Area resident Rob Anderson claims Ridgefield School District officials used public resources to campaign in support of levies

Ken Vance, editor
Clark County Today

A recent public records request has revealed potential violations by Ridgefield School District officials and staff, who are accused of using school resources to support Propositions 12 and 13 on the Feb. 11 special election ballot. 

The potential violations include Superintendent Dr. Jenny Rodriguez allegedly meeting with the Citizens for Ridgefield Schools (CFRS) executive chair on school grounds and utilizing school resources to organize campaign-related activities. The superintendent is also accused of tasking her executive assistant to help coordinate meetings and organize “For” statements for the voters’ pamphlet.

Here is a summary of the alleged violations:

• Superintendent Dr. Jenny Rodriquez: Used school resources and facilities to meet with CFRS officials and directed her executive assistant to coordinate meetings and activities related to campaign efforts.
• Executive Assistant Dani Taylor: Used district resources to arrange meetings between CFRS and Ridgefield School District (RSD) staff and officials, and to manage deadlines for the voters’ pamphlet “For” statements.
• Director of Communications Joe Vajgrt: Recruited and organized committee members for the “For” statements in the voters’ pamphlet, and met with the CFRS chair and Superintendent at school facilities using district resources.
• District Teacher Kerri Upton: As a board member of CFRS and District employee (teacher), used school resources to share campaign strategies, attend campaign-related meetings, and collaborate with the superintendent.
• Board members: Used district resources to coordinate with Kerri Upton, acting as the liaison between CFRS and the Ridgefield Board, to organize efforts in support of the school measures.

The law and its importance

RCW 42.17A.555 prohibits the use of public facilities, directly or indirectly, to support or oppose a ballot proposition. This law is critical in ensuring that taxpayer-funded resources are not weaponized against the public — especially in cases involving tax-raising ballot measures. Ridgefield school officials are accused of disregarding these legal protections.

Pattern of violations

A few weeks ago, area resident Rob Anderson filed a Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) complaint about a Nov. 19, 2024, Ridgefield School Board meeting. During this meeting, several board members used their positions, public facilities, and taxpayer-funded resources to promote CFRS. They even recruited for open CFRS board positions and encouraged attendees to “sell this” to the public, referring to the levies — apparent violations of RCW 42.17A.555.  This video is now being promoted on the district’s levy page, which Anderson states is only supposed to have general information about the levies and not use resources in support.

“While preparing that complaint, I submitted a public records request for all communications between RSD officials, staff, board members, and CFRS representatives,’’ Anderson said. “A few weeks ago, I received the first installment of just 42 emails. Yet even this limited batch of documents reveals a deeply ingrained culture of disregard for the law and the taxpayers by Ridgefield school officials. These records show staff, teachers, and board members willingly engaging in illegal actions to gain an unfair advantage in securing more taxpayer funding in the name of education.’’

A culture of disregard for the law

Anderson states that these revelations should not come as a shock. 

“Ridgefield has already endured not one but two illegal teacher strikes, blatantly violating RCW 41.56.120, which prohibits public employees from striking,’’ he said. “Now, it’s clear that Ridgefield education officials and staff have acted like laws do not apply to them, as they use taxpayer-funded resources to push a 41% levy increase—or 110% if both measures pass — despite opposition from many taxpayers. These strikes have greatly contributed to the almost 70% operational budget increase just from 2019-2024.’’

A new complaint filed

On Friday, Jan. 17, Anderson filed a second PDC complaint which he was informed on Jan. 31 that it has been forwarded to an investigation with the PDC.

“The evidence already paints a damning picture of district officials knowingly violating the law,’’ Anderson said. “During the November 19 board meeting, they repeatedly acknowledged their awareness of the legal restrictions yet flaunted them anyway.

This behavior underscores a troubling culture in Ridgefield’s education system — a culture that prioritizes power and funding over accountability to the law and the taxpayers who fund these institutions. If taxpayers approve these levies, in spite of the RSD lawlessness, more will surely come.’’

Ridgefield School District statement

Joe Vajgrt, director of communications for the Ridgefield School District responded to Clark County Today’s request for comment Monday.

“Ridgefield School District is committed to transparency and full compliance with all laws and regulations, including Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) requirements,’’ the statement read. “We provide training to staff to ensure adherence to these rules. While we strongly believe the district has acted appropriately and in accordance with the law, we will fully cooperate with the PDC’s review and submit our official response to address the concerns raised.’’

For more information, go to Reform Clark County.