SCHOOL BOARD HOPEFUL, 19, STUMPS HIGH AND LOW.

Byline: Sue Doyle Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - There's more in the skies these days than birds and planes.

There's also an advertising campaign to vote for 19-year-old Tyler Johnstone.

A student at the University of California, Los Angeles, he is vying for one of three seats to be decided Nov. 8 on the William S. Hart Union High School District board. And for someone spending many hours these days pursuing his pilot's license, the sky seems a likely place to campaign.

His message, attached to a plane flown by his flight instructor, has recently drifted over Santa Clarita rooftops and streets.

``I thought it was a cool way to reach a lot of people,'' Johnstone said.

On Friday his message was carried high above a football game played between Saugus and Hart high schools at College of the Canyons.

While the plane soars, Johnstone stays on the ground, shaking hands with potential constituents and spreading the word about his campaign.

The Santa Clarita resident served on the school board as a nonvoting student representative during the 2003-04 school year, when he was a senior at Saugus High School.

Majoring in political science in college, he said high schools focus on preparing students for higher education and often overlook training opportunities for those who are not college-bound. He wants programs that will launch high school graduates who are headed directly into the working world into solid starting jobs in fields ranging from auto mechanics to Web site design.

He also hopes to individualize students' education plans and wants to pull away from the traditional track system offered in schools. Personalized tracks, tailored to students' interests and learning style, will help them feel that the school is best serving them, Johnstone said.

``You can customize a hamburger to what you want, but you can't customize an education,'' Johnstone said about what he wants to change.

Stephanie Weiss, who worked with Johnstone on various committees to combat drug and alcohol problems with Santa Clarita students, noticed something different about the teenager when he recognized peers in need of help with addiction.

He realized how badly the teens needed support, and he sought it for them when many others turned their backs, Weiss said.

``In a high school environment, you have a student who is either highly academic, sports-oriented or high risk,'' Weiss said. ``What I noticed about Tyler was his ability to interface with people at all levels.''

With the election just four weeks away, Johnstone plans to heat up the action on the campaign trail. That means more meet-and-greet events, more handing out buttons and more picture-taking.

But how can he top the plane flying his message above Santa Clarita?

``Sky writing,'' Johnstone said. ``Look for 'Vote for Tyler' coming by in the sky soon.''

Sue Doyle,[phone]

sue.doyle(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Tyler Johnstone, a former nonvoting student member, seeks a regular seat on the Hart Union High School District board.

(2) Tyler Johnstone, a former nonvoting student member, seeks a regular seat on the Hart Union High School District board.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer