Questions remain after departure of 11 PUHSD administrators

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Classes begin in the Perris Union High School District in 10 days, and it’s time for the first quiz question of the year. Don’t worry, it’s multiple choice:

Q: Which of the following describes the current state of PUHSD?

a. Dismantling of the administration.
b. Mass exodus by angry employees.
c. Unanswered questions.
d. All of the above.

According to virtually every current and former district employee or official interviewed by Menifee 24/7 during a special investigation over the last two weeks, the correct answer is D. The lone exceptions would be top management and school board members – and they are saying very little.

In a phenomenon that allegedly began two years ago but has peaked in the last four months, the turnover rate of top PUHSD administrators has reached levels never before seen. At least 11 administrators have recently left the district – including four of the six principals, six of the 12 department directors, and one longtime member of the superintendent’s cabinet.

Most of the current or former district employees requested anonymity when interviewed for this news article, expressing fear that including their name could negatively impact their reputation and/or job status elsewhere.

“Everyone is afraid,” one former employee said. “They (top level leaders) are using fear and intimidation. The people left in the ranks aren’t going to say anything. They’re keeping their heads down.”

The question is, why? Why have so many employees left, expressing disgust with the current leadership, some claiming they were forced out? There are reasons given – again, mostly anonymously – but virtually no official response from those in charge, other than to defend themselves.

School board member Steve Campos (left) and superintendent Jose Araux have received criticism. (File photo)

Here are some of the accusations that have been repeated over and over to Menifee 24/7 by those involved:

-- Members of the school board are accused of taking control of hiring and firing, conducting interviews and making the final decision on principals, directors and others, with or without the consent of first-year superintendent Dr. Jose Luis Araux. That’s something that according to two sources “is unheard of” on such boards, where – like city councils with the city manager – policy states that only the superintendent can be hired or fired by the board.

Elizabeth Vallejo, who was elected to the school board in 2020, chose not to run again in 2024 after objecting to many of the tactics she says were used by her colleagues to satisfy their own personal agendas.

“Why should we as board members be hiring principals and other administrators?” asked Vallejo in an interview with Menifee 24/7. “You can tell they were steering people toward their agenda. They wanted to hire their friends.

“Always before, our superintendent would say, ‘I recommend this person’ and we would vote to approve or not. Then it came time to hire a new HR director. They said, ’No, we need to know who the final three are and we have to interview them.’ I said, ‘I don’t have time to do this. It’s not our job.’"

At the end of Vallejo’s term, the board consisted of Steve Campos, elected for the first time in 2022; Edward Garcia, re-elected in 2022 after being off the board for two years; Anthony Stafford, re-elected in 2024; David Nelissen; and Vallejo. In November 2024, Jamie Anaya was elected to fill Vallejo’s vacant board seat and another newcomer, Charles Hall, defeated Nelissen.

Elizabeth Vallejo served on the school board from 2020-24 and is now on the Perris City Council. (Photo: Facebook)

 
According to Vallejo, an increase in control taken by board members first became obvious about two years ago, after Campos was elected and Garcia rejoined the board and while Grant Bennett was superintendent.

“That’s when everything changed,” Vallejo said. “They’re the type of board members who always want power. I like Grant, but I think he let it happen because he was scared; he didn’t want to get fired."

In her final board meeting last fall, Vallejo strongly criticized her colleagues for taking the board in what she believes is the wrong direction. She went on to win a seat on the Perris City Council. She said during that campaign, the remaining board members endorsed her opponent.

Bennett, who retired in June 2024, had no comment when asked about the accusations against the district. Campos, Garcia and Stafford did not return requests for comment.

-- Araux is described by some as being unqualified for the superintendent’s position, having never served on a superintendent’s cabinet or as an assistant superintendent. Sources say two other finalists for the job were assistant superintendents and were passed over. Employees say they also consider his hiring a conflict of interest because he had previously served alongside some of the very board members who hired him.

Araux was working as a principal in the Jurupa Valley Unified School District when he retired in June, 2024. He had been off the PUHSD school board since 2022.

