001All right, welcome to the April 3rd special meeting of interviews. Please stand for the pledge pledge of allegiance. All right. The agenda containing the the interview schedule is available at the entrance to this meeting room. Sorry. Each applicant will have 25 minutes total to respond to the questions. That's about 3 minutes a question, just so you guys know. Um, at the completion of all interviews, we will go on to an executive session to discuss tonight's interviews. When we are finished, we will come out of the executive session into an open meeting. At that time, I will ask that there is a motion to appoint an applicant to the open board position number four. If there is a motion, we will take action. All right. Thank you for attending. Let's get started. Our first applicant or
002candidate is Alyssa Bones. Welcome. Please take a seat at the table with a microphone. Okay. We have a total I think you've already have these, but like we have a total of nine questions, and we're going to take turns a asking them. Okay. Um, you have 25 minutes total. There's gonna be a five minute warning. Um, do you want me to keep you like to the three minutes or All right, cool. Um, and then do you have any questions before we start? No, I'm excited. Is that is it is your mic on? Okay. Can you hear me? Oh, yeah. Okay, perfect. I'll talk a little closer. Perfect. Well, I get question number one, so I will get us going. uh briefly describe your experience, training and interests and tell us what makes you an ideal
003candidate for a Wachi School District board director. Well, first let me thank the board and the superintendent for this opportunity. Uh and allow me to introduce myself. My name is Alyssa Bones. I'm the parent of two children in the district and I'm a proud product of public education myself. I was raised in rural northern Nevada and I'm a graduate of the University of Montana GOG Grizz uh where I earned a bachelor of science and recreation management. I spent the early part of my career in state and federal public service working in wildland fire incident logistics and emergency planning including extensive coordination with a variety of agencies and local governments. I presented regularly to the Montana Governor's Drought Board on fire danger and fire outlooks and I was often a media contact for fire information um
004both on the local and the state level in the state of Montana. I also served a short term as an elected member of the Helena Montana Citizens Council, an advisory board to the city council and mayor until I moved out of city limits. I was there for about a year. After becoming a parent, I transitioned to working from home. first as a small business owner and now as a freelance writer and a self-published author which gives my family flexibility and ultimately the availability to pursue this position. Uh my family moved to Manache in 2021 for my husband's job. It was a difficult time if you think back to 2021 uh mid- pandemic. We didn't know hardly anyone. Um, but we found community through school, uh, through my husband's job with the US Forest Service and,
005uh, our kids many, many, many activities that they do. Uh, we've fallen in love with Wacci and we're looking forward to making it our permanent home. We've been here four years and we don't have any plans to leave. My experience as a parent with children in the WACI school district has deepened my belief in public education as a public good and a source of community pride. My particular interests include dual language immersion that also includes meeting kids in their native language for education. Uh STEM education, literacy, I am a writer, an inclusive hands-on education that prepares all students to be future ready, curious, and confident leaders. I believe I'm an ideal candidate at the heart of it because I care really deeply about our students and want to be part of ensuring every child in
006this district has the support, opportunities, and belonging that they need to thrive. And I believe I have the professional and personal experience to contribute to the district's goals. Second question, please tell us two specific skills that you possess that will benefit the board. Certainly. So, one skill I bring to the board is my ability to see multiple perspectives and help others find common ground. Um, in my government career, both with the state of Montana DNRC, that's the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and when I was in public health emergency preparedness at the state level, I was often asked to facilitate conversations and meetings and problem solve collaboratively, even though that wasn't ever part of my formal role. It was just something that I was drawn to and something that I was recognized as being
007good at. I approach challenges with empathy, curiosity, and a deep desire to understand not just the issue at hand, but the people impacted by it. I believe that's essential in a district as diverse and dynamic as ours is. Another skill I bring is my attention to detail and love of learning. I'm someone who digs into problems from every angle and often notices things others haven't seen yet. I take pride in learning quickly, asking thoughtful questions, and doing the background work necessary to make sound decisions. At the heart of it though, and this I might say this a few times tonight. I believe my most important skill is that I care. I care a lot. I'm committed to public education. I really believe in it. I'm committed to the success of every student and to helping
008the board navigate complex decisions with clarity and compassion. Also, as someone relatively new to Wanachi, I think I bring an outside perspective and a strong desire to contribute and make a mark on this community that we now call home. Thank you. You're doing great. Thank you. Maria is here. What do you believe are the roles of the board and the superintendent? Um, that's definitely something that I believe I would learn a lot about in this role. Um, I won't pretend to know everything about how the board and the superintendent and how our complex funding and everything works um, in this state and in our community. But my research and observations as a tuned in parent in the community um, this is what I understand. So bear with me. So the role of the school board
009is to provide responsible governance and governance and oversight that ensures every student in the district has the opportunity to succeed. This includes setting the vision, mission, and strategic goals, engaging the community, creating the conditions for student and staff success and being ultimately accountable for student outcomes. In practice, I think this means overseeing the district's budget, financial priorities, establishing policy, managing contracts, and hiring and supervising the superintendent. The superintendent is entrusted with the day-to-day administration of the district. Their role is to implement board policies and lead staff in carrying out the district's mission. A key responsibility of the board, I believe, is to maintain an effective collaborative relationship with the superintendent, one built on trust, accountability, and a shared commitment to student achievement. I believe that this approach, what I have observed and what I've learned
010about how the board and the superintendent work and what their roles are, aligns really closely with my own guiding philosophy in life, which is servant leadership. I believe that leadership means listening first, supporting the and amplifying the success of others and keeping the needs of students, staff, and families at the center of every decision. The board's work in my mind is not about individual authority. It's about collective responsibility to serve the community. Thank you. I'm Julie Norton. Hi, Julie. I've got the next one. Yep. Describe two strengths of the district and one challenge you feel the district faces. Absolutely. And I appreciated this question because it really made me reflect and I also gave me an opportunity to talk to my neighbors in my district and see what their thoughts are as well. Um, so
011something that I have seen uh that I believe one of the WACI school district strengths is is how intentionally it communicates its mission, especially through the big six future ready outcomes. Um, I'm consistently impressed at how uh student work, classroom, and extracurricular activities and achievements are tied back to those shared goals and how you check back in on the report card on those. That kind of clarity helps families understand families and community members, stakeholders, not just people with kids in the district, understand the why behind district decisions, and fosters a sense of unity across our schools. Additionally, super superintendent Keller, your budgetes, those are great. The implementation of parent square, which is so much easier to use than past products, good job on that one. Uh, and the regularly the regular weekly newsletter, the board
