Polls will open at 7 a.m. tomorrow and voters may cast ballots until 7 p.m.

InstantNewsKaty will have the election results as they become available.

These are the candidate’s unedited final remarks, printed in the order they were received:

Stacy Edwards-Tomdio –

Let me say, “Thank you!” to everyone who takes an active interest in our children and also to those who have shown me much kindness in this campaign.

I believe it takes a village of supportive persons; parents, teachers, friends and extended family to insure our children are afforded the best possible life and a precursor to their future is the expectation of a proper education.

Parents instill core values in their children a loving community reinforces them and our teachers are an integral part of this.  We live in a wonderful town, a place where our children are nurtured and cared for and a place I am proud to call home.

I am asking for your vote so that I can do all I can to ensure your child is supported and educated in a manner pleasing to you and with the sufficiency they need going forward either into the workforce as fully qualified persons; or if entering a university they are prepared for new educational challenges.

Whitney Houston released a song titled, “I believe the children are our future.” One line says it all, ‘I believe the children are the future; teach them well and let them lead the way.’

It will be an honor and a privilege to serve you as a member of the Katy ISD School Board of Trustees and I ask for your vote on Saturday, May 9^th.

Ross Raymond –

Saturday will be a day for educational progress and openness, and I need your help.

This race is razor close and, with your help, I can begin representing your interests on the Katy ISD School Board.  I have been honored to receive supportive calls from teachers, parents, administrators, taxpayers, even students and I thank all you and now ask for one final favor.

If you have not already done so please vote and take a friend with you.  If you have voted (or not) please ask your next door neighbor to vote and make two phone calls on my behalf.  The impact will be huge.

For those of you who still want to research this campaign please go to:  www.katyvote.com.  I am confident you will find what you need there to cast an intelligent and thoughtful vote for your children’s future.

I respectfully request the honor of your vote and will do everything I can to maintain your trust as I serve you these next three years.

Please vote this Saturday, May 9^th!  Polls open at 7 A. M. and close at 7 P. M.

If you don’t know where to vote go to my site for answers.

Raymond is challenging incumbent Robert Shaw for the Position 6 seat. Edwards-Tomdio is running against Neal Howard for Position 7.

Howard declined to take part in the forum.

Shaw initially agreed to participate, but then withdrew because, he said, not all candidates were participating.

The question, as submitted by InstantNewsKaty readers, was:

“Two candidates in this year’s race have refused to take part in this online forum. One, Mr. Shaw, has only participated in one forum in the entire race. Do you believe school board members should be more answerable to the public and make themselves available to answer questions? If elected, would you make yourselves available to discuss school district issues at town hall meetings, service clubs and the like?”

These are the candidate’s unedited responses in the order they were received:

Ross Raymond –

Mr. Shaw and Mr. Howard, are working under the theory that, ‘The less you know about them the more you will like them.’  I leave it to you to draw your own conclusions.

The voters can speak to the level of openness they want on the Board THIS Saturday at the polls.

I suggested town hall meetings three years ago and was told by two Board members it was not a good idea as the event might run longer than the Board wanted to listen.  I said, ‘So what?’  I would encourage their use.

Would I speak to service groups, ladies luncheons, etc.? 

Sure!  I believe anyone with the authority to tax me, determines which books my child reads, when we can plan our family vacation, how much I pay for football tickets, etc., should make time to come before the voters and explain themselves and present an overview of the direction the district is taking and why.  At every opportunity ALL Board members should encourage citizen input as a matter of good public policy.

Let me be clear about this final thought and I hope everyone reading will carefully consider this as they log off.

The most relevant person to a publicly elected official is the one who VOTES!

Good intentions are nice, but on Saturday they only count VOTES!

Please make yourself RELEVANT this Saturday and VOTE!

Stacy Edwards-Tomdio –

A Zebra will never change its stripes and if candidates won’t talk to you when campaigning they won’t talk to you as a Trustee.  I wish Mr. Howard had seen fit to participate in this forum allowing us to understand the kind of Board member he would be. He chose not to do so and as a result none of us know and that troubles me.

Board members are volunteers and have both careers and families and try as they will; cannot be everywhere.  But within reason, I would expect to see Board members going about their daily business in our community.  At football games I think they should sit in the seats with the rest of us.  Maybe if they did they would listen to what the voters are saying about tight personal budgets, their worries about their child getting into a good college, school security, and more?

