Trustees to Discuss Split on Educator’s Contract

Divided Santa Paula school board officials hope to come to some decision tonight over the future of Supt. Dave Philips, whose contract expires next spring.

Trustees of the elementary district are split over whether to extend the superintendent’s contract for two more years. His current contract expires in June.

Confusion over Philips’ future arose after the board met in a closed-door session two weeks ago. Some trustees said the vote was 2 to 1 in favor of extending Philips’ contract, while others contend the vote was tied at 2 to 2, meaning Philips’ contract would still expire next summer.

The first item on the board’s agenda tonight will be to determine the Nov. 4 vote, board President Janet Grant said. “That issue will be resolved, or at least we will try to resolve it,” she said.

Board members were left with four voters when trustee Wannette Juaregui walked out of the closed session before it ended.

“She didn’t excuse herself or say goodbye,” trustee Benjamin Saiz said. “She didn’t say anything, she just got up and left.”

In Juaregui’s absence, board members Gene Marzec and Ben Saiz voted in favor of extending the superintendent’s contract for two more years, while trustee Dan Robles recorded his no vote. Janet Grant contends she also voted yes, but several board members said that under Robert’s Rules, the board president’s vote does not count other than to break a tie.

Grant, however, said the superintendent received a fax Friday from the school district’s attorney.

It states that under Robert’s Rules, a presiding officer can “vote either to break or cause a tie or in a case where a two-third vote is required, he or she can vote either to cause or to block the attainment of the necessary two-thirds.”

Meanwhile, some board members said they may bring up the issue tonight of whether Juaregui behaved inappropriately as a board member by leaving the meeting early.

“She’s been on the board 13 years and to feign ignorance and lack of understanding is not acceptable,” Saiz said. “If she abdicates from a vote, it’s inexcusable and it’s put the rest of us in an awkward position.”

Juaregui contends she left because she understood there would be no additional items to vote on.

“There were only two items on the agenda in closed session and as far as I knew we had addressed both of these,” she said. She said she would have voted no on extending the superintendent’s contract.

Philips has served the district’s middle school and seven elementary schools since 1989, but did not have his contract renewed in the spring.

Last month, the school board hired an attorney to question Philips on his $104,751 annual salary. The board took the action after Grant became concerned that Philips, who sets his own salary, may be overpaying himself.

But following questioning of Philips during a public hearing, board members said they were satisfied that he correctly followed guidelines laid out in his contract for setting his salary.