Gateway Will Interview More Candidates For School Board Vacancy
The Board of Gateway Unified School District still needs to fill a vacancy left by the resignation of Board President Cherill Clifford in early February. On March 21, they’ll consider another round of applicants for that position. They’ll also take another look at an expanded learning program run by County Supervisor Kevin Crye.
Editor’s note: This article is part of our News in Brief series. By producing some stories that are shorter and less in-depth we hope to be able to increase access to important information even with current staffing levels. We’d love your feedback. Email us: editor@shastascout.org
On Tuesday, March 21, the Gateway Unified School District Board will meet again to review applicants for the Board’s fifth seat, which has been vacant since the resignation of former Board President Cherrill Clifford on February 8.
Two weeks ago, the Board’s four remaining members publicly interviewed candidates, but could not come to agreement on any of the six. Instead, the Board agreed to re-list the vacancy and try again.
That re-listing has resulted in seven candidate applications. Three are new candidates, including Jill Marshall, Charity Tatlow, and Rebecca Walker. Four have re-applied after failing to receive the position last time. They include Joseph Fairfield, Dean Goekler, David Thompson and Jesse Lane. No further information about the candidates is provided in the Board’s agenda packet.
During the Board’s last round of interviews held on March 8, candidates Goekler and Thompson were supported by Board incumbents Phil Lewis and Dale Wallace, while Lane was supported by newly seated Board members Elias and Lindsi Haynes. None of the applicants supported Fairfield at the time.
At that time, Board members Lewis and Wallace declined to state why they opposed Lane, while the Haynes openly stated their preference for a candidate whose children currently attend Gateway schools. Lane was the only candidate who fit that criterion during the March 8 interviews.
According to statements made by staff during previous meetings, if the Board does not select and appoint a Board member by April 8, a special election will be held at the District’s expense.
Gateway’s Board will also take a second look at contracting for expanded learning services through California Adventure Camp, which is owned by Shasta County Supervisor Kevin Crye.
Crye, along with District staff, presented information about the California Adventure Camps program at the Board’s March 15 meeting. The California Adventure Camps program already provides extracurricular activities, including local field trips and visits by celebrities, to a number of other school districts across the state.
The district would use state funds designated for expanded learning programs to pay for the California Adventure Camps contract, which could cost up to $340,000 for services that would be provided by the end of June. District staff, including Acting District Superintendent Steven Henson and Director of Business Services Beth Roberts, strongly advocated for the contract.
They said the Gateway District must spend half-a-million dollars in state Expanded Opportunity Learning (ELO) funds before June 30, 2023. That funding, they explained, must be spent on full-day programs that are held on non-school days.
In order to do so, they emphasized, permission from the Board had been urgently needed at last week’s meeting in order to move forward with scheduling a five-day Spring Break camp utilizing California Adventure Camps’ services.
At that time, after more than an hour-and-a-half of presentation, public comment, and discussion, the Board voted three to one to move forward with the California Adventure Camps Spring Break program, but also to bring the item back at the Board’s next meeting to consider whether to continue to utilize California Adventure Camps services for a June summer camp.
Lindsi Haynes, who opposed the majority decision, said she felt the Board should take more time to have the lengthy California Adventure Camps contract reviewed by the District’s attorney. Other Board members told Haynes that they agreed with her assessment generally, but were still voting to move forward immediately, given the pressing timeline of Spring Break scheduling needs. They will reexamine the contract tonight.
Gateway Unified School District’s Board will meet Tuesday, March 21, at 5 pm. You can find their agenda here.
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