Cyndi Loza

Five people jumped into the nonpartisan race to replace Barbara Price on the Washoe County school board representing western Washoe County from Cold Springs to Washoe Valley.

1. Peggy Lear Bowen: A retired Washoe County educator and former state board of education member, wants to add teaching experience to the board.
2. Gregory Loren Hudson: A semi-retired law enforcement officer, said he wants to return common sense and accountability.
3. Barbara L. McLaury: A retired educator wants to help put policy deliberations into context from her 34-years of experience working in the district.
4. Leo Ramos: A partner in a company that buys and sells media properties, wants the school board to have more accountability.
5. Fred Turnier: Owner of a planning and consulting firm, wants to make sure the board is putting every possible dollar into the classroom.
6. Marilyn L. Rappaport’s name will be on the ballot. She missed the deadline for withdrawal but has not campaigned.

School trustees are paid $750 a month in a four-year term.

Hudson said he would push for the firing of 80 percent of the administrators, saying there are too many of them and not enough teachers.

“There’s too many chiefs and not enough indians,” Hudson said. “If they want to be teachers, fine. I’ll hire them (back) as teachers.”

That would mean fewer administrators to “waste money on their hair-brained schemes,” Hudson said.

“Kids use to be taught to be proud to be American, (but) now, they’re taught that everyone else is better than them,” Hudson said. “I bet they’re even taught gays are cooler than straight people.”

Hudson, Ramos and Turnier want more transparency in the district.

Ramos wants the school board to be more accountable by providing an understandable budget.

“I really think people care about education, just, right now, they’re skeptical, and they’re broke,” Ramos said. “We need to win back the trust and respect of dissatisfied parents and tax payers.”

Turnier said he wants more money used for classrooms.

“With the school system being the biggest bureaucracy in Washoe County, we want to make sure we’re doing things right,” Turnier said.

Bowen and McLaury cite their teaching experience.

“I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I have enough experience to put policy deliberations into context,” McLaury said.

Bowen wants to be a voice for the children.

She said she wants all students, across social economic statuses, to be served and educated equally.

Bowen added that some low-income schools do not get enough support compared to other schools.

“We shouldn’t have to rely on the community to support the basic curriculum that we are required to provide as a school district,” Bowen said.