Parents, students urge board to keep Vietnamese parent coordinator as district adopts 2025–26 LCAP
Loading...
Summary
East Side Union High trustees adopted the district's 2025'26 Local Control and Accountability Plan and an LCAP addendum after public speakers, largely from the Vietnamese community at Yerba Buena High School, urged the board to retain a Vietnamese parent coordinator who they say is being reassigned.
The East Side Union High School District Board of Trustees adopted the 2025'26 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) Tuesday and approved an LCAP addendum that allows the district to apply for and accept federal Title I'IV funds, actions the board took after a monthslong public process and a public hearing earlier this month.
Why it matters: The vote occurred while more than a dozen public speakers from Yerba Buena High School and other community members urged the board to reverse a reassignment of the school's Vietnamese parent coordinator. Speakers said the coordinator provides translation, family outreach and attendance support for a school they described as more than 40% Vietnamese; trustees said they had heard the comments and that budget pressures complicate personnel choices.
Teresa Marquez, associate superintendent of educational services, presented the LCAP and told the board the plan will be submitted to the Santa Clara County Office of Education; she said minor technical adjustments to metrics were expected during the county's review but that those would not change material elements of the plan. The board voted to adopt the LCAP (item 8.04) by recorded vote and then separately considered item 8.05, the LCAP addendum needed to accept federal funds.
Students and parents speaking under item 8.05 described the impact they say the Vietnamese parent coordinator has had at Yerba Buena. Incoming freshman Tiffany Vu told the board, "Please let us continue to have access to this invaluable resource so that we can thrive, grow, and succeed together as we...a unified school and community." Parent speakers said the coordinator helps families who do not speak English navigate school systems, supports attendance and behavior efforts, and builds trust over time.
Kenny Tran, a senior at Yerba Buena, said removing the position would "put up barriers that might affect immigrant families and nonnative speakers," and he urged trustees to reconsider. Other speakers — including Luan Vu and Mingyuan Chen — recounted examples of translation and outreach the coordinator provided and asked the board to restore the position at the school.
Board members repeatedly acknowledged they were moved by the testimony but said the district faces a multi'million dollar budget deficit that imposes difficult personnel decisions. Trustees and the superintendent said they would continue to seek ways to preserve services where possible while balancing the budget; they also noted that board responses are limited when people speak during public comment on an agendized item but that the comments had been heard.
Actions taken: The board adopted the 2025'26 LCAP (item 8.04) and approved the LCAP addendum (item 8.05), votes recorded in the minutes. The transcript shows the motions and a separate public comment period on the addendum; the board acknowledged the public remarks before taking the vote.
Context: Trustees said the district must close a projected multiyear deficit and that some personnel choices may reflect collective bargaining and budget constraints. The LCAP is the district'level plan required under California law that ties resources to local priorities and is submitted to the county office for approval. Marquez told the board the addendum aligns federal Title funds to the LCAP goals.
Looking ahead: Several trustees asked staff to continue exploring ways to meet families'needs and asked for community input about how to preserve critical family engagement services. The public comments will remain part of the official record and have been forwarded to the superintendent for follow'up.
