List your top three priorities if elected?

1. Student Achievement & Opportunity — Strengthen academic outcomes while expanding college, career, trade, dual-credit and workforce pathways so every student graduates prepared for their next step.
2. Student Mental Health, Safety & Support — Invest in early intervention, behavioral and mental-health resources, and strong school environments where students feel safe, supported and ready to learn.
3. Fiscal Responsibility & Transparency — Protect classroom resources, support and retain quality educators, pursue outside funding and partnerships, and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly and transparently.

What do you see as the most pressing issue currently facing the district? What will be your approach to addressing it?

I believe one of the most pressing issues facing our district is making sure every student has a real opportunity to succeed, regardless of where they start. Academic achievement matters, but we also have to address the barriers that keep students from reaching their potential — mental health, attendance, behavior, family challenges, and whether students truly feel connected to their school.

My approach would be to listen first — to teachers, parents, students and staff — and then use the data to identify where students are falling through the cracks. I believe in early intervention rather than waiting until a student is failing or in crisis. We must strengthen academic support, mental-health resources, family engagement and accountability while giving our educators the tools they need to do their jobs. Every child may not start at the same place, but our responsibility is to make sure every child has a fair opportunity to reach the finish line.

What area of academics do you think the district needs to focus on and why?

I believe our academic focus should be on strong foundational skills while connecting education to real life. Reading, writing, math and critical thinking will always be essential, but students also need to understand how what they are learning connects to college, careers and adulthood. I want us to continue expanding career and technical education, dual-credit opportunities and partnerships with colleges and local employers while making sure students who are struggling with foundational skills receive intervention early. Success should not have only one definition. For one student it may be a four-year university. For another it may be a trade, certification, apprenticeship, military service or entrepreneurship. Our job is to make sure a Franklin Township diploma prepares students to have choices.

Affordability and finances are top of mind for districts and voters. What will be your approach to district finances?

My approach would be fiscal responsibility with the classroom as the priority. Every dollar belongs to the taxpayers, and the board has a responsibility to make sure those dollars produce the greatest possible benefit for students. Franklin Township also faces a unique funding challenge because approximately 85% of our property-tax base is residential, which limits local revenue compared with districts that have larger commercial and industrial tax bases. That means we have to be especially strategic with the resources we have. I would support transparent budgeting, regular review of expenditures, aggressive pursuit of grants and partnerships, and long-term financial planning rather than short-term fixes. At the same time, fiscal responsibility cannot simply mean cutting. We must protect effective classroom programs, retain quality educators and make investments that improve student outcomes. My standard would be simple: Is this necessary, is it sustainable, and does it benefit our students?

Franklin Township received a $29.5 million grant from the Lilly Endowment to construct a Health Sciences Academy. While the grant covers the initial implementation and construction, how will you approach the long-term operational budgeting to ensure the academy remains fully funded without diverting resources from existing programs?

The $29.5 million Lilly Endowment grant is an incredible investment in our students, but responsible leadership means planning beyond the ribbon cutting. Before permanent operating expenses are absorbed into the district’s budget, I would want a clear multi-year sustainability plan showing the academy’s projected staffing, maintenance, equipment and program costs. I would also pursue a diversified funding model that includes healthcare partnerships, higher-education partnerships, additional grants, workforce-development opportunities and other outside funding sources wherever appropriate. Organizations that benefit from a strong pipeline of future nurses, technicians and healthcare professionals should have an opportunity to invest in developing that pipeline. Most importantly, I would not support building an outstanding new program by quietly taking resources away from successful programs our students already depend on. The Health Sciences Academy should expand opportunity in Franklin Township — not redistribute scarcity. We have been given an extraordinary opportunity. Our responsibility now is to make sure it remains an asset for students not just when it opens, but for generations.