Jim Miller, a family law attorney and sports agent, is running for re-election to the Area 5 seat on the Cajon Valley Union School District board of trustees. He’s currently the board’s president. The San Diego Union-Tribune asked all the candidates running for school board in districts around San Diego County about their policies, plans and priorities. Here’s what Miller told us about his. Why are you running for school board? What makes you a good candidate? I grew up in East County and attended Cajon Valley schools, as have my children and now my grandchildren. I am invested through charity work with the Sharp Grossmont Hospital Foundation and East County Posse where I have been on their board for eight years. My law practice has been in El Cajon for 27 years. I have coached youth and high school sports for over 20 years in East County. Jim Miller (Courtesy Jim Miller) In my eight years on the Cajon Valley board, I had the district remain open during COVID-19, the largest in California to do so, and drafted several policies and curriculum supporting our students, families and staff. Cajon Valley has a budget of $350 million. It is the largest employer in East County with over 2,300 employees. My education and experience in contract and litigation law, collective bargaining, finance and running the district are critical for the ongoing success of our students. What is the most important issue currently facing your school district? The priorities of any school district: to educate students and keep them safe. By keeping Cajon Valley schools open during COVID lockdowns, our students were given a greater opportunity to stay in a healthy and comprehensive learning environment. I led the fight to keep Cajon Valley open and have been at the foundation of building the World of Work curriculum that teaches students their strengths, interests and values to be more engaged in the classroom and successful when they graduate. I led the first safety and security overhaul of the district’s protocols in over a decade. Through my leadership, Cajon Valley has built financial reserves and balanced the budget every year. As Cajon Valley’s budget is impacted by the state’s mismanagement and revenue losses, we must maintain our balanced approach to spending. Recently the San Diego County Taxpayers Association rated Cajon Valley’s bond spending transparency with an “A” grade. What are the top three specific things you would seek to accomplish on the school board? Implementation of Measure W. We have schools that are well over 60 years old. The state does not provide funding to districts for maintenance and modernization required. It’s a zero-net tax bond — no increases over current property tax rates. We opened Bostonia Global Charter High four years ago. As it grows, the goal is to have our students engaged in internships/externships. I want this program expanded. We have partnered with Work Force Connect, among others, to build a facility that can provide the learning environment our students need. From professional associations to the construction trades, our students will have opportunities unlike others. Maintain the relationship and trust of the students, parents and educators that are integral partners to our kids’ success. I drafted the district’s parents’ bill of rights, have worked on the district’s history curriculum and drafted the physical education curriculum so boys cannot compete against girls. What would your approach be to district budget planning and spending? What would you do if your district had a budget shortfall? Cajon Valley has not had a budget “shortfall” under my leadership on the board. Unlike other districts that send out termination notices to dozens, sometimes hundreds of staff in March each year, Cajon Valley has not had to do that. In fact, under my leadership, Cajon Valley has engaged in the only multi-year labor contracts in recent memory saving the district significantly on labor costs. We have increased our reserve fund above the state mandated limits and our enrollment continues to grow, unlike other districts. Cajon Valley is financially sound for day-to-day operations but still needs the bond funding to actually remodel and build the new spaces required for our growing student population. How should your school district raise student academic achievement, and what would you do as a school board member to accomplish that? This question begs the response, what is “academic achievement?” In Cajon Valley we have over 38 languages spoken by students. In the last school year, approximately 4,000 students were identified as “new” to the United States. State standardized testing does not account for such extreme variables. However, what I see is the success of our students two, three and five years down the line. How does the fifth-grade student who is a refugee, doesn’t speak English and has never had a formal education turn out by the time they are in the ninth grade? That is the question and the tracking that needs to be done. We are now doing this at Cajon Valley. Additionally, I helped to create the World of Work curriculum and continue to support our presentation literacy curriculum through TED Education. Both curricula are assisting our students to be better prepared for work and careers. Do you think anything currently offered in school curricula or libraries should be removed? If yes, what, and why? If no, why not? Each community should have a say, and per the current laws do have a say, in what books and resources are used in school libraries. California has several mandates as to what is to be taught and how it is to be taught. However, I drafted the Cajon Valley parents’ bill of rights to address this topic among others. Local standards and local area committees are allowed to review books and curriculum and then to ask questions or even seek removal if the material is not age-appropriate or patently offensive. I think most people can agree that what is appropriate for an 11th-grader in high school to read may not be appropriate for a second-grader in elementary school to read. That doesn’t mean the book itself is “bad,” but it does have to be age- and topic-appropriate. What do you think is driving student absenteeism in your district, and what would you as a school board member do to reduce it? Absenteeism is a significant issue since COVID. State lockdowns and mandates triggered a lowering of priorities on in-person education for some and placed tremendous pressure financially on just about everyone. To correct this trend, as we are doing at Cajon Valley with our increased enrollment, we need to ensure community engagement. We have the Family and Community Engagement Office at Cajon Valley. This is a nationally acclaimed department that actively goes out and creates connections with all of our diverse student and family populations. They educate parents on the need for their kids to be in school, provide adult education so the parents can help their students study and inform them of the cutting-edge curriculum Cajon Valley has put in place through World of Work to help students find their way to their best future. We need to energize parents and students to increase their desire to be in school. Do you think schools should notify parents if their child’s gender identity or presentation at school changes? Why or why not? I drafted the Cajon Valley parents’ bill of rights. It was passed in August. I followed California and federal law that absolutely allows parents to be involved in their child’s medical and mental health treatment, including access to their records up to age 12. As a K-8 school district, approximately 14,000 of our students fall into this age group. Unlike other K-8 districts, I approved having school counselors at all school sites to assist student emotional health. The kids are our students, but they are their parents’ children. A cohesive partnership in the children’s education, safety and emotional wellbeing absolutely requires input from their parents unless there is a very clear and known danger. AB 1955 failed to differentiate between a 5-year-old in kindergarten and a 17-year-old senior in high school. It is poorly drafted and rooted in political ideology. I am proud to support our families and staff.