Last week, NBC Palm Springs aired footage from a Coachella Valley Unified School District board meeting that drew attention for board member Joey Acuna’s controversial comments about border patrol. But another issue from that same meeting may prove even more impactful: the state of the district’s nonprofit education foundation.
Goldenvoice, the company behind the Coachella and Stagecoach festivals, had been donating significant funds—up to $1.5 million—to the CVUSD foundation. But because the foundation had been out of compliance with state regulations, the money sat unused. Officials admitted during the meeting that despite knowing the foundation couldn’t accept the funds, nothing was done to fix the problem until recently.
Dr. Luis Esparza, the district’s superintendent, confirmed efforts are now underway to bring the foundation into compliance. But a surprising detail raised eyebrows: involvement from the Department of Justice.
“We are not allowed to touch the money, and our attorney has filed all the documentation with the Department of Justice,” one official said, blaming document mix-ups and lack of community members on the foundation’s board for the delay. That raises the question: if this was just a clerical issue, why is the DOJ involved?
Board member Joey Acuna, who previously dismissed the need for foundation alternates, now says they’re looking for more community members to join. Meanwhile, another shift is occurring: the foundation is reportedly moving to a new bank—its second in two years. Officials offered no explanation for the switch beyond vague references to “a nice bank.”
Although the district insists that “not one nickel” has been spent, a document from their own records tells a different story. Line item 9017 under the Coachella Valley Education Foundation lists a $12,000 withdrawal. That amount, even if categorized as administrative fees, contradicts repeated claims of untouched funds.
Critics are asking: why was the foundation allowed to fall out of compliance? Why the DOJ involvement? And what’s behind the confusing timeline of banking changes?
As one viewer wrote in, quoting the famous phrase: “What a tangled web they weave when they practice to deceive.”
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By: Fred Roggin
April 8, 2025
