Incumbents return to Oak Park school board

No challengers filed to run for three openings on the Oak Park Unified School District Board of Education, leaving incumbents Cindy Vinson, Marie Panec and Mary Rees to continue in their posts for another four years.

The other trustees, Jan Iceland and Jim Kalember, each have two years left on their four-year terms.

"I think the fact that they were unopposed shows a great deal of trust in them and their ability to represent the people of Oak Park well and to lead our schools to new heights," said Tony Knight, district superintendent.

Iceland has not yet decided whether to seek reelection in 2008, but said, "We do need to groom some people to run in the next election."

The primary focus of Tuesday's election was the $71 million H6 school bond measure, Iceland said.

"I think people are happy with the way the district is being run," she said. "There's nothing that needed fixing."

This will be Vinson's third term, while Rees and Panec will begin their second terms.

Panec is proud of the strengthened special education and gifted programs in the district. She said the positive changes made in the schools in recent years can be credited to Knight's expertise and experience and the strong working relationship among board members.

With the defeat of the H6 bond measure, the most pressing need in the district is the renovation of the "grossly inadequate" facilities, Panec added.

"Everybody has students' best interests at heart. There are no hidden agendas," said Panec, a Moorpark College Biology Department chair and professor.

For Rees, being on the school board is a natural extension of her belief in the benefits of public education.

"It's a good example of where you can make a difference," said Rees, also a Moorpark College biology professor.

Rees would like to see strengthened communication be

tween the board, parents, teacher, students and the community in order to meet students' needs.

"We need to keep children right there as the focus of our goals," Rees said.

Vinson first became active in the district when her now-grown children were students. She held a variety of positions before joining the board.