012or the U meeting summaries. I get a lot of communication from the district and I feel like it all is in alignment with um getting the mission and the goals of the district out there. Um another strength I some people might say this is trit is the district's diversity and the opportunity that comes from our changing community. Our students, families, teachers, and staff come from many backgrounds. And when we invest in inclusive practices and responsive programming and education, we create stronger, more equitable learning environments. That diversity enrich enriches our schools and prepares students for life in an increasingly interconnected world. As far as challenges, I did hear about some of those from people in my district. So, I think what I heard the most is concerns about budget and funding. um particularly in light of
013declining enrollment and uncertainty at the state and federal level. I mean, we keep getting headlines and we're not quite sure what they're going to mean, right? I know we saw at a recent meeting that projection showed a 1.5% decline in enrollment by next school year with an 11% drop projected by 2029. That's going to that's going to be a very significant challenge because fewer students means less funding, but we still have the need to support every student. That need remains just as strong. Um, so when speaking with my neighbors about what matters most to them, um, there are lingering concerns over the conditions that led to the closing of Colombia, even with the excitement of knowing that Valley is moving into it. Um, people just want families and community stakeholders want to be feel heard,
014to be informed, and have the opportunity to be part of the solution. And as a board member, I would be committed to ensuring that budget decisions are made with transparency, strategy, and a strong focus on student and community outcomes. Excellent. Thank you so much, Alyssa. Um, Cy Kalahar, superintendent, thanks for being here. Uh, the next question is, sometimes your opinions and votes will be at odds with the majority of the board. How will you support these decisions? So, I strongly believe the work of the school board is too important to be driven by personal agendas. Um, the community has entrusted the board to make thoughtful and often difficult decisions that serve the best interest of all students and they hold the board accountable through regular elections to make sure that they're doing that. As a
015board member, I would always bring my full self to the table. So that's my lived experience, what I've heard from my neighbors and community and a deep commitment to equity and student success. But once the board has made a decision, I would of course support it. Um even if I initially disagreed, I believe that like in a disagreement, um I like to approach it with respect and curiosity and collaboration. And additionally, as a lifelong learner, I'm open to changing my mind. Um I'm not afraid to say, "I've listened. I've learned and now I think differently or I know better. I think that our strength comes from working together toward a shared shared vision and as individuals representing the citizens of Wachi, the board has to work together to serve the community. Great. Thank you. All
016right. Being a board member is a time-consuming commitment of service. Do you feel you were able to meet the demands of this role? Do you have and wish to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that would be relevant to performing school director duties and functions? Um, I definitely believe I can meet the demands of the role. So, I'm self-employed. Um, I work from home with a flexible schedule. Uh, that allows me to structure my time around what matters most. Um, one big thing in my family is that my husband travels a lot. So, it is me and the kids a lot of the time, but my kids are getting older. um they're much more capable of being with a babysitter, which is where they are right now. Be good. Um what keeps me busiest, frankly,
017in my life is my kids. That's what we've structured my our family has decided is the most important thing for me to do right now. And I can't think of anything more important for my kids than this role. Um because what helps my kids helps all kids and I would like to be a part of that. Um as for potential conflicts of interest, I don't believe I have any. Uh, for the sake of full transparency, no one in my family works for or does business with the district. I have two children enrolled in WACI schools. One currently attends a non- neighborhood school through a choice placement. And I've requested choice placement for my rising kindergartenner as well, but I would neither expect nor accept any special consideration in that process. Um, because of this because
018of board service. I'm a member of the Louiswis and Clark Elementary PTSA, but I don't sorry I do not hold a leadership role and I would not seek one. Um, and just as an aside, I have familiarized myself with the filing requirements of elected officials through the PDC, and I would always aim to be as transparent as possible if appointed. Thank you. Explain how you have grown and nurtured collaborative partnerships within the community. I really love this question and it's a harder one for me to answer because we moved here mid- pandemic. small children. You know, it's been a little difficult sometimes as the person that's always there with my kids to get involved, but I have found opportunities to do that. So, um I think that for me this goes back to the servant
019leadership and the four uh the core tenants of that are competence, courage, cander, and commitment. That's something that I bring to any sort of leadership position and when I'm working with community. Um, an example of a time that I did build collaborative partnerships in the community when I worked in Helena, Montana. I was the assistant center manager at the wildland fire dispatch center there. We were an inter agency state and federal office. Um, and in that community, it's a very interesting basically every fire response, you're also going to have local fire response. And so you get a very complex inter agency environment. And I found out that they um the fire chiefs for the local departments got together for lunch at Perkins every Friday. So I started to go to lunch at Perkins every Friday.
020Um it wasn't something I was I had to do that my boss said, "Hey, go to these meetings." But going to them um I found that I just showed up, I listened. Um, I got to know people and we started to see opportunities where um, I could help them with information that maybe it was harder for them to get at their level and they were able to get me lots of information too. Um, and when fire season hit and things got difficult, that trust definitely paid off. Um, we had better coordination and ultimately that increased safety for everyone involved. So that experience showed me that collaboration doesn't happen overnight. It's built over time with consistency and care and it's something that I'm still doing here. But since moving to Wachi, I have focused on besides
021being a parent, being a reliable, present community member, being tuned in to what's going on. Um, I volunteer with packing friendship. Um, I deliver meals to students at Pinnacles Prep every week. And I'm a member of the PTSA at Lewis and Clark Elementary. So, I look forward to continuing to build more relationships and partnerships in the community whether I get this appointment or not. Next question. The Wachi School District is is proud of its diverse student population. Please describe your experience with diverse populations in the Wachi Valley. I really appreciate this question. Uh when we moved here, um we bought a house sight on the scene. That was the market at the time, right? Uh and when we moved in, um the neighborhood wasn't we didn't know what the neighborhood was, right? We had no
022way of knowing. So, we live in a very diverse neighborhood in South Wanachi and we are so happy. We love it. We're incredibly fortunate um to have amazing neighbors and to really feel a part of that community there. Um when we did move here, when we moved, we chose to enroll our oldest at Louiswis and Clark Elementary because he was coming from a dual language program and we wanted to put him in a dual language program. Um, we really believe in the power of um, bilingualism, the multicultural understanding that comes with it, and we support programs that reflect and celebrate that diversity in our community. I'll add that everyone in our household is a Spanish language learner, myself included. I'm on a 300 plus day duallingingo streak, but I still have a lot to learn.