Town hall meetings would be a wonderful way to encourage communication as I like anything which puts information into the hands of others.  I see great potential for the Town Hall concept especially given our level of technology and the ability to reach out to people not in direct attendance.

I favor anything which improves our overall communication.  The standing joke for years has been, ‘What we have here is a failure to communicate.’  I do not want that line to describe the relationship our Board has with the community it was elected to serve.

Neal Howard –

Declined to take part in the forum.

Robert Shaw –

Declined to take part in the forum.

This is the final question for this year’s InstantNewsKaty online school board candidate forum.

Tomorrow, the two candidates who took part in the forum will be given the opportunity to summarize their candidacy for voters.

Raymond is challenging incumbent Robert Shaw for the Position 6 seat. Edwards-Tomdio is running against Neal Howard for Position 7.

Howard declined to take part in the forum.

Shaw initially agreed to participate, but then withdrew because, he said, not all candidates were participating.

The question, as submitted by InstantNewsKaty readers, was:

“In the KARE forum, incumbent Robert Shaw, who did not attend, sent a statement that said the school board was ‘not a decision-making body.’ I thought this was a particularly odd statement to make. If not the school board, who makes the top-level policy decisions for the school district? What are your thoughts on this statement? Is the school board a “decision-making” body in your opinion?”

These are the candidate’s unedited responses in the order they were received:

Stacy Edwards-Tomdio –

My thoughts are, if the school board is not a decision making body what is it supposed to do? 

If someone can sit on it for 12 years and not realize the Board is expected to be in charge it is time someone shared the news with him, don’t you think?  This might explain why we are paying $5.3 million for artificial turf without taking a single comment from the public!  I guess the Board thought it was powerless to act on its own to solicit additional viewpoints other than the ones brought to it by the administration.

Given my own opponents comfort level with that decision and how it was handled and his reluctance to share his viewpoints, I believe we can assume he shares the same outlook and that should disturb all of us if true.

But we can’t know as he won’t say.  I understand he and Mr. Shaw are sharing their resources and people in this campaign I can only assume this attitude about the role of the Board will remain unchanged if they are elected on Saturday.  For some folks that is good. For others a little change is a welcomed breath of fresh air.

I hope to go to the Board and open the windows a little bit and encourage the Board to make decisions in the best interest of the community not what a vendor or administrator has on their ‘wish list.’  I will never lose sight of the fact the final decision maker is the community and they have an option to use that power on Saturday.

Thanks for asking.

Ross Raymond –

This is a fundamental difference between our two philosophies.  The Board must be a decision making body otherwise it is nothing but a rubber stamp for the administration.  I think not.

The Board is charged with setting goals, objectives, and defining school district policy.  It also sets our TAX RATE and if that is not decision making I wonder what qualifies!

The Board controls one employee; the superintendent of schools.  While it is not the responsibility of the Board to micro manage the superintendent it is the responsibility of the Board to ensure he is responsive to the needs of the community.  Frankly, if the only person you control is the top executive, what additional power do you need?

In my world the organizational chart is:

COMMUNITY,

BOARD,

SUPERINTENDENT,

SUPPORTING STAFF

While I feel it is in everyone’s best interest for the Board and superintendent to be on the same page, I do not look at the school board as a body of 8.  It is seven elected officials who serve at the pleasure of the VOTERS who in turn supervise the superintendent.  The ‘GANG OF EIGHT’ management style as Robert likes to call it is in my opinion a flawed working model.  I believe it is a Board of SEVEN working closely with the superintendent on behalf of the community to make decisions pure and simple.

Neal Howard –

Declined to take part in the forum.

Robert Shaw –

Declined to take part in the forum.

Additional questions and answers will be published in the remaining days leading up to the May 9 election.

Raymond is challenging incumbent Robert Shaw for the Position 6 seat. Edwards-Tomdio is running against Neal Howard for Position 7.

Howard declined to take part in the forum.

Shaw initially agreed to participate, but then withdrew because, he said, not all candidates were participating.

The question, as submitted by InstantNewsKaty readers, was:

“There is currently a bill before the Texas Legislature that would allow vouchers for children with special needs. Would you favor, in general, allowing parents of special needs children the right to choose where they believe their children would be better served? Why or why not?”

