Six candidates filed paperwork to run for the Simi Valley Unified School District's Board of Education at the Ventura County Elections Division office before last Friday's 5 p.m. deadline.

Three incumbents—Rob Collins, Janice DiFatta and Debbie Sandland—will seek reelection, while Raymond Cruz, Brad Jashinsky and Eric Smith will challenge for the three available seats. The election is Nov. 4.

Collins, 65, was elected to a four-year term in November 2004 and is a political science professor at Moorpark College and the College of the Canyons. He has lived in Simi Valley for almost 40 years, and was a teacher and administrator at Simi Valley High School and Sinaloa Middle School for 33 years. All four of his children went to school in Simi Valley Unified.

"I feel in the last four years, I did have an impact . . ." Collins said. "We did do some things that made a difference, but there's a lot still to be done. This board works well together."

DiFatta and Sandland shared Collins' sentiments, agreeing that after years of board acrimony and superintendent turnover, the existing panel has worked in harmony.

"The current board of education is the most productive and efficient board I've had the pleasure of working with," said DiFatta, who has served as a trustee since 1996 and is seeking her fourth term of office.

Like Collins, DiFatta, 56, teaches at Moorpark and at the College of the Canyons, but in communications. DiFatta, the longest serving board member, said she wants to improve programs for at-risk middle school students. She said no new programs will likely be added this year because of the budget constraints.

"If we could add a program, BRAVO would be it," DiFatta said. BRAVO is a program that provides positive reinforcement and extra attention to at-risk middle school students.

Sandland, 54, was elected to the board in 1992, and reelected in 2000 and 2004. Her grandparents settled in Simi Valley in 1888 and she has spent her entire life here.

Her parents graduated from Simi Valley High in 1953 and 1954; she graduated from the school in 1972; her son graduated in 2003. Her youngest son is going to be a sophomore at the school.

"We have a wonderful board, and we've done a lot of great things supporting education, increasing parent involvement and improving student learning and achievement," Sandland said.

Raymond Cruz, 54, ran unsuccessfully for the school board in 2006. His three daughters each graduated from Royal High School with honors. Cruz said he would like to focus on safety in schools and promote fiscal responsibility.

"It's very important if we could put together a system where parents, teachers and students can work together and utilize the PTA and different programs in the school," said Cruz, who is a development officer at Cal State University Northridge. He also teaches and lectures to small business groups for his private business.

Jashinsky and Smith enter the political fray as two recent high school graduates.

Jashinsky, 19, graduated from Santa Susana High School in 2007 and became inspired to run in 2005 when he became frustrated at how long it took for the school auditorium to be built.

If elected, the sophomore at Cal State University Channel Islands hopes to provide funding for special education and Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) programs, which have been hampered by the state budget crisis.

"I think we're too focused on trying to get good test scores . . . while extracurricular programs have been cut," said Jashinsky, who majors in computer science with a minor in business, all while working three technologyrelated jobs.

Smith, 18, graduated from Valencia High School this year but has lived the past three and a half years in Simi Valley. The Moorpark College student also works part time at Hollister in the Simi Valley Town Center.

Smith said he wants Simi Valley Unified to help students get jobs straight out of high school.

"The public school system doesn't prepare you for the next step," Smith said.