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Area school board vacancies filled
[January 03, 2013]

Area school board vacancies filled


Jan 03, 2013 (The Sun - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- All five seats on local district governing boards that remained vacant after the November election have been filled.

Yuma County School Superintendent Tom Tyree announced that Barbara Foote had been appointed to the Yuma Elementary District 1 governing board, Cynthia Quiroz and Rosa Bustillos to the Wellton Elementary School District board and C. David Gonzalez and Fern Soto to the Somerton Elementary School District board.



"We had a number of very capable candidates expressing interest in being considered for appointment," said Tyree. "All are appointed until the next general election in two years." Foote previously served on the Crane Elementary School District governing board from 1988 to 1994.

"Education has always been very important to me. My husband and I, we raised five children and they all went on to college... to me education is the door to opportunity, if somebody is willing to work hard the opportunities out there, they can do anything they want to, whether that is to go on to college or a trade school." Foote noted that her educational philosophy is to give students the tools to become self-reliant.


Gonzalez, who has been teaching at San Luis High School for nine years, said he felt it was important to serve on the board to share ideas from a teacher's point of view. He previously serving on the Somerton board for four years.

"I went through the Somerton district growing up and I've been here almost all my life. It's just really important to me to be a part of a community and share what I have learned as a teacher and bring that element to the school board and be able to share that with my colleagues to help make decisions." Soto said she appreciated being reappointed after investing five years of service to the students, staff and community.

As a Cocopah tribal member and a parent and grandparent of children who are part of the school district, she said she felt that she brings a uniqueness and a diversity to decision making that will benefit the community. She also previously served on the management team for the Cocopah HeadStart and Daycare centers and also as one of the original members of the Cocopah Education Board.

"I am proud to be able to represent my tribe being a Cocopah member, and a school board member and being able to bring a certain aspect of our culture to all of the students whether it is through special events or curriculum." Quiroz, appointed to the Wellton board again after serving for four years, said she applied again because she wanted to be a voice for the community, students and faculty.

She is currently the sitting board president. "I want to continue to get our school to be up to date and up to the state standards ... We just purchased a bus and we're hoping to continue doing good for the school as a board." Bustillos, who also previously served the Wellton board, said she hopes to make a difference not only for the students and faculty but also for her son, who attends Wellton Elementary School.

"Being part of (the board) just makes me feel good knowing that's where I went to school when I was a little and my son is there now... It's a great honor to be able to be appointed to be on the board and to be a part of the school system and to be able to give back to my community." Sarah Womer can be reached at [email protected] or 539-6858. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/YSSarahWomer or on Twitter at @YSSarahWomer.

___ (c)2013 The Sun (Yuma, Ariz.) Visit The Sun (Yuma, Ariz.) at www.yumasun.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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