Experience with diversity and budget issues led the way during a series of forums Feb. 12 in which the public got its first look at the district’s two superintendent finalists.

Dr. Tim Mills of Colorado and Dr. Edward Vargas of California spent the day in a series of forums, answering questions from the community and staff.

The district hosted the forums to get community feedback on the two finalists, one of whom will replace Dr. Barbara Grohe, who is retiring at the end of the year.

More than 50 people attended the evening session with the two finalists and according to district officials, almost 150 attended the morning session and an additional 100 staff members met with the finalists during the afternoon.

At each session, attendees put their questions on a note card and passed them to the moderators, consultants from Ray & Associates, the firm hired by the board to help with the search.

After a brief opening statement, the first question of the evening to each candidate was why he wanted to come to the Kent district, both professionally and personally, and to describe their leadership styles.

Both candidates cited the beauty and cultural opportunities of the area as a reason to want to move to the Puget Sound region and said they felt their particular skills were right for the Kent School District.

Vargas, 56, said he liked the quality of the district and felt he would be a “really good match” due to his experience working in highly diverse school districts most of his career.

“You’re inspired by being here,” he said.

Mills, 58, cited the district’s strong foundation and traditions and said he is excited to possibly be a part of the district and community.

“I am excited about the opportunity to work in a highly diverse school district and a highly diverse community,” he said.

As for leadership styles, Vargas said his approach was “purpose-based,” and said he would always keep in mind the goal of preparing students to compete in the future.

“It’s critical our young people be prepared for that 21st century,” he said.

Mills said his style grew out of “core values” provided by the board and said he approached the job from a “servant-leadership perspective,” saying it would not be about him, but how best to collaborate for what is best for the students.

“Great leaders have the ability to listen, to listen deeply,” he said.

As expected, the issue of dealing with diversity topped concerns and led to the next question about each candidate’s demonstrated success in diverse districts.

Mills acknowledged his current district in Grand Junction, Colo., was not as diverse as Kent, but was growing in that direction. Mills said he created a “director of equity” position to help teachers and staff better understand how to work with the parents and families of their students to best get them involved.

He also cited his district’s “dual-immersion academy,” which seeks to have all students speaking and learning in both English and Spanish by the fifth grade.

“Through that we create an understanding of cultures,” he said.

Vargas said all of his experience has been with diverse districts, most recently as superintendent of the district outside Los Angeles. Vargas addressed how his district dealt with the dropout population, which usually affects minorities in greater numbers.

Vargas cited his district’s focus on characteristics that are common among dropouts as early as fifth grade and said by addressing students who share those characteristics, they are able to keep them in school.

He also spoke of the need to develop cross-cultural experiences and to work with parents to make sure they understand their role in both their child’s education and in the district,

“But most importantly,” he said, “we need to model for our kids the behavior we want them to display.”

In a question later in the evening, both candidates also said it was “critically important” to try and hire staff that matched the district’s diversity.

Another question from the audience asked each about offering service to differing levels of ability among students. Both men said they were committed to not only raising low-performing students, but also providing challenges for high-capacity students so they do not lose their interest either.

When asked about budget priorities, the top challenge facing the school board this year, both cited the need for an open prioritization procedure which engaged the community.

Vargas said he was grounded in a “student-centered philosophy” and would do everything he could to retain the “integrity” of the instructional programs.

Mills said he would start with the values of the organization and prioritize from there, with a focus on those most impacted and open communication with a citizens committee to make sure everyone understood the depth of the problem and the ramifications of their decisions.

Both finalists also indicated they were well-versed in budget issues, each saying this is a problem facing school districts in every part of the country, not just in Kent.

Following the meeting residents seemed split, with most saying either candidate would be an good choice to lead the district.

“I thought the two candidates were excellent,” said Wilbur Vincent, pastor of the Center Faith Church.

Vincent said he hoped to hear the candidates speak about their experiences with diversity and said though he liked both, he was leaning toward Vargas because of his experiences in diversity.

“I just felt a connection there,” he said.

“It’s a difficult decision,” said resident Catherine Campbell, adding that she was impressed with the resumes and experiences of both finalists, though she too thought Vargas would be a slightly better fit.

Ann Koch, on the other hand, also said she was impressed with both candidates, but liked Mills’ answers about having a vision and looking at each student individually.

“When one talks I lean this way,” she said. “When the other talks I lean the other way.”

At the end of each session, the board collected handouts on which those in attendance rated the two candidates and made notes. Each candidate was also briefly interviewed again by the board, which was scheduled to meet in a special meeting Sunday to further discuss the matter.

The final decision lies with the board, which will make its decision next month.