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LARWILL - Before a handful of people Thursday, the four candidates for the Whitko School Board answered five questions about why they would make the best school board member.
The issue not one of the candidates could avoid, however, was the state budget crisis and its effect on Whitko schools.
In fact, the fourth question of the night, posed by a member of the audience, was: With budget cuts at the state level, Whitko has already released three teachers and cut summer school. If the need for more cuts is necessary, where else do you feel the school corporation can make adjustments and not hurt students' academics?
Candidate Richard Reed said the school board will need to look at non-teaching personnel and see how they can "save money there." He said national conventions may need to be axed for a few years and the entire budget needs to be reviewed "item by item." He said cutting teaching staff and extracurricular activities needs to be avoided.
For current school board member Larry Long, who's seeking re-election, the school corporation can look at making cuts in the transportation department. Whitko Schools purchases new buses on a rotation schedule. He said they may have to forego purchasing a new bus for a year or more. Activities, possibly such as staff training, may also need to be cut out for a while.
E. Marie Trump agreed with Long on the bus rotation being stopped for some time to save money.
"I feel there's probably some fluff somewhere and we need to tighten our belts and see where we can make cuts," she said.
By cutting down on utility use, candidate Erwin "Pete" Mitchell said, the school corporation can save money. One way is to cut down on the use of lights in the halls.
"I think there's things like that that can be done," Mitchell said.
He also stated he did not want the janitorial or teaching staff cut.
Another question posed by the audience was: What is your opinion of discipline throughout the Whitko Schools? What, if any, problems do you feel need to be further addressed and how, as a school board member, should the board address these problems?
Long said he thought Whitko schools doesn't have much of a discipline problem. "I don't think we're as bad as some other communities around us."
By having students involved in school and related activities, any problems Whitko does have will be lessened, he said.
The school board sets policy, said Trump. If policy is not being followed, the school board can then contact the superintendent and on down the line. A lot of times, she said, the school board's hands are tied until a parent brings the discipline problem before the board. But it all begins with the policies the school board sets, she said.
Parental involvement is the key to preventing disciplinary problems, Mitchell said. "That's the secret to discipline in schools - having the parents involved and saying, 'Come help us.'"
Kids that are kept busy, said Reed, don't cause problems. Parents need to be involved, too, and the school corporation needs to ask parents to get involved.
But, he said, Whitko doesn't have that many problems.
Along with the two questions from the audience, the candidates answered three questions they were given in advance.
One question left all the candidates stumped, despite knowing the question in advance, and that question was: Public Law 221 is putting extra emphasis on ISTEP and continual growth in test scores. What specific support or programs do you think the school board should provide in each of these areas: schools, students, teachers and parents?
Mitchell said despite doing research on the issue, he just wasn't familiar enough with PL 221. However, he did say, "(Superintendent) Dr. (William) Worl has a program going with all the schools and I back that program."
Reed explained what PL 221 was and then said, "Public Law 221 is here and we best make the best of it."
To make PL 221 work for Whitko, Long said, it will take the efforts of all students, staff, teachers, administrators and parents.
Trump said the school corporation needs to find ways to support its staff in meeting the requirements for PL 221. "... Whatever we can do to support our teachers and staff."
Another question for the candidates was: What do you see as the important issues facing Whitko Community Schools during the next four years and how would you respond to these issues?
Trump cited funding issues as being the first priority without cutting the arts or exercise followed by meeting the needs of all students and accountability.
"My main issue is the financial (state) the state has put us in," said Mitchell. Secondly, he said, he was concerned about test scores and improving the ways students learn.
Agreeing that Whitko will face financial problems in the future because of the budget crisis, Reed said, it is important not to cut out extracurricular activities or anything in the academic area.
"Anything that does not take away from the students needs to be looked at," he said. "... I think the whole thing boils down to monies from the state and how we are going to deal with it."
Long said his first issue was coming into compliance with PL 221, followed by school safety, budget management and facilities upkeep.
