Nonprofit report blames Stockton Unified board for keeping district ‘stuck in neutral’

IN A BACK-TO-SCHOOL brief  “Stuck in Neutral?” released this week, the education-focused nonprofit San Joaquin A+ calls on districts in San Joaquin County to spend $109 million in federal and state pandemic funding on high-intensity tutoring and to prioritize social and emotional health and safety to support student learning.

The report also spares no words criticizing the governing board of the county’s largest district, Stockton Unified. It notes that two county grand juries have condemned the board for committing open-meeting violations, for “poor business practices, conflicts of interest, a lack of transparency, and budget shortfall of at least $30 million by 2024,” and for creating the conditions that have led to a revolving door of six superintendents in six years.  Without mentioning pivotal school board elections next month, the report says, “The leadership changes themselves are a window into the management crisis perpetuated by the (Stockton Unified) school board.”