There are two seats open this November 5 on the Petaluma City School District board of education. But in an otherwise noisy election season, both local races are quiet, albeit for different reasons.

One of them, for Area 1, is not a race at all, with Ryan Williams running unopposed in the region that includes northeast Petaluma and part of Penngrove.

The other, for Area 4, pits incumbent Ellen Webster against Kimberly Ruiz Seitz, an unknown politician running a nearly invisible campaign in the region west of Highway 101, roughly bounded by Bodega Avenue and part of D Street.

The best chance to see the Area 4 candidates side by side: a September 30 Candidate Forum organized by local chapters of the American Association of University Women and the League of Women Voters, was canceled after Ruiz Seitz said she would not attend. Requests for comment from Ruiz Seitz for this article were not returned.

As with the City Council race, this is the second time voters have elected school board representatives from smaller regions of the district. Petaluma City Schools moved from a general system in 2022, dividing the district into five trust areas.

Webster, last elected in 2020, is currently serving her second term as an at-large board member.

“I feel like we have a very good board of directors. We work together very well. We respect each other. “It feels like we’re in the middle of a lot of things: changing our bell schedule to a seven-period day, working on ethnic studies,” she said.

“I want to continue to make sure that we have equity and diversity in our schools and also in our curriculum. I think it is very important for children to see themselves in the curriculum. … And I also think it’s very important to give a voice to students and staff, to listen to them, to talk to them.”

Webster works at Sonoma State University supervising student teachers in the credential program, but before that, she taught for 30 years in the Shoreline Unified School District as an English and drama teacher. His children attended Petaluma City Schools and two of his grandchildren are now part of the district.

He said he wants to see better salaries for teachers and stressed the importance of listening to everyone.

“I also want to make sure our schools are safe and welcoming for everyone, students, staff and families,” she said.

This is his third campaign and “probably his last,” he added.

Williams unopposed

Ryan Williams says his focus, when he gets to the school board, will be on people.

“I am focused on student achievement, success and safety and supporting our teachers and classified staff by providing them with the dignity and respect they deserve,” Williams said.

He currently works as a political leader for SEIU Local 1021, which primarily represents county workers throughout Northern California, he said. He clarified that the chapter does not represent any Petaluma city government employees or Petaluma schools employees.

In conversations with community members, Williams said he noticed “no one was showing up to run. I dedicated my life to public service and it seemed like the right time, at the right time, to put my name in the hat and no one else decided to join me in this race“, said.

He is the father of two young children, one of whom is currently enrolled in the Waugh School District and who will likely attend Petaluma City Schools after elementary school.

Current board members Caitlin Quinn (Area 2), Mady Cloud (Area 3), and Joanna Paul (Area 5) each ran unopposed in 2022 after being elected in 2018. Their terms are scheduled to end in December 2026.

Sheldon Gen, who is general manager, did not seek re-election and his term ends at the end of this year.

You can contact staff writer Jennifer Sawhney at 707-521-5346 or [email protected]. On X (Twitter) @sawhney_media.