The cameras were installed earlier this year and “have already aided law enforcement in several incidents,” according to a report to council members from Assistant City Manager Dave Christian.

An early contract extension was offered by Georgia-based Flock Group, Inc., “in an effort to incentivize and retain customers,” Christian reported. Fullerton and Buena Park are among 13 Orange County cities contracting with the Flock Group for the license plate readers.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department asked the council to consider purchasing the cameras “in order to improve the public safety services they provide to the community,” Christian noted in an earlier report to council members.

“Specifically, the cameras would enhance (law enforcement) ability to find stolen vehicles, find ‘persons of interest’ and conduct investigations,” Christian said. He added, “What really makes (the Flock) product unique is the user interface software.

“Within the software component, law enforcement can receive hotlist alerts and create custom alerts for plates under investigation,” Christian said. The Flock Group camera systems are live in more than 600 cities in 38 states and are used by more than 210 police departments.

“It should be noted that all data will be transmitted in encrypted form directly from the cameras to the cloud stored where it can be accessed only by law enforcement for a period of one year,” Christian said. The cameras are powered by solar energy and are not wired to a power source.

Sheriff’s Department and city staffers worked with the Flock Group to identify various locations in the city that best capture the ingress and egress of vehicles. Most are mounted on existing city-owned poles.

Only one resident spoke in opposition to the cameras when they were first approved Dec. 20 on a 5-0 vote. There was no opposition expressed to the five-year extension, which was part of 15-item consent calendar approved on a 5-0 vote Oct. 17.

* * *

Forty-one Yorba Linda signalized intersections are part of a countywide synchronization project in cooperation with the Orange County Transportation Agency to update a 2009 plan to improve travel times, reduce delays and congestion and increase the number of successive green lights drivers experience in their daily commutes.

Included in the new council-approved pact is the creation of a countywide signal synchronization baseline by retiming some 2,500 county signals along regionally significant corridors to avoid crossing conflicts and ensure signal timing is based on current traffic volumes, according to a report to council members prepared by Tony Wang, the city’s traffic engineering manager.

Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. He gives his opinion on local issues weekly. Send e-mail to jimdrummond@hotmail.com.

Superintendent Alex Cherniss and school board Trustee Leandra Blades spoke in opposition to the charter school petition by the California Republic Leadership Academy Yorba Linda at a public hearing before the Orange County Board of Education on Oct.4.

The county board is considering an appeal of the Placentia-Yorba Linda district’s denial of a petition to operate a kindergarten through eighth grade charter school in the district on a 5-0 vote at a meeting in August.

According to the county board’s 20-page policy on charter schools, the five county trustees have 30 days from the public hearing to grant or deny the petition, unless trustees and petitioner agree to extend the time period for another 30 days.

The next two county board meetings are Nov. 1 and Dec. 6 at the education department office in Costa Mesa. If the county’s board does not grant or deny the petition during that time period, the petitioner can appeal to the state board of education.

Speaking in support of the appeal were the charter’s Executive Director Gary Davis and several parents who hope to send their children to the charter school, which plans to provide a “classical leadership education.”

Previously, county trustees approved a California Republic Leadership Academy charter in the Capistrano Unified School District for kindergarten through eighth grade students that planned a “curriculum, culture and purpose based on the classical liberal arts tradition.”

Cherniss and Blades told county trustees the California Republic charter plan was “not right” for district students and the district plans a “better option” charter with an Orange County School of Computer Science.

The Placentia-Yorba Linda district’s “better option” is expected to be approved soon, perhaps at a Nov. 14 meeting. A public hearing to gauge support for the charter was held Oct. 10, with the presentation of an 83-page petition by Bernardo Yorba Middle School Principal Beth Fisher.

The petition proposes an in-depth computer science program for up to 1,000 seventh- and eighth-grade students that will start on Aug. 27 for the 2024-25 school year for an initial five-year period.

Cherniss addressed the fentanyl crisis in a recent online message saying that the district is taking “immediate proactive measures to make sure our kids do not fall victim to this dangerous drug that has infested our communities.”

In addition to “red ribbon” assemblies for high school students, the district plans presentations to parents and families through the Parent University program, led by Placentia police officers and county sheriff’s deputies.

And doses of Narcan, which can reverse opioid overdoses, are available at all school sites, with more than 250 employees trained in administration.

Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. He gives his opinion on local issues weekly. Send e-mail to jimdrummond@hotmail.com.

