Auburn School District voters twice elected Lisa Connors to the Auburn School District Board, first in 2007, again in 2009.
Those five years taught her many things, from leadership skills to the absolutely vital role that education plays in every area of our lives, says the Auburn Republican.
But the state of Washington’s education cuts of recent years, which have so hamstrung and frustrated district staff and administrators, taught her something else — that her place should be in Olympia, when and where lawmakers make those budget decisions.
That’s why Connors is a candidate for the State House of Representatives District 31, position 2. To win, she’ll have to beat Rep. Chris Hurst in the general election come November.
“I’m running because of the continued budget cuts to education over the last five years,” Connors said. “It’s significant to our school district, it’s significant to our kids. The cuts have strapped the district and gone way too far. It’s very difficult to try and balance the needs of our kids with the financial constraints that we have.”
Unfunded mandates and reduced funding every year make it “incredibly difficult,” Connors added, for staff and administrators to do the best they can for kids.
“To serve as an education advocate for all kids in Washington State and to fight for some needed reforms, that’s my main priority,” Connors said.
Jobs and the economy and transportation top her list, too.
Small businesses being the backbone of the economy, Connors said, it’s essential to ease regulations and help businesses wherever possible.
“There’s a few areas that could really help them right now. A small business B&O tax credit is one that would help our smallest businesses, especially the small businesses that are under five years, to stay open,” Connors said. “I talk to business people as I’m campaigning, and they are struggling every day to keep their doors open. In construction, I hope to help free up the permitting processes to get them through the system within 90 days. That would really help people who are ready to put people to work and stimulate our economy.”
Connors, formerly a project coordinator at a civil engineering firm in Federal Way, said she understands the permitting process very well and knows first hand how long it can take to get anything done.
“Those are companies that are ready to invest in our economy and hire people,” Connors said.
Connors and her three teenage sons, Austin, Andrew and Anthony live in the Lake Holms area east of Auburn. All of her kids have attended or are attending Auburn schools.She has lived in Auburn 20 years.
Connors divided much of her own childhood between Cle Elum and Homer, Alaska. She graduated from high school in 1986, earned an AA degree in business administration from North Idaho College and then the University of Washington in Tacoma from which she graduated in 2010 with a BA in political science.
Connors is a past member of the Auburn Youth Resources board of directors.
