DISTRICT'S SCHOOL BOARDS UNCHANGED VOTER DISINTEREST SHOWN IN LOW TURNOUT AT ELECTION.

Byline: Eugene Tong Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - In an election notable for its record-low voter turnout, most incumbents held their seats on local school and community college boards - and by wide margins.

Roughly 7 to 8 percent of some 107,000 eligible voters came out to the polls Tuesday, far below the 10 to 20 percent seen in the past two local elections held without major state and national races on the ballot.

Only a month earlier, the high-profile gubernatorial recall drew more than 44 percent of local voters.

``With the low turnout, incumbents tend to win,'' said businessman Joe Messina, who finished last in his first run for the William S. Hart Union High School District board.

At the Santa Clarita Community College District, which governs College of the Canyons, long-time incumbents Bruce Fortine and Michele Jenkins defeated their respective opponents - private investigator Jonathan Kraut and attorney Michael Erwin - by margins of more than 20 percent.

Incumbent Ron Gillis captured about 53 percent of the votes to fend off challenger Rick Winsman, who had nearly 36 percent. Sheldon Wigdor, a Sulphur Springs School District trustee also vying for the office, placed a distant third with about 12 percent.

``I think that we ran a flawless, honest, clean and positive campaign, and the (result speaks) for itself,'' said Gillis' wife and campaign manager, Roberta.

``I also think the endorsement of community leaders - Tom Lee, (former chief executive officer of The Newhall Land & Farming Company), Santa Clarita Councilman Frank Ferry and College of the Canyons teachers union President Brad Reynolds - they all contributed to my husband's winning,'' she said. ``It shows he has a lot of respect across the community, no matter what political spectrum they come from.''

At Castaic Union School District, incumbent Steve Sansone was re-elected to a second four-year term on the governing board with 44 percent of the vote.

Attorney David Huffaker defeated bookkeeper Teresa Elkholy with 35 percent to win the second seat on the panel.

Measure B, which proposed an annual $48 parcel tax on Castaic property owners for four years to support smaller class sizes, technology and music programs, fell just 5 percent short of the required two-thirds vote for passage.

``We're bummed, but we feel pretty good that 63 percent of the community was willing to pay the flat tax to help our schools,'' Castaic Superintendent Bev Silsbee said. ``But our school district is fiscally sound and we have a creative board. We'll continue to look at ways to best address this state budget crisis as it affects public education.''

At Newhall School District, incumbent Suzan Solomon was re-elected to the board for a second term. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Michael Shapiro won the second seat with 34 percent of the vote. Attorney Augustin Zuniga finished third with close to 23 percent.

Rochelle ``Shelley'' Weinstein and Denis DeFigueiredo were elected to the Sulphur Springs School District board, each capturing nearly 30 percent of the vote. Trailing behind were L. Christine Seidenglanz and Jan Seratti-Goldman.

Eugene Tong, [phone]

eugene.tong(at)dailynews.com