Voters to settle several contested races for school board on the North Coast

May 1—Most school board candidates on the North Coast are uncontested in the May election, but voters will have choices in several school districts.

Contested races are taking place in Astoria, Warrenton and Jewell.

The election is May 16.

Astoria

Heidi Wintermute, the chairwoman of the Astoria School District Board, will face challenger John Brackeen for Position 2.

Wintermute serves as a school psychologist in the Ocean Beach School District in Washington state. She said her experience and the knowledge gained from her work provides an important perspective on the school board.

"I think I bring a lot to the table as a public educator myself," she said. "I am well-versed in school systems and education law."

Some of Wintermute's focuses include reducing class sizes at the middle and high schools, retaining and recruiting teachers, uplifting student voices in decision making and working toward universal preschool.

"I believe public education should be top priority for our entire country, really," she said. "Public education especially is really important because we serve all kids, all types, all backgrounds and they're our future."

Wintermute said some people have asked about her position on banning books, a topic that has divided some school districts in Oregon and across the nation over questions about appropriate content.

"I think banning reading materials doesn't improve our kids' education, it waters it down," she said. "I think curricular freedom is necessary to give our students a well-rounded and diverse education."

Brackeen did not respond to requests for an interview.

At a candidates' forum at Astoria High School in April, Brackeen said he wanted to see higher math, reading and science levels at schools, improved accessibility to board meetings and a male voice added to the all-female board.

"I do care about our students and I would like to see them set up to the place where they can be most successful, that includes raising their academic achievements, their abilities to go meet the higher standards," Brackeen said at the forum.

Warrenton

In Position 1 on the Warrenton-Hammond School District Board, Tabbitha McGrorty will face Morris Guiendon.

McGrorty, a salon owner, was appointed to the seat in January. She said she has enjoyed her short time on the school board and wants to serve longer to make an impact.

"My biggest thing is I want to be a voice for the kids and make sure they're getting what the kids need," she said. "I joke around and say that I work for them. I want to know what's going on with them and what's important in their education and what kind of classes they want. I just want to be an advocate for them."

McGrorty, who served on the board of the nonprofit Warrenton Kids Inc. for six years, said she has a good sense of raising money and, since she is heavily involved with her children's education, knows what the community wants and needs investment on.

"I think that's my biggest attribute, is that I'm really close to the kids that are in the school right now," she said.

Guiendon, a senior pastor at the Calvary Assembly of God, said in an email that he decided to run for the school board after hearing concerns of students and parents in the school district.

"My decision was based on the idea that obviously not all the members of our community feel they have a voice in the agendas and policies of the local school system," he said in an email.

Guiendon, who also serves as a superintendent at the Warrenton Calvary Learning Center, a home-school co-op, said many families have ventured into home-schooling because of "pressures placed upon their personal belief systems," causing a schism in the community.

"It seems like our generation has lost the ability to communicate with each other respectfully," he said. "We must be able to find common ground and learn to be able to respectfully disagree with each other while allowing reason and morality to prevail."

Guiendon pointed to his organizational leadership and work with people through counseling.

"It is my opinion that all students should feel welcome and safe in our schools to obtain an education without fear of being indoctrinated with ideologies they do not agree with," he said. "Parents need to have a say in their children's education."

In Position 5, there is a three-way race between incumbent Dalan Moss, Mark Simonsen and Guillermo Romero.

Moss, the executive director of the nonprofit NW Community Alliance, has served on the board for eight years.

"Ultimately, I just want to support students. I have students ... It does give me the opportunity to have some influence on the education they get and others get. I just like to support the school district," said Moss, who has previously served as a district executive for the Boy Scouts of America and volunteered with youth.

He pointed to the school district having to navigate several challenges in the future, including trying to land funding.

Moss, who called himself a quiet person, said he seeks to represent others who aren't as vocal.

