The Soquel Union Elementary School Board has a lot of work to do to regain the trust of the community. That is the conclusion of an investigation released Tuesday by the Santa Cruz County Grand Jury.
The grand jury report cites a “history of poor communication and mistrust of the Board and District administration by the public they serve.”
According to the report, the problems date back to 2014, when the Board made “poorly reported decisions” and allowed board meetings to deteriorate into an “us versus them” dynamic.
Among nine findings, the grand jury said that the Board had violated the Brown Act on at least two occasions by failing to have open session discussion regarding the district superintendent’s contract and making incomplete reports of closed session decisions.
The report also took issue with the school board’s decision to add the superintendent’s expenses to his annual salary, and said it had failed to adequately develop and report performance standards for the superintendent. Other issues centered on poor communication and inadequate accounting practices of Home and School Club contributions.
The report contains nine recommended changes in Board policies and procedures. The Soquel Union Elementary School Board of Trustees has 90 days – until July 25 – to respond to the recommendations.
April 26, 2016
News Channel 5 KION
By Barry Brown
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