**On election day, polls will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the King Salmon Village Council Building, the Bristol Bay Borough Building Assembly Room in Naknek, and South Naknek Recreation Hall. Voters can vote absentee in person 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Borough Building in Naknek until Oct. 6.**
On the Bristol Bay Borough Ballot, voters will decide two contested assembly Seats and two contested school board seats.
Sarah Lang is running for a three-year seat on the Bristol Bay Borough School Board. Lang is originally from upstate New York and has been living in Naknek/King Salmon for roughly 10 years. She joined KDLG to discuss her interest in joining the school board and the issues she would like to address if elected.
Lang: My name is Sarah Lang. I am the Visitor Services Manager for the Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges with our office in King Salmon. And I am running for a three-year seat on the board of the Bristol Bay Borough School Board.
Sutherland: Do you have any previous government experience or community involvement?
Lang: Well, you say government experience, my job is a government job, but I'm guessing that's not the kind of government you were asking about. If you're asking about board experience, I was on the Little Angels Child Care Academy board before, and I am also currently on the board for the Cama’i Community Health Center.
Sutherland: And why are you running for the Bristol Bay Borough School Board?
Lang: I've always kind of had a passion for working with and being a positive influence for youth. Gosh, my first job was lifeguarding and teaching swim lessons, and it just kind of evolved from there. And you know, at its core, it's my passion for working with youth and my love in the natural world are, you know, why I chose my career path. It's, you know, working with students, and it's something that I do every day. Since joining the community almost 10 years ago now, I've been kind of increasing my involvement. Gosh, when I first moved here and before my boys were born, I was volunteering with the Parks and Rec Department, and I coached the swim team for a few years. And then I also volunteer taught swim lessons up at the pool. And then, as I mentioned, I, you know, was on the Little Angels Child Care Academy board. I support school events and attend as many as I can. And you know, this past spring, I participated in the school's vision document job. So running for school board just seemed like a natural next step in increasing my involvement in the school. I also have a student in school. My son's in first grade. My youngest hopefully will be in preschool soon.
Sutherland: Are there specific things in the district that you are passionate about that you would like to focus on if elected?
Lang: Yeah, Student Nutrition is actually really important to me. I, you know, if I am elected, I look forward to potentially having a hand in providing direction for that program. Culture is also something that's so very important in our community, and I look forward to working to bring more culture into the school. One of the things that I've recently just worked on, and its what I was doing last week in my day job is the refuge actually partnered with the school to bring fourth through sixth grade students out onto the refuge for a science and culture camp called Ptarmigan Camp, and it was its inaugural year, and I gosh, I can't wait to participate in that again, and if elected, bring more programs like that into the school.
Sutherland: What issues would you like to address this term if you're elected?
Lang: That, from what I can see, well, again, as I mentioned, student nutrition, culture, increasing cultural activities in the school. I don't really see it as an issue. It's more of a, our current school board has been doing a great job, and I would like to be a part of moving the school forward with all of these good things that they've been working on.
Sutherland: So this past year, districts across the state were tasked with balancing the budget amidst uncertain state and federal funding, and many of those conversations of balancing the budget with new funding in the picture and amidst continued uncertainty are happening this school year. How do you plan to approach the budget this coming year, if elected?
Lang: Yeah, these are definitely interesting budget times ahead. And I think one of the best ways that we can tackle budgeting concerns is by working with other area school districts and maybe looking to our other area districts and seeing what is working for them and what ideas they might have. Collaboration is always the, in my opinion, collaboration is one of the best ways to get the best possible outcome.
Sutherland: Is there anything you would like voters to know about you going into the election?
Lang: I am passionate, as I said, about youth. I find myself to be fairly approachable. If elected, I would welcome voters to come and talk to me and bring concerns to me, if they have any, or, you know, concerns or kudos about what the work that we would be doing. And other than that, just get out and vote.
