At the June 10, 2025 Culver City Unified District board meeting, parents and students called for the district to retain La Ballona Elementary’s bilingual assistant principal and voiced concerns about the impacts of smartphones in schools. They also demanded clear protections for immigrant families in light of recent ICE activity. The board heard delivered remarks on the LCAP before closing the public hearing for the 2025-26 budget.
An issue during public comment was the future of the assistant principal role at La Ballona. More than 22 people including parents and PTA representatives advocated passionately for the district to preserve the AP position, which is currently at risk of being cut. Multiple parents highlighted the AP’s role of maintaining communication lines with immigrant parents who might otherwise be afraid to speak up.
La Ballona is a school with the highest number of English learners in the district and the only elementary school in the district with Title I status. This designation means the school receives supplemental financial assistance to support students from low-income families, as defined by the National Center for Education Statistics.
“This is not a luxury. For a school like La Ballona this is a necessity,” one speaker said.
Alongside the AP discussion, several speakers urged the district to adopt a phone-free policy, echoing practices from LAUSD, and arguing that smartphones are harming learning. One middle school teacher said that district-wide smartphone rules would give teachers the support they need to enforce such policies.
Concerns over immigration enforcement also loomed large. Multiple parents expressed fears that ICE presence in the community is deterring families from attending school events, including graduations. “We should be celebrating our kids’ milestones—not strategizing around raids,” one woman said.
Superintendent Lucas responded by clarifying existing district protocols: ICE agents must present a federal warrant to enter school grounds, and all graduation events are closed to the public. Livestreams will be available for families who feel unsafe attending in person. Lucas also reported working with the local police to ensure community safety during graduations and summer school.
The board then received a presentation on the 2025–26 LCAP, which outlined both encouraging gains and persistent equity challenges. Notably, the percentage of English learners classified as “Prepared” on the state College/Career Indicator rose from 25% to 30.8%, and the percentage for Black/African American students rose from 44.4% to 48.6%. However, other groups experienced declines: preparedness dropped 3.8% among low-income students and 1.6% among Hispanic students.
Board members reacted to these mixed results with a renewed call to clarify which student populations need targeted support. “We keep seeing our English learners fall behind,” said Board member Andrew Lachman. “It shows how broad our issues are.”
School Board Vice President Stephanie Loredo emphasized the need to dig deeper, asking whether disproportionate outcomes are linked to historical patterns of segregation or under-resourced schools. “If we can identify clusters of need—by school or by demographic—we can intervene more effectively,” she said.
Board member Brian Guerrero encouraged the board to reflect on where strategies are working and to build on those successes. “Let’s break out the Latino subgroup. Forty percent of our students are Latino, and the majority are not English learners,” he said, suggesting the board use more disaggregated data.
Addressing the current political moment, board members addressed the heightened fears surrounding immigration enforcement.
Lindsay Carlson denounced the federal government’s actions as “manufactured hysteria,” while Andrew Lachman condemned the trauma inflicted on children and families. Brian Guerrero assured the community that he would personally step in if ICE attempted to enter any district school without proper legal grounds: “Even if they have a warrant, contact me.” In a moment that drew knowing laughs, Stephanie Loredo formally requested that ICE leave Los Angeles County altogether, urging families to document any incidents, stay organized and support one another.
Board President Triston Ezidore acknowledged previous concerns raised by Carlson about the large number of LCAP goals and whether the district could truly deliver on all of them. He said the data now shows that the district is making meaningful progress.
“This is an asset—being able to track data and ensure that the work we say we’re committed to is reflected in our outcomes,” Ezidore said. He emphasized the importance of continuing to monitor progress closely under the leadership of the new superintendent and assistant superintendents.
Clara Carvalho