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Barstow Unified trustees approve monitoring contract, multiple agreements and personnel items; vandalism, purchases reported
Summary
Trustees approved a professional services agreement that continues work with a DOJ-appointed independent monitor, endorsed MOUs with parent-education and community-college partners, approved purchase orders totaling about $12.8 million, and heard a vandalism report showing $14,096 in fourth-quarter damage.
At its recent meeting, the Barstow Unified School District Board of Trustees approved several contracts and personnel items, heard a report on campus vandalism and accepted purchase orders totaling $12,783,772.96 to support the start of the school year.
Professional services and monitoring: Staff presented and the board approved a professional services agreement with Empowered ED that continues the district greement with an independent educational monitor agreed to with the U.S. Department of Justice. According to staff, the contract enables the district to continue working with Dr. Ng on monitoring implementation and to receive training and technical-assistance services related to the DOJ agreement.
Family- and teacher-support partnerships: Trustees approved a memorandum of understanding for Montera Elementary to continue a fourth year of programming with the Parent Institute for Quality Education, which provides parent training (in-person AM sessions and online PM modules) and culminates in an on-campus graduation for participating parents. The board also approved an MOU with Barstow Community College to allow college students to complete classroom observations and field-learning hours, part of a district effort to build a local teacher pipeline.
Vandalism and purchase orders: Staff reported that seven schools recorded vandalism incidents in the fourth quarter (April 1'019 through June 30, 2025) with total costs of $14,096.43; the district replaced wiring three times during the quarter at a cost of $11,744.80. Trustees approved the purchase order listing that included 260 purchase orders totaling $12,783,772.96, described as predominantly startup costs for the new school year.
Personnel and classified changes: The board approved routine certificated and classified employment items, established several career-technical contract teacher positions to streamline pay practices, added campus safety assistant and paraeducator positions to meet TK enrollment needs, and approved an item transferring certain classified positions under Pupil Services to allow district-level reassignment to meet student needs. Trustees also discussed and approved a resolution (R31) to eliminate specified unfilled classified positions to align staffing and budget with current enrollment, noting the district practice of removing unfunded positions rather than holding numerous unfunded lines on paper.
Why it matters: The Empowered ED contract continues the district's compliance mechanism with a Department of Justice monitoring agreement, and the MOUs and personnel actions affect service delivery, teacher pipelines and campus safety at multiple sites. The purchase orders represent a substantial near-term financial commitment for startup costs. Trustees directed staff to return with further details when needed and to review the district's capacity to cover certain athletic fees without creating prohibited "gifts of public funds."
The board completed the remaining agenda items and adjourned.
