Meet Dolores Lucero for the Shasta County Board of Education 

Photo courtesy, Dolores Lucero.

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Lucero is running against five candidates for a four-year seat in Area 2. A note that four candidates declined to interview with Shasta Scout about their run for the SCOE Board: Richard Gallardo, Michele Renee Tyson, Jackie LaBarbera, and Teresa Roberts. Candidate responses to seven questions have been curated and paraphrased for this format.

Scout: Describe your background and what motivated you to run for the SCOE Board. 

I think my candidate statement kind of covers everything. 

You know. I don’t have problems with SCOE. I actually get along with the staff. They’ve been very helpful with me on what I’ve been investigating [for my business, Shasta County Watchdog]. 

Editors’ note: Lucero’s official candidate statement can be found here. 

Scout: What is the Shasta County Office of Education responsible for? 

I know basically SCOE is like an umbrella; they are responsible for making sure that all the schools are in compliance with following state laws, and that they’re using their finances the way they’re supposed to. 

Editor’s note: SCOE does not have jurisdiction over whether individual school districts follow the law, or how they set policy. As far as finances, SCOE reviews various districts’ budgets for financial solvency, as required by state law. SCOE also reviews and approves district LCAPs (Local Control Accountability Plans), which include school districts’ long term goals, and guide how they will prioritize spending over a three-year period.  

Scout: What oversight does SCOE have over individual school districts?

I know [they oversee] finance, and any funding that comes from the government, and vaccines.  They make sure [individual school districts] are in compliance with all the state laws. 

Editor’s note: SCOE doesn’t have any role in vaccination policies in school districts. As previously stated, SCOE approves districts’ annual budgets for fiscal solvency but does not have jurisdiction over whether individual school districts follow the law, or how they set policy. 

Scout: How do the SCOE Board’s responsibilities differ from those of individual school boards? 

The school boards are all individuals–they’re all their own districts. They make their own policies, their own kind of ordinances, and things like that. So they’re all different, but there’s certain state laws they do have to follow and comply with. If somebody reports a school district and says “hey, you know, this certain school is not complying with these laws,” SCOE reviews the complaints to make sure schools are in compliance with the laws. If not, they will send somebody to make sure that the laws are being followed.

Editor’s note: According to SCOE, they are not a law enforcement agency and do not have the authority to reprimand local school districts that do not comply with state law. The California Department of Education oversees the state’s public school system and is responsible for enforcing education laws and regulations in schools.

Scout: Have you received donations of over $1,000 and if so from what groups or organizations? 

I have not received any money from anybody, and I have not spent any money. I do everything myself. Basically, I have my own copy machine. I do everything from home myself, so I don’t rely on anybody for support. 

Editor’s note: Shasta Scout reviewed Lucery’s campaign finances via the Shasta County Elections Office and found no contributions documented as of October 28.

Scout: Discuss your thoughts on public education in Shasta County. 

How do I feel? I think things are changing. Sometimes, I feel that it’s a little bit of sensitive conversation, because schools are changing–everything’s changing. It’s making it difficult for parents to keep their children in school, because of some of the regulations of the state. So parents trying to find a way to say, “hey, look, I don’t want my child vaccinated,” you know? They have a right to not vaccinate their children. But I also believe that you have to follow laws. 

So, you have to kind of figure out what you’re going to do. They’re forcing everybody to do things that harm the child and the parents.

Editor’s Note: This is the law that outlines what vaccines are required for students to attend public schools in California. Students were not required to get vaccinated against COVID to attend public schools in the 2023-2024 school year. 

Scout: What are your thoughts on “Parents’ Rights?”

I understand that parents want what’s best for their children. I totally understand that. But there’s some groups out there that are really coming down on the schools and attacking the staff. I think that if you don’t like something, if you know your child, if you don’t want your child to be in the school where you feel like parents’ rights are being attacked… sometimes you have to take your child out of the school. That way you could figure out what you want to do with your child, because you can’t leave the child in that kind of environment. 

The Fourteenth Amendment protects individual rights and public education. If the parents know and understand those rights and understand the law, they might be able to make changes, but sometimes the way they go about it is without understanding the law. If we learn the law, we can use the law against the law… We all have rights as parents. Parents also have to do their homework to figure out what they can do for what’s best for their child.

Editor’s note: After the Thirteenth Amendment was passed–abolishing chattel slavery in the United States–the Fourteenth Amendment was ratified in order to extend the liberties enshrined by the Bill of Rights to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States.” At the time, this referenced enslaved Africans who were granted full citizenship when they were emancipated. In more contemporary times, parts of the Fourteenth Amendment have been invoked by the Supreme Court to define certain elements of “parental rights,” such as parents’ right to private schooling, the right of the state to prosecute parents who endanger their children, and the peoples’ right to legal abortions. 

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