Tom Morton, who works as a farrier shoeing horses, is running for a short-term seat on the Encinitas Union School District board of trustees. He currently serves on the board. 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 Morton told us about his. Why are you running for school board? What makes you a good candidate? The Encinitas Union School District (EUSD) is an award-winning district recognized for its innovation and excellence at local, state, and national levels. My family was a part of EUSD for 12 years, and I have served as a trustee for the past 16 months. During that time, we benefited greatly from the exceptional programs, teachers and support staff. The desire to give back to the community and recent attacks on our LGBTQ youth inspired me to become a trustee. Tom Morton (Courtesy Tom Morton) Being a trustee is all about “we,” not “me.” A trustee works as part of a governance team, not as an individual. Effective trusteeship requires intentional leadership, a forward-looking mindset and emotional intelligence to help build a high-functioning school board. Together, we create better solutions than we ever could alone. What is the most important issue currently facing your school district? The most pressing issue facing our district is the ongoing attacks on the rights of LGBTQ students, whose existence is continually marginalized. School boards have become battlegrounds for this kind of harmful rhetoric, and EUSD is not immune. A small but vocal minority is challenging our equity and inclusivity policies. While they may sound reasonable on the surface, terms like “parental inclusivity” and “parental rights” are often used to marginalize student populations they disapprove of. Dysfunction on the board leads to fines, lawsuits and the loss of key staff, diverting attention from our students and wasting taxpayer money. Please vote for Marlon Taylor, Jillian Cocayne and myself, Tom Morton, for a functional school board that ensures all students feel they belong in our classrooms. What are the top three specific things you would seek to accomplish on the school board? Implementing the framework for the future and bond initiative (Prop Z): Our new framework and bond initiative provide a roadmap to ensure our students develop the world-ready skills and academic excellence needed in a rapidly changing world. These programs were developed with input from parents, teachers, students and community members, ensuring our district’s success for the next 25 years. Enhancing our multi-tiered system of support: This system provides cross-team assessments and tailored support for every student, identifying specific areas of need. Whether it’s providing extra help in math or more challenging materials for advanced learners, we are committed to meeting each student where they are. Maintaining a high-functioning school board: A focus on student outcomes is crucial for a successful school district. I have already demonstrated my effectiveness in this area and am dedicated to continuing our success. What would your approach be to district budget planning and spending? What would you do if your district had a budget shortfall? We have an exceptional executive cabinet that manages finances conservatively. While other districts struggled as COVID funding ended, we made tough decisions in advance, aware that these funds were temporary. As a result, we avoided the sudden shortfalls other districts experienced and continue to maintain a strong, robust budget. As a basic aid/community-funded district, we receive more revenue from property taxes than from the Local Control Funding Formula based on average daily attendance. This means that declining enrollment, which is primarily due to lower birth rates and the high cost of living in Encinitas — not the quality of our schools — does not impact our revenue. We are committed to maintaining healthy reserves and ensuring that recurring expenses like salaries are not covered by one-time funds. How should your school district raise student academic achievement, and what would you do as a school board member to accomplish that? EUSD is a top-tier district recognized for academic excellence, which makes Encinitas a desirable place to live. Last year, we implemented the science of reading program that provides 30 minutes of daily phonics instruction for K-2 students. This initiative has already led to significant improvements in reading, writing and spelling. We continue to assess and refine all curricula, especially in math, science and art. Our approach is grounded in research and evidence-based practices, using pilot programs and data to evaluate effectiveness. As a board, our leadership is focused on ensuring EUSD remains innovative and excellent, positively impacting the entire Encinitas community. Do you think anything currently offered in school curricula or libraries should be removed? If yes, what, and why? If no, why not? One of our librarians noticed a student checking out the same book week after week. The student, who is hard of hearing, found a character in the book with whom they could identify. This is a powerful example of why representation matters. Every student, regardless of race, gender, physical ability or any other identity, should see themselves reflected in books and teaching materials. Our students have the freedom to read anything that is age-appropriate, including the Bible, Tanakh or Quran if they so wish. I fully support the representation of all student identities in our educational materials and libraries. What do you think is driving student absenteeism in your district, and what would you as a school board member do to reduce it? Data shows that our multilingual learners, low-income families and students new to the country have faced attendance challenges. To address this, we implemented community liaisons who support all families and students, particularly those not fully participating in school. In just one year, they have significantly improved attendance and increased engagement in school activities and services. Based on feedback from parents, we are also providing free adult English language lessons in partnership with Mira Costa Community College at no cost to us — all thanks to our community liaisons! Do you think schools should notify parents if their child’s gender identity or presentation at school changes? Why or why not? This is not a significant or frequently-presenting issue at the elementary school level. Parents are regularly intimately involved in classrooms and in their children’s daily work and activities. In every instance where a student has needed support for transitioning gender or orientation, the process has always been initiated by the parents themselves.