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Board approves interim principals, personnel commission rep, AP exams and facility work; elects Sandoval president
Summary
Trustees elected Kevin Sandoval as board president, approved interim principal appointments (Laurie Sanchez and Olivia Ramirez), appointed Matt Kleinfelter to the personnel commission, approved purchasing AP exams for students and a windows contract for Santa Paula High, and recorded several expulsions with suspension of expulsion.
At its December meeting the Santa Paula Unified Board of Trustees completed annual organization, approved personnel appointments and passed several routine but substantive items including purchases and facility repairs.
Elections and appointments: Trustees elected Trustee Sandoval as board president and named trustee Nathan Ramos Rodriguez vice president and Anna Arroyo board clerk. The board reported closed-session actions that included motions to expel three students for the remainder of the 2025-26 school year, with those expulsions suspended, and approved interim appointments: Laurie Sanchez as interim McKevitt Elementary principal and Olivia Ramirez as interim Isabel assistant/principal. "Miss Sanchez, would you like to come up to the podium?" the chair asked; Sanchez thanked the board for the appointment.
Personnel commissions: The board approved the appointment of Matt Kleinfelter as the classified personnel commission representative.
Academic supports and contracts: Trustees voted to buy Advanced Placement (AP) exam fees for Santa Paula High students using LCAP funds to reduce financial barriers, a move that prompted discussion about pass rates and whether to prioritize dual enrollment as a longer-term strategy. "We're asking students to have opportunities for college credit," a district leader said, and trustees asked staff to return with course-by-course pass-rate data.
Facilities: The board approved a $94,030 contract with Santa Barbara Glass to replace windows in the high school 800 wing using SEATED funds that would otherwise expire; trustees noted local-hire considerations and educational opportunities for students in CTE programs related to the work.
Other personnel actions: The board created a confidential employee benefits technician position to centralize benefits and workers' compensation in business services, and established expanded-learning instructional assistant positions funded through ELOP to expand after-school offerings.
Trustees concluded the meeting with board member comments and adjourned at 9:11 p.m.
