Long Beach : New School Board Member, 2 Returnees Are Sworn In
Board members of the Long Beach Unified School District said goodby to colleague Jerry Shultz this week and welcomed his replacement, Mary Stanton, with punch and cookies.
Stanton, who beat Shultz in the June 5 election, was sworn into office during a brief ceremony Monday afternoon. Reelected board members Jenny Oropeza and Karin Polacheck also were sworn in to serve four-year terms.
The members, without discussion, selected Polacheck to replace Oropeza as board president. They also chose board member Bobbie Smith as vice president.
Board members, acknowledging that they did not always agree with Shultz, commended their outgoing colleague as hard-working and lauded his efforts in the areas of school safety and dropout prevention.
Earlier this year, Shultz pushed unsuccessfully for a campus police department. His efforts opened discussion about safety on campuses and led to the board’s move to hire more high school assistants, whose job includes safety supervision. Shultz is also credited for bringing to the district the STARS program for students who are suspended.
Shultz said he leaves “with no sour grapes. I will help my replacement in any way I can.”
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