Williston Observer

Williston School Board: Two-year seat – Holly Rouelle

CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

Name : Holly Rouelle

Address : 211 Shirley Circle

Age : 40

Number of years living in Williston : 11

Family situation : Single parent, 2 sons: Mathieu, 16 and Hannan 12.

Employer name and job description : Essex Town School District. Teacher at Essex Elementary School.

Previous experience in elected or appointed positions, or community service : Two years as Williston School Board director (one year as vice chairwoman), two years as a Chittenden South Supervisory Union School Board director, seven years with Williston Cub Scouts (den leader, fundraiser chair, cub master), five years with Williston Soccer Club (board member, manager, fundraising and events).

Why are you running?

I have enjoyed the past two years serving on the School Board and hope to continue effecting positive change on our school system. We have an excellent school system with committed educators, administrators, families and students. Williston is a wonderful community and as someone committed to education, serving on the School Board is my way to give back to a community that has supported the growth of my family.

What is the most important issue facing Williston schools? How can the issue be addressed?

Balancing a quality education with rising costs and declining enrollments. Accommodating unfunded federal (No Child Left Behind) and state (Act 82) mandates that impose "one size fits all" education spending and programs at the local level. Getting involved is the only way to have an impact. For me, that's serving on the School Board and trying to address the issues as a board member.

With the economy struggling and voters seemingly wary of significant school budget increases, as demonstrated by the failure of last year's Williston School District budget, how would you put together a budget that would be palatable for voters?

Hopefully, we have succeeded this year. The proposed 3.72 percent increase maintains the current quality programs and includes all-day kindergarten and an extended school day. The process included community members as budget buddies as well as input from school staff, administration and the School Board. At weekly budget meetings, presentations were made in a variety of areas (special education, technology, building and maintenance, programming, etc.). Per pupil spending will again be the lowest in our district. It is a fiscally responsible budget and I hope it is supported by the community.

Based on a recent survey of the town, the community is divided over the structure of the upper houses (57 percent of respondents supported the current structure). Do you feel the structure is in need of change? Why? If so, what change would you suggest?

Based on my own experiences as a parent, I do feel that there needs to be a change in the upper house structure. However, I recognize that my needs are not necessarily the needs of every upper house family. The Williston school administration and program council are analyzing a variety of models that take into consideration the community input and current climate (declining students, resources and cost of education). I have faith that our current quality of education will be maintained in any of these models and that school personnel will make informed decisions about future changes.
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Champlain Valley Union High School Board: David Rath

CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

Name : David Rath (no photo provided)

Address : 734 Metcalf Drive

Age : 57

Number of years living in Williston : nine

Family situation : Married with a daughter in fifth grade at Williston Central School

Employer name and job description : Lawyer with Kohn Rath & Meyer LLP

Previous experience in elected or appointed positions, or community service: Eight years on Mount Abraham Union High School Board, including two years as chairman. Service on various community, professional and not for profit boards and committees.

Why are you running?

I enjoyed working on the Mount Abraham Board in the 1990s and I want to serve on the CVU Board.

What is the most important issue facing Champlain Valley Union High School? How can the issue be addressed?

CVU is likely to face declining enrollments in the coming years. See below for how to address the issue.

With the economy struggling and voters seemingly wary of significant school budget increases, as demonstrated by the failure of last year's Williston School District budget, how would you put together a budget that would be palatable for voters?

The last three questions are inextricably intertwined. CVU's student population will plateau and decrease in the coming years. It will be critical to maintain the quality and breadth of the resources at CVU available for students and community members while keeping the costs appropriate to the size of the student body. Although the CVU budget did not fail last year, the CVU Board faces the same challenge as the Williston Board – presenting a budget that is reasonable.

The CVU Board needs to help the CVU administrative team examine and, where and when appropriate, adjust the size, staffing and structure of school programs to keep future budgets reasonable in relationship to enrollments.

