In vying for the Hollister School District Board of Trustees Area 4 seat, Lisa Marks said she has no agenda other than wanting to set up children for future success. Over the years, Marks has served as a tutor for struggling students and has volunteered inside the classroom and in the community.
Her varied acts of service include chaperoning for San Benito High School’s Sober Grad Night, Rancho San Justo’s band and Cerra Vista’s field trips. Marks has also worked with the Girls Scouts, been a Hollister Little League player agent and board member, and was a member of the Friends of Southeast Neighborhood Park, a group that worked with the city to secure grant money for Valley View Park.
Marks stressed her communication skills as key to making her an effective candidate.
“I will be the voice, a listening ear and encourage participants from my area because the school district is a mixture of voices of regular constituents, students, parents, teachers and staff,” she said. “All those voices must come together in order to create the best opportunity for all of our students. So the people in my area will know what the challenges are and will also have a voice to and through me to air any of their concerns or suggestions.”
Married for 35 years with three children, one of whom is a teacher at San Benito High, Marks said making a safe and productive return to in-person learning and being judicious with the budget are the top two issues facing the district. She anticipates a budget shortfall due to Covid-19 and the downturn in the economy.
“We’ll have to handle the challenges of the budget shortfall juxtaposing that with the new things we’ll need to do of having children in the classroom, things such as PPEs, technology and broadband,” she said. Ultimately, Marks believes students receiving a first-class education in elementary and middle school will set the foundation for the rest of their lives.
“After raising my own children and being in the workforce, I am now in a position to be a part of the change I want to see. And I feel I’m qualified to do that now,” she said.
