Orchard Prairie ballot long

With only 70 students in kindergarten through seventh grade, the Orchard Prairie School District has worked hard to keep its small-town appeal over the years.

A crowded ballot for the Aug. 21 primary election shows plenty of people wanting a chance to help preserve the slice of life tucked away in northeast Spokane County. Nine candidates are vying for three four-year school board positions in the district off Bigelow Gulch Road.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before in my 33 years,” interim Superintendent Bob McMillan said of the number of candidates. “For the most part, more parents seem to be coming back to getting involved.”

Most of the candidates have children who either attend or did attend the school – one of the smallest in the state.

Because of the district’s small size, the superintendent works less than half time in-district and manages a budget of about $800,000.

Position 3

Candidate Dan Cutler says the school board is not the place to push personal agendas.

“I plan to try to be open and consider all sides of the issues that come before the board,” said Cutler, who has never run for political office before.

“I am willing to spend the time and effort to research how things have been done, how they are done elsewhere and what would work best for Orchard Prairie in the future,” he said.

Cutler, 56, has four children, all of whom attended the school, and his wife, Kathy, was involved with the Parent Teacher Organization for many years. Cutler is a software engineer at Infinetix and holds a bachelor’s degree from Whitman College in Walla Walla and a doctorate in physics from the University of Utah.

His opponents, Roy Franklin, 50, and Ron Ilg, 40, did not return a reporter’s calls and requests for information.

Position 4

“Candidate Lorna St. John says she would like to help the district continue to resist consolidation with neighborhood school districts. Bounded by three larger school districts – West Valley, Spokane and Mead – Orchard Prairie has been approached in the past.

“Orchard Prairie has had to defend against consolidation for 50 years,” said St. John, who has lived on the prairie most of her life. “It must continue to prove its worth through high achievement standards with emphasis on its unique educational experience.”

St. John, 61, has two adult daughters, both of whom went to the school. She is manager of Hamilton Studio, a photography and filmmaking studio owned by her longtime partner, Don Hamilton.

“As a partner in a small business, I have developed talents and practice that relate to board operation,” St. John said. “I understand budgets and restrictions.”

“Opponent Suzanne Savall, 50, recently was hired as principal of Otis Orchards Elementary School in the East Valley School District. She has been an educator for 25 years.

“I am now ready to give back to the community in which I have lived for 22 years,” Savall said of the Orchard Prairie board position. “I consider myself an enthusiastic, energetic leader.”

Savall holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees and an educational leadership certificate from Eastern Washington University. Her daughter, now 20, attended the Orchard Prairie school.

“Candidate Tina Sowl says her background in communications will benefit the district. Sowl, 41, was appointed to the board this year to fill a vacancy. Sowl will be sworn in next month.

“I want the staff to feel as if they have a say in their school and where they work, and I also want parents to know there is a platform for communication,” Sowl said. “I want to be a liaison between the parents and the teachers.”

Sowl, a pharmaceutical sales representative, has two children, one of whom currently attends the school. She and her husband, Mike, have lived on the prairie for three years.

“What really drew me to wanting to run and be on the board is that having children in the education system at Orchard Prairie is really a special thing,” Sowl said. “They get the small-town atmosphere in a public school.”

Position 5

“Incumbent Carol Ann Hollar says she wants to continue the work she has been doing for the past seven years.

“My goal has always been to make a difference,” Hollar said.

Hollar, 67, is a teacher at Whitworth College.

“As a longtime resident of the district, attorney Erik Highberg says he can provide the board with a sense of community history and tradition. He also wants to address access to opportunities for students.

Highberg, 41, has two children who attend the school. He and his wife, Megan, have lived on the prairie for 25 years. Highberg also is a volunteer firefighter with Spokane County Fire District 9, an emergency medical technician and instructor and a fire investigator.

“In a small rural school district, we face unique issues,” Highberg said. “Our school lacks the resources to provide extracurricular activities and the technology that other larger schools enjoy.”

“Candidate Tracy Pierson says he wants to help direct the school district with expected growth, “as well as provide direction for the continuation of the unique learning environment found at Orchard Prairie School.”

Pierson, 46, works as a brands manager for Food Services of America. He and his wife, Lori, have two children who attend the school. Pierson also is president of the school’s Parent Teacher Organization.

“As a resident of the Orchard Prairie area, I am proud of our school, which has served as a focal point for our community for many years, and I would like to be an active part of continuing that tradition,” he said.