Tue. Dec 3rd, 2024

Another scandal has erupted at the Santa Ana Unified School District as evidence has come to light indicating that the SAUSD has spent thousands of dollars on scanners for their warehouse – and the scanners don’t work!

Apparently SAUSD employees have been told to carry the scanners in the warehouse even though this equipment still doesn’t work.

The SAUSD is allegedly paying thousands of dollars to a consultant who has been working with the scanners for over a year and they still have not fixed the Scanners. Also, the SAUSD Board apparently did not approve hiring this consultant for this amount of money.

Two of the SAUSD Board members, Rob Richardson and Jose Alfredo Hernandez, are running for re-election.  A third SAUSD Trustee, Roman Reyna, is running for the Santa Ana City Council.  They need to answer for this latest scandal!

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Art Pedroza Editor
Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

By Art Pedroza

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

22 thoughts on “Did the SAUSD waste several thousand dollars on useless scanners?”
    1. RUMOR HAS IT-Our boss Mark Chavez is hiring another field supervisor..wow! adding all these top layer managers and at our schools nothin!!! We dont even have enough help to feed our students!!!..the question we have is will this position be awarded to the new office specialist who was just a sub and allegedly was or had the office speacilist position created for him this summer/ school year whatevr?

      In my opinion, it is not fair to give somone a position just becuz the boss thinks he should have it…what a screwed up department we have…USDA do your job

    2. Rumor has it Mr. Bishop may be leaving??? But, Mark Chavez still remains as the Food Service Director? What is going on??? Please help SAUSD food services!!!!

    3. Rumor has it that after this last STATE CRE/SMI Reaudit…(when the State just came back)that there was some MULA $$$$ in the sum of MILLIONS of dollars… that had 2b paid back….is this true? Inquiring food service workers would like to know…..heha!
      Also, rumor has it that Mr. Bishop is leaving? Before his contract ends? AMAZING!!!
      Someone please shed some light on the truth??? BUT, Mark Chavez is still over seeing our food service department????
      These are all allegations..but we would like to know the truth….

  1. This is why we need to elect Cecilia “CECI” Iglesias for School Board. She will request a forensic accounting for the School Budget. She has experience in Administering Government Contracts and knows how to detect wasteful and unnecessary spending. CECI was the only one that said no to PROP 30.

    Art, imagine this amount could have put at least 4-6 teachers assistant in the class rooms. This is why we need people like Cecilia “CECI” Iglesias on the school board. She will “PUT STUDENTS FIRST”.

    VOTE Cecilia “CECI” Iglesias for Santa Ana School Board.

    1. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND VOICES TO BE HEARD-OUR FEELINGS AND THOUGHT….OPINIONS…Mark Chavez you can try and be nice now…but we have seen how you have treated other managers…also the new field supervisor job…has that been promised to someone already?

      The perception is that this position has already been promised to someone of your choice….

      Allegedly the position of the office spcialist was promised to the employee who was a long term sub….is he going to be our new field supervisor?

      This is not right….we have other people who have been here longer and have more expirience…why is this happening?

    2. Mark Chavez..u did not even pay 4our meals at the recent food service show…BUT u sure did pay 4ur top dog managers…again tax payers $ but U treat the hard working managers like dirt!! Not cool!! We are the face of ur food service department..SHAME ON U!!
      Our opinions r being voices..but since our opinions dont matter…I guess its ok if we make them known!

  2. I agree with VFCI,
    Cecilia would have never allowed this Scanner Scandal to happen under her watch!

    1. hahahahaahahahhahahaha… the board is so shielded it has everything to do with what the district will allow the board to see.. hahahaahhahahaha

      1. Gustavo from OC WEEKLY, u need 2ask around…we have sooo many issues in Food 4Thought. 1 of our issues is we have drivers that get overtime & in our opinions do not need it…we have sum that just drive around and we have to work so hard while they r just out & about…

        Plus, some of the other drivers do not get the same overtme…its really not fair..but our food service director Mark Chavez in our opinions is like afraid to do anything..and we continue to suffer this kind of stuff….

        In our opinions all this stuff is very unfair….maybe you should come out and see what some of these drivers do…I wont say names…but every1 knows who they are…I dont think our tax payers would like all these thins that are going on…just our opinions….

