This is an open letter concerning the Lake Washington School Board District 1 position, Jackie Pendergrass re-election, to the Seattle Times Editorial Board for their opinion piece published on Sept. 7.

The piece concerning her opponent being the better choice was somewhat flawed and lacking complete research in making its opinion.

1. The article indicated that the district and the board did not push information out well enough. When a school district is putting out a levy bond for a vote The Washington State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) rules do not allow them to put out this type of information to inform the voters so they will not be swayed unduly. In the case of the levies the Seattle Times put forth little if any information too late and too little for it to have any effect on the levy votes.

2. There was a vicious, blatantly untrue no campaign put forth by some of the 45 District Republicans and a few other local citizens saying that there was no need for larger capacity. Because the voters did not approve the levy, the district is now in the present overcrowding situation.

3. Jackie Pendergrass’s opponent unfortunately has not been attending any of the school board meetings, school budget meetings and has no real knowledge of what is going on in the district, unlike the majority of the past board members before they became board members. It has been mentioned that a new lawyer is running to use the position as a stepping stone to a political future, having lost his last bid for another local political election.

The Lake Washington School District is one of the best, if not the best, in the state. It has been very well run and fiscally responsible. The members of the board have for decades worked hard to help guide this district to be the best it can be for the people who it is for, the children who attend it to get a first rate education. Each member has sacrificed hundreds of hours of time, sweat and effort for no pay. None of them using it as a stepping stone to politics, but to make sure it is the best it can be for the children. Jackie Pendergrass is a shining example of a selfless school board member spending years of time studying, learning about and helping to develop a great school district and working together with the community to develop the district to the high level of quality it has reached today.

So to the Seattle Times Editorial Board, get it right and help strait information about the levy get out next time. Support the best candidate Jackie Pendergrass and help the voters to realize how serious the needs of the district are. This is a district that actually works well together and with their teachers and the majority of the parents unlike the Seattle school district that you poke and push and has been unstable for more than a decade. The local newspaper, the Kirkland Reporter, has better, more informative and researched articles.

Matthew P Bernard, Kirkland