by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — The following is the third of three Wellington School Board forums Sumner Newscow will be featuring for Tuesday’s election. Advanced voting in person at the Sumner County courthouse will go through Monday at noon. Polls open at 7 a.m. and end at 7 p.m. at the Raymond Frye Complex.

This year’s District 3 contest is a battle between Jason Newberry and write-in candidate Brad Ledbetter. Letbetter has elected not to participate in the Sumner Newscow questionnaire stating he wants to focus his campaign on social media.

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1- Sumner Newscow: Please provide a background of yourself, where you grew up, where you went to school, when you went to college, what is your career, and any biographical information you find pertinent to why you are running for elected office.

Newberry: I was born and raised in Wellington, graduated from WHS, and then attended Cowley County Community College for my Associates Degree. I have worked for the City of Wellington in various capacities for nearly 25 years. I obtained my Bachelor’s in Administration, and in the Summer of 2016 I finished up my Masters in Public Administration from Wichita State University. Currently, I am serving as the Assistant City Manager for Utilities and Information Technology. I have also had the pleasure of serving on the 353 School Board for the last eight years.

2. Sumner Newscow: What is the main reason why you are running for the USD 353 school board?

Newberry: There are actually two reasons that I am running again for 353 School Board. It is hard to believe, but one of those reasons is graduating this year with her eyes set on Veterinary Medicine. I also have a son heading into high school next year. I think it is important for us as parents to take a proactive role to make sure our kids are getting everything they need to succeed.

3. Sumner Newscow: Are you happy with the current form of the curriculum being taught in the school district?

Newberry: Overall I would say yes. There is generally a group of teachers that take the time to research and evaluate the options, many times the vendor will even let us try it for a short period to see if it meets our needs. That recommendation/comparison is then brought to the board for approval. We have gone through some changes over the years, but it is always clear that the staff always does their best to evaluate the curriculum to meet the varied needs of our many students.

4. Sumner Newscow: With the shortage of teacher candidates out there and Wellington’s notoriously low pay for starting teachers, what is your view on expanding the job search to include non-certified teacher jobs?

Newberry: The employment issue is affecting all of us. I have served on the negotiating team for the board for several years and we have tried to get our district’s pay caught up with similar-sized districts in the area. As you can imagine that turns out to be a little bit of a moving target, but overall we have definitely made some big improvements. The district has had to get creative to fill some of the difficult positions in the past and I’m sure will have to do the same as we move forward.

5. Sumner Newscow: Cowley College – Sumner Campus is becoming a more complete institution. Is USD 353 maximizing its relationship with the college to the east? If not what would you expand?

Newberry: I think it is a work in progress. I have first-hand experience in our household of how this partnership has worked. Scheduling does become an issue at times, but the 353 staff does a great job of working with the students to see if they can make it work. I think it presents a great opportunity for the kids of the area, but I am interested to see how Cowley grows the program in the coming years.

6. Sumner Newscow: State assessment scores took a dip after rising a bit for the Wellington schools? Why do you think that is? Is this of concern to you?

Newberry: I think we are all still feeling the effects of the last two years. I think you are seeing similar results across the nation. I think getting back into the classroom is key. I know from our household and from talking to other parents the kids missed the social interactions of the school day. I think the district has a great staff that is constantly finding new ways to challenge our kids.

7. Sumner Newscow: Do you feel like the Wellington school district prepares you for higher learning education opportunities?

Newberry: Yes, I’m counting on it, like I said my daughter is looking to be off to college next year. One thing that has stuck with me is that soon after I was first elected to the School Board I was stopped by a prominent local businessman after a Rotary meeting. He went on to tell me that his student breezed through WHS with honors, but struggled in the first year of college and even stated that he would rather his student would have had straight “C’s”, challenged, and prepared for the next step.

8. Sumner Newscow: Are you in favor of allowing an outside utility management company to dictate energy policy for the school?

Newberry: I’m all about saving taxpayer money. I personally think there are several things that can be done without throwing more money at the problem. Those of you who watched or attended the last school board meeting heard a couple of us commenting about how cold it was in the all-purpose room at Kennedy. I have seen kids at the High School wearing jackets or hoodies during the summer because it is so cold in the school. Simple things like properly setting thermostats would make a huge difference.

9. Sumner Newscow: Do you see any projects (i.e. construction, technology, transportation etc.)  ahead for the USD 353 that could prove costly?

Newberry: The restructuring conversation that is being had with the community right now is huge. I will use this opportunity to encourage the community to weigh in on this process, please these are big decisions. Pending what direction we go with the restructuring there will more than likely be some potential building changes and transportation decisions that will need to be addressed. We also have other projects on the table like locker rooms, track restrooms, and the membrane on the HS roof just to name a few.

10. Sumner Newscow: Do you believe education should continue to move more digitally and online? Or should we maintain a more traditional approach to education?

Newberry: Traditional approach? I would not call our current approach traditional. We started moving toward a one-to-one approach with Chromebooks several years ago. I know that several of our elementary classes build Piper computers while encouraging other “STEAM” activities. The CTE classes available to our High School students today are great and the partnership with Cowley will only add to that. We all know that technology is changing faster today than ever before and we have to prepare our kids for what is ahead. The E-gaming presentation at the last meeting was a great example of the district evaluating different techniques we may need to implement to reach our kids and present new opportunities.

11. Sumner Newscow: Do you have anything else to add?

Newberry: Go vote! And good luck to all the candidates.

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