The Independent-News, Volume 117, Number 49, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 30 April 1992 — Page 5

Meet The Candidates For Tuesday’s J.G.S.C.

JOHNSON TWP. SHIRLEY ANDERSON (Johnson Township) I am Shirley Anderson from Johnson Township, LaPorte County, and a candidate for the John Glenn School Corporation School Board. 1 was bom in Barron, Wisconsin, moving to Walkerton when Kingsbury Ordinance Plant was opened. I am married to Dean Anderson and will celebrate our 39th wedding anniversary in June of this year. We have two sons, both of whom are married, two grandchildren and one more on the way. I graduated from Walkerton High School in 1952, and have attended numerous work shops related to various aspects of my former employment. lam a member of the Walkerton United Methodist Church, Order of Eastern Star 319, Indiana Farm Bureau, and a past member of the Bendix Professional Women’s Gub and the Bendix Women's Golf League. lam currently a homemaker and bookkeeper for our farm operation. My past experience includes working for Farm Credit Services in LaPorte for 13 years as an Office Assistant, an Executive Secretary at the Bendix Energy Controls Division in South Bend for 8 years, at the Studebaker Corp, for 4 years, and as Secretary to the Auditor of Sears, Roebuck & Co. I also served as Johnson Twp. Gerk and Assessor for 8 years. My experience has included preparing township budgets and reports, financial statements, cash flows, preparing confidential reports, and handling personnel records, etc. I feel my experience would be of value in coping with the problems faced by the school corporations and school boards of today. I am opposed to the current proposed option for a new middle school. There are many other concerns which need to be addressed, such as new programs in the schools. A new building is nice to have, but a building does not teach our children. Teachers and programs are the basis for better education, not buildings. Let’s make use of the facilities and space available, and put our money in what is really important, our children's education. MICHAEL D. DAUBE (Johnson Township) Michael D. Daube, age 35, married, wife Denise; two children, Julie, age 11, and Derek, age 8. Graduated from John Glenn High School in 1974; Purdue University, 1977, B.S. economics. Self employed, farming. Also substitute teacher, John Glenn School Corporation; wrestling coach, Urey Middle School, 3 years; assistant high school wrestling coach, 1 year. Member Tracy United Methodist Church, Administrative Board chairman. Also chairman of the Kankakee River Basin Commission. 1 did not make the decision to run for the Board easily. There are many reasons, some of them selfish, not to. I respect my opponents, and all the candidates for that matter, for the willingness to get involved and commit hours of time to an often time thankless job. And I enjoy my part-time job, working with kids both in the classroom and on the wrestling mat. The next board will be faced with many tough decisions, a very uncertain signal from Indianapolis in regard to funding for education, and the proposed building project. While this subject has certainly generated lots of press and emotional outbursts, in my opinion, it is not the top priority of the school system, and should not be the only reason to run for the board. You see, school will be in session, for all students, if a building is built, or if it isn’t. Our job is to

provide the best education opportunity possible, and encourage all parents and students to take advantage of it. I have not taken “a side” in this issue, mainly because both sides have offered many good reasons for each to feel the way they do. To summarize my thoughts, as they have been many, seems inadequate, but here goes. I know first hand that a need exists at the Middle School. A definite need. But I also recognize the public's right to say no, if they truly feel the costs outweight the benefits. So if the overwhelming public response is negative, I would propose we start over, and try to develop new long range plans that will work to the communities satisfaction. In the meantime, I would rather list the priorities I feel are more important to the success of education at John Glenn School Corporation: 1. Discipline 2. Staff 3. Gass size 4. Maintain harmony between communities It's very simple. If you have strong discipline, an excellent staff and keep class sizes down, I believe in local elementary school, but not the alienation of the Walkerton and North Liberty communities. If we try to fan those old flames, or use old rivalries to try to influence cor-poration-wide decisions. God help us! We absolutely must dedicate ourselves to be one corporation, doing our best for what’s really important, all of our kids. JEAN ANN BEEM (Johnson Township) 1 am a lifetime member of this community. Last May I graduated from Ancilla College and am presently a senior at Indiana University at South Bend, majoring in elementary education. This, along with my participation on the school board, gives me access to current information in the education field. My husband Norman and 1 have been married 26 years and have four children, Steven, Christine Keller, Julie and Daniel. The three oldest children are out of high school, two of them presently attending college, and the youngest, Danny, is an eighth grader at Urey Middle School. Having served eight years on the school board, 1 have been involved in the new middle school project from the beginning. The decision to build was actually made in 1988, concurrent with the decision to only add seven rooms to Walkerton Elementary because the sixth grade would be moved out when the new middle school was constructed. Good fiscal planning has put this corporation in a position where the inadequate facility of Urey Middle School can be updated while only adding pennies to the taxpayers share of the debt service fund. The present middle school is inadequate. The additional cost in taxes to the individual taxpayer to build this new facility is pennies. Will there ever be a better opportunity to progress at such a small cost? Not likely. So, lam in support of this project. That’s no secret. It would be advantageous, though, if voters would make the effort to find out the real facts, for themselves, and make an informed decision. The building project, though, is not the only issue which voters should consider. The people they elect will serve for four years. In that time, there are many things which need to be done. There is stability in the central office now, and work needs to be done on the policy manual, long term goals for the corporation, the curriculum should be reviewed and the programs offered need to be looked at and reviewed. A position on the Board of Trustees should not be decided on one issue. Be sure to look at the candidates carefully. The decision you make will be with

