Lodi Unified board reports closed‑session settlements, approves multiple personnel placements and ratifies MOUs with employee groups

The Lodi Unified School District Board of Education reported action taken in closed session and moved promptly into a series of personnel and labor items on the public agenda.

The board reported a closed‑session matter—existing litigation case SPE2025‑01—was approved following a motion by Miss McFarland and a second from Mr. Nava. The board then announced a slate of personnel placements approved unanimously by voice vote, including the placement of Britney Arnett as director of communications, Marina Berry and Nancy Johnson as elementary principals (location to be determined) and several vice‑principal appointments; a motion to place Christopher Harold Waters as a middle‑school principal also passed 7–0. The board recorded the motions and seconders during the announcements.

Separately, the board ratified a package of memoranda of understanding with the California School Employees Association (CSEA) covering school‑closure procedures, Article 7 (hours and overtime) provisions, a transfers pilot program, reclassification of the Lincoln Technical Academy principal‑secretary position and a purchasing‑technician MOU. The board also received an AB 1200 disclosure for collective bargaining agreements that listed estimated fiscal impacts for the supervisory and confidential employee groups; the public disclosure document identified an aggregate estimated fiscal impact and the district stated the item for the record. Several of those items were approved by verbal roll call with recorded tallies—many passed unanimously or by recorded votes of six ayes and one absence where noted.

Superintendent Young framed the personnel approvals and labor agreements as part of the district’s operational work, and thanked staff and community partners for their collaboration. The board’s approvals conclude the formal actions described on the agenda; implementation steps and effective dates for personnel placements were noted as "to be determined" or in the 2025–26 school year where specified.

Votes at a glance - Closed‑session litigation case SPE2025‑01: approved (motion: Miss McFarland; second: Mr. Nava). Reported vote: 7–0. - Britney Arnett, director of communications: approved (motion: Mr. Nava; reported vote: 7–0). Effective date: to be determined. - Marina Berry, elementary principal; Nancy Johnson, elementary principal: approved (motions recorded; effective 2025–26 school year; vote 7–0). - Jennifer Becerra, Rachel Castania, Fitlalli Sedona Jimenez (vice principals): approved (location to be determined; effective 2025–26; vote 7–0). - Christopher Harold Waters, middle‑school principal: approved (motion recorded; effective 2025–26; vote 7–0). - MOUs with CSEA (school‑closure MOU, Article 7 hours/overtime tentative agreement, transfers pilot program, reclassification and purchasing‑technician MOU): ratified (motions and verbal roll calls recorded; several items passed 7–0, some recorded as 6 ayes/1 absent). AB 1200 disclosure read into the record and fiscal impacts summarized.

The board did not set specific effective dates for some placements and noted follow‑up procedural steps for contract implementation and reporting where applicable.