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Independence High parents, teachers and students urge board to reverse safety cuts; district says it will review
Summary
A large public comment block at the April 8 East Side Union High School District meeting focused on proposed reductions to campus safety staff and the lack of perimeter fencing at Independence High. Speakers — students, teachers, union leaders and staff — said cuts would leave the 102‑acre site vulnerable. Trustees asked administration to address
Dozens of students, teachers, campus monitors and union leaders urged the East Side Union High School District board April 8 to reverse proposed cuts to safety staff at Independence High School, saying the reductions would leave a sprawling campus of multiple schools unsafe.
Student speakers described fear and harassment on campus. Maha Khan, a senior at Independence High School, told the board the campus operates "with no perimeter fencing" and that planned reductions in campus monitors next year would worsen safety: "Next school year, we will go from 4 campus monitors to only 1. Knowing this, it's hard for me to feel safe at school and ensure that I am protected walking through campus."
Other students and staff amplified that message with data and first‑hand accounts. Natasha Mirshandani, a sophomore, recounted lockdowns and local incidents and noted Independence’s size: "We have a 102‑acre campus, the largest in the district, 4 schools on our campus with a total of 3,400 total student population." Several teachers and staff said violence and trespassing dropped after additional monitors and advisers were added in recent years and warned that removing those positions would reverse gains.
Union and staff speakers were explicit about how past funding and staffing had changed campus climate. Jack Hamner, president of the Eastside Teachers Association, said the safety staff reductions would compromise student welfare and urged the board to restore positions. Julio Pardo of CSEA and several teachers and site staff described break‑ins, vandalism and incidents involving trespassers; one teacher said contractors’ tools and school facilities had been targeted.
Speakers requested specific fixes: a fixed perimeter fence for Independence, restoration of campus monitors (several speakers asked for three monitors rather than one), retention of campus advisers and consideration of school resource officer support for emergencies. Written and online comments submitted and read into the record echoed the same requests, with multiple staff members reporting improved campus safety and climate after the additional hires funded in earlier LCAP allocations.
Board members acknowledged the urgency and the community’s concerns. Trustee Manuel Herrera asked administration to pursue measures to address safety before the next school year and requested the item be considered on a future agenda. Superintendent remarks and staff comments during the meeting reiterated the district’s fiscal constraints but agreed to examine options. No vote was held on staffing cuts during the meeting; the board did not rescind approved budget reductions that were discussed earlier in the year.
Why it matters: Independence High’s size (reported by speakers as roughly 102 acres hosting about 3,400 students across four schools), the lack of perimeter fencing and proposed cuts to campus monitors and advisers are operational decisions the board and administration control and that parents and staff say directly affect student safety and attendance. Community members argued that a small investment in staffing and fencing would prevent worse outcomes and urged the board to prioritize safety when making budget choices.
