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Board votes 5‑2 to pull Citizens Bond Oversight Committee presentation after committee members say they were not consulted
Summary
Trustees voted 5‑2 to remove a scheduled Citizens Bond Oversight Committee presentation after committee members and board members disputed whether the committee had been briefed and allowed to present; committee leaders said they had prepared a report but were told their materials were inconsistent with bylaws.
The Stockton Unified School District board voted 5‑2 on Feb. 11 to pull a planned overview presentation by the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee, saying the committee should present in person rather than have district staff deliver the update.
Trustee Angel Ann Flores moved to pull the presentation until committee members could present themselves; the motion was seconded and carried 5‑2, with Vice President Sofia Colon and President Kanita Stevens voting no.
“It's really unfair and not respectful to the people who we went through a whole process for putting on this committee,” Trustee Angel Ann Flores said, urging the board to delay the staff‑led presentation so the selected committee could appear.
Jerry Gonzales, president of the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee and a Stockton Unified alumnus, told the board the committee had prepared an update and was twice scheduled to present but was recently told its materials were inconsistent with bylaws and that the committee would not present at this meeting. “This was not conveyed to us whatsoever until just last week,” Gonzales said, calling the staff notice “frustrating and unfair.” He said committee members expected to share a facilities‑planning update and other long‑deferred information.
District staff defended the procedural guidance they planned to provide to the board. Vicki Brum, who began the overview, said the intent was to ensure the committee’s report complied with Education Code requirements and that the presentation was meant to guide—not replace—the committee’s own report. Staff said sample materials and a template had been provided previously so the committee could align its submission with Ed. Code.
Board members who supported pulling the presentation said the committee members who had worked to qualify for appointment deserved to deliver their own report in front of the board and public. Those who voted against pulling argued the staff overview would help the board and public better understand statutory requirements and the reporting expected of an oversight committee.
The board did not take further action on the bond oversight report at the meeting. Trustees directed staff to coordinate scheduling so the committee could present at a future meeting with materials aligned to Ed. Code.
