Baumgartner Running for Warsaw School Board
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
Baumgartner is running for the District 6 seat, and Curt Hermann is up for the District 3 seat. They will replace Deb Wiggins and Dan Robinson respectively, who can not run for re-election because of term limits. The race for District 4 pits incumbent Christie Gale against former Harrison Elementary Principal Randy Polston.
In an interview Monday afternoon, Baumgartner talked about his background and why he is seeking the school board seat now.
“I am kind of a local boy. I grew up in the area in Milford, just north of here. I graduated from Wawasee High School. Hopefully no one holds that against me,” he said. “Went on Manchester College, Manchester University these days. Got my accounting degree. Went to work in Fort Wayne for two years.”
He soon realized that wasn’t his calling and he didn’t like living in Fort Wayne. He ended up getting a job in Warsaw at the Otis R. Bowen Center, where he’s worked the last 21 years. The past 18, he’s been the senior vice president of financial services.
He got his master of business administration degree from IPFW in 2009, and is also a certified public accountant.
Baumgartner said he decided to run because he can be a good candidate.
“I can be very useful on the board with my financial background, my accounting background, business background. And there’s a lot of similarities between the Bowen Center, where I work, and the Warsaw Community Schools,” he said. “Bowen Center, we are about 85 percent funded by federal, state, local sources. About only 15 percent comes from private pay, which is obviously similar to a school system.
“We have about a $38 million annual budget. The school system about $46 million, so very similar from that vantage point. And for number of employees, we have about 700. The school system, I think around 1,000 or so. We’re both spread out over vast building areas,” he continued.
“So there’s a lot of similarities between the school system and what the Bowen Center does. So I felt I could be of use with my expertise here and take that to the school board, the process, the decision making,” he said.
His family gives him another reason to be interested in what happens with WCS. His wife, Deb, is a first-grade SWOOP teacher at Washington Elementary School, and his three boys attend Warsaw schools.
“I did feel God is calling me to do this,” Baumgartner added. “I got interested about eight years ago when the school system had a lot of issue with the building program, overcrowding in the elementary schools, superintendent issues, redistricting. There were a lot of big issues going on. That’s when I really became interested but chose not to run at that time just because I had so much going on with my life.”
Though timing wasn’t right then, Baumgartner said now in 2012 his calendar is less filled up and he was looking for a way to serve the community. When the opportunity came up to run for school board, he said he felt God was calling him to do it.
This summer, the school board paid about $75,000 to Kovert Hawkins Architectural Firm to do a facilities assessment on all its properties and buildings. In September, Kovert came back with its report and recommendations totaling approximately $110.5 million.
Baumgartner said he’s been attending the board meetings ever since he threw his hat in the ring, including the meeting where Kovert Hawkins presented its recommendations. He also received a copy of that study and has reviewed it.
“Obviously, my first reaction, which I think was everyone's reaction, was, ‘Wow! 110 million, how can we realistically justify paying $110 million for the list of needs they put forth,’” Baumgartner said. “(Superintendent) Dr. Hintz was pretty clear in saying this was just their idea, this isn’t necessarily our ideas.”
Looking at the positive, however, he said the assessment was a great idea. Warsaw Schools really needs a long-term capital expenditure plan, he said, so it doesn’t get hit all at once with $110 million in building projects. It also would help avoid a situation like Claypool Elementary School’s closure in 2004, only to be remodeled and expanded and reopened in 2010.
“Looking at this study, one of the things they recommended was tearing down the administrative building and building a new, I think with OrthoWorx, campus on that area. And here we just put a lot of money in remodeling and enlarging that building. So we need a good long-term plan so we don’t waste taxpayer funds,” he said. “I like the idea, I like the plan. I’m not interested in $110 million. I think there’s a lot of overkill in some of those things. A lot of buildings, like Lincoln, yes it’s older but is it still functional? Is it really necessary? Those things would really need to be evaluated.”
When evaluating the recommendations, Baumgartner said they need to consider if they will help improve test scores and graduation rates. Overcrowding also would be a concern because he doesn't want the schools to go back to the overcrowding a few years ago, when some classes were held in trailers.
“One thing I am high on is the use of technology,” he stressed. “Anything related to technology, is something I would certainly be in favor of.”
The graduation rate is a hot topic for Baumgartner.
“I know here five years ago, 2007, graduation rate was only 72 percent. Whereas here in 2011, they were up to just under 89 percent and they’re cautiously optimistic that it might be over 90 percent, which is just tremendous improvements. That being said, it’s still not good enough,” Baumgartner stated. “That’s still 10 percent of kids who aren’t graduating in our own community.”
He said he won’t be happy until WCS reaches 100 percent graduation rate.
