Newcomer Reese Challenges
Incumbents Rossmiller and Skinner
No Primary
Required in School Board Race
Originally
Published in The Evansville Review January
11, 2012
By Melissa
Hammann
In an
election season that’s shaping up to be a moratorium on the prevailing
controversy in each respective community, Evansville’s school board race is
tame in comparison. Each year, two to three seats are up for grabs on the seven-seat
school board. Only one newcomer, Mr. Marshall Reese, has challenged incumbents Tina
Rossmiller and Sharon Skinner, who have both opted to run for re-election. The election is to be held April 3, 2012.
Ms.
Rossmiller indicated her reasons for keeping her hat in the ring as follows: “My
desire to participate in providing our students with the best education
possible is an incredible motivation. I want the community to be proud of the
school district in which their students are being educated and for me, being on
the school board is the best way I can help make that happen. Also, I want to
use my experience as a senior member of the Board (6 years) to help bring the
school board, administration and faculty together in a collaborative effort to
find workable solutions to problems that face our school and district, now and
in the future.”
Sharon
Skinner echoed this concern for students, when asked why she was running for
re-election: “I think it’s going to be a tough year as we enter next year with
a 1.6 million dollar deficit. That’s a lot of money but with the many different
talents on the board, I’m confident we can work together minimize the effect of
the cuts on the children. Their education is vital. We don’t want the kids to
suffer because of the cuts. There
are many teachers in the district that are willing to step outside the box and
I want to support that approach. It may be the only way for us to find good
solutions for the many challenges we will face in the coming years. My three
and a half years of experience here and two years of experience on a Chicago
school council before that can help in that process.”
When
asked why he was running for the school board at this time, Mr. Reese noted:
“With the current climate in Madison, I saw that someone with a background in
education would be an asset to the board.” Reese has been a teacher for ten
years, eight in Beloit. Before that, he was in public relations. “I’ve lived my whole life in the area,
attending Evansville schools from K-12. Others have encouraged me to run and I believe
my schedule may allow better attendance at the board meetings than some others
currently serving.” When asked for further clarification, he indicated that he
had done his homework by reading minutes and noticing who was absent and who
was late for meetings or left early. In a follow up email, he indicated that “at
least one member was late, left early, or was absent to half of the board
meetings.”
To
verify Mr. Reese’s statement, a survey of all meetings from November 8, 2010 to
December 7, 2011 was conducted. Thirty-eight meetings were held in that time
frame. Twenty meetings were conducted in
the last fiscal year (November 8, 2011 to June 27, 2011), five of which had
perfect attendance for a rate of 25 percent. Eighteen meetings have been held
thus far in the current fiscal year, eight of which had all seven board members
present, nearly doubling the rate to 44 percent. Mr. Reese’s observation is
accurate but needs to be viewed in the context of other area school board data
to be meaningful. We briefly summarize four randomly selected area school board
attendance figures for comparison (Janesville, Milton, Edgerton and Madison).
The Janesville school board has nine members and had attendance rates of 61 and
54.5 percent respectively for the same time periods. The Madison school board
also has seven members and posted rates of 62.5 and 25 percent respectively for
the same range of dates. Milton school board, with seven sitting
members, had rates of 42 and 55 percent and Edgerton school board with nine
members had rates of 40 and 30 percent.
Now
we are in a position to comment on this data. Only one of four districts
randomly selected from our area have lower perfect attendance rates than
Evansville. The comparative data illustrates that other area districts suffer
absences, late arrivals or early departures at rates similar to or a bit better
than Evansville. This is probably not indicative of any endemic issues on the
Evansville school board but rather a reflection of hectic modern life. Likely this
is why school boards and city councils are comprised of several members. Boards
are functional as long as a quorum is present. While each member is expected to
attend every meeting possible, it is understood that life intervenes and will
force some absences, late arrivals and early departures. When asked how his
presence on the Evansville school board would change this perceived attendance issue,
Mr. Reese did not directly answer, but noted
“I only
stated this because it was originally brought to my attention by community
members.” More importantly, he noted, “I believe I can give the board the
education perspective which is sometimes missing on school boards. I understand
cuts will have to be made, and I want to make intelligent cuts. I firmly
believe some cuts can be made while maintaining or improving education.” He
also emphasized that “I am not running to get a candidate off the board. I am
running to get a candidate with fresh ideas and a new perspective on the
board.”
