Community volunteers complete initial steps to remove Grossmont School Board Trustee Scott Eckert—and receive endorsement from local teachers

June 6, 2025 — Just weeks after launching a recall effort, voters in San Diego’s East County are making major strides in their drive to remove four members of the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) Board of Trustees.

GUHSD Trustees Jim Kelly, Robert Shield, Gary C. Woods, and Scott Eckert made headlines in recent months for laying off essential school staff, eliminating all teacher-librarian positions, and diverting taxpayer dollars to a man investigated for “immoral conduct” on a school campus.

Recall volunteers are now marking key victories in their effort to remove these failed Trustees:

• Recall volunteers have submitted the necessary documents and are awaiting approval from the San Diego County Registrar of Voters to begin gathering signatures on the petition to recall failed GUHSD Trustee Scott Eckert. Eckert represents La Mesa, Casa de Oro/Helix, Fletcher Hills, Grossmont, and parts of Spring Valley and Rancho San Diego.
• The Grossmont Education Association (GEA) has voted to officially endorse the effort to recall Trustee Scott Eckert. GEA represents over 950 professional educators at nine comprehensive high schools and other programs in East County.

Rachel McCurry, a retired Granite Hills High School teacher and former GEA representative, shared her perspective on the GEA endorsement:

“GUHSD teachers support recalling trustees who undermine the needs of school children,” says McCurry. “Teachers are on the front line, listening every day to what students and their parents value. Teachers know that kids need counselors and librarians, the very helpers that these school board trustees voted to eliminate.”

Eckert recall moves forward

East County voters have lost confidence in Eckert’s leadership, citing Eckert’s decision to pay school funds to a campaign donor and his support for school layoffs.

Concerned parents announced the recall effort on Apr. 24, 2025, and voters in Eckert’s area of the district quickly stepped forward to sign a “Notice of Intention to Circulate a Recall Petition.” That preliminary notice was then filed with the San Diego Registrar of Voters and published in the East County Californian, per State recall requirements.

“Filing the ‘Notice of Intention’ to recall Scott Eckert marks a powerful step forward in our community’s fight for accountable, student-centered leadership on the GUHSD Board,” says Erica O’Brien, parent of a future GUHSD student and recall volunteer. “This step reflects years of growing frustration with the Board’s refusal to listen to the community’s concerns and the Board’s failure to truly prioritize the needs of students, families, and educators.”

With these preliminary steps complete, volunteers are preparing to circulate the official, recall petition in Eckert’s area of the district, called “Area 2.” Recall volunteers are also completing these preliminary steps to recall Kelly, Shield, and Woods. 

Registered voters can sign up now to receive information on where and when to sign the recall petitions.

“We’re calling on our community, especially voters in Eckert’s area, to take action: sign up to volunteer, to get notified when the petition is ready, and help spread the word to your neighbors and friends,” says O’Brien. “Our kids deserve better. Our teachers deserve better. We all deserve better.”

About us:

Recall the Trustees is a community-driven, grass-roots effort to bring better leadership to the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD). The group is run by volunteers, including GUHSD parents, teachers, and alumni. Learn more at RecallTheTrustees.com.

To fund the recall effort, East County voters have formed a PAC called “East County Voices for Public Education.” Donate to the recall effort by visiting this link.

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