AVUHSD brings back Café con Leche
Bilingual radio show had been rejected
LANCASTER — Antelope Valley Union High School District’s Board of Education approved a oneyear contract with Café con Leche, the bilingual radio talk show used to keep the community informed of news and current events, last month six months after the Board rejected a similar contract.
The Board approved the contract 3-2, with members Victoria Ruffin and Amanda Parrell dissenting. Student trustee Elijah Johnson supported the contract. Ruffin and Parrell rejected the contract at the July 23 meeting.
Café con Leche had worked with the District for almost 10 years.
Ruffin objected to the contract because Board President Jill McGrady and Clerk Donita Winn were guests on the program during the campaign for office. All of the candidates were invited to appear on the program. McGrady and Winn accepted the invitation.
Candidate Dana LaMon, who ran for the Trustee Area 3 seat that Winn won, also appeared as a candidate during the campaign and is a regular contributor to the program.
“This is an example of a quid pro quo and now we’re hiring her on as a vendor,” Ruffin said, adding state code would prohibit them from voting on the contract because of an alleged financial interest.
Winn asked attorney Jay Fernow to clarify the state code Ruffin referenced.
“The government code section that Dr. Ruffin is citing just doesn’t apply to this situation,” Fernow said. “There is no financial interest that I’m aware of that any Board members are going to receive by approving this contract.”
Winn noted the District has used Cafe con Leche for years.
“Lilia Galindo tries very hard to make sure that the community is informed and she tries as hard as she can to make sure the people are informed as best as they can be,” Winn said.
AV Union High School District has shared District and Migrant Education Program information with the Spanish-speaking community through Café con Leche, hosted by Lilia Galindo.
The $14,000 contract is good from Dec. 11 to Dec. 11, 2021, with an option to extend annually by mutual agreement and upon Board approval for up to five years. The contract includes radio interviews, District English Learner Advisory Committee meetings and other events.