Parents, staff and teachers tell Petaluma City Schools board merger harmed Valley Vista community, question principal’s departure

Members of the Valley Vista school community told the Petaluma City Schools Board of Education at its meeting that a recent merger with Live Oak charter programs and the departure of longtime Valley Vista principal Jamie Bushman have damaged trust and left families without clear information about the transition.

Teachers, office staff, parents and parent‑advisory groups described shock and frustration over district communications and asked the board to prioritize support for the roughly 85 students who will remain at Valley Vista next year. Speakers also raised concerns that English learners and other vulnerable students could be sidelined as the schools transition to a combined campus.

Dana Levy, education specialist at Valley Vista and a Live Oak parent, said the change “has left a huge gap in the community.” Levy told the board that she had supported the merger in good faith but that the decision not to have Jamie Bushman return as principal has required staff to “navigate the impacts” on students who relied on that leadership.

Kylie Minto, office manager at Valley Vista Elementary School, said she felt “angry” and described the campus as a neighborhood school whose students “deserve to thrive.” Minto said she had assured families that students would be the district’s top priority and that the principal’s departure undermined that promise.

Parent Mario Vasquez said the process has been unclear for Spanish‑speaking families and asked, “Who made that decision? Or why is she stepping down?” Vasquez and other speakers urged the district to provide information in families’ home languages and to explain how English learners will be supported during the transition.

A former Valley Vista student reading a letter signed by ELAC parents said the English Learner Advisory Committee felt “disappointed and left out” and called the process “not fair or transparent enough.” The letter, read at the meeting, said families had been told the project would be a merger but now feel that Waldorf interests are driving decisions at the expense of Valley Vista families.

Sandra Larson, president of the Federation of Teachers and a former Valley Vista teacher, told the board she supports classified staff and the need to retain experienced aides and counselors who work directly with students. Angie Sideris, a student adviser, urged the district to proceed “with respect, integrity, and love” and to find a way to start the combined program on “the right foot.”

Earlier in the meeting the board introduced Kat McPhee as the incoming principal of Valley Vista Public Waldorf Charter School for the 2025–26 school year. The district presentation said McPhee has 30 years of experience in public and Waldorf education and that she looks forward to working with students and families to blend the histories of Live Oak Charter and Valley Vista.

No board action to reinstate or replace the departing principal was recorded during the public comment period. The district provided Spanish translation on the meeting broadcast and the board repeatedly said it could not respond to nonagendized public comments during the meeting but that it valued the input.

The meeting record shows the ELAC meeting referenced took place on 03/18/2025; parents said ELAC agenda items were set aside at that meeting because of concerns about the principal’s departure. Speakers asked for more transparent, multilingual communication from the district and for explicit steps to ensure English learners’ needs are prioritized amid classroom reassignments.

The board did not make a public decision on Valley Vista staffing or on any specific remediation steps at the meeting. Several speakers asked the board to provide clearer information and direct staff to communicate with affected families in their preferred languages.

The board president closed the public‑comment period and moved on to the rest of the agenda; no formal motion or vote addressing Valley Vista staffing or the merger was recorded during public comment.