"I try to think of the quieter voices," he said. "Anytime there is an issue, there are always loud, dominant voices and I try to think of the voices that aren't dominant and see things objectively and see the picture from all angles before I make a suggestion or recommendation."

Simonsen served on the school board several decades ago. Now retired, he said he has the time to get involved again.

"My real concern is we are really flatlined with our (graduation rates) and have been for a long time. This isn't just a district issue, I don't believe, it's really a statewide issue. Our graduation rates are low and nothing seems to be changing," said Simonsen, who previously worked at the Georgia-Pacific Wauna Mill.

Simonsen noted that while the existing school board has goals to increase graduation rates, he said there has been minimal progress and he thought he could bring a fresh voice.

Simonsen, born and raised in Hammond, served on several boards in the region and was the district's fire chief. He identified the need for improved communication and transparency to the community from the school board and recommended utilization of newsletters.

"Taxpayers, business leaders — they need to know what the district is doing, good and bad," he said. "We need to know as taxpayers where our dollars are going and what we're doing with them."

He also said that there could be a better focus on vocational trades to help prepare students for the workforce, and pointed to some upgrades needed in special education.

Romero, a social services worker specializing in child welfare, could not be reached for an interview.

Jewell

Incumbent Ginger Kaczenski is slated to face off against Ryan Dietrich in Position 1 on the Jewell School District Board.

But Kaczenski, who has served on the school board for 12 years, said if she wins, she would step down and encourage the school board to vote Dietrich into her seat.

Kaczenski, a ranch owner, said she first ran for the school board because of concerns about the school district's leadership, but said she is confident in Cory Pederson, the interim superintendent. After talking with Dietrich, Kaczenski said she thought he had the right intentions.

"I just want to make sure that the person who is going to be sitting in my seat has passion for doing a good job and owns it, shows up and wants to do the best job that they can," she said.

Dietrich, a construction superintendent, said he decided to run for school board because his work schedule would conflict with other ways of getting involved with the school district.

"I would bring determination and a fresh, positive outlook," said Dietrich, a longtime volunteer fireman.

Dietrich said he has spoken with Kaczenski about her decision.

"I commend her for going that far, for going out of her way," he said. "That just shows what a partnership the community has in the Jewell area."

In Position 3, Cecilia LaBar-Mialon will face Patricia Drew.

LaBar-Mialon, a parent who has been an active voice at school board meetings, said she decided to run because of the lack of progress at the school district and the opportunity to be involved in her son's educational future.

"I see the potential that the school has to be wonderful and I haven't really seen that in the last seven years," she said. "I feel like it's just not been progressing. If anything, I think it's been digressing since I've been here."

LaBar-Mialon, who works in business development in the optical industry, said she wants to bolster counseling and mental health services, which could help decrease bullying. She also pointed to the need for better career preparedness programs for students.

"I also think it's important to give these students a real chance at having success after high school," she said. "Not only graduating, but feeling comfortable in going and finding a career that they love and are passionate about."

LaBar-Mialon, who has also worked in nonprofits, said she would bring accountability and organization to the board.

Drew, a former employee in the school district, said she ran to ensure that the school is going down the right path.

"I just wanted to make sure our little school district is ... here for the duration for our kids," she said. "The kids are most important, but without a school, you're not going to have any kids. We've got to make sure that we have the funding and the resources to take care of our kids."

Drew, who retired in 2006, took on a number of roles, including budget manager, administrative assistant, school secretary and more.

Part of her motivation to run, she said, was because of the proposed habitat conservation plan and the funds the school district could lose from a reduction in timber harvests in the Clatsop State Forest.

"Our challenges out here are nothing like the challenges in town," she said. "So you can't even compare the two — it's apples to oranges."

Drew pointed to her extensive experience in schools and said she would bring fairness and deliberate decision making.

"I like to look at both sides of the story and when there are issues," she said, " ... you need to investigate and make sure of what happened so you can address it fairly."