After more than seven hours in executive session, the Sunnyside Unified School District Governing Board voted 3-2 to buy out the contract of Superintendent Manuel Isquierdo at a special meeting on Monday night. Read more»
Special thanks
to our supporters
- NewsMatch
- Ernie Pyle
- Hunter S. Thompson
- Humberto Lopez — HSLopez Family Foundation
- Dylan Smith
- Stephen Golden & Susan Tarrence
- Marsha & David Irwin
- Vanessa Richter
- Jeremey Lasher
- Jon Meade
- Jo Ann Swingle
- & many more!
We rely on readers like you. Join them & contribute to the Sentinel today!
In unwelcome news for Sunnyside's Manuel Isquierdo, two challengers beat the incumbents by a 3-1 margin in the district's recall election — one which will determine the fate of the controversial superintendent. Rebecca Quintero and Eric Giffin were handily leading recalled board members Bobby Garcia and Louie Gonzales. Read more» 1
An early-morning meeting of the Sunnyside Governing Board turned hot and heavy Tuesday, as Boardmember Buck Crouch accused Superintendent Manuel Isquierdo of fudging the numbers of high school graduates from the district. "He has intentionally falsified, misrepresented, or lied about the data," Crouch said. Isquierdo, the flash point for a recall election, dismissed the accusations as "political." (video) Read more»
Voters in Sunnyside School District have been slow to return ballots in the all mail-in recall election that ends May 20. Just over 10 percent of ballots have been cast so far, the Pima County Recorder's Office said Wednesday. Read more» 1
Sunnyside Unified School District had a maintenance and operations budget override rejected by the public for the third time in a row this year. At this time, it does not matter why the voters rejected the override or by what margin, the reality is the district's budget needs to be cut. Read more»
Interviews with Sunnyside Superintendent Manuel Isquierdo and spokeswoman Mary Veres, attorney Bill Risner, mortgage banker Chuck Byler, developer Richard Studwell, sportswriter Anthony Gimino, and Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry. Read more»
An interview with controversial Sunnyside Superintendent Manuel Isquierdo, plus Tucsoncitizen.com Administrator Mark B. Evans, Tucson Padres GM Mike Feder on the wind-up of Tucson baseball, financial advisor Shelly Fishman, and Middle East expert Prof. Stephen Zunes. Read more» 1
The Sunnyside school board voted 3-2 Tuesday to extend the contract of Superintendent Manuel Isquierdo by two years. The move was controversial, with two Board members — Buck Crouch and Daniel Hernandez — outspoken in their opposition to the extension. The Board's refusal to hold a call to the audience was met with calls of "shame" and "we are going to recall you." Read more» 2
Tucsoncitizen.com's Mark B. Evans, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Fred DuVal on producing the play "8," plus Sunnyside Governing School Board member Buck Crouch, and developer Richard Studwell. Read more»
Sunnyside Superintendent Isquierdo should leave immediately. The district needs new leadership now. He gets his way by being a bully; he governs with fear and intimidation. He does not have the best interests of the district at heart; he is greedy and is only interested in building his own wealth on the backs of the teachers, students, staff, and taxpayers of Sunnyside. Read more» 4
Interviews with Tucson Education Association President Frances Banales, Arizona Education Association President Andrew Morrill, Tucson Weekly writer Mari Herreras, Pima Community Collage Prof. David G. Iadevia, and former Sunnyside Governing Board Member Magdalena Barajas, plus Arizona Capitol Times Editor Jim Small. Read more»
Former school board member regrets contract: Dr. Manuel Isquierdo's welcome at Sunnyside, like his contract as superintendent, has been over-extended one too many times. Now is the time to revisit his contract. I voted to hire Isquierdo. I supported him through many difficult yet positive changes. Yet, at some point, we lost control of the wheel. Read more» 1