Three seek school board seat (10/09/2008)

Three candidates are vying for the District 6 seat on the Jay School Board: Incumbent Greg Wellman, former board member Duane Starr, and challenger Dalton VanSkyock.

Wellman, a rural letter carrier and farmer, is a 1977 graduate of Jay County High School and has attended Purdue University's agriculture short courses. A resident of 8340 North 700 East, Bryant, he served six years on the Purdue Cooperative Extension board. He has been a youth minister and religious education teacher at his church for 22 years.

Starr and his wife Patty own and operate P&D Auto on Ind. 67, west of Portland. A resident of 8274 South 600 East, he graduated from Driver High School in Winchester and attended Ivy Tech in Fort Wayne. He attends Fort Recovery Nazarene Church and is a member of the Jay County High School agricultural advisory board.

VanSkyock, a concrete contractor, is a resident of 5327 East 200 North, Portland.

All three candidates responded to a questionnaire from The Commercial Review. Their responses follow.

What's the biggest challenge facing the Jay School Corporation going into the future?

Wellman: "The biggest challenge facing the Jay School Corporation is our state officials taking away local control of our school system more and more."

Starr: "Keeping the curriculum relevant, getting more students to take advantage of the opportunities the community has provided, and keeping up with maintenance on the many buildings the corporation has."

VanSkyock: "Proper education of the students."

What sort of report card would you give the Jay School Corporation in terms of quality education being provided, the quality of the physical facilities, and fiscal management?

Wellman: "My report card would say we need to have a parent/teacher conference to explain each grade in more detail. But, as they say, 'to make a long story short...'

"Quality of education? When it comes to the quality of our personnel and the resources we have to offer, I would give us an A-minus.

"Physical facilities? Although it varies from building to building, in the four years I've been on the school board, over all I believe we have gone from a D to a B-plus. And, if we stay on our current course, in a few years we will be an A.

"Fiscal management? Living within our means has produced five straight years of ending in the black. At the same time, by saving and spending money wisely, finding new sources of revenue that add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars each year, and successfully completing a laundry list of goals way too numerous to mention here, we have moved our school corporation forward on a sure and steady course. Our success speaks for itself."

Starr: "Quality of education I would give a C. I think overall test scores show we have room for improvement.

"Physical facilities I would give a B . Improvement has been made over the last several years, but spending could have been better prioritized.

"Fiscal management I would give a D. Debt load has increased by $30 million over the last four years, and that pace cannot continue."

VanSkyock: "C-minus."

How do you envision

your role as a school board member?

Wellman: "My role as a school board member is to oversee the budget, set policy, hire personnel, and acquire the best facilities and resources we can afford, for families to receive the best education each of their children can achieve."

Starr: "A board member is entrusted with caring for the Jay School Corporation. I believe that means balancing the needs with what the community can afford. As a board member, I will use common sense, and if a large segment of the community is opposed to something I will not jam it down their throats."

VanSkyock: "More support for parents and children."

If you could point to one accomplishment at the end of your service on the school board, what would you like it to be?

Wellman: "At the end of my service on the board, I would like to look back and say we raised the standards to a whole new level. Not only in test scores, which is the most common gauge of a school system, but in other areas as well. The relationship between administrators, teachers, support staff and the public. Pride in our facilities that will help keep them top-notch for years to come. And, maybe most important to me, the fact that Jay County residents, businesses, community leaders and organizations, churches, other educators like John Jay and the Purdue Extension Service, and parents and students have bought into what we are doing. Thus each are contributing in any way they can to make and maintain the Jay School Corporation as second to none!"

Starr: "That I made decisions that made the Jay School Corporation better and the community felt they got their money's worth."

VanSkyock: "More teachers to better educate students. Teachers need fewer students per class to accomplish better education."[[In-content Ad]]