Phone
(303) 803-5340
Email
kimberlyrootbutler@gmail.com
Town where you live
PORT ANGELES
Experience (300 characters max)
MBA/Information Systems; BS/Nutrition. I have experience in both public and private sectors, including 4 years as a School Nutrition Director, 8 years as a Senior Consultant at the Colorado Department of Education, 11 years in School Management, and 15 years in Private Sector Food Management.
With an MBA and over 25 years in school nutrition, I bring both business savvy and public sector insight. I started in private food service management, then led school cafeteria operations—handling HR, procurement, and USDA compliance. My role at the Colorado Department of Education further strengthened my expertise through federal program audits. What also sets me apart is my experience in both the private and public sectors, on how to run organizations that serve people well. I understand how to work within regulatory frameworks and how to seek efficiencies, and deliver results. Schools aren’t businesses—but they can learn from the best practices.
We need bold changes. Foundational skills in reading and math must be a priority. We can’t afford to stick with the status quo—we must explore new ways of helping students succeed. That’s what I’ve done throughout my career.
As a school board member, I’ll prioritize strong communication with parents. I believe transparency builds trust.
1 Parents are the primary partners and advocates in their children’s lives—and especially in their education. Their insight, involvement, and communication are essential to building strong academic foundations and fostering school-community trust. For this reason, school districts must prioritize meaningful parental involvement, rather than placing sole authority in the hands of the school or the state.
2 Focus on Reading and Math Scores. Our district must make a bold shift toward improving achievement—starting with the fundamentals. In Port Angeles, only 55% of students met or exceeded proficiency in reading, and just 44% did so in math. These are essential skills, and if students don’t master them early, they risk falling behind for years to come. Incremental gains of 1% or 2% aren’t enough. That requires evolving our teaching methods and combining proven strategies with fresh, creative ideas.
3 Focus on increasing attendance, which would help support the other issues.
Parents are the primary stakeholders in their children’s lives—and must remain the ultimate decision-makers.
With the rising cost of living and increasingly demanding schedules, many families are stretched thin. As a school board member, I would prioritize timely, accessible communication that meets parents where they are. That includes leveraging digital platforms to share information—such as curriculum outlines, behavioral trends, extracurricular opportunities, and safety alerts.
Additional tools like text alerts could serve as reminders for PTO meetings, school events, or policy updates—helping parents stay informed without adding to their mental load.
When it comes to major policy changes—transparent, open dialogue is critical. I would support holding community forums where concerns can be voiced and addressed constructively. And whatever policies are proposed or revised; they should be written in clear, parent-friendly language—not buried in dense, legal jargon.
Ensuring student safety means creating a culture of vigilance, collaboration, and proactive support. The PASD I am sure currently partners appropriately with law enforcement, families, and mental health experts to identify threats and responds effectively. Protocols are in place. As a school board member, I would review those protocols. I would also make sure that all students have a safety net in case there are issues at home. I would also ensure that parents have the tools that they need from the district to deal with challenging issues.
I believe that specifically the following safety issues are ongoing issues that will need to be addressed and policies updated on an ongoing basis.
1. Mental Health Crises: Rising concerns around anxiety, depression, and suicide among students.
2. Violence & Threats: Includes fights, weapons on campus, and targeted violence.
3. Bullying and Cyberbullying.
The district should have one unified voice and a shared vision for every student and every classroom. Student achievement, teacher support, and parental engagement should converge on this one goal. Students deserve rigorous academics grounded in foundational skills, teachers need respect and resources to thrive, and parents must be embraced as vital partners in decision-making.
Finally, data-driven decision making is important. It can identify trends and areas that need to be worked on. With the test scores and attendance low in the district, it is important that we continue to identify the current issues, so that strategies can be implemented that trend in a positive direction. This will enable the district to continuously adapt and evolve.
As Albert Einstein once said so many years ago, “We can’t expect things to change, if we continue to do the same things.” So yes if things don’t work, we need to change things up!
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