There will be additional challenges as the composition of our communities change and educational needs evolve. It is likely that programs for English language learners will need to evolve and grow as that demographic cohort moves into southern Chittenden County.

A facility with technology is critical to post-school success. CVU has recognized the importance of technology and has capital replacement programs in place to keep its resources current. But change may become more rapid and costs of keeping our students current may increase. The CVU Board has already recognized this issue and the proposed budget includes a technology integrationist position – a critical addition to make CVU more efficient in utilizing new technologies and in training faculty and students in new technologies.
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Roy sees Selectboard in caretaker role

By Greg Elias
Observer staff

When Christopher Roy first ran for Selectboard in 1998, the town was embroiled in a divisive debate over growth.

The rapid rise of retail stores and large-scale subdivisions had inflamed residents and prompted legal battles between the town and developers. Roy was one of two candidates who advocated cooperation over confrontation with developers in the four-person scramble for two open seats on the Selectboard.

The candidates with growth-control platforms won. Roy finished last in an election billed as a referendum on growth.

Now, a decade later, Roy is trying again, this time for a two-year term on the Selectboard. Roy will run against Joel Klein, a television producer who moved here from Los Angeles last summer.

If elected, he looks forward to serving a town that seems to have settled into its identity as a bedroom community with a bustling retail sector. He sees the Selectboard these days as a caretaker rather than a groundbreaker.

"Right now, fortunately, there are no issues that are as important to the entire town as we saw 10 years ago, when there was a real debate about Taft Corners," he said. "I think now the die is cast" on rules governing growth, "so the board's job is continuing to keep a tab on things as opposed to there being one overarching issue."

Roy talked about his life and outlined his positions on issues facing Williston during a lengthy interview last week. Dressed in a red checkered shirt and blue jeans, Roy smoothly fielded questions in a manner befitting someone who has argued cases in court for nearly two decades.

Roy was born and raised in Barre. His parents worked in the granite industry.

After graduating from Spaulding High School, Roy attended Harvard College, where he graduated with a degree in government. He later received his law degree from Cornell University.

He now lives in the Brennan Woods subdivision with his wife, Lisa, and three sons, ages 1, 9 and 11.

Roy is an attorney who works in Burlington with the state's biggest law firm, Downs Rachlin Martin. He specializes in commercial litigation, often representing landowners and corporations in land-use disputes.

Roy has written a regular opinion column, "Right to the Point," for the Williston Observer (the newspaper has discontinued Roy's column pending the election) and chairs the Vermont Republican Party's local committee in Williston.

Roy also has considerable experience on non-partisan groups. He currently serves on the Williston Recreation Committee and is a former member of the Burlington Planning Commission.

He has in the past served on the Vermont Environmental Board and the governing board for Whitney Hill Homestead, a senior housing development in Williston.

His column was a conservative take on state and national issues. In an interview and in written responses to questions, his views on municipal issues remained conservative, albeit without the partisan edge.

On fiscal matters, Roy said raising property taxes should be a "last resort" should Williston continue to face falling revenue from the local sales tax. He said the town should first look for savings in existing programs and services.

He said the real money is in school spending, which accounts for the large majority of property taxes paid by residents. He said high property taxes are rooted in the rules governing how the state pays for education.

"You can nibble around the margins with municipal taxes, the municipal budget," Roy said. "But real change is going to have to come from the way they do educational financing."

As for growth, Roy feels that Williston's direction has been settled. The battles over development in the 1990s and early part of this decade ended with all the new retail and residential development happening anyway, he said. The legal skirmishes just changed the pace.

"Instead of having gradual development, we had it in fits and starts," he said, pointing to Taft Corners Park and Brennan Woods as two examples.

Roy said after his bruising candidacy of 1998, he decided he would never again run for an elected office. But he feels Williston is different now.

"I had vowed not to get involved again," he said. "But it was an open seat, so I'm like OK I'm not going around punching incumbents in the nose any more. I've had my fill of that.

