
Sentinel Staff Report–
Note: As part of The Sentinel’s 2024 coverage of local elections, we have asked a series of six identical questions to each of the San Juan Unified School District Board of Education candidates for Trustee Area 4. The questions are designed to give each of the candidates an opportunity to introduce themselves to the community and give voters an opportunity to learn more about each candidate. Candidates replied via email, and those who responded to each question in less than 100 words have their answers published word-for-word.
Trustee Area 4 includes a small portion of Citrus Heights from Greenback Lane, south to Madison Avenue.
Nick Bloise:
Why are you running for the San Juan Unified School District Board of Education and what are your qualifications?
I was taught from an early age to put service before self — lessons reinforced in my military training. I don’t want to wait until my own kids are in the school system before I pitch in and help make it better. I am a veteran, a taxpayer advocate, a businessman, and an educator, who teaches in the San Juan Unified School District. We need our schools to be safer, test scores to be higher, and the district to be better managed. I will fight to ensure class time is focused on core academics, not politics and social experiments. *Edited for length
What are your top 2-3 priorities for improving education in Citrus Heights and its surrounding areas, and how do you propose to fund them?
- Attract and retain more highly qualified teachers AND instructional aides. We need to look at innovative incentives that make practical sense and make our community more desirable: ensure safety in our schools and neighborhoods. But we can also look for innovative new programs to attract the best and brightest — like housing incentives and partnering programs that connect teachers with local business and community leaders.
- Bring back and expand vocational and technical programs – and build new alliances with trade groups, firefighters, and other groups with effective apprenticeship programs.
- Repair and upgrade our schools to meet new standards for STEM.
*Edited for length
Do you support the district’s proposal for a $950 million dollar facilities improvement bond? Why or why not?
Yes. I support the new Measure P (2024) for the following reasons:
- Competent Operations staff with excellent audit pass rates;
- No increase in new taxes to taxpayers — in fact a reduction of property taxes in 2032 by $55 per $100,000 assessed (a decrease of at least 25%) ;
- Successful and timely completion of many new schools in the district;
- Active engagement with Taxpayer Associations (HJTA and Sac Tax) to include their appointment to the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee.
- Bonds are being paid off early, saving taxpayers millions in interest.
- State Proposition 2 (School Bonds), if it passes in November 2024, will provide another $400 million in matching funds.
*Edited for length
In March 2024, after hearing a report from the Citrus Heights Education Committee, the Citrus Heights City Council voted unanimously to pursue collaboration and partnership opportunities with the San Juan Unified School District, and work on efforts to “foster positive community engagement and support family involvement.” How would you, as a board member, foster future partnerships with Citrus Heights schools that are within your Trustee Area?
After the 3-2 City Council vote to remain in the San Juan Unified School District, the City Council then voted unanimously to build better collaboration with the San Juan Unified School District. Considering that the vote was very close to separate from the San Juan Unified School District, I would really work to help get Citrus Heights Schools to exceed State averages.
One technique could be to increase the vocational opportunities at San Juan, and give incentives/bonuses to exceptional teachers to teach at San Juan as well as creating mentorship programs for single parent households and finding ways to include more parental involvement.
*Edited for length
Critical teacher shortages and high turnover have been significant issues throughout the district. What policies or programs would you support to both acquire and retain high-quality teachers and reduce burnout?
Pay for increasing wages for Instructional Assistants (IA) who were making $16 to $18 per hour compared to $20 for fast food employees. Also creating a path for IAs to become credentialed teachers.
We need to boost parental involvement in schools — parents who know what is going on will be allies in pushing for the needed reforms and becoming partners with teachers, not adversaries. The school board hasn’t done enough to inform or engage parents. I will be a voice for parents and look for new ways to involve them in the decisions being made about our classrooms.
*Edited for length
Find out more about Nick Bloise at his campaign website
As part of The Sentinel’s 2024 coverage of local elections, we have asked a series of six identical questions to each of the San Juan Unified School District Board of Education candidates for Trustee Area 4...
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