Halstead, Swartz to face off in school board race (10/19/06)

(Editor's note: This is the first of several articles covering contested races in the Nov. 7 election.)

For the first time, Jay County voters will be electing school board members during the November election.

Hoping to spur greater voter participation, the Jay School Board moved the choice for board members from the May primary to the fall general election.

Two contested races will be on the ballot next month.

In District 3, which includes Greene, Jefferson, and Penn Townships, incumbent Jay Halstead faces a challenge from Emily Swartz of rural Redkey.

Halstead, acting district investigative commander of the Redkey Post of the Indiana State Police, resides at 920 South Joan Drive, Portland. He has been with the Indiana State Police for 26 years.

A 1976 graduate of Union High School, he graduated from the Indiana State Police Academy in 1979 and Ball State University in 1981. In 1992, he graduated from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.

He and his wife Michelle have four children and two grandchildren. He's a member and trustee of Cornerstone Baptist Church, Portland, the Indiana State Police Alliance, the Portland Elks Lodge, the Indiana Troopers Association, and the National Troopers Association. He is also an official with the Indiana High School Athletic Association.

Swartz grew up in Union City, Ohio, and graduated from Mississinawa Valley High School. She attended Purdue University, receiving a bachelor's degree in natural resources and environmental science. She received a master's degree in horticulture and crop science from The Ohio State University.

For the past six years, she has worked as a field sales agronomist and account manager for Pioneer Hi-Bred International, moving to Jay County four and a half years ago. She and her husband Matthew and their three children reside at 5786 South 600 West, Redkey. Her husband is an agriculture teacher at Jay County High School.

Both candidates responded to a questionnaire from The Commercial Review, discussing their candidacy and the issues in the school board election. Their responses follow.

Why are you running for school board?

Halstead: "In 2002, I ran for school board because of my desire to serve the public to make our school system better. It was my focus then and continues to be that our kids receive a quality education. We must continue to teach our children by giving them the tools they need in order to succeed in life. We need to better prepare them for college, vocational schooling or assist them to be better able to move right into the work force of our community. In my first term my focus was on getting our financial house in order. If re-elected, it would be my desire to now focus more on the educational aspect. Our 2006 school board goals are to expand programs to challenge our kids educationally. We will work on new vocational programs, expansion of computer labs, and improvements in technology, advance placement and engineering programs. We are now studying block scheduling and trying to come up with a solution that will challenge our kids. We are determined to raise the ISTEP scores and expectations of our JCHS students. I want to continue the progress that we have made to make JCHS education a valuable resource to our students, staff and the community at large."

Swartz: "I believe that the education of all our students in Jay County should come first and foremost for the Jay School Corporation. Our students are our future. Many of the graduates from Jay County High School stay local to Jay County. Providing those students with the best education will continue to improve the community in which we live."

The Jay School Corporation has come through a period of getting its financial house in order. What would you say are the top priorities in terms of school spending and the corporation budget over the next few years?

Halstead: "We need to shift more school spending to educational programs, technology and focus on counseling and developing our kids. From the elementary to the high school, our teachers each need a computer at their desk. The use of computers can be a useful tool in teaching kids, grade accountability, e-mail correspondence with parents, etc. We spend a large proportion of our budget on salaries, fringe benefits and capital project items. Although this is not uncommon for large businesses, I would like to shift more spending to the classroom where the kids receive the most benefit."

Swartz: "The Jay School Corporation should maintain a priority of staying within budget. I believe the top priorities for school spending should be what is needed to improve student education. Our teachers should have access to technology and resources that allow them to provide our students with a first rate education. Our students should be enabled to learn in the classroom, without overcrowding. Our administration should welcome the opportunity to encourage teacher creativity."

A major renovation project at Jay County High School is nearing completion, but an auxiliary gymnasium which was originally proposed as part of the project has been deferred for the future. How big a priority is the second gym at the high school and what sort of timetable makes sense if such a facility is to be built?

Halstead: "During the last renovation project an auxiliary gymnasium was discussed at length at public forums. Our community ha strong feelings both for and against the addition of another gym at JCHS. As you know the school board did not include the gym in the project; however, we did start a savings program in our capital project fund for a future expansion. We have dedicated $250,000 each year for the past two years to this 'savings program.' Our goal was to be able to accomplish this expansion without a tax increase at some future date. I am in favor of a multi-purpose facility addition within the next four years. It is my belief that this facility would benefit our PE programs, intramural programs, band, and our entire athletic division for both girls and boys and could be utilized by the public as a fitness center as well. I believe both the new swimming pool facility and multipurpose center should be available for free usage by the public."

Swartz: "A second gym at the high school would be a nice luxury to have; many schools comparable in size do have an auxiliary gym. One key difference between those schools and JCHS is that those schools are in a more urban setting, whereas JCHS is a predominately rural school. Our first focus for facility improvement at the high school should be the inclusion of technology in every classroom - technology that our teachers can teach more effectively with and technology that allows our students to learn better. A second gymnasium would be a nice addition, but in reality it will not impact a student ten years after graduation like a quality education will. If a second gymnasium is desire, rather than detracting from student education to achieve this goal, could this goal be achieved via separate fundraising similar to the JCHS/FFA Greenhouse and Patriot Powerhouse projects? Both of these projects were luxuries that were mostly funded by private fundraising and community donation. Taxing our local community, many of whom are farmers, for a luxury should not be our focus. We should focus these tax dollars on providing the highest quality education to our students."

What would you say are the greatest strengths of the Jay School Corporation today?

Halstead: "I would say our people. From our children, parents, administrative staff, support staff and teachers, we have great people who are genuinely concerned about the education of our kids. We have a community that cares about safety and quality of life. We are a diversified group of people who can come together for a common goal. This sets us apart from many school corporations."

Swartz: "We have some absolutely fantastic teachers, employees and administrators of JSC. We need to empower these teachers and employees to be creative and continue to make a difference in the lives of our students."

What are its greatest weaknesses or vulnerabilities?

Halstead: "I would have to say that being a countywide school corporation challenges us. There are many pros and cons about a one county school system. Pros would include a larger range and variety of classes offered to students, a TV studio, and a broader base of athletic programs, vocational programs and advanced structured programs. Cons would include transportation issues for students, sometimes larger class sizes, less student involvement, reduced chance for athletic participation among varsity teams and less individualized performance for student achievement."

Swartz: "As a school we try to compare ourselves to other schools of the same size, but in reality we are different. Our school system covers an entire county, not part of a city or just a few communities. We have different struggles due to the diversity of our students than other schools. We need to focus less on comparing ourselves to others and more on making a difference with hat we do have to better our students for the future.

"In general, I see a struggle for parental involvement at all schools (not just Jay County). The lives of parents are incredibly busy these days and it is easy to overlook the importance of being involved with your child's education. (I know from experience.) We need to find a way to bridge this ever-widening gap. The current structure of PTO and parent-teacher conferences are a great starting point, but they need to be re-energized for the 21st century.

How do you view the role of a school board member?

Halstead: "The role of a school board member is clear and defined. He or she is to set school policy. In addition, a board member is empowered to select a superintendent through a formal process. A board member is not to be involved in the day-to-day operation of the school through micro-managing. School administrators are hired for this purpose."

Swartz: "A school board member is someone that looks at the BIG picture. They are responsible for setting policies and budget guidelines that are in the best interest of providing our students with the highest quality education possible."[[In-content Ad]]