The first time Jake Jacobovitch volunteered in Vashon public schools was in 1979, when he dressed up as Santa for Mrs. DeHope’s kindergarten class.

In the 30 years since, Jacobovitch has continued to contribute to Island schools — as a class helper, volunteer bus driver, coach, grant writer and school board member. A father of five children who attended Vashon public schools, he spends at least 20 days each year helping out in Vashon schools, he said.

His experience in so many varied roles makes him a common-sense choice, he said, for school board director, a position he’s seeking in the Nov. 3 election. Being a volunteer bus driver, for example, Jacobovitch has built a rapport with Island students: “When kids see me, they’re happy to see me, and I feel invested in them,” he said.

And as a school board member, he’s gained a deep understanding of the way a successful board is run, he said.

“I have a depth of experience and know the mechanics of board operations, which is not a simple matter,” said Jacobovitch, a 33-year Island resident. His real-world pragmatism, he added, would be a boon to the board, helping them cut through distractions and stay on task.

Jacobovitch, a traffic safety engineer with the King County Department of Transportation, served as one of Vashon’s five school board directors from 2003 to 2007, and after a defeat to current board member Laura Wishik in 2007, he has thrown his hat in the ring to join the board again. He’s running for the position against Islander Steve Ellison.

“I can hit the ground running — there’s no training required,” he said. “I feel I have value to the operations of the school board, which translates to value to this community.”

While a school board member, Jacobovitch said he worked to keep board process transparent, to align curriculum and to secure various grants for the school district — from a $50,000 grant from the Seattle Mariners and Boeing for a baseball field to a $238,000 grant to install sidewalks and lights at McMurray and Chautauqua, making kids’ walks to school safer. Jacobovitch also played an active role in negotiation between the school district and other entities, finalizing a contract with Laidlaw for school bus service and securing leases for Vashon Park District to manage unused school district facilities, which park programs now use for athletics and recreation.

Jacobovitch’s public service on Vashon goes beyond the educational — he was on the Vashon-Maury Island Community Council from 1996 to 2002, serving as its president for three years, and he was a Vashon Park District commissioner from 1992 to 2000. Today, he’s a member of Vashon’s Ferry Advisory Committee, to which he was nominated by the school district.

A Burton resident, Jacobovitch has also been active on the boards of Vashon Youth Baseball and Softball and Vashon Island Junior Basketball and coached many Island sports teams over the years.

A pressing issue the current school board is grappling with is whether or how to renovate and update Vashon High School, a campus where some buildings are nearly 50 years old. The school board hopes to put a bond proposal before Vashon voters in February that addresses the facilities needs at the high school.

“We can’t not repair our facilities,” Jacobovitch said. “Our kids need the best. I’m not talking gold-plated and bells and whistles, but they need to have classrooms where they don’t have to keep their bags outside because they don’t fit inside, and teachers need to have space to plan their lessons. Those aren’t extravagances.”

He’s supportive, he said, of “renovating, reusing, reconstructing and constructing, where necessary, in a prudent, efficient manner.”

If elected, Jacobovitch said he plans to continue working to align curriculum, maintain facilities and “keep the board’s business as open as possible to the public.”

“That’s what I’ve always strived for,” he said.