5 candidates are running for Atascadero school board; 3 stand out as the most qualified | Opinion
Five candidates — including two incumbents — are running for three seats on the Atascadero Unified School District Board of Trustees.
Of the five, we enthusiastically endorse current Trustee Matt Pennon, who was appointed to fill a vacancy on the board in 2022, and Veronica “Roni” DeCoster, who has been active in the district for years, serving as a parent volunteer at the campus level and on district-wide administrative committees. She’s currently treasurer of the Committee for Atascadero Schools, a nonprofit that awards teacher grants to be used for student enrichment.
Matt Pennon
Pennon is among the most insightful, open and committed school board trustees we have ever encountered. Atascadero families are fortunate to have him on the school board.
Whether or not constituents agree with his positions, Pennon’s deep knowledge of all aspects of education — including finances, academic programs and state education policies — should inspire confidence.
He strongly advocates for district transparency and communication at all levels — with the community, with parents and students and with teachers and staff.
Pennon walks the walk — he himself is a model of transparency and communication. At a candidates forum held last month, he shared information a less forthright candidate might be reluctant to divulge when running for a nonpartisan position in a conservative-leaning community.
He is gay; he and his husband have three children in district schools.
He is the diversity, equity and inclusion program manager for San Luis Obispo County Behavioral Health.
And he’s a Democrat — a revelation he offered in answer to a question that dealt with whether personal beliefs impact decision-making on the board.
“When I come into the board room, whether I’m a Republican or a Democrat — and just to let you know, I’m a Democrat — doesn’t have anything to do with myself as a trustee,” he said. “I come in because I’m a parent, I’m a community member, because I want what is best for my students, for your students, for everybody’s students, for our community.”
He also welcomes — the word he uses is “relishes” — communications with parents and other family members and invites them to email him directly.
Pennon is smart, he works hard and he’s encouraging, no matter how out of reach an idea may seem.
Take his response to a question about class size reduction: “There is a pathway forward to having smaller class sizes,” he said. “It’s not going to be something that happens in the next year ... in the next two years or three years, but there is a pathway forward.”
Roni DeCoster
Like Pennon, DeCoster is highly knowledgeable about district issues — much of it gained first-hand from volunteering in the district and actively participating in the education of her two daughters, who both attended Atascadero schools.
“I decided to run because my youngest graduated in June and, not having a particular school to be tied with anymore, I thought I would throw my passion for education district-wide and run for a seat on the school board,” she told The Tribune Editorial Board.
DeCoster also has extensive experience as a paralegal and bookkeeper.
“My bookkeeping background and my time on the Budget Advisory Committee means that I am not only familiar just with negotiating and reconciling budgets in general, but also the district budget in particular,” she told us. “I have working knowledge of the funding, where it comes from, where it goes.”
She is a strong advocate, not only for academic growth, but also for emotional well-being.
“Bullying has become a big issue, and I think that’s tied into the mental and emotional health of our students. I think it’s a symptom. So for me, to support our students academically, we need to be supporting them mentally and emotionally as well, and providing services and support for them,” she said at the candidates forum.
As a trustee, DeCoster could serve as a financial watchdog. She would also bring a strong understanding of the importance of looking beyond academics to other student needs.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhy do we endorse?
Making endorsements during election season is an important role for newspaper editorial boards, including The Tribune Editorial Board. Elections are key to determining the future of our Central Coast region, and through endorsements, we share our opinion of the qualifications of the candidates and recommend those who would best serve our communities.
Due to the large number of races on the 2024 General Election ballot, we are unable to issue endorsements in every race. We chose to focus on the most competitive contests.
For more about our process, click the arrow on the top right.
Who endorses?
Endorsement decisions are made by Editor Joe Tarica and Opinion Editor Stephanie Finucane.
How do we decide?
Candidates are invited to participate in an interview with The Editorial Board where they are asked a series questions about major issues. It’s our opportunity to learn the candidates’ positions and to gauge how well informed they are about issues they are likely to confront if elected.
We also research voting records of candidates who have held public office; we watch candidate forums; we look at back stories from The Tribune, as well as other publications that have covered the candidates; and we examine public documents. We also take a look at the candidates’ advertising and campaign statements. Are they overpromising, for example, or misrepresenting their opponent’s record?
In the case of ballot measures, we study the background of the issue, the pro and con arguments and consider who is supporting and opposing the measure.
Tell us what you think
If you disagree (or agree) with our endorsements, share your thoughts with us by writing a letter to the editor (200-word maximum). Email your submissions to letters@thetribunenews.com. Due to the volume of submissions we receive during campaign season, we do not publish Viewpoint-length pieces (600-800 words) in support or opposition to candidates.
Other candidates
The remaining candidates — incumbent Corinne Kuhnle, Joey Arnold and Jodi Taylor — did not participate in The Tribune’s endorsement process, but based on what we learned from other sources, Kuhnle is clearly the most qualified candidate.
She joined the school board in 2000 and has served as board president three times. She has four children who went through district schools and now has a grandchild in second grade.
She brings continuity to the board, along with a deep devotion to students. Her top priorities include helping students recover academic learning lost during COVID and making campuses as safe and secure as possible.
“I love my job,” she said at last month’s candidates forum. “There’s nothing more inspiring than walking into our classrooms and seeing those students all excited about their learning and seeing our staff engage with them.”
As for the other two candidates, we know extremely little about Taylor; she did not take part in the forum or a KPRL radio interview with the candidates, and does not appear to have a campaign website.
Arnold has run a more visible campaign: He has a website and participated in the radio interview and candidates forum.
He has two children who attend local schools, but he lacks knowledge of the bigger picture.
For example, at the forum he was unable to offer a specific response to a question about special education programs for students with learning barriers and disabilities
“I am unfamiliar with both those programs,” he said. “I didn’t require them. My children didn’t require them. ...”
Not to nitpick, but special education is important — in fact, the audience’s first question at the forum asked how the district was dealing with the departures of several special education teachers from Atascadero schools.
Arnold had no knowledge of the situation, but tried to wing it by suggesting raising the pay for special education teachers. That sounds reasonable, yet we heard from other candidates that the district is not in strong financial shape.
Bottom line: School administration is extremely complicated, and while having children in the district is a plus, that alone doesn’t qualify a candidate for the board of trustees.
For Atascadero voters who are looking for guidance, The Tribune Editorial Board recommends the three best-qualified candidates: Corinne Kuhnle, Matt Pennon and Roni DeCoster.
This editorial was updated to correct the year Corinne Kuhnle joined the school board.
This story was originally published October 17, 2024 at 5:00 AM.