Lonnie Williams

1. I am running because our school district is under attack from individuals who have moved to our area; who are trying to undermine the success that we have achieved over the last 20-plus years. I want future generations to have the same opportunities that I’ve had.

2. I believe that I am the best candidate for the job because I have the skills needed to work in a board setting with others to achieve our goals. I am passionate about Sandpoint and the surrounding area, and I want to give back to this community.

3. I have a team centered skill set that I have developed over years of involvement in both sports and as a manager in my career. I believe in leading through action, and working with others to come to a solution to any problem

4. I would like to continue to move this district in the direction we are currently going. I would like to see continued investment in vocational and technology-based curriculum, as well as continue to offer a wide array of programs centered in a traditional (math, science and language curriculum.

5. The most important goal to have as a district is to adequately prepare our youth for the next step in life. We need to prepare students so that they are ready to either enter the workforce, or are ready to attend and succeed at the next level of education.

6. I participate in both the Bulldog Bench and the Panhandle Alliance for Education. In the recent past I was a soccer coach at the high school level and for Sandpoint Strikers.

7. A trustee must work with the other members of the board to address the needs of the district in an open and transparent manner, and help to implement procedures that are designed to move the district toward reaching our educational goals.

8. Providing the best possible education at the best possible price. We have limited funds with which to work, and we need to guarantee our tax payers that we are spending every dollar with the best return on investment in mind.

9. Our students are receiving a great education. We graduate 92 percent of our students; our math and English proficiency scores are above the state average. There is always room for improvement, and by working with the professionals in the classroom, we can implement changes where needed to achieve even higher marks.

10. That what we are trying to continue for this district and our youth is the wrong path for this community. In order to grow this community and our economy we need to have a district that people want to enroll their children in.

11. My opponent voted against the levy, and in doing so, she was willing to withhold almost a third of our budget. This would have decimated our district. 165 full-time positions would’ve been lost, and all extracurricular activities would have been defunded. Not to mention building maintenance, and curriculum implementation.

12. Did you vote in favor of the supplemental levy?

Yes.