Age: 50
Address: 17517 Footville Brodhead Road, Brodhead
Family: Married to Dale and together. we have raised our two children. Josh and Sarah. All four of us are graduates of Brodhead High School.
Education: Associate degree from Blackhawk Technical College
Occupation: Registered nurse; 27 years at Evansville Manor, have also worked in homecare and hospice.
Previous elected positions held: Nine years on Brodhead School Board.
Community involvement: Active member of the Footville Church of Christ, I have really cutback on other involvement with organizations trying to balance home and professional lives and the huge time commitment that I think being on the school board requires. But, as a board member, I try very hard to attend as many events as possible in our schools. I believe being visible at school events helps students, parents, staff and community members know who I am and help them to see that I really do care about what is happening in our schools.
What are the top issues facing this board/council and how would you resolve them?
The ultimate goal is to provide our students with a well-rounded education that prepares them for continuing their education at the college or technical school of their choice. If a student chooses military or to enter the working world they still need a well rounded education. The challenges continue to be fiscally responsible while also maintaining and hiring quality educators and to provide academic programming that meets the wide variety of student learning abilities.
In my years on the board, decisions have been made to ensure that the tax dollars are being used wisely. As a board we have decreased administrative positions. Each position (administration, teachers, support staff, custodial, etc.) that has opened up either through retirement or someone leaving the district has been assessed and then determined if that position could be restructured, combined or if it was in the best interest of our students to maintain it. I was also on the committee that worked very hard to make major changes to the health insurance plan four years ago. Since then the plans continue to be evaluated and tweaked.
It is an ever-evolving process to develop the annual budget. In the coming years, it is anticipated that we will have a budget deficit of more than $800,000. This is something the school board and administration cannot solve alone. The board has also looked at energy efficiency in our buildings and is determining projects that can be done to save money in addition to those that have already been completed. I envision a task force that will include parents and community members to help solve the budget challenge. Two years ago when a referendum failed the board made tough decisions. The community wanted some changes made and many of those have been done.
Declining enrollment has affected Brodhead. Most recently, in an attempt to be proactive and not reactive, an advertising campaign has moved forward promoting our district with the idea of attracting students through open enrollment.
I do bring nine years of experience to this school board which is the longest amount of service compared to any other current board member. However, I recognize there is still more to learn, a continual process. Recently, I learned the average "life" of a school board member is four years. I have found that with my experience I have been able to bring some background to other board members as to how and why the board has made some of the decisions that have been made. Above all, I am passionate about providing our students with opportunities to learn and prepare themselves for the future.
Address: 17517 Footville Brodhead Road, Brodhead
Family: Married to Dale and together. we have raised our two children. Josh and Sarah. All four of us are graduates of Brodhead High School.
Education: Associate degree from Blackhawk Technical College
Occupation: Registered nurse; 27 years at Evansville Manor, have also worked in homecare and hospice.
Previous elected positions held: Nine years on Brodhead School Board.
Community involvement: Active member of the Footville Church of Christ, I have really cutback on other involvement with organizations trying to balance home and professional lives and the huge time commitment that I think being on the school board requires. But, as a board member, I try very hard to attend as many events as possible in our schools. I believe being visible at school events helps students, parents, staff and community members know who I am and help them to see that I really do care about what is happening in our schools.
What are the top issues facing this board/council and how would you resolve them?
The ultimate goal is to provide our students with a well-rounded education that prepares them for continuing their education at the college or technical school of their choice. If a student chooses military or to enter the working world they still need a well rounded education. The challenges continue to be fiscally responsible while also maintaining and hiring quality educators and to provide academic programming that meets the wide variety of student learning abilities.
In my years on the board, decisions have been made to ensure that the tax dollars are being used wisely. As a board we have decreased administrative positions. Each position (administration, teachers, support staff, custodial, etc.) that has opened up either through retirement or someone leaving the district has been assessed and then determined if that position could be restructured, combined or if it was in the best interest of our students to maintain it. I was also on the committee that worked very hard to make major changes to the health insurance plan four years ago. Since then the plans continue to be evaluated and tweaked.
It is an ever-evolving process to develop the annual budget. In the coming years, it is anticipated that we will have a budget deficit of more than $800,000. This is something the school board and administration cannot solve alone. The board has also looked at energy efficiency in our buildings and is determining projects that can be done to save money in addition to those that have already been completed. I envision a task force that will include parents and community members to help solve the budget challenge. Two years ago when a referendum failed the board made tough decisions. The community wanted some changes made and many of those have been done.
Declining enrollment has affected Brodhead. Most recently, in an attempt to be proactive and not reactive, an advertising campaign has moved forward promoting our district with the idea of attracting students through open enrollment.
I do bring nine years of experience to this school board which is the longest amount of service compared to any other current board member. However, I recognize there is still more to learn, a continual process. Recently, I learned the average "life" of a school board member is four years. I have found that with my experience I have been able to bring some background to other board members as to how and why the board has made some of the decisions that have been made. Above all, I am passionate about providing our students with opportunities to learn and prepare themselves for the future.