2nd longest Richland school board member challenged by 2 teachers

Two teachers are challenging one of the longest-serving Richland school leaders in the August primary.

Heather Cleary, a 16-year veteran, of the Richland board is facing off with former Richland school teacher Audra Byrd and a former WSU Tri-Cities and Columbia Basin College instructor Dancia Garcia.

Cleary is the second longest-serving school board member, after board President Rick Jansons.

The top two candidates from the primary will advance to the November election. Board members are responsible for approving curriculum, setting policies and budgets.

The school district has about 13,700 students enrolled for the 2020-21 school year. The four-year position doesn’t come with any pay.

Cleary, 66, was the one of the strongest voices for waiting to open schools until there was a better handle on COVID. She is seeking another term because she doesn’t want to end her service on a sour note, and had several people ask her to run again.

“I struggled with whether I should run this year or not. After dealing with all the issues of a year plus of COVID, meeting remotely through Zoom, dealing with inconsistent data and unhappy constituents for the past year continuing to serve has been a hard decision,” she told the Herald.

Of the three candidates, Garcia, a Spanish instructor at Bon Voyage World Language Academy, is the only one to raise more than $5,000 in campaign funds.

According to the Public Disclosure Commission, she raised more than $7,000 in cash contribution, most of it coming from within the school district.

Garcia said she is running because every student deserves an excellent and equitable education that prepares them for a career.

“Richland School District has well-funded schools and teachers who are very dedicated,” she said. “However we have work to do to live up to our commitment of truly serving all our 13,700 students.”

Byrd is getting support from a group of parents who were upset about the school closures and mask mandates.

The stay-at-home mother with five children at home along with multiple foster children says she wants to give families a voice to fight against extreme agendas and wants parents to have more choices of where to send their children.

Audra Byrd

Byrd, 36, a West Richland resident who grew up in the school district, wants to make sure children are provided age-appropriate sex education and opposes teaching Critical Race Theory.

The school district recently passed a resolution stating that the district does not teach Critical Race Theory and there has been no changes in the sex education curriculum.

She also supports making sure other career paths are available for students. She supports having training for trades like plumbing and carpentry, as well as other trade school classes like automotive repair and childcare.

Along with her other goals, she wants to see a dual-language program and improvements to at-home learning options like Three Rivers HomeLink and Pacific Crest Online Academy.

“As a certified K-12 teacher, I am the only candidate who has worked as a full-time teacher in the district,” she said. “I am also uniquely qualified for this position in that not only do I currently have multiple kids at both elementary and secondary levels, but I am also deeply involved in helping the most vulnerable in our district on a regular basis. I have dedicated my life to feeding, teaching, loving and advocating for the underprivileged children in our community.”

She is looking to make the learning environment better for the district’s students, as well as advocate for special education and mental health resources.

You can continue to follow Byrd through her Facebook page.

Heather Cleary

A former television account executive, Cleary became involved with the Richland schools after her husband, Joe, moved to Richland for work. She started at Badger Mountain Elementary with the Parent-Teacher Organization.

Cleary helped lead a successful bond campaign to build Wiley Elementary and remodel Carmichael Middle School. She also volunteered with Destination Imagination, and the Parent-Teacher Associations at Carmichael Middle School.

Both of her children graduated from the district.

Along with seeing Badger Elementary School finish, she wants to continue work on the district’s strategic plan, which was delayed by COVID, reach the goals set by the Special Education Task Force and address student mental health needs.

With 30 years as a volunteer, and 16 as a board member, Cleary hopes to use her experience to help the school board. Two of whom are still in their first terms and one who will be new.

“Losing experienced board members would be a disadvantage for our school district,” she said. “There is much to learn as a new board member, and it is easier to function as a board when you have experienced board members to work alongside.”

While Cleary did get some criticism about her positions during the pandemic, there were many people who thanked her. Sometimes they were total strangers who recognized her.

“I was both surprised and touched by those conversations,” she said. “Those conversations led me to believe that I was doing the right thing and that citizens appreciated my service.”

Danica Garcia

Garcia, 44, has two children currently in Richland Schools, and actively volunteers for the Richland School District and has managed Destination Imagination teams.

She has worked at Columbia Basin College and WSU Tri-Cities as a English as a Second Language teacher and substitute teaches at both Richland and Pasco school districts.

She is also looking to see improvements at the district in science, technology, engineering, art and math education, as well as improvements for special education students.

Along with strengthening anti-bullying education, Garcia supports creating a school climate that helps the social and emotional health of students. This includes providing mental health help and increasing support services.

Garcia also wants to see better communication between the district and parents, teachers and other stakeholders. That includes recording board meetings, holding listening sessions and creating liaison positions with community members.

“We must work together as a community — families, teachers, schools staff, administrators community partners and the community at large — to serve students,” she said. “It’s past time that we pull together as a community to give our students not only the high-quality education that they deserve, but one that is just, truly equal and adequately prepares them for their future.”

People can find more information at Garcia’s website.