Menifee Union School District Board President Kyle Root said he is seeking a third term with priorities that include academics, student safety and planning for the district’s continued growth.
Root has lived in Menifee since 2004 and has served on the school board for nearly eight years. He has worked in the fire service for more than 30 years, and his wife has been a teacher at Freedom Crest Elementary School for 20 years. He is also a father of two.
Root said he first became interested in serving on the board after hearing about issues in the district through his wife and questioning some of the decisions being made at the time, including the elimination of school bus service.
Now seeking another four years, Root said he wants to continue the work he has been part of during his first two terms.
“I’m extremely proud to be part of this school district, and I don’t take it lightly,” Root said. “I just want to see us continue to pursue to be the best that we can possibly be.”
One of the biggest challenges facing the district is Menifee’s rapid growth, Root said. The district recently approved the purchase of two pieces of land, one in the northwest portion of the city and another in the southeast, for future schools.
Root said academics are another area he wants to see improve. He said the district is the highest-performing TK-8 district in Riverside County and ranks fourth in math and science and fifth in English language arts.
“That’s not where we want to be,” Root said. “We want to be at the top.”
The district has made changes to its math and science curriculum and increased literacy training and professional learning, Root said.
Student safety is also a priority for Root, who said his more than 30 years in the fire service have made safety an important issue for him.
He pointed to e-bike safety as a growing concern following the recent death of a former district student. Root said the district has been working with the Menifee Police Department to educate students and parents and address unsafe riding to and from school.
“We don’t want that for any of our students and any of our parents and our families,” Root said. “It’s a horrible, horrible situation as we all know.”
Looking back on his time on the board, Root said one of the accomplishments he is most proud of is Beyond the Classroom, the district’s after-school program that provides academic support along with athletics, robotics, coding, performing arts and other activities.
He also pointed to safety improvements made during his time on the board, including emergency backpacks in classrooms, secured campus entry procedures and cameras at district schools.
Root said he does not take individual credit for the district’s accomplishments and repeatedly credited the board and district staff for the work that has been done.
“I will always say we,” Root said. “This has never been about me. This is not about me, and I want to make that crystal clear.”
Root also supports unifying the Menifee Union School District to include local high schools.
He said unification has been discussed for years and that the district has worked toward it, but the process has repeatedly hit roadblocks.
“I truly am for unification, and I believe that it would be the best for our city,” Root said. “Will it ever happen? I wish I had that answer.”
