Position sought: Monroe School Board
Age: 39
City/town: Town of Monroe
Family: Kerri (wife) and children - Addison (age 7), Carsen (age 5), Graysan (age 3) and Emersyn (age 7 months).
Education: Monroe High School (1992), B.A. in Finance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1996), and J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law (1999).
Occupation: lawyer at Voegeli, Ewald and Bartholf Law Offices in Monroe.
Previous elected previous position held: Currently finishing one-year term on the Monroe School Board which I was appointed due to a vacancy.
What are the top issues facing this district and how would you work to resolve it?
The top issue facing Monroe Schools is the increased student achievement standards (which the board embraces) while at the same time receiving significant reduced funding from the state and caps placed on what can be levied on Monroe school residents. There is no easy answer on how to fix it, but the board and the district must make more efficient use of its funds and stretch the funds it has. One example is the recent expansion of the iPad purchases, which being expensive, we have diverted funds from other areas of our budget. In the limited use of these iPads this year in the sixth grade, we have found our students and parents more engaged and our teachers more efficient.
What are other key issues facing the district, and how would you work to resolve them?
We have several long-term maintenance projects that somehow we will need to find funds to undertake without eliminating our fund balance. Prioritizing projects (which the district has been doing) or saving money in other areas. Another big area will be implementation of employee handbooks to stabilize employer/employee relations. I approach all issues by questioning whether any proposed action is in the interest of our students, to make sure we are using our funds in the most economical way, and making sure questions are asked and alternatives are examined to make sure we are taking the best course of action.
Age: 39
City/town: Town of Monroe
Family: Kerri (wife) and children - Addison (age 7), Carsen (age 5), Graysan (age 3) and Emersyn (age 7 months).
Education: Monroe High School (1992), B.A. in Finance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1996), and J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law (1999).
Occupation: lawyer at Voegeli, Ewald and Bartholf Law Offices in Monroe.
Previous elected previous position held: Currently finishing one-year term on the Monroe School Board which I was appointed due to a vacancy.
What are the top issues facing this district and how would you work to resolve it?
The top issue facing Monroe Schools is the increased student achievement standards (which the board embraces) while at the same time receiving significant reduced funding from the state and caps placed on what can be levied on Monroe school residents. There is no easy answer on how to fix it, but the board and the district must make more efficient use of its funds and stretch the funds it has. One example is the recent expansion of the iPad purchases, which being expensive, we have diverted funds from other areas of our budget. In the limited use of these iPads this year in the sixth grade, we have found our students and parents more engaged and our teachers more efficient.
What are other key issues facing the district, and how would you work to resolve them?
We have several long-term maintenance projects that somehow we will need to find funds to undertake without eliminating our fund balance. Prioritizing projects (which the district has been doing) or saving money in other areas. Another big area will be implementation of employee handbooks to stabilize employer/employee relations. I approach all issues by questioning whether any proposed action is in the interest of our students, to make sure we are using our funds in the most economical way, and making sure questions are asked and alternatives are examined to make sure we are taking the best course of action.