Is CVUSD Jocelyn Vargas illegally Serving on the CVUSD Board of Trustees?

CVUSD Trustee Jocelyn Vargas Residency in Question

CVUSD Trustee Jocelyn Vargas

COACHELLA — From all indications, it appears that Jocelyn Vargas, Area 4 Trustee on the Coachella Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees, isn’t living in the area she was elected to represent.

Area 4 covers Mecca and North Shore, but property records show Vargas owns her home in Indio, calling into question her eligibility to serve on the CVUSD Boad.

She is required to live not only within the school district boundaries but also specifically within the Mecca trustee area. Vargas currently serves as vice president of the board. She has served on the board since running unopposed in 2020.

Property records show that Vargas owns a home at 80662 Philadelphia Ave. in Indio in the Desert Sands Unified School District. The sale price of the three-bedroom home was $565,000. The records also show it is owner occupied.

Vargas signed the Deed of Trust on Jan. 18; it was notarized the same day, according to the Deed of Trust.

According to the Deed of Trust: Item 6. Occupancy, “Borrower must occupy, establish, and use the Property as Borrower’s principal residence within 60 days after the execution of this Security Instrument and must continue to occupy the Property as the Borrower’s principal residence for at least one year after the date of occupancy, unless Lender otherwise agrees in writing, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld, or unless extenuating circumstances exist that are beyond Borrower’s control.”

Vargas did not return two phone calls on Thursday.

“The Coachella Valley Teachers Association is deeply concerned about reports that board member Jocelyn Vargas is no longer maintaining her primary residence within her represented area, an issue that has regrettably surfaced in our district in the past,”” CVTA President Carissa Carrera told Uken Report. “As educators committed to transparency and accountability, we believe that all elected officials must fully comply with residency requirements as mandated by law. We trust that Ms. Vargas will make the appropriate decision that best serves our students, staff, and community.”

She is seeking re-election in the March 4 special election, which is necessary because ballots for about 2,400 registered voters inadvertently omitted three contested Coachella Valley Unified School District board races.

Following is video of Vargas pulling into the driveway of the Indio residence:

in 2017, Coachella Valley Unified School Board member Frank Becerra was charged with felony perjury for allegedly providing a false address on his election paperwork so he could win in a voting district where he did not actually live.

The scenario also has shades of a similar incident in Palm Springs. The Riverside County District Attorney investigated City Councilmember Christy Holstege last year after allegations surfaced that she had not lived in her district since 2022 in violation of city ordinance. The investigation went nowhere.

Vargas serves as manager of the Basic Needs Center at College of the Desert. which provides food, stable housing, wellness and security to students.

The Basic Needs Center serves as a single location for students who are experiencing basic needs such as food, stable housing, wellness and security. Vargas coordinates and acts as a broker in identifying, supporting, and linking students to on- and off-campus housing, food, mental health, and other basic needs services.