Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environmental Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Teachers and parents press board to test soil, halt Palm modernization and let staff stay at Los Robles
Summary
Teachers, parents and unions urged the board to prioritize soil testing at Palm Elementary and nearby Los Robles Academy, criticized repeated classroom moves and asked the board to allow staff to remain at Los Robles while testing proceeds.
Dozens of teachers, classified staff and parents urged the Hacienda la Puente Unified School District board on June 24 to prioritize student health by expanding soil testing and halting construction moves tied to the Measure BB bond.
"We request that you reconsider your stance for our children and staff to begin the school year at Los Robles and not to allow the $20,000 to precede the health of our children," said a staff member during public comment, urging the district to put children first. Other staff described having packed up classrooms twice and said repeated relocations are harmful to students and staff.
Teachers at Palm Elementary and Los Robles Academy reported that they had already boxed and moved classroom materials in anticipation of construction, only to be told to return. Ryan Yamashiro, a teacher, asked the board to reconsider the decision to reject storage containers and to allow the Palm community to relocate to Los Robles while soil tests are completed.
Multiple speakers pressed the board to include Los Robles in testing because the campus is less than a quarter-mile from Palm and would house students if moves proceed. Olivia Garcia, an office assistant at Palm Elementary, told the board: “If that testing for Palm is underway, I believe Los Robles should be included as well, especially if we will be occupying that… These are children.”
Union leaders, including representatives of the teachers’ association and classified staff, supported testing and the board’s decision to pause some Bond BB work; they urged the district to communicate plans, protect equity across sites and consider the operational impact of last-minute changes (storage, staffing and extra work hours).
District staff told the board they had directed an evaluation of container placement and that the board had asked for soil testing. Board members said the district would follow legal and operational procedures while staff provided recommendations on storage, scheduling and testing timelines.
What happens next: unions and community leaders asked for written timelines for soil testing and for clarity about storage and relocation plans; board members asked staff to return with details and to communicate decisions to affected families and employees.
