Schools
Write-in Candidate Noah Margo Joins BHUSD Board of Ed Race
The co-president of the Beverly Vista PTA files papers for the Nov. 8 election three days after Andy Licht drops out.
Beverly Vista Co-PTA President Noah Margo, a father of three students at the school, submitted the necessary paperwork Friday to be a write-in candidate for the Nov. 8 Board of Education election.
Margo’s decision came just three days after Traffic and Parking Commissioner of the race. Now there are again four candidates for three seats: , , and Margo.
Licht, ironically, was one of the first people to submit his paperwork to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s office on July 18. Current board Vice President Brian Goldberg and systems developer Damien Bean also submitted their , although a few weeks later.
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“When Damien and Andy were running, I was comfortable that there were good candidates [in the race],” Margo told Patch. “Now I see a real need for leadership.”
He has a tough road ahead, as he will have to campaign and also teach voters the proper way to fill out the ballot for a write-in. But Margo said he is prepared for the challenge.
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Margo will temporarily resign from his position on the Beverly Vista PTA as it would be a conflict of interest for him to run for office while leading the PTA, he said. After the election, he would resign from the PTA if he wins a seat.
His experience as a teacher with the Los Angeles Unified School District, as an employee for the Beverly Hills Parks and Recreation Department and his volunteerism at Beverly Vista give him a good background for the school board, Margo said.
Currently a self-employed property manager who writes novels on the side, Margo has the time needed to commit to a position on the school board, he said. Both Bean and Licht said that they were dropping out in part because they realized they did not have the time necessary to devote to the unpaid job.
Outgoing board member Steven Fenton told Patch that he would like to see Margo join the board.
“Brian Goldberg is my candidate, but would I like to see Noah serve with Brian? You bet I would,” he said. “I tip my hat to Noah—he has shown all of us a lot of intestinal fortitude.”
Residents have until Oct. 25 to file the necessary paperwork to become a write-in candidate.
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