MADERA RANCHOS - In what may prove to be a lesson for all school boards in the Central Valley, three Golden Valley Unified School District Trustees have been removed from office. The recall movement in the Madera Ranchos that started when the school board fired a popular superintendent, Andy Alvarado,  resulted in an over-whelming percentage of the voters saying goodbye three members.

Board president Kathleen Crumpton, John Mosley and Carla Neal were sent packing last night as nearly 90% of the voters said their voices will be heard. On February 3rd of this year nearly 400 citizens crowded the Liberty High School Theater for a board meeting. These parents defended the actions of then Superintendent Andy Alvarado but at the end of the night these three board members went against the parents and removed the superintendent from his position.

Talks of a recall began that night and in March the recall effort began when the signatures were gathered from voters on recall petitions and the Madera County Elections Department verified the accuracy. When the board members were served their recall intention notices at a March board meeting, the crowd broke out in applause.

While the turn out for the vote was less than 40%, 89% of the voters decided to replace Carla Neal, 84% to replace Kathleen Crumpton and 76% to replace Moseley. Former board president Mona Diaz will return to the board at the September 15th meeting. Also elected to replace the ousted board members, Maria Knobloch and Brian Freeman.

The recall effort was funded by two developers, Igal Tribatch and Tim Jones. Tribatch is hopeful to build Liberty Groves near Liberty High School and Jones is currently building Gateway Village now called Riverstone, a large development at Avenue 12 and Highway 41,