MDUSD Trustee Paul Strange to Not Seek Re-election

In what the blog Claycord.com calls a surprise announcement, Mt. Diablo Unified School District Trustee Paul Strange has said he will not run for another term.

He said he has found that the job requires more than 1,000 hours a year and that commitment has kept him away from his family and his business. But he also voiced frustration with the media, unfairly criticizing the district on various issues when it is probably in better shape than it was "if the status quo had continued." 

Here is the text of his announcement, published on the Mt. Diablo Blog.

I have decided not to run for another term on the Mt. Diablo Unified School District Board of Education. To properly serve the school district, I believe a school board member must commit in excess of a thousand hours per year to school board service. In the past few years, I have committed that level of time. This commitment has kept me away from my family and my business. When I first joined the district, my son was in Kindergarten and my daughter in preschool. This year, they will be in fourth and fifth grade.

As you can imagine, as someone who has been self-employed during the vast majority of my tenure, the financial impact of my service the school board exceeds several hundred thousands dollars.

I have waited to the last minute to make my decision as I am greatly concerned about a change in the school board resulting in a loss of the gains we have made over the last four years. Despite the regular complaining on blogs and the Contra Costa Times attempts to create news where none exists, the district is in far better shape than it would have been if the status quo had continued. I believe new board members are not likely to be as available to the public or willing to share with constituents their thoughts.

That said, I can leave the district knowing that at least for the next few years, Gary and Sherry will continue to advance the cause of the students of our district.

This is a very challenging time for California school districts. The devastation of school budgets and the fact that we are essentially last in per pupil spending in the United States highlights those challenges. I am proud to leave behind a legacy that will provide significant general fund relief and allow the MDUSD to be more competitive with surrounding districts from a revenue perspective.

For all of those who will post negative comments on the blog announcements of this fact, keep in mind that it is very easy to throw rocks. What is really hard is dedicating your time to actually make a difference.

I look forward to my last few months on the board and I will continue to have a vested interest in this district as my children will be students in the district for years to come.

I want to thank everyone who has supported me and who has worked hard to improve the district for our students.