By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — This is the second of two parts of the school board candidates’ forum featured in Sumner County. The first part is here. The Wellington City Council candidates forum can be found here. The mayor’s forum can be found here.

Twelve candidates are running for the Wellington school board. Four will be elected. This race is at large. People can vote anywhere from four to none at all on the ballot. The top four vote-getters will be elected to the Wellington school board and will serve for four years.

The 12 candidates are Jan Grace, Tom Henning, David M. House, Pat Zeka, Jessica Seeliger, Janet Chambers, Cecelia Newman, Robert White, Deanna Garver, Sarah Lawrence, Brad Ledbetter, and Irene Monson.

We had eight questionnaires returned. The following candidates did not file answers to this forum:

Cecilia Newman

Sarah Lawrence

Brad Ledbetter

Irene Monson. 

We are picking up with question seven…

7 — How will you address the different needs of all students?

Seeliger — Step one, as a board of education, is to lay the groundwork for the administration to hire and retain the best educators possible. We can also make sure that our teachers and staff have the support, training, and classroom tools they need to teach in a manner that is both effective and engaging for all types of learners. We can listen to the needs of our teachers, support staff, and administrators and work to get them the tools they need to address each student’s unique learning needs.

The board of education is a policy-making oversight committee of district stakeholders; most members are not education experts. That’s why it is important to elect board members who are open to communicating with staff and parents about the needs of our kiddos. I strongly believe it is the job of board members to listen to the teachers and staff who work with these kids every day to make sure they have what they need to reach their education goals.

Grace — Students have great ideas and issues.  As a board member, I need to listen to their thoughts and concerns.   A conversation with the board and USD 353 to see if these are items that are being addressed, need to be addressed, and/or are something to take to another professional.

Henning — I feel that we do a very good job addressing the needs of the students across the district. If anyone feels like we don’t, I would like to hear from them to discuss the areas they think we are deficient in.

White —  You have to meet the students where they are. All students can learn and succeed.

Some students learn best with paper and pencil, some with technology or on the internet, and some learn best “hands-on.” We have to do what is best for each one.

Garver — I believe that the district is doing a good job of addressing the individual needs of all students. Our new goal is to utilize the gifted staff to create additional enrichment opportunities for high-achieving students. This is exciting because a lot of our students do not meet the specific requirements for gifted services but still need enrichment.

The district is utilizing data-driven decisions, exploring early childhood programs and individual plans of study, and expanding project-based learning opportunities for all students. We are also working with Cowley to provide classes for students who are interested in many technical fields as well as the ability to earn a degree while still in high school.

Chambers — I believe the parents and teachers know best what the students’ needs are. Ultimately, the school board is responsible for outcomes for all our students. It is our job, as the Board, to make sure the teachers have the tools and support they need to help each student.

Zeka — It is the board’s responsibility to make sure all kids are getting their needs met.  There are many tools that teachers use.  We have special education teachers and paras for the gifted as well as those with special needs.  I do know teachers are overloaded and dealing with lots of issues, including discipline, and need support from their administrators.

House — The district is in a unique position, being in a rural area. Many students face socioeconomic issues at home before they even walk into the classroom.  Again, this goes back to having the right staff in the right positions.  We need to hire enough paraprofessionals at a competitive salary to provide students with the assistance they need.  This is federally mandated through IEPs.  We lose many paraprofessionals to places like Walmart because those places pay more and provide low-cost benefits.

8 — What is your view on school choice? Public vouchers?

House — I feel that while it may work in other places and states, I don’t see how it would be successful in this community. Vouchers are always touted by legislators whose children aren’t in public schools anyway, so it becomes a subsidy for the affluent.  Studies have shown that school choice does not increase student achievement.  Instead, it widens the gap between the haves and the have-nots.  I feel that any sort of voucher system would be disastrous to the students and budget of USD 353.

Seeliger — I support anyone’s decision to choose the school they deem to be the best for their child. However, I do not support the use of taxpayer money to fund private education. The state of Kansas has been fighting over funding for our public schools for decades. We are finally at a place where funding is satisfying court mandates. Vouchers for private and homeschool options will only gut the system. We cannot call for fiscal responsibility within our own budget and rally for better pay for teachers all while allowing tax dollars to be used to fund non-accredited schools. We need to keep public money public. We need to keep that money in our school system and use it to the best of our ability to make our public schools a place where people WANT to send their kids so they don’t feel the need to look elsewhere for education.

