Sacramento school trustee found to meet residency requirement after investigation
A San Juan Unified School District investigation concluded that Trustee Nick Bloise meets the residency standards to serve in his elected position.
The Sacramento Bee reported in September that Bloise, who was elected to his Area 4 seat in 2024, claims a homeowner’s exemption on a home outside of his trustee area. On his 410 Form establishing his campaign committee filed in June 2024, Bloise wrote that he lived in an apartment at 4490 Mary Lynn Lane in Carmichael.
Records from the Sacramento County Assessor’s Office show that Bloise has claimed a homeowner’s tax exemption on his property at 4709 Foster Way in Carmichael in both 2024 and 2025. This home is within Trustee Area 2, in which longtime incumbent Pam Costa successfully ran against two challengers last year.
A homeowner’s exemption, which provides a $7,000 reduction in the taxable value of the home, requires that the claimant primarily live in the property they designate for the exemption.
In a one-minute statement at a board meeting Tuesday night, Chief of Human Resources Daniel Thigpen said that a review done by an outside law firm found that Bloise meets the legal standard to serve in his elected role covering Trustee Area 4.
“San Juan Unified takes residency requirements seriously and values community engagement on issues of public trust,” Thigpen said. “With this matter resolved the board remains focused on supporting student success and serving the families of our community.”
Thigpen did not share details related to the investigation, including which law firm conducted it, what evidence was examined and how the firm came to the conclusion that Bloise met legal standards. His report to the board was the first public acknowledgement that the district was investigating the matter, previously refusing to share the nature of the investigation referenced on the board’s closed session agendas.
Bloise did not immediately respond to a request for comment and has not responded to any of The Sacramento Bee’s multiple requests for comment via email and phone in the past.
Investigation of ‘inappropriate’ disclosures
The question of Bloise’s residency was the second of two complaints into his conduct this year. Discussions of the first investigation into allegations he behaved inappropriately during school visits and a vote on the corrective actions issued to Bloise took place in meetings closed to the public.
Bloise was barred from visiting school sites for 90 days after the district found that he engaged in “inappropriate and excessive” personal disclosures during campus visits, according to a letter sent to Bloise by the board.
The matter was only discussed in a public setting briefly at a Sept. 9 board meeting when Board President Ben Avey gave a two-minute statement summarizing the board’s vote to reprimand Bloise. His report did not include any specifics about the allegations against Bloise nor did it include the more severe aspects of Bloise’s discipline, including the fact that he would not be able to visit school sites without the superintendent’s permission and a chaperone for a full year.
Details surrounding Bloise’s behavior which led to the investigation and the extent of his reprimand were revealed via a letter given to The Sacramento Bee by the San Juan Unified’s attorney after the news organization began to question the district’s compliance with the Brown Act, which was enacted to ensure the public’s right to attend and participate in meetings of local legislative bodies
