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<p>Jose Barajas, a member of the San Ysidro Schools Board of Governors, was served a recall petition Wednesday seeking to remove him from the school board.</p>
<p>Several community members, including local businesswoman Bertha Alicia Gonzalez and two PTA parents from two local schools, served Mr. Barajas at his home. The service of the petition is the first step in a recall process.</p>
<p>“Jose Barajas has failed in his fiduciary responsibility to the students, parents, teachers, and voters of the San Ysidro School District. Since his election to the Board, Jose Barajas has supported failed financial and management decisions of three Superintendents that put the district into near insolvency. Jose Barajas has supported teacher pay cuts instead of finding cost savings in administration,” the petition reads.</p>
<p>Community members have long complained that Mr. Barajas has supported former Superintendent Manuel Paul because their wives are “comadres”, or the godmother of the other’s daughter. Manuel Paul was indicted in January 2012 on charges of corruption and was also under investigation by the FBI for accepting cash from a prospective contractor. In March 2012 the district board voted to approve a $211,347.42 payout to remove him as Superintendent. The vote was 3-2 with Mr. Barajas casting the deciding vote. Mr. Paul later pled guilty to the charges involving the cash from the contractor and was sentenced to 60 days in federal detention.</p>
<p>“Jose Barajas was the deciding vote to approve a $220,000 payout to indicted Superintendent Manuel Paul instead of holding the Superintendent responsible for mismanagement and ethic violations. Now the district is spending taxpayer money to sue Manuel Paul to recover that unjustified payout. Jose Barajas has continued to support nepotism where relatives of school officials receive jobs at the district, including the son of the convicted Superintendent,” the petition states.</p>
<p>In March of this year, the San Ysidro School District filed a lawsuit against Manuel Paul seeking the return of the $211,347.42 payout, alleging government waste, breach of fiduciary duty, violation of the public trust, and fraud. Mr. Paul’s lawyers responded in writing that Mr. Paul “rejects any suggestion that he return any sums paid in settlement.”</p>
<p>“For these and other reasons, the voters, parents, and teachers of have lost confidence in Jose Barajas’ ability to continue as Trustee of the San Ysidro School District,” the petition concludes.</p>
<p>The recall process requires 1,915 signatures of registered voters in the district in order for a recall election to be held. If the required signatures are turned in to the Registrar of Voters, the San Ysidro School Board would set an election date or the County Registrar of Voters could call for a mail-in ballot only election.</p>
<p>Mr. Barajas, a retired educator, was elected in November 2012. He received 2,487 votes or 28.72% of the total votes cast. His current term expires in December 2016.</p>
<p>The San Ysidro School District is one of 42 school districts in San Diego County. It educates more than 4,700 students and serves the areas of San Ysidro, Ocean View Hills, and Otay Mesa.</p>
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