The League of Women Voters of Sioux City has asked three questions of the five candidates for election to the Sioux City Community School District Board of Directors. The candidates responses to those questions are posted here. To find your voting precinct, scroll to the bottom of this story.

Three of the five candidates will be elected to four-year terms in the Sept. 8 School Board election. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. in 27 precinct polling places in Sioux City.

The five candidates are incumbents Douglas K. Batcheller and Nancy Mounts and challengers David Grimesey, Joseph R. Swick and Molly Williams. Incumbent board member James Daane did not seek re-election to the board.

Voters in Precinct 12 will cast their school board ballots together with voters in Precinct 14 at the Boys and Girls Home and Family Services at 2101 Court St. Precinct 12 voters previously cast their ballots at Mount Olive Baptist Church, 1522 Douglas St. But, Vicki Ritz, deputy Woodbury County commissioner of elections, said that building has been red-tagged and is not available for use as a precinct polling place.

Voters in Precinct 15 will cast their ballots at the new Unity Elementary School at 1910 Unity Drive. Voters in Precinct 15 previously cast their ballots at the Lake Forest Mobile Home Park, 3700 28th St.

MOLLY WILLIAMS
4045 Country Club Blvd.
Occupation: Professor of business administration, Morningside College

What are your reasons for wishing to serve on the Sioux City School District Board of Directors and what skills do you bring to this position?
As a lifelong Sioux City resident, parent of five graduates, professor of business administration, attorney and certified SPHR, I want to help Sioux City be a viable and attractive community. One means of doing this is by having an exceptional but fiscally responsible educational system that helps all students reach their full potential as human beings, citizens, and leaders. I hope that my experiences with both the parochial and public school systems and my background in law, finance, education, and management will be helpful in setting policies and providing the general oversight that will lead our district in this direction.

What are the key financial issues that you believe the district must address in the coming year(s)?
As our community changes, educational needs of our students also change. Meeting these needs may require additional resources. At the same time, financial resources to meet these needs are limited and are at risk for decreasing. For example, much of our funding comes from the state. At present, Iowa is predicting a decline in revenues. This makes state allocation of resources very important and intensely competitive. As a Board, we need to lobby for appropriate allocation of funds and pursue legislation to address the existing inequities in the distribution of funds among districts so that our district will be better financed without raising state taxes. We cannot afford the loss of more residents to neighboring states.

Another area of funding comes from local property taxes. Because our property taxes tend to be higher than the neighboring communities’, raising taxes to increase funding could actually result in a revenue decrease if it causes residents to move outside the district. While state legislation might help with this issue, we also need to continually evaluate and prioritize programs and to be creative in achieving our educational goals while still living within our financial means. These are not simple tasks to achieve.

What is your position relative to a separate site Individualized Learning Center vs. the School Within A School at the High Schools? What programming do you believe is most effective in reducing the dropout rates and increasing test scores?

Effectively preparing our students to have the maximum opportunity for life success should be our focus. Decades ago, we identified individual learning programs to be more successful than group/classroom learning for students who are more at risk of dropping out. Individualized learning programs can be conducted at a single site (as we’ve done in the past) or at multiple sites (as we plan to do this fall). What we need to monitor closely is whether the components which predict success for all–not just at risk–students can be achieved at the Schools Within a School. These components are relationship (students must feel part of the school community and have a strong relationship with at least one adult at that school), relevance (students must believe what they are learning is connected to something larger than the assignment itself) and rigor (students need to be challenged). Relevance and rigor should not be affected by the move as long as the programs replicate what has been successful at the individualized learning center. It is relationship that may pose the biggest challenge. If strong relationships can be developed in the School Within A School setting, our objectives should continue to be met.

What are your reasons for wishing to serve on the Sioux City Community School District Board of Directors and what skills do you bring to this position?

First and foremost, I am an involved parent who is convinced my children’s education is their future. I am a taxpayer. We have limited resources. We have to provide the best possible education for all students within the district. And, we have to do it in a manner that is responsible to the people who fund the district.

I am a consumer of the product of the Sioux City Community School District. I manage my family budget, a small family business, and a corporate budget. As a businessman, I communicate in a variety of ways to meet consumer needs and demands.

What are the financial issues that you believe the district must address in the coming year(s)?

Open enrollment — We have to provide an education system that parents want to enroll their children in, and keep them there. We are funded based on our enrollment. When a parent walks away from our district with their children, they take their money with them, and that money equals an education for every student involved.

