Rialto Unified board swears in new member and re-elects Stephanie Lewis as president

The Rialto Unified School District Board of Education opened its Dec. 18 meeting by administering oaths of office to three members, then completed a reorganization of leadership before taking up the regular agenda.

Dakeira Richardson Williams was sworn in in an early evening private oath and later participated in a ceremonial oath with family and community members in the boardroom. Student board member Ivan Monzo administered the oath to Joseph W. Martinez, and Dr. Stephanie Lewis completed a ceremonial oath, marking her second term as a board member.

During reorganization, board members nominated and voted for officers. After an initial nomination of Edgar Montez for president, trustees nominated Dr. Stephanie Lewis; the board elected Lewis as president. Joseph W. Martinez was elected vice president and Edgar Montez was elected clerk. Board members discussed the board’s prior practice of rotating officers and whether to return to that custom; several members noted the value of rotation while others said leadership should be responsive to the district’s needs.

The board also reported on a closed-session action. Acting Superintendent Edward D'Souza said the board denied the recommendation to appoint an assistant principal at Coursera Middle School; the report included a roll-call recording of votes and abstentions.

The board then moved into a full agenda that included presentations, public comment and consent calendar items. The next regular meeting is set for Jan. 15, 2025, at the Dr. John Casalunas Education Center in Rialto.

What’s next: The newly elected officers will lead the board’s January meeting; staff and trustees said they plan to continue work on the district dashboard and special education audit follow-up. No litigation or further personnel outcomes were announced at the meeting’s end.