This Wednesday, Santa Clara County Office of Education board members will publicly discuss new details emerging from multiple internal investigations launched last year into misuse of public funds complaints. The complaints targeted former County Superintendent Mary Ann Dewan and some members of her administration at the time.
Although the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office did not find enough evidence to charge anyone with a crime, independent investigators hired by SCCOE have made at least 14 serious findings. A document has been posted to SCCOE’s website showing a summary of the findings, which include:
- Public funds were used for non-SCCOE (personal) purposes without the knowledge of the Board.
- Fiscal mechanisms (i.e., County Superintendent segregated account) were used to redirect grant funding for purposes unrelated to the grant’s original purpose without public transparency and accountability.
- Several SCCOE contracts were awarded in a manner that suggested personal favoritism versus public benefit
- Ethical safeguards were ignored with several SCCOE employees using public resources to show public support for their superior.
“All of those things are serious, egregiously serious to the work of a public agency,” said John Di Salvo a former SCCOE board member who served for 16 years, including during the time of the complaints. “I was deeply disturbed by having my role eviscerated by the county superintendent by not being transparent, not answering queries from board members about budget, about staffing.”
“Previously, I was unable to disclose a lot of the extent of abuse of public trust and public dollars,” said former board member Grace Mah who was also on the board during that time. “It felt good to see that all of the trust and details have been coming out.”
For more than a year, the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit has been reporting on complaints against former Superintendent Dewan. They involve accusations of federal funds given to the county’s Head Start program that supports under-served young students, being used to help pay the salary of an unrelated employee. Dewan’s administration at the time called the issue “an accounting error.”
In a 4-2 vote, SCCOE board members ousted Dewan in October 2024.
Regarding the newly released SCCOE internal investigation findings, Dewan declined an interview with the Investigative Unit. She sent a text message Monday afternoon saying in part, “The Board’s alleged findings are malicious and baseless attacks, unsupported by any evidence. I have no knowledge of any wrongdoing and have fulfilled all of my duties fully within the statutory framework of my role.”
“It is deeply concerning that these actions appear aimed at silencing dissenting voices rather than fostering transparency and accountability,” Dewan added.
In addition to discussing the findings this Wednesday, current SCCOE board members will also discuss and eventually vote on proposed policy changes that Dewan also disagrees with.
“Coupling unverified allegations with structural changes to Board authority raises serious questions about intent, transparency, and the future of governance at the Office of Education,” Dewan said.
SCCOE Board President Maimona Afzal Berta stands by the committee’s decisions.
“These recommendations respond directly to the issues identified in the independent investigations. Drawing on best practices from other public agencies, the proposed policies affirm the Board’s oversight role to safeguard students as a public education agency. I look forward to the Board’s consideration and adoption of these reforms so we can move forward with clear, student-centered, and publicly responsible oversight of administrative practices,” she said.
Source: NBC Bay Area