08/20/2026
Hello friends, and members of the community!
As many of you may have heard already, I am officially running to be a board member of the Upper Lake Unified School District. There are 3 seats up for re-election this year, and now is the time to take action to change the direction of our local schools.
Katie and I have owned Upper Lake Grocery for 6 years now, and as a “central hub” we often hear about problems and issues affecting the local community, and most recently the ULUSD has been at the forefront of conversation.
Importantly for us, our daughter Evelyn is 3.5 years old, and nearing the point of entering the school system herself. And yet, when as concerned parents we ask school staff members if we should send her to public school, the answer we receive is universally “no”. If my experience in the food industry has taught me anything, it’s that when the cooks don’t recommend their own food, something is wrong with the restaurant.
But why is this? Why do we have teachers quitting decades-long careers to move to other districts, or to simply retire? Why do many of those who remain feel burnt out and greatly underappreciated? Or why those parents, who have the means and inclinations, are pulling their children out and sending them to private school, or home schooling?
These are the questions that, as a candidate, I seek to address, and I am not afraid of stepping on the toes of self-appointed experts, self-aggrandizing administrators, policy-bloated bureaucrats, and rent-seeking politicians.
If elected, my primary focus will be on two main issues:
1. Untangling the years of financial bloat and decision making that has created an environment of division and resentment amongst staff, and caused the loss of support from the community at large.
I would also seek to redirect funding, to any extent possible, to real-world practical classes such as carpentry, welding, mechanics, electronics/robotics, home economics, and personal finance. And to expand the funding of existing classes that focus these subjects.
I believe that, depending on the career path the student wishes to pursue, trade schools, community colleges, specialized schools (such as nursing), and apprenticeships, often offer a higher return-on-investment than the traditional 4-year university path, without the added risk of decades-long student loan repayments, and as such should be treated as equally valid paths to financial success in the modern economic landscape.
2. Restoring the educational culture to reflect the values of strength, honor, integrity, and discipline. Most importantly, returning power to teachers and administrators to impose punishments for misbehavior, even if doing so may inconvenience parents. Allowing a single, or small group of individuals, to continually disrupt classes would no longer be tolerated. Administrators would seek to support teachers in their punitive decisions, instead of trying to “smooth over” or ignore the situation, and allowing the problem to continue.
In conclusion, my candidacy represents a radical change that I, and many of those I’ve spoken to, believe is needed if we are to restore any semblance of sanity to ULUSD, and to return dignity to the educators who have devoted their lives to teaching our children. I believe the current board, while well intentioned, have not demonstrated the desire to enact such a change. Therefore I am humbly asking for your vote in this upcoming General Election.
If you have any questions about my campaign, or would like to discuss any issues that you see in the ULUSD, please direct them to my personal email at: [email protected].
Thank you,
Ben Guenther, Owner
Upper Lake Grocery
