Bryce Puvogel and Chris Bryson will square off in November’s General Election for Position 3 on the Hoquiam School Board.

Puvogel, the incumbent, has held the seat since 2019. Recently on the board, Puvogel supported actions to close Central Elementary in order to consolidate maintenance needs and funds as enrollment falls. He also supported a roughly $42 million capital projects bond the district crafted, which will appear on ballots next February.

Puvogel did not respond to email inquiries about his campaign from The Daily World by press time. According to information he provided through the Grays Harbor County voter’s guide, his priorities include preparing students for career paths with evolving technologies, providing a safe education environment, and bringing school facilities up to date.

In the voter’s pamphlet, Puvogel wrote he has shown he can make “tough decisions” “based on the best information and input from as many students, parents, staff, and community members as possible.”

Puvogel graduated from Grays Harbor College in 2020 with an associate’s degree in business and is now enrolled in WGU Washington.

Bryson, Puvogel’s challenger, said he ran for school board “because as a parent with kids in the school district and as a homeowner I care deeply about quality education without crushing taxpayers.”

This summer, Bryson participated on the community bond committee that helped draft the district’s bond measure for next year that will fund a myriad of maintenance projects around the district.

He said addressing deferred maintenance of facilities with limited funds is a major issue facing the district.

“We need to find a way to tackle maintenance issues as they arise rather than waiting until they become bigger, more expensive problems,” Bryson wrote in an email. “I’ve been in construction my entire adult life so I feel uniquely qualified to help prioritize time and funds according to needs.”

Bryson said his other priority would be to address declining enrollment, a trend he pinned on families moving away for political reasons or students transferring to other school districts.

“We need to find out and address the reasons why families are choosing other districts over Hoquiam,” he wrote.

Contact reporter Clayton Franke at 406-552-3917 or clayton.franke@thedailyworld.com.