Sequoia Union board reports closed‑session settlement, suspends employee and establishes scholarship trust fund

The Sequoia Union High School District Board of Trustees reported a closed‑session settlement and a short suspension, adopted a new scholarship trust fund and heard union criticism of a prolonged personnel review at its Wednesday meeting.

Board President Sautic told the board the body had unanimously approved a settlement agreement in case number 2025‑2026‑1 and, in a separate unanimous vote, suspended employee number 11917 for five work days without pay under the charges in the notice of recommendation.

The meeting included extended public and union comment focused on the district’s handling of a personnel case. Dan Molier, an in‑person public commenter, criticized board leadership and urged the trustees to make records public so the community can “decide who’s telling the truth.” Molier named district employees by surname and warned trustees to “be careful what you write, especially when you don't know facts.”

Representatives of the district teachers’ association (SDTA) told the board a member was placed on leave effective Aug. 12, 2024 — the speaker described that as “374 days ago” — and said the district had provided only vague allegations and slow follow‑up. The SDTA representative said the union filed a charge with the Public Employment Relations Board, participated in mediation in April, and that the member was not interviewed until June 4; the union urged the district to press investigators to finish the review and return the employee to work if no substantiation is found.

Chris Shaister, identifying himself as a district carpenter and ASME chapter leader, updated the board on his unit’s reorganization and said ASME plans more regular participation in board meetings and will pursue issues first through HR and committees.

On fiscal items, district staff reported Summit Preparatory Charter School’s 2025–26 LCAP and adopted budget were submitted by the July 1 deadline and, in staff’s assessment, comply with fiscal requirements. Staff said Summit Prep projects enrollment increasing to about 394 students (including an estimated 108 transfers from another charter), anticipates roughly $1.3 million in additional revenue and about $625,000 in additional expenditures for the budget year, and reported an unassigned ending fund balance approximately equal to 73% of budgeted expenditures.

Staff also presented Kip Esparanza Charter School’s 2025–26 LCAP and adopted budget. The presenter said Kip Esparanza projects modest enrollment growth (about 10 students per year), an assigned ending fund balance near 28% of expenditures and positive monthly cash flow; trustees asked for follow‑up if enrollment projections differ from year‑end counts, and staff said the school’s stated local funding comes largely from philanthropic donations.

As an action item, the board adopted Resolution No. 001 to establish a Fund 73 foundation trust fund for fiscal year 2025–26 to hold multi‑year scholarships that sites will transfer into the fund and request vouchers from as awards are released. A trustee asked whether the name is required; staff said the name is fixed by California accounting standards. Trustees recorded a roll‑call vote of Yes from Jesse Cruz, Jesse Thompson, Jesse Gen, Vice President Coup and President Nory; the motion carried 5‑0. A board member asked for an estimate of how much money might be placed into the fund; staff said no estimate was provided.

Procedural items included approval of the meeting agenda and the consent agenda; the consent agenda passed on roll call with the same 5‑0 tally. The board recessed to a continued closed session after the open meeting with no additional expected report‑outs.

What’s next: trustees requested routine follow‑up on charter enrollment projections at future reporting cycles and urged staff to flag differences between projections and actual counts when interim reports are provided.