ROYAL CITY - Ben Fanning is running for the Royal School Board Position 4 because, as a business owner and a father, he knows the importance of a quality education.

His 20 years as a store manager in Royal City and Ephrata have prepared him for school board service by teaching him to keep short and long term goals in mind while making decisions affecting many people, he said.

"I have always had an open door policy and listen to concerns and complaints, not taking them personally, and hopefully with the four other members on the school board we can effectively deal with issues of patrons of the district," Fanning said.

As a lifelong Columbia Basin resident Fanning has built relationships in the community and said he'll do his best to represent the diverse interests of the district while listening to the concerns of its patrons.

He has three children in the district and is active in the Royal Booster Club while serving as a coach with grid kids, little guys soccer and little league in the past.

Fanning acknowledges the learning curve that comes with the position and said his major challenges will likely arise from the inevitable conflicts arising from the various outlooks on the board.

Fanning has no predetermined goals for the position and said he simply wishes to do his best "to work with the other members and hopefully come to the best conclusion to each issue."

As to how the district can improve financial efficiency, he said the district superintendent and administrators should determine the answer to this question.

"I would expect this team of professionals to bring ideas to the board for consideration," Fanning said; adding he has experience dealing with accounting and budgets on a regular basis.

Fanning owns property in the district, making him cognizant of how tax levies affect business and family budgets, as well as the need to provide quality education with available funds.

He would take a measured approach to where cuts should be made if further budget reductions are needed.

"With a $14 million budget it will take time to look at the individual breakdowns of departments and needs," he said. "It is not something that I would want to make rash comments about."

While he sees gang activity as a primarily family and church issue, Fanning said he'd like to help continue the good working relationship between the schools and the police.

The district has been making good progress in learning objectives, which Fanning said speaks well of teachers and staff, although there are some morale issues that still need to be addressed.