Former candidate supports White

I am stepping aside in the race for Seat G on the Mat-Su Borough School District Board of Education.

After talking to a few people and after some research, I felt there was a candidate who deserves this seat more than I do. That candidate is Sandra White. She is active in her children’s school and their parent-teacher student association. She will be a fresh face on the school board and that is something that is needed. Dan Contini has been a school board member since 1995.

The day I seriously considered running for this seat was after attending a school board meeting at Palmer High School the evening the board listened to testimony from several hundred students, teachers, parents and custodians about why the school board should not outsource their jobs. That evening another item was also being voted on. During the discussion period, Mr. Contini never asked a question, yet when it came time to vote he stated he did not understand what he was voting for, therefore he was voting no on the issue. This is not the type of school board member I want deciding issues for my children.

(Geographically,) Lazy Mountain has two members on the school board, Mr. Contini and Larry DeVilbiss. The northern part of the Borough is not represented on the school board.

After reviewing past school board elections, the northern part of the Borough has not been represented in years. Back in the years just prior to the American Revolution, our forefathers’ biggest complaint about England was taxation without representation. Colonists were tired of being taxed by a government thousands of miles away.

These colonists also had no representation in that body. Although I do not think Talkeetna and Willow are on the verge of revolution, I see the same frustrations from the residents up there regarding schools. It seems that when it comes budget time the schools up north are the first ones (marked) for closure. Yes, they are small schools and easy to shut down, but what are we doing to those children? We are forcing them to wake up earlier to go to a school not in their hometown and taking time out of what could be study time riding a bus back home.

In conclusion, I believe Sandra White is the best candidate running for Seat G. I am asking anyone considering voting for me to please seriously consider voting for and supporting Ms. White. It is time that our friends to the north have a voice on the school board and that we get fresh faces and new ideas on the board.

Gilbert Lucero

Mat-Su