you for four years. If a candidate is opposed to the building project, be sure to find out what their alternative solution to the crowding problems at Walkerton Elementary and Urey is. It’s easy to say I don’t want something. But, what do they propose as a solution. Find out. These people will be with you for four years. LIBERTY TWP. THOMAS L. MCCORMICK (liberty Township) I’m a life long resident of Liberty Township, a graduate of North Liberty High School and the South Bend Carpenter’s Apprenticeship Program. My family consists of: a wife, Tish; 2 sons, Tom, a graduate of John Glenn; Tim, who is a senior; and a daughter, Jennifer, who is a junior. I also have three step-sons, Bill, Jeff and Aaron West, all graduates of John Glenn High School. I own and live on a 272 acre farm just east of North Liberty. I have been a carpenter for over 20 years and am currently employed by Reinke Construction Corp, of South Bend. Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to work on four new school projects in the area. We are members of the North Liberty Church of Christ where I am currently serving as Chairman of the Board. For 12 years, I served on the Liberty Township Fire Department. I have also served as both County President and District Chairman of the National Farmers Organization and on the board of the St. Joseph County Farm Bureau. I was a member of the Citizens Committee for Greene and Liberty Schools during the withdraw of the North Liberty Schools from the South Bend School Corporation and the resulting merger with the Polk-Lincoln-Johnson School Corporation. The John Glenn School Corporation is one of the best corporations in the state to have your children attend. It has proven itself by awards in the Math, English, Science, Art and Music areas; the Academic Decathlon and Spelling teams, as well as achievements in the extra curricular activities not only in the High School but also in the Middle and Elementary Schools. I believe we can continue this success by targeting our major spending in the areas that are directly related to the education of our students. I believe the School Corporation needs to work harder at fulfilling the needs of those students who are not as quick to learn and who may be deprived of parental encouragement. John Glenn has an excellent top Quintile of the class, but I feel we still have too many students who need more help with the basics of education and their interests need to be addressed so they too can finish with a quality education. 1 believe we need to strive to reduce the number of students who do not attain the grades necessary for graduation and also the number of those who “drop out” before graduating. I also believe we should continue to strive to educate our students about the number of high school pregnancies we have in today’s society, social diseases, AIDS and the effects these have on the students education and their futures. My main goals as a School Board member are to take a firm and objective view of the issues of the Corporation, the views of the public, and to serve the students to the best of my ability. To see that all students have every opportunity to graduate and get the best education possible from the John Glenn School Corporation. TOM BRADFORD (liberty Township) My name is Tom Bradford. 1 have lived in Liberty Township for