These are the candidate’s unedited responses in the order they were received:

Stacy Edwards-Tomdio –

“I appreciate the question and please know I support anything which helps our children and for those with ‘special needs’ sometimes it takes ‘special things’ like a voucher to appropriately respond to their needs. 

“I substitute for Katy ISD and when I am called it is to serve in the special needs classrooms.  I see first hand how hard it is for some of these wonderful children to progress and if they are better able to flourish in another environment, I believe their parents should be given the option to pursue that opportunity.”

Ross Raymond –

“There has been debate about vouchering students in general for more than a generation.  School districts must welcome all students whatever their physical, mental, or psychological situation.  That means our school campuses have to be all things to all people.

“I believe KISD has done a good job in this area.  Even so, I understand why some parents may choose to opt out of the pubic school with their special needs child.

“Some students I see in our schools suffer from conditions which make me wonder if they are in the proper setting.  My heart goes out to these children and parents and I say a little prayer, ‘There but for the grace of God go I.’ All parents agree we want the right education and care for our child.  I would not oppose the use of vouchers for families in this situation.

“By way of disclaimer I should note I am the parent of a ‘special needs’ child and know the anguish and joy parents experience.  There is nothing so sad as to see your child excluded from many of life’s opportunities and nothing quite like the joy of being at their side when they triumph in other ways.

“We have been involved in all educational and medical decisions on his behalf and at times have found it difficult to get the help we needed.  Even so, I do not think we would have ‘vouchered out’ if we had been given the opportunity.

“Thank you for your question.”

Neal Howard –

Declined to take part in the forum.

Robert Shaw –

Declined to take part in the forum.

Additional questions and answers will be published in the remaining days leading up to the May 9 election.

Raymond is challenging incumbent Robert Shaw for the Position 6 seat. Edwards-Tomdio is running against Neal Howard for Position 7.

Howard declined to take part in the forum.

Shaw initially agreed to participate, but then withdrew because, he said, not all candidates were participating.

The question, as submitted by InstantNewsKaty readers, was:

“If an elementary child can pass TAKS at the beginning of the school year, what is KISD offering him for a year spent in class?  Who is watching the growth and development of those kids if TAKS is the main assessment and accountability tool?”

These are the candidate’s unedited responses in the order they were received:

Stacy Edwards-Tomdio –

“When I hear of TAKS testing and the way everyone talks about it, I can’t remember ever hearing a kind word about them.  No one I know likes or understands them.  It seems it may have been a good idea which horribly went off the track.

“From your question is sounds as if you are of the opinion your child may be wasting his or her time by spending another year in school because they did well on the TAKS.  I don’t know your child so can’t speak to the specifics, but somehow I believe the teacher is still teaching and your student is still learning TAKS tested or not.

“Often I hear parents say they think we should get back to basics, the ‘3-R’s; reading, writing, and rithmetic.’  Without a doubt all our students need to master these three disciplines.  Our world has changed since I was a kid and there are so many other things our children must learn in addition to these important classes.

“I believe the teacher in conjunction with the parent is probably the best judge of student learning.  It seems the state of Texas thinks we need a test to keep all of us honest.

“I guess we will have to suffer along with the TAKs until such time as the law changes, which from your note probably won’t come soon enough.  What do you think should be done about TAKs and can the district do anything other than what it does at present?

Ross Raymond –

“Let me reverse the order of the question, ‘Who is watching the growth and development of those kids…?’ I am old school and believe this is primarily a parental responsibility.  Any parent who has concerns or feels educational objectives are not being met owes it to their child to approach the classroom teacher and if needed, campus administration to discuss the educational objectives and needs of their child.

“I believe our teachers do a very good job and value parental input and observations.  I am sure parents and teachers working together can ensure each child receives the best possible education. 

“As to what Katy ISD offers a student who passes the TAKS, I hope the answer is an education. From what I have been told the TAKS establishes a minimum base line and is by no means an indicator of the student ‘having topped out’ as if such a thing were possible!

“If the question asks about proper pacing for a student who has mastered grade level material, I believe it is important we continue to provide every student with relevant instruction which both challenges and stimulates learning.  Elementary school is about learning, social interaction, physical development, and intellectual pursuits.  It also a time for kids to be kids.

“Thanks for the question.  I am sorry others chose not to reply to it.”

Neal Howard –

Declined to take part in the forum.

Robert Shaw –

Declined to take part in the forum.