While vouchers are currently more of a state legislative issue, I do think it is important that our local board work closely with our state representatives and let them know how issues like this could affect our district. Board members must stay up to date on state education issues like this and act as advocates for the district, its students, parents and staff.

Grace — I need more information on the debate concerning school choice and public vouchers before I can answer this question.

Henning — I’m against School Choice and public vouchers. Allowing private schools access to taxpayer funding that would typically fund a public school system hurts the already struggling budgets of the public schools.

White — Every parent wants what is best for their student. If you think your children would do better and have a brighter future at a private school, they should go there. If you think a neighboring school district is better for your children, then by all means they should go
there. Parents should retain that right.

In regards to vouchers–emphatically no! I have worked and paid taxes in Kansas since 1966. Part of these taxes went to build a delivery system for education–the public schools. Vouchers would gut the public education budgets and give the money to those who should have the means to do it on their own if they choose to step away from the provided educational delivery system. Don’t ask me to pay for it.

Garver — I’m not opposed to school choice and open enrollment. I believe this will give students the opportunity to transfer to other districts that may offer courses and extracurricular activities that their home district does not provide. I think larger school districts will be impacted more than smaller districts. I do worry that the smaller schools may start losing good students and athletes to these larger area schools that offer more opportunities for advancement.

Public vouchers will help area private schools stay open and funded, which I believe is a good thing. The piece that we haven’t seen develop is the funding of the public voucher. In the future, vouchers may impact our special education funding and that could be detrimental to public schools as a whole.

Chambers — We should not shy away from competition. Much of our competition is for teachers leaving to get paid more in Wichita area schools. We must use it to help us improve.

Zeka — I believe parents have the right to choose where their children get their education.  If public vouchers become a reality, my concern lies with public education and those students who, even with vouchers can not afford the private school.

9 — Literacy is a problem throughout the U.S. What should USD 353 do to improve the reading comprehension of its students?

Zeka — First, let me say I think we are pushing young children, starting with kindergarten, to do things their 5-year-old brains aren’t ready for.  There is a big difference in a student turning 5 in September and one 5 in August, yet we expect them to be at a certain level no matter what. 

We label them too early.  We have begun a push to have students read books more.  Our elementary teachers have been trained in LETRS which goes along with the Science of Reading.

House — The district needs to develop a unified approach to tackling this issue.  Parents need to be encouraged to read to and with their children; students need to see adults actively participating in this activity.  There seems to be a de-emphasis on reading and reading comprehension by the district as a whole in recent years.  I remember when I used to substitute teach at the high school when there were days where time was set aside to read.  We have seemed to not keep this as a priority when it becomes inconvenient or too costly.

Seeliger — Much of our reading program is dictated by state-mandated testing, but there are so many factors that can play into test scores and skew results. We must give our teachers some leeway beyond test results. My own son speaks with a stutter and a stammer. This means his reading fluency (words read per minute) is obviously below where it should be for his age. For an entire school year, he was labeled as “at risk” due to one score, although he was flourishing in all other areas, including reading comprehension.

This meant that he was missing out on enrichment in other areas because he physically couldn’t test where he needed based on state criteria. Once his teachers were given the opportunity to bypass “what the test said” he needed, he was placed in groups and classes that allowed him to flourish. His outlook on school has changed, his test scores have improved and even his nervous stammer has improved! I know there is a fine line teachers need to walk when it comes to these policies, but I would support and help them in finding the balance between what the state says must be done and what they as educators – who spend hours a day with these kiddos – deem to be best for their students. I would also support our teachers in lobbying the state to give classroom teachers more freedom to do what they see fit for each individual student, and to change some of these outdated testing policies.

I would also like to see the district spearhead parent involvement initiatives that would strengthen the relationship between parents and teachers to help parents continue learning at home. I believe education starts at home, and while parents are their children’s first teachers, they are not trained educators. I would love to see more communication and growth in the partnership between classrooms/schools/the district, and parents as to how parents can help their children outside of school.

