San Mateo County superintendent demands change

More specifically, the letter notes that the district’s revenue and expenditures are inconsistent with its current budget and enrollment projections — which are used to estimate district funding — have been reported as remaining stagnant despite actual student enrollment dropping in the district. 

It also pointed to a rapid turnover of officials as contributing to fiscal concerns for the district. Current Superintendent Jose Espinoza is slated to leave the district by the end of the semester, making him the fifth superintendent to leave the district in six years. Michael Milliken, former Belmont-Redwood Shores School District superintendent, was recently hired as an interim while the district searches for a permanent replacement.

“The revolving door in key leadership positions has created frustration, poor morale and instability within the district,” read the letter, which also noted the district has had four chief business officials and five student services and special education directors in the past five years. 

Milliken noted the board missed its window to appeal the letter’s findings, adding that the next steps will come from the county. Of the six possible corrective measures Magee could have assigned, she selected two — that a Fiscal Health Risk Analysis be completed by the Financial Crisis Management Assistance Team and an updated General Fund projection with a revised Multi-Year Projection with realistic enrollment numbers and accurate estimates of one-time revenue and expenditures be submitted.

Trustee Andriana Shea, who was named board president during Wednesday’s special meeting, argued the board should embrace the support the county is offering in addressing the sustained dysfunction. In a statement, she said the board fully intends on complying with Magee’s recommended actions

“We take the notice of going concern from the County Superintendent Nancy Magee very seriously,” Shea said in an email. 

Shea, the newest member of the board elected in 2020, will be responsible for leading those efforts. Having joined the board with hopes of being a stabilizing force, Shea said dysfunction years in the making were far worse than she anticipated.

“I knew that there was dysfunction and that this was going to be difficult. I did not realize the depth and breadth of that dysfunction until I was sworn in,” Shea said during the meeting. “It’s so clear that the systems are broken and I’ve been banging my head against the wall trying to figure out how we can begin to address them.” 

Still, Shea recommitted herself to working productively with her fellow board members and encouraged her colleagues to do the same, noting their jobs are first and foremost about contributing to positive learning experiences for their students, a sentiment echoed by other trustees. 

Milliken also encouraged trustees to begin considering solutions for building a stronger board. The letter identified inappropriate governing styles and micromanagement of staff by trustees as an area of concern, noting staff has been made to “feel wary, overwhelmed, tense and cynical because they’re uncertain of how they’ll be affected by district-level political dynamics.” 

But Magee held off on providing guidance for how to improve dysfunctional working relationships among trustees and between the board and district staff.

Trustee Jennifer Blanco shared disappointment that the letter was not more specific about situations and which individuals Magee felt were causing dysfunction and in Magee’s absence from the meeting. Milliken assured Blanco he would arrange a closed session meeting in which Magee could speak candidly about her specific concerns, though, Trustee Teri Chavez said she felt Magee was clear about her concerns having expressed them in a previous closed session meeting.

Milliken also committed to improving communication issues between leadership and district staff as identified in the letter and with ensuring the board is properly prepared before board meetings. 

“I encourage everyone here to look in the mirror and consider what they could do to contribute to a higher performing governance team and I’ll include myself in that,” Milliken said.

Public speakers also implored the trustees to improve their conduct on the board for the sake of the children whose education is affected by their decisions. Some offered scathing criticism of the governing body and called out each member for contributing to the district’s instability including a rotating door of officials and low morale among staff.

Trustees largely agreed self-reflection will be the first necessary step in changing board dynamics and Shea said the governance team intends on working with Magee and the California School Board Association’s Governance Consulting Services over the next few months to develop concrete next steps.

In an interview after the meeting, Andrew Mason, who rotated out of the board presidency to trustee, offered to support Shea as she begins to address the letter’s findings, noting much work will need to be done for trustees to become reacquainted with the governance handbook and any necessary amendments while also reflecting on their commitment to the district. 

“As I mentioned last night, the board should perform some self reflection in regards to the governance aspects of the letter to see how our behaviors are impacting the district and board,” Mason said. “Any support she requires from me I will assist as needed.” 

sierra@smdailyjournal.com 

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