Fresno Bee offers recommendations for three seats on the Clovis Unified school board

Without question 2020 will go down as one of the more challenging years for California educators, given the upheaval brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Clovis Unified is no exception.

The school board’s disjointed approach to ending classroom instruction last spring, and then determining whether online schooling would kick off the fall, left some parents upset and apprehensive. Relations with at least some teachers also got frayed in the process and there was some talk of finally unionizing teachers in Clovis Unified, the largest district in the state without a union to represent instructors.

Now comes an election to fill four seats on the seven-member board. Area 5 Trustee Steven Fogg is unopposed and will automatically return to his seat.

Up for contest are the seats for Areas 2, 4 and 7. While voters throughout the district can pick trustees for every seat, the candidates must live in the area for which they are running.

At 44,000 students, Clovis Unified is the second-largest district in the Fresno metropolitan area. Its test scores are the tops in the region, and its boys and girls athletics are among the best in the Valley. Maintaining such standards will continue to challenge the trustees.

Emerging in Clovis Unified are changing demographics. Latinos are now the largest ethnic group, and 44 percent of students rely on free or reduced price meal programs offered at schools.

What follows are The Bee Editorial Board’s recommendations of the best candidate in each race:

Area 2

The race offers voters two candidates with clear distinctions. Jacob Trumble is a 2019 graduate of Clovis West High School who now attends three area community colleges and Fresno State. David DeFrank is a husband and father of five who works as an staff attorney for Appellate Court Justice Chuck Poochigian.

Both Trumble and DeFrank have valuable perspectives on the district, are reasonable and listen well, and respect the traditions of Clovis Unified. At this time, DeFrank is better suited to step onto the board by virtue of more professional and life experience.

Since the coronavirus pandemic could affect education for the foreseeable future, DeFrank would like Clovis Unified to study how other top districts are handling distance learning to glean best practices.

He also wants to look for ways to hone the budget should bond support not be forthcoming.

DeFrank is supported by Ginny Hovsepian, who retired the seat after serving since 1991.

Trumble oversees the loading of aircraft at Fresno Yosemite International Airport for Delta Airlines Global Services.

Area 4

Three candidates are running for the seat. Incumbent Hugh Awtrey was appointed last fall to fill out the final part of Brian Heryford’s term when he retired and left the area. Awtrey is now seeking a full four-year term; he was unable to meet with The Bee’s Editorial Board.

However, candidates Noha Elbaz and Jonathan Holt were interviewed, and both proved impressive. They bring good ideas, passion and energy, and in many respects either one would be a worthy trustee.

Holt is a Clovis High graduate who is a financial planner. He wants to ensure the district does not lose track of the students “who fall through the cracks” while maintaining high academic standards for all.

The Bee recommends Elbaz for two key reasons: She is a former sixth-grade instructor who understands the challenges teachers face. She also has experience in running a private college as its president, so she knows the challenges in administration.

She is interested in finding ways to reduce class sizes, both to better educate students and ensure health protocols. Integrating technology into the daily teaching day is critical for students entering a future filled with smart devices, she says.

Area 7

Chris Casado has been on the board since 2008, when his youngest son graduated from Clovis High. Casado himself went through Clovis schools, and is now the veteran member of the seven-person board.

His experience will be critical as he bridges the eras of what Clovis Unified has been — a steadily growing suburban district — to what it is today, a racially diversified district with new challenges. The Bee recommends Area 7 voters choose Casado.

He pledges it will be his last term, and he wants to ensure strong relations with the teachers and parents, as well as the academic and athletic programs for which Clovis Unified is known.

Also running is Yolanda Moore, an emergency medicine physician’s assistant at Community Regional Medical Center. Two of her children are currently in Clovis schools, while her oldest graduated from Clovis High. Moore, herself a Hoover High graduate, has been active with the Parent-Teacher Council and other key groups. While her participation is laudable, she had difficulty articulating how she would lead the district to keep improving. Moore should continue to seek volunteer experience and hone her vision so she can be a future candidate.

How The Bee came to this recommendation

The Bee’s Editorial Board consists of Publisher Tim Ritchey, Editor Joe Kieta, Opinion Editor Tad Weber, Vida en el Valle Editor Juan Esparza Loera, and Vida Staff Writer Maria Ortiz-Briones. The board conducted interviews via Zoom with the candidates. Additional research was done using online sources and The Bee’s archives. Candidates must meet with the board to earn a recommendation.

A recommendation is meant to guide readers as they reach their own decisions on which candidate to choose. These recommendations are the consensus of the Editorial Board; the news staff did not play any role in their creation.