Palm Springs USD Race: Desert Hot Springs Recent Grad Vs. Incumbent

PALM SPRINGS, CA — Palm Springs Unified School District Board of Trustees member John Gerardi is facing a challenge in Tuesday's election from recent high school graduate Kaden Cross in his bid to continue representing the Desert Hot Springs area.

As PSUSD board president and Area 5 Trustee, Gerardi is seeking his third term on the board, while Cross is calling for a fresh voice for local schools.

"As a recent graduate of Desert Hot Springs High School, I am keenly aware of the struggles our local schools face, including low academic performance and standards, safety concerns, a lack of resources and funding for extracurriculars and special education programs, and district inaction," the 18-year-old Cross said in a statement.

Cross touts a focus on curriculum reform, favoring education over standardized testing, while bolstering special education and addressing violence and behavioral issues, according to a campaign statement.

Gerardi was first elected to be the PSUSD Board Trustee of Area 5 in 2014 after defeating Eduardo Medina. He was reelected in an uncontested race in 2018.

He is also a certified public accountant and has been a professor of Accounting at College of the Desert since 2002.