By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post

Six candidates vying for four open seats took the stage Tuesday night at the Hays USD 489 Candidate Forum attended by more than 100 people.

Twelve year school board veteran Greg Schwartz, current board member Sarah Rankin, and challengers Leslie Blagrave, Luke Oborny,  Paul Adams and Miranda “Mandy” Fox introduced themselves and answered  questions from a moderator and the audience.

The  district’s budget and a proposed bond issue were the major topics of the forum, due to the state’s proposal to replace the school finance formula with block grants for two years while a new finance formula is developed.

Miranda Fox expressed concern how quickly the bill progressed but said the block grants can’t be used as an excuse to stand still and make forward progress.

“We are going to have to continue to adjust and in any industry people are having to look at doing more with less,” Fox said.

Leslie Blagrave acknowledged the current board for making “amazing strides” in balancing the budget.

“We are just going to have to roll with the punches and see what we get.  It’s so up in the air right now, I wish we had more answers,” Blagrave said. “We are going to do the best we can and, as we always have, ensure our kids get a quality education.”

Current board member Sarah Rankin said it was the budget issue that moved her to seek a seat on the board when it opened last April.  She said though the news may be “doom and gloom,” supporting the teachers is important.

“I want to make sure  that we do support (the teachers) with whatever decisions we are making and try to weather through this budget problem. … We need to stay motivated and continue to move forward,” she said, adding some money on new technology should be spent, but it will be difficult to figure out what the number is.

Board member Greg Schwartz noted in the 12 years he has been on the board, it has only been in the last year and a half the district has had a balanced budget — something he said happened by making some difficult changes.

“The funding is not sufficient,” Schwartz said. “But it is our job to look at what we have and look at those areas we can carve out and adjust the budget,” adding the board needs to come up with funds for teacher education and in-services.

Adams said the first thing he would do is to identify what is essential and what is not by talking directly to staff and teachers.

“The school board will make that final decision,” he said. “I think (the decision) needs the information, its needs evidence, it needs the ideas from the people who it will most directly impact and who know what the impact will be on our students.”

Oborny agreed listening to the staff and the community is important.

“It is all of us pitching in together and tighten where we need to cut … a lot of transparency with both the community, with administrators and educators,” Orborny said.

All six candidates agreed a bond issue should be placed on the table at some point to fix repairs to old facilities that have been deferred for years.

Rankin said the board has reviewed spreading out the maintenance cost for aging school buildings over time, but said it is not possible.

“Our current buildings … they are just aging and it’s time,” she said.

Schwartz agreed, stating a bond issue has not been placed before Hays voters since 1979, but said a bond will not pass unless the community trusts the board.

“Only at the time we can show we have a budget that is long-range and has these dollars accounted for can you expect a community to jump on board with $10 million bond or a $100 million bond, which has been discussed,” he said.

Oborny agreed with Schwartz the community would not pass a bond today, though he knows “first-hand” building repairs are needed.

“Anytime you want to do an initiative, I am very big on the why. … We need to show the public what the problem is,” he said. “I think it is fair to say the community loves the children and their grandchildren and if you explain why we need this … I think the community would vote for that.”

Adams said improvements to facilities adds value to Hays.

“This is our home. This is where we live and, if you have a home, if you are going to increase its value, you are going to pay to do the remodel,” he said. “That is where we are at right now. … We need to make our value better for our students.”

Fox said if a bond was proposed and did not pass, it would be necessary to go back to the table and revisit and negotiate a plan the community can stand behind.

“We are obviously not going to get any extra funding dollars from the state at this point, so we are going to have to work together as a community to accomplish that,” Fox said.

Blagrave said the school’s buildings are in bad shape and a bond is needed.

“As long as we present to the public this is what the money is going to used for … I think the community will come together in the interest of our children to make sure their schools are safe.”

The city and school election is April 7, with advance voting available now at the Ellis County Administration Building, 718 Main St. from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday until noon April 6.

Watch the City of Hays/USD 489 candidate forum — sponsored by the American Democracy Project and Hays Area Chamber of Commerce — HERE.