At
the reorganizational meeting on May 2, 2011, the board voted to permanently
change the meeting time to 6:30 PM to better serve their needs. Two members had
recently started new jobs and they had missed the beginning of many meetings, which
had variable start times that fluctuated from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM. After the change in start time, late arrival
incidents plummeted by 71 percent. There is one documented incident this fiscal
year of a board member leaving before a meeting ended just prior to executive
session on November 28 at 10:03 PM. Anecdotally, there were also occasional meetings
that were run quickly or started early (prior to the change in meeting time) so
board members with children in various co-curricular activities could attend
the events. Finally, if one were to take an individualized view of board
meeting attendance rates for the 38 meetings held since November 8, 2010,
members achieved attendance rates ranging from 86 to 100 percent. If board members were assigned grades for “attendance
at board meetings” using the grading scale employed by the district, the lowest
grade earned by any sitting board member would be a B.
School
board elections in Madison seem to have filled the slate with proponents of the
controversial Charter school and those in Janesville appear to have enticed
those who believe they can improve the working relationship between the board
and the district or better rein in the deficit. In contrast, Evansville’s roomy
slate seems to give a nod to the currently sitting board, recognizing that they
do a difficult job for very little compensation. Perhaps the pool of candidates
doesn’t know how they could improve on the process. Maybe potential public
servants were intimidated by the thought of the 1.6 million dollar deficit looming
in the budget next year. Regardless of the number of names on the slate, all the
candidates are to be commended for their willingness to hold public office in
such uncertain economic times.
Stay
tuned to this byline beginning in mid-February for our annual “Meet the
Candidates” series of articles.
Meet the 2012 Evansville School
Board Candidates
Part One of
Five Originally Published in The
Evansville Review February 15, 2012
By Melissa
Hammann
Today we
bring you the first installment of a five part series designed to introduce to
the voters of the Evansville School District the three candidates running for
two open positions on the Board of Education. Newcomer Reese and incumbents
Rossmiller and Skinner each provided a brief biographical sketch to get the
ball rolling.
Name: Marshall J. Reese
Occupation: Middle School Teacher
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Communication from
University of Wisconsin- Parkside, Kenosha, WI, 19997, Master of Arts in
Integrated Marketing Communication from Emerson College, Boston, MA, 1999,
Teacher Certification from Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI, 2004
Age: 37
Other family members: Niece, Martha, a Freshman at Evansville High
School
Volunteer Service: Administrative Council Chair, Lay Leader, and
Advanced Lay Speaker at New Horizon United Methodist Church, Orfordville, WI.
Parkview Neighbors Helping Neighbors Webmaster.
Previous Public School Affiliations: Ten
years in public education including one year substitute teaching in the
Evansville Community School District and eight years at Beloit Turner Middle
School teaching English skills, English, communication arts, and transitions.
Also taught middle school math, science, and English and elementary reading
during summer school. Has also worked and/or student taught in the Germantown,
Brown Deer, Glendale-River Hills, and Milwaukee school districts in a variety
of capacities.
Previous Public Service or Elected Office/Years Served: None.
Recreational Pursuits: An avid Milwaukee Brewers fan. Enjoys
camping, working in the wood shop, reading, staying up-to-date with technology,
and spending time with the extended family and dog, Dora.
Name: Tina
Rossmiller
Occupation: Accounting Assistant,
Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP
Education: 3 years post-secondary
education
Age: 41
Spouse: Dave Rossmiller
Spouse’s occupation: Deputy Sheriff
Other Family: Two sons: Kye, student
UW-Whitewater
Ethan, junior Evansville High School
Current Volunteer Service: Sunday school teacher, Awana Secretary, parent volunteer high
school.
Past Volunteer Service: Evansville
Community Youth Center, JC McKenna PTSO, K-5 PTO, Evl Youth Wrestling, Evl
Youth Soccer, Evl Scouts Pack 514; Economic Development Committee
Previous public service or Elected
office/Years Served: Serving Second 3 year term as ECSD Board Member, CESA
2 Board of Control Board Member since election to ECSD
Hobbies: Scrapbooking and Quilting.
