Well -- I want to thank everyone. It's been a very busy few weeks! Thanks to you, I was fortunate enough to begin serving as one of your school board members.
For most meetings, I have a goal of typing a short summary of the board agenda and discussion items that came up to help with transparency and hopefully encourage more people to attend the regular meetings! :) Our meeting was April 19 (Thursday). You can always find our agendas on the main www.hallsville.org webpage. During the citizen communication, we heard from two citizens, both on the topic of bullying. This issue is important to me, and I'm appreciative of our community's efforts to combat this troubling issue. On our agenda, we cruised through a few items relatively fast. We approved the financial statement, checks, and PCard purchases. We briefly discussed the At-Risk program evaluation. During the district reports, we took an initial look at some possible budgetary additions that are possible because Proposition 2 passed. A few of the highlights include:
For some rationale on the assistant principal position, here are a few facts:
The board has not reached consensus on how this position would be shaped. In addition to this need at the Intermediate building, there is a potential need in the central office. Since we have eliminated an assistant superintendent position, there are responsibilities that Mr. Downs has been unable to fulfill in his new role that have been unattended to (such as curriculum and instruction). With Mr. Downs' being out of the office, there has been a magnified potential need for some assistance at the central office level even if on a very part-time basis. I'm confident that the board will find a solution that is fiscally responsible to the taxpayers, provides the appropriate support to our teachers, and is forward-looking for the district. Then, the board discussed new policies that were being recommended to bring our district into federal and state standards. One of these policies was new rules and regulations regarding our nutrition programs, for example. Lastly, we picked the date/time for Board meetings in the future, in addition to our MSBA delegate and alternate. We settled on our Board Meetings being on the THIRD MONDAY of every month for the upcoming year. And for our MSBA delegates, I will be the delegate and Bryan was selected as the alternate. It was a good, long meeting. I have, today, been updating my calendar with some of the district activities and look forward to continuing to get to know you and many others in the district. My contact information is on the school board's website and I am always happy to visit about any questions, concerns, or thoughts you may have about how to make our district better.
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My close friends know that today is an exciting day in my life. Every election day, I get a giddy feeling. Yes, I'm a political nerd. I'm also proud to be in the United States and live in this state. Participating in the political process by voting is something we shouldn't take for granted.
Today is of particular uniqueness -- because it's the first time my name actually is appearing on a ballot. Running for elected office is a humbling experience. I'm grateful for everyone who has supported and encouraged me throughout this process. Now, it's out of my personal control and there's a definitely a vulnerability that I am feeling today because of the uncertainty. I hope that as you go to the ballot box today, that you consider voting for me (Craig Stevenson). I'm thankful for this experience and for all of those who are in our community working hard to provide a quality education for our children. I hope that you give me the opportunity to give back by serving on the Hallsville Board of Education. Thank you very much! Happy Voting! I thought I would have a bit of fun on my last blog and highlight some 'lessons' about this process of running to serve on our school board. Last year, I ran as a write-in candidate and this year, I've taken it a step further by putting my name formally on the ballot for consideration.
A first lesson that I've learned is that I believe our school leadership is capable and should be believed-in. By leadership, I do mean folks from the top to the bottom. Our educators have a love for their students -- and this is something I know I take for granted in them. I've experienced this selflessness in educators' treatment of my foster children and I've heard other stories. I think the pieces are largely in place to make something really exciting happen for our children. The really exciting piece must come from our community dreaming big. Secondly, I've learned that our district's patrons cannot and should not be cookie-cuttered into one or two categories. We have students of all socioeconomic status. By supporting and asking folks to vote for Proposition 2, I'm well aware of the real ramifications and sacrifices that this will take on behalf of many of our district residents who have limited incomes. It's incredibly easy to live in our (my) middle-income bubble. After canvassing and visiting folks -- all of our kids deserve the same education that provides them a real means of living out their dream. Public education has allowed me to live into mine. Related to this second lesson is that in our world today, we must provide students with options. Unfortunately, these options cost money. From visiting with teachers, district patrons, and understanding how diverse our student population is, we must continue to grow in the opportunities our students have to carve their pathway to adulthood. A Mizzou education isn't for every one of our children. As a district, we must encourage our teachers and administrators to identify areas where we need to think creatively to provide students new learning opportunities that are post-secondary. I have a confession. I'm a people-pleaser who has difficulty saying 'no.' It's just who I am. I recognize it and try to own it. What does that have to do with running for school board? It's made me recognize that I must form (educated) opinions and be able to defend them. We are in a time in politics where conversations with those who disagree with your positions is a rarity. However, in my conversations of when people may disagree with something I have said, I've been encouraged by the civility and respectful nature in which the conversations have taken place. More of this needs to happen. Maybe this has happened because we're a small community. Maybe because we're in the Midwest. Regardless of why it's happened -- I feel hopeful that our community can continue to come together for our children and students. Lastly, I've felt incredibly humbled throughout this process. Many more people seem to know of or heard of me than I know of them. Mostly, they tell me that they've heard good things. I'm just a guy who wants the very best for your children, grandchildren, and all of our students. The unknown of tomorrow is scary and a little unnerving because I'm very competitive and always want to be the winner. :) That said, I am grateful for each of you who have read these blogs, shared them, and given me support throughout the last two years of getting to know our community better. This is the community I wanted to be a part of, the community I'm proud to call home to. Tomorrow, as you go into the ballot-box, I ask for your vote for the Hallsville Board of Education. Thank you for the consideration. During the last several weeks, there has been some consternation around the relationship between city and school district leaders.
