Two challengers and two incumbents in this month's school board election are vying for two seats. Mary Dougherty, David Leong, Joann Steinmeier and Annie Yuen are running in an election that could result in Arcadia's first-ever Asian school board member.
Due to a lack of interest in the two seats on the school board opening up in April, the election may be cancelled. If election is cancelled, the school board can appoint the people who have been nominated-Annie Yuen and Joanna Steinmeier, or appoint any eligible voter.
The Arcadia Board of Education swore in newly elected member Joann Steinmeier and re-elected member Mary Dougherty at an organizational meeting. Dougherty was also elected president as the board selected its new officers.
Incumbent Mary Dougherty and Joann Steinmeier were elected to the School Board in an election that brought out only 9.8% of Arcadia' registered voters.
Steinmeier and Yuen are elected to School Board. Yuen is the first Asian-American elected to the board and this was the first full election conducted on computerized voting machines in LA County.
An evaluation panel of Arcadians for Arcadia has found each candidate running for the Board of Education to be well qualified. Their "best selections" are Mary Dougherty and Joann Steinmeier.
Steinmeier and Yuen win seats on the school board. This was the first election to be conducted totally on touchscreen voting machines and results were available in 51 minutes.
In the election for Arcadia Unified School District board members, it seems incumbents Joann Steinmeier and Janet Chew are ahead. Steinmeier is seeking to extend her five terms on the school board.
Incumbents Mary Dougherty, 57, and Joann Steinmeier, 47, beat out challenger Debbie Ewing, 29, for 2 Arcadia Unified School District Board of Education positions. A bond measure to raise funds to renovate AUSD facilities won by a vote of 71% to 28.3% (67% was needed to pass).
Arcadia Unified School District has faced the reality of mid-year school budget cuts for the past 3 years. To prepare for a possible fourth year of mid-year cuts, the AUSD school board is exploring the option of a parcel tax, an amount to raise hopefully a few million dollars that would help offset what the State is expected to take away. Arcadia School Board Vice President Joann Steinmeier and colleagues are investigating the need for a parcel tax and what form it might take to get passed at the March election.
Board of Education incumbents Joann Steinmeier and Mary Dougherty will compete with challenger Debbie Ewing, a Montebello high school teacher, in a 3-way race for 2 seats. Also, a $28 million bond measure to renovate the school's buildings will be on the ballot on April 20, 1993.
Annie Yuen was elected as the Arcadia school board's first Asian member. She is part of a growing group of local politicians who came as immigrants and ended up in public office.