Ketchikan’s city and borough municipal elections are October 7. There are four candidates running for two 3-year seats on the school board: incumbents Melissa Reed and Steven Thomas, as well as challengers Lindsey Johnson and Jon Schleiff.
School board members are responsible for overseeing the budget, adopting policies and hiring the superintendent — and that search for a new leader will be starting soon.
KRBD sat down with the candidates to talk about their plans if elected.
Who are you, and why are you running for school board?
Melissa Reed: My name is Melissa Reed, and I am a longtime resident of Ketchikan, a mother, a nurse and an educator. For several years, I’ve considered stepping forward to serve, and after the past year of difficult restructuring and division within our schools, I felt it was time to act. I’m running because our children deserve schools that provide not only education, but also stability, safety and nourishment. Our educators deserve clarity, respect and security in their roles, and we cannot expect excellence in the classroom if we fail to support those who equip our students for success.
Steven Thomas: My name is Steve Thomas. I’ve lived here in Ketchikan for 18 years. We have six children and six grandchildren. Five of our children live here, and six of our grandchildren live here. As a former teacher at Kayhi, I taught the woodshop [class] there for nine years, and spent 20 years in the teaching field before I retired. So I’m running for school board because I love the youth of this community. I love seeing the progression and stuff. I also see a need to continue achieving higher goals than we have set, which means that we’re going to have to improve math scores, improve English scores, improve science scores.
Lindsey Johnson: My name is Lindsey Johnson, and I’m running for school board because service over self and community is super important to me. I’ve considered running for school board for a long time in the past, but hadn’t because of time constraints. I didn’t want to commit myself to a project I couldn’t put my best effort and time towards, but I have that time now, and I chose school board because kids just get me. And I’ve had the opportunity the past few years to get to know quite a few of them in our community, and I can’t pass up the chance to be an advocate for them.
Jon Schleiff: My name is John Schleiff. I’ve been living in Ketchikan for about six years now. I’m a small business owner and a parent. I run two businesses here in town, and through that experience, I’ve learned how to lead teams with accountability and transparency, with a focus on outcomes. I’ve been looking at a run for the Ketchikan Gateway School District Board because I believe that our district needs a stronger oversight, definitely some clear communication and a renewed commitment to putting students first. Our children deserve to have a school system that prioritizes their education, not one that’s really bogged down by bureaucracy and inefficiency.
How do you differ from the other candidates?
Reed: I bring a unique combination of experiences, both a nurse and an educator. For nearly three decades, I’ve actually worked as a nurse, making hard decisions, relying on critical thinking skills and also serving in leadership roles. This has given me a clear understanding of the importance of support systems for students, parents and staff. In addition, my work as an educator has allowed me to develop curriculum, evaluate best practices and meet students where they are. This blend of health care and education experience provides me with a perspective that is both practical and compassionate, and it equips me to approach challenges with a focus on student wellbeing, academic success and community trust.
Thomas: I think one of the ways that I do differ from the other candidates is I can see all sides of the equation. Like I said, I worked as a teacher for many years, and so I see the sight of the teachers and what they want. I’ve been a parent of special needs kids. I’ve been a parent of children who’ve done really well in school. I’ve been a part of this community for 18 years. I have a feel for what the community looks for and needs in school, and I’m also willing to listen to all sides and then make a judgment call.
Johnson: I think all the candidates are bringing some great things to the table, and I look forward to working with anyone that is elected. Maybe that is what I bring to the table — a willingness to work with others, regardless of differing opinions. The school board’s a body of seven, not one, so collaboration is key, and I think research for me is key. This will be my first time in a public office, though not on a board, and I need to learn from my peers and take notes – so I’ve been emailing, calling and meeting with current board members, the interim superintendent, other candidates, borough assembly members, principals, Ketchikan Indian Community members. And every time I talk to someone, I not only learn something new, I get another name of someone who could be helpful to me in this process. So I’m here to learn and listen.
Schleiff: I bring a private sector mindset to a public service. I understand budgets, and I understand leadership, and I understand what it takes to be accountable for the results. My leadership style is opportunity driven, but results oriented. I empower people to succeed, but I also believe in owning both wins and losses. I’m not running to maintain the status quo. The things that are happening right now aren’t working. I’m running to challenge it. I’ll ask hard questions. I’ll demand transparency and advocate for practical solutions that benefit students, teachers and taxpayers.
Where do you stand on the elementary school restructuring and what are your hopes for the rest of the process?
