Candidates vie for YUHSD, Gadsden school board seats

All nine school districts in Yuma County elect governing board members this Nov. 4 but only Yuma Union High School, Gadsden Elementary and Somerton Elementary Districts have competitive races.

Charlene Fernandez, a YUHSD incumbent for the prior four years, is a native Yuman who previously was a case manager for former District 4 Congressman Ed Pastor where she helped residents with issues dealing with federal government.

"It makes me uniquely qualified because I know how to network and put people in touch with officials who can help them," Fernandez said.

The recent banking financial crisis is likely to impact school budgets affecting the price of gas for buses, rising food costs and teacher salaries that have stagnated and are some of the issues facing YUHSD, Fernandez said.

Food service, which is contracted out to Southwest Food Service of Phoenix, was originally done because it was more efficient and a cost savings by not having to deal with human resources, she explained. But now, she would prefer to have a local contractor and make the staff district employees. She added that Yuma teachers are dedicated professionals that need to be paid what they are worth.

"I take this position very seriously and it's my way of giving back to the school system," Fernandez said.

To really understand the board, members need a firm grasp of financial principles and that is where Dan Farar's experience will enhance his participation, he noted. Farar is retired but was a YUHSD business manager for the districts' financial services for 12 years and was also a former principal of Kofa High School.

"We don't raise enough money in Yuma (for schools) with the qualifying tax rate so we get about half our funds from the state," Farar said. "If you understand that, you understand why the state wants to impose certain restrictions on taxes, funding and programs."

Expanding growth in Yuma will also affect quality education, and the city needs to move forward with getting another high school built as even Gila Ridge, the newest, will be at capacity soon, he said.

"My kids have succeeded because of their teachers and we need to recruit heavily and pay them better," Farar said. "We used to hire a lot out of the Midwest but now their salaries are competitive. We're picking up some of the slack with homegrown teachers from NAU-Yuma grads. They stay here because they know the community."

Bruce Gwynn has been actively involved with the education of his children, all who graduated from Yuma schools. He was galvanized to education issues when the spread of mold closed down Yuma High School a decade ago and his and others' community action prompted the district to hold double sessions at Cibola High School. This is one reason why Gwynn wants to serve on the board. He is the business manager for Mann Inc., a crop protection chemical manufacturer.

Reducing the dropout rate and making sure educators teach students to learn and not just to pass the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards exam are two priorities for Gwynn.

"You always need oversight from local residents who live in the district," Gwynn said. "I think the current board is doing a fine job with presenting both pros and cons of consolidation, but bigger is not always better. Yet I feel it's time to step up to the plate and serve my community and help improve what we're doing."

One of the aspects that motivates Antonio Carrillo to run for the board is his passion for his children's education, one who attends San Luis High School. Carrillo said he was proud to be a farm laborer but longed for a professional career and saw education as the gateway to assimilating into mainstream America.

Working as an academic counselor for Arizona Western College, Carrillo said, he is concerned that many freshmen are unprepared for college-level work and that for the previous several years, because of a slowing economy, he has seen a tightening of education budgets, particularly at AWC, where tuition increases were necessary.

In San Luis, where 90 percent of the high school students are Latino and nearly 60 percent for the rest of the county, students need someone who understands their culture and serves as a role model, he said.

"My main focus is the education of all students, I wouldn't exclude anybody," Carrillo said. "Bringing a new person to the board will add diversity and offer a different perspective to solve problems because of my ethnic background and professional associations."

Incumbent Sally Doyle emphasized her 16 years on the board as one of her major qualifications for continued service. She is also a member of the board of trustees of Yuma Catholic High School and previously served on one of the Chicago school boards. Doyle is employed by Hoppstetter's Office Products as a sales and design manager.

"The only reason I run is to advocate for teachers, because without them where would our students be?" Doyle said.

Doyle said a consistent curriculum with all the feeder schools for the high schools has always been a priority for her. Because Yuma County is such a mobile community with students often moving in or out of the county, curriculum can be a challenge yet the middle and elementary schools have made much progress, owing in part to the district
superintendents who maintain open communications and work together with the board for the betterment of all students, she noted.

"My feeling is I have to pay back the teachers, staff and administration since they've educated my children and grandchildren," Doyle said. "Teachers educated my family and I admired them tremendously."

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CANDIDATE PROFILES

Charlene Fernandez
Age: 53
Occupation: Community Liaison with Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
Family: Married with three adult children
Education: BA Education, NAU-Yuma

Dan Farar
Age: 61
Occupation: Retired: YUHSD business manager, financial services
Family: Married with one child and seven adult children
Education: BA Education, University of Arizona, Master's, Secondary Education Administration

Bruce Gwynn
Age: 59
Occupation: Business Manager, Makhteshim Agan of North America, Inc.
Family: Married with three adult children
Education: BS Animal science, University of Arizona. Also, active in University of Arizona Agricultural Board, AWC Ag Education Advisory Board, Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors

Antonio Carrillo
Age: 46
Occupation: AWC Academic Counselor
Family: Married with three children and one adult child
Education: BA Spanish/Sociology
Also, president of the Arizona Association of Chicanos for Higher Education and formerly president of the Yuma chapter of the same organization.

Sally Doyle
Age: 65
Occupation: Design and sales manager for Hoppstetter's Office Products
Education: High School Diploma. Also, member of the Yuma Catholic High School board of directors, Arizona school Board Association, Yuma County Juvenile Detention board.

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OTHER SCHOOL RACES

• Anteleope Union High School District, 3 open seats, 3 candidates:
Scott Ferris, Danny Millner, Victoria Morga

• Yuma Elementary District 1, 3 open seats, 3 candidates:
Maureen Irr, Catherine Nicewander

• Somerton Elementary School District, 3 open seats, 4 candidates:
Martha Camacho, David Gonzales, Augustin Tumbaga, Leticia Yepez

•Crane Elementary District, 3 open seats, 3 candidates:
Jim Colby, Mary Garcia, Brenna Paulin

• Hyder Elementary School District, 3 open seats, 3 candidates:
Shirley Fuller, Petra Lopez, Karen Reed

• Mohawk Valley Elementary School District, 3 open seats, 1 candidate:
Melissa Sharp

• Wellton Elementary School District, 3 open seats, 1 candidate:
Robin Rinehart

• Gadsden Elementary School District, 2 open seats, 3 candidates:
Tadeo De La Hoya, Abelina Jaime, Rosa Varela