The District Board of Trustees convened for its first meeting of the 2025-26 school year on Wednesday evening. The Board heard comments about former M-A Basketball Coach Mike Molieri’s prolonged leave of absence and funding for District charter schools.
Public Comment
The meeting began with public comment. The only person to take the floor was Dan Molieri, who urged the Board to take action regarding the prolonged administrative leave of absence that his brother, M. Molieri, was placed under. D. Molieri called for the Board to be more transparent and release information about the investigation.
D. Molieri also brought a large sign displaying posts that Trustee Sathvik Nori had made on the social media site X. The posts addressed an altercation between an Atherton police officer and an M-A student in April 2023.
“I brought [the poster] for you, Mr. Nori, to remind you: be careful what you write, especially when you don’t know the facts,” D. Molieri said.
SDTA Comments
During the approval of the Consent Agenda, Sequoia District Teachers’ Association (SDTA) President Edith Salvatore spoke on M. Molieri’s behalf. Salvatore claimed that the reasons for the leave were vague and noted that the investigation had been greatly prolonged since the original date M. Molieri was placed on leave, August 5, 2024. M. Molieri has since filed a tort claim against the District, citing discrimination and retaliation. “We got vague and amorphous information, which prompted us to have to file a charge against the District with the Public Employee Relations Board,” she said.
Salvatore emphasized that while the leave is paid, it still causes emotional and reputational harm. She stated that placing one member in limbo instills fear among all members. Salvatore stressed that allegations against teachers should be investigated, but in a timely manner with a resolution resulting in either reinstatement or termination instead of procrastination and cancelled interviews. “I would encourage you to put pressure on the investigators to finish their jobs and get our member back to work,” she said.
Proposed Charter School Funding
During the meeting, SUHSD Director of Business Services Vinita Singh presented budget proposals for Summit Prep and KIPP Esperanza charter schools, highlighting their enrollment projections for the coming year.
Singh reported that Summit Prep is on track to meet the District’s fiscal requirements. The school projects that enrollment will increase to 394 students by 2026, bringing in an estimated $1.3 million additional increase in revenue. Singh also mentioned that Summit’s finances remain stable and that the school will continue to meet state and District accountability standards.
For KIPP Esperanza, Singh introduced a new budget that forecasted KIPP’s steady student growth rate at 10 new students annually, with enrollment set to reach 192 students in the upcoming year. The Board, however, raised concerns about whether the growth projections were realistic. Trustee Amy Koo asked Singh what gave KIPP confidence in sustaining a high enrollment increase. Singh pointed to expanded outreach efforts and said that the school was on track with requirements.
Koo also raised questions regarding funding, noting that KIPP’s budget relied more heavily on local revenue through community donations than Summit’s. Singh clarified that KIPP receives philanthropic contributions in addition to District allocations, and acknowledged that, unlike Summit, KIPP is not bound by an enrollment minimum.
