Name: Brian Wallace

City of residence: Rathdrum

Date of birth: Sept. 15, 1964

Highest level of education: master's degree in education administration, bachelor's in business education

Current occupation: East Valley School District (Spokane) business manager

By BRIAN WALKER

Staff writer

RATHDRUM — Brian Wallace doesn't believe his work is finished on the Lakeland School Board.

Wallace, business manager for East Valley School District in Spokane, has served on the board the past four years. He is being challenged by Neil Uhrig for the Zone 4 seat, which represents Hauser and the Rathdrum Prairie.

"I believe Lakeland has been able to weather some pretty choppy storms and that there is a lot of cohesion on the board," Wallace said. "The consistency of leadership of keeping on track with progress is important."

Wallace said his experience of being a teacher, a director of technology in a school district and now a business manager is a valuable asset to the board.

"Being involved in the business of schools gives me a global perspective on all the issues," he said. "It's important to understand the nuts and bolts of federal programs, state funding and bonds."

Wallace, who has two children in the Lakeland district, said he wants to continue to help Lakeland achieve high test scores and wants to serve when the Common Core standards are implemented.

"The district is on a good path of continuous improvement," he said. "We're doing good, but we can still do better."

Wallace said technology can be another tool for students and teachers to achieve goals. He doesn't believe it's being implemented too fast, but said the district should realize that not all students learn the same.

"We can’t just sit kids in front of computers to replace teachers," he said. "But technology can enhance instruction and change the way teachers can instruct. Kids are using the technology faster than schools are able to adopt it."

Wallace said Lakeland's declining enrollment will be a budget challenge he wants to continue to tackle.

"With declining enrollment comes declining revenue from the state," he said.

Wallace would like to see the district try to engage the community more through civic groups. Continued collaboration with law enforcement to improve safety is also important.

"But you don't want to make schools prisons," he said. "I think we've done a good job with safety, but that doesn't mean we can't look at it further. You have to be strategic about it. Our schools are safe places, but they're not perfect."

Wallace said safety has to be approached as a big picture.

"The only threat is not just a crazy shooter," he said. "There could be a train derailment near a school or a severe weather event."

* * *

Name: Neil Uhrig

City of residence: Rathdrum

Date of birth: Aug. 15, 1983

Highest level of education: some college courses

Current occupation: Post Falls Police school resource officer

By BRIAN WALKER

Staff writer

RATHDRUM — Neil Uhrig wants to help make Lakeland schools safer.

The school resource officer for Post Falls Police is challenging incumbent Brian Wallace for Lakeland's Zone 4 school board seat, which serves Hauser and the Rathdrum Prairie north of Post Falls.

Uhrig said he'd like to see Lakeland get a school resource officer for its district. It had one several years ago before the position was cut from the budget, he said.

Currently, officers from the Rathdrum and Spirit Lake police departments respond to Lakeland schools on an as-needed basis.

"That's not being proactive," Uhrig said. "That model doesn't provide the safety that schools need. There needs to be armed law enforcement personnel in schools. I'd like to be a conduit to make that happen.”

Uhrig said a federal grant program can help with school safety. The SRO position would likely be funded with a combination of school district, police department and federal grant funds.

"If it can be split, it would cost the school district about $12,000," Uhrig said. "That amount can generally be found in the budget. I care about safety, but you have to pay for it. A vote for me is a vote for protecting children."

Uhrig said another option would be to dedicate the funding for an SRO in a future supplemental levy as some other local districts have done.

Uhrig has a son who will be starting kindergarten in the district this fall — and that's a reason he's running for the board and wants to increase safety.

"I'm looking for a way to become involved," he said.

Uhrig has been a SRO at Post Falls High for four years.

"I bring the unique perspective of having worked with kids, particularly those who are troubled," he said.

He worked in PFPD's special crimes division and as a patrol officer the previous four years.

Uhrig is not a newcomer to politics. He served in Republican campaigns in Washington state  in 2006 and in Iowa in 2004.

Uhrig said he believes the Lakeland district has been well-managed. He applauds the teaching and student test scores have been exceptional.

"Every year Lakeland brings me in to teach classes on juvenile issues, and I have a lot of trust in what the staff is doing," Uhrig said.

Uhrig said he'd like to see the board do more with enforcement and assistance when it comes to truancy, a issue of kids not being in school.

"I'd like to reach out to families to help kids get back in the classroom," he said, adding that law enforcement does not get involved in truancy issues.

Uhrig said he's open to technology opportunities in the classroom, but not at the expense of student-teacher relationships. He said if students are carrying too much technology on them, that could increase crime in schools.