For this complete interview on video, visit the Times-Union website www.timesuniononline.com and check out the free video section.[[In-content Ad]]
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Baumgartner is running for the District 6 seat, and Curt Hermann is up for the District 3 seat. They will replace Deb Wiggins and Dan Robinson respectively, who can not run for re-election because of term limits. The race for District 4 pits incumbent Christie Gale against former Harrison Elementary Principal Randy Polston.
In an interview Monday afternoon, Baumgartner talked about his background and why he is seeking the school board seat now.
“I am kind of a local boy. I grew up in the area in Milford, just north of here. I graduated from Wawasee High School. Hopefully no one holds that against me,” he said. “Went on Manchester College, Manchester University these days. Got my accounting degree. Went to work in Fort Wayne for two years.”
He soon realized that wasn’t his calling and he didn’t like living in Fort Wayne. He ended up getting a job in Warsaw at the Otis R. Bowen Center, where he’s worked the last 21 years. The past 18, he’s been the senior vice president of financial services.
He got his master of business administration degree from IPFW in 2009, and is also a certified public accountant.
Baumgartner said he decided to run because he can be a good candidate.
“I can be very useful on the board with my financial background, my accounting background, business background. And there’s a lot of similarities between the Bowen Center, where I work, and the Warsaw Community Schools,” he said. “Bowen Center, we are about 85 percent funded by federal, state, local sources. About only 15 percent comes from private pay, which is obviously similar to a school system.
“We have about a $38 million annual budget. The school system about $46 million, so very similar from that vantage point. And for number of employees, we have about 700. The school system, I think around 1,000 or so. We’re both spread out over vast building areas,” he continued.
“So there’s a lot of similarities between the school system and what the Bowen Center does. So I felt I could be of use with my expertise here and take that to the school board, the process, the decision making,” he said.
His family gives him another reason to be interested in what happens with WCS. His wife, Deb, is a first-grade SWOOP teacher at Washington Elementary School, and his three boys attend Warsaw schools.
“I did feel God is calling me to do this,” Baumgartner added. “I got interested about eight years ago when the school system had a lot of issue with the building program, overcrowding in the elementary schools, superintendent issues, redistricting. There were a lot of big issues going on. That’s when I really became interested but chose not to run at that time just because I had so much going on with my life.”
Though timing wasn’t right then, Baumgartner said now in 2012 his calendar is less filled up and he was looking for a way to serve the community. When the opportunity came up to run for school board, he said he felt God was calling him to do it.
This summer, the school board paid about $75,000 to Kovert Hawkins Architectural Firm to do a facilities assessment on all its properties and buildings. In September, Kovert came back with its report and recommendations totaling approximately $110.5 million.
Baumgartner said he’s been attending the board meetings ever since he threw his hat in the ring, including the meeting where Kovert Hawkins presented its recommendations. He also received a copy of that study and has reviewed it.
“Obviously, my first reaction, which I think was everyone's reaction, was, ‘Wow! 110 million, how can we realistically justify paying $110 million for the list of needs they put forth,’” Baumgartner said. “(Superintendent) Dr. Hintz was pretty clear in saying this was just their idea, this isn’t necessarily our ideas.”
Looking at the positive, however, he said the assessment was a great idea. Warsaw Schools really needs a long-term capital expenditure plan, he said, so it doesn’t get hit all at once with $110 million in building projects. It also would help avoid a situation like Claypool Elementary School’s closure in 2004, only to be remodeled and expanded and reopened in 2010.
“Looking at this study, one of the things they recommended was tearing down the administrative building and building a new, I think with OrthoWorx, campus on that area. And here we just put a lot of money in remodeling and enlarging that building. So we need a good long-term plan so we don’t waste taxpayer funds,” he said. “I like the idea, I like the plan. I’m not interested in $110 million. I think there’s a lot of overkill in some of those things. A lot of buildings, like Lincoln, yes it’s older but is it still functional? Is it really necessary? Those things would really need to be evaluated.”
When evaluating the recommendations, Baumgartner said they need to consider if they will help improve test scores and graduation rates. Overcrowding also would be a concern because he doesn't want the schools to go back to the overcrowding a few years ago, when some classes were held in trailers.
“One thing I am high on is the use of technology,” he stressed. “Anything related to technology, is something I would certainly be in favor of.”
The graduation rate is a hot topic for Baumgartner.
“I know here five years ago, 2007, graduation rate was only 72 percent. Whereas here in 2011, they were up to just under 89 percent and they’re cautiously optimistic that it might be over 90 percent, which is just tremendous improvements. That being said, it’s still not good enough,” Baumgartner stated. “That’s still 10 percent of kids who aren’t graduating in our own community.”
He said he won’t be happy until WCS reaches 100 percent graduation rate.
For this complete interview on video, visit the Times-Union website www.timesuniononline.com and check out the free video section.[[In-content Ad]]
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