Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Programs Litigation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board removes Carissa Plains ACE program from tonight's agenda amid pending lawsuit
Summary
The Atascadero Unified School District board voted to remove agenda item 15C — discussion of the Carissa Plains ACE program — after district leadership recommended pausing further steps while a lawsuit by Gregory Nelson proceeds.
The Atascadero Unified School District Board of Trustees voted to approve the agenda for the evening with agenda item 15C — discussion of the Carissa Plains ACE program — removed, after district leadership recommended pausing further work because of pending litigation. Superintendent Tom Bennett told the board the lawsuit, filed by Gregory Nelson, seeks a court order directing the district to restart a middle school at Carissa Plains Elementary School and to prevent the district from transporting students from that area to Atascadero Middle School.
Bennett urged caution, saying the litigation creates uncertainty and that “it is prudent to pause next steps on a new program so that the court process may play out.” The board then approved a motion to adopt the agenda with item 15C removed; trustees voted in favor during a roll call recorded on the meeting floor.
Why this matters: the board’s decision stops administrative action and public discussion of the Carissa Plains ACE program while the court considers the plaintiff’s request. The item’s removal does not change district policy or program decisions; it postpones further steps so the legal process can run its course.
What the board decided and what happens next: by unanimous roll-call vote the board approved the amended agenda with item 15C removed. Trustees left open the option to reconsider the Carissa Plains item at a future meeting once the district has more clarity about the litigation. The board did not take any substantive policy action on the ACE program itself at the meeting.
Background and context: Bennett described the relief the lawsuit seeks: a court order to restart a middle school at the Carissa Plains site and to bar the district from transporting students from that part of the district to Atascadero Middle School. District staff recommended removing the program item to avoid taking administrative steps while the court could potentially direct different actions.
Board action (formal): A motion to approve the agenda with item 15C removed was made and seconded on the record and approved by roll call. The vote recorded trustees Taylor, Arnold, McGrew Cain, Kosnick, Cooney and Pierce as voting yes. The board noted it could place the item back on a future agenda once the legal situation clarifies.
What the record does not show: the board did not deliberate on the substantive merits of the ACE program at this meeting; instead trustees followed staff’s recommendation to pause discussion while litigation is pending.
