Othello welcoming two new school board members

Results finalized Nov. 27

OTHELLO - Robert Simmons and Donald Kirkwood are in the lead for two Othello School District Board of Directors positions.

Simmons, a candidate for position two, had 70.81 percent of the votes as of Wednesday in his race against candidate Guy Graber. Donald Kirkwood, candidate for position three, had 54.23 percent of the votes in his race against candidate Eric Askren.

Results are finalized Nov. 27, according to the Adams County Auditor's Office.

All four candidates are new to the school board. Position two board member Benjamin Ruiz Jr. and position three board member Angela Kirkwood, who is Donald Kirkwood's wife, did not seek new terms.

"I'd like to say it's probably not a chance of that many coming in, but it's not over until it's over," Kirkwood said Thursday morning, when he was 120 votes ahead of Askren.

Kirkwood said he does not have a priority if elected, but he would like to improve communication.

"I think it's going to be a strong learning curve, and getting up to speed of all the information," he said of the position.

Simmons was unavailable for comment.

During his candidacy, Simmons told voters he can help the district by being open-minded, prepared and informed. He would be aware of the district and community's needs and desires, he said.

"My goal will be to represent this community to the best of my ability while staying true to the vision of the school district," Simmons told voters.

Qualifications helping Simmons fulfill the position include the lack of a personal agenda, and an ability to listen, ask questions and make informed decisions. He promised to represent the citizens as best as possible and help improve communication between the public and school board.

During his candidacy, Kirkwood told voters he wants to improve Othello schools. He said he is honest and will strive to help all students. He is willing to spend the time to improve their education.

He said his wife serves on the school board, so he has experience attending school board meetings. He said he is always available to listen to citizen concerns related to the schools. He said he watched his wife interact with the school board and learned from it, and he is familiar with difficulties facing the school board.

"We've got to have quality teachers, keep getting them and retain them," Kirkwood said.