Eriberto Estrada went to his first Pajaro Valley Unified School District board meeting during his sophomore year at Pajaro Valley High School.
He says he wanted to learn more about how the district operates and how the school board’s decisions affect students. Leaving that meeting, he knew that one day he wanted to run to be a trustee on that very board.
Two years later, he says he’s ready to step up to the plate.
Estrada, a 17-year-old senior at PVHS, announced during public comment at the March 18 board meeting that he will run in November’s school board election, citing his disappointment in the current board’s ability to support students and teachers.
“After years of coming up here and putting my trust in you to make these changes, I’ve decided to run in this November’s election,” he told the board.
Estrada graduates in June. By the time November rolls around he will be 18, the minimum eligible age to run for a school board position. He plans on running to represent trustee area four, a seat Daniel Dodge Jr. has held since 2018.
Amplifying student voices is a priority for Estrada. He feels students have not gotten enough representation under current leadership.
“Since I’m someone who’s literally in school right now, I know what the school experience is in PVUSD,” Estrada says. “What I bring is insight to what the school experience is today.”
Beyond bringing direct student experience to the table, Estrada describes his qualities as “empathetic, critical and loving.” He credits his family and his teachers at PV High for supporting his education and inspiring him to pursue elected office.
If elected, Estrada says he wants to ensure that district money is being spent in the right way. He proposes eliminating programs that are no longer in use and reducing spending on external consultants.
While the idea of being such a young person on a board of older adults could seem intimidating to some, Estrada doesn’t think so.
“I’m more excited than anything,” he said. “I’m looking forward to our collaboration.
Alongside running for office, Estrada will attend CSU Monterey Bayin the fall, where he plans to pursue a teaching credential. Balancing a college education with the responsibilities of a school board trustee won’t be easy, but Estrada says he’s prepared for the challenge.
“I would say—more than anything else—we always have to remember that school is for the students,” he said. “We always need to do whatever we can do to benefit students; and, something that benefits students is obviously putting teachers first.”
Next up: let’s have the inmates currently incarcerated, control the prison system.
In his responses Estrada seems to misjudge the purpose of the school board. It serves the needs of the parents and adults (who vote), not the students (who can’t vote). If he wants to win, he is going to have to make a case that he knows how to improve the same failing system that he is emerging out of. How will he improve results and stem the flight of students from the district?
Dodge will have to prove that he wants the job. He seems to be absent more often than present. When he is at a board meeting he hides behind Medina’s skirt, never taking a risky vote. Not sure why he would run again when he seems to have no interest in doing the job to begin with. Maybe he likes the humiliation?