Strich, Andrade, Sonken to Take Seats on Encinitas School Board

Eight candidates for the Encinitas Union School District (EUSD) Board of Trustees were whittled down to three as the elections came to a close early Wednesday morning.

Marla Strich led the race with 22 percent of the votes, followed by Emily Andrade with 20 percent and Gregg Sonken beating out early lead Bill McCorkle for the third spot with 16 percent.

"I am very pleased by the early results," Marla Strich said Tuesday night. "I am the top vote-getter, and I think that means that people are pretty happy with their school board."

When asked what her post-election plans were, Strich said, "There's a party under way right now."

Shira Martorana, who was watching the election with school board candidate Bill McCorkle and City Council candidates Dan Dalager and Kristin Gaspar at a restaurant in Encinitas, said she thought the early results were typical for the mail-in ballots but that she was excited to see what would eventually unfold.

McCorkle, who had an early third-place lead, was replaced early Wednesday morning by Gregg Sonken.

Though McCorkle was glad to see Kristin winning in the City Council race, he voiced some concern over his own election.

"Unfortunately, the candidates who ran against our slate did not run a clean [campaign]," McCorkle said. "I'm disappointed in that."

Seven of the eight candidates who ran for the Encinitas Union School Board were challengers whose backgrounds ranged from local business owners and retired educators to a stay-at-home mom. Strich, an incumbent, made up the eighth candidate.

Because incumbents Bill Parker and Cathy Regan did not run for re-election, there would have been at least two new members on the board no matter who won.

The board oversees nine schools in Encinitas and Southern Carlsbad. Elected officials serve four-year terms on the five-member Board.

The Encinitas Union School Board race is particularly important this year because of another measure on the ballot, Proposition P.

Proposition P, which passed by a 60 percent majority, is a $44 million bond measure that would pay for renovating and updating its nine schools in Encinitas and southern Carlsbad.

Proposition P will allow the EUSD to borrow $44.2 million in bond revenue to upgrade the schools' computers and technology, renovate outdated classrooms, restrooms and school facilities and make health, safety and handicapped accessibility improvements.  The measure will also allow for upgrades of inadequate electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems and aging roofs.

It will be the EUSD board's responsibility to help decide how the money will be spent. 

While all eight candidates supported the measure, there have been concerns about how the money will be handled, mostly in that it is not intended for administrative salaries and that it should not to go the state.