Tomorrow, the Paso Robles school board is holding a meeting to discuss the grand jury report criticizing the district for mismanagement during the tenure of superintendent Chris Williams.
You may remember three years ago, Chris Williams announced the aquatic complex to a crowded school district board room. He called it the fastest pool in the world. He bought it from of Italy. That fastest pool in the world is slow coming out of the box. In fact, it’s in a metal storage container. The money ran out for construction as the school district’s budget reserve plunged from 10% or about 7 million dollars to fewer than one million. Williams resigned and the school board gave him over one hundred thousand dollars as a parting gift.
Julian Crocker returned and county schools superintendent James Brescia told KPRL in January of 2019 that the district was on the right path. Last year, school board president Joel Peterson blamed declining enrollment for the school board’s financial issues. He cited declines in the average daily attendance or ADA was the issue. Citizen Berkeley Baker told the board, that wasn’t the reason the school district was in financial difficulties. He said the cause was mismanagement and corruption. The grand jury report is closely aligned with the allegations made by Berkeley Baker, that mismanagement led to the district financial debacle.
The responsibility lies with the trustees who served then. Only one remains on the board, Tim Gearhart.
Remarkably, many of the administrators recruited by Williams are still working for the district, including assistant superintendent Jennifer Gaviola, who was Williams right hand during his tenure.
That meeting begins at nine tomorrow morning at the district office.
It will be Zoomed and available later on YouTube.
