Vallejo school board welcomes new trustees amid declining enrollment – Vallejo Sun

By John Glidden

There were smiles aplenty during the Dec. 14 Vallejo school board meeting as three trustees were sworn into office.

John Fox, first elected to the school board in 2018, was sworn in for a second term after defeating fellow incumbent Tony Gross to represent Trustee Area 5: Southeast Vallejo.

Glenn Amboy and Carlos Flores were also sworn in as the newest members of the five-person board.

Amboy was automatically appointed to the position when he was the only person to run to represent Trustee Area 3, which encompasses most of East Vallejo, including the Hiddenbrooke development. He replaced Trustee Tony Ubalde, who decided not to seek another term.

Source: Vallejo school board welcomes new trustees amid declining enrollment

Fox declares victory in Vallejo school board re-election bid – Vallejo Sun

By John Glidden

John Fox sighed heavily Wednesday, confessing he was happy the election was over after going full-steam since February.

Fox secured a second term on the Vallejo school board, easily beating fellow Trustee Tony Gross and challenger naturopathic practitioner Ajit S. Bhandal to represent Trustee Area 5, which encompasses Southeast Vallejo, including the Glen Cove neighborhood.

Source: Fox declares victory in Vallejo school board re-election bid

Schools election picture coming into focus after Day 2 of count – Daily Republic

By Todd R. Hansen

Jack Flynn held a majority lead over incumbent Jonathan Richardson for the Trustee Area 5 seat on the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District board.

As of Wednesday, Flynn had tallied 963 votes, representing 51.5% of the ballots cast, while Richardson had 907 votes (48.5%), the Solano County Registrar of Voters Office reported.

The unofficial result is with all 10 precincts counted, but with mail-in and provisional ballots left to count.

Source: Schools election picture coming into focus after Day 2 of count

Vallejo school board trustee outspends opponent by 24 times – Vallejo Sun

By John Glidden

Vallejo school board Trustee John Fox significantly outspent fellow Trustee Tony Gross as the two incumbents face off for a single seat in next week’s election after the school district moved to local area elections, according to campaign finance forms reviewed by the Vallejo Sun.

Gross, a retired educator, and Fox, a 3rd grade teacher with the Mt. Diablo Unified School District, are vying to represent the newly created Trustee Area 5, which encompasses Southeast Vallejo, including the Glen Cove neighborhood. Both men were elected to the board in 2018, a year before the district switched to local area elections. Under the new system, trustees must live in the area they represent.

Source: Vallejo school board trustee outspends opponent by 24 times

Vallejo school board to appoint new trustee – Vallejo Sun

By John Glidden

The Vallejo school board is expected to appoint a new trustee on Wednesday following a second round of interviews with residents seeking to join the five-person board.

The school board began the process of filling the vacancy after no one registered to run in November’s election for Trustee Area 1, which represents most of West Vallejo and Mare Island. The area also includes South Vallejo west of Interstate 80.

Source: Vallejo school board to appoint new trustee

Vallejo school board to interview first round of candidates for vacant seat this Wednesday – Daily Republic

By John Glidden

The Vallejo school board is scheduled to interview six residents who have applied to represent Trustee Area 1 on the five-person board, with the first round of interviews scheduled for Wednesday.

The school board began the process of filling the vacancy after no one registered to run for the office in November’s election.

Vallejo spokesperson Celina Baguiao said that 11 applied to represent the trustee area and that the remaining applicant names will be released on Friday. The board is scheduled to interview those applicants on Oct. 26.

Wednesday’s interviewees include Clarence Martin, Michael-Riley Brann, Carlos Flores, Helen-Marie Gordon, Dedrick Weathersby, and Gilbert Dodson.

Source: Vallejo school board to interview first round of candidates for vacant seat this Wednesday

School boards in Solano County face shortage of candidates for November election – Vallejo Sun

By John Glidden

Almost every school district in Solano County is facing a shortage of school board candidates in November’s election as the Vallejo, Benicia and Travis school boards will each fill a vacancy after no one ran for the seat, while three other candidates will join those boards automatically as they face no opposition.

Meanwhile, two of three incumbents up for reelection this year ran unopposed in both the Vacaville and Fairfield-Suisun school districts and will automatically retain their seats.

The Vallejo school board last week started the process to fill its vacancy on the five-person board after no one filed campaign paperwork to represent Trustee Area 1, which represents most of West Vallejo and Mare Island.