Name: Sharon Skinner
Occupation: Home Maker
Previous work experience: Board of trade
as a trade checker on the trading floor and in the wire room in Chicago IL.,
Midwest Stock Exchange, Law Clerk, Kelly House, Evansville Manor as a physical
therapist aide, Skaalen Nursing Home as a physical therapist aide.
Education: High School
Age: Hmm
Spouse: Fred Skinner, married 35
years
Spouse Occupation: Diesel Mechanic
for 38 Years
Other Family Members: Children Aaron Skinner-34 years old and his
wife Nicole Skinner, Shannon-19 years old, Emily-18 years old, Dan-17 years
old, and Shawn-15 Shields; grandchildren Cal Kittleson-13 and Liam Skinner-3.
Volunteer Services: Former Member Of
the Anti-Drug Committee in Chicago, IL., Chicago Intervention Network
Concerning Gangs and Safety of your children in schools, Parent Patrol,
Volunteer Homicide/Violent Crime Advocate, Former Member of Parents Against
Gangs, Have done intervention with the youth about drugs and gangs, Tutored at
Field School, Have been involved in the
PTA/PTO for many years, Parent Volunteer for cross country, Former member of
the mission board at UCC Church, Former member of the Christian education board
at UCC Church, Former Leader of Youth Group At UCC Church, Member of Education
Foundation Committee, Member of B.A.S.E. (Building A Better Evansville), Foster
Care for 5 Years.
Previous Public School Affiliations:
Eugene Field School in Chicago, IL.
Previous Pubic School or Elected Office:
Elected on the Chicago School Board- which is called the local school councils
in Chicago. Served 2 years. Currently serving on the Evansville school board
for 3 years.
Recreational Pursuits: Ceramics,
Scrap-Booking, Embroidering, Small Quilts.
Stay tuned
next week as we explore how the candidates would address the needs of specialty
programming and maintain a balance with remaining district priorities while
facing unprecedented budgetary restrictions.
Meet the
2012 Evansville School Board Candidates
Part 2 of 5 Originally Published in The Evansville Review February 22, 2012
By Melissa Hammann
This week the candidates
were asked about how they would continue to address special program needs in
the district while balancing the remaining needs of the district. The exact
question follows.
Question 2: The Evansville
School Board addressed Four-Year-Old Kindergarten (4K) this year for the third
time in six years. They shelved it again due to prohibitive start-up costs
combined with unprecedented budgetary constraints. The district has also been
criticized for not having an Alternative School for students at risk who,
through medical and/or other limitations, find it difficult to be successful
with the standard program offerings. These and other specialty programs like
Advanced Placement Classes (AP) and the Gifted and Talented curriculum (GT)
meet the needs of a subset of the Evansville student body. How would you
proceed to address these while balancing the remaining needs of the district in
such tight budget times?
Tina
Rossmiller – No answer received by press time.
Sharon
Skinner
•As of last year, we had a meeting regarding 4K and many parents
were there to show support. I think our preschool or 4K kindergarten children
would benefit from it. But at this time, with our budget deficit the way it is,
I feel that it is not the right time. But perhaps in the future if our budget
changes so we have monies to start the 4K program, I believe it’s a good
program.
•I believe in the Future, and if the district feels there is a need for an
alternative school for our students who are at risk, it should be discussed.
Many questions will need to be answered, one would be do we have enough
students who are at risk, and space is a big issue that would have to be
explored. I feel an alternative school would benefit if the district feels we
need one, I would support it.
•As for gifted and talented programs, I feel we are committed to having every
student provided with the best education they need, and to reach their goals
with their own best personal accomplishments. I believe we are doing just that.
I believe our gifted program is challenging our students at our school and I am
sure that they will succeed. It also helps students to get ready for college
testing for the ACT’s.
•I believe we have a good curriculum program. We have so many teachers who go beyond
what they are teaching, and they key is students are learning. Actually,
students are having fun, especially in the 4th and 5th grade reading, and the
teachers are finding ways to pay for the cost of books and materials with
grants and alternative funding. Curriculum is so important in every grade and
all our teachers are doing a great job. The teaching styles are very unique,
and assessments developed for the programs show when our students are actually
learning.
•Children with medical needs or limitations, I believe they will be successful
as best as they can. They are wonderful children. I believe the program is a
good one and staff is doing a great job. If the program is not working, it
should be looked at and figured out why it is not working and make changes
accordingly.
