🧵What In The Corrupt Is Happening At Orange County Classical Academy?
OCCA is an affiliated Hillsdale College charter school in Orange, CA. Co-founded by Dr Jeff Barke (America’s Frontline Doctor) & Mark Bucher (co-founder of California Policy Center, a far-right think tank)
/1
OCCA co-founder Mark Bucher has a long history with Orange Unified School District, starting in the 90’s when he co-directed the anti-union Educational Alliance. Their controversial supported trustees (against teacher raises & banned gay student clubs) were recalled in 2001.
/2
Bucher’s involvement with funding OUSD school board candidates is ongoing including his ties with Orange County Charter Advocates for Greater Public Schools PAC.
In 2019, two OUSD trustees had 96% (Ortega) and 97% (Lebsack) total campaign contributions came from that one PAC.
/3
That same year (2019), Mark Bucher filed a petition to open Orange County Classical Academy charter school in Orange USD. Some members of the public asked Lebsack & Ortega to recuse themselves from vote. They didn’t.
Mark Bucher & Jeff Barke had themselves a charter school.
/4
A school site was secured and a non-profit named “Ostraka” leased the property from owner. May 2020, Ostraka became “landlords” and subleased the property to OCCA for $45,000/mth.
Who signed the lease on behalf of Ostraka?
Mark Bucher, using Cal Policy Center’s address.
/5
Yes, that’s right. Mark Bucher was behind the non-profit Ostraka, who secured a site location for OCCA (the school he petitioned) and then rented it back to them.
So Bucher was OCCA’s co-founder, their landlord, and even a lender (he gave OCCA a cash flow loan in Sept 2020).
/6
Now, let’s talk about lawsuits:
Dec 2021, a lawsuit was filed between Service First (contractor) & Ostraka (landlord). The lawsuit claimed Ostraka owed Service First $350,000 in unpaid expenses associated with the renovation of the Orange County Classical Academy building.
/7
Ostraka later stated (a separate lawsuit, but we’ll get to that) “Prior to the Lease being entered into, [Ostraka], at OCCA’s direction, hired a general contractor, SERVICE FIRST, under a written contract, to renovate the Property.”
This is important, let me explain why-
/8
The lease between Ostraka and OCCA was May 12, 2020.
So, per Ostraka in court documents, before May 12, 2020 the non-profit Ostraka (Mark Bucher- authorized representative) hired Service First (for-profit corporation).
/9
Are you still hanging in? Because, here comes the twist:
Per the lawsuits, Orange County Classical Academy (co-founded by Mark Bucher), directed Ostraka (whom Bucher was an authorized representative of), to hire Service First (a construction company owned by Mark Bucher).
/10
So yes, the Service First construction company that was hired to renovate the Orange County Classical Academy school site is owned by Mark Bucher.
Even the Service First invoice address is the same address used in the original corporate documents for Ostraka.
/11
Before moving on, I want to point out one last thing with the Dec 2021 lawsuit. Service First used Tyler & Bursch, LLP as their lawyer.
Does that firm ring any bells? In 2020, they represented Orange County Board of Education (OCBE) in a lawsuit against Governor Newsom.
/12
In Feb 2022, OCCA petitioned OCBE for a countywide charter. It passed, making OCBE their authorizer & granting them the ability to open across OC without petitioning districts.
The (then) Pres of OCBE was Mari Barke, wife to Jeff Barke.
After OCBE gave OCCA countywide approval(Feb 2022), Mark Bucher gave 3 OCBE trustees (Tim Shaw, Lisa Sparks & Mari Barke) generous donations. Some money came from him personally, some laundered through California Action & others loans. At least $180k was given AFTER approval.
/14
April 2022, Service First dismissed their lawsuit against Ostraka. In court docs, Ostraka insists Service First & OCCA sought to pass costs of unauthorized work to Ostraka by HIDING and INFLATING COSTS.
Ostraka then filed a lawsuit against OCCA on August 31, 2022.
/15
On Sept 15, 2022, Orange County Classical Academy called for a special board meeting to allow for a closed session to discuss the lawsuit filed against them by Ostraka.
On Sep 22, 2022, corporation documents for OCCA were filed, removing Jeff Barke as OCCA’s CEO.