APRIL 30, 1992 - THE INDEPENDENT-NEWS -

School Board Election

17 years. I received a B.S. and M.S. from Purdue University in Agronomy. I taught at Purdue from 1975-1977. 1 have held leadership positions, including chairman, in several community related groups: Liberty Twp. 4-H Gub, St. Joseph Co. 4-H Advisory Board, St. Joseph Co. Extension Board, and St. Joseph Co. Fair Board. I was a seven year member of Liberty Twp. Volunteer Fire Department and participated in our local Youth Baseball League. Recently, I have been more involved in adult education and lobbying for the farmer, farmer. As owner-manager of the North Liberty Farm Center, I have gained the experience of managing people and money. 1 have been in the position of having to make tough business decisions. Decisions that will have long term effect. So I have had to weigh options and sometimes compromise. Negotiating contracts with banks and suppliers is everyday business. 1 have attended a high percentage of school board meetings over the past five years. I have participated in the past two local budget hearings and the immediate past tax board hearing. I recently became a substitute school bus driver because this corporation desperately needed sub drivers and because I wanted to learn something about as many aspects of this corporation as 1 could. I've also volunteered for various school projects and athletic activities. We are doing a lot of things right in this corporation, my real concern is that in any system new ideas are not only necessary, but healthy. As with any task 1 have undertaken, I pledge to keep an open mind and do my best on any decision affecting the future of our students. LINCON TWP. LORRAINE A. “LORI” JACOB (Lincoln Township) I am a candidate for the Lincoln Township seat on the John Glenn School Board. I live in Walkerton with my husband Glenn Jacob and our two children. Katie, a 1990 John Glenn graduate, is finishing her second year at Butler University. Adam is a senior at John Glenn and will attend Rose-Hul-man Institute of Technology in the fall. I am a gradaute of Tyner High School and Indiana State University. I also earned my master's degree from Indiana State. I am currently employed by the St. Joseph County Chapter of the American Red Cross as Director of Health and Safety Services. lam responsible for first aid. CPR, water safety, HIV/AIDS education and other educational programs conducted by the Red Cross. I have been an active member of the John Glenn Band Boosters for six years and am completing my third year as treasurer. I serve on the Corporation’s AIDS Advisory Committee. I also served on the Grading System Revision Committee in 1990-91. My other community activities include serving as co-chairperson of the Administrative Council of the Walkerton United Methodist Church. I have been a member of Epsilon Chi Chapter of Tri Kappa for 21 years and am a past president of the group. I am running for the school board because 1 want to see the John Glenn Schools continue to provide an excellent education for the children and young people of this community. I know the schools are doing a fine job with the students in the upper academic level. I am concerned that more should be done for the students in the average and below average levels. All children have a right to the best education we can provide. They need to be competent in basic math skills and must have knowledge of computers. All of our children

need to be able to read, write and speak correctly. Those young people who are not going on for additional schooling need to have job skills to be prepared to work in a competitive marketplace. The major strength of our corporation lies within its teachers. By and large, the John Glenn system is blessed with a tremendously talented and dedicated teaching staff. Their willingness to go above and beyond is something not found in every corporation. In my opinion, most of them see teaching as a career and not just a job. This caring, professional attitude helps to bring out the best in John Glenn Corporation students. As a member of the John Glenn School Board, I would do my best to be responsive to the patrons I serve, realizing that what is best for the students might not always be what everyone agrees is their favorite option. JOHN MCGEE (Lincoln Township) John McGee, candidate for John Glenn School Board from Lincoln Township. I am a graduate of Tyner High School and earned a B.A. Degree in Business Administration from Bethel College. I have been a resident of our community the majority of my life. I have been involved in many local projects, the latest being the Walkerton Streetscape endeavor. lam married and have two daughters. I am employed by American Door Company as a purchasing agent, buying S3O million a year in material for three different plant locations. I am seeking election to the School Board because of many concerns I have about our corporation’s well-being. Over the course of the last 10 years, a number of appalling things have occurred. • Our student enrollment has declined from 1646 to 1504. • Licensed and non-licensed personnel have grown from 142 to 176. • Our budget has ballooned from $2.4 million to $6.5 million. • Our school tax rate has increased from 4.6887 in 1982 (1984 rate was 3.7756) to 6.599‘ T in 1991. I also don’t agree with the new middle school project as it has been presented. 1 don’t believe the 6-7-8 grade alignment will guarantee the best education for our children, nor will it be the wisest use of our funds. I believe there are alternatives which should be more closely scrutinized. If elected, I pledge to make sure our children received the best education possible while keeping funding within our means. If given this opportunity, I feel I can fairly represent all parents and taxpayers in our community. I ask for your support on May Sth. WILLIAM W. MILLAR (Uacoin Township) I’m William W. Millar. I live at 29700 Riley Rd., North Liberty. Indiana, Lincoln Townsip. I’m 48 years old and have lived and farmed in Lincoln Township for the past 24 years. I’m married to Mary Kay and have three children graduated from John Glenn High School and three children still enrolled in the John Glenn system. Although I’m not an incumbent. I’ve had eight years experience on the John Glenn School Board and that helped me approach the job of school board member realistically, knowing what this job entails and how much time committment is needed. These years of experience also give me a perspective that my opponents cannot offer. I'm concerned that this election is turning into a “one issue election”. The people who will eventually occupy the four seats up for election will have to do their part to (continued on Page 6)

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