By SDCN Editor
San Diego, CA–Three San Diego Unified School District Board of Education Trustees were ceremonially sworn in Tuesday at the Eugene Brucker Education Center during the Board’s regular meeting session.
Trustees Richard Barrera, Dr. Sharon Whitehurst-Payne, and Sabrina Bazzo were successfully reelected in November and officially took the Oath of Office on December 2 to begin their four-year terms.
“I’d like to congratulate all three Trustees on their reelection and look forward to our continued partnership,” said Interim Superintendent Dr. Fabi Bagula. “Each of them brings a unique background and wonderful skill set to the District, and I thank them for their dedicated past efforts, as well as their future contributions to our students and staff.”
Richard Barrera, who represents Sub-District D, begins his fifth term as a Trustee since elected in 2008. During the 2008-2012 recession, Barrera helped lead the District through the most devastating financial cutbacks in the history of California public schools by pulling together a community coalition of students, parents, teachers, classified staff, and business and civic leaders around a long-term vision of public school excellence. During his tenure, San Diego Unified has also achieved record-high graduation and college eligibility rates, and low dropout, suspension, and expulsion rates. Currently, San Diego Unified ranks at or near the top of large California districts in reading, math, science, and social science proficiency.
Dr. Sharon Whitehurst-Payne, who represents Sub-District E, embarks on her third term as a Trustee, initially elected in 2016. Whitehurst-Payne had previously served San Diego Unified in several roles over the decades, from mathematics teacher to administrative positions. She also helped diversify the teaching force in the District by designing, developing, and managing a unique teacher internship program in partnership with public and private universities. Dr. Whitehurst-Payne has consulted for many organizations, including the California Department of Education, the California Commission for Teacher Credentialing, and the California Academic Partnership Program.
Sabrina Bazzo, who represents Sub-District A, was first elected to the Board in 2020. She serves on the Board’s Audit and Finance Committee to ensure funding is being used responsibly and became a board member of the Visual and Performing Arts Foundation to support high-quality arts education for all students. Bazzo recently became a delegate for the California School Board Association. For three decades, she has served as a public health educator in San Diego and has been an active volunteer in both classrooms and athletic fields for the past 20 years.
