Election 3

Ryan-10/15/14

General

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:

Declining enrollment has been an issue facing FHUSD for a number of years. What measures must be taken in order to attract and maintain students? What steps would you support in order to achieve those measures?

Robert Gomez

Why is enrollment declining? Is it directly related to the perceived quality of Fountain Hills schools? Are parents of school-age children who live in Fountain Hills choosing other educational options? Are young families choosing to settle outside of Fountain Hills because of concerns about our schools?

I would take the following steps to attract and maintain students:

*Review and adjust programs to meet goals of students within full range of student learning potential.

*Focus on recruitment and retention of teachers, programs to accommodate the needs of a wide range of academic abilities, high performing schools.

*Create a positive environment between school and community -- utilize the experience and expertise within our community to create extended activities and lessons.

*Develop an outreach program with Chamber of Commerce, city, and School District to publicize and promote the great family oriented activities taking place in Fountain Hills

As a School Board member, I would carefully review the budget with an eye toward strategic allocation of personnel based on the number of students and the programs necessary at each school site. District policies need to be in place where percentages of total budget are allocated for teachers’ salaries and benefits.

I believe we need to review policy guidelines for “user-friendly” environment where students, parents and educators all feel valued as part of a team effort to provide the best possible education for Fountain Hills students.

Judy Rutkowski

Declining enrollment has a negative impact on state funding as well as the district’s reputation.

Some of the decline was a consequence of families moving out of Fountain Hills, but some has been the result of parents choosing to take their children elsewhere.

What should we do? We must hire and keep excellent teachers in our district. I’ve heard students wondering about next year’s teacher because a very good teacher left. We must properly balance spending for teachers’ salaries and administrative costs.

In fiscal year 2013, district spending per pupil on administration was $925, well above the $744 amount in comparable schools and the state average of $746. We should offer competitive salaries to attract and retain talented teachers, while holding all teachers accountable to local standards, and ensuring that they deliver skilled, consistent instruction to students.

We must improve the district’s communication and collaboration with parents and the community. Parental involvement is an excellent predictor of student achievement. Parents need to be kept in the loop about expectations, assignments, upcoming tests, test results, and ways to be active participants in their children’s education.

Since an educated workforce is critical to economic development and business success, we should actively promote participation of local businesses and community organizations with our schools.

This partnership could enhance financial support for the schools and become an attractive feature for families thinking about moving into Fountain Hills. Some of our community businesses already participate, but we should take fuller advantage of this opportunity.

Edith Stock

The reasons for declining enrollment can be attributed to a wide variety of conditions; fewer families with school-age children in the community, convenient location of other schools in parents’ commute path, broader curriculum offerings in larger schools, dissatisfaction in relationships with school personnel, and charter school openings being among them.

Open enrollment in an area with many available choices places each school in the very competitive position of delivering the best service product possible to the area. Public schools can no longer just wait for the students to appear, marketing services are vital.

FHUSD is doing a good job offering outstanding programs in music, athletics, robotics and a spectrum of extra-curricular programs. Also, student academic progress is in a competitive range.

A task force is forming to gather information about what other steps may be possible to attract students to stay in this district and gain transfer students from other districts.

Looking for ways to trim spending and raise funding remain constant. But to insure a vigorous, thriving educational culture, there must be a trusting, open and collaborative relationship among all participants.

To establish that kind of culture must be the number one goal of the Fountain Hills Governing Board. Listening carefully, respecting, and supporting the efforts and innovative ideas of staff, community and students is vital.

Wendy Barnard

My family and I feel so fortunate to live in such an amazing community.

Fountain Hills is gaining a reputation for being a family-friendly community and hopefully more young families will continue to move here. For that to happen, all of us need to work together –Town Council, Parks and Recreation, Chamber of Commerce, Boys and Girls Club, non-profit groups, sports groups, and certainly the School District.

As a governing board member, to consciously understand the relationship among the many groups in our community, strengthening these relationships, and fostering new ones will support the already strong foundation built by the district.

FHUSD needs to continue its relationship with the many groups in town that send volunteers into our schools so these volunteers can see first-hand how dedicated faculty, staff, children and parents are. We also need to commit to the continuation of art, music, band, computers, physical education, and all of the “specials” that our children get on a regular basis.

We all need to support the school community. Transitions between schools and between grades help make students excited about going to the next grade or going to the “big kid” school. Creating mentor relationships among students in the older grades and the younger grades is a no-cost solution that will help maintain students who want to remain a Fountain Hills Falcon.

Encouraging students of all ages to go to sporting events, band concerts, school plays, and the many other activities will also create a dedication to the school for both parents and children.

Karl Gaardsmoe

In the past three years we experienced significant changes between the graduating class size from the previous school year and the incoming kindergarten class.

In fact, this change accounts for between 30 percent (2013) and 100 percent (2012 and 2014) of the enrollment decline. It’s encouraging that this year, between first grade and 12th grade student population, we gained 18 students (August count).

Declining enrollment is not unique to FHUSD. Scottsdale recently completed a robust demographic study concluding that lower recession-era birth rates, aging population, affordable housing, and competition contribute to the problem. It’s no different in Fountain Hills.

Last year the board adopted a district goal to improve enrollment, service and relationships. From this directive, administration and principals have developed programs to support this outcome.

For example, within the constraints of poor data systems and privacy laws, the registrar is tracking and analyzing student movement and the superintendent’s office is conducting exit interviews. Surveys are conducted and the high school has created parent and student advisory councils to provide feedback on shared values and improvement goals.

I would also support, if viable, selling unimproved school property to a developer who was committed to building affordable housing so we could attract young families.