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Parents and community speakers press Poway Unified board on budget cuts, lawsuit costs and CTE access
Summary
Several public speakers urged the Poway Unified board to address budget shortfalls and legal liabilities, pressed for transparency on a fiscal report, and called for board action to remove barriers to offsite CTE classes.
Multiple community members used the May 20 public-comment period to raise fiscal, legal and program-access concerns for the Poway Unified School District.
Public commenter Steuart Cook read a teacher's note raising alarms that recent layoffs and support-staff reductions could harm special-needs students and weaken social-emotional-learning supports. "If the teachers and support that were helping them are not there anymore," Cook read, "how about social emotional learning?" He urged the district to preserve services for students who rely on support staff.
Len Crust focused on transparency and oversight, urging the board to post the April 11 fiscal crisis management report on the district website and to request a scheduled board presentation and a follow-up review at no additional cost, per the study agreement. Crust argued that internal communications problems and the district's multi-year budget deficit make public access to the report essential for accountability.
Michelle Babler, a parent and advocate, highlighted the May 14, 2025 Ninth Circuit decision in Garnier v. Okconor Redcliffe, recounting the court's finding that blocking constituents on official social-media pages amounted to viewpoint discrimination. Babler noted that plaintiffs received $1 in nominal damages but warned that attorney fees and related defense costs could be substantial. "Respecting free speech is not just a legal duty. It's a commitment to our community," she said, and urged the board to adopt clear social-media policies and mandatory First Amendment training.
George Camage, a Westview parent representative, asked the board to intervene in procedural barriers that prevent Westview students from enrolling in offsite CTE (career and technical education) classes. Camage said that over the previous five years 41 Westview students requested offsite CTE placement and only five requests were approved; he told the board that zero of 12 recent requests have been granted for the upcoming year and asked the superintendent and staff to resolve the access problem.
Other speakers included an exchange student and community members who praised school programs and raised concerns about principal turnover. The public comments closed after the allotted time and the board moved on to recognitions and other agenda items.
The speakers requested specific follow-ups: public posting of the fiscal report, board review or presentation of the report, social-media policy changes and training, and administrative action to clear procedural barriers to cross-campus CTE enrollment.