Additional questions and answers will be published in the remaining days leading up to the May 9 election.

Because of breaking news associated with the swine flu outbreak, this response, which was originally scheduled for publication on Friday, was delayed until today.

Raymond is challenging incumbent Robert Shaw for the Position 6 seat. Edwards-Tomdio is running against Neal Howard for Position 7.

Howard declined to take part in the forum.

Shaw initially agreed to participate, but then withdrew because, he said, not all candidates were participating.

Today’s question, as submitted by InstantNewsKaty readers, was:

“If there are seven votes (on the school board), how can any one board member make a difference in KISD?”

These are the candidate’s unedited responses in the order they were received:

Ross Raymond –

“I say the answer is a resounding, ‘YES!’

“Individuals both separately and as members of a larger body daily make contributions by their presence, by advancing values, by advocating for causes and by setting the right example.

“I view service on the Board as exactly that, serving the community by addressing the concerns of our residents, and advancing the cause of education while keeping a careful eye on the budget. 

“I have been ‘the new guy’ many times in my life and have found reasonable men and women can advance ideas which the majority might not agree with initially, but will come to embrace over time.  I had a wonderful high school English teacher who put it a little differently, ‘Plant an idea and it will manifest into an action over time.’

“I am determined to make a difference and if I were not 100% convinced of that I would not ask anyone to entrust me with their vote, to do otherwise would be folly.”

Stacy Edwards-Tomdio –

“With seven persons on the Board I represent slightly more than 14% of the total vote.  If I can get one other to agree with me, we will be close to 30% and two more votes will push us over the 50% mark and that is a high enough percentage to pass anything.

“My job on the board is to represent the public.  I believe I will be able to do this.  I have been a daughter, wife and mother and in each of those roles I have had to ‘move’ others to my way of thinking.  Sometimes I get it done quickly.   Other times I fail altogether but I always keep working until I either come to know it was a bad idea, or I get the job done.

“I don’t see a problem being able to work with the Board.  I am not so naive as to think I will always be on the winning side, but I will do my best to always be on the right side.”

Neal Howard –

Declined to take part in the forum.

Robert Shaw –

Declined to take part in the forum.

Additional questions and answers will be published in the remaining days leading up to the May 9 election.

During a recent work study session, trustees voted 6-0 to pay $5.2 million to replace the natural grass surface on the schools’ competition football fields with artificial turf.

Raymond is challenging incumbent Robert Shaw for the Position 6 seat. Edwards-Tomdio is running against Neal Howard for Position 7.

Howard declined to take part in the forum.

Shaw initially agreed to participate, but then withdrew saying he would answer questions only if all school board candidates took part. With Howard refusing to participate, Shaw said he also would also not respond to questions. 

Today’s question, as submitted by InstantNewsKaty readers, was:

“Given the community reaction to the school board’s recent decision to spend over $5 million on artificial turf at football fields at the six district high schools, do you think the decision on that expenditure should be reconsidered? Should the board have first considered other alternatives and received public input before making such a decision?”

These are the candidate’s unedited responses in the order they were received:

Ross Raymond –

“If ever there was an example of poor communication between the Board of Trustees and Katy ISD stakeholders (parents, students, taxpayers, teachers and staff) the manner in which this issue was pushed through would be its poster child.

“Let me be clear.  I neither support nor reject artificial turf as I am still in the process of collecting information.  However I now feel there is sufficient reason to reopen this issue for ‘cause’ as well as ‘procedure.’

“This was a huge decision and I believe the Board overstepped itself.  I also believe there was a breakdown in communication to the Board which needs to be sorted out.

“The Board did not receive public comment. The item was not approved in any bond election when much lesser dollar items were so included. The Board did not fully consider viable options.  I do not believe as some have claimed, there was dishonesty involved.  Just a bad case of, ‘I want it and I’m going to get it now!’ was at work here.

“After rezoning problems which turned ugly resulted in parents being barred from a Board meeting and the reception this issue has received we need to take a hard look in the mirror and ask, ‘Is there a better way to do things?’  I believe there is. 

“If elected I will ask for a reconsideration vote and need other Trustees to join me. 

“The public should express their feelings directly to Board members at:  http://katyisd.org/departments/board/members.htm.

“More information can be found at: www.katyvote.com.”

Stacy Edwards-Tomdio –

“I hope the Board did look at alternatives before voting so many millions of dollars on an item many people think we can do without.

I have followed this closely and believe Mr. Raymond is correct and I join him in calling for reconsideration.  I hope the Board will take this up and do so in a very calm and organized manner with public comment allowed. 

“I disagree with my opponent as he has no problem with how this $5.2 million project was brought before the board or with the action taken.  I would not have voted to spend millions of dollars under these circumstances. 

“I am sorry so many families are upset by the Board’s action.  Earlier today I read about Wolfe elementary school and the major repairs it needs.  

“I have also been asked why we do not improve the playgrounds for our elementary students before we turf high school football fields.  I have also been asked about the ninth grade center at Katy HS.  I believe all are good questions and I wonder if the Board considered those items less important than turf?  Sitting on the Board one must establish priorities and from what I can tell, I disagree with the call on this one.”

Neal Howard –

Declined to take part in the forum.

Robert Shaw –

Declined to take part in the forum because Howard was not participating.

There is still time for readers to submit questions to the school board candidates. Those questions may be e-mailed to jpape@instantnewskaty.com.

Additional questions and answers will be published in the remaining days leading up to the May 9 election.

Raymond is challenging incumbent Robert Shaw for the Position 6 seat. Edwards-Tomdio is running against Neal Howard for Position 7.

Howard declined to take part in the forum.

Shaw initially agreed to participate, but then withdrew saying he would answer questions only if all school board candidates took part. With Howard refusing to participate, Shaw said he also would also not respond to questions. 

Today’s question, as submitted by InstantNewsKaty readers, was:

“Many in our community believe that KISD communications are reactionary, slow and give the impression that KISD is not interested in being transparent.  While board members can be contacted individually by e-mail with concerns, many would prefer that the board be as transparent as possible in doing the community’s business instead of waiting for groups to get angry and then respond.  If elected, what specific strategies would you support to engage the community and move KISD and the board toward greater transparency and proactive communications?”

These are the candidate’s unedited responses in the order they were received:

Stacy Edwards-Tomdio –

“I have not had any personal dealings with the communication office at Katy ISD so in fairness I cannot comment on some of the question’s implications.

“I have lived in Katy for a number of years and cannot recall ever hearing of an upcoming school board meeting which was not a crisis such as the rezoning issues of about a year ago or the announcement of Mr. Frailey’s hiring as our new superintendent by the school board.

“As a mother with children enrolled in Katy schools I get notices all the time about fund raisers, band, choir, athletic events, PTA meetings and such, but nothing telling me what the Board is doing or plans to do, or how they are spending our money.

“Every now and again I hear of something like the $5,200,000+ artificial turf purchase but only after the fact when people are angry about not being consulted.

“So it seems to me there is work to be done to improve the quality and timeliness of Board communication.  Other districts send out notices of meetings and even notices of action taken.  I suspect we can do at least as much and probably should. 

“I would like to hear from your readers what they think we should do to better address their concerns.”

Ross Raymond –

“The KISD communication department has always been responsive to my requests and I give the entire department high marks.

“I believe the better the level of communication the better the quality of the relationship.  This is true for marriage & work and I believe it is true of the community’s relationship with the Board. 

“The Board should:

-         Send electronic notices directly to KISD stakeholders of all Board meetings with a complete agenda and a link to the “Board book” and a follow up notice listing all action taken.  (I got three emails about school closures.)

-         Broadcast all meetings either as a “pod cast” or post as streaming video on the KISD homepage.

-         Invite those who attend Board meetings to stay for the public forum, in lieu of our “time out” approach where we “invite” the audience to leave before the Board hears comments and votes on issues.

“I would encourage the Board to transfer more of its work from the private conference suite into the public Board Room.

“The intent of the Open Meeting Law was to provide transparency of government at all levels.  The Board should only be in executive session to consider specific items and not undertake discussion of unrelated matters.

“Make no mistake about it, our Board does an excellent job of following the LETTER of the law.  I believe it can do a better job of living up to the SPIRIT of the law.”

Neal Howard –

Declined to take part in the forum.

Robert Shaw –

Declined to take part in the forum because Howard was not participating.

There is still time for readers to submit questions to the school board candidates. Those questions may be e-mailed to jpape@instantnewskaty.com.

Additional questions and answers will be published in the remaining days leading up to the May 9 election.

Responses have been received from Position 6 candidate Ross Raymond and Position 7 candidate Stacy Edwards-Tomdio.

Position 6 incumbent Robert Shaw had initially indicated he was willing to respond to questions submitted to the online forum; however, after receiving the first question, he backed out. In an e-mail message, Shaw said he would not participate unless all other candidates took part.

Neal Howard, the other candidate for the Position 7 seat, refused an offer to take part in the forum.

The first question submitted by InstantNewsKaty readers was:

“What do you believe is the single most important issue facing Katy ISD today and what leadership/direction would you provide to address that issue?”

These are the candidate’s unedited responses in the order they were received:

Ross Raymond –

While funding our schools is a serious challenge, we should remember we have had funding problems for 30 years and somehow manage to find a solution.  As a last resort the Board has the power to collect taxes and the last time I looked nobody with that power has shut down.

Given this, I believe the challenge facing Katy ISD is one of vision and direction.  The Board must set the district on a course reflecting our changing economy and global opportunities.  I believe “Education = Opportunity” and how the Board addresses this is paramount to the future success of our children.  The Board must look up and forward, not down and backward if Katy ISD is to flourish as a place where parents will bring their children seeking a world class education.

To that end I propose we:

1. Provide our teachers with additional educational opportunities allowing them to better educate all our children.
2. Provide more learning opportunities at all grade levels including secondary where our children can earn a full year of college credit, or earn career training certification.
3. Address the needs of GT/AP students and others with special needs so that each can flourish to their full potential.
4. Consider the magnet school concept.

The creativity and problem solving skills represented by our community must be accessed via better communication both to and from the board.  We are blessed with talented, articulate, and passionate parents who can help if given the opportunity. 

There is more information at my web site:  www.katyvote.com.

Stacy Edwards-Tomdio –

The single most important issue facing Katy ISD, I believe, is addressing student and teacher needs and asking how they can better be met.

I want to ensure all Katy schools are properly staffed and equipped and can meet the needs of all our students.  With proper support and equipment we can better alleviate some of the cumbersome burdens confronted by our teachers and parents. 

We need to do this in the most cost effective manner possible. Whenever changes are made which will have an impact on classroom instruction it is important the Board continually review and monitor any new processes or initiatives ensuring maximum quality assurance.  

We need to get it “right” because to do otherwise would entail unnecessary spending and/or the wasteful expenditure of our teacher’s precious instructional time. 

One of the critical roles the Board must take upon itself is the oversight of our district and be willing to do what is right and make tough decisions when necessary, but always with an eye towards providing the best possible education for our children and to provide a rewarding work environment for our teachers and staff.

Robert Shaw –

Initially agreed to participate in the forum but withdrew since Howard declined to take part.

Neal Howard –

Declined to take part in the forum.

There is still time for readers to submit questions to the school board candidates. Those questions may be e-mailed to jpape@instantnewskaty.com.

Additional questions and answers will be published in the remaining days leading up to the May 9 election.

Three of the four candidates running for the school board have agreed to participate.  Robert Shaw and Ross Raymond, both vying for the Position 6 seat, and Stacy Edwards-Tomdio, a candidate for Position 7, will take part.

The other candidate for the Position 7 seat, Neal Howard, declined to participate in the forum. Howard gave no reason for his decision.

Voters can pose questions to the candidates by e-mailing them to jpape@instantnewskaty.com. Questions of the widest interest to residents of the school district will be forwarded to the candidates for their response.

Each candidate will be asked to respond to the same question at the same time. They will be given a period of time, typically 24-48 hours, to respond. After the deadline has passed, the unedited answers will be published. Each candidate is limited to no more than 250 words for the response.

Readers may begin submitting questions immediately. The forum will remain open until just prior to election day.

Shaw, the Position 6 incumbent, has been on the school board since 1997 and is currently serving his fourth term. A graduate of Oklahoma State University, he is employed by Aker Solutions, a Houston engineering company.

Raymond, a longtime school volunteer, has lived in Katy ISD for more than 30 years. He said he wants to bring a fresh perspective to the school board.

“We have a fabulous district out here, but it needs a little remodeling,” Raymond said. “I am running because I can make a serious contribution to the district.”

Tomdio, an eight-year resident of the district, said she wanted to “encourage adequate and excellent education for all children.” She is a school volunteer and substitute teacher.