50+ Lifestyles

November Election Time

By John Maxwell

November is election month. This November, I am running for my 3rd term for the North Scott School board. Here are some of the things that we have accomplished as a board in the past and what we hope to have happen in the future. The following is our two questions that I answered for publication in the North Scott Press. Please remember to vote on November 5th.

1) What experiences, education and accomplishments best prepare you for elected service?

The most valuable experience that I have is serving the last eight years on the North Scott School Board. I have had the pleasure of serving with some outstanding people. Together we have accomplished many great things. Some of the one I’m most proud of are:

1. Unifying the district as one North Scott
2. Keeping the district financially sound and growing
3. Making school safety a top priority
4. Developing a strategic plan, implementing it, and continuing to keep it relevant
5. Working with legislators of the state to advance North Scott, both financially and educationally
6. Being part of the team the negotiates with the teachers union for the best possible outcomes given the budget
7. Seeing a top five nationally ranked FFA team and the growth the has happened with this program
8. Seeing a home building program start, grow, and flourish
9. Watching an Industrial Arts program accomplish great relationships in the community and become known throughout the state
10. Seeing students become part of the community service in so many ways and going on to great careers
11. Developing a reading, writing, and math wall to track the progress of all our students

My formal education is a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from the University of Iowa. By far the most valuable education for me has come from the North Scott Community. Fellow board members, administrators, teachers, staff and the community have helped, taught, and guided me to become the best board member I can be. I am grateful to all of them and proud to serve.

2)What are your priorities for the district if elected?

Student growth is predicted to decrease by approximately thirty to forty students this year. The vast majority of the school district income is generated by the number of students in the district. Looking at the past five to twenty years, the district has slightly more than three thousand students. Decreasing the number of students places a challenge on the general budget, most importantly teacher salary which is 84% of the general budget. This challenge makes it difficult to retain employees, pay employees what they deserve, and attract the best and brightest to our district. While we are doing a great job with what we have, my vision for North Scott is to attract more students to the community and work with the state legislators to grow the Supplemental State Aid.

Another priority is to continue to help our students to be college and career ready upon graduation. Facility renovations, great teachers and staff, and community cooperation all contribute to preparing graduates for life after North Scott.

Mental health is also a growing concern in our schools. Governor Kim Reynolds and our legislature have made it a priority to implement mental health resources into our schools. I agree with their intentions. By working with the Area Education Association and the teachers, counselors and staff at North Scott, I hope to implement a plan that would track mental health for every student.

Other issues I have an active interest in monitoring and improving include school security, bullying, Special Education integration, and Strategic Planning. I’m grateful for my past eight years of service on the North Scott School Board and, if elected, am devoted to serving four more.