JoDiane Cornwell Two four-year seats are available on the Rudyard Area Schools Board of Education, with three candidates vying for these spots. Though three have shown interest, only one name will appear on the official May 4 ballot, that of incumbent secretary JoDiane Cornwell. Robin Sexton and Becky Davis are seeking election as write-in candidates.

JoDiane Cornwell

As the lone incumbent vying for a seat on the Rudyard Area Schools Board of Education, JoDiane Cornwell feels she has unfinished business. Tough decisions have been made , she said, yet the school system is moving in a positive direction.

“We ' v e done some major cutting, but we feel pretty good coming away from the decisions that have been made,” she said. “We feel they haven't affected the quality of education.”

Seeking re-election is a means to be involved with future decisions and satisfy her deep sense of commitment to a school system that employed her as both a principal and a teacher.

Robin Sexton Mrs. Cornwell served as principal at R.J. Wallis Elementary School in Kincheloe for five years and was an elementary school teacher for 27 years. Her time at Kincheloe, which was in the Rudyard Area Schools system, was what motivated her to initially seek the seat on the school board.

“The Rudyard Area Schools system was really good to me in my profession” she said. “I feel serving on the school board is sort of a payback. I am able to use all of the experience I gained while with the school.”

First and foremost in Mrs. Cornwell's mind when making budgeting decisions is trying to ensure students don't lose opportunities to succeed, whether this is championing a variety of choices in the curriculum or extracurricular activities.

“We've been able to maintain our outstanding curriculum,” she said. “We're still able to offer a wide variety of classes, from advanced placement down to the core subjects. At this point, all the fine arts are still intact, including chorus, band, drama, and art. This is something a number of school districts have struggled with.”

Another problem schools face, she said, is properly compensating their staff. Mrs. Cornwell said the board was appreciative of the staff for providing top-notch efforts, even with the budget shortfalls.

“The people on staff have stepped up and done what needs to be done,” she said. “Our staff is very understanding of our situation and has worked will with us. This includes things such as bus drivers cooperating to find more efficient routes.”

Being a former teacher, and having three of her four grown children become teachers has made Mrs. Cornwell sensitive to the sacrifices educators must make.

“Teachers are doing the best they can with less resources,” she said. “They are being very creative with the resources they do have.”

The uncertainty of state funding and having to budget before the district learns what it's received in funding makes planning difficult, Mrs. Cornwell said.

“If the state would not make after-the-fact cuts, it would simplify the budgeting process locally. Every year, there are changes after you think you already have things settled.”

Robin Sexton

Robin Sexton had been approached several times throughout the years about running for the Rudyard Area Schools Board of Education, in addition to pondering it himself. With his career time commitments, however, Mr. Sexton was never able to pursue such a position.

After 35 years with the Michigan State Police force, the soon-to-be-retiring detective sergeant feels now he has the time needed to commit to the students and the school district.

“I'm concerned, like many other people over the problems the schools are having with finances,” he said. “We don't have much of a tax base and we're losing state support, so funding is the number one issue that everything else ties back to.”

Mr. Sexton's position with the state police has given him unique insight into these financial concerns and the elements that contribute to them, as he has spent a lot of time, throughout the years, involved in financial investigations.

“I'm used to looking at the books,” he said. “If something doesn't add up, I know where to look.”

He also has experience in dealing with the state funding logjam, as both the state police and public schools are entities that receive similar funding.

“I'm used to dealing with the bureaucracy of state government,” Mr. Sexton said. “I've learned you can't count on the state.”

To deal with dwindling funds, the school administration and the board must think outside of the box and squeeze every penny out of every dollar, he added. This includes options such as consolid ating resources with other schools.

“Fiscal responsibility is the only option we have right now,” Mr. Sexton said. “I don't think there is any service that's off the table as far as being looked at. We have to consider everything.”

Balancing the prospect of consolidating services with the challenge of retaining quality staff is something that won't be easy, according to Mr. Sexton.

“You have to compensate good people,” he said. “It's not easy with this budget. We have to look for different ways to compensate quality educators, whether it be additional training or other methods, we have to find a way to keep our teachers. We have to ensure that we're not cutting good teachers in order to save money.”

Mr. Sexton would also like to see everyone in the community support the school.

“This area has been seriously lacking in parental involvement,” he said. “I'm a big believer that the parents should know what's going on and be involved in their children's education.”

Mr. Sexton has a daughter who was graduated from Rudyard and is now a senior in college, as well as a son who's currently a freshman at the Rudyard High School.

Becky Davis

Noticing that small communities tend to tap the same small pool of individuals to be decisionmakers, Becky Davis has decided to run for a seat on the Rudyard Area Schools Board of Education as a write-in candidate.

Mrs. Davis believes there will always be benefit in including more voices in community discussions. As the director of Early Childhood Services with the Intermediate School District, she holds a master's degree in school administration and a specialist degree in educational leadership.

“The education perspective is always needed on a board of education,” Mrs. Davis said.

One of the most important things a school board does is make decisions about an integral part of the community, Mrs. Davis said.

“Everything in a small community really revolves around the school,” she said. “Schools can't afford to isolate themselves and the school system can't be separate from events going on within the community. Schools and communities work best when they become mutual resources.”

Also important to realize is that school systems are responsible for educating the future decisionmakers in a community, the leaders of tomorrow are products of today's board of education decisions.

“These are the future community leaders,” Mrs. Davis said. “What do we want our citizens to know when they are making decisions which will affect our communities? Education doesn't just happen in school buildings. We should be mindful that our decisions and attitudes outside of school are teaching lessons, as well. Adults who support education also support the future of the community.”

Mrs. Davis said that clear goals need to be established, regardless of the budget situation. A welldefined game plan will guide decisions and calm concerns, she said.

“The toughest challenge schools face today is setting the course for the future and sticking to that course,” Mrs. Davis said. “If you make decisions as a kneejerk reaction to what is happening in Lansing today, you lose sight of what you're doing. This method doesn't allow for a steady course.”

Mrs. Davis feels that, once this course is decided, it is up to the school administration and the school board to be accountable to the community.

“There should be an open-door policy for the superintendent and the board,” she said. “The board is accountable to the public for its decisions. It should always be able to articulate the educational goals to the community. Communication is key.”

She served six years on the Rudyard Area Schools Board of Education in the past.

“This is a position that will change your perspective,” Mrs. Davis said. “It's time-intensive, but it's well worth your effort. You learn a great deal about education, but you also learn about your community. Citizens who volunteer to run for school boards have an important responsibility and should only do so after serious consideration of the education system.”

Mrs. Davis has five grandchildren in the Rudyard school system. Two of her four children are teachers and her husband, Gary, is a retired elementary school principal.

A photograph of Mrs. Davis was not available