Whitnall Board Candidates Square off Before Election

Communication between the and district parents and citizens must improve before the relationship between them deteriorates beyond repair.

That was the message four candidates shared Wednesday at a candidate forum days ahead of the April 3 spring election.

Incumbent Mike Clarizio and challengers Quin Brunette, Jon D. Jones and Eileen Marie Valaitis answered questions for more than 90 minutes in the district’s community room in front of about two dozen people. It was one of their last chances to sway voters’ decisions.

All four candidates expressed concerns about messages reaching parents and citizens, and as a prime example of what they feel was a communication breakdown.

“We have had a lot of problems with that the last few years, and I think that’s built up some distrust between the community and board actions or ideas that come from the district,” Jones said.

“You have to put ideas out there and let people digest them.”

Brunette said the district “fails greatly” in communicating. He said elementary students regularly bring home notes and memos from their teachers or administrators, but said that process falls off at the middle and high school.

“The only information you get is off the (district) website,” Brunette said. “The communication has to get better in order for us to grow.”

Valaitis said there are some good communication pieces in place now, but in the case of the calendar, she said the news would have perhaps been better received had it been presented to families sooner.

Clarizio said the district should take advantage of smartphone technology and the district’s Alert Now system, and send out more emails.

“Everything you could possibly go looking for, we can bring it to you,” he said.

The candidates were asked , by balancing the needs of the teachers and administrators with those of parents. All indicated waiting to see the results of a district-wide survey sent out earlier this month would be prudent. Valaitis added she could support early release across the board, while Brunette suggested one to two full days off to allow teachers to collaborate.

Clarizio said he’d be in favor of all the collaboration being on the same day or days for all schools, which Jones agreed with, calling the current plan that calls for early release days at the elementary and middle schools coupled with late starts at the high school a logistical nightmare.

Candidates’ feelings on what the role of a school board should be differed slightly. Clarizio said a board has to keep the community aware of what’s going on, and Brunette said board members should be more visible at community events.

Jones said he has a hard time telling where the line separates superintendent and administrative territory from that of the school board, while Valaitis said the board needs to continue to serve as a watchdog of sorts.

“The board’s role is to work with administration to set goals and oversee the budget and make sure the administration is going to reach the goals you set together,” Valaitis said.