There are two- and four-year seats available for candidates this year. Why did you choose to run for a two-year seat?
Keith Kamrath
I am just completing my 21st year on the Hutchinson Board of Education. With five of six seats on the school board up for election this year, I think it is important to have some institutional memory and stability on the board going forward. I am running for a two-year seat to finish overseeing the elementary schools building projects, which are just beginning and will be finished in that time.
What do you see as the most important issue for the School Board to get right in the next few years for Hutchinson Public Schools?
The most important and most immediate priority is to develop our online teaching delivery so that it is of similar quality compared to our in-person experience.
Should Hutchinson Public Schools try to retain as many students as possible who might otherwise seek alternatives such as the Post-Secondary Enrollment Option or online school? If so, what should be done to bolster current offerings?
Absolutely, Hutchinson Public Schools should do everything possible to retain students in our district. Student enrollment is the lifeblood, in terms of revenue, of any school district. A main reason why PSEO has been so popular is that students are able to get college education credits for free, which saves the students/parents tuition down the road. HHS has worked hard to offer an increasing variety of College-in-the-Schools and Advanced Placement courses to compete with PSEO. We, as a school district, have always promoted the ideal of rigorous coursework that in some cases is more advanced than some PSEO options.
The Hutchinson School Board recently discussed the possibility of increasing board member compensation from $3,500 a year in order to maintain a healthy pool of candidates. Do you believe the compensation should be increased? Why or why not?
I view being on the School Board as public service and am fine with whatever the board decides. The board stipend has been the same for the past 15 years, and I have never suggested changing it in that time. Something that the public should consider is the amount of time that board members regularly take out of their normal work day for School Board work. For people who are losing paid work time or using vacation time, there is a cost to the board member for meetings that occur during the day.
Hutchinson Public Schools are moving forward with projects to renovate West Elementary and Park Elementary following a $28.8 million bond referendum in 2019. Do you believe upgrades to these buildings are essential? If so, what are the top priorities? If not, why?
The top priorities for the board are to complete the plan as designed to enhance educational opportunities — on time, on budget. Two grades will move from Park Elementary to a new building on the north side of West Elementary. This will be a significant upgrade in design, technological features and safety. This project moves the school bus hub off a city street at Park Elementary, where approximately 1,300 of our youngest students potentially transfer buses, to a dedicated bus hub at West Elementary. The Early Childhood and Family Education program will also move into the new building.
Read responses from Melissa Kohls
Read responses from Tammy Rolf
