Budget shortfalls, cuts and questionable financial judgments by the district’s former superintendent and chief business official — not to mention a well-deserved investigation by the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury — painted the district in the most negative light possible and led to a partial upheaval of the district’s board when Stephen Rogers and Dave Pine were swept into office in 2007. With a new superintendent, chief business official and a renewed understanding of what happened with questionable construction contract decisions and a shell game of finances regarding the seventh-period day, there has been a chance for the organization to move upward and onward. This is a strong district blemished by a momentary lack of leadership.

Trustees Robert Griffin and Peter Hanley signed off on the decisions that nearly brought the district to its knees and are again vying for a seat at the table. Though they say they have learned their lesson, their judgment and announced strengths should be called into question. Trustee Linda Lees Dwyer witnessed the aftermath of the poor decision making and did her absolute best to ensure the district never again faced a situation like it did before her time. As an active community member, she has proven time and again that she has the district’s best interest in mind and is not afraid to exhibit a fair amount of skepticism and concurrent questioning in making decisions she believes to be fair for the entire community. The district is now well positioned to bring back the luster to its tarnished reputation and Lees Dwyer has much to do with that. She deserves to serve another four years.

Mike Loy is another strong candidate. He has long been active at Aragon High School and has a background in construction that should help as the district works on additional contracts. He has served on the Aragon PTO for four years, currently as president. Loy is the chair of the Measure M Citizen Oversight Committee, charged with overseeing voter-approved bond money and serves on the district committee to identify surplus property. He believes in a strong emphasis on vocational education and is emphatic about ensuring the district is using its money wisely before embarking on a new campaign for a parcel tax.

Another challenger is Guadalupe Ortiz, a 23-year-old Aragon High School graduate who works with children managing an after-school program at a charter high school in San Jose and acts as the director of academic outreach for the San Mateo Youth Foundation. Ortiz is bright and would bring a unique perspective to the board, but she may not have the level of experience yet to come up to speed right away. We do encourage her to stay involved and keep an eye on a position in the future.

With three slots open, there is room for an incumbent. And the best alternative is Griffin over Hanley. Both participated in poor decision making but Griffin, who has deeper community connections, seems to be a better listener and is less willing to experiment with the education of the district’s children.

Lees Dwyer and Loy are clear choices for the board and Griffin should be a willing participant in the board’s new much-needed direction.