CUSD Measure H
by Sharon Campbell

Measure H is an initiative on the November 2010 ballot that will take away 6 of your 7 votes. The Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) is divided into 7 geographical regions (trustee areas). Today, you get 7 votes—one for each of your school board members. If this measure passes, you only get to vote for 1 of your school board members. You LOSE 6 of your votes.

Many voters live in areas where the schools their children attend are in several trustee areas. Your child could attend elementary school in one area, middle school in another and high school in a third; but you will only get to vote for the trustee in the area where you live, not necessarily where your schools are located. In addition, trustee areas can, will, and have changed over the years. Your trustee area today may not be your trustee area tomorrow. Changing the trustee areas is the decision of the OC County Committee, a body of 11 members not accountable to the voters.

Our local tax dollars can be spent in multiple trustee areas, and we should be able to hold those people, in charge of spending our tax dollars, accountable.

CUSD trustees are responsible for all the children, and they should be held accountable to all of their parents.

In 2008, unions spent approximately $100,000 trying unsuccessfully to elect candidates to our school board – including Erin Kutnick. Today, Ms. Kutnick urges you to support Measure H – but in 2004, she wrote a newspaper column supporting our current system:

She wrote, “What if hypothetically, one area had a very domineering board member representing them who was only interested in making decisions that were best for their area? If we could not vote that person in or out because they were in another area, there would be no accountability.” “Each board member must be accountable to all of the voters within the district. Public schools of course, have to remain focused on the big picture. Having all seven school board members accountable to the entire voting population keeps them focused on working together rather than trying to further a personal agenda. It also provides balance. Each trustee can provide valuable first hand information and knowledge because they know the schools in their area."

The passage of Measure H would result in decreased election costs because passage eliminates 6 of your votes!