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School board
Monday, April 15, 2019 Continued from page 5
realize their full potential. 2. Our area is in a state of growth. We must have plans to accommodate that growth while minimizing the Technology is a need that is risk of overbuilding or taking on continuous. It is constantly too much debt. Our children and changing and we must offer agegrandchildren will have to pay for appropriate technology to our the decisions we make today both students. Staff must also stay current on the latest in technology educationally and financially. Most bonds for capital projects take 40 to relate to students as well as to be able to teach what is relevant to years to pay off. 3. More seamless and open communication with the life after graduation. public would be beneficial. Many of us saw an uproar over the Hayes - I actually already stated the above question, but I'll state it naming of the new elementary school on social media. No matter again. 1. Continued vision for growth of our districts needs such where you stand on that, a good deal of it could have been avoided as classroom space. 2. continued pay increases for our teachers and if people knew that the name would be decided at the meeting that support staff. We want to be the best in every area within the Howe night. I would like to see the board school district. This includes great of trustees communicate similarly teachers not leaving our district for to our school with email, text, better pay. I've volunteered at the and/or social media. The public doesn’t know what is on the agenda schools and see the hard work until after the meeting has these teachers do. They deserve happened, so the board can’t nothing but the best. adequately represent the interests of a populous that hasn’t voiced their Leakey - 1. Continuity of coaching and administration at the opinions. high school level is an issue Brockelman - As Howe residents currently. We have lost our principal after only three years on have no doubt seen, cities and towns all around us are growing the job. The AD/Head Football Coach is entering the last year of a fast. And that growth will only two-year contract and hasn’t been accelerate as growth from the DFW area heads north. Growth is offered an extension. We have inevitable. been awarded five of seven distinctions, district and area So the priorities for our district are championships, school records, twofold. First, our school board and plenty of other successes as must plan for and prepare for the outlined above. These long term growth of our schools. achievements are enough to give Second, being that school funding the administrators and their relies heavily on local property tax processes a little more time to rigorous, high-quality education regardless of their background.
dollars, our district must rely on our city council members to make sound decisions regarding responsible, sustainable growth of our community.
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Leakey - I hope that our district can continue to serve and educate our kids while being fiscally conservative. As we continue to grow, I would like to see more college credit classes (AP, dual Success in this area will increase credit) offered at the high school. funding to the district, allowing for Our district would be well served to increased pay for teachers and listen to the interests of our administrative employees, and will students in offering extracurricular also provide for the necessary activities. Other districts offer buildings, supplies, and outdoors classes, fishing teams, technologies that will keep our JROTC, and many others. Our district competitive. students and our area could also benefit from offering more vocational programs that may Question: What are your best hopes for the future of this school jump-start our students into careers. district? How would your aspirations help our students? Brockelman - Same answer as previous question. Shadden - Continuing to have highly qualified staff and Question: If elected, what would administrators. you hope would be key accomplishments of the board Meeting the needs of students during your years of service? different learning styles. Shadden - Being one, of a Doty - I hope to ensure that all our 7-member School Board, I will be a students are academically, team member, staying focused on emotionally, and socially educational data-driven decisions, successful. I want to ensure every that are in the best interests of our student is prepared for college or a students and district. career upon graduation, every employee knows their value to us Doty - To achieve success with and is appreciated, and finally students, we need to expand every citizen that pays taxes will programs and services to promote know they got the best return on parent and community satisfaction. investment. I’d like to be part of a Board that finds ways to evaluate and monitor Hayes - I want to see the district student, parent, and community grow and have the resources to satisfaction. continue to grow as needed. I want to continue to educate myself about We need to ensure that we have an the district, state and national aligned, comprehensive, and school needs so I will be ahead of rigorous curriculum that works for the game in know what needs to be all students. Knowing that many done at the appropriate time. page 12
