3 VIE FOR 2 SEATS ON MOJAVE SCHOOL BOARD : SECOND CALIFORNIA CITY CAMPUS, REPAIR OF FACILITIES LISTED AMONG TOP PRIORITIES.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Daily News Staff Writer

Building a second elementary school and a high school in California City and refurbishing aging school buildings are among the issues in the Mojave Unified School District board race.

The three candidates vying for two seats in Tuesday's polling are incumbent L. Wayne Dickerson, a California City police lieutenant, and challengers Larell Anthoney, a real estate broker, and Chris Babcock, president of a concrete and gravel company.

Board President Richard Hall decided not to run for the board, seeking instead to devote his time to a re-election bid for mayor of California City.

Anthoney, a 46-year-old California City resident, said she has had three children graduate from Mojave schools and one more now in kindergarten.

``I want to be involved in the education system. I would bring another viewpoint of compassion and understanding for parents and children,'' Anthoney said. ``Not all children come into the system equally. Some parents make $100,000, some are on welfare.''

Anthoney said she would work for more open communication between parents and school administrators, support efforts to build a second elementary school in California City, and make needed repairs on other district facilities.

Robert P. Ulrich School in California City was built in the 1960s for 400 students but now serves about 1,000.

At some point, Anthoney said, she would like to see a high school built in California City. Between 70 percent and 80 percent of the nearly 600 students at Mojave High School are bused in 15 miles or so from California City.

Babcock, 41, lives in Mojave and is the president of Cal-Ci-Co Rock Company Inc., a ready mix concrete sand and gravel manufacturer.

Babcock said he's running for the board because he cares about the district communities of Mojave and California City.

``My office is in California City, so I have a good feel for both communities. I can bring that to the board,'' Babcock said. ``I spend time in both communities, living in one and working in the other.''

Having chaired a facilities advisory committee for the school district, Babcock said he wants to push for upgrading existing schools as well as building new ones.

``I would like to see a second elementary school in California City, and I would like to see all other facilities upgraded to bring them up to today's standards,'' Babcock said.

Dickerson, 47, a California City resident, is acting chief of the California City Police Department. He is seeking his second term on the school board. His two children have graduated from the district.

Dickerson said he is running again because he wants to finish work the board has started on reducing class sizes in grades one through three at the district's three elementary schools.

He also wants to push for building new schools and the upkeep of existing facilities.

``. . . We need to start raising money now for a high school in California City, and we need a second elementary school in California City,'' Dickerson said. ``We also need to refurbish other schools in need of maintenance.''