ELECTIONS: SCHOOL BOARDS : Incumbents Appear to Outpoll Challengers

Incumbents in school board races across the county appeared in early returns to be overcoming anti-incumbent sentiment to take the lead over their challengers.

Teachers from Ojai to Camarillo spent last weekend canvassing neighborhoods for candidates endorsed by their unions, but their aid didn’t appear to help challengers in races where many of the names on the ballot were unknown.

Fifty-three candidates vied for seats in nine districts.

In three crowded contests--Hueneme Elementary School District, Oxnard Union High School District and Oxnard Elementary School District--only one incumbent in each race received endorsements from teachers.

Two Latino candidates were seeking seats on the Oxnard elementary board. Some Latino teachers charged last year that the board was insensitive to Latinos after an incident in which board member Jack T. Fowler requested that a Latina parent address the board in English, not Spanish.

Fowler, who was seeking his fourth term, appeared to be leading in early returns.

“I feel I will be reelected,” Fowler said. “The absentee ballots are a good indicator.” He said his mission is to educate students, “to teach them to read, write and compute--in English.”

Board members William D. Hill and Dorothie J. Sterling were trailing challengers Mary Barreto and Jim Suter. Hill was the only incumbent to receive a teachers union endorsement.

Sterling said she is a firm believer that there is a reason for all things. “If I’m not reelected there are other things for me to be doing.”

She said it was a fair campaign and “it’s up to the voters.” She has served five years on the board and was a teacher in the district for 32 years.

Suter, who was ahead in early returns, said, “I guess I knocked on a lot of doors. I covered the whole city.” He also targeted 4,000 absentee voters, he said. “It cost me a fortune in stamps.”

In Oxnard Union High School District, incumbents Janet Lindgren and Jean Daily Underwood appeared to be keeping their seats. Challenger Nancy F. Koch, a housewife whose four children have attended Rio Mesa High, appeared to be leading the six-person race in early returns. Other challengers were Thomas D. Ragan, Roy W. Lockwood and Angie P. Varela.

In the Hueneme district, the last time a new board member was elected was in 1973, sparking the chief complaint that the entire board, including the three incumbents seeking reelection, has been in office too long.

Elaine K. Garber, an incumbent since 1959, received an endorsement from the Hueneme Education Assn. She was the only incumbent who appeared to be keeping her seat. Challengers Cheryl Hamilton and Darlene A. Bruno were out-polling incumbents Jose C. Babauta and James K. Tipton. In the Ojai Unified School District, where all three incumbents won endorsements from the teachers union, only one challenger, Alan D. Fletcher, entered the race.

The Ojai incumbents were Robert Emhardt, a retired actor, who sought a third term; Vincent W. France, a commander with the county Sheriff’s Department who has served on the board since 1979; and Muriel Sharkey Lavender, a real estate broker first elected in 1977.

In other races, including Camarillo’s Pleasant Valley Unified School District and the Simi Valley Unified School District, few incumbents received union endorsements.

In the Pleasant Valley district, discontent has been widespread among teachers--who say that they are underpaid and are not given respect--and among some parents, who say eastern Camarillo schools are overcrowded. Three seats were available.

The teachers union did not endorse either incumbent, Barbara Ballard Miller or Dolores (Val) Rains.

The incumbents were challenged by Jeanette L. (Jan) McDonald, who was supported by a parents group upset by crowded schools in eastern Camarillo. Four other challengers also entered the race.

In the Simi Valley district, five candidates, including six-term incumbent Lew Roth, battled for two seats. Challengers were Douglas Crosse, Carla Kurachi, Don Otto, and Karolyn J. Searight.

Kurachi, a newcomer to Simi Valley, appeared to be the top vote-getter in early return. “I’m surprised at that big of a lead,” she said. “I’ve lived out here for 2 1/2 years. . . . I think I probably represent change.”

Roth appeared to be maintaining his seat on the board.

Three seats were available in the Santa Paula Union High School District, where some challengers had complained that the high turnover among the administrative and teaching staff is hurting schools. The two incumbents, Donna Nelson and Shirley Hendren, faced three challengers, including Robert J. Villa, the district’s former superintendent and a 20-year employee of Santa Paula schools.

In the 300-student Briggs Elementary School District in Santa Paula, Karen MacConell, was the only of three incumbents running for reelection. Challengers were Elizabeth Ikeda, Greg Patterson, Lloyd G. Simpson Jr. and Jeff Williams.

In Somis’ Mesa Union Elementary School District, Patricia Fontes, a vice principal, was the only incumbent seeking reelection. Challengers Fred J. Ferro, Ralph A. Marchioni, Tomas Miranda Jr. and Barbara Tweedy Patten also sought election in the one-school, 350-student district.

Stephanie Stassel, Joel Brand, Carol Weinstock and Thia Bell contributed to this story.