I was walking over to the elections office, talking to an acquaintance about whether to file to run for the Hollister School District School Board, when I received an e-mail from the Hollister School District that sealed the deal for me. I am a candidate for San Benito County’s largest educational system and largest full-time employer.
The defining moment occurred because I am 1 of 7 members of the Hollister Measure M Citizen’s Oversight Committee. Our duty is to make sure that Measure M Bond revenues are only spent where the taxpayers were told it would be spent and that the Hollister School District takes measures to minimize projects costs.
In our last meeting of the Committee, something struck me as odd. I mentioned it to the senior school administrator, sitting next to me, who seemingly acknowledged the oddity. I followed up with the school district the week after. As I was walking up the steps to the election office, I read the e-mail from the school district that closed the deal on my candidacy: I could only see certain documents if I paid $176.
The issue at hand is a local consultant to which the Hollister School District is scheduled to pay $1.3 million for two years’ work, and the shifting of the terms of the compensation. In our meeting I heard that he was being paid based on the estimated costs of the projects and that he was a solo-operator (no staff typical of someone earning that kind of money with the volume of work to be done).
I paid the $176. What was smoke turned into fire, in my opinion. I fully intend to present my findings at the next meeting of the Committee, but in the meantime, I sought a deeper understanding, not wanting to go off half-cocked with my fellow Committee members. I also did not want to wait until mid-October for our next meeting to start looking into it.
Is a solo-project manager worth $1.3 million? Should he be paid based on estimated costs? Should the school district have an agreement that has open-ended terms of compensation? How does all of this maximize bond revenues where it seemingly decreases funds available for their intended purpose?
I met with the senior school district official whose behavior suggests that the school district is taking a defensive-legal position because I am looking into it. That is a shame, because I truly was looking for a friendly resolution to the situation, if indeed there was anything to be resolved. Their actions suggest that there is.
If I am elected to the governing board of the Hollister School District, you can expect me to work very hard to hold the administration accountable to the public, not only for academic achievement of our kids, but for spending our tax dollars wisely. I never thought I would find myself in position where the Hollister School District would treat me so horribly, and I vow that will not let that happen to anyone else when I am a board member.
I present this information because I want the people to know what they can expect from me if elected to the Hollister School District School Board. I am not going to gloss over issues, but get to the root of the problems and find solutions. School board members should work for the students and taxpayers, which is what I intend to do.