Fullerton School District Board of Trustees

Five candidates are competing for two seats on the Board of Trustees. A profile of the district and the candidates:

THE DISTRICT

Boundaries: Serves Fullerton

Enrollment: 11,849 in grades K-8

Facilities: 15 elementary and three junior high schools

Board members: Five

THE CANDIDATES

Karen Chavez

Age: 33

Occupation: Music teacher at a Chino elementary school

Background: Incumbent, elected in 1992; treasurer of Conservative School Board Caucus, a statewide organization for conservative school board members; Acacia Elementary School volunteer

Major issue: Making parent and family concerns the priority

Rosamaria

Gomez-Amaro

Age: 49

Occupation: Director of affirmative action at Cal State Fullerton

Background: Incumbent, elected in 1992; currently serving as board president; member, City Library Partnerships for Change, Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and California Hispanic School Board Assn.

Major issue: Provide all children with high-quality, balanced curriculum using the most effective teaching methods and technologies to meet diverse educational needs

Kim Ann Guth

Age: 41

Occupation: Former business owner; registered nurse and certified nurse-midwife

Background: Member of district’s Fundamental School Committee and Ladera Vista Junior High and Acacia Elementary school site councils; chairwoman of

several Parent Teacher Assn. committees

Major issues: Eliminate half-day Wednesday district policy and get “back to basics”; support fundamental teaching methods; wants reading skills to be the priority

John Pugh

Age: 35

Occupation: Environmental attorney for Texaco Inc.

Background: Bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Chapman University; master’s degree in chemistry from UCLA; law degree from USC

Major issue: Refuse to allow students who fail junior high school to be promoted to high school

Hilda Sugarman

Age: 49

Occupation: Community volunteer

Background: Board member of district’s All the Arts for All the Kids Foundation and Assistance League of Fullerton; member, Orange County Together, North Orange County Leadership, Anti-Defamation League and district’s Parent Leaders group; past president of Parent Teacher associations at Laguna Road Elementary, Parks Junior High and Sunny Hills High schools and Fullerton Council of PTA

Major issues: Increase parent involvement; improve English proficiency and language acquisition programs; enhance communication between district and community

Source: Individual candidates; Researched by MIMI KO CRUZ / For The Times