Bishop Unified School District Board Candidates Debate
Bishop Unified School District Board Candidates Debate
In the past, the interesting elections focused on city and county governing boards. Public school district board elections were, largely, the arena for parents and teachers. While there may have been occasional contention on some agenda items, peace, generally, prevailed. COVID 19 and mask mandates changed all that as politics crept into discussions. That trend has escalated to questions of reading material and class content.
Bishop Unified School District is the largest in Inyo County with student enrollment outside the district boundaries. Four candidates are pursuing two seats on the District’s Board. The following is an abbreviated version of last week’s Forum, sponsored by the Bishop Sunrise Rotary Club, with candidate statements and answers in the order they were given.
The candidates are incumbent Steve Elia, Michelle Mulligan, Jamie Morley, and Karen Keehn.
Educational background and opening statement:
Jamie Morley is a resident of Bishop with two children in the Bishop school district. His goal is to bring leadership to the Board and give students the opportunity for a great education so they can have a prosperous life.
Steve Elia is going for his third term on the Board and wants the good work the Board has done going into the future. He is a 30-year resident of Bishop, is a lifetime educator including 15 years in the classroom.
Michele Mulligan is a 25-year resident with three children in the system. She believes public education is a bedrock institution and will listen to the “voice of the community.”
Karen Keehn, an educator in Bishop for 44 years, will bring experienced leadership to the Board and “knows how things work.” Her focus will be to meet all the needs of the students.
Question 1: What is your experience with all forms of education?
Elia: Public education is challenging. High quality education should be available to everyone. The goal is to transform children into doers and dreamers.
Mulligan was home schooled with a focus on family values. Her experience with public education: “it’s evident (the Board) didn’t listen to the community and parents” during COVID-19.
Keehn was educated in public schools and felt public schools turn out well-rounded children.
Morley, a Christian, was also home-schooled through 8th grade then transitioned to public education for high school. He has a military background.
Question 2: How would you support the staff and students?
Mulligan would focus on fundamental education, back to the basics, with her focus on the students.
Keehn acknowledged that the students are different in their needs and abilities. She would be open minded, listen to the concerns and views change as something “we have to be able to do within the bounds of education.”
Morley sees schools as the cornerstone of the community. “We have to value all and celebrate the differences.” He wants to make sure the students feel heard.
Elia will look forward. What he has done in the past is support the students, educators and staff. He feels the students should feel safe. He would ensure the laws and education codes are followed but let the teachers make decisions in their classrooms. He would consider the views of the community, his trust is in the teaching staff.
Question 3: What would they change and what would they not change
Keehn will look at what the District currently has. She would like to bring back drama classes and public speaking. She wants students to be able to see the world outside of Bishop, citing the band trip to Washington, D.C. over Memorial Day. “There’s a big world outside Bishop.”
Morley noted the current “urge to divide,” and would focus on always working together. He would not change the current support and contributions of the community, citing the district’s athletic programs and contributions from local organizations.
Elia would not change the optimism, having spent most of his adult life in the area. As for change: “growth is always there;” students need to know what is expected of them and developing a culture of excellence through collaboration.
Mulligan would not change the location, “the schools are the heart of the community.” She would keep the small town feel and work to bring the education standards the same as the athletic program standards.
Following the prepared questions, District Superintendent Katie Kolker stepped in to dispel mis-information regarding ballot propositions for the 2024 election. To be able to get state fundings, districts have to have generated enough money to match the request to the State. The projects needed would take two to six years to complete. Another issue: 45% of the district is owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power which would pick up 45% of the costs. Funds left over from COVID-19 have very specific uses. The District would look to the community to prioritize projects. The main building is 103 years old and would cost $30 million to bring up to standards.
Question 4: What is the Board’s role in tracking rules and codes?
Morley The rules have to be followed but he would not step on civil liberties.
Elia said the school is in compliance. Once in compliance, our values and context come into play as to how we implement policies.
Mulligan agreed. “We need to stay in the sand box” but not trample on local values.
Keehn agreed with Elia. Our job is to make the school is in compliance. If we do that, we’ll be doing our job and meeting the needs of the District.
Question 5: How would the candidates vote on Propositions R and S on the November ballot?
Prop R would add $52 per $100,000 assessed value to property taxes for repairs to the high school and Home Street Middle School. Prop S would add $18 per $100,000 assessed value for elementary school repairs.
Elia: Yes. He sees the Bonds as the only way to get the work on aging infrastructure done. “If not a bond, how?” he asked.
Mulligan noted the leaky roofs. She said the District could look at other options.
Keehn will vote for the Bonds. If not, the District would miss out on matching funds from the State. “The community has to come together.”
Morley will vote for the Bonds. “The schools need the money now.”
Question 6: How would you deal with the underlying divisions within the district?
Mulligan: The division is only defined by those who want to see division. We have to come together to educate. The variety of views gives us a choice.
Keehn conceded it was tough. She works with children and teachers— “there’s no division there.” Some opinions expressed by the public are attainable, some are not. As educators, “there are limits to what we can teach.”
Morley felt the division was created by adults and called on those to not bring the differences to the forefront.
Elia saw division during COVID, adding the Board had the courage to deal with that division. “We need to engage (with the community) as people and have conversations.”
Question 7: Absenteeism and mental health issues
Keehn noted absenteeism is an issue everywhere. She admitted test scores aren’t up to pre-COVID levels state-wide. The schools have interventions. The schools have a mental health counselor and provide art therapy. “The counselors work hard.”
Morley would find out why students are absent and not passing their classes. He would hold “people accountable” and look at how other districts deal with the issue.
Elia said the district has made progress and would continue those programs including a School Resource Officer and participation in clubs.
Mulligan mentioned the use of cell phones by students, adding that she would enforce those policies. She would also enforce current policies on absenteeism. “If the students are in school, their test scores go up.”
Question 8: What lessons were learned from COVID?
Morley: Don’t shoot from the hip. Make the right decisions, follow the rules as close as you can and try not to do damage.
Elia felt the District dealt well with COVID by being calm and reasoned decisions. “We had people asking how we did so well and provided more face time.”
Mulligan: Do your best. We learned how to accommodate students’ needs and know more now how to cope with those situations.
Keehn: The parents got hit with a lot. It was a huge learning curve; we did the best we could.
Question 9: What experience do you have with financial management?
Elia has an education background and learned as a school board member. He worked with the District administration to meet priorities within the budget.
Mulligan also had little finance background before taking a seat on the Board and learning how the District worked.
Keehn’s experience was with family finances and her priority is to understand school finances.
Morley pays his bills, has investments. He is conservative with money and eager to learn how school funding works.
Question 10: How will you use your platform as a Board member to improve the school experience?
Mulligan home schools and will communicate with parents and the school.
Keehn would also communicate on all platforms, “whatever works best,” with a focus on what everyone has in common.
Morley would encourage all forms of education. Public schools have to “put out a good product. Competition is good.”
Elia sees multiple options. The District has to make the best choices for all the students, look for partnerships, collaboration, plan field trips.
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