Kerry Vinci, a business owner, is running for election to the Rancho Santa Fe school board of trustees. 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 Vinci told us about his. Why are you running for school board? What makes you a good candidate? Kerry Vinci (Courtesy Debbie Dorsee) I have resided in Rancho Santa Fe since 1982, and this is where my wife and I are raising our two wonderful kids, attending the schools here since kindergarten. In addition to running a heavy civil construction business, I have had the honor of serving on the Rancho Santa Fe Education Foundation for six years, have been on the district’s safety and security committee, and an avid volunteer at the school for numerous activities. I have had the opportunity to build relationships with the school staff and parents, and I believe they think of me as a thoughtful, considerate and respectful parent. I am running for the school board to bring stability to the district for the good of the children. With my many decades in the Ranch, I understand how important the school and its reputation is to our community, and I want to preserve that. What is the most important issue currently facing your school district? In the many years that I have lived in the community, the last few years have been some of the most turbulent for the school district. We have had numerous administrative turnovers, with four superintendents and seven middle school principals in the last six years. The school staff and community are in need of steady leadership in order to focus on improving the school. I will provide sound judgment, common sense and active listening to bring unity between the board, administration and the rest of the community. Now that we have a new leadership team at the school with Kim Pinkerton at the helm, my number one priority will be to support them in a governing role. I will give them guidance and direction that the community expects from our district. What are the top three specific things you would seek to accomplish on the school board? Form a cohesive productive team with the board and administration to define and achieve the district’s goals. At the top of my list is to improve the children’s test scores and increase their academic achievements. I would like to promote that our middle school children receive one year’s instruction in U.S. government civics, specifically around the U.S. Constitution and the amendments. I think it is important for everyone to understand and appreciate the rights we all have as U.S. citizens; in California, this is not emphasized enough, and I believe this needs to change. I believe in children helping one another in order for them to mutually excel academically and socially. I want to promote team-building amongst students and faculty and have the overachieving students help encourage the underachieving, as I believe that a chain is as strong as its weakest link. What would your approach be to district budget planning and spending? What would you do if your district had a budget shortfall? I see myself as a fiscal conservative. My number one goal would be to ensure we have a balanced budget because we are a basic aid district, and we must live within our means. I recognize that events that are out of our control may occur and would require going into the red. If this occurs, this should never be a permanent situation. The board has worked hard to balance the budget in the last five years, and I believe being proactive with strategic planning will continue that trend. How should your school district raise student academic achievement, and what would you do as a school board member to accomplish that? Our children’s academic ceiling is our collective expectation of them. I would encourage students to push themselves beyond what they are comfortable with and set expectations for themselves which push them to higher limits, which also means high expectations for the administration and staff. The superintendent needs to evaluate all of our curriculum and provide recommendations for improvements. Along with the teamwork approach I strongly advocate for, I believe that having the students press expectations onto themselves helps them succeed. Additionally, I would want the elementary and middle school principals to collaborate and provide a smoother transition from grade 5 to 6. It is this transition where most children move to private schools, and I would like our middle school to be just as attractive as the best private school out there. Do you think anything currently offered in school curricula or libraries should be removed? If yes, what, and why? If no, why not? Until I have a full evaluation of all the curriculum by the administration, I do not have an opinion on what should be changed in our district. I do believe our K-8 school should be politically neutral and any curriculum that teaches one side of an issue should equally present the other side. However, I prefer that politically controversial subjects should be presented at high school or college instead and are not appropriate for an elementary/middle school environment. What do you think is driving student absenteeism in your district, and what would you as a school board member do to reduce it? Our community has struggled with this issue for years. The main driver is that our families go on vacations during instructional time. I have seen the administration request the parents refrain from vacations during school, but little has changed. I feel that there needs to be an increase in the collaboration within the community to help formulate possible solutions to resolve this persistent issue. Do you think schools should notify parents if their child’s gender identity or presentation at school changes? Why or why not? Yes, I do believe that schools should notify the parents of a change in identity. I believe that every person, regardless of identity or preference, should be treated with dignity, respect and love. I also believe that no government agency should ever come between a parent and their child. AB 1955 is very unpopular and yet another example of government overreach trying to divide the nuclear family. Lawsuits have been filed by several school districts, and I hope the outcome is on the side of families.