My name is Julee Brooks, and I am running for the William S. Hart Union High School District board in Trustee Area 2 representing parts of Valencia, New-hall and Stevenson Ranch. I am the mother of a junior at Hart High School and a younger son currently entering sixth grade. So, I will be a parent in the Hart district until 2033.
My children have attended public schools their entire lives and attended local Santa Clarita Valley districts since we moved to the area in 2020. Like most families in this valley, I chose to raise my kids here because of the quality and diversity of our schools.
My husband and I have also actively supported their public education journeys. This includes currently serving as fundraising chair for the Hart High Show Choir Boosters and previous roles as a PTA board member, a Cub Scout leader and a T-ball assistant coach.
But I haven’t just supported my own kids and even just their own schools. I also serve locally on the SCV Education Foundation that supports students and teachers in all districts throughout the SCV. I’ve also spent years building programs for and advocating on behalf of students with special needs, work that predates the birth of my younger son who also has special needs.
Supporting young people and students is my professional work, too. I have spent the past two decades leading youth-serving organizations and I am CEO of one of the largest community-based educational services organizations in Southern California providing afterschool, summer and outdoor education programs to 30,000 students every year. I work directly with school leaders, policy leaders, families and students all fighting for the same thing: making sure every student has access to a great public education.
My experience also means I have an in-depth understanding of education policy and school finance, both of which are critical to solid school board governance.
To me, this campaign isn’t about politics. It’s about the opportunity to serve my own community and showing up for all Hart district students in the same way I’ve shown up for my own kids for over a decade, and the way I’ve shown up throughout my career for students across our state. Most importantly, it’s about always putting students first in every decision.
Our students deserve school board members who understand both the big picture of education and the everyday reality of raising kids in our public schools. I’ve spent my career on the former and my last decade living the latter.
I’d be honored to earn your vote this November.
Julee Brooks
Valencia