•The specialty programs like advance placement classes(AP), I would like to see
more students take these courses, I believe that it is good training for
college, so they could prepare themselves when they leave high school, it is a
big step, and I believe it is the school districts responsibility to make sure
these classes are available. I believe with our budget being tight that we can
balance these programs and still meet the needs of our students.
Our children are our future.
Marshall
Reese
School districts throughout the state are venturing through
unchartered waters. It makes sense to tread slowly and carefully with
deliberate thought. I am not in favor of eliminating effective programs to
start new programs that may or may not succeed, but I also don’t believe the
Evansville Community School District should just roll over, either.
When looking at 4K, a lot has to be considered. With so many of
the districts in the area offering 4K, why isn’t Evansville? While jumping on the
bandwagon isn’t a great approach, 4K should be looked at very carefully. Why
are some many districts offering 4K? In talking to administrators, teachers,
parents, and Evansville residents it seems to be a smart program to implement.
Students who were enrolled in 4K often come to kindergarten more prepared than
students who did not attend 4K with simple things like knowing how to sit down
and listen, line up, and walk in a straight line. Students also come more
prepared for the beginning stages of reading, have a stronger fine motor grasp
for writing, and recognizing most of the numbers 0-10. 4K is much more than the
“free daycare” that many people claim. It gives students a great foundation
that helps them “hit the ground running” especially in the area of reading.
Starting up a 4K program is very expensive. Partnering with area daycares is
one way to help reduce the costs while limiting student transportation issues.
Looking at the Fund 10 is also a possibility. In addition to better preparing
students for school, within three years, there will be a significant amount of
revenue coming into the district as a result of the program and the increased
enrollment in the district.
Education is no longer the one-size-fits-all approach that many of
us grew up knowing. It has evolved to a more individually-based,
student-centric model. As a result, there are more needs for the multiple
programs that schools offer. Someone has to run these programs, but it doesn’t
have to be one person running a sole program. It’s time to reduce the number of
administrators – the highest paid employees of the district - and give the
principals more responsibilities. To assist in the additional responsibilities,
principals can recruit passionate teachers to aid them. Eventually the passion
will spread to other teachers and, as a result, the program will continue with
less money being spent on extra administration. The new inclusive reading
program at TRIS is an example of how this passion among teachers is contagious
and increases student learning!
All programs are important and have a need, so students can find
and grow their talents and be successful in life. The Success Unlimited
program, a program that assists students identified as at-risk for school
failure, works to improve student skills necessary to earn high school credit
and graduation just as the advanced placement classes and gifted and talented
helps challenge other students. Offering a variety of class allows schools to
reach out to students of various interests and abilities. Areas such as art,
music, family and consumer education, business education, technology education,
athletics, etc. are all important to students. Once a student finds an
interest, it can’t be taken away.
To expand the Success Unlimited program to an alternative school
should be looked in, too. There are grants available to start alternative
programming that would result in no expense to the district at all. Evansville
could reach out to neighboring districts to create a consortium that would aid
all the involved districts. By housing the alternative school, additional
revenue could be gained.
Evansville should be very proud of its Advanced Placement results.
It was recently reported that Evansville ranked among the highest in the area
schools with 74% of the exams taken scoring a three or higher. Having strong
academic programs that provide clear results such as this will help Evansville
retain and attract students from other districts, and, as a result, increase
the state aid.
Ultimately, cuts are going to have to be made and new programs may
have to be delayed until funding is available, but what if funding never
returns? At some point, Evansville needs to reach out and generate more revenue
by increasing student enrollment (4K, Open Enrollment, etc.), creating
partnerships, and winning grants. Thinking outside the box can help Evansville
continue on the path of success and into calmer waters.
Meet the 2012 Evansville School
Board Candidates
Part 3 of 5
Originally Published in The Evansville
Review February 29, 2012
By Melissa
Hammann
This week
the candidates were asked a modification of a question that has gone down in
the annals as “most challenging school board candidate question ever.” It was
originally posed in a public forum prior to the 2007 primary in which six
candidates were running for two seats on the board. It is recycled here with
the permission of the forum sponsors Karen Aikmann and Jim Brooks. The specific
question follows.
