Who needs term limits?
Davis County Board of Education members Dixie Hill and Dan Eastman are quitting after only one and two terms, respectively."I had a few things that I was interested in, and we addressed those," Hill said. "People really don't stay long on this board."
Both incumbents have earned their leisure: Eastman is board president, and Hill works with the Utah High School Activities Association - a tough assignment.
Barbara Smith, the third incumbent whose seat is up for grabs, seeks re-election.
Of the three open spots, only Precinct 3 (Hill's) will be contested in the primary election June 25. Its three candidates will be whittled down to two. Four people had filed, but local attorney Bruce Richards withdrew Monday. Ballots already had been printed with his name, but his votes will not be counted, the county clerk's office said.
There are two candidates each in Precinct 1 (Smith) and Precinct 2 (Eastman). They won't go head to head until the November general election. A third candidate, Gary Porter, originally filed in Precinct 2 but later withdrew.
How to handle growth was the issue most often mentioned by the Precinct 3 candidates. They were specifically concerned with reducing class sizes, maintaining and expanding buildings and infra-struc-ture and hiring qualified teachers.
Most candidates reflected predominantly conservative Davis County in their stands against gay/lesbian clubs and guns in schools. Those have been hot issues of late in other school districts, though they have not gone much beyond the discussion stage in Davis County.
School board elections are non-partisan.
PRECINCT 3
Bruce McGraw
Address: 841 E. 250 South, Kaysville
Age: 46
Occupation: Salesman for Instrumentors Supply
Experience: Served as president of Toastmasters International and Kaysville Jaycees, active in Scouting, member of U.S. Naval Reserve.
Personal: 15-year Kaysville resident, wife Gayle, five children.
Favorite campaign issues: McGraw's incentive for running was an incident involving his son, Paul, at Davis High School. Paul and friends had published a flier defaming an assistant principal, and he was punished by being transferred to another school. McGraw thought the punishment didn't fit the crime and objected to various aspects of the disciplinary process. He wants to put the process under the direct control of the school board.
Gay/lesbian clubs: He's against them. "We're dealing with a behavior that, whether you understand it or not, is illegal. . . . It's the equivalent of having a club for shoplifters."
Guns in school: "I've got pros and cons both ways and they change day by day . . I don't think guns have a place in school, and yet I don't know."
Reason you should vote for him: "I care about the issues that are in the school policy enough, because my kids are in school, to run. The district and administrators have lost their perspective on who they serve."
Quirky tidbit: McGraw has a federal license to manufacture and shoot off fireworks. He does Kaysville's Independence Day display every year.
Marian Storey
Address: 1370 N. Highway 89, Kaysville.
Age: 63
Occupation: Retired school-teacher.
Experience: "I've never held political office, but I've been on hundreds of committees that feed into the school board." Also, she was named Davis School District's Teacher of the Year in 1994.
Personal: 32-year Kaysville resident, husband Frank, three children and nine grandchildren.
Favorite campaign issues: Growth is the district's greatest challenge. "We've got to do things to reduce the class size. We can't just continue building buildings. It's just not feasible. We've got to do some creative thinking to get class sizes down."
Gay/lesbian clubs: While not taking an official stand on the issue, she does believe the Salt Lake City Board of Education was rash in its decision. "I think there needed to be more community input," she said.
Guns in school: "I do not believe that teachers should be toting guns. I think that there are other ways to have safe schools besides arming the administration and the teachers."
Reason you should vote for her: "My entire life has been dedicated to education. I know education. I know my community. If you know that the school board's major job is to set policy, then you need someone who knows the educational process."
Quirky tidbit: Plays bridge with a group of women who were high school and college friends. They have been playing together for 35 years.
Lew Swain
Address: 1688 N. Canyon Road, Farmington.
Age: 47
Occupation: Commercial real estate developer.
Experience: Never ran for office. Served on an architectural and contractor selection committee for Davis School District.
Personal: 10-year resident of Farmington, wife Patrice, six children.
Favorite campaign issue: Swain said growth is the toughest issue facing the district. He said his experience in commercial real estate gives him the skills to handle the issues of financing for capital improvements. Swain also wants to find a way to compensate the district's best teachers in order to keep them in the classroom.
Gay/lesbian clubs: "I think it's imperative that our district does not support illegal activity, (but) we also need an environment where all students enjoy safety and a non-threatening environment. I believe those two issues have to be compatible."
Guns in school: "There should be no debate," Swain said. "You should not be in a school with a concealed weapon."
Reason you should vote for him: "I understand the process of providing physical facilities, budgeting for them and getting them constructed on budget and on time. I believe that I add a dimension that would complement the other members of the board.
Quirky tidbit: "I find a great deal of relaxation in digging in dirt. I love to get dirty in the back yard. The harder I work, the more relaxed I seem to be."