Kennewick School Board races heat up

KENNEWICK -- The race for two seats on the Kennewick School Board is heating up, with one candidate calling a news conference Friday to respond to a mailer sent out in support of her opponent.

The information sent out "has put into question my integrity, reputation and testimony in this community," said Uby Creek, who's challenging board president Dawn Adams.

Adams said, "It's evident that (Creek) has positions that aren't supportive of the direction the district has been going" and voters need to know that.

The election is Nov. 3. Ballots already have been mailed.

A key issue in the race has been the candidates' philosophies about basic education.

Adams, 48, a vice president for Parsons in Pasco, said the board's focus on literacy is critical because being a fluent reader helps students in all other subjects. Consequently, the district has seen strong student achievement scores, she said.

But Creek said, "We need to put as much attention on math and science -- or at least spread it around."

She worries about students not getting a balanced education because of the emphasis on reading, she said.

Creek, 47, coordinates community resources for families in the district's Early Childhood Education Assistance Program.

The mailer -- sent by the campaigns for Adams and Heather Kintzley, who's running for Position 1 on the school board -- says the focus on reading could be derailed by Creek's election because she doesn't support programs such as READY! for Kindergarten and the Mid-Columbia Reading Foundation, which serve district students.

The mailer states Creek is aligned with two current school board members who it also says don't support the programs. That means the programs are at risk because three votes make a majority on the board, the mailer says.

But Creek said she's not aligned with anyone and only would vote for what she believes is best for students. She said she's questioned the money spent by the district on the programs because she wanted to ensure they were effective -- but the programs aren't in danger if she's elected.

The race between Adams and Creek isn't the only one on the ballot in the Kennewick district.

Kintzley, 31, an attorney for the city of Kennewick, is facing off against Jason Armstrong, 39, a worker safety and health manager for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, for board Position 1.

Board member Dan Mildon, who's held the seat for years, isn't running for re-election.

Both Kintzley and Armstrong said they'd work hard if elected to the board.

Kintzley, who is Adams' niece, said she won't be swayed by what others think and would vote according to her conscience.

As a prosecutor, she's seen young people who've dropped out of high school wind up in the court system, she said. One reason she's running for the board is to help find solutions to the dropout problem, she said.

Kintzley said the mailer was meant to highlight the philosophical differences among the candidates -- which is important information for voters.

"I think I can contribute to the board," Kintzley said. "It's an opportunity to give back and make a difference. It's about our community (and) the children who will be taking over leadership of the community."

Armstrong also said he won't be influenced by others and instead will cast votes based on what he thinks is right. He said he wants the board to become more transparent and wants more input from parents, teachers and community members.

He also wants to bolster math and science education, though not at the expense of the arts, he said.

"I'm running because I'm passionate about education. I want our kids to succeed. I want our board to establish the vision and policy for our children," he said.

All four candidates said it's an especially critical time for the district because state funding cuts have made finances tight. The state Legislature slashed money for K-12 education and other programs because of a forecast revenue shortfall for 2009-11 in the billions. And more cuts could be coming.

The candidates said they'll pay close attention to expenditures.

They all said they're running for the board because they want to help kids.

"I believe it's our responsibility to educate our students. If we don't do that we haven't done our job," said Adams, who has been on the board eight years.

She's also said that reducing dropout rates and continuing to work on school safety are top priorities.

Creek, who said her experience as a Latina would give her a unique perspective on the board, wants to encourage more parent involvement in education.

She also said she'd work as a consensus-builder on the board.

"I want to make a difference and give back to my community," she said.

* Sara Schilling: 509-582-1402; sschilling@tricityherald.com