VIDEO: School Board Candidates Present a Positive Face

Dean Strom and Jim Schaefer are two of the three candidates vying for the two open seats on the school board, and are also currently serving as treasurer and president, respectively. The third candidate, David Kleist, was not able to attend the forum.

Rather than a debate, both Strom and Schaefer often agreed on questions posed by the audience, many of which showed the concern over what the governor's budget will mean to Muskego-Norway schools. 

However, where details were requested there were none given, as the school board is not meeting until Monday, where the specifics of budgetary impacts will be discussed.  

"We will be looking at moving forward carefully and cautiously," Schaefer said, citing the need to continue quality curriculum while cutting costs.

Strom agreed, calling the immediate future "a balancing act.  We have to look out for taxpayers as we are stewards for the taxpayers, while giving our students what they need to survive."

Both also felt that the choice between staff reductions or reductions to staff benefits would need to be made, but fell on the side of cutting benefits rather than teachers.  Schaefer also said that staff may be reduced through retirements.

A question was also posed regarding whether non-core programs would be considered for cuts should budgets be pushed to the limit.  Strom stated that the he was a "big fan of the arts - it has its place in school, and athletics bring value to the community, however we are going to have to get creative."

Schaefer felt that "the learn-grow-succeed motto includes the arts and athletics."  He also said that he did not feel that it would come to cutting extra-curricular programs, and other districts that have stated as much are engaging in 'scare tactics.'

Each felt their experience on the board was essential to continuing what has already been achieved, with Schaefer citing Muskego High School's placement in the top six percent of high schools in the country and Strom pointing to a region-leading 97.7 percent graduation rate.

Strom remained optimistic about the budgetary challenges, saying "we may come out of this bruised, but perhaps doing things better than we have before."