By Mary O’KEEFE

With the banging of the gavel, Glendale Unified School District board member Christine Walters ushered in a new administration.

This is the first time since being elected to the school board in 2009 that Walters will take the reins as president.

The educational system in California has never been simple. The governor releases a budget in January, it is discussed/debated/revised in May and then something completely different is voted on in later months. School boards struggle with an ever changing bottom-line from the state however must make certain their budgets are balanced three years in advance.

“The area of a lot of concern is finance, and with the November elections and potential results,” Walters said.

She added that the GUSD school board members work as a team and she is certain they will be prepared, whatever the outcome.

Another area of interest for Walters is technology and Measure S.

“We have laid the ground work for Measure S. Technology is a particular interest of mine,” she said. “I work in a technology group.”

Measure S is a voter approved bond measure that is dedicated to bringing technology into the classroom.

Higher education is also another issue of concern especially with the recent tuition raises and possible enrollment freeze at California state universities. The district has set the stage to work on a high school/college program with Glendale Community College.

“We are continuing those college conversations,” she said. “There is so much uncertainty it is hard to find where to start.”

Walters has two sons, one who is in college and the other graduating this year from high school. She had served as PTA president at Hoover High School.

Fellow boardmember Nayiri Nahabedian will take the board’s vice president seat. This is her first time in that position since she was elected in 2007. Mary Boger is the newly named clerk and members Greg Krikorian and Joylene Wagner.

  Mary Okeefe