Bob Connell Responds to Orcas Issues Questions for School District Director Position #2

Bob Connell

Orcas Issues asked candidates for elective races to respond to questions. Bob  Connell’s and Tony Ghazel’s answers are featured today.

Candidates for the School Board Director Position #1, Jim Sullivan and Chris Sutton, responded to the same questions on  Oct. 1, 2009.

Candidates for the Park and Recreation District Position #1 (Marian O’Brien and Vicki Vandermay) will respond to questions tomorrow.

For further information on each candidate, contained in the Official Voters Guide, go to the official San Juan County website:

https://wei.secstate.wa.gov/sanjuan/Pages/OnlineVotersGuide_20091103.aspx

Readers will be able to refer back to the candidates’ answers on previous days by typing their name in the “Search” window at the top of the websit

1)      What in your experience and vision brings you to put yourself forth as a candidate for the five-member Orcas Island School District board?

My wife and I have a daughter in 4^th grade and want the best for her. We moved to Orcas to “make a difference” which is fundamentally a lot easier to achieve here than in a typical urban setting. We are both substitute teachers at the school and have extensive PTSA experience which gives us personal insight into school issues. I was fundamental in getting the OISD Site Council formed to help find and implement solutions to school issues and feel that being a school board member is the next logical step in that progression.

2)      What do you consider the most important responsibilities of the School Board? Please state your unique abilities to fulfill those responsibilities, including the number of hours you envision working as a School Board director, both in and outside of public meetings.

Primarily the school board works with the school budget, policies, and the superintendent. It deals with voter levies and bonds as well as working with teacher and staff bargaining units. It serves the very important role as the public interface to the community in many roles including school projects and curriculum. My personality is well suited to be a school board member and I have extensive experience at the school through the PTSA, as a substitute teacher, and the OISD Site Council. I don’t really know the number of hours necessary, but I’m sure it’s extensive.

3)      The School District will be proposing a construction bond in an election in February 2010, estimated to be around $25,000,000. If you are elected to the School Board, what points will you include in advising voters to approve the bond?

A construction bond would allow the school district to improve or replace existing buildings that are in need of repair or replacement. The elementary school needs plumbing repairs, the middle school needs replacement, and the high school needs a “tuneup” according to a consultant. New buildings would expand potential class offerings as well as teaching environments. In addition, a building could be used as a “community center” to accommodate adults after hours. Hopefully these buildings might retain and increase potential student numbers, both of which would help with our enrollment-based state funding.

4)      The School District has had three superintendents in the past three years. Please comment on the relationship between the District Superintendent and the Board and how you think the board can best work with the Superintendent.

Publicly I have not noticed overt friction between board members and the different district superintendents at board meetings, but only the school board members know the true relationship with the superintendents. The school board can work best with the superintendent by providing clear guidance and expectations and building a personal rapport through constant communication. Understanding issues the superintendent faces via first-hand experience at school and parent/children issues via first-hand experience with the community will help promote a good working relationship.

5)      The Orcas School District has grappled with under-funding from the state for basic education, and has called upon the support of community organizations to assist it in maintaining programs and staff. What are your ideas for addressing the chronic budget shortfall and how would you go about their implementation?

Washington State is suffering from an economic downturn which will not abate anytime soon. The school district must “do more with less” and be more versatile. This might be achieved by the OISD Site Council helping parents, school teachers, and administration to optimize school resources. There should be a continued effort to obtain contributions from private donors as well as using programs like the potential Orcas Parks and Recreation district to help by offsetting traditional school costs. Afterschool programs through the school and the Funhouse might provide additional educational opportunities, albeit at the expense of parents.

6)      If you were to communicate one message to the voting public regarding your service as an Orcas Island School District Director, what would that be?

My main message to the voting public is that a robust, adaptable, and quality-conscious public school is critical to the vitality of the community. All of these school characteristics will be necessary to prepare our children to enter the world at large with the educational background and skill sets necessary to make them productive future employees and citizens, especially in light of our current and foreseeable challenging fiscal situation.