The Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) Board of Education and the City of Beverly Hills have approved the “Provision, Use and Maintenance of Educational, Recreational and Community Facilities and Programs Agreement,” known as the Beverly Hills/BHUSD Joint Powers Agreement (JPA). The action took place during the July 14 meetings of the Board of Education and City Council. Both bodies approved the agreement with 5-0 votes.
The JPA covers fiscal years 2020/2021 through 2022/2023, continuing a decades-long collaboration between the City and BHUSD.
“On behalf of the Beverly Hills Unified School District negotiation committee, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the City of Beverly Hills and their negotiating committee for all of their hard work and dedication to the process of creating a new JPA agreement,” said Superintendent Dr. Michael Bregy. “With a spirit of collaboration, we have a document that maximizes the combined resources of the City of Beverly Hills and the Beverly Hills Unified School District. Simultaneously, we have together addressed the needs of all stakeholders in the City and BHUSD. We are proud of the final document and look forward to continuing our collaborative relationship with the City.”
The teams charged with drafting the JPA included Bregy, Board President Isabel Hacker, Vice President Rachelle Marcus, Director of District Athletics/ JPA Coordinator Tim Ellis, and Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Wade Roach, with input from Director of School Safety Scott Lovelace. Working on behalf of the City was Mayor Lester Friedman, Vice Mayor Bob Wunderlich, City Manager George Chavez, Assistant City Manager Nancy Hunt-Coffey, Director of Community Services Jenny Rogers, Asst. Director of Community Services Pam Shinault, Recreation Services Manager Patty Acuna, and Executive Assistant Aida Thau.
“The strong partnership between the City of Beverly Hills and the Beverly Hills Unified School District is critical for our City. Vice President, Mrs. Marcus and I are delighted to have been a part of such unprecedented negotiations with the City of Beverly Hills. Never before has the JPA been so swiftly agreed upon by both parties. On behalf of the School Board, I want to personally thank the City Council and the entire negotiations team of the City for their work on the JPA. We are extremely grateful for the ongoing support of the City during these uncertain times,” Hacker told the Courier.
Friedman said the City was pleased to continue its strong partnership with BHUSD.
“As we all manage the impacts of COVID-19 now and in the years ahead, a strong working relationship between City government and our schools is more critical than ever before.”
