Candidates split on school choice, curriculum control, AI and transgender athlete policy

A student panel at a League of Women Voters forum in Spokane asked candidates about school choice, sex-education policy, artificial intelligence and transgender athletes — topics that produced clear contrasts in emphasis and approach.

Reid Sarris, a candidate for superintendent of public instruction, said public funds should remain with public schools. “I don't think public funds should go to schools other than public schools,” Sarris said, arguing that a strong public system fosters equity and shared civic experience. Chris Reykdal, the incumbent state superintendent, said public money should remain accountable to locally elected school boards and that the balance of standards and local curriculum adoption is appropriate.

David Olson, a Peninsula School District school board member and candidate, said charter schools already exist under state law and said some studies show charters can outperform public schools for certain high‑poverty students; he framed charters as an option for parents while broader system fixes continue.

On sexual and gender education, candidates largely supported evidence‑based standards set at the state level with local curriculum choices. Olson suggested an opt‑in approach for certain instruction to ensure parent awareness; Reykdal and Sarris emphasized both standards and community-level implementation.

The candidates also discussed artificial intelligence. Chris Reykdal said AI has “a place for sure” in education and described Washington's existing student‑data protections and district updates to policy. David Olson noted his district was selected to participate in a K–12 AI maturity pilot and encouraged districts to engage. Reid Sarris urged caution, calling large language models “not actually intelligent” and warning against declining emphasis on teaching students to think critically.

Transgender athlete participation generated divergent personal and policy stances. Chris Reykdal pointed to Title IX and federal guidance, saying participation according to gender identity is settled law and urging supports and accommodations in schools. Reid Sarris favored inclusion with local, case‑by‑case decisions. David Olson said he personally does not agree with biological males competing against females but acknowledged that federal law and state guidance govern the issue.

Career and technical education (CTE) drew broad agreement. Reykdal highlighted increases in students taking CTE courses and said multiple pathways are valuable; Olson and Sarris also supported expanding high‑quality CTE and vocational opportunities.

The forum gave students direct comparisons of where candidates align and diverge on culture, curriculum and the use of emerging technologies, with each candidate urging voters to consider how statewide standards and local control should be balanced.

Next steps: voters should consult official election materials for accurate filing and ballot dates and review candidate statements and the voters’ pamphlet ahead of the primary.