Belmont and the Board Race

Why would any school board member accept campaign contributions passed out in breakfast meetings orchestrated by a business partner connected to the Belmont High School money pit? While legal, the $10,000 donations given to Barbara Boudreaux and Jeff Horton don’t pass the appearances test.

David Tokofsky, another incumbent involved in a reelection battle, got a much smaller $250 check, which he sent back without cashing. He had voted no on the plan to build the troubled $200-million project, while Boudreaux and Horton voted yes.

School Board President Vicki Castro, a Belmont booster in whose district the project is being built, also attended the breakfast meetings arranged by her friend Art Gastelum. He is a politically connected businessman and fund-raiser who is associated with Temple-Beaudry Partners, which is building the school near downtown. He never touched the money, but the checks were handed out at his meetings.

Gastelum benefits from the Belmont partnership, and he will benefit again if he successfully negotiates phase three of the project, which calls for a joint-use agreement with the city to build a swimming pool, gym, community center and other recreational amenities. Approval is not a done deal. Horton has at least called for putting it out to open bid.

Horton now says he is prepared to return the money, although the source remains at issue. His contribution was in the name of Santillana USA Publishing, based in Miami, but the firm’s president denies making the contribution, which he considers a conflict of interest. At least somebody recognizes an obvious conflict.

Boudreaux is not talking to reporters. Her check came from Binet International, another publisher of bilingual textbooks, supposedly for her support of bilingual education. That is surprising, since Boudreaux has long opposed classes taught primarily in Spanish.

The school board is not covered by the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission, which has jurisdiction over city council and citywide races. In council races, contributions are limited to $500, and for citywide contests, the amount is limited to $1,000. There are no such limits for school board candidates. They are free to accept big money from anyone, including the teachers union and the mayor, who has given substantial amounts to candidates that The Times has endorsed. We could wish for another system, but candidates often can’t turn down the money and stay in the game. But money that is connected, even in appearance, to companies doing big business with the board is on another level.