This story was updated at 9:29 a.m. Wednesday.
Vicki Ben-Yaacov is looking like the newest member of the Goleta Union School District Board of Trustees.
Ben-Yaacov was in second place Tuesday night, behind incumbent Sholeh Jahangir, and both women looked on track to win seats in November’s election, each garnering more than 20% of the vote.
“It feels good,” Ben-Yaacov said. “This is definitely encouraging to see the number.”
Jahangir told Noozhawk that she was pleased with the early results.
“I am honored to continue to work to support the education of the people in Goleta,” Jahangir said. “It has been a phenomenal race to be a part of. I am honored to served on the board. I will contine to fight for the rights of all children to have a diverse and robust education.”
Ben-Yaacov is an engineer and said she wants to help students understand how to apply science in the real world.
She is an immigrant from Taiwan who came to UCSB as a 21-year-old. She said most people are happy with Goleta schools, and that the district is moving in the right direction, with rising test scores.
She supports the Dual Language Immersion Program at El Camino.
Sholeh Jahangir 27.2% Vicki Ben-Yaacov 22.5% Patricia ‘Max’ Rorty 17.1% Caroline Abate 16.4% Greg S. Hammel 10.1% Devany Bechler 6.4%
“We are moving in the right direction, and I would like to see that progress continue,” she said.
Ben-Yaacov has two children in the district, and said she wants to open more students’ eyes to science.
“If we have a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) lab, how do we really fully utilize it?” she said. “Instead of having a STEAM lab there, how do you better integrate that into your curriculum?”
Ben-Yaacov has pushed greater environmental awareness on campus, including composting and proper food disposal. She is quick to point out, however, that she wants to work with the district. She is on a first-name basis with many district employees.
Jahangir is a former teacher, PTA president and community volunteer.
Jahangir was raised locally. She attended Foothill Elementary School, La Colina Junior High School and San Marcos High School.
She is the former PTA president of Foothill.
She said her goals if re-elected were to promote environmentally sustainable programs and reduce the achievement gap among students and schools.
“I believe strongly that the children of our community deserve the best education and support possible,” Jahangir said. “They are our bright and beautiful future, and I am honored to advocate for them and my community.”
Early results from the County Elections Office, which included vote-by-mail ballots and 24 of 47 precincts for the school district, showed Patricia “Max” Rorty in third place, followed by Caroline Abate, Devany Bechler and Greg Hammel.
Unofficial election results are still developing and are likely to change as more ballots are received and processed on Tuesday night and the days afterward.
Ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 can arrive at the Santa Barbara County Elections Office by Nov. 20 and be counted.
County election results are typically finalized and certified several weeks after an election. The Board of Supervisors certified the March 3 election results on April 21, seven weeks later.
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