Grace — Literacy is another nationwide issue.  USD 353 could possibly partner with the library and volunteers to help with reading programs.   While living in Topeka, I volunteered for the “Everyone Wins” program.  Volunteers would meet with K-5 students in the library during their lunch hour.   The students and volunteers would rotate reading books to each other.  It was a volunteer program for students and adults.  It helped students learn how to read.  The books the students and library staff chose.

Henning — The district has launched a huge reading initiative this year. Even the staff is participating. If you have a chance to visit one of the schools or the Central Office, you will see the ‘What book am I reading?’ signs.

White — I am aware that our school district has adopted a reading curriculum that is research-based and emphasizes all the areas that contribute to success in reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, recognition of high-frequency words, fluency, and comprehension,
and at the elementary level, are provided with a minimum of 90 minutes of basic reading instruction and an additional 30 minutes of skills-targeted instruction.

I know that students are given initial tests to determine any deficits in specific skills, are placed in small groups to address those deficits, and are re-tested every two weeks to assess their progress and moved to the next sequential skills group, which is an excellent foundation for
improving student success. To ensure the success of the strategies, we need to provide adequate training, time for teacher collaboration, and enough support staff to keep the student-instruction ratios small.

Garver — We all want our students to read more and to understand and process what they are reading. One major thing the district is doing to improve comprehension is the encouragement of reading and checking the student’s knowledge of the material in ways other than a standardized test.

The students are encouraged to get creative on how they interpret the book, and I think that’s a great start for our kids. Our staff is leading by example and has posters outside their classrooms and offices showing what books they are reading at home. This encourages conversations between the teacher and student and may even inspire the student to check out the book to read it for themselves.

Chambers — The Board is responsible for providing the environment and the tools the teachers need to accomplish this very important goal.  Teachers are the best ones to know what we need.  Parents know when a student is struggling or needs a challenge.   We need to listen as we make decisions about funds.

We have made a huge step in returning to a phonics-rich approach.   Making sure our students have access to good books in our libraries, incentivizing summer reading programs, and, as they grow, providing extracurricular activities that demonstrate what students can do with reading.  Activities such as STEM camp, robotics, debate, creative writing camps, etc.  These are the kinds of activities that springboard our students into greater learning and greater reading comprehension.

10 — Wellington will be paying off the high school bond in 2026. Do you advocate a bond election to address some of the capital outlay needs since that bond is nearing maturation?

Chambers — I do not support raising taxes.  As to the upcoming capital outlay, I am willing to listen to the details of these needs.

Zeka — We do have a lot of needs.  I’m not sure at this time a bond issue would pass.

House — I feel that there will be a need for a new facilities-based bond issue at some point in the not-so-distant future for large projects that the yearly budgets won’t be able to address.  I don’t feel like now is the time for that, as taxes and inflation have risen.  I don’t see a bond issue passing for at least the next few years.  However, I do believe now is the time for the district to be in the planning phase so a proactive approach can be adopted before the end of the decade. Then, we can present a bond issue that will garner support from the community.

Seeliger — I feel like the responses to the recent survey regarding a potential bond for a new football stadium or improvements to our current stadium spoke volumes as to what the stakeholders in our district expect when it comes to capital outlay. The taxpayers of the district are asking for a break.

We do have a responsibility to anticipate and address capital outlay needs as they arise to avoid a deferred maintenance scenario that will cost more money down the road. But I believe a bond should be a last resort. We need to take a long look at our budget and make sure we are running as efficiently as possible before we ask our taxpayers for more.

Grace — I do advocate a bond election.  The school district needs to be supported in order to move forward.  The capital outlay needs can only be addressed with the monetary support of a bond.

Henning — I personally don’t see a way to operate the district without a bond in the future. It doesn’t have to be a bond on the scale of the High School bond, but we will need to fund some of our larger repairs and upgrades in the near future. It would be nice to fund the roof at the High School with a bond so we don’t deplete the Capital Outlay fund.

White —  You are going to have to sell that one to me. If it is for something necessary for the schools and for instruction, probably. If it is for something because some specific group wants it is probably no.

Garver — The district’s facilities need to be addressed, and a bond issue is the quickest way to get a lot of things done. If the district can accomplish our goals through a bond and not raise our taxes, that, of course, would be ideal.

