Get out your vote

It’s time again to vote, I got my Voters Pamphlet today. The responsibility of citizens is to share your voice by your vote. Your vote should be an educated vote, read and learn about the candidates in your pamphlet, attend candidate forums or contact candidates individually. Your local elected officials have a responsibility to represent you. Talk with your friends and neighbors about the candidates, check local organizations for their endorsements and review candidates websites or Facebook pages for information about them.

Your vote counts, ballots should arrive around Oct. 18, do your research, pick your candidates, fill out your ballot, sign the outside, mail it (postage is free) or drop it in the ballot drop boxes before 8 p.m. on Nov. 7. Do your part, vote on or before Nov. 7! Thanks for sharing your voice!

Eileen Cummings

Sequim

Consider candidates, communication

In last week’s Gazette, Sequim School Board director Maren Halverson wrote, “I feel the district did its very best to communicate to our parents about the realignment” (“2023 Elections: Sequim School Board, at large Position 4,” page A-1).

Parents were first notified about the realignment on Saturday, March 18, when Superintendent Nickels sent an email saying it would be discussed at the second budget forum on March 20. Despite the short notice, so many parents showed up there was standing room only. Nickels asked for ideas for saving money. She said a realignment was one idea and presented pros and cons of realigning. The overwhelming majority of speakers opposed realignment. When a teacher asserted that a realignment would not save money, Nickels had no explanation.

There were no more budget forums, no realignment forum, and no survey of parents or teachers. Three weeks later, the board approved the realignment at a regular board meeting. Nickels notified parents in an email, saying the reason was to give students a “more equitable experience.” She also wrote that unexpected additional state funding meant we wouldn’t have to increase class sizes. Though her original rationale for a realignment no longer existed, the board never discussed tabling the plan.

Maren’s perspective that the board communicated well with parents seems detached from reality. Fortunately, her challenger, Derek Huntington, understands that our district has a trust problem. He wrote, “Communication and transparency is also something that needs to be addressed. We need to know why decisions are made and be able to provide feedback.”

Lara Updike

Sequim