Source: School boards in Solano County face shortage of candidates for November election

Longtime Vallejo educator Tony Gross seeks second term on school board – Vallejo Sun

By John Glidden

Vallejo school board Trustee Ralph “Tony” Gross secured his spot on the November ballot on the final day to submit candidacy paperwork, setting up one of the more unusual situations in Vallejo this election season as he and fellow trustee John Fox will vie to represent the newly created Trustee Area 5.

Gross, who was first elected to the school board in 2018, told the Vallejo Sun that he is seeking a second term “to continue to improve the city’s public education system.”

“I bring a depth of experience, belief, and commitment to providing a more robust and relevant educational experience for our students.” Gross added.

Source: Longtime Vallejo educator Tony Gross seeks second term on school board

Teacher John Fox seeks re-election to Vallejo school board – Vallejo Sun

By John Glidden

Trustee John Fox is asking voters for another term on the Vallejo school board so he can “continue the hard work and keep the momentum this board has established.”

Fox, who was first elected to the school board in 2018, is seeking to represent the newly created Trustee Area 5, which encompasses Southeast Vallejo, including the Glen Cove neighborhood.

“We have made many difficult decisions with school closures, keeping a balanced budget, and making many cuts due to past mismanagement,” Fox told the Vallejo Sun. “I have been part of a board that works well together, in the best interest of our students. There is still a lot more work to do, and I want to be part of the board to make our schools the best possible for Vallejo.”

Source: Teacher John Fox seeks re-election to Vallejo school board

Glenn Amboy confirms run for Vallejo school board – Vallejo Sun

Vallejo resident Glenn Amboy — a parent of two children currently enrolled in the Vallejo school district with a third who graduated in 2020 — confirmed his candidacy for the Vallejo City Unified School District Board of Education in the upcoming November 2022 election.

Amboy is seeking to represent Trustee Area 3, which encompasses most of East Vallejo, including the Hiddenbrooke development. Amboy told the Vallejo Sun he’s running “because I want to secure quality education for all our students.”

Source: Glenn Amboy confirms run for Vallejo school board

Board of Education holds hearing for proposed Caliber High School in Vallejo – Daily Republic

By Matt Miller

The Solano County Board of Education held a spirited public hearing Wednesday at City Hall concerning a petition from Caliber Public Schools to start a high school in Vallejo.

Caliber Public Schools filed a petition in January to appeal the decision in December of the Vallejo City School District governing board. The Vallejo board unanimously denied Caliber’s petition to establish a new high school because of the district’s ongoing fiscal troubles.

The Solano Board of Education held the first public hearing Wednesday to consider the level of support for the petition by teachers employed by the school district, other employees of the school district, and parents.

Source: Board of Education holds hearing for proposed Caliber High School in Vallejo

Voters fill plethora of Solano school, college board seats – Daily Republic

By Todd R. Hansen

School and college boards governed over the end of one school year and the beginning of another in a very, very different world.

The Covid-19 pandemic added the term distance learning to the common educational lexicon.

And some of those boards got a new makeup of members in November.

Judi Honeychurch, for the second election cycle, faced no opposition and therefore did not appear on the ballot for her Trustee Area 3 seat on the Fairfield-Suisun School District. Bethany Smith similarly returns as the Trustee Area 1 representative.

Source: Voters fill plethora of Solano school, college board seats

LaTyna Young, Christy Gardner win Vallejo school board races – Times-Herald

By Katy St. Clair

LaTyna Young has been elected to the Vallejo Unified School Board and incumbent trustee Christy Gardner has held on to her seat after results were final after Election Night.

Trustee Robert Lawson has lost his bid for re-election.

Young is a Vallejo native and a long time educator. Both Young and Gardner received the endorsement of the Vallejo Education Association (VEA).

Young received 64.41 percent of the vote in Area 4 and Gardner received 47.84 percent of the vote in Area 2.

Source: LaTyna Young, Christy Gardner win Vallejo school board races – Times-Herald

Solano school, college district nomination period ends, mostly, for Nov. 3 election – Daily Republic

By Todd R. Hansen

Judi Honeychurch did not face a challenger in her last election and will have no need to campaign this fall, either.

Judi Honeychurch“I look forward to the challenges of the future and working with the superintendent and the teachers and staff,” said Honeychurch, who will enter her third term on the Fairfield-Suisun School District board of trustees.

She is the only incumbent who does not have a challenger.

