Sharp is a retired teacher, city administrator, mayor, and a US Togiak National Wildlife Refuge RIT. He is running for Southwest Region School District School Board seat C as the incumbent. View his candidate profile and listen to his interview for local air on this page.
Name: Ferdinand Sharp
Age on October 3, 2023: 74
Occupation: Retired Teacher, City Administrator, Mayor, and US Togiak National Wildlife Refuge RIT
Previous Government/ Community Involvement:
- City Administrator: took over Manokotak Fire Hall to manage grant
- As mayor: helped the city council get rid of the unmanaged city dump, with $300,000 from the USDA to clean it. Then the engineer [working] to implement the grant asked if we wanted more. I asked how much? Like a million, so I got support from the city council and upgraded our grant request for a landfill, not a city dump
- Also with the city council: knowledge of upgrading gravel road from old village to new housing and construction of a new school. One million dollars were available with the village council matching it. Denali Commission procrastinated and as a result, doubled the Denali Commission grant but still needed additional funding, so when I applied for additional federal grant money as the Village Council Transportation Planner, we got the additional funding
- Also, as a city mayor: with the support of the city council, we got the water and sewer upgraded and it is available at the New Manokotak Housing site
Education: Got AA degree in Electronics Technology at UAF, and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education in 1970. UAF was looking for Alaskan Natives with at least two years of college and state education
Immediate Family: My wife Nancy of 53 years and adopted son Justin
Why are you running for the school board this election cycle?
I always feel I need to give back to this region who welcomed us when my family and relatives moved from my birthplace Quinhagak to Togiak.
From Quinhagak Day School to Togiak BIA 1-8, I attended and finished to 8th grade. Then my uncle and aunt, who adopted me, approved and supported me to go to BIA Mt. Edgecumbe High School. [It] was the worst experience. I had to leave home. But at graduation time, I wanted to remain for more years. I got rich with so many of my Alaskan friends whom I learned so much from.
But as our SWRSD mission statement [says]: SWRSD is committed to all students receiving an education that continuously affirms human diversity, that validates the history and culture of all ethnic groups, that is based on a high expectation for academic success for every student and that encourages students and parents' active participation.
What issues do you want to address and how do you plan to address them?
An issue at hand is to continue to pursue an increase from the State of Alaska to increase the BSA, so that school districts across the state invest in our students across the state, and hire enough qualified reading specialists to help our students to read at grade level by third grade.
Since we are the elected school board members, we can address the issue by telling our stories to our state-elected legislators and have them increase to help keep financial funding up to date, due to inflation and the price of fuel, to keep our facilities up to par. Freight of school supplies, student transportation to participate in athletic sports, student activities...
We are very fortunate to partner with Lake and Peninsula, Bristol Bay Borough, and Dillingham to participate in career vocational education skills in which the students can get dual credit from their school districts and college credit from the Dillingham College Campus.
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
I want to support all our teachers who are sacrificing themselves to educate our students and we thank them, as well as the students who come and participate, in giving challenges to our students in activities
My wife and I support as many as we can and their fundraising.
KDLG reached out to each candidate with the opportunity to complete a candidate profile through a questionnaire. The questionnaire’s questions and candidate responses are included here, with minor edits for grammar only.
Get in touch with the author at christina@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.
