Copyright Lewiston Morning Tribune
MOSCOW — The only Moscow School Board race on the Nov. 4 election ballot features incumbent Brian Kennedy running against challenger Kenan Lauder to represent Zone 5. Here are their thoughts on pressing issues facing the school district: Brian Kennedy Kennedy, 56, has lived in Moscow for 20 years and has served on the board for seven. Kennedy works at the University of Idaho as a professor of ecology. Kennedy said he is already well-versed in board policy, finance, open meeting laws and how to interact with the community. He said the current school board has a “very strong agenda” and he wants to remain a part of it. “I think that the school is an important thread and a very strong foundation for our community,” he said. In particular, he believes public education is important and worth fighting for. Kennedy said “we’re at a point in time when the notion of the constitutionality of our public education is under threat.” Moscow School District is one of nine petitioners involved in the lawsuit to prohibit House Bill 93. The new law creates a tax credit program that uses nearly $50 million in state funds to help families pay for expenses at nonpublic schools. Moscow is the only school district joining the lawsuit. All parties are being represented by law firm Hawley Troxell. Moscow is not financially liable in the lawsuit, according to the district. He hopes the Idaho Supreme Court agrees that the tax credit program violates the state constitution that says the Idaho Legislature must “establish and maintain a general, uniform and thorough system of public, free common schools.” “Private school is a perfectly legitimate choice, it’s just that it shouldn’t be funded by taxpayer dollars,” Kennedy said. He hopes the law is repealed or paused before it takes effect in January. If that does not happen, he hopes the funding for the program does not grow and its effect on public schools is minimized. The other challenge he wants to address is the school district’s aging infrastructure. McDonald Elementary, the youngest of all the buildings, is more than 60 years old. The school board is exploring building a new elementary school on city property on West Palouse River Drive. The city would also maintain multiple city playfields on the property. Kennedy called this a “great opportunity” because of the partnership with the city and the state money that is available for such a facility. The district is also discussing different options for the future of the high school building. If the district chose to construct a new building, Kennedy said, that would likely require a bond. That’s why Kennedy said it’s important for the board to seek community input before taking any such action. When asked if he had a message for Idaho’s legislators regarding Moscow School District, Kennedy said the district is a strong, overperforming school district that is “punching above our weight class” in academics, staff awards and athletics. “I think it would be important for our local representatives to understand we are a strongly performing district and that is a result of both the quality of the employees that we have, but also the strength of the community,” he said. Kenan Lauder Lauder, 21, says he wants the district to be prudent with its money as it addresses its aging schools. Lauder has lived in Moscow for a year and a half and works for anti-abortion nonprofit Tiny Heartbeat Ministries. Though he does not have relatives going to school in the district, Lauder said he was interested in running for a public office that he believes can improve the community. One of his main priorities is addressing the aging infrastructure in the district. Lauder said he wants the district to set aside money every year and create a plan for upgrading the school buildings. Lauder said he is not sure the district needs to build a new school. He wants to look at other options, including refurbishing the current school buildings. His other goal is to improve the board’s transparency and encourage parents to become more involved in school board meetings. After attending a recent school board meeting, Lauder said he was surprised no parents were in attendance. Lauder also has a different perspective on HB 93 than his opponent. Lauder said he is in favor of tax dollars supporting parents who want to send their children to private schools. However, he said, private schools who receive this money should have to meet standards regarding testing and quality of education. “There should be some accountability,” he said. Because Kennedy and Lauder are running in Zone 5, only voters in their district can vote in this race. Voting for the general election takes place Nov. 4. Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.
