2 Members of Acton-Agua Dulce School Board Face Recall Bid : Education: Laurie Browning, Joyce Field are accused of mismanaging plans for a new high school.

In the tiny Acton-Agua Dulce Unified School District, two board members have been notified that a recall campaign has been initiated against them.

Board President Laurie Browning and member Joyce Field were informed Thursday that the action was taken because of steps they took concerning a proposed new high school.

Only 10 people signed the recall notices, but that’s enough to begin the process.

Geraldine Duzick, one of those who signed, said that Browning and Field had previously promised there was a fully improved high school site available to the district.

The district bought the site, but Duzick said the property still lacks such basics as water and sewer services.

In addition, she said Browning and Field support the formation of a $25.5-million Mello-Roos special tax-assessment district to pay for the school’s construction. She said this would impose an annual levy as high as $195 on property owners.

“They want to (form) a Mello-Roos, and we don’t even have (an acceptable) site yet,” Duzick said. “There doesn’t seem to be any organization or plan as to how this money is going to be spent.”

The school board is still holding hearings on the formation of the assessment district, and Browning and Field noted Thursday night that its value is still subject to debate.

Field, who received the recall notice during a hearing on the assessment district Thursday night, said she was shocked. “People are so afraid that things are going to go the way we want them, instead of the way they want them,” she said, “they thought pulling out a couple of members might do something.”

The notices accuse the two of “not acting for the good of the entire district” and “subordinating the education of children and youth to a partisan principal group interest” and/or to their “own personal ambition.”

“We’re being personally attacked by a group that doesn’t want the school in that area and doesn’t want the tax,” said Browning. “There are many, many people that want this high school built as soon as possible.”

Field and Browning have until Thursday to file a response to the notice, and then the group seeking to oust them must have their recall petition approved by the county clerk. Then the group can start collecting signatures.

The signatures of 25% of the 5,865 registered voters in the school district must be collected before a recall election is held.

“I don’t want to lose my job,” said Browning. “I love my job. I’m really doing the best I can.”