February 12, 2026

SDUHSD Regular Board Meeting Summary February 12, 2026

Key Takeaways

  • CTE Pathways (4A): SDUHSD highlighted robust student participation and strong outcomes in Career Technical Education, including multiple pathways, industry certifications, facility upgrades, and continued expansion of college-and-career connected learning.

  • LCAP Mid-Year Update (8B): Staff provided a mid-year snapshot of progress and spending across the district’s three goal areas—Access, Belonging, Achieve—and reported the district remains on track to fully utilize the year’s LCAP allocation.

  • Immigration Enforcement Procedures (11A): The Board adopted BP/AR 1445 and approved a related resolution to align with new state requirements, formalize districtwide procedures, and clarify staff response protocols, including district-level support if enforcement activity must be addressed.

  • Policy Updates (11B): The Board adopted a package of revised board policies and administrative regulations; public comment included concerns about the role and availability of ethnic studies and how students access related learning opportunities.

2. Closed Session

The Board met in closed session to discuss personnel and student matters. When the Board reconvened in open session, the Board President reported: (1) unanimous ratification of staff’s prior action placing a classroom teacher on compulsory leave of absence under Education Code provisions for mandatory leave; and (2) approval of two compromise agreements resolving special education disputes, including compensatory education and attorney’s fees in exchange for mutual waivers of claims.

3. Open Session

3D. Approval of Minutes (January 22, 2026 Regular Meeting)
Minutes were approved.

3E. Approval of Agenda
The agenda was approved with no changes.

4. Recognition and Presentations

4A. Career Technical Education (CTE) Month – CTE Pathways and Programs
District leadership and staff celebrated CTE Month with a detailed look at SDUHSD’s CTE offerings and outcomes. Key highlights included:

  • CTE Pathways & Participation: The district reported 18 CTE pathways, with Sports Medicine noted as the newest addition. Approximately 6,500 students are served through CTE-related offerings, and roughly 75% of high school students take at least one CTE course.

  • Completion & Certifications: The district celebrated over 1,000 pathway completers and 355+ industry certifications earned by students in the prior year.

  • College & Career Indicator (CCI): SDUHSD shared that it ranks #1 in San Diego and Imperial Counties on the CCI, reporting 86.8% of students at the “prepared” level, reflecting year-over-year growth.

  • Dual Enrollment/Early College Credit: The district described expanded early college credit opportunities through community college partnerships, reporting 3,300+ students earned early college credit via dual enrollment or credit-by-exam.

  • Facilities Upgrades: Renovations to CTE facilities at San Dieguito Academy were highlighted, including upgraded wood shop and metal shop spaces with updated, industry-standard equipment.

  • Student Demonstrations: Earl Warren Middle School STEAM students presented hands-on learning projects, including robotics tools and 3D-printed solar car designs.

  • Upcoming Event: The district promoted the 7th annual CTE Showcase on March 25 at Canyon Crest Academy.

Who presented during 4A: District staff (including Manuel Zapata, Director of CTE and Work Experience) and school staff (Mercer Barrows, STEAM teacher), along with student presenters from Earl Warren Middle School and San Dieguito Academy culinary students and teacher (Scott Huntley) who contributed to the evening’s CTE celebration.

7. Consent Agenda

7A. Consent Agenda (including items marked with an asterisk: 8A, 9A, 9B, 10A, 10B, 10C)
The Board approved the consent agenda in one motion after limited discussion.

Public Comment (Consent Agenda – primarily Item 10B)
Speakers focused on district legal expenditures and the use of outside counsel, urging stronger fiscal oversight and prevention-oriented approaches to reduce legal spending over time. Comments emphasized the magnitude of monthly legal costs and suggested consideration of structural alternatives (including staffing models) as a way to reduce long-term expenses.

8. Educational Services

8B. 2025–26 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) – Mid-Year Reporting (Informational)

District staff presented the required mid-year LCAP update, emphasizing it as a “snapshot in time” and noting the report must be completed by February 28. The district described tracking expenditures and progress aligned to the district’s three LCAP goal areas: Access, Belonging, and Achieve, within the framework of California’s state priorities and Dashboard accountability measures.

Key points included:

  • Total LCAP budget discussed: approximately $5.4 million, with the district stating it remains on track to spend the full allocation.

