1. The biggest issue facing the district...

1. The biggest issue facing the district in my opinion is the

struggle to maintain a strong reserve in the budget while spending

today’s dollars on today’s children.

Our budget income is primarily local property taxes. We are a

basic aid district and must maintain a higher percent reserve to be

prepared for a change in basic aid status (downturn in housing prices

resulting in lower property tax income or a change in basic aid

structure).

Yet, the children in the school today need the benefit of all we

can provide them now as they won’t benefit from monies spent from the

reserve in the future. This ties in directly with our challenge to

provide the strongest academic program enriched with extracurricular

activities while we strive to meet our mission of allowing each child

to maximize potential.

2. I ask to be re-elected as I have a passion for the concept of

public education and making it work. We have the task of making sure

each child masters the skills required at each level, kindergarten

through grade 12 so a student graduates prepared for college, career

and life as an independent adult.

The last four years have seen the passing of the bond and the

completion of building and modernization at all four sites on budget

and on time. The budget is healthy and passes thorough outside

audits. The strengthening of academics is the focus of the Quest for

Excellence program.

I prepare for and attend meetings, ask questions and research,

listen and give input. I am responsive to my constituent-students,

staff, parents and community. I carry forward concerns and issues

brought to my attention. I have served with honesty, integrity and

enthusiasm. I am a responsible board member and have earned the trust

to continue.

3. I would answer that all our programs enhance student learning.

The total curricular offering provides opportunity for the range of

students we educate. For example we have GATE identified students in

upper elementary continuing to high school where we offer regular and

honors courses with the opportunity for Advanced Placement starting

in 10th grade.

Last year we brought our special education preschool students back

to Laguna and have a wonderful program for them at Top of the World

Elementary School so they no longer need to attend a preschool in

another district. We have been expanding our music offerings and

bringing back the Academic Decathlon at the high school. I could name

many more specific programs.

My objective is to continue to support the most opportunities for

students to explore and learn in addition to core academics. This

will be a challenge with our commitment to the profession learning

community concept that provides each student with an individual

learning plan. Our community service requirement also enhances

student learning by placing them in the greater community and gaining

an appreciation of doing for others.

4. Regarding the differences of opinion over the MTV and the

baseball field, it is difficult to give an answer that is not tainted

by the clarity of hindsight.

In general I would answer that this board I have been serving

with, supported by the administration who provides background

information, makes decisions that are the best decision with the best

information at that time. Specifically and for clarification, the

board never signed a contract with MTV and then “got out of it.” We

allowed them to make a proposal and bring a contractual agreement

that we questioned extensively, causing it to be sent to their

representatives in the East. When they would not make the changes we

insisted upon, we voted against the agreement.

The change I would have made in hindsight is not to have allowed

distribution of the application questionnaires to any students prior

to our decision.

Regarding the baseball field, as I have shared at many meetings

this planning process began in the summer of 2002 with options for

the field and its renovation. The vote on configuration and design

took place in January 2003. We posted the fields for closing with

large wooden signs on the fences in February 2004. We sent cards at

various points and held a neighbor notified meeting in April 2004 to

discuss the planned work over the summer. When the concerns surfaced

in summer over the poles, we began numerous additional subcommittee

meetings to attempt solutions.

We have made progress and we will have a compromise as we want to

be a good neighbor, and for the most part the neighbors want to work

it out. Again with the clarity of hindsight I would have sent the

notices to a greater area surrounding the field than we did. We used

the same criteria the city uses for planning and design review -- 300

feet from the project in question -- yet with the hillside going up

from the high school, affected neighbors would not have received

notice.

Our goal is to make decisions that are inclusive of all

stakeholders not to sneak anything by anyone. I pride myself on being

honest, thorough and treating people fairly. I try to ask in-depth

questions. In spite of all preparation, when decisions have

unexpected impacts the job of a good board member is to be able to

fairly solve the problems.