Puyallup School District Position 4: TNT’s endorsement

The Puyallup School District stretches well beyond the city limits of Puyallup, serving more than 23,000 students in multiple cities and unincorporated areas. Similarly, the winner of an election this November for the district’s school board position 4 will have a bigger impact than you might expect.

Like school districts throughout Washington, the Puyallup School District faces uncertain funding from the state. That’s made worse by the overcrowding and aging facilities that currently strain the district, and the failure of past efforts to raise money for school buildings.

These circumstances are going to require what one candidate called “difficult choices,” as well as the leadership necessary to be open and communicative about changes that will undoubtedly be hard on students and families. To take on this challenge, The News Tribune Editorial Board supports incumbent David Berg.

Berg, 55, is finishing up his first term on the school board. He stresses the need to get the budget under control quickly, and acknowledges this will affect some popular services. He also stresses the need to get trust and buy-in from the community, who have twice come very close to passing bonds but ultimately didn’t reach the high vote thresholds needed to approve them.

That’s not an easy task. We think Berg’s experience on the board, as well as his decades of involvement as a parent and PTA member, will serve him well. In an endorsement interview, he showed both a detailed grasp of the issues and a willingness to take ownership of his choices.

On the issues, he’s aware of how crowding has affected facilities on a granular level. That informs his belief that consolidating schools to deal with aging buildings will rely too heavily on portables, which many schools have already added to their campuses. He is also sympathetic to concerns from parents that they don’t have adequate access to information about their children, while also pointing to the state health and privacy laws the district must follow.

Berg also discussed the district’s decision to submit a bond for school buildings during a special election earlier this year. State rules required the bond to get a very high threshold of yes-votes to pass, which was always going to be hard in an off-season election.

Waiting until a later election would have meant missing the chance to receive matching funds from the state, Berg said, which were set to expire. It was a risk that ultimately didn’t pan out, despite the bond receiving more than 60% of the vote. Berg showed a willingness to adjust his approach and make a stronger case for the financial necessity of future bond efforts.

The other candidate, Will Rowland, cites his experience as a business owner as testament to his leadership skills and focus on outcomes. He’s also a parent who is currently helping his daughter with learning disabilities navigate school in the district.

We like to see a newcomer candidate who has clearly engaged with the community and educators. Rowland, 62, spoke of conversations he’s had with instructors who fear assault and other unsafe working conditions, as well as his familiarity with school district policies.

However, we also noticed a disconnect between some of Rowland’s answers in our interview and some stances he takes in campaign materials.

For example, he emphasizes his reservations about diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in school districts on his campaign website. But when asked directly if there are diversity policies in the Puyallup School District he dislikes, he said he’s looked over them and thinks they’re generally well written.

That’s odd. No school board members should campaign on divisive issues that they don’t actually believe are a problem in the districts where they serve. Nonetheless, Berg showed himself to be a prepared candidate who’s taking the process seriously. We hope he continues to look for ways to productively engage with the school district.

The News Tribune Editorial Board is: Laura Hautala, opinion editor; Stephanie Pedersen, TNT president and editor; Jim Walton, community representative; Justin Evans, community representative; Bart Hayes, community representative.

This story was originally published October 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM.