The Merced City School District is closing out 2024 with a new school board in place and looking forward to new beginnings in the New Year.

Brianna Vaccari

The Merced FOCUS

Trustees Annie Delgado and Tsia Xiong took their oath of office on Tuesday night at a special board meeting. Additionally, Trustee Priya Lakireddy was unanimously elected to serve as board president, replacing Trustee Allen Brooks.

“We have a lot of work ahead, but I know we can do it because each of us are committed to the wellbeing of the district, wellbeing of the students, staff, community, parents,” Lakireddy said. “Because if we succeed, they succeed. Everyone succeeds.”

Over the course of the last 18 months or so, Lakireddy and Trustee Beatrice McCutchen often found themselves at odds with a board majority consisting of the other three trustees – Brooks and former trustees Jessee Espinosa and Birdi Olivarez-Kidwell.

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Lakireddy has been a vocal advocate for more transparency in district operations. She has also pushed for better analysis and strategies for programs tackling student academic achievement.

Espinosa vacated his seat on the board in October. Olivarez-Kidwell lost her re-election bid to challenger Delgado, who was elected as board clerk on Tuesday night, a position previously held by Olivarez-Kidwell.

Delgado and Xiong both thanked the voters who elected them to the board.

“I’m really pleased to be here. As a parent, I really look forward to making a difference at the board level,” Xiong said. “I’m a huge advocate for our community, and now that I sit on this side, I truly believe that I could bring a lot of assets to this table.”

Superintendent Julianna Stocking and Lakireddy also thanked Allen Brooks for his leadership on the board during a turbulent time, highlighting his positivity and optimistic attitude.

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The New Year will bring a number of big projects for the district leaders to tackle.

Voters in November approved an $80 million bond to update facilities, with a focus on safety and air quality. Every district school will receive upgrades, such as replacing portable classrooms with permanent ones; repairing and replacing roofs; and installing new shade structures and walkways.

District officials also have held a number of committee meetings to strategize for upcoming changes to the district’s school boundaries. Officials are exploring a plan to reduce school overcrowding that involves moving sixth graders from elementary schools back to middle schools.

Students and staff will begin their winter breaks this week, with students taking home reading logs to fill out and bring back to their librarians in January. It’s part of a districtwide effort to improve student literacy.

About the Author

Brianna is the accountability and government watchdog reporter for the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative.