The Issues

1. The Role of the Board of Education:

The Board is responsible for setting direction and establishing policies and the superintendent's role is to carry that out.

2. Fiscal Responsibility of the Superintendent:

An Ohio superintendent IS ULTMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EXPENDITURE OF DISTRICT FUNDS. The superintendent authorizes the purchase of equipment, materials, and services as long as such expenditures are legal and within the approved appropriations of the board of education. I believe the board of education needs to insist that our current superintendent limit the amount of purchases and trim the fat in our current area of top-heavy administrative salaries.

3.Where cuts should be made:

As the father of two sons with autism,if the Board of Education is forced to cut staff, district-wide administrative positions would be considered first. The last possible place a cut should be felt is in the classroom. Teachers,special education instructors, and aides are there to help our children with special needs. It must be about all kids first!

4. Hiring quality teachers is one of the most important things we do.

We need to hire the best. The teachers we hire can be responsible for teaching children in our district for 35 years. Teachers have a direct impact on our instructional practices and play a huge role in passing levies.

We must have a clear criteria when hiring-otherwise politics happens when there is a vacuum.The current system of nepotism must be stopped.

5.Reconstruction of the football stadium.

The reconstruction of the football stadium must be done through private funds and not through bond issues or levies. I support the Athletic Boosters becoming a limited liability corporation which would allow them to go out and seek loans to finance the rebuilding of the stadium. These loans could be paid off over time through various fund raising efforts such as reverse-raffles,etc. I would also see that the board of education re-work their soft drink contracts and donate that money to the reconstruction project. A new 10 year contract could bring in $150,000 or more funds for stadium reconstruction.