With two candidates eliminated in the August primary, two remain in the race for the District 5 director position on the Chehalis School Board.
The candidates are incumbent J. Vander Stoep and challenger Julie Balmelli-Powe.
The candidate who wins the election will serve a four-year term on the board.
The Chronicle sent each candidate the same five-question questionnaire with a request to keep their responses, printed below, to about 75 to 100 words per question.
Responses have been lightly edited for spelling and grammar.
J. Vander Stoep
Can you talk about your background and how your experience qualifies you for this position?
I’m seeking a second term on the school board. On the board, I supported policies giving parents a direct role in choosing curriculum. The board adopted a no-cell-phones-in-class policy. Four years in a row, 100% of W.F. West grads have been admitted to tech, college, apprenticeships or military. During COVID-19, the board acted so that Chehalis had students safely back into class months sooner than any district our size in the state. These accomplishments came after listening to parents as well as staff and students. I would like an opportunity to keep working as a board member to increase the quality of education and career and college opportunities for every single student.
Why did you decide to run for this position?
Because I saw the progress being made in career and techincal education, STEM and career and college preparedness for our students and I wanted to help make sure that the district remained focused on continued improvement. A quality school district is important for our kids, but also valuable to the entire community.
What, in your opinion, are the primary issues facing the Chehalis School District and how do you intend to address them if you’re elected?
The forever challenge is to continue to enhance quality education within revenue limits set by local voters and by the state.
What sets you apart from your opponent in this race?
I respect my opponent as a person and as a candidate. I am an imperfect person and board member. But I care a lot about improving our schools and I work hard to do my best. I believe that I have played a useful part in helping our students, parents and community in my four years on the board. I learned a lot during this first term. It takes time to learn how to be most effective as a board member. I have already put in this time.
Is there anything else that voters should know about you?
My wife and I have three daughters, all of whom graduated from W.F. West in recent years, and I’m also a Bearcat. I have volunteered an enormous amount of time and effort before and since I joined the school board, working to help give students here a leg up toward a quality education because I believe that is a key for them achieving the American dream of a brighter future.
Julie Balmelli-Powe
Can you talk about your background and how your experience qualifies you for this position?
Being a lifelong resident and third generation farmer, I know well the strong, traditional values that are ingrained in our community. My children are recent graduates of W.F. West High School, so I’m very aware of the opportunities and challenges students and families face. I’ve worked 35-plus years managing the financial affairs of a multi-faceted company, giving me an acute sense of fiscal responsibility. Being a small business and property owner, I know the tremendous burden of property taxes, and how to live within a budget. I have served on several boards at local, county and state levels. Through these boards, my employment and my occupation as a farmer, I have dealt with many county, state and federal agencies. And finally, having a long history of civic involvement, I have good relationships with our local leaders and many hard working volunteers.
Why did you decide to run for this position?
It is my belief that the job of an elected official is to represent the people who elected them. After attending meetings last summer, it became clear to me that the current board was not representing the will of its voters. My frustration and the frustration of others was my catalyst for running. There are forces in society today that want to degrade our traditional values and tear apart the family structure; I want a seat at the table to fight for families and do whatever possible to protect our children’s physical and mental health.
What, in your opinion, are the primary issues facing the Chehalis School District and how do you intend to address them if you’re elected?
Curriculum — Schools need to get back to basics, focusing on core subjects and life skills that set every student up for success, and all social and political propaganda needs to be removed. Chehalis schools offer amazing opportunities in advanced learning, which is great for those who excel, but the main objective of K-12 is to teach all students the fundamentals. Students have struggled to get extra help in math; a core subject required for the majority of post secondary institutions; any available funds should be spent helping students before making elective or athletic improvements.
Transparency — Curriculum, text books and library book titles should be posted on the school website, and an open door policy for parents and guardians is needed, allowing them to observe their child’s classes, access the school library and have full access to their child’s school records. I will be a voice for parents’ rights.
What sets you apart from your opponent in this race?
I don’t really care for the term “opponent,” because I’m not running to oppose anyone, I’m running to put a director on the Chehalis School Board that will fight for families, protect their values, foster a safe learning environment and safeguard the mental and physical well being of each and every student in the Chehalis School District. In my opinion, what sets me apart from the other candidate is that my first priority is the people and families I represent.
Is there anything else that voters should know about you?
In my years serving on boards, I have always been a strong, independent thinker; not afraid to be a lone voice in fighting for what is right. As a parent, I stand with parents. In my 30-plus years working with children, as a coach, classroom volunteer and a Boy Scouts of America leader, it has been my experience that the more a parent is involved, the better a child’s chance for success.
As a school board member, I will fight for parent’s rights, and I will oppose anything that infringes on a parent's involvement in their child’s educational process. For more information, please visit my facebook page at Julie Balmelli-Powe.
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The 18-day voting period began on Oct. 20. Ballots are due by 8 p.m. on Nov. 7. Learn more at https://elections.lewiscountywa.gov. For more information about the Chehalis School District, visit https://chehalisschools.org/.
