Complaint Filed Against Paso School District Dismissed

Ballots for the trustee special election will be mailed out on March 20

By CAMILLE DEVAUL

PASO ROBLES — A complaint filed against the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District (PRJUSD) and the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education has been dismissed.

Last week, trustee candidate Kenney Enney filed the complaint with the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) against the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education (SLOCOE), the PRJUSD, SLO County Superintendent of Education James Brescia, Superintendent of PRJUSD Curt Dubost, and community member Carey Alvord-Schof, for violations of the State Political Reform Act.

A special election was initiated after a petition was successful in terminating provisionally appointed trustee Enney, who was sworn in on Oct. 11, 2022. He was appointed to fill the seat left behind by Chris Bausch, who left the PRJUSD to fill a seat on Paso Robles City Council.

The special election is scheduled for Tuesday, April 18, and is estimated to cost PRJUSD $453,000.

The petition itself did not specify the reason for terminating Enney. However, enough signatures were collected, and a special election was scheduled. There are only two candidates vying for the seat: Enney, a retired Marine and rancher, and Angela Hollander, a retired nonprofit manager.

Paso Robles Press obtained a copy of the complaint from FCCP, which included threads of emails between Dubost, Brescia, AlvordShof, and San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano.

The complaint came after the district issued a letter to both candidates and a separate statement regarding any campaign materials that include the district’s logo are used without district permission and the district does not endorse any candidate in the election. It came to their attention that one of the candidates — now confirmed to be Enney — was using the district’s logo on their campaign signs. In the FCCP documents, Enney was sent another cease letter asking him to remove any campaign materials with the district logo. Enney told Paso Robles Press that he would cease printing any more materials with the logo.

In another press release regarding the signs, the district said, “Until removed or modified, the use of the District’s logo can only be interpreted as an intentional violation of the District’s rights under the law and should not be misinterpreted as any kind of District endorsement whatsoever.”

Prior to the FCCP releasing the complaint documents, Enney sent a copy of his complaint to Paso Robles Press after PRP printed the original story, which can be found at pasoroblespress.com/news/education/prjusd-school-board/prjusd-trustee-candidate-files-complaint-against-district/

While the FCCP did not clarify why the complaint was dismissed, the alleged violations included “Improper Use of Campaign Funds.” Enney’s reasoning for this comes from the salary paid to Brescia for allegedly aiding Alvord-Schof to remove Enney from the Board Of Trustees. The same went for the salary paid to Dubost and Alvord-Schof.

The following comes directly from the complaint:

Specifically, DuBost aided the rapid qualification of the petition and has conducted an ongoing effort using district resources attempting to suppress Complainant Kenneth Enney’s use of campaign materials containing a public logo of the school district to whose Board of Trustees Enney is seeking election at an election set for April 18, including threats to cease and desist using such logo and of litigation against Complainant in the event he fails to accede to DuBost’s demands, and Respondent Alvord used public resources including her employer’s email communications address, server, and links, to develop, produce, organize the circulation of and quali - fication of a petition under California Education Code 5091 for an election to be held on April 18, for voters in the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District.

Official ballots for the April 18 Special Election of the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District will be mailed out beginning Monday, March 20. The San Luis Obispo County Elections Division will have both of the offices open during the days and times listed below:

Mail Office

1055 Monterey Street

San Luis Obispo

8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday through Friday beginning Monday, April 3 (805) 781-5228

North County 6565 Capistrano Avenue

Atascadero

8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Monday through Friday beginning Monday, March 20 (805) 781-5228

At both offices, voters will have the opportunity to return their vote-by-mail ballot, request a replacement ballot, obtain information regarding the special election, register and re-register to vote, and obtain or return signature cure letters.

Paso Robles Press is following this story and will be providing updates.