The Temecula school board elected a new president and clerk Tuesday night. One of the newly elected members, Melinda Anderson, will serve as president for the next year.
Anderson, who supports parental notification policies, said she wants to make board meetings calmer.
“We’re gonna have a lot of hot topic debates, and you can’t be emotional,” Anderson said. “My goal is to have civil debate in this boardroom.”
Audience members on both sides of the aisle echoed that sentiment.
“I’m hoping things will turn, and people will be a little more open-minded to where we’re going,” said Dan Brown, a local conservative activist.
Brown said he supports board members like Joseph Komrosky, who was recalled but re-elected to his seat this year. He said he backs policies pushed by the board’s former conservative majority, such as transgender notification policies and a ban on critical race theory, but added that the board should move forward.
“If they keep harping on things that nobody can get around, then we’re going to have the same battles,” Brown said.
The meeting wasn’t without conflict. Senior board member Jennifer Wiersma and newly elected member Emil Barham got into a shouting match after Barham blamed Wiersma for contributing to the chaos of the past two years.
Wiersma argued she should be board president due to her seniority. Anderson was nominated for the presidency by moderate Steven Schwartz, who said it was “time for the board to go in a new direction.”
The past two years have included raucous board meetings that made national headlines, along with culture war policies like a ban on critical race theory — which was not taught in the district — and the transgender notification policy.
Despite the tension, board member Joseph Komrosky said after the meeting that he believes the board has turned a new leaf.
“I’m just excited for this year," said Komrosky.