After nearly two hours of discussion during a special meeting Tuesday evening, the OVSD board said it will vote on whether to close, consolidate or repurpose the schools during its regularly scheduled Nov. 14 meeting. The pending decision will culminate a year of surveys and studies conducted by a task force made up of OVSD parents, teachers and other stakeholders amid concerns about dwindling enrollment.

“In retrospect, we should have started these conversations years ago, but we didn’t,” Board President Patricia Singer said Tuesday evening. “We are here now. We have been talking about it and have been open and transparent.”

The board will decide on each of the four schools separately, said Singer, meaning each could have different outcomes.

OVSD — which serves parts of Huntington Beach, Westminster, Fountain Valley and Midway City — is home to more than 6,800 students across 15 schools. The district has had a drop of about 2,600 students since 2013, and it closed Sun View Elementary in Huntington Beach in 2018 because of declining enrollment.

The decision to move forward with a vote next week came after the board was presented with the task force’s 19 recommendations to address dropping enrollment in the district. Those recommendations had been split into four categories — innovative, instructional, financial and property management — and included ideas like leasing out unused property, combining certain elementary schools or opening up Golden View’s petting zoo as a field trip destination for other sites.

On Tuesday, the board considered the financial impact of closing, consolidating or repurposing the schools as well as suggestions to receive additional funds.

Smaller class sizes for the four targeted schools was one such idea to help cut back on costs while also increasing academic achievement.

“Students can speak more and teachers get to have deeper relationships” with smaller classrooms, said Julianne Hoefer, an assistant superintendent at OVSD. And that could ultimately attract more students to the district, she said.

But Trustee Morgan Westmoreland disagreed.

“Although I like the idea of having smaller schools, when you drill down what that means, especially at a middle school level, I think we are doing a disservice to our students,” said Westmoreland. “We put ourselves in the position to start operating small schools, and then a few years down the road, we see the same issues come up that we see now, and we could possibly see the state take over. I don’t want that.”

During an October meeting of the task force, Superintendent Michael Conroy said the district is overstaffed by at least 22 teachers because of the lower student enrollment, costing the district an estimated $2.3-3.5 million.

Trustee Gina Clayton-Tarvin said OVSD should “encourage older teachers in the district to retire.”

“I saw that on the (task force’s) report that it said in regards to enticing teachers to retire that the (financial) impact is minimal. I beg to differ. I think if we entice teachers to retire with substantial incentives, we could be successful,” she said.

Trustees Norm Westwell and Westmoreland predicted schools would consolidate.

“I think the writing is on the wall,” said Westmoreland. “I don’t want to be the leader of a district where decisions are made years down the line where it puts our district in financial distress. The information I have in front of me does not constitute us continuing to operate 10 elementary schools and four middle schools with our current population.”

Westwell said: “I don’t think we have done enough to cut the excessive spending that we have done in our district. But it looks like a decision has already been made: We are going to consolidate schools.”

A coalition of Village View Elementary parents is urging the district to opt against consolidating or closing their students’ campus. They have spearheaded a petition that has been signed by more than 1,500 people as of Wednesday afternoon, urging the board not to consider closure.

Village View parent Ryan Joly said he and other parents plan to meet with Westmoreland and Clayton-Tarvin next week to discuss the future of the schools.

Parents of students at the other schools have been outspoken on social media as well. Other petitions have circulated in previous months in attempts to keep the schools open.

“Vietnam’s success is America’s success,” said Marc Knapper, who has been the U.S. ambassador to Vietnam since 2022, “just as America’s success is Vietnam’s success.”

The tour in Orange County comes weeks after the two countries strengthened their partnership, promising new investment and closer relations. Orange County is home to the largest Vietnamese American community in the U.S., and Knapper said there is an opportunity for its residents to build cooperation and understanding between the two nations, especially in high-tech industries.

Rep. Lou Correa organized the ambassador’s visit to Orange County. They made stops at religious institutions, including the Our Lady of La Vang Shrine at Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove and the Bao Quang Temple in Santa Ana, and met with business leaders throughout Little Saigon.

Faith leaders greeted the delegation Monday morning at the Our Lady of La Vang Shrine, explaining the history behind the 12-foot tall Virgin Mary statue and showing them the wall with the names of 117 Catholics who were martyred for their religious beliefs in Vietnam over several hundred years.

At the Bao Quang Temple, Knapper and Correa met with a small group of monks, with Knapper speaking in Vietnamese with the Buddhist leaders. They burned incense and then got to see the temple’s private trove of Buddhist artifacts.

