Chris Sutton Responds to Orcas Issues Questions for School Board Director Position #1

Chris Sutton

Orcas Issues asked candidates for elective races to respond to questions. Chris Sutton’s and Jim Sullivan’s answers are featured today.

Candidates Bob Connell and Tony Ghazel, running for School Board Director #2, will respond to the same questions later this week.

Candidates for the Orcas Fire District Position #3 (Barbara Bedell and Pierrette Guimond) 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 website.

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?

As a self-employed businessman, I am a web-based computer programmer who works closely with small and large companies to understand unique business practices, and to build custom programming systems that efficiently run their company.  Doing this requires that I be a good listener, that I have an understanding of inventory, accounting, taxes, and business regulations, and that ultimately I bring it all together into a finished product for the client.

I am also an involved parent, who is concerned about the under-funding and under-valued climate of public education.  I attended K-12 in the OISD.  I think these things make me a great candidate for School Board.

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.

I feel that one of the most important duties of the School Board is developing and revisiting the budget and making sure that money gets allocated and spent wisely.  We should be looking forward to ensure that students’ needs are met and that necessary resources are always available.  The fact that the state does not fully fund education makes this a very challenging task.  My experience creating comprehensive computer systems lends well to managing budgets, working through problems, and designing unique solutions.  Regarding hours, I work full time and bring real world experience to the position.  I have two young children, which also makes me an invested member.  The hours involved in this job vary depending on the time of year.

Non-budget times in the fall require less time than budgeting times in the spring and summer.  However, if the bond passes I anticipate the management of a large construction process will require more of the Board.  I’m prepared to give as many hours as are needed to do the job well.

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?

I cannot stress more that we have a unique opportunity to provide an outstanding educational facility for relatively little money from each taxpayer compared to other similar-sized districts in the state. I would inform voters who have not been to the school recently about the unfortunate state of the middle school, and educate them about the great need for improvements.  Fiscally, I would highlight that a $25-million bond would be less than $1.00 per $1k property value, which is the lowest in the state in districts with similar assessed property value.  Additionally, a $25m bond would be one of the lowest tax rate in similar-sized districts regarding student size.  We would be getting a great bang for our buck, and now is the time to go for it.

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.

It is imperative that the School Board have a trusting, open, and honest relationship with the Superintendent.  This relationship should go both ways.

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?

We should continue to press the legislature to fully fund education.
Being a part of the current lawsuit against the state in this matter is a great start.

We should continue the excellent work with the budgeting and finance process, but further streamline activities where possible.
Information is a key part to this, and I think more systems and processes need to be put in place to be able to able to make good decisions on finance, and see problems before they arise.  My goal has always been to try and be proactive in dealing with problems, not reactive.

Enrollment is another key aspect to funding;  we need to do a better job of highlighting the excellent education the public school provides.  We should also proactively work to better estimate enrollment numbers earlier so that planning is possible.

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?

I’m invested in the Orcas School system.  A primary reason my family moved back to Orcas was for the school.  I look forward to using my years of business systems development, and my invested interest as a parent to make the school a great place.  I ask for your vote.