Three individuals vying for two positions on the Hayden School District Board of Education presented their cases for election Tuesday evening during a candidate forum sponsored by the Hayden Education Association.

The three candidates are Ericka Lucas, Tharles da Silva and Elizabeth Galvan.

Lucas, a physical therapist who moved to Hayden in 2014, highlighted her professional experience as a business owner who has managed three LLCs and a private physical therapy clinic. Lucas emphasized the parallels between education and rural healthcare citing worker shortages, retention issues and housing. She cited her experience in managing budget shortfalls and filling difficult positions as strengths that could be utilized as a school board member.

Tharles da Silva is a former grocer who currently works for a large candy conglomerate and has had four children who have attended the Hayden schools. Twice having moved from Hayden, the lure of the community was too great and his family chose to return to enjoy the quality of life he feels Hayden provides.

Galvan is a local cosmetologist originally from New Jersey who was drawn to Hayden for the quality of life afforded in a small community. The mother of a toddler, Galvan has been active in the local arts community and sees her run for school board as as a way to continue her involvement in Hayden.

During the 90-minute forum, the candidates were asked over 20 questions. The candidates, for the most part, agreed with the key challenges facing the school district.

Housing, staffing shortages and a changing economic environment in the Hayden community were cited by all three candidates as primary areas of concern.

To attract and retain teachers, Lucas said the district needs to ensure competitive wages and “find the right people.” She also cited the need for performance-based compensation as a means toward teacher retention as well as providing a healthy “work-life balance.”

Echoing the need for a healthy work-life balance, da Silva discussed his willingness to participate in the interview process to promote the positives of the Hayden community to potential staff.

Galvan agreed with both candidates and also echoed her support of mechanisms that would “incentivize” teacher retention.

In closing the forum, the candidates agreed that Hayden is a welcoming community. Lucas said that the community needs to “stay true to its values” while staying ahead of inevitable growth. da Silva encouraged greeting new arrivals and managing the district’s growth in a responsible manner. Galvan agreed with her opponents on those points.