Burbank school board candidates discuss range of issues at forum

The four remaining Burbank Unified school board candidates addressed bullying, Measure S spending and district hurdles Thursday morning during a forum hosted by the Burbank Assn. of Realtors.

On bullying, incumbent Larry Applebaum said the expanding technology at schools would necessitate that educators discuss the hazards of social media with elementary students “prior to them ever getting any kind of device to access content ... to be able to talk about the appropriate use,” he said.

Candidate David Dobson was asked to identify one issue affecting Burbank schools and provide a solution.

“In the end, we have to deal with the fact that the money’s not there,” he said of state funding for public education.

“We need to start talking about how we can actually accomplish what we need to do to educate our students … with less money because we’re going to have to do it,” he added.

Candidate Charlene Tabet was asked how the school board would assure wise use of the $110 million generated by the Measure S bond.

“As long as people are communicating and very transparent about what’s happening in our schools, I think we’re going to be just fine,” she said.

Candidate Steve Ferguson was asked how his endorsement by the Burbank Teachers Assn. would influence decision-making on behalf of students when those decisions might not benefit the teachers union.

“I think the endorsement speaks for more about who can develop an effective partnership,” he said. “At the end of the day, the mission of the school district is delivering the very best for our students, and if the teachers aren’t on board with that, it’s my job to get them on board,” he said.

-- Kelly Corrigan, Times Community News

Follow Kelly Corrigan on Twitter: @kellymcorrigan