Silva, McFarland, Rightmer and Shalhoub elected to Coast Unified board

Voters for Coast Unified School District trustee stuck with the incumbents Tuesday, returning appointed trustees Lee McFarland and Tiffany Silva to office, along with Dennis Rightmer and Samuel Shalhoub.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting in the race for three four-year seats Silva received the largest number of votes at 2,044 or 24.7 percent, followed closely by Rightmer at 2,031 or 24.5 percent, with Shalhoub at 1,757 (21.2 percent). Eileen Roach and Eric Endersby were further back with 1,227 (14.8 percent) and 1,146 (13.9 percent), respectively.

Cayucos resident Silva ran in tandem with challengers Rightmer, a retired educator, and music instructor/Coast Union graduate Shalhoub, who presented himself as representing the younger generation.

Two other candidates, Eric Endersby of Morro Bay and Eileen Roach, ran on a platform of facilitating Cayucos students’ ability to attend school at Morro Bay High School or other schools, rather than Coast Union, if their parents chose to place them there, and ensuring that property taxes collected to fund their education follow them. Currently, those funds remain with Coast Unified.

At a candidates forum, the incumbents, Shalhoub and Rightmer spoke of doing a better job of making sure that students in Cayucos were aware of the benefits and educational opportunities available to them at Coast Union.

McFarland had only nominal opposition in his race for a two-year term on the board, with his only opponent on the ballot, Elizabeth Weatherly, having withdrawn from the race.

Still, Weatherly, who did not participate in the candidates forum, received a healthy chunk of votes: 1,535 or 47.1 percent compared with McFarland’s 1,695 or 52 percent. Thirty write-in votes also were cast, with Steve Kniffen — who also ran as a write-in candidate for the Community Services District board — probably receiving some of those. (Write-in candidates are not identified by name in county returns.)

This story was originally published November 9, 2016 at 9:22 AM with the headline "Silva, McFarland, Rightmer and Shalhoub elected to Coast Unified board."