Notable this week: Undefeated Tustin breaks into the Top 10 for the first time this season after shutting out Pacifica 49-0. … San Clemente advances from No. 5 last week to No. 3. … Servite moves up to No. 4 after a 50-42 win over Santa Margarita. … Los Alamitos climbs to No. 7 and will face No. 9 Edison this week for the Sunset League championship.

1. Mater Dei 8-1 (75 points)

The Monarchs shook off a shutout loss to St. John Bocsco with an impressive 55-13 win over Orange Lutheran in Trinity League play. Senior running back Ajon Bryant rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns and junior linebacker Nasir Wyatt had three sacks. Mater Dei is likely to be the No. 2 seed in Division 1 of the CIF-SS playoffs.

Previous ranking: 1

2. Orange Lutheran 5-4 (72)

The Lancers had the misfortune of being the team in Mater Dei’s way after the Monarchs lost to St. John Bosco. The Lancers, who play Bosco this week, are in third place in the Trinity League with a 2-2 league record.

Previous ranking: 2

3. San Clemente 8-1 (69)

The Tritons are 2-0 in the four-team South Coast League after last week’s 35-18 win over Capistrano Valley. Senior quarterback Dylan Mills turned in one of his better games, completing 16 of 19 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns, both to junior Cole Herlean.

Previous ranking: 5

4. Servite 5-4 (66)

Junior quarterback Leo Hannan threw for 343 yards and four touchdowns in a 50-42 win over Santa Margarita. Sophomore cornerback Tristin Ordaz had eight solo tackles and broke up two passes. Servite finishes the regular season facing JSerra at Cerritos College on Friday.

Previous ranking: 6

5. Santa Margarita 5-4 (62)

Sophomore Trent Mosley had 351 all-purpose yards, including 221 receiving yards, and made three solo tackles for the Eagles in their 50-42 loss to Servite. They play Mater Dei this week.

Previous ranking: 3

6. JSerra 4-5 (59)

The Lions lost to the No. 1 team in Calpreps’ state rankings, St. John Bosco, 42-20. JSerra is 1-3 in the Trinity League, with the victory against Orange Lutheran. The Lions probably need to beat Servite this week to get into the playoffs.

Previous ranking: 4

7. Los Alamitos 7-2 (57)

The Griffins scored 60 points for a school-record fourth time and for the third week in a row in a 63-13 league win over Huntington Beach. Los Alamitos plays Edison this week at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach to decide the Sunset League title. Both teams are 4-0 in the Sunset League.

Previous ranking: 8

8. Mission Viejo 6-3 (56)

Junior Dijon Lee Jr. scored a touchdown on an interception return and another TD on a pass reception in the Diablos’ 36-0 win over Tesoro in the South Coast League. Zachary Foeldi had two of Mission Viejo’s five interceptions.

Previous ranking: 7

9. Edison 6-3 (50)

The Chargers beat Fountain Valley 56-7 for their 19th consecutive win over the Barons. Junior Julius Gillick rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown on only eight carries, and freshman quarterback Sam Thomson threw three touchdown passes for the Chargers.

Previous ranking: 10

10. Tustin 9-0 (49)

The Tillers are the only undefeated team in Orange County. They beat Pacifica 49-0 last week to improve to 4-0 in the Empire League. Tustin rushed for 331 yards, led by Eimesse Essis, who ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns on six carries. The Tillers are home Friday against Cypress in a game for the Empire League title.

Previous ranking: 11

11. San Juan Hills 8-1 (45)

Previous ranking: 9

12. Newport Harbor 4-5 (41)

Previous ranking: 12

13. Tesoro 5-4 (38)

Previous ranking: 13

14. Villa Park 8-1 (37)

Previous ranking: 16

15. Corona del Mar 4-5 (32)

Previous ranking: 14

16. Yorba Linda 6-3 (30)

Previous ranking: 15

17. Trabuco Hills 6-3 (29)

Previous ranking: 21

18. Cypress 6-3 (22)

Previous ranking: 17

19. Capistrano Valley 7-2 (20)

Previous ranking: 17

20. Western 8-1 (18)

Previous ranking: 19

21. Foothill 6-3 (14)

Previous ranking: 22

22. El Modena 5-4 (14)

Previous ranking: 20

23. El Dorado 4-5 (9)

Previous ranking: 22

24. La Habra 5-4 (6)

Previous ranking: 24

25. Laguna Beach 8-1 (4)

Previous ranking: 25

Also receiving votes: Crean Lutheran 6-3 (1)

About the poll: There are three voters in the weekly poll. Points are awarded for each spot in the poll. Starting with 25 points for a No. 1 ranking.

