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