023Please bear with me. So, please don't test me on that. Um, as a family we show up for causes and celebrations that reflect our values. So that includes um opportunities that support LGBTQIA students and families. We believe that every child deserves to feel safe, seen, and welcome in their school and in their community. As a parent, my kids have been involved with the birth age 3 program, ECAP, and we've been lucky to work with the most amazing district special education specialists, uh, speech pathologists and occupational therapists. I have a great appreciation for the work the district does to include students of all abilities and uh firsthand knowledge of how hard they work when they show up for those IEP meetings. And we have so much to talk about and so much success to celebrate because
024they're doing such wonderful work. Um getting to the closing here. I think that one of the most beautiful things about public schools is that they serve everyone. It doesn't matter who you voted for or if you voted. There's so much strength in embracing that and celebrating that in school, students are exposed to different worldviews, languages, and lived experiences. And that no matter what, families come together in gymnasiums and on sports fields for holiday programs and concerts and championship games and graduations and other shared moments of celebration. And that sense of community across differences is one of the things I value most about the district and it's one of the reasons I would be honored to serve on the board. Last question and it's actually for us. Do you have any questions for the board? Well,
025of course, lifelong learner here. I always have a question. uh what are some of the most effective ways that you as board members find um to engage with the community and with your districts? I'll start. Um I have found um spending some time in the buildings to get to know the individual you know talking to the principles understanding what their challenges are what their their kind of successes are is is helps us drive the conversations we're having at the board level. So it allows you to kind of have a sense of of kind of boots on the ground what's happening. So that's that would be my advice. Great. My um for me it's uh I do have a full-time day job. Um so I'm not as flexible as attending daytime school events. Um so as
026a board member we do get invitations to attend weekend events, sporting events, competitions. Um and so I make every effort um to engage out in the community and it's fun. Even you know I if my I I have the child and um it doesn't involve him. I take him with me and it's just a great experience. Um, in regards to the community, um, you know, I am part of a lot of organizations. Um, I attend a lot of events. Um, and it just it just creates that partnership. Great. Yes. Similar. Um, I I think having kids already gets you a lot of exposure out there anyway. You're going to various events through the school, through other other buildings in the district. So, just learning some of the families and whatnot through those events. I make
027myself accessible. I've got my private cell phone given to everybody whether they like it or not just to return calls. They we direct them to our board emails and whatnot just to try and keep communication open. But um really just being out and involved um being accessible is really what I've what I've done to engage with my community and seems to work great. And I'd say the same thing. It's getting out there, but very much as an ordinary person at the bottom of the pile, not as a board member so much. And you can be an encourager, but you you want to be very careful that you are absorbing and encouraging and not presenting any kind of power. Thank you. I really appreciate that. I don't I I mean, I have tons of other questions,
028but I know that we're about at time. So, um I just want to thank the board and the superintendent again for this opportunity and also to thank my community for the support I've received as I made uh the desire for this appointment. Clear. I know you're out there watching. Thank you. Um I know this will be a tough decision because you selected great candidates and I appreciate the opportunity to apply. Great. Thanks so much. Thank you. All right. I'll let you go into your thing. I was like, we still have time on the clock. We're all right. Um, all right. Our next candidate is Carrie Gavin. Uh, welcome. Okay. Oh, we're going to wait a second. Come on up. Yeah, you heard your name and I was You're like I I'll go in now. Okay,
029I'll say it again for now. You're here. Our next candidate is Carrie Gavin. Welcome. You've already taken a seat, so ahead of the game. Um, we have total of nine questions and each of us will take turns asking these questions. You have 25 minutes total to answer all the questions and M. White will help keep a timer which will alert you when there's 5 minutes remaining. Okay. Do you have any questions before we get going? No. Okay, great. All right. So, I'm on question number one. Briefly describe your experience, training, and interests and tell us what makes you an ideal candidate for WACI school district board director. Um, I would say that I've served on several boards and advisory committees in our community. um at uh the Unitarian Fellowship. I was uh a board member
030and their treasurer for three years. I was on the city of Wanchi diversity council advisory board um and I was their co-chair. I was um a member of the PTO and served as um secretary and vice president. Um and then at the United Way I um chaired the emerging food and shelter program. Um I was also uh the executive director at the Brave Warrior Project for a year. Um so I kind of get the being on the board side and then being on the administrative staff side of that and how those work together. Um I feel that in my work I work at developmental disabilities administration and I was um I was at the Chalan Douglas DD office for eight years before that. Um so in that work um you become a good advocate um
031find resources, work with lots of families um and all the other agencies that help and support families um and a lot of those part pieces of those jobs is um the quality assurance, performance measurements, data collection um and kind of compiling all that work and making it you know function in the real world. Um, I would say some of the trainings that I've got to do, um, which I think is pretty cool. Um, I got to do the Chamber of Commerce, um, community leadership training that they hold. Um, I've done I've been to many trainings on transition, um, job development, um, when it comes to special education and folks with developmental disabilities. Um, trainings on low tech and high-tech um, devices for folks who don't use um verbal language to communicate um leading a meaningful
032life with the developmental disability council. I've taken trainings that the um diversity council had um communication across borders. Oh, barriers, sorry, that was like Donna Beagle's training. Um and then I was also able to do some equity and inclusion training at the National Equity Project. um they came here and then also in Portland, Oregon. Um and I guess my interests are um I have two adult children that belong to Mani School District. Both of my kids went to Mission View. And then I have my partner has younger children, kindergarten and fourth grade, and they're at Cashmere right now. Um I don't know. I just I care about the school and I care about the kids and I care about the community and I and I have um youth and children on my case load as
033well at the state. Thank you. Welcome. I'm Martin Baron. Question number two, please tell us two specific skills that you possess that will benefit the sport. Um I would say that one is I have been a part of strategic planning. I was done that at the county office. Um, I've done it at the Unitarian Fellowship. I'm doing it now at Sunny Slope. Um, I feel like I'm a really good um, sorry, I'm nervous. These are just supposed to be like notes and I'm just reading off my thing now. Sorry. Okay. Um, so I feel like I possess the skills to like be on a board obviously. Um, but I think some other things are is like really listening to I feel like a lot of people just want to be heard. Um, especially when they
034when they have challenges or they um they don't know how to navigate a system or they're just having a really rough day. And I find that a lot in my work. And sometimes I don't solve a problem when families call me, but they feel better because they were heard. And I feel like, you know, making sure being very careful about what I say that I can do for them or what I have to ask or what I can find or, you know, so that we're working together, which builds that trust. And so then they know that, you know, that I'm going to follow through and do what I say. Um, I think that's really important. I think, you know, as part and to go along that with the listening, I think it's a skill when
035I have to do those assessments. Um, I have people that are and it's typically um parents that are caregivers to their children and their adult children that still live at home. And you have to ask like 97 questions just in the first half of these assessments. What skills and supports do you need to be successful in all these different areas in their life? And what you find sometimes is that's very difficult to talk about. And so you want to make sure you're very empathetic and that you know that you and you look at the person as a person. You know what is actually important to them, not just what is important for them. Um and also sometimes that just becomes a part of your day, your daily life, taking care of these folks. And so
036to kind of like pull out like what actually are you doing so I can score it in a way so you can get the support that you need from the state because you're doing such a great job. if they didn't have those supports from you and even the school is included in those assessments what you provide here for those folks. Um and it makes a big difference. So is that too thank you. Hi Maria What do you believe are the roles of the board and the superintendent? Um I would say they're kind of the same in a lot of ways. Um, but how you carry that out is a little bit different. I would say I think boards should be the wind in the sales. Whatever board you serve on, you know, they they develop
037policy. Um, they develop budgets and they approve those budgets. Um, they're out in the community. They represent the community. Um, they, you know, advise the superintendent of what, you know, the direction to carry out those things for the school. Um and then and then the strategic planning but then in the at the same time the superintendent is part does the day-to-day struct um functions you know hires the staff but again like follows the policies and implements those procedures is part of the strategic planning is the representative for the community of the school. They all go hand in hand, but a good board should have really good policies in place that are well enough what you know what your expectations are, what you can do and what you cannot do and that you let that be
038the the driving, you know, guidance. So the superintendent and the staff can carry can do their jobs and carry that out because they have the skill set to do it. So, I think they're both, you know, kind of one and the same, but they do have their their own definite, you know, separate lanes and how they get to that, you know, single goal. I'm Julie Norton. Got the next one. Describe two strengths of the district and one challenge you feel the district faces. Um I would say um a a strength of the district is like the arts, the theater, the band, the music. Um I've been a part of that with my kids. I've been a part of it through the community. I think they that you do a wonderful job with that. Like top-notch
039for sure. Um I would say another strength that I find um I think it's great that you have Westside High School. um for all for all different needs of you know students and who's there and I also think um the tech center kind of goes hand inand with that and I also know that the tech center um uh I have people on my case load that utilize the tech center which I think before wasn't always the case and that just makes a world of difference in their lives. So like the school district to be able to identify and know that there are different ways of learning and students have different needs and they're not all going to you know be able to do the same thing and to give them different alternatives so that they
040can thrive and be a good student and oh um and I think the challenge I mean for me the most thing that I hear about and you know would be you know special education is a challenge um I hear a lot about funding. I think that's always what I hear about special education, why certain things can't be attained or achieved as funding. And I'm sure that is true. Um, but it would it would be really great to like kind of find those things that you could do if you if you can't get that funding. Um, I think you need like consistent curriculum. Um, and I think it needs to be evidence-based and I think it needs to start at the elementary level. And I think the school district could be like a pillar of inclusion.
