Local and State School Board Candidates (2018 Primary)

05/09/2018 / David Rodeback

I am without party, for almost the last two years, but I still get to vote in the June 26 primary election — at least on races for State School Board District 9 and Alpine School Board District 3. So do you, if you’re registered.

Today, May 9, is even more fun for me. I’ll be moderating a debate featuring state and local school board candidates. Each race gets about half an hour of questions, which isn’t a lot, but 30 minutes is infinitely longer than zero, if you do the math.

Here are more details about tonight’s event, the candidates, and the election itself.

May 9 School Board Candidate Debate

Location: American Fork Junior High Library

Sponsor: American Fork Council PTA

Approximate Schedule:

6:00 pm: meet and greet the candidates (both races), plus some introductory formalities, so the candidate Q&A can begin on the half-hour
6:30 pm: local school board candidate debate (Alpine School District, District 3)
7:00 pm: state school board candidate debate (District 9)
7:30 pm: mingle with the candidates (both races)

Some questions are already prepared, and a few were sent in advance to the candidates. The public is invited to submit questions in writing until 6:30 p.m. Due to limited time with each set of candidates during the formal part of the evening, any given question may be asked as written; combined with other similar questions; condensed or otherwise modified by the moderator for clarity, brevity, or other considerations; or not asked at all. The post-debate mingling is a good chance to follow up on what you heard, ask the questions that didn’t get asked, and get a sense of how individual candidates connect with voters.

I’m looking forward to meeting the candidates I don’t already know, and hearing what they all have to say. This is not just an exercise; I’ll be voting too, and I don’t yet know for whom.

Here is audio of the May 9 debate.