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The parent of a special needs student began her duties Monday as Area 4 representative with the Del Norte County Unified School District Board of Trustees.

Two of the four trustees tasked with appointing a replacement for their colleague, Roger Daley, praised the answers Charlaine Mazzei gave during an interview last week.

Mazzei, who is currently the executive director for the Del Norte Senior Center, also received praise from Del Norte Teachers Association’s lead negotiator, Mary Peacock teacher Paige Thompson.

“She offers a unique perspective because she’s a current parent and she has a student who has special needs,” Thompson told trustees on Thursday. “I appreciated that she didn’t have to know every answer. She was OK with saying, ‘I’m not sure, I really need to get back to you.’”

Area 5 Trustee Jamie Forkner nominated Mazzei for the Area 4 seat. Forkner’s colleague, Area 1 Trustee Don McArthur, seconded her nomination.

Angela Greenough, who represents Trustee Area 2, nominated Albert George Olson to represent Area 4, however her nomination died for lack of a second.

Board President Frank Magarino abstained from nominating a candidate, however both he and Greenough on Thursday voted in favor to appoint Mazzei to the vacant trustee position.

Mazzei will take the Area 4 seat over from Roger Daley, who resigned in January. She and Olson were among five candidates vying for the position.

Others who filled out applications include former trustee Judith Cordts, former DNTA president Mike Mealue and Joey Borges. Area 4 coincides with Del Norte County’s District 4 and includes the community of Fort Dick.

McArthur said though he has served with Cordts on the Board of Trustees up until the 2016 election and he appreciated the experience others may bring, he said Mazzei “met” his criteria.
Forkner noted that Mazzei sought the Area 4 seat in 2016 and came in second behind Daley.

“She had really good answers, had done her research and shown prior that she wants the job because she has run before,” Forkner said. “I know her heart truly is in the right spot. I think that somebody that has a special needs child would be good on our board becaue that is something we are lacking.”

During a forum hosted by DNTA and the local California School Employees Association chapter on Feb. 24, Mazzei said though she hasn’t decided for sure, she’s considering running for a four-year term when her seat is up for election in November.

“I haven’t decided for sure, but it’s getting more and more likely as I get closer,” Mazzei told DNTA president Marshall Jones who was one of the moderators.

In response to questions about health insurance, Mazzei said as an employer her goal is to ensure her employees have access to health insurance, but because the organization operates on fixed grants, the budget for coverage isn’t available.

Mazzei was also asked to weigh in on the practice of hiring independent contractors for work that is typically done by the school district’s classified staff. This question came from CSEA representative Sarah Mitchell, who at a recent school board meeting took issue with a proposal to hire contractors to provide services to special needs students.

In response to Mitchell’s question, Mazzei said the district should first try to use its employees to offer services to students. When that isn’t possible, she said, then the district should consider using independent contractors.

Mazzei also noted that she is the parent of a special needs child.

“I’ve seen service providers for speech and OT (occupational therapy) and physical therapy come and go,” she said. “I’d rather see a consistent person be employed, have a career here, have a family here and not just be a visitor from somewhere else.”

KFUG Community News's Brayden Hatch contributed to this report.

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