Newport-Mesa school board looks to hire HR chief

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District board is set Tuesday to hire a personnel chief, filling a post that’s been vacant since the board fired the previous chief late January.

Supt. Fred Navarro is recommending the board hire Russell Lee-Sung, assistant superintendent of human resources at the Anaheim Union High School District. Lee-Sung would be paid an annual salary of $225,000 plus benefits. His first day on the job would be March 25.

Sung’s appointment comes with the title of associate superintendent, a monthly car allowance of $650, and a $100 phone stipend, according to the employment agreement.

Sung takes a post that’s remained empty since the board on Jan. 27 fired John Caldecott, a 10-year district employee.

Caldecott had called the school board to investigate complaints he lodged against the superintendent. An action he filed in Orange County Superior Court to compel the district to comply with his request for public records is still pending.

The exact nature of the dust-up is unclear, but Caldecott last month alleged discrepancies in the way the district reports salaries to the state pension system, the Pilot has reported.

While he was still an employee, Caldecott asked that the district hire an external auditor to study the accuracy of Newport-Mesa’s reporting to the pension system for management employees, but was denied.

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Negotiations

Also Tuesday, the board will approve initial proposals for contract talks with the unions, an early step in the bargaining process with the Newport-Mesa Federation of Teachers, the teachers union, and the California School Employees Assn., which represents service workers.

The 6 p.m. meeting will be held at the district office at 2985-A Bear Street in Costa Mesa.