A candidate forum was held at Joshua Tree Elementary School last night for candidates who are running for Morongo Unified School District board trustee positions. Each of the four candidates were given a few minutes to introduce themselves and explain why they were running for office, after which, the forum moderators asked the candidates a series of questions to clarify their positions on various topics within the school district; including special education programs, school safety protocols, student health programs, and the candidate’s understanding of the district’s complex budget. In the first of a two-part story, reporter Andrew Dieleman tells us about Forrest McCracken and incumbent Hilary Slotta, the candidates running in District area 4…
Candidate Forest McCracken said that, despite recently moving to the Morongo Basin in 2017, he wants to continue to serve his community and ensure that students, including his own children, receive a quality education in the Morongo Basin. He believes his experience in management consulting will prepare him for the complexities of the job. McCracken discussed the need to address facility issues and for increasing school safety. Incumbent Hillary Slotta said that living in the Morongo Basin for more than 50 years has given her a fantastic community perspective as well, and that her past four years on the board have helped prepare her for the complexities of the job. Slotta emphasized the need to enforce and expand current student education programs throughout the district, including ACE Academy and career programs.
Part 2 of this story will focus on Jennifer Decker and incumbent Chris Proudfoot, the candidates running in District area 5.
MORONGO UNIFIED SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES; PART 1 OF 2
