The Northern Light asked Blaine School Board District 1 candidates questions to learn why they are running for the seat in the November 7 general election. The candidates provided written responses to the questions.
Kimberly Akre
Kimberly Akre is a current Blaine School Board member, appointed in January to the position. She co-owns Pacific Building Center and has children who have attended Blaine schools. Reared in Blaine, Akre attended Whatcom Community College and has served as president of Blaine Chamber of Commerce.
Q: If you retain your seat, what are your top three priorities for your first year and how will you work to accomplish those?
A: My priorities for the upcoming school year will be to keep working with the board and administrators to find ways to work within our budget and provide quality education for all the students in the district.
I also want to spend some time volunteering in the schools so that I can be hands on and knowledgeable about the schools.
I also plan to continue to make myself as accessible as possible to the community so they know that if they have a question or concern, they can come to me, and I can help them find the answers they are looking for.
Q: Blaine school district’s 2022-23 budget forecast a $14 million deficit by 2026 if expenditures continued to outpace revenues. How would you like to see the district balance the budget?
A: The budget issue is incredibly difficult to navigate. We are working within a system that requires us to provide so much for students and does not offer adequate funding for these needs. There are only so many things that we can do locally to work within these constraints.
My biggest concern is that we will end up having to make cuts that will be detrimental to the district and community. So my hope is the community will unite and advocate for adequate funding.
I will continue to keep educating myself about school funding and work with the board to try and minimize the effects of the budget shortfall.
Q: What do you believe are the top issues facing the school district, and how will you work as a school board member to address those?
A: The main issue that the district is facing right now is funding. We are so fortunate to have great educators whose main goal is to ensure student success. They are asking for support in achieving their goals and the board and administration want to be able to provide that.
I will encourage people to support the proposed bond/levy vote that will allow us to continue to operate while also making much needed upgrades to facilities and working on future district projects.
Erika Creydt
Erika Creydt is a current Blaine School Board member for District 3, elected in 2021. Creydt is a third-generation Blaine resident who works as clinical director at TouchStone Counseling. She has three children and earned a doctorate in clinical psychology from Adler University in Chicago.
Q: If re-elected, what are your top three priorities for your first year and how will you work to accomplish those?
A: Strong academics, safety for youth/staff, and support for teachers and students.
Being a teacher is very hard work and teachers need to feel heard and supported in order to do their best work. I
t’s important that we give teachers the tools and resources they need to thrive and do their best work with students. It’s critical that the environment is one that fosters communication.
Q: Blaine school district’s 2022-23 budget forecast a $14 million deficit by 2026 if expenditures continued to outpace revenues. How would you like to see the district balance the budget?
A: It is absolutely vital that the district have a yearly work session on the budget that is open to the public where we go through – line item by line item – and ensure we are being good stewards of the public money. We need board members who advocate for transparency, are willing to provide oversight and view asking questions as part of their job.
Q: What do you believe are the top issues facing the school district, and how will you work as a school board member to address those?
A: Loss of enrollments has created a challenge for the district in that the budget then contracts when we see large changes.
We need to foster a culture from the top down that encourages communication about why-then reacts to how we can better retain students via meeting their needs.
Parent voices are important and need to be heard. Parents provide essential information and insight into what their kids are experiencing and what they need to thrive.
When we value these voices, people won’t leave the district and we will have a more stable budget that positively impacts the system as a whole.
This article was updated October 30 to correct that Kimberly Akre was not born in Blaine. We regret the error.
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