Two County Commissioners Call for Preschool for All Director to Resign

Multnomah County Commissioners Shannon Singleton and Julia Brim-Edwards are calling for an external investigation of Leslee Barnes, the director of preschool and early learning at the county, after a WW report on state funding that a preschool she owns received.

The two commissioners are also asking her to resign over concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

Barnes, whose role at the county means she oversees the controversial universal preschool initiative Preschool for All, also owns her own preschool in town, Village Childcare Enterprises LLC. A WW story published Tuesday showed that the school collected $833,494 from a separate state preschool program for at-need families, Preschool Promise, while reporting chronic underenrollment. Village Childcare collected enough funds for 63 slots, but filled just nine.

The preschool was cited as an example of “wasteful” spending in a July 23 investigation of Preschool Promise by auditors for the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office, who identified Barnes’ preschool only as “Provider 2.”

Both Singleton and Brim-Edwards want a more thorough external investigation of Barnes’ use of Preschool Promise dollars. But they are both calling for her resignation even before the results of that investigation come out because of concerns about conflicts of interest.

Singleton says she’s concerned that Barnes can make decisions as Preschool for All’s director that “decrease competition for state projects…and state dollars as well.” In other words, Village Childcare stands to benefit financially from competing providers moving from the state to the county program.

“We should absolutely do an independent investigation of the allegations at the state level, but that I don’t think, for me, is particularly the reason I would call for her resignation, because that investigation hasn’t happened,” Singleton says. “My primary reason for that call is the conflict of interest.”

Singleton tells WW she spoke to County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson on Wednesday to ask for Barnes’ resignation.

Vega Pederson tells WW she’s “extremely concerned” about the information that has surfaced on Barnes, and immediately directed chief operating officer Chris Neal and Department of Human Services director Mohammad Bader to lead an investigation to verify the state’s report.

She adds she is also concerned about conflicts of interest and compliance with county ethics rules, and has asked Neal to also conduct a broader review of those policies and compliance in the county.

“The integrity of the Preschool for All is important to me, but even more so to the thousands of children, families and numerous workers and providers whose lives are enriched by this program,” Vega Pederson says. “Anything that undermines that work is incredibly damaging, and I expect quick action on resolving this matter.”

But both Brim-Edwards and Singleton say an internal probe is not the correct approach to investigating Barnes’ conduct, and Singleton says they are working together to determine the county’s options for retaining an outside firm to conduct such an investigation.

“We really need an external review because otherwise it’s like management reviewing management,” Brim-Edwards says. “We want to ensure confidence in the findings of any sort of investigation or review…[so that] really needs to be done by an external or independent [group].”

Singleton adds that such an investigation must look into both Barnes’ conduct and also a larger question about compliance with the county’s code of ethics.

When reached for comment Thursday, Commissioner Meghan Moyer said any investigation should look into whether Barnes’ actions were legal and ethical. Like Vega Pederson, she did not demand Barnes’ resignation. “I really do want to make sure that we’re making sure that the actions of Leslee were both legal but also ethical,” she said. “I will be fair and I’ll reserve judgment, but I do think, while this is going on, she needs to be on leave.”

Moyer added she would need more details to determine whether she’d support an internal investigation, but she wasn’t entirely opposed to it as Singleton and Brim-Edwards are. “I would like to hear the plan for the internal investigation to see if I think that’s appropriate, OK, and thorough and unbiased enough,” she said. Moyer added she would support an external investigation if necessary.

The news comes amid a busy upcoming month for Preschool for All, which has experienced a wave of scrutiny this summer from top state officials, including Gov. Tina Kotek. The county announced on Tuesday a series of public meetings on such topics as indexing the Preschool for All tax to general inflation.

“The one thing that I think my colleagues and I are in total clarity about is, this has to be transparent,” Moyer says. “This program is under a microscope. We can’t leave questions unanswered.”

WW could not immediately reach Commissioner Vince Jones-Dixon for comment.