Determined to improve Spring Grove School, four candidates are
vying for three open school board seats for the North County Joint
Union School District.
Hollister – Determined to improve Spring Grove School, four candidates are vying for three open school board seats for the North County Joint Union School District.
Rob Bernosky, accountant and father of three Spring Grove students, is the only candidate who’s not running for re-election on the board. His ultimate goal if elected is to provide better fiscal responsibility to the district while offering a quality education to a diverse population, he said.
Bernosky said the school district provides board members with full health benefits if they choose to take them – something other districts that size don’t do – and he would like to see those benefits eliminated.
“(The district) is operating at a deficit and health benefits contribute to nearly one-third of the forecasted deficit,” he said. “I will work to have them removed as a perk so that board members serve with the school in mind, not themselves.”
Incumbent Renee Faught, who is running for her fourth term on the board, provides after-school care for many Spring Grove students and feels a strong connection to the school her son attended for nine years. Faught believes the school provides students with one of the best educations in the county by keeping class sizes small to ensure students get as much one-on-one time with teachers as possible, she said.
“My number one focus has to be what’s best for the children first, and everything else will fall into place,” she said. “Spring Grove is truly a part of who I am. I love the school.”
Faught said enrollment had declined over the past several years because of the Silicon Valley bust, but through it the board maintained a balanced budget.
Candice Mancino-Hooper, a deputy district attorney for San Benito County, is running for her third term on the board. She said enrollment is now increasing and her ultimate goal is to provide teachers with the resources they need to get test scores up and provide better education for the growing student population.
She said one of the board’s greatest recent achievements was bringing in new superintendent Howard Chase, which was done by all board members working together as a team.
“I believe I’ve done good by (district constituents) through the last two terms,” she said. “We’ve got exciting things with the new superintendent and I’d like to continue with it.”
Incumbent Michael Castello is also running for the board, but could not be reached for comment after repeated attempts to the phone number listed by the district office.
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or
em*******@fr***********.com
