The two school board members appeared to be beating challenger Ken Johnson, according to results reported late Tuesday night by the San Mateo County Elections Office.
“I think voters are showing that the majority know we’re doing the right things for the district,” Gardner said. “We’re covering the table with solutions and not just problems.”
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Gardner was a strong proponent of building a new middle school at Wavecrest before ultimately helping to persuade his colleagues to rebuild at Cunha Intermediate School. He has appeared before the Half Moon Bay City Council to argue for a controversial bypass near high school property and he openly supported legislation that would have bypassed state environmental protections to allow construction at Beachwood. Those decisions angered some environmentalists on the coast.
Through it all, Gardner has maintained that his biggest concern is bringing financial stability to the school district.
“Obviously we have to watch every penny that we have,” he said. “The fiduciary challenges are daunting as we go forward and we still have to focus on curriculum and instruction.”
Moseley was re-elected with 41.4 percent of vote. After experiencing horrendous cuts during California’s recent budget morass, Moseley says he wants to work to advocate for education as a priority at the statewide level during his second term.
Both his challengers for his board seat said they would be happy to work with him, however, Moseley was openly pulling for Gardner.
Moseley was angered when Johnson began using the Web site www.ElectMoseley.com last month to imply that the two of them were running together on a political slate.
The board president, an airline pilot, could not be reached for comment because he was flying cross-country Tuesday.
Johnson trailed behind the other two with 21.2 percent. The computer consultant said that he entered the school board race purely to compete against Gardner, whom he disagrees with on many issues. Although never a board member, Johnson has been a regular at the school board meetings, frequently criticizing the district for various decisions, including construction funding for the Cunha Intermediate School and performance of CUSD in comparison to other neighboring districts.
Johnson could not be reached for comment.
By all accounts, the school board faces tough challenges in the year to come. Dismal school funding cannot keep pace with the needs of educators.
While Gardner supports a parcel tax to increase funds for local schools, Moseley told the Review editorial board he would not support a parcel tax unless state rules mandating a two-thirds majority for such measures change first. Both board members have supported previous efforts to the increase taxes to bolster schools.
“I’m grateful to the community that they’ve entrusted me to serve the district for another four year,” Gardner said. “I look forward to another term with my buddy John Moseley.” r
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