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DAILY PILOT: VETERAN TRUSTEE FACES 3 CONTENDERS
School board member has held seat since 1980 and says she welcomes the competition.

By Michael Miller

The race for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District board of trustees rose to a new level this week, as three candidates launched their campaigns to unseat longtime trustee Judy Franco in November.

Franco, a member of the board since 1980, is running for reelection again this year in the trustee area that includes the Balboa Peninsula. Planning to oppose her on the ballot are former Newport-Mesa teacher Sandy Asper, Corona del Mar High School parent Loretta Zimmerman, and retired education administrator Jack Price.

The race, so far, is the tightest for any Newport-Mesa trustee area in 2006. Incumbent Serene Stokes, running in the Corona del Mar area, is facing one challenger, while a pair of residents are vying to replace outgoing board member Linda Sneen. Trustee Tom Egan is also stepping down this year, but no candidates have filed yet for his post.

Franco, who defeated challenger Shelby Cove in her last reelection bid four years ago, said she welcomed the competition.

"I'm delighted, actually, that there are that many people who have the interest and time availability to spend that is involved in being an effective board member," she said.

Franco's opponents bring years of Newport-Mesa experience with them. Asper, who retired last summer, taught elementary and middle school in the district for 38 years. She also held a board position with the Newport-Mesa Federation of Teachers and maintains a position on the district's benefits committee. In the 1980s, she scripted and produced an earthquake safety video for Newport-Mesa schools.

"I have a unique perspective because I just recently taught in the district," said Asper, 68, whose three children graduated from Newport-Mesa schools. "I wouldn't be the new kid on the block."

As a board member, Asper said, she would push for improved school safety and attempt to mandate CPR training for Newport-Mesa teachers. Two of her other goals, she said, were keeping an eye on taxpayer dollars and firming communication between the district and the community.

Zimmerman, 54, whose youngest child is entering the ninth grade at Corona del Mar High School, has long been active in PTA and school functions. Earlier this year, she served on the superintendent search advisory council that helped to select Jeffrey Hubbard as Newport-Mesa's new leader. Before moving to Newport Beach in the early 1990s, she was assistant to the city manager of San Juan Capistrano.

One of Zimmerman's main goals, she said, was to bolster technology in Newport-Mesa schools. In March, the district began a three-year plan to modernize its systems and train faculty members.

Price, who declared his candidacy late on Tuesday, could not be reached for comment.