East Valley School District Director 3
Election Results
Candidate | Votes | Pct |
---|---|---|
Justin Voelker | 2,001 | 60.75% |
Heidi Gillingham | 1,911 | 48.85% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
About The Race
This school district which covers an area in Spokane Valley north of I-90 and east to the state line has three contested seats this year. Since 2010, the district has seen a change to a K-8 teaching model which eliminated the district’s two middle schools. Supporters believe the plan will give students more opportunities academically, athletically and socially, while opponents of the plan believe the district doesn’t have the infrastructure to support more students in each building. The position pays a stipend of $50 per meeting, with a maximum of $4,800 per year.
The Candidates
Justin Voelker
- Age:
- 49
- City:
- Spokane Valley, Washington
Education: Graduated from La Grande High School in La Grande, Oregon, in 1993. Earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from Eastern Oregon University in 1997. Earned a master's degree in health care management from the University of Phoenix in 2005.
Political experience: Elected to East Valley School District School Board in 2013 and 2017.
Work experience: Serves as the chief financial officer at MultiCare Valley Hospital.
Family: Married; has two children.
Heidi Gillingham
- Age:
- 55
- City:
- Spokane Valley, WA
- Occupation:
- Community Volunteer
Currently a board member in district 3.
Complete Coverage
Substitute teachers shortage hits area schools
Spokane schools are in a bind over a short-term shortage of substitute teachers. A hiring binge in the wake of recent court ruling that required more state spending on basic education, such as full-day kindergarten and smaller class sizes, raided the pool of temporary help.
Spokane voters approve library tax
Spokane voters easily approved a City Charter amendment giving the police ombudsman more authority and a tax to ensure that branch libraries won’t close.
EV teacher receives Spokane’s 100th transplant
Whether it was the balloons or the lively rendition of “Happy Birthday,” it was impossible to miss the party room on the seventh floor of Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center on Wednesday morning. It was East Valley High School math teacher Roger Jamison’s birthday. Or rather, his stem cell birthday.
Data helps teachers learn about kindergartners’ abilities
Washington kindergartners are physically coordinated enough for their first year of school, but their ability to count to 20 and clearly express themselves are lagging, according to a new assessment released by the state. Early-learning advocates suspected the state’s kindergartners were entering school less than fully prepared, especially low-income and minority students. Now there’s data to back up the theory.
Test scores rise as districts adopt tailored strategies
Chester Elementary School fifth-graders debated in class recently whether cutting a worm in half resulted in two worms or a dead one. Since the class was divided on the issue, the teacher told students to think about the answer as they continued to familiarize themselves with the squirmy vermis.
Math, science test scores up
Statewide test results released Wednesday show more Washington students are passing their science and math exams. Spokane Public Schools, Mead and East Valley school district students improved math scores in all grades in which assessments were given, third through eighth and 10th, according to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Central Valley sixth-graders’ scores dropped 9 percentage points, while in West Valley third- and fifth-graders tested lower than last year.