By Barbara Zaragoza
South Bay School Board Elections. Much like the yawn-worthy water districts (because who really cares if we have safe, affordable drinking water anyway?), these “down-ballot” school board trustee names scream out one word:
BO-RINGGG.
And yet, when your child experiences something bad at school, who you gonna call? Who are principals, administrators and teachers gonna call? Probably, the trustees of your school board.
Who Makes Decisions About Your Child?
Is the roof caving in at your child’s school? Do you need a new science lab? How do you like the academic year-round schedule? Have your attendance boundaries changed and now your student has to go to a different school? Are teachers striking because their pay might be cut? Have your taxes increased due to school district mismanagement?
All these questions tell you why bubbling in a responsible, honest and intelligent candidate for school board is extremely important — and difficult!
Why? Mostly because, although candidates must run for the office, then fundraise, then spend countless hours walking door-to-door asking people for votes, when they become trustees they receive a mere $300-or-so per month salary to serve the public. They are essentially volunteers overseeing millions of dollars and making decisions about your child.
Leave this bubble blank at your own risk. Or bubble a name you haven’t researched and pay the consequences.
Do I Have Your Attention?
I’m glad. Unfortunately, there’s very little media attention that goes into school board elections — but plenty of criticism about the elected officials once they’re in office. How do they get there? Your vote.
And in the past, those votes have been rather shocking. Consider the corruption scandals that rocked the Sweetwater Union High School District. Trustees under investigation were re-elected into office precisely at the corruption was uncovered.
So, South Bay, here’s a primer.
The Big News For SUHSD: A Contractor Who Sued The District Is Running
Proposition CC will be on your ballot, addressing the years of ravaging corruption scandals. The proposition simply asks: “Shall the Members of the Sweetwater Union High School District Board of Trustees be limited to two (2) terms of office?”
It’s simple. It’s obvious. Yes!
The Sweetwater Union High School District also has three candidates for trustee area No. 2.
- Hector Romero: a former district contractor who won a $7.3 million settlement against the district is now running. NBC 7’s Wendy Fry summed up the corruption and Romero’s whistle-blowing.
- Andrew Valencia: A Bonita graduate, the Union Tribune reported in 2010 that during the early morning of October 24 Valencia was attacked at a drive-through window of a Jack in the Box of Imperial Beach. The attack left him with a gashed mouth and damaged teeth.
- Kevin Pike: the incumbent and retired Chula Vista Police Officer.
Interestingly, the San Diego Democrats aren’t endorsing any of these candidates. The San Diego Republicans endorse Andrew Valencia.
To be continued tomorrow when the candidates who wrote in will be featured.
