Trustees Won’t Be Charged

After a months-long investigation into possible misappropriation of funds by Oxnard Union High School District trustees, the Ventura County district attorney has decided not to file criminal charges.

But in a strongly worded letter to the school board, Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury said the evidence presents a “close question” on whether some members intentionally violated the law and warned trustees to be more conscientious in the future.

The investigation stemmed from a report trustee Nancy Koch released in May regarding her colleagues’ travel expenses and use of school district-owned credit cards.

At the time, Koch accused at least three fellow board members of excessive spending on business trips not approved by the board, as its policies required.

According to Bradbury’s letter, spending public funds for travel and meal expenses not previously authorized by the school board is a violation of the state education code and punishable as a misdemeanor. Bradbury, however, said he did not intend to press charges at this time.

Board Told to Learn Open-Meeting Law

“While the evidence presents a close question, I am taking into consideration the custom and practice of the Board of Trustees, which suggests that some members may not have intentionally violated the bylaw,” the letter stated.

Bradbury also warned trustees to familiarize themselves with the laws that govern them, including the state’s open-meeting law. There were allegations board members may not have complied with that law in the handling of Koch’s May report and the June 12 firing of former Supt. William Studt.

Koch, prompted by the district attorney’s letter, said this week that she asked the board be given a public refresher course on the Brown Act, which applies to open meetings.

“When a school board receives a letter from the district attorney’s office about our practices, it gets my attention,” she said. “I think what [Bradbury] said made a lot of sense. He definitely served notice on us.”

But school board member Robert Valles, a political rival of Koch’s, said he disagreed with the district attorney’s analysis.

“I don’t think the D.A. had the full information, and I don’t know what they are basing it on,” Valles said. “Everything was on the up-and-up.”

Issue Called Overblown

Valles said he believes Bradbury’s letter signals the end of the turmoil the board has experienced since Koch’s report in May. In June, trustees reduced the amount of money allotted to the board for conferences and travel by half (to about $10,000 each year), handed in their district-issued credit cards and agreed to approve all trips in advance each July.

The board also adopted a set of procedures for dealing with travel expenses recommended by the California School Board Assn., Supt. Gary Davis said.

Valles insists the entire situation has been overblown.

“I’m disturbed this cost the district thousands of dollars in staff hours to research this information, and I’m glad it’s coming to a close,” he said.