School's out for summer, but parents and community members are hard at work trying to oust trustees in three of Orange County's largest school districts.
The targets include a conspiracy-minded board member in Orange, a newly appointed Anaheim trustee who once suggested billing Mexico for the schooling of illegal immigrants, and four board members in the Capistrano Unified School District who supported a former superintendent who was indicted this year. These districts are responsible for educating close to 115,000 children -- nearly 25% of the public school students in the county -- and spend more than $1 billion annually.
Though it is often difficult for volunteers to gather enough signatures to put such local matters on the ballot, experts say the notoriety of these trustees makes it likely that voters will be deciding the fate of these board members in coming months.
Efforts to oust trustees crop up occasionally, but elections officials couldn't recall a time when so many were occurring simultaneously.
Political scientists said the recall efforts didn't mean that some overarching dissatisfaction with public schools has infected Orange County.
"I don't know if it's a part of a broader trend; these are each separate situations," said Fred Smoller, a political science professor at Chapman University in Orange.
Mark Petracca, a political scientist at UC Irvine, said: "This is just all coincidence."
In Orange, upset parents and community members are collecting signatures to recall board member Steve Rocco, who was elected in 2004 with nary a campaign appearance or flier.
At the time, his quirky style and conspiracy theories -- he contends local authorities murdered his father -- called into question voters' attention to school board races. Many in the district suspect voters chose Rocco because on the ballot he listed his occupation as a teacher, although he has not taught in years.
Since his election, Rocco, who always wears a knit cap and sunglasses at board meetings, regularly has made rambling statements about "the partnership," a cabal of powerful individuals he says runs the county and has tried to assassinate him. He refuses to be fingerprinted, so he can't visit schools.
He has abstained from scores of votes and refuses to participate in closed school board meetings to discuss issues such as personnel matters and litigation. He sued the district after board members censured him -- and lost.
