Voters in the Colusa Unified School District will have a choice on Nov. 8 to select either an incumbent or two newcomers to serve on the Board of Trustees.
The three school board candidates, incumbent Christopher Mcallister, Roberta James, and Vicki Pulsifer, spoke to district voters at a candidates forum on Thursday, hosted by the Colusa County Chamber of Commerce.
They are each seeking one of two open seats on the board. Mcallister, who was voted into office in 2018, is seeking a second four-year term.
“The reason I wanted to be on the school board is for the students, community members, and parents,” said Mcallister, who has two children attending school in Colusa.
Mcallister said his primary focus is to see that all students have opportunities and are prepared for success, whether they go directly into the workforce, attend a trade school, or go to college.
He said he also wants to continue the board’s effort to expand classroom instruction to include more mechanics and shop classes, and also solve the problem of aging, outdated, and overcrowded facilities.
“Our community is outgrowing our school facilities, so we need to find a way to expand,” Mcallister said.
James, a retired Colusa Unified teacher, said she is running for school board for a number of reasons, but primarily because she has dedicated her entire career to students and wants to keep their academic needs at the forefront.
“I care deeply about their success,” James said. “I believe I have the skill set and experience to do the job well and I’m motivated to do the work.”
James has been a regular at school board meetings throughout her career and said the job demands strong leadership skills, decision-making skills, the ability to work as a team, and the ability to listen attentively and communicate effectively.
She said she would like to see students educated better on their civic responsibilities so they can participate in the democratic process.
Pulsifer, a school facilities projects manager, said her primary focus is making Colusa schools safe and secure.
“I’ve served on numerous boards within Colusa, both for schools and other organizations,” Pulsifer said. “My commitment to our students and families is to be a community advocate, having a voice for progress, and providing collaboration, while showing leadership and focusing on the safety of our schools for students, staff, and the community.”
The candidates answered a number of questions posed by the audience through moderator Colleen Wrysinski, a member of the Chamber board of directors.
In two minutes, the candidates discussed their goals and motivations for running, how they plan to prepare students for career needs that exist today, how they define student-centered learning, the importance of a local control funding plan, the purpose of public education, and how to help students navigate social media.
On a question regarding the school board ensuring that all students, regardless of needs, economic status, or language barriers, receive the same opportunities for quality education, the candidates voiced various ways the district could better reach students to provide adequate resources.
“We need to broaden our accessibility for students and families, creating an educational outcome for all levels of students, with positive reinforcement from the board,” Pulsifer said.
Mcallister said the best thing the district could do is to involve parents more and let them know they have a voice.
“We need to let parents know they can come to us if they feel their students’ needs are not being addressed,” Mcallister said.
James said she felt the district does a good job of providing quality education, but said the district could expand on it with additional professional development for teachers and by developing intervention strategies.
No questions were taken directly from the audience, but candidates stayed after the forum, which lasted just over an hour, to speak to voters.
The Chamber will host a forum for Colusa City Council candidates on Oct. 12. ■