Claire Bruncke

I like to say that I became a public school teacher by accident, but in reality, I think it was anything but an accident that I ended up at Ilwaco High School in the fall of 2017. As a third-generation educator, I was immediately drawn to the close-knit community that rallied around our students in many ways. Though many things have changed in the past six years, including my departure from being a public school teacher, the community support of students in this district has not wavered.

As news of John Holtermann’s move surfaced, I started to think about the hole his seat would leave on the Ocean Beach School Board and wondered who might step up to run, hoping it was someone who is willing to ask hard questions, who has experience in education, and who is action-oriented. After a few days of thinking (and chatting with my family), I realized that the candidate I wanted to vote for might be myself.

I declared as a write-in candidate for District Director #5 because I will bring a fresh perspective to the board. Not only do I have experience as a teacher in the district, but I continue to work closely with students and families in our district daily in my current professional role as the Executive Director of the Dylan Jude Harrell Community Center. I understand what our students and families need and am keenly aware of how critical community, family, and student input is in decisions. I believe that no decisions about you should be made without you.

In addition to being committed to collaborative decision-making and transparency, I will bring an action-oriented and strategic approach. I pride myself on my problem-solving abilities and am ready to jump head-first into tackling some of the problems facing our district; low academic achievement, chronic absenteeism, and funding challenges.

School boards play a unique role in setting a vision for the district, adopting policies that align with that vision, establishing and overseeing a budget that supports it, and ensuring that the leaders are equipped to make goals a reality. I bring experience in each of these areas not only from my current job but also from past professional roles and volunteer commitments.

It’d be a privilege to step into this role and serve the community in this way, and one I don’t take lightly. I hope to count on you to write in Claire Bruncke for District Director #5 on Nov. 7. Remember that all voters in the School District vote for all seats, so your vote counts!

I’d love to talk to anyone who wants to chat or has questions. Email: claire4office@gmail.com.

CLAIRE BRUNCKE

Ocean Park