By Kate Reardon
Herald Writer
MARYSVILLE — A youth club director and a nurse practitioner are vying for the only contested school board seat in the Marysville School District.
The two will face off in the Nov. 6 general election for the District 1 director position.
Incumbent Don Hatch, 62, is co-director of the Tulalip Boys and Girls Club. Challenger Ron Young, 53, is a nurse practitioner in Snohomish County.
For Hatch, safety in schools, raising grade point averages and finding a way to build a new high school are top priorities.
"Safety comes before anything else," he said. "Without a safe environment, our children can’t learn."
Hatch said the district will need to build more schools, but he’s worried that in the current economic climate, voters may not support a bond measure that could go to a vote as early as February.
"I’ll be looking at John Q. Public and asking how they feel," Hatch said, adding he will endorse the bond issue after testing to see if people want it.
Hatch believes his communication skills have been his best attribute during his 12 years on the school board. He’s also spent 38 years working with kids.
Young is on a medical mission in Haiti and could not be reached for comment. But the following information was contained in Young’s responses to a Herald questionnaire.
Young said his top three issues include fiscal responsibility, working to improve student test scores and working on long-range planning by the school board.
"There is a need to create an educational environment that allows the school board to do long-range planning and policy setting," he wrote.
Young said he wants to leave the superintendent to administer the affairs of the district and see the school board as the support system to improve educational opportunities.
Marysville School District, with 11,930 students, encompasses about 74 square miles. Board members are paid $50 for each day they meet. Board compensation cannot exceed $4,800 per year.
You can call Herald Writer Kate Reardon at 425-339-3455
or send e-mail to reardon@heraldnet.com.
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