September 30, 2022
By Emily Mibach
Daily Post Staff Writer
A slate of three candidates is competing against a single candidate for the four seats on the Ravenswood School board.
There are three seats up for grabs in November.
Two incumbents – Tamara Sobomehin and Mele Latu – are seeking re-election. Longtime board member Ana Maria Pulido opted not to run again.
Sobomehin and Latu are teaming up with educator Laura Nunez and are running as a slate.
Nunez ran four years ago as a slate with Sobomehin.
In a close race, Nunez came in fourth by 44 votes, losing to Stephanie Fitch, who resigned from the post two years ago. Latu was appointed in Fitch’s place.
The three (Sobomehin, Latu and Nunez) share the same priorities – financial responsibility and making sure students get the resources they need to learn, for example making sure there are enough counselors on campuses.
Latu in her candidate statement acknowledges that the current board has been working toward a “reset” within the district to address long-standing issues and better the district.
Four years ago, the district was in upheaval, with a superintendent teachers had a no confidence vote in, and scandals swirling around the district that was steadily losing students to charter schools and the Tinsley program.
The current board has hired Superintendent Gina Sudaria, approved projects to improve district schools despite having to close some, and approved a contract with the teacher’s union which gave teachers about a 10% raise to keep teachers in the district.
Also running is Manuel Lopez, who works in robotics and says as the child of immigrants, he understands what the majority of the district’s students go through.
Lopez has three priorities for the district – raise starting teacher salaries to $75,000, up from the $60,000, increase extra curriculars at schools and increase parent engagement, such as starting PTAs at schools. Lopez praises the current board on his website, but suggests the board put actual metrics in place to measure its progress on the district’s various priorities.