By Beacon Staff
Seven candidates are running for three open seats on the Burlington School board, and four of those candidates addressed the public Wednesday, Oct. 20 during a forum hosted by the Greater Burlington Partnership.
Darven Kendell, the only incumbent school board member running for reelection, attended the forum as did new candidates Christi Burghoffer, Scott Mason, and Tammy Anderson. Candidates Reyna Cadena, Jennifer Lachenberg, and Jennifer Gibb did not attend the forum.
Board members Tom Courtney and Dean Vickstrom both declined to run for reelection this year.
Questions for the candidates were randomly drawn with some candidates getting the same question. The Burlington Beacon was allowed one question for all the candidates to answer: how would the candidates deal with COVID-19 going forward, and what is their opinion on mask mandates?
The candidates were split evenly, with Christi Burghoffer and Tammy Anderson saying masks should be a parental choice. Mason and Kendell said they are in favor of mandates when necessary. The Burlington School District currently has a mask mandate in place for all its schools.
The candidates also got a chance to introduce themselves.
Tammy Anderson
“I want to be a voice for the parents,” Anderson said.
Anderson said she wants to fight for the rights of parents to make their own health decisions for their children.
“I want to be able to support our teachers and support staff as well. I want to work as a team to continue to improve children’s education,” she said.
Anderson has three children who have been taught in the district and pointed to teachers as the district's main strength.
Christi Burghoffer
“I was raised in this area, and graduated from BHS myself,” Burghoffer said.
Burghoffer worked at an elementary school for five years and is now a stay-at-home mom to four boys. Her oldest son is a 2021 BHS graduate.
“I’m a great listener, and I stand strong in my convictions and beliefs. I’m also known for my thorough research and diligence, studying all I can about a topic. This is a quality that I feel is very beneficial to this position, as my decisions aren’t emotionally driven or driven by personal gain,” she said.
Darven Kendell
“I’m a lifelong Burlington resident,” Kendell said.
Kendell works for the DMC Regional Waste Commission, and his children are products of the Burlington school system. His daughter just graduated in May.
“My family’s roots are deep in public education, and I have always been passionate about volunteering and the importance of giving back to our community,” he said.
Kendell said the best school board members work to use taxpayer dollars wisely and are mindful that decisions affect all the students – not just their own children.
Scott Mason
“I’m a lifer,” Mason said.
That applies to his life with BHS, as well as Burlington itself. A 1990 graduate of the high school, Mason was the truancy officer for the district for over a decade.
Mason said his primary goal will be finding a good superintendent to replace Pat Coen, who retires at the end of the year.
“There are voices that need to be heard, and I don’t know that they feel, those being the faculty, that they’re being heard enough," Mason said.