Candidate for
Governing Board Member; Lucia Mar Unified School District; Trustee Area 2

The main reason I am running for school board is to bring the business of the public schools back before the public. I hope to increase the amount of discussion at board meetings by communicating more detailed information of agenda items on the district website and at meeting presentations. It is important to keep the public informed and welcome their input to the decision process.

Another premise of my campaign is to rekindle community involvement in district governance through meaningful and timely response to public input and to advisory committee suggestions. This includes respecting the decisions of school site councils and how they wish to budget the funds over which they have authority.

I feel that the budget development process should be changed to apply cost-benefit analysis to individual programs with emphasis on curriculum and with input from an advisory committee composed of parents, teachers, administrators, and classified staff. That way all stakeholders can meet to discuss the budget with all the facts on the table at the same time. Grants and corporate partnerships should be pursued for specialized and unique educational programs, such as the Endeavour Academy of Engineering Science.

As a fiscal conservative, I will honor my responsibility to the taxpayers in our community to make financial decisions that reflect the highest and best use of district resources.

I am qualified and prepared to move beyond being a voice in the audience to being a trustee of one of the most important government agencies in our community, the public schools. I ask for your vote, so that I may achieve this goal. Thank you.