Hays Post
The Hays Post will be publishing a series of profiles introducing the community to the 10 candidates who are running for Hays USD 489 school board.
Those candidates are David Clingan, James Feyerherm, Jayme Goetz, Lori Hertel, Craig Pallister, Allen Park, Ruth Ruder, Duff Watson, Dennis Wilkie and Derek Yarmer.
The Hays Post sent questionnaires to the candidates asking for biographical information and why they chose to run for school board.
Not enough candidates filed for the school board to require a primary. The general election will be Nov. 7. The voter registration deadline for the general election is Oct. 17.
James Feyerherm
Age: 56
Profession: District manager of the Hays Social Security Office
Are you an incumbent? No If so, years served? N/A
Do you have children or grandchildren who attend Hays public school? Yes. My children have attended Hays public schools at the elementary, middle, and high school level. The youngest two currently attend Hays High School.
Please give a brief bio on yourself in 100 words or less.
The youngest of seven children, I grew up on a farm in Nebraska. After attending a two-room school house for grade school, I went on to West Point Public High School where I graduated valedictorian. I then worked full-time while earning a degree in political science and history at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
I met my wife in training for Social Security. In 2002, I became a manager and our family moved to Hays. I enjoy being part of the Hays community. I served on the Messiah Lutheran Church board for almost 20 years and volunteered in many other capacities.
Please explain why you are running for school board in 500 words or less.
My family moved to Hays over 20 years ago. All five of our children have attended or are attending public school. We have a good public school system that is supported by the community. I was proud to vote for the school bond last May. Passing the bond shows our community’s commitment to learning at all levels.
When running for school board, it is important to understand the role and importance of the board. I believe the school board should support teachers and staff, ensure the taxes we pay are used efficiently and effectively and, most importantly of all, make sure that our kids are prepared to succeed in life.
Our school system should be committed to all students. Not everyone will be attending a four-year university. Many students want to join the workforce immediately after high school or attend a vocational school. I have been encouraged by the district’s focus on individual plans of study and providing students with technical training through NCK Tech.
For college-bound students, I was pleased to see the switch to a 90-80-70-60 grading scale last year. I am glad our standards were changed to reflect the norm for schools across the state. Many college scholarships are based, at least partially, on GPA. This change helped even the playing field for students and led to more scholarship offers.
I applaud these efforts and will make decisions that are in the best interest of all students.