The chain, which previously said it might close 500 stores, wrote that at least 154 stores would close.

The troubled retail pharmacy chain is facing slumping sales and several opioid-related lawsuits. To make ends meet, the company is looking to reduce its debt while resolving “litigation claims in an equitable manner,” Rite Aid reps said Sunday.

At least 10 stores will close across Los Angeles County. Another six will shutter in Orange County and just two in the Inland Empire. Only one, a store on South Archibald Avenue in Ontario appears to have closed already.

“Many of the stores on this list have already closed and received ample notice of the closure, while some will close in the coming weeks,” Rite Aid said via email Tuesday.

Here are the list of stores Rite Aid has marked for closure in California. The store number precedes each address:

LA County

5448 — 4044 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles

6288 — 959 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles

5457 — 4046 South Centinela Ave., Los Angeles

5466 — 7859 Firestone Blvd., Downey

5521 — 4402 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach

5571 — 935 North Hollywood Way, Burbank

5585 — 139 North Grand Ave., Covina

5593 — 13905 Amar Road, La Puente

5611 — 920 E. Valley Blvd., Alhambra

6333 — 15800 Imperial Highway, La Mirada

Orange County

5735 — 24829 Del Prado, Dana Point

6717 — 8509 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine

5753 — 30222 Crown Valley Parkway, Laguna Niguel

5757 — 19701 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda

5760 — 1406 West Edinger Ave., Santa Ana

6213 — 3029 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa

Inland Empire

6318 — 3000 South Archibald Ave., Ontario (marked closed on Yelp)

5730 — 25906 Newport Road, Menifee

North of LA

5772 — 2738 East Thompson Blvd., Ventura (marked closed on Yelp)

5780 — 720 North Ventura Road, Oxnard

San Diego County

5635 — 3813 Plaza Drive, Oceanside

5638 — 1670 Main St., Ramona

5657 — 6505 Mission Gorge Road, San Diego

5661 — 8985 Mira Mesa Blvd., San Diego (marked closed on Yelp)

Northern California

5967 — 20572 Homestead Road, Cupertino

5976 — 2620 El Camino Real, Santa Clara

5979 — 901 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz

6001 — 571 Bellevue Road, Atwater

6045 — 5409 Sunrise Boulevard, Citrus Heights

6080 — 1309 Fulton Ave., Sacramento

6769 — 499 Alvarado St., Monterey

The 60-year-old Rite Aid operates 2,100 stores in the U.S., mostly in coastal states, and has posted annual losses for several years. The company reported that its revenue fell to $5.7 billion in the fiscal quarter that ended June 3, down from $6.0 billion a year earlier, logging a net loss of $306.7 million.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Notable this week: Mater Dei holds on to the top position after its loss to St. John Bosco. … Orange Lutheran rises after a win over Servite. … Santa Margarita leapfrogs JSerra. … Edison gets back into the Top 10 after a win over Newport Harbor. … Villa Park drops out of top 10 after its loss to Foothill.

1. Mater Dei 7-1 (75 points)

The Monarchs got beat by a team that played a near-perfect game in a 28-0 loss to St. John Bosco. The Monarchs are 2-1 in the Trinity League with shutout wins over JSerra and Servite.

Previous ranking: 1

2. Orange Lutheran 5-3 (72)

The Lancers withstood a late charge by Servite to beat the Friars 36-33 in a Trinity League game. Steve Chavez rushed for more than 100 yards for the fifth time this season.

Previous ranking: 4

3. Santa Margarita 5-3 (69)

Ryan Gass made a game-winning field goal for the Eagles with one second remaining in a 34-31 win over JSerra in a Trinity League game. Santa Margarita sophomore receiver Trent Mosley had 10 receptions for 230 yards and two touchdowns.

Previous ranking: 6

4. JSerra 4-4 (64)

The Lions lost a close one to Santa Margarita 34-31 in the Trinity League. The Lions have a home game this week against St. John Bosco.

Previous ranking: 2

5. San Clemente 7-1 (63)

The Tritons took a huge step toward winning the South Coast League championship with a 20-10 win over Mission Viejo. Running back Aiden Rubin had another huge game with 238 yards rushing on 29 carries.

