A longtime educator is trying to “balance the board” of the Scotts Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees in the upcoming election. George St. Clair, who has worked extensively in education, as a teacher and a tutorial center coordinator among other roles, believes he has an inside look at how school administration works “at all levels.”
In the Nov. 6 election, two seats on the SVUSD Board of Trustees are up for grabs. St. Clair is in the running against two incumbent board members.
“I believe the current board has been doing excellent work, but there is always room for improvement,” St. Clair said.
A resident of Scotts Valley for over a decade, St. Clair has a diverse background in teaching, including time spent in the Peace Corps. He worked as a science teacher in Fremont Union High School District and served 16 years on the school board of Campbell Union High School District.
“I know what questions to ask,” St. Clair said. “I see that as the role of the board. So I think by virtue of my experience at various levels of education, I have the ability to ask good probing questions.”
St. Clair set various goals for his candidacy, including encourage continued excellence throughout SVUSD, respond to the diversity and needs of all students, and maximize value of the district’s fiscal and human resources.
According to St. Clair, during his four terms on the Campbell Union High School District school board, he encountered several of the same issues SVUSD faced and is facing today. When asked about what he views as concerns for SVUSD, St. Clair said “revenue shortfall is number one and it has been for years.”
While St. Clair served on the board of Campbell Union High School District, he said he had to assist in making tough decisions, because like Scotts Valley, the district was having revenue shortages. St. Clair is in favor of the education parcel tax on the ballot this year, which is according to SVUSD, needed to account for insufficient funding from the state.
From St. Clair’s past experience he said he thinks the district should continue to seek out quality volunteers when a need cannot be met by the budget. St. Clair also mentioned the idea of looking at how solar panels can be used to keep schools energy efficient while being able to sell power back to the grid for extra revenue for the district. Additionally, he wants to address the importance of maximizing average daily attendance. Something SVUSD Superintendent Tanya Krause pointed out in her welcome back letter on Aug. 1. According to Krause, in 2017-18, SVUSD lost approximately $544,000 due to absenteeism. Schools only receive funding when students are in attendance, and because of this, St. Clair hopes to work with the board and district to continue to improve average daily attendance.
“If not elected the community will not suffer,” St. Clair said. “But if elected I think the community stands to gain.”
But according to St. Clair a school board is not made up of one voice, it takes a team.
“That is why you have five board members,” St. Clair said. “The aim is to try and reach a consensus most of the time and if not a consensus then reach an understanding.”
Since retiring from education in 2017, St. Clair said he still has a lot to offer, which is why he is passionate about running for school board in Scotts Valley.
“I like to think of myself as not retired but rewired,” St. Clair said. “I care about students and education and I want to add balance to the board.”
