Enfield Candidate Profile: Chris Rutledge, Board of Education

ENFIELD, CT — Enfield's election season is heating up, and there are plenty of contested races with candidates eager to represent their town in November's municipal election. Enfield Patch asked candidates in the town council and Board of Education races to answer questions about their campaigns, and has been publishing candidate profiles each weekday as election day draws near.

Chris Rutledge is running for re-election to the Enfield Board of Education as a member of the Republican party.

Name: Christopher Rutledge

Age: unanswered

Position Sought: Board of Education

Party Affiliation: Republican

Family: Wife and 3 Golden Retriever Fur-Babies

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government: My mother is a pharmacist for the Veterans Administration

Education: BS in Healthcare Management

Occupation: Data Analyst and Project Manager (15 years)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: Enfield Board of Education

The single most pressing issue facing our town is: Too often, people use their voice to spread falsehoods or half-truths for political purposes. For example, there are some who criticize our schools and how we spend money when in reality we have spent conservatively and budgeted responsibly while complying with State Minimum Budget Requirements. To address this issue, we will continue to diligently keep the public informed about what is actually happening and how we keep moving this town in the right direction while faced with the harsh reality of pool financial management from our State leaders.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post: Everyone brings a unique set of skills, outlooks and experiences to the table and we value this diversity. Working together despite our differences makes us stronger and yields better results.

List other issues that define your campaign platform: First, safety, infrastructure and educational initiatives while staring down looming budget and finance issues from the State are issues we will continue to address. The State budget is causing stress on the Enfield BOE budget. Unfortunately, our Democrat Legislators in Hartford have misused resources, failed to curtail irresponsible spending and have over-relied on taxation. We've seen the results - their plan doesn't work. Simply raising taxes without addressing spending issues is short-sighted. We have worked diligently to keep our school budget reasonable and we need to see the same from the State. In Enfield, under Republican leadership, we have been able to balance the needs of our town and its school system with the concerns of taxpayers in a fiscally responsible manner. Through hard work, dedication and financial responsibility, Republican leadership has been able to negotiate fair contracts with our hard-working teachers, merge the high schools on time and under budget and implement a 21st century STEAM curriculum incorporating the arts with science and technology. And with moving Head Start to Stowe and opening the Eagle Academy, all our students have equal access to an incredible education, and we are able to provide more and better services for our students here instead of relying on other out-of-district facilities. Now, we have to make sure the JFK Renovation project goes well so our students will have a state-of-the-art middle school. We've done this all while building a reserve fund. When elected, I will use my experience to help keep Enfield moving forward. As for other priorities, I would like to see our students continue to get outside of classroom learning opportunities by building on partnerships with Asnuntuck and other entities. I would also like to see communications become more of a curriculum focus as we teach our students how to engage verbally with one another in a world becoming more and more dominated by technology.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job: For 15 years, I have worked in the field of analysis and project management. I've analyzed cost structures of departments and programs. I have experience with budgets and I'm confident I can help with cost-efficiencies, which could maintain and improve the quality of our educational system in concert with being mindful of the needs of town's taxpayers. Also, over the last two years on the Board of Education, I have gained a much better understanding of our schools and the opportunities they offer. Serving on the Finance and Policy Committees, we have worked hard to maintain responsible budgeting and to keep our policies in line with State and Federal regulations. If re-elected, I plan on using this experience to keep moving our school system in the right direction.

The best advice ever shared with me was: Never let negative influences take up too much real estate in your head.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions: Enfield is my home and I only want what is best for the town and its residents. When looking at the issues we face, I will always take a rational, data-based approach to forming opinions and making decisions. It's this approach that helps me to remain objective and also focused on doing what is right for Enfield.