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Evergreen Public Schools board interviews five candidates for vacant Area 4 seat
Summary
On May 19 the Evergreen Public Schools board of directors interviewed five applicants for the vacant Area 4 director seat, hearing 30‑minute interviews that emphasized student‑centered policy, rebuilding public trust and budget challenges; the board recessed to an executive session and will announce an appointment at its next regular meeting.
Evergreen Public Schools board of directors members conducted 30‑minute interviews with five candidates for the vacant Area 4 director seat during a special meeting May 19, then recessed into an executive session to evaluate applicants and said an appointment will be made at the board’s next regular meeting.
The board opened the special meeting by adopting the agenda by voice vote after a motion by Director Gronwall and a second by Director Bocanegra. Chair Rob Bergen (who led the interviews) told candidates the panel would ask the same nine questions of each applicant, allow a final open question, and post a visible timer during each interview. The meeting was broadcast via Zoom and YouTube.
Candidates highlighted similar priorities but different professional backgrounds. Angelo Gonzalez, a clinical supervisor with Catholic Community Services, framed his candidacy around youth and family supports, saying the “future of our community is dependent upon the future of our youth.” He described work with wraparound intensive services and juvenile‑justice‑connected systems and told the board he would treat the role as governance rather than management.
Deb Swope, a retired elected school board member from Texas, focused on community engagement and data. Swope told directors she reviewed OSPI report‑card data across districts and proposed giving teachers and administrators more dynamic, actionable data rather than relying solely on static test snapshots to guide resource allocation.
Willie Williams, participating remotely, described a background as a classroom teacher and athletic director now working in the district’s central office; he emphasized rebuilding community trust, transparency and keeping the board student‑centered while navigating near‑term budget pressures.
Robin Baumann said her financial‑planning and nonprofit board experience could help the district manage complex budgets and operations; she praised Evergreen staff and identified communication and post‑COVID morale as areas the board should address.
Tanya English, who works at Peace Northwest and the Clark County Parent Coalition, described long experience with early‑childhood and special‑education advocacy and said she would amplify Spanish‑speaking families and students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, stressing the importance of connecting schools to community resources.
Across interviews, candidates repeatedly raised two immediate challenges facing the board: reduced revenues and enrollment declines that have required difficult budget choices, and the need to rebuild public trust through consistent follow‑through and clearer two‑way communication with families and staff. Several candidates said they would be willing to run in the next election if appointed and affirmed regular voting in district elections.
After the public interviews the board recessed into an executive session under the statute cited in the meeting (recorded in the transcript as “RCW 42 31 10”) to evaluate candidates; the board announced it would return at its next regular meeting to make the appointment. The special meeting adjourned after the executive session concluded.
