Public commenters press board on special‑education access, district billing and contract practices

At the Sept. 8 San Bernardino County Board of Education meeting, several members of the public used the matters‑brought‑by‑citizens period to raise substantive concerns about special education services, mental‑health billing practices and alleged conflicts of interest in county contracting.

Former Marine electronics instructor Mark Butler criticized the timing and level of board budget review and called for an outside audit; he alleged 0% reading proficiency among some students and urged more oversight. Antoinette Jensen described herself as a “mandatory reporter, whistleblower” and alleged pay‑to‑play contracting at high hourly rates and conflicts of interest involving the superintendent’s household; she said she had filed public records requests and alleged delays in the office’s response.

Des Alvarez, speaking about Etiwanda School District practices, said annual registration requirements asked families to provide health‑insurance information tied to the California Youth Behavioral Health Initiative and expressed worry that districts might bill Medi‑Cal or other insurers without clear parent opt‑out mechanisms. Wendy Joseph, a parent of a county special‑education student, described concerns about placement and retention after pandemic‑era disruptions and said her son’s progress and services had not met expectations.

Trustees thanked speakers and said the county office’s jurisdiction over local district personnel matters is limited; Trustee Monica De Leon asked staff to contact individual speakers to ensure issues were routed to the appropriate district or to county staff for follow‑up. Several trustees urged families to submit documentation to staff so the office could assist where its authority allowed. The board did not take formal action during the public comment period but signaled staff would follow up on jurisdictional referrals.