Santa Clara County Office of Education faces staff retaliation claims amid federal review

Multiple staff members from the Santa Clara Office of Education (SCCOE) have reported to NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit that measures are being taken to distance and silence their concerns regarding the alleged misuse of federal taxpayer funds.

Last month, NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit revealed that SCCOE is under federal scrutiny for these issues. In April, the Administration for Children and Families Office of Head Start informed the county office of reports alleging "inappropriate and misuse of federal funds," according to a letter reviewed by NBC Bay Area from the agency's regional office to SCCOE’s superintendent. This led the federal office to request a formal investigation by SCCOE.

SCCOE conducted an internal investigation and reported to federal monitors that the county office had misallocated $135,372.97, related to a new Director – Early Learning and Care Initiatives position. A spokesperson described this as "an accounting error" that has been corrected. Whether the Office of Head Start concurs with this assessment is still pending, as the office has not yet published its findings.

Following NBC Bay Area’s July report, many SCCOE Early Learning Services staff members received an email from their union president about management’s plans to relocate their jobs and reclassify their positions. The proposals included moving "all Early Learning Staff to school sites instead of Ridder Park, with few exceptions," and reclassifying "office specialists to Admin II."