By Deb Risden
On Nov. 4, voters will be selecting two candidates for the District 49 Board of Education.
The New Falcon Herald sent four questions to the candidates, and three provided their answers. Candidates Ivy Liu, District 1, and Chris Harrel, District 4, did not respond to requests to participate.
Here are the questions; the unedited answers are listed below for the three candidates who did respond.
Please highlight your qualifications for becoming a D 49 board director, and what you feel your role should be on the board.
Will you comment on the list of financial supporters disclosed in your campaign finance report and discuss what these donations mean for your priorities if elected?
Throughout the country, there are movements to bring religion into the public school system. What is your stance on church and state separation?
Are you knowledgeable of the district’s budget, including expenditures and funding sources?
Holly Withers, District 1
- My greatest qualification is being a parent of D49 public school students, giving me firsthand experience with our district’s strengths and challenges. Professionally, I bring 15+ years of leadership experience in managing teams, budgets and complex decisions. These skills help me collaborate, analyze information and make data-driven choices. The role of a board member is to oversee, not run the schools. We are stewards of public funds and responsible for setting vision, ensuring accountability, and representing all constituents. My focus is ensuring every student has what they need, taxpayer dollars are used responsibly, and teachers are supported.
2. D49 offers multiple committees and communication tools that invite parent participation. The parent portal provides access to grades, attendance, and syllabi, and teachers regularly communicate via email or apps like ClassDojo. While engagement opportunities exist, I’d like to see continued encouragement for parents to use these tools and join advisory roles like committees, or the PTA.
3. My campaign is entirely grassroots, funded by parents, grandparents, teachers, and community members. These donations show trust in my commitment to students and families, not outside interests. My priorities remain focused on serving the local community and ensuring transparency and accountability.
4. I firmly support the separation of church and state. Public schools are funded by taxpayers of all faiths and must remain neutral, welcoming spaces for every student. Religion is personal and should never be imposed through public education. As a board member, I’ll ensure our focus stays on academics, critical thinking, and opportunity for all students, protecting both religious freedom and inclusion.
Jamilynn D’Avola, District 1
1. My 17 years of teaching experience makes me knowledgeable about the types of instruction that are the most effective. As a board member, it is my role to evaluate the superintendent, set strategic goals for the district, and make financial decisions to better serve our students so they can be successful adults and contributing members of society.
2. I believe parents are more valued in our schools than in surrounding school districts. We as a board adopted our Parents Bill of Rights and Responsibilities, outlining how parents have the right to know everything that is happening with their children. Our policies state nothing should ever be done without the parents’ knowledge.
3. My donors are grandparents, parents, and community members who want to make sure every child is receiving the best education. They believe in parents’ rights, school choice, and family values. They want to make sure girls are being protected by not allowing boys in girls’ sports, locker rooms, and bathrooms. They want schools to instill a love of America and the principles on which our nation was built.
4. “Separation of church and state” is not in our founding documents. This was pulled from a letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Church in response to their concern that government would interfere with their faith. He reassured them that there is a “wall of separation between church and state,” meaning that government cannot dictate what someone can and cannot do in exercising their faith. For two hundred years, children read the Bible, prayed, and learned to read with alphabets/primers based on scripture. The ten commandments were posted, and character lessons were rooted in Biblical truths. Everyone is free to believe and exercise their faith, even no faith at all; however, students should recognize that America was founded on Judeo-Christian values.
Lori Thompson, District 4
1. I have served on the board with fidelity for 4 years. I am currently serving as the President of the Board of Education. As a parent of former D49 students, I experienced both good things and bad things within our district. My husband and I have 5 children, 2 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. 2 of my stepdaughters are teachers, my daughter works with foster kids and my son is a teacher’s aide with high risk youth. I want to serve my community and I love kids, from unborn babies to adulthood. During my tenure on the Board of Education, we passed the Parents Bill of Rights, focused on improving reading and math scores and we have had several of our policies replicated by other boards throughout the state. When the state required us to develop a policy on non-legal name changes for students, we developed one that required both parental notification and parental consent. We helped to develop a protocol for library books that focused on making sure the books we have include educational value and are age appropriate. We also passed a sports policy that requires biological boys to play on boy’s teams, biological girls to play on girl’s teams and co-ed sports for anyone who wants to participate. During my tenure, we have emphasised (sic) parental rights, student safety and transparency. I am proud that the board approval rating has risen by 18 points during my presidency.
2. We have so many opportunities for parents to serve within our schools and on our committees. I understand how busy parents can be, I was one of them. I did participate in all of my kid’s schools and I am still in touch with some of their teachers decades later. I hope that parents and grandparents will take the opportunity to reach out to our schools and find out how they can participate as much or as little as they can!
3. I have donations from community residents and local community leaders. The people who donated to me in my last campaign, as well as my current campaign have never once asked me to vote a certain way or advocated for a specific point of view. Board of Education Directors work with the Superintendent on policies, new school development and repairs, courses and curriculum. I believe in school choice, parental rights and responsibilities, school safety and focusing on educational outcomes. We are a Constitutional Republic with elected representatives. This is an unpaid elected position and I will always try to use my best judgement. One of my favorite things about running for re-election is going door to door and listening to community members and their concerns!
4. Separation of Church and State is not in the Constitution. That being said, we are not a theocracy and voluntary prayer should never be prohibited. While mandatory school prayer was ruled unconstitutional due to the establishment clause, voluntary student led prayer remains protected through the First Amendment to the Constitution. When my children were in high school, we participated in Meet Me At The Flagpole events where students gathered before school to pray. I believe in freedom.
