• What encouraged you to run for the school board?

I firmly believe that education is the great equalizer and that anyone can achieve greatness with a free public education — if they put forth the effort. I am encouraged to continue offering my experience as someone outside of education (and in the engineering sector) to work with other Board members and the administration and find ways to improve the school district.

• What do you think is FHSD’s biggest strength? Flaw? Explain your answer.

Academics is our biggest strength. Francis Howell has hard-working students, dedicated teachers (that sacrifice a lot to do this work), and strong families; they all contribute, in their own way, to the strong academic performance of the District. Despite our high academic performance relative to our peer districts, we can and should constantly challenge ourselves to improve — that is where I will continue to focus much of my effort in a second term.

Francis Howell’s financial history is flawed with various facts and misconceptions alike. To overcome this reputation, the community will need to elect leaders that can manage spending like everyone else is required to do.

• What is a problem you see in our district, and how do you intend to target it?

Francis Howell’s financial history is a problem that many in our community struggle to look past when the topic of schools arises. To overcome this reputation, the community will need to elect leaders that can manage spending like everyone else is required to do.

• How do you intend to be more inclusive for low-income families?

I believe every single child can succeed if they work hard — regardless of family income status. Work ethic is not a matter of financial means, and every single student needs to be reminded of this throughout their time in Francis Howell. Some of the world’s most accomplished individuals come from disadvantaged backgrounds. We should, and do, celebrate these stories in education to convey the fact that anyone can succeed if they are willing to do the work and that is especially true in America. We can also be more inclusive by rooting out any discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin, which is illegal under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution. By eliminating discriminatory programs, education—which is the great equalizer—can be available to all students regardless of race, color, national origin, or family income.

• Considering a bill recently filed by area state senator Adam Schnelting, who represents parts of Francis Howell School District, on the topic of defining sex, will you encourage the district to pursue bathroom policies should the bill become law in Missouri? Please explain your answer.

If Senator Schnelting’s SB76 becomes law, I will consult the District’s legal counsel, consider any relevant Missouri case law at the time of passage, and consider any relevant federal guidance before deciding on the matter.  Given that the District has been publicly threatened with litigation over this matter, I will not comment further on hypothetical scenarios regarding this very sensitive topic. For the sake of transparency, I have testified in support of SB76.

• What will you do to ensure financial responsibility in the school district? Please explain your answer.

In my first term, I helped rein in Prop S construction spending and reset our path forward after the mishandling prior to my election to the Board in 2022. I intend to continue to see Prop S spending be carefully executed through to completion. I believe that doing so is critical to rebuilding trust with our community, but Prop S is far from the only factor. I have also advocated for a long-term facilities master plan to forecast future capital improvement needs throughout the District. This plan will allow the District to make informed decisions about future bond questions and the split between the operating tax levy and the debt service tax levy. I have advocated for an asset management system/database for all of the District’s major assets, from HVAC, to computers. Recently, the technology piece of that work revealed that the District has substantially more Chromebooks than anyone realized — namely because no one bothered to count them all before. In the future, I will continue to look for similar ways of evaluating the District’s current position and develop informed plans for future needs to continue providing a robust education for all of the District’s students.

• How will you help our district retain teachers? Please explain your answer.

I will continue to seek opportunities to gain feedback directly from teachers — namely feedback that is not filtered through intermediaries. I will continue to fight to restore lost steps for our veteran teachers. I will continue to be a safe person that staff can reach out to when they feel bullied or retaliated against by other staff members. I will continue to advocate for our building administrators to follow the code of student conduct when it comes to matters of classroom disruption and behaviors. Overall, I will listen to and take feedback from teachers when they tell us what isn’t working for them.

• What is your stance on diversity, equity and inclusion within the district and how do you plan to address it?

A February 14, 2025 “Dear Colleague” letter issued to Missouri from the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights states: “The law is clear: treating students differently on the basis of race to achieve nebulous goals such as diversity, racial balancing, social justice, or equity is illegal under controlling Supreme Court precedent. All students are entitled to a school environment free from discrimination.” I agree with those statements.

• What will you do to make sure there is clear communication, transparency and accountability with decisions made by the district?

I will continue to advocate for heeding the recommendations in the District’s recent state audit that revealed a lack of communication, transparency, and accountability with the Board of Education and administration in control prior to my election in 2022. I will continue to insist that each Board Retreat is available on the District’s YouTube channel — a practice that was not done prior to my election in 2022, but one that I advocated for when I joined the Board. It will also be important for the Board and the next superintendent to establish communication norms and expectations so that the superintendent knows that the Francis Howell community expects regular updates about District opportunities and business. I will continue to discuss my decisions with local media and school newspapers when possible.

• If you could be in any movie what movie would you be in? Please explain your answer.

“Back to the Future.” Time travel, need I say more?