Marci Busby and David Spring are vying for the open position on the Snoqualmie Valley School District Board. The two candidates are distinctly different.
Busby has been involved in schools for more than two decades, starting as a volunteer in the classroom and being a PTSA member. She has served on the board for eight years and wants to help guide the district through the growth challenges it currently faces.
These include preparing for a school levy to build a new elementary school and dealing with the first year of the Mt. Si Freshman Campus. Changes can be difficult, Busby said, for school district leaders and staff but she believes everyone is capable of getting the best out of the Freshman Campus concept.
Spring regularly attends district board meetings and speaks during the public comment period. He also is a parent and supports educators. As a parent he is dissatisfied with the Freshman Campus because it has increased the size of the other middle schools and, he said, disrupted learning experiences for students who want things such as band and choir.
Spring has run for several elected offices over the years and continually cites increased education as the way to solve different problems.
Busby should be returned for another term on the board. She has earned the respect of the community. Even in the midst of tense contract negotiations in September, staff members say that she listened to what they had to say.
Busby is well-liked by parents and teachers who view her as supportive of district goals. She is concerned about students, believing homework must be purposeful and relevant to the needs of the student. She has also led several successful school bond and levy campaigns.
Busby is the right choice to continue shaping the future of Valley schools.
Correction
The Oct. 17 editorial regarding Eastside Fire & Rescue’s future was based on incorrect information. The EFR board vote was to take a new funding model back for discussion with each of the six partner agencies. We mistakenly understood the vote to be an endorsement of the plan by the board members, which it was not. Currently, Sammamish is set to decide Nov. 12 on moving ahead with its own fire department outside the EFR consortium. While some information was incorrect, we stand by our hope that an agreement can be reached with Sammamish still part of EFR.