School Board candidates answer questions

May 25--Heidi Larson

Age: 47 Professional occupation: work for the University of Jamestown and a part-time chiropractor in Jamestown Immediate family: husband Corey; daughter and two sons Education: Doctor of Chiropractic, MBA, Ph.D. in education Professional or personal memberships (limit of 5): Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassador, Mary Magdalene Church Circle, PEO (Philanthropic Education Organization), Community Health Partnership member, Central Valley Health District Board

Brenda Roemmich

Age: 50 Professional occupation: Ophthalmic assistant/optician at Raymond L. Larsen, MD. Immediate Family: Husband Jerald Roemmich; three sons, Blaine and daughter-in-law Miranda; Tom; and Tyler and daughter-in-law Lauren; one grandson. Education: Moorhead Tech, in the secretarial program. Professional or personal memberships (limit of 5): I was PTA president at Franklin Elementary, volunteered and served as treasurer for our sons' Boy Scout troop; served several years on the Jamestown football boosters and various committees at St. John's Lutheran church.

Jason Rohr

Age: 44 Professional occupation: senior crop insurance specialist -- AgCountry Farm Credit Services; agriculture/technical education instructor -- North Dakota Center for Distance Education Immediate Family: wife Heather Tomlin-Rohr Education: Masters of Science -- education administration/secondary principal from Tri-College University (North Dakota State University, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Concordia College); Bachelors of Science -- agricultural education/extension education with minors in crop/weed science and biology from NDSU Professional or personal memberships (limit of 5): president of the Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; Stutsman County 4-H Leaders Council Executive Committee; James Valley Career & Technology Center Adult Farm Management Advisory Committee; Christian Motorcycle Association; Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp. Board of Directors

Robert Toso

Age: 66 Professional occupation, previous if retired: I am retired, my last position being superintendent of Jamestown Public Schools Immediate family: wife, Lainie; daughter Stephanie and sonin-law Kelly; daughter Jennie and son-in-law Don; four grandchildren. Education: Bachelor of Science from Valley City State University; Master of Education from North Dakota State University Professional or personal memberships (limit of 5): Trinity Lutheran Church, local coordinator for the Imagination Library program, Education Standards and Practices Board, president of the Arts Center Board, Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp. Board member and past president

Sedric Trevithick

Age: 37 Professional occupation: Service manager, Butler Machinery Immediate family: 2 children, ages 9 and 11 Education: Associate degree from North Dakota State College of Science Professional or personal memberships (limit of 5): Jamestown Choralaires, Lincoln PTA, Jamestown School Board, CAP

Voters will choose three city candidates for Jamestown Public School Board to serve a four-year term on June 12. Two rural seats are also open; one candidate is running. A second rural candidate could be elected by write-in. Those elected will take office on July 16. School Board members are paid $4,000 a year. The candidates were asked written questions, which follow. Their answers were limited

to 175 words per question, and their answers are as written by the candidates.

1. Why should voters choose you to serve on the Jamestown Public School Board?

Heidi Larson (city): I appreciate the opportunity the voters have given me to serve on the Jamestown Public School Board. I have a vested interest in Jamestown Public Schools as next Fall we will have a son in middle school and one in high school. In addition, I have the experience of serving as a board member on several committees and task forces including the Technology Committee, Accreditation, and Building and Grounds. I also represent Jamestown as one of several area schools on the South East Education Cooperative Governing Board. We are just starting to update our strategic plan and I look forward to assisting in gathering input from all stakeholders including the community, parents, teachers, administrators, students, and staff in order to ensure that the district is moving in the direction that our stakeholders envision. I believe that a good sound educational system is vital to a growing community where people want to Live, Work, Learn, and Play. I would appreciate your vote in June and I look forward to serving you for the next four years.

Brenda Roemmich (city): I would be honored to serve our community for another 4 year term. I feel that students are our future. We need to encourage them to flourish in all the ways that interest them. We need to be able to educate them at the levels they are able to learn; not every student learns at the same rate as there classmates. I feel that making sure we have the things our students need & being fiscally responsible to our district is a delicate balance. I take pride in our community & want to help make it the best we can be.

Jason Rohr (city): For the past 25 years, I have been a champion of education and youth programs. Providing our children with enriching programs that nurture their development is the most important legacy we can leave them. I plan to: A. Promote community engagement within our schools, enhancing academic and social opportunities for all students. B. Institute a culture of effective collaboration among stakeholders by providing a transparent school system. C. Develop and offer equitable opportunities that promote the social, emotional, physical, and academic well-being of all youth, preparing them for whatever their life path may be. D. Emphasize the importance of life-long learning, reinforcing successful application of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. E. Identify factors that are limiting the quality of education JPS provides and work to eliminate them. My experience as a former teacher along with my unwavering passion for youth development make me a prime school board candidate. My vision for EVERY JPS student is to leave our school system proudly saying, "I am the product of a great public school."

Robert Toso (city): I spent 37 years in education as a teacher, coach, and administrator, the last 12 in Jamestown. I still consider myself an educator, mainly because it runs in my family and it is my passion. I have a good grasp of the district's situations, including the budget process, the negotiated agreement, the health insurance plan, and district building needs. Simply put, education is my passion and it always will be. I also believe strongly in the power of education and the importance of a strong public education system. My goal is to make sure that Jamestown continues to have the strong system our students need and deserve.

