Ruskin parents press Berryessa board for leadership change amid enrollment, program losses

Several parents addressed the Berryessa Union School District board during public comment to say Ruskin Elementary needs new, accountable leadership.

Teresa Carrillo, who identified herself as incoming PTA treasurer, said the district’s $21,000 budget for community-bridging meetings has not produced trust. “Recently, the district approved a budget for $21,000 for community bridging leadership meetings, but in reality, it feels like this is just a path to more broken promises,” she said. Carrillo urged the board to consider “giving Ruskin a strong, accountable, and dependable leadership that our children deserve.”

Other parents described program and enrollment impacts they attribute to leadership and communication failures. Maya Devislanu told trustees that multiple escalated emails and meetings failed to reverse staffing and morale problems and warned, “If we allow this to continue, it will be the downfall of Ruskin and possibly the district.”

Several speakers said families have already moved children to nearby Maryhill (also reported in comments read by Minh and Tina de Vera), and raised specific examples: a near-cancelled kindergarten promotion, a failing PTA audio system that created hazards, and the planned end of a community-run after-school program. The board was told the Mandarin immersion program had previously preserved a campus, and speakers asked trustees to examine enrollment and departure year-over-year data to assess impact.

Trustees and district staff acknowledged additional supports at Ruskin — including a .333 office clerk position and a new assistant principal dedicated to the site — and invited further dialogue. No formal board action on leadership was taken at the meeting; public comment closed after multiple parents requested that the district convert discussion into concrete, early improvements.