GGUSD board approves calendar changes, student trips and business items; public commenters seek ethics review

Garden Grove Unified School District’s Board of Education approved routine calendar adjustments, multiple student travel and district events, and several business and personnel items at its regular meeting, while members of the public urged the board to consider an independent ethics officer.

During public comment, Christine Ortega, president of CSEA Chapter 121, invited board members and administrators to participate in the ACE (Appreciating Classified Employees) shadowing program during Classified School Employee Week in May. "We invite you to come see us and participate" Ortega said, asking the board to join scheduled activities.

Nicholas Dibbs, a teacher educator, asked the board to place two proposals on a future agenda: (1) a policy restricting the use of taxpayer-funded district resources within six months of the November general election "in any way that could or might provide any actual or perceived favorable publicity" for candidates, and (2) contracting an independent ethics officer to investigate allegations involving the superintendent or cabinet. Dibbs alleged prior instances of perceived favoritism toward Trustee Terry Rocco and asked for an independent review of those events; he asked the board to "look at the evidence and the facts and get at the truth." The board took no immediate action on those requests.

On consent and routine votes, the board approved the minutes from the March meeting by roll call. It later approved Administration Item 4a to revise two board meeting dates (moving December 2 to December 9 and January 6 to January 20, 2026). The board also approved Item 5a, which cleared multiple district events and student trips, including 16 students to a UCI Camp Math program, 28 Wilderness Adventure Club students to a stewardship project at San Clemente State Beach, and 232 high school leadership students to an Orange County Leadership Conference at UC Santa Barbara this August.

Business items 6a–6f were approved as a package. Highlights included acceptance of an E-rate request (proposal #2412) for network cabling at a high school; approval of a memorandum of understanding with Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County to continue a school pantry program at specified sites (effective July 1, 2025–June 30, 2028); extension of authorization to participate in the California Multiple Award Schedule (CMAS) with Tricore Enterprise Inc. for LED display purchases; acceptance of a gifts report dated April 1, 2025; approval to use district buses for an event on May 24, 2025; and approval of purchase orders and checks totaling $69,407,450.72.

The board reported a closed-session process earlier in the day regarding existing litigation involving the superintendent and an assistant superintendent and said no action was reported publicly. Trustees then approved certificated and classified personnel reports; the student trustee recorded an abstention on those personnel votes.

Several trustees used their board reports to highlight recent district events, including the State of the District and cultural and arts programs. Trustee Walter Munnington specifically noted the district’s display of Resolution 20 during the State of the District presentation and described concerns about detentions and their impacts on students.

No formal Board direction was reported in response to the public request for an independent ethics officer; the board will consider regular agenda procedures for placing items as requested by members of the public.

Votes at a glance: minutes approved (roll call); Item 4a (date changes) approved; Item 5a (student events/travel) approved; Items 6a–6f (business items) approved; Items 7a–7b (personnel reports) approved (student trustee abstained on personnel).