Folsom Cordova Needs a Trustee Who Knows the System From the Inside

I'm Kara and I'd be honored to earn your vote for FCUSD District 1. I learned this job from the classroom up.

Most school board members learn how a district works after they are elected. I learned it over 14 years inside Folsom Cordova Unified — as a classroom teacher, a vice principal, the district's K–12 Lead History Teacher, and a Curriculum & Instruction Specialist. This November, I'm asking Area 1 voters to keep that depth of knowledge on the Board of Education.

I'm a lifelong Folsom resident. I attended Blanche Sprentz, Folsom Middle School, and Folsom High School, and today I'm a mother of four. I ran for the board after years of sitting through meetings and watching decisions made without a real sense of what happens inside a classroom. Four years later, I believe my record shows why that sense matters.

I know where a policy lands. Every board vote eventually lands in a classroom, a front office, or a staff lounge. I've worked in all three, so I ask the questions that keep good intentions from becoming new burdens on teachers and students.

That knowledge shaped a productive first term. I helped lead a collaborative, community-informed superintendent search that selected Erik Swanson, since named a 2026 Superintendent to Watch. I serve on the Policy Committee, where lasting change is actually written, and I'm a voting member of the Curriculum Advisory Committee, keeping instruction rigorous and responsive.

I championed literacy and environmental resolutions, supported the opening of Alder Creek Elementary, and helped guide the district's Facilities Comprehensive Plan for a growing district. I've pushed for better district-wide communication and student safety, and kept steady support behind the arts, music, and athletics.

My work goes beyond the board table, too. For part of my term, I served as the board's voice on the Folsom 2x2 Committee, working directly with the City of Folsom — a partnership that even brought back the Folsom Snail Race. As a CSBA Region 6 Delegate for my entire term, I bring statewide policy insight home to Folsom Cordova, along with best practices from across California and collaboration with neighboring districts.

A clear plan for the next four years. My second-term priorities come from having done the work I now help oversee. I want adequate counseling staffing and trauma-informed training to support student and staff mental health. I want to address the staffing shortage with competitive pay, benefits, and sustainable working conditions for teachers and classified staff alike.

I'm pressing for a fiscally responsible capacity plan that handles both growth and the aging Rancho Cordova campuses. I want innovation built in-house, including a new specialty high school, so families can find the right fit without leaving FCUSD. And I want Title I funds to follow students to their school sites, with continued investment in the community school model.

That last idea reflects my broader belief that students thrive in varied, engaging learning environments. It's the same belief that led me to found Wild Roots Learning Center, a nature-based school, and it's why I want more of those real options inside public education.

The people who know the work agree

I'm especially proud of who stands behind me. Both the Folsom Cordova Education Association and the California School Employees Association endorsed me in 2022 and again in 2026. The teachers and classified staff who live with the board's decisions every day have seen my work up close and chosen me both times.

I'm also backed by many local organizations, elected officials, and candidates. And I was honored when the Folsom Telegraph named me Folsom's Person of the Year for 2023–2026 — a reminder that the quiet daily work for kids gets noticed.

A school board seat should not be a training ground. I understand this system from the inside, I've delivered results, and I have a practical plan for what comes next. I'd be honored to have your vote this November.