The financially and academically struggling West Contra Costa school system’s first foray into district elections will result in replacement of a majority of board trustees. Instead, she said that it supports giving parents the option to send their children to charter schools. Matthew Trujillo, an environmental scientist, is also in the race. Gonzalez-Hoy won 50% of the votes with 100% of the precincts reporting, according to the Contra Costa County semi-official election night results. Richmond Confidential welcomes comments from our readers, but we ask users to keep all discussion civil and on-topic. Comments (-1) Newly Sworn-In Board Selects New Board President, Board Clerk at Its First Meeting Since Trustee Area Elections In a Facebook post, Reckler asked supporters for their patiences as the votes are counted, adding: “So hang tight. Updated: 7/22/2020 4:00 PM Suzy Pak 7/13/2020 7/17/2020 YES © 2021 Richmond Confidential. Richmond Confidential assumes no liability for comments posted to the site and no endorsement is implied; commenters are solely responsible for their own content. The UTR contributed about $47,000 to Smith-Folds of Area 1, Christian of Area 2, Gonzalez-Hoy of Area 4 and Reckler of Area 5. And he correctly says the current minimum 25 minutes for daily direct online teaching time is inadequate. Gonzalez-Hoy was among a slate of candidates endorsed by the United Teachers of Richmond (UTR), an organization made up of nearly 1,700 educators and members. Board elections take place in November every other year. covers schools from El Cerrito to Hercules, Few Surprises as Richmond, Contra Costa back Biden, Incumbent Buffy Wicks headed for victory in the District 15 Assembly race, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCLvE_W2Qv8&fbclid=IwAR2tlMng1WImqYijznjf9PU_nPwGyLrElfe0TUFPR9bWqkyzAYai6hPjG6w, Revisiting the Celeste Guap Case Four Years Later. Comments from the same user posted under multiple aliases may be deleted. Before the pandemic, enrollment had been flat, district test scores had been static and scores for Black students had been declining. Well okay, the UTR takeover is complete. And, to make the transition, the winners in Areas 4 and 5 will stand for election again in two years, while the other three seats will be back on the ballot in four years. Richmond Confidential is an online news service produced by the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism for, and about, the people of Richmond, California. Both of her opponents struggled to answer many of the questions about the district. With this year’s transition from electing trustees at-large to voting by district, only two board members sought to keep their seats. The West Contra Costa Board of Education voted Wednesday to cut $8 million from next year’s budget in an ongoing effort to eliminate a $47.8 million deficit, while also renaming an elementary school after former First Lady Michelle Obama. The estimated highest annual tax rate required to be levied to fund the bonds is expected to be $60 per $100,000 of assessed valuation. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Click here for a complete list of our election recommendations. By East Bay Times editorial | PUBLISHED: October 13, 2020 at … If you're slowly working your way down the 2020 August primary ballot, don't forget local, nonpartisan down-ballot races that have political, economic and social impact. The five members of the WCCUSD Board of Education are elected by voters. They were always influential, but now they own it. They want grassroots campaigns. Natalie Walchuk, executive director of GO Public Schools, which funds West Contra Costa Kids Can, refutes the claim that her organization is pro-charter. West Contra Costa Unified School District schools are overseen by a five-member board elected at-large This is the alternative to a "by-district" election, in which only the registered voters of a particular geographic area may vote for a particular seat up for election. The West Contra Costa Board of Education voted Dec. 22 to conditionally renew the charter of Summit Tamalpais for a five-year term. They want to elect pro-public school advocates.”, (Lead photo courtesy of Francisco Ortiz, vice president of the United Teachers of Richmond. The Teachers's Choice! Subscribe to Richmond Confidential to get the latest news sent straight to your inbox. >>>>MEASURE CC – Increases Real Property Transfer Tax from $11.50 to $15 per $1,000 purchased. Ballotpedia provides in-depth coverage of school board elections in America's largest school districts by enrollment. The West Contra Costa Unified School District has prepared a Tax Rate Statement, which represents the District’s best estimates of the property tax rates required to service the bonds. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Candidates and Races Candidate Tracking System. We believe in the potential of every student in WCCUSD and we are ready to LEAD with efficacy. Otheree Christian, a school district security guard, speaks in platitudes and generalizations with few specifics. By Edward Booth. Applications are due Monday, Nov. 30. Full election results for all Contra Costa County measures and races. New board members are sworn in on or after the first Friday of December following elections. List of Candidates CCC Board of Education, Area 3 CCC Community College, Ward 2 Page 1 of 6. In Area 1, Jamela Smith-Folds was winning with 57% of the votes. She understands the district’s finances, recognizes the need to improve test scores and appreciates the competitive alternatives charter schools provide in the district. In contrast, PTA activist Leslie Reckler refuses to express her opinion on the superintendent’s performance, leaving voters in the dark about her perspective on one of most important issues trustees will face in the coming year. Mister Phillips, an incumbent, ran unopposed in District 3 and will keep his seat. A map that creates trustee areas in the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) for the 2020 election was approved by a Contra Costa County Superior Court judge on March 6, ending litigation that sought to change the way members of the Board of Education are elected and implementing new procedures for future elections. Something went wrong. Richmond Confidential is an online news service produced by the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism for, and about, the people of Richmond, California. Candidate for Trustee West Contra Costa Unified School District Trustee Area 2 - November 3, 2020 See the results and other info about the 2020 US Election. