Strategic Planning, Strategic Planning, Strategic Planning!!!

Candidates want long-term plan
Three school board hopefuls looking for outline, then referendum
By Christena T. O'Brien
Leader-Telegram staff O'Brien can be reached at 830-5838, 800-236-7077 or christena.obrien@ecpc.com.
Three of four school board candidates believe a long-range plan needs to be in place before the Eau Claire school district puts another referendum before voters.

"Strategic planning has to become part of the district's DNA," said Doug Mell, UW-Stout's director of communications. "This is an absolute necessity and should be the No. 1 goal of the new board and new superintendent. (And) this process needs to be totally inclusive and transparent."

Mell, along with incumbent Carol Craig, Robert G. Janke and Adam Shiel, are vying for two seats on the school board in Tuesday's election. Incumbent Mike O'Brien, board president, isn't seeking re-election.

Last spring, voters in the Eau Claire school district rejected a three-year, $21.6 million referendum, forcing the school board to cut $7.5 million from the 2007-08 budget.

The projected deficit for the 2008-09 school year totals $2.98 million, but that figure is subject to change - and possibly increase - because of contract negotiations.

To plug the hole, the school board approved closing Little Red School at the end of this school year. District administrators also have proposed a shift in funding seventh- and eighth-grade athletics and recommended budget cuts, including teaching positions.

"I have a hard time imagining the school district not going to referendum at some point, but I don't know when that might be," said Adam Shiel, an electrical engineer at Silicon Logic Engineering.

"I do think it's absolutely imperative that before we go to referendum that we have a reasonable, long-range plan in place, so we can clearly explain to the taxpayers how we are spending our money and what we'll be giving up if a referendum doesn't pass."

Shiel, like Mell, is making his first bid for public office. Both men have children in school. Shiel, a 34-year-old native of Kansas, has lived in Eau Claire for eight years. He and his wife, Sarah, have two children who attend the Montessori Charter School. The 53-year-old Mell, a former Leader-Telegram editor, and his wife, Sue Kittelson, have lived in the school district for more than 20 years. Their eldest son, David, graduated from North High School, where their youngest son, Daniel, is a junior.

"It will take two years to pass a new referendum," Mell said. "The first year needs to be spent developing a comprehensive strategic planning process that is part of a total quality improvement process."

"The next six months should be devoted to developing the parameters of the referendum, using the comprehensive strategic plan as a road map. The same groups that were involved in the planning process should be involved in developing the outline of the referendum. The final six months should be spent advocating for the referendum."

Craig, who is seeking her sixth term on the board, has gone on record saying that the next referendum must have community involvement before the school board can prioritize.

"We need to inform the public of consequences due to staff cuts and delayed maintenance - in logical, organized forums whereby people can participate in respectful dialogue," said Craig, who recently retired from the Chippewa Valley Technical College Center for Behavioral Science and Civic Effectiveness and became executive director of OMNI Associates, a nonprofit organization that provides resources and programs for enriching personal and professional development.

"This community has consistently supported public education, including maintenance, adequate staffing levels and new facilities when they have been given the opportunity to help create the long-range plan," the 57-year-old Craig said. "So my priority is working toward the completion of my motion, (which passed unanimously Feb. 19), which requires the district to complete a comprehensive plan before a new referendum goes forward or before any more programs and services are cut."

Janke, a retired UW-Eau Claire geography professor, spent nine years on the school board. He attended Eau Claire schools in his youth, as did his two daughters, who went on to pursue careers in education.

"I think it's obvious (that we need to hold a referendum)," he said. "The normal budget tries to fund both building maintenance and staffing issues, and we know in the past few years there is just not enough ... "

"I honestly think we should appeal to the concept of the social contract to get people to accept their responsibilities as citizens of this community not only to their children, but to all children."