Board Governance Meeting (Open Session)

Summary

The April 23, 2026 LBUSD governance meeting opened with public comment (including remarks on attorney fees and the lack of cooperation on the governance committee) and proceeded through three substantive items: a continuation discussion of expanding interdistrict transfer eligibility, a vote to approve a consulting agreement with TBWB/CivicX for bond communications work, and a revision of the existing ad hoc governance committee charge proposed by Hills. Glass presented enrollment data showing LBHS at approximately 818 students projected to decline toward 600, with the district at a 35-year low. The board approved (5-0 with student advisory vote) the consultant contract, and approved (4-1) the revised governance committee charge superseding the prior version. The meeting closed with a presentation by legal counsel Jonathan Pearl on governance best practices and public comment from CSEA Chapter 131 President Thasa Zuziak.

Key insights (12)

• Public commenter Kimberly stated that one recent month's legal fees totaled $78,000, projecting roughly $936,000 annualized, and asked the board majority to "focus on education and not other issues."
• Glass reported LBHS enrollment at approximately 818 students, projected to decline to roughly 600 over the next decade, citing a city median age of 52.5, a birth rate less than half the state average, and graduating classes of ~220 being replaced by kindergarten classes of ~150.
• Board approved 5-0 (with student advisory vote yes) an agreement with TBWB/CivicX for bond consulting services; Kelly noted cost "between 30 to 40,000" as a ballpark for a district of LBUSD's size. (This appears to be the same agreement the timeline's CivX event references; the vote occurred at this April 23 governance meeting, not April 30.)
• Hills raised concerns about Education Code requirements that bond information constitute "a fair and impartial presentation of relevant facts" and questioned whether information about the district's overall financial condition should be included in public bond communications.
• Public commenter Gary Kasik said "needs precede much of this discussion" and called the timing of the consultant contract "out of sequence" since the board has not decided whether to do a bond.
• Hills proposed revising the existing ad hoc governance committee charge, stating the prior version "had restrictions on what the board members could say or do or write" and that the new version "takes the guardrails off" while preserving that recommendations must come to the full board.
• Malczewski declined to serve on the governance committee, stating: "you've actually been very clear that you're interested in changing governance and the relative power of the board in the district... those very important discussions that go to the heart of how this district should operate should not happen behind closed doors." She referenced prior changes to bylaw 9322 as "not a small thing."
• Student board representative Logan stated students "share a lot of the same sentiment of wanting those discussions about bylaw changes to be in the public," arguing committee pre-deliberation "undermines the whole process" of public board meetings.
• Governance committee revision passed 4-1 (Malczewski opposed); committee membership identified as Hills, with student representative Logan and Kelly volunteering to join after Morgan noted no other trustees had stepped up.
• Legal counsel Jonathan Pearl presented on five governance topics: adding agenda items (citing board bylaw 9322 with final authority to the board president on disagreement), Brown Act meeting definitions and serial communication risks, contacting legal counsel (board president/superintendent or board designees only), school site visits, and handling community complaints (routing through the superintendent).
• Public commenter Kelly Osborne proposed revising bylaw 9220 to require board members and candidates to submit annual residency verification affidavits under penalty of perjury matching the standard required of families, citing 2024 election concerns and policies in Fresno, San Bernardino, and Placentia.
• CSEA Chapter 131 President Thasa Zuziak stated during closing public comment: "Until December 16, 2024, LBUSD was more than just a strong district, it was a truly special, even magical place to work... Since then, that culture has been eroded." She called for "leadership that listens and responds, not one that deflects and doubles down." This came one day before the publication of her LBI op-ed reporting the classified-staff no-confidence vote.

Linked timeline events (7)

• Nov 5, 2024 Election: Morgan and Hills win school board seats
• Dec 16, 2024 New board sworn in; interim superintendent announced
• Feb 26, 2026 Governance meeting addresses board oversight authority
• Apr 16, 2026 March in solidarity with LBUSD staff; board meeting
• Apr 23, 2026 Board votes 5–0 to approve TBWB/CivicX bond consultant
• Apr 23, 2026 Board votes 4–1 to revise ad hoc governance committee
• Apr 24, 2026 Zuziak op-ed reports classified staff no-confidence vote