Our endorsement for Linn-Mar School Board

Four seats are on the ballot Sept. 8 when voters in the fast-growing Linn-Mar head to the polls. Seven candidates are vying for those seats, including two incumbents.

'Growth” may be the most popular word we heard from the six hopefuls we interviewed. (Due to a scheduling conflict, we didn't get a chance to meet with George Abouassaly, so we couldn't consider him for an endorsement.)

But 'transparency” and 'communication” were close behind, and we were most impressed with the candidates who sensed that all three must go together. As Linn-Mar makes critical decisions on facilities, boundaries and programs fueled by the district's growth, board members must do more to engage the public and explain what's happening.

All six candidates who met with our editorial board have the sort of experience, commitment and keen interest in education we like to see on boards of education. We faced some difficult decisions and, in the end, picked a mix of newcomers and incumbents.

To their credit, School Board President Tim Eisenberg and Board member Elizabeth Wilson, heard our concerns about past lack of transparency in communicating important decisions to parents, staff and the community and acknowledged that changes are needed. We'll be eager to see how they bring those changes.

But we're also endorsing challengers Craig Adamson and Clark Weaver, who struck us as potential board members who would not be afraid to ask questions and raise issues.

And we hope the other two candidates we interviewed, retired longtime teacher Sondra Nelson and active district volunteer Melissa Glasser, will remain involved in the district if they fail to win a seat on the board.

CRAIG ADAMSON

Craig Adamson brings a long record of public involvement after serving eight years on the Marion City Council. The financial planner has three children attending elementary school in the district, so Adamson says he has desire to help shape the policies that will affect his kids and other children for years to come.

Adamson expressed strong sentiments about improving the school board's meetings and communications policies to give district residents more opportunities to air concerns and receive critical information. The district's website, Adamson said, should be far easier to navigate and offer more information to residents who can't attend board meetings.

Adamson's experience in city government gives him a unique perspective on how the district and city could cooperate on future facilities and other projects.

TIM ISENBERG

Board President Tim Isenberg told us he grew up in an 'education family.” His mother and two aunts are former teachers, his sister teaches kindergarten and one of his two daughters is pursuing an education degree. His younger daughter is a Linn-Mar middle-schooler.

Isenberg's board experience gives him a good grasp of the welcome but real challenges posed by Linn-Mar's growth, from maintaining reasonable class sizes and maintaining program quality to expanding facilities. Despite growth, low, unpredictable state funding has left Linn-Mar, like so many other districts, with tough budgetary choices.

CLARK WEAVER

Clark Weaver taught physical education in the Linn-Mar district for 34 years, and has been a substitute teacher for six years since his retirement. Now, he wants to give back to a district where he worked and raised a family.

We found Weaver to be a down-to-earth candidate would bring a valuable new perspective to the board. He seems eager to ask questions and challenge business as usual, and says greater public transparency should be a top objective. Weaver has been involved in past facility steering committees and would bring a long-term perspective to upcoming decisions. He believes that even though recent facility projects have not required a public vote, the school board should do more to make sure the public is fully informed as projects take shape.

ELIZABETH WILSON

Elizabeth Wilson seeking a second term on the Linn-Mar board. She grew up in a low-income household and says her public education played a large role in shaping her life. She has degrees from Cornell College and the University of Iowa, and her two children are Linn-Mar students in junior high and high school.

Wilson said she'd like to expand opportunities to encourage members of the community to get involved in the district. She agrees that the district needs to adopt a strategy for improving electronic communications with residents, including an more accessible website. Wilson said she was 'shocked” by Gov. Terry Branstad's veto of a legislative education funding compromise, and said if cuts are necessary, savings first should come from non-personnel areas.

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