Grossmont Union board kicks of school year amid recall efforts

The Grossmont Union High School District has its first governing board meeting of the school year tonight, with a new superintendent. 

I have covered several board meetings for the La Mesa Courier this year, witnessing sobbing students and impassioned educators pleading for jobs. With private security prowling the aisles and hundreds of residents angrily waving signs, the scenes have been dramatic.

Constituents have been angered by board actions and behind-the-scenes dealings, such as trustees giving a cushy admin job to controversial former employee Jerry Hobbs, who was accused of privately coordinating with the board on political matters for months, according to public records obtained by the San Diego Union-Tribune. 

That new $187,000-a-year job coincided with laying off all librarians and several counselors, which kicked off a recall effort of four of the five board trustees. The furthest along is a petition against Scott Eckert.

Making it to the ballot will be a push for the grassroots organizers, who have until November to gather 10,000 signatures from residents in La Mesa, Casa de Oro and Mount Helix. 

The movement against Eckert seems to bely hot mic comments from trustee Robert Shield last spring that insinuated the outrage would fizzle out. Of course I’ll be listening to the board tonight, but I’ll also be watching the protest beforehand to see if they are experiencing the “mission fatigue” Shield anticipated.

More to read on GUHSD:

▶ Community calls for majority of board to resign

▶ Ethnic studies curriculum takes a turn

▶ A timeline of former GUHSD Chief of Staff Jerry Hobbs

▶ Students plan walkout in wake of mass staff cuts

▶ Hundreds of students protest librarian layoffs

▶ Board votes to cut all librarians, dozens of other staff positions