Luis Fernandez joins a unified school board

Each board member at the Wasco Union Elementary School District seems to share the same philosophy.

"We're here for the students," said board member Luis Fernandez.

Fernandez's term began in 2014 when board members and classified employees at the elementary school urged him to run for the board in 2014. He originally ran for a four-year term, which was up in 2018. Since then, he ran for the open two-year term in the 2018 election, which expires in 2020. Because all the candidates for the WUESD board ran unopposed, each candidate was sworn in at their December meeting.

Even though he has no children currently in Wasco schools, he emphasized his philosophy regarding his top priority is the same as his fellow board members. "The students are number one," he said. He also expressed there is a genuine comradery on the board.

Now the store manager, Fernandez has worked at True Value Hardware in Wasco for 30 years, and his wife, Cynthia, also works there. Even during his spare time, he likes to keep busy. "I like to work on projects around the house." He enjoys working and helping his customers.

Fernandez is looking forward to the completion of James Forrest Elementary School and of the new gymnasium at Palm Avenue Elementary School, soon to become a middle school in the 2019-2020 school year.

When asked why the school district doesn't have two meetings a month like the City Council does, Fernandez stated, "I asked that same question when I first got on the board in 2014," he said. "I don't think enough information could be generated in two weeks to require two meetings a month like the City Council. They have a whole city to run."

Fernandez was candid as he stated that he doesn't get into politics and also explained he sometimes doesn't understand the terms and language of politicians, "but I'm learning as I go."