The most common meal partners for Gandara were members of the school board, who took part in 238 of the meals. Some $12,560 was charged to Gandara’s district credit card for 366 meals from November 2007 to March 16, when he stopped using it. ![]() ![]() To assess Gandara’s claim that the meals charged to the credit card constituted a community outreach effort, The Watchdog reviewed receipts and other documentation obtained under the California Public Records Act. He said giving up the card would mean community members would have to come to the district office for coffee or water instead of being treated to restaurants. Gandara gave up his credit card after The Watchdog reported that he had charged more than 300 meals to taxpayers over three years, even though his contract paid him $800 a month for such expenses. A lot of times, community members work and I have to meet with them after work or after hours. “It was pretty much the direction of the board to get out there. “If you look at the 09-10 goals the school board issued for me, part of it was to do more outreach in the community,” Gandara said. ![]() When Sweetwater Union High School District Superintendent Jesus Gandara surrendered his credit card last month following questions about his spending practices, he said it would cause him to curtail a community outreach effort that had been integral to the success of the district.
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