November election will be trustee’s first campaign
He’s one of the most experienced trustees on the Blaine County School District’s Board of Trustees, but Kevin Garrison is a rookie when it comes to running in an election, since he was appointed to the board in February 2017 to fill a spot left vacant by the resignation of Elizabeth Corker.
It’s with that blend of apolitical innocence and real-world reference that the former Silicon Valley industrial engineer with an MBA in finance hopes to bring the controversy-beleaguered school district into a happier place.
Garrison, a five-year permanent Valley resident who manages rental property he owns here, confirmed in June he would seek re-election to the school board when his term expires at the end of this year. So his name will be on the ballot in November along with trustee Ryan Degn and a yet-to-be-announced number of other candidates seeking to fill three open seats. Trustee Ellen Mandeville has announced she will not seek re-election.
So, the obvious question becomes: Why would someone who doesn’t need what comes along with it seek re-election now?
“I believe any board needs a combination of enthusiasm, stability and experience,” Garrison said. “I bring that to the table.”
What Garrison doesn’t bring to the table is a pro-superintendent versus anti-superintendent approach, something he sees as a sort of false choice. Superintendent GwenCarol Holmes has been the subject of controversy and has a vocal and active group of parents, teachers and residents petitioning the board to terminate her. They have made it clear they will not support any candidate who does not believe it’s time for Holmes to go.
“Ten percent will be against anything you do. Ten percent will fall in line. What I have to do is keep my focus on reaching out to the 80 percent in the middle,” Garrison said.
To do that, the Boy Scouts scoutmaster said he wants to see the district continue its efforts in closing the achievement gap seen for lower-income students across the district. Roughly 42 percent of BCSD students participate in the free-and-reduced lunch programs, a subgroup that often requires special resources to meet performance benchmarks set by the state. Finding the balance between funding the programs that help reach those goals while also funding the programs for other subgroups, including high achievers, is where the challenge always lies.
Garrison believes the district has an effective strategy that involves what he describes as “customized” schools. These are schools such as Ernest Hemingway STEAM School and Alturas Elementary that specialize their educational focus on a particular population of students.
“Every child is different,” Garrison said.
When it comes to what some call a disparity between the high level of spending on administration and the flattening of student performance, Garrison dissects that a little differently from folks who are critical of the district.
“When you look at each subgroup, we are performing above average across the state. It’s when you combine their scores that we start to fall below the average,” Garrison said.
Meanwhile, Garrison notes that the overall cost of administrative positions represents 2 percent of the budget. He says the more important financial challenge is how the district will fund the eventual shift to 50 percent of its teachers reaching their maximum salary amount. Currently, Garrison said, the district has 35 percent of its teachers at maximum salary levels.
“That’s where my MBA and financial background comes into play,” Garrison said.
Garrison is married with three children, all of whom are college graduated or college-bound. His wife is a Merrill Lynch financial advisor still based in San Francisco. Their plan is to retire in the Wood River Valley when she finishes her career there.
“After a vacation here seven years ago, we bought some property with the intent to relocate together at some time,” Garrison said. “But I got addicted to the Valley life and it became my forever home a little sooner than anticipated.”