Tuesday night’s Turlock Unified School Board meeting was an emotional one for at least three trustees. Timm LaVelle, Tami Muniz and Felica Renshaw attended their last board meeting as trustees on Tuesday, as they were voted out of office in the Nov. 3 election. At the next meeting, Bob Weaver, Lori Crivelli and Josh Bernard will take their places.
“I am sad,” LaVelle said. “There are many things I wanted to accomplish that I can’t do now.”
LaVelle spent the last 14 years working with the district with eight of those years serving on the board of trustees. Renshaw has been a trustee for 12 years, with six of those years spent on the Turlock Joint Elementary School Board. Muniz is leaving the district after four and half years on the board.
“I enjoyed being able to serve and I feel very grateful for the chance to serve so long for the kids and the community,” Renshaw said. “I am sad that I will not be able to serve the community anymore.”
LaVelle, Renshaw and Muniz said that they believe money and low voter turn out paid important roles in the November elections.
“The public felt it was time for a change,” Renshaw said. “I have been on the board for the past 12 years. Maybe it is time to pass the baton.”
Renshaw also said she hoped that the amount of money spent in the campaign would not discourage others from running in the future.
“(The challengers) got their names out there and that really helped them,” she said. “The incumbents didn’t really run high-end campaigns like the opponents. Historically, we have never done that.”
“They worked hard, they played the game their way, and they won,” LaVelle said.
While the ending of their time on the TUSD board was not what each expected, all of the outgoing trustees expressed their wishes of success and some advice to the incoming trustees. Renshaw congratulated the winners through e-mail and LaVelle suggested they attend as many training seminars as possible to get a better feel of what a school board member does.
“I wish them well and they are probably as qualified as we are,” Muniz said. “I hope they make good decisions for the district and the students.”
To contact Maegan Martens, e-mail mmartens@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2015.
“I am sad,” LaVelle said. “There are many things I wanted to accomplish that I can’t do now.”
LaVelle spent the last 14 years working with the district with eight of those years serving on the board of trustees. Renshaw has been a trustee for 12 years, with six of those years spent on the Turlock Joint Elementary School Board. Muniz is leaving the district after four and half years on the board.
“I enjoyed being able to serve and I feel very grateful for the chance to serve so long for the kids and the community,” Renshaw said. “I am sad that I will not be able to serve the community anymore.”
LaVelle, Renshaw and Muniz said that they believe money and low voter turn out paid important roles in the November elections.
“The public felt it was time for a change,” Renshaw said. “I have been on the board for the past 12 years. Maybe it is time to pass the baton.”
Renshaw also said she hoped that the amount of money spent in the campaign would not discourage others from running in the future.
“(The challengers) got their names out there and that really helped them,” she said. “The incumbents didn’t really run high-end campaigns like the opponents. Historically, we have never done that.”
“They worked hard, they played the game their way, and they won,” LaVelle said.
While the ending of their time on the TUSD board was not what each expected, all of the outgoing trustees expressed their wishes of success and some advice to the incoming trustees. Renshaw congratulated the winners through e-mail and LaVelle suggested they attend as many training seminars as possible to get a better feel of what a school board member does.
“I wish them well and they are probably as qualified as we are,” Muniz said. “I hope they make good decisions for the district and the students.”
To contact Maegan Martens, e-mail mmartens@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2015.
