3 challengers, 2 incumbents run for Beaumont school board

BY TRACI KRATZER

Record Gazette


Five candidates are running for two seats on the Beaumont Unified School District Governing Board, including the two incumbents Bill Greenwood and Matthew Pistilli.

The election is Nov. 4.

The election is a district-wide vote, meaning the top two vote-getters win.

School Board Trustees serve four-year terms.

Here is a list of the candidates.

Tony Brancato, a retired teacher, is running for the board because he said he wants to give back to the community and, since the current board has been doing a great job, he wants to be a part of it and make things even better for the children.

Brancato has been an educator for the past 37 years, serving in the capacity of a teacher and administrator. He earned two master's degrees in education. He has taught in the K-12 classrooms and the Special Education Department in nearly all of the Beaumont school sites. Brancato said this experience has “allowed me to develop a professional working rapport with staff, parents and community members I have come in contact with.”

If he is elected, Brancato said he will bring the ability to be proactive in solving the challenges that face the Beaumont School District as well as experience, enthusiasm and accountability to the board. “I will visit schools regularly and be available to the community,” he said. “The future of our children's education is paramount.”

Board incumbent Bill Greenwood, a retired educator, is seeking re-election because he would like to continue to work toward developing a voc-tech program for the schools and creating a broader curriculum that will lead to a meaningful diploma.

“I have always supported innovative ideas that will develop programs that will educate all students,” Greenwood said. “I will continue my efforts to improve curriculum and facilities and I will always work to hire only the very best teachers.”

Greenwood said that if he is re-elected he will work to ensure that the district remains a “dynamic district that leads the way in California and Riverside County.”

“Beaumont unified should strive to meet the needs and talents of all students,” he said. “My efforts will concentrate on making our district second to none.”

Ray Curtis, a retired administrator, is running for school board because he believes that a member of the board of education is a representative of all the citizens of the school district. He said the role of a board member is to maintain constant contact with members of the community, communicating district news and asking for community input and reaction.

Curtis is a former Beaumont Unified School District Trustee and was director of Human Resources, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction for the district.

If he is elected in November, Curtis said he would focus on enhancing academic achievement for all students as well as focusing on the complete development of children to help them in becoming productive citizens, skilled workers, and good parents.

“I will strongly insist on budget efficiency and fiscal accountability. I will listen to the concerns of parents and teachers. Most of all I will insist on keeping our children safe.”

Incumbent Matthew Pistilli, a landscape contractor, is seeking re-election because he wants to make sure that the vocational training that began recently at the high school continues and that every student that graduates has the opportunity to attend a four-year college, vocational college or nursing school.

“I just want to give back to the community. The students are the future,” Pistilli said.

As a school board member, Pistilli worked on the budget committee to make sure there were no layoffs and also helped to get the district's two new elementary schools completed ahead of schedule. He said he has the experience and the knowledge of what is taking place in the district. He said he recognizes that school improvements need to be made and because of the teamwork that the board now has, he knows that he will be able to see that the important things get done.

If re-elected Pistilli said he will make sure that schools are kept up and that the needed improvements to the older schools are made. He said he would also make sure that the district retains the best employees and teachers. Pistilli is a member of the Beaumont Cherry Valley Rotary Club and has served as its president. He is also a member of the Winter Wish committee.

Mark Orozco, a teacher with the Pomona Unified School District, decided to run for a seat on the Beaumont School Board because he believes “the school board should get to work and direct district resources on education issues that affect the majority of students: securing a plan to accommodate growth, preparing kids for college, keeping our technology on the forefront and understanding the budget in these challenging times, and not just focusing on our state test scores.”

If elected to become a board member, Orozco said he will provide direction and leadership. “I will challenge the staff, parents and students to reach a higher level. I will spend my time in introducing new initiatives, such as the International Baccalaureate Program or tapping local industry for guidance and inspiration,” Orozco said. “I will be opened minded and learn from those districts that are doing a better job and seeing what we can apply in this district. I will do more to help our students cope in the most competitive college application environment there has ever been. I will be establishing a vision and setting goals with a plan on how to reach those goals.”

Orozco said he is a good candidate for school board because he is a professional educator, who has been teaching for more than 7 years and he said he has the time, energy, knowledge and experience to lead the district.

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