All Spokane School Board members live in the same school’s boundary, but that could soon change

Though diverse in many other ways, the elected directors on the Spokane Public Schools board all hail from within the Lewis and Clark High School boundaries, giving the South Hill and Downtown region of the school district a monopoly of representation on the board.

That could change, as the board is in the final throes of appointing a fifth member to fill the seat vacated by Melissa Bedford in August.

This position drew applicants from all corners of the 83-square mile district. The final three candidates represent different neighborhoods: a former attorney and Democratic campaigner, Kate Telis resides in Lewis and Clark’s boundaries. Luke Tolley, director of community engagements at the Arc of Spokane, lives in Rogers High School’s boundaries and has sat on the councils of northeast Spokane neighborhoods for 20 years. Nicole Bishop, philanthropy manager at Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners, resides in Shadle Park’s boundaries.

School board president Nikki Otero Lockwood said residency is one of many factors the board is considering as it decides who should fill the empty seat.

“As a board in the applicant process, we do think about diversity of representation in broad terms, and that could look a lot of different ways with intersectionality,” Lockwood said. “That is one factor we are considering.”

Before she moved to Seattle, Bedford resided in North Spokane and was the sole member who didn’t live in Lewis and Clark’s boundaries at the time of her departure.

“I think she felt it was very important, that representation, and I didn’t discount it at all,” Lockwood said, adding that Bedford also brought perspectives as a former teacher at a Title 1 school in Nevada.

Before she was elected, the lack of geographic diversity bothered Lockwood as a parent on the sidelines.

“I think the community wants to feel broadly represented, and that is something we think about,” Lockwood said.

Though she may live within Lewis and Clark’s bounds, Lockwood said board members regularly venture outside of their immediate communities to gather varying perspectives on topics.

Through school visits, attending events and connecting with activist groups, Lockwood said board members aren’t siloed.

“It’s important; we all learn every time we go to schools,” Lockwood said. “It’s really important to learn how it’s going with the cellphone policy, how it’s going with inclusion, stuff like that.”

Former board member Jerrall Haynes, who served from 2015 to 2021 and opted not to seek re-election, recalled several key decisions the board made during his term: redrawing boundary lines, adopting an equity policy and sending to voters a near half-billion-dollar bond to pay for several school projects, including construction of ONE Spokane Stadium, to name a few.

All were discussions to which he contributed while representing Northeast Spokane, also while the majority of the board hailed from the South Hill, he said.

“During my time on the school board, the board became more diverse in a number of ways even when it may not have been based on geographic location,” Haynes said. “It was based on gender, race, educational background, professional background.”

Diversity of all kinds, he said, adds value to conversations around school policy.

“Each neighborhood in Spokane is drastically different from each other, just like each school is different from each other,” Haynes said. “They all have things that make them special, and they also have challenges.”

While he acknowledged directors may have a subconscious familiarity with the school in their neighborhood, he said he sees the current board “lead with empathy” and best funnel resources where they’re needed, considering the whole district and its 29,000 students at 57 schools. By addressing areas with most need, it benefits the collective, he said.

“You represent the whole community, and by supporting the entire community in the right ways, it benefits your immediate community and your part of town; they’re all connected, they all rely on each other,” Haynes said. “When you realize and recognize that, it becomes significantly easier to realize the fact that putting resources where they’re most needed benefits everybody.”

The board is expected to select and swear in its appointed board member at the next meeting on Nov. 6.