Question 2: What do you want to achieve during your term on the Verona BOE and what is the biggest impediment to making that happen?
Pamela J. Priscoe: The items that come to mind that I would like to achieve if elected to the Verona Board of Education are the following:
The first item I want to achieve is to sit down and dive into the budget. Just like any curious resident and tax payer, seeing exactly how and where our tax dollars are being spent is my utmost priority. The elimination of children’s programs and staffing without knowing if there were other ways to reduce the budget is troublesome to me. In the same breath; however, funds become readily available to give some in the district excessive pay increases is concerning.
The second item is making sure that the six schools in the district are properly maintained and functioning and reflect the community we are so proud to live in. I will work with the the Board to look into budgeting for and hiring some additional manpower for the Buildings and Grounds Department. One of the first items that one looks at before moving into a new town is the school system. We need to ensure that our grounds are professionally maintained at all times and the interiors of our schools are well maintained, up to date and provide an environment that our kids can be proud of. And as homeowners, this focus will assist with raising our property values.
The third item I would love to work with my fellow Board members on, ties into my first goal of working with the budget. Not only do we need to ensure that the current financial needs of the district are met, but we need to be proactive and forecast for future needs as well. Looking closely at surrounding districts and performing a deep dive into their programs can help us prepare for our future and budget for those items. Being reactive rather than proactive leads to hasty decision making and the potential of making costly decisions that adversely affect the district.
When implementing ideas and putting them into motion, the one major hurdle that we face that potentially impedes progress are budget restrictions. It is the role of all the Board members to make sure that we budget wisely and that we are making decisions that are in the best interest of the district as a whole. We owe it to the teachers, the students and all the hard-working taxpayers to ensure that we are spending wisely, making sure that our buildings and grounds are maintained properly and there is a sense of pride in the image we are portraying, and also that we budget and prepare for the future in order to keep the programs and activities in the Verona Schools consistent with our peers.
