Jeff Harris recall, Del Norte County, California (2020)
| Del Norte County Superintendent of Schools recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2020 Recalls in California California recall laws School board recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Jeff Harris from his position as Del Norte County Superintendent of Schools in California did not go to a vote in 2020. To get the recall on the ballot, recall supporters would have had to collect approximately 3,000 signatures from registered voters in the county.[1]
The effort began in January 2020 after an impasse between the school district and the Del Norte Teachers Association over the teachers' 2019-2020 contract had gone on for 11 months.[1]
A recall effort was also started against four members of the Del Norte County Unified School District school board. Click here to read about that effort.
Recall supporters
The recall effort was started by Mike Mealue, a former teacher in the school district. Mealue said he did not want to go through with the recall, but he said he started it because the district's reserve budget might have been the largest he had ever seen. The district had a reserve budget of 9%. At the time of the recall effort, the state required school districts to have a reserve of 3%, according to Mealue. "You need to have reserves in case of emergencies. You need to be solvent," Mealue said. "You also have to prioritize people over everything else. If you have good teachers in the classroom, students benefit."[1]
Recall opponents
In response to the recall effort against him, Harris said that anyone has the right to do so. "I would say I’m disappointed someone feels that’s the only recourse left at this point, when the district and bargaining teams continue to talk," Harris said. "I completely understand the frustration at this point, especially since the negotiations are confidential. I truly, sincerely hope we come to an agreement beneficial for students and teachers, regardless of the concept of recall."[2]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in California
The recall effort began on January 9, 2020, when Mike Mealue served Harris a notice of intent to recall. To get the recall on the ballot, recall supporters would have had to collect approximately 3,000 signatures of registered voters in the county.[1]
Due to the recall timeline, it would not have been able to be added to the 2020 primary or general election. Because of that, County Clerk-Recorder Alissia Northrup estimated that a recall election would have cost between $40,000 and $60,000.[1]
See also
- Del Norte County, California
- Recall campaigns in California
- Political recall efforts, 2020
- County official recalls
External links
Footnotes
