Three newcomers are set to reshape the Battle Ground Public School’s board of directors following the Nov. 4 election results.
As of Wednesday, Nov. 12, District 1 candidate Lorri Sibley won with 10,427 votes, 50.86 percent, over Jennifer Heine-Withee, who received 9,991 votes, or 48.73 percent. In District 3, Chris Grewell secured a wide lead, earning 12,538 votes, 61.78 percent, to challenger Sabrena Worthy’s 7,683, or 37.86 percent. District 5’s Marshall Marrott was the uncontested winner after his opponent, Solina Adelson-Journey, withdrew earlier in the campaign.
Sibley takes the District 1 seat
After a tight District 1 contest, newly elected school board member Lorri Sibley will enter office with more than three decades of experience inside the district’s classrooms. She taught for 32 years and was part of Daybreak Primary’s original staff when the school opened in 2007.
She also served on multiple bargaining teams and held leadership roles that provided her with a deep understanding of district budgets and staffing demands. Sibley emphasized that her decision-making will not prioritize the teaching staff.
“I am for the students, I’m students first every time,” she said.
Sibley said her background with budgets and bargaining gave her a clear view of the district’s long-term financial reality. She stressed that Battle Ground’s funding challenges stem from the state’s school-finance model, not local mismanagement and that the district has been forced to operate with fewer resources than many of its peers.
“I believe our district does a lot with little,” she said.
She said families need clear, practical communication from the district, especially when high-stakes decisions are ahead, referring to student programs cut from the double-failed levy this year.
“They need to know that up front,” she noted.
Sibley volunteers weekly in district schools and said rebuilding trust will require stronger day-to-day engagement with families. She believes much of the current tension comes from rumors and inaccurate assumptions about what happens in classrooms.
“So much misinformation, these far-reaching ideas that these things are happening in the schools and they’re not,” she said.
One of her top priorities is tackling disruptive behavior, which she said is taking a mounting toll on learning across the region.
“We’ve got to figure out what to do about the disruptive behaviors because it impacts the other kids,” she said.
Sibley has spoken at numerous board meetings over the years on student safety, curriculum, and administrative staffing during budget cuts and said her record shows consistent, student-focused advocacy.
She described her race as respectful and appreciated the openness of conversations with families.
“It was a good race, we didn’t badmouth each other or anything,” she said.
During the campaign, Sibley said her opponent raised concerns about how schools handle transgender students. This issue had recently gained regional attention after the La Center School District was found by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to be in violation of Washington nondiscrimination laws. The state ordered La Center to rescind a directive that required automatic parental notification of pronoun changes without student consent. The district is now appealing the ruling.
Sibley said in her recent phone conversation that she agreed with Jennifer on wanting the district to “maintain open communication” with parents. However, she said the school district should avoid picking a fight with the state following a double-levy failure.
As she steps into the role, Sibley said she plans to stay accessible and continue working directly in schools. She asked the community to stay in dialogue with her as she continues to learn.
“I’m going to learn and I’m gonna grow, I’m gonna make mistakes, and I just ask people to… let me know, let’s have a conversation,” she said.
Marrott brings volunteer experience to Position 5
After nearly two decades in the Battle Ground community, newly elected District 5 school board member Marrott enters the board with a long record of volunteer service. He and his wife moved to the area 18 years ago and raised four children, all Prairie graduates. His wife has worked in the district for years as an educator and administrator, and Marrott said that perspective helped shape his understanding of how schools function.
That involvement grew significantly over the past five years through his work on the superintendent’s Citizens Advisory Council. Marrott originally joined the council when it first formed, and eventually moved into leadership roles as he helped advise district staff on policy, community engagement, and long-range planning.
“I feel it’s important to be an involved person, and that’s why I got involved with Battle Ground Public Schools,” he said.
His volunteer experience includes 20 years as an adult leader and volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America, PTA volunteer, classroom helper and as a church youth leader.
Looking ahead, Marrott said his priority is to become fully informed and make decisions that support the district’s strategic plan.
When three board seats opened at once this election cycle, Marrott said he felt a responsibility to step forward. He believed that his long-term community connections, familiarity with district governance, and comfort navigating complex budget and policy conversations positioned him to be of help.
“I felt like I could be useful in providing a good direction for the district.”
Although his name appeared alongside another candidate on the ballot, his opponent withdrew months earlier due to a job change. Marrott emphasized that he never viewed her as unqualified.
He said he believed she “would have been a good candidate,” had she stayed in the ring.
With a new superintendent in place and three newcomers joining the board simultaneously, Marrott said his primary goal is to become fully informed about district operations and align board policy decisions with the strategic plan.
“Everything should be done in support of students to make sure we’re having student success,” he said.
He aims to increase community involvement and hopes that more residents will attend meetings, participate in committees, and engage directly with the district.
“I encourage people to come to the school board meetings… people should have that opportunity,” he said.
Marrott said his role is to gather information, listen carefully, and help guide long-term decisions.
“My job is to become as informed as I can and try and make sound, wise decisions with the rest of the board,” he said.
Grewell did not respond to a request for comment. Sibley and Marrott also shared their thoughts on a potential levy to be included in a February ballot.
