[Humboldt County Grand Jury] Report: Southern Humboldt school district discipline ‘not enforced consistently’

Report ‘unable to identify specific instances of nepotism of corruption’

A new report by the Humboldt County civil grand jury finds that Southern Humboldt schools have been disadvantaged by declining enrollment, voids in leadership and low budget oversight by local school boards.

As a result of short-tenured superintendents and a lack of communication between the districts and the community, schools in the region have increased absenteeism and reduced programs, the report found.

On the other hand, the report, released Wednesday, did not identify any nepotism or corruption among district staff — two accusations the jury had investigated via tips from the public.

A silver lining in the report’s findings: the Southern Humboldt Joint Unified School District’s current superintendent, who is also a school principal, will leave the post vacant at the end of the year.

“This will provide an opportunity for the Board to hire a competent, energized, and visionary leader as Superintendent,” the report states. “Such a person can help the Board establish and maintain policy.”

The district did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

The civil grand jury, an independent group of Humboldt County residents, investigates a different set of local issues each year.

In the case of Southern Humboldt schools, community members have taken to school board meetings to lament how few programs remain for students, according to the report.

Out of 760 enrolled students at the district, over 55% are socioeconomically disadvantaged, the report states. Around 6% are English language-learners.

Among the criticisms of the current and past superintendents, the report states the district has “been deprived of an invested, enthusiastic, and effective leader.”

The jury recommends that a new superintendent, along with the district’s board of trustees, look for new sources of funding. Currently, the report states, students and families have had to raise funds to keep school programs alive.

“The (grand jury) recommends the (district) must more aggressively pursue creative funding ideas from a variety of sources, including federal and state grants, charitable donations from private businesses, and local benefactors,” the report states.

The district’s board of trustees, the Humboldt County Board of Education and the county’s superintendent of schools will have the chance to formally respond to the report’s findings.

Eureka Times-Standard
June 10, 2020