Former teacher looking to infuse fresh ideas

Molly Shore

Steven Hulett, one of 15 candidates for school board, said people

running for this office do it for altruistic reasons.

“They are certainly not doing it for the money,” Hulett said.

“They care about the schools.”

Hulett, a business representative for the animation guild Local

839 IATSE and former English and history teacher, said teachers he

speaks with are frustrated at not being able to communicate with the

school board.

“Nobody is saying, ‘Gosh, we have an open-door policy with the

board.’ I hear exactly the opposite,” he said.

Individually, Hulett said, board members are talking to people,

but the perception is the board as an entity is uncommunicative. If

he is elected, Hulett promises to remove this perception.

“The single most important thing I want to do is face time with

people I represent,” Hulett said. “I will visit each school site, and

hold information workshops at each school for parents.”

Another promise Hulett is making is not to serve more than two

terms.

“I think it is important to have fresh ideas ... come into the

district. When board members simply run term after term after term,

it prevents new ideas from coming up,” he said.

The new board will have to scrutinize every line-item expenditure

in the budget because, Hulett said, it is clear to him there is going

to be less money.

Everyone will have to take cuts, and Hulett said he wants to make

sure the pain is shared.

“Even if cuts are $5,000 or $10,000, we must do it. The pain is

unavoidable,” Hulett said. “The one thing we can’t have is support

and teaching staff taking a larger share of reductions.”