Watsonville Schools Trustee Responds To Recall Effort: SEE

WATSONVILLE, CA — Pajaro Valley Unified School District trustee Georgia Acosta, condemned for spearheading an effort to oust the superintendent, has publicly responded to criticism levied against her by a campaign to recall her.

Acosta revealed in her response dated May 24 that she has been undergoing surgery and treatment as she battles cancer. She called The Committee to Recall Georgia Acosta's campaign a misleading witch hunt and said that she has always sought "to benefit the students, families, employees and taxpayers of" the school district.

"While battling this dreaded disease these past few years, my commitment to you has never wavered," she wrote.

Her comments came after the recall campaign delivered a notice of intent to recall to Acosta. State law ensures candidates facing recall have the opportunity to publicly respond to criticism levied against them.

Acosta has not responded to repeated requests for comment from Patch and other news outlets.

Acosta said in her response that she is an independent voice on the school board who has pushed for fiscal prudence in school spending, spoken out against district hiring practices, pushed for in-person instruction on behalf of working families and met with U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) to advocate for school funding.

The Pajaronian reported Acosta falsely claimed that the recall election could cost taxpayers $100,000, though the county said it would cost the school district around $43,000 to $77,000 — about $5 to $9 per voter in the area.

She also claimed that she attended more than 85 percent of school board meetings, though The Pajaronian determined she has attended nearly 80 percent of meetings.

Acosta faced calls to resign or be recalled after members of the Pajaro Valley schools community condemned her attempt to oust Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez, who was reappointed to her post days later amid public outcry.

She has been criticized for racking up $16,000 in legal expenses without board approval, directing a district employee to stop accepting public comment in a board meeting after the Rodriguez removal scandal, violating the state open meetings law and skipping mandated trainings on the law, and missing a year's worth of meetings while continuing to receive pay and benefits.

Those were among the reasons Acosta's school board colleagues voted 4-1 to censure her at a March meeting.

The recall campaign can now proceed with drafting a recall petition, which must be approved by the county. The campaign could not immediately be reached to confirm whether it has submitted the recall petition.

The recall election would be put on the ballot if the campaign can collect 2,150 signatures from PVUSD Area II voters in 90 days. That's 25 percent of the 8,600 voters in the district.

Acosta is tasked with overseeing the education of some 20,000 students as a school district trustee. Her district includes the eastern edge of PVUSD's boundaries, including Salsipuedes.

Patch has asked Acosta to clarify several points in her public response and will update this article if she responds.

View Acosta's full response to the recall campaign here:

More from Patch:

• Recall Campaign Of Embattled PVUSD Trustee Clears Initial Hurdle
• PVUSD Board Censures Trustee Acosta, Disavows Her Actions
• PVUSD Not Liable For Legal Fees In Rodriguez Dismissal: Report
• Petition Calls For PVUSD Trustee Resignation
• Ousted PVUSD Superintendent Gets Job Back After Public Outcry