Mavis Nickels, a retired math and science teacher turned blueberry farmer, is facing Dick Rylander, who retired from the pharmaceutical-biotech industry, for a spot on the Battle Ground Public Schools board.
Nickels, 76, the incumbent, said the reason she’s running for another four-year term is simple: the students.
“There are 13,000 reasons,” she said, “the 13,000 kids.”
She continued, “I want to be the best I can to be sure every kid is heard, respected and given the opportunity to reach their dreams. I still feel that way.”
Rylander, 64, said with 11 grandchildren, he’s also thinking of the students, but excited to urge the school board to consider “a larger vision.”
“I’m concerned the school board focuses exclusively on day-to-day activities,” Rylander said.
He said he believes the board could be more enterprising and “reach out to school boards across the state, form coalitions to (urge) the Legislature to take proactive actions.”
In 2013, the school board came under fire when it was discovered the board chose to hide a $410,715 buyout of the former superintendent’s contract. At the time, Nickels told The Columbian, “Could we have done things better? Sure we could,” she said, adding “that means we have to accept the responsibility.”
Rylander said he would work to restore the community’s trust in the board.
“I want people to understand, hopefully, that honesty, integrity and trust are cornerstones of who I am as a person,” Rylander said.
Rylander is a critic of the federal education reform measure known as Common Core, and he has been endorsed by the Clark County Republican Party.
School board directors are nonpartisan and serve four-year terms.
Nickels said her years in the classroom make her a more suitable choice for the board. One of her priorities is to ensure there is good communication between the community and school board.
“I’ve always believed schools belong to the community and until we have good dialogue between the community, the board, the teacher and administration we’re not going to be able to fulfill everything we want to fulfill,” she said, adding she attends all public meetings she can to build that trust.
Neither candidate has reported raising or spending any money to the state’s Public Disclosure Commission.
The two candidates are vying for the District 4 seat. Ken Root is running unopposed in District 2.
