Meet Shelley Clark, Candidate For SRVUSD School Board
DANVILLE, CA — Patch reached out to all candidates for the SRVUSD Board of Trustees with identical questions about their background and their vision for San Ramon Valley schools. Here are the responses from Shelley Clark, the incumbent candidate for Area 2 in Danville.
Responses have not been altered.
- What is your personal, educational, and professional background?
As a parent and a Danville resident, Shelley has experienced all levels of public education and has navigated the educational journey alongside her two children within the San Ramon Valley Unified School District (SRVUSD) schools. She has demonstrated her dedication by serving in many leadership roles spanning elementary, middle and high school, and by serving as chair of the Parcel Tax Oversight Committee and vice chair of the Facilities Oversight Committee for the District before becoming a Trustee.
For the past four years, Shelley has shared her wealth of experience and expertise as a dedicated member of the San Ramon Valley Unified School District (SRVUSD) Board of Education. With a background in finance, business management and human resources, and as the CFO for West Cal Technologies Group, Inc. since 2013, her diverse experience provides her with a unique perspective which she brings to every decision she makes. Shelley's relentless commitment to improving our educational system, supporting teachers, and prioritizing student success and well-being has been evident throughout her tenure.
Shelley's vision for SRVUSD revolves around equity, quality, and safety in public education for all students. She champions fiscal transparency and actively seeks out input from all stakeholders, believing in collaborative problem-solving to address the District's challenges. Re-elect Shelley to the Board of Education and SRVUSD can confidently navigate towards a brighter future, ensuring every student receives the exceptional education they deserve.
I met my husband and he lived here. I was born and raised in Sonoma County and moved here in 1977.(Not sure what you mean by "here."
If you're asking how I got to run for school board in 2020, it's because I felt there needed to be fresh leadership on the school board and I had years of experience as a parent leader in the district. I wanted to make a positive change. My children, both of whom went through K-12 in the District, are 12 years apart. That provided me the opportunity to be in leadership roles and gain the experience I brought with me when I was elected.
One of the biggest challenges is funding. Because of the way we are funded by the State by the LCFF (Local Control Funding Formula), we are one of the lowest funded Districts in the State. Property taxes only account for about 51% of the cost of running the school district. The rest comes from personal income tax, corporate tax and sales tax. When State goes into a deficit as it has this year, educational funding is negatively impacted. Because SRVUSD does not have high percentages of foster youth, homeless or ELA, we do not receive the supplemental funding that many other districts receive. Add to that the fact that we have declining enrollment compounds the issue as we are paid based on ADA, so we are getting less.
The other challenge we are facing is attracting and retaining good teachers. The State has a teacher shortage, and districts with more funding than ours can afford to pay teachers more. There is competition among districts for good teachers. The problem is especially pronounced with the shortage of special education teachers. These positions are very hard to fill.
On the issue of funding, I continue to advocate to the State to adjust the base grant under LCFF. That amount of funding is not enough for us to provide the quality of education our students deserve. We also continually exam our budget to see if there are places where we could be more efficient with our spending. Because of the deficit at the State level and declining enrollment, we will need to make 16.5 million dollars in cuts for the upcoming school year.
On the issue of retaining and attracting good teachers we have done a couple things. We have adjusted the pay schedule for special education teachers to attract more to our district. Through a grant we received, we have entered into a program with St. Mary's College to "grow our own" teachers. These individuals would have a portion of their education paid for and would then come to work in our district. Many districts are seeing that programs like these are necessary to fill the need for new teachers.
I would hope that the voters when reviewing all the information about my experience, years of service to the district, before and after being elected, that they will see that I have a passion for education, for our students and for making sure all students succeed. In 2023 I also acquired a Masters in Governance Certificate from the CSBA (California School Boards Association). Their membership includes school board members from all over the state and they provide educational services to school board members. There is a substantial learning curve to being a school board trustee, and my years of experience and advocacy in the district prepared me to be ready to take on that challenge.
I like to read. I have been a voracious reader my whole life. I also love travel and experiencing new places. Last but not least, I love spending time with the students of SRVUSD. They are truly insightful and smart beyond their years. I never miss an opportunity to visit school sites and attend events where I can interact with them. Student voice is one of the most important voices I consider when making decisions.
We have many challenges facing the District, and we need someone who has the knowledge, experience and passion to meet those challenges. I believe I am the best person to do that because of the knowledge and experience I have gained through my years of work in the District. We also have accomplished a lot in the last four years with the development of our Strategic Directions and Learner Profile, both of which prepare our students for the ever changing world they will face when they leave our doors. Student voice has been elevated with the addition of a student board member and student senate. I am passionate about our students' success and want to continue with the important work of making sure all students are given the tools they need to succeed.
