School board trustee candidates answer PTA's questions

Stephen Naso, Dave Alexander, Samuel Bagley, and John Hollensteiner are running for Lakeside/Somers School District Board of Trustees. The following are the candidates answers to the PTA’s questions.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.

Naso - My name is Steve Naso, my wife and I have three daughters and reside in Somers. I retired from the New York City Fire Department in 2007 after a 25-year career. I spent my last six years in special operations as a rescue firefighter and instructor. My life experiences have given me knowledge in many different fields and I would like to share that with others.

Alexander - My name is Dave Alexander and I have lived and worked in the District for 15 years. I have a degree in business from University of Montana and another in communications from Montana Tech. I currently work for the Montana Department of Transportation as an appraiser and acquisition agent. I have two children that graduated from Somers Middle School and now attend Flathead High.

Bagley - I went from high school, graduated 1979 Williamsville, NY, just outside of Buffalo, NY., straight into the U.S.A.F. and left the service to take over the family business when my father got sick. Purchased the business in 1990 and have grown the business since then to a global business.

I represent both domestic and foreign steel tubing manufactures. I also started a trucking company with my wife, Susan, and a friend and sold that in 2002. I also owned a pharmacy with my sister and brother-in-law in Florida, which we sold in 2011.

I enjoy sports, golf, volleyball till a recent knee injury, hunting and fishing, and being outside. I am a die hard Buffalo Bills fan win or loose…mostly lose the last 10 years.

Hollensteiner - My wife, Mary, and I have three children: Walt age 10 and twins Will and Anna age four. Walt is in the fifth grade in Lakeside Elementary School. I am a general contractor by trade and have family roots here in the Flathead going back five generations. I have been a volunteer with the Flathead County Search and Rescue for six years.

2. Being a School Board Trustee is a great commitment of time and energy. What are your reasons for wanting to contribute in this way?

Naso - Since retiring I have remained active volunteering in many different aspects. I believe that I can use my background to help the community at a time when so many others are unable to commit due to the times.

Alexander - Originally, I became a school board trustee at the urging of the teachers in our district. I had two children, one in Lakeside and one in Somers when I originally ran for the board. My children both graduated from Somers and are now at Flathead High School. I was elected by acclamation for my second term on the board and have been chairman of the board for the last five or six years that I have served. Someone asked me the other day why I would seek another three-year term on the board when my children have moved on to District 5. It is simple, my commitment to District #29 did not end when my youngest graduated. Our district is entering a very critical time that will affect our children’s education. My experience as board chair and understanding of our school finance and policy will be needed in the coming years.

Bagley - Help get this school district on a business plan that mirrors the growth of the community so our children get the best bang for our buck and in turn want to raise their children here.

I feel the school represents the heart of an area and helps increase the value of a community to where people seek out a decent place to raise their children. That is why I moved here after my son was born.

Hollensteiner - We have been so pleased with the quality of education and coaching our oldest son has received at the Lakeside school. The faculty, staff and school board members are exceptional professionals who devote much time, energy and genuine caring to the education and development to all of their students and athletes. I wish to be part of this institution in order to give back to those who give so much to our children.

3. What previous experience with the Somers School District have you have?

Naso: My only experience with Somers School District is the many friends in the community that have children attending. Our youngest daughter recently graduated from Flathead High School and is now attending University of Montana. Our other daughters have been through public schools and are attending higher education degrees.

Alexander: I have seen both of my children graduate from this school district. I have actively volunteered in the district for 11 years. I have served six years on the current school board, the last five years as chairman of the board.

Bagley: I supported my wife in the holiday fest or as the school has come to me with needs.

Hollensteiner: I have attended several school board meetings as I have vested interest in the program as a whole. The meetings were very informative as to the issues, which our school district faces. My wife, Mary, is on the board with the Lakeside/Somers PTA.

4. What do you see as the major strength of the district?

Naso: The major strength of Somers School District is that it is a small, tight knit community where everyone has the ability to participate in the growth of our children. In the classroom or around town our children are surrounded by many diverse individuals who may contribute to their becoming productive members of society.

Alexander: The major strengths of the district lie with the residents that entrust their children’s education to a great staff that places the needs of our kids above their own.

Bagley: The environment in which the kids are educated is wonderful. The support of the teachers and staff to truly get the best out of each student.

Hollensteiner: Certainly the greatest strength within the Somers/Lakeside School District has to be our teachers. Mary and I put much research into whether or not our oldest son would stay in our district or attend one of the several private schools in our area.

We made the right decision to keep our children in our public schools.

Every one of the teachers I have had the pleasure to know has demonstrated a passion for teaching and a commitment to our children. Most importantly, I see real enthusiasm on the part of our son to learn.

5. What are the district’s greatest challenges at this time?

Naso: The greatest challenge today is the economy and it’s uncertainty. We need to maintain our educational responsibility to our children while also being fiscally responsible to all residents. It is a time when we need to move ahead slowly and prepare for the future.

