VALLEY CENTER: Charter school supporters question presence of sheriff's deputies

By SHAYNA CHABNER - Staff Writer | Wednesday, May 28, 2008 7:09 PM PDT ∞

VALLEY CENTER ---- Supporters of a small American Indian charter school said Wednesday they were upset that sheriff's deputies attended the last two Valley Center-Pauma school board meetings during emotional discussions about the possible closure of the school.

A Sheriff's Department official said Wednesday that he sent the deputies to the meeting because he knew how strongly people on the reservations support All Tribes American Indian Charter School and was concerned about how some might react to its possible closure.

Tribal and school leaders, parents and students from the charter school said both during and after this week's meeting that the deputies weren't necessary and that their presence was intimidating.

"I have been to several school board meetings, and that was the first time that I have ever seen the Sheriff's Department there," said Michelle Parada, an All Tribes teacher and co-founder. "I have to say I was rather offended."

The Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District, which sponsors the charter school, has taken steps to revoke the school's charter.

District Superintendent Lou Obermeyer has recommended that the board close the 7-year-old campus at the end of the school year because of what she has described as ongoing problems with management of funds and accounting inconsistencies over attendance.

At a public hearing on Tuesday, All Tribes supporters were invited to respond to the district's concerns about the school. Lt. Sean Gerrity and four fellow uniformed sheriff's deputies from the Valley Center substation were in the audience. At a May 8 meeting, when the board took the first step in revoking the school's charter by issuing a notice of intent to revoke, two deputies were in the audience.

Obermeyer said Wednesday that before this month, deputies had never been assigned to attend board meetings in the three years since she took over as superintendent. She said that neither she nor the board asked for the deputies.

"Lt. Gerrity explained that they were there at his request," Obermeyer said, adding that she did inform the Sheriff's Department that she was expecting large crowds at the last two meetings.

When pressed as to whether she was concerned about a large crowd, she said she regularly communicates with sheriff's deputies about what's happening at the campus. She said that before this month, however, she had "never thought" to give the Sheriff's Department advance notice of a large crowd at a board meeting.

A majority of the 70 people who attended Tuesday's packed, 2 1/2-hour meeting at the Valley Center High multimedia center indicated they supported the charter school. At the May 8 meeting, only a handful of supporters were in attendance.

In both meetings, supporters of the school expressed their concerns about the deputies' presence.

There was a moment of levity at this week's meeting when Rincon reservation council member Stephanie Spencer told the board that she was "actually pleased to see all the deputies here, because I thought you would cause me some undue harm."

Gerrity said Wednesday he did not mean to offend or intimidate anyone by bringing in his deputies.

"I sent deputies there because it's a very passionate issue," he explained Wednesday.

Gerrity said that after speaking with district officials and reading media reports on the upcoming meeting, he arranged for two extra deputies ---- one of whom was on overtime ---- to attend the meeting. Typically, the station would have three deputies working the shift, he said.

"My only concern is to keep the peace. Nothing more than that," he said, adding, "Based on the crowd that was there and the people that were there, we probably weren't needed."

Contact staff writer Shayna Chabner at (760) 740-5416 or schabner@nctimes.com.

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