EL CAJON, Calif. — From May 2022 through the beginning of March 2024, Cajon Valley Union Superintendent David Miyashiro averaged $19,000 in purchases on his district-issued credit card.
In all, according to credit card statements obtained by CBS 8 through a state records request, Miyashiro racked up nearly $399,821 on his district credit card during that time.
Superintendent Miyashiro's spending for the Cajon Valley Union School District includes thousands of dollars for professional conferences and memberships in education associations, as well as tens of thousands on private tours, airfare, hotels, fine dining and catering.
Miyashiro's credit card pulls from public dollars as part of the district's $300 million budget to serve its 18,000 students.
Cajon Valley School Board Member Anthony Carnevale said he has been left in the dark about the spending and how the trips, hotels, meals and private tours benefit the students and taxpayers.
"I try to find comparable spending from other superintendents I can't, it's just astronomical," said Carnevale. "Even San Diego Unified, which is a billion-dollar budget, versus our 300 million. I don't see their superintendent spending like this."
Added Carnevale, "Meanwhile, we have classrooms with needs going unmet," who pointed to data that shows that 43% of students did not meet standards for English Language Arts in the 2022-23 school year, and half of students did not meet standards for math.
According to county data, the K-8 district's student population in El Cajon is among the most socioeconomically disadvantaged in the county. In the 2022-23 school year, nearly three-quarters of the district's students qualified for free and reduced-price meals, and a third of students were English Language Learners.
"Could this money be put to better use for the students of the district instead of travel to conferences and sometimes three, three meals a day?" he asked. "How does this benefit the students of the district?"
Criticism of the superintendent's high credit card spending has surfaced before.
In 2019, former trustee Jill Barto sued Cajon Valley School District and Superintendent Miyashiro for allegedly creating a hostile work environment after she questioned the Superintendent's high credit card expenses.
The school district responded by filing a restraining order against Barto over allegations that she harassed staff.
Judges in each of the lawsuits went on to dismiss the complaints.
Now, more than four years later, there are once again questions over Superintendent Miyashiro's use of district-issued credit cards.
Board member Carnevale hopes the questions will help inform parents and taxpayers and let them decide if the benefits outweigh the costs.
"Transparency is lacking in the district," said Carnevale. "Parents have more authority than maybe they're aware. These are their schools. This is their school district."
Spending breakdown
Miyashiro is one of the highest-paid superintendents in San Diego County, as well as in the state. His most recent contract says Miyashiro receives $800 a month for a car allowance and a $300 monthly allowance for business-related expenses.
In addition to his nearly $408,000 a year salary, Miyashiro used his district credit card to spend roughly $30,000 on airfare and travel over 22 months. He spent more than $50,000 on food, and another $115,700 on catering. He used over $10,000 on rideshares such as Uber, and nearly $76,000 on hotels across the country and at home.
According to the San Diego County Office of Education, Superintendent Miyashiro makes $407,922 a year, only $68 a year less than San Diego County Superintendent and $25,203 less than San Diego Unified's Superintendent.
Cajon Valley's Credit Card Policy
The question of whether or not Superintendent Miyashiro's credit card purchases for travel, hotel accommodations, food, rideshares, and other items fall under district policy is not as simple.
Reads the policy: “When approved by the Superintendent or designee, an employee may be issued a district credit card for use while on authorized district business. Receipts documenting the expenses incurred on a district credit card shall be submitted promptly following return from travel. Under no circumstances shall personal expenses be charged on a district credit card, even if the employee intends to subsequently reimburse the district for the personal charges.”
Cards have a 30-day credit limit of $2,500, and no individual transaction may exceed $300, district policy says.
Over the dates CBS 8 reviewed, Miyashiro's spending averaged $19,000 a month with many line items well over $300.
"My personal opinion is that a superintendent shouldn't have a different set of rules and policies than anybody else in the district," said Michael Fine, who leads California’s Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team for public school districts. Fine spoke about general policy and not specifically about Cajon Valley.
Credit cards are not issued to all public school leaders, but they’re not uncommon, either, said Fine.
“Credit cards can be dangerous,” Fine said.
Fine could not provide an average, or a range, for a district superintendent to spend. More than the dollar amount, the bigger issue, Fine said, is time spent on travel away from the district.
“The question is, is it valuable to your district? Is it bringing dividends back to the instructional programs and thus your kids in your district?” Fine said of ways to judge whether travel is appropriate.
World of Work
In 2013 Miyashiro launched World of Work, Cajon Valley's curriculum that he sells to school districts both in America and across the globe.
The curriculum places students on career paths at an early age, careers that aren't always at the forefront of education, such as public service, jobs as first responders, law enforcement, health care, the construction industry as well as the military.
Miyashiro and World of Work has received recognition and grants from numerous outside agencies.
Miyashiro has also traveled across the globe promoting the curriculum.
Trustee Carnevale fears Cajon Valley Union and taxpayers are footing the bill for Miyashiro's pet project.
"I characterize it as a money-hungry startup," said Carnevale. "So maybe we spend a million to get $100,000 in return. Those are round numbers, but close to what's happening."
Carnevale said that the public and parents need to be aware of the spending and if they approve then he will support that decision. Right now, said Carnevale, that has yet to happen.
Superintendent Miyashiro's response
CBS 8 reached out to Superintendent Miyashiro and the district about the spending.
Miyashiro told CBS 8 that he uses his district credit card to pay for travel and expenses for his staff.
Miyashiro also issued the following statement:
My office authorizes and executes purchases for all 28 schools as well as our Child Nutrition, Transportation, Human Resources, and Ed Services Departments for our 2,300 employees.
When teachers and administrators attend training and professional development conferences there is an immediate and direct impact on the education of our students.
I recently provided this update on district enrollment, finances, our budget outlook, and recent awards. The public video is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8stZsbntiM
My travel to meet with policy makers, philanthropists, and researchers have led to significant revenue streams to the District. In the last five years Cajon Valley has received just under eleven million dollars in grant funding to support our students and programs. Many of the Federal and State grants we receive are very competitive and require close teamwork in all of our departments here at the district office.
The most significant factor in our growth, however, is our increasing enrollment. Over the past few years our enrollment has increased to a ten year high… as of today our total enrollment is at 17,267… As our Family and Community Engagement team and Enrollment Services team report…. Families are transferring in from neighboring districts and moving into our community because of the quality of services and care that our employees provide. This year we’ve received over fifteen hundred transfers.
We’re hiring additional teachers and paraprofessionals now for the 2024-25 school year. Cajon Valley is one of a handful of Districts in California with a positive 3-year revenue forecast and a robust budget surplus.
The San Diego County Office of Education and Cajon Valley Fiscal Services Staff authorize and audit all district credit card purchases and make sure we adhere to District, County, State, and Federal Policies. Our Credit Card statements are public records and are shared with The Board upon request.
When asked whether or not any of the trips or purchases made were for World of Work, Miyashiro said that they were not, adding that the card is used for conferences and travel for not just him but for all staff.
Meanwhile, Trustee Carnevale urged taxpayers and parents to learn about the spending and decide whether they feel the money is spent appropriately.
"Transparency is lacking in the district, and parents have more authority than they're aware of. These are their schools. This is their school district, right?
