Lynwood Unified board approves HVAC installs, vendor contracts and mobile-device policy; appoints foundation representative

The Lynwood Unified School District Board of Education on May 22 approved several routine facilities contracts, authorized the summer installation of HVAC units at elementary sites, adopted a district mobile-device policy and appointed Gary Hardy as the district representative to the Lynwood Partners Education Foundation board.

Board action and votes: The board opened the meeting, approved the agenda and recessed to closed session earlier in the evening. On returning, members moved through consent and action items. The appointment of Gary Hardy for a one-year term on the foundation board (July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026) was moved, seconded and recorded as passing in the transcript (reported as “4 to zero”). The board approved agreements with MTN Engineering for commissioning services on the new three-story classroom building and a second facilities vendor agreement (motions moved and seconded; recorded as carried). The board also voted to approve the installation of 37 HVAC units at elementary schools for summer installation and discussed timelines for high-school-level installations and gymnasium cooling; the board asked staff for a progress timeline to include in the Friday report. The mobile-device policy (item 13E1), presented as aligned with state law, was discussed and adopted after members debated implementation, family engagement and technical mitigations such as network filtering. Consent items and minutes from the May 8 meeting were approved as recorded.

Report out of closed session: Counsel reported several personnel and legal items. The transcript records approval of a settlement ‘‘including fees’’ with an unclear dollar figure listed in the record; because the amount in the transcript is garbled it is reported here as not specified. The board also voted to release an employee identified in the written record as XX0977968. A separate personnel matter—termination—was read out with an audible correction in the room: the termination vote was reported as 4–1, with Board President Del Cayo recorded as opposing. No other final action was reported for items that were received for information only.

What it means: The facilities approvals and HVAC installations respond to community complaints about rising temperatures in classrooms. Board members asked for clearer implementation timelines and additional follow-up reporting. The mobile-device policy adoption signals the district’s intent to align local rules with pending state legislation; board members recommended family engagement and teacher support as the policy is implemented.

Board members and attribution: Board President Del Cayo presided; Mrs. Lopez, Dr. Castro and others moved and seconded motions. Dr. Castro specifically pressed for faster HVAC work to address heat in gyms and high-school spaces and thanked staff for advancing installation plans. Questions about precise vote tallies and a garbled settlement amount appear in the transcript and are noted as such rather than corrected here.

Next steps: Staff was asked to provide a timeline for HVAC installations and to include it in the Friday report; the district will begin the summer HVAC work and proceed with the vendor contracts as approved. The board will reconvene June 5 for its next regular meeting.