Previous ranking: 8

6. Servite 4-4 (61)

The Friars had late chances but could not get the ball into the end zone in a 36-33 loss to Orange Lutheran. Quaid Carr rushed for 156 yards and scored four of Servite’s five touchdowns.

Previous ranking: 5

7. Mission Viejo 5-3 (56)

The Diablos defense had difficulty against San Clemente’s running game and could not crank up their own offense in a 20-10 loss to the Tritons in the South Coast League.

Previous ranking: 3

8. Los Alamitos 6-2 (55)

Quarterback Alonzo Esparza passed for 346 yards and four touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns as the Griffins defeated Corona del Mar 69-14 in the Sunset League.

Previous ranking: 7

9. San Juan Hills 8-0 (51)

The Stallions remained undefeated with a 57-7 win over El Toro in the Sea View League. It is the second time this season San Juan Hills has scored 50 or more points in a game.

Previous ranking: 9

10. Edison 5-3 (47)

Chargers junior Jake Minter blocked a Newport Harbor field-goal attempt on the final play of the Sunset League game won by Edison 31-28. The Chargers are 3-0 in league and tied with Los Alamitos for first place.

Previous ranking: 10

11. Tustin 8-0 (46)

Previous ranking: 11

12. Newport Harbor 3-5 (42)

Previous ranking: 13

13. Tesoro 5-3 (38)

Previous ranking: 13

14. Corona del Mar 4-4 (35)

Previous ranking: 14

15. Yorba Linda 6-2 (34)

Previous ranking: 16

16. Villa Park 7-1 (31)

Previous ranking: 10

17T. Capistrano Valley 7-1 (23)

Previous ranking: 17

17T. Cypress 5-3 (23)

Previous ranking: 19

19. Western 7-1 (22)

Previous ranking: 18

20. El Modena 4-4 (15)

Previous ranking: 20

21. Trabuco Hills 5-3 (12)

Previous ranking: 21

22T. Foothill 5-2 (11)

Previous ranking: Not ranked

22T. El Dorado 4-4 (11

Previous ranking: 25

24. La Habra 4-4 (7)

Previous ranking: 23

25. Laguna Beach 7-1 (3)

Previous ranking: Not ranked

Also receiving votes: Crean Lutheran 6-2 (2)

About the poll: There are three voters in the weekly poll. Points are awarded for each spot in the poll. Starting with 25 points for a No. 1 ranking.

Ryan Gass made a game-winning field goal for Santa Margarita with one second remaining to beat JSerra 34-31 Friday in a Trinity League game at JSerra High.

Trent Mosley had 10 receptions for 230 yards with two touchdowns for Santa Margarita (5-3, 1-2). The sophomore also ran for 87 yards with two touchdowns.

John Gazzaniga completed 15 of 24 passes for 277 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

The Eagles had a 10-3 lead at halftime after a touchdown pass from Gazzaniga to Mosley.

JSerra (4-4, 1-2) quarterback Michael Tollefson ran for a touchdown early in the third quarter to tie the game at 10.

Mosley and Tollefson exchanged touchdown runs in the third quarter and the game was tied at 17 entering the fourth.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Mosley scored on a touchdown run out of the Wildcat formation. On the ensuing offensive play, Kamar Garbourel tied the game for JSerra with a 61-yard touchdown run.

JSerra took the lead with three minutes remaining in the game on a touchdown run by Gabriel Rivas.

Gazzaniga connected with Mosley for a game-tying touchdown on the next possession.

Noah Sulick and Levar Talley each had 12 tackles to lead the Santa Margarita defense. Sophomore Mason Reyes had an interception.

In other games Friday: 

Orange Lutheran 36, Servite 33: Steve Chavez ran for the game-winning touchdown with three minutes remaining in the game to give Orange Lutheran a Trinity League win over Servite.

The junior running back had three touchdowns for Orange Lutheran (5-3, 2-1). Tj Lateef threw a touchdown pass and added a touchdown run. Freshman Nicholas Bland had a long touchdown reception in the first quarter.

Servite (4-4, 0-3) got four rushing touchdowns from Quaid Carr. Leo Hannan threw a touchdown pass to Quinn Rosenkranz.

Dana Hills 21, Laguna Hills 20: Dana Hills returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in an upset win over Laguna Hills in a Pacific Coast League game.