041I know a lot of special education students. I mean, I know there's health and safety, but there's I don't I just think that there's a really great opportunity that when you're integrated in the school much more, then it just becomes that's how life should be. And then when they transition out into adulthood, um I don't know what I'm trying to say. I just think schools have a lot of power and influence and I think that would be a really great way to utilize that to help those folks. Excellent. Thanks, Carrie. Corey Kalahar, superintendent. Fifth question. Uh, sometimes your opinions and votes will be at odds uh with the majority of the board. How will you support these decisions? Um, well, I think what is is important is a board operates as a unit. You know,
042there's no nothing good ever comes out of like I can't find the words like throwing someone under the bus or you know if you wanted something to go a certain way and it didn't then you need to you know the best way to explain that to folks is like well this is this is how the board functions right and we you know I guess for me I would look at like does it match the values of the board does it match the strategic plan, strategic plan, that should be like the guiding principle. So, anytime a board is making a decision, the first thing they should go to is what they wrote themselves and is does this does this align with everything? Because then where is the where is maybe the disagreement going to come from
043and how can we work with that? Um, but I do think it's important to if you need to to keep, you know, readressing things as needed. I feel like documents should be a living breathing kind of identity of their own and they should always be open for change especially as cultures change and times change and to make it work for our community um as well. So and then and if you are in disagreement in some areas I mean you everyone brings something to the table their own set of expertise their own set of like what you care about and it's an opportunity to learn from the other person. There's a lot of things that are really nuanced, you know. So, but yeah, that's what I would say. Great. Thanks. Right. I'm Tucker Jackson. I never
044introduced myself at the beginning. Everyone showed me up. Uh, being a board member is a time-consuming commitment of service. Do you feel you will be able to meet the demands of this role? Do you have and wish to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that would be relevant to performing school director duties and functions? Um, I don't think I don't I believe that I can fulfill the role and the time commitments. I work 410. Um, and I have I have the ability to like flex some time or do what I need to do to make sure I can be here when I need to be here. Um, and I think the only conflict of interest that I could think of was I do, as I mentioned, I do have some children and youth that are
045on my case load that go to an school district. So, and I guess I would have to talk to DSHS about that as well. And maybe it's just a simple, you know, just make sure it doesn't become a conflict, I guess. Or maybe we just like, you know, transfer those kids off my case load and I would take some other ones. explain how you have grown and nurtured collaborative partnerships within the community. Um I feel like I've done a few but I think um so when I was at the county um we used to have a parentto parent which is kind of falls under the the ark of Washington. Um they're like a peer group that supports other parents with kids that have disabilities or special needs. Um we hadn't had one in Chalan Douglas
046County for it had been quite a while a few years and um the North Central Early Learning Collaborative with the Coalition of Children and Families, you know, kind of and with other partners drew this data and they wanted to bring that program back. So when I when I was at the county office, we so I worked with Janelle Burch at the from the ESD, we brought in the United Way, the early learning committee, um parents and other stakeholders and we kind of created this advisory board and we blended funding and got the um program going again and then it was housed under the county. Um and then eventually that led to leaving um I met Erikica Moshi from the brave warrior project. So then she kind of became a part of it and then we
047were able to move, it was only supposed to be at the county temporary. Then we were able to move the program under Brave Warrior Project. So they were getting the funding and then they kind of expanded their program. And then from there we um put together like an autism conference. Um, and since parentto parent was part of the early learning collaborative and they kind of wanted to um, make that a focus because a lot of folks don't think about families with special needs when they're thinking about early learning. They're thinking about g being kindergarten ready and child care, but they often don't think about the population that I typically serve. Um, so we were able to take them um to Olympia for advocacy day a few times and that was pretty cool. Um, and then
048we had an off autism conference and then that kind of grew into um, you know, the Brave Word Project is their own like nonprofit now. Um, I used to go to um, the Gates Foundation a few times a year at the United Way. Um and from that we were able to we met with group health foundation and we were able to write grants specifically um regarding like equity and we were able to get a big one from them and funded brave warrior. So I think it was just like it started out with this thing and then kind of grew into another thing just kind of being a part of all those pieces. That's my question. The Wanti School District is proud of its diverse student population. Please describe your experience with diverse populations in the
049Wanche Valley. Um, well, I work with the developmental disability population. Um, I'm a work incentive um, benefits planner, so I I've worked with other folks with different kinds of disabilities helping them with their social security. Um, you know, my I was part of the mission like I've stated with uh PTO. My kids went to Mission View. My daughter was in the dual language program from first grade through um till the end of her elementary fifth grade. Um I live in South Finanche. I take the link bus. Um oh, and I'm I'm part of the the queer community. So Last question. Um, and it's for us. Do you have any questions for the board? Yeah, I a couple my notebook again. Um, one, just two. Um, I probably have more, but this was two. Um, and
050going back to the um, opinions and votes not always meeting the majority of the board, I was wondering if you could give me an example when that has happened like what kind of topic that is around and how um, did you manage that? How do you support it? I've only been on the board for one disagreement and it was about the thing that we came back on. So, I'll let one of my more senior board members answer this one. I'll I'll answer with this board. This board has been one where I think we have worked with our differences to reach something that normally has consensus. It's not everybody's first choice. We have had 132 vote. I can't remember what it was. Uh the graduation requirement was the graduation requirement. Okay. uh in prior boards you
051had much more division and votes and differences but I think one of the strengths of a good board is that you try to get something that can work and work together. I'll use um a previous board example. Um and it was during a very challenging time was COVID. Um the last vote we had whether we were ready to reopen our schools. Um it was a two-3 vote. I was in the minority and um you know you um it was a very challenging time. Um but you accept the decision. You don't challenge it um nor question your colleagues. you you know you we all have the best interest and how do you adjust your thoughts um with what's in front of you which is which was to reopen our schools and then you support our students
052um no hard feelings um because obviously when you have conflict it's a little ch more challenging to do work um but yeah I mean you might not like it but again everybody has the best interest of students at at the forefront and um you know you kind you just deal Yeah. And I'll just add that the one that I recall being was actually a two-part vote because one was approving the contractor and the next one was approving the contract. And I ended up being I think maybe the only abs or the only no vote in approving the contractor. But my role as the board is to support what the board does. And so when we came to approving their contract, I was able to unanimously help approve the contract because this was the direction that
053the board had signaled they were going to go. And so my job then is is to support that. Thank you. And I guess my second question is um your value statement of um the building the foundation of diversity, equity, and inclusion. And I know this is more of a delicate topic, but I think it's important. I was wondering if you've noticed or observed any impacts at the district level or the school level um with the current administration and with the things that are going on with diversity and equity inclusion and kind of what's going to happen if that gets pushed or have we thought about that? Oh, I I can start. I'm I can't speak um in regards to the funding piece of it. Um, but I can tell you as somebody that has um
054advocated for this type of work um my whole professional career, um I commend the district for the stance that they have taken. Um I don't know if you've tuned in to board meetings, but um I have been pretty open about um the direction the district is moving the the the um the initiative of supporting our student our students, our community, whether they're um what doesn't matter their demographic, their race, uh legal status, etc. Um so um you know the the management piece that's up to the superintendent in regards to at the building level. Um but I could tell from the top up um I I have been very pleased as as how it's handled has been handled and the approach that the district has taken. Thank you. And I'll say it's certainly one of the
