BROWNSVILLE - Three political newcomers are competing to represent Zone 4 on the Central Linn School Board in the May 19 special election.

Pat McConnel has chosen not to run for re-election.

A look at each of the candidates:

Eric Armstrong always liked the acronym officials used during his time at the Oregon State Lottery: FISH. In running for the school board, he's adopted it as his own.

FISH stands for fairness, integrity, security and honesty. At the lottery office, Armstrong said, "security" meant trustworthy transactions. Although it doesn't apply in quite the same sense, the word is meant to convey the same sense of confidentiality in his campaign, Armstrong said.

He sees the budget as the main issue and would like to see a "zero-based" approach, in which every line item must be justified before it is included.

He said he also senses problems with communication and believes relationships have broken down within the district, particularly between parents and teachers, something he'd like to restore.

He'd like to increase parent awareness of the proper communication channels, and at the same time encourage district staff to respond with better customer service in a more timely manner, "not just saying, 'That's just the way it is.'"

Armstrong said he has not looked into the pros and cons of a charter school based on student-run businesses, something the superintendent has proposed. If the board is to support it, he said, he would need more information to be able to explain the idea "clearly, concisely and with intelligence."

Should Superintendent Ed Curtis retire on his watch, Armstrong said he leans toward searching outside the district for someone with a good track record to share.

"I like the idea of no preconceived notions; someone who's done a good job, proven in another area, and that's willing to try something new," he said.

Kaye Fox said she's running for the school board partly to be a voice for area senior citizens. She wants to find ways to create bonds between seniors and students, perhaps by creating an "adoptive" program whereby seniors can help with school supplies and sports fees.

Many seniors feel their obligation to schools ends when their children graduate, Fox said. She doesn't believe that's true. "The community needs to stay involved with the education of their children," she said.

Fox also would support community-business partnerships that provide incentives for academic achievement and good behavior.

Such partnerships are critical in times of financial need, Fox said. The budget is the biggest issue facing the district, she said.

"I can guarantee you that it will take everyone in this community to assist in solving the issue," she said. "They need the essentials, and then we must become creative to push the line further."

Fox said she spoke at length with the superintendent before deciding to run for school board. She said she supports his charter school initiative and wants to find ways to give students more hands-on business skills.

"I would hope people would vote for me because they see me as a fit with the board," she said in a written statement. "Most students will achieve to their potential given the tools and right conditions in which to learn. We of the older generations need to insure this happens."

Eric Gerber grew up in a rural community in Ohio that focused its attention and community pride around its schools. That's more difficult for Central Linn, with its varied communities and highway-based junior high and high school, but as a board member, he wants to look for ways to form and strengthen those ties.

Board members have the responsibility to think long-term, Gerber said, to plan for new facilities, to build new programs. In a district with high administrative and teacher turnover, he said, it's especially important for someone to hold the institutional memory.

As a board member, Gerber said one of his goals is to retain current teachers and find ways to bring students into the system as they grow up. He'd love, for instance, to find a way to help pay student loans for would-be teachers on the condition they remain in the Central Linn district to teach.

He also wants to begin planning for a new superintendent, against the day when Curtis decides to go back into retirement. "That means we can be all the more prepared," he said.

Gerber said he's heard about Curtis' push for a student business-based charter school, but like Armstrong, he wants more information. In general, he said, he'd prefer the district put any resources first toward its own core classes.

Gerber has run two construction-related businesses, has volunteered extensively at the elementary school and has served for years on the Brownsvile Planning Commission. His strengths, he said, lie in collaboration and in being able to interpret and use information wisely.

"I'm a good choice because I do work well in group situations," he said. "I like to think creatively and there's going to need to be some creative thinking."

Eric Armstrong

Age: 39.

Occu-pation: Program director, Pioneer Pacific College. Former vice president of business systems, University of Oregon Foundation; and information technology operations manager, Oregon State Lottery.

Education: Bachelor's degree in computer information systems from the DeVry Institute of Technology.

Community service: President of the Willamette Motor Car Club.

Family: Three children, two in Central Linn Schools and one starting this fall.

Kaye Fox

Age: 64.

Occu-pation: Retired, former administrative assistant.

Edu-cation: High school graduate plus some postgraduate work.

Community service: City of Brownsville budget committee, Linn County Historical Museum Trust board member, member of the Brownsville Senior Center.

Family: Grown children out of the area.

Eric Gerber

Age: 43.

Occu-pation: Home-maker and board member for the Brownsville Recreation Center; former homebuilder.

Education: Bachelor's degree in geology, Whitman College.

Community service: 10-year member of the Brownsville Planning Commission; school parent volunteer, working to develop the TAG program for the Central Linn School District; director of the Rec Center baseball program.

Family: Two children, one enrolled at Central Linn Elementary School.