REPRESENTATION: Election Day swiftly approaches, bringing with it with new terms and new changes to the RUSD school board.
By Matt Kaye, Staff Writer
In the few weeks that remain, current members of the school board and their challengers are trying to gain next term’s seats for the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) school board, and changes will soon be set in motion.
This year, the school board enacted many changes; one of them is a new election process. The school board divided the district into Trustee Areas. The elections coming up this November include just two areas, Trustee Areas 1 and 5. Trustee Area 1 includes Poly.
In Trustee Area 1, incumbent Kathy Allavie and challenger Arthur Murray will campaign against each other. Both candidates were involved with school activities in the past; Allavie was a PTA member and won the past two elections, while Murray has worked in special education.
In addition to
these elections, the school board must choose a new district superintendent and decide on new policies. The new main policy is called the Local Control Accountability Plan. The proposal lays the guidelines for certain state funding devoted to assisting underprivileged students. However, the coming elections are more important as those elected will influence the decisions regarding this new plan.
Among the top issues of this year’s election is the district’s goal to prepare students for life after high school. Candidates continue to debate over the ways schools should help disadvantaged students to further their education. Some argue that schools should help students gain technical jobs right after high school, while others strongly support success in college and careers. To reach a conclusion, both sides turn to recent educational advancements within the district. One of these advancements includes the Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) program in the district, which lets students pursue a rigorous curriculum not offered in most schools in the district.
On November 5, the voters will decide the future of RUSD.