Over the past 12 months, Peralta Community College District leadership has worked hard to overcome the remnants of fiscal mismanagement, and has finally come to a point where their finances are in order. This was done through the collaboration of all stakeholders (trustees, administration, faculty, and staff). In addition, our request for a Fiscal Crisis Management Assistance Team to assess and offer concrete areas for improvement, as well as your appointment of a Fiscal Monitor, has brought much needed stability to the district.

We hope that the good work done at Peralta by our employees and the State Chancellor’s Office can continue unabated, without the appointment of a Special Trustee. Our concern is that the appointment of a special trustee to our district will only destabilize our district, and undermine the hard work of our personnel and yours. As we contend with the emergencies and transformations to higher education that we are all adjusting to in our current moment, we ask that you allow our dramatically reshaped Board of Trustees, Administration, faculty and staff an opportunity to build on the stability we have already achieved with the help of your office.