Ensen Mason Announces Candidacy for RUSD School Board

Redlands resident Ensen Mason announced his candidacy for a seat on the Redlands Unified School District (RUSD) school board. Mason, who has two years prior school board experience with the Victor Valley Union High School District (VVUHSD), filed papers to run in the November 2014 election last week. Current RUSD school board incumbents Patty Holohan and Donna west seek re-election this year. If elected, Mason said he seeks to focus on offering students more career readiness opportunities. “I feel this district as well as most others in the state put too much emphasis on college preparedness and not enough on job preparedness,” Mason, a CPA, said. “I would encourage our district to provide more vocational training opportunities for our children. The children that choose not to attend college right after high school should be prepared to enter the workforce upon graduation.” Mason said he would like to see integration between area businesses, community professionals and the schools to meet this goal. “Kids should have an opportunity to see what is really involved with the choices they are expected to make soon,” he said. Mason explained he felt his 25 years of accounting and finance experience would be beneficial for the school district as a whole. Working for two years as a school board member in the High Desert before relocating to Redlands in 2012 gave him the opportunity to understand the financial aspects a school district faces, he explained. “I am comfortable reading and understanding government financials. They’re complex and often have political undercurrents that don’t show up in the reports,” he said. “It’s vital to understand the financial position as well as the politics behind them in order to make proper decisions.” Working with the VVUHSD, Mason said, “I saw there was at least as much below the surface as there was on the surface and you really have to know both.” Mason is a CPA with a Redlands-based business. He is a graduate of the University of Redlands where he earned an MBA in finance. He also holds a Bachelors of Science from Western Governors University.