Winners call vote a mandate

Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2002 | 9:54 a.m.

Sheila Moulton, Susan Brager and Larry Mason were re-elected to the Clark County School Board on Tuesday, with voters choosing the seasoned incumbents over novice challengers.

The School Board sets policy for more than 270 campuses serving 254,000 students. The board also appoints the superintendent and oversees an annual budget of more than $1.2 billion.

Mason won easily with 72 percent of the vote, while Brager and Moulton's victories were narrower -- 58.4 percent and 57.7 percent respectively.

Moulton, a former substitute teacher and currently the board president, defeated Teamsters Local 14 trustee Julie "Gina" Greisen for the District G seat.

Moulton said she saw the re-election of herself and her two colleagues as a "mandate" from the voters.

"We're doing a good job and the voters are telling us to keep going," Moulton said. "We need to keep our focus on student achievement, improving resources and supporting the superintendent's initiatives."

Greisen said while she was disappointed not to unseat Moulton, she was satisfied that her campaign had "sent a message."

"A lot of people aren't happy with how employees are treated by the district, and they want to see the board shape up," Greisen said. "I intend to keep Mrs. Moulton accountable. It doesn't matter what side of the board room I'm sitting on."

For District F, the incumbent Brager defeated challenger Mitchell Tracy. A real estate agent and longtime school volunteer, Brager was re-elected to her third term on the board.

"I'm ecstatic," Brager said. "The support from the community has been incredible."

Tracy, an insurance claims adjuster, ran on a platform of fiscal accountability districtwide. Much of the district's $90 million in budget cuts over the past three years could have been avoided through better financial management, Tracy said.

Tracy, who has two young sons, said he plans to keep a close eye on Brager's job performance.

"I want to see her keep every one of her campaign promises," Tracy said. "She said she would put children first, and if she votes to cut a student program I'll make sure people know about it."

Brager said she was glad to be returning to the board to help lobby state lawmakers for additional education funding when the Legislature returns to work in February.

"This is the time, more than ever, that we need a board that knows how to work together," Brager said. "We don't have a lot of time for learning curves."

Mason, dean of student development at the Community College of Southern Nevada, said he was gratified to have been re-elected by such a large margin over his challenger, independent television news producer Pablo Castro-Zavala.

"It means I'm doing my job for the people I represent, and I'm proud I'll get the opportunity to continue this very important work," Mason said.