Remove Garcia as SD2 Superintendent
Remove Garcia as SD2 Superintendent
The Issue
Erwin Garcia Valesquez was hired as the superintendent of School District 2 in Billings, Montana. The school board can remove Garcia, per MCA 20-4-401. Since taking over the district, he has operated as an authoritarian and has consistently been referred to as such. SD2 staff at every level have expressed concerns about decisions that effect them, the community has expressed concerns about decisions that effect them, and even the school board has expressed concerns about his decision making. Every one is met with “it’s an administrative decision” or “everyone isn’t going to like it but that doesn’t mean we don’t do it.” He preaches transparency while then springing decisions on students and the community at the last possible minute, everything from closing an elementary school, to reducing recess, to changing sports schedules. He refuses to tell local media how many students have actually enrolled in his charter schools. He preaches fiscal responsibility while spending $725,000 SD2 doesn’t have to build a culinary kitchen, while cutting staff (mostly teachers) and increasing permissive levies and asking people to vote for additional levies, to fund the safety of students when he is clearly demonstrating that isn’t a priority. Cutting staff will really help our students get those test scores up! Cutting staff will help ensure students are getting the help they need in class when class sizes increase! While cutting staff, there remains the possibility of cutting sports and other programs to address the budget issues. The safety levy he is so excited about, set to bring in $5 million a year, will fund $2 million in current staff salaries and Garcia anticipates using loans to fund anywhere from $5 to $19 million for camera systems (why is there such a large range? And why is this being advertised as having the possibility to end in the future if the board wants, when the district is racking up this much debt?) There is a reason Garcia only lasted 2 years as a superintendent in Houston. We cannot let him destroy SD2 the same way. Our community deserves better.
Example of the chaos that has ensued at board meetings since Garcia started: https://billingsgazette.com/news/local/education/billings-public-schools-book-banning-policy-public-comment-chaos/article_72baa286-fc35-11ee-8856-bfae170f5cc1.html
Washington Closure: https://www.kulr8.com/news/washington-elementary-to-close-community-reacts/article_d60791c4-ba58-11ee-b9af-2f60a926b132.html
School Board Meeting recordings: https://www.billingsschools.org/board/agendas-minutes
Safety Levy info: https://www.billingsschools.org
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The Issue
Erwin Garcia Valesquez was hired as the superintendent of School District 2 in Billings, Montana. The school board can remove Garcia, per MCA 20-4-401. Since taking over the district, he has operated as an authoritarian and has consistently been referred to as such. SD2 staff at every level have expressed concerns about decisions that effect them, the community has expressed concerns about decisions that effect them, and even the school board has expressed concerns about his decision making. Every one is met with “it’s an administrative decision” or “everyone isn’t going to like it but that doesn’t mean we don’t do it.” He preaches transparency while then springing decisions on students and the community at the last possible minute, everything from closing an elementary school, to reducing recess, to changing sports schedules. He refuses to tell local media how many students have actually enrolled in his charter schools. He preaches fiscal responsibility while spending $725,000 SD2 doesn’t have to build a culinary kitchen, while cutting staff (mostly teachers) and increasing permissive levies and asking people to vote for additional levies, to fund the safety of students when he is clearly demonstrating that isn’t a priority. Cutting staff will really help our students get those test scores up! Cutting staff will help ensure students are getting the help they need in class when class sizes increase! While cutting staff, there remains the possibility of cutting sports and other programs to address the budget issues. The safety levy he is so excited about, set to bring in $5 million a year, will fund $2 million in current staff salaries and Garcia anticipates using loans to fund anywhere from $5 to $19 million for camera systems (why is there such a large range? And why is this being advertised as having the possibility to end in the future if the board wants, when the district is racking up this much debt?) There is a reason Garcia only lasted 2 years as a superintendent in Houston. We cannot let him destroy SD2 the same way. Our community deserves better.
Example of the chaos that has ensued at board meetings since Garcia started: https://billingsgazette.com/news/local/education/billings-public-schools-book-banning-policy-public-comment-chaos/article_72baa286-fc35-11ee-8856-bfae170f5cc1.html
Washington Closure: https://www.kulr8.com/news/washington-elementary-to-close-community-reacts/article_d60791c4-ba58-11ee-b9af-2f60a926b132.html
School Board Meeting recordings: https://www.billingsschools.org/board/agendas-minutes
Safety Levy info: https://www.billingsschools.org
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Petition created on April 22, 2024