DIXON, CA (MPG) - Three members of the Dixon Unified School District school board are running for re-election to the three open seats and so far, there is one new challenger, David Bowen III, 31, a high school mathematics teacher of 10 years and sports coach. Luke Foster, Lloyd McCabe, and Melissa Maseda are incumbents.

Bowen's goals include "strengthening our roots as an agricultural community in the form of programs like farm tech at Dixon High School while transforming technological deficiencies that exist in the schools," he said. "I have a Masters in teaching and have started my family here in Dixon two years ago and have a 1-year-old daughter." He is a member of the Fairfield-Suisun Unified Teachers Association’s bargaining team.

Maseda, 41, was first appointed to the governing board and then elected in 2016. She is a mother of four and is a stay-at-home mom after attending Solano Community College and studying early childhood education.

"I grew up in a very poor situation with a single mother," she writes about her school philosophy. "I was on my own as far as education was concerned. I didn’t have a lot of parental support, but I had dedicated teachers and staff that showed me I was capable of achieving high marks. It took me awhile to get there, but it changed my life. Whether you go to a four-year college or get a technical education, the work we do in Dixon Unified is the foundation to their success.”

Luke Foster, 54, is a trial attorney for California State Automobile Association. He has served on the Board for five years and is currently the President.

"My family and I moved here in 2001. We have raised four children in this great town of Dixon. Each of our children have attended schools in DUSD. Making a difference for our children, our families, and our community means a lot to me. I have dedicated my life to serving those in Dixon through PTO, coaching Rugby, Scouts, and more," he said.

Lloyd McCabe, 68, was appointed this past spring to replace John Gabby who resigned. McCabe was a high school agricultural teacher and administrator for nearly 15 years, becoming the first teacher in the nation to develop three agriculture courses that met University of California admission requirements. In 1989, he was hired as a consultant for the State Department of Education, then hired by the state Department of Education in 1989, he served as a consultant before retiring in 2018. For the past 17 years, he's worked part-time at UC Davis.

His wife, Sheila, the assistant superintendent for educational services in Fairfield-Suisun Unified, have been Dixon residents for 21 years.