Rialto School Board Candidates Outline Plans for Student Health, Academic Support and District Spending

To help inform Rialto residents ahead of the Nov. 3 general election, Inland Empire Community News (IECN) reached out to the three candidates running for Rialto Unified School District Board seats, including Evelyn Dominguez, Stephanie Lopez and James Martinez. IECN sent each candidate the same four questions and has published their responses as submitted, with edits for clarity, length and AP style. 

James Martinez did not respond by the time of publication. 

Communities throughout the Inland Empire face environmental health challenges, including air pollution from warehouses, truck traffic and nearby freeways. What responsibility do school districts have to protect students from environmental health risks, and what measures would you advocate to address these concerns?

Evelyn Dominguez: Children, especially young children whose immune and hormone systems are still developing and adapting, along with those whose immune system is already compromised are uniquely vulnerable to environmental pollution, both indoors and outdoors. While the district does not have control over the local roads, highways or construction. We do have some control over our facilities. We can do our best to mitigate external environmental pollution factors with things like air purifiers in classrooms, robust HEPA filters in our HVAC systems, planting more trees and greenery to reduce the spread of dust and emissions from manufacturing and vehicles from reaching our classrooms. 

These efforts are already in place as we do have purifiers in our classrooms and offices. We are using our bond money to update our HVAC system at multiple School sites. Every Elementary School and Middle School does have a garden where the green scenery can expand. Along with Morris Elementary being a fully Green School. As a board member, I would propose and support district and city and county policies that mitigate pollution and promote student health, which in turn promotes student access to our schools and increased attendance. An environment that promotes learning is more than just good teachers and a good curriculum, it also requires a healthy space where students feel safe and wanted. 

Stephanie Lopez: I believe protecting students from environmental health risks is a responsibility we cannot ignore. As a parent of a child with autism, I understand the importance of reducing environmental exposures that can affect children’s health and development. While autism has complex causes, environmental factors deserve serious attention. Our Inland Empire communities face pollution from warehouses, diesel trucks and freeways putting students at risk. I would advocate for improved classroom air filtration, regular air quality monitoring, safer school transportation and stronger partnerships with environmental health agencies. I would also push for greater transparency and community involvement in decisions affecting our schools. Every child deserves a safe, healthy learning environment, regardless of their neighborhood, disability or economic background. We need to go back to having strictly residential and industrial/commercial areas.

What do you consider the most pressing mental health challenges facing students in your district, and what specific steps would you support to improve access to mental health services and resources?

Evelyn Dominguez: The ability to feel safe and welcome at school has a tremendous impact on student mental health. Students want to learn. They want to be at school. They want to participate in class and school activities. They want to be with their friends. Any barriers to those things create unhealthy stress and anxiety, which often manifests in poor attendance, poor testing, poor socialization with family and peers, and poor educational outcomes. One of the major barriers to student enjoyment at school is the distracting and detrimental impact of social media and the bullying that results from that and short attention spans. 

I have supported policies and proposals that require students to put away electronic devices during school hours that have access to social media or texting, and we have seen improvements in student emotional well-being and learning. To keep that trend going, I will support policies that seek to reduce forms of screen time in school and in assignments and instead emphasize more traditional learning methods. 

We know AI is making its way into our society. It can be healthy as long as it is used in the correct way. I have supported policies and proposals to make sure that AI is not detrimental to our students and the burden to our teachers and staff. Technology has its place, but I believe student mental health is improved through less screen time and more person-to-person interactions.

Stephanie Lopez: I believe bullying, anxiety, depression and inadequate mental health resources are serious challenges facing students. As a parent of a high school senior who experienced severe bullying and mental health struggles, I have witnessed firsthand the emotional damage caused when schools fail to intervene. Equally concerning is the lack of responsibility and accountability I experienced from the district when addressing these issues. Families should never have to fight for their children’s safety and well-being. 

I would advocate for stronger anti-bullying policies, increased mental health professionals, trauma-informed training, and transparent investigations with meaningful consequences when concerns are mishandled. We need district leadership that takes responsibility, listens to families, and prioritizes prevention. Every student deserves protection, accountability, and access to mental health support.

What do you consider the greatest obstacles to academic achievement in your district, particularly among students from disadvantaged backgrounds and what policies would you prioritize to improve educational outcomes?

Evelyn Dominguez: Students from disadvantaged or even from advantaged backgrounds cannot focus on learning, getting their diplomas or getting the full school experience when they are hungry, their hygiene needs are not met, are unhoused, have unreliable transportation, or are on their own because they have one or both parents working multiple jobs to support themselves and their family or their multi-generational households. In today’s times we also have to worry about those students who fear not finding family members at home due to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. We already provide free breakfast, lunch and supper at some schools to all K-12 students, but I would support expanding that to allow students to take food home from school at the end of the day and holidays and long weekends, we already have our pantry drives every month however some families do not have transportation to attend these pantry drives. 

An increase in after-school enrichment and child care options and opportunities for students and parents, and allow greater use of our facilities for more community outreach to connect all our families, but especially the disadvantaged, with local community resources and services that can help them. At Rialto USD we do not only focus on students we focus on families.

Stephanie Lopez: I believe the greatest obstacles to academic achievement are inequitable resources, overcrowded classrooms, inadequate student support and a lack of accountability. Coming from a diverse family that includes foster youth, African American and Hispanic children and children with disabilities, I understand firsthand how underserved students can be overlooked and denied the services they need to succeed. I’ve witnessed how gaps in special education services, insufficient classroom support and poor communication with families negatively affect student achievement. 

I would prioritize smaller class sizes, increased teacher and instructional aide support, stronger special education services, culturally responsive education and expanded academic intervention programs. I also believe districts must be held accountable for providing equitable access to resources and meeting students’ individual needs. Every child deserves more than an opportunity to attend school; they deserve the support necessary to thrive academically.

How would you determine which programs deserve funding, and how would you elevate whether district spending is producing meaningful results for students?

Evelyn Dominguez: All of the district’s programs are initiated with the best of intentions. Not all of them are successful, or quite meet the expectations we’d hoped for. Deserving programs will need to align with the District’s mission and its plan to achieve achievement. I do believe that a rising tide lifts all boats, and we don’t have to sacrifice dollars to some students in order to prioritize others. We can prioritize resources for programs that support high-needs student groups, like English learners, foster youth, and low-income families by looking for savings through reducing or eliminating reliance on consultants, outside contracts, cutting back legal bills, and reducing open and unfilled positions. We also need to receive the input of our teachers and make sure that they have the proper tools to be able to be successful. By doing this not only will we increase jobs for community members it will also be more student focused to meet their needs. We need to get away from securing balanced budgets through cuts to the classrooms and faculty layoffs. Instead we need to make the district a destination for enrollment, where students can achieve here. In turn it will boost funding, and create more resources and opportunities for our students and families.

Stephanie Lopez: I believe fiscal responsibility begins with transparency, accountability, and ensuring funding reaches the students and programs it was designated to support. I would prioritize reviewing the district’s spending plans, including the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), to ensure resources are distributed equitably, especially for special education, foster youth, English learners, and disadvantaged students. Funding decisions should reflect student needs, academic outcomes, and input from educators, parents, and community members. I would advocate for regular budget reviews, measurable program goals, and public reporting to evaluate whether spending produces meaningful improvements. When programs fail to deliver results, we must identify why and make necessary adjustments. Every dollar should directly support student success, safety, and educational opportunities.