My Focus as a Board Member
If the bond passes and I am elected, I will advocate for responsible implementation: prioritizing essential needs, reporting costs and progress clearly, maintaining independent oversight, phasing projects thoughtfully, and adjusting when circumstances change.
- Prioritize essentials: Focus first on safety, building systems, accessibility, classrooms, and infrastructure that directly support students and staff.
- Be clear with the community: Explain what will be done, why it matters, what it costs, and how decisions are made.
- Respect taxpayers: Ensure that there are independent annual audits, oversight, clear reporting, and that bond funds are not used for salaries or operating expenses.
- Plan responsibly: Phase projects as needed, avoid overpromising, and make decisions that reduce bigger costs later.
Accountability and Follow-Through
A long-term facilities program requires clear priorities and regular oversight. If elected, I will advocate for a transparent process that helps the Board set priorities, monitor results, and respond responsibly as circumstances change.
- Rank projects using clear criteria: Begin with safety, essential building systems, accessibility, direct benefits to students and staff, urgency, long-term cost, and readiness to proceed. The criteria and reasons for the project sequence should be explained publicly.
- Monitor scope, cost, and schedule: Require regular reports comparing each project’s approved scope, budget, and schedule with current estimates. Significant cost increases, delays, or proposed changes should be clearly explained before the Board makes additional commitments.
- Publish progress: Provide accessible, project-by-project public updates showing what has been completed, what comes next, how much has been spent, the current estimated cost, and any important changes.
- Respond when assumptions change: Construction costs, site conditions, available funding, and schedules can change. When they do, the district should explain what changed, reconsider priorities when necessary, and adjust or phase plans openly rather than quietly allowing costs or scope to drift.
Responsible oversight does not mean pretending that a long-term facilities program can be predicted perfectly. It means making changes openly, using current evidence, protecting essential needs, and remaining accountable to students, staff, and taxpayers.