2 aim for San Mateo County Community College District Board of trustees seat

Petrides is running to continue working toward changes she has advocated since the last time she ran four years ago. Consistently voting in favor of any initiatives that support accessibility for students through parking waivers and a food pantry, Petrides said the trustee’s job goes beyond making sure students receive a high-quality education. 

“The student, to be successful, it isn’t just about what they bring academically and the fabulous faculty and classes they take, but what kind of wraparound services and supports have we provided,” she said. “That’s one of the things that I feel we have done so successfully.” 

While Petrides said the district has seen a 12% increase in enrollment — amid declining numbers throughout the state — Holden said there’s more to be done in terms of changing how people think about community college as a viable higher education track. 

A College of San Mateo alum, Holden said he has witnessed firsthand the negative comments he and the students he works with sometimes receive when they opt for attending community college after high school.

“This is something that’s bothered me,” Holden said. “There’s still some negative stigma around community college. I don’t think it should be seen like that. …  [I] think we can work on this.”

Both Petrides and Holden said they would focus on the development of apprenticeship programs and trade education, adapting classes offered to growing industries. 

“Things are moving forward, that means if jobs are changing, then training needs to change,” Holden said. “Adapting to the times and what’s going on in the world is how I would foresee moving forward.”

Petrides said she would also prioritize increasing representation of women and underrepresented minorities in these programs. 

“What we really want to do is educate locally and have our local people be able to stay here in San Mateo and actually be able to economically thrive,” Petrides said. 

Part of that effort to educate locally has been the district’s strides toward establishing student housing. District officials approved a $4 million contract for initial planning efforts of a $66 million student housing site at College of San Mateo in 2023. It has an expected move-in date slated for June 2027. 

As the district navigates this process, the Board of Trustees are working toward increasing trust and transparency with the community after alleged construction contract trouble with a former chancellor.

After “inheriting a situation we didn’t foresee,” Petrides said the board has recently hired a performance auditor to ensure all processes, including procurement, are done soundly and regularly. Holden agreed that transparency is key.

“Everything should be open to the public,” he said. ‘If you’re spending tax dollars and people’s money, those people have a right to know where it’s going.” 

For Area 1, which largely represents the coast, both candidates spoke toward the need to increase accessibility for those living over the hill. 

Working at Half Moon Bay High School, Holden said he knows many students who don’t have their driver’s license or access to a car, and said the satellite campus at Shoreline Station in Half Moon Bay will be welcome. He said he hopes classes offered there will be tailored to coastside issues, such as marine science or farmworking.

The satellite campus will have two classrooms and serve as a “gateway” to the community college district for students along the coast, Petrides said. 

“People here who want an education, they don’t necessarily want to leave the coast, so how can we grow some kind of economic industries here that haven’t been so we can ensure we have a thriving economy here on the coast?” Petrides said. 

After serving on the board during a shift in administration, Petrides said her focus, if reelected, would be on maintaining the district’s reputation and relationship with the community. 

“We’ve made our district unified, steady, just really literally focused on consistently looking inward and trying to figure out how to do things better,” Petrides said. “I take very seriously that we are the stewards of public dollars, and not public dollars but we’re stewards of the public trust.” 

The community college district board has five members, elected to four-year terms, representing their respective trustee areas. President John Pimentel of Area 5 and Trustee Wayne Lee of Area 3 are running for their seats again, unopposed.