Two candidates are seeking election to two open Ellsworth School Board seats: Incumbent Steve Mark and Mark Stoesz. Current President Katie Feuerhelm is not seeking re-election.

Steve Mark*

Did not respond

Mark Stoesz

Residence: Ellsworth

Occupation/profession: Retired educator

Prior elected offices: None

Do you have children who attend the school district? Have they graduated? Two daughters graduated from Ellsworth High School: Courtney graduated in 2011 and Hayley graduated in 2014. Additionally, my wife Lesley taught 25 years in the Ellsworth School District.

In what school district or community activities/organizations have you been involved? 

*Retired Teacher/Coach/School Administrator in Ellsworth for 32 years

*Ellsworth School District Strategic Plan Committee- two five-year terms

*Ellsworth School Foundation member 14 years

*Ellsworth Senior Lock-In 14 years

*Pierce County Traffic Safety Commission five years

*Pierce County Emergency Operations Committee Member 7+ years

*Zion Covenant Church- various Church Board positions and assisting with Youth Ministry

Why are you running for school board? What are your priorities? I worked for the school district for 32 years, have lived in this school district for 31 years and I care deeply for our school district's students, families and staff members. As a school board member, I want our schools to continue to improve at serving the needs of our communities & students.

What do see as the biggest challenges facing the school district? This is a challenging time for school districts. 1) We need to find ways to keep our quality employees. It is difficult to maintain a consistent and quality education for our students if we are constantly looking to replace staff members. 2) Continue to be engaging with our school district families and citizens. That communication and commitment must continue to be consistent and clear. 3) Consistent and reliable funding for school districts from the state level to meet the demands of the 21st century. 4) The hiring of a high quality and engaging new superintendent to replace retiring Supt. Barry Cain.

What differentiates you from the other candidates/board members? My 35 years as an educator, including 32 years in Ellsworth make me a unique school board candidate. I have a clear understanding of the school budgets and school finance; having overseen the school district grade level budget process for 14 years as one of my duties as High School Principal. I understand how schools need to operate and have attended close to 200 school board meetings over the years. Most importantly, is the experience I have working with our wonderful students. They are and always should be the focal point of all of our efforts.

What has the previous school board done well? Our communities have been blessed with a high quality school board for as far back as I can remember in Ellsworth. The school boards have cared about our communities, students and their staff. They have done well with reaching out and communicating necessary information, and I would be pleased and honored to help continue to serve our citizens.

What do you see as the primary work of the school board? This school board must work with their communities to ensure that our school district provides the best educational opportunities possible for each and every student.

What is the best way to address differences of opinion on the board or between the board/administration/the public? We need to have a consistent and open dialogue that allows people to have a voice. There may be disagreement, but we need to keep the lines of communication open, while keeping the focus on doing what is best for our students.

How does a school board balance the need to provide a quality education with the need to respond to the local taxpayer burden? We need to be good stewards of our communities' resources. It's a delicate balance between providing the services and facilities we need to be competitive in today's world of education and being frivolous with our citizen's tax dollars. This is why it is so critical to have open communication with our communities.

How can people contact you? I can be reached at my email address: stoeszm@gmail.com I thank you for the opportunity to answer these questions and hope our communities see fit to elect me to the Ellsworth School Board.