Antioch School Board to swear in new, re-elected members, elected new leaders Wednesday

New Antioch School Board Trustees Dee Brown and Olga Cobos-Smith, and re-elected Trustee Antonio Hernandez will take their oaths of office Wednesday night, Dec. 18, 2024. Photos from their respective campaigns.

Will discuss extending interim superintendent’s contract, hire search firm for permanent position, consider School Plans for Student Achievement, racial equity policy

By Allen D. Payton

During their meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, the Antioch School Board’s new Trustees Dee Smith and Olga Cobos-Smith, who were elected in November to represent Areas 3 and 4, respectively, along with re-elected Area 1 Trustee and current Board President Antonio Hernandez, who ran unopposed, will be sworn in. In addition, the board will also elect a new president, vice president and Board Member Liaison to the Contra Costa County School Boards Association.

The oaths of office will occur at 6:00 p.m. prior to the board’s Closed Session in which they will discuss the extending Interim Superintendent Dr. Rob Martinez’s contract for six months and a Tentative Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding with the California Schools Employee Association #85 – both of which will be voted on later during Open Session, plus legal matters, a Public Employee: Discipline/Dismissal/Release and re-entry of a student who was expelled.

New Trustees Thank Voters

In comments on Facebook, the newly elected board members announced their victories. On Nov. 25th, Brown shared a graphic with the message, “Thank you for your votes and faith in me to lead a positive change in our Antioch schools.”

She also wrote, “I am thankful to my family, campaign manager, media person, volunteers, sponsors, voters of AUSD Area 3, and everyone who encouraged me and prayed for me.

I am also thankful to my opponent, Principal Scott Bergerhouse, for his congratulatory message when he conceded his race. He has many years of education and has been there for countless families, something that I will never deem, but instead, I congratulate him for his many years of service, and the students he impacted.

Since the beginning of this process, I have told myself that slowing down and quitting is not an option. Although I knew I was not only experienced with having a seat at the table, I also deserved to be there.

For those who know me and know what I stand for and those who said she is just ‘A Mom who must have found her voice,’ I’ve always had a voice, and my voice is even louder as the mother of a beautiful daughter who is currently in TK, who will continue to excel, and reach for however many stars as she pleases.

I’m ready to work with ALL students, dedicated teachers, classified workers, school administrators, parents, and most importantly, our current Trustee Board Members.

There is a saying that says, “It takes a village.” I am honored to be part of a village that can help meet our children’s needs.

I will share more later, but for now, THANK YOU! Now, the real work begins.

~ Trustee Elect Dee Brown”

On Nov. 8 Cobos-Smith shared a screenshot of the election result and wrote simply, “Thank you Area 4 voters!!! One more tally on the 13th, but I think it’s safe to say that I will be the new trustee for area 4 on the Antioch school board.”

She already took action during last Tuesday’s city council meeting at which she spoke during public comments on the Council Committee Assignments objecting to District 3 Councilman Don Freitas being appointed to the City-School Committee instead of District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker. Cobos-Smith cited the violence in that council district which is affecting students in the school district. Freitas then asked to be removed from consideration and to appoint his council colleague. That was agreed to as part of the motion to approve all the appointments which was approved on a 5-0 vote by the council.

Asked why she requeste that, the newly-elected trustee said, “I had a member of the community inform me that there was a young student who was attending a school, here in Antioch, and was related to one of the young men who was killed. When that parent reached out to the principal of that school and asked if there wer any resources to help that student, nothing happened. That really concerned me. There’s been a lot of sensationalism about the violence in the Sycamore area. But there are real children who are living in these homes.”

Asked if more AUSD students living in City Council District 1 experienced more violence than other parts of the city, Cobos-Smith replied, “No. In particular, it’s the gun violence that’s been happening. All the kids have been talking about it. I have some specific goals for the school district that I want to work on.”

Interim Superintendent & Search Firm Selection

Under Action Item 11.J., the board will vote on extending the current contract for Interim Superintendent Dr. Robert Martinez through June 2025. The proposed contract for Martinez includes a base annual salary of $353,045.

Following a solicitation of proposals and receiving four, under item 12.A. the trustees will also vote to select a search firm for hiring a permanent district superintendent and/or for consultation services to assist the Board of Trustees with goal development. 

School Plans for Student Achievement

In addition, under Action Item 11.G., according to district staff, the board will vote on School Plans for Student Achievement (SPSA) for sites in receipt of federal categorical funding as presented.

As per District Board Policy 0420, each district school shall establish a school site council to develop, approve, and annually review and update a School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) for schools that participate in state and federal categorical programs. The Board shall, at a regularly scheduled Board meeting, review and approve each school’s SPSA.

Each of the following schools participates in a federal categorical program(s) and is designated as a school-wide program (SWP). SWP schools are not required to identify specific students as eligible to participate in programming, nor are they required to ensure that Title I services are supplementary. This flexibility allows schools to maximize the impact of federal investment in support of all students that align with school and district goals outlined in the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP).

Title I-designated schools received a portion of unused funds from the previous fiscal year. This extra allocation of funds is included in the updated SPSA, which received original Board approval in June 2024. All plans for the following schools were approved by their elected School Site Councils. District staff reviewed the plans to ensure that funding is used appropriately to support student achievement as required by the California Education Code. SPSAs are included for all District schools.

Racial Equity Policy

Under Item 17.A. the trustee will consider adopting new Board Policy 0415.1 Racial Equity.

According to the staff report, “The Governing Board of the Antioch Unified School District believes that meeting the needs of all students requires a commitment to racial equity in both the learning environment and opportunities provided, focusing on equitable outcomes for all. The historical and persistent opportunity gaps between racial and ethnic groups in AUSD are unacceptable and have significant consequences, representing an unfulfilled promise to our students.

Acknowledging the complex historical and societal factors that contribute to these disparities, the Board affirms it is a moral imperative to overcome these inequities so that race is no longer a predictor of achievement, school experience, or success. To address and eliminate institutional racism, barriers to achievement, and implicit biases, the District will actively identify and work to remedy practices, policies, and institutional systems that negatively impact learning, perpetuate opportunity gaps, and limit equal access for all students.”

The Board meetings are held in the District Office Board Room at 510 G Street in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown with the Closed Session beginning at 6:00 p.m. and the Open Session at 7:00 p.m. The meeting can be viewed live on the AUSD YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@AntiochUnifiedSchoolDistrict.

See the complete board meeting agenda at  https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/ausd/Board.nsf/Public.


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