Friday, August 14, 2015

[San Joaquin County] Manteca Unified grand jury report accepted, with a twist


MANTECA — The Manteca Unified School Board has unanimously voted to approve its official response to the civil grand jury of San Joaquin County.
District superintendent Jason Messer confirmed Wednesday the board accepted the grand jury's findings, but with adjustments to one recommendation on adopting a policy for immediate action when a trustee violates district bylaws. The board said it’s not reasonable because doing so would violate the Brown Act.
The board on Tuesday said that the Brown Act requires action items to still be properly posted on the agenda in a timely fashion but said “a policy that includes progressive interventions is a more collaborative and efficient approach.”
Messer said the board beat the scheduled deadline for a response to a San Joaquin County judge originally set for Aug. 28 and will now follow directions given to the board. Messer said many of the recommendations have already been implemented, such as employee training.
The grand jury found some inappropriate behavior by board members (specifically trustees Ashley Drain and Sam Fant) and also that the district mishandled the releasing of Weston Ranch principal Jose Fregoso, among other findings. The report said many employees feared for their jobs because of some public comments from trustees.
August 12, 2015
Stockton Record
By The Record

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