Spring Valley School Board has three seats open. Two write-in candidates, Jessica Fritz and Joan Ford, will be on the ballot along with incumbent Monica Vorlicek*. Incumbents are marked with an …
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Spring Valley School Board has three seats open. Two write-in candidates, Jessica Fritz and Joan Ford, will be on the ballot along with incumbent Monica Vorlicek*. Incumbents are marked with an asterisk.
Town of residence: Baldwin
Occupation: Retired teacher
Prior elected offices: None
Do you have children who attend the school district? My two children both graduated from Spring valley schools, and I have three grandchildren presently enrolled in Spring Valley School District.
Community/civic activities: I was one of the original founders of the SPARK peer tutoring program in Spring Valley District. This ran for over 25 years under my direction.
Why are you running for school board? What are your priorities? My priorities are ensuring that my grandchildren, and all children in the district, receive an excellent education which will prepare them for life after graduation.
What do see as the biggest challenges facing the school district? One of the biggest challenges I see for our school district is keeping highly qualified teachers. They need to feel valued in their positions.
What differentiates you from the other candidates/board members? I taught for Spring Valley for 30 years prior to my retirement in 2021.
What do you see as the primary work of the school board? Is there anything you wish the public understood better? The primary work of the school board is being fiscally responsible for running the school district. Keep the budget balanced while providing an excellent education for all students.
What is the best way to address differences of opinion on the board or between the board/administration/the public? The best way to address differences of opinion is to keep an open line of communication. Being willing to listen to both sides of an issue is important. Being transparent to the public so they actually know where their tax dollars are going is very important.
Could you support a board decision you did not vote in favor of? Why or why not? That would depend on the decision being made. I do know compromise is important in any governing body, but if the topic is something I am strongly against, I would not vote in favor of it.
How does a school board balance the need to provide a quality education with the need to respond to the local taxpayer burden? The board needs to be cautious in their spending. Plan ahead for possible surprise expenses. Do the research necessary to find all state and federal funding available. Form a grant writing committee to seek funds for projects that the school is not able to budget for.
How can people contact you? I would prefer a phone call or a text if someone needed to contact me.
Did not respond
Town of residence: Spring Valley
Occupation: Licensed daycare provider
Prior elected offices: Last spring I was elected for a one-year seat on the SDSV board and have enjoyed my time learning and growing in that seat. It's not just our children that can learn and grow as I started learning from watching and listening to the board one year before as a parent sitting and watching the board process. I continue my growth with each meeting topic as I like to research more information, ask questions and listen to the other information shared by the speaker of the topic.
Do you have children who attend the school district? I have one who graduated in the class of 2016. Then at the moment I have one in each section of the school. One will be graduating this spring in the class of 2023, one in the Middle and another one in the Elementary.
Community/civic activities: I haven't been active in many community activities/organizations in a while besides being a supportive parent watching my children in their activities/sports.
Why are you running for school board? What are your priorities? I am running again this year as last year I was in hopes of a three-year term. In my one year’s time I have learned many things on how the board works together and what we do as a board. I am wanting to continue this journey to further my growth and learning. My priority is to make my decisions with the board that benefits all: the students, staff, parents and the taxpayers in mind.
What do see as the biggest challenges facing the school district? Passing the referendums. The operating referendum is my focus. I believe that this is important to keep and bring in well-educated teachers/staff. The funds will also benefit our students with learning opportunities such as adding new materials to our already in progress Consumer Science curriculum/life skills that was brought by the community as an asset that SDSV wanted back into our school. The facilities referendum is a bonus that would also benefit everyone. The turf would allow outdoor play sooner here in Wisconsin for phy ed classes, more seating for the community for games, the track would be nice as I have only lived here since 1995, but we haven't had a track in all these years. The community would be able to utilize the track too for added exercise on a flat surface. We all know there is not too many flat surfaces in our area for someone who wishes to get out for an easy walk without hills to climb!
What differentiates you from the other candidates/board members? I will be the only incumbent and name on the ballot this spring vote. We do at the moment have two write ins that have declared their candidacy for the SDSV. I don't compare myself to others as each person is unique and brings forth something to our board.
What do you see as the primary work of the school board? Is there anything you wish the public understood better? Policies. I have sat out a policy as it looked to me that it needed further review. The policy that was brought to us to revise was last done in 2008. I felt that the wording was misleading as the times have changed over the years and I wished for it to get reworded. I have maybe gone beyond my work as I have looked at other schools’ policies that I was questioning, I had talked to another WASB member for his views on how I should present my feelings and even talked with a WASB lawyer for further review. The reason schools have policies is to ensure that values are applied consistently, define clear expectations, and help provide a framework for employees and students. This policy is still up for review and will be presented back to the board at a later date. And as always - I wish to see tax dollars spent wisely so budget has been something new to me, but worth investing my time in learning about.
What is the best way to address differences of opinion on the board or between the board/administration/the public? Be true to yourself with respect of others.
Could you support a board decision you did not vote in favor of? Why or why not? I am only one of seven board members and I feel my duty is to serve my community in the best of my abilities. We honestly have a great board at SDSV and I am proud to sit next to them.
How does a school board balance the need to provide a quality education with the need to respond to the local taxpayer burden? Always remember who you are working for.
How can people contact you? vorlicekm@springvalley.k12.wi.us