Alexander: Our greatest challenges at this time involve the conditions of our facilities. Our prior administration put salary and wages above the need for maintenance and upkeep. For the last several years, the board under my direction has put the focus back on building reserves to sustain the buildings and grounds we currently own, without harming the educational opportunities for our children.

Bagley: The district must come up with a funding program that supports the needs of the students and teachers that we can put in place not year to year but on a five to 10-year plan. The elected officials at the state level need to look at the schools not as a one option fits all, but on a case or region based level with latitudes within that to adapt to changing conditions.

School is a business with in-flows and out-flows. We need the state to look at it as not a winner take all or lose it budget, but flow system to allow better planning and cash carry-overs to cover the unknowns, i.e. roofs, ovens, boilers, etcetera.

Hollensteiner: The Somers school faces some infrastructure issues which need to be addressed. Funding of these challenges is important in order to do the most we can within a limited budget.

6. What do you believe are the most important elements of a quality education?

Naso: A quality education is one that teaches our children the skills they need to become responsible citizens. We must also show them the many choices they will need to make in the years to come. The pursuit of an education is ultimately their own choosing and we need to give them the proper experiences as they grow.

Alexander: A quality education from an elementary and middle school involves adequately preparing our students for high school and beyond. I believe this begins in kindergarten and each year should build on the last. This means a focus on the basics, which includes reading, writing and arithmetic.

Bagley: The three Rs plus PE, music and art.

Hollensteiner: I believe that the most important element to a quality education, particularly at the grammar school level, is parental involvement. Parents need to be active in their childrens’ process of learning whether it be participating in homework or making learning exciting for them.

It all starts at home with an environment to learn and an importance to try your best.

I have coached on many of our son’s sports teams and I always try to get to know the parents well and instill upon them the importance of their involvement in getting kids to practice and games on time and the importance of practicing at home. If a child comes prepared to school each day, he/she will have greater success and joy in learning.

7. What are your priorities when it comes to the budget?

Naso: The priorities of the budget are to be able to use every dollar spent to give the very best in education. We need to run our budget exactly the way we do at home. Shop wisely, save for the future, maintain what we have, and always review every department for savings. Money wasted on any project is money unavailable for a worthwhile endeavor.

Alexander: My priorities when it comes to the current budget are to:

1. Balance the budget.

2. Provide for ongoing maintenance of our facilities.

3. Build a cushion for emergencies.

Bagley: As stated above, run the budget like a successful business.

Hollensteiner: My priorities for the budget are to maintain a strong curriculum focusing on a well-rounded education including music and extra-curricular activities to make learning fun and interesting.

Before- and after-school programs are also of vital importance in order to provide working parents with a convenient and safe location to have their children. Children using these programs also have access to exceptionally well-trained tutors.

8. What would your approach or philosophy be when cuts need to be made?

Naso: With proper planning, cuts should not be needed. By planning for the future, funds should be properly allocated to reserves for future needs.

Alexander: In light of our current budget woes that are now in their second year, cuts have needed to be made. It is critical that a school board trustee evaluate three components when making anticipated cuts:

1. The needs of the students.

2. The burden of the taxpayer.

3. The definition of a basic education.

When money is short, it is important to distinguish what is required versus what may be desired. Our desire may be to provide every possible opportunity for our children, but that comes at a cost to each and every tax-paying citizen of our district. It is our duty under the Montana Constitution to provide every child in our district with a basic quality education. I am in favor of making cuts to those programs that are deemed unnecessary in keeping with the definition of a basic quality education, while focusing on our available resources on improving student performance in the areas of reading, mathematics and the sciences.

Bagley: Cuts start at waste first. Second, what are the fixed costs, and third, what is the priority to the district as a whole after that. Teachers must have security in knowing whether or not a program will be in place next year. Again, if a proper budget, with fixes from the state, is in place we can look at adjustments as opposed to cuts.

Hollensteiner: Budgetary constraints are a critical issue facing most school districts across the country, and indeed across the globe.

We all want the best for children, but are faced with the inevitable costs to provide them with the best. Many citizens in our community do not have children in our schools but share in the cost to educate our community’s children.

It is helpful for us to remember that nearly all of us benefitted from someone else’s sacrifice in order to provide for our own education.

If cuts need to be made, we should try to make the most with what we have available. Budgetary planning and cost control may alleviate the issues we face.

A very important tool, which should not be overlooked, is educational grants. Educational grants should be pursued whether we are or not we face a fiscal constraint. Grants are widely available if the time and effort is made to successfully receive them.

I worked for five years in non-profit and wrote and received several federally funded grants in order to provide the financial tools required to achieve our goals. It is my goal to continue the outstanding performance provided by all those involved in our school district within the constraints of our budget.