Public commenter accuses SBCEO leadership of nontransparent tech procurement and staff turnover

Victor McConnell, speaking during public comment, told the Santa Barbara County Board of Education that he and other staff have raised persistent concerns about leadership and procurement practices at the county office. "In the last meeting, superintendent Salcedo publicly stated that she welcomed input as an opportunity to improve," McConnell said. "But my own experience and experience of many others tells a different story."

McConnell said an HR complaint has been open since February and that the superintendent received a copy. He alleged "the spending of tens of thousands of dollars on network switches" occurred with insufficient internal transparency and that due diligence was performed by a vendor that stood to profit. He contrasted that spending with delays and consumer-grade equipment in special-education classrooms, saying students and staff were left underserved. "This is a vote of no confidence," McConnell said, describing Santa Maria Bonita’s decision to take its preschool program back from SBCO as an example of that failing.

Chair (identified in the meeting as the presiding officer) responded that the board and superintendent have heard prior comments from McConnell and that the matters "are being looked into" and "are under review at this time," and the board expects to hear back from the superintendent in the coming weeks. The chair did not provide additional details about the HR complaint or procurement review during the public comment period.