Second challenger announces intent to run for PUSD board

A second candidate has declared his intent to run for a seat on the Poway Unified School District Board of Education in November.

Kevin Juza, a business manager who lives in the Rancho Arbolitos neighborhood in Poway, announced his intent to run in June. He is the second challenger to announce, following PUSD parent and volunteer Kim Garnier. They will both be running in District B, which covers north Poway and east of the I-15 Freeway. This District is unrepresented on the board, as four of the five sitting trustees live in Rancho Peñasquitos.

Three of the five positions on the board will be included in the Nov. 6 election, which will be the first to be held under the district’s new election district map. Districts B, C and D will electing trustees in November. Districts A and E will be up for re-election in 2020.

Incumbent Charles Sellers has confirmed he plans to run in November, while incumbents T.J. Zane and Michelle O’Connor-Ratcliff declined to comment. The official filing period for candidates is from July 16 to Aug. 10.

For Juza, who previously served for a year on the Rancho Bernardo Planning Board in 2009, being a member of the school board would allow him to help his community. “I have always had an interest in helping my community,” he said. “After serving as president of the parent group at my daughters’ elementary school, I wanted to see how I could take that experience and help my community in other ways.”

Juza said when the boundaries were drawn and his neighborhood was in an open seating area, he saw an opportunity to bring his business acumen and leadership experience to help the PUSD board during a time of change and new leadership.

He has extensive experience volunteering with the district, including being a Turtleback Elementary School Site Council board member from 2012 to 2014, serving on the district’s District Advisory Committee from 2015 to 2017, being the Turtleback Education Foundation president from 2015 to 2017 and being named Turtleback’s Volunteer of the Year in 2017.

Juza said he can bring a positive outlook to the school board if elected. “My goal is to lead with a focus on helping all the children in our community be prepared for the 21^st century,” he said. “I have experience working with multiple stakeholders with different priorities as well as creating collaborative environments.” Juza added that this is essential so he can bring everyone to the table to share their strengths and ideas, and that the true goal of the board is to come up with the best solutions for all the children and schools in the district.

His top three campaign priorities are to be the voice for all the students to thrive and be prepared for success in the 21^st century, to ensure the district campuses are safe environments for students and staff and to keep a watchful eye on the district budget to ensure the district financials are best used to ensure a balanced outlook.

Juza said he feels the board needs to work to rebuild trust in the community and help reunite the interests within the district. “I will be able to facilitate change by listening, learning and leading,” he said.

Juza also said he would work to increase the board’s presence in the community and schools. “From speaking with students, staff and parents, it seems to me that the current visibility from the board within the schools is not very active,” he said. “Therefore, it would be my goal to speak to the students and staff on a regular basis to understand the needs of the district. The more we, as a board, are visible in the schools, then naturally the perspectives of the board will be more aligned with the community.”

He would also like to see the board work with the district office to create an environment where it is respectful of the other’s differences and work to incorporate all opinions to ensure the best decisions for the long-term success of the district, he said. “I will listen and learn from the students, staff and parents, and take those perspectives and my knowledge to lead conversations. I believe this will ensure that we gain trust in the community and can make the best long-term decisions to ensure PUSD reaches its fullest potential and continues to be recognized for excellence in education.”

For more information, visitfacebook.com/Juza4PUSD or Juza4PUSD.com.

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