The school board for Merced County’s largest school district will have one — or possibly two — new trustees after the Nov. 5 election.
The Area 2 and Area 4 seats on the Merced City School District governing board are both on the ballot. The K-8 school district serves 11,500 students and employs 1,400 staff across 18 schools.
The winning candidates who go on to serve as trustees will play key leadership roles in moving the district forward and toward stability after four years of turbulence. The current superintendent is the fifth to lead the district since 2020.
The current board has faced criticism from the public and was the subject of a grand jury investigation. Earlier this year, the board underwent governance training after clear division and multiple split votes.
The trustees vowed to move forward and over the summer united to hire Julianna Stocking for superintendent on a unanimous vote. Stocking, who grew up in Merced County, said she hopes to be in the position long term.
Two candidates are running for the vacant Area 2 seat on the Merced City School District board. They are parent Audrea Tuhn, 30, who attended school in the district and works in property management, and 54-year-old Tsia Xiong, another parent who works as a program director for a Hmong advocacy organization.
The previous Area 2 trustee, Jessee Espinosa, made it publicly known earlier this year that he would not seek a second term. Then last month, Espinosa announced he would not finish his term or be at the four remaining meetings of his term. Espinosa was elected in 2020, when he ran against and beat Xiong, capturing over 63% of votes.
Xiong previously served a few short months on the Merced City Schools board. He was one of four candidates who interviewed to fill the Area 2 seat as a provisional trustee. The board appointed him in July 2020, and he served the remainder of the term. Meanwhile, he also ran for a new term, and ultimately, Espinosa defeated him.
Trustee Birdi Olivarez-Kidwell, 58, is the incumbent who represents Area 4 on the Merced City Schools board. She is nearing the end of her first term and up for re-election. Olivarez-Kidwell faces one challenger, Annie Delgado, 52, a high school teacher for Merced Union High School District.
Here is how they answered questions from The Merced FOCUS about key issues in the district:
What motivated you to run for the governing board of the Merced City School District?
Area 2
Audrea Tuhn: Merced City School District has been a part of my family for as long as I can remember. Every child, including me, has grown up in these schools. I’ve had (and still have) family members and family friends that are teachers, office staff, aides, nutritional staff, etc.
Now, I am a parent, and my own children are attending MCSD schools. I have always been a “be the change” type of person in all aspects of my life and have held some sort of leadership position in every extra-curricular activity since middle school through college. With all of that being said, I personally feel that parents have a direct responsibility and role in their children’s education, and my familiarity and understanding of the district has motivated me to reach beyond my children, and be someone that community members of Area 2 can trust to make sure their voices are heard when it comes to District policy.
Tsia Xiong:
- Representing the interest of our children to ensure dollars are spent where they need to be and promote academic success (LCAP)
- Having been an advocate for years to improve schools, I can make a difference by leaning-in, providing constructive feedback and representing my constituents well with my knowledge and extensive experience.
- Bridging all communities so we all have a sense of belonging.
Area 4
Annie Delgado: Conversations I have with parents, guardians, and staff members of the Merced City School District (“MCSD”) frequently center on observations and assessments that MCSD had lost its way.
Over the past four years, the focus moved away from students and became dominated by adults who were supposed to lead. With differing goals and outcomes, three superintendents and two interim superintendents meant no one knew MCSD’s direction. People in our community knew more about what was happening in the district office than in the classrooms. Our students deserve better. As adults, we can do better.
In the same four years, there were countless grants that MCSD did not apply for, which neighboring districts applied for and secured. We have learned that MCSD has sent millions of dollars back to the state of California, which could have made its way to the students. Teachers, support staff, and site administrators could have utilized that money to update resources and provide our students with instruction that would strengthen their educational foundation and improve their academic and professional success trajectory.
Understanding these key factors and the need to refocus on the young people in our community motivated me to run for MCSD Area 4.
Birdi Olivarez-Kidwell: As the current Area 4 Trustee running for re-election, I am motivated by the need to improve the academic achievement for all students, the opportunity to represent the voice of the community, and by optimism for the future of MCSD.
I am motivated by the current momentum, and by keeping the continuity of this board as an experienced four-year trustee to serve our students, staff, and teachers.
I am motivated by over 16 years dedicated to this district, through PTCs, School Site Council, Facilities Planning, Boundary, and Bond Oversight Committees, as well as the privilege of developing community partnerships and maintaining open communications with families and community members, knowing that established relationships facilitate progress for all.
