Christa Hazel: The state of local education

Christa Hazel is halfway through the second year of her first four-year term as a Coeur d'Alene School District trustee.

She was elected in May 2013 to fill the Zone 1 seat on the five-member school board she currently chairs.

When Hazel began her term July 1, 2013, she was new to the elected position, but no newcomer to the school scene.

Through the years, Hazel has served on the board of the EXCEL Foundation, a local nonprofit that raises money to fund academic programs in the school district. She has volunteered for levy and bond campaigns. She sat for four years on the district's Long Range Planning Committee and served as its chair for one of those years.

She has been a leader in the PTA at her children's school.

And for several years before her election to serve as a trustee, she rarely missed a school board meeting.

Hazel agreed to speak with The Press about her work as a trustee and share some of her thoughts on the state of education in Coeur d'Alene.

What was it that piqued your interest in local education and motivated you to get involved? Was it being a parent, or is there more to it?

My interest stemmed from personal frustration about how the system of assigning a.m. or p.m. kindergarten slots just days before the school year started occurred for my son and other children in his class. I became a very active parent challenging the status quo, which quickly led to an invitation to volunteer for the district's Long Range Planning Committee. I admire people who get active and volunteer to help when they see a problem because it's too easy to just criticize without attempting to find solutions. I believe it's a responsibility of every citizen to commit your time and talents when you can. I discovered I really enjoy the challenges and opportunities to find solutions. I hope I am making a difference, not just for my children, but for the families we serve who may not have the ability to dedicate time in their busy schedules to advocate for all students.

Roughly how many hours do you spend each month on your trustee duties, and can you describe the main time commitments that come with the job?

There are many weeks that I easily spend 20-25 hours in service to the district on meetings, researching and reviewing district priorities and responding to emails. Sometimes I'll spend additional time volunteering on school and district-wide committees because I'm passionate about the mission of our district. A trustee's job is never just "time spent in a board meeting." I hear from parents and teachers almost daily whether by email or getting stopped in the store, and that's the part I truly love, the interaction with so many varied people who also care about our public school system.

What gives you the most joy in your work as a trustee?

I love to see momentum and progress. I love to see when a lesson presented in a classroom lights up a child's face. The moment that I am most proud of is when, as a trustee, I am given the opportunity to hand a student at Venture High School a diploma at graduation.

I admire those students for their desire to graduate regardless of the obstacles in their life and I honor our teachers who provide the support necessary for their success.

What are some of the greatest challenges?

Understanding education funding in Idaho is one of our greatest challenges because most people are confused by how it works. There are many questions about how our local schools are funded. My hope is that we can accept that challenge to unravel the mystery of school finance and strive to effectively communicate how your tax dollars are utilized.

There is a supplemental levy that voters will be asked to approve in March. You've asked for $15 million per year for each of two years, roughly $2 million per year more than the previous levy. How do you justify the need for the additional funds?

The additional funds will go to support a multi-year plan to reduce class size, a common concern I hear from parents and teachers alike. The levy will also help us purchase new curriculum materials and textbooks because many of our materials are outdated or not available for a student to take home. The upcoming levy allows for the district to pay for the educational services and needs in our schools that are not provided for with state and federal funding. Until Idaho changes the way we fund our local schools, it is essential for us to get local voter approval for many of the services we provide our local children.

How do you respond to criticism of Idaho's education system, especially that the state is frequently placed near the bottom of the list in various education rankings?

I believe Idaho can and will do a better job preparing our students for college, career and beyond. While many want to talk about how we arrived near the bottom, I want to focus my time on how and when we can see improvement. As a trustee and as a mother who helps with nightly homework, I believe adopting higher standards is a giant step in the right direction.

Is there something you wish more people knew about Coeur d'Alene public schools?

I am extremely proud of our Coeur d'Alene public schools. I am a product of our public school system and made a conscious decision for my children to attend public school here in Coeur d'Alene. The district continues to be a leader throughout the state in academic achievement, diversity of student programs and opportunities for parent choice. Our test results show that our district scores well above the state average. I'm very proud that in the last 10 years, our graduation rate has increased and we are below the state and national averages in college dropout rates. While there are many things to be said about public education in general as a national issue of interest, I believe locally we are doing the best we can with what we have to prepare our students.

If you had the power to make any change you want to public education in Idaho, what would it be?

I'm encouraged our state leaders are willing to examine education funding. Short term, I would like to see the state fund our classrooms based on enrollment rather than average daily attendance, which is an overly confusing formula in my opinion. Long term, my hope is that we could have serious dialogue about the philosophy that places such responsibility on the local district taxpayer. To maintain programs, we must ask for a vote every two years. To build school buildings, we must get local voter approval and our buildings are fully funded locally. We are fortunate to have such a supportive, generous community but I believe Coeur d'Alene is unique in this regard. I wish our community could see tax relief by way of broadening the tax base statewide. I want to see the state fund education, as I believe, the Idaho Constitution promises it will.