Growing criticism led to East Side schools…
Growing criticism led to East Side schools chief being put on leave
By Dana Hull | Bloomberg News
July 29, 2009 at 10:30 a.m.
With the school year scheduled to start in a month, East Side Union High School District trustees are now searching for an acting superintendent after Bob Nuñez was abruptly placed on leave late Tuesday night after a critical county report and threats of more financial scrutiny to come.
"Placing the superintendent on leave indicates to the public that we take this very seriously," trustee Lan Nguyen said Wednesday. "But it's not just Bob. We as a board have inadequate oversight of our fiscal issues, and we must do a better job."
The Santa Clara County Office of Education released a report this month reviewing Nuñez's credit card expenses and records indicating he earned more than $50,000 for unused vacation time over two years. On Tuesday night, the first time trustees met to discuss the findings, a county education official warned that outside auditors were likely to investigate the district further.
Finances are a critical issue for the district, which has laid off teachers, computer technicians, librarians and other staffers at its 11 high schools. Further painful cuts are likely because the state budget signed this week includes even more cuts to public education.
Many parents have been critical of Nuñez's leadership after East Side Union — the largest high school district in Northern California — nearly canceled the district's sports program earlier this year. And, according to a document obtained by the Mercury News, an African-American district employee filed a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last month alleging racial discrimination.
"I'm pleased with the decision, but I wish he was placed on leave without pay," said Michele Holscher, a parent at Mount Pleasant High School. "Hopefully this sends a message that everyone is accountable. But the whole thing makes me sad. It's yet another black eye against the East Side."
Nuñez, whose annual salary is $225,000, did not respond to a voice-mail message left on his cell phone Wednesday. "I just hope we can get this behind us and keep East Side Union High School District in a positive way during these difficult times," he wrote in an e-mail to the Mercury News.
He declined to comment on the EEOC complaint, but at Tuesday's meeting he defended his vacation billing. The county report said he was paid $24,132 in 2006 and $27,215 in 2007 for unused vacation days. Nuñez said he regularly worked evenings and weekends, and had rarely taken vacation except for last week. His contract allows him to "cash out" up to 30 unused vacation days annually, but the county could not verify that he worked on all the days that he claimed.
Nuñez is on paid administrative leave during the investigation, and it's unclear how long that will take. Other trustees declined to comment on the situation, saying it's a personnel matter, and the president of East Side Teachers Association, which has been largely supportive of Nuñez, was unavailable.
The county investigation was spurred by numerous anonymous faxes from what appear to be current or former district employees. That has also triggered widespread concerns about security breaches within the district, because the mole or moles had access to Social Security numbers and employee identification numbers. Trustees now plan to launch a separate, internal investigation into the leak.
The news caught many in the sprawling district by surprise. Some said privately that Nuñez's departure is likely to embolden district employees with knowledge of other shenanigans to finally come forward. Rumors as to what finally pushed the board to act are swirling throughout the district.
Nuñez came to the 26,000-student district in 2004 after several years at the Riverside County Office of Education. Former Superintendent Esperanza Zendejas hired Nuñez as human resources director. Nuñez became interim superintendent after Zendejas quit in 2005 and has been superintendent since October 2006.
Trustees will hold a special meeting Friday to select an acting superintendent during the investigation. Insiders suspect that Dan Moser, associate superintendent for instructional services, will be asked to step in.
Contact Dana Hull at 408-920-2706.
Dana Hull
Dana Hull is a former Mercury News business reporter who now writes for Bloomberg News.