Question 3: The School Board is asked to
respond to the competing needs, wants and demands of many stakeholders in the
district. Who is the primary “customer” of the school board and why?
Some of the competing demands
that the school board must balance come from specialty programs discussed in
last week’s article: 4K, Alternative Schools, GT and AP. It has been suggested
that Evansville’s deficiencies in specialty programs like these reduce its
competitive chances in today’s open enrollment public school landscape and may
be contributing to its declining enrollment. The imbalance of Open Enrollment
in the district has grown from -3 to -24 students in the last five years,
representing a significant loss in state aid this year. Would you endorse
investigating the causes of Evansville’s Open Enrollment imbalance? How would
you recommend that the board proceed with such an exploration? If program
inadequacies are determined to be a root cause, what path would you advocate
going forward?
Sharon Skinner
The primary
"customers" of our school board are our students and parents who
have the greatest investment in the outcome of the educational
process, although ultimately the entire community has a large stake in the
quality and effectiveness of our school.
Open enrollment has now been extended for 3 months which may give us more
insight into a decline in enrollment. I would support investigating this
decline. At present I understand we have no hard data as to why open
enrollment is in decline, but I would recommend requiring an exit survey for
any student transfers so as to have some insight into our enrollment
decline. The board has asked for this kind of information in the past, but
has yet to receive any data. I understand that families that have already
transferred students are probably reluctant to give reasons as to their
choices. If program deficiencies were found to be a contributing factor in
loss of open enrollment, the course of action should be addresses by studying
those deficiencies.
Marshall Reese
The
primary customer of the Evansville Community School district includes all of
the families and community members of the district. The community is
responsible for providing tax dollars to run the school district. The families
receive the direct services of a quality, well-rounded education. The community
also receives the benefits when the students grow up and decide to stay in
Evansville as the workers, business owners, volunteers, etc. who continue to
make Evansville a great place to live! It is important, though, that the
students are also a customer. They are a direct customer. The board must always
put the needs of the students first when making decisions.
Next,
as discussed last week, Evansville is one of the strongest schools in the
region when it comes to advanced placement exams. AP exams will see continued
improvement in the district and, as a result, will help turn around the open
enrollment problem the district is currently experiencing. Other specialty
programs like 4K and an alternative school need to be investigated, including
funding options, as they will also attract students to Evansville. If the
current board is serious in developing these, they will hire a superintendent
with qualifications in these areas.
Further
investigating the causes of Evansville’s Open Enrollment imbalance should be
looked into, though it appears most of the students leave for larger school
districts like Janesville. If that is truly the case, Evansville will not be
able to compete with the diverse programming and opportunities a Division-I
school can provide especially in athletics. In return, those districts cannot
compete with the more personal nature a small community of Evansville can give
students. A D-I school cannot compete with Evansville’s performance in the area
of AP exams, either.
Finally,
distance education and college level courses offer great opportunities for
students whose interests are not being met. Ultimately, the need of the
students needs to be evaluated on a regular basis, not just in times where
students are leaving. A scope and sequence and curriculum need to be monitored
and adjusted regularly to ensure inadequacies are turned in to strengths. The
Common Core State Standards are working towards this goal and should help
Evansville continue to have success.
Tina Rossmiller
While there
are many stakeholders, I believe the primary customers are the students. I was
elected to provide quality customer service to EACH student in our District.
For students, that means the best possible full-service education. For parents,
it is a safe environment in which their children can learn. For the taxpayers,
it is confidence that I am being a good steward with their resources. This
quality customer service is accomplished through the decisions I make at board
meetings. Keeping my focus on the students helps bring the tough decisions on
staffing, facilities, resource allocation, etc. into perspective. Not
necessarily making those decisions easier, but at least a focal point to
maintain consistency and balance, as much as possible. I believe I have done,
and continue to, provide a high level of customer service over the past two
terms; to the best of my ability, with the resources available at the time.
Next week we
get down to the nitty-gritty budget question you’ve all been waiting for. Join
us as the candidates are asked to share their approach to closing the
district’s projected 1.6 million dollar deficit next year.
