City Council Agenda Report
Meeting Date: September 1, 2026
From: Brian Saeki, City Administrator
Department: City Administration
Submitted by: Lilia Hernandez, Deputy City Administrator Subject
Donation to Vernon City Elementary School for Interventionist Position Recommendation
A. Find that providing financial support to Vernon City Elementary School (VCES) serves a public purpose and benefits Vernon area students;
B. Approve and authorize the City Administrator to execute a donation letter, in substantially the same form as submitted, memorializing the City of Vernon’s commitment to funding the Interventionist position at VCES for a total amount not-to-exceed $174,349 for the 2026-27 school year; and
C. Authorize the City Administrator to make additional donations to VCES in an amount up to $25,651 for the specific purpose of funding the Interventionist position for the 2026-27 school year, should the final compensation amount for the position exceed $174,349. Total donations to VCES for this purpose shall not exceed the $200,000 allocated by City Council in the City’s budget for Fiscal Year 2026-27.
Background
As part of the City’s Strategic Planning process, the City Council received input from residents and stakeholders regarding community needs and used the feedback to establish future goals and priorities. During this process, the school administration of Vernon City Elementary School (VCES) shared the challenges they would face in their efforts to provide high-quality education and support for its students with crucial funding for the school falling short of expectations for the upcoming school year. The City Council’s desire to aid the school’s efforts to maintain critical staff positions for the 2026-27 school year was identified as Task 1.9 of the 2026-2031 Strategic Plan under the goal to Strengthen City Credibility and Partnerships.
Subsequently, during the City’s budget process for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27, the City Council received a request from VCES to fund the Interventionist position at the school for the 2026-27 school year. VCES is a public K-6 school within the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and is the only school located within the City’s boundaries. The school serves students who live in and around the City as well as students whose parents work at the businesses located in the City. The school’s Principal indicated that due to LAUSD’s budgetary constraints and without another funding source, the school would lose an on-site Interventionist for the 2026-27 school year. After considering the critical academic support services provided by the Interventionist and the need at VCES, the City Council authorized a one-time allocation of $200,000 to be used to support the Interventionist position during the 2026-27 school year. The proposed donation letter memorializes the City’s commitment to its partnership with VCES and LAUSD in promoting educational excellence and providing students with the resources and academic support needed to succeed.
Donation Letter
LAUSD’s rules for receiving donations allow for donors to stipulate that the donation should be used for a specific purpose or program only. Accordingly, the proposed donation letter (Attachment 1) specifically indicates the following:
• The donation from the City is in the amount of $174,349 • The donation is provided for the 2026-27 school year
• The funds shall be used exclusively to support the Interventionist position, including salary, benefits and applicable fringe costs
Interventionist Position
The Interventionist provides direct services to students in multiple content areas and participates in the implementation of a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) that includes intervention via re-teaching and professional development of teachers. The Interventionist provides direct targeted instruction and intervention for students, collaborates and co-plans with other teachers to share effective instructional practices, and supports community engagement and parent involvement. The primary duties and responsibilities are detailed in the Interventionist job flyer (Attachment 2). Maria Nercessian has served as the Interventionist at VCES and would continue to serve in that capacity for the 2026-27 school year if funding for the position is available.
Request to Utilize Remaining Funds
As the letter reads currently, the funds are to be used exclusively for the Interventionist position.
The amount of $174,349 provided by VCES for the cost to fund the position for the 2026-27 school year is based on the pay scale and salary basis of the incumbent and includes base salary, non-wage labor costs, and health/medical benefits (Attachment 3). Although it is not anticipated that the position will cost less than this amount, VCES has requested that if it does, any remaining funds be allowed to be spent on the purchase of interventionist instructional materials and resources. Should City Council determine that is acceptable, the language in bold below would be added to the letter:
“The funds shall be used exclusively to support the interventionist position, including salary, benefits, applicable fringe costs, and, if permitted under LAUSD fiscal policies and procedures, any remaining funds may be used to purchase instructional materials and resources that directly support the Interventionist position and student intervention services.”
Authority for Additional Donations
In the event that the cost of funding the Interventionist position at VCES during the 2026-27 school year exceeds the $174,349, staff is requesting that the City Administrator be authorized to make additional donations to the school for this sole specific purpose up to an amount of $25,651. The total amount of donations to VCES for this purpose would not exceed the $200,000 allocated by City Council in the City’s budget for FY 2026-27. If approved by City Council, staff would proceed with the initial donation disbursement of $174,349 to VCES. Any subsequent requests for additional funding up to $25,651 for the sole purpose of supporting the Interventionist position would be subject to approval by the City Administrator and memorialized in separate donation letters to be reviewed and approved as-to-form by the City Attorney.
The proposed donation letter has been reviewed and approved as-to-form by the City Attorney’s Office.
Strategic Plan Goals
Goal 1: Strengthen City Credibility and Partnerships
Fiscal Impact
The fiscal impact is not-to-exceed $200,000. Sufficient funds are available in General Fund, Community Engagement Good Neighbor Program Account No. 011-010-160-529715 for the current fiscal year.
Attachments
1. Donation Letter to Vernon City Elementary School
2. Interventionist Position Job Flyer
3. Interventionist Position Cost Calculation