On October 14, the Fremont Council Parent Teacher Association (PTA) co-hosted the 2024 Board Trustee Area 4 Candidate Forum with the Fremont, Newark, and Union City League of Women Voters in Valhalla Theater at Irvington High School. Leading up to the event, anticipation about the race ran high between FUSD students, parents, and more, especially on private messaging services and social media platforms.
Before the forum started, the parking lot and area outside of Valhalla were packed with yard signs hanging on the back of cars, adults standing ready to talk to incomers in front of the entrance to Valhalla, and groups of attendees discussing the issues surrounding the race.
Throughout the forum, attendees were given the opportunity to submit questions they wanted to be answered, and questions eventually asked from the crowd included topics such as LGBTQ+ education in schools, the recent cell phone ban implemented by Governor Gavin Newsom, and more.
Ganesh Balamitran, one of two candidates for Area 4 Board Trustee, introduced himself as a parent of Irvington alumni who has experience in nonprofit work for education and has participated in PTSAs, the FUSD Student Resource Officer (SRO) Taskforce, and the Superintendent’s Budget Advisory Taskforce. The other candidate, Rinu Nair, graduated from Irvington last year. She prided herself on being a “product of the system” to the crowd, explaining how her past experience as a FUSD student would help shape her success on the board. Furthermore, she commented on her work as part of the FUSD Wellness Committee, which pushed for mental health measures across FUSD.
The two agreed on multiple issues throughout the debate, including the importance of negotiations with FUSD’s teacher union, the urgency of implementing Measure M, a plan built for improving FUSD infrastructure, and the need to assist high-need students in the district. However, they disagreed when it came to issues such as FUSD’s Student Resource Officers (SROs) and their approaches to addressing the 30 million budget shortfall FUSD will soon have to tackle. Nair backed up FUSD’s SROs, emphasizing how they are critical to FUSD safety, while Balamitran focused on the room for improvement in the treatment of Black, Latino, and Special Education students in the SRO program. Additionally, Nair described FUSD’s budget as one that is “always changing” and will need to be updated frequently throughout the year, while Balamitran stressed the prioritization of students’ and teachers’ wellbeing throughout budget cuts.
After the forum, candidates rushed to the audience, talking to potential voters about their platform and its key points. Balamitran highlighted his “nervousness in the beginning, but how [he] eased up as the forum continued].” Discussing with attendees gave him the chance to “clarify anything [he] may have missed during the forum” and “most importantly, learn about what [he] can do better for his campaign.” Although asked by The Voice, Rinu Nair declined to comment on the forum.
In preparation for the debate, Fremont Council PTA collaborated with the Fremont, Newark, and Union City League of Women Voters. The PTA organized facilities, collaborated with the district on approval for the event, and publicized the event. While the PTA took over the logistics of the event, the League of Women Voters “coordinated communication with the candidates themselves and the questions asked throughout the forum,” added Jhansi Kalapala, the Vice President of Fremont Council’s PTA.
Volunteers from the League of Women Voters “had gathered questions prior to the event based on what issues are most prevalent to Area 4 and the School Board, including questions about budget cuts that FUSD will eventually face and the ongoing bargaining between teachers and the district,” shared Rita Manning, the moderator of the forum.
The forum provided attendees opportunities to learn more about both of the candidates and witness live-action debate, along with foreshadowing the future excitement the race, and its results, will bring.