Clifford Gordon, owner of Gordon’s Music & Sound in downtown Fairfield, pulled and filed candidacy papers Thursday for the Trustee Area 1 seat held by Bethany Smith. Trustee Area 2 incumbent Joan Gaut will run against Leslie Unverferth, and Area 6 incumbent John Silva faces Ana Petero.

Source: Solano school, college district nomination period ends, mostly, for Nov. 3 election

Last week for candidates to join Solano school district trustee races – Daily Republic

By Todd R. Hansen

The four incumbents and two challengers for seats on the Fairfield-Suisun School District board of trustees have filed candidacy papers, the county Elections Office reported Monday evening.

This is the last week to file for anyone interested in running for a position on 10 school or two college district boards.

Fairfield-Suisun school incumbents Joan Gaut, in Trustee Area 2, and John Silva, in Trustee Area 6, each faces a challenger. Leslie Unverferth, a real estate agent, looks to unseat Gaut, while Ana Petero, a teacher, wants to replace Silva.

Incumbents Bethany Smith, in Trustee Area 1, and Judi Honeychurch, in Trustee Area 3, are thus far unchallenged.

Source: Last week for candidates to join Solano school district trustee races

Vallejo school board honors Maria Guevara – Times-Herald

By John Glidden

“Thank you, Maria, for all you did for us.”

The end of Wednesday’s Vallejo school board meeting turned somber as President John Fox took time to acknowledge the passing of community advocate Maria Guevara.

Guevara, 45, was struck and killed May 7 by a train in Suisun City.

“She was such an inspirational person to know,” Fox told the other trustees. “She basically dedicated her life for finding a way to help homeless people here in Vallejo.”

Source: Vallejo school board honors Maria Guevara – Times-Herald

Vallejo school board tables vote on ‘anti-Jewish’ ethnic studies curriculum – J.weekly

By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen

During its regular meeting on May 6, Vallejo’s school board tabled a resolution in support of a draft of an ethnic studies curriculum deemed “anti-Jewish” by the California Legislative Jewish Caucus.

The resolution, titled “Affirming Support of AB 2016 California Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Draft,” was included on last week’s agenda after being introduced by the Vallejo City Unified School District’s superintendent, Adam Clark.

It was scuttled in a 5-0 vote.

AB 2016 is a 4-year-old piece of legislation, signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown, mandating an ethnic studies curriculum be drafted as a guide for California high schools.

Source: Vallejo school board tables vote on ‘anti-Jewish’ ethnic studies curriculum – J.

Vallejo school board tables support of ethnic studies curriculum – Times-Herald

By John Glidden

A proposed Vallejo school board resolution supporting California’s proposed ethnic studies curriculum was tabled by the trustees during their May 6 meeting.

Several of the trustees expressed that they were uncomfortable supporting the draft document which is expected to go up for review and possible approval by the State Board of Education next year.

“I think that it’s premature in approving something that is currently in draft form,” said trustee Christy Gardner during the meeting. “That is being revised as we speak and until the total, complete document is finished I feel very uncomfortable approving a draft.”

Source: Vallejo school board tables support of ethnic studies curriculum – Times-Herald

Solano Widenmann Leadership Academy name proposed to school board – Times-Herald

By John Glidden

A special citizen advisory committee is recommending the Vallejo City Unified School District board consider renaming Solano Middle School to the Solano Widenmann Leadership Academy.

The school board received information about the new name during its meeting Wednesday afternoon. Trustees appointed the special committee in April after the district moved Widenmann Elementary School to the middle school site for the start of the 2019-20 school year.

“By keeping a portion of both schools in the name, we can continue to acknowledge the history of our region, the different cultures that make up our schools, and the contributions of both individuals to our community,” wrote Victoria Grace, committee spokesperson, in a letter to the school board.

Source: Solano Widenmann Leadership Academy name proposed to school board – Times-Herald

Vallejo school board approves multiple Measure S contracts – Times-Herald

By John Glidden

Without comment, the Vallejo City Unified School District approved several Measure S related items during Wednesday’s board meeting.

They approved a contract between the district and Miller Pacific Engineering for geotechnical evaluation for the Corbus Field resurfacing project, according to a staff report to the five-person school board.

The $14,500 contract includes a field drainage assessment, assistance with field design if needed and construction observation and testing, staff said.

Source: Vallejo school board approves multiple Measure S contracts – Times-Herald