Board hears Crisis Prevention Institute presentation; trustees and parents press for wider CPI certification

The San Ysidro School District board heard a presentation on Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) nonviolent crisis intervention training and discussed whether the district should expand certification to more staff.

Jim Ferandi, identified in the meeting as a CPI-certified trainer for the South County SELPA, told trustees the CPI/ NCI model outlines “the before, during, and after of a crisis event,” giving staff a shared vocabulary and sequence of actions to keep students and staff safe. “CPI provides an agreed upon plan, vocabulary sequence, and set of actions to provide a safe and ethical response to a student crisis,” Ferandi said.

The presentation explained that CPI certification combines an online module with a minimum four-hour in-person session and that instructor certification is renewed every two years. Ferandi said districts typically train staff identified by administrators based on student needs and that CPI is intended “for staff as identified via student needs…those that work with students that have a high probability of needing the service.” He added he is available for consultation to staff who hold a CPI certification from trainings he provides.

Parents and trustees who spoke during public comment urged faster, broader rollout of CPI training after hearing the presentation. Parent speakers described incidents of alleged restraint and bullying involving students with disabilities and said staff across campuses — including aides, cafeteria staff and substitutes — should receive CPI training. “We don't need another presentation. We want a districtwide urgent plan for full CPI training for all staff, every campus, every adult,” said Roxanne Palisino, a parent and advocate who spoke during public comment.

Board members thanked the presenter and said they would explore options to make training more accessible. A board member noted that on the La Mirada campus roughly 28 staff members were CPI-trained and that the district as a whole reported more than 150 CPI-trained staff; trustees said scheduling and access were barriers they wanted to address with the superintendent and SELPA partners.

The board did not vote on a policy or districtwide mandate during the meeting. The presentation was informational; trustees indicated an interest in working with staff to explore expanded access to CPI/NCI training and in following up on how to remove scheduling obstacles so more staff can participate.

The discussion included references to federal protections for students with disabilities and to school staff roles; however, no new enforcement directive, contract, or funding commitment was approved during this session.