Hayward school board member Luis Reynoso
has served since 2008.

HAYWARD
One of the most controversial, if not colorful, elected officials in the entire East Bay resides on the Hayward school board. Dr. Luis Reynoso‘s political resume, however, includes a number of formers. He is a former candidate for the state assembly and Alameda County Board of Supervisors, and even a former member of the Republican Party (He’s now registered No Party Preference).

Now, a local group calling itself C.L.A.S.S., that last year successfully got one of its candidates elected to the Hayward school board, is thinking about adding another former to Reynoso’s name with a potential recall campaign, according to its Website. CLASS and Reynoso went toe-to-toe during the 2016 June campaign, in which, Reynoso won re-election.

The group’s anger was reignited last November after Reynoso used a presentation on improving education in Hayward for under-performing African American schoolchildren to question potential financial conflicts of interests for one of the administrators of the program.

Reynoso’s line of questioning was quickly cut off by his colleagues and the district superintendent. A recess was called, but when it resumed Reynoso left the meeting in protest. CLASS said Reynoso’s actions were “disrespectful to African American students,” a opinion shared later on Facebook by Hayward school board member William McGee.

Reynoso, who frequently probes the district’s pending contracts for waste, said last month that he was merely doing what his constituents want, that is, fight corruption within the school district.

Recall campaigns, however, almost never get off the ground, let alone result in a change in leadership. But the resurgence of CLASS, which backed the election of Hayward school board member Robert Carlson last year along with a vow to clean out the school board, is reminder to the board’s two other members up for re-election next year–McGee and Board President Lisa Brunner.

It was Brunner who last year vigorously opposed CLASS, along with its connections to the Hayward City Council, which also supported a virtual overthrow of the notoriously fractious school board. At one point, Brunner admonished councilmembers to “stay in their own lane.”