Sedrick Trevithick (rural): I have a vested interest in our school system with children of my own in the schools. I am very active with the school my children attend and feel I have some perspective of their school experience. Outside of my personal family, I also have a job that requires me to seek qualified individuals for positions with in my industry. This also helps give me firsthand knowledge of the educational needs to prepare our youth for today's work force and where our strengths and weaknesses may be. These things combined with my short time on the board already I feel give me the ability to serve my position in a productive manner.

2. A Jamestown Public School Public School District committee will make recommendations regarding a referendum to make improvements in some of the schools. Tell us your thoughts on holding a referendum.

Larson: The Citizens Advisory Committee has been working on prioritizing the needs of the district and the board has given the direction to stay within the 5% debt limit. The committee will continue to prioritize and the district will work with Consolidated Construction to review costs. We continue to have board involvement and board updates. The referendum lost last time by a handful of votes and the committee has been working on gathering information as to what the community wants. In North Dakota, a referendum requires a 60% majority vote so the voters will ultimately decide the outcome. The Citizens Advisory Meetings are open to the public and I encourage anyone that is interest to attend and participate.

Roemmich: I feel that we do indeed need to take a serious look at the referendum. We have a lot of old buildings in our district that need to be addressed. We have an elementary school that is near & dear to all of our hearts that is in a place that needs a lot of attention. We need to make sure that we are being cost effective with our decision in the future. We need to have fresh thinking to see what learning looks like in the future. We have young people that have technology in their hands at an early age, what would spark their learning? There are so many more factors to take into consideration as we move forward with this project.

Rohr: There is no question that some of our educational infrastructure is in dire need of attention and there comes a time when all school district's must take serious steps to address their facilities. I feel there are two main factors to consider when debating a possible referendum: 1. Do the current facilities provide reasonably equitable educational opportunities for all students; 2. Has the district adequately identified and prioritized facility needs and would a referendum be required to address those needs so all students receive similar opportunities. Asking citizens to pay higher taxes is never a popular discussion and the main objective needs to be providing a legitimate rationale as to what is needed and having a transparent discussion with the community. We need to be sensitive to the local economic climate as the timing of a referendum is critical. Referendums to address infrastructure are a necessity and I am in full support of a referendum as the final decision will be made by the electorate.

Toso: The most important things to passing a referendum are convincing the public of its need and the timing of the election. Our district has many building needs, and they cannot be put off forever. Costs continue to rise. We will need to show the public of these needs, but we cannot go forward until we feel the timing is right and the public will support us.

Trevithick: We have done a great job over the years repairing things and keeping our facilities operable. What we have now are some major expenses or larger updates. In just looking at the roofs and boilers in our schools we have some significant cost that is coming in the near future that we will have to address. These items together are large enough that it does not work to budget with our yearly expenses. On top of those items are the needs of the classroom and students and how they have not just changed over the years, but change daily. Our learning environment today is so different than what a lot of us experienced in school, and it costs to keep our classrooms up in a way to provide the best possible environment for the students.

3.What are your ideas for teacher and administrator recruitment and retention while also acting as a good steward of public tax dollars?

Larson: There is certainly a balance in keeping a sound budget while maintaining competitive wages to recruit and retain quality teachers, administrators, and staff. I think the board has done a good job of balancing the budget in these past few lean years. We want to continue to make sure that we have competitive wages in order to retain teachers and administrators and provide high quality education for the students in the district while maintaining a balanced budget.

Roemmich: This is a delicate subject. We are dealing with people & their well being. We have wonderful Administrators & Teachers, along with all our our staff in the district. We need to be competitive, but with the state & federal funds being cut the last couple of years, we need to be creative. We need to look at ways to make sure that they know that they are valued to our district.

Rohr: The stark reality is that staff salaries comprise roughly 80% of any school district's budget, which is no different than any other economic entity. This is why teacher compensation is such a contentious issue; however our schools must make every effort to offer a competitive compensation package that will attract and retain only the best professionals. Obtaining effective educational leaders is a key to this process. True leaders realize they are the quarterback of a team who needs talented players around him/her since one single player will never win a game without everyone doing their part effectively. A quality leader understands that teachers and support staff are the backbone of any school system and empowers them to reach their personal potential. Teachers and ancillary staff are the ones we are depending on to impact our kids daily in many capacities. As a past negotiator for the Jamestown Education Association, I understand fully the complexities of this issue. Our district must be willing to at least listen and work towards finding common ground.

Toso: This is the central question of our budget. We need to pay our staff, including the support staff as well as teachers and administrators. Salary and benefits make up 75 to 80% of the budget. We are fortunate that the city of Jamestown has much to offer and that certainly helps. The only honest answer that I can give is that we need to support our entire staff to the best of our ability, always keeping in mind that we cannot mortgage our future by incurring debt.

