Eight apply for school board vacancy

Eight individuals have applied for the Maricopa Unified School District Governing Board position formerly held by Carrie Vargas, who stepped down July 14 for personal reasons.

Her four-year term was to end December 2012 and the seat will be up for election in November 2012.

Pinal County School Superintendent Orlenda Roberts is charged with appointing an interim board member until a new one can be elected.

The current board could have made up to three recommendations to fill the seat.

At its regular meeting Wednesday, the board decided not to make any recommendations without knowing all of the candidates. Some candidates were in the audience, but the board felt it was unfair to introduce them because others who had applied were not there.

***ADVERTISEMENT***Candidates who applied by today’s 5 p.m. deadline are Chad Anderson, Edward Goldstein, Harry Hughes III, James Irving, Gina Linville, Vincent Manfredi, Richard Tigner and Timothy White.

Attempts were made to contact all the applicants and six were available for comment.

Vincent Manfredi said he believes his business background would be ideal for the vacancy. He is a training and development consultant for Affiliation Computer Services, a firm that specializes in business processes.

“I think I can do a better job because we spend too much and don’t get enough in return,” Manfredi said. “We need better results for what we are paying and I would be looking to removing the fat within the district and the positions that are redundant. We need to streamline our existing process and procedures, enabling us to reduce our overall expenses so we can give the students a better chance.”

Harry Hughes III has been in the news lately for his affiliation with the National Socialist Movement, which his detractors call a hate group. He realizes his political affiliations leaves him little chance and calls himself “a realist.”

However, that hasn’t stopped him from taking the application process seriously. Hughes said he has been researching the schools and feels the graduation rate needs drastic improvement and the district can do a better job to achieve that. He also believes the dollars-to-student ratio is higher than it should be.

“Our education system is a mess and I think it needs a fresh set of eyes,” Hughes said. “I didn’t run from my political beliefs as I could have said I was an Independent. People have a perception of me that isn’t necessarily true.”

Former board member Timothy White lost his seat in the 2010 election and said he is running again on an “experience factor” with eight years of previous service.

“The board needs more experience and I can bring that,” White said. “Having served for my time has given me the experience and I can provide stability. I have worked with budgets and I know the state is crunching down on things and it takes a year before someone really knows what’s going on. Right now, there are too many new people on the board and it shows.”

Richard Tigner is the franchise owner of the Quiznos in Maricopa. He believes his 27 years of running a business gives him the right experience to deal with budgets. He also wants to support the community.

“I thought it would be a good opportunity to give back to the community,” Tigner said. “My background in management and business provides me with good insight. Overall, I think the schools have improved but there is always room for improvement, and I’d like to help make it happen.”

AT&T client executive Chad Anderson has seen the school district make improvements over the years and feels it has unfairly received a “bad reputation” because he has seen the success with his own son. He has been employed mostly in management positions in the information technology industry for 15 years.

“Maricopa is in a great position to grow,” Anderson said. “I feel as a community we need to pull together and that includes the school system. I want to make sure the teachers have the right tools and we can continue to bring improvement to all the schools. I have always been in a leadership role, and believe I bring a sense of professionalism and the inner workings of the business world to the table.”

Edward Goldstein is a fifth-grade teacher in the Tempe Elementary School District. He recently received his master’s degree in educational leadership and supervision from Arizona State University. Goldstein believes being someone with an active career in education would give him a unique perspective.

“I have an educator’s standpoint and a working knowledge of what works for kids,” Goldstein said. “I have been part of the community, met many of the teachers, students and families and have come to know them as friends. I am able to see the big picture in the field of education and know how all parts work. Knowing the views of administrators, teachers and students will help with policy decisions.”

Roberts will begin scheduling interviews with the eight applicants next week. The appointment will likely be made after Sept. 1, according to a spokeswoman for the Pinal County School Office.