Pasco School Board District 3

I’m running for reelection for the same reasons that motivated me initially: to insure that our schools are a safe and welcoming environment where all students can thrive. My experience has prepared me to serve Pasco well. I have spent the last 10 years as a classroom teacher, which gives me firsthand knowledge of how board decisions affect students and staff. Since being elected in 2022, I have served as both Vice President and now President of the Pasco School Board, leading with transparency and a focus on student achievement. I was the sole dissenting vote on the current high school boundary plan because I believed it created inequities, and I remain committed to ensuring every school has the resources students need to succeed. I strongly support our dual language programs, which benefit the 37% of our students who are multilingual learners and enrich opportunities for all students. Most importantly, I am committed to being an open-minded, balanced leader who does not bring partisan politics into the boardroom, keeping students and families at the center of every decision.

I wanted to serve the people of Pasco and improve the education in our schools.

Academic Excellence: Advocate for programs and policies that support and prove opportunities for all students. Supporting Our Staff: Continue to focus on recruitment and retention of high quality educators and support staff. Financial Responsibility: Continue to make fiscally responsible decisions and be a good steward of your hard earned dollars.

My primary goal is to get our budget back inline. Our current board just passed a budget where expenses are greater than revenue by more than $4M. And this was after extending the previous budget by more than $8M. This is not sustainable. We cannot overcome this by simply expecting revenues to grow. We are already paying plenty in taxes. We have to make cuts. This will not be popular and it will not be easy, but it must be done. My secondary goal is to improve student learning. We spend plenty of money. We need results. These will be my top focuses as a board member.

Balancing the needs of students, teachers, and parents begins with keeping students at the center. Students are my first constituents, and every decision I make is grounded in how it will impact their success. That means focusing on student achievement, belonging, and ensuring programs like dual language remain strong for our 37% multilingual learners. At the same time, parents are essential partners. I supported tools like ParentSquare, which translate into more than 50 languages, so every family can be informed and engaged. Teachers and staff are also critical to student success, which is why I support Pasco’s strong leadership development programs and competitive pay to help us attract and retain excellent educators. By listening to all stakeholders, being transparent, and focusing on collaboration, I work to ensure the needs of students, staff, and families are aligned to build stronger schools.

The school board should work collaboratively with the superintendent to identify deficiencies in the learning environment and to identify opportunities for improving the learning environment. The board then sets policy for the superintendent to implement that would improve the learning environment. The board does not get into the day-to-day details of education but works through setting policy to guide the superintendent and staff.

The first and most pressing issue is student achievement. Every decision we make as a board must be centered on improving learning outcomes, ensuring students feel a sense of belonging, and supporting programs like dual language that serve our 37% multilingual learners. The second challenge is our budget and the need to responsibly rebuild reserves to 5% without cutting vital programs or staff. The board has adopted a four-year plan that reduces costs through attrition rather than layoffs, protecting classrooms and student services. Finally, passing the local levy is critical. The levy funds essential programs, including additional school security, and unlocks millions in state matching dollars. Without it, Pasco would lose both local and state support. Addressing these three issues with transparency and balance is how we will continue to keep students at the center of our work.

Budget, budget, and budget. The budget deficit last school year and the approved deficit budget this year are not sustainable. We need board members who will do the hard work of approving balanced budgets. See response above.