Beaumont USD Board Member Brian Sylva Honored, MSJC Seat In View

BEAUMONT, CA — In a bittersweet recognition Tuesday night, the Beaumont Unified School District honored board member Brian Sylva for his years of service as he looks to another education role outside the district.

With his family in attendance, Sylva was recognized by his colleagues and district officials with a plaque for his four years on the BUSD board. The plaque read:

In appreciation
Brian Sylva
School Board Member
December 13, 2016 - December 15, 2020
Thank you for your dedication to the students and staff of the Beaumont Unified School District.
You have embodied Home, School, and Community for Beaumont Unified School District.
Thank you.

Sylva is leaving the district on Dec. 15 after making a run for a spot on the Mt. San Jacinto Community College Governing Board of Trustees — a seat he will likely earn. According to the latest Nov. 3 election results for Riverside County, Sylva is leading the ballot count against two other candidates who also campaigned for the MSJC Trustee Area 1 seat.

In the race for Sylva's current BUSD Trustee Area 1 seat, retired BUSD principal Shawn Mitchell leads over educator Kevin Palkki.

Riverside County's final vote counts will be certified by Dec. 11, according to the California Secretary of State.

Sylva shared a statement at Tuesday night's BUSD meeting in which he thanked his colleagues and BUSD staff, but was critical of what he predicted will be the 2021-22 "Newsom budget disaster." He asked BUSD families to "have patience and practice kindness" in the months ahead as board members navigate the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the tough decisions they will likely have to make amid it.

Read Sylva's full prepared statement:

"I want to thank my Board colleagues, Susie Lara, David Sanchez, Steve Hovey, and Janelle Polter, all of whom I have had the pleasure of serving with over the past four years," Sylva said. "I want to thank the wonderful staff here at the Educational Support Facility, which I have had the honor of getting to know, and those Beaumont team members throughout the entirety of the District.

"While my time in Beaumont Unified has concluded and if the elections totals hold, I will begin a new role in another District, I will remember my growth in leadership which I attained while in service to Beaumont Unified Trustee Area number One.

"And, while my MSJC Trustee Area is about eleven and a half times bigger than my Trustee Area with Beaumont, I will never forget the friendships forged in my time here. I am proud of the wonderful people we have brought into the Beaumont team during my time on this Board. I am proud of our Beaumont Unified Classified, Confidential, Certificated, and Administrative members.

"Now it is time to begin a new chapter for Beaumont Unified, while we are concurrently in one of the more bizarre moments in American history. Trying to get our educational institutions back open in the middle of a pandemic and the very difficult decisions that lay ahead concerning the disaster that will be the 2021-22 state budget.

"I am proud of our District for their steadfast conservative fiscal policies which have given Beaumont Unified a significant edge in weathering the fiscal storm which is building.

"By the way, the irony is not lost on me, as the Newsom Budget disaster is going to affect Community Colleges as well as K-12, so this is just as much a tale of woe for me as to those listening to it. These next two years for this Board and this region are going to dictate the next ten.

"I encourage all those listening and those watching on Zoom to give this Board a wide berth to do what is necessary to get what needs to be done, done. Please pay attention, stay engaged, stay involved, but understand that what is happening now and what will happen over the next 24 months will be a tough burden to bear, especially for these wonderful people who sit in these seats. I would implore you to give grace, have patience, and practice kindness.

"What we do on this Board matters, what the employees of Beaumont Unified do for this community matters, and how we carry ourselves inside the Board room and out in the community matters. I hope that over these next 24 months, that this community and our Beaumont team never forgets, that they matter and that this Board cares about them."