ENCINITAS -- Encinitas Union School District's newest trustee said this week she hopes to bring a "fresh and independent" perspective to the school board when she starts next month.

Maureen "Mo" Muir won a seat on the board earlier this month. She will be replacing Shannon Kuder, who decided not to run for re-election after serving on the panel for 16 years.

Muir said she may not always agree her fellow trustees, but is looking forward to working with them and with district administrators to make Encinitas Union the best it can be.

"I think we've got a great school district, but you can't rest on your laurels," she said. "You've got to reach further."

The school board has been one of the most united governing bodies in the region and hasn't had a new trustee in a decade. It's too early to tell what effect Muir will have on the board's dynamics, said Carol Skiljan, who has been a trustee for 16 years and was re-elected this month.

"We're looking forward to getting to know each other," she said.

The biggest issue facing the board next year will undoubtedly be the district's budget, as state officials are expected to make deep cuts to deal with a growing state deficit. Though Encinitas Union, with its strong property tax base, probably won't be hit as hard as most districts, the funding cuts are bound to affect everyone.

Muir said she's hoping Encinitas Union can keep the same high expectations for students and teachers if money becomes tighter.

The district has about 5,600 students in kindergarten through sixth grade. It has nine schools throughout Encinitas and southern Carlsbad.

Muir, 47, moved from Chicago to Encinitas 10 years ago to be with her husband, Encinitas fire Chief Mark Muir. The couple has an 8-year-old son, Scotland, who's a second-grader at Mission Estancia Elementary School.

She works part time as a flight attendant for American Airlines, a job she has held for 24 years.

In her spare time, Muir said, she loves to read, especially thrillers and nonfiction.

"I'm a voracious reader," she said. Because of that passion, she joined the city's library board a couple of years ago.

Twice Muir ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the school board. Muir said she thinks she was successful this time because she has been much more active within the district than in the past.

Not only has she been involved with the Parent-Teacher Association at Mission Estancia, she put a lot of time and effort into her campaign. Muir estimates she visited 5,000 houses during the campaign to talk with potential voters.

Seeing her son excited about school because of a good teacher motivated her to run this time, she added.

"If I can do that -- make kids want to go to school -- then I really have achieved a huge goal," Muir said.

Contact staff writer Stacy Brandt at (760) 901-4009 or sbrandt@nctimes.com.