Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents criticize county‑administrator waiver and prolonged receiverhip at Inglewood USD public hearing
Summary
During a public hearing on a waiver to allow county administrator James Morris, a STRS retiree, to continue employment, community speakers said the waiver should originate at the county and criticized 13 years of receiverhip as disempowering the local community.
A public hearing opened Dec. 10 on a request for a waiver of California Education Code §45134C to allow James Morris, a State Teachers’ Retirement System retiree, to continue as the county administrator for the Englewood Unified School District. Community speakers used the hearing to criticize the process and the length of the district’s receiverhip.
John Hughes told the board the waiver felt improperly placed before the local board instead of originating at the county, and framed the public presentation as theater: "this request should have been generated probably most likely from the county ... it's basically a dog and pony show," he said, arguing the process disempowers the community after 13 years of receiverhip. Another public commenter cited the district’s community work and urged continued support for youth‑serving organizations.
Board policy noted under the Brown Act that the county administrator and cabinet may not respond to public comments during the hearing. The hearing closed at 7:11 p.m. after three public commenters spoke; no immediate board action on the waiver was recorded during the meeting.
Several speakers during the general public‑comment period also urged higher pay for classified and certificated staff, criticized growing management ranks while frontline workers are underpaid, and called repeatedly for stronger safety measures on campuses. Board members acknowledged those concerns and said they would continue to elevate safety and compensation issues in coming sessions.
