Recall effort for San Dieguito trustee Allman unsuccessful

There will not be a recall of San Dieguito Union High School District Trustee Michael Allman, as the San Dieguito Faculty Association was unable to gather the necessary signatures.

Putting the recall effort behind him, Allman said he plans to continue moving forward and put students and families first.

Michael Allman

(Courtesy)

“I’m hopeful that we can now get back to work and focus on our key mission – making our schools the best they can be, while serving the needs of parents and students,” Allman wrote in a message on Facebook.

Allman was elected to the board in November 2020. The San Dieguito Faculty Association (SDFA) and a group of community members initiated the recall attempt this spring, giving proponents a Nov. 16 deadline to gather the required 5,008 signatures in Area 4, which includes portions of Del Mar, Carmel Valley and Rancho Santa Fe.

“While our efforts to recall Michael Allman did not result in activating a special election for the Area 4 seat, we were extremely successful in highlighting to the community at large Allman’s abuses of the office, his disregard for proper protocols, and his lack of common decency,” said SDFA President Duncan Brown. “Our door-to-door campaign enabled us to have substantive conversations with registered voters, many of whom were simply unaware of the recent plight of our district.”

Brown said over 4,000 residents of Area 4 signed the recall petition and thousands more district-wide agreed with their efforts.

“Engaging with the community this way also reinforced how much our dedicated teachers are valued in our school community,” Brown said. “As always, we continue to come together for our students in efforts to provide the highest quality of education.”

Allman said throughout the recall process he was “amazed and humbled” by the dedication of hundreds of volunteer parents, students and community members who helped canvass the community, wave signs and support him and his family in many ways.

“We know the stress, the time, and the considerable amount of money this experience cost. Members of the public who were not engaged in school-related issues now realize that our teachers union will do or say just about anything to regain and hold power,” Allman said. “The union unnecessarily divided our community and created a rift that will take time to heal. We learned a lot, our eyes are open, and we are watching. Our community is watching, too, and they are not happy with the behavior of those who brought a recall to their door.”

On Nov. 2, the San Dieguito district had a special election for the Area 5 trustee seat after the SDFA and district parents filed a petition in opposition of the board’s appointment process following the resignation of trustee Kristin Gibson.

Results of the special election will not be official until Nov. 18 but Julie Bronstein remains the highest vote-getter with 59% of the vote over candidates Ty Humes (23%) and Lea Wolf (17%). Voter turnout was 5,966 out of 27,158 registered voters in Area 5, which includes Pacific Highlands Ranch and Carmel Valley.

According to the latest update from the San Diego County Registar of Voters, there are 450 outstanding ballots to be processed.