San Diego Unified School District's Teachers Union has unexpectedly pulled its support for a school board candidate running in the November election.
Scott Barnett won the union's support early on in the race against longtime school board trustee John De Beck. Barnett was the only school board candidate to get the union's backing.
But the teachers union pulled its support because of Barnett's opposition to San Diego Unified's parcel tax which is also on the November ballot. The parcel tax, Proposition J, would levy a fee on district residents. The money would go directly into the district's operating budget.
Barnett is the former head of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association. Union leaders say they initially supported him because they believed he would keep a watchful eye on district spending.
Teachers Union President Bill Freeman says they do not plan to back Barnett's rival. De Beck is a 20-year veteran of the school board. He fell out of favor with the union after opposing many union-backed initiatives.
