Residents urge continued youth access to district tennis courts; union voices raise legal and public‑comment concerns

During public comment at the Carpinteria Unified School District board meeting, community members urged the board to guarantee continued public access for youth tennis at middle‑school courts and asked the district to prioritize youth use over recreational conversions.

Sharon Velarde, identifying herself as a supporter of youth tennis, thanked the board and asked it to pass a resolution prioritizing at least one court for youth players during public hours. Longtime volunteer coach Ron Maceras described giving lessons in Carpinteria for decades and credited access to the middle‑school courts with launching local players into high‑school and college teams. Other residents, including Bob George and Stephanie Washburn, described the program—s benefits and said at least one court should remain available for tennis rather than being repurposed only for other recreational uses.

Separately, union representatives used the public‑comment period to complain about a string of district policy changes that, they said, had reduced public speaking time at meetings and limited opportunities for community input. The union also alleged the district is incurring substantial legal costs defending labor‑related actions, including multiple arbitrations they described as compelled by superior courts; the speaker asked the board to explain why legal bills and arbitration settlements now appear as increased expenditures in interim financial documents.

Board members acknowledged the comments and indicated staff would follow up; no formal board action on tennis access or changes to public‑comment rules occurred at the meeting.