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Age
(
Demographics / Personal Info )
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58 |
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Family
(
Demographics / Personal Info )
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Wife: Joyce Sons (Wife): Jared (Lori), Travis (Kelly), Brett (Betsy), Nick
Grandchildren: Jack, Addison, Isabelle, Logan |
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Occupation/place of employment
(
Demographics / Personal Info )
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Engineering and Sales of Commercial HVAC equipment
Heartland Mechanical Solutions, 1250 N Winchester, Suite E, Olathe |
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Education
(
Demographics / Personal Info )
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K-12 Olathe Schools
BS Mechanical Engineering from Kansas State University |
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Political experience
(
Demographics / Personal Info )
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Olathe School Board (4 years) |
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Civic involvement
(
Demographics / Personal Info )
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Olathe Chamber of Commerce; Olathe Santa Fe Trail Rotary Club; St. Mark’s Lutheran Church – Community Ministries Chairman, Building Committee; Advisory Board @ Good Samaritan Center; Advisory Board for School Plus; Olathe Youth Baseball (1982-2002); Olathe Soccer Club; Kansas City Association of Hospital Engineers (KCAHE); American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers |
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Number of years you have been a resident of the city
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Demographics / Personal Info )
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56 |
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Would you support an increase in the LOB (Local Option Budget) to enable the district to increase staff salaries?
(
uncategorized )
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Next to our children, the most valuable asset of the School District is our Teachers and we must always stay competitive so that we can attract and keep the best Teachers in the marketplace. As it is currently, we want Teachers to seek us out because they recognize Olathe is the best place for the best Teachers.
Because 100% of the revenues raised by the LOB stay in our District, it is one of the most “efficient” ways we have to raise revenue. While I am, philosophically opposed to tax
increases, I would advocate for an increase in the LOB to allow us the option to use this revenue source, as necessary, to keep our Teachers’ salaries competitive as we continue our Path to Excellence. |
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Do you believe that the cash balances of the school district are too low, about right, or too high?
(
General )
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Cash Balances are an operational tool..
1. used to balance out cash flow due to the timing of when revenue is received and the necessity to pay expenses when due,
2. used for payment of expenses attributable to financial contingencies as determined by Board,
3. used for maintaining the investment of community tax dollars in facilities, equipment and other capital expenditures.
We have established guidelines for minimum Cash Balances to serve the above mentioned purposes. Our excellent fiscal responsibility in all areas has enabled us to keep cash balances at minimum levels and still maintain our exemplary Bond rating. Any levels above the minimum are an abuse of the intended purposes of Cash Balances. Taxpayers’ money is intended to be left in their pockets and not in our bank! |
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How do you feel about the district’s consideration of moving ninth grade students to the high school?
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uncategorized )
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The detail in which this issue was studied by the community and the depth of discussion with the community is unprecedented. Almost every facet of the reconfiguration was looked at in depth. While there were many questions left unanswered, every effort was made to educate all of the voting public. I am proud of the determination to listen & educate and I am also very thankful that the final decision was made with over 70% voter participation. The voters have spoken and it’s now time to move forward at full speed to ensure the success of the transition and allow our children to benefit from the advantages the new configuration will offer them. |
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What is your position on charter schools/vouchers that allow for public funds to be spent for private schools?
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uncategorized )
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We’re not collecting taxes to build schools, private or public. We’re collecting taxes to educate children. There are advances in all sectors of industry, private and public, and no one entity has a monopoly on best practices. They all learn from each other. Education should be no different. If there are better or more efficient methods to produce the results we want, then we should be willing to give them consideration. As was said of opponents of the Reconfiguration, we should not be afraid of change. We should be open to any benefits that might occur from a competitive environment. |
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What is the role of a Board member versus the role of the Board? What do you see as the major role of the board of education?
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uncategorized )
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A Board member is to be a voice for the community. The Board of Education is charged to provide a suitable education to all children in the community and a Board member is charged with this duty and is charged to do it as a servant of the community.
