Yolo County Board of Education Selects New Officers

Woodland, CA - On Tuesday, December 14, the Yolo County Board of Education held its final meeting of 2021, with an agenda that included selecting new officers, determining a process for filling a trustee vacancy, and holding a public hearing on redistricting.

The meeting opened with the Board recognizing outgoing Trustee Matt Taylor of West Sacramento, who announced his resignation earlier this week. Taylor is in his second term representing Trustee Area 1 and has served on the Board since his election in November 2014.

Taylor said, “It has been one of the greatest pleasures in my professional life to serve the community where I live and the students of Yolo County.” He was provided with an honorary resolution from Assemblymember Kevin McCarty.

The Board also recognized the 2021-2022 Yolo County Teacher of the Year. This year’s recipient is Betsy Erickson, a physical education teacher, assistant swim coach, and AVID site coordinator at River City High School in West Sacramento. Erikson was present to receive recognition, flowers, and a $250 check award provided by Travis Credit Union.

Tuesday’s meeting was also the Board’s annual organizational meeting. Trustee Melissa Moreno of Davis was elected president. Moreno was elected to her first term in November 2018 and represents Trustee Area 2.

Trustee Tico Zendejas of Woodland was elected vice president. Zendejas has served on the Board since October 2019, when he was appointed to an open trustee seat. In November 2020, he ran unopposed for the seat and was elected to a four-year term.

During the meeting, the Board also determined the vacancy for Trustee Area 1 would be filled by appointment. Trustee Area 1 covers the majority of West Sacramento, excluding portions of the Broderick and Bryte neighborhoods.

A provisional appointment must be made within 60 days of Taylor’s written notice of resignation, which became effective Tuesday.

The application to apply for the open trustee seat is available online at www.ycoe.org or in-person at the Yolo County Office of Education during regular business hours. Applications must be received by email, in-person, or postal mail by 12:00 p.m. on February 1, 2022.

Interested persons are encouraged to apply for the vacant position and will be eligible to be provisionally appointed to the Board as long as they are 18 years of age or older, a citizen of California, a resident of Trustee Area 1, a registered voter, and free of any disqualification from holding civil office.

The Board is expected to meet in an open session on February 8, 2022, to review the received applications and interview the candidates. The appointment will become effective upon the Board’s approval during the meeting.

After the appointment becomes final, the Board member will serve until December 2022, at which time he or she may run for election for a new four-year term in Trustee Area 1.

On Tuesday, the Yolo County Committee on School District Organization also held a public hearing on redistricting of the trustee areas for the Board of Education. Every 10 years, local governments use census data to redraw their trustee area maps to reflect population change.

The county committee reviewed four proposed trustee maps and requested an additional map that would incorporate Winters into one trustee area. Currently, Winters is split between two trustee areas.

The county committee will hold another public hearing on January 11, 2022, at 6 p.m. At the conclusion of the public hearing, the county committee may take action on the adoption of the redistricting plan for the trustee areas. Redistricting must be completed by the end of February.

Additional information on the trustee vacancy or redistricting can be located on the Yolo County Office of Education website at www.ycoe.org.