Supt.TellezGaglianoandAsst.Supt.MarshaGilbert
1515MissionRoad
Alhambra,CA91803
Re:LCAPbudgetapprovalonJune30schoolboardmeeting/UNIFORMCOMPLAINT
PROCEDURE(UCP)
DearSupt.TellezGaglianoandAsst.Supt.MarshaGilbert:
TheLocalControlandAccountabilityPlan(LCAP)issupposedkeepschooldistricts
accountablebyinvolvingcommunitymembersintotheirdecisionmakingprocess.Itisthe
responsibilityoftheAlhambraUnifiedSchoolDistricttoreachouttothecommunityinorderto
holdapublichearingdiscussingthebudget.However,theAlhambraUnifiedSchoolDistricthas
failedtoeffectivelyreachouttothecommunitytoinformthemaboutthepublichearingonJune
23.Thispublichearinglastedonlyfiveminutesandhadminimalcommunityinput.
Forthe20152016fiscalyear,theAUSDadvertisedtheirLCAPontheEnglishnewsmediathe
PasadenaStarNews.However,thisisapoorattemptinreachingtothecommunity.Evenwhen
tryingtofindtheallegedPasadenaStarNewsnotificationofthehearing,mysearchenginewas
filledwithzeroarticlesdatedin2015.Accordingtothe2010census,20percentofthepeople
livinginthiscommunityspeakEnglishathome.Thismeanthat80percentofthecitizensare
morecomfortablewithaforeignlanguagesuchasChinese,Vietnamese,andSpanish.
AccordingtoCaliforniaEducationCode42103,theDistrictmustcirculatethenewsina
newspaperofgeneralcirculationinthedistrict.Becauseofthelackaccessibilityandthe
languagebarrierswithintheDistrict,usingthePasadenaStarNewsissimplynotaviableoption
tospreadthenewsofthepublichearingstothedistricttheyserve,anditisnotapaperof
generalcirculation.OthermediaoutletssuchasSingTaoDaily,VietBao,WorldJournal,
AlhambraSource,LaOpinion,andeventheAroundAlhambraandMontereyParkCascades,
perhapsaremuchmoreaccessible.
Onthedaysthatthebudgetisallowedforinspection,thepublicisforcedinaninconvenient
situation.OnJune18,19,and22,thecommunitywasabletoinspectthebudgetfrom9a.m.to
5p.m.atthesuperintendentsoffice.Becauseallofthesedaysareontheweekday,working
communitymembersareunabletoviewtheLCAPbudget.Therefore,theLCAPbudgetisnot
convenientlyaccessibletoresidentsofthedistrictevenifitisatthedistrictoffice.Additionally,
somecommunitymemberswouldhavetodrivefor30minutestoreachthedistrictoffice
becauseSanGabrielHighSchoolisacommuterschoolwithfamilieslivinginRosemead.
Moreover,thelackoftranslationfurtherdeniesthepublicanyabilitytoparticipateinthepublic
hearing.Thebudgetmustbetranslatedinorderforthedistricttoeffectivelyreachouttothe
public.Evenifacommunitymemberdecidestojumpthroughthehurdlesofattendingthe
meetings,theirunderstandingofthebudgetisbarredtotheinconvenienceofnot
accommodatingthepublic.Eveniftranslatorsarepresent,afullunderstandingand
accommodationwillstillnotbeachievedbecauseasecondhandsourcedoesnotalways
provideanaccuraterepresentationofthefacts.
OntheJune23boardmeeting,itwasaddressedthattranslatingtheLCAPbudgetwasan
issuethatiscurrentlybeingworkedon.Giventheimportanceoftranslation,thisisinexcusable
thatthisremainsanissueandthataboardbudgetvotewilloccuronJune30,justoneweek
laterafterthefiveminutepublichearing.
Underthecurrentcircumstances,theAUSDshandlingoftheLCAPhearingsareinviolationof
theCaliforniaEducationCode42103.Thelackoftransparencyandeffortbythedistrictis
unjustifiable.
Wedemandtranslation,properoutreachtoourcommunities,andareasonabletimeframeto
reviewtheLCAPbudgetbeforetheboardmeetingvoteontheLCAPbudget.Icanbereached
at(emailremovedtoprotecttheprivacyoftheauthor),andIlookforwardtohearingbackfrom
youbeforeJune30,preferablyonJune27.Thankyouforyourattentiontothisurgentsituation.
Sincerely,
