Confirming rumors circulating for several weeks, a group of
Morgan Hill community members, parents and Morgan Hill School
District employees served recall notices on four School Board
trustees during Monday night’s lengthy board meeting.
Confirming rumors circulating for several weeks, a group of Morgan Hill community members, parents and Morgan Hill School District employees served recall notices on four School Board trustees during Monday night’s lengthy board meeting.
An overflow crowd in the District Office boardroom watched as a member of the Community Alliance for Responsible Education (CARE), Robert Lund, served notices to Board President Tom Kinoshita and Trustees George Panos, Del Foster and Jan Masuda just as the board was preparing to elect a new president and vice president before adopting the agenda for the meeting.
In a statement issued Monday, CARE cited a lack of trust in the four trustees by the community, the support of Superintendent Carolyn McKennan by the four and various charges of financial mismanagement and lack of oversight as reasons for initiating the recall process.
“I understand the emotions. Not everyone agrees with the decisions we make,” said Kinoshita, who was elected in November to his third term.
“However, I don’t believe any official – be it the governor, legislator or school board member – should be recalled for taking positions. Recall should be reserved for malfeasance or breaking the law, not just because you disagree.”
Just before 11 p.m. Monday night, the board voted to continue the meeting until 7 p.m. Tuesday at the district office.
According to Shannon Buchey, election division coordinator for the Santa Clara County Registrar’s Office, CARE must gather signatures in support of its petition from 20 percent of the registered voters in the Morgan Hill School District, which stretches from South San Jose to San Martin.
In the district, Buchey said, there are approximately 28,000 registered voters, so CARE must gather at least 5,600 signatures.
It is too late to complete the process in order to put the recall on the March 2 ballot, she said, so the recall would likely have to take place during a special election. Carol Gomez, who works in the accounting department of the Registrar’s Office, said a special election would cost approximately $5-$7 per signature on the recall petition or a minimum of $28,000.
Recall supporters have 120 days from Monday to collect the signatures.
Foster said that money would come out of the district’s pockets, which are nearly empty.
“The (regular November) election is in only 11 more months,” said the two-term board member. “This is a waste of program money for a special election.”
A majority of voters would be necessary for the recall to succeed.
“Before this, I was pretty sure I’d step aside,” said Foster, who would have been up for re-election in November. “Now I may have to run again.”
Masuda, who was elected to a second term in November 2000, said a special election would not serve the needs of the community.
“If a special election was held, and interim board members were appointed, they would only serve for approximately seven meetings before time to file for the November election,” she said during the 10-minute break in Monday’s board meeting. “I would like to say, for those who are not happy, that they need to spend their time and energy beginning a campaign for one of the seats available in the November election.”
Panos, who was unanimously elected board president after the notices were served, agreed with Masuda.
“With only seven months until filing for the board election, I wonder if this is in the best interests of our educational community,” he said.
Trustee Shelle Thomas, who was elected to her first term in November, was unanimously elected board vice president.
Panos, responding to charges by CARE that the four trustees have not been responsive to the community, said more dialogue is necessary.
“I hope some dialogue with the board will occur – to air their concerns,” he said. Obviously some of this is incorrect (referring to a statement about the board eliminating extra-curricular activities). I was the champion of minor sports from the get-go this year.”
As Monday’s meeting progressed, the items on the agenda included emotionally charged issues including a 6-1 vote, Foster voting against, to rescind acceptance of a $500,000 federal grant to develop small learning communities at Live Oak High which the board had previously voted 4-3 to accept; and an attempt to establish criteria for choice placement (transfer) in schools, with the focus on the opening of the new Sobrato High.
Live Oak teachers last month voted 43-41 not to accept the grant.
Also, there was a presentation by Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers President Donna Foster of the union’s initial bargaining proposal, seeking, among other items, an increase in teacher wages.
“Less than 10 years ago the Morgan Hill School District teachers were at the median in wages for districts in Santa Clara County,” said Foster. “We are now dead last and losing ground.”
Another charges by CARE is that the four trustees “have allowed the district to become uncompetitive in teachers’ and classified employees’ compensation,” according to CARE spokeswoman Victoria Battison, who did not address trustees during the meeting.
Monday’s meeting also included a lengthy and impassioned discussion by trustees and members of the Educational Specifications, or Ed Specs, committee on a report by Sobrato High Principal Rich Knapp on the committee’s progress and recommendations on the curriculum outline for a 9-12 grade high school configuration the district moves to this fall. Much of the presentation focused on poor test scores at Live Oak.
The next step in the recall process, Buchey said, is a notice of intent “required by law to be made public in a newspaper; the recallee then has seven days to file an answer, which is optional.”
“After 10 days, from the filing of the answer, if there is one, two blank copies of the petition and proof of publication must be turned in,” she said. “Then I have 10 days by law to review and give an answer, and they have 10 days to correct it. It can go back and forth until I approve it. They have 120 days to circulate the petition once I approve it.”
After approval and the collection of the signatures, Buchey said, the petition is filed and she has 30 business days for signature checking.
“At that point, I prepare results to give to give governing body,” she said. “Then, 88 to 100 days after, there can be an election. Given the time frame, it would most likely be a special election at this point.”
First-term board members Thomas, Amina Khemici and Mike Hickey were elected in November 2002. Kinoshita was elected to a second four-year term in the same election.
The seats held by Panos, Masuda and Foster will be on the November 2004 ballot.
