Six months after taking Erik Mann’s vacated seat on the Oak Harbor School Board, Sharon Jensen is now defending her position from two challengers — Aisha Mayfield and William Smith — in the Aug. 1 primary election.

Jensen, a part-time finance and human resources manager at an architecture firm in Seattle, was appointed to the school board in January and is seeking the remainder of the unexpired term. She is facing Mayfield, the owner of a music school and Smith, the technology director for the Coupeville School District.

The three candidates will be winnowed to two in the primary.

Jensen, who also serves in children’s ministry and as a Bible study group leader at Family Bible Church, said it’s been an honor to serve the community and she looks forward to the opportunity to continue.

As board member, she said she wants to promote strong academic achievement and fiscal responsibility, approaching matters in a practical and open-minded way that allows for constructive rather than polarizing discussions with board members and parents.

“I think what makes me a strong candidate is my business experience, which is helpful in the responsibility of overseeing the budget,” said Jensen, who has a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Washington. “Additionally, it allows me a fresh, non-academia perspective.”

Jensen believes she has learned a lot during her first term and having four daughters attending school in Oak Harbor allows her to better understand a parent’s perspective.

Likewise, Mayfield said she has always strived to be involved with the Oak Harbor School District, which her two children attend.

“When the seats opened up, I thought, ‘What better way to be involved than to run for the school board?’” she said.

Mayfield owns Music Together of North Whidbey and Anacortes, providing music classes for children and families. Supporting families has always been a passion of hers, she said. She also volunteers at her children’s schools, the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society, is a member of the Community Foundation Board, and was Parent Teacher Association president this past year.

As a prospective board member, she said she wants to listen to the community and balance the different perspectives and needs of families.

“My perspective isn’t the only perspective, and it’s important to consider what other people go through,” she said.

Additionally, she said she wants to focus on safety — ensuring that classrooms are prepared to face an emergency — and to provide children attending the intermediary school for fifth and sixth graders with age-appropriate activities and support, such as counselors.

“They don’t have a lot of things keeping them occupied during their recess time,” she said. “There seem to be a lot more frustrations with behavior and coping with different needs as they’re growing.”

Smith, a retired Navy chief and master training specialist, wrote in an email that he believes his experience with the military has given him leadership skills and a strong work ethic. A father of two Oak Harbor students, he currently works as the technology director for the Coupeville School District and has been involved with school leadership, safety and equity teams, which he said gave him a deep understanding of the education system.

According to his candidate statement, he has managed multi-million dollar operational budgets, developed course curriculums, and written many federal and state funded grants.

His top priority, he wrote in the email, will be advocating for initiatives that promote academic excellence, equitable opportunities for all students, and supporting their social and emotional wellbeing.

“This includes addressing achievement gaps, offering robust educational programs, and prioritizing individualized support for students with diverse needs,” he wrote.

To achieve this, Smith said he will ensure that resources are allocated to dedicated programs in a transparent way, while keeping an open and unbiased dialogue with students, parents, staff and community members. Additionally, he said he will advocate for robust safety measures, such as comprehensive emergency preparedness plans, mental health support, and bullying and harassment prevention.

Smith was the only one of the three candidates to attend a candidates forum sponsored by The Republican Women of North Whidbey and The Voter Interests Project on July 13. During the forum, he was asked how he would help the district rebuild the community’s trust again following the bond measures that failed earlier this year. To Smith, transparency is key.

“When we put these bonds out there, we need more community involvement,” he said. “Once we have community involvement, we’ll be able to pass our bond measures because you’ll have your return on investment.”