Written by Julianne Foster
James Miller is the candidate endorsed by the Republican Party of San Diego County for re-election onto the Cajon Valley Union School District Board of Trustees Area 5.
James has experience growing up and attending Cajon Valley schools, including Fuerte Elementary, Montgomery Middle School, and Valhalla High School. He first attended San Diego State University and graduated in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Finance and Real Estate. In 1996, he graduated from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, with his Juris Doctorate degree.
From 1997 to the present, Miller has worked as a Lawyer with his successful Law Offices of JP Miller Jr. During his time as a lawyer, he has been able to gain trial experience in both criminal and civil cases in Superior Court, trial experience in Federal Court, and experience in representing clients in every Southern California County Court System. In 2019, he was selected for the Silver Star Award as the “Best Attorney” in East County. In 2020, he was named one of the top five family law attorneys by the San Diego Reader and his acceptance is pending from his nomination to Super Lawyers.
His work as a lawyer is very valuable to the Board of Trustees. “It cannot be understated just how many legal and financial issues come before the Board of Trustees,” Miller explained. “It is important to have a professional on the board to help guide the District’s decisions.”
Over the past three years, he has been the Vice President of the Cajon Valley Union School District Board of Trustees and is wanting to continue in his position with his re-election this year. He is proud of the work they have done in the area of technology for schools, noting that “this district is looking into the future of education.”
One of his top priorities is getting students back on campus to safely resume their education.
“With over 6,000 students on campus over the closure period as of August 2020 there had not been a single reported case of the virus originating from any of our school sites,” Miller added. “Cajon Valley is a leader in this fight against COVID and to get our kids back in the classroom and I am proud to lead this fight with our team.”
He has already been helping in this situation by authorizing the District to apply for and receive Federal funds to safely reopening campuses.
Another focus of his is the complications of recent budget cuts and lack of funding. Under Miller’s leadership, the district has developed the World of Work curriculum, which is designed to combine a student’s likes, desires, and abilities to guide them into their future careers. This curriculum has caught interest from the U.S. Department of Education and provides them with an opportunity to raise more money for their schools amid the budget cuts.
Miller’s third focus is keeping students safe in school. In 2018, he was a driving force in efforts which led to developing safety plans beyond those concerned with physical structures of the campus. He got the El Cajon Police and San Diego County Sheriff’s Department involved to conduct drills and training for staff and students.
James is very involved with the community, having served as a softball coach for Rancho San Diego for four years and continuing to serve as a soccer coach since 2000 for a variety of teams. He was on the Board of Directors for Marshall Faulk Foundation for eight years, Sharp Grossmont Hospital Foundation for three years, and the East County Posse Philanthropic Organization for the past four years.
Miller has been endorsed by numerous San Diego political leaders and organizations, including the San Diego County Gun Owners, State Senator Brian Jones, former State Senator Joel Anderson, San Diego County Supervisor Kristin Gaspar, and many others. Members of law enforcement, firefighters, as well as parents and teachers have also endorsed and shown their support for Miller’s campaign.
For more information about James Miller’s campaign for Cajon Valley Union School District Board, visit MillerForSchoolBoard.com.
