Governing board elects Vasquez president, approves meeting calendar, posting policy and virtual attendance; votes to enter executive session on county treasurer

The Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District No. 35 governing board elected Lourdes Vasquez as board president and Brad Beach as board clerk and approved several routine organizational items at its Jan. 14 meeting.

The board voted to adopt its 2025 meeting calendar (including a March meeting, a May 6 meeting and an October meeting schedule adjustment, and a single November meeting on Nov. 18), approve official posting locations for board meeting notices (district website, board docs, superintendent office and school sites and an email subscriber list), and to allow board members to attend meetings virtually via telephonic or other technological means.

Each action was moved, seconded and approved during the organizational portion of the meeting. Members present at roll call were Lourdes Vasquez, Susan Fobian, Renee Ramirez, Ben Guerrero and Brad Beach.

The board also voted to move into executive session to consult with counsel regarding county treasurer litigation and related matters. The executive-session notice stated the board—s attorney may participate in person, virtually or by telephone and that the purpose was "discussion or consultation for legal advice with its attorneys and/or for discussion or consultation with its attorneys to consider its position and instruct its attorneys regarding county treasurer litigation and related matters." After the executive session the board reconvened in open session and took no public action related to the topic.

Why it matters: Organizational votes set the board—s leadership and meeting logistics for the year and authorize remote participation. The executive session pertains to pending litigation involving the county treasurer; because the discussion occurred in closed session, no deliberations or outcomes were disclosed in the public record during this meeting.

Details of votes and items approved: - Election of board president: Motion to elect Lourdes Vasquez as board president for calendar year 2025; motion passed (unanimous among members present). - Election of board clerk: Motion to elect Brad Beach as board clerk for calendar year 2025; motion passed (unanimous among members present). - 2025 meeting calendar: Motion to approve the calendar as presented with March and May dates and October adjustments; motion passed. - Official posting locations: Motion to approve official posting locations as presented (district website, board docs, superintendent office, school sites and email list); motion passed. A board member asked whether the U.S. Postal Service posting was still used; staff said it had not been used in the last two years and officials relied on online and email distribution, but the post office could be added on request. - Virtual attendance: Motion to permit board members to attend meetings electronically via telephonic conference or other technological means; motion passed. - Executive session: Motion and second to convene executive session in Conference Room No. 125 for attorney consultation on county treasurer litigation; motion passed. The board attorney was authorized to participate in person, virtually or by phone. No public decisions were reported after the closed session.

Board members spoke briefly during these items about customary rotation of leadership roles and the rationale for remote attendance and posting procedures. The board asked staff to add an item to review the posting list if members request inclusion of additional physical posting sites.

No formal motions beyond the organizational approvals and the vote to convene the executive session were recorded for public action at the end of the meeting.