How accurate is the information on this site?

Although we did our best to keep this site accurate and up to date, please refer to the "2024 Candidate Guide" once it is published and to the San Mateo County Elections Office for the most accurate information.

A few sources of information have been used to create this website:

• The San Mateo County Elections Office website, with the calendar of events for the November election and 2022 Candidate Guide. Although the 2024 guide is not available yet, the timelines are generally similar.

• The RCSD Board Meetings Minutes and Agendas, defining the exact map for the Trustee Areas (with corresponding approval vote). At the time of writing, the County had not received the updated map from the District yet.

If you find an error or inaccuracy, please let us know by contacting parents@p4rcs.org. We'll do our best to keep the site up to date.

How long is a term?

4 years. For trustees elected in November 2024, the term will end in November 2028. Although uncommon and undesirable, trustees can resign before the end of the term.

What are the requirements to be a candidate?

Based on the "2022 Candidate Guide", in general candidates must be:

• Citizen of the USA, registered voter, 18 years of age or older.

• Resident in Redwood City, in Trustee Area 1, 3, or 4 of Redwood City
  (see the map on top of the page, or the detailed version).

• Not disqualified by the Constitution or laws of California (some felonies, embezzlement, etc).

How much time commitment is required?

We asked Trustees in two different school districts, and what we learned is that it varies greatly.

The rule of thumb is a minimum of 10 hours per week between preparation for board meetings, keeping on top of emails, education news, committee meetings, meetings with staff and the superintendent, and various events.

But there is a lot of opportunity to spend more time by adding site visits, ceremonies, participating in events, advocacy, or the occasional urgent issue that needs to be addressed quickly. The upper bound is really based on how much time you can dedicate. That said, 3 out of 5 of our current board members have full time jobs, and with some dedication, even a small amount of time can have an incredible impact.

Can I have a full time job while being a Trustee?

3 of the current 5 board members in Redwood City have full time jobs in addition to their commitment to the Board of Trustees. In general, having a job that allows a little bit of daytime flexibility is advisable, but all the staff and members are normally understanding of conflicts.

Participating in board meetings is a requirement, currently those are scheduled on Wednesdays. Between study sessions, commute time, and closed door sessions, you should probably make sure to be available from 5pm onward.

Can employees of the School District be elected?

Yes. Employees of the school district can run for a seat in the Board of Trustees. However, the rules mandate that their employment will be automatically terminated if elected, upon being sworn into office.

How much does it cost to become a candidate?

There are no costs associated with the initial application. However, if multiple candidates end up running for the same seat, each candidate will need to campaign.

How much a campaign costs really depends on how the campaign is run and how competitive other candidates are. Most School Board elections in Redwood City have run uncontested: with a single candidate on the ballot. So, no need to campaign.

But if campaigning is needed, candidates should expect to have to raise between 1,000 and 5,000 USD to pay for fliers, lawn signs, and campaign expenses in general.

The most important thing here is for the candidate to follow the rules set forth by the FPPC to prevent conflicts of interest and to ensure that the campaign is fair and transparent for the electors. This requires, for example, to use a special bank account to handle campaign forms, and to disclose information about donations and expenditures. To learn more, you should start from the FPPC Candidate Toolkit and the information provided by the San Mateo County.

Do Trustees receive any form of compensation?

Yes. There is some minimal compensation to cover for the meeting times, and training.

Where can I find more help?

For information about running as a candidate, forms, deadlines, etc, get in touch with the San Mateo County Elections division. The best email address is registrar@smcacre.org, the staff is incredibly helpful.

If you are planning or considering to run and need help with your campaign, outreach initiatives, preparing flyers, or social media initiatives, please let us know and get in touch with us, write to parents@p4rcs.org. We may be able to put you in touch with parents in our district willing to help!

About us - who are you, what is this site?

p4rcs, or "Parents for Redwood City Students" is a group of parents with the goal of increasing parent participation in our district to improve the quality of our schools, with a strong focus on equity, diversity, and above all, our students. You can join our newsletter to learn more about our initiatives (see button on top), or contact us at the email address below for any question or idea.

The focus of this website is to bring awareness about the upcoming elections, connect and learn about prospective candidates, and do our best to bring more voices both in our schools and in the district.