Meet the 2012 Evansville School
Board Candidates
Part 4 of 5
Originally Published in The Evansville
Review March 7, 2012
By Melissa
Hammann
This week we
asked the candidates to discuss their approach to closing the budget gap that
originally was predicted to be about 8.5 percent of the total budget (1.6
million dollars). Since the questions were submitted to the candidates, the
teachers have reopened and settled their contract. Concessions agreed to by the
EEA are predicted to reduce the overall deficit from 1.6 million dollars to
about 1.1 million dollars.
Question 4: All Wisconsin
school districts experienced dramatic cuts in revenue beginning with this
fiscal year. The Evansville school board agreed to balance a $672,000 deficit
budget this year using the fund balance, expressing that they expected this to
be a one-time budget “fix.” The budget forecast model used by the district
predicts that gap to grow to $1,600,000 next year. Even factoring in full
teacher concessions and lay-offs due to declining enrollment, the model
predicts over a half-million dollar shortfall, confirming board President Kathi
Swanson’s assessment that using the fund balance to square the budget this year
has simply delayed the inevitable and difficult decisions by a year. As a
prospective board member, what approach do you advocate to balance this
projected shortage in the 2012-2013 school year?
Marshall Reese
The fund balance is essentially a savings account for rainy days.
Using it last year to delay the inevitable, as some have said, was reasonable.
There are more stormy days ahead of us, though. While we can't deplete the fund
balance completely, it may be a good idea to hold off on adding to it for the
time being. The district hopes the fund balance ends up at about 10% at the end
of this school year instead of the 8.6% projected balance. While it is
commendable that the district is trying to save money, this money should be
used to help save vital programming. As we get back on our feet, we can start
increasing the fund balance again.
Next, the block scheduling also needs to be looked at. Several
years ago, Edgerton went back to a traditional schedule to save money. While I
understand the educational advantages of having longer classes, I question how
effective it is to have up to a year off between classes such as math and
Spanish or to have alternating day core classes. I believe that going back to a
traditional schedule will not only improve education but will save money.
Third, having five administrators in three buildings seems
excessive. Combined, these administrators cost the district over half a million
dollars in salary and benefits. Before the high school was built, there were
two principles for grades K-8. Today there are three. With the declining
enrollment this certainly needs to be explored. It is more than just the
principals, though. The administration as a whole need to be looked at to see
where they can be consolidated. Everyone in today’s society is doing more.
School administration can, too.
Another way to save money is to consolidate repetitive services.
Look around the facilities. Is there anything else that can be consolidated?
For example, the beautiful library at TRIS – which used to be a high school
library – can be merged with the library at Levi Leonard. There is no reason to
have two libraries in one building especially when one is centrally located
just like the cafeteria. The offices at the Grove Campus could be consolidated
nearby, too.
Next, the district can make changes in the schools to save money,
too. In some cases, they can be setting an example for the students. Taking
steps to conserve energy, for example, in all four schools can go a long way in
saving money. Shutting lights off when no one is in a room, keeping windows
closed in climate controlled rooms, adjusting the temperature settings by a
degree or two in each building, and reducing water consumption will save money.
Evansville hosts the annual Energy Fair every year. This is a wonderful event,
but how much better would it be if the district could be a model district
statewide in daily energy conservation while saving money.
Furthermore, to become even more environmentally friendly and save
money, major purchases such as copy machines, computers, monitors, printers
need to be replaced less often. Software upgrades can be done less frequently
as well. Unfortunately, textbook purchases can be delayed a year or two, especially
as we move towards a paperless society. It should be fairly easy to write a
grant to get sets of Google Chrome Books or iPads to help replace aging books
and reduce paper consumption. Email can be used as often as possible. Let
students email their assignments to teachers! If paper copies must be used,
they should be made back-to-back.
Finally, laying off teachers should also be considered, but only
in the case of declining enrollment. Class sizes, especially in the high
school, need to be looked into as well. Having classes in the single digits in
many cases just is not financially responsible. I am a firm believer in
offering a variety of classes and not completely cutting any programs, but
specialty classes may need to be offered less frequently to increase numbers.
There are a lot of ways to save small amounts of money that will
add up quickly while having a limited impact on the students. Many of these
will ultimately improve the education of the students which is what we are most
concerned about!
