Long Beach Unified School District

Enrollment: 74,173

Areas served: Long Beach, Santa Catalina Island, Signal Hill and most of Lakewood.

Election day: April 14

DISTRICT 2: Central and west Long Beach; two candidates for one seat.

Bobbie Smith

INCUMBENT

Age: 59

Profession: Head librarian, Long Beach City College.

Remarks: “I feel proud that we have more ethnic minority teachers and administrators (to) be more reflective of the student body. In the past four years we have hired 119 new minority teachers.” Among board accomplishments during her term, she lists the district’s Head Start program, school construction projects and parent centers. “We feel that parents should get more involved with their children’s education. We have to continue to upgrade the quality of education for all students. We have to make sure all of the kids have quality programs, not just at the magnet schools.”

Donald Moore

CHALLENGER

Age: 46

Profession: Inventory manager, Long Beach Naval Shipyard.

Remarks: “We still have parents in the 2nd District who feel they have not been a part of the process in education. I want to talk to parents and get parents involved.” He said the district could work with churches to reach parents. “I have an idea that churches are still basic resources in our community. I (also) want to see more involvement with industry in the school district. We need to talk to private industry and businesses to know what they’re looking for.” From 1982 to 1987, he said, he headed Long Beach Youth Enterprises, a county-funded counseling program whose goal was to divert youths from drugs and gangs.

DISTRICT 4: South and southeast Long Beach and Santa Catalina Island; one candidate for one seat. Incumbent Harriet Williams is not seeking reelection.

Edward M. Eveland

CANDIDATE

Age: 65

Profession: Retired Long Beach area principal and school district administrator.

Remarks: “I’m concerned that over the years . . . in our haste to get religion out of schools, which should have been done, the schools have gotten rid of morality, too. I want to make sure students learn real values.” He also said schools have lost sight of their academic mission in trying to solve society’s problems, such as drug abuse and lack of child health care. “Historically, the real mission and responsibility of schools has been academic achievement. . . . Any time there’s a problem, society turns it over to the schools. We can help with those problems, but if the community wants us to take on those problems (alone), they better not expect higher test scores at the same time.”