My positions

The residents of Hillsdale supported a monumental bond referendum this past fall.  Students and parents alike have been excited about the modernization of George White Middle School.  Unfortunately, the project has already been fraught with delays.  This has lead to various rumors circulating about, including about the start of the school year, learning environments, and safety.  My goal is to ensure the residents of Hillsdale get what they voted for without compromising their children's education in the process. 

Along the same lines of the renovations, transparency as a whole would be appreciated by parents and residents alike.  While board minutes are publicly available, one has to actively search for them.  Actively disseminating them to the parents or even the town would go a long way with residents of our community. This can be done in either the standard format or even summarized in a monthly newsletter. Something along these lines would go a long way to inform residents and dispel rumors. 

Do you know what your kids are eating at school? If you pack their lunch, I'm sure you do.  If your kids buy, you assume they are eating what's on the posted menu.  But did you know there are swap-outs? Usually this comes in the form of a bagel, cereal or muffin.  These are empty carbs that lead to afternoon crashes and poor academic performance.  I would like to partner with our current vendor to find more sensible swap-out options, or find a new vendor who can provide this option. This is something that is afforded in neighboring districts and can be implemented here as well. 

The taxpayers of Hillsdale made a historic decision to pass a $62 million bond to renovate George White.  This comes with significant tax implications for the residents of Hillsdale.  Looking at creative ways to raise revenue for the school system will be more important than ever.  I would like to apply my experience of running the state Osteopathic medical society and a small business to this avenue, and create ways of accomplishing this.  

Our district has now added a second School Resource Officer for 3 schools, which is fantastic. One officer will be dedicated to George White, and a second to be assigned to cover both elementary schools.  This elementary school officer cannot be in both schools at the same time. If there is an incident at the opposing school, the officer will be on the other side of town, thus delaying response. For the safety of our students, staff, and visitors, I would like to work towards having a dedicated SRO for each of our 3 schools.  While this may come with an increased cost, my plan would be to find room in the existing budget, or look to raise revenue through avenues outside of tax dollars.