The Morongo Unified School District will have two seats to fill on its Board of Education during the upcoming November election. We recently introduced both candidates for area 2. Reporter Andrew Dieleman now introduces us to Ashley Aguilar, Robert Hamilton, and Aaron Kyle, the three candidates running for Area 1…
Candidate Ashley Aguilar is a cheer coach for American Spirit Athletics, a 7½ year resident of the Morongo Basin, and a mother of students attending MUSD schools.
“As a mother myself, I really think that I can be that voice [if elected]. Not only for my children, but for the children of the entire Morongo Basin, as well as the [school district] parents, the teachers, and the classified staff.”
Candidate Robert Hamilton is the President of the Joshua Tree Sportsman’s Club, a freelance graphic designer, and lifelong resident of the Morongo Basin.
“My main goal [if elected] is to get the community more involved in the school district…increasing the amount of collaboration within the school district… and more social and emotional health programs for our students.”
Lastly, candidate Aaron Kyle is a local HVAC business owner, father of 8 students attending MUSD schools, and life-long resident of the Morongo basin.
“[If elected], I’d like to see us stop exporting our kids to other places [after graduating]. I’d like to see us educating them here, teaching them about the community, and I’d like to see some more community history and community involvement in our school district.”
Unedited responses from the candidates.
ASHLEY AGUILAR:
Q) How long have you been a resident of the Morongo Basin?
A) “I have lived in the Morongo Basin for the past 7 ½ years.”
Q) What is your work background?
A) “I normally work as a cheer coach for American Spirit Athletics. COVID-19 halted my work temporarily, but I plan to return once the County Health Department gives the green light.”
Q) Do you have experience serving on Boards, with the school district, or in any political setting?
A) “Yes, I have served as a PTO board member for Oasis Elementary School and volunteered as a coach, assistant cheer coordinator, and eventually the head cheer coordinator for the Yucca Valley Lobos youth football team and cheer squad.”
Q) If elected, what do you plan to accomplish?
A) “I want to serve on the Board of Education, not just for my own children, but for all children of the Morongo Basin as well as the parents, teachers, and classified staff. I believe that all of these voices need to be heard. As a mother myself and seeing the struggled that other parents go through, my goal is to do everything I can to help them and be that voice for them.”
Candidate Robert Hamilton responded to the following 4 questions.
Q) How long have you been a resident of the Morongo Basin?
A) “My whole life, so around 24 years, not including time at college and completing volunteer work out of the area.”
Q) What is your work background?
A) “I work as a freelance graphic designer and currently serve as the President of the Joshua Tree Sportsman’s Club.”
Q) Do you have experience serving on Boards, with the school district, or in any political setting?
A) “I have been a part of the governing board for the JTSC for three years, attended meetings of the governing board for the nonprofit I volunteered for in South Africa, and sat on the School Site Council of TPHS for a year as the head of the Visual and Performing Arts Department.
Q) If elected, what do you plan to accomplish?
A) “I hope to get the community more involved in the school district by serving as their point of communication with the school board. Although board seats are elected by one section of the Morongo Basin, the policy set by the board governs education for every student in the district. Part of this requires making the school board’s actions fully transparent and accessible to the community. I want every parent or community member to know how to ask questions and express concerns and feel as though they are being heard by the right people to address the issue. Ideally, I’d like to have community members at every school board meeting.”
“Another goal of mine would be to increase the amount of collaboration within the school district. For example, I saw a concerted effort by TPHS and TPJHS to ensure that curriculum at the junior high reflected the skills needed when students entered their freshman year. I would find more ways to encourage this kind of work. I would also focus strongly on financial accountability. I believe one of the best ways to encourage community involvement is by ensuring that they trust the school board to spend funds effectively to ensure the best possible outcome for our students and their futures. It’s important to me that the community understands where the money goes and how the board will address any future financial issues to ensure that every student receives an equitable education.”
“Supporting social emotional health during unprecedented challenges we’re facing and after we return. I know that discipline can sometimes be an issue in classrooms, and we need to build upon the Multi-tier support strategies that we have in place to address these issues, rather than doling out punitive measures. I won’t pretend that I have all of the answers right now, but I can promise that if I am elected, I will work to address the concerns of the Morongo Basin’s residents, always focusing on the needs of our students.”
AARON KYLE:
Q) How long have you been a resident of the Morongo Basin?
A) “I was born and raised in the Morongo Basin, so my whole life.”
Q) What is your work background?
A) “I own my own local HVAC businesses. I was forced to sell off some of my properties due to the financial strain of COVID-19, but my business is slowly recovering as business steadily returns.”
Q) Do you have experience serving on Boards, with the school district, or in any political setting?
A) “I have eight children attending schools throughout MUSD. I consider myself experienced and knowledgeable of the school district in that respect.”
Q) If elected, what do you plan to accomplish?
A) “I have many things I would like to accomplish if elected. The first year would certainly be a learning curve, so I will be working on that first. I have reevaluated my work schedule to make time to serve on the board and am prepared to put in 20-30 volunteer hours per week.”
“My main goal if elected would be to integrate community involvement with our school district to stop ‘exporting’ Morongo Basin students after graduation. We have very nice schools, wonderful teachers, a great administration, and a great classified staff; but I don’t think it’s fair that we [parents] pay for our kids to go to school, then secondary school, then drop them into a community with no jobs for them. I love my city, I love our community, and I would love to see more community history, and that comes from developing community spirit in our children at a young age.”
“I understand that the school district is under a financial crunch and that there isn’t much [extra] money right now, but I would also like to see better school nutrition for our kinds, giving them more nutritious meals and less inexpensive factory-style food.”
