Candidates for Vail Unified School District governing board. From left: Allison Pratt, Andre P. Mixon, Christopher King, Callie Tippett. Not pictured: Kimberly Fargusson.

 Courtesy of the candidates

Four candidates are vying for three seats on the Vail School District governing board up for election in November.

Board members Callie Tippett and Allison Pratt are both running for reelection, and district parents and community members Andre Mixon and Chris King are seeking seats on the board for the first time.

Candidate Kimberly Fargusson notified the Pima County Schools Superintendent office that she plans to withdraw from the race, but she hasn’t submitted the paperwork to do so. She didn’t respond to emails from the Star.

The Vail school district serves about 14,000 children.

CALLIE TIPPETT

Vail governing board president Tippett has served on the board for the last four years.

During that time, she worked to ensure teachers received pay increases allotted through Gov. Doug Ducey’s 20-by-2020 plan, to implement full-day kindergarten and to open Mica Mountain High School.

Tippett’s three children attend Vail schools.

Before serving on the board, she was a founding member of the Vail Parent Network where she advocated for school funding issues and the restoration of JTED funding and other critical school funding sources, she says.

One of her top issues is providing parents with quality education choices.

“Public district schools can be as creative and innovative as other types of schools; we do this very well in Vail,” she says. “I am dedicated to providing parents with as many varied academic, vocational, athletic and artistic opportunities as our funding will allow.”

Tippett is a supporter of JTED and career and technical education programs, saying they are critical to teaching students important and practical skills, preparing them for careers in many fields.

She is also concerned with finding new and innovative ways of educating during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I believe the pandemic has provided us an opportunity to disrupt the traditional ways education has been offered,” she says. “We are learning new ways to serve children and families.”

Tippett says as a parent she sees first-hand how educational issues affect families and students.

“I am invested in our community,” she said. “I connect regularly with other parents and families. As issues arise, I am deliberate about seeking families from varying circumstances to understand the impact decisions will have on them.”

ALLISON PRATT

Pratt has been on the Vail governing board for five years. She was first appointed to the board before winning an election four years ago.

She says if reelected, she will work on building trust with parents, staff members and the community.

“The last six months have been divisive for our district and community, and I want to work to bring people together and feel united in a common goal of educating our children,” she said. “I have built and invested in relationships within my community and will use these relationships to understand the work we need to do to build trust.”

Distillers at Whiskey Del Bac harvest several barrels of whiskey on, Oct. 2, 2020. The process includes checking fluid levels in the barrels, tasting for quality and pouring the whiskey into a vat where water will be added before going onto bottling. (Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star)

While on the board, she’s served on several committees including the planning committee for Mica Mountain High School.

One of Pratt’s top issues is to work with other board members to meet the needs of students, their families and staff through the changing pandemic situation.

“I have worked to be a collaborative and cohesive board member by working with current members to build relationships, have respectful conversations and work through difficult situations,” she said. “I have enjoyed working with and learning from our current and past superintendents and district administration.”

Pratt is running for reelection because she is passionate about providing quality education for students in Vail, she said.

“I want families to have options that fit their unique needs,” she said. “I want to ensure our staff members have the tools and resources necessary to successfully educate our students. I want our staff to feel supported and valued in their role.

“I will continue to listen to parents, teachers and staff to sustain the positive culture in Vail.”

ANDRE MIXON

Mixon works as a trauma therapist in vulnerable communities after a career in the US Army, including several years as a Department of Defense firefighter.

His three children attend Vail schools, giving him the opportunity to serve on site councils at various campuses and to be part of a planning committee for a new school.

“My love and gratitude for the Vail School District has only grown stronger over the last 14 years as a volunteer, and I seek to give back and serve the district that has given so much to my family,” he said.

Aside from site council commitments, Mixon volunteers with the Vail Parent Network and the Vail School District Cultural Competency Committee.

“I have become deeply invested in the Vail schools, the greater Vail community and the success of VUSD students, and I strongly believe that the Vail School District is the best district in the state,” he said.

As the last six months have been a greater challenge for parents and the school district than any time in history, the challenges are not likely to be over soon and board members are volunteering long hours to make difficult decisions based on their understanding of the complex inner workings of the district and what they believe is best for students and families, Mixon says.

“My many years of experience with school level planning and governance, the relationships I have built with VUSD families, staff and community members and deep knowledge base about VUSD make me confident that I can serve as a successful member of the governing board.”

CHRIS KING

King retired from the U.S. Air Force after a 20-year career and has a son and a daughter who attended Vail schools.

He’s a certified substitute teacher and works at local middle and high schools.

He has also served on numerous boards in the community in a variety of capacities, he said.

His three top issues in the district are safety, community and respect.

The governing board should be attentive to all stakeholders’ needs to improve on the safety of students, staff and teachers, he said.

“Students need to feel safe in all aspects of their learning environment in order to obtain the maximum benefit of instruction,” he said. “Staff needs to feel safe in order to achieve the highest levels of efficiency. Finally, teachers have the same need to feel safe in order to conduct the highest levels of instruction.”

King emphasized the need for respect among students, staff and leadership.

“I see respect in terms of being responsible with, in addition to the resources acquired with taxpayer money,” he said.

King says he would bring to the board 20 years of leadership experience as well as the ability to look at problems from a pragmatic perspective.

“I believe the choice the voters make is entirely up to them,” he said. “All the candidates have strengths and will bring them to bear if elected or reelected.”

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Contact reporter Danyelle Khmara at dkhmara@tucson.com or 573-4223. On Twitter: @DanyelleKhmara