Editor, Manteca Bulletin,

It has been brought to my attention, through numerous Manteca Unified School District board meetings and the local newspapers, that there is an extremely damaging problem within our school district.

I first met Sam Fant while attending the San Joaquin County Fair Board meetings.  Knowing that I was a past MUSD board member, he asked questions of me about being on the MUSD school board.  Since he was from Stockton at the time, I tried to explain that this was not the Stockton Unified School District and he needed to educate himself about the unique challenges of French Camp, Lathrop, Manteca, and Weston Ranch. He was also told that the board was a group of people and not just one individual.  Therefore, he must cooperate with the other trustees to accomplish goals.

Since that time, Sam was elected to represent Weston Ranch for MUSD.  At the last election, he recruited two more Stockton people and had them, in my opinion, relocate so they could run for the MUSD school board in certain areas.  Unfortunately, Alexander Bronson and Ashley Drain chose 

the same home to use as their current address on the applications. Stranger yet, someone else was already living in this home and they had no idea who these people were and what was happening.  Since then, the two board members have supposedly corrected this problem and live in their required respective areas.   But this does not absolve them from initially breaking the law.  

 Then certain individuals went on to create numerous additional problems.  Some of these problems were itemized on Thursday, May 7, at Superior Court.

Several people have discussed these problems with numerous past MUSD board members who have collectively spent over a total of 100 years of dedication to help Manteca Unified be one of the best school districts in the nation.  We try to teach “Character Counts” which includes trustworthiness, citizenship, fairness, caring, responsibility & respect.  These are all items that help make the students successful in their future careers.   Those past board members who we were able to contact, were all concerned as to what is happening.  We all see a disruption in our educational values when students and teachers are receiving mixed messages and personnel are being interfered with and even harassed in their jobs.  The board, as a whole, is supposed to evaluate the Superintendent as well as make policy, etc.   

Part of the Superintendent’s job is to evaluate the faculty and staff.  When individual board members bypass the Superintendent and personally attack district employees, the whole district suffers.  Something must be done now or we will see years of achievement and morale destroyed.  

Anyone who attended the last two board meetings is aware that one of the board members in question (Alexander Bronson) has resigned.  There has been total chaos with racial accusations being thrown about and one speaker even displaying a hangman’s noose as a prop for his speech.  This is not what the district needs when there is so much work that needs to be done for the kids.  Recall is a must if the district is to get back on track!

Additional past school board members who are greatly concerned besides myself are Marilyn Asher, Jack Caldren, Dale Fritchen, Jay Holmes, Wendy King, Pat McKillip and Ernie Thompson

Ed Fichtner

Manteca