School Board Vacancy Announcement

The South Kitsap School District board of directors operates using coherent governance. The board sets the vision and goals for the district and holds the district accountable for results. They adopt policies that guide the direction of the district. The board adopts and oversees the annual budget. They hire and evaluate the superintendent who is responsible for the operation of the school district. Each school board member contributes their unique talents and perspective while collaborating and working as a team with other board members. 

Five citizens serve on the South Kitsap School District Board of Directors, each representing one of the five director districts that make up the school district. Three of the five seats are up for election this fall. Candidates must file for office between May 15-19, 2023 at the Kitsap County Auditor’s Office Elections Division, 619 Division St in Port Orchard and the election will be November 7, 2023. To be legally eligible, a candidate must be a registered voter and a resident of the director area for which he or she files. All seats are four-year terms. Maps are available online at www.skschools.org/schoolboard. 

The three director districts up for election are: 

• District 1 (Port Orchard, Annapolis, Old Belfair Hwy, Northeast part of McCormick Woods, and Gorst) currently represented by Kate Espy
• District 2 (Manchester, Colby, Long Lake, and Waterman areas) currently represented by John Berg
• District 5 (Sidney, Southwest part of McCormick Woods, and Burley) currently represented by Jeff Daily

The South Kitsap School District board of directors holds regular scheduled meetings on the first and third Wednesday each month. A typical school board meeting includes business items such as overseeing capital project construction and approving contracts with outside vendors. There are also presentations on progress toward the district’s priority plan, monitoring of the coherent governance policies, and public comment. 

The Washington State School Directors’ Association supports those running for office through candidate workshops throughout June. Detailed information regarding the responsibilities of school board directors is available from the WSSDA website, the SKSD website at www.skschools.org or by calling the SKSD Superintendent’s Office at (360) 874-7001.