3 positions up for grabs on Puyallup School Board

The Puyallup School Board will have two, possibly three, new members after next month’s election. And they’ll have to hit the ground running.

Along with preparing for what’s expected to be another tough budget year, the five-member board will pick a new superintendent. Tony Apostle, the district’s superintendent since 2004 and a fixture in Puyallup schools for more than two decades, is retiring next summer.

The six candidates on the ballot Nov. 8 have differing opinions on issues, from the district’s overall direction to how it communicates with the public.

But they agree on one thing: Whoever wins the four-year terms, selecting Apostle’s replacement will be one of their most important acts.

POSITION 2: PASQUIER VS. LOOKER

Dane Looker and Therese Ngo Pasquier emerged as the top vote-getters in the board’s only August primary. Incumbent Cindy Poysnick, who currently is board president, isn’t running for re-election.

The Position 2 race has been one of the more unusual on the Pierce County ballot because Looker suspended his campaign in July to focus on a 2012 bid for the state House.

He announced earlier this month that he regretted that decision and would actively campaign for the School Board; he said he’s no longer running for the Legislature.

Looker said he’s committed to Puyallup schools and would be a visible and approachable board member by visiting campuses and getting to know staff, students and parents.

It can be intimidating for the public to share concerns at board meetings, so he’d advocate for additional options, such as possibly holding town hall-type sessions over the phone, he said.

Good communication must start at the top, Looker said, so he’d aim for the new superintendent to be personable and approachable, as well as an expert in education and equipped with the ability to inspire.

“The way we educate our children is constantly moving. It’s never the same,” Looker said. “Coaches that I know who were great anticipated what the opposition was doing before they did it. We need an innovative (leader) who can foresee changes in education and adapt to that.”

Pasquier said she would look for someone with a personal touch to guide the state’s ninth-largest district, which has nearly 22,000 students spread across 32 schools.

The person picked should “have experience creating a very positive culture,” Pasquier said. “If people feel valued, they want to be part of that organization.”

When it comes to budget matters, she’s raised the idea of the district – which has made roughly $25 million in cuts since 2008 – leveraging private money for costs such as teacher training.

And she said board members could be informally assigned to geographical areas so constituents have someone to go to with concerns.

“(Based on) my conversations with concerned parents and community members, I feel that people want improved communication,” Pasquier said. “The people need to have a voice in the decisions that we make.”

She and Looker both said the flareup this spring over former Rogers High School Principal Scott Brittain is an example of a time when community members didn’t feel their voices were heard.

The administrator was placed on leave while the district investigated allegations he broke administrative rules; the board eventually accepted Brittain’s resignation despite an outcry from parents and students who wanted him to stay.

POSITION 3: JENKINS VS. SNYDER

The Rogers principal episode also factors into the Position 3 race.

Candidates Pat Jenkins and Klaus Snyder are vying to replace incumbent Diana Seeley, who isn’t seeking re-election.

Both candidates have children at Rogers. Jenkins said the district “could have done a better job of explaining what it was doing” but likely was restricted in what it could share because of personnel privacy rules.

Snyder said the district “illustrated an incredible level of insensitivity” and that the board “needed to step back and look at (the situation) more closely.”

“I’m running because I think I can bring some new leadership to the School Board and help to improve our overall communication and our overall effectiveness as a School Board and school district,” Snyder said.

He said the district must look at creative budget options and may be able to get help from foundations. The new superintendent should command and give respect, engage the public and be a good listener, he said.

Jenkins said he wants Apostle’s successor to be accessible and inspire confidence. When it comes to the budget, Jenkins said he’d push to keep cuts from the classroom by preserving teaching jobs.

“Like all school districts, (Puyallup) has room for improvement in its standardized test scores. It faces (space) crunches – all the schools are fairly crowded,” he said.

But, Jenkins said, “I think overall the district has done an excellent job of providing education for students.”

POSITION 5: IHRIG VS. UPHAUS

Incumbent Chris Ihrig, who was appointed in 2009, faces challenger Kathy (Rebar) Uphaus for Position 5.

Ihrig said progressive planning by the district means it’s in a relatively strong financial position, but more tough budget decisions likely are ahead. His experience with the complex school funding system is an advantage, he said.

Ihrig said he’s tried to be responsive to the public. The decision to accept Brittain’s resignation wasn’t made lightly, he said, adding that he “certainly, with all integrity, wanted to talk to folks (about the situation) and give them all the information I could.”

“I think our job as a board and administration is to be available to the community, communicate with the community and give them the information they’re seeking (when possible),” he said.

But Uphaus is critical of how the board handled the Brittain situation, and she cited another recent example of ineffective information sharing: When the district began looking at a possible switch from junior highs to middle schools, it was perceived in the community as a done deal, she said.

A committee of parents, teachers and administrators has until March 2013 to recommend whether to change the system.

Uphaus said she’d bring fresh insight to the board, as well as the perspective of a longtime parent volunteer.

“I have a listening ear. I want to be a voice for the people to keep lines of communication open,” she said.

Sara Schilling: 253-552-7058 sara.schilling@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/street

election guide online: Read more on the candidates and issues on November’s ballot, go to bit.ly/tntelex Puyallup School Board candidates

POSITION 2

Dane Looker

Age: 35.

Family: Married with four kids ages 4 months to 8 years.

Job: Retired professional football player.

Civic experience: He’s a volunteer coach in the district, a PTA member and has worked with charitable groups including Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Website: “Dane Looker for School Board” Facebook page.

Therese Ngo Pasquier

Age: 45.

Family: Married with two sons in junior high.

Job: Development director for Tacoma Philharmonic.

Civic experience: She’s served on school district committees including the secondary grading practices committee, been a PTA president and serves on the board of community groups including St. Francis House.

Website: www.theresepasquier.com.

POSITION 3

Pat Jenkins

Age: 56.

Family: Married with one adult son and a daughter in high school.

Job: Editor of The Dispatch newspaper in Eatonville.

Civic experience: He’s served as a parent volunteer and PTA president in the district and a reading volunteer in Federal Way Public Schools and been involved with community groups in various cities.

Website: “Pat Jenkins for Puyallup School Board” Facebook page.

Klaus Snyder

Age: 50.

Family: Married with two children in high school.

Job: Attorney.

Civic experience: He’s helped with district groups such as the school handbook review committee, and helped lead community groups including the Puyallup Kiwanis Foundation.

Website: “Klaus Snyder for School Board” Facebook page.

POSITION 5

Chris Ihrig

Age: 44.

Family: Married with a daughter who has graduated from high school and three younger children.

Job: Human resources consultant.

Civic experience: He’s served on the Puyallup School Board since 2009.

Website: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisihrig.

Kathy (Rebar) Uphaus

Age: 46.

Family: Married with two children in high school.

Job: Stay-at-home mom.

Civic experience: She’s been a PTA and Puyallup Valley Co-Op board member and worked with community groups including Relay for Life.

Website: None.

FUNDRAISING

All the candidates chose mini-reporting, meaning they won’t raise or spend more than $5,000.

Sources: Candidate questionnaires, interviews and the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission.