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Parents and employees press Simi Valley Unified board on SRO vacancies, campus supervision and program changes
Summary
Public commenters raised safety concerns about reduced school resource officer coverage and large yard-duty ratios, criticized termination of some contracted student-support services, and pushed the board to prioritize campus supervision and frontline staff supports.
A string of public commenters at the Simi Valley Unified board meeting urged the district to address gaps in campus supervision and student services and criticized proposed program and contract changes.
School resource officers and campus supervision: Dana Bischoff and Elise Sherman said the district currently has no dedicated school resource officers after one retirement and one maternity leave; they asked how funding will be found to restore SROs and urged a collaborative solution with the city. Bischoff said principals and school psychologists supported restoring SRO coverage. Trustee members voted to appoint President Smolin and Trustee Pietro Longo to a working group with the city and park district to study crossing guards and SROs.
Campus supervision ratios: Melanie Hernandez detailed concerns at Garden Grove Elementary, saying that a single yard aide may be assigned to supervise up to 100 children during unstructured periods and called the arrangement a “huge safety concern.” She proposed using vetted volunteers and covering background-check costs as a partial solution.
Specialized student services and program changes: Amy Smith and other parents said the district decided to end certain contracted co-educational services (CO-EDS provided via an external contract), affecting families who rely on an intensive behavioral and social-emotional program. Parents said they received late notice and feared service gaps until the new school year. The board and superintendent said staff would follow up to clarify transition plans.
Training and curricular concerns: Several commenters criticized PRISM training and the Trevor Project’s presence on staff/ID materials; the superintendent said PRISM is a state-required training and not a district choice, and suggested concerned residents raise the matter with state policymakers.
What the board decided: Trustees voted to appoint two board members to work with city colleagues and staff on SRO and crossing-guard issues to develop a joint approach to funding and staffing for school security and crossing guard coverage.