/16
Before I wrap up Part 1 (yup, more to come soon), I think it’s important to mention OCCA’s Foundation. The non-profit claims to have given OCCA $500,000 & currently fundraising to raise million more for construction.
Guess who’s the Director of the Foundation?
Mark Bucher
/17
Part 2 -Sneak Peek
Aug 2022, OCCA was restricted from attending in-person due to missing fire hydrants. Attached are possibly linked emails between:
•Mark Bucher (Service First)
•Will Swaim (Cal Policy Center/Ostraka)
•Clare Venegas (Ostraka/Lincoln Club/Curt Pringle & Assoc)
Tonight Orange Unified school board will consider leasing/licensing public property to Orange County Classical Academy.
The problem-OCCA has money problems.🧵
Before we get into the story, lets breakdown who everyone is:
OUSD- Orange Unified School District
OCCA- Orange County Classical Academy (Hillsdale charter)
OCBE- Orange County Board of Education (wife to OCCA founder)
If you don’t know about corrupt OCCA, heres a thread:
Now, OCCA received approval from OCBE for a countywide charter. Once that happened, OUSD was no longer responsible for paying OCCA monthly property tax payments.
So, OCCA started to receive money from OCBE, however, due to an error- OUSD kept sending them payments too.
/3
Like many other far-right majority school districts around California, last night Orange Unified passed a Parent Notification Policy that requires staff to out LGBTQ+ students to parents.
But, I unfortunately can’t post a copy of the policy bec it was switched.
🧵 Let’s talk-
During the August 17th OUSD school board meeting the board held a first reading of a proposed Parent Notification Policy. Trustees discussed and gave feedback on changes they would like implemented on the policy before it came back for approval in September.
Here’s draft #1-
In advance of last night’s meeting, as required by Brown Act Laws, OUSD school board released their agenda last week with a copy of the revised Parent Notification Policy. The policy had significant changes from the original discussed in Aug.
There are a lot of people singling out Trustee Kris Erickson, almost as if they were encouraged to do so.
A racist white woman thought it was funny to make fun of Trustee Andrea Yamasaki’s last name during her comment. “Or however you say it, no one cares.”
Former OUSD Trustee Kathy Moffat is calling board out for lack of integrity and says she is a proud volunteer for recall.
Last speaker was Gays Against Groomers/Cal Policy Frank Rodriguez who stated he wishes someone called his dad while a young kid who loved dollhouses.
The meeting is starting, Pres Rick Ledesma is “setting the record straight” to address “lies” being shared in community by “paid signature gatherers”.
A trustee pointed out that this feels like he’s using his position during a public mtg to campaign against a recall against him.
Trustee Erickson is calling into question why the official OUSD seal is being used on advertising to a Fentanyl event Madison Miner is attending (attached below), even though it’s not a district event. Staff is looking into facilities approval since held on Villa Park HS campus.
Is the Orange Unified School Board trying to ban pride flags?
Tomorrow’s OUSD board meeting has an agenda item that will prohibit displaying anything other than the US & CA flags on flagpoles. It’s unclear if this will have an impact inside classrooms or at charter schools.
As a reminder, when Orange County Classical Academy was under OUSD they flew the blue line flag on their flagpole. At the time the OCCA community supported the flag being flown, which is why I find it interesting Trustee/OCCA parent Madison Miner now submitted this agenda item.
There’s also a “Parent Bill of Rights” agenda item where they want at least 2 in-person meetings with parents each school year (including high school). And they want parents notified if third party coming onto campus to present to students or host an event during school day.
Over the past few years, the “concerned parent” grift has taken on many forms, but a new trend seems to be a for-profit model of manufactured outrage.
Are businesses profiting off pushing fear & buzzword headlines at the expense of our kids? /1
ReformCapoUSD’s Instagram page claims they’re a “Grass roots movement to inform parents and reform our district. We are against mandates and the sexually inappropriate materials in our schools.”
Their feed is filled with “inappropriate” library books, SEL, & transgender issues.
Recently ReformCapoUSD posted a photo secretly taken inside a San Clemente High School restroom. While student faces were sloppily redacted, the pic was posted w/ZERO regard for, or consent from, the minors featured on the groups public social media.