Michelle Rains, a parent, chef and current trustee, is running for the Area 4 seat on the Palomar Community College District board of trustees. The San Diego Union-Tribune asked all the candidates running in community college districts around San Diego County about their policies, plans and priorities. Here’s what Rains told us about hers. Why are you running for school board? What makes you a good candidate? I was elected two years ago, and I have served as a given board member. I have attended many conferences and trainings. Michelle Rains (Courtesy Michelle Rains) What is the most important issue currently facing your community college district? The most important issue currently we are facing in my community of Area 4 is access to community learning centers. Our students have to drive very far on the most dangerous roads in the county to be able to get to learning sitters and campuses for college. This is not equitable. We can start by getting dual enrollment and more of our high schools so we get to the students sooner, and therefore the achievement rates should rise when students have better access to programs. What are the top three specific things you would seek to accomplish on the school board? Access to our backcountry students, dual enrollment, every high school in our kid in our district. More emphasis on providing career technical education soon before they graduate high school so they have careers when they graduate, with the chance to further their education after high school — being able to work a trade while attending school so they don’t go into debt before even going into the workforce or career. What would your approach be to budget planning and spending? What would you do if your district had a budget shortfall? Our district is committed to being fiscally responsible, making sure we have reserves in case of the situation where we have a budget shortfall. What would you do to make community college more affordable and accessible? With the Promise Grant, I believe colleges are the most affordable choices of education there are in our community, especially with the Promise straight out of high school, and very low fees for our residence. As far as becoming accessible, we need to have dual enrollment and classes provided at the local high schools and learning centers. We must go to students instead of expecting the students to go to the school, as Four is very rural and has very limited safe access to students. That is one thing working on to change, as I’ve already had Ramona Unified meet with the VPs of Palomar to do research and an action plan. How should your community college district raise student academic achievement, and what would you do as a school board member to accomplish that? The way to raise student academic achievement is make sure it’s accessible to our students, and that is something that changes every year with new technologies. We need to make sure we’re up-to-date on information and technology. Why do you think more students are not transferring to four-year colleges or completing a degree/program? What, if anything, do you think should be done to address that issue? I believe students do not transfer to four-year colleges or complete degrees or programs because of the access and the need to be able to work and sustain themselves financially while going to school, along with the high cost of living. If students could learn a trade or a skill before graduating high school that could run them a higher-paying job while attending further education after high school, they’re more likely to be able to finish, as it won’t be a financial strain to be attending school. Do you think anything currently offered in community college district curricula, libraries or programming should be removed? If yes, what, and why? If no, why not? I do believe that there are some social services at the community college that might be overkill and a waste of funding. I believe that funding could be used towards transportation for students that have no access to the school — for instance, a student traveling from Borrego Springs to Escondido or Rancho Bernardo or the San Marcos campus is not accessible or equitable, and this needs to change my work. I’ve done my training over the last two years, and I’m dedicated to fighting for area for an equitable education.