Maybe the state should take a lesson from Community for Better
Schools, a group made up of concerned citizens in Aromas.
After four-plus months of mounting an effort to recall three
Aromas-San Juan Unified School District Trustees, CBS has decided
to stop the campaign and focus on encouraging candidates to run in
the November 2004 election. The group also decided to become
watchdogs over the school district and target budget and academics
to better the district.
Maybe the state should take a lesson from Community for Better Schools, a group made up of concerned citizens in Aromas.
After four-plus months of mounting an effort to recall three Aromas-San Juan Unified School District Trustees, CBS has decided to stop the campaign and focus on encouraging candidates to run in the November 2004 election. The group also decided to become watchdogs over the school district and target budget and academics to better the district.
This decision by CBS members is the correct choice of action – for a number of reasons – to help ease mounting tensions that have been present within the district since the early 1990s.
The district recently hired Ercilia Zavala as principal for Aromas School, a wise move. Zavala lives near Aromas and is a part of the community, having lived in the tri-county area for 14 years. More importantly, Zavala is bilingual, a must for a district in which 46 percent of the students are Hispanic.
With Zavala’s hiring, the 32-year-old knows the tensions within the community, and realizes parents have different ideas to move the school forward. But she’s also smart enough to know everyone’s first-and-foremost concern is the students’ welfare. She says she will listen, and we believe her.
Also, the recall would have cost upwards of $50,000, funds the small school district can’t afford to spend on a special election.
And most of all, the decision not to move forward with the recall of Trustees Andy Hsia-Coron, Rachel Ponce and Sylvia Rios-Metcalf will help ease tensions that have existed between the people in Aromas and San Juan since the district unified in 1991.
“Between the money factor and the problems in San Juan … People in San Juan are still really upset and this (the recall) is just one more thing,” CBS member Julie Conrad told the Free Lance.
CBS’ initial decision to recall the Board members brought to light concerns a segment of the community has about the education of their children, and the district is listening. Its campaign worked.
Now, with the decision to halt the recall drive, CBS has taken a step to help heal the divide.
To respond to this editorial or comment on this issue, please send or bring letters to Editor, Hollister Free Lance, 350 Sixth St., Hollister, Calif. 95023 or fax to 637-4104 or e-mail to