The Dolphins snapped a county-high 15-game winning streak for Laguna Hills (7-1, 0-1).

Noah Kucera and Owen Walz returned kicks for touchdowns for Dana Hills (6-2, 1-0). Walz also ran for a 56-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

Kurtis Webber and John Ponce had touchdown runs for the Hawks. Luke Whitfield made a field goal in the first quarter.

The Dana Hills defense forced a turnover on downs with seven seconds remaining in the game to seal the win.

Northwood 35, Portola 7: Edward Ma threw for over 150 yards with two touchdowns to lead Northwood to a Pacific Coast League win over Portola.

Eddie Petrushin had 10 catches with a touchdown for Northwood (4-4, 1-0) and Cole Hidalgo added a touchdown catch.

Lucas Trausch had a rushing and a receiving touchdown for the Timberwolves.

Quarterback Rocky Palacio had a touchdown run for Portola (4-4, 0-1).

Trabuco Hills 58, Aliso Niguel 24: Trabuco Hills scored a season-high 58 points in a Sea View League win over Aliso Niguel.

Jacob Perry completed 17 of 19 passes for 244 yards with three touchdowns for Trabuco Hills (5-3, 1-0). Taylor Bowie ran for 86 yards with three touchdowns.

Ryan Luce led the Mustangs with 118 receiving yards. Alex Kiernan had 76 yards receiving with a touchdown.

Hunter Najm threw two touchdown passes for Aliso Niguel (5-3, 0-1) and ran for a touchdown.

Western 56, Santa Ana Valley 0: Anthony Luna threw for 288 yards with four touchdowns for Western in a rout of Santa Ana Valley (3-5, 2-1) in an Orange League game.

Desmin Joshway-Fairley led the Pioneers in receiving with 95 yards on three catches. Clayton Corbett had a 96-yard run for Western (7-1, 3-0) and Joshua Faulkner had 85 yards on four carries.

Capistrano Valley Christian 51, Riverside Prep 8: Nate Richie completed 11 of 12 passes for 281 yards with five touchdowns for Capistrano Valley Christian in a blowout win over Riverside Prep in a Mesquite League game.

Max Krosky caught five passes for 120 yards with three touchdowns for the Eagles. Heath Carlson had two touchdown receptions for CVC (6-1, 3-0).Travis Scherer and Joshua Monroe had touchdown runs.

Jack Gallo led the defense with 11 tackles, two for a loss and a sack. Krosky and Talan Sego added interceptions for the Eagles.

— Michael Huntley

Los Alamitos 69, Corona del Mar 14: Griffins quarterback Alonza Esparza passed for 346 yards and four touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns in the Sunset League win for Los Alamitos (6-2, 3-0).

The Griffins are tied for first place with Edison. Corona del Mar is 4-4 overall and 1-2 in league.

Yorba Linda 58, Brea Olinda 7: Jacob Escovar ran for a touchdown and returned an interception for another touchdown as the Mustangs (6-2, 1-0) won their Crestview League opener against the Wildcats (5-3, 0-1).

The Mustangs scored 41 points in the first quarter. Running back Chase Jones scored two touchdowns for Yorba Linda which plays Villa Park on Friday at El Modena High.

La Quinta 42, Santiago 36: Alex Tran scored on a 10-yard run in overtime for the first-place Aztecs (6-2, 3-0) in a Garden Grove League win over the Cavaliers (3-5, 0-3).

Santiago had a 20-14 lead at halftime. Cooper Starnes scored on an 80-yard run on the first play of the second half. Tran also caught a touchdown pass.

Rancho Alamitos 21, Bolsa Grande 18: Jesus Diego scored two touchowns and Omar Salazar scored the other for the Vaqueros (5-3, 2-1) in their win over the Matadors (5-3, 2-1) in the highly-competitive Garden Grove League.

Bolsa Grande led in the first half 12-0.

Rancho Alamitos plays first-place La Quinta (6-2, 3-0) on Friday at Bolsa Grande High. Bolsa Grande is home on Thursday against Los Amigos (4-4, 2-1).

El Dorado 41, Canyon 0: Robby Hagar and Tyson Hartman had interceptions for the defense as the Golden Hawks (4-4, 1-0) got their first shutout of 2023 with the win over Canyon (1-7, 0-1) in the North Hills League opener for both.

J.P. Murray rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries for El Dorado. Golden Hawks quarterback rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries and threw touchdown passes to Nathan Meek and Lucas Raya. Cooper Larson rushed for 64 yards on seven carries.

El Modena 41, Esperanza 20: Xzavior Guess threw for two touchdowns and ran for another and Brodie Hitchens scored three rushing touchdowns for the Vanguards (4-4, 1-0) in their win over the Aztecs (3-5, 0-1) in the North Hills opener for both teams.

Ell Modena plays El Dorado (4-4, 1-0) in a league game Friday at Valencia High, El Dorado’s home field.

Huntington Beach 30, Fountain Valle 13: Tyler Young rushed for 255 yards and two touchdown for the Oilers (4-4, 1-2) in their win over the Barons (3-5, 0-3) in a Sunset League game.

Oilers left tacked Justin Tauanuu scored a touchdown on a tackle screen/lateral play.

— Steve Fryer

And 63 seniors who earned the International Baccalaureate diploma at Valencia High School exceeded the number from the county’s other IB high schools, a record held for seven years.

Passing scores – three or higher on a five-point scale for AP and four or higher on a seven-point scale for IB – can earn university credit and allow students to bypass introductory courses. Decisions on credits and placement are made by individual universities.

A total of 4,493 AP examinations were administered during the annual May testing period to freshman through senior students at El Dorado, Esperanza, Valencia and Yorba Linda high schools, a nearly 7% increase over last year. The already high pass rate increased by 2%.

Here’s how each high school scored on the AP tests, according to district-provided data:

El Dorado administered 1,156 exams in 25 subjects for an 84% pass rate, up from 1,008 exams in 22 subjects for a 77% pass rate last year.

Esperanza administered 565 exams in 22 subjects for an 83% pass rate, up from 548 exams in 20 subjects for a 78% pass rate last year.

Valencia administered 1,557 exams in 29 subjects for an 86% pass rate, up from 1,473 exams in 24 subjects for an 87% pass rate last year.

Yorba Linda administered 1,215 exams in 26 subjects for an 88% pass rate, up from 1,083 exams in 27 subjects for an 88% pass rate last year.

Interestingly, AP Chinese language is now offered at each high school, and the pass rate for the 51 students who took the exam this year was 100%. And the number of chemistry exams administered jumped nearly 75% to 229 with a 98% pass rate.

The IB program at Valencia administered 412 exams in 19 subjects with a 93% pass rate. Currently, 65 seniors and 95 juniors are enrolled in IB, according to Fred Jenkins, IB coordinator.

Scores on 13 of the exams were significantly higher than world averages, including economics, computer science, psychology, biology and history, ranging from 18% to 75% higher.

The Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education diploma, offered at Valencia since 2021, represents “breadth across the curriculum and depth in selected subjects, with a balance of maths and sciences, languages and arts and humanities,” according to program criteria.

This year, the number of exams given increased by 122%, from 46 to 102; the pass rate increased by 9%, to 80%; and the number of 10th through 12th grade students taking an exam increased by 70%, from 44 to 75.

Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. He gives his opinion on local issues weekly. Send e-mail to jimdrummond@hotmail.com.

As it’s written, the policy focuses on mental health, saying a designated school counselor would notify a student’s family “when they have reasonable cause to believe that doing so will avert a clear and present danger to the health, safety or welfare” of students.

During the board’s discussion about the policy, Superintendent Alex Cherniss said there could be instances when a teacher or school staff member would notify parents when they become aware that a student desires or starts to transition genders, requests to go by a different pronoun or experiences distress because their gender expression does not match their gender identity.

“Every case you have to weigh the implications and if it is impacting the students to a certain level where the parent has a right to know,” said Cherniss.

Trustee Todd Frazier, responding to questions about the policy, cited DSM-5, the standard guide for mental health diagnoses.

“If you look at the DSM-5 definition of gender dysphoria, which it is in there … that is a pattern of behavior that is different in a student (and) regardless of what the reason is, needs to be communicated with the parents,” he said.

When asked if the policy would require teachers to inform parents if a student identifies as LGBTQ+, Cherniss said: “If the teacher or staff does not deem there to be a clear or present danger to the student, no, they do not have to report it to the family. That is up to the teacher or staff’s discretion.”

Trustees Carrie Buck and Marilyn Anderson criticized the policy’s language as “not clear” since it didn’t explicitly mention students who might be transgender. They requested a second reading in November, but that was denied.

“I think, as someone who is representing the student voice, the language should be specifically outlined in the policy to make sure all students are aware of the policy and what could happen if such things arose,” said Aidan Mintzer, a Yorba Linda High School student who is the student representative on the board.

“Before this, I had no idea what the policy was about,” said Mintzer. “If this does affect me or other students, I believe students deserve to know how it will directly involve them.”

The board voted 3-2 to approve the policy Tuesday, Oct. 10 with Trustees Leandra Blades, Shawn Youngblood and Frazier voting in favor of it.

“This is not a gender notification policy,” said Fraizer. “This is a parental notification policy. This is not covering one specific issue. Just because politically that is what is being discussed and people want to politicize this, we want to make clear that this is something that will ultimately strengthen the relationship between staff and students.”

PYLUSD now joins several other school districts in California that have recently adopted policies that require school staff to inform parents if their child may be transgender. These policies typically include provisions requiring notification if a student requests to use a different name or pronoun or wishes to change a sex-segregated program like an athletic team or changing facility that differs from their assigned sex at birth.

Orange Unified last month became the first district in Orange County to adopt such a policy.

There, the policy requires a certificated staff member or principal to inform parents if their child, who is under the age of 12, requests to use different names or pronouns or asks to change sex-segregated programs. If the student is older, it is up to the discretion of a school counselor or psychologist to decide if it is appropriate to report the information to the family.

On Oct. 18, Capistrano Unified is set to consider a similar proposal, and many parental rights activist groups say they will attend Tustin Unified’s next meeting to encourage the policy to be addressed there.

This story has been updated. 

While several districts in California have adopted in recent months policies to inform parents if their child may be transgender, the PYLUSD proposal — as it’s written for the Tuesday, Oct. 10 meeting — does not specifically mention gender identity.

As the policy is written, a designated school counselor would notify a student’s family within 24 hours if they have a “reasonable cause to believe that an action of a student will avert a clear and present danger to the health, safety, or welfare of the student and others around them.”

“Due to the current nationwide mental health crisis exacerbated by the global pandemic, the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District recognizes the need for frequent, ongoing and oftentimes immediate communication between school administration, staff, and parents/guardians,” the policy says. “Furthermore, with reports of depression, anxiety and suicide rates at an all-time high among public school students, action is needed to address this emerging crisis and support the health and welfare of district students.”

The agenda for Tuesday’s meeting says the policy comes at the request of Superintendent Alex Cherniss.

When asked if it is written broad enough to include notifying a parent if a student may be transgender, Cherniss said: “The policy speaks for itself and covers all matters related to parental notification.” He did not respond to questions asking to clarify further.

“The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District Board of Education strives to foster trust and communication between the District and the parent(s)/guardian(s) of its students,” the policy reads. “To that end, the Board supports the fundamental rights of parent(s)/guardian(s) to direct the care and upbringing of their children, including the right to be informed of and involved in their child’s education to promote positive educational outcomes.”

Through the policy, the district says it intends to include parents in “the decision-making process for mental health and social-emotional issues of their children arising at school at the earliest possible time in order to prevent or reduce potential instances of harm to self or others as well as promote communication and positive relationships.”

PYLUSD board members did not respond to requests for comment Monday afternoon.

Several districts across California have adopted what’s been called parental notification policies in recent months. These guidelines stipulate that parents would be informed if their child requests to use different names or pronouns or wishes to change sex-segregated programs such as athletic teams or changing facilities that differ from the student’s assigned biological sex at birth.

Last month, Orange Unified became the first district in Orange County to adopt such a policy.

There, the policy requires a certificated staff member or principal to inform parents if their child, who is under the age of 12, requests to use different names or pronouns or asks to change sex-segregated programs. If the student is older, it is up to the discretion of a school counselor or psychologist to decide if it is appropriate to report the information to the family.

Multiple districts across California — including Murrieta Valley Unified, Chino Valley Unified and Temecula Valley Unified — have recently adopted similar policies. And on Oct. 18, Capistrano Unified is set to consider a similar proposal.

Attorney General Rob Bonta sued Chino Valley in August to stop enforcement of the policy. Bonta said it “presents students with a terrible choice. Either walk back your rights to gender identity and gender expression to be yourself (and) to be who you are or face the risk of serious harm — mental harm, emotional harm, physical harm.”

A judge has issued a temporary restraining order, blocking its enforcement for now. A hearing is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 13.