-- Shortly after the November 2024 election, board members hired as Human Resources Director Alfredo Andrade – an HR administrator experienced in the private sector but having never worked in a school district. Election campaign forms for three current board members – Garcia, Stafford and Anaya -- show that the treasurers of their campaign were Andrade and his wife.

“I told them that he doesn’t have the experience,” Vallejo said she told her colleagues during their interview process. “He only worked in the private sector. This is completely different. Everybody said, ‘No, he’s fine. He’s perfect for it.’”

Vallejo was outvoted in the choice for Andrade, 4-1. Then the real controversy began.

“I didn’t learn any of this (campaign connections) until I got an anonymous letter and started seeing it online,” she said. “I had no idea. In closed session, I asked to speak to the whole board. I said, ‘I’m being told that the person you just hired is the person who was treasurer for three of your campaigns.’ They said, ‘I didn’t think it was relevant.’ I said, ‘You guys shouldn’t even have voted on this. That’s a conflict of interest.’

“I said I want full transparency because I have to go out there and tell people what’s going on. This looks like an inside job. They said, ‘We don’t think you should. It’s none of their business.’”

-- According to several sources, at least some of the departed principals left the district after resisting pressure to changes they believed were not in the best interest of the students. A highly publicized school board decision to close campus mental health centers, including laying off assistant principals and counselors in March 2024, allegedly contributed to a divide between the school board and principals. The decision to eliminate a district Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) coordinator also allegedly resulted in opposition among the ranks.

Students, faculty and parents spoke against a district decision to close mental health centers in 2024. (File photo)

The most recent departure by a principal was Paloma Valley High principal Julie Blied, who gave her notice this week and informed her staff via email that she has taken a position in another district. Two weeks ago, Blied announced she was returning to an assistant principal and athletic director position at Paloma “for personal reasons.” Sources say she was forced out.

“I think they were forcing her out but not formally threatening her job,” one current district employee said. “They were not happy she wasn’t a ‘yes’ person, and she always fought for her students and staff, and they wanted someone who would fight less and just do what they are told. Julie is not quiet; she’s not going to do what she is told if it’s not best for the students.”

A similar situation seems to be the case with Liberty High principal Erika Tejeda, who had been with the district for 24 years. Tejeda announced last month that she was leaving the district. Like Blied, she expressed only gratitude for the opportunity with PUHSD in public comments and did not state whether she had problems with the school board that prompted her to leave.

So now, you have new principals at Paloma Valley – former Liberty assistant principal Thomas LaRochelle – and at Liberty – newcomer Erika Rojas. The only holdover principal at a Menifee high school in PUHSD is Jose Topete, who took over as Heritage’s interim principal in mid-year when Lindsay Chavez was given a director’s position.

In addition, Juan Santos was replaced by Richard Garcia as Perris High principal. At Perris Lake High, principal Lee Alfred left the district and an assistant principal was reassigned to a teacher’s position.

“Now they have four principals with no prior principal experience,” a current district employee said. “They’re going to be ‘yes’ men, and that’s what they want.”

Of all the requests for comment made by Menifee 24/7, only Campos responded, promising a statement on behalf of the school board by Monday. He still has not responded.

On behalf of Araux and Andrade, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Dr. Shanna Egans emailed Menifee 24/7 on Monday, saying, in part:

“Mr. Andrade applied for a position within the district, met all eligibility requirements, and was selected by an interview panel that operated independently of the Board of Trustees. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from California State University, San Bernardino, as well as a degree in Business Administration. He earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of California, Riverside, and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree.

“Regarding recent leadership transitions, no district leaders were asked to resign. As with any organization, public or private, personnel changes are not uncommon. We remain confident in the highly qualified individuals who have stepped into new roles.”

Pressed for specifics about the allegations, Egans responded, “We have been clear; no one in a leadership position received an ultimatum. As for your specific questions regarding individuals, we aren’t able to answer on their behalf or speculate why a decision was made. We have shared with you what we know. Leadership team members made decisions for personal reasons and in some cases took opportunity elsewhere. We are happy for them and appreciate the work they did or continue to do in the district.”

Tomorrow on Menifee 24/7: We provide a complete list of all the administrators we have confirmed have left the district. More sources speak out, and we explain one of the processes that can be used to remove administrators from their positions.