My name is Jennifer Heine-Withee, and I’m asking for your support for Battle Ground School Board, Position 1. I am dedicated to working for our families and our community.
I am a firm believer that parents are the primary educators of their children, and their rights must be honored and protected. As a board member, I will focus on four key areas: achieving educational excellence, ensuring fiscal responsibility and transparency, boosting parental engagement and strengthening local control and community involvement.
My commitment to parental rights began in 2018. Since then, I’ve worked with the district to adopt a curriculum that aligns with our community values, testified at the Legislature on critical education bills, and collaborated with members of the Washington State School Board Association (WSSDA) to protect local governance.
I even spearheaded a major reform effort within WSSDA. In 2020, I brought together a modest group of school board directors who shared the same concerns about local control, which has grown to over 120 directors. I educated them about the "weighted vote" — an unfair by-law from 1986 that gave larger districts more voting power and disenfranchised smaller districts like Battle Ground School District. In 2022, I helped rally districts around the state to participate in the WSSDA General Assembly and vote to eliminate this practice. The amendment passed by 75%.
More recently, I have worked with our district to improve library procedures for better accountability and consistency in content selection. I also introduced the superintendent to a free reading and mentoring program for primary students called Read NW, which has since been adopted in two of our grade schools with plans for future expansion.
I have the extensive knowledge and experience needed to work with the district to improve test scores, promote volunteerism, and ensure our district operates with greater transparency and better communication — all while staying within budget. I am already well-versed in our district’s policies and how WSSDA’s actions impact us. With your support this November, I will continue to advocate for parental engagement, educational excellence and local control.
I am a lifelong Washington resident. My husband and I both graduated from Prairie High School and our three children were raised in the Battle Ground School District and graduated from Battle Ground High School. I have been a volunteer, classified staff and emergency substitute for the BGSD.
For more information, please visit www.JenniferforBGSB.com.
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