Sheila Billings is a retired Evergreen District elementary school teacher and is currently a parent volunteer for the Union School District. Billings has lived in the district for 12 years, and has a B.A. in liberal studies with a minor in business.

She explains her reason for running is to "open up communication between the board and the community." She said, "I feel we have an awesome community, but there is no districtwide connection. I see a lot of parents trying to get things done, but I feel like we are not supported."

Billings would also like to see an increase in enrichment programs aimed at both gifted and remedial students, as well as more intra-district communication.

Janice Hector is an incumbent with the longest tenure—12 years—on the board. She is the current board president, a math instructor at De Anza College and has lived in the district for 21 years. She holds a B.A. and M.A. in mathematics and has an M.B.A. degree in executive management.

Hector believes the board has seen tremendous progress in the past few years. "There is finally unity on the board, no question about it," she said. "The board is extremely supportive, and there is a great level of trust and respect. We have very good communication in the district."

Her key priorities include maintaining financial health and ensuring that "the bond construction is finished on time and on budget."

Cindy Goodsell is an incumbent and has been with the board for eight years. She has lived in the district for 11 years, and is a certified public accountant as well as a business advisor and school district auditor.

Goodsell said the "district was a mess years ago" but has since "become a very strong veteran board."

"It has been a super eight years," she said. "Being together that whole time has really allowed us to coalesce as a team. We have a unified direction that I think has been beneficial for the district and kids."

Goodsell's priorities include seeing bond construction through to completion and keeping the incumbent team together. "I think if we can keep together, we can make good progress that will continue to make the district really happy," she said.

Christy Guerra-Raynor is a new candidate and lifelong resident of the Union School District. She holds an A.A. in communication studies from West Valley College and is an independent notary.

Guerra-Raynor explains her move for election as the result of wanting to be a part of her children's education. "I am really interested in the health and welfare of the schools and children," she said. "We need someone on the board who has elementary school­age children because no one on the board currently does," Guerra-Raynor said.

Priorities for the election include establishing a fair salary for teachers and providing support in expanding a non-test-focused curriculum. She also believes technology is a pressing issue for the district. "We are in an area where technology education is required," she said.

Richard Salciccia is the third incumbent in the current election and has been on the board for eight years. He is a lifelong resident of the Union district and is an independent insurance agent and broker. Salciccia holds a master's degree in boardsmanship, provided by the California School Boards Association.

Salciccia's main priorities are to finish the facility bond projects "as promised," and to focus on a curriculum that will "continue to raise our standards and expectations."

Keeping the current board together is also important for Salciccia. "The board has provided a lot of accomplishments for the district," he said, noting that the district "now has a balanced budget, high teacher morale, labor peace, a top pay scale and excellent facilities."

"Change for change's sake would not make sense," he said. "Let's keep a winning team."