[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6202424,"mediaKeyId","3787318-5341504fd96a3c8b005ed1c28a89e330","parentId",3787318,"title","Desert Sands board adopts Title IX resolution urging CIF to protect fairness and safety in girls’ sports","audioSeconds",5899,"startMs",2389000,"endMs",8288000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3787318-5341504fd96a3c8b005ed1c28a89e330&start=2389&end=8288","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3787318-5341504fd96a3c8b005ed1c28a89e330/thumbnail_2389000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6202424/California/Desert-Sands-board-adopts-Title-IX-resolution-urging-CIF-to-protect-fairness-and-safety-in-girls-sports","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6202424-fb2bd400f3a230321f3daaeda7557ce8/orig.mp4?Expires=1773737421&Signature=ITa6-yRceF~1wzLrFZZNOWLZShBmQYcmXDo4CtYCu9rMtIHtOXvyInnpTAMcB9gvMZHtwKeirC1H~sDdVeOnNQ31xzxxrPe2F1mq40zOltOykmvgqVNNjqjLtIgIB5u9tgyjEsRus5rGDbScrxWiwl6oUEZ0jWkxcdT7mR4zzV-zFTka4U2KsGb2RE5IuM37NTX3sDZVwai-fMVmRPK0lClhvaLyfspKQqI~xX3MxFqddbIuhjJkysQVP4dBnIJsLdaFhHvnSrMnvoiNxQ3531NSCzUWhQAN9eRzArggB3yfCO3D-PnebeHRJtOQpzloQGMsm1J3Ysk24YTkRDbDZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Desert Sands Unified School District","date","2025-06-12T23:58:20.91Z","article","The Desert Sands Unified School District Board of Education on June 10 adopted a resolution affirming Title IX and urging the California Interscholastic Federation to take steps to protect fairness and safety in girls’ athletics, voting 4–0 with one abstention.

The resolution, brought as agenda item 22.1, was framed by trustees as a statement in support of protections for female student athletes and a call for CIF to refine its rules after a contested CIF state track-and-field result and a subsequent CIF pilot process. The vote followed more than an hour of public comment and trustee discussion.

Board President Kaylee Watson said the district’s role is to uphold federal law while supporting student safety and opportunities. Trustee Pierce, who introduced and framed the resolution during the discussion, referenced Title IX as the governing federal statute and urged action now. “Title 9 of the education amendments of 1972 is a US civil rights law that prohibits … discrimination in educational programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance,” Pierce said during debate. Pierce also said, “If nothing changes and 1 of our biological female athletes is injured by a biological male during competition, that will not rest on my conscience.”

Public comment showed sharp divisions. Lisa Talley, who urged the board to restore language in the draft resolution that explicitly cited biological differences between male and female athletes, told trustees: “A boy is not a girl just because he says so.” Other commenters argued the resolution could stigmatize transgender students and urged the board to create dialogue rather than a final policy statement.

Trustees deliberated for roughly an hour. Some members emphasized that the resolution expresses an opinion and does not change existing law; others described it as a proactive step to press CIF for clearer competitive rules. Trustee Duran abstained from the roll-call vote; trustees Pierce, Alvarez, Perez and Board President Watson voted yes. The board clerk recorded the motion as adopted four-to-zero with one abstention.

The resolution does not change district athletic eligibility rules or school operations; CIF remains the statewide body that sets eligibility and championship rules. Several trustees said the intention was to send a unified message urging CIF to adopt fairer, clearer procedures for handling cases that affect placement and medals at major meets.

The board did not specify immediate policy changes for district athletics. Trustees said future steps include monitoring CIF responses and staying engaged with community input.

