Crowd Disrupts Board Meeting

Police were called to a Simi Valley school board meeting Tuesday night after dozens of parents and students angrily interrupted trustees during a discussion about converting Sequoia Junior High School into a special magnet high school focusing on technology and the performing arts.

“Apparently there were too many people in here and people were getting a little bit irritable,” Simi Valley Police Officer Mike Cratch said.

Cratch and his partner arrived at the meeting about 9:40 p.m. and stood along one side of the City Council chambers, where Simi Valley Unified School District board meetings are held. The meeting, which drew about 300 Sequoia backers, was interrupted by frequent boos, shouts and hisses.

“I actually have never been to a board meeting like this,” said Diane Collins, school board president. “I’m actually shocked. I think we are not making a very good show of how we want our students to act.”