PORT ANGELES — School levy campaigns, communication with the public and what to do about aging buildings were some of the issues raised during Thursday night’s “Questions for Candidates” campaign forums held at Port Angeles City Hall.
In one Port Angeles School Board race, Olympic National Park naturalist Patti Happe is challenging incumbent Lynn Geren, who was appointed earlier this year to fill the Position 3 seat vacated by Jessica Schreiber.
Geren is a medical office manager.
In the other race, incumbent Nancy McLaughlin, a former college administrator, is being challenged by retired Nippon Paper Industries employee Richard Johnston for the Position 1 seat.
Sponsored by Peninsula News Network and the PDN, the forums were moderated by Dennis Bragg of Peninsula News Network and PDN Commentary Page Editor Paul Gottlieb.
Bragg and Gottlieb posed questions and allowed the School Board candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot to explore other ideas and respond to their opponents.
The forums will be televised on PNN on Wave Broadband cable channel 3 in Port Angeles/Sequim starting at 8 p.m. Oct. 25.
Better sense of support
Happe said the district should have had a better sense of community support before proposing the four-year, $26.8 million maintenance and operations levy and four-year, $3.6 million capital technology levy, both of which failed to pass in February.
A two-year, $12.7 million levy passed in May.
The district also didn’t do enough community outreach following the hard feelings that resulted from the Monroe Elementary School closure decision, Happe said.
Happe is the former president of the Monroe Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization.
Geren said the levy failure had a negative effect on learning and that her opponent was a primary force in a campaign that urged “sending a message” to the school board by defeating the levy.
Geren said Happe purposely inflicted damage on the district because she disagreed with the school board’s decision to close Monroe Elementary.
Happe said that was “patently false,” and that she opposed the amount and length of the levy, and told people to vote their hearts.
Geren said the school board must help the community understand what is behind its decisions.
The board makes solid decisions for the district as a whole and the public often doesn’t understand all the factors involved, she said.
Happe said the board must communicate with the public and give them complete information on issues.
Happe said the board needs to receive more feedback from parents and teachers and get information out earlier, such as posting the agenda and minutes on the Internet.
WASL test debated
In the night’s other school board debate, McLaughlin and Johnston sparred over the state’s controversial Washington Assessment of Student Learning test, which is a graduation requirement for the class of 2008.
McLaughlin said the WASL concerned her when it was introduced because she thought teachers would begin “teaching to the test.”
But looking at the test scores, McLaughlin said she’s encouraged that the district’s schools score higher than the state average, adding some kind of assessment is necessary.
Johnston said the WASL simply is a replacement for earlier Ohio tests used to show what students have learned.
He doesn’t think teachers “teach to the test,” but future students must pass the test to graduate, he said.
Johnston said he hopes the district continues having good sports and music programs, but it might have to ask the community for sponsorship of them or seek grants.
Johnston said he doesn’t want to cut staff but the district can’t lose its sports, music and arts programs.
McLaughlin said the district hasn’t done enough to seek grants but it does have scholarships for those who can’t afford music and sports programs.
No student has dropped out of those programs so far because of an inability to pay, she said.
Johnston said the district couldn’t currently sell a capital projects bond to the voters.
McLaughlin said the district has appointed a facilities task force to evaluate its buildings and other infrastructure.
The high school building is almost 50 years old and more efficient energy systems and technology is now available, she said.
In addition to the school board races, Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center candidates Terry Smithton and David McArthur appeared at Thursday’s forum.
Their debate will air at 7 p.m. Oct. 26.
