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Parents and staff divided after district confirms Fiesta Gardens principal following public pressure
Summary
After weeks of community concern and sustained public comment, the San Mateo‑Foster City School District confirmed an appointment at Fiesta Gardens during its May board meeting, prompting both praise from Latino families and calls for clearer vetting and transparency from critics.
The San Mateo‑Foster City School District board on May 20 approved personnel actions that included confirming the assignment of Dustin (referred to frequently as “Mac” by parents) as the principal of Fiesta Gardens International School, following an extended public‑comment period in which dozens of parents and community members urged the board to weigh community trust and candidate qualifications.
Hundreds of words of testimony framed the debate. Rohini Jotkar, a Foster City parent who urged the district to limit screen time in schools, opened the non‑agenda public comments and later community members focused on Fiesta Gardens. Several speakers urged the board to confirm Dustin’s selection as a stabilizing presence; one translated letter delivered to the board said in part, “Our school has gone through difficult times… Mac was the only one who truly stepped up for us” and urged the board to respect the community’s voice.
Others urged more transparency in the hiring process. A number of parents said they were concerned about whether alternatives had been fully vetted and asked the board to share relevant details publicly so families could better understand the district’s decision making. One speaker said community members feared that “the qualifications… were not fully considered,” and asked the board to “share it so we can understand.”
The board formally opened public comment on the pulled personnel item (agenda item 4B11) and called parents, school leaders and online participants. Multiple speakers described both long‑standing support for the candidate and a desire that district leaders do a clearer job explaining how finalists were evaluated. Board members acknowledged the strong emotions on both sides and invited public comment before voting.
After the public comment period, Trustee Proctor moved to approve the personnel item and Trustee Kim seconded; the motion passed 5–0. President Trin noted the board had heard from many voices and said the district will continue outreach to rebuild trust in the community.
What happens next: The district will implement the assignment and continue site‑level engagement at Fiesta Gardens. Several parents said they plan to continue working with school and district leaders to monitor the transition and to seek additional communications about how site leadership will respond to parents’ priorities.
