Please list your top 3 priorities if elected.

Transparency, student success, and building a stronger school community.

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

One of the biggest challenges facing our district is rebuilding trust while balancing increasing financial pressures. Families want to understand not only what decisions are being made, but why they are being made.

My approach is to ask questions, listen to all stakeholders, review the data, and make decisions based on facts rather than assumptions. I believe school board members should communicate openly with the community, hold the district accountable for measurable results, and ensure every dollar is spent with students as the priority.

How will you engage with the community if elected? What role will their feedback have in your decision making?

Community engagement shouldn’t begin and end at board meetings. I plan to remain accessible through regular communication, community events, social media, and by encouraging conversations with parents, teachers, students, and taxpayers.

Feedback is an important part of good governance. While no single voice can determine every decision, listening to different perspectives helps identify concerns, improve policies, and make better-informed decisions that reflect the needs of the district as a whole.

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

I believe we need to continue strengthening foundational academic skills, particularly reading and math, because they impact success in every other subject area. We should regularly evaluate student achievement data, identify where students are struggling, and support evidence-based strategies that help close learning gaps while also challenging students who are ready for advanced coursework.

Academic success should remain our primary mission, and we should continually look for ways to improve outcomes for every student.

Do you support the referendum? Why or why not?

I believe the referendum deserves thoughtful consideration rather than a simple yes or no answer. My responsibility as a board member would be to ensure the community has a clear understanding of why additional funding is being requested, how the money would be spent, what accountability measures would be in place, and what alternatives have been explored.

I support transparency and informed decision making. Taxpayers deserve complete information before being asked to make an important financial decision, and I believe the district should clearly demonstrate responsible stewardship of existing resources alongside any future requests.

The district recently changed school start times to reduce costs. As school districts across the state face increasing financial pressure, what other suggestions or ideas do you have on ways that Decatur Township could save money?

Before asking taxpayers for additional funding, I believe we should continually evaluate opportunities to improve efficiency. Some areas worth exploring include:

• Reviewing operational expenses to identify unnecessary or duplicate spending.
• Evaluating contracts and vendor agreements to ensure the district is receiving the best value.
• Pursuing additional grants and partnerships when appropriate.
• Regularly reviewing programs to ensure resources are aligned with measurable student outcomes.
• Looking for operational efficiencies that reduce costs without negatively impacting classroom instruction.

My priority would always be protecting student learning while ensuring taxpayers can trust that every dollar is being used responsibly.