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Parents and local leaders press ABC Unified over athletic-field safety, preschool grant and use of district property
Summary
Public commenters accused outside promoters of using district parking and asked who unlocked gates at Ross Middle School; parents and a council member said Cerritos High athletic fields are in poor condition and cited student injuries; a parent also asked for clarity on a $2.5M preschool grant for Aloha Middle School and TK transfer rules.
Multiple public commenters used the meeting's public-comment period to press the district on facility access, maintenance and grant follow-through.
Matthew Duncan told trustees he had previously objected to the district's supposed involvement with bullfight promoters and said he documented what he described as abuse of bulls at a recent event. He said district property gates (the staff parking lot at Ross Middle School and the South Athletic Field) were open and used by promoters and asked directly, "Who unlocked the gates to the staff parking lot at Ross Middle School, and who unlocked the gate at the Southfield to allow these guys to ride their horses?" He said the promoter confronted him and that LA County sheriff's deputies responded when called.
Roshana Lee, who identified herself as a preschool parent and PC member, said she had been told by LACOE that a $2,500,000 grant was awarded for preschool at Aloha Middle School but that the district had not yet advanced the funds or project. She asked whether the funds rolled over into the new fiscal year and raised concerns about TK transfer rules that keep TK students at their home school, noting schedule conflicts between schools and the difficulty of accessing district fields for community sports (AYSO).
Renee Trevino, an Artesia city council member and booster-club president, urged the district to address crabgrass and maintenance at Cerritos High School's football field. "It is a safety issue," she said, adding that "we've had 2 football players injured already." Jeff Fuller (architect and parent) and Dave Key (parent) supported Trevino, describing poor field and facility conditions that they said force teams to practice or play off campus.
President Se responded after public comment, saying the district would follow up on the issues raised and that staff would address concerns about fields and the other matters raised during the comment period. The board did not provide detailed timelines or commit to specific remedies during the meeting; follow-up was requested in public comment and acknowledged by the district.
The board did not verify accuracy of the public statements during the meeting and reminded speakers that public comments are not responses from the board.
