The four candidates running for three open seats on the Sedona-Oak Creek School District Governing Board agree on one thing: If elected, they would freeze SOCSD Superintendent David Lykins’ salary until district teachers’ earn a living wage.

“I think that’s the direction we should go,” candidate Heather Hermen said during the League of Women Voters Greater Verde Valley-hosted candidate forum held Wednesday, Sept. 28, at the Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley.

“I wasn’t aware he was seeking a raise,” candidate Karl Wiseman said. “But there’s no raise [for Lykins] in my foreseeable future.”

Asked whether they would take Sedona Red Rock News Managing Editor Christopher Fox Graham’s suggestion to buy out Lykins’ contract and “search for a new, qualified superintendent” [“School board candidates must correct course,” NEWS, Sept. 2], the candidates answered that they would not.

“He’s under contract,” candidate Larry Garnello said. “That’s an astronomical amount of money for a district to pay.”

“I’m not a believer in buying contracts out,” said candidate Randy Hawley — an experienced educator and administrator — adding that he was not sure the district’s problems could be attributed to Lykins alone. “I don’t think it’s fair to pin any one person as the one responsible.”

Wiseman, who served on SOCSD Governing Board President Zachary Richardson’s original election committee, said that he has “no issues” with Lykins and added, “Dave has taken all the heat for the failures of the board.”

Herman said that buying our Lykins’ contract would be too expensive. She did not disagree about Lykins being removed, however, and pointed out that a school district in Park City, Utah, had recently removed its superintendent and successfully divvied up the administrator’s tasks among a group of people.

Criticism of SOCSD’s administration drew repeated applause from the audience, specifically when it came to the lack of significant movement in increasing teacher salaries — and, by extension, retaining teachers.

“We should all be embarrassed about what we offer teachers,” Hawley said. He recommended using foundation funds to purchase supplies and other school necessities, freeing up funds to increase educator wages.

Garnello echoed Hawley, adding that if SOCSD does not quickly raise salaries it would not be able to attract and keep good teachers: “It’s definitely a concern, us losing teachers.”

“It’s almost a joke, so I’m not going to say anything,” Wiseman quipped, but added that a “rigorous curriculum” and monetary investment in teachers is necessary to right low test scores and lackluster teacher retention.

Wiseman and Herman agreed that the district’s budget would need to be simplified in order for the five-person board to determine present needs and keep the public informed of where the district is putting resources.

A question about whether the candidates intended to frequently visit schools instead of staying in “ivory towers like the current board does” resulted in laughter.

“I can’t imagine taking this job and not visiting every classroom in the district,” Wiseman said.

While in agreement, Hawley said that visiting board members could cause disruption to a school if they did not seek permission to visit first.

Increasing communication between the district, the community and the media — the NEWS, in particular — was another of the evening’s common themes, with all candidates expressing support for more positive working relationships.

Garnello lamented the portrayal of SOCSD in the NEWS, and called repeatedly for more positive interaction between the district and the paper.

“I’ve never experienced the animosity we have now, and it’s all due to lack of communication,” Garnello said.

Challenging Garnello’s claim that the NEWS was in part responsible for the public’s negative perception of the district, Hermen said, “When there’s bad news and it gets printed, it’s because there’s a problem.”

“I talk to so many people and they just feel marginalized by what’s happened the last three to four years,” Hawley said, adding that it is the board’s responsibility to gather community input and promote what good is happening in the district.

Despite reservations about the district’s recent direction, candidates expressed hope for the future, saying that three new board members would do much to change the course of the district going forward.

Notably absent from the proceedings was Lykins himself.

SOCSD Governing Board Vice President Karen McClelland said that she had not expected the superintendent to come, as the forum would be often be focused on issues related to Lykins’ performance and employment.

The morning after the forum, Richardson issued a statement.

“No one asked the most important questions of the candidates relating to the primary task facing any board, which is the hiring of a superintendent,” Richardson stated. “The superintendent has the most control over the district, even more than the board. The superintendent must have the same vision as the board, or the district is in trouble.

“In hindsight, our board made the mistake of hiring a superintendent from within the district at a time when we needed a strong person from the outside.

“The previous boards had hired superintendents from outside who were both failures, so a task such as this requires tremendous insight. The voters need to know much more about how these candidates will approach hiring the next superintendent as this important task will face them in two years or less.”