Central Heights USD 288 candidates seek four seats
Central Heights Board of Education race features eight candidates for four seats. Incumbents Charlie Hirt and Ed Ouelette are joined by six challengers. Each candidate offers views on a $3.95 million bond plan for building expansions and athletics facility improvements slated to begin this spring, with an April 1 ballot date.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Central Heights Board of Education
Oper
Charlie Hirt
Ed Ouelette
Central Heights School Board candidate profile outlines bond needs
Andy Gassaway Hirt profiles candidate Charlie Hirt a farmer and rural mail carrier with fourteen years in the district and prior service on local boards He urges expanding course offerings to meet future job markets while seeking least impactful budget cuts and considering raising three mills on the local option budget only after exploring alternatives He hopes enrollment rises next year.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Central Height
Charlie Hirt
Hirt
Central Heights
Richmond Township
Richmond Fire Board
Johnston Advocates Academic Focus in Central Heights
Glenda Johnston, a two year bus driver and school cafeteria worker in Central Heights, with one child in the district and another set to start next year, calls for an emphasis on academics over sports related upgrades in the bond proposal. She lives in Lane with her husband and two children and opposes the bond's sports provisions.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Glenda Johnston
Central Heights
Johnston
Lane
Bond
Voter Sees Education First In Bond Debate
Glenda Johnston argues the school bond should separate education from sports on the ballot. She would support more discussion if the bond fails and wants educational capacity protected if state deficits force district cuts.
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Johnston
Raby urges moving forward with state bond issue
Betty Raby calls for a state funded bond to ease district space strains and avoid losing funds. She notes low interest rates, potential funding moratorium after July, and that these funds come from the entire state, not just local taxes. Raby, an AHIMA health info technologist, has lived in the district eight years with her husband and two daughters.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Betty Raby
Raby
American Health Information Management Association
Betty Raby Says Bond Issue Fails Could Hit Budget
Betty Raby warns that raising only the mill levy would lose $1,558,050 in state funds. She suggests a brainstorming session with administration, teaching and non teaching staff, plus patron input, to find expense reductions.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Raby
Barbara Short votes no on bond issue despite recreation support
Barbara Short, a 14 year bus driver for Central Heights, says the current bond package is too costly and lumped on one ballot. She opposes the overall package though backing academic improvements and has served on local recreation and booster boards.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Barbara Short
Short
Central Heights
Princeton Recreation Board
Barbara Short Opposes Athletics Upgrades Bond Plan
Barbara Short said she cannot support the athletics upgrades. If the bond fails she would back using available funds for technological upgrades and seek a future bond for extra classroom space. She also suggests reviewing enrollment and lunch fee increases to cope with state budget cuts.
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Short
Hobbs calls for clearer USD 288 bond ballot
Donald E. Hobbs urges a more readable bond issue ballot for USD 288. As an East Central Kansas Economic Development official and local dairy farmer, he questions voters’ knowledge of planned construction and technological upgrades. He serves on the school board and has three Central Heights graduates in his family.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Donald E. Hobbs
USD 288
Hobbs
East Central Kansas Economic Development, Inc
Central Heights
Hobbs Recommends Stadium Upgrades With Pay to Play Talk
Donald Hobbs argues for a limited upgrade plan focusing on a new scoreboard and light posts for the football field and track replacement at the current site to serve all grades. He plans to explore grants or a mill levy raise while constraining academic programs last amid a looming budget crisis.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Hobbs
Ouelette backs bond issue for Central Heights school
Ed Ouelette a local resident and FAA electronics technician who volunteers as a Cutler Township firefighter and is a former Air Force member says a bond plan is sensible. He cites the need to separate K 12 student groups to improve academics, support block scheduling, and increase flexibility for middle and high school programs.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ed Ouelette
Central Heights
Ouelette
Federal Aviation Administration
Cutler Township
United States Air Force
Quelette
Ouelette backs local option levy for track and bond uses
Ed Ouelette favors the bond plan to shift load and relocate students and notes many participate in track. He supports funding enhancements through a higher local option budget to avoid deeper program cuts, citing a current 4 mill LOB and the need for an increase.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ouelette
Schaefer push to improve schools links bond issue
Eugene Schaefer, a facilities committee member, frames the bond plan as key for district improvement. He urges steps to upgrade schools and benefit children. A Coun try Mart assistant meat manager in Ottawa, he lives in Central Heights with his wife and three children and participates in 4-H and local boards.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Eugene Schaefer
He Schaefer
Country Mart
Ottawa
Central Heights
Ramblin’ Ranchers
Franklin County Fair Board
Ottawa Munici
Auditorium board hears Schaefer on Bush standards
Eugene Schaefer urged the Auditorium board to address Bush era requirements and No Child Left Behind in the coming school year. He called for improved technology and enhanced programs to meet state standards.
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Par Auditorium
Schaefer
Sobba Champions Focus on Student Preparation and Budget Fights
Cen tral Heights graduate Doyle Sobba urges focusing on administration and teaching to ready students for college and careers. A Richmond city employee and 4-H leader, he opposes the bond issue due to state deficits and fears budget cuts would harm academics while stressing education as vital for his children’s future.
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Doyle Sobba
Central Heights
Richmond
Sobba
Evans: State funding troubles hit Wellsville USD 289 candidates
Evans, a retired 34 year teacher from the Wellsville district, argues state funding is the core problem for Wellsville USD 289 and other districts. He cites no real state dollars in ten years and notes 70 percent of residents in Wellsville have no children. He hopes to influence budget drafting with budget management experience from previous roles at Newton, Salina Central and Shawnee Mission East High Schools.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Eldon Evans
Wellville
Evans
Newton High School
Salina Central High School
Shawnee Mission East High School
Shawnee Mission
Wellsville
Moore aims to spark interest in Wellsville district
Scott Moore, an air traffic controller with 15 years in the DOT, announces he is running in Wellsville to address a perceived lack of engagement. He warns of tough times ahead due to revenue shortfalls and notes his family ties as Wellsville students. Moore has lived in the district seven years and served on the Wellsville joint recreation committee.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Scott Moore
Wellsville
Moore
Department of Transportation
Moore urges careful budgeting amid $300 million deficit
Scott Moore notes the district plans to assess funding shortfall details as the state faces a deficit exceeding $300 million. He stresses education remains the priority and decisions should wait for exact figures to determine the least impact on students.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Moore
Stonequist Seeks Second Term on Wellsville School Board
Jim Stonequist campaigns for a second term on the Wellsville School Board focusing on preparing for and mitigating state budget cuts. He cites plans to cut costs, follow staff ideas, and maintain fiscal vigilance while serving as a long-time community firefighter, district coordinator, and underwater recovery team leader.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Jim Stonequist
Wellsville
Stonequist
Harrison, Lincoln
Ottawa Township
Miami County Firefighters Association
Miami County
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USD
Andy Gassaway
Donald Hobbs
Doyle Sabba
Kansas
The
Ottawa Herald
Cedar
W.ottawaherald.com
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