Tina Rossmiller
Let me start
by saying that none of us have the magic formula to solve the budget crisis
facing our school district. That being said, I think it's important to first
understand that a traditional budget is a planning tool, which assumes an 'approved'
bottom line, based on the previous year's actual revenue and expenses. These
amounts may or may not be fixed when preparing the budget. The unknown
variables cause the planning process to be difficult and often time consuming.
Some of the unknowns include incoming kindergartners, open enrollment, staff
retirements, insurance, and of course, the State Budget.
In the business world, there are two ways to improve your bottom line: increase
revenues and decrease expenses. I believe a combination of both is necessary.
Generating new revenues could be done through non-traditional sources like
grants and foundations. Decreasing expenses should start with reducing
non-people costs. This has provided savings over the years, but now the board
is faced with the need for significant amounts that may only be realized
through cuts that will directly affect our students.
I have worked with the board over the past 6 years to make the best financial
decisions with the information available at the time. The results of that hard
work provided additional funds to the Fund 10, as per board policy, at a steady
rate. Unfortunately, not fast enough to ensure financial stability during these
unprecedented economic times.
Perhaps it's time to change our approach in budgeting for the 2012-2013 school
year. Zero based budgeting would do exactly that. It starts at zero each year
and focuses on every line in the budget, both revenue and expense. All items
are analyzed and approved based on what is needed and the associated costs.
This new approach has more advantages than disadvantages, but most importantly,
would allow the budget to be aligned with the newly adopted strategic goals of
the district. I'm confident that implementing Zero Based budgeting will
continue this positive momentum forward.
Sharon Skinner
The
2012-2013 school year will be a difficult one for our school district as well
as most others. I do not think there is just one approach to balance our budget
issues. The projected shortage is still over a million dollars, and we need to
keep open to any and all ideas to try and balance our budget. It is important
that we keep in mind the needs of our children, community, and teachers during
this process. The school district has already made cuts, our teachers have made
sacrifices in order to save jobs and have a successful curriculum. The district
is under pressure to do more with less while trying to achieve higher
standards. I have been an active board participant in helping to attain these
goals for the last three years, one of the most fiscally challenging times in
recent memory.
There is a good deal of work left to be done. We still have to make cuts and
layoffs. It’s vital that we work with our business manager to evaluate our
options. Budgeting has been a collaborative effort with the community,
administration and staff in the past with the program based budgeting process.
That approach was interrupted this year with the slashes in state aid. The
philosophy of the district was to place the onus of the responsibility for the
difficult budget decisions onto the Board and the administration. It still
remains a collaborative effort on the part of the board and the administration
with the guidance of the director of finance. In the end, not everyone will be
happy, but we will do what needs to be done for our students, community, and
teachers.
Join us next
week as we finish our series by asking the candidate why the electors of the
district should hire them.
Meet the 2012 School Board
Candidates
Part 5 of 5
Originally Published in The Evansville
Review March 14, 2012
By Melissa
Hammann
This week,
we asked the candidates to tell us why we should vote for them. It is the last
of a series of five articles designed to help our readers make informed choices
for School Board members at the polls on April 3, 2012. The exact question
follows.
Question 5: There are three candidates to fill two seats. Why should the
voters of the district hire you? What skills and experiences will you bring to
the board making you the best candidate for the position?
Tina Rossmiller
“Why should I be
re-elected?
I believe I possess the attributes of an effective school board
member, focused on moving the district forward and interested in the success of
all students. Here are some of the qualities I bring to the table:
Dedication to providing each student the best education possible
to prepare them for the future
Professionalism demonstrated both in and outside the school
district
Commitment to spending the time and energy needed to prepare for
meetings, in order to actively participate in discussion and decision making
Attentive to finances and regularly monitor the fiscal operations
of the district
Collaborative attitude with fellow board members, staff and all
district stakeholders
Willingness to listen with an open mind to all viewpoints, especially those who are directly affected by board
decisions
Consistent in asking the tough questions and the strength to hold
people accountable
Knowledge and experience in regard to finance, policy, strengths,
needs and challenges of our district
Continual desire to develop a stronger relationship between the
district and our community
Belief in the value of public education and the democratic process
Deep admiration and respect for the teachers and staff who educate
our children every day
Understanding of the board’s role and responsibilities within the
district
As you cast your ballot for the next school board member, you
should be asking yourself “is this a person I can trust with the education of
my child?” I believe I have demonstrated
over the last 6 years that I have the qualities necessary to accomplish that
task.”
