George West, GGUSD board member
By Brittany Hanson/Garden Grove Journal
Linda Reed, Dr. George West and Bao Nguyen brought in top votes for the positions of Garden Grove Unified School District board member in the Nov. 6 general election.
West, first elected in 2008, is glad to continue on board after receiving 34,919 votes, or 28.2 percent of voting total.
“I am very humbled by the support that I received from the community on Tuesday. I worked hard to be a good steward of the scarce resources entrusted to the Board to manage. I also worked throughout my tenure to provide high quality instructional programs for all children in the district, “ said West.
“As a life-long educator, the last four years have been bittersweet. While I am proud of our continued improvement in meeting instructional goals, it has been very difficult for me to make deep cuts in our budget due to the ongoing state and national fiscal crisis.”
West also said that while Proposition 30, the Governor’s education bill, could be helpful for schools, it does not guarantee replacement of lost revenue from the last 4 years.
West sees challenges ahead in keeping an eagle eye on budgeting, maintaining and updating curriculum and keeping in line with the Measure A school modernization project that is district wide.
Bao Nguyen, first appointed to the board in July of 2011, received 32,560 votes at 26.3 percent of total votes.
Nguyen said he is dedicated to bringing cultures in the GGUSD community together.
“During the campaign, we worked hard going door to door to meet voters and hear from the community. Campaigning has helped me gain a greater understanding of the community’s expectations and concerns,” said Nguyen,
“The election was a great exercise of our democracy, but it doesn’t end there. I’m going to continue to engage with the community and be accessible by meeting with student, parent and community groups, so we can build a healthy community together.”
Reed, a trustee since 1996, received 34,904 votes, comprising 28.2 percent of the vote according to the Orange County Registrar of Voters.
Reed is a product of GGUSD schools, has been a school principal in the Westminster School District and and has her master of arts degree from California State University Fullerton.