"There aren't any passionate fights where it's going to become personal. I've had a breather for 10 years. I'm in a different place, the town's in a different place and I think I can help out here."

CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

Name: Christopher D. Roy

Address: 726 Hanon Drive

Age: 43

Number of years living in Williston: 15

Employer name and job description: Attorney, Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC (www.drm.com). Commercial litigation partner in Vermont's largest law firm, including municipal, tax, zoning and land use matters.

Previous experience in elected or appointed positions, or community service: Currently finance chairman of the Vermont Lake Champlain Quadricentennial Commission (www.celebratechamplain.com), member of the Williston Recreation Committee, coach for Williston Little League Baseball, coach for Chittenden South Buccaneers Youth Football and member of the Vermont Advisory Committee, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Formerly a member of the Vermont Environmental Board (State Act 250 Board), a board member of Williston Elder Housing Inc. (Whitney Hill Homestead), board member of Family Connection Center of Vermont Inc. and a member of the Burlington Planning Commission.

What is the most important issue facing the town of Williston? How should the town address this issue?

The need to balance growth with tax burdens. Williston is a vibrant community. We should welcome growth if it is well-planned and consistent with our town's vision. We must ensure that growth and the increased demand for services do not outpace taxpayers' ability to pay.

The Selectboard must be vigilant in developing frugal budgets. The town must always look for ways to operate more efficiently. The Selectboard should work with the School Board and be taxpayer advocates in Montpelier. The municipal tax rate is about one-seventh of the educational tax rate, so real relief is more likely to be found in the area of educational financing, which results in a great deal of the property tax revenues generated in Williston going elsewhere.

The town may face a financial squeeze over the next few years, with falling sales tax revenue and a potential recession reducing available funding for municipal services. If there is a budget crunch, would you cut services, raise property taxes, or do both?

Budget growth must be consistent with population growth and inflation. If the resulting tax increase would outpace inflation, the Selectboard should look for ways to reduce the budget through greater efficiencies, bargaining hard on contracts and prioritizing between the town's needs and wants.

The local option tax is a partial fix for the massive transfer of education tax revenues out of Williston. A fairer way to fund our government requires a reduction in the tax revenues expropriated from Williston. We bear the burden of the development creating these revenues – we should retain a greater percentage of the resulting funds. The Selectboard and School Board should work together as taxpayer advocates in Montpelier to reform our dysfunctional and unsustainable method for financing education.

Some residents oppose a proposed landfill in Williston. The landfill would produce revenue for the town but those living nearby fear pollution and falling property values. Do you support or oppose constructing a landfill in Williston? Why?

The proposed landfill off Redmond Road is premised upon analysis that is 15 to 20 years old. Much has changed during that time. It is imperative that the Chittenden Solid Waste District – a public entity, not a for-profit corporation – do the right thing and reevaluate whether this is the best location in the county, and whether and to what extent we even need a regional landfill.

Due to legal agreements and payments received over the years, we are not able to unilaterally reject a landfill in the proposed location. Regrettably, the town's agreement with CSWD did not include any outside termination date. The lesson learned is for the Selectboard not to commit the town to open-ended commitments which have the potential to affect human health.

Williston has struggled over the past 20 years to balance commercial and residential growth with a desire to maintain the town's small-town character. Is Williston growing at the right pace? Should the town tighten or loosen existing controls on growth?

There is no perfect pace for growth. A vibrant community should grow if growth is well-planned and responsible. Growth should be concentrated to utilize existing infrastructure and minimize sprawl into less developed areas.

The town has usually planned its growth well. Taft Corners has been the focus of development, while preserving the historic nature of the village center and the rural residential nature of other areas. The town must reevaluate its comprehensive plan periodically, and should be forward-looking in its update of zoning bylaws. Pursuit of a downtown district designation for Taft Corners is one such a responsible effort.

