City of Lake Tapps

Rocca Lamanna is running for Sumer-Bonney Lake School District Board of Directors, District 2. He is an associate vice provost for Golden Gate University in San Francisco. Born and raised in Washington, he returned to Lake Tapps in 2020 after earning a master's in Organizational Development and an EdD in Educational Leadership and Management. Lamanna has two adopted sons who attend school in the district and has worked with local administrators to advocate for them and increase a sense of inclusion in the district for all students.

Lamanna's top three priorities are school safety, building community, and finding common ground to advance student outcomes. He wants to work with the district to improve the recruitment and retention of diverse school staff and ensure that the local curriculum stays historically accurate.

His opponent in this race is incumbent Paul Williams, a Republican Party-endorsed candidate. His top priorities are parent engagement and academic growth. Williams vaguely alludes to the politicization of schools on his website. However, he doesn't commit to keeping schools inclusive of all students and forgoing conservative trends of attempting to ban books and whitewash curriculums of different cultures and stories.

Lamanna has been endorsed by the local Democrats and education advocates who believe in his vision for education in the district. He is the best choice in this race.
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Incumbent Kevin Lewis is running for Sumner-Bonney Lake School District, Board Director 3. Lewis' reelection campaign aims to continue his work in ensuring that schools remain safe, inclusive, and high-functioning. He has served in the community on the Donald Eismann Elementary and McAlder Elementary PTAs, as well as on the district's Equity Advisory Committee, among other leadership roles.

Lewis is proud that the district's enrollment and financial stability are strong, and that graduation rates continue to rise. Workforce programming has also helped students land jobs across different industries post-graduation. Lewis' progressive foundations drive him to continue looking for full funding for the resources our schools depend on, including bus drivers, technology, and more.

Lewis' opponent is right-wing candidate Denis Caron, who was recently outed by The News Tribune as a Moms for Liberty-supported candidate. Caron was caught on audio stating that he would "devise a way to bring our family values and our community values into the schools... We've spent a lot of years trying to dive away from bringing things like God into schools, we've spent a lot of time sort of sweeping him away, I don't think that's okay."

Washington schools don't need religious, hyper-polarizing politics interrupting our students' ability to receive a modern education. Vote Kevin Lewis for Sumner-Bonney Lake School Board.
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William "Bill" Gaines is running for the Sumner-Bonney Lake School Board of Directors, District 4. Gaines worked as a classroom teacher for 15 years, as a building principal for 21, and as an assistant superintendent for another 5. He also worked with the Renton Teacher's Association and was the negotiation lead for the Sumner Principal Association.

Gaines is aiming to continue his passion for education and advocacy in this role, using his extensive school experience to elevate student success, listen to community members, and create a respectful environment for students and staff. He has been endorsed by local Democrats and teachers for his unifying vision for the district.

Running against Gaines is Paul Monsen, whose conservative campaign is supported by the county Republicans, far-right religious groups, and Moms for Liberty, an organization looking to ban books from school libraries and eliminate comprehensive and age-appropriate sex education. He has worked as a plumber and a mechanical company superintendent. 

The school board is no place to push divisive agendas that alienate students and prevent them from achieving a modern education. Vote Gaines for Sumner-Bonney Lake School Board, District 4.
 

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