SULTAN — Candidates running for Sultan’s school board share one idea in common.
They are focused on making the most of the district’s funding, especially after a bond measure failed last year.
The job is a four-year stint. Two of the three candidates who receive the most votes in the Aug. 1 primary will proceed to the November general election.
Chris Hamburg Sr., 39, has volunteered in classrooms since his son, now an eighth-grader, started school. His daughter is in fifth grade.
He spends most of his time helping with the high school marching band and booster club.
“I can usually be found blocking traffic while the band is marching around town practicing,” Hamburg said. “Everything I stand for is the kids.”
He would like to pass a new bond measure.
In 2016, the school district sought a $47.7 million bond. Officials hoped to use that money to construct new buildings and repair old ones.
Hamburg said sections of school property have been condemned for safety reasons, including the high school running track. Meets are hosted elsewhere.
He encourages creativity.
When a scoreboard broke, the technology club rigged a projection system that displayed the score.
“Sultan being a small community, we don’t have the financial resources that the big districts do,” Hamburg said. “Being resourceful and advancing technology should be a priority.”
Angie King, 42, is an aerospace manufacturing supervisor with Redmond-based Spectralux Avionics. She manages a team of about 14 who are responsible for painting airplane parts.
“I’m high into teamwork and communication. If you’ve got those two things, you’ve got the start,” King said.
Outside of work she has volunteered as a committee member for the Return of the Salmon Celebration 5K Run, co-chair and team captain with Relay for Life, field marshal for the Sky River Soccer Tournament and a soccer coach.
She plans to talk with voters to understand why the last bond measure failed. Communication and an open mind are key, she said.
King has two nephews in the Sultan School District. One is in middle school and the other is in high school.
As a graduate of Sultan High School, King would like to revive Homecoming traditions, such as the floats, class competitions and school spirit.
Kate Roesler, 57, is a retired carpenter. She also has worked in interior design and project management.
For the past 15 years, she has helped run a mink farm. She has lobbied for bills affecting the fur industry.
Roesler stresses the importance of a school environment that is catered to students. Her five-year-old grandson has Down syndrome.
“He definitely would need a little bit different learning environment,” Roesler said. “I definitely see a need for an education that plays to kids’ strengths rather than their weaknesses.”
She also emphasizes an education that aids students in life after graduation.
When her son was in high school, she and other parents considered starting a “zero period class.” The curriculum would be trades-based.
Roesler was working as a florist at the time. Another parent worked in an automotive store. They offered to teach.
When it comes to funding, she hopes to strike a compromise between the changes the school district would like to see and what the community can afford.
Under the 2016 bond measure, the tax rates would have jumped from 27 cents per $1,000 assessed property value to $2.40. The owner of a $250,000 home would have paid about $600 a year instead of $68.
The last day for new Washington voters to register in person is July 24. Registration forms are provided at the Snohomish County Auditor’s Office.
Caitlin Tompkins: 425-339-3192; ctompkins@heraldnet.com.
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