Notable this week: Although JSerra was shut out 42-0 by Mater Dei last week the Lions move up one position to No. 2. … Mission Viejo, which did not play last week, drops to No. 3. … Tustin moves up one spot after a 42-0 shutout of Valencia. … El Dorado returns to the Top 25.

1. Mater Dei 7-0 (75 points)

Quarterback Elijah Brown was his usual efficient self last week, completing 20 of 22 passes for 312 yards and four touchdowns to four different receivers, in a 42-0 Trinity League win over JSerra. Semi Taulanga had two of the Monarchs’ seven sacks. Next up for the Monarchs is a league showdown Friday at St. John Bosco.

Previous ranking: 1

2. JSerra 4-3 (70)

All of JSerra’s losses are to teams that are 7-0 and among Calpreps’ top six teams in its state rankings: No. 1 Mater Dei, which beat the Lions 42-0 last week, No. 3 Sierra Canyon and No. 6 Clovis North.

Previous ranking: 3

3. Mission Viejo 5-2 (69)

The Diablos did not play last week. They have a big game this week, their South Coast League opener against 6-1 San Clemente at Mission Viejo. Diablos sophomore Vance Spafford has 852 total yards including 646 receiving yards.

Previous ranking: 2

4. Orange Lutheran 4-3 (67)

The Lancers got a huge win over Santa Margarita, 28-21 in their second Trinity League game. Steve Chavez rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown and Wallace Filemu was in on nine tackles.

Previous ranking: 4

5. Servite 4-3 (62)

The Friars are 0-2 in the Trinity League after last week’s 56-27 loss to St. John Bosco that followed the previous week’s loss to Mater Dei. Their three losses are to teams that are a combined 20-1.

Previous ranking: 5

6. Santa Margarita 4-3 (60)

Eagles quarterback John Gazzaniga passed for 227 yards and rushed for 82 against his former Orange Lutheran teammates in a 28-21 loss to the Lancers in a Trinity League game. Santa Margarita plays at JSerra this week.

Previous ranking: 5

7. Los Alamitos 5-2 (58)

The Griffins compiled more than 600 yards of offense in a 62-14 win over Newport Harbor to improve to 2-0 in the Sunset League. Running back Anthony League returned to form, rushing for 146 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries.

Previous ranking: 7

8. San Clemente 6-1 (54)

The Tritons kept the momentum going in their final nonleague game with a 42-13 win over Ayala as Aiden Rubin rushed for 271 yards and three touchdowns. San Clemente starts South Coast League play Friday against No. 3 Mission Viejo.

Previous ranking: 8

9. San Juan Hills 7-0 (50)

The Stallions did not play last week. They have three wins over teams in the Orange County Top 25: El Modena, Newport Harbor and Tesoro. San Juan Hills plays its Sea View League opener Friday at home against El Toro.

Previous ranking: 9

10. Villa Park 7-0 (49)

The Spartans remained undefeated with a 49-12 nonleague win over Esperanza. Their average margin of victory is 28 points going into their Crestview League opener Friday against Foothill at El Modena High.

Previous ranking: 10

11. Tustin 7-0 (44)

Previous ranking: 12

12. Edison 4-3 (43)

Previous ranking: 11

13. Newport Harbor (3-4) 38

Previous ranking: 14

14. Corona del Mar 4-3 (36)

Previous ranking: 13

15. Tesoro 4-3 (34)

Previous ranking: 15

16. Yorba Linda 5-2 (30)

Previous ranking: 16

17. Capistrano Valley 7-0 (25)

Previous ranking: 17

18. Western 6-1 (23)

Previous ranking: 18

19. Cypress 4-3 (19)

Previous ranking: 20

20. El Modena 3-4 (18)

Previous ranking: 21

21. Trabuco Hills 4-3 (17)

Previous ranking: 22

22. Laguna Hills 7-0 (14)

Previous ranking: 24

23T. Crean Lutheran 6-1 (6)

Previous ranking: 25

23T. La Habra 3-4 (6)

Previous ranking: 23

25. El Dorado 3-4 (3)

Previous ranking: Not ranked.

Also receiving votes: Laguna Beach 6-1 (2); Foothill 4-3 (1); Santa Ana 6-2 (1)

About the poll: There are three voters in the weekly poll. Points are awarded for each spot in the poll. Starting with 25 points for a No. 1 ranking.