Bee endorsement: Three newcomers deserve seats on Roseville Joint Union school board | Opinion

Three candidates for the Roseville Joint Union High School District Board of Trustees want to shift the board’s focus back to education and students.

In recent years, board trustees have forsaken the well-being of students for culture wars and so-called “parents’ rights” politics. But three newcomers to the board — Joyce Henry and Debra Latteri, retired educators, and Bill Schuetz, an education advisor — say the board’s priorities need to be realigned with what really matters: student success and well-being, and academic achievement. That’s why Schuetz, Henry and Latteri have earned The Bee’s endorsement.

“I see a shift, and that shift is very upsetting to me,” Henry said. “I want to go in a direction that’s better for kids and parents and our community. What happens in high schools has a ripple effect in our community.”

Roseville voters will select three board positions: Schuetz is vying for Trustee Area 1 (his opponent, a commercial driver named Milton C. Brott, III was unable to be reached for comment); Henry will square off against incumbent Tiffany Coleman for Trustee Area 3; and Latteri will face incumbent Heidi Hall for Trustee Area 5.

Schuetz, Henry and Latteri are experts in education and student success. A dad of three, Schuetz formerly served on the Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District Board and currently serves as a parent representative on the Oakmont High School Site Council and as vice-chair of the Placer County Committee on School District Organization.

Long-time educator Henry taught in the Roseville Joint School District for 33 years. Latteri, who taught for 15 years — first at Roseville Joint for nine years and then at nearby Sierra College for six years — was appointed principal of Roseville Joint’s Independence High School, a role she served in for 12 years.

Notably, incumbents Coleman and Hall — who both declined an endorsement interview with The Bee’s Editorial Board — voted to approve a parents’ rights policy that requires district or school staff to inform a parent if their child misses class to attend a counseling session or visit a campus wellness center, or when a change has occurred in a student’s records (such as a name change).

Asked about their thoughts on the policy, Henry, Latteri and Schuetz all denounced it as dangerous and harmful to students’ well-being. Henry and Latteri, former educators, would stabilize the school board, which seems out of touch with district students.

All three — Schuetz, Lattteri and Henry — said they would make decisions based on what the experts have to say, including teachers and administrators.

Additionally, last year, Roseville Joint’s district board cut ties with Placer County’s only LGBTQ+ support group, The Landing Spot. While Gay-Straight Alliance groups still exist on district campuses, the decision to remove The Landing Spot sends a harmful message to LGBTQ+ students.

“The Landing Spot served a purpose for students that feel excluded,” Latteri said. “Certainly, that is our purpose as a school board: to make every student feel supported. It has been emotionally harmful.”

Schuetz, Henry and Latteri all agree that students need more — not less — access to support systems and resources. And that support will hopefully improve academic performance.

Meanwhile, Roseville is one of the fastest-growing cities in the state. That growth has had a direct impact on school districts, including Roseville Joint. The district currently enrolls over 10,000 students in Roseville, Granite Bay and Antelope.

In Trustee Area 1, encompassing Southwest Placer County, and extending into Antelope in Sacramento County, growth is significant. Schuetz, who is vying for the seat, said one of his top priorities on the board will be to ensure that resources are allocated as needed across the district, including access to Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses.

“We have some schools that do a lot better than others,” Schuetz said. “I want to make sure we’re focusing on all schools in the district. Our responsibility is the entire district.”

Schuetz, Latteri and Henry would bring important perspectives and experiences to the Roseville Joint board.

Students, parents and the Roseville community would benefit from their balanced approach, which brings the focus back to education.

This story was originally published October 2, 2024 at 12:59 PM.