Trevithick: Just recently there were some legislation changes that removed some funding that was beneficial for our district when recruiting for reimbursement. This makes this task tough for us. North Dakota is an Agriculture based economy. There are many things that play a role in the state's economy and funding allocated each year, and that is not always in our control. One thing most of us know is that what creates a good job is sometimes not just the pay. If we can enjoy going to work each day, that goes a long ways. So I think there are things we can do to support our staff, and make our district a favorable district to work in for more reasons than just pay.

4.How should the schools be preparing students for the demands of a modern workforce and the 21st century economy?

Larson: The 4 C's of 21st Century learning are Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, and Creativity. The district has been innovative and developed a Maker's Space at the High School and integrated the Artist in Residence to foster creativity. The new Choice Ready requirements through ESSA are geared towards workforce, armed forces, and college readiness. The district is reviewing ways to meet and track these new requirements. In addition, the high school offers internships so students can have an opportunity for handson learning. We also have excellent opportunities available through the James Valley Area Career and Technical Center to prepare for a modern workforce. Preparing students for the 21st Century economy should be something the district needs to continue to evaluate and strive towards.

Roemmich: We need to prepare students by making them competitive in higher education & the market place. We need to make sure that we have the resources and education levels then need to make them successful. We are exploring what that looks like on a regular basis.

Rohr: This is one of the major issues facing public education today. The reality is that we are charged with preparing students for jobs that may or may not even exist yet. Our goal is to arm students with the necessary skills to be productive citizens and employees. The focus should be on teaching students how to ask the right questions and successfully seek out the answer to find the solution to a problem. In order for our current students and the employees of the future to be successful in the workplace they must be able to critically think about and resolve issues as well as appropriately work with other people. Workforce concerns are at the forefront of many communities, including Jamestown. Through my work with the Chamber, it has become increasingly evident that our local employers are begging for skilled labor. As a result of this, there are multitudes of options available to students. Career and Tech Ed is the natural fit for our students to take advantage of these kinds of opportunities.

Toso: This is a great question and the reason I love education. I believe in the power of education as education shapes the future. As a country, we cannot maintain our place in the world without a strong public education system. I also believe that professional development and research will keep our system strong. Those are the two anchors on which we will graduate students to meet the needs of the future.

Trevithick: There are 2 sides of this, industry needs and student preparation. Working with colleges and current industry helps keep us all up to date with the current industry needs. Just like technology, this can change rapidly. The other side of this is what we do to prepare our students. We talk about being choice ready. Are we offering our students every potential opportunity to learn and explore areas of interest to them so they have the best ability to be choice ready. Our staff right now is constantly looking at other ways to broaden our students school experience and give them this opportunity, and I think that is great.

5.Nationwide, schools are debating whether to arm teachers or other staff with guns. Do you support arming teachers or staff other than school resource officers? Explain.

Larson: School safety is critical and is on the minds of many especially with the recent news. The district has protocols in place, holds practice drills, and implemented secured entries. We are very fortunate to the have the School Resource Office at our schools in Jamestown. This would not be possible without the collaborative effort on behalf of the City of Jamestown and the School District and we appreciate the support of the City of Jamestown. The officer is available to all the schools and works in the grade school classrooms in order to build relationships and a level of trust with the students. School safety is a priority at Jamestown Public Schools.

Roemmich: This is a topic that is being voiced nationwide. Yes, I feel we need to ensure we have a safe environment for all of our students. To give a teacher or staff a gun to protect students is a very delicate topic. I feel that we would need to send these people to extensive training on how to operate a firearm in extreme situations. I don't feel that the have the resources to do that. I believe we are working on looking at all of our schools to ensure that we are keeping our students protected & giving them a sense security. It's a sad world when this is one of the issues we have to deal with.

Rohr: The safety of our students and staff is of paramount importance every day. Whenever we hear of a school shooting, it is easy for raw emotion to take over and arming our staff with guns might seem like the most logical option. Weapons in a school, regardless of who is in possession of them, is not the answer. If we stop to consider the possible ramifications of armed personnel, the potential outcomes would be counterproductive as weapons in the school would inevitably lead to a culture of fear and unintentional mishaps. Training school staff how to use a weapon is not the same as preparing them for actual tactical situations like what law enforcement faces. Teachers are not being paid to potentially take another person's life. Our safest schools are the ones who have solid procedures in place and are adequately prepared to follow those procedures. The board's responsibility to students, staff, and parents is to make sure our procedures are effective and thoroughly exercised.

Toso: No, absolutely not. This the worst idea for improving school safety. How can more guns make us safer? How can we ask teachers to be models of inspiration and enlightenment to our students and then ask them to carry a weapon "just in case!" I can't imagine a worse proposal.

Trevithick: This is and has been a tragedy for too many across the nation. I feel we can find situations where we could prove that arming the teachers or staff would or could have benefited a situation. And we can also find just as many that would or could have made a situation worse or put more in danger. Our district has some policies in place and has taken a strong stand on where we are at on this topic. There is a lot of legislation that would have to take place before this would come before our school board for a decision. I feel there are a number of other areas including mental health that we can put our resources into that are within the wheel house of our staff, and could have a greater effect on helping students before we are faced with the need of having someone armed on staff.

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