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Sweetwater Union HS District Board Meeting Skips Public Comment
Here's an update. The County Board of Education will meet Tuesday, July 11, at 2 p.m. at their location on Linda Vista Road. The agenda is posted online. There are no items having to do with a request for an extraordinary audit of Sweetwater, or nothing that seems to have anything to do with Sweetwater, so it seems no member of the public has requested such an item? Public comments on agenda items are taken before agenda items (as it should be done!), but public comments on non-agenda items are not taken until after most everything else.— July 7, 2012 11:06 a.m.
Sweetwater Union HS District Board Meeting Skips Public Comment
Hello anniej: Please see my message posted of June 20. I realize it is frustrating to have any bureauracy say 'we aren't responsbile for THAT' or 'we don't get involved'. Sometimes they aren't, and sometimes they don't. That is why is is necessarily strategic to take them to the mat only for those very things they are supposed to be responsible for...don't expect them to deal with anything else. If you mix the 'supposed tos' with the 'not responsbile fors' they will lump them all together in the 'not responsible for' category and discard all complaints in a lump. However, the County Board of Education is required by statute (law) as follows: 1) to 'superintend' (to supervise) the school districts within their jurisdiction; 2) to provide financial oversight of the school districts within their jurisdiction; etc. We see an example of an 'extraordinary' audit of a charter school posted on their website. So, precedent has been established! It is obvious that the current CBOE is not eager to get involved. But THEY ARE INVOLVED BY LAW! However, hold their feet to the fire for awhile and see if they pay attention. They, too, can be recalled! Call the media, make appropriate complaints at the meeting during open comment, demand that they (through their superintendent) actually DO what the law says -- 'superintend districts and oversee finances' however much they might not wish to 'get involved.' Call the State Superinendent of Public Instruction to complain, copy your state legislators, the State Attorney General until you get their attention. Everyone is busy, no one wants trouble unless they are a 'crusader'. Find a crusader to take up your cause. But remember, separate the issues according to jurisdiction. Brown Act violations go to the DA; fiscal matters to the CBOE; illegal campaign matters to the FPPC, etc. Develop individual expertise in different arenas and have a designated committee to keep the pressure on each jurisdiction: county office, district attorney, state superintendent, legislature, etc. It does take a village, and persistence to right something gone so wrong.— June 27, 2012 1:19 p.m.
Sweetwater Union HS District Board Meeting Skips Public Comment
susan, there is no agenda posted yet, and the master calendar on the SDCOE website does not show a specific time for the regular meeting July 11. The June meeting was at 2 p.m.; however, the May meeting was at 6 p.m. A call to the Board Secretary should yield the actual time of the July meeting. The candidate who seems to be willing the seat for District 2, currently held by Rindone, is Lyn Nealon. I think she is a professor (ESL) at Cuyamaca College. She is currently leading in the very close vote count (less than 1 percent difference) by 920 votes, with about 1,000 left to count, according to the Registrar of Voters website. Rindone would have to get almost all of the remaining ballots to pull it out, and that is possible but unlikely.— June 21, 2012 8:56 p.m.
Sweetwater Union HS District Board Meeting Skips Public Comment
Hello Susan, I do not know if there are any plans to attend the July 11 meeting of the County Board of Education (it's in the afternoon), but it is the place to take complaints and concerns about any fiscal irregularities at SUHSD, as well as questions about possible comingling or 'borrowing' from Mello-Roos or bond fund(s) by the district's general fund. The County Board of Education (the County Superintendent) is charged with oversight of school districts' finances, and thus has the capacity to order an extraordinary audit to learn for themselves what is really going on in order to exercise that oversight. It is NOT, however, the place to take any complaints or concerns about other matters (such as Brown Act violations, etc, ) and I would advise anyone planning to address the County Board of Education to stick to the one topic over which the CBOE does have jurisdiction--- fiscal matters. Making other 'complaints' or allegations will muddy the water in that venue and might even County BOE Board Members an opportunity to sweep their responsibility for fiscal oversight under the carpet saying they do not have oversight of the other matters. Best to stick to the single topic, and come armed with specifics and evidence of the district's lack of response to public inquiries about fiscal matters and suspected irregularities. I suspect their feet will need to be held to the fire in public in order to get any action, but it IS their responsbility, however 'uncomfortable' they may be with that reality.— June 20, 2012 1:34 p.m.
Sweetwater Union HS District Board Meeting Skips Public Comment
Bonitaresident: Regardless of who knows whom and who may or may not be old friends with whom, it is the DUTY of the County Board of Education to oversee fiscal conditions of the schools in their jurisdiction. But, sleeping dogs will be allowed to lie unless the public demands that the County Board do its job. There are five elected board members who 'direct' the County Superintendent, who is supposed to 'direct' the employees who report to him.— June 19, 2012 10:27 a.m.
Sweetwater Union HS District Board Meeting Skips Public Comment
FYI, the County Office of Education's next scheduled meeting is July 11, 2 p.m. at the County Office of Education headquarters on Linda Vista Road. Lora Duzyk is the Assistant Superintendent for Business Services. Go to their website, www.sdcoe.net/business2 , to look up a report (use menu on left side of page) on an Extraordinary Audit performed at the SDCOE's behest on Eagles Peak Charter School in 2007, under the asupices of AB 139. It appears the SDCOE DOES have the authority and responsbility to intervene and audit questionable school practices within their juristiction. It seems it is time to suggest that they do that job in Sweetwater.— June 18, 2012 1:52 p.m.
Sweetwater Union HS District Board Meeting Skips Public Comment
Anniej: I understand that it would be 'nice' for the SUHSD officials to be considerate of the public's needs, but we know that just is not going to happen. A friend once told me, "Do not expect sober behavior from a drunk." I think the best we can hope or expect is that the district will at a minimum maintain the deadline for posting the agenda for public inspection -- 72 hours in advance of scheduled meeting. There are exceptions for 'emergencies' and 'special meetings' -- which are carefully defined -- so keep your eyes out for those, too. Wouldn't hurt for everyone to download a copy of the Brown Act and wave it under their nosees. Sadly, they have shown time after time that they do not respect the public's rights and are weasling around the Brown Act. The whole intent of the Brown Act is that 'the public's business will be done in public.'— June 16, 2012 12:47 p.m.
Sweetwater Union HS District Board Meeting Skips Public Comment
The Brown Act requires 72 hours notice of the agenda for a public meeting. If the angency meets that requirement, they are within the requirements. Friday posting for a Monday meeting seems to meet the minimum requirement of the law.— June 15, 2012 8:25 p.m.
Sweetwater Union HS District Board Meeting Skips Public Comment
Eastlaker: A quick google search shows that Ed Brand and Associates incorporated in the State of California August 14, 2007, with an address in Escondido.— June 15, 2012 1:45 p.m.
Sweetwater Union HS District Board Meeting Skips Public Comment
Please make sure you submit the item in advance, per the district's own by-laws, and have someone sign for it or send it certified mail return receipt requested so Brand can't claim it was not received.— June 15, 2012 9:48 a.m.