The board plans to continue receiving community comment and to monitor any state or CIF rule changes that affect local competition and student safety.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Regular Board Meeting of June 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Desert Sands Unified School District Board of Education on June 10 adopted a resolution affirming Title IX and urging the California Interscholastic Federation to take steps to protect fairness and safety in girls’ athletics, voting 4–0 with one abstention.","taxTitle","Desert Sands Unified, School Districts, California","taxId",14152,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6202415,"Parent’s legal representative tells Desert Sands board of alleged four‑year special‑education compliance failures",211,3424000,3635000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3787318-5341504fd96a3c8b005ed1c28a89e330&start=3424&end=3635","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3787318-5341504fd96a3c8b005ed1c28a89e330/thumbnail_3424000.jpg","/articles/6202415/California/Parents-legal-representative-tells-Desert-Sands-board-of-alleged-fouryear-specialeducation-compliance-failures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6202415-ce3fdfaf71b87f0472aac4de4e833348/orig.mp4?Expires=1773737421&Signature=WYWhZ2gu7gcqcMOtqnButewNUXiDswNKPxQ2Eu5oTW~0SN-IBDDDrc5~QgiL-BcbYSanAjIj1p~B--e1yp26l5JzjhiCtu~YWqO6CQeppqHMiWRopFhqO2TnHVUTkGDP5aSB5vyo0tOtsVXvLuiT9wbK9mkjtk8fD3S9LQCpiDNKdEAJdPO0qzRIHwQbgB6k7HNVjhQDNQgqcQyaNdfr2~lRRvPhbBtRo3ndm1kmPQNqqqaD90onUA133fySirqsuVKFlbcyJRiFNQDtV46QsyyuxzVVeXXZfloeBuQY4ba1P9sN3DxfzGZuH77w7OKzvMZrcnQoOoeroe77FXW9iQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A teacher and mandated reporter who said she spoke with the authorization of a student’s legal parent told the Desert Sands Unified School District Board of Education on June 10 that the district has repeatedly failed to follow special‑education procedures and federal privacy rules in a case dating to 2021.

Marjina Orantes said she submitted a packet to the board on behalf of John Ochoa, the legal parent of student Ariel Ochoa, and asked trustees to review a documented timeline of errors and to require an independent investigation. “Since 2021, mister Ochoa has maintained a detailed documented timeline now submitted for your review covering failures by both site and district personnel to follow federal educational law, FERPA, and California education code, as well as a valid court order mandating joint legal custody over educational decisions,” Orantes said.

Orantes alleged specific procedural failures: a special‑education referral that did not receive a response within the 15‑day legal deadline, an assessment plan issued only after more than 60 days and lacking required scope, and a cumulative file produced in 2025 that omitted the parent’s original referral letter despite that document appearing in a 2022 version of the same file. She said the missing referral letter was located only after formal complaints were filed with the U.S. Department of Education.

Orantes also said a Section 504 plan was finalized and implemented without the participation or consent of both legal custodians, despite a court order requiring joint educational decision‑making. “This is not about 1 mistake or 1 meeting. It's about a systemic breakdown in compliance over 4 years,” she told the board and asked trustees to ensure the student’s procedural rights were honored going forward.

The speaker requested that the board review the submitted timeline, intake records and any independent investigation materials and to take steps to ensure that similar oversights do not reoccur. The board did not announce any immediate remedial action on the record during the June 10 session.

Separately, other public commenters praised the district’s special‑education staff and recounted positive outcomes for individual students, underscoring a mixed public record that the board heard during the public‑comment period.

