Candidates must focus on what's best for students, community

What the West Bonner County School District needs: financial help, a solid plan for future junior high students, and to retain skilled employees. What WBCSD doesn’t need: to be a political pawn in a game that parents or students who are served by the district do not want to play. The focus needs to be on the needs of our students, not clickbait, non-issue terms like: woke/liberal agenda, indoctrination, critical race theory, and social emotional learning.

Right now, our community needs everyone to pause before they publicly state “facts” or accusations about our district, employees, and board trustees/candidates. One out-of-context fact celebrated Branden Durst’s creation of 12 bus routes. Sounds good, but ignores the current reality of combined bus routes causing students, who live 15 minutes from school, to ride the bus for 90 minutes to get home at 5 p.m.

I worry the trustee races will resume the destructive political tactics on our community again. Using divisive terms to pit neighbors against each other, just for having a difference of opinion. The mentality of “if you are not with us, you are against us”, is not conducive to a strong community. Labeling a candidate by religion and political party does not set forth their actual qualifications as a trustee.

Qualities to consider when evaluating trustee candidates: motives for running for trustee; what vested interest do they have in WBCSD; historical involvement and engagement in our district or community; specific goals as a trustee; personal experience with the public school system; life experiences that will be an asset as a trustee; and how candidates treat their opponents and handle differences of opinion.

If a candidate or their supporters are truly thinking of the best interests of our students and community, they will not make this a negative election. Having different opinions is allowed, and it’s the basis of the land of the free.

KATIE ELSAESSER 

Priest River

WBCSD parent