candidates gear up for election
NEWS |
school board candidates share hopes for the upcoming term VOTE
By Anya Veach, People CoEditor
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VOTE
chool board candidates are gearing up for the upcoming election on Nov. 6, 2018. Candidates Matt McClish, Kathleen Hall, Tim Gearhart, and Field Gibson are all up for re-election, while Lance Gannon, Chris Arend, and Stephanie Ulibarri put their hat in the ring for the first year. All hope to tackle the financial and morale issues facing the district, and promote several solutions to put in place in the next four years at biweekly Tuesday board meetings.
Cal Poly graduate McClish has spent the year as a Chairman on the Chamber of Commerce and has made “great steps to increase economic development in the city.”
Matthew Mcclish
With prior experience working within a logistical environment as a purchasing agent, candidate Lance Gannon hopes to utilize his skill sets in the years to come.
“A huge component of what will ensure a great future for Paso is the continuation and expansion of many of the great programs that are happening in the district,” he said. A father himself, McClish claims a close relation to programs in the area, as well as having a personal understanding of the needs of the students and parents alike.
Lance Gannon
Tim gearhart
“The financial situation must improve,” said Arend. “The district is just a smidgen below the minimum reserve, so that even the slightest change could push the finances below the critical threshold.”
Christopher Arend
“I look for cuts that are as far away from the classroom as possible,” Gearhart said. “I want to see our students’ academic improvement continue and am dedicated to make sure our Measure M projects continue to completion.”
Incumbent trustee Field Gibson has served the board for three years as board President. He has supported many youth programs throughout his adult life including sports coaching and Boy Scouts leader/ He was on the committee that brought the Boys and Girls Club into Paso.
Field gibson
A former finance lawyer, Christopher Arend claims a knack for handling finance on a larger scale.
“[The PRJUSD Trustees] have a core belief that every student will have success that every student will be prepared for college, career, and community,” Hall said. “I want to insure that we stay on this track for the next four years.”
With a Master’s in Education and 36 years of teaching experience, Incumbent trustee Tim Gearhart claims to possess a closeness to schools and holds a strong knowledge of the education system. and its budget issues.
“I believe that the curriculum needs to be aligned to the job skills or knowledge that will allow our students to be career and college ready,” Gibson said. He claims to be a strong advocate for the development of Career Pathways and hopes to provide students with “marketable job skills.”
Photos by Paso Robles Daily News. Used with permission.
“As a board member you represent [the school system and community],” Gannon said. “We are responsible to provide a school system that supports the teachers and students in a safe learning environment.” Gannon is a graduate of Paso Robles High School.
Incumbent board member Hall has served as trustee for four years, and served on an Illinois city council for four years. She developed the Center for Congressional Studies with the president of NYU.
Kathleen Hall
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Arend emphasizes a grasp of solutions to the district’s budget problem and the moral issues faced within the schools. “The teaching profession, just like the legal profession, requires dedication and creativity,” Arend said. “My primary goal is to quickly improve the work environment and morale well before the expiration of my term in office.”
Stephanie Ulibarri is a public school teacher with personal experience with the issues being placed upon our district. She hopes to make the School board as easily accessible to the public as possible.
Stephanie Ulibarri
“My vision for education in our community is a school district that serves every student who wants to learn and every educator who wants to teach,” Ulibarri said. “The school board should decide what is important by asking themselves, ‘What will have the greatest positive impact on our students and teachers?’”
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