Board approves five CBOC appointments after contested public comment over outreach and recall ties

The San Francisco Board of Education voted to appoint five members to the Independent Citizens Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC) on Tuesday after extended public comment and board discussion about outreach and representation.

What happened: Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne and bond staff presented a unanimous recommendation to add Kimberly Tai, Lawrence Lee, Margaret Camarud, Quincy Yu and Erica Moreno to the CBOC, explaining the selection committee used statutory requirements, the committee bylaws and efforts to prioritize geographic balance. Bond program head Don Kamalathan and interim CBOC chair Rex Ridgeway described an inclusive review process that included external advisors.

Public concerns: Multiple in-person and virtual speakers urged the board to reject the slate, alleging inadequate outreach to Eastside communities and noting several nominees’ public roles in recall campaigns. “This has not been a transparent process,” Bavette Brackett said during public comment, urging commissioners to vote no.

Support for the slate: Other commenters and several commissioners countered that recruitment had been ongoing for months, applications are rolling, and CBOC is an oversight—not a spending—body. Rex Ridgeway said the selection included external reviewers and that the new slate would allow the oversight committee to meet quorum and resume work.

Board action: After commissioners questioned outreach, seat composition and conflicts of interest, the board held a roll-call vote and approved the resolution to appoint the five candidates. Commissioners and staff emphasized CBOC’s statutory role under Proposition 39 as an oversight body that reviews post‑expenditure accounting, not a budgetary decisionmaking body.

Why it matters: The CBOC examines how bond funds are spent and reports to the public; constituents argued that membership makeup affects community trust. Several commissioners and staff promised continued outreach and explained the CBOC’s rolling application process for future seats.

Next steps: The Board confirmed the appointments and said staff will continue recruitment to broaden representation and present more outreach documentation to the board and public. Affected parties with concerns were encouraged to apply for future seats and participate in monthly CBOC meetings.