The Sioux City Community School District needs to work every day with the City of Sioux City and Woodbury County to attract more business and industry to our community to bring more taxable property values, both commercial and residential.

What is your position relative to a separate site Individualized Learning Center vs. the School Within a School at the High Schools? What programming do you believe is most effective in reducing dropout rates and increasing test scores?

It appears at this time that the current school board has made a decision to eliminate the central individualized learning center and move the programs to a school within a school. Our objective now is to monitor it and see that it does work.

I am not aware of a program that we currently have. We don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to study the issue. We need to as a district begin holding the students and their parents accountable for their education. Test scores and bridging the achievement gap are not just the items to be laid at the teachers’ and administration’s feet. Education needs to be a partnership with the student, the parent, the teacher, the principal, the school district and community actively involved in every aspect of the process.

What are your reasons for wishing to serve on the Sioux City School District Board of Directors and what skills do you bring to this position?

As a current third term board member, I am asking the voters for a fourth term. I believe I have played a key role in the district by lobbying for and securing a sales tax option which has been crucial to our ability to update our physical plant facilities. I wish to have the opportunity to continue with our long range plans to upgrade elementary buildings plus work to obtain a funding stream for the PPEL (Physical Plan and Equipment Levy) to maintain our physical plants in an ongoing manner and not allow them to fall into disrepair.

What are the key financial issues that you believe the district must address in the coming year(s)?

The district’s ability to raise funds from our local property tax base is very limited. The district ranks 360th out of 362 state school districts in property value per student. Thus, all funding streams which are based on property taxes place a greater burden on our taxpayers.

The State of Iowa will be facing some very serious budget issues for at least the next two budget years. I have seen estimate that say the State of Iowa will start the 2010/22011 budget year with at least a $1 billion shortfall. This budget shortfall will definitely impact funding which we receive from the state in a negative manner. Therefore, the superintendent and the board will have to work very closely and conservatively in developing budgets to match our income streams.

One area that continues to provide hope and benefits for the district is the sales tax fund. This funding stream has allowed us to update several of our facilities and plan to do several more. We must guard these funds against possible appropriation by the legislature to help with their budget issues.

What is your position relative to a separate site Individualized Learning Center vs. the School Within A School at the High Schools? What programming do you believe is most effective in reducing dropout rates and increasing test scores.

Budget issues have forced the consolidation of the ILC back to our high school facilities. I am confident that the staff and administration of the high schools will work very hard at making this transition as smooth and painless as possible.

Physical isolation of the ILC could be argued from both sides, ability to focus on the needs of these individual is what will be necessary to assist them to graduation. It is the focus, that all children can succeed, that should be our guide. If we can train our staff through professional development, the benefits of differentiated instruction, i.e. teaching to the individual rather than grouping everyone under one label or another, I believe we will be making sound instructional decisions for every individual. Therefore, increasing our ability to graduate competent focused students who have a true understanding of their abilities.

What are your reasons for wishing to serve on the Sioux City Community School District Board of Directors and what skills do you bring to this position?

My commitment to the Sioux City Community School district began when I was a new teacher at Leeds High School and has continued unabated for the past 50 years. My candidacy for the school board is an extension of my consuming passion for the children of Sioux City and their education.

I bring a great deal of experience in education, nine years prior board service and a commitment to educational excellence. In addition, my position on the Iowa Association of School Boards Legislative Resolutions Committee provides many opportunities to promote legislation that supports the school district’s priorities.

What are the key financial issues that you believe the district must address in the coming year(s)?

The most pressing financial issue is property tax equalization. Because our property valuation per student is much lower in Sioux City when compared with nearly all other Iowa school districts, the Sioux City schools get less funding per student even though the tax levy rate is, in some cases, higher. In fact, we rank 260th out of 262 Iowa school districts. The legislature has provided a partial solution, but there is still much to be done. Now that the sales tax for infrastructure is equalized statewide on a per student basis, it is time to equalize property taxes on a per student basis.

The operating budget will be a challenge. With the recession, state resources are insufficient to meet the needs of state government and many state departments and agencies were cut 10 percent or more. Thanks to the federal stimulus funds in the current budget, school districts could spend 3 percent more than the year before. Even with that increase, we had to reduce about 40 positions. With the ending of the stimulus and the probability of slow growth in state revenues, there is a possibility of across the board cuts this year and the next budgets will be difficult.

What is your position relative to a separate site Individualized Learning Center vs. the School Within a School at the High Schools? What programming do you believe is most effective at reducing dropout rates and increasing test scores?

