A small Anderson school district’s current challenges include a shortage of board members and a vote of no confidence in the district superintendent by unionized teachers. An attempt to gain new board members this week fell short but the district plans to try again.
A community member has submitted a legal challenge to the state over the dual roles school board member Jackie LaBarbera has held since January 2025. The challenge was submitted not long after LaBarbera was temporarily appointed to a third school board role last week.
Following a dispute with the superintendent, the majority of CUESD board members resigned over the last week. Shasta County Office of Education Board President Michael Orlicky has appointed SCOE Board Vice President Jackie LaBarbera to fill one of the empty seats, ensuring a quorum.
Last week the district superintendent allegedly strayed from the specifics of a board-approved raise while bargaining with a teachers' union over pay increases. In response, three of the five trustees — including the board president — have resigned, leaving Cascade Union without a functional board.
To fill Brown’s vacancy, SCOE is accepting qualified applicants that reside in the area he represented.
Greg Grandell resigned from West Valley in 2020 after students came forward with allegations of ritualized hazing among players, something Grandell has denied knowledge of. The former coach was on a new hire list presented by district staff to the AUHSD board last night, where he was unanimously rejected.
Freeman was appointed to his position as superintendent in 2024. He’s the only candidate to submit a campaign filing for the position with the elections office thus far.
The funding will help support paid internships for students working towards future careers in drug and alcohol treatment. It will also support the basic needs of some recently incarcerated students through the STEP-UP program.
Despite decades of broad bipartisan support, funding for the rural schools in heavily forested areas program expired in 2023 and was not renewed. The program provided nearly $34 million to California counties in 2024, a lifeline for rural schools without a strong tax base. Students from California traveled to Washington, D.C., to help push the lapsed bill over the finish line.
The Secure Rural Schools Act secures funding for rural communities. The payments, which had expired in fiscal year 2023, provide funding for schools, roads, public safety and fire prevention in rural areas.
