Ames School Board Candidate Profiles

 have filed to run for five seats on the . AmesPatch asked each candidate to answer the same questions and their answers will be posted on AmesPatch each day leading up to the Sept. 13 election.

Incumbents, , Francis Todey and Dan Woodin and newcomers , and filed to run for the district's four, four-year terms.

Name as it appears on the ballot: Francis Todey

Age: 60

Family: Wife, Marianne; children, Erin, 24; Anne, 21; Stephen, 18; and Brian 12.

Occupation: Licensed professional engineer. I have worked as a transportation engineer at the Iowa Department of Transportation for the last 15 years.

Education: B. S., Civil Engineering, Iowa State University, Master of Science, Transportation Engineering, Iowa State University.

Previous Elected Experience: I am currently finishing my fifth year on the Ames School Board and was first elected to the Board in 2006.

Why are you running?

In my five years as a board member, the District has had to address challenges such as a shortage of elementary school space, tight budgets, and the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. These challenges have resulted in the Board working to take a more system wide approach to dealing with these issues. We have started to approach these issues from a long term perspective. I am running because I feel the development of long term goals and direction are needed to help us assure that the needs of all students will be met in the future.

What issues are most important to you?

Continue to improve achievement of all students. - Our most important responsibility is to make sure all students are given the opportunity to receive an education. Whether they are students who are high achievers, students who need extra assistance, or somewhere between, all students need to be given the chance to succeed. They need to become productive and informed citizens, so they can contribute to society.

Develop a long range vision and goals. – We all want to see Ames maintain its reputation as a very good school system. Ames is changing, so the District has to adapt to maintain the quality of education expected by the community. We need to develop a vision for the future and set goals that will help us move toward that vision. That will help us maintain growth and improvement in the school system.

Continue development and implementation of a long range facilities plan. – While teachers are the most important element of the education system, poor facilities can be a detriment to the system. For example, limited classroom space or inadequate heating or lighting can detract from a teacher’s efforts. The District needs to continue to invest in facilities, to assure they are adequate to meet needs now and in the future.

It has been said that the cost of construction inflation has not been accounted for in the current $65 million bond project for six elementary schools. If it's approved, how will you ensure that all projects are completed and that buildings are built to last?

The cost estimates that we have from the architect are good preliminary cost estimates. If the bond issue is approved, the Board will need to develop final designs for each building. In that final design phase we will need to look very carefully at building costs, and develop a building design that is consistent with our building needs and available funds. If somewhere in the design and construction process there are cost increases, the one cent sales tax funds will be available to cover those costs. The Board has consciously chosen to not commit all the sales tax funds to construction, knowing there may be other needs that would arise. These other needs could be a new indoor swimming pool, major repair to another building, or construction cost inflation. We have chosen to maintain a reserve of sales tax funds in order to meet unexpected facility needs, whatever they may be.

How much of SILO (School Infrastructure Local Option Sales Tax) funds are you willing to contribute to the current elementary school project before the voters?

To properly manage the bond costs, the Board has committed to using a portion of sales tax funds to help pay off bonds. As noted above, we are also trying to keep some reserve funds, so we are in a position to meet other facilities needs. From our discussions with Piper Jaffray, it appears the Board can commit somewhere between $1 and $1.5 million per year toward paying off bonds, and still maintain a sound sales tax reserve. The Board will need to manage the use of sales tax funds properly to balance the amount of reserve funds and the tax levy rate for bond payments. The goal will be to keep taxes as low as possible, while meeting other facilities needs.

If voters do not approve the bond issue what will you do to address the needs of school facilities?

If the bond issue is not approved, the Board will need to continue the discussion with the community about elementary facility needs. The need for space and improved facilities will still exist. Currently, the greatest demand for space is in the area of Ames North and East of Squaw Creek. The Board will need to determine what changes in the facilities plan will increase community support. This needs to be done in the form of ongoing discussion and information gathering/sharing. It is important the community understands the positive and negative aspects of all parts of any plan. Since the School District must pay for special elections held between normal School Board elections, it is important that community support for any proposed referendum be strong. In the end, we need to find a way to upgrade the elementary schools and add much needed space to the system.  

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