Loc Bach, president and chairman of the Vietnamese American Buddhist Center for Charitable Services – Bao Quang Temple, said the ambassador’s visit shows that Knapper wants to have a good, open relationship with refugees of Vietnam.

“The people who fled their country, they want to see progress is being made and their country is moving in the right direction,” Bach said. “I’m just very thankful and happy to see the congressman and the ambassador visit the temple.”

The delegation received a big welcome at the Advanced Beauty College in Garden Grove. State Sen. Janet Nguyen said there the nail industry is largely made up of Vietnamese workers.

During a short discussion at the school, Knapper said America’s relationship with Vietnam is significant.

“We don’t always see eye-to-eye with the government of Vietnam,” and there are times when the U.S. will raise concerns with religious freedom and human rights, Knapper said.

The Little Saigon community continues to have disagreements about working with the Vietnamese government. When asked how Vietnamese Americans can contribute to the relationship between the two countries, Knapper said he can’t presume to understand the feelings at play, but he knows they are complex.

Correa in September, along with Rep. Michelle Steel and others, asked President Joe Biden when he was visiting the country to address human rights issues in Vietnam and encourage the release prisoners of conscience. Correa said it’s important for the community to push political leaders on these issues.

The last stop of the day was the Asian Garden Mall in Westminster.

Correa said the private sector is making substantial investments in Vietnam already. A lesson learned from the pandemic, he said, is that the U.S. can’t rely on single nations for sourcing critical products, and that Vietnam is part of a policy of broadening supply chains.

The task force was convened earlier this year to determine if four schools — Circle View, Village View and Golden View elementary schools as well as Spring View Middle School — should close due to declining enrollment in the district or if schools should otherwise be consolidated or repurposed.

The school board scheduled a special study session on Tuesday, Nov. 7 to assess the results of the task force’s recommendations, said Trustee Jack Souders. Those 19 ideas will be whittled down to nine options after that November meeting, he said.

The task force’s recommendations were split into four categories: innovative, instructional, financial and property management suggestions.

Property management suggestions include leasing unused properties before closing them or developing empty sites for senior living, employee housing or sports complexes.

The task force also took a look at options with Spring View Middle in Huntington Beach. It suggested the middle school be remodeled to be able to house an elementary school for grades kindergarten through fifth. Its middle school students, the task force said, could be moved to the three other middle schools within the district.

In all, the task force said, three elementary schools could be consolidated into Spring View. And the current middle school, according to the task force, could also become home for OVSD’s office in Huntington Beach.

The district could consolidate Golden View Elementary with College View Elementary, the task force also suggested.

Its innovative ideas for the district include identifying elective programs that could be moved from the four targeted schools to other sites in the district, making Golden View’s farm (a petting zoo and garden attached to the school) as a field trip destination for other sites or enticing teachers to retire.

During an October meeting of the task force, OVSD Superintendent Michael Conroy said the district is overstaffed by at least 22 teachers because of the lower student enrollment, costing the district an estimated $2.3-3.5 million.

As for instructional ideas, the task force recommended opening Golden View’s farm to other school districts for a rental fee, offering instructional programs that aren’t available at other nearby districts and developing new innovative curricula at its schools.

The task force also suggested returning all students in the “Gifted and Talented Education” programs to their home schools to complete their education. Students who qualify for GATE are offered a unique, advanced education program at Circle View and Star View elementary schools as well as Mesa View Middle School. Qualifying students transfer from their home schools to these campuses to complete the program, but the task force recommended the program be offered at their home schools instead.

As for financial ideas, OVSD could address over-staffing as a cost-saving method, the task force suggested, or look for grants and other creative funding approaches for campus improvement projects.

There will not be a vote during the special meeting, but Board President Patricia Singer said one is expected within the following months.

At the final task force meeting on Oct. 12, the results of an anonymous survey completed last month by members were unveiled. In the survey, 22 respondents favored a plan to consolidate and repurpose schools, targeting one or two per designed year. However, 14 respondents said it would be better to consolidate schools all at once.

The task force, convened by district officials in February, is made up of more than 40 members from around the OVSD community, including parents and teachers.

OVSD has grappled with the decision to consolidate, close or repurpose four schools in the district in recent months because of a dwindling student population and the effects that has had on the district.

Board Vice President Gina Clayton-Tarvin has said she does not want to see schools closed or consolidated.

“As a parent of the district and a faithful member of the board, this is not the direction I will vote on nor foresee happening,” Clayton-Tarvin said.

