Meet the Candidates - The Wrangell Public School Board

Robert Rang , for two three-year terms

Occupation and experience:

Current CEO for Wrangell Medical Center, a recent director on the Wrangell Chamber of Commerce Board, with a decade of experience on other hospital boards.

Why do you want to serve on the Public School Board?

"Schools and medical centers have similar challenges. You must meet the needs of the customer, the staff, as well as all the regulatory requirements mandated by the federal and state government. I feel my experience finding that balance can be an asset. I also know that schools and health care are two areas that are crucial to the survival and growth of any community."

What are your thoughts on the prospect of a residential campus for ANSEP being developed in Wrangell, and how would you envision the board's role in those discussions?

"I feel any potential industry for our community needs to be studied. From my perspective, the ANSEP program is a win-win for many areas of the community, as well as our local school system. The way in which education is presented to students needs to meet the expectations of the world in which we live. As the ANSEP project progresses and ideas are presented, I feel the school board has the responsibility to also find opportunities for our students."

In the event of future cuts to the state education budget, have you any preferences on where or how to adapt Wrangell's school budget accordingly?

"Much of that will be determined by how much those cuts may be. As with any operation, there are always some quick and easy solutions for small savings. It is when you need to dig deeper into the pockets that priorities need to be agreed upon by the group. Whatever changes are needed, the focus needs to be on preparing our students for the real world."

Scott Seddon , for two three-year terms

Occupation and experience:

Currently retired, formerly a manager in the railroad industry with military experience.

Why do you want to serve on the Public School Board?

"I think Wrangell schools have the potential to be amazing. I would just like to help be part of the process to get them there."

What are your thoughts on the prospect of a residential campus for ANSEP being developed in Wrangell, and how would you envision the board's role in those discussions?

"I think that would be a

great boon to the community if we can make that happen. Any educational opportunity is a boon. It's a good thing for a community, it would be economically good for the community, it would bring in good jobs. In that sense, I would always support something like that."

In the event of future cuts to the state education budget, have you any preferences on where or how to adapt Wrangell's school budget accordingly?

"I'm not intimately familiar with the budget as it stands now. I have some definite ideas on some things that need more budget. Without looking at the whole thing, it needs to be taken in context. I would certainly like to see more money thrown into the CTE (Career and Technical Education) program up there. I don't like to see students on a waiting list and never being able to get into a program that they would like to be in just because there aren't slots available. Drew Larrabee does a fantastic job up there with CTE, but there's only one of him. I think in a place like Wrangell where you have so much emphasis on construction trades, metal working, boat building, welding and so forth, I think that we ought to put more emphasis on that in school. I think we need to embrace that."

Georgiana Buhler, for two three-year terms

Occupation and experience:

Current chief financial officer for AICS since 2005, and CFO for Silver Bay Logging prior to that. Was a former Wrangell Public School Board member from 2002 to 2010, serving as its chair from 2005 to 2010.

Why do you want to serve on the Public School Board?

"I believe that everyone should contribute to their community in some way. For those who know me personally, they know I know nothing about sports – so you don't want me coaching or keeping score – and I'm not much of a cook – you don't want me baking anything for you. But I do care about the education of the children in our community, and I can organize and have plenty of experience in administration, state and federal funding and business in general. The school board is a good fit for my skills and experience."

What are your thoughts on the prospect of a residential campus for ANSEP being developed in Wrangell, and how would you envision the board's role in those discussions?

"On the face of it, I think this is a fantastic opportunity for our community. Not just our kids and the opportunity it affords them, but economically I think this has enormous potential. Of course, with any opportunity comes some challenges. I think the board's responsibility is to ensure that our due diligence is done before any commitments are made on behalf of the district or the community. The project needs to be fully vetted to identify any potential risks so that we can accommodate for those risks."

In the event of future cuts to the state education budget, have you any preferences on where or how to adapt Wrangell's school budget accordingly?

"Generally speaking, there are two basic ways to balance a budget: increase revenue or decrease spending. But in this day and age, I think we are in need of creative thinking. We need to be looking for and trying to identify partnerships and collaborations that would enable to continue to provide quality education to the community without having to cut. It's my opinion that we have to be more innovative. That's why the ANSEP project is such a vital opportunity to our community. That is a source of funding outside of the state foundation formula. It has to be seriously looked at."

Rinda Howell, incumbent

Not available to answer questions.