With three new EGUSD Trustees, there is now one consistent conservative voice
Among many issues Trustee-elect Moore has discussed, she has urged the district to remove several books she and others deemed pornographic
When trustee-elect Jennifer Ballerini, Susan Davis, and Heidi Moore are sworn in as Elk Grove Unified School District trustees next month, it will be the most significant change in the composition of the seven-person governing body since 2012. Ballerini and Davis won seats in Area 6 and 1 with over 60 percent of the vote, while Moore won in the three-person contest for Area 7 with 44 percent and ousted incumbent Carmine Forcina.
Ballerini will replace outgoing Trustee Nancy Chaires-Espinoza, who offers a similar mainstream approach to her predecessor's on district issues and policies. Davis, who defeated Tony Perez, will likely provide a calmer approach to the issues compared to her predecessor, whose in-meeting behavior often generated criticism from colleagues and district staff.
The most significant change will come with Moore's presence on the board. During numerous appearances at trustee meetings over the last couple of years, Ms. Moore has taken positions in line with the national parental rights movement.
Among many issues she has discussed, Moore has urged the district to remove several books she and others deemed pornographic from elementary school libraries. Since announcing her candidacy earlier this year, Moore has tempered her stances on hot-button social issues and advocated for the construction of middle and high schools in Area 7, which includes a large portion of the city of Rancho Cordova.
Interestingly, although he had Democratic support in previous years, Mr. Forcina has taken conservative stances since 2020 and lost that support during the recent election. As seen in one of the videos below, Forcina rebuked his fellow trustees for adopting the district's school library book policy.
So, will Moore's presence on the board of trustees achieve meaningful changes to district policy on hot-button social issues? Probably not.
We expected trustees Beth Albaini, Gina Jamerson, and Michael Vargas to remain unchanged in their approach to district policy. Likewise, Ballerini and Davis should be mostly aligned with them.
While Moore will be the consistent conservative voice, Trustee Sean Yang has sometimes hesitated about district policies supported by a majority of the trustees. Yang may align with Moore on particular issues.
Even if Yang selectively joins Moore on certain issues, it will not be enough to change district policies, especially with social issues at the heart of the parental rights movement. If Moore is to have any effect on the board, it will be through advocacy of new facilities in Area 7, especially after voters approved the $542 million bond from Measure N.
It will be noteworthy to monitor relations between Moore and Trustee Michael Vargas, the board's first openly Gay member. As seen in the video below, Moore criticized Vargas for his LGBTQ+ advocacy.
Videos of Moore's other presentations can be viewed here.
Nonetheless, given the national rightward lurch, Moore's presence on the dais could attract more attention to social issues related to the Elk Grove Unified School District and draw more school board meeting participants. That could make for interesting public comments at future meetings.
