Candidate for
Board Member; Evergreen School District

My name is Jim Zito, and I respectfully request your vote to elect me to the Evergreen Elementary School District (EESD) Board of Trustees.

I've lived in Evergreen for over two decades. During this time, I have been a community leader, advocate and volunteer for more than the past decade.

I am a parent of three children, two of which graduated from EESD schools, and my youngest child attends 2nd grade at an EESD school. I am the only candidate who is a parent of an EESD student, and I would be the only board member with a child in ESD schools. Overall, my children have attended five of the eighteen schools in the district.

With all the challenges impacting our quality of education, it is important that a current EESD parent be elected to represent the views and be the parents' voice for our community on the Board of Trustees.

I am the only candidate with broad-based experience in private sector, land use, educational foundations, and community outreach. The EESD will benefit from my unique blend of community advocacy, educational background, financial experience, and land use planning abilities.

My experience includes:

• President of the Evergreen Valley Educational Foundation
• SJ Planning Commission Chair
• District 8 Community Round Table, Founder & President
• Mayor's General Plan Task Force Member
• Community Representative on several EESD committees

As Your Next EESD Board Trustee, my Goals and Objectives are:

• Stabilize the budget
• Close the achievement gap
• Attract and retain excellent teachers and classified staff
• Work to ensure a high quality education for all students
• Ensure Student and Staff safety
• Increase private/public partnerships and collaborations (Project Cornerstone, Going Evergreen, Educacy, etc)
• Improve community outreach, communication and volunteerism
• To be your voice on the Board of Trustees

I am not affiliated with, or a member of any union or special interest group. Furthermore, I am not accepting donations or financial support from these groups. I feel Board members accepting these donations will have a conflict of interest when making decisions affecting these groups.

Currently, the EESD does not have term limits for Board members. There are Trustees who have been on the Board for over 25 years. No election has been held for our school board for the past eight years. You have not had a chance to have your voice heard.

Because of my candidacy, you now have a choice of who represents you on the Board.

Thank you for your support.