School Board Considering Lawsuit Over Building Funds
The Bassett Unified School Board is reviewing possible legal action against a corporation it created last year to oversee more than $11 million of school construction.
The board voted Monday to establish a special litigation committee to conduct the review against the Bassett Unified School District Financing Corp. because it refused to release funds for construction, said school board President Brenda Johnson.
“These are public funds. This is unbelievable,” Johnson said.
The corporation was established to sell certificates of participation to raise money for school improvements. Its officers include board member Della Rios and former board members Alfred Cobos and Toni Giaffoglione.
Originally, only school board members could be officers. But in November, after Cobos and Giaffoglione were defeated in the election, the bylaws of the corporation were rewritten to allow them to retain their positions.
In January, Rios wrote the board that the district could not get the money without the officers’ authorization. Rios did not state why the financing corporation refused to release the money.
The school board Monday appointed all its members to the litigation committee except Rios. The Bassett school district serves Valinda and parts of La Puente.
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