OCEANSIDE – Community activist George McNeil has declared his intention to run for a seat on the MiraCosta College board of trustees.

Three of the seven seats on the board are available in the Nov. 4 election.

McNeil, 67, ran unsuccessfully for Oceanside City Council two years ago.

He is on two City Council-appointed advisory committees: the Manufactured Home Fair Practices Commission and the El Corazon Oversight Committee, which is planning the city's 445-acre El Corazon property at Oceanside Boulevard and El Camino Real.

He holds a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's in counseling from Villanova University and spent 37 years in education.

In announcing his candidacy, McNeil pointed to a scandal that started with an investigation into the illegal sale of campus palm trees and escalated into the resignation of the college president and threats to the school's accreditation.

McNeil said that in the process the board spent $2 million that should have been used to benefit students.

Trustees finishing four-year terms are Carolyn Batiste, Gloria Carranza and Jacqueline Simon. They have not yet filed for re-election.