055things on our mind at all times and and especially as things kind of change. Uh we're constantly trying to communicate to families that these are safe spaces. Families are welcome at our events and and things like that. we are aware that things could change and so we know our admin is working behind the scenes if on if then scenarios in terms of what happens to funding and programs and things like that. Um so it's it's something we're constantly aware of. We're hoping that the impacts are not felt because we're doing so much of the hard work at least on the day-to-day student level because we are doing so much work to reassure our families and make them safe welcoming spaces for everybody. Um but yeah, it's it's something that's forefront and that we are constantly
056aware of and working to avoid any issues. Um I think that working that on the basis that all people matter, all people should be safe, uh law and constitution should be supported and then as an individual board member diversity is a strength. We need to nurture all our talents uh in terms of impact from outside, be prepared, be watchful, and that's where we are. And I'll agree with my colleagues. I would just add that like we aren't making laws, but we're following the laws. And so when we're coming into conflict with with certain opinions in the district, we're following the law first. And that's that is our role as a board member is to support our our district within the state mostly state laws and federal laws. So it's a little up for up in
057the air but we aren't making those calls. So and respecting that I think is important. Right. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Our next candidate is Mlan Johnson. Hey. Uh, welcome. You get to take a You got to take a seat. No, you got No, you guys, you're just sitting. Come on. You're fine. They have they had to walk in and out. All right, we have a total of nine questions and each of us will take turns asking those questions. You'll have 25 minutes total. There's a little running shot clock over there. Um and uh we'll alert you in five minutes or remaining. Do you have any questions before we get started? No questions. Okay. Wait, you don't want us to ask you any question? No. All right. I am Tucker Jackson. I am
058the first question. Uh, briefly describe your experience, training, and interests and tell us what makes you an ideal candidate for Wachi School District board director. Oh, good one. Well, um, I suppose I would start at the beginning. Uh, I'm a fish biologist, which gives me the privilege of having a wonderful job title. People hear that and they're like, "Oh my gosh, what does that mean?" Uh but really what I do is I work at the intersection of people, land and water and fish. Um so a lot of times what that does is it brings stakeholders of various kinds uh agricultural folks, natural resource folks, folks that are looking to develop economics, things like that. It brings people together to discuss and how to manage a finite resource in water. Um, so that can lead to
059a lot of uh interesting people to meet and a lot of good discussion. Um, that's where I've been at for the last few years in my career. Um, that's a little bit about what I do. Um, as far as training, um, I'm trained as a scientist. I I had the good fortune to go to college. That was the pathway for me. Um, and so training started started there. Um, I went to the University of Montana and subsequently South Dakota State. And along the way, being trained as a scientist, there's a a lot to learn about the biological world, but really it's learning about people and how to connect with them and how to how to talk about things and share information. So, uh, along the way, you know, communication is a huge part of science.
060And so, there's a lot of training that goes with that. And I've always tried to hang on hang on to that, you know, be a good communicator and and learn more than I can. You know, I've got a long list of of trainings that I've probably done, but at the end of the day, it's about just being able to talk with people like yourselves and and share that. And I would say that's the the training that I would like to highlight. Um, as far as interests go, I would say, you know, along my journey in my career and growing up, I grew up in rural Montana. I moved to Wache about 12 years ago. Um, lived in District 4 the whole time. Um, but I often remember that there was many people along that way
061that helped me get to where I am now. Uh, whether that be a teacher or a coach or a formal mentor or just a good neighbor. Um, so I'm interested in being that person for my community. That's that's what I try to do. Um, been doing my best at it. Um, and uh, hopefully I can continue to do more. So, um, I think that's a lot of the reason why I think I could I could do good work here on the board. Um, I'm up for that challenge. I think, you know, we all want to get to a place in our lives where we can be intentional about what we do. and uh and I choose to be here and I want to be here and so I think that that's a a good prerequisite.
062Sound all right? Okay. I'm Martin Baron. The second question for you, please tell us two specific skills that you possess that will benefit this board. Good question. Thank you. Um, well, having served on a few boards both professionally and in the community, I would say that commitment is probably number one. And there's a lot of levels to commitment. Um, when I think of commitment, it's not just being reliable, it's also being consistent. Um, being open and honest and fair, right? um patience, you know, is a is a good part of commitment and being a good listener and being thorough. So, I would say commitment for number one. Um number two, I would say uh communication. Uh I enjoy talking with people and connecting and listening both written and verbally. Uh I'm a big believer in
063saying what you mean concisely and plainly so that everybody can understand what you're saying, right? Um that's hard to do in science because we have a lot of big words, right? I mean like there's a lot of good ones. Uh conccommittant is one that has been I've seen a lot in scientific literature and it just seems like at the same time. Why don't you just say at the same time instead of conccommittent because it throw you for a loop, right? So, um so yeah, communication um distilled as well. It doesn't need to be long um but it needs to be presentable and um so yeah, uh communication for number two. Thank you. Maria Inig here. Next question. What do you believe are the roles of the board and the superintendent? Great question. Um, well, I
064would start with the board I would say is to um community engagement. Um, and in my mind that means being a champion for our district. We got a lot going on, a lot of good things and uh I think that's an important role. I would I would take that very seriously. Um, but probably establishing expectations for learning, you know, that's uh that's not an easy thing to do and to establish accountability for those expectations for learning. Um, and that would extend to our wonderful staff here in the district. You know, there's over 800 of them. You know, do they have the tools that they need? Do they have the, you know, the resources that they need to be successful and accountable as well? So I would say that's that's the role of the board in
065my mind. Okay. Um I'm Julie Norton, ready for next question. Describe two strengths of the district and one challenge you feel the district faces. Julie, uh great question. Can I hop back to the previous question really quick? I missed a point on that. I missed the superintendent part. Sorry. Um and of course I'd like to add one more one more to the board. Governance, right? Uh governance is important. You know, we have policy procedure and ways that we communicate information and that needs to be a key part of the board as far as the superintendent goes. Um you know, I I think that uh vision and leadership is a is an important uh an important point for the superintendent. And I would also say um logistics and operations, hiring, firing, direction. That's a heck of
066a job job you got there, Corey. So um yeah, so that's that's the superintendent portion of that. Um so Julie, could I please have that question again that you Okay, thank you. Describe two strengths of the district and one challenge you feel the district is facing. Oh. Oh man, strengths. Just two. That's all I get. Oh man. Okay. Because there's a lot more. Um I think that a strength of the district would be future thinking. Um whether that's our strategic plan, whether that's staying ahead of emerging issues, declining enrollment comes to mind, absenteeism comes to mind. um you can't manage something that you don't understand or that you don't have data for or that you're not thinking about already. Um so I think that the board does a good job with that. Um for number
067two for strength um I would think highlighting our successes. um the weekly newsletter that I get that highlights successes of students. Um actions that are relevant to the development of our district. Um staff winning awards. I love to read about that. I think it's important. Um and for a challenge, um there's a lot coming at us right now on a lot of levels, right? And always that's always going to be that way. But I would say the one that stands out to me right now would be the rapid pace of changing policy and law from different levels of government that influence us in our district. And um I think that would be our primary challenge in the near term. Right. Thank you, Corey Kalahar, superintendent. Thanks for being with us today. Uh fifth question is
068uh sometimes your opinions and votes will be at odds with the majority of the board. Uh how will you support these decisions? That's a good question. Um careful consideration um you know I'm a logical thinker as a scientist and deduction comes naturally to me, right? So those I would hang on to that. Um, I think being respectful of other people's opinions. Uh, I would also say that it's board's responsibility to explain their decisions succinctly. Um, that folks can understand. Um, disagreement is can be uh a healthy part of the decision-making process and probably should be. It doesn't have to be divisive. um it can be a healthy a healthy outcome and that's that's good. I actually get a little worried when a lot everybody agrees about one thing. That seems kind of odd, doesn't it?
