By Eliza PARTIKA

The Glendale Unified School District (GUSD) board of education held a special meeting on Jan. 13 to approve an emergency order. The order, which was unanimously approved by the board, will allow GUSD to move ahead with attending to emergency needs that would normally be slowed by a competitive bidding process. Companies engage in this competitive bidding to gain a contract with the district for projects like construction, obtaining supplies needed for changes to a school site or facility maintenance. Without this emergency order, construction or removal of debris could only happen with board approval. 

Superintendent Dr. Darneika Watson said the order is necessary so schools can, in a timely manner, continue to clear debris and fix damages from last week’s high winds.

“It will no longer allow us to delay processes that need to move forward faster,” Watson said. 

Per the board agenda, GUSD is required to report any actions taken under this emergency order at each meeting until the emergency order is lifted.

Interim Chief Business Officer Deborah Deal said the district will be reimbursed by the state for costs incurred during the emergency. There is no cap on the supplies schools can obtain under the order, she said. 

Board member Ingrid Gunnell suggested GUSD look into paying teachers and staff who were displaced and providing days off to employees who have evacuated or lost homes. She suggested GUSD could follow LAUSD’s example by paying a stipend of $500 and providing five days off. 

Dr. Watson said employee assistance is already being looked into.

“[It’s] important our employees feel they are taken care of,” Gunnell said. 

“Anything we can use we should utilize during this difficult time,” added board member Telly Tse. 

Dr. Watson gave a presentation outlining the damages at each school and the services being provided to school employees. 

Eighty six families are on Student Wellness Services’ list as displaced and needing resources. Of those on the list, 31 have confirmed they lost homes, and 35 confirmed displacement. According to Dr. Watson, 24 employees and 31 student families lost their homes in the Eaton Fire. 

Student Wellness is creating a comprehensive assessment to further determine specific needs of the families who were displaced. Families have been provided with clothing, food and other resources by the district, including a pamphlet, “Rebuilding: A Guide for Families After Wildfire Loss.” Digital copies of the pamphlet will soon be available on the district website. 

Over the weekend the district provided donated food, clothing and essentials to families in need.  

Rosemont Middle School closed and pivoted to online learning due to a ruptured water main caused by a large fallen tree. All other schools opened and were operational on Jan. 14. In the meeting, board members did not give an estimate as to when Rosemont will reopen. 

Two thousand air filters are currently in use at the affected schools. Eighty four requests were made for additional filters and 51 filters were distributed and successfully tested on the 14th, according to Watson. 

Modified lunch schedules have been put in place as schools work to replenish food that was spoiled during evacuation orders and power outages. 

Gunnell said the district requested 71 substitutes to cover anticipated teacher absences. 

Board President Shant Sahakian raised concerns about preparedness for the huge winds expected throughout this week. Watson said there would be a school safety assessment done for each school site. As of now, facilities management is still cleaning up debris and attending to damages incurred during last week’s high winds. 

Board members Neda Farid and Kathleen Cross thanked facilities and nutrition staff for their hard work repairing school sites. 

“I appreciate how much staff care. These people are juggling so many things. We are all deeply affected by what happened and what can happen. You don’t ever think you are going to lose your home,” Farid said.

Board members urged the district to take lessons from this emergency and figure out how to prepare for this type of disaster in the future, and debated what they might do to assist neighboring districts like Pasadena Unified.

“We want everyone to be successful. To the communities impacted, let us know if there is anything we can do on a human level,” noted Gunnell.