School board seat to be filled by appointment

The Sonoma Valley Unified School district will be looking for qualified applicants to fill the soon-to-be-vacated seat of Helen Marsh.

Marsh, who has represented the Prestwood attendance area for 10 years, announced earlier this month that she was stepping down to devote more time to her family and her business.

Applicants need to live in the Prestwood Elementary attendance area and be a registered voter.

An informational meeting for those interested in filling the vacancy will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, in the district offices, 17850 Railroad Ave.

The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20.

School Superintendent Louann Carlomagno said qualified applicants will be interviewed by the school board in an open session on Tuesday, March 10.

Residents interested in applying, can contact Carlomagno at the district offices. There will also be an application on the school district’s website, svusdca.org, the first week in January.

Marsh, who has served on the board since 2004 and has three terms as president, will be relinquishing her seat as of Jan. 12. She was elected to the Prestwood area seat in 2004 – which was the last time there was a contested election for a school board seat.

Earlier, Marsh said, “Serving as a trustee has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have had. It has truly been an honor to work with trustees, district employees, families and community members. I am confident that the district will continue to provide high quality educational opportunities for its students. I am proud of the work our employees do every day to meet their needs.”

Superintendent Louann Carlomagno said, “During her tenure on the board, Helen has been an educational force and public advocate for Sonoma students and teachers. Her ability to approach any issue with the expectation that all parties have insights and a vested interest in the success of the district’s programs has led to her reputation as an articulate collaborator and problem-solver.”

“On a personal note,” Carlomagno said, “Helen has been an invaluable resource to my staff and me. She has always put equity and access at the top of her list and expected nothing less than the very best for the children of Sonoma Valley.”

Marsh added, “Prestwood has many qualified people. I’m confident the district will make a good choice.”

At the last board meeting, Marsh was lauded by her fellow boardmembers that included a poem, loosely based on “The Night Before Christmas,” that Dan Gustafson read.

In an interview last year after she was named president of the board for the third time, Marsh, who is a strong proponent of preschool, said would like to see the district offer a year of high-quality preschool to children who aren’t enrolled in preschool. Right now, the district has preschool programs at El Verano, Sassarini and Flowery elementary schools.

“That’s 120 students in preschool,” she said.

“If we can have kids kindergarten ready, the teachers will be ahead,” she added.

But Marsh said the parents need to be involved in their children’s education and the right place to start is in preschool. “When parents are involved, they’ll see it as their school,” she said. “Every parent who wants their child in preschool, will have it.”