Gary Pritchard, a parent, Cerritos Community College dean, who previously served on the board for Area 5 from 2010 to 2019, is seeking to represent Trustee Area 4—covering Laguna Niguel and Dana Point in the Nov. 8 elections.
When Pritchard was on the board for Area 5 from 2010 to 2019, some parents said they were frustrated that he was heavily influenced by the teachers union.
Previously while on the board, Pritchard supported extending kindergarten classes from half to full days, expanding access to college-level classes and training for high school students, enhancing scholarship opportunities, and encouraging district financial transparency, according to his campaign website.
Pritchard said if elected, he would focus on fiscal responsibility, cut wasteful spending, “stand up to Sacramento bureaucrats,” and make student safety a priority, according to his campaign website.
“I’m invested in our community, but more importantly, I’m invested in our kids,” Pritchard, who did not respond to a request to be interviewed for this story, says on his campaign website.
He resigned from his position when he and his family moved out of his district at the time, which was Area 5.
If elected, Pritchard wants to ensure residents’ tax dollars are used for maintaining safe campuses and strong schools, according to his website.
As a parent, Pritchard said he supports parents who show an interest in their children’s education by going to school board meetings.
As a local homeowner and educator, he also wants schools in the district to maximize property values in the area.
He received his Ph.D. in Social Sciences from the University of California, Irvine. His children attend local schools in Orange County. He worked as a professor at Cerritos College for 14 years and has been the school’s Dean of Fine Arts and Mass Communications since 2012.
His opponents are James Glantz, an education consultant and businessman, and software developer Darin Patel. The schools that fall in Area 4 are Hidden Hills Elementary, John Malcom Elementary, Moulton Elementary, George White Elementary, Laguna Niguel Elementary, and Dana Hills High School.
Pritchard is endorsed by the Capistrano Unified Education Association, the local teacher’s union.
