Three vie for Pasco school board seat

Amy Phillips is facing two challengers on her first bid to keep her seat on the Pasco School Board.

Jeffrey Peterson, a project manager, and Marlando Sparks, a youth advocate, are looking to unseat her.

All of the school board positions are at-large, meaning anyone in the district can vote or run in the races. The maximum salary is $4,800 a year plus expenses.

Phillips, a homemaker, foster parent and mother of seven, said the district is starting to move in the right direction, and she seeks to continue to be part of the solution.

“This is my life. I’m educated myself and I find huge value in getting kids to excel at whatever they’re good at,” she said.

“I’m excited about there this district is going ... We’ve had a lack of trust in our community and I think that’s changing.”

The district’s “Outrageous Outcomes” aim to get every child through school and to leave with a plan for the future. The five goals include having every child ready for kindergarten, reading at a third-grade level at third grade and keeping each student on course in ninth grade for high school graduation.

These goals challenge teachers and administrators to produce results.

Along with increasing the transparency and openness of the board, Phillips worked to improve the district’s special education and highly capable programs, she said. The work included reaching out to parents who found themselves frustrated by lack of support.

“We noticed that (the special education program) wasn’t consistent from school to school,” she said. “We really wanted to give these parents support. It’s a huge job for a parent to take care of these kids.”

Phillips’ own children are involved in either the highly capable or special education programs.

Phillips holds a bachelors degree in mathematics education.

Peterson, a father of five, is seeking a more efficient school district. With a budget that dwarfs the city’s, the school board needs to make sure the money is serving students.

“We have a duty to use that money as wisely as we can,” he said.

He is seeking simpler systems for parents, especially those who have children with special needs. Several of his children have special needs and he struggled with at least one to get the services he needed where and when he needed them.

“As a parent with multiple kids in different schools throughout the district, I know that with the right balance of quality teachers, good facilities and quality teaching materials students can achieve success,” he said.

He expressed support for a new bond measure, and he wants to make sure the money is well spent.

Peterson is the only candidate in the race to file with the state Public Disclosure Commission. He used $2,000 of his own money to fund his campaign.

An Air Force veteran, Peterson holds a masters in business administration degree and a masters in applied science.

Sparks, a youth advocate, small business owner and parent of 10 children, wants to make sure the community’s voice is being heard, he said.

He worked with state leaders to loosen restrictions on the new rule which states students need 24 credits to graduate, and he feels that personal politics sometimes get in the way of what is best for children, he said.

All of Sparks’ children attended Pasco schools, and he spent years working at the district with students.

“Pasco schools should find strength in its diversity,” he said. “My goal is to empower the voices of everyone in our community and encourage them to share their creative, innovative, out-of-the-box ideas.”

He wants to see every child in the district succeed, he said.

A Pasco High graduate, Sparks attended the Community College of the Air Force and Columbia Basin College.

The district needs to encourage its high-performing teachers as well, and give them the resources they need to succeed, he said.

Recent health issues have forced him to throttle back his campaign, he said, but he is not dropping out of the race.

This story was originally published July 22, 2017 at 3:04 PM with the headline "Three vie for Pasco school board seat."