I want to be clear, I fully believe city and school leaders need to, should be, and are expected to be on the same page on issues. During the last several months, to put it lightly, the city and school's relationship has been tense. In the fall, the city (which shares in the responsibility of funding traffic control folks) unilaterally decided to grant a pay increase to the crossing guards. The intention was good: to ensure crossing guards where there everyday. What was wrong? The city granted this and expected the district to go along with them -- instead of having a dialogue. So, in this time where the district is pinching pennies -- the city forced the district to spend an additional several thousand dollars by agreeing to a pay increase for crossing guards even though the district and city jointly provide this service. This expenditure probably should have been agreed upon, but the tactics and lack of conversation prior to the decision by city leaders wasn't appropriate. Let's have some conversation together before unilaterally forcing each other into decisions, shall we? In November, the city of Hallsville had two tax questions (page 8) on the ballot. I do not live within the city limits and was unable to vote on these issues. That said, as an advocate for the long-term success of our schools, it is a bit frustrating to hear of those who wanted city sales tax increases in November who are also opposing Proposition 2 due to it increasing their taxes. Quite frankly, the schools and city have some of the same limitations and funding concerns and both the November and Prop 2 proposals equally need careful consideration. However, if I'm honest about this situation, it appears (on the surface) to be hypocritical for folks to be okay with the tax increases of November but be opposed to Proposition 2. These two situations highlight the need for increased communication and relationship building among city and school leaders. There's no excuse for not being on the same page in such a small community in which we live. If elected, I will pursue having regular individual meetings with city leaders to keep an open dialogue on mutual concerns and priorities. Our city should want the schools to succeed and our schools should want the city to be successful. We (the schools and city) mutually benefit and compliment each other. Don't get me wrong, I believe that some tension is good, but the tension of the last 6-9 months has not been healthy. Because I'm also passionate about following our political system, I would also plan on being in regular contact with our Boone County legislative leaders in the Missouri General Assembly. It's important that our other elected officials know and understand that their lawmaking policies will directly impact our activities at the school district level. With the General Assembly considering legislation surrounding charter schools, funding, required coursework/training, and more -- our Board should remain tuned-in to the legislative process. Tomorrow: Will Be A Surprise! Big topic, right? Whew. I wanted to offer some insight into my thinking on how Hallsville can work to ensure our district grows in our financial security.
Most broadly, there's been a lot of discussion in the last year about the district's reserves. We have been spending more than we've taken in for more than 10 years due to extremely high reserves dating back to the early 2000s. What's the right percentage to have in reserves? We're projected to have 19.36% of a budget in reserves at the end of this fiscal year. This is more than we had last year. In Superintendent Downs' report from March, he's asking the Board input on in the coming months. Across-the-board, he said the average is 27% statewide. I would recommend and work toward a fund balance of no less than 25% and no more than 30%. This gives cushion for a potential state downturn, and is in-line with state averages while also not building unnecessarily high reserves that could be spent on bettering the educational environment for our children. As everyone knows (or should), the board approves on a monthly basic, checks and PCard purchases. Questions are sometimes asked on these specific expenses. This is important -- however, it may have unintended consequences on lowering morale. For example, at the March meeting, it was noted that supply budgets were significantly under-budget. In other words, money was budgeted for supplies that had not yet been spent. Teachers are likely buying these out of their own pockets due to the budget situation and possibly in some fear of being questioned by the board. The Board must be on the look-out for spending concerns. However, it's probably more important to spend more time looking at broad budget areas to see if something is out-of-wack (or to be put better, inaccurate) in the budgeting process. So, perhaps this could be a good idea: On a quarterly basis, the Board is presented with the budget Year-To-Date percentage expenditures. This would serve three-purposes. First, it allows the board to focus on the macro budget in addition to the individual expenses. Secondly, it allows better understanding of the district's finances by the board as a whole throughout the fiscal year. Lastly, it allows for the public to see and better understand how transparent the district is. Doing this has potential downsides to be aware of. Some purchases are heavily-weighed in particular quarters. This also would potentially open faculty/staff/administrators to being 'nervous' that if they don't spend their budgeted amounts to worry: will the board reduce my budget? That said, I think the positives outweigh the negatives. This allows the public to see an increased willingness to be open. Good news here is that Mr. Downs has already thought about this and a version was presented for the March meeting and can be found here. This summary is very macro, and perhaps it can be tweaked some as time goes on -- but this is a good start to understanding the full budget picture of the district. I'm encouraged by the budgetary projections focusing not just in this fiscal year or the next, but projecting costs in the next 5-years. This allows for more informed conversations around medium and long-term needs of the district and thinking about the financial implications of those needs. These projections need to continue. Part of having a secure financial status means taking care of what we have in our infrastructures. In my previous job, I discussed the importance and growing cost of deferred maintenance of buildings. As a district, to be financially secure, we must be willing to invest in the mundane and even sometimes costly things to prevent larger costs down-the-road. Fixing leaks in buildings, doing the regular maintenance brings down the long-term costs. This is proven in our everyday lives in how we treat our cars or our own personal homes. We must do the same to our school buildings. This doesn't mean just to fix the air conditioners as they break. Yes, this is part of it -- but we've been acting like this is the whole picture. And yes, unfortunately, looking and taking care of deferred maintenance issues on our facilities costs money. To wind down this post, I fully believe that passing Proposition 2 will help ensure that we have a healthy financial status as a district. I attended nearly all of the school board work sessions and am fully invested in the idea that our district and students need this tax levy increase. If elected and Proposition 2 passes, please know that I commit to faithfully being aware that everyone is sacrificing to provide this funding for our students. This responsibility is not a small one -- and one I would take very seriously. Tomorrow: Relationships With City/County Leaders |
AuthorHallsville resident. Foster Parent. School board member. Politico. Jesus Follower. Cardinals Fan #MizzouMade Archives
June 2020
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