It’s time to wake up and pay attention to what’s going on over at our local elementary school district, the Saugus Union School District. Parents and teachers have been speaking out about problems in the classroom. The last school board meeting, Nov. 19, laid bare the frustrations and hostility among the stakeholders — parents, teachers and administrators.
This week, SUSD will undergo a board reorganization meeting where a president will be named and installed for the coming year. Normally, these meetings are routine and happen without much fanfare. Typically, the board members rotate through the positions of clerk and then president, basically taking turns, unless there’s legitimate reason to alter the rotation.
And this year, there is.
Board member Christopher Trunkey is next in line to be board president and we, the community, were given the gift of a “preview” to a Mr. Trunkey presidency when he presided over the last board meeting.
During the public comment section of the meeting, two community members asked to give their three minutes of speaking time to another community member. This is not uncommon and has been permitted in previous SUSD meetings.
This is when things got crazy.
Mr. Trunkey allowed the speakers to give their time to the other community member, but then refused to allow the person to use the time, despite repeated questions and concerns from three of the other four board members.
Any pretense that Mr. Trunkey adheres to the SUSD Core Values of “Respect or Teamwork” was thrown right out the window when he interrupted fellow board members who had a question, or worse, refused to acknowledge them speaking. Two board members were in attendance via Zoom and uncertain if they could even be heard, yet Mr. Trunkey withheld the courtesy of a response even after repeated requests — which were eventually answered by a member of the public in attendance.
Later, a visibly shaken and upset representative, speaking for the California School Employees Association Chapter 112, said it best during her opening comments: “I am embarrassed to be here. I’ve been around this district … going on 30 years and I have never witnessed such a negative environment.”
This school district is facing many challenges ahead. Declining enrollment, which means a reduction in funding. Teachers are leaving, both the district and the state. A recent SUSD teacher survey shows serious dissatisfaction with the classroom work environment, especially as it relates to special educational support needs and the way the superintendent is handling the situation. When teachers don’t have what they need to support their classrooms, our children aren’t receiving the education they deserve. The failed bond measure, which consultants advised probably would not pass, cost the district over $300,000 of our tax money that could have been used in the classroom. This was a bad business decision from failed board leadership.
All of these issues, combined with the open hostility at recent board meetings, are why we, as a community, need to make sure we have the right person at the helm of SUSD next year. This person must be able to take a thoughtful, measured approach to every issue facing the board. This person is not Mr. Trunkey.
School board presidents set the tone for the direction of the district. We can all see from the last board meeting, with Mr. Trunkey at the helm, what we can expect to see in 2025.
For the sake of our children and teachers, and the well-being of our school district, I urge you to watch the 45 minutes of public comment and decide for yourselves. Then come out to this Tuesday’s board meeting and address your area representative directly, urging them to nominate and install someone other than Mr. Trunkey as board president for 2025.
Our children and teachers deserve solutions in the classroom. Our community, parents and board members deserve to be treated with respect and heard.
Tammy Messina
Saugus
