There are a couple of new faces in Yuma County school board leadership. Three districts recently filled vacancies for four seats: the Crane Elementary School District, Yuma School District One and Somerton School District #11.
Having new governing board members opens up the possibility for new perspectives and directions. While superintendents and administration help lead school districts, governing boards make the ultimate decisions, voting on routine items like approving new hires and accepting donations as well as action items like adopting new curricula and approving new policies.
Because of the recent vacancies, the new members were appointed by Yuma County School Superintendent Tom Hurt. But governing board members are typically elected to office by constituents living in their districts’ attendance boundaries. As such, they answer to the public. And members of the public can make their voices heard during the boards’ regular monthly meetings at call to the public.
Governing board members are members of their districts’ communities as they must live in their district’s boundaries, but they can’t be employees of the district or spouses of employees.
To learn more about the new board members, KAWC asked them about their connections to their respective districts as well as their priorities.
Brenna Paulin, Crane Elementary School District
Paulin previously served on the board about five years ago.
Connection to Crane:
“I've been a resident of Crane District for 30 some years. I was originally appointed to fill a vacancy on the board and then ran a number of times. And I have a daughter in law who teaches at one of our Crane schools. I have grandchildren that go to Crane schools. So I feel very connected to them and even though I think this board has been doing a great job, I had an opportunity and it was nice to be asked, to feel that I could make a contribution. So I'm very excited about being here again.”
Priorities as a board member:
“My whole priority is students first and whatever it takes to do that. And I think that we do a great job of that. We're educating our kids. We’re… I love to go on campus because it's happy and people are happy to see you. And I just think we have a wonderful culture in this district. So I think that we've managed to not get bogged down in some of the negative things but remember why we're here, what's important.”
Audrey Garcia, Crane Elementary School District
Garcia took an eight-month hiatus from the board and rejoined in August.
Connection Crane:
“My very first connection with Crane was about 24 years ago. I was a one-on-one aid paraprofessional at [H.L. Suverkrup Elementary] so that’s my first connection. I've worked for Crane as the grant coordinator, and I ran and taught in the online program. But outside of Crane, I was a third grade teacher for quite some time at Yuma District One so I've been in education for a while.
“I work for [Arizona State University] now, so now I run the elementary education program at the Teaching Fellows pathway here in Yuma. So I'm still connected. Teaching is my passion so being able to serve on the board and support teachers and staff and parents is everything for me. It’s very important.”
Priorities as a board member:
“I would think just to continue to support the teachers and the parents and leadership here. They do a really good job with some tough things, some tough decisions that they have to make. And just to continue to be a support and advocate for our students.”
Lisa Anderson, Yuma School District One
Connection to District One:
“So my connection is a community member for–I've lived in Yuma now, 30 plus years. Also, having past– in the past, I was a colleague as my career was with the Yuma Union High School District … but really [my connection’s] serving the communities and the families of Yuma County.”
Priorities as a board member:
“To support the district with their goals, with the vision of the superintendent and the team and the leaders, and make sure that every student is served.”
Gladys Anaya, Somerton School District #11
Connection to SSD11:
“My connection to the Somerton School District is I actually worked there for 12 years. My last position was working for the Somerton Middle School alternative program; that was back in 2016. So it's been, what? Nine years? And both of my children have gone through the school district.”
Priorities as a board member:
“My priorities, I think, is just being a voice for the teachers, a voice for the students. I know that as a board, we will work as a group to support Mr. Duron, who's the superintendent. He'll obviously handle the daily operations of the school but just working as a board to make sure that any decisions we make is to make sure that it's for the betterment of the schools and the community.”
This reporting is supported by a grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation.