  • Mid-year expenditure snapshot (through January 31):

    • Access: roughly 35% spent (about $748,000 of $2.0M)

    • Belonging: roughly 37% spent (about $770,000 of $2.0M)

    • Achieve: roughly $796,000 spent (of $1.5M)

  • Access highlights and growth areas: strong staffing and instructional materials, broad course offerings; continued work needed on equitable participation and balance across student groups in areas such as AP, VAPA, AVID, CTE, and dual enrollment.

  • Belonging highlights and growth areas: improved indicators such as middle school chronic absenteeism trending down; increased perceptions of safety and connectedness; continued focus on reducing discipline disparities and increasing survey participation and meaningful student involvement.

  • Achieve highlights and growth areas: strong graduation outcomes and Dashboard indicators in ELA, math, and science; continued focus on CAASPP participation and growth, A–G completion, and equitable access to achievement across groups.

  • Next steps: staff noted the district will return with fuller end-of-year reporting and the upcoming LCAP cycle later in the spring/early summer.

11. Action Items

11A. Resolution and Adoption of BP/AR 1445 – Response to Immigration Enforcement (ICE Procedures)

Action taken: The Board considered and moved forward with adopting Resolution No. 2025–2026–37 and Board Policy 1445 / Administrative Regulation 1445 addressing district response to immigration enforcement.

Staff presentation and rationale (why adoption was required and what changed):

  • District leadership explained the item served two purposes: (1) reaffirming a safe, secure learning environment for all students regardless of immigration/citizenship status; and (2) complying with new state legal requirements on a compressed timeline requiring adoption and upload to a state portal by a near-term deadline.

  • During Board discussion, it was stated plainly that the district had limited discretion on timing: if SDUHSD did not adopt compliant language and upload by the deadline, the district risked program monitoring and potential withholding of funds.

  • Staff described the adopted policy/regulation package as a formal alignment and consolidation of practices across divisions (educational services, student services, business services, and HR), with plans for training, updated materials, and clear procedures for staff.

  • A key operational point discussed was that campuses are non-public spaces and the policy is designed to ensure staff are trained not to provide voluntary access or information, and to route any requests through proper administrative channels consistent with legal requirements.

  • The district described an immediate notification expectation: if immigration enforcement activity is confirmed on a campus, the district would send prompt communications through its standard systems to the school community, with Board members included in the same notification cadence.

How this differed from previous practice:
Board and staff emphasized that many underlying practices already existed, but the new BP/AR are more explicit, more prescriptive, and more standardized—designed to remove ambiguity, improve training consistency, and ensure the district meets state compliance expectations.

Discussion on the Superintendent’s designee (district-level support and reporting):
Board President Jane Lea Smith raised a targeted amendment request to strengthen clarity in the Administrative Regulation: she advocated that where the regulation references a “designee” for required notifications and direction, it should be clear that the designee is a district-level (central office) designee, not a site-based administrator. Her stated goal was to ensure no principal or site administrator is placed in the position of making high-stakes decisions alone if immigration enforcement were to occur. The Board discussed this as a clarification rather than a change in practice, and the conversation underscored that site teams would be supported and directed by district leadership and counsel.

Public Comment (11A):
Public comments reflected sharply differing views. Some speakers supported adopting strong, clearly communicated protections and training so students and families understand their rights and feel safe at school. Others opposed the resolution as written, arguing it addressed a hypothetical situation, could create legal risk, and did not address student walkouts tied to immigration-related protests; one speaker urged amendments to require parent notification in advance of anticipated protests.

11B. Adoption of Revised Board Policies and Administrative Regulations

Action taken: The Board adopted a set of revised board policies and administrative regulations as presented in the supplemental materials.

Public Comment (11B):
A speaker expressed disappointment that ethnic studies is no longer a requirement, arguing that the subject remains important amid rising hate crimes and that students who do not opt into an elective are often those who most need the learning. The speaker encouraged collaboration to expand ethnic studies opportunities and suggested exploring outside funding support.

Board Comment:
A student Board member comment acknowledged that bias and hate exist and expressed skepticism that ethnic studies alone resolves those problems, while emphasizing the importance of other state-mandated instructional priorities such as financial literacy.