Connolly and Buckles will take seats on Conejo school board

Voters trusted the teachers unions' endorsements as Betsy Connolly and Peggy Buckles were voted into two open seats on the Conejo Valley Unified School District Board of Education.

The United Association of Conejo Teachers had endorsed the two candidates after Dorothy Beaubien and Dolores Didio decided not to seek reelection this year after 20 and 25 years on the board, respectively.

Connolly captured 14,802 votes (21.4 percent) and Buckles collected 12,337 votes (17.8 percent).

"I'm excited, and I'm especially excited not to have to commiserate with all of my supporters," Connolly said. "I'm so happy to share this with them."

Connolly said that although she was confident, she wasn't sure what to expect.

"People would ask me along the way how I thought I was doing, and, honestly, there's no way to tell," Connolly said. "It's kind of like dropping pennies into a well and getting no splash. The only people you talk to are the people who support you, so you end up in this cocoon of self-affirmation.

"I'm basically an optimistic person, I felt absolutely confident we ran a smart campaign. . . . I knew I'd be able to face (the results)."

Connolly has served as the district advisory committee (DAC) chair and has experience on many district committees, including a stint as parent-teacher association president at Wildwood Elementary. Her children attended the school when she served on the PTA. The kids have now grown up.

Connolly said she's looking forward to getting to know the board members from a new perspective. She also wants to get more parents involved.

"I've spoken to so many people during the campaign, many with frustrations and concerns, I'm looking forward to partnering with them and bringing them into the fold," she said. Connolly said she realizes it could be a difficult year.

"I don't think you can watch state economy without having concerns about cuts to education," Connolly said. "I know that's going to be a challenge. But great schools in great districts aren't all about money. We have to shift our focus to areas we can do something about."

Connolly and Buckles were two of eight candidates vying for two open seats. Running close behind was John Andersen with 15.4 percent and Dennis Hatland with 14.8 percent of the votes. Rounding out the remaining eight were Julie Svitenko (12.5 percent), Scott Lamp (9.5 percent), Douglas Nickles (6 percent) and Marlon Delano Williams (1.9 percent).