GUSD School Board President Pam Kinsley Resigns
Board of Trustees Seeks to Appoint New Member
On Wednesday night, the Goleta Union School District (GUSD) Board of Trustees approved a process to select an interim board member who will replace Pam Kinsley. Ms. Kinsley confirmed her resignation this week after announcing her intention to resign at a meeting earlier this month. Kinsley was elected to serve on the GUSD Board in November 2010 after retiring from a 30-year career as a classroom teacher in the Santa Barbara School District. When Kinsley stepped down for personal reasons, she left a vacancy that the Board will fill by appointment within 60 days.
The Board encourages interested community members to learn about the position and consider applying to fill the remaining portion of Kinsley’s term, which runs through the December 5, 2014. The community member selected by the Board to complete Kinsley’s term will be eligible to run for election this November to serve the next full term, which runs through December of 2018.
The Goleta Union School District consists of nine elementary schools serving approximately 3,600 preschool through sixth grade students in the communities of Goleta, Isla Vista and portions of the unincorporated area between Goleta and Santa Barbara.
Members of the Board of Trustees attend meetings every three weeks on Wednesday nights and participate in a variety of school district committees. According to the California School Board Association, the role of the board is to be responsive to the values, beliefs, and priorities of its community. The board fulfills this role by performing five major responsibilities which include setting the direction for the community’s schools, establishing an effective and efficient structure for the school district, providing support, ensuring accountability to the public, and acting as community leaders.
The requirements to serve as a board member include being at least 18 years of age, a citizen of the State of California, a resident of the Goleta Union School District attendance area, a registered voter, and not disqualified by the Constitution or laws of the State from holding a civil office.
Information sessions for interested candidates will be held at the following times at the GUSD District Offices at 401 N. Fairview Avenue, Goleta, CA:
• Wednesday, March 5 at 7:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, March 12 at 12:30 p.m.
To be considered for appointment, candidates must submit a Letter of Interest and one or two letters of recommendation. Submission of a personal resume is optional. More information about the selection process and a template for the required Letter of Interest is available on the District’s website at http://www.goleta.k12.ca.us.
Qualified candidates who submit application materials before 4:00 p.m. on Monday, March 24 will be interviewed at a special meeting of the Board of Trustees scheduled at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, March 31. The School Board will make a provisional trustee appointment following candidate interviews.
Application materials may be submitted by email to William Banning (wbanning@goleta.k12.ca.us), faxed to the District at (805) 692-0857, or personally delivered to Mr. Banning at 401 N. Fairview Avenue, Goleta, California.