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Kirsten Larsen (Eastmont School District school board District 3, Washington, candidate 2025)
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Kirsten Larsen is running for election to the Eastmont School District school board District 3 in Washington. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.[source]
Larsen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
[1]Biography
Kirsten Larsen provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on September 26, 2025:
- Birth date: July 7, 1985
- Birth place: San Diego, California
- High school: Wenatchee High School
- Bachelor's: California State University Monterey Bay, 2009
- Graduate: Arizona State University, 2012
- Gender: Female
- Profession: Government
- Incumbent officeholder: No
- Campaign website
- Campaign endorsements
- Campaign Facebook
Elections
General election
The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.
General election for Eastmont School District school board District 3
Jason Heinz and Kirsten Larsen are running in the general election for Eastmont School District school board District 3 on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| Jason Heinz (Nonpartisan) | ||
Kirsten Larsen (Nonpartisan)  | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Endorsements
Larsen received the following endorsements. To view a full list of Larsen's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
Campaign themes
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Kirsten Larsen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Larsen's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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As a mother of two elementary students attending one of Eastmont's oldest buildings, I witness daily the challenges our children face - heating systems that fail, unreliable HVAC, outdoor hallways, and doors that stick shut. After watching bond measures fail repeatedly while my kids try to learn in conditions that compromise their safety and comfort, I knew I had to step up and be part of the solution.
I bring 14 years of experience in city, county, and state government operations, with a business degree from CSU Monterey Bay and a Master's in Urban and Environmental Planning from Arizona State University. I currently serve as a volunteer on East Wenatchee's Planning Commission. Within the Eastmont community, I've been an active volunteer with the Dual-Language Committee and regularly participate in PTO meetings and school events. My career as a city planner has taught me to assess community needs, prioritize critical issues, and develop actionable solutions while maintaining collaborative relationships across diverse stakeholder groups. I understand both the challenges families face and the complexities of working within budgetary constraints to deliver results.
I bring experience in budgeting public funds, community engagement, and strategic planning - combined with a parent's perspective on what our students need most. I'm ready to deliver the practical solution our schools deserve.- My government budget experience shows we can address financial challenges without compromising students' education. But when kids sit in 58-degree classrooms with broken heating, we need our community united to pass this bond for elementary school repairs.
This requires all of us working together. I believe in strategic investments like eliminating outdoor walkways between classrooms for better security, and community partnerships that help replace aging portable classrooms with permanent facilities.
Our students deserve better than failed systems. With community support and this bond, we ensure student-first budgeting in safe learning environments where every child can thrive. - Every student should feel safe and valued, whether they're learning English, have special needs, or are figuring out who they are. I'll advocate for bringing a dual language program to our district, ensure immigrant families feel welcome, and champion truly inclusive schools for all. With rising mental health challenges affecting student behavior, we need community partnership for comprehensive solutions. Research shows that when kids feel included and belong, they achieve better academic outcomes and graduation rates. This requires strategic investments in special education support, arts and career programs, and essential supports like recess.
- I think more parents would get involved if it was easier to see what the school board is doing. Families want better explanations of district priorities and specifics on fund allocation, streaming meetings online is a simple way to include busy families who can't always attend in person. My planning background helps me translate between what district officials are saying and what parents are hearing. I want to work with teachers, families, and other board members to make decisions together instead of surprising people with changes they don't understand. When we make school board work truly accessible, we strengthen the connection between families and their children.
Education equity: All students deserve support regardless of background or needs. I'll advocate for programs serving our diverse community, ensuring every family feels welcome. When children belong and are included, they achieve better outcomes.
Transparency: Parents feel disconnected when information isn't accessible. Families deserve clear explanations about priorities and spending. My planning background helps bridge communication gaps between administration and community.
Transparency and community engagement are fundamental to effective governance. School board service is nonpartisan, and I understand that my role is to focus on what's best for students rather than political agendas. Strategic stewardship means making budget decisions that prioritize classroom needs while being accountable to taxpayers. Collaborative leadership brings together diverse voices from across our community to inform policy decisions. Most importantly, putting students first in every governance decision ensures we create conditions where all children can thrive regardless of their background or circumstances.
As a school board member, I would serve in a nonpartisan governance role focused on policy-making, budget oversight, and hiring and evaluating the superintendent. I understand this limited but crucial scope, and I want to use this position to advance the student-centered priorities I'm running on. This means establishing policies that support every child's success, approving budgets that reflect community values, and ensuring transparent processes that help families become more engaged with their district. School boards govern through policy while respecting the management role of professional educators. My responsibility is creating conditions for educational excellence while maintaining accountability to the community.
