Why this matters
Public agencies found after the pandemic that livestreaming board meetings increased public participation among those who might not have otherwise attended the in-person meeting. But not all offer it.
Livestreaming public meetings has become standard practice for many agencies — but not at the San Ysidro School District. Now, parents are calling on leaders to increase access to school business.
Though state law does not generally require agencies to livestream meetings, it has become increasingly common since the COVID-19 pandemic forced agencies to shut down in-person operations. That includes the San Ysidro district, which continued to meet remotely and livestream through 2022.
But since the district returned to in-person meetings, livestreaming has been sparse and only available when one of its board members attends remotely. The last recorded meeting on the district’s Youtube account is from November — the only one from the entire year.
The district has yet to act on repeated requests from community members who say virtual participation could boost transparency and increase family involvement. Pleas from parents at the district’s board meeting earlier this month went unaddressed.
“We have been asking for the same thing for over six months. How do we get our point across?” Kenia Peraza, a San Ysidro parent, said at the meeting.
San Ysidro is the only district in the South Bay to not livestream its board meetings. School officials told inewsource that the district is in compliance with state law and makes audio recordings of the meetings available on request.
They did not specify why they could not continue livestreaming, but Superintendent Gina Potter said they’re looking into “cost-effective technology systems” for the future.
Adjacent to the U.S.-Mexico border, the San Ysidro School District serves preschool through eighth grade in San Ysidro, Ocean View Hills and Otay Mesa. The district’s eight schools served more than 4,000 students this school year, the majority of whom are Hispanic or Latino and qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
The Brown Act is what gives the public the right to attend and participate in meetings of local legislative bodies, such as school districts. During the pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom suspended parts of the law that allowed governing boards and community members to participate virtually.
Many community members took advantage of this opportunity and districts saw an increase in participation among those who might not have attended the in-person meeting otherwise, according to the California School Boards Association. Interest in continuing the option for virtual meetings remained among community members, but the “Act is not designed to accommodate this new normal,” the association said on its website.
More than two-thirds of the 42 school districts in San Diego County livestream or record their board meetings, according to an inewsource analysis. Of the 14 districts that do not livestream or record their meetings, more than a third either were at least a month behind or did not post any minutes.
Parents like Roxane Palestino want San Ysidro to livestream its board meetings just like many other districts.
“That shows transparency,” she said.
She and Peraza aren’t waiting for the district to act — they livestreamed the board’s last meeting themselves.
Type of Content
News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
