Trustees decline request to fund Alumni Hall of Fame inductee dinners

Trustees considered a motion to use trustee funds to pay for Hall of Fame inductees and their guests at an Alumni Association dinner and rejected the proposal after a lengthy discussion about precedent, alumni resources and trustee responsibilities.

The administration advised against using trustee funds for inductee tickets, saying the alumni association should cover those costs and suggesting that if the association could not, the board could consider hosting a separate on‑campus recognition event. Several trustees echoed concern about a slippery slope—if trustees paid for this event, other groups might expect the same support in the future—while others said the trustee account already covers some school‑related hospitality (for example, staff recognition and senior‑related events).

Members of the board and the superintendent also said the Alumni Association had some funds in its account and that partnering to grow the association might be a preferable long‑term approach. After discussion the motion was put to a roll‑call vote and failed. The recorded vote on the motion to fund inductee tickets from trustee proceeds was: Mr. Galvin (No), Mr. Cuadro (No), Dr. Spencer Robinson (No), Mayor Sierra (No) and Dr. Bonner (Yes).

Board members asked for clarity about the relationship between the alumni association and the school's Hall of Fame subcommittee and noted that the school owns the Hall of Fame program; trustees said they remain willing to help strengthen the alumni association's capacity to host the event in future years but declined to allocate trustee funds for inductee tickets at this meeting.