MVUSD: Pardue persists and removes school social workers

1TVPAC Team

MURRIETA— After a debate that spanned two school board meetings, MVUSD president Nick Pardue succeeded in removing more than half of the district's social workers at the end of this school year. 

The discussion almost did not happen after Pardue’s motion to eliminate the positions at the Feb. 13 meeting did not have a second, which would have ended the action. However, Pardue stared down trustees Eleanor Briggs and Christine Schmidt. Schmidt eventually seconded the motion so it could move toward discussion and a vote.

The elimination of social workers failed on a 3-2 vote in February, with Briggs joining trustees Yvonne Munoz and Nancy Young to vote against it. The item reappeared on the March 13 agenda with no changes to the original action. Briggs changed her mind and her vote, aligning with Pardue and eliminating up to five social worker positions.

Munoz and Young voiced concerns about transparency after Briggs changed her mind.

“When we made that decision last month many of them took actions and made decisions about their lives in reliance on our decision,” Munoz said. “And now we are going to upend their lives.”

“We are talking about taking away vital services for our most vulnerable students,” Young added.

Pardue said he supported Briggs's change of heart as he made the motion to eliminate social worker positions for the second straight month. 

“We’re perfectly okay to revisit something when there is a vote made,” Pardue said. “So we’ve made our decision and we made our choice as a board and as board members.”

Briggs said she changed her mind after meeting with district staff. She said she is confident this decision will have no negative consequences for students or families. 

“The district staff has run the data. It is extremely data-driven,” she said, although she did not provide data to support her statement. “I am here to do what is in the best interest of the overall picture of the district.”

In his original argument at the Feb. 13 meeting, Pardue defended the removal of social workers and said students who end up taking their own lives don’t seek assistance anyway.

“It’s impacting a small group of people,” Pardue said. “Oftentimes that one death didn’t even access the resources we have.”

Superintendent Ward Andrus made it clear that reducing mental health staff will reduce student services. Andrus said each high school, which have student populations well over 2,000, will keep one social worker on staff.

“With the lesser number of positions, there will be a reduction in service,” Andrus said.

The information that caused Briggs to change her vote has still not been made available to the public. The next MVUSD board meeting is April 17 at 5 p.m.