By Eliza PARTIKA

The Glendale Unified School District (GUSD) Board of Education met on Aug. 11 for its first meeting of the 2026-27 school year. Board members approved new contracts for curriculum and facilities, including new equipment trucks for award-winning school bands throughout the District, and approved a new automotive training partnership with Glendale Community College and Hoover High School.

GUSD welcomed two new Board members at its July 14 meeting. Returning Board member Kathleen Cross (Trustee Area C)  was named GUSD Board president, and new Board members Dr. Aileen Dinkjian (Trustee Area D) and Greg Krikorian (Trustee Area B) were sworn into office. Dinkjian and Krikorian emphasized collaboration and expressed excitement for their new roles. 

“I am excited to support students. I invite principals to make time and arrange a meeting to continue to learn about your priorities, your vision and how we can support and grow together,” said Dinkjian.  

“I am excited to collaborate and to find our rhythm,” said Krikorian of his position.

Inquiries came from local organizations including the Glendale Association of Realtors, which wanted to know more about school-related bonds and property taxes and how it can help fund schools. Krikorian invited the community and other Board members to Coffee with Krikorian – hours he is organizing at local coffee shops in his trustee area. 

“Please come: parents, teachers, community members; anyone who wants to share or has questions about the District. Anything I do learn, I will share with the Board but I want this to be a collaboration,” he said. 

Comments from the public thanked the Board for tabling the discussion of a bond measure and property taxes and praised the Board’s inclusion of community members in discussion about rates. One of those commenting, a Glendale homeowner and teacher, said she “appreciated the Board’s sensitivity” as prices of everything from groceries to utilities to rent have increased. 

“I appreciate the Board’s sensitivity to this bond while basic expenses are high. I appreciated how you reached out to those not aware of the bond for further community outreach, as opposed to trying to convince us we need it,” the homeowner said. 

Board members Dinkjian and Krikorian praised Hoover High School’s new automotive partnership with Glendale Community College and Rio Hondo College to expand the vocational training students receive from local businesses. Rio Hondo agreed to hire Hoover auto shop teacher Javier Luna as an adjunct so Hoover students could take college level automotive classes in high school.

“This is an exciting opportunity for our students,” said Dinkjian. “I had the pleasure to tour the automotive class and [saw] the vehicles and partnerships and [seeing] students learning hands-on on campus was such a special opportunity.”

The most pressing discussion at the meeting surrounded the adoption of a new facilities management contract with Facilitron. Facilitron is a platform that helps schools and other public institutions manage scheduling, maintenance orders, community rental requests, payments, insurance and facilities-use data. 

The central discussion surrounded the Board’s concerns that the fees required for commission payments to Facilitron were cost prohibitive to the community organizations that use the facilities. 

Board members Krikorian and Farid raised concerns about keeping GUSD facilities affordable for community organizations, including youth sports programs such as AYSO and Little League, which use services regularly with little to no cost. Of the 212 organizations that use district facilities, 46 would be charged commercial rates under the proposed system, according to the presentation on Facilitron compiled by Jennifer C. Gonzales, administrator, Maintenance, Operations, & Nutrition Services. 

The Board questioned whether adding costs to cover the new platform could make facilities less accessible to the community, particularly for the many non-profit and youth organizations that would not generate enough rental revenue to offset a commission-based fee structure.

“If at some point we are making a profit, or we are making another company a profit, off the use of our facilities I am worried that will become prohibitive to [the local organizations that] use our facilities because now Facilitron will like us to go through these hoops just to play frisbee” said Board member Neda Farid. “I would rather have those resources go toward any of the programs or infrastructure that need updating and repair. I see no need to give that commission away.” 

Board President Cross questioned the indemnity clause in Facilitron’s contract, concerned GUSD would be held financially accountable for issues with the service.

After a lengthy discussion, the Board tabled the approval of the Facilitron contract until it has more information. 

Board members unanimously approved the curriculum for the 2026-27 school year, and approved Board liaison and trustee placements.