Do you support or oppose Measure O, the $80 million bond measure on the November ballot to make repairs, upgrades and safety improvements at schools? Explain your position.
Area 2
Tsia Xiong: Yes, our schools are too old and need to be up to date with building codes, attractive, and modernization is key. I fully support it, with an oversight committee to ensure accountability and transparency. We need to build new schools to meet the needs of our students and parking lots that are at capacity for parents and communities when there are events at schools.
Audrea Tuhn: Absolutely! I am a strong supporter of Measure O as it would provide MCSD with the opportunity to get a little bit closer to long-term equity amongst its facilities.
The importance of Measure O is that, if it passes, MCSD would be eligible to have the $68 million matched by the state – so in reality, we are voting for $136 million. Those funds could be used to upgrade and modernize our oldest schools and provide good-quality facilities for our students to learn, our classified and certificated staff to work and serve, and something that the community can be proud of. It would also provide an opportunity to eliminate portable classrooms and replace them with permanent buildings – something that would directly improve morale and ultimately boost learning from the student and teaching from the educator.
Nobody likes tax hikes, but I think it’s important to point out that Measure O would only implement a property tax rate of $30/year for every $100,000.
Area 4
Birdi Olivarez-Kidwell: I support Measure O, knowing that community investment in our schools brings improvements for residents. Good quality schools have a dramatic impact on our city, from property values, to attracting more medical professionals and businesses, to providing learning and confidence to our students so they can have a more fulfilling life and contribute positively to our society.
Serving on the Bond Oversight Committee for Measures M and S, I know that the commitments made to the taxpayers are strictly kept, funds are spent responsibly, and that having safe, modern, and attractive facilities keeps our students engaged, improves the look of our neighborhoods, and demonstrates value for our students, teachers, and staff. If we invest in our schools, we invest in our city and our future.
Annie Delgado: I will educate out of respect for sitting board members who cannot advocate.
Recently, I spoke with MCSD’s Director of Facilities about necessary improvements. The extensive list of repairs to the current infrastructure cannot be funded solely by the district. Community members should consider what students need to thrive in a safe and healthy school environment.
For instance, the fields at Tenaya Middle School highlight unmet needs for students to excel physically and competitively. Additionally, the bathrooms in elementary schools, with plywood doors, raise concerns about why students should be expected to use such facilities. While cleanliness isn’t the issue, the safety and dignity of these spaces are. Although MCSD received significant funds for HVAC improvements, they are not on par with those in Atwater Elementary School District and Clovis West. This issue matters because enhancing air quality has led to a notable reduction in chronic absenteeism in those districts. An absenteeism rate of 21% is not acceptable when resources are available for us to do better.
When students feel safe, secure, and proud of their environment, they are more likely to succeed. Community engagement is essential to prioritize these improvements for our students’ well-being.
How will you as a board member work to support the current superintendent’s goal of leading the district long term?
Area 2
Audrea Tuhn: I am very happy with the appointment of Superintendent Juliana Stocking and trust that she will lead MCSD in the right direction for many years to come. However, that can only happen with a Board that is:
- Cohesive
- In it for the long term, and
- Willing to work together to achieve what’s best for the students.
If elected to the board, I hope to bring in a different perspective, that of a current parent of students who are just starting their MCSD journey, with the sole intention of improving the district and not using the platform as a political stepping stone.
I believe that the constant turnover of board members and superintendents has a direct correlation to how the public perceives the district, which at the time, isn’t all that great. If elected to the board, it would be my responsibility to support the goals of the superintendent by putting aside my personal beliefs and bias and instead, ensuring that the district is responsive to the values, beliefs, and priorities of the community – and I plan to do just that.
Tsia Xiong: As long as we have strong leadership within the school district that helps us move to the next level, including support from our district staff and community, I am all for it. Remember, it’s about our students! Make them a priority and we have NO problem.
Area 4
Annie Delgado: I can first support the superintendent’s student-centered efforts to bring stability back to the classified staff, certificated staff, and site administrators who have kept the district moving over the last four years. If the superintendent needs to make tough staffing decisions to ensure that the highest-quality team surrounds her, we must trust those decisions.
The superintendent needs space to do her job while also recognizing that the board needs space to do its job. Boundaries must be clear between board members and the superintendent. The board should work with the superintendent in a supportive capacity.
