Gadsden incumbents seek re-election
SAN LUIS, Ariz. — Rosa Varela and Tadeo Azael De la Hoya are seeking re-election in November to the Gadsden Elementary School District's governing board.
No other candidates filed by this month's deadline to appear on the ballot against the two incumbents, whose terms expire this year. They could still face write-in opponents.
The district consists of six elementary schools and one middle and one junior high school serving San Luis and neighboring Gadsden.
Varela and De la Hoya, both elected to their first four-year terms on the board in 2008, say their goals will include building on recent improvements in academic performance at all of the district's schools.
“I believe we still have left a lot of work to do, but the priority is to maintain good academic performance in the district schools, based on the state standards,” De la Hoya said. “The district has improved in the last few years, and there is no school that is underperforming.”
Most of the district's schools recently received a C, or average grade, under a new system the Arizona Department of Education is using to rate school performance. De la Hoya said the challenge in the months ahead will be to improve on that ranking.
De la Hoya said he will push for a pay raise for all district employees.
“I know that the budget limits us, but the employees deserve it. It's been almost five years since they've gotten an increase, and we need to see how the district can given them one.”
He said he will continue to make himself accessible to teachers, parents and residents of the district who have issues they want to bring up with the district.
Varela said she is seeking a second term to help ensure “students continue receiving quality education.”
While all district employees must commit themselves to the goal of improving the level of instruction, she said, parents must also get involved in their children's educations. Between them, she said, they can make the Gadsden district a “model district for the state.”
Three other members of the Gadsden board are Luis Marquez, Gloria Torres and Martina Lopez, whose terms do not expire until 2014.