069So, um so that's how I would approach that. Yeah. All right, we're back to me. Uh being a board member is a timeconsuming commitment uh commitment of service. Do you do you feel you'll be able to meet the demands of this role? Do you have and wish to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that would be relevant to performing school director duties and functions? Yes, I will be able to meet the demands and no, I do not have any conflicts. Next question. Explain how you've grown and nurtured collaborative partnerships within the community. Okay, good question. This is my favorite one. All right. So far, uh, let's see. Well, um, number one, uh, this is a good one. Um, couple years ago, uh, North Central Education District had some funding and we got a group of
070natural resource specialists together and we had a spring break outdoor science camp for kids in our district, but also surrounding districts and all volunteer-based. And this camp had uh been going on for a few years by the time that I I joined on board. But um being able to gauge engage with volunteers mostly in my field, but also a lot of other folks uh the camp owners up at Lake Wanche, community members nearby. Um one of the things that I really liked in the planning process of this camp was logistics, right? So, there was a lot of students that maybe couldn't get to the lake for whatever reason. You know, parents working um you know, no transportation and how to do that. We were able to organize that and get as many kids to the
071camps as we could. Um and it was very well attended. Uh but you know, spring up at Lake Wache is a little touch and go. So, the weather was weather was pretty good. Uh we had a little snow but mostly sunshine and it was a bunk house camping uh cafeteria food kind of thing and a log cabin and then there was outdoor science lessons most of the day so I got to teach a lot of those lessons. Um, I got to meet kids from, you know, Rock Island, Malaga, Peteros. Um, and a lot of kids from our district, both Eastmon and here. Um, and I think it was a good success overall. And then on the last day, we were able to get a lot of the parents up to the camp as well, talk
072about some of the things that we'd learned. Uh, my role up there was was cool. I got to go outdoors and do uh global positioning system location in the forest with these kids. Um and uh yeah, rewarding experience. And so that was I don't know that was a pretty good one. Um I try to tell you another one. Uh yeah, uh science on tap. I did that last year. So, I work in a a highly regulatory world where often obtaining permits or knowing the law or um getting work done out on a river is can be complicated for a lot of people. Whether it's a land owner or whether it's a uh a group that's looking to do some good for fish or whether it's an irrigator looking to improve their pumps for their orchards
073or anything like that. And so we uh I connected with the icicle group up in Lemonworth and we uh had a science on tap here in Wache and it was a place where anybody could come whether it was casual learner, a land owner um uh natural resource professional type or just interested public could come down and we just had a presentation to um talk about the varying levels of permit, what's necessary if you want to do something in the aquatic environment in our valley. Um, and it was a good time, you know. I like I think I managed to make regul regulations not boring, which is like that was a big win for me. So, yeah. So, that was one. Um, I got to give you one more. Oh, yeah. I'm a I'm a coach,
074so you know, uh the successful teams that I've been on, they've all been successful to varying degrees, but the best teams um have just this synergy between the board that runs the league, the coaches, the parents, the players. It's like a system that works together, right? So if you've got an engaged parent of a coach or of a player, if you got a coach that's good at planning, if the coach surrounds himself with people who know more, if you reach out in that way to make a community of people that interact, the product that you see on the sports field is exponentially better. And so I I really believe in that process. Um, and I enjoy being a coach. You guys actually stole me from practice tonight, so you're going to have to answer my
075daughter. Um so yeah um but uh so yeah I think those are the three the science camp science on tap and and just being a coach you know as well. Thank you. The Wanti school district is proud of its diverse student population. Please describe your experiences working with diverse populations in the Wanti Valley. Okay. Um you probably write a couple books on that topic, right? Um, but I don't I don't need to look further uh for experience with diversity than my own district. You know, we have 11 precincts and they're all unique. Um, District 4 is very vibrant and uh busy and it's just got people from all walks of life. I've talked to a lot of people and and uh I really enjoy listening to my community members in my district. I was just
076thinking about how I met somebody recently was a traveling nurse working for the hospital system. You know, it's just a short termer here in Wache, but is living in our district and working nights at the hospital. Um, some of the more meaningful interactions I've had have been we have tribal members living in my district and if you listen and if you're patient and you can build trust with those people, they'll tell you their stories and I think listening to me is the most important thing to diversity and tribal members telling me about their ancestors and how they're connected to the land and how salmon are important to their people, you know, and and to for somebody to share that with you is very meaningful. Um, this last couple years on Day of Dead, I've had
077friends that share the memories of their loved ones with me. Um, and that's very important and moving to me. Um, and then, you know, we got Apple Blossom coming up, right? Um, there's third or fourth generation Wache folks that have been here a long time, been working orchards, uh, been involved in the parade for 70 years, you know, it's just it's incredible. So, um, yeah. So, diversity to me is is my district, right? So, and I enjoy being a part of it and I'm a listener for that and I'll never stop listening for that, you know. Thank you. Last question. Do you have any questions for the board? Sure. Yeah, I got some. I got well I got one but it's for each of you and even the superintendent too if you'd like. Um I
078have some ideas about things that I could help with as being a member of the board right away. Um and I want that to be positive and a and a good experience. But I was curious what each of you thought would be something as a board member getting appointed would be something immediately that they could hop in and help with. Does anybody want to go? Dr. Baron, do you want to go first? I normally answer in generalities rather than specifics. So that's um but I think I would pause, look around, see what's happening. If I had something that I was interested, then I would discuss it with the superintendent. Uh I wouldn't necessarily leap in on one thing. I would look at the playing field, but I don't have a specific because like you said,
079there 20 different programs that you'd go for and I could list 10 that I'm interested in. Okay. And I would say because of the open polo being um we can't have a lot of communication with each other outside of this room. And so, you know, using the superintendent as a hey, this is what I'm interested in. How are we handling that now? Or how can we create, you know, a future opportunity in whatever you're interested in? I think that really is certainly when when I was getting my bearings, it was Cory was a great resource to to understand what we're doing, understand where we're going, and then understanding how to get involved and and then, you know, make that part of of the board process. Okay. I guess and what I'm seeing is a vacancy
080for district 4 here and I guess I'm more I'm more interested in like the issues than the process, you know. Um I was hoping for some more answers about specific things that we need to get to work on, you know. I could give you a more of a straight answer. Um facilities. Um we have a very high need to pass a bond. Um when high school has been on ballot for uh you know the last bond and it it failed. Um Miranda who used to hold uh the seat for district 4 was on the facilities committee, right? Yeah. Yeah. With Tucker. Um so right in there. There's a high need and there's an opening. And I I do appreciate your answers by the way. I'm sorry if I wasn't more clear. Okay. Thank you, Maria.
