Incumbent Director Scott Clifthorne is running to retain his seat serving District 5 on the Olympia School Board, which he was first elected to in 2017, and where he now serves as president. Clifthorne works as a negotiator for Teamster 117 and was formerly the president of the Lincoln Community Council. Previously, he was a member of the City of Olympia Community Workgroup on Homelessness.

During Clifthorne’s time on the board, Olympia was able to secure PE, art, and music teachers in all elementary schools beginning in Fall 2021. In this race, Clifthorne wants to continue expanding student opportunities, deepen lines of communication for families and schools, and address system inequities particularly relating to race, disability, and socio-economic status. With three kids enrolled in Olympia public schools and ample support from community leaders, Clifthorne will continue to bring progressive values to the board.

PTA member Rebecca Cornelius is also in this race. Cornelius works for an insurance broker agency and has no campaign website as of mid-July. Her voters’ guide statement emphasizes her focus on dismantling educational inequities and providing life skills learning, though she doesn’t offer detailed policy suggestions to accomplish these goals.

Don Mitchell is a nurse and assistant professor of nursing, who is running to utilize his expertise in child health to better his local school district, where his children are also enrolled. Mitchell is running to expand parental sway, defend standardized testing to identify and address opportunity gaps, and promote student health that includes attention to both physical and mental health.

We recommend Scott Clifthorne in this race because of his school board experience and inclusive plan for the school district.