Responsible controls on growth must result from a transparent, public process. The town should avoid concealed methods of restraining growth. I strongly support the Circ.

Census figures show most people who work in Williston don't live here while most Willistonians commute to other towns. The situation is caused largely by a lack of jobs in town that pay people enough to afford Williston's relatively high cost of housing. How can the town address this disconnect between employment and housing, which leads to traffic congestion and pollution?

Given the small size of Vermont's communities, there is little that the Selectboard can do on its own on this issue. Nonetheless, Williston should always look for opportunities to attract employers that pay good wages, and to create incentives for good companies to remain and expand in Williston.

The recent loss of Williston-based jobs at Qimonda was, to some extent, a function of a lengthy and convoluted zoning process necessary to allow expansion of a good employer in Williston. After much effort, the company opted to relocate to South Burlington before consolidating its operations in another state altogether.

There are many impediments to good employers locating in Vermont. The town should do everything reasonable and in its power not to be one of those impediments.

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By Greg Elias
Observer staff

Bob Blankenheim believes his experience as a corporate executive will help him effectively serve on the Williston Selectboard.

Voters sometimes like candidates with a business background. But Blankenheim may also have to convince voters that a lawsuit he and others have filed against the town is beneficial.

He is running for a three-year seat on the board against incumbent Judy Sassorossi. It is his first try for elected office.

Blankenheim is among the 37 Williston residents suing to nullify an agreement between the town and the Chittenden Solid Waste District. The agreement, approved by voters in 1992, permits operation of the current transfer station off Redmond Road and a future landfill. Blankenheim lives less than a half-mile from the site.

He at first flatly denied that unhappiness about the landfill prompted him to run. But then he softened that statement, while emphasizing his candidacy was more about changing the way Williston does business.
“I guess what I would tell you is that it wasn’t the only thing, it was one of the things,” he said. “But more important than the landfill was the honesty that didn’t happen, the informing of the people that didn’t happen.”

He views the landfill agreement as just one indication that the town could be better managed. He also wants to improve the budget process and change how the town handles development.

Blankenheim talked at length about his life and views during a wide-ranging interview at the Observer’s offices. He spoke confidently, like someone used to taking charge.

Blankenheim was born in Milwaukee, the son of a business executive. His family later moved to suburban Chicago.

He attended the University of Denver, where he received a degree in business administration. He followed in his father’s footsteps, working as a manager for large firms.

Blankenheim is currently vice president of operations/general manager for a company now known as IntraPac Inc. in Plattsburgh, N.Y. The firm produces packaging for personal care products.

He moved to Williston in August 2004 with his wife of 35 years, Gwen. They live on Ledgewood Drive, a subdivision off Mountain View Road. Given Blankenheim’s background and personal stake in the matter, it is unsurprising that he talks about the landfill agreement in terms of a bad business deal.

“If I would have negotiated a contract like that, as poorly written and as one-sided, I probably would have gotten fired,” he said, noting the agreement includes no expiration date or any provision to increase fees the waste district pays to the town.

Williston’s conflict of interest ordinance would forbid Blankenheim from discussing or voting on any matter involving the landfill. He pledged to recuse himself whenever the landfill comes up.

The landfill proposal, which is still being formulated by the waste district’s board and must receive state approval before anything is built, is a friction point between the two candidates.

Sassorossi questioned how Blankenheim could effectively serve on Williston’s governing board when he is suing the town. Beyond the basic conflict of interest, she said the lawsuit raises the question of whose team he is on.

Blankenhiem asserted that the lawsuit actually aligns him with the town’s interests because it would overturn an agreement that shortchanges Williston in terms of revenue and threatens all residents’ quality of life.
Sassorossi was on the Planning Commission in 1996 when it approved the subdivision where Blankenheim lives. Before the approval, the Chittenden Solid Waste District requested the board require the developer to tell prospective homeowners about the landfill. The board declined based on legal advice.

Blankenheim and others now say they would never have bought homes there if they had known about the landfill.

Blankenheim acknowledged that it was no accident he sought Sassorossi’s seat instead of the other Selectboard opening on the March ballot. But he said he holds no personal animosity toward her.

“I’m not looking for retribution,” Blankenheim said. “I think I’m better qualified to do what has to be done for Williston.”

Blankenheim feels Williston should take a more businesslike approach to the municipal budget. He criticized the board for formulating the current spending proposal based on a 5 percent increase.

“The budget should be a ground-up budget,” he said. “It should be starting at a point where you justify every position, and you justify any increases based on what the needs are. In some cases those needs are going to exceed that magical number, whatever that number is, and in some cases you are going to be able to cut it back.”

He’s also worries that the town takes a “ready, fire, aim” approach to growth. He thinks the town failed to provide adequate infrastructure to support its many businesses, which could eventually hurt revenue from the local sales tax that funds more than a third of the municipal budget.

“We run the risk of damaging the economic engine that generates a substantial amount of revenue for the town,” he said, noting that shoppers who face too much traffic congestion might decide to go elsewhere.
Though his government experience is limited, Blankenheim said the town may be better served by someone new.

“Is (Sassorossi) better qualified to understand what’s going on right now? Yea, probably,” he said. “How long will it take me to get up to speed? Probably about a month and a half. I’m a pretty bright guy.”

CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE
Name: Robert E. Blankenheim
Address: 893 Ledgewood Drive
Age: 60
Number of years living in Williston: 3 1/2 years, moved into our house in August of 2004

Employer name and job description: IntraPac (Plattsburgh) Inc. I am Vice President of Operations/General Manager of the operation of the IntraPac Group with responsibility for the management of the company including P&L and the development of both operating and capital budgets. The Plattsburgh Operation employs 150 full time employees with sales in excess of $16 million dollars.

Previous experience in elected or appointed positions, or community service: I served on a subcommittee for the Vermont Solid Waste Reduction bill dealing with recyclables; was President of a home owners association that had over 350 homes, ran its two water plants, had a complete recreation center including a pool and tennis courts; Served on Church boards and was President of the church council.

What is the most important issue facing the town of Williston? How should the town address this issue?
I believe the largest challenge facing the town is the lack of infrastructure. One element of that infrastructure is the roads within the town. The plans for handling the additional traffic on currently overcrowded roadways needs to be addressed before any additonal expansion in the town. The traffic patterns within Tafts Corners are currently not workable and just adding a number of access roads is not an answer to the problem.  The expansion of both 2 and 2A should be undertaken before any new developments such as the Growth Center are permitted. The businesses within that area are an economic engine to the Town and need to have the necessary accessibility to remain competitive. The CIRC with its current location and questionable start date will not provide the necessary relief from the traffic issues within Taft Corners. 

The town may face a financial squeeze over the next few years, with falling sales tax revenue and a potential recession, reducing available funding for municipal services. If there is a budget crunch, would you cut services, raise property taxes, or do both?
What is required is out of the box thinking to solve these key financial& service issues. Essex and Essex Junction are also facing significant budget issues and it may be time to partner with the surrounding towns to look for synergies and the ability to share services at a reduced cost. If there is a choice between increases in taxes versus service cuts we need to be sure those service cuts do not affect the health or protection of the residents. Any increases in taxes that may be required should be minimal and as a last resort to balance the budget.  I would support a tax increase if satisfied that all unnecessary costs have been removed from the budget. Tax increases should only be taken as a last action, as once on the books those taxes are never repealed.  

Some residents oppose a proposed landfill in Williston. The landfill would produce revenue for the town but those living nearby fear pollution and falling property values. Do you support or oppose constructing a landfill in Williston? Why?
I don’t support the landfill.  There is a true misconception the regional landfill will have a positive affect on the tax base for residents within Williston.  The HTA holds no great hope for a financial windfall for the town.  This landfill will reduce property values and real estate taxes for residents closer to the site, not to mention the quality of life to all residents. Those lost taxes will be offset by an increase in the tax multiplier, which will increase real estate taxes for those residents not living near the site. In addition, the residents will be paying for the building of the landfill in a number of ways. It could come as a tax increase on your house or in the cost of waste removal. Waste reduction and technology in the management of solid waste is changing and the need for this or any landfill in the near future is not justifiable.  The rationale for this landfill may have made sense 15 years ago, but times and technology have changed and we need to embrace those changes.

Williston has struggled over the past 20 years to balance commercial and residential growth with a desire to maintain the town’s small-town character. Is Williston growing at the right pace? Should the town tighten or loosen existing controls on growth?
Williston needs to control its growth. There is a need for significant improvement in the Town’s roads and infrastructure before Williston permits additional growth.  The Growth Center is a good example of a development that should be built, but not without addressing the issues of the current Williston residents and the businesses within Taft Corners.  I believe people in Williston do not want added congestion on the town’s roads for the sake of growth.  If the State is in favor of building this Growth Center, then it should step up and make the necessary improvements to the state roads in Williston to manage the additional traffic that the Center will generate. The added burden that future development will have on the sanitary sewers should also be a concern as we now approach capacity at the plant shared with Essex and Essex Junction.

 Census figures show most people who work in Williston don’t live here, while most Willistonians commute to other towns. The situation is caused largely by a lack of jobs in town that pay people enough to afford Williston’s relatively high cost of housing. How can the town address this disconnect between employment and housing, which leads to traffic congestion and pollution?

There are many towns in this country that are bedroom communities where people live but don’t work.  The previous Boards have encouraged business growth in retail and light industry but neither of these can support the income levels required to live within the Town. With the expense of developing land in Williston, which in turn drives up the cost of the lots, it is difficult for builders to offer homes with lower selling prices. If this is a concern, then we have two options. First, we need to encourage the building of business campuses that will attract companies looking to relocate either regional or head offices to Vermont, which will bring in the families that can afford Williston.   The other option is to require developers to build a percentage of the homes within a development to be more affordable housing.  Improvements in the roads in the Town will help resolve the traffic and pollution issues.
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March 4 Town Election – School Board
Williston School Board: Three-year seat – Abby Klein

By Tim Simard
Observer staff

It might seem strange that someone would want to move from sunny and warm California to cold and snowy Vermont, but that's just what newcomer Abby Klein and her family did six months ago. Looking for a quality of life change to a place that was healthier and safer than their longtime residence of Los Angeles, the Kleins decided to make Williston their new home.

"We wanted a small community and good schools," said the married mother of a 10-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter. "We knew we wanted to be around Burlington and we really liked the community of Williston."

According to Klein, the change has been great for her family, which now wants to become more involved in its new community. Klein is running for a three-year term on the Williston School Board against incumbent chairwoman Darlene Worth. Her husband, Joel, is running for the Selectboard.

Klein has been an early learning teacher for 19 years, as well as a popular children's book author. Her "Ready Freddy!" series, published by Scholastic Inc., has 13 titles in print. Currently she works at South Burlington's Rick Marcotte Central School as a kindergarten teacher.

Klein believes her experience as a teacher would only benefit the board.

"A lot of people who sit on school boards don't have teaching experience," she said. "I'm probably more qualified than some other people who have served."

Currently, Williston has one teacher and two former educators on the School Board.

Klein said she would have liked to have been involved with the Los Angeles School Board, but the enormity of the board and time commitment required made it impossible. She would have preferred serving on her school's board in Santa Monica, but she did not live in the town. Instead, Klein opted to work on the school's governance board, among other leadership roles.

Klein has decided to run for the three-year position because it would allow her to become more acquainted with the job and permit more time to make an impact.