However, difficult decisions must be made if those goals falter or are no longer student-centered. I will communicate with the superintendent that board members should ask questions. Agenda items will be evaluated, not simply rubber-stamped. While the superintendent answers to the board, the board answers to the taxpayers who have voted them into office.
Birdi Olivarez-Kidwell: Supporting the superintendent includes maintaining open and transparent communication, bringing community concerns to the forefront, and doing the work so that effective decisions can be made. I also would support the superintendent’s goal of leading the district long-term by continuing to serve, enabling continuity of the board without having to start over with a new team. By making board training a priority and understanding policy, I help support the superintendent through efficient meetings, keeping centered on the real work of the district, and not engaging in distractions. This enables the superintendent to focus time and resources on student needs, staff development, programs, curriculum and instruction, and enables forward thinking to ensure MCSD success now, and into the future. Supporting and enabling the superintendent’s success leads to commitment and leading the district longterm.
What do you believe a board member’s role is when it comes to taking action to improve student literacy and other learning outcomes?
Area 2
Tsia Xiong: The role is simple: We hire the superintendent for the job, and we all need to support her and let her do what she is good at.
In my capacity, I can provide support and nurture our schools and staff, but to reach learning outcomes, everyone has a stake, meaning we all have to lean in together to work together in order to achieve outcomes. Pointing fingers and blaming will get us nowhere.Tsia Xiong: The role is simple: We hire the superintendent for the job, and we all need to support her and let her do what she is good at.
In my capacity, I can provide support and nurture our schools and staff, but to reach learning outcomes, everyone has a stake, meaning we all have to lean in together to work together in order to achieve outcomes. Pointing fingers and blaming will get us nowhere.
Audrea Tuhn: I believe that a board member has a direct role in taking action to improve any academic achievement.
I know that a priority of MCSD is improving our literacy, and while we have been hearing that statement for a while, I think at this time, it’s time to stop thinking about how we could do it, and finally start implementing the changes that teachers, community members, parents, and students have been voicing for the last few years.
Merced is lucky to have outside organizations such as UC Merced, Merced College, multiple learning centers, and educational consultants right here in our hometown – yet the relationships have not been established or aren’t being used to the full advantage.
I am excited to see the push for academic achievement that Superintendent Stocking and Assistant Superintendent Mendez have been speaking about at the last few board meetings and hope to be a part of that push if elected.
Area 4
Birdi Olivarez-Kidwell: The role of the board member is to provide citizen oversight of the district so that all students have access to effective instruction, thereby enabling literacy and academic achievement. This is done by hearing from the community, understanding the efficacy of our programs, reviewing data on student outcomes, understanding the barriers to learning, and working as a team with the superintendent to build a plan to improve student results.
The role of the board member also is to hold the superintendent accountable to the community for implementing this plan, including hiring effective teachers, providing updated professional development, and ensuring high-quality instruction is delivered to every student at every campus. Board members may also determine areas of focus and innovation, when a specific need for improvement is identified.
Annie Delgado: One of the key responsibilities of a board member is to ensure the fiscal solvency of the district.
While this might seem an odd initial response, it is closely connected because countless consultants have been hired and programs purchased by MCSD because of buzzwords and hype. Staff is expected to accommodate these changes without an opportunity to evaluate the programs’ effectiveness fully.
This costly and often ineffective approach overlooks the countless experts in our MCSD classrooms who know our students and can bring their skills to their peers so our kids can flourish. This approach is simultaneously cost-effective and beneficial because paying our MCSD classroom experts a professional wage to train MCSD teachers and encourage them to consider a new pathway within the district.
Also, while MCSD’s district office has continued to expand in the last four years, we have seen a reduction in teacher librarians. Literacy can be best supported when our students have daily access to a teacher librarian because they can collaborate with all staff to meet their respective site’s needs. When literacy improves, student engagement improves, and scores will improve.
There has been a lot of discussion around making sure students and families of different backgrounds and cultures feel respected. Keeping that in mind, how will you ensure that all parents and students alike feel their needs are being met at Merced City Schools?
Area 2
Audrea Tuhn: The beautiful thing about Merced and the school district is that we have such a wide variety of culture, backgrounds, family structures, and socioeconomic backgrounds – but that also makes it hard to balance and ensure that everyone feels represented.
I believe the easiest way to ensure that families are making sure their needs are being met and respected is by asking them directly. When you involve the target audience and invite them to have a seat at the table when making decisions about changes that directly affect them – why wouldn’t you want them there?
I am a strong advocate for cultural studies and awareness and believe that celebrations like Hispanic Heritage Month and Black History Month are things that should be promoted all year long. The more we give our students a chance to be in the spotlight, the more they feel comfortable in their learning environment, which results in academic achievement.
Tsia Xiong: As an advocate for improving schools for over 30 years, I know firsthand how this impacts most schools. As a former refugee from Laos, educated in middle school and high school, I too felt districts need to do better. We need to create an environment where everyone feels safe, welcomed, heard, validated, and acknowledged, regardless of race or ethnicity.
Here is what I would like to see:
- Increase parent engagement with fair representation
- Hosting implicit bias training for all staff
- Partner with community-based organizations for support and expertise
- All staff and employees need to be treated with respect and fairness, without bias or favoritism.
- Open minded to all cultures and races.
- Schools to host multi-culture day and fair
Area 4
Annie Delgado: We have to be open to learning and finding out the families’ needs so that they know their backgrounds and cultures are respected. We do not grow as a community when we simply listen to their needs. We must comprehend what is being said and then find ways to implement them.
Increasing parental and guardian involvement is critical to our children’s and our community’s success. Our children cannot realize their full potential if what is happening academically at school is not supported at home. Our children cannot thrive socially if who they are, in terms of their culture or identity, is either minimized or dismissed at school.
Only celebrating a particular culture’s designated month on the calendar allows its collective contributions to be reduced to days when the impact exceeds that timeframe.
Birdi Olivarez-Kidwell: Equity and inclusion remain priorities throughout my term as board trustee, as demonstrated by resolutions brought forward to acknowledge contributions of many cultural groups, and by prioritizing multi-cultural events at our schools.
When students and families see their background and culture represented on our campuses, through programs, library books, decor, day-to-day learning, and special events, they can see they are valued and respected.
By continually being present at cultural gatherings and being accessible to families in their specific communities, I can better understand their needs, bring those back to the board, and ensure those needs are being met.
Some workers at Merced City Schools have previously complained about bullying and harassment. As a board member, how would you address this topic?
Area 2
Tsia Xiong: Unacceptable! we need to bring all parties for a solution. We are a TEAM. We should act accordingly. Training, training, and training.
Audrea Tuhn: It’s difficult for me to answer this question directly and speak on the matter without knowing confidential details of these complaints.
The district has processes in place for complaints of bullying and harassment, but as a board member, I think those processes are worth reviewing and having an open discussion about. I also believe that as a Board member, we should be focusing on making sure the different labor organizations (CSEA, MCTA) feel like they are being heard, supported, empowered, and educated to help address these issues. I believe we also have a role in making sure that the district employees are educated about their labor organizations and the organizations roles and responsibilities to their employees.
But like I stated previously, I would be foolish to not acknowledge that district employees are having a hard time trusting their own district, and again, I think it goes back to the lack of strong consistent leadership we’ve had over the last five years. If elected, I can promise consistent leadership. I’m in it for the long haul.
Area 4
Birdi Olivarez-Kidwell: As board members, it is our responsibility to represent our community, including all MCSD employees and students, taking their concerns seriously, and addressing them, especially to maintain a safe environment for all.
As past-president, I have documented experience in immediately addressing harassment and bullying when complaints were filed. Investigations were promptly initiated, and appropriate action taken based on the outcome of a thorough investigative process performed by an impartial third party. This commitment and responsibility extends to all individuals, which is why it is of utmost importance that complaints be brought forward procedurally and legally.
As a board member, I am available to hear any concerns, and will continue to follow California education code and district policy to address any and all complaints brought forward by staff or students, as done throughout my term.
Annie Delgado: The message needs to be unequivocal: a school environment is no place for bullying and harassment.
As adults, we must lead by example. Staff need to feel safe, valued, and respected because if they don’t, it tears away the fabric of trust in the community, breeds a toxic culture, and infests the schools. We cannot expect our students to feel safe when adults do not. Staff must have access to and clearly understand the Title IX process. Launched investigations need to be done by independent agencies without district ties and, therefore, no investment in an outcome beyond one that is thorough and accurate.
I encourage CSEA and MCTA to provide additional support about this process so that staff members can understand their rights and timelines. Employees whose rights have been violated or their contract breached should not face retaliation because they did what was right and what is protected. While there may be an initial spike in reports, once people realize these issues will be taken seriously and addressed, all MCSD members will understand that bullying and harassment are not part of the district’s culture.