What’s going on in the district?
Concern is growing among students and parents as many experienced and successful principals, teachers, and administrators have left the Placentia-Yorba Linda school district over the past year. These unexpected departures have raised significant questions about what is happening at the school board level.
Why do we think so many teachers and administrators have left this year?
First, the backstory…
The PYLUSD school board searched for a new superintendent just over a year ago. Three of the five school board members approved a private search firm. However, other local districts have dismissed the same search firm for poor performance.
Upon the appointment of Superintendent Alex Cherniss, the same three board members approved a significant salary increase for the Superintendent and the replacement of all the existing assistant superintendent positions. Those same three board members have seemingly given Dr. Cherniss free rein to implement any policy or initiative he wishes without any significant board oversight, regard for the budget, or overall impact on the district.
What has been the effect on teachers and staff?
Many of the remaining teachers and staff in the district feel the Superintendent and ongoing board policies directly influenced these departures, but they have chosen to remain quiet to avoid potential reprisals.
Has anyone else noticed what’s happening?
The Cal State Fullerton College of Education has withdrawn teacher candidates from student teaching in the PYLUSD district due to policies implemented by the board.
What is the Universal Sports Institute (USI)?
The goal of the Universal Sports Institute, which Superintendent Cherniss is driving, is to allow elite athletes extra time to train in their sport by enrolling in an independent study-based education program that allows them to homeschool through the district. The total number of athletes is expected to be around 200, and the program is open to any student in the area, regardless of their home district.
This institute is being constructed in a building that previously supported the district’s online school, the Buena Vista Virtual Academy, which was relocated with little advance notice to make space for the new institute.
How did the USI become part of the district’s plan?
The Superintendent and school board majority have not provided an in-depth analysis of the district’s cost-benefit ratio or the overall justification for this institute.
They have not invited public input on their plans, and, more critically, they did not provide the total budget for the project until a week before approving the first phase. The cost for athletes to attend the institute is free, so local taxpayers will pay all the expenses.
In addition, all enrolled athletes can join any of the four high school athletic programs in the district regardless of their home school district.
This means that Placentia and Yorba Linda residents are paying elite athletes from other school districts to take potential team spots from local athletes.
USI by the numbers
According to the new budget provided by PYLUSD, the Universal Sports Institute’s total cost is 3.6 million dollars.
That does not appear to include the significant ongoing costs of staff salaries, consulting fees, software subscriptions, or equipment upgrades, which would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in addition to the buildout.
Within that $3.6 million budget, the local gym providing consulting services will be paid $400,000 throughout the contract.
The budget also shows a $250,000 subscription to a training software application that may or may not be needed.
These are staggering numbers on their own. When you consider that only one bid was received to run this sports institute, and it was won by the exact same gym that helped to craft the initial request for proposal, then this project needs to be stopped until the obvious conflict of interest has been investigated.
According to many sources, that same gym is conveniently (and suspiciously) located in Yorba Linda and helps train the Superintendent’s children.
The board majority approved the first $1.2 million in a hastily scheduled special board meeting on May 14 at 3 pm.
Share this:
Discover more from Fullerton Observer
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categories: Local News, Regional
The company with which the district is partnering for USI is currently suspended by the California State Board of Equalization, which means they should not even be doing business. So how are they entering a business agreement with a public entity? We have a board member who is a CPA saying there is nothing to see here.
As par for the course, thin on facts, rich in innuendo amd smear.
How is it thin on facts? PYLUSD approved $3.6M for an elite athlete training program with getting only one bid. The training facility has trained the Superintendent’s kids. Doesn’t seem arms length.
The article lists facts that you can find in the agreement. How is it thin on facts? There is also evidence that the superintendent’s son has trained there from the gym’s own social media. How is that innuendo?