BCSD zone 5 candidate forum summary

NAPLES — Boundary County School Board Zone 5 candidates Teresa Rae and David Wilson shared their views on a variety of issues at a question-and-answer forum Thursday with topics ranging from education and curriculum to COVID-19 guidelines and proposed district bond.

The crowd and candidates were amicable clapping after each candidate answered a question. Both candidates said they were happy they weren’t running unopposed, since it showed that they were not alone in wanting to help bolster education in the county.

Rae, the incumbent, introduced herself by saying that she has been on the board for four years and has been attending BCSD meetings for 7 years. After spending 20 years in the Army in a high commanding role Rae said she knew how to budget finances. Rae has also worked at Valley View Elementary as a computer lab teacher, so she is familiar with the K-5 curriculum. She also had several other roles at BCSD that have given her a bird’s eye view of the inner workings of the district.

Wilson, is a scientist and self-proclaimed survivalist. He homeschools his children and said that he supports parent interaction and input in their children’s education. He advocated for parents to have freedom of choice in how their children are educated. He said that he would not just represent students in school, but students across the county.

When asked what their motivation and vision is as a possible board member Rae said the district’s students are her motivation. She pointed out that she has been a coach at the district for eight years across several seasons and volunteers in school.

Wilson answered that four months ago running for school board was not on his radar, but said that now is not the time to be complacent, in regards to the political climate and division sweeping the nation.

The candidates were asked if they believed in a social emotional learning curriculum for students.

Wilson said that it is important to instill confidence in students, but that SEL can go awry when it aligns with Critical Race Theory. He said it is newly implemented and that kids need a strong foundation which starts with parents.

Rae said that SEL and other emotional learning can be construed as “brainwashing,” but in Idaho the districts get to choose their own curriculum. In Boundary County, SEL is only at K-5 levels and teaches students basic emotions and ways to deal with their feelings.

Rase said kids are learning age appropriate emotions. The “why” behind it is because some students have behavioral issues and not all kids are taught how to handle emotions at home. At the high school and middle school level, the curriculum is being built because there is no curriculum on the market that the district likes, said Rae.

She said that the curriculum is looking at suicide prevention since teen suicide is through the roof in Idaho. In addition it would address age appropriate information of teen dating since sexual assault has risen in the county. Rae said the curriculum will also cover drug and social media education.

This is what BCSD means by SEL, said Rae, not what other school districts mean by it.

Both candidates said that they believe in public education.

Every kid is entitled to public education, Rae said. She said that she doesn’t worry about her kids' education, since she knows she is capable of assisting them, but rather she was concerned for students with special needs or students who didn’t have such a structured homelife.

Wison said that he believes in public, private and homeschool options. He said parents are the frontline of education for kids and advocated for more options for all kids.

Both candidates agreed that extracurricular activities are important. Rae said that this isn’t just sports, but other activities that are a lifeline to students in expanding their education. She said that BCSD spends $300,000 a year on coaches, gear, buses and items or extracurriculars that make a well rounded student.

Wilson said that extracurricular activities were necessary to accommodate different learning styles, which are not also accommodated when in the classroom. Wilson also said that extracurricular activities are necessary to develop well rounded students.

When it came to protecting staff and students help in regards to masks, Rae said that when COVID-19 was in its inception that the board did what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Panhandle Health District suggested since there was a lack of information at the time. She said that like Kellogg School District, BCSD has a policy that if a school hits a certain percentage for the flu cases or any other illness then school is closed for the day and sanitized. She said that the board has been tracking COVID-19 statistics for the district and has come up with their own solutions.

Wilson compared wearing a mask to wearing a gun. People decide the level of safety they wish to have. He also said he didn't want to rush kids back into school if they are not feeling well and wants to continue online options for education at the district when appropriate.

31% of BCSD funds are federal, prompting a question on whether candidates support federal funding of BCSD.

Wilson said that this is almost a two-prong approach.

“I believe as taxpayers … we are buying the product of our kids being able to graduate with a good education,” said Wilson. “On the flip side, the second prong is being entangled with a federal government. If our federal government is a trustworthy, benevolent entity, I wouldn't have the issues,” said Wilson.

He said that these past two years, the government has failed over and over and it seems like it is intentional to destroy the economy, businesses and logistics.

“It's dangerous to give that entity damage control and what happens here,” said Wilson. He said he firmly believes that BCSD has already paid for these applications, the schools, the property, the teachers, and the infrastructure.

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“These are our facilities. And if they're doing something that goes against what we believe here, we have to stand up and say, ‘No, we will not tolerate it here’,” said Wilson.

“Right now I am in support of federal funding,” said Rae, “As of now the strings attached don’t encroach on the vision or the society believes of Bonners Ferry.”

Rae said that the fears of constituents of possible “strings attached” to funding would be schools required to allow transgender students into the bathroom of their choice. Currently at BCSD, this is not part of any requirements for funding. She said that $3.5 million for COVID-19 will be used to update schools.

The district paid $500,000 for substitute teachers last year, said Rae. She said that money has to come from somewhere. If added “strings attached” to federal funding goes against the values of the community then the district will have a “come to Jesus meeting,” said Rae.

Wilson wants the district to think outside of the box when it comes to a self-sufficient program. He said he wanted to find ways where educational programs could model the university format and bring in money to support education. He wants to delve deeper into the STRAP options and see if there are more places in the district and county that students could work and earn credit. He said that staffing issues in maintenance and even kitchen staff could be resolved if students were allowed to work in those departments.

He said he wanted to find ways to give students a jumpstart on their careers and even to start their own companies out of highschool.

Rae said that schools in Idaho are on a fixed income and that Idaho is one of the few states that allows schools to run a local levy.

“Idaho expects us to come up with 20% of the funding,” said Rae. “85% of the budget goes to wages and salary. How do we get the biggest bang for our buck?”

Another question posed was the bond and repairs to schools.

Wilson said that he didn’t know if it was time to expand even though interest rates are low, but equipment and materials are still expensive.

Rae said the question was unfair to Wilson since he has not been part of the process when it comes to the proposed bond. Rae said that the issues right now is the Valley View Elementary is 70 years old, its portables are 50 years old, which are 30 years past their recommended use. She also said that the plumbing has been described as a “ticking time bomb” and that the sight security poses a threat if there was ever an active shooter.

Both candidates agreed that all board members should pass a background check. Rae said the board had just recently found out that there was no requirement for this in their regulations and wanted to remedy that.

When it comes to the greatest struggle for BCSD, Wilson said it was the ability to adapt. Rae said the greatest struggle was funding to pay staff. She said the district has to compare with other businesses like grocery stores and food services that offer $15 an hour and the district can only pay under $10 an hour.

Both candidates supported the addition of a ROTC program to the high school and the possible added academic options for students. Wilson said that it could be another way to add multiple educational paths at the high school level. Rae said that she has been pushing for a self-defense class the past few years.