Emily Peterson said parent choice is important and that the new district should aim to make public education the best option among available choices.

Asked about charter schools operating in the area, Peterson listed Major, Noah Webster and UCAS and said she has friends with children in charters. “Parent choice is very important to me,” she said, and argued the district should study enrollment cycles and charter impacts to avoid closing schools during a temporary enrollment trough.

She said district staff should work with charter leaders and that, when a child’s needs are best met at a charter (for example a STEM‑oriented UCAS placement or a performing arts school), parents and districts should be open to that path.