The Santa Clara Unified School District Board of Trustees disclosed in its May 22 readout from closed session that the board approved a settlement of an Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) special‑education matter and took a separate action in open session to accept a waiver of administrative hearing associated with a student disciplinary matter.

Settlement in OAH special‑education matter: The board reported it “took action to approve a compromise agreement in Office of Administrative Hearings case number 2025011072” to resolve educational claims and a related tort claim. The readout stated the settlement provides funding “not to exceed $358,000” to cover placement, compensatory education, reimbursement for parents’ private educational services, and related attorneys’ fees. The motion was made by board member Jody Muirhead, seconded by board member Vicky Fairchild, and the roll‑call readout recorded a 7–0 vote in favor, with each trustee listed as voting yes.

Waiver of administrative hearing and expulsion terms: In open session the board later considered and approved a waiver of administrative hearing dated April 25, 2025, concerning student identifier 052225A.1 (name withheld to protect confidentiality). The motion — moved by Trustee Rotterman and seconded by Trustee Muirhead — approved an expulsion with suspension of enforcement through May 22, 2026, a change of placement from Wilcox High School to Santa Clara Community Day High School, and a rehabilitation plan. The motion included language allowing the student to apply for reinstatement at the end of the expulsion term. Roll call vote was recorded as 7 to 0 in favor.

Why it matters: The settlement resolves an active OAH special‑education claim and commits district funds for placement and services; the expulsion action changes the student’s placement and defers enforcement, while preserving the student’s right to seek reinstatement after the term. Both items affect the student named in the matters and illustrate the board’s use of closed session negotiation and open session approval for disciplinary resolutions.

Process and authority: The closed‑session discussion and the settlement were conducted under the legal authorities listed on the meeting’s closed‑session agenda (including Government Code provisions for existing litigation and personnel matters) and an OAH case file number was identified by staff in the readout. The expulsion/waiver action was placed on the open‑session agenda as an item for board consideration and was approved by public roll‑call vote.

Ending note: The district’s readout provided the settlement amount ceiling and the expulsion‑waiver terms; the student’s name was withheld in compliance with confidentiality requirements. The board directed staff to implement the settlement and the terms of the waiver as described.