Candidate for
Board Member; Murrieta Valley Unified School District

School Facilities

Our third high school, fourth middle school and additional elementary schools are needed very soon. The school district and City of Murrieta could work cooperatively to ensure that schools are ready for students when the homes are built.

Budget

Fiscal accountability is important and we must never forget we are spending taxpayer dollars. Our budget should be transparent and easy to read. Kris supports reactivating our Community Budget Advisory Committee to provide financial oversight.

Communication

Recent events have shown how the lack of communication between parents and schools can be problematic. A community goal setting session, long requested by Kris, would give parents and community members an opportunity to set priorities for our district, so that we all may work together for our children.

High Schools

Kris supports a wide variety of courses, including advanced placement as well as applied technology so that all high school students will be engaged and involved in their education. We should collaborate with our local business community to provide programs so that our graduates are employable when they graduate. College bound students will most likely need to work to finance their education.

School Safety

The City of Murrieta and our schools have a wonderful reputation as being very safe, however we are not immune to crime. Following several incidents involving our students in May of 2004, Kris worked with the Murrieta Police Department, the Murrieta Valley Council PTA and the School District to create the Murrieta Home-to-School Safety Program. Currently over 60 volunteers have been trained to watch over our students as they travel to and from school. Kris supports the addition of more School Resource Officers. We must continue to work together to ensure that all of our children have a safe community in which to grow.

Transportation

Outdated state transportation funding is causing us to cut bussing and is creating more traffic around our schools. Kris initiated an effort within the California State PTA to update the funding formula and worked with law makers on the introduction of a bill in the State Legislature which would help to restore the over $2 million our district is loosing each year in transportation reimbursement.