Thank you to the League of Women Voters for hosting the voters’ forum on Orcas on Oct. 14.

I am running as a candidate for the OISD School Board Director 5 position because I want to raise awareness about our school district as a key to better prepare our kids for the future. The LWV forum was a rare opportunity for the community to talk about OISD, given only one other contested seat for our school board in a decade. I strongly believe community engagement is crucial to prepare our kids the future: Responding to the youth climate strike should include a board resolution for school district climate action, like Lopez and San Juan Island districts, have done.

Fostering relations with Coast Salish students including the Lummis is important. Volunteering is great but underutilized due to low community outreach. Building a bilingual program instead of building a wall could address the English Language Learners doubling from 25 to 50. Growing the school garden and Farm to Classroom connects students to learn about our food sources. Being in nature for Wednesdays in the Woods helps kids understand the value of protecting it. Discussing low test scores in open forums rather than behind closed doors could support a case for smaller class sizes. Increasing ways to engage the community in education is a core principle and state benchmark shown to ensure student success. I also would reach out to past board members to not lose their knowledge and talents.

Why should voters without current students care about the school board? Preparing our youth for the future is a community responsibility. I believe it takes a village.

Lili Hein

Orcas Island