Too many critical school district issues have been swept under the rug for far too long.

In order to move forward, we must do the important work of repairing and building back trust with our learning community. It’s important for all of us, but particularly school district leaders, to engage in careful reflection of recent events.

To rebuild trust, our Vashon School Board must be accountable and responsive to taxpayers and our community while overseeing and evaluating the work of the superintendent. I take this trust seriously and commit to earning and keeping it through regular communication, transparent decision-making, and sound fiscal leadership.

There are many smart, engaged, thoughtful people in our community who have dynamic and innovative ideas. If elected, I would harness this collective brilliance and wisdom and serve as a conduit from the community to the board — particularly for those who traditionally have been left out.

I have built deep and enduring connections in our community and will dedicate myself to bringing these voices into district decision-making.

We need all of our youth to experience safety, trust, and access to resources.

This includes addressing the inequities experienced by students of color, multilingual learners, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and those with learning differences.

We must bring a rigorous and consistent equity lens to our district policies, procedures, and practices. Our student body is 25% nonwhite, and only 6% of our teachers and staff are people of color. We need to do a better job of seeking out staff at all levels with a variety of lived experiences that more closely reflect our student population.

The board should also explore how the school experience can be more responsive to the particular challenges and stressors our students face as we prepare them to launch.

The district continues to ask teachers to do more with less. Budget shortfalls will be an ongoing reality as the State fails to fully fund education. We must consider innovative ideas for sustained fiscal health and partner more closely with the unions and community members to develop sustainable budgets.

It’s imperative that we meet the needs of students, teachers, and parents and find new ways to honor the Vashon Promise despite ongoing budget constraints.

I was raised by a single parent, a public school special education teacher (and current VISD substitute paraeducator). I am the proud product of a public K-12 education. My two children are current VISD students.

Since relocating our family to Vashon in 2012, I have been deeply engaged as a community volunteer with Island organizations including the Vashon-Maury Community Food Bank (Board Vice Chair and head of the HR Committee), VIGA’s Food Access Partnership, and the Vashon Green School.

I have the experience, commitment, community relationships, and equity lens to help advocate for and center students, families, and taxpayers in our school district, and to bring the power of community to the Vashon Island School Board and district leadership.

Juniper Rogneby is a candidate for Vashon School Board Director Position #5.