construction:
- PBL program, language building — Staged completion underway; six classrooms occupied as of the semester start. Estimated cost approximately $6 million.
- Roosevelt Elementary new building — On track to open January 2027. Construction contract $31 million. A planned teacher workroom is being converted to a TK classroom.
- Grant Elementary classroom building — Targeted for January 2027 opening but currently a few weeks behind schedule. Construction contract $24.4 million. Staff said they are working to recover the timeline.
- John Adams Middle School STEM building — On schedule for August 2027 opening. Construction contract $27.5 million. Rain caused water intrusion requiring drywall repairs in some areas.
- Franklin Elementary new building — Estimated construction cost $32 million; final cost not yet set. A natural turf pilot field on the campus is in its establishment period, with root depth to be checked around Oct. to determine an opening date estimated in mid-October.
- Santa Monica High School student services building — Construction began this summer. Estimated construction cost approximately $80 million. Targeted occupancy August 2028. –
- Malibu Middle School hub and gymnasium — Groundbreaking held the prior week; DSA approval recently received. Estimated cost $64.5 million. Targeted completion summer 2028.
- Malibu aquatic center (Phase 3A) — Groundbreaking anticipated early 2027. Estimated cost approximately $42 million. DSA approval and bid not yet received.
- Obama Center renovation — Overall construction cost approximately $4.7 million. Olympic program is occupying its space; SELPA and STATS portions targeted for Oct. 19 occupancy; preschool portion targeted for August 2027.
- Webster Elementary playground replacement — Construction expected to begin the following week; estimated completion early November. Cost approximately $350,000.
- Edison Elementary pick-up and drop-off — Design ongoing; issues related to crosswalk interaction with the proposed exit are being worked through with the city. Construction anticipated 2027–28.
- Lincoln Middle School next improvement phase — Design underway. Scope includes window replacement, hallway activation, and front entrance and quad improvements. Board members discussed holding community open houses organized by school pathway to allow residents to see completed facilities. Staff noted a “State of Our Schools” event is planned for Oct. 7.
Next Steps
- Most remaining HVAC repairs expected within weeks of the meeting date.
- Roosevelt Elementary and Grant Elementary classroom building openings targeted for January 2027.
- Franklin natural turf field opening determination anticipated mid-October.
- JAMS Stats program targeted to occupy Obama Center space Oct. 19.
