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FAQ
Why did Rick Ledesma and Madison Miner fire our Superintendent?
We don't know. Ledesma and Miner did not give any reason. It was done without any transparency, behind closed doors, in a hastily scheduled "special meeting" during Winter Break. The board does not have to tell the public their reasoning and they chose to keep it secret.
If the board is allowed to fire the Superintendent, what's the problem?
1. Ledesma called a "special meeting" to specifically fire the Superintendent. He set it for January 5th, before the board's first scheduled meeting of the year. Special meetings only give the public 24 hours notice, making it hard for anyone to find out about it or attend. January 5th was during the district's Winter Break session with many people out of town or busy at the time. Both the Superintendent and the Assistant Superintendent were out of town for the holidays and were not able to attend this meeting.
2. No one expected the firing, it had not been mentioned before by anyone concerned. None of the board members had talked about this possibility during their campaigns for office and no residents had been calling for it.
3. The board majority did not publicly discuss anything at the meeting. The vote was done during a closed session. Board members are not allowed to discuss business outside of the meeting, but without any warning or public discussion, they were ready to vote.
These actions may be legal, but they demonstrate a lack of transparency and honest conduct. If trustees have concerns about the performance of administrative staff, the should go through respectful actions to address them. Blindsiding staff with a surprise firing while everyone is on vacation is not in good faith and has shaken the standing of our entire district.
Why are you only recalling two of the four board members who voted to fire former Superintendent Hansen?
All four are deserving of a recall, but we need to maintain a quorum of members. Without a quorum, the board cannot conduct their business. This would bring our district to a complete halt, which would cause even more disruption for our students.
Why not wait until they run for reelection?
Trustees Rick Ledesma and Madison Miner are not up for reelection until Fall 2026. We cannot afford to allow their destructive influence to continue for so long.
What can we do about the other two board members involved in the firing?
Trustees Ortega and Rumsey are up for reelection in Fall 2024.
How much will this recall election cost taxpayers?
According to the Registrar of Voters, between $313,578 and $376,756. The severance packages paid out to our fired administrators already cost our district twice as much as that. Other districts in similar chaos are facing lawsuits in the millions of dollars. Ledesma and Miner have already secured a firm to deal with such clearly impending lawsuits. Funding the recall is necessary to save our classrooms the millions that Ledesma and Miner will continue to steal from classrooms for their personal agendas.
Will we vote in new Trustees right away? Is anyone running against them?
We are voting to decide if Rick Ledesma and Madison Miner should or should not be recalled. There will not be oppositional candidates. We urge you to vote YES on the recall.
Who would replace these board members if they are recalled?
According to the school board bylaws, the board will select and interview candidates at a public meeting, allowing the community to be involved in the process.
Do our students have access to inappropriate materials via our virtual library?
No. There was an error made by the publisher in designating the material for an appropriate age group. Once Sora Digital Library was made aware of it, it was fixed immediately.
Rick Ledesma did not allow any official board discussion or vote on the matter and told the interim superintendent to abruptly shut off access. Study materials were suddenly inaccessible to students, bringing their work to a halt for over a week. Yet another chaotic, uncalled for action that leaves students, parents and teachers unsure of what to expect next.
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