The Abridged version:
- Voters in central and eastern Rocklin will decide which of two sitting school board members gets another term as trustee.
- Michelle Sutherland and Tiffany Saathoff are facing off to represent Rocklin Unified’s Area 2. The competition follows the school district’s recent shift from at-large trustees to area-specific seats.
- Both are Rocklin natives who share many priorities, including financial responsibility and curriculum expansion.
Facing an incumbent is often an uphill contest. But what about when two incumbents face each other?
Michelle Sutherland and Tiffany Saathoff — both current members of the Rocklin Unified school board — are on the ballot this year running for reelection. Their names appear one after the other, as they vie for the same seat.
The competition follows the Rocklin school district’s recent shift from at-large trustees, who represent the district as a whole, to area-specific seats. This is the district’s second election since the change and first instance of two sitting trustees going head-to-head.
“It has shaped my campaign to some degree,” said Sutherland, who is seeking her second term on the board.
Sutherland and Saathoff are running in Area 2, which covers parts of central and eastern Rocklin. Theirs is one of three elections for the Rocklin Unified board this year.
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Rocklin area natives
Rocklin Unified moved to area-specific trustees to be in compliance with the California Voting Rights Act, a switch multiple local school districts, including Roseville City School District, have made.
The school board in Rocklin approved a new map in 2024, putting Parker Whitney Elementary, Antelope Creek Elementary and Spring View Middle School in Area 2.
Both Sutherland and Saathoff point to their longtime roots, not just in Rocklin, but the very area they are competing to represent.
Sutherland attended kindergarten through 12th grade in Rocklin, then moved back after college. She is now raising three kids who attend Rocklin schools.
Saathoff lived in the area as a child, attending elementary school at both Antelope Creek and Parker Whitney. She is a mom of four and a foster parent whose children have attended various Rocklin campuses.
Fiscal responsibility, curriculum expansion
The pair share a number of focus areas, including campus safety and financial responsibility.
“Rocklin School Board members are responsible for managing an approximately $180 million of tax payer funds annually,” Saathoff said. “Ensuring those dollars are used wisely to meet the needs of all Rocklin students is my priority.”
Saathoff, running for a third term, said another priority for her would be expanding career technical education offerings across the district.
While door knocking and speaking with voters, Sutherland said she has also had conversations about career courses. She added that expanding certain electives are top of mind for Rocklin families too.
“Civics has been a common topic … that parents feel like young people’s education is lacking, and I agree,” Sutherland said.
Divisive tensions on board
Races that by definition are nonpartisan, school board elections have become increasingly divisive, and Rocklin is no exception.
A flashpoint in the district’s recent history came three years ago, when the board voted to approve a controversial parental notification policy. The measure required school staff to tell parents if their child requests to be identified as anything other than the sex on their birth certificate.
Sutherland was the lone no vote among trustees.
The policy has since been tied up in court challenges and is not currently implemented.
Sutherland said while voting differences are rare among the board, she is willing to be that differing opinion and speaking out when she feels it’s in the best interest of the parents she represents.
“We all have to be cautious to not end up in an echo chamber,” Sutherland said. “And I think I do a really good job of fostering really genuine relationships with people across the board.”
“This is public school,” she added. “We have to welcome everyone.”
Saathoff said the school board is meant to be a voice for parents and that while canvassing for her campaign, she has heard concerns from voters on the issue of parental rights.
“If we learned anything these past six years, it’s that we need people who will ask tough questions, stand for parents, and be willing to make difficult decisions when it is in the best interest of our students,” Saathoff said. “I’m proud of my record of standing up for our students, teachers and parents.”
