Reform advocate identifies basic inequities of CUSD's misplaced priorities
By Sharon Campbell, Mission Viejo
I am a longtime parent volunteer and active supporter of Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) schools. I, like many others, have dedicated time to serve the students and staff of CUSD. As a resident of Mission Viejo I can say I have never believed Trustee Draper had any interest in the condition of the schools or the children of my community. I have heard her talk a lot about the schools and children in San Juan, but in the past three or four years I have not heard any level of interest about other communities in CUSD, and I attend every board meeting. Trustee Draper does not seem to understand the impact she has on the schools outside her own city. I recently wrote to her about two comments I continually hear her make that led me to my conclusion, but she did not respond. Read More...
Superintendent Fleming’s Real Legacy
A. Immediate Disciplinary Action Must Be Taken.
Very serious allegations involving criminal activity have been leveled against Fleming (and possibly the Trustees). An overwhelming amount
of evidence supporting these allegations has been made public. Given these facts, we believe Fleming cannot be allowed to serve another day as the Superintendent of the Capistrano Unified School District. Read More...
Superintendent Fleming “Resigns” In Disgrace
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. CUSD Superintendent James Fleming has “resigned” in disgrace. “This moves us one step closer to restoring honesty, integrity and accountability into our public school system,” said Thomas Russell, spokesperson for the CUSD Recall Committee.
In announcing his resignation, Fleming posted three self-serving, self-aggrandizing and misleading statements on the CUSD official website. In summary, those statements provided: Read More...
$65,000,000 Measure A Bond: Fraud, Conspiracy, Misuse of Public Funds, Conflicts of Interest, Brown Act Violations
• 25% of funds improperly diverted to Fleming pet
project
• District employee improperly chaired Oversight
Committee meeting
• Oversight Committee disbanded with $20 million
still unspent
• Oversight Committee members had financial conflicts
of interest
• More Brown Act violations
On November 2, 1999,
voters approved Measure A – a $65,000,000 bond
measure designed to repair and modernize aging
schools, bring them up to current earthquake
standards, build four new schools, including a new
middle school in San Juan Capistrano and a new high
school, and new classrooms throughout the district to
relieve overcrowding and solve problems associated
with portables, which had covered so many
playgrounds, the children lacked places to play.
The ballot measure (and legal bond documents)
required that an “Independent” Oversight Committee be
established to supervise spending of the bond
proceeds. That Oversight Committee was convened on
December 15, 1999 when CUSD appointed eleven (11)
members. After carefully reviewing the ballot measure
and minutes from the Oversight Committee meetings, it
appears that CUSD officials made numerous false
statements to the public and to Oversight Committee
members, several committee members had financial
conflicts of interest, and Brown Act violations
occurred.