FIFTH OPENING – The Sitka seine boats Hukilau and Rose Lee pump herring aboard this afternoon at the end of Deep Inlet during the fifth opening in the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery. The opening was being held in two locations beginning at 11 a.m. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson) 

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Daily Sitka Sentinel

Gray, McNichol Exchange Views on Schools

By BRIELLE SCHAEFFER

Sentinel Staff Writer

Two very different candidates for Sitka School Board weighed in on funding, curriculum and extracurricular activities at a Chamber of Commerce forum Wednesday. 

Incumbent Jennifer McNichol believes the school district is doing a good job providing education and opportunities to children.

Ed Gray, her opponent in the race for the single seat on the board to be filled in the Oct. 4 election, said he thinks the whole system needs to be overhauled.

“I’m going to continue to work to represent local control in schools,” said Gray. “Standardized tests are not education to me.”

Chamber board member Mandy Odenheimer moderated the noontime forum with the two candidates in the Oct. 4 election for the one open seat on the School Board. McNichol is a pediatrician at SEARHC and Gray is a commercial fisherman.

McNichol was appointed to fill a vacancy on the board last year, and is now seeking a full term. She said the district needs to consider all options as state funding cuts come down. Bigger class sizes should be on the table, she said, as well as possible consolidation of student activities. 

“We have to minimize cuts that affect students directly,” she said. “We are not a business, we are a school district.”

Research doesn’t show that a low teacher-to-student ratio makes kids learn any better, she said. 

“We are legally required to provide education to kids,” McNichol said. 

That means providing classrooms, teachers, materials and facilities, she said. Referring to the likelihood of continued local and state cuts to education, she said, “Anything that’s not legally mandated needs to be on the table.”

Gray said he opposes more funding going to public schools until the state reforms education.

“It’s a no-win situation where our educational dollars are getting drained,” he said.

He said he is against what he calls the “federalizing and socializing” of school districts with the Common Core standards.

Gray said he is more concerned about the national trend of going “teacher-less,” or having employees who aren’t certified than he is about bigger class sizes.

The candidates also tackled an audience question on consolidating Sitka and Pacific high schools to save money.

McNichol spoke against combining the schools.

“Enrollment has not fallen nearly enough to make that an option,” she said. “Pacific High has an important mission.”

Gray was not sure about the need for two buildings, however. 

“I know that Pacific High graduates children,” he said. “Is that good enough to keep it? I don’t know.”

They were also asked about celebrating Christmas in schools. 

Gray said he “felt strongly” about having it. McNichol said that while she loves Christmas music the district needs to be inclusive to students who don’t celebrate the Christian holiday.

“We do need to be aware that this is a public district and all students are part of the district,” she said. 

Gray summed up his platform in his closing remarks: 

“If you believe in local control and a parent’s right to oversee the upbringing and education of children vote for me,” he said.

 As the incumbent, McNichol said she wants to continue serving.

“We work together as a board,” she said. “We’re not a bunch of individuals with individual agendas that can’t be parlayed into a group decision. I don’t think education is going to hell in a hand basket. It’s not perfect yet, but I want to be part of making those decisions.”

 

The Chamber held a forum for Assembly candidates last week, and will have one on mayoral candidates next Wednesday.

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20 YEARS AGO

March 2004

Matthew C. Hunter of Sitka recently returned from Cuba as part of a St. Olaf College International and Off-Campus Studies program. Hunter, a junior physics major at St. Olaf College, is the son of Robert and Kim Hunter of Sitka.


50 YEARS AGO

March 1974

Eighth graders have returned from a visit to Juneau to see the Legislature. They had worked for it since Christmas vacation ... Clarice Johnson’s idea of a “White Elephant” sales was chosen as the best money-maker; Joe Roth won the political cartoon assignment; highest government test scorers were Ken Armstrong, Joanna Hearn, Linda Montgomery, Lisa Henry, Calvin Taylor and David Licari .....

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