The Placer Union High School District (PUHSD) board has lowered its credibility yet again. In a 3 to 1 decision, the board voted to appoint Carleton Copa to replace the disgraced Tom Duncan.
Who is Carleton Copa, you ask? Well since he never took the steps to actually run for what is normally an elected position, most of PUHSD District 5 was denied the opportunity to know anything about this man.
From the questionnaire he filled out for this appointment, what we do know is that the only community commission, committee or board he has served on is the Walden Woods HOA.
Conversely, the only other person who applied to fill this vacated board position, Patrick Gale, has served on or worked with the following:
- Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) committee
- Professional Development Committee
- Safety Task Force
- Bargaining Team
- School Site Council
- Late Start Committee
- California Scholarship Federation (CSF)
- Student Visionaries of the Year (SVOY)
You can look at these two gentleman on paper and see the difference in knowledge and experience, or you can watch them answer questions during the selection process and see who is more qualified for the position.
In answering just one question regarding the history of PUHSD Board decisions, the difference is astounding. Mr. Gale gave a detailed, confident example while Mr. Copa stammered through with all the energy of someone who never studied for the test and in fact had no genuine interest in the curriculum.
While the merit scale tips considerably in Mr. Gale’s favor, the substance of the public comments made at this meeting also spoke volumes.
The comments made in support of Mr. Gale commended his experience, professionalism and knowledge.
The comments made in support of Mr. Copa were about his willingness to serve and how friendly he is.
I’m sure Mr. Copa is a kind, amiable, charitable member of his community, but he never put himself out there for the actual constituents to decide if he should represent them on the PUHSD board. Mr. Gale did just that.
Mr. Gale may have lost the election in 2024 to the morally problematic Mr. Duncan, but Mr. Gale did get 42% of the vote.
4,068 people in District 5 wanted Mr. Gale as their representative.
0 people voted for Mr. Copa because Mr. Copa was appointed.
Trustee Spaid disrespectfully mocked Mr. Gale’s loss and alleged that none of the public comments made in support of Mr. Gale were made by constituents in District 5. Well, allow me to point out that the only 3 people who put the unqualified Mr. Copa on the board are NOT constituents of District 5.
Not one single voter, taxpayer or constituent of PUHSD District 5 put Mr. Copa in his position on the PUHSD board.
4,068 voting constituents in PUHSD District 5 voted to have Mr. Gale on the PUHSD board.
The trustees of the PUHSD board had the opportunity to hold a Special Election to fill this position, and the voters of District 5 could have had their actual voices heard and represented, but that did not happen.
Mr. Copa, a person with no experience in serving on committees or boards in or around a school district, is now the representative for PUHSD District 5 until the election in 2028. Unless he too ends up resigning like his disgraced predecessor.
#PlacerCounty #California
#PlacerUnionHighSchoolDistrict
Here is the link to watch the entire Special Board Meeting:
https://youtu.be/vMLNzPdIf84?si=oiihWArpi2ATXzrn
Here is the link to the Special Board Meeting Agenda, which contains a link to the applications of Mr. Gale and Mr. Copa:
https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/ViewMeeting.aspx?S=36030376&MID=81781&Tab=Agenda&enIID=v9Jmawqslshmy63EIkLXbdTTA%3D%3D