OVSD — which serves parts of Huntington Beach, Westminster, Fountain Valley and Midway City — is home to more than 6,809 students across 15 schools. The district has had a drop of about 2,600 students since 2013, and it most recently closed Sun View Elementary in Huntington Beach in 2018 due to the lack of enrollment.

The task force was convened earlier this year to determine if four schools — Circle View, Village View and Golden View elementary schools as well as Spring View Middle School — should close due to declining enrollment in the district or if schools should otherwise be consolidated or repurposed.

Overall, the task force provided 19 options to the OVSD board, and they will be discussed during the board committee reports section of its meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 24, according to Board President Patricia Singer.

The board won’t vote on any of the recommendations on Tuesday, Singer said, but a decision is expected next month.

At the final task force meeting on Oct. 12, OVSD Superintendent Michael Conroy presented data on the district’s financial prospects. The district, Conroy said, is overstaffed by at least 22 teachers because of the lower student enrollment, costing the district between $2.3-3.5 million.

The task force also unveiled the results of an anonymous survey that its members completed last month. In the survey, 22 respondents favored a plan to consolidate and repurpose schools, targeting one or two per designed year. However, 14 respondents said it would be better to consolidate schools all at once.

Specifics on a consolidation plan were not given during the meeting, but Conroy said it could involve all four of the targeted schools or be a mix of them. Other options included reducing each grade to only having three teachers or folding one of the four targeted schools with a different school within the district.

Only eight members said the schools should not be consolidated or repurposed.

The task force, convened by district officials in February, is made up of more than 40 members from around the OVSD community, including parents and teachers.

OVSD has grappled with the decision to consolidate, close or repurpose schools in recent months because of a dwindling student population and the effects that has had on the district.

OVSD — which serves parts of Huntington Beach, Westminster and Fountain Valley — is home to more than 6,809 students across 15 schools. The district has had a drop of about 2,600 students since 2013, and it most recently closed Sun View Elementary in Huntington Beach in 2018 due to the lack of enrollment.

OVSD Board Vice President Gina Clayton-Tarvin attributed the decline in enrollment to an overall decline in the birth rate in California as well as the older population that occupies the district rather than the state of education.

“We have an aging community who we love and appreciate, but I know we need school-age children to keep this district going,” said Clayton-Tarvin. “We need younger families living in the area.”

She does not want to see schools closed or consolidated. “As a parent of the district and a faithful member of the board, this is not the direction I will vote on nor foresee happening,” Clayton-Tarvin said.

Neither of the other board members nor Conroy responded to requests for comment.

The OVSD board will meet today at 6 p.m. at 17200 Pinehurst Lane in Huntington Beach.

So the Westminster attorney last week dropped out of the race for California’s 45th congressional district, opting to endorse one of his former primary opponents, Garden Grove Councilmember Kim Nguyen-Penaloza.

And he set his sights on a different campaign: the 70th Assembly district, officially launching his bid on Friday, Oct. 20.

It took him several weeks to come to that decision, Pham said. Mentors and friends had reached out to him months ago telling him there was a need for a Democrat to run in AD-70, represented by former Westminster Mayor Tri Ta, a Republican.

“At first, I didn’t want to switch, because I was in the middle of a congressional race,” said Pham, who is of Vietnamese descent. “At that time, there were four people in the race. But when the fifth Democrat jumped in, it affected me.”

“There were now five Democrats running, and three were of Vietnamese descent,” he said.

The race for CA-45, held by Rep. Michelle Steel, R-Seal Beach, has drawn several candidates, including Nguyen-Penaloza, Brea resident Aditya Pai, UC Irvine Law grad Cheyenne Hunt and attorney Derek Tran. Nguyen-Penaloza and Tran are of Vietnamese descent.

Pham said he ended his congressional campaign “to unify the party.”

“Steel is going to be one of the two to advance past the primary,” he said. “So why are we fighting against each other? Why is the Democratic Party, in this instance, so divisive?”

The 70th Assembly district includes Westminster, Garden Grove, Fountain Valley, Los Alamitos, Stanton and Rossmoor, plus parts of Santa Ana and Huntington Beach. It was redrawn last year in the decennial redistricting process with the goal of ensuring much of the county’s Vietnamese community could be clustered together and retain political clout.

Nearly 40% of voters in the district are Asian, with Vietnamese Americans comprising the largest segment of that population, according to Political Data Inc.

Ta, who is in the midst of his first Assembly term, in 2012 became the first Vietnamese American elected mayor in Westminster, home to the largest Little Saigon in the nation, as well as the country’s first Vietnamese mayor.

He plans to run for re-election, he said.