Orantes concluded by asking the board to consider the harm done when custodial rights and statutory timelines are not followed and to prioritize students’ legal protections in district processes.","A teacher speaking for a legal parent told the Desert Sands board on June 10 that the district repeatedly failed to meet special‑education deadlines and privacy requirements in a case dating to 2021, and urged an independent review.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6202420,"Desert Sands reviews draft LCAP and budget outlook as enrollment remains below pre-pandemic levels",739,4063000,4802000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3787318-5341504fd96a3c8b005ed1c28a89e330&start=4063&end=4802","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3787318-5341504fd96a3c8b005ed1c28a89e330/thumbnail_4063000.jpg","/articles/6202420/California/Desert-Sands-reviews-draft-LCAP-and-budget-outlook-as-enrollment-remains-below-pre-pandemic-levels","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6202420-4d9553f23ba3febebece7598623ad5fb/orig.mp4?Expires=1773737421&Signature=biJv4qc86SV5ySuR4TdLGfEG7udz2LUZBwTWt3ThXPMtaqK65zcUVBfn47ZlryFGP5hEXdMRr4ETwsDKSmB5dwyetJmBwfw0IEhVW2B3GWs65eqReGS4H0TXnJ0YV6hwa-Pxr19924brJdTS72wv3OEAiTOOE0-u9KEt~fSweHFQkDyL1OmKh1tINe9f930z5obSRQ--wDZdl4HIbQECPlFNBm30s7XX31MEokHxPC8~IFf4VZvh5iptdA~jmPgJ3ZKkwwURcNnMqpdDb1kl9Ix0YSd6YAZ5~odlXVrlONvk-CDOZZ2WAg1z2HCZ6LZnZpeFE2pq~EyyYD6J0jSwuA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Desert Sands Unified School District Board of Education on June 10 reviewed a draft Local Control and Accountability Plan and a budget overview that ties district spending to academic, college-and-career and social-emotional goals.

Gabriela Yamas, the district’s LCAP coordinator, told trustees the draft “tells the story of how Desert Sands is working to improve outcomes for all students with a specific focus on our English learners, low income and students in foster care.” The plan frames actions around three core goals — academic growth and early literacy; college- and career-readiness; and social-emotional learning and mental-health supports — and incorporates state equity multiplier goals for several high-need schools.

Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Jordan Aquino reviewed the fiscal context. He said the district’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) receipts total about $341,000,000, with roughly $82.5 million identified as supplemental/concentration funding tied to unduplicated pupil counts. Aquino emphasized that personnel costs dominate the general fund: salaries and benefits account for roughly 82.5% of total expenditures, and 89% of restricted-program dollars also go to personnel.

Aquino warned that declining enrollment has reduced revenues despite periodic high COLA years. He summarized the district’s recent enrollment and revenue picture: from 2018‑19 through 2024‑25 the district lost about 10.6% of enrollment; the district saw a net drop of roughly 381 students in one year and 184 the following year, per the presentation. In the adopted/proposed budget materials, the district plans to use fund balance in the near term while monitoring state budget developments; the projected combined general‑fund reserve is approximately 36% for 2025‑26, compared with a statewide average for unified districts of about 24.36%.

Aquino explained recurring upward cost pressures: negotiated salary step-and-column movements, pension costs and higher utilities tied to lowered thermostat set points. He said the budget models include projected COLA assumptions from the state May Revision (about 2.3% in the near term in the governor’s May revision) and that small enrollment shifts materially affect revenues (each student is worth an estimated amount in the tens of thousands in LCFF dollars).

Board members asked clarifying questions about enrollment projections, solar installations at some sites, and revenue sources including lottery dollars and Prop 98 funding. Aquino said staff uses live-births by ZIP code, normal grade-level migration and developer activity to project future enrollment but will not assume growth until it materializes year over year.

The board opened and closed public hearings on the LCAP and the budget; no final LCAP adoption vote was recorded at the June 10 meeting. Several business-service agenda items (18.1 and 18.2 among others) were approved by roll call earlier in the meeting, each carried 5–0. Trustees were reminded that the full LCAP document — a multi-tabbed binder and a one-page infographic — was provided to the board for review and that a formal vote on the LCAP is scheduled for a subsequent meeting.

Trustees and staff said they will continue to refine the plan and track state budget developments before final adoption.","At the June 10 meeting the Desert Sands Unified School District board received a presentation on the draft Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) and a detailed budget overview. Staff highlighted equity-focused goals and noted continued enrollment declines, a high personnel share of the budget and a multi-year fund balance plan.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Desert Sands board adopts Title IX resolution urging CIF to protect fairness and safety in girls’ sports

Parent’s legal representative tells Desert Sands board of alleged four‑year special‑education compliance failures

Desert Sands reviews draft LCAP and budget outlook as enrollment remains below pre-pandemic levels