Melanie Snider
Incumbent - Zone 1 trustee
Age: 48
City of residence: Sandpoint
Years of residence in Bonner County: 3.5
Family: Married. My daughter Julia is in the 7th grade at SMS
How can the public contact you? phone 255-7323
Qualifications
Education: BS Business Administration graduated SUNY Brockport 1980
Recent employment history: Currently retired; 22 years in the financial world -- Wall St.
Public offices held: School Board Trustee
Groups to which you belong: Sandpoint VBC, Panhandle Alliance for Education
What particular experiences or skills qualify you to serve on the school board? I am currently coming to the end of my first term on the board. In the past 3 years we have improved relationships and communication in the district, hired a new superintendent, passed 3 M&O levies and put together a SPFL. Although it was unsuccessful, it was the first attempt in quite a while in this district to take a measure like that to the voters.
Candidate Positions
1. Why are you running for trustee? How much time can you devote to board service?
I am running for trustee for a second term because as a board we have accomplished man things in the past three years and I would like to continue moving LPOSD further along in the education of it's students. Being retired , my schedule is very flexible.
2. How frequently have you attended school board meetings? Have you been involved in any other school activities or groups?
Obviously I have attended school board meetings regularly for the past 3 years as well as sit on many advisory committees. I also volunteer at Northside school one day a week and am a regular chaperone at any of my daughter's school events. I was also a member of the Playground Committee when the elementary schools in the district came together to fund raise for new equipment.
3. Do you believe the district is doing a good job or poor job in educating students? Why?
I believe the district is doing a good job educating the students of this district. ISAT scores -- the state testing --continue to improve and the rigor of programs in our schools have continued to improve. Teachers and administrators have done a great job in remediating those students that are not proficient. They continually look for the best programs to bring all students to proficiency. We are back on the cirriculum cycle and have actively been evaluating and choosing new cirriculums. The CORE program funded by PAFE is having an incredible impact on our teaching community and thus our students.
4. Describe the top three to five issues you believe are facing our school district, and your position on these issues.
The top issue always seems to be funding. It impacts everything else we do in the district. Aging facilities is probably my No. 2 concern; and maintaining and improving programs for students with budget constraints.
5. What changes, if any, would you seek in the district’s curriculum?
I think the district has been doing a very good job assessing and choosing new curriculum. The district is always evaluating student achievement and looking for opportunities to increase student learning.
6. What do you see as the role of technology in education?
Students today need technology in every area of study, as well as the study of technolgy. It has become as important as textbooks!
7. What changes, if any, should be made in the district’s budget? Did you support or oppose the recent supplemental levy (which passed)?
The district administration has done a great job in the last few years presenting the budget to the public in an easy to read and understand format. The district finances are transparent to the public. I was in total support of the supplemental levy brought to the voters. We as a district spent a lot of time and thought on this levy -- knowing we would be asking the voters for more money to support the advances the district has made, we wanted to make sure the choices we were making were in the best interests of the students of this community.
8. Describe how you view the district’s current facilities needs. Did you support or oppose the school plant facility election last fall (which failed)?
We have many aging facilities in our district and a high school that, from what I understand, has been overcrowded since the day it opened it's doors. I did support the SPLF we ran last fall.
8. What, if anything, should our school district do about teaching values? Should our district teach about family life, sex education, AIDS?
I think values are something we model by our interactions throughout the day -- respect for self and others.