Deaf Educators Urge Desert Sands to Hire ASL Interpreter Coordinator
Board of Education • Desert Sands Unified School DistrictSeptember 16, 2026
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Two deaf educators told the Desert Sands Unified School District Board of Education on Sept. 15, 2026, that the district's interpreter services are falling short of federal law, and they proposed a dedicated coordinator to fix them. The concerns came during public comment, alongside a teacher's challenge to classroom staffing cuts. Trustees could not respond to either because neither issue was on the agenda, and no trustee asked to schedule them.
- Deaf educators seek a districtwide ASL interpreter coordinator, citing weeks-long waits and uncertified interpreters
- Teacher questions classroom cuts while the district reports a reserve of about 43%
- Up to $11M in Community Facilities District bonds went to roll-call votes with no discussion and no announced result
- All 24 schools that applied earned state PBIS recognition, up from 19 last year, with six at Platinum
Interpreter Gaps Draw a Federal-Law Warning
Why it matters: Deaf students and staff depend on qualified interpreters to take part in classes, meetings and legally required special education planning. The speakers warned that unreliable service isolates students and could expose the district to legal risk.
The basics: An IEP, or individualized education program, is the legally binding plan and meeting process for a student receiving special education services. Video relay interpreting connects participants to a remote interpreter through a screen.
Where things stand: Maria Flom, a deaf teacher who teaches grades 6-8 at DRA and leads ASL classes, said remote video interpreting can work in limited settings but breaks down where it matters most.
“It is not conducive for an IEP or large meetings, maybe for one-on-one, but not for those IEP meetings,” said Flom.
Flom said interpreter requests sometimes go unfulfilled for weeks. She added that some interpreters lack certification and an understanding of deaf culture. She framed the issue as a compliance obligation, not a preference: “We need to follow the ADA law, which is a federal law,” said Flom.
Myra, a deaf educator in the district, backed those points. She said unreliable services cut students off from their peers and teachers. She pointed to Ventura County as a comparison, where deaf individuals “were given interpreters almost immediately,” according to Myra.
The ask: Both speakers proposed creating a single districtwide position to schedule interpreters, build rapport with deaf students and staff, and confirm certification and federal compliance.
“Our suggestion is to have a position that's created an ASL interpreter coordinator who's responsible for relaying these services for the entire district,” said Myra.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The board took no action because the item was not agendized. The proposal touches several groups at once: deaf students and families who rely on IEP meetings, deaf employees who need access to staff meetings, special education staff who now arrange interpreters, and district budget officers who would have to fund a new position. Neither speaker gave a cost estimate.
What's next: No trustee requested a future agenda item on interpreter access. Advocates seeking board action will likely need to return during public comment or ask a trustee to place the item on a future agenda.
Teacher Asks: Cut the District Office First?
Why it matters: Declining enrollment is driving staffing reductions. A teacher argued that classrooms are absorbing the cuts while district-level management positions stay in place, and that a large reserve weakens the case for those cuts.
Where things stand: Kristen Bossy, a teacher and public commenter, told the board her school lost a teaching position for the second straight year. She said enrollment decline is being used to justify moving teachers while district management positions continue.
“The first question should be what can we do differently at the district level before we take another teacher away from a child,” said Bossy.
Bossy cited a reported reserve of approximately 43% and acknowledged that not all of it is available to spend. She asked three questions: what portion is committed, what portion is available, and why the district holds a reserve that large. She asked for a transparent review before another teacher is displaced.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Trustees did not respond because the item was not agendized. Her questions bear on the classroom teachers and students at schools losing positions, and on the district administrators whose positions she said should face scrutiny first.
The timing is notable. Later the same evening, the board took a roll-call vote without discussion on Resolution 06/2026-2027. That resolution adjusts appropriations after reconciling 2025-26 estimated ending fund balances with unaudited actuals, the same year-end figures that shape reserve levels.
What's next: No follow-up is scheduled. Residents tracking reserve levels should watch for the reconciled year-end figures in board budget materials.
$11M in Facilities Bonds Move Without Debate
Why it matters: The board, acting as the legislative body for three Community Facilities Districts, voted on authorizing special tax bonds that fund school facilities and are repaid from special taxes levied on property inside those districts.
Where things stand: Trustees took separate roll-call votes on three Series 2026 bond resolutions:
- Resolution 07/2026-2027: CFD 2008-1, not to exceed $2M
- Resolution 08/2026-2027: CFD 2018-1, not to exceed $7M, the largest of the three
- Resolution 09/2026-2027: CFD 2022-1, not to exceed $2M
The board also took roll calls on Resolution 05/2026-2027, the annual GAN limit resolution, and on Resolution 06/2026-2027, the fund-balance appropriations resolution. None of the five items drew trustee discussion.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Ayes were audible on each roll call, but no result or tally was announced from the dais. Official minutes will confirm the final counts. If approved, the bonds would raise up to $11M for facilities, with property owners in the three districts carrying the repayment through special taxes. Items 18.6 and 18.7 were taken as a group and passed by voice vote. Their contents were not described.
What's next: Confirmed vote tallies should appear in the minutes, which the board typically approves at its next regular meeting.
Every PBIS Applicant School Earns State Honors
Why it matters: All 24 district schools that applied earned California PBIS recognition, up from 19 last year. That signals wider adoption of the behavior-support framework across campuses.
The basics: PBIS, or Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, is a schoolwide framework for teaching and reinforcing expected student behavior.
Where things stand: Elizabeth Hartman, Director of Professional Development and Teacher Support, said “every single one of them earned an award.”
Shadow Hills High School earned Silver, and a long list of schools earned Gold. Six schools reached Platinum: Benjamin Franklin Elementary, Amelia Earhart Elementary, Amistad High, Herbert Hoover Elementary, John Glenn Middle and Indio Middle.
Hartman also honored the California Association of World Schools' International Baccalaureate Teachers of the Year: Laura Lee Stolzoff of Earhart and Autumn Diaz of John Glenn Middle School. Trustees congratulated the schools during their comments.
Minor Items
- Closed session: The board voted 5-0 to reinstate two students and took no action on a Palm Desert High School assistant principal appointment.
- Donations: Trustee Michael Duran read $15,450 in gifts aloud, including $15,000 from the Greater Palm Springs visitor organization for CTE programs. He also praised muralist John Cuevas.
- Retirements: Adaptive PE teacher James Wiley (29¼ years) and classified employee Gloria Gutierrez (11 years) are retiring. La Quinta High Principal Greg O'Meara thanked his retiring “administrative assistant for 31 years.”
- Textbook compliance: No public comment was noted at the 2026-27 instructional materials hearing. The roll call on Resolution 04/2026-2027 had no announced result.
- Suicide Prevention Month: Superintendent Kelly May-Vollmar pointed staff and families to student badge hotlines, the See Something Say Something tool and employee assistance. All staff can now nominate students for Do the Right Thing.
Looking Ahead
The board's next regular meeting is Oct. 6, 2026. No trustee requested future agenda items, so the interpreter access and reserve questions have no scheduled follow-up.