Merced Union High School District trustee ousted

An incumbent Merced Union High School District trustee was voted out of office by a large margin in Tuesday’s balloting in Merced County, another incumbent was lagging behind and several other trustees weathered challenges at the polls.

Incumbent MUHSD trustee William Snyder III was ousted by Richard Lopez, Planada Elementary School principal, for the Area 5 seat on the five-member high school board. The high school district has about 10,000 students at campuses in Merced, Atwater and Livingston.

Lopez said he is looking forward to the challenges of serving the high school board and bringing stability back to the school district. He has been a principal for eight years and was a trustee for 14 years with the Merced River School District.

Lopez had 66.11 percent of the vote to 32.87 percent for Snyder, with 22 of 23 precincts reporting.

“I’m excited the people have confidence in me doing what’s right for the kids,” Lopez said.

Snyder, who was seated as a trustee a year ago, said he wants to thank God, the Merced Union High School District and Merced High School Principal John Olson for the memories. He said he was very grateful for the support he received from school employees, especially the classified or non-teaching workers.

The race for the Area 1 seat on the high school board was neck-and-neck as of 10 p.m., with 38 of 39 precincts reporting.

Challenger Greg Opinski had 38.33 percent of the vote while Ida Johnson, a MUHSD trustee for eight years, had 37.93 percent. Mary I. Mercado had 23.33 percent of the vote.

Adam Cox was elected to a second term on the Merced City School District Board of Education, beating Priya Lakireddy by a margin of 59.88 percent to 39.58 percent, with all 15 precincts reporting.

“It’s really humbling,” Cox said. “I’m so grateful that hundreds of people, many of whom I’ve never met, have confidence in me making decisions about education.”

Incumbent Merced College Trustee Dennis Jordan also gained a second term on the board, beating challenger William Hamilton 59.99 percent to 39.39 percent with 28 of 34 precincts reporting. A former member of the city school district board, Jordan is a retired teacher.

“I want to thank those who voted for me,” Jordan said. “I will continue to do my best to serve the students who attend Merced College and see that they are successful in their efforts to gain a higher education.”

In the Area 7 trustee race at Merced College, retired instructional technician Leonel Villarreal had 57.81 percent of the vote, with Daniel Kazakos lagging behind at 41.31 percent.

This story was originally published November 4, 2014 at 10:31 PM with the headline "Merced Union High School District trustee ousted."