The Telescope has chosen to endorse Palomar College Governing Board candidate Lee Dulgeroff for District #4.
We interviewed Dulgeroff and one of his District #4 opponents, John Santhoff, via Zoom. We did not interview the other two candidates, Evan Krausz and Brian E. Olson, as they were not able to meet our interview deadlines.
Our decision was based upon Dulgeroff’s experience and background knowledge about Palomar’s student life and how the faculty and administration run, which we believe makes him more likely to understand the needs of students, faculty and staff.
His general goals include the improvement and expansion of educational opportunities for students of all ages, as well as balancing the budget and restoration of long-term fiscal solvency. He would also like to keep education affordable for students and families, while expanding connections between Palomar College and local businesses that provide trade apprenticeships.
Dulgeroff expressed his desire to understand students’ needs and their perspective on Palomar matters. Having a daughter who is a college student herself, he is aware of the happenings and issues on campus.
In addition, he appears willing to listen to student voices pertaining to the planning and designing of new school facilities because of their daily experiences with the premises. He would like to establish regular office meetings to connect with the student body.
Regarding Palomar College’s financial crisis that has been on The Telescope’s headlines for more than two years, Dulgeroff emphasized that transparency will help solve the school’s problems. This would include holding public meetings and allowing stakeholders and students to participate in discussions.
Although Santhoff has both the business background and drive to assist Palomar’s budget crisis and other concerns, he does not bear the same level of connection with students and the campus in comparison to Dulgeroff. This could impact important decisions on what students’ needs are and how the school budget is spent.
In regards to Krausz and Olson, we did not refrain from considering their campaigns despite the fact that they were unable to participate in the interviews. We believe their diverse experiences and backgrounds would bring various strengths to the Board, however they did not seem to exhibit the same familiarity with Palomar as the candidate we ultimately chose to endorse.
The outcome of the Governing Board election has the power to shape the standards of our education as well as impact each individual of the Palomar community.
