Edmonds School District board incumbent Gary Noble recently sent a statement about the school district budget.
Noble’s general-election challenger, Mary Murphy, declined to send a statement.
The Edmonds School District includes Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Woodway and nearby unincorporated areas of southwest Snohomish County, unincorporated areas north of Edmonds and Lynnwood and northeast of Lynnwood, and part of Brier.
Murphy and Noble are running for a four-year term representing director district 3 including parts of the city of Edmonds and most of the city of Lynnwood on both sides of Highway 99. It includes Edmonds-Woodway High School, College Place elementary and middle schools and Lynnwood Elementary School.
Candidates must live in the director districts they represent, but voters throughout the School District vote for each position.
Positions representing three of the other four director districts also are on the Nov. 3 general-election ballot.
Here is Noble’s statement:
Edmonds School District Director Position #3
Gary Noble: By far, the largest item in our budget (over 85%) is pay and benefits for our employees. Although we certainly employ the latest technology, teaching children is a labor-intensive activity. Less than 15% is left over to buy fuel, electricity, telephones, books, curriculum, etc. My priorities are full day kindergarten, reduced class sizes, retaining highly skilled teachers, and providing professional development to our staff to meet the needs of 21st century schools.
The state is implementing full day kindergarten, and we are implementing it as funding and space (we have added over 30 re-locatable classrooms already) is available. The state is providing funding to reduce class sizes in grades K-3, but I have advocated for adding considerable funding in our budget to strategically solve large classroom issues in grades 4-12. My goal is improved student achievement, and this starts with a highly skilled teaching staff. We have added professional development money to cover everything from kindergarten assessment (WAKIDS) to effectively using technology in the classroom. We have also added literacy and math coaches throughout our schools to help teachers who might be struggling in individual areas.
My priority has always been to maintain financial integrity. Both in times of difficult cuts during the recession and now that funding is increasing, we have always maintained a balanced budget, and I continue my commitment to financial integrity.
Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com
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