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Board of Education It may be too early to predict what the Board of Education primary election results bode for the nonpartisan school board.
By Debra Barayuga
The fight for three at-large
seats is 'wide open'; it's
possible there will be nine
new members on the board
Star-BulletinBut there is a potential for nine new people on the 13-member board by the time the November general election is over.
Because frontrunner Lex Brodie is seen as an automatic shoo-in, observers say the fight for the three at-large seats will probably be a fight for second and third.
The primary election narrowed the at-large field to six candidates, so "it's a wide-open race now," said board member Winston Sakurai. This year, school board candidates with perceived special interests brought heightened attention to the race, said board member Karen Knudsen.
While the board welcomes that attention, "Not one individual with one agenda can make a difference," Knudsen said about the concern emerging that single-interest candidates could have on the policy-setting board. "Fortunately, over the last couple years, the board has been fairly cohesive in trying to accomplish its work, and that's the only way to make the progress we need to make."
The board could be looking at more family values and family-oriented issues if newcomer Carol Gabbard makes it through the general election, said Sakurai, who welcomes the discussion.
Gabbard, who ran TV ads, does not dispute that name recognition through her husband, traditional-marriage advocate Mike Gabbard, contributed to her success in securing the third most votes.
If elected, Gabbard said she brings the perspective of both a parent and educator who home-schooled her children. She said she supports going back to the basics: giving kids the tools to learn, making schools a place where they can learn, where teachers can teach and parents can get involved.
Attorney Randall Yee, a newcomer to the board race, held one fund-raiser in what is known as a low-budget race. Some incumbents, like Brodie, limit their spending to just the $25 filing fee.
"To run a good race, I felt I needed to raise some funds to get my name out there," said Yee, son of former Republican state Sen. Wadsworth Yee. He hopes he can put his legal background and knowledge growing up in a political family to use on the board.
The danger of drastic changes to the makeup of the board could lead to instability in the Department of Education, said incumbent Garrett Toguchi, who qualified for the general.
Many people do not understand that the board's role is to oversee. Too many micromanagers can create difficulties for the board and its relationships with board staff and the department, Toguchi said.
Former state Senate Ways and Means Chairwoman Donna Ikeda would bring a valuable component to the board with her extensive legislative background and knowledge of the Department of Education budget, Toguchi said.
Former Moanalua High Principal Jackie Heupel ran because she feels the board needs people who know about the schools and how to bring about change. "I hope whoever gets in feels as passionately as I do about changing the schools," she said.
But if people really care about kids and want change, they must look at the qualifications of candidates running, Heupel said.
Primary Election Results
