Retired school board member appointed to serve once more

Mindy Yaras Former trustee Mindy Yaras was appointed last week to fill the vacancy created on the Moorpark Unified School District Board of Education when David Pollock was elected to the City Council in May.

Yaras, 52, a project manager with Bank of America, sat on the Moorpark school board from 1999 to 2008, before retiring from public service last year.

"Stability is very important; we have a stable board and I'm very happy to offer my services," said Yaras, whose term lasts until November 2010.

Under state law, the board had 60 days to order a special election or make a provisional appointment to fill the post vacated by Pollock.

Board members opted for the latter, deciding that the cost of a special election wasn't in the best interest of local taxpayers. The appointment, school officials said, will save at least $30,000 for the cash-strapped district.

Trustee Greg Barker said the ongoing budget crisis forced board members to put students' needs ahead of the electorate's right to a vote.

WELCOME BACK—Superintendent Ellen Smith, left, gives Mindy Yaras, center, the oath of office as she is appointed as a trustee of the Moorpark Unified School District last Friday as school board members, from left, Ute Van Dam, Bruce Thomas, Greg Barker and Ron LaGuardia look on. Yaras is filling the seat left vacant by David Pollock, who was elected to the City Council in May. "Everybody wants to see the democratic process work, but the question here is that we want it to work for kids," Barker told the Moorpark Acorn.

"We thought in the interest of financial hardships in the state and given the length of time the person would be in office, as well as potential costs to candidates who may run, appointing an experienced individual who has proven her leadership in the past was a wise decision."

"We don't want to cut another program (to pay) for an election," Barker said.

Administrators as well as fellow board members Bruce Thomas, Ute Van Dam and Ron LaGuardia agreed.

"Having a special election would be foolish for us to do," Van Dam said at last week's school board meeting.

Before running for city office, Pollock said, he asked Yaras if she would volunteer for the position because her experience would let her jump right in to help lead the district during trying fiscal times.

"One of my conditions for running is that (Yaras) would make herself available if the board chose to appoint her," Pollock said. "I didn't want to run for council and throw a wrench into the school district's finances."

Yaras agreed to accept the appointment but pledged not to run in subsequent elections.

"I felt that a short-term election would not be in the best interest of our schools, our community, our children or the wealth of the school district," she said.

Yaras was sworn in before a special board of education meeting last Friday.

State law allows registered voters in Moorpark to challenge the board's decision and petition for a special election if they don't agree with Yaras' appointment.