CdA school board member faces candidate who opposes mask mandates

Oct. 21, 2021 Updated Thu., Oct. 28, 2021 at 7:24 p.m.

By Sydney Brown sydneyb@spokesman.com

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Candidate for Coeur d'Alene Public Schools Board of Trustees, Zone 5

REBECCA SMITH

Smith did not respond to requests for interviews in time for publication.

Education: Earned bachelor's in outdoor recreation management and leadership from Western Washington University

Political experience: Appointed as board member in 2019; vice president and member of the Long Range Planning Committee.

Work experience: 20 years as associate director of Lutherhaven Ministries, according to her campaign website.

Family: Married. Has three children, according to her campaign website.

GLEN CAMPBELL

Campbell did not respond to interview requests in time for publication.

Education: Earned associate degree in communications/broadcasting and a bachelor's degree in business and management from the University of Redlands, according to a Q&A on the Kootenai County GOP website.

Political experience: First run for office.

Work experience: Retired in 2016 after 24 years with the University of Redlands, serving as the Manager of the Media Services Department. Serves as on-air personality for radio station, KYMS 89.9FM – Today’s Christian Country, according to Q&A on Kootenai County GOP website.

Family: Has three adult children and four grandchildren in school district, according to Q&A on Kootenai County GOP website

Coeur d’Alene school board member Rebecca Smith will face a challenger who says he wants to get rid of critical race theory and medical mandates in the district.

Neither candidate responded to interview requests from The Spokesman-Review .

Smith was appointed to the Coeur d’Alene Public Schools Board of Trustees in 2019, according to the Kootenai County Voter Guide. She was a member of the Long Range Planning Committee, serving as vice president during her second year on it.

“My priorities will be to put kids first, build on the strategic plan and direction of our district, hold our district accountable to high academic performance and be fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars,” she wrote in the voter guide.

During her time on the board, Smith advocated for full-day kindergarten and adjusting school attendance zones to match the growth in the school district, according to her campaign website.

Glen Campbell, a radio host on Today’s Christian Country, decided to run against the teaching of critical race theory and other equity-centered learning theories in schools, he said during a virtual candidate town hall forum hosted on YouTube by the Coeur d’Alene Press. He also said on his campaign Facebook page he opposed any “medical mandate.”

At a September board meeting, Smith voted with board member Lisa May against a COVID-19 plan that would strongly recommend – not require – masks in schools. At the meeting, she cited the sharp rise of cases in North Idaho. Last month, hospitals in North Idaho were given permission to ration care because they were overwhelmed with patients with COVID-19.

Though he would support keeping his own kids and grandchildren in public schools, he said he understood why some parents felt “disenfranchised” and turned instead to private school, Campbell said in the forum. Campbell wrote on his campaign Facebook page he also wanted to return to a “basic education” that emphasized work skills and financial literacy.

Both candidates said in an interview with the Coeur d’Alene Press they wanted to address teacher salaries so educators can afford living in Coeur d’Alene even as housing prices in Kootenai County continue to rise.