Editor,

I served on the South Whidbey School Board for 13 years. What I have witnessed during the current campaign for three board positions has left me almost speechless.

Would you vote for candidates who won’t even show up for the one-and-only public forum where they can be scrutinized by the voters? It happened on Oct. 7, when the three challengers to the incumbent school board members went to a bar and grill in Clinton to party with their supporters, instead of participating in the League of Women Voters online event.

Oh lets see, they had a “prior commitment” to this no-mask hoopla, instead of answering questions such as what policies they would want to change, their views on COVID safety, infrastructure priorities, mental health support and last but not least, respectful communication. I stopped by their party to see if any serious issues were being discussed, but I was sorely disappointed.

Evidently avoiding communication and scrutiny seems to be the strategy of the challengers. Meanwhile, incumbents Andrea Downs, Marnie Jackson, and Ann M. Johnson answered all seven questions with clarity and a great depth of understanding.

You can watch a recording of the event at lwvwhidbey.org and see for yourself. Their qualifications and experiences with education in general, and South Whidbey Schools in particular, is so far beyond their no-show challengers, that the choice should be obvious.

Please join me in voting for school board incumbents Andrea Downs, Marnie Jackson, and Ann M. Johnson, who are doing a stellar job for our children, our schools, and our community.

Steve Scoles

Clinton