Candidates running for the Powell school board said one of their top priorities will be hiring a quality superintendent to replace Kevin Mitchell, who is leaving his position at the end of June 2017.

“I feel like so much in our district hinges on who our superintendent is,” said Kimberly Condie, who is seeking her first full four-year term on the school board.

Condie and Lillian Brazelton were each appointed in June to fill vacant positions on the Park County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees. At the time, they received a packet for new members that outlined trustees’ responsibilities.

“It said our main job is to hire the superintendent,” Condie said. “We’ve got to do that, and we’ve got to do that well.”

Newcomers Tracy Morris and Kim Dillivan, both running for four-year terms on the board, agreed.

“I would like to see someone who is extremely talented, who serves as long as possible, who is very effective,” Dillivan said. He added that he’d like to see someone with strong moral character who is honest, sincere and humble.

The candidates — who are unopposed in seeking four different seats — shared their thoughts and outlined goals during an Oct. 24 forum hosted by the Powell Education Association.

Candidates praise district

All four candidates are parents with children in the local school district and said they believe Powell has quality schools.

Brazelton — who works as the coordinator for Safe Kids Park County through Park County Public Health — said she’s thankful for the opportunities Powell students have; she noted they can take classes at Northwest College as juniors and seniors.

“I think they do a very good job encouraging the students to be able to participate in many opportunities,” Brazelton said. “The students are the most important part of our school district.”

Morris similarly offered that, “The schools care about the students, and they invest in the students.”

Morris said her family moved here from Idaho, where she worked as a teacher and taught in classrooms with 35 kids, little help and computers that were often breaking down.

“A big reason we moved (to Wyoming) is because of the schools,” said Morris, who works as an advertising consultant at the Powell Tribune. She said her children have flourished in the school district, and she hopes to get more involved through serving on the board.

Dillivan said his family has lived in other states and from what he’s seen, this is one of the best school districts.

“We have wonderful schools,” he said. “And I don’t mean just on the academic side, but also on the nurturing side, in terms of people being role models, also in terms of athletics — coaches do a wonderful job.”

Dillivan works as a planner for the Park County Planning and Zoning Department.

As a mother of four children, Condie has had kids in Powell schools since 1995.

“Over the past 21 years, we have seen a lot of caring employees of this district teach and mentor our children,” she said. “What I think our district does well is create a nurturing educational environment.”

Too much testing?

During the forum, candidates said they have mixed views on standardized tests, such as PAWS.

Some students are good at taking tests, while others aren’t, Brazelton said.

“Students have good days and bad days,” she said. “How do you know how they’re going to do the day of the test?”

While a test doesn’t always provide a true picture, “I also understand you need some way to show growth and where we can improve,” she said.

Condie agreed there needs to be a measure, but said she has worried about how much testing is done in local schools. She said that personally, she would like a little less, and she expects testing will remain an issue school leaders address in the future.

“All that I’ve been able to decide is that this is maybe one of the top three biggest issues facing schools in our country right now, and it’s extremely complex and I wouldn’t pretend to know the right answer,” Condie said.

As a parent, Morris said she can see the two different sides of the issue.

“Honestly, I teeter back and forth with it,” she said.

Dillivan said that, in general, he’s in favor of standardized tests because he’s not sure there’s a better way to efficiently measure students’ progress and identify schools that aren’t cutting it.

“Test taking can be problematic on one hand; however, on the other hand, we live in a world where you have to have accountability,” he said.

Budget priorities

As the state faces an economic downturn and potential cuts to K-12 education, candidates identified budget priorities as teachers’ salaries and tools for education.

“Our largest section of funding is salaries. That’s just a fact, and I think it’s also a priority — if we don’t have any teachers, we would not be able to educate anyone,” Condie said.

Morris agreed that there should be investment in teachers, administrators and ensuring there are safe environments to teach in.

Dillivan and Brazelton agreed, and said it’s important to offer good salaries to get quality employees.

During the forum, a teacher asked if candidates would be willing to hire additional teachers to handle increased enrollment at Powell High School.

“Mr. (Jim) Kuhn already hinted that we would be looking at hiring additional teachers,” Condie said. “It will not be a surprise when he comes to us and asks about new hires.”

Another budget priority is classroom materials, such as books, computers and other tools, candidates said.

They also expressed support for career technical education (CTE) opportunities and the arts in addition to core classes. Candidates said students have opportunities to take classes at the college, Shoshone Learning Center and Powell MakerSpace.

“Not every child in our district is going to go to college,” Condie said. “That’s OK. But we’d like to prepare them for success in whatever it is they choose.”

Brazelton and Morris each said the issue is dear to their hearts, and they value the educational opportunities the district provides for students who aren’t college-bound.

“I really value the arts, career and technical programs,” Dillivan said.

He said he’d like every child to be able to take more classes in a variety of subject areas, such as music, arts, career/technical programs, literature and math. However, he said he understands there are limits on time and money.

“I think they all have a place. If something had to go, I don’t know how you’d make that decision,” he said. “I see value in all of it.”