To the Fallbrook community on the special election

We have the good fortune in Area 1 to have a Special Election coming up!

Also, some other good news is that the Special Election will not be using any money for any school programs as a past Op Ed suggested without doing due diligence of fact checking.

FUHSD received $1 million in unexpected money from the State for a refund from completing the construction of a building. It was found during the audit and the State paid it out. Fortunately, FUHSD also has plenty saved and set aside from certain earmarked funds that were never used and can be transferred for the election.

Unfortunately, any cost of funding this election that could have gone elsewhere in the school system is truly due to the two School Board Member Trustees, President Eddie Jones, and Vice-President Oscar Caralampio, who rejected the majority of the voters in Area 1's voice and wishes last November to put a conservative who respects parental choice on the School Board.

I often hear them use the words diversity, inclusion, and equity, but when it came to appointing another diverse opinion, those two had no desire to be inclusive or equitable to an underserved voice of conservative women on the board as our Superintendent and School Lawyer tend to represent the progressive women's perspective on the interpretation of school needs and law.

They only employ and practice DIE when it helps promote the concepts or agendas they want to see become policy. DIE only truly applies for them when they feel they can use it to justify that they know best for your children what every student needs access and exposure to learning often to the exclusion of families of diverse varieties of faiths and personal beliefs, or minority groups perspectives.

Those two also often vote in a way that does not respect diversity in parental choice or adamant inclusion of parental rights. Plus, they are obtuse to how many of their policy votes do not help foster all students of a variety of viewpoints to feel equally represented and safe in expressing their differing opinions. Thus, creating fear and anxiety in some students to truly be able to be themselves at school.

Where the election will have a more important and real impact on future generations to come will be by who Area 1 now gets to choose to represent themselves via mail-in only ballot by this Sept 19, 2023. Currently, as stated there are two progressive board members and one conservative board trustee. If you truly believe in balance, diversity, equality, and inclusion, I encourage you to vote for Lief Hansen.

Toni Smith