AVUHSD trustee seeking change in minutes
LANCASTER — Antelope Valley Union High School District’s Board of Education postponed approval of the minutes from the
Nov. 14 meeting after then Board Clerk Amanda Parrell asked at the Dec.
12 meeting that they be changed to reflect the meeting had been adjourned.
“The meeting was adjourned, it’s not stated,” Parrell said at the Dec. 12 meeting. “But also, the Board didn’t take a recess, it was something that you said, Mr. (Jay) Fernow, and that would need to be corrected in that. Everything else is fine.”
The meeting ended after Parrell and member Victoria Ruffin left the building following a split vote to ap-
prove the agenda.
Parrell reiterated the Board did not take a recess.
Ruffin, who was served as interim president at the Dec. 12 meeting, agreed.
“So that it’s clear, is that the ambiguity as to the meeting being adjourned. Even after the statement of the meeting being adjourned on the audio says that Mr. Fernow suggested for, ah …,” Ruffin began
“The Board to take a recess,” Parrell interjected.
“'… The Board to take a recess, so it’s just to clarify that,” Ruffin finished.
“It’s just adding, just stating who’s saying what,” Parrell said.
“At what point was it stated by Mr. Fernow?” Superintendent David Vierra asked.
“When the meeting was adjourned, I guess before standing up, that’s when Mr. Fernow said, let’s take a recess,’” Parrell said. “It’s on the audio,” Ruffin said. “We didn’t adjourn the meeting,” trustee John Rush said. “I don’t think we adjourned it. You guys walked out the back door.”
Ruffin disagreed.
“I said, before I got up, because we were discussing it, and I said several times, well, this meeting is over, or I guess this meeting is adjourned,” Ruffin said. “If you listen to the audio, it’s public knowledge; it’s out there for everybody. So you didn’t recant it.”
McGrady and Rush suggested they listen to the Nov. 14 audio again.
“We’ll listen to it,” Vierra said. According to an audio recording of the Nov. 14 meeting, it was Vierra who suggested the Board take a recess, at which point Ruffin, the strap of her tote bag on her shoulder, got up and left the dais. Parrell paused briefly then followed her.
The draft minutes reflect how Ruffin requested the Board remove the “Filling a Broad Vacancy” presentation by Fernow, an attorney with the Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost law firm, and bring it back at the next Board meeting.
“She commented that the important matter will need a lengthy discussion by the Board and she would like to spend adequate time to discuss the teachers’ contract. (Jill) McGrady commented that if the Board decides to call for a Special
Election the Board will need to take action by December 6,” the minutes said.
Ruffin requested to remove the presentation from the agenda and bring it back to the next Board meeting. Parrell motioned, the motion failed due to lock of a second.
McGrady motioned to approve and adopt the agenda as presented, seconded by trustee John Rush. The motion failed on a 2-2 vote, with Ruffin and Parrell dissenting.
Vierra recommended the Board move forward with the meeting.
“We didn’t adopt the agenda,” Ruffin said.
“There’s no legal requirement that the Board adopt the agenda,” Fernow said at the Nov. 14 meeting.
Ruffin disagreed. Fernow said there is no legal requirement to adopt the agenda because it is not in the Board’s bylaws.
“But it’s your meeting, Madam President,” Fernow said.
“There’s no meeting if there is no adopted agenda,” Ruffin said.
Vierra said there is no legal requirement to adopt the agenda.
“You can choose to move through the agenda, or otherwise,” Vierra said.
“I’m choosing not to move with the agenda as it is,” Ruffin said.
“Let’s take a vote on it,” McGrady said.
“We just voted,” Ruffin countered.
“2-2, we need to proceed, correct?” Rush said.
“Why don’t we take a quick recess?” Vierra said.
At that point, Ruffin got up and left, with Parrell on her heels. Vierra and Fernow also left the dais to discuss the matter in back. But Ruffin and Parrell reportedly left the building instead.
McGrady and Rush remained at the dais.
“Dr. Vierra returned to advise the public the meeting ended due to a lack of quorum, the meeting adjourned at 7:13 p.m,” the minutes said.
McGrady suggested that students from Littlerock High School and Palmdale High School’s Health Careers Academy go ahead and give the presentations they had prepared for the meeting.