Chula Vista Elementary School District leaders will start the new year by selecting two new board members.
The Board of Directors unanimously approved filling vacancies for area Seats 1 and 5 via appointment.
A special meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. January 17 to interview applicants, receive public input, and appoint two candidates by majority vote. Applicants must submit their applications by noon on Jan. 8, according to the district. Those who are appointed will finish the terms through 2026.
Officials said they opted to appoint members because of the hefty price tag associated with holding a special election. According to the latest estimates, an election could cost taxpayers up to nearly $3 million. That expense would come as the district faces an estimated $15 million deficit for the 2024-25 school year.
At the board’s Dec. 16 meeting, three people pitched their bid for the open seats, including Zenith Khan, who unsuccessfully ran for Seat 4 in November.
Parents with children in the district, such as Manny Rubio, told the board they had an opportunity to redirect the district’s focus to education and children and their families.
“I really think that there is an opportunity for us, regardless of politics, regardless of favor, regardless of interest, to appoint … two people whose only interest should always be around the students and the families of this district,” said Rubio.
The seats became vacant after Cesar Fernandez, who occupied Seat 5, won his election to the Chula Vista City Council, and Francisco Tamayo secured Seat 4.
Tamayo was serving Seat 1, but ran against incumbent Kate Bishop and three other hopefuls. His bid for Bishop’s seat made for a rare circumstance where two colleagues ran against each other for the same post.
Tamayo had accused Bishop of pushing inappropriate curriculum around sexuality and making racist remarks against Latinos, adding that her actions were for self-gain and self-promotion. Bishop repeatedly rejected those claims and argued that she worked to create a space that was safe for LGBTQ students and against racism.
