NEWS
Jennifer N. Kearns: jennifer.kearns@gcccd.edu
September 23, 2025
District Fills Governing Board Trustee Area 1 Vacancy
Santee resident and life-long educator Cindy Page appointed to position
EL CAJON, CA – At the conclusion of the September 22, 2025, Special Board meeting, the Governing Board of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District provisionally appointed Cindy Page, a retired life-long educator, to serve as the new Trustee for Area 1, which includes the cities and communities of Santee, Winter Gardens, and Lakeside. Trustee Page will serve until the next regularly scheduled Governing Board election in November 2026, and continue until a successor qualifies for office.
“The Board would like to thank all the candidates who applied for the Trustee Area 1 vacancy; it is a true testament to East County to have so much community support,” stated Governing Board President Debbie Justeson. “We congratulate and welcome Cindy Page to our Board. She has worked with a diverse student population, and brings the perspective of the challenges students have in pursuit of higher education. We look forward to working with her on furthering our District's mission and vision of equity and inclusion.”
A resident of Santee for more than 30 years, Cindy has over 33 years of experience teaching at Crawford High School, where she taught Literature, Spanish, and Psychology. She has been recognized as a San Diego Unified School District High School Teacher of the Year, Crawford High School Site Teacher of the Year, and was a San Diego County Teacher of the Year finalist in 2025. In addition, she taught at the Grossmont Adult School and held roles as Lead Teacher for UC San Diego’s CREATE Action Research, and as a Tutor Coordinator for both San Diego State University Talent Search and the UC San Diego PAL Program. Moreover, she has served as a Visiting Committee Member for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
“I am so honored to serve the Grossmont-Cuyamaca community,” stated Cindy. “I would
like to express my gratitude to the Board of Trustees for this opportunity, and I
look forward to learning from the students, employees, and faculty as we collaborate to
put students’ needs at the forefront of every recommendation.”
Cindy is a strong supporter of dual enrollment, and has been instrumental in providing career education pathway opportunities for students. As a former member of the Instructional Leadership team at Crawford, she focused on creating inclusive learning environments and building bridges across diverse communities. She has volunteered in the community with both the San Diego Red Cross and the Girl Scouts San Diego Imperial Council. Her extensive experience has provided her with a deep understanding of educational policy, and social equity.
The Trustee Area 1 position became vacant in July 2025, when former Trustee Desiree Klaar, a Grossmont College alumna and San Diego county native, stepped down after moving out of Trustee Area 1. Pursuant to Education Code section 5092, a public notice of the provisional appointment will be posted on the District's website, in three public locations in the District, and in a newspaper of general circulation within the District. This notice serves to inform registered voters in Trustee Area 1 (Santee, Winter Gardens, and Lakeside) of their right to petition for a special election to fill the vacancy. Any such petition must be filed with the San Diego County Superintendent of Schools within 30 days of the provisional appointment.
About the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District
As the largest institution of higher education in East County, the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District, has enhanced the quality of life in East County for over 65 years by providing top notch, affordable education and workforce training. The 1,138-square-mile District includes communities such as El Cajon, Santee, Lemon Grove, Spring Valley, San Diego, and the unincorporated County. Our institutions offer a variety of convenient online and in-person classes, along with competitive degree and certificate programs.
The District, which includes Grossmont College and Cuyamaca College, serves over 24,000 students annually, and awards over 5,000 degrees and certificates each year. The colleges are consistently ranked as top transfer institutions to SDSU. Grossmont College first convened classes in 1961 and serves over 15,000 students every year. Cuyamaca College was built in 1978, and enrolls nearly 9,000 students yearly. The colleges lead the way in developing educational programs, classes, and services that meet the diverse needs of East County's student population.
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