Why are you the best candidate for office?
In 2013, I joined the school board having previously served as founding member and officer of Mt. Vernon Education Foundation with substantial concern for the school’s poor finances. As the only incumbent running, I believe eight years of experience will be important. Having served as board president and vice president, I have remained focused on the strategic planning that encompasses many of the financial, student performance, teacher retention, community engagement and communications improvements that have taken hold over the past eight years. Still more to accomplish, but we were able to move the school finances into a much healthier place.
What is the most pressing issue facing Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation?
The most pressing short-term issue is the combination of two changes in our funding. Mt. Vernon Schools will have a reduction in funding of several million dollars by 2023. This is due to the loss of increment funding on refinanced debt, and due to property tax caps the new fire territory caused a major redistribution of municipal tax dollars. The board has been working with the administration to reduce costs in multiple areas including health care, contracts and other smaller areas.
How can Mt. Vernon responsibly handle the growth it’s expected to experience over the next decade?
Growth is our biggest mid-term issue, and we need a conservative approach. A demographer has projected growth (students and location) over 10 years. This data predicts MV could grow by 50% in the next decade by about 2,000 students. The superintendent created a task force to help develop a growth plan. We keep a close eye on enrollment, and will only increase building capacity when necessary. We also need to continue to decrease the number of transfer students accepted. The board keeps a close eye on this item and has reduced the number of transfer students the last two years.
What would you do as a board member to help ensure the financial soundness of the school corporation?
My management and financial background are key to looking at the school’s finances in a professional manner. I also bring my experience as an adjunct professor in considering our most important job, providing quality education for our students. It’s a taxpayer-funded business so we need to make sure that the taxpayers’ money is spent wisely. This means questioning the strategic plan, the growth plan and how money is being spent to maintain facilities while focusing on providing a quality education to our students and supporting our teachers in that mission.
How do you feel Mt. Vernon has handled the COVID-19 pandemic? Do you feel like it should have done/be doing anything differently?
This spring, Mt. Vernon suddenly shut down and switched to virtual learning. We were better prepared than most schools in the state due to the board’s insistence five years ago that all students have one-to-one devices. Mt. Vernon was one of the first school systems to be approved for e-learning days. While there is always room for improvement, Mt. Vernon has put a strong process in place to limit and contain risk to our students and staff.
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Age: 53
Office sought: Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation Board of School Trustees
Occupation: Aeronautical engineering manager, Rolls-Royce Corp.
Political experience: Eight years (two terms) Mt. Vernon School Board
Family: Wife Florence "Flory," two children
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