Sharon Skinner
“I have many
years of experience with public schools in two different states. I have
volunteered in many ways since my oldest son was in kindergarten. I served on boards in Chicago, Illinois for 2
years and in Evansville for 3 ½ years. I have learned many things, and will
continue to learn more about our public school system.
It is
important to have priorities. The first is our students. I feel we are their
voice and I am an advocate for their needs. I try to make sure those needs are
met to the extent possible given current budget limitations. Communication is also essential to the board.
I am a good listener and I believe that it is very important to listen to
students, teachers, staff and community members. I will do my best to be
informed and to make sure our community, teachers and staff are informed so we
can make the right decisions for the schools.
I have the
time for commitment and dedication and I am willing to do the right thing for
the district with your help. I understand that times are tough right now but I
believe we have the strength and dedication to endure the storm that’s been
brewing around us for over a year. Patience is one thing we need now, and we
need to remember to value what we do have. I was part of the Board that helped
build the fund balance in better years which put us in the position to pay the
deficit this year out of the savings. I will continue to vote to spend tax dollars
in the most effective way possible in the future.
I feel that
we need to bring everybody together as a team. I believe those on the board now
and the future board members will be reachable and trusting, and be open to new
ideas. We have great teachers and students, and the community is an important
part of that team. I will listen, ask
questions, and serve our community to the best of my ability. Let’s work
together as a whole to make Evansville a greater school district than it is
already. Finally, we need to remember we are all working for the same goal:
excellence in education. I will be accessible, open minded and I will listen to
your concerns to help in whatever capacity I can. Your voice is important.
Please vote for me April 3.”
Marshall Reese
“No matter who is elected next month, big decisions will have to
be made. All three of us are willing and able to make those decisions. All
three of us are proud of Evansville schools. All three of us want to see the
children of Evansville to be successful in every aspect of their life. It truly
is not an easy decision. Regardless of what happens, though, I feel Evansville
is in good hands.
I didn’t decide to run for the school board to run against anyone
doing a poor job. The idea to run for school board came to me quite a while
ago. With the stars currently aligned, I decided to give it a shot. It wasn’t a
rash decision. I carefully think and plan important decisions out. I look at
the pros. I look at the cons. The pros won, and I threw my hat into the ring.
At the very least, there is a competition for this seat - a competition that
did not exist three years ago. With competition comes a dialog. All the
candidates have to state their opinions, so you, the voter, can make a
decision. This dialog is important to me. When elected, I will continue this
dialog with you.
I would like you to make that decision based on what two
candidates have the most to bring to the board. What I will bring to the Board
of Education is new ideas and new enthusiasm. I love Evansville! I love our
schools! I want to see them to thrive more than they ever have. I have those
ideas and that enthusiasm.
Over the last several weeks I have presented my ideas to the
readers. I have been very specific on my thoughts. I did this to show the
readers that I am willing to make unpopular decisions if it means that it is
best for the children of our schools.
I will bring my expertise from the business and the education
worlds to this position. I will be fair, impartial, and dedicated to this position.
I give 110% to everything I do. This position will be no different.
I was raised in Evansville. Evansville’s amazing teachers educated
me from kindergarten through twelfth grade. I am proud to be an Evansville
graduate and I want to give back something to my community that gave so much to
me.
I would
appreciate your vote on April 3.”
Thus
concludes this series. With the editor’s permission, the entire series will be
reproduced on my blog beginning March 20. The link is provided below. Please
visit at your leisure to review the candidates’ responses to help inform your
vote. And then, no matter how frenzied your day is on April 3, or how tired you
are at days end, please exercise your right to vote. While Wisconsin cheered
the estimated 52% voter turnout in the November 2010 elections (1), that’s a
fail on any grading scale I’ve ever seen. Rock County was even worse with an
estimated 43% turnout (2). Sure, it was a huge improvement over typical
mid-term election years, but what would have happened if there had been 80, 90
or 100% voter turnout? Let’s see if we can find out on April 3.
1-http://elections.gmu.edu/Turnout_2010G.html
2-http://sparxmind.com/wisconsin-voter-turnout-by-county/
Link to my blog:
http://schoolscoop1.blogspot.com/
