This doesn’t make any sense to me, and is a clear sign — in my opinion — that the district has no plans to change. Anyone have any opinions on John Swett?

County rejects district election proposal

By Kimberly S. Wetzel

Backers of a petition to elect West Contra Costa Unified School District board members by district rather than at-large as they are now said this week they are undeterred by the county’s rejection of the proposal and plan to continue looking into ways to reform the make-up of the board.

The Contra Costa County Office of Education, sitting as the County Committee on District Organization, voted 4-1 Wednesday to deny a request to put the issue before voters in November with board member Daniel Borsuk dissenting.

But petition organizers said afterward they will explore alternative suggestions made by county board member Pamela Mirabella during the hearing, including the possibility of term limits or campaign contribution limits for West Contra Costa board members.

“I’m very encouraged,” said Anton Jungherr, chief petitioner of the proposal, after the meeting. “We’ll get a lawyer and figure it out.”

A group called Citizens for Positive Education submitted a petition in May asking the county to consider changing how West Contra Costa board members are elected, arguing that candidates would need less money to run in district-specific elections, trustees would serve areas that might otherwise not have representation and voters may feel more connected to the political system because they have their own representative.

The proposal proved controversial, as many posted heated comments about it on West County education blogs and online chat groups, and in letters to the Bay Area News Group.

Some took it as a personal attack on current board members Karen Pfeifer, Charles Ramsey and Madeline Kronenberg, all of whom live in El Cerrito.

Almost 40 people weighed in on the matter at Wednesday’s hearing at DeJean Middle School in Richmond with supporters and dissenters evenly split. Opponents argued that district elections would destroy board unity and be costly for the district, while others said that putting the issue before voters at the same time as a desperately-needed parcel tax measure renewal in the fall would jeopardize the tax’s chances of passing.

“It is imperative that the parcel tax passes — our students need the $10 million,” said Gail Mendes, former president of West Contra Costa’s teachers’ union. “Put the issue off for awhile and let the voters decide later.”

The majority of county board members said they understood the petitioners’ intentions, but said their reason for rejecting the issue was because of concerns that both items on the ballot at the same time could hurt the parcel tax.

“I don’t think voters will be confused, they’ll be frustrated,” said board member David Krapf.

“I do think having both items on the ballot in November will be detrimental.”

Current and former city council members from Pinole, Hercules and Richmond and a representative from State Assemblywoman Loni Hancock’s office weighed in on the issue.

All either voiced their opposition to the proposal or asked that the issue be tabled until after the parcel tax vote.

The board could have delayed a decision on the issue until another election, but that idea was largely rejected because the school district would have to pay more money for a special election.

Opponents said they were pleased with the county’s decision and are relieved the district can focus exclusively on the districts’ finances.

“I thought it was well thought out and well-reasoned, and they made the right decision,” Ramsey said.