Bessett and Merriel ahead in Soap Lake school district race

SOAP LAKE - Two Soap Lake residents are in the lead for positions on the Soap Lake School District Board of Directors.

Jerry Bessett, a candidate for position three, received 63 percent of votes counted as of Tuesday evening. Results are certified Nov. 27, according to the Grant County Auditor's Office.

Incumbent Linda Hoffman, who served on the board since 1989, died in October after battling cancer.

Steve Merriel, a candidate for position one, received 58 percent of votes counted as of Tuesday evening. Incumbent Dean Lundgren received 42 percent of votes.

Bessett told voters he wanted to restore pride in the schools and trust in board decisions. He promised to ensure laws and policies are followed and not abused, contracts are honored and hiring practices are fair. He said he would work to restore morale among students and staff and he would make sure everyone is heard. Maintenance was the biggest facility issue he identified in the district.

"The football field and track facilities need to be looked at immediately for improvement in the next couple of years," he told voters. "I feel we need to be looking at grant money for these projects."

Merriel told voters he wanted to help students, teachers and staff succeed. He said funding for the school district is an issue, along with cleanliness of the schools. Merriel said the school track is in poor shape and the grandstands were condemned. He wanted to replace and repair the grandstands and track, and keep them maintained. A proper order of business needs to be re-established on the school board, he told voters. He said he wanted to help the school board become more proactive, transparent, and answer to citizen concerns.