Voters have a choice in two contested races for the Kent School Board, although one candidate says he has not had the time to actively campaign for a position and is unsure if he would serve if elected.
Russell Hanscom said during a phone interview Tuesday that he really doesn’t have the time to commit to be a school board director.
“I’m not trying to win,” Hanscom said. “If I win, I might resign or I might not.”
Hanscom is up against Larry Sims for the director District No. 1 position to replace Jim Berrios, who decided against running for reelection.
In the other race, Leslie Kae Hamada takes on incumbent Debbie Straus for the director District No. 3 spot.
Karen L. DeBruler is running unopposed for the director District No. 2 position. DeBruler was appointed to the board in 2010 after Chris Davies resigned to devote more time to his tax business.
King County Elections mailed out ballots Oct. 19 for the Nov. 8 general election. Ballots must be returned by Nov. 8. Kent School Board positions are unpaid, four-year terms.
District 1
Russell Hanscom
Hanscom said the time commitment to his three young boys and his job didn’t leave him with anytime to campaign and probably won’t allow him to devote enough time to serve on the board.
But Hanscom, 45, of Kent, executive director of Puyallup Tribe Elder and Vulnerable Adult Services, didn’t withdraw his name from the ballot.
“I’m not actively seeking office but people should have choices,” said Hanscom, whose wife Jennifer Hanscom serves on the East Hill Elementary PTA. “But I am the lame-duck choice.”
If elected, Hanscom said he would decide within a couple of weeks whether to accept the position.
“I don’t want to tell people not to vote for me,” said Hanscom, a seven-year resident of Kent. “I’m still keeping my options open.”
Hanscom ran unsuccessfully against Elizabeth Watson (now Albertson) in 2005 for the Kent City Council. Hanscom said he raised good money for that race and tried to win.
Larry Sims
Sims, making his first run for an elected office, looks forward to the chance to serve on the school board.
“I have a desire to get more involved and this is something I could add value to,” said Sims, who has a child at Kentridge High School and another one at Emerald Park Elementary. “I think I will bring a business outlook but also as a parent I have concern about the overall quality and making sure the things we do don’t take away from the overall quality of our education system.”
Sims, 44, has lived in Kent for 17 years. He is a manager for The Boeing Co. in Auburn and has worked 23 years for the company.
“Overall, I am pleased with the Kent School District,” Sims said. “I think there is always the opportunity to do better, but I think they are doing fairly well in meeting the educational needs.”
Sims said he would like to see improvement in the education of students.
“I want to make sure the educational gap of our children can close,” he said. “I want to make sure all of our kids are prepared for the future.”
As far as budget cuts, Sims said it’s premature for him to offer specific ideas now until he has a chance to examine the budget and find what opportunities there are to be more efficient.
When told about Hanscom’s uncertainty about whether he would serve on the board if elected, Sims said he had no reaction besides “that’s something personal with him.”
District 3
Leslie Kae Hamada
Hamada, who lives in an unincorporated part of Covington, retired nine months ago after 32 years in sales, marketing and public relation jobs, said she plans to make serving on the school board a full-time commitment.
Hamada, 64, started the Kent East Hill Kids (Police Action League) Boxing Club that opened this summer at the Kent Phoenix Academy. She said her work with the city of Kent and Kent School District on that project is a skill she can bring to the board to form more partnerships with local cities and community groups.
“We need partnerships to stretch dollars,” said Hamada, who ran unsuccessfully against Geoff Simpson and Mark Hargrove in the 2008 primary for the state House District 47 Position No. 1 seat.
An emphasis to persuade state leaders to properly fund schools looms as a top priority for Hamada, the mother of three grown children who attended school in the University Place School District. She and her husband have lived in the Kent School District for the past 20 years. Hamada is a member of PTAs at East Hill Elementary and Kent-Meridian High School and serves as a mentor at the Kent Phoenix Academy.
“We need more of a presence of the Kent School District in Olympia,” said Hamada about an effort to pursue more funding.
Hamada isn’t unhappy with the service of Straus on the board, but wants her chance to serve Kent schools.
“She’s a fine lady,” Hamada said of Straus. “But I have superior skills to form partnerships and work with the Legislature. And I have more time.”
Debbie Straus
Straus, who ran unopposed when she was elected in 2007 to the board, said she has had a few people ask her why she would want to run again after having to deal with a strike by teachers in 2009 and numerous budget cuts.
“I really care about kids and making sure the district stays fiscally sound while doing the right things for kids,” Straus said.
Straus, 47, of Kent, said one of those things includes the Strategic Plan Steering Committee she leads that features 65 community members who have worked with the board and administration to develop seven priorities to help each student achieve success.
“We need to focus on every kid as an individual and how we can help each child be successful,” said Straus, the mother of three Kentlake High graduates as well as a Kentlake freshman.
Straus, who has lived in the district 23 years, said her accomplishments on the board include offering full-day kindergarten at all 28 elementary schools for the first time this school year.
An increase in partnerships to help with funding as well as reaching out to leaders in Olympia rank as top priorities for Straus, who works as a business analyst in Kent for Flow International Corporation.
“I think consistency is important for a good, strong board,” Straus said. “I am anxious to continue what we’re doing.”
(Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct a quote from Leslie Kae Hamada about Debbie Straus).
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