At the February 6 meeting of the Sacramento City Unified School District Board, the Board recognized Lillian Eastvold, an 8th grader from Albert Einstein Middle School. Lillian has been an integral part of the Einstein Robotics Team for the past two seasons and also devotes time to the Leadership Class and the DND Club on campus. Lillian has a 4.0 cumulative GPA with Outstanding Citizenship grades in all her classes in all advanced/honors classes. She was on the track team last year, running the 100 meter, 200 meter, 400 meter, and the long jump. She’s aiming to run the mile (1600 meter) this year. She also loves musical theater, and has performed in Moana and the Wizard of Oz. In the summers, Lillian’s family travels to Kenya for 10 weeks as a part of the nonprofit, GLAD Technology. Last year she participated as a student, but this year Lillian will be a teaching assistant for the program that teaches coding and web development to young adults coming from impoverished areas of Nairobi or remote rural areas of Kenya. Congratulations to our Stellar Student Lillian Eastvold!

The Board approved a resolution recognizing February as Black History Month. The Sacramento City Unified School District Board of Education is unwavering in its support for policies, practices, and curricula that honor, celebrate, and respect the diverse histories, cultures, and contributions of Black/African American students, staff, and their families. The resolution can be read in its entirety, here.

At the January 16 Board of Education meeting, the Board had asked for additional information regarding existing District advisory committees, including the scope and purpose of each. The Board discussed the need for committees for the 2025 calendar year and took action to appoint new committees for Restorative Justice; Policy; and Special Education. The Restorative Justice Committee will be overseen by Mark Harris, SCUSD’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Monitor and will be comprised of a designee from each Trustee Area and a representative from each labor partner. Board Members were then appointed to the following committees:

• American Indian Education Program Parent Committee: Chinua Rhodes
• Black/African American Advisory Board: Michael Benjamin
• Community Advisory Committee: April Ybarra
• Community Schools Advisory Committee: Tara Jeane
• District English Learner Advisory Committee: Jose Navarro
• Local Control Accountability Plan/Parent Advisory Committee: Michael Benjamin and Jose Navarro
• Policy Committee: Taylor Kayatta, Tara Jeane and Jasjit Singh
• Restorative Justice Committee: Mark Harris will serve as the Board’s liaison.
• Special Education Committee: Taylor Kayatta, and April Ybarra
• Student Advisory Council: Jasjit Singh
• Council of Great City Schools: Taylor Kayatta

At the meeting, the Board received the following informational updates:

• A second quarterly update on the Black Parallel School Board (BPSB) Action Plan from the Independent Monitor, Dr. Gregory Peters. The BPSB Action Plan was developed in response to ongoing challenges in promoting and providing equitable, inclusive, and effective educational environments for all students, particularly Black students and those with special needs. The action plan outlines comprehensive strategies to support school transformation, build inclusive partnerships with families, and create structures for professional growth that empower educators to foster an environment where every student feels valued, supported, and equipped to succeed. Through collaborative efforts and ongoing assessment, the BPSB Action Plan aims to create a school culture that celebrates Black excellence and prioritizes student wellbeing and achievement across SCUSD.
   
• The English Learner Parent Engagement: SCUSD ELAC Implementation Update. SCUSD’s ELPAC Goal 3, Action 3.14, highlights the importance of offering families and guardians diverse capacity-building and constituent service opportunities. It also aims to enhance families’ sense of belonging and connection to their school community, fostering a stronger and more inclusive educational environment.

A public hearing was held on Sacramento City Unified School District’s Initial Proposal (“Sunshine Proposal”) to the Sacramento City Teachers Association for 2025-2026 Successor Negotiations, followed by an approval of SCUSD’s Initial Proposal.

For more information about these items please visit https://www.scusd.edu/boe022625.

For more information about the SCUSD Board of Education, including the schedule for future Board meetings and to submit a public comment at future meetings, please visit https://www.scusd.edu/board-education.

The next SCUSD Board meeting will be held on February 20, 2025. The open session of the meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. at the Serna Center, 5735 47th Avenue, in the Community Room. The meeting can also be viewed online on SCUSD’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SCUSDofficial/live.