Regular Board Meeting (Thurston Middle School)

Summary

The June 4, 2026 regular meeting was held at the Thurston Middle School library and was largely a student- and staff-recognition night, but its agenda carried three governance threads. Item 9 (Governance - Action), "Discussion and Applicability of Board Policy 2120 (Superintendent Search)," was noticed ahead of a closed session for a superintendent appointment (Gov. Code 54957) and labor negotiation, and ahead of open-session items 12.A and 12.B approving contracts for interim superintendent Manoj Roychowdhury and Superintendent Don Austin, Ed.D. The meeting's two closed sessions also included, as existing litigation, the high-school graduation disability complaint (item 3.D, Gov. Code 54956.9(d)(1); the agenda reads "Case number not yet assigned," though the case is No. 8:26-cv-01418), a separate anticipated-litigation matter (item 3.C), and labor negotiations with LaBUFA and CSEA (item 3.B). In business, the 2026 Facility Master Plan Update was presented for information (item 13.A) and then moved for adoption the same evening (item 14.A), and the Board considered a CMAS contract for EKC Enterprises, Inc. to supply IT-services labor and Extron audio-visual rack equipment for an estimated $50,000-$60,000 (item 14.B). The next regular meeting was set for June 8, 2026. The 5-hour recording confirms the outcomes: the Board approved the interim superintendent contract for Manoj Roychowdhury 5-0 (item 12.A) and Don Austin's superintendent contract 3-2 (item 12.B), with Joan Malczewski and James Kelly dissenting. The item 9 Board Policy 2120 discussion aired the search-process dispute but adopted no formal finding that the policy was satisfied before the contract votes.

Key insights (6)

• Item 9 puts the "applicability of Board Policy 2120" question on the official record as a Governance action item — corroborating, from the primary source, the agenda contents Erika Rule described in her June 2 "Superintendent Shortcut" op-ed.
• Items 12.A and 12.B notice open-session approval of contracts for both the interim superintendent (Roychowdhury) and the incoming superintendent (Austin); the closed-session predicate is item 10.D, Public Employee Appointment (Gov. Code 54957, Title: Superintendent).
• The graduation disability complaint appears as existing litigation in closed session (item 3.D); the agenda's "Case number not yet assigned" is an agenda-prep artifact, as the federal case is No. 8:26-cv-01418.
• The 2026 Facility Master Plan Update was both presented (13.A) and moved for adoption (14.A) the same night, updating the FMP last approved in December 2023; the District notes listed projects are not approved for design/construction and still require individual Board approval.
• Outcomes (from the recording): interim superintendent (Roychowdhury) contract approved 5-0; Don Austin's contract approved 3-2 with Malczewski and Kelly dissenting; the BP 2120 applicability discussion adopted no formal finding.
• The district's June 5 press release announced the Austin approval without stating the 3-2 vote, the dissenters, or the $450,000/4-year/no-perks terms — an official framing that elides the contested record.

Linked timeline events (6)

• Jun 4, 2026 June 4 board agenda includes item on the applicability of Board Policy 2120
• Jun 4, 2026 Board approves Don Austin's superintendent contract, 3-2
• Jun 4, 2026 Board approves interim superintendent contract for Manoj Roychowdhury, 5-0
• Jun 2, 2026 Federal ADA complaint filed over relocation of LBHS graduation to the Irvine Bowl
• Jun 1, 2026 Manoj Roychowdhury's interim superintendency begins
• May 14, 2026 Board appoints Dr. Don Austin as next superintendent