Karen Keys
Age 47
Occupation Medical transcriptionist
Education/Experience Associate degree in medical assisting; member of the Board of Education for seven years; involved with children as Girl Scout and Boy Scout leader, youth group leader, member of Marion Heritage Committee
QUESTIONS
With the financial issues facing all school districts, how do you propose balancing strong education and responsibilities to taxpayers?
The biggest problem is the fact that the state budget was not balanced on time, along with the fact that the last couple years, they’re playing around with looking at decreasing money to school districts, especially the school districts that need it. ... We need to balance things a lot better than we’re doing now.
What makes you uniquely qualified to sit on the Board of Education?
I think I have uniqueness because I’m an outsider. I can sit back and see a different realm of things. Not only am I a parent, but I’m a community member. I listen to people and am very open to any suggestions, any opinions.
Beyond the budget, what is the biggest issue facing your district, and how would you solve it?
I think a lot of it is making sure we have the best teachers on board, and the other staff, too. ... Besides the education part, but the sports and other activities that make kids well-rounded — to do that we have to have the best staff.
Kim Tennity
Age 43
Occupation Construction project manager for Rainaldi Brothers
Education/Experience Bachelor’s degree in architecture from the State University of New York at Buffalo; two-year accounting degree; six years experience on Board of Education, currently as vice president
Questions
With the financial issues facing all school districts, how do you propose balancing strong education and responsibilities to taxpayers?
I think the current path we’re following is probably the best path with reducing funding, also looking at reducing enrollment. It’s not only a problem in Marion, but in the county and the state. ... Being very conscious of programs and looking at shared services.
What makes you uniquely qualified to sit on the Board of Education?
Over the past six years, I’ve had extensive experience on the board. I’ve dealt with the issues, spent hours researching information and talked with the legal counsel. ... The experience the past six years makes me qualified to stay on the board.
Beyond the budget, what is the biggest issue facing your district, and how would you solve it?
Karen Keys
Age 47
Occupation Medical transcriptionist
Education/Experience Associate degree in medical assisting; member of the Board of Education for seven years; involved with children as Girl Scout and Boy Scout leader, youth group leader, member of Marion Heritage Committee
QUESTIONS
With the financial issues facing all school districts, how do you propose balancing strong education and responsibilities to taxpayers?
The biggest problem is the fact that the state budget was not balanced on time, along with the fact that the last couple years, they’re playing around with looking at decreasing money to school districts, especially the school districts that need it. ... We need to balance things a lot better than we’re doing now.
What makes you uniquely qualified to sit on the Board of Education?
I think I have uniqueness because I’m an outsider. I can sit back and see a different realm of things. Not only am I a parent, but I’m a community member. I listen to people and am very open to any suggestions, any opinions.
Beyond the budget, what is the biggest issue facing your district, and how would you solve it?
I think a lot of it is making sure we have the best teachers on board, and the other staff, too. ... Besides the education part, but the sports and other activities that make kids well-rounded — to do that we have to have the best staff.
Kim Tennity
Age 43
Occupation Construction project manager for Rainaldi Brothers
Education/Experience Bachelor’s degree in architecture from the State University of New York at Buffalo; two-year accounting degree; six years experience on Board of Education, currently as vice president
Questions
With the financial issues facing all school districts, how do you propose balancing strong education and responsibilities to taxpayers?
I think the current path we’re following is probably the best path with reducing funding, also looking at reducing enrollment. It’s not only a problem in Marion, but in the county and the state. ... Being very conscious of programs and looking at shared services.
What makes you uniquely qualified to sit on the Board of Education?
Over the past six years, I’ve had extensive experience on the board. I’ve dealt with the issues, spent hours researching information and talked with the legal counsel. ... The experience the past six years makes me qualified to stay on the board.
Beyond the budget, what is the biggest issue facing your district, and how would you solve it?
I would say dropping enrollment, and the direct correlation of reduced funding and dropping enrollment. Shared services, a shared curriculum, looking at other schools for opportunities is the best way to go.
Mike Cramer
Age 48
Occupation Product supervisor at Baldwin Richardson Foods
Education/Experience Associate degree in mortuary science from the State University of New York at Canton
Questions
With the financial issues facing all school districts, how do you propose balancing strong education and responsibilities to taxpayers?
We’ll have to look at the whole doughnut, look at every aspect, maybe look at shared services with the district and with neighboring districts.
What makes you uniquely qualified to sit on the Board of Education?
I’m not afraid to ask the tough questions.
Beyond the budget, what is the biggest issue facing your district, and how would you solve it?
The lack of communication with the school board and the lack of opportunity to communicate with the school board. ... I’d like to change that so that we all have a voice in the school district.
Bob Estochen
Age 55
Occupation Planning manager for ITT Space Systems
Education/Experience Bachelor’s degree in applied science from Carnegie Mellon University; master’s degree in statistics from the University of Rochester; been involved with the school’s budget preparation committee; has worked with youth in numerous programs, including church youth group and sports programs
Questions
With the financial issues facing all school districts, how do you propose balancing strong education and responsibilities to taxpayers?
I think we have to go back to the very heart of it with opportunities to consolidate and collaborate with other organizations. Opportunities to shrink the size of the district, with the number of teachers going down and the number of educational offerings going down ... I think that’s the wrong answer.
What makes you uniquely qualified to sit on the Board of Education?
I think it does help to have a fresh set of eyes looking at the existing problems. Sometimes, at home with our own kids and with anything we do, once you’re in for a certain period of time, it becomes routine. It’s difficult, then, to see what is obvious.
Beyond the budget, what is the biggest issue facing your district, and how would you solve it?
I think the biggest issue is actually getting everyone back to focusing on the main reason we exist, which is to provide a rich educational experience for our kids. ... If we can’t get everyone to see the same final objective and figure out how to achieve it, factions will try to pull in different directions.
