Capistrano Unified School District

The Nov. 3 election will decide four seats on the Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees. The open seats are in Districts 1, 2, 3 and 5.

DISTRICT 1

Capistrano Beach, parts of San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano

Peter J. Espinosa

Age: 45.

Occupation: Saddleback College professor and counselor.

Background: South Orange County Community Service Council board member; involved with Las Palmas Model School PTA.

Priorities: Promote efficient fiscal management; encourage shared decision making between parents, schools and district officials; maintain basic academic programs, including those that foster cooperative learning; fight to equalize state education funding.

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E. G. (Ted) Kopp

Age: 58.

Occupation: Incumbent; general contractor.

Background: First elected to Board of Trustees in 1975; former president of Dana Point Civic Assn.; former president South Coast Medical Center Advisory Board; former district chairman of Boy Scouts of America; longtime Rotary Club member.

Priorities: Fight for equalization of state education funds; fight for state funds to continue building new schools; prevent user fees and keep education free for all.

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J. Michael Sedillo

Age: 43.

Occupation: Business owner; cabinet contractor.

Background: Co-leader of Friends of the Orphanage; co-leader of Blended Family Outreach, a support group for families with stepchildren.

Priorities: Cut administrative costs and put more money into classrooms; emphasize basic academic programs, not experimental social programs; give parents greater role in decisions; remove responsibilities for social services from the school district.

DISTRICT 2

Most of San Juan Capistrano, parts of Mission Viejo

Marlene Draper

Age: 40.

Occupation: Incumbent; businesswoman.

Background: San Juan Task Force board member; South Orange County Leadership Conference board member; former chairwoman of San Juan Citizens For Open Space.

Priorities: Encourage closer partnership between schools, parents and businesses; support school-based management; maintain quality academic programs in tough economic times; fight for equalization of state education funds.

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Don Richardson

Age: 47.

Occupation: Public school teacher in Tustin Unified School District; property investment.

Background: Former football coach at Tustin High School; involved in various youth and adult athletic groups.

Priorities: Make needs of teachers a priority; increase funds for classrooms and teachers; create programs to deal with culturally diverse students and build appreciation of American traditions; fight to make education funding the top state priority.

DISTRICT 3

Most of San Clemente

Steve Caulkins

Age: 42.

Occupation: Landscaping/ construction business owner.

Background: Involved in Special Olympics, Little League and Girl Scouts.

Priorities: Foster greater parental involvement; reduce classroom sizes; work to curtail gang activity; better utilize student board representatives in decision-making process.

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Mildred Daley Pagelow

Age: 66.

Occupation: Cal State Fullerton sociology professor; writer.

Background: Board member with Women’s Transitional Living Center; consultant to California Commission on Crime Control and Violence Prevention; former vice president of Orange County Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Priorities: Fight to equalize state education funding; maintain basic academic program in tough times and ensure that education remains free and available to all students; increase partnership between school, business and professional leaders.

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A. Edward Westberg

Age: 50.

Occupation: Incumbent; dentist.

Background: First elected to Board of Trustees in 1972.

Priorities: Fight for equalization of state education funds; pursue implementation of Capistrano 2000 long-range strategic plan; expand use of technology in the classroom; give parents the ability to choose any school within the district for their children.

DISTRICT 5

Parts of Laguna Niguel and Aliso Viejo

Sheila Benecke

Age: 51.

Occupation: Orange County PTA president; retired high school teacher.

Background: South Coast YMCA board member; past president of Laguna Niguel Woman’s Club; Saddleback Women’s Hospital board member; American Youth Soccer Organization board member; member of California State PTA board of managers; past president of Crown Valley PTA and districtwide PTA.

Priorities: Fight for adequate and timely state funding for schools; fight for equalization of state education funds; develop new and extensive vocational education programs; pursue implementation of Capistrano 2000 long-range strategic plan.

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Dustin D. Etheredge

Age: 23.

Occupation: Insurance; retirement planning.

Background: Involved in Republican, conservative organizations.

Priorities: Reduce classroom sizes; emphasize basic academics; give parents more control in how schools are managed; fight for equalization of state education funding.