Spokane School Board Chair Mike Wiser wins new term

Spokane School Board Chair Mike Wiser will serve a another term, securing over 60% of the votes counted election night.

“Awesome,” Wiser said when The Spokesman-Review informed him of the totals.

Wiser said he sees his impending victory as voters’ stamp of approval of the path Spokane Public Schools is headed. He cited past endeavors such as modernizing schools, transitioning sixth graders into middle school, curbing vaping, working for higher student participation in extracurriculars and securing free school lunch district-wide.

“I get the sense people are happy with our normal return to school since COVID,” Wiser said.

Wiser faced challenger Ericka Lalka, team leader at Keller-Williams Spokane and a district parent.

Wiser looks forward to another six years on the board, marked by impending bond and levy measures on February ballots.

“My hope is that enables us to keep moving forward with our staffing model we have and continuing to modernize our schools,” Wiser said.

Wiser supports the district’s collection of property taxes in the form of levies and bonds, while Lalka was undecided. Wiser endorsed progressive policies like comprehensive sex education and the schools’ 2020 restorative justice approach that replaced police in schools with safety specialists. In contrast, Lalka’s perspectives lean conservative, including support of armed police officers in schools. She argued parents should have to opt-in their children to participate in comprehensive sex education. Currently, parents have to opt-out kids if they don’t want them to participate.