Why didn’t SCCS accept PCS’s offers to have Santa Cruz County Schools Superintendent Michael Watkins and Santa Cruz County Treasurer Fred Keeley assist with the negotiation process?
Because SCCS is led by a seven-member, publicly elected board of trustees accountable to the community and voters, SCCS chose to be represented by counsel in order to protect the public interest and maintain good governance. Representation by legal counsel in lease negotiations is standard practice. Like SCCS, PCS was represented by counsel during negotiations. In the interest of ensuring fiscal prudence and taxpayer confidence, SCCS chose to rely on legal counsel throughout the negotiations. Although SCCS was open to meaningful discussions during the negotiation period, mediation contemplates a neutral third party facilitator. Michael Watkins represents PCS’s chartering agency, the County Office of Education. Fred Keeley has been paid as a member of PCS’s faculty and is listed as a faculty member on the PCS Website. While both are respected members of the community, they both have direct relationships with PCS.
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