Incumbents return to school board

Barbara Laifman Voters chose to retain longtime Oak Park Unified School District Board Member Jan Iceland and recent appointee Barbara Laifman over two male challengers.

Iceland, winning a fifth term, earned the highest count with 2,356 votes representing almost 34 percent. Laifman, who was appointed by the board a year ago to finish Jim Kalember's term, beat closest challenger Edward Kaz by only 106 votes.

Laifman received 1,934 votes, or about 28 percent of the total, to Kaz's 1,828 votes, or about 26 percent of the total.

Another challenger, Philip Bonoli, won 794 votes.

Iceland said she was grateful to voters fort their support and for passing the Measure R school facilities bond.

"It was so much more important for us to pass the bond than for me to be reelected," Iceland said. "I'm going to give serious thought to the residents and what they told me during the campaign."

She also said the board will have to wait for state budget decisions to be made by the governor and legislature before it can map out its own budget future.

"The bond will help us so much," Iceland said.

Laifman said she was honored to have first the board's support as an appointee and now the community's support as an elected official.

"I think during this time the priorities at least for the time being will be making the most of the funds we receive," Laifman said.

Board President Cindy Vinson was delighted that Iceland and Laifman returned to the board.

"They are an integral part of our team. We work well together," Vinson said.

"I also have known Barbara Laifman for many years and respect her for the work she has done for our schools, and most recently for the Oak Park School Board," said Diane Darling, whose two children attend Oak Park High School.

Kaz, an AP United States Government teacher at Reseda High School, spent the evening at the school with his students, watching the historic presidential election returns. Although he lost his school board bid Kaz said he enjoyed and learned from the experience.

"There is a perception that people who have had kids come and go through the schools don't care, but that's not true. They want these schools to be successful," Kaz said.

Bonoli said the campaign was "an eye-opener." He said he might run for one of the school board positions that will open in 2010.

"I really like the process. It taught me what I need to do in order to better campaign for a position, the time that's needed," Bonoli said.