Local Elections : EAST COUNTY SCHOOL BOARDS : Walker Win May Rekindle Birth-Control Debate

The election of a conservative Baptist school administrator to the Simi Valley school board could rekindle a long-running debate over sex education, some parents said Wednesday.

Elsewhere in east Ventura County, voters in Thousand Oaks elected two incumbents and a challenger to fill three seats on the board, while in Moorpark, only one of the two incumbents was returned to office.

In the Simi Valley race, administrator and pastor Norm Walker topped a field of six candidates seeking two seats on the board, while incumbent Carla Kurachi won her bid for reelection.

Walker was one of several conservative challengers in east county races who pushed pro-family platforms and a back-to-basics approach to education.

“I think (voters) want a voice of leadership and they also want a conservative on the board,” Walker said. His campaign was endorsed by conservative Christian groups, which cited his support of traditional family values.

Some parents said they hope that Walker will be able to persuade the board to change its position on birth-control curriculum, from a policy that stresses abstinence to one that teaches abstinence only.

“He might well be able to educate them,” parent Coleen Ary said. “I think that he will be able to articulate the data better. He’s just God-darn sharp.”

For nearly a year, the board has wrestled over how birth control should be taught in Simi Valley schools. The new board will likely inherit the volatile issue since it is not scheduled to consider adopting textbooks and other materials for sex education classes until after Dec. 13, when the new trustees take office, school officials said.

“I think it probably should wait until the new board member can give his input,” said Kurachi, who has been an opponent of abstinence-only education in the district’s schools.

“The programs that I’ve seen that are abstinence-based are based on fear and guilt,” she said. “But I’m going to be open-minded.”

In Thousand Oaks, homemaker Elaine McKearn outpaced a field of 10 candidates, winning a seat on the board of the Conejo Valley Unified School District. Incumbent Richard Newman finished second, winning a second term on the board, while Mildred Lynch placed third and will begin her third term.

McKearn attributed her win to her “family-friendly” position during the campaign.

“I think (voters) want local control and having parents involved was a big factor,” she said.

Newman said reelection of both incumbents to the five-member board reflected an overall satisfaction with how the district is run.

“All the candidates readily admitted that this was a good district,” he said. “I think the return of the two incumbents indicated that there was not dissatisfaction.”

He said he plans to push for new middle schools and creation of a fine-arts magnet school.

Moorpark school board member Gary Cabriales, an airline pilot, was reelected and David Pollock, a corporate planner, edged out longtime incumbent Pam Castro for the second seat. Candidate Ted Green Sr., an auditor, finished fourth.

“I knew it would be close and it was,” said Castro, who lost to Pollock by about 245 votes. “I’m glad at least that this was a clean campaign. Mr. Pollock was a gentleman.”

The Moorpark district faces a projected $1-million deficit and is embroiled in protracted contract negotiations with its teachers.

Both Cabriales and Pollock said endorsements from the teachers union helped put them over the top.

“The (union) endorsement has historically been important,” Pollock said. “It’s an especially big deal when the teachers’ contract still has not been resolved.”

Correspondent Scott Hadly contributed to this story.