Why You Should Vote for Santee School Board

To the editor:

Why should you vote in the Santee School Board election?

Your local School Board has a huge influence on the quality of our schools and policies they make, and your local vote is just as important as your vote in the national elections. 

The Santee School Board is in charge of a budget of nearly $45 million (even larger than that of the City of Santee’s budget) and our city’s largest employer.  Not only does the Board hire the Superintendent, but they set the priorities and budget to determine how your tax dollars are spent over a complex range of areas: facilities and modernization, instructional materials/curriculum, class size, educational technology, student performance goals, length of school day/year, employee contracts, charter schools, and more.  

Although parents of school age children are more likely to vote in School Board elections, many voters may not understand that all citizens have a vital stake in the excellence of local schools. 

Based on the quality of local schools families decide where to live; educated citizens are less likely to commit crimes and therefore create safer neighborhoods; and corporations and businesses factor school excellence in deciding where to bring higher-paying jobs. This cycle then influences home values and the community’s overall economy.  

Therefore the makeup of the School Board is critical. We need the most informed, skilled and thoughtful citizens serving our students and community. 

Learn about your candidates’ qualifications and where they stand on the issues that concern you on Santee Patch.  

You can learn more about School Boards at www.centerforpubliceducation.org or www.csba.org.

- Elana Levens-Craig, Candidate for Santee School Board Seat #4   

Read more about the candidates for Santee School Board