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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • Dana nibbles into Somers’ lead 11/7/09 • Colorado ski town legalizes pot 11/3/09 • McDonnell wins Virginia governorship for GOP 11/3/09 • Republican Christie captures N.J. governor’s race 11/3/09 • Democrat wins House seat in heavily GOP area of N.Y. 11/3/09 • Maine voters repeal gay-marriage law 11/3/09 » More ELECTION2009 stories >   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, October 13, 2009 Longtime volunteers vie for Marysville School Board seat By Eric Stevick Herald Writer MARYSVILLE — Two parents with children enrolled in Marysville schools and long track records as volunteers are squaring off for a spot on the Marysville School Board. Chris Nation and Heather Thweatt are on the Nov. 3 General Election ballot. The winner will replace Don Hatch as a director representing Tulalip. Nation, a business owner, received 40 percent of the votes in the primary; Thweatt, a paralegal, garnered 31.6 percent. Nation has spent 12 years on school committees. He has led efforts to try to pass school bonds and is chairman of the 2006 bond oversight committee, which tracks progress on voter-approved construction projects. He's also an executive officer for the Citizens for Marysville Schools bond campaign and a member of the district's General Advisory Council that helps the district's vocational programs. Thweatt spent four years on the Marysville Cooperative Education Program council and volunteered in her son's classroom. She now volunteers at his middle school and is on the district's Citizens Planning Committee with Nation. Thweatt, pronounced “tweet,” said she grew interested in running after attending school board meetings and realizing she could offer another perspective. “I'm pretty opinionated,” she said. “I said, ‘OK, it's time to put your money where your mouth is.' ” Nation said his years on district committees make the school board a natural step. The candidates said they understand the logic behind school board discussions that could drastically change start times at schools, but both have reservations. The board is considering two options for when Marysville Getchell High School opens next year. One is a more traditional morning start time: 7:10 a.m. at Marysville Getchell and 7:35 a.m. at Marysville-Pilchuck High School. The other proposal includes a 9:25 a.m. to 4:05 p.m. school day at Marysville Getchell, and a 9:50 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. day at Marysville-Pilchuck. The change would allow high school students to get more sleep, which could help them academically. “I wish there were some more options the transportation department could bring back to us,” Thweatt said. “Maybe we take all three levels (elementary, middle and high school) and we shift starting times about 35 to 45 minutes,” Nation said. Both candidates favor a bond proposal that the school board will consider placing on the Feb. 9 ballot. Among other things, the proposal of roughly $80 million would include replacing Cascade Elementary, Liberty Elementary and Marysville Middle schools. Engineering reports make a strong case for the need, Thweatt said. Taxpayers could save money in the long run because of a favorable bid market and the low materials costs, Nation said. Like other parents, Thweatt said she had reservations about sending her son to middle school. Those fears disappeared when she visited the campus and spoke with members of the faculty. That experience, she said, provided an important lesson she wants to bring to the board. The district needs to do more to reassure parents and promote the strengths of the schools, which could bolster enrollment, she said. Nation said he, too, wants to make the district more responsive to the community. He said he supports the district's decision to create smaller schools within its large high schools, but wishes they had been phased in more slowly to build community acceptance. He advocates an additional night once a month when parents, staff and students could bring their questions and concerns to the school board. Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com. Who's running Chris Nation Age: 43 Occupation: Marysville Printing owner Heather Thweatt Age: 38 Occupation: Paralegal with Luvera Law Firm in Seattle and Mount Vernon READER COMMENTS Log in or register to post new comment | Log out MSD Marysville School District Sucks Johhnny Rotten | Oct 13, 2009 2:27 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal MSD The Marysville School District sucks!!! Johhnny Rotten | Oct 13, 2009 2:25 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Marysville Schools I grew up in Marysville and after living in other places came back to Marysville about 6 years ago. I am very sorry I did. There are not enough negative adjectives I can use to describe this school district. I have yet to meet any one who thinks the schools are doing good (other then the administrators). This includes parents, students, and even people from other counties who have heard of the terrible schools in Marysville. On more then one occasion a teacher belittled my son in front of other students. More then once a teacher made my children feel like they were stupid and couldn't learn. More then once a teacher refused to follow a "504" plan. Even after being shown that this federal based law trumps any school "policy". More then once having an administrator say he was advocating for our son to have him abandon our son to support one of these teachers who did wrong. Thankfully we are moving out of this school district and will never move back to it. Roy Stillwell | Oct 13, 2009 8:49 am | 1 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Kid's attitude about school Do you think that kids like school? Why is it necessary to put a 7 year old in Elementary School? I think that they should go when they are about 12 years old and start in Middle School. Crappy for kids. Drew Beighton | Oct 13, 2009 9:21 am | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal

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