"I feel like you're just getting into something with a two-year position, and then you have to run again," she said.

If elected, Klein would like to see the school district change the current upper house structure of fifth through eighth graders learning in the same classrooms. While she likes the idea of a diverse learning environment, she said in her candidate response it would be better if "fifth and sixth graders would be together and seventh and eighth graders would be together."

"I think it should be a two-year cycle," Klein said. "It's not such an overwhelming problem for me, but for some parents it is a problem. But being with the same four teachers for four years seems like a lot to me."

Klein would also like to see an addition of accelerated learning classes for appropriate students and a change to the lunch program if elected.

"I find it almost criminal with what's going on there," she said. "That money could go elsewhere."

As with any change, she believes that ideas should be taken to the teachers first.

"They know if something will work or not because they teach in the school every day," she said.

Klein looks forward to voting on Town Meeting Day and hopes she'll be given a chance to serve.

"I think I bring a unique and fresh perspective to the Board," she said in her candidate response. "I would welcome the chance to use my expertise to serve my community."

CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

Name: Abby Klein

Address: 194 Turtle Pond Road

Age: 41

Number of years living in Williston: Six months (moved from California in July)

Family situation: I am married to Joel Klein (who is running for Selectboard). We have two children who attend Williston Central School: a son who is 10 years old and a daughter who is 12 years old.

Employer name and job description: I am employed by South Burlington School District. I am a kindergarten teacher at Rick Marcotte Central School. I have taught for 19 years. I am also employed by Scholastic Inc. I am the author of the "Ready Freddy!" early chapter book series. There are currently 13 titles in print.

Previous experience in elected or appointed positions, or community service: In California I was co-chairwoman of my school's governance board for seven years. This board was responsible for the entire school budget. I was also the co-chairwoman of the fundraising arm of my school's FAP for eight years. At the district level, I was chosen as a teacher leader to serve on the superintendent's council, which was a forum for discussion on district program and policy change.

 

Why are you running?

Having just moved here, I wanted to become more involved in the community and given my background in education, the School Board seemed like the right fit. As a teacher, author and a parent, I feel that I have a lot I can bring to the board in terms of insight and experience.

 

What is the most important issue facing Williston schools? How can the issue be addressed?

The most important issue facing the schools is our ability to continue to provide our students with the best possible education in an era of economic instability and budget cuts. This issue can be addressed by creating an efficient, thoughtful budget that maintains the focus on our children.

 

With the economy struggling and voters seemingly wary of significant school budget increases, as demonstrated by the failure of last year's Williston School District budget, how would you put together a budget that would be palatable for voters?

The board has to put together a budget that represents a less than 4 percent increase over the previous year's budget. The board was able to that this year with only a 3.72 percent increase. This practice would have to be continued in the future.

 

Based on a recent survey of the town, the community is divided over the structure of the upper houses (57 percent of respondents supported the current structure). Do you feel the structure is in need of change? Why? If so, what change would you suggest?

Yes, I do believe that the structure is in need of change. I would propose that the upper houses be broken up into two-year cycles. Fifth and sixth graders would be together and seventh and eighth graders would be together. This would address the concern of some parents that fifth graders and eighth graders do not have the same social/emotional needs and that the younger students are being exposed to things they are not yet emotionally ready for. Changing the current structure might also allow for more flexibility in the scheduling so that the class offerings can better meet the needs of all students, including offering accelerated classes in some subjects which is common practice in other districts.

 

Why should voters choose you over your opponent?

Although I am new to Williston, I am not new to education. I have spent the last 19 years working in the public school system. My work on the board would be based on firsthand experience. I feel as both a teacher and a parent of two children currently in the system I have intimate knowledge of the needs of both teachers and students. I also have a thorough understanding of curriculum which many school board members often do not. I think I bring a unique and fresh perspective to the board. I would welcome the chance to use my expertise to serve my community.
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