School board candidates answer questions

Seven people are running for three three-year terms on the Great Falls Public Schools board of trustees. One of those candidates, Jan Cahill, is an incumbent. Others who have filed are Kate Hughes, Cyndi Baker, Don Ryan, David Abbott, Jerry Hall and Jason Brantley.

The Cascade County Elections office will send out the ballots for the mail-only election today.

The Great Falls Tribune recently posed questions to the candidates. Here are their answers.

What in your background do you think qualifies you to be the best candidate for a position on the board of trustees?

Abbott: My nine years as a public administrator, involving developing and implementing policy, provides me with the experience and insight to ensure high standards and a rigorous curriculum, as well as the resources to promote achievement and safety to students.

Baker: I have attended virtually every school board meeting for the last three-and-a-half years as well as the last four cycles of budget meetings. I am informed on the issues that are before the board and those that will be needing attention in the immediate future.

Brantley: I spent 20 years in the U.S. Air Force and Air Force Reserve. I have experience running a small business, and I’m currently a pilot for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. These positions broadened my perspectives and prepared me for the reality of living within a limited budget.

Cahill: My quarter of a century in education, six years as a classroom teacher and 19 years as a school administrator provides a unique perspective as a trustee. I have been elected three times to serve as a Great Falls trustee. With those nine years comes hundreds of hours of training.

Hall: I was in the US Air Force for 21 years and held a variety of positions that involved leadership, team building, budgeting and planning skills. I also spend a lot of time interacting with the teachers and principals as I am the chairman for the “Bikes for Books” program for Great Falls.

Hughes: I’m from Great Falls. I understand our unique needs and perspectives. I’m honest, unafraid and I’m a taxpayer.

Ryan: I’m a former teacher and coach. I have served two terms on the Great Falls school board, eight years on the Montana Senate education committee. I have been honored by numerous organizations (like the Montana School Boards Association) for my work on behalf of our kids.

What is the one thing you think GFPS does well? What is the one thing you think it needs to improve?

Abbott: I believe that the district does a good job of providing education in an atmosphere of financial challenges. The quality and diversity of its various programs reflect a dedication toward providing students with a balanced menu of academic, technical, athletic and artistic programs. The challenge lies in the district being able to effectively communicate what it takes to support its programs from a financial and operational perspective.

Baker: GFPS does an incredible job of providing initial training for students who are heading directly into the workforce, such as the welding and CNA programs, and dual-credit opportunities for students heading to college. Improvement is needed in gifted-education programs, and I would love to see specialized “academies” within the high schools that focus on those students whose main interest is the sciences or the arts.

Brantley:The Great Falls public schools do a great job of providing educational opportunity for all. I am always impressed by the professional, motivated educators in our schools. They go the extra mile to ensure that no child is denied this precious benefit. I think that improvement needs to be made in the areas of technology and future planning. I think more emphasis needs to be placed on preparing our kids for the jobs of tomorrow.

Cahill:The teachers, support staff and administration are committed to educational excellence and always put the interests of the student first while constantly looking at how we improve. While I believe there has been significant improvement over the past year (in communications), there still needs to be continued improvement between the district and the community with an emphasis on the need to listen.

Hall: GFPS does a great job using the resources they have. I believe the biggest improvement could be made in public communications. There are vast arrays of areas to get the great things GFPS is doing into the public eye. I personally believe they just need to be leveraged more effectively.

Hughes: A) The teachers of our district do exceptionally well with what they are given and with what they are allowed to do. B) Elimination of government-mandated curriculum.

Ryan: One area not easily widely known is the beginning teacher in-service training that helps new teachers to our district get a great start to meet the high standards they will be expected to achieve. This is unlike my experience many years ago when the principal said, “good luck and if I don’t get complaints everything will be fine.” For improvement, one area we all agree on is the need to double our efforts to lower the dropout rate.

Do you believe a mill levy election is necessary to meet general fund needs of Great Falls Public Schools?

Abbott: Yes. State and local revenue allocations have not kept pace with the financial demands of providing a quality local education. The reality is educating children in the 21st century is a complex and costly endeavor reliant in part on community support. The return of investing in local education is solid economic development.

Baker: The general fund needs of the district have been met by an additional $2 million of state funding over the last two years. This district needs to look at finances long range, not year by year as they currently do. This levy would make sense if there were not additional insurance costs of $2 million to $2.5 million per year due to kick in October 2015, but because that is the reality of Obamacare.

Brantley:I believe the mill levy is necessary to meet general fund needs, as well as to provide new opportunities for our children. The levy will fund more teachers, provide appropriate counseling, improve gifted education, and fund operational cost increases every business faces. It also provides new opportunities by funding technology improvements, software upgrades, and a new computer coding program in our high schools.

Cahill: I believe the mill levy is necessary. For the first time in many years we are experiencing an increase in enrollment. There are far too many students who are at risk and to continue to ignore the vital need to assist those kids ignores the values and traditions of the school and community. The levy will provide funding for additional counselors to help kids overcome challenges and become productive community members.

Hall: I believe the levy is necessary given the current budget proposal, but I also believe there needs to be a thorough review of the pay-scale used for our district employees. To get the backing of the general public to support the levy, you must communicate honestly and completely about where the current funding is going.

Hughes: No. I believe the funds are mismanaged and the mill levy is unnecessary.

Ryan: Absolutely. We have treaded water long enough, it is time to get back in the race and invest in the future of Great Falls. A quality community requires quality schools.

Name one program or department you believe needs more funding. Conversely, which needs less?

Abbott: I suggest that the district consider allocating more funds toward its building and capital improvement funds. Given that the average age of the district’s buildings is 57 years, it’s only a matter of time before significant repairs or reconstruction will be required. For the most part, I think the District is running its operations on a fairly thin margin.

Baker: The technology department should have a higher priority in funding. Using the newest technology is how students desire to learn. Administration needs less funding. More needs to be done to streamline administrative costs and get that money filtered down to the classrooms and students where it belongs.

Brantley:Today we are unfortunately seeing more and more troubled youth in our community. I would like to see more funding provided to help these at-risk students in order to improve their chances for success. The area that I think could benefit from some trimming is assessments. I would prefer to see these assessments pared down so that more time can be devoted to actual classroom instruction.

Cahill:The schools do a very good job in all curricular areas as demonstrated year after year in test results. However, we continue to struggle with math. I believe additional specialized math teachers at the elementary level will provide our students a better opportunity to gain the math skills necessary to succeed in our economy. The district continues to tighten funding in many areas and it is difficult to select one to receive even less.

Hall: This is a very tough issue because funding allocation is not uniform across each school. What one school focuses on is not necessarily the same as another. Funding does need to be flexible based on need though. This is definitely an area to dig into to see if there are efficiencies to be found.

Hughes: A) More funding for the music and industrial arts. B) less for the administration.

Ryan: This is a false choice. We can’t rob Peter to pay Paul. A program one person might feel is unnecessary may be the reason a child comes to school. If something is worth doing it’s worth doing well.

How would you rate the transparency and communication within Great Falls Public Schools administration and the general public? Does anything need to change?

Abbott: I believe the district is above average when it comes to transparency. The meeting dates are clearly posted on the website as are the minutes and supporting documentation. From a communication standpoint, I think the district struggles with attempting to explain the complexities involving an organization of its size. Educating the public is equally as important as educating students.

Baker: The transparency and communication between the administration and public is improving but there are still issues that need to be addressed such as the buildings and grounds theft and the GFHS assault. Taxpayers can understand that dishonest employees will occur despite the best safeguards, but the cover-ups and attempts to sweep issues under the carpet are not as easily understood, especially when it comes time to vote.

Brantley: I would rate the current administration’s communication as excellent. It begins with the superintendent, Tammy Lacey, who is very accessible. I think the district does a great job of informing the public through their website, with detailed explanations of their expenditures, plans and their strategic vision for the future all available online.

Cahill: I believe there has been a significant improvement in transparency within school administration and the general public. The board embarked earlier this year on a budget process far more transparent than has been in the past. While I believe communications has greatly improved, there must always be a desire for open communications and a need for everyone to listen and demonstrate respect for various ideas and opinions.

Hall: There is a large section of our community that have distrust when it comes to the district. The only way to fix this is to go on a full scale education campaign via community interaction. This means anytime there is an opportunity to do so someone should be speaking about what the status is currently and where we are going in the future to ensure the public rallies to our children’s needs.

Hughes: On a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being complete disclosure and 1 being opaque, I rate it at a -3. This is the biggest change that needs to be made.

Ryan: Our new superintendent is making every effort to keep the public informed. The board and administration must follow the open meeting laws, but also be sure student and personnel are given their rights of privacy and due process guaranteed by law. Violation of those rights could lead to lawsuits which cost the taxpayer dearly.

The candidates

This year, seven candidates have filed to run for three positions on the Great Falls Public Schools board of trustees. The terms last for three years and the position is unpaid.

DaveAbbott, 50, executive director of the Great Falls Food Bank. Abbott has a master’s degree in public administration. He and his wife, Michelle, have two grown children.

Cyndi Baker, 54, is a preschool teacher and day care provider. She has a degree in elementary education. She is the mother of three grown daughters.

JasonBrantley, 44, is a pilot for U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and is a small business owner. Brantley has a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy and is working on his master’s degree. He and his wife, Alison, have two children.

Jan Cahill, 66, is a retired teacher and school administrator and has been on the board of trustees since 2005. He has a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in education. He and his wife, Angela, have two children.

Jerry Hall, 49, is the director of information technology at 1st Liberty Federal Credit Union. A member of the U.S. Air Force for 21 years, Hall has earned several technical certifications and degrees. He and his wife have one grown son and two other boys in Great Falls schools.

Kate Hughes, 43, is a voice actor and is a graduate of Great Falls High along with Montana State University.

Don Ryan, 62, is a day care owner and golf supervisor at Eagle Falls golf course. He holds a bachelor’s degree in education. He and his wife, Terri, have five grown children and four grandchildren.