There is an erroneous assumption that many make that you have to be an educator or have children in school to serve on the school board.

The Manteca Unified School District Board is asking all candidates applying for the Area 6 vacancy that has a filing deadline of 4 p.m. Friday whether they have or had students attending school in the district.

This is not only a slap at current trustees Sam Fant and Ashley Drain as well as Alexander Bronson who stepped down from the Area 6 seat last month but also a lot of taxpayers in Manteca not to mention Lathrop and Weston Ranch.

Putting aside the fact Bronson and Drain are facing charges of voting fraud for allegedly putting down false addresses so they could run for the school board and that Fant vouched for their residency on nomination papers, the school board had best tread lightly.

Yes, all three are in their 20s. Yes, none have children in Manteca Unified schools. Drain has young children but they aren’t old enough to enroll. Bronson and Fant do not have children. And, yes, all three listed that they were educators on the ballot.

By the very question asked of applicants makes it seem that those without children who are currently attending — or have attended — Manteca Unified school would be eliminated from consideration.

It shouldn’t matter if a candidate has students enrolled in Manteca Unified.

Implying they have no skin in the game is as wrong as saying those with students in Manteca Unified School would have a conflict simply because their kids are in the public school system that they wish to help govern.

You could argue that those without children have an even greater vested interest in making sure schools work as effectively as possible. A workforce that is not well educated, motivated, and equipped with basic skills is a burden on everyone and not just parents. It is why schools are funded with taxes collected from the entire public regardless of whether they have school-age children.

If having a direct tie to Manteca Unified with students either attending or having attended schools within the district is so critical then why doesn’t the board apply the same litmus test to the district’s top brass and principals?

And a case could be made voters — when they elected Bronson and Drain  — were so frustrated with the current board if the incumbents had been opposed by Daffy Duck and Pepe Le Pew the incumbents still would have lost.

Let’s not forget that Fant was elected two years prior with no kids in school and barely able to legally drink.

If this past November was “throw-the-bums-out” vote, the districtwide election of Fant in 2012 shows a desire of the community to go in a different direction. To put it in perspective they weren’t educators as being defined as public school teachers or administrators nor were they “seasoned” given that the three of them with their combined ages were still younger collectively than at least one board member.

That doesn’t mean age and experience should be devalued — far from it.

It’s just that with the application process the Manteca Unified board may again be showing it is out of synch with the community they represent.

This is not something that I note lightly. The men and women who serve on the Manteca Unified board are — for the most part — solid members of the community although you may disagree with their politics. That’s not dismissing the poor judgment of those who opt not to follow the rules. But there is something bigger afoot that renders the election fraud a sideshow.

It is no longer unusual to hear people voice the opinion that not just one or two board members should be recalled but that they all should go.

The reasons vary. The common thread, however, is the general feeling that the community has been cut out of the education process.

Instead of serving as seven disciples on the mountain, trustees need to engage. The argument that more people should come to board meetings if they really care doesn’t cut it. If trustees believe meetings jammed with 40 agenda items conducted on a week night is conducive to an honest and open exchange between individuals with concerns about the schools and district officials they need to sit in the audience.

One of the key roles that a board has is to represent the community and to reflect their concerns and needs. And while you could argue that is happening, it is with a huge disconnect between the district’s 100,000 plus residents and seven trustees. Just getting it right isn’t enough. You need to reach out and listen to others besides the educators you employ

Nancy Teicheira is the only trustee that has demonstrated an inkling of how important the community is to successful schools besides just asking them for money and volunteer time. An election of a trustee is the only direct input every community member can give as opposed to the day-to-day when educators have the say.

The worry that there would be as many as three elections for the Area 6 seat in three years had the board opted to call for a special election is a non-starter.

Whatever your working theory, it is clear the voters rejected the current board when they elected Drain and Bronson seven months ago.

It appears the board is playing double dare you.

Given the mood of the voters, it is a dangerous game to play.

This column is the opinion of executive editor, Dennis Wyatt, and does not necessarily represent the opinion of The Bulletin or Morris Newspaper Corp. of CA.  He can be contacted at dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com or 209.249.3519.