      2. Allegedly we had another meetin & Mark Chavez did not answer OUR question when asked WAS THE LETTUCE BAD? Why tell secondaries…d lettuce had salmonella..BUT not answer US..ELEMENTARIES? Cuz we may have servd it 2our kids? Again these r allegations..BUT If USDA is really here….can u answer our questions?

  3. Food Service is a mess in our opinions..our director is Mark Chavez

    Mark Chavez does not give us the help we need to do our jobs at the school level..WE ARE SHORT STAFF!!!…but he gets consultants and now more manager people..more than ever!!!

    Mark Chavez did not even approve us working during registration and our food applications are not being turned in because parents dont know how to fill them out right….

    We need help. Ok..allegedly..there but someone please help us

  4. FOR CYA..all of the following is aallegedly:::….So Mark Chavez( SAUSD Food Director) internal protectors or political favors are showing there true colors again,,,Today, on Edjoin (a website for district jobs) two Food Service jobs were posted for santa ana school district….Operation Manager and Nutrition Manager..WHY doesn’t the District or HR address the TRUE issue here which is Chavez lack of leadership and knowledge. Allegedly hundreds of thousand dollars(taxpayers) are spent on outside food service consultants to assist Mark Chavez.. WHY pay Mark Chavez 6 figures salary if he needs consultant for almost every step..Mark Chavez has been the leader of the food service dept.. for ONE year now..And its still in disarray and the lame excuse of ” I inherited this problem ” is very old NOW…

    I believe or imagine that Chavez probably ran to the District Office/Bishop crying that he was overwhelmd..Only after his department was exposed with the photos to the media regarding the above article..BUT thats not the first time for major food waste on HIS WATCH ..Does the District or Bishop or The board members know what little time he actually spends at the his office or what really happens at the Central Kitchen…????? He’s not out visiting Sites…just ask the lunch supervisors at each site..? Who can account his forty hours a week??? It actually should be longer hours if he cares for his department..and being the new kid…mighty secure about his position???What do u think….

    Chavez is very insecure of his abilities and will not allow anyone with any true knowledge or background in school food service… Thats probably why he uses consultants which do not threaten him or question his leadership ..For a food service director theirs a Lack of knowledge for federal and state policies and procedures…Allegedly there was a change in food vendors without a bidding process and of course Chavez came out clean and had Stella(Operation Mgr) take the fall and terminated….Chavez must have approved the change or not inform her of the federal violation…Chavez’s PROTECTED AGAIN…..BUT YET AGAIN!!! SOMEONE ELSE GOT HURT!!!

    QUESTION ????? TO HR / Board Memembers /MR. Bishop…..Why hand him the keys to the dept..and not post the director’s job..Was it promised to him since JAN( prior food service director) was terminated on her last day of probation …WHY NOT,.JUST HIRE A TRUE FOOD SERVICE DIRECTOR..?????Why allow so many consultant and have taxpayers pay…???????

    Thelma Mendez..d discard log are not for major food waste..I think for major food waste theirs a p/p to be follow and get permission from the state to discard food..

    .Someone out there PLEASE help the department so the students get better service and taxpayesr money doesnt go to waste….ITS ELECTION time plz vote…Start with new board members…Members that will stand strong against corruption….

    SO WHATS HAPPENING TO THE BROCCOLI ON HAND THAT NEEDS TO BE DICARDED…..Does it disappear over nite….????? IT WENT BYE BYE B4 TELEMUNDO WAS ALLOWED IN THE KITCHEN….more wasted tax payers $$$$

    WHY is the district looking for the whistle blower when their answer to the solution is MARK CHAVEZ…take care of problem and not tie the employees hands that are their for the kids..NO WITCH HUNT>>>>

  5. FOR CYA..all of the following is aallegedly:::….So Mark Chavez( SAUSD Food Director) internal protectors or political favors are showing there true colors again,,,Today, on Edjoin (a website for district jobs) two Food Service jobs were posted for santa ana school district….Operation Manager and Nutrition Manager..WHY doesn’t the District or HR address the TRUE issue here which is Chavez lack of leadership and knowledge. Allegedly hundreds of thousand dollars(taxpayers) are spent on outside food service consultants to assist Mark Chavez.. WHY pay Mark Chavez 6 figures salary if he needs consultant for almost every step..Mark Chavez has been the leader of the food service dept.. for ONE year now..And its still in disarray and the lame excuse of ” I inherited this problem ” is very old NOW…

    I believe or imagine that Chavez probably ran to the District Office/Bishop crying that he was overwhelmd..Only after his department was exposed with the photos to the media regarding the above article..BUT thats not the first time for major food waste on HIS WATCH ..Does the District or Bishop or The board members know what little time he actually spends at the his office or what really happens at the Central Kitchen…????? He’s not out visiting Sites…just ask the lunch supervisors at each site..? Who can account his forty hours a week??? It actually should be longer hours if he cares for his department..and being the new kid…mighty secure about his position???What do u think….