Reed: As a community member, I did not support the elementary school restructuring. I believe we missed opportunities to meet the stated goals, and the execution has fallen short. If elected, one of my first actions will be to request an accounting audit to verify the money saved that we were promised. Moving forward, I believe we need to evaluate more than just finances. We have to look at student performance, health and wellbeing and staff satisfaction. Much like in nursing, I rely on data and assessment to determine if a plan is working. If the restructuring simply needs adjustments, we can make those, but if it’s not serving our students, the families and the staff, then we must be willing to admit it and try a different approach.
Thomas: It’s a hard one to say. It was put in before I was appointed to the school board, so there really wasn’t much I could say about it. I can’t say I agree or disagree with it. The decision was made, and the school district has to follow through with that decision. It’ll be very interesting to see how things end up this year. I know that it’s going to be tough for some families. It’s going to be great for some families. I don’t know if it was the best choice, but it was the choice that was made, and I think it’s important that the community looks at that and says, “Let’s make the best out of this situation.”
Johnson: Man, what a tough and stressful transition for everyone involved — students, staff, parents. I think change is hard, but we move forward. I think the model is promising, and I believe we have the right tools in place to make the restructuring work for our kids and meet our budgetary goals. Some schools have had much larger class sizes and a higher ratio of [Individualized Education Programs] in classrooms than others. I see the restructuring as a chance to close some of those gaps so our kids have a more equal footing. I’m also heartened that we didn’t have to close a school. If it ends up being the worst, I think it will be a lot easier to reassess and change direction if need be in our current situation, rather than if the board had decided to close a school.
Schleiff: That’s a hot topic here in town. Restructuring is never easy, but it’s sometimes necessary. And I’m not saying that this was a situation that needed to happen at this point. My concern is not really with the idea of change, it’s how that change was communicated and implemented. So there’s a lot of family and staff that deserve clarity, consistency and voice in the process. I remember going to these meetings, and it was chock full of parents, teachers and supporters of the school district to make different choices, and there’s different options, but it felt like it fell on some deaf ears. My hope is the rest of the process that centers around the students’ needs and not administrative convenience. And, you know, use this moment to build a stronger, more responsive elementary system. There are many other ways that could have saved this district money. The public definitely voiced that, and I feel, again, like it fell on deaf ears.
What do you see is the biggest obstacle that the district is facing, and how do you plan to address it if elected?
Reed: I’m running for a three-year term, and so over the next three years, I want to help create stability and strengthen trust within the Ketchikan School District. A key part of this is supporting the recruitment and retention of a permanent superintendent who can provide consistent leadership, a clear vision for our schools, and has a unique understanding of the challenges and opportunities of living in Southeast Alaska. I am also committed to ensuring sustainability and a responsible and transparent financial approach. Finally, I want to support teachers and staff so that they can focus on what matters most: helping students succeed by investing in classrooms, strengthening leadership and fostering open communication so we can build trust and move forward together.
Thomas: One of the biggest obstacles I see is finance. I think there needs to be a lot clearer picture of what the finances look like here in Ketchikan when it comes to the school district. So the other obstacle that we’re facing right now is the new superintendent. I think it’s very important that the school board, when they look at hiring their only employee, is that they look for someone with integrity, that’s honest, that has a good work ethic, can communicate, and can also see different sides.
Johnson: I think you might be hearing this a lot. I think it’s communication. And then I would just say a lack of funding as well, we can address communication issues by doing just that — communicating. I want to talk to parents about their frustrations and help people find answers, and when I don’t have them, point them in the right direction. As far as funding, funding on the state level is in stasis, despite inflation that everyone is feeling. We’re losing money federally, and funding can look a bit bleak. However, the borough is working on funding through VRBO taxes, and I think there are other creative routes we can look into as well. The district is pulling out of a crisis mode right now and entering a time where we should have funds in reserves, and that’s going to give us some flexibility, and I’m looking forward to helping the district make well-thought-out plans and strategies on the best ways to budget that reserve.
Schleiff: That’s a challenging thing to do, kind of from the outside looking in, but from what I understand at this point, I think one of the biggest things is going to be financial sustainability. I mean, every single year we’re talking about budgetary challenges and problems and what have you. But I think that’s going to be a big challenge, especially around things like health insurance costs. Budget transparency is going to be absolutely huge. Right now, the district is burdened by rising costs and definitely some unclear financial reporting on their end, and that’s unacceptable. I’ll push for the district to explore joining the state’s group health insurance plan or something like that. I think it was 2023, they were talking about putting all the teachers and staffing on a state group health insurance plan, which definitely reduced the cost. But I’d also advocate for a more transparent budget process. Clear, public reporting and accountability measures are definitely key. We need to make sure that every dollar is working for our kids, not getting lost with the red tape.
