The April 10th board vote to stop building Lexington has sent shockwaves throughout our community. I can’t help but ask, “How did we get here?”
After thinking back over the past several months of Board meetings, what stands out is the overly optimistic presentations from the District’s Chief Business Officer. Her presentations listed the challenges with each action being taken. Things were moving on track to be shovel-ready by June. Our expectation was a green light to start building.
Then we hear the big shock. Four million dollars later and CGS still will not approve it. Why?
As CBO and Project Manager, Leslie Paulides was intimately aware of all aspects of the Lexington project. She was responsible for interfacing with the geological consultants and even stood before us, at a board meeting, confidently explaining soil samples to determine geologic era, slope stability and landslides. She knew all of the challenges with water, fire, safety, and seismic issues the engineers faced. Were the consultants misleading her? Why was everything presented as so rosy until now?
Now with the cold light of reality of the situation we face, with the Board ceasing investment in the project and with the Lexington kids being removed from their campus, I believe our expectations, in large part, were colored by this picture of possibility painted time and again.
As CBO, shouldn’t she have been the fiscally conservative voice preparing the public and the Board that there were serious hurdles to overcome? In school board meetings, the CBO rules. She is in charge and in control of the information the Board receives. She controls everything except the Board vote. In the case of Lexington, it is what she did not tell them that heavily influenced the vote.
Does she even provide information that the school board requests? In the last 6 months, on two separate occasions, the Board requested other possible alternatives to the Lexington location when the project cost started spiraling and CGS had extensive questions jeopardizing shovel-ready by June. When asked about other alternatives, out of hand (or with the flip of a hand), Leslie would say the very thing that is written on this blog by so many people “there is nothing available."
On October 18th, Scott Broomfield requested all reasonable alternatives be evaluated. Was even one alternative presented?? It was always build Lexington or bust. How could our chief budget officer not have any contingency plans given the well-known risks with the Lexington site?
On March 6th, Doug Halbert asked to look at (a) the cost of the mat foundation increase and building envelope setback, and (b) the cost to upscope Lexington to hold 400 students. Do you think that our CBO, Leslie Paulides, provided answers to her Board at the April 10th meeting? You’ve got it, NO, NADA, NOTHING. When pressed, she side-stepped, saying that she didn’t do the work because in light of the CGS report, she didn’t “think” that it was necessary, flagrantly disregarding the directive of the Board. The public and the Board were expecting to hear what the upscope costs would be so all the information needed to make decisions would be in front of them.
Do our Oversight Committees have oversight?:
The lack of regard for Board requests made me want to look at what happens when our community asks questions. Leslie is responsible for all financial oversight committees in our district. Do these committees get the information they request? Does their input fall on deaf ears?
- Parcel Tax Oversight Committee: I know you are asking, “What Parcel Tax Oversight Committee?” So was I when I read the new charter for our Budget Oversight Committee on the agenda this week. Well, the Measure E Parcel Tax passed in 2008 required three things:
“(1) the tax money be deposited into a separate fund, (2) the District to appoint an independent fiscal oversight committee to review the expenditure of these special tax proceeds, and (3) no later than January 1 of each year while the tax is in effect, the District would prepare and file with the Board of Education a report …” (http://www.smartvoter.org/2008/06/03/ca/scl/meas/E/)
The good news is the funds are kept separate. The bad news – no independent oversight committee was ever established. You read that correctly that for 4 years, no one has reviewed what these special tax dollars are spent on and whether it is what was promised, as required by law. CBO Leslie Paulides doesn’t even file her reports until sometime in March, and there has been no report for this year. Now in the 11th hour, she has directed the Budget Advisory Council to review—just over spring break—all expenditures. Has the Board ever even given the BAC the authority to be the oversight body?
- Citizen’s Bond Oversight Committee: My research continues to uncover a trend of disregard of requests and input. In the March 4, 2011 CBOC Meeting Minutes, there are several revealing comments about how Leslie operates. The first is, “Dan {Markey} expressed concern over adding to the project scope without Board approval.” Leslie explained the process she undertakes with all changes (i.e. whether to seek permission to authorize change in scope). Leslie explained that in order to keep the project moving forward, she has to make decisions as the Board only meets once a month.” (http://www.lgusd.k12.ca.us/business/CBOC/documents/CBOC_Minutes3411.pdf)
In those same meeting minutes, “Craig {Hunter} expressed concern about wasting money today on water upgrades in case the project does not go forward. Leslie reassured the committee that San Jose Water has not started any work.” Really? Yet when looking at Page 17 of the Measure E Invoice Summary, there were already some suspiciously large charges billed by San Jose Water. What did we spend $723,879.00 dollars on at Lexington?
Hindsight is always 20/20. How did we get here? I believe our community should have been prepared for the insurmountable challenges of building Lexington. We needed reality, not a pretty picture. These are families, children and a community. People’s lives and hopes were put into building this school. The school board should have demanded their requests get answers.
I certainly hope our school board has learned the hard way that they need to hold their staff accountable to their directives, and not just sit back and go along with whatever is presented to them. Until I see some accountability, I will be keeping my parachute close at hand, as the budget cliff is just around the bend.
--Concerned Parents
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