Incumbents face challengers in Central Unified

School board members campaign against four others for two area seats.

Published online on Tuesday, Oct. 07, 2008

The two incumbents seeking re-election to the Central Unified school board are facing a new challenge this time around: opponents.

A retired district union leader has taken on Mike Yada for the Area 3 seat in the Nov. 4 election, while Terry Cox faces three challengers for the Area 6 seat. It's the first time either has faced opposition.

Central Unified School District's growth and increased profile in Fresno have spurred more interest in running for the board, not dissatisfaction with the incumbents, candidates said.

Both Cox and Yada are seeking third terms on the board, which governs the fastest-growing district in Fresno County. The district -- a mixture of rural and urban areas -- stretches 88 square miles, with most schools in northwest Fresno. Central Unified has 14,296 students and is the third largest in the county.

The area's massive growth has been a top issue for the Central Unified board, and the district has strained to accommodate hundreds of new students every year. Voters in June rejected a $152 million bond measure to build new schools, but organizers have placed a similar measure on the November ballot. All of the candidates said they support Measure B.

Along with growth, the biggest issues facing the district are meeting state and federal student achievement goals and making sure students are well prepared for college or careers when they graduate, Cox said.

Cox, 50, is a project manager for the city of Fresno's Redevelopment Agency and has lived in the Central Unified district since 1989 after moving to Fresno from Napa. She is married and has three grown sons.

"I think it's important to have someone in office who understands budgeting and project development. We don't have time for people to be learning," Cox said.

Three challengers are running against Cox for the Area 6 seat -- representing an area near the middle of the district -- including April Henry, who has been a buyer for Gottschalks for 17 years. Through Central Community Church, Henry is also active with outreach efforts to Central Unified children and others in Highway City near Shaw Avenue and Highway 99.

She said her business background and experience working with children have prepared her well to lead the district, and she decided it was time to "take the next step" and increase her involvement.

Henry, 41, is married and has sons in the first and 10th grades. She is from Reedley and has lived near or within Central Unified since 1995.

Also running is Bradley Black, a special education teacher at West Park Elementary School, southwest of Fresno. He is especially concerned about the need to increase parent involvement in schools.

"I have a passion for education, and I thought, 'Why not give it a shot?' " Black said.

Black, 32, is a Roosevelt High School and California State University, Fresno, graduate who has lived in Central Unified for six years. He is single.

Oscar L. Robinson rounds out the candidates running for the Area 6 seat. He served on the West Fresno Elementary School District board for four years, until 2004. He is the son of the late Oscar Robinson, who also was on the West Fresno board.

While Robinson does not think Central Unified schools are unsafe, he said one of his priorities would be to design a more comprehensive safety plan for the district.

A former juvenile corrections officer for Fresno County, Robinson now operates Big O Promotions and works part-time as a job developer for the Fresno West Coalition for Economic Development.