School board incumbents forced into opposition by new districting rule

PALMER — On the undercard of Wednesday night’s Borough Assembly District 1 showdown forum between incumbent Jim Sykes and challenger Brian Endle, the debate for District 2 school board member featured none of the acrimony and little of the disagreement.

Prior to this election cycle, Mat-Su Borough School Board members were all at-large, but based on the new format, seats are now apportioned via district. So for current board president Susan Pougher and three-year member Ray Michaelson to both remain on the board, one would have to move.

Neither did, and both went head-to-head in the forum, hosted by AARP at The Annex in downtown Palmer, joined onstage by District 7 candidate Donna Dearman, who is running unopposed.

“There’s no bad blood; he’s a good man and it’s a little bit uncomfortable for us sitting up there,” Pougher said. “I think one main difference is I have more experience. I’ve been on the board for nine years, the last four as president of the school board.”

Michaelson came to run for a board slot four years ago and is just now finishing up his first, and he hopes not last, three-year terms. Prior to that, he’d worked in juvenile justice for 25 years.

“It’s uncomfortable (to run against a fellow sitting board member), but it’s a conversion year and she and I happen to live in the same district,” Michaelson said. “We have one more school board meeting and we’ve worked really well over the years and I really appreciate her service to the Mat-Su Borough.”

Both candidates agreed that preparing smartly for the coming growth to the Valley will be the biggest task facing the board, regardless of which of them remains on it.

“We have to anticipate change more than react to change,” Michaelson said. “Demographic reports are telling us where the growth is probably going to be, and I think the board has done a pretty good job over the years preparing for where it is going to be.” Pougher said the board’s record over her nine year term should speak for itself.

“Our student learning has increased quite a bit and the way the public feels about our schools is much more positive than it has been,” she said. “As a school board, we don’t get nearly as many complaints as we did nine years ago, and that’s a pretty good indicator people are generally happy with education in the Mat-Su.”

The election for all borough races and ballot measures is Oct. 4.