Priorities for Bennington schools

Academic excellence for every student

High expectations and strong core skills—ready for college, careers, and the trades, not just scores on paper.

• Screen time with purpose: Clear device standards so class time favors attention, reading, writing, and hands-on work.
• Local employer feedback: Regular input from companies that hire Bennington graduates on work quality, communication, and reliability.
• Trade readiness: Career and technical pathways measured by real comprehension and quality of work—not only course checkboxes.
• Strong core instruction and opportunity for every learner.

Fiscal responsibility & smart growth

Growth needs planning—and budget discipline. My rule: any additional spending should require equal or greater debt payoff. See the debt clock.

• Budget reduction first: Cut, consolidate, or delay before adding cost.
• Dollar-for-dollar debt payoff: New spending tied to matching (or greater) principal paydown.
• Competitive bids every step: Multiple bids from multiple sources for design, construction, services, purchases, and renewals.
• Reserves with a purpose: Ask whether large reserves should retire debt—not only fund the next project.

Public record: My principle, not a formal district rule. Context: ~$159.4M outstanding debt (Sept 2025), +$112M HS#2 bond (~$12.6M reserves to construction), ~$140M budget / ~$42M tax ask at $1.358 levy, ~$310M in bonds authorized since 2003. New debt and spending have far outpaced principal retired.

Safe, welcoming schools

Safe, orderly schools where families get clear information and teachers can teach.

• Secure buildings: Clear visitor check-in; practical safety upgrades on a public timeline.
• Fast parent communication: Plain updates through official channels—not the rumor mill.
• Consistent rules & teacher support: Fair expectations with real backup for disrupted classrooms.
• Early help: Clear counseling paths; parents as partners.
• Everyday safety: Buses, pickup/traffic, after-school events, and responsible device use.

Transparency & community partnership

Ever watched a Bennington board meeting on YouTube? Meetings start at 6:00 p.m. Live streaming is good— but if you can’t hear the speakers or see the slides, it isn’t real transparency. Day one: fix board-room AV so remote viewers get the same meeting as the room.

• Audio: Mics that feed the live stream directly—not drowned out by room noise.
• Video: Presentations through the multimedia switch so slides show cleanly online.
• Layout: Explore split-screen so viewers see discussion and materials together.
• Clear public communication; stay reachable as a board member.

Support for educators & staff

Great schools keep great people—with targets you can measure, not slogans.

• Retention & vacancy dashboard: Quarterly public metrics by building.
• Metro pay comparison: Annual peer review before major budget/contract votes.
• Hard-to-staff plan: Targets for special education, career/technical roles, math, and science; fewer long-term substitutes.
• Protect planning time: Cut lost plan periods and teacher-as-sub coverage.
• Staff voice: Comment window before big votes, plus a public “what changed” summary.