Sweetwater school board suddenly evaluates superintendent, keeps quiet about results
The Sweetwater Union High School Board launched a sudden performance evaluation of its superintendent Friday, as the school district grapples with a fiscal crisis and with federal and state investigations related to potential fraud.
The evaluation, which happened during a special, closed-door meeting Friday afternoon and night, raised speculation among community members that the board might fire Karen Janney or force her to resign, although audit agencies have not yet assigned blame to specific people for the district’s financial problems.
The school board met from 4:30 p.m. until past 10 p.m. Friday. The board didn’t report any actions immediately after the meeting.
The board also is scheduled to meet in open session Monday at 6 p.m. It listed a possible action on the dismissal, resignation, discipline, transfer or reclassification of an employee or employees on its closed-session agenda, but it is not clear whether that pertains to Janney.
Some of her supporters tried to sway the five-member board before it went into closed session Friday.
“We hope that you won’t yield to pressure to find a convenient scapegoat,†said Gene Chavira, president of the Sweetwater teachers union.
Sweetwater is the state’s largest secondary school district with roughly 39,000 students.
The district faces an impending state audit for possible fraud and an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, after a state fiscal agency found reason to believe Sweetwater employees may have been covering up the district’s financial problems.
Sweetwater officials have said they consider the superintendent’s evaluation to be a confidential personnel record and so will not release it to the public. Personnel records are protected from disclosure by state law.
It is unclear which board member requested to put Janney’s evaluation on Friday’s agenda, but agenda items are set by the superintendent and the board president, who is Kevin Pike.
At least one board member said he didn’t know about the decision to evaluate Janney before the meeting. Board Trustee Frank Tarantino said he was surprised to see it on the agenda.
Janney makes an annual salary of $243,308. Janney took a pay and benefits cut of about $13,700 in November after agreeing to take 10 furlough days, as the district’s emerging fiscal crisis forced budget cuts.
Janney’s current contract lasts until June 30, 2021. The board can terminate it if it finds that Janney “engaged in conduct damaging to the well-being of the District,†materially breached her contract or committed conduct that is fireable under state law, including unprofessional conduct, immoral conduct or unsatisfactory performance.
According to her contract, Janney is supposed to be evaluated by April 15 of each school year, so this evaluation comes weeks earlier than usual, Tarantino said.
A handful of community members at Friday’s meeting voiced support for Janney, saying they think she has served the district well. A few asked the board to wait until the investigations of the district are finished before dealing out judgment.
“Once those determinations are made, let the chips fall where they may,†community member Kathleen Cheers said at Friday’s meeting. “Don’t make this any uglier than it has already become.â€
The school board hired Janney in June 2015. She started working for the district in 1978 and has been a teacher, principal and assistant superintendent.
Many Sweetwater community members believed Janney would help restore trust and stability to the district after former Sweetwater officials were found to have led a pay-to-play corruption scandal that began in 2010. Sweetwater’s former superintendent, Jesus Gandara, was indicted on charges of felony conspiracy and accepting gifts above the legal limit, and 17 South County board members, educators and contractors pleaded guilty to misdemeanors and felonies.
The school board will meet in open session at 6 p.m. Monday at 1130 Fifth Avenue in Chula Vista.
Previously
- Sweetwater school board approves $20 million in adjustments to fix sudden funding shortfall
- Sweetwater schools budget gets a passing grade for now, but county officials still have concerns
- Sweetwater Union High School District to be audited over potential fraud, state agency cites ‘years of weak governance and leadership’
- On top of a state audit, Sweetwater schools face $11 million negative fund balance after previously projecting a surplus
- Sweetwater Union High School District leaders say they have a plan to stabilize finances
- County officials exert ‘veto’ power over Sweetwater schools decisions, given financial problems
- Money troubles felt first in Sweetwater Union High School District’s adult schools
- Audits, strong processes and procedures needed to prevent school district fraud, experts say
- Sweetwater school board says fiscal recovery plan coming next month, debates when public can give input
- The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is looking into Sweetwater school district’s finances
- Sweetwater schools audit to focus on payroll, borrowing and suspect budget entries
- County revokes Sweetwater school district’s ability to pay bills on its own
- Sweetwater district’s internal auditor found financial reporting lapses a year ago
Kristen Taketa
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @Kristen_Taketa
