The Central Unified School Board will feature three new faces at Tuesday's meeting, all of whom have no plans on changing superintendents. "As a school board, we are going to make sure the community's concerns, demands, and goals are front and foremost on his agenda," Area 7 Trustee-elect Naindeep Singh...
Did Voters Oust Central Unified Trustees Over Sutton Firing?
Tuesday's election results in Central Unified School Board races were welcomed by community members who see the outcome as a rebuke over the firing of district Superintendent Mark Sutton last February. Board chair Cesar Granda and trustee Ruben Coronado both lost their bids for re-election. Incumbent Rama Dawar is barely holding...
Now It's Granda's Turn to Face a Challenger for Central Seat
Four years ago, Cesar Granda unseated incumbent Phil Rusconi from the Central Unified School District Board, saying it was a time for a change. It was an extremely tight race, with Granda prevailing by just 11 votes over Rusconi in a three-candidate field. Granda ran as part of the "Four Horsemen" slate, which...
Central Unified Will Build New High School Behind Football Stadium
After nearly two decades on the back burner, a new high school in Central Unified has a target date. The new high school is scheduled to open in three years, just in time for the 2021-22 school year. Cesar Granda, president of the Central Unified School District Board of Trustees, said...
Can New Central Superintendent Alvarado Heal the District?
Central Unified didn’t have to look far to fill its superintendent position. The school district announced the hiring of Andy Alvarado, currently the superintendent of Golden Valley Unified in Madera Ranchos. The board approved his hiring on 5-2 votes in closed and open sessions Tuesday night. Board President Cesar Granda...
Nunes Attacks Fresno Bee. Paper Stands By Its Reporting.
Devin Nunes took to YouTube to launch an attack ad on The Fresno Bee. The congressman representing parts of Fresno and Tulare counties is upset over a May 24 story about a winery he invested in, Alpha Omega. According to The Bee, Alpha Omega was subject to a lawsuit over...
What's in a Name? City Council District 7 Race Gets Down & Dirty
The name of a Fresno City Council candidate is now a campaign issue. Brian Whelan sent a mailer to voters, comparing himself to opponents Nelson Esparza and “Veva Islas-Hooker.” Except, Veva Islas doesn’t go by that name. She made a point to chastise Whelan on Facebook. According to the county...
Central Unified Secrets Revealed In Superintendent Firing
The Central Unified School District board, in closed session, voted against offering a one-year contract extension to its superintendent in January. Six weeks later, the trustees fired Mark Sutton. That is just one revelation found in nearly 1,000 pages of documents the district provided in response to a California Public...
Secret Meetings Led to Sutton Firing? 'Never Happened,' Says Board Leader.
A group seeking to recall Central Unified School District trustees following the firing of Superintendent Mark Sutton says it has filed a complaint alleging that trustees met secretly in violation of the Brown Act before the dismissal vote. But school board president Cesar Granda tells GV Wire that the trustees...
Central Unified: Sutton Wants to Return, Parents Agree
Mark Sutton wants his job back. An active group of Central Unified School District stakeholders wants the former superintendent back as well. About 50 parents and other community members met at the LoMac Winery, west of Fresno, to discuss their next steps. Sutton made a cameo appearance to greet well-wishers. He...