By Doug Spoon, Editor
Several topics that have generated discussion in the community are on the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting of the Perris Union High School Board of Education.
Discussions about school safety have been frequent on local social media sites since an incident on Thursday when Heritage High School was placed on lockdown following the report of a gun – later found to be an airsoft gun – on campus. Parents have told Menifee 24/7 they plan to attend the meeting to express concern over the issue. Coincidentally, items on the agenda include one regarding School Resource Officers and another regarding safety issues at two PUHSD schools in Perris.
But this is only one of several topics that could generate public comments and discussion among board members in light of recent news reports about issues under question at PUHSD. They include the following:
— Agenda item 14.6 is a request of board members to approve the promotion of Paloma Valley High custodian Anthony T. Stafford Jr. to the position of plant manager. Stafford’s father, Anthony T. Stafford Sr., is a member of the school board. His mother, Stephanie Stafford, is a former district co-worker and friend of Perris Lake High School principal Pauline Garcia, who was assigned to head the interview panel for the position.
This has prompted accusations of nepotism from staff members at Paloma Valley who state that Stafford Jr. is not the most qualified candidate and is receiving preferential treatment.
“The site’s pretty upset,” one of the current Paloma Valley employees said in reference to staff members on campus. “There’s a lot of talk about nepotism. Teachers who work 7-3:30, staff members who don’t normally have contact with custodians, they all say they can’t believe it.”
— Item 14.10 seeks to establish an hourly rate for substitute teachers rather than the daily rate at which they are now paid. Certificated substitute teachers are compensated at a daily rate of $225, $250, or $275, “depending on assignment criteria.” This recommendation is to convert to an hourly rate system, dividing the regular rate by the standard number of work hours in a day (seven hours).
According to the proposal, “This structure will allow the district to compensate guest teachers fairly when services are rendered for less than a full day. The proposed daily rate will be as follows: $225 daily/$32.14 per hour, $250 daily/$35.71, and $275 daily/$39.29.”
In other words, subs who are needed for only part of the day would be paid an hourly rate. Currently, the district substitute handbook states that any time subs are called for an assignment, they receive a full day’s pay.
This issue could be the result of the highly publicized case of Jacob Burnard, who was terminated by the district after he disputed the district’s attempt to pay him for only half a day on numerous occasions. After obtaining an attorney, Burnard was offered reinstatement by the district. His status has not been resolved.
— Item 14.12 proposes 3.75 percent increases to the salaries of the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendents, and Chief Human Resources Officer, retroactive to July 1. The district and school board already received widespread criticism for Superintendent Jose Araux’s 2024-25 salary of $304,457, considering that he was placed at Step 4 of 5 on the salary schedule in only his first year on the job.
— Item 14.14 requests approval of a job description for a new position of Coordinator – Human Resources and requests authorization to recruit for the position. This appears to be the exact same position that was requested at the Oct. 25 board meeting, when it failed to pass (the vote was 2-2 with Anthony T. Stafford Sr. absent).
This would create an additional HR position under Alfredo Andrade, who was hired as Chief HR Officer in 2024 with no prior experience in the education sector. It would take away some of his responsibilities, such as management of Title IX compliance. Ironically, this job description lists K-12 administrative experience as “preferred” – meaning a person hired for the position to work under Andrade would have more experience than he has.
— Chris Jackson, a Menifee resident who has been critical of PUHSD and its board members in recent weeks, says he has made a public records request of the district regarding the Stafford. Jr. case, the Jacob Burnard case, and other matters. He said he isn’t satisfied with the responses he’s getting from board president Steve Campos and is demanding that a letter he wrote to the board be read into the record at Wednesday’s meeting because he is unable to attend the address the board himself.
Jackson told Menifee 24/7 he doesn’t accept Campos’ response that “the board does not read public comments” and that he demands “full production of all responsive records from my Oct. 24, 2025 request by Nov. 21, 2025—no extensions.”
In his letter, Jackson demands:
— Full public disclosure of the [Stafford Jr.] promotion panel’s composition, decision criteria, and compliance certification with Board Policy 4112.8 and Government Code § 1090.
— An independent third-party investigation into all cited allegations, with preliminary findings reported at the next board session.
— Verification of Mr. Burnard’s full reinstatement, back pay issuance per Labor Code § 204, and any applicable waiting time penalties under § 203.
In an email to Campos on Tuesday, Jackson wrote, “Your evasive policies won’t silence accountability … This email constitutes formal written demand that PUHSD immediately cure and correct any violations of the Ralph M. Brown Act (Gov. Code §54950 et seq.), including but not limited to obstructing public participation (§54954.3) by failing to include, distribute, and acknowledge my submitted statement in tomorrow’s meeting record or session. You have 30 days from receipt to cure (e.g., confirm inclusion and address on-record). Failure will result in legal action to invalidate related actions and recover fees.”
Wednesday’s meeting is listed as starting at 4 p.m., but because of a closed session and short recess, the regular PUHSD board meeting isn’t scheduled to begin until approximately 5 p.m. Guests are encouraged to arrive early for seating. For those who can’t attend, an audio recording is made available on the district website later. PUHSD board meetings are not recorded on video.
