2 open seats on Sequoia Union High School District school board

Sathvik Nori, a recent graduate of the high school district and member of the county’s Juvenile Justice Commission, is running against Jo-Ann Byrne Sockolov, a mother and nonprofit consultant, for the Area D seat. Whoever is elected will represent Menlo Park, part of Redwood City and North Fair Oaks.

Each candidate shared appreciation for how the district has been run but argued they have a unique perspective that will help them address a number of issues ranging from staff retention, learning loss, budget strains and a continued pandemic recovery.

On the budget, Byrne Sockolov said the district could end up in a “sorry state” if officials do not address dipping enrollment and said she’d like to see more collaboration with other agencies to help address economic concerns in the community that are pushing students and teachers away.

“There’s a conflation of a lot of societal ills that are coming into focus so much more clearly right now,” Byrne Sockolov said. “I think that in five to 10 years we could be in a sorry state. … It’s imperative we do some scenario planning, worst case, best case and middle of the road case.”

Nori agreed that unforeseen circumstances could lead the district into tough times but also argued the district has been known to spend its money carefully. Instead, he stressed the importance of directing dollars to programming that uplifts the most underserved.

“When we talk about the district’s money, it’s really important to remember that this is our community, our taxpayers’ money,” Nori said. “I also really believe our budget really does set our priorities and what we advocate and put our money towards is really what we support.”

Bhopale also said the district has a healthy financial footing. Given that Sequoia Union is community funded, meaning it collects sufficient property taxes to cover its budget, dropping enrollment can actually benefit students by freeing up extra dollars to spend per pupil. She noted acting trustees have also opted to spend $2.5 million more on disadvantaged students.

Bhopale also shared her support for a $591.5 million bond measure the district has placed on the November ballot that, if approved, would go toward supporting costly infrastructure needs like upgrading heating, cooling and ventilation systems and installing solar panels, among other projects.

Koo agreed the district is financially stable and said her top budget priorities would be addressing efficient spending and providing adequate teacher support who, she said, share a sentiment of frustration that is leading them to leave the district.

“That’s not good for students who need that extra support and continuity to all of a sudden lose the teacher they build a relationship with because they’re either not feeling heard or there’s something day to day that’s driving them a little bonkers,” she said.

Addressing the learning gap

Koo also highlighted the bond measure as an opportunity for addressing connectivity among students, who trustees agreed have struggled academically, socially and emotionally due to the pandemic.

On the academic front, Koo said she believes educators and staff must hold the same high expectations for all students regardless of their backgrounds. She also advocated for reducing barriers and implementing additional after-school programming that could help students catch up on what they may have missed.

Key to closing the achievement gap is hiring and maintaining quality educators, Bhopale said. A teacher shortage is being felt across the state, she noted, but through partnerships, she said the district could establish a pilot program that encourages students to become teachers by allowing them to get some entry-level teaching experience in various classrooms.

“Imagine if we could actually have students engaged in and excited about becoming future teachers,” Bhopale said, acknowledging that the district has already invested in other career pathways. “I think that’s a very exciting long-term project and I’d really support that kind of a career pathway.”

Both Byrne Sockolov and Nori argued that the district should ensure adequate resources are going toward the most disadvantaged students, with Nori noted that honors classes often fail to reflect the diversity of the school grounds.

Byrne Sockolov also called out the digital divide and parent engagement as two key areas the district could tackle to increase the number of students showing up and participating in class.

And Nori advocated for trying new ideas that could get students engaged such as offering a greater array of extracurricular classes that may excite a student to get more involved, a step he said could also boost their mental health.

Mental support needed

The candidates largely agreed that greater mental health support will be vital for uplifting students emotionally and socially. In part, that would look like investing in additional counseling resources and educating students on what assistance is available, they said.

Having recently walked the halls of Menlo-Atherton High School, Nori said he would use his first-hand experience of distance learning to advocate for students. Byrne Sockolov said fostering stronger relationships between students and teachers is an important step, noting “without some kind of normality we can’t move on and, if we can’t move on, our students can’t learn.”

Bhopale noted COVID-19 and especially long COVID can lead to issues like brain fog and fatigue, causing sustaining issues for students and teachers but ultimately the district will need to shift “beyond survival mode.” In addition to counseling support, Bhopale said district staff, teachers and parents must support students by being more attentive in and out of the classroom.

“When we talk about equity, it’s not just looking at students as groups or silos,” Bhopale said. “I think we need to see students as unique individuals, not in groups and silos.”

Bhopale and Koo are running for a seat being vacated by Trustee Alan Sarver while Byrne Sockolov and Nori are competing to replace Trustee Chris Thomsen. Both Sarver and Thomsen first joined the board in 2009.

sierra@smdailyjournal.com

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