Keep church, school separate

I thought school board elections were supposed to be nonpartisan. After researching the three candidates running for the Central Valley School District, I was surprised to discover that one candidate had completed a School Board Candidate Survey sponsored by a right-wing religious organization with a 96% alignment. They asked questions about a candidate’s beliefs about the Bible, the work of Christ, and Judeo-Christian values, with each question referenced by a scriptural quote. This crosses the line from our nation’s founding principle of maintaining the separation between church and state.

As a pastoral minister and spiritual director, I value spirituality and I am a committed Christian. At the same time, I don’t want one expression of spirituality to define how we assess a candidate’s qualifications to become a school board member.

Although we might disagree on specific issues, I hope we can agree on some common values for our school board candidates. I’d like more emphasis on assessing their skills to respect diversity, and their ability to compassionately listen to different perspectives from students, parents and teachers. I want to know if they are willing to choose curriculums that honestly address historical facts — even when they are difficult to face. And, finally, do they promote addressing the needs of all students, including those needing support services?

Let’s focus on a candidate’s true qualifications — not the passing of a religious or political litmus test.

Susie Leonard Weller

Liberty Lake