School trustees in Vista discussed their goals, priorities, points of pride and bones of contention at a workshop Wednesday with consultants from the California School Boards Association.

The Vista Unified School District trustees said they want to focus on improving communication, raising student achievement and making the board more efficient.

"When we're all working together, we have a better chance of moving forward," Trustee Elizabeth Jaka said.

The "effective governance" workshop was put on by consultants with the state school board's association. The Vista school board, which has been known for contention in the past, asked them to come and paid for back-to-back, three-hour meetings Wednesday and Thursday.

Leslie DeMersseman, one of the consultants, said the meetings are relatively common, especially for school boards with new members. Jaka and Trustee Angela Chunka were elected to the board last year.

"This is very typical, because education is getting harder and harder," she said. "The ultimate goal is for them to have some greater clarity."

Being a trustee can be a thankless job that offers little credit when things go right and plenty of blame when they don't, DeMersseman said. It's important for the board to remained focused on what they need to do, she added.

The board mostly went over priorities Wednesday night and plans to discuss Thursday how to work together more efficiently to achieve those goals. Thursday's 6 p.m. meeting is open to the public at Foothill Oak Elementary School, 1370 Oak Drive.

"There is tremendous power sitting at this table," DeMersseman told the board Wednesday. "But you have to work together to do that, because it's a collective power."

The trustees and Superintendent Joyce Bales said they're proud of progress the district is making in raising student achievement and increasing accountability. The district has struggled with relatively low test scores, but has seen steady improvement over the last several years.

"We're climbing a mountain, but we're making progress," Bales said. "We have a lot to celebrate."

Though the board agreed Wednesday to work together on mutual goals, Trustee Jim Gibson said he has a hard time trusting three members of the board who he has accused of holding a secret meeting in March with union leaders at board President Carol Herrera's house.

"I don't trust other board members because of some activities that have gone on this year," he said. "I don't know if it's even possible to have unity on the board because of those actions."

Jaka and Chunka have both said they went to Herrera's house independently after a particularly rough meeting dealing with spending cuts. They said they did not discuss district business.

Board Vice President Steve Lilly accused Gibson of playing politics by bringing up the issue and accusing other trustees of kowtowing to the district's teachers union.

After a lengthy discussion Wednesday, the trustees agreed to disagree on the matter and continue with the workshop.

Call staff writer Stacy Brandt at 760-901-4009.

Correction: Wrong day listed for VUSD meeting

In a story that ran in some editions of the North County Times Thursday incorrectly stated the day of two Vista Unified School District board meetings. One meeting was held Wednesday the other will be held Thursday starting at 6 p.m. at Foothill Oak Elementary School, 1370 Oak Drive in Vista. We apologize.