The Board of Education is to set policy for the District and to hire a Superintendent to administer the necessary organization. The Superintendent is accountable to the Board and the rest of the organization is accountable to the Superintendent. Since the Board bears a fiduciary responsibility to the public, the Board is to provide oversight of the Superintendent
to assure proper performance and accountability to the Taxpayers. |
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What do you see as the major priorities of the school district for the next five years?
(
uncategorized )
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• The successful implementation of the Reconfiguration
• Responsible operation with reduced revenues
• Meeting the requirements of NCLB (No Child Left Behind)
• Maintaining proper and competitive salaries for our teachers
• Dealing with continued growth and the resulting boundary issues
• Recruiting and hiring the best teachers available especially in the areas of Math and Science
• Maintenance of our infrastructure
• Equity in facilities, especially in the areas of Technology
• Succession of leadership |
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What changes, if any, would you recommend in the school finance formula?
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uncategorized )
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Allow more local control of revenues generated within the District. Allow more flexible use
funds in ‘restricted’ accounts. |
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Do you support recent actions by the Kansas Supreme Court to increase school funding?
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uncategorized )
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I do not support any such actions by the Court. It is not their intended role in government.
We should expect our Legislators to perform their expected duties and hold them accountable
to do so. We must set reasonable and attainable expectations on our Education system and
provide sufficient funding to meet those expectations.
funds in ‘restricted’ accounts. |
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Why do you want to serve on the Board of Education and what makes you especially qualified to do so?
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uncategorized )
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Our School system is one of the pillars of our great City. My family has personally benefitted from it and I think it is important to serve and give something back to the community. Serving on the Board is one way to do this and I think a position on the Board is one of the most significant positions in the community. I want to help make a difference in the lives of our children.
My qualifications include raising four children and being intimately involved with the Schools they attended, being an independent businessman responsible for the details of a business operation and, now, four years of service on the Board. I also know people from a wide spectrum of our City and bring to the table the thoughts and feelings of those people. This provides community “access” to the Board. |
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If the Olathe District Schools Board of Education is called upon to make significant budget cuts in the 2009 and 2010 budgets, what approach you would take? (For example, should cuts be across the board or should they be more strategically targeted? If the latter, please list the first 5 budget items or categories you would examine to reduce, prioritized from 1 to 5.)
(
Education )
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The size of our Budget shortfall dictated to us by the State forces us to look at all areas and, as much as possible, all areas need to share in the reductions. We have massive shortages facing us but the #1 priority still needs to be to lessen the impact in the classroom as much as possible. |
Our local school districts are facing the potential of cuts in previously proposed FY2010 funding increases due to the lack of revenue being generated, and projected to be generated, by the state. As a locally elected member of our school board, please explain your perspectives on the following issues:
i. Should statewide tax rates be increased?
ii. Should local tax levels (i.e. property taxes) be increased?
iii. Should the Legislature grant greater taxing authority to school boards to utilize the Local Option Budget?
iv. Should the local school district simply absorb the loss of revenue through spending cuts?
v. Other thoughts/ideas?
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uncategorized )
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The above options focus mainly on increasing revenues. As we enter these “unchartered” economic times, we must operate the School District like the business it is. To address the shortterm (hopefully) loss of revenue, we have to take extraordinary steps to match our expenses to the expected revenue. We are painstakingly looking at all areas to reduce expenses but, unfortunately our major expenses are payroll related. Once we have pared ourselves down to the “bare minimum” to maintain the excellence in the classroom, then we must look to the most efficient use of our local tax dollars to generate the necessary revenue to, once again, start providing those opportunities for our students to excel above the norm. The LOB is probably the most efficient use of “local” taxing authority so that should be a primary target. Now, please let me remind you that there were two Board members, and only two, who strongly requested an audience with the County officials to include our Schools as recipients of the revenues generated in the recent “Public Safety” sales tax vote. Since those discussions were voted down by the other five members and that tax was approved without School District participation, that source of revenue is now GONE!
Additionally, we must receive funding for mandates handed down from State |
