After two parents filed a complaint the Alisal Union School District board had denied parental participation, the board called a special meeting at 1 p.m. to revote on a meeting agenda. One resident was not impressed since she said few could attend a meeting at 1 p.m. -DB
By Maria Ines Zamudio
In less than five minutes, the majority of the Alisal Union School District board members approved the Oct. 12 agenda for the second time on Monday afternoon.
The district held a special meeting at 1 p.m. at its boardroom, 1205 E. Market St., to repeat the vote on several agenda items approved last month. The do-over was triggered after two parents filed a complaint with the school district accusing the trustees of denying public comment, among other things.
The parents also reported what they believed to be Brown Act violations to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office, but no violations have been found, said Assistant District Attorney Terry Spitz.
Board President Meredith Ibarra and trustee Jose Castañeda did not attend the meeting. Castañeda said he was notified about the meeting on Sunday afternoon and he was unable to request the time off from work.
The parents asked the District Attorney’s Office whether the board violated the Brown Act by not allowing the public time to comment before the vote, and whether the majority of the board has violated the act by boycotting some meetings and using the district’s superintendent to communicate with each other.
The Oct. 12 meeting ended abruptly due to arguments between Ibarra and trustees Guadalupe Ruiz Gilpas and Gary Karnes. After more than 15 minutes of arguing, Ibarra called for a recess. When parents outnumbered the boardroom’s capacity, Ibarra and Castañeda decided to move the meeting to Fremont School’s cafeteria. The board majority voted on the items as Ibarra called for a recess.
Monday’s approval of the agenda included approving labor contracts and renovation contracts for mold repair, among other things.
But east Salinas resident Mary Ann Worden wasn’t happy with Monday’s special meeting.
“This is sneaky. This board has shown no respect for the tax payers,” said Worden, who has lived in east Salinas for 48 years. “No one else could be here. Who do you think is going to show up at 1 p.m.? They should have had this meeting later.”