081Yeah, I think the the interesting thing about this board is we all have something that's unique to us that we're especially interested in. Um, and maybe more relevant to one of our districts than others. But I think if I'm looking at the biggest needs of the district, I think it's facilities that we're really trying to strategize. How do we collectively improve facilities knowing the the legislative climate we're in, the the taxpayer climate we're in? How do we get our facilities improved? Um, the other things we're trying to address is how do we how do we bring up our student learning? How do we bridge achievement gaps? Um, and then one of the other I think if it were to do like a top three is um Oh, and I just lost it. Achievement G. Oh,
082and and how do we restructure our district addressing budget and enrollment? What are what are the strategies there to either attract enrollment to help fund some of our other programs or if we can't attract enrollment, how do we address um address our facilities in in the wake of declining enrollment? What do we do with our extra facilities and whatnot? So, I think those are kind of the three, if I'd say, biggest things that we seem to regularly be working on and talking about. Very helpful. Yeah. Thank you. where to where to start. Okay. Awesome. And thanks for the invitation to answer as well. I appreciate the question. Um I think first and foremost uh the board and uh and me as superintendent, we're looking for Okay. Wow. I was like, hold on. I was we're
083looking for we're looking for collaborative partners and thought partners and and a whole host of uh you know, challenges that we're looking into. Um, another immediate thing that you might be involved in is um, with Miranda leaving the board, we also have a legislative uh, representative opening on the board as well. So, that might be something that you uh, would jump into. Uh, Miranda jumped in uh, in her first year and uh, and both feet. Yes. And ended up with a host of responsibilities and being a district representative uh, from Wanchi. So, that was really great. The other thing I think um time consuming but well worth the time is uh meeting with building leaders and department leaders in the district and just gaining uh a deeper understanding for kind of the inner workings and
084the challenges that each of those leaders have. Each building and department and site has its own unique uh challenges and opportunities and rewards. And so it's really cool to hear from our leaders what uh what it is that they're working on individually. And then as Julie mentioned, um just breaking down barriers and how how we address the achievement gap and helping to hold the district accountable to that strategic plan um and making sure that we're doing best by our students. So appreciate your interest and thank you for being here. Yeah, man. Yeah. Thank you guys. Totally. All right, our next candidate is Mark Belton. Welcome. Um, you already have your seat, but I'll tell you give you the rest of the the nitty-gritty. Uh, we have total of nine questions and each of us will
085be asking them. Um, we have 25 minutes total and there's going to be a shot clock timer going on over there and will there'll be a notification at five minutes left. Um, do you have any questions for us before you get started? Nope, I don't think so. Okay, great. All right. My name is Tucker Jackson and I have question number one. So, briefly describe your experience, training, and interests and tell us what makes you an ideal candidate for Washi School District board director. Sure. So I have over a decade of public administration working at Schlank County Peud. That includes supervising a team, working as a team, governance, budgeting, and strategic planning. So a lot of that ties directly to what I see here at the school district. Um, also I have some background in school
086administration. I worked for both Eastmont School District and Shoreline School District. Uh, with that, I have a really strong commitment to the youth programs and the arts. So, I'm sure you guys saw through my resume that I'm also a board member for music theater. I have co-produced uh productions for the high school, both their own and the all district musical for a number of years. Um, my kids are in band and we've done sports and all of those are really important to me. Um, additionally, I do have two kids that are in the school district. So, the, uh, both in middle school and high school right now. Uh, I'm a longtime valley resident. So, our family dates back to the 1900s from here. So, uh, born and raised. Even though I worked in Shoreline, I
087still lived here and commuted back and forth. Um, so I am officially the first though to move to Wanchachi. So, I will say it's I graduated from Eastmont and my kids were the first to be purple and gold. It's very divisive in my family. Um, there's been a huge impact in my life from former teachers from elementary up through high school and I know how important that is. Uh, and I see how valuable those interactions can be for our youth. And that's really what encouraged me to want to uh put my name in the ring for this. And I'm really committed to seeing the Wanchi School District be the premier educational um institution here in the valley. I'm Martin Baron and I have a second question for you. Please tell us two specific skills that
088you possess that will benefit this board. Sure. Um, some of it I kind of already touched on. So, strategic budgeting and oversight. I have years of managing public sector funds and contracts. Um, that's what I do for a living is read the fine print and try to understand intent among two different parties and come to a reasonable conclusion. Also, community collaboration. So, I have a proven ability to build partnerships both with nonprofits and schools and other civic groups. Um, and the big parts of that for me are listening, advocating, and supporting. Sorry about that. Just writing. Maria what do you believe are the roles of the board and the superintendent? It's a great question. So the board really is um setting vision, policy and accountability measures while the superintendent is the one who's executing that
089um providing the day-to-day direction managing operations. And it's really a partnership and that success is going to come from trust, clarity, um clear boundaries between the two and working for an entity that's governed by a board. I do understand uh how critical both parts are and how critical it is to work together. Make sure that's a unified front and that the communication coming out is the same uh on both ends. Thank you. Um just I'm Julie Norton. Describe two strengths of the district and one challenge you feel the district faces. Sure. I think the number one strength that I've seen is the diversity of the student body and the strong equity values that go along with that. Uh myself, I was went to Rock Island Elementary. I worked at Rock Island Elementary um up through,
090you know, high school at in Eastmont and now coming here, it's great to see uh that those equity values really put to work dayto-day. Um, I see those in the halls as I'm there, you know, helping with theater things. The posters that are at the high school, the clubs that have started are amazing, engaging our kids um on multiple levels. Uh secondly is I think the support for variety of enrichment arts, athletics and extracurricular programs are boosting confidence, boosting engagement, creating connection between students and staff. And I think that's been great. I've seen my kids teachers show up at things that they don't have to be at. And I've seen, you know, a smile on my son's face when they see their teacher there. It's almost better than seeing your parent in the audience when
091the teacher shows up. So, uh, the challenge, you know, I think, uh, while aging facilities is a challenge, I I would focus really on the opportunity to continue and, uh, building public trust and engagement after, you know, recent hardships that every district is going to encounter from time to time. Excellent. Thank you, Corey Keller, superintendent. Thanks for being here today. Uh fifth question is sometimes your opinions and votes will be at odds with perhaps the majority of the board. How will you support these decisions? Uh I think that speaking up respectfully during deliberation is part of a healthy governance and board. And I'm always the one that asks why that wants to kind of challenge the norm. What's the meaning behind it? How do we get there? uh understand someone else's position because we can't
