By Sandra Guadalupe León

The San Ysidro School District voted to fill a vacant seat on its board with a local business man who ran for the Board in November.

Steven B. Kinney, 60, a local licensed contractor and husband of a school teacher, was appointed last night to fill the seat vacated in August by the resignation of Jose F. Barajas. Mr. Kinney will serve out the remainder of the term through December 2016.

“I am honored that the Board selected me to serve,” Mr. Kinney said after the vote. “I appreciate the opportunity to help continue improving our district for our kids.”
A resident of the Coral Gates community near Las Americas shopping center, Mr. Kinney was the runner-up in the most recent election for the school board. He ended up just 169 votes from securing one of the three open seats last year. Kinney previously served 6 years in the US Navy Seabees handling construction projects all over the world.

“I’m humbled the board entrusted me with this position,” Mr. Kinney added. “So many teachers and staff supported my campaign and were here tonight to support me for this appointment. I promise to work diligently to make sure this district never falls back into the financial and legal messes we experienced.”

Kinney was selected from among 4 applicants after individual interviews were conducted. The other applicants were Felipe Nuño, Grethzell Hallmen, and Maritza Lizzet Gerardo-Chavarin.

“My priority is the financial stability of the District so we can provide a high quality education to the kids of our community,” Mr. Kinney added. “They all deserve a great education to prepare them for bright futures.”