Survey and Interview Responses

Why are you running for this office?

I love serving our community and supporting the growth of West Ada. Over the past four years, I have worked to represent traditional conservative Idaho values, putting kids first and giving families the choice to guide their students’ success. I want to help our record-breaking test scores continue to climb, expand Career and Technical Education (CTE), and continue to shape policies that reflect our community’s values. I value the opportunity to speak for our community and make a lasting impact.

What are your qualifications?

I have over four years of experience serving West Ada, including 3½ years as board chair, where I have led the board in setting district priorities, managing multimillion-dollar budgets, and ensuring fiscal responsibility. I serve on the Finance and Facilities, Strategic Plan, and Legislative Committees, where I help shape policies that improve student achievement, expand Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, and reflect our community’s conservative values. I have a proven record of putting kids first, giving families a voice in their students’ success, and guiding the district toward continued academic excellence.

If elected, what are your goals?

I plan to continue serving our community by promoting academic excellence and supporting the growth of West Ada. My goals include helping our record-breaking test scores continue to climb, expanding Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, and continuing to shape policies that reflect our community’s values. I am committed to putting kids first, ensuring families have a voice in their students’ success, and representing traditional conservative Idaho values in all board decisions. Above all, I want to maintain strong communication with our community and make a lasting, positive impact on students, families, and the district.

What experience do you have serving on boards, commissions, non-profits, etc. where you have been of service to others?

I have served the community in many roles, including assisting the Salvation Army, organizing donations for “Backpack for Kids” and our Community Schools, and serving as a Girls on the Run team leader. I have been on the Rocky Mountain Football Board, Owyhee Football Booster Board (two years as president), and the Education Foundation Board, and volunteered as a Cub Scouts leader and church youth and adult leader. I have also served as Chapter President for March of Dimes, Toastmasters Club President, and assisted in organizing Red Cross blood drives. Additionally, I organized a charity half marathon benefiting blind runners in the Boston Marathon and ran alongside them.

Do you consider yourself fiscally conservative?

I consider myself fiscally conservative, having overseen a $500 million budget and lowered the school tax rate from $247 per $100,000 in 2021 to just $1.50 per $100,000 in 2026, saving families money while improving student outcomes. Under my leadership, reading proficiency scores reached an all-time high of 81%, and I have expanded Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs while increasing CTE graduation rates. My focus is on maximizing resources to deliver strong academic results and prepare students for success after high school.

Do you consider yourself socially conservative?

I am a social conservative, committed to upholding traditional community and family values in our schools. I’ve helped write WASD book, cell phone and display policies and support the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act. I prioritize putting children first and ensuring district policies reflect the standards and expectations of the families we serve.

What are the biggest challenges the West Ada schools face and how will you address them?

Communication with parents is currently a big challenge as there is so much information to share. Also continuing to make sure we offer all the academic options to parents and for our students like CTE opportunities and STEM schools. We also want teachers to know it’s not their job to parent the children. Social values should be taught at home and the school’s job is simply to educate the children.

What is the percentage of the budget dedicated to administrative costs versus classroom costs? Do you want to change this allocation?

85% ($500 million) of our $570M budget goes to salaries, so that leaves about $70 million for the rest of our needs. The $70 million covers transportation, curriculum, lunches, building maintenance, etc. I don’t see a need to change the current allocation.

How will you advocate for all students along the spectrum from special needs to those who are from marginalized communities to those who are gifted and highly capable? Do you agree with breaking up the gifted program?

The Gifted and Talented program, which is state mandated, makes the classroom more interesting and engaging. Beyond also serving a range of Special Need students in various programs, we have nine Title 1 schools, of which five are community schools that provide marginalized students’ the support needed to help them thrive in school.

What are your feelings regarding West Ada’s new sign policy for the classroom?

Our new sign policy went very well and we only lost two teachers during the roll out.

Is there a challenge to supporting and retaining quality teachers in the district?

No, we have actually seen high application numbers for teachers wanting to teach in West Ada.

How would you handle situations where there are concerns about teacher performance or behavior?

We do not run into this issue a lot. As board members, our only employee is the Superintendent of the West Ada Schools and it is his job to address those issues which I am happy to say, he handles very well. If the superintendent was struggling or handled issues poorly, then the School trustees would get involved and assist.

What are your thoughts on the educational aptitude of students? How will the federal change to standards affect Idaho’s steps to improve the standard of excellence in students?

West Ada has a higher credit requirement than federal and state requirements – about 10 credits higher for high school graduates. West Ada is leading the state in English with 3rd grade reading now at 82% having risen from 72%. Of course, we want to see that number continue to rise. Next, we plan on transferring the reading practice successes and techniques to our math and science teaching to see improvement in those areas. Our math scores are at 58% and, while we have room for improvement, they match scores in like districts within the state and are some of the highest in the country.

What is the district’s stance on balancing technology integration with active teaching methods? Are there specific parameters or objectives in place to limit student screen time?

The amount of time spent in any classroom varies quite a bit depending on grade and subject matter. They are meant to be a learning aid not the teacher.

How do you plan to ensure transparency in school board decisions and budgeting?

Our primary challenge lies in communication. To address this, we are currently in the process of hiring a dedicated communications director. We believe this new role will significantly enhance transparency and allow us to share information with parents more effectively.