Open letter to school board president, Paula Amezola

Carolyn B. Libuser

March 9, 2023

To the President of the Culver City School Board Paula Amezola:

Cc:         Board Members: Kelly Kent, Brian Guerrero, Stephanie Loredo, Tristan Ezidore

               Superintendent: Quoc Tran

               Asst Superintendents:  Jennifer Smith, Robert Quinn, Angela Baxter, Jose Alarcon

We, members of the Culver City community, are writing to request a meeting regarding the New Earth contract. The community has concerns about the use of Measure K funds to pay for New Earth.

Over the course of several weeks, community members have done considerable research and have the following concerns that we would like to discuss with you in person and/or virtually.

Specifically, what sort of reports is New Earth generating to account for its contractual services and billing? How are those reports provided to the board and the superintendent? Is there a contract administrator at the district who is monitoring New Earth to be sure services are being provided as promised?

·        In the current year, New Earth is contracted to provide services to 400 youth, for which it will be paid $1.5 million. Anecdotally, only a small number of students are receiving services.

·        New Earth claimed to be performing a vast multitude of services in its presentation to the Board on January 24, 2023. How is this being monitored for quality control and for billing purposes?

·        Community members have questions about New Earth’s reputation and its financial operations. How was New Earth vetted prior to being awarded the contract?

·        The board decided that New Earth should be funded from the Measure K parcel tax.  Measure K raises just $2.3 million per year. Why did the board vote to spend more than half of those funds on New Earth?

·        Mr. Robert Quinn confirmed at the CBAC meeting on March 1, 2023 that Measure K funds were used to pay S600,000 to New Earth in August of 2022. This was prior to services being provided.

·        Members of the community do not think Measure K funds should be spent this way.

·        The Measure K oversight committee was supposed to be reviewing Measure K expenditures and making regular reports to the board. That committee no longer exists; its seven members had two-year terms that expired in May of 2021. 

·        Finally, how does the New Earth contract fit into the original ballot language of Measure K? The text  of the ballot language can be found here: https://ballotpedia.org/Culver_City_Unified_School_District,_California,_Measure_K,_Parcel_Tax_(November_2018)

For the reasons stated above, we are asking that the New Earth contract be cancelled immediately.  Also, we are asking that new members be appointed to the Measure K oversight committee and that it commence work immediately.

We would like to meet as soon as possible. Please let us know the date and time that is convenient for you. We also would like that board member Brian Guerrero attend the meeting as well. 

Signed by the following members of the community:

Jay Antani, Culver City

Crystal Alexander, Culver City

Curtis Honda, Culver City

Jeffrey Taraday, Los Angeles

Rick Garcia, Culver City

Britta Eriksson, Culver City

Howard Adelman, Los Angeles

Sheena Sorensen, Culver City

Andie Huber, Culver City

Melissa Fresquez, Santa Monica

Negin Kamali, Culver City

Joanna Schaenman, Culver City

Melissa Sanders, Culver City

Eric J. Metz, Culver City

Sandra Petrella, Los Angeles

Carolyn Libuser, Culver City

Missy Gomberg, Los Angeles

Eric Rudin, Culver City

Tanya Erbe, Culver City

Laurie Flenner, Culver City

Ashleigh Matthias, Culver City

Maria Lopez, Culver City

Pedro Frigola, Culver City

Rhonda Lilly, Culver City

Deepa Makhija, Culver City

Irene French, Los Angeles

Kinga Suto, Los Angeles

Anthony Rizzo, Culver City

Theresa Kim, Culver City

Nicole Showalter, Culver City

Sebastien Lemire, Los Angeles

Leslie Ostrin, Culver City

Troy Goh, Culver City

Louis Cioffi, Culver City

Hilda Ordaz, Inglewood

Eric Flenner, Culver City

Ai Cheung, Culver City

Gary Irwin, Culver City

Sonia Malhotra, Culver City

Leora O’Carroll, Culver City

Brad Thompson, Culver City

Grace Gambin, Culver City

Candice Chang, Los Angeles

Claudia Mereles, Venice

William Katz, Culver City

Kathryn Satyukov, Culver City

Truly Thomas, Los Angeles

Ron Chandra, Culver City

Roxanne Preciado, Culver City

Tracy Park, Los Angeles

Kevin Kim, Los Angeles

Soyeon Lee, Culver City

Peter Stern, Culver City

Judy Scott, Los Angeles

Jon Graff, Culver City

Hye-Shin Chun, Culver City

Lisa Silvers, Culver City

Tricia Smith, Los Angeles

Marcy Shah, Culver City

Nirmal Shah, Culver City

Darrel Menthe, Culver City

George Dougherty, Culver City

Nancy Tong, Culver City

Marci Baun, Culver City

Nick Ferrier, Culver City

Catherine Estacio, Culver City

Michael Tong, Culver City

Julie Ballentine, Culver City

Yadira Lopez, Los Angeles

Sara Tunay Hernandez, Los Angeles

Sara Pirooz, Culver City

Jennifer Kaplan, Culver City

Dani Zandel, Culver City

Blakely Robles, Culver City

Jennifer Gregoire, Culver City

James Gregoire, Culver City

Christina Sheehan, Marina del Rey

Stacie Neroni, Culver City

Santo Riva, Culver City

Angela Manassee, Culver City

Orit Alon, Culver City

Ariana Sanchez, Culver City

Ann Frederick, Culver City

Susan Antani, Culver City

Francine Graff, Culver City

Claudia Fajardo, Culver City

Richard Garcia, Culver City

Jeff Cooper, Culver City

Kim Richards, Culver City

Valdez Marta, Los Angeles

Julie Sisk, Culver City

Janine Negrin, Los Angeles

Amy Palmer, Culver City

Andrew McGraime, Culver City

Mark Gary, Culver City

Mickie Fujikami, Culver City

Kimberly Holiver, Culver City

Claudia Zaniolo, Culver City

Pete Tuccillo, Culver City

Marisela Flores, Culver City

Paul Matuszewski, Culver City

Yoko Kawamoto, Culver City

Ali Lexa, Los Angeles

Camille Greenspan, Culver City

Lourdes Quintero, Los Angeles

Nancy Hillestad, Los Angeles

Erik Hillestad, Los Angeles

Jason Steckler, Culver City

Ruth Morris, Los Angeles

Heather Ferrier, Culver City

Shane Hillestad, Los Angeles

Y J Cipta, Los Angeles

Caroline Tse, Culver City

Laura Stuart, Culver City

Lynne Davidson, Culver City

Connelly Sayaka, Culver City

Stephanie Alvarado, Los Angeles

Sam Khazaeni, Culver City

Jay Garacochea, Santa Monica