Agenda Preview: July 22, 2025 SAUSD Board Meeting

Several items on the agenda include approving several new classes for students within the Visual and Performing Arts requirements, as as well as approval for spending $19,050 of the General Fund for the Board to attend a school board conference up in Sacramento in December. The agenda also calls for a vote on a resolution that would formalize the district’s stance on protecting immigrant communities.

Given the state of affairs in Santa Ana, The Santanero is starting to review the agendas and post a simplified version of what we're monitoring. This will also apply to the City Council meetings.

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Items 10.6-10.9: New VAPA courses

The Santa Ana Unified School Board is set to vote Tuesday on four proposed course changes, including renaming “AP Art” to “AP Drawing” and introducing two new classes: AP 2D Art & Design and 3D Art & Design.

The agenda doesn’t specify when or where the new art courses would launch, though AP Art will remain available at most district high schools.

The board will also consider adding a new intermediate-level music class focused on piano techniques and theory—covering scale progression, chord transitions, and melodic interpretation—with the start date and specific schools still unclear.

Item 10.17: Disposal of furniture and e-waste

The Santa Ana Unified School Board will vote Tuesday on tossing away 1,003 Chromebooks, along with a few dozen iPads and other monitors. While no specific reason was listed for each item, nearly all of the technology’s RAM capabilities have no match for today’s AI-run world, including Google (which hosts Google Classroom).

Students and staff have voiced concerns regarding slow Chromebooks since the return from COVID and that it takes a few minutes to simply load  up and sign in. In 2019, the average boot time was one minute.

Item 13.1: Know Your Rights education campaign update

The Santa Ana Unified School Board will receive an update from FACE staff regarding its campaign to educate students, staff, parents, and the community at large on knowing their rights when encountering federal immigration officers and enforcement.

According to the presentation attached to the item, 4,192 people have attended a Know Your Rights workshop, 1,177 people attended a Family Prepardness Plan workshop, and 915 others have attended a Empowered Community Network workshop.

Item 14.1: School board conference trip

The Santa Ana Unified School Board will vote to use (or not) $19,050 from the General Fund for two Board Members to attend the California School Board Association (CBSA) Delegate Assembly and for five Board Members and the Superintendent to attend the CSBA Annual Education Conference.

Both events happen back-to-back in Sacramento this December. According to the item, the assemblies provide an “opportunity for Board Members to engage in state-level governance discussions, shape policy direction, and represent the interests of local districts.”

Item 14.8: Schools are Safe Zones resolution (amid ICE activity)

The Santa Ana Unified School District Board is considering a resolution which affirms support for immigrant students, families, and employees by proposing that all schools be declared safe zones amid federal immigration enforcement.

The resolution outlines actions such as staff training, legal and mental health resource provisions, public advocacy, and urging federal representatives to halt immigration enforcement in school areas.

If adopted, it would formalize the district’s stance on protecting immigrant communities and promoting comprehensive immigration reform, all while continuing to abide by the California Values Act.

Wish to speak at a school board meeting?

Members of the public can address the Santa Ana Unified School Board on agenda items before or during discussion, as well as on non-agenda matters within the Board’s jurisdiction during regular meetings.

Individual speakers are given three minutes, with a total of 20 minutes per item unless adjusted by the Board President.

The Board encourages complaints about district employees to be submitted in writing, and anyone wishing to speak must fill out a request card available in the foyer and submit it to the Executive Assistant.

NOTE: Santa Ana Unified does not allow virtual Zoom comments unlike the City of Santa Ana.