Five candidates are in the running for three seats on the Fountain Hills Unified School District Governing Board, including Karl Gaardsmoe, Wendy Barnard, Edith Stock, Judy Rutkowski and Robert Gomez.

The winners of the three board seats will begin their four-year terms on Jan. 1, 2015.

Leading up to the Nov. 4 election, these candidates are taking part in a Times series highlighting questions pertaining to FHUSD and its future.

For this week’s question, candidates were asked: What is the most pressing issue facing the district and, if elected, how do you plan to address it?

Karl Gaardsmoe

One of the more pressing issues facing the district, recently identified in our annual board retreat, is a need to develop a strategic plan. Whether it is a three, five-year or longer strategic plan has yet to be determined, however, it is important that we start the process.

This strategic plan will provide the framework for the district’s future, ensuring that we continue to be considered one of the top districts in the state.

The strategic planning process will provide an opportunity to involve many different stakeholders: students, parents, staff and community. This diversity will give us a variety of perspectives and ideas about strategic priorities and resources required to achieve our vision.

In order to complete this project, it will be important to have an unbiased facilitator and I will advocate for that resource. Working with my colleagues on the development of a strategic plan, I will continue to bring informed decision making and a strong servant-leader ethic to the process.

This process, because it is beyond the board’s month-to-month scope, will require additional efforts and a commitment of time on behalf of all board members. As always, I am willing to make that promise.

Robert Gomez

The morale of teachers and staff and also of parents of the students within the School District is currently the most pressing issue facing us.

As a person who served as a superintendent of schools in three states, and who has extensive experience formulating and working within recognized procedural processes, I was shocked at the process used to investigate and recommend action regarding a teacher who served the district for over 20 years.

I believe a lack of recognized appropriate procedural process required the School Board to make a highly controversial decision about discontinuing employment of this teacher.

For further detail regarding the facts, opinions and unclear procedures that lead to this process being demoralizing and divisive, I suggest that interested voters read the administrative hearing officer’s report, which should be available at the district office.

Morale will rise when staff, administrators and board members work openly and are united in their direction to serve the children of Fountain Hills. District decisions should include all involved and allow input from all affected.

Moreover, our ongoing primary need is to examine the district budget with experienced leaders who can suggest areas to trim the current budget, thus freeing funds to make the teachers’ salary ranges comparable to neighboring districts.

Fountain Hills cannot retain outstanding teachers and administrators when teacher salaries begin almost $5,000 behind neighboring districts. My prior experience of developing site and program budgets will stimulate new ideas and innovative solutions.

Judy Rutkowski

The most pressing issue facing our School District is finances.

In recent years, the district requested and voters have generously approved budget overrides for capital improvements and maintenance and operations. Depending upon budget overrides to run the district is not ideal.

State funding has decreased, partly the result of the need to balance the state’s budget, and partly the result of declining student enrollment in the district (since funding is linked to enrollment). Teachers’ salaries in Fountain Hills remain lower than in many adjoining districts. This is one reason for high teacher turnover in our schools.

Teachers can’t afford to work/live in Fountain Hills and choose to go elsewhere. In turn, this negatively affects parents’ and students’ perception about the quality of education available here, and has led many to also go elsewhere. Recently, the state was ordered to restore higher funding, but how and when these monies would be available is uncertain.

If elected, I would support a thorough review of the district budget, ensuring that funds are being directed to the best interest of the student and his/her educational success, including competitive teacher pay. We should explore ways to garner enhanced business and community support for our schools without raising taxes.

Strong schools attract more families to Fountain Hills, which in turn is good for business and the community. We can encourage more residents to make use of state tax credit donations to our schools. Funds are limited, and we must be excellent stewards of the taxpayers’ money.

Edith Stock

Fountain Hills School District has been rather effectively dealing with the many challenges being a small district brings. It enjoys community support and interest from a broad spectrum of the community from which one would conclude there would be a team effort to address all problems.

The turnover of personnel yearly is an indication that a persistent problem exists that should be actively investigated with the goal of correcting whatever is amiss.

This turnover rate in administrative personnel was mentioned as significant in the latest accreditation report this past spring, but teacher turnover is also high.

An atmosphere of caring trust, respect and common goals usually binds staff and administrators together in the most rewarding professional sense. Insuring that kind of atmosphere is maintained is vital to a vibrant district and would be my top priority.

Wendy Barnard

Unfortunately, the underlying issue facing the majority of the district’s decisions comes down to budgetary issues. Understanding that neither the Governing Board nor the district can change Arizona’s legislation appropriation to education, districts need to find creative ways to manage their finances.

While some will blame unclear and unstable funding on enrollment issues, school choice is an option, so we need to move beyond this.

Relying on the number of students who walk through your doors each year to pay the “bills” shows no long-term planning.

Understanding school finances down to the exact dollar coming and going through the district is essential.

Contracts need to be negotiated each year with care, investments in infrastructure need to be prudent, and dollars spent in the classroom need to be appropriately allocated given the needs of the students.

There are a multitude of grant opportunities at the local, state and national level that can offset costs incurred by the district. However, these funds need to be directed to our children by giving teachers the resources they need to be successful. Investment in our students needs to be bold and innovative.

We need to invest in our children by providing additional support in regular educational settings so that remedial education costs (including grade retention) are reduced. Cost-savings for future generations will be apparent as districts invest more in research and evidence-based programs that are proactive, preventing additional costs down the road while simultaneously improving academic achievement of students.