List your top three priorities if elected?

1. Fiscal Responsibility: Maintain a balanced and sustainable budget while making thoughtful investments in student achievement, competitive and equitable staff compensation, and the resources our teachers and staff need to be successful. 2. Academic Growth: Continue improving student achievement by supporting effective curriculum, innovative learning opportunities, and pathways that prepare students for college, careers, and life after high school. This should be accomplished in partnership with teachers, staff, parents, and students, whose experience and expertise are essential to making these efforts successful. 3. Safety and Student Well-Being: Maintain safe, supportive learning environments for students and staff. This includes addressing physical safety concerns as well as behaviors that interfere with learning. Students and staff should feel safe, respected, and supported in our schools.

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

One of the most pressing issues facing FTCSC is maintaining financial stability while continuing to meet the growing needs of our students and staff. A strong school system depends on having the resources to attract and retain excellent teachers and staff, provide reasonable and supportive working environments, and give educators the tools they need to help students succeed.

As a board member, I would continue to support a balanced and sustainable budget while looking for opportunities to maximize existing resources, pursue outside funding and partnerships, and advocate at the state level for fair and equitable school funding.

Fiscal responsibility and support for our employees should not be viewed as competing priorities. We need to make thoughtful decisions about where resources can have the greatest impact, including competitive and equitable compensation, appropriate staffing, manageable classroom environments, and the resources necessary for teachers and staff to do their jobs effectively. The district must remain proactive rather than waiting for financial challenges to force difficult decisions.

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

FTCSC has a broad range of academic opportunities, and I believe we should continue strengthening both foundational academics and pathways that prepare students for their futures. At the elementary level, continued emphasis on reading literacy is particularly important. Like many districts across the country, FTCSC experienced declines in reading achievement in recent years. The district responded by fully implementing a new reading curriculum, and we are seeing encouraging improvements in student achievement. We need to continue monitoring the data and supporting our teachers and staff to ensure those gains are sustained and expanded.

At the secondary level, I support continuing to expand Career and Technical Education, Health Sciences, dual-credit, advanced coursework, and other pathways that allow students to graduate prepared for college, careers, Armed Services, work or additional training. This achievement should be both on campus, as well as an increased collaboration through our partnership with Central Nine Career Center. Our goal should be to ensure that every student has a pathway to success after graduation, not just one definition of success. None of this can happen without our teachers and staff. They are the professionals working directly with students every day, and their experience and input should be part of decisions about curriculum, instructional practices, classroom needs, and student support.

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

FTCSC has demonstrated a strong commitment to financial responsibility and has maintained a balanced budget for more than a decade, despite significant changes and reductions in state funding. Going forward, I believe we must continue to live within our means while prioritizing investments that directly support our strategic goals and student outcomes. That means carefully evaluating programs and expenditures, maximizing available revenue, and making sure taxpayer dollars are producing the greatest possible benefit for students and families. At the same time, responsible budgeting must include our teachers and staff. Competitive and equitable compensation is important to retaining experienced educators and attracting the high-quality employees our students deserve. We also need to consider staffing levels, classroom sizes and workloads, professional development, and the resources employees need to do their jobs effectively.

I support pursuing additional funding opportunities and partnerships, maximizing the value of existing tax resources while remaining within Indiana’s property tax limitations, and continuing to explore innovative opportunities such as expanded online learning. Growing and strengthening programs that meet the needs of more students can also help keep students within FTCSC while strengthening the district’s financial position. Financial responsibility does not simply mean spending less. It means making thoughtful choices about where resources can have the greatest impact, including investments in students and the people who educate and support them, while protecting the quality of education our community values.

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 Health Sciences Academy is viewed as a long-term investment in our students and community, not simply as a grant-funded project. The ongoing academic and operational costs associated with the program are incorporated into the district’s long-term financial planning and annual budgeting process. I support closely monitoring enrollment, staffing, operating costs, and student outcomes to ensure the program remains financially sustainable and delivers the intended educational benefits. This includes ensuring that the academy has the appropriate staffing and resources to provide a high-quality program without creating unreasonable demands on teachers and staff.

We should also maximize opportunities to leverage Career and Technical Education funding and develop partnerships with health-care providers, higher education institutions, and other community organizations. As the program develops, there may also be opportunities to serve students from outside the district when capacity allows, creating additional revenue while expanding access to the program. Most importantly, the academy’s long-term success should not come at the expense of existing programs, students, or staff. The board’s responsibility will be to evaluate the academy as part of the district’s overall budget and ensure that it remains sustainable alongside the educational needs of all FTCSC students and the staffing and resources necessary to serve them well.