Grand Forks School Board candidate: Kelly Hogness

Note to readers: The answers to survey questions below have not been edited in any way. They were provided as is by the candidates.

Name: Kelly Hogness

Occupation: Air Force Antiterrorism Officer

Age: 46

Family: Jessica, my wife, our 2 Sons, Christian 16 and Jacob 5, and our 2 adopted dogs

Leadership experience:

2001-2004 Air Force Instructor Supervisors

2007-2008 Grand Forks AFB School Board

2009 - present Security Program Manager

2010-2012 Grand Forks Head Start Policy Council Chairman

Why are you seeking a seat on the School Board?

I believe that this board is lacking efficiency, effectiveness and equitability. I know I can bring to this Board sound judgment, based on district wide needs. I don't take decision making lightly and after detailed research I can make a hard call. This kind of decision making will bring efficiency, effectiveness and equitability back to the Board

What is the biggest issue the School Board is facing?

At this time it would have to be spending. Soon the ND state imposed school district General Fund cap of 110 mills will be on us. This will force the district to operate in a tighter budget then presently afforded. This board will either have to start making fiscally responsible decisions, using a diminished General Fund, or ask you, the tax payer, for more. If measure 2 passes then this will be even more of an issue. It is important to get someone on the School Board today that considers fiscal responsibility a high priority.

How would you deal with or approach that issue?

To fix this the board will have to readdress previous decisions and determine long term usefulness of new proposals. We will need to annually review enrollments and, if needed, turn off frivolous programs or repurpose underutilized infrastructure. Every decision will have to take into consideration the long term limitations to the General Fund and know that anything greater than will require public approval.

Are School District resources being used to maximum efficiency? What, if any, improvements would you explore or recommend?

I have been very clear on this matter. We are not an efficient School District when dealing with real property. Any district that can continue to fund grossly underutilized schools or continue to lease an inadequate facility is being inefficient. It has been said that we are paying less then we borrowed but that is because of government funds that have been made available. We can't plan on this type of windfall every year.

To improve or correct this we need to relocate the Community High School to a better facility and even consider curriculum that will better prepare them for tomorrow's job market. This needs to be done sooner than later as was proposed by the Demographic Task Force...2 years is too long a wait.

We need to validate the enrollment projections of the Demographic Task Force every year. If after a couple of years the enrollments do not increase to the expected numbers we make the tough call. Notice I said "after a couple of years". This is because we need to give the community a chance as the present School Board decided. If the community can show signs of growth and the city is investing in the area then the facilities should no longer be underutilized. It's rather simple...if enrollment increases dramatically we keep schools, if it doesn't we reduce or repurpose capital.

What is your ideal classroom size, and why?

A class size of 12 to 17 is optimum for social as well as curriculum learning. Too few students and they don't learn how to deal with each other, too many and they begin to get lost in the mass. I watch my sons head start class, where there are approx. 15 children, and am amazed by what I am seeing. The kids don't just look at the teacher in front of the room or the book that is being read but their eyes are moving all around. They are watching each other, identifying with some and internally questioning others (you know the look). They learn from the array of attitudes, behaviors, and characteristics they interface with. I saw the same thing when I taught young adults. Every age group uses their peers as a tool to learn from, be it what to wear, how to introduce someone, how not to act, or what's appropriate to say. We learn be interfacing with an assortment of others...peers. Diversity in the classroom is an asset. Too small a class size and this learning opportunity is gone forever.