Area School Board Candidate Questionaire

Published Sunday, May 4, 2008

By Staff

We asked each candidate in contested races for school board the following questions in addition to brief biographical information:

1. Rank the following issues by importance and emphasis: academics, athletics, band and fine arts, facilities, technology, transportation, vocational programs

2. Rank the following groups as a resource for information in making decisions: administration, parents and teachers, taxpayers, fellow school board members.

3. What is your primary reason for seeking a place on the school board? Continue the direction and policies of the district, change the direction and policies of the district, lower the tax rate

Candidates were asked to keep their answers to 50 words or less to explain their rankings and position on the issue.

Alvord
Tracey Lodes

Position Sought: Alvord School Board Place 6
Education: TCJC
Occupation: Wife and mom; volunteer at Nell's Nook; photographer at Wise County Sheriff's Posse playdays
Family: Husband and daughter (in elementary school)

1. Academics, technology, vocational programs, transportation and facilities. The rest is hard to rank because fine arts, band and athletics are part of what make our children the unique people they are. Each one of these play an important role in our children's lives so that they may go on to be successful adults.

2. The best resource for information is the community which is made up of parents, teachers, taxpayers, administration and school board members. Afterall, we all have our children's best interest at heart!

3. Continue the direction we are headed and evaluate the policies to ensure fairness and equality to each individual.

Boyd
Pam Galloway

Position sought: Boyd ISD School Board Place 2
Occupation: Recently retired educator of 30 years
Education: I attended 12 years of school at Boyd, graduating in 1973. I then attended Tarleton State University, graduating in 1977.
Family: I have three children, ages 18, 17 and 13, who attend Boyd ISD.

1. Academics would have to be ranked first, because all students need a good core education. Following the core education, I think you would have to equally place athletics, the arts and vocational programs. These are the programs that help students build character and develop into responsible, productive adults. Facilities, transportation and technology would round out the list. (exceeded word limit)

2) I do not believe that you can place one group ahead of the other. It takes all of these groups to collectively provide information on which the board must act. One group that was left out of this list is the students. I believe that our students provide us with information that assists in making decisions as well. (exceeded word limit)

3) It has been my quest to assist in moving BISD forward. I believe that our board has worked together to see that the students, parents, taxpayers and employees of this district will all benefit. We want our district to be the best it can be. I further believe that as board members, we have to make our decisions to benefit all of our 1,067 students.