Ted Hazelton School Board Candidate Statement (District 1)

Hello,
My name is Ted Hazelton and I am running for a seat on the School Board in election district #1 agianst incumbant, Larry Labor. I am a life long Winona area resident. I am a very active volunteer in many civic groups and organizations; both past and preasant. I am a current board member and founder of the Winona Area Youth Wrestling Club, I am also an active parent volunteer in my youngest son's Cub Scout troop, a member of the minnesota Transportation Museum -(Railroad Division), and a member of the Chippewa Valley Motor Car Railway. I am a past member of the Winona Model railroad Club, and the Winona Area Jaycee's. I also give railroad safety presentations in the area schools during National Railroad Safety Week in May of each year, and have also helped chaperone on some school field trips at W-K in the past.

I am employed full time as a truck driver for D.J.Johnson Transfer Co. of Winona, and I'm also licensed pyrotechnic operator with J & M Displays. I shoot fireworks shows at many of the surrounding community festivals.

I am a single parent of a child who was involved in the E.C.F.E. program at the Lincoln Bldg. My son now is a 1st grade student at W-K Elementry school now so I have a vested intrest in 861 schools.

I am running for school board for many reasons. My first and foremost reason is to help restore public trust and accountability back to Dist. 861 and to open more communication between 861 and parents, students, teachers, and the tax paying general public. The current board is not representative of the wishes of the general public and there is no representation for the rural areas of the district, or the average working class citizens and familys. The current board is a "rubber stamp" for admimistration rather than for the wishes of parents, community and the tax payers. There is such a lack of direction, credability or accountability on this board that it is pathetic! Trust must be restored after many of the contraversial and hair-brained decitions that have taken place in the last 4 years such as moving the 5th graders out of the elementry schools over to the Middle School, and the way that S.O.F.A. was handled. The public is fed up with the actions of the current board majority as evidenced by the recent vote in the primary election on Sept. 12, and word of mouth around town!

Change in Winona is on the horizen! It's time to put the "public" back into our public schools!
Other issues that I am running on are: Finding a new home for the A.L.C. program in a DISTRICT OWNED BUILDING by either re-claiming the Lincoln building or more preferably moving the 5th grade back into the elementry schools (where they belong) to free up the space needed at the Middle School for the A.L.C. Improved relatoins with 861 staff & employees to help boost morale (which is currentley lacking). Improving test scores by doing a cirriculum audit to see what can be modified or improved for our students. Re-examine the 2 tierd busing system for cost effectivness and efficiency improvements. I have a hard time believing that 861 is saving the kind of money that they claim that they do to the public. Also, switching school start times between the older and younger students needs to be done as the current set up is backwards and creates a schedule nightmare for parents of elementry aged students in regards to day-care issues after school Additionally, the current set up may be in violation of federal law (daylight savings time). Daylight savings was done for 2 reasons. One; to give farmers an extra hour of light to work with, and second; to keep little kids from being out in the dark to catch the bus or walking to school! I would also address some of our screwed up attendance boundrys that are currently in place. Examples: kids living in Hidden Valley live 3/4 mile from Goodview School yet we bus them 4 miles to Jefferson School! Kids living in Minneiska are bused 14 miles to Goodview School, but they go right by highway 248 and Rollingstone on the way to Goodview! How dumb is that?!!

I also believe that the maintenance budget needs to be increased with the number of older buildings we have in use so they don't end up with same fate as the old Middle School did - what a shame!

Finally, I would bring a consrvative viewpoint to the board as for decisions that involve tax payer dollars and how they are spent. The spending practices of the current board are pathetic! Examples: Paying $120,000 for new tennis courts at the Middle School rather than re-habilitate the existing ones at the High School for $40,000 then paying for busing students from the high school to the Middle School to use them!

Paying an extra $4,000 per year on milk just to get "B.G.H. free" stickers on them! Paying $110,000 for 2 part time elementry principals then letting W.S.U. use them to teach over there and only getting $45,000 in return for this. Net loss - $65,000. Why not just hire 1 full time elementry principal at $55,000 and have that person split thier time between the 2 elementry buildings involved? Security cameras at Madison School. If W.S.U. requires them for the daycare program over there, let them pay for it instead of 861 footing the $22,000 cost! Isn't that what a partnership is all about, helping each other out for a common goal?!! These are just some examples, I could write a book on this subject if I had the time.

These are some of the issues that I will be addressing if elected to the board. Lets end this "good old boys club" that seems to be in place with our current school board with every vote being 7-0 no matter what the subject matter is. There needs to be more debate on the items in question.

This way, board members are more informed when a vote comes up. This is what the public wants. Vote Ted Hazelton for school board on November 7. Vote for change!

Thank-you,

Ted Hazelton
school board candidate

P.S. Please feel free to E-Mail or call me at my house in the evening with any questions or concerns that you have or would like to talk about. Its all about communication, which is part of being a good school board member. Phone: 454-3232 E-Mail: thazerailsinwinona@hotmail.com