October 1, 2022 - My name is Robert Hill, and am running for Mariposa County School Board, District 1 Trustee.  I graduated MCHS in 2001, and have 3 children who are students at the Elementary School and the High School.

I am running for the board to ensure that your child will receive a nurturing and challenging educational environment with effective school leadership.  I am motivated to build relationships with the entire community through deep listening and honest conversations without judgement for any diverse view.  I want a School Board that responds to the needs of students, families, and teachers in our district, one that serves the needs of all of our students, including those who have historically been left behind. Our teachers and support staff need the tools, resources, and support necessary to build upon the gifts and talents of each student in their care. A school board must be responsive and receptive to parents, staff, students and the community at large, must take input and weigh all the facts before making decisions. Anyone that comes before the board has the right to be heard and opinion considered, not just to speak.

As board member, I will endeavor to understand everyone’s opinion, identify the commonalities, and make effective fiscally-sound policy and operational decisions. I promise to act with integrity and with support from the community.  Some of my other concerns are:  keeping our children safe, eliminating inefficiency, fighting the drug issue in the schools and neighboring locations during school lunch, Special Education and focusing on the mental health and well-being of the students.

I have many strengths and management tools which I will bring to the school board.  I have worked in management positions that involved multi level emergency situations on both small scale and large scale events.  

I work towards and value good communication. I have publicly delivered speeches, worked on policies and procedures, and taught Emergency Medical Services classes.  I am an award winning HazMat instructor for Fire, EMS, Law Enforcement and Healthcare.  I have worked with multidisciplinary agencies who communicate with different languages.  In addition, I am very attentive to details. I have taught classes, worked in Emergency situations, as well as written policies and procedures on the processes of what to do during a disaster, which has all been benefited by my ability to be detailed.  I have written reports, created a syllabus, and designed after action reports after a critical disaster exercise or event.  These demanded an accurate description of every detail learned, researched, discussed, or put into action.  

Another strength is integrity.  Working in Emergency Management and disasters requires being able to maintain patient confidentiality, victims confidentiality, as well as make sound ethical decisions.   

These strengths will benefit the School Board significantly.

Mental health is one of the biggest challenges facing every school across the nation, some data suggests that rural school districts face perhaps the biggest issue. Mental health encompasses suicide prevention, brain disorders, trauma, social-emotional learning, and self-care. From my experience dealing with these issues we can access resources, collaborate with other local districts, agencies, and funder foundations to organize and fund school mental health therapists and tele-health options. 

I am running for School Board to be part of the team that leads our school community to help ensure our district is forward-thinking, yet reflective of its past missteps, not just its past successes. I am running because I know the difficult policy decisions this next Board will be facing.

My combined 22 years in Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Management, Public Health and Risk Management will be an asset to the School Board, parents, students, and teachers in keeping our schools and students safe and focused on success.  

When elected, I will work tirelessly to be an advocate for all our families and to ensure that our children receive the support and opportunity to reach their maximum potential.

Visit Robert Hill for Mariposa County School Board Trustee, District 1 page on Facebook here.

Source: Robert Hill, Mariposa County School Board Trustee, District 1 Candidate