The warning follows a series of complaints submitted by local resident Rob Anderson, founder of Reform Clark County
RIDGEFIELD – The Washington State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) has issued a formal written warning to Ridgefield School District (RSD) after confirming that district officials violated RCW 42.17A.555, which prohibits the use of public resources to promote or oppose ballot measures.
The warning follows a series of complaints submitted by local resident Rob Anderson, founder of Reform Clark County, who documented how Superintendent Jenny Rodriquez and other district officials improperly supported the passage of Propositions 12 and 13 — two school levy measures that appeared on the February 2025 ballot.
Key Violations Identified by the PDC Include:
- Improper Use of a Public Meeting for Campaigning: At a school board meeting on November 19, 2024, Superintendent Rodriquez and School Board President Bret Jones promoted Citizens for Ridgefield—a private political organization supporting the levies—urging attendees to join and volunteer, thereby using public facilities to assist a campaign.
- Campaigning via a Publicly Funded Op-Ed: On February 3, 2025, an op-ed authored by Superintendent Rodriquez appeared in The Reflector newspaper. The article, published using her official title and public district resources, included promotional language in favor of the levy. The PDC found this communication to be a violation of rules governing election neutrality by public officials.
- Prior Violations and Deliberate Disregard: The district has a history of violations under the same statute, and PDC records note that officials displayed knowledge of the law while engaging in these unlawful activities.
“This wasn’t a mistake. These officials were trained on PDC laws, knew the rules, talked about the rules and restrictions — but they broke them anyway to get the levies passed,” said Anderson. “The public deserves accountability. Taxpayer resources should not be weaponized to influence election outcomes.”
The PDC emphasized that the district’s actions were not part of normal and regular conduct and failed to maintain neutrality, particularly in a high-stakes, multimillion-dollar levy campaign. The Commission also warned that future violations may result in formal enforcement action.
This case underscores the importance of watchdog efforts of Reform Clark County, and others like it, in maintaining transparency and integrity from public officials, especially when regarding elections and increases in citizens’ tax burdens. Voters in Ridgefield—and across Washington — deserve fair elections, free from behind-the-scenes coordination and misuse of public resources.
The Ridgefield School District provided the following response to Clark County Today Monday:
“We acknowledge the recent decision issued by the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC), which issued a written warning to Ridgefield School District for violation of campaign-related restrictions under Washington state’s public disclosure laws. Specifically, the PDC determined that during the open town hall held on November 19, 2024, District officials responded to an inquiry in a way that went beyond answering specific questions about the Yes committee and appeared to be supportive of the Yes committee. Additionally, the Op-Ed written by Superintendent Dr. Jenny Rodriquez, as part of her official duties, was largely factual, however, included the supportive statement: ‘Thank you for your continued support of Ridgefield’s students and schools.’
“While we respectfully disagree with the PDC’s interpretation, we accept their decision and take our compliance responsibilities seriously. We are reviewing our procedures to ensure full alignment with public disclosure regulations in the future.
“We also believe this situation underscores the complexity and, at times, the overly broad nature of the current regulations. The line between informing the public and violating advocacy rules can be frustratingly ambiguous for school districts committed to transparency. Nonetheless, we remain steadfast in our responsibility to honor the law while advocating for clear, practical guidance that supports meaningful public engagement.”
Also read:
- Trump Education Department bolsters protections for prayer in schools
The U.S. Department of Education issued new guidance reinforcing individual prayer rights in public schools while reiterating limits on school-sponsored religious activity. - Opinion: IBR falsely blaming inflation
Joe Cortright argues that inflation explains only a small portion of the IBR project’s cost increases and that rising consultant and staff expenses are the primary drivers. - Letter: The Interstate Bridge Replacement Program’s $141 million bribe can be better spent on sandwich steel-concrete tubes
Bob Ortblad argues that an immersed tunnel using sandwich steel-concrete tubes would be a more cost-effective alternative to the current Interstate Bridge Replacement Program design. - Opinion: Washingtonians want affordability, not more taxes, according to our recent survey
Rep. John Ley shares results from a legislative survey showing affordability concerns and opposition to new taxes among respondents, while outlining Republican priorities in Olympia. - Washougal City Council appoints David L. Szyplinski to fill Position 5
The Washougal City Council appointed David L. Szyplinski to fill the vacant Position 5 seat following the death of longtime council member and former mayor Molly Coston. - Opinion: Schumer insults black Americans with ‘Jim Crow 2.0’ comment
Lars Larson argues that Democratic opposition to the SAVE Act contradicts voter support for photo ID requirements and unfairly characterizes minority voters. - Community Foundation opens philanthropy award nominations
The Community Foundation for Southwest Washington has opened nominations for its 2026 Philanthropist of the Year and Community Champion Awards, with submissions due March 6.
The School Board chair promoted the Citizens For Ridgefield PAC multiple times during the open public meeting/townhall in question. At one point, he told the crowd, “you’ve got to sell this to people who don’t want to pay more taxes.”
The Board & Superintendent’s open collaboration was stunning.
The Superintendent announced the need for Board members of the PAC and after this meeting met with the PAC representative on school grounds, in her office, during school hours and also invited the Dir of Comms to join the meeting…. Hmmm, they probably were just talking about the weather but the PDC didn’t address this violation which seems like a clear violation of using your “office” in support of the levies.
The Op-Ed was an attempt to get a second “fact-sheet” out to the community (the law allows only one during an election cycle) and it was obvious she was using her office & resources in support of the Levies.
Both of these violations had a significant impact on both levies outcomes that only passed with less than a 1,000 vote margin
The RSD response is clearly disingenuous when you look at the totality of the close no-calls like the one above and the ones confirmed as violations. Yet, the PDC only gives them a strongly worded letter. This system is broken but it’s the only one we have and hopefully the public and pressure accountablity.
please contact me, I would like to learn from you. John axtell 3funlife@gmail.com. 509 937 2224
What concerns me more
is that some citizens look for any angle that keeps them from a social responsibility to support public schools. Ridgefield has grown tremendously and the school system needs appropriate resources to educate all students.
Are you saying that it’s okay to break the law? How about public officials behaving badly and how that erodes public confidence? How about school officials who are charged with instilling civic character and then act in a contrary manner? Or how about the wasteful spending that happens and the bloated administrative salaries? Or how about the public expecting better educational outcomes after substantial revenue investments?
If the public looks the other way on these issues, our education system will run off the rails.
I am 95% certain Rob Anderson wrote this article.
Rob Anderson provided a press release that certainly was included in the report. CCT reached out to Ridgefield School District for their response. There’s transparency on our part. How about transparency on your part? Use your actual identity when you comment.