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Los Angeles County, CA November 5, 2013 Election
Smart Voter Full Biography for Paul L. Helzer

Candidate for
Governing Board Member; Bellflower Unified School District

This information is provided by the candidate

I have lived in Bellflower most all my life. I went to school here, I own a business here and I raised my family here. I became interested in our schools when my girls started kindergarten at Esther Lindstrom. After many PTA functions and playing Santa and the Easter Bunny more times than I can remember, I was given an Honorary Service Award by the PTA and encouraged by the teachers and parents to run for a seat on the School Board. I didn't make a lot of big promises and I didn't run down the board or administration. I did promise to listen to the teachers and the parents and to get them involved in the board activities. I wanted them to feel that they had a voice in what went on in their schools and remind them that the board works for them.

Over the past 12 years I have listened and I have learned a lot. I am proud to say that I have been part of a team that has accomplished many great things for our schools. Some of those things are:
  • Built a state of the art sports center and stadium at Bellflower High School.
  • Created the Home School Academy, at Los Flores.
  • Built a new central kitchen to replace the old broken down ones at the schools. This new kitchen also makes a profit catering to other districts!
  • Replaced all our Buses with clean burning natural gas and built our own fueling station that sells CNG to other cities and schools. Again, at a profit to us!
  • Moved kindergarten start age back to September from December. Started Jump Start Kindergarten, saved Head Start and after school programs.
  • Recovered $4 million from local redevelopment for our schools.
  • I fought to keep Mosier field for Bellflower little league
  • kept a balanced budget every year on the board.
  • Took back our Special Ed program from the county, saving millions a year.
  • Closed campuses for protection and zero tolerance to guns and drugs.
  • Many National Blue Ribbon and California Distinguished school awards.
  • One of the lowest dropout rates in the state with a 97% graduation rate.
  • Remodeled and modernized the White Wood special ed complex.
  • Developed and fought for the passage of prop BB (Won by 72% of vote)
    A recent independent audit ( by Smith & Poor ) said BUSD was "one of the best organized and prudently run districts they have seen" and Gave us a AAA rating.

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 1, 2013 10:15
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