“I continue to be humbled by the trust voters have placed in me to represent them in Sacramento,” said Ta. “I look forward to a spirited campaign and the opportunity to discuss the fight to improve public safety, make California affordable for all and to create real solutions to the homelessness epidemic.”

Another reason for the switch, Pham said, was that he felt the congressional race was “too much” for him at the moment. He wanted to work his way up the ladder, he said.

“If I’m going to build my political career, maybe I jump to the state level,” Pham said. “I jumped from being a city council candidate to a federal congressional seat.”

Last year, Pham ran for Westminster City Council but did not get elected.

AD-70 “is a better fit” for now, he said. “It’s a less aggressive approach in my political career in that it is more attainable … because one, it requires less money.”

Pham, who stressed money wasn’t the central factor in his decision, struggled to fundraise for his congressional campaign, raising a total of $29,890. A bulk of that came from a personal loan, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

According to the most recently available data, Ta has raised $169,481 and has $144,613 cash on hand.

“Money was a concern, but it’s also going to be a concern for the AD-70 race. The AD-70 race is not a race that’s cheap,” he said. “And I’m going to still have to fundraise and money needs to still come in.”

Pham is an Orange County native and graduate of UC Irvine, and the only one of five siblings born a U.S. citizen. He said his family escaped Vietnam in 1975 via a refugee boat and found opportunity in the U.S.

“My father became one of the first Vietnamese dentists in the United States, opened a practice on Bolsa Avenue in Westminster and was one of the founders of the Little Saigon community,” Pham said.

Pham now serves as vice chair of Westminster’s traffic commission.

Several issues he wants to tackle in Sacramento are housing affordability, public safety and homelessness.

“We’ve had (multiple) smash-and-grabs in Little Saigon recently at the Asian Garden Mall,” he said. “Public safety is an issue; people are not respecting the laws. We also have to address homelessness. Westminster has a liaison team called Be Well. They have be more active in pulling homeless off the street. Most of these homeless are wounded and need a place to go.”

For now, Pham said he’s busy tying up loose ends and kickstarting his new campaign. His campaign staff has nearly doubled since dropping out of the congressional campaign, he said.

“I do believe I can win this race,” he said. “I’m already working to fundraise and get my name out there.”

What makes souffle pancakes different from classic flapjacks is the addition of egg whites whipped to form a meringue which is then folded into the batter (hence the “souffle” name). Cooked in a pan or griddle, the souffle pancakes, which also use less flour, rise tall with an ever-so slightly crispy top and bottom and a more delicate interior.

With a new addition coming to Orange County later this year, the nationwide food trend sees no signs of slowing down. Fluffy Fluffy, the largest souffle pancake chain in North America and a division of Fuwa Fuwa Pancakes, will arrive at The District shopping center in Tustin. Look for it to open in late fall of this year.

For those of you who cannot wait, here are some of the best places in Orange County now serving the bouncy sweet treats.

Basilur (Buena Park): In addition to afternoon tea service with pastries, sandwiches and scones, this Buena park coffee and tea house that specializes in serving high-quality Ceylon tea, serves souffle pancakes that come in five flavors: plain, strawberry, blueberry yogurt, tiramisu and Earl Gray. 6920 Beach Blvd., The Source OC, K-129, Buena Park; basilurteacoffee.com

Baum Tea (Irvine): The souffle pancakes here come in varieties that range from strawberry and custard to bear-shaped and matcha topped with Lucky Charms marshmallows. While enjoying the jiggly pancakes, don’t forget to look at the library wall filled with tea cases that look like books. 13955 Yale Ave., suite A, Irvine; instagram.com/baum_tea_coffee

Burnt Crumbs (Irvine): What began as a food truck has grown into a brick-and-mortar in Irvine, helmed by chef-owner Paul Cao, a Vietnamese-American chef with fine-dining cred (he was sous chef for Michael Mina’s then-Stonehill Tavern in Dana Point). After becoming obsessed with souffle pancakes, Cao attempted roughly 1,000 pancakes before finally perfecting it and adding it to his brunch menu. Ever since, he’s had lines coming out the door for his souffle pancakes, of which he sells an estimated 500 every weekend. Comes in original, blueberry or strawberry iterations. 8549 Irvine Center Dr., Irvine; burntcrumbs.com

Nostimo Cafe (Westminster): Head to Westminter’s Little Saigon neighborhood to find ube souffle pancakes. Super soft and airy, these stacks are topped with ube flavored sweet cream. Other flavors include tiramisu, matcha, Nutellamisu, mango and strawberry. 15568 Brookhurst St., Westminster; instagram.com/nostimocafe.tea

Pham, who was one of several candidates in the hunt to unseat Rep. Michelle Steel, R-Seal Beach, said he will enter the race for the 70th Assembly District seat currently held by Assemblymember Tri Ta, R-Westminster. Pham, who is of Vietnamese descent, declined to give further details on his plan at this time.

