Treloar uses common sense

Katey Treloar is the preferable choice over Nikki Lockwood for School Board Position 1 for at least four reasons.

First, she would be a better steward of taxpayer dollars. She would keep the district’s promises to not raise levy rates, instead of breaking them, as her opponent would do by supporting a supplemental levy.

Second, regarding discipline and extreme behavior, Treloar recognizes that 95% of the district’s 31,000 students don’t get in serious trouble, come to school each day wanting to learn and not be disrupted, and are entitled by statute to have “the optimum learning atmosphere of the classroom … be maintained, [with] the highest consideration [to] … be given to the judgment of certified educators ….” In contrast, Lockwood, her fellow candidates (Georgen and Slagle), and Lockwood’s employer, the ACLU, advocate positions that have already eroded the standard of acceptable behavior in our classrooms.

Third, regarding safety and security, Treloar wants a thorough community-wide discussion of the extensive consultant report conducted last year by SafeHaven. Treloar doesn’t want to arm district employees. But she recognizes Spokane police are called into our buildings regularly anyway, SPS contracted with local police to handle security until 15 years ago, and about 290 of 295 Washington districts have armed security through contracts with local law enforcement. Treloar wants to discuss the issue of contracting with police; Lockwood wants to shut it down.

Most importantly, Treloar approaches issues with common sense and an open mind, whereas Lockwood has a narrow political perspective that leads to pre-made conclusions.

Robert H. Douthitt

Spokane