Candidate for Reardan-Edwall School Board: Brian Benham

Age: 39

Family: My wife Ashleigh and I have been married for 15 years. We have three children, Myleigh 14, Zoey Jo 12, and Dean 6. We enjoy Hunting, Fishing, and Raising Livestock.

Day Job: I am the IT Service Desk Manager for a local IT firm in Spokane Valley.

Relevent or Volunteer Experience: I have been involved with many different organizations over the past 20 years. When living in Pend Oreille County I was on three different boards. POC Fair Board, Pend Oreille Youth Sports Association Board, and the Cusick PTO. Since moving to Reardan almost four years ago I have been involved with the Athletics Boosters, Spokane Interstate Fair Livestock Boosters, and The Lincoln County Fair Lamb and Goat Barn.

Profile questions (please respond in 100 words or less per answer):

Question 1: The School District will soon face key decisions about how to proceed with an aging high school that will either need to be remodeled or rebuilt in the next decade. As a school board member, how would you help assess the correct direction and funding model for such a large-scale project?

As a board member, I feel one of the most important responsibilities is being aware of how large-scale projects affect the district's taxpayers. Being fiscally responsible and making every attempt to find grants and other matching funds when proposing remodels or rebuilds is critical.

I believe that including the community, staff, and maybe even the current student body will help to identify some of the shortcomings within the current facilities. Using that information will allow the board to determine what needs to be replaced or rebuilt in the most cost-effective way.

Question 2: Historically, School District voters in Lincoln County vote in favor of levies and bonds when posed on the ballot, while voters in Spokane County generally vote against them. An example would be last year's capital projects levy that failed due to overwhelming opposition in Spokane County. Why do you think this disconnect exists, and how should the district aim to close that gap?

Being a large school district bordering four other districts within Spokane County, this means many of the residents within our district have many options when it comes to schools their children can attend. Many of the ones voting No, I feel do not have students attending Reardan. I think some tough decisions may be on the horizon.

Maybe we need to look at readjusting our district boundaries. Choices like this are never easy and require careful consideration. Seeking the help of a consultant to aggregate data for the board might be an option.

Question 3: How would you help maintain a balanced District budget amidst continually rising costs and inflation? If budget issues someday led to tough decisions, such as deciding between staff layoffs and program cuts, how would you inform those choices as a Board member?

Being good stewards of the taxpayer's dollars is important to me. Being a board member is not an easy job and will require making decisions that can affect many within our small community.

Program cuts and staff layoffs are sad realities when funds fall short. If layoffs were on the table, I would first look at staff who are close to retirement and see if we could offer a severance package to cut costs. Please remember the board will always do what's best for the children of the district and having the community's trust and support goes a long way.