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# Santa Monica-Malibu Unified board picks Latino leadership
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-malibu-unified-board-picks-latino-leadership/
- Published: 2002-12-14T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T01:05:50.000Z
- Author: Andrew Fixmer
- Tags: Education, Malibu, #archive-import

*School board focus is cuts, downsizing and budget woes*

For the first time, the leadership of Santa Monica-Malibu Unified school board will be all Latino.

At its meeting Thursday, the school board elected Maria Leon-Vazquez as its president and Jose Escarce as its vice-president. Each will serve one-year terms.

“Despite the money issues in our district, we need to stay focused on our educational programs and continue with our efforts to close the achievement gap for all students,” said Leon-Vazquez, who for the past year served as the board’s vice-president.

Superintendent John Deasy thanked Leon-Vazquez for her tireless service in working with a group of concerned parents called Mothers for Justice, who ear-lier this year raised concerns alleging the school district punishes its minority students far more than other students.

Leon-Vazquez helped spur communication between the school district and the group, which led to an ad hoc committee that is currently investigating and rewriting how the school district responds to disciplinary infractions, Deasy said.

The school board also welcomed its new members — Emily Bloomfield, Oscar de la Torre, and Shane McCloud. Julia Brownley, who for the past year served as school board president, was re-elected.

Pam Brady, Brenda Gottfried and Tom Pratt left the board after certifying the election results and saying good-bye to their colleagues.

Due to a tremendous decline in the amount of money given to the school district from the state and the failure of a proposed $300 parcel tax at the ballot box, the school board is facing one of its toughest budget situations in more than a decade, officials said.

The board must guide the school district this year through a series of budget cuts that may likely include down-sizing and discontinuing some educational programs, officials said.

At the same time, board members say they must make cuts without decreasing the quality of education provided in the school district, which boasts strong test scores.

“I think, as we have heard tonight and at many other times, we as a community will find a way to pull through this,” Leon-Vazquez said.

Both Leon-Vazquez, who lives in Sunset Park, and Escare, a north of Montana Avenue resident, were elected in 2000 and are serving four year terms.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 14, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/121402.pdf?ref=smdp.com)