CHIMACUM — Mike Raymond of Port Ludlow is the new Chimacum School Board member.
He was named Tuesday night to fill Robert Bunker’s unexpired term after the board members interviewed the four finalists for the seat. The vote was 3-1, with board member Jack McKay opposed.
Bunker stepped down from his post at the request of school district officials after a temporary restraining order — now dismissed — prevented him from visiting the district’s campus.
All of the candidates considered for the position are from Port Ludlow. The others were Daniel Holtz, a retired Boeing engineer; Kelly Pearson, a CPA who has worked in finances for three school districts; and Tami Robocker, a local business owner and past PTA president.
Board members took turns asking the candidates 10 questions on a wide range of subjects including transparency, confidentiality, decision-making and improvements that can be made to the district.
They then conducted an executive session to discuss the candidates and returned after an hour to hold the vote in public session.
Board chair Mike Gould said the executive session was difficult because “you can’t take a vote.”
“You are trying to, as board members, to get a sense where everyone is at so we end up with a sense of the majority,” Gould said.
“It’s getting a general sense of which candidate would be chosen most likely if they are floated.
“I think the criteria that everyone uses is a little bit different. But I tried to encourage, as the chair, that it isn’t as much as your opinion about the individual but rather looking at what each individual might bring to this board at this point in time.”
Gould said the board is in a unique situation.
“We are not looking for someone to fill the board position for two or three or five years. We’re appointing them for the short term, and very soon the community will decide. Our appointment is temporary.”
Gould said the position will be on the November ballot for voters to decide who their District 4 board member should be. The filing deadline is in May and if three or more candidates are interested, a primary vote will be in August.
“That’s not to say our commitment to Mike is temporary. Being able to serve us immediately, at our board meeting Wednesday night, carried a lot of weight. And Mike certainly has the depth of experience to make a meaningful contribution.”
Raymond will have to decide if he wants to be elected for a full term.
Raymond has a long history with the district, having worked in Chimacum Schools for 40 years before retiring two years ago. He has held several positions, including classroom teacher from first through 12th grades.
Raymond said he worked in remediation programs, was an administrative intern and saw things from the administration side to support families.
He worked on curriculum development, wrote an employee handbook for the district, developed contract language and was a contract negotiator. In addition, he was a Title 9 compliance officer with a special focus on bullying, harassment and intimidation.
“I want to use my skills and knowledge as a former educator for the success of all of the students and families of the school district,” Raymond said.
“Understanding the goals and focus of the mission for the board is to help students achieve high quality academic success. There are other issues that need to be addressed: safety, encouraging greater attendance, and being able to support any efforts to increase education funding that would be appropriate for our school district. “
Raymond was very happy to have received the appointment.
“I wondered about a way that I could continue to contribute to the school district after being an educator for so long,” he said. “This is a great way to grow.”
________
Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Jeannie McMacken can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jmcmacken@peninsuladailynews.com.