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Y’Anad Burrell has a mission: Improve education and opportunities for people of color in Richmond.That’s why she is hoping to serve as an area four board member for the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD). Her leading opposition is Demetrio Gonzalez-Hoy, who until this year was president of the union representing the district’s teachers and now works for the parent California Teachers Association. 29 talking about this. Isabella Bloom and Cameron Nielsen on November 6, 2020. Demetrio Gonzalez-Hoy, formerly a bilingual teacher and president of the United Teachers of Richmond, has won by a large margin in the Area 4 race for West Contra Costa Unified School District. Finishing his first term on the board, Tom Panas has been a leading voice for raising student performance and fiscal responsibility, and provides detailed knowledge of district finances. What’s needed are leaders who will keep a sharp eye on finances, push for improved academic performance, replace the superintendent and put students’ needs ahead of the district’s labor unions, while being mindful that district taxpayers are tapped out. All school board meetings, except closed sessions, are open to the public. Fax: (510) 234-8128. webmaster@wccusd.net Because of this change, all five school board seats are open, and you will only be able to vote for one candidate in your assigned trustee area. Additionally, board president Mister Phillips announced the creation of a charter school oversight subcommittee, chaired by board … Listen to some Van Morrison.”. “We are charter agnostic, for lack of a better way to describe it,” Walchuk said. Audra “Golddie” Williams excels in this field of three candidates. WCCUSD needs 7 members, one from each of the 5 Board of Trustee Areas and two members that live in Contra Costa County to serve on the commission. Then join the Redistricting Commission. The Florida Department of State's Candidate Tracking System tracks candidates throughout the elections process presenting candidate status, campaign finance activity, personal photos and contact information. She says the district “needs to keep its dirty laundry behind closed doors.” Carolyn Wysinger, the board president of San Francisco Pride, is well-informed but she doesn’t have Panas’ razor-sharp mastery of the district’s budget and performance details. All Rights Reserved. Our goal is to produce professional and engaging journalism that is useful for the citizens of the city.Please send news tips to richconstaff@gmail.com. She would not approve issuing more bonds until the district could show fiscally prudent use of the taxpayers’ money and a sound plan for accountability. Y’Anad Burrell, a public relations consultant, tops this field of three candidates. We request that commenters consistently use the same login name. The other candidate, Jamela Smith-Folds, a part-time teacher and activity director in the district, had strong opinions on district issues, but DePaz had more-detailed knowledge. But he doesn’t seem to have a passionate reason for running. We will also continue to prioritize school safety, student engagement, academic achievement, employee morale, parental involvement, and fiscal responsibility. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents. Glidden says the results show that “big money doesn’t buy elections in our county, that our voters in West Contra Costa are not going to be bought by billionaires, and that they want people-powered campaigns. The commission will review and possibly redraw the Board of Trustee Area boundaries that are used in school board elections. The commission will use 2020 Census data to review and possibly redraw the District's five school board trustee areas for future school board elections. Trustees have already had to trim some top administrators, raise class sizes and eliminate classroom aide positions. 21 talking about this. The significant turnover comes at a time when the district is limping along on one-time money – federal coronavirus relief assistance, depleting reserves, dipping into funds that were supposed to be set aside for workers’ retirement health coverage – and faces potentially tens of millions of dollars of annual budget shortfalls starting in 2022. It will soon cost the average homeowner in the district more than $1,000 a year to help cover the bond debt. District Superintendent Matthew Duffy’s job is on the line after mediocre performance reviews. To our readers: The race for the WCCUSD school board has changed. In the closest race, Leslie Reckler in Area 5 was slightly ahead of incumbent Tom Panas with 37.2% of the votes. 831 Chanslor Avenue. Regular meetings are held in the Lovonya DeJean Middle School … As of the last count, Panas had 36.6% of the votes — the two were just 141 votes apart. Community Candidate for WCCUSD Board of Education District 5. Gonzalez-Hoy belongs on the union’s side of the bargaining table, not the district’s. Our goal is to produce professional and engaging journalism that is useful for the citizens of the city. See Election Results He absolutely deserves reelection. Above: Tony Wold, associate superintendent of business services for WCCUSD.. Leer en Español. The WCCUSD page has more information about trustee area boundaries. Individual e-filings show that the UTR donated less than a third as much. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCLvE_W2Qv8&fbclid=IwAR2tlMng1WImqYijznjf9PU_nPwGyLrElfe0TUFPR9bWqkyzAYai6hPjG6w. Three West Contra Costa Unified School District Santa Clauses trade sleighs for school buses to deliver gifts to the kindergartners at one of its San Pablo elementary schools. Guadalupe Enllana, a member of the district’s Citizens Bond Oversight Committee, had surprisingly little knowledge of the district’s bond program. Richmond, CA 94801. Phone: (510) 231-1402. The year 2020 marks the first election cycle where school board candidates in West Contra Costa will be elected by wards, and not at-large. She’s clear that the district needs a new superintendent, the current balancing of the budget with one-time money means tough financial times ahead, parents are turning to charter schools because district-run schools are underperforming and district taxpayers are tapped out, especially during the pandemic. She is a project manager with strong financial and technology background, and is also highly active volunteering in the district, currently as the chairwoman of the Hercules High School site council. The School Board … Meanwhile, teaching time during the pandemic is all over the map in large part because the district agreement with teachers has no minimum requirement for live academic online instruction. Y’Anad Burrell and Matthew Trujillo trailed behind for Area 4 with 19% of the votes each. For WCCUSD School Board Leadership - Equity - Advocacy - Dedication . Big changes are coming to the way voters get to choose candidates for the West Contra Costa Unified School District's school board starting in 2020… The new board will also have to manage the district’s massively expensive school construction program, one of the most pricey in the state. “It’s basically a race between educators and grassroots donors who contributed to the UTR’s candidates,” Glidden said, “versus [West Contra Costa] Kids Can — which is a PAC, a huge PAC, a pro-charter PAC — [and] GO Public Schools and several very, very wealthy donors who are not parents or community members.”. He championed a 2018 labor deal that increased district teacher salaries from some of the lowest in the county to the top. The official Facebook page of Otheree Christian for School Board, Area 2 (Richmond) We will continue our vision that every student will attend a safe school where they are engaged and able to achieve academically. WCCUSD candidates backed by the UTR headed for victory; one race remains too close to call Isabella Bloom and Cameron Nielsen on November 6, 2020 Demetrio Gonzalez-Hoy, formerly a bilingual teacher and president of the United Teachers of Richmond, has won by a large margin in the Area 4 race for West Contra Costa Unified School District. Then, he kept the board in the dark for months about what turned out to be a resulting $48 million budget shortfall for the 2019-20 fiscal year. The program has lacked cost controls and was plagued by pay-to-play complaints from vendors. In addition to the 200 largest school districts in the nation, Ballotpedia covers the additional school districts that overlap with the 100 largest cities by population in … The board elects its president and clerk each year in December. All school board meetings, except closed sessions, are open to the public. For the first time, voters in the West Contra Costa Unified School District will elect their trustees by district. School Board (Choose 2) Brian Beall, software engineer Melissa Boyd, attorney Veronica Davidson, educator. In Area 2, Otheree Christian was winning with 37% of the votes, ahead of Guadalupe Enllana who had 33.7% of the votes. As voters pick trustees by district for the first time, the clearly best choices in the Nov. 3 election are Estela DePaz in Area 1, Audra “Golddie” Williams in Area 2, Y’Anad Burrell in Area 4 and incumbent Tom Panas in Area 5. Editorial: The four best to lead struggling…, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), The Latest: Ossoff-Perdue Senate race is too early to call, Editorial: The four best to lead struggling West Contra Costa schools. Please check your entries and try again. “We’re thrilled that we have these four phenomenal community advocates and leaders who will be on our school board,” said Marissa Glidden, the president of UTR. Contact us at (510) 307-7872 or mister.phillips@wccusd.net. ), Campaign Finance | Charter Schools | Education | election 2020, This Van Morrison: Elections. WCCUSD Hosts School Board Candidate Forums Learn more about the ten candidates running to fill seats on the West Contra Costa County Unified School District's Board of Education at a series of forums hosted by the district and the League of Women Voters. This information is updated regularly as candidates update their information. Of the two candidates, Estela DePaz stands out. With out candidates also running in the November 3 election for Fremont mayor, school board seats, and seats on Berkeley's rent board, plus a judicial race featuring two out candidates, there are at least 18 out candidates seeking elected office in the East Bay. One of them, Mister Phillips, has no challengers in Area 3. A human relations consultant with expertise in diversity and equity issues, Williams was direct: The superintendent is not meeting expectations, the district needs a long-term approach to its finances, improving test scores will require hearing from students on what needs are not being met and the minimal level of direct online instruction during the pandemic is not adequate. This year, the race is split up into five geographic trustee areas. Join us, educators, staff, parents, students, and the community on this journey! Ballot Measures >>>>MEASURE BB – Allow ranked-choice voting in city council and school board elections. Comments post automatically without review from our staff, but we reserve the right to delete material that is libelous, a personal attack, or spam. All of these candidates appear to be winning their races as of 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6. He’s clear about his displeasure with the superintendent and wants him replaced. “We believe that parents have a right to choose what their children need.”. “We know they’re going to be fighting for kids and public schools.”. University of CaliforniaNorth Gate HallBerkeley, CA. Three new draft trustee area boundary maps are now available for public review. Political advocacy group GO Public Schools and UTR passionately fought over seats on the WCCUSD Board of Education, which covers schools from El Cerrito to Hercules. To voting by district, only two board members are sworn in on or after the Friday! Costa County Measures and races community College, Ward 2 Page 1 of 6 CC – Increases Property... 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