A Merced City School District trustee announced this week he is stepping down, and an associate superintendent is on paid administrative leave, The Merced FOCUS has learned.

Brianna Vaccari

The Merced FOCUS

Trustee Jessee Espinosa announced during Tuesday’s regular board meeting that he took a job in San Francisco and won’t finish the remainder of his term.

Earlier this year, Espinosa, who represents Area 2, said he would not seek a second term or re-election. Tuesday’s announcement came after Espinosa was absent for two board meetings.

Additionally, district officials confirmed Wednesday that Brian Meisenheimer, an associate superintendent who previously served as acting superintendent, is on paid administrative leave.

Meisenheimer was placed on leave on Aug. 14, according to Dawn Hubble, the district’s director of human resources. That was the first day of school for the K-8 school district that serves 11,500 students and employs 1,400 staff across 18 schools.

The changes among Merced County’s largest school district’s top ranks come as a new superintendent, Julianna Stocking, is easing into her role. A divided school board united over the summer in hiring Stocking after a yearlong search that took two search firms.

Stocking, a Merced County native, started the job in July, in time for the new school year.

Trustee Vacates Board Seat

Espinosa, who began his term in December 2020, announced Tuesday night that it would be his last meeting. He apologized for missing the two previous meetings and said he would not be at the last four meetings of his term, which ends in December.

Espinosa said he’s going to work for the budget and legislative analyst team for the city and county of San Francisco.

“There will be someone new sitting in this seat in about four to five meeting’s time. I would just ask that the school community really rally behind whoever that is,” Espinosa said. “It does take a lot of courage to come and do this job, although it might not seem like it. I think their success is our students’ success.”

Two candidates are currently vying for Espinosa’s Area 2 seat in the upcoming election: Audrea Tuhn and Tsia Xiong, who both describe themselves as parents.

Espinosa’s vacancy leaves a four-member governing board that may see some split votes.

Espinosa was part of a three-member majority on many 3-2 votes, along with Trustees Allen Brooks and Birdi Olivarez-Kidwell. Trustees Beatrice McCutchen and Priya Lakireddy are the two trustees who have previously voted against the majority.

After a critical report from Merced’s civil grand jury was released this summer, Espinosa revealed to The Merced FOCUS that he filed two complaints to the grand jury himself. However, the grand jury does not disclose whose complaints it investigates.

The grand jury investigation found the school board violated the state’s open meetings law and education code on numerous occasions.

Associate Superintendent on Leave

When the board hired and introduced her at a board meeting, Stocking in her remarks thanked Meisenheimer for his work in leading the district through a time that saw much change.

Meisenheimer led the district as acting superintendent for more than a year, from April 2023 to June 2024, while the board conducted a search for a permanent leader.

The district has seen a new superintendent – both temporary and permanent – every year since 2020. Stocking is the fifth since then.

The Merced FOCUS initially sought confirmation about Meisenheimer’s employment status on Aug. 19. District officials declined to disclose it, citing personnel and privacy concerns. The next day, The Merced FOCUS emailed Meisenheimer and received an automated out of office reply.

The Merced FOCUS clarified to the district earlier this month that the request was for public information under the California Public Records Act, and district officials subsequently disclosed Meisenheimer’s employment status.

No further details were provided.

The Merced FOCUS left a voicemail for Meisenheimer seeking comment.

Meisenheimer’s time as acting superintendent was not without controversy.

The first consulting firm the board hired to conduct the superintendent search collected and compiled feedback from the district community to guide their candidate selection. However, the report contained criticism and serious allegations of misconduct against top district officials.

The board never officially accepted the report and voted 3-2 to fire the first search firm. But the report found its way into the public realm anyway through the Merced County Superintendent of Schools, who received a copy.

Looking Ahead Long Term

As indicated by hiring Stocking on a unanimous vote, the school board has been determined to move past the controversy and toward stability.

Stocking, who previously worked as an associate superintendent for Tracy Unified, has said she hopes to be in her position long term.

Already, she has been spotted at community events. She’s also hosting meet and greet coffee hours at school campuses throughout the city.

The district’s future and stability are dependent on the board, which has two seats up for re-election this year. Besides Espinosa’s seat, Olivarez-Kidwell’s term is also coming to an end. She is seeking re-election and has one challenger, high school teacher Annie Delgado.

About the Author

Vaccari is the accountability and government watchdog reporter for The Merced FOCUS.