The five candidates for Hays USD 489 were interviewed by the Hays Post. Their responses are being presented in a question-and-answer format. The other candidates running include: Kelly Ancar, Craig Pallister, Curt Vajnar and Meagan Zampieri-Lillpopp.
Three seats are available on the board. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Age: 56
Occupation: A loss control safety specialist for Insurance Planning. I have been there for 18 years.
What do you think qualifies you to run for the school board?
Well, I have a love for our community, and I have a love for kids. I decided four years ago, when I first ran, that I wanted to be a part of improving our community and making it better. And so, I looked at what was going on within our school district and looked at the community and felt like this is where I could serve.
As far as what qualifies me to do it, I have a good ability to listen to people and understand their point of view. I try to understand where people are coming from. At the same time I'm doing that, I'm looking at how we can make our community better and how we can make our school district better. I take the time to really study what they give us to vote on and what they require for us, and so I have the time, I have the patience and I have the love for this, for Hays.
Do you have a child or grandchild currently attending Hays USD 489 schools or did any of your children attend in the past?
Currently, I don't have any kids in the school district. All three of my daughters graduated from Hays High. The last one graduated in 2023, so right after I got on the board. All three of them grew up in the Hays School District, and it was a great district for them. I think pretty much everything they needed in life, they learned here, and they never had struggles. I think all three of my girls were fairly good about school and our teachers in this district were great at being there for them.
Why are you running for reelection?
I'm running for reelection because I still have a great love for this community, and I want to continue.
In the last four years, we've seen the bond passed. We've successfully built a high school and opened it up. When I ran the first time, I had certain goals in mind. I didn't have an agenda so much, but I did want to get that bond passed.
I did want to lower the fees for kids enrolling in school. When my oldest was a senior, as a single dad, it cost me $1,000 to enroll all three kids. To me, it seems like a lot for public schools. And so it has been my goal to help lower those fees. Since I've been on the board, we've lowered the school fees, I think, every year, but this year. I want to continue to work toward that.
I want to continue to do positive things for our kids, our teachers and the district. Another goal I had in mind when I ran last time was one of the most inconvenient things: the early release days. As a single dad, boy, that was so inconvenient, and it was always my plan to try to figure out something there. The teachers were the ones who figured that out, and they brought it to us that first year after I got on the board. I think the Monday once a month has been a great deal for their teacher planning time.
Do you support the district's five-year capital improvement plan? And if not, is there anything that you would change about it?
I do support the five-year capital outlay plan. It's been a great tool for us to use when planning for the future. It's also been great to look at and say, 'Hey, this is how we need to budget.' They've been in need of a list more than anything else. And so I think the district has utilized that, and it's been a great tool.
Do you support the plans for the remaining bond projects? If not, is there anything that you would change about those projects?
I do support those, the remaining bond projects. The biggest major change has been at O'Loughlin [Elementary School]. We had to approve extra for the sewage line. Outside of that, I think we're keeping on pace for every project, and I don't see anything that I would change. I think that what the city voted on has been well handled, and it looks good.
How would you view your role as a school board member, oversight with administrators and teachers handling day-to-day operations, or the board manages all aspects of operations?
I would go with the first choice. I don't think that we need to micromanage our school district. I think the oversight with administrators and teachers handling the day-to-day operations. That's how our board is set up to be.
There's only one employee in the district who answers to the board, and that's our superintendent. I think that's how it should be. Our district is not a size where we can, as seven members, go in there and micromanage everything as a collective. There's not that much construction knowledge among most of the board members to be there every day on the bond. There aren't enough of us to be in there telling the principals and teachers, 'Here's how you need to do it every single day.' It's not our job. We're just there to approve what needs to be approved or what doesn't need to be approved, and let the administration handle the rest.
Do you think the district is adequately managing its budget? If not, what would you change or cut?
I would say yes, I do feel they manage their budget adequately. We have a vocal minority in Hays who have scoured through that budget, and they've gone through and they're looking for what they're doing wrong. And in my whole time as a board member, they haven't found that there has been. That's my opinion about this.
There hasn't been anything where our school district has proven they're not responsible with their budget. We have people in our administration who are just so trustworthy. Chris Hipp, [assistant superintendent for business], Ron Wilson, [superintendent], all of the administration has proven time and time again that when it comes to our budget, they are trustworthy people. They're people we can depend on to give us answers as we need them, and they're people who are going to be doing what's best for our district.
Are there any policies that you think should be changed? How would you change those policies if you had the ability?
I can't think of anything. I would continue to try to lower the fees for enrollment.
We're having to look at what's happening nationally and statewide. That's uncertain right now, and so what we need are people on the board who have proven their leadership and are looking at all of that to try to make sure that we continue to be fiscally responsible and, at the same time, help Hays grow.
Is there anything else that you would like to add?
There is this feeling that the schools should be funded by the states. The issue is [special education] has never been fully funded from the state and so that's always been a concern. It will always be a concern, but in our current political climate, it seems to be a growing concern, more so than it has been in the past.
I don't have the solution, except for us to watch it. But it's going to impact us more next year, I think, than any year previous.
I can let you know what I'm really excited about: the high school. That first home game was incredible. I can't wait to see what happens from here. I was helping with mock interviews and talking to the students last week, and they seemed to be loving that high school, and I'm so excited for them.
As told to Cristina Janney/Hays Post