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As the 20th anniversary of Rachel Hurd’s first election to the San Ramon Valley school board approaches in November, the longest-tenured trustee is seeking to defend her seat for another four-year term in the district’s only competitive race in the November election.
Hurd is seeking to continue her role representing a portion of southeastern San Ramon including Dougherty Valley and a swath of the San Ramon Valley’s eastern hills that make up Area 5 with a sixth term in November – with newcomer Joel Woods challenging her for the seat.
“After 20 years serving as a Trustee for San Ramon Valley Unified School District, I remain as committed as ever to making sure every student has the opportunity to thrive,” Hurd said in an Aug. 31 press release. “I am running again because I believe I still have valuable contributions to make, and I have been encouraged by people whose judgment and opinions I respect to continue serving our community.”
Between her lengthy tenure on the board and other work at the local and state levels, Hurd serves as a prominent figure in the community as executive director of Leadership San Ramon Valley and as a former Dougherty Valley/San Ramon Rotary Club president, and at the state level as a member of Decoding Dyslexia at the state level.
“Serving on the Board has taught me that lasting progress comes from listening carefully, understanding the full picture and working respectfully with people who may have different perspectives,” Hurd said. “I am proud of what our community has accomplished together, and I am excited about what we can accomplish next. I look forward to listening to the priorities of students, families, staff and community members throughout this campaign and earning their support for another term of service.”
After graduating from UC Davis with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and working in the aerospace industry for several years, Hurd shifted her attention to education and volunteer roles in the district when her children grew to be school age. She would be elected to the Board of Education in 2006.
With nearly 20 years on the board now under her belt – and in her first year as a grandmother – Hurd is now looking ahead to what the next four years holds for the district.
“Maintaining the financial health of our district will be one of the Board’s most important responsibilities over the next four years,” Hurd said. “Between May 2024 and January 2025, we made significant budget reduction decisions to address deficit spending, but some of the staffing reductions sunset at the end of the 2027-2028 school year. At the same time, we need to remain competitive in total compensation in order to attract and retain the excellent teachers, administrators and staff who make our schools successful.”
While financial struggles remain one of the district’s top challenges in the present day, Hurd noted that she is also eager to remain on the board in order to see ongoing efforts towards improving student support systems become actualized and implemented.
That includes the district-wide rollout of new Multi-Tiered Systems of Support protocols, which have been tested at a series of focus schools in past years.
“Our goal is a system that serves every student,” Hurd said. “That requires having effective screening, strong core instruction, timely interventions and a clear process for responding when students need additional support. Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, and before that Response to Intervention/Instruction, have been discussed for years, but we are finally creating structures to do this at all campuses. I want to see this work come to full fruition.”
Hurd, her challenger Woods, and the two candidates not facing challengers in this year’s election – incumbent Area 4 trustee and board president Susanna Ordway, and newcomer Amanda Butland, who is running unchallenged for the Area 1 seat being vacated by Jesse vanZee – are set to discuss their platforms and goals for the next four years at an upcoming candidate forum moderated by DanvilleSanRamon.
The event is scheduled for 7 p.m. Sept. 17 in the district headquarters at 699 Old Orchard Drive in Danville. Questions can be submitted here.
More information on Hurd’s campaign is available at rachelhurdforsrvusd.com.
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