Palm Springs Unified School District Board of Trustees member John Gerardi was narrowly fending off a challenge from a recent high school grad, according to early election night returns.
Gerardi’s bid for a third term was being contested by Kaden Cross, 18.
Gerardi is the current PSUSD president and represents Area 5, which encompasses Desert Hot Springs.
Initial results showed the incumbent less than 200 votes ahead, with less than one-fifth of the vote total tabulated.
“As a recent graduate of Desert Hot Springs High School, I am keenly aware of the struggles our local schools face, including low academic performance and standards, safety concerns, a lack of resources and funding for extracurriculars and special education programs, and district inaction,” Cross said in a statement.
He touted a focus on curriculum reform, favoring education over standardized testing, while bolstering special education and addressing violence and behavioral issues, according to a campaign statement.
Gerardi was first elected to be the PSUSD Board Trustees in 2014 after defeating Eduardo Medina.
He was re-elected in an uncontested race in 2018.
He’s also a certified public accountant and has been a professor of accounting at College of the Desert since 2002.