The Jurupa Unified School District Board of Education Monday night appointed a new board member to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Trustee Robert Garcia.
The board interviewed two candidates for the position, Pamela Blynn and Maria Rangel, before appointing Blynn with a unanimous vote.
“You both really are driven, and so I don’t want anybody to think that this was a simple choice,” Trustee Melissa Ragole said. “I had anxiety over it, because I really could not determine who was going to be the best fit.”
Blynn said she is a 25-year resident of Jurupa Valley, an Army veteran and a small business owner whose son graduated from Patriot High School, though her daughter attends school in the Riverside Unified School District.
“I’ve been asked by several members of the community about my daughter, because she is on a transfer to Riverside Unified School District,” Blynn told the board. “She is in the IB program, the International Baccalaureate [program], which is not offered here.”
Blynn said she submitted her application to “give back to the students” and felt she was qualified due to her experience as a mother and business owner who is very active in the community.
“I’ve had to navigate a lot of things within different school districts, and I am committed to the community,” she said. “I do a lot of volunteering at our schools already, so I hope you take that into consideration.”
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Rangel said she has lived in the community for more than 40 years and is a graduate of Rubidoux High School, and both of her children have graduated from Jurupa Unified schools.
“They all have gone to a four-year college, so I’m thankful for that,” she said. “And they have graduated and received their degrees.”
Rangel said she has worked for Rialto Unified School District for 35 years where she is currently the assistant director for nutrition services, a role she said allows her to understand the district’s budget and also advocate for students to have access to the services they need to succeed.
“To me, it’s very important, and I want to be that person that advocates for that child, for all the children of the district,” she said. “No matter what their needs are, I want them to be there to get to that goal of whatever they want to be.”
Both candidates said they would brag about the district’s students and the work it has done to increase programming to better serve all students and also noted that they would, if appointed, listen to people who come to them with concerns or complaints while keeping an open mind and a focus on what benefits the students of Jurupa Unified.
Ultimately, three of the four board members put forth Blynn as the nominee, citing her community involvement and student-centered answers on her application.
“Each of you brings a different skill set, and both skill sets would be valuable, but in weighing it, I think that Mrs. Blynn’s connections within the community and support from the community … would augment what we already have here in a way that outweighs the personal experience and true grit that Ms Rangel would bring.”
The one person who spoke during the meeting for this agenda item, did so in support of Blynn, also highlighting her community involvement, stating that they believed she would be an advocate for everyone in the JUSD community, including students, parents and teachers.
Board President Joseph Navarro nominated Rangel, who he said he appreciated both her speaking passionately and from the heart during the interview and her service to Rialto Unified throughout her career with the district.
“I’ve had multiple people reach out to [me] on your behalf, who messaged me throughout the week, supporting you,” he said. “So just so you know, you have a big community out there supporting you as well.”
While the board members acknowledged how difficult the decision was to make, they ultimately voted unanimously in favor of appointing Blynn who was sworn into office immediately after the vote.
“Thank you very much for the nomination or accepting me onto this board,” Blynn said. “I look forward to serving our community and bigger and better things to come.”
The board also honored Navarro for his time as board president, which ends next month, and Garcia for his decade of service to the district.
“I appreciate everything,” Garcia said after accepting a plaque commemorating his service on the board. “And I know you’re going to continue to have Jurupa soar into the future.”
The next regularly scheduled Jurupa Unified School District Board of Education meeting is set for Dec. 16.
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