(Editor’s note: This story is being published in two parts in the print edition of the North Kitsap Herald. You can read the article in its entirety here.)

POULSBO — At first glance, the campaign for North Kitsap School Board District 5 seems cordial.

But after meeting with the North Kitsap Herald Community Advisory Board on Sept. 28, an email exchange between candidates Deborah Simon and Bill Webb revealed sharp differences between the two.

In the exchange, Webb writes that Simon lacks commitment to make “the system work” because she enrolled her two young daughters outside the district; Simon counters that the district is unable to accommodate all children with special needs and that’s why she’s running.

“I wouldn’t characterize our campaigns as contentious, nor would I characterize them as friendly,” Simon wrote in the first email.

“My impression from side comments Mr. Webb has made is that he never saw me as an opponent who had a possibility of winning. Only recently … has he made his opinions on issues public, and many people believed I was running against [District 4 candidate] Glen Robbins because of Mr. Webb’s silence.

“Personally, I’m surprised that Mr. Webb professes to agree with most of my opinions on issues because he has disagreed with them either verbally or with his lack of action over the past four years. The real crux of our race is whether or not the voters believe Mr. Webb has paid attention to his constituents, provided real progress in their areas of concern and would continue to do so for the next four years. I am one of his voting constituents, and he has disregarded me and many others like me. That’s why I’m running for school board.”

Webb responded that he was “surprised” to learn Simon felt that way, and that he has always tried to be available and “do what is right for our kids.”

“I have answered and addressed countless emails, phone calls and had hundreds of face-to-face conversations on which I have based my votes and taken action (one about 10 minutes ago in fact).

“To me, the crux is that I have chosen to keep my kids in the public system and to obtain for them what they needed there rather than pulling them out of the district as you have done.

“Frankly, this lack of personal buy in to making the system work for kids surprises me, and I honestly cannot see how you could run for an office for an organization that you do not even have your kids involved with.”

Simon responded that on Feb. 14, 2013, she was told by teachers, counselors, and administrators “that there would be no further accommodation offered to our daughter until policy changed.” She added, “Despite my efforts over the last three years, there has been no reply or evidence that the Board has seen a need to change policy. And I have since been told by a teacher that the district was not able to accommodate outliers like our children. As I told [a reporter in an] interview on November 11, 2013, we have always wanted our children to attend public school and we hope that the district will find a way to make it work for our children.

“My message has always been … ‘[t]he Board needs to meet the needs of all of its constituents.’ Hence my three-year-long personal buy-in that has now led me to run for the School Board.”

Webb responded that policies are put in place for the needs of all the students in the district, and that if a child’s individual education plan does not warrant a change based on professional evaluation by the principal, the counselor and the teacher, “the District doesn’t make a change just because a parent wants to. It’s not what is best for the student.”

He added, “It is not the board’s job to second guess the professional opinions of three professionals, all of whom are trained to educate and evaluate students. Frankly it concerns me that you think the school board should micro-manage individual student plans, or intervene or overrule the opinions of trained professionals once they have made a decision about how best to serve a particular student.”

Simon agreed, but added, “the limit in this case was not policy surrounding our particular child but the program in general.”

Webb is an engineer seeking a second term on the school board; he has a bachelor of science in geology from Washington and Lee University, and is a certified project manager. He served on the board of Parametrix, an engineering, planning and environmental sciences company with offices in four states, including Bremerton; and the Society of Military Engineers.

Simon is a former teacher and paralegal who served for three years on the district’s Community Financial Advisory Committee and Highly Capable Committee. She has a bachelor of arts in liberal studies from California State University, Fullerton, and a teaching credential. She is working on a master’s degree through Arizona State University.

Webb said that when he joined the school board, the district’s fund reserve was down to 1 percent of the budget and finances were on watch by the state. In the ensuing four years, a new superintendent was hired, the reserve was restored to 5 percent, and the district eliminated participation fees for kindergarten, sports, and other activities.

In addition, “Our achievement scores are better … Our kids are doing as well as anyone else.”

Webb said the district has improved how it estimates student enrollment; that’s tricky yet important, because staffing is determined by the estimated enrollment. But if the average daily attendance is lower than estimated, revenue from the state drops and the district ends up overstaffed.

Under the new system, he said, “We’ve missed by half percent.” He said the district asks for exit interviews with parents who choose to enroll their children in another district, but “a lot of people choose not to participate.”

Part of the challenge in managing class sizes at individual schools: the district has open enrollment and parents don’t report which schools their children will attend, he said.

Webb supports the teaching of civics and Native American history in district schools; both are required this year. “I understand [Tribal] sovereignty and we’ve built a good relationship [with Port Gamble S’Klallam and Suquamish]. People here need to understand that [the Tribes] are members of our community, but they have their own government.” Regarding civics education, he said, “There’s nothing more important in building good citizens.”

He wants to further develop opportunities to prepare non-college bound students for careers after high school, perhaps by connecting students with internships in their fields of interest.

Webb said teachers are not compensated enough. He said he voted against this year’s contract with the teachers’ union “because I didn’t feel it supported teachers enough.”

Simon’s concerns about the district’s ability to accommodate all students with special needs — including those considered “fast learners,” or “highly capable,” like her children — arose when she found that the district’s offerings were limited prior to third grade.

Simon pointed to other areas where the district needs to improve.

Classroom sizes are out of balance in several schools, she said: 71 percent of classrooms at Pearson Elementary are over the contract limit regarding number of students, 21 percent of classrooms at Poulsbo Elementary are at limit, while 21 percent are over the limit at Poulsbo Middle School. She said possible solutions include flexible boundaries and reopening Breidablik Elementary.

She suggested expanding civics education to include real-world experiences, such as mock elections. Pointing to the importance of teaching Native American history, she said the North Kitsap School District is “unique in the state or farther” in that it serves two Tribes. She suggests expanding the frequency and locations of career days — not having the event at just one site, but at several schools in the district.

She said the district needs to improve how it engages with residents. She said committees often seem to use “a script” and try to shape the outcome, rather than simply elicit public input.

“That’s not engaging,” she said. “The district needs to go out of its way to hear [parents] and take to heart what they say … The district appears tired and needs to think outside the box.”

Speaking of thinking outside the box: She was asked what she would do to improve public attendance at school board meetings. She suggested having school board meetings at different schools — kind of a neighborhood approach — rather than just at the district office. Then she quipped: “Have the student performance at the middle of the meeting rather than the beginning.”