When people ask me what I do in my free time or what my hobby is, I tell them that most wouldn't find it fun, but I like to be civically engaged. So naturally, I'd want to be Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation, because we're both the type of people who are genuinely excited to participate in community meetings.
What I love about Leslie is how she evolved from steamrolling ahead with her ideas to learning how to truly listen and work with people who see things completely differently. That's exactly what I'm doing in this campaign - bringing my established community connections to help bridge different perspectives and find solutions that work for everyone.
Leslie figured out that the best solutions come from bringing together diverse voices, even when those people challenge your assumptions. She discovered that building authentic relationships across different viewpoints makes better outcomes for everyone. That's why I want to use my position to connect the organizations I already work with to meaningful engagement with district decisions.
Over the series, Leslie grew into someone who could balance passionate advocacy with genuine collaboration. She'd stream every meeting online because transparency matters, but also make sure everyone had a seat at the table and their voices were actually heard. That's exactly my approach - making board meetings accessible and ensuring families understand how governance decisions affect their children.
The primary job is nonpartisan governance through policy-making and strategic oversight - setting district direction while allowing professional educators to handle daily operations. I understand the boundaries of this role and want to use it to advance the transparency and inclusive education priorities I'm running on. This means establishing board policies that ensure all students feel safe, seen, valued, and know they belong, approving budgets that prioritize student needs, and creating processes that help families understand and engage with district decisions. Effective governance requires working collaboratively with fellow board members and maintaining a productive relationship with the superintendent.
Every student in our district is my primary constituency - they're why schools exist. This includes our Hispanic/Latino students, English Language Learners, students with special needs, students figuring out who they are, and all children regardless of background. As a nonpartisan school board member, I would also serve families who entrust us with their children's education, teachers and staff who serve students daily, and community members who support schools. I'm committed to ensuring voices that have been historically underrepresented - including immigrant families and diverse communities - have meaningful input in governance decisions that affect their children.
I would support policy development that ensures evidence-based programs serve our diverse student population, including dual language learning programs and strengthened support for English Language Learners. I also want to establish policies supporting Career and Technical Education opportunities that align with local economic and business needs, preparing students for in-demand careers in our region. I want to use this position to establish policies ensuring all families feel welcome and supported. For faculty and staff, I would support board policies providing adequate resources while ensuring educator voices inform policy decisions. Community engagement means using governance tools like streaming board meetings online, creating structured opportunities for stakeholder input, and helping families understand how board decisions affect their children's education.
I would leverage my established community connections through work and volunteerism to bring organizations and stakeholders into meaningful engagement with district decisions. Through my community involvement, I've built relationships with organizations serving diverse families - parent groups, community organizations serving Hispanic/Latino families, immigrant support services, and special education advocacy groups. I want to use my position to connect these established relationships to the school district, helping these stakeholders better understand district governance and become more engaged advocates for students. I would also bring my connections with local businesses and community partners to help them understand how they can support student success through district partnerships. My approach recognizes that effective governance requires community input to shape policies and budget priorities, and I can bridge existing community relationships with district needs.
Good teaching meets students where they are and helps them grow, recognizing effective instruction looks different for different learners. In my nonpartisan governance role, I would support policies measuring teaching effectiveness through multiple indicators including student growth and engagement - not just test scores. Professional development should be ongoing and responsive to educator needs. I would advocate for board policies providing educators the resources and support they need for innovative approaches while ensuring adequate support for classroom challenges. Quality teaching requires both autonomy and support, which effective governance policies can establish.
I would focus on strategic stewardship of taxpayer dollars through transparent processes that prioritize student needs. I want to use this position to build on Eastmont's recent improvements in budget transparency, including their Facilities Dashboard and community engagement efforts, while establishing board policies that require clear links between spending and student outcomes. Passing the bond measure is one of my immediate priorities - our students cannot continue learning in aging facilities that compromise their safety and educational experience. I would work within governance boundaries to build community support for necessary investments like the bond while ensuring every dollar serves students effectively. My approach includes seeking structured community input on budget priorities, maximizing resources through strategic partnerships, and helping families better understand how budget decisions affect their children's education so they become more engaged in the fiscal oversight process that ensures accountability.
