As the husband of an elementary school educator, and the father of two Astoria School District children, I strongly encourage all eligible voters to vote for Heidi Wintermute for Astoria School District 1C, director, Position 2.

During her tenure in this position, Heidi and her colleagues on the board have worked tirelessly to improve our schools to provide a safe and equitable learning environment for all students and teachers. Heidi has, and will continue to, advocate for eliminating extracurricular fees and food costs for all students.

By eliminating these fees, students no longer have to face the embarrassment of missing out on character-building after-school activities such as sports and music due to an inability to pay for these programs, and their families no longer have to jump through the hoops to see if they qualify for free or reduced lunch.

As a board member who works on the front lines in schools every day as a school psychologist, Heidi is able to provide a unique insight on the board. This provides her with a ground-level knowledge of the challenges and opportunities that students, teachers and staff face each day.

With the many challenges facing students, educators and school boards across the country, I trust Heidi will continue to be an advocate for our children and teachers, and that’s why I urge a vote for Heidi!

ANDREW MATTINGLY

Astoria