Two incumbents to seek re-election to Poway Unified school board

By Steve Dreyer

The two veteran Poway Unified School District board members up for re-election in November say they will both run again.

Linda Vanderveen

Poway residents Linda Vanderveen and Andy Patapow both said that the stability of the board’s makeup over the years has contributed to the district’s academic successes and its ability to weather a series of financial storms.

The period for candidates to take out, complete and file nomination papers with the county Registrar of Voters opened Monday and will close on  Aug. 10. Both incumbents said they will be completing their paperwork.

Vanderveen, a retired nurse, has served 12 years and is running for her fourth four-year term. She is the current board president, a title that rotates annually among board members.

“Over the years, the continuity and stability of the school board has been a key factor in building and maintaining the stellar reputation of the Poway Unified School District,” she said Tuesday. “During my tenure on the board, there has been steady growth in all key academic measurements. PUSD will continue to face unprecedented budget cuts and it is more important than ever to maintain stability on the board as we look for ways to cut expenses without sacrificing excellence.”

Patapow has served for 16 years and will be running for his fifth four-year term. Prior to joining the board he was principal of Abraxas High School for 28 years.

“I think the reason we’re so successful is that all of our board members are concerned and their main priority is the students,” Patapow said. “It’s all about the kids.”

Patapow last week turned 77 years old and said he’s in good health, walking five miles every day.

Andy Patapow

“As long as I can contribute, I’ll stay on the board,” he said.

The PUSD encompasses 100 square miles and includes the communities of Poway, Rancho Bernardo, 4S Ranch, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Sabre Springs, Rancho Penasquitos, Del Sur, Santaluz, Santa Fe Valley, StoneBridge and Torrey Highlands. There are 38 schools in the district.

The five school board members are elected at-large. Other board members are Penny Ranftle, Todd Gutschow and Marc Davis. All are Poway residents. The terms of Ranftle, Gutschow and Davis expire in two years.

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Posted by Steve Dreyer on Jul 17 2012. Filed under Local News, Poway. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry