Election

ELECTION 1994 | County Board of Education

School safety figures into campaign | Candidates also say it's time for county office to become more visible

LILLIAN SALAZAR LEOPOLD
Staff Writer

26-May-1994 Thursday

School safety, extending the school day and enlisting private enterprise to
supplement formal education are among the themes being discussed among
candidates running for the San Diego County Board of Education.

Incumbents Bill Hampton and Marty Block each face challengers in the June 7
primary election.

Challenging Hampton for the coastal North County District 5 seat is Rob
Walter, a tax attorney and businessman.

In the District 3 race, which encompasses most of East County, Marty Block
faces challengers Tom Davies, a board member of the Grossmont Union High
School District, and Charles Elliot, founder of an educational nonprofit
organization.

A candidate who draws more than 50 percent of the primary vote wins without
a runoff. The salary is $400 a month.

Campaigning has been fairly quiet in the race for a board that many voters
admit they do not know exists. The board's five members set policy for the
county Office of Education, which delivers services in special education,
occupational training and a variety of other programs to all of the
county's school districts.

The agency spends more than $87 million annually and has nearly 800
employees.

. . . .

Rounding out the race for District 3 is Elliot, a mental-health advocate
who founded Mindstar, a nonprofit organization to help remove the stigma of
mental illness.

Elliot, 46, has a doctorate in education from the University of Southern
California. He is running for the board because he wants to put more
emphasis on academic achievement.

Elliot supports privatization of some portions of the curriculum, saying
the private sector can do things better and cheaper than public education.

Elliot opposes creationism in the school, opposes censorship and portions
of bilingual education that give instruction to students in their native
language.

(Elliot, a manic depressive, was the focus of a special Union-Tribune
section on mental health in February. Elliot says he has been in control of
his "wellness" for 11 years.)

. . . .

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