In the annual reorganization of the Healdsburg Unified School District (HUSD) Board of Trustees, board vice president Mike Potmesil was unanimously voted in as board president on Dec. 15 during the board’s regular meeting. Trustee Rose McAllister will serve as the board’s vice president.
Trustee Cristal López was also up for the vice president role, however, she said she wanted to wait to serve as vice president. McAllister was not able to attend Wednesday’s meeting, however, after a motion was made calling for her nomination, she was unanimously voted in.
After outgoing board president Aracely Romo-Flores swore in Potmesil, the board and HUSD Superintendent Chris Vanden Heuvel presented Romo-Flores with an honorary gavel engraved with her name.
Vanden Heuvel and the newly-appointed president Potmesil shared a few words in honor of Romo-Flores.
“Every year I get up here and say this year was harder than the one before. Hopefully Mike, your year is much easier than the last three years we’ve had. Aracely came on in the depths of the pandemic last December when virtually the world had stopped and led us steadily through it, always keeping student and staff safety at the forefront, student learning and equity as well,” Vanden Heuvel said. “Her leadership helped us get school back open, made sure that we were serving the kids who most needed it and targeting services during the pandemic and I’m just so grateful for your leadership Aracely.”
Referencing the text on Romo-Flores’ laptop, which says “stay positive, work hard and make it happen,” he said Romo-Flores did exactly that as board president.
Potmesil said despite 2021 being a difficult year, Romo-Flores always moved the agenda forward.
“This past year has been an extremely difficult year in many ways certainly because of COVID. You have moved us, and you have moved the agenda as far as equity, as far as antiracism, as far as doing what is best for all of our kids, not just some of them, the whole group,” Potmesil said.
Over the year, the school board tackled a lot, in part, including approving a slight change to high school graduation requirements in February in response to student challenges with distance learning and navigating the implementation of COVID protocols and procedures.
In June, the district launched an independent investigation into concerns received from Roseland School District alumni regarding alleged cases of racism, inequity, favoritism and other forms of discrimination that took place in the Roseland district while Healdsburg High School Principal Amy Jones-Kerr worked as its superintendent.
In August, the school board and the district announced that they found nothing to substantiate the concerns regarding Jones-Kerr’s leadership as former Roseland School District superintendent during a time when the district received allegations of racism and inequity.
In June, the district reached a milestone in its work toward improving district-wide equity when the board approved two new board/district wide policies, an equity policy and an anti-racism policy. The board also approved a new district mission, vision and values statement that embraces a vision for equality.
Later that year, the board approved the use of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III funds for implementing additional staff and support services.
At the same Dec. 15 meeting, the board approved a required freshman ethnic studies course for next year.
Potmesil said Romo-Flores made the board the way it is today: “This is a good board and because of your leadership we are that way and I thank you and I celebrate you.”
Board liaison appointments
In addition to the reshuffling of the school board, the board made several appointments to various committees.
The appointments are as follows:
Healdsburg Education Foundation: Mike Potmesil. Alternate: Rose McAllister.
Superintendent Policy Review Committee: Donna del Rey. Alternate: Rose McAllister.
District English Learners Advisory Committee: Cristal López. Alternate: Mike Potmesil.
Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce: Mike Potmesil. Alternate: Donna del Rey.
Superintendent Budget Resource Committee: Donna del Rey.
Curriculum Council: Donna del Rey. Alternate: Aracely Romo-Flores.
Healdsburg High School Scholarship Committee: Cristal López. Alternate: Aracely Romo-Flores.
HUSD Student Trustee Mentor: Donna del Rey.
