At the polls: MSAD 71 School Board (June 6, 2008)
Maureen King
Candidate’s Statement:
“I am running for re-election to the School Board because I believe that society’s most important job is to educate our young people. They are the future. The success of our society will depend on how well we prepare them to be problem solvers, communicators, and responsible contributing citizens.
“I have served on the MSAD 71 Board since 1999. I have been a member of the board’s finance, human resources, policy, curriculum, and facilities committees and have also served on various district committees including Design Team, NEASC committees for Consolidated and KHS, Emergency Operations Team, Drug Task Force, and administrative search committees.
“In addition, I have been a member of the Maine School Boards Association Board of Directors since 2006. I have been appointed to represent MSBA on the Department of Education’s 21st Century Advisory Council.
“During my terms on the board, the district has instituted several important programs and initiatives: International Baccalaureate, Maine Readiness, substance abuse education and prevention, and bullying prevention are the first that come to mind. I think our communities need to continue to work on school climate issues, including our code of conduct, respect for others, and ethics. I believe we can continue to provide improved opportunities for our students while being as cost-efficient as possible for our taxpayers, as we have for the past four years by keeping our budget increases to less than 3 percent annually while improving our services to students.
“State education laws are wreaking havoc on budgets in our communities through cost shifting, increasing state mandates and DOE’s constant tinkering with the Essential Programs and Services allocations. The state has failed to uphold the citizens’ mandate of funding 55 percent of education costs and state consolidation laws are forcing communities to spend time and local money to join other districts with no cost savings, and in our case, cost increases. We must continue to monitor these issues and provide our local legislators with feedback and suggestions for improvement.
“I am married and have two children who attend MSAD 71 schools.
“I was born and brought up in New Hampshire, earned a BA in History and American Studies from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Va., and moved to Kennebunkport in 1981. My husband and I purchased our home in 1985. My work experience, before becoming a full time mom, was in retail management and restaurant management. I was appointed to and served 10 years on Kennebunkport’s growth planning committee; I chaired the committee for six of those years.”
John Sharrod
Candidate’s statement:
“Personalized, high quality education is the key to our children’s and our town’s future. Efficient, economical education is critical to our taxpayer’s present needs. The biggest challenge facing the district in the next three years will be growing this quality of education, while using the new State rules to restore financial fairness to our district. We need to deliver both and we can! I have the financial skills and knowledge of school finance rules to help navigate these difficult times.
“I have invested hundreds of hours working on the MSAD71 Board of Directors and the new Regional School Planning Board because I know how important it is for our youth to be prepared to compete with the global economy and for them to be able to afford to continue to live here!
“I am committed to continue the concept of personalizing our kids’ education, so that each gets the type of learning experience that helps them grow best. Our elementary schools now rank in the top 4 percent of all schools in the state. Our middle and high school rank in the top 15 percent statewide and rising. We’ve done this while keeping district-spending increases below the level of inflation and state averages.
“The recent unacceptable increase in taxes has been caused mainly by the Legislature’s changes. It is not fair that Kennebunk now pays twice the mill rate (on state values) that Port pays for the same education. It puts both towns’ quality of education at risk. We must address this in the next three years in a mutually cooperative way with both towns’ active participation.
“I am a write in candidate for the three year board seat. Please remember to both write in my name and fill in the oval in the three-year seat section.”
Norman Archer
Archer could not be reached by telephone. Kennebunkport Town Clerk April Dufoe did not have a phone number on record and a phone number provided by King was disconnected.
Candidate’s Statement:
“I am running for re-election to the School Board because I believe that society’s most important job is to educate our young people. They are the future. The success of our society will depend on how well we prepare them to be problem solvers, communicators, and responsible contributing citizens.
“I have served on the MSAD 71 Board since 1999. I have been a member of the board’s finance, human resources, policy, curriculum, and facilities committees and have also served on various district committees including Design Team, NEASC committees for Consolidated and KHS, Emergency Operations Team, Drug Task Force, and administrative search committees.
“In addition, I have been a member of the Maine School Boards Association Board of Directors since 2006. I have been appointed to represent MSBA on the Department of Education’s 21st Century Advisory Council.
“During my terms on the board, the district has instituted several important programs and initiatives: International Baccalaureate, Maine Readiness, substance abuse education and prevention, and bullying prevention are the first that come to mind. I think our communities need to continue to work on school climate issues, including our code of conduct, respect for others, and ethics. I believe we can continue to provide improved opportunities for our students while being as cost-efficient as possible for our taxpayers, as we have for the past four years by keeping our budget increases to less than 3 percent annually while improving our services to students.
“State education laws are wreaking havoc on budgets in our communities through cost shifting, increasing state mandates and DOE’s constant tinkering with the Essential Programs and Services allocations. The state has failed to uphold the citizens’ mandate of funding 55 percent of education costs and state consolidation laws are forcing communities to spend time and local money to join other districts with no cost savings, and in our case, cost increases. We must continue to monitor these issues and provide our local legislators with feedback and suggestions for improvement.
“I am married and have two children who attend MSAD 71 schools.
“I was born and brought up in New Hampshire, earned a BA in History and American Studies from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Va., and moved to Kennebunkport in 1981. My husband and I purchased our home in 1985. My work experience, before becoming a full time mom, was in retail management and restaurant management. I was appointed to and served 10 years on Kennebunkport’s growth planning committee; I chaired the committee for six of those years.”
John Sharrod
Candidate’s statement:
“Personalized, high quality education is the key to our children’s and our town’s future. Efficient, economical education is critical to our taxpayer’s present needs. The biggest challenge facing the district in the next three years will be growing this quality of education, while using the new State rules to restore financial fairness to our district. We need to deliver both and we can! I have the financial skills and knowledge of school finance rules to help navigate these difficult times.
“I have invested hundreds of hours working on the MSAD71 Board of Directors and the new Regional School Planning Board because I know how important it is for our youth to be prepared to compete with the global economy and for them to be able to afford to continue to live here!
“I am committed to continue the concept of personalizing our kids’ education, so that each gets the type of learning experience that helps them grow best. Our elementary schools now rank in the top 4 percent of all schools in the state. Our middle and high school rank in the top 15 percent statewide and rising. We’ve done this while keeping district-spending increases below the level of inflation and state averages.
“The recent unacceptable increase in taxes has been caused mainly by the Legislature’s changes. It is not fair that Kennebunk now pays twice the mill rate (on state values) that Port pays for the same education. It puts both towns’ quality of education at risk. We must address this in the next three years in a mutually cooperative way with both towns’ active participation.
“I am a write in candidate for the three year board seat. Please remember to both write in my name and fill in the oval in the three-year seat section.”
Norman Archer
Archer could not be reached by telephone. Kennebunkport Town Clerk April Dufoe did not have a phone number on record and a phone number provided by King was disconnected.
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