Lake Havasu Unified School District Hosts School Board Candidate Forum

Lake Havasu City residents recently had the opportunity to meet and listen to candidates vying for positions on the Lake Havasu Unified School District board. The forum, aimed at filling three board seats, took place Wednesday night at the Lake Havasu High School Performing Arts Center. The event was sponsored by the Lake Havasu Area Chamber of Commerce, Today’s News-Herald, and KNTR radio station.

The forum was moderated by Brandon Bowers, editor of Today’s News-Herald, and Paul Lavoie from KNTR radio station. Notably absent from the forum was school board candidate Joe Bill Thomas, who was in London. Nonetheless, a statement from Thomas was read by Lavoie during the event.

Candidates had sixty seconds to introduce themselves before responding to a variety of questions on issues such as strategic planning, teacher recruitment and retention, and kindergarten funding. Each candidate provided insights into their visions and policies.

David Rose, one of the candidates, emphasized the importance of strategic planning and listening to teachers and staff to ensure they feel heard and valued. Rose proposed establishing scholarship funds for students who wish to become teachers as a way to bolster local teaching staff.

Incumbent candidate Kyle Neidermann highlighted fiscal responsibility in managing the school’s budget and stressed the importance of retaining experienced teachers post-pandemic. He also advocated for expanding relationships with local colleges in strategic planning efforts.

Matthew Houston focused on directing school funds toward classroom efforts and highlighted the need for board decisions to be informed by factual considerations and the needs of students and educators. Houston pointed out that salary issues are significant in teacher retention.

Mike Kurn proposed bringing his experience in engineering to understand the needs of staff and students better. He suggested benchmarking other communities to improve strategic planning and professional development for teachers.

Candidate Evelyn Tinsley expressed her desire to reestablish strong connections between parents and teachers. She suggested open dialogue with legislators on budget adjustments and proposed local programs to encourage students to become future teachers in their hometowns.

Vijette Saari, with a background in grant management, advocated for exploring alternative funding sources and using data to prioritize educational needs over wants. Her focus included improving support networks for teachers and considering possible bond overrides to increase salaries.

In addition to individual proposals, the candidates addressed the importance of expanding early childhood education and collaborated with elected officials to pursue additional funding, particularly for kindergarten and preschool services.

Profiles and detailed question-and-answer sessions with each candidate were previously published and are available on the Today’s News-Herald website.