Summer Boger says the San Dieguito Union High School District is hiding uneven math scores behind districtwide averages.
Boger, 47, is running for the SDUHSD Board of Trustees seat representing Area 3, which covers portions of Solana Beach, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe and Cardiff. She faces Helen Doyle in the Tuesday, Nov. 3, election. All three incumbent trustees chose not to seek reelection, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
A wellness practitioner and part-time special education instructional assistant in the district, Boger outlined her priorities in a Q&A published by the Union-Tribune on Oct. 13. She summed up her platform as "the ABCs: Academic achievement, budget accountability and college and career readiness."
Boger said the district often reports achievement as a districtwide average, which she argued can "obscure areas where students are struggling." She called for a public academic-transparency dashboard with school-by-school results, particularly in mathematics.
She is not alone in flagging the issue. Ginny Merrifield, a candidate for the Area 5 seat, cited similar concerns in her own Union-Tribune Q&A. Merrifield said the district reports 69% math proficiency overall but that the rate drops from 76% in seventh grade to as low as 50% by 11th grade.
On the budget, Boger said SDUHSD relies primarily on local property taxes as a community-funded district, but warned that property tax growth can slow. She said she would require multiyear fiscal projections before the board approves major spending and would distinguish ongoing revenue from one-time funding.
"The district should not build its budget around the hope that unexpected state money will arrive," Boger said in the Q&A.
If a shortfall occurs, Boger said she would first examine administrative growth, vacancies, outside contracts and consultants before cutting classroom instruction or special education.
Boger has worked as a substitute instructional assistant for special education in the district since March 2026, according to a correction the Union-Tribune appended to its earlier election overview. She also has more than 25 years of experience as a small-business owner and health practitioner and more than 10 years advocating for families of children with special needs. Her two children graduated with honors from San Dieguito Academy.
She said her classroom experience shapes her view that special education "cannot be treated as an optional expense." She called for adequate staffing, effective training and timely delivery of Individualized Education Program (IEP) services.
Boger also said she would expand career technical education, skilled-trades pathways, internships and work-based learning so graduates are prepared for paths beyond four-year colleges.
She disclosed that she used an AI writing tool to organize and refine her Q&A responses, adding that the policy positions are her own.
As we reported Oct. 16, Doyle is also seeking the Area 3 seat. The Nov. 3 election will fill all three trustee seats on the SDUHSD board.
