Six months ago, Bob Kunnmann disapproved of efforts to oust four of the five trustees overseeing the Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District.

Kunnmann said that as a parent, he thought a recall petition would do more harm than good to mend a strained relationship between the school board and teachers – some of whom had been issued layoff notices earlier in the year.

Most of the layoff notices have since been rescinded, along with a cumbersome recall petition that failed to meet deadlines.

On Nov. 4, Kunnmann will be among five candidates competing for two seats on the Dry Creek school board, held by Ryan Darke and Barry Stillman.

Darke decided not to seek re-election. Stillman will defend his seat against Kunn-mann, an advertising sales manager; Jeff Randall, a middle school teacher; Scott Otsuka, a business owner; and Monica Prather, a stay-at-home mom.

In interviews with The Bee, each candidate discussed a variety of reasons for seeking to guide the Dry Creek district, which includes 7,300 students in parts of Placer and Sacramento counties. The candidates' skills and experience also run the gamut.

Stillman, a 30-year veteran teacher in the San Juan Unified School District, said he is seeking his fourth term in office for the same reason as in past elections.

"I just thought I would have something to offer. Having been on the board 12 years, I can see the big picture," Stillman said.

Four years ago, the district was focused on securing new and improved campuses, Stillman said. Now that the mission is mostly accomplished – with help from a voter- approved school bond – Stillman said he will direct more attention to student achievement in already high-achieving schools.

To foster better test scores, Stillman wants to implement secure online access to student grades.

When Stillman was asked about public criticism of the current board's communication with teachers and the community, he said, "Communication, by definition, requires two people. The community has to do their share, too, and I want to make that easier for them."

Randall, a parent in the district who also teaches for San Juan, said he has been one of the board's critics. A few years ago, he pushed trustees to reconfigure new district boundaries that inconvenienced students. Randall said he also was against a decision to issue layoff notices this year to veteran teachers who were not certified to instruct English language learners.

The notices were rescinded, following revisions to the district's budget and an administrative judge's advice.

"The board seems to make a lot of weird decisions without getting input from the teachers involved," Randall said, adding that he plans to seek teacher input if elected.

Otsuka described the past board's governance as "excellent" with the exception of the infamous layoff notices. He identified broken relationships with teachers and budget issues as the district's greatest challenges.

Otsuka said he would tackle the trustee job by using his experience owning a small mortgage brokerage company, serving on numerous district committees and as commissioner of the Roseville Parks and Recreation Department, coach of Roseville youth soccer and board member of the Rotary Club of Roseville.

Prather said being a mother of three is enough to qualify her for the job.

"I care about our kids, and I care about the teachers, and I feel that the students and the teachers are overstrapped," Prather said.

She said heightened attention to student test scores has resulted in less time for recess and lunch and is ultimately bad for students.

"I would like to see students treated like kids again, instead of little academic robots," Prather said.

Kunnmann said people should vote for him because he is a "straight shooter and common-sense kind of guy" who has been a parent in the district since 1992 and a business manager for 20 years.

"I know how to manage people, motivate people and get people working on the same page for the same goal," Kunnmann said.

Call The Bee's Lakiesha McGhee at (916) 731-2112.