Two positions open with four people running…
On Nov. 4 voters within zones 4 and 5 comprise primarily of Rathdrum and Hauser communities will vote for trustees for the Lakeland Joint School District 272.
David Quimby and Chris Beaty running for Lakeland Joint School District #272 Trustee Zone 4 (Koot) and Allison Burnett and Jeff Brodhead running for Lakeland Joint School District #272 Trustee Zone 5 (Koot).
Allison Burnett, Zone 5
Burnett is one of the candidates for Zone 5; she has two children, one seventh grader at Lakeland Middle School and one in fourth grade at Betty Keifer Elementary.
“As a parent, business owner, and long-time community member, I understand how much our schools shape the future of our community,” Burnett said. “I believe I’m the best candidate because I bring a balanced, practical approach- someone who listens first, works collaboratively, and makes decisions based on what’s best for students, not politics.”
Burnett said With Lakeland district losing money due to the levy, she believes a challenge in the district is “Maintaining Lakeland standards while managing limited resources and increasing demands on teachers.”
“I’ll advocate for policies and practices that allow teachers to focus on teaching, ensuring they have the tools, training, and support they need to help every student succeed,” Burnett said.
Burnett is an owner of Embers and has followed and set a budget for her business and has been successful for the last eight years.
“While the budget for the district is more complex, I am motivated to learn and help in any way I can,” Burnett said. “Taxpayer dollars should be used efficiently, with clear accountability, so that funding directly benefits classrooms, student programs, and facilities that enhance learning.”
As a parent in the school district she also wants parents to be welcomed, informed, and involved in shaping their children’s learning experiences, she believes they are an essential part of the education.
“Above all, I support practical safety measures that protect our students and staff while maintaining a positive, inclusive school climate where learning can thrive,” Burnett said.
Running against Burnett is Jeff Brodhead.
Jeff Broadhead, Zone 5
Brodhead moved to Idaho nearly two years ago and after living in Spokane County for 30 years.
“I do not plan to be one of those tetras blocks, which settles right into the normal school board seat,” Brodhead said, “That being, it is difficult to answer canned questions, so I am not doing so. I make no claims of being any sort of highly educated, perfect fit for School Board Trustee.”
Brodhead has responded to the on-line voter guide, on KCRCC.org.
“I did not desire this volunteer position (and the personal expenses of a campaign),” Broadhead said.
Although Brodehead did not desire this position he believes it is important to defend “children of the district from the onslaught of the world – they will have plenty of time to be exposed, once they are educated in the important and mature enough to recognize friend from foe.”
Brodhead said he has a Christian world view. He has three children who all graduated from honors, from the West Valley School District (Spokane Valley).
Chris Beaty, Zone 4
Beaty, a parent of a current LHS student and an engineer, said he plans to bring his experience as a professional and community member to the board.
“I take the responsibility of protecting our children very seriously,” he said.
Beaty believes a healthy partnership involves the common good for everyone. He claims it’s much better to listen to understand rathan than to listen to respond
The levy for the Lakeland School district has failed twice in a row, one being re-run and passed another having to cut money, then re-run and passed.
“I took a closer look at what was happening and recognized the need for a better approach to represent Zone 4,” Beaty said. “My objective is to work collaboratively with our school district office—for the benefit of our entire community. When a large and complex system (Lakeland High School) is outperforming 98 percent percent of schools nationwide in cost-efficiency, we should work with our district office to continue fine-tuning operations — not attack it.”
A fact that Beaty mentioned while answering the questions is other schools in Idaho spend 19 to 72 percent more per student than Lakeland, referencing St. Maries, Lewiston, Moscow, Wallace, Boise, Plummer/Worley, Lake Pend Oreille, Kellogg, and many more. We are one of the lowest schools in a state that already invest less than any other state in the nation.
“While tax dollars must always be spent wisely, our local districts (including Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene deserve community partnership, not division that tears us apart,” Beaty said.
Beaty mentions that every two years parents, students, and teachers are forced to worry about programs, sports, and jobs and the future of them at schools in the district.
“That uncertainty is unnecessary and disruptive — we can and should do better,” Beaty said.
He said he wants to accomplish constructive, improved performance — built on stability.
Beaty said he supports placing trained school resource officers or professional school guards in every school.
Dave Quimby, Zone 4
Quimby is running for Zone 4 and is running for his second term in the school board.
He said that being a school district trustee is, “is a huge task, it is a big complex moving machine.”
Quimby claims that his experience as a current board member makes him most fit for the job.
“I want to continue to work on restoring and keeping our community’s faith in what we are doing,” Quimby said.
Quimby has been a coach and a volunteer Lakeland School District for Junior Tackle, Lakeland Little League, and the Lakeland Wrestling Club for the past 20 years. He has also been a substitute for Lakeland.
“I hope to continue my work from the last four years on the school board to get Lakeland ‘Back to Basics’,” Quimby said.
Him and his wife are both Lakeland Graduates, so are four of his kids, and he has three Lakeland students.
He served 33 years in the military.
Quimby states that he has a strong relationship with the students and parents.
“A focus on the fundamentals of education and holding our students and staff to a high level of accountability will help to restore the confidence of our community and help us to get local levy support,” Quimby said. “Then we, as a school board, can focus on an efficient budget that shows our respect for the taxpayers.”
Quimby believes getting to retain great teachers will involve giving them smaller classroom sizes and giving them the tools they will need to be successful.
His priority in a district that does face budget cuts is anyone who has direct contact with students.
“Academic achievement, the fundamentals of education, athletics, safety, and extracurricular activities that support our students are the backbone of our district and would be my main focus,” Quimby said.
He believes that they need to improve transparency and make sure everyone feels heard.
“This school district serves our students and their parents, and employs our teachers and staff, but there is a whole other piece to this puzzle, and that piece is our community members and taxpayers,” Quimby said.
He said he will not forget about them and claims he has not forgotten about them in the past four years. He said he has never forgotten “who is footing the bill for everything in our district.”
Quimby said he wishes more parents were involved in the district. He understands how busy it is to raise and work, but for the district to accurately represent the parents and community members, “we need to know how they are feeling.”
Quimby is a supporter of armed guards and school resource officers. He said the safety of the staff and students is paramount.
“I want to continue to represent my community as a trustee to keep working on improving our school district, student achievement results, and the unity felt in Lakeland,” Quimby added.
