PORT ANGELES — Six candidates for three positions on the Port Angeles School Board answered questions about timber arrearage and its effects on school funding, campus security and standardized testing at a forum this weekend.
About 20 people attended the Sunday afternoon forum at Port Angeles City Hall, which also included Port of Port Angeles commissioner candidates Connie Beauvais and Michael Breidenbach.
It was hosted by the Clallam County League of Women Voters.
In the Nov. 3 general election, voters in the school district will decide between School Board candidates Dr. Joshua Jones and Gene Erickson for position 3, incumbent Lonnie Linn and challenger Rick Marti for position 4, and Jerusha Henson and Susan Shotthafer for position 5.
Arrearage and bonds
All of the candidates said that increasing the amount of money received from timber sales would reduce the amount needed from taxpayers — but not replace it.
The question had to do with arrearage, timber the state Department of Natural Resources was authorized to sell but didn’t sell for a variety of reasons.
It all were sold, would it stop a need for bond measures, candidates were asked.
Linn, noting that the district now receives about $600,000 per year in timber revenue, said that payment of arrearage and a full harvest would roughly double that amount.
“You can’t get much for $1.2 million,” said Linn, 60, a construction estimator and sales person.
Port Angeles School District officials have said they need to replace the 62-year old high school, 61-year-old Franklin Elementary, and 59-year-old Hamilton Elementary, and make improvements to other district schools.
Voters defeated a $98 million bond to replace the high school in February.
In May the School Board approved $6 million in urgent repairs and upgrades at districts schools over the next few years, including roofs, flooring and security systems, which are expected to add five to 10 years of additional use at the aging buildings.
“We’re going to have to pass a bond to meet our immediate needs, but also to meet the needs of the voters,” said Jones, 40, medical director of Peninsula Behavioral Health.
Shotthafer, 68, who has worked as a substitute teacher for 11 years, said that without moderate housing growth to help defray the cost of the bond, the district should turn to other sources of funding to meet district needs and possibly renovate what the district already has instead of new construction.
Campus security
Marti, 70, a building supply trade retiree who has worked as a substitute teacher, who did not comment on the bonds issue, said that student security on the high school campus is not something that can be addressed easily through retrofitting.
“The campus is so porous, there is not a lot we can do,” he said.
Shotthafer said that there should be armed officers on every campus, but Jones and Linn disagreed.
“Prevention is the key. Once you are responding to an incident, you have already lost lives,” Jones said.
Linn said that the police officer assigned to the high school has a good relationship with students and often acts as a counselor, but at elementary schools armed officers on elementary school campuses create trust and stress issues for kids.
Henson, 35, a former national park ranger, said drills and training for students and teachers is the best course of action.
Said Erickson, 66, a retired teacher and substitute teacher: “Safety in school and bullying prevention is the real key.”
Standardized testing
All candidates agreed that the federal No Child Left Behind Act requires too much testing.
Linn said standardized testing meets no one’s needs, as some students may need more testing to identify where they need help, and some need less testing.
No Child Left Behind “is the worst legislation ever passed,” Linn said.
“It is totally impossible to achieve 100 percent graduation rate when 15 percent of your enrollment is in special education,” he said.
Common Core is simply a common educational standard to which 42 states, the District of Columbia and four of five territories have agreed to meet, he said, and has nothing to do with teacher evaluations or pay and does not mandate any specific curriculum.
“Common Core is exactly what each district makes it,” he said.
Shotthafer said that standardized testing is a huge problem that interrupts the teaching and learning process.
During testing week, students who were not testing could not use the library for research for class projects or homework because students were using the library, she said.
Henson said she likes the idea of No Child Left Behind to raise all students’ achievement, but added that the requirements are realistically impossible.
Jones spoke in favor of Common Core curriclum, saying it makes sense to have a single standard for modern, highly mobile families, so that if they move to another part of the country their students won’t fall behind.
But he, too, felt too much testing is being done.
“My kids were wrecks after a week of testing,” he said.
Erickson said that both No Child Left Behind and Common Core are unfunded mandates that reduce the local district’s control.
“I can’t imagine getting through high school today. These kids are really stressed about it,” he said.
He added that he opposes tying student testing with teacher pay.
Vocational programs
All six candidates supported improved funding for vocational programs, saying they lead to local, well-paying jobs such as woodworking, welding and machining, auto mechanics and auto body and medical field preparation.
Ballots will be mailed to voters on Oct. 14. Oct. 26 is the last day for residents to register in person at the Clallam County Courthouse Elections Office.
Winners of the general election will be certified on Nov. 25, and will take their positions on Jan. 1.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladaily
news.com.
