Mariela Hernandez Cites Improving Access as Key Goal for CHCCS Campaign

Among the crowded race for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education this fall, Mariela Hernandez says she is running to provide more representation and improve access to all community members.

Hernandez is one of more than a dozen candidates who are seeking election, but says she stands out as an option to voters because there has not been much Latina representation on the district’s school board in recent years. A graduate of the CHCCS system herself, and with children in the district, she says it was that lack of representation that sparked her decision to run.

For her day job, the Chapel Hill resident recently began a position with Orange County’s Housing Department working as a case manager for its Rapid Rehousing initiative, which helps find ways to return people recently experiencing homelessness to permanent housing. Before that, Hernandez worked as a family support specialist for the Orange County Health Department and other community organizations. Additionally, she currently serves on the board of directors for the local nonprofit Skjaja — which provides scholarships and financial aid for students to explore extracurricular activities — and has previously served on the PTA boards of McDougle Elementary School and McDougle Middle School.

In an email with Chapelboro, Hernandez said she believes her top policy goals are improving transparency and accessibility to the exceptional children program, citing the challenges that face such parents and the hurdles for those who English is their second language. She also cited the need to continue bolstering methods of closing the achievement gap for Black and brown students, offering mental health services to students, and providing free lunch programs.

“As far as [another] policy,” she added, “employment and staff rotation is a big thing that needs to be worked on. I want to be clear [too:] as part of the community, [it] is so hard to comprehend all this policies and [our] strategic plan. I have viewed and read [it all, and I] still sometimes have trouble understanding some of it. But we can all see that employment and staffing is affecting all our students in different ways.”

The CHCCS Board of Education race initially drew 19 candidates during the July filing period, although several have since dropped out or removed themselves from the ballot. As of Monday, 14 candidates — including Hernandez — are seeking election to the four available seats on the board, with one being open as Jillian La Serna decided not to run for re-election.

Early voting for the fall local government elections is just one month away. Ballots will begin to be cast on Thursday, October 19, culminating in Election Day on Tuesday, November 7.

For a full list of races Chapelboro is covering this 2023 local election cycle, click here. Additional coverage on candidates can be found on the Local Elections page, as well as other updates in the races as the election cycle continues this fall.

Photo via Mariela for CHCCS Board.

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Mariela Hernandez Cites Improving Access as Key Goal for CHCCS Campaign

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