Our board did not endorse Steve Tietjen for county office
As a school board member for the Planada Elementary School District, I was quite surprised to read that we endorsed Steve Tietjen for Merced County Superintendent of Schools, especially since we did not.
I received a campaign flier in the mail stating Planada was one of the 20 school districts in Merced County that support Tietjen. Allow me to set the record straight.
As individuals we are capable of selecting and voting for any candidate we believe in. As a school board entity, representing the Planada Elementary School District, we decided to remain neutral and not endorse any candidate. The superintendent of Planada Elementary School District relayed that same message to Tietjen and another candidate – verbally and directly before the fliers were sent out.
The Planada Elementary School District does not endorse any candidate for the Merced County Superintend of Schools. On a personal level, I would not vote for a candidate who depends on subterfuge to garner votes
David Rodriguez, Planada Elementary School Board trustee, Planada
This story was originally published May 16, 2018 at 5:27 PM with the headline "Our board did not endorse Steve Tietjen for county office."