Name: Arden G. Lauxman
Age: 52
Occupation: Comptroller for Lyon-Coffey Electric Cooperative
Education: Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Emporia State University
Personal: I have five children in school. A son, Jacob, 18, who is graduating this May in Tucson, Arizona; a son Timothy, 16, also in Tucson; and three daughters, all in the Emporia school system: Emily, 11, Allyson, 9, and Morgan, 7.
Q Why are you running for school board?
A I am running for the school board to demonstrate my interests in the local education system and lend my accounting and management background in making board decisions, not only as a parent with children in the district, but as a contributing member of the Emporia community for over thirty years.
Q If elected, what are your goals?
A If elected I would pledge a level of commitment that will allow a positive and collaborative approach to making decisions that the school board is charged with. Student education standards must continue to be addressed and we must carry on with the existing district improvement plan once approved by the State. Additionally, we must not hold back those students who excel in their work. Retaining tenured staff is also a goal.
Q How will the Emporia school board be better with you as a member?
A I am an accountant. Our school board operates on its funding; school board members are stewards of those funds and the people they serve. I am very familiar with serving consumers in my profession where thousands of households depend on sound financial planning. The same can be said of a unified school board. We are in the education business and our funds are limited. The talent of being effective comes from how we manage those funds. I have also been active in this community for 30 years and I offer collaborative efforts from the local viewpoint when those situations arise.
Q What do you think is the biggest issue facing the Emporia school board and how would you resolve it?
A First of all, there are many big issues, but the issue that is most important is our ability to maintain our Adequate Yearly Progress. All school boards are charged with maintaining adequate progress and our school district currently is not in compliance in the reading literacy area, mainly in our secondary grades. My approach at meeting adequate yearly progress would be to focus on identifying the issues that are the cause; I feel that the district staff is making some positive changes that will put us back in compliance. I would continue to encourage staff to bring the board new programs that will boost test results on the secondary level. Another resolution that I feel needs to be made is to continue to stay in compliance once there and be proactive. The benchmarks set forth for adequate progress should, and can be viewed as something positive, after all, we’re all hoping that every student graduates and we have to give them that opportunity; we being the district as well as the parents; it’s a collaborative effort. I will continue this commitment and attempt to make decisions that will enhance our approaches at meeting adequate yearly progress.
Q What should the Emporia school board’s priorities be when it plans a budget?
A The school board utilizes performance based budgeting. The core instructional programs need to continue to be the top priority as those programs are the foundation of attaining adequate yearly progress. Student support services need to be considered more carefully in the future as some issues have come forward regarding the apparent lack of support services for the gifted. This concerns me just as much as those with special education needs. We also need to pay close attention to our support staff as well as our facilities. The recent addition of new facilities now must be maintained.
Q Looking to the future, what are three things you would like to see happen in the Emporia school district?
A First, I would like to see us meeting annual yearly progress mandates; and we will do it. Second, I would like to see the continued effective involvement in our long range planning advisory committees and our site councils. And thirdly, we need to make sure we are communicating and in touch with the community; to the point of having school board meetings broadcast locally as we do with our city commission meetings.