092make an informed decision unless we really understand what the others are bringing to the table. Um learning we can all learn and we can all grow. So we can't come into it with uh one set idea. It's got we have to be open-minded. Uh and then once a decision is made, you are part of a board, which means you're representing the whole district when you're out having coffee with friends. And so you need to make sure you're supporting that board decision. It may not have been the way you wanted that vote to go, but um in public, you need to be able to explain the board's position and why you're going to support that decision moving forward. Great. Thank you. Right. Being a board member is a time-consuming commitment of service. Do you feel you
093will be able to meet the demands of this role? Do you have and wish to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that would be relevant to performing school director duties and functions? Uh, yes, I do believe I can meet the time commitment. I will jokingly say that my wife told me I wasn't ever satisfied having all the irons in the fire. I needed more irons and possibly a bigger fire. Uh so yes, I'm experienced in juggling board service, career, and a home life uh and theater all at all times. And currently I don't have any conflicts, although if any were to arise, I would of course recuse myself. Question number seven, explain how you have grown and nurtured collaborative partnerships within the community. I think it's a great one and uh I have seen that
094both in my uh position on the board at music theater, producing programs, fundraising, um sponsor relationships are all really important to us. Um co-producing uh musicals and dramas up at the high school. Uh just trying to nurture that deep school partnership. And one I think that will make us all laugh is uh the boys at the high school tend to use the mariachi room to get dressed in. And boys are maybe not the cleanest in the mariachi room. So trying to juggle that relationship with the teacher who has the room during the day and the boys at night that then have left their clothes and deodorant all over. So we're always trying to work those through. Uh, I think I'm known, if you asked my peers, for bringing groups together, following through on commitments and
095creating partnerships that benefit our community. Um, I'm also a board member for Small Miracles, which uh provides lunches to kids during the summer and uh we see all kinds of partnership opportunities that come through that. Uh more recently we've been providing snacks through that committee um for high school athletics and it's been great. So I have a real desire to learn um about others about their culture and how programs that I'm involved with can uh nurture those and kind of cohabitate. Thank you. The Wachi School District is proud of its diverse student population. Please describe your experiences with diverse populations in the Wachi Valley. Um, I think it starts back to um going to uh attending an elementary school that was um considered low income at the time. So really seeing all aspects of uh
096what kids are coming to school with and later working at that same school, seeing the other side of the coin, the parts that you didn't see as a student. And I think that everyone um everyone deserves to feel like they belong in their community, in their school, in their home. And unfortunately that's not always um the case. And so in any program I'm involved in I'm really want to be known for being supportive and advocating for those um kids and staff that are all part of our community here in the valley. Thank you. Last question and it's for us. Do you have a question for the board? too. So, I was really uh inquisitive on how you felt that a new board member could contribute most effectively in the next few months. I'll I'll take
097a stab at it. Um I think that trying knowing that this is a short time frame, you know, getting up to speed on the whole district would be impossible. And so being able to kind of dive into whatever we're working on, I think that that is going to be an important role for a five month stint and then um also understanding is this something that you would like to run for and then do again. I think you know getting a taste also for what this actually looks like I think is an important thing to to know that if you're jumping if you want to run what you're actually going to be facing. For sure. Right. Yeah, for sure. And I would say that um I think all of us are probably hungry hungry for a
098new member to be provocative with ideas but not but listen and uh learn at the same time. People say that you have to learn on the board before you get your feet under you and that's true but in the course of that you can bring in new perspectives and new ideas right from the beginning. I was going to tell you what um as somebody that was appointed and Martin was on the board, I was going to tell you what Martin told me when I sat in that chair, but he already did. He did. He recycled the response. So, it's all I got. Yeah. kind of to what Martin said, it's it's we all know that we have unique and and differing interests and why that that's why you're here, but it's really so much of
099a learning process at the beginning. And so it is, you know, it is jumping in and listening and and really funneling questions through other board members or through the superintendent and and not being afraid to ask. Um, but just really coming with an open mind, but not feeling like we've done all the work for you. Just sit back and relax. Um, it's and I don't think you have that mentality by any means. It's helpful that you have some public background experience anyway. So, it's, you know, you're not under the disillusion that we can things happen in a day or anything like that. So, it's just, it's really just kind of being a sponge, but not being afraid to to ask questions and learn and and question what we're what we're doing because it might be
100new to you. Great. That was all I had. Great. Thank you. Thank you. All right. So, we have completed all the interviews and the school board are now recessed in executive session for a period of 30 minutes until 6:57. Yep. To evaluate the qualifications of the candidates for appointment to the board. Pursuant to district policy number 1410 and RCW 423110, this discussion will be closed to the public. The school board is expected to take action following the executive session. We're going to extend for 15 more minutes to 712. Thanks. Okay, we're going to reconvene the meeting. Um, do I have a motion to appoint a candidate to the open board position number four? I would make a motion that we appoint Mark Belton to the open board position number four. Have a second. I'll second
101the motion. It has been moved by Julia and seconded by Maria. Any discussion? The only discussion I think we'll all echo this is we had uh really uh strong and very very helpful candidates. It was not easy to take decision. That's why we had an extra 15 minutes and we're really grateful for everybody who came forward. I hope that you could support the school district in many ways. uh possibly even as candidates in the future and uh we are very lucky to have had such people applying as candidates as the application. I will second that. I would like to just thank everybody um that took the time to interview. Um this is a a a pitch. Um we do have we will have an atlarge position open. Um filing is the week of May 9th
102through 5th through 9th 5th through the 9th. Um and so we encourage our applicants to um we got a little bit of taste and encouraged to file to run. Yeah, I'll just say thank you everyone that that did interview. Um it was a challenging decision. Everyone brought a really unique skill set and we would be very valuable to have any one of them on the board. So do consider that um a putting your name in if you really want to run for this one. Um and but then also the the atlarge later because it it was it was a tough decision. So, thank you all. Yes. All right. Do I have a motion to approve resolution uh 0125 affirming the appointment of Mark Belton and says motion? Okay. Roll call vote for the motion for
103Julie's motion. Right. Uh Martin I. Maria I. Julie I. And I vote I as well. Okay. Motion carries. All right. Now the next motion. Do I have a motion to approve resolution? Is that what we just did? No. Do I have a motion to approve resolution 0125 affirming the appointment of Mark Belton to position number four on the board of directors? So moved. Second. All right. So, moved by Julie and seconded by Maria. Um, those in favor? I. None opposed. Motion carries. All right. I'd like to thank all the candidates um in serving uh with your interest in serving on the Washi School Board. Uh I want to remind everyone the filing period is for the ATL large board position number five and board position number four will be open from end board position number
104one. Sorry, Julie. kind of it's written in there will be open from May 5th through 9th for the upcoming November elections. Um and the super the superintendent and executive assistant will be reaching out to Mark to schedule a meeting with you. Sorry. Out there in TV land. Um and the meeting is adjourned.