“While I appreciate the support I have received throughout this race from the community I love and the place where I call home, my heart lies in other service to move our communities forward with common sense ideals and a willingness to get things done,” he said in a news release. “I want to thank everyone who contributed or supported me and our campaign to bring effective and fresh leadership to Congress.”

The race for CA-45 has drawn several candidates, including Garden Grove Councilmember Kim Bernice Nguyen, Brea resident Aditya Pai, UC Irvine Law grad Cheyenne Hunt and attorney Derek Tran.

The district, which straddles Los Angeles and Orange counties, is home to Orange County’s Little Saigon, the largest Vietnamese enclave outside of Vietnam.

It is on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s target list of competitive Republican-held or open districts that the party’s campaign arm is expected to invest heavily in, and Democrats have a near 6% voter registration advantage over Republicans, according to the latest official state registration reports.

Last year, Steel defeated her Democratic challenger to win reelection by nearly 5%.

Pham, an immigration attorney who launched his congressional bid in June, is a Westminster resident who was born and raised in Orange County. He serves as vice chair for the city’s traffic commission and sits on the Vietnamese American Democratic Club board. He said in June he is committed to finding ways to redevelop older portions of the city and attract more tourists.

Pham, who considers himself a “moderate liberal,” also said Westminster needs more funding for public safety, first responders and the fire and police departments.

Ashley Deeanna Charnley was charged with murder in the stabbing death on Sept. 27 in the 13000 block of Goldenwest Street, The victim’s name has not been released.

Last week, police put out a call for help finding Charnley, who was wanted on a warrant in the stabbing. Charnley was arrested Tuesday and was being held without bail, according to jail records.

Police said the defendant and victim had been in a “dating relationship,” but it was unclear what prompted the stabbing.

Charnley did not enter a plea at her arraignment in the jail courtroom in Santa Ana Thursday. The hearing was rescheduled for Oct. 19 in the West Justice Center.

She also is facing charges of identity theft filed in July. Charnley is charged with three counts of identity theft and a count of making or possessing fictitious instruments, all felonies.

How authorities located Charnley has not been disclosed.

Officers responded to the stabbing around 8 p.m. at the 1300 block of Goldenwest Street, where a man was found with a stab wound in his abdomen. He was transported to a hospital and later died from his injuries, police said.

The suspect is Ashley Dee-Anna Charnley, who police believe was dating the victim. Additional details regarding his identity or a possible motive behind the stabbing were unavailable.

Charnley’s whereabouts are currently unknown, though she is said to frequent motels in northern and western areas of Orange County, according to police. A murder warrant has been issued for her arrest, authorities said.

She also has an outstanding warrant for narcotic offenses, police said.

Charnley is described as having brown hair and eyes, weighing approximately 175 pounds, and being 5 feet 9 inches tall.

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  Lori Chitty, 4, left, and her brother Abel, 5 ride the elephant ride at Westminster’s second annual Fall Festival in Westminster on Friday, September 22, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Jason Nguyen of Hong Phát Deli hands a customer food at Westminster’s second annual Fall Festival in Westminster on Friday, September 22, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Children enjoy food at Westminster’s second annual Fall Festival in Westminster on Friday, September 22, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  People line up at the Hong Phát Deli booth at Westminster’s second annual Fall Festival in Westminster on Friday, September 22, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  An eagle mascot from Nova Academy poses for a photo with a family at Westminster’s second annual Fall Festival in Westminster on Friday, September 22, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Cindy Phan, 15, left, takes a selfie as her and her mother slide down the Super Slide at Westminster’s second annual Fall Festival in Westminster on Friday, September 22, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  People line up for food at the Taste of Westminster event at Westminster’s second annual Fall Festival in Westminster on Friday, September 22, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  The band Silver Lining performs at Westminster’s second annual Fall Festival in Westminster on Friday, September 22, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Children ride the Klatterpiller ride at Westminster’s second annual Fall Festival in Westminster on Friday, September 22, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

It’s finally fall in Westminster, according to the city.

The city hosted its second annual Fall Festival over the weekend, with carnival rides, a beer garden and live music covering all the hits, from ’80s bops to Vietnamese standards and more. And for the first time, the festival included the Taste of Westminster on Friday evening, showcasing the city’s broad culinary contributions.