Kim Reykdal is seeking the seat that’s being vacated by her husband, Chris Reykdal, who was elected to the state Legislature’s 22nd District last year. The other candidate is Dave Brastow, who is a parent of children in the district.
Meanwhile, Tumwater School Board member Jay Wood of District No. 3 is running unopposed for that director seat.
The Tumwater School District serves a 117-square-mile area and draws 5,700 students from Tumwater and Thurston County. Its 2011-12 general fund budget was about $60.47 million.
Reykdal, an Olympia High School counselor, said she would bring an educator’s point of view to the board.
“I can bring to the board the perspective and experience of someone who, as a current educator, understands our state’s education reform efforts and has been experiencing firsthand the impacts of recent budget cuts in K-12 education,” she said. “As a school counselor, I believe we must attend to the academic, personal, and college and career readiness needs of all students at all grade levels.”
Reykdal is chairwoman of the Washington School Counselor Association’s government relations committee and is a member of the Washington Education Association.
She said the top three issues facing the district are student achievement in light of dwindling state financial support, making sure graduates are ready for careers or college, and providing up-to-date technology and curriculum for every grade level.
Brastow, a former computer analyst and programmer who is now a stay-at-home dad, said he would bring an inquisitive parent and community member perspective to the board.
“I have training and a lot of experience in systems analysis, which translates to being able to ferret out how things work, be it complex ecosystems, or school districts,” Brastow said. “As an outsider coming into the system, I will need to learn many things, often by asking many questions, and by this process, help others fill in gaps and details.”
He has no public office experience, however he is past president of the Northwestern Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society.
Brastow also is involved with the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, the Pacific Bulb Society and the Procession of Species in Olympia.
He said the top three issues facing the district are maintaining quality and relevant curriculum, budget issues, and addressing mandated guidelines that are passed down to school districts.
Lisa Pemberton: 360-754-5433 lpemberton@theolympian.com www.theolympian.com/edblog
Tumwater School board, District 2
Dave Brastow
Age: 64.
Occupation: Stay-at-home dad and former computer analyst and programmer.
Family: Married for 17 years, with two children ages 16 and 12.
Education: Studied several disciplines, including computers at the University of Washington, Bellevue Community College, North Seattle Community College and The Evergreen State College. Bachelor of Science degree pending.
Contact information: 360-402-0368 or DieramaDave@gmail.
Question: What are some ways you would suggest trimming your school district’s budget, given that the state will most likely expect more cuts in K-12 funding?
Answer: I would rather not speculate on this, as the cuts won’t be made simply by taking money out of our money bag, but more likely to specific programs or funding sources.
Kim Reykdal
Age: 39.
Occupation: Counselor at Olympia High School.
Family: Married with two children ages 7 and 5.
Education: Master’s degree in education and school counseling certificate from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; bachelor’s degrees in history and social studies and teaching certificate from Washington State University.
Contact information: 360-790-4008 or kreykdal8@gmail.com.
Question: What are some ways you would suggest trimming your school district’s budget, given that the state will most likely expect more cuts in K-12 funding?
Answer: As a board, our job is to work with district staff and our community members to determine as a team how to provide the resources that best meet the needs of our students and staff. I would hope we would look first at ways to increase efficiencies in the delivery of our services, including analyzing the potential of combining support services with neighboring districts to cut costs. We must also look for ways in which technology can increase our efficiency and reduce our costs while still maintaining a high level of service.
Input from students, staff, parents and the community should also be utilized in analyzing our budget and determining where to make cuts. However, our focus must always be on prioritizing the academic and personal achievement of our students, and providing our staff members with the resources they need to best meet our students’ needs.
