May 19, 2026
Special Directors Board Meeting
Present: Directors Gary Wilson, Ginny Gronwoldt, Julie Bocanegra, Rob Perkins and Superintendent Moloney
Agenda: Director Gronwoldt moved, Director Bocanegra seconded. Motion Passed
Interviews of potential candidates for the school board. Each interviewee will have up to 30 minutes and will be asked the same questions. This is a summary.
Angelo Gonzalez: The future health of the community depends on the youth. He wants to ensure a good school district. He has served in a variety of services such as juvenile detention. It has given him the background for dealing with troubled youth. Recognizes that students with behavioral issues can disturb the rest of the students. Wants to ensure that all students have a fair chance. He is concerned that budget cuts are cutting out the extracurricular activities. He wants to partner with other organizations in the community that are doing these activities. Self-esteem is important. These activities help. He is currently working for a non profit that provides mental health services. His constituents would be the families in crisis. However he represents everyone. He has raised a child and understands what parents deal with. He knows that this job will take time and he is willing to do it. He has not voted in any of the levy elections and he is open to running for the job during the election. His "child" was actually a 7 year old sister when he was 18. He was in the military so they moved a lot so there were concerns and she had IEPs. He wanted to know what the board is looking for in a candidate. He believes the board is governance and not management. That is for the superintendent and teachers. The board should not micromanage. He believes in transparency. Follow through and be consistent. Finally, be collaborative and creative.
Deb Swope: She just retired, lives in district four and wants to be involved in the community. She was on a school board in Texas. She learned about education law and education theory. When there is a problem, she likes to look for common ground and seek solutions. She has looked at the district’s strategic plan. If the district could actually follow the plan then kids would succeed. She hopes that the district will demand success from the students. She has looked at the OSPI snapshot of the data on the district. She analyzed the data (that was her background) and compared it to other districts. The students in Evergreen are not at the levels the state establishes. Community members should have a voice, speak up at meetings, and participate in the schools. Represents everyone particularly the taxpayer. Since she is retired she has lots of time to serve on the board. Always votes. She may run in the November election but also knows how hard it can be. Not sure. This would not be a stepping stone to another political office. Asked the board how they feel things are going. Director Perkins said the budget cuts have been heart wrenching. Director Wilson said there have been challenges on many fronts. The turnover of superintendents has not been good. He is hoping Superintendent Moloney will be around. The board clearly liked her. She had a very down to earth, grandma feel.
Willie Williams: He believes every student deserves a good learning environment. He cares deeply about public education. He has five kids. His oldest just graduated. He has the ability to bring people together and to collaborate. Students thrive when they feel valued. Offer extracurricular activities. He believes students should have a voice. Involve parents and community members. There should be transparency. He believes the board has been student centered. The board needs to rebuild trust with the community. When looking at budget cuts, put students first. He was a classroom teacher. He works in a district office (Evergreen?). He is good at bringing people together. He has volunteered regularly at his children’s schools. He says he has the time for meetings and to visit schools. He regularly votes. He has done voter registration drives. Yes, he is interested in running for the board in the fall. He was teacher of the year and athletic director of the year. He has fought for equity. He wanted to know what the district’s biggest issues are in equity. He also asked what makes a good board member. What would the board want a new member to contribute?
Robin Bauman Has a passion for education and building community. Had a career in financial planning. Now she wants to go in a different direction. She took the paraeducator workshop. She likes the goals of the district but recognizes that it is very difficult to obtain that. The teachers are fantastic. Since Evergreen is a bigger district there should be opportunities to do more. She feels the district is going in the right direction in improving communication. She feels that morale is low and would like to see it turned around. Has served on several boards. Is active in a faith community, volunteers in the schools and has connections through her kids’ activities. She lives in a very connected neighborhood. It’s important to reach out to the various constituents. She votes in every election. Disappointed that the state is not supporting the schools more. She would run for this position in the fall. She is an avid reader, watches local news and the weather!
Tonya English, She works at Peace Northwest and before that ESD 112 so she has the chance to observe various districts. Her children are in Evergreen. There should be a bridge between family and community. Her strength is that she does that in her job. Schools should not be siloed. There are organizations that want to come in and help. Evergreen needs to work on communication with parents. It is important that the board be diverse. She is Latina and would bring that diversity. She serves on several boards. Her constituents would be English Learning individuals and disabled students. Her job is flexible so she has time to do the board work. She always votes. She worked on passing the levy. She would run for the position in the fall. She is there to represent communities that don’t have a voice. She asked the board what are they looking for in a new board member.