Signature gathering approved to recall FUHSD board president

The county Registrar of Voters has given the green light to start gathering signatures to recall Diane Summers, president of the Fallbrook Union High School District.

Proponents of the recall were first upset with the district's lateness in allowing high school students back in the classroom due to COVID 9 concerns. However, Heidi Roderick, who presented the request to the ROV on May 18 to initiate the recall, said other issues have also surfaced.

"Diane Summers, board president, allowed the board to vote on teacher pensions when there were some questions about eligibility," Roderick said about the reason for the recall. "She is a tool of the teachers' union and isn't doing what is in the best interest of students."

Roderick cited a district report that said only 12% of students in the district are meeting grade-level standards in math, and said Summers was supporting new programs aligned with the controversial critical race theory.

Recall proponents have until Sept. 23 to obtain signatures on the approved petition of 20% of the district's 28,259 registered voters. That amounts to 5,652 verified signatures on the petitions. The wording on the petitions has been approved by the county ROV.

"That number is attainable," Roderick said. "Our goal is to collect 8,000 signatures."

A group of proponents has been meeting to strategize the signature gathering, but it may be two weeks until they really get rolling with trained volunteers, Roderick said. The start has been complicated with the school year closing, graduation, and other distractions, she explained.

Roderick said there will be training sessions to show volunteers the details of gathering signatures. She has been in touch with Reclaim California, the organization behind the effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom, and that group has agreed to help in the training.

Elvira Vargas of the campaign services department of the Registrar of Voters, sent the acceptance notice to Roderick on May 26, but Roderick said she didn't receive it until the weekend.

The Fallbrook group's web page is being activated this week, Roderick said. People wanting to volunteer can email [email protected].