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Special Poway Unified board meeting is Wednesday night

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A special meeting of the Poway Unified School District Board of Education has been called for 6 p.m. Wednesday (July 20) at the district office, where members are expected to discuss the search for a new superintendent and share views on future expectations and leadership goals.

The five-member board is also scheduled to meet behind closed doors to discuss the hiring of an acting deputy superintendent and to discuss both a Superior Court lawsuit the district has filed against former Supt. John Collins and unspecified anticipated litigation.

The school board voted unanimously on July 10 to fire Collins and is alleging that he owes the district over $345,000 in “overpayments and unauthorized payments” discovered during an audit of Collins’ contract. Much of the disputed money is the result of Collins allegedly cashing out vacation days he had not earned over the past several years. Collins, who is taking issue with the audit’s findings, had been on paid leave since April.

On Friday, the board’s attorney, Maribel Medina, filed a 131-page lawsuit against Collins in San Diego Superior Court. The suit seeks restitution of the money and alleges breach of fiduciary duties, violation of public trust, fraud and “unjust enrichment.”

In late June the board hired retired Chino school administrator Edward Velasquez as the interim superintendent, effective Aug. 1. His career has included being involved in searches to hire school superintendents. He and the current acting superintendent, Mel Robertson, are expected to meet in public with the board to discuss both how to proceed with the hiring of a permanent superintendent and “strategic leadership goals,” according to the meeting’s agenda.

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