USD 408 candidates express views during forum years ago
Sarah Cope, Doug Sharp square off in only contested race
School finance, staff cuts, drug testing, and parking issues were just a few of the questions Marion High School students wanted answered during a forum for USD 408 Board of Education candidates.
MHS government students conducted the candidate forum Friday afternoon in the MHS gymnasium. Four of the five candidates seeking election to the board were able to attend. Those present were Christopher A. Sprowls, Marion, candidate for member district position 1; Rex E. Savage, Florence, candidate for member district position 3, and Sarah Cope, Florence, and Doug A. Sharp, Marion, candidates for member district position 7, at large.
Kathy Meierhoff, Marion, is seeking election to the member district position 2 spot. She was unable to attend Friday's forum because it occurred during the work day. However, her answers to the questions were provided to students in a handout.
Since the "at-large" position 7 is the only contested race, this article will focus on the two candidates for the position, Sarah Cope and Doug Sharp. A separate article in next week's Marion County Record will acquaint voters with the other USD 408 BOE candidates.
Sarah Cope
A first time candidate for the board of education, Sarah Cope said she wanted to be involved in the education of all children and wanted to help students attending USD 408 be educated better.
"If I can help be a part of kids' education in this district then I want to be a part of that," she said. "If you're on the board you can make a difference. I thought 'why don't I do that?'
"I'm looking forward to the challenge if I should be elected."
When asked why she should be elected, Cope said she was open-minded, excited, and ready to bring positive ideas to the board.
A graduate of Flint Hills High School and Butler County Community College with an associate of arts and business administration degree, Cope and her husband Clint moved to Florence six years ago from Manhattan where they ranch. The Copes have three children, Danielle, an eighth grader; Adam, a fourth grader, and Jacob, a second grader.
A part-time employee with the City of Florence, Cope substitutes at Marion Elementary School as a teacher and a paraprofessional. When she's not working, she helps on the ranch, is director of the Kids' Club at Florence, is vice president of the Florence Historical Society, is a member of the Marion County Economic Development Committee, and is a 2003 class member of Leadership Marion County.
She's also a member of the Marion Elementary School Building Improvement Team (MESBIT), the school's site council, and is involved in her children's 4-H club.
With staff cuts becoming a likely possibility in Marion-Florence schools due to funding shortfalls and declining enrollment, Cope said she would like to see a team from each school decide where items can be cut at each attendance center.
"I'd like these teams to see where budget cuts should be made, take these to their principal and bring it to the board," Cope said. "I can't say where budget cuts should take place. I have a lot to learn, but I'd like to see a team from each school make that recommendation.
"It's a scary, scary situation," she continued. "I sub enough at Marion Elementary, but I don't know where cuts could be made as big as classes are now."
Cope said that the budget is the most pressing issue currently facing USD 408. "We will all have to put our heads together to make the best decision possible," she said.
When asked about talk of consolidating school districts, Cope said she could understand how people would think that would save money; however, she didn't think the idea of a countywide school district would help Marion County in the long run.
"I think a lot of our kids would end up going to schools out of county because those schools would be closer," she said. "I could see where kids would go to Newton or Herington or Council Grove. That would help other districts, but not necessarily our Marion County district.
When asked by MHS students how she would help resolve the lack of parking at the high school, Cope said she understood there was a problem, but felt it was not an issue to be addressed at this time.
"If you've got to cut staff it won't be a major issue right now," she said. "If someday the budget situation gets better then that might be the time to do something about parking."
Students also questioned whether candidates supported random drug testing for students involved in extra curricular activities, and if the money spent on drug testing could be better used somewhere else.
Cope replied that it was a good use if it could stop just one person from getting involved with drugs.
"I'm not naive enough to say 'it won't ever happen to my child'," Cope said. "Realistically, drugs are out there and drugs are illegal. Alcohol is also illegal for people under the age of 21. If you're caught you need to face the consequences."
She also noted that 90 percent of the jobs in today's workforce require workers to undergo random drug testing.
Candidates were asked whether they would support a four-day school week as a means of saving money. Cope said she didn't believe it would really save money and noted that by 2 p.m., young children are already "peaked out" on learning.
"Also teachers are paid by the hour so that's another day they're not paid," she said. "I think longer days would be detrimental to everyone's education."
Doug Sharp
An incumbent, Doug Sharp is finishing up his eighth year as a board of education member. Currently, he is representing member district position number 2, but is seeking re-election to a new seat, that of position number 7 — the "at large" slot.
A Marion resident for 11 years, Sharp is employed as the legal agent for Scully Estates and is the president of Midlands Farm Services.
Sharp has three children.
When asked why he wanted to be a board member, Sharp said that as a parent, he had a vested interest.
"My second is about to finish, and I have one coming up (in school)," he said. "I have enjoyed my relationship as a member of the board and I'd like to see my school continue to thrive."
Sharp said the upcoming few years would not be an easy time for the board because of funding concerns and said he looked forward to serving.
When asked about the funding shortfall, Sharp said one of the district's main problems causing the shortfall was dwindling enrollment."Our numbers are beginning to shrink in USD 408," he said. "And it's shrinking for a lot of different reasons. We don't have enough jobs in our community for families to come here and make a living. As a (Marion Chamber of Commerce) member, we need that support to bring jobs, which is one reason our enrollment is down."
When asked about his feelings concerning school consolidation, Sharp said consolidation has been going on ever since the county was settled and one section in each township was set aside for a school.
"But that was back when there was a farmstead on every quarter section of land," he said. "Consolidation is a fact of life."
He noted schools already share many services including ITV, but agreed consolidation was a contentious issue. "It creates problems in communities," he said.
Sharp said if the state legislature determines consolidation will save significant amounts of money it will "have to happen."
"The Legislature controls the purse strings," he said.
Of great interest to students, Sharp was asked if parking at the high school was a major concern. He said the only area available would be near the old "hill building" where the land around it doesn't get much use.
"That could be made accessible for parking," he said. "Furthermore, it could have access to Main Street."
When asked whether or not he supported the recently adopted random drug testing policy for students, Sharp acknowledged he was a "less than enthusiastic supporter."
"My lack of enthusiasm has to do with more government involvement in our lives," Sharp explained. He noted he understood the daily pressures kids are faced with involving drugs and alcohol, and said beer and alcohol drinking had been glamorized on television and that had a great effect on kids.
When asked if he felt the money spent on random drug testing could be better spent, Sharp said that depends on whether it actually protects kids from drug and alcohol abuse.
"You all sign a statement when you sign up for an extra curricular activity," he said. "If your word isn't good, you don't have much."
One thing Sharp would like to see changed in USD 408 is the grading scale used at the high school. He said Marion-Florence kids lose opportunities for scholarships because the grading scale is too stringent.
"Our grading scale is higher than about 75 percent of other 3-A schools and they are competing for the same scholarships as our kids here," Sharp said. "I believe we're being penalized when a 92 percent is a B, and down the road, kids (with 92 percent) get an A.
"I feel we need to get that scale back to a more normal level, otherwise it will be a tough go for our kids," he added.
