Why are you running for the school board?
I love the community and the schools really prepared my older children for college. I still have a son at HSE and I have had a large number of people ask me to run for the school board again. I enjoyed my time from 2015-2018 and I felt like our board left the schools in great shape. The district has seen a lot of division in the last two terms and I’m running to help bring the community back together.
What is your vision for the future of our school district?
Academic excellence while continuing to offer cutting edge programs that lead to dual college credit or trade certifications to allow our students to be prepared for the next step in life.
What do you believe are the most critical issues facing our schools today?
School funding and a positive environment for staff and students.
What experience do you have that prepares you for this role?
Served on HSE board from 2015-2018. As legislative Liasion for HSE by helping lead the charge for increased school funding, with many local leaders, to push for change to state funding formula which lead to approximately $22M in increased funding for the district. Also helped with initial HSE operational referendum which led to an additional $18-20M in yearly funding for the district. Served on health committee which saved around $2M for district and brought the motion for E-learning to HSE schools which ultimately helped keep our kids learning during the COVID crisis. Worked with Lacrosse leaders and the athletic directors to make Lacrosse a varsity sport in the schools. I also worked on the joint city/school team that brought classrooms to Conner Prairie.
How will you ensure that the voices of parents, teachers, and students are heard in board decisions?
The same way that I did before. I listen to the stakeholders to see how we can better run the HSE district.
What are your priorities for the school district’s budget?
#1 is to keep our AA++ Bond Rating so that when we can get the best rates when we need to borrow funds for projects.
#2 Pay the teachers as much as we can while still being able to run the buses and keep the lights on. We have to continue to retain the best talent to remain a top tier school.
#3 Make sure we continue to use demographers to determine what direction our district needs to go in regards to facilities and staffing based on future school population predictions.
How would you ensure that the district is prepared for future challenges, such as growth or changes in educational standards?
Engage the business community and state leaders to make sure that our schools are preparing our children for the 21st century jobs. As our schools go, so goes our community. I want our kids to win and if they win then the community will also win long term.
What else would you like voters to know about your candidacy?
I’m Pro Student! Pro Educator and Pro Community. I use a common sense approach when it comes to making decisions for the community. Our children are the future leaders of Indiana and the United States and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure they leave HSE Schools with the tools they need to be successful. I’m asking for your vote on or before November 5th 2024. Thank you for taking the time to read.
How can voters contact you or learn more about your campaign?