The Hays Post sent questionnaires to all the candidates who are running for seats on the Hays USD 489 school board.
Candidates on the ballot include David Clingan, James Feyerherm, Jayme Goetz, Lori Hertel, Craig Pallister, Allen Park, Ruth Ruder, Duff Watson, Dennis Wilkie and Derek Yarmer.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
To find your polling location, click here.
Dennis Wilkie
Age: 46
Occupation: Project Manager/Superintendent at Roofmasters
Incumbent: No
Do you have children or grandchildren who attend(ed) Hays USD 489 schools?
I have a daughter who graduated from Hays High in 2022 and two boys that currently attend O’laughlin Elementary
For more biographical information click here.
If you had one thing you could change about the USD 489 school district, what would it be?
USD 489 has a great history and legacy. Our teachers and do a solid job and represent Hays well. However, our test scores and proficiency in English and Math are not at the level that they should be. We need new strategies to solve this. A way to return to core education, and perhaps focus less on social, emotional learning. This won’t happen unless the board challenges the administration to perform to a higher standard. Our future is now, and we can’t afford to wait around and see what happens.
What is your opinion of the current school board? Do you think you could compromise with the incumbents who will remain on the board?
The current board has great intentions and genuinely wants to serve this community. Unfortunately, great intentions are not a strategy. Compromise is the key to democracy and is essential to a successful board. In the last board work session, board members had the opportunity to change their procedures and rules to create a more transparent and functional system. Sadly, the status quo won out again.
What is your opinion of the Hays USD 489 administration?
I have not interacted much with the current administration. I was disappointed with the process for the new high school plans and contract. As well as their stance on the gender-neutral restroom. I hope that they will be open to change and new idea’s. If we keep doing the same and expecting different results, we all know what happens, nothing.
What do you think the board’s role should be in the day-to-day operations of the district?
The administration should run the day-to -day of the district. The board should serve as a check, and not as a rubber stamp. It is up to the board to set a standard for education, then follow through with accountability if that standard is not met. It should also represent the taxpayer and ensure fiscal responsibility.
What role do you think the board should have in moving forward with the bond issue projects?
It is imperative for the board to have oversite on the bond projects. The community approved this measure in good faith, and it is now up to the board to live up to that faith. From determining any potential reduction to the mill levy, to monitoring construction and overages, the board should be extremely involved. This is not a blank check from the community. The board is spending hard working family’s money and should treat it as so.
Have you received money or in-kind donations from individuals, businesses, groups or PACs outside of the school district?
No