For the last time this year, the Burbank Unified School District met at city hall on Thursday evening.
With Christmas next week, the two-hour and thirty-five-minute gathering began with the Providencia Elementary third through fifth grade Pawsitivity Choir performing a selection of holiday music which was uplifting.
On a more serious note, by a unanimous 5-0 vote, the Burbank Teachers Association and the BUSD have reached an agreement for compensation for the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion lead teachers at sites.
This memorandum of understanding covers the duties of a DEI lead teacher to align with DEI goals.
By another unanimous 5-0 tally, the minimum wage will rise on January 1, 2025.
Because California’s current law requires a higher minimum wage rate than the federal law, the BUSD will be following the California minimum wage requirement of $16.50 per hour.
One high school representative was present, Monterery’s Vivian Munoz, who is an early graduate and said she will attend community college next fall.
Munoz also noted that she is grateful for her time at Monterey because it’s a welcoming environment. “Once you are here, you have a place where you belong,” she said.
The school’s motto is: A second chance for success.
Munoz also said counselors from several local community colleges were on the campus to help assist with financial aid applications.
Monterey also had a class on the history of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who recently won its eighth World Series championship after knocking off the New York Yankees in five games.
Students were able to take a field trip to Dodger Stadium, which opened its doors in 1962, and is one of the grand baseball palaces.
Superintendent Dr. John Paramo said he wished all students and everyone a happy holiday season and that he looks forward to the start of the new year when students get back to school.
In closing remarks, Dr. Emily Weisberg, the former president and currently a member, congratulated newly minted Mayor Nikki Perez, who was born in Burbank, attended schools in the city including Burroughs and later UC Riverside for her bachelor’s degree and UCLA for her master’s.
Clerk Charlene Tabet attended the Burbank football banquet and was impressed. The Bulldogs finished the season with a 9-3 record and advanced to the second round of the CIF Southern section Division IX playoffs.
“All the players and coaches were very respectful and well-dressed,” she said.
Tabet was also present for Burbank’s choir and was equally impressed with what she saw and heard.
Vice President Abby Pontzer Kamkar noted that she was born in Madison, Wisconsin, the location of the latest school shooting which claimed two innocent people, a student and a teacher.
“It hit differently,” Pontzer Kamkar said of the shooting.
President Dr. Armond Aghakhanian was likewise horrified by the latest shooting and said we’ve almost become numb to the violence. “This is heartbreaking,” he said.
