Every year public officials turn in 700 forms which list their personal assets, income, investments and gifts. Jay Wierenga, Communications Director from the Fair Political Practice Committee, said in a June 4 interview that the conflict-of-issue forms “are designed to allow transparency and some indication of public officials’ economic interests to ensure there is no conflict with the public’s best interest.”

South Bay learned a lot from looking at the information that was reported—and not reported—by former Sweetwater trustees and officials. What do we learn from looking at the 700 forms of administrators in the Chula Vista Elementary school district?

In 2012 Proposition E, a $90,000,000 school improvement bond, was passed to upgrade older schools in the Chula Vista Elementary school district.

Balfour Beatty Construction, a company that has done a lot of construction for CVESD, gave the “Yes on Prop E” committee $5,000 to help ensure the proposition’s passage.

Francisco Escobedo is the superintendent for Chula Vista Elementary. According to Escobedo’s 700 form, Balfour Beatty gave him two Charger tickets for $315.00 each and a Turning Heart luncheon for $125.00 in 2011.

The FPPC places a limit on the amount a public official can receive as a gift from a single source in a year. The allowable amount has recently been increased to $460.00.

In 2012, Balfour Beatty gave Escobedo, former board member Russell Coronado, former board member Douglas Luffborugh III, each a $90.00 Las Primeras luncheon. They also gave Escobedo a Camarena golf tournament ticket for $130.

Another golf tournament that was checked “gift” on one of Escobedo’s 700 forms was a 2011 Billy Casper Golf Tournament for $500.00.Innovative Services has contracted with the district to do lighting, retrofits, HVAC system replacements and other energy conservation services.

Via email Escobedo explained that he doesn’t see this as gift, rather “In 2011, I did not receive $500 from Innovative Energy Services. Rather, the company made a $500 charitable donation to the Billy Casper Youth Foundation as part of its annual tournament fundraiser, which benefits youth in our community. You may also be interested in knowing that when I participate in events such as the Billy Casper Annual golf tournament, I do so using vacation days or personal necessity days rather than district work days.”

Chula Vista Elementary has invested heavily in educational software.

Imagine Learning, Inc is a for-profit software company. Initially, CVESD purchased software licenses for special education students. In July 2011, the district extended the software program by acquiring an additional 1,739 perpetual licenses for $1,260,675.

In October 2011 Escobedo made an unpaid promotional video for Imagine Learning called “Journey Through Data, Chula Vista & Imagine Learning.”

Meanwhile in September of 2011 Imagine Learning, Inc gave Escobedo $1,000. Escobedo checked the box “made a speech/participant in a panel and further described the activity that garnered this money as: “Conference-Professional Development.”

Then again in October 2011 Imagine Learning, Inc gifted Escobedo $1,000 for a speech/panel at the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents Summit, which Escobedo describes on his 700 form as “Professional Development.”

In the email exchange on June 4, Escobedo did not respond to questions about Imagine Learning, rather he said, “You have raised issues that go back several years and I am not available at this moment to provide you the comprehensive response that would fully address your questions.”

Also in October 2011 Imagine Learning, Inc gave Escobedo $125.00 for an Explorer Luncheon.

In 2012, according to Escobedo’s 700-disclosure form, Imagine Learning paid $314.65 for him to attend a California Association of Latino Superintendents conclave in Los Angeles.

In 2012 Imagine Learning also paid $781.55 to Escobedo for “professional development.” In the same time frame, Imagine Learning also gave Matthew Tessier, Executive Director of Technology and Emma Sanchez, Executive Director Of Language Acquisition, $781.55. While Tessier explains on his 700 forms his gift was to “provide feedback on a new version of software” for this one-day trip, Sanchez indicates she gave “feedback and support for educational software.”

In 2013, according to her 700 form, Sanchez again was given $900.00 by Imagine Learning for “professional development on new teacher tool.” Her form indicates that she participated in a panel.

On June 10, CVESD passed a budget that included a $2,074,267.95 expenditure for another software product called Achieve 3000. According to agenda information, the software program is an online nonfiction reading program which will train students to “respond to thought questions” similar to those that will be on state tests (SBAC) that will be aligned with Common Core standards.

Laura Douglas, who identified herself as a grandmother who studies educational issues, addressed the board on May 27 and said, “please don’t buy the Achieve 3000 product.” She said the product is “yet untested, there are no peer reviews it.” Douglas argued the money would be better spent on books, and fiction, and things that “feed the imagination.”

Assistant Superintendent John Nelson, like Escobedo with Imagine Learning, made a promotional video for Achieve 3000. Achieve 3000 is a for-profit company located in Lakewood, New Jersey. Here is a link to Nelson’s video: http://www.achieve3000.com/california

In 2012 Nelson reports on his 700 forms that Achieve 3000 bought him a $40.00 dinner. In 2013 Achieve 3000 paid Nelson $1,100 to be a keynote speaker. In 2014 they gifted him $240.00 for one of dinner and lodging.

Achieve 3000 also gave Escobedo a $275.00 for a California Association of Latino Superintendents’ student scholarship golf tournament.

This is just a glimpse of what is on the Chula Vista Elementary administrators’ conflict-of-interest forms. Many familiar companies pepper the disclosure forms: South Bay YMCA, Houghton Mifflin, Mondo Publishing, Edmodo and so forth.

Wieranga, from the FPPC, reminds us that these forms are for all members of the community to see upon request. Some public agencies, he noted, simply post the 700 forms on the agency website.

Several Chula Vista board members or administrators turned in 700 forms with nothing to declare: no dinners: no luncheons, no Padre tickets, nada. Former Sweetwater Unified school district trustee, Jaime Mercado, said, when other members of the Sweetwater board were being investigated for corruption, “I never accepted even a cup of coffee from a vendor.”