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Parents and staff urge support for Latino students, library pay and limits on phones; superintendent says a cell‑phone policy will come this fall
Summary
Public commenters urged the Capistrano Unified board to address community fears about ICE activity, provide cultural‑competency training, approve library staff wage increases, and study limits on smartphones and Chromebooks. Superintendent Chris Brown said the district will present a cell‑phone policy this fall to comply with a California requirement by June 2026.
Community members at the July 16 Capistrano Unified board meeting used oral communications to press the district on student supports, staff pay and technology policies ahead of the school year.
Lisa Myers told the board that Latino students in the district had spent the summer "watching in horror as ICE has spread widely over Southern California," cited a recent arrest and asked what the district is doing to ensure a welcoming return, whether counselors are trained to support traumatized students, and whether the district has communications to reassure families.
Other public commenters urged related actions. Michelle Blanchard, an elementary library media technician, asked the board to approve a recommended 5% wage increase for library staff, described daily responsibilities (helping students with Chromebooks, ordering books and running library programs) and said higher pay would help retain staff. Matthew Hamilton urged the board to open an agenda item studying smartphone harms and consider strong measures — including banning phones during the school day, restricting Chromebook use and moving toward 'bell‑to‑bell' engagement — citing research he said links excessive screen time to lower test scores and worsening mental health.
Superintendent Chris Brown responded to the technology concerns, saying the State of California requires districts to adopt a cell‑phone use (or no‑use) policy by June 2026. He said the district has piloted approaches at several schools and "we will be bringing our policy forward this fall." The board did not take action on a phone ban at this meeting.
Other speakers echoed concerns about equity and funding. A parent who identified herself as Jamie said a board member had once used a racial slur from the dais and asked the board to provide cultural‑competency training for trustees, staff and educators and to communicate clearly about supports if ICE activity increases near campuses. Linda Moore, a retired CUSD teacher, warned of potential federal education funding cuts and urged the board to plan for impacts to Title I programs. Angie Gutierrez, representing the CSEA bargaining team, thanked the board for approving the contract and praised the collaborative bargaining process.
What’s next: Superintendent Brown’s staff said a district policy on cell‑phone use will be presented to the board this fall to meet the California deadline. The board did not vote on districtwide phone or Chromebook bans at this meeting.
Sources: public comments and superintendent response as recorded during oral communications at the July 16 board meeting.
