PUSD receives Golden Fleece award

The Poway Unified School District has the dubious honor of being given a Golden Fleece award from the San Diego Taxpayers Association.

The Regional Golden Fleece award was granted at the organization’s 21st annual The Goldens award ceremony on Thursday.

The association recognizes public entities with a Golden Fleece in various categories for what the association says is ill-advised and irresponsible spending and with Golden Watchdog awards for cost-efficient, smart governing decisions and innovations. Watchdog awards are also given to the media. Additional awards are given for public-private partnerships.

Rachel Laing, the media consultant for the San Diego Taxpayers’ Association, said PUSD was nominated by a private citizen, but declined to name the individual.

An anonymous association committee that reviews the nominations selects the winners, said Laing.

While most of the nominees for Golden Fleece Awards had a single reason listed, PUSD’s reason was listed as “Too hard to choose.”

“In the last year alone, the district received a scathing report from an outside contractor regarding its IT services, managed to accidentally release thousands of students’ personal information to a parent who filed a Public Records Request Act, continues to keep the firm that sold it $1 billion worth of CABs on its payroll and has paid the firm double the contract in half the time of the contract, and has had its superintendent on paid leave since April pending an audit of his employment contract! #MoMoneyMoProblems,” read PUSD’s entry in the event’s program, which also called PUSD a “perennial favorite” for the Golden Fleece Award.

PUSD beat out the San Ysidro School District, which was nominated for “misuse of bond program” and the San Diego Association of Governments for “taxpayers funds for pre-campaign efforts.” The fourth nominee, San Dieguito Union High School, which was nominated for “teacher labor contract,” was given the Grand Golden Fleece award, which is the top Golden Fleece award.

PUSD was previously awarded the Grand Golden Fleece award in 2013 for the $1 billion CABs.