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Monrovia parents and staff urge board to restore Village after‑school roles, oppose Boys & Girls Club rollout
Summary
Dozens of Monrovia Unified parents, classified staff and CSEA representatives told the school board the district's partnership with the Boys & Girls Club has reduced homework time, cut academic supports and put classified jobs at risk, and they asked the board to pause or revise the contract and restore the Village program's in‑house leadership.
Parents, classified staff and the Monrovia chapter of the California School Employees Association pressed the Monrovia Unified School District board on Oct. 9 to halt or revise a new contract with the Boys & Girls Club that supporters say has altered the district's Village after‑school program.
Brianna Kohler, labor representative for CSEA Monrovia Chapter 20, told the board the union has collected 381 signatures on a petition (change.org/restorevillage) calling for the district to restore the Village manager's duties to classified staff and stop what she described as a transfer of unit work to contract employees. "This still poses a threat to the security of the classified employees' jobs," Kohler said.
Several Village site managers and parents described operational changes they attribute to the Boys & Girls Club partnership. Jennifer Lindy, a site manager who said she has worked in the Village program since 2001, told the board that the club's schedule and behavior plan replaced long‑standing Village practices and cut academic assistance. "Cutting academic assistance in half with no input from Village staff has already had noteworthy effects," Lindy said.
Parents said changes have reduced supervised homework time and left some students scrambling to finish assignments at home. Kaya Ramsey, a middle‑school student who has attended Village since kindergarten, said the new program feels "dry and dull" and that she sometimes stays up until midnight to finish homework because the schedule was shortened.
Board members acknowledged receiving complaints and directed the superintendent to provide an update and clarify the district's timeline and decisions. President Anderson asked staff to contact Kohler and other stakeholders to clarify when decisions were made and the district's position.
Superintendent Dr. Hart Rodis said the board could ask for a staff presentation and further updates; board members requested that the administration share a timeline of decisions and the district's position with the public. Board members also asked staff to follow up with negotiators and the parties at the bargaining table to report back to the board.
The board did not take formal action on the contract during the meeting. The district's communications team and the board said they would provide more information to the public and work with staff and stakeholders on next steps.
