This is the second in a series of profiles of primary-election candidates for North Kitsap School Board.

POULSBO — Scott Henden joined the school board four years ago because he felt he had a different perspective to offer.

After graduating from North Kitsap High School, Henden went to a four-year electrical trade school, and has since been in business for 30 years.

In that time, he said he’s had the opportunity to hire many recent high school graduates and help them learn a trade.

“I encourage every student that is able and inclined to go to college,” Henden said. “But there’s also a number of students that come out (of high school) career-oriented.”

Henden, 54, is an electrical contractor who owns Henden Electric, which was founded in 1985. He is one of three candidates for the District 4 position on the North Kitsap School Board. The others are Loretta Byrnes, an independent consultant on program design and performance management; and Glen Robbins, president of the Poulsbo Sons of Norway Lodge.

The two top vote-getters in the Aug. 4 primary will advance to the Nov. 3 general election. School board members serve four-year terms and are not paid.

“There’s some great things going on in North Kitsap,” Henden said. “When I came on board, our budget was considerably down.”

He said the district has had some of its toughest years recently, but things are looking up with increased state funding and a levy that was re-approved.

“I think the district is in quite a bit better place than it was four years ago,” he said. “I’m grateful for the people in the district and how supportive they’ve been.”

If re-elected, Henden wants to continue looking at data to ensure students are performing well. He specifically mentioned the Career and Technical Education program in the district. Henden said there is an upcoming study to figure out how many of students enrolled in CTE courses find jobs in the areas they’re educated in through the district.

Henden also supports common testing among the different schools in the district.

“In the past, every school used different tests, different standards,” Henden said. Now, he said they use common tests and standards, so that the district can identify which schools are excelling in which areas, and which need improvement.

The school board recently removed many student fees, notably sports, band and art fees, among others, and Henden said he was one of the supporters of that change.

He said he felt the district “shouldn’t be charging our kids.”

Overall, his goal is looking at what the district is doing and seeing what it can do better.

Here’s what Henden had to say about some issues.

Common Core: Common Core (www.corestandards.org) is an initiative that details what K–12 students should know in English language arts and mathematics at the end of each grade. Common Core has been adopted by 41 states, including Washington; four states have repealed or withdrawn from it.

“I’m not going to make this a top issue for myself,” Henden said. “I don’t like [Common Core], I wouldn’t pick it myself, but it’s what we have to work with right now.”

Henden said Common Core is an example of “top-down government,” which he doesn’t care for. However, he said that as a school board member, there’s not much change he can make in this area.

Testing: “I think testing can be a great thing,” Henden said. “We need to know where our schools are based on standards, compared to other schools and how we compare to other students in past years.

“I think you can over-test,” he added, “teaching to tests instead of just teaching. [But] at some level, we need to have state-mandated testing to see how our kids do.”

He said those tests can be very helpful in identifying areas in which a school may be falling behind in education.

However, he said “state-mandated testing is OK, as long as it’s not excessive.”

District and teen suicide prevention: Four North Kitsap district students have committed suicide in the last five years, according to the school district.

Henden said he feels the schools, community and family all have a role and responsibility in educating youth and helping prevent suicide.

He said he wants to have “student-led groups, where there’s student-to-student interaction,” to help educate youth in the district.

On how he stands apart from the other candidates: “I think it comes back to the career side of it,” Henden said.

“I do not have a college degree,” he said, “but I do have business experience. I have had the opportunity for 30 years to hire young people coming out of school and teach them a trade.

“I think the career side is something that’s important.”

Henden wants to “advocate for the average kid. Not gifted, not special needs.”

“If I wanted to advocate for somebody — all of them certainly deserve it, but I think watching out for the average kid that’s going to school, that’s doing OK … that’s something that’s important to me.”

On relations with Port Gamble S’Klallam and Suquamish governments: “The district has a responsibility to all children to educate them,” Henden said. “So, whether they’re Native or Hispanic or another race, we have a responsibility to do the best we can for those kids, to give them education and give them that college/career readiness.”

The district works with the Tribes, looking at curriculum and other things the governments want, he said, but “if they’re asking for special circumstances for their kids … I get uncomfortable when people say that — not just (the Tribes) but whether it’s special needs or gifted.”

He added, “I think, as a board member, I need to be careful that we’re looking out for all kids.”