Parents and staff protest Boys & Girls Club changes as board renews AVID‑tutor MOU

The Monrovia Unified School District board on Sept. 26 approved a memorandum of understanding to renew a partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of the Foothills to provide AVID tutors in middle and high schools, even as parents, site managers and union representatives pressed the board for clearer public information about a separate contract that has shifted duties for the district’s Village after‑school program.

“Is this a want or a need in your fiscal stabilization plan?” asked Briana Kohler, a CSCA labor representative, during public comment, accusing the district of contracting out work and saying “this is a violation of our bargaining unit rights” (public comment). Site managers and parents said the contract has effectively removed their scheduling and curriculum authority. Tori Goodwin, a Village site manager, told the board that managers “have been directed not to perform our job duties as they now belong to the Boys and Girls Club” and asked the board to “return the work of creating program schedules and curriculum to the Village site managers.”

Parents described the change as abrupt and lacking transparency. Allison Ramsey, a parent and 10‑year Village employee, said the Boys & Girls Club integration was “very concerning” because families were not informed and because it introduced new curriculum and staff that disrupted long‑standing relationships. Multiple parents said the move came during summer break and felt like it was implemented while many families were not paying attention.

District staff defended parts of the partnership. At the consent meeting item Dr. Z (district staff) described the AVID‑tutor MOU as a way to supply college‑age vetted tutors trained in the AVID model and said the district and Boys & Girls Club have aligned vetting and training to ensure safety and program integrity. The board voted 5–0 to renew the AVID tutors MOU.

The board also responded to complaints about the Village contract by directing staff to produce additional public information and to place the topic on a future agenda so the community can review the roles and responsibilities. Trustee requests included a public board update that would be visible to the community rather than only included in internal board packets. Superintendent Dr. Hart Rus agreed to make staff follow up and report back to both the requesters and the board.

The contention centers on two distinct arrangements: (1) a consented MOU that supplies AVID tutors via Boys & Girls Club, and (2) a separate contract that parents and Village staff say reassigns curriculum and scheduling duties from district site managers to Boys & Girls Club coordinators. Speakers at the meeting gave differing accounts of how much authority the contract grants the nonprofit; several asked the board to preserve Village staff roles while others spoke in support of both programs.

The board’s action on the AVID tutors MOU was recorded as approved unanimously; the board also agreed to publicly clarify the scope and oversight of the Village contract and to agendize a fuller public discussion to let parents and site managers raise concerns and receive a district explanation of the contract’s terms and fiscal implications.

What’s next: staff will prepare and publish a board update explaining the Boys & Girls Club role in Village programming and provide the board and public with the requested clarifying details; the board also signaled it will place the matter on a future agenda for public discussion.