After former School Board Trustee Desire Campbell was elected to the Fremont City Council in November, the Fremont Unified School Board unanimously voted to appoint Mrs. Sharon Coco to the newly vacated seat. Trustee Coco, a long-serving member of the district, brings years of experience with FUSD to the school board. The Board appointed her as a trustee upon review of her ideas to better the education of Fremont Unified’s student body. 

Trustee Coco was appointed in a two-step process. First, all applicants for the position filled out an application from the district website. Those seeking the nomination wrote a letter of intent and answered questions on that application. On January 19th, candidates were interviewed by the 4-seated members of the Board, with the consultation of the student representative. The Board then voted on the different candidates. Although no candidate received a majority of the vote on the first two ballots, Mrs. Coco won the unanimous support of the seated Trustees on the third ballot. 

Her involvement with Fremont’s School District began long before her appointment to the board. “I started with FUSD in 1978,” said Mrs. Coco. “I was hired as an instructional aid in the classroom at Brookvale Elementary School.” She later went on to serve as the Executive Assistant to the Superintendent and retired after 39 years of dedication to FUSD. She served in a variety of capacities ranging from one of FUSD’s first office assistants to Secretary to the Office of Federal and State programs at the District Office. 

Given her long-standing record of service to FUSD, Mrs. Coco was involved in changes to district policy such as discussions about moving first-semester finals to before winter break. Trustee Coco expects her experiences with many departments at FUSD to soothe her transition from a former employee to a Trustee on the school board. “The areas in which I’ve touched and learned have cut down the learning curve for someone new on the Board of Education,” she explained. “I know the workings, I know the processes, and I’m familiar with Board Policy and Protocols.” 

Mrs. Coco’s philosophy about the board is simple: its purpose is to support the Superintendent and District Office by giving them the tools they need to promote student success. She hopes to bring student-focused proposals before the Board. “We want to let the Superintendent and his cabinet know which way the District is moving,” she noted. She also spoke about her ideas on improving student success, school facilities, and monitoring enrollment trends. She sought an appointment to the Board to fulfill those goals. “My connection to the district and community has made me want to give back to the students for whom I worked,” she said. “It feels good to do it!”  

Despite the Board’s confidence in Mrs. Coco’s ability to serve the Board of Education well, she does not intend to run for re-election in the upcoming 2024 electoral cycle. She prefers to focus on improving student success rather than spending her energy on politics. She observed, “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the students.”