    Chavez is very insecure of his abilities and will not allow anyone with any true knowledge or background in school food service… Thats probably why he uses consultants which do not threaten him or question his leadership ..For a food service director theirs a Lack of knowledge for federal and state policies and procedures…Allegedly there was a change in food vendors without a bidding process and of course Chavez came out clean and had Stella(Operation Mgr) take the fall and terminated….Chavez must have approved the change or not inform her of the federal violation…Chavez’s PROTECTED AGAIN…..BUT YET AGAIN!!! SOMEONE ELSE GOT HURT!!!

    QUESTION ????? TO HR / Board Memembers /MR. Bishop…..Why hand him the keys to the dept..and not post the director’s job..Was it promised to him since JAN( prior food service director) was terminated on her last day of probation …WHY NOT,.JUST HIRE A TRUE FOOD SERVICE DIRECTOR..?????Why allow so many consultant and have taxpayers pay…???????

    Thelma Mendez..d discard log are not for major food waste..I think for major food waste theirs a p/p to be follow and get permission from the state to discard food..

    .Someone out there PLEASE help the department so the students get better service and taxpayesr money doesnt go to waste….ITS ELECTION time plz vote…Start with new board members…Members that will stand strong against corruption….

    SO WHATS HAPPENING TO THE BROCCOLI ON HAND THAT NEEDS TO BE DICARDED…..Does it disappear over nite….?????

    WHY is the district looking for the whistle blower when their answer to the solution is MARK CHAVEZ…take care of problem and not tie the employees hands that are their for the kids..NO WITCH HUNT>>>>

  6. @ Concern2 we posted your comment..everyone has the right to know about all the problems goin on @ SAUSD

  7. Check out the OCWEEKLY…there are problems in food service..lettuce and salmonella allegations..please read…too many comments for us to tranfer over!!
    Please check out the OC WEEKLY!!

  8. Everyone please check out the OC WEEKLY…allegations of food being detroyed and wasted and salmonella allegations..please read!!!!

  9. well allegedly we ran our of fish and we did not have fish to serve to our kids…funny..the order came in on the 19th we packed it today..and management barely found out we were short…hmm…whats going on in food service Mark Chavez?
    Is there not some kind of law when it comes to reimburseable meals being violated here? Are our students receiving a reimburseable meal?

  10. Rumor has it that the food Police is in d House at SAUSD…4those of u that dont know…. thats d USDA dept…will they uncover d.. truth about our lettuce…d Carrots…. dBroccoli ?? Stay tuned…..

  11. Sum1 please cut d oranges 4 our studnts..not right..kids have barely time 2 eat..no time cut oranges…why b lazy? Just our opinion…

  12. Jamie Oliver U need 2really come 2 SAUSD…U would see what a lame excuse of a food service director we have and all the mistakes Mark Chavez makes and how the district pays consultants to do his job!!!! All this with our tax payers money…

    We are so despearete here..the State came back and SAUSD is keeping a tight lid on the results..YET Mark Chavez, former hamburger Mc Donald’s graduate is still our director…..inquiring minds want to know how a person with approximately 4 years of school food service expirience has a job running a district of 33 million dollar budget?

    These are all our opinions…..and ALLEGATIONS…just to be clear….but it seems like someone is doing this Napoleon rookie a political favor….funny…Mark Chavez’s father works (so we are told) at LA Unified..did Mr. Bishop come from LA Unified?

    We also know that Mark Chavez used to work with Thelma/Superintendent at another district, by the way SAUSD is the only district where Mr. Chavez has been a Food Service Director..prior to that he was an Operations Manager at a smaller district, then an Asst. Diretor, at another smaller district….totalling approximately 4 years….while working at Costco in the meat department…

    So, we are compelled to ask…how did Mark Chavez land a Food Service Director job at a district our size??? Political favors?….we are not accusing..just asking….WONDERING!!!

    SAUSD, we have a great Asst. Director now….he should be our leader…just our opinions

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