Safety encompasses both physical security and emotional wellbeing. As a nonpartisan board member, I would support policies ensuring safe facilities while creating welcoming environments where all students feel they belong. This means establishing policies that address infrastructure needs, provide adequate mental health resources, and ensure effective anti-bullying measures. Safety means students aren't sitting in broken classrooms and know they're supported regardless of who they are. Community partnerships are essential, and my governance role would focus on policies enabling comprehensive approaches to student safety and wellbeing through proper administrative channels.
I would support board policies that build on current district mental health efforts and continue developing these programs to meet the evolving needs of our students and staff. I want to use this position to establish policies that enhance existing inclusive school cultures where all students feel safe and supported while expanding partnerships with community mental health providers. This means supporting the superintendent in strengthening current comprehensive programs while ensuring budget priorities continue to include adequate mental health resources and staffing. For faculty and staff, I would support policies that build on current support systems while addressing workload concerns. My goal is helping families understand how governance decisions can enhance existing district efforts to support student wellbeing and become more engaged advocates for continuing to develop comprehensive support services that meet our community's needs.
I'm interested in examining policies around school structure to ensure they align with student needs - including start times, recess, and enrichment programs supporting the whole child. As a board member, any policy changes would emerge from community input and evidence of what best serves student learning. I would want to review family engagement policies to ensure they remove barriers to participation rather than create them. Changes should always be made collaboratively with stakeholders and focused on creating conditions where every student can succeed. My approach is evidence-based governance that puts students first.
National Women’s Political Caucus of Washington
FairVote Washington
FairVote Washington
My ideal learning environment provides safe, comfortable physical spaces where students focus on learning rather than sitting in uncomfortable classrooms with failing systems. Modern, secure facilities are fundamental to quality education. It includes comprehensive support addressing the whole child - from universal free meals to mental health resources and enrichment through arts and music programs. All students feel safe, seen, valued, and know they belong regardless of background, language, or individual needs. Essential supports like adequate recess and appropriate schedules based on developmental needs and student age create conditions where every student can thrive academically and socially. As a nonpartisan board member, I would support policies creating these conditions.
Within my nonpartisan governance role, I would establish policies making school board work truly accessible to all families. I want to use this position to advance transparency by supporting board practices like streaming meetings online, requiring clear communication about budget decisions, and creating structured opportunities for family input before major policy changes. Effective governance means ongoing community engagement, not just during elections. My goal is helping parents understand how board decisions affect their children while respecting the management boundaries that professional educators handle. Democracy works best when families can easily participate in decisions affecting their children's education.
Recognizing that personnel decisions are management functions, my nonpartisan governance role focuses on establishing policies supporting effective recruitment and retention. I want to use this position to advance policies ensuring competitive compensation, supportive working conditions, and hiring of culturally competent staff who serve our diverse student population. This means working through proper governance channels to establish board policies that reduce administrative burden, provide adequate resources, and create positive district culture. While I cannot directly hire staff, I can advocate for policies helping the superintendent build strong educational teams that reflect community values and serve all students effectively.
Recognizing that curriculum decisions involve professional educator recommendations based on board guidance, my nonpartisan governance role focuses on supporting policies that ensure comprehensive, evidence-based programs for all students. I want to use this position to provide board guidance advocating for phasing in a dual language learning program that will eventually replace the current English Language Learner curriculum, as dual language programs better serve both English learners and English-speaking students while honoring our diverse community. I would recommend working with Washington OSPI to accomplish this transition effectively. I would also support board guidance that ensures curriculum adoption includes access to arts, music, and career pathway opportunities aligned with local economic needs. While I cannot directly manage curriculum, I understand that the board provides guidance to professional educators who then make recommendations for board adoption. My goal is helping families understand how this governance process supports educational excellence and ensuring our curriculum guidance serves our diverse population and prepares all students for success.
AI should be viewed as a tool enhancing learning while maintaining human connection. I support Eastmont's current measured approach, including the pilot programs at Eastmont High School and focus on training staff first with platforms like Colleague AI. I would support policies that build on these initial efforts while ensuring students develop digital literacy skills for their futures and learn responsible AI use. For educators, I support continuing to explore how AI can help with administrative tasks, allowing more time for instruction and student relationships, as our district is already beginning to implement. However, any expanded AI implementation must continue to prioritize student privacy, equity of access, and comprehensive teacher support. Community input should continue to guide how we enhance these technologies through appropriate governance channels that respect professional educator expertise while ensuring board oversight of major policy decisions.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Other survey responses
Ballotpedia identified the following surveys, interviews, and questionnaires Larsen completed for other organizations. If you are aware of a link that should be added, email us.
See also
2025 Elections
External links
Footnotes
