Utah Public Radio published this article in collaboration with the Sanpete Messenger as part of its election coverage.
Mark Olson
Mark Olson is a fifth-generation Sanpete County resident who grew up in Ephraim and graduated from Manti High School.
After serving a Spanish-speaking mission in Texas, he returned to Snow College and completed his associate degree. He married Cynthia Cox of Manti and earned a bachelor's degree in biological education with a provisional certificate in animal and plant science.
Olson taught one year at Richfield High School before returning to Manti High School, where he taught biology and ran the agriculture program. He served as FFA adviser and head baseball and wrestling coach until 2001.
He then joined the family turkey and cattle operation, where his children took on responsibility and worked alongside him. Olson and his wife have five children and 11 grandchildren. He has served in youth sports programs and 4-H, spent several years on the Manti Fourth of July committee and currently serves on the Palisade Water Board.
He has also served as a school board member and values professional-development opportunities that help the board make informed decisions and carry out its duties with greater clarity.
Olson identifies literacy, student learning and engagement, people, finances and facilities as South Sanpete's priorities. He calls literacy the district's top priority and points to reading and literacy coaches in every elementary school, science-of-reading instruction, kindergarten progress monitoring and targeted interventions. He says the district should tie every budget and policy decision to classroom impact.
Olson supports giving teachers and paraprofessionals the resources they need. He points to the new career-technical education centers at Manti and Gunnison Valley high schools, additional counseling and teen centers as supports for student learning, college and career readiness and student well-being.
He says the district has a good record of retaining teachers and has sound financial management. He points to more than $20 million in grants for security improvements, elementary additions, gym renovations, parking lots, teen centers, computer science and school exteriors. He supports long-range planning for building upgrades and additions, and continued pursuit of grant funding.
Tim Miller
Tim Miller devoted his career to education and remains focused on helping every student reach his or her potential.
He retired after 33 years in education, including 22 years as a school principal. He has worked at the elementary, middle school and high school levels.
Miller holds a master's degree in educational leadership and a bachelor's degree in education. He says he will listen, work hard and make decisions in the best interest of students and the community.
His priorities include transparency and accountability, livestreaming board meetings, supporting effective teaching, and listening to parents and community members. He is committed to being accessible to all these interests. He says voters should be aware his opponent is related to the South Sanpete superintendent, who the school board is responsible for supervising.
Miller says South Sanpete schools face declining enrollment despite area growth. He supports better outreach to families who home school or use online alternatives and asks the district to consider hybrid part-time public-school and part-time home-school options.
He also says schools rely too heavily on screens, iPads and laptops. He supports more hands-on learning, lab work, group projects and classroom discussion, along with expanded arts education in music, theatre, visual arts, dance, drama and speech and debate. He calls for a strong emphasis on early reading in preschool and elementary years.
Miller says the district should assess the long-term maintenance and staffing costs of the new school-to-career buildings and seek community input about their use. He says quality teaching requires interactive, curriculum-driven classrooms and calls on South Sanpete to match teacher pay scales in neighboring districts teacher while conserving money in nonteaching areas.
