Four Potential Candidates for School Board So Far

So far, four people have taken out nomination papers for the two open seats on the five-member school board for the West Contra Costa Unified School District, according to the county elections division.

The four are incumbent Antonio Medrano and three challengers:

• retired school principal Randall Enos
• parent volunteer Todd Groves of El Cerrito
• parent volunteer Robert Studdiford of El Cerrito

The two seats up for grabs are those held by Medrano and Tony Thurmond. The deadline to file for the Nov. 6 election is Aug. 10.

The large West Contra Costa district ranges from El Cerrito and Kensington in the south to Hercules in the north.

Key issues include funding for academic programs and for replacing aging schools. Strapped for funding, the school board voted in June to .

On July 24, the board – one to extend the current parcel tax for academic spending and one for a bond measure to rebuild or retrofit several of the district's old schools. The move came in the wake of the for local schools on the June ballot.

The elections for 4-year-term school board seats are staggered every two years.

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