The voters in the White River School District have an important school board vote coming up.

The people that are elected to serve on the school board are community representatives, volunteers that give of their time to make sure that the district is doing the utmost possible to serve the needs of our children. I know that Denise Vogel, board Position 3, has done a stellar job in the previous four years. She goes above and beyond what the expectations are for the position she fills. She goes to almost all PTA meetings, school events and assemblies. She is actively involved in the District Learning Improvement Plan, the new math curriculum training, the high school re-focus group, the levy committee and countless other programs that the district is working on. She truly follows the district’s policy of determining “What’s Best for Kids.”

This has been a difficult year for all of us. School districts state and nationwide faced severe cuts to their budgets. I know that Denise spent countless hours with district staff to make sure that the difficult budget decisions made were absolutely necessary. She wanted to make sure that the district was being fiscally responsible. I had a son at Wickersham School of Discovery and certainly wished it could have remained open, but the decision to close that campus made absolute sense when considering the financial impact on every student in the district. She immersed herself in the policies, both district and statewide, that the board must follow, and educates herself continually to ensure that she has the knowledge to answer and act upon the tough questions and choices.

I trust Denise Vogel to continue to do an incredible job serving this community on the White River School Board for the next four years.

Carolyn Norris

Bonney Lake

Parent has kind words for board member

I first met Denise Vogel, President of the White River School Board, last December after rumors that my children’s school, Wickersham School of Discovery, was in danger of closing. The White River School District had just announced the large financial deficit they were facing and the changes that needed to be made in order to balance their budget. I was the PTA President at the time and worked closely with Denise for several months to come on the fate of our school. During this process Denise spent countless hours attending PTA meetings, returning phone calls, answering e-mails and joining small group discussions to answer any questions we had.

What I learned is that Denise is a very proactive member of the School Board and has taken the time to educate herself about every aspect of education from the State Legislation to the classrooms. She keeps up on any financial information from the state by attending conferences and meetings over the course of the year. She is an outstanding advocate for our children and is essential to the success of our district.

Being closely involved last year with the district I saw first hand at her passion for her job and sacrificing endless hours to the community. She attends the PTA meetings at Wilkeson Elementary each month, where my daughter now goes, and came to the open house in September to show her support for the school. Currently, Denise is advocating the upcoming operations levy for the district which is vital that it passes to fund yearly expenses.

On Nov. 3, Denise is up for re-election for the School Board Position for Position 3. I encourage everyone in this district to vote for Denise Vogel. She has the experience to help the district overcome its financial obstacles and the passion to keep improving the education system for what matters most, our kids.

Teresa Meyer