**Polls will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. tomorrow at the King Salmon Village Council Building, the Bristol Bay Borough Building Assembly Room in Naknek, and South Naknek Recreation Hall.**
On the Bristol Bay Borough Ballot, voters will decide two contested assembly Seats and two contested school board seats.
Freddie Bragg is running for a three-year seat on the Bristol Bay Borough School Board. Bragg has been on the school board in an interim capacity for the last several months. She tells KDLG that instating cultural projects, providing additional support to teachers, and fundraising are top priorities if elected this term.
Bragg: My name is Freddie Bragg. I currently work at my Cama’i Health Center as a pharmacy technician/admin assistant, and I've been living in Naknek for two years now. I used to live up on Iliamna Lake in a small village of Newhalen.
Sutherland: Do you have any previous elected government experience or community involvement?
Bragg: Well, I am currently on the board. The previous member moved and they had like this little interviewing session for the people that were interested. I was interviewed by the board, and they voted for me, so I've been on the board for a couple of months now. And I try to be an active parent and community member. So, I don't get to do all of the big events because my children are still in elementary school, but I'm very active in their classes and their work.
Sutherland: Why are you running for the school board
Bragg: I'm re-running to continue to be more involved. I know this may sound silly, but the way I look at it, I see small problems, and I'm like, ‘Oh, if I jump in now, maybe it won't be as big of a crater when it could affect my children whenever they're in, like, middle school or high school.’ So if I can get a head start in it now and help where I can, when I can, it'll be beneficial for all in the long run.
Sutherland: What things in the district are you passionate about that you would like to focus on if elected?
Bragg: Well, I had pitched an idea as a parent/community member to our grant writer at the school after NYO season. Because I watched the live stream of the NYO state and everyone's banners was just so beautiful, and so like, culturally tied to their specific region, and ours just kind of looked a little outdated. So I pitched an idea to, like, have a contest of some sort, or have all of the children of the school put their input into a new NYO banner for our school. This project could help tie into cultural backgrounds, while also hitting some academic points that they may need for school. It's also just bonus points for them to tie in their cultural heritage in the school setting.
Growing up, I always heard that my grandparents couldn't speak their native tongue, and they couldn't dress a certain way, and they couldn't do anything tied to who we are as people. And it's just slightly lost in my own personal opinion, and to be able to bring small projects like this back into it, it might get these little kids super excited, and they may go on to they're like, ‘oh, I want to learn my native tongue,’ or, ‘Oh, I want to learn how to do this.’
Sutherland: Are there any issues in the district that you see that you would like to address if elected this upcoming term?
Bragg: Well, for being on the board for less than a year, it came to my attention that we're having some budget issues, but I have no solution to that. As of right now, I'm just trying to learn as much as I can and do the best that I can without coming off as, I don't know, maybe entitled. Because I do think that everyone in our school deserves better, but there's nothing that we can do with the situations we're given.
Another thing is just like trying to get all of the students involved in like, fundraising for something. Let's say that they want to go to that trip to DC for like, the student government. If we start funding for that now, it'll be less of a cost when it actually has to be paid for.
And this just brought up another point in my brain, our teachers need the support. So I've been personally speaking to both of my children's teachers, because they are in two different classes. And sometimes it's a little bit stressful, and if it's happening to these two teachers, I could imagine that it's happening to several more throughout the school. So I just want the teachers to feel like they have the support that they need.
Sutherland: How would you approach that issue if elected? Do you have a sense of how you would provide that support to teachers?
Bragg: I voiced my opinion as a school board member, as a parent, and as an involved community member that these teachers need more support. Whether we find the funding to, and I know budget is an issue, but like grants or something like, find the funding to hire more TAs to have them in those specific classes or have them bounce around without the classes. Or utilize the high schoolers who sometimes may have free periods and just be like, ‘Hey, you want to do this?’ They can earn some credit. But I'm trying to use my voice as a school board member, a parent, and an involved community member to help make these situations better for everyone involved.
Sutherland: Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you going into the election?
Bragg: I just want them to know that I'm always eager to help where it's needed. I know my children are not anywhere near sports or like, what is it, the student government. But I'm always here to help, whether it's like actually helping fundraise, or ideas to how to fundraise, and I'm just here as a person with open ears, if you should ever need a problem to talk about within the school.
