Voters fill school board seats with four Los Gatans
Voters returned Stephen Parsons and elected Dorothy Rouse to fill two vacancies on the Los Gatos Union School District board. In the Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District, voters elected Jackie Schmidt-Posner and Lorrie Wernick to the board.
Each trustee will serve a four-year term.
With 46 of 46 precincts in the elementary-school district reporting, Rouse grabbed 5,926 votes (or 44.9 percent), followed by incumbent Parsons, who received 4,279 votes (or 32.4 percent). Challenger Gail Schwartz trailed with 3,002 votes (or 22.7).
Rouse, a longtime Los Gatan and retired Van Meter teacher, accepted her win with grace. "Pleased is too flat of a word. I feel grateful to all the people who've supported me. The community's been great, and all the candidates are very nice."
Parsons said his incumbent status was one of the factors in his re-election because people like to keep some aspect of continuity on the board. "I'm gratified that folks would return me to the board. I hope to carry out the people's trust," Parsons said.
The Los Gatan, who will serve his third term, is particularly focused on new technology and its impact on curriculum and students' overall education.
With 84 of 84 precincts in the high-school district reporting, Schmidt-Posner received 8,204 votes (or 33.5 percent), followed by Lorrie Wernick, who received 8,059 votes (or 32.9 percent). Challengers Lynne Woodruff Bauer and Cassandra Huston earned 4,647 votes (or 19 percent) and 3,591 votes (or 14.7 percent), respectively.
Los Gatos resident Schmidt-Posner said she's "delighted to have the opportunity to serve the schools and the district."
Los Gatos resident Werrick expressed great enthusiasm about her election. "I'm so excited! I want to thank everyone who supported me and believed in me," said Wernick, whose family joined her in walking precincts.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, November 6, 1996.
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