Wendle Won’t Run For School Board Re-Election But Other District 81 Member Whose Term Will Be Up Says He Plans To Run Again

Carol Wendle, who helped bring letter grades back to Spokane report cards, said she will not run again for Spokane School Board.

Filing deadline is 5 p.m. July 28 for Wendle’s position and 42 other school board seats in the county’s 14 districts.

Rob Fukai will run for his Spokane School Board seat, although his job as a Washington Water Power Co. vice president is iffy. The company’s proposed merger with Sierra Pacific Resources of Reno, Nev., could eliminate 300 jobs.

“My intent is to file and then see how things shake out here,” Fukai said. “We won’t know until the first of October.”

Wendle, 53, said she wants to spend more time with her husband, car dealer Dick Wendle, and his elderly parents.

“I don’t want to ever look back and regret I didn’t devote enough time to them,” she said. “I know I won’t be letting go of education and children’s issues.”

Wendle steadfastly supported letter grades when the district dropped them in 1992 from older elementary students’ reports cards. Letter grades will return in the fall.

“I do think board members can make a significant difference,” Wendle said. “I think there’s an openness within the district. (Superintendent) Gary Livingston is very open.”

Originally appointed in 1984, Wendle left the board once before in 1991, but was reappointed a year later when another board member resigned.

District insiders mentioned Christie Querna and Jennifer Roseman as possible candidates. Both are parents and volunteers on district committees.

Deborah Goncalves, who ran against Wendle two years ago, said she hasn’t decided whether she will run again.

Querna said she has thought about running. Efforts to reach Roseman were unsuccessful.

Candidates must fill out a one-page declaration of candidacy at the Spokane County elections office in the Courthouse. Public disclosure forms on campaign finances are required later.

Both positions are six-year terms.

“You hope people will run who have a commitment to public education,” Wendle said. “People need to be thinking about it.”

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