Welcome to the official site for Dr. James Finlay’s campaign for the Duarte Unified School District (Trustee Area 2)!  Serving on the school board in Duarte has been one of the greatest privileges of my life.  This sentiment is no surprise to me as my grandfather (Ed Ferguson) served on this board from 1995-2003  and always told me that this role allowed him to have more of a positive impact than any other role of his life.  

Having grown up in Duarte I enjoyed attending several Duarte schools before graduating from Duarte High School in 1999.  I left the San Gabriel Valley for a decade and put my Duarte education to the test in my academic pursuits (BS in Biology, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, and PhD in Biological Sciences).  The excellent academic foundation I received in Duarte is part of what brought our family back to the area in 2009 so that our three children could attend these same schools.   This move has proven to be wise for our family because I am seeing the same love of learning I enjoyed as a Duarte student happening in my own children’s lives.  The teachers, staff, and administrators in DUSD help to make this happen and I am so thankful for them.  

We all want Duarte schools to be the very best that they can be.  I am committed to continuing to work hard to help make that a reality.  Part of that commitment relies on me hearing from you, the DUSD community (parents, students, teachers, etc.).  I am humble enough to know that the best solutions to problems don’t always come from those in leadership positions.  While I certainly hope that I can earn your vote during this election, I am even more interested in hearing from you about what matters to you and your scholars.  After all, helping all our children is the reason I am on the school board today. 

Contact me at Finlay4DuarteUSD@gmail.com