For Sandy Whitaker, her reasons to file for reelection to Humboldt’s USD 258 school board are simple enough. “I love kids. I love helping kids,” she said with a smile. “I love children, animals, and older people. And I’m starting to love myself more and more.”
Good-natured and quick to laugh, Whitaker has been on the board “for about forever. If this isn’t my 19th year, it’s my 20th.” Whitaker, who just turned 60, is a real estate agent for Wagon Wheel Agency in Chanute, but most of her time is spent caring for several hundred cattle. In fact, she arrived at the interview with her arm in a brace; she had broken her wrist in a side-by-side accident the week before out in a pasture. It didn’t even stop her from missing that night’s board meeting.
“I live east of Humboldt, out in the country. It’s actually a Savonburg address. In the middle of nowhere, which I love,” she said. She has two adult children, Andrew and Angela, who work for Whitaker Aggregates. Angela’s two children are now school-age and enrolled in USD 258. “With my grandkids, I have skin in the game again,” said Whitaker. “Both of my kids graduated from Humboldt, so I went a lot of years without having kids in the school system. But now it’s a lot of fun.”
HUMBOLDT’S school board election next month is particularly competitive, with 10 candidates vying for four open positions. Whitaker feels her experience sets her apart, especially as the district works through a bond issue.
“I have a lot of experience. I’m supportive and like to communicate. I’m always open to concerns,” said Whitaker. “I enjoy it. It can be a lot of work sometimes, much more than what most people see.”
Whitaker, who grew up in Gridley, sees the district as in a much different place than when she started on the board.
“We have many more out-of-district students now,” she said. “I’m glad so many people are interested in our schools, and I’m proud of our district. I’m proud of our students, staff, administration and now, our facilities.”
She also points to an issue that makes every teacher’s heart jump into their throat.
“One of my big things is safety. I hate that we have to worry about it, but for students to learn and be comfortable, they have to be safe. We didn’t talk about that when I started, but now it’s one of my biggest concerns.”
Lastly, Whitaker wants to improve the district’s communication, citing a recent strategic plan the district completed. “The big conclusion was that we need more and better communication with parents, community leaders, and students. In this age, that seems easy, but it isn’t.”
REGARDING the district’s vote last March to reject moving to a four-day school week, Whitaker is comfortable with how the board handled the discussion.
“I’m willing to look at it again, but at the time we were voting on it, I don’t think there was enough information for me to make that decision,” she said. “It would have been a big change. I didn’t feel there was enough communication and information, and I know that’s hard because there aren’t a lot of districts that have moved to a four-day week.
“But I pride myself on being open-minded. So even if I don’t agree, I will listen. And oftentimes I can change my mind,” she observed.
Whitaker trusts Humboldt voters and has no real plan to campaign. “It’s a small community, and most people know me. People know what’s going on, too. Voters won’t go into the election blindly.
“I’m proud of what we’re doing. I think we’ve made a lot of progress,” she said. “I like to be involved and am very proud of the Humboldt community.”
