For at least 30 years, the Alum Rock Union School District has been troubled. For example, reading proficiency has never been above 50% and the school board was seen as a stepping stone to higher office, so board members came and went on their way to city council, planning commision, water board, or other local, county, or regional offices. Thus, the mission of the School District was neglected by the board.
When I first moved into this school district 10 years ago, it was about the time some of the corruption was being exposed. Since then,
- students and parents have been staging protests,
- there has been fraud in no-bid contracts,
- public confidence in the district has eroded,
- there have been Grand Jury investigations,
- bonded indebtedness of the district has increased,
- property taxes to pay for the school district have increased,
- the county is threatening to take over the district's finances because of a $20,000,000 budget deficit,
- reading proficiency levels in all grades have decreased, with 80% of the district's students leaving the 8th grade not able to read and write English proficiently.
I am here to get the school district back on track.
-- Matt Karnes