Incumbent director Graciela Villanueva is running for re-election to Yakima School Board, Position 1. Villanueva works in human resources for the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic and has been in her current school board position since 2014.

Villanueva has an actionable vision for the school district that includes improving learning goals and equitable outcomes. She is running to continue building upon past successes in her board tenure such as lowering the district’s dropout rate and adding more supportive student services. If re-elected, she will continue bringing experienced, community-driven leadership to the school district. Villanueva wants to continue fostering student success, invest in early childhood education, utilize data to make Yakima schools more equitable, and strengthen accountability between the school board and the district it serves.

Challenging Villanueva is Kenton Gartrell, a small business owner, Republican precinct committee officer, and anti-mask protester. Gartrell is a member of Citizen Courage, a right-wing, Christian political group in the area made up of “dual citizens, with one foot planted firmly in heaven and the other here on earth” that wants to stack the school board and other local government with very conservative candidates. He and his fellow candidates in the Trump-style “Save Yakima” slate do not represent the values or needs of the community.

Graciela Villanueva is the obvious choice in this race for Yakima School Board, Director Position 1.