We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our entire community. Many of you remember the challenging time in the winter of 2021 when CCUSD had to close for three days due to an Omicron surge caused numerous educators to call in sick. As a result, a fee of approximately $1,034,428 was assessed for the closure. In 2023, the board took steps to appeal this fee and collaborated with Lola Smallwood-Cuevas’s office to draft SB 1338. This week, we received the fantastic news from the Education Audit Appeals Panel that our collective efforts have paid off, and the fee will be waived! We couldn’t have achieved this without the support of so many. Thank you to the Culver City Democratic Club for your support letter and the Santa Monica Democratic Club. Thank you to the Latinas who attended HOPE Latina Action Day and stood by our side in Sacramento to hand-deliver the SB 1338 policy brief to the Appropriations Committee. To the parents and community members who submitted support letters to the state committees, we are deeply grateful. We also want to thank our Superintendents—Tran, Keller, Poulin, and Lucas—for ensuring this issue was resolved. Most importantly, a special thank you to our State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas and her office for sponsoring SB 1338, and for their diligence in following up when the bill was suspended. This is a shining example of what we can accomplish when we work together to overcome obstacles.