I am a strong believer in alternative education. When the ILC students move to the high schools, they will have their own separate area with teachers who have experience working with the students in an alternative setting. It will also be an option for these students to take elective classes in the regular program and to participate in various activities. Strong relationships between students, parents and teachers are critical.

The dropout rate will be impacted positively by promoting a “comfort zone” for students who learn differently. The one size fits all does not work. This requires a different way of teaching, a relevant curriculum, caring adults and additional resources.

We cannot afford to have even a small percentage of our students lost in school because they will become the lost adults of our community.

The key to improving student achievement is to have highly qualified teachers in the classroom supported by a building and central administrative team that understands creating a positive school environment empowers teachers to teach and students to learn. It also requires a firm partnership between parents in the district. It means everyone being engaged in the education of the children in this community.

What are your reasons for wanting to serve on the Sioux City School District Board of Directors and what skills do you bring to this position?:

I am running for school board because I want to give back to the community by placing my mark on the one issue I care deeply about, our children’s education. What I will bring to the board is my 25 years of involvement with politics where I have experience in a variety of issues, especially education. Through my mentoring of young people and friendships I’ve made over the years with current and past teachers, I know what is happening and how things work.

What are the key financial issues that you believe the district must address in the coming year(s)?

Our key financial issue that we will be addressing for years to come is the same that all districts have to address, the effects the recession will have and what to do. I have a two-tier plan to handle this.

1.) When I ran the first time, parents and teachers both told me their concerns with what they saw as a top heavy administration. This was the No. 1 concern then and it is now. My alma mater East High has four assistant principals with the athletic director doing administration duties. Some concerned teachers have told me that some departments are top heavy and something should be done to cut back. By reorganizing and cutting we will save money and that money can be used to help our teachers and students.

2.) Across the country, school programs made to help students are being cut. To save our programs, we need to use our Yankee know how to figure out how to run programs effectively. Let us turn to retired teachers and parents and ask them to volunteer time to help keep programs going.

Our financial problems may look bleak but I know with fresh ideas we will get through this.

What is your position relative to a separate site Individualized Learning Center vs. the School Within A School at the High Schools? What programming do you believe is most effective in reducing dropout rates and increasing test scores?

I have always supported ILC because not everyone does well in a normal school setting and we have troublemakers that would be better off there. Closing down ILC was an awful idea. One concern told to me by a concerned parent is how do you separate the different groups and also the police who work at our schools will have more troubled teens to look after.

The best programming to help increase test scores and reduce dropout rates is a tried and true method that has been around forever…parenting. Some parents believe that from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. their children are our sole responsibility. What goes on from 8-3 is everyone’s responsibility. Some kindergarteners are coming to school ill-prepared not even knowing what a book is. Education starts at home. I have seen homes where education is important and I have also seen homes where education is not. Guess who does better.

1. Heartland Community Church, 3601 Country Club Blvd.

2. Central Assembly of God, 2300 W. 19th St.

3. West Middle School, 3301 W. 19th St.

4. Emerson School, 2410 W. First St.

5. Riverside School, 2303 Riverside Blvd.

6. Faith Lutheran Church, 3101 Hamilton Blvd.

7. Crescent Park School, 1114 W. 27th St.

8. Mount Zion Baptist Church, 1421 Gene, a St.

9. Lincoln School, 115 Midvale

10. Clark School, 4315 Hamilton Blvd. (plus Plymouth County residents)

11. Lamb Productions, 417 Market St.

12. Boys and Girls Home, 2101 Court St.

13. Sioux City Transit System, 2505 Fourth St. (Plus Concord Township residents)

14. Boys and Girls Home, 2101 Court St.

15. Unity School, 1901 Unity Ave.

16. Trimble United Methodist Church, 1424 27th St.

17. Bryant School, 821 30th St.

18. Calvary Lutheran Church, 4410 Central St.

19. North Middle School , 2101 Outer Drive North

20. Nodland School, 5000 Mayhew Ave.

21. Washington Heights Chapel, 2600 S. St. Mary’s St.

22. Morningside Branch Library, 4005 Morningside Ave.

23. Community Action Agency of Siouxland, 2700 Leech Ave.

24. Morningside Lutheran Church, 700 S. Martha St.

25. Eppley Auditorium, 3625 Garretson Ave.

26. East Middle School, 5401 Lorraine Ave. (Plus Woodbury Township residents)

27. St. James United Methodist Church, 2032 S. Cypress St.

28 Irving School, 901 Floyd Blvd.