EVERETT — In the one contested race for the Edmonds School Board of Directors on the general election ballot, a recent appointee is facing a first-time candidate.
The board appointed Thomas Garrard to the District 4 seat in June 2024 after former director Deborah Kilgore resigned because she moved out of state. Now, Garrard is looking to retain his seat against newcomer Jason Moore.
While each school board member represents a different area of the district, all voters residing within the Edmonds School District vote for all candidates on the ballot.
District 4 covers the central portion of Edmonds School District. Lynnwood Elementary, Cedar Valley Elementary, Chase Lake Elementary, College Place Elementary, College Place Middle and Edmonds-Woodway High are within the District 4 boundaries.
District 2 will also appear on the Nov. 4 ballot. School board director Keith Smith is running unopposed. District 2 covers the southeast portion of the district. Mountlake Terrace Elementary, Cedar Way Elementary, Brier Elementary, Hazelwood Elementary, Hill Top Elementary, Brier Terrace Middle and Mountlake Terrace High are inside the District 2 boundaries.
Edmonds school board members receive a stipend of up to $4,800 per year but can elect to waive any or all of their compensation, according to district policy.
The county began mailing ballots for the Nov. 4 election last week. County officials recommend returning ballots in a drop box or by mail at least one week before Election Day.
Thomas Garrard
Before serving on the school board, Garrard worked in public schools for 42 years. He worked as an elementary school librarian, classroom teacher, instructional technology coach and substitute teacher. He has two children who graduated from Edmonds-Woodway High School. He also serves as a secretary for Washington Education Association – Retired and treasurer for Friends of the Edmonds Library.
Garrard’s priorities are protecting public education and fostering inclusive schools.
“I’m very invested in public schools, and I want to make sure that they’re protected and offer today’s students what they need to succeed in our world,” Garrard said.
Amid uncertainty in federal funding, Garrard said, he’d prioritize advocating for additional funding from the state. While the district secured additional state funding last year, it only “kicked the situation down the road,” Garrard said.
“We’ve had multiple years of cuts, so there’s not much of anything that we can actually cut without affecting programs now,” he said. “Administration is lean, and other things have been delayed or minimized.”
Garrard said fostering inclusivity is important, including protecting the district’s LGBTQ+ students and being inclusive of multilingual English learners.
“We see what’s happening in society, in our country, and it’s driving wedges between us, and we don’t want that in schools,” Garrard said. “We educate everybody regardless.”
Garrard’s other priorities include increasing graduation rates, better enforcing the district’s cellphone policy and looking into artificial intelligence and screen-time issues. Next year, sixth grade will move from elementary school to middle school across the district, and Garrard wants to help facilitate that transition. He also wants to continue the district’s work of potentially adjusting school start times so high schoolers start later. Most high schools in the district start at 7:20 a.m.
“We know, physiologically, that’s a real strain on teenagers, and it wouldn’t be so much of a strain on younger kids as long as we can help their families deal with any disruption,” he said.
For school safety, Garrard supports following the district’s comprehensive school safety plan, which includes fostering school belonging and utilizing counselors and the school’s tip line. He does not support bringing school resource officers back to the district. In 2020, the Edmonds school board voted to remove school resource officers, citing discrimination concerns following the murder of George Floyd.
“The police departments are still nearby, so it’s not like we just told them go away and never come back,” Garrard said. “If we need them, we’ll call them and they’ll be right there.”
As of Thursday, Garrard had raised $11,891 for his campaign, state filings show.
Garrard is endorsed by State Superintendent Chris Reykdal and Edmonds School Board members Nancy Katims, Carin Chase, Keith Smith and Hawk Cramer, among other elected officials. He also has endorsements from Edmonds Education Association, the state public school employees union and Alliance for Gun Responsibility, among other organizations.
Jason Moore
Moore is a small business owner in the carpentry industry. He’s a U.S. Navy veteran and served at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
Moore did not respond to requests for an interview. According to his website, his priorities are safety, parental involvement and “fairness in girls’ sports.”
If elected, Moore would advocate for reinstating school resource officers, his campaign website said. He said school resource officers would enhance safety and foster a secure atmosphere.
“I have heard the cries from parents, grandparents, and students,” Moore wrote in his local voters’ pamphlet statement. “Our schools are far more prone to violence due to the lack of proper oversight and consistent consequences for aggressive and destructive behaviors.”
Some school decisions should have more parental involvement, Moore said on his website, including medical treatment, counseling and social services. He said he’d advocate for policies that mandate “robust parental involvement and timely notifications.”
Moore’s website says he will also advocate for policies that “protect the integrity of girls’ sports.” In April, U.S. President Donald Trump launched an investigation into the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction over state laws that allow transgender students to play in sports in alignment with their gender identity. State Superintendent Chris Reykdal issued guidance to school boards that they should still comply with state law. One state political group is gathering signatures for an initiative that would block transgender girls from competing in girls’ sports.
“Participation in sports fosters valuable life lessons, builds self-esteem, and promotes personal growth for students,” Moore said on his website. “However, when the dedication and effort of athletes are undermined by unfair biological advantages, it can have a significant emotional and mental impact, particularly on girls in competitive sports.”
Another priority listed in the voters’ pamphlet is renewing the district’s focus on academics. On his website, Moore said current standardized test scores show less than half of students passing math and science. According to the most recent state data, Edmonds School District students performed above the state average on standardized tests in the 2025-26 school year, with at least 65% of students performing at or above grade level on each subject.
“I will look to re-prioritize academics as a cornerstone, so that we can nurture conscientious, competent graduates to be prepared for college, trade school and success in everyday life,” Moore said on his website.
At a public hearing on the budget in July, Moore said the school board should reconsider how it allocated the district’s money. He questioned a payment from the district to the Latino Education Training Institute.
“There’s a lot of opportunity out there for these kinds of contracts that could be cut that might not be needed as much as music and sign language in the budget,” Moore said.
Moore filed as a mini-reporting campaign, so he is not required to report contributions or expenditures unless they exceed $7,000, state filings show.
Moore does not have any endorsements listed on his website.
Clarification: This article has been updated to clarify that all Edmonds school board candidates will appear on the ballot for every voter residing within the Edmonds School District, regardless of which district they represent.
Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