11 — What is Wellington’s No. 1 priority as a school district?

Garver — I believe the top priority of our school district is preserving public education. Public education is essential to our democracy. We have to make sure our students are learning the core content knowledge, citizenship, and the necessary skills to be successful adults and members of society. To quote Dan Rather:

“Public education should be one of inclusion for America’s diverse population. It should be a place where children of different backgrounds come together to learn both from teachers and from each other. Our schools should be places that allow students to wrestle with what it means to be part of this great country, including understanding America’s uneven and often bloody road to greater equality.”

Chambers — To educate our young people and prepare them for a productive and prosperous life.

Zeka — The number 1 priority should be to ensure our students and parents that they will get a quality education and be safe.

House — The number one priority should and always be the success and well-being of its students.  The schools should be a safe and welcoming place of all students.  The morale of the teachers needs to be addressed and ways need to be found to increase it.  There needs to be a top-down approach to make sure everything can be done to increase reading and math comprehension.  I am a firm believer that when the schools and districts are successful, this spreads to the community as a whole.  The district has the potential to be the crown jewel of this community.

Seeliger  — The number one priority of USD 353 should always be to best prepare our future leaders for life after K-12 learning. Whether they are going to a 4-year school, junior college, trade school or going directly into the workforce, the goal of our district should be to provide each student who walks our halls with the foundation they need to be the best and brightest they can be after graduation. We can do that by providing our students with a safe and supportive learning environment, with well-trained staff, solid curriculum, up-to-date technology, and the classroom resources they need to learn in their own individual way.

To get there, the board needs to prioritize budget efficiency. We need to make sure the district spends money as wisely as possible to fund our classrooms as best we can, including paying a competitive wage to attract the best teachers to our district.

We need to prioritize transparency throughout the district. The lack of communication within our district is causing major distrust between our parents and schools. We need to mend that relationship so that parents and teachers can work together as a team to educate our kiddos better.

Grace — Student learning and education level.  A great education from the Wellington school district is the highest priority for the district.

Henning — Educating children.

White — The number one priority for Wellington Public Schools should be school performance and preparing students to be lifelong learners and productive members of the workforce and their communities. Test scores need to go up. More graduating students should go
on to post-secondary education, whether that education is at college, vocational, or technical schools.

Our partnership with Cowley College, allowing students to begin that post-secondary education simultaneously with their high school education, has been a big bonus to our school district.

12 — Do you have anything else to add?

White — School-age children are approximately 20 percent of the population. They are 100 percent of this country’s future. What the public school system gives all students is an even chance to succeed, an even chance to pursue their goals and their dreams.

There is a quote from Chief Joseph, the last great chief of the Nez Perce Nation:

“An honorable man will ask for no more than an even chance at life. No honorable man would give less.”

Garver — I am happy with the changes and improvements that were made over the last four years on the board. There’s a lot of work to be done, and I hope to continue serving the district. We must do what is best for all of our students.

Chambers — I will listen, and I will represent you.  You may reach me at Chambersforwellington@proton.me.

Zeka — I believe USD #353 needs to move forward with integrity and work on the perception others have of us.  We are a great place.  I’m proud to be a Crusader and I want all students to feel the same when leaving #353.

House — I feel that I can bring my unique perspective to the board and do good things.  I feel like I have sat on the sidelines for long enough, and it is time to see what we can do for the betterment of our students, teachers, taxpayers, and citizens. I humbly ask for the privilege of your vote on November 7th. I guarantee you that no one will research or prepare more that I will. It is time for this district to reach its full potential, and I am excited at the chance to serve on the board of USD 353.

Seeliger — I don’t have all the answers, but I do have the determination to find them. With my background in journalism, I know how to ask questions and get to the facts. I pride myself on being a creative problem solver. I think if we work together as a community we can achieve great things.

But we have to be open to new ideas and work with those that we might not always see eye to eye with. I am committed to do just that for the betterment of USD 353. I believe our public school system is the foundation of our community. We are shaping our leaders of tomorrow so that they can someday take over and lead us into bigger and brighter things.

Grace — (No answer).

Henning — Good luck to all my fellow candidates.

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