Nine Mile race for Position 1 on August primary

NINE MILE FALLS – The Nine Mile Falls School District has three positions on its school board up for election this year.

But only Position 1 has more than two candidates in the Aug. 21 primary. One of the three candidates – Rhonda Hause, Cori Reeves and Scott Chaney – will be eliminated as voters decide which two will move on to the general election in November.

Position 2 has only one candidate, Debbie Williams.

Position 3 has only two candidates, Pete Joplin and Kyle Yancy.

The district includes portions of both Stevens and Spokane counties.

“Hause 36, is a program coordinator at Washington State University Spokane County Extension Service.

Hause, a self-described lifelong learner, says she is concerned about what happens in the district because she has a daughter in the third grade and a son in the eighth.

“As a parent of two children in the Nine Mile district and a community member,” she said, “I have a great desire to ensure the continued success of our district.”

Hause said a top priority will be finding a superintendent to replace Michael Green, who recently left for a position near Vancouver, Wash.

Voters in the Nine Mile Falls district recently approved a $12.3 million bond issue after two other attempts to finance improvements to the two elementary schools failed.

Construction will be starting on those projects soon, and Hause says she is looking forward to addressing improvements at other schools in the growing district.

She says she feels that student achievement has improved since implementation of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, but the WASL test still has its weaknesses, such as slow turn-around time of useful data, the expense of the test and the time it takes to administer.

“I have a sincere interest in the continued improvement of our education process to the benefit of our youth and their future,” Hause said. “I am open-minded and a good listener.”

“Reeves, 48, says she is the best person for Position 1 because she has worked for financial aid offices in Spokane and works in higher education financing. She says she knows what students need to make the transition from high school to college.

She no longer has children in the school district but says that will help her be more objective about the issues.

Reeves also says she wants to help the community stay informed about the construction projects at the district’s two elementary schools to make sure everyone knows the bond money is being spent wisely.

“Rumors, misunderstandings and the fear of yet more taxes are a constant threat when it comes to getting voters to vote ‘yes’ for schools,” she said.Regarding the WASL test, Reeves says students in the Nine Mile Falls district generally test above the state average, but many students don’t test well and tests are not always the measure of a whole person.

Reeves says she hopes to work toward finding ways for more WASL-specific education and also wants to be an advocate for those who don’t test well so they aren’t left behind.

“I know each district faces many challenges,” she said. “I feel that I will be able to provide an objective view and opinion on any issue that our district faces.

“I have a positive attitude and believe in rolling up your sleeves and getting to work, not just sitting around talking about it,” she said.

“Chaney, 51, is a software engineer and small-business owner. He has three children – a daughter in elementary school, a son in middle school and a son who recently graduated from the Nine Mile Falls district.

An outspoken critic of the district’s recent bond proposals, Chaney says on his Web site, www.lakespokane.net, that he wanted to vote for the bonds but felt there was a lack of competition for architects and that only two new classrooms wouldn’t be enough to ease overcrowding in the growing district.

Other issues that concern him include bullying, test scores, impact fees and the Four by Four block schedules.

“Our high school students receive 24 percent less instructional hours per credit that the state mandates,” Chaney said. “I will vote to ensure our high school students get the mandated instructional hours per credit, especially in the critical areas of math, science and English.”

Chaney says he favors the idea of a standardized assessment of learning but says the WASL test is flawed. He says the test changes so significantly that its measurement of the progress of students isn’t useful.

“Some teachers – and as a result, their students – have become obsessed with the WASL, causing unnecessary stress in the classroom,” he said.

Chaney also says the test is expensive to administer and grade. A better solution, he says, would be the Measure of Academic Performance (MAP) because it is standardized across the country. Students (and parents) can compare their performance with that of the rest of the nation.

“Our district is blessed with incredible children and excellent teachers,” Chaney said. “We have the resources to make this a great district.”