Jake Jacobovitch
Vashon Island School Board

When I came to this Island 47 years ago, I saw a community that took care of each other and prioritized the health, welfare and needs of the children. I wanted to be part of that. A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove … but the world may be a better place because I made a difference in the life of a child.

I am asking for your support to serve you again on the Vashon Island School Board. When my service ended on the School Board in 2007, I felt that I left the district with many improvements in: policies, budget, hiring/firing, curriculum alignment, highly capable program, capital improvements, and especially communications and interactive processes with the community to ensure that our school system is accessible, responsive, transparent, and accountable.

My children and grandchildren attended/currently 5 attend Vashon schools: one of those being a junior at the high school currently. I have served you with integrity, honesty, and straightforwardness on boards for our community including the Vashon School Board, Vashon Park District, Vashon Maury Island Community Council, Vashon Island Jr. Basketball, Vashon Youth Baseball, Washington State Ferry Advisory Committee, Puget Sound Regional Council Growth Management Policy Board, King County EEO/AA Employee Advisory, Conference of Minority Transportation Officials, Partnership to Achieve Comprehensive Equity and more. I have extensive experience in bringing people together to find solutions.

In the 1980’s I chaired the Vashon Youth Baseball & Softball board and received a grant from the Seattle Mariners that paid for the VHS softball field. I applied and received a Safe Routes to School grant from the Washington Dept. of Transportation that paid for the sidewalks, entry and parking lot at Chautauqua and McMurray schools. I also coached youth sports for more than two decades; Vashon Youth Baseball & Softball, Vashon Island Jr. Basketball, the Vashon High School basketball team (in the 6-month non-school season).

I chaired a Parent Teacher Student Association group charged with putting on a fundraising gala for the district at the O Space. We named the event “Giving Back”. We raised more than $117,000 dollars, more than any previous PTSA event.

I drove school bus for the VISD for 12 years, for free as a volunteer, for basketball, football, baseball, UW College Day, Mt. St. Helens, the Nordic Museum, Museum of Flight, the Ballard Locks, ASB Student Conference, etc. Many of these co-curricular activities might not have happened if it wasn’t for the fact that I drove these trips for free.

Over the years, I was a classroom volunteer helper on Friday’s; for Ms. Avolio-Toly, for Ms. Baron, for Ms. Heath, for Ms. Hunziker, for Ms. Combs, and projects for Ms. Munger-Wolfe.

I have recently retired from employment with King County after 37 years in leadership positions in Transit, Traffic Engineering, Road and Building Maintenance, Environmental, Safety & Security, and Equity programs delivering high quality work teams and customer service by means of employee engagement, communication, facilitation, labor relations, negotiation, dispute resolution, equity & social justice, continuous improvement